Herald of the End Chapter 50: What We Decide, a naruto fanfic

I apologize for the wait. I realize that at this point I've said it before, but life has a way of making things interesting. In the interest of keeping chapters out in a (hopefully) timely manner, I opted to put this chapter out now instead of waiting until chapters 3 and 4 were remastered.

Without any more delay, here is the next chapter. Chapter 50: What We Decide

"So you have come…" The deep and malicious voice echoed in the stone chamber, seemingly coming from nowhere yet everywhere, "High Priestess." It paused, "Have you come to watch the last of your wretched line die?"

"No." High Priestess Miroku glared defiantly at the darkness, "I have come to rescue my daughter and seal you once again."

"Oh?" Something massive thudded in the dark, "How can you save something you cannot see?" The thud sounded out again, this time off to her right, "I am the all-consuming darkness." The floor began to vibrate. "I am the dominating will that subjugates all." The walls groaned under an invisible weight. "I am the eternal night. I am MORYO!" The pillars of the temple shook. "Fear me." The darkness swallowed the High Priestess. "Who are you to resist ME?"

Something red and terrible began to flicker in the darkness. A giant form began to appear. Its glowing red slitted eyes were filled with terrifying malice, and the skinless muscles glinted in the firelight. As the chakra shroud increased, the nine tails of the creature slowly became visible. With a ground shaking roar, the monster blasted the darkness away. Fissures snaked up the walls and the pillars cracked.

Thud.

With each step the creature made, the ground cratered.

Thud.

With each step, it drew closer to Shion.

Chakra, black as the night itself, began to build in its jagged maw. The air grew heavy, and with a yelp of pain, Shion was driven to her knees from the raw killing intent emitting from the creature. The hot stone beneath her splintered as the terrible chakra began to build in its maw. Gasping for breath, she choked as the air itself scalded her lungs. Her tears sizzled on the ground. The monster's head swiveled to face her.

It unleashed hell.

The ground burst apart. The pillars exploded. And for one timeless moment, all Shion felt was pain.

A scream caught in her throat as Shion jerked awake, sweat slicking her clammy skin. "Oh Kami." It was a desperate whisper as she shuddered, "Oh Kami." Something was constricting her legs, and panic shot through her. Frantically kicking her feet as she pushed herself away, Shion's back slammed against the heavy canvas side of her tent. Eyes wide, she stared at what had been constricting her. An off-white blanket was piled haphazardly against the opposite wall. Heat bloomed in her cheeks as shame charged through the blonde's chest.

Uncaring that she was dressed only in a simple nightgown, Shion scrambled to her feet and padded to the front of the tent. She had to get out of the stifling tent, least her nightmares claim her again. Flinging open the tent flap, Shion barely avoided stepping on her sleeping guardian, her bare foot halting mere inches from Taruho's head. Gasping silently, she carefully retracted her foot and stepped out farther, beyond her slumbering bodyguard. The sweat on her skin chilled her as she stood in the open, the cool nighttime air slicing through her thin lace nightgown. A small torchlight flickered in the center of their small camp, and like a moth to flame, Shion found herself drifting towards it. Dirt shifted beneath her feet, bringing the ghosts of memories of her younger years; of a happier time, to mind.

Pushing the memories aside - remembering the past only brought pain in the end - she stepped closer to the torch. As she grew closer, her eyes began to adjust to the dim light and she noticed a figure hunched over a scroll and several other scrolls and tomes were scattered around the figure. She stepped closer. There was a tiny, almost unnoticeable resistance as she took another step, and then she was through the resistance. Muttered words reached her ears.

"Okay...it's not that seal." Naruto muttered to himself as he compared the seal Honoka couldn't identify to the one in the scroll. Having set up a silencing barrier around his impromptu work area, he wasn't worried about accidentally waking someone. "Let's see if it's close to one of the ones in my seal scroll." Having copied down unique seals and sealing arrays that he had found during his travels, the young seal master was quickly building an inventory of seals that only previously existed in different areas or on specific and rare sealing arrays.

The sound of a footstep in the dirt caused sent him on high alert. He was fairly certain that his clones wouldn't have let anything through, but who knows what powers were granted by Moryo? Starting to turn to face the individual, he shifted through the information given by the sound of the footstep.

Barefoot: Shinobi typically wear boots or sandals for protection. Hesitance: The person was unused to walking around without shoes. Weight: The person is stepping heavily on their heel. Conclusion: Non-shinobi, most likely Shion.

Finishing his turn, he spotted Shion. The blonde girl seemed frozen as she stared at him, and Naruto tilted his head to the side at her expression of shock. She hadn't tripped the anti-henge seal array, so she wasn't an enemy under a henge. So why was she shocked to see him? The Uzumaki still wasn't sure how to feel about Shion. On the one hand, she had heavily contributed to the belief that fate could not be changed in her home land, but on the other...she never had a friend - someone like Sakura, Hinata, and Haku - in her life.

Shion stared at Naruto. He would become that monster from her nightmare, and one day, he would destroy the world. Fear shot up her spin, and her breath caught in her throat. He turned towards her, and Shion braced herself, expecting to see the burning red eyes of a demon.

Blue eyes stared confusedly back at her, no trace of that world ending malice hidden within. "Is she...afraid of me?" It was a baffling realization, "Or is it something else she is afraid of?" Taking a discrete sniff, the Jinchuuriki smelled sweat and salty tears, "Did she have a nightmare?"

"Are you alright?" The honest question startled her out of her thoughts and fears.

"Wha-What?" Shion silently berated herself for not sounding like the High Priestess, "What did you say?" Mentally retreating behind the mask of the High Priestess, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "It does not matter. I was just going for a quick walk, and I will now be retiring to my tent."

"Wait." The voice stopped her cold, "You don't need to put that mask on." Despite herself and her fears, Shion found herself turning to face the blond. "You don't have to pretend." There was something joyless reflecting in his eyes, "I used to have nightmares too."

When she turned to fully face the blond - the one who would one day turn into a savage demon - she found him sitting on the log, scrolls and tomes set aside, and he had an unreadable expression on his face. But..yet...the expression was somehow comforting, and she found herself settling down on the other end of the log he was sitting on. The revelation that he had nightmares - was it possible that monsters could have nightmares too? - shook her. All her life she had grown up with the knowledge that demons were not human, unable to feel any emotion but malice and hate.

Turning to face the flickering torchlight, Naruto's voice was quiet, and filled with an understanding compassion, "I used to be alone. My childhood wasn't very pleasant." He sighed as he pulled himself from the memories of the past, "I'm still working through it. I'm not better, but I'm getting there." Warmth filtered in as he remembered the day his life turned around. "But then, something amazing happened." He was unable to stop the wide smile that stretched across his face, "I met Sakura-Chan."

Something close to envy stirred deep within Shion's chest as she watched him smile, "She believed in me, and soon I met Hinata-Chan and Haku-Chan. They believe in me too." Naruto glanced over at Shion, "That's what people don't understand. As long as people love you, truly love you, you can endure anything. Fate can be defied. Nightmares are just that, nightmares. A new day dawns, and they are there for you." Understanding flitted across his face, "But you didn't have anyone did you?"

The compassion in his expression nearly broke Shion; almost shattering the veneer of control she had constructed. Her lips trembled with the mental force of keeping everything inside; keeping all of the guilt, shame, and self-loathing locked away. Memories flitted through her mind like angry, whispering ghosts. Memories of having to learn how to tie her own dress bow, memories of forcing herself to sleep in the quiet - no more lullabies or good night kisses -, memories of having to be the High Priestess at all times.

"I-I have to go." Shion almost stumbled as she quickly stood, "Goodnight." The tension in her chest tightened even more, "I...am the High Priestess." Rushing back to her tent, she managed to avoid stepping on Taruho again.

Closing the tent flap with fast, jerky motions, she sagged back onto the padded bedroll when the comforting darkness fell inside the tent once again. Chaotic emotions warred within her; Grief, guilt, and shame warred with the startling revelation that monsters could have nightmares. Sleep did not come easy for her.

"That was...odd." Naruto tapped his chin in thought before shrugging. "Oh well." People were still confusing sometimes. Picking up a drawing of the sealing array he and Honoka hadn't been able to figure out yet, he unsealed his private sealing journal where he kept the more unique seals he had come across. Briefly comparing each seal to the unknown seal array, the Uzumaki got through several seals before abruptly halting. A chill ran up his spine as he stared down at the sealing array. The seal was one of the arrays from the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

"Do they power their seals with souls?" It was an unbelieving whisper, "Why would they do that?" There was much better ways of sealing powerful creatures, such as the methods and arrays that kept the Biju at bay. "There must be a reason." Now that he knew partial mechanics of the array, he could decipher the rest of the High Priestesses' array. Unsealing his sealing brush along with Honoka's notes, the Uzumaki began to unravel the secrets of the array.

Dawn was breaking over camp when Naruto leaned back from his research. Tilting his head at some of the hand writing, he couldn't help but wonder how tired he must have been for the style of writing to change. Still, he had deciphered the complete sealing array, only for more questions to reveal themselves. Summoning a clone with a flicker of concentration, he directed the clone to copy the notes onto two black scrolls so that he could study and experiment on how to improve the seal so that it no longer needed a soul or a focus object.

Aside from several flaws in the array - whoever had originally designed the array wasn't too terribly concerned about efficiency or proper energy flow apparently - there was a specific sub-array that branched off of the soul capturing array that required a specific chakra type. However, he had never seen those specific chakra markers anywhere else, and in the twenty four years that he had been alive, he had seen quite a few of them. Absentmindedly brushing away something that had dried on his upper lip, Naruto wondered if Shion had access to whatever specialized chakra the seal was looking for.

It would, he mused to himself, explain why High Priestesses were needed to seal the demons. If they had some sort of anti-demon bloodline or chakra, it would have allowed them to become the legends that those in the Land of Demons revered. It would also explain why there was less and less High Priestesses as they married and had children with normal soldiers and civilians. If he were to guess, whatever bloodline the High Priestesses had was potent, but required a large amount of chakra, something lacking in the soldiers and civilians. "I wonder if the High Priestesses even knew what they had." Shrugging, he released the silencing barrier and headed over to one of his guard clones to get a report of what had gone on during the night.

"Lady Shion," Taruho lightly tapped on the canvas flap of her tent, "Are you awake?" Hearing no reply of movement, the bodyguard felt a spike of panic. "Lady Shion? High Priestess?" More than slightly worried, Taruho started to reach for the tent zipper when Hinata's voice halted his movement.

"Lady Shion is alright." The blue hair young woman neared the tent, "I will attend to her. Please go assist Naruto-Kun with breaking down the camp."

"Of course." Taruho bowed, "I leave the High Priestess in your care." He knew a command when he heard one, and the last he wanted was to accidentally walk in on Lady Shion while she was unclothed. She was a priestess, untainted and pure, and he would not sully her reputation. Quickly moving away from the tent, he idly noticed that Hinata was carrying a small black leather case with her as he passed her. Hopefully Lady Shion wouldn't take long to get ready. There was enemies looking for them, and there were still many miles to go before they reached the resting place of Moryo's body.

Hinata let the tent flap fall behind her before zipping it close in one smooth motion. Turning her attention to Shion, she didn't need her bloodline to see the dried tears on the girl's cheeks, nor the faint dark circles under the high priestess' eyes. The kunoichi part of Hinata was slightly surprised at how Shion fitfully slept through all of the noise outside as well as the presence of an almost stranger entering her tent. Kneeling beside the slumbering blonde, the Hyuga reached out and gently shook the girl's shoulder.

"...-dy Shion." The unfamiliar voice filtered through the haze of half-wakefulness that enveloped Shion, "It's time to wake up." Forcing her eyelids open past the slight crustiness caused by dried tears, the blonde instantly squinted as her eyes tried to adjust to the early morning light. When they had adjusted, she blinked as she noticed one of the kunoichi - Hinata she believed - sitting a few feet away. Unlike the blunt and rather unpleasant Sakura or the servant Haku, Hinata seemed more refined and trained. Sitting up, Shion pushed past the momentary disorientation and turned to Hinata. "What do you want at this hour?" It was, she noted, far earlier than she normally woke up.

Easily ignoring the annoyance in the girl's tone, Hinata's reply was polite and composed. "I am here to help you get ready for the day. We will be leaving soon, and I suspect that you don't wish to go outside looking like you were crying."

Shion froze before hastily turning away. Furiously rubbing at the evidence of her perceived weakness, she felt her cheeks grow hot with shame. "I don't know what you are talking about." She didn't turn to face Hinata, "You must have been mistaken. A High Priestess does not cry." Freezing as an arm appeared from over her shoulder, Shion stared at the warm wash cloth held in the outstretched hand. Taking it after a moment, she washed her face, the familiar ritual calming her nerves and soothing her annoyance.

"Of course." Hinata's voice was calm and poised, "A lady never cries." As Shion finished cleaning her face, Hinata settled back and unzipped the black case she had with her, the noise loud in the quiet tent. "I have make-up for you to put on."

Shion spun around to face the blue haired young woman, a refusal already passing her lips. "I am a High Priestess. I cannot be an object of desire, nor do I wish to attract the attention of a man."

"There is other reasons to apply cosmetics," Hinata didn't pause as she continued to take items out of the leather case, "Such as hiding blemishes or wanting to feel pretty. And sometimes…" A lone eyebrow rose slightly, "...It is used to hide the signs that we have been crying."

Brought up short by Hinata's explanation along with the kunoichi's almost admittance that she too had cried before, Shion's hand twitched towards one of the items Hinata had laid out before the blonde stilled it. Looking away, Shion refused to meet Hyuga's curious gaze. "The High Priestess does not need to cover herself like a painted woman or a whore." Hinata waited patiently. A long moment later, Shion murmured something else, her voice too quiet for the kunoichi to make out.

"I'm sorry," Hinata suspected she already knew the answer, but she needed Shion to admit it, "But I couldn't hear what you said."

"I...don't know how to put makeup on." Shion whispered, "Even if I wanted to put some on, I don't know how." Shaking her head, she fell back onto familiar territory. "It doesn't matter however. The High Priestess should not have to wear anything to entice."

"Turn around please." Hinata requested, "I will put on a few light cosmetics, and I will show you tonight when we make camp how to put it on by yourself."

It took only ten minutes to cover up the signs that Shion had been crying. Hinata would have, if asked, freely admitted that she wasn't an expert in cosmetics and other similar things. She knew the basics, all kunoichi did. After Shion left the tent, Hinata couldn't stop the small satisfied smile that creased her lips. It was good, she decided, to help someone else, even as you were maneuvering them towards your own goal. After all, sometimes information gathering required a subtle touch…

The day seemed to blur past for Shion, the young woman unused to traveling for long periods, much less at the seemingly brutal pace the shinobi had set. Noticing from her position on Sakura's back that Taruho, who she hadn't heard complain once, was lagging slightly behind the others, Shion raised her voice, "I'm tired. I want to rest." Feeling Sakura slow, the High Priestess continued, "It is not fitting for a High Priestess to be dusty like I am. I must rest and clean myself."

The pink haired kunoichi reluctantly, but carefully raised one hand, signalling for the group to halt. Crouching down, Sakura loosened her grip on Shion's legs, allowing the blonde young woman reach solid ground. As Taruho moved to Shion and inquired what he could do to ease her perceived suffering, the Konoha group met in the center of the road to quickly discuss plans. After a few moments of deliberation, Hinata used her bloodline to locate a small clearing a short distance away.

The campfire blazed merrily as the Konoha shinobi, Shion, and Taruho sat around it. Shion, on her loud and borderline petulant insistence, had taken a set on a small rock near the fire. The rest sat in the dirt, Naruto and the others were used to staying in rough conditions while on missions, and Taruho had experienced much worse while training to be Shion's bodyguard.

The mouthwatering smell of cooking chicken and ramen wafted past Shion, and she found herself looking forward to the meal, despite the simplicity of it. She had all of her food cooked by a personal, highly lauded chief her entire life, and she couldn't deny that she was curious of what it would be like to eat the same food as common folk. The blonde was also doing her best to ignore the excitement that kept trying to bubble up inside at the thought of learning how to properly apply cosmetics, and only her aloof mask kept her those feelings from showing. It would not do, after all, for the High Priestess to be showing excitement in petty things.

"This food is…" Shion forgot to keep the uncaring emotional mask up, "One of the best things I have eaten in my entire life." Despite the simple seasonings, the meat was tender and flavorful. The ramen, despite its saltiness, carried hints of herbs that blended together to create a wondrous harmony that she had never tasted before. Having finished her plate and bowl faster than was befitting a High Priestess, she grappled with the urge to ask for more.

"Here you are." Hinata seemed to practically appear beside her, a smaller plate outstretched, "There was a bit of extra, and a little bit more can't hurt." Taking the plate with a soft but genuine word of thanks, Shion ate the second plate slower, wishing to savor the meal. Somehow, she knew, tonight was the last night she would feel relaxed. It wasn't an unnamable feeling or certainty, but the sensation had been growing since they had broken camp in the morning.

A warm chuckle, free and unrestrained, broke her from her thoughts. Snapping her head over towards the sound, she couldn't help but stare. Naruto Uzumaki was laughing. It was not a harsh or malicious noise - something befitting a monster - but warm and honest; full of joy and life. It was infectious, and looking at his smile, Shion felt her lips curling up in a small smile. And as she watched his sky-blue eyes turn to face Haku as she quietly said something to him, a small and mostly unnoticeable part deep inside Shion wondered what it would be like for those eyes to turn towards her.

A smaller and even less noticeable voice inside couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, her vision was wrong. How could, the thought whispered, a monster laugh so joyfully? Monsters and demons did not laugh, not like Naruto did. Their laughter was said to be vile and cruel, and the Uzumaki's certainly was not malicious or evil. It lifted her spirit, and he exuded warmth and life as he interacted with the others in his group.

"Tomorrow is the day I die." Taruho wasn't sure exactly sure what he was feeling, but as he traced out the group's route on the map, he knew that they would be passing the location where he would die. The valley had a cliff on either side, and a peaceful pool of water was next to the valley path. That pool was where he would die, on the shores of the water, with moss covered rocks and green trees edging the clearing. His own sword would deal the fatal blow, shoved through his chest by another's vicious hand. It had been over three years since he had learned of his fate from the High Priestess, and he had made peace with the knowledge.

He had planned on dying with dignity, content with the knowledge that the High Priestess would live on. But now, after talking with Naruto, Taruho felt something else stirring within. He would die tomorrow, that was certain. "I will not go quietly." Grim determination flared within him, "I will take as many as I can with me. I may not be a Shinobi like Naruto-San, but I will not die without ensuring that Shion-Sama is safe."

Setting the map down, Taruho pulled his quiver of arrows closer. Taking out an arrow, he rested it on his lap and reached for his sharpening stone. "I will not go quietly." It was a whisper, a promise, and declaration. "Not until she is safe."

"And finally," Hinata lightly dusted her cheeks with the slightest hint of blush, "You want to add just a hint of color, just like this." Handing the dusting brush and container of blush to Shion, the kunoichi continued her explanation. "Given that you have a lighter skin tone than mine, you'll want to add even less."

Taking the container and brush with the same careful movements that she normally reserved for the sacred items of the High Priestess, Shion did her best to mimic Hinata's instructions. The soft bristles whispered across her skin, and despite her best efforts, the motion seemed - to Shion - clumsy and unrefined. Concentration with every ounce of her will, Shion dusted her cheeks with the light pink dust. Glancing over at Hinata, the blonde saw her guide nod. Setting the makeup aside, Shion took a deep breath and gazed into the hand mirror, rather than focusing on a specific area as Hinata had instructed.

A beautiful young face stared back. Stunned by the difference of her own appearance, Shion dimly noted that Hinata had been right, and there wasn't any hint of the whorish look that she had secretly dreaded. Taking in how all of the subtle changes brought out her unique features; highlighting her purple eyes and white skin, Shion couldn't stop the feeling that welled up at the thought of someone caring about her. Not as the Shion, the High Priestess, but Shion, the girl. Pressing her arm against her eyes to stop the tears from ruining her newly applied cosmetics, she swallowed the lump in her throat and took a shaky breath. "You're fine. You have to be fine. You are the High Priestess."

A scene flashed across her mind.

The chain pulled...and Hinata's arm was torn off in a shower of blood and bone.

Dread pulled at her, threatening to turn her happiness into despair. Her hands trembled and helplessness choked her. "Hinata is going to die in agony, and there isn't anything I can do."

"...Fate can be defied." Naruto's words echoed in his mind, his kind quietly confident words resonating deep within. And for the first time, Shion felt something different than grim acceptance or despair when thinking about her visions.

Anger spark within. "How dare that person harm her, my only friend?" It simmered, bubbling up and over her preconceptions of fate, "How dare they take someone else away from me, the High Priestess?"Unnoticed, for the briefest moment, her eyes flashed glowing pink, "I am Shion, the High Priestess. I hold the knowledge to save the world from monsters, and I will not loose my friend." The glow faded from her eyes as Shion turned to Hinata.

"Hinata." Shion's eyes met Hinata's, "When I first saw you and your friends, I saw you die." Taking a deep breath at the enormity of what she was daring to contemplate, the blonde forged onwards. "I saw you fighting in a grassy field…"

Morning dawned, but Hinata, Sakura, Honoka, and Haku hadn't slept. The four kunoichi had stayed up all night going over Shion's visions of their deaths, seeking to glean any information from the visions. While they still didn't believe that fate was set in stone, there was something to Shion's visions. The statistic of one hundred visions being proven correct was too high of a number to dismiss as mere coincidence, and without information on each of the hundred cases, they were forced to admit that there was something accurate with the visions.

As such, they had spent several hours checking the map of the local areas and regions, and discussing how they could have avoided the lethal blows Shion had seen in her visions. The remaining part of the night had been spent in heated debate over the issue of telling Naruto about the vision or to wait to tell him until after the mission was over.

On the one hand, the vision of him losing himself to his rage only happened after they had died and thus logically, as long as they avoided that fate, it would never even be an issue. Plus there was a high chance that telling Naruto about the vision would distract him from the mission, and given Moryo's power level, it was almost certain that only a Jinchuriki could face the demon in combat.

On the other, they had never purposefully withheld information before from him before, and the idea of doing so seemed wrong.

Eventually they all had reluctantly agreed to wait to tell Naruto about the visions until the mission was over. The last time before dawn was spent planning out a new training regimen, one that included defending against chakra-chain wielders. They had all sparred against Naruto but he had never used his chains during those spars. Once the sunlight broke across the camp, they adjourned their meeting, heading outside to perform their tasks. Sakura was going to cross reference their route with Taruho, Hinata was going to assist Shion with readying herself for the day, Honoka was going to start breakfast, and Haku had the hardest task: Convincing Naruto to train with them using his chains when they sparred.

"You failed didn't you." Sakura didn't even look up from the map, "I'm guessing he wouldn't even consider it?"

"Naruto-Sama does not want to hurt us." Haku nodded before lowering her voice, taking care for it to only reach the pinkette, "And without telling him the reason why we wish to train against his chains, I fear that he will not change his mind."

"Damn." Sakura ran an agitated hand through her hair, "Looks like it's my turn to try. Here," Sakura passed the map over to Haku, "I've cross referenced the rest of our journey. We aren't going to see any grassy areas, just mostly trees and small clearings, but can you verify that I didn't miss anything?" Haku nodded and tilted the map towards the light, studiously avoiding the urge to help Honoka with breakfast.

"Naruto-Kun," Sakura did her best to not betray herself, "I hear that you won't train us using your chains." Tilting her head, she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about his decision, "Why?"

"I don't want to hurt any of you." Naruto shook his head, "I'll spar with any of you guys any time you want, but I won't use my chains."

"Why not?" Focusing inwards, the pink haired young woman quickly ran through what could be causing Naruto to refuse to use his chains. Discarding several ideas as they occurred, one idea kept coming back. As she considered it, indignation welled up within her chest. "You...don't think we can't handle it, is that it?" Naruto didn't reply. "We're not made of glass." Something close to hurt panged at her heart. "We aren't weak." Her green eyes flashed as she stepped close to Naruto, "Why not?"

"Eight times." Naruto's quiet tone instantly evaporated the anger that had flared within Sakura, "Eight times I watched my chains tear Jiraiya's clone apart." Shaking his head to ward off the memory, he continued, "I've been training with Mom in my mind once a month, but…" The Uzumaki's gaze dropped to the ground, "My chains aren't like hers, ya know?"

Mistaking Sakura's soft gasp for something else, Naruto flexed his hand and heaved a deep breath. "Honoka-Chan's chakra chains are amazing. They can be used for sealing almost anything and even can become part of a sealing array." A hand drifted upwards to rub the back of his neck, "And Mom's chains can basically restrain anything. They can protect. But mine?" A humorless chuckle echoed in the small space between them, "Mine are meant for war. They can't protect. They just kill and maim; tear and pierce; destroy and never protect."

"I'm sorry Sakura-Chan. I don't trust myself enough to use my chains." He didn't raise his head, "I'm not strong enough."

"No." Anger sizzled in Sakura's chest again, but it wasn't towards Naruto. It was towards herself. "I'm the one who should be sorry." She had had forgotten that Naruto still struggled to believe in himself, and she cursed herself for making him feel that way again. "Never," She stepped directly next to him, "Ever say you aren't strong enough." Reaching out with her left hand, she gently raised his head to face her own. "You are strong. You've gone through more terrible things than most, and you never broke." Her eyes flashed, "So never, ever say you aren't strong enough."

"Sakura-Chan, I…" Tremulous emotions boiled within Naruto as he struggled to accept her words, "But what if you guys get hur-"

"No." Sakura shook her head, "It's not your fault."

"But what if…"

"No." Dropping her hand from his chin to poke him in the chest, "You. Are. Strong." She emphasized each word with a light stab from her finger, "It's not your fault."

Quiet descended on the pair. After a few minutes, Naruto stood up straight and spoke again, his voice firm yet still low, "If you believe it Sakura-Chan, then I'll believe it too." Smiling down at his girlfriend, he couldn't but softly add, "Thanks." A warm emotion he couldn't identify warmed his soul, "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime." Sakura couldn't help but smile softly up at him, "Anytime."

Gradually becoming aware of how close they were standing, Sakura couldn't help but note that all she had to do was tilt her head and stretch a bit, and she could kiss Naruto. Heat pooled within her stomach as she watched his gaze lock onto her lips. Darting her tongue to wet her suddenly dry lips, she tried to remember why she was standing so close to Naruto, and why it would be a bad thing to seal her lips against his.

Naruto was certain that he was doing something before Sakura had tilted her face up to face his, but at the moment he was having a hard time focusing on anything but her. Her pink lips had never looked so inviting. "What would happen if I leaned down and kissed them?" Her tongue poked out to wet her lips, and Naruto's mind fuzzed over. His eyes drifted close as he leaned down. Her breath whispered across his lips.

"Oh." Taruho's sudden voice was like a cold bucket of water, causing the pair's eyes to snap open, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were occupied."

"No, it's alright." Stepping away from Sakura, Naruto did his best to ignore the strange sensation of disappointment, "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes." Taruho looked relieved that he hadn't interrupted them, "But I need to go over our route quickly with you." Naruto nodded and moved with Taruho over to a nearby rock to study the map.

Pushing down the urge to deck the soldier, Sakura blew out an aggravated breath and stalked away to find Haku. A cool breeze would be helpful right about now...

"They will be passing this point." Julock's scarred finger tapped the map, highlighting the small clearing, "They must. All of the other paths are not accessible, and given the slow speed that they are forced to travel because of the soldier, they will take this path. The only other route is the grasslands, and they have come too far for that to be viable." Moving his finger slightly, the cultist captain pointed to one of the two cliffs that towered above the pass, "I want Units One and Two on the right ridge and Units Three and Four on the left ridge." His head lifted to lock eyes with the commanders of the Units.

"Make sure that none of your men step outside of the sealing arrays until the moment we strike. There is a Hyuga among the bodyguards of the High Priestess, and she will spot us in a moment if we are not hidden by the sealing arrays." The unit commanders nodded, bowed, and headed away from the meeting, intent on pressing the need to stay within the special sealing arrays to their men. The sealing arrays had cost the followers of Moyro greatly, and it would be all for nothing if the seals were rendered useless.

"Units Five through Eight will be assaulting several cities within the hour, ensuring that no help will come for the High Priestess." Turning to face the four missing ninja he had been assigned, Julock studied them for a moment. With the total loss of all of the forces who had attacked the High Priestess' temple, there was few missing ninja left, not counting the four bodyguards of Yomi. Coming to a decision, he pointed to one of the missing ninja. "You. I want you to take our portable sealing array and place it in the pool of water that is on the one side of the clearing. The defenders may take refuge next to the pool, and I want you to attack the first person that is within range. Use the hollowed reeds to get air as you wait under the water." The missing nin nodded and picked up the large square box.

As he moved away, the high commander of the forces of Moryo turned to face the remaining missing ninja. "Go and hide with Unit Three on the ridge. Charge with them when they ambush our enemies. Your focus is the High Priestess, nothing else." The three bowed and walked away to join Unit Three as they prepared to march the short distance to the ambush point.

Picking up the ancient bronze helm that was decorated with the blessed symbols of Moryo, Julock felt a savage grin flicker across his face as he prepared to join his men. "Yesss...The High Priestess will die today, and with her, the last chance of stopping me." Moryo's voice purred within his skull, "My kingdom will reign for a thousand years."

As the High Commander of the Cult of Moryo headed off to join his men, a cloaked ninja smirked under the shadow of his hood. The fools had no idea who they were about to face. "Give me a good show...Nephew." Uragiru could have told himself that he was only hiding from the Konoha shinobi in order to study how Hinata, Haku, and Sakura fought, but that wouldn't have been the complete truth. He could have told himself that he only was using the cultists to test his new seals designed to defeat the Byakugan, but that wouldn't have been entirely accurate either.

The truth was that he was proud, so proud of Naruto. The drive, skill, and instinctive brilliance shown by his nephew were second to none. It was...unfortunate that the Kyuubi was sealed within Naruto.

The world was sick. It was cruel, and would continue to destroy lives unless something was done. Uragiru had studied the records extensively. And no matter how many records he read, the result was the same: The heroes failed. The world kept spinning, and cruelty continued to flourish. Uragiru had come to an unshakable conclusion: The world had to burn. Only then could it rebuilt to be stronger and better; kinder and wiser.

But the world couldn't burn in the fires of war. No, that would only produce sons and daughters who would then rise up to make war themselves, creating orphans who would rise up to make war. What world needed was a monster. Something so powerful, so terrible, so unstoppable that no one would ever dare make war again, lest the monster return.

And that was why he had to kill everyone Naruto cared about.

"But until that day…" Uragiru reached over and brushed his right hand against a complicated seal array tattooed on his left hand, "Show me what you can do Naruto." The seal activated, and the air around the Uzumaki shimmered like liquid glass. A moment later the ninja vanished from sight.

There was something not right.

Naruto couldn't pinpoint what exactly was causing the internal warning to blare inside his mind, but the subtle feeling of unease had saved him countless times when he was younger. Craning his head to eye the walls of the cliffs that bookended the valley path, couldn't help but consider that the clearing up ahead would be a perfect place to be ambushed. Hinata had already scanned the area with her Byakugan and had found nothing, but…

Naruto caught Haku's eye and formed a fist for a second and then flicked his fingers through a series of gestures. His non-verbal message was twofold: The first was to warn her to prepare for a possible ambush, and the second was to pass the message along to the other members of the squad.

Haku inclined her head slightly, acknowledging the message. Within thirty paces the entire Konoha group was preparing themselves for combat, all without their client being aware that they were doing so. After all, it wouldn't be good to tip off anyone who was watching - if there was going to be an ambush -, nor would be useful to worry the client unnecessarily - if there wasn't an attack-. Speeding up slightly to walk next to Taruho, Naruto shifted close to the soldier and tilted his head slightly, directing a whisper directly at the bodyguard.

"Possible ambush point ahead. Be ready."

The whisper was simultaneously relieving and sobering. "I will die soon." The bodyguard brushed his hand against the sword resting sheathed at his side, knowing that it would be the blade that killed him, "But Lady Shion will live on."

Still, Taruho wasn't sure he wanted to die. He had thought he mentally prepared himself, but now...starring in the face of death, he realized how much he wanted to live. He wanted to see Moryo get defeated. He wanted to see Lady Shion gain friends, and perhaps someday find someone special to share her life with. He wanted to see little blonde haired children with purple eyes run across the temple grounds, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted them to call him Uncle.

The High Priestess had to live. The entire country depended on her. But...to his shame, Taruho found that he wanted to live.

"Hey." Startled out of his confused thoughts, the soldier's head snapped in Naruto's direction as the blonde continued in a low voice, "Don't accept your supposed fate. Fight." The Uzumaki's blue eyes seemed to pierce Taruho's soul, "Fight for tomorrow. Fight for the dawn of a new day. Fight for those you care about."

"Was it that simple?" Taruho grappled with the thought. "Could you simply decide to fight Fate?" Fate could not be changed, he knew that. Everyone did. But…"Why does Naruto-San continue to fight?" Blinking as a thought crossed his mind, the bodyguard let it take root. "What if it doesn't matter? What if Naruto-San simply doesn't care about fate?"

"...Fight for tomorrow."

Taruho's hand brushed against the sword's hilt again. "Yes," he decided, "I may die here today, but it won't be because I gave up." Shifting his right shoulder, the bodyguard readied himself, mentally preparing to draw his bow the moment they were attacked. "If Naruto-San believes that Fate can be defied, then I will believe in him."

The group had reached the center of the clearing. Looking down at them from behind the sealing array, Julock felt a surge of savage pleasure as he imagined their broken and dead bodies, sacrifices to lay at the feet of his Lord. Nocking an arrow, the commander drew back his bow and waited, motion of out of the corner of his eye informed him that the men around him were doing the same.

Breathing in, he rested the arrow just to the right of Shion's head. The High Priestess seemed to be blissfully unaware of the righteous fury that would befall her.

Julock loosed the arrow, a heartbeat later a storm of iron rain followed. They sang with glorious purpose, hurtling towards the obvious group below.

It sounded like music.

Tha-thonk. The arrows shattered against a dome of ice.

"I will protect Shion-San," Haku tone was calm, "Naruto-Sama. You do not have to worry."

"Thanks Haku-Chan." Naruto grinned at his girlfriend before peering up at the cliff walls through the slightly distorted view of the protective ice dome, "Hinata-Chan, can you see them?" The Hyuga shook her head, her bloodline still unable to pick up any chakra signatures, despite having just been attacked. "Hmmmm…" Naruto tapped his chin in thought, "It could be a seal of some kind. I wonder…" He turned to Honoka, "Honoka-Chan, I'm guessing the archers are on the cliffs. If I draw their attention away from you, could you head up there and see what kinda array it is?"

"Of course." Honoka nodded as her ribbons softly blew in non-existent wind, "May I request that Hinata-Chan come along so I may see how the seal array interacts with her bloodline." Naruto agreed without hesitation. Pulling Hinata to the side, the two kunoichi began quickly discussing a basic strategy.

"Naruto-Kun." Sakura stepped closer to the blond Uzumaki, her professional mask firmly in place, "Unless you already have an idea in mind for the distraction, I have an idea…"

"Why have you not secured my victory?" Moryo's enraged voice roared inside Julock's skull, "Finish them off."

"Of course my Lord." Julock murmured, "We will engage them at once." Raising his hand, the commander opened his mouth to order his men to rappel down the wall when a door sized section of the large ice dome fell away and three people ran out. Two were male, one blond haired and one brown haired, and the female had bright pink hair. Recognizing the brown haired young man a moment later, Julock smirked as an idea began to form. Snapping out a few commands, he directed several of his men to open fire on the bodyguard, reasoning that the High Priestess would react if she saw him killed before her eyes. The rest would hold, and as soon as the shinobi started to climb cliff edge, his men would open fire. The shinobi couldn't possibly dodge all of the arrows while still climbing.

The squad of four took aim at the stationary bodyguard. Taruho had his bow out, but had made no move to draw it back. The cultists loosed the arrows.

Taruho spun out of the way of the arrows, mentally marking the location of where they were fired from. As he spun, he reached back with his right hand and pulled an arrow from his quiver and then nocked the arrow. As he finished his turn back towards the cliff face, the archer drew his bow back and loosed an arrow. His hands blurred as he notched, drew, and released three more arrows in the space of a few seconds.

Four bodies fell from the cliff edge, seemingly appearing out of thin air as they dropped below the top edge of the cliff. Taruho waited, alert for any more arrows heading his way. Naruto and Sakura, now that they knew there wasn't a barrier at the cliff edge, rocketed towards the right side of the canyon wall. Leaping up, the shinobi landed on the cliff wall and sprinted up it without breaking stride. A few arrows buzzed past them, the shinobi weaving around the arrows. Bodies fell past the pair as Taruho's lethal aim proved itself once again.

Within the space of a dozen heartbeats, the shinobi reached the edge of the cliff. A dozen kunai flashed forward as cleared the cliff edge, the pair hurling the lethal weapons into areas near where Taruho had taken out the archers. Their feet touched the ground, and abruptly, the cultist army snapped into focus. There was a brief moment of stunned silence as the two groups stared at each other.

One the one side, Naruto and Sakura hadn't expected quite so many enemies. Most of the cultists didn't have much of a chakra signature, but there was quite a few of them. And given that there was a powerful sealing array lining almost the entire cliff, the last thing they wanted was to accidently breach the wrong section of the seal and cause it to explode.

On the other side, the cultists, including their commander, couldn't help the small tingle of fear at the sight of the two shinobi who had so easily spat in the face of gravity. There were only two of them, but somehow that didn't make them feel any better. There were scattered reports that a blond shinobi had ended the siege of the High Priestess' temple, but they had dismissed those tales as mere raving of broken men. But now...they had run up the goddamn wall.

One heartbeat passed, then another. Julock blinked.

"Surrender." Naruto's tone was booked no reply, "If you do not, you will become my enemies."

Shing. "Kill the heretics." Julock's hands tightened on his newly drawn sword's hilt, "For Lord Moryo!" The cultists charged the shinobi. Naruto and Sakura surged towards their attackers.

Backhanding a sword slash with his left hand, Naruto's right snapped out and grabbed the cultist's shoulder. His left hand flexed and his last two fingers curled inwards, activating one of his storage seals. A kunai dropped into his hand, the explosive tag attached to it already hissing. Burying the kunai in the cultist's chest, the Uzumaki pivoted and hurled the enemy over the cliff edge.

Ducking another sword slash, his hand cupped and a rasengan spun to life. Slamming the attack into the attacker, the Uzumaki brushed past the cultist as his hands dipped into his kunai pouch and drew four kunai. Sending the lethal weapons towards more of the cultists rushing towards him, Naruto drew his swords and batted a sword thrust away with his left sword, opening up the cultist's throat on the return swing.

Catching a flash of bright purple-orange out of the corner of his eye, the blond rolled just as a fire bullet rocketed past, the unnatural heat from the fire seeming to cause a shimmer in the air. Rolling back to his feet, Naruto spotted a cultist lower their hand, wisps of purple tinged flames wafting off of the cultist's fingers. Naruto charged.

BOOOM. The explosion consumed the falling cultist, signalling that Naruto's and Sakura's distraction was successful. Flashing out of the newly made door in Haku's ice dome, Honoka and Hinata sped towards the left side of the canyon wall. Leaping upwards to land on the wall, they ran up its surface. As they reached the middle point of the wall, three enemy ninja leapt off the cliff, hurtling downwards towards Haku's ice dome.

Blazing through the handsigns for the lightning bolt technique, Hinata twisted and tracked the missing nin's motion for the briefest of moments. Her arm extended and her fingers splayed. With a crackling buzz, blue-white electricity forked outwards, connecting with one of the falling missing ninja. He dropped smoking from the sky.

Honoka pivoted, her hand flowing outwards to direct her chakra chains towards the nearby falling enemy. The cultist's eyes widened as he spotted the ribbon like constricts snaking towards him. Shoving all of his chakra into his arms, he blasted wind chakra out of them. Relief surged through the missing nin as he was shoved away from the wall by his technique. Then abruptly, his fall was arrested by a single ribbon curling around his ankle. The symbol for 'Hold' flashed to life.

Ignoring the crunch of bone against the rock below them, the two kunoichi moved onwards, knowing that Haku could take down the last missing ninja. Pausing just before the cliff edge, Honoka directed her chakra chains over the cliff edge, the symbols shifting to "Disrupt'. Several shocked archers flickered into existence, only to be taken out by Taruho's lethal aim.

"Two dozen enemies ahead." Hinata reported instantly as Honoka's chakra chains disrupted the sealing array that hid them from her sight, "Ten of them have increased chakra that seems almost not human in nature." The two kunoichi moved up the last few feet to step onto the cliff itself.

"Hello." Hinata's voice was deceptively gentle, "Please surrender."

The missing nin was fast. Faster than anything he had fought before. Taruho sent one last arrow racing towards the missing nin as the enemy neared the ground. The ninja dodged the arrow. Closing his eyes, the bodyguard centered himself and let his bow fall to the ground as he raised his hands. Forming the handsigns that had been passed down through the ages since ancient times, he began to whisper the words.

"I am the shield of the holy priestess." His muscles tingled as his reflexes were supercharged. "I am the one who confronts the darkness." Sounds, once too faint to hear, began to filter in. "I am the bastion that evil breaks against." His skin tinged grey and a white aura seeped out of his pores. "I am a weapon of righteousness." The white glow pulsed in time with his heartbeat. "I will not falter and I will not waver." His eyes snapped open as he finished the final seal. "I am justice."

The bodyguard's foot snapped out and kicked his bow upwards. The missing nin, realizing the danger, snapped through a dozen hand signs, stomping on the ground as they held the final sign. An earth spike shot out of the ground, racing towards Taruho.

The bow grip slapped into Taruho's palm with a smack, and the brown haired man spun to the left away the earthen spike, his right hand drawing three arrows. The tips of the arrows glowed shifting white. Nocking, drawing, releasing the arrows in a blur, the bodyguard sent the arrows rocketing towards the enemy ninja. Eyes widening at the speed of the arrows, the missing nin desperately threw himself backwards and raced through the handsigns for a rock wall. The wall rumbled into existence, a scant second before the arrows reached him.

Cracks spidered along the hastily conjured wall as the glowing arrows slammed into it. Grunting in pain as his back slammed into the ground, the cultist ninja felt the temperature drop. Dark chakra surged through him, pain mixing with pleasure to create an exquisite agony. Blurring through the handsigns for another rock wall, he waved his arm above him, and the ground responded, creating a curved shield that blocked the ice senbon that rained down from above.

Gripping the edge of the rock wall, the cultist hurled himself out from underneath the protective cover. Flipping to his feet, the missing nin pulled the short sword from its sheath at side and rocketed towards the surprised bodyguard. The sword carved down in a vicious slash.

Clang!

Taruho's sword ground against the cultist's, each man shoving with all of their strength. Shifting to plant his foot firmly against the ground, the bodyguard drew deeper from the white aura, ignoring the way his heart had begun to thud and a darker grey tinge began to crawl across his skin. He pushed against the enemy, "I will not let Shion-Sama die."

The ninja staggered back. Purple chakra warped around him, and a savage grin carved across his face. "Die." The ground erupted in spikes. Taruho leapt backwards, dodging out of the way as he gave ground to the enemy, retreating towards the safety of the pool edge.

Bending backwards to avoid an arrow, Sakura's left hand dipped down into her senbon pouch, grasped the thin metal needle, and hurled it towards the archer who had attacked her in one smooth motion. Having trained extensively with Haku on many occasions, the pink haired kunoichi had reluctantly come to the conclusion that she wouldn't ever be as accurate as Haku when engaging opponents at medium range. And so, rather than spending countless hours perfecting her aim with one specific weapon - and having her other shinobi skills suffer as a result - Sakura channeled her inner Naruto and figured out a different way to solve her issue.

Sakura didn't throw a senbon like it was a needle. She threw them like they were spears.

The senbon speared the cultist archer, drilling into the cultist's skull and dropping the man like his strings had been cut. Sakura, confirming her kill with a momentary glance towards the now obviously dead cultist, righted herself with a flex of her abdominal muscles. Spotting a group of 'enhanced' cultists hesitating, apparently unsure of she or Naruto was the bigger threat, the pink kunoichi helpfully settled their quandary. Clenching her right fist as she concentrated for the briefest moment, she formed three short chakra blades. The blades extended a short distance from her fist, and were equal parts a scalpel and hand claws, possessing the benefits of both without the drawbacks of either.

The three enhanced cultists charged in her direction.

As they neared her, Sakura reviewed what information she had gathered while fighting several of the other enhanced cultists.

First: None of the enhanced cultists had large natural chakra reserves. While her sample size was only four enhanced, each scan of her diagnostic jutsu had yielded the same result: Most of the chakra the enhanced cultists possessed was located throughout their bodies, rather than their chakra coils like shinobi. As a result, the enhanced cultists could produce elemental effects, but were unable to mold the chakra for actual techniques. This discovery led to her second line of information gathering.

Due to the extreme close range requirement of the diagnostic jutsu, disabling the enhanced before she could scan them was a requirement. Sadly, dangerous battlefield only allowed the kunoichi to be able to scan each of the four ninja for a few moments before she had to break off to defeat another attacker. During this time, the enhanced ninja had died from friendly fire.

Second: If the extra chakra was located in the cultists' chakra coils, that logically meant that it was transferred chakra. Which meant that there was at least one enemy who was capable of transferring chakra to others. While she had to study her findings in more detail, initial findings indicated that the extra chakra was extremely potent, and far too much for a non-shinobi handle for extended periods of time. Initials scans indicated that there was some organ damage, but without a full autopsy there was no way to confirm how extensive it was.

Third: Given that they were battling Moryo's cultists, there was a very high chance that the extra chakra was from Moryo itself. And that meant she had an opportunity to gather information on what the demon's chakra was weak against, as well as how to possibly protect themselves from its attacks. And for that...she needed more data.

Acting upon an epiphany, the pink haired kunoichi dismissed her chakra claws, snapped her hands upwards, and concentrated. A small puff of white smoke bloomed beside her. Unbuckling the scroll pouch she kept at her side, Sakura tossed the newly formed shadow clone the belt. Snagging the pouch out of the air, the clone leapt backwards, waiting for the time to strike as her creator charged the three enhanced cultists.

Swaying to the left at the moment to avoid a blast of water - it was more of a fast moving ball than a true bullet -, she felt her shirt tear slightly as the edges of the attack nearly scraped her chest. A blinking glance confirmed that while the seals strengthening the garment had held, it couldn't take another hit. Side-stepping a blast of fire, the kunoichi pulsed chakra to her legs and shot forwards, leaving two foot-sized dents in the ground.

Reaching the enhanced cultists within a scant few seconds, Sakura skidded to a stop as she saw the left hand of the nearest cultist glow red. Fire roared out of the cultist's hand, and the heat enveloped her. The pink haired kunoichi swept her hand to the left, knocking the dangerous hand away while her right plowed into the man's stomach. With a pop, the fire was cut off as the cultist doubled over coughing, only to meet Sakura's knee on the way down.

The impact lifted him off his feet.

Stepping out of the collapsing cultist, Sakura grabbed the back of his shirt and bodily hurled the mostly unconscious enemy in the direction of her clone. Movement blurred towards her, and the kunoichi's hand snapped towards it. Dull pain registered in the back of her mind as she caught the second enhanced cultist's stone covered fist.

Chakra pulsed, and Sakura's grip tightened. The stone armor encasing the cultist shattered. A single pull off balanced the bigger man, and a single punch broke his jaw along with the rest of the armor. Another water blast rocketed in her direction. Letting go of the second cultist's now broken hand, the kunoichi dropped to the ground, her right leg lashing out to sweep the earth cultist's legs out from under him.

Rolling on her back and under him as he tumbled towards the ground, Sakura pulsed chakra through her legs and kicked the cultist into the air. Sakura's clone met him halfway. Clamping onto his shoulders, the clone shifted its weight with a snap of its hips, hurling him to the ground with a loud thud. A moment later the shadow clone landed on his chest and sank a needle in his neck.

Sakura planted a hand on the ground and pulsed chakra through her arm as she lifted herself off of the ground. Hurling herself clear of the ground, the kunoichi's leg snapped out in a scissor kick, taking down the last cultist. Tossing the last body towards her clone, the kunoichi's eyes swept the battlefield, noting that Naruto had just taken down what looked to be the leader of the cultists in the area - judging by the engravings on the helm that the leader had been wearing - with an uppercut that sent the helmet flying. The battle was almost over.

The vial of blood filled and Sakura's clone painlessly ended the enhanced cultist's life. Carefully popping the vial out of the needle's back as it rose, the shadow clone sealed the filled blood vial and inserted a fresh one as it approached the last cultist. Its creator needed data, and Moryo's chakra was suffused in their blood. "You're not going to hurt anyone again."

Dust kicked up from the frantic attacks and blocks, choked Taruho and the enemy ninja. Steel crashed against steel, the sound impossibly loud in the space between them. Stars exploded in the soldier's vision as the ninja's fist slammed into his face. Staggering back, Taruho felt his heel catch on the edge of the water pool. Lashing out, his sword met flesh.

The enemy ninja gurgled as he staggered back, impaled on the soldier's sword. The cultist collapsed.

Spots danced at the edge of Taruho's vision, and he knew that he had pushed himself too far. The bodyguard's technique was never meant to be used to pull so deeply on one's life force. Reaching down, the soldier picked up his bow and took a step forward. A cough tickled the back of his throat. The water began to churn behind him.

Unable to hold it in, Taruho coughed, his head feeling like someone was slamming a hammer into it with each cough. Sweat stung his eyes as his heart began to thud painfully in his chest. Gasping for breath now that the coughing fit subsided, the bodyguard realized that he had fallen to his knees. Clutching his bow, Taruho pushed himself to his feet.

With a thunderous splash, an enemy ninja shot out of the water, blurring towards the bodyguard.

Taruho pulled more power from inside. Everything seemed to slow down.

His left hand slowly reached back towards the quiver on his back. The enemy's wet sword glinted in the dust cloud. Taruho's foot caught on the enemy he had taken down just moments before, his sword still impaled in the ninja.

The feathers attached to the arrow brushed against his fingers. The enemy was now only five paces away. Taruho began to fall, his bow automatically rising towards the enemy as he pulled out an arrow.

Four paces away. The arrow nocked on the bowstring. Taruho's muscles groaned as they pulled back.

Three paces. The arrow kissed Taruho's cheek as he loosed the arrow. The arrow glowed white.

Slamming into the ground with the thud, everything sped back up. The enemy ninja dropped to the ground, skidding skidding from the speed. The ninja convulsed once before going still, Taruho's arrow lodged deep within his head.

Laying on his back, couldn't help but notice that the battle sounds from the cliffs above had faded. "It's over." Smiling despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help but quietly whisper, "I'm still alive." Naruto-San was right. Fate could be changed.

Breathing out, he formed the handsigns for releasing the bodyguard technique. Slumping back as the energy left him, Taruho wanted nothing more than to lay there and sleep. "No. I can't sleep yet. I have to tell Shion-Sama that fate can be changed." Rolling over and pushing himself to his feet, Taruho noted that he could just make out Shion in the distance as he moved out of the dust cloud towards them. Lifting a trembling hand to wave, Taruho smiled once again. "It's alright Shion-Sama. You are safe."

The air was abruptly driven from his lungs as something slammed into his back. Warm liquid splashed onto his hand. Puzzled, Taruho lifted the hand to study it. "Blood?" A glint of steel caught his eye, and he glanced down. The blade of his sword jutted out from his chest.

"Oh." Taruho blinked, his thoughts becoming heavy, "Why is that there?" Falling to his knees as his legs gave out, some dim part of him noted that there was a sudden burst of cold air above him, and the distant sound of a body hitting the ground.

"I suppose this is the end." It didn't hurt. It was, he supposed, a good death. Shion-Sama would live. "I just wish…that she would know that fate can be changed." He was dying here, not next to the pool of water. "Live and be happy...Lady Shion…"

"How foolish of me to dare to think that fate could be altered." Shion was dimly aware that several hours had passed since Sakura had declared Taruho dead, his bodyguard technique having taken too much life force, causing him to bleed out almost immediately. "And since it cannot be changed, Hinata-Chan is going to die, and then the world will end." She sighed, the sound almost inaudible.

"I wanted a friend." Her heart fell, "But nothing matters now. The world is going to end, so why try to do anything?"

"Here you are Shion-Sama." Haku set a plate down in front of the High Priestess, "You need to eat." The ice user paused, "You need to keep your strength up."

"It doesn't matter." Shion's tone was lifeless, "The world is going to end."

"You know," Naruto plopped down next to Shion, the action barely making her twitch, "I can't believe that you are just giving up like this, especially given that Taruho died to make sure you were safe."

"He was fated to die." Shion shoulder rose and the fell, "Why should I be sad?" Something wet slid down her cheek. Baffled, she brushed it away, bringing her hand back to see what it had been. She blinked. "I'm crying?"

"So you don't hate the ninja for killing Taruho," Naruto tilted his head, a causal mask sliding over his face, "After all, if Taruho was always fated to die, that means that ninja didn't have a choice." Shion froze before turning to face the blond as he continued, "And if he truly didn't have a choice, then you can't really blame him for his actions, now can you?"

"Wha-?" Shion's High Priestess mask fell, "That's not what that mea-"

"And by that logic, it also means that other people who do horrible and cruel things can't be blamed either." Naruto's tone was mild, but there was a hardness to his eyes, "And obviously Moryo can't be blamed for all of the death and pain he caused." Blue eyes speared Shion's pink eyes, "Since he was always fated to kill them."

"Shut up." Heat ignited in Shion's chest, "Shut up shut up." Her fists clenched at her side, "Moryo is a demon who hurt everyone! It's responsible for everything." Shion scrambled to her feet, "I'll never forgive that monster for killing Mother." Her eyes narrowed as she glared down at the still seated Naruto, "Don't you ever tell me that it's not responsible for what it did."

Rather than getting angry like she expected, Naruto grinned. "So there is no such thing as fate then?"

"I…" Shion wavered, "...I don't know." Angry tears clouded her vision, "Is that what you wanted to hear? That I don't know? That the 'great' High Priestess doesn't know?!"

"Nope." Naruto shook his head, "That's not what I want."

"Then what do you want from me?"

"I want you to understand that you have a choice." Shion felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, "I want you to believe in yourself and not just blindly believe in something called "Fate". Standing up, the Uzumaki smiled, the expression equal parts happiness and sadness. "Everyone has a choice to make. There's no cosmic being who decides our path for us."

"Dismissing that choice removes consequences. It removes blame. It removes bravery or hope or even…" His expression became complicated, "Love."

Naruto turned to fully face Shion. "And that's why I can't accept that fate exists. Everyone has a choice." Pain flickered across his face for the briefest of moments, "And there are consequences of those choices. No one gets a pass." The Uzumaki shook his head, banishing old memories, "We all are responsible for the choices we make."

A reckless grin flashed across his face. "So what if fate is real? I'll live my life how I choose to live it. I'll protect those I care about, and fight those who try to harm them. That…" Naruto's eyes flashed bright blue, "Is my promise and my choice."

He met Shion's eyes, "So tell me," His voice was soft, "What do you choose to do?"

"Fate…" For the first time in her life, Shion hesitated. Could she really not blame Moryo for all that it had done? All of the pain and misery it had caused? But one hundred visions had proven to be true. "What if it doesn't matter? Is that what Naruto means? That at the end, all that matters is what I choose?"

"What am I choosing to do?" Memories flashed through her mind.

Her mother, loving and kind. Her mother, her white robes stained with her own blood after taking the attack meant for Shion. Her mother, dead after completing the ritual to seal Moryo.

Taruho, smiling at a young and confused girl. Taruho, always kind; always willing to listen. Taruho, blood pooling around his body.

So many lives, so much pain. And...some part of Shion couldn't help but whisper, "It's going to keep happening unless Moryo is stopped." Shion's eyes hardened. "Mother died for something. Taruho died for me. So many soldiers died for me. Everything that has happened will not be for nothing."

"I...choose…" Shion met Naruto's eyes, "I choose to stop Moryo. He's not going to hurt anyone else. Never again." And then it clicked, and the words spilled out of her soul. "Never again will a child go hungry because the farms have burned. Never again will the monsters take another life. Never again will someone feel the pain that I have felt." Her pink eyes flashed, "Never. Again."

Naruto stepped forward and pulled a surprised Shion into a hug. "I'm proud of you." Shion stilled, "I don't know if anyone has ever told you that, but I'm proud of you. It's not easy taking a stand and making a choice." He drew back, "But you chose. And no matter what happens next, I'll promise you this: Moryo will rue the day he tried to stop us."

The Uzumaki stepped away and Shion couldn't help but clutch her hands to her chest. Emotions tumbled and whirled inside her. And as she watched Naruto interact with his girlfriends, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if he chose her.

Several hours later Naruto was still up, wrestling with his emotions and beliefs. Everyone was free to make their own choices, but what if they chose something that caused them to be hurt or killed when they could have chosen another path that would have prevented it? The soldiers at the High Priestess' temple had chosen to fight, but what if they had instead let him fight in their place?

There was no easy answer, but...what if bloodshed could be avoided in Konoha?

Nodding to himself, Naruto sat down and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. He had written a letter to the people in the Uzumaki faction the previous night, and this letter would be addressed to all of Konoha. Once he finished, he would send them both via a messenger toad to Jiraiya, who would then see to it that all of the addressed had a chance to read it.

Naruto dipped his quill in ink and began to write.

"So they all have died." Moryo's dark voice mixed with Yomi's, "That is unfortunate." It was, Moryo admitted to itself, perhaps its own fault for relying on lesser creatures. But there was still his army and the chosen few. Yomi nodded to himself.

The possessed ninja turned to his followers and beckoned them close. "I have a gift for each of you. You have proven yourselves worthy." Dark chakra crawled along his arm as raised it, "Embrace my power."

Tendrils made of dark purple chakra burst from Yomi's body, snaking around his form before racing outwards to slam into the four ninja standing close. The tendrils convulsed.

Shizuku sighed as the dark power crawled through her form. Her hands drifted across her body, caressing and rubbing. The kunoichi's hips rolled as a deep moan bubbled out of her throat. Her voice grew louder, and her skin rippled. Her pupils expanded, flashing purple. With a final primal cry, an explosion of water blasted outwards, chewing deep into the ground.

Gitai grunted, the sound tearing its way out of his throat. The ground rumbled under the missing ninja as he flexed his hand, delighting in how the tendons stretched. His hands slammed against one another, the ground beneath him in response. Liquid stone crawled up his legs, hardening into armor. His eyes flickered purple. With a primeval roar, spikes of earth tore their way upwards.

Setsuna gasped as the dark chakra pulsed through his body. The shuriken he held twitched and shifted, its razor sharp blades shimmering in the moonlight. His blue hair shifted and twisted, waving in a nonexistent wind. His palm dropped open, and it started to spin, windmilling faster and faster. Purple crawled across his eyes, staining them dark. With a spin, the shrunken rocketed into the night sky, blades of wind clinging to the weapon.

Kusuna smiled and rolled his neck, embracing the dark power he was being given. Dark purple ribbons slithered around his form, contracting and relaxing as the ninja spread his hands. The ribbons grew fat as they squirmed, reveling in the power they were being given. His pink hair darkened into a deep purple. Mouths began to form on the ends of the ribbons, and fangs sprung into existence. His eyes glowed purple. With a bubbling laugh, the dark chakra snakes sank their fangs onto his form, slowly vanishing onto his body.

"Yes…" Moryo's voice purred into Yomi's mind, "They are worth of my gift." Turning back to face the valley below, Yomi smiled, the expression unhuman. "Now my soldiers of stone, rise from your slumber."

In the valley below, the ground began to shift and crack. Dirt flew upwards as statue made of stone stood up. It was a soldier made of stone, and was carved for only one purpose: To make war. A malign purple glowed in its eyes, and as others began to awaken, Moryo reveled in the sight. "Who can stop us now?"

-Line-

"That was ridiculous." Homura grumbled to himself, "I can't believe that they actually had the gall to arrest us." The older man grunted in agitation and pushed his glasses back up to their proper resting place, "Once they confirmed our identities they let us go, but still...the gall."

"We did sneak into an Uzumaki Faction business shortly after we were observed leaving a Humanitarian bar." Koharu pointed out, "It doesn't matter though." The ex-kunoichi carefully unsealed two documents from a hidden pocket in her cloak, "We got what we were looking for."

"True." Homura shifted into mission mode, "Let us see what Naruto Uzumaki is talking about." The papers had just been distributed just a few hours ago, and as a loyal shinobi of Konoha - though Homura was beginning to privately wonder just what that meant exactly -, Homura and Koharu decided to find out what the papers said. Damage control would be necessary, but they needed to know how much would be required. Konoha would not fall into chaos if they had anything to say about it.

"First, the letter to the Uzumaki Faction." It was, after all, the reason they had almost been arrested. Homura still wasn't sure if he was insulted that he and Koharu hadn't been recognized, or proud that their disguises were good enough that they weren't recognized. Opening the letter and tilting it to the light, he began to read.

To the Uzumaki Faction

As many of you know, we have established ourselves as protectors of the innocent, our families, and those we care about. I have seen battle before, but nothing like I have witnessed just a short time ago.

I saw what it is like when underprepared and under trained soldiers fight ninja. Carnage and death.

I realize now that we have to take a stand. We have to say "enough is enough." We have to not just stand back and only protect those we care about, but also protect those who can't protect themselves, be the threat foreign or domestic. We have to choose to defend. We have to become guardians of the innocent.

And so, I am renaming the Uzumaki Faction. No longer are we merely following the ideas of one man or one clan. We stand united in a common cause. We declare with one voice: "No longer with the innocent suffer. No longer will the strong prey upon the weak. No one else will suffer as I have suffered. No one will feel such pain as I have."

We are Guardians.

-Naruto Uzumaki, Guardian Faction

The pair of old shinobi was quiet. How could they speak after reading those words? It was, after all, part of Konoha's creed. It was a naive perspective that Naruto Uzumaki held, but still...there was something compelling about the words….

Shaking off the strange that had befallen them, Koharu opened the second letter, the one they had...acquired from the Humanitarian bar, and began to read.

To Konoha

My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Head of the Uzumaki Clan. Son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

I have seen war, pain, and suffering.

And I have had my fill of it.

There are those who believe that I am the Kyuubi reborn. Despite all of the evidence presented, some still choose to believe their own beliefs. It is your right to believe whatever you choose to believe.

I understand, perhaps better than most, of the scars both physical and emotional, caused by that terrible day all those years ago. I understand that it tore our world apart. I understand that there is such anger from not being able to protect those you care about.

But make no mistake.

I am not the monster you believe me to be. But I will protect those I care about no matter the cost. If I must become a monster to protect them, then so be it. If I must take up the sword, I will. If I must be feared even by those I consider friends, it is a cost I am willing to pay.

So please….

Please…

Don't make me destroy you.

-Naruto Uzumaki

"There's something wrong with Konoha, isn't there?" Koharu's voice barely was a whisper, "While we rested in our chairs and left decisions to others, something dark and terrible crept in." She turned to her teammate, "And it's going to destroy everything we fought to protect."

"No." Homura shook his head, "No. I refuse." The old spark that had drove him as a shinobi all those years ago reignited, "Not on my watch. Not while I breathe." It grew into a flame. "War may come to Konoha, but I will not allow my village to be destroyed, nor lose its soul to the darkness that perverts everything good and righteous about our beloved home." His eyes met Koharu's. "Are you with me?"

"Yes." Koharu's voice was a fierce whisper, "I will not make excuses anymore. Never again. Not while I breathe."

So what did you think? Drop a review and let me know!

To my reviewer's direct questions:

Animaman: Without spoiling anything, let's just say that politically speaking, things are going to get very...interesting soon. And don't worry, Danzo's planning some things to protect the village (or at least how he thinks he's going to protect the village).

A Lonely Rainbow Girl: Karuma's OOCness is partly due to my admittedly poorer writing, but mostly due to how HotE's story progressed vs. canon's. By being able to see through the world only using Naruto's eyes, it produced an unconscious tie to Naruto where the Kyuubi sympathized in a way. It's the same way reading a book or watching a movie that uses one person's perspective makes you more likely to sympathize with the character, even without realizing it.

Nin-Guest: Honestly, that was one of the reasons chapter 49 took awhile to write. The problem with writing a realistic (or as realistic as ninjas with magic powers go) is that sometimes when Reality Ensues. As a reader (even if it is my own work), it sucks to read about heroic people losing, even more so if it is by a massive margin. As a writer though, it's my duty to craft a story that continues the narrative I started. To answer your question, it's more of the former than the latter. Naruto has always believed that everyone's choices matter (it's one of the ways he coped with all of the horrible things that happened to him), and as he grew older, he began to try to respect everyone's choices as much as he could. However, until now, he hasn't ever be confronted with the question "What if their choices mean that they will get hurt or killed, even if there is a better way?". It's something he has to deal with, now that it has happened. He's starting to learn from the experience, evidenced by his letters to Konoha. You would be correct. Tobi messed with the Yamanaka's mind (I won't spoil exactly how he did it though).

Calypto: I'm a cynic. And as such, I tend to view the world through a more cynical lens. People often choose to interpret evidence or events so that they fit their worldview, sometimes even going as far as to ignore facts or other things that counter their beliefs. As such, people wanted to blame someone for what happened when the Kyuubi destroyed part of Konoha. Then someone got convinced that Naruto was the Kyuubi (just stuck in human form). Then...the lie got repeated. And you know what they say happens if a lie gets repeated enough…

jordan: At this point, it's more or less confirmed that it's going to be NarutoxSakuraxHinataxHaku.