In another life…nearly two months ago.

Naruto walked into Konoha, looking at the villagers. All of them mourning the loss of Kakashi and Sakura. They lined the streets, wearing black. He continued to wear his orange jumper, which got him a few dirty looks. However, gone were the smiles and glints of happiness in his eye. The blonde merely shuffled across the road, walking towards his apartment building.

Walking up the stairs, he saw it tucked under his 'welcome' matt. He bent down, picking it up, "Naruto Uzumaki?" he read his name aloud, as if it was foreign to him. Slowly, he walked into his apartment. It was now just three days after their death, and on the eighth day of October he received the letter.

He opens it, how the ANBU missed this was beyond him. Out spilled pictures of all his friends, where they hung out, slept, ate, and even current locations despite being on missions. It was clear, the message was at least, but how someone could get this information wasn't.

"To The Jinchuuriki Of The Nine Tailed Fox."

Those words were bolded, making sure it caught his attention. He took his time, his breath shuddering as he read the letter aloud. Each word filling him dread, his body felt cold. His eyes watered at the last two pictures, pictures of Kakashi and Sakura planning the party whilst their murderers quite literally were around the corner.

"We got to Kakashi Hatake, and Sakura Haruno. Your two closest friends, and we did so in the span of a single minute. One minute, and we killed your sensei, along with your teammate. Imagine what we can do with one whole day? We currently have eyes on Team Eight, perhaps we can come to arrangement. On this letter is a seal, activate it by dripping your blood onto the sealing matrix. By doing so, you'll see what our offer is. Refusal is an option, Naruto Uzumaki, but for the sake of the little Hyuuga girl you like, you better best think twice. It doesn't matter to us what clan she is from, her head fits as nicely on a pike like any other. you have one day from seeing this letter.

Make the right choice."

Naruto sat there as his blood ran cold, his first thought was to run to Tsunade! She could get ANBU out to Team Eight, and get them out of harms way. However, it wasn't just them, they had eyes on everyone he ever came to love. Iruka sensei's photos were amongst the pile at his feet. Obviously, if they didn't get to Team Eight by some miracle, they'd just go after the next targets. Was his one life, this single life, really worth the ones he cared about the most.

Biting back his fear, the blonde took a deep breath, "it was never a choice…you bastards."

He quickly bit into his thumb, blood dripping down onto the seals. It activated, quickly the paper scrunched up. It suddenly turned to ash in his hands, leaving behind a small sliver of paper. It had single name on the slip of paper, along with grid coordinates. Gathering himself, Naruto took a deep breath before stripping off his jumper before flopping down on his bed. Shutting his eyes for a few hours.

Day turned to night, with him waking up in hurry. He grabbed nothing, save his necklace from his desk drawer. He quickly, but efficiently grabbed a piece of paper. His hands automatically grabbed a pen, scribbling down a hasty goodbye letter. He felt a sob lurch out of him, but it didn't matter, his choice was made.

This wasn't giving up, this was his only option. No more, he wouldn't lose no more of his friends to these monsters just because they hunted him. If they wanted him, they could have him, just as long they didn't kill anymore of his friends. That would be his deal, and he would honor it by giving the life he always wanted up.

No chance at being Hokage.
No chance at moving on.
No chance at finding love, and raising a family!

Naruto Uzumaki marked it down, telling everyone that he loved them, but this was the end of the journey. He even left a special note for Hinata at the end of it, telling her to never give up, because she can change The Hyuuga, but for in order for her to change their fate…his would have to be sealed.

"What do you think, you're doing, Naruto?"

"Don't fuck with me right now, Nine Tails. I'm making my choice, I'm sorry that you had to be inside me, neither of us got a choice!" Naruto yelled at him through their mental link before drawing on his power, forming a single hand seal.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He screamed out as he kicked down his door!

Not dozens, but hundreds of Naruto clones appeared all across the block he was on. They all ran in different directions. The ANBU assigned to guard over him were in a panic. His legs kicked up a mad fury as he ran across the rooftops with some of his clones. The blonde, cerulean eyed, boy wept openly as he cleared the western gate of Konoha unopposed due to the amount of clones.

Just in case, he created several dozen more, making sure they'd all buy him time. For every single clone destroyed, and every single wasted moment. He got further and further away from Konoha, his one true home! Screaming in anguish as he launched himself through the trees, the slip of paper tucked tightly into his hand, the blonde roared out in rage.

"I hate this life!" Naruto screamed out whilst running faster, "forgive me Pervy Sage! Grandma Tsunade, Iruka sensei, all of you! I'm so sorry, but this is the end of path together!"

The entire nightly ordeal turned into morning, it found Naruto breaching past the dead wood forest! He sprinted, faster and faster, using all the chakra he had left in the tank since using the clones. Collapsing down to his knees, his jumper was torn open. He grabbed the slip of paper, looking at a map he kept in his sandal boot.

It pointed him right at a village, Ame, where his fate would be sealed. He looked up at the morning sun, tearing off his jumper. Walking in his undershirt made of mesh. It was cool this morning, but he didn't care. What did it matter if his last few days on planet earth were spent with a small head cold? Shuffling along the dead grass, he held the necklace in his hand.

"I needed this grandma, I know it meant the world to you, but I just need…I just need…" He face scrunches up before he collapsed to his knees, "I just need one of you with me because I'm scared!"

He sobbed onto the ground, pulling dirt up by clumps as he gripped into it. All of this, and all of the times he strived wouldn't matter in the end. Naruto took a shuddering breath as dirt caked his lips, he realized that it was the day before his birthday, the irony that the day he would arrive at Ame would be the he hated the most.

Why was he born to such a life?!

The need of revenge fills his heart, and it was answered, "I have an idea…"

For the first time, in his entire life, Naruto sat there and listened to The Nine Tailed Fox explain a plan. A very convoluted plan, but if Naruto was willing to waltz right towards death, perhaps eliminating the threat of The Akatsuki with it would be the best viable answer to make their death meaningful. His death, anyway, would be meaningful.

The Nine Tails would just regenerate, freed of any human vessel!

Resolving himself to his plan, Naruto clutched the necklace in his hand. Walking over toward a tree, getting a kunai out. The blonde began to write down a single message. "Either victory, or death, you'll know which." Was carved into the bark of the tree before he cuts his hand open, smearing the blood down at the base of the message.

They would DNA test it, but they would know, it was him. Naruto and The Nine Tails hashed out the smaller details of their plan as they walked. Sounded simple enough, the giant fox having an inkling as to the jutsu they'd be using to perform the unsealing and resealing with. It was a matter of timing, they'd have one shot at it, and after that shot was taken it would be mere moments before death took either one of them.

The blonde for the very first time in his life, got down to his knees at the base of a nearby river. He didn't drink, his body would need to be as weak as possible for this to kick off. Instead, he took a moment to stack two sets of stones. He bowed to each of them three times, preparing to say goodbye to his friends' spirits.

It was fine, in the end, he'd be with them soon…like he promised as he prayed.

Present Day.
Remnant, Patch Island, December 4th.

Naruto opened his eyes from his latest session out in the forests. He took a moment to breathe in deeply as his aura flared around him. He would mix praying and meditating at the same time. Two sets of three large stones stacked on one another, with the scratching of their names placed on the lower stone.

The memories of those dark days came to his mind each time he found himself mediating to control his aura. Funny how nearly two months ago, he was on a suicidal charge to kill the very people who took his previous family away from him. Now, here in on a new world, and inside of a winter unlike any he had seen in Konoha. The blonde's breathing steamed the air, knowing that when he went back to the farmhouse, Madame Mallari would be cooking dinner with Sapphire helping.

Sapphire would be reading her books, studying to go into a civilian school. Lapis, meanwhile, had the displeasure of lugging around heavy things across the house. Whereas Naruto needed to find the mental control to conduce his aura, Lapis needed to physically better himself to get his body to produce more. It wasn't really too different from charka training, it was quite literally back to the basics almost.

Except, with Naruto, more aura meant more control issues. No different than what had been issue with his chakra. If it had been no different, it should've been easier for him to figure out. However, aura was a fickle mistress as he learned. There was no true loophole, unlike chakra. If had too much charka, you couldn't execute a basic technique…but you could do advanced ones with ease. With aura, it didn't matter how strong or potent it was, it had to be controlled one hundred percent or you didn't reap the full benefit.

The bleeding effect also made it less resistant, meaning where anyone's perfected aura could potential block bullets, Naruto was still very much vulnerable to 'breaches' which was another side effect of the bleed. Getting up, he checked the time on Maria's scroll. It was now around three in the afternoon. He had been out here for six hours, the cold not really bothering him due to the heat of his aura.

What was bothering him was the stomach dropping guilt he was feeling. The Nine Tails was right, Naruto had intended to die that day. So, with him now alive still, and now within safety. Everything was crushing on him, so why did he get to enjoy life still? Sakura had parents, Kakashi had comrades, and all he was just a stupid kid!

A stupid kid, with a stupid Nine Tailed Demon Fox in his gut, and a bunch of stupid evil bastards ruining his life!

So, staring at their makeshift shrine stones, Naruto couldn't help but find discomfort. It didn't matter how much he tried, in the end he was never going to get rid of the guilt it seemed. Now, after all of this time, he finally got Kakashi sensei and what Sasuke were talking about. This empty, cold, void in the heart. Maria, and the others filed some of it.

The mere fact that he felt he shouldn't be here was something that he'd have to find reason against. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his newer orange jacket, he drew deeply in the cold air into his lungs. He was learning to mourn, something Madame Mallari was teaching him to do. To let go of the past, and embrace a future.

She, like granny Maria, took an interest in because of what he was. Mallari treated him no differently than Lapis, or Sapphire, but her words were more focused. The herbalist knew very well that he was suffering still. Nothing really anyone could help with except to keep it in his mind that he was wanted somewhere.

He was wanted here…

It was revolving door, whenever he was with them, he felt happy! Alone, however, he felt the weight of the reality crashing around him! Some nights he dreamed of a future here on Remnant, finding a beautiful girl after becoming a hunter, and settling down to a life novel living. Then there were the dark nights, nights he woke up sweat covered, and sobbing because of a nightmare.

All of the same things that happened on the ride across the ocean here, and his time traveling with Maria.

"When does this supposed healing start, does it start today, or tomorrow?" He thought to himself before walking away from the gravestone markers, "does it start when I find peace?"

The blonde's negativity was attractive, slowly, but surely. A lone beowolf made it's way toward him. It growled, alerting him. He turns around, noting the hungry demon's gaze as he looked back at it. His longer blonde hair waving in the wind, now coming down past the back of his neck. He almost looked like how The Fourth Hokage had as a kid, ironic considered he idealized the man.

He often wondered if he had to go through the same type of feelings as a war veteran?

His mind snapped back to the problem at hand, the beowolf. It stared right at him, with Naruto reaching behind him. The sheen of the kabar knife being withdrawn from reverberated throughout the cold winter air. They both began their little dance, the alpha predators encircling one another. One the very incarnation of hatred, the other filled with rage.

It snarls at him, black liquid dripping from the jaws. Naruto took a deep breath before gripping the leather hilt of the knife. Both charge at one another, it was over in the instant it had begun. Naruto's knife scooped put the jugular of the beowolf, black liquid and smoke rising from the wound. The beast gargles, clutching at the wound briefly before falling over dead.

The young teens aura flares to life as he heard the crunching of snow. He turns around, of course as he had learned, beowolves travel in packs. There was four more trying to come around his flank, slowly circling him. Failing to use higher reasoning that if one of them died swiftly, four of them wouldn't matter much.

"Okay, I woke up from a nightmare before starting my meditation training today. I'm in a really foul mood," Naruto reversed the grip on the kabar knife, "some come get some."

The first two flanked from his left charged! He sidesteps their claw slashes whilst dodging around them. somersaulting and cartwheeling midair air before throwing his weight into an aerial axe kick on the way down. The force shattering the spine of the first beowolf before he flipped backward to avoid the other two that tried flanking him from the right.

He sidestepped to the side before bounding over them. His clothes fluttering the wind as he went airborne. Landing on a tree, he focuses on his aura that was bleeding off. Growling under his breath, he took a moment to observe their moments. Getting himself ready, he launched himself from the tree, and impacted one before sending it flying with a dragon's kick.

It skid across the snow before limply getting back up. A piece of facial bone broken off. Naruto readied his knife as he dodges the first attacker from before which was crawling towards him at frightening speeds still. The blonde took a deep breath before kicking it up into the air and launching himself upwards. He twisted his body before spinning in the same direction, and delivering a lateral side kick to the beast's rib area. It growled out before coughing up black fluid, and as they both descended, Naruto ended up on top and ramming it through with the kabar knife in a reverse grip.

He backflipped off the beast before seeing it's other three comrades running around him in circles. Holding his knife up, the blonde swayed side to side as he walks forward. Keeping his knife out in front of him, he growls the best he can to get their attention. Slowly, but surely, they began to all charge straight at him!

"C'mon!" He mentally roared before dropping into a stance, slighting bending forward, "focus…concentrate…conform it to you."

Taking a deep breath, the blonde's aura started to conform more to his skin, but was still bleeding off. His cerulean eyes briefly widen before he charges forwards in a superhuman sprint! The snow picked up, becoming dust in the winds. He butterfly kicks one of the wolves as they lunged. Rolling backwards before springing upright before dashing in a zigzag before rending the arm of one of the demons off with his knife!

It roars out before slashing with it's one remaining claw. Naruto blocks it, with sparks flying off his knife before he suddenly rolls forward, tripping it up before slamming the knife into it's head. Getting up in one fluent motion, he brought the knife off to block twin slashes from the last two remaining wolf demons.

Sparks flew from the blade as he brought it block them, spinning around the next set of slashes, he winds up behind them. Jumping up, he piggybacked on top of the beowolf nearest to him before leaning body over to slam his knife into the skull of it's partner. Using his superhuman strength, he flips the beast and himself backwards into the snow. Essentially piledriving it with his legs and lower body strength. Now straddling the beast, he brings the knife downward sharply, cutting right through it's throat!

Taking a moment, he got up before dusting snow off black pants before sheathing the knife. Standing there, he looked at the trails he made in snow slowly getting covered up by more falling snow. Walking south, he shuffled through the snowdrifts before coming across trees with ribbons tied around them.

As he came to learn, it was Mallari's way of marking graves. The blonde had participated, tying a pink and white ribbon on one tree. He had the stone grave markers for his own personal mourning purposes. It was irrational, at least it seemed to be him, but his brain wasn't functioning on logic sometimes. Such as when he almost lost control trying to save Lapis, he almost let The Nine Tails take over.

That bastard hurt him that day, because basically had been playing him a little. Who knows how long, perhaps it did know what would happen? He had fell for it all hook, line, and sinker if it was the case. He brought the scroll up, since it registered his aura to it. It was sitting at eighty-three percent, and a little red arrow pointing left meant it was lowering.

He was still bleeding aura!

Turning off the scroll, he took a moment before looking around the snow-covered field. Drinking in the calm silence, he watched as several geese flocks flew overhead. Their honking creating a cacophony of calls, with leaders calling to the young as they flew in their massive V formations. The blonde placed his hands into his jacket pockets.

Thinking back to the moment he finally gave himself up.

"Look, it's the Jinchuuriki of The Nine Tailed Fox." He heard the voice of the scythe wielding maniac call out from on high in his head, he grabbed at it before looking around the woods.

He took a deep breath before blowing hot steam out of his mouth. The below freezing temperatures finally getting to him slightly. Resolving himself to journeying back to Madame Mallari's, the blonde brought the photo of the herb he was supposed to be looking for.

Snowdrops, a flower that grew in the cold of Patch Island. He kept his eye out whilst walking back, but as he did, he never caught sight of it. Perhaps he'll have to travel further in tomorrow, which would mean being out longer in the cold!

At least it was silent out here, and kind of peaceful.

Sighing in frustration, the blonde walked across the nearly covered trail. He saw Lapis dragging farm equipment around, clearing out pathways that would just get filled with snow again. The poor wolf faunus was cold, even his thin aura wasn't keeping him warm. He noted the look on Naruto's face, and waved at him.

"Naruto, not a good day buddy?" He called out whilst the blonde shot him a thumbs down without even looking, making him frown. "Yeah, definitely not a good day…back to work!"

He picked up the dredge, scraping snow off the paths whilst maintaining his aura. His cobalt jacket fluttered in the wind before he realized something. If Naruto was coming back in, it meant that his time was almost up as well. Sweet, glorious, freedom! He began to walk with the dredge back toward the barn, opening the giant red doors up.

Intending to put it up, he saw several cows in there eating on some fresh hay. Maria was in there, collecting milk from one of the pregnant females. Her old body aching, she looked at Lapis, "and what are you doing bringing the dredge in so early? You already slacking off, it's only been a week, Lap."

"I'm not slacking off, Maria, Naruto is back so I assumed that our training time has ended. Plus, it's going to be sundown in about two hours." Lapis replied whilst stretching as he popped his shoulders, "Naruto had a bad morning."

Maria nods as she sighs, "I've heard, Sapphire caught him puffy eyed."

"He told me about what happened," the bluenette said before looking down. "Granny, listen, I'm not questioning what you're doing for him, or Madame Mallari…but when does the healing start?"

"it starts when he wants it to start," Maria solemnly answered whilst getting the bucket full of milk. "Naruto is going through the latter stages of grief. He's trying to probably ask himself why, why he's still here and his friends aren't…I asked myself that almost every other day back when I was on a team."

"If you still do, doesn't that mean you never healed?" Lapis questioned intuitively whilst leaning against the barndoors, "no offense."

"None taken, it's a fair question. This is all new to him, having somewhere without moving for the next few months is going to eat away at his emotional barriers. We all got a brief taste whilst in Mistral City. It wasn't a pretty sight, but I'm telling you, any outburst is just him letting out pain." Maria further elaborated whilst walking past the teen, "in the case of PTSD every emotion is validated. It doesn't matter if it's irrational, we all process differently."

"Yeah, well, I notice when he gets really mad his eyes turn red…from that monster in him." The older teen shuddered before thinking of his sister, "what if…"

"What if he loses control? If you knew about this a month ago, Lapis, would you have traveled with us? Naruto has his rights to his secrets. He doesn't have to bring them to light. Take solace that if he told you, it meant that he does trust you, hell knowing him…probably loves you and Sapphire." Maria further explained, interrupting Lapis whilst motioning for him to open the doors, seeing another snowstorm coming in.

He sighs, jadedly cursing the weather in his mind, "and I just cleared that walkway too."

"Welcome to winter in Vale, sunny, it never gets better. She is a cruel mistress, winter is here, one moment everything is fine and then bam! Snowstorm, blizzard, you name it, and it'll happen!" She laughed whilst steam rise up from the farmhouse's chimney. "Seems like there's a fire going, should get us to warm up quickly. Knowing Mallari, she has the stove in the basement going too."

The bluenette teenage boy follows Maria, walking just slightly behind her, "I don't get how he can stand out in the cold in place for so long."

"Well, since you already are in the know, people like him are literally built different. It takes real sorry bastards to take children, turn them into weapons of war, and expect something not to break later on. Which is why I'm treating Naruto like an equal compared to you two, he is for all purposes, a veteran in my mind." Maria pointed toward her head as she spoke reverently of the blonde inside the house, "Lapis, growing up the streets was tough. However, I highly doubt it's right next to getting forced into conflict after conflict."

"Which is why I value what I have now," Lapis argued whilst turning to face Maria, "I don't want to lose what my sister and me have right now."

"Yet, there's still a smidgen part of you that honestly is still afraid of him." She pointed out, watching him lower his head in shame, "and it's okay."

"How is it okay when he called me a friend?" He questioned Maria whilst clutching at his head, "I mean, he practically threw his life into rescuing us…so tell me why it is okay that I give him a doubletake when he seems upset."

"Fear is a powerful thing, Lap, it makes even the bravest men monsters." Maria stated almost knowingly whilst holding the bucket of milk tighter, "but what conquers fear is love."

"Love, how does love conquer fear, because you fear losing the one you love?" Lapis was almost sneered, confused at what she was saying, "I'm sorry…that was rude of me."

"Lapis, the one thing that separates us from the demons in our world is the capacity to understand. We put a rhyme and reason to things. When someone is hurting, we walk over to them to see if they're okay, that is compassion. Compassion is just another word for love, love of your fellow man or woman. Love itself comes in many forms," She smiles whilst thinking about it. "I do love you, and Sapphire, if I ever had kids I would want them to be you both."

"So, what about Naruto then?" He noted how she separated him out.

Maria took a moment, thinking of her answer, "because when it comes to Naruto…he's going to be my direct successor. If you're my children, then Naruto is the first amongst you. Yet, he's at the core, broken. No different than that shattered moon in the sky."

Lapis stood there, taking a deep breath before nodding his head, "I understand…"

Nightfall quickly came as everyone had enjoyed a nice hearty meal of crockpot roast. Naruto was currently eating his second bowl whilst Sapphire was reading her Grimmology Books. Lapis was doing sit ups in the living whilst using a rather heavy codex for weight.

The blonde finishes his bowl quickly before walking toward the sink. He began to wash the dishes until he heard the clacking of Mallari's legs. He turned around to see the woman's prosthetics coming out from under her dress. She miles, and tosses him dish soap.

"Naruto, have you taken the medicine I made you yet?" She inquired whilst he focuses on the dishes, "I understand that it can taste bad, but it can help you sleep."

The blonde nods his head, signing to her with one hand, "it helps me fall asleep."

"Still nothing for the nightmares, dear?" She questioned further whilst watching him grab a sponge, scrabbing the bowls clean. "I can give you something else tonight, it'll have passionflower and valerian root."

Naruto took a deep breath before turning to her, signing, "thank you."

"No need to think me, dear, just try to get better at staying asleep. I understand that it's hard, given your condition." She comforted him before walking over, placing a hand over his shoulder, "you're not alone in this fight."

"Yes…you are."

He heard the whisper of The Nine Tails in his mental link. Taking a moment to shudder, he thought about asking her if she would have anything to help with The Nine Tail's ability over their mental link to haunt him. She noted the look in his eyes, the clouded look he got when he heard that beast in his head.

"I may have something for that," she offered up before reaching into her pocket, "this has valerian root and cardamom. It's condensed with the taffy, and edible basically."

Naruto took a moment before reaching out. He popped the little taffy medicinal treat into his mouth. Immediately he felt his mind start to ease off just a little bit. Mallari smiles before reaching over, scooting him out of the way before getting the dirty glasses.

"I'll take care of the rest, go rest, tomorrow you must find my snowdrops." She told him before watching slowly nod and walk off toward bed.

Sapphire frowns whilst looking at the tired form of Naruto, she gets up from the table secretly. Walking with him as he headed towards his and Lapis's shared room downstairs. She watched him slowly turn to her. The little bluenette seeing the color drain from his eyes slightly. For the past few days now, he had nonstop nightmares, perhaps going through an episode of his condition as Maria would put it.

He sat on his bed, sighing before taking notice of her and signing, "hey."

"Hey yourself whiskers, are you okay?" Sapphire signed back whilst standing at the doorway, "you've been sleeping less."

"I'm just trying to master my aura," Naruto replied in sign before laying down on the bed, "I'm tired."

She humphed before walking over to him. His eyes widened when she sat by his head. Slowly, he felt her hand run through his hair. For some reason, a good reason, it comforted him. Listening to her hum, the blonde finally sniffled before closing his eyes as a tear came down his face. She couldn't understand what he was going through, but at the very least she was here for him, like the rest of them.

Perhaps he could get through this.

"Try to at least keep these around a little longer than the last…"

He remembered the Nine Tails words to him. Taking steady breathes, pretending to have fallen asleep. The blonde hears her sigh, "I wish I could understand, I'm sorry you're hurting, Naruto…we do love you…" she bent down and gave him a hug.

Naruto just laid there, taking in the warmth before feeling her walk away. Slowly, he allowed himself to actually fall asleep. Taking a heavy breath before his consciousness faded into the void. His body growing heavier, and heavier, as the dream world takes him into its grasp. Surely, for now his mind could be at peace, especially with the new herbal medication…right?

Were it so easy.

Broken Moon.
"No amount of me trying to explain myself was doing any good. I didn't even know what was going on inside of me, so how could I have explained it to them?"
-Sierra D. Waters, Debbie.

Naruto woke up to the sound of crashing glass. He jolts straight up, running upstairs. There he sees Madame Mallari, her body split in half from robotic legs. She was laying face down on the ground dead. Naruto ran over to her, shaking her, hoping to silent Gods above that this wasn't the case.

Wait, was Lapis in the same room as him? No, no he wasn't!

He heard fighting outside, watching as the bluenette in question came crashing through the wooden door. A kunai in his chest. Naruto wanted to scream, he wanted to cry out, and beg whoever it was to stop. He heard Sapphire whimpering, and so he grabbed the kunai. He ran outside, watching as Maria was putting up a decent, but losing, fight.

"Get Sapphire, and run, Naru-ack!" Maria cried out, only to get silenced as the cloaked figure stood there, grabbing her neck.

CRACK!

Her lifeless body jerked once, maybe twice before it fell from the hands of the slightly taller induvial! Naruto breathed out a sob before he saw Sapphire running toward him. The figure in the cloak smirks, showing demonically sharp teeth. Naruto intercepted him with his aura flaring around him, and several shadow clones.

The figure got kunai out, killing the clones with ease before suddenly appearing in front of Naruto in a burst of red speed. He grabbed him by the throat before jumping up. They flew over Sapphire, who stopped as Naruto was slammed into the porch, cratering and splintering it to pieces. He took hold of the figure's arm, twisting his body around it.

"It'll never matter," he said in a deep voice before throwing him across the snow, and into Sapphire.

She was knocked out, falling into the snow, Naruto quickly got up. It was too late though, the cloaked figure manifested a black chakra rod into hand before slamming it down into the girl's chest. Naruto fell to his knees reaching out for her. Finally feeling something come over him, he grabbed at his face whilst shaking his head.

The figure slowly removed his cloak, revealing himself as…Naruto. The blonde had red eyes with black sclera. He stood there, holding the chakra rod whilst it dripped the blood of his…their…adopted family. He chuckled before looking right into the blue eyes of the original Naruto.

"You can't keep anyone around for long, Nine Tails was right, we're pathetic…" Dark Naruto stated whilst playing with the chakra red, "but we don't always have to be…"

"Give them back…" Naruto suddenly found himself able to speak, "give them back to me!"

"No." Came Dark Naruto's flat reply before suddenly dashing forward, and throwing the slamming the chakra rod right into Naruto's chest!

Naruto shot up as he felt cold sweat drench him. He got up from the bed, shaking as he gripped his shoulders. Lapis was snoring loudly, meaning that it had to be later in the night. The blonde walks upstairs before checking around the living room.

The brown wooden floors unstained, polished clean. Pictures of Mallari's golden years hung up on the wall, and some of her when her along with Maria were younger. He had to admit, with his teenage, addled mind, they would've been subject matter most welcomed in Pervy Sage's books.

Sighing, he looked at the burgundy painted walls, and took a shuddering deep breath before slowly walking around the house. He had lived here nearly a week and a half. Having become very familiar with the terrain and layout. He walked towards Sapphire's room, which had the door closed. He presses his ear against, hearing her soft snores.

"It was just a nightmare, another one, but a nightmare."

Naruto told himself before walking toward Maria's room, hearing the old woman loudly snoring. He sighed contentedly before turning around to see that the front door was slightly ajar. His heart was slightly racing, he slowly walked forwards towards it. That's when he heard the soft strumming of something, a musical instrument.

Grabbing his boots, he slipped them on, whilst also grabbing his jacket. "There's probably no one out there, it's all in your head…just breathe." Naruto mantras himself before taking a step outside.

Madame Mallari was sitting on a nearby chair at the porch, strumming softly on a strange looking instrument. It was like a guitar, except with a rounder and wider base. It had three strings, similar to the shamisen from his world. He saw her adjusting the three bar-like objects up top. She adjusted them, whilst strumming the guitarlike instrument.

She hums, stopping before turning to face Naruto, "oh, did I awake you dear?"

Naruto shook his head, signing, "just another nightmare."

"Ahh," Mallari pushes a stool with her robotic leg over to him, "would you care to join an old woman for a spot of music?"

The blonde shrugs his shoulders before sitting down on the stool. She began to play a tune on the strange instrument. Humming whilst picking up the pace with a pick in her right hand. She played the strange thing like it was second nature. After finishing a small song note, Mallari looked over to him, smiling.

"This is called a Yueqin, or if your less esoteric, it's simply known as the moon lute." She told him before strumming it again whilst looking towards the broken moon above. "I used to have a lover that would play me a tune, or two, from this very lute."

"What happened to him?" Naruto asked in sign before seeing her smile become crestfallen.

"Ahh, son, though it was many moons ago. The man had silver eyes just like Maria, and one day, he just didn't come back. I, at first being an embittered woman, assumed he had his fun and ran off. Then, well, I realized that Maria had gotten attacked simply because of her eyes…" Mallari answered whilst taking a deep breath afterward, "I knew then that Yuè wasn't coming home."

The old woman became somber as she strummed the instrument lightly, "Yuè and I met in Vacuo. Whilst the people around their were tough, I often made fun of him for being soft and humble."

"Oh, that's kind of funny, because you seem soft." Naruto pointed out whilst eliciting a small blush from the older woman, "sorry."

"Bah, don't worry child, I am now. Funny how life can ebb and flow against the edges of one's world." Mallari commented before taking a moment to look at him, "I never really moved on from Yuè. Though there are things I do to honor him, I plant moonflowers in the summer, and play his lute in the winter for example."

"That's beautiful," Naruto complimented before sitting there, "I wonder if I could find a way to honor my friends…"

"They say being alive should be enough, but what do people sitting behind a desk truly know, hmm? It is easy to judge someone without walking in their shoes, but Naruto, I've walked in the shoes are you in for decades. It is hard, the road will not be easy, and there are times you'll suffer…" Mallari stopped playing whilst ending it on a sudden strum of all three strings, "and it will seem like all hope is lost to you. You'll wonder why you're even here, and why aren't they? Well, child, the answers never come to you…you have to intrepid the ebb and flow of the situation."

Naruto frowns at this whilst signing, "how can I cope with knowing that I shouldn't even be walking here? Why should I be the one, who had no real family, still be living when the people I cared for most had every reason to be alive?"

"If you keep asking why you're still here, you'll miss the reason you are here. Think of Sapphire and Lapis, if you haven't met Maria, she wouldn't have taken them in. She'd still be a lonely old coot, but you changed her, and I see it in her eye for you. She may love those two children in there like flesh and blood, but to her…you might as well be flesh and blood." The old woman took a minute to put the lute down on her knees, "tragedy doesn't govern fate, how we choose to react to tragedy is what determines our future."

The former shinobi stared off into the snowy landscape, taking a deep breath, "I want to become stronger so I can protect my friends."

"Then meditate tomorrow from dusk till dawn, don't do things by the appointed hour. You must want to push beyond yourself, only then can you wield your soul to conformity. Once you master your aura the doors opened to you are boundless and given what you are…I believe you have the capacity to change the world." Mallari got up from her chair, turning towards him.

"You have the capacity to change your fate…and survive rather than be victim to tragedy."