A/N: *ahem*

I HAVE RETURNED!

Been a bit, hasn't it? Sorry for the absence.

Nearly retired and lost my co-writer for this, so I've had to improvise.

No Heroes Here, Bones, Diabolical Invincible Me, and Payback should be getting updates soon as well.

With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.

And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.

Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.

So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.

In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes, or memes,

Massive tribute to good 'ol American Gods here.

It fit flawlessly with an upcoming scene.

References ahoy~!

"My name is Haganezuka. I have forged your swords...and am here to deliver them.

Well? What're you waiting for? Hurry up and draw them!

I'm sure at least one of them will turn red."

~?

Do You Believe?

Naruto drew his new blade.

Kyojuro mimicked him at his side, unsheathing his own.

Hmm. It was good steel. Light, but strong. Not liable to break easily.

A very good sword indeed. He considered the red-wrapped hilt and sapphire flame-shaped guard intently, gauging it, then spared his brother a glance, waiting for something. Anything. Shinobu and Kanae knelt only a few feet away, even now gauging their own recently-received weapons. The Kocho sisters had grown close to them these last few days, even lingering long enough to make certain they were given their weapons together. But enough about them. Supposedly these katana were likely to change color depending on their given wielders, so why...

Aha! There it was!

Before his very eyes, his blade did just that.

Color spread up from the hilt, staining the silvery steel lustrous shade of cloudy crimson. It made him think not of fire, but blood. His shoulders shivered a little at the sight. The swordsmith had said red was a good omen, and yet he couldn't help but be concerned all the same-

"YES!" Haganezuka leaped upright with a roar of joy and shattered his thoughts. "Its red!" the masked man threw his head back and cried out to the very heavens. "I finally got to see it!"

Kyojuro considered his own sword with a pleased hum. "Mine is the same!"

Shinjuro applauded wearily, considered them with a tired grin. "Well done, my sons."

Kanae clapped politely, all smiles. "That's quite the accomplishment! You should both be proud of yourselves!"

Shinobu sulked. "No fair...

She elbowed her. "Don't be rude, sister.

"Boo...

Her blade was a lavender blue, Naruto noted, while Kanae's was pink. He looked to Haganezukai, still somewhat baffled. "Is it really that goo if a blade turns red?"

"Precisely!" Haganezuka made happy Haganezuka noises as he leaped to his feet. "Now listen!" The masked sword-maker thrust a finger at them. "Don't you dare break those blades, you hear me?! Or I'll kill you!"

Naruto exchanged an anxious glance with Kyojuro. Somehow he very much doubted that was an idle threat.

His dear brother delivered a boisterous laugh. "Worry not! We'll be careful!"

How little they knew.


(.0.0.0.)


...you should've seen it, mom. It was hilarious."

Ruka Rengoku continued to sleep.

Naruto's smile trembled.

Even then he forced himself to keep smiling, for his sake, if hers. If he stopped the story now-rather, if he stopped smiling-he was certain he would break. So he barreled on, telling her every bit of the celebration that had followed, how little Senjuro had cooed over their swords and wanted to touch them, how they had struggled to keep them out of the younger boy's reach while an indulgent Shinjuro looked on. He kept talking to her as the sun dipped below the horizon, as the sky stained itself pastel shades of amber and violet, talked until he was hoarse and his throat began to crack.

By the time the full moon rose, he'd all but run out of words.

"We've been taking missions since then, ya know?" he laughed at the memory of the eccentric talking bird. "We're doing well I think. The four of us. We'll make a good team." They really did; it was his hope that they would stay close and continue to have many such missions together. "I probably won't see you for awhile." His eyes began to sting and he furiously blinked the tears away. "Dad says you probably won't wake up, but what does he know, really? You'll be fine. You're just tired."

"..."

Mom didn't answer.

"I'd like to think you'd be proud of us, ya know." he looked past the porch and the beyond open door leading to the compound wall, gazing up to the moon above. "I wish you were here with us."

He scooted a bit closer to her, but of course, she wouldn't wake up.

"Can't you give me a sign? Let me know you're still in there?"

She did not.

His voice broke. "Mom? C'mon mom, please...wake up...

Ruka continued to breath steadily. But her eyes did not open.

His temper sparked and he slammed a fist into the wall. It crumbled like so much driftwood.

"Damnit!

She was so pale and frail these days. Everyone was acting like she was already dead; as though her passing it were a foregone conclusion. He hated it. Not them, of course; they genuinely thought there was no other way; that any other option had been and exhausted and all remained was to make Mom comfortable. They didn't know any better. How could they? Mom had to wake up; she just had to. He hadn't come this far, hadn't fought through fire an' death all for nothing. He couldn't have. He just couldn't have. All this hard work must mean something. It must. He'd given so much of himself for this he had to save her, no he would save her. No matter the cost.

.

..

...was what he wanted to say, but could he truly cross that line?

May the sage forgive him for what he was considering; because he'd never be able to forgive himself.

A shadow fell over him.

"We meet again."

He exhaled in a long-suffering sigh. In truth, he wasn't surprised when the woman reappeared before him now in his moment of need; he suspected she had been watching him for quite some time now. Waiting. He looked up and found her sprawled there on the compound wall, kimono askew, exposing the creamy expanse of her slender neck to him. Her scarlet eyes regarded him intently and her dark hair seemed to sway in some unseen breeze as she gazed down upon him. How long had she lain there, undetected? Even now she was utterly out of his league, and yet he felt something sing in his chest regardless.

One year to the date. Here she was.

He touched a hand to the hilt of his blade.

...I don't suppose you're here to fight, are you?"

"I don't have to fight." she raised a bottle of sake to her lips and drank deeply, bosom heaving as she gulped. "I have faith that you'll do the right thing. Do you have faith, Naruto?

Ha! She said it as though it were that easy. He had faith in himself and his friends, alongside his family. The world...not so much. Demons, even less so. He wasn't exactly eager to put his faith in one, but what choice did he have? Conventional means had failed to save Ruka. His mother was on death's door.

"Faith, eh?" He eyed her warily. There was something about her, a familiar haughtiness that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Don't have much of that, these days...

"Have you considered my offer?"

He had. Gods forgive him, but he really had.

"Before I give you my answer, I want to ask you something."

"Oho?" She tilted her head and blinked slowly, rather reminding him of some great beast out of myth, lazy and indolent, something that could crush him in an instant, but simply didn't care to expend the effort. "How bold you are. Very well." Her full lips quirked in the slightest of smiles. "I don't dislike the bold ones. Ask your question and I shall answer to the best of my ability."

"Who are you?" he asked the same question now as he had on that dark day. "You act like we're friends, and you said your name last time, but I didn't hear it properly."

"You did." her eyes went half-lidded. "You simply chose not to hear it.

"What kind of response is tha-why are ya laughing?!"

"Because." she tittered behind her hand, eyes burning over her the back of her knuckles. "Your ignorance amuses me. Who am I? Hmhmmhmm." her head tilted left, then right, left again now. "I suppose I could tell you, but where's the fun in that? Perhaps a hint will suffice." She held out an arm, letting the sleeve of her kimono glide down the limb, exposing a pale breast in the cold moonlight. "I've been watching you for awhile now, guiding you from the shadows." His blood ran cold as she continued apace. "You know me."

"No," he frowned, "I really don't. We've only met the one time."

She snorted. "...snrk!"

"Oi!"

It was no use, the Demon Woman laughed at that again, at him, loudly this time Hers was a low throaty hum that had her closing her eyes and throwing her head back with reckless abandon. It was not a laugh Shinobu or Kanae would've made. They were still girls. This was a woman. The very air seemed to quiver as she cackled to the skies, voice rising in a wild shriek of sheer delight. How no one heard her laughter, he'd never know. Must be some sort of blood demon art...or something else.

Just as quickly, said laughter died an ugly death.

"Ah, forgive me." The woman wiped a mirthful tear from the corner of her eye. "Even after all these years, I tend to forget how dense your kind can be at times. How refreshing." Quick as can be, she hopped down off the wall and landed squarely on his side, arms spread wide. "You know me, little slayer-no, Naruto. We're old friends now." Her red eyes flashed with dark mirth sinister as sin itself. She sashayed forward, arms falling back to her sides as she drew near him. "Would you like to know my name? Will you open your ears if I speak it? Can you truly hear it?"

Isn't that what I just said.

"Careful what you wish for." A finger pushed against his lips, silencing him. "This isn't a choice you can make lightly. Its not too late for you; you can still turn back."

No, he couldn't. It was already too late for him. He was betraying the corps by even speaking to this creature. What was the old american saying? In for a penny or somesuch?

"I want to know."

Apparently, it was the right thing to say. A pleased little shiver shook the woman's body. She clutched at her shoulders, body quivering beneath her kimono.

"Ohhh, yes." the words tore out of her in a groan, a little plume of steam escaping her lips. "There it is. Say it again."

What the hell was she, some kind of masochist. "What're you doing? Tell me who you are."

Her body bent double. She actually moaned this time. His face burned.

"Oi! Quit playing games! Spill the beans already!"

She only laughed. "One more time, now!"

"What are you?!"

...at last, you open your eyes." She straightened up with a smile, grin all but splitting her face, fangs flashing in the gloom; and just as she had on that night a year before, she said the words. "Do you know me? Do you know what I am? Do you want to now my name?

His head began to ache, and he steadfastly ignored it. "...tell me.

"This is what I am called." she spread her arms wide and the very world shook around them. "I am a destroyer and a creator, tyrant and martyr, I am savior and sinner, enemy and friend, broken and whole." her shadow twisted behind her, becoming something monstrous. "I have more names than I can properly remember." The heavens themselves darkened overhead as the clouds swept in to swallow the moon, plunging them into near darkness...and still those red eyes never left his. "In the time since we were separated, I have lived and died in more ways than you can possibly imagine. I have lived a life eternal, waiting for you to reach this moment, to be ready...my old friend."

Those once black tresses began to bleed red as he looked on, staining themselves a scintillating shade of scarlet.

"I am a piece of a god, shattered into nine pieces."

She tossed her head and grinned at him, a trio of whisker marks blooming across her cheeks.

"I am Eldest of the Nine."

The back of her kimono erupted, revealing nine scarlet tails swaying lazily in the gloom.

"I am Kurama!"

The name was like a key in his head; his migraine returned tenfold, driving him to a knee. Eight voices in him cried out in unison, rejoicing as one. Countless sights and sounds flashed through him. He couldn't think. Could barely breathe. "Kurama...?!"

"Kurama!" she strode forward, thrusting a finger at him with righteous fury. "And you are Naruto Uzumaki! Remember who you are!"

Her hand closed around his face, clawed fingers clamping down upon his cheeks. Blazing scarlet orbs drilled into his gaze.

In an instant, Naruto found himself swept up in memory.

And he remembered.

A/N: He's baaaaack~!

Hope you enjoyed this little revival.

Should this remain a story? Yay or nay! By all means, do let me know!

As ever the Embers rule persists, reviews are my fuel, my fire, my life. Without them, I lose all inspiration, all hope, all ability to write. That's no joke. I have so little time to write these days with two jobs, and silence hurts. So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback, no matter how small or large, matters! Really, it helps a lot. Its a joy to talk with you all and bandy ideas back and forth; it really is. Sorry if this seems shorter than usual, working on a tight schedule here.

Reviews are the fuel that keeps me writing. That's no joke. I really am sorry that the chapters are shorter these days, and the updates slower, but I'm trying my best. Silence hurts more than any flame...without feedback, I can't write a single world. Seriously! So speak up! Every word -and every review!- really does matter!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... ...Review, Would You Kindly?

Here, have some previews. Lemme know what you think!

As ever, reviews are the wind beneath my wings. Feedback really does help me soar. Without it I cannot write.

And as ever: Possible spoilers! Seriously!

Mostly the same previews here.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

SPOILERS AWAIT AHEAD!

YOU WERE WARNED~!

(Previews)

His head ached.


So you're not whole?"

"Not completely." Kurama raised a clawed hand, scowling at hit. When I was reborn in this form, my power was shattered. Scattered. I'm still trying to reclaim it. Will you help me? I need you to help me kill eight other demons wandering this world, each holding a fragment of my strength."

"Sounds like an awful lot of work...

"Oi!"


Kyojuro tilted his head. "And who is this?"

He could feel Shinobu and Kanae staring at him.

Well, this was going to difficult to explain, wasn't it..?"

Kurama smiled innocently, the very picture of humanity once more.


He looked down on his Mother.

Alright, lets try this.


You never learn, do you.

He parried the first blow, shunted aside the second, and drove his blade through their chest. "You were saying...?"

"How...?!"

"It doesn't matter."

His sword swung out, cleaving their head from their shoulders.


She took him by the face.

Her forehead touched his, leaving their noses brushing.

Lively lilac eyes gazed into his own. "Then allow me to make my intentions clear."

She kissed him then. Gently at first, then with vigor, pressing her mouth against his, arms linking behind his neck as she rode him down to the bed...


EDIT: Hope this update made your day. May it be a good one and filled with much luck!

Warm regards,

~Nz.

R&R~!