Okay so a couple things before we begin:

1. The war is just way too complicated, I have to simplify everything for the sake of my sanity so just go with me on this.

2. My confidence in writing this story is at an all time low. I think I've been rushing it so I really took my time and tried with this chapter. Do you think I have re-captured the magic? I would appreciate your feedback

A World in Chaos

On a war-torn night, hidden away from the rest of the world, the moon was sat between shards of a star. In the cave housing the nine tailed beasts, Ai, incarnate of the goddess Renai, barely twenty one years old was curled up in the arms of a fierce and violent bijū, she once knew so well. She wore a beautiful white dress, now torn and stained red by war. Her beautiful face was scarred with the marks of battle. Her most treasured gift of kizuato from her first love, shone as though a single teardrop ruby was pinned beneath her hairline. On her head, the weight of a gold tiara felt heavy now; adorned with gold embellishments, engravings of scripture and gemstone roses. Her crystal blue eyes shimmered like opals as sweet tears escaped them. The girl clung to Shukaku's fur as she sat on his arm, feeling the low rumble of his purring vibrate through her core.

The celestial power of the tailed beasts thrummed in the darkness, sounding like monks ascending a monastery tower, singing in worship. The slow drip of water somewhere in the distance, falling onto a hollow object, offered a percussive sound. Even Ai's gentle sobs were melodious, tinkling like the ringing of prayer bells. Indeed, there was music in the air, in this small place- heaven manifested on Earth. The little goddess and her creatures, all weeping silently for the loss of love and innocence, for the cruelty this world had shown such a gentle, beautiful girl.

Beyond the devastatingly awesome beauty of Ai and the tailed beasts, housed in cages at the end of the cave, the world was waiting, still and empty. Trees were leaning towards the cave in a non-existence breeze, river currents changed direction to run towards Love. The earth itself moved and shifted beneath the footsteps of the man who was defined only by her, as she was by him.

By how many names have you known them? Love and her beloved? The emperor and empress? The star-crossed lovers? The enemies? In how many forms had they met before? Over how many centuries did their love endure? The world was waiting for the answer, the entire shinobi world rested on this night. On what would transpire between the love-torn Gaara and Ai. The clouds left the sky, revealing the earthly acts to the heavens. Even the arrogant, egotistical, selfish gods were forced to bow down and bear witness, to the blood-love.

Sasuke, Gaara and Naruto entered the cave soundlessly, but their gasps were audible as they took in the fantastical and haunting sight in front of them. Glittering, shimmering, frightening and powerful, the tailed beasts were all facing the central cage where the one-tails was housed. A beast Gaara knew so well, held his first love in its arms as though she were at home. Ai looked tiny, her dark hair and petite figure barely noticeable against Shukaku's gigantic frame. But as she turned at the tremble in her chakra, alerting her to someone's presence, her beautiful face was all any human could see.

Even Naruto had to swallow hard at the sight of her, but not for her beauty. To see the face of Love, so hurt, so broken, so worried and in agony, it broke him a little. This thing he had fought for, longed for, protected, killed for…and here it was in human form, so lost, so alone, so desperate for someone to see her scars, to know what mankind had done to her. They could see it now, in all its shameful bluntness, the damage the world of men had inflicted on the one thing worth fighting for.

Sasuke walked forwards, his powerful, graceful movements recognisable to Ai instantly. Blinking away tears, the goddess choked out a sob, her will alone enough to make Shukaku lower her to the ground. Her white silk slippers, now stained with blood, barely tapped down on the ground before she was running towards the man she loved.

"Sasuke!" The Uchiha braced himself as Ai collided with him, her arms wrapping around his neck in a fierce embrace. How did she still smell like jasmine? How did she still pour herself over him like water, as she had the first time they touched? Was she resilient to war, this delicate, dainty moonbeam? Or was it by heavenly virtue that she still smelled and felt like heaven to him? He wrapped his arms around her, his broad, strong physique almost scooping her up entirely. She rested her head against his chest, smiling into the familiar scratchy white fabric of his shirt.

If Ai were the moon, Sasuke was a dark ocean. She was a force of nature, beautiful and untameable, capable of stirring the tides of his emotions with a gentle touch, a well-placed kiss, a come-hither glance. He was unmoving without her, empty and vast, aching to be touched, to be brought to life. They affected each other, were tied to each other, both the push and pull of every movement between them.

But, as Sasuke felt Ai's grip on his shirt loosen, he knew the other, undeniable truth. If Ai were the moon, Gaara was the moonlight. The Kazekage was the light that emanated from her, softening her edges, anchoring her as a source of beauty in a world of chaos. If Ai were the rain, Gaara was the clouds. Both equally beautiful, equally devastating, destructive and life-giving. One could not exist without the other. Gaara and Ai were only explainable by their love. Sasuke felt his heart clench with a bittersweet ache and he winced as though physically struck by his own thoughts.

Gently, Ai pulled back, her hands coming up to cradle Sasuke's face. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she searched his eyes, trying to understand the turmoil and loneliness she found there. "Sasuke," she whispered lovingly, always so ready to soothe him, "what troubles you? Why can't you look at me?"

Sasuke swallowed hard, his gaze darting over his shoulder before returning to Ai's face. Ai, sensing Sasuke's unease, followed his gaze. As her eyes fell upon Gaara, she felt her heart seize in her chest, a maelstrom of emotions rising to the surface. Anger, fear, longing - they swirled within her like a tempest, threatening to sweep her away. He stood there, so unaffected, barely breathing?! So utterly beautiful and everything she ever wanted!

"What," Ai's voice was barely a whisper, her hands falling away from Sasuke's face, "is he doing here?" The goddess incarnate came into view as she stepped past Sasuke.

The Kazekage shuddered as something that only Ai could ever affect, stirred inside of him. He had never seen her…covered in blood, scratched, smirking in anger, glowing with a power he could only dream about. The thirteen year old, blood-thirsty, hormone-riddled, violent, reckless, Gaara that was hidden deep within the calm and collected Kazekage, looked over at a vision of what he would call beautiful and held back a scream of sheer, disturbed, delight. Even now, even after everything that had passed between them, the mere sight of her was enough to completely unravel him.

Between waves of dark hair, red lips pouted and blue eyes narrowed on the Kazekage with barely hidden loathing. His ocean eyes swept over her lovely face and the man often confused for a king had to blink away tears. Love had travelled so far from him.

"Ai," Gaara whispered her name like a prayer, "we need to talk."

The goddess incarnate laughed, a bitter sound that made even the bijū tremble in their prisons. "Talk?" she spat, her eyes flashing with barely contained fury. "What is there left to say, Gaara? We made the world spin in one direction, how can we stop it turning now?"

Sasuke stepped forward, "Ai, listen to him," he urged her gently, knowing how quick to anger Love can be. "The fate of the world hangs in the balance. We need your help."

"Shinobi need my help?" She asked with a small laugh, looking at Sasuke as though seeing him for what he really is. "What have men done to Love other than enslave her? Tie her to a fate they determined? Leave her scarred? Why should I lift a finger to aid those who have lied to me, who have used me as a pawn in their games of power and deceit?" Ai gasped as a tear dropped from her eyelashes, with a small step back her gold jewellery tinkled like wind chimes in the silence. "You have, all of you, trapped me. In love, in war, in hate…I don't want any part of this anymore."

Naruto, his eyes shining with that indomitable spirit that had won him so many allies, stepped forward, his hands held out as though beckoning her into embrace. "Innocent lives are at stake, and you have the power to save them," he said with sharp conviction. Ai turned to him suddenly at beneath the goddess' gaze, even Naruto faltered, he looked away blushing as the girl tilted her head at him as though assessing him.

Walking over to him, Ai lifted her hand, her skin glowing silver, sparks igniting around her frame, her gold bangles jingled on her wrist as she reached for Naruto. The blonde shinobi, unused to such physicality in a woman outside of war, closed his eyes and swallowed hard as she approached. He was surprised as Ai turned her hand towards Sasuke, pointing confidently at him while maintaining eye contact with Naruto.

"He is War," she said softly before pointing to Gaara, "he is Death." She pointed to herself and smirked a little as Naruto followed her fingers with his eyes, "I am Love. What are you, Uzumaki Naruto? How do you fit into this story?" The drip of the water like a drum was the only thing that could be heard in the silence as the group waited for Naruto's answer. But this lesson was far too removed from Shinobi skills, too close to poetry and too far from war for someone like Naruto to answer. Ai moved forwards, the blonde shinobi could swear she was floating, and she cupped his face affectionately. "You are Hope." Her smile faded, "I cannot help you."

"No, Ai!" Naruto shoved her hands away and pleaded. "Please, just-"

"Ai," the world stood still as Gaara spoke her name as though addressing her caused him immense pain. She turned to him, watching the way shadows flickered on his handsome face by the light from the lanterns that lined the walls.

"Ah!" Love gasped softly as the Kazekage fell to his knees.

"I knew what you were the moment I first saw you," gripping his trousers at his knees, trying desperately to stop tears entering his eyes, Gaara begged for her. "Why I did not worship you…I can only blame my naïveté and inexperience. You are scarred," he looked up at her, causing a lump to form in her throat as she watched him, "not just by my love but by my cowardice. Every time I asked something of you it was for me." Full, hot tears escaped Gaara's eyes as the weight of what he had done threatened to overwhelm him. "And you would do it, willingly, happily. All you ever did was love me. I was too childish, too arrogant, too selfish to understand what that meant." He bowed his head to her, "So now I will follow you. Mankind will beg you today to help us, despite how we have scorned Love and taken her for granted. For all your beauty and kindness that we so wickedly assumed belonged to us." Ai was shocked to find that when she blinked, tears fell from her eyes. "You should never have been defined by me or any other man," he choked. "Who knows what beautiful things you could have made, what you could have become if it were not for us? So I am begging you, Ai, to help us. Do not do it for me, but for those in the world who truly deserve Love. Don't let us mortals face the end without it."

Tears of jealousy and heartbreak pooled in Sasuke's eyes as he watched Ai's face grow sorrowful, as he watched Gaara say the things that needed to be said, understand Ai in a way Sasuke never could. He knew, somewhere deep down, what Gaara meant; Sasuke, Madara, Itachi, Renai…they had all tied Ai to themselves as though she were a part of them, not a goddess in her own right. It is why Ai had never given him an answer, why she never could have given him an answer. Because Gaara loved Ai in her entirety, saw her now for more than just the woman he fell in love with and Sasuke was still too young to gift her that.

"Guys," Naruto's voice cracked like a whip in the air, "they are approaching," he warned softly.

But Ai and Gaara's gaze were locked, barely able to move their eyes for fear of losing sight of each other. Held in some celestial orbit, never able to venture to far from one another, the two felt that divine thread of fate was cast out away from them, freedom was just beyond the horizon, Love was in the distance.

"We can free the tailed beasts or break the reanimation jutsu," Ai said quickly, "there is no time for both."

I would really appreciate some support and feedback. Thank you.