Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sparda in Colossal ❯ I. Black Thread of Fate ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer : All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2007
Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the Naruto Shippuden universe
belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

A/N: Second revision made June 2, 2008.


"Av enge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
---- Romans 12:19

"Far from our eyes th'
Enchanting Objects set,
Advantage by the friendly
Distance get."
---- Guillaume Alexis


+

Chapter I

BLACK THREAD OF FATE

THE THREE NINJA FOLLOWED CLOSELY, AND HE LED THEM. Deeper into the forest, they leapt from tree to tree, quickly covering the distance that lay between them and the
Uchiha Estate. For lo, in due time, the abandoned grounds would breathe life once more.

And perhaps, if Fate and Destiny willed it, it would expunge life as well.

His brow furrowed and charcoal-colored eyes flared with determination.

Sasuke Uchiha, sixteen-years-old, traitor to the Hidden Village of the Leaf, leader of Team Hebi, and Last of the Uchiha, was near his boiling point. It was to the best of his ability to not show it, to avoid being questioned by his accomplices of what occurred not long ago.
Nonetheless, the feelings in his heart were painstakingly raw.

Itachi, twenty-one-years-old, enemy of the Hidden Village of the Leaf, subordinate of the
Red Dawn Akatsuki organization, and Executioner of the Uchiha, was not a true Uchiha. To Sasuke, his brother was no longer considered flesh and blood. Not anymore. Not after
their encounter, not after slaying the entire clan, they who were family and distant relatives.
For it was a crime to break a law of morality, and such things were not taken lightly in the eyes of the Uchiha. Itachi's crime, however, was a sin, for he had broken not one, not two,
but three of those rules.

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord
your God is giving you.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not murder.

They were ninja, yes. It was common place to defend oneself in order to survive, but to kill
your family with no remorse was unforgivable. It was an act of rebellion that would land
Itachi straight to hell.

'Hell . . .' thought the younger Uchiha, 'I've been in hell for eight years.'

Silence prevailed.

'Itachi . . .'

0

Dark, rank, breathless; that was how the air felt. Condensation clung to their cloaks, one
black with power and freedom, the other with sinister red clouds. Their doujutsu the Sha-
ringan, famed and desired throughout the Elemental Nations, bled through the gloom, three tomoe spinning idly in each man's irises.

In Itachi's eyes he saw the little innocent whelp whom he let live right after the massacre. It
was he who told the young'in to hate him, to despise him, to taint his name. Bred this anger and consume it; become the unholy warmonger you were meant to be. Only you have the potential to defeat me, for no such person ---- Uchiha or non-Uchiha ---- can withstand the might of a godless messenger.

In Sasuke's eyes, he saw and felt the evil emanating from within and from without. In the
face of this storm he kept calm. His chest heaved from emotions waiting to explode. One
mistake would prove fatal in his quest for vengeance. If anything it would be a crime against his people to not destroy this monster. A being of flesh, bone, and blood, but with a heart as dark as midnight. Nothing could escape that black hole, reaching out with grimy hands and ripping out the soul that was humanity and filling his cup of memories with images too chilling to describe.

But no matter how much they looked alike, no matter who they came from and how much the appearance was strikingly similar, Sasuke could not look at him as a human being. He could not look at him as the child prodigy of the Uchiha clan, as the boy whom became known as the youngest ANBU Captain at thirteen, as the harbinger of the family's future, but as a demon who took the life of Shisui Uchiha and those surrounding him. Except him: the Avenger, the missing-nin, the traitor, and the last loyal member of the Uchiha namesake.

How cruel a mistress Madam Fate could be.

And Sasuke frowned at the thought.

The crow on the older Uchiha's shoulder stirred and preened its plumage. As silly as the
thought was, Sasuke could bet that it was fully aware of the situation at hand. He could
count on it.

His lips moved, his voice deep and rich, evenly measured and pronunciative.

"You've gotten taller," said Itachi. The line that was his mouth never faltered. "You've grown so much."

"And you haven't changed a bit." replied Sasuke. If one looked closely he could see that
the young'in's chin bent an inch. It was a very minute action, one that only trained orbs
could see. "Especially those merciless eyes."

'I hate those eyes . . .'

And Itachi tilted his head up an inch. "Aren't you going to scream out and charge straight
at me like last time?"

'I hate that face, those wrinkles, and that voice.

'I hate him . . .'

Sasuke snorted derisively. Itachi blinked once and laid those cursed orbs on him. Domi-
nance was a risky game, he recalled; it should never be dealt with lightly. There was a
moment to strike and a moment to defend. It was during a time of solitude that Itachi tra-
veled into the uninhabited land beyond the Hidden Village in the Snow. While he was honing his skills he witnessed from afar a wolf pack chomping down on the remains of
a bison. Two of these beasts were fighting over a leg of tendon left untouched, and it
was the smaller one's growls and gnashing teeth which drew Itachi from his practice.
The confrontation did not last long as the larger wolf, the alpha male, lunged at the young- 'in and pinned it to the ground with its even larger paws.

Itachi remembered doing that to Sasuke. So much could happen in three years. The question was, would Sasuke repeat the same mistake?

Said Uchiha voiced his thoughts aloud in a menacing snarl. "You know nothing about me . . ."

'I'll kill you . . .'

FLASH!

Itachi tilted his head to the left, the Sharingan's tomoe spinning wildly. There he was!
his black brow bristling and masculine features enlightened by indigo light. His hand
drew back, lightning crackled in his palm; the cries of one thousand birds reverberated
throughout the cavern.

Would he do it again?

Itachi jumped, and Sasuke fired.

'I'll maim you, I'll break you . . .'

The current of chakra slammed into the weasel's back, volts of electricity pulsing about
him. A grunt escaped his lips, barely audible over the din of the Chidori. He flew towards
the wall, higher and higher like the Morningstar tossed from the heavens. The crow squawked and fled from its perch before Itachi crashed face-first in a wall of rock and dust.

The sound was music to Sasuke's ears.

'. . . and restore the faith and name that is Uchiha!'

He held the Executioner by a thread of blue energy. The auras from both the jutsu and the Sharingan made him out to be an eerie character in shades of violet. Inside he cringed; the color only reminded him of that snake bastard, his corpse rotting in the empty lair. Sasuke didn't want to think about it. (This was more important).

His mouth curled over pink gums, revealing pearly whites. "The more hate I let into
my heart, the stronger I got. You have no idea what I'm capable of now."

Acutely aware of his surroundings, Itachi could only watch and listen. Watch for any whispers from his otouto, listen as the young'in snarled his conquest for power. (Hate
me, brother. Hate me and nothing more). The Akatsuki affiliate licked steely copper from his busted lip.

And Sasuke watched as well, watched as the demon could not move a muscle, move an
inch, do nothing. It was so different this time around, so familiar and yet so perverse. It was
like watching an old movie reel, the films that showed how the Leaf Village was founded,
depictions of famous battles such as the Iwa-Konoha War, the life of the Fourth Hokage and other such political themes before cinematography modernized. This particular movie was digitally re-mastered with scenes not shown in theater, bonus features, and a special
behind-the-scenes look in the "Making of the Rise and Fall of Itachi Uchiha".

Here he was. Eyes narrowed, teeth gritted, heart ready to burst from his ribcage. His
breathing harsh and hoarse, fingers itching . . . aching . . . begging . . . .

Now or never!

He squeezed those five digits into the fleshy palm of his hand. He pumped it all in his fist,
every ounce, every bit, every drop of chakra. The current widened, a calamitous screech
in his ears. Lightning ripped through his muscles, surging on invisible waves, white stallions rushing headlong to exact the justice processed by eight years of grief, hate, and rage.

And in that moment, as time slowed to a crawl and all sound dissipated, he knew. He knew then and he knew now, knew now that this . . . was an hour of salvation! This power ---- the nectar he longed to drink since the Massacre ---- was like no other! In his hand, the hand which pierced Naruto Uzumaki's lung at the Valley of the End, the hand which held the chokuto stained in the blood of his enemies, was the fruit of his loins. It was the progenitor of the Cursed Seal, the Sharingan, his Uchiha roots; and what a gem it was for glory to be bestowed upon in that hand!

A triumphant grin stretched the corners of his mind. No more would Itachi belittle him of his strength! No more would he be haunted by the guilt gnawing his very sanity, his embattled soul! No more would he be terrorized by the past brought upon by the Tsukuyomi, those images of butchered corpses, the scarlet moon and the lifestain splattered across his parents' bedroom floorboards, distorting his way of life! The paradox was there, but Sasuke would be able to reverse it. To do so, it would be in the rite of shedding skin and bone, into the very heart of the Vermillion Bird . . . .

And in that moment he thought, what would that man think of his prowess now?

Time returned followed by a loud meaty SPLASH. Blood spilled from open wounds as the Chidori fragmented and burrowed further in and around the raven-haired man. It was only when Sasuke sensed the last grains of chakra deplete did he cut the flow of energy from his circulatory system. He lowered his arm and proceeded at a slow, somber gait, his face a blank slate of snow as Itachi Uchiha plummeted back to earth.

He was unaware of his foot stepping in a gory track until too late. He flickered a glance at the prints he left behind. He resisted the urge to grimace. He pushed away resurfacing memories and fought the shudder riding up his spine. He would show no weakness, no fear, in the wake of what might be the most climatic war he had ever endured. So much training he partook under Orochimaru's tutelage, and he learned much over the years.

But where did Itachi's strength lay in the midst of everything? How much did he gain in return?

The next minute would be for all or for naught.

He stopped beside the older man's body and wandered his icy glare over the still form. Itachi did not stir from the deepest sleep nor did he groan with the slightest tinge of exasperation as he would ought do in a forgotten past. The tic beneath his left eyeball did not croak. The line of his lips looked more dead than any encounter the Avenger ever witnessed.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Sasuke frowned. Was that it? Was that all Itachi had to offer? No mind-numbing torture? No extraordinary pain from the searing heat of Amaterasu? No terror sluicing through every pore in his body under the paralysis of the Sharingan?

Pathetic.

'What a waste of time.'

Sasuke clicked his tongue, placing a hand on the chokuto's hilt. To think that all this time he was fighting a losing battle, he was given the opportunity to finish off the thorn in his side, the bane of his existence, in one fell swoop. He almost couldn't believe it would end this quickly.

'I've had enough of you, demon . . .'

Beneath the cloak his thumb pressed on the tsuba. A click resounded as the habaki unlocked and revealed itself, the gold centerpiece lost in folds of darkness.

"Just go to hell and die." A coarse, hollow whisper. His right hand twitched to life----

----and Itachi's red orbs gleaned from the depths of unconsciousness. Black-rimmed, matured, and wrinkles accentuated, they stared back at him with a madness capable of bringing the most strong-willed men and women to their knees.

Sasuke was too shocked to do so.

"You have . . . gotten . . . m-much . . . stronger . . ." Even after taking a pulp from the Chidori the bastard still spoke like a true gentleman. The man was a riot!

He coughed, spattering a crimson mosaic on his chin. His eyes did not leave the youth's frozen gaze. "F-foolish little br-brother . . . . y-you do not disappoint m-me."

Whether or not Sasuke heard the man was unknown. He was still rooted to the ground in shell-shocked disbelief.

Itachi grunted. His sight vanished beneath his eyelids, a heavy sigh escaping alabaster lips born on the Face of God. That sound jerked Sasuke from his trance, and when he blinked away the uninvited daze he had to stop himself from jumping out of his skin.

Itachi was gone.

'. . . the hell?'

In his place was a pile of black feathers. Alarm bells went off; he snapped his head back and beheld a sight so surreal that the air seemed netherworldly. Ravens and crows screeched and cackled, their pinions caught in a blizzard of ash. And in the midst of this storm stood a lonely boy, his life altered in the wake of tragedy. A boy who became a man and did not put his back to the paper fan, his last connection to a society erased from history in the form of their own kin.

This was not the way the world ended, but it did.

The weasel's baritone voice shook the walls of the barren lair. The flock of birds made for the cavern's entrance, their cries unable to drown the ultimatum from Sasuke's ears.
"Come to the Uchiha Estate alone. We will end this there, my little Avenger . . ."

Silence settled. Sasuke was oblivious to the muscles moving in his face, painting a portrait that was all too familiar to those who knew him. It was a picture which spoke on so many levels, and yet, whenever he looked himself over, it was as empty as a map of the former Hidden Haze Village.

But one thing was made clear: Itachi saw him fit for the long-awaited fight, deemed him competent to cross paths and resolve the war in the name of power, honor, and dignity.

How it pained him so.

'Mother . . . . Father . . . . Shisui . . . . . Everyone . . . .'

He would pray for the strength of his ancestors and forefathers. He would pray for Fortune to reward him in his shining moment of victory. He would pray to any unseen, hidden deity to lift the burden from his soul. He would pray to any devil to reserve a special seat for Itachi upon his arrival to the lowest circle of hell.

"Sasuke!"

He didn't need to feel out their chakra signatures. Eyes hardening at the two Shinobi and single Kunoichi, he asked, "Didn't I tell you guys to stay put until I give the signal?"

Suigetsu Hozuki, the one who let cry his leader's name, stepped forward, sake bottles filled with water swishing in his utility belt. He grinned, as was his nature of an elated killer, showing off two rows of white, needle-sharp teeth. "Karin said she felt someone else's chakra in here, so we got a little worried."

"Did you now?" Sasuke muttered, turning his head to get a better glance at the scarlet-haired chakra specialist. She was standing alongside Juugo, a burly man of astute
standard, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the drifting feathers. Though Karin was startled by the state of affairs, Juugo was her complete opposite, his posture and aura
relaxed.

Sasuke could not blame them for not knowing Itachi, but he figured in the long run the time would come to put their abilities to the test.

Suigetsu nodded. "What do you suggest we do?"

'I'm so glad you asked.'

Team Hebi's leader whirled around, cloak flowing behind him in a promenade. His feet crunched beneath flaking plumage like ash sprinkled on rice paper. He looked to each member, the former patients of Orochimaru's heinous experiments.

"Let's go. . . . Follow me."

0

And here they were, drawing ever closer to Destiny. The four-man cell had a fair amount of distance to cover, but Sasuke didn't care. He had been waiting for a chance to appear before him since the Massacre, so why rush? Doing so would only hasten the inevitable. It would close doors that would never be opened again.

But he had to suppress the demon thirsting for revenge. He decided long ago that he would make Itachi suffer. He would deliver swift judgment to the man and bring upon him a pain that would stay with him beyond the afterlife.

For lo, as ancient law dictated, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

'Just you wait, Itachi,' he bitterly remarked. 'You will pay for your sins.'

Their journey continued without a word. Their expectant footfalls on and off tree branches and the howl of the tailwind were the only sounds heard within the area. It was during one point in time that Karin was pondering something of an unknown nature. Curtained by fiery tresses and glasses, she was lost in her own world. From his vantage point it was Juugo who saw her mouth curve downward and the beads of sweat dotting her forehead.

"What is wrong, Karin?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. "You seem agitated."

She spared him a sideways glance, spectacles sliding down her nose. "There's a bunch of people with identical chakra all around us!" she huffed. "What the hell is this?!"

"Are these the same people you've felt earlier? The ones with the dog?"

She pushed up her glasses. "I don't know, but it's possible they're one and the same."

"One and the same, huh?" Suigetsu softly murmured to himself. He dropped speed, joining Karin's side several feet behind her. "Should we take another route, Sasuke?"

"Ignore it." Sasuke replied. "We'll charge straight through." His attention was focused solely on the path ahead.

He heard the swordsman breathe an easy sigh. "Thank God. Detours always wipe me out."

'Don't get too comfortable, Suigetsu.' thought Sasuke. 'It'll be a while before we get there.'

He blinked. He did not know that this action Fate had another hurdle for him to cross. In the time it took for him to realize this revelation, it was by a margin of a second to notice the person crouched sixteen yards from his position.

Wild sun-kissed hair, whiskers etched on tan cheeks, black and orange attire screaming diversity to the greens and browns of the forest . . . .

'You . . .'

His feet hit the thick stubby branch, a hollow gong exploding in his ears. Sending more chakra to his lower calves, he leaned over the edge and rocketed off the limb. The world was quelled of its tranquility, the Chidori roaring with angry shrieks.

He clenched his fingers . . .

'I thought I told you . . .'

. . . reared his fist back . . . .

'. . . not to . . .'

Onyx portals met oceanic irises.

'. . . INTERFERE!'

"SASUKE!!"

. . . and struck!

BAM!

His hand went through the Jinchuuriki's solar plexus. Sasuke broke away, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

Karin shook her head furiously, spittle flying everywhere. "Wh-wh-what the . . ?! . . . What the fuck!?"

"A Shadow Clone . . ." Suigetsu noted.

'Naruto . . . He never gives up . . .' Sasuke swallowed the sour taste in his mouth. Why was that idiot so intent on bringing him back? Didn't he understand the purpose he was given? Didn't he understand that bastard was still on the loose?!

. . . No. Of course he didn't.

'Stubborn fool . . .' He cocked an eye to his squad. "Let's pick up the pace!"

Karin muttered obscenely under her breath. Juugo nodded and Suigetsu snickered. Sasuke grunted and led the trio deeper into the woods embracing the land of Fire Country.

0

At twelve-twenty in the afternoon, one-and-a-half kilometers from the rendezvous point and two miles out from the nearest town, Team Seven member Sakura Haruno ---- medic-nin and apprentice of Tsunade the Fifth Hokage of Konoha ---- heard the message. She had been patrolling the perimeter of the open grasslands with two of Kakashi-sensei's ninken when three of the most profound words in the Modern language were relayed over her wireless headset.

"I've found him!"

That made her heart skip more than just a beat. She literally dropped from the air, stumbling to her feet and turning her head about in all directions. Did she hear correctly? Did Naruto just say he found Sasuke? Countless thoughts flooded in her mind like a sluice gate. Where did he see him? Did he feel his chakra signature or did he spot him from afar? Was the girl from the village with him? Where was he going? Why did he leave? Why was he searching for power?

Such insight made her lightheaded, and Sakura forced herself to stop thinking about the possibilities that may have occurred in the passing time. After spending a couple minutes recovering from the shock she searched for Naruto's chakra signature, which did not take long considering the amount of energy contained inside the seal hosting Kyuubi the Nine-Tailed Fox. After pinpointing her teammate's location, she herded the ninja hounds and followed the invisible trail at breakneck speed.

Faster and faster did she cross the countryside, moving with the momentum of quicksilver. She was one with the wind, a breeze roaming so freely and ecstatically that not even the gods themselves could prevent her from reaching her goal. She moved with the grace of a gazelle, a mosaic of colors and words and metaphors strung with poetic analogies and haiku. The two ninken had difficulty keeping up with her, pushed to the limit.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, slow down! You're goin' too fast!" cried the spiky-haired dog.

"Yeah, girlie!" said the other hound. "Wait fer us!"

But their demands went on deaf ears.

Five minutes later, the three ninja were met with the other Shinobi in the reconnaissance group. Sai, Yamato, Shino, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata; they were all there with Kiba (atop his dog, Akamaru) and Naruto in the lead. The Inuzuka boy was congratulating the blonde on his find.

"Way to go, Naruto! Which way?"

Naruto leapt across a line of branches, landing on a sprig of an unusually large birch. "Follow me!"

And thus, the eight Shinobi and nine dogs gave chase. Sakura remained in the middle of the pack between Hinata and Sai, her mind detached and her body propelling her on its own. She couldn't believe this was actually happening, that they were so close to catching Sasuke. Despite the order Kakashi-sensei had given to only locate the whereabouts of Akatsuki or the missing-nin she hoped that, in some way, they would bring Sasuke back into the fold of the Leaf Village. Though he would be charged for disobeying his superiors' commands, Sakura would be able to rest more peacefully at night, knowing his safety was ensured.

'Whether you like it or not, we'll fight this battle together,' she thought stoically. 'You don't have to do this alone, Sasuke. Your struggles are our struggles.'

But was it really her struggle? Notwithstanding, why was she so adamant about making it her personal struggle? She knew full well (and perhaps Ino knew, too) that her love for Sasuke Uchiha was a complete act, a façade she donned to know more about him. About the Massacre, about that certain man, about his hidden anguish, anything that would make him open up and talk to her. But she realized on the night he defected Konoha he didn't want anyone to know his conflictions. Not her, not Naruto, not Kakashi-sensei . . . no one. For it was he whom Itachi let lived and it would be he who would overthrow his tyranny without the help from his motherland.

. . . She felt so useless, more useless than the times Team Seven went on their missions. More useless than the times she stood there doing nothing urging Sasuke-kun to save the day and not the Kyuubi brat. More useless than the times Naruto and Sasuke fought to the death. More useless than the times she did everything wrong.

Her feet touched the bough.

Her gaze cast downward, shadowed by vibrant pink hair.

A frown marred her lips, a sense of weariness overwhelming her.

"If only . . . I had known better. If only . . . . I had been a better person . . . ."

She jumped----

----and the world went black.

'What the----?!'

Time came to a halt, and Sakura hung over a direction-less, bottomless, idea-less realm of unseen, unheard darkness. Motion ceased to be and the Leaf Kunoichi froze ---- somewhere in mid-air, somewhere on the ground, somewhere but not there, somewhere but anywhere, who knew? She was a marionette entangled in a choking grip, suspended in a void imaginable and unthinkable.

And in the darkest corner of her mind, something awoke. Something stirred, something crawled . . . something primal . . .

Sakura began to fear.

'What . . . what's happening?!'

There came a muffled sound, echoing from everywhere and nowhere. It was growing deafeningly louder and louder by the second. It was getting harder to hear, harder to think, harder to comprehend . . . !

Her ears pounded. Her heart rattled in its cage . . .

'What's going on?!'

Closer . . . closer . . . !

She wanted to close them, close her eyes, brace the impact, embrace the unknowable . . . !

. . . but she could not.

'. . . Ahhhh---!'

It came.

It was unlike anything Sakura had ever seen.

Images, that was what they were. They were images ---- simple moments, strange moments, serious moments, life-changing moments, sad moments, happy moments, unavoidable moments. Sakura saw her life flash before her eyes. Moving at impossible speeds, moving faster than the speed of sound, of light, in the batting of a lash. But she saw them all in crystal clarity, polished mirrors with nary rust, mold, or imperfection. Mesmerized, she looked upon herself in every incarnation, every phase of life and maturity.

Her first birthday.

The red bow.

Her first kunai.

Her first friend Ino.

The boy. Black hair. Dark eyes. Scowl. Sasuke Uchiha. Last of the Uchiha.

Playing with Ino. Arguing with Ino. Fighting over Sasuke. Jealousy, rivalry, hate.

Another boy. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Whiskers. Sadness. Tears.

Naruto. Kyuubi. Pariah. Monster. Demon.

Ninja Academy. Five years.

Pain. Arguing. Admiring. Avoiding. Clueless. Vague.

Genin Exams. Kakashi-sensei. Bell test. Illusion. Sucess.

Wave Country.

Haku. Zabuza. Sasuke. Naruto. Kyuubi.

Her goal. Protect Tazuna. Do nothing. See nothing. Rooted to the ground.

Chuunin Exams. Sand Siblings. Gaara. Shukaku.

Fighting the One-Tail. Failure. Pain. Crushing. Agony. Darkness.

Orochimaru. Lord Hokage. Death. Funeral. Black. Rain.

Itachi. Sasuke. Defection. Helpless. Cursed Mark. Power.

Greed. Lust. Power.

Slugging Naruto. Blind-siding Naruto.

Tsunade-sensei. Training. Apprentice. Sannin.

Three years.

Akatsuki.

Sasuke.

Akatsuki.

Naru to.

Recon.

The girl.

Ninken.

Lost.

Worldly.

Thoughtful.

"I've found him!"

'If only . . . if only . . . if only . . .'

A throbbing pain. Confusion. Why?

A pinprick of white, a star in space. Sakura mused. Light? Light?

'. . . Sakura.'

She gasped.

The world returned to its original state, a muggy landscape of perspective, supplementary angles, and linearity. Sakura stumbled to her feet, clutching her head as a tide of vertigo washed over her. Her vision swam and nausea crept up her spine in slow strides. One iris closed under pressure.

'What just happened?' she breathed; it came out in ragged pants. 'Th-that voice . . . The light . . . Why do I feel so small? So----'

"Sakura?"

She looked up and saw Hinata on the adjacent woodlord, resplendent in her russet robe and long violet hair. Her pale orbs shone with worry.

"A-are you alright?" she said. "I n-noticed you weren't f-following us, so I went to go l-look for you."

Sakura waved a hand at Hinata dismissively. "I-I'm okay. Really. Just had a li'l spell, is all."

The Hyuuga girl cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure? Y-you don't look so good. . ."

"I'm f-fine." Sakura lied. "Really." She opened her eye and straightened her posture, giving the Team Eight member a reassuring smile. In reality, white-hot rivers coursed through every part of her body. Her stomach lurched and her head spun with the slightest movement. Her knees buckled and a massive weight burdened her shoulders, as if the laws of physics wanted to drag her to the forest floor. In short, Sakura felt like hell. Telling the recon team would delay their mission. What would they say when she told them exactly what happened?

"But S-Sakura----"

"Don't worry about it. Let's just catch up with the others before we lose them."

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but at Sakura's piercing gaze thought better of it. She nodded, turned around, and hopped back into the foliage. Sakura trailed behind her, releasing a mental breath. That was a close call! She hadn't realized time outside the void was still moving, oblivious to her teammates becoming dark specks in the distance. And what a peculiar occurrence it was! She didn't even know where to start explaining all of this.

But that voice . . . what was that? It was a rough whisper, smooth and tender like fine wine. In the nothingness within it was loud and sublime, as if it had discovered the most beautiful gem in the world. Who did it belong to? Did the voice belong to an enemy, one who was not detected by Akamaru and Kiba? Did this enemy decide to cast a Genjutsu on her, to see how it worked? Who was this person (if it was a person, she wondered)? Why was she trapped in the void?

And the light, yes, the light . . . She saw something in the light. Something far and green and bright and . . . and . . .

Sakura shook her head. This wasn't going to solve anything. Plus, the mission was more important. The quicker they sought out Sasuke and his platoon, the quicker she would sit down and maybe ---- just maybe ---- speak to someone who might have an idea as to what was going on . . .

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Pein was contemplating.

He had been staring at the objects on the table for a while. His eyes ---- twin black holes circled by perfect orbital rings ---- wandered from one artifact to the other, humming as he studied them with archaeological precision. He had searched long and hard for these ageless wonders, back in the day before Akatsuki was formed, before the Civil Wars, before he found Enlightenment and became himself. These were things that he had never once laid eyes on even after he dug, opened, or stole them, for they were in shapes unlike any normal shape in the Elemental Nations.

He reached for the first object of interest. His fingers laced onto the pebbled bronze chain and brought the medallion to his face. Carved into it was a five-pointed star. There were symbols etched on the spaces in between, depicting the cycles of the sun and the moon. At the very top space above the star's point was a picture of both satellites merged as one.

He rubbed his padded digits along the medallion, hard as copper and dim with grime. He turned the relic over and looked at the symbol. If he remembered correctly, it was an ancient character for satori(1).

He found the necklace, ironically, in the Hidden Village of the Star. There were rumors throughout Waterfall Country of an unusual chakra signature radiating at the bottom of the crater, where the meteor hit the once uninhabited Bear Country. From Taki he returned to Ame, switched bodies and made straight for Hoshi. At his descent he saw the Training Center where Shinobi meditated to enhance their abilities. After an unsuccessful mind sweep of the strange aura, Pein concentrated on separating the individual energies. In a manner of minutes he uncovered the spot where the signature originated: right near the Training Center's entrance. Quietly and hastily he dug out the medallion, taking a moment to examine it fully before pocketing it in his robe. Just seconds later, a ninja walked out of the building and noticed him.

Pein killed him and all within the structure before the words of warning left the man's mouth.

That was eight years ago when it was just him, Konan, Zetsu, Sasori, Orochimaru, and Tobi (though none knew save he and his partner). Last he heard about Hoshi was that the investigation was still on-going.

He hummed again, nodding at the memory. He set the medallion back on the table, then turned to regard the oddly-shaped crystal laying on its side.

When he looked at it the first time, he was at a loss as to what shape the gem furnished. The closest thing that came to mind was a falcon diving, wings drawn back and two feathery appendages sticking out of its sloped crown. A coat of heavenly gold shone in the dim light, sometimes glimmering in midnight's cloak when the day's frequent riots assuaged. There were streaks of jet stone along the crystal's vertices, and its edges were flecked, literally, in dried blood.

Its beauty had come with a terrible price. Before war broke out between Cloud and Leaf, Zetsu had confirmed a Jinchuuriki sighting at a Rokudoist church situated twelve miles southeast from Lightning Country's capitol. At this news Tobi ordered Pein to infiltrate and subdue the Demon Jailor. The catch was that he accomplish the mission as soon as possible, for it seemed only a matter of days before the populace severed the link between peace and war. He arrived three days later and staked out another double before he caught sight of a strange glow. What he saw inside through his Shadow Clone was sickening, but he summed it up in two words: human sacrifice. A gaggle of Cloud ninja, chanting in brainwashed psycho babble, their leader wide-eyed and insane. In his hand was the crystal, and on a stone altar was Yugito Nii the Nekomata Container.

'As soon as possible, Nagato. The clouds will rain red and the leaves shall stain the earth in their sorrows. Go, boy, for hell will be raised!' With Tobi's parting words ringing in his ear, Pein ambushed the church and slew cult. Drenched in gore he took the tainted relic and assessed the damages done on the vessel. Fortunately the Jinchuuriki was unconscious and nothing was broken. Though the question of the ritual and her appearance, Pein concluded it would be unjust for him to capture Yugito Nii in the state she was in. Rather he fight a living demon than a dead one.

When he returned he (falsely) explained the events to his superior, weaving a tale of how the Demon Jailor escaped his grasp when Cloud ninja felt his chakra signature from his hiding spot in the trees. Tobi had bought into it (Pein hoped he did), but left with him a cautionary note to be more subtle next time.

Pein was thankful for that warning, and even more thankful Tobi didn't see the crystal. As the two nations pushed and shoved for dominance, he had been studying his Scriptures for the object's purpose. His research came up short six years later, but he had written his theories and notations in a summoning scroll. He believed that those who tapped into the crystal's innate power were driven to the point of losing moral value and, possibly, their sentience. Its edges may have been used as some sort of sun dial. They could have been crafted to locate specific constellations, or they may had been made to be an outlet supplying energy to a lost civilization. But what of the crystal's setbacks?

He shifted his orbs to the jagged anomaly on the leftmost side of the table. This was more worn than the two objects. It seemed to be hammered from bronze, but its touch was startlingly reminiscent to stone. A thorough inspection showed markings of an enraged ocean, wisps of clouds, and a symbol of arcane origin on the front of the artifact. Very faint, but it would suffice.

He had found the dodecahedron in the mountains of Vegetable Country in his search for Enlightenment. Pein ---- then Nagato ---- found himself lost in a labyrinth of caverns. He had been searching for a way out of the darkness when he came across an azure chest sitting in the corner of a dead end. When he opened it, it held a broken half of the spherical object, holes of various sizes hollowed out of the metal. Questions engulfed him, each trying to fill in the gaps of the mystery, but to no avail could he answer them.

It made sense to him when he placed the faux falcon in the center of the dodecahedron. He wasn't quite sure how it did, but something clicked inside him, a firmer piece of Truth settled in a cosmic jigsaw puzzle spanning through countless galaxies. He knew then there was a connection between these items, a link buried in meta-memory. He was only a few steps behind. He could do it! Assimilation was not far away.

Pein wanted to smile. Oh so dearly did he wish to show his pride and dream. He could not, for there remained one last thorn in his side.

His forefinger trailed down the broken blade, wary of its notched wounds along the edges. Dull and grey was the steel, its fuller scratched and the grip wrapped in a hard bed of moss. The hilt was hardly a thing to be supported, twisted like an brittle skeleton; and the pommel was reprieved of its gemstone.

It was a surprise the blade even held together. Five days ago he was on his way to the Hidden Rain, done with his training and meditation for the day, when he passed through a run-down village. The name escaped him, but he was certain from the architecture and crumbling statues it was once a highly established city-state. Laying amidst the rubbish and debris he wondered why such an uncommon sword was used in a world where kunai, shuriken, and katana were frequent. Nevertheless, Pein took it with him. He hadn't read the entirety of the Scriptures, so perhaps it would do some good to get back into it and seek the weapon's purpose.

Pein withdrew his hand, listening to unabated curtains of rain pounding on reinforced steel rooftops and Plexiglas windows. He glanced to and fro at his room, barren of any furnishing save the six cryogenic pods, an oak work desk, a wall containing unlabeled Jutsu scrolls, and the Scriptures.

Ame's de facto leader frowned at the enormous tome in the corner, metaphorical gears and a clockwork orange churning water, oil, and steam in industrial factories. 'There is still much more to do before I can proceed with the next phase. If I don't find the other half of the box in time, I'll have to either look back in the Scriptures or, Gods forbid, consult with Kakaeru.'

Pein sighed through his nostrils. None knew of his quest, his forbidden sanctum. Not even Konan and Tobi were aware of his secret whimsy. He wanted to keep it that way. It was only him, the Scriptures, and Kakaeru. If his plan on capturing all nine Bijuu somehow backfired (the key word was somehow), at least he had this to keep him on his path.

"I will cleanse the world of its malevolence." He strolled over to the glassy barrier, staring out into a water-soaked nation locked in battle and death. It was a pointless dichotomy, this concept of shedding lifestains and declaring martial law. What sense was there to fight, to succumb to the inner beast and survive off negative wavelengths of hate and vengeance?

A waste of time and air. That was all this philosophic war was; pointless, useless, and senseless in every sense of the word.

"If not by the Will of God, then by Man himself shall he let the meek Fall."

Yes, Assimilation would fix that . . .

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Meanwhile, at the Valley of the End, there sat a man on the statue of Madara Uchiha. Among the bright hues of open grassland and rocky terrace, he was an epitome of twilight. His kasa lay next to him and his robe swirled about his gangly, lithe frame. His lone eye, covered by a spiraling orange mask, gazed at the mound of soil cupped in the palm of his hand. A breeze ruffled his shock of ashen grey hair, but all he sought was a wisp of earth dust vanishing from the center of the universe, into the unknown.

"Truth, knowledge, and belief . . . These are the threads which bind society as a whole. In religion, in politics, in nature, in mind . . . they are everywhere. Whether we accept them or outright refuse them, these key elements are nigh infinitesimal. That which becomes history is set in stone. That which become signs is written in blood.

"Adhering to these laws, however, is as flawed as the Cradle itself. Knowledge is fallible, a tool to be played! What enforces our faith? Our beliefs? Our presence in this world? Without truth we become lost of our true origins. The memory burns, but the lies burn even greater. If we are to put this in introspect, would it not be tantamount? Would it not set the lands ablaze?

"Such are the inner workings of petty mortals." He tipped his hand, granules of Gaia spilling from his clasp. The man looked to the sky, a sea of royal blue. "For yea, my children, the world is vast. More wide and round than this decaying scar! More cultured than any warped ideology and radical doctrine imaginable!

"Yes . . . The Truth is unconquerable. What cannot be Shown must be Made." Beneath his mask Tobi grinned wickedly, and his Sharingan flared a ruddy red beacon . . .

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(1) A Japanese Buddhist term for 'enlightenment'. The word literally means 'understanding'.