A/N: It has been a long time since I've updated, no? =P My apologies to everyone that had been reading this story and I hope still does. I had a major writer's block regarding what I should make out of this chapter, as well as lots of exams coming up in school and other shit happening here and there. Since I had no inspiration here, I turned my attention towards The Ashbringer: Shinobi of the Light where I had a clear picture of what to do and kept on with that story.

Now I've returned here to place this one back on track.

The path has been delayed for too long. Let us continue our journey…

Towards The Heaven

Chapter 14

Twin-blade

It was so peaceful here… so calm and isolated… it felt nice… really nice.

Being calm… carefree… only children had the right to be so. Only children… but was he deprived of this right when he was of such an age?

Yes… he was deprived of it… of it all.

And now here he lied, gazing up at the wide blue yonder that could describe his life.

The warm beams of the sun that fought through the dark clouds that hang on the sky. A testament to his own courage and brilliant smiles through moments of strife.

The stormy clouds, harbingers of what he went through in all these years. But what these clouds offered was cleansing water, water that could sweep all your worries away. Water that for once could make you happy.

But who liked gazing at falling rain drops anyway? Well… he did for one.

A breeze blew, strong yet gentle, messing with his blond locks. Life seemed to be like that… a breeze that came and went.

Kyuubi had been quiet all this time… the demon seemed content to have himself retracted back within his cage, speaking no words and disturbing him not. It was so quiet in here… out there… everywhere. Everything was quiet.

As if a showdown was about to commence.

He was a couple kilometers away from Tomogakure, the village hidden in the light. None should have followed him. It was too early in the morning, too early for even their classes to have began.

The academy here was fairly easy. General book lessons where just a breeze. The real problem came when they had to learn how to handle the Light, or so they liked to call it.

Instead of pulling your chakra to give it either a destructive or healing form, you had to manipulate it into a more pure form, into the Light. Getting rid of the impurities, the 'blueness' of the chakra, was the first step down the path of the light.

But that wasn't easy. Long hours of meditation where eating up his days. His and everyone else's. Sasuke, for some weird reason had a harder time than them all…

Naruto could feel no stir in his body when he tried to call upon the divine power, as the people here liked to call it. It was said that there once was a great Kage, who's body and mind where blessed by the holy light to guide his people down the path of righteousness, down the path of glory and freedom. That man was the first Light-bender… the last Paladin.

Paladins… they where said to be something like a templar, the elite defender's of the city, the ultimate users of the Light's grace in all its glory.

But there was none of them now. Younger generations had began to wither the old ways away, their faith weak and meek as they reveled in the comfort of the freedom they where born with.

Naruto sighed. He had a hard time calling the Light too.

But what he had an even harder time, was a certain blue-haired housemate.

She had been avoiding him most of the time, as if he was the plague. She would only greet him in the morning and at night, in the academy and they would casually talk during eating times. But that was mostly it.

Where had the friendly atmosphere gone? Where had her feelings gone… where had his gone?

He felt abandoned. But he shouldn't be one to talk. Whenever Sakura was hit on by people in the academy, Sasuke was there to scare them shitless with a glare of his. But was Naruto there? No.

Whenever someone would try and hit on Hinata, Naruto wasn't there. The girl probably hadn't realized yet how freaking beautiful she really was. People would drool when she passed by, men would chat and comment on her when she wasn't looking.

And he hated it. He wanted to go and punch those perverted grins out of their faces. This was Hinata for crying out loud! She was his friend! She was… she was…

Why did it hurt so much…? Why did simply not talking to him hurt so much…?

Why did he want to run up to her and hug her tightly whenever she turned her back? Why whenever he saw her stressed he would want to comfort her, even though he had no idea what she was stressed about?

Why was he so stupid? Why?

Why did his feelings tend to soar so easily as of late…?

He hated this. He hated having to decide between his heart and his mind. Though he wasn't sure what decision the later had come into.

He closed his eyes, letting his senses expand as he relaxed on the every green valley. The grass tickled wherever there was bare skin and the smell of the forest along with fresh dirt would accompany swift.

It was like… magic.

And as if this magic wasn't enough, even more came to add itself in the bracket of fate.

He didn't move an inch as he felt that so familiar chakra signature, that soothing feeling of her presence, the soft flow of the blue energy within her… the very mirror of a soul hidden within a body.

A shell of mortality in a world that seemed immortal…

Transparent feelings that weaved themselves in nothingness, glimmering in the darkness.

May that was what life was all about. A flicker, then nothing.

But what if that flicker persisted? What if it turned into a soaring fire? A blazing flame? A relentless inferno? What if there was more to life that simply being, than simply accepting who or what you are and moving on, to something brighter, to something more?

He wanted to find that something more. He wanted to see what was beyond the realm of darkness. And she was his way, the path he had to take in order to open his eyes, his heart, to the blessed light.

"It's calm… isn't it?" a soft song that entwined with the breeze, a silent prayer that spoke of nothing.

"Yeah… it is…" an aberration of existence, a candle of fire in an empty castle.

"Too calm to be true, really." A laugh, an expression of joy, of sorrow, of a world that twisted and run around itself in endless circles.

"We should savor it… you never know when chaos will rise again, right?" obstruction of vanity, the will to go on…

"Maybe chaos is always there… but we just can't see it?" a question of sanity, an oppression of reality.

"Or maybe… our very definition of chaos is wrong to begin with?" a gentle smile, the wings of heaven…

"Hinata…" sitting up, the blonde let his eyes open again, gazing out in the open fields that rolled before him with the blows of the wind, the howling breezes of the upcoming winter.

"You have all been hiding something from me…" it wasn't a question, it wasn't a statement. It was the truth. He knew it was. For she didn't answer. Her silence spoke more than her words ever could. The avoidance of his eyes hurt…

"What is it, Hinata? What's so great a secret that I can't be told about?" the urgent tone of his voice, the thirst for knowledge, the irritation of naivety. All in one phrase.

It wasn't a matter of if he should hear it. It was a matter of if he could handle it.

"Tell me… please…" she still avoided his eyes, still kept away from his gaze. Maybe it disappointed him more than it annoyed him. She opened her lips to speak…

But the world went black.

XxxxX

Twisting… twisting and twisting in an endless nether that went on and on… it felt like a millennia had passed, or maybe a millisecond. He couldn't tell. But next time he opened his eyes, the world was a different place.

Away were the open fields and the calming wind, the caressing sun and the puffy clouds. This was a place he would rather not be, the center of all his nightmares, of all his pain, the heart of his oblivion.

The Kyuubi's cage.

"What do you want?" he yelled towards the towering bars of iron. No answer came as his voice echoed into the void, resonating on the wide, tall walls. He waited and waited, as seconds, minutes, hours passed. But no answer came.

"Kyuubi! What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled again. And this time, it seemed as if this whole bizarre world stirred, moved, changed. The bars on the cage cracked under sightless pressure, moaning.

"Omae… baka no gaki…" it was the deep voice of evil, the very structure of darkness that spoke these words. But there was no malice in it, no urge to kill, no blood amidst its words. Something was amiss.

"So you noticed?" Naruto waited as the great demon finally began to come into view, its eyes a… yellow color?

"You are more of a fool than I ever expected you to be, human." Naruto's eyes gazed on, disbelieving as the gigantic fox that appeared before him held a fur of pure white, like a sculpture covered in snow. Where was the orange-red fur? The crimson red eyes?

"Baka! But… you never were one for details, eh? Fine, I'll let you on then."

"What you always had sealed within you for my yang yuki, my chakra, my power. Now, my power was a color of red, no?" the teen nodded dumbly.

"So my fur was red as well. Now, imagine a shift in that chakra, a change. Wouldn't that change affect my structure as well?" it did make some sense, like… well, there was no solid comparison he could come up with. But it did sound plausible.

"And is that reason enough to summon me here? I already know of that!" he yelled, turning and walking towards the exit. "I'm going…"

"Didn't you want to know the truth, kid? Didn't you want to know what your friends obscured from you?" those words held Naruto back as he stopped for a moment, weighting his options. Stay and listen to the demon, or to Hinata? Who did he trust more? Or rather, who did he think would tell him the truth? Would Hinata tell him what was going on truthfully, or would she hide it again? Would the Kyuubi enlighten him, or would it use him for its own dark purposes?

If he took a step forward now, it would be Hinata…

Clenching his teeth, Naruto moved…

"Tell me, bastard fox…" the demon only grinned in response…

XxxxX

"Ah, if it isn't our faithful commander! Long time no see, indeed!" his voice was cheerful and energetic, full of life and movements, unlike his body…

"Shut your trap, Sinshi. I'm not here for games…" Hakai's glare was deadly, as was the blade he unsheathed. The man named Sinshi gazed back with bored yellow eyes, as if this was nothing new.

Tall and slim, long legs and an attire that people would say was too… formal, for combat. Tuxedos aren't battle garments, anyway. A single pink rose rested on his chest and another red one in his hands. He was pale as death, and his hair held a bronze color to them.

None of which matter to Hakai, of course. He was here to kill.

And so he would.

"Let's see how much you've grown, my little Hakaisha." The man said with a wide smirk, which Hakai returned with a far more bloody, crazed, forlorn one.

"Futaraba-sensei is already dead… what makes you think you'll stand above him, Sinshi?" Hakai's sword blazed with a strange purple hue, glimmering in the darkness of the forest. It was daytime outside… but not in here.

"Forget that you're playing on my grounds, my little former-student? This 'Kuro Shinrin (Dark Woods)' is very unique… you know…" he brought the rose he held to his nose, breathing deeply.

"You think your little forest will stop me, necromancer?" a bit of sarcasm was laced within these words. Sinshi shrugged. "Who knows…" he raised a hand, and the ground began to shook…

"Why not see for ourselves?" he said with a smirk as howls of wind began to swarm within the dark woods. Hakai brought his hands in a one-handed seal, as his 'Oni-tate (Demon Shield)' immediately rose. The winds clashed with the shield but didn't penetrate. Hakai embedded his sword in the ground as his hands run through hand-seals.

"Makaiton: Hoiki (Hell release: Breath of Fire)!" he yelled and exhaled as a breath of dark crimson flames shot forward, empowered by the winds. Sinshi frowned as he jumped backwards, throwing his rose forward. The single flower expanded, creating a wall of roses and wines, protecting him from the menacing flames.

There where many types of fire. The Makaiton type of flames though, was something far stronger than any Katon jutsu could ever match. They where flames straight from hell… the only nin said to ever come even close where the Uchiha, with the legendary undying fires of Amaterasu.

Hakai watched as Sinshi retreated in the darkness of the woods. He smirked as his hands went for more seals… his former teacher had done the greatest mistake.

"Makai Kuchiyose (Hell Summoning)!" he yelled, slamming his palm on the ground. Instead of kanji and smoke, flames arose, engulfing the area for a moment. When that moment was gone, blazing hounds appeared before the man, eyes red and fangs bared, fur colors varying from dark brown to pitch black.

Hellhounds.

The dogs immediately started barking as they gave chase within the forest, moving around with excellent accuracy and agility, hunting for their prey.

Hakai simply smirked, watching his dogs scan the area. The one disadvantage this 'Dark Woods' had as a technique, was that they enclosed both the caster and his victim within this dome of thick foliage. While it did indeed enhance the user's abilities and weakened the opponent, Hakai was a powerhouse fighter, a straight on combatant that had a variety of attacks that could bring his opponent out for him to slay. He was a hunter. A destroyer.

Sinshi didn't stand a chance to begin with.

Soon he sensed one of his dogs had found the target. He didn't lose a second as he gave chase himself…

XxxxX

"You mean… I'm… really…" his eyes were wide and his breath labored. He didn't want to believe it. Maybe it was all a bad dream…

"No shit, if this was a dream then your sub-consciousness has one hell of an imagination." The demon added in his thoughts with sarcasm "That warrior messed with our seal too much. By alternating my chakra, he also nullified a big part of the seal. What the fourth put on you was never meant for this. The seal considers my chakras now foreign and not what it should hold in. It probably believes that I'm dead, since there's no demonic chakra left inside anymore. The seal itself will begin to dissolve soon, letting me free." The demon frowned.

"But if this chakra bursts into your system so suddenly, foreign and neutral as it is, it will disrupt the flow of your natural chakra. While my own chakra usually did replace your real one, your body was already accustomed to that. But if this much of my 'white chakra' roams inside your system, the disarray this will bring will kill you almost instantly. And painfully. Get it now, baka?" the demon frowned down at Naruto's still, shocked form. To know you will die… and sometime soon too. That was too much. He didn't want to die. Call him a coward, but he still had so many things to do! There was no way he could die now!

Kyuubi smirked "Then what are you going to do, Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked, expectant. Naruto in response, lowered his eyes, letting his mind flow away for a moment, to places where worries didn't exist, where death wasn't an option…

But could he let himself stay in such a world? There was reality to take care of, things he had to do, people he had yet to meet, relationships he had yet to issue!

He had no time to die now. He couldn't die now.

Who said that to begin with? Who defined that he would die anyway? But did he ever have a choice in his life? Did he ever had an option to choose this or that? No, for people always deprived him of what he wanted, always did whatever they could to stop him from achieving his objective. But did he surrender?

No… he made his own choices. If they don't give, then you must search and take yourself. Nothing good comes on its own, he knew that much.

So he looked up at the demon with determination. Said monster raised an eyebrow

"How far are you willing to go in order to live, human? What are you willing to sacrifice?" he asked, waiting an answer once more. Naruto simply shook his head, surprising the demon.

"If I have to sacrifice others for my sake, then I'd rather live what months or days I have left in desperation. But, if I can help it…" he clenched his fists "Then I will not die! I'll do anything in my power to stay alive till the last second! You hear me, stupid demon?! Until the last, second!" he yelled towards the caged beast, which had a smirk grow more and more on its fanged mouth.

"Very well, Uzumaki. Seems you've made up your mind. But the real choice has yet to come…" he laughed "I shall tell you how to acquire the gift of life once again, boy. I shall tell you what you need to do to keep living, with even more power that will be unmatched by any!" for some reason, Kyuubi seemed excited

"Either oblivion or salvation, either destruction or redemption, what you'll bring to the world will be either, depending on the choice you'll make. But that is later to come. For now, listen well, Uzumaki Naruto, for I'll repeat myself again not…"

XxxxX

"You… bastard… we all had so many hopes in you…" Sinshi lied beaten on the ground, blood pouring from various wounds, his clothes torn and battered, his eyes glaring daggers at the towering warrior. Hakai only smirked back in response…

"So I've been told. Futaraba-sensei was speaking the same shit as you do… how I was a prestigious student, how I could have accomplished so much…" he raised his sword a bit higher, the purple hue growing and growing.

"And what did you do, Hakai?! Turn your back on us! On your family!" the man coughed up some blood at the pressure his yelling gave his beaten body.

"You… will never get all the keys… I and Futaraba are the weakest among the guardians… the gates of Erebus will never open for you, you motherless piece of…" he didn't finish his words as Hakai's sword found its way in his heart, piercing and obliterating it. The warrior retracted his blade, spitting on the corpse of the fallen man.

"Who said it's for me, asshole?" and with that, he began to walk away as the woods around him dissipated in the shadows…

XxxxX

He chuckled lightly as she kept opening and closing her mouth, the words she wanted to speak dying in her throat and coming back up, repeating the process. It was a little comical, despite the situation.

He raised his own hand for her to silence "Its okay, Hinata… you can tell me when you're ready." There was a part of him that was disappointed in himself, that in the end he didn't trust her and went to the demon for answers. But, he could see why she would not tell him. It was hard for her to speak those words, cruel as they where. They didn't fit Hinata.

She wanted to protect him and herself from that pain. She wanted him to live what time he had left happily, without such a worry trifling in his mind.

He could understand that. He was happy for that. That she thought of him. In her own way, she was worried. Her world was probably trembling right now, as his own existence had began to dissipate ever so slowly…

That fear in her eyes… that feeling of being lost, naïve and not knowing what to do in a dark night, away from home. Maybe that's what she felt like.

He wanted to guide her, show her the right path as well, so she wouldn't be lost anymore, so that their hands could reach out and touch the transparent reality… together…

Her reluctance was visible behind those pale lavender eyes. She wanted to speak her mind, but her lips where sealed, held back.

"Hinata…" he had to say it now. He had to say it. There wouldn't be any other chance like this. He would be damned if he didn't form the words now… he would damn himself if he had to.

"Touchy moment, no?" both teens jumped at the new voice, and Naruto couldn't help a glare towards the interrupter. He was so close…

But then his eyes went wide as he recognized the bearer of said voice. There was a bit of difference in him… his eyes held a yellow, almost brown color rather than the usual icy blue, and instead of a black plate armor, his gear now seemed compromised of brown and red colored leather, from head to toe. On his back rested two swords…

"Hakai…?" he whispered, remembering the name. The man winked at him

"Ah, you're a good one. You almost got it right." The man said, unsheathing his swords. The blades looked like simply broadswords, maybe a little too heavy for a human to dual wield.

But was Hakai human?

The man licked the edge of one of his swords, as if to prove a point "Die now, ask questions later." He said with that familiar sickening smirk, charging forward with both swords poised to strike.

Naruto jumped away as did Hinata, putting some distance between them and their attacker. The blonde nin grunted as he set his hands in a familiar hand-seal, preparing his technique.

"Not so fast…" Hakai threw one of his blades at the blonde, disrupting the summoning as Naruto had to dodge the sword. The assassin simply whispered one word before the thrown sword was summoned in his waiting hand once again.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, prepared to fight the intruder.

But her eyes shocked her. Instead of the usual blue hue of a person's chakra… this man was… yellow?

Maybe he was a jinchuuriki as well? These kind of people where the only ones see had ever seen with different chakra colors, depending on the tailed beast. Naruto's for example, where red. But… it couldn't be…

The man glanced at her, his eyes malicious and deadly. He embedded one sword on the ground and made one-handed seals, whispering a few words…

His body seemed to split in another clone, now both men holding the same smirk on their faces and one sword each, instead of dual wielding.

"I'm Hakai's best assassin, Mugon (Silence)! I'll make sure you kids never see or hear it coming…" he laughed, as his body seemed to dissolve in the wind.

Both teens stayed alert though, as they could still feel his presence shifting around. Naruto squinted as he tried to find the man's whereabouts by sight. No such luck.

Hinata had an easier time as she could see the chakra of the man dancing through the air, whispering around in the howling breeze. How was that even possible? How could he make his body one with the wind?

She dodged in time as a sword materialized out of nowhere, going for her neck. The same sword went for her again and she winced as she parried the forceful blade with a kunai. It was strong, even though there seemed to be no arm supporting it.

Naruto had no easier time as an identical sword was going after his life. He also had a harder time dodging as he could never tell from where the blade would materialize, having to evade the instant it appeared.

"Why the hell are you doing this? Haven't you already messed with us enough, Hakai?!" he yelled with rage, parrying another strike. Surprised he was when the attacks seemed to seize for a moment… then the man's voice laughed, the noise echoing as if from a far away place, from another world.

"You, have no idea what potential your powers hold, do you, jinchuuriki?" he said "Hasn't your demon told you yet? Hasn't he told you what awaits you soon?" how did he know? How could he tell? Naruto's eyes scanned the ground, the trees, the sky, any place he could be so that he could shut him up.

Hinata's eyes widened in fear as she heard those words…

"Yes… he has told you already that you're going to die, has he not? Of course, why wait for a stupid indecisive girl to speak them to you? Go straight for the knowledgeable demon. Her words would probably mean nothing anyway…" Naruto grunted as he clenched his fists, rage filling his very being.

Damn piece of leathery sneaky shit, speaking of her like that! There was no way in hell he would ever think that way for Hinata! She was precious! She was more than that! He trusted her… he really did.

Hakai laughed again… the wind shifted as a sword materialized at the back of Naruto's neck, an inch away from taking his life. But the teen didn't budge an inch.

"Time to die, nevertheless." Hakai spoke, licking his lips. The sword pierced…

And Naruto exploded.

He really did. His body expanded and exploded in a fiery inferno that consumed the attacker completely, be he the wind or anything else.

Explosive clones where useful.

Hinata let out a breath of relief, glad to see his chakra signature alive and well in the nearby trees. She ducked down, avoiding another beheading attack.

"Tsk. You kids are good, taking out my clone like that." He commented, his body beginning to materialize, taking form and shape, seizing the flying sword.

"But, the real Hakai put only one tenth of his real strength in me… I'm weak as hell." He complained, scratching his head, disappointed with himself.

"The real… Hakai?" Hinata questioned, watching the man carefully. He smirked at her, that so strange smirk of his.

"Lord Hakai is a Hell Knight, a warrior with exceptional abilities and strength beyond what any mediocre demon could ever imagine. I, am just one servant of his that's bound to his blood. You kids stand no chance against the real thing…" he licked his blade once more.

"Uzumaki Naruto… you'll never reach the Twin-blades, my master will make sure of that." He laughed, as said blonde walked out of the trees.

"Whatever obstacle stands before me… I will take it down! And no Hell whatever will stop me from it!" he yelled back at the fake Hakai. The man glared at him

"Fool! You think it to be that easy to get all the keys? My master himself holds two of them as it is, and there are three more to achieve!" he shouted "There is no way someone like you could ever defeat the three last guardians… let alone my master!" a laugh escaped his maddened grin "If you truly wish to open either the gates of Elysian or the gates of Erebus, you'll have to be stronger than this… little boy." He laughed again, but had no time to do anything else as Naruto came charging in, Rasengan in hand.

The man barely had time to raise his sword in a vain parry, for Naruto's attack pierced right through the metal and into his defenseless opponent…

With a cry, the assassin was destroyed, leaving nothing but wisps of chakra behind…

They were both clones… recon units, sent by the original. That made both teens worry… they knew Hakai had power, but…

"Let's go back, Hinata." he finally spoke, turning to look at the still-standing girl. She glanced back at him with worry.

"I have something I want to talk about with everyone…" he grinned, extending one hand. She gazed at it with wonder for a brief moment, before her hand moved on its own upon his waiting palm.

"I have something I want to talk to you about too..." his grin was wide as ever.

XxxxX

"What do you want to tell us all, Naruto-kun?" she half asked, half whispered as they where making their way through the streets of Tomo and towards where they knew Sasuke's and Sakura's house to be.

He grinned at her "I found a way to solve the problem." He said happily, like a kid that suddenly discovered a hidden jar of cookies.

She looked at him quizzically "What problem…?" she had a feeling at the bottom of her stomach that told her she knew exactly what kind of problem he was talking about.

He smiled sadly at her, the cheerfulness from before gone, an eerie gentleness overtaking his happy demeanor. "Don't worry Hinata… everything will work out. I promise." His mysterious answers didn't help any in calming her either. What was he exactly talking about…?

Sooner than she would like to, they had already reached Sasuke's and Sakura's house. They could even make out Sakura yelling at the Uchiha about something, like they where arguing which color to buy the couch in… again.

Naruto sighed as he stepped inside without knocking, the two 'love-birds' bickering with each other, oblivious to his presence even as Hinata walked beside him and closed the door with a thud.

"I told you Sakura, pink is NOT a color I want in this living room!" Sasuke half yelled half growled at her. Said pink-lover though looked relentless.

"And I'm telling you that this color would brighten things up, instead of such a dull blue!" she didn't resist in yelling as she pointed out the blue walls the inside of the building was decorated with.

Naruto shook his head, groaning as they kept on with this pointless argument for a few more minutes, Hinata having already pulled a chair out of nowhere to observe them silently from.

"Guys…" Naruto finally spoke but his words died out as their yelling intensified. The blonde was feeling his patience running thin…

"GUYS!!" he roared the moment he found an opening, earning the glares of his two friends.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" they shouted back in unison, glaring death at the one who dared interrupt their daily routine. Naruto seemed unthawed though as he smoothly ignored whatever look they where giving him.

"I need to talk to you about something important." He said in a tone that demanded attention, filled with seriousness. Still reluctant, the two controlled themselves as they looked away from Naruto and from each other, both too stubborn to give up on any argument whatsoever. They would continue this later probably…

"Why helloooooo!! How are our two love-sick friends deal with this little love quarrel? Still haven't figured it out ?" Dankan seemed to appear out of nowhere as he jumped inside the house from the open window, grinning widely at the whole group. Hinata and Naruto were the only ones to grin back as Sasuke and Sakura ignored the man.

"Sasuke, Sakura…" Dankan puffed out his chest, making himself as tall as possible and his tone as serious and masculine as he could.

"Remember this one thing: You can overcome any obstacle, as long as you believe in…" he stroke a pose "The power of LOVE!! Chikara no Ai I tell you!" he roared breathlessly in a fashion and with a passion that rivaled a certain green beast of Konoha.

"What do you want… Dankan?" Sasuke asked after a moment of silence as the man's words died away. That didn't seem to phase his grin though.

"Uh, notin'. Just came to check up on you two idiots and warn you that if you continue yelling like that you will be arrested for disturbance of peace. Hell, I could hear you from the top ring of the city!" he picked his ear as if to make a point.

Sasuke turned around, ready to walk away "Tsk. Fine." He simply said as he prepared to ascent the stairs.

"Wait! Sasuke!" they all turned along with the Uchiha at the sound of Naruto's voice.

"It's good that you came Dankan. I have something I want to talk with everyone about…" he snuck a glance at Hinata, who seemed to peer at him more intently than any other occupant of the room. She wanted to know.

And he had to explain, no?

XxxxX

"So… you're telling us… that the demon in your belly found a way to save you?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow, disbelief written all over his face. Hinata and Sakura looked on in awe and hope, while Dankan remained silent during the whole ordeal.

The blonde nodded "Just before I and Hinata where attacked by a strange assassins, whom we defeated" he began "I was drawn in my mindscape from Kyuubi. There it told me what was going wrong with the seal and what I had to do in order to prevent it… and my death." He spoke slowly, whispering the last part. They all glanced at Hinata, excluding the blonde who lowered his head. The girl was obviously holding a breath… they where sure she was reluctant to let that breath go.

"What Kyuubi told you is very troubling… Naruto…" Dankan spoke up out of nowhere, earning everyone's attention. The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked, intent to learn more. Dankan sighed as he crossed one leg over the other and raised his palm before him.

Flickers of light began to take form around his hand before images started to slip and dance around.

"What you see here are the fields of Elysian. Some have come to call it, 'Paradise', some others, 'Nirvana', and some others, 'Oblivion'." He began as pictures of grassy fields full of life, trees, birds, animals, running waters and everything naturally possible began playing one after the other.

"Strange names indeed. But there's a catch about this so called, 'Paradise'…" he leaned forward, uncrossing his legs.

"Has Kyuubi told you, Naruto, that whomever passes either the gates of Elysian or Erebus…" he looked at the blonde straight in the eye, all the seriousness of the world gathered in his gaze.

"Never comes back?"

XxxxX

"You think Dankan will convince him?" Riku wasn't unfaithful in his student, but he knew very well how stubborn the Uzumaki could be in his own way. An infuriating way.

The Tenkage chuckled as he stroke his beard, taking in the scenery of Tomo before him, marveling in the cool breeze that blew by. There didn't seem to be a care in the world… this season would be one of the best they had in years.

"I assure you, my old friend, that your student doesn't stand a chance." He said with a smile, turning his gaze towards the direction where he knew the aforementioned man would be having a conversation now.

"That Naruto child has his own destiny to fulfill, a destiny that just happens to have us involved in the picture." His smile turned a little sadder "Traveling through the lands in search for a new future, this child has given up on his dreams… It's the first thing he ever gave up." How sad was it really, to hold back something you love only because of others.

"But, that doesn't mean that his dreams gave up on him, right?" he grinned back at his old friend who simply grunted in response, not sure what answer to give.

"I know what Kyuubi is capable of… and what Naruto is as well. His training in the arts of the Light has been splendid this past month. He can even summon and use it at his will, if only a in a little restricted way. All he lacks is experience, I tell you." He smiled as another wind blew by.

"That boy will chase his dreams again one day." He said practically to no one, yet the Tenkage nodded.

"But his dreams will choose the fate of us all, will they not?" he spoke to no one himself…

XxxxX

"What… what do you mean… never comes back…?" Naruto could feel himself sweating as what hope he had was beginning to slip away.

"There's a reason the Elysian fields are also called, 'Oblivion'. What makes them unique and different from Erebus is that when you enter those fields…" the light faded from Dankan's hands as he crossed them before his chest.

"Your mind will crumble. All memories of your life will be gone and all you'll know is how to walk and talk, nothing more." He began "each day will pass by in the blink of an eye and you won't know the difference. Albeit from living an eternal life of bliss, you will also be doomed in naivety, not aware of anything else than your surroundings. It's kind of a lonely world, I think, but you won't feel lonely when you won't know what loneliness feels like, right?" that kind of world seemed… empty, like how he used to be once. A fake happiness, where inside you hid all your pains and memories in order to blissfully forget and just live every passing day.

That's what his life used to be like. Lonely. Empty.

But there was one perk. At least in that world you weren't aware of it. But he was. Every damn second of it.

"Why would you want to go in there Naruto? Anything interesting?" Dankan's smile told them he knew exactly what Naruto could possibly want from a world like that. The teen though was a bit reluctant at answering as his unnerved friends awaited his response.

"Kyuubi told me about two swords…" he began. "One resides within the mountains of Erebus while the other rests in the fields of Elysian. Each sword bears a curse, that is said to sacrifice one's chakra for ultimate power." They all gasped, except Dankan who kept grinning.

"Hold it, hold it." He tried to calm his friends "Kyuubi said that in that kind of ritual, all kinds of chakra can be used, meaning there is no signature or level requirement to it. The damn fox had the idea of putting its own 'harmful' to me chakra in the sword…" he said, barely above a whisper, and Dankan was barely able not to split his face in two from grinning.

"So, Kyuubi wants to posses one of the legendary blades? Erebus or Elysian? That damn demon has quite a plan." He added his own two scents and the attention turned to him again.

"You see, legend has it that when one of the blades absorbs a soul, said soul will inhabit the sword. Think of it like, Kyuubi would become the sword, in some way." He tried to explain. Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"But why would the baka no yoko want to trap itself into something else?" he asked. Dankan grinned again.

"Oh? He didn't tell you that part did he?" he chuckled "As you may have noticed, the seal is failing, Naruto. What Hakai did to you on that battle ruined the complex. If the seal falls completely and you are killed by Kyuubi's harmful chakra, the demon will also vanish along with you, since when the container is killed, even free, Kyuubi will be nothing more than chakra wisps in the air. It would take hundreds of years for it to accumulate some stable form again, and I don't think he has such patience." He explained and thankfully the blonde seemed to understand.

"By entering the sword, not only will the demon gain great power, which I'd like to point out that, he won't be able to use, but he will also ensure the survival of both of you." He extended one stiff arm "In general, the demon seems to be planning to grant both him and yourself power through this ritual. If you become the wielder of either Elysian or Erebus, Kyuubi will have no choice but to obey the wielder of the sword it possesses, in this case you." He nodded towards the blonde

"That looks like going from one prison to another, if you ask me…" Naruto mumbled.

"True. But, Kyuubi at least won't be confined like it is in your body. The sword will become his body. It will be far more freedom that it had within you." He pointed out and the blonde nodded in understanding.

"So, all I have to do is get into Elysian and grab the sword, right? Leave it to me!" he stood up and thumped his chest, everyone sweat dropping at his actions.

"Ugh… didn't you hear what he just said? Even if you get in there, you'll just be lost for eternity." Sasuke was perplexed by the sudden fire in his friends' eyes, but something told he should expect such a thing from this knucklehead.

"And? Like hell am I gonna weep my ass around there was a whole eternity! I'm getting in, grabbing the damn sword and coming out in one go!" he said with the outmost confidence. Dankan couldn't help the grin that came over his face.

"Dankan-san, what about Erebus?" Hinata asked out of nowhere, getting everyone's attention back at the white-dressed man.

He sighed. More explaining to do…

"Erebus, unlike Elysian, is a whole different problem. The gates that grant entry to that land lie within Oni no Kumi, the land of demons. Guarded by phalanxes of monsters, undead and demons sprouted straight from hell itself alike, an army is required to even go near the gate, unless your power is beyond Kage level. Then you stand a small chance." He nodded "Now, within the plains of Erebus lie three mountains: The Mountain of Fear, the Mountain of Pain and the Mountain of Doom." He snickered "Catchy names, but they very well describe every mountain quite accurately." They all shivered, even as he grinned.

"One must overcome all three mountains to reach the cavern lying in the centre of the plains. At each mountain you have to overcome challenges that will either deem you worthy or discard you. Failing equals something worse than death, I assure you."

"The Mountain of Fear is as it suggests. It beholds your greatest fears and uncertainties, it unravels all your secrets and makes you feel like standing naked before a crowd with monsters gnawing at your bones while the people underneath you laugh until they die."

"Aww, cut the crap." Sakura said with disgust, but Dankan grinned even more as he turned towards Sasuke.

"Tell me, Uchiha, have you ever heard what Tsukuyomi is like?" he asked, and Sasuke nodded as he laid himself on the couch in a more relaxed manner. His time to shine in the conversation, heh.

"It seeps within your soul and plunges out your deepest nightmares, torturing you by repeating them again and again for 72 hours." He paused for effect "Each time the nightmare is repeated counts for one second." He said with a little sadistic grin. Sakura and Hinata shivered, while Naruto looked bored.

"Wouldn't it get dull after watching the same thing for so much time though?" he counted on a human's adaption instinct. Sasuke smirked

"How would you feel if the one you love was torn to pieces right in front of you in the most brutal and cold-hearted way possible? What if the one who did it was yourself? How would it feel it you killed your lover over and over again, without being able to stop yourself neither turn your eyes away from the image? And all these again and again…" they all shivered again, even Dankan, at the tone he was talking into, as if he knew what this kind of thing felt like. Naruto tried to imagine himself doing this to the one he loves…

And damn his heart ached. No, as the images became clearer in his mind he suddenly found himself nearly gasping for air. It was painful, even merely imagining it. Now think about feeling it as if it was real and right in front of you? He didn't know if he could stand it…

"Anyways, back to the topic, the Mountain of Fear is pretty much like a Tsukuyomi. But…" he grinned a bit sadly "the nightmare just never ends. Unless you manage to break free it will never end. And if you are too late in freeing yourself, the scars it left behind will be so great that you'll either commit suicide, become a lunatic, or merely blissfully die. The last one is the best option." He nodded.

"Now, about the Mountain of Pain. As I have heard this is a mountain of combat. If you manage to defeat your opponents, you will go forth." That sounded simple enough.

"Problem is, no one ever made it past this mountain, or lived to tell the tale."

"Then how are you standing in front of us right now?" Naruto knew his joke was a little underhanded. Oh well.

"Well, there was one guy that made it past Fear and reached Pain, but miraculously escaped death there. It would be really bad if you die there. As he told his comrades when he made it back alive, without legs, the demons that resided in that mountain would first kill their victims, then revive them only to butcher them again, the circle going on and on as they held a grip to the victim's soul, never letting him escape even if he wanted to." They all shivered again. Hinata looked a little paler than usual as well...

"About Doom… well… no one really knows. None ever made it there, or at least never returned alive that is."

"So you see Naruto, the adventure you want to embark yourself on is a desperate one. While finding either sword will indeed save you, the risk is so high that you might end up not only losing your life, but also suffering something worse than death. And there are a lot of things that are worse than death, I assure you. You'd beg to die if you got caught in either Fear or Pain. Problem is, you'd beg and it won't stop. They'll keep torturing you until there's no hint of soul left in your body." He looked down sadly.

"So I advise you not to do it, Uzumaki. Live the couple of years you have left in peace. Yes you won't live a full life and probably won't see many things, but isn't that better than damning yourself?" he asked. Naruto looked away for a moment, as if thinking, contemplating…

"You're telling me… to give up?" he asked after a moment, his voice not above a whisper. Dankan sighed.

"Think of it like, choosing option number two." He tried to reason. Naruto turned his head again to glare at him.

"I can't do that, Dankan." His glare intensified "I brought my friends here at my own selfish accord!" he began, but even as said friends where ready to protest, he continued

"I can't leave them! They didn't leave me! They trusted in me! They followed me! Leaving them would be like betraying them!" he slammed his fist on the small table, the only obstacle between them.

"I prefer to burn in hell than ever give up… I already did this mistake once. I will not do so again… not again, Dankan." The determination that burned in his eyes and heart could easily rival Lee's youthful ones.

"I will try and if I fail, I'll try again! Again and again until the obstacle is overcome! I will find the keys to open the gates, I'll seize Erebus and Elysian, I'll live on! For the sake of my friends! For the sake of my… village…" he looked away as he spoke the last phrase. The others looked at him quizzically.

Dankan grinned "So you realized, did you not?" the blonde looked at him with wide eyes, and the man smiled kindly at him.

"What was the purpose of your journey until here, Naruto?" he asked, and the blonde seemed thoughtful for a long moment.

"To find a… home…" he mumbled.

"And you found it, Naruto. It's just that your home isn't here…" he waved towards their surroundings.

"But here." He pushed his pointer finger where his heart should be.

"Tomogakure no Sato never was your home my friend, and never will be. The moment you decided where your hopes and dreams lied is where your home also was. Your journey here was just a part of realizing it." He smiled, but the blonde looked perplexed.

"But… I… we… left Konoha… how can we go back?" he tightened his fists.

"First things first. For now, all you have to do my friend…" he placed a hand on his shoulders.

"Is begin your quest in snatching your destiny. And when you have done so, return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves with a wide smile and a proud heart." His grin was wide and Naruto couldn't resist grinning back.

A dangerous journey lied ahead…

Sasuke, Sakura and finally Hinata joined in as each of them placed a hand over Dankan's. The man retracted his appendage from Naruto's shoulder to place it in from of them.

Naruto grinned widely as he placed his own above of theirs.

"We swear that we will never give up. We swear that whatever comes…" he began

"We will always…" Sasuke continued

"Go through it together." Sakura added with a smile

"we will help each other out in times of need…" Hinata spoke with a small grin of her own

"And rely on each other, trust each other. For we are friends, are we not?" Naruto's grin could literarily split his face.

"We"

"Will"

"Never"

"Surrender!" the Uzumaki yelled and they all cheered as they raised their hands, confident grins, smirks and smiles on their faces. Dankan took a step back as Sasuke and Naruto began bickering between each other, Sakura adding her own two scents while Hinata watched them all with a smile.

They were four friends that would have many trials to overcome in the times to come. War was just beyond their doorstep and this little group looked on with hope and joy as they prepared for the inevitable, an inevitable that they themselves would make, a fate they would forge.

Whatever came, whatever went,

They would go through it.

Together.

XxxxX

A/N: I actually wanted to make this a little bigger, but the scene I wanted to write afterwards just didn't fit with the spirit of these last paragraphs, or the whole chapter whatsoever. Guess it's gonna have to wait till the next one eh?

Regardless, I'm happy to have this chapter finished and I believe it came out better than I expected to begin with. Our heroes adventures will begin yet once again in the chapters to come! The dark villains will rise to apprehend their goals, while they'll struggle not only against their enemies but against themselves as well in order to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

It will be a bumpy ride from now on. Stay tuned everyone =)