Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any profits from this writing.

Warnings: Minor amounts of foul language

Beta-ed by Akiru chan

'Fate is a cruel mistress; she controls the strings of the universe and ties us to one another. From her body radiates millions of strings that connect us to her, making it impossible to escape her cruel grasp. We are helpless to her dance as she plays the universe for us and we move in a circle around her; begging to be her dance partner. And when she takes us into her hands, she leads us around the floor, making it seem as though everything is right with our lives. Until she lets go and we are left spinning dangerously at the edge of humanity, connected to her by a thin string that grows taunt as we fall. She controls the dance and when she brings her hand down on that thread, we fall. Our link is severed and we die at her hands. Tell me mistress; do you not see what you do? For when my string is cut, it makes several others slack, thus making even more slack, to the point that one death can cause a ripple in your web. Do you enjoy seeing us dance to your tune, as though we are your puppets?'

The numerous voices chanted in unison as overhead a blood red moon hovered in the sky directly above them. White candles lined the stone pillars, their flames flickered in the almost nonexistent breeze, sending shadows dancing along the trees and ground, making it seem as though demon figures crawled on the dirt floor. With the exception of the candles and dark moon, no other light was existent, leaving everything to the dark.

Robed figures circled the chanting figures as they made their way into the inner circle where a white marble alter stood. The black cloth that made up the fabric of the robes made them blend in with the night and made it harder to see the eyes that glowed under the hoods. They glided over the dirt floor, making it look as though their feet never touched the ground and seemed to give them a higher status within the ranks.

Once they reached the alter, they stood behind it and all the voices stopped. Silence settled over the area as the head figure looked out over the robe-wearing crowd. Overhead, the breeze blew slightly, kicking up the dirt and sending it spiraling across freshly polished shoes. A hand rose and then everything seemed to stop moving.

"My brothers, my sisters; today is the day where we welcome Fate as she descends on the lands again and we invite those privileged few to join us in welcoming her. It is this day that Fate graces us with her flesh and blood and we ask her for her blessings. That we may be spared her cruel fate as she weaves her threads around us."

The hood was removed, revealing a male with pale skin and long, dark, brown hair. Light colored eyes scanned the area as they searched for any disbelievers in the crowd and after finding none, he held out his hand. To his right, one of the hooded members placed a tan colored scroll in his hands before backing away slowly.

"I, Grandmaster Neji Hyuuga do hereby recognize those members who have been deemed worthy of joining our ranks. Shino Aburame, Kabuto Yakushi, and our most important guest, our virgin sacrifice; Naruto Uzumaki."

Murmurs broke out among the group like a bubbling stream; it trickled through the ranks slowly at first before gathering strength as it moved down the line. The news that there was going to be a sacrifice this year made things more interesting and would only increase the chances that Fate would be gentle to them until the next season.

As the volume increased, Neji raised his hand for silence and the voices quieted down once again, leaving only the wind to whisper through the trees. "Our special guest doesn't know what will become of him tonight so we must exercise caution when dealing with him. With luck, Fate will enjoy the gift we leave her and will spare us her wrath." He paused to look around the area and raised his voice so the guards and members in the back could hear him, "Bring in the new recruits."

Like a silent wave, the existing members parted, allowing a straight but narrow path to the white alter. One guard moved through the narrow pathway, leading the way before three more guards followed, each escorting the new members. The males were blindfolded and they stumbled as they were led through the maze of people, putting complete trust in the members leading them. Once they reached the front alter, they were lined up in front of it and their guards slipped off into the night.

"Welcome honored recruits, to the Society of Fate. You three have been chosen to join our ranks tonight, on this sacred day when the moon turns red and Fate herself walks among the mortals. We, the members of this Society live by the predetermined course of events and believe that everything is based on a fixed natural order to the cosmos. We move to the hands of Fate and what she has planned for us and we are helpless to her."

The Grandmaster paused to light the three new candles that sat on the alter and watched as the red beeswax curled at the touch of the heat. A small scroll was set in front of each candle where flowing calligraphy detailed the laws and rules that dictated the Society. A wax seal was already imprinted on the left side of the paper when the Grandmaster had already signed his name, showing that he approved of these rules and the new recruits.

"Step forward as I read to you our beliefs; for if at any point you find that you don't believe in one, you will be removed immediately."

The three initiates stepped forward carefully, stopping only when their feet touched the edge of the alter. The blindfold around their eyes permitted them from seeing anything, but the woolen bag over their heads made it even harder to hear. Words mixed together as they flowed from the mouth of the Grandmaster while their own breathing in the bags made the words all the more muffled. It was the beginning of summer and even though it was the dead of night, the stifling heat was still there.

Sweat trickled down their backs as the itchy fabric made it only hotter and they wished only to shed the cloaks they wore. The small breeze that was moving around the area wasn't enough to cool them down and it only proved to tease them. Caressing their skin before vanishing as if it had never been there, leaving them hotter than they were before.

"When I call your name, your blindfold will be removed and you will sign your name before sealing the scroll. After you seal your scroll, you will be escorted away by your future brother who will mentor you for the next year until the next welcoming ceremony." The Grandmaster announced and his eyes settled on the three members who stepped forward so they could stand behind the soon to be members. "Shino please step forward."

The older member moved like a shadow behind the recruit and pulled the hood off a slightly damp head, due to the heat, before removing the blindfold. His eyes quickly settled on the paper and picked up the quill without any hesitation, signing his name in an elegant manner. Once the ink was dried, his brother moved to roll up the scroll and tipped the red candle into a small bowl where the wax quickly filled it up. He grabbed the recruits' wrist and placed his thumb in the still hot ink before pressing it against the paper. When he pulled away, a fresh seal in the form of a thumbprint was there.

"Welcome to our Society, Brother Shino."

The newest member bowed his head and allowed himself to be led away, leaving the shadowy maze behind. The last words he heard was for the next recruit to step forward before he was swallowed by the impending darkness.

Once the second member was lead away, the Grandmaster paused and nodded to the last waiting brother. He stepped forward to place a tight grip on the last incites shoulder and dipped his head back to the waiting leader. "Naruto Uzumaki, please step forward. You stand before us today, awaiting your fate; your destiny, not knowing what it holds for you, but knowing only that you can accept whatever comes."

The hood was removed harshly, followed by the blindfold and brilliant blue eyes fluttered open. They blinked a couple times as they adjusted to the dim lighting that seemed too bright after being in darkness for the past two hours. Blond hair fell in his face once the hood had been removed and now the locks settled around his face; slightly damp due to sweat. He shifted slightly, unsure what to do until a quill was directed into his hand.

He looked down at the parchment and gripped the quill. A small jar of red ink was sitting next to the paper and he dipped it in to wet the tip. It wasn't until a small drop fell to the yellow sheet that he realized it wasn't ink, but rather blood. Behind him, the other male shifted, seemingly growing impatient so he quickly scrawled his name and set the quill down. As soon as he did, a cold hand grasped his wrist and led his hand to another small bowl.

Without any warning, his thumb was pushed into the scalding hot liquid and he bit down on his lip quickly to prevent from screaming. His thumb was pressed into the scroll, sealing the end to the roll and leaving his skin raw when he pulled away. Once the scroll was placed in the older members hands, the Grandmaster turned to him; a smile barely visible under the hood.

"Welcome to the Society, Brother Naruto."

Almost instantly, he was pulled back as another blindfold was secured around his head and in his mouth. The blond started to thrash in the tight grip but it only served to harm him more as his arm was twisted painfully. Finally, he was settled and a strong hand yanked his head up as the Grandmaster stepped forward.

"It was your fate that you were brought here, Naruto," a hand came up and stroked his cheek gently. "You're very special to us, so we won't harm you, if that's what you're thinking. No, tonight Fate is human; flesh and blood, and she'll desire something pleasurable. You're a virgin, making you more delectable to her. What happens to you after she's done with you is uncertain, but know that it is a great honor for you."

He pulled back his hand as he leaned closer. "Now, sleep." With a hard thrust, he slammed his fist into the blonds' stomach, making him cough behind the gag. Lights danced in front of his eyes and if he hadn't been starved for the entire day; his legs wouldn't have given out on him. There were no last thoughts as he slumped against the body holding him and his mind was pleasantly blank.

Once the blond was knocked out, the brother holding him cradled him in his arms. The rest of the members were already gone, seeing as only those in the higher ranks would be able to see the inner sanction where the offerings to Fate were given.

The monthly meeting spot was located in front of the schools old art building. In the front was a complicated series of mazes that linked together to form one large style of artwork. But over the years, the grassy bushes had been left to disrepair, making the entrances hard to find and the exits even harder to escape from. Only those that were in the Society knew how to navigate the maze and make it out safely.

Behind the maze was the art building itself, which had turned into a storage building of sorts. Only the top most rooms were used to prevent damage from vandals while the ground floor held remnants from past showings. The whole first floor was devoid of any single rooms since it was meant to display the works of art to students and alumni, but now the only thing that remained were old benches and dust.

In the middle of the building was a hallowed section that the stairs wrapped around and allowed light to filter in from an above skylight. From the supporting beams above it hung several chains that once supported large mobiles that would glisten in the sunlight, but now, they only boasted old, decrepit chains.

"Hook him up here, the moon will be over him in fifteen minutes or so. That seems to be the most opportune time for Fate to show for him."

The brother nodded and grabbed the shackles that now hung from the chains. He wrapped them around the tanned wrists and adjusted the length so the body rested against the ground without placing too much stress on the shoulders. With the deed done, he stepped away and waited for his Grandmaster to finish the work of art that was set for Fate.

With a firm hand, the man pulled the blindfold and gag from the blonds' face, tossing them aside. Once that was done, he reached forward, swiftly unbuttoning the cloak and disrobed him; leaving him naked for Fate's arrival. The dark robe was placed at his knees so the dirty floor wouldn't turn away Fate. With that done, he turned around and gestured for the other member to follow him.

They left without another backwards glance at the chained male; any looking would only make it disrespectful for Fate and they wanted to be in her favor this year. The old doors shut behind them and a lock turned heavily, leaving the blond alone to await his fate.

The first thing Naruto realized when he came to, was the cool air on his naked skin. The next thing he realized was that he couldn't cover himself due to the heavy shackles around his wrist, which he discovered that no amount of struggling would let him break through.

This whole thing was ridiculous and if he had known what kind of crazy shit was going on in this 'Society', he never would have joined. However, his advisor had suggested that he join more clubs because it looked good on the resume. So he picked this one since it sounded interesting and all the others sounded either too high class or far too boring. Now he was starting to believe that boring was looking a lot better than this.

Because whatever this was, he was certain it wasn't going to end well for him. He was naked in some old building where he was either going to be killed or raped; or probably both. He had heard of these cults before when he was in high school, but didn't think anything of them; they wouldn't want someone like him. You usually had to be a politician or extremely wealth to be a member.

Who knew being a virgin would grant you access just as easily?

His head shot up as soft footsteps echoed throughout the large, empty building. Or rather, used to be empty.

Now it was probably home to someone who was going to do unimaginable things to him while he was tied up like a puppet. He struggled against the chains again only to cry out when they bit into his skin, causing blood to trickle down his arms.

The footsteps drew closer and Naruto felt his body shiver at the unknown and he desperately wished to be somewhere else. Even staying at home and studying would have been better than this; hell, he would be happy to take the test next week if he could escape this place unharmed. A whimper escaped his throat at the thoughts of what could happen to him and a lone tear trickled down his face.

He didn't want to die.

"So, you're my yearly sacrifice?" an amused, dark voice asked behind him. Something soft touched his back and ran down his spine, stopping at base of it. "Those idiots."

Naruto froze at the voice and it wasn't until the touch had left his body that he realized the voice wasn't female, but male. His head whipped to the side as he tried to see the man but no one was behind him. Instead, the same gentle touch grasped his chin and pulled his head around so he was facing forward again.

This time, he was face to face with dark eyes that stared at him with such intensity that it sent shivers down his spine. The pale face was framed by black locks of hair and was pulled back in a single, low ponytail at the base of the mans' neck. Simple black jeans and a dark blue shirt covered his body while a thin, silver necklace hung around his neck.

"So, you can see me," he muttered and watched as the blue eyes searched his face before he stepped back, making Naruto flinch.

"Please don't rape or kill me," the blond blurted out.

The man waved his hand. "I may be many things; cruel included, but I don't stoop as low as to rape someone. I trust that you're from that Society of Fate or whatever they call themselves.'

He nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"They do this every year; or almost every year. They prefer to send virgins thinking that it'll be more pleasing but I've never touched them; you'd think they would learn." He mussed almost to himself.

"How do you know about this?" Naruto asked. "Are you a student who lives here to escape paying the dorms; 'cause I hear you, they're expensive. But if you let me go I promise I won't tell anyone you live here."

"Live here?" he questioned and an amused smirk crossed his face. "I don't live anywhere on this field. I travel the world, doing my job and I just stop here every year because I know those idiots will have tied someone here."

The man stepped forward and traced his fingers over the locks, making them snap open under the touch. He caught Naruto as he fell and set him carefully on the cloak before handing him a small bundle of fabric.

"You asked how I know about this. Let me ask you this, why are you here?"

"I was supposed to be a gift or something for Fate."

The raven-haired male hummed. "And here we sit."

Naruto eyed him. "You're telling me that she's real?"

"She? Whoever said Fate is a female?"

"Everyone I guess," Naruto answered with a shrug. "That whole, fate is a cruel mistress thing kinda points to it being a female."

"Well everyone is wrong," the man responded, sitting down next to Naruto. "And yes, I'm very much real."

Silence settled between them and the man carefully watched Naruto. The azure eyes squinted in confusion at first as his eyebrows furrowed but suddenly they widened and he could see the realization drawing in them.

"Holy hell, you're Fate!?"

"I prefer the name Itachi, but yes; I am Fate."

Naruto shook his head quickly. "No, you can't exist and you're supposed to be a female!"

Itachi frowned. "I assure you that I'm one hundred percent male, would you like to see?"

The blond scrambled away from him, hissing as his skin scrapped across the ground. "No. I don't want to see any of your man bits, just stay over there...Itachi." He took several calming breaths and then realized his own nakedness. A blush spread across his face and he grabbed the clothing to cover himself. "Okay, I need to think. There's no way that you can be Fate. Because Fate doesn't exist in real life, she or he...whatever, can't be a person, it's supposed to be an idea."

"I really wish you'd stop talking about me as if I wasn't here." Itachi chimed in from the side but his statement was lost to the blond.

He snapped his fingers. "I know, I must be high or something. They must have drugged me before chaining me up and now they're recording me so they can post the video up on YouTube and I'll become the laughing stock of the world. Yeah, that's it."

Dark eyes glanced at him and Naruto flinched slightly at the emotion that swam in them. "You know; you're the first person I've talked to. Usually I put them to sleep and release them until someone comes to check on them. Once they're home, I leave."

"So why would you chose me?"

Itachi shrugged. "I didn't choose you, you just happened to see me."

"Okay, okay," Naruto said and placed a hand to his pulsing head. "Can't you just; I don't know, prove to me that you're Fate or something? You have to give me something to work with; I mean, this is like telling me unicorns exist or that at one time I was a ninja in a past life."

Lips quirked slightly at the phrase but otherwise didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up slowly so he didn't frighten the blond and once he was next to him, he knelt down. With careful hands, he grasped Naruto's arm and his fingers traced the cut that the shackles had given him. He brought the wrist to his mouth and placed his lips over it once before running over the cut with his fingers once again.

When they passed over the skin, the cut slowly dissolved into the skin; leaving an unblemished patch of skin. He released the hand and Naruto brought it close to his face, trying to find any proof that the cut was once there. After finding none, he let his hand drop onto his lap and he closed his eyes.

"Headache Naruto?"

"Yeah, I..." he stopped. "How do you know my name?"

"I told you, I'm fate; I know everything about you."

Naruto shook his head again. "No, no, this is just some joke; some type of initiation or something. You're probably the brother who was in charge of me and you're getting some sick kick out this." He grabbed at his hair and rocked back and forth. "I didn't ask for this; I just needed to join some club so it would look good on my resume. Hell I don't even believe in fate. Just leave me alone."

A hand grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him out of his trance. "I can't leave you alone. As corny as it's going to sound, it was fate that we were supposed to meet. The mere fact that you can see and hear me when no one else can means that we're connected somehow."

"How do you know that we're connected? I just met you and oh god, why are you coming closer?"

Naruto felt himself tipping backwards as Itachi pushed him back. His back connected with the cold concrete floor and his breath hitched as the raven hovered over him, his hair framing his face while the tip of his ponytail swung over his shoulder. Blue eyes dilated in fear at the harsh light that had entered those dark eyes and for a moment, he feared that he had gone too far and had tested the mans' patience.

"Everything in this world is connected to something or someone. You can trace the lines of fate back and make it connect in ways that you never thought possible. Whether you believe me or not is up to you and I'd hate to make you suffer in order to prove to you that I am indeed Fate. I control the lives of the people of this world, judging when they die and how long they will live."

"I thought that God did that," Naruto whispered.

"I'm merely a tool. The stings that bind everyone together are visible through me and they loop throughout this entire world, connecting us in some shape or form."

The blond swallowed hard and he found that he couldn't slow his racing pulse even if he tried. "What, what are you going to do with me?"

Itachi snorted and relaxed his grip on the wrists. "I already told you that I wasn't going to rape you. I'd gain nothing from that and even I have my own morals that I follow."

"Then what do you want from me?"

Once again, silence over took them and Itachi seemed to mull over the question. It seemed that even he wasn't sure what to do with the blond outside of the realm of keeping him. Centuries past, he remembered conversing with a human and even that was for a brief moment. If he remembered correctly, he was escorting someone to the underworld to make a deal with one of the lesser Gods at the time.

His job was merely to watch the threads of humanity and allow them to sever when the time came; what happened after that didn't involve him. He could see all the strands if he so wished it and often times it was a game he could play for hours. Tracing the lines of one human to another and to another, seeing how far he could go before the line of similarity was broken. But for all his time in the human realm, no mortal could see him.

For all the temples and alters dedicated to Fate (the female one mind you), and all the sacrifices and people that sought him out, none could sense his presence. Until now. This one male had broken the unbreakable cycle and that in and of itself had to mean something to him. But he wasn't sure what it meant for him. Just because he was fate, didn't mean that he had all the answers.

Most of the time he was left in the dark about what to do in certain situations. Whether to intervene and help or if he should leave the humans alone. His predecessor was a cruel male; Madara was his name and he enjoyed tampering with the lives of humans. So much so to a point that he was destroyed by the very forces that created him and Itachi was born in his place. Perhaps this is where the cruel mistress quote came from.

Although the female bit was becoming rather old and annoying.

He grunted at the thought and drew his attention back to the blond. His eyes traveled over the naked skin that was presented to him and his fingers twitched to touch the skin while heat pooled in his belly. It had been a while since he bedded someone and the thought of taking this young male made his blood race but he quelled the urge so he could calm his mind; submitting to the primordial desires of lust would only make things difficult.

Instead, he pushed the thought away for now and stayed still over the blonds' body. "You don't believe who I am?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't. I'm sorry."

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't leave this man now; he still had no idea why Naruto could see him but if he let him go now, it was possible that he would never find him again. "I'm sorry too, sorry that I have to do this."

His eyes snapped open and what were once dark eyes were now replaced with a crimson color with small black markings surrounding the eye. The markings started to spin and Naruto felt himself being pulled into them. For a second, the room flashed into a red and black style of patterns before it slowly bled back to normal and he was left panting. His hands trembled and they grabbed a hold of Itachi's wrist for stability.

"What happened?" he gasped.

"Nothing," came the answer, but the silent 'yet' still hung in the air. Instead, the raven drew his face closer until his warm breath fanned over Naruto's face. "I'll see you tomorrow and then you can tell me if you still don't believe me."

The feeling of a soft, feather like kiss was placed on his lips before a gust of wind swept through the room and Itachi was gone. Naruto sat up shakily and brushed his fingers against his lips where they still tingled due to the intimate action. He jerked his hand away quickly at the thought and stood up. His clothes were long gone since he had been naked since the beginning of the ceremony but Itachi had left him a new set.

He pulled on the slightly too big material and wrinkled his nose when the smell of cedar wafted up to his nose. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the hood over his head, shielding his head as he walked out of the building, pleased to find it unlocked. It was way past curfew and if the campus police caught him out this late, he would be in trouble. All libraries and classes closed at one in the morning and he was certain that it was past that time.

Moving swiftly through the shadows, he kept his eyes and ears open for any sounds or movements; pausing when his senses noticed anything. His dorm room was across campus in relation to the art building and it was a slow pace to start with. Thankfully, the school took great pride in decorating the vast campus grounds with numerous trees and statues from art students.

Ahead, he could hear the babbling of the water fountain that marked the center of the campus and he nearly stumbled into the stream that supplied the waterfall. He heaved a sigh of relief and followed the stream until he reached the drop off where the water rushed over the edge of the artificial mountain. Slumping against the rocks, he paused to catch his breath and spared a glance around the area.

After passing this one last building; the library and student center, all that separated him from the safety of his dorm room was the massive parking lot. But with all the cars in the lot, it would give him plenty of shelter to duck behind in case a patrol car drove by. Gathering his wits, he darted forward until he reached the archway of the darkened library and he checked his status. So far so good.

With one last burst of stealth like speed, he darted off to the parking lot and made his way through the parked cars. Upon reaching the doors to his dorm, he swiped his card and the doors slid open, spilling light onto his feet. He slipped inside and up the stairs to the fifth floor where his body cried for bed.

Fumbling with his keys, he shoved the metal object into the lock and pushed his way into the room. His roommate was already asleep, seeing as he couldn't see any light coming from under the door and he slipped inside his own room. He flicked the lock on the door and instantly slumped against it, sliding to the floor. His heart raced in his chest as he panted for breath and he half expected to look up and see Itachi waiting there.

But when he peeked open his eyes, all he saw was his messy room; the same way he left it this morning. Stumbling to his bed, he kicked off the sandals that Itachi had given him and dropped onto the bed, too tired to remove the borrowed clothing. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind slipped into a dream world where endless colors of strings filled his mind.

Sunlight cast through the curtains and once again, Naruto cursed himself for not pulling them shut all the way. Angrily, he stormed over to the fabric hanging from the window and yanked it shut. Not that it mattered; his mind was too awake for him to fall back asleep.

When he woke up this morning, he was convinced that last night was a dream. But seeing the clothes on his body and the faint sting of skin from his finger, he knew that it wasn't. Upon realized this, he rolled over and pressed his face into the fabric of his pillow and screamed. If the whole thing last night had been a joke, it was going to be all over the web by now. If it wasn't then, he either went insane or he had actually met Fate.

And Fate was a guy; a rather good-looking guy at that.

That struck him as odd to begin with and he wondered then, why everyone claimed him to be female. He would have to ask Neji about that after he punched the man in his face a couple times for leaving him for some stupid sacrifice.

With that thought, he rolled out of bed and hesitantly checked the school's webpage and other various video sites. After finding nothing involving him in the events last night, he breathed a sigh of relief and closed his computer. He made his way to the shower, shedding his clothes as he went. The warm water soothed his muscles and soon steam filled the small bathroom as he enjoyed the heat.

Loud knocking of the bathroom door drew him from his thoughts and faintly he could hear his roommate through the door, "Don't waste all the hot water in there Naruto."

The knobs squeaked as he turned off the pressure and grabbed the orange towel from the rack. After running it over his body and pulling on clean boxers, he tossed the towel around his shoulders so it could catch any water from his hair and exited the bathroom.

Now that he was more awake, he could smell breakfast wafting through the shared living room area and he made his way to the kitchen. Drooling slightly at the smell of bacon cooking and French toast grilling, he almost missed the golden line floating in the air. It wasn't until Shikamaru turned to him that he noticed it.

There, coming from his chest, right where his heart would be was a golden thread. It looked thin, almost like hair but closer inspection revealed that it was slightly thicker, like that of yarn. His eyes traced the gold color and found that it ended on his own chest. Several other strings seemed to appear from his back and spilled out in many directions but these varied in color and thickness to the one he was seeing now.

"What's on your back?" he asked.

The genius cocked his head backwards and then shrugged. "Nothing. And don't kid with me today; I made breakfast even though it was troublesome."

Naruto rolled his eyes at the comment but his eyes kept seeing the strand in front of him. He raised a hand and tried to swipe at it, but found that it went right through it.

"Naruto, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

The blond stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. "I, I have to go see something. Wrap up breakfast or something and I'll get back to it."

He sprinted from the room, pausing to grab a pair of semi clean shorts from the laundry pile and a jacket by the door. The door banged open loudly and slammed even louder still, but he didn't hear it.

Strings.

There were strings everywhere.

They laced up and down the corridors, vanishing into rooms and some going through the outside walls. He froze as one snapped in half and fell to the floor, slowly fading away from the brilliance that it once glowed in. Almost as quickly, the door burst open and a red faced female stormed from the room, followed by a half naked male. The shouts of him begging her to wait echoed down the hallway and from where Naruto stood, he could see another female sitting on the couch, wrapped only in a blanket.

He turned quickly and darted outside where he froze as he took in the outside world. The entire front yard that welcomed visitors to his dorm was crossed in strings. They spun around each other and seemed to move through the building with no regard to it being there. It was if they wrapped around everything and choked it in their hold.

Breaking into a run, he darted through the yard, trying to avoid the strings as best he could. He wasn't sure what they were for, but he didn't want to touch them, lest it bring about some disaster somehow. And it seemed that there was no stopping them, even as he moved deeper into campus. Instead of thinning, as he thought it would, it grew thicker and then he realized why.

Today was a festival for the university to honor the clubs, fraternities, and sororities. Hundreds of people stalked the student center already; despite the early hour and from them, millions of lines seemed to cross between them. From each body sprouted too many strings to count and as he watched, new ones would seem to spring out when they met someone new.

It was as if they were spinning a web around the school, trying to keep everyone in and connect them. He glanced down at himself and tried to see if there were any lines that connected to him but he found that he couldn't see any lines on him anymore.

"Naruto!"

He spun around and found an auburn haired male stalking toward him. His confusion must have showed on his face because the male held out his hand and Naruto could see a tattoo for fate imprinted on his arm. The man stopped when he was an arms length away from him and his eyes scanned over his body, trying to determine if anything had happened to him last night.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself; I'm Pein, your older brother until the next year. Are you feeling well, you look a little pale?"

"I'm, I'm still trying to adjust; things are a little confusing right now."

Pein grasped his wrist. "Were you harmed last nigh at all? We have connections to the hospital and we can get you in."

Naruto shook his head. "I wasn't touched."

A frown crossed his face, "Once again Fate has deemed our gifts to her unworthy. We had hoped that with you, things would have been different, especially since you weren't there this morning. Usually, we find the, uh, gifts are still in the building; resting on a bench, sound asleep. But you were gone and we worried that she may have taken you."

"Did you ever question that Fate might not be a female?"

Confusion settled in Pein's eyes. "What are you talking about? We've always known Fate to be of the female line."

"But last night I, shit!"

Naruto stumbled away from Pein, his eyes wide with fear. As if this day couldn't get any more confusing, he had just seen someone materialize out of thin air, but at least he recognized the person. Although he wasn't sure if he wanted to see him.

Itachi's head turned to him and he silently raised his hand to his lips in a silencing gesture, followed by a shaking of his head.

"Naruto?"

Pein was looking at him curiously and Naruto wondered if the man was questioning his sanity. Hell, he was questioning his own sanity right now to begin with. Instead, he shook his head. "Sorry, someone must have stepped on my foot or something," he lied quickly.

"Should we go somewhere else to talk then, somewhere less crowded?"

Behind Pein, Itachi shook his head and the blond resisted the urge to flick the man off. Instead, he shook his head. "No, I actually need to go right now. I'm late to a, uh, study group."

The older man seemed to question the lie but still inclined his head. "Very well, but Neji would like to speak with you before the day is over. Please see to it that you meet with him."

"Sure, I'll jump on that ASAP." Naruto said sarcastically, leaving the desire to punch the man out of his sentence. He gave a quick wave to his brother and walked away at a pace that seemed like he was in a hurry but at the same time made it seem like he was in control of the situation. Even though he was far from it.

As he continued to walk, lines continued to jump in front of him and he tried to dodge them as best he could. He could see the strange looks he was getting but he ignored them until he found a spot void of human life. With a huff, he settled onto the concrete step and closed his eyes, waiting for someone to tell him he wasn't going crazy.

"You know, touching the strings won't harm you, or them," a voice said.

Naruto's head shot up at the voice he now knew and a scowl formed across his face. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"Nothing. I merely showed you what has been blind to everyone else. What I see if I so choose to."

"Itachi," Naruto growled and paused as two females walked by, chatting happily. Once they passed, he continued. "Take it away."

"I'm afraid I can't; not yet at least," Itachi answered and moved to sit next to Naruto. "Relax, I'm not going to harm you as I told you last night. My powers are hiding us from view so people will not think you're talking to yourself."

"Thanks," he answered sarcastically.

"I told you that I am Fate and you didn't believe me, this was the only way I could prove it to you."

Naruto scoffed. "So you made me think I was going crazy in order to prove a point. Well congratulations, I thought I was going crazy, now make these lines go bye-bye."

"You accept the knowledge then that I'm Fate that easily?"

"I don't know what to think right now," the blond snapped. "I just don't want to see these lines anymore. I've seen them break and then grow from different people. Hell, my roommate must have had twenty growing out of his back."

Itachi sighed and leaned back on the steps. His gaze settled in the cloudless sky where even there, lines could be seen; crossing the sky in unrecognizable patterns. It was like trying to see what shape a cloud made but with string instead. He should have known that the blond mortal would have been hard to convince but he wasn't finished yet.

"I can't afford to let you go Naruto. It's too hard to find you."

"You're Fate, can't you just find people at the drop of a hat?"

"No. There are limits to my power and what I can do. If I let you go now, it could be decades before I find you again."

Naruto snorted. "So what's the problem with that? I'm just some guy, it's not like you need me."

The raven was silent for a while before answering. "It's the fact that you know about me. My instincts tell me that something is pulling me towards you and I have to figure out why."

"I think you're a stalker," Naruto stated. "How else would you know all this and keep trying to convince me?"

A small tick developed in Itachi's eye, which the blond failed to notice. In a quick moment, Itachi stood up and glared down at Naruto. "I'm doing this to protect you and prove to you that I am indeed Fate." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you remember the chant that your Society says at every meeting?"

"It's rather long if you ask me, but yes, I remember it; otherwise they wouldn't let me in."

"What did it say? And not the whole thing, just the first few sentences."

Naruto gnawed on lower lip in thought before the first two lines came to mind. "Fate is a cruel mistress; she controls the strings of the universe and ties us to one another. From her body radiates millions of strings that connect us to her, making it impossible to escape her cruel grasp."

With a nod, Itachi stepped back and placed his hands together. "Exactly, from her body radiates millions of strings that connect her to us." He repeated, bending a few fingers down while others wrapped around those still standing. "Release."

Wind whipped blew through the trees before a shockwave seemed to pulse out from under Itachi's feet. It passed through the ground but Naruto didn't feel it and there was no other indication that anyone else felt it. His eyes scanned the trees to see if perhaps the animals staying there may have felt something, but no birds had taken to the sky.

Turning his attention back to the raven, a yell escaped his mouth and he scrambled backwards until his back slammed against the stone building. His eyes widened at the sight and he felt his jaw fall slack. There was no way that this was happening, it didn't seem possible.

The lines that had once littered the campus had now tripled and seemed to darken the sky. They were everywhere he looked; ranging in size and color. But the part that had him staring, was the origin from where they all came from.

Itachi.

His entire body seemed to radiate out the strings. From him, they left his person as thin lines before growing bigger and adapting different colors as they worked their way to other people. Several at a time would fall off while just as many would seem to sprout from him.

"Wh-what's going on?"

Itachi gestured to the lines that seemed to cover every inch of the student center. "These? These are the lines that connect humanity."

A/N: Birthday present for one of my minions, who happens to enjoy multi chapters; although I'm hoping it won't go over seven chapter - eight if I'm lucky. But anyway, next chapter will be up next Thursday.