Undisclosed Compound.

[marvolous.]

This new found disgust that I felt-- this anger, I did not know where it was coming from. There was a part of me - a very small part - that wanted to believe Kouketsu's words, but I just couldn't. And Blanche-- I could not bare to look at her. I did not even bother to hide the contempt from appearing upon my face, either; there was just something about seeing both of them, side by side, that infuriated me.

"Family?" I let out a distinct scoff. "After all you've done - what we've done - you just want live the rest of your life in peace? Why don't I believe that, Kouketsu?" My grip on the hidden knife tightened and it was pressed harder against my flesh, slightly drawing blood. Still, despite this I remained in control for the most part-- which, truthfully, is what made what I was about to say so.... outlandish and ironic.

"And you," My eyes moved to Blanche. "How do you feel knowing that you will wake up each morning and look into the eyes of the man responsible for killing thousands on a mere whim? To nurture a child that will inherit more than just his looks." This, despite being clearly about Kouketsu, was also directed at Beppin. She deserved better, too; monsters like us did not deserve to have what we've got.

"All these years I have been looking for a means to repent for my sins...." I stepped forward off the table, standing directly infront of Beppin much like Kouketsu was doing to Blanche. "For a way to make everything right. Until now I did not know what that was." Another step. This, however, was marked with the sudden movement of my arm shooting forward. With it the knife in my hand was fired into the ground directly before both of them-- with enough force and strength to cut deep into the ground.

"I'm ready to die for my sins, Kouketsu. Are you?!"

My eyes burned crimson with intensity. My veins bulged with adrenaline. Was this really what it was going to come down to?

[Ichi]

What? My mind was a mess -- I had no clue what was going on. One minute Sora was sitting there, and the next he was preparing for battle. No, this isn't right. It's the only thought that I could discern from the cauldron swirling behind my horrified expression, and before I knew it, my body was reacting to my emotions rather than rational thought.

I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop my lover from fighting, if that was truly what he wished. But, something didn't sit well with me simply letting him throw his life away. Regardless of how much power he had amassed over the years, there were just some obstacles that mere mortals couldn't hurdle.

"Sora, please, dont' do this!" I bellowed, grabbing hold of his arm. "Please, think of your family -- leave Kouketsu be!" This senseless violence needed to stop. "Throwing your life away," my eyes glared at Kouketsu, "Both of your lives will yield nothing but more pain. Kouketsu, I beg you, please think of Blanche!"

I moved to stand before my husband, holding his face in both my hands so that our eyes could lock. "And you, please think of me! What am I to do should I lose you, Sora? Please, I beg you. . . don't do this!"

[NARRATOR]

Ready to die? Truth be told, there wasn't a moment that Kouketsu could remember where he wasn't prepared to lay it all on the line. From the moment he embarked on his quest, death had been the only ending to his tale; even after his relationship with Masumi, and the birth of his children, he had found that oblivion was the only comfort he could look forward to. It wasn't until recently that he believed he could receive so much more; that, perhaps, there was a sanctuary even for a devil.

He had hoped that Soratsu had found this haven -- this small piece of heaven that all search for, yet few ever find. But, it proved to be overly elusive in the end. Kouketsu may not have created the beast Soratsu was, but he most certainly played his role in molding him; an honorable death was the least he could off him.

"I apologize, Beppin," he muttered after the kunai had been wedged into the earth. Reality, itself, shifted and stirred beneath the Uchiha's command; slabs of steel were expelled through from the rift of his right eye, yet were captured movements so fast the momentum caused them to blur. By the time the vortex vanished, Soratsu would recognize the crimson armor now encasing Kouketsu's body. All those that had seen him on any battlefield would; he made no effort to hide himself.

Garbed for battle, the second transformation came in the form of his eyes evolving into their perfect form. Where slate eyes once dwelt -- followed by fully matured Sharingan, ascended to the Mangekyou plateau -- there were now seemingly endless ripples, etched into grey, steel-like eyes. They were the first of their kind in the known world, and existed, before this point, as nothing more than myths and legend.

The third, and final, transformation was the sea chakra that Blanche, up until this point, had only seen in ephemeral shimmers. No longer feeling the need to suppress himself any further, Kouketsu's spiritual might quite literally exploded from his body. Manifesting in the corporeal world as ravenous crimson flames, they reached far and wide about him. Harmless to his lover's tender flesh, yet scorching the tiles he stood upon and what equipment dared linger nearby. "And to you, Blanche."

Those steely eyes focused on Soratsu, his lover, and the kunai between the separated pair. "Come."

[Apple]

Time passed so slowly within the brightly-lit room of the compound, and although I hadn't been disturbed by it in the past, as the four of us stood; two different factions upon either end of the room, I felt an increasing feeling of claustrophobia, the walls around us closing in with each moment of silence. Soratsu's voice began to echo through the room again and as I now stood behind Kouketsu, one hand now having slid down to his wrist, whilst the other clung on to my left hip, all I could do was listen as he condemned Kouketsu and I. It was understandable, of course - I felt an insufferable amount of guilt; that I had betrayed him in lieu of the man who he had always spoken about with so much dislike. But I couldn't help it. As days, weeks and months passed, I found myself more and more dependent on the chakra supply that he gifted to me and I could feel my mind wasting away alongside it, but I couldn't stop. Even now the remains of the immense amount of chakra he'd given me to heal Soratsu's injuries simply made me desire more, and as I stood, with hands so tightly grasping on to the man's wrist, I called upon all of my self control to stop myself. But however I had changed in the bitter drawbacks of being in such a clan, although there was no given promise that he would be born with the same curse, and for how weak I felt at the moment, I wished, I prayed that he wouldn't carry the same fate. It seemed that at the moment, the biggest monster was not I, or even Kouketsu - but the very sight that Beppin had found so.. disturbing. Was I to truly believe the bitter words that spouted freely from Soratsu's mouth? Was I to truly believe that this child held inexplicable potential to become the harbinger of destruction? I felt my lips curl in to a nervous grin for only a moment, although it was merely out of anxiousness as I tried to comprehend exactly what he was telling me.

Perhaps happiness was just something that people like I couldn't acquire.

I fell blank, the air around me becoming so cloying with the exchange of words. I merely gazed onwards with dulled, empty eyes at the sight before me, the same dark corners of the room shifting and distending with each passing moment. Snapping me out of this trance came Beppin's shrill voice, which had begun to sound a few meters before me. Exhale. I perked my head up to gaze at her, concentrating to the best of my ability on her as she attempted to console and prevent her husband from continuing with the onslaught that he seemed so eager to begin - I felt frozen. My hand was still tightly curled around Kouketsu's own, almost as if to try and stop him from going forwards and submitting to the offer of destruction that Soratsu so willingly suggested. However - it was only when I began to see some kind of metal come in to view on Kouketsu's body that my mind began to writhe in its form, the same familiar sense of adrenaline seeping in to me. I watched as strange, otherwordly flames began to burst from around the Uchiha, and upon that moment, he obviously becoming ready to fight the man before us, I broke free from the grasp I'd placed on him, striding before Kouketsu and positioning myself between the both men, my back facing the armored Uchiha as I gazed on intently at Soratsu, who was currently partly shrouded by Beppin who continued to desperately stop him. I felt .. cliche, being placed in a situation as such but standing about and playing the delicate maiden wasn't going to change anything. As much as Kouketsu may dislike my involvement, I wasn't going to stand back. After all - beyond the circumstances we'd found ourselves in, the compound was my home, and despite being the Kusakage, I had nowhere else.

However - despite how frantic Beppin seemed to be becoming, it was understandable. They had a family. Sora had previously told me of his son, Kei, and I'd always envied him. Although Kouketsu proclaimed that he wished to be there, that he wanted to take things further between us, I couldn't lie and say that I wasn't still gravely missing Momochi and the brown-haired child that had been torn away from me. Even now as I merely existed I felt guilty; as if it had been me who should have died, that day. And I had - almost. Was this child really worth all of the memories to be rediscovered? The aggression that was currently rife in the air? The fears that time would merely repeat itself? Was it worth the risk that my best friend would be taken away from me in a bloody fight? Not that I doubted the abilities that he bore, but I was more and aware and fearful of the potential that Kouketsu harnessed, the dual-eyes that I'd seen all too many times.

But it was all my fault.

"And to you, Blanche."

"KOUKETSU, STOP."

I fiercely roared to him in a firm tone as I momentarily tilted my head backwards to gaze at him, such cold blue eyes all too much alike the ones of my brother, Uekyuuchi had bore. His preparation was surely quenching Sora's anger an I couldn't allow him to do this. Despite the threat that he posed now, he was still my oldest friend, and nothing changed that. Merely the fact that Kouketsu responded in this way and didn't seem interested in stopping him from entering the destructive path which I now viewed him walking upon enraged me, and as I stood in place, I felt.. faint, somehow.

I watched on as she tried to convince him.



"You have a family, Sora.
You, Beppin and Kei."

"I can't let you do this to them - to yourself."

I then steadily removed the black glove from my right hand, and pushed up my sleeve, to reveal the Hiraishin mark which he had given me merely weeks ago. I showed it to him; I was more than aware that if he wanted to, he could surely attack me at any time that he wished, and I made it clear. The trust I'd had for him remained even now; I merely hoped that he'd come to his senses. He had all too much to lose.

"You only weeks ago told me that there's no such thing as fate."

I shifted my position, my right arm dropping to my side whilst my left still guarded my middle.

"But if this means so much to you; that the fate of this child is already determined before it even has the chance to take its first breath.."

"..Then this fight is my own and yours alone, Soratsu."

Kouketsu had no part to play in it. Sure enough he had been the root of the cause, but as time stood, I was the current problem, and if Soratsu felt so strongly about the matter, then I felt so no reason for him to want to fight Kouketsu over it, as as time stood, I was still more than capable of fighting my own battles. This whole fiasco had risen after discovering the secret that I had intended on telling him - and I was prepared to pay for my own sins and act of betrayal. Standing in space between the flames behind me and their creator, and Beppin and Soratsu, I kept myself grounded, unwilling to move. Having long since removed my weapons belt for the sake of secrecy, I lowered my left arm and prepared myself, chakra having been steadily been rerouted for the past few minutes now, for the sake of defense.

"If you so much as touch him Kouketsu, I won't forgive you."

[/color]

I snarled, wide, blue eyes wildly gazing at the gray-haired Uchiha. [/center]
[/size][/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[marvolous.]

"Sora, please, dont' do this! Please, think of your family -- leave Kouketsu be! Please think of me! What am I to do should I lose you, Sora? Please, I beg you. . . don't do this!"

Every inch of my body fought Beppin's touch; fought that very ability that only she had to calm me. Her grasp, her fingers lightly entwining on each side of my face, her cool breath on my flesh -- it made it all the more difficult. Even as her face neared mine and her eyes sought to connect with my own, my attention was never diverted from Kouketsu.

Anger - pure anger - that had slowly built up over the years had reached its boiling point. I did not flinch or even react to his sheer display of power for I had grown accustomed to it, even the pull and raw devilish nature of his Rinnegan; the very thing that I could almost see already blossoming in the child being nurtured within Blanche's womb.

"I'm sorry, love." I muttered, covering her hands that were embracing my countenance with my own. My head inched forward if only slightly allowing me to press my lips to hers. It was brief, and before she would even be able to register what was happening I would have already brushed past her to stand face-to-face with Blanche.

"This is bigger than just your child, Blanche." I spoke, my eyes - stern and unnerving - narrowing on Blanche's arm. "There comes a time where every person has to pay for what they've done in the past. The blood of thousands will never wash from our hands, so the only thing left to do is to make certain such destruction and pain never happens again."

With a simple tug the remnants of my burned upper attire were discarded from my body before being casually tossed to the side. "Now I will only tell you this once--" No more talking. No more delaying the inevitable. "Move out of the way and leave us be. If you choose not to--"

My finger ascended into the air and pointed directly at Blanche. I was no longer the person that had once cared so deeply for her-- that once would've risked my life for hers. This person right here? This is who I truly was at my core; a monster.

"I will kill both of you."

And I wasn't referring to Kouketsu.

[NARRATOR]

Kouketsu watched with an apathetic gaze as Soratsu followed the same path he had so many years ago. The call for blood -- for retribution becoming greater than the ties of love and family. Yes, it wasn't too long ago that he, the legendary Conqueror, had made very similar choices. But, he'd changed. Tired of being the king of nothing, he desired more than that for himself. Perhaps he would never be able to wash his hands clean of the blood he'd shed, but that did not mean he was destined to shed more; it did not mean he could not be happy in these peaceful times.

He dared pressed forward behind Blanche, stopping as the depth of her words stabbed into his chest. His expression was rigid, his body tense; how could she care so much about this man who threatened not only her life, but that of her child -- their child? Was he wrong to wish nothing more than their safety? Clearly, Blanche had no clue who her "dearest friend" was - he was, like her lover, a beast.

The difference? He had unleashed his.

"Very well," he replied calmly. It was a risky situation, more so due to the Hiraishin mark upon her arm, but necessary. Blanche needed to see that the Soratsu she knew -- the man who Beppin had married, and began her family with --was no longer present. If that meant shedding a little blood, then so be it. "I will stand at bay as long as he remains words alone." It was honestly quite pitiful, how a lion could be so smitten by his lioness. But, perhaps his demonstration would calm the raging maelstrom within Soratsu's chest? Kouketsu highly doubted it, but remained hopeful.

Hopeful, and on guard, ready to cross the meager distance and defend his beloved should Soratsu attempt to make good on his promise.

[Apple]

And I had watched him as he moved gently past Beppin, and closer towards me. Of course - during this movement, I didn't move an inch from my position as I now merely watched as he approached me. It wasn't long until he came to a stop as I then watched his eyes trail from myself, to the arm which bore the seal he'd marked only a short time ago. Although I held hope that he'd stop this - I couldn't say that I wasn't becoming more concerned with each wild expression that drew on his face. I kept my hands in the same position that they had been, albeit my left now fidgeting slightly. The same dull ache in my head continued, but I broke past it; I had to. With Kouketsu behind me, although I knew that I wouldn't give as much opposition as he would, I felt somehow relieved that I was able to position myself between the two of them. Although Sora seemed to direct his anger towards Kouketsu mainly, I didn't want either of them to be hurt- as the latter had done so much to protect me across the past few months, I found it only right for me to at least be some kind of shield - even only for a few moments. I didn't want the two of them to fight - and the longer than I could have trying to stop Sora from making the first move, then the better.

"I will kill both of you."

Even in this tense moment, a gentler side erupted from my shattered mind, as my expression shifted.



"..Etsuko, Soratsu.."

I murmured with a soft smile, recalling the memories we'd shared.

"..When I first met you, I didn't expect that I'd stay in contact with you - let alone come to acknowledge you as one of my closest friends."

"I'm happy that.."

"..You found Beppin."

"She's good for you."

[/center]

Perhaps it was irrelevant now given the situation, but I'd come to notice that I'd never told him - I'd never congratulated him on his family - how he'd managed to seemingly turn his life around for the better, how the boy that I had despised so much had transformed in to a man within the space of a few years. I had never .. truly appreciated his company, but now as he stared me down with such violent intent in his eyes, I wasn't too sure if it was too late. However - I sought not to say them for the sake of saving my own skin, but instead to try and bring him back from whatever abyss his mind had been driven in to. Through each word that I chose, I spoke each with a gentle smile similar to one that he had seen me use in the past. I had appreciated his company but at the same time; I felt responsible for his current mindframe. Whilst I didn't want to die - I couldn't afford to die - I embraced the possibilities that he spoke of, my eyes becoming glazed over, although it was something beyond my control. Perhaps it was simply my own ignorance that wanted to see if he truly would go along with his words - to see if the man that I had come to respect so much was more than willing to slaughter not only I but the child that I carried, in the name of pursuing his goal. To see if the man that I trusted perhaps more than anyone else in the world had truly become so corrupt as to not be able to recognize himself any more. I wished more than anything to have him become calm; but some things even I couldn't change. I stood still before him, unmoving.

"Stop this, Sora."

Perhaps I was merely acting reckless - but I feared the worst, not only for Kouketsu behind me who had promised to step back, but for the uchiha before me. I understood his hate, as I had shared it so many months ago, but not to the extent that he was taking it. In that way, I couldn't connect to him exactly, but with such a strong link forged to the very person that he despised, I felt almost obliged to try and protect him just as he protected me. I had blessed the white-haired Uchiha with the Mangekyou sharingan - and the last thing I wanted was for my own actions to reflect back on Kouketsu. Whilst I could easily assume the outcome of the fight itself should it occur, I didn't want this to happen. I couldn't let this happen. With no certainty for the future, Soratsu was becoming more and more riled with each passing minute. I was concerned for kouketsu - but given how protective I knew he was, I was focused moreso on Sora.

A pause in my thoughts, as I then moved to look directly back in to his cold, crimson eyes with that same, unrelenting smile - by this point, it was almost disturbing how gentle it was.

Time slowed.

"I can't lose you, too."

After news of Ue's death, I wasn't sure if I could cope.

Sora wasn't a monster.

He was my friend.

[/size][/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[marvolous.]

Her words... they meant nothing to me.

I had already made the decision within my mind to shut out the part of my consciousness that controlled my ability to access feeling -- that part of me that made me human. I was left an empty shell of my former self; my body primed for attack, my mind dark and empty. Those voices that I had once locked away were freed within my psyche; they instructed me to attack, taunted me for being weak -- ridiculed me for not having the guts to do what needed to be done.

Above all they altered my already fractured hold on reality. Kouketsu was no longer Kouketsu; the man that I had once considered a brother stood before me as nothing but a shroud of darkness - pure evil that needed to be eradicated. Blanche wasn't much different. She was just a roadblock in my goal, no longer my friend, no longer even a person. I warned her, had I not? She knew what I was capable of, yet dared not to move. Was she taunting me too? Was this her way of telling me I was weak?

"Stop this, Sora."

I couldn't take it anymore. I let go; no more fighting it, no more sitting by idly as they mocked my very existence. I succumbed to their onslaught, crumbled against their strength after several years of fighting. They wanted them dead, so I would give them just that.

With not another word uttered my body lunged forward, any form of restraint burned away as my tenketsu points erupted with energy, and my body leaked chakra from every inch of my body. My hand was the benefactor of such unprecedented amounts of raw energy, it's entire base instantly converting into pure lightning as my affinity towards raiton manifested from my pores.

It was through such an unparalleled prowess and extreme ability that this was done almost as simultaneously as my body's initial movement. Then, even with a large enough space separting Blanche and I that would have taken several moments to cross, I bridged that distance just as instantaneously. Hiraishin -- something that I had only fathomed would be used to help Blanche, was now being used to end her life.

A flash of bright blue - equivalent to that of a flash of lightning - would be the only thing she saw as I appeared before her, my right hand filled with enough force and power to eliminate her existence without any feeling of pain. I hadn't even heard her last words, just the distorted chine of her voice. I threw my arm forward at it's source, seeking to end it.

No more. I wanted to hear her voice no more.

[NARRATOR]

Even from over Blanche's shoulder, Kouketsu could see everything. As if his eyes could pierce the flesh and bone of his former brother, he could see the malignant thoughts festering like a disease. This wasn't going well, yet he'd still done nothing; perhaps Blanche could get through to him? Foolish of him to believe so -- had anyone truly managed to get to him, back in the days when war and death were all that he thought about?

In the blink of an eye, Sora was gone. He was too close for Kamui, and at the risk of sucking both him and Blanche into the alternative dimension, was forced to revert to more basic and primal instances of defense.

Every second seemed to slow as his body moved forward at a speed that rivaled his kin's, if not slightly faster. Blanche would feel nothing more than his gloved hand upon her shoulder, gripping tightly as he tugged her back to increase the distance between the Chidori and herself. This small, barely noticeable aperture in space -- this window in time, was all the older Uchiha needed to wedge himself between the attack and her; his family.

And then time stood still.

Soratsu would be unable to press forward any further, impeded by Kouketsu's armored figure. Rather than Blanche's abdomens, he would find his formerly emblazoned fingers buried to the knuckle in Kouketsu's -- their energy got, evaporated beneath the influence of the Uchiha's Rinnegan. A single hand was wrapped around Soratsu's wrist, like a vice, ensuring he would not retreat either. Blood oozed from the wound, spilling down Kouketsu's armor and across Sora's hand. . . yet his face did not twist or churn in pain.

It was expressionless. "That is enough, Nagato." Even his voice was flat and dull, showing neither resentment nor anger. "If you truly believe that this is the only way to repent, then you're more foolish than I thought. It is easy to die a glorious death," he stepped closer. "It is difficult to live on with the guilt, and the pain of the thousands we have hurt." His iron grip did not falter. "Are you truly that weak?"

Kouketsu's eyes narrowed. "I repay the world by trying to find happiness when all I can feel is the pain of thousands -- of millions. I will not die until fate deems my debt repaid." With his free hand, he grabbed the side of Soratsu's face and forced their eyes to lock. "And neither will you, Nagato."

[Apple]

My eyes caught sight of the intense flash of electric blue.

The sound of static prevailed as the Uchiha before me momentarily left my sight.




"--KOUKETSU!!"
A blood-curdling, desperate call -

It was over.

Some kind of pressure was placed on my shoulder, and I found myself being pushed backwards. Before I could make any sense of the situation, I noticed Kouketsu's crimson armor before me.

..And the splatter of blood that followed his action.

I gazed down at the tiles below with a look of horror as I watched drips of deep red fall from Kouketsu's form. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, driving me forwards to help him but - my limbs were frozen in place. From where before I'd reveled in such explicit scenes, I now found myself feeling more and more lightheaded as time went on, my eyes paralyzed to watch as his blood pooled on the floor. But the smell - Since losing Samehada, I'd noticed several of the side-effects that it had since implanted in my system. Not only had my own innate desire to siphon chakra become much more of a need for survival itself, but I'd also become much more sensitive to the smell of blood - or perhaps it was merely because there was so much currently seeping down the side of his armor that it intensified in such a way. I felt guilt, more than anything. I was unsure what was on the other side of the Uchiha as I was unable to see, but as he began to speak, his tone seemed unchanged - had it been Soratsu who had been injured? Right now, it was getting harder and harder to tell, not only because the corners of my vision were slowly becoming clouded, but because from the dialogue that I was able to hear, I .. I didn't understand.

I didn't know what to think. Soratsu .. it .. couldn't be him - It wasn't him - it had to be some kind of mistake. As my chest rose up and down with each deep breath that I took in, shaky exhalations following, I tried to reflect on everything that had happened, from the silence that had overcome him in his final onslaught, to the growing pool of red on the tiled floor. It sucked me in, making the same faint feeling intensify. No doubt a side-effect of the chakra I'd taken in not so long ago and of the severity of the situation, I understood the reasons fully, but at the same time, I had nothing to prevent it from overpowering me. For a few moments, as I merely considered it, I felt myself slipping away. But I prevented it, wrenching my form across the floor, nearing even closer to Kouketsu, as I gazed past his shoulder to look at Soratsu's form almost frozen before him, his arm still outstretched.

"Kouketsu -!" I shouted, not wanting to make another wrong move and rush before the uchiha to his aid, only to be targeted once more. I was unsure exactly what Kouketsu was doing with him, but despite the cloud that was starting to shower over my thoughts, I knew that if left untreated, whatever wound he'd been delivered would merely become worse. It was times like these that his human qualities were surely seen and considered - and feeling responsible for.. this - for all of this, it was the very least that I could do. But I felt sick to my stomach - not merely the fact that the smell of blood was still lingering potently, but the concept that I had lost perhaps one of my few friends who actually mattered in this world. I was unsure if he'd survive this drastic change of personality. But as for my own - I felt weak. Weak for being unable to protect myself. Weak for having had someone else have to intervene. Weak for allowing myself to even become so protective of.. of it at this stage. I'd become too soft. This couldn't be me. As I stood, my arm dropping back to my side, my expression faltered from that of fear, as I tried to recompose myself.

I was right. This wasn't me.

"Let me heal you - please--"

I pleaded - perhaps this wasn't the time, but my intentions were made clear. I watched on at the two now as my form stood partlly shrouded by the Uchiha's form, giving me only enough room to see somewhat of Soratsu's form.

For the first time in a very long while, I felt useless.

[/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[marvolous.]

I felt my hand make contact. I felt all my pent up anger explode through my hand. Above all else? I felt the splatter of blood smearing across my face. I knew, then, that I was victorious. Blanche was dead, I was sure of it, as was the child she nursed within her womb. Her voice would never admonish me again.

"That is enough, Nagato."

The grip on my wrist was felt immediately, ceasing my body's momentum as it vacuumed my chakra. With it my eyes caught onto Kouketsu's form, locked in a perpetual gaze whilst his Rinnegan bore it's intensity down on me. It forced whatever lingering schizophrenic thoughts away, his words falling on intent - and for the first time - coherent ears.

I was stuck, frozen in place. I did not speak, nor offered any recognition that his words had reached me. No-- instead I pulled myself away, forcing my wrist out of his hand and pushing myself from his hold. Though the movement was strong, my body lacked the strength and intensity it once had. My eyes, too, relented; softening, yet still retaining their crimson ferocity. I had not even realized my right eye had shifted to it's Mangekyou state.

It meant nothing, though - for what I did next was unprecedented, even for a psychotic episode. Eyes still locked, my legs buckled and crumbled under my weight. They fell in that same motion, forcing me to my knees directly before Kouketsu. My head leaned back then, the gaze between my brother and I as I waged a civil war within my psyche, unbroken.

"My resolve has never been as strong as yours, Kouketsu." Like my eyes, my voice was soft despite my menacing contorted countenance. "You see me as a fool for wanting whats best for the world, I see myself as nothing but a deterrent to that. I refuse to let more people die because of just my name," I shot a glance towards Blanche. "or by my own tainted hands."

Without even controlling my body I extended my arms out, side-to-side, as if in surrender. I could not fathom how this would all appear to Beppin, but I was sure - as intelligent as she was - that she would know what it meant.

"My mind is my most dangerous enemy. I will die before I let it manipulate me into taking the life of another person that I love. Do it, Kouketsu." Through this I remained empty, almost void of life. It took everything I had to fight away my inner thoughts.

"This will be the only thing I will ever ask of you, brother."

[NARRATOR]

Surprisingly, Kouketsu released his grip from Soratsu's wrist as he retreated from their close proximity. It was painful to hear such a powerful man admit such weakness, but admirable nevertheless. Nagato had long-since acquired the elder Uchiha's respect, well before they set out to conquer the world with each other. They were brothers of battle -- born in the flames of destruction and the blood of their enemies, and no amount of hate or regret could ever change that. Like time and space, it would always exist and be there even if mortal eyes could not see it; even if mortal minds simply could not fathom it.

"I'm fine, Blanche. . . " Kouketsu murmured while stepping forward to the kneeling man before him. Indeed, Nagato's mind was nothing more than shattered portrait; a sea of hundreds of fragments, all of which were sharp and jagged. But, it remained so simply because he never tried; he never had a reason to piece them back together, even with a wife and child.

Blood continued to spill from the wound in Kouketsu's stomach, and his steps seemed weak. Yet, when lowered himself to one knee it was not from lack of strength -- it was a movement with purpose, utterly controlled. A single hand reached forward, looping over Nagato's shoulder so that its bloody palm could press against the back of his head. "I won't. . . "

". . . Because you are the only brother I have ever had, and I love you, Nagato."

In that instant, Kouketsu's left Rinnegan reverted to its Mangekyou form. From there, the red began to fade into an opaque white. Lifeless, dull, and blind. Izanami had been completed in those few precious moments, locking Soratsu within his mind for an indefinite length of time. He wouldn't be able to escape until he realized that he was in control of the many voices in his mind; that even if they were alternative personalities, they were his, and in the end, answered only to him.

The entire series of events, from the moment their skirmish had began, would repeat in his mind until the end of time -- until he was able to truly grasp the words his brother had spoken and break free of the cycle. There was far too much that Nagato had been running from; things that he would need to come to terms with and finally accept. And when he did, they would all be there waiting for him.

Releasing Soratsu's hair from his grasp, Kouketsu stood from his kneel and looked to Beppin. "I've sealed him within a genjutsu known as Izanami. I'm sorry, Beppin, but it was the only way for me to avoid killing him. He will not be able to break free of the illusion until he has regained complete and total control of his mind. I pray that he heeds my words, and does so soon."

Turning to face Blanche, he erased the meager distance between us with a few steps. One hand remained covering his wound, but the other, unscathed by the blood and pain, reached for her shoulder. Both of his eyes looked into hers, though his vision had been halved. "Are you alright, Blanche?"

[Apple]

I regretted my position, as it truly did prevent me from seeing what exactly was happening between the two of them. I could just about make out certain hand movements - especially that of Soratsu's, who's entire body seemed to crumple and fold against the floor. But given my distance, I could only make out certain words, and I desperatley tried to piece them together in order to understand what was happening. I stepped forwards again, my feet silent against the compound floor, although no matter what degree of concentration I was placing in to trying to figure out the situation, I couldn't draw my eyes away from the same blood splattered over the tiles. I stepped forwards again; although, I kept my distance in my final position, gazing over at the two, Soratsu's voice very much now in the air. He seemed much.. calmer, from what I could tell, but I didn't know what to do - nor did I know what to judge it as. Kouketsu's own response to my offer of help went rejected, and although I didn't take it to heart, I was still deeply concerned about the injury he'd sustained - it was only befitting, it was only understandable, that I be the one to treat him. From the attack that was sent flying towards myself which he'd valiantly intercepted, although I couldn't exactly see the damage that had been done, from the blood that was seeping to the floor and the strength I'd gauged Soratsu's technique at being, I didn't doubt that it was quite dire.

And now - alike Beppin, who stood at the opposite end of the room as she had during the confrontation, I merely watched as the two Uchiha moved and shifted, the eldest's hand wrapping around that of his brother. I listened in, my hands still tied down to my sides. I'd always known of the connection between the both of them, but I'd never thought that even now, after Soratsu had spoken so much mistrust towards him in the past, that he - the both of them, still respected each other in such a unique way. Soratsu's request, although silent, was audible, and I felt my arms become weak merely at the thought of what he was suggesting. Perhaps I was a fool to believe that he could change - that Soratsu hadn't meant to kill me with such a technique, but I knew him. Perhaps not as well enough as Kouketsu, but his attitude hadn't felt.. right. Of course - I didn't forgive him for what he'd done, but due to the sheer lack of control over his body, neither did I hate him. I just felt.. hurt, more than anything.

But - such hurt merely intensified as I watched Kouketsu rise to his feet once more and address Beppin over whatever had happened to Sora. Izanami..? I'd heard of it, of course - but I'd never actually been aware that it existed, although Kouketsu in himself proved to show that many things were not as they seemed. I felt upset, that was for sure, but with the storm that was overcoming my brain, I also fell devoid of any viable facial response, my expression dulled.

He was gone.

And that in itself was difficult to come to terms with.

I saw all of it - the decade that we had spent as friends flickering before my eyes.

The shell that remained of his body seemed to stay motionless as the crimson-armored Uchiha soon turned his body to face me. Of course - out of everything, the first thing I came to notice was not the irregular white eye that he now bore, but the wound that garnished his abdomen that was spilling blood as if it were spit. Although his hand came close to my fragile shoulder in a search to comfort me, it made me feel sick.

Instead of responding to his question, with hazy, flickering vision, I then moved my own hands out, potently charged with healing chakra. Without his permission, and with he in such close quarters, I thrust both towards the location of the injury, my delicate fingers prying away to remove his hand as I began to heal the area to the best of my ability - which, granted, was quite strong in itself. "I'm fine." I murmured in response to him. I felt distressed - and I was sure that he could tell, but I daren't admit it - not even to him.
Focusing my energy on the wound that he'd sustained, assuring that he allowed me to continue, I felt the drain sap from me, the same feeling of lightheadedness returning considerably with a vengeance. The hand with the removed glove; the one that bore the Hiraishin seal that Soratsu had gifted me not so long ago became covered in blood due to exposure. It trickled behind fingernails and in to the delicate crevices of my hand, resting upon the surface of the gloved other. My eyes returned to Beppin for the next few minutes as my hands continued to levitate above the man's wound. Just what would she do now? With Soratsu as he was, trapped within a seemingly never-ending cycle, he'd be dependent on her - although, I'd heard of a similar situation he'd been in previously for several years. I felt bad, more than anything - and the guilt spiraled in my mind along with the other broken emotions that I had trouble piecing together.

Turning back to look at Kouketsu - it became harder to do so with each passing moment as I felt my balance begin to outweigh itself, pushing me to unknowingly begin to lean to the side. It all seemed like a dream - a nightmare devised to merely scare - but no matter how much I wanted to remove myself from it, to wake up, it wasn't letting me. The reality of the situation began to sting my mind and I could feel myself beginning to panic, much to my own attempts at constraint. Pushing myself, I drove onwards with glassed-over eyes. "..I'm.." I trailed off, my thought process finding it difficult to finish - but I had to continue. I couldn't leave him as he was, and I wouldn't either. Long strands of blonde hair shrouded my face from the remaining Uchiha, and the rest of my features became shrouded in shadow.

My eyes closed slowly, and I continued to heal.

Perhaps the white-haired uchiha would come back someday.

But that didn't stop me from mourning the loss of my friend.

"...."

..I missed him, already.

[/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[Ichi]

Every moment after Soratsu pulled away from me unfolded like a nightmare, stabbing me with a dagger of anxiety and fear over and over again. I knew that no matter how much I wanted to stop him, there was nothing I could do; no amount of begging, pleading, or action I could muster would be able to change the course of this collision. All I could do was stand there, watch, and pray that I still had my husband when it was all said and done.

It all happened so fast -- Sora vanished, Blanche stumbled back, and suddenly Kouketsu was standing between them. How the older Uchiha managed to move so quickly was beyond me (to rival my husband's speed), but that wasn't what surprised me. The fact that he sacrificed himself for Blanche - it was so very unlike the man I once knew.

The Kouketsu I knew would have simply let her perish, and found another to go through with whatever plans (I'm assuming a proper heir) he had. Yet, for Blanche, he. . .

I simply stood there, slack jawed as the blood rushed from his gaping wound. Sora had struck true, though not the intended target, and it was by no means a light injury. Yet, Kouketsu didn't show so much as an inkling of pain; his expression was void of any emotion, and his voice just as lifeless. I watched as my husband retreated from his injured sibling, only to fall to his knees and speak the terrible truth. If anyone knew how dangerous Soratsu's mind was, it was me; I'd seen the horrific things he'd done, and see the penalty his body paid when the "voices" tortured him to certain degrees.

But, was death truly the answer? It couldn't be, and my resolve was simply bolstered by Kouketsu's confirmation. I wasn't entirely sure what was happening when he knelt down, took Sora's head in his palm and pressed their foreheads together, but I could hear them clearly. No matter what travesties beset them, or how much time was put between their conversations, Kouketsu loved Soratsu -- and I know that Soratsu loved him, as well.

And just like that, two changes occurred. First, my husband's chakra signature became odd and irregular, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Immediately, I understood it to be Genjutsu; however, a illusory technique of this caliber. . . I didn't even know such a potent technique existed! But then I noticed a change in Kouketsu, as well. The veins of chakra surging into his left eye became non-existent; dead and gone. He was blind in that eye, I knew, and immediately connected the two as he spoke to me, confirming my suspicions.

"I understand," I said before I even realized I spoke. Honestly, I was simply relieved that my husband was still alive. Again, I have never doubted Sora's strength. However, it was never a secret that Kouketsu's level of power was simply inhuman. I was honestly still mesmerized at the fact he could be injured, let alone bleed like any normal red-blooded human does. "And thank you, Kouketsu."

Deactivating my Byakugan, I meandered to Sora's side and crouched down, looping his arm over my shoulder. "It's time to go, my love." I wasn't sure if he could hear me, but I hoped that he did. I liked to think that he knew I would always be there, and when he conquered the demons of his past and subconscious like I knew he would, that I would be waiting. My legs found strength in our love, and I easily supported the full weight of his body as I stood.

I looked to Kouketsu as he moved to Blanche, and then to Blanche. "Thank you for your hospitality, Blanche. I hope that the next time we meet, it will be over lunch and not our bickering husbands. I hope that you will send me a picture of your child; I'm sure he or she will be beautiful." Perhaps they were not married as Soratsu and I were, but only a husband's love would throw a man before a fatal technique to save a woman. Turning, I made my way to the door I knew to be the exit of the compound.

I paused as I opened the door, glancing over my shoulder one final time. "It's odd, isn't? How women like you and I come to love such beasts. Take care of him, Blanche --" I truly hoped she would heed my warning. Whether my words stung his pride or not, I cared little. "Something tells me that you will be the deciding factor. . . of whether he becomes a man of redemption, or the devil he once was. I hope that I never live to see that Kouketsu again."

Vanishing into the light of the day, the door closed behind us. "Lets go home, Sora."

[NARRATOR]

Kouketsu listened to Beppin's words in silence, not fighting Blanche's attempt to heal his gruesome wound. He could feel her chakra surging through his flesh, stitching it back together like some invisible thread and needle; second by second, until at last the wound closed and left no trace that it'd ever even existed. Though still somewhat aching, he gently grabbed her wrists and moved them away from his abdomen.

Then, they were alone.

Even with a single eye, Kouketsu could see the fatigue setting in on Blanche. The more character she siphoned from him, the more dependent she became; weeks had become days, and days seemed to turn into hours before she needed to feast again. And though it undoubtedly brought them closer as an unorthodox pair, he was finally able to see how negative of an effect it was having on her. He would need to ween her from this dependency in due time, but that was matters for a different discussion.

"I truly am sorry, Blanche," he repeated as he lifted her head by the chin so that he could look into her eyes. "If there had been any other way, you know I would have used it; there last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, or the ones that you love." Glancing away, though only for a moment, he gathered his thoughts. "I'm positive Soratsu will return to us -- once he has conquered his demons, and becomes himself again. The man we saw . . . it was not who we'd come to love, as a brother and a friend. This is the only way we could have helped him."

Letting his hand slip from her chin, his eyes gave her body a cursory glance. "You're tired," he said flatly. "I'm sure this entire ordeal has taken a lot of you, and I'm sure there is a lot on your mind." His gaze fell to her bloody hand, and what droplets had managed to find her gown. "You should bathe, and then get some rest. I have some things that I need to take care of, and then I will return."