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"The world of the living," Kouketsu replied dryly to the reborn Uchiha. The King of Hell had spent quite some time devouring Ryuusuke's battered corpse, sowing its torn flesh and tattered muscles together again with thick, ropy threads of saliva with each chew; breathing life into every cell with every exhale. Minutes turned to hours, and hours turned to days before he was finally able to find the wayward warrior's soul amongst the sea of countless others and regurgitate him into the barren wastes of Yuki no Kuni.

Kouketsu's Rinnegan seemed to be burning with an intensity that, as a survivor of the assault on Konohagakure, Ryuusuke would remember all too well. "I don't recall giving you permission to die, Ryuusuke." Slightly tilting his head, and crossing his arms once more, his expression remained dull. "And until I do, you will remain alive."

Glancing off to the West, his eyes pierced the veil of snow, darkness and distance. "You're far too important to my son to foolishly throw your life away like that," he continued to say. "You're more of a father to Ashura then I ever was, or can be. I passed that charge to you a long time ago, Ryuusuke; the day that they were born." Slowly, Kouketsu's gaze fell back to the debilitated body before him.

"I don't expect we'll be meeting like this again." Kneeling down, Kouketsu forcibly grabbed Ryuusuke's face. While he would not feel any drastic changes, or immediate alterations, they happened. Pushing him back by his head, Kouketsu stood. "A gift."

With a burst of wind and snow, he vanished. But in his stead were a full pair of clothes, and sandals. Ryuusuke would have to find his own way back home, to his son.

Otogakure.

Arguably one of the smallest shinobi villages, though no weaker in spirit. Its population is scarce and few between, comprised mostly of peasants and harmless farmers. However, its shinobi are well-trained and tightly knit into groups that have been together since earlier days in the Academy.

Their leader, one Hashibari Zengo, is a titan of a man. Known for his powerful Ninjutsu and more than adequate Taijutsu, he is without a doubt the strongest shinobi Otoagakure has produced in the last fifty years.

---

It's a relatively hot day, with the sun high above and not a single cloud in sight to dampen its powerful rays. A teasing breeze manages to break over the rolling hills, spilling into the village and flooding its streets; however, it does little to dampen the sweltering feeling the village's occupants are longing to escape.

Several units of patrols -- comprised of three shinobi each -- wander about the outer perimeters and fields, all more than equipped to handle small skirmishes should any break out (though it's highly unlikely; it's been nearly five years since Otogakure saw any form of battle).

What could go wrong on a day like this?

The lengthy set of seals came to a halt after several moments. Kazuma's chakra surged into the atmosphere, pushing away waves of sand and compressing and expelling gales of wind. Placing his gloved palm upon the lip of the gourd, the seal-- which had been invisible until that point --sprawled to life, painting its intricate pattern along the massive construct.

"Kai!" he bellowed, and with a deafening screech, the seal was undone.

An explosion of smoke and sandy debris erupted all around the two figures, rolling down the dune that leading straight to Sunagakure's hearth. It was like a sentient cloud, with two bright, golden eyes marking its helm. This torrential downpour of cloud and sand continued until no more than a hundred meters from the monstrous stone wall that defined Sunagakure's gates.

From within the coffin of obscurity, a monolithic creature emerged. Comprised purely of ravenous blue and black flames, sporting two lengthy tails of similar composition, the creature-- now revealed to be the Nibi --released an earth-shaking roar from its bottomless stomach. The winds pushed and racked against Sunagakure's gates, completely sweeping away several shinobi unfortunate enough to be on patrol.

Who would answer the beast's challenge?

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.

So, it seemed fate had other plans for the wayward Uchiha.

Kouketsu was expecting the less than warm welcome from his former conspirator, but there was something different in his tone. His disgust and hostility was even more geared in Blanche's direction than his; that's when it became clear that they'd done very well in keeping their little secret, though it seemed that the cat was out of the bag.

Instinctively, Kouketsu placed a hand upon Blanche's stomach and eased her to a halt. Stepping in front of her, his eyes -- which were natural, for the first time in quite a while -- narrowed. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Nagato," he said, "But I assure you that the only agenda I have is to live out the rest of my life in peace... with my family."

His voice was stern. "Blanche and I were just discussing the reason I brought you here; I simply wanted to say goodbye. Neither of you will ever be seeing me again, and I will make it a point to stay out of all the affairs of your life-- and Youka's, as well."

Kouketsu was at ease.

He'd never expected Blanche, a woman who relied so feverishly on concrete plans, to be immediately okay with the sudden changes he was proposing. Their relationship was unorthodox and utterly unique, and to have it be said, out loud (as the emotions were there), that it could become something more wasn't something small. He knew her; he knew that she would need time to adjust and think things through. But, it was time that he saw as well-spent and was more than willing to give her.

"That's perfectly fine, Blanche," he said lovingly. "I'm in no rush for an answer, and I know that it's a lot to take in. Even in these early stages, we've both invested quite a bit into these plans. These changes aren't-- anything close to minor." Still, he shrugs. "But, it's something that I want; it's something that I feel will be the best for all of us. . . the Village, as well."

He begins walking about the room, though continues to glance in her direction. "Just know that regardless of what you decide, Blanche, I will always be there for the both of you. Kusagakure, too. The Hidden Grass is just as much my home now as it is yours, and I will protect her until my dying breath."

Stopping near one of the other doors, opposite to the room Beppin and Soratsu occupied, he placed his hand on the handle. "Would you prefer that I left you alone, right now?"

The next room...

Ushering Blanche into the large, spacious room parallel to the room Soratsu and Beppin occupied, the phantom closed the door behind them with a soft click. This room was considerably lighter than the other, filled with rows of lights upon the ceiling and several lamps in favorable corners to optimal lighting. Glancing over his shoulder at the wooden slabs separating him from the aforementioned pair, Kouketsu waited for a moment, before finally stepping deeper into this new chamber.

"I've been doing some thinking," he began while removing the glove from his other hand. "I feel that, after all that we've been through together, that you've done more than enough to prove that I can trust you Blanche. So, I've decide to share with you my plans -- my vision, everything that I was attempting to accomplish with this war."

Next, his naked hands rose to his mask and removed the porcelain barrier, exposing his face.

"I met your brother during the First Great Shinobi War, in that very cave I took you to when you and I first met. We were both beaten and broken, starving and barely alive. I actually owe him my life, for had he not attacked me, I wouldn't have been able to unlock the final stage of my Sharingan." Kouketsu chuckled at the memory. "That same rush of chakra gave Uekyuuchi enough to siphon and sustain himself, and thusly, a mutual relationship was born."

Kouketsu's head tilted upward, his gaze drifting off far past the tiled ceiling. "Trapped there for several weeks by a truly terrible storm, Ue and I fought along side together, scraping by whatever food we could find and fending off any who might try to take our little haven away from us. And in that time, we shared our beliefs -- our goals and ambitions. In the end, we found that we both wanted nothing more than peace; peace for this world and all the generations of people that would come after it."

"So, we made a pact. He would help me become the devil, himself, to unite the world. I would acquire power in the name of uniting the all the villages of the world against me, to demonstrate that there was nothing that they could not overcome together." Slowly, he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. "But, it didn't quite work out like that. After acquiring Kirigakure and beginning the war, I saw nothing that I had hoped for. The villages turned their backs on each other, and left one another to face the fury of my legion alone. So, rather than find my end at the hand of a unified blade, I conquered this world."

He paused for a moment to allow his works to soak in Blanche's mind, stepping closer before beginning. "I vanished after that. I had to-- learn, to try and understand where I'd gone wrong. I'd given them all the hate they needed; I'd pushed the entire world into a corner of desperation. And yet, these foolish creatures still refused to assist one another and left their brethren for dead. In my training during my time away, I unlocked a new power -- my new eyes," the Rinnegan fully manifested in both of his eyes now as he explained, "And a new truth."

Now within arms reach, he idly collected a handful of her blond hairs in his palm, twirling and twisting them around his fingers. "I realized that peace can never be achieved with such foul, disgusting creatures as shinobi in control of everything. I had intended on eliminating them all together, but-- it seems that they're still rather keen on killing each other. I've realized that I'm not needed to fuel the fire of hatred that burns in these unfortunate creatures' souls, and that, in time, they will destroy themselves. There is a storm coming, Blanche, one greater than any have ever seen... and I now know where I belong--"

"--here, protecting what is truly important." A weak, hesitant smile broke across his face. "I have done all that I can; accomplished all that my creator has wished for me to accomplish, except for one thing: a peaceful ending. I now know that I have an opportunity for that, just as Soratsu and Beppin have theirs. If he can find someone to love him, for all of his flaws and imperfections, I see no reason why I can't find someone to appreciate me in the same manner; I see no reason to ignore the chance."

"I brought Nagato here to be healed, and to say farewell. He and I will, more than likely, never see each other again." He smirked, shaking his head at the thought; after all they'd been through, and even the current animosity, the boy was like a younger brother. "I refuse to interfere with his and Beppin's happiness any longer."

Suddenly embracing Blanche in a tender hug, Kouketsu sighed. "I'm tired of being the devil, Blanche. I just want to be a man. . ." He fell silent, breathing in deep before speaking his next words. ". . . A man with a family."