A/N: I'm back! That's probably the less time I've ever needed to write a chapter. And it's partially because of the awful harsh review I got from the guest. I replied somehow, but well, no way of PM. Anyway, sorry you don't like the Itachi part, but we don't always like every character in a story. He's a complex character that needs time to unfold. And I for one really enjoy writing him. He's of course also the most challenging to write for.
To all the others, thanks for the reviews and favs! I'll continue to do my best. :-D Special thanks to Hasnadin for talking to me and inspiring me.
WARNING: second half of the chapter is dark and violent. It's the most twisted I've written so far. So please be careful. To that guest: Sorry, can't write Itachi out of it. He needs to be in this story.

The longest night

15.

Sasuke hated Elementalist. They were ignorant, petty and so self-righteous. They infest this beautiful world like parasites, living off the grandeur of bygone age. They knew nothing of the working of Creation, yet they act as if its master. It pains the scholar in him to see those children trample on the monument of his past comrades, stumbling blindly like fools.

Glowering, Sasuke turned his face from the simple mages who dared to call themselves sorcerers. Pointing their rudimentary instruments at random structures, they hoped to discover what was hidden from them by those so much more powerful. As if these weaklings, no more educated than a village witch, could ever find the magic woven here by the Guardian of Thorns.

Thinking of that name, Sasuke couldn't but feel a sour taste on his tongue. Merely a day ago, he had felt admiration for that dead woman. He had marveled at her work and the potency of her everlasting essence. But now, all he could think of was the crumbled form of his brother, who so brilliant transformed into someone easily recognized as an ally. Itachi had sank his venomous fangs into Sasuke's domain, turned Naruto against him and made the Lunar bow his head.

Sasuke spit on the pavement of the battlement just to spite the thought. Again, the humiliation of being dominated roused in him, making his inner beast roar with fury. He had been tamed. Through Naruto's powerful presence, he was forced into a vow he was not ready to make. He was again bound by something he had never wished for. Another chain to tie him down.

"Uchiha!" The voice of an Elementalist he hated with no less passion drew him out of his resentment.

"What?" the Lunar snapped, not moving away from his position in the shades.

Neji shook his head, but came to him instead of the other way around. "These sorcerers I gathered are at their wit's end. I could use your insight am I to fulfill my given task."

"That's no surprise." Sasuke sneered.

Neji rolled his pale eyes. "I wish no quarrel with you, yet I have to demand your cooperation. It is for the safety of all our men."

Reluctantly, Sasuke abandoned his position beneath the look-out tower. "What have your mages learned?"

"Only that remnants linger. It is entirely possible that the magic barrier recorded in the books is no longer active," Neji said, a deep frown appearing on his face. "If the barrier collapses, hungry ghosts and other creatures would be able to enter Thorns. Is that correct?"

"Probably," Sasuke nodded. "I know not of the spell cast or what was recorded. But it seems likely that Octavian and the undead corroded what remained of Laela's work. I'll have to summon the spirit of Thorns if I want to be sure."

"Is that possible?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise!" Sasuke barked, but then nodded at Neji in apology. "My temper has been challenged recently. You do not deserve my ire."

"Naruto can be infuriating, I understand." Neji chuckled.

"Do not say that name!" He shook his head in exasperation and gestured Neji to follow. They stopped before the first group of the sorcerers where Sasuke recognized someone often seen in Commander Yuuhi's company. "You," he said to the woman whose name he didn't know. "What circle do you practice?"

The woman spoken to saluted before the two officers and then exchanged a confused glance with her fellow colleagues. She frowned and bowed. "I don't understand your question, Sir."

"What circle?" Sasuke repeated. "Emerald, Sapphire or Adamant?"

Again, his question seemed to escape her understanding. "Only the terrestrial circle, Sir. The one taught at the Heptagram."

"The emerald, then." He nodded. "Useless."

"Care to explain?" Neji stepped in, deflecting Sasuke bad temper towards the ignorant mage.

"The lowest of the three circles," Sasuke explained. He looked around him, noting the different runes carved into the battlements of Thorn's high walls. Looking down at the city below, he could recognize some of the formation needed to power such magic. It was magnificent. Laela must have been involved in the design of Thorn's structure. Everything was laid out accordingly and everything worked together to further enhance Thorn's magic. "Spells as weak as that cannot even scratch what was built here."

"We do not aim to counter her spell, only to revive it."

Sasuke sighed. How did these Elementalist survive that long without the guidance of the Solars and Lunars? How could they study Thorns for centuries and not understand even the simplest of concepts. Tired of their blindness, Sasuke turned towards the large group of mages that had gathered around him.

"The whole city must work together to fuel the barrier. I can see that some of the essence lines were broken or damaged, probably by Octavian or those undead. Without those lines, nothing in our power can restore the barrier."

"Not even you?"

"I am but one sorcerer!" Sasuke snapped. "Even if I can determine which lines were damaged, I cannot reconnect them. That will take a sorcerer of many centuries to achieve. I can only redirect some of its remaining power, shielding a part of the city, not large enough to protect us all."

Neji gaped at him, blinking fast and exchanging worried looks with his fellow mages.

"What?" Sasuke challenged, tired of their mistrust.

"You can redirect essence lines."

"I just said that."

The blond woman Sasuke addressed earlier stepped forth. She eyed him with suspicion and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. "That is not possible. No one can direct them. They simply exist."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What do you think essence lines are? Random conjunction of power?"

"Well, yes." She insisted.

Sasuke shook his head in disbelieve. "How do you Elementalists work magic at all? You chant ancient words and hope for the best? Why do you think fortresses like Thorns and Konoha are powerful nexus of essence? It's because someone created those lines and directed them to converge there, making it a place of power."

"If what you said is true," the blonde woman said. "Can you do it?"

"As I said, no I cannot!" Sasuke shook his head and fixed his eyes on the pattern of the city below him. "Creating new line takes immense knowledge and time. It's practically reshaping the world, nothing to be rushed. Even redirecting line is dangerous. One wrong calculation and I might blow Thorns to bits."

Neji coughed beside him. "Any other suggestions? I'd rather not be responsible for destroying the oldest fortress known to man."

"I could still summon that spirit, if she is still here." Sasuke mused. "But from the look of it, she has left this place long ago."

Behind him, the sorcerers started mumbling and muttering. They exchanged many theories, one more useless than the other. Despite his anger, he couldn't really blame them. This was not Yuuhi's legion, those are not experienced sorcerers trained to solve every problems with magic. Their specialties lay with summoning lesser demons and spirits for front line fodder or using combat spells to obliterate their enemies.

Sasuke sighed. A decade after deciding that Magic was not worth the sacrifice he made, he found himself in dire need of its assistance. How could he summon his mentors and teachers and ask them for help when he so carelessly disregarded their teachings? He had not studied one single tome dedicated to arcane lore in a decade. He had not learned a single new spell ever since coming back to Konoha. Had he only had more foresight and took those available studies with him.

No, Orochimaru's studies would not help him. He needed constructive magic, not vile rituals to enhance unnatural shapeshifting. Shaking his head, Sasuke started pacing on the top of the wall. He eyes followed the essence drawn into the stone and analyzed the placement of the runes. He could see the junctions points, but understood not how they worked into the whole picture. Frustrated, Sasuke cursed Laela's genius. Could she not simply leave behind some notes, telling those coming after her how to repair her legacy? Why must she make everything so complicated?

"Any new insights?"

"Only that Laela was a madwoman, obsessed with the smallest detail!" Sasuke snapped at the extremely complex diagram before him. "I know this is a control panel to regulate the gate and barrier, but I know not how it works."

"What are you talking about?" Neji furrowed his brow and shook his head slightly. "All I see is a slab of stone."

"What? How can you not..." He stared at Neji and stared back at the diagram before him. "You cannot see it."

"I see black marble, that is all." The Hyuuga captain's frown deepened. He leaned closer towards Sasuke, then spoke with lower voice. "Are you alright? The sorcerers are starting to question your sanity. Though I do not doubt your words, much of what you claimed seem impossible."

"I need not their approval," Sasuke glowered. "As for you, Captain Hyuuga, I think we can both agree that I have the educational highground here. You're not even initiated into the circles, you cannot know what I speak of."

"True, Magic did not accept me." Neji nodded, a tension gripping his shoulders. "Yet, I have not abandoned my interest in the arcane lore."

"Fine, I need not argue with you now. Just know that much of the knowledge is lost after the Usurpation."

"The Liberation."

"The Usurpation." Sasuke said. "Regardless, that is discussion for another time. Right now, I don't need Elementalists breathing down my neck or record my every move while I draw on knowledge taught by a madman."

Neji tilted his head, leaning casually against the wall. "So it was Orochimaru who taught you magic."

"Him and many others."

"Any of your masters who can be of help right now?"

Sasuke laughed, not able to control himself. "If so, only to tell me to abandon you and return to where I belong."

Neji was sensitive enough not to ask where that was. He simply sighed and stared at diagram which appeared as a black slab to him. "You say there's a control panel here," he started, "all I can see is some concentration of old essence. If it helps you, I will direct the sorcerers to scout for other points like this. Having the greater picture might prove crucial for our understanding."

"They'll have to do something, might as well let them point their detectors at marble slabs." Sasuke agreed. "Though I might need a specialist in diagrams and runes."

Neji chuckled. "How fortunate that I am that specialist."

Sasuke couldn't but roll his eyes. "Oh, joy."

"I aim but to help." The Hyuuga captain bowed his head mockingly and left to relay Sasuke's orders.

If Sasuke didn't know of Neji's resentment towards him, he could almost think that the Elementalist wanted to prolong their encounter. He shook that thought out of his head quickly. Neji hated him just as much as he hated Neji. They had nothing in common. Neji was a genius, a competitor ever since they were children. The Uchiha Clan and the Hyuuga Clan had long fought each other for the title of the strongest. It was no different with their offspring. Having been in the Academy at similar time, Sasuke's achievements were often compared to that of the Hyuuga genius.

He still remembered the day when his father brought home the news of Neji's exaltation by air. Burning with anger, the Uchiha Clan-leader had summoned both his sons to him. Never before had Sasuke heard such disappointment from his Father. Even at the age of twelve, he understood the reason. Itachi, who was hailed as Konoha's strongest mortal was nothing but a shame to the Uchiha name. Already 18 of age, Itachi was still denied the exaltation by fire, something that had not happened to the main line of the Uchiha Clan in over 400 years. Sasuke remembered the suppressed tears at his father's harsh words. Though the insults weren't directed at him, he could not bare to see his beloved brother humiliated so brutally.

Strange, Sasuke couldn't remember what Itachi replied. He only recalled that when Itachi left the room with his face hidden behind his hair, Sasuke was made to carry the burden of the Uchiha hopes alone.

"Your brother is a failure!" Fugaku had barked . "He will soon be a man by mortal standard, too old to be exalted. A few decades more, his will begin to crumble and fade away like the rest of the mortals. A failure!"

"But father," Sasuke muttered with uncertainty, "instructor Iruka says that Itachi has achieved the pinnacle of mortals enlightenment. Isn't that worth something?"

"Not being Exalted is not being worth anything!" Fugaku lectured. "What use is an Uchiha heir who cannot outlive his own father? He might be the strongest mortal, but he is still that, mortal! My own first born, no more heroic than a peasant! Remember Sasuke, mortals mean nothing to us. We are the children of Hesiesh's fire. Something must be amiss with your brother if he is not deemed worthy."

"Am I worthy, Father?"

"That is to be seen. Prove yourself, seek the enlightenment by fire, only when you are Exalted are you a son of mine."

His father had never seen just how worthy Sasuke became. He bit down on his lip and pushed the image of his dying parents out of his mind. He must not dwell on his vengeance right now, not when legions of soldiers were threatened by the monsters beyond these walls. In time, his brother will pay for what he did, him and all those who wore his face.

Right now, this faintly glowing diagram must demand all his attention. His eyes were beginning to hurt from staring at those crisscrossing lines, merging into runes and extending from them to power others. He tried to copy it onto parchment at the best of his ability and sighed at the pale imitation of the real diagram in his hand. How arrogant of him to hope that his two decades of arcane study could unravel the enigma of a goddess from ancient time.

Fortunately, Neji returned just a moment later to distract him, a large tome in his hands. "I had the foresight to bring this with me. Perhaps it will be of use."

Sasuke accepted the large book and tried not to be ungrateful. But despite his good intention, the first page of the tome was enough to infuriate him. With disgust and anguish, Sasuke read the indoctrination of the Elementalist and just how far they managed to slaughter history to fit their own view of the world.

"I appreciate the gesture," he said with a monotone, his eyes following two ravens flying in the distance. "But I fear this book is as useful as you are."

Neji lifted both his brows. "Excuse me?"

"Too young," the Lunar explained. "I'll need something penned in the old age to help me with this diagram. Your book comes at least a few millennial too late."

"Fair enough," the captain nodded and made himself next to the diagram. He picked up the parchment containing Sasuke's drawings and calculations and asked, "what are we looking at? What are these around the runes? Letters?"

"An ancient dialect of what you call the old tongue, with strange wording and patterns I've never seen before," he replied. "It's like reading a riddle in a foreign tongue that was designed to confuse."

"Oh."

"Still, I think I can be sure that the secret of this wall lies in these verses. Those runes are the source of power, to enhance the spell. Remind me, Neji, what do you know about binding magic? As in spoken law."

"Gods can do something like that," Neji shrugged. "Their words are law to their subjects. They speak and their will happen. As in practice, It's often used in laws of hospitality, protecting their own domain from unwanted guests. Do you think something like that is the foundation of Thorn's barrier?"

"Could be," Sasuke nodded, his eyes fixed on Laela's strange verses. "It's proven that Thorns was built by old Solar kings. And according to the Mandate of Heaven,"

"The what?"

"Mandate of Heaven, divine law used to define Creation, not something Elementalists would study." He sat down on the floor before the marble slab and pulled out a flask containing only water. "According to that, Creation was given to the Solars to rule."

"Given? By whom?"

"Sol Invictus of course, who was Lord of all Creation and Heaven before the Solars. After the Great War, he retreated back to the heavenly City, and tasked his Solar Children to govern in his stead. Given that Creation thus became a Solar's domain and all life in it a Solar's subject, his word could carry enormous magical power. And if Laela somehow worked that magic into her spell, she could have extended its effect over the creatures of darkness as well. If I think about it more clearly, her name was written on the gate, which makes it the door to her home. That I cannot see a barrier as essence construct means it is not. That must mean the barrier is not material, but mystical. Interesting."

When Sasuke stopped, he noticed that Neji had become very silent. The usually collected captain was bluntly staring at him like a child seeing fireworks for the first time. Realizing his own expression, Neji quickly closed his mouth and nodded as Sasuke in respect. "I thank you for your honesty, I didn't think you would share that knowledge with me."

"I live to correct you, have you not noticed?"

"Humor," the captain chuckled. "Perhaps I misjudged you."

Sasuke wanted to tell him that his judgment meant nothing to a Lunar, but now was not the time to be arrogant. "Speaking it out helps me think. It is no small task that I face. I never expected myself to be confronted by a challenge of arcane nature."

"What did you expect then?"

"Something my sword can pierce?"

"It's rather unusual for a warrior also to be a sorcerer, how come?"

"I needed power," Sasuke replied, "and Magic was available."

"And the sacrifice?"

Sasuke's face hardened. He swallowed the bitterness in his mouth and turned away from Neji's penetrating gaze. His own blurred for a moment, just to refocus on the black fortress in the distance. "Something grand. Only I did not realize its importance back then."

"Forgive me, I didn't meant to pry." Neji apologized, clearly recognizing the regret in his tone. "It's just... I have not met many sorcerers who are willing to talk about it."

Sasuke wondered what sorcerers those were. What would Magic demand from an Elementalist who worked nothing but the lowest of the three circles? After a moment, he turned to face Neji again. "If I remember right, you were eager to become a sorcerer yourself. Why did you not join the Heptagram? You clearly have a gift for it."

"You sensed it," Neji smiled.

"Not many have an open mind like you do. Though highly indoctrinated, you can still believe what I say. It's because you can sense the truth behind it, isn't it?"

"It's simply a thing of logic. I know that we could not have created wonders like these. I know there are still so many mysteries we haven't even started to comprehend. Having you around, correcting every word I utter only proves that my instincts were right. "

"If you have followed that instinct, you might have become an elemental sorcerer who isn't useless."

"Why, thank you."

"Don't flatter yourself, I simply wish to have an assistant of at least some skill. But since you aren't a mage, you're just as useless as the others."

The captain next to him chuckled with exasperation. "You never fail to impress me with your rudeness."

"Like I care."

"But I think you do," Neji replied softly. "You care about us more than you admit. Your rudeness is only a front to mask just how much you care about us."

"Where are you going with this?" Sasuke snapped. "We are not here to talk about me! You have pried enough."

"I read the transcript of the council meeting, Sasuke. You're not as bad as you present yourself. If you could only stop seeing us as nothing but Elementalists, you can start seeing us as human beings."

"I don't care about you humans!"

"Are we not part of the humanity you aim to defend? Am I any different than the freefolk you fought for at the edge of the world? How am I not part of this world?"

"What does that matter? What's your point?"

"I wonder why you're so afraid of us."

Sasuke laughed in his face. "I am not afraid of you."

"Then why do you insist on isolating yourself? Why not be part of us, like Naruto."

"Naruto is an idiot who fails to see you for who you are!" Sasuke jumped up from his spot on the floor. "Elementalists are imperfect, petty. To mask the shame of your own inferiority, you propagated yourselves as the princes of this world. You branded us Anathemas even though you do not know that that means. It was you that had brought the world to ruins yet can't see what you've wrought! How am I to trust you after all that you've done?"

"I know of the stories about our ancestors," Neji said, a hint of defiance filling his voice. "But I also know that you are not all the monsters they told us about."

"What the hell do you know about me?"

"I know of the 17 brave souls you killed in the east. I know of the one man you crippled and sent back to deliver a message. You killed the man who trained you and destroyed his entire legacy. By all account, you are very much the demon reborn as our doctrine claims you are. But I also know that you needn't save me when we faced Octavian. You needn't parry his blade last night, when the Vanguard was about to strike me down. You saved my life twice in two days. You defended your men as valiantly as Commander Kakashi and mourned their losses just as heartfelt. No monster would do that." He paused, his pale eyes fixed on Sasuke. "Even now, you seek to solve a problem that would ensure our safety, just as you will fight tomorrow should battle come. I wonder why? Why do you continue to prove yourself a hero, yet insist that we should not trust you?"

After a long silence, Sasuke snorted. "You haven't changed a bit, Neji. You're still insufferable."

"I am insufferable?"

"Your wisdom is annoying, your insight intrusive," Sasuke eventually snapped, "not to mention your desperate longing for truth and understanding, which is plain pitiful."

"Can you fault me?"

"I can't, but it doesn't mean I have to like you!" Sasuke crossed his arms over his plate. "You have opposed me and humiliated me ever since the moment I returned to Konoha. Do you still wonder why I prefer solitude to your company?"

The Elementalist shrugged. "Well, I did not trust you."

"And you trust me now?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Neji smiled at him. "I know you're a good man, Sasuke. You will not harm Creation, that much is certain. If anything, you love it in a way I cannot understand. As only an Elementalist, I have no divine mission to save the world. I only protect those I love. That is all I can do."

"Protect those you love," Sasuke glowered at him with intensity. He did not like what Neji was implying. "You think I will harm Naruto?"

"I think you don't know when you're doing it."

Jealousy rushed back inside him. Sasuke shook his head to push it down. "You don't know about me and Naruto. It's as you said, you're just an Elementalist. There are things that you will never be able to comprehend."

"Perhaps, but know that I will defend him with my life. Against you or any other."

Sasuke couldn't but laugh at that. "Honorable," he nodded, eying Neji with pity again, "but ultimately useless. He can take care of himself. Besides, anything that could threaten him is far out of your league."

Neji's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline again, clearly a habit that showed he didn't expect the insult. Neji shook his head softly and stood from his stone. Smoothing down his white robes, he chuckled without humor. "You never fail to be unpleasant company, Uchiha. As you were, Lieutenant."

"I shall be here, Captain." Sasuke muttered as Neji moved away. He couldn't but grin a little at the moment shared between them. Though Sasuke wasn't ready to admit it, much of Neji's words struck true. Watching the Elementalist leave, Sasuke allowed himself an instant to wonder what it would be like, befriending Neji.

-xXx-

Night surrounded Thorns when the Son of Falcon finally retreated from the wall. There was no vigor in his steps, no color in his face. The frustration was visible between his brows just as the tension obvious in his shoulders. The bright moonlight that illuminated his form did nothing to draw the warrior into new heights. If anything, the legendary man from the lands of the free folk seemed to avoid it.

He did not notice the crimson eyes that followed him. He did not turn from his path as he steadily rode for the fortress of Thorns, carrying in his satchel knowledge that would endanger the master. Only when the Lunar disappeared behind the high gates did this raven turn from his course. Its wings were weak with exhaustion, his body depleted of power. It could feel that pull on its spirit. With haste, the raven spread his wings and returned to the master who was wailing in agony.

When the raven finally pushed through the bars on the small window did Itachi let out a shallow breath. He extended one weak hand for his loyal bird to land on and saw in its eyes his own deformed reflection. The perfection he embodied once before was now a thing of the past. His flawless skin was now nothing but a brittle mask, the blisters and burns destroying his alluring features. Who was once the most beautiful man at Madara's court, was now no more than walking corpse, his body gaunt and lifeless.

His arms shook with exhaustion at the weight of his subject. He wished he still had wings and charms that would carry him through the air, but sighed. Right now, even an entire day after Naruto's burst of power, Itachi was still too wounded to even stand. He had not anticipated the pure force of Naruto's will and payed the price of his arrogance.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. With ghostly speed, he caught the raven's neck in his hand and felt the weak beast struggle. As loyal as his bird might be, it was still an animal with the instinct for survival. Itachi opened his mouth wide, his fangs shot out to pierce even the hardest skin. He bit into his raven's body, tasting the hot sweet blood on his lips. He drank and drank, cherishing the warmth that soaked his throat. Black wings twitched in his hands as the raven let out one last shriek, then stilled. Itachi discarded the lifeless body away from himself, disgusted at both man and beast. But his hunger was not stilled. It could not be stilled by something as meager as a spying bird. He needed more, more blood, more food, more strength.

"He was a good bird," Kisame commented from the entrance to crypt, a struggling rabbit in his hand. He kicked at the many cadaver of smaller animals at his feet and shook his head in distaste. "How many have you eaten? Rats, really?"

Itachi had no patience to court his Lunar right now. His head snapped back around, his infernal eyes glowing in the darkness. Licking the blood off his lips, Itachi hissed. "Hit me."

Kisame's features changed, tension returning to his muscles immediately. He tossed the rabbit into a barrel in the corner of the stone crypt and crossed his arms over his chest. "No."

"Hit me!"

"I won't!"

The anger of being disobeyed alone was enough to drive Itachi to his feet. "I said, hit me!" he shouted, but only a faint whiff escaped his mouth. He immediately felt dizzy and nauseous. Even in this place of death, he could feel the twisted way of Creation attacking his being. Tumbling, Itachi supported himself on the sarcophagus of his descendent.

The stone image of his own great-grandson stared up at him, the tranquility of his features a mockery to Itachi's presence. Filled with rage, his talon-like fingers clawed at the masterwork, each grind sounding like thunder in his ears. He whimpered at the sound that made his ears bleed and crashed down to the dusty floor. He could taste ash on his tongue and closed his eyes against the filth.

"Hit me," he whispered, yet no one obeyed.

Instead, Kisame's strong arms carried him from the floor and gently placed him in his lap. "Enough rat blood for you, I'll make you some food."

"I need strength!" Itachi hissed.

"You need rest!" His Lunar stated. "You need to sleep and recover."

Itachi tried to shove at his mate, but failed as his hand met stone like muscles. "I need power," he announced. "I must work!"

"Dammit, Itachi!" Kisame shook him but stopped as the Prince whimpered in pain. He drew the his crimson funeral robes closer around Itachi and gently smoothed down his black hair, now dirty with dust. "Please, don't do this to yourself. Blood and power cannot sustain you forever. Your flesh is wounded, that needs time to mend."

"You don't understand!" Itachi moaned. "I have no time! The Son of Falcon is close on my trail. It won't take him long to unravel the secrets of these walls. Once the barrier is restored, I will be trapped."

Kisame snorted. "You cannot be sure. Your calculations have been unreliable recently. He and his Solar continue to defy your predictions. Listen to me, rest."

"Silence!" the Prince demanded. "I need power and you will do as I command! And I command you to hit me."

"I won't raise my hand against you," Kisame growled. "I don't care how much power you can draw from the pain. Your flesh cannot endure it. You will break this time."

"Do as I command!" Fueled by anger, Itachi's hand met with Kisame's face. Four long streaks marked his flesh, blood slowly pouring out. He felt his mouth water at the sight, but drew back from the Lunar. He could sense the rage filling the air as a low growl escaped the beast's throat. In a moments notice, Kisame's giant fist reached for his jaw. He had ample time to evade and counter, but he didn't. He smirked at his Lunar's fury and accepted the exhilarating pain that rushed through his body. It felt like ecstasy, something driving him closer to delirium.

"Fucking Deathknights!" Kisame cursed and wiped the blood from his cheek. Itachi stared at him, openly challenging him with his will as Kisame's wounds closed in front of his eyes.

Once the flesh closed, the Lunar attacked again. He struck at his Prince with his bare fists, every time pushing more force behind his blows. The more he hit, the more Itachi laughed. With every one of those blows, he was driving Itachi closer to death. The closer he was to death, the stronger he became, until embracing the agony allowed him to draw essence from everything around him back into his own body.

Kisame's fist came at him steadily. Itachi's power, now restored did not even flare up as he stopped his lover's fist mid air. "Enough," he exclaimed vigorously, snapping his mate out of his frenzy. "I'm fine, now."

Kisame growled at him one last time, then ripped his hand free. Full of anger, he turned from the Prince. "Next time, find someone else to play your game!"

"It's not a game, my love," Itachi said softly, moving to embrace his companion. He placed his head on Kisame's powerful back and wrapped his arms around the man's torso "You know I won't allow any other to put a hand on me. Only you can."

"You don't know what it's like," Kisame whispered, his shoulders sagging. "I would do anything for you, you know it. But please, don't make me repeat this. Seeing you like this, I..."

Itachi sighed dramatically. He smoothly maneuvered himself around to face his lover, placing a hand on the spot he just cut. Though no scar remained, Itachi knew that Kisame would never forget it. "I'm sorry," he breathed at his mate's ear. "I was impatient and wrong. I shouldn't have..."

"Don't play games with me!" Kisame snarled. "I know why you did it! But do you really have to be one step away from permanent death to restore your power? What if you aren't fast enough to stop me? I could have killed you!"

"Please," he discarded the notion with a simple wave of his hand. "I'm not that easy to kill. And I trust you."

Kisame shrugged free of Itachi's confining embrace and sat down on the sarcophagus. He pulled an apple out of his robe and bit into if as if the apple personally offended him. "Why wouldn't you just drink my blood to restore your power? I could have healed any damage you deal within hours. Do I taste worse than the rats you drained? I'm your Lunar, I exist to help you."

"And abandon you near death in this dusty crypt? Never."

"Yet you made me do it." Kisame reminded him. "Fine, what is done is done. What now?"

Itachi took in a deep breath. Moving around in the crypt to loosen his stiff limbs, he avoided any surface that might reflect his current features. Though his strength has returned, it would take much more necrotic essence to restore his beauty. His vanity would have to wait. Once he was back in the Underworld, healing himself wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"First, I want you to hear me out," Itachi started. "What I have to do is inevitable, so try not to argue with me. Just do as I command and all will be well."

Kisame's thin lips drew into a snarl as the apple in his hand burst with the force Kisame was squeezing it. Itachi chose not to comment on it, but continued. "Stay here in Thorns and remain out of sight. Be careful about your powers, now is not the time for the Son of Falcon to discover a fellow Lunar. I want you to watch the gate closely and report to me if anything happens. If you can, keep me informed about Naruto's whereabouts and any movements of the Legion. I'll have to leave the city before the sorcerers repair my barrier. I will send word to you when it is time for you to leave."

"What about the trap?"

"Worry not, you carry my blessing. The barrier will not stop you."

"And that Commander Kakashi? Should I keep an eye on him as well?"

"That won't be necessary."

Kisame nodded and wiped his hand on his pants. "Where will you go?"

"To visit an old friend." Itachi smirked. "It's time I set somethings right."

After half a century together, Kisame had stopped asking questions whenever the Prince spoke in riddles. He remembered that when they first met shortly after Itachi became a deathknight, the impulsive Lunar couldn't stop irritating him with unending inquiries. Were it not for their natural attraction towards each other, Itachi might have rid himself of this watcher just like he killed all the others.

"What about Hidan?" Kisame asked a moment later, when Itachi was about to exit his hideout.

"What about him?"

"He's in the dungeon, alone. Kakuzu is dead. Aren't you going to do something?"

"Why would I?"

"You lied to him," Kisame said, his voice carrying the slighted hint of worry. "You lured him into this trap. Now he's their prisoner. Does that not bother you?"

Itachi tilted his head. "Why should he bother me?"

"He's your fellow deathknight," Kisame suggested. "He could tell them who you are."

"And who am I if not the Prince of Darkness?" He stepped down from the stairs and placed a kiss on his mate's lips. "Worry not, everything is exactly as I planned. Hidan still has his uses and I aim to exploit them all. Don't look so glum, you know I feel no allegiance to him and neither should you. You heard him, he wants to drag Thorns to the Underworld. We couldn't let that happen. But if it makes you feel better, you are free to preserve his existence if you wish. But don't expose yourself. "

"As you wish," he nodded. He pulled the Deathknight into his arms just as Itachi turned to leave and pressed a harsh kiss on his lips. "I love you," he whispered. "Please come back to me."

Itachi smiled at those words. "I always do." He returned the kiss with one of his own and fled the warm embrace of his Lunar as fast as he could. Lingering in Kisame's arms were dangerous at times. The more he suffered, the more he hated his existence, the easier it was to forget who he was and drown in the memory of his past lives. Once, before the war started, Itachi whiled away months and years in Kisame's embrace. Once, he was content with having nothing but his Lunar at his side.

The return of his brothers from eons ago had shocked him out of the blissful dream. Twenty years had passed since he last cared about the dealings in Creation. Twenty years since he last recalled his duty. Now, Itachi schemed tirelessly to rectify those lost decades, stolen from him by the King using Itachi's own mate against him. By now, the Prince was sure that Kisame was not only supposed to be his watcher, but also his distraction. Madara was cunning enough to realize, that as long as Itachi was occupied with his Lunar mate, he remained blind to the King's plans. The shame of his own weakness still tortured him. Perhaps if he had cared, Sasuke would not have become a traitor. He would not have fallen into Orochimaru's hands, corrupted into a monstrosity Creation would one day fear.

He shook it out of his mind. As a man between life and death, Itachi had learned not to dwell on things he couldn't change. Instead, he shrouded himself in darkness and moved unseen between the mortal soldiers. He had almost reached the hidden passage behind Octavian's district when he noticed the small amphibian waiting for him at a dried up well. Pulling his heavy hood deeper into his face, Itachi approached the frog carefully. He nodded at the familiar wordlessly, waiting for the connection it would doubtlessly provide for him. Itachi's blood-eyes pulsed, following the charm the animal worked. The frog croaked without sound, then jumped into the conjured water in the well.

When the black water stilled into a mirror, a man with long white hair appeared on its surface. "Are you there, Lady Laela? We need to speak."

"Commander Jiraiya," Itachi answered softly, approaching the well with careful steps. He made sure his reflection in the water showed nothing but a shadowy figure while his voice betrayed not his gender. "What can I do for you?"

"Imagine my surprise to find you absent when I arrived at our rendezvous." The man was clearly impatient, fumbling with his hair as he spoke.

"Please forgive me, I was delayed." Itachi tried not to betray his own impatience as he continued. "I believe it is rather important if you would contact me this way?"

"My friend says he found you in Thorns, can I ask what you're doing there?"

"Following a most promising lead, the same that has kept me occupied." Itachi replied. "So please forgive my manners, I have to ask you to cut to the chase."

"Of course, dear," Jiraiya's grin brightened. "I would like to meet again, at the teahouse on the crossroads. I require your assistance."

"I fear you have to offer me more than just a cup of tea, Commander Jiraiya. My time is very valuable."

"I'll weigh you in gold," Jiraiya promised, "and you shall receive the full citizenship of Konoha, should you help me take down Akatsuki. How does that sound? Your life as a sell-sword and courtesan will be over. You will be rich, never having to work again. Help me take down Akatsuki, and I promise you that you can have all the wealth you can imagine."

"I can imagine a lot," Itachi chuckled, slowly merging back into the character he created to trick the commander. In fact, they had been in contact for many years and never had his mask slipped. "Taking down Akatsuki is no small feat. How many men do you have?"

Jiraiya hesitated and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Just me," he swallowed and put on what he thought was a charming smile, "and a stunningly talented courtesan who is about to became a very rich woman."

Itachi didn't need to consider. He had long predicted that commander Jiraiya would contact him for this issue. He had only hoped that the man's timing would be better. Yet still, staying in the character of a hesitant woman, Itachi placed a pale finger on his chin. "If you want to take down Akatsuki, you need more. As formidable as you are, even you cannot defeat their leader alone, not even with my help. But I shall accept your offer if you can ensure me a private audience with the Queen"

"Done," Jiraiya nodded, "What else?"

"How about we weigh you in gold?"

"Done as well. Anything else?"

Itachi's chuckled. "You must be very desperate, Commander Jiraiya."

"Just want to get it over with." Jiraiya shrugged. "You must know that Thorns holds much more excitement these days."

"I could never tell." He shook his head slightly. "But to the matter at hand, if we want to defeat them, we need more men." Itachi said "North of An Teng, yet south of the grand chasm, there lies a bay where the water runs red. You will find a cave nearby with the entrance to a hidden prison. The condition is harsh, but some of those men used to be warriors. If you can gain their support, victory might yet be ours."

"Sometimes I wonder how you know all this," Jiraiya chuckled. "Lady Laela, you're as elusive as a dream and no less beautiful. You really challenge my imagination. When this is over, I just have to know what you really are. So, where do we meet to embark on this..."

Itachi lifted a pale hand to silence the man in the water. As he looked around, the night was as dark as moment ago. For any mortal, nothing had changed. But Itachi was Deathknight and the slightest shift in the air told him of the enemy who drew near.

"In three days, at the crossroad!" Itachi hissed quickly. He picked up a random stone from the ground and tossed it into the water, contorting the features of the man. A moment later, the intruder landed before him with sure footing, his grand daiklave drawn at the ready. With a last glance toward the water behind him, Itachi made sure that the man was gone and the stone dry. Only then did he step away from the well. "Hatake Kakashi," he inclined his head in greeting. "It has been a long time."

"Itachi," the legionnaire hissed, "so it is you!"

"The man you seek is dead, I'm afraid," Itachi answered, drawing his hood back to reveal his crumbling face. He delighted in the sheer horror in Kakashi's expression and slowly encircled his opponent. "But you already knew that. Thus I must compliment you for your stupidity. Facing me alone is most foolish."

"Who says I am alone?"

Itachi tilted his head dramatically, letting Kakashi know that he saw through this simple lie. "Say Captain, did you weep for him? Did you mourn him?"

"You were a traitor! A murderer!" Kakashi gasped.

"He was your friend," Itachi continued, "he saved your life. He followed your orders and did your bidding. He participated in your lie, he fought your battles and won your victories. He made you a legend. But you forgot about him before his body was cold. Tell me, Captain, did you ever visit his grave? Ever light a candle to remember him, burned a stick of incense to honor him?"

"Who are you?" Kakashi's mask could not hide the shudder in his voice. His grip on his blade tightened, his stare grew intense. "What vile creature are you?"

"Can you not see?" Itachi opened both his arms, presenting himself to his former captain. Using just the slightest bit of essence, he let Kakashi witness what time could not yet restore. For one single moment, the Elementalist basked in the full glory of the Prince of Darkness. He should feel the terror this Deathknight had brought and tremble at its wake.

But Kakashi would not be the Grand Commander if a simple illusion could trick him into losing his composure. Channeling essence into his own mind, Kakashi shook off Itachi's mirage and panted. "What happened to you?"

"Death," Itachi whispered. Wind howled at his command as mist enveloped them both. His crimson robes, now black in the night danced as if by ghost's hand, making the Deathknight merge into what he called home. Unseen, the Anyssal whispered, "Death, as I shall teach you in a moment. But before that pleasure, tell me, how did you find me?"

Whirling around, Kakashi pulled his eye-patch from his face. "Thorns is under my protection! Earth is my friend, nothing walks it without me knowing!" His one blood-eyes fixed on Itachi's position and he grinned. "I can see you now!"

"Impressive," the Abyssal chuckled. "Stolen power suits you, Captain. But what is the point of us dancing around? Are you feeling nostalgic? Do you wish to spar or simply strike me down? Or would you rather ask a dead man for forgiveness?"

"I can see through your games!" Kakashi barked. "You cannot shake my resolve! Tell me what you want."

"What I want?" Itachi repeated. The question was stupid enough to make him laugh. "What I want? I fear that is something you cannot comprehend. But I shall tell you anyway. Right now, I merely wish to leave. Thorns has become a little too crowded for me."

"Who was that man you just spoke to?"

"A contact?"

"Why did you help Naruto?"

"Did I?" Itachi shook his head. "I see, you're as simple as the riverbed rock. You have lost your edges, Captain. And I tire of playing with you."

"And I'm tired of you babbling madness!" Kakashi shouted. Drawing his daiklave through the air, he channeled essence into his blade. Glowing with elemental power, Kakashi charged at the Deathknight, his weapon aimed at Itachi's heart.

The Abyssal saw through the attack and simply sidestepped out of its range. He merged into the shadow, only to reform many feet away. Shaking his head, Itachi sighed. "So be it. I shall make it quick." Two dagger made from soulsteel pieced out of his sleeve. Like their master, they vanished as they flew, only to reappear before their target. Kakashi parried them out of the air without effort. He did not care where they landed, an error that would cost him his life.

Twisting and twirling, Itachi danced towards his opponent. He bend down to glide under Kakashi's blade, seemingly carried by mist and wind. The two dagger he flung before rematerialized in his hand, allowing him to aim both at Kakashi's armpits. The commander realized his mistake just in time to jump out of reach, protecting the spot his armor didn't cover.

From his expression, Itachi gathered that he had never battled an adversary like himself before. The very nature of the Deathknight eluded him, their technique too strange for him to counter. Yet Kakashi tried. He was fast for a man his size, nimble for a warrior as steadfast as the stone. When his blade closed in on the Abyssal, they made no damage for the Abyssal simply melted into the night to escape the edge.

"Enough!" Kakashi hissed after Itachi evaded his strike for the third time. With a battle-cry, light emitted from the Commander as spirit wolves crawled out of the earth. The very ground cracked and trembled with Kakashi's power, driving away the mist that obscured their visions.

As the night was illuminated by Kakashi's light, Itachi found himself suddenly without allies. The mist he conjured thinned under his feet, making his soles touch the ground for the first time in years. Walking was strange to him. He had become so used to floating just slightly, he forgot why not wearing shoes was a very bad idea.

"Hm," he hummed, looking down at the mud that stuck to his toes. He wiggled them in, hissing at the cold that crawled up his legs.

"There you are!"

Earth began to move under Itachi's feet. As if having a will of their own, they gathered around him, robbing him of any ability to move. In mere seconds, the lower half the Deathknight was already completely covered. Just a moments more, and he would be as unmoving as a statue. Facing the prospect of being apprehended, Itachi couldn't deny that he was actually worried.

After all, he was not in good shape. Not to mention that he had asked his mate to beat him to the brink of death, he still carried the wounds sustained in Naruto's cleansing light. His essence might have returned, but his body was still broken. If he didn't stop playing with his former captain, death might become more than just a concept.

Realizing it, Itachi shrugged. "Really? The infamous mud wall?" he addressed the Commander who steadily drew closer. "Do you really think that your Anima alone can defeat me? "

"My hounds haven't even started yet." Kakashi replied, the top of his blade resting only a hand away from Itachi's throat. "If you really are Itachi, you know what they can do."

The Prince sighed. "I was going easy on you, but you leave me no choice. Since I do not like your tone, I'll have to teach you a lesson."

"Fetch!" Kakashi barked and two spirit hounds leaped at the Deathknight.

Drawing essence into his hands, Itachi's dagger charged through the air. They pierced the stone and shattered it just as Kakashi's pets snapped at him. Bending backwards, Itachi flung two other daggers at the beasts, each driving deep into their flesh. The animals crashed behind him, each of them whimpering in pain. Kakashi himself felt the impact, gasping from the essence that Itachi's daggers steadily stole him his spirit animals.

"What," the Commander sank to one knee. "What's happening?"

"Has no one warned you?" Itachi stepped out of the rubble around him, hissing at the pebbles that bore into his feet. "Do not ever let soulsteel touch you, it can drain you of life. Not an experience any living would want to repeat."

"You're lying, I've faced these weapons before!"

"Do not compare me to a ghost warrior!" Itachi hissed. "I am a Deathknight, the Prince of Darkness! I am no work of a Necromancer! Now, to your punishment."

Challenge always spurred Kakashi. At Itachi's words, he pushed himself from the ground, his blade slashing and cutting. Gathering essence that blistered like lighting, Kakashi infused his blade with the speed of thunder. From their past days as comrades, Itachi knew that this was his deadliest technique. His former Captain had abandoned the idea of capturing him. Now, he just wanted to kill him.

"Time to end this," Itachi chanted. His right hand blackened, his fingers transforming into talons. Blood gathered on his fingertips as dark, vile, twisted essence engulfed his palm. He dodged and waited, and waited, until Kakashi finally, after his fourth attack pushed himself into Itachi's reach. "Mine!" the Prince shouted, his claw penetrating jade and flesh and bones. Warm blood was spat into his face as Kakashi struggled for life. The Commander looked down on himself, and choked at the sight of Itachi's hand buried wrist-deep in his chest. The Deathknight tightened his fingers around Kakashi's heart, feeling hot blood rushing past his own flesh.

"Have you ever wondered, Captain?" He asked gently, drawing the man closer to himself. "Now you know how your victims felt."

"I'm not done!" Kakashi tried to lift his blade, but failed.

"It's over," Itachi squeezed again and the Commander suppressed his scream. "Call for help if you want, I shall slay them as well." He chuckled and closed his eyes. "Let's take a look at your heart, shall we?" With one simple gesture, Itachi pulled Kakashi's heart out of his chest. He examined the beating organ in his hand and licked his lips. Blood, so much blood. He could drink it empty and still crave more.

Before him, the Commander fell to his knees. He gaped at the blackened hole where his heart used to be and gagged. "How…."

Itachi blinked at him. "I obviously didn't really rip your heart out, that would be too simple. Besides, you'd be dead. As it so happens, you're more useful to me alive."

"I'll never work for you!"

"That's what they always say, but you do realize that I'm holding your heart, correct?" Itachi bowed down and held the beating organ in front of Kakashi's face. "Do you want your heart back?"

"I..."

"You will die, otherwise." Itachi closed his eyes and opened his mind to the heart that rested in his grasp. Kakashi's thoughts and feelings blend into his, showing him all the secret this man hid. Gasping at the sensation, Itachi chuckled. "Think of your husband, Captain. What is his name? Ah, the sweet Iruka. So adorable. Such dedication. Just think of what he would say when the legionnaire comes to his door to bring him your heartless corpse. I wonder if a mortal can die of a broken heart. Perhaps, I should gather his soul myself."

"I'll kill you!" Kakashi hissed. "Iruka will understand! He's better off without me!"

Itachi grinned. "You're right, Kakashi. You were never a very good lover. Think of Naruto, then. He admires you so. Or Sakura, such lovely girl. Hidan's type, I believe. Or Sasuke, oh," Itachi opened his eyes and cut himself loose from the connection. "You are a wicked man, Captain. All the lies you've told him. The manipulation! I could almost be proud! You've learned something from me after all!"

"How could you even speak his name?" Kakashi whimpered. "You betrayed him, you betrayed me!"

"I did what I had to do, what I wanted to do," Itachi replied. "But you, you manipulate him solely because of your cowardice. Because you are afraid of losing him again, or is it the hell he can unleash. Not telling him about his mate, using their sacred bond to force him into a brotherhood just so you can better control him. No honor in that, I'd say. And really, Kakashi, you made an empty vow to help him hunt the brother who was long dead. And then, you pride yourself on taming a Lunar Exalted"

"You seem very much alive to me!"

"But I am not, and you knew that." Itachi reminded him softly. "Do you even know what he feels for you? You are like a father to him. He loves you!"

"Shut up!" Kakashi shouted. "What do you want from me?"

"What could I want from the Grand Commander of the Konoha Legions?" Itachi's smirk widened. "Think sharp, Captain. Once we understand our foe, victory is imminent, you taught me that."

Kakashi gasped and panted. Sweat covered his forehead as blood slowly ran from his nose. Itachi's grip on the heart tightened just so slight, forcing a pained moan from the commander's lips.

"You..." Kakashi bit down on his tongue. He could try, but he could not escape. "You want my army."

"Correct," Itachi nodded. "As I've always wanted. And you were blind to my doings. What do think drove you to Thorns? Where did that idea come from? The depth of your own mind? Unlikely." Kakashi paled even more before the Prince. "Right, now you remember, don't you? The note I left you in your camp. The first time Sasuke claimed he saw me. All true. I made you believe that Thorns was empty. I made you come here."

"Why?"

"Because I want your army."

"You will not have it!"

"Wrong," Itachi corrected. "Nothing would be easier than to kill you and assume your place. I know you, Kakashi, impersonating you is but a child's play. But, you're lucky today. It so happens that urgent business draws me away, so I have to content with having you as my slave."

"You cannot bend stone! I will not serve you, so you better kill me."

Itachi rolled his eyes. He wanted to explain that of course he had his ways. Twisting the mind of an Elementalist was what he did even before he became a Deathknight. To him, an Elementalist was no more powerful than a well-trained ghost. But time was running out. It wouldn't take long for his brotherhood to feel his pain should the torture continue. As powerful as Itachi might be, he did not wish to battle sun and moon tonight.

Gathering essence in his palm, Itachi pushed his own necrotic energy into Kakashi's heart. It always fascinated him how those dark tendrils bore into the flesh and nestled there. Kakashi winced and whimpered. He coughed up blood and tried with all his strength not to fall. But even the sturdiest stone could crack. With a final cry, Kakashi crashed into the ground, wrestling for breath, for survival, for life.

"Don't bother," Itachi knelt down beside him. "You will not die unless I allow it. Right now, I have a task for you."

Whispering words of the underworld, Itachi straddled his former captain. He allowed himself a moment to admire the fleeting beauty of a man on the brink of death and sighed at it's fragile nature. Bending down, the Prince of Darkness moved his cold, blistered lips to Kakashi's ear as he slowly and steadily returned the heart to that man's chest. With another wave of his talon hand, the flesh mended itself together, forming into the brand of servitude. The crow on Itachi's sigil danced on final time and merged into Kakashi's pale skin. Even the breastplate returned to its original form.

Itachi had grasped the moment of resurrection. He had bent life and death to his will and instilled his command into Kakashi's mind. He pressed a kiss onto Kakashi's lips, breathing life back into him. He could hear the heartbeat with renewed vigor and knew that he had gained a new slave.

"Do as I told you, and you shall be rewarded." He ordered, rising from the beaten Elementalist.

Hatake Kakashi, the Grand Commander of the Konoha Legion struggled to kneel before the Deathknight. He took his sword into his hand and presented his family heirloom to his new lord. Bowing his head low, he swore. "I'll do as you command, Master."

The Deathknight smiled. When the commander lifted his head, the dark creature who grasped his heart had vanished.

Thanks for reading. This wasn't that bad, was it? Hasnadin reminded me that we never actually saw what a Deathknight can do, now that we do, who wants more? If anyone wants to shout "More vampires!" in my face, go on. In the official Exalted Lore, Deathknights/Abyssal Exalted are the forefathers of the modern vampires. So, not so inaccurate. :-D
Also, who else think that Neji and Sasuke need more time together? Or maybe even getting closer? XD
See you all next chapter! Review if you have questions, I always reply. :-)