So... here is the third part.

Do you love me noooow? Heeheehee...

I don't like this one nearly as I do the last one, but possibly because the demon isn't getting tortured. :)

Anyway, I hope YOOOOOU enjoy it. Because that is ALL that matters. *heart*

One Shot

Love of Ancient Kings

Part Four

Shocking Realities: Truth of the Demon – Meet the Demon King

Naruto didn't understand. What kind of friend – no, what kind of MAN? – was he? Fleeing from death while the demon so certainly faced his own.

"Don't worry about me!"

I don't want you to die!

But... I don't want YOU to die either.

Naruto was on the outskirts of the city now, his heart aching with tears but his legs pumping on with fear.

So what can I do? How can I save you?

He wasn't looking where he was going - he smacked straight into a trashcan and ended up knocking it over, barely catching onto the corner of a building to keep himself from falling.

The trashcan collided with dirt with a heavy thump of metal, and plastic bags full of rotting meat and fresh garbage rolled out into the empty street. No one was there to see. Everyone was at the center to witness the power of the demon and thus the Hokage. Everyone was there to see the spectacle.

To see the murder.

Still crying, Naruto pushed himself off the wall to back up and hit another one, his shoulders shaking.

Unable to bring himself to go on, he slid down the wall to sit on the dusty ground, leaning his head against the wall and sobbing pathetically.

"I'm sorry..." he bit out, the words making the tears fiercer. "I'm sorry I can't save you. I'm sorry you have to go through this."

I want to save you.

"How can I save you?" He curled his legs into his chest, burying his face in his knees. "I'm so pathetic. Stupid, stupid, worthless Natruto."

"You."

Naruto's head lifted up so quickly the back of it smacked against the wall behind him, making him cry out in pain. As he rubbed his head, he looked over into the shadows of the alleyway, attempting to make out a shape. The words weren't vocal. They were silent. They appeared inside his own mind.

"Who... who's there?" He stammered, tears still staining his cheeks.

The sun was on the opposite side of the building which he sat against, making the shadows long and dark. He could see nothing true, but could barely make out a shape he didn't recognize.

Whatever it was, however, was massive. The shape shifted in the dark shadows, and Naruto glanced down at his arm to see the hairs stand up, goosebumps appearing. Whatever it was, it wasn't just massive. It was powerful.

Another demon?

"I am looking for someone," it stated simply, the voice in Naruto's mind gruff and deep. "Perhaps you know him? He has long hair, a pretty face, drowning in self-pity–?"

"The demon?" Naruto bit out before he could help it, a little bit louder than he intended. Biting his lip, he took a breath and lowered his voice. "You're talking about the demon, aren't you? You're a demon, aren't you?" And then as it clicked, "You're his comrade, aren't you? The one they stole him from!"

There was a deep, amused chuckle.

"Oh, no, no..." came the throaty reply. "I am simply a fetcher. My lord is holding up his end of the deal still. He just found a loop hole." It shifted again. Shifted within itself. Then two green brilliant, huge eyes in the shape of almonds appeared, piercing, through the darkness. "So you know where he is. Take me to him. I cannot venture further into the heart of the village on my own without someone from the village's permission." There was a pause. "Do I have your permission?"

Naruto found his resolve hardening. There was hope now. He could save him!

I can do it!

He stood, fingers curling into fists.

I can save him!

"Yes."

The eyes seemed to smile.

"Then it is done."

Suddenly warm sand poured from the alleyway, swallowing Naruto in scratchy, golden atoms and making him cry out in fear, thinking that the demon was going to swallow him whole.

For a moment the world went black.

Then Naruto realized he was several stories up, sitting on the head of a massive creature made of sand, with one single great tail swinging back and forth behind it. Blue etchings decorated the hardened, warm body, and Naruto realized that the sand had hold of him to keep from falling off. His eyes were wide with awe.

Wow! So cool!

"So, human," the demon stated, speaking with its mouth now in an deep, echoing voice. The booming sound hurt Naruto's ears, but it helped him realize how regal this creature was. "My name is Shukaku, the One-tailed Sand Spirit. Until further notice, I am your protector, and you are my guide. Now..." He lowered his head, and Naruto realized that Shukaku was as tall as the buildings around them. Without doubt, Naruto knew, the spirit could make himself even bigger. "Which way?"

Naruto nodded down at the head he sat on, and then looked up towards the center of the village. Raising a hand, he pointed.

"That way!"

So much... pain...

The thought drifted across a weary mind, and the demon opened his eyes blearily to see the Hokage looming over him, staff in hand.

His entire body ached. The smell of burnt flesh and hair and bone wafted through the air, and the demon found he didn't even have enough energy to weep as sparkles of remnant energy - like ashes - floated across his eyes. Like snow.

Like death.

He closed his eyes against the image of the human above him.

"Curse you..." he breathed weakly. He tightened his jaw in anger. "Curse you to hell!"

The staff buffeted him across the face again, and his lip continued to bleed.

"Scum of the earth!" The Hokage snapped. "Tis you, not I, who shall see the points of the Devil's trident!"

The demon had to smile wryly.

You're a fool.

"And I hate you."

The staff came down again. And again, and again. The demon was a pulpy, bloody mess.

But still he refused to surrender what little pride he had left.

"You already use me to kill my own people..." he murmured, raising his head to look at the Hokage again. "Go ahead! Do whatever you want to me! You can't take anything more from me now!" He jerked against the chains, and flinched as another shock of pain flashed through his system. He gasped in pain. "Go ahead, keep swinging that fucking stick!" He couldn't see out of his right eye anymore (it had swollen shut), and blood dripped from his forehead, stinging his other eye. "I hope you kill me, you Godforsaken piece of shit! I hope your fucking Lord brings down blood to fill your lakes and feed your crops-!"

Angrily, the Hokage spun his staff to face the butt of it - an angry, sharp, bloody point - directly at the demon's head.

"You shall suffer, you fiendish heathen-!"

"That's enough."

Everyone gasped, and turned to look behind them to see the massive, impressive Shukaku, Naruto upon his head.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed angrily. "Hands off him, Hokage! Step back!"

Shukaku gazed evenly at the Hokage through green eyes that were swallowed by the massive raccoon-like mask. The Hokage returned the gaze, the demon bleeding and worn at his feet.

"I wish to speak to the king," he stated simply, unmoving. The demon's eyes widened at these words, and then, with a look of either pain or relief on his face, he closed them, biting his lip. The Hokage shifted, placing the butt of his staff back onto the ground.

"And who speaks?"

"That is no concern of yours," Shukaku stated simply, his tone stating without question that this response was not to be argued. "I wish to speak to the king."

"Yes, that is I-"

"He doesn't mean you," the demon breathed softly from where he sat, kneeling with back bare to the heavens. The Hokage scowled at him.

"Foolish creature!" He snapped. "Do you really think you have the power to tell me-?"

"He doesn't mean you," the demon repeated, just as softly. "He doesn't mean the king of this village. He means the king of demons." There was a very, very soft pause. "Me."

The words spread through the crowd, and the entire village began to laugh, the Hokage the first to do so.

"Is he serious?"

"Haha, he can't be! He's just a lowly demon!"

"Just a pathetic piece of meat-!"

"No way a king would drop so low-!"

"SHUT UP!" Shukaku roared, making all sounds immediately die and giving Naruto an instant headache. The birds in trees miles around took to flight. The demon didn't move from where he sat, everywhere hurting and his eyes closed. Shukaku then refocused his entire attention on the altar. "Now, ruler of this village." Sand creeped up onto the altar, and suddenly the atoms aquired the sharpness of diamond as the sand smashed the chains around the feeble human form, the warmth helping the demon up into a comforting bed of sand. The demon winced as some got into his cuts and wounds, but there was nothing Shukaku could do about that.

Gently, the sand floated up into the air, well above the reach of any priest or warrior there, and - despite the best efforts of every holy man there, the sand and its load floated above the crowd to Shukaku, and the demon was deposited safely in Naruto's arms.

"NO!" The Hokage roared. Naruto yanked the demon close to him.

"Let's get out of here!"

Shukaku turned and fled in a vanishing mist of sand.

Far away from the village, next to a tall hill, Shukaku paused and reformed, setting Naruto and the demon on the ground next to each other.

Gasping in pain, the demon opened his eyes wearily as Naruto moved closer to him, the blonde's eyes full of concern.

"I... told you... to run..." the demon breathed weakly as Naruto wished for something - anything - to clean the other up. "Why did you... come back?"

Naruto sat next to him and pulled the demon into his arms.

"I couldn't leave you," he replied pathetically, holding the other tightly and feeling the warm, fresh body (God this creature felt so human) pulse against him. Breathe and bleed against him. He swallowed, then continued softly. "I couldn't leave the only friend I had." Then he took a breath, and laughed ever so gently. "Besides. I can't believe it. You're a king. The demon king." He smiled a little. "It's nice to finally meet you. Who you really are."

The demon's eyes widened for a moment, but then he smiled a bit and leaned into the embrace.

"Thank you," he breathed softly after a beat, the smile a bit in amusement. "I believe I owe you my life."

"My lord."

The demon raised his eyes and gazed at the Sand Spirit through Naruto's arms.

"Shukaku?"

The spirit's gaze was adamant.

"We need to leave. I merely paused to drop the human. But we must go to the gathering spot. Your other is waiting."

The demon blinked, and his eyes shone for a moment as he remembered.

"My other..." Then he nodded, and sand began to gather him up for the continued travel. "All right, let's go."

As the demon was lifted up and set comfortably on Shukaku's head, Naruto leaped up in anger and fear.

"NO!" He cried before Shukaku could take off. "No! Don't leave me here! Where am I supposed to go?"

"There are villages and towns that you can find refuge in," came the simple reply from the demon. "There are clans that worship demons. Give even Shukaku's name and you will have an instant home."

Naruto shook his head vigorously.

"No!" He repeated, stamping his foot. "No! I don't want that! I don't want to be around them!"

The demon raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to be around people? Humans?"

Naruto sighed.

"No," he replied. "I don't. They're a cruel, twisted, evil race." He looked up at the monstrous Shukaku, and the tiny, tiny demon on his head. "I want to go with you. I want to be with you. I..." his fingers curled into tight fists. "I can't image being anywhere else. Please!" He looked up pleadingly at the demon. "Please! Please let me go with you! I want to spend the rest of my life with you! I want to die alongside you and your kind! I would do anything for you! Please! Please let me go!"

The demon merely stared at Naruto for several long moments, and just when Shukaku was about to open his mouth to tell the demon to hurry up, the creature smiled.

"All right," he finally replied. "You may come along. If you are willing to survive through the hardship, you are deserving of the resulting happiness. Shukaku, bring him along."

Sand helped Naruto up onto the spirit's head, and upon touching down he gave the demon a very hard hug. Wincing, the demon accepted it with a smile, and then pulled away to give Naruto a kiss on the forehead. Then he entwined his hand in the blonde's.

"You will be a part of our family." Then he turned to face the mountains in front of them. "Shukaku. My old, old friend. Let's go."

Letting out a pleased, powerful roar, Shukaku leaped forward and raced with the wind towards their final destination.

End Part Four – Shocking Realities: Truth of the Demon – Meet the Demon King

:)

I like it though. I like it a lot.

But did you? :D

Please let me know!

So much love,

DDB