A/N: HOO BOY!

Been updating my One Piece stories and then I remembered I had this little gem lying around. It dropped off for obvious reasons, due to lack of interest from the readers and like. Mind you, this story was written ages ago when I was still young in the ways of this site, but now that I've found it again, I thought I'd get out this little interlude. I wrote years ago. You see, I lost a LOT of written material in the fire, but I managed to salvage the notes and

If its well received, I'm going to do my damndest to maintain it.

If not, then I'm going to focus on finishing my other projects. Co-writers or not, its damn hard to keep all this up, let alone update every day. I'm also working on a bunch of MASSIVE chapters as well as something new at the moment, so that's going to take up a lot of my time for a bit.

Now then...

...shall we begin?

Hope you like the interlude!

Yeah, this is short, but it was all that survived the fire.

Naturally there are some changes, but a certain SOMEONE gets a hard beat down.

"Rock beats scissors. Darkness swallows light. Checkmate."

~?

Claws (Interlude)

At last, all was in readiness.

Three years, three agonizing years spent in this filthy little Syrup Village, pretending to be someone he wasn't. Striving under that insipid alias Klahadore to remain silent, playing the part, enduring all manner of indignity, trial after trail. Shepherding that damn girl about like the father he wasn't. Tolerating that filthy liar she doted upon. All the while bending to her every whim, doing exactly as she asked, even as he longed to wrap his hands around her throat and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze until her eyes bulged out of her head.

All to enact his plan.

Tonight, however, those plans were to be tested.

To most he seemed little more than a well-off gentleman butler. His thin, reedy features, and rotund spectacles gave no hint to his past life, or the pirate he had been then. Only one acquainted with his past life would have recognized him; even then they would've been hard-pressed to see who he truly once was. None knew him as Captain Kuro, the few that did were either under his employ or dead. He'd been meticulous in his scheme. Careful, oh so terribly careful.

So why?

Why had this stranger come in the dead of night to run everything he held dear?! Who was he? Where had he come from? How had he literally stepped out of the shadows as though he owned them to bar his path Beneath the cloak he looked like more than a wraith; his only visible features those striking blue eyes. And that smile. That dark, demented smile.

"Don't suppose I need to ask, do I?" the cloaked man hummed at him. "I could feel your killing intent halfway across the island. Honestly, I'm almost glad pops sent me out here."

The pirate stiffened infinitesimally.

"And you are...?"

White teeth flashed in the shadows of cloak.

"Call me...an interested party. So? You gonna put the claws away, or are we gonna dance?"

"No. You, will stand aside, or you will die." The man known to many as Klahadore answered. "Actually, for overhearing my plans, you will die. Whether slowly or painfully, remains to be seen."

"Is that so?"

The stranger sighed, raking a gloved hand through roughened blond bangs. He took three steps forward, placing himself between Kurohadol and the door. Blue eyes glistened softly in the darkness narrowing into hardened slits of sapphire. The blackness seemed to swirl around him in the shadow, ebbing and flowing from his very being as though it were somehow alive; ebbing and flowing into his open hand. His wrist snapped out, tendrils of inky death pooling there as he brought his palm forth from his voluminous sleeve, fingers splayed.

"Kurozu."

In that instant, three unthinkable events occurred.

First, the lights in the room abruptly guttered out. Second, Kurohadol snarled in disbelief as his feet left the floor. Third, the stranger's free hand snared Kurohadol's neck and hoisted him up by the hem of his jacket, leaving him hanging precariously just above the floor. It was almost as if gravity itself obeyed the stranger. He had simply beckoned, and the butler had flown toward him as if he were a puppet on strings, and he, the puppeteer.

"What madness is this!" Kuro hissed, writhing within the taller man's grip. "Release me at once!"

The man laughed; it was a deep, throaty sound that seemed to resonate forever.

"I think not, Captain Kuro."

He held the man there and gazed upon him, his eyes little more than twin pinprick of scarlet in the night. Kuro felt the life leaching from his features, even as he looked at him this deadly demon of death that had waylaid his plans time and time again ever since his arrival on Syrup Island. To think, that this man was actually a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, that he actually possessed such a heinous ability...

"Why you...

"See, there's been a change of plans." Naruto announced grimly. "The East Blue? Its been put on notice. Pirates like you won't be tolerated any longer. You give us a bad name, you see. My commander's little brother comes from these seas. So I've taken it upon myself to help clear his way." those crushing fingers tightened around his throat, strangling his breath. "Henceforth, I declare this island to be under the protection of Whitebeard." he rumbled. "And any man such as you, who would threaten that protection...

The sword hissed silently as he drew it forth from its sheathe.

...shall be punished."

A flicker of cold steel danced in the moonlight.

He never felt the cruel bite of the blade.

He never heard that dark laugh.

He never saw his smile.

Only darkness.

A/N: Well...damn. The Black Spot indeed! I wonder what could've caused the marines to massacre the people of Leaf Island? Is there more to this than meets the eye? Or was it simply a case of bad information? Will Ace still pursue Blackbeard?! And what will become of Naruto?! Find out next time in...MASTER OF SHADOWS! Yoho, and please don't forget to review until my ears fall off. Although, being a skeleton...I have no ears to listen with! YOHOHOHOHO! SKUULLL JOOOOKE! Look forward to plenty of action of next chappy people!

Now, in the immortal words of Atlas...

...review, would you kindly?

And enjoy the previews!

Well, potentials ones

(Preview!)

Gin balked.

"Y-You?! I know you! Why the hell is are you in the East Blue, Uzumaki Naruto?!"

"Eh, call it a bit of a recruitment drive." the blond yawned. "Care to join me? Your captain doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere; not after what Strawhat did to him."

"I...

That grin grew.

"I promise you'll never go hungry again."

"DEAL!"

"Big mistake."

Arlong growled angrily.

"And who the hell are you?"

"I'm just here to see the fireworks."

That was all he heard before a rubberized fist bashed down the gate.

"Oi!" the intruder called out, cracking his knuckles. "Which one of you is Arlong?"

R&R! =D