Warning: I'm not sure if this is a "dark" fic anymore, but it is by no means just a casual read. Please proceed at your own discretion.

This story is rated M for more than the obvious reason alone. Be warned that at some points it will live up to its primary 'Angst' genre rating.

Spoilers if you haven't gotten to time-skip of the Naruto manga/anime.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Till You Die

Prologue

"Tonight."

"Hime, please keep still."

The difference between their ages was by two years. Yet, it was hard to tell. Yuzuzu-hime had already seen seventeen summers, and was possibly the single-most pampered princess the fire country had to offer. But, even if Loreli thought that, she thought it in a fond way.

"Your hair is growing longer," her mistress said thoughtfully as she observed in the mirror's reflection as Loreli inserted hairpins into the princess's long black hair. "I bet you can almost pass as my sister if you're in disguise."

Loreli gave a small smile as she worked. "I will trim it again soon. It's not proper here for servants to wear their hair long like the nobles."

"What! You look best with long hair!"

The sudden jolt her mistress gave caused a few pins to drop out. She would have to redo the hair.

"You may need to work on your composure if you want to make a good impression tonight, Yuzuzu-hime," Loreli pointed out.

Pout. The princess stared with uncharacteristic quiet at her own reflection.

…

"…You will do it, right?"

"Of course, as you commanded me, Yuzuzu-hime," Loreli replied. Final twist of the hair. Done.

"He is a ninja."

"I won't be found out," Loreli reassured her.

A lie, most likely. If luck was with her, it'd probably be passed off as a harmless prank. She had tested for poison earlier, and there hadn't been a trace.

"Are you ready, Hime?" Loreli asked, stepping back to allow her mistress room.

"I will create an opening for you," the princess told her.

Loreli smiled and did not comment. "Let's go make your grand entrance to tonight's banquet, Hime-sama."

Two feuding families. A hatred fueled by bloodshed. Both sides have started resorting to hiring ninjas to settle the score since decades ago. Stronger, crueler, deadlier clans of ninjas were employed one after the other, each in hopes to break this costly stalemate.

"I, daughter of Yukama, welcome you to our estate, Uchiha Madara-sama."

Very prettily said. The princess was in the very image of how a well-bred lord's daughter should appear. From beside her, and standing slightly in the back with her head bowed as a servant should be, Loreli breathed an inward sigh of relief.

The greeting was acknowledged by a curt nod, evident to Loreli by the rise and fall of long spiked hair. Experience had taught her that most ninja did not appreciate being watched, but she didn't need to look up to know that the leader of the Uchiha clan was every bit as the rumor says. Even if the princess's father was to be his employer for this war, Uchiha Madara did not see himself as inferior.

No, in fact, he might very well know that the cost of a victory depended on his decision to accept this offer or not.

Without a word or a backwards glance the tall man passed by them towards the great halls, closely followed by his highest councilors, their powerful frames signifying that they were undoubtedly all excellent shinobi.

Her young mistress was biting her thumbnail, a nervous habit she still hadn't gotten rid of.

"Hime-"

"I like him!" Yuzuzu-hime said abruptly, surprising her. "He's exactly like how I thought he would be!"

A tug on her sleeves. Her young mistress gazed up with sparkling eyes. "I'm counting on you, Loreli."

Loreli closed her eyes briefly. Really, if she said it like that, there was no way she would accept a failure.

She glanced back to another of the princess' servants, notifying her to take over the job of caring for Yuzuzu-hime this evening.

With a small bow Loreli excused herself from the princess' side.

Being Yuzuzu-hime's constant companion, it wasn't strange for her to be seen at various unexpected places of the castle, running strange errands. None of the guards or other servants stopped her while she directly made her way around the banquet hall towards the left side, where the feudal lord's guests of honor were seated.

The male servant currently servicing Madara's table raised an inquisitive eyebrow upon turning back to a tap on his left shoulder.

"They said they don't need food testers," the male servant informed.

"Yuzuzu-hime's orders," Loreli replied simply. "You may leave."

Realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh." Their young mistress's mischievous nature was well known. They didn't even question it anymore.

"Well, make sure he has plenty of this," the servant replied, placing the silver wine jug into her arms, "the lord is counting on getting him into an agreeable mood."

The two exchanged a small smirk, aware that such a desperate method had no effect on a ninja.

"Good luck," the other servant whispered as he left. She'd probably need it.

On the surface, though, Loreli was calm and steady. It was true that the many bizarre errands she ran for the princess had numbed her to the prospect of getting caught, but they had never taken place in a grand event such as this.

She felt her heartbeat, each one a heavy thump in her chest despite its even pace.

If Uchiha Madara had noticed the change in servants, he showed nothing. Currently speaking with a loud, authoritarian voice towards the conversation between him and the feudal lord, the leader of the Uchiha had one arm draped on his risen knee, in a slight laid-back position as if he alone wielded all the power in this negotiation.

Although Loreli did not pay attention to what was being said – as she was taught not to do – it was clear to her as it was clear to the feudal lord's advisors on the other side of the great hall that despite being only twenty years of age, Madara held an influence over his clan which went beyond his abilities as a ninja alone. For the majority of the speaking on their side, it was Madara who spoke, with his councilors adding in occasionally.

Without looking, Madara brought his arm back, holding out his cup for a refill.

The gesture shouldn't have startled her, but it did. Was it because she was starting to suspect that he wouldn't be the type to let things go so easily?

Calmly, Loreli refilled his cup for him.

Not yet.

It helped that the negotiations seemed to have taken a wrong turn, and a few voices began rising with agitation.

It helped that as the most important guest, Uchiha Madara had been seated at the very end, closest to the feudal lord's right-handed side.

It helped also that he didn't seem to care who was serving him and that he didn't even glance down at his wine before sipping it.

But Madara himself was growing silent, letting the debate to go in its own direction.

Was it good enough? Would he notice it?

The cue was given to her in the guise of a piercing scream across the room.

"A spider! A spider!" Yuzuzu-hime continued to yell hysterically as servants rushed forth.

That must be the "opening" her mistress planned to give her. All eyes were diverted at this point.

In one small quick action, Loreli drew out the tiny bottle from within her sleeve and dumped its contents into the wine jug in her arm.

An order was an order. She could only pray that nothing big would come out of this act.

-The day before-

"Hime…"

"Shhh…" The young girl spun around quickly, a finger pressed to her pouting lips. "I told you not to address me by that while we're outside!" her young mistress reminded her in a fierce whisper.

Hesitation, but Loreli held her tongue. It was not her place to advice the only daughter of their feudal lord against the mischievous expedition which she had impulsively chosen to undertake.

She was, after all, the princess's closest servant, and ever since the early years of their childhood, Loreli had been the princess's only friend.

"I think this is the place! Loreli! This is the place!" princess Yuzuzu whispered excitedly, unaware that her whispering was drawing more attention due to her possessing a voice which carried rather easily.

Nonetheless, even if they were recognized, no harm would befall them there. Unknown to her mistress, Loreli had always informed the captain of the guards whenever Yuzuzu-hime decided to sneak outside the castle walls. Mutual trust was one thing, but having sworn a blood oath to devote everything to serving the princess meant that the well-being of her mistress was to be Loreli's top priority.

It was dark behind the curtains, and dank. The scent of cheap incense.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask her mistress to forget this idea again, but at that instant a low "welcome" came seemingly out of nowhere and caused Yuzuzu-hime to back into her in startlement.

A withered figure. An old crone with uncanny blue eyes, their large size emphasized by the fact that the bags beneath her eyes were sagging with age.

"Ah, an unexpected guest…" the old woman observed. Her voice did not match up with her appearance, sounding younger than she looked. Her tone was civil, neither welcoming nor repulsive.

Regardless, the princess swallowed loud enough for Loreli to hear from behind when the old woman reached out a claw-like hand and beckoned for them to come closer.

"You have need for my services?"

All her life, the princess was used to hearing those below her offering their services. Upon hearing those words, Loreli's mistress managed to regain some composure.

"There is a rumor. Rumor has it that you…can create a potion."

"Ah…" Two wrinkly hands clasped together. "Do you have a love interest, young one? A love gained by potion is not the same as a love gained by trust."

"Hime…" Loreli whispered pleadingly, barely loud enough for herself to hear.

Her mistress glanced back, eyes alit with excitement. "Do you not know who we're talking about here!?" Yuzuzu-hime spoke urgently, forgetting to keep her voice down. "The great Uchiha Madara! The greatest clan of them all! Even with all our resources, we won't have enough to hire them to last out this entire feud. But if their leader falls in love with me-…"

"…Oh, he will fall in love with you with this," came the interruption from the crone. "Deeply in love." Her voice lowered for effect. "He will want to be with you every second of every hour. He will become jealous if you even glance at another man. His body, his soul, he will devote his everything to you."

Loreli did not believe such things as love potions existed. She been unaffected by all this, only regarding it as another of Yuzuzu-hime's childish schemes, and yet…slowly, a tingling feeling of unease started at the base of her abdomen and spiraled its way up like a vine.

"Oh- I can't- Loreli, can you even imagine him behaving like that towards me!" the young princess practically swooned. "Oh! Do show me, show me it!"

It was a small container. A small, dark bottle the size of her thumb. The sight of it somewhat allowed Loreli relief.

The diminutive size of the "potion" simply reminded her of the incredulousness of the old woman's claim. Unfathomable, that something so small can have such potent effects.

"Is this it? This is it, isn't it?" her mistress's eagerness diminished none.

"Yes…" the old woman answered unhurriedly, "however…"

"Loreli," the princess commanded her.

Untying the bundle of cloth she cradled at her side, Loreli poured the contents onto the rackety wooden desk before them. Trinkets, baubles, and jewelry of all sorts spilled forth in a heap of gold and colours.

"Will this do?" Yuzuzu-hime inquired with a haughty air, confident that the crone living in such a poor area of the town had never seen anything close to such worth.

A small chuckle. With a small wave of dismissal towards the offering, the old woman shook her head.

"Oh, no, my dear. I have no need for any of this."

Her young mistress looked momentarily stunned, before sporting a small frown on her pretty face.

"Then, what do you want?" Yuzuzu-hime asked with slight impatience evident in her countenance.

Another chuckle. Loreli was prepared to step in and halt the whole thing if it went too far. But the next words the old woman spoke were unexpected.

"The potion, I give out for free to all who come to seek it."

"Huh? Really? Then…"

Two talon-like fingers reached forward and placed the small bottle into the center of the princess's palms.

"Here…take it…"

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Have the man you so adore drink this potion, and the first person he will kiss will mark his destiny. But remember…if you choose to use this potion and later regret your decision…" the old woman warned.

"I won't! I won't!" Loreli's young mistress insisted joyously. "I hear that Uchiha Madara is renowned as the most handsome man in the land of fire, and strong!"

"…the antidote…" the old woman went on regardless that Yuzuzu-hime wasn't paying any more heed to her words "…will cost you dearly."

Long, black waves twitched, jerking Loreli out of her thoughts.

He was holding out his cup again.

The center of her palms felt moist. It wasn't that she was superstitious. It was because an act like this would be a serious offense if caught.

It was fine. She had devoted her whole life to serving the princess. If anything went wrong, she would take full responsibility.

Nonetheless, it couldn't be denied that her arms felt weak as she poured the wine into his cup.

A typical poison would change colour in silver, and it was a silver jug used. As Loreli had tested before, there was no colour change.

Will he really take it?

There was noise and laughter as everyone watched Yuzuzu-hime get settled. All that was drowned out by the thumping in her ears.

Madara raised the cup to his lips.

…

"What you slipped into the wine just now, was it poison?"

Loreli shut her eyes, attempting to calm herself.

His voice, dark and sinister, forceful. She was chilled to the bone.

A light drawl to his words. A threatening aura. "What are you? An assassin from the Senju?"

He shifted, glancing back with arrogant cold eyes. For the first time she got a good look at him.

A blade. A black diamond. Something sharp and unrelenting yet captures the morbid allure which lies in danger.

A handsome man. Deadly. Intent.

He awaited her reply with unblinking dark eyes. If she delayed an answer, it would draw attention.

"…You caught me." Loreli tried her best to maintain a steady gaze. He would be searching for subtle signs of a lie.

"It is poison," Loreli lied with a straight face. "Do you dare to drink it?"

…

She couldn't breathe. She waited for him to give her the cup, to tell her to drink the "poison".

"…Heh." Madara's lips twisted upwards in a dark smirk. Loreli watched, stunned, as the man threw back his head, long mane rippling with the motion, downing the cup in one gulp.

What-

Thick black bangs fell back into place over his face as he straightened. A long eyebrow rose as he held the cup before her, upside down, as if to prove that the contents were gone.

"Satisfied?"

…

Voiceless, Loreli could only nod.

What was going on? Was she really that obvious a liar?

Hesitation. She excused herself, suspecting that she wouldn't be able to endure his piercing dark eyes any longer.

Uchiha Madara signaled the one seated nearest to him while watching the girl's retreating figure coldly. Of course the other Uchiha had been aware of everything that went on at his leader's side.

Madara narrowed his eyes. "Show her why you don't attempt to mess with an Uchiha."

"Yes, Madara-sama."