Sasuke's eyes were spiraling with anger, the red in them shining brightly against his skin. He looked simply malcontent. Danzo knew that he had to finish Sasuke quickly. The demon was younger, stronger, and had an aerial advantage. Limiting combat to be on the ground could even be a problem for the king. His strike against Sasuke had to be quick, had to be ruthless, had to be dirty. Danzo jumped from his spot on the upper balcony and landed in the courtyard. The sand started to recede. Danzo hoped this meant that none of Sasuke's demonic companions would get in the way. But he was still nervous. Sasuke was a creature made from old, very powerful magic. He was bred to be a warrior, bred to be demonic, bred to be something so perfectly controlled that Danzo wondered if he could even defeat him.

He felt sweat trickle down his brow. He shouldn't have sent Naruto away. If he had brought the blond with him, he would at least have some form of leverage against the Uchiha. He could threaten and connive. Though, Danzo also knew, Sasuke would become more ruthless and angry in attempt to get Naruto back, which could spell his death either way.

Danzo looked up and watched as Sasuke descended to land, his wings folding up behind his back. If things had been different, he might have kept Sasuke as a pet. Something for other men in different kingdoms to marvel at with awe. He was beautiful. All the Uchihas he had seen were. They were of the classical blood, and with that, the classic beauty of old Kings and Queens. When the humans had taken over, he remembered many a royal family being destroyed, and that meant a lot of old blood had been spilled onto the earth. Sasuke was a dying breed. All demons were. And Danzo would make sure that they would go extinct.

Sasuke stood, head held high, as he cast his eyes towards Danzo. The shadows of the fires surrounding his face made the angles look more exaggerated, made his eyes glow red in the dimness. His teeth shone as he smirked. "Finally, you've come to play with me. Tell me, did you think you could get away with laying a single finger on my Queen? That I'd stand idly by as you stole him away? He's been mine from the moment I laid eyes on him. I'll spill every drop of your blood to set him free." Sasuke's muscles moved under his skin, while he breathed, while he paced around in a circle. His back arched in a rhythm that made Danzo's spine tingle with fear. He looked deadly, like a jungle cat. The demon was sizing him up. His wings may have been folded against his back, but they still made Sasuke look that much more sinister, much more inhuman. Sasuke and his clan of demons had been a thorn in Danzo's side for many years, and this would be the end of it. He needed this to end. After this was all over, he would bed Naruto and force his visions to change only to him. With Sasuke dead, there was no point in seeing the future of a corpse.

Danzo rushed forward, a sword coming unsheathed from his belt. Sasuke ducked out of the way. He rolled to the side, ducking behind a pillar. Sasuke had also come prepared for a sword fight. But he felt perhaps that using his claws to end Danzo would be far more satisfying. The King's movements were slowed because of the strong armor; it made his defense high but all of that would be for naught if he couldn't avoid Sasuke cutting the armor off. Sasuke smirked as he evaded another attack, moving so that he was behind Danzo. He needed to a get a good look at the armor, where the hooks were, where the straps were bound. If he could destroy the bulky defense, his speed would overcome Danzo.

Sasuke noticed the first strap on his hip, noting that there were probably two; one on each side. He was already gaining the upper hand and Danzo was just blindly attacking, kicking out like a scared child. Sasuke leapt up, balancing his weight so he could land on Danzo's sword. The King cursed as the blade bent downward. Sasuke sprung backwards, letting his foot connect with the bottom of Danzo's chin. His head was sent sailing back. The demon spun on his feet, running alongside Danzo and quickly cutting through the leather of the strap on his right side. Sasuke hid his hiss of pain.

Danzo landed on his back, unable to keep his balance. Sasuke stood above him, about to stomp downwards, but the King rolled away, noticing that part of his armor came loose and exposed his side. He stood up and went to feel the strap, eyes widening at the realization he could not retie it.

Danzo had never thought that this fight might have to be a distance one. Sasuke was deliberately chinking his armor, cutting it away. The move itself was bold and cunning. Sasuke knew that Danzo's vulnerability would come from his humanity. One extreme injury could end this all in moments. Danzo cursed. Orochimaru didn't hand over control of Sasuke's curse and the snake must not have cared or known that the palace was under attack. Either way, the snake was too self-interested. He would only help if he own life was being threatened by Sasuke, and it wasn't. Danzo felt the sweat pouring out of his forehead, dripping down over his brow.

Sasuke's approach towards Danzo was slow, calculating. The amount of thought going into his movements were far more than important. If Danzo were to slip away from him, it would take longer to remove the armor. Sasuke knew his movements needed to be rapid, successive, and just deliberate enough that Danzo could figure out his pattern in time to move away. Not to mention, his armor had other defenses. When he cut the strap, it had burned him because he touched the armor itself. There was a powerful pulse of energy coming from it and if he continuously touched it, it could spell danger. He didn't think demon armor could burn him as badly as it did, but obviously Danzo had had this particular suit of armor custom made. Orochimaru had probably woven some kind of curse into the metal working. Sasuke cursed a little to himself. He needed to act now.

Sasuke leapt up, letting his wings catch the breeze. He stared down at Danzo; there were knives tucked along his belt that he could use. But he wondered how the weld of the armor was as a whole. If he could get it to crack or melt in one solid attack, then it wouldn't matter if he cut away at the hooks or straps.

Fire built in the deepest part of his throat. He needed it to be the hottest blaze he could possibly come up with, something that could scorch the very sun. He felt the curse pulse at his shoulder and tried his best to ignore it. He remembered what he did to the Danzo doppelganger in the camp. The curse had given him power. But he didn't need that power. Not to mention, Naruto had sealed it away. He would not deliberately break a seal just to defeat Danzo. He would not feed the monster inside him.

Sasuke's lips fell open as the fire expunged itself from his throat. It was white hot like when metal was pulled from the blacksmith force. It seemed to have a somewhat heavier viscosity to it, falling from Sasuke's lips in a projectile stream.

Danzo cried out. He immediately covered his face as the burning hot liquid fire covered him. He could hear his armor sizzling and groaning as the metal expanded atop his body. He knew he needed to do something. He needed to find water and throw it on himself or something bad could happen. He wasn't sure whether or not the armor would hold up through such extreme temperature and evaporate away. This wasn't regular demon fire, after all.

There was a fountain in the courtyard on the other side of the castle. Danzo knew he would never make it over there, even if he full out sprinted.

Danzo had nothing more than limited options. He starts to feel around the armor, noting that it was indeed melting. And it could very well melt to his skin, sealing him in a tomb of burning metal. He started to strip himself of the armor, feeling the places that were so hot that they were already starting to run, leaving vulnerable patches of skin. He could feel himself boiling in his skin, the armor slowly cooking him alive.

He moved frantically, stripping himself of the armor. His only defense already burned and melted away by Sasuke's second real attack. Danzo flung the fire ridden burden to the ground. He hadn't estimated Sasuke to be so strong. He hadn't thought this through. He didn't think Sasuke was this capable of harm. But hadn't he actually know this all along?

When the black metal sunk into the cobblestone cracks of the courtyard, Danzo looked up to the demon. Sasuke was looking back. His face blank but the rage smoldering in his eyes. But then he suddenly smirks, marring the stillness of his features with the haughty glory that only seemed befitting of a demon.

He needed to find a way to stop Sasuke here.
-

"Gaara, I'm worried." Naruto said suddenly, turning towards the red head.

The demon raised an eyebrow at the blond. "Why? Sasuke is handling this just fine. I mean, he got Danzo to remove that armor, right? He's got this handled. Have faith in him, Naruto."

Naruto was silent for a moment, his eyes growing wider and wider with concern. "But Gaara, there are things I haven't even told Sasuke. Things I've seen. I saw him, Gaara, I saw Danzo stabbing Sasuke because the curse overwhelmed him. Up until now, all my visions about Sasuke have come true."

Gaara's face seemingly drained all the color within it. He felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach as he looked around back to Sasuke, who was still smirking down at Danzo. Neither of them had moved, but it was obvious both parties were planning out their next moves. Sasuke needed to be calculating and smooth with his movements, keep Danzo on his toes in the air, but anyway he looked at it, Naruto's vision seemed more and more real.

"Are you sure that Sasuke died?" Gaara asked, sweat not visibly pricking up from his brow as fret started to gnaw at his gut. It felt like a wildfire had been thrust into his being. His heart was racing and his mind in a frenzy. If Naruto really saw Sasuke die, then there may not be a way to save him…

"He wasn't moving Gaara. There was blood everywhere. I mean, I understand Sasuke is a demon but there's got to be a limit to what you can surv-AHHH!" Naruto was cut off when he felt a hot, piercing sensation go across his cheek. Blood burst from his face and he shoved his hand on his wound, grinding his teeth to diminish his cries.

Gaara got up, only to be kicked in the chest by a red headed woman, a wild look in her eye. The demon skittered across the courtyard, drawing both Sasuke and Danzo's attention as the red head's body crumbled one of the pillars.

Danzo took that opportunity to charge at the demon, cutting him with the very tip of his sword. A red, faint line erupted with blood on Sasuke's cheek as he summersaulted around the King. "Don't get distracted, demon."

Sasuke had to take his eyes off Naruto if he wanted to live.

Naruto attempted to stand up, only to be grabbed by the face, fingers sinking into the wound on his cheek. He started to choke on his own saliva as the screams dried his throat. He could feel evil sinking into his skin, burning him. It was the single most painful experience he had ever dreamed possible. His hands were shaking as he tried to pry the fingers out of his wound. But found himself lacking the strength to do so. He couldn't break the finger's either. How could he? They were his own mother's fingers, after all.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto cried out. The look in her eyes only got more intense as the fingers dug deeper, sending wave after wave of pain shooting up Naruto's spine. "STOP!"

He gripped her arm, trying to pull it off of him, feeling the fingers twitch inside his skin. Golden magic started to flare up from the wound, trying to force the fingers out. He also had it concentrated in his hand, burning the flesh underneath his. Kushina tried to pull her arm back, fingers leaving Naruto's cheek but her arm couldn't rend itself free of the blond's grasp. His eyes were shining with anger and determination as he pulled Kushina closer, his free hand swelling up with an orb of gold, shining and sparking with power. He was about to shove it into her chest when she wrapped her leg around Naruto's arm, using her body weight to pull him to the ground, breaking his concentration. The magic faded as Naruto's body flung forward, the weight making him slide into the cobblestone.

Kushina started to laugh and he noticed right away that was no human laugh, in fact it wasn't even a female laugh. "Finally, we get to meet, little priest."

"Orochimaru…"

Orochimaru's smile made Kushina's lips split at the sides, causing a small stream of blood to bead up at the corners of her mouth. "That's right, speak the name as though it was nothing more than a curse. Spit it on the earth. Let everyone hear it and know, I have found a way to leave the catacombs below. And I will take everything for myself again. Nothing will stop me this time. Not the commander of a demon army, certainly not you, little priest, and neither will your whore mother be able to banish me from the world. Not this time."

Naruto stood up quickly, magic flooding into his palms, cascading with sparks and swirling in the middle of his hand. Orochimaru grabbed the blond's wrist and tried to divert the attack but was suddenly kicked out of the way by a large demonic presence. Naruto looked up to see Itachi crouched on the ceiling, looking down at him. The only visible part about him was his crimson eyes. Kyuubi was standing where Orochimaru once was, staring down at him. He had his arms around Naruto's shoulder, as if to support him. He was smirking.

"Did you forget about us?" Kyuubi said, his teeth shining white and sharp in the light. "We didn't forget about you."

Orochimaru fumbled to stand up in Kushina's body, running into Minato as he tried to back away from Kyuubi. Itachi landed in the middle of Minato and Kyuubi; the whiteness of his mouth shocking against the shadows. His smirk was just as sinister as his eyes. "There's nowhere to run."

Gaara was growling low in his throat as he approached, standing on the opposite side of Itachi. He was brushing the plaster and dust off of his clothing as he stared. "That really hurt, you know?"

Naruto's hands were overflowing with magic. He raised one to his face, the cut on his cheek disappearing quickly as he stared at the demon inhabiting his mother. "Back off." Kyuubi's eyes widened as Naruto fired a sphere of gold at Kushina's body. Orochimaru managed to dodge, allowing Minato to catch and manipulate the energy into a dagger. "This isn't your fight. None of you can purify. Only I can." Naruto watched as Orochimaru moved along the walls, sticking to the shadows to better hide himself. The problem was, he wasn't in his body, he couldn't move fast enough. Naruto could see the prolonged swishing of his mother's red hair, even in the shadows. He had no advantage over Naruto. An ambush wouldn't work a second time.

"Naruto, to be fair, you're not exactly dressed in the most battle-ready attire." Kyuubi commented as he watched the blond scouting. Naruto seemed to become slightly more self-aware, looking down at himself before turning back to Kyuubi. "I mean, you're all jingly-jangly. And I'll admit, you probably have good mobility but still this is better at showing your status than your ability. You should probably let us handle this."

Naruto walked up to Kyuubi, letting a small orb of magic gather on his finger. He flicked it at Kyuubi and the demon let out of blood curdling scream of fear as he flinched away from the powerful magic. "I think your point has been invalidated."

"He acts like he's so amazing…" Itachi muttered as he came to stand behind the blond. "I'll back you up."

Naruto nodded as he suddenly dashed forward and magic shot in front of him in a wave. He had been watching Orochimaru's movement pattern, slowly tracing his movements so he could find a predictable course of action. Orochimaru howled in pain as the magic wrapped him in a blanket of golden light, causing him to stagger, skin bursting with black ooze as Kushina's body reacted to being purified.

Itachi moved quickly, leaping over the golden wave and striking Kushina's body down so that, at the very least, her mobility would be scattered and Orochimaru couldn't control her. And true to the testament, Orochimaru's hold over Kushina slackened. He tried to get her to stand but her body slumped forward, banging her forearms on the ground as she tried to push herself up.

In synchronized movements, Itachi backed away as Naruto shot chains through his mother's body. The older Uchiha fell back behind Naruto, watching as the powerful energy shook through his arms and started to wrap around Orochimaru's soul, slowly pulling him out. Naruto gripped the chains harder, winding his fingers through the links and pulling with all of his strength. He was backing up, inch by inch, testing Orochimaru's strength with his minimal movements.

"Great display of strength. As I expected from a successor of the Uzumaki name." Orochimaru's body was slowly superimposing itself on Kushina's form, shadowing her features. "You may be able to fully defend your legacy but let's see if Sasuke's strong enough to uphold his!"

Naruto's head instantly turned to see Sasuke drop to his knees, the curse crushing its seal and worming out onto his flesh. It seemed like fire had been released from the seal, pocking his flesh with angry red and purple bruising as it cascaded up his neck. The dark marks crawled up his arms and across his face. He vomited and Danzo was smirking above him. He tried to slight his sword down into Sasuke but the demon rolled away, causing him to move in stilted jerky, motion as he attempted to evade the king. His speed had diminished into nearly nothing. It allowed Danzo's aged body to very well keep up with Sasuke. He tried to fly to a higher point on the palace but his wings throbbed in his back and more of the curse tried to overtake him. Sasuke dropped to the ground, his wings unable to lift him.

It was his vision. Sasuke would die if he didn't do anything now. He remembered every detail. Danzo would eventually outmaneuver him.

Naruto turned, running as fast as he could over to Sasuke. Ignoring the pain in his chest for his mother, he knew that she would forgive him later for what he had to do. Everyone would understand in the end. The demon was trying his best to keep himself on his feet but the pain was making his knees shake and start to buckle. Danzo rushed him suddenly but Naruto got there first, throwing himself in front of Sasuke, arms moving to push Sasuke back.

Sasuke stood, completely stunned as a small splash covered his face. He reached up to his face as if to test if it was real. His fingers shook as he looked at his hand, slightly stained with Naruto's blood. Danzo pulled the blade out from under Naruto's ribs, causing the blond to stumble forward. Sasuke immediately caught him, eyes wide with fear as blood poured from the wound.

"N-Naruto!? What were you thinking?!" Sasuke's hands were on Naruto's face but the blond's eyes were already glass. The blond's hand came up from the wound, stained crimson. The color was already starting to drain completely from his face.

"I did it. I prevented one of my visions." Naruto muttered, lips stained with blood. The blond was smiling weakly, tears streaming from his eyes as he stared into Sasuke's eyes. He coughed up more and it dribbled onto Sasuke's shoulder as the blond slumped forward, head resting on the demon. "I wouldn't let you die. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

The demon was stunned, clutching Naruto even closer to his body as he stared at the equally stunned King. "A fitting end for an unfit bride." Danzo muttered, shaking the blood from his sword to the ground.

Sasuke felt rage ricocheting up from the base of his spine, spreading through his nerves, and lighting fire in his veins. Danzo rushed at the demon again. Sasuke hissed as he grabbed Naruto's limp body, throwing it over his shoulder. His wings, suddenly renewed with strength, took flight, avoiding the heartless king below. He didn't want to put the blond down. He wanted to shed tears which burned in the backs of his eyes. He could feel the unimaginable pain of loss gnawing at him, like it had so many times before. But he wouldn't let Naruto's sacrifice be in vain. He would eat Danzo's heart. Rip apart the cage which held the fluttering essence of Danzo's humanity, taking great pleasure in grinding the sinews between his teeth.

He landed next to Kyuubi, handing him Naruto's unmoving body. It took him nearly a minute to actually let the blond go. Not wanting Naruto to be away from him after all that had happened.

"Sasuke…The curse…" Kyuubi muttered, eyes wide open.

Sasuke ignored the comment as he staggered back out to face Danzo. This would end now. He wouldn't play with this man any longer.

Danzo took a defensive stance as he paced around the courtyard, trying to keep his distance from Sasuke. But the demon was fast, cutting him off at every turn. Danzo was stumbling around, overwhelmed by Sasuke's speed. He turned sharply, attempting to bring the blade down on Sasuke's shoulder but the demon's caught the blade in his hand. He pushed up, knocking the blade back and out of Danzo's hands. The King was utterly defenseless now.

His eyes were wild as he looked around for a means to escaping Sasuke. "Orochimaru, help your king." When he looked back at the demonic sorcerer, he could see the snake-like body slumped before Kushina. He was slowly dissolving as a golden mist covered him. Danzo turned back. Sasuke hadn't moved yet.

"This is the end." Sasuke said, his eyes were full of tears as he looked down at the King. "I'll paint your palace in your blood."

Sasuke took a step forward but was stilted when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced back to see where Naruto's blood had been spilt on the ground. It was shining, moving, building up and gaining form. A person's body coagulated from the drying mess and it turned towards Danzo, eyes looking like shining pits of magma. Its fingers twitched, sparking with the same flavor of golden magic Naruto employed himself, shooting bolts into Danzo's shoulders and through his chest. King's mouth exploded with blood as he was pinned to the stone behind him. (1)

Sasuke was stunned as the figured moved closer to him. "I love you, Sasuke."

He could see Naruto's face. He could see it taking on more and more of the blond's features. The blood being stumbled through the courtyard, coming to stand next to the absolutely stunned demon commander. Naruto had been loving set onto the stones as Kyuubi had been trying to stop the bleeding and get Naruto to come around. The demon stepped away, allowing the being to come to the body. Naruto wasn't breathing.

The being got onto its knees, sinking into the blond, slowing causing the wound to heal itself.

Naruto suddenly shot up, spitting out a golden stream of smoke as he looked around, panting as the life returned to him.

Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't speak, and he certainly couldn't stop the tears of joy flooding down his face. He rushed to the blond, nearly crushing him in a death grip. "Naruto!? Naruto, you're alive. I'm so glad. I love you. I'm so happy…."

Naruto gripped onto Sasuke's shoulder, pulling the demon even closer as he nuzzled him. "I love you, too, Sasuke. I love you so much." The demon picked up the blond, spinning him around as they embraced deeply. They both pulled back, giving enough space for the duo to finally plant the long await reunion kiss.

"'Spill the blood of the Uzumaki to ensure the future of the demons. It is the only way…'" Kyuubi recited to himself.

"That's right." Kushina said, limping toward the small congregation of people. She was relying on Minato to help her and she stopped, smiling at Kyuubi. "Naruto was the child of Uzumaki prophecy. Didn't you think it was strange that Danzo chose Naruto when he really could have had any other child? Danzo knew that Naruto was part of something larger than himself and the only way to ensure full eradication of the demons was to keep him locked away and corrupt him. The elders of the clan foresaw that Naruto would bring the balance back to world, bringing peace to humans and demons. He was to be the savior."

"Since when do prophecies ever operate at a literal level?" Kyuubi complained. "There was no way to interpret that without thinking it was some kind of metaphor. Those Uzumaki elders were so annoying."

"Either way, it doesn't matter now. Danzo is dead." Naruto said, smiling even those there was blood tinting his mouth. "The time for hiding and murder is over now. We need to rebuild the world. Reform the bonds between humans and demons and allow cooperation to heal the wounds we placed on it."
-

ONE YEAR LATER
-

Itachi stood in the corridor of the palace. He was standing between the archway of the upper floor and the lower courtyards where Kyuubi said he would meet the Uchiha. People were buzzing about next to him, making sure not to brush past him as they moved around him.

Today was an important day at the palace; Minato and Kushina were assuming the throne after lengthy preparations.

It had taken an entire year to rid the land of Danzo's influences and allow the demons to come out of hiding. Their population had dwindled but now that they could live freely, they would repopulate and cohabitate with humans again.

Many of the other Kingdoms, at first, refused to acknowledge Minato as the successor and surprisingly, even the demon's seemed to also oppose another human king. But after many talks and persuasive methods, Minato was finally agreed upon. Everyone else who stepped forward to control Danzo's old kingdom couldn't even come up with a cohesive plan to reconstruct the empire after Danzo tore it down.

Minato had once led the Uzumaki clan without being a blood member. He had enough leadership experience to accomplish what needed to be done. And no one seemed to be complaining about it anymore since today Minato could finally assume his role as king.

Kyuubi rounded the corner, coming from one of the rooms near the end of the Hallway. It was a war room, if Itachi's memory served correct. Kyuubi had been advising Minato on getting rid of the last of Danzo's loyalists. There hadn't been many to start with after the King fell, but the truly loyal ones weren't going to give up so easily. But luckily without Danzo's military prowess, many of their forces had been wiped out in the first few invasions. Kyuubi just lent assistance for the most part.

The red head sighed with exhaustion as he met up with the Uchiha. He leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

It had been suggested Kyuubi take over the throne instead of Minato. But the demon refused vehemently, much to the demon population's dismay. Though, most of them now were quite alright with Minato taking the reins.

The idea had been tossed around a lot, brought up more during the succession discussions more than demon-human relationship practices. Itachi assumed it had been because if one of the other nations wished to attack, all they had to do was purify Kyuubi and the demon would be unfit for battle.

But despite that, Kyuubi would be a good enough leader. He led a rag-tag clan of demons to victory without being present. The forces under him were strong and responsive. And he could easily lead a country by himself. Though, he was idiotic and immature at nearly all serious times…

"Are you really alright with not assuming the throne?" Itachi asked Kyuubi. The red head had his arms folded against his chest.

He glanced over at his Uchiha lover. "Itachi, look me in the eye and tell me that I would be a good ruler for this kingdom." The raven looked away, smirking a little.

"Maybe you're right about that."

"I'm right about a lot of things." Kyuubi's expression was smug which brought out an incredulous one for Itachi. "Besides, I'm really tired of being the commander and leading people. I've been the commander for the demon clans for more than fifteen years. I'm ready to retire and go back to my original duties of protecting the royal family. It is a lot less emotional taxing."

Kyuubi put his arm around Itachi's back and pulled the Incubus closer to him. He could feel the soft prickling of his energy being siphoned off by the demon, but didn't mind. Itachi truly felt comfortable around him if he allowed his Incubus nature to be present all the time. He kissed the top of Itachi's head. "Though, I'd love to see you as my crowned Queen, bejeweled in all the riches and love I'd bestow upon you."

Itachi smiled a little. "I would make a beautiful Queen."

"Oh my yes, the most envious of beauty. No one would shower you with love and energy more than I ever could as King. Nothing would be too good for you."

"Which would be how everything would go wrong."

Kyuubi smirked devilishly. "You'd just destroy the souls of my enemies who were jealous of how I pampered you. My most deadly of vipers." Kyuubi wrapped his fingers around Itachi's hand, bringing it to his lips so he could kiss every knuckle. "But aside from all silliness, if I assumed the throne, your brother wouldn't be in line next to be King, remember? As soon as Minato steps down, Sasuke steps up. Which would make you royalty too, and me also by association. This works out fine for me in the end."

"Such a selfish, calculating man." Itachi muttered. Kyuubi nuzzled the smaller raven softly. "Speaking of inheriting royalty, where exactly is our little prince right now?"

"Which one? The cute, stubborn prince or the stubborn, cute prince?"

"Wow, what a great description. I can definitely tell which is which." Itachi shook his head.

Kyuubi smirked. "Well, to be fair, I assume they're together. They're practically exactly the same, whether or not they acknowledge it." Kyuubi pulled away from Itachi for a moment, snorting slightly. "Ever since that day where Naruto received that saving fatal blow, Sasuke has refused to leave his side. I understand that they already fulfilled their mating rites, but I still think that Sasuke is overreacting. It has been an entire year. Danzo's rebel forces are literally two camps before extinction. There's nothing left for him to worry about."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I can name another demon who is very protective of their lover."

"Is it me?"

"No, it's me."

Kyuubi smirked. "Oh, will your protect me from every bad man who comes my way?"

"No, but I will protect you from being an idiot." Itachi suddenly gasped as he looked at Kyuubi. He stopped walking as he did so. "Oh no, I failed." His voice was flat as he stared at the taller red head.

"You're so full of sass today."

Itachi shrugged, starting to walk again. "Hurry up, Kyuubi. Otherwise we'll be late."

Kyuubi made a face but picked up his pace. Minato's coronation was starting after the war meeting Kyuubi had just finished. He was glad Minato had finally be recognized for his leadership prowess, even though the man hadn't been in a leadership position for an incredibly long time. Though, it seemed even to the leaders of the other nations, Minato's skills hadn't lost their sharpness. He could still debate, make tactics, and had the general leader attitude. But he was so different than Danzo, such much younger, so much kinder, so much more approachable.

And he was already practically training Sasuke to take his place. He knew the Uchiha would soon wed with his son and become the second prince, by marriage, which would mean Sasuke would inherit the King's title. The new era of rulers would be so different than Danzo's reign. It would be a good time for healing and reform. The land itself would change.

Kyuubi wove his fingers into Itachi's, bringing the Uchiha's hand to his lips, yet again. Itachi blankly stared back at his lover. "What is it?"

"Nothing, really. Sometimes, I thought we would never progress this far. But look what we've done." He grabbed onto Itachi's arm, spinning the Uchiha towards an upper floor balcony. The curtains blew into the palace as Itachi was practically dragged out onto the stone structure. Decorations, which lined castle walls and windows, shone and sparkled in the sun as their reflective paper caught the sun light. They lined the town as well. Surrounding the bazaar which was being held by the people to celebrate their freedom from Danzo. The screeching of happiness and music could be heard from all over. The wind was carrying confetti from the celebrations in the air, making the usually colorless sensation burst brightly with every passing gale. "Look at it. We helped create a new era."
-

Sasuke stood behind the blond, his arms wrapped around his waist. His head was resting on Naruto's neck, hands smoothing the blond sides. He could feel warmth spreading through him with each press of the demon's hand but he had to ignore the urge for now. His father would be on the throne soon and he also had to be inaugurated as the crown prince. Naruto scoffed as he straightened out his ceremonial robes, which Sasuke insisted on continuing to mess up by pawing at them.

"What is it?" Sasuke was nuzzling the blond, wrapping his hold a little tighter than before so Naruto couldn't move his arms. The blond rolled his eyes.

"It looks like royalty was always in my future. Whether or not I married Danzo."

"Don't speak that name in my presence." Sasuke hissed as he pressed his face against the junction of Naruto's neck and shoulder, biting it softly.

"Stop it." The blond squirmed in Sasuke's arms but the demon only strengthened his hold. "Sasuke, let me go, the inauguration starts soon."

"No."

Naruto went slack in the Uchiha's grip and dropped to his knees, effectively pulling out of the Uchiha's grasp. Sasuke quickly dropped down on top of the blond, encasing Naruto yet again. "You are so spoiled." The blond's comment got a smirk in reply as the Uchiha resumed his hold. Naruto sighed, knowing the move wouldn't work a second time and resigned himself to being held by Sasuke.

The demon's breathing was smoldering against his neck and it only got warmer when Sasuke's mouth encircled his pulse. Naruto shuddered, letting Sasuke do as he pleased for the moment. He would have to let go eventually if he cooperated.

"I'll never let you go, never again."

"Sasuke, you're going to have to physically let me go so I can accept my title. You can never let go of my spirit all you want."

"But your spirit doesn't gasp when I bit its neck." Sasuke made it a point to make Naruto gasp as he said that. The blond turned his head, giving Sasuke a nasty stare as the Uchiha continued to ignore him. "See? Not nearly as fun."

"Sasuke…"

"Fine." The Uchiha untangled himself, huffing softly as he backed away from the blond. His bottom lip was slightly puffed out as he crossed his arms over his chest. Naruto wondered how Itachi put up with such childish behavior for so long.

"Come on, let's go. The coronation is starting soon." Naruto held out his hand to Sasuke and the Uchiha begrudgingly grabbed onto it, pulling the blond closer to him so he could wrap his arm Naruto's waist. He held the hand on the other side of Naruto's body and the blond rolled his eyes. Sasuke was being awfully grabby today. He must have been in one of his moods.

They walked together to the throne room where the official, legal business could be conducted since Minato was not fathered into the throne. While there was no one to officially pass the crown down, Minato would have to conduct the ceremony practically by himself. It planned on being promising.

The throne room was completely different now. Whereas before it had been covered in Danzo's war exploits, weapons, and Naruto's own shackles of oppression in the form of a seer table, now it was like walking into a foreign land. Banners and decorations hung from the ceiling, more seating had been added for audiences with the King, something Danzo never had previously.

Itachi and Kyuubi had already taken their seats towards the front, people slowing filling the pews and rows behind them. Sasuke settled down next to his brother; they nuzzled as a greeting. Kyuubi, leaning over his lover, also attempted to nuzzle and greet the younger Uchiha, but was given a particularly nasty look instead.

Itachi smirked, petting his younger brother's hair.

"Nasty little brats…" Kyuubi muttered.

Naruto greeted his father and took his place by his mother, in the throne right next to hers. She kissed Naruto on the head as he passed by her.

As the room settled, people finding their places and a hush slowly lulling over the room, Minato smiled.

"Greetings, my fellow countrymen. Today, we are in the midst of a momentous occasion." He spun on his heel as the smile on his face widened. "It's been a year; a long, arduous year. But we've done it. We've won the castle back from Danzo's previous reign of terror."

The crowd roared with approval, many of the demon representatives making a large commotion that the others.

Minato held up his hands to hush the room once more. "Yes, it is true. We've finally been able to come through that dark time and embrace the members of our demon community once more. We are no longer shamed for loving demons, helping them, and showing them their most basic of rights. It feels good to say that we've finally leveled the field, that the demons are finally citizens and no longer animals."

The crowd started to go crazy once again, cheering and thrusting their fists in the air with approval. One of the magicians fired up a volt of fire which exploded into confetti, showering the crowd with shimmering scraps.

"But, none of this would have been possible without sacrifice."

The crowd was silent once more.

"Because of Danzo's rules, his laws, his way of thinking, many have died in countless battles, countless wars, in countless tragedies…" Minato paused for a moment, looking back at his family. "My family was destroyed by Danzo, we were imprisoned by him, made to believe that the others were all dead." His eyes scanned Naruto's face before turning back to the crowd. "I'm sure we all have our stories about what has happened to us. The things we've had to overlook, the things we've had to hide, the things we've had to silence within ourselves. We shout because anger is stronger than fear. In reality though, we were all afraid, we all pretended we weren't."

Kyuubi stared at the blond man before him. He could feel his heart seizing up in his chest. Truer words had never been spoken in Danzo's throne room before.

"But now is not the time to dwell upon the past, now is the time to rejoice and celebrate us. We've survived to see this day. And on this day, we will fully welcome the new royal family." Minato gestured to Kushina and Naruto who sat at their respective positions. Both of them were smiling.

Minato walked over to one of the handmaids who was holding a crown on a pillow. Kushina rose from her seat and walked over to her husband. Her face was lit with her smile and as she knelt before the king, Minato couldn't help but lean in and steal a kiss. She laughed to herself.

"With the powers entrusted to me, rise and welcome our crowned Queen, Uzumaki Kushina." Her placed the pale gold circlet onto Kushina's brow with the utmost care.

The clapping was thunderous, filled with whistles and shouts of praise. Kushina turned towards the crowd, smiling with a slight blush on her cheeks. She waved and her smile only got wider. Minato reached for his wild, red-headed wife, planting a kiss right on her lips. She brushed her thumb against his cheek before kissing it softly. She bowed to the crowd then, resigning herself to the throne.

Another handmaiden came up to Minato, with yet another crown circlet for his son. The smaller blond was already on his feet. "And now, for the final member of the new royal family, my son. With the power entrusted to me, rise and welcome our crown Prince, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto knelt as well, feeling strange when the circlet was placed upon his brow by someone other than one of his previous servants. He hadn't worn a crown of any kind for the duration of this year, but when he felt the cool metallic circlet on his brow, a small sense of unease filled him.

But that's when the clapping started. Whenever he had been alone to have this done; there would be little to no sound. But this time there were people, praising, applauding, wanting him to wear the crown, be on the throne. There was no longer a need to live in fear of assassins, of demons or Danzo. Naruto stood up, his lips twitching into the brightest smile in the room. He was free. He was finally free.

"I really hate to steal the royal families thunder, but I request all of your attention, please." Sasuke was halfway across the throne chamber, shocking everyone in the room. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow, elbowing the Uchiha next to him. Itachi seemed too engrossed in the sudden situation to respond to the prodding.

"Sasuke, what is the meaning of this?" Sasuke grabbed the small blond's hand, pulling him closer to his body. The boy pushed softly at Sasuke's chest, trying to get a full grasp on the situation.

"As many of you may know, Naruto and I have completed demonic mating rites. He is my mate and I, his. But, for me, this is not enough." Naruto's face flushed. "In the human realm, mating rites are not so simple. They require a binding contract which requires an entire ceremony and the exchange of rings…"

"Oh, no he isn't!" Kyuubi's voice rung out and Itachi elbowed him hard in the ribs to keep him quiet.

Sasuke got down on one knee, his hand still firmly grasping Naruto's. The blond was shaking slightly where he stood, looking down at Sasuke. He could feel the heat burning his cheeks as the demon pulled a small box from his back pocket. He opened it and there was a simple, flawless diamond ring. He removed the ring, sliding it onto Naruto's finger.

"The day I rescued you from Danzo's keep, I took one of the diamonds from your necklace to bring me luck. And now, I am returning it to you." The blond's hand was shaking as he took it back from the demon. The gold which held the diamond was sculpted into the shape of Sasuke's wings, holding the diamond snuggly just as the demon did every time he held Naruto in his arms while they flew.

"With this, I have yet another ritual of bonding with you, another way of showing you that my love for you is more than just one set of rites. If I had to, I would perform every single ritual, every single rite there has even been, just to show you how much I absolutely worship you."

"Sasuke…" Naruto's eyes were welling up with tears. His heart was pounding in his chest; he understood why Sasuke was so clingy before the ceremony. He was nervous. The blond smiled at Sasuke. "I love you. Never doubt that I will decide differently."

Sasuke sprung up from his crouched position, fiercely kissing the blond. The crowd erupted in cries and clapping. Everyone leapt from their seats to celebrate the engagement.

Itachi looked over at Kyuubi, smiling. But immediately looked a little more shocked when he saw the red headed demon was sobbing softly. The Uchiha's eyes widened as his former commander grabbed his hand, pulling it close to his heart. "Itachi, let's get married."

"Hn, your proposal wasn't nearly as poetic or beautiful as Sasuke's. There's no way I'd marry some lame demon like you."

"YOU'RE SO CRUEL!"
-

Sasuke slammed Naruto down on the bed, already ripping at his ceremonial robes. His tongue shoved its way into the blond's mouth, leaving him breathless and wanton as he writhed against Sasuke, pulling the demon closer. Naruto's legs were wrapped around Sasuke's waist and the Uchiha was grinding down into him, causing his back to arch painfully as the pleasure threatened to ruin him. Sasuke's mouth disconnected from Naruto's leaving the blond gasping and moaning as Sasuke disrobed them. His hands were like fire on Naruto's skin, making him shake and shiver as fingers groped and caressed his form.

The proposal had left him speechless. He just wanted to devour Sasuke. Passion and love burned in his veins and he couldn't contain himself. As soon as the ceremony was over, he dragged Sasuke through the halls. But then Sasuke became the aggressor, pushing him over the edge with stolen kisses in the hallway, exciting his body past the point of no return. He wanted Sasuke to plunge into him, steal away any of the remaining secrets his body possessed. He wanted Sasuke to make love to him until he couldn't stand any other sensation.

Naruto's hands fisted into the Uchiha's hair, pulling him up from his chest. He had been licking and sucking, leaving marks but ignoring the dusty nipples. He kissed Sasuke again, sucking and nipping at already plump and bruising lips. Sasuke sighed into the kiss, hands tweaking and massaging Naruto's sensitive chest. He moaned, legs kicking at the sheets as Sasuke's onslaught continued.

"Tell me what you want, Naruto." Sasuke's words were hot against Naruto's lips. The blond was licking them, prying them open with his tongue. The Uchiha pulled back, teasing the blond by blocking further kissing with distance.

"Fuck me, Sasuke. I want you to fuck me." Naruto leaned onto his elbows, aggressively pulling Sasuke closer, nearly growling. "Bond with me, make love to me, whatever you want to call it. I want to feel you stretching my ass while playing with my cock and making me love your body and deliciously, sensual mind with every stroke of pleasure you give me."

Sasuke's face flushed, noting just how lewd the blond's scent had become. He was releasing all kind of pheromones that made Sasuke want to torture and frustrate that wanton body. He wanted to rip the energy out of Naruto's bones and feed on it so he would never be hungry again.

The energy of the room shifted as Naruto's actions got more bold, more wild as he tackled Sasuke to the bed. Their clothes removed, Naruto could feel the full press of Sasuke's skin against his own, feel the slickness of his arousal flush against his backside. Sweat was mingling between their bodies as they ground on each other. Sasuke's cock pressing teasingly against Naruto's hole; both parties moaned, increasing the friction of their bodies. Sasuke's demonic energy was encircling them, making Naruto's head swim with lust as the demon's form started to slowly peek out from his body.

His eyes were shining red, his teeth growing more accustomed to fangs, and his wings were sprouting from his back. Naruto moaned as the head of Sasuke's cock slipped in very faintly. He pulled himself up, knowing a lack of preparation couldn't be fully ignored. He wanted Sasuke to go through every motion with him, every step and take each painstakingly long drop of pleasure. It would only make Sasuke's entrance inside of him that much sweeter.

The demon dug his fingers in deeply, not wasting much time. Two at a time, Sasuke thrust them, making the blond wail with the sudden stretch. Sasuke bit down on Naruto's nipples, changing between the two as he enjoyed the blond, writhing and moaning against him.

His wings felt cramped beneath his weight. Sasuke flipped them, crushing Naruto's arching body down with his full weight. He wanted to give him every ounce of pleasure he could, he wouldn't let Naruto arch away from it. The blond moaned, drool pooling in the corner of his mouth as he moaned, the sounds choking in his throat when Sasuke hit a particularly sensitive spot.

A symphony of moans and whines and whimpers could sustain Sasuke for a lifetime. There was no better music, no better means of expression than hearing Naruto's voice when he was at full pleasure. The blond was thrashing, trying to calm his overexcited body down, but Sasuke wouldn't let him escape the feeling. Naruto screamed when two more fingers entered him; the pleasure causing a particularly rough orgasm to burst from him.

Naruto was twitching, rolling around as his body was continuously brought to higher and higher levels of pleasure and arousal. Sasuke would be deep inside him soon and nothing made his back shiver more than the thought of Sasuke's cock pounding his insides to mush.

He grabbed onto the demon's wrist. "N-no more. I n-need yo-you."

"Show me." Sasuke pulled away from the blond. Naruto immediately reacted, rolling onto his stomach and getting onto all fours, his ass in the air. His dripping, soaking hole in Sasuke's face. The demon leaned forward and shoved his tongue deep into the depths.

Naruto choked on his own saliva as Sasuke's tongue thrust deeper and deeper. "U-uhh! Yes! Sasuke, please."

"Please, what?" Sasuke's hand came down roughly on Naruto's cheeks, stinging them but making Naruto's back arch with desire. "Tell me." Another smack earned him a harsh moan. He stuck his face back into Naruto's hole, lavishing it with as much attention he could shower into it.

Desire made Sasuke's cock strain but he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to hear Naruto's full passion for him. As soon as he heard those words, he knew he couldn't keep an ounce of control anymore.

"Come on, Naruto. Why won't you tell me?" Sasuke's hand released another smack, grasping the firm flesh of Naruto's ass, massaging it with his palm as he soothed where he had abused it earlier. Naruto's mouth was pressed into the pillows as profanity and moaning became one with the other.

"Sasuke, please fill me. Please, put your cock inside me. I want you to fuck me, please." Naruto's voice was haggard with panting as he reached behind himself and spread his ass to Sasuke. "Give me more."

The feeling of Sasuke's filling him was almost too much for Naruto to take. The muscles of his stomach were twitching like crazy, nearly causing him to cum. The moan which ripped from the blond's mouth drove Sasuke's close to insane. It was so loud but muffled by the pillow which Naruto bit down on. His hands had a bruising grip on the blond's hips, mirroring Naruto's grip on the sheets. The slow, hard thrusts from Sasuke caused a strong wave of pleasure for both of them.

Wet and slick, Sasuke loved the squishy, tight, warmth of his lover. It was a feeling he would never get used to. It was always so unbelievably perfect. Always so unbearably tight yet fit himself perfect. Naruto rarely ever complained that Sasuke hurt him which was good. He didn't want Naruto to feel anything but pleasure when they made love. He only wanted Naruto to ache from the torture of holding in his orgasm.

Naruto's mouth couldn't hold onto the fabric of the pillow for long. Sasuke's thrusting behind him, the feeling of the Uchiha's cock, pulling in and out, rubbing and striking all of his most tender and delicate spots, over and over, made his cock want to burst. He was already close. Sasuke had barely started to love him deeply. He wanted more and more. The press of Sasuke's cock inside him was something he'd love for the rest of his life. It was always so big and throbbed when he clenched around his lover, pulling him deeper. It was so good. He just wanted to scream with how amazing his body felt whenever Sasuke was inside.

"Ohhh…!" Naruto moaned loudly, arching so his back was flush against Sasuke's chest. The Uchiha leaned down, marking all over Naruto's neck with his teeth. The blond was shuddering. "Oh, S-Sasu! Deeper!"

The Uchiha pulled Naruto's up causing him to fall back on his cock. The blond was sitting on Sasuke's lap, his legs part by the Uchiha's knees, which were constantly hitting and bouncing off of Naruto's thighs. Naruto's mouth was spouting off gibberish as he set a broken, unsteady rhythm with Sasuke's body. His fingers were clawed into the Uchiha's legs as he continued to fuck him, deeper and harder with each thrust.

Naruto cried out, his orgasm causing all of his muscle to twitch uncontrollably as Sasuke continued to mercilessly pound him deeply. His cum spilled out from his cock, splashing onto his chest and staining his thighs, sticking Sasuke's legs onto the blond's.

Sasuke couldn't hold himself much longer. The blond's walls, which were already tight, squeezed him even more, milking him to coat his inner walls. Sasuke bit down on Naruto's neck, causing the blond to moan and twitch. It was their mating mark and it was infinitely sensitive on the blond.

Naruto collapsed, falling forward onto his knees as Sasuke sagged down on top of him. Eventually the settled down into a comfortable position, Sasuke showering the blond with long, sweet kisses.

"I love you, I love you so much." Naruto muttered, kissing the demon back. Their lips were locked for a long time as the sunset outside their window. The evening festival started with bursting bunches of fireworks, the sparks falling back to earth slowly. Sasuke watched as he petted the blond's hair, hearing the slowing of his breath as he fell asleep in his arms. The place where he belonged.
-

(1)Okay I know someone is going to call bullshit Deus Ex Machina moment on this but to be fair, this isn't purely Deus Ex Machina. This was Chekov's Gun. And for those of you who don't know what Chekov's gun means it is the basic principle of if you mention a gun in the first act, it has to go off in the third. Spilling Naruto's blood has been mentioned since the very first chapter and now is when it is actually coming into play. Also #swag for me because I planned that so well.

AFTER SO LONG, IT IS DONE. I FINALLY FINISHED IT. EVEN AFTER THE FAKE-OUT ENDING CHAPTER AND HAVING TO COMPLETELY REDO THE ENTIRE ENDING SEQUENCE. I'M FINALLY SATISFIED. IT IE EVERYTHING I COULD HAVE WISHED FOR.

Naruto: I can't believe it…
Me: I know, I'mma cry 5ever….
Naruto: No, I mean you actually managed to finish it. I'm surprised.
Me: you're not very nice, I gave you a beautiful ending scene.
Naruto: Oh yeah, like the readers won't expect this stereotypical Hitoko-Sama ending.
Me: I hope you fall down later. THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA

LITTLE ANNOUNCEMENT: I'll be starting two new fanfics soon from the poll which has been up for literally forever. SO, I'll be starting a new story soon and I hope you guys will continue to grant me your undying support…until then, love and yaoi!