Still not used to the upload system... shows how long I've been gone from ffnet oy vey...

Anyway, a short conclusion for this story. A little anticlimatic maybe? Haven't exactly proof-read this, a little too half awake, so beware! But enjoy, never-the-less, and thank you for reading!

"I'm going to rip your heart out," Naruto says, tone matter-of-fact. But it's not his voice, nor is it his eyes that blink at his tormentor. They're red. They promise hell.

And when he grins, he flashes sharp teeth – all the better to tear your flesh with – and his claws - all the better to rip your limbs with- rake along the Oto-nin's cheek. Demon hands coax him closer, and he's too afraid to struggle; to think. He can only fall prey to those hellish eyes and devilish smile.

The sky is blacked out with clouds on that winter night. The temperature is harsh and cold, but Sasuke doesn't feel anything. He's numb inside and out as he falls upon on his prey, katana at the ready. It doesn't matter how many men he's killed. It doesn't matter that he loses a piece of himself every time. It doesn't matter that there's a shadow around his heart, because nothing else matters when he's robbed of the only thing that drives the monsters away.

His prey is nothing more than an animal that he drives his vindictive blade through.

The Oto-nin grunts in surprise. His last sight is of that cold, hard hawk-mask, beckoning him to his death.

And as Sasuke stands, he knows he's nothing more than an animal as well. There's an itch he can't quite quell, a thirst he can't quite quench. He's hungry for more, needs more, so he resumes his hunt. He stalks through the snow, a predator on the prowl, his only instinct to kill. He knows he's drawing closer to their hideout because there's bloodlust palpitating in the air, a lust that's not his own. He's an animal, but the night is filled with something far more beastly than the creatures that stalk the night.

Sasuke doesn't waste any more time. Anyone who stands between him and the building fall to his blade. They're a hindrance that he doesn't have time for, an eyesore in his red world. Maybe it's because of the anger and desire for death in the air, but it crashes into him, a violent wave, and his blood roars in his ears. He can't hear anything else – not the warning cries from the Oto-nin, not his blade as it weaves through flesh and bones, not the song of a thousand birds as lightning cackles around his fist – just the roar that cries for retribution.

They're all animals, but the difference between them and Sasuke is that they're animals born to be slaughtered.

Sasuke scorches through the thick, metal doors of the building. He expects resistance when he steps inside, but no one is there to receive him. The bloodlust is thicker as he makes his way to the stairs, stronger as he descends, brighter as he makes his way towards the burst of red chakra.

It's a massacre below where all that's there is a hallway and prison cells. He steps over mutilated bodies, Sharingan eyes fixating on the source of the red chakra. It's a different shade of red from his red world – darker. It moves like a candle drawing him closer.

He allows his Sharingan to fade away with the rest of his vengeful desires. There's no one left to kill.

I believe in nothing / Not the end and not the start

Feral, demonic eyes turn to him. He's beautiful in a wild way, from those eyes to the blood splattered over whiskered cheeks; from the blood on his hands to the golden lashes that flutter over tanned skin when he blinks. His head tilts as if considering his new prey, strands of sunny hair falling across his face. His clothes are torn, his feet are bare, and there's no hitai-ate to hold his bangs back.

Not the earth and not the stars

Kurama smiles at him, all sharp teeth, but he disappears into the dark corners of Naruto's mind, bringing the demonic features with him.

"Sasuke," Naruto calls. His voice is warm, his eyes are blue and Sasuke feels the summer breeze as it drives the chill from his heart. He catches Naruto before he falls.

Not the day and not the dark

He holds him close, his hunt a distant memory, his bloodlust a dull ache. All he sees is the sun on a clear day. All he feels is the absolute certainty that Naruto's in his arms.

"Sasuke," he says again, driving himself deeper into those arms, closer to the beat of Sasuke's heart. Naruto relaxes as he hears it, a gentle reminder that this is real.

I believe in nothing / But the beating of our hearts

End.

Lyrics: 100 Suns | 30 Seconds to Mars