Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the plot and my OC's who will now featuring in my novel because I love them.

The Beginning of the End

"The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

"Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it - but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man." ~Jackie Kennedy

"We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already." ~ J.K. Rowling

Kurama walked into a dark cave behind the Hokage Monument and ducked as an explosion flew overhead.

"Who's there?" A voice called out from around a bend, light flickering over the gray stone walls.

"You already know," he answered. He turned the corner and ducked another explosion of what looked like purple gas.

"I'm sorry Kurama-sama! I didn't notice it was you. I've been working on a number of spells." Sacha answered. She looked horrible; deep purple-black bags hung underneath her eyes, her dark hair was tied in a limp ponytail and seemed dull rather than bright, her robes were dirty, hands and arms stained a many different colors, basically it looked like she hadn't bathed or slept in months. Or eaten for that matter since her cheeks were hollow and eyes a little dull.

"Oh like what?" He asked as he looked over her work. Hundreds of pots and fires were alight in the room, which he was certain had been expanded using magic.

"Oh well for one I made more of the green fire, the one that burns no matter what. Not as powerful as Amaterasu, which I still don't believe, but effective. I also made some sleeping potions but instead of having them ingested I made them like a gas. It will put down any low-mid level demons but the more powerful one will be a little harder."

"What about this one?" Kurama picked up sparkling blue-bottle. It shed a soft blue light that shone through his clawed fingers. It was small and round, and as he swirled it he felt a light breeze brush his face followed by tinkling laughter.

"Oh that," Sacha walked around a pot, throwing something in it that caused it to let out plume of green smoke. She plucked the bottle out of Kurama's hand and clutched it close to her. "Something I called in a favor for. It cost me as well," she took the stopper off and blew across the top causing blue sparkles to fill the air, which Kurama inhaled before stumbling back from it.

"Faerie Dust!" Kurama screeched as he backed away from it yet one of his hands reached out toward the disappearing dust.

"Yes, the only thing capable of destroying a demon… and freeing someone from one." Sacha said as she topped the bottle once more and tucked into the fold of her robes. "Also the one thing demons are addicted to."

"How?" Kyuubi asked, watching her every move, his nose tingled and he unconsciously followed her movements before getting a hold of himself. "The Faerie Realm is blocked against everyone."

"Ah see, my sister is the greatest magician ever. They Fey came looking for her, can't have a human capable of their strength. Did you know that they could come here anytime they desire, kind of like reverse summoning? Summons can only come here via a contract and through chakra but we can only go there if we are taken along with the summons. With the Faerie Realm they can come here whenever they like but we can't. I hate the Fey, they're assholes and they think they're better than the worlds themselves but this; even this is valuable in their world. I was given it because I saved the life of one of the Fey when my sister shoved a piece of lead pipe through its throat. Well the information as to who had it, I got it when I gave the Faerie in question a sample of my blood."

"That was foolish." Kurama snorted.

"So you say, but it wasn't my blood he got." Sacha turned a devious smirk on her face.

"Oh?"

"Let's just say that someone is experiencing the defects of working with a dead man's blood."

"Clever, but enough babble, have you got what I came for this time?" Kurama glared at her and she flinched slightly before straightening out.

"I'm sorry, I thought I had it down but it's a delicate process. This time I am certain though. I experimented it on some animals before giving it a try on a human couple. It worked on them so a shinobi should be no problem." She went to the farthest corner of the room and pulled out a dark vial.

"It lasts until the person in question finally gets impregnated. Then nature takes its… well rather unnatural course; nine months."

"Good." Kurama took the vial from her hands and slipped it into his pouch. "Have you any plans for stopping the portal?"

"So you felt it too huh? No I don't know how to do that. Shion is the only one recorded ever to stop a demon from crossing to this world. You were born here so that's- yeah you don't count. Demons from Hell are another thing since Hell is just another dimension. The amount of chakra and magic that Asmodeus is using is- it's incredible- right up there with the Ten-Tails and my sister's magic is extremely powerful; enough to make portals that would connect to this world and stay open. I won't be surprised if some demons have already crossed over and got lost in this land. Anytime now, that portal just brimming outside of these walls will open."

"Have you told Tsunade that there is a possible portal just outside her walls," honestly it was a rhetorical question, if she hadn't Kyuubi would have but still it bore asking. Even now they could feel the thrum of energy coming just outside the walls of Konoha.

"Yes, and I told the other villages that they could have one nearby their own. I got confirmation from Killer Bee-sama that the Hachibi has felt its power outside their village. The other villages' jinchuuriki are still young and inexperienced; I doubt they have even made contact with their bijuu comrades so I am uncertain about them."

"It's close to opening, I can feel it. Naruto is preparing himself for war and with the Uchiha here he might even help fight for Konoha." Kyuubi mused aloud.

"HA! I saw him, well I saw his chakra, that man is," Sacha looked up from bottling her potions and many emotions flickered onto her face. "He is so full of darkness, hatred, and loneliness. I-I don't know how he survived so long with all those emotions just brimming underneath his mask."

Taking a deep breath she looked up and released it with an audible whoosh of air. "Yet, when Naruto is around him, all of those negative emotions lessen. They are very compatible; it is no doubt that a red string crosses them both. HE is just as capable of letting Konoha burn to the ground as saving it. We just have to see what he does when the time comes."

"I suppose so, those two have always managed to surprise me. How am I to administer this?"

"Oh just have him drink it straight from the bottle. It doesn't work well mixed with other drinks so just straight from the bottle. I would recommend giving it to him after all this blows over and to see if he really wants to have something else besides friendship."

"Oh believe me they do. We just need to push them; they already kissed if Karin's photos are true. Holding Sasuke in a cell, well I still don't know whether that will do more damage than good. Not to mention the villagers, god they can be so annoying."

"That they can Kurama-sama. Will that be all? I have to prepare a flesh-eating potion that will only work on demon and since you're hear and stuff always explodes…"

"Well I'll be off then, good luck and don't lose the faerie dust." With those parting words the Kyuubi turned into a fox and bounded off to the familiar chakra of his jinchuuriki who was barely waking up.

Sacha sighed and rubbed her eyes before shaking violently, she was tired but now was not the time to lose focus. Grabbing a small vial she frowned at it before unstopping it and taking a swig. Coughing violently as it went down she gagged slightly before straightening up as the effects immediately took over. Magic was a powerful thing but like all things it had a price, the potion would leave her twice as tired as before and soon enough she wouldn't be able to keep drinking it but so long as she could she would keep making potions that would help the five nations. She had already sent out numerous crates of potions to the other nations, enough for a war, now she only had Konoha to finish.

"I'll get you back Jen, I'll bring you home."

Naruto groaned in annoyance at the slight poking to his cheek. Lifting a hand he swatted at whatever was poking him and mumbled something even he wasn't sure of.

"If you don't wake up I'll throw all the ramen out I swear to god I will!" Karin's voice snapped out and Naruto immediately shot up in hysteria.

"NO!" Before Karin could even open her mouth in warning he shot out the room and towards the kitchen to check to see if his precious ramen was still there. Karin sighed as she pulled the blanket off her face and walked slowly out the room.

"You forgot your pants," she muttered to the air. A small smirk worked its way to her mouth; at the sound of a thump from the kitchen had her howling in laughter as Naruto yelled vulgarities and then rushed back up.

"I hate you Karin!" He yelled as he slammed his bedroom door shut. Karin was sniggering outside as she tried to muffle her laughter.

"You ran out before I could say anything! Now take a shower and put on some proper clothes."

"Screw you!"

"I'll leave that to Sasuke."

"S-shut up!"

"Hurry up before breakfast gets cold! I am not warming anything up for you!" She sighed as she heard the shower beginning to run before taking a deep breath and going back downstairs to finish cooking. She ignored Sasuke who was standing with his arms crossed by the entrance; she didn't need her sensor abilities to know he wasn't interested in talking to her. The sound of eggs frying filled the air along with the smell of cooking rice, miso soup, and tea. Silence was strange with someone in the room she didn't really like it, even though it was only the two of them (or it had been), her and Naruto always made enough noise for a whole family.

Biting her lip she debated whether to speak or not but then decided against it in the last moment, if Sasuke wanted to talk he would speak.

"I'm sorry," she barely heard the words and froze in stirring the soup. Her back was to him so she couldn't see his face but she knew that if she had he would have said it with a straight face and barely any movement of his lips. He was always quiet, so quite, when they would travel through the woods he always made the least noise, could hold back Juugo with barely a whisper of sound or an exhalation of breath. So silent, always silent like a snake moving for the kill. When she had been obsessed with him she had dismissed it, had even added to his appeal but, she should have known better. Shutting off the stove she began to pull some plates down and setting the table. Nothing was spoken; barely any noise was made besides the slide of plates on wood, the clink of china on china, the soft clack of plastic chopsticks she had gotten at the store the day before as a surprise for Naruto on the ceramic plates. She fiddled with them as she heard the shower from above turn off, the chopsticks were decorated with little swirls of fishcakes and whirlpools something she couldn't resist.

"He's coming down," she finally muttered and looked up. And lost herself in grey-black pools of eyes as they bore into her. She stumbled back slightly, breath a little unsteady and chakra spiking in fear and adrenaline.

"You hate me." It was statement, one that she would have denied if not for the twisting in her gut and the slight guilt in her heart.

"No, I don't hate you," it was true, that still didn't mean she felt something that was close to it. At the slight narrowing of his eyes she felt the sudden need to elaborate though she didn't need to. This was HER house, he didn't belong here, and she could kick him out anytime she wanted to. That was it though, that was what she felt, resentment.

"I resent you."

"Same thing."

"No it's not."

"How." She frowned at his command but answered anyway as the thoughts solidified in her head.

"You brought Naruto's smile back. You the murderer, the traitor, and me his family couldn't. It's not fair!" She took some satisfaction at the slight widening of his eyes betraying his surprise at her outburst so she continued. "It's not fair that me, the one who cared for him when he had no memory of himself, couldn't make him smile like he used to! It's not fair that with one look from you and he smiles like it's the first time he's woken up! It's not fair that he remembers he loves you even when he couldn't remember your damn name and I had to work years to get him to trust me! It's not fair that I had to hold him as he cried in his sleep when he was small again because of the nightmares he had. Nightmares of you! The monster with the red eyes that haunted his dreams, hurting him, always hurting him! It's not fair! It's not fair that- that even with just one look, just one" she was close to him now, his mouth parted slightly and eyes wide, she raised a hand and cupped his cheek gently, "that one look- right there- can have us both at your feet because we love you so very much. I don't hate you Sasuke, no I resent you because even after all this time and all this pain… we love you but he loves you more than I ever could."

She kissed his cheek softly before parting from him and taking a seat at the table.

"Naruto I know you're there. Breakfast is ready take a seat. Bring Sasuke with you he doesn't look so well." Sasuke refrained from jumping at the hand that landed on his arm. Turning he was faced with the unusually somber face of Naruto. He let himself be pulled to the table in the kitchen before taking his seat on the opposite side of Naruto.

"Kari-" Naruto began but a swift finger on his lips stopped him.

"Not now Naruto, later. Eat first before I'm forced to shove the food down your throat. Kyuubi will let me." Karin said softly before grabbing her chopsticks and beginning to eat.

It was tense to say the least, Naruto ate but he kept darting glances at his cousin then sneaking ones at Sasuke. Sasuke was too stiff as he ate, though he did enjoy it a lot actually. He hadn't had a homemade meal in so long and honestly this was comforting… if there wasn't possibly homicidal redhead in front of him and though he tried not to show it, Naruto was angry. What exactly Sasuke didn't know yet, but Naruto had heard everything Karin said so the most probable guess was himself. Great.

In reality Naruto was mulling over everything Karin had said but he was mostly stuck on one thing; love. Ever since that first kiss a month ago, Sasuke hadn't touched him once. Sure he had been in prison but they had never talked about it and what exactly was… whatever they had. Naruto remembered everything, he remembered telling Sasuke he loved him and that- that might have been a mistake.

Sasuke and love were a complicated subject simply because, of well his clan. Everything, everything always revolves around the Uchiha Clan and what they did. To love Sasuke was to accept his clan and everything they did because they were such a huge factor in his life. Naruto honestly didn't know if he could; Itachi yes, Itachi was the one who paved the road for them and lead them to their destiny but if it weren't for Itachi, Sasuke would not be as he is.

Then again Naruto had to question what is it exactly that he loved about Sasuke; they fought they, always fought it was their way of expressing their emotions in some sick twisted way. Was it his strength, his stubbornness, the undeniable bond they had even before they were born? What? Sasuke had always looked down on him, sneered at him, fought him for everything, had attempted (and succeeded) in killing him. The only thing he could see from this relationship was pain, negligence, and instability. The there was the ever so precious thought that Karin had brought up unintentionally; Sasuke needed a woman, a fertile woman, to revive his clan. Yeah Naruto was lacking in that department that was if Sasuke even wanted children because just the opposite could be possible. Sasuke might not want children, at all just to spite Konoha and have the Uchiha die with him. That was something Naruto couldn't bear.

He wanted mini-Sasukes running around the village just to see the possibility of how Sasuke could have turned out if his clan hadn't used him, if Itachi hadn't used him, if Konoha hadn't used him. He wanted Sasuke's line to continue even if it meant being away from him. Naruto bit his lip slightly and repressed the urge to smash the table and demand Sasuke what he wanted from him, from this. Why did he return to the village if in the end he didn't even seem to care as much for the village as for Naruto? Deep within his mind Naruto knew, he knew with all his heart that if Sasuke ever threatened the village he would hurt him. See the thing Sasuke seemed to fail to notice was that Naruto was the village, and that the village was Naruto. You can't hurt one without the other and Sasuke hated the village so much, so very much, so by some extent he hated Naruto too. That hurt, that hurt so much it was the reason he stayed awake at night clutching his chest in pain as he relived the moment Sasuke shoved his fist straight through his chest.

Just like he did to Karin.

Like he was about to do with Sakura.

And Kakashi.

And so many others.

Karin saw both their chakras climb, and climb, and climb until it was roaring at her senses and she felt she was suffocating. Wow, this had been-this had been a horrible idea. She had planned on making them confront each other because she could not take the sulking of them both, the tension and the intensity of being near them. How had no one noticed this when they had been genin? Instead it looked like a fight was about to breakout and if they thought they were fighting here forget it! Sasuke still hadn't had his eyes sealed and Naruto was well. It was time to end this. Getting up from her half-finished meal she slammed her hands on the table and glared at them both.

"Go."

They needed no further prompting; in the span it took her to breathe they left. Letting go the biggest sigh she could she crumbled into herself and whimpered in relief as the grating chakra left her senses, well not really but at least she wasn't at the brunt of it anymore. Felt like a rain of kunai were slashing her due to their boiling emotions. So many, they had so many it was incredible and terrifying. If they didn't patch up their differences they would destroy Konoha, she knew they would with their sheer power.

Sakura took in a deep breath and sighed as the smell of flowers invaded her senses. Ino always smelt of flowers, even when they had been children and didn't know each other. It was a combination of lilacs, magnolias, and interestingly enough sakura petals.

"Sakura! Thank god can you help me in here? Please." Ino begged then shoved her to the counter where there was a line as Ino immediately began chatting to people about what kind of flowers they wanted. Rolling her eyes, Sakura began ringing up the customers, the prices already memorized in her head. This happened a lot; Sakura would come in and depending on how many people there were she either was sent to the cash register of they both left to go get something to eat. She looked up from the register to the next customer and suppressed a shudder as her stomach flopped in place, the person was garbed in a cloak that left everything but the mouth covered and the mouth was covered in blisters and she was pretty sure puss was at the corner of the mouth. Shoving down the urge to grab a kunai and hurl it at the person because besides the look the person radiated a sense of discomfort like if they were not fully there and willing to lash out at anyone, she smiled instead and looked to the flowers at hand. The hands were covered in gloves but something told her that they would also be covered in blisters as well.

"How much," the mouth barely seemed to move but it reached her and it sounded oily. The person was clutching a small batch of marigolds. The orange and yellow so at contrast with the faded worn brown the person was garbed in, just like the brown earth it would no doubt be laid upon.

"1000 yen please," she replied curtly. The person reeked of something putrid, it was barely detectable to the average civilian but to a ninja; the bitter, sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh teased her senses. Who was this person?

"I don't suppose you accept a pound of flesh in exchange?" With that statement Sakura's eyes widened and she threw a kunai just in time to block a blast of demonic energy sent to her. Screaming immediately started as civilians ran out the store and those caught by the blast began convulsing on the floor. Sakura swallowed the urge to vomit as the people on the floor stopped convulsing and instead had their mouth open in a silent scream and their bodies began rotting before her eyes.

"Tehee! Oh she's a ready one. Come then little girl, let's dance." The monster growled then threw back its hood. White noise filled her ears as she saw a malformed face with one half a beautiful woman with bright pink eyes, pale white skin, and full lashes; the other half though was littered with bruises, puss oozing from underneath a half melted eye filled with maggots, and peeling skin that she was sure showed the skull underneath. This was not going to be fun. "Your flesh will suit me just fine! It's been a long time since I had a pretty face such as yours."

Sakura snapped from her daze in time to dodge one of the rotting people who rushed to attack her. Crap, seems the spell or whatever the attack had been seemed to control the people that it hit.

"Sakura!" She turned just in time to duck a bottle that exploded on impact on the floor. "Come on!"

She was grabbed by the hand and pulled to the side a shimmering haze began to fill the room and set upon whatever was near it. Sakura's eyes widened as whatever the haze touched turned to plant life of varying kinds. Turning to face her savior she was graced with Ino's worried green eyes that flickered over her body to see if she was safe. For some reason that caused her to feel a flush of warmth all over her body which she immediately ignore by turning her head and covering it with her arms then jumping out the window. The door was blocked by many of the rotting people who were trying to escape the haze, which they didn't succeed. A high careening noise came out of the building as it overflowed with plant life.

"Do you think it stopped whatever that thing is?" Sakura asked Ino who turned to her with a raised eyebrow and a confident smirk.

"Jenova taught me that potion and it's been sitting in the back, the longer a potion stays in storage the more potent it gets. If this didn't get them then we'll have to go with plan B."

"What's plan B?" Sakura had a very weird feeling in her stomach as she looked back to the demolished store. Jenova and her potions, she forgot Ino was learning from her.

"Oh well just a little mind ma- watch out!" They both leaped from their previous spot onto different rooftops as another spell came crashing towards them.

"Oh now that was just mean! Now my little minions are all plant fodder!" The demon tsked slightly as it stepped out of the ruined shop window with hardly any sign of damage. She turned, well Sakura was pretty sure that was its preferred gender, and eyed Ino who had a small disappointed frown on her face. "Oh sweetheart that potion was magnificent! However, I'm not your normal demon. I'm pretty on top of the food chain, you may know me as a ghoul if you want."

"Nice, now bye." Ino's snarky voice echoed as she threw a kunai, which the demon dodged easily. However, the blast from the exploding tag taught the leg of the ghoul that then cried out.

"Foolish child! You think you can beat me with a meager bomb? I'll show you what real power is!" The demon then inhaled a large gulp of air before blowing it out and having black air escape from her lungs. Sakura swore she saw screaming faces in the foul black air and somehow managed to swallow down the urge to scream and run away.

"No, I'll show you." Sakura growled, tightening her gloves before letting loose a yell, driving her fist into the concrete of the road and having it cave in with her power.

The demon cursed in annoyance as she managed to avoid falling into the crater and most of the power behind the hit but pieces of debris clipped her shoulder. The demon glared before grinning in delight as she felt her magic capture some nearby humans. With a flourish she waved her hands and her zombies went to attack the pink-haired ninja. She then turned to face the purple-clad ninja who was muttering under her breath.

"Tiro!" Ino yelled and a ball of purple sizzling chakra smashed into the demon in a blink of an eye. "Ha! Take that!"

"INO WATCH OUT!" Sakura yelled just as the demon exploded from the earth and bite Ino's arm. A pain filled yell was the only response. Shinobi had appeared but they were fighting the human-turned-zombies. No one was there to help and a good five zombies that were very agile despite their rotting flesh were distracting Sakura but as she saw her friend crumple and the demon follow her down her anger tripled. "Shannero!"

She didn't hold back, shinobi jumped out of the way, the zombies were crumpled underneath the raw force of her punch and pinned down by the shattered street and she watched in horror as Ino and the demon fellow into the crater she had made. Oh crap.

Naruto and Sasuke didn't waste one moment, as soon as they got to the training ground they glanced around and came to a consensus. No powerful attacks that would level the village. Sasuke's nod was given begrudgingly but as soon as they did they set into their stances. For a while there was no movement then in a flash two kunai clashed and they were upon each other.

Fists packed with as much power as possible collided with forearms, the impact rattling both of them but never stopping them as they exchanged blows. A kick to the stomach responded with a punch to the face. A kick to the face exchanged for a throw to the trees, knocking them down. If anyone were there they would have not been able to see a thing except for the moments of space given to catch breath before they attacked each other. It was brutal, it was bloody, and it was the most relaxed either of them had been in ages. Even as a particularly brutal jab to the ribs had Sasuke coughing up blood and a split kick to Naruto jaw had time biting a chunk of his cheek off, they did not relent because this was not just a fight, this was dance; a show of power and how much the other had grown since they last met.

Naruto glared at Sasuke as he spat some more blood that remained in his mouth, cheek already healed thanks to the Kyuubi. He was breathing heavily, had sustained more injuries, and was hit more by the bastard. However, he smirked as he realized Sasuke was favoring one side over the other, had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, and was trying to subtly shake some feeling into his left arm. Sasuke scowled at the smirk that bloomed on the blonde's face, so he activated his Sharingan and in pure instinct charged his left hand with the Chidori. Naruto's smirk fell and he flinched slightly at the sound of a thousand chirping birds and the taste of lightning in the air but that didn't stop him from charging just as Sasuke had and forming a swirling ball of densely packed blue chakra in his hand.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!'

The explosion that followed was not only theirs and they looked to the distant Konoha were a plume of dust and smoke had risen up. Upon closer inspection Naruto was able to see people being flung to the air before being ripped apart by some humanoid creatures.

"We'll finish this next time!" Naruto yelled already halfway there, only the phantom of his voice behind. Sasuke blinked once before scowling as Naruto left him, left him, for Konoha. Konoha needed to realize it faults and arrange to have them repaired and reprogrammed if necessary because this was not acceptable. Scowl still in place he took off, grumbling in his head about stupid heroic blondes and stupid villages always in danger.

AN: Comments, feed back, criticism, flames, and/or corrections in a PM or review please! Btw I lied this was late as fuck by like months, I'm sorry. Shit's 'bout to go down after this.