A/N: Here goes nothing.

Folks may like this...or hate it...but when I saw THAT scene and I had to do it.

Before anyone says anything! As ever, the Embers Rule persists. Sorry, but its the sad truth.

That's right! If folks don't like this little tale, it will go the way of so other failed works in the past like "Titan" and "Witch of the World" Thy Name is Vengeance" "Long Live the King" and others.

So? Should it be a story? Yay? Nay? By all means, speak up! Your words determine if this story continues.

Clearly this is going to be radically different from the events of "A New Archon" Case in point, we have a rare single pairing here! No harem to speak of! Just Naruto x Raiden/Ei. Technically speaking the Shogun is here own person, but then again, so is Ei herself...

How, you ask? Well...why don't you read and see for yourself?

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes.

Really! That ought to be bloody obvious. Now then...

...are you ready? Set? Goooooooooooo~!

"You are the enemy of eternity."

"Nope."

...no?"

"That's what I said. As in nope. Negative. Not your enemy. And I refuse to fight you."

"Then you will be eliminated."

"Also, no. See, I've got a world to get back to, ya know. I'm sure everyone's worried about me. Really, that's why I wanted to meet you in the first place. Everyone here says you're REALLY strong. That you can cut right through reality itself. So I was kinda hoping you could help me. Please? Why don't you put the sword away, I'll sit back down, and we can talk this out like adults?"

~?

First Audience

"I seek an audience with the Shogun."

As far as first impressions went, the stranger did...not make a memorable one so far as Ei was concerned.

She beheld him before her in the temple; a young man clad in tattered orange and black, his clothes so worn as to barely resembled rags. His blond hair was worn with dirt and grime, blue eyes weary from lack of sleep for days on end, whiskered cheeks flecked with dirt, and unless she imagined it, blood. None of it was his own. No. Surely not. Surely her guards wouldn't fall to a ruffian such as this.

And yet they had.

Violet eyes gazed upon them, watched as this intruder stepped over their prone forms. Despite his bedraggled appearance, or perhaps in spite of it, this peculiar young man nevertheless radiated an air of noble dignity. He stood tall and proud before her, not even out of breath despite the score of bodies sprawled out behind them.

"Sorry about your guards, lady." despite his words, he didn't sound sorry in the least. "I tried to reason with them. They wouldn't listen."

Ei had gone by many names since she'd taken her sister's place as Shogun. Many names indeed.

But lady...? That was something of a novelty.

"Why have you come here?" she turned to face him fully, one hand falling to the lance at her back. "Why do intrude upon my seclusion?"

"Well," the intruder offered a sheepish smile as he crossed the threshold, "That's kind of a long story. Mind if I sit?"

Ei blinked, terribly startled by such nonchalance. "Actually, I'd prefer you leave-

"Thanks~! Much to her chagrin the wounded warrior plonked right down, crossed his legs beneath him, and did just that. "Long story short, I kinda fell out of a portal and landed on this island a days or so ago." a bruised hand rose to scratch the back of his head. "From what I've seen, I'm pretty damn sure this ain't my world, because I definitely don't remember their being seven gods out and about...

Her brow furrowed. "Cease your prattling and explain."

"Alright, alright!" the blond flailed his hands when she drew her polearm. "So, my name's Naruto." when she didn't so much as bat an eyelash, he barreled right on. "I've heard the people talking about you. They say yer a god." He squinted at her. "Are ya?"

Ei felt a muscle jump in her jaw. "That...is correct."

Incredibly, her response seemed to lighten his spirits.

"Seems she was telling the truth, then. You can cut portals through space and time, right?"

He hand fell to her chest, where her blade, the Musou Isshin was concealed within. "That is correct."

"Great!" Earnest blue eyes rose to meet hers and for a moment she found herself taken aback at the singular, earnest desire within. "I was kinda hoping you could help me. Any chance you could cut me a portal back to my world? I'd really appreciate it."

Such foolishness. Why would she do such a thing? Her path was clear. This man was an intruder. There could only be one course of action.

"You come into my domain," violet light crackled around her as she spoke, "Massacre my men...

"To be fair, I only knocked them out!"

...and ask favors of me?"

Naruto pursed is lips. "Its just one little portal and I'll be out of your hair...

Nonsense. Invaders must die. And so would he!

"Alright," the blond clamored to his feet as she advanced upon him, "I can see you're angry. I'll just come back tomorrow, yeah?"

"You will not!"

Her lance set itself against the side of his neck, stilling him before he could rise past a knee. In such a vulnerable position, anyone with even the smallest modicum of sense would've surrendered. She had the high ground and he was unarmed, with no Vision anywhere to be seen.

"Speak your last words." she intoned. "I shall grant you this small mercy."

Azure orbs narrowed and quite suddenly she found herself slicing through empty air.

Her eyes slid to the right, tracking his movement. Even as he bolted for the exit she intercepted him with a crackle of lightning. A faint flicker of surprise flashed across his visage; then he was gone again. She vanished in his stead and barred his path once more. Thrice, when he tried to make for the balcony.

"You won't let me leave?" a spark of anger flashed across his face. "Fine. I'll go through you."

Ei's body, or rather the puppet's, blurred to meet him. Her lance stabbed down and passed through not flesh, but nebulous smoke.

She carried on regardless, striking down at a shape in the mist.

Her weapon stopped well short of its target.

Not in flesh, but air, cradled between two open palms as though gripped by an invisible fist. Naturally, she tried to tug it free. Her strength availed her naught. Her blade lay trapped in the air, unable to move. For all her might she could not tear it loose. Confusion wrought her pale face, forged by frustration.

She scowled and tried to tug it free, only to falter. "So you wield a Vision, then?"

"Unfortunately...

Much to her chagrin, the young man hadn't moved; his sole concession had been to close his eyes. Now they flitted open anew; burning a wild red, pupils strange indeed. Like twin lines crossing through one another, so too did they scorch her very soul.

...I have no idea what a Vision is. "

Nor did the change end there. She looked down to find his entire being alight with golden light, scrawled with strange black markings. Her scowl redoubled. Were they they source of his strength? Whatever they were, they allowed him to hold her blade with ease, a feat that should've been impossible for a mere mortal.

She slammed a foot into his chest, ripping him away and denying his supernatural grasp on her weapon. A flicker danced in her peripherals. Ei whirled to meet it in kind, only to cut through smoke once more. Rapid footsteps approached and too late, she realized the ruse.

A feint!

An open palm struck her stomach with frightful speed to hurl her away. Her feet bit down into the stone, tearing deep gouges in the earth as she slid back. A mere setback. He hadn't even left a wound. Yet rather than pursue, the blond held his ground. He straightened slowly, lowering his right arm with intent.

"Look, lady." Those odd red-rimmed eyes regarded her intently. "I didn't come here to fight you."

Her resolve tightened. "Then you will die."

"Maybe." his smile was serenity itself, a striking contrast to the cold concept of eternity. "Maybe not. From where I stand, I'd say we're evenly matched."

Silence stretched between them.

.

..

...but like I said," Naruto crossed both arms behind his head, "I don't wanna fight ya. Just give me a portal and I'll be gone." His peace said, he spun on one heel and turned to depart. "I'll come visit again tomorrow in the afternoon. Maybe you'll be in a better mood then."

Something deep inside Ei bridled. Impetuous youth! "You shall not!"

A merry red eye peeked over a glowing shoulder. "Can and will. I get the feeling you need a friend."

It was the wrong thing to say. Friend. Comrade. Ally. Like the friends she'd lost over the years. Like the sister so cruelly taken from her. No. She had no need of friends. Only eternity. A rare noise of frustration pushed its way past her teeth, emerging as a low growl.

"I have no need of such trivial bonds."

Naruto lowered his arms , but didn't deign to face her. He merely gazed up into the stormy skies.

"You say that...but you're a lonely person, ain'tcha?"

Rogue! Ruffian! The gall of him! The absolute, unmitigated gall.

Ei's temper, slow to rise, finally reared its ugly head. "You dare speak to me in such a manner?"

"What can I say?" here at last he turned back to face her and rolled his shoulders in a small shrug. "Ever since I came to this world, my senses have been dialed up to eleven, to say nothing of Kurama." his lips pursed in a frown. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered to himself, "I can feel it." those soulful eyes met hers once more, warm with empathy. "You're miserable."

The Raiden Shogun bridled. Insolent...!

It was those eyes. Those thrice blasted eyes and the emotions lurking within. Not pity. No. Anything but that. He was looking at her like she was something helpless child, a creature to be coddled. She grit her teeth and bit down on her temper. This was a tick. A trap of some sort. No man could be this dense. Surely he was trying to bait her, to goad out a response.

He really wasn't.

"Did you lose someone, too?" Naruto barreled on, heedless of the storm he was stirring in her heart. "You've got an aura of sorrow about ya."

The Shogun twitched. "Be silent."

He did not. "Maybe a sibling?"

"I said cease!"

"Hey, now! I'm not trying' ta be rude," he held up a hand to forestall her wrath. "I've lost people, to. Someone who was like a brother to me." a shadow of something passed through his eyes. "He died in my arms. I've been where you are now." a hand came up to thumb his chin as he considered his words. "I'd like to say it gets easier, but it really doesn't...wanna talk about it?"

Her twitch became a full body convulsion.

Talk.

...talk?

He wanted to talk?!

What did he know of sadness and sorrow?! Of loss and pain?! Of an eternity alone! Nothing! Less than nothing! She had no desire to chase him any further than she already had; yet it was becoming increasingly clear that he wouldn't die quickly. She might spend the better part of a day chasing him down. And in this moment, she did not want to see his face. To hear those words, to feel them pick at an old wound that hadn't healed...

"Leave this place and never return!" She brandished her lance at him. "I will treat with you no further!"

"Nope." Naruto smacked his lips with an audible pop. "No can do, your Shogunness."

Her brow furrowed, anger momentarily dulled by confusion. "What nonsense. That is not a word."

"Yes it is." his smile was too bright, too pure. It reminded her of that which she had long since lost. "I made it up just now. Its a thing."

She swiped at him again, forcing him to scramble back. "Must you mock me?!"

"I ain't mocking ya." He shook his head and dared a step toward her instead. "Its just...well, I know what its like to be alone. I've been where you are now." his words stabbed at the deepest part of her. "I've lost all sorts of people throughout my life. I can help you."

His hand rose, palm upturned toward her, fingers splayed.

"Lets be friends."

For an awful moment, she saw her sister behind him, looming over his shoulder. It was too much. Her mind fractured. Her soul shattered. Her temper sent her hurtling over the edge. Ei felt her polearm begin to creak under her grip; were one to look, they would have seen her already pale fingers gone white over the metal. Damn him. She longed to smite him, strike him with lightning and scatter his ashes to the wind. No, even that would not be enough!

She cast her weapon aside, uncaring as its edge sank into the ground. Her hand plunged into her chest and withdrew thrice as quickly, bearing a blade of purest lightning.

"FALL INTO OBLIVION!"

In a blitz of thunder she was upon Naruto, her Musou Isshin cutting down through his defenses to rend him asunder. Her blade struck true, parting flesh and blood to cleave him from shoulder to hip. She nearly cut him in half, such was her rage. Blue eyes bulged. Widened. Narrowed. He stood there, tottering on his feet, lips parted, mouth working wordlessly.

And then he smiled.

"Now that...wasn't very nice...

Before her very eyes the dad man became so much smoke, leaving her to stumble forward.

She whirled, bracing for an attack, but it never came. He was nowhere to be seen. Only a faint wisp of smoke remained. She turned her gaze back toward the horizon and for a moment, just a sliver of a second, thought she saw something. A golden flash in the distance. Absurd. A trick of the light surely. She blinked and it was gone.

A piece of parchment fluttered to the floor; after a moment's repose, Ei retrieved it.

"See ya later, miss Shogun." his words wafted through the air from the paper, mocking her with his departure. "Just you wait. I'll be the best friend you could ever ask for."

True to his word, he visited her the next day. And the next.

After all, eternity did not simply end in a day.

And this was An Audience With Eternity.

A/N: Yeah, you've already lost, Ei. You just haven't realized it yet.

To clarify! This takes place well before all that Vision Hunt nonsense. Ei isn't quite so set in her ways at this point...and a fair bit more emotional.

As ever, the Embers Rule persists. So? Should this be a story?

By all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the Previews!

As ever:

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read at your own risk!

(Previews!)

"I brought you a gift!

...what is this foolishness?"

"Its not foolishness. Its called ice cream. Say ah."

Before his eyes Raiden looked left. She looked right. And then?

Her mouth closed around the spoon.

"So? Will you help me now?"

The silence was telling.

...more."

"It was painful, wasn't it? Being alone.

"And what do you know of it?!"

"More than you could possibly imagine."

"You would defy me?"

"Lady, I've been defying gods and monsters since I was born.

...my name isn't Raiden. Its Ei."

"Huh?" Before her eyes he squinted. She found it oddly adorable. "Then who have I been talkin' to this whole time...?"

"Well," she touched a hand to her chest. "Strictly speaking, the Shogun is also a person, in a sense...

"Papa!"

Ei clapped both hands over her face.

Naruto blinked once. Then he toppled over with a wheeze.

R&R~!