A/N: READ THIS NOTE, would you kindly? It...explains my absence from this story.

Had an impassioned plea to dust this off, so here we are. Sadly, I'm a bit rusty.

Also writing this without my team, so do forgive any errors.

Well, I was gone for quite awhile there, wasn't I? In case any of you might be wondering, its fallen to me to write this. Me. As in one person. With Covid and all, my team has gone their separate ways. We keep in touch from time to time, but its mostly little 'ol me writing these now. I get some help from Dylan and Agurra every now and again, with a few others, but these days its most me writing this.

Not too much to say, just getting back into the swing of things. So! Without further adieu! Here we go!

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

"What is better? To be born good?

Or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?

"Do you have an answer? I do not. Such an inquiry bears pondering...

~?

Dark of Night (Fragment)

Vampires struck under cover of darkness.

Dark of heart and sure int heir purpose, their assassins descended upon Karthwasten in the dead of night. Not in a swarm, for to do so would attract undue attention from the rest of the world. It was not unheard to see so many on the roads given the state of the war, but such risks could not be tolerated.

They arrived in pairs. Three men and three women. Perfectly balanced. As all thing should be.

Six were more than equal to such a task; more than suitable to wipe out a sleepy village such as this. But before the feast must come the bloodletting. They were here to avenge their lost lord, to strike a blow at his killer, and if possible, slay him in his sleep. Their sources were reliable. They knew he was here. He and his companions alike.

There would be no survivors.

One of them eased the door open and crept across the threshold.

"Finally." a man's voice rang from within. "We've been waiting forever, now."

A bolt of white-hot spellfire shot out of the dark and obliterated the leader's head...followed by his unlucky second, who'd stood just a bit too close. Blood spattered the floor. The third and fourth drew their blades, only for a voice like wrath filled thunder to ring out and sap them of their vitality. They at least, died on their feet; their lifeless bodies crumpling to the floor. The fifth tried to flee and summarily fell as a crossbow-bolt pierced the small of their back and impaled them against a wall. She writhed their, hissing furiously, but her hands could not remove the holy bolt.

In an instant, four were dead, one captured; the sixth fumbled for their ax and lunged forward. If he could just strike him...!

"Leave that one alive, Izzy." the man's voice spoke anew from the gloom. "I'll want to interrogate her."

The weapon strcuk true, slamming into his gut.

.

..

...

Or so he'd thought.

"Calm down." Clenched fingers closed around the cursed weapon, shattering it to pieces.

Red eyes rose to meet his, dark and slitted.

"Kurama."

The assassin found themselves face to face with a monstrous beast.

They froze; indeed, the moment they did, a hand closed around their throat.

Their would be victim smiled, all but grinning from ear to ear. It...was not a nice smile.

"Your kind never learn, do you?" he cooed, voice thrumming as another spoke with him, through him. "But that's alright. I hear death's a good teacher!"

(.0.0.0.)

Serana found him the next morning.

In hindsight, Naruto wasn't quite sure why he was surprised; she'd proven herself quite capable of tracking him down when she wanted to. Vampires were powerful creatures, and she was yet stronger still. If she'd meant to warn him, she was a bit late on that front.

That she'd come all the way out to Karthwasten just to find him didn't bode well.

She favored the marks of the massacre with a sigh.

...I see they found you first."

"They did." He nudged the smoldering pile of ashes with a toe. "So...is there a reason you cornered me like this?" his brow rose further. "Away from everyone...?"

Serana was silent for a long, painful moment. Then she raised her head. He knew then. At least, he thought he knew.

"Listen," Her eyes flashed with sympahty beneath the hood. "I...need a favor. But I also need you to calm down. Its about Aela." his brow rose and she raised a hand. "Like I said. Calm. Deep breaths."

Something in the back of his head twitched.

"What about her?

...she's gone." Serana took a quick step back when he hissed. "She was taken from Whiterun in the night.

"By. Whom." it took everything he had to force the words out, to not give into his rage.

Serana told him.

His world shattered like broken glass as she told him. A beat of horrible silence fell over the world as he imagined the chaos, saw the ruined house in his mind's eye. Kurama was trying to speak to him but the words were distant, fuzzy, faded. All the while his mind roared. Get her back. Bring her back. There's still time. You can save her. Its not too late. She's still alive. You need to kill them, kill them, kill them...!

Serana saw the wrath in his eyes. "Its not your fault." she touched a hand to his shoulder, not daring to kiss him as he was now. You weren't there."

"I should've been." Clawed fingers bit into his palms, sending blood sluicing across his flesh. "But I wasn't...

"I was traveling like a man." he growled. "Slowly. I wanted to see everything this world had to offer.

Blue eyes blazed red.

"NO MORE."

A/N: And there we go.

Next time: A Beast Unleashed.

But like I've said in the past, reviews are fuel, and they spur me to write all the faster. AND IT MEANS LONGER CHAPTERS. Think on that for a moment.

So In The Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? It keeps me alive.

Without reviews, I wither and die. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Now then, we do hope you enjoy the previews. Read at your own risk, of course:

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

(Previews!)

"How did you know?"

"I'd be a very bad shinobi if I could see an ambush coming."

"So." he stood slowly, like an old man stretching his stiff joins. "Do you want to dance...?"

Naruto snarled.

"My child. They tried to kill my...child.

He inhaled deeply. Karliah must've seen the look of pure murder flash across his face; because she stepped back, hauling everyone else with her.

Just as well. The ground cratered. His body pulsed gold.

"YOU WILL ALL DIE SCREAMING."

Madara saw the mountain implode from a nearby peak.

"Well, well." he muttered. "Someone's grown stronger. I suppose I'll have to chat with him eventually.

"Boys! Be sensible about this!"

They butted heads. "No!"

R&R! =D