This is a seriously brilliant piece of writing. At times it seems like the author's fondness for poetic turns of phrase has got the better of them as some of the expressions simply don't make sense ("As he moved the pools shimmered and coalesced in fluidity, coasting about his slender profile, stretching up across his pale skin, like shadows scarpering from the sun") but eventually it creates a surrealistic feel that is quite intentional. And when the story starts directly addressing the reader it actually gets quite chilling. Keep in mind though, that this is only a Naruto fanfic by the loosest definition; it is basically a retelling of WWII-era Germany in Naruto terms and skates absurdly close to Cookie Cutter Fic, with Konoha replacing Germany, Reds replacing Jews, Leaves replacing Germans and Orochimaru replacing Adolf Hitler. None of the characters are even ninjas and the only real nod to canon apart from a couple of character dynamics is Kakashi having Obito's red eye to replace his missing left one. Despite that the characters are scarily close to their canon personalities; Sherbet Mayhem has almost perfectly captured how the cast of Naruto would act in this situation and the already excellent story is made just that much more engrossing as a result. A fantastic epic, albeit very different. Seriously needs its own page.

Desperately hopeful and tragic at the same time, this phenomenal fic is based on Markus Zuzak's 'The Book Thief' with its own distinct flavor. Its quite simply beautiful, profoundly tender and cruel.