/\\

Jubilee

Greetings, readers. I acknowledge that this is a bit unprecedented, but I just felt that it had to be done. Those of you who know me for TWE, welcome; and well, to those who don't, the same… To all of you though, this is new—it is for me, too. I don't usually just throw something onto a page because of mere feeling, despite myself… but in light of my recent birthday, and to negate some of the rain clouds I've decided to throw a Jubilee, stemming from the universe of TWE. Enjoy, for me.

Naruto awoke with a start to find himself seated with the diminutive kindling and roughage denotative of Konoha. He paused, looking around; he rolled slightly, balancing on an elbow against a tough patch of dirt that inconveniently lacked grass, before turning a bit amidst his spectation and raising his free hand to absentmindedly scratch beneath his undershirt. Undershirt…?

Quickly, Naruto threw his full weight onto the supporting elbow and smoothly lifted his legs into a half-stand above his now-lowered head—he smelled the dirt as he went, sighing—where now he shifted forward, letting his limbs file as a rotor until his body—he stood, upright, his bare feet hugging the dirt sympathetically.

Now that he stood, he had a distinctively better vantage point from which to view his surroundings. In light of his coarse awakening, he couldn't help but suppress the smile that pounded against his heart at seeing the sun eclipse the sparse canopy of shimmering leaves that greeted him as he carefully raised his head to the sky, running a hand through his dispersed blond locks. Squinting, he was soon able to justify the frown he wore however, as he discovered that along with his shirt, his pants, too, had been pilfered.

Off in a separate part of the very same forest that confounded Naruto in his rousing, Sasuke, mentally reticent, slunk along the woodland-floor. Walking purposefully, though stripped of his usual adornment, he kept his vision affixed on the straight-ahead; he was not yet confident in deviation. In recent time, nothing had betrayed him quite more than deviation. Certainly nothing had hurt more. The edge of his lip bent lowly.

But within his attrition he found strength. He didn't question the surroundings, nor was he bothered by them. In fact, it had not even begun to occur to him that a way out was even necessary. Sasuke was entirely fine here. He changed directions, leaping sideways against, and then off into another tree. Sasuke was fine there, chafing the loose bark, too.

In the placid atmosphere surrounding the great expanse of Konoha plains that stretched out lazily, ensconced in reliable foliage, the air had never seemed crisper. Today, it bubbled lugubriously, discussing the times of turmoil as it anticipated rain, the trade of winds as timid gales coasted along the waving seas, and even the people who catered to it so. The origin breathed its energy unto the land, and in turn the land prospered.

Fairly, it was reward enough to exist.

Hinata, much like her husband often did, gazed curiously up into the skies, studying the clouds as they contorted into different futures. As she did, her eyes returned the greeting of the land, gently refracting—caressing—and releasing pure light.

Her left hand slowly went to her arm, drifting down it as she immortalized the sensation. She giggled, closing her eyes gracefully as she hugged the nascent pulse of happiness in her core, letting it rise out to tickle at her lips. Hinata couldn't help but smile, even as a radiant tear found its way along her cheek; it sunk down along her neck, reflecting her sleek skin in its movement, before disappearing into the fabric of her night gown.

Dancing from above the sprouts of the Earth, Hinata leapt down, not disturbing the slightest creature, to land on the shaded floor of the all-encompassing forest. Reasoning to explore, Hinata raised her head, passively pushing her long hair back to rest behind her ear, then soon moved on, padding her way through lush shrubbery.

Green. Blue. Violet.

…

Naruto hung by a single arm, resting a half-eaten apple against his teeth, he felt contented to simply rub the leaking fruit there, polishing each tooth a new color. Almost as if to poetically illustrate his serenity, he let his tongue loose from between his occupied lips to search his jawline for apple-residue; he scoped out the area, repeatedly rubbing his tongue over the stubble. He needed to shave. He grimaced internally.

Mahogany…

Instantaneously, Naruto let the apple drop, only to catch it brutally between his two dangling feet, before latching his free hand onto his branch, and then pulling, mechanically flexing all of the muscle in his arms—excessively so—and catapulting himself upwards. Not missing a beat, he somersaulted, righting himself into an upside down position and landing on a higher-rising tree-limb, digging into it he could hear the tree creak. He raised one hand now, resting it against the plant's heart, and then roughly pushing himself—skinning the branch in the process—off into the free-fall of the air.

Red.

He looked straight down for a moment, then shut his eyes violently.

As the winds peacefully fluctuated independent of the falling body, the body itself soon began to listen to them. It paused internally, diffusing all manner of erraticism. As the stiff body fell, still clutching onto the bitten, red orb, even in stasis, it slowly began to circulate with the aura of the surrounding life; from each corner of nature, contribution was made—the matriculation of bees, the solidity of stone, and the breadth of wind: all culminated to infuse the body with life.

Orange.

An orange flicker dotted over Naruto's eyelids, before they quickly assumed the pigment, rubbed an earthier hue by the shade of the denser canopy.

And his head crashed, crushing into the stiff soil. A cloak of dust bellowed around Naruto as he stared into the Earth, a bitter trickle of blood leaking from his hair-line, along his nose and into the welcoming dirt.

Southerly, a percussive rhythm could be detected. It started with a loose thump, and was articulated by the varying patterns of trochaic and iambic.

Standing squarely, juxtaposed forwardly with a rugged oak tree, Sasuke slammed his fists, unsure of what he was doing. It only felt like he was accomplishing something when he would hear the easily distinguishable sounds of the tree protesting this onslaught.

Then, he stopped; all of a sudden, he let his hands fall to his sides. Sasuke stared at the tree for a moment. Shaking his head, he chuckled… then lashed out once more, punishing the tree for laughing along with a decisive strike that not only impacted, but burrowed into, and out through the spine of the immobile creature.

Sasuke now stared at his arm, buried deep in the body of his woody adversary. Swiftly and without thinking, he pulled it out, lacerating his arm on the serrated edges left by his brutal attack. With a deep inhale, he bowed his head low to the tree, internally entreating its forgiveness with a visceral apology. At the moment he bowed, the tree's own wounds began to produce sap, which he generously accepted, applying it generously to his ravished arm; to complete his treatment, Sasuke tore off the sleeve of his inky, silk yukata and wrapped it tightly around his arm.

A pull tightened the luxurious bandage that now adorned the Uchiha's arm. Through the thin, veiling black material Sasuke could still spot speckles of blood dotting through. He wasn't sure whether it was the palette, or the situation, but without any mode of forewarning, he burst out laughing; Sasuke in his rambunctious laughter fell forwards against the tree, relying on its sturdy structure for support. His proclamations of joy rang out through vascular forest, carrying his energy to each and every being around him. Never before had his deviation been so beneficial…

That was a lie. This was truly the second time. The lines that creased his eyes did little to hide his mirth.

A small monkey chittered in between swallows as it ravenously devoured the plump peach that sat rested between its paws.

Hinata sat across from the furry being, atop the trees. As she observed the small feast that her new friend enjoyed for her viewership she held another small peach at the ready in her left hand, rubbing her thumb over the contour of the delicate fruit.

She sighed. Momentarily, this caught the monkey's attention, but they only resumed eating thereafter, not deeming it a critical situation. If only she could communicate that. Hinata's communication with the companion had been limited to mere gesticulation; not that it mattered—she didn't think words were accurate, anyhow.

The world is such a delicate place, always growing against adversity. Its only the adversity that keeps it growing—but what would happen without it? Complacency. No. No, no, no, no, no, no. No. Definitely not. It wasn't a possibility. Surely, in the most perfect of worlds, energies could collide without damaging one another.

Hinata caught the wary brown eyes that, in the same moment, caught her own. She lent her hand, reaching out to stroke the animal's head—but she was interrupted.

A single droplet fell from the sky, bisecting their connection. Acting on instinct alone, the small monkey abandoned their prize and descended into the forest below, seeking refuge from the ensuing storm.

Hinata chose differently. Wordlessly she admired the half-eaten pink pseudo-pome as the rain came, scattering over all her world. Far from torrential, the rain still served to wash away the texture of her seating, and of her view, obscuring it all into a smear. Hinata closed her eyes, breathing in once and letting the droplets wash over her throbbing head. Peacefully, she felt tired.

She did not feel complacent.

Several hours after the rain had passed, a humble ember shone through the milky disarray of the evening sky, coloring it a pale orange, and tinting it with a fuchsia glow.

Below the sun, three Shinobi walked together, now wearing their customary black uniforms. Beneath the lattice of emotion, the all felt light.

Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke looked to each other, no longer under the shadow of fire as they stepped forward unto the sanctified stage. As they each laid down a rose onto the rippled white cloth, they shared something healing.

With a final look to the sky, the tree unanimously felt sheer luminosity.

Well now, this says a lot. Doesn't it. All feedback is appreciated greatly.

…

And for those of you who do not know:

fanfiction net/s/9378879