Title: 'MiKADo'
Author: Miss.Yamapi.Kara
Type: Chapter-fic
Base: 'Naruto' by Masashi Kishimoto
Pairing: Naruto x Sasuke
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Friendship, Horror, Humour, Romance
Warnings: Shounen-ai; mentions of killing; descriptions of killing; sexual content
Story Rating: M
Summary: "In this story, I am known as Mikado." Sasuke and Naruto are chosen, two of seven, to play part in saving another world from a devastating effect of their own bravest act. "Your plant has an attitude problem."
Chapter Title: 'I. May I Introduce...'
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Warnings: Mentions of war, death and alcohol consumption
Rating: T
Chapter Soundtrack: 'Rakuyou' ('Full Metal Alchemist' ST), 'Morning' ('Naruto' ST) 'It's Only The Fairytale' ('Mai-HiME' ST), 'Moments In Love' Art Of Noise, 'Sadness and Sorrow (Piano Version)' ('Naruto' ST), 'City Theme' Vanessa Mae, 'Mortality' ('Full Metal Alchemist' ST), 'D'angelo' Diablo Swing Orchestra
So Basically: Sasuke returned to Konoha after having killed Orochimaru (with the help of Naruto). It is not said what happened to Sasuke's brother, Sasuke's mission: Itachi. At only seventeen, having spent one full year in Konoha after training under the Snake Sannin for roughly three years, one can only wonder why the young boy returned: What was he thinking when he left? Did he accomplish what he set out to do? Whatever happened, he has renounced his name as Uchiha. Now, devoted to Naruto as his saviour without even realising it, Sasuke starts to see and hear things. Funny thing is, Naruto can see and hear them too. And Naruto knows they aren't hallucinations: they are real. Naruto kept his promise to Sakura, now he has made a promise to himself to keep Sasuke safe and with him always – he cannot bear to lose him all over again. For his best friend, he has become careful and quiet. Or as careful and quiet as Uzumaki Naruto can get. They are called upon by Mikado, a being not quite defined, to be sent to Mikado, a place on the brink of destruction due to Orochimaru's death. How? Follow them through 'MiKADo' to find out...
Disclaimer: I (, as the author of this piece of writing, 'MiKADo',) do not claim ownership over the manga, anime or other variations of what I know as 'Naruto'.
I appreciate the lenience of Masashi Kishimoto and all those concerned with 'Naruto' to not take any legal actions against myself, as I have not purposely intended to offend them, nor have I intended to steal their material, earnings or imagination. I am gaining no profit from this piece other than my own enjoyment and perhaps expressed delight or amusement from unfamiliar readers.
All material other than the characters, setting and root storyline of 'Naruto' is claimed as the sole property of myself.
I thank Masashi Kishimoto every day since coming across 'Naruto' for sharing his story – THANKYOU!
Heads Up: If necessary, action will be taken to protect my own writing as I am proud of it and hold it very dear to myself. It would be greatly appreciated if fellow avid-writers, all readers or general persons would respect the content of this document and not copy it without permission from myself, the author. If it is desired by anyone to use any part of the text on the page, large or small, I would bid him or her to contact me and it shall be discussed.
I believe it is one of the greatest things in this world to be able to create things from your own mind, heart, soul and fabric. Be proud of your own creations – they could only ever come from you.
Miss.Yamapi.Kara
Author's Note: My first chapter fanfiction... it's so EXCITING!! I can't believe I'm actually writing one.. It feels strange. Anyway, please enjoy it!
Proceeding...
MiKADo
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I. May I Introduce...
-
I am the trick of the light.
I am the something you saw out of the corner of your eye.
I am the silhouette of the person that isn't really there.
I am the Watcher.
In this story, I am known as Mikado.
"Whoa..." light blond hair and inquisitive blue eyes stared back at Naruto from the glass. Any passer-by would have thought he had been dropped one too many times as a baby, the way he bobbed his head and touched the glass so gingerly, as if it would be frightened away by him.
"Oi," a quiet call from Naruto's right, "Usuratonkachi, we have an appointment to get to." Sasuke - just Sasuke - with dark eyes, black hair and a passive gaze, slowly walked his way to Naruto's side.
After having killed Orochimaru – menace of the world, psychopath, and number one threat to Konoha – Sasuke easily heeded Naruto's pleas and returned to his hometown. The news had brought Konoha to a stand-still and shocked the Hokage right off of her seat one far-too-early drunken morning; however, the calmness with which Sasuke surrendered his self-appointed mission did not perturb Naruto at all. In fact, he seemed to be the only one who did not need the reasons explained. Needless to say, he was also the only one whom Sasuke would tell. Naruto had seen so much in Sasuke's eyes – the whole story – it pained him to listen to the details. But of course he listened because he would never turn his back on Sasuke, his best friend.
Sasuke rarely spoke – rarely spoke to anyone but Naruto. Sometimes it seemed as though he had only one facial expression. Those who saw him around Naruto wondered if maybe he inadvertently sucked life from the blond boy: when together, Sasuke would become a little more relaxed, happier, while Naruto became a little more careful and composed. Both were skilled, one was still a ninja, but neither was unchanged by past events. It was those past events, however, that everyone who cared for the story of the duo was oblivious to. No one else knew, and Sasuke liked it that way. No one else but Naruto knew what had happened to his brother, to the traitor-murderer. No one else knew why Sasuke had come back, and Sasuke was content to have them think whatever they wanted. The opinions of the people of Konoha were not his concern and he did not intend to change that. The only opinion that mattered to Sasuke was Naruto's because Sasuke believed that Naruto was the only reason he was still alive – he was the only one with the right to know.
Sasuke and Naruto.
It was still rarer to see them together than apart, but no one who knew them could honestly say that Sasuke and Naruto were anything less than best friends.
"Idiot, are you listening?" Sasuke – just Sasuke – shoved his ex-teammate's shoulder none-too-gently, "The Hokage is expecting us."
Naruto made no response. His eyes were fixed on the image being reflected in the vacant shop window. He whipped his head around to look at something behind him, then turned it back to stare into the glass again. Sasuke lifted one elegant eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, the way he did when he was mildly confused and too relaxed to notice his actions, which was only in the presence of Naruto. He too turned his head to look behind. Nothing out of the ordinary: busy mid-afternoon street, children playing, grocer selling fruit, cloudless clear blue sky and the Hokage Tower in the distance.
Back to the shop window and the task at hand: getting Naruto to hear him, "We'll be late if you don..." Sasuke's voice trailed off. Looking more carefully at the reflection, he noticed something that shouldn't be: a sky of thick grey clouds. His eyes moved first, leading him to turn his head. The sky behind and above him was blue. Baby blue. Blue like the sky should be on a cloudless day. Cloudless. Sasuke blinked, 'The sky should be cloudless.'
"Na, Sasuke, do you hear that?" Naruto had said it unusually quietly, which made Sasuke feel a little uncomfortable seeing as he had no idea what Naruto was referring to. He was squinting at the not-really-existing grey clouds behind his face in the reflection.
"Hear what?" Sasuke felt even more uncomfortable after hearing his own voice reply in a whisper.
"The music.. it sounds like the music from a music box..." Naruto tilted his head, a subconscious action made to catch more of the sound.
Sasuke looked left, at Naruto, "Music box?" and listened.
Nothing.
Only the busy mid-afternoon street noises, the children laughing.
And then, Sasuke heard bells – he heard a quiet violin, he heard the subdued plucking of a guitar, he heard small chimes, he heard high thrums and dulled pats like dancing steps of a child – and he took Naruto by the hand.
"Oi, Sasuke! What are ya' doin'? Where're we goin'?" Naruto protested as he stumbled, cursing Sasuke for his long legs and even longer strides, "And why are you draggin' me around?! Hey!!"
"You see reflections of dark grey clouds that don't exist and hear music that has no explainable origin, and you don't consider that an ill omen? I'm leaving that strangeness behind and we're going to see the Hokage, as was asked of us." Sasuke – just Sasuke – spoke coolly, as if he didn't really think he was being followed by an evil spirit.
Naruto caught up and scoffed at Sasuke's behaviour, 'Inconsiderate asshole, makin' me trip on my own feet!'
He ignored the way Sasuke's hand kept hold of his.
Naruto looked back to the glass of the shop window while Sasuke's words bounced from ear to ear, 'But the clouds.. they weren't dangerous.'
In this story, I am known as Mikado.
In the world of Naruto and Sasuke, I have no certain name.
In another world, I am known as Mikado.
In this story, I am known as Mikado, because the people of this world are the first of my Children to give me a definitive name.
This story is a story of that world.
In that world, in the world Mikado, there is a man.
He is sitting on a stool, in a bar, in his town; leaning elbows on a bench, hands around a glass, eyes on the floor of this bar in his town.
His town is called Muerta, for a very good reason. His town is dead. His town lies on the river that was once the state boarder of Kida and Kima – Kida and Kima are two of the four states in the world of Mikado, and the only two to have conducted war. Kida and Kima were once one state: the Greater Land Mikado. Now they are two states, at peace after the Fifty-year War, and so the boarder is once again only a river. He was born into that war – served at the height of that war – lost his most precious people in that war. He is now sarcastic; he says, "That war was my life!" and he is drunk and he drinks more.
His town is called Muerta. It used to be called Diva. It used to be alive.
This man fancies he is dead. He fancies he is dead and he belongs on the river-cum-boarder of Kida and Kima. He fancies he is dead because his family is dead. His daughter was born during the war as well. His daughter died in the very last year of the war. Her mother as well.
His world is young. Its leader is young. I've heard this man say to himself that he has spent too much time there.
He wants to be left alone.
The name of this man is Weith.
He is sitting on a stool, in a bar, in his town, right now.
And I have chosen him.
In the world Mikado, there is a girl.
She is perched on a high wall, in an alley, in her town; balancing on her toes, her fingers gripping the edge, watching the people in the alley of her town.
Her town is not so much a town, as it is the outskirts and slums of the Land Mikado. Nevertheless, it is her home, for it is all that she knows. This area lies directly, but far, east of Muerta, on the furthest limit of Mikado. It lies on the boarder, the same river, of the other two states: Blis and Iio. This girl only knows this from the travellers she has overheard talking – the travellers she has overheard talking while she silently swiped the bags of coins hanging at their belts.
She was born into the Age of War, but she did not serve and she was not threatened by it. Blis and Iio remained estranged from Kida and Kima for fifty years. She was not threatened by war; she was threatened by starvation and cut-throats. This girl became a thief. The people she watches from the high walls of her maze-outskirt-slum-home are her victims. She has never killed, and I doubt she ever will.
I think she will do well.
This girl is young. She thinks she loves being young. She isn't really sure. She says she wants gold and jewels.
She doesn't know what she wants.
The name of this girl is Emery.
She is perched on a high wall, in an alley, not in a town, right now.
And I have chosen her.
The world Mikado has a leader.
The leader is called Mikado.
Mikado is sitting in his room, in the centre of his bed, in the palace of Mikado, in the centre of the Land.
He is emperor of all four lands: formerly Greater Land Mikado, now Kida and Kima, as well as Blis and Iio. He resides at the centre of his four lands – his is the point at which they merge.
His father before him and all of his lineage, each different to the next, wanted the best for the Land Mikado. All of them tried for a different "best". Mikado wants what's best for Mikado, too. He feels remorse for the past Age of War, even though he is in no way at fault, and has silently vowed that he will prevent this happening in his own time. About the Age, he knows nothing personally. I've heard him cry at night because he doesn't know what to do: Mikado is facing another threat.
And Mikado is young. His Majesty Mikado is only eleven years old.
From outside the door to the master's room, his dutiful attendant sighs.
She is Personal Attendant and First Advisor to His Majesty Mikado. I know that she prefers to call him Hatsu.
Hatsu is the little boy's name and she thinks it is cruel to make such a young boy lead an empire. Those before him were not younger than twenty, but he is unlucky, she says, he is unlucky because he was always an only child and his parents are both deceased. Carmine is the attendant's name, and she loves Hatsu as if he were her own son.
She cries at night too; she cries for her son Hatsu.
Hatsu is young, but he is kind. He wants to protect his home and his people.
Carmine is strong-willed and has a clever tongue. She wants to help her master achieve his goals.
Mikado Hatsu and First Advisor Carmine are in the palace of Mikado, in the centre of the Land, at the point of merging of the four lands.
And I have chosen them.
Somewhere, there is a man.
He is doing something, in some place. I know he is.
His town is nameless and his home is nowhere. His past is passed and I know that he likes it that way. He has scars, like Weith. He is confused, like Emery. He is frightened, like Hatsu. He is worried, like Carmine.
He is all these things and still himself. He is all these things and he is not.
I don't know what he wants.
He is doing something, in some place, I know he is.
The name of this man is Aldehyde.
And I have chosen him.
I have chosen seven.
"Oi, Sasuke-baka, are you comin' in or what? You're the one who dragged me all the way here!" Naruto huffed and made sure to slam the entrance door to the Hokage Tower in Sasuke's day-dreaming face. Sasuke – just Sasuke – ignored the sound as he kept staring up into the blue sky. Blue like the sky should be on a cloudless day. For a moment, Sasuke wondered whether or not Naruto could still hear the beautifully haunting pied-piper tune that had Sasuke tense only minutes ago.
'A siren's song is the sweetest sound of all.' Sasuke dreaded the coming days with the intuitive shiver that crawled up his spine.
To be continued...
YAY! Chapter 1, over and out! deeeeep breath ... exhale ... I would love to read anything and everything that readers think about this! It would be great to hear all opinions on whether or not I should continue this story. I will continue anyway, but I'd still appreciate shared thoughts. :D Thankyou for reading! I will reply to all registered reviewers. ;P
P.S.: Apologies for all the gigantic lines in there... I just can't figure out what else will work as a break in this publishing program... and I'm too impatient to figure it out before I post. :P If I figure it out before my next chapter, I'll probably change it.