Dark Land
Prologue
In Dark
He shut the thick book with a snap, dully hoping it would wake his son, but no such luck. He slumbered on blatantly ignoring everything around him. He sighed and paused for a moment, enjoying the shade of Sarutobi, the last tree of Konohana. Looking up to briefly beg almighty Kami-sama for patience, he reminisced of how Konoha must've looked a mere hundred years before. This whole country had been a land covered in lush forests, with clear waters and beautiful landscapes.
But that past was long gone. Now, at this point in time, there was no forest, no trees, no rivers or animals to be seen. Of course there were plants, but they were integrated into the buildings in order to save space, the rivers had long been filled and replaced with more buildings; not even the skies were clear, the blue barely visible through the shimmering ships that zoomed about the city skyline.
But what was there to do, when the future of our society resided in people like….this. He glanced back at his son unable to hold back a smile. He simply lay there on his back, his hand searching absentmindedly into his shirt, exposing his tan belly. Minato poked his son's head slightly only to watch as a line of saliva dribbled at the corner of his lips. Oh well, it was a lost cause anyway, he shook his head and smiled warmly. Perhaps it was best to let him sleep, let this young one revel in the freedom that only dreams could provide. Let him hover between fantasy and reality, somewhere where any desire was within reach…
That place where dreams are born.
He awoke startled, suddenly feeling a strange emptiness in his chest. Sitting up he scrambled around a bit before standing. Only to realize he was utterly alone. He scratched the back of his head and tried to find the familiar shape of his father's body somewhere, but there was nothing there besides him and the huge darkened skies. It was that magic hour where the sun has lost its way and the moon still hasn't some out to play. The wind whistled as a cargo ship swooped overhead, rushing towards the city and making the wind beat at his back. Above him Sarutobi's branches rustled as if indignantly, he walked over to the huge tree and placed its palm on it.
He always did this when he spent the afternoons at the monument; it was a greeting and a signal of farewell. It felt strangely pleasant, maybe because the huge figure was reassuring, perhaps because it was the last natural tree in the nation, or just simply because it just felt so….alive.
His gaze drifted ways away, face relaxed, demeanor thoughtful, even though he wasn't particularly thinking of anything. The night suddenly seemed so quiet he could hear the water splashing softly at the shores of the artificial lake beside him. Suddenly entranced by the sound he shivered, an unnamed feeling crawling its way across his spine. A warm breeze brushed against his exposed forearms and he turned around expectantly, subconsciously yearning for some reprise from the cold emptiness around him.
There was no one there, but a small lingering scent drew him forward. Without meaning to he stepped forward seeking to be enveloped by this sensation coursing through his chest, pouring down his throat, quenching a thirst he wasn't aware was burning in his soul. The shadows before him loomed even closer, and he dimly realized he was running. The darkness was even more prominent here, so that he couldn't even see his feet beneath him anymore, but the scent was stronger here and soon enough his ears were filled with a tantalizing melody he could not ignore.
He shed his worry, his fear replaced by curiosity, his feet responding to the rhythms his mind could not conceive and his mouth watering with anticipation as desire awoke within him. To run wildly, dance and scream into the night, telling the world that he belonged to no one. Colors seemed to shift, as his body spiraled wildly dancing under the rising moon. His fear left no trace in his memory, he felt alive, consumed by adrenaline and desires he stopped suddenly, and the colors seemed to pause around him to form images once more. Before him, proud and ancient was the mighty tree. The darkness below beckoning, he walked toward it, under the stunning crescent moon. His body knelt in surrender, and the roots swallowed him hungrily. He was lost to the darkness until there remained no sign of his existence.
To be continued…