Of a Red Sky and a Golden Sun
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Neither do I make any type of profit in the name of the franchise.
~Chapter 1 ~ (Regrets and Realizations)~
She should be dead. So why was it she was still alive. She knew it, the moment she took this mission she knew it. It was going to be her last. She was tired of the snake sinking his teeth into every single things she had gained. That's the reason she had provoked the leaf shinobi so much, this was her suicide mission. However, when she fought the kid with the pineapple hairdo she couldn't help but take it serious. No matter how much she no wanted to be a pawn, she truly did want to have a chance at living.
Not like this is all her mind could muster. Her voice wouldn't come no matter how hard she tried. She had been stuck under the the toppled trees, that the girl with the fan had trapped her under, for over a day. She should have died right away but death never came. Now it felt like death never would, for she had been found. Konoha's ANBU had found her, the lone survivor of the sound four was now at their mercy.
They had freed her from the downed trees and decided a live prisoner was better than a dead one, especially in terms of interrogation. That is now where she was, at least she assumed so. In a dark nondescript room with no visible light source, no windows and one door with no handle. It was here she sat, head lowered, unmoving, only staring blankly at the barely visible floor.
She knew she was dead, they would take what information she knew and either let her rot, kill her on the spot, sold as a slave or given a long and painful death. She had no falsehoods about how cruel the world could be. She would beg for her death when the interrogator arrived, maybe if she pitiful enough they would just kill her afterwards.
She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized the door of the room opened and that now said interrogator was right in front of her. One by the name of Anko Mitarashi. Anko was a specialist of the T&I department, it was well know that if she was one of the more eccentrics of the field. It was also known she was a student of Sannin Orochimaru and when any of the man's agents were captured, it was to be left to Anko. She was especially eccentric when said man's operatives were within arms reach.
It had been a bad day for Anko. The dango shop she regularly had been closed, they had been low on ingredients, still recovering from the Suna and Oto attack. Just the thought of Oto lit a fury in her, Orochimaru had attacked them, attacked her, taken their Kage and lived. Oh but from recent new that received, he had attacked twice and taken the Uchiha with him. Oh she was going to enjoy her session for today.
That's why when she had gotten to the T&I department today and heard they had captured one of the Orochimaru's Sound Four, one of his elite guards, one of his most trusted underling. Well Anko couldn't help but dash to the room, missing all the information she most likely should have received. It didn't matter to her, she was going to make whatever unlucky bastard that got caught beg for death.
That was how she ended up here now, in front of Tayuya of the North Gate. Putting on her game face Anko put up a serious expression before grabbing the girl's chin and lifted her face so she could see the girls eyes. She wanted to watch this girl experience unbearable pain, to see each and every expression she made until the girl's mind collapsed. She wanted to see the fire in the girl's eyes before Anko put it out. However, it seemed that was not what would happen.
The girl's eyes were seemingly empty, her gaze there but seeing nothing. No empty wasn't the right word. They were more like lost, yea Anko could see it all now. The girl's mind was a adrift in a sea of sadness, loneliness, anger, guilt and regret. Anko had seen eyes like those before, only she had been looking at herself. She saw those eyes in the mirror everyday she woke up and every time she went to bed.
If she was honest with herself Anko saw a lot of herself in Tayuya and normally that would never matter. She had cut down and tortured multiple Oto Nin so there should be no reason this girl was different. But she was. Anko knew that but she didn't want to admit it, the girl had a will to live but was not stupid enough to know that she was most likely dead.
Anko realized she had been holding the girl's chin for sometime now. Letting go she watched Tayuya lower her head again, making no comment or sign that she had cared or even noticed. Anko's rage hit it's peak right there. Everything about to today had been horrible, she screamed whirling around and moving at speeds she didn't even think she had been capable. Smashing her first into the wall she roared, she'd had no dango, been agitated all day and be unable to relieve stress via her job.
Walking to the one way door Anko knocked twice and waiting a moment before the door opened. Muttering scathingly about how she would be back, she stalked off leaving the rest of the T&I department confused. Ibiki just shrugged before closing the room door Anko had left from. It was always something new with that woman, he knew they called her eccentric but he wasn't want to beat around the bush. Akno was crazy plain and simple.
Tayuya sat alone in the dark room for what felt like ages. She was in pain and it was beginning to make her head dizzy. Her legs hurt from having those massive trees land on them, luckily she had her curse seal active before they had landed on her. While she couldn't technically walk with them, it didn't mean she couldn't use them or in this case feel them. She was used to pain as Orochimaru had taken measure to insure that no one would talk under it's effects. Those measures we're in themselves excruciating.
Though she could last through very extreme pain, it did not mean she would not eventually come to point where she could no longer bear it, and at the point she was at she could only last so much longer. She was taken out of her musing as the door to the room slammed open. Anko walked in with a dangerous glint in her eyes only to be followed by a smirking Tsunade Senju.
Tayuya's eyes shot back to Anko as the woman began speaking "Look kid, I don't like you and I'm sure you don't like me but Hokage-sama has an offer for you
"Or take option two, in which we make sure your information is valid." she spat with either regret or annoyance, possibly both.
Smirking at the irritable woman Tsunade coughed one before she spoke up "I don't normally do anything even remotely close to this and don't ask me why I am now. I am going to offer you a choice, either I leave Mitarashi in here with you and let her take the information from you. Or you can give the information to us willingly. If you take option one, I leave you in her care." Tsunade explained with a nod to Anko as she grinned in a way that sent chills through Tayuya.
and if it is you'll be placed on a two year probation period in Konoha. You will have your chakra sealed during this time you will be monitored and housed with someone who will be able to watch over you." Tsunade stated before taking a breath and continuing.
"If you lie about the information you'll be given to Anko. If we find out you haven't given us all the info you know, you'll be given to Anko. If you hurt any shinobi or civilian with any harmful intent, you'll be given to Anko." At every statement said woman's grin grew a little more malicious as she gazed at the red head.
"Do you understand?" Tsunade asked earning a quick nod from Tayuya who was feeling more and more uncomfortable under the purple haired woman's gaze. "Well, what's your answer then?" Tsunade questioned only quirking a brow.
Tayuya thought it over for a moment, what they were offering her was a chance and if she was being honest with herself, she believed they were lying. She knew the world she lived in was cruel and that for her to be given a chance like this was most likely a trap or impossible. Still that nagging feeling in the back of her mind slowly grew, what if.
What if this was real, what if this was really her chance, to be free of the man who had taken hold of her life at such a young age. What if, this was truly a light in all the darkness that surrounded her. What if, what if, what if. It was all she could ask herself, all she could think of, all that she wanted. Just a chance, one chance. And with that thought in her mind she made her decision.
It had been a week and a half after the events at the valley of the end and Naruto would be found walking down the main market street in Konoha. He had been released from the hospital a few days ago. While he was physically fine, he emotionally felt like shit. He had lost the man he considered his grandfather and not long after his best friend. Orochimaru had killed his grandfather and stole his best friend. Not even a month after the other.
Not to mention Naruto had promised to bring Sasuke back and now, not only had he failed, he had no idea where the Uchiha was now. His musing stopped when he felt someone's gaze on him, now he had had a lot of people glare at him because of his the fox, but this was different. Turning his attention to where he felt the gaze he noticed a hooded figure barely peaking around a corner. When the figure noticed it had his attention it took off. Naruto knowing something was up jumped to the rooftop and chased after the individual.
Ducking and weaving through the alleys, in though building and out others Naruto ended up chasing the figure for close to ten minutes before they darted into the woods near the training grounds, him quickly following after. What happened after was basically what happened in the village, the hooded person ducking, dodging and diving away from Naruto. This went on for another 10 or so minutes before he finally caught them.
The person came dashing through out the forest reaching the training ground connected to it. Hunching over with their hand on their kneed the hooded person panted, trying to catch their breath, it had taken close to 20 minutes but they had lost the blonde boy. Well at least they believed so until said blonde tackled them form the side and unto the ground.
Pinning their arms above their head and sitting on their waist Naruto inspected the person who had been watching him. "Who ar . . . are . . . YOU!" He roared tightening his grip on the person's wrist until it was painful. Below him laid Tayuya, she had seen the blonde in the street and had been watching for only a moment before he took notice of her. Knowing it would be best not to be seen she took off.
It didn't seem to matter however as without her chakra there was no way she was able to avoid the boy. She couldn't even perform the simplest of jutsu, her chakra was completely sealed. So being noticed even for a second, had screwed her. She knew he hated her, she assisted in killing his leader and not long after helped his friend defect to Orochimaru. There was no reason for this boy not to hate her and there was no reason she wouldn't die right now.
"You took them!" He roared his voice laced with pain and fury. Slowly the Kyuubi's chakra began leaking through the seal and it's malicious aura began to spread. His turned read and became slitted, fangs grew in his mouth before poking out and his whisker marks grew more prominent. He looked terrifying up close and he could rip her through out with those teeth of his if he so choose too. She was at his complete mercy.
"I'll kill you!" He shouted his grip on her wrist tightening further causing her to yelp in pain. She was scared, no terrified but she knew she deserved it, she had taken from him and now all she could do was return the favor.
"Take it." She spoke barely above a whisper. Naruto seemed to freeze up at that.
"I-I took them from you so just go and take my life! I know it's not much but it's all I've got to apologizes with!" she shouted at him anger laced in her voice but still Naruto didn't move.
"C'mon you asshole kill me! Take my life you . ..Arghh dammit! Just . . . do it you bastard! You . . . stupid coward!" She roared through choked sobs "What's wrong you don't have the balls!? I took them from you . . . So do it already! KILL ME!" She screamed.
Naruto didn't move for a moment and as she was about to begin yelling again, his thumb wiped her cheek. She noticed her eyes start to blur and the sad look he held in those crystal blue eyes of his. That's when she noticed the wetness on her face, she was crying. Looking at those eyes of his again anger grew in her and using her now free arm she hit him.
"What'r . . doing . . . a-asshole . . .Arghh . . . just . . ." She spoke through uncontrollable sobs, trying and failing to form a coherent sentence. Naruto got off of her sitting on the grass but she grabbed onto his jacked and used it to pull herself up and start hitting him. "Just . . .dammit . . . fucker . . . hate . . just . . . Ughhh . . . j-just . . . . agh . . . p-please!" she spoke voice going from a yell and a whisper between every cry.
Naruto had lost all anger he had at this point. Here was someone who helped in taking two of his most precious people from him, he wanted to hate her but seeing this he couldn't. He understood now, he can't hate her, she hated herself too much already. In less than a minute she had told him to take her life at least five times before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs. She reminded him of Haku, someone who had to be a ninja because the only other option was death. Someone who was forced to be a tool because no one could find purpose in her beyond that, not even herself.
She just kept hitting him and hitting him, it didn't hurt, she obviously either didn't have or didn't truly want to hurt him. Maybe both. She was on her knees punching his chest and openly sobbing as he just sat on the grass taking every hit. She began to slow and was visibly growing tired, she was quickly too tired to even lift her arms. At that point Naruto knew what he wanted or needed to do. At this point maybe both.
Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her into his chest and held on securely. She stiffened for a moment before trying to fight her way out, seeing no way to break the boys hold she grabbed onto his jacket before tucking her head into his chest. She began sobbing even louder, repeating the same word over and over again.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
In that moment Naruto realized just how cruel life could truly be. Someone like him, no, like Haku forced to fight for a place in the world, to either die living how you choose or live hating yourself for what you've become. Doing all the things you hate just to live. It was a life that Naruto despised, it was one he wanted to change.
He knew it wasn't her truly her fault but he couldn't say anything, as if he didn't believe himself. He could only rub her back comfortingly. Part of him wanted to hurt the girl, whether it was physically or verbally he wanted to hurt her. Seeing her broken, regret filled and sorrowful being helped quell that urge however. The last time he'd seen her she had been snarky, bitchy, rude, vulgar and an enemy. Seeing her made him think, was she wearing a mask like him when they'd first met, or right now was she playing him.
If she was lying he'd make sure she'd end up in the darkest and far off section of the T&I department. Though if she was hurt, no broken and had been hiding behind a mask. Well he understood why and to that he couldn't fault her but it he hadn't forgiven her either. With what he'd lost a part of him said he didn't know if he could ever forgive. A smaller part said he just didn't want to, it didn't matter either way.
All he knew was that at this point in time he couldn't yell at her, couldn't hurt her and couldn't kill her. All he knew is he wanted to help her but he pushed that feeling deep down hoping it would not rise again anytime soon.
He knew, that no matter what it would show it was a part of him loved but unknown to most, a part of him he truly hated.
A/N: I'm currently going back and forth with some stories, seeing what works and what doesn't, what I like and what I don't. Hope you enjoy!