Note: I decided to rewrite this story because it's so confusing now that I re-read it. No one really reads this, but I would like to fix this anyway. I'm determined to finish this. I have decided to make this story stay backwards, but I will probably be switching back and forth with the past and present. I'm kind of trying to make it a prequel/sequel storyline if that makes sense? Okay. :D
His face was illuminated with a soft blue glow, the sound of birds ringing in his ears. He grinned, feeling relaxed as he stood face-to-face with a stranger. He laughed, throwing his head back, because said stranger was currently attacking him with an orb of lightning. In his hand, he held a sphere of condensed wind, swirling in the palm of his hands. He rushed forward, clashing with the stranger. A wave of familiarity washed over him. The battle was at a stalemate, neither one of them was pushing with more force than the other. It was going nowhere. He was vaguely aware of the distant screams around him. He didn't know why, but he couldn't bring himself to kill this stranger. The stranger reminded him so much of a certain person, but he couldn't remember who it was. Why couldn't he figure it out?
"Who are you?" He whispered, but there was no reply. The stranger merely smirked, pushing against him. He smiled back and forced his attack to dissipate, allowing the stranger to advance forward. He would end this battle. He hissed in pain, gasping as the attack struck him head on. The attack tore through his chest and he coughed, blood spewing from his mouth. His body was on fire, but he couldn't feel a thing. Black spots swarmed his vision. Breathing shallowly, he sagged against the stranger, arms around him in a messed up kind of hug.
"Are you an idiot?" The stranger scowled at him, pulling his hand out of his chest with a sickening squelch. Blood covered his arm, dripping to the ground. It felt so right that he laughed, blooding pouring from his chest and dripping down his face. Somewhere behind him, a girl was screaming, apologizing and begging him not to die. The stranger glared at him with a grim face. He had a feeling that it was a common feature on the stranger's face. Don't ask him how he knew; he just did. Besides, he was dying. It didn't matter anymore. He snickered this time as his eyes began to close. He would die for this familiar stranger. He found himself being shoved away, the sound of a sword unsheathed reaching his ears. His eyes flew open and he watched in horror as the stranger headed straight for the girl. Tears streamed down her face as the sword descended upon her. He could make out the words that formed from her mouth: Please forgive us. I'm sorry. Her eyes closed. With his remaining energy, he rushed forward, grabbing a blade despite all the pain he was in. The sword continued on its course, not even stopping as he threw himself in front of the girl. The girl's head stilled against his shoulders, her breath week and slow. The blade he held had somehow lodged itself deeply into the stranger's side after he had failed to block the stranger's sword. The blood poured from their wounds, baptizing them with death. They were dead men.
"Except you." The stranger taunted, pulling his blade out in one swift motion. They fell to the ground in a heap. He winced in pain as his wounds started to burn, regenerating his body.
"NO. THIS WASN'T ..." He paused. "... it wasn't ... supposed to .. end like this." He sounded defeated, his voice cracking. "... you were't supposed to die."
"No, you live and we die. Our deaths for your life. Is it not a fair trade, NINE?"
"Please..."
"IT'S YOUR FAULT THREE WILL DIE!" The stranger all but snarled.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A man shot up from the bed as a nurse hurried into the room. He gasped for breath, the heart monitor furiously beeping. He clawed at the restraints that tied him down. The nurse rang the alarm as he ripped the straps that chained his body to the bed. The nurse looked at him with sadness, her dark bangs shadowing her eyes. I'm so sorry Naruto. She reached out with her hand, laced with chakra to sedate him. He fought for control, screaming. She hit the wall just as the doctors came in. When they had successfully strapped him down again, she injected him with a paralysis drug.
"Three will die."
He thrashed against his restraints again. It was the same dream. It was always the same dream. That familiar stranger wouldn't leave him alone. He would never leave him alone. The darkness consumed him as the drug kicked in. In his unconscious state, the dreams kept coming, different every time, but always the stranger would appear, haunting his dreams—no, his nightmares—with those cruel red eyes.
"Who are you?"
He screamed.
A/N: Bear with me because this story format will be a bit confusing. Even I'm confused.