Paradise
Disclaimer: I don't own the show…
A young child runs amongst the busy streets of her once calm loving village as it burns down around her. Her white almost dead eyes scan about her, trying to make out a familiar face, but she sees none. Her brown hair is burnt to her shoulders from the fire which caught on her manor home where her grandfather…
"Grandfather!" The child yells as she runs deeper to the village square. Her once pastel pink kimono is covered in dirt and blood. The blood belonging to her aunt, Hanabi.
The child runs as fast as her small legs will allow her to as the fires engulf more of the houses around her.
"Zi You! This way!"
White eyes notice a young man with long black hair. His handsome face bloodied, dark eyes looking into her own white ones as he stretches his arm for her to take. The young girl runs to him, holding him tightly.
She can hear him grunt as he runs towards safety, trusting that he will keep her safe as her eyes begin to burn from the smoke around her. She grips the front of his ANBU uniform more tightly and shuts her white eyes.
"Sensei." The young girl says as he continues to run from the fires. "Where is grandfather? Aunt Hanabi was hurt in the compound and…Sensei! Let's go back."
"Zi You, we cant return." Her beautiful sensei says as he places her down near a clear lake. He points to the village which is engulfed by red hot flame. "Everyone is dead, Zi You…there is no Konoha to return to."
Her white eyes fixed upon her village as it burns. The wind carries the screams of the burning villagers, agony, pain. Her mind remembers the faces of her precious grandfather, her aunt Hanabi and she clasps tightly onto the golden locket her aunt gave to her just before ushering her from her home. The locket that held the picture of the beautiful young woman with midnight blue hair and white eyes and of the man with chocolate brown hair like hers and determined sad white eyes. She looks up at her beautiful sensei.
"Sasuke-Sensei…no. Grandfather is there, the main house and branch house are still there attempting to save our home…"
"They are dead, Zi You." He says as he cleanses his face of blood and dresses his wounds in the clear water. He turned to the little girl beside him. "The outsiders whom burned down the village, did they…touch you?"
The girl drew her knees upward and hugged them.
"No…Aunt Hanabi protected me and hid me away."
He nodded.
"I see." He says before taking out a kunai and cutting his long dark hair. He lets the pony tail fall onto the grass, staring into the distance. "Zi You, come here." He says to her, his expression blank.
"Sensei?"
"Don't call me that." He says to her. "Just please, come here."
Without doubt in her mind she walks to her Sensei and in one fluid moment he embraces her.
"Sen- I mean Sasuke…what are…"
"I'll protect you." He says to her setting her down. He looks once more at the burning village. "When the sun rises we depart for Sand. The Kazekage will know what to do."
Zi You nods. She looks down at her dirty Kimono then to the lake.
"There may be others left alive."
"I know. That's why, when the fires cease I'll go back."
"Maybe the Hokage's still alive."
Sasuke shook his head.
"He stayed in the tower fighting the outsiders when it collapsed. I highly doubt he made it out."
-
-
-
-
"Father!"
The whole world around him is ash and dust.
"Mother! Sister!" Shin Uzumaki searches frantically for his family amongst the dead and burnt. His dark pants and shirt are dirt covered and slightly burnt, and his forearm aches from being crushed but he searches on until he finds himself in front of the half destroyed Hyuuga compound.
"Zi You! Hanabi!" The boy runs onto the grounds and stops as he notices the bodies littering the grounds. Children, women, men…slaughtered. He continues deeper into the compound frantically searching for someone, anyone left alive until he realizes that he is lost, deep within the compound.
"Boy, who are you?"
Shin stiffens as unfamiliar hands grasp him and turn him around.
"Zi You…"
The man lifts a brow.
"Who?"
As Shin was about to answer he notices the cuffs on the mans scarred wrists.
"You're a prisoner?"
The mans white eyes lower to the ground then meet the boys again.
"I've been locked in the bowels of the Hyuuga compound for seven years…"
The boy, his initial fright gone observed the man more closely.
"But you're a Hyuuga."
The man laughed at the boy, something painful and unfamiliar to him.
"You're Naruto's boy."
"You knew my dad?"
The man nodded.
"Very well."
"Good, then maybe you can help me find him." He said taking the mans hand. "There was a fight and a fire. The whole village is just about destroyed but I think that dad's still alive. But anyways, I'm Shin Uzumaki!"
The man smiled at the blond boy, he bowed his head a bit wavering.
"My name is Neji."
Shin smiled brightly as he led Neji out of the compound.
"C'mon Neji, let's go find my dad!"
-
-
-
-
Sasuke had returned to the village as Zi You slept soundly near the lake. He hade made it back with rations and clothes small enough for Zi You. A small green boys Kimono and slippers.
Along with his return and rations he was carrying a small whaling three year old with messy black hair and blue eyes.
"Shh…it's alright Laya. I'm here."
The child's cries stopped as she rubbed her tired eyes and leaned into Sasuke falling asleep. He held her closely before setting her down beside Zi You. He looked at the two children for a moment trying not to remember the villagers…or Ino, Laya's young mother.
Her misted over blue eyes.
Her half burnt body.
He rubbed his tired onyx eyes trying to will away the memory of her and the smell of burning bodies and decay.
"Sasuke."
He was ripped from his musings as Zi You sat up and played with Laya's messy hair.
"Is Ms. Ino here? What about Shikamaru Sensei?"
Sasuke shook his head sadly.
"Oh." She said clasping on her locket more closely.
"I've brought clothes for you along with some food and water."
"Thank you."
She changed quickly after washing herself and her pink Kimono letting dry on a branch. She stepped out from the bushes standing in front of Sasuke tying her hair back loosely.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes slightly wide.
"You look just like Ne-…" He stopped himself.
"Sasuke?"
"Nothing."
After eating there small meal and washing Laya up, they finally began on their journey to Sand. Walking side by side in silence was deafening to both.
"Sasuke?"
"Hn?"
"Who's Hinata?"
He stopped in his tracks, holding a bit more tightly to the three year old in his arms. He was silent for a moment before looking directly into Zi You's eyes.
'Just like Neji…' He thought as Zi You's expression turned a bit sour.
"You'll have to ask the Kazekage about that."
Zi You tilted her head.
"Why?"
"because he can explain better then I can."
-
-
-
-
"He's dead." Shin said staring at the lifeless body of his father. The mans blond hair was dark from dirt and soot, his robes burnt. "So is mom and sister…"
They had searched the entire village, finding nothing but lifeless bodies with the exception of Akamaru whom was whining near his masters lifeless body.
"What are we gonna do Neji? The entire village is gone, everybody's dead." The boy said crying into his small hands. "We haven't found uncle Sasuke but he's probably dead anyway just like uncle Kakashi and uncle Lee."
"Shin. I've been hidden away for a long time so I wouldn't know but is Gaara still Kazekage?"
The boy's green eyes shimmered.
"Uncle Gaara? Of course!" The boy slightly smiled. "He can help us."
As Shin smiled and talked away about his uncle Neji looked down at the lifeless body of Naruto Uzumaki. He half expected the blond to get up and ask for ramen but looking closely at the fallen man, seeing the blood staining his robes.
"Shin, get Akamaru and try to find some supplies and weapons and meet me back here. We're going to Sand."
The boy nodded.
"Okay, but what are you gonna do?"
"I'm going to say goodbye to my wife."
"Wife?"
Neji nodded and departed towards the Hyuuga grounds towards the graveyard where the woman he loved, the woman he had eloped with lied, buried beneath the ground.
Standing in front of the tomb stone Neji smiled.
"Hello Hinata."
Sera: Comment please!