Hey, its Ashleigh here and I have been distracted to death with this new idea for a fic. I would be sitting in biology, minding my own business, taking down notes and then BAMMM the idea hits me and I couldn't concentrate at all. Granted I didn't want to concentrate because it was the end of the day, so I have been trying to forget about it but of course, as do all my ideas for a fanfic even if they don't make it to computer (they never usually do) I start to daydream and that is how they get created. So here is the first chapter and if you have read my other fics I know I should be more focused on my main one, but if I empty my head of all the distractions its easier to think about more chapters for that one. So here you all go and I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, dammit. If I did I would kill off Sasuke in the first few episodes, or have him and Itachi thumb wrestle and have Itachi win, and then I would shave off his chicken butt hair.
THIS FIC IS RATED M because of language and future lemons. Yea that's right LEMONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE!!!
This is going to be mostly a what happens after you die kind of theme, and the religion I'm kind of going to use as a basis for this story is Catholic, because honestly it's the only religion I know. I am NOT trying to push my religion onto others, but I can't just use any religion when I won't know what the hell I'm talking about cause that would make me look like an idiot. The beginning is when the characters are a little younger so there won't be as much swearing as there will be in later chapters.
"speech" 'thoughts' actions during thoughts
Chapter 1, I wasn't ready
Naruto POV
She had saved my life once, both emotionally and physically.
When I was 10, I was dubbed a very sick child. I had a kidney disease. I was an orphan, living with my Godfather Jiraiya. My life was ending and I was practically all alone. Yes I did have Jiraiya, but he had us living in the forest part of the city we lived in because he liked privacy. However, soon the doctor said it wasn't in my best interests to stray to far from the hospital, so we moved into the city.
Konoha didn't have a large selection on places to live, but the doctor demanded that I move within five minutes of the hospital. Well the doctor was an old friend of Jiraiya, and she helped us get the small house next to hers.
"See, Naruto, it may not be as private as we like but I'm sure you'll get used to it.", said Jiraiya. His face wore a smile, but we were past pretenses. Very soon, I was going to die.
But Jiraiya was my father in a few senses of the word so I wouldn't make his last memories of me terrible.
I put on my ever so famous foxy grin and said, "The place is awesome Jiraiya! Its got loads of sunlight, and its nice and quiet. What more can you ask of a place?! But I hope I can make some friends."
My Face dropped a bit in my last sentence, and Jiraiya noticed. It was no secret to Jiraiya that one of my last wishes was to make a friend. I just hoped I had enough time left . . .
Tsunade's, my doctor, pulled into the driveway of the house next to us. She put on a smile and started to walk over to us to help us unpack. Just then, a beautiful girl with long pink hair, and striking emerald eyes came out of the passenger door and also walked over to us.
I have seen kids my own age before, but I never really had a chance to talk to them. It was only when I went to the hospital that I ever got to see them and I rarely got this close, but here the girl was, getting closer and closer by the second.
I suddenly became more self conscious about myself.
'Oh god she's getting closer. How's my breath? Is my hair to screwed up? Did I remember pants?' looks down 'Yes! I remembered pants, and shoes!'
Jiraiya saw my fidgeting, and the slight flush to my face. His slightly, no scratch that, heavily perverted self, who had been put away because of the seclusion and my health, decidedly came to resurface and make up for all the lost times.
"Hey Tsunade, glad you can come to help. But who is this beautiful young girl you got with you?" , said Jiraiya with a saucy smile. In the distance, on the mention of the y o u n g word, we all could have sworn that we all heard someone yell, "THE POWERFUL YOUTHYNESS OF YOUTH!!" , but we all just waved it off.
Tsunade, who had known Jiraiya since they were kids, at first gave him a shocked, disgusted, and angry look because from her point of view, it looked like she was hitting on the young girl beside her. But then Jiraiya tilt/nodded his head towards me, and a look of understanding, and also a smirk, appeared on Tsunade's face.
"Naruto, I would like you to meet Sakura. She volunteers at the hospital, but usually after school so that's why you've never seen her before." Tsunade then directed her gaze at Sakura and said, "Sakura, why don't you help Naruto with his things while Jiraiya and I discuss some things."
Sakura nodded her head, directed a smile at me, and grabbed my hand to drag me over to the moving truck to help me bring up my things to my room. The only things in the truck were clothes and bedding. All our furniture had been moved up here throughout the week to make it easier, but I knew it was to make it easier on me.
'Sa-ku-ra, that seems to fit her nicely, wait OH MY GOD SHE'S HOLDING MY HAND!!! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! OH NO I THINK MY HAND IS CLAMMING UP! WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHAT SHOULD I SAY?! AM I WEARING PANTS? Oh wait I already checked that . . .'
As my thoughts clouded my mind we reached the truck, and my face was as red as a tomato. She turned to me and let go of my hand, all the while smiling.
"It's nice to meet you Naruto. Now, which boxes are yours, so I can help you, then when we are done, we can have lunch outside in my backyard, we have an herb garden but I thought it would be nice to throw in some flowers to make it look, nice and before long, it was like our own garden of Eden."
She laughed, not a tinkly laugh that the books would say about a girl like her, but it was a very nice laugh. It was loud, but not to the point where it would just be cackling, and it had substance to it. The laugh wasn't forced, it was there on its own accord. I knew I would do anything to induce that laugh again.
I decided to talk to her while we were bringing up the boxes to my new room. I didn't want her to thing that I was some kind of idiot who couldn't form a coherent sentence, even if I really couldn't.
"So Sakura, you live with Tsunade?"
She set the box she was carrying down and looked up smiling.
"Yes, my parents work abroad, and Tsunade is my aunt so I live with her. I volunteer at the hospital a lot after school. How come I have never seen you at school Naruto?", she asked with her head tilted to the side.
I looked downward and said, "I am home schooled by Jiraiya, I only come into town to see Tsunade."
"Hmm? How come?"
"How come what, Sakura?"
"How come you only come into town to see Tsunade, Naruto?"
"Because I have health problems." ,I said, not even able to look her in the eyes.
"Like what kind of health problems?" , she asked.
My voice grew hard when I said, "The lethal kind."
She gasped and said, "What's wrong Naruto?"
"I have a kidney disease. Tsunade says I will get better if I can get a donor, but no one has the right match for me.", I still couldn't meet her gaze.
She was thinking for a few moments and said, "Don't worry Naruto, I'll find someone to give you a kidney."
My eyes widened and then I asked, "Why?"
"Because, Naruto, you're my new best friend." she said with a smile.
later
Sakura's POV
I was eating dinner with Tsunade, it was unusually quiet, and I couldn't take the silence anymore.
"Tsunade, is Naruto really going to die?", I asked, tears almost spilling out of my eyes.
Tsunade took a deep breath and said, "If he doesn't get another kidney, then yes, he is going to die."
"Isn't there anyone in Konoha that can help him!?", I was starting to get hysterical. "I can see it, he is lonely, and in pain, and he is scared that he doesn't have enough time to make friends!!?"
Tsunade looked at me and took another deep breathe, "There is one person in Konoha who is compatible with Naruto."
That is what I wanted to hear. "
"WHO TSUNADE WHO?!!"
"It's you, Sakura. I didn't tell you because I didn't think you would agree to do it. Would you Sakura, would you do that for Naruto?"
My breathing slowed, and I was deep in thought. Can I do that for Naruto?
The answer is definite.
"Yes Tsunade, I will do it, I will do it for Naruto."
5 years (and a few months) later -----------------------------------------------
Naruto POV
Its been five years since Sakura gave me one of her kidneys. I now actually could wake up in the morning and not have to worry about it being my last time waking up. But I did have to wake up and worry about being late for school.
That's right, after practically all of my life I have been home schooled, for the last five years I have been going to school. I made friends fast with Sakura by my side. My life was better than I could ever have dreamed it would be. I never took anything for granted, yet as fate would decide, everything would come crashing down within a span of five minutes.
"Sakura, your coming over for dinner tonight right?", I asked her.
"Of course Naruto, but only on one condition.", she said with a firm voice, but with a teasing smile.
"What's the condition?"
"No ramen."
"AWE no fair!!", I whined.
"Naruto, if you keep eating shit like that your going to screw up our kidney."
That's how she refers to the kidney she gave me, our kidney. The our part excites me more than the fact that she gave me one of hers. However the kidney was the only thing of hers that she gave me. I didn't get her jump-right-in attitude, where if she has something on her mind, like a crush for instance, she comes right out and says it. Not that she has a crush, recently, or anything. That's just the kind of person she is.
"Naruto, zip up your jacket, it is snowing out and your going to catch a cold", she scolded me.
"Awe Sakura, you've been living with Granny Tsunade for too long.", I teased.
"Haha, believe it." , she teased me using my catch phrase, "Now zip up your jacket."
"Yes, mother.", I said zipping up my jacket, I was thankful it was snowing, she looked even more beautiful with the snowflakes resting on her pink hair. If only I could tell her . . .
"Thank god I'm not your mother." ,she said.
"Why not Sakura?", I said with what looked like mock hurt.
"Because," ,she said, "A mother can't do something like this." and out of nowhere she jumps on my back. She sighs and goes,
"Remind me never to do that again."
"Hmm, why not Sakura?"
"Naruto, I'm not sure if you noticed, but your not exactly only six inches off the ground, more like six feet."
I laughed at her statement because it was true. I had shot up to six foot two, I also got some muscle over the past five years (a/n and a few months ;D) for one reason, and she was on my back.
She stayed on my back until we reached a supermarket.
"Naruto I'll be going in to buy some REAL food, I'll be right out ok?" , she jumped off my back but surprised me by kissing me on the cheek. I was positive that she never saw my reaction, which was my face being as red as a fire truck. She walked inside and I waited for her. Then some old lady needed help across the street because she dropped her bags. No one was helping her so I decided to be good citizen of the hour and help her.
"Naruto?!!" , I heard Sakura call when she didn't see me right away. Then many things happened simultaneously that I didn't even really get what was happening.
Some workers that were bringing in stock to the store accidentally knocked into Sakura. Since she was carrying bags in both hands she was knocked onto the ground very painfully, because she was unable to put her arms out to protect herself. Then another horrible thing happened. There was a bus speeding way past the speed limit right towards Sakura. (a/n yea I kno, kind of cliché but it was that or a fire truck and I didn't want to make the vehicle who usually helps to save people be the bad guy)
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think, I wouldn't think. My body and my heart just rushed out into traffic. Dodging all cars when I made it up to Sakura who was now on her knees still continuing to pull herself up. I pushed her out of the way at the last second, but sadly I couldn't follow. The bus hit me with full force, which was merely seconds but seemed like hours before it stopped.
Now I couldn't breathe or move, but I could think. I also knew that I was not going to see another sunrise, or most likely another sunset. I wasn't going to get up and not worry about a kidney failure. I wasn't going to see Jaraiya's new book come out. I wasn't going to hang out with all my friends that I have gained over the last five years. I wasn't going to be able to go to another checkup to Granny Tsunade and have her say I am healthy. But the most painful of all of these never-going-to thoughts was I was never going to be able to see Sakura's smile again. I knew my time was limited and I wasn't going to be able to say more than a few words, but all I needed was a few words.
"NARUTO!!!! NO, YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, YOU CAN'T!!", I heard my own angel scream in horror at my rapidly failing body. It took all my strength to open my eyelids, I didn't have much time left.
I could see tears streaming down her face, they were falling onto my own cheeks. No, those were my tears, not because of the pain, even though it was great, but because she was crying.
"Sakura, I have something to tell you.", I said with a weak smile.
"Wh-what is it-t Naruto?" , she asked in a shaky voice.
"Sakura, I l-l-o" , and that's when my voice stopped. Seconds later my sight disappeared. All I heard in the few seconds I had my hearing was her crying.
"Naruto? NARUTO!!" , and that's where everything faded.
---(A/n this was where I was going to cut it off and leave you all with a cliffy. But that is just to cruel and I didn't really explain where the story was going so for just this once, I'll stop being an evil psycho bitch and continue.)----------------------------
I woke up in what seemed like a hotel room. My normal orange and black
t-shirt and blue jeans outfit were replaced with white sweatpants and a white t-shirt. I quickly sat up to see a silver haired man with a blue mask covering most of his face, which was buried inside a book. I found myself able to speak again so I decided to find out what the hell happened to me.
Just when I was about to open my mouth, the silver haired man looked up from his book.
"Oh, so you have finally woke up, well finally died. I'm Kakashi, and, well, welcome to heaven." ,said Kakashi with a smile under his mask, although Naruto found nothing to smile about in his current situation.
"Heaven? Welcome to heaven? WHY WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT?!!! THE LOVE OF MY LIFE ALMOST GOT HIT BY A BUS, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO TELL HER I LOVED HER, AND I DIED?!!! WHAT THE HELL?!!" ,I said in an angered rush.
"Um, not that it matters much that you are already up here, we really don't like to use a lot of foul language up here." ,replied Kakashi with one hand scratching the back of his head.
"-And we really aren't suppose to read porno either, and yet you still do, Kakashi." ,said a girl who was walking through the door. She was about five feet tall, had brown hair and brown eyes (a/n yea how boring, but she looks like me XD) with fair skin. Basically the opposite of me. Except what was on her face. Her smile was exactly like my own foxy grin.
"Ariana, I am not reading porno! This is a very sophisticated piece of literature that depicts all aspects of a romance-"
"Does it have sex scenes in it?" ,the girl named Ariana interrupted.
" . . .Yes." ,replied Kakashi hesitantly.
"Then its porno." ,Ariana said with a foxy smirk instead of the grin from before. Now usually I wouldn't read to much into this but no one ever, can recreate my trade mark grin and smirk. No one except my dad, which I have seen in pictures.
"Um, yea, hate to break up the whole argument discussing this guys porno, but um, who the hell are you?" ,I said to Ariana.
Ariana turned towards me and did another foxy grin.
"Well, I never could dream of expecting you to remember me Naruto, but I thought that Uncle Jaraiya would have at least showed you some pictures of me while you were growing up." ,she said in a tone like she had known me from a long time ago.
"Well be fair Ariana. Jaraiya was very attached to you, you were practically his daughter, so it might be painful for him to have pictures of you around the house." ,Kakashi cut in.
"Yea I do see your point, but Naruto and I are related by blood so-"
"Wait a minute. What do you mean related by blood?", I said in an unbelieving tone.
"Well jeeze, Naruto, I know we have no really noticeable physical similarities but the grin and smirk should say it all. Those things are a family trade mark.", said Ariana.
"So your like what? My grandmother or something?" ,I asked bitterly.
"No, of course not. I'm your sister Naruto."
"My sister?!"
Ariana sighs and says, "Maybe I should tell you a story that will explain why you were orphaned, left without a sibling, and why you are now dead. However interrupt and I will smack you." ,Ariana said impatiently, and darkly. I quickly nodded for her to continue.
"Naruto, I am not sure if you believe in angels or anything, well you should because they are real. In fact you are standing, well sitting in front of two right now. Every human is assigned a guardian angel. The catch is the angel has to deeply love the human they are assigned to."
"Why is that?" ,I asked, not sure if I would get smacked, glared at, or both.
"Guardian Angels are assigned to protect the human, so it may mean giving up their lives for the sake of the human. Only someone who loves the human can do that."
"How can an angel risk their lives? Aren't they already dead?" ,I asked in a misbelieving voice.
"Well if you stop asking questions maybe I could finish the damn story!" ,Ariana snapped. Apparently she did not like getting interrupted.
"Yes, an Angel can die, but their soul doesn't come straight back to heaven, or disappear into oblivion, but it gets recycled. There is this thing called 'The lakes', this place is where the dead angel's soul comes before they are reborn into humans again. When an angel dies they leave behind a shell just like humans do. Usually after a day or two for mourning the body just sort of fades away. However there are exceptions to the body disappearing."
"And what is that?" ,I said. SMACK.
"It will be harder next time you interrupt. There is a group of angels who are born in separate lifetimes, always, they never meet each other as other angels might do. They are born, well reborn into humans but have their astral powers of their angel selves. These are called Doubled Souls. These angels are born with a more concentrated form of lightness, and darkness in them. If they can't control either, they can go insane and kill anyone or thing in their path. They are the key with fighting against the Darkness. Now before you cut me off I will explain what the Darkness is. The Darkness are the angels shunned by Him/Her/They in the first war, and also Angels who were here, but have gone bad."
" . . ." , I couldn't interrupt her so I nodded for her to continue her story.
"Now the doubles do not get recycled through the lakes. The lakes makes it so it is the same soul returning to earth, but it's looks and certain behaviors rely on the parents. The doubles have their original forms that cannot carry life anymore, but can carry a soul until it is their time to fight. Doubles eventually find out when they are humans what they are, and are taught how to use their powers by their guardian angel. Are you still with me?"
Again I could only nod.
"Well, because of the doubles raw power, and the fact that they can be overcome by total darkness as well as light, the Darkness is after the doubles. They either get them to join the Darkness, or if the doubles refuse, they kill them. So obviously we can't just have normal angels be the guardian for someone this important. There are people called the "golden child" who is basically a few guardians picked from birth to aid the doubles. This guardian is much stronger, and is always guaranteed to have some sort of relationship with the doubles. The thing is though, they have to die in order to take up their role as a guardian. It is quite sad, and it is like their life is ripped away from them, but they either have a love, or develop a love so strong for the double, they soon loose all bitterness."
"Not that it is always a good person who becomes a guardian." ,mumbled Kakashi.
Ariana winced a little at this statement but said nothing on it. So I inquired further.
"What does he mean by that?" , I asked.
"The last double lost her first guardian, and another was about to be appointed," , she quickly glanced at Kakashi then back to me, "but another had fallen very deeply in love with the double that he demanded that he be the guardian, and there was no harm in that, if he loved her that much, he would protect her that much."
"Pssh, wrong." ,Kakashi scoffed.
She glared at him and continued. "A year or two later, while he was protecting her, she saw him for the first time, and she returned his feelings. However the darkness knew that there was no way that she could turn dark, so they decided to use the other option. But Darkness being Darkness they decided to play with people's lives and after lives. They convinced the guardian that the angels and humans working with them that they were all planning to kill the double. The Darkness convinced him that with darkness in his heart he would become strong enough to protect her from everything. But the new darkness in his heart clouded his good intentions and he went on a killing spree. Humans and Angels were slaughtered by himself and his own army."
"The double was trained in her astral powers so she was able physically to defeat her guardian, but in her heart there was turmoil. He was evil and not even the one he originally wanted to protect with his darkness could stop him. She fought against him single handedly but it wasn't enough, so he impaled her with the sword that he used to protect her so many times, and she died."
"Ok but how does this apply to me?" ,I said.
"Exactly after a double is killed their spirit splits in two. One half the original soul going back for a long rest, and one half that is continuously living, and that's the darkness and light. The darkness and light goes on directly to the new double who is born within twenty-four hours."
"Now recently, the Darkness is again targeting the current double, getting rid of all her closest people around her, although they do space it out throughout her life. They are planning to take her in her weakened state, because of her grief, and use her to destroy everything good. Now this is where you come in."
"I don't understand." ,I said confused.
"The golden child has to die before they can protect the double."
I slowly started to get the implications that Ariana was saying.
"So I am the golden child. Well who is the double who's life is apparently in so much danger that I needed to croak now? I am going to tell you now, I can never love them, all my love belongs to Sakura." ,I said with my age old teenage rebellion attitude. Apparently, Ariana did not like to be disrespected, so she smacked me and then glared at me.
"Well then you should have an easy job because the double is Sakura, you dope. You are going to protect Sakura from the darkness, is that understood?"
I nodded fiercely.
"Good now get some more rest, before we start training."
"Hey Ariana, I have a question." , I asked.
"What is it Naruto?" ,she said annoyed.
"What happens to the doubles who are completely overcome by darkness?"
She at first avoided my gaze but then turned to me and seriously said, "They must stay insane within the Darkness forever. So are you up for the job?
"Yes, yes I am."
End Chapter
OMG finally. This chapter took forever and its the longest one i have ever written. Just so you know the part after I was originally was going to put in a cliffy was all written at 1 am and finished at 2:20 pm, so if it sounds a little loopy, feel free to do an Ariana slap. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! It would make my weekend so much better from the hectic week I had. Be back soon.