Naruto: Symphony of Eternity
Book 1: Absolution Shall Not Come
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, the series would have concluded differently.
"We never paid any heed to the warnings. We never considered an alternative. All we did was fight as we had for generations. We never paid any heed, until the night the white moon left the sky, and a new enemy came upon us. All of us now stand on the edge of oblivion, for his reign of terror has begun…"
NaruSaku, along with minor SaiIno and ShikaTema. This is a minor AU Shippuden conclusion and full AU part 3 to Naruto. Begins at about chapter 698 of the manga. Rated T for intense violence, blood and gore, excessive crude humor and language, as well as suggestive content. Rating is subject to possible change. A short omake miniseries that is titled Days Off with the Akatsuki will be featured at the end of most chapters. Updates will come, but time will vary.
Edit: I have begun a modest rewriting process to this story. The plot and general dialogue will remain the same, I am simply shoring up what I believe are weak links to them both. The debut of Book 2 has been delayed, but it will be coming sooner rather than later. That much I can assure you.
Update: Officially as of now, Chapter 1 of Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf is up!
Chapter 1: The Price of a Dream
It was done. The Fourth World War had been resolved. Obito had given one last sacrifice, Madara was vanquished, and despite the great many odds, Sasuke had chosen to seek redemption. The Shinobi Alliance was still in one piece, but everyone expected it to crumble sooner rather than later. That was the way of a world both divided in some ways, and united in others. The battlefield was silent, but the field hospital remained frantic with activity. Naruto and Sasuke had recently been checked in, their wounds still grave after Sakura had successfully stabilized both of her teammates. Those who recognized him were shocked to see that Sasuke had arrived with Naruto, but any protests were muted for the time being. The last son of the Uchiha Clan knew full well he may never get the trust of the Hidden Leaf and all his former friends and comrades back, even as he finally accepted the pleading of his friends to repent from his warpath and return home.
The medical shinobi barely found a moment's rest as the day went on. The conflict, while concentrated, had been a very bloody one. Among them was of course Sakura, who had opted to continue the treatment of both her childhood friends herself. She was unsure of what to think as she treated Sasuke. She had been dying to get him back to the Hidden Leaf for so long, and she had always cherished the thought of the day. But now that it was actually here, so much was going through her mind. She was relieved he was alive along with Naruto, but that didn't stop the pain he had caused by leaving, by almost killing her and Naruto more than once, and his scheme to plunge the world into chaos in a deranged bid for everlasting peace. It made Obito's former plan before he too repented seem humane in comparison. As her thoughts remained jumbled up in her head, she said nothing as she continued her work. She had taken care to prevent more blood loss as she tended to the scorched wound where his lost arm had been.
Sasuke understood he deserved being ignored. Quite frankly, he was almost surprised he wasn't run out and refused treatment altogether. Naruto, being the dense blockhead that he is, said he already forgave him once their fight concluded. Sasuke would never expect the same courtesy from everyone else. He did know all the same if he was to make amends, he had to start somewhere. Deciding to try and break the ice, no matter how awkward it would be, he spoke up to the pink-haired girl standing over him.
"Hey… been a while since you had to work on me, eh?" he chuckled lightly at his own remark.
"Yeah, it has," was all Sakura said in reply. Sasuke decided to try another approach.
"Any word on how Naruto is doing? I can tell he's in a different tent."
"Shizune is tending to him right now. I'm gonna check on him, next. That's all I know," she said drolly, not letting her emotions show.
Sasuke chose to just be direct. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry. When I left back then, I honestly never set out to hurt you, Naruto, or anyone else at the Leaf. Well… not at first," he knew his explanation would never be a good one.
"We can talk about it later, I'm just about done stabilizing you," Sakura informed him.
"Good to hear it, sincerely, thank you," he told her earnestly as he looked up at her. She met his gaze for the first time as she spoke.
"You're welcome, Sasuke," it was the first time she had addressed him face to face and calling him by his name since the battle had ended. At that moment, a team of Black Ops personnel arrived to guard the tent. Evidently, word of Sasuke and his presence in the camp had reached the Hokage.
With the Uchiha secure, and visibly under watch at that, Sakura made her way over to the tent containing her other teammate. That wonderful blonde buffoon she owed this day to. "Looks like he's gonna keep that promise to me, after all." She mused in her mind, both thoughtfully and sadly, as she walked. Upon reaching his tent, she saw that Shizune was still mending him, and immediately noticed he was not conscious. She picked up her speed as she hurried on over.
"Naruto? Naruto?" she asked, semi-frantically. Shizune gave her an unseen smile at the girl's clear concern for her dear friend.
"He's just asleep, Sakura. I think that last battle wore him out. Don't worry, it's nothing life-threatening now that the wound for his lost arm is secure," she informed Sakura, hoping to put the girl at some sense of ease. It is still difficult even for her to see a friend in this state, and she's nowhere near as close as these two.
"He actually did it… he brought Sasuke back and saved the village," Sakura said aloud softly, as if trying to wrap her head around the facts herself. She moved her hands in to begin helping Shizune's mending, while the latter continued.
"He saved the entire world, along with Sasuke, and if the rumors are true… a member of the Akatsuki joined in the battle with Madara, on their side. If I may, any truth to that, Sakura? You were the one closest to their fight."
"Yeah, that creep Osamu jumped in to aid them both against Madara. I don't know what his motivation was, and I don't care to know. I'm just glad he left before Naruto and Sasuke started their fight. They… didn't need anyone else getting involved," the pink-haired girl finished, sadly.
"At least it looks like things are over. Maybe some sense of normal can come back now," Shizune added as she sighed in relief. Sakura was not so sure however. She responded as she continued helping with the treatment for Naruto.
"Things will never return to normal… but hopefully this does mean peace, at long last," once she was finished, the blonde ninja began talking in his sleep, and both she and Shizune smiled. At least somebody was back to normal in dreamland.
"Mmm… oh Sakura… that you…? How 'bout… some ramen?"
Quite some distance away, in the underground cavern that served as the main room in the Akatsuki's secret hideout, both Osamu Sozenuohsi and his partner, Sasori, arrived as they stepped inside from the access tunnel. Both their robes had been worn and tattered in some spots from the non-stop fighting, as well as caked in dust and dried blood. And yet despite their battered appearance, they were both still very much alive. Osamu had his favorite katana sword sheathed on his left hip, the strap encircling his robes. His headband, bearing the same Anti-Hidden Waterfall Village crest as Kakuzu wore, was worn as well, but still intact. Needless to say, the war had been arduous for them as well. Osamu spoke first, his eyes, encased in the black bandit mask as they always were, surveying around them.
"If what I gathered is accurate, and it most likely is, we'll be meeting the other two survivors here, shortly."
Sasori looked over to his longtime ally. He recognized that glimmer in his cobalt eyes, "You're already planning something."
"I am, and I intend to wait for the others to arrive so I won't have to repeat myself," the man, a light-skin former mercenary who had brown hair, explained flatly.
"Very well, we could be here awhile," the master of puppet jutsu informed his comrade, who promptly turned to face the tunnel as footsteps sounded and shadowy figures neared, both of them exchanging harsh words of criticism.
"Oh, somehow I doubt that," Osamu concluded with sarcasm.
"We would have been here sooner if his damn rituals didn't take forever, as usual," Kakuzu informed the duo in front of him, griping about his partner once again.
"Oh shut that heretic face hole of yours, Kakuzu," Hidan replied, remorseless for his proper tribute to Jashin. Osamu couldn't help but smirk at their display even as Sasori rolled his eyes.
"Good to see war didn't change either of you," Osamu joked with amusement.
"Nope! Plenty of fuckface sacrifices for Lord Jashin! He is no doubt pleased with my work," Hidan was in a celebratory mood, cut short by a bonk on the head from a fist courtesy of Kakuzu. He turned to glare murder at his partner but relented when Osamu raised a hand in protest.
"Enough, I've summoned you gentlemen here because we are the last of the Akatsuki. Tragically as you are aware, Obito and Madara are dead. Nevertheless, considering Obito left me in charge of the team, I will be retaining leadership in their absence. Now then, anyone care to contest that?"
"Fuck yeah I do! Why the fuck shouldn't I be in charge?" Hidan wasn't going to let this perceived opportunity slide that easy. Kakuzu would not waste any time giving his rebuttal.
"Because if I thought for even a second you had a real chance of becoming the boss of me, I'd break you into pieces and dump you down a well."
"Seconded," Sasori added.
"Agreed, one hundred percent," Osamu chimed in as well.
"Ah, you're all a bunch of assholes!" Hidan griped, but to no avail as one might predict.
Osamu began, "Alright, now that that matter is settled, let's all head further in and get comfortable. We have much to discuss."
A couple days had passed, and the rebuilding was officially underway in the Hidden Leaf Village. The full scope of the damage from the war itself was minimal all things considered. The village had been left on the edge of total ruin following the nightmarish attack launched by Pain shortly before the war began, and it was feared the war would destroy what was left. Amidst the continuous activity at the hospital and the damaged buildings receiving repairs, Lady Tsunade had announced her decision to step down from her position as Fifth Hokage, something she had been considering for a while. Finally on the second day back, the hospital began to see some respite.
Sakura had protested her mentor's decision from the start, but relented once the woman she so admired revealed her reasoning. She was getting older, and her lifespan had already been drastically reduced thanks to the amount of chakra she had to put out to protect the village during Pain's attack. She also intended to keep working as the hospital, though also named Sakura her replacement as the head medical ninja, another unprecedented move that took the pink-haired young woman by surprise. She had informed Tsunade she did not believe she was anywhere near a position to say she was even equal to her mentor's abilities, but Tsunade simply told her she had earned it. Her last act as Hokage would be her and the council's decision on what to do with Sasuke. Both he and Naruto were due to be released from the hospital, today.
"I have taken the words of you and Naruto into much consideration, Sakura. I doubt this decision will be made easily," Lady Tsunade sighed from her desk, always dreading meetings with the stuff and pompous members of the council.
"I did not mean to burden you, Lady Tsunade, I'm sure Naruto didn't either," Sakura told her superior respectfully as she stood straight.
"It's okay, but those blowhards are sure going to be one of the main things I won't miss about this job," the Fifth Hokage said with disdain before continuing, "Anyway, my report is all ready for the council, but I have one more errand for you before I depart."
"Anything, Lady Tsunade," Sakura said with enthusiasm.
"Bring by my report to Ekodo-sensei so he can provide his own input. His word will carry weight in this decision, as well," she smiled at the uplifted expression on her apprentice. Sakura and the others always liked their visits with that kindly old sage.
"Of course, Lady Tsunade, I will go immediately," taking the report from her mentor's hand, Sakura left the office to begin the walk over to Ekodo's house, which was a considerable distance from the end of town with the Hokage Tower.
At the bottom of a jagged, dark ravine in a land far from the village, the ground shook as it cracked open at a single location, opening to an even deeper recession. An eerie red light emanated from inside the breach, and if anyone had been around to hear, the ominous, nightmarish chuckle that echoed along with it would have rendered them terrorized with despair. A malevolence the likes of which the world of the ninja had never seen had just arrived.
Days Off with the Akatsuki:
Chapter 1: An Alternate Solution
Osamu sat alone in his recliner inside the common area of the Akatsuki hideout. He was enjoying a book in quiet solace along with a bottle of sake as Sasori walked by and spoke up.
"Hey, I'm heading out for a bit. I can't take another minute of Hidan and his Jashin worshipping headaches."
"As long as he stays away from me, I'm good. Later," Osamu told his partner, who then departed.
A few silent minutes passed, halted immediately when Hidan entered the room drenched in blood with a crazed look in his eyes and his teeth barred in a maniacal grin. Catching the deranged cultist out of the corner of his eye, Osamu sighed. His relaxing day off was about to end.
"Praise unto Lord Jashin! His will be done by his faithful and chosen! Hahahahahaha!"
Suddenly feeling the urge to down more liquor, Osamu wasted no time taking a large drink from the beverage at his side.
"Hidan, what made your rituals that were kindly away from me suddenly become stale enough to make you rush over here? Wait, you sacrificed all the prisoners again, didn't you?" Osamu asked his fanatical comrade with narrowed eyes.
"Fuck yeah I did! Those pathetic nonbelievers suffered immensely! Their pain was exquisite! A fitting tribute to Lord Jashin! Glorious slaughter abounds!" Hidan ranted without relent.
"Yeeeaah, why don't you go take this bloody celebration somewhere else? I hear the inside at bottom of an active volcano is spectacular to visit this time of year," Osamu suggested with irritated sarcasm. Hidan was upon him in seconds, his pain-driven ecstatic frenzy clearly still giving him a high.
"Come with me! Let us lay waste to the land in the name of Lord Jashin! The bloodshed will be magnificent!" Turning with his back to Osamu, he continued, "Blood must flow thus always to Lord Jashin! Repent or die, all shithead unbelievers!"
At that moment, Osamu picked up the bottle of sake and cracked it over the back of Hidan's head, shattering the bottle and sending the crazed cultist face first into the floor, out cold. Osamu sat back down and returned to his book as he sighed in relief, at last able to once more enjoy blissful silence.
"That's better"
Hours later after the sun set, Hidan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. They went wide as soon as he felt and recognized what happened. His body had been cut into pieces and dumped into a dry well. His crazed eyes returned as he roared in fury.
"OSAMU! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?! GET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU FUCKING HORSE'S ASS!"
Back at the Akatsuki hideout a good distance away, the rest of the team got a good night's sleep without any ritualistic disturbances.
A/N: Thank you all for reading, future chapters are in progress. I sincerely welcome your feedback.
