A/N This story is a sequel to KRenee's The Arriving. It is a collaboration between her and I, but I've done most of the writing thus far. A link will be posted on my main page. Enjoy! Characters and concepts belong to their respected owners. This plot and OCs belong to KRenee and I.
When Juritsu opened her eyes the first time that morning, she was greeted with a dazzling sunlight that pierced through the trees under which she had spent the night. Carefully and ignoring the soreness of her muscles, Juritsu pulled herself to her feet, glancing up at the morning light. It was very early in the morning, but she didn't want to eat quite yet.
She was nearly done, and the last thing she could bring herself to do at that point was stop. She hadn't wanted to sleep, but just sitting down to rest for a few seconds had put her in a seven hour coma.
She was dreading this moment since she had begun the process. She was afraid to see them again; when she had found the first body to bury, that of Shikamaru, he had decomposed so much that just the sight of it had her near a wreckage of a building, heaving the contents of her stomach until she had nothing inside of her.
She should've expected it; she was an irou-nin, and she knew the stages of death, should've known exposure to the elements would speed the process. But it never prepared her to see the same effects on the bodies of her friends.
Since seeing Shikamaru's corpse... no, she reminded herself, his body... she had learned to distance herself, to an extent, and steel herself for the friends she had to bury. Deep down, however, she knew that when she saw the three people she had considered family, it wouldn't be the same.
Nothing would ever be the same. She knew that, and yet...
She took her time walking down the empty streets, trying to block out the mounds with the flowers that she herself had created. She didn't need to look for them; the location and the sight of them were etched into her memory like an engraving in steel. She would never forget.
Rounding the familiar corner, her heart began to clench and race. Her steps slowed as she approached the end of the street. The shadowed lump in the sun had a flash of faded orange.
The brunette bit her lip, drawing blood. Her hands were trembling badly enough that even clenching her fists wasn't helping.
The blonde hair had fallen out; the eyes were closed and sunken, and she was sure the blue orbs had rotted away long ago. The sun-kissed skin was now shriveled and brown. But she still knew.
Excruciatingly slowly, she knelt down next to him, a small, miserable smile on her face. Her eyes were already beginning to water.
"Hey... Naruto..." her voice was quiet as she raised a hand, pointing it next to her and blasting a small hole into the ground. The smell was sickening, but she refused to let it get to her. It would make this miniscule ceremony undignified; she couldn't lose her cool in front of the boy she considered her brother.
Carefully, she lifted his body, ignoring the maggot eggs that fell out and onto her clothing, and gently placed him in the hole, setting to work replacing the earth over top of him. Her already calloused hands were blistered and bleeding from digging through the dirt as much as she already had.
"I hope you found your family in Heaven, Naruto," she continued, her voice thick, but she forced her smile to remain, "I'm sure they were waiting for you."
Patting the dirt carefully, her hands lingered over the new mound.
"Think of me, ne?"
She stood up, and turned, and as she walked, she allowed the tears the fall.
Kakashi wasn't too far away. His mask was still there, though his Sharingan eye was missing. Perhaps Sasuke had taken that, too. Respectfully, she left his mask up, keeping the face of her beloved teacher and father-figure forever covered.
Kakashi was one of the first people she had seen after returning home; he had looked out for her in his own subtle way, and waited patiently for her to be ready before he brought her on to his team. At first, she kept herself as close to him as she could; he was the only one she felt she could rely on for protection. Eventually, his guidance led her to develop her own independence. Still, he was her go-to person when she needed consoling and comfort.
She was positive, as she prepared the hole and buried his body, that he was reunited with his father, whom she had heard legends about, and they were catching up on plenty.
Juritsu smiled just thinking about it. Maybe it was her strange father-complex, who knew? Father this, Father that... she always relied on her father, literal or figurative. Though she was never was able to keep one for very long...
She saved this one for last; as she headed towards the Chuunin stadium, the images sprang forth in her mind.
It was almost as if it happened yesterday...
The smell of burning flesh had become the taste on her tongue that night. She had wanted to throw up, but she couldn't stop. She could feel the chakra spikes. Yes, someone was still alive, and they were fighting Sasuke. And she recognized the signature almost as well as she did Sasuke's. It was Sakura. She needed to go help Sakura, before she lost her too.
They were in the stadium, ironically enough. She knew it would take too long to go through the stands. Instead, she ran up and over the wall using chakra to stick, landing on the other side with ease. And there they were.
Sakura's one arm was bleeding profusely, and she had been healing it as she stared down the lone Uchiha, but Juritsu's sudden appearance had caught her attention, and she glanced over in surprise. She had reason to be surprised - Juritsu wasn't due to come home from her S-rank mission for another two days. It was a sick kind of luck that she returned when she did.
But it was also a sick kind of luck that she returned when she did. Her brown eyes widened in horror as Sasuke used the distraction to his advantage and charged towards her friend.
Desperately reaching a hand out, Juritsu began to run towards her.
"SAKURA!"
But she already knew it would be too late, and she watched as time slowed. Sasuke's hand, encased in Chidori, punched clear through Sakura's chest, and blood was gushing everywhere the sound was sickening and Sakura oh no Sakura's eyes are wide and disbelieving and her skin's paling and no no no no no no Sakura Sakura SAKURA!
Everything in Juritsu's mind blanked. She didn't even care that the murderer was right there. She had to get to Sakura had to help Sakura had to save the only friend that was left.
She had managed to cushion Sakura's fall with her body, and immediately set to work frantically healing the destroyed tissue.
"Hang in there, please!" There was still a chance; there always was! She could heal up Sakura and they could face Sasuke and defeat him together...
A pale hand had grabbed hers, and she could only stare in horror at Sakura's reassuring smile. The dark blood that trickled down the corners of her lips was a stark contrast to her pale skin, which was even paler than it should've been.
"Sakura," she cried, "I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay... Juritsu... It's not your fault..." she had breathed. Her voice was fading fast. There was no way Juritsu could save her. "I'm prepared... just... stay with me... for a little while... please."
Choking on a sob, Juritsu had grasped her best friend's hand.
"I won't leave you, I promise..."
And she didn't. She stayed and watched as the light faded from Sakura's jade green eyes. She listened as Sakura took her last breath. And she felt the warmth fade to an icy cold.
Juritsu squeezed her eyes, hunched over the mound she had just finished. Her hands were balled into fists, tightly clenching the dirt. The closest she ever came to having a sister, died in her arms. And the only thing she could do was watch helplessly.
"Oh my god..." she whimpered, breaking down completely as the pain finally came.
Are you going to get in my way as well?
"I'm so sorry..."
Juritsu buried her hand in her arms, not caring that she was resting against her best friend's grave, and cried harder than she had in her entire life, even long after her voice was too raw to speak, and her eyes were too dry to water. She didn't stop until the weight of her eyelids was too heavy to fight, and she passed out next to her best friend – the only girl Juritsu would ever call a sister.
...
A shrill whistle was what pierced the depths of her unconsciousness, and pulled her out of her dreamless sleep and into the present. Immediately, she made note of several observations. Firstly, she was no longer outside, but instead was lying in her old bed. The musty smell of unused furniture and rarely cleaned wood was recognizable as her house. Secondly, she sensed another presence in the house with her. She wasn't alone.
Narrowing her eyes, Juritsu silently drew a kunai from her nearby pouch, careful not to make a sound as she crept towards the kitchen and dining area. She saw a man, not much older than she, with black hair pulled back into a long ponytail.
"Sas…" her voice trailed off as she not only caught the attention of the man, but also realized that no, the chakra signature wasn't Sasuke's. She could recognize his signature from anywhere.
"I-Itachi?"
"You're awake," he observed as he walked over, moving to check her forehead for a fever. Before his hand could make contact, she pulled away, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
"How? You're supposed to be dead."
Itachi began to look confused. "Why do you say that?"
"Sasuke told me that he killed you!" It was obvious that, at this point, she couldn't take Sasuke's word for anything anymore, but she knew that he was telling the truth with this at least. She had sensed the absence of Itachi's chakra not long before Sasuke's return. She knew Itachi had died. And yet, here he was.
"I…" Itachi looked worried, almost frightened, and most certainly bewildered beyond belief, "I don't remember…"
"Then why are you here?"
"I'm not sure what brought me here, other than an instinctive feeling to find you and make sure you were okay."
There was a pause in the conversation. Itachi finished the brew and gave a cup of tea to Juritsu, who took a tentative sip. Eyes hardened, she stared steadily at him for a long moment before asking, "How can I trust you?"
Itachi raised an eyebrow slightly. "You don't have to."
...
It was easier than he thought, killing Madara. He shouldn't have been surprised. He knew that the older Uchiha had originally wanted Itachi's eyes for himself. He also knew that Madara hadn't suspected a thing when he asked for the eyes. Destroying Konoha only cemented the Akatsuki leader's assumptions that he was on their side. It all worked according to plan.
Sasuke glanced up at the approaching storm. Everything was done.
Almost… Sasuke turned to face the direction he could clearly sense his brother in. He didn't know how or why Itachi was apparently alive again, and he didn't care. It made the final phase of his plan that much easier.
He set off leisurely towards Konoha. At least with this it would give him an excuse to reappear in front of Juritsu, presenting himself to her on a silver platter. He was sure she would take the bait.