Well here's the second chapter to this story and no one has left any reviews so I'm just going to continue it anyway. If you get confused just ask me, I'll be glad to clear things up for you.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Bijuu speaking"
'Bijuu thinking'
Past
'Voice Naruto hears.'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles nor Kelly Clarkson song 'Hear me'.
'Damn that bastard Jaraiya! How the hell did such a simple mission turn into a disaster?' I thought to myself as I stood in front of the room that now held the still body of one of the most important person in my life.
When Gamakichi had poofed into existent in my office I had felt a small pit of worry start to grow in my stomach and when I heard for what reason he had come that small pit had turned into a gaping hole. I don't really remember what happened from the time it took me to yell at Shizune to get a room ready at the hospital and at least five medical ninja on standby to standing at the gate scanning both the ground and sky of any movements. I vaguely remember someone trying to stop me, obvious to say the hospital now had another patient to take care of. As I stood there waiting for Jaraiya and Sakura to appear I remembered when Naruto first came in; I can remember it so vividly.
I had been waiting at the gate for what felt like days when in fact it was only a few hours when in the distant I saw it. A small black dot against the blue of the sky and green of the trees, as it grew closer I was able to make out the form of a giant black and white bird with it's equally colorless master riding on top of it. It was taking all of my self-restraint to remain standing there instead of jumping on to the damn bird and yank Naruto out of Sai grip, when they did land I got to see Naruto condition for myself and I couldn't have felt anymore confused and worried at the same time. Naruto looked as if he was only sleeping, the only thing that gave away how serious his condition was, was how pale his normally tan skin was. I really couldn't decide what worse, Naruto with a hole in his chest or Naruto was sleeping dead to the world. After Sai placed Naruto on a stretcher that they had prepared before hand, we all took off to the hospital as fast as we could; I was determined to find out what was wrong with my otouto. Unfortunately and madding I was unable to find out what was wrong. Sure I found a lot of symptoms like, lack of brain activity, slowed heart rate, and lowered blood pressure but I found nothing that could have caused these symptoms.
'If it had been a flesh wound Kyuubi would have healed it already.' I thought to myself as I tried to figure out what had happened to my otouto, and again I felt my anger flare when I thought about Jaraiya who was supposed to be watching him. 'Where the hell is he?! He was supposed to be here hour ago.'
"Tsunade-sama…"
"What do you want Shizune?"
"I came to inform you of a strange discovery we made about Naruto-kun." I felt my head whip up to stare at my assistant.
"What did you find out?" I asked keeping my voice as even as possible.
"Well it appears that Naruto has very low chakra levels, in fact he only has enough to keep himself alive right now." I frowned at went over what Gamakichi had told me, if what Gamakichi said was true then this didn't add up. Naruto hadn't used any chakra before he fell unconscious so his chakra levels shouldn't be so low, but if his chakra levels were so low it might be a part of the reason as to why Naruto was like this.
"Have you tried giving him soldier pills?"
"Hai, but it didn't work." I frowned; Naruto had used soldier pills before so there should be no reason for them not working on him.
"What do you mean that they didn't work?"
"Well when we gave the pills to Naruto we thought that it would restore his chakra levels back to normal but when we did an examination we found that his chakra levels stayed the same, at first we thought that the pills were just taking a while to respond but after ten minutes with no reaction we realized that they had no effect on him. So we decided to give him more pills and we watched to see what happened, to our surprise nothing happened." I felt myself frown as my confusion grew deeper.
"What the hell is wrong with him?"
"I don't know Tsunade-sama." I felt my frustration rise by my inability to figure out what was wrong with my otouto and the fact that Jaraiya still hasn't shown up. I really felt like punching a wall in but held myself in check because Shizune had threatened to use my sake money to pay for the next wall I had broken in.
'Damn it I really want to break something.' As if the answer to all my (okay nonexistent) prayers had been answered Jaraiya finally arrived with Sakura close behind.
"Where the hell were you?!" I roared and drew my fist back but stopped myself when I noticed something weird about Jaraiya. "Who the hell is that?"
Jaraiya let a sleep-ish grin on his face before squatting down to let the old women off his back. He stood back up and suddenly turned serious.
"This is Nadeshiko she the reason why we're late; she has a very interesting story to tell us." I felt my anger grow and without Nadeshiko residing on his back I was free to punch him as much as I wanted.
"Damn it Jaraiya you were late for some old hag story while we were trying to figure out how the hell to wake up your student!" I was just about to hit Jaraiya face with my fist with a satisfying crunch when the old hag spoke up.
"He's not going to wake up." I felt myself freeze before forcing my stiff muscles to turn to her.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that he's not going to wake up, at least not by any medicine you can create." I felt my eyes narrow, was she underestimating me? Did she not know who I am? Still something about her made me take a better look at her.
She was an old lady maybe around seventy or eighty years old, she wore a simple dress that was a dark brown color and was fraying around the edges. Her hair was completely white and held back in a simple braid that reached past her shoulders, her eyes were chocolate brown and showed years of wisdom within them, and I realized just what about her made me consider her words. She stood straight and tall not a hint of doubt in her eyes; she truly believed that Naruto would not awaken again.
"How do you know this?"
"I think it's best if I told you my story in private ne?" She asked with a serious face and I nodded my consent realizing how open this hall was. After a short trip back to my office, Nadeshiko got a ride from Jaraiya again, I sat seated behind my desk removing a stack of paper work so I could get a better look at my guest.
"Shizune, go and get Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai in here. I have a feeling that they are going to need to hear this." I snapped at Shizune trying to hide my nervousness.
"Hai Tsunade-sama." Shizune answered me before jumping out the window to retrieve them. I felt a small annoyance flare up through my body, why did no one use the door? I was starting to understand why my old sensei had insisted that everybody come through the door instead of the window.
"Until Shizune returns why do you sit down?" Nadeshiko gave a grateful nod before sinking into the sofa that was normally there for clients since the ninja never stayed in my office for very long after they got their mission.
"You know I hadn't thought that the leader of Konoha would be such a young lady like you." Nadeshiko said out loud and I felt amusement bubble up through my body. I saw I wasn't the only one when Sakura tried to hide her giggles by covering her mouth with her hand and when Jaraiya snorted. I also noticed that I was not the only one to notice their reactions when Nadeshiko gave a confused stare at them for their actions. Before anyone could say anything Shizune returned with Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai; I raised my eyebrow at them.
"Kakashi you're on time, how did that happened?"
"I told him that I was supposed to fetch him two hours ago but forgot and only remembered just now." I nodded my head in understanding to shizune and mentally ticked off another time Kakashi had been tricked into coming on time.
"Tsunade-sama what are we doing here?" Yamato asked looking confused.
"I'm sure you heard about Naruto condition and I brought you hear because I believe you need to hear what about to be said." I told Yamato, they had been informed about Naruto condition shortly after they he had arrived. "Let start by hear what actually happened, Jaraiya you were there, what did you see?"
"We were staying in a small village near Konoha and we had just retired for the night when Pain attacked. I'm not sure why Pain himself showed up but I saw him destroy the village for the sole purpose smoking us out. I went to confront Pain while Sai, Sakura, and Naruto tried to lead the villagers to safety. I exchanged a few word with Pain and then I don't know what happened. Naruto rose into the air bathed in a golden glow, started singing, grew wings, and healed the village. After he finished his song his wings shattered and he fell unconscious. Sai had caught a feather and when he gave it back to Naruto we, well the only way I can describe it would be like we saw one of Naruto 'memory'."
"Alright now what is this 'story' that you had to tell us?" I asked Nadeshiko ignoring the surprised look on Kakashi and Yamato faces, Nadeshiko looked up and smiled.
"It's an old tale in our village but we know for sure that it true." I felt my irritation rise at her words but did my best not to show it.
"How do you know it's true?"
"Because my great grandfather saw it happened himself." I felt my eye twitch but let it be.
"Well then what is this story you had to tell us?" Nadeshiko gave me a small smile before starting her tale.
"A long time ago, before Konoha existed a girl was born into our village and her name was Tomoyo."
"Oh wait let me guess, she wasn't like a normal girl and she had strange powers that made everyone around her hate her." I could practically feel the sarcasm roll of my tongue but Nadeshiko gave me an amused stare before nodding.
"Yes that was it exactly!" I could almost see the sweat drops everyone was sporting after that comment and had to use every last bit of self restraint not to role my eyes. "You see she had the power to talk to animals and as such she grew up with a large respect for life, human or beast."
"So what else happened?" I prompted Nadeshiko and she gave me a large grin before continuing her story.
"When Tomoyo turned sixteen our village was attacked by a large group of bandits and everyone thought that it would be the end of the village. Tomoyo saw this and wept for all of those around her even when she herself was wounded by their blade. Then something strange happened, she started to glow with a silver light and she rose above everybody. Her light brought all the fighting to a halt and when all eyes turned to her she began to sing. As she sang she grew a pair of white wings and her song healed everything around her, when her she finished her song her wing shattered leaving her in a deep sleep."
"That sounds like what happened to dickless except his were gold." Sai said in what was meant to be a teasing tone but at the moment I had to suppress the strong urge to strangle him.
"Did she ever wake up?" I asked feeling dread start to gnaw on my insides.
"No she didn't." I felt like someone had punched me in the gut and then pulled all my insides out and judging by the looks on everybody (except Sai who face held no emotion) they all felt the same way.
"So she died." I could almost feel the emptiness in my voice as I confirmed Tomoyo and Naruto fate.
"There is a way to save him." I felt my head whip up and I stared at Nadeshiko with a new hope rising in my heart. "How?" I demanded needing to know how we could save my otouto life; Nadeshiko looked at me with pity and answered my question.
"Tomoyo did not die right away but she could have. After her wings shattered her body was growing cold fast and everyone feared that she couldn't be saved, then a boy stepped forward holding one of Tomoyo feather and he laid the feather on her chest. After a few moment there was a brilliant flash of light and then suddenly everyone who had been around her was transported into one of her memories. After it was over they found that she had stabilized and was no longer in danger of dying. They realized that if they were to save her then they would have to gather all of her feathers and return them to her."
"If that's all they had to do then why did she die?" I asked somewhat confused by her death if they had found a way to cure her.
"Because there was a time limit, Tomoyo own powers allowed her to stay alive for a year after regaining her first feather but the search took too long and not enough feathers were collected."
"What do you mean by 'own power'?" Sakura asked I could tell she was already calculating how much time Naruto had as was I.
"Her power was pretty strong it was able to support her body when her soul was no longer there, the more power that young boy has the longer you have to collect his feathers."
"What do you mean by 'soul' I thought the feathers were his memories?" Asked Kakashi looking serious and Nadeshiko returned the look.
"Silly boy, losing one memories is not enough to drain one of one life. Those feathers were physical manifestation of that boy soul, the reason you saw whatever memory that you saw was because it's our memories that define our soul. Every feather that he lost hold a memory that is either very important to him or has helped define who he is now."
"There was so many, how can we collect them all in time?" Sakura asked her shoulders dropping in sorrow and Nadeshiko turned to look at her.
"There is a way to collect them faster." I raised an eyebrow at this.
"How do we do that?" I asked.
"Tomoyo had five people who were very important to her, these people when they touched a feather were able to awaken it and send it back to her body unlike everybody else who had to find the feather and then return to give it back to her."
"What do you mean by 'awaken' the feathers?" Yamato asked looking cautious.
"The soul is a very powerful thing; those feathers are shards of fragments of that boy soul. With the power one of those feather contain you can warp reality. This is why the feathers are inactive."
"Are there only five people who can awaken the feathers?" I asked trying to gain as much information as I could before making a public announcement to Naruto friends.
"I don't know Tomoyo is the only known cases were something like this has happened. I guess there could only be five people or there could be more it really depends on the boy and who he considered to be special to him." I felt myself nod plans forming in my mind already about the best way to get these feathers back.
"Do these feathers appear in random places?" I asked.
"No it appears that they go to places that were special to him."
"Alright, when a feather is activated will everybody who is around see the memory?" I asked worried about Naruto friends finding out about the Kyuubi via memory feather instead of Naruto himself.
"Hai, from what I understand the person who wishes to see the memory must be within five feet from where the feather activates." I nodded my head.
"Nadeshiko-san thank you for providing us with all this information if you wish you can leave now to return to your village or you can stay in one of our Inns until tomorrow when I'll have a ninja ready to escort you home." I saw Nadeshiko nod at me and gave me a grateful smile.
"There's no need to thank me, I just wanted to help the one who saved our village but that offer is very generous of you and I'll take you up one it. Now if you don't mind I'll take my leave by the stairs this time, I think I had enough ninja hopping to last me the rest of my life." I watched as Nadeshiko left using the door (hah! Now only if I could get my ninja to do that……) before turning to look at everyone still here.
"Sakura I want you to go to the hospital and try to calculate how much time we have. Remember that as much as Kyuubi chakra heals him it harms him just as much and that after a certain time it'll start to harm him more than heal him." I watched as Sakura nodded before running out of my room toward the hospital.
"Jaraiya I want you to leave the village and gather information about where Naruto feather could have gone and just how many we're trying to find."
"Sure Tsunade-hime how long should I be gone?" He asked without expecting an answer as he turned to leave.
"Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai you guys are in charge of finding out who are capable of awakening Naruto feathers, when you do find them inform them of everything that is going on and bring them back here to Konoha."
"So you believe that some of them might be outside of Konoha?" Kakashi asked from behind his orange book that he somehow pulled out without anybody noticing. I simply nodded my thought turning to all the friends Naruto made on his mission out of the village.
"Shizune I need you to gather all of the former Rookie Nine, Team Guy, and contact the Kazekage, they need to know what happened." I watched as Shizune ran out of the room before leaning back and sighing.
"Damn it Naruto, why do you have to live up to your reputation as the number one most surprising ninja?" I wasn't expecting an answer and the only one who could really have answered it was lying deep asleep in the hospital.
There was nothing. There was neither light nor dark, I was nothing at the same time everything. I felt myself fading but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to care. Just when it seemed that I would fade away forever something happened. I don't really know what, but it stopped me, made me realize I was something. Even if I didn't understand what that something was but then I heard something, something I distantly realize was a song. I opened my mouth, something I just realized I had and I started to sing, or at least I think it was singing I couldn't tell is I was making any noise or not only that I heard the song in my head.
"Hear me
Hear me
You gotta be out there
You gotta be somewhere
Wherever you are
I'm waiting
'Cause there are these nights when
I sing myself to sleep
And I'm hoping my dreams
Bring you close to me
Are you listening?"
I didn't really understand why I was singing this; I couldn't understand what these words meant.
"Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see
I'm screaming for you to please
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Hear me"
Who was I calling out to? I don't know anybody; I never was so I shouldn't know anybody right?
"I used to be scared of
Letting someone in
But it gets so lonely
Being on my own
No one to talk to
And no one to hold me
I'm not always strong
Oh, I need you here
Are you listening?
Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see
I'm screaming for you to please
Hear me
Why did this song feel right? Why did I even know this song? I never heard it before I never heard any music before.
"I'm restless and wild
I fall, but I try
I need someone to understand
Can you hear me?
I'm lost in my thoughts
And baby I've fought
For all that I've got
Can you hear me?
Hear me
I'm cryin' out
I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me
I'm lost inside the crowd
It's getting loud
I need you to see I'm screaming for you to please
When did I start thinking of myself as an 'I'? What was it that changed me? Who or what am I?
Hear me Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
Can you hear me?
Oh, oh, oh, oh...
Hear me
Hear me
Hear me
It was too confusing; I guess I'll just sing until something happens again. Still I wonder what are these wet things falling from my face?
Translations:
Otouto= little brother
Sama= Honorific used for someone highly respected.
Kun= Honorific used for boys ans boy-ish things
Hai= Yes
Hime= princess
Kazekage= Wind Shadow (in this case it's a title)
Well here's chapter two I really had a hard time trying to figure out Tomoyo story and how to put it in here but oh well, I think it pretty good but I would like to see what other think about it. Please review!