Naruto Invoke: Trance Forme
chpt.4: Hearts Break Heal
It was now later in the after noon within Senhana and Tsunade, despite being tired, was back to work. After Hanabi's success at bringing Naruto back from Yami's control, Mada had helped Tsunade heal the others. Mada had offered to help her too, but she had already activated her Mitotic Regeneration jutsu to reverse her wounds. Shikamaru and Iruka would be fine, more or less. But Jiraiya would have have a nasty scar on his chest the rest of his life and Kakashi, so his arm had been reattached, would have a faint ring running around the spot it had been cut at and Mada had informed him it would need a few days to be restored to full usage.
All in all, they had gotten off lucky there. And thanks to Jiraiya's seal, Mada had been able to pull out all the excess darkness Yami had stolen, then Mada had placed a special Yin suppression seal on Naruto to insure Yami couldn't resurface while Naruto's mind was healing.
But the question was; would his mind be able to heal? What happened to Hinata had been bad enough. But now Naruto had the added guilt of knowing what he...or rather, Yami, had done. Not that it would make a difference to Naruto in the end. She knew that he would blame himself for Yami's control.
As for Fuu and Moegi? Mada had assured her both would be fine, seeing as they were Jinchuriki and that their Biju power would insure they healed completely with time. That just left one problem left.
"The Akatsuki..." mumbled Tsunade, crossing her hand together on her desk and resting her face against them. Mada had told her her suspicions, based on what Yami had said. It was clear now that the Akatsuki had somehow learned of the meeting and had attacked Naruto and Hinata; and action that left Hinata dead. Before they had set off, Mada had warned her to be on guard as the Akatsuki likely would one day come to Konoha, looking for Naruto. Also, she should alert the other villages who were working with Konoha to keep tabs on the going on's within Ame of this threat as well.
A knock at her door snaps her from her thoughts. "Come in" she says.
Shizune, looking very pregnant with her and Jiraiya's child enters the room followed by Ino. "Shizune, I thought you took the day off to be with Jiraiya?"
"I did, but he insisted I don't let him keep me from my duties seeing as I'm head of the medical corpse. Besides, its best I put in as much work as I can now before the baby comes and gives me an excuse to slack off for a few months" says Shizune, unable to repress a smile.
"What about you, Ino?" asked Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, I'd like to request a special mission if I may" asked Ino.
Tsunade nods as she begins rummaging through mission sheets and says "Sure, if you need something to take your mind off the current situation. I'm sure I have something you can..."
"Actually, I already know what mission I need to do. I just need approval from my Hokage" says Ino.
Both hearing and seeing the seriousness within Ino's words and eyes makes Tsunade ask "What is it?"
(Ame)
Tenten stood on a balcony, looking out over the city. As usual, there was a fair raining coming down and it was a little cold, but Tenten didn't notice either of these things as both the rain and cold actually felt good against her skin right now. Besides, her mind was lost in other matters.
"Tenten, what are you doing standing out here for? You could catch pneumonia" says Konan, walking out to join her.
"Uh?" says Tenten, jumping a bit. "Damn, miss Konan. Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry, sorry, says Konan teasingly. "Please, just call me Konan though. Adding the miss at the beginning makes me feel like an old lady."
"Alright, Konan" says Tenten.
"Now, back to my previous question. Why are you out here in the rain and cold? I would think you'd be glued to Hinata's side, especially now that she's awake and all" asked Konan.
"I know; I should be with her right now. But...Hinata just wanted some time alone. Needed it actually" says Tenten, recalling Hinata's reaction to when she recalled what had happened between her and Naruto back in Fleesia Valley.
When she had first woken up, Hinata had been disoriented and confused. Understandable seeing as she had been dead not long before. She had even asked Tenten why she was here now, where were they, and where was Naruto. When Tenten had asked her if she remembered what had happened back in the valley, Hinata had started to say no, but then froze up as the memory came rushing back to her.
She then began to cry, shaking her head and saying "no" repeatedly, not wanting to accept what she was seeing; refusing even. Tenten had tried to talk to her, to calm her down despite not sure as to what she could say. But her words proved no help as Hinata pretty much broke down into hysteria, crying and even screaming a little due to the emotional pain the memory of Naruto killing her was causing.
In the end, Tenten had been forced to flee the room, unable to bare seeing Hinata like this. She had regretted that decision and had wanted to go back in immediately, but her guilt born from her running out to begin with kept her from returning, instead she had come to this balcony and had started brooding until Konan had come.
"I can't imagine this being easy for her. She must have really loved him which only makes the reality of the moment all the harder to bare" says Konan.
"Yeah, she did" says Tenten. "I need to go back. I need to let her know she's not alone in this."
Tenten goes to leave, but is stopped as Konan places a hand on her shoulder, then shakes her head. "I know something about the pain of loss, believe me. While its true she could use a comforting hand right now, I also believe it would be better to leave her alone for just a little while more."
"But why?" asked Tenten.
"One way or another, she's gonna have to come to terms with this. In a way, she will need help to do this, but she must also want to as well. And that can't happen unless she decides to do this herself, not having the choice forced on her. That's why she needs the alone time; to take that first step we call coming to terms with the harsh reality" says Konan.
"I don't know..." says Tenten, not sure what to do. She recalls when her parents and brother had been killed; how she had wanted to be alone so no one would see her cry. But, in her mind, she always wondered if this may have driven her guardian, Han, away to begin with; her pushing him away due to her own pain.
"Besides, I have a task for you" says Konan, bringing Tenten from her thoughts.
"What is it?" asked Tenten.
"My eyes in the sky have picked up your Order nearing Ame. They'll be arriving within two hours. I have managed to find a suitable location for your new home and I'd like you to come inspect it for me. Besides, I'm sure Sakuya will appreciate it if you already have a firm idea of what needs to go where when they arrive. Don't you?" asked Konan.
"I guess you're right" says Tenten, then nodding. "OK, lead the way."
Meanwhile, in her darkened room, Hinata is sitting at the center of her bed, her feet held firmly against her chest, her arms crossed over her knees and her face buried against her arms. "Why, Naruto...why, Naruto..." she repeats over and over, the tears refusing to stop falling.
(Sanctuary)
Mada sat in her chair, looking up at an aurora borialis the shown brightly in the sky above. This was the main reason she was glad this place was chosen to be Sanctuary. At night, with the northern lights in the sky, the crystal ice trees shimmering like a Christmas tree made this place so beautiful at night.
"Grandma, how long have you been back?" asked Fuu, as she came up from the underground chambers.
"Not long. Twenty minutes at best" replied Mada.
"So, what happened when you got to the temple? Is Chiyo OK?" asked Fuu, sitting next to her.
"There...is no temple anymore. I imagine Sakuya ordered the Order to relocate and, as a safety precaution, had the temple destroyed. There's nothing left of the surface areas" says Mada.
"What about the underground areas? And where would she have taken them?" asked Fuu.
"The underground is strong and won't have been damaged. But with the upper temple lost, access to the under temple will have been rendered impossible now. As for where they could have gone, I can only assume Sakuya had relocated the Order to Ame, to be with her Akatsuki friends" says Mada.
"Things just keep getting more complicated, huh? Boy, I miss the simpler times" says Fuu whimsically.
"That's just life for you; simplicity must always give way to complexity. That's just how it is" says Mada, who then looks at Fuu and places a hand gently against her cheek. "So, is your face feeling OK?"
"It still hurts a little. But its nothing I can't handle. I'm just glad the Biju chakra within me will fully fix me up, otherwise I'd have some pretty nasty scars and I'd never get a boyfriend then" jokes Fuu.
"Well, as long as you're OK. Then that's fine" says Mada.
"By the way, where are Naruto and Hanabi? I didn't see either of them in their rooms. I went to ask Moegi, but you know waking her up is impossible, as loud as she snores. You don't think he snuck out again, do you?" asked Fuu, a little concerned.
Mada shakes her head and says "Yami would try to leave again. But I made sure he won't be a problem for a time. No, after you fell asleep and before I left, I decided to place them both inside a Casteopa; the Floating Gardens to be more exact. I felt the quiet, serenity of that place would make it the perfect place for the both of them to begin healing."
"Both of them together, huh? Well, Hanabi was the only one who could free Naruto from Yami's hold, so I guess if anyone can help him, its her. And vice versa too" notes Fuu.
Mada sighs, then says "Actually, it could be far more than that."
"What do you mean?" asked Fuu.
"Moegi told me that it was Hanabi who had helped her find Naruto. Somehow, she had known what directions to go and Moegi had trusted her and followed her commands. Also, like you yourself said, it was Hanabi and Hanabi alone who was able to bring him back from darkness. And that's not all..."
After a moments pause, Mada continues. "As I told you before, I've learned that Hanabi also has the Byakugan gene in her, much like her sister Hinata has. But whereas Hinata's was active, Hanabi's was dormant, but it still makes Hanabi the back up to her sister in case something ever happened to Hinata and we needed that backup to finish saving the world."
"Yeah, I remember. But I still don't get where you are going here" says Fuu.
"To be honest, I find myself wondering if their roles were reversed by accident; that it was actually Hanabi who was meant to have the active Byakugan and Hinata be her backup. Though hard to imagine, Hanabi's ability to know where to find Naruto and to be able to reach him says a lot about the bond between them, and they haven't even spent all that much time together yet either" says Mada.
"I guess you're right, but to say Naruto and Hinata didn't have a bond like that would be a lie. Is it just possible both sisters have a sixth sense about them where Naruto's concerned? A Naruto sense that makes it easy for the both of them to find him and communicate with him in ways others can"? Asked Fuu.
"Maybe that's..." Mada starts to say, but stops as both she and Fuu feel someone passing through the portal. Getting up, they move towards the portal to see who is paying them a surprise visit.
"Ino?" says Fuu, catching sight of the blond haired kunoichi. "What are you doing here?"
"Officially, I'm on a mission for lady Tsunade, though it was a mission I both requested and thought of to be honest. Unofficially, I came here to see Naruto" says Ino.
"May I ask why?" asked Mada.
"Before, when we were facing him...I mean, Yami. I wanted so badly to help him, to free his mind from Yami's darkness. I failed and that makes me feel like I failed him, both as a fellow ninja of Konoha and more importantly, as his friend. That's why I'm here now. I know that, despite being free from Yami's grasp, he is still suffering, still lost in the dark. I...I want to do what I can to help him, no matter what I have to do or how long it takes. I don't want him to stay in that sad place anymore" says Ino.
"Wait, just how did you find this place to begin with?" asked Fuu.
"Well, I did tell Tsunade, Jiraiya, ans Kakashi how to reach us here and I can assume Tsunade told her when she made this mission official" says Mada.
"Actually, I already knew the how before...all this went down. When I was acting as a relay for all of you when the meeting was being set up, I was able to see the secret of entering Sanctuary by accident" says Ino. She then looks into Mada's eyes and ask "So, can I see him, please?"
Mada nods and says "Go, do what you can for him, my dear. While it was only Hanabi who could break him free, maybe it will be you who can help him move forward from this tragedy."
Mada then turns her body and points to the descending stairs and says "Go down there and follow the hall way all the way to its end. Enter the door there and you'll enter the vault of the Casteopa. Naruto will be inside the Casteopa sitting on the pedestal in the center. To get inside, just place your hand upon the orb and will yourself to be inside, it will do the rest. To exit, just simply do the reverse and will yourself to leave. Understand?"
Ino nods, having already gotten a good idea from Naruto's memories when she learned how to access the Sanctuary. "Thank you" she says before running towards the stairs.
"Shouldn't you have told her that Hanabi was in there as well?" asked Fuu.
"I'm sure she'll notice once she's inside" says Mada.
(a few minutes later, within the Casteopa)
When Ino opens her eyes, she first thinks she is back outside with Mada and Fuu as it was night time. But then she realizes the sky was completely different in here than it was outside. Turning around, her eyes go wide at what she sees.
A massive structure stood before her, its design a series of interlocking circles both connect to one another and rising above each other like a spiral. And in each section or circle, there was a different floral arrangement and matching trees. This Floating Garden, a name that now made sense to her, was truly a beautiful sight to see.
Gulping at the thought of trying to find Naruto in such a huge place, she closes her eyes again and reaches out to him. Though he doesn't respond directly, she is able to feel him within this place; a sensation she knew could lead her right to him. So, she opens her eyes and runs into the Garden.
Inside the second circle, Hanabi sat by a fountain of running water, her fingers holding an anemone delicately with her fingers. This place was beautiful, exotic even. The fragrance of the flowers filled the air and made her feel more at peace. She now understood why Mada had placed them in here. If ever there was a place that could help ones body, mind, heart, and even their soul heal, this was surely it.
'I wonder if Naruto is doing OK?' wonders Hanabi; hoping this place was having a good effect on him as it was on her.
The sound of foot steps hitting the stone path catches her attention and she turns to look behind her in time to catch Ino passing by her towards the path that lead the the third tier of the garden. Ino hadn't seen her as she had been to focused on the path ahead.
"Who was that?" wonders Hanabi, quietly to herself. After a quick moment to think, she realizes who it was she had seen. "Was that miss Ino? I wonder why she's here?" Curious, Hanabi gets up and follows after her, assuming her reason for being here was connected to Naruto.
Soon enough, Ino arrives at the seventh tier of the garden, the highest of the circles and begins to look around. The flowers and trees in this tier were all unknown to her. Finally, she sees Naruto sitting on a bench centered on an island surrounded by a pond, the water running down canals and passing to the lower circles.
His head was angled down, looking at the ground, and he was unmoving. Ino approaches him, hoping she wouldn't spook him, then stops and kneels down in front of him. "Hey Naruto, its me...Ino."
Naruto doesn't respond and Ino tries again, still getting no response. Ino then reaches up and places her index and middle fingers under his chin and tilts his head up enough to see into his eyes. They were open and, as far as she could tell, he was awake. But his eyes were cloudy and distant; lacking light and focus. Yami may not be a momentary threat, but it was obvious he was still lost in the darkness.
Hanabi finally arrives topside and quickly spies Ino kneeling before Naruto. Though she wanted to walk over and ask her if she could help Naruto, something was suddenly making her feel very self conscious and she instead finds a large bush to hide behind and watch her.
"Oh Naruto, I hate seeing you like this" says Ino, feeling tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Surely, there had to be something she could do, anything that would make him come back from the dark. And then, an idea comes to mind.
She looks away, mentally debating about her idea. Could it work? Maybe as it was the best idea she felt she would have. But at the same time, she had to ask herself if it was right or not; if it would be appropriate. Ino shakes her head and thinks 'Right or wrong, if this can help him, I'll do it. And if it is wrong, then I will bare the burden. Its the least I can do for you.'
Her choice made, her path set, Ino opens her mind and connects with Naruto, calling upon all the power her clans jutsu can give her.
From Naruto's perspective, all he could see was the dark. And he could hear not a thing. Then, for just a moment, he feels something in the air he vaguely responds to. After that, everything becomes misty and then he hears a voice. "Why are you sad, Naruto?"
'That voice? Hinata? No, it can't be' he thinks.
"Do you really think so?" comes Hinata's voice again.
Naruto looks up on impulse and sees her standing before him, a smile on her face. "Hinata? No, you can't be here. You...you died, I saw you..."
Hinata reaches out and caresses his cheek, then says "Just because I died doesn't mean I'm not with you. No matter what, Naruto. I will always be with you."
"Hinata..." says Naruto, his eyes watering before leaning forward and wrapping her into a tight hug, afraid that he would lose her again if he lets up. "Hinata...I...miss you, I'm sorry...so, so sorry I couldn't protect you, save you. Please, forgive me" he cried.
Hinata looks at him affectionately as she hugs him back. "There's nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong, Naruto. Quite the contrary. Its because of you my life was so full and rich, so meaningful. You gave me so much, Naruto. I could never hope to repay you for that kindness."
"Hinata...thank you" says Naruto.
The hug ends and Hinata looks him in the eyes. "Naruto, I know you're sad and hurting. But please, don't let me be the reason you lock away your heart and stop living life. I need you to carry on and be happy. Do it for me if nothing else. Live a life filled with happiness and joy for the both of us."
"I'll try...I mean, I will, Hinata. For you, I will" says Naruto. Naruto then sees Hinata flicker for a moment, then says "Do you have to leave so soon?"
"When the morning sun rises, I will have to go. But for now, I can stay here with you and we can make a few more memories with one another to take with us into tomorrow" says Hinata.
"Then please, let me make the most of this short time" asked Naruto as he stands.
"Anything you want, Naruto" says Hinata.
Naruto then reaches out and draws her close to him. "I never got to say this before...before you...died. But I need to say this now or I might never get the chance again." After a quick pause, Naruto says "I love you, Hinata."
Hinata blushes as she says "I love you too, Naruto."
And then, the embrace in a passionate kiss. In a way, Naruto knew that this wasn't real, that it was either an illusion caused by this place or maybe a dream; maybe he had fallen asleep. But right now, he didn't care. Be it a dream or illusion, he was being given another moment with Hinata.
And for him, that was enough...
It was early the next morning when Mada saw Ino emerge from the underground. She had remained awake all night while Fuu had fallen asleep and was resting on her lap. Looking at Ino, she could tell the young kunoichi was tired due to her ragged appearance. Her hair was also messy and her clothes ruffled a bit.
"Are you OK, child?" she asked.
Ino nods, then yawns. "Just tired. And ready to head home to my bed."
"If you want, you can rest here before heading home. We do have plenty of room for you" says Mada.
She shakes her head and says "I'll be fine, lady Mada. Besides, I need to heading off anyways."
Was it because of Naruto? Had he done something without realizing it? "How is Naruto, dear?"
"He's sleeping right now. I'm not really sure if I was able to help him, but we'll know soon enough when he awakens. But, could you do me a favor" asked Ino.
"What is it?" asked Mada.
"Could you keep my being hear a secret from him?" asked Ino.
This request came as a surprise to Mada who asked "Why would you want to keep it a secret?"
"To be honest, I'm worried that he might suffer a relapse and fall back into his state of lost. But, if he believes he came to this moment of his own accord, then he may be able to start moving forward again. And that is the important thing here" says Ino.
"I understand" says Mada, feeling there may be more to it than that, but not wanting to push the matter further. "I will keep your time here secret. I'll make sure Fuu knows this as well. Have a safe travel home, Ino."
"Thank you" says Ino, bowing before her then walking towards the portal. Once she arrives, she looks back, a single tear in her eye, and says "Goodbye, Naruto..."
(Ame)
"OK everyone, I broken you into teams. Here are your work sheets. We need to get set up in our new home as quickly as possible so we can get back to business" says Sakuya, addressing the others. The girls nod and walk up to posting on the wall, finding who was on who's team and learning what it was their team was expected to do.
"Good work on deciding our set up, Tenten. You have quite a knack for the details" praised Sakuya, looking to her right.
"I guess this is one of the few advantages to having a noble upbringing" says Tenten.
"So, hows Hinata doing?" asked Sakuya.
"She awake, which is a start. And shes taken this about as well as can be expected" says Tenten.
"I'll go see her later. After all, I can relate to her over what she's going through" says Sakuya.
"By the way, Konan said she wanted to see both you and Hinata once Hinata is ready" says Tenten.
"About what?" asked Sakuya.
"She didn't say, so I guess its a personal matter" says Tenten.
"I'll go have a talk with her then. You're in charge till I get back" says Sakuya before heading out.
(Sanctuary)
It was later in the day and Mada had gone into another Casteopa to watch Fuu and Moegi train together. But it was getting late and they had decided to call it a day. Exiting the Casteopa, Moegi looks to the one Naruto and Hanabi were in and ask "Can we go check in on Naruto and Hanabi? I'm worried about them."
"I don't see why not" says Fuu, walking over and touching the orb. But she quickly pulls away and says "Grandma, I can't detect either of them inside the Casteopa."
Becoming worried, Mada quickly exits the room and races outside with Fuu and Moegi right behind her. Coming outside, they see Hanabi standing at the center of the tree circle, looking towards the portal. "Hanabi, what's going on? Where's Naruto" asked Mada.
Hanabi looks at her and says "He's left for a while."
"What?" shouts Fuu before swearing under her breath. "Damn it, Naruto. When I get..."
"It's OK, he'll be back soon" says Hanabi, quieting Fuu.
"Do you know where he went, Hanabi?" asked Mada.
Hanabi nods and says "Yeah, I do." She then looks back at the portal.
"He's gone on a walkabout to find clarity and a new purpose for his life."
to be continued...