Hello Ladies and Gents! I can't believe its been almost a year since I last updated this story. College life is wayyy to busy so there hasn't been much time to continue my story. But I'm determined to finish this piece now matter how long it takes. So just a reminder; anything Italics is what the character is thinking to himself. Thanks for reading and please review!
Forever By Your Side
Chapter 4 – Crimson Dreams
A pair of feet quietly trudged along in a stream of blood, walking against the current of red water. Soaked feet kept moving nervously - the darkness was thick and even the slightest outline of any object had appeared to be swallowed by shadows. The only thing visible in the figure's eyes was the dyed water amongst a completely black canvas. The red stream stretched far into the unfathomable depths of the shadows. But as the figure held his gaze at the nonexistent end of the path, something caught his attention-a flicker of light.
Fists clenched tightly out both anxiety and a swell of urgency. Whether or not the other presence was a friend or foe was undeterminable yet as if against their own will the figure's feet kept moving towards the flicker. The figure had closed the distance and was now only a few steps away from the source of light. The answer to his haunting curiosity had seemed to stop his breathe and made the rapid pounding of his heart almost burst his ears. The flicker of light was caused by an object he was all too familiar with- that sharp blade of the sword was plunged into the water and was reflecting the ominous color of the bloodied stream.
Hands trembled-fear and desperation were growing stronger by the second. He wanted to run but again, his body wasn't his own. The feeling of the presence of the one who owned the weapon was what pulled him further down the path. The quiet splashing of his bare feet continued on for what seemed like ages but the sudden appearance of another person blocked his way. His guard instantly went up, alert and cautious. The figure in front was unmoving – too still and quiet for his liking. Stepping closer, his gaze traveled downward over the newcomer's white collar and the white long sleeved shirt that opened at the torso. His gaze continued down eyeing the black pants with a blue cloth hanging halfway up to his stomach to his knees held up by a purple shimenawa belt. A few steps closer and the thick shadows revealed a pale face looking down, eyes covered by raven hair.
His body started shaking-he needed to escape. He tried twisting his body around but his feet remained firm and unyielding. With each forced step, he fought against the invisible force but to no avail and was now only a couple inches away. As trembling hands reached out towards the lowered face, the seemingly lifeless body gave an inhumanly jerk.
"Sasuke!" he exclaimed, the sudden movement had caused his teeth to sink into his lower lip and as the as words escaped his lips, he tasted blood.
His hands placed themselves on either sides of the face beneath the long bangs of hair. Eyes widened in horror at the cold glassy surface that met his fingertips – his skin felt like marble.
There wasn't a single trace of warmth or color in Sasuke's face. Scanning his face for any signs of life a very thin outline coming from the back of Sasuke's neck became visible to his eyes – string. He gasped instantly and frantically started yelling "Oi, what's wrong!". As he shook the shoulders of the cold body he felt Sasuke's feet sway along with it.
What?
Glancing down he found a pair of white feet dangling inches from above the red pathway. He stumbled backwards. Eyes widened in horror and he struggled with his words.
Did you hang yourself! Is that why you're so cold?
"It can't be…?"
Sasuke!
Suddenly the body lifted further from the water and dropped back. It was a grotesque sight - the way the head jerked as the string yanked made his stomach lurch. As the corpse-like body swayed back and forth; the feeling of another presence suddenly appeared. He frantically looked around the thick shadows to see the one responsible of that ominous and immense presence.
A low sound emerged but it wasn't from Sasuke. He couldn't see anything beyond the body the hanging in front of him. As he listened, the sound became louder only to reveal itself as a fit of laughter; it was a sound full of mockery. It was then he realized that the laughter was coming from above the two of them. But it was as he looked up ready to attack that he noticed - leading down from the thick blackness above down to Sasuke's body were several more pieces of string all attached throughout the lifeless body.
Upon his realization the laughter intensified and then abruptly silenced itself. It became quiet and only the stream of the blood could be heard.
Then it happened again. Like a marionette, Sasuke began to move – his body was lowered into the water but did not fix itself upright. In its limp position, arms reached out slowly towards him. He was in danger, vulnerable and unarmed – all his senses were telling him run. Before he could the hands reached his shoulders – the touch was cold and uninviting. With another tug at the strings, Sasuke's face crept upwards to have glassy black eyes pierce through his own. As the face drew closer it felt as if death was only a mere inches away. Closing his eyes he threw his hands out in front of him to stop the body from advancing and it worked. The cold approach of the moving figure had ceased. But what he saw next shook him to the core – his own arms were attached to a series of thin strings.
"What is this!" he screamed. He reached down to rip his enslaved hands free only to have them forcibly pulled back above his head. The laughter came back and the sound of approaching foots echoed in the dark realm.
"Must you keep trying?" a voice sang. An orange and black swirled mask emerged from behind Sasuke and placed his hands on the raven haired marionette.
"It'll always be the same... but you know that already...Ho-ka-ge-sama!" the man chuckled.
"Tobi..." the trapped figure growled, his voice shaken with anger.
His body was pulsing; rage was inevitably flowing throughout his system. This man, the cause of so much devastation, this murderer, was toying with him and enjoying every minute of it.
"Now now, Naruto it doesn't have to be like this" Tobi said softly, wrapping his hands around Sasuke's shoulders. "Work with me and you can have your friend back... well what's left of him." he laughed.
With a snap of his fingers, Sasuke collapsed with yards of cut string raining down on him.
"Do you honestly think you can change anything" Tobi scoffed.
The man indifferently stepped over the body and stood front of him.
"You've seen who I really am, you know what I'm a capable of: it's useless to fight back."
Leaning over Tobi placed his masked face next to his prisoner's ear.
In a husked voice he whispered solemnly "I am the one to pass judgment on this sinful world".
The platform of red water disappeared from beneath them and like a string of a marionette being cut he collapsed. He fell back into the bottomless pit only to see Tobi remain standing.
"AGHHHHHHHH!" a horrific scream pierced through the silence. Naruto bolted upward gasping, beads of icy sweat rippled down his face. It was so hard to breathe. He roughly felt his arms ready to rip off the string but he didn't find any. Rather he came across a needle inserted into the underside of both of bruised arms. Confused he wildly looked around only to find himself attached to an IV line in an empty hospital room.
"It was all a dream... " he panted, his breathing had finally slowed down. He tried pushing himself up to figure out where he was, but ended up clutching his stomach desperately. It appeared all the lacerations he received in battle were bandaged up. Unable to move he let himself fall back into the bed. Itachi's parting words flooded his head but the only one word resonated in his mind.
His parched cracked lips softly mouthed "Kohona".
Blue eyes flickered around the room to find evidence that he was in the right place. A sigh of relief escaped him as his eye landed on the door to his room - engraved on the door was Leaf Village's insignia.
For the first time in what felt like decades, he felt relaxed and safe. There was no death or burning buildings – for the first time it was quiet and peaceful.
The slight smile that had tugged at his lips changed into an empty frown as he stared at his bandaged arms. Images of the horrific nightmare replayed over and over again.
His hands trembled as he remembered the doll-like state Sasuke had succumbed to. Frustration felt its way through his body as Tobi's words echoed in his head
"It'll always be the same...It's useless to fight back" Tobi's said laughing.
"I'm not.." he said, his voice barely as loud as a whisper. "I'm not.. ." he said a bit louder with clenched fists. With teared eyes he shouted "I'M NOT YOUR FUCKIN PUPPET! I'M NOT! I'M NOT!"
Hearing his claim met with silence made him more desperate and anxious.
"Why am I getting worked up like this" he croaked. Looking up at the white ceiling he said "I make my own decisions". His voice lowered again as if questioning himself "I'm not your puppet..no way"
"things will change, it'll be different. I'll make sure of it.." he whispered.
He glanced around the room and then suddenly jumped upright. Ignoring the pain he looked around the white room soaking in everything.
Wait, what period did I land in?
Dragging his body off the bed, he grabbed hold of the IV stand for balance. As he yanked off the needles in his skin, the door swung open.
A group of masked people filed into the room. He didn't have to look closely to see who they are - that special chest armor, the reinfrocing silver platted arm guards and the animals masks to help shield their identity - he was surrounded by ANBU soilders.
The ninja's stepped to the sides, allowing a figure to walkthrough.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you.."
That voice?
Naruto held his breathe as that red, white hat bearing the Hokage sign lifted up, a familiar wrinkled and serious face met his own.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi" the name sounded foreign to his lips, it's been years since he last spoke of him. He was lost for word and felt an overwhelming relief and shock. The desire to hug the fallen hokage caused him to take a few steps towards the old man. But the idea was immediately crushed as he watched the ANBU ninja's reached for their weapons. He looked questioningly at the Third Hokage and could not find any sense of the warmth he used to be so familiar with.
"Naruto, we need to talk," the Kohona leader stated with a grave face.
The initial joy and shock Naruto felt from Sarutobi's appearance was immediately replaced with an expressionless and cold gaze when he saw the ANBU pull out their kunai's, all too eager to subdue the demon host. Naruto's right hand went down to grab a kunai from his back pocket but found nothing. His teeth clenched in frustration and confusion started to sink in.
They must have removed my pouch of kunais! But where the hell are my back pockets!
Naruto's eyes glanced down to where his hands were only to see a pocket-less white hospital gown hanging on his body.
Shit..I'm at a hospital remember?
His gaze lingered on his hands and then his eyes widened. Lifting his hands up in front of his face he realized they were tiny. Naruto threw his hands onto to his head in shock.
Oh god, I'm back to the same size as my Genin days!
Before he could fully wrap his head around the new discovery, one of the masked soldiers charged forward.
"PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN!" shouted a charging ANBU soldier with a bird's mask. A foot connected to Naruto's stomach and he cursed out as he felt one his stomach wounds reopen. He fell to his knees grabbing his stomach unable to protect himself as the ANBU soldier spun around to kick him again.
Naruto braced himself for the impact but it never came. Instead the kick was gently caught by the Third Hokage's hands.
His attacker immediately retracted and kneeled down, "my apologies sir!" he shouted.
The Hokage shook his head and sternly said "Your apologies should be directed at this boy, not me".
The ANBU soldier stiffened suddenly, his loathing towards Naruto did not go unnoticed by the injured boy himself. The masked figure stood up and looked down at Naruto.
"….Sorry" he curtly murmured and then walked back to merge with the rest of the soldiers.
Glaring blue eyes followed the retreating back. I don't want your empty words.
"Everyone needs to exit this room, I would like to talk with Naruto – alone" the Hokage stressed.
When the men didn't budge, the Hokage firmly stated "This is an order, not a request".
The soldiers left as quickly as they had come but Naruto knew they would be waiting for the littlest reason to attack him.
No one would want the Hokage left with a "monster".
The Hokage's out stretched hand helped Naruto onto his feet and while holding onto the boy's side, the old man walked him back onto the hospital bed.
"Let's fix you up, so you can eat all the ramen you want later" the Hokage chuckled as Naruto leaned back onto the bed.
Oji-chan here probably doesn't know yet that I'm aware of the Nine Tails, I heal pretty fast if given enough time.
A smile twitched at the corner of Naruto's lips while the old man prepared to stitch up his wounds.
You were one of the few people who saw me as more than the container.
"Thank you…" Naruto said softly. He rolled up his shirt exposing the bleeding wound on the side of this stomach.
Gray eyebrows shot up, "What's this? Thee Naruto Uzumaki is saying thank you? Where did these good manners of yours pop from?"
As the Third started up sewing up the wound his eyes dancing with humor suddenly hardened.
"How did you get these wounds? Who did this to you?"
Naruto looked helplessly at him, "I….." he began.
You could help me, you would believe my story.
But then clamped his mouth shut as he remembered Itachi's words.
I'm sorry: I can't meddle with time unnecessarily. This is something I have to do on own
Naruto squinted his eyes and pretended to think very hard. "Last thing I remember I sneaked outside the village gates to climb a tree. I thought there would be some fruit there".
He then waved his arms angrily in the air "There I was on the top of the tree and then I blur of movement rush towards me on the tree. Before I could do anything I was hit".
The Third was silent for a bit as if questioning the boy's story. But he soon gave in and asked "Naruto, do remember anything on how this figure looked like?
Looking down, Naruto shook his head sadly.
I know too well how the figure that did this to me looked like.
"Don't worry about it then, we'll catch the culprit soon enough". Aged hands ruffled the blonde's hair "I should be punishing you for stepping outside the village without permission hmmm?"
Naruto clasped his hands together and raised them up innocently "I promise I won't do it again!"
The sleeves of the blue gown dropped towards his shoulder a bit and revealed a curved dark line on his bruised upper arm.
It can't be…he's only a child.
He continued to focus his eyes on the boy's arm while finishing up the last stitch. "Naruto ….can pull your left sleeve all the way up for me?" he said slowly.
Confused, Naruto turned to look at his left arm as he raised the sleeve up. To his horror, the spiral continued upwards to form an mistakable symbol
How? Why is this still on my skin? It should be gone!
Shocked blue eyes eased their way on the white cloaked figure who was staring at him intensely. The Third brought his face closer to Naruto's shoulder and squeezed his arm tightly, making Naruto wince.
"This is the tattoo given to ANBU members, why do you, a twelve year boy, have it engraved on you?"
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Please any suggestions of your would be appreciated :). Its been months since I last updated and I feel really rusty -_-.
Stay tuned for the next chapter (i have no idea when that'll be) when Naruto realizes the weight of his responsibilities now.
