Author's Notes: Sorry for the later update but I've been working on another story!! I hope you guys will check it out, okay? I'm not sure if I want to continue it though so it's mostly up to you guys!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Orphaned Legacy
Chapter 5
'Why is life so complicated? Why?!' Ran thought. 'Kami-sama must hate me so much! I'm officially cursed with bad karma for life.' He quickly made a decision and directed his voice to Sanosuke and Yuri without turning to them.
"Sano, Yuri, go alert the Hyuuga clan." Ran ordered, keeping his eyes on the Cloud ninja. "A few ninja wouldn't be too bad either." He stated jokingly, but that seemed to only cause the air to become even tenser then before.
"But Ran-" Yuri began, but Sanosuke interrupted. "We won't leave you here by yourself, Ran." He gazed at him seriously.
Ran smirked, "Well, you're gonna have to, so you better move it." His eyes grew hard and his smirk turned into a small frown.
"But-"
"NOW!" Ran yelled, finally turning to them, eyes serious and burning in determination.
They hesitated and gave a nod before leaving in the opposite direction. The Cloud nin saw this and made a move to go after them but Ran blocked his path. Growling at him, Ran fell into a defensive stance. "I am your opponent."
The other man actually had the audacity to laugh then sneered at him in an arrogant voice. "Then you won't live to see tomorrow."
"We'll see about that." He hissed back, but his thoughts were completely different. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! What the hell am I going to do? I need to buy time.'
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"Have you found anyone yet?" A whiny voice beside him asked.
"No." Sanosuke said curtly.
"Are you sure?"
"Does it look like I found anyone yet?" Sanosuke replied moodily.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh, I was just asking."
He sighed tiredly, "I'm sorry, Yuri. It's just with everything's that been happening…" He trailed off.
Yuri sent him a small smile. "I know. I was there, you know."
Sanosuke's lip curled up slightly. "I know." He replied coolly and turned his attention to what was ahead.
"Yeah, sure, try to keep yourself looking cool and all that crap." Yuri grumbled out in mock exasperation.
Sanosuke turned to him with a ghost of a smirk on his face. "You know it." This earned him an earful of why he was not cool and will never ever be able to match the brilliance of his brunette friend.
Finally after who knows how long, he folded and gave in. "Fine! I'm not hip or cool or whatever! Could you just please stop talking already?!" Yuri just smirked right back at him. "I knew you'd fold." He stated in a matter a fact tone, causing Sanosuke to roll his eyes. "All I need now is those exact words written on paper."
"Shut up. Just shut up." Came the reply.
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"I'll give you one more chance to give up, brat."
Ran frowned lightly. "Well, then you're just wasting your time."
The Cloud nin sneered at him before pulling out a few kunai from his weapons pouch. "I think I'm going to have fun playing with you for a while."
Ran shivered slightly at those words. 'So this is it. It's either all or nothing. There's no backing out now." His eyes glowed with determination as he watched the other man charge at him.
This was it…
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"Hey! We're almost there!"
"Quiet idiot, do you want to wake everyone up?" Sanosuke growled out.
Yuri gave him a look. "Isn't that the point?" He asked in an annoyed tone.
"No! What do you think will happen if the villagers found out what's going on?"
"Uhh…" Yuri stared at him with a blank look planted on his face. Sanosuke smacked him on the head, ignoring the usual protests and insults thrown his way. "It means that they'll panic, and who knows what will happen then. Innocent people could be killed and a war might even break out if this isn't kept in control and under wraps, got it?"
Comprehension started to work its way onto the boy's face and he gave a solemn nod. He pushed himself to go faster. "Let's hurry, then, Ran needs us right now." The raven haired boy nodded and hurried to catch up.
"There are most likely guards posted in the front." Sanosuke stated. Yuri just gazed ahead. "Then, let's do it."
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Ran stumbled out of the way as the nin charged him, barely dodging his kunai and shuriken. His eyes may have been sharp enough to see them, but his small body was too slow to keep up. He has had hardly any experience when it came to the ninja arts, except for what Sano has told him. He dodged a kunai thrown at him and efficiently cut his shirt sleeve. Ran didn't notice the explosive tag on the handle and when he did he barely just got out before he sported some serious injures.
Rolling away, Ran had burns of every degree all over his body and a few cuts here and there. A gash was left above his left brow and blood trickle down the side of his face.
Ran knew the man was just playing with him. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer if he kept this up. The Cloud ninja once again charged at him but this time without any weapons in hand.
He threw a punch toward the Ran's face, in which he used the least amount of movement possible before grabbing the arm as it past his face and pulling the man forward. Ran spun around, switching hands to hold down the arm and sent a roundhouse kick right into the side of the man's face, causing him to stumble backwards.
Ran panted harshly, wiping the blood that dripped from his arm. He was already tired. How was he going to keep on with this guy? 'That explosive tag really did a number on me.' Ran thought, letting out a small laugh.
The Cloud nin just sneered at him. "You think this is funny? I'll give you something to laugh about!" He charged once again, but his time too fast for Ran to react. He kneed him in the stomach, and then backhanded him across the face, sending the boy skidding to the other side of the roof.
Coughing out blood, Ran lifted himself up to his knees, but the Cloud nin was already there. He grabbed his raven locks and yanked him up to his feet before sending another kick into his stomach and smiled when he heard two successful cracks.
'Two broken ribs…' Ran mentally counted. He was thrown across the ground, screaming as the man stepped on his left wrist earning another crack. 'One broken wrist…'
Ran staggered as he pushed himself up, turning his head a bit and lowering his mask to spit the blood out of his mouth before slipping it back on. He cradled his wrist gingerly and held it against his chest. The Cloud nin smiled maliciously, charging in once again. Ran clumsily dodged the attack and threw in a punch with his good arm in a weak attempt protect himself, but it was useless as he deflected it while the man grabbed his injured left arm and kneeing it in the forearm and using his other arm to twist the upper part.
Ran bit his tongue, holding back from screaming bloody murder, letting out a few heart wrenching whimpers as two more cracks were heard. He couldn't take it anymore and just wanted to scream his heart out, but he wouldn't give this man that satisfaction. No, his dignity wouldn't allow this lowlife that pleasure. More amounts of blood started to seep through his mask and travel down his shirt. No doubt that the more experienced of the two had done that to his already injured arm on purpose. His left arm suffered from two broken bones and a broken wrist already. Ran was definitely surprised that he was still moving no doubt alive at this point.
The ninja across from him began to slowly walk towards him laughing, "I'm impressed, kid. You've lasted much longer than I anticipated, but it's over."
Numerous cuts and bruises littered Ran's body, both old and new. His body wasn't fully healed as of yet and his previous wounds were starting to reopen, practically drenching him in blood from head to toe. It almost made him look like an angel of death in the moonlight.
His vision began to flicker between reality and unconsciousness. The sweet, sweet darkness that called to him for rest an-
'No, no, no! I have to remain awake because if I fall now, I probably won't be coming back and all this will be for nothing. I have to hold on for a little longer…'
Once again cradling his arm, Ran got up unsteadily, swaying a bit before finding some balance and making sure that he wasn't going to fall off the roof and plummet to his death in such a humiliating way. "J-ju-ust…a…l-little…bit…l-lo-onger…" He whispered out hoarsely.
"Ran!" Ran glanced to the side and saw both Sanosuke and Yuri staring at him in horror upon seeing all the blood coated over his body, which was easy to figure out was his own.
"What are you doing?! Run!" He yelled but they were frozen in fear as they looked at his broken and battered body. They were so paralyzed that they didn't notice the Cloud ninja forming a series of seals that were too fast to see and charging right at Yuri and Sanosuke. There was no way that Ran could reach them in time.
"YURI!! SANO!!!" Ran didn't even think before he ran as fast as his body would take him.
They could do nothing but watch fearfully as the man approached him, almost like watching as death came for you. Their eyes widened and stayed glued on the Cloud nin petrified as they watched as their best friend jumped in front of them and be stabbed in the stomach with some unknown attack, his blood spewing over the man's clothes and face, stained with Ran's blood.
"RAN!!!!" That was the last thing Ran heard, he couldn't even tell who was calling for him before he fell into the darkness for the once again.
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"Kit, wake up, kit."
"Huh?" The raven haired boy groggily opened his eyes as the demon coaxed him awake.
"Foolish brat, what have you gotten us into?" The fox sighed in a manner that didn't seem all that surprised, almost like he was expecting it or something.
Ran looked up warily and gave the fox a look that clearly said 'don't ask me, you stupid fox' and stuck out his tongue for emphasis when the demon returned a look that stated 'this is completely your fault and you're an idiot.'
The demon laughed uproariously than suddenly turned serious, which in turn had Ran alarmed. "Listen kit, that jutsu that was used is spreading throughout your body fast, hence why you're here."
"You can't heal me then?" Ran asked sadly.
"Always so negative, aren't you?"
"Well, what do you expect when you speak to me like that?" Ran retorted, defending himself for his pessimistic view.
The fox almost looked insulted as he responded, "Of course I can. Do you expect anything less from me?" Amusement laced his voice, "I can heal you, but it will come at a price." Kyuubi's voice dropped at the end.
"A price?" Nodding once, the nine-tailed fox swung its tails edgily.
"Your body is deteriorating at a fast rate. I can heal you, but it will come at the price I spoke of. I can heal the damage, but it takes significantly longer than any physical outer wound because you are literally dying from the inside out."
"What is the price, then?" Ran spoke in an uneasily solemn voice.
"One of your senses." Seeing the boy's questioning gaze, the demon elaborated. "Healing you will take time, time that we do not have, so in exchange I will have to take one of your senses for the time being." Ran nodded in understanding and closed his eyes in thought.
"Remember, kit, it can't be something insignificant such as your taste or scent; it has to be an even trade."
Ran opened his eyes with a determined glint and spoke in a soft, firm voice. "How about my…" He hesitated until he finally made his decision and gave a determined nod.
"How about my voice, then." Ran tried to keep the hope he had from leaking through his voice but it was present in his eyes.
"Your voice," The demon contemplated. "I suppose that would be good enough." The fox swished its tails in thought.
"You're sure that is what you want because you may never be able to obtain it back."
"What?"
"Your body cannot handle too much of my chakra, so I can only release a limited amount to heal you." Kyuubi looked down to see if Ran was comprehending that was being said.
"What would happen if took more chakra than I can handle?"
"You'd die." Came the blunt reply as Ran paled. "O-okay, then. I guess that's out of the question."
"My chakra can heal you, but not fast enough due to your limit, so I have to 'shut down' one of your senses in return."
"Then what do you mean when you said I may never obtain it back?" Ran questioned, clearly not understanding.
The demon sighed and quickly answered. "Your voice will return when your body is ready, but the choice is ultimately yours. It's pretty much a fifty-fifty chance, though, so I can't guarantee anything." Ran took a deep breath, trying to sort his mixed feelings and closing his eyes in thought.
"Hurry, brat, time isn't something that we have at the moment." Ran nodded in return and looked up in determination. "Okay, let's do it." He spoke firmly.
"Are you ready, kit?" The boy sent him a sad smile. "It's going to hurt like hell." The next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees, screaming his throat raw.
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Ran shot up screaming, only vaguely or not even registering that no sound was coming out. It felt like someone was tearing at his throat from the inside out and set it on fire. He started to thrash wildly until his arm made contact with something, accidentally tipping a vase of flowers over and shattering it on impact with the floor.
The door opened, a medic peeked in and quickly called down the hall for backup. Many medics filed in and tried everything they could to calm him without taking drastic measures but to no avail. Ran thrashed wildly, clawing at his throat and arms, effectively drawing blood.
"Hold him down!"
A few medics rushed to the boy's side and struggled to keep him in place as the others gathered their equipment. They finally had to give him a shot, watching as he curled into the sheets flinching and trembling in pain and whimpering silently every once in a while.
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Arashi sat down on a seat right outside the operating room with his elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands. Yuri and Sanosuke were sleeping in the seats next to him, refusing to leave their friend and Arashi had to admit that he admired their dedicated bond and loyalty. It had been hours since Ran was brought in and Tsunade was working on the boy.
'God, why is everything happening today? From what I heard, that boy was about to leave the hospital when I met him and then immediately sent back after…' He shook his head to avoid that part. 'He shouldn't have been able to move, how is it that-' Arashi's train of thought was interrupted when he saw Tsunade walking through the door. His face whitened as his gaze fell upon the blood that she was wiping off her hands and unto her heavily bloodied cloak.
"Tsunade, how is-" He was stopped when she brought her hand up in an unspoken gesture to silence him. She drew her arm down and stood there for a while and then gave out a wary sigh. "He's stable…for now, at least."
He breathed out in relief. "So…he'll be okay?"
"I can't say. It's not up to me anymore."
"What do you mean by that?" His eyes narrowed slightly. She sighed once again. "Like I said, it's not up to me anymore, it's up to him."
"So, what are the chances?"
"Honestly, Arashi? The boy has a very slim chance of surviving the night and when I say slim, I mean slim." She stated.
His breath caught in his throat, "How slim?"
She stared up at him with a blank look. "Do you truly want to know?" Arashi gaze fell upon her tired and haggard face, looking right into her eyes without saying anything and then turned away. "No."
Her saddened brown eyes stared at his back as he walked down the hall. 'It's less than 20 percent, maybe even lower, but I was willing to lie for your sake.' She thought while turning back to the room. 'But you probably already knew that.'
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Arashi stood outside the door, staring at the door that stood before him reading the numbers 203. How long has he been standing there that even most of the medics have already left? Taking in a deep breath, he opened it slowly as to not make too noise. He closed the door and gave a small sigh. 'What is this feeling? It's like I know this child, yet I don't know him at all.'
He walked a bit closer, but kept a good length away, watching silently as Ran flinched and moved restlessly in his bed. 'I've never felt so much fury toward any one person before. I was an instant away from killing that man mercilessly. Good thing that Kakashi stopped me in time or something catastrophic could have happened.' He closed his eyes as the images of the events flashed through his mind.
Arashi took a shuddered breath and opened his eyes only to meet eyes identical to his own. His eyes widened slightly, but other than that there was no indication that he was caught off guard.
Ran was extremely pale and looked weak and exhausted. His half-lidded eyes stayed connected with his and slowly the boy's arm lifted slightly, reaching out to him. Arashi looked from the arm to Ran's face and back again, clearly seeing the fear and panic planted in the boy's eyes.
Ran was scared, he realized. He obviously didn't trust easily, depending only on himself and his friends to survive. The boy had never put so much trust toward an adult before for fear of rejection. Ran grew up too fast and learned his lessons too soon, which children his age weren't supposed to learn any time soon.
Arashi wasn't quite sure what to do. 'Does he need something? Does he have to go to the bathroom? Does he want to get up? What do I do?!' He inwardly panicked.
Arashi hesitantly stepped forward and took Ran's hand in his in a gentle, but firm supportive grip just in case he needed something. Ran seemed content to just hand his hand for a while. He would have to take time with this one.
For the time being, the boy's guard is down, but it will eventually come back. For now, though, it was surprising how he just gave out his trust and for that Arashi was grateful. He was asking for too much if he expected this child to throw himself out there with arms wide open. The world would overwhelm him.
'It would be like throwing him into the ocean, and knowing that he doesn't know how to swim…he will either survive and learn or seek vengeance…or perish…well, actually it was more like sink or swim…or was it float…well either one is close enough, I suppose.'
Arashi broke out of his thoughts with a very confused face, but he wasn't nearly as confused as he was on the inside. "I think it's a bad sign when I begin to not understand my own thoughts…and talking to myself…like I am now…" He added thoughtfully, tapping his chin lightly. "Well…they do say that the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself, but I can't seem to recall the other signs…Argh! There I go again! And again! Argh!" He smacked himself both mentally and physically with his free hand.
So, Arashi pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat there, watching the raven haired boy sleep peacefully. Smiling as he gazed at the boy, traveling to their intertwined hands. His eyes softened, his face changing into a fond look as he stared fascinated at the boy's smaller hands wrapped and gripped around his own. This child…
'There's just something about him…'
Laying back into his chair, the blond closed his eyes as he prepared for a slightly uncomfortable night's sleep.
'I'll just have to teach him how to swim, then.' Arashi smiled as he thought without much sense before drifting into his own world filled with old memories and past dreams.
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Hmm…I'm not really sure how I should expose Ran to Yondaime. AHH!! I need to think about how I should do it. I might wait until he is twelve or something but I'm not exactly sure. I'm kinda stumped right now on how to approach what has happened in the story!
If anyone has any ideas or suggestion then I'm always open. I know that I mention this all the time but yeah…hahahha….Review!!! Don't forget to check out my new story!! It's called Illusory Reality.
Much Love!
xxFrozenSn0wxx