Son of a bitch!
The actual fuck?
I thought it was over!
It ain't? Whooooooooooooooooeasowfofafwnwu23232346hyu568hn 437884264347!?
*further fangirling*
DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH. THAT'S DBZ'S THANG.
The wall of fire encircled them. Unrelenting. Solid.
Uzumaki Naruto didn't even bat an eyelid. He gazed into the raging torrent, eyes shining in the angry vermilion tones of the flames.
He'd been here long enough.
None of the worthless, miserable creatures had served his purpose. The time for games had ended.
He glanced at the silver-haired man standing at his side.
'Let's go, Gin.'
'It's time.'
'In my eyes, there's no difference between wiping away one speck of dust or two.'
-Aizen Sousuke
"Shisui's...dead?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was glaring daggers at Hatake Kakashi. The Jonin, on the other hand, wasn't in the least surprised. He stood there, waiting to be dismissed, boredly scratching the scalp behind his forehead protector. It was a warm summer evening, and the humidity was irritating. Also, that retard Urahara was simply not shutting the fuck up. It seemed like he had a huge pretentious monologue prepared for every possible situation in his life.
"Will you close that mouth of yours for just a little while, Urahara? We're all damn pissed off now, ya' little swizzle-shit..." At least Yoruichi was on his side. Shisui's death was actually a revelation, but it really wasn't necessary for the geezer to make such a big deal out of it. Yeah, you tell him that, and we'll see how he emasculates you... Both the voices inside his head spoke simultaneously.
Kakashi gave the most solemn look he could manage. It wasn't that much of a challenge. He simply replicated his face when he had read the death of Igarashi Tora in Icha Icha Paradaisu. That scene always gets me sad and contemplative. At least the Sandaime seemed mollified.
WAIT WAIT WAIT. MAKE-OUT PARADISE? Urahara was back. Both Kakashi and Yoruichi sighed. Fifteen seconds. That's how long we got him to shut the fuck up. Now that the sandy-haired pervert had gotten hold of this news, he wasn't going to let go.
"You're dismissed. I need some time to think what this implies." With a crisp bow, Hatake Kakashi left the chamber. Closing his mental 'ears', so to speak, he tried his best to ignore the laughter in the background, as the two idiots read the chapters off his memories of them.
Creepy how they can do that...
N-n-n-n-n-n-n-naruto-k-k-k-k-kun!
It was only the first day of training, but Hyuuga Hinata was in paradise. Seeing her Naruto-kun in that absolutely risqué black, sleeveless undershirt, sweating profusely as he fought Itachi-san in a hand-to-hand battle really got her freak juice flowing. She'd almost orgasmed for the second time when he deftly blocked Itachi's thrust with his elbow, and delivered the finishing strike with a confident, cocky smile.
To her right, Uchiha Sasuke was definitely having the exactly opposite experience. Seeing the familiarity with which the two read each other's moves, and the extent to which the Uzumaki was above him in skill had caused a derection in the usually self-confident Uchiha. She could actually see lines of fuming heat above his head, as they watched the two go at it.
"Time!" Itachi called. Naruto stepped back, not even breathing heavily. The silver bracelet on his wrist glinted in the midmorning sunlight. It's a different article every time... Hinata had noticed the silver. Sasuke stood up like someone had lit a fire under him. Not even glancing at the heiress for her permission, he stepped forward for his turn.
She didn't even notice him treading over her. All she had in her mind, was her oh-so-cool Naruto-kun.
After that time she'd followed him into the woods, he'd been surprisingly open about it to her. He'd described the secret training him and Itachi had done, deep in the forest, where no one would find out. And, she'd accepted his answers at face value, because that's what she did. (Uselessly enable everyone around her)
I hope you get along well with Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun...
Uchiha Itachi observed his little brother approach, with embers smoldering in his eyes. It was the first time he'd been so fired up about anything, let alone training. For his ability to grasp everything in an instant had instilled a sort of dispassionate behaviour in him, which Itachi had not gotten around to beating the shit out of. Now was his chance to do so.
He looked at Naruto. The sweat-soaked Jinchuuriki made eye contact, and gave the slightest of nods. The two brothers got into position. In an instant, the match had begun. The younger of the two siblings got to work first, directly going into the most ferocious of offensives. A spinning jump kick, followed instantly by a jab with the right palm, he emulated the swirling torrents of a whirlwind. Keeping himself spinning, he lowered his center of gravity. Jumping and locking both his knees straight, he rose steadily, fist already clenched.
Itachi simply brushed away his advances with a callous, bemused smile on his face. If this was the best Sasuke could come up with, despite his great talent, then he might as well give up. The elder brother suddenly blocked a kick with great force, so much that Sasuke was sent back, stumbling. His eyes were wide with shock. After the spar with Naruto, this fight felt meaningless and mundane.
Itachi saw it, though. The deep smoulder in his younger brother's eyes, one which suggested that he was serious now. His mind left the task at hand, and began to wander, exploring deep, dark recesses in his mind, dragging out fond memories.
Not that way, doofus!
Oh really? You're the doofus! You're an idiot as well, nii-chan!
Sheesh... Why won't you listen to me, Sasuke? A kunai is this. The thingy in your hand is a shovel.
Nii-chan, you fool! This is the real kunai, not your fake one!
As he reminisced, he noticed Naruto looking at him. Ducking under yet another futile, weak punch, he caught Naruto's gaze. The Uzumaki gave the slightest of nods, imperceptible to everyone but those used to seeing it. Itachi's smile widened, now almost splitting his face in half. Taking a quick few steps back, he settled into a defensive position, awaiting Sasuke's next move.
As Sasuke advanced steadily, Itachi willed out as much chakra as was humanly possible. His eyes first turned the typical deep crimson for the sharingan, and then the dark comma-shaped spots in the irises swirled, merged and transformed into a three-bladed scythe. Itachi saw his brother's eyes widen with shock, and then totally go dead, as he launched his most ferocious genjutsu onto him.
"Tsukuyomi!"
Orange and black.
Time. Oh, the slowness of it.
It's clawing at my soul. Pressing, digging its long, menacing talons right into my throat.
I can't bear it any more.
It feels...different. The pain, that is...
It's more like a sword now. Like it's being drawn out from a sheath.
Wait. The sheath is me. I am the sheath.
Blood. Dripping. Oozing. Pouring into the endless hole in my soul.
Why won't it end? Why?
WHY?
The steel feels cold. Deathly cold. It's sliding out, slower than a glacier, more painfully than a saw ripping my muscles.
My hands seem...stuck. More than just stuck.
Immobile. Unmovable.
Blood flows steadily from the new orifices in my body, ones I did not have before.
More blood. Or rather, the same blood flows, and flows again.
This constant cycle has infested my brain.
When will it end? When?
WHEN?
The sound of shattering glass... Somehow familiar, comforting.
I can sense the fragments falling around me.
Except it isn't glass. Ice, rather.
Cold. Oh, so cold. My body's freezing.
There's going to be a blizzard coming down soon.
The fight is over. I have nothing more left to give.
Will this ever end? Will it?
WILL IT?
Hi...Hi...
HINAMORI!
Sasuke screamed and sat up.
Eyes bulging, pupils dilated, he remained unresponsive even as his nii-chan held him by the shoulder and shook him. His eyes were blurry with tears. His right hand had been clawing at his chest. There were tears in his sweater, and deep, bleeding furrows showed through the ripped fabric. He'd nearly torn his heart out, judging by the depth of the nail marks.
He drew a large, shuddering breath. His mind was racing, utterly blank.
What just happened? What in God's name happened?
One moment, he was about to fight Itachi, and the next, he was sprawled here, blood streaming from his self-inflicted wounds. His mind was awhirl, spinning round and round. The only explanation was that his brother had done something to him. It wasn't one he was ready to accept; not now, not ever. Not my nii-chan. Not him.
"Sasuke!"
His mind exited its reverie, as he heard that flaming, irritating voice again. Eyes refocusing, he glared at the figure in orange and black that was looking at him with clearly feigned concern. A small twitch to his lips, as though they were voluntarily being held back from curving into a smile, told him all that he needed to know. This was Naruto's doing. Definitely.
His heart ached again, but this time, it was for vengeance. Never before had he felt such burning hatred for another person. Sure, the Sasuke-hater camp loved to gossip about his innate fear and distrust of women in general, judging by the way he treated them, but hate was never a word associated with the Uchiha prodigy.
I hate you, Uzumaki Naruto. There was a deep calm to his thoughts now, a sense of justified rationality. There was no mistaking it.
I fucking hate you.
The late afternoon sun was giving everything a warm afterglow. Everything was lit up in a sort of golden hue, shining in the slanted rays, giving off shadows which merged and split off each other, like a criss-cross spider's web. It was the perfect setting for some practice.
Nara Shikamaru scratched his head in annoyance. This is just so freaking boring... Why does Dad want me to do this? It was at the specific behest of Nara Shikaku that his lazy, reluctant son had come here, to the training grounds at this ungodly hour, to fine-tune his ninjutsu. He formed the seals, and a slightly darker shadow spread across the lazy, idyllic landscape.
He split the shadow into the same web he saw that existed in the field. Training this technique required increase in both duration and area covered. It was a rapid drain on his chakra, like someone had just removed the plug in a smallish bathtub. Sweating profusely, he controlled his shadows, doing the movement and stretching exercises his father had taught him a few weeks ago.
Training is the most important bit when improving oneself, especially when it comes to our special ninjutsu. His father's words came back to him, recollections of a distant, foggy memory. The efficient use of chakra is far, far more important than the sheer volume you utilise. Remember, smart work beats hard work any day of the year.
Sheesh, Shikamaru had sighed out loud, do you have to use these retarded clichés, Dad?
He resumed his training, unaware of the person watching him with detached bemusement. To be fair, he was invisible to all but whom he deemed worthy. He fiddled with the blades of grass under his palms, silently laid out on the grass, enjoying the beautiful evening. Quite nonchalantly, he plucked a single blade, and put it in between his lips. It even gave him a jaunty, rakish appearance.
"You know, people don't usually respect those with such relaxed, rural habits," A voice spoke from behind him. Without opening his eyes, he let the blade fall, slowly releasing it from his mouth. Giving a small smile, he continued watching the young teenager, who had produced the most exquisite lace-like pattern on the meadow.
"Very well, Naruto-kun..." he replied, voice almost a whisper, "What would you rather have me do? I suppose playing the fiddle is certainly out of the question?"
The blond-haired boy sat down next to him, and gazed out over the scenery. His azure eyes seemed to have a small sparkle. "I suggest you continue with whatever strikes your fancy," he replied, in the same polite, nonchalant tone as before.
Aizen Sosuke continued to keep his eyes closed, and his mouth shut. He hadn't had his fill of enjoyment from this amusing little village yet; there was quite a ways to go. Hate was an addictive emotion. The more you immerse yourself into it, the more you start to crave. Uzumaki Naruto craved for even more still. The boy was like an endless well into which he gathered all the negative emotions he could possibly fill. Malice, hatred, jealousy, pride... Oh, he could fill everyone else's need and still not feel the difference.
A very interesting case. Their next act towards acquiring all that coveted hatred wasn't to begin for another three hours. Aizen's mind switched from the present to the past, going over their 'highlights', so to speak. Their masterpiece, he still felt, was how they had managed to gain the Uchiha genius' allegiance. The mind rape they'd achieved then was something Aizen would remember for a long, long time.
There was still quite a lot left on their agenda. Naruto-kun was probably the perfect instrument for that.
I shall not be disappointed again, I believe. I believe in the hate they bear towards you, Naruto-kun...
The blade of grass left the man's mouth, and drifted lazily onto the picturesque landscape.
It was well past time.
Where the fuck is he?
Yamanaka Ino fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, trying to keep her expression neutral. It was a massive effort not to burst out in anger and storm away. The blonde was going to regret this, sure as all hell. He was an hour and a half late. Kami-sama only freaking knew why she was still there.
He'd specifically asked her for this. Now he himself was a no-show? Oh, the nerve...
There was a flash of movement next to her, a sudden shadow that seemed to shift, apparently on its own. She looked at that point for a second longer, slightly freaked. Nothing else happened. Maybe it was just her imagination.
She'd been having a lot of these incidents lately. The feeling that someone was watching, following her everywhere she went, observing every minute of her day with stalker-like stealth. She'd begun to look over her back more and more often during the day. Her stupid, lazy teammates weren't helping at all. Sure, Shikamaru was capable, but all he said when she told him about this was 'Boo...Freakin'...Hoo.'
She'd felt like tearing that piece of shit a new one, but what Choji had said after that was even worse. "D'oh... Just ask your boyfriend Sasuke to protect you..." He had managed in a whole minute, munching on those stupid potato chips as he said it.
It would suffice to say that those chips weren't the only thing Choji loved that had crunched that day.
Anyway, the fear and nervousness was returning fast. She rubbed both her arms. The evening warmth had come and gone, leaving her wearing only a tank top in the chilly wind. And that bitch was still not here yet.
Another minute, she decided. Then it's curtains, Naruto-kun. She hated her utter lack of self-respect, but what was to be done? Naruto-kun was just someone she found extremely hard to say no to. It wasn't like he asked her for stuff very often, so this must be important.
A glint caught her eye. The chain hanging down over the deep black undershirt caught the moonlight. It shone bright silver, just like it did during the day. He was finally here. Giving the Jinchuuriki her most hateful stare, she turned and looked away.
He approached, and suddenly the presence vanished. She could physically feel the tension flow out of her body as her heart rate slowed, and her breathing got less anxious. She kept facing away from the blonde, putting on a fine farce of sulky ignorance.
He had the grace to look embarrassed.
"My apologies, Ino-chan," Somehow, she felt she'd heard him say that exact phrase before. Hmm. Deja vu.
He waited for her to nod, and continued. "I was delayed by Sasuke-kun's rather sudden hospitalization, I'm afraid,"
Ino's heart literally stopped beating. For the Yamanaka still held a considerable amount of concern for her ex-significant other's well-being. Yes, she hated him, but not to that extent. "W-What happened?"
Naruto seemed melancholy, yet stoic. At this point, he existed solely as a shoulder to cry on.
"It was an unforeseen training accident. Sasuke was having a sparring match with our Jonin-sensei, when he mistimed his evasive maneuver. Although his wounds are not very serious, he was hit quite close to his heart." the kunoichi was silent. She just held her breath. Please, let him be fine...
Naruto's eyes actually looked a little downcast.
"He is recovering right now. It seems that there will be no lasting damage. I really hope he gets better soon." Ino was surprised by the sincerity in his voice. Frankly, from his recent behaviour, he had come across as a little... distant. Especially when she'd seen him during the time before the Genin tests, when he'd handed that cocky son of a bitch his ass on a silver platter. Also, during and after the examination, Naruto always seemed like someone who gave no fucks, and didn't expect any to be given about him, either.
Naruto fingered the chain around his neck. "Anyway, I am most certainly sorry to have kept you waiting like this, Ino-chan," he said, with the debonair grace of a panther. Looking into her eyes, he flashed a smile.
There it is again. Ino noticed the dull, opaque glint she'd seen during the Genin tests. It was getting less frequent with time, but sometimes, when he looked into the distance, there was still the sparkle of hope in his eyes. Hope that something would change, that something would rescue him from the soulless abyss his life had become.
She felt a pang of regret. All she wanted to do was take him into her arms, and...
The producers regret the direction the story's taking, so we're going to skip the hormonal blonde's wet dream.
On with the good stuff...
Shaking her head, she dismissed the last five seconds of fantasizing from her mind.
"Ino-chan?" Naruto was waiting for something. Dimly, she remembered him asking her something.
"Uh-huh..." She nodded her head like a dumb farm animal, unable to recall the question.
Naruto let out a small chuckle. "You never cease to amaze me, Ino-chan..."
His expression suddenly changed, into a far more solemn one. He said the next line in a husky whisper, almost in an undertone.
"You're as sly as a fox."
"Ino!"
Dim lights marked the entrance. Late evening had settled in, and the flower shop was closed. A shutter closed somewhere, in the distance. Konoha was closing for the night. The blonde boy next to her was the only other sign of life.
"Ino-chan!" he implored.
His eyes were brimming with tears. He did not want to be alone; not today, of all days. Not on his birthday. She glanced at him again. Her heart went out to him; given his sorry state. Bruises and cuts marked him from head to toe.
For as long as she knew the blonde, he'd never not hurt himself in some way or the other.
'He's just exceptionally clumsy,' was all her mother would tell her.
As she stood there, looking into his cerulean eyes, her mother's call came again, more insistent this time.
"INO!"
Naruto had begun sniffling quietly.
For as long as she knew the blonde, he had never cried. Not in front of anyone, anyway.
As she stood there, unable to decide whether to go home and leave him here, or ignore her mother and stay with him, the decision was made for her. A rough hand suddenly held her shoulder, pulling her into the front doorway.
"Let's go, Ino. It's late enough already."
Her father's face seemed...worried. The way he kept looking at Naruto, all the while taking her away from him insistently, made her mind up.
As she struggled to escape the hands holding her, she stared right into the blonde boy's eyes. He held the gaze for a second, then looked away.
It was not until the door had almost closed in front of her did she glimpse the first tear fall.
"So, Ino-chan, where do you want to go for dinner?" Naruto's voice broke her out of her reverie.
She shook her head, trying to focus her thoughts.
"Umm...ramen, I suppose." she mumbled. "Yes. Ramen would be good."
As she followed the blonde to Ichiraku's, she stared at his back, wondering what had just happened.
Did I know Naruto-kun back then?
Did I really?
Ohmigosh.
Heavens. It's been far, faaaar too long.
Writers' block is a bitch, I tell you.
Anyway, tell me what you guys think.
Good enough?
I will elaborate the use of the Tsukuyomi, probably in the next chapter.
So, probably...never.
*smiles sheepishly*
That's all, I suppose.
Keep the reviews coming, I guess? Despite my horrible writing speed?