DOA
By Aimee Blackschleger
"Keep your weapons aimed
Here comes the chilling face
Pushing down your fear
Jump on the necks of the monsters
You can't hide your self
You can't run
We're fighting for our lives
And we just cannot lose again
There's not much time
Be ready to fight
Do it "
Chapter 10
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"Look in the mirror."
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If someone will ask her to make her autobiography, Tsubaki would probably sum it up with just two words, regret and sin.
Though Tsubaki never really had a sob story to begin her life, the events that happened to her as she grew were the ones responsible of her bitter soul. Now, she is nothing but an empty shell waiting to be filled.
But just because her heart can't feel doesn't mean her brain doesn't know what's right from wrong.
"I can sense a powerful 50 meters from here." Tsubaki nodded to her faithful companion, Kuro, before taking another huge leap. Tsubaki was thankful that Kuro never left her side. She know that the black haired man is not ignorant of what they are about to do. She also know that she has nothing to hold against him anymore, considering that their agreement has ended years ago. Yet, aside all of this facts, the older man continued to serve her.
The memory of her past flashed in her mind. Reminiscing white bright smiles and red splattered blood made her clench her fist.
She was a fool, never realizing the dim in her 'student's' eyes.
Now, the small girl must suffer because no one was there to guide her.
Tsubaki tightly closed her eyes. She prayed to God to grant her wishes for the last time.
I'm coming, Sakura.
…
"Kaa-san! I'm starving here! Where's my ramen?!"
Kushina bit her lip as she tries to ignore the loud wails of her son. Really, if it weren't for her unconditional love to her son, Naruto would most likely have been sent to the other side of the world. Ha, the benefits of having a loving a mother.
"Yeah! Yeah!" She shouted back from the kitchen. Pouring the hot broth in their bowls, Kushina could faintly hear her loving husband as he scolds their son. Her heart melted at the thought of her perfect family. If anyone would dare ask her what she'd pick between being 'the' Hokage's wife and mother of the 'hopefully' future Hokage or being the Hokage herself, like what she'd always dreamed, she'd pick the first.
She isn't really enthusiastic at the thought of being the Hokage anymore. After all, witnessing her husband burn his ass off with all the paper and council works is not inspiring. Why her son still dreams to be the leader of the village? Kushina has no clue. Well, maybe she does, after all he is her son.
Placing the three bowls on a tray, and making sure that there are plenty left for her son's bottomless pit, Kushina cautiously walked outside the kitchen with their food.
As the smiling faces of her two beloved boys appeared in her vision, Kushina suddenly felt a wave of nausea wash over her, except, this was not because of her family. It was something far from the warmth she felt every time she serves their food.
No.
It was similar to the one she dreaded.
Oh come on, Kushina. It couldn't be him.
She tried to coax herself as she slowly approach the table. Her steps were faltering, her hands shaking.
No, it couldn't be him.
Her eyes were starting to water, wishing for the awful aura to disappear.
The presence was weak, weak enough to consider as just a part of her imagination.
It's funny how such a tragic memory could make someone weak.
Pushing the gruesome thoughts of almost losing her family aside, the red haired woman gently smiled her eyes meeting the contented looking ones of her husband's.
However, as the dreadful aura subside away, another wave of spiteful chakra washed over her, this time stronger than the first.
CRANG
Kushina stared at the broken tablewares on her feet, the hot food burning her skin.
"Kaa-san?" She heard the worried voice of her son.
"Kushina? What's the problem?"
The aura was still there, its pulsating wave very faint, faint for even a trained shinobi like her husband to notice, but not her. Not to Kushina who belongs to a sensor type clan, the Uzumaki clan. Not to the red habanero who once sheltered the very chakra.
Her eyes widened when realization dawned upon her.
"We came here to be the vessels of the Nine-Tails…"
The image of an old loving woman appeared in her eyes, her warm, raspy voice resounding in her head.
"But before that, we must find love.."
"Kushina? Are you okay?"
"Tou-san?! What's wrong? Kaa-san?"
"And fill the vessel with it."
The last this she saw was the tearful face of her son.
…
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a very cautious man. Despite his rather friendly attitude and easygoing aura, he is very serious when it comes to his duties and has eyes that are similar to a hawk's when regarding everyone. To be frank, he does not trust anyone easily. Well, being a ninja does not really make you a trustful person, but fiddling with the small object in his hand makes him regret his distrustful nature.
The memory still burned inside his head, replaying in his consciousness when he least expects it.
They met in an accident, during a night where everything was dim.
He was holding that stranger in his arms, his hand holding a kunai on that person's throat. But rather than be the enemy like he expected, that person saved him.
Until now, that person's identity remains a mystery to the former Hokage, a puzzle that continues to haunt him.
"Half of this world might be lost, but half still exist."
Looking at the sleeping form of his grandson on his lap, Hiruzen smiled.
The back of the cloaked figure was facing him. Unconsciously, his grip tightened on the small object.
"Keep it. It will serve you great someday."
Those were that person's parting words.
As his eyes train on the scenery outside, Sarutobi sighed.
He regrets many things in his life, but he knows destiny will uncover her reason someday. Closing his eyes, he began to reminisce his youthful days; if there's one thing he learned from the unfair workings of life, it is that all things happen for a reason.
Little did he know that destiny has begun her work that very night.
…
Minato caught Kushina in his arms, his adrenaline pumping greatly throughout his body.
"Kaa-san!" The yellow flash heard the worried voice of his son as he drew closer.
Glancing at the woman in his arms, Minato paled. Kushina was shivering; her eyes tightly closed as her face contort with fear.
Something was definitely wrong.
Worried, he glanced at his panic-stricken son.
Naruto was crouched down near his mother, his shaking hands gathering the fragments of the broken bowls as he bit his lower lip to stifle a cry.
Minato's eyes softened at the look of his son. Though he might find it amusing how his stubborn son can easily break once something bad happened to his mother, he cannot really find the humor to laugh. After all, if he were to be asked, deep inside, his expression is not far from his his.
"Naruto, go cal—"
But before he could even finish his sentence, he felt it.
His arms tightened around his wife, his right hand itching to let go and grab his son closer.
He felt the same aura years ago.
Now, he understands why Kushina was acting like this. She was able to feel it earlier than him.
Placing Kushina inside their room, Naruto following closely behind, Minato grabbed his long, white cloak and quickly wore it.
"Stay here and don't leave your mother's side."
Naruto flinched at how serious his father's tone sounded.
He might be deemed an idiot, dense, by others, but he knew, by the stern look on his father's face that something was wrong.
"Hai! I'll protect Kaa-san! So don't worry, dad!"
Minato smiled.
Using his trademark skill, Minato vanished before Naruto's eyes.
"Whoa! Tou-san needs to teach me that next!"
…
Fugaku frowned at the sight of his friend.
"It's him."
Minato nodded as he ran a hand on his blonde locks. "I'm afraid the incident during their mission has awakened him."
"Has the council been alerted?" The Uchiha quickly asked. Shaking his head, Minato gave out a worried sigh. "No, I intend to finish this first before informing them."
"Let's hope nothing serious happen."
…
Sakura was floating.
So this is what it feels like to be free?
For years she was tormented with the angry stares of the people around her. For her whole life she was played by fate, ridiculed by destiny. She was branded a monster when the truth is that she's just a child, bearing the monster that once threatened their lives. Now that she is free, she realized all this time how foolish the people around her have ben. How foolish she had been.
She was a hero, the life sacrificed for them to live.
Yet here she is now, alone in her own thoughts, caged in her own misery.
In the end it was them that brought their doom. If she is a monster in their eyes, then a monster shall she be.
"Sakura.."
A masculine voice echoed inside the void. Bringing her out of her agony.
"Go away!"
The darkness within her rebelled.
"Sakura-chan?"
The voice rippled, bringing forth a hope and joy.
"I said go away!"
The demon bellowed once again.
"What's the matter?"
Fire dripped from the sound, erupting flames that shone bright within the chasm.
"Who are you?"
She finally called out. Her voice rasped with anxiety and fear.
When the voice did not answer back, she was overwhelmed with a sense of dread. The demon from the chasm laughing at her failure, the flames, which shone was now burning her porcelain skin.
Just as her soul sank into an endless pit, a wave of lukewarm water enveloped her body. It was when she finally opened her eyes that a picturesque scene of the sun setting greeted her.
"Are you really okay?" The voice she heard echoed once more, but this time it was clearer, more vivid. This brought questions to her mind. Why was she standing before a beautiful clearing? And why, pray tell, is the sun setting when she is hundred percent sure that it was midnight just a minute ago.
"This sure is a weird dream." She said monotonously, but to her surprise, no voice came out from her mouth, neither did it move.
"You know you can tell me what's bothering you, right?" Guilt suddenly bloomed in her chest. Why was she feeling guilty? Who is this man? Questions bombarded inside her head but before more could enter, she suddenly felt her hand move to tuck a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear. What's happening?
"I'm just tired, no need for you to worry." She heard herself say, but rather than the high-pitched cheerful tone, she's accustomed to hear, the voice that came out was more mature and beaten.
Now, she could only assume that she is dreaming, her mind playing tricks to ease the pain that she was feeling. But why is it so vivid? Why is it so real?
She felt her body turn around, noticing how fit and more pronounced it is, she seemed to have gotten taller, too. When she trained her focus to where her eyes seemed to be staring, she saw a teenage boy, probably a head taller than her current state, standing beside an oak tree. Yellow white light was radiating from him, his whole presence screamed warmth and joy. It was a shame though that she can't see his face.
"You should go to sleep then!" His enthusiastic voice brought her out of her reverie. His arms outstretched, his hand reaching for her to grab. Though she wanted to, she can't since her body wouldn't bulge. Instead, she felt her body tense as something aching to remorse stirred in her chest, she was then overwhelmed with a sensation she was already familiar to.
"Do you think he'll ever come back?" She heard herself cry, chocking back a sob as she fervently wipe the tears threatening to fall.
"Sakura-chan." The man before her sound dejected. This angered her a bit. How could she make someone as cheerful as him sad?
When she began to feel herself calm down, Sakura noticed that the man before has his arms wrapped around her figure. She smiled, even if it was all a dream, she felt reassured with his comfort, her doubts were slowly crumbling.
"I know he'll overcome his inner demons." The man whispered to her ear, fanning the back of her neck with his breath. How bad did she want to look up and stare at his face.
"How are you so sure? How can you just be so hopeful?" She wanted to kick herself for saying such thing, even though it wasn't really she who answered.
"He's our team mate after all! And I trust him."
She finally felt herself look back at the cheerful man.
"Just like how I trust you!"
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Tsubaki froze as she stares at figure before her.
The cheerful girl she knew was no more, what greeted her was a demon, a fox sprouting her second tail. "Let me handle her."
She shook her head, refusing her companion's help. Clasping her hands together, Tsubaki did a few foreign hand signs before the ground underneath her began to glow. An intricate seal then appeared at the back of her hand, the right symbolizing the sun while the left showing the moon.
Closing her hear eyes, she concentrated as more seals appear throughout her body, wrapping her skin with black like ribbons.
"Take care of the others; do not let them near unless I give you the signal." Her grim voice bellowed.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
When Tsubaki opened her eyes, her coal black ones replaced, not by red, but by emerald green orbs. A diamond shaped object appeared on her forehead followed by two dots at each side.
She heard a scoff behind her.
"I'll be more capable of handling the Kyuubi, you know?"
The woman laughed. "Now you call yourself the Kyuubi? What happened to hating that name?"
On the area where Kuro was standing is an elegant looking creature,bathed with deadly yet less menacing chakra. Long gone was the hatred that enveloped his whole being, now he is a comrade, a friend.
"You don't have to warn me." The woman reassured.
Pink hair cascaded behind her as its previous color disappears.
"Whatever you say..
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Sakura Haruno"
…
A/N: Review? XD