Thank you for reading this story and also to those who reviewed.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Note: Since this chapter involves two Naruto,
Naruto – refers to the current Naruto.
'Naruto' – refers to the ghost like Naruto. (smiles)
Forbidden Reincarnation Chapter 10 – A moment of Truth.
It's a crushing pain.
He almost felt his life slipping away.
His head hurts.
His soul hurts.
Every time he tried to touch the scene in front of him, it's always out of his reach.
Made him run, breathlessly.
With blood everywhere, he wanted to stop it.
He can't.
He's breaking.
Insanity is invading his mind.
"You can't give up."
Other than all those noisy voices that haunt him during the scene, a new voice joined in.
It wasn't like the rest.
It's soft and familiar.
It's heart warming.
It's… just like his one?
"Where are you?" Naruto asked softly, ignoring the scene in front of him though he's still looking at it.
This time, it was himself, dressed in an aristocratic outfit of what looked like Medieval London era.
Sasuke was wearing the same one too…
He closed his eyes and waited for a response.
He had enough of repeating scenes where he was killed and Sasuke grieving beside his dead body.
It's just too depressing.
It's just too heartbreaking to see Sasuke looking like this.
"I'm always here..."
A pair of legs materialized in front of him. He opened his eyes and saw himself.
"Myself?"
"Part of your soul. I've always been around you during those many reincarnations. You are me and I am you. All your past memories are locked in me."
Naruto sighed and sat down on the floor.
"Can you tell me what is happening?"
"Of course…" 'Naruto' took a seat next to his other part.
"I didn't know her feelings towards me were like this…"
Flash Back
She found them, with a red thread tying their last fingers and a pair of katana embedded deep within their hearts.
"I'm sorry, Uchiha-sama. We found your son and his lover dead." A man said quietly.
She could only try to resist her sobbing as she stared at her admired's dead body with the feelings of loath all over her.
Loathing his smile of satisfaction.
Fugaku eyed his son for a while before narrowing his eyes in anger.
How could his own son disgrace him by committing such an act?
"Death suits them." He muttered before moving off.
His henchman eyed him with a questioning look that probably asked, 'What should we do now?'
"Cut the thread and bring Sasuke's body back. We can't leave him there to look disgraceful to me. Just throw the other boy's body somewhere far." He said with disgust.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and went off with his servant following closely.
Then one of them sighed, "What a fate… Why did they turn out this way?"
"It's disgusting. Let's just get rid of them." A mean looking villager said.
"Naruto!!" A voice shouted that made the villagers clear a pathway for a man with brown hair towards the blond boy's body.
He pulled the boy into his embrace, "Wake up, Naruto! How can you do this?"
He was devastated by the boy's decision.
All these years, he felt that Naruto was a like a son to him.
How can he just leave him like this?
"Let go of him, Iruka… He's already dead." The mean villager said with a nonchalant tone, as if Naruto deserve death.
"Yeah. We need to dump his body somewhere too. Just leave and we won't hurt you, okay?" Another added.
Iruka's temper flared up, "What do you mean by 'dump his body somewhere'? Doesn't he deserve a proper burial!?"
"It's an order from the Lord." The same mean villager answered.
"He's not a Hokage! Why should you listen to him? Naruto shouldn't be treated like this!" He couldn't keep everything in him anymore.
How could all these people treat Naruto in such way though he had helped them in many ways?
"In this village, we obey who we deem the strongest. The Uchiha clan is the strongest." The villager glared at Iruka.
"This is absurd!" He retorted back. "I'm taking them away!"
The villager sighed, "Fine. Do whatever you want. Just take Naruto and leave Sasuke."
"I won't cut that thread between them." Iruka said without a second thought.
"Uchiha's body needs to be back to the Uchihas' clan!"
"They chose to die together and they shall remain together. Even if it cost my life, I'll protect them." He answered sternly.
Silence was in the air for a while.
"Then it's too bad that you get hurt, Iruka."
XXX
She stared at them as they pushed Iruka away and render him temporary mobile less; leaving him laying on the floor as he stared at them.
Her eyes glint a little in happiness as she saw one of the villagers placed a knife over the red thread that was connecting Naruto and Sasuke together.
"Cut it…" She whispered.
And the deed was done within a second. She smiled with satisfaction.
She saw Sasuke's body being brought away from the spot as Iruka stare at them helplessly.
She heard him saying, "Even in your death, I can't protect your bond…"
Iruka looked down and cried silently as the rain hit his body.
"Iruka!"
She heard someone running towards them and she hid further back into the shadow.
It was her cousin, Neji.
His footsteps slowed down as he neared Naruto's body.
"Naruto… Why?"
"I can't protect him after all." Iruka whispered numbly.
Neji's fist clenched in anger.
"We need to give him a proper burial…" He whispered as he tried to control his anger.
Iruka nodded and tried to stand up.
Noticing his trouble, the longhaired boy went over to help him.
"I can do this on my own. Please, carry his body. We'll bury him at his favorite place…"
Neji took a look at Naruto's body solemnly, "Em..."
XXX
It's a night without a moon that brings fear to people, for the fear of getting lost by losing its guiding light.
Hinata felt the same.
For her, Naruto is her guiding light in the dark, just like the moon.
The person who helped her in many ways and for a sudden, he's gone.
Gone to the arms of death.
A death caused by Uchiha Sasuke.
All that she worked for to win him to her side is now down the spiral of abyss.
Stealthily, she slid through the guards and into the compound of the Uchihas' Manor.
She knew where his body was kept as she had followed every word the villagers had said.
Within 5 minutes, she reached there and found the body.
She glared at him, "If you think you can be with him, you are wrong, Uchiha. I'll never forgive you… I'll make you roam this place… till eternity." She smirked evilly and drew a sign on Sasuke's head.
By making a few signs and muttering a long incantation, the seal was done.
"You won't ever be with him, you filthy roaming dead."
End of Flash Back.
"She cursed him?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
"Yes… I was there the whole time as I waited for Sasuke's soul to come out. He never came…"
"Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe he was trapped or maybe, we still can't be together even in death…" 'Naruto looked down sadly.
"What happened afterwards?"
"Sasuke woke up as a living dead. He couldn't see me, no matter how I shouted. He left the Uchihas' manor aimlessly with a rotting body that he couldn't escape…"
Flash Back
The sunlight hurts his body so badly that he needed to hide during the day.
Sasuke walked the road aimlessly with questions all over.
Why isn't he dead?
Why isn't Naruto beside him?
Where is Naruto?
Constantly, he craved for blood and raw meat.
Many times, he almost gave up to his desire and feast on a human's flesh and blood.
He held his will strong.
He cannot stray to a path that he'll never forgive himself.
He walked relentlessly through the graveyard in Konoha every night, looking for a grave by Naruto's name.
He failed.
"Even death can't keep us together…" Sasuke whispered sadly as he stood beside the old tree.
"Why are you roaming here?" A voice asked him.
Sasuke turned to the voice and eyed the figure warily.
"I won't hurt you." That person smiled at him.
"After all, it's none of my business to do that. I'm neither a demon nor a zombie hunter."
"Why are you talking to me if it's none of your business?"
"I find you looking pitiful. That's all."
Sasuke looked away in anger, "Tch…"
"My name is Haku. I'm a person of all trades. I'm a male too." He introduced himself.
"I didn't say you are a female."
"Just saying to emphasize on my gender. I always get for the opposite gender."
Sasuke laughed a little, "Should I pity you?"
Haku shrugged, "Maybe you should."
"What do you want?"
"I can help you."
Dark eyes eyed the longhaired boy with confusion, "How?"
"Remove the curse that's placed on you in return…"
"For?"
"The katana that's stuck onto your chest in a stylish way."
Sasuke thought for a moment.
"You mean I can become a human back?"
Haku shook his head, "You are dead. I'll just free you from that rotten flesh of yours."
Sasuke went into a deep thought for a moment before shaking his head, "I can't leave like this. Without knowing who did this to me. I need to find him too…"
"Are you sure you want to live on as a living death, bound to your rotten flesh and desire?"
He didn't know what to answer.
"I…"
"If after I dispel the curse, you still lingered on. I'll help you."
He decided to ask the same question 2nd time. "How?"
"I'll create you a spiritual body that could store your soul in it; like a normal human. But once everything is clear, you need to return to the cycle of reincarnation."
"Why do you want to help me?"
"Well… I don't know. I do things according to how I like it and I decided to help you."
End of Flash Back.
"I see… Thank God Haku is there."
"Yes… He helped me and Sasuke a lot."
"He can see you?"
'Naruto' nodded. "I was following Sasuke all the while. Haku saw me but I pleaded him to stay silent about my existence there. After he helped Sasuke, I lead him to the place where my body lay. That's where he got the second katana."
"… They buried it along with me?"
"Yeah. Sasuke couldn't reincarnate but somehow, parts of me are able to return to the cycle of reincarnation while a part of me stays. Maybe it's because of what I saw."
"That's why you are here."
"Yes."
"I see." Naruto looked back into the scene in front of him.
He saw himself again with Sasuke.
This time, he was a girl in a Chinese outfit. He felt funny as he looked at himself.
He looked so different there.
Black hair and eyes but yet, he can still recognize himself.
As if reading his mind, his lingering part answered.
"Our body changes through reincarnation."
Naruto nodded, "But why do we look alike?" He stared at the transparent soul beside him.
"Somehow, this time, you were to born to a family whose origin is close to our ancestor."
"You mean my father?"
'Naruto' nodded with a small smile.
"Same name?"
"I whispered."
Naruto gave him a confused look.
"When you were born, I whispered into your mother's ear when the doctor asked for your name in the registry. Amazingly, she heard and followed."
Naruto smiled, "Ah… I see."
"Also…With everyone around you, I hope I can end this by this lifetime. So that sufferings will end, for you and Sasuke."
Naruto sighed and smiled sadly, "For you too…"
As if getting caught in something, 'Naruto' looked dazed for a moment.
"Yes… For me."
Then 'Naruto' looked at him with a pleading look.
"Don't be broken by those images you see. Everything must end. It's about time for me to return to you."
He nodded, "I'll stay strong."
"Save Iruka-sensei for me."
"Iruka? Why?"
"Like Sakura, he is trapped within Hinata. The death devastated him. Also, save the current Hinata. All this is done by the dark part of her soul many years ago. Like me and you, when she died the last time, part of her soul remained while part back to reincarnation. She's merely being controlled."
"You mean Hinata isn't herself now?"
'Naruto' nodded, "If only I wasn't so oblivious, things won't be so ugly. I should have stopped leading her on."
Naruto kept silent.
"I'm not doing this."
'Naruto' frowned with a look asking 'why?'
"We are doing this together. You are me right?
'Naruto' was rendered speechless before smiling, "You sure are different from me."
Naruto placed on his trademark goofy smile, "It's time for you to rest."
"Yeah."
They placed their right hands together and warm feelings surged through his body.
Then a lone tear flows down his cheek.
"Welcome back…"
"I'm back."
XXX
Sasuke stared at Naruto's body, looking for any sign of waking up.
Currently they are back at Haku's shop.
"Wake up…" He whispered softly.
A hand pats his shoulder and he turned to look at the intruder.
"Don't worry." Haku smiled at him as if trying to calm the boy down.
Sasuke sighed, "How can I don't worry? Who know what spell is cast on him? What if-…"
"I'm sure he's there to save him."
Confusion slipped onto Sasuke's face.
"He?"
"Naruto's other part of soul. He's been here all the while."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke wanted to shout the question but he kept himself in check.
"When everything happened, part of his soul remained here while the other part reincarnated. He was the one who lead you to him."
He stared at the feminine boy as if he was playing a sick joke on him.
"He's been here all along?"
"…Yes."
"And you knew it?"
Haku nodded without a little guilt clouding his eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
"He didn't want you to know." He replied curtly.
"I'm a fool then?" Sasuke said bitterly.
"Sasuke-…"
"Don't blame him…" Naruto's voice cuts Haku from what he wanted to say.
Both of them turned their attention to him.
The ebony haired boy's eyes widened a little. He edged closer to Naruto to check his condition.
"Naruto. Are you alright?"
Naruto sat up and pulled Sasuke into a hug.
"He said he's sorry."
Sasuke kept silent.
"He wanted to speak to you too but he can't. So he hid away whenever you were around."
Sasuke wanted to cry because of Naruto's words but he won't.
He never cries no matter how sad he was.
"… You are forgiven."
Naruto smiled from his soul.
"I remember everything now."
Sasuke smirked, "It saves me the trouble from trying to convince you about our past."
"I already accepted it a long time ago." Naruto pulled away.
"Correction, it was a moment ago."
"… You are destroying the mood, bastard."
He pouted while Sasuke gave him the 'I won' smirk.
XXX
"You mean Hinata is being controlled?"
"Yes… It seems so. She cast the spell on me so I could watch all the incidents that occurred in the past and then break down so she could have an easy way for her plans."
"A plan that requires you to be weak willed." Haku added.
Naruto nodded and shivered in horror, "Gee... I never knew Hinata could be that… aggressive."
"Who asked you to seduce her and then leave her?" Sasuke said with a smirk.
Naruto glared with a pout, "Shut up. I thought of her as my sister. That's all."
"If you didn't suggest it, why would she think that way?"
"I can't help it if she's lusting after my hot body." Naruto huffed.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You are exaggerating."
"You lusted after it okay?"
Sasuke blushed a little by Naruto's retort and look away.
Haku sighed, "Could you two lovers stop bickering and try to think of a solution here?"
Then they kept quiet.
"Good." He turned to Naruto, "Could you get Neji?"
"Neji?"
"Yes. He needs to know of this. After all, Hinata is his sister though before she was his cousin."
Naruto nodded in agreement.
"Yeah… I should tell him about this."
"Clear his stupid mind who keeps thinking badly of me."
Naruto glared at Sasuke, "He's just trying to protect me."
"By blaming me and keep me away when the person he should keep away from you is his sister."
The blond boy sighed in defeat.
Not many people can dissolve the deep grudge in the Uchiha.
"I'll call him now."
XXX
Must all lies be such a way?
"It's her all along?"
Neji's world crashed a little.
He never knew someone so close to him is the cause of everything.
"Can I save you, Hinata?"
-End of Forbidden Reincarnation Chapter 10- A moment of Truth -
(smiles) It's faster this time!! Yay! XD
Inspiration hits me when I was sitting down while idling during a trip.
Been having some thoughts lately…
I want to make a story on one of Naruto's reincarnation..
Still thinking and plotting.
If I did managed to write and post it, be sure to read. Hehe..
Hope that the front part didn't make you all confuse.
I tried to write it as clear as possible.
For those of you who read Confinement, I'm sorry to say that it'll be on hiatus till I finish this.. I think.
I'll try to write and update.
Please forgive me…
I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar's mistakes.
Enjoy and don't forget to drop me a review.
Thank you.