Chapter 11
Gaara was the first to see the stranger disappear, at a speed that could make Konoha's green beast seem slow. A moment he was there another moment he was beside the fallen Sakura whispering to her, Naruto poised to give the final blow. Gaara found himself impressed. As he used but one leg to deflect the infuried Naruto while simultaneously picking Sakura up with ease, toward a red flare they took off. Gaara and Sai hopped up into the trees trailing them with Naruto by their side. Over the years Naruto had become very good at controlling the nine tailed fox. To the point where he could even control it when he had four tails, without completely loosing his mind.
Gaara followed the strong chakra trail the stranger was now showing now that he was using chakra enhanced speed. He was amazed to find that the boy glowed a sort of multitude of color of white, blue and green. Gaara knew he was looking at the back of someone who was extremely strong, like the being who pulsed beside him. For some reason, the stranger and Naruto seemed like two similar souls. Gaara mentally shook himself concentrating on catching up he and Naruto made head way as Sai fell back taking up the rear. But it wasn't any use, for every step they took the one before took three. When they sped up so did he.
He was thrown off when they disappeared for a moment, then a moment later the man was waiting alone arms crossed a steely expression that clearly told them that he wouldn't let them pass. Gaara slowed to a stop biding his time while Naruto leapt at the stranger to find himself sent flying to the ground with a familiar chakra enhanced punch. Gaara looked into the eyes of this stranger, knowing that it was finally his turn to fight. All around Gaara he felt the power of sand rise, snaking around him.
Gaara knew that this would be a battle that he himself would never forget.
_(VV)_
Sakura, limped along using trees as support she was almost there. She used a chunk of her remaining chakra to do a crappy patched job but not enough to save herself from dying. She coughed violently pausing at a tree and slumping down, for a rest, Itachi was waiting for her she knew it, and if not he had tried to wait, she wanted to see his face one last time, she wanted to see the soul whose, experiences and pain was on the same level as hers.
Stubbornly she got up and progressed walking on. She limped to a clearing her ribs screaming at her in pain, he was here, she could feel him, she didn't know how, for his chakra signature had been snuffed out but somehow she knew. She knew that Sasukes, presence had passed her, she had repressed her already pitiful chakra levels for it to looked like she wasn't there. She scanned the clearing and spotted Itachis laid out body beneath the gentle rays of the sun. His eyes were close his head turned to one side, it looked as if he were sleeping, but she knew better, because she felt no pulse of his chakra.
She felt her legs give and tired she put chakra into her weakened arms to drage herself over to him. She felt Ryuurens chakra approached, he had stalled for long enough she didn't know what he had planned for them she knew she had no right to ask, she was only the mother to his former life. Tiredly, she collapsed beside Itachi looking at his peaceful face, even in death she really did love him. Lovingly she pat his cheek it was still warm, the sun kept them both warm. Slowly she felt her chakra, burn itself out unable to sustain the poorly applied healing jutsus letting her blood once again start to free fall.
"Thanks for being with me." She told the empty shell, knowing that he wasn't there but hoped his spirit was somewhere nearby, she knew that he would wait for her, alive or dead. She smirked as this scene reminded her of all of those years ago on her first A rank mission with team seven. This was just like the last scene of Zabuza and Haku, the strange part was the role were reversed in their case. She chuckled to herself, as she felt her life flash before her eyes, the good times the bad times, everything. She closed her eyes and whispered. "I'm coming… Itachi." She felt the arrival of all of her former friends, a pity she couldn't properly tell them goodbye.
_(VV)_
Sasuke came onto the scene as soon as Naruto passed him, he immediately turned to follow wondering why it hit him the only reason why Naruto would do that without saying hi to him would be because of Sakura. Sasuke turned on one foot and pushed chakra into his legs sending him to the front line, he felt the masses of other shinobi of their kind come to the converging point the place where he had left Itachi. He had known it was sloppy work to leave such a valuable body in the open, he knew all to well, but he knew he couldn't seal it, not after Itachi had given him that blissful expression.
Sasuke didn't understand why, he didn't want to know, he couldn't bring himself to love the brother he had hated for so long. He looked to the back of his best friend knowing what was driving him, that love for their first crush. She had been pivotal in their lives, she was there to help them jump the gap into the world of others, she had established the bridge to acceptance for them, and now they were about to lose her.
Sasuke knew it was too dangerous to keep her alive, he knew by now her mind would have gone crazy, no one got out of Orochimarus grip unscathed, even now she hadn't escaped him he lived within her, along with Kabuto. Sasuke remembered the day she came back, the day she had walked up the village tattered and torn her eyes hanging onto a false hope that he and Naruto had yet to understand.
They hadn't known she was broken, and torn no one did, aside from the higher ups who had sent her on the mission. Sasuke looked back on the memory a feeling of regret and 'if onlys' touched his mind if he could see her one last time, a smile on her face he would be fine. But he knew that wasn't true, he knew he would cry as unbefitting of an Uchiha it was he knew he would cry his tears displayed to the world to see.
Now he knew how it felt, comrades died all the time, but Sakura was his best friend and first love, he would never forget her and the reminder that he wasn't able to save her would always remain. They approached the clearing, where he had left his brother lying under the sun his face in peace. For a moment they were blinded the light reflecting everywhere. He stopped alongside Naruto scanning the field, their eyes resting on the two forms that lay together, both of them held peace in their faces. Sasuke looked farther to see, Neji, Tenten, Lee, and the rest of the village nin come up upon the clearing, looking at the two most pivotal people who had ever graced the village.
Sasuke turned to looked at the two, taking a step forward only to pause as a white stranger was before the both of them within a second to fast moving for even the Sharingan to catch. The stranger leaned over their bodies kneeling, he touched Sakuras cheek. "Stop!" Sasuke shouted, running up to the person. "Who are you?!" He drew a kunai, as the stranger turned, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, as he stared into the young mans face. The eyes, those eyes! Although they weren't the same color, the two weren't the same gender, this man… no the child couldn't be older then Sasuke had the same eyes, the same eyes as Sakura.
_(VV)_
Ryuuren, had watched from the trees as the people began to gather knowing that this was his last chance to take, their souls before the shinigami did. He wouldn't allow those damn scavengers to take them away, knowing that they would be condemned to hell. No Ryuuren would keep them, and together they could live in the dragon realms where they wouldn't be touched by the cruel hands of fate again.
He jumped down and kneeled brushing the back of his hand against the still soft skin of his beloved mother. She was a tragic heroine of a story that would always work against her, so fate had dictated but not anymore, no Ryuuren would ensure her happiness, then maybe one day, one day, she could be allowed back into the world where she could carve out a life once more with him as her guardian. "Stop!" he heard a shout. He stood, knowing the person who had cried out had been his mothers close friend, from what his mother had told him in those dark cave where he had live such a short life. She told him stories to keep him pacified, she couldn't produce him enough milk and she made up for that with her own food, and stories, even though he had been an infant he understood every word she had said.
He didn't know if it was the will to survive that had pushed him to that understanding or if it was his genes, or if he was really that smart, but he knew the person who was shouting was her first love by the name of 'Sasuke'. "Who are you?!" the bold youth asked. Ryuuren turned to looked the young Uchiha in the eye. In the human world he was considered to only be alive for a short two years, but dragons matured fast, and from his previous life he had been able to mature much faster then the rest of his peers.
The man stopped as he peered at him. Ryuuren wondered if it were the similarities his mother and him shared, the same looking eyes, almost delicate body structure. Ryuuren knew what was going through his mind. Ryuuren closed his eyes and bowed to the Uchiha in a respectful manner. "I'm merely a familiar," he looked up straightening himself as he walked toward the head of the two, extending a hand, gently he pulled their souls into his claws cradling them gently, they came easily as if they were waiting for him to come. He looked lovingly down at them. His mother, and beside her, the one person who could make her happy, he would protect the both of them.
"What did you do?" asked the softer voice Ryuuren looked up to see the wary eyes of the Uchiha. Reluctantly Ryuuren extended the claw that held Sakuras soul. "I took out their souls, I am here to take their souls to a happier place." "To heaven?" asked the blonde blue eyed boy he had engaged in a battle with just moments ago. Ryuuren looked away and shook his head. "Heaven would never accept the likes of them, only hell would accept them between the two." Ryuuren scanned the crowd, knowing they were all listening. He waved a hand, after he shifted Sakura beside Itachi. He waved a hand over the two bodies, they both sank into the earth, patches of flowers in their place.
Ryuuren glanced at the two souls in his hands they glowed dimly their true brilliance. The clouds surrounded their one spot, Ryuuren was lighted in a pillar of light, the dragon elders were calling him back. Gently he tapped Sakuras soul with a claw then Itachis in turn and they merged together, and expanded into a red and black dragon ball. Yes, he would bring them to a better place where they could dream. He jumped up his head turned toward the heavens, to a land where the dragons played only to be held back, by several sets of hands. He looked down, "Wait." Said a stern voice. Ryuuren looked to see the redhead known as Gaara step up. "You haven't finished explaining."
"You haven't finished explaining." Said Gaara shaking Sasuke out of his shock the eyes they were too familiar. It wasn't possible the boy couldn't be a familiar not when he looked too much like Sakura, and yet, and yet he was too old for him to be her son. Sasuke wanted to shake his head it wasn't possible. He looked to the ball in the strangers hand it swirled inside lightening just a bit. Sasuke watched as the stranger floated back the ground, landing. The boy smirked, "She did say you guys were a stubborn bunch." The boy looked down into the ball with a child-like innocence. "I guess you were right." He said quietly.
"Where are you taking them?" Sasuke demanded he wanted to know she was happy that she would be happy and taken away from this cruel world. The boy looked up with those eyes staring at Sasuke, he felt a shiver down his spine. "To the dragon realms where they wont be touched by this worlds so-called 'fate.'" Sasuke didn't feel convinced. The boy looked around to them all and sighed slightly in a manner that almost reminded Sasuke of his brother when he was slightly exasperated with Sasuke. He felt a prickle of irritation, that manner and face just didn't match. He felt relief inside though, at least he could hope that she would be happy. The boy turned shaking off the hands that held him back his hair tousled in the wind reveling strange scale like patterns across his skin.
"Sakura?" asked Naruto who came up beside him, Sasuke felt more relief so he wasn't dreaming this boy looked like Sakura. Sasuke looked at those eyes, the boy smiled slightly, gripping the clear swirling ball. "No… I am not her, but that's very close." He turned and jumped high into the air. He floated there for a second, and turned. His face turning serious, "There was something she wanted to tell you before she had descended into that madness. She loved you all, and she didn't hold anything against any of you, all of this time she was like Itachi waiting for an opportunity to die. She wanted to exchange her life and purge the land of evil her along with it. She has wiped out the Akatsuki organization for you, and in return gotten rid of the two souls she had absorbed to stay alive for you… She really loved you all. With her blessing,"
The boy floated downward to let them get a better look of him, his Sakura esque figure reminded all of them of her the angel of Konoha. "She sincerely wishes of all of you to make it so that another tragedy like her would never happen again. Just how she ordered for your mansion to burn." Sasuke looked as the boy pointed with a clawed hand toward a rising pillar of smoke. He turned back to the youth, he seemed older then that body portrayed. "So that you may all start anew, like phoenix out of the ashes to create the new world." The boy turned, his words sounding like something Sakura would say, those clear and deep penetrating words.
"Wait!" called Naruto almost desperate. Sasuke looked to his friend a serious expression on his face. "Who are really?" The boy paused once again. "I am Ryuuren… The soul of your beloved Sakura's son." Sasuke, felt the shock go through him as the youth flew up into the sky turning into a blue-green dragon with silvery white hair, in his hand a small dragon ball, he flew up to the heavens. For a moment the world froze. Sasuke smiled wryly. He looked at the peaceful expressions of the two who had effected his life the most.
He clapped Naruto on the back for some reason the world felt lighter to Sasuke, although it would never be the same without Sakura there and Sasuke knew that the lack of her presence in the world would haunt him. Sasuke didn't mind. Naruto turned to him a bit bewildered. "We have a new mission don't we dobe? Or were you not listening again?" Sasuke saw the awareness spark in the fox containers eyes. "That we do Sasuke, that we do." They walked toward the smoking village not knowing what would the future have in store for them. Not knowing if they could complete the missiont heir frined had asked of them. Sasuke smirked he knew what Sakura would say if she knew what he was thinking, and it made him laugh. He walked supporting Gaara on one side Naruto on the other. At a time like this Sakura would have hti them both over the head saying in that stern motherly voice. "Just shut up and do it."
Sasuke smiled, he would try his best, this was all he could give her try his best to restore the world, and in return for that wish she would grant his and be happy. Sasuke looked up at the sky, knowing that Sakura would never leave them alone, Sasuke knew that she was somewhere in that vast amount of blue, watching over Konoha as their guardian angel, despite what the world had done to her. Despite her 'tarnished innocence'.
THE END