Wish Upon A Lost
Wing
Chapter 10:
Running
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"Poetry is the moan forced from your mouth just as you're being gagged. Freedom is the sound of the handcuffs clicking shut around your wrists. Trust is the darkness you can see while blindfolded. Life is bondage."
Anonymous
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Sasuke was watching TV with Shikamaru in his apartment-dorm room when there was a knock at the door. Kiba was curled up in the chair, asleep. Naruto was in his room.
"I suppose that's him," he said softly. He turned to Shikamaru as he got up. "Do you know who this mystery person is?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "No."
Slowly, Sasuke made his way over to the door. He opened it to see a man a little older than him standing there. The man had white eyes and long black hair that was hanging free. He stared at Sasuke blankly.
"Are you Uchiha Sasuke?" he asked in a harsh tone, full of confidence and authority.
Sasuke nodded, narrowing his eyes. He didn't like this man's tone. He decided right then that he didn't like this guy at all.
"You are?" he replied tersely.
"I am Hyuuga Neji," the man informed him, not moving. "I am Uzumaki Naruto's Guardian. I have been reinstated today to such a position after a resting period of three hundred years. Let me pass so I may see him."
Sasuke nearly growled at the man but decided against it. He stepped aside. Hyuuga swept into the room almost as if he owned the place.
"Which door leads to Naruto's room?"
At lost for words, Sasuke merely pointed, trying to figure out ways and reasons that he could kick this newcomer out of his house. He supposed that Naruto would want to meet him first though, then he could make the suggestion that class started early the next day and they should all get some shut eye. Since he had won against Tsunade about where Hyuuga would be saying, that would work.
Brilliant!
It had to work.
Meanwhile, Hyuuga had reached the door of Naruto's room and knocked politely on the tarnished wood.
Naruto came to the door quietly, opening the door. He took in the visage of Neji in front of him.
Neji. The man hadn't changed, not at all. He had been hopeful, but disbelieving what Tsunade had been saying earlier that day. There could be no way that Neji could have survived the wounds that Itachi and his minions had given him. Even as he saw Neji before him, his mind's eye warped and twisted to show him the days past: the time when Neji nearly died… because of him. It had been so long since he thought of that day.
He had given up, lying there in that cell. Because of this, and the fact that one of his legs was broken from the latest treatment of Itachi, Naruto's wrists were no longer restrained. It had been a long time since he had been restrained, now that he thought about it.
He didn't know how much time had passed. Time didn't matter here. All that mattered was the dingy cell that closed in on him, oppressing his senses and consuming all of him. He slowly began to forget things, small things. He could hardly remember where he had come from. He didn't even remember his own name half of the time.
When the dungeon door was flung open, he didn't care to look up. He couldn't bring himself to look into the eyes of his tormentors.
Not even Amatsu could do that anymore. Amatsu, who had been bursting with pride all those days ago, all those years ago, could barely do anything, but Naruto was still thankful for the Demon's presence in his mind.
After all, Amatsu was the reason he hadn't truly broken yet. The thought that he was not alone. They helped each other in this situation. Amatsu kept Naruto sane and Naruto gave Amatsu a reason to continue on.
They couldn't die here. Both of them had agreed on that. They couldn't die here.
"Naruto," the voice breathed softly.
Naruto looked up, so unaccustomed to having his name spoken aloud. He was Angel, was he not? That was all he could ever amount to. A nameless Angel.
Still, that voice brought warmth and the feeling of protection and days long forgotten. That voice brought him a strange feeling of happiness once again. How could anything bring him something like this?
He smells nice, Amatsu commented softly.
What does he smell like? Naruto wanted to know.
He could feel Amatsu's grin in his mind. He smells like… like Heaven.
Naruto smiled. He knew that Amatsu had the keener sense of smell, even though they shared the same body. They both brought out different attributes of his body. It was a way to be different from each other. While Amatsu was wonderful with smell and taste, he couldn't see very well and his hearing was nothing compared to Naruto's.
It was the little things that counted. Still, when the intruder dressed as a warrior offered his hand to Naruto, the blonde took it in utmost trust.
"Come on, Naruto, let's get out of here," the being told him.
"I can't… my leg," the blonde responded, looking ashamed.
The long-haired man merely nodded and passed him an herb. "Tsunade-sama gave me this. It's to help any injuries you might have sustained."
Naruto couldn't help thinking at this time that this man spoke properly. His words were elegant, and his voice beautiful. Slowly, the Angel ate the herb and allowed its healing properties to work. Thanks to Tsunade, the herb's rate of effectiveness was highly improved, making it stronger and work faster.
"All right," he answered the unspoken question after a few moments. "Let's get out of here."
And so they did. They made it far enough that Naruto could see the sky outside of the door. It was a long front entrance, and the dark sky was far from comforting, but he could see it. For the first time in a long time, the blonde Angel could see the sky. He could feel himself filled with elation at the thought of maybe catching a glimpse of stars.
"Hey, mister, what's your name?" he asked slowly as they were watching for lookouts on the entrance.
"Hyuuga Neji, Naruto," the man replied swiftly. "I am your Guardian."
"Oh," Naruto murmured, not really sure what else to say.
"The coast is clear, for now," Neji proceeded to inform the blonde. "Let us move while we still can."
Naruto nodded and stood up. Neji got up after him and they began to run towards the exit.
"Naruto, down!" Neji yelled, shoving Naruto to the ground as a crossbow bolt came hurtling through the air to strike Neji through the shoulder. The long-haired warrior swore heavily as he ripped the bolt out of his flesh. He had no time to check if it was poisoned or not as he hefted Naruto to his feet and ran on.
As they were running, more shots rang out, accompanied by shouts for back-up and more weaponry. Naruto had been scared, so very scared… but Neji was there. He trusted the man. He trusted him in a way that he had forgotten existed.
Naruto sighed. He could remember up to that point with startling clarity, but after that, after he had been hit in the stomach with one of those crossbow bolts, everything become blurry, seen through pained eyes. He couldn't recall how Neji got as hurt as he did… just that he did. He could clearly remembering limping through the doors, carrying Neji's close-to-unconscious body. He wasn't sure how he did it, just that it had happened.
Maybe the Kyuubi had helped him. Maybe Amatsu had.
He would never be sure.
The next clear memory was in Tsunade's clinic, where he was told that Neji had died protecting him. Naruto hadn't spoken to anyone for quite a while after that.
"Naruto?" Neji asked softly, tearing the boy from his musings.
"Neji…" Naruto bit out, throwing his arms around the boy in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."
Neji smiled softly before hugging the smaller blonde back. "Perhaps we could talk," he offered diplomatically. Naruto nodded and led Neji into his room. The door was shut firmly behind them.
Sasuke stared at this entire exchange angrily. He didn't know why he was so angry, he just couldn't stop the jealous rage sweeping through him.
Wait… jealous?
No, he couldn't be jealous of… of that display that he just witnessed. He couldn't be jealous of how tightly Naruto had hugged the newcomer, how trusting he looked when he saw him.
Sasuke sighed heavily, wanting to slam his head into a hard surface. He was jealous. He really was.
It was okay. He could deal with that.
He had to deal with that.
But first, he had to get Neji the hell out of his rooms!
Naruto looked at Neji, so many questions running through his mind. He wanted to know so many things… he had only met Neji once. That was the irony of the situation. He had only met the man once, but he had utmost trust in him.
Like Sasuke.
Why was that?
Well, they are alike, the comforting, yet snark-filled voice of Amatsu spoke in his head.
What do you mean?
If you haven't figured it out, I can't tell you.
Neji looked uncomfortably for a moment. He quickly schooled his features back to blankness. Training, even after three hundred years, never faltered.
"Naruto," Neji spoke softly. Naruto snapped his head in the long-haired man's direction. "Why are you on Earth?"
Naruto fidgeted slightly. "Got lost. I was trying to deliver a message. And I got lost," he replied quickly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Has Heaven changed so much that the Gates to Hell and Earth aren't guarded or large? Are there now accidental Gates?"
Naruto gripped his shirt tightly. "No. It hasn't," he replied.
"Then what, pray tell, are you doing here!" the normally calm boy snapped angrily. Naruto flinched. How could he tell Neji the reason he was actually here?
"I… I…" he stammered, but never got past that actual letter.
Neji sighed when he noticed that Naruto wouldn't tell him. "Fine, just… why was I sent here then?"
"I… I'm mortal now," Naruto murmured. "I'm human… ish. I don't really understand it, but…"
There was a knock on the door.
Naruto moved over and opened it. Sasuke stood there. "We have to get up early tomorrow, dobe," the raven-haired teenager told him. "I would like it if your bodyguard man could go to Shikamaru and Kiba's apartment now."
Neji stared at this newcomer. "Why?" he asked. "My job is to protect Naruto. In order to do that, I must be near him at all times."
"Well, be near him when he's not in my apartment," Sasuke snapped back, glaring at the man. "Now, please, leave. I have work to do, and I have sleep to gain."
Neji looked at him suspiciously before nodding. He turned back to Naruto. "I shall see you tomorrow, perhaps you have a better answer for me then."
With that, he was gone.
Sasuke blew out a sigh. "Thank God," he grumbled.
"Do you have a problem with him?" Naruto asked uncertainly, looking at Sasuke in a confused manner.
The Uchiha shrugged. "I like my space," was all he said on the subject. He exited from Naruto's room and made his way to his own.
Naruto just stared
after him, not knowing what to say
Kyuubi-kun's Korner!
So here's chapter 10. Beautiful, ain't it? Man, typing on word is really starting to piss me off right now. My spacing is really fucked up and I can't think of how to fix any of it.
Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, at least. Well, parts of it. The ending was hard because I left it sitting for a week.
