Chapter Fourteen- Konoha
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Authoress' Notes: Well, not much to say this time, I'm afraid. Not that anyone ever reads the authoress' notes anyways. Well, please review. I'll give you a cookie if you do. Please.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Ino+ Shikamaru: Toshi, now 13. Satoru, now 6 and a half years old.
Sakura+ Sasuke: Saeko, now 14 and a half.
Kiba+ Temari: Kiyoshi, 15.
Hinata+ Naruto: Kohana (F), and Atsuhiro (M), 11 and a half. Twins.
Tenten+ Neji: Hikari, 16 and a half. Hiroshi, almost 12 years old.
Kakashi+ Kurenai: Ayami, now 17 and a half.
Gaara + Crazy Lady (Grace/GaaraCutie): Hajime (M) and Mamoru (M), 8 months old. Twins.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
"Konoha," I said. When given the chance to lead, one must speak their mind. The fifty-second principle of shinobi conduct. "I want to go back to Konoha for a while."
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
We left at the crack of dawn the following morning. No one talked much; there was a stretched silence between Kiyoshi and I, and Grace seemed to be too lost in though to speak. So we walked along in silence, each in our own worlds. I was constantly looking around; from Kiyoshi to the woods behind us, and then back down to the ground.
We were drawing closer with every passing minute, but with each step we took, my heart sank deeper in my chest. Maybe I didn't want to see the village after all. I was beyond terrified of what I may find when we arrived again. What if… No, now wasn't the time to back down. Now was the time to stay strong, and believe that everything was going to be ok. Because it was. It had to be.
I blinked, realizing how bright it was. The reason? Looking up, I saw that we were no longer standing beneath branches. No, now we were standing on the far edge of a rocky field, through which a stream of water flowed. I looked around, and my eyes came to rest on the side of the field opposite us. Almost a mile away, I could see another stretch of forest. And I instantly knew that Konoha lie within those woods.
My heart skipped a beat. Within minutes, I would see what had become of my village. Anxiously, I shifted feet, trying to decide whether or not I really wanted to see it….
My feet pounded against the grass. I hopped over the stream of water, and continued running, until the light faded, and I was surrounded by the familiar trees. No, there wasn't time for nostalgia, either. I didn't know which was faster; my beating heart or my feet falling upon the ground. The trees fanned out and grew closer around me; everything went by in an interpretable swirl of green and brown. I didn't know if Kiyoshi or Grace were following me- all that mattered was that I was running farther and farther, until at last I stumbled through the village gates.
Panting for breath, I looked around, wide-eyed. Nothing was the same. Carts and stalls had been toppled over; the street was littered with splinters of wood, tiles… For the most part, the houses were still standing, though a few windows had been broken, apparently. Hesitantly, I started through the streets, breathlessly taking in the damage around me, until I finally stopped at the end of my street.
I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. Hands shaking in front of me, I slowly started towards my house, and when I stood before it, I stopped dead in my tracks. The living room window was shattered; the dark curtains were blowing in the ominous breeze. The front door had been broken in; it lie on the street, split in two like nothing but a toothpick.
My legs like led, I stumbled over the threshold, and let out a cry of horror. If the outside was bad, it was nothing compared to the interior. Glass lay, strewn about the floor, amidst a sea of various other items. Picture frames had fallen to the ground, now nothing but shattered glass and cracked wood. There were scuff marks all over the floor, and even a few crimson dots of what could be nothing else but blood. I let out a choked sob, and ran up the stairs.
I threw their bedroom door open. They weren't there… Of course they weren't. But the only question was: where were they? The bedroom was a mess, as well. Shaking my head, I crossed the hall to my room, only to find it empty, and in the same condition.
"Nani… What happened here?" I asked, my voice soft and high-pitched. Suddenly, the silence seemed to weigh down upon my shoulders, and I shook my head, fleeing both the room and the house.
This wasn't right. This had to be a dream- this was an illusion. Someone was tricking us. We were falling into their trap by believing what we saw. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself. Kiyoshi and Grace were looking at the houses in silence, and I was running through the streets, peering in houses through broken windows and busted down doors. No one was there. As far as I could tell, Kiyoshi, Grace, and I, were the only living (I feared to search for dead bodies) people here.
I continued running, not knowing where I was going, or even if I was going someplace in particular. My feet slapped against the cobbled street, the echoes of my footsteps reverberating all around me. Tears were pouring down my cheeks; it shouldn't look like this. This isn't how it should be.
Where was everyone? All the houses were deserted, so had they all fled? Or had they all been kidnapped… or worse, killed.
As I ran, I reached up for the silver locket around my neck, as if it would provide some comfort. It didn't. I turned another corner, and then I felt the wind being knocked out of me.
"Ohhh…. Ow, that hurt," I said, landing on my bottom on the ground. I opened my eyes, muttering apologies. "Gomenasai, I wasn't looking where I was-"
But looking into the face of the person I stood before, I stopped dead in my tracks. "Ino-san!" I cried, rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Luckily, I wasn't. She was standing before me, though she was an entirely different person from the Ino Yamanaka I had seen that night three and a half months ago. Her hair was down for the first time in my living memory; wispy strands straggled about her face. Her ocean-blue eyes, and the bags beneath them, made evident sleepless nights, and long-lived grief and misery. In short, it wasn't her. This woman standing before me couldn't be my mother's best friend, who I knew so well.
I wanted to ask her if she was ok, but common sense kept me from doing so. Of course she wasn't ok. After all, how could she be, when her helpless, six year old daughter was missing?
"Saeko-chan?" she asked, as if suddenly realizing (even after I had run into her) that I was there. This, of course, scared me. She had always been headstrong and alert. And another thing I noticed was her voice. It was raspy, and monotonous.
Not finding anything else to say, I gestured towards the village around us. "What happened her, Ino-san? Do you know?"
After a short pause, she nodded. "Do you remember that night, three months ago? When you left?" I nodded, and she went on. "They attacked."
Grace and Kiyoshi were behind me now, but they didn't say anything. Ino's lips were set in a grave line, and I silently took in what she had just told me. Sure, I had long since convinced myself that that was what had happened… but that was just my thoughts. Now that she had confirmed my fears…
"Ino-san, where are my parents?" I didn't ask her if she knew. For some reason, I could tell that she knew.
"Well…" she looked around, as if she thought someone was listening in. Finally, she turned back to me and said, in a throaty voice. "They've been meeting with Shikamaru and a few others," she said. I looked up at her with wide-eyes. So they were alive! "Kiba," she said, looking at Kiyoshi, who blinked. "Sakura, your father, Shikamaru, me… There's a whole group of us. We've been meeting in various locations, discussing… Well, the Akatsuki, of course."
I nodded, and then something came to my mind. "Are you going to see them again soon? Can I come with you?"
Unfortunately, she shook her head. "No, it's safer for you to stay on the run and well hidden, for the time being."
My shoulders sagged, and she quickly said, in a more Ino-like voice (though it still wasn't anything like her original voice), "However, there is something I was told to give you. I was hoping that I would find you here, seeing as the people in Suna said that you were missing."
I bowed my head, a child being reprimanded. After a long moment, I looked back up to find her holding out a tied scroll to me. I grabbed it with a shaky hand, looking from it to her, and then back at the scroll again. "Is… this…" I started, my voice quavering.
She nodded, and then looked around. "Well, I have to be going now. And Saeko-chan, listen to me." I looked up into her serious, forlorn eyes. "I hope you get to see your parents again soon. Stay safe, ok?"
I nodded, and then she was gone. Without a moment's hesitation, I tore the dark string away from the scroll, and quickly scanned over its contents.
Dear Saeko,
We heard that you left Sunagakure! If you're reading this, then you already know what's happened in Konoha. And I'm sure you heard about Suna, as well. I don't know who you're traveling with, if you are in fact traveling with anyone, and, in case we're being watched, Ino isn't going to say anything about it. We don't have much time to write at the moment, I'm afraid. But I hope that you're ok. Stay safe.
Hope to see you soon,
Mom
PS. Everyone here is fine.
I wiped away the tears that had formed in my eyes, and sank against the wall of the nearest building. I didn't know what I was feeling. Of course, I was relieved that they were ok, but I wasn't too happy to hear that they were messing with the Akatsuki. A few months had taught me that the Akatsuki weren't to be taken lightly.
"Saeko-chan?" Grace was standing beside me, a faraway, serene look upon her face. Shoving the scroll into my backpack, I pushed away from the wall.
"We need to move on," I said. "We're going to help them out. We're going to stop the Akatsuki."
A/N: I finally thought of something to say! Actually, I'm declaring a competition. (Le Gasp)! Ok, well, the contest is, for the most part, simple. Throughout this entire story, I have used two of the Principles of Shinobi Conduct. (And yes, I made them both up). The competition is to recite the codes of conduct, and state which number I explained them as. I'm not sure about prizes yet, but whoever gets it right first might have a chapter dedicated to them. (Actually, it won't be that hard, because one is in this chapter. X.X)