The Flower that Never Fades

by BoundlessMist

A martyr. A murderer. A mistake. Riku's (OC) taken on many roles in her short life - all for someone much greater than herself, at least in her eyes. And when Naruto smiles, when he looks at her with that trademark grin of his, she can't help but feel everything was worth it. He was worth it and much, much more. (Oc x ?)

21. Chapter 21: A Waking Nightmare

Chapter 21: A Waking Nightmare

AN: Here's the next chapter. I didn't want to clutter a lot in the top of this page, so all the review responses will be at the end and I do mean all of the review responses. I really shouldn't have put them off, but I can't help it now. Anyway, onward to the chapter.

{~}

Mini note: If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.

Other notes:

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'Minori's thoughts'

flashbacks

'flashback conversations'

*sound effects*

Thanks for reading and please review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.

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'I knew it was you the moment I saw you, yet you tell me these things that don't make sense. You hurt those close to me, betray me, and even cast doubt on my most important person. What game are you playing with me? Or is this a reality I've been hiding from?'

-Riku Amarante

---

(Third person perspective)

*CRACK*

"Don't let her get away!"

'… why do they keep coming?' Riku thought frantically before skidding around a turn into an alleyway. The rainwater was pounding heavily and the sound of sloshing water was growing louder and louder each passing second. She was drenched to the bone, but that didn't matter; she just had to escape.

She chanced a glance back only to crash into a wall of sorts before feeling a pair of arms steadying her so she wouldn't fall over.

'Since when did walls grow arms?'

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time Riku?" The voice murmured as a hand brushed away the wet bangs framing her face. She slowly opened her eyes to see Itachi crouched down before her with a concerned look covering his face.

Before she could reply, several pairs of footsteps stopped behind her before a gruff voice called out, "So you've caught her. Hand her over and we'll let you go."

Itachi doesn't respond immediately and continued to comfort Riku before standing up and blocking her sight. "I refuse."

*crack*

*Splash*splash*splash*

A small blue-haired child could be seen running through the darkened alleyways of the water sector, splashing through the puddles produced by the thawing snow. She didn't appear to have any destination in mind, for she was merely running blindly in an attempt to erase the hateful words coming from the other clan members.

"Monster… if she couldn't handle the burden, how can a mere child fare any better?"

"She can't control it. It's only a matter of time before she turns on us."

"She's a poison… she will taint this clan."

"A sacrifice well wasted… What was she thinking putting our survival in the hands of an unstable weapon?"

"A weapon. That's all you are."

"I don't understand… I'm not… I'm not a weapon… I'm not a monster…" The girl cries out in frustration. "I'm... just me…" She trails off as the voices continue to grow in her head.

"Demon."

"Monster."

"Death is all that awaits her… Kaito-sama… you know what will happen, so why not kill her?"

The words from the meeting flash through her mind as she slows her steps until she stood before the lake of the water sector. It was a place of peace for her, the only place where she had fond memories of – of the times she spent with Naruto laughing and playing around, of the times she spent with Shikamaru watching the clouds and napping, of the times Sasuke would show her the results of his training and his truly caring nature, of the times Itachi comforted her and made her feel as though she wasn't a tool but a human being that was loved by others, of the times Neji had saved her from the other children in the clan and showed her the warmth buried deep within his scarred heart. The leaves in the nearby trees sway in synch with the gentle breeze caressing her face – telling her to bask in the peaceful atmosphere.

'Why now… when everything was finally getting better…' Riku trails off in thought as she gazes at the dormant moon lilies bordering the shores of the lake before gazing up to see the moon hidden beneath wisps of clouds.

"Riku." A familiar voice calls out to her as she feels a hand comb through one of her pigtails. Letting out a sigh to calm her nerves, she slowly turns around before softly murmuring out a name.

"Itachi-nii…"

"Why are you out here by yourself?" He question softly as he crouches down in front of the girl before him. Riku attempts to avoid his gaze before biting her bottom lip and sending him a small smile.

"I wanted to see the flowers here… the moon lilies only bloom under the moonlight…" She finishes softly before sending him another small smile with her eyes closed.

"Riku?"

"Ahh?" Riku mutters out confused before opening her eyes to see Itachi poke her on the forehead.

"Don't lie to me." He adds before softly brushing the bangs shadowing her face. "Don't pretend to be fine when you're not. Not around me. I didn't save you that day to see you like this."

Riku nods before glancing away to the dormant lilies, wondering whether or not she should tell Itachi about what she heard.

'The counsel… they want to kill me… I don't understand. I know I'm different… but why do I need to die? Just because I can't control my bending perfectly? A lot of other kids can't control theirs as well as I do… why is it just me… why are they afraid of me… what did I do wrong?'

Itachi notices the glazed look in Riku's eyes before allowing a small smirk to appear on his face. Without warning, Riku is lifted into the air and spun around before settled comfortably in Itachi's arms. Peals of laughter escape her before she buries her head into the man's shoulder to stifle her laughs, causing the man to let out a small chuckle of his own.

"If I let you keep making that face, it would get stuck like that." Itachi jokes, causing Riku to let out a small snort before sticking her tongue out at him. The carefree mood settles down as Riku tells Itachi of what she heard from the meeting. He takes on a thoughtful expression before nodding.

"I see." His voice turns cold and harsh – quite unlike the careful, kind tone his voice held moments ago.

"Itachi-nii? Don't look like that… that's not you." Riku mutters out as she snuggles deeper into his shirt. "Itachi-nii isn't mean… Itachi-nii is kind."

His eyes slightly widen before a sad smile covers his face, as if he was upset at the words of the young girl in his arms. His protective hold around the girl tightens before he uses one hand to fish out a silver ring hanging on a thin chain from his pocket. The ring possessed a familiar looking red gem with markings covering the band.

"I won't let you die." He murmurs softly into her ear before gently kissing her head. The seal on Riku's neck reveals itself, pulsing and synching itself with the chakra contained in the ring. Riku's eyes glaze over as several of the seals merge with the seal on her neck.

~blacks out~

*crack*

'Why… how did I end up here…?' Riku thought as she glances around to make sense of her surroundings. Something had compelled her to come here this night, but how did she even end up here? Where was here exactly? Glancing around at her surroundings, Riku feels a vague sense of familiarity tickle her mind, but the constantly shifting shadows prevented further recognition from occurring. Once easily distinguishable objects and people no longer exist, for the swaying shadows appear to morph everything into a single ominous presence. A door ahead was slightly ajar, revealing the faint glow of the full moon and moving shadows. Murmurs could be heard, but nothing distinguishable could be made out. As she slowly closes the distance, words are finally distinguishable.

"Riku…."

"…cruel fate for one..."

"…only a matter of time…too late…"

"…yes…"

"…keep her away from… he's a trigger…."

"..can't let her remember….same path…. Same enemy… Hi-"

~blacks out~

*crack*

A younger Neji could be seen ushered out of the main compound of the Amarante clan. His face was downcast and confusion could be seen reflecting in his eyes. He glances back into the room his father and he had just left, trying to make sense of what had occurred in the meeting. He places a hand on his forehead where his clan seal was hidden beneath the fresh bandages. Something similar was going to happen to his charge… no his friend… someone else that didn't deserve to have such a cruel fate.

"Why does she have to go through this as well oto-san?" Neji questions sadly.

"It's not for us to say… that is her fate… such as the fate of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan." He states solemnly before placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Your role is not over yet Neji… when you see her again…"

~blurs in and out~

"Hai oto-san." A small smile graces Neji's face as he grasps something hidden underneath his robe.

~black out~

*crack*

"You chose to do this?" Amarante Kaito could be seen crossing his arms, glaring daggers at the figure seated before him.

"Not like anyone can force me to do something I don't want to old man." The cloaked figure states smugly before bringing his arms behind his head in a relaxed manner. "Besides, I want to see what hime-sama can do. Will she change her fate or will she die trying… just like all the others?"

"This isn't a game." Kaito admonishes.

"Not to you. You were never a player. You were just a piece. Me – I'm different; I chose to become a player. But I suppose I should call you a piece without a master now… after all, she lost the game all for some stupid-" The figure cuts off before being harshly slammed against the wall by the throat, knocking away the cloak's hood to reveal a mask covering his eyes.

"Don't. Say. Another. Word." Kaito's eyes turn a burning crimson.

~blurs in and out~

"So it finally comes out… You really were a prized piece Kaito-sama…" The figure chuckles before continuing, "The game will continue. I will take on the next player… whether she realizes it or not – she's playing for her life." The figure smirks as he matches his gaze with Kaito's crimson ones. "No one can escape it – especially her."

~blacks out~

*crack*

"Oi!"

Surprised by the voice, the blue-haired girl turns around only to have a pair of arms wrap around her neck in a warm embrace; however, the momentum from the impact sends both children crashing into the snow beneath them.

*plop*oof*

"Naru!" Riku lightly complains beneath him before bending some of the snow into his face.

Naruto lets out a cry of surprise before quickly wiping away the snow off his face. "No fair!" He calls out before a snowball impales him in the face – causing the girl to let out a small giggle. "You asked for it!" Naruto voices out before sending several snowballs at the girl before him.

~blurs in and out~

"Why won't you tell me your name? I've told you mine. It's only fair." Naruto pouts as the two sit near the edge of the frozen lake. Her eyes become downcast before she glances over to the moon lilies bordering the shore of the lake.

"If I tell you, I won't see you again." She trails off before murmuring, "But no one will know…" to herself.

"I don't get it." Naruto pouts, "You must have already told some of your other friends. Why not me? Am I not your friend?"

"You are. I just… can't. Not yet." Riku fidgets slightly under the accusatory look before glancing down at the lilies once more. "How about this? If we come here again when the lilies bloom, I'll tell you my name."

A confused expression enters his face before a goofy grin quickly replaces it. "You must really love those flowers huh? I always find you around them." He holds out his pinkie. "That's a promise I'll hold you to." He teases, causing the girl to let out a small smile before she hooks her pinkie with his.

"Ahh…of course." Riku replies with a smile before having snow shoved into her face. "Naru!"

~blacks out~

*crack*

Two figures were lying on their backs watching the clouds slowly drift by. The water benders had decided to transition the season to spring– shifting the once frozen tundra into that of a lush field filled with swaying grass. Soft trickles of water could be heard as the last of the melted snow drifts off the leaves into the now unfrozen lake.

"Riku."

"Shika."

Shikamaru glances lazily at the girl's face and notices the confusion reflecting in her silver orbs. Seeing no need for a long explanation, he just lets one word fall from his lips: "When?"

Rather than clarifying the situation, it just further confused the girl.

"When will they trap you?" He adds with a sigh. "Geez… keep up will you?"

Riku blinks several times to process the words before allowing a sad smile to grace her lips. "Soon. I won't see anyone anymore…. I don't know why…" She trails off before frowning "Wait…how'd you find out?"

Releasing a tired sigh, he taps his finger against his temple – telling Riku all she needed to know.

"Guess this will be it then." He mutters out as he shifts his gaze back to the sky.

"Ahh… suppose so." Riku agrees before sparing a glance toward Shikamaru. "Shika?"

*grunt*

"Hopefully I'll see you again."

A small smile graces his face before he lightly taps Riku's forehead with his knuckles.

"You already give me enough trouble now, troublesome woman." He comments before moving his hand to top of her head. "Don't do anything reckless. I can't bail you out anymore." He finishes as he strokes the top of her head affectionately.

"I know Shika… I know…"

~blacks out~

*crack*

Riku and Sasuke could be seen sitting side by side in front of the lake – gazing at the blooming moon lilies. The white flowers slowly unravel themselves – revealing a glowing blue center. Ice blue particles slowly drift in the air, illuminating the night sky.

"Sasuke?"

Noticing the drop in her voice he turns to her in worry. "Huh, what is it?"

"Don't forget about me alright?"

He knits his brows in confusion. "Why ask that? It's not going to happen." Sasuke chides.

She smiles down sadly. "Ahh… we'll be together till the end right?" Riku adds as she cups her hand in an attempt to catch the particles drifting in the sky.

"Why stop there? Let's go further." Sasuke states with a smile.

Riku's eyes widen in surprise before she lets out a laugh. "You're right. We'll be with each other as long as we want… no matter what…"

"And when we grow older, we can-"

~black out~

"We'll always be together like this… won't we?" Two merged voices – one Riku's, one unknown – calls out to a figure shrouded in darkness who nods and hold out a hand in response, beckoning the speaker to reach out and take the hand offered.

'Who? Why does it feel like this has already happened?'

*crack*

"Her time's running out."

'I've heard this before, but not from this voice… whose voice is this?'

*crack*

"Are you willing to face the consequences for your actions?"

'Oji-san? No… it sounds different…'

*crack*

"Why face reality when you know you can't escape your fate?" An unknown voice calls out.

'Again with fate… what can't I escape?'

*crack*

"Why are you so desperate to save them? You make no sense." A vaguely familiar voice questions.

'This voice… I've heard it somewhere before… it sounds like the man in the cloak…?'

*crack*

"Keep running away. The more you fight, the more I want to chase after you." The same voice calls out.

'That definitely fits him…'

*crack*

"I promise I'll be there for you till the end. I'll be the last person who will see you for you. Nothing more… nothing less."

'What does that mean?'

*crack*

"Keep running away. Keep escaping from me. The chase cannot end. Not now. Not ever."

'Where have I heard that before? It sounds familiar, but is it?'

*crack*

As the onslaught of memories slowly trickle down to scattered phrases, Riku's seal begins to fade under the surface of the skin, leaving only the additional vines (Orochimaru placed on her) coiling around one another. Holding her head in pain, Riku staggers back several steps – scrunching her eyes before slowly opening them to peer at the man before her.

"Itachi-nii… I remember you…" She falters slightly before steeling herself. "I-" Riku takes a step forward.

"Riku. Stay away from him!" Naruto exclaims, causing her to halt in her steps. A smash is heard, causing her to snap her gaze in Naruto's direction to see Kisame's sword embedded in the ground a centimeter away from Naruto's head. A trail of blood leaks through the skin before slowly trickling down his temple.

"Naruto." She mutters out, noticing the fear etched into his eyes before it morphs into angered crimson orbs. His body is crouched low to the ground as if he had tried to run toward her, only to be stopped.

"Snap out of it baka! So what if he's the guy you've been looking for all this time. Look at him. Is he the same guy you remember? Is he?!" Naruto exclaims as he glares at Itachi, only to grow more upset at Itachi's lack of response.

"It's him… it really is him… but…" She trails off. Something wasn't right. Nothing made sense anymore. This whole time, the person she was looking for turned out to be a traitor… if he could be called that… But regardless of the memories, her heart wouldn't let her believe it. Something tells her to trust in him, to trust him with all her heart. It didn't make sense. Why should she trust someone she's just recently remembered? Someone who sealed away her memories in the first place?

'I want to know why. I want to know the truth: the truth of the Amarante massacre, the truth about the seal, truth about what I am. I just want to know the truth. I can't understand why the Itachi I knew – the kind-hearted, caring boy- would turn into someone like this. Why did he kill his clan? Why did he hide me from Sasuke? Why did he not want me to remember him? Why?'

"Heh. You know this girl Itachi?" Kisame asks as an amused grin appears on his face.

"A past acquaintance." He replies calmly before shifting his eyes back to her. "So you remember me? How much do you think you know?"

His eyes unnerved her. No glimmer of warmth exists in them, only anger disguised under the cold indifference.

'Why… what changed him?' He takes several steps toward her, causing her to reflexively take several steps back. Even if her heart told her to trust him, her body is running on instinct – telling her to back away from the man silently radiating anger.

"You've deluded yourself." He speaks out as he makes his way over. "Living off past memories that may or may not be your own….

*step*step*

…Believing in a memory that could have been forged…

*step*step*step*

…Blindly searching for someone who no longer exists…

*step*step*

…Foolish girl..."

"Don't listen to him!" Naruto calls out.

*crash*creak*

Riku glances over at Naruto to see beads of sweat trailing down his face as frustration flashes through his eyes. Kisame's sword continues to loom dangerously close to Naruto's face.

"Let's not interrupt the two of them kid. Seems like they have something to settle, wouldn't you say?" Kisame smirks as the ridges on his sword squirm and tremble in anticipation of bloodshed.

Ignoring the comment, Naruto makes a move toward Riku before Kisame's leg slams into his stomach. Undeterred, he manages to throw a kunai between Itachi and Riku, but it does nothing to deter Itachi's advance – only causing him to avert his eyes to the side before resuming their hold on Riku. Naruto's back painfully connects with the wall with a resounding thud before he staggers to his feet as he looks at the blue-skinned figure standing before him.

"Take it as a warning. Next time, limbs will fly." He finishes with a chuckle before shifting his sword over his shoulder.

'Bikoume.'

"Naruto!" Riku makes a move toward him only to have Itachi appear before her – making a move to slam his knee into her stomach. Out of reflex, she brings my arms into an x shape to block only to have him reappear low to the ground to send a kick upwards. Not having time to react, the kick connects – sending her into the air before he rams his fist into her stomach. Her back hits the wall before she rolls to the side to avoid another punch.

"You won't fight back?" He muses aloud.

It wasn't that she wouldn't fight back. Her body couldn't react fast enough. His moves would constantly change – shrouding the familiar fighting patterns she would see with the Bikoume in layer of fog.

'I can't use the Bikoume against him? What's going on? Everything keeps getting jumbled.' She makes a move to bend the surrounding water around her arms to create her usual ice claws, only to have nothing happen. Alarmed, she tries to surround her arms in lightning instead only to have the same result. 'W-what? Nothing's working?!' She thought frantically as she stares at her trembling hands. 'The reset phase? Now?!'

Distracted by her thoughts, she doesn't react until Itachi slams her into the wall (next to the embedded kunai) before pinning both her arms above my head with one of his hands. She sends a kick toward him only to have him lean to the side before using his knee to trap her leg across her body.

"You can't fight back. It should be obvious to you." He states calmly before trailing his gaze down to her neck. "So why do you insist on increasing your own pain?"

The question catches her off guard but she stares back into his crimson eyes, answering, "Simple. I just want to and I don't give a crap about what others say. This is my life and I'll live it my way."

'You've grown, but you're still a…' He trails off in thought before two words leave his lips. "Foolish girl."

An amber glow surrounds his free hand before he makes a move toward her throat. Her eyes widen as a familiar scene flashes through her eyes only to have his hand pause right above the seal.

"Sasuke." He mutters.

"I've waited for this moment… Itachi…" Sasuke trails off before his eyes fall on Riku. His eyes widen when he takes in the situation before a snarl rips through his throat. "You… Get away from her!"

Itachi glances over to Sasuke for several lingering seconds. "Does it anger you little brother? To see the girl you greatly treasure in such a pathetic state?" Not waiting for a response, he rams his hand on Riku's throat. Eyes wide, a straggled noise escapes her throat. Locking his gaze with hers, Itachi notices another ring solidifying on her iris before her eyes return to their normal appearance and her body slumps in his hold.

"ITACHI!" Sasuke charges at the pair in blind rage with the chidori.

Itachi continues to gaze at Riku, brushing several strands of hair framing her face as chain-like seals cover her arms and legs. 'Only when you can control it... will this lift. So keep struggling... keep fighting. Just like you've always done, Riku.'

Itachi calmly throws her away from the attack before grasping Sasuke's wrist – halting the chidori in its path. Before Riku hits the ground, the kunai poofs back into Naruto who catches her and jumps away to safety.

'Riku…' Naruto trails off in thought as he glances down at her glazed expression. A stifled cry escapes her lips before she shuts her eyes and curls into herself. Gritting his teeth, he tightens his hold around her when he hears Sasuke's strangled scream. 'What can I do? Riku… Sasuke… these guys just took them out so easily. Even when I swore I was going to protect her, this happens… why?'

"Itachi…"

Naruto glances down at her in surprise. "This… why?" She mutters sadly before gripping the fabric of Naruto's jacket. A strangled cry escapes her lips, earning her a pained look from Naruto.

"You…" Sasuke grounds out before weakly looking up at Itachi. "What did you do to her?!"

"I see your protectiveness over her still stands…" Itachi observes before gazing down at Sasuke. "It doesn't concern you."

"Nani?!" Sasuke struggles to stand, but makes no noticeable gains. "Why… why did you hide her from me? Why did you give her a damn collar!"

"A collar?" Itachi continues to gaze at Sasuke in disinterest. "Does it really anger you? She was never yours to begin with. I merely treated her as she should be treated. After all, doesn't a beast need a collar?"

"You-!"

Kisame shakes his head in amusement. "You always get to have all the fun, Itachi." He hefts his sword on his shoulder before cleaving the Naruto in front of him, only for it to poof away. "Looks like I was only watching a clone this whole time… I should have cut off his limbs sooner." Grinning, he turns to Naruto. "Looks like I'll finally get a turn kid."

The red continues to dominate Naruto's irises. Gritting his teeth, he lets out a growl before noticing the girl in his arms shakily pushing herself up.

"Oh? This girl actually escaped your technique eh Itachi?"

Itachi narrows his eyes. "I only temporarily incapacitate her."

"Eh?" Kisame chuckles. "So you gave me a chance to see if she's really our other target or not. I appreciate it." He turns his attention back to Riku who continues to clutch her eyes in pain. "Just one more cut little girl."

Before he raises his sword, he notices a red demonic chakra surrounding Naruto and Riku.

A growl reverberates in Naruto's chest as he stands before Riku. "I won't let you get near her!"

"So that's the Nine-Tail's chakra." Kisame observes before glancing down at his squirming sword. "Huh… so you're excited are you? Did that girl's chakra really remind you of this?" The sword squirms again. "Can't tell huh…"

Panting, Riku staggers up before placing a shaking hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't lose yourself either…" She whispers, causing the crimson in his eyes to recede, returning them to their natural azure.

"I have to do something…" He mutters back before forming the hand signs for the summoning technique.

Amusement shines in Kisame's eyes. "Too slow." He swings down his sword, dissipating the chakra surrounding them before showing his sword to the two. "My Samehada can shave… and devour chakra."

Riku knits her brows in thought. 'So that's it… he basically took away my chakra from that single cut… it went as far as to take a part of Minori's chakra. Makes sense now.'

At the news, Naruto's eyes widen in shock, but he continues to draw out chakra. "Why… "

Riku bites her bottom lip. 'It's not working… he's too distracted to focus it. As for me…' She glances down at the seals on her hands. 'I can't do anything… my bending, my chakra… they're sealed and to top it off, I'm in the reset phase.'

Smirking, Kisame raises his sword, but before it connects, a large cloud of smoke appears, blocking the hit.

*clink*

Once the smoke disperses, an armored toad is seen stalling Kisame's sword.

*poof*

Another cloud of smoke appears behind Naruto and Riku.

"You two don't know me very well… " The smoke clears to reveal Jiraiya with the unconscious woman over his shoulder. "The great Jiraiya is better at winning a girl than by being seduced by one. I wouldn't let one seduce me with her beauty. When you become great like me, women go crazy your own beauty." He announces in a flourish, causing Riku to sweat drop.

"Says the guy who ran off with her the second you saw her…" She retorts, causing a tick mark to appear on his face.

An awkward silence settles in the corridor before Naruto turns around – finger jutting straight at Jiraiya. "Yeah right! You were excited over a simple wink from that woman. I don't think you should be showing off, Ero-Sannin!"

"Come on, don't call me that in front of other people." He mutters feebly as he rubs the back of his head. This only riles up Naruto even more.

"Shut up! More importantly," Naruto turns around and points to Itachi and Kisame. "these guys aren't just chumps, Ero-Sannin. Ne, Ero-Sannin!"

"Stop calling me Ero-Sannin!" Jiraiya yells back, causing Naruto to sweat drop in response.

Kisame lets out a chuckle. "You are indeed one of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya… even though you are a lover of women, I knew we couldn't hold you off that easily."

Naruto gawks. "Eh? He knows Ero-Sannin's true identity?"

Jiraiya shakes his head feebly. "Well… it's not like I was hiding it or whatnot…"

"Looks like you dispelled the genjutsu on that woman." Kisame remarks.

Jiraiya frowns before resting the woman against the wall. "You're a disgrace to all men." He directs to Itachi, "Using your eyes to manipulate a woman into separating me from Naruto and Riku…" He turns to face Kisame and Itachi. "So you're after Naruto after all."

"No wonder Kakashi knew… I see now. You were the source." Itachi mutters. "It is an urgent order by our organization, Akatsuki, to take Naruto with us."

Naruto takes a step back in surprise. "Me?"

Kisame lets out a chuckle. "Not just him… that girl." He turns his gaze over to Riku. "Her chakra feels similar to our other target, but I won't know for sure unless I cut into her again."

'Again?' Jiraiya looks to Riku to see a patch of dried blood before his eyes widen at the seals covering her arms and legs. 'It's already been broken? This isn't a good sign… but it looks like my hunch was right. She really does have it then…'

The armored toad disappears in a dome of smoke, allowing Kisame to relax his stance.

"I can't hand either one of them to you." Jiraiya adds seriously.

Unperturbed, Itachi matches his gaze with Jiraiya's. "We'll see about that."

"Very well, I'll get rid of you two right here."

"Don't interfere…"

Riku, Naruto, and Jiraiya turn to Sasuke to see him staggering up to his feet, arms hanging limply at his side. "The one who's going to kill him…is me!"

Itachi glances at Sasuke coolly. "I have no interest in you right now."

"Then get interested!" Sasuke charges at Itachi, only to be sent careening into the wall across the hall.

*slam*

"Sasuke!" Naruto makes a move to Sasuke, followed by Riku.

"Riku, Naruto. Don't interfere!"

They reluctantly halt in their steps as Sasuke continues to stagger up, using the wall as support. "I've lived for this moment… I've stay alive… to kill him."

Sasuke charges at Itachi once again, only to receive the same result.

'Sasuke… you baka.' Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Riku makes a move to Sasuke, only to be stopped by Naruto. "Naruto?" She turns back to see him holding a pained look. He shakes his head, telling her to leave it. "He can't take Itachi on…" Riku tries to explain, earning her another head shake.

"He said not to interfere…"

*tickmark* Riku scoffs. "As if we've always listened to orders… Itachi's a missing nin. Sasuke's a genin. How do the odds sound to you?"

Naruto blanches.

"Ahh… my point exactly." Her voice softens. "Even though I'm pretty much useless as I am now… I know I can be a distraction… just get Sasuke out." Before Riku can make another move, Naruto panics before hitting her in the back of the neck and catching her limp body. Realizing what he had done, he starts panicking before vainly attempting to wake her up.

"Naruto…" Jiraiya shakes his head. "That's no way to treat her."

Naruto looks at Jiraiya with wide eyes. "I panicked okay?! I just… I don't want to see her do that… she's always been like that. I didn't know how to stop her except that!" He defends, earning a sigh from Jiraiya.

"I guess… but if she's inherited Tsunade's temper… I wish you the best of luck."

Naruto gawks before his shoulders sag. "She's not going to be happy once she wakes up…" Naruto mutters to himself as he rubs the back of his head. "It's for the best… I think."

His thoughts are interrupted once he hears Sasuke's pained groan. Noticing the state of the battle, Jiraiya makes a move to step in, only to have Kisame block his way.

"Those two have something to settle. Let's just watch, shall we?"

A frown enters Jiraiya's face, but he concedes for now; however, as the fight between Sasuke and Itachi continues, Naruto decides he's finally had enough.

'I can't watch anymore…!' Gritting his teeth, he lowers Riku next to Jiraiya before bolting to Sasuke, resulting in Kisame chasing after him. Taking this chance, Jiraiya creates several hand signs before slamming his hands to the ground.

"Ninpou: Gamaguchi Shibari." (Frog Mouth Trap)

The walls and floor are soon covered in flesh, catching the attention of Itachi and Kisame. Not liking the situation, the two attempt to escape. Not long after, a rumble soon racks the area, causing Jiraiya and Naruto to sprint to the source to find a large hole with black flames bordering it.

Wary of the flames, Jiraiya seals it in a scroll for later analysis before making his way back to Sasuke and dispelling the jutsu. Lowering Sasuke's body against the wall, Naruto looks on with shock. At the same time, Jiraiya brings over Riku's body and rests her next to Sasuke. Naruto's expression saddens before a kunai embeds itself against the wall, catching his and Jiraiya's attention.

*tap*tap*tap*

Naruto turns around to see Gai charging at them before aiming a kick toward Jiraiya.

"Dynamic-"

Jiraiya's eyes widen in surprise. "Gai?"

"Entry! Eh?" Gai's eyes bulge in shock, but before he can stop his kick, it connects with Jiraiya's face, knocking him onto his back.

*eye twitch*

Dusting himself off, Jiraiya stands before Gai, irritation clear on his face. Gai merely rubs the back of his head sheepishly, explaining he had used his headband as a mirror (seeing as he forgot his at home in his rush to arrive) and couldn't exactly tell who were in the hallway. This earns him a dissatisfied snort from Jiraiya.

"Is that supposed to be an apology?" Jiraiya scolds.

Gai continues to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not good with words…" He adds lamely.

Jiraiya snorts. "Forget it… Take Sasuke to a hospital. His arms and ribs are broken. Also… he took a mental attack from Itachi's sharingan and was knocked unconscious."

Gai's eyes widen in surprise before he turns to Riku. "And Riku? How is she?"

Jiraiya rubs the back of his head. "About that…"

Riku's eyes suddenly snap open before she sends a glare at Naruto who swallows nervously.

"Riku!" Gai sweeps her into his arms before spinning in circles as tears stream down his face. "Your youthful existence has been returned to us!" He sniffs while Riku releases a sigh.

"Ahh… I'm-" Riku starts but is cut off.

"I thought I would lose you like Kakashi."

'Kaka-sensei?' She freezes. "Wait, what happened to Kaka-sensei?" The question causes Gai to still before he lowers her to the ground, still keeping her in an embrace. "Kakashi… he's trapped in the same technique Sasuke's in… he's unconscious as of now." Gai's face falls before he releases Riku. "We don't know when he'll regain consciousness."

'Like Sasuke?' Riku glances over to Sasuke in shock before her bangs shadow her face. 'I see… so Itachi hurt Kaka-sensei too… It doesn't add up… Th-this isn't like him at all.' Itachi's words replay themselves in her mind, causing her to clench her hands. 'Even so… something tells me to trust you, or rather the person you were… I really am pathetic… relying on my heart instead of my head. I've really fallen…'

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Riku crouches before Sasuke before shakily placing her hands on the sides of his face.

"Sasuke…" She trails off before lifting his blank gaze to hers. He doesn't respond.

"Riku, he-" Naruto starts, but Jiraiya places a hand on his shoulder before shaking his head. Crestfallen, Naruto lowers his gaze to the ground.

Frowning, Riku furrows her brows in thought. 'Whatever Itachi used… it must have been an advanced genjutsu to overcome the sharingan… even one at Kaka-sensei's level. Traditionally, a genjutsu is dispelled by disrupting the foreign chakra invading the person's psyche… but I'm sure the other medics tried that on Kaka-sensei…' She frowns. 'I can't even ease its effects… there has to be another treatment method, but nothing I've read has suggested it… but I know someone who would know for sure.'

"Sasuke…" She tries again before a soft smile enters her face. "I know you probably can't hear me… but arigato for everything… this time, I'll be the one to help you, so hold on alright?" She rests her forehead against his. "You've saved me so many times… I won't fail you." She finishes before backing away.

'That's right… It was always Sasuke saving us... saving you. Where was I… what was I doing?!' Clenching his hands, Naruto turns to Jiraiya. "Ero-sannin… what the hell did that teme do to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei? We have a change in plans. I couldn't do anything back there, but this time will be different. I'm going to find those two and beat them up! They want me right?! Then I'll go to them."

A frown appears on Jiraiya's face. "Hmph. Even if you go to them right now, you're only going to get killed. Their level and yours is just too different. I barely managed to get them away from you back there."

Naruto turns to Jiraiya with a scowl. "Are you suggesting that we run and hide from them?! You want me to shiver in fear every day?!"

"Shut up for a while!"

Shock covers Naruto's face before he reluctantly calms down.

"You're weak." Jiraiya shakes his head before turning to Gai. "Sorry Gai. I thought I took Sasuke's feelings into consideration, but I should've helped him earlier."

"I see…" Gai looks sadly at Sasuke. "When a student is injured… from the bottom of my heart, I wish that she, the medical specialist, was here."

Jiraiya nods before a smile enters his face. "That's why we're going to look for her."

"Her?" Gai's eyes widen in surprise. "Are you talking about…?"

"Yes, a sannin like me… the healing specialist and slug tamer… the woman with the word gamble on her back…" Jiraiya places a hand on Riku's head. "… and her mentor… Tsunade."

{~}

-Time skip-

-On the road-

"Are you sure you're alright to travel with us? You could have gone back to the village with Gai and Sasuke." Jiraiya calls back to Riku who continues to blankly watch the road before her. The frown on Jiraiya's face deepens before he releases a sigh and stops before Riku who stops just inches away from his chest.

She breathes out a sigh. "Ahh… and for the what, eleventh time now, I can travel."

Jiraiya snorts. "There's nothing wrong with asking."

Riku cracks a small smile. "I'm sure the first ten times were enough."

Naruto glances over to her before swallowing the lump in his throat. "Ne Riku… you're not still upset for me knocking you out right?" Naruto asks nervously before bringing his hands together in a pleading manner. "I panicked… I just… didn't want you to throw yourself out there… Even you knew you couldn't really do anything."

Jiraiya face palms. 'Wrong move…'

*eye twitch*

Riku lets out a sigh before turning to Naruto with a blank expression. "I'm not mad, so drop it."

Naruto sweat drops, shoulders sagged. 'You're definitely mad… *sigh* I really need to learn to think before I act…' Naruto shakes his head before turning to Jiraiya. "Ne, Ero-sannin? Why were they after me? You know… don't you?"

Jiraiya says nothing at first before finally turning to Naruto with a small smile. "They're not after you… they're after the thing inside you."

"Inside me..?" Naruto repeats before placing a hand on his stomach. "You mean the Nine-Tails?"

Jiraiya nods. "I'm not exactly sure what they're planning to do with the Nine-Tails… but my best guess would be to put its power under their control. As long as it's sealed inside of you, they will keep targeting you." He cracks a smile. "Still, as long as I'm around, I'll protect-"

Naruto cuts him off. "Then I just need to get stronger."

Jiraiya blinks. "Huh?"

"Alright! Let's go find Riku's mentor, have her save Sasuke, and begin training!"

Riku allows a small smile to enter her face before she passes Jiraiya and pats him on the arm. "You'll get used to it." She advises, earning herself a chuckle.

"I somehow expected that." Jiraiya comments before frowning. 'As for why they're after you… it seems your demon's a key player in this as well… It's unfortunate that my hunch had to come true.'

The three continue walking before Naruto strikes up a conversation. "Ne Riku, what's Tsunade like?"

She casts him a side glance before looking straight ahead. "Ahh… well she's intolerant of failure, quick-witted, has a bad temper… and could probably crack open your head with just a finger if she really wanted to."

Naruto blanches. "Y-you're joking right?"

Riku smirks. "You've seen me create a crater with one punch right? Does it really surprise you that the person who taught me that technique would be immensely stronger than me?"

Naruto gulps nervously. "Hehe…" He rubs the back of his head before turning to Jiraiya. "Ne Ero-Sannin, she's a sannin too right?"

Jiraiya looks at him curiously. "Yeah… what about it?"

"How old is she?"

"Same as me."

'She's old…' Naruto frowns at the answer, causing Riku to let out a small laugh. "If you call her that out loud, I'll be sure to create a tombstone in your honor."

"E-eh?" Beads of sweat trail down Naruto's face, but Riku merely smiles in response. 'She's not joking…'

Shaking his head, Naruto turns his attention back on Jiraiya. "Ne, how would you describe her?"

"Hmm…" He places a hand on his chin. "If I had to describe her in a word… it'd pick unpleasant. She has a gambling problem and she's well-known in various countries." He lists out.

"Since she's well-known, she'll be easy to find then."

"Not exactly… even though she's in her fifties, she doesn't like to appear old so she looks to be around her twenties. Then again, she has a tendency to change her appearance into different ages to escape debt collectors."

Naruto frowns before shaking his head. "Really? That sounds horrible…"

"Ever since she was young, Tsunade has always liked to gamble… but her lucks and skills just plain suck." He offers a shrug before stopping and gazing up in nostalgia. "She's known as the Legendary Sucker because she's been duped out of money by everyone. So she borrows money then runs…" He shakes his head before a chuckle escapes him. "That brings back memories."

"Stop enjoying your old memories! How are we supposed to find her?"

"I'm not sure. We'll probably have to take things slowly, but there are many ways of going about it."

Naruto releases a groan. "Then we don't know how long it'll take…" He whines.

"We won't waste time though."

"Eh?"

"I'll use my time on you two as we travel."

"Ah?"

"On me?"

"Time to make you two stronger with… training!" He finishes in a flourish.

Excitement shines in Naruto's eyes before he allows a wide smile to enter his face. "Yosh!" Naruto places down his backpack before taking out Gai's green bodysuit, causing Riku and Jiraiya to gawk in horror.

'He actually kept it…' Riku's eye twitches in annoyance, remembering the times Gai would force the thing on her as well.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Jiraiya waves him over, but Naruto ignores him and places the bodysuit over his body in glee. "Don't wear that, come on… I don't want to talk with a guy wearing something like that." Jiraiya pleads as he squats down in front of Naruto who continues to pose with the bodysuit.

Seeing Jiraiya's failed attempts to dissuade Naruto, Riku face palms before releasing a sigh and walking over.

"Ahh…Naru… could I see that for a minute?" Riku asks with a pleasant smile, causing Naruto to send her a skeptical look.

Shaking off the warnings in his head, he hands Riku the bodysuit before widening his eyes when it's suddenly ripped to shreds.

Jiraiya, Naruto, and Riku blink in surprise as a current of wind scatters the remaining pieces in the air.

"E-eh? I-it just… how?" Naruto sputters.

Riku gawks. "I didn't see that coming…" She mutters before shaking her head. "Good thing you didn't put it on… you'd be prancing around naked right about now if that was the case…"

Jiraiya makes a face before nodding. "I agree…" He adds before frowning. 'What was that back there… it's like something suddenly ripped it to shreds.' He turns his gaze to Riku who looks up to the sky in confusion. 'Could she have unlocked another element? The chances of that are slim… but with what I've seen of these two… anything's possible.'

---

-Time skip-

(First person perspective)

My eyes widen in surprise at the hustle and bustle of the town – from the children running around enjoying the festival, to the parents smiling down at the sight, to the vendors lining the streets selling countess goods, to the laughter echoing around us.

"Wow…" Naruto glances around, excitement clear on his face. "I've never been to a place like this."

"Same here…" I continue looking around with a glazed look.

"Heh." Jiraiya sends us both a grin. "Glad you two like it. We'll be staying in this city while the festival goes on so take the time to rest and enjoy life for a bit before we move onto training. It's important to have fun too. Besides, with how long this festival is and with new people coming in every day, something about Tsunade is sure to turn up. We just have to buy time."

"Alright!" Naruto cheers before reaching into his backpack to pull out a bulging frog wallet. Grinning, he rubs the wallet against his face in glee.

"Wow kid, looks like you're pretty well off." Jiraiya observes, which Naruto responds with a chuckle.

"It's because I saved up from all the missions I've done." Naruto puts his backpack on before grabbing my hand. "Well, see ya later Ero-Sannin! Riku and I have a festival to enjoy."

"Hold it!" He grabs Naruto's wallet from his hands. "I'm going to keep your wallet."

"Eh?" He lets go of my hand and jumps at the wallet Jiraiya lifts far from Naruto's reach. "What are you doing?!"

Jiraiya opens the wallet and hands Naruto a small wad of money. "Here, you can use this much."

"What?! Only 300 ryou?"

"Don't 'what' me. You know there's something called the three taboos of a ninja right?"

I roll my eyes, not bothering to listen to Jiraiya's bull seeing as he's only saying it to convince Naruto into letting him keep the money. Besides, from what I know of Jiraiya, I wouldn't put it past him to splurge all of Naruto's money in the end anyway.

I release a sigh. 'I'm glad you warned me about him Tsunade…'

"Well, there you have it." Jiraiya finishes before handing Naruto his pack. "I'm going to start asking around, so look after this for me."

Frowning, Naruto grudgingly takes the pack before swinging it over his back. "Anything else…?" He grumbles impatiently.

"Hmm…" Jiraiya places a hand on his chin before pointing a finger up into the sky. "Almost forgot." He turns to me. "Sorry Naruto, but I'm going to be borrowing Riku for a bit."

I blink. 'Wait what?'

"No way." Naruto shields me from view. "I don't trust you alone with her, Ero-Sannin. You might do something weird to her, just like that one time you had her lift up her shirt for you!"

Several onlookers send Jiraiya disgusted looks, causing him to sweat drop and shake his head.

"Nothing to see. He just has an overactive imagination is all…" As the looks dwindle down, Jiraiya sends Naruto a glare. "Look, I'm not going to do anything to her alright? There's something we have to talk about real quick. The sooner I get to talk to her, the sooner you see her again. Deal?"

Naruto sends Jiraiya a skeptical look whereas I shake my head. 'Since when have I become a bargaining chip?'

"Fine…" Naruto mutters begrudgingly before running off. "Make sure to send Ero-Sannin into the sky if he touches you Riku!" He calls out before disappearing into the crowd.

"Huh… he's grown pretty protective of you kid." Jiraiya scratches the back of his head before turning to me. "Let's go somewhere more private. I need to talk to you about that seal."

{~}

-Time skip-

-City outskirts-

I lean back on the railing with my arms crossed before releasing a tired sigh. "Ahh… what? More bad news? You know, every time we talk it's always about something bad." I send him a weak smile which he returns with one of his own.

"It does seem like that huh." He crosses his arms. "As predicted, the seal on your neck broke, but it left behind Orochimaru's core seal." He frowns. "I assumed it would disappear as well once Kaito's and Itachi's broke, but that's not the case… to make matters worse, it looks like Itachi used Orochimaru's seal as a base to branch out the effects of your old seal." He closes the distance and gazes intently at the seal on my neck before lifting one of my hands to observe the chain-like seals.

"It seems to be stronger than the last one… back at the other town, you said you weren't able to use any of your chakra as well as your bending… do you think you can try it now?"

"I can, but I make no promises…" I take back my hand before taking several steps into the clearing. "I'm also in the reset phase… so if I blow you up… don't blame me." The color drains slightly from his face but he nods stiffly, causing me to crack a small smile.

Slowing down my breath, I try to gather some of the nearby water particles, only for nothing to happen. Frowning, I try to call out my lightning element, only for the same to result. 'Nothing's working…' Gritting my teeth, I concentrate my chakra into my fist before punching down at the ground. The ground instantly shatters against the force and caves in before a spark crackles against my skin and I'm sent hurdling back into a tree – snapping it on contact.

*crash*rumble*

The dust soon settles, showing a wide-eyed Jiraiya staring at the tree that had just missed him.

"Huh it missed…" I observe dully as I rub the back of my head.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He deadpans before walking over to me. "Looks like your chakra's somewhat back… as for your elements… doesn't seem like they're responding." He knits his brows in thought before gazing over at the crater. "Your elements are water and lightning right?"

"Yeah… seems like you've thought of something?"

He rubs his chin. "What are the chances of someone in your clan inheriting three elements?"

I frown before standing and dusting myself off. "That's impossible." I crack my back. "We've only had duel benders. Even in those cases, it's rare for benders to master both elements. They end up preferring and sharpening their skills in one element more so than the other. What does this have to do with my seal?"

"It could be nothing… but I think you might have inherited an element that overpowers the two others. That could explain why you can't really bend any of your usual elements as of right now." He furrows his brows. "As for what this new seal does… I can't be sure unless you strip, so strip."

I sweat drop. "If I was anyone else… I would have punched you into the air right about now."

He rubs the back of his awkwardly. "And that's why I'm glad you're not an exact replica of Tsunade."

Scoffing, I shrug off my jacket before taking off my tank top to reveal a black midriff. Bringing my hands together, I concentrate on molding my chakra before noticing Jiraiya's face abnormally close to my stomach.

*tickmark*

'Déjà vu.'

"Aren't you a bit close?"

He glances up slightly before releasing a half shrug. "The seal's fully formed right now, but these other seals seem to constrict it… Have you heard from Minori recently?"

I let out a sigh. "No… she's been unusually quiet…"

"I see…" He straightens himself before placing a hand on his chin. "It's a rather complex seal, but I think I'll be able to remove it without damaging the main seal. Well, in theory anyway." He takes an offensive stance. "Hold still now."

I wave my hands in front of me. "Wait, shouldn't you-"

I didn't get a chance to finish, Jiraiya had already rammed him hand into my stomach, sending me tumbling into the ground before landing in a crumpled heap.

*cough*cough*

"You couldn't… wait… a few… seconds?" I gasp out before clutching my stomach in pain. "Or test it… beforehand?"

He sends me a shrug. "I did test it… just now."

I send him a glare before staggering back up. Glancing down, I notice the chain-like seals coiled around the main seal on my stomach rather than spread out down my arms and legs.

"It's still there…" I mutter, earning myself a tired sigh from Jiraiya.

"I was afraid of that…" He rubs his chin in thought. "There's a locking mechanism on it… a rather advanced one at that. It seems like it has a mind of its own… coiling around the main seal in an attempt to preserve itself. Whatever purpose this seal has… this isn't a good sign." He releases a sigh. "Based on the design, it seems the purpose is to completely disconnect you from Minori – chakra and all – but there has to be more to it than that… I wonder why he went this far…" He muses aloud as I dress myself.

Releasing a sigh, I shrug in response. "To be honest, I have no idea…" I place a hand over my face. "He's not the same person in my memories… I've gained more snippets but not everything's back to how it was before… Still, despite what happened… something keeps telling me to trust in him. It's pretty sad, huh?"

"Well… I wouldn't say sad… maybe optimistic is the better choice." He glances up. "You wish he'll change, maybe say everything was all an act and return to how he was… that's not a bad wish to have… but at the same time, you need to keep in mind that he's changed. He didn't hesitate to hurt you then… and I'm sure he won't if you meet him again. Don't forget, he's after Naruto and maybe you as well."

I frown, getting the feeling Jiraiya was talking partly about himself. "I know that… but, then why did he strengthen my seal when he saw me lose control… why is he hiding Minori, or rather Kouryuu? His partner had a chance to slice into me again… but with Minori sealed… he wouldn't have been able to find her chakra… Itachi… he was protecting me."

Jiraiya shakes his head. "Not exactly. You understand how destructive Minori can be if she runs rampant right? Assuming he knows that as well, do you think he would take the chance to go against her or take advantage of the seal he placed on you to make sure you'd be easy to deal with? Those two aren't average ninja Riku… and I know you cared for Itachi in the past… but don't let that blind you from what's in front of you. He was about to take Naruto away… doesn't that tell you something?"

I make a move to speak before stopping myself and looking down sadly. *sigh* "I just don't know… everything's telling me one thing, but my heart just keeps saying no… maybe I just need some time."

"Maybe." He pauses. "Look, I know this is a great shock to you… but don't forget about the people you still have to protect… also," He gives me a smile. "isn't it about time you forgave Naruto? He didn't mean to knock you out."

*tickmark*

"You're not helping his case." I deadpan. "I still can't believe he did that…"

"Look, we both know Naruto's not exactly… the brightest ninja out there." He adds, earning a shrug in response. "But the only reason he did that was to stop you from taking unnecessary risks. At the time, your chakra and bending were sealed. What could you have done?"

I release a growl. "Distract Kisame so you could get a chance to intervene."

His eyes widen in surprise before he rubs the back of his head. "So you were planning on getting Kisame's attention… same thing as Naruto…" He releases a sigh. "Alright, I'll bite. That could have worked… still, do you think Naruto really thought all that out? All he thought about then and there was your safety above everything else."

I sigh. "Alright… You've made your point… it's just that I feel somewhat betrayed that he would knock me out like that, even if it wasn't exactly intentional. For me, that's a breach of trust. It's something that's going to take some time to repair."

"I see." Jiraiya rubs the top of my head. "Don't be too hard on him. I can tell you're really important to him. Trust me on this." He gives me a wink before walking toward the city. "With that said, you better join Naruto at the festival while I get started on my research."

I give him a look. "Meaning you're going to enjoy the company of woman." He suddenly stiffens before turning back with a nervous look.

"What are you talking about?" He gives me a fake laugh.

'Ahh… Payback time.'

Smiling sweetly, I take several steps to him before sending a swift punch to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. "I may not be an exact replica of Tsunade, but if I find you fooling around too much, or teaching Naruto something indecent… you will be sent flying."

Releasing an amused chuckle I step away before patting him on the shoulder. "Enjoy the festival."

As I walk away, I hear him release a pained groan. "I stand corrected… she's a mix of Tsunade and Anko… that's much worse…"

{~}

-Time skip-

Entering the festival once again, I try to find Naruto, glancing at the various booths, though having no luck so far. Nothing really stood out, but for some reason, I stop to glance at a simple hair ornament in a nearby booth. It shouldn't have caught my eye. It was a simple pin with white flowers, hardly extravagant, hardly worth a second glance in the vast display of objects; yet, I still noticed it.

"Hello there." The vendor, a fairly young man with gold eyes and black hair, sends me a playful smile. "Something catch your eye?"

I pause at his voice, furrowing my brows in thought. 'His voice sounds familiar, but the differences are there… it can't be him.'

"Miss?"

I blink, seeing him wave a hand in front of my face. "Ahh… gomen ne, I tend to space out." I answer sheepishly.

He quirks a brow before sending me a smile in response. "No worries, I just thought you saw something you like. So…" He leans a bit closer, "Is there something that caught your eye?"

Before I can answer, he holds up the hair ornament I glanced at moments before.

"Maybe this?" He suddenly leans over and wraps the ornament in my hair, causing me to blink in surprise. "It suits you…" He trails off as he fingers several strands of my hair.

*crack*

I suddenly see a girl with cascading black hair and crimson eyes staring sadly down at a nearby pond bordered by dormant moon lilies. A pained expression enters her face before another figure embraces her from behind.

"-, it'll be alright. I won't let you go through this alone…" The man murmurs before turning the girl before him. "And c'mon… You shouldn't be so mopey. Even if we're at war, you can't give up your dream right? Peace no matter the cost…"

"…to end this ceaseless suffering." She finishes before letting out a soft smile. "You always know what to say to me."

"Tch, of course." He thumps his chest proudly. "I am your best friend."

She scoffs. "You're not the only one." This causes the man to let out a dissatisfied groan before he places his hands over the girl's eyes.

"Eh, what are-"

"Shh… you'll spoil the surprise. Just close your eyes alright? It took me forever to get this ready so don't put up a fuss."

The girl frowns before relenting. "Alright…"

Smiling, man pulls out the hair ornament I saw at the booth before expertly wrapping it in the woman's hair.

"You can open your eyes now."

She does so before placing a tentative hand in her hair.

"This…" She trails off before the man turns her around to allow her to see her reflection before the moon lilies bloom – sending ice blue particles into the sky.

"It suits you right?" He grins happily before embracing the shocked girl. "Happy birthday."

Eyes wide, the girl tentatively returns the hug. "Arigato… you actually remembered."

The two continue to embrace, not once noticing the figure hiding in the shadows, clenching his fists in anger before walking away from the scene.

*crack*

'What was that... that wasn't my memory...' I place a hand on my face before blinking my eyes to see the worried expression of the vendor.

"You alright there? Wouldn't want you to suddenly keel over and die." He laughs humorlessly.

I send him a smile. "I'm not easy to kill thankfully, so no need to worry."

A glimmer of amusement flashes in his eyes before he releases a chuckle. "I see…" The dark edge in his voice suddenly disappears as he sends me a smile. "I'm not joking at the hair ornament though. It really does suit you."

I wave my hands in a no gesture. "I don't think so… and I don't think I can really find a use for it. Arigato though…" I place a hand on the pin to remove it, only to have the vendor place a hand on my own.

"Keep it. It's something I've wanted to part with for a long time. You taking it would be a favor to me. I'll even give it to you free of charge." He adds before taking a step back.

I frown at the situation. It was strange, but some part of me didn't really want to part with the ornament for some strange reason. Releasing a sigh, I accept the vendor's offer before making my way through the festival to find Naruto standing in front of a booth with countless masks.

Spotting me, he immediately latches onto my arm, asking me if Jiraiya did anything to me. Sending him a smile, I answer no, causing him to release a relieved sigh before zeroing in on the ornament in my hair. His face scrunches up in confusion when I explain my experience with the vendor, but he soon dismisses his thoughts, opting rather to tell me how it suited me.

"Even if that's the case, it's rather fragile… I wouldn't want to wear it when I fight or train." I add before taking the pin out of my hair and wrapping it in a spare fabric before placing it safely in my pack.

"I guess…" Naruto trails off in thought. "Maybe get something you can fight with next time… but for some reason, it looks familiar to me… maybe I've seen it before somewhere?" Naruto mutters to himself before putting on his mask.

Not long after, Naruto trips, accidentally spilling the contents of Jiraiya's bag. As he picks up the dropped objects, he notices the checkbook and after glancing through it, a growl escapes his throat. Huffing, we end up in front of a food stand before Naruto purchases a cooked squid for Jiraiya, himself, and me. Walking past the various booths, we soon hear Jiraiya's voice and enter only to find him drunk with two scantily clad women flanking his sides.

"Oh, Naruto, Riku. Did you two enjoy all of the festival already?" Jiraiya asks before taking another sip of sake whereas the two women cuddle against him.

*eye twitch*

I send him a deadpan expression before shaking my head at the sight. "Why am I not surprised…" Munching on my squid, I send Naruto a glance. 'Looks like you're pretty surprised though.'

Eyes wide, mouth hanging open in shock, Naruto glances down to the deflated frog wallet before a puff of smoke escapes the open case.

*tickmark*

Jumping up, he stands inches away from Jiraiya's face. "Say all three ninja taboos to yourself again! You broke all three in one go, baka!"

*sweat drop* 'So he wasn't referring to the sight… just his money.'

The girls scurry away, causing Jiraiya to waves his hands in front of Naruto in a placating manner.

"Wait, Naruto."

Ignoring him, Naruto jumps on the couch and bonks Jiraiya on the head with his fists. "You used all the money I worked so hard to save! You baka! Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka."

"I'll pay you back…" Jiraiya mutters feebly as he halfheartedly protects his head with his arms.

"You made my frog wallet flat!" Naruto cries out before the fried squid flies out of his hands and onto a man's white jacket, staining it a dark brown.

"What the hell?! Whatcha doing, fool?!"

Naruto turns to the voice to see an angry bald man in a black suit standing next to another in a white trench coat.

"You put a stain on bro's brand-name suit! Pay for it! Get 100,000 ryou!"

Naruto gawks. "Huh?! Clothes like that cost 100,000 ryou?"

"Ahh… he got ripped off." I shrug before finishing off my squid.

"That stupid looking thing costs 100,000? That's a little on the high side, don't you think?" Jiraiya comments easily as he rests his arms on his knees.

"What? Are you trying to pick a fight? You shouldn't for your own sake." The white-clad man warns.

"Bro is a former Chunin from the Hidden Rock Village. He's the killer ninja who was feared as a legendary Yaminin."

"Ah?" Jiraiya crosses his arms. "Legendary what?"

*tickmark*

"It looks like you wanna get hurt!"

"Naruto. Riku." Jiraiya stands up. "This is a good opportunity to show you two a technique." He explains as a ball of swirling blue chakra forms in the palm of his hand.

My eyes widen in surprise. 'That chakra… it's so condensed, but not only that… it's like there are multiple movements in that one sphere…' I furrow my brows in thought. 'What is that?'

"Bastard!" The white-clad man runs at Jiraiya, but he merely slams the ball of chakra into the man's stomach. The man's feet drag onto the ground before his entire body turns clockwise and he flies into his partner and the balloon stand.

"Wow!" Naruto cheers.

Jiraiya grins before catching a water balloon. "Hm…"

Walking over to the two guys with us trailing behind, Jiraiya mutters, "I went easy on you, but you guys sure are weak."

The man in the white suit weakly cracks open his eyes. "You… you're the legendary…"

Jiraiya cuts him off and turns to the booth vendor. "I'm sorry I broke your stand."

Trembling, the man in the white suit hands Jiraiya his wallet. "Take this for repairs…"

"Thanks." Jiraiya takes the wallet before handing the vendor the money. "Pops, I'm going to take all of the water balloons and regular ones too. Is that okay with you?"

He sends Jiraiya a wary look. "I don't mind…"

Facing us, Jiraiya sends us a grin. "Naruto. Riku. We're going to train."

Grinning, Naruto does a fist pump. "Yes! It's about time."

{~}

-Time skip-

-City Outskirts-

I lean my back against one of the trees, observing Naruto and Jiraiya standing several feet in front of me.

"Yes, we're finally in training mode!" Naruto cheers, causing a small smile to appear on my face.

'As hyper as always…' I shake my head before my smile falls. 'It's hard to stay mad at him… but I am…'

"Here's a water balloon." Jiraiya tosses it to Naruto. Frowning, Naruto gazes down at it blankly.

"What about it?"

"You watched the technique carefully right?"

He nods. "Yeah…"

"What did it look like?"

Naruto glances up in thought. "I think the enemy was rotating a lot."

Jiraiya scrunches up his face before releasing a grunt. "Good enough…" He picks up another water balloon from the bag.

"Yes, rotation is involved." He holds up his hand, showing us the water balloon. Numerous bulges form on the water balloon – all moving in different directions – before the bulges elongate and the water balloon pops.

I glance up in thought. 'So taking into account Naruto's answer… there's a main rotation involved… but numerous others taking place as well? How does that work?'

"With the tree climbing exercise, you accumulated and maintained a certain amount of chakra in a needed area. With the water walking exercise, you released a constant amount of chakra. Now, for this water balloon exercise, you're going to create a flow with chakra. Simply put, a rotation."

'He didn't really explain everything…' I frown.

Naruto closes his eyes. "Create a flow with chakra?"

"I'll tell you the details of this technique once you're able to complete the basics." He holds his hand up. "First, you accumulate and maintain chakra in your hand like the tree climbing exercise. Next, you release a constant amount of chakra like the water walking exercise. Finally, you push and rotate the water inside the water balloon. That's the breakdown for this exercise."

"I get it now!" Naruto snaps his eyes open. "This training is to create a fast rotation inside the water balloon to pop it right?"

"My, you're getting sharper. Okay, we're going to train until night."

"Yes!" Naruto cheers before zoning in on the water balloon resting in his hand. Several seconds tick by before the balloon starts twitching before swaying in a counterclockwise direction.

"Alright! The water inside is rotating! I'll be able to pop this faster than I thought."

Jiraiya walks over me before plopping down against the tree. "Then I'll rest for a while until you pop it." He reaches into his top before pulling out a bottle of sake. "With this accompanying me." He grins.

Naruto glances over with a confused look. "Hey, what is that?"

"I need it to kill time. Then I think I'll take a nap." He drinks from the bottle.

"Hmph. At the rate I'm going, you won't even have a chance to nap."

"Do you really think so?" He gives Naruto a grin. "Wake me up when you pop it then."

"Just watch. I'll master this move by today if I keep this up."

"Uh huh…" Jiraiya mutters disinterested before glancing up at me. "As for you, you're going to be doing something a bit different." He tosses me a water balloon, causing me to quirk a brow.

"Different how?" I mutter before glancing down at the water balloon.

"Well, seeing as you're in the reset phase, you need to gain control of your chakra again right?"

I shake my head. "Not exactly… I'm not sure how to put it, but I can control it just fine. It's just my bending that's… missing?"

He rubs his chin. "I'll have to get back to you on a fix for that, but as for chakra control… seeing as you've been trained with Tsunade, why not try learning this technique too? Would be a good challenge… plus, Hikari was rather fond of this technique. She even went as far as to create one to accompany it." Jiraiya's smile widens. "She wanted to be able exponentially increase the power of their attacks – your father's and the Fourth's – so she came up with a technique. Unfortunately, The Fourth and your mother were never able to combine their jutsus successfully. Your father and mother on the other hand, were able to on pure chance. After that one instance, it never worked again." He finishes with a shrug.

"Huh…"

"She was really disappointed in it though, ended up scrapping it as a failed jutsu in the end." Jiraiya shakes his head sadly.

I send Jiraiya a confident smirk. "Ahh… then I better fix it then. I don't like having things broken around me."

'Oh the irony…'

This causes Jiraiya's smile to widen. "Good call. But you better learn the mechanics of this jutsu first before you think of how to create a jutsu to accompany it. Well then…" He stretches before bringing one of his arms behind his head and taking a sip from the bottle. "On with the training."

Stepping away from the tree and Naruto, I shake the balloon from side to side, hearing the sloshing water before tossing it in the air then repeating the process. 'I can still somewhat read the movement of the water… but I can't exactly control it… maybe if I…'

The balloon suddenly rips to shreds in my grip before the water drips to the ground.

"What?! You got it already?" Naruto comes over before his eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, what'd you do?" He drops the water balloon and takes my hand. "… It's like something clawed your hand."

I glance down at my hand in disinterest, noticing how the black wrappings had remained intact for the most part.

I give him a shrug. "I didn't use any chakra to do this… it just popped…" My hand starts twitching in pain, causing me to take it out of Naruto's grip, earning myself a hurt look in response. "It's just a scratch… nothing to worry about." I send him a half-hearted smile before taking another water balloon and stepping away.

"Wait, where are you going?"

I pause in my steps. 'Don't use that tone Naru… it's already hard enough for me as it is…'

"Just leave me alone, alright? Wouldn't want you to end up like my hand." I show him the droplets of blood trailing down my fingers. "Side effect from the reset phase. Nothing to worry about."

"Eh?" He sends me a worried gaze before looking down sadly. "But…" He shakes his head before sighing. "You don't have to be so cold like the teme. I know you're still angry with me, so go on and say it already!"

'So you're not as blind as I thought. You really keep surprising me…' I gaze at him blankly. 'Still, I can't help but feel betrayed, even if it's just over an accident… I … I just can't calm down… At this rate, I can't let anything out… or I really will hurt you…'

"What's wrong with you?" He takes a step forward. "You were fine at the festival. Sure you were more distant, but you didn't just shove me away like you're doing right now. We agreed we'll always be there for each other. We promised each other that, so what's going on damn it?!"

"Are you quite done?" I ask before tilting my head. 'Just stay away from me right now… I'm doing my best to hold it in…' The seal on my stomach suddenly burns, causing me to grit my teeth in pain. 'What's going on?'

"Damn it Riku! Stop acting like that!" He suddenly tackles me to the ground, straddling my waist. "Stop it… you're not going back to that again. You're not going to be a damn puppet again alright? You were getting so much better. You were actually trusting others, me… actually being human." He grits his teeth together before his hair shadows his face. "What's going on? Did meeting Itachi really mess you up that much? Was he really that important to you?"

"He…" I trail off. "… that wasn't him."

"Riku…" He voice softens. "You really want to believe in him huh…" He releases a sigh before smiling down sadly at me. "I don't blame you… if I was in your place and it was you… I wouldn't give up on you. I'd probably go after you and knock some sense into you, like old times. I wouldn't give up until you were back to normal… that's how you feel right?"

I grit my teeth. 'You always do this...' I thought before shoving Naruto onto his back as I stare down at him with a pained expression. 'Doing everything you can to understand me... not once looking at me like a monster... with hate... why can't you just get mad at me? Just push me away? What's wrong with you...you...'

"You baka…" I murmur before shakily embracing him. 'I don't know what's going on anymore... I feel like I've just lost control over everything...'

"Riku…?" I hear the hesitation in his voice, causing me to release an empty laugh.

"I hate…" I feel him stiffen as I trail off. "… how you do this to me… I'm still mad at you… what you did there… when you knocked me out. It felt like you betrayed me… I can't forgive you so easily, but I'll try. Ne, Naruto…" I trail off, feeling a lulling warmth cover the seal.

"Yeah?"

"Don't... don't ever change… You're probably one of the few things keeping me sane." I mutter before feeling something stir in the back of my mind.

He releases a hesitant laugh before placing a hand on my head whereas the other wraps around my waist. "I could say the same to you. I don't always understand you, Riku, but you were my first friend. I promised you I'll always be there… and if I have to physically drag you back to sanity, I'll gladly do it. Believe it."

The sound of rattling chains suddenly appears in my mind, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

'Chain up your true self… and undo the chains to find a sleeping monster. Only then will all make sense…' Minori lets out an amused chuckle. 'So little one… will you be able to undo the chains to find the truth, or will you let it consume you and your precious person? The full moon is coming and so will the death bells.'

---

AN: Sorry if any of the scenes are confusing; I found it difficult to have Riku stay mad at Naruto, but I'll work on that. Look forward to the awkward moment when the two realize Jiraiya's still watching them. xD Anyway next time, training continues, the next full moon, and Riku's reunion with Tsunade. If anyone has any ideas for Riku's modified jutsu, feel free to review and thanks for reading this chapter and being patient with me through all the rewrites. It means a lot to me. Until next time.

Ja ne~

{~}

Pairings so far:

Riku x Naruto (9)

Sasuke x Riku x Itachi (7)

Sasuke x Riku (4)

Gaara x Riku (6)

Shikamaru x Riku x Naruto/Sasuke (9)

Gaara x Riku x Shikamaru (3)

Gaara x Riku x Sasuke (5)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (14)

Neji x Riku (4)

Shikamaru x Riku (9)

Itachi x Riku (3)

Parallel story (?):

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (2)

Itachi x Riku (3)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (3)

{~}

Review Responses:

lostfeather1: Hi again. :D Thanks for the reviews. I know it's been a while since I've posted a new chapter, so I hope this chapter works out. I'm glad you like how the story has progressed and thanks for the input on the pairings.

katchile94: Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The story has changed a bit with Naruto's character since I took another reviewer's advice a developed Naruto's character more in the story.

Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 8): Hi and yes, I added another character in, since I didn't want to take out a character from cannon.

Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 9): Shikamaru does have long moments of speech in the anime, especially when he explains the concepts of strategies to others like in the invasion arc. I'll keep that in mind though because Shikamaru isn't one to speak much unless it's something important.

Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 21):Thanks for the detailed review. It really helped, but I'm not exactly familiar with the Japanese language so the explanations really helped me. I tried addressing them in the chapter rewrites and I hope that has turned out well. If there are any more mistakes or other details you feel I should know, then feel free to send a review. I also took out the emicons in the newer chapters, since I understand how it doesn't exactly portray the characters' expressions very well. As for the original lines, I'm looking at the subtitled ones, so those might be a bit off… I try to reword the ones that don't make sense when I rewatch the episodes when I write the chapters.

NightWindAlchemist: Thanks for the reviews and I'll keep the pairings in mind.

JayVonMonroe'sAngel: Thanks for the review and compliment. I'm glad you like the story.

Guest 7/24/12 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review and sorry it took so long to update. I don't mind the long reviews, since they're always fun to read. It's interesting to read your reasoning though and you do have a point. That pairing would be an interesting scenario. As for the whole, having her swept off her feet, I'll keep that in mind. Any certain preference for who that scene belongs to? ;)

Guest 7/26/12 (chapter 21): I'm glad it was entertaining, but as for making the oc looking good part, I don't think that's exactly the case in all the chapters, especially this chapter, where we're going to be seeing an uglier side to her personality.

TheSylphOfHeart: Sorry about the cliff hanger, but I hope this chapter has been worth the wait.

skipbeataddict: Thanks for the review and pairings input. Haha I'm glad you really like the plotline and I hope this update was worth the wait.

ILOVEANIME123: Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed the update.

dream-creator 11/7/12 (chapter 22): Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like the RikuxShikamaru pairing. Hopefully the update was worth the wait.

LovelyThorn: Thanks for the review and input. I'll keep that in mind. I know the Land of Snow mission isn't coming up in the story until later, but I wanted to get it planned out beforehand. I'm planning on placing it after the Tsunade retrieval arc.

Guest 11/25/12 (chapter 22): Thanks for the review and input.

Yuriko-Rurinia: Thanks for the review and pairings input. Hope this update was worth the wait.

akira-chan101: Thanks for the review and praise. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and yeah, it's pretty difficult, thinking up of new things to add to the story, but that's how interesting life events factor in. Thanks for the pairings input and I'll keep that in mind as I write the story.

Kisara Suzune: Thanks for the pairings input and review.

CrystallizedSiren: Thanks for the review and the patience with this story, especially with all the rewrites I had the story undergo. I'm really glad you enjoy the story and Riku as a character. She's difficult to write at times since she develops from an apparent cinder block to a more human character. She's going to have a lot of ups and downs still, but hopefully she'll get stronger from it.

Guest 2/20/13 (chapter 2): Sorry for the confusion. Riku's a girl disguised as a boy for the beginning part of the story.

batla: Thanks for the review and pairings input.

Maya: I hope the updates have been worthwhile and thanks for the review and pairings input. I'm also glad you enjoy the story so far.

LeoInuyuka: Thanks for the review and pairings input. I'm not sure if you reviewed that chapter already, but thanks again for taking the time to leave a review.

airgearlover: Thanks for the pairings input and review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

Guest 6/28/13 (chapter 16): Thanks for the pairings input and I'm glad you like the story so far. The tradition where the father hunts the guy… yeah that did play a part in one of Riku's past memories… still, it's a pretty interesting thought though, seeing as Kakashi has to hunt the guy down for a night. xD I'm going to have a lot of fun with that scene once the pairings are more definite and the plot gets more developed. As for the length of this story, I'm not sure how long it will go, but with college coming up, I might have to resort to updating every other month.

xXCobaltFlameXx: Thanks for the review and the pairings input. I'm glad you like the story so far. =)

OrangeBears: Thanks for the review and yes, you can vote for both of them. =)

pandadragons: Thanks for the review and pairings input. The Deidara x Riku x Sasori pairing would be for the parallel story which I'm planning on writing after this story ends. =) I think that pairing would be interesting in the parallel story, but not sure yet.

NeitherSaneNorInsane: Thanks for the review and pairings input. I'll keep it in mind when I hit the Sasuke retrieval arc.

Forever blue sky 7/13/13 (chapter 19): Thanks for the pairings input and review.

Guest 7/13/13 (chapter 19): I'm glad you enjoy the story so much. =) Thanks for the input and review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

Nice girl 001 7/13/13 (chapter 17): Thanks for the input.

Dreamlove 7/13/13 (chapter 18): I'm glad you enjoy reading the story so much. I have a tendency to go back and reread it as well to help me figure out what plot holes I need to address in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for the pairings input and I hope you keep with the story.

BlueChains: Thanks for the review and I'm glad to hear from you again. It's been a while since I've posted review responses, but I'm glad you still enjoy the story after all this time. As usually, I'll keep the pairing in mind and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

whiskedaway: Yeah, sorry about that. I made sure to stop doing that for the chapters and went back to some to remove them.

IxLOVExALOISxTRANCYx: Thanks for the input and I'm glad you liked how the chapter turned out. Hopefully this update was worth the wait.

traciezhu2001: Haha yeah, didn't really notice that until you pointed it out. xD

DSpirit: Thanks for giving my story a chance. It's difficult to come up with an OC who isn't a Mary-sue, but I'll do my best to keep everything in check. As for how long this story will be, I'm not entirely sure, I have a tendency to overwrite since I want the details to be clear to the reader, so I guess we'll see.

kankananime123: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like how the story is progressing. Tsunade is still going to take Sakura on as her apprentice so yes, Riku and Sakura are officially going to start taking their rivalry up a notch. As for the Sasuke x Riku x Naruto pairing, she's going to eventually choose, but that's going to be focused more in Shippuden (if that pairings ends up on top in the end). That's going to be an immensely rocky situation for Riku, so wish her the best of luck if that does happen in the end.

Belgarith 8/10/13 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoy it enough to recommend it to your friends.

Chinatsu-eternalfanficlove: Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you enjoy reading the story. I don't mind the excitement. It really makes my day when I see someone else enjoying the story so much and I'm glad you've taken the time to review when you don't really write them that much. Haha, I admit to that habit too, but I'm doing my best to break out of that.

bb123 8/13/13 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review. For this story, I plan on stopping after the Sasuke retrieval arc and start another story as the sequel for Shippuden. For the pairings, thank you for the advice. I think I'll end up doing just that and show more interactions between the other characters.

Nabil Shimurai: I'm glad you enjoy the story so much and I hope you enjoyed this update as well. =) I have a tendency to overwrite, so I'm glad the length of the story doesn't deter you from reading it.