A/N: A few slower paced chapters now, for the sake of build up. :) Disclaimer: Again, you know this now.
Chapter 11 - Promises are the Most Comforting Lies
Erebus was alive that night, as it had been every night since our arrival. A symphony of war sounded in the distance, the bass of artillery shaking the earth, while the staccato crackle of small-arms fire rattled away into the filthy city air.
We had fled the center of the city, seeking center in the ruins of the commercial district just outside of the mining spires. It had taken us several hours to find a good place to rest. We were tired and frayed from the events of today.
I watched Fomalhaut sink beneath the horizon, the rainbow flashes of its debris ring echoing against faraway clouds before fading into darkness.
I rubbed the fatigue from my eyes, before resettling my M-34. The streets near us held nothing but rubble and civilians. Thin, broken things.
No rebels.
A small ache of red pulsed on my arm. I readjusted the IV taped to my elbow, clearing it from the sights of my rifle. The thin plastic hoses shifted slightly, and blood flowed into my body once more. Sakura had taped a bag of the stuff above my window, letting me keep watch while I received a much-needed transfusion.
God knows I lost enough of the stuff. And so did Shizu-chan, as she had dropped in supplies two hours ago, replenishing our ammo, armor, and med-foam. The blood bags had been included too, seeing as Tenten and myself were in serious need of it.
I was tired and worn, but I was feeling a little better with the extra blood. Tenten slept, the med-foam and plasti-sutures doing their best to patch the hole in her torso. Neji sat next to her, trying desperately to stay awake and failing miserably.
Night was falling, the stars revealing themselves from the fading purple-blue sky. I would be relieved soon. I watched a civilian in a wind-swept cloak loot a burnt-out Growler, stowing foodstuffs in the folds of his clothing. He scurried off, never aware that I was watching him.
Fingers ached. I had been clenching my rifle too tightly, and my armor weighed against me, heavy and obdurate. Tired. We were all so tired. We'd been running and killing for almost twenty hours. And we lost Kiba.
A knock on the door of my perch.
"Hey, Naruto."
"Shika."
"You're good to go. Get some sleep before Shizune-san gets on our asses." A cigarette hung loosely from his mouth, glowing brighter as the world grew darker.
"Put that shit out, man." He was already grinding the butt into the floor.
"I know. Don't be a pain." I shrugged, removing the blood bag from its place and strapping it to my helmet, careful not to squeeze it.
"Well, someone might have seen it. And I wouldn't want to make their day worse if they decided to come knocking." I grinned.
"Heh." He smiled a little. "We'll be off this planet soon." I stopped.
"You think so?"
"I know so." Well that was it. When Shikamaru knew something, it was bound to happen. "I just hope our friends are okay." He huffed, settling himself into position.
"Well, keep an eye out." I smiled.
It was a short walk through the ruined hallways of the three-story restaurant we occupied. I found my squad on the main floor, resting against the barricades we had thrown against the doors and windows. Those who slept did so lightly, knowing that at any moment Shizu-chan could call us with new orders.
Hinata was waiting for me.
Dark bags sunk beneath her pale eyes, evidence of her fatigue. Despite this, she wore a small smile, which I returned. Her armor was gone, leaving her in her mesh-top and fatigues. A very welcome sight.
"That blood's treating you well." She said. "There's a little color in those cheeks." A rumbling boom exploded in the distance, shaking insulation and dust down from the rafters. An orbital strike no doubt. An idea came over me, insane as it was tempting.
"Hey Hinata… do you want to go look at the stars with me?"
"Y-you should sleep, Naruto-kun."
"But you're coming anyway, right?" She sighed, and gave me a weary smile.
"Looks like you won't give me much of a choice."
"Not this time, Hinata-chan." I unbuckled and removed my armor, which brought near-instant relief. She took my hand and slung her Type-72 over her shoulder. We ascended the stairs until we reached the rooftop door. It was locked, so I smashed the handle apart with the butt of my rifle. It came apart, falling open to reveal Erebus at war. The city burned, alive with the sounds and sights of a full-scale invasion. The air was frigid, the heat that had seared us this morning falling to a bitter, biting cold.
I spread out on the cement, beckoning Hinata to do the same. She hung my helmet and IV from the shattered door handle, and joined me. Tucking herself under my arm and clasping my hand, she looked upwards. She was so warm.
We lay like that, in silence. Quiet Dune's lone blue moon waned, its face occluded by its orbit around the planet. The stars were out though, shining bright despite the countless fires that lit the streets of Erebus.
"Where's home?" I asked.
"Babel?" She looked up. She waited, her byakugan checking the night sky for the right star. "That one." She said, pointing to a dim pinprick of light that sat below the glowing blue moon. So far away. She sighed against my chest.
"Do you remember doing this… back then?" I nodded.
"We'd all sneak out of the barracks and stargaze. I remember Shikamaru just fell asleep." We laughed a little. He'd never escape his lazy reputation.
"Oh! Remember when tried to drag Sasuke along?"
"You literally dragged him, Naruto-kun. It wasn't nice!" She smiled, despite her (admittedly halfhearted) admonishment.
"And his retaliation was?" She looked confused for a moment.
"I… don't remember…"
"During our simulation the next day, he singled me out and shot me twice. In the back of the head!" I shuddered, remembering. Stunner rounds stung like hell (my kekkai genkai notwithstanding), and the huge bruises they left didn't leave for days. And the fact that we had simulations every day certainly didn't help.
"I must've been on his team that time." She sighed. "It does sound like something he'd do."
"Not all of my squad are as forgiving and lovely as you." I said, nuzzling her. She welcomed the gesture, reddening and giving me a wide smile.
"Do you remember when Kiba tried to prank him?" I bit my tongue, stifling a guffaw of laughter.
"He-he hung him from his ankles! From the Academy roof!" I pumped my arms up and down for a second, a rough approximation of Kiba during 'The Rooftop Incident', as it came to be known. Hinata giggled, bringing her hand in front of her mouth to hide her smile.
For a moment, we forgot his blood still stained our boots.
I felt a wet sensation on my arm. My IV had come unplugged during my pantomiming, leaving small blots of red on the bandaging. "Careful, Naruto-kun." She said. Quickly sterilizing the needle with an antiseptic pad, she put it back in its place.
"Here, lay down." She settled me back down, her hand gently pushing me back to rest. Her face was inches from mine. Then our noses were touching, hot breaths spilling off each other and steaming in the cold night air. "I… I wouldn't…" She stammered more and more as her face grew redder. "I… don't want… y-you to get-" I kissed her then, unable to stop myself. She hummed against me, embarrassment forgotten the instant our lips met. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tight against me.
We broke apart after a few minutes when An MG rattled a few klicks away, closer than the last time its report reached our ears. Hegemony forces were making progress. She shuddered, rubbing her arms for warmth. I brought her tight against me, not wanting to lose her warmth to all the death that surrounded us.
"Did you feel that?" She asked after awhile.
"Feel what?"
"That… the feeling of guilt… that we're together here… while…" For a moment, I was at a loss to reply. I didn't know what she was saying, until I realized her words pinpointed what I had been feeling ever since this morning.
"Yeah. I do." Of course. Hinata figured it out, while I was left scrambling for answers.
"I-I've dreamed of… being with you for so long." She sighed, a deep release of air that tickled my neck. "So long. And all that happiness you gave me… Just since last night, and… already! Already I feel like this city is eating away at it. It's horrible." Tears pricked the corner of her synthetic eyes. "Corrosive."
"It's my fault." Her head snapped up.
"No, you can't-" I didn't raise my voice in answering her.
"I can. And I will. No matter, what you say, I'll always have that eating at me. That I let Kiba walk into that. All those years we shared with him, all those times I pushed him to train harder, to be better. And look." Hinata started shaking her head, desperately trying to stop the flood of tears. "I lost him. I always knew I'd lose someone. Ever since Kakashi-sensei told me I was gunso… but… It just hurts so much." And, just like that, I was crying too.
"And it's not just losing him. It's that bitch Olivia. All this pain and suffering… is this is what we were made for?" She didn't respond, choosing instead to wrap me in her arms. I pulled her close, running my hand through her tightly-bound hair. It hurt so much seeing her like this. Even more so that my thoughts mirrored her own.
"Warborn. That's what we are. Almost like shinobi of old, you know?" She said, a small smile breaking the trail of salt that ran down her face. "We've lived our entire lives as little warriors. Thirteen years we did our drills, learned our lessons."
"Thirteen years." I agreed, rubbing at my eyes.
"Thirteen years of living and training and breathing. Snatched away two months after graduating."
"It makes me wonder, you know?" I said, looking at the Milky Way stretching out like a gaping wound in the sky. "Why we did it. Why we stuck through all of it." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
"I think you know, Naruto-kun."
"I do?"
"You never gave up. Never stopped trying, fighting, clawing for what you wanted. Never, ever giving up."
"Perseverance." I said, seeing her point. She smiled, despite her grief. "It's my nindo."
Nindo. Now that was a long time ago. I was nine, I think. I would play ninja with the guys instead of training. I guess since we fought and scrapped, the instructors never thought to stop it. Lee and Kiba had beaten Sasuke and myself again. I had dragged Sasuke to his feet, and when Kiba laughed at my efforts, I found myself defying him with my words, when my body was too exhausted to continue. 'I never give up or go back on my word! Getting back up time and time again is the mark of a real ninja! That's my nindo!'
That had been so long ago. I looked over at Hinata. Sadness still seeped from her, but a glow of happiness smoldered below it all, a sunny yellow beating back the black.
"Yeah It's my nindo." I beamed and felt her happiness swell. Not a lot, but enough to make me feel a little better too.
"It's our nindo."
Her arms encircled me again, careful not to tear out my IV. She looked back up at the stars after a few minutes. I traced the tattoo on her shoulder, a calloused white finger running over the smooth black pattern.
"They're really pretty tonight."
"We'll see a lot of them, won't we? Travelling around like we do."
"I guess we will." I took her hand in mine, sliding my fingers between hers.
"And when it's all over… we'll stargaze in Konoha. Promise?" I squeezed her hand. She looked at me, eyes still wet from tears. Her mouth pulled tight, but only for a moment. With a blood-stained hand, she ran her fingers down my face, planting a small kiss on my lips at the same time.
"Promise." She whispered.
After an hour or so, the door creaked open, and Sakura came through, ducking under the frame.
"Oh… uh… sorry guys!" She said, her cheeks glowing to match her hair. Hinata had fallen asleep a half hour ago, the far-off serenade of battle lulling her into a brief, much-needed rest. I couldn't sleep.
"It's... um. No problem, Sakura-chan." I scooped my helmet up, placing it back on my head. The blood bag was mostly empty now, anyway. Sasuke edged around Sakura's form, spiky black hair messy and tangled.
"Dobe."
"Teme." What the hell were these two up to? "How's everyone holding up down there?" Sakura shifted her weight, looking back at Sasuke for a brief moment.
"We'll make it. What about you?"
"I'm… okay. I'll be better when we're off this hellhole."
"Yeah. I'm with you on that one, Nee-chan. How's your transfusion coming." I held up the bag, which was empty but for the smallest drops of blood.
"Done." Hinata stirred in her sleep, nudging herself deeper into my arms.
"I wish I could give you another bag. But Tenten lost a lot from that wound, and Ino was clipped a lot worse that I thought. I'm sorry. Conditions are far from ideal." I stroked Hinata's hair behind her ear, careful not to interrupt her sleep.
"Ain't that the truth."
"Sasuke and I are going to talk. Make sure you listen for Shizune, and nothing else." The tone in her voice made me smile. It was that kind of talk then.
"You got it."
They strode off to the other edge of the roof, keeping low to avoid any prying rebel eyes. I shut my eyes, hoping for a little rest. I had been fighting and killing for almost twenty hours straight, and my brain was too wired from the stress and grief. I rubbed my eyes, which just managed to spread more dirt and sand into them. Brilliant move, Naruto. Brilliant move.
I did my best to heed Sakura's warning and not eavesdrop, but my mind wouldn't focus on anything else. I guess the other times I disobeyed Sakura hadn't sunk in yet.
"What do you need Sakura? My head is killing me." Straight to the point then.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
"I don't know… things."
"What kind of things?"
"Lots of things."
"Hn."
"Oh, don't start that shit with me." She snapped.
"I'm sorry."
"No you're not."
"Not even remotely." Sakura sighed at this.
"Sasuke… look at this city."
"I've seen enough of it."
"Yeah. That's the thing though. How much more of this are we going to see?" He paused, taking a deep breath that was audible across the roof.
"I don't know Sakura. Years. Decades? However much it is, it isn't enough!" He said, spitting angrily. "As long as there's still rebels, I'll still be a Marine."
"Sasuke…"
"What? Surprised?" He said, voice lacking its derisive bite.
"No. I'm not."
"What about you then? Are you looking to scuttle out the first chance we get?" Sakura did something I didn't expect. She laughed.
"Honestly? I don't care about where I am. I just want to be with everyone where someone's not screaming at us or making shoot stunners at each other." She sighed. "Or rebels shooting at us for real. Or where children are butchered."
"It won't be the last time. You know this." Sasuke, master of comforting women. Good thing Sakura wasn't like most women.
"I know. It's all still raw. Losing Kiba. I mean... Fuck. Who's next? I can't… I can't imagine losing anyone else. We were so lucky Shino made it out alive."
"All we can do is keep moving forward. I… we'll do our best to stay alive. But this war won't be over for a long time."
"So you're saying you don't care about Kiba?" She asked softly.
"No… I… Hm."
"What if Nartuo goes next? One stray bullet and poof. Gone." Sasuke didn't say anything. "It could be you next." I heard a soft tap of flesh on bone as Sakura pushed her fingers against his temple. "Bang."
"I am an avenger." He replied simply.
"You think the rebels care? You think they're not gonna light you up 'cause you have a purpose, a story you need to finish? What if it's me, Sasuke? It could happen in the next twenty minutes. We get orders to move out, and I step on a landmine."
"You wouldn't-"
"Sniper. Pow. No head."
"I'd see him-"
"Artillery. Whistle, bang. Vaporized. Wouldn't feel a thing."
"Sakura. Don't."
"What?"
"It's not healthy to talk like that. Besides, I'll never let you die on my watch-" Anything else he said was lost to (what I assumed to be) a smothering hug.
"You're… crushing… me…"
"Sorry! Sorry!" A few awkward coughs from Sakura. She tried to speak a few times, tripping over her words a few times before finding purchase. "So… you do care about something other than yourself… is that what you're saying?"
"Hn."
"Asshole. Another 'hn', and I'll make you regret it."
"Hn." All he had time for was a stifled yelp before Sakura kissed him. If it wasn't for Hinata resting on my chest, I would have jumped the hell off this roof right then and there. I mean… WHAT THE WHAT.
"What… what was that?" He asked, shell-shocked and confused as myself.
"I warned you." She said. I couldn't see her face, but her smile was audible enough. "Don't pretend you didn't know. So… again?" Sasuke guffawed, a deliciously un-Sasuke sound, and something I'd swear I'd never hear. Before long, Sakura joined him too.
"We'll see. But first, let's get off this horrible planet. I think a shower would vastly improve the experience." Sakura giggled a bit, delighted.
"Fair enough. Not that it's stopping Naruto and Hinata." Sasuke blew air out his nose in an approximation of a laugh.
"I'm surprised dobe even knew about the birds and the bees."
Ouch. I buried my face in Hinata's hair. No more. I don't wanna hear anymore. That's when a new voice called out, a smooth, care-free drawl.
"Ah, young love." I snapped up, pistol drawn in a half second. Hinata was right behind me, pistol directed at the new voice.
A man with grey hair and a porcelain-white dog mask sat on the edge of the rooftop, a small orange book in his hands.
"Ho, Naruto-kun." He said with a little wave.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
A/N: Hahahaha they were born to kill and die hahahaha they want to be happy hahahahaha