Disclaimer: Again, Naruto isn't mine.
Word Count: 2,819
Oh hey guys. I'm just gonna act like it hasn't been almost three months...OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY. I didn't mean to update this late, but my motivation has just disappeared. But I got it back for this chapter, it only took two nights to write! Woohoo, I'm getting back into the swing of things. I'm on Spring Break now so I'll probably be writing more, but no promises. This chapter was actually fun to write~
Anways, hope this chapter is worth the wait ! Pein shows up again :D DUDES. PEIN'S ARC IS DUBBED NOW. I died. I swear. Thank the English Dub people for this chapter. Because Pein's English voice is fucking epic and his arc is my favorite Naruto arc of all time.
I really wanna thank my faithful reviewers who've stuck with me through this mess of a story. It really, really, really, REALLY REALLY REEAALLLYY means the world to me. And thanks to my new reviewers. I love you guys ~
Chapter Twenty One: Forever
Haruka
Nagato's entrance was quite dramatic, to say the least. It was about the time that Yamato was just about to quite literally jam a block of that damn wood in my mouth.
My thoughts were in a jumble as I watched him (partially from my head smashing into the trunk of a tree) or should I say, them, land with a thud before me, cloaks rustling and black ash that had sprung from the ground dusting the blood red cloud emblem etched onto their veils.
Pein, the main Pein that I'd grown accustomed to, turned to face me with that blank expression, concern brewing in those ringed eyes. I could almost hear the inquiry of "Are you alright?", although he hadn't said a word. I felt myself nod solemnly. He took it as his cue to once again face Yamato.
"So this, these, are the leader of the Akatsuki," I heard Yamato-sensei say from across the clearing. The only detail that indicated his slight fear of his chance of survival were his wide, black eyes. That's right, Konoha was unaware that Pein was in fact five people, uh, zombie tension was almost palpable as my sensei realized that he was in a pretty shitty position. My heart twisted and it felt as if a stone was dropped into the pit of my stomach as it dawned on me that my sensei might die here. And I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from happening unless I was willing to reveal who I truly am: a lying, deceiving, sexy ass bastard. I was wrenched from my musings as I heard Yamato's voice boom across the clearing, somewhat louder this time. "Why is it so important that a bijuu bomb is created from collecting all nine of the jinchuuriki? A weapon of that magnitude would only result in utter destruction."
For some miraculous reason that I couldn't fathom, Pein actually replied.
Why doesn't he ever reply to me like that? I thought, letting out a huff and glaring at Pein's back.
"I might as well tell you; you'll die anyway." My heart stopped at those words, his voice devoid of any emotion. Cold. I swallowed what was about to be a cry of resentment towards his statement and waited for what I knew he would say next. "Akatsuki will only have access to the bijuu bomb. Any nation that attempts to spark a war will be eliminated. Peace will follow soon after, for people will realize that peace is their only option."
"But the peace that you're referring to is forced and completely false. People will eventually realize this and rebel against Akatsuki rule." Yamato-sensei replied calmly, staring directly into the eyes of the Akatsuki leader.
"Then they will be forced to obey." Pein countered dryly.
"True peace cannot be attained without the consent and agreement of the people," Yamato argued, "They'll eventually rebel and you will be overthrown. Peace is not a concept that can be forced."
This was when I felt that my input was needed in the situation. After all, stalling the execution of my sensei, I decided, until the backup squad arrived was my main objective at this point.
"Hey guys, I'm still here ya know," I stated, my voice sounding like a fucking waffle cone had been shoved down my throat. I cleared it and tried again. "Uh, I believe that peace is...peace is...uh...good. Yes, peace is good. And you know what else? I believe peace can only be attained through snails. Yes, ya know Pein, Nagato Jr.? I still have him, though he hasn't shown up in a while. He's in my pocket. I've been feeding him lettuce...at least I think he's been eating it. I mean I wake up and it's gone, so unless Deidara decided to shove it up his ass Nagato Jr. was bound to be the one to eat it. Isn't that great? And for a while we were so lost on what to feed him! Eh heh! And remember that time you tried to shove him in the bathroom pipe cause you can be such a crotchety bastard? Good times man, good times. Oh! And how your favorite flavor of ice cream is one someone would never guess! I can't believe you like-"
"Haruka." Pein's voice was cold, and held a significant amount of authority to it as if we'd gotten into a time machine and went back to when we first started our journey. Thinking of only the well being of my sensei, I decided to continue my ramblings until he'd surely lodge one of those metal chakra receivers into my chest.
"Gee, it's cold out here. Dude, I think my arm's broken," I took the eight necessary steps to reach Pein, attempting to lift my right arm but failing miserably when a spike of pain shot through it. I grunted softly, poking my right arm with my left hand until Pein grabbed my left arm and glared menacingly at me before his gaze drifted to my arm. "I still don't understand why the Akatsuki paint their nails. Why is it that only you get red nails? Why doesn't Deidara have red nails? Or Hidan? Or Kakuzu? Or Konan? Or Itachi? Or Kisame? Or Zetsu?Or, or...I know I'm forgetting someone, I'm sure I am...Oh, that's it! Tobi! Wait, why does he wear gloves? Does he have dry hands or something? Or were they severely burned when he was a child and now he's afraid to show them in public? I wonder..."
I chanced a glance at Yamato, surprised to find that he was smiling. The first smile I'd seen him wear since...I departed for my mission. And for a short moment, I believed everything would be okay. That maybe someday, this whole mess would fall into place and I'd be reunited with the people that I held so dear to me, as well as convince Nagato that what he is doing is wrong. Perhaps...maybe he could even...
I felt Pein's hand tense on my arm, and I'd only blinked for a millisecond before a whole platoon of Leaf shinobi appeared before me when I'd finally opened my eyes.
Another round of pain erupted through my arm like a lightning strike, and my mind subconsciously recalled the battle with Yamato-sensei that had occurred prior to Nagato's sudden appearance...
My eyes widened as Yamato-sensei lunged at me right after I'd declared that Deidara and I would slay those bitches and, more importantly, Naruto had crashed to the ground in a heap of blood.
Wood erupted from the ground on every side of me, wood snaking its way around the surrounded trees, wood inching its way closer and closer to me at an alarming rate. Wood, wood, wood.
Of course, I'd grasped the opportunity of the initial shock of Naruto's death to swap places with a shadow clone just as the blocks of wood, twisting and turning like a toy snake that had been wound up and released from its slumber, pounded into the clone. The blocks of wood created a sickening splintering noise as they collided into each other after they'd flown right through my clone, which had erupted into a large puff of smoke.
I took the chance to leap from my perch on the tree branch over Yamato-sensei's head right after I'd shot a liquid bullet that he'd dodged adeptly. Our kunais clashed and I barely managed to jump to the side in time to avoid a collision with one of Yamato-sensei's wood blocks, dropping my kunai in the process.
I leapt back when a wall of wood blocks burst from the ground between us and landed on the middle limb. I began to slide down the smooth surface, shooting yet another liquid bullet at Yamato, which, as I'd anticipated, he'd dodged. Which landed him right in my trap; the kunai exploding as soon as his foot touched the ground near the weapon.
Aerial bombs boomed from the small war occurring over our heads as smoke, ash, and the occasional splatter of ink would fall to the ground, staining the earth a disgusting black.
I was about to commit myself to a victory lap when I finally scrutinized the scene, realizing that there was an entirely new puff of smoke swirling in the air. I huffed aloud, though silently I was happy that my sensei hadn't been blown to pieces and that my little trap had failed. That is, until I felt the rough, splintery surface of the wood that had wrapped itself around my right arm without my knowing.
"I'm impressed, Haruka," Yamato-sensei stated, his voice ringing in my ears. "You've improved significantly since our last training session."
Boy, was I tempted to smile, but I fought back the slight pride that rushed through my veins at his statement and stood completely still, my face portraying no emotion as the block of wood began to constrict around my arm.
"I'm well aware that you're only doing this to ensure your own safety," Yamato-sensei continued, all of the pride in his eyes instantly disappearing at his words. His face was grim and his tone was stern, as if I was twelve all over again and he was scolding me for egging innocent villager's houses with Naruto in tow."But I'd never thought I'd see the day when you would kill a comrade for your own sake, let alone Naruto. I've taught you better than that."
His next words rang through my skull like a melancholic song, piercing straight through my heart.
"To you, that symbol on your headband means nothing more than the line etched through it."
"I..." A sudden urge to tell him what had actually happened surfaced. I was innocent...well, partially. I was still to blame for the death of one Hidden Mist ANBU.
What have I been doing?
The wood began squeezing my arm with a tremendous amount of pressure. I barely noticed, as my gaze was locked with Yamato-sensei's, and perhaps I was only imagining it, but his eyes looked...glossy.
All this time I believed I could change the Akatsuki and the fate of Konoha as a whole...
Crack.
It was a childish dream, but even though I was well aware of that, why did I continue to try?
My knees began to shake as old memories began to resurface, and my eyes widened as a certain memory caught my attention. I was astonished that Yamato-sensei hadn't remembered that day. That day...
A small smirk tugged at my lips as the memory came to me in vivid detail, and it seemed almost as if I were swept back in time.
Guess that's just the way I've always been...
I collapsed onto the soft grass of the hill overlooking Konoha, directly behind the faces of the Hokage that were carved into the side of the tall mountain. Soon after, Naruto did the same, breathing heavily but laughing his ass off because I'd just planted a ticking time bomb for all the single ladies of Konoha onto Yamato-sensei's back: "My penis in your va jay jay. Only $5."
It was directly after an intense training session, where I'd been hit by a weak rasengan and flung directly into the trunk of a nearby apple tree, and one of the lush, dark red apples had plummeted down onto my head with an audible thud.
"Hm, looks like that apple proves you've got nothing in that head of yours after all." Kakashi-sensei, who'd been helping out with our training session, had commented on the thud the apple had made when it had crashed into my head. I scowled at him as Naruto had offered to help pull me out by extending his hand.
I looked up from my recollection of the training session as Yamato-sensei plopped down on the other side of me. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, the sky painted a beautiful mix of orange, crimson, and pink. I smiled softly as a gust of warm, summer air ruffled my hair. My headband, which was tied loosely around my neck, fell to the ground when I shifted slightly to lay as Naruto was; on his stomach with his head resting in his arms which were crossed in front of him.
This is where we'd always sit after a training session.
"Hey sensei, how long do you think the peace will last?" I asked suddenly. Yamato-sensei glanced at me, but then shifted his gaze back to the village.
"I can't be sure of that, Haruka. The Akatsuki can't be predicted." He replied calmly.
"Well someday, me and Naruto are gonna kick their asses and the Village will be set free of the looming threat! Just you wait, Yamato-sensei!" I exclaimed, my determined gaze drifting to the lazy village extending under the faces of the great Hokage.
"Believe it!" Naruto chimed in as we fist bumped.
Yamato-sensei let out a small chuckle, smiling down at us while ruffling my hair. "I'm sure you will."
"You really think we can do it, Naruto? It sure as hell won't be easy," I stated, my eyes downcast as I thought of all the pain the Akatsuki had brought on the village, the faces of Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino among the first that came to mind. My face was grim until I felt a familiar arm wrap around my shoulders and I glanced over at Naruto to see that same sunny, wide grin that I always see him wear.
"We're a team. I'll believe in you, Haruka," Naruto paused, as if contemplating his next words...
"Forever."
"Forever." I murmured in a barely audible whisper. That was what I'd been referring to when I'd...ya know. I just needed him to believe in me for a little while longer. I could do it, I know I could.
I glanced across the clearing to Yamato-sensei, and I thought I saw his eyes widen in realization to my statement as well as the black droplets of my jutsu splatter onto the ground around him.
"Hey bastard! I need a bomb down here!" I cried before remembering that my arm was ensnared in Yamato-sensei's wood and quickly adding, "But a small one! Make it a small one! I swear to Kami if you blow me up-"
That was precisely the moment when an explosion rang out through the clearing and I was thrown back by the force of the blast, my arm wrenching from the clutches of Yamato-sensei's jutsu as my body was flung limply into the trunk of a nearby aspen tree, my head crashing into the wood. Damn.
The clearing was now reduced to a pit of small flames that were slowly beginning to die out. Ash caked the ground where white patches of snow had been prior to the explosion. Across the clearing, Yamato was pushing himself up onto his feet from where he'd been flung against a nearby tree as well. I'd decimated a clone...again, but had made a direct hit on his left arm, for it hung limply at his side.
Suddenly a block of wood shot up from the ground yet again (Kami, he's persistent) and was just about to smash into my face when Nagato decided to appear, and the whole block of wood was repelled right back Yamato, who barely managed to dodge before the limb was launched right through the trunk of the tree directly behind him.
I grunted at the pain in my arm as Pein released my "good arm" and turned to face the Konoha shinobi. Among them were Rock Lee, Kakashi-sensei,Guy-sensei, Shikamaru, and Sakura.
My eyes locked with Sakura's and I almost smiled sheepishly, remembering the time when I spilled coffee on her crotch...
She was glaring daggers at me now.
I was in for a world of trouble. She's probably been waiting for the time where she could tear me to pieces. I was almost anticipating it, but I'd only ever wanted to spar with her, not have serious, all out battle with her. We'd never really gotten along anyway, which was something I'd never understood.
I watched my comrades across from me speak to each other, but I couldn't bring myself to listen.
After all, who would want to welcome a member of the Akatsuki into their village?
Ah, who doesn't love flashbacks from her past with Naruto? Those are really fun to write.
Hope you liked the chapter :D
Gah, I hate writing fighting scenes...they're such a pain in the ass.
Oh, and over 100 reviews?! I seriously didn't expect that when I first started writing this. Thank you so much guys! I can't remember if I thanked you for that before, but you guys are so awesome you get another thank you and maybe even an early chapter.
Ciao! Love you guys!