A/N: I have a song for the next part of Harken's Bell. And I've noticed that some of you believe that this story is going to be over soon. We've got some time yet before that. Up to the end of Chapter 24, was the first half. That does not necessarily mean that I have 24 more chapters planned, I have no idea, how the content is going to grow and into what length, though I do know the major plot points, of course. Which is always how I write it. Scary thought huh? For those who are curious about the song, I have a link for it in my author's profile as always.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Hope is like a road in the country;

there was never a road,

but when many people walk on it,

the road comes into existence.

~Lin Yutang

Chapter 25

Sakura had always been one to have an innate pride of the natural beauty of where she lived. The great cliffs that overlooked the village, the healthy trees that stood like aged sentinels just outside the city gates, and the meadows often filled with seasonal wildflowers, lending their sweet scent to the breeze.

However, the landscape before her was beyond the idyllic beauty she'd always revered.

Majestic purple, white-capped mountains taller than any she'd ever seen, surrounded the verdant valley below nearly on all sides. From her vantage point, she could see a majestic waterfall to the northeast of her, gushing down from a sheer cliff side that reminded slightly of home, into a massive pristine crisp waters as blue as the sky above. The water funneled into a river, that truly was almost the exact hue of the male's hair in front of her, cut right through the center of the village below surrounded by a viridian colored tree line.

The myriad of hues, was such a rich palette of shades, it filled Sakura's mind with the image of precious, freshly polished gems piled high.

Her lips parted slightly, the word breathed in an almost melodic sigh, "Beautiful…"

The homes that made up the village were painted in the same lush hues and earthy tones of the land around them. It caused Sakura to recall of how Ixion looked before it had become Konohagakure. Oddly enough, she thought of the wind chime that still hung on the porch of the house. One of the few homes that hadn't changed with the times. A feeling of nostalgia tingled through her. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

As locked memories of the past trickled in Sakura's mind, the trio continued to travel down the seemingly ever-winding path. It seemed to lead down into the valley basin, she mused idly.

The shrine warrior in front of her spoke in an accented voice as he walked, "With Lady Harken's present condition, I shall take you to the location where her true form slumbers. When we get there, she should be able to return her soul to her original body on her own. It seems that she has put herself in stasis so that she would have the strength to do so."

His words made her recall when Hana had told Kyuubi that was borrowing one of Nekomata's bodies. She remembered when Hana went unconscious on the hospital bed. Sakura realized that Hana, must have did it then before she got too weak to do so. She had put her trust in Sakura, believing that the shaman could get her where she needed to be. Hana had truly put her life in Sakura's hands. The thought made her something deep insider her heart ache.

"I understand." Sakura responded firmly, doing her best not to stumble, or slow down and keep up with his swift, set pace. It was a struggle that was all too noticeable to Itachi.

Itachi spoke up, directing the query to the male in front, "Is it possible for you to move at a quicker pace?"

The warrior glanced over his shoulder, irritated by the query. Until he noticed the true state of the woman fighting to stay on her feet. The concern on her face for the bundle in her arms went beyond that of the respectful reverence for a Guardian that their kind had for the powerful spirits. The warmth that her vivid green eyes had was alight with love and worry. She hadn't brought Harken here out of any duty. The realization seemed strange to the shrine warrior.

He choked past his pride and met the other man's eyes. He delivered a curt, short nod, wondering absently why he would even ask with the female in such a state. He was almost tempted to take Harken from her and go on ahead, but he had the gut feeling that he'd have a battle on his hands, and as things stood now, he had no time to fight another warrior with abilities unknown to him.

Itachi reached for his wife, ignoring her feeble protests and picked her up as he had before. He responded without inflection, "Good. Go then, I will follow."

The warrior frowned, at the stranger's matter of fact arrogance. He could tell however, that he meant it. Fine, if that's how the outsider wanted it, then he would give it to him. He had better keep up.

Itachi knew that he had pricked the other male's pride, but that was fine with him. As long as they achieved what Sakura set out to do. Then that's all that mattered. The warrior blurred as he zipped away.

Onyx melted into sharingan, and Itachi trailed behind him easily, which only served to irritate the warrior.

Sakura could see the smirk playing about her husband's lips and had to roll her eyes at the males' antics. She was grateful though, that Itachi was making certain in his own way that they arrived in time to save Hana's life.

She watched the trees go by, and the colorful array of wild flowers flit past out of the corner of her vision. The wind spirits whispered against the lobes of her ears, and played in her tresses as they traveled through the woods. She noticed they were heading down hill for sometime, before the ground beneath Itachi's feet became level. Sakura knew that they had already traveled further than she'd probably been able to handle in her state.

Finally they came to a clearing, that was flanked by four tall trees, standing in the positions of north, south, east, and west. In front where the birch stood in the north spot, was a white marble statue of a woman with an unearthly beauty not seen in any mortal woman.

The Shrine Warrior finally came to a quick stop and Sakura took that moment to study the statue. The artist had carved elegant robes, quite similar to the ancient ceremonial garments Sakura had worn for the meeting with the Council when they had announced their plans to ally themselves with Konoha Alliance. The shaman felt a small twinge of wistfulness at the sight. It was a strange feeling that swelled inside the confines of her ribcage. Here she was, in the land of her people. A place that perhaps could provide answers to every question she ever had about her heritage. It was almost like a fleeting fantasy her fingers long to grasp, but could never touch. Fragments of near forgotten dreams that had always followed in the wake of the sealing ceremonies, danced in her mind's eye.

It was then, Sakura noticed that at the base of the statue, the shape of a bell was carved into the granite platform, and below the image there was something written.

"Harken's body is sealed here. We must hurry, the life in that body is nearly gone," the blue-haired warrior turned to face them.

Itachi set Sakura down before she even thought to ask. On trembling legs, she stumbled forward, and fell on her knees in front of the statue.

She glanced up at the male looking at her with a guarded expression. Sakura smiled weakly, "We made it here. Now what? I thought you said she …" she cut off when the precious bundle laying against her belly began to radiate a silvery, warm glow.

Sakura instinctively moved to untie the knot behind her neck, and then bent slightly, laying the torn sheet holding the feline in front of the statue.

The light emanating from the cat's seemingly broken and battered body began to shine so brightly that Sakura was forced to clench her eyes shut and bury the upper half of her face beneath the inner crook of her elbow.

The wave of sheer power that washed passed over her caused the hair on her neck and arms stand on end. However unlike the feeling of heaviness that came in the wake of the Bijuu was nothing like the sensation she felt now.

Bathed in the essence of Harken's unleashed spirit, Sakura felt a measure of authority, but also the soothing warmth of compassion encompass her.

When the glare beyond her meager shield faded, she took the chance and slowly opened her eyes.

Malachite orbs widened, as awe overtook her. The beautiful marble statue was gone, but in place of it, stood the Guardian Harken. Eyes, the hue of a yellow so light, it almost appeared white at first glance stared right back at her. The vibrant orbs stood out dramatically against the backdrop of umber skin. The roots of her hair was just as dark brown as her skin with a set of bangs curving down each cheek respectively. The sepia tint of Harken's hair seamlessly flowed into varying shades of green, the hue starting at viridian shade trailing into burnished emerald and almost fading into the color of sea foam green at the tips.

The ceremonial robes that had seemed so intricately carved were a similar shade to Harken's skin, but unlike Sakura's heavy looking garments, hers seemed to flow and ripple like the eddies in a stream, lending the Guardian an inhuman grace that fit her heritage.

Not one for formalities, Sakura leapt to her feet, ignoring the pain shooting up her knees. Wincing, she stumbled forward into the Guardian's outstretched arms, and embraced her back, tears pooling in her eyes. She rasped softly, "We made it, Hana. I almost can't believe it."

The shrine warrior gasped at the strange woman's audacity, but he held the protest on his tongue when he seen the responding affection in Harken's face.

Itachi wasn't quite certain what to think of the display in front of him. His wife's body was trembling. The being that he had always known as the mischievous black cat, lifted her gaze to look at him. He could feel the strength of her signature against his senses, and it reminded him of the amazement he experienced when he met the elemental lords. Even this realm itself, was much like the elemental plane, though he was a bit relieved that he couldn't see any chakra spirits floating by.

She sent him a gentle smile, shocking him. Dipping her head, she acknowledged him, "Thank you. It is good, you are coming to understand her."

Taken aback by the display of gratitude, he ducked his chin in response, acknowledging her appreciation.

Sakura grumbled, still tightly tucked against the Guardian, "Why do you always have to say such embarrassing things Hana?"

Harken merely chuckled at Sakura's cheek, and ran a loving hand down the length of the woman's tangled tresses.

"Wait! You understand the words Harken speaks? Both of you." The shrine warrior suddenly exclaimed, his navy eyes wide in pure disbelief. Just who were these people?

Sakura turned to peer at him with wide eyes, she'd almost forgot that he was still standing there.

She nodded at him, but then it struck her that Itachi was also inclining his head in the affirmative. She did a double-take. She bit her lower lip, but then Harken chuckled, the sound of her voice in this body almost melodic, "Sakura, have you already forgotten that you'd given him that ribbon?"

"But-but… I thought I had to be holding it for him to be able to…" She trailed away, at the sight of the amusement dancing in the Guardian's eyes.

"Your bond has strengthened considerably since then, has it not?" Harken arched a brow at Sakura, noting the way the shaman's face turned crimson with embarrassment.

Itachi shifted slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable with the fact that Hana's words were hitting close to home. So, he hadn't imagined Sakura's declaration on the platform. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and even his cheeks were brushed with a hint of a blush. He had chosen coming with his wife, over the Hokage's orders after all. He knew that he was going to catch hell for that decision later, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that - he didn't really care. A shadow of a smirk curved the corner of his lip upward.

He chose that moment to ask, "Is the answer really so simple?"

Harken shook her head, "No. It truly is not. This is the first time, something like this has happened, however - I've long given up pondering the intricacies of the human heart. I merely take it as a sign that time continually changes."

There was something about the response, that made his insides almost feel heavy like lead. There was nothing really out of the ordinary about it, but he could sense the weight of the years in them. Was this what it was like to have the ability to talk to the Guardians? For the first time, he got a slight inkling of what it might be like to have to stand between the Guardians and the rest of the world.

"Who the hell are you people? Only shamans should be able to talk so freely with Guardians? Not even shrine warriors who loyally serve them can speak to them without the aid of a bonded shaman!" The forgotten shrine warrior exclaimed, his face contorting into a mask of irritation.

"Sakura, please thank Gate Keeper Tyoril for me for bringing us here quickly. And please explain to him, who you are. You are as every bit a Nuwan as he is. He really shouldn't treat you as an outsider," Harken's light-hearted expression grew somber, but not impolite as she lifted her gaze to regard the shrine warrior thoughtfully.

Immediately Tyoril fell to his knees, bowing in respect. He stuttered out, "Forgive me for speaking in your presence in such an unsightly manner, Lady Harken… I'm…"

Sakura turned fully to face the man, the wind whipping at the tattered edges of her clothes, and tangled tresses, lending her the air of a refugee.

Itachi watched his wife draw herself up to her full height, the pride that he had detected so many times in the past when he had first dealt with Sakura, was readily apparent now. He didn't miss the longing in her eyes however, leaving him only to imagine what it would be like to be estranged from one's own race of people.

Especially with Sakura's heritage being unique in a world that had long forgotten the Guardian's existence. He himself, hadn't even known of them until recently, and initially - he hadn't believed Sakura's beliefs to be anything beyond a fairytale. He could only imagine that what she must have experienced, having been segregated from other people, so that she could continue to protect the secrets of her heritage. It was a very sad, and lonely feeling. The desolation she must have felt at times, must have been nearly suffocating.

Sakura finally gave the shrine warrior the message, the gentle note in her voice belying the pained expression on her face, "Lady Harken says, that she would like to thank you for bringing us here quickly."

Tyoril looked up, navy eyes growing large at the stranger's slow approach.

She continued softly, "Like you, I am Nuwan. I am also a shaman. That is why I can understand her."

Tyoril's adam's apple bobbed at the woman's explanation. Navy clashed with green. He frowned, his expression harsh, "So how is it that …" He gestured towards Itachi with a shaking finger, "that man can, while I cannot?" He couldn't help the touch of jealousy that colored his voice. It was unheard of that anyone but a shaman could understand the ancient tongues of the Guardians.

Sakura felt her face burn, even as she responded with a wry tilt to her lips, "That's because that man holds a piece of my heart."

When she did send surreptitious glance in Itachi's direction, the raw intensity of his obsidian orbs on her face, made her toes curl into the dirt.

Itachi voiced his thoughts out loud, "I could understand why I was not be able to understand you - while you were a cat." His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, "Why wouldn't he be able to understand you now? It's not like you don't understand the language of humans, that you couldn't speak to him, unless you just don't want to." The shinobi found the entire concept very confusing.

The corner of Harken's eyes crinkled in amusement. She moved around Sakura and came to stand in front of Itachi, she reached out with a delicate hand and pointed a slender finger in the direction of his chest, "That is because you can hear my voice here, and not…" she then, airily lifted the appendage to indicate his ear, "here."

If it were possible, the Guardian's explanation left him even more confused than before. Itachi shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around what she had just said. It was then that Itachi realized that though she was smiling, while she had spoke to him, her lips weren't actually moving. His hand went to his chest, his fingers splaying in reaction to what she had just said.

Tyoril glanced at them, he interjected, somewhat irritated by the fact that they were having what looked to be an intimate conversation with the Guardian without him, "Come, my Lady." When he turned to look at Sakura and Itachi, his gaze lost all warmth, "Outsiders. The elders are sure to be aware of your presence by now. It is time, we go to the village."

Harken turned towards the agitated shrine warrior and dipped her head in acknowledgement.

Sakura watched as everyone began to walk towards the village, and she glanced back at the bundle still on the ground, with the lifeless body that had once encased the Guardian. The shaman continued to stare at the feline. The shrine warrior noticed the strange young woman's hesitation. He cleared his throat, while glancing back over his shoulder, noticing the forlorn expression on the woman's face while she stared at the corpse on the ground, "The elders will send someone by to clean up later. We need to…" Tyoril stopped mid-sentence when he realized the woman was completely ignoring him.

Everyone paused to look at Sakura.

The rational side of Sakura knew that really, the corpse at her feet had been really supposedly nothing more than a borrowed shell. But, she couldn't bring herself to leave it like that. Something about the idea - just didn't seem right.

She bent down, propping herself up on one knee. Sakura grabbed the edge of the cloth and covered the cat's body, wrapping it gently. She took it up in her arms, cradling the bundle almost like a baby against her chest. And then, without looking up to meet any of the curious eyes upon her, she started to walk towards them.

Harken was somewhat stunned when she felt something in the region in her chest constrict almost painfully. The sensation was a bit strange, and foreign to her. Even now, for all the wrongs she committed in the young shaman's eyes - Sakura still refused to abandon her. It was a gesture that Harken didn't feel like she deserved. It was bizarre for the Guardian to realize that while to most shamans she had served the clan because of an oath as a spiritual guide and nothing more, to Sakura she meant more than that. Much more.

Sakura truly loved her.

And Harken realized that she returned the mortal girl's love, in the way she imagined a mother would a daughter. The Guardian shook her head. It made sense she rationalized, since she had watched over the child after her parents had died. It was just so strange, and so very human of her. That too made sense, she had spent much time with them. Looking back it had felt like forever since the end of the war, and yet now - it all seemed so fleeting.

It was truly ironic. Here, she had lived since the existence of the first heart, and yet in all time, Sakura was the one to give her unconditional love and show her what it really was.

In this feeling, she began to understand the betrayal the Bijuu must have felt, when the Guardians abandoned them in the name of balance. It was a humbling feeling.

When Sakura stumbled, Harken was by her side, holding her up before Itachi even had the time to react. She wrapped an arm around the trembling woman, and it was then that she noticed that Sakura was crying.

"It's alright, you know? I am still here. I did not die," Harken murmured trying to encourage Sakura.

Rubbing almost viciously at her eyes, Sakura chuckled hoarsely changing the subject, "So this is where you would always disappear to huh?"

"Yes. I had duties to fulfill here, as well as my oath to your clan," she revealed softly. She added her voice almost a whisper, "That is how the Gate Keeper recognized me. He had seen me pass through many times."

"What was it like being in a cat's body?"

"It taught me to have a sense of humor," Harken's mouth quirked up at the corners.

"I feel kind of ashamed of the fact that I… was feeding a Guardian tuna and cat food all these years," Sakura admitted wryly, a dry chuckle leaving her throat.

Ahead of them, Tyoril's lips thinned with displeasure when he heard that interesting little announcement. It was all he could do, not to turn around and berate the foolish shaman for such unacceptable behavior.

Amusement gleamed in the depths Harken's light yellow eyes, "Like I said before - I obtained a sense of humor, and oddly enough, a strange love for canned tuna."

Itachi who was also listening to the bizarre conversation ahead of him, suddenly realized that he too, had fed the Guardian cat food on occasion. He shook his head, at how ridiculous it all seemed.

The first thing he noticed about the village as they neared, was that there were no walls surrounding any part, there wasn't even any set up around the homes for privacy. It was strange to him at first, but then he rationalized that, in such a place as this there was probably no need for one.

Already he could see people lining the streets, peering at them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

Before they reached the village, Sakura had one more question to ask before she lost the chance, "Hana, I know you're a Guardian, but which one are you?"

Harken teased her, "What? You haven't figured it out on your own yet?"

Sakura shot her a displeased frown, "No… How could I? You've never told me anything."

The Guardian turned her gaze towards the villagers, the teasing light fading from her visage becoming somber. She answered the shaman in a quiet voice just as they were about to be intersected by the awaiting villagers, "Hope."

-o-

"We haven't been able to detect the target's presence anywhere within the village. It seems that she is - gone," Mizuki reported nervously while kneeling before the Kyuubi. He kept his head bowed, hoping that somehow he wouldn't catch trouble for the fact he couldn't find that trouble-making female. As it was, it had been hell getting into Konoha undetected. There had been ANBU patrols, and jounin squads all over the place.

Before the Kyuubi had time to respond Shukaku laughed at nin's statement. He had voiced his thoughts on taking the girl in the first place, when they had her right in the palm of their hands. He ignored the irritated glare from the kitsune and pulled the cigarette from his lips to release the smoke slowly, savoring the calming sensation. He voiced his opinion already knowing that the damn fox wasn't going to want to hear it, "I thought you said we didn't need Kitten anymore."

"It seems that the Nuwan had more safeguards in place than I realized. We need her to undo the seal," Kyuubi sneered back at Shukaku, a fang peeking beneath the furl of his lip. The fox added with a knowing smirk, he knew the raccoon all too well, "Besides, you just wanted to bring her to make a pet out of her."

"She is certainly a rather… interesting creature," Shukaku didn't bother to agree or disagree with the statement. He shook his head when another thought struck, and then tucked the cigarette into his lips. He muttered around it, "The others are still readjusting. You know that not all of them will agree with you on this one."

Kyuubi glanced at the shinobi that was still kneeling before him subserviently. He lifted a clawed hand and waved him away, "I need some time to think over this news you've brought me. I'll issue new orders later."

Mizuki bowed once more, and left the two Bijuu staring thoughtfully at one another.

"Do you think it's wise to act so soon?" Shukaku took one last final drag, and then removed the cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. Hell, they had just released the others, barely two nights past. Why didn't they just bring the girl then anyway?

Kyuubi averted his crimson orbs, to stare out of the window from his position on the beige sofa, "There will be some of us who will disagree with our plans, but -" his lips turn up into a feral grin when he returned his gaze to Shukaku, "I think after their time in sealed containment, it is likely that none will have the desire to act against us like they chose to in the war…"

The tanuki was inclined to agree, "It's obvious that Houkou, Nekomato, and Sokou weren't expecting that they'd be sealed for so long, nor that you and I would manage to escape that pathetic trap they helped the Guardians lay for us."

The kitsune ran clawed fingertips through his tresses, and then shook his head, "If they interfere again, I'll kill them and be done with it. They are fortunate that I'm feeling lenient after they betrayed us."

"It's ironic that in the end, they were punished by the same method they had planned for us," Shukaku smirked and then barked a coarse laugh at the memory. He knew it was only for that reason, that those particular Bijuu were still breathing.

"Either way, we will be stalled in our plans until we find the little Nuwan," Kyuubi stroked his chin thoughtfully, leaning back against the lush dark green pillows, quickly losing himself in his thoughts of the future.

Shukaku nodded still smirking. He reached for the small box of cigarettes, and pulled another one out and lit it. Tucking it in his lips, he breathed the smoke deeply into his lungs, his nostrils quivering in delight at the pungent scent filling the air around him. Unlike Kyuubi, he really didn't care how Kyuubi's plans played out. It didn't matter to him in the slightest which scenario took place, the whole thing reeked of blood and destruction. His smirk shifted into a feral grin. And that was just how he liked it.

-o-

A/N: I picked very specific colors for Harken's design as the Guardian of Hope. I think the idea really is all down to each person and really I have to give credit to my husband who is an artist in his own right. He really helped me with her character design so, in the end, I give all credit to him.

Green and Brown - Birth and rebirth. Of the earth.

Yellow - Balance.