Original Summary: He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi
New Summary: After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi
SS's Notes: All bow down before the power of Grumpy!Agitated!Naruto!!!!!!!! –insert evil laughter here—
Previously on Soundscape…
Naruto rolled his eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow at Ibiki, who shrugged in reply to the silent question.
Naruto sighed and said dryly, "Whatever. I leave the matter to you," and vanished into another room, and Ibiki placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and steered her away. Hinata cringed. Naruto wasn't pleased with her… She was going to be sent home in disgrace, she just knew it…
Chapter 24: For Better or for Worse
Once ensconced in the dimly lit bedroom, Naruto sat on the bed and dropped his head into his hands and released a shaky breath. He had not meant to be so cruel to Hinata, but what he had seen… The blonde shook his head, lashing out at the images and pushing it away. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, sinking deep into his mind, and moving through the familiar twists and turns that made up his psyche to the massive gates that contained the Kyuubi.
"Well?" he said quietly, looking up at the massive red eyes of the nine tailed fox. "How are things on this side of existence?"
The Kyuubi released a low keening noise.
"That bad, huh?"
"Your eyes and mind are deteriorating!" the Kyuubi snarled, "Of course it's that bad!"
Naruto sighed and looked away. "I see… How much longer do I have?"
The Kyuubi settled down, curling its tails around its body and delicately tucking its paws beneath the tails. Its ears flicked slightly and the Kyuubi growled.
"Not long, I'm afraid."
"Less general if you please."
"You have at least three months before you become a gibbering vegetable."
Naruto's lips curved in a sad smile. "That long, huh?"
"The establishment of an Anchor stabilized your mind somewhat, but the damage has been there for a long time. It will take more than one Anchor to stabilize your mind completely. Another two or three may buy you another two months at best. Selecting and completing a bond with your chosen Mouth should give you another two months."
"Five months for sure then."
"There isn't much time left for you brat."
"I never had much time to start with. I'm actually surprised that I survived this long."
"Since when have you been this pessimistic, brat?"
Naruto smiled happily. "I've always been this way. I'm just very good at hiding it."
Kyuubi smirked. "The same way you hide how much you want that Scarecrow to make love to you?"
Naruto flushed angrily, "That's none of your business, Kyuubi!"
Kyuubi laughed. "Get out of here, brat."
Naruto opened his eyes and snarled wordlessly before stalking into the restroom, stripping off his clothes as he went.
Time passed slowly for Hinata, and as another day passed, she relaxed, and she began to wonder if maybe, maybe, that other day was just because Naruto was upset and stressed out. Morino Ibiki-san had already hinted that all Oracles were required to see to the well being of their wards and servants, and as a rule, saw things they don't want to, and after leaving the vision, tended to lash out. As the oracle's Chosen Mouth, she was to serve until she died or the Oracle died. It would be her duty as the Oracle's Mouth to take the Oracle's terror and anger at the visions onto herself, soothe away the Oracle's horror, record it, then relay the vision to either the Hokage or Ruling Council if the Oracle felt that it was required.
As the month drew to a close, Hinata learned all that Ibiki had to teach her about serving the Oracle, and she received an unexpected visit from the Oracle.
Naruto apologized or his harsh words when they first met a month ago. She forgave him even as her heart broke for him, and it was then that she swore that she would do everything in her power to make Naruto's life easier…
Before that, however, she would be officially presented to the Anchors already established as the oracle's Mouth. After that, for better or for worse, her life would be irrevocably changed…
Nara Shikamaru had not understood why the Oracle had selected him as an Anchor. Surely someone else would be a better choice. But the Nara knew that it was futile to try to talk the blonde out of his decision. Either way, Shikamaru was honored that the blonde trusted him enough to place his sanity in his hands, and was more than willing to do what he could.
Today would change his life, Shikamaru knew, since he was meeting for the first time, his fellow Anchors, and the girl that Naruto had chosen to be his Mouth…
For better or for worse, he was now bound to his oath to the Oracle…
As he left the Nara compound, only one thought stood out in Shikamaru's mind…
How troublesome…
Rock Lee was somber as he prepared to leave his apartment. He knew that he was useless as a ninja since his body only made enough chakra for him to survive, and his only selling point was his ability in taijutsu. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why the Oracle had selected him as an Anchor.
Despite his lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the Oracle's decision, Lee was honored to know that he was being entrusted with the sanity and safety of one of the most powerful people in the village. If nothing else, he would protect Naruto as well as his fellow anchors to the best of his ability. He was being given the highest honor in Konoha, he could not do anything but give his all. It would be dishonorable and ungrateful to give anything but his best, especially since Naruto was acknowledging his ability as a ninja.
For better or for worse, Rock Lee's life would change, and for better or for worse, his entire devotion would be given to the Oracle…
Ibiki was seated alone at a table in the center of the floating platform in the Locket. He toyed with his drink as he mused over the changes in hierarchy that would be taking place that day. Once Hinata was officially recognized as the Oracle's Mouth, he would no longer hold that title. He wouldn't miss the position or the responsibilities that came with the title, but he would miss being the Oracle's Mouth.
He had held that title for so long that it had almost become a part of him. It would be a relief to surrender the title, but he would miss it. There was something about being a Mouth that transcended his ability to describe, but it was there. He would always be trusted by the Oracle since he had once been an Oracle's Mouth, and the current Mouth would come to him for advice, as he had gone to previous Mouths in the past, but it would be vastly different from actually being the Oracle's Mouth.
There were no words to describe the feeling, but Ibiki was still perfectly content. For whatever reason, the Oracle was unwilling to completely let him go, and as such, he too would be one of the Anchors. It would be strange to be one of those he had once stood above, but he was sure it would be fine. He would still be in the Oracle's service, after all. For Ibiki, who had spent most of his life under the service of the Oracle, that was more than enough.
Konohamaru stood in front of the front door of his house, his hand on the doorknob. Once he stepped out of the house today, his life would be changed forever. His grandfather had already told him that he would be the youngest Anchor to ever enter the Oracle's service, and that it was an honor to be entrusted with the Oracle's mental and physical wellbeing.
All of that was all well and good, but would the village see him for him? It was bad enough that most of the time, the village only saw the Honored grandson, the Sandaime Hokage's grandchild, but what about after it became public knowledge that he was one of the Oracle's anchors? Konohamaru knew that Naruto-nii-chan would always see him as just Konohamaru, but what about his fellow Anchors, and Naruto-nii-chan's Mouth? Would they see him as Konohamaru and a fellow Anchor, or would they only see the Sandaime's grandson like the rest of the village?
"Don't be nervous, Konohamaru."
Konohamaru whirled around at his grandfather's voice and put on a cocky smile and said in his most self assured voice, "I'm not nervous at all! I'll be the best Anchor in the Oracle's service, and then I'll become Hokage! Just wait and see!"
The Sandaime chuckled. "I have no doubt of that, Konohamaru. Now, go on, you don't want to keep the Oracle or your fellow Anchors waiting…"
"I know that!" Konohamaru yelled, "I'm off!" He spun around and flung open the door and raced away, his heart fluttering in his chest.
This was it. He had taken the first step. From this point on, for better or for worse, he was in the Oracle's service, and Konohamaru knew that he would never be just another ninja, and that his life would never be the same again.
"I have begun the final choices for my anchors," he said quietly, "and I would like for you, Kakashi, to be one of them."
There was a shocked silence.
Kakashi rose to his feet slowly and circled the table. Once he was in front of the blonde, he knelt at his feet.
"I would be honored to serve as one of the Oracle's Anchors," he whispered.
Naruto smiled. His hand glowed slightly with chakra as he reached forward and touched the side of Kakashi's face that was covered. Kakashi twitched slightly as cool chakra spread over his skin, and vanished.
"Now we are bound to one another," Naruto said softly, "As Anchor and Oracle…"
Kakashi stood in front of the Hero's Memorial as he mused over what had happened a few days ago. Today, he would embark on a new journey, and meet his fellow Anchors, and truly become a servant of the Oracle.
He knew that the number of Anchors would only grow since it was the support of the Anchors that kept each generation of Oracles sane, and their support would root Naruto more firmly in the present and extend the length of his life.
It would be far too much to ask for Naruto to live to be an old man since oracles never lived past their fortieth birthday, with only one exception. Of all the Oracles ho had ever lived in Konoha, only Kazama Soramaru, who had aided in the founding of Konoha, had ever lived to see old age. All other oracles had either been assassinated, a rare occurrence to be sure, or had died in Konoha's defense, a fairly common occurrence, or had committed suicide, a much more common cause of death.
The mere thought of Naruto dying caused a knot to form in his chest, and Kakashi knew without a doubt that he felt much more for Naruto than what normally lay between teacher and student.
Whatever the reason, Kakashi would defend Naruto till his dying day, and if he fell in the Oracle's service, then at least he would die protecting someone he loved.
Kakashi knew without a doubt that he was important to Naruto, how important, he wasn't sure. Unknown to Kakashi, he would find out a lot sooner than he thought, and when that happened, he would know far more about what he felt for the blonde than he would ever expect…
Kakashi knelt and briefly ran his fingers across several names, before standing and vanishing in a puff of chakra smoke.
He had a meeting to attend after all, and it would not do to keep the Oracle waiting.
Six lives came together on that day, guided by fate, and as their destinies ran their course, their numbers would grow, and by their deeds, they would bring an end to the ever repeating tragedy of love of death that came with the overwhelming love of an Oracle…
This was their fate, for better or for worse….
And Fate would not be denied…
TBC…
Totally Random Babbling: I think I'll need to take political studies or something…. I don't know how to write an attempted political coup! –goes and cries in corner—
SanadaSayuri