A/N: So hey, think I'm back for good? Lol. Sorry it's a day late anyway :(
Recently, apparently I've been pronounced 'deaf' (multiple times TT_TT) naïve, silly, childish, and innocent, usually all in the same sentence. Hmm, guess they don't know much about my ff exploits, eh? Jk. I'm also under the impression that half the people I know seem to think I don't try very hard but still get excellent grades (or excel at anything, actually) while the other half think I'm, well, naïve and stupid. Hehe, looks like I'm good at fooling people.
But, erhm, anyway, about Dark Angel… so, how many more chapters do I predict? TWO! yes, you heard me right. And thanks everyone for faving/alerting/reviewing! Appreciate everybody's efforts—don't worry, I'm only gonna repeat this again at the very end of the last chapter, so eh, bear with me.
(Oh yeah, something random that pisses me off: bear is used as in 'bear with me'. Bare? Bare skin. Not bare with me. GRR. And wearily is not warily, okay? Lol.) :3 For the sake of more random talk that's related to this story, I made it sound like Twilight during one part of this T_T pitiful. But whatever. Can you guess which part?
Disclaimer: Actually a disclaimer related to not owning Naruto! Le gasp! (Though I don't know what that means) 私はナルトを所有していない。 Now those foreign looking Japanese characters, on the other hand, mean…well, why don't you translate them in Google translator like I did XD –mutters about not knowing if they even translated his name right-
Dark Angel: Chapter Thirty-Four
No my friend, darkness is not everywhere, for here and there I find faces illuminated from within; paper lanterns hanging among the dark trees. –Carole Borges
I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers. –Helen Keller
Birds chirped softly in the light, fluttering by in strange iridescent colors, calling out to each other in high trilling tones. The sky was an endless, boundless blue, stretching on like a canvas overhead, splashed with white. The grass was green and young, the trees tall and ancient, forever protecting this splendiferous paradise.
Yet, with all those seemingly happy decorations—for that was all they were, ornaments—the paradise had an oddly melancholy tone. Like it was deserted, unloved, lonely.
And for all its own rights, it was.
"Ne, where'd you go?" called a small voice from behind a tree. Another girl, older with a serene expression on her face, ran by into the meadow clearing, dotted with fresh wildflowers. The owner of the first voice darted out too, a young boy. They laughed together before vanishing into the trees again, shimmering away to appear somewhere else that mattered to the pair.
Soon, another boy appeared. He had a wide grin on his face; but if you looked closely into his eyes, you could see the sadness that seemed permanent in those blue, blue orbs—the exact color of the sky. The boy ran to a large tree that suddenly appeared in the middle of the meadow, one swing hanging from a long branch. He perched on it, smiling all the while. Two other figures ran by in the shadows of the forest, leaving twin smears of black and pink in the air before fading away.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" called an annoyed voice. Tsunade stepped out from the trees, looking younger than recent times. She looked right past the blonde boy sitting on the swing and instead focused on another shadow stepping into the meadow's light, older than the boy on the swing but younger than what he had become now. "Come on, we've got that checkup to do."
"Whatever, Tsunade-baa-chan," said the older boy in the orange and blue jumpsuit. He had hands clasped behind his head, sighing impatiently. They vanished together when they reached the trees.
And so the morning went—not that the morning ever stopped. It was always perpetually light here, because the shadows were found in the 'people' and not the scenery. The scenery were merely formed by the people, disappearing at their own whim.
People flickered by. Sometimes it was an arguing trio with heads of blonde, brown, and black hair. Other times, a sweet voice could be heard ringing out softly next to the louder, gruffer one of her teammate's and the quiet stolid one of her other comrade. Once a flash of green passed by, following a darting pale shape and a girl with brown hair pulled up tight in twin buns. All the while, the small blonde boy sat on the swing, watching his surroundings with a sorrowful expression.
Finally, one of the shadow people noticed the boy sitting on the swing.
"Naruto." An older version of the blonde boy walked toward him, turning to lean against the rough bark of the tree. The first boy looked up at him with a somewhat idolized expression. "How are you?"
"Same as always. Watching." Both of them turned to look at the trees, dark with flitting shadows but never once giving off a menacing feeling.
"Something's different today," the second boy said quietly. He crossed his arms, the fabric of his black-and-orange jumpsuit wrinkling slightly. "It's been different recently, actually. Haven't you felt it? Something is happening down below."
"If only we could see it," answered Naruto softly. "But we're trapped here, bound by the very thing that we thought was important. It's a lonely place, you've felt it too."
"And we're stuck forever unless we are called back."
Both sighed. "Maybe we will get called back soon," said the younger boy hopefully. "Maybe he's finally learning to remember again."
"Perhaps. Maybe our successor will be smarter, and learn that memories are meant to be kept, not thrown away." The older boy laughed, "Well, we can hope, can't we? We can wait, because that's all we can do. Unfortunately, this isn't heaven. It's just the lost place nobody ever bothers to remember."
"But we do!" Young Naruto leaped off his swing, shaking his hair wildly. "Heh, anyway, thanks for talking to me, Naruto!" He grinned before flitting away, the tree disappearing in his wake. Naruto was left staring at the empty space as the memory fled, leaving the site quickly. It was always like this—running and coming back, an endless cycle of nothingness.
Naruto turned to stare down at the floor, as if that alone would make the ground transparent and so they could see the mortal world again. What was going on down there? Would they ever be recalled back from this emptiness—the place where lost memories called home?
"Take us back soon. Please."
The only thing Naruto had felt before was rage.
It had started to take over his mind, as well as the Kyuubi's influence leaching out to taint his thinking. It had been as Naruto had suspected—the fox was just a greedy, conniving monster. Unfortunately, the whole task of getting past seven tails was still not easy, because the Kyuubi seemed to be trying to reign his own chakra in, not letting it escape. Still, it was difficult to fight against one's own nature.
But then, when he had been so close (who cared if it was his own former teammates he was hurting, who cared about the expressions on their faces or more of those he had once thought to protect coming to destroy him—who cared about any of them) to achieving what he had desired, something happened.
Hands.
Light as a feather's touch, but weighing down on his shoulders and eyes, causing them to close and him to relax. Before he saw blackness, he'd seen pale features and a soft smile. Nakami? he had thought, confused. Nakami wasn't supposed to be out of her cave. It was impossible.
Then again, was anything really impossible? It was only what he thought was impossible that seemed impossible… And then his mind went rambling again, lost in the darkness with nothing to grasp him. Perhaps this was what really happened after seven tails. Maybe he was lost now. Dead. Could that be possible? The notion that he was no longer living scared him a little, because to think he had died just like that was difficult to believe.
It was then he felt something soft envelop him, or perhaps his consciousness. Tender and loving, a sister's care or a mother's concern; something akin to what might have been family, if only he had ever experience what a family was like.
The feeling guided him carefully along, still in the dark. Maybe Naruto's eyes were shut tightly or it was just too dark (in his own soul) to see, but he didn't know where this feeling was taking him. It was nice to just relax though, and let someone else take over for a while. Yes, that was it. He was just tired. He was just experiencing a brief lapse of judgment, of control.
Oh, then tell me, whispered the sniveling voice that had haunted him for so long, taunting him, teasing him, making his life a living hell when he was younger. He remembered this voice, his own voice. Now, the whispers seemed louder than ever, ringing around him like a snake's hiss, slithering and staining his mind. Tell me, what have these last two years been to you? One giant mistake, or something that has brought you on your true path?
Naruto felt himself stop. He tried to open his eyes—perhaps they were already wide open, he just couldn't see—but nothing except blackness pierced his vision. The hissing voice and a dark, deep howl joined in simultaneous laughter as his consciousnesses continued to play tricks on him.
A second later, he was moving again, pulled along by firm tugs. The laughter grew fainter before disappearing in the depths of his mind once more, and finally Naruto could see again.
It was nothing he had not seen before…and yet, something was different. Strangely so.
The golden walls were awash with a bloody light, dark and terrifying. It was like someone had taken a bucket of red and thrown it, smashed it, against the wall, leaving stains everywhere—but it wasn't blood. The normally dark floor covered in a murky, ankle-deep water was smoking with a light steam, creating an impenetrable fog which was just as bad as the darkness he'd left. What was this place? How had his mind changed?
Something pulled his hand, and Naruto looked down to see pale fingers gripping his own. The hand was attached to an arm that reached a pointy elbow, but then the rest of the body was gone in the mist. He didn't have to see the entire person to know who it was.
Why she cared for him was another question completely.
A roar shook his vision suddenly, and the whole room quaked like they were on some giant monster's back and it was bucking them off. Once, when Naruto had been very young, he had vague recollections of an earthquake hitting Konoha. His small apartment had almost toppled onto the street; as it was, the room under him had caved. Luckily, nobody had been in the apartment at the time, seeing how it was October 10. The tremors that slid through the room with golden bars shivered to a stop, reminding Naruto of that earthquake so long ago. It seemed he had kept some memories after all, strange as they were.
The bloody light wavered before slinking down the walls slightly, like Shikamaru's shadow jutsu when left on his opponent too long. Water pooled around Naruto's ankles as he was pushed forward, Nakami disappearing behind him. He thought he heard some soft words coming from her, but he couldn't tell what it was as, for the first time in years, he felt curiosity. An undeniable, surge of curiosity which forced his mouth open, words falling unbidden from his lips.
"Why are you here?" he asked loudly, as if the room wasn't already dead silent despite the ripples forming from up ahead suggesting otherwise. There should have been some sort of noise, breathing, words, waves lapping against an object, but nothing. Strange.
Nakami didn't answer. For a brief second, Naruto wondered if she had disappeared, until suddenly a soft hand gripped his arm in an iron-hard hold, and a smooth voice murmured, "I'm sorry, Naruto. We will get through this together, but to get to the ending we must always go through pain first. It is in that way we will grow."
Before he had a chance to ponder her strange words, the hand was gone, the thick fog stirring in her wake as she dashed ahead. Finally some noise permeated the too-silent, heavy atmosphere, as her footsteps made splashes in the liquid on the floor.
And then, the most excruciating pain Naruto had experienced in a long time gripped his heart, and he was bending over, falling onto the floor. Water pooled around him (or whatever the mysterious liquid was) but didn't seep into his clothes, weirdly enough. That anomaly didn't hold a candle to the fire spreading from Naruto's insides, his heart. It was like one of those giant forest fires that sometimes happened when the weather got too dry, resulting in blackened stumps and a charred wasteland.
Naruto knew this pain.
It was familiar, sadly so. The Kyuubi's chakra wasn't something that could be mistaken, so… He gasped and felt himself being pushed onto his back, as the sear of the chakra traveled toward his head. The aftereffects were a dull numbing throb, making him sigh and catch his breath all at once. If it was like this in his own mind, within himself, he didn't want to know what his actual body would be experiencing.
The chakra covered him, coated him thoroughly. He half expected there to be orange chakra covering him, literally, but when he hazily opened his eyes, all he saw was a dim black.
Something touched him on his forehead lightly, whispering words that reminded him of family and love. Foreign feelings (which, sadly, had once-upon-a-time not been so alien) rushed through him like a bittersweet wave, forcing the numbness to recede a bit in favor of the cooling care being transmitted to him from the touch on his forehead.
"It's okay, Naruto. We're almost done, so wake up now," said Nakami from somewhere close to him, sounding tired but happy. "We're almost complete. You're almost free."
A small part of Naruto—which made him wonder, how could he still think even within his own mindscape?—hissed at the intrusion, crying, We don't need your help! We were fine. We wanted to die in this oblivion.
A larger part, which he didn't even know existed, pushed back. You're wrong.
I'm wrong.
The touch on his forehead seemed to push back the numbness for brief, tantalizingly clear seconds, finally erasing what the Kyuubi had implanted in his mind two years ago, an eternity ago. He began to remember, from the tiniest things like a hand holding his or a smile directed toward his younger self to larger events—even to the point where he met Team 7. Naruto cried out, eyes struggling to open; they felt so heavy, though, like weights had been placed on them. He heard a sharp intake of breath somewhere near him before the cool touch was taken away, and then the numbness returned, fogging up his mind with the Kyuubi's hateful words once more.
A pain began throbbing in his head as he slowly reminded himself to breathe. Just breathe. He had experienced worse than this, after all, hadn't he? When he left Konoha—the pain had been unbearable. When he fought Pein. When Hinata had been 'killed', when he had hurt Sakura so many times, when Sasuke had shoved a fist through his chest, when Jiraiya and the Sandaime and so many countless others had hurt and suffered and died for him.
It wasn't the villagers' fault for forgetting him—after what he'd done, he deserved to be betrayed. Because he had let his mind be clouded by tempts of promises, protections, and then he had left, even knowing everything that everyone he cared about had sacrificed for him so that he would stay and be loved in Konoha. He had done the exact same thing the villagers had done to him, except he had committed the act to all those he had cared about; betrayed them terribly.
It was only right that they should kill him. Naruto clenched his eyes. He didn't need to open them anymore, because what he had been searching for all along had finally returned since that dark night long ago when he'd let them go. Memories, the pieces of his soul, of him.
And while Naruto could feel regret again, he still couldn't bring himself to say it or even think it. He couldn't go back to Konoha.
Not only was he no longer welcomed…some part of him had seen the full truth behind their actions anyway. There would always be those who cared for him, for nobody was alone in their world, no matter what they chose to personally believe. But to stay for a village made of fools was no better. To fight for people who would turn a blind eye when you were labeled a traitor, to those who would change their evaluations in a heartbeat, anything as long as they themselves survived was not something Naruto wanted.
He wanted freedom. That was all.
A rumbling roar shook his body again, and this time Naruto knew it was from outside as the Kyuubi vented his anger.
What are you doing? His voice was harsh and terrible, grating on the ears. Naruto could imagine the tails whipping around in anger. The words seemed to reverberate not only in Naruto's head but also in the room itself, no longer a manifestation of the demon's will but a real, solid thing. What had Nakami done?
I am merely setting things back to what they should be, some part of Naruto answered calmly. You should never have tried to influence me.
At least I tried! At least I saw what was best for you—for us, the fox seethed, and finally Naruto wished he could open his eyes if only to see the Kyuubi's anger. Didn't I tell you those villagers were worthless idiots? They never cared about you and they never will! I was the only one who ever knew what was best for you—
Stop it. I know who I am now, and you can't change that! Naruto ignored the fact that he had thought so once before too, when his ideals were more firmly set than they were now. And back then, the Kyuubi had still managed to change him.
The Kyuubi snorted, laughing. There was something strangely pitiful in the sound, like a beast who realizes he has nowhere left to run except into the trap. So all that hard work was for nothing? All that brainwashing, carefully whispered plans and hatred and killing? Oh well, what I've stained on your soul is irreversible anyway. You won't be accepted into Heaven if there ever was one—I only knew Hell anyway. To think that you would be the one…to bring it all down. Isn't that ironic? The very last words were not spoken to Naruto. More rather, someone who seemed to be standing directly between Naruto and the cage. Then the fox quickly refocused his words toward Naruto, the usually lazy tone becoming quicker in anger. I knew you were up to something when I felt you pulling my chakra. Of course I didn't think anything of it because you were too weak, and you still are, you know. Too weak to do anything that actually matters! So I slept. And when I wake, this is what I find, total chaos and your body reaching past seven tails…and then this Uchiha-wannabe comes in and forces you past eight tails altogether!
"I'm sure you're wondering something, though," said a quiet, labored voice. Nakami. The fox let out a snort of displeasure when he was interrupted from his long rant. "Why aren't you in your true, mountainous form? Why aren't you towering over the world? Why aren't you ruling all? I'm sure you know why though, and that was why you didn't want Naruto going past seven tails. There was a chance somebody would stop you…but it isn't me."
Then who? Naruto wanted to ask. Who cared enough about him to stop the demon, if not Nakami?
It's those eyes again, the Kyuubi suddenly hissed in displeasure. His voice quieted for a brief moment, granting a beat of silence for Naruto's abused ears. And then something akin to alarm entered his voice—but why would the Kyuubi feel alarm of all things? What are you doing? No. You can't come out—not you too! What are you doing?
"You must be gone. For that I am sorry."
Put those cursed eyes back! I knew this would happen!
"Only I have this power to seal you utterly and completely, but I cannot do it without help. My eyes can control you for a small amount of time…however, to save Naruto, I need another person's help. I need someone who loves Naruto unconditionally, no matter what, and that person is standing right here next to me."
Who? Naruto wondered, who could Nakami be talking about? Who loves me…that much? What was going on? He wished he could open his eyes now, but it was like someone had placed a binding ninjutsu on him. No matter how hard he struggled, his eyes refused to open, yielding nothing but frustration as he could only listen to the words flying around him, signaling that his fate was being decided without him.
He heard splashes to his right, and instinctively his head turned to face them. Something touched his face and Naruto flinched back briefly, not expecting the light touch. The hand—assuming that's what had touched him—quickly retracted again. Someone made a small, low hmphing noise and then the steps circled around again.
"You see, the Uzumaki clan was renowned for their fuuinjutsu. (1) They developed the very seals that imprisoned you, in fact. I'm sure you remember your previous jinchuuriki host quite well, don't you?" There was an answering growling laugh, half annoyed and half resigned.
Who could forget her?
Who—was she?
Nakami continued softly. "And you know she taught her husband the seal that allowed your chakra to gradually leak out into your host's body, eventually contaminating both of you until the host grew strong and you were weakened. However, she also taught him one last thing before she died… and that is what will bring you down today. Do you know what it is?"
The fox didn't answer, but Naruto could practically feel his impatience. On the other hand, his own brain was whirring frantically. Something about what Nakami had said stuck with him—'she taught her husband the seal'. Who was the previous jinchuuriki? A woman? A flood of remembrance, like déjà vu, fluttered through him, along with the strangest flashes of brilliant red hair and long fingers stroking his face. The only person who had ever sealed Naruto was the Fourth Hokage—his father. And if she was Minato's husband, who was his father, then that meant one thing and one thing only…
Naruto had never been the smartest kid in the class and he knew it. Still, without a doubt, he knew who the previous jinchuuriki had been—
His mother.
A foreign feeling crashed through him. Mother? What was he talking about? How could he have a mother? It wasn't so much the idea that scared him, it was the fact that he had never had one and now, all of a sudden, he did. A real, l—well, not living. But someone who had once been real and breathing and had loved him with all her heart. He had had a mom, just like he had had a dad. Unfortunately, it was the demon who had ripped both away from him.
It was the demon who he had followed. It was the demon who he had thought would right all the wrongs in Naruto's twisted world, but in the end, only he had corrupted himself and his friends for listening to the demon.
What truthful words would a demon have to say, after all?
Lying on the ground like this, completely vulnerable to attack yet feeling utterly safe, Naruto felt at peace. Sure, there was a lingering sensation of having all his deeds spread out before him—all the blood staining his hands—and judgment, but that could be done later. Right now, he knew what he wanted for the future… something so unattainable, something that multiple shinobi had pursued in a useless attempt to fulfill. Something everyone sought to capture, something everyone wanted to prevent violence.
Peace.
However, the difference with Naruto was that he only wanted it for himself. Wishing it upon the whole world would be an impossible task, because there was no such thing as worldwide peace. There would forever be the small conflicts happening everywhere, and one person's definition of peace would only lead to another's death in their vain attempt to fulfill that wish for 'peace'.
Peace was truly something ironic and cruel.
He breathed deeply then, feeling thoughts clear from his mind smoothly. The sense of calmness overtook him again and Naruto twitched his finger. Nakami's sensible words were still flying around him while the Kyuubi's dark and low growl shook the room. They were still fighting, or perhaps Nakami was explaining.
Wait no. She was saying something different now. She was talking to him.
"…I don't know what to tell you, Naruto. I don't know if it will hurt. I'm so sorry. But… it will help you. So believe in me, believe in us, and we will get through this. You'll be able to fly again! You'll be free." Her breathing was labored, her words coming sluggishly at times.
Why are you so tired? Naruto asked, wondering if she could even hear him. A soft, wheezing laugh answered his unsaid question.
"Some things must be sacrificed to keep others alive. That is the way life comes around." And those were the only words she on that topic before issuing a series of commands, voice suddenly growing harder. "Listen! When I tell you, stand, okay? Fight against anything that tries to push or pull you down. You must stand, then walk three paces forward. After that, focus on my voice. Stay with us."
Okay…Naruto thought, seemingly unable to speak aloud. If anyone were watching him, they probably thought he was just a dead corpse and nothing more. That thought prompted him to wonder about the people he'd left outside—those he had sworn to protect but had ended up failing anyway because of his own promises—and how they were coping. Did they think he had died too? As far as he could tell, it would make their mission a hell lot easier if he was lying there like a dead corpse, which was what he was suspecting.
Nakami's voice crying out loud snapped him out of his reverie. He couldn't understand a word she was chanting, but he understood enough to feel the tingles of chakra and something more scatter over his skin. He could distinguish his chakra and the scalding of the Kyuubi's and cooler velvety night ones of Nakami's and then… a stranger's. Like fresh water and a stream but with an inexorable sense of power. A waterfall.
Once again, he wondered, Who is that? But there was no one to answer him, as usual.
"Naruto." Nakami's voice came all too soon, breaking into his brief daydream of something with feathers and hope. "Please come forward."
He remembered her instructions and stood. The instant his limbs moved, it was clear that not only had his eyes been bound by some invisible sort of ninjutsu, his body had been confined as well. It was like moving underwater—something unpleasant for most shinobi since water was harder to move freely in than air, understandably—with stones weighted onto one's foot. Except in his case, the stones were all over him, dragging him down and down and down until he felt he would suffocate.
"Try! Naruto, please. Stand for me. For us." And then Nakami was bringing him back to the surface again, and somehow, he found the strength to stand. His limbs quivered and his chest heaved like he had just ran the trip from Suna to Konoha nonstop in one day. Something seemed to slide smoothly off him then, and his limbs were free.
Step forward… he remembered, taking one, two, three steps up. He wondered what was going to happen, and it occurred to Naruto that if he could now move—perhaps he could see again? He tried.
They opened.
It was one of the strangest scenes, no doubt, that he had seen in a while. The cage was about a foot away from him. The fox was not half as far; in fact, the first thing Naruto had seen when he'd opened his eyes was a dark nose. Then Naruto realized something was wrong.
The cage was open. The Kyuubi's gates, the one that kept him sealed safely away, were open. Naruto gasped, and almost took a step back, until firm arms pushed against him. "Don't move, Naruto." He obeyed but continued to stare warily at the fox, wondering why he wasn't attacking…wondering why he himself wasn't dead yet. His gaze traveled upward along the long orange snout until it reached his eyes, and then he had gotten his answer.
In those normally fierce, hatred-filled orbs was something docile. Calmer. Transfixed, with three faint dots around the pupil like someone's Sharingan gone wrong. His mouth was crinkled in a terrible roar, frozen but breathing; the Kyuubi was still conscious, as Naruto could easily tell by the small miniscule movements the fox gave off through his eyes. He didn't need them to be clear to read their murderous, bloodthirsty intent.
"What have you done, Nakami?" he whispered. Only after the words emerged from his still-open mouth did the fact hit him—he had spoken. He was no longer confined to his own mind, slowly going insane by waiting. Naruto took the chance to ask more questions, bumbling over himself in his hurry to shove them out. It was like the small eternity of being under the Kyuubi's indirect control had caused him to slowly store up his curiosity till it burst, overfilling him. "Who were you talking about that loved me so much? What are you doing now? What am I supposed to do? Why did you tell me to stay with you? What's going to happen? Will I die?"
"You will not die, Naruto. I will never allow that. More questions can be answered after this, though. We must hurry—my Sharingan will not hold the fox forever. Stay where you are. Don't move. Listen to me." Her voice had grown sweeter, lulling, causing Naruto's head to droop forward in exhaustion. The strains of breaking free of whatever bond that had kept him on the floor caught up to him again like a freight train, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Why was he denied of death too? Was there no decision he could make willingly by his own freedom? His eyes focused half-drearily on the ground, tracing strange intricate patterns laid out beneath his feet.
Suddenly realizing what exactly he was staring at, he jerked his head to the right and left. There was the same pattern swirling around him, filled with intricate symbols and lines incorporated by the same streak of dark inky black. The seal—for what else could it be but that?—stretched about a foot to either side of him, and he stood in the center. A kanji for the word 'live' was placed under his feet and nothing else.
Naruto was allowed no more thinking time as a strange sucking sound blew through the air. The water in his cage whipped into frenzies, swirling up in watery tornadoes before slamming back into the ground, creating ripples. Two separate forces, Nakami's chakra and the stranger's, mixed behind him to create something undefeatable and powerful, sending goose bumps down Naruto's spine. At the same moment, the Kyuubi's eyes abruptly cleared and he growled, clearly about to spring.
You have made a dreadful mistake, brat! Don't think that just because you've sealed me once you can do it again! I won't allow it!
"We will stop you. We must." Nakami said like a chant, over and over. "Stay with us. Stay with us, Naruto." He wondered why she was saying that as fatigue threatened to overtake him, hindering his sense of strategy and clever thinking. He found out a moment later.
The Kyuubi sprung, slamming himself forward. Wild springs of chakra flamed into existence, a brilliant orange, before suddenly being sucked forward into the seal around Naruto's feet. The fox let out a scream (it could hardly be called anything but that) and leaped forward again, meeting the same barrier Naruto hadn't noticed before. More small slips of chakra flowed into the seals decorating the floor, and the seal began to glow a bright gold, pulsing in time to the chakra that flowed quicker and quicker into it. Naruto's fatigue reached a new level about five minutes—or what he measured as minutes, seeing there was no real time in this place inside him—into the strange ceremony, and his head spun dizzily. His breath came shorter and quicker; it only influenced the dizziness. The only conclusion he could reach was that his own energy was being sapped along with the Kyuubi's, but unlike the demon's, he showed it. The Nine-tails just continued its relentless, stubborn, snarling, stupid attack at the thing in front of Naruto. Couldn't the beast see it was no use fighting anymore? Surely it didn't want its freedom that much? Even as Naruto thought it, he knew how stupid a question it was. The seal was now spinning and glowing faster and faster, creating a light bulb effect that sent black images dancing across Naruto's retinas. He barely felt himself swaying.
"Naruto! Stay with us!" yelled a voice, feminine and piercing through the nearly drunk haze he'd been enveloped in. That voice. Nakami? Vaguely, he remembered her, and slowly the fog cleared. His breathing steadied. "Please. Only a little longer." Her own breathing wasn't half as stable, fluctuating between short punctuated gasps and long dragging releases. Naruto could now hear a similar breathing from his right, whereas Nakami was on his left. An itching sensation to just turn and see who this mystery person was burned at him, and he moved his left foot slightly.
"Don't move. It's almost over. Survive, Naruto." A new voice spoke, jarring Naruto as he froze in place. It was male, deep, and utterly familiar even though Naruto was sure he had never heard that voice before in his life. A sense of security rose in him, and he unconsciously found himself relaxing.
This man will save me. He will protect me... from everything.
He breathed.
Naruto would never realize just how close he had been to death at that moment, when the Kyuubi had sapped his energy in exchange for the seemingly endless chakra flooding into the seal. It was probably a good thing in the end, though.
"Almost done," Nakami was saying now, over and over. The world continued to spin around Naruto, but it was no longer his own doing. The room was indeed whirling, and the walls were beginning to dissolve into a starkly black place littered with dark red gates. A stray wind blew past a sheet of paper, one that Naruto knew was the seal to the Kyuubi's old cage. The seal beneath his feet had slowed down its pulsing; it glowed orange and red, intermediately changing every now and then. Chakra still flowed in, even though the demon was no longer struggling. Instead, the once proud Kyuubi lay on his stomach, ears flattened but eyes no lacking its original venom.
This is why I hate you all. Humans, nasty, every one of you, he bit, lashing out in his anger. Trying to control what you shouldn't be able to, just because it scares you! I tried to help you, Naruto, and this is what I get?
"You have helped me," Naruto tried to answer, but he couldn't speak. But I just don't need you anymore.
At last, somewhat anticlimactically, the end came. The demon's chakra stopped flowing, coming in spurts or so. The fox looked rather diminished, and Naruto felt a pang of pity inside him against his own will. The seal glowed so intensely it was hard to look at directly, and heavy breathing coming from behind him signaled there had been more going on to this sealing than he had thought. After all, the only thing Naruto had bothered doing was stand there and wait patiently for this torture to end, when he would finally get his answers.
"Naruto…" came Nakami's breathy whisper. "Can you do one last thing for me? Concentrate all the energy you have left, and close the seal beneath you. Only you can do that, if you accept your destiny. Do you accept your fate?"
Do you accept that you won't have this power anymore? You will finally have control of your own life, which might be terrifying but it is necessary for survival? Do you understand you will be part of who you were before once more?
"I do."
The words spilled from Naruto's lips without his complete consent, but he accepted them anyway. Closing his eyes and drawing a shuddering breath, he thought about all the things he had ever left behind—but he couldn't regret it, because he had already embraced this plummeting insanity. He would have to suffer to make up for it, but he would willingly die now to protect those he had once sworn to. He would accept his punishments, accept his fate, accept his destiny and lifestyle. He was Uzumaki Naruto, after all.
The seal sent up a blinding woosh of wind around Naruto's face, riffling his hair and blasting warmth around his face before the seal disappeared from beneath his feet. Any sense of lingering warmth vanished just as quickly, leaching away into nothingness as Naruto opened his eyes again. The Kyuubi still lay before him, less than half his size. Orange eyes roiled.
"What did I do?"
"You did the right thing," said that oh-so-familiar male voice again, and finally he came into Naruto's vision.
The first thing his stunned brain registered was the shocking fairness. Blonde skin, smooth pale skin, a long white coat embroidered with four red characters… blue, blue eyes. The second thought was, he looks an awful lot like me. The third terrifying realization hit him directly after the second, because holy hell this could not be his father.
"You're not—"
"I'm proud of you, Naruto," was all the man said before hugging him. Naruto stared over his white-clad shoulder in disbelief, watching the nothingness stretch on forever and forever, so much like the darkness inside him. His instinct gnawed at him and he pushed the man roughly away.
"Who are you? What do you think you're doing, saying you're proud of me? There's nothing in me to be—proud of—" Naruto clenched his mouth to stop the words from bubbling out. He was prideful if nothing else, even if there was little inside of him that anyone would envy.
"But I am your father, Naruto, and I would be proud of anything you did. To overcome the Kyuubi and the multiple obstacles set up in your life… you are a miracle, and don't forget that. You are special, Naruto, and to be special and unique does not mean to be ostracized. You are my son, the Fourth Hokage's son," he smiled, "and you will always be loved. No matter who you are, I will love you, cherish you, because you are part of me."
Something broke inside Naruto, and he felt the strangest sensation of tears welling up behind his eyes. Here was a man who was proud of him…who was his father. Someone he didn't think he would meet anywhere—much less inside him. Which meant that he had been watching him all along, and everything he did. "But why? I've been so bad. I turned against the village you wanted to protect. I'm tainted."
"You didn't hurt Konoha, and that's all that matters. Anything else can be atoned for in time, and you will spend the rest of your life wisely, Naruto. I can see it." His father's features were gentle and accepting, causing something to lurch inside Naruto's chest. His heart. He had thought it had been burned away by the Kyuubi, but it seemed not.
Minato coughed, forcing Naruto to look at him. "I'm sorry, son. I can't stay—my time was already weak here. I'm afraid I'll have to leave her to explain everything," he said. To Naruto's horror (he had only found his father and already he was being ripped away, like everything else in his world) Minato's hands were starting to grow transparent and he shimmered like an old film. "You won't be plagued by the Kyuubi any further, because his power has been sealed away. He won't hurt you anymore." Another gentle, too gentle smile.
"Wait!" Naruto finally yelled, his voice breaking past the obstruction in his throat. "Don't leave. Don't leave!" Not when I finally found you. Found someone who loved me.
"I'm not leaving… because we will always be here with you. Don't forget us, Naruto…"
And then his father was gone again, like a wisp on the wind.
Naruto staggered back, eyes wide. It felt like someone had taken his chest and ripped a vital organ out (he still refused to say which one was hurting), leaving him blank and empty. A hand instantly materialized on his back, soft and soothing.
"Naruto, it's almost time to go. It may seem like multiple eons have passed in here, but in reality, it has not even been a full minute. You will wake, and stay awake. You will protect Konoha and honor your promises, because that is who you are, so never change your views. You will fight against the Kyuubi should he ever rise to power within your lifetime again…you will live," she whispered fiercely.
It caused him to look at her, eyes confused. "Live? For who?"
"For me. For your parents. For Konoha," Nakami answered softly. She looked disturbingly haggard, cheeks sunken and eyes shadowed, clouded over in exhaustion. She looked frail and skinny, worse than when Naruto had seen her for the first time barely a month ago. So much had passed between then and now, and he felt older after it all. So old. "For all those who have died for your sake. Live."
Her hand fell from his shoulder, and she gave a small, happy sigh. "I leave with you knowledge of everything that happened. I have transmitted it to you, so you will remember your mistakes"—he cringed, feeling the weight of foreign memories press down on his brain—"and learn from them."
"Why do you sound like you're leaving too?" Naruto asked, defenses too low and vulnerable to try pulling back up, dignity too far gone to try and mask the hurt and begging and patheticness in his broken voice.
"This is part of why I was created: I was the sacrifice. Someone had to die to carry the Kyuubi's chakra out with them, like your father did with his death god jutsu, but I am already a soul. I will put the demon at rest forever. He is chained here at your mercy." She indicated toward the unmoving orange mass of fur, barely breathing. "He has not lost any of his hatred though. I believe your mistakes will keep you from falling under his spell again, though. So live," she urged once more.
And Nakami smiled.
It was one of the most beautiful things Naruto saw, and he could practically see the tears in her eyes. Then...
She burst apart in a brilliant splash of sparkling particles, falling in slow motion through the air, dissolving. Naruto's jaw hung open as he lost another person—another person for him, who they shouldn't have tried to save at all.
The landscape around him fell too, crumbling away. A burning pain stabbed him, and he knelt on the ground while blackness encompassed his whole being and everything he had ever known, three words continuing to ring in his ears, burning him and his unhealable soul.
"Live…For us."
"What's going on?"
Tsunade's harsh whisper brought Sakura's head whipping around, eyes wide. Her shishou looked focused and cruel, battle-ready like the teams behind her.
It was farther than anything from the emotions swirling inside Sakura.
In times of need, she had never been able to control them well, the pink-haired kunoichi remembered somewhat bitterly. She had sworn to herself this time she would forget about the loathsome emotions scampering around inside her, causing havoc and simply disrupting the lifestyle she'd chosen. After all, if she wanted to pay attention to those worthless feelings, she could've just been a housewife and stayed at home all day, tending to her multiple children as her husband worked.
But no, Sakura always had wanted to be stronger. She had always wanted to be something—for herself.
And she had done an okay job, or so she'd thought. In the beginning, Sakura had managed to convince even herself that they would go through it, and at that time, she knew she would. They would kill Naruto and do whatever else they needed to, perhaps at the cost of their own lives if need be.
Then they had been blinded by a strange light, and now, staring at what was left…
Maybe it's natural that I feel like this, she tried to reassure herself, ignoring the fact that Tsunade looked firm and strong, like a true leader. Unlike her own probably worried, drawn face; tense body, shaking limbs; results of fear.
A movement in the corner of her eye brought the sight of Yamato to her vision. He looked grim and determined. For one brief second, Sakura allowed herself to wonder why he hadn't stopped Naruto from his transformation—why he hadn't been there to help them, why he couldn't the blame for everything? Then again, it wasn't fair of her to place the burden of blame upon their old taichou's shoulders. It wasn't his fault Naruto had returned the blue crystal necklace of the First Hokage's to Tsunade, preventing Yamato from stopping his transformations. In reality, this was the doing of many people. The Kyuubi, herself, Naruto, Sasuke, the villagers…everyone could find blame, but they had to come to peace with themselves before they could move on.
A silent sob wracked her chest, and one tear dared streak down her cheek before the rest were firmly pushed back. That was the last tear of Sakura's to fall for the rest of the day.
"Please, Tsunade-sama. Do what you need to." Yamato's voice was quiet and reassuring as ever, placing an invisible solid blanket of security around Sakura. He hadn't said, 'Please, Tsunade-sama, save him.' It was too late to do any saving of any kind.
Tsunade nodded firmly, closing her eyes before opening them abruptly again, turning to Sakura. "Are you sure you don't want to do this, Sakura? Any of you?" she said to the rest of the Konoha 10; the other half had finally caught up just as the blinding flash of light had been sent out from Naruto's body.
They all shook their heads in the negative. Most because, even after all this time, they hadn't experienced as much pain as Tsunade had. And that pain in itself had made Tsunade strong, had made her know what such a burden of killing their loved ones would be.
A selfish, selfish part of Sakura was glad Tsunade would be forced to carry the weight of murdering Naruto.
She squeezed her eyes shut again, breathing heavily to smooth out her thumping heartbeat. It didn't work as whispers stirred behind her, reminding Sakura of the existence of the troops that had followed Tsunade. Those gossiping chunins—jounins—all of them. She clenched her hands, turning her head to shoot a burning green glare at the them.
They flinched back with a collective gasp. Sakura felt a thrill of satisfaction swirl through her, forcing her to bite her lip to keep the somewhat feral growl from slipping out. As she turned back to face the clearing (still managing to keep her eyes averted to the sight of Tsunade slipping forward toward Naruto's prone body) she caught Hinata's pale eye. Surprisingly, the usually soft-spoken—Sakura had learned that Hinata wasn't shy or timid, merely not very vocal with words—Hyuuga didn't have tears of any sort on her face. A glance around showed equal results; it looked as if one good thing had come out of this foolish mess Naruto had created single-handedly.
They had finally learned to be strong. Strong for everything they stood for. They had learned to protect everything they cared for. Naruto had helped them in the end after all.
Later, Sakura had discovered that the Konoha shinobi hadn't been saying bad words about Naruto at all. True, they still had no clue who the slumped figure in the center of the clearing was, and their whispers were merely of curiosity. They had been called out to a war, so where was the battle?
Sakura turned her head back to Tsunade. Her old sensei's head was bowed, and Naruto lay at her feet. His skin looked perfect, no sign of the battle-worn scars or recently inflicted injuries she knew had decorated his skin not moments before. The flash of whiteness had simply erased everything.
The Fifth Hokage raised one hand silently before stiffening. She turned slightly to Yamato, saying in a quiet voice, "Get them away. This is …"
Yamato understood. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. Shall I take the reinforcements to other areas?" Tsunade gave a quick nod of acknowledgment before she raised her hand again. This time, an audible buzz activated before green chakra (destroying instead of healing this time) slid cleanly around her fist. Sakura recognized this form of death; it had been the second thing Tsunade had taught her. It was a painless one, meant simply to still the victim's vitals and heartbeat in one super-massive flush of energy.
It seemed Tsunade could not put aside her differences any more than the rest of them. She still wanted the best for Naruto in the end.
Her hand came down.
(1) Fuuinjutsu: sealing techniques.
Hmm, out of obvious reasons, I wonder if I could possibly write something funny. Light. Not so dark and creepy o.o I'm going to try, one day *determined face* I will do it, just watch! On another note, trolling people's faves are awfully fun. And so are writing cliffies –evil smile-
Feedback is greatly appreciated ^^ (like always, lol) So if you have the time, please leave a review! Especially since we're nearing the end… ! *puppy dog face* Pleeease. Okay. Done. (Wow, I still can't believe, even though I wrote them all, that DA has over thirty chapters. I must have too much time on my hands, eh.)
TBC!
P.S. Anyone ever watched Code Geass?
P.P.S. Rest assured, Naruto is not dead. (I thought about posting that to reassure anyone who cared, and then I thought about deleting it to be mean, but … I felt nice today. So I kept it.) Was the ending, where the Kyuubi got banished, to your satisfaction? Or should it have been more dramatic, actiony, whatever? Feedback! :)