Towards the Sun
Chapter 18
Why?
Why was everything so dark?
Hinata remembered standing in the middle of the Chuunin Exam arena with Hanabi, then a cloaked figure advanced on them – she had glimpsed red irises marked by the familiar tomoe mark of the Uchiha clan. Then, complete darkness had engulfed her.
She looked around, eyes wide with fear, at the void that stretched in all directions. The only thing she heard was the rustle of her kimono as she stepped forward, uncertain and cautious. Even her bare feet made not even the slightest sound in this shapeless world.
Was this genjutsu – an illusionary technique?
"Welcome to my realm."
A disembodied voice echoed in her ears. Hinata saw the darkness shift – a spot before her was shimmering. It steadily expanded, until she could see through it like a round window. Hesitantly, she reached for the opening with her open palm – and met with a cold surface.
"Sasuke!"
She could see him on the other side, yet her words failed to reach his ears.
"He won't hear you. He can't even see you," said the voice with a light chuckle. "Now, watch…"
The scenery beyond the window changed.
Helpless, Hinata could only look on as Sasuke, startled, was taken to a place littered with bodies. The moon poured its silver light over the aghast, frozen faces. On the back of their clothes, they all wore the same crest.
Horrified, Hinata realized it was the dreadful night of the Uchiha clan's massacre.
"What's with this?" she heard Sasuke snap. He had activated his Sharingan and was searching for a weak point.
"Have some patience," replied the voice, a taunting note laced in the words. "And don't waste your chakra. As you already noticed, your eye abilities are useless here."
A faint pitter-patter was coming from one of the residences. Sasuke whirled around just in time to see a young boy burst through a wooden gate, and rush towards him.
"What in the world…"
A gasp escaped Hinata's lips as she recognized the child. It was a young Sasuke; his face was as pale as paper, yet marred with fury and fear. He stopped a short distance away, a storm raging in those black pupils.
In a flurry of colours, the scenery fluttered and disintegrated around Sasuke.
Only his younger self and he remained. The younger Sasuke opened his mouth and began to speak, but no word came out.
"Do you recall what follows this precise moment?" came the strange voice again.
"Stop…"
Sasuke reached for his younger self – his hands passed through the child's body, unnoticed.
"The very first time you awakened your Sharingan!"
Pain shot in Sasuke's chest. The memory of that day rushed back to him, vivid and unforgettable despite the years past.
He witnessed the slow change in his younger self's eyes – how the irises, once as black as the starless night, were stained scarlet with hatred. Around each pupil, a single swirl mark – the Sharingan's tomoe – formed.
"I'll be saving this," said the voice finally. Almost immediately, the younger Sasuke vanished and was replaced by a glowing orb.
Beneath it, a pale hand emerged from the darkness. It was followed by a masked woman with short purple hair. Her pupils blazed red with the Sharingan.
"Ai, was it?" said Sasuke. He tried to step forward – he could not. Grunting, he struggled against the invisible force. It had glued his feet to the spot.
"Correct," said Ai. She grabbed the shining sphere and, removing her mask, brought it to her eyes. "At last," she whispered.
Her irises no longer held the familiar scarlet from earlier. She blinked once, and the Sharingan appeared once again in her eyes.
"Do you remember this?" asked Ai, pointing at a dark scar on her cheek.
"You were the intruder," said Sasuke quietly. He smirked, his own Sharingan gleaming. "And it seems you have reached the limit of your chakra. Holding this genjutsu any longer will…"
As if on cue, Hinata felt the barrier on the opening recede. She fell forward, and a pair of strong, familiar arms caught her. Sasuke could finally move again.
Behind them, Ai clicked her tongue.
"Your jutsu won't last long," said Sasuke smoothly. "So," said Sasuke. "What was it about retrieving my eyes?"
He turned and fixed his Sharingan directly on Ai. All around, the darkness lifted. Violet chakra spread and enveloped the three of them.
"Susano'o!"
A translucent warrior materialized; Sasuke and Hinata floated in his chest, while Ai was firmly trapped in one of his fists.
They were no longer in the arena. They had reappeared on a riverbank above the Valley of the End, in the north of the Land of Fire. The deafening roar of the waterfall below drowned any other noise, and the humid air was saturated with incessant sprinkles of cold droplets.
"I reckon you won't believe me if I say I mean you no harm," said Ai at their quizzical looks. "Tora hasn't figured out where I took you yet, but he needs to find us to start the ritual."
"What do you mean?" said Hinata, confusion clear in her voice. "What ritual?"
"The ritual," replied Ai with a resigned sigh, "is to summon a sacred beast, Ouryuu the Golden Dragon. And only the Sharingan can possibly control this creature. But those eyes kept draining my chakra constantly, so I had to find a solution – which I did." She paused, gauging their reaction.
"Go on," said Sasuke, glancing to the side. Dust was rising in the distance. "It seems your teammate is coming this way."
"That man – your supposed betrothed," Ai continued hastily, looking at Hinata. "He told us – during the Warring States Period that preceded the creation of the hidden villages –, his clan, as the bearer of Byakko's scroll, had sought to unify the world, so none would live in fear again. Three other clans protected the remaining scrolls required to summon Ouryuu, yet they rejected the Byakko clan's vision. So, Tora's ancestors eradicated them all and stole those scrolls.
"However, members of the Byakko clan did not meet the criteria to summon the other beasts. Only someone with fire affinity can summon Suzaku, the Vermilion Bird. Namely you, Sasuke-san – or me, to whom Tora had given the scroll. For Byakko – the Beast inherited by Tora's clan, it is lightning, which was inherent in his clan members. With water, the twins Kai and Kira will summon Genbu, the Black Tortoise. And Akio has wind affinity to call onto the Azure Dragon, Seiryuu.
"The scrolls were passed down generations until suitable members could be found. By that time, Tora's clan had been wiped out in the following Shinobi World Wars. Now, as the only survivor, Tora seeks revenge. He gathered us war orphans to his plight: you saw them in the arena back then."
"What bothers me is," interrupted Sasuke, "if you can summon Suzaku yourself, why did you give me that bird?"
"Suzaku is a whimsical creature," answered Ai. "He is a trickster who ironically obeys only those with honest intentions. When I tried to open the summoning scroll, it disappeared and turned into a small red stone."
Everything Ai said seemed too far-fetched, too ludicrous to believe. Yet Sasuke thought back to the mission he had received, and how the small round object he had acquired had turned into a seed at the touch of his chakra.
Maybe, just maybe… she was indeed telling the truth.
"I used to want justice for us as well," added the captive kunoichi. "But not this way. Summoned in the middle of warfare, the dragon would restore what has been lost. But during times of peace, Ouryuu would only cause calamity to the five countries."
"That… that is absurd," said Hinata, frowning.
"That is the law of balance. The one condition when calling upon this beast. If possible, I want to seal Ouryuu away for good."
"That ritual," said Sasuke slowly. "Where is it held? We're going there."
"Sa – Sasuke!"
Hinata was looking at him as though he had lost all reason. Their eyes met briefly, and she saw the determination in his gaze.
"The ceremony can be done anywhere," said Ai.
"But," Hinata was now saying, "what did it have to do with me?"
"About that, Tora did not want to tell us. I doubt he simply wants to take your eyes for his own entertainment."
"He's getting close," noted Sasuke, and almost as soon, Susano'o leapt into the air. A white blur landed heavily where the violet warrior had been mere seconds ago.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Tora had finally caught up to them. To say he looked furious was an understatement. His lips were contorted into an ugly snare; his teeth were bared, and his pupils had retracted to thin vertical slits, giving him a wild look that unsettled the three of them.
The twins and Akio stood next to Tora atop Byakko's head. Hanabi was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Hanabi?" shouted Hinata, distraught.
"Needed to throw a…," said Tora, his voice hoarse, "distraction to get your father out of our way. He sure can put up a fight. Too bad his Byakugan is already worn with age and use – could've used it otherwise.
"Anyway," he continued, his face resembling a madman's, "shall we begin?"
His teammates nodded and jumped off Byakko. Akio swiftly completed a series of hand signs; soon a cloud of smoke burst forth, at the heart of which emerged a serpentine, sky-coloured creature. As the cloud cleared, the enormous four-legged dragon rushed towards the heavens, its long body weaving fluidly in the air.
Below, the twins had also invoked their own beast; the gigantic tortoise manifested in the midst of the powerful torrent, but seemed unperturbed by the unforgiving waters.
"Sasuke-san," said Ai, activating the Sharingan. "Will you do it?"
A somber look on his face, he quietly nodded.
"Good – look out!"
Sasuke barely had time to block an oncoming strike from Hinata.
"What are you doing, Hinata?" he said, turning towards her.
He tried to grab onto her arms, but she evaded him.
"There's no way this plan will work," replied Hinata. Her voice was composed, yet he saw, in those eyes that held his gaze… he saw raw, unsuppressed fear.
She spun on herself until a great orb enveloped her body. The unexpected surge of chakra broke his concentration – Susano'o collapsed around them – the three of them were now plummeting towards the ground –
Sasuke barely had time to summon Suzaku. He tried to hold on to Hinata and Ai, but the Azure Dragon was faster. With an ear-splitting roar, the beast produced gales from between its massive jaws that jostled the winged creature away. Hinata and Ai were deftly captured in-between the claws of Seiryuu.
In a flurry of orange and gold, Sasuke and the great bird regained altitude.
"Now that all four are together," exclaimed Tora. A strange smile twisted his face. "It shouldn't be too long."
"NO!" screamed Hinata.
But her voice quickly died in an ensuing rumble. The ground, still and even a moment ago, was now violently shaking. And before their eyes, the four Sacred Beasts began to glow.
Beneath Sasuke, the fiery bird let out a sudden shriek. It was closely followed by roars from the other beasts. Suzaku's body was growing warmer, hotter by the second. The winged beast was restless, sensing an incoming threat.
There was a distinct crack as a fissure formed in the forest below. Sasuke peered into the dark depths of the precipice. At first, there was nothing – he skimmed the length of the great gap, frantic.
One more roar pierced the sky – but this time, it emanated from none of the beasts. It had come from the abyss itself.
From its depth now shone a pair of bright, colourless eyes. They were looking at him – at them.
With a rush, the creature ascended, its scaled body shimmering with the power of a thousand fires. The Golden Dragon, Sasuke observed, was thrice as big as Seiryuu. As it paused in mid-air, its pale eyes glared at the beasts gathered around.
When its gaze rested upon the two women in the Azure Dragon's grip, Ai instantly stared straight in its eyes. Sasuke glanced between the Golden Dragon and the other Sharingan user.
Ai's efforts proved fruitless. Ouryuu's eyes remained clear.
"Any attempt," Tora was now saying, a smile tugging at his lips, "to take control over the Golden Dragon is futile right now, until we find his blind spot."
"However," he continued, his perverse grin only widening, "only a Byakugan user can see where Ouryuu's weakest spot is."
There was a short pause as Hinata repeated his words over in her head.
"So," he went on. "Guess who the Golden Dragon will go after first?"