Are You Red and Gold, Sapphire?
Chapter five~
Chapter warnings: Naruto angsts, Naruto does the OOC dance… Sasuke punches Naruto, and comforts him
Note: This chapter is six pages long. The review replies don't interfere with that fact. *Sniffs* It got sad. I like this chapter;--;.
Current music: Aozu: "Freedom" (by Ryouma, Fuji, Tezuka and Oishi from Prince of Tennis), and "Orestes" by Perfect circle.
Replies:
Lady Geuna: yes, all gone~ I don't know~ I'll try to let Iruka-chan off easy~*huggles him*
You''ll have to read and see~
BTW, do you know why he's refered to as a dolphin?
MeGs-YAFP: Yu said lots~ *glomps you* thank you~ I'm sorry about the few mistakes^^;; hopefully this one will have less~ I'm very habby u liked that chapter! Please like this one too!^o^
p-sama7: *is kicked and goes FLYING!* I wrote more I did! See! *points below* *is still flying~*
CrazyAce & Co.: Hmm~ I'll pass the idea onto Naruto~_^
Elie: I know, so sad;-;
Chels-Dawg: I updated yay! Hmm~ u'll have to see~ either way, Naruto hurts~
dark vampire: *glomps back!* hehehee~! *^o^* *blushies* hehe! U welcome! I hope this one doesn't dissapoint you! *hands you chapter & plushie* ur reviews make me habby~hehehe:3
oruchuban Ebichu: *bear hug back* weee! Heeh, this one no have cliffie I think~ yes yes! Write one! I 3 ur fics~ MINNA-SAN, go read her Fruits Basket fics, they ROCK!
Japime gurl: end? Angst can end? Not for a loooooong time~
DarkPheonix365: EEK, I hate fire too~ thankfully I never encountered it~ I hope everyone was ok where u are~ O__O 3 ur silly! Hehehe! Please review this one too!
Sara1664: I know… ee, sankyu~~
ONTO THE CHAPPIE!3
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Large crowds had gathered and were talking in loud gasping voices to each other. Shoving and pushing, a tall man noticed Naruto standing like a statue in the road, just staring up at where his home was burning with a possessive licking fire. Indecision was warring inside him. He wanted nothing more that to push past all these uselessly gawking people and go to his room, his destroyed broken room and save it. But his feet were like lead and the most he could do was fall helplessly onto his knees.
'My…my home…! No!' drawing strength from his rampant emotions, the blond boy surged to his feet, ready to run, only to feel a strong grip latch onto his shirt collar and yank him back, throwing him to the ground with a loud "ooff!".
"Nani o—Agh!" Naruto glared up through his misty eyes at the dark face above him—the man had HIT him!
"You…. monster…" the guy growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Look at what you did to our homes! I have a sister that lives in an apartment in that building!" his voice reached roaring levels and several people stopped to join in on the little mob. It shocked and hurt Naruto that everyone would so thoughtlessly accuse him of destroying his home and consequently others' homes.
Shaking off his shock in his typical Naruto way, the boy jumped to his feet and glared up at the rude man.
"Teme! I
live there too! I wouldn't destroy my own home! Besides I was with—"
"—me all day." Naruto turned his head as the focus was directed onto Kakashi. Inwardly he sighed a little, glad to have reinforcements.
There came a low gurgling growl in the throat of the man who was threatening Naruto, as if he no longer knew what to say, and needed to stall. Kakashi moved closer and between the two figures.
"I'm sure
we can settle problems later, when we have all finished putting out the fire.
I'm sure you can find some belongings that didn't get destroyed after
everything has settled."
The man snorted, "There better be something left! I have some very precious belongings in there!" with that said the man *finally* left, stalking through the crowd to grab a bucket. Some rude glares were thrown at Naruto and even a couple at Kakashi before a small crowd of watching bystanders left to contribute to the effort—or leave. His smile was wan, stretched and obviously fake but still Kakashi offered it to Naruto in hopes of someway making things a little better, even though he knew it did nothing; Naruto didn't even look at him.
He was staring with a fixed mesmerization at the crawling, puffing black smoke and fire licking the air and covering the sky. A sudden wave of energy shot past the boy and his sensei, pushing them a few feet back. There were screams in the background and the two shinobis covered their heads from the rain of falling glass. Looking up quickly when it passed, their eyes were met with a bonfire building out of the ground of someone's ruined apartment.
"Was it a bomb!?" someone cried—a lady as she ran past them.
"Don't get too close!"- A man warning a child.
"It's HOT!" –A nameless face running away.
"MOMMY!" A child frozen in fear.
Tuning out these voices, Naruto moved quickly aside as the people who had been inside pouring water ran swiftly past, some were holding or supporting injured people with sickly bubbling burns of brown and black.
All that were left were the jounins and chuunins with water skills leaping onto the building and immediately dousing it with as much water as their chakra allowed.
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**Saskue's POV**
I pushed through the crowd, blocking myself from random peoples' frenzied movements or from being stepped on. I felt plagued at this moment with thoughts and demands and a pain I cannot describe. I'm looking for someone, for anyone, for Naruto.
'After all, it is his home that's on fire and exploding. I need to find him—hopefully Kakashi has found him already, who knows what the dumbass will do.'—Eyes scanning the crowd with an intently focused, unnatural speed, were tiring, as was his patience.—
'I'm going to scream soon, why are things like this? We should be going on missions and finding that stupid cat, ranting about stupid things and, and eating ramen…' I pause for a moment, letting my body rest for these few seconds as I analyze this statement.
'I… I don't like ramen. And I've never wanted to eat it. "We"? No, him.' I shake my head, it's all that dobe, the missions include all of us, but Naruto is the one who usually is in charge of catching the cat, though I've done it before, and neither Sakura, Kakashi, nor I rant about stupid things, only Naruto. I sigh, now is NOT the time to be psychoanalyzing everything I think! I'm looking for someone… Someone…
I start running again, scanning the crowds moving closer and closer to the edge—closer and closer to the apartment flats. I would call out, see if he can hear me over the inane screeches of the people and the loud cracking and clicking of the fire, but I won't.
Leaning a bit to the side to keep a curved balance towards the middle of the crowd, the energy that passes knocks me off my feet. I wince as I make contact with the hard ground and look up just in time to see the rain of glass. So close! I cover my neck and head and curl up. The noise is even louder now.
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**No POV**
The energy had passed, as had the rain of shards. Ocean blue eyes scanned the bonfire for a way in, a way out. The walls were collapsing and there were several small "boom"s from many other windows sending their shards in melting grace to the ground.
Kakashi moved closer to Naruto, wary of his tensed posture, like a cat ready to spring…
When it looked like the boy was going to take off, his teacher's quick eyes noted this and shot his hand out and clamped in on the boy's shoulder holding him back. Naruto flailed for a moment before turning to glare at his teacher. For his part, Kakashi looked sullen, like he didn't want to be doing what he was and yet he had to.
Oceanic eyes searched dark ones, the smaller's mouth was slightly open and he felt like he was going to burst from tension.
"Na—"
"Kakashi! Naruto!" Cut him off, Naruto turned his gaze swiftly to the new person, and when Kakashi's grip lessened upon his focus change and his confidence, he lost it. Tense from stress and anguish, burning with tears and hatred, Naruto broke the grip completely and made a quick sprint away from them… towards his home.
Kakashi and Sasuke cursed and started after him, but they had lost him amongst the gaping crowd and knew that the speed at which Naruto was going would not be matched.
'Such speed, where is he getting the power to do that? I know when your adrenaline is high it heightens your abilities, but he practically disappeared!" Sasuke thought in a mix of wonder and his own anxious restlessness.
"Damn it." Black eyes met Kakashi's narrowed ones and with a silent agreement passing between them they split up.
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**Naruto's POV**
I couldn't see—it was blinding me. The dark thick smoke of ashes and memories floating away to be gone forever filled my lungs and hurt me in a way I don't understand or want to believe.
I had passed the crowd too quickly for most of them to register me. A few of the ninjas working with the put out effort had called me and tried to stop me, but I can't remember. All I know is I'm in here now, and that's what matters. The way to my apartment—home—is a path I've taken more times than countable and I can get there easily in the dark. I'm still running, I have cuts, splinters and burns all over my feet and legs from glass, boiling metal, spikes of wood that was cruelly broken apart and holes in the ground that I had to pull my foot or leg out of as the fires grabbed for it.
But I can't feel any of it, it's too far away from me.
'There should be a stairway right here!' I cry in my mind, blindly feeling out for it. I sigh a little—bad idea—as it is still there. I cough, the floating glass and ashes invading my lungs to tear at them and rob me of my strength. I won't let them! That red chakra I feel now and then is pushing it out, is filling me with renewed energy and my wounds heal even as I receive more. I race up the stairs, I have nothing to lose, nothing at all! I want to be home, I want this to be a dream, I want this to all go away!
My face hurts. I must be crying. There's steam in my eyes. My tears are burning? I don't know, I cannot see anything. I can't feel anything but the searing pain scarring my face and then dissolving even as it comes again. I cannot hear anything but my footsteps and the pounding of my heart. I can't see anything but the black abyss where my goal is all there is.
Upon reflex and years of repeated action, I turn left. There was no door when I left, there is no door now. My vision is clearing, but I think I've gone color blind, for my world is a meaningless gray and black. Charred. Dead. Gone. I know there was a reason I needed so desperately to get in there. I know there was!
The wind blows the smoke away from my face and I breathe it in. The roof is gone… that must be ten apartments at least that were stripped away and destroyed. Idly I wonder where the material that made them up went. The pipes are still there but they're dripping liquid like lava and the ground it touches sparks and melts. I look up from the ground, to the ashes of my sanctuary, my home.
"Tadaima."
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Hours have passed, for it is dark outside, there is only the light of the full moon hanging over my head, illuminating the grays and blacks as whites and dark blues. I hurt, and I can't focus on anything. I have no strength to do anything but sit here, knees bent under me with burns scarring them ugly colors. In my arms I'm holding something I can't recognize anymore. I think it was once my sleeping cap, or a plushie I bought long ago. I don't know why it is so important, the reason won't come… I think there's something inside of it… something cold but smooth, something that….
But thinking hurts, and I wont move my burned arms from their motherly cradling hold on the dead memory I embrace. I am looking at it, but I don't see it. I have no chakra left, that red presence, the Kyuubi's strength is not with me, I cannot heal. I cannot move. It hurts too much.
But it is a detached hurt, I am not sad. I can't be. I'm home.
Amidst the unnamable objects and things I used to own, I am home.
Surrounded by the shards of my being and all the hard work I've done my whole life, I'm home.
With the dying memories and the clearing smoke, I am home.
So, why shouldn't I be happy? I'm home.
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**Sasuke's POV**
I could see him, as I stepped into the hollow world behind a doorless frame, sitting there amongst the shadows left behind, knees bent under him, his clothes in ratty disarray flaking apart. He was bathed in the comforting light of the full moon, and he looked so beautiful…
I shake my head, but do not question my psyche. There is no denying it. His blond hair shone like white gold and he looked smaller than he's ever looked before. I could see the burns clawing in spikes up his back and legs, but I cant see his eyes, and I want to, oh I do. But as much as that was true, I couldn't move—disturbing him seemed like a crime, like pulling an angel out of its prayer.
Unconsciously my hand reached into my pocket, long fingers feeling for the small shape I had had in there since the night before. Perhaps, I have been sensitized by these sudden tragedies, or maybe I grew sentimental over a few hours of watching, but when my fingers can not find the comforting rough and smooth surface my heart hurts. I want to have it back, but I cannot leave this place, not yet.
I take another step inward and something crunches beneath me, the sound echoes but I don't care to see what it was I stepped on. I know Naruto heard it, and he turns his head slightly so I can see those half closed eyes darkened by shadows under his illuminated hair.
His mouth opens slightly, but I can't hear him. Lips move again, and again, and I still can't hear more than the faint whisper of his breath.
"Sasuke."
I don't know what compels me, but I am instantly at his side—in front of him. Slowly, as if one dying, he turns back to face me. My eyes widen. He looks so dead, so emotionless and hurt all at the same time. Suddenly I am angry. I'm hurt too that he would risk everything to come back, that he would worry Kakashi and myself so much. Laying my hands on his shoulders I let out all the burning inside of me.
"Baka yarou!" I yell in his face. My voice echoes around the room, coming back to us and he winces, looking up at me more with a face paled by the moon and untold pain.
I shake him a few times, and his eyes never waver as his body moves like a doll's, back and forth.
"Snap out of it, baka! What the hell were you thinking!? You had everyone worried! Selfish jackass!"
He looks down, and lifts his arms slowly, wincing, as if he wants to offer me something. I don't even look.
"And dammit, you're not even listening! Wake the hell up!"
And then he is on the ground, lying on his side, still cradling whatever was in his arms close to him. Slowly he sits up again, his movements jerky.
He looks at me again, with those eyes, those eyes so dead to the world… He raises his arms a little higher, and with a few free fingers I see him open a flap inside the unnamable thing. I close my eyes, and take a deep breath, when I am in front of him again, I kneel down, and pull him to me.
"Naruto…"
Falling to the ground, two piano keys clink together for a beautiful moment of music.
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Chapter end….
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