Deau
hikari no nai jidai no mabushisa dake
(in
an age when one sees no light by chance, there is only radiance)
kawaeru
chikara osorenai fukai kodou no saki ni
(i
will not fear the power to change what is beyond the deep tremor)
cross
honoo yo ega kareta unmei ni todoke
(oh,
crossfire, reach out to the destiny written for us)
Ignited, Gundam SEED Destiny OP
Naruto ran.
The world wheeled about him as he turned and spun, sidestepping trees and rocks. From far away, he could hear the hoot of a night-owl, but it was so very faint over the drumbeat of his own heart in his ears.
Right, spin, left, sidestep, then a glorious period of unobstructed straight dashing. Then left again, set off at an angle to go between, sidestep. Naruto wove a zig-zagging pattern through the trees, not allowing his speed to slacken as he dodged inanimate objects.
Faster…and faster…
He vaulted over a fallen log, throwing his head back and laughing out loud as he landed. The sound was loud and startling in the deep-woods silence, startling several woodland creatures into flight as he passed by. He noticed – ninja-training and now-developing hunter's instincts wouldn't let him do anything less – but he paid no mind, too busy reveling in the feel of the wind in his hair and the thoughtless, easy exertion of the running.
It taxed his physical capabilities as much as any taijutsu routine or high-level ninjutsu, but there was a lack of strain in it, even when his muscles screamed at him to stop and the sweat running into his eyes made it hard to see. He ran for the sake of running, for the speed and the joy and the music of his feet on the ground.
He could lose himself in the rhythms, keeping his mind on where to place his feet and where he meant to go and the speed he could attain, rather than on…than on everything else.
He could make the running be everything.
AN: Be amazed and shocked! An update within the same month! (Gasp) More a drabble than a chapter, but luckily the next chapter's longer. Really. With fights and stuff.