Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.
Of Blades and Blood
Act IV: Konoha
Standing at the gates of Konoha before made him remember many things. His youth, for example, among the many things but after those fond memories came an imposing afterthought. He had seen the destruction caused 16 years ago, and wondered what kind of creature was capable of such mass ruin. The Nine-tails, the most powerful youkai known to humans, was able to smash mountains and summon hurricanes at a whim, much less level an entire village. And here he was, standing here along with the container of that great demon, Naruto Uzumaki, better known now as Karaichi Seizou, the rurouni, the wanderer. He looked at the boy, whose once short blonde hair was now a long dirty brown. He didn't want to imagine how he managed to change his appearance at will, through means which may be comprehensible to him. And it was not even a fraction of Kyuubi' true strength.
Kyuubi's power could change fate; that much has not changed.
But such depressing thoughts were for another time. Almost immediately, he whipped out his minuscule telescope, obviously getting ready to gather more…'material'. His new book, Icha Icha Paradise volume 27, was promised to be filled to the brim with exciting and busty new characters and he couldn't do that without new 'material', could he?
Despite his attitude and the sunny appearance of the village of Konoha, he knew there was something in the air which told him of darker days to come.
It was bright and sunny in Konoha, the skies clear of clouds, bringing the warmth of the sun to its inhabitants. Much of the city's populace was up and about, a few stalls here and there littering the streets, various shops of interest open for business as its owners sat lazily behind their counters, waiting for the day to go by.
The boundaries of the village expanded since they last time he had been here, and there were more trees in the area than he thought. It dulled the monotony of the grey districts of housing and shop, adding a speck of the beauty that was life into the lifeless. However…
He hated it.
He hated all of it.
They reminded him of too many unwanted memories.
And every time one remarked how beautiful the village was, he resisted the urge to snort, for he knew that beneath the wonderful exterior, there laid ugliness like any other place in the continent. It deserves to be destroyed! He widened his eyes at the sudden awakening of the Kyuubi, its presence like a fiery catalyst to his rage. He thought the seals he had made would have contained the demon from his mind, but nothing he did seemed to keep the demon at bay for long. Didn't they seal me into you? To create the perfect weapon?
He clenched his fist, urging himself to calm down, gritting his teeth. Kyuubi is lying again. Trying to convince himself to believe those words, he knew the Kyuubi was right however, no matter how much he tried otherwise, but he feared that if he acknowledged those words with it in his mind would only add more fuel to the fire. It was a manipulation on Kyuubi's part, and he wouldn't fall for it again.
Mocking laughter rang in his mind, Do not deceive yourself. Why protect those who have betrayed you! The fox flared, howling through the recesses of his mind, its powers trying to warp its wishes to his will. Eventually, he won the one of the countless battles he fought, his will power was the only reason he prevailed. The seals he crafted were useless if his will was weak.
You win for now…but I do not care so long as you use my power… He heard the demon chuckle from within, before its presence disappeared as the protective seals kicked into action. Naruto released the breath he was unconsciously holding, his shields collapsing just as the Kyuubi left his mind.
The tattoo on his arm burned with power, but this time he found no joy as it coursed through his veins.
He shifted about the populated streets, not one of the citizens paying him any mind. He was a traveler here, one that that was of no interest to the ANBU, the Police corps or anybody else. And he intended to keep it that way. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. It was quite a tall building, compared to the others which surrounded it, its peak stretching outwards to the sky. Much of its appearance was pretty run down, the paint seemingly peeling off the surface of the building, a sign of age and long gone beauty. He looked at the faded sign board nailed above entrance, noticing the clumsy kanji for 'Welcome' but he shrugged. The amount of money he had was pitiful, barely enough to last him the week if he was careful. He entered the building, catching sight of a man sitting behind a clearly neglected counter. Naruto couldn't see half of his features, blocked by a magazine but he could see enough. There was still a patch of hair on his head, though a bald patch in the middle told him that it was going to change soon. His face was gaunt with the lines of stress or alcohol induced bliss, his eyes slanted, gleaming with a glint in them that he was well familiar with. Greed.
The owner looked up at him from his magazine; his slanted eyes were calculative as he wondered how much money he could squeeze from his new-customer-to-be.
"May I help you?" The man asked, his tone revealing much about the man's intentions, and he caught his eyes darting towards his katana.
"A room for the week. No questions asked and that I was never here." He said gruffly, slamming a few thousand ryo notes on the counter, which was more than enuogh. The landlord's eyes widened at the sum, before happily pocketing the money while producing a small worn down key. "Understood," The seedy man clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he eyed his apparently rich tenant. "You were never here." He handed the key to the outstretched hand and there was brief contact and Naruto felt the need to wash it later. Somehow Naruto knew that the man would sell that information to any interested once he left, but that was not a concern to him.
Outrunning people was a habit he kept in practice.
He looked at the key. Room 16, it read.
Gingerly, he tucked it into one of his pockets and went up the old flight of stairs.
Tsunade sat in her office, the first rays of the sun glaring through the windows. Normally at this time, she would have still be fast asleep, hoping to escape from the large amount of paperwork which often plague her. But this time, she was comatose to her surroundings, lost in between her world of thoughts and the real world. She stared into space, not registering with what Jiraiya told her earlier, when they were almost at the gates to the village.
"That swordsman behind us, is Naruto." He said casually, as if discussing the weather, throwing a sideward look behind at the person in question. Tsunade gave him a look at that, a shocked expression on her features.
"What?" The ashen-haired man was unfazed as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha whipped about her head to face him, her eyes filled with disbelief as she shifted them back and forth between him and the cloaked figure. "If this is your idea of a joke, I swear-" She was stopped by a small shake of his head.
"As I said, he," Jiraiya jerked a thumb towards the cloaked figure, silently trudging considerably behind the group, "Is Naruto."
Tsunade froze again at the name. "How?" She asked, her voice quiet.
Jiraiya shook his head again. "I do not know." She opened her mouth to ask further before he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"He is not the Naruto you knew four years ago, Tsunade. He has changed, but by how much I have yet to see." Jiraiya said, a grim smile on his lips. "But I sense that there is still some part of him that is still left…" His words were strangely awkward as though there was something more that he should say but didn't.
She looked pensive, a faint doubt in her eyes. "How can you be so sure that he is even Naruto, Jiraiya?" At those words, the Toad-Sannin looked at her, his eyes losing its dullness for a brief second. Tsunade didn't care, the doubt still directed at him.
"I saw it in his eyes. You can choose whether to believe it or not." It was very vague, and was not the answer Tsunade expected to or wanted to hear. But that was understandable in any case with regards as to what she was being told.
"Don't play your stupid mind games, you ass-" She was interrupted by his sudden exclamation.
"Oh!-We're here. Home." The serious expression left his face, a lecherous look told her as much of what he intended to do once inside, but unlike previous times, she let it slide this once. There was something he was hiding, something that she was bound to find out sooner or later. But for now, she knew the conversation was over, with Jiraiya telling her what he wanted to tell her and then he would leave again, only to appear when he had something to say.
And the cycle repeated itself…
That was three days ago. She was dubious of his words then, so she had assigned the ANBU to keep an eye on the one Jiraiya claimed to be Naruto. All seemed relatively normal and there was no way that a rurouni could be Naruto. That it, until she received the ANBU's report. The pictures but something else caught her eye. There was a reddish hue in his eyes, not very visible to the untrained eye, but she could see it nonetheless.
Not many people had red in their eyes. In fact, none of them should even have them.
Such a thing could be only the result of one thing.
Demon containment.
The techniques to have such a thing exist were shunned by all but the mad and power hungry. And unless there were more like him the only one to be performed on someone in her time to her knowledge was…
Naruto Uzumaki. Nephew to the Fourth. The holder of the Kyuubi. But he meant much more to her than that.
A boy she almost considered a little brother, full of hope and energy. Until that day.
At first, she didn't believe it when he ran away, her mind convinced that there was still hope. But as every day ended with neither word nor trace of him, so did her hope crumple bit by bit, until there was nothing left but resignation. Reluctantly, with searches coming to dead ends within a year, she ordered hunter-nins operating in out of the Fire Country had been notified of this and were told to bring the bring boy back, but she hadn't much hope that they would bring him back alive, much less unharmed. Most of them had been Genin or young enough to remember the fear and helplessness they felt when it attacked 16 years ago. The Council had sent their blessings, which was evidence enough to her what they meant. Konoha's policies concerning missing-nins were among the harshest in the shinobi world, and death was almost certain fate if caught.
Bearing the Kyuubi certainly didn't help matters much.
Stacked against those odds, she prayed that she would never see his name on one of those reports, or worse, to see him brought back, dead and lifeless. It wasn't much of an alternative but it was better than the thought of him still alive in some foreign land, only to wake up everyday to run away. It was almost better believing that he never existed.
Days, weeks, months passed without word of Naruto and soon she conveniently buried her memory of him. And now…
Everything was crashing to pieces.
No. It had to be a trick.
Naruto was, by all measure of reason, dead. Nothing could change that and she knew it. Nothing! She convinced herself, telling her that it was joke played by Jiraiya. She hadn't seen him for so long that she doubted that he was sane, especially after he went chasing for ghost. She told herself all of these, perhaps out of denial or sanity she did not know. Her mind was blank, made so by her purposefully, hoping to forget but failing miserably as her thoughts turned to those haunting words which still lingered traitorously in her mind, whispering and reminding her of something lost.
He is Naruto.
She shook the thought away and made a mental note to order the ANBU to keep an further eye on Karaichi Seizou, and that in time, their reports would prove her thoughts correct, that he was indeed not Uzumaki Naruto, but only a normal wanderer taking a brief stop in Konoha. It was denial on her part, and it was denial which kept her going for the past four years.
Snapping out of her trance, she looked at the huge stack of unsigned papers on her desk, Tsunade was glad for their presence for once, as she felt no desire to sleep in fear of seeing that cocky blonde brat that she so loved as her own in her mind.
She winced as she tried to move her arm, which still ached from chakra exhaustion. Within the confines of her office space, Sakura found no reason not to just dump her head on the table and drift into sleep. Her work could be put off till later anyways.
Gods, she was so tired. Her body is still felt like crap, even after the treatment she received from Shizune-san a day prior. Ohh, What she wouldn't give to go to bed right now…
"Sakura!" A cheery voice called out.
Fluffy, warm pillows…
"Sakura!" This time, the voice bore a tint of irritation.
A wonderful, silky blanket…
"SAKURA!"
Startled, she looked up immediately with half-opened eyes to see the disturbingly bright and vibrant face of her colleague and former rival. Ino had grown these past few years, as she did, now sporting a more 'robust' figure which made men drool. Her code of dress changed over the years too, and her purple and semi-modest skirt and loose top were discarded for more…revealing outfits, often losing several inches from her skirt length and wearing a more tightly knit bodice than usual which Sakura was sure encouraged breathing difficulties. Distraction, Ino had told her when she asked, or so she said, though she had a sinking feeling that wasn't the case as she watched Ino bask in the attention after wearing a particularly 'attractive' attire on one of the days. But for today, she was content to dress a bit more appropriately, though not by much; a doctor's coat covering over her skimpy clothing, simple but complimenting to her all the same. She carried a plastic bag, containing a few cups of coffee, one already in her hand, apparently ready to be given to her.
It took her some time to realize that, as Ino was quick to point out.
"Helloooo? Konoha to Sakura! I bought coffee from the café down the street? The one you always bitched about when I gave you other brands?" Her finger pointed to the star-shaped logo of that particular brand imprinted onto the styrofoam cup she was holding, its presence somehow emphasized greatly by her finger alone. She stirred slightly in recognition at the sight of the hot drink, having spent countless mornings getting acquainted with Mr. Coffee after especially trying nights at work. On her better days, she was fussy with the type of coffee entering her system, but on others she couldn't care less about what sort the brown liquid was, so long as it contained caffeine. This was one of those days.
She looked at the caffeine product as if it was a foreign thing to her, before accepting it. "Thanks, Ino but…" She trailed off, her eyes darting with a hint of annoyance to the Chuunin, briskly stating what she thought at that moment. "It was the wrong brand. Again."
Ino puffed up, obviously unsatisfied by her answer. "What do you mean the wrong brand! I waited fifteen minutes just for these cups of coffee! I had to call you thrice to get your attention!" She exclaimed, before calming down. "So spill, what's bothering you?" Sakura sighed, even after so long, Ino still knew her best. Though Sakura never did completely understand how Ino's mind worked, with mind jutsu and all.
"Don't tell me its Kazuki-kun from the admin department?" At her silence, Ino just grinned, somehow misinterpreting her tired state for something totally different. "You lucky girl!" Gods, she could feel that headache coming again.
"Ino…" She managed to half groan half growl from her position, before she raised her head sluggishly to glare at her. "I did nothing but sleep since I came back from my mission. The whole time." She stressed.
The grin didn't leave Ino's face. "But that doesn't mean that he didn't visit you in your sleep, now did he?" Sakura became slack-jawed; her face reddening as the thought sneakily crept into her mind. She snapped out of her brief stupor before glaring at the Chuunin.
"Seriously, Ino."
The blonde just laughed, patting Sakura on the shoulder. "Just kidding, just kidding."
"By the way, did you see Tenten?" She pulled out a small black box from her drawer. "I got something Neji-kun wanted to give her."
Ino just shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the table. "The last I heard of her was that she was off doing some mission in the Wind Country," She sipped her coffee, the steam rising as she set it down on the table. "But I wouldn't worry. Tenten's strong and smart enough to avoid much mishap." There was not much conviction as she said those words, but Sakura didn't say anything. Yes, Tenten would come back, though not filled with cheer and jest as she first left but to be burdened, weary and bloodied, another scar or nick on her once unblemished skin. She learnt one thing. Nothing was certain, especially in their line of work, even if it seemed like everything could work out in the end. Deep down, she knew it wouldn't.
Sakura looked at the blonde quietly, bringing her own cup to her lips, preparing for the awful taste which was bound to come. It didn't, much to her surprise. She took a second gulp. Hmm…it didn't taste half as bad like the last time. Her drowsiness vanished as the caffeine worked its way into her system.
"The coffee this time was good, surprising, knowing with your taste in coffee."
Ino gave her that look, showing annoyance and incredulity, where her left brow was arched as her lips thinned into a questioning line. "Normally, I would take that as an insult," She wagged a finger at the pink-haired kunoichi, "But I will let it slide this time, considering that you're my best friend, forehead-chan." The tone was teasing and Sakura laughed, finding it odd to do so after so long.
"But enough of my taste in coffee," Ino said, a playful grin set on her lips, one which she knew very well.
Gossip time. She groaned, reading the blonde's thoughts.
"Don't you have work to do?" She asked, eyeing the blonde and the small mountain of papers begging to be looked through. It seems that Tsunade-sama passed down her curse to her as well.
Ino gave a loop-sided grin at her, obviously enjoying Sakura's distress. "Nope."
"Come on," She pouted, its effect dulled upon being used on Sakura but it was still potent nonetheless. "You do not want to become all stern and no fun like Neji-kun, right?"
She found herself grinning at the thought. "Tenten's going to kill you if she heard that."
"Exactly, and that's a big 'if' in the equation." The blonde said a-matter-of-factly.
"You never change, do you?" Sakura asked, already knowing the answer to her question. Ino shot her a look. And the hours dragged on, her work and dark thoughts conveniently tucked away for the rest of the morning.
It was quiet in his apartment.
Though there was still the occasional loudness, it was relatively silent in the apartment, save the sound of his breathing. Some might say that the silence was pressurizing and compelling but he did not feel these things. Silence meant another thing to him.
Serenity.
He sat on the matted floor, in the middle of the room, his palms were resting on his lap, facing upwards as they stacked upon one another. His legs were tucked in, resembling a monk with his posture. One could say that he was contemplating the meaning of life with the straight and almost calm expression on his face but it was far deeper than that.
He was dreaming.
From ends on end, he could see chakra of everyone for as far as he could see. The many buildings of Konoha were simply not there, appearing as a faint glow at best while the people…they were alive, a multitude of colors all meshed into a one, and yet each one unique. Some were slight larger than others while some were significantly smaller, their colors ranging from pallid white to blazing amethyst. There was no name for this technique, for words couldn't describe the beauty of this. Time passed differently when he was in this state, an hour outside was no more than a minute to him.
It was addictive, he had found out, soothing and awing his mind at the same time by the wondrous sight that always seemed to make him stay longer. It was a meditative technique developed before the time of the first Shinobi villages, when chakra was only used to stimulate the body. A totally useless technique to a shinobi at the first glance, who would probably dismiss it as a tool of pleasure than anything else.
However, what they didn't know was that it could be doubled as an observation technique, if one has a strong will and proper skills in chakra manipulation. If properly controlled, it was better than tracking summons, for the eye and ear can always be misled by a skilled ploy or two. But nothing could escape his notice if he concentrated hard enough to the task. Be it a power spike or chakra leak, he could detect it due to the sensitive state his mind was in. And anybody which was at Chuunin level or higher, he could pinpoint and locate easily, only needing to go after the biggest or irregular ones within the pool. Appearances and masks could be used to fool on the surface, but in the end those measures were only skin deep. After all, the chakra does not lie. He could speed or slow his sense of time at will, he did not exactly know how to do it, but the task was somehow instinctual and he often took advantage of that fact to avoid Hunter-nins.
And that was what he was doing right now. But this time he was the hunter, not the prey.
He began to ignore the mind-numbing sensations and looked beyond that, losing himself in the virtual sea of humanity in the form of colored spheres. He materialized onto a street, his body out of place in the face of colored spheres and disproportionate auras. He touched one of them, belonging to a girl no older than 7, smiling as he felt her joy as his spirit connected with hers for a brief second. He focused, subtly drawing chakra to his form
There was a huge globe of magenta perched on the green outline of a tree, fairly near his apartment. The large blob of chakra representing the high level ninja did not show any indication of the blonde haired missing-nin, nor should he be. He let his hands sink into the miasmic of life force, gently moving his fingers about like a master of manipulation.
He spread his hands slightly apart, the perfect sphere shaking for a moment by the action. He centered on the main vein of chakra, thick and pulsing with every second, his eyes observing the thick chakra which flowed within. His hands gripped a portion of the seam and pressed lightly, letting some of his own chakra mingle with that of his victim. The pulsations slowed to a crawl as if life drained from the purple sphere, hungrily consumed by a power greater than its own. It would be fatal if he was not careful, but it sure as hell will make sure he or she stays on the ground until sunset. Provided that nobody finds his or her body until then.
He twitched his fingers once more, absorbing back his chakra from the orb, the dimming sphere flaring back to brilliance once more.
Bingo.
Satisfied, he loosened the control he had on his mind as the rush of bliss overran his senses.
There was a sudden stop and his perception of the world vanished in a flash, his eyes blurring momentarily before his sight was cast into darkness. Memories, dates, time, all of these became irrelevant to him, like a newborn into the world, peaceful and ignorant to its surroundings. Then the moment ended as those insignificant things rushed back into his mind, filling up the space which was emptied before, only to become relevant to him once more. It was like a waking from a dream, only that he knew that it wasn't a dream. It was uncomfortably humid, his senses told him, not to mention painfully noisy as expected in the afternoon. He took in a breath of air, its staleness as clear as day to his nose. His muscles tensed and contracted, as he became to breathe slowly.
He opened his eyes to be greeted with the simple furnishing of his apartment, his eyes squinting from the somehow glaring light which leaked into his apartment from the closed blinds.
Naruto didn't need to see whether there was really an ANBU outside, waiting and watching. He knew there was one, either way.
Carefully, he moved his legs, taking extra care not to make any sudden movements. His legs cramped suddenly, not used to the sudden movement after staying in one place for so long. It was then he realized that his throat was parched and stomach empty, a small rumble from his stomach attesting to the fact of his hunger. He could go on days without food, if he so wished but three days was the limit of comfort for him, and fasting wasn't something he did on a regular basis.
Perhaps he could grab a few bowls of ramen from that place he so frequented in the past.
Smiling, he left the door of his apartment just as the ANBU fell to the ground.
It was noon and most of the food outlets in Konoha were open for business, preparing for the huge crowd which would come as a phenomenon known to be as 'Lunch Hour'. And currently for the past year or so, it had been his hectic lunch time. Not really one he liked, considering he would pick quietness and solitude over the loud and cramp conditions of queuing at restaurants any time of the week. But for some reason or another, he was doing just that; queuing in loud and cramp conditions while the prospect of getting food early was a distant hope.
But despite these daunting challenges, his friend was determined to get food. Fast. Ditching the painfully slow service that the traditional restaurant provided, both of them wandered, very hungry and restless. Shikamaru wondered out loud why they had hadn't chosen a more…laidback time to be their lunch hour. Chouji promptly reminded him that he wouldn't get his favorite snack if they came later.
Oh yeah, that. Chouji was pretty sharp when it came to matters pertaining to food, he mused. The Chuunin guessed that it was an unchanging habit of his. And he was glad for that; at least that some things in the world still made sense.
Chouji put on a lot of mass, but of course that hadn't been unexpected. The Akimichi Clan specialized in jutsu which bolstered the physical size and strength of an individual, though most only saw them as fat. Muscles rippled unseen under the mass, but not hidden enough for one to assume only weight existed in the Akimichi boy. Speed-wise, Chouji wasn't the fastest and in the Shinobi world, speed was everything. But he did not think of his friend as a liability because of that. Quite the contrary, as he thought more and more highly of his friend as the years passed by.
If Chouji was a chess piece, then he would have to be a Rook, the unmovable and unstoppable tower, if he wanted to. Like the Rook in the game, Chouji was the embodiment of raw power. Compared to the 'Knights' and 'Bishops' he knew who relied more on tactics and cunning to win the battle, Chouji's method of combat was, simply put, very primitive. But such simplicity had been devastatingly effective to his advantage. Anything in his way was crushed by his great strength, just like a Rook subduing its target with a frontal assault. Even if the opponent were to retaliate, Chouji could shrug off the blow as if it was from a child. To support this analogy even more, he once saw Chouji smash rocks with his bare hands without gathering chakra to the fist, the flying fragments cutting into his flesh as he continued to pound, and was apparently unaffected by the stone shrapnel. Suffice to say, it was quite a sight for the young Nara to witness.
As he strolled with nonchalance, his lazy eyes caught hold of something for once, a figure seated at the ramen stand across the street, which had been moderately successful as of late to his knowledge, and from the looks of things, the customer was certainly giving the stall owners a hefty profit from the amount of empty bowls on the counter. He had never seen anybody with a comparable appetite to Chouji but he supposed that there was a first time for everything. A sudden flash in his mind reminded him of something but he couldn't recall, and soon, a feeling settled into his stomach. It was the feeling of knowing something but yet not knowing what that was, as if he forgotten something...A feeling he didn't enjoy much, as it was always accompanied with troublesome things. He about to continue with his thoughts before the strong tug of the giant in front of him gripped his sleeve almost gently, breaking his concentration.
"Come on Shikamaru, or we're going to get lousy seats at the buffet too!" He almost snorted at that. Even if they were late, he was sure that his considerably sized friend would find a seat or rather intimidate someone unknowingly from said seat. It was just his excuse to eat sooner. Though more importantly, that guy looked familiar…Then a familiar phrase clicked into his mind whenever it failed to produce the answers to its own question.
Ah, forget it, its too troublesome…
With this final thought, the Chuunin shrugged to nobody other than himself, content to leave things as it is as he followed Chouji lazily towards the BBQ restaurant. Though, there was a nagging voice which screamed to him as he walked away from the ravenous stranger and the ramen stand, but he decided to go with the flow. It was always too troublesome to do otherwise, in his opinion.
"Are you still on that diet of yours?" She asked, as she eyed the extra-thin piece of ham sandwiched between two equally thin slices of bread, comparing the succulent steak on her plate to her friend's diminutive fare. Aside from the salad Ino ordered, there was nothing much which could last the blonde through the day. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Ino huffed, trying her best not to just up and order the same delicious dish that Sakura was having.
Sakura sipped her fruit juice before diving into the tender meat with almost unladylike zeal. Ino just bit at her small sandwich, grumbling while she occasionally snacked on the salad. The things she does just to remain in shape, she sighed
Minutes later, Sakura finished her meal, and was now idly playing with the stray locks of pink hair while sipping her drink. Ino was still slowly munching the on the salad, as if trying to savor the taste. She sighed softly, which went unnoticed by Ino. She was about to reach out to grab a piece of lettuce from the bowl when someone familiar walked into her view.
The swordfighter was just across the street, walking with a hidden grace that she thought only ninjas could possess. He seemed preoccupied with his thoughts, his hair a unruly mop. It was then she noticed how familiar he seemed to her, but she couldn't pinpoint where she had seen him before. Sakura stiffened as she saw him glance at her, piercing cerulean challenging her emerald gaze.
"Sakura?" Ino noticed the look in her eyes and waved a hand in front of the girl for a few moments, before the Chuunin in question turned her attention to the blonde. "Huh? What? Sorry, I spaced out for a moment." She took a quick glance back towards the street, frowning as empty space greeted her.
"Well, that was plain rude…" Ino remarked of her pink-haired friend, taking a gulp of her honeyed tea.
Afternoon came to evening and evening turned to night. It was a cycle to him, endless and never deviating from purpose. He envied the moon for making the bleak sky beautiful with its pristine light piercing through the eternal darkness. The lights of the village-city were small dots mapping the human landscape which stretched on for miles and miles unseen during the day. He found it ironic that such things were accentuated by the darkness which threatens to engulf them without a second thought.
Standing on the balcony of his apartment, he took in a breath of the night air, almost tasting the moisture which has risen during the coolness of the night. He stood motionless, bathing in the light of the moon, as he gazed onto the noisy metropolis beyond.
A sudden pang of pain in his chest made him stagger, and he left the balcony to search in the confines of the tiny cubical that served as his bathroom. He looked at the mirror on the wall, and crimson eyes stared back. He growled with an animalistic tone, the self-control his mind provided against his instincts was fading rapidly.
A further stab of pain in his chest made it awfully clear that he needed to get rid of his excess demon blood fast. The seal on his hand granted him almost unlimited assess to powers he had never dreamed of, though he could only draw as much chakra as his body could handle, be it used for normal ninjutsu or demon-craft. And as a result, it converted tiny portions of his blood into demon blood; the process of how it was done was a mystery to him. And he knew it wasn't compatible with his body especially the first time he experienced a seizure as the vile blood accumulated into his bloodstream. When he didn't drain himself of his vital fluids, he was soon convulsing with barely enough restraint to slit himself properly, eventually restoring the status-quo within his body thus saving his life. That moment of helplessness made him humble, that he was flawed like everybody else. It was do or die situation, and the fox hadn't explained it to him until it was too late. That was a years ago and it was the beginning of his doubts towards the demon sealed securely within his navel.
Rushing to his small utility bag he carried in his travels, he took out a kunai, well sharpened and ready for use. He performed a few hand seals, before pressing the blunt side of the steel to his palms. It turned blood red a moment later, enchanted so that it would be able to pierce his skin and disrupt his healing factor temporarily. It wasn't often that he needed to do this, but when he did, it was pure torture, thanks to the enchantments on the kunai. With shaky hands, he held the crimson kunai to his arm, trying his best not to drop it. Sucking in the air, he prepared for the pain in which to come as he slashed downwards.
He bit his lips, trying not to scream as the blade bit into his flesh, continuing along while eating chakra as it went. A long, angry red path marked the kunai's descent along his arm, the blood flowing freely from the almost perfect incision he made. The pain was excruciating, and the fact that it was unbearable made it tolerable to him. It was a paradox, but he hardly cared now that the pain was beginning to fade. Many things didn't make sense in the world and yet, everything is as it should be and he didn't need to prove them otherwise else his sanity suffers. He carefully lowered his arm into the basin of water, the blood mingling with the clear water, turning it into a bright red.
The stream which poured from the gash on his arm was alive, in the sickest sense of the word, almost the entire surface of the crimson mixture shifted into different forms every few seconds. Some of them were humanoid while others resembled animals, though they were almost a mockery of them. Horn and spikes was almost a common feature in both forms. Demons. That was what they were. And they were in his blood, part of his blood, flowing through his veins with every beat of his heart.
But did that make him a demon? He had pondered the question long and hard.
Perhaps.
He watched as the blood continued to drip down, his mind and heart already numb from the pain of heart and body.
Papers, papers, and more papers.
It was a permanent mantra in the Fifth's mind, as her hands signed one document, only to reach out another after placing it into the 'reviewed' box at the side of her tabletop. The actions did not strain her as her hands were already conditioned to withstand such repeated movements. The sheer monotony of the whole thing had its purpose.
It distracted her, made her focus on things. Trivial things; like how the texture of the paper was compared to the luxurious leather chair she was occupying or perhaps the tiny creases on the documents as she took a piece by the edges. All of it was a huge distraction to her, but it wasn't working well right now. She found it ironic that she could be so distracted at one moment and in the next, remain completely aware of everything that is of import.
She groaned. This wasn't going anywhere. She stopped her work, leaning back into the reclining chair, a few squeaks heard as pressure was applied onto the steel frame. Massaging her temple, the question earlier popped back into her mind as her hands rubbed her forehead in a circular motion. The ANBU had reported that they lost track of the boy late in the afternoon and only reestablished visual contact in the evening. She had chewed out the one in charge, thoroughly disgusted by their incompetence as of late. But dwelling on that wouldn't help solve any of the questions which were constantly on her mind.
She wasn't even sure that he was Naruto. But to possess enough skill to evade the ANBU meant that he was certainly no ordinary person. But Jiraiya had also mentioned of such about Naruto, that he attained skills that no Genin, or Chuunin, for that matter, should know. However, she wasn't concerned about that very much; the prospect of his identity was still priority to her than petty things like that.
But the question remained, taunting her.
What would she do if he was him?
What would she do?
She contemplated this for a moment, taking a deep breath as she did.
Then again…what did she have to lose, after all?
The first rays of the morning sun came through the window blinds, illuminating the old wooden floorboards at the end. The bed was empty, untouched by him during the entire night. The self-inflicted wound on his arm had already healed, leaving behind another scar for him to add. He sat on the floor, hands cupped into a seal, before they moved with sluggish to form another. His legs were perched under him in the jagged lotus position. Sleep was something else he didn't need, and for as long as he had chakra to burn, sleep wasn't something he did regularly. It wasn't because he didn't want to, but it left him defenseless; weak and frail. And he hated that feeling, more than anything else in the world and apparently enough for him to forgo sleep if possible. He opted to do meditation in order to calm his nerves and the beast within, for both his and everyone else's sake.
A sudden knock at his door broke him from his trance, and amber eyes peered at it with a lazy anger before fading to into a cold cerulean hue. He stood slowly, ignoring the frantic knocking on his door. Without looking through the peek-hole, he opened it to find a shinobi, ANBU to be exact at the doorway.
The masked man didn't waste any time. "You're to go to the Hokage's building at 1015 hours. Do you understand?" The stony tone did not seem to brook refusal nor wished to understand the absurdity of his orders.
He waved a hand dismissively, trying his best to keep the facade up and not giving into the burning urge to smash his fist into the dog masked ANBU's face.
The office of the Hokage had changed since the he last saw of it. Gone was the cramp conditions which plagued previous holders of the title that was Hokage. Indeed, what was once a small area of space barely enough to hold half a dozen people was replaced by a large amount of space, capable of holding four times that amount, thanks to the extension of the building a few years back.
Naruto gave himself a small smile, his mask was already in place. He couldn't feel anything within himself, only the sensation of hollowness remained. Just as he wanted it to be. The Fifth had asked him some irrelevant questions after the pleasantries were done, which he happily entertained in return. He knew that she was going to ask him the question, the reason why she called him here in the first place.
"Tell me…" She paused as she tried to say the name she avoided for the past few years, "Are you…Uzumaki Naruto?"
He smiled grimly, before deciding to finally end this. Tsunade, not really believing Jiraiya, was shocked as his face shifted abruptly into that of Naruto, the whisker marks on his cheeks all but faded by age. His features were refined and thin, unlike those of four years past. But what changed the most of his eyes. To those who weren't greatly skilled in the arts of healing, they would have only seen a cerulean sheen in his eyes. However, to her, there was a myriad of colors, each one stemming from one another, the iris alternating from blue to almost crimson before shifting back, mingling together once again. But the remarkable colors faded from his eyes, replaced by dull azure orbs, once he noticed her penetrating gaze analyzing him.
"It's been a while, baachan." He waved, taking no notice of the stunned expression on the Fifth's face. Tsunade felt old feelings well up in her heart, after not seeing her surrogate brother for so long before anger flared in her.
"Do you know how worried I was for your sake?" She stated coldly, despite the joy in her heart. "Where have you been these four years!"
Naruto just continued smiling, trying to beat down the odd warmth in his heart at her concern. "No where that I shouldn't have been. Everywhere and nowhere." His words didn't make sense to her, and why was he smiling?
"What do you mean by that, Naruto?"
His smile dropped for a moment, finally gaining back his mask. "It is of no concern to you, Hokage-sama."
She was shocked at the venom in his words. "What?"
"Why bother with the technicalities of 'what' and 'why' when the answer is fairly simple." He said, a certain chill in his voice. "Nothing I do should concern you anymore. That was the reason why I returned the necklace to you."
The seemingly warm smile returned as his features turned into that of Karaichi Seizou, the identity he had undertaken during the trip back to Konoha. "I'm afraid this is goodbye for now." A timely knock on the door made her divert attention to it. "Yes?"
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but there are more documents for you." The voice was muffled because of the door.
"Right, send them in." She looked back, finding herself the only one in the room, with heavy thoughts of a blonde boy who suddenly popped back into her life. Jiraiya had better have an explanation for this.
The day was beginning to end. The leaves rustled as a cool breeze brushed past, singing a dirge for the forgotten, lost souls. There was conflicting emotions within him, part of him wanted to forget everything that has occurred, to be sheltered once more by the Fifth who he saw as a sister. But the other darker side of him wanted nothing more to do with Konoha, screaming for him to leave and wander the continent once more, to drown in his darkness and despair.
"First stance. Kazeshiki." Named after the four seasons of change.
He jumped into the air, sending two kicks to unseen opponents then back-flipping onto the trunk of a tree before using it as a support to launch forward. His hands clutched the hilt of his katana, ready to be drawn from his scabbard as his form twisted continuously from the propelled speed. It was one of the hardest moves he had to master, even more so in an all-out fight. Agility was key to its effectiveness, relying greatly on the surprise factor for his attack. The focus of his onslaught, a boulder the size of a small house, cracked before it was reduced to dust.
Landing gracefully in front of the craved rock, he sheathed his sword, all the while aware of the presence of another.
She just came back from a joint mission from the Country of Wind, and she spent most of the day resting. And so after not being active , she was eager to train again. She had Lee to blame for making her have a slight training obsession. While entering, Tenten noticed that she was not alone in the isolated training fields. This was strange as she often had the field to herself, as everyone except weapon users avoid this particular training ground for other rugged terrain which were much more feasible for using and dodging ninjutsu. She quickly hid atop one of the trees, content to just observe the newcomer for now.
But she didn't expect that he was like the wind.
She watched in amazement as he moved with the skill of a true weapon master, like her. After being the only kunoichi to dedicate her form to suit the many weapons she wielded, she found the skill of other shinobi lacking in the area of weaponry, so much that she refused to train anybody except those among her family. Even then, those got boring quickly and she was starved of worthy opponents she could face in the training field with the sword. Until now, she has been training by herself, frustrated that she could make no comparison with any of her peers. And now, a rare opportunity showed itself. A genuine master of the blade was right in front of her eyes, training no less. This made it easy for her to request for a match and...
This was the perfect chance to test her abilities as a sword wielder.
She crept out of the shadows to greet him, a sense of exhilaration making her giddy.
Naruto was amused when he saw Tenten appear from the shadows. But he was completely surprised by her words.
"Fight me please." She bowed, her body and mind racing with anticipation, her hands readying her kodachi.
He looked at her considering, before he finally nodded. "Fine."
And he dropped into a stance, his right leg in front of his left, the katana in its sheath as it was before. However she found his stance strange as it was proper to put the left in front of the right so as to achieve maximum power in the opening move. And many styles, including her own, emphasized greatly on the first move. It was critical to survival that one must be ready to follow up on that, after all, no matter how superior the technique is, you can't use it if you're already dead. And it was on that philosophy that many kenjutsu were based upon.
Her style was slightly different from the rest he had seen, each one of her specially positioned that way to add power and accuracy instead of flexibility and speed in her strikes. A fairly difficult thing to master but far more unpredictable than the ones he had seen before and much more enjoyable.
Tenten made the first move, letting out a war cry as she swung her blade at him. He withdrew his own and steel met steel as the blades clashed. Skillfully, she withdrew from the weapon-lock first, after determining that his strength was something she could not afford to keep up with. Keeping her movements light footed, she circled her prey, watching intensely for any gap or opening she could find. Not surprisingly, she couldn't find any.
They continued this for a few more minutes before she lost her patience and performed one of her family's trademark moves. The Blade Whirlwind was a Jounin-class kenjutsu technique, one of the few rare sword techniques available in Konoha, developed by her family. She had seen it been performed on a dummy once and literally, nothing was left save the scattered splinters which litter the area. Normally, she wouldn't use it but her opponent's eyes beckoned her use her best against him; to give honor to one sword user as another.
He moved skillfully as she expected, blocking or dodging the blows with the fluidity of water; which was exactly what he was supposed to do. In the end, all of this served as a diversion to the true aim behind her attack, his chakra veins. Even though he was unharmed by her, every time he dodged a small part of his chakra would be broken up, leaving his muscles more pressured than normal which would result in speed lost. When her blade actually cut him before she completed the barrage, she felt a little disappointed, though feeling content at having sparred with one worthy opponent, despite him losing. She was a kunoichi after all, an unfair advantage she was happy to have. Her joy didn't last for long however.
Kawarimi? Her eyes widened as the body 'poofed' into that of a small wooden block. "I win." She looked up to see a sword pointed towards her. She took time opportunity to study his blade, it was a reversed edge, she noted with surprise. Such swords were rare and even less used by in the shinobi world. And somehow, she felt that he was holding back, even though it required a great deal of skill to wield his sword properly, not to mention the fact that he pulled a kawarimi on her. There was something definitely off with him. "It has been a pleasure." She heard him say as he sheathed the sword. He immediately walked away, leaving her stunned for a second.
"Hey! Wait! I didn't get your name!" She called out, hoping at least to catch the name of this strange person.
He stopped looking at her to reveal cerulean eyes. "Karaichi Seizou." And he walked off to find solitude once more.
He was at one of the many parks that Konoha had when Jiraiya found him, this one had been a particular favorite for him when he was younger. He remembered that he would come here often during this time, when the sun was dying and its rays basking everything in a wonderful orange hue.
"Naruto."
He didn't answer. But that didn't stop the Sannin from continuing. "I told her about you. I'm sorry."
Empty words from an empty man. There was no mistake that the ashen haired man had imparted his identity to Tsunade-obachan. From her behavior when she summoned him to her office, he could already deduce as much. Now, she was sorting out her conflicting thoughts, thanks to his words. He didn't change though, after all, it had been his true self all along. And that was exactly the reason he didn't want to reveal himself in the first place; they somehow assumed that he had changed beyond their understanding, their minds failing to realize that the Naruto they knew was a mask he had shed willing. The Ero-sennin was surprisingly cunning for all the crap he done, trying futilely to get his old self back using shame and guilt with Tsunade as the key. The whole thing showed him that the Sannin was desperate, and that turning to Tsunade was obviously a last resort. He admitted it was a good try, but the Toad-master hadn't taken in one thing into careful consideration; he didn't care anymore, and to him, such attachments were acceptable losses. He already had depended on himself and no one else, so why should he start now?
"No, you're not. Sorry, that is."
Jiraiya ignored him. "She asked whether if you would come to her office this evening, after she done with her paperwork." He knew this to be a lie; she wouldn't be preoccupied with work but rather with the words that she would say to him. Being gone for four years and reappearing all of a sudden could do that to a person. But he didn't care. If it hastened the process of which he could get out of the village, all the more he would agree. He briefly felt a pang of guilt for causing such anguish to the woman who he felt was his sister or even perhaps a mother. He couldn't accurately describe his relationship to Tsunade, be it a mother or a sister. If anything were to blame, it would be the machinations of Jiraiya. But those thoughts were crushed for they didn't matter in the end, like he did with the stupid feelings before, as he remembered why he left in the first place. The reason why he was what he was today.
"I will consider it." He heard himself say.
Jiraiya was satisfied with his answer and walked off to explore the newer districts that had been built in his absence.
Evening came quickly to him, and he found himself in front of the Hokage's building. With a weary sigh, he entered it, ignoring the looks of the various shinobi on the level. Making his way past them, he reached the second floor of the Hokage's building, a long hallway which eventually led to the Hokage's office.
He noticed a rather developed blonde kunoichi walk by, sending suspicious glances his way, before she looked away with what he thought was embarrassment when he caught her. She seemed rather familiar to him though he couldn't remember who…
Ah! Ino!
But he had no time to catch up with old friends, especially if they were ones who would kill anyone just because they were ordered to kill. No, he didn't have the heart to hurt them. But that didn't mean he would hold back if they attacked him first. He stopped in front of the Hokage's office, not caring about the slight glances that were thrown at his back every now and then by the Chuunin guards at the door.
He knocked on the oak door.
"Come in." Came the weary reply.
And he entered.
This time she seemed distraught. Her hair was disheveled, obviously from lack of sleep. He felt a tinge of pity at first before it was swept away in an unforgiving tide of memories. He had no need for what she offered now. He didn't need such a thing for so long and he was content with his power.
Even if he did feel hollow inside.
He stood unfazed, not by her or the huge office he was in, his eyes betraying nothing as he stared at her unflinchingly. She figured it was a good time as any to speak.
"Why," She asked, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Why did you leave?"
The boy's hair morphed and shifted, from dusty brown it gave birth to striking yellow, tangles of long strands of unkempt hair possessing a hidden grace taking the place of the once short and brown crop. His lips curved into a smile she had only seen once on one person in all her fifty years. The smile of a demon. But she saw through the mask of that smile, the sadness and despair was like an abyss, consuming him until nothing was left.
There was silence, before there was a small chuckle from him. That chuckle grew into mad laughter. And then there was silence once again.
He clasped his chin with his hands, a confounded expression on his face. And in a sing-song voice, he asked, "Why? Why oh why, I wonder?" He repeated, his tone pondering, searching for an answer like a child. Tsunade found it mocking, until she saw the lifeless glint within those dull orbs. She shivered. What did he endure to become like this? The thought lingered until a more chilling question came into mind. What had they done to help create Naruto into what he was now?
Naruto looked at her straight in the eye, face solemn and replied, "All I wanted was love, Tsunade-baba. And this village stripped it away from me."
"You know that isn't true." She said, her façade beginning to crack from her emotions. "We were worried for you after you irresponsibly left!" Fear and anger holding her back approaching the boy, but there was hope and dread combined as an oddly mixture as it welled up in her chest. "Come back to the village, Naruto." She pleaded, unaware of the slight narrowing of his eyes.
"And then what?" He asked silkily, catching Tsunade off-guard. "Let the Council of Leaf declare me a traitor and have me executed? You know of their strict laws concerning missing-nins, especially those which concern returning missing-nins."
"I can make them listen."
"But the Council can still out rule you, if the majority of the senior cabinet approves of the motion, and in my case, it would be a full victory to them." He countered. "You're the Hokage, yes, but even a Hokage needs the people's support in order to do anything around here."
"But even if you manage to convince them otherwise, they would still hate me. You should know why." Tsunade looked at him, a expression of desperateness in her eyes, pleading him not to give up, and that there was still hope. He laughed at that. There was no hope. Not for him.
"I tried, you know." He whispered. "I tried so hard…but they didn't want to understand, even after that."
"And," He continued, "If I couldn't have that, then I would get power. To be acknowledged by everyone because of my strength." His words grew harsh as he continued, "But I knew, somehow, that wasn't going to be enough. That they would still view me as an abomination, a monster only to be culled in the end. I'm hated, an outcast, a pariah."
This wasn't happening. This wasn't what she wanted at all.
"You were always so happy and carefree before! I thought you were strong enough to look past the petty prejudice of the villagers!" She shouted, tears trickling down her cheeks.
He looked to the side, a solemn expression on his face. "Then I wasn't very strong, wasn't I?" Before adding, "I'm only human, right?"
She couldn't believe what he was saying. She could believe that this was Naruto, the one who wouldn't give up, always boasting about how he would become stronger to become the next Hokage. He hadn't died in the body. He had died in spirit, an empty husk in the stead of the boy she cherished so dearly.
"Then what about your dream? Didn't it mean anything to you? Are those words you said useless too!" By now, she was near hysterical, three years of repression rushing out the floodgates.
"Hokage?" This time, venom was dripping in his voice. "To others, it may mean awe, respect and wonder." "But it means nothing to me now, all that it is but an empty title" "All I have is myself and my power." He said this with less conviction, but enough to persuade himself to continue, but she didn't notice, her mind pounding as it tried to deal with the revelation. "I trust no one and heed no voice other than my own."
"Do you really think that? That you're alone?" She whispered, the clenching and unclenching her hands unnoticed by herself. It had pained her in every sense possible to see Naruto become this way. Jiraiya was wrong. Naruto had changed, so much there was simply no trace of his former self, all that was left were the hate and anguish of his childhood. Everything hinged on her last question. She was deluding herself, hoping that Naruto truly wasn't the cold, emotionless being in front of her.
"Yes."
Everything tumbled down one final time, and she struggled to find the energy to speak. "Leave me." She croaked out, suddenly weary of everything. But most of all, from the conversation.
He didn't answer, shadows crept onto the floor, until it formed a perfect circle around him. He gave her one last look as his features changed back to the unassuming form of Karaichi Seizou, the blackness finally consuming him and soon even that slowly faded to reveal the plain wooden floorboards of her office. Tsunade sat unmoving, her heart burdened more than in anytime in her life. She hoped to find the lovable prankster that she knew today. She was wrong, only finding a faint ghost of a person she now barely knew.
The tears came steadily, tiny drops at first before becoming torrents of salty pearls. She cried, the first time since he disappeared, knowing at last, that Naruto was truly gone.
It was dark, and the only light came from the flickering candles lined at the side of the huge room as if to enclose the darkness veiling the centre like a blanket of fear. In the front of the huge arena-like room, Orochimaru would be seated in his throne of polished obsidian and carved snakes. He could not see the Snake King within the darkness but he could feel that he was there, after many experiences and encounters with the master of the Sound within his lair. An experience which many had never returned to tell of, for Orochimaru does not take kindly to failure. He idly wondered what the Sannin wanted from his star pupil this time.
The light flickered, the temperature neither hot nor cold, and there was a certain unnaturalness which lingered in this place but he paid it no mind. Fear had been purged from his mind a long time ago from the special 'training' he received, one so horrible that he blocked it from memory. Despite his mind, his body betrayed him as he shuddered that the mention of it. He was thankful for the shade of anonymity the darkness provided, knowing fully well that fear was weakness and weakness was not tolerated in this land.
He immediately knelt in the darkness, in a show of false fealty.
The Sannin spoke, though he could not see his face, he could feel that obviously pleased by this. "You may rise." He did so promptly, silently waiting for the man to continue.
"The past few years have been taxing on you, Sasuke." Orochimaru spoke with a tone that he could describe as false and cruel. "And I'm proud to say that you made the cut, though you already proved to me of that on many occasions."
He kept quiet, knowing that the Otokage was just rambling in his own deluded world. Orochimaru was delusional, always likening to keep up farces and appearances, but he was a powerful fool, if one dared call him that. He would always laugh, whether to mete out punishment or reward, though it tended to be crueler when he meted out punishment. And it was commonplace to hear the screams of the tortured within the dark corridors of this lair.
"There is a mission which I need done masterfully." He said flatly, amber eyes locked onto the form of the Uchiha, as if to observe any reaction from the boy. "And I'm assigning you a squad of mid level ninjas to do it."
The curse seal pulsed with pain as Sasuke uttered out rehearsed words, "It is my pleasure to serve."
Orochimaru laughed at his words, silently praising his skill as a puppeteer. "Very good, Sasuke-kun."
He continued, "I want you to go to Konoha and survey any potential shinobis who would pose a threat in the upcoming Chuunin evaluation which would be held in a week's time. And if possible, get rid of as many as you can." Assassination? He could do that. Pheh, was that all? This grand assignment was a mockery to his abilities! He didn't say that out loud but he was sure that Orochimaru knew what he was thinking. He was still smiling that cruel smile of his, as if he knew something that he didn't.
"You will depart today, and return to me on the last day of the month." The smile took on a more feral tone. "Remember, Sasuke-kun, that I do not tolerate failure, not even from you." Sasuke already knew that, having first hand seen what he did to those who did fail. But that wasn't a problem. The task he had been given was one he knew he would perform adequately.
"Wait." The eerie voice of his master stopped him. "There is one more matter that concerns your mission, Sasuke-kun…"
He threw a dossier at the boy who caught it lazily in one hand. Sasuke glanced at the shadowy figure with restrained curiosity and turned his attention to the file. In it, were several pages of personal information on several high ranking Leaf-nins, and it was clear to him what that information was supposed to be used for. They were probably targets of opportunity or primary targets, denoted by the red or black markings in the little box next to their names. Black meant that he or she was a secondary priority whereas anyone with red was marked for death, the prime target. It was no surprise that almost all of them had the that little red dot. And then he turned to the last page, and he was shocked to say the least.
Why was she in this folder?
Even through the dull lighting he still could make out her delicate features, bright pink hair framing her cherub face. And though it was shorter than the last time he saw her, she was still beautiful to his eyes, like a man in a desert stumbling onto an oasis. Then dread welled up in his chest as a shortness of breath came, the pounding of his heart loud enough for him to hear. Instinctively, he looked at the box named 'Status' which held the power of life or death.
It was red. The color of blood.
Trying to quell the sense of trepidation, he composed himself, though the implication of her presence and her 'color' within the folder rang clear through his mind. Suddenly, the silence became a piercing one as his next thoughts dawned upon him.
He was going to have to kill her, he realized at last. Was it one last attempt to sever all connections he had in the past, or was it another test for him to prove his loyalty? Sasuke was sure it was both. Trust Orochimaru to come up with something so difficult. But that didn't change the question. How could he kill Sakura?
He stiffened visibly at the thought, hoping that the darkness concealed his expression.
A sudden glint in the man's amber eyes told him that man had noticed the slight change in his body, throwing in a predatory glance at the Uchiha's direction, trying to use this new information against him. The silence was brief before the Snake master hissed out his next words.
"Ah, I see you recognized the beauty in there… the reports said that she was the Fifth's apprentice, and has caused no less than twenty of our own Chuunin to perish, which is quite stunning if you consider her lack of experience. Beauty and strength all in one, it reminds me of someone…" He chuckled, the clarity and impact of his words not lost on the boy. "It's a pity but…" There was a false sweetness in his voice, a thick layer of honey coating the sickening poison concealed within, like a viper waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Being the skilled actor he was, he dropped all pretence and delivered the final blow, saying those damning words as if it was the simplest of things.
"Kill her."
He could only bow, the curse seal forcing him to do so for a change. And he would obey, because he sold his soul for power.
His cold disposition came back as he slipped into his mask of indifference, his emotions and thoughts shoved aside as his Sharingan activated unconsciously.
"As you command, Orochimaru-sama."
A/N: Finally another chapter completed. To keep it short, Act IV was the setting of the stage where the next few chapters would be focused on, though I have a sinking feeling that this one was a bit confusing to all of you. This time, I supposed that the writing time was significantly shorter than the previous chapter thanks to some coaxing on the part of a certain reviewer. (Note: I hate having guilt trips) :) And remember to read and review!
Jenniyah: Its because he has been supressing it or else everyone with the ability to feel chakra would be drawn to him subconsciously.
Chubby-King-Chocobo: Don't worry, in the next chapter or two, he would have to do some sneaking around and I would probably have him prank a few shinobis for good measure.
Windwhisper: I have been working overtime to get time chapter up so I hope that this satisfies you for the moment. :P
Cobra-100: Meh, he's supposed to act apathetic, or thats just my excuse. Though I find it disturbing that this version of Naruto could be compared to such a indiviual. He cares, though he's not proficient at showing it. But I will leave the angst and drama for the story. :P Sorry if this offended you in any way.