Lantern Light Chapter 6: Lonely Light, a naruto fanfic

The sound of crickets was all that Naruto heard.

Crickets, the crunch of broken pavement beneath his feet, and his own labored breath.

His Lantern swinging, he headed off for the training grounds. It was some place he could be alone. Some important moments in his life had taken place there. If he could find solace in any part of the Hidden Leaf village, that might be it.

"I tried," he said. "I really did try. Why does this kind of thing happen to me?"

Blood came from where he had bitten his lip. The sound of his heartbeat was loud in his ears. No one had accepted his Lantern. Why? Was it because he was a stranger to most of the girls? Was it because Tsunade had called him in late, after everyone else had an unfair head start? It might be easier to stomach if there were more guys than girls. He didn't know that answer. He wasn't a census taker.

"Maybe it was the stupid Lantern. Maybe I should have gotten one just like everyone else."

No girl had commented poorly on his choice. The younger children thought it was great. Any number of older adults had made faces or rude remarks, but they never said anything to any of the young ladies while he was within hearing.

It didn't have to be the lantern. It could have been any number of mistakes! He should have spoken to Kiba at the meeting hall. He should have demanded that Old Lady Tsunade find some way to help him, since he was at such a disadvantage.

"Why did I even f-cking bother? What good did my f-cking Ninja Way do me this time?"

Finding himself within the confines of the forest, he felt a slight sense of relief. There wouldn't be anyone out here to catch sight of his shame. Maybe he should just douse the stupid candle. No. With the trees blocking out the moonlight, the stupid glowing fox would actually help him find his footing. Needing a moment to gather his emotional bearings, he leaned up against a sap-covered old pine, placing his forehead against the bark and breathing in the soothing scent of its needles.

An image came to mind. It was one that he would remember forever, not only for its uniqueness, but because of the memory of failure that would end up being associated with it. When he had left the gathering, he had been one of the last boys to join a long winding line of shinobi and civilians. The myriad lanterns and the countless colors had looked like some fanciful centipede stretching out through the village streets.

He had actually felt a spirit of adventure, eve a touch of excitement, seeing that wondrous sight. Not only did it capture his imagination, it made him somehow feel powerful, as if he was part of something bigger. As he marched along, thinking about where else he should look for an unclaimed girl, the thought of centipedes brought to mind a story he remembered hearing.

There had been a warrior named Fujiwara Hidesato. He could not bear to be idle. So he buckled on his two swords, took a huge bow much taller than himself, and slinging his quiver on his back started out. He eventually found himself at the bridge of Seta-no-Karashi spanning one end of the beautiful Lake Biwa.

No sooner had he set foot on the bridge than he saw lying right across his path a huge serpent- dragon. Its body was so big that it looked like the trunk of a large pine tree and it took up the whole width of the bridge. One of its huge claws rested on the parapet of one side of the bridge, while its tail lay right against the other. The monster seemed to be asleep, and as it breathed, fire and smoke came out of its nostrils.

Naruto cursed. It was just a tale. But, at first, he had allowed it to keep his hopes up, strolling along like he was some kind of hero himself. He had done things that were worthy of telling, right? Gama-Bunta. Shukaku. Rasengan. The Fifth Hokage. Going toe to toe with Sasuke. Training with one of the Legendary Sannin. None of the civilians had done anything on that level! How many of his peers had?

He had laughed when the children came out and danced around him, pulling pranks or just expressing all manners of youthful exuberance. Everyone seemed to have firecrackers, sparklers, or small Roman candles. Many of them wore ceremonial clothing, masks, or costumes. There had been something else that was coincidental to the story he had been thinking about. Large dragon floats moved up and down the streets, undulating between revelers and participants alike. Some kind of smoke pots allowed the giant puppets to breath smoke out of their nostrils.

Walking over an arched bridge, he almost expected one of the dragons to speak to him. Instead, it had been the townspeople who had been calling things out to one another as they watched folk dancers gambol, gyrate and frolic amongst them. Some had sung songs. Others had called out a list of family ancestors. Some traded ancient riddles.

One riddle in particular had made him feel self conscious, starting the change in his mood. He doubted that some one had seen him first, hitting upon that riddle. But, there was no way to be sure. What did it matter now, anyway?

"Who were the three major devils on earth that have plunged the world into chaos since its creation," one elderly man had called out.

'Yamata-no-Orochi… the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent… he was one.' An old woman waving a long streamer had replied in a loud sing-song voice.

'Rokumen-happi-no-Jaki' another elderly man had answered, dressed in robes that were far older than the grandchildren playing at his feet. 'The six-faced, eight-armed ogre.'

'Kimmoh-kyubi Hakumen-no-Akko,' another woman had said, leaning on a carved fence post. She trembled for a moment, and then pointed. "The white-faced evil fox with nine blonde tails."

Her bony finger had been pointed right at Naruto. Things had gone dead silent at that moment. No one moved in the small group nearest to him. His pulse suddenly racing, Naruto heard someone whisper 'Kyuubi.' Soon that word seemed to be on everyone's lips.

He had hurried away from there quickly as he could, feeling as if he had somehow committed a crime. The vaguely four-legged shape of light projected by his Lantern followed him, as if it would run at his heals forever more. Even faced with that, he had tried to keep his spirits up, shrugging off the reactions of that small crowd. Hidesato could have run from the dragon, but had not! He would not let the older villager's prejudice drive him away.

At first Hidesato could not help feeling alarmed at the sight of this horrible reptile lying in his path, for he must either turn back or walk right over its body. He was a brave man, however, and putting aside all fear went forward dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch! he stepped now on the dragon's body, now between its coils, and without even one glance backward he went on his way. He had only gone a few steps when he heard some one calling him from behind.

Naruto sighed, running his hand up and along the tree, feeling pieces of bark rain down upon his hair and robe. He had persevered. Head held high, and determination in his step, he had politely approached any young woman he came across who did not carry a lantern They all turned him down, but most had been very polite. Some had laughed outright, and others snickered when he had left, but he had dealt with people like that for his entire life.

On turning back, Hidestao was much surprised to see that the monster dragon had entirely disappeared and in its place was a strange-looking man, who was bowing most ceremoniously to the ground. His red hair streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in the shape of a dragon's head, and his sea-green dress was patterned with shells. Hidesato knew at once that this was no ordinary mortal and he wondered much at the strange occurrence.

Where had the dragon gone in such a short space of time? Or had it transformed itself into this man, and what did the whole thing mean? While these thoughts passed through his mind he had come up to the man on the bridge and now addressed him:

"Was it you that called me just now?"

"Yes, it was I," answered the man: "I have an earnest request to make to you. Do you think you can grant it to me?"

"If it is in my power to do so I will," answered Hidesato, "but first tell me who you are?"

"I am the Dragon King of the Lake, and my home is in these waters just under this bridge."

"And what is it you have to ask of me!" said Hidesato.

"I want you to kill my mortal enemy the centipede, who lives on the mountain beyond," and the Dragon King pointed to a high peak on the opposite shore of the lake.

The long centipede-like string of Lantern bearers had broken apart on its own, as numerous young men left the procession to meet up with their dates, and others approached groups of girls who were waiting expectantly at meeting places that were popular amongst the youths of the village. Naruto saw a number of exchanges taking place, each one leaving him feeling more forlorn than the one before it. As fate would have it, he was a witness when Lee handed his green-colored Lantern to Sakura, who had been waiting under a cherry tree holding on to its last blossoms.

He had told himself not to feel sad or angry. It wasn't as if this was the first time in his life that he had been passed over. He had longs since come to terms with the fact that he was required to walk a path much different than the other shinobi? He had to be strong enough to walk alone, if that was his destiny.

"But it's not fair!" He rammed his kunai into the forgiving evergreen. "When am I going to get a break?"

Time and time again he had asked, only to find out that he was too late. It reminded him of one fateful day in his past, when the winter gifts were given out at the orphanage. Every child but him seemed to get one. He had looked under every bed, in every cabinet, and twice in every stocking. There was nothing with his name on it. He had been devastated, never having the nerve to ask if he had been purposefully excluded, or if the other orphans had made it a point to snatch away anything belonging to the boy that nobody wanted.

"I thought that things were getting better. Why did you make me do this Old lady? Don't I have enough to worry about?" He took out his kunai and put it away, not bothering to wipe off the sticky aromatic material.

Naruto fought back tears of frustration. He had kept his emotions bottled up over the past few years, much too busy with his training to dwell on his feelings. He needed to get stronger to bring back Sasuke. He needed to learn as much as he could, to stay one step ahead of Akatsuki's clutches.

He had seen Neji walking gracefully along the avenue. One step behind him, Ten Ten had followed, clutching a Lantern to her chest as if it was the most precious item in the world. He had caught sight of Temari twirling her lantern, making fiery shapes in the darkness, taunting a rather solemn looking Shikamaru. He had watched as Kiba and his date rode on Akamaru's bag, the dog trotting happily along the main thoroughfare.

His friends all had to work hard, too. They all did their best to protect the Leaf. He was not the only one with a difficult life. But, at least tonight, it seemed that they got to see a lot of good along with the bad. He could no longer say the same thing for himself. Trying not to drown in self-pity, he thought back to the tale.

"I have lived now for many years in this lake and I have a large family of children and grand-children. For some time past we have lived in terror, for a monster centipede has discovered our home, and night after night it comes and carries off one of my family. I am powerless to save them. If it goes on much longer like this, not only shall I lose all my children, but I myself must fall a victim to the monster. I am, therefore, very unhappy, and in my extremity I determined to ask the help of a human being.

For many days with this intention I have waited on the bridge in the shape of the horrible serpent-dragon that you saw, in the hope that some strong brave man would come along. But all who came this way, as soon as they saw me were terrified and ran away as fast as they could. You are the first man I have found able to look at me without fear, so I knew at once that you were a man of great courage. I beg you to have pity upon me. Will you not help me and kill my enemy the centipede?"

Could he show that kind of bravery some day? Yes. He had no doubt about that. When Sasuke had been in danger in the Forest of Death, he had stopped one of Orochimaru's giant snakes. When Sakura had been close to death, he had stood up to Gaara and Shukaka, even though he had been badly frightened by the Sand shinobi's power and persona at the hospital. When Tsunade had been shaken up by the sight of blood, and Jiraiya was laboring under the effects of the drug he had been given, he had stepped up to face Kabuto. When he joined a team of genin, he almost died, trying to bring his errant teammate back to the village.

"A giant centipede would be nothing," He whispered. The image of the giant insect in his mind wavered and became a giant Nine-tailed fox demon, its enormous tails breaking mountains and knocking trees to the ground. He put a hand on his belly.

Yondaime had not been as fortunate as Hidesato. The Yellow Flash did not walk away from his encounter alive. Uzumaki Naruto could never allow himself to do less. He was the Fourth Hokage's legacy, whether he wanted to be or not. It was an awesome thought, realizing just what kind of power was sealed away inside of him.

Being who he was, no matter how down he felt, there was always some spark ready to catch fire, burning away his doubts and fears. He smiled, picturing an impossible fantasy. Wouldn't it be great, if he could somehow remove Kyuubi from within him, but still have the demon under control. What would everyone think, if he led the Nine Tails down the streets of Konoha, a giant lantern hanging from its jaws?

"I'd give anything…" Naruto said, cheering up some as he began to walk again. That would be a tale worth repeating, just like the story of Hidesatoor any of the legends that once had him running though the stuffy corridors of the Children's Home, smacking old nannies on the rump with sticks and other pretend weapons.

Hidesato felt very sorry for the Dragon King on hearing his story, and readily promised to do what he could to help him. The warrior knew that the monster lived the mountain Mikami, but that it came every night at a certain hour to the palace of the lake. He was conducted to the palace of the Dragon King, under the bridge.

Strange to say, as he followed his host downwards the waters parted to let them pass, and his clothes did not even feel damp as he passed through the flood. Never had Hidesato seen anything so beautiful as this palace built of white marble beneath the lake. He had often heard of the Sea King's palace at the bottom of the sea, where all the servants and retainers were salt-water fishes, but here was a magnificent building in the heart of Lake Biwa. The dainty goldfishes, red carp, and silvery trout, waited upon the Dragon King and his guest.

Hidesato was astonished at the feast that was spread for him. The dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers, and the chopsticks were of the rarest ebony. As soon as they sat down, the sliding doors opened and ten lovely goldfish dancers came out, and behind them followed ten red-carp musicians with the koto and the samisen. Thus the hours flew by till midnight, and the beautiful music and dancing had banished all thoughts of the centipede.

The festival had felt that way to him for a while, when he let himself stop worrying and began to relax. The village at night had been beautiful. The townspeople had gone to a great deal of work, creating a wonderful feast for everyone. There had been music all over town, and someone had to practice an awful lot to get that good.

One thing was clear. Everyone had their role to play in keeping the spirit of the Fire Country alive. Ninjas. Civilians. Adults. Children. Men. Women. Fighters. Administrators. Cooks. Musicians. Craftsmen. The list went on and on.

That was easy enough to see. He wasn't totally blind, after all. But, he wanted to feel it. It should come naturally, not be forced. It was something a Hokage would need to do.

In any case, as bad as he might feel for himself at the moment, he was happy to see that the people of Konoha still fought so hard to embrace life.

The Dragon King was about to pledge the warrior in a fresh cup of wine when the palace was suddenly shaken by a tramp, tramp! as if a mighty army had begun to march not far away.

Hidesato and his host both rose to their feet and rushed to the balcony, and the warrior saw on the opposite mountain two great balls of glowing fire coming nearer and nearer. The Dragon King stood by the warrior's side trembling with fear.

"The centipede! The centipede! Those two balls of fire are its eyes. It is coming for its prey! Now is the time to kill it."

Hidesato looked where his host pointed, and, in the dim light of the starlit evening, behind the two balls of fire he saw the long body of an enormous centipede winding round the mountains, and the light in its hundred feet glowed like so many distant lanterns moving slowly towards the shore.

Hidesato showed not the least sign of fear. He tried to calm the Dragon King.

"Don't be afraid. I shall surely kill the centipede. Just bring me my bow and arrows."

The Dragon King did as he was bid, and the warrior noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver. He took the bow, and fitting an arrow to the notch, took careful aim and let fly.

The arrow hit the centipede right in the middle of its head, but instead of penetrating, it glanced off harmless and fell to the ground.

Nothing daunted, Hidesato took another arrow, fitted it to the notch of the bow and let fly. Again the arrow hit the mark, it struck the centipede right in the middle of its head, only to glance off and fall to the ground. The centipede was invulnerable to weapons!

When the Dragon King saw that even this brave warrior's arrows were powerless to kill the centipede, he lost heart and began to tremble with fear.

Hidesato had been pretty sure of himself. He had thought that it would be a piece of cake to dispatch a creature that had made a livelihood of preying on dragons. He was wrong. His arrows had done nothing at first. But, as the rest of the story showed, he had stayed true to his task. All he needed was the right approach. In time, the answer came to him.

In a way, this whole festival was nothing more than one of the arrows he might have to fire in his life. He might do his best, and place himself right on target, only to bounce off. Certainly, that had happened any number of times tonight. He had lost count long ago.

Maybe those people who had counseled confidence actually knew what they were talking about.

The warrior saw that he had now only one arrow left in his quiver, and if this one failed he could not kill the centipede. He looked across the waters. The huge creature had wound its horrid body seven times round the mountain and would soon come down to the lake. Nearer and nearer gleamed fireballs of eyes, and the light of its hundred feet began to throw reflections in the still waters of the lake.

Then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had heard that human saliva was deadly to centipedes. But this was no ordinary centipede. This was so monstrous that even to think of such a creature made one creep with horror. Hidesato determined to try his last chance. So taking his last arrow and first putting the end of it in his mouth, he fitted the notch to his bow, took careful aim once more and let fly.

Human saliva. Why did he have to remember that part again? Passing through darkened alley ways earlier, he had stumbled across a number of oblivious couples, lost in their embraces. There had been a lot of kissing going on.

He still had never kissed a girl. He wondered what he was missing. He almost felt as if he wore a badge of shame around his neck.

"There will be someone out there, some day." Naruto wondered if that was true.

This time the arrow again hit the centipede right in the middle of its head, but instead of glancing off harmlessly as before, it struck home to the creature's brain. Then with a convulsive shudder the serpentine body stopped moving, and the fiery light of its great eyes and hundred feet darkened to a dull glare like the sunset of a stormy day, and then went out in blackness.

A great darkness now overspread the heavens, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the wind roared in fury, and it seemed as if the world were coming to an end. The Dragon King and his children and retainers all crouched in different parts of the palace, frightened to death, for the building was shaken to its foundation. At last the dreadful night was over. Day dawned beautiful and clear. The centipede was gone from the mountain.

Then Hidesato called to the Dragon King to come out with him on the balcony, for the centipede was dead and he had nothing more to fear.

He shook his head, snorting. His life had seemed like a legend in the making sometimes. How could it not? But, there certainly was one big difference. When he or any other ninja did well, his reputation might grow, or he might be respected by his peers. In stories, heroes like Hidesato often received some kind of amazing rewards for their heroic fates, or ended up dying in some tragic fashion. It was usually all or nothing.

Yes, Hidesato had been one lucky guy. After being treated to second even more sumptuous feast, he was given a number of miraculous gifts. One, a large bronze bell, made a wonderful offering to a monastery when the warrior returned home. The other three, each possessing some kind of magic, made him fortunate for the rest of his days. The first was a bag of rice. The supply in that bag was inexhaustible. The second was a roll of silk. That would never grow shorter, no matter how much clothing he cut from it. The third was a cooking pot. No matter what was put into it, it cooked deliciously without the need of any fire.

The fame of Hidesato's fortune spread far and wide, and as there was no need for him to spend money on rice or silk or firing, he became very rich and prosperous, and was henceforth known as My Lord Bag of Rice.

"I could certainly do without any stupid nickname," Naruto said to no one in particular. He had always been known as 'That Naruto.' That was bad enough.

Tripping over a rock on the path, Naruto barely managed to maintain his balance. He should put more attention into watching where he walked, and less in thinking about old stories. Why had he been so intent on visiting his old training site, anyway? Maybe it was for the same reason that he had done so just before the Chuunin exams.

Wait a minute! Right before he had gone off to face Neji at the arena, he had walked by the large wooden training posts. He hadn't been alone. That's who he had forgotten.

Hinata.

"How could I have forgotten one of the Rookie Nine?" Naruto cursed. The Nine had not been the only ninjas of their given age. That group had merely been the ones that ended up getting to know one another better than they did the other teams

Well, with Hinata, the answer might be simple enough. Now that he thought back, it seemed that she had always been present in one way or another, but had never really stood out until she took center stage at the exams. When two people faced off in the middle of a fighting floor, there was no place to hide. But, everywhere else, it was possible to blend right in with the background.

"That's probably who Neji meant," he said. "But where would she go?"

There was still time left. If he could figure out where Hinata might be, he could ask her to take his Lantern. She might do just that, if she didn't pass out first. He rubbed the back of his neck, remembering the words of encouragement that she had given him once, not far from where he stood right now. Someone who once called him a 'Proud Failure' might not turn him away.

"If she hasn't accepted someone else's Lantern already." That would be just his luck.

Naruto froze. He thought that he had heard a voice. It sounded like a girl's voice. Who could it be, out here, at this hour, on a night like this? And what was that light ahead. It looked to be too large to be cause by a Lantern. Not wanting to give his presence away, he doused his candle and began to move stealthily.

On a moonlit night
The beams strike the hillside
Through the pine needles
All year round,
As constant is my longing

It was definitely a girl. But, what was she doing? Why was she doing it now, all the way out here? Could she be singing to her date? If that's the case, the last thing that he wanted to do was intrude. But, the voice didn't sound happy.

Might she be someone who hadn't been offered a Lantern? If that was the case, then he might be in luck. He still had a Lantern! There was only one way to find out. Carefully, assuming that the girl might be kunoichi, he made his way off of the path and through the light underbrush that bordered on side of the training area.

In the evening
How sad seem
The moths in their
Disastrous confusion;
My love does as much to me and more.

That wasn't singing. It was probably some kind of poetry. He wasn't certain, because he wasn't into that kind of thing. Just the same, he listened to the words. They were haunting, in their own way. Unexpectedly, he found them tugging at his heartstrings.

Slowly, bending saplings out of his way and slipping between spindly bushes frosted with moonlight, Naruto peered into the nearing open stretch of lawn. He couldn't see the girl from that angle. All he saw was a large flickering torch. Large numbers of moths flew about it, and a thick trail of smoke stretched skyward.

The months and years
Add up for me,
But though they pass
My thoughts of you
Will never leave…

The more he listened, the more uncomfortable he felt. It was as if he had an unobstructed view directly into someone's heart. Maybe he shouldn't bother making his presence known. If the girl was mourning someone who died, or pining away for someone that she could never have, the last thing she would need would be to have some stranger appear, witnessing her pain.

"But…" Naruto stepped out into the clearing, brushing leaves off of his robes. It would be easy to simply walk away. It probably was the prudent thing to do. However, what if he could do something to help the girl? What if she was just lonely, like he was? If that was the case, his leaving would be like abandoning someone he was assigned to protect.

The moon, alone,
Taunts me from the heavens
With memories of you;
Should you feel the same, then
Our hearts would be as one.

The voice. It was so plaintive! Not only that, it was familiar. He was sure of it. He had heard that voice before. Where? Who was it? Just as the moths were all drawn to the flame, he was pulled closer to the source of those words.

"I'm an idiot…" Naruto shook his head. He suddenly had a suspicion. Neji's comment began to make sense. It should have made sense to him earlier! But, he had been caught up in the enormity of it all to think things through.

Sorrowful, I lift my gaze, but
He's not there, is all
My gloomy thought;
Beyond the streaming clouds
Lies the evening sky.

Slowly, Naruto moved onward, each step bringing him a better view of the training grounds. There was a large cluster of young trees ahead. Once he stepped beyond them, he should be able to see the girl.

If he was correct, the girl would have white eyes and Indigo hair. While the voice was somewhat richer than he remembered, the louder it grew in his ears, the more certain he was about who it belonged to. Hinata. He would bet his life that it was her.

To be forgotten is
A cause for sorrow
On this evening...
I alone know
The passing of the months and days.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, uncertain why he did so. Then, lifting his chin up some, he began to stride casually. This was no time for creeping. He wasn't going to ambush her, after all. It wouldn't do any good to have her thinking that he was sneaking around or something.

As he reached a pot that had an unobstructed view, he caught sight of a young woman dressed in a beautiful kimono, illuminated by the intense moonlight. He couldn't make out the colors in that light, but the long traditional clothing seemed to glow.

She wasn't simply standing still as she spoke. Far from it. Standing close to one of the large wooden posts, she struck out from time to time, striking it with her hands. It was an otherworldly sight, a girl practicing late at night in a kimono. For the briefest of instants, he felt as if he had indeed stepped into a legend.

The girl still had not detected him. Looking her over, Naruto noticed that she had a flower behind one ear and a tall carved ivory comb in her hair. Bathed in moonlight, that hair seemed to glisten. That came courtesy of a crystal-studded hairnet that she was wearing.

The girl spun around, arms up, ready to defend herself if necessary. It took a few moments for Naruto's appearance to register on her. She brought a hand to her mouth.

"N-N-Naruto-kun?"