Flowers Bloom, Hearts Shatter
By: Li
Chapter Six: Hidden Tales (stories to tell)
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Summary: Auron was sent from place across the ocean by a spell gone wrong, ending up on a familiar misty bridge in the Water country. Leaving Hidden Mist and separating from the wagon train, Auron and her new friends get attacked by bandits! After Shizune healed Haku's injuries, Auron and her bodyguard leave Tsunade's company to travel with the caravan again. Now they're in the Fire Country. What next?
(1) means to see the ending notes or glossary
"Foreign language."
Spirits and Gods
Flashback is like this.
--mind speach--
Enjoy! And sorry it too so long... At least it's about 30 pages of story! I think...
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Two weeks. They'd been on the road two weeks, finishing most of the caravan's stops, yet there was still more to go. Two more towns before Auron and Haku would have to leave the wagon train in it's refueling station and head toward an unknown (to Haku) destination.
At the moment, said teens trudging in the forest's direction, the dark haired male was slightly confused. In the last city, Auron had spent much more money than was necessary on various trinkets she said would come in handy. He didn't know why the girl had gotten five of the same kind of crystal bracelet, and Haku daren't have tried to stop her.
Their reason for going into the woods: to get money. The dark beauty had no idea why their currency would be in the middle of a secluded forest they were more likely to get attacked (again) in, but again he didn't dare object. The boy knew Auron obtained money somehow, but had either too been busy or unconscious to notice how.
Curious as he was, Haku did ask the girl walking down the steep hill in front of them, "Where are we going again, Airan-sama?" As they were speaking in Japanese, he couldn't pronounce her Flordinese name quite right.
Near-transparent orbs glanced at him from a head of pony-tailed reddish light brown hair. Auron just smiled, the gleam in her eyes amused. Not a good sign for one's nerves, he had come to know.
"To get money, of course. Where else would we go when we're out?"
A bank,-- he mind-murmured sarcastically, knowing full well she could hear him. Her smile only widened.
Good idea, Haku-kun! If we stay quiet, bandits and animals are more likely to leave use alone!—She turned back to the non-existent trail that seemed to take shape with her every step, something he was definitely not used to seeing. It was as if the trees and plants were reacting to her every presence, which was somewhat disturbing.
Right, then.—Haku continued to trudge along, happier when the trees shaded their heads. Ah, how he loved forests and nature! Think of all the herbs that could be here… --Where are we getting the money from?—
Auron smiled. –A Goddess friend of mine. Her name is Athne# (awth-nay), Shunhi's consort. Remember him, ne?—
Shunhi, the shinigami who had helped refuel his body and introduced Auron to him and his precious person's souls, was a Death God of the highest rank and long time friend to his mistress. Haku should have known that his consort would be the girl's friend as well.
Coughing slightly to get his attention again, Auron nearly tripped over a fallen tree branch. Haku caught her waist and pulled her back, earning a thankful smiled and spoken message. "I think we should stop talking and concentrate on not doing what I just did again. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
Auron smiled at him and continued on, humming the song he had heard her singing before to herself. Her mind wasn't as closed as he would've thought, so he heard her mind-voice singing the words as if they were a lullaby:
Cold brings Spring,
Spring brings rain
of melted ice shining.
Flowers Bloom to
bring good things
as peace and prosperity.
Tell to none
the circle's gather
of endless knowing
the Hearts bring.
Haku shivered, knowing the whole version by heart. The song was haunting if sung out loud, but even more so when sung quietly at night in the gloomy darkness without a moon and eyes closed to listen. What the verses meant or who created the music he did not know, but he could only pray that it didn't mean what he thought it meant.
The boy continued to walk, severing his talking mind link with his mistress and concentrating on seeing if there were any threats within the immediate area. Just to get the song out of his head, he did as he was assigned. Good thing it worked, too, or the bandits a few miles off would have never made it back to their camp with the fruits of their exploits.
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It was late afternoon by the time Auron and Haku reached a resting spot. A clearing with a small pond, surrounded by trees, and well hidden was perfect for what Auron had in mind. She needed a secluded spot to summon, as Haku had recently found out.
"Is this place expectable?" the boy asked his mistress, still a little uneasy. Sure, he knew the girl was close friends with various Gods he'd never heard of, but to call upon one without so much as an offering was plain foolishness. Then again, Haku had found out the hard way how impulsely she made her decisions sometimes.
Auron glanced at him from the corner of her eye, face expressionless. "Quite. Remember, I will not be harmed; the contract I have with then prevents such things." Contract? He'd heard her mention it a few times in their more lengthy conversations.
Even if he couldn't contradict her decision, and knew about the treaty between herself and the Gods (even if he didn't know what it entailed), he was still worried. Maybe she was on good terms with shinigami and the like, but it my not be so with others. And why ask for money from this 'Athne', anyway?
Auron sighed, having heard his thoughts, but chose to ignore them in favor of setting up the sacred circle. If there was one thing she'd excelled at in her brief stay at the Mage University # (after being kicked out for causing too much trouble, of course), it was summoning spells.
Walking up to a tree giving off a strong aura to her senses, Auron clap her hands twice and bowed her head in a praying position. Haku, though curious, kept his distance. Something strange was going on with the tree's bark, though.
A shallow whole appeared in the thick trunk, level with Auron's white-gloved hands (a gift from the caravan, from Funno's stalks). Inside shone a beautiful walking stick, uncarved but still sporting a naturalistic design. It was perfectly new and untouched by either erosion or human hand, and the tree was offering it in answer to the girl's prayers. Said youth just reached into the whole and pulled it free from the vine securing it, smiling all the while.
"Good to see some things still work," Airan murmured in Flordina to herself. Haku nodded absently, unsure what to do.
Holding the huge stick –perfect for her height—as one would a staff ( a little bigger, with a natural handle), Auron used the butt to draw unknown-to-Haku symbols in the round lines already made by her sandaled foot in the dirt. What looked like a '4' with a tail pointed south, a horseshoe with a dot in the middle went northward, to the east a triangle with a bottom line going down (hooked at the end), and a circle with a squiggly line west. Another circle followed the strange symbols, a fancy rose-like design in the very middle, surrounded by four diamond shapes separated by small dot/holes.
Haku, as he watched in fascination, couldn't help but be aweful of his mistress's knowledge of foreign magic. He'd only seen ninja arts and a few magic sideshows in his travels with Zabuza, and even less of Auron's art in his time with her. Quite amazing, really, that she didn't use any chakra in the making of her summon seal.
Auron's body relax completely as she sat cross-legged in the circle's southern side, the rose's stem almost touching her feet as she began to chant in a language somehow familiar. Little did he know, Airan was speaking the Olden Land System1; a sequence of words older than most demons themselves, and known only to the Gods and those old enough to remember. It was a mystery she had ever heard the sounds, let alone knew the language fluently. Her contract with the Gods? Could be…
As her chanting continued, the inner circle around her began to glow, connecting with lines of pure light with the outer circle between the symbols. A body began to form above the rose's syral; curvy, feminine, and loosely clothed in something similair to a bathrobe. Haku continued to stare.
The summoning's body became complete within minutes, and Auron colapsed forward into the dirt from overuse of magical energy. Her subordinate, worried though he was, couldn't penitrate the barrier feild now surrounding both strange females, one now kneeling beside the other. All he could to was watch; and stare in surprise a moment later.
Athne, for her oblivious part, was beautiful beyond anything comparably Mortal. With long flowing blueish hair and olive skin wound tightly over firm parts, she was the essence of patient beauty. Light blue clothe, similair to her summoner's own original outer clothes, surrounded her womanly form, loose and flowing around her like rivers of silk. And Auron was friends with this obvious Goddess? It was just too overwelmbing.
"Lady Auron. Lady Auron. Please awake, dear. Why is it you summoned me in the middle of a shower?" the Goddess Athne asked her Mortal friend in Flordina. Said Lady began to sturn upon the Immortal's probing, only enough to twitch and lay on her back --moving enough to disturb the mystic circle and cause the barrier to flicker-- though.
"Eh? You came, then, Athne?" murmured the sleepy exiled Heiress.
Athne huffed slightly, leaning back as she floated mid air. "Of course I did! You called, didn't you? What is it you need?"
"Hmm...? Need? Oh, yes. More money," Auron stated plainly. Haku just stared, too shocked to know how to react.
The blue haired Goddess just laughed, snapping too-perfect fingers as her consort had done monthes ago, only this time to summon the matierial Auron had asked for. "Only that, then? Right, dear. Much get back; can't keep that love of mine waiting, now can I?"
"Sou ka..." Haku murmured, gaining Athne's attention.
"So this must be the soul you resurected. Haku, eh? Well, then, dear, keep this little 'un safe, alright?" Athne stared down at him in a treatening manner, ignoring Auron's veiled-by-bangs glare.
"H-hai!" the beautius youth stammered in answer.
The Goddess just smiled at him in way of reply before disappearing with a final goodbye to them both. Where she went no one but Auron, at the very least, could guess.
Haku, still stunned, said the only thing that came to mind. "That's Athne-sama?"
Auron glanced at him, still counting the piles of bills her Immortal friend had matierialized, and smiled knowingly (with a slight humoric twist). "Yeah, that's her." Taking pity on her overwelmbed warden, the girl nodded to herself and started stuffing the paper money into an odd looking bag that seemed never to be full.
Tying the string and placing the bottomless bag back in her white pant's pocket, Auron smiled. "Better get back to the caravan; they'll be leaving soon, I bet." As she began to walk yet again, showing no signs of the fatguitute that had consumed her moments before, all Haku could do was follow. What an interestingly surpsrising person his mistress was...
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When the caravan arrived at Yachimaru, a village not far from Konoha, Auron was restless shifting in the back of Nagiru's uncomfortable wagon. For the past few days it had rained nonstop, only to dawn cloudless on this one: caravan's final day. Yes, the Town of Yachimaru (named for a retired shinobi that founded it) they now entered was their last stop.
Haku knew their next destination was Konohagakure, the ninja Hidden Village of his former killer's origin, a place not far from their current location. He and Auron were nervously anxious for different reasons; for him, the possiblity of being found out and tracked by hunter-nin, thereby putting his mistress in danger; and the girl feared her duties upon meeting Naruto again.
Masakichi, a former friend of Funno's whom Auron had grown tentitivey close with, steered his mount over to Auron and Haku's station, smiling warmly at them. He was an older gentleman, though young enough to move freely, with a road toughned attitude and vague outlook on life. The man had seen a lot of death, as common as it was in the Ninja Territories, and sympithised with the young girl after what he supposed was her first brush with killing.
Haku, who was warily excepting of the man as a friend of his charge, tensed slightly as he road up to the side and began to chat with Auron, who just smiled her usually guarded smile and ignored her subordinate's unconditional worry. It wasn't like the man could do anything anyway, what with all the eyes watching her.
Yes, Nagiru the caravan master, still stalked her with his gaze like a hawk, easier as it was now that they shared a fire. If she was ever out of his line of sight, one of his closer guard men would warch her actions closely and report anything strange back to him. The gazes only increased after she and Haku returned from Tsunade-sensei (what she usually called Tsu-chan in public) and Shizune-san's care. And most of them were suspicious or down right leering. Haku, for his part, just glared back at the looks when her acting obliviousness didn't cause them to go away.
Auron smiled as Haku shifted across the small wagon back and to his mistress's side, joining the conversation she already shared with Masakichi.
"Hey, there, Kuhai-san. Feeling any better?" the youthful man asked, a breezy sweeping some of his black hair from it's long pony tail. 'What was it with the caravan men and pony tails?' Haku asked himself. Even the horse helping boy, Nagiru's nephew Chiko, had one.
Haku strained a smile, eyebrow twitching slightly, as he counted to ten. He'd only been injured once, and everyone save Auron, who knew him well enough to respect his privacy, treated him with such delicate care it was annoying. He's been ordered by the wagon train's master to never leave the camp without an excort (thankfully Auron quilified as one), and most of the men were careful to do nothing to offend or otherwise upset the effeminine teen.
"Fine, thank you, Masakichi-san. How are you?" Haku asked, making an effort to be polite even as his eyebrow continued to twitch.
The dark haired man made no indication he noticed anything strange in the pale boy's behavior, though he did glance at Auron a few time, whom just continued to smile happily. "Good, good. Keichiro was asking the other day if you wanted some more 'ah that fruit. It was good, wasn't it?" Friendly coal eyes stared at him intensely; it was always how the elder male acted when discussing buisness.
Haku blink a few times, then answered, "It was fine, Masakichi-san. How is Nadema-san, anyway?" Nadema Keichiro was Masakichi's buiseness partner and close friend; they were both usually insperatable when in each other's approxamate presenses.
Masakichi's eyes lit up, and he smiled warmly. "He's fine, Kuhai-san. Kind of you to ask, though. I'm sure he'd be thrilled." Haku blushed. The caravan men had become much too fond of himself and Auron over the months they'd traveled together; it was a shame they had to leave. Being aroung such obnoxious yet caring men (and even a few women) was a change from being alone with Auron (in the forest while he was still transparent) and hanging around Tsunade-san and Shizune-san (still transparent, after the attack and rescue from Auron's other persona Sukien).
"Actually, Masakichi-san, it's extremely kind of you and your... friends to care about Haku-kun so much." Haku-kun, as Auron had begun to call him in public, was assumed by all to be an unrelenting nickname from the cousin's childhood. It fit the youth, though, everyone thought.
It was the man's turn to blush as he glanced down at his horse's neck, mummbling something about fruit and meeting Keichiro. Auron just chuckled as the elder turned his mount off, leaving the snow-like boy confused and blinking.
"Eh?" was the most intellegent thing he could think to ask.
Why was he flustered, you ask?-- Auron mind-spoke, smiling at him as Nagiru helped his subordinates unload fruit, vegatatles and various other things, stealing glances in their direction every now and then. --Keichiro is very special to him is the answer, and many might be jealous if he continues to talk with you as they work to set up their wares.--
Mouth shaped in an 'O' of understanding, Haku stared off in to space, thinking of all the wonders in the world, unknowingly how Naruto had once done after meeting him for the first time.
"We'd best pack up, eh, Haku-kun?" Auron stated suddenly, and with her subordinate nodding in agreement, they were ready to set off. Both receaved a variety of gifts from either blushing or well wishing fellow caravan travelers, along with a sealed onvelope for the Hokage and note for them to read later on presented by Nagiru. All were packed safely in a bottomless, weightless bag given to Haku by Athne in her last money summoning, and both mistress and gaurd once again set off.
It would be a week or so before they reached their destination of Konoha's gates, but Auron didn't mind. It was just some quality time with the friend she already knew well. And for once, all was right with the world as it should be; at least, for the moment that is.
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Standing before the Hidden Leaf's huge front gates, the two young 'girls' became slightly nervous. Well, one acted as the other tried to remain impassive. Haku, easily mistaken as the older female, still wasn't used to go guard-mode in others' presences. And looking like a delicate beauty didn't help much in the threatening area, either.
"State your names, Country, and reasons for visiting Konoha," shouted one of the guards from the gate's heights, surprisingly having his voice heard. A chuunin, whom had been warned by the look out of the teen's approach, glared coldly at them in a hopefully threatening manner. Haku glared back, and looked more pouting than anything else in the guard's lovesick gaze.
Auron smiled up at the yelling man, and shouted back, "Kandai Shurina and Shinsetsu Kuhaina of the Snow Country, come to see the Hokage upon our Lord's orders!" Haku didn't bat an eye at the girl's lieing, remaining in a protective stance he'd learned ages ago from Zabuza (surprisingly) nexted to his mistress.
One guard's eyes widened as the other's narrowed. Hidden Snow and Hidden Leaf were on good terms; why would the Lord of Snow Country send two young girls? Both were most likely lying.
Signaling his lovesick comrade at check their papers, the jounin atop his Village's gates glared down at them with suspicious eyes. A Snow shinobi once killed his fiance in cold blood; a missing-nin, actually. While he didn't hold it against the girls themselves, he had come to reguard anyone from the always-cold country with immeaditate distrust.
The chuunin guard bellow, blushing slightly and trying to avoid Haku's gaze, murmured, "Your papers, please?"
Auron smiled, reaching into her backpack as the former assasian remained indifferent to her right. "Yes, yes, of course. Just a moment..." She continued to rummage through her pack, still not finding the plastic folder Athne had given her the day before containing forged documents sporting authentic signitures. Haku and the unnamed nin sweatdropped.
"Ah, here they are!" The girl waved a clear folder up from her white pack, crowing loud enough for the guards atop the wall and gate to hear. Auron handed them to the nervous chuunin, grinning widely at her protector. Haku, still uneasy about the possiblity of being recognized, knew the girl was trying to get his mind off near-impossible things. (Even if he was still in the Bingo Book, his entry would've been marked Dead.)
The Leaf nin before them just nodded, eyes down cast yet still attentive to any threat, and took the papers.
While waiting for the young man to check their forms over, Auron glanced back at Haku and started a mental discussion, humming to herself all the while. The suspicious guard just glared, though not with the intensity he did when the Kyuubi brat was within seeable distances.
Are you alright, Haku-kun? You know they can't do anything, ne?-- Auron
Yeah, but...-- Haku
Auron mentally scowled. --Tsk, tsk. No buts. Even if they try something, I won't allow them to harm you. You know I need you too much for that.--
Haku nodded, a slight embarrassed blush tinting his cheeks. --I know...--
Good. Now, pay attention.-- The young chuunin was done looking through the papers and was waving to his comrades above as Auron severed their mental link, her friend now reassured.
An ANBU wearing what looked like an otter mask teleported down, attitute cold and aloft. Haku internally scowled; he could be a threat. Outwardly, Auron having sensed his change of mood, the mistress was smiling politely as her guard remained calmly indifferent.
"Your papers requested a meeting with Hokage-sama; please follow me," a muffled male voice stated, fluid body as relaxed as an assasian's ever could be.
The brown haired girl smiled at him, hands clasped behind her back, as she answered cheerfully, "Ok."
Haku, still suspicious, only calmed when Auron hand signaled him both mentally and physiclly to do so. Once again they were off, this time within Konoha's limits, starting what Auron hoped to be a changed destiny.
As Auron stepped through the gates, a shiver ran down her spine, though she showed no hesitation or outward hint at her sudden discomfort. Her connection with places, all places, a connection that could not be explained by any of Flordina's finest exberts, was acting up again. Something would happen this day, and all the days she spent within the Village's boundaries.
She just hoped her feeling was a good one. She couldn't afford to mess this up; not here, not now, not ever.
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The Hokage of Konoha sat at his desk as usual, milling through the piles of paperwork that accompanied his rough job. Not that he disliked it, mind you; protecting the Village was a great honor, in his mind. A common enough day as it was, it became startling to Sarutobi as something unusual happened.
"Hokage-sama," one of his jounin guards addressed him. "Hokage-sama, there are two young girls here to see you."
'Two young... girls?' the Hokage thought, a slight blush marring his cheeks and bit of blood dripping from his nose as he thought perverted thoughts. 'What could they possably want?'
"Who are they?" Sandaime asked the unknown jounin.
Said high level nin glanced at his clipboard, reading the page under the top one (for random doodles). "To messengers from the Snow Country, with notice forms for you, sir. One appears to be an undercover chuunin guarding the young dipolmat."
The Hokage nodded vagely, puffing from his pipe thoughtfully. The Hidden Leaf and Snow were on relatively good terms; a treaty had been signed about twenty or so years back, renewing itself every five years. "Send them in," he ordered, still deep in thought.
The jounin nodded, teleporting out in a puff of smoke. A few moments later, reappeared with two pretty teens. One, with her long black hair, dark chocolate eyes, and palish skin was a real beauty, the loose virgin white training gi and shirt only adding to the graceful air around her. The other, slightly smaller, was quite pretty as well, and her eyes were most intreging. Who was she, to have near-transparent blue orbs of such an odd shade?
All three bowed, two in greeting and one in leaving, to the Leader of Konoha. The reddish-brown haired girl spoke first, clutching a small breifcase in one hand and a small wrapped package in another.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama," the seemingly-younger girl began politely, the door closing just as she started speaking. "I am Shurina of the Kandai Clan, and this is my guard and cousin, Kuhaina of the Shinsetsu Clan. He is a chuunin accompanying me with this." She set the breifcase on an (rarely) empty part of his piled desk, opening it for Sarutobi to see inside.
The Sandaime, for his part, was amazed. The Hidden Snow's leader wanted a firmer peace treaty and trade rights? Odd of the man; from what the Hokage could deduct, Snow's Kage was extremely arragont and power hungry. Why the sudden change?
As if hearing his thoughts, Shurina continued, "Our leader, Hokage-sama, has been foolish in his past thoughts and actions. To make up for his mistakes, he wishes to give you this," she handed him the wrapped package, "and have us stay here as ambasiders."
The Hokage just nodded, taking the treaty papers already signed by their 'Kage and placing them on a pile to his left. "Thank you, Kandai-san, Shinsetsu-san. Please enjoy your stay. I'm asuming you'll be renting, then?"
Shurina smiled, hands folded in front of her. Kuhaina remained impassive, standing to his ward's right. The Hokage just nodded.
"Yes. Do you have any reccomendations, sir?"
Sandaime spent the next half an hour chatting with the young diplomat, asking questions as well as answering them. After a satisfying conversation, he dismissed both to begin his paper work yet again.
Glancing at the sheets Shurina had given him, the Hokage did a double take. That name, under the embasiter's family relatives... He hadn't seen it in so long; no wonder Kandai-san's last name sounded so familair...
'Well, this is bound to be interesting. Especially if his daughter is here.' The Hokage just smiled. Hopefully the younger generation would profite from having Shurina, child of the Kandai Ashira, thought long dead, was here. 'I wonder if she's anything like her father...'
At the moment Sarutobi thought above, Auron (Kandai Shurina is her codename, if you've forgotten) was walking lazily along the path between training feilds 9 and 10, Haku hovering impassively at her back. "Ah, so good to be here! I've always wondered what Konoha was like!" The teenage girl smiled to herself, glancing back at her protecter and begining to walk backwards.
"Hmm?" Haku asked in confusion.
I've read scrolls and phrophecy records of this place, and heard of it from Naruto-sama of course, but never really seen it with my own two eyes,-- Auron answered him mentally.
Haku just nodded.
Without warning, or the beautius boy's notice, the near-transparent eyed girl's heel hit a rock, causing her to fall backwards. Haku, as fast as he was, caught his mistress before she hit the ground, gaining her thanks. In their compromising position, with Auron in her guard's strong arms, faces inches apart, someone took this moment to giggle and point.
Embarassed, the snow-like male glanced up in surprise, only to meet a familair soulful blue gaze. He instantly pale, helping his mistress unconsciously to her feet, and took a step back. He was the one who'd been their during Zabuza-san's death and Airan's arrival at the bridge, the one who understood. It was too much; Haku disappeared into the forest, intent on watching his mistress and could-be-friend from a distance.
Auron just smiled, standing in the familair stranger's veiw. Her grin didn't meet her arch-like eyes, and hid her nervousness from public veiw. After all it wasn't everyday you met...
"Hello again, Naruto-kun."
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Auron sat with her new friend, the one who'd save so many, at a town ramen bar. She knew his secrets, name and buried scars, yet he knew nothing of herself, only that her eyes were warmer than most of the villagers' and this meal was her treat.
The young exiled Heiress couldn't help but inwardly laugh at her own foolishness, getting caught up in something she shouldn't have. It was too late to drag her sorry behind out now, now that she'd met her lord Kitsubi-sama a third time...
'No, no. Stop those thoughts, girl. Besides it's impolite to ignore your guest's attempts at conversation.'
Opening her ears to Naruto's voice, Auron smiled.
"Then Sasuke-bastard..." He was interrupted by the arrival of Auron's ever-shadow Haku, who'd finally caught -found them, really- up to them. Wearing loose pants; tight enough that they didn't get in the way or restrict movement; and a yukata-like shirt, you couldn't exactly tell if the young man was male or female.
The kitsune blinked in surprise at the new arrival, studying the boy with squinted eyes, thinking. You could almost hear the gears turning in his spiky-blonde head.
Auron just couldn't resist. "Don't' think too hard; you might hurt yourself."
Naruto just nodded in conformation, not noticing Auron's suppressed giggles or Haku's backhanded chuckles. It took a few more moments for the blonde to realized he'd been tricked, but his whined "HEY!" only seemed to fuel their laughter all the more.
After calming down enough to speak without bursting into laughter, Auron introduced her guard. "This is my cousin, Shinsetsu Kuhaina. He accompanied me here from the Water country." Haku bowed, then returned Naruto's nodded of acknowledgement.
Then the kitsune carrier's bright blue eyes widened to unspeakable proportions in surprised when he finally got a clear view of the feminine-looking teen. "You're a GUY?" he exclaimed loudly, pointing a finger at the boy now used to such reactions.
Haku chuckled and nodded. "Yes."
Ayame, the shop owner's daughter, interrupted the youth's conversation with fresh bowls of ramen, blushing at Auron's warm smile and quiet 'thank you'. 'Another one like Soran here, eh? That's what? Six I've seen?' the payer mused at the girl's reaction, hiding her wide grin behind eating habits fast enough to rival Naruto's own.
Eighteen bowls, three dumpling dishes and a sake bottle later (Auron was fond the stuff, though never seemed to stay drunk for more than ten minutes at a time), Auron paid with cash, startling a huge smiled out of the owner. "Come again!" he called as they left.
'Better ask Athne-san to get me more money tonight. I'm almost out.'
Haku followed silently a few steps behind them as Naruto and Auron walked down the busy market way. Many pedestrians glared, trying to avoid the Kyuubi no Kitsune vessel mostly, some even daring to send the two pretty (in Haku's case, beautiful) 'young ladies' pitiful glances. Others wondered what the boy had done to get the attention of two such angels and why they would be with the dead last and not chasing after Uchiha Sasuke as so many others did.
Naruto just ignored everything but his conversation with his new friend, seemingly oblivious to the hurtful stares and deadly gossip undertones that followed him everywhere. He continued to smile and gesture this way and that while Auron mentally sighed, leading the genin of Leaf toward the deserted Academy.
She smiled, hand signaling for Haku to follow at a moderate distance, and continued the conversation despite her frustrated thoughts. He was her hero, mentor and savior, one to many others (future or present) as well. Yes he was still a child, growing into the makings of a strong adult. Many dangerous hardships awaited him just around the corner, and she would try her best to soften the blows as best she could. Even if she meddled, nothing much would change; at least Naruto would be spared some grief.
When they arrived at the Academy playground, Auron dropped her smiling face and turned it to a serious one. She would not act; everything must come from the heart, she reminded herself.
She didn't have to look to see Naruto's warily nervous expression or tense form; she sensed both. The girl took a deep breathe in preparation, exhaled, then smiled sadly
"I-I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san." hat caught him off guard, but her still had enough sense to take a taijutsu defense position. Mentally, Auron couldn't help but cheer for her hero's sense, even if it took form from painful experience.
Holding up a hand, Auron sighed. She needed another approach. "Please don't attack, Uzumaki-san. I can't harm you; I don't even know how to fight." Naruto relaxed, and so did Auron. "A-an' I know we just met but, could we...well... just talk?" This part was said hopefully and caused the blonde to blink in confusion.
When had someone just wanted to talk with him?
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'She wants to talk... w-with me of all people? Why?'
'Don't think do much, kit. Take advantage or the opportunity. It's not every day a pretty girl like her wants something of a youngling like yourself.'
Naruto couldn't help but agree with the youkai lord on this one, and sighed mentally.
Externally he nodded shyly, causing the girl to smiled brightly and bug/glomp him shouting "Thank you!" He couldn't help but enjoy another person's warmth; not many people had ever wanted to touch him unless necessary. he missed the embrace, the affection, as soon as she pulled away, but it was replaced with a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.
Her odd colored eyes that reminded him slightly of the Hyuuga's, though not nearly as pale, didn't hold the lonely sorrow or emptiness he'd thought they should have, but a wisdom beyond him. Her smile was warm and hand gentle as she pushed him firmly into the swing he'd loved so much back in his Academy days. She, in turn, leaned against the tree, one hand on the rope, the other leisurely plucking at bark, and smiled ruefully.
A faraway looked crossed her face as she began. "I'll start, then, ne?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I grew up in an overprotected place, away from most other people besides my family and teachers, not having to do any work. I... never knew my parents, but their mothers -my grandmothers- were there for me, in their own way."
Airan chuckled then, and Naruto couldn't help but think, 'Another like me, just not as lonely. Why aren't her eyes like the rest, then?'
Still looking away, she continued, "I had friends, one close and the others semi frequent acquaintances. My father's mother, Obaba-sama I called her, told me stories of the outside world. I grew up with different opinions and ideas than most people, but no one disliked me for it. Disclosure is a type of loneliness, I guess, but it didn't really matter, then.
"A few months ago, Obaba-sama sent me away for some reason. I don't know why. Ha-...Kuhaina-kun came after me, to guard me against any dangers of the road, I think. We joined a merchant caravan up until a few days ago, after it came to its final stop in a town close by Konoha."
She turned to Naruto and smiled, though he could tell she wanted to cry and the happy expression was forced. he didn't show it, but if someone who knew his pain could clearly see it in his eyes, he was concerned for this person who suppressed her emotions more than anyone else he'd ever met, eve Sasuke-teme.
"Thank you for listening. It really helps." She moved from her leaning position against the tree to leave, waving to the boy trying to make a decision. "See you tomorrow, Uzumaki-san! Ja ne!"
Before she could go more than a few feet, Naurto yelled, "WAIT!" Turning to face the blonde, who now knew he had her undivided attention, she waited.
"You're welcome." He gave a true smile, which turned into a fox grin. "And I'll protect you and your cousin until you can go home! That's a promise from the future Hokage!" Naruto puffed out his chest and posed, making Auron laugh and smiled happily.
Gesturing for the boy to follow her, eyes covered by bangs, she began to walk again.
Worried that he hadn't cheered her up enough, the blonde asked, "Airan-san, is something wrong?"
Her frowning mouth turned into a smiled and she turned to face her friend with happy arches for eyes. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering if this 'future Hokage' would like to stay with me for a few days... or weeks. Better if he's around the person he's supposed to protect, ne?"
Upon Naruto's startled look, she just laughed. "And you'll have to know you client's real name, right? It's Kandai Shurina; Airan's just a nickname."
Airan continued to walk, conscious of the boy's growing excitement.
"Really?" Naruto asked cautiously. In the past people had tricked him in ways such as this.
"Really, really," she answered, ruffling the shorter boy's hair fondly.
Naruto jumped into the air, an arm outstretched, and began to dance-walk an excitement jig. Airan watched and smiled at the boy's antics, stopping him only to continue after a few moments of personal amusement.
"There's also free hot springs next door and a training center in the back yard. Don't forget to bring extra clothes, including a yukata; I'll have a room prepared for you tomorrow, so be ready by 2 PM, ok?"
Naurto began to dance in joy again, then stopped. "Why a yukata?" he asked with wariness, wondering if this was all another cruel joke.
As if sensing his thoughts, the girl just smirked. "There's a festival coming up, right You'll have to accompany me, so you might as well look the part."
Naruto smiled hugely up at the other teen, then began to ramble on about what to pack. Auron smiled as well, thing time from watching him closely, and decided that meddling could be good, sometimes.
s-s-s-s-s-
At 2 PM sharp the next day, Naruto sat nervously on his well-worn couch in the middle of his living room, waiting for his new client to arrive. Said client's cousin and ex-substitute guard had come by a few hours before, telling him that Airan had requested the genin personally as her bodyguard; only Naruto, not Team 7. With some persuading, she'd gotten the Hokage not only to agree but class it as a C-class mission or, if anything major happened, lower B-rank (with some assistance from a jounin or chuunin, of course).
At the moment, the usually confident boy was plucking worriedly at the couch's stuffing trough a few unpatched holes, two overflowing duffle bags at his feet. He was dressed in his normal orange jumpsuit, thinking over the situation. He kept asking himself questions as he tried to clear the uncertainty of her new charge's actions, and he could answer all but one comfortably.
Why was she being so nice?
The answer was illusive and the question kept pledging him, wanting to be completed. If only he could find his usually never-say-die attitude and ask her himself!
Lost in thought, he hadn't realized someone banging on his door until said guest decided to start yelling. "Hey, Uzumaki-san! Come open his damn door!" The pounding continued, and since no neighbors were home, no one yelled insultingly back at the noise a signal human fist was making.
Naruto sweatdropped. It was definitely Airan. "Coming, Kandai-san!" he called back, wanting to be polite to the lady kind enough to be so nice and raced to the door.
Meanwhile, someone who knew the boy fairly well was also racing toward a destination: his genin team's meeting point, thoughts whirling through his silver-haired head. The man pondered what the Sandaime had told him when he'd asked where one of his students would be…
…Flashback Sequence (engaged)…
"Naruto will be busy for a week? What do you mean?" The Hokage's news caught his attention enough that he looked up from his little orange book long enough for the perverted blush to fade away.
"A temporary citizen of Konoha has personally requested his presence for a C-class mission," the calm old man replied.
Kakashi wondered what person in their right mind would request the loudest, hyperactive genin in the village for a C-bordering-B rank mission. He also worried for the boy's safety from the client, as well as outside dangers.
Seeming to sense the cause of his subordinate's unusually tense form, Sandaime sighed and stared the son of Konoha's White Fang in the eye. "His client, Kandai Shurina and her cousin Shinsetsu Kuhaina of the Snow Country, have proven so far to be trustworthy. Nagiru-san, a regular requeste of Konoha's shinobi for caravan protection, has sent a recommendation for their stay. He always has been a good judge of character. So until she or her cousin show any vague threat to this village, I am inclined to trust them.'
The jounin just nodded, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Left behind in his empty office covered with stacks of paperwork, Sandaime Hokage pulled a neatly wrapped parsole from a usually locked drawer in his desk. A faint blush colored his cheeks as he hurriedly un wrapped it.
'I-I can't believe my eyes! I-I never thought I'd actually see, no own, one of these!' the old man thought, staring at the contents as if it were as valuable as gold.
The book inside's title: Limited Edition Icha Icha Paradise Bonus Volume 2, Uncut Millennium Edition: Some More (must be 22 or older).2
His old student Jiraiya had only released four of these!
Cuddling the orange book to his chest, still blushing with shojo-manga bubbles in the background, Sarutobi didn't even bother to wonder where the young girl had gotten such a treature.
…Flashback Sequence (disengaged)…
As Kakashi arrived at the meeting place to only one yelled, "YOU'RE LATE!", he finally had a real, truthful excuse.
On the other side of the Village, Naruto was also arriving at his destination, not to joyful friends but a frightened scream of someone in mental pain. Haku knew full well who it was shouting like no tomorrow, but unsure what was causing it. Nightmares or an attack?
They soon found out, as both Haku and Naruto entered the huge mansion of a house Auron was renting and made their way to her room…
s-s-s-s-s-
...Nightmare: Auron's Mindscape...
This place... the Blood of Flight wanted to awaken again, and dragged her here to do so... But she wouldn't let it. If she had to See (cursed Sight!), something would happen...Visions of Chaos and Dark Future would come.
If she Saw, it would be just like last time. Sukien would take over and who knew what could happen...
Pain. A word well known to all that exists.
Give it up!
No not again... Go 'way, Yuki...
You'll cause the bad luck again, eh?
I won't I won't I won't! Obaba-sama sealed it! And the Elders sealed you!
Oh, did you miss me little one? Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere...
The voice sneers. Not again, please no... An angry growl directed at the Voice, who ignores it.
The Elders sealed you, Yuki... You can't hurt me anymore...
Want to bet on that?
Pain. A feeling everyone knows, to some extent...
I am not sealed. You really believed those old coots? Pathetic. I exist in your mind, now. No one can cage me ever again, including those God friends of yours...
Go away, go away, goaway goaway goaway...a silent mantra...
You can't block me out, girl. You'll always hear me, always think of me, whenever you sleep. And if you don't sleep and pass out from exhaustion... I'll just have some fun...
Darkness... so cold... burning ice...
GO AWAY!
A shock ran through the cold world of darkness, a warming light, shocking the voice-who-would-no-listen.
No! You should not have such power! Iie! I refuse to be sealed!
You have no choice, Yukinakhera. Rest in peace...
A bright power; a borrowed power, from those who really cared. Then a quiet voice... a warm voice... whispering...
s-s-s-s-s-
Naruto sat beside Auron as she slept peacefully now, whispering to her as Haku mentally tried to reach her through meditation, "Wake up, Airan-san. Come home."
Owari Chapter Six
s-s-s-s-s-
A/N: This is quite late, isn't it? I won't type excuses; instead I'll answer reviews!
1 The Olden Land System
A sequence of words used by old creatures of the land, separated into three main groups: Formal, Juna, and Sunette. Auron uses both Juna and Formal; Sunette is growls, yips, and other such sounds, used by the more animalistic of OLS speakers.
2 Limited Edition Icha Icha Paradise Bonus Volume 2, Millennium Edition: Some More (must be 22 or older)
What Auron gave to the Hokage as a bribe. Where did she get this, when only 4 copies were made? Athne, of course!
Next Chapter: To Die (another day) (Naruto is now staying with Auron, and meets Team 7 again, along with others. Why is someone peeping on Haku at the hot springs? And why is Auron acting so weird lately? Does it have to do with the nightmare? An interesting chapter, I do hope so.)
Credits
big daddy cool: Thank you, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
Mishibara (Kari): You reviewed the most! Thanks! And I do try to update…
YamiMitsu: Hmm… I'll look it up… I do think you're right, though… Not quite sure.
shina-lim: I didn't get Kachan, my beta reader, to edit my stories. If you don't mind spelling errors, read the chapter posted the first time. If you do, read it the second time around. She's edited it by then, usually.
sekid: Half about Auron (only from her POV), but mostly about Naruto and Konoha after chapter Five.
Hitomi: Reasonable question, Hitomi-san. Auron (who is female, of course) is 60 Seasons. Since there are only Two Seasons in Flordina, her home, she's thirty, but looks around 15 or 16. Since the Flordinese live a lot longer than the normal 70 to 80 of most people, their bodies are a lot stronger. See the glossary, in chapter one references, for more information.
Y.Mitsuki: Glad you like it. And I do try to update!
P.nix: It makes you hang off the edge of your seat and wanting more? To most authors', that's quite a compliment, you know. Thank you, and I hop you enjoyed this, Nix-san.
Li