Update 10/8/05: I found a huge plothole in this chapter, but I'm too lazy to fix it right now. Seems that I've stopped working on this story for wayyy too long and I forgot some things. I'll fix it when I get around to writing the next chapter.I'm very, very sorry for being a horrible and forgetful author. -gives meself a well-deserved smack on the head-
Update 3/1/06: First section of thischapter (Temari, Kankuro, and Baki's part) rewritten from the previous version. Plothole fixed. New chapter may be up soon if I don't get lazy again.
A/N: Woahh…how long has it been? Well, I'm deeply sorry for lying about finishing this during Christmas holidays way back when. School's been driving me crazy, and I must've thrown so many tantrums during exam week it would make my baby cousin stare in awe. Hopefully my fic hasn't died yet :P I'll finish this story! I promise!
Disclaimer: Not mine, not minee…please, I'm a poor student who needs to save money for lots of important things…-cough- Qoo -cough- So please be nice and don't sue me :D
Warning: Yaoi and swearing, if you have a problem, I suggest you stop reading right noww…oh, and since it's been eons since I've updated, the recent turn of events in the anime and manga make some of the events in my story inaccurate…and it would prove that some of my characterizations are off. Sorry ;-;
"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Italics – emphasized thoughts or words (can also be flashbacks)
Chapter 17 – Softly Falls the Night
"Faster. We have to reach Konoha and Gaara before dawn."
A few feet ahead of her, Temari heard Kankuro curse softly under his breath. They had been travelling for a day now.
She still could not place the exact moment when Gaara had done them the great wrong of abandoning them. But then again, he was the one introduced to the world stage as a spectre: numinous, intangible…and, as if a cruel finale of fate in this accursed hour, out of reach.
A bitter smile surfaced. Out of reach. As a baby, as a child, as a teenager – Gaara had always, always proven to be quite the nuisance whenever it came to interaction of any kind.
And that, Temari concluded as Konoha's gates rose above the horizon, was why the dearth of Gaara's presence barely went unnoticed among them. In her family – if she could so simply call it such a vague, meaningless word – the law was simple: leave Gaara alone and you may yet live to see the rise of another sun. Temari and Kankuro had 15 and 14 years respectively to let such a law become a part of them as much as mind and heart. They had long since abandoned their attempts to reach their lonely little brother, because every time they had extended their hand in hopes that Gaara will accept it, he more often than not smacked it away with a muttered death threat. The act of ignoring Gaara, or simply letting the murderous psychopath stew in whatever morbid thoughts were brewing in that head of his, became built into their genetic makeup, their bodies, the very particles that gave them a physical entity. And now, Temari reflected sadly, it could very well cost them their life.
Temari, Kankuro, and Baki had left Konoha twice now. Each time, as a constant reminder of their now-cursed presence, they left a scar on the peace between the villages of leaf and sand. And now, Gaara had returned to wreak more havoc on the mishap Konoha, rubbing salt into the wound as he did. Would he resurrect another war from the ashes? Was a war willed by the gods, by fate, by whatever force that dominated over such foolish mortals they be? And more importantly, what would become of the sand siblings after the crimes that Gaara committed, and those that Temari and Kankuro committed by not being dually diligent?
Temari grit her teeth as she leapt over the unmanned gates of the leaf village. Yes…things between the sand siblings would be very different from now on and afterwards…
…assuming they would live long enough to see whatever 'afterwards' was at all.
A strangled cry racked Sasuke's limp body as he looked at the scene before him. And yet, no matter how many times he told himself that this moment was only fabricated by the deep trauma of recent events, it did not make the image of a bloodied Naruto disappear. Naruto's tanned body was white – too white – and his face was deathly pale. If it weren't for the blood branding the vulpine features, Naruto's blank expression would have looked like a doll's face.
He looked down at the dirty handprint Naruto hand left on his shirt when he had tried to save him. The kitsune did not have to, as Sasuke had already dodged to the side when he saw Naruto coming between him and Gaara. But nevertheless, Naruto had struggled against the bonds of amnesia that rendered him powerless to save the two fighting genins.
'You idiot…' Sasuke thought shakily as his hand began to tremble.
In that moment, he understood that he had not hated Naruto. He had only wanted to hate him. They called him a genius, but he knew better. Sasuke was merely a jealous being, lost within the confusing mysteries of love, something he had never experienced too well himself. Naruto always seemed to be two steps ahead of him, in both combat and love…always out of his reach. Deep regret and animosity filled him to the brim and could only be expressed in a bloodcurdling scream he yearned to make.
Sasuke, in this brief instance, was in no condition to fight. His mind was shattered, as was his body. He stood still in the forest while the starlight played over the face of a tired, ill-used child.
Time seemed to have slowed solely for his sake. A river of blood had seeped through golden locks of hair and snaked its way in his general direction. It was all coming to him at once, crashing down all around him. How horribly alone they were. How horribly far out on the wire they were, and it seemed that everybody had forgotten their existence.
He now wished he did not stop to look on at a distance. He wished he had not met Kakashi on his way to Naruto's aid. Neji had half a mind to go there himself, but he remembered his brief exchange with Kakashi and thought better of it. Still, doing nothing was grating against his nerves…Flashback
Neji looked from Naruto's stained face to Sasuke's. He saw deep concerns for both of them, but no answers in either of them. Neji was preparing to leave for their position, to save them from the psychotic Gaara of the Sand –
"Are they there?" a voice whispered near his ear.
Shocked, Neji instantly turned around and prepared for an attack. But he saw the gloomy, single eye of Naruto's sensei – 'Kakashi, was it?' – greet him. Neji gave a grave nod.
There was no question about the well being of Naruto and Sasuke. Both knew that Kakashi's question had meant something else.
When Neji saw that Kakashi was about to dash in their direction, concern for Naruto overwhelmed him.
"What are you – "
"Don't worry," Kakashi said, intervening Neji's question. "I'll get them. You stay here."
Neji definitely did not want to sit here and be something akin to a nuisance, but there was an authoritative undertone in Kakashi's voice that made him think it would be better if he stayed.
Kakashi gave a nod to Neji's right, and to the genin's shock, two shadows darted after Kakashi's retreating figure. Neji could only watch helplessly as Kakashi, Izumo, and Iwashi went forward to save the tattered shreds of Gaara's unfortunate prey.
End Flashback
Am I dead?
Naruto dazedly opened his eyes, and the first thing that he expected to meet was unbelievable pain that would make him cry out in agony until his throat tore.
But it didn't come.
Instead, Naruto mused as he looked at his body, he looked perfectly fine. It was, of course, impossible. He was sure he had taken at least a light beating before he felt a sudden bolt of pain pierce him and instantly there was darkness. There hadn't even been time for Naruto to muster up a scream before he confronted death himself.
Naruto looked around. He was in a strange room with what seemed like the bars of a colossal gate in front of him. Naruto looked at the ground to see his feet engulfed in shallow water.
Where am I?
This place seemed familiar. If anything, of all the scarce flashbacks from his forgotten past he had since he had woken with amnesia, this place felt the closest to him. This place must have been very precious to him in his past life if it was still with him after he had forgotten everything. But a pang of familiarity was not enough to ease his mounting fears in this strange, dark place.
"You really are weak, brat," a booming voice erupted from all sides, startling Naruto out of his wits.
"Who…who's there?" Naruto called out, bracing himself for just about anything. Suddenly, two large, slender eyes appeared from within the dark shadows of the cage. Naruto felt his mouth drop and could only stare in awe.
"You should be grateful to me," the voice said, ignoring Naruto's frightful question. "Without my powers, you would be helpless."
"What do you mean?" Naruto yelled at the thing inside the cage. "I died. You didn't do anything."
A superiority complex was definitely something Naruto did not want to put up with after death. The creature gave a tenor chuckle that shook everything in the room and invoked ripples in the water.
"As if I would die so easily," Kyuubi scoffed, as if the mere thought of it was a profane utterance. "You should get going, brat. You would do well to remember that you owe me your life once again."
Before Naruto could ask another question, darkness consumed him once more, and he lost himself in what he was certain was not the grasp of death. Even if he did believe he was dying, then the feeling of energy surging through his body and the sudden sensation of his heart beating again would have told him otherwise anyway.
As soon as the sand left the battered form of Naruto's body, Gaara saw that Sasuke had immediately froze as if in a dream-like trance. There was no frozen moment in time when Gaara had looked into the dead eyes of a headstrong and foolishly determined boy in a pitiful heap on the floor, broken and defeated. Every part of him was focused on shedding blood and basking in its coppery scent, feeling the newfound power that integrated itself within him each time his sand gorged on blood. He was painfully aware of the feral desire that ensnared his senses and his very being.
'Blood!' his mother may have cried, had she had a voice within him. But her power to awaken his thirst for blood was not to be underestimated, though she could invoke no emotion through words.
The presence of the evil churning within the sand-nin was apparent if anyone had looked at Gaara's eyes and saw that the usual green had been replaced with the pupils of Shukaku.
Gaara could not have explained why it was so important to kill more than he had to; the rationality of the problem constantly eluded him. More and more he felt the urge to simply act, to move, to do. To destroy.
In the very fraction of a second Sasuke had risked to stare in horror at Naruto's demise, Gaara had used this opportunity to hiss, "Sabaku Kyuu."
Sasuke's back was turned, and he had no idea of the apparent danger that Gaara posed behind him until gritty hands closed around his neck and locked there. Sasuke was half-engulfed before he got over his initial shock. His terror was akin to an instance when a child felt a certainty that the black creature from his dreams had come to life. Some fiend from the basement of hell was behind him and had wrapped its gritty claws around his neck and body as soon as his power had waned.
Then, convulsively, instinctively, he put his own hands over the hands that were throttling him and tried to pull free. Sasuke felt power build up within him that he never knew he had. His breath blew against his lips; making a windtunnel there he could feel but not hear. He caught one clogged and rasping breath before the hands clamped tight again.
Gaara struggled to hold the Uchiha inside his desert coffin. As the sand continued to encapsulate his dying victim, Gaara knew that the strength of Shukaku and his blood thirst would crown him the victor of this dark struggle.
The two of them swayed in the black like dark dancers. Sasuke could feel his strength ebbing as he struggled. His head was pounding. If he didn't free at least one limb soon, he would never escape at all. Gaara continued to strangulate the scrawny body of Sasuke with all the chakra left within him. There was going to be a sun, a big red one, the colour of blood until it got up in the sky a ways.
Sasuke felt the world going away. The pain in his throat, which had been sharp at first, was now numb and far off – almost pleasant. He could taste the slick of blood in the back of his mouth. In the corner of his eye, he saw the hunched form of Gaara with an extended hand. The simple silhouette of his killer seemed to fall upon him like death itself, with his right hand as a mass graveyard for unfortunate bodies. All was dependant on him to complete the nefarious act of murder.
Sasuke felt an ache and his strength seemed just about gone as he felt the sand begin to cover his face. The gleam of the night sky overhead made him feel strangely elevated. How long since he had been out after dark, under the canopy of the stars? A warm night like this, the stars, the summer moon just peeking his red lover's face over the horizon of trees; it made him remember his past again with all its strange fits and starts, its heats, its gorgeous vulnerability as it stood on the edge of mystery.
In those times the childhood fears of the night had faded a little and the adult fears came when everything was silent and you can hear the voice of your eternal soul, foretelling the fears yet down the road. Sasuke took his last hazy moments to look upon the still form of Naruto. In that brief time between, the night was a fragrant puzzle, a time when, looking up at the star-strewn sky and listening to the breeze that brought such intoxicating smells, you felt close to the heartbeat of the universe, to love and life. It seemed you would be forever young and that –
Naruto groggily opened his eyes.
There was a sudden sharp tug in his stomach, making his heart jump one last time before a wave of sand obscured his vision.
Outside, the dark held hard.
Outside, all the lights of the world were going out.
A/N: Wow that chapter took a long time. Anyways, I hope the Sasuke's last moments were described thoroughly, but not drawn-out. I haven't written for a long time :P Well, I'm guessing this story has one more chapter to go, and maybe an epilogue if my brain hasn't self-destructed after my math exam.
Review Responses:
Momochi Zabuza: Hmm…well, the blood turned out to be Naruto's! But Sasuke ended up dying in the end XD I couldn't resist killing off that stupid stick-up-his-arse Sasuke! Now evil fangirls will come after me / I'm really happy that you enjoyed reading my last chapter Hopefully my writing skills haven't completely failed and this one was okay too. As for Naruto remembering his life before he got amnesia…well, I'll have to see about that :) Depends if I'm feeling mean or not :P
danna-chan: Ahh I'm sorry! Don't keel me :( Well I updated! Keke, I know it was incredibly mean to end off at that part then stop writing for a few million years. I hope this update was worth the wait :D
xXFissshBonesssXx: Haha, I like your straightforward review XD Well, your wish came true! Yayers to all Gaanaru fans! -Brandishes Gaanaru flag proudly-
LilBlackNiteCat: Ahh! A fellow Jrock fan! I could glomp you, but I can't go through monitors and such. I'm not a huuuge Kozi fan, but my friend is! And she's a little crazy for Mana too :D I'm more of a Gazetto fan! Aoi! –glomps him- He's gonna be my future husband along with Gaara :D I'll shut up before I go super-crazy-Jrock-fangirl and scare you away :P
tracy-kins: Aww, well I missed reading your stories too! I'm sorry I haven't been reviewing -gives self a huge bonk on the head with a frying pan- I haven't gone on at all since my last update. But I must say that I adore your formatting in your stories, especially in "Envy". So stylish yet so orderly. And here I am trying to make things look organized when it's really not :P Heh, anyways, all was revealed in this chapter! Did you like? I'm sorry I made you wait for so long again! I shall now deprive myself of cookies as an apology for you :)
lazEbum: Well, this wasn't exactly the most ASAP-ish chapter evarrr, but hopefully it was worth the wait :) Sorry for taking my sweet time updating :P
Kamikakushi: Wee! I'm so happy you still remembered me after taking so long updating for the last chapter :D I'm not dead! –does the chicken dance to show how alive I am- Ah, yes, it seems Sasuke does have a soul…TOO BAD IT'S DEAD NOW! MEEHEHEHEHEHE! I'm not sure if I feel nice enough to have Naruto remember everything, but either way there will be lots of room for angst :) This chapter didn't have too much when I read it over, but I hope you liked it anyway And I'm really happy to hear that my writing's gotten better! But you're nicer, kewler, perfecter, bester, superer, magnificenter,speshuler, supercalifragilisticexpialidociouser than I will ever be! Which is why I enjoy your stories so much! Sorry I haven't been reading and reviewing for a long time. I couldn't find the time to go on after second semester started for me ;; But all's okay now :D You keep writing, y'hear? All evil fangirls must work to take over the Naruto universe and torture hated characters! Namely, Sasuke! MEHEHEEHE! –runs off to wreak havoc elsewhere–
aznquill: Noo! Spare me! I have so much to live for! –tries a sad attempt at the puppy eyes- I hope my explanation and chapter were good enough to save me…If it hasn't, give me a micro-second to build up a cardboard-box fortress in my almighty cardboard-box-castle! –runs for cover-
Kisu: Keke, I know that was incredibly evil of me XD And then I stopped writing for a couple months to top it off…I guess that makes me an evil lazy mastermind :D Well, I hope this update was worth the looong wait!
Kyuubi-kun: Ah, but I still feel kind of guilty for not replying Guess it must be a rapid fangirl thing :P Anyway…it's okay to go crazy-psycho-killer on Sasuke in reviews :D In fact, I encourage that attitude! You're talking to a huge Sasuke-hater here :P We must deprive Sasuke of his Naruto so he becomes more traumatized than he already is! –evil cackle- Well, this wasn't exactly my fastest update, but I hope you liked it anyway :)
Ann: Wahh I'm sorry about that :P I like making cliffies! It makes me feel one step closer to being the ultimate ruler of the universe :D I'm happy to see I have managed to convert some people to Sasuke-haters for a short while with my fic too. Now all I have to do is somehow manipulate everyone to becoming my slaves for all eternity! –evil cackle- Eh…-cough- Anyways, now that I'm on my summer break, I have more time to write. So this fic won't go uncompleted! Hope you liked this chapter :)
Ria Sakazaki: Yayy! I'm glad you like how the story's going so far :) I think this fic is pretty much done now. Expect more frequent updates now that I'm on my summer break :D
Iceheart19: Haha I know I've been gone for a verrry long time again…bad habit of mine :P Well, this fic's got one more chapter left, and maybe an epilogue if I feel like writing one. Now everyone knows what happened to my characters in this chappie :D Hope you liked it!
Tipsy-Dragon: Hehe :P Sorry for confuddling you…hopefully everything's been cleared up by now. I wish I had my very own Naruto too –teary eyes- We can give Neji a Naruto too even if he doesn't play a big part in this story :D –shoves Naruto into Neji's face- Haha, poor Seto, the almighty muse. It's bad to swear! You should be auditioning to do some episodes in Barney :D Wouldn't that be soo cute? XD
animeperfect: Haha I liked writing that cliffie. It made me feel speshul :D Hmm…well, I have decided on a pairing…even though if you think really hard, it's technically not a pairing o.O Okay, I'm confusing myself now :P I adore sad endings, but I hate to see Naruto all sad :( So you'll just have to wait and see :P And yes, Sasuke does have a heart…BUT HE'S DEAD! –evil cackle- We shall see what happens to the alive-Naruto in the next chapter :P For the moment, I hope this chapter was good enough :D
catsz: I'm glad you like how I'm handling this story :) It was mostly Sasuke's fault that Naruto died…and then didn't o.O I sound confusing now :P And Sasuke is a selfish bastard…among other things…but I don't think I'll go on super-Sasuke-hater-mode right now or I'll scare you away.
GENthePEN: Ahh I'm sorry for confuddling you :P I know it was evil of me to leave of my last chapter like that. But all was revealed in this chapter! I hope you liked it :P
Ghonchi: Ahh I wish I could write lemon! I can't even write about kissing. I'm incredibly immature…you should've seen me in health class when we discussed…uh…the anatomy of a human being. –cough- I'll see if I can sneak in a kiss or a hug, but writing a lemon will change the rating of my story :P Oo, and crickets are your friends :D And we can't forget the all-speshul cookies you deserve! –drops off a tank of cookies for you-
chaos911: Aww I'm happy to hear that you like my story! And well, Sasuke got his in his chapter. That doesn't mean you and sexy Gaara can't beat him up after he's dead anyway :P I recommend using a meat grinder :D And considering how long I haven't updated…you must've eaten all the ramen in the world XD Poor Naruto!
blue 1/2: o.O;; Ehh…well, you got your wish! Sasuke's dead! Is my life spared? I don't want to be a fishie and be gutted :( But you can still have Gaara rip out Sasuke's organs and do all the scary stuff you listed…-hides behind magical castle of cardboard boxes- I know it was an evil cliffie :P Anyways, I love answering reviews, but I'll try to restrain myself! On a final note, SASUKE DOES SUCK! WOOHOO! –dances to the Hamster Dance-
Anime redneck: Your review wasn't sucky! I'm happy that you took the time to review :) I hope you liked this chapter!
kai: I'm a huge for GaaNaru fics too :D Greetings, fellow GaaNaru fan! Thanks for liking my story and taking the time to review –wipes tear away- This wasn't my fastest update, but I hope you liked it!
TheWickedess: Ahh I like killing characters off though :( I couldn't help my evilness! Spare me o.O
Dark Grave Robber: Wah I fell off my chair at your review! I'm really happy you like my story :D And don't worry if you sound like a stalker…I'm a stalker myself. I'm behind you right now actually…okay I'm being uber scary…Anywhos, I hope you liked this chapter :D
hibiskus: o.O Woahh…I'm sorry for making a cliffie in the last chapter :P But I made everyone confused, so that made me happy. I had doubts about making Sasuke slightly out of character in the earlier chapters, but I thought it would make his dying moments a little more "WOAHH!"…if that makes any sense o.O I'm glad you liked my random insertion of Neji too :P It was a spur of the moment kinda thing. But who doesn't love his funny hair? –ruffles Neji's hair and almost gets a hand bitten off- I'm also happy to see that you liked how Naruto was portrayed after he lost his memory. Since Sasuke's DEAD now…I dunno whether Gaara will save Naruto or not…it's up to my mood when I write the next chapter :P Hehe…it's nice to hear that I have a talent for making evil cliffies :) I hope you liked this chapter :D
A/N: Many wonderful thanks and hugs go out to all those reviewers who kept reviewing after my long disappearance before I posted my previous chapter :D Kool-aid Jammers for everyone! –Kool Aid Man voice- OH YEAAaaaa…umm…ignore me :P
Tsuki