All was top notch in the last chapter and things are probably turning for the worst for Naruto and the gang, along with their newfound allies! And it looks like the Ice Bear is really in for a run for her money against the one controlling the notorious Uchiha prodigy Itachi. And the party has only just begun!! I thank and for helping me find and provide any and all lyrics used in my fics. In today's chapter is "Where'd You Go?" by Fort Minor, perfectly fitting the chapter that will soon unfold before you once I'm done ranting. I don't own Naruto or any of it's content and characters. Everything else is mine. Deal with it.
"iii" speech
iii thought
iii spirit speech
Chapter 16: Death of the Ice Bear?: The Big Finish!
Wind whistled past as the two adversaries flew at each other. One wasn't really in control and the other was just trying to defend the ones she'd come to care for. In a way, she knew deep in the deepest, darkest parts of her heart, mind and soul, she wasn't going to live to see tomorrow. But the least she could do was unveil the true culprit for all the pain and grief she just knew Sasuke was going through. Had been going through for a large percentage of his life. Hating and despising his brother, know that each moment he was alive his brother was on a rampage, destroying someone else's life. Aware that somehow he was responsible for all those deaths, the deaths of his family. Deep down, she could relate. She too had seen such devastation in her time. And by the gods it wasn't pretty. Not pretty at all. She tried to shake away such thoughts. Now wasn't a good time to go strolling down memory lane.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Itachi brought his blade around as they collided, her own katana creating sparks with his, his blood red eyes spinning, crazy grin with inhuman teeth showed just how insane the one truly in control of the body was. "You think you can take me down half-breed? Allow me to prove you wrong." It cackled mockingly at her, his spit flying to speckle her mask where they somehow became steam as she glared back at him. I'd like to see you try human. Why don't you show that 'cute' little face of yours for all these nice people to see huh?
This only angered him, sending him into an even greater rage than before. He tried to push his sword harder only to be astonished when it didn't so much as move a centimeter. The girl's eyes were glowing the eerie white. Her anger was reflected in her voice as she pushed him back, making him create tracks in the snow. If you won't show your face then I will! With that she let go of the sword, using the other to hold the rouge ninja at bay, surprising all that she could pull this off. Reaching with her free hand (her right), she grasped the edge of the mask and gently pulled. Gripping the bottom with her thumb, it came off like a lid of a plastic container. Sliding up, the strap coming loose, her smooth features were slowly revealed to the world, surprising even 'Itachi' that she dared do this.
She said 'Some days I feel like sh,
Some days I wanna quit, and just be normal for a bit,'
I don't understand why you have to always be gone,
I get along but the trips always feel so long,
And, I find myself tryna stay by the phone,
'Cause your voice always helps me when I feel so alone,
But I feel like an idiot, workin' my day around the call,
But when I pick up I don't have much to say,
So, I want you to know it's a little fed up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
Me and the rest of the family here singing 'Where'd you go?'
High cheekbones, smooth chin, straight hawkish nose, and icy blue eyes made up her face, the skin somewhat pale from lack of light, smooth skin free of any scar or mark of the past. But there was something wrong with it. There was a large bleeding gash on her forehead and another yet thinner one on the opposite cheek. It wasn't possible to gain such injuries without someone noticing the blood, let alone the girl taking action to either remove or replace the mask itself. "Naruto, Sasuke, did she ever take her mask off around you two? At all?" Kakashi asked, surprised and suspicious at this oddity. The two only shook their heads in response. "Then how is this possible?"
"There's only one way that can possibly explain this phenomenon." All turned to see Chevy, unmasked and holding a hand on his side with a blanket or sheet of a sort he'd managed to snatch and use as a bandage. "Where did you come from? How long have you been here and what happened to your face?" Naruto queried, giving Chevy a raised eyebrow as Sasuke stared at the newcomer in astonishment to his sudden appearance.
"That doesn't really matter right now Naruto-san. The only thing that does matter is you and your friend getting into gear to free the one trapped within what that monstrosity has made him become in your world and this one. The two of you combined will bring the 'cloak of clouds' out from under the snake's spell thus bringing forth peace to any whom have suffered under this creature's foul reign of terror."
"'Cloak of clouds'? Why call him that?" Sasuke asked, proving to be more confused than before as he watched the strange being chuckle lightly at the question. "Your brother's reputation surpasses him farther than you know Sasuke, way farther."
"I don't remember telling you my name." Sasuke said amazed.
"Who said you had to?" he chuckled again at Sasuke's expression. This moment was just too priceless for the dog man. "I had a feeling she was like this from the very day we all first met her. But it was only a matter of time before the final straw would let itself take its toll."
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
"Take its toll? What do you mean?" Sakura said as she nervously watched the battle continue, Itachi's angered moves half coordinated, less then half hitting their mark as the girl calmly parried each one, moving with ease as she held her ground. Chevy's scarred face furrowed a little in thought as his grey eyes stared at his commanding officer in sadness. "Very few are capable of picking themselves up after a near death experience, limping away with something that would normally kill them outright. With half-Guardian warriors like her, it's the hardest thing to pull off. Ever. I think she surprised herself when she accomplished just that. The face you see there is that of a past battle, minor scratches of something far worse."
"Have you seen these wounds? And if she really looks like that then why hasn't she bled to death yet?" Kakashi said, sounding truly astonished as another wave of snow was sent to hinder Itachi's progress which he tried to counter with a fire attack only for a water whip to come flying at him with a vengeance. Despite the show, Chevy remained calm and continued. "Never in all the time any of us here have known her have we seen her face. This is the first time anyone in years has seen what hides underneath that mask of hers. We respected her privacy like any other. But it looks like her time is running low."
"How can you say that? She's your commander isn't she? So do something!!" Sakura practically screeched at him. He only blinked at the pink haired girl before calmly answering her. "It's not my place to act in a situation like this. Many of us here had a feeling this day would come sooner or later and as far as I'm concerned, the only ones authorized to interfere on any level is Naruto and Sasuke."
"What do you mean just me and Sasuke? We can't—"
"Like sun and moon, earth and sky, light and dark, yin and yang, only you two can counteract what has befallen Sasuke's brother and possibly destroying the creature that has taken his brother's face. Why are you doubting your skills as a warrior?"
Naruto tried to fight back the anger that boiled thanks to Chevy's words but deep down he knew what the man said was true. If by saving Itachi would he then save Sasuke from himself and his pain? Would this event make a difference to anyone? There was no time for ifs; it was time for action to speak louder than words. You ready Kyuubi?
More than I'll ever be brat. Let's just hope this works.
"Ready Sasuke?"
Sasuke smirked despite being nervous. "Humph. Do you have to ask?" Can you hear me Candra?
Loud and clear Sasuke! Is it time? I'm ready if you are!
I'm not too sure…Don't worry I'll guide you through it. Just like I promised.
You know the place where you used to live,
Used to barbeque up burgers and ribs,
Used to have a little party every Halloween with candy by the pile,
But now, you only stop by every once in a while,
sh, I find myself just fillin' my time,
Anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,
I'm doin' fine, I plan to keep it that way,
You can call me if you find you have somethin' to say,
And I'll tell you, I want you to know it's a little fed up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
Me and the rest of the family here singing 'Where'd you go?'
The girl felt her strength fading. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. By the looks of things, another couple of minutes to go before retreat could even be considered an option. No. I won't. I won't back down! C'mon guys. Get ready to move in for the finish. By now this was just wishful thinking, only just managing to counter a fire attack and dodging several more to send chunks of broken building, consisting of concrete and metal, flying at her opponent. She wasn't sure she could keep this powerful charade up for much longer. Even she was wondering what it was that kept her from falling over in exhaustion and defeat. But from somewhere to her left she felt the familiar spirit energies of two mighty creatures of nature.
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
Sasuke felt rejuvenated. Completely free to do as he pleased, free of that snake bastard Orochimaru's curse seal, the mark itself now nothing more than a tattoo and a bad memory to mope on about later. Somehow his Sharingan activated itself, allowing him to see every detail of anything within range, Candra's power flowing through his body like cold water. Naruto could relate only he felt Kyuubi's chakra enflaming every single part of his body, literally melting the snow around him. Ears of their respective animals came into being, replacing their human ones as tails proceeded to appear behind them, teeth sharpening as nails turned to claws. Everybody else except Chevy watched in amazement as the transformation occurred right before his or her eyes. Itachi on the other hand was oblivious to the event, attacking the Ice Bear harder and harder, completely distracted.
Ignoring the stares and gasps of incredulity the two (ironically) leaped into action. Speeding faster than thought possible the boys become nothing but blurs to the naked eye, completely invisible to any unfortunate soul to ever encounter them in battle. Itachi was about to find out why. Naruto started his part of the attack by taking down the ninja imposter with a gut busting tackle, making the man's sword go flying as Naruto sank his claws into cloth and careful to avoid skin and bone should something go wrong. Sasuke came flying in from the rear to unleash a bone breaking tackle of his own. For the group standing on the sidelines it was déjà vu. For the evil spirit it was a wake up call.
It was like ripping someone in two. Literally. Naruto went soaring through the air having somehow grabbed hold of a dark cloaked and fairly pissed and hissing creature with purple veins threatening to blow its face wide open. Glaring at its attacker the creature tried to undo the blonde's hold on him only to find that Naruto and Kyuubi had something else in mind. Tossing the thing like a rag doll across the street, Naruto prepared to land the killer blow. But a calm hand stopped him. Turning he saw one of the twins, composed but bleeding holding his shoulder. He turned fully to see the two were serene but grim. "We'll take things from here Naruto. This one is going to stand trial before the Guardian council where his fate will be decided."
"But—"
A waved hand cut him off, both faces grim and firm. "No buts Naruto. Go see to your friend. It's time you really introduced yourself."
Naruto powered down, disappointed of being denied a good battle but understood that some things weren't meant for him to decide. With a medium gait Naruto jogged over to where Sasuke was tending to his elder brother just as Ozzy pulled out a vial. It hissed angrily at him but he sealed it away regardless of its protests.
Sasuke was sent the same way in the opposite direction, making sure his own bundle didn't take any injury from the rough landing. Opening his eyes Sasuke looked down at the unconscious form he so charily held in gentle arms. It'd been years since he'd thought this man to be a family member and not a monster with bloody hands. Releasing Candra's power Sasuke returned to his human form to cautiously say. "Brother? Brother wake up. Brother?"
At first nothing occurred but after only some persistence Uchiha Itachi started to show signs of life. Slowly but surely one of his Sharingan eyes opened up to see a face he was sure he'd never seen before but was very familiar. Uchiha Itachi blinked and stared up at the oddly familiar face in confusion, wondering why it looked like his younger brother's had the Sharingan and was staring back at him with worry etched on his pale face. "Brother?" the boy above him said again, confusing the Uchiha further.
"Who—?" he began but cut himself off; trying to get his brain to recall just who this person was and why he seemed so familiar. The coming of two more people interrupted his thoughts. One was tall with golden green eyes, a pleasant smile on his face and brown hair tied back in a small tail, brown clothes patched with dirt, blood and melted snow. The other was an inch or so off the first, blonde hair like gold, tanned and sun kissed skin, whisker scars on his cheeks, a black shirt and orange pants, his cerulean eyes filled with innocence. But the second boy wasn't looking at him. He was looking at his family look-alike with worry in those carefree eyes. The smiling man only smiled kindly wider as he extended a hand to Itachi. "Can you stand Uchiha-san?"
Itachi blinked again but hesitantly took the hand. But he could only sit up before his head throbbed, three sets of hands steadying him as he gripped his temple with his free hand. The blonde boy spoke first. "Can you do anything for him Evan?"
The one dubbed Evan reached past hair and headband to touch Itachi's forehead and cheeks, moving to the neck, the shoulders before moving on to other parts of the body. Itachi couldn't help but be confused, lightly blushing that he was undergoing such a strange examination. Then he did something that came as a surprise to Sasuke and Itachi but not to the others: Evan's hand disappeared into Itachi's chest. The limb moved without being hindered by flesh, bone, cloth or skin. Eventually he pulled it out, leaving Itachi to examine himself with hand and eye, making Evan laugh at his actions. "Don't worry Itachi-san. You'll be just fine. A few memory problems but that's minor to what could have happened had your unwanted body buddy had stay just a few days or so longer."
"What?" Itachi gasped, his mind still trying to register what'd just happened since he still wasn't sure if it was all real or not. "How do you know my name? Where am I and who are you people?" he inquired as he struggled to stand. Much to the man's astonishment, another Evan came walking up, his eyes proving to be harsher than the other one. He only gave Itachi a single look over before grunting, turning away to look at the brunette helping the man stand. "So this is Sasuke-teme huh? Kinda skinny aren't ya?" the newcomer grumbled, sounding pissed off and bored. Evan whacked the man over the head, making him yell "Itai!" and gripping his head in pain. "What the hell was that for?" he growled as he scowled at his twin.
"For being rude that's what! Now be nice or I'll give you a real reason to be in pain." Turning away from his look-alike he smiled warmly at the brothers. "Excuse him. My brother can be real cranky sometimes. Especially when there's nothing to use as an outlet for his anger issues." Evan whispered that last part. His twin simply grumbled some more before walking off to the left, soon followed by Evan and another stranger. Lying almost comatose in the snow was the Ice Bear. Kakashi went up to Chevy with the ever-impending question coming to mind and out of his mouth. "So what happened to you guys and how'd you get here?"
"Oh just another Enemy raid gone bad. They came in larger numbers than we anticipated but we got them all. Which probably explains why I look like and feel like shit." He said sounding sad as he stared at the oddly peaceful form of their commanding officer. He almost felt like crying. "So what now?" Kakashi had to ask.
"Now we wait."
"Wait for what?" Naruto asked, sounding uncertain as he looked down at the girl in the snow. Chevy turned to look at the blonde sadly. "We wait for death to come and claim what slipped through his fingers."
I want you to know it's a little fed up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', no longer debatin',
Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses,
For while you're not around, and feeling so useless,
It seems one thing has been true all along,
You don't really know what you got 'til it's gone,
I guess I've had it with you and your career,
When you come back I won't be here and you'll can sing it...
Everything was blurry, the sky a whitish grey space that couldn't possibly ever end no matter how far you looked, or how far you flew across the endless terrain of cloud and wind. She felt like she was floating amidst those clouds even though her eyes were closed. She could feel her disguise that'd been set in place by long hours of concentration and meticulous work. Every detail taken care of and to scale in the hopes of appearing the same as others yet so different amidst the crowds she knew one day she'd encounter. Voices were faint but they still reached her ears as she lay on that endless blanket of white, snow and ice acting as the would be teddy bear whenever she was down or unsure of anything, unsure of everything. Crunching snow, vibrating earth and the voices growing louder with each second told her that they'd just noticed she'd fallen. And were probably just realizing that she wasn't getting up. Not this time. She opened her right eye, peering up as snow began to once again gently fall to earth, looking up at the crowd of onlookers to her demise.
The sword was sticking out of her left side, have surpassed a rib or two and hit a lung and part of the heart. Chevy had the decency to gently pull the weapon out of her form. It came clean out, no blood spewed as they thought it would. Hell, there was hardly any blood on the blade at all. With the sword's removal, something else came loose and with the wind, disappeared without a trace. Her clothes changed from street to professional, casual to uniform, her figure shrinking slightly to that of middle teens. Dark navy green took the place of blue, boots instead of sneakers, even gloves on the hands with a few missing fingers. Her scarf was the only thing that remained the same. A large cut on her left leg, a cut on her right arm along with a near miss from a form of projectile. But that was minor compared to what appeared to be the true cause of her downfall. Spanning from a little over a hand span wide and long, probably deeper than anyone could possibly imagine, the hole in her left shoulder revealed torn muscle, crushed bone and other parts completely destroyed by a single shot. Like all the other ones before it signs of past bloodshed stained the green jacket, turning the fabric a nasty brownish color. "Is that—?" the question was unanimous but just had to be asked. Sadly Naruto couldn't keep it from coming out.
"Yes it is. The very cause of her previous demise before the tainted blade of Itachi ever came in contact with any part of her. This is her true form. The form she gave up upon the moment she cheated death by getting up and walking away. How the hell she pulled it off I have no fucking idea but it takes a truly strong mind and soul to do it. And this proves it." Chevy said sounding all the more solemn as her right eye opened to look up at them.
They actually looked sad for her. Actually afraid that she'd leave and not come back. For some reason she knew she'd seen this expression before, an expression she knew that there was no way of forgetting. The question was simply where. Letting that thought slide, She had one last thing to do before death came to take her away to where all the dead wait for their chance to take another shot at life. Hello all. She chuckled weakly to herself as they stared down in surprise. Some funeral this is. Oh well. The price we pay for not planning ahead.
"Commander, I have to ask. Is there anything that you wish to be done before your passing?" Chevy said, hiding sadness behind a gentle business voice. Her next message was weak but lucid to any who could pick it up. Uchiha and Uzumaki. Read and see what my past beholds. Worry not Dog man. I will return another day for what is mine. Until then, I… will be… sleeping…. The eye closed for the last time that day.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home
Cold winds howled and whistled past, ruffling hair and clothing, coming to sound more like a musical instrument rather than just an element of nature. The ninja group along with warriors of the alien world stood in silence as the prone form in front of them no longer took in breath, the already pale face turning another shade of whitish grey, lips going blue in hue, her hair staying dark to contrast every change that occurred. Finally after several minutes of silence and excessive staring, her body was suddenly engulfed in a bright light to fade again revealing a neat pile of objects: the scarf neatly folded, a sheathed dagger and a letter, the same letter from the coffee table taped to a black leather-bound book. It only said one thing. Goodbye. Reaching down Naruto carefully pulled the letter off the book and opened it to read the contents aloud. It went like thus:
Boys,
I trust that by the time you read this my passing will have come and gone, as I knew that someday it truly would. To be truthful this isn't the first time I've looked Death in the eye. The cat should be fine by himself unless Chevy wants to hold onto him for a while. Either way I don't mind. The objects before you are for you to disperse between the two of you, these being the key to my return. Lose them and I will lose my chance at breathing life's wondrous air ever again. Keep them and I may have the ability to guide any in search of the Spirit's Path. Choose what you will of this letter but the others are mine to decide: the dagger to Sasuke for showing true valor in times of dark events, the book to Naruto in relation to lacking memories. The scarf is a gift to both as means of exchange or connection in being able to complete the balance. May we meet again later whether it is a time to celebrate or a time of crisis.
Until that day,
Berna
Ps. The room of color
All could only stand in awe at the thought of what had just been uttered from the page before them. Not only had some things been cleared up for them, but also the name of this mysterious individual had finally been stated for all to know like any other name given to any other person. Naruto tenderly knelt down and handed the dagger to Sasuke who stared at it like it was the most interesting thing on the planet but had the sense to take it from the blonde before he made himself look like an idiot. Naruto bent down again to grab the scarf and the book, too sad to open the thing at the moment but had to ask. "What did she mean by 'the room of color'?"
Silence was hindered only by the wind once again as they stood there taking on the cold air like statues. Somewhere in Sasuke's mind the phrase clicked. "Her room."
"What?" Naruto stammered at his rival's sudden outburst. "What about her room?"
"When I was waiting for your sorry lazy ass to wake up, I kinda noticed her door was open. She wasn't there so it wasn't exactly snooping so I went in. She had some sort of piece of art or other still on the easel covered by some sheet, like she was protecting it. From what I've no idea but maybe that's what she means by 'room of color'."
"How colorful was it Sasuke?" Evan asked, sounding equally curious as Naruto, leaning in as though to hear better. Itachi on the other hand was still very lost on what was going on. First he'd woken up to an oddly familiar face that looks and sounds like his seven to eight year old little brother, only to be followed by even stranger events including spells and people he'd never even seen before. The one they called Sasuke answered anyway. "Well, there were sheets and paints everywhere, that and it looked like a testing area for inks, paints and such. The stuff was all over the place. Like she was having a hard time choosing between colors."
"Hmmm. Why don't you two go ahead and check it out. We'll stay here and get things cleaned up. It's probably what she wanted anyway." Chevy said after a few silent moments of thought, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "But--."
"No buts. My guess is that she wrote this thing with the intentions of letting the ones she trusted the most that they weren't leaving empty handed. Besides, the rest of us probably can't even get in anyway." He said with a shrug, wincing to grip his side again as he experienced a spasm of pain. Just as Naruto was about to protest a dog came trotting up the street, its tail wagging happily as it barked to make its presence known. The German shepherd cantered in the snow before making an excited leap toward Chevy just as he yelled "NERISSA NO!" but the call came a few moments too late as the dog came crashing down on the Guardian warrior, enthusiastically showing its affection. Much to the surprise of all the twins were too busy cracking up with laughter to assist their comrade in arms.
Lilith and Akako soon came forth to remove the overexcited dog of her own partner, Akako appearing displeased as Lilith couldn't help but join the laughter, taking in the hilarity of the moment. Akako on the other hand took the time to stare at the Uchiha brothers, her wings twitching with anticipation. Hmmm, so you're Sasuke, And the legendary Red Eye Demon Itachi. I was hoping for a chance to fight you today.
Aw! We missed the fight? Man I wanted to fight too! Lilith whined, slumping on the ground in disappointment as her wings flopped hopelessly, her expression convincing enough to break the toughest of hearts. Nerissa now in control of herself finally spoke up for the first time. Oh c'mon don't be so down. Here's the bright side! Snow fight!! She called happily as she got the two creatures with a spray of snow and slush. They ran back and forth across the empty streets, screaming and laughing with all too human voices. The three girls even changed into their human forms, Lilith and Akako with matching uniforms of yellows and brown. Nerissa had a green outfit with a beautiful leaf pattern stitched in. Their sneakers squeaked and crunched the snow, using gloved human hands to throw snowballs. Soon Evan joined the fun only to be pummeled with snow fire to make him duck behind a car for cover. Ozzy stayed put, trying to ignore the uproar until Chevy deliberately stuffed his face full of snow and ice. Shock turned into uncontrollable anger as Ozzy ran screaming bloody murder after the man who was now running for his life without getting hit by a loose snowball but in the end Ozzy got pelted instead to only make the man even more angry. It soon became chaos at all three spirits sent volleys of snowballs into the astonished crowd, making them scatter just as Itachi got hit in the face.
The three cheered but scattered themselves, screaming and laughing from a double attack from the twins. Sasuke and Naruto managed to drag Sasuke's disoriented brother over to a bus bench where they sat away from the entire ruckus. Ignoring the noise and laughter, Itachi spoke hesitantly once all the snow was removed from his face. "So… who are you people again?"
Sasuke blinked at him. He'd hoped his brother would remember but from what one of the twins said, his brother would be having some trouble recalling a large amount of his own life on the run. "I'm your brother Sasuke and that idiot over there is Naruto, my teammate."
Itachi stared before stammering. "That's not right at all. My brother is seven years old and he's not even a genin yet! How can you be my brother? Who are you and where the hell am I and how did I get here?" the man tried to stand only to find his legs weren't working as well as planned, ending up landing face first into the snowy street. The snow fight had simmered down to the twins once again arguing about whatever had come to mind, the three spirit girls making snow angels and snow men assisted by some of the genin and chunin of the ninja group. The Jounin along with Chevy on the other hand walked over to where Naruto and Sasuke were trying to get Itachi to accept what he was being told. "It's okay Itachi-san." Chevy said calmly as the man stared at him with uncertainty. "I can understand how you feel in a matter like this. I too was like you after being freed from something I didn't know I had. Mainly because you were pushed back to a different part of your own mind, totally removing you from having any control over yourself and your actions. It'll come back with time like anything else. Though I'm sure the memories won't really be yours, they'll come to you anyway. You see these hands?" the dog man said, holding them up in front of the ninja. "These hands were also stained with innocent blood when something else decided to take my face and use it to their advantage. The same has happened to you and you too will remember what your imposter has done to soil your reputation and destroy not only your life but also the lives of others who've encountered you when you weren't yourself. You two boys get going. I think I need to help smooth things out."
Naruto and Sasuke could only nod as the got up, Sasuke making one last look at his brother. Nothing was going to be the same, nothing at all. Naruto was a few feet away, waiting for the brunette to follow. As they got into step with each other Naruto put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "It'll be okay Sasuke. I'm sure he'll be fine in no time."
"Hn. You may be right dobe. You may be right."
"Don't call me that!"
"Why? What're you gonna do about it?" he said with his trademark smirk as Naruto pouted and grumbled. "Teme."
"So rude dobe. And to think Iruka-sensei taught you better than that." Sasuke mocked as he walked faster to get ahead. Growling angrily Naruto sped up his own pace to match it. Before long the two were running toward the apartment building in a race to reach the door first. It ended up being a draw when Naruto tripped on the curb to fall onto of the speeding Uchiha causing them both to come to a sliding halt on the snowy ground. Much to Naruto's discomfort, Sasuke ended up lying on top of him, making him blush a deep red, his face burning, as the Uchiha seemed to purposely take his time getting off the other boy. Getting to his feet Sasuke couldn't help feeling his own face suffering from embarrassment of landing on top of a fellow male team member. You didn't have a problem with that yesterday. A voice taunted. It's not like that! He countered. He'd forgotten about Candra. But how did she--?
I'm in your head now remember and I can see everything you've seen or heard or ever will. And by the looks of things you're in denial. You think about him a lot don't you?
Well I--. Maybe. He responded as he ignored Naruto's angry banter as he headed toward the door, reaching for the handle as a miffed Naruto followed on his heels. Looking up he saw the large number of stairs they would have to climb. Sasuke sweat dropped and almost punched a wall in frustration. "Do we really have to go all the way up there?"
"Well if you'd been paying attention to what I was saying you'd know now wouldn't you teme?" Naruto said in a mocking voice just before he jumped to bounce of the banisters to quickly work his way up to the right floor. Upon landing he looked down to give his trademark foxy grin only to be wiped away by Sasuke speeding up with large black wings to grab a handrail to do a single hand stand while precariously on the edge of breaking something. Naruto only glared as he stomped to the apartment door as Sasuke let his wings dissipate to soon follow the blonde, a smart-ass smirk playing on his lips as he did. As Naruto reached for the door handle, the door opened with a small click all by itself, making the blonde jump back in surprise. Not questioning this incident Sasuke gently pushed the door open to reveal: the apartment simply as it was. The cat was still under the table napping; the blankets were half on the couch, half on the floor. Ignoring all of this Sasuke confidently walked through the place to go down the hall toward the still open door at the end of the hall as Naruto followed careful to not get too far behind the brunette.
It was exactly as he remembered. The sheets covering the floor and the canvas, paint and inkbottles in various areas of the space, the stool collecting dust while the walls put tested colors and hues on display for any observer to feast their eyes on. Walking forward, careful of all the containers and bottles close by, he turned to Naruto who nodded in response. With a single tug, the sheet slipped off the work of art, making them gasp at what they saw before them. Perfectly drawn lines making up objects and figures gave the multimedia work a regal appearance, sectioned off like a mosaic. People and things frozen forever on paper, the faces of Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, and Orochimaru even of the Third stared either at each other or toward the onlooker with fixed expressions. In this picture Naruto and Sasuke stood back to back, the scarf held in opposite hands as they faced away with uncertainty in the bottom left corner. Itachi stood in the opposite corner with a masked woman in tradition Japanese dress, her face hidden from view as though shy of being recognized. In the top left corner was the Ice Bear and her human look alike, the human girl with a look of pain and sadness with a hint of betrayal as she looked as though she were about to cry while the Guardian one stared to the right, eyes focused on watching the pair on the other side of the masterpiece. But what was in the top right corner you ask? Well let's see then: in said corner was a younger and less mature Orochimaru, standing with a confident smirk as he stared in wonder at a glowing thing in his hands, unable to grasp the idea that some dark insanely grinning form was creeping up behind him, clawed hands stretched to grab him. What was in the middle was what really got the two boys attention.
In the far back was the menacing demon face of the Kyuubi, soon followed by the true face of the supposed monster, kinder and more emotional, caring and sincere. In front of this face was a distinct figure brought to life with excruciating detail: the Fourth Hokage stood just behind another Naruto, years younger and wearing a different outfit than his normal annoyingly orange attire, smiling with great innocence out at the onlooker, completely oblivious to the ghostly Fourth holding his baby form as Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke of their present ages stood beside and around the little Naruto. But the other spaces next to the corners and around this astonishing middle image was probably what got more attention than thought possible. On the left was a shadowed figure standing before the Black Gate as its endless vortex remained frozen but still moving with all its ambiguity and wonder. To the right was the Third smoking his pipe in peace, only a dark figure with the same features of that of the possessed made up its obscure identity as it prepared to stab the old man with all its might. On the bottom was a group of people staring back at them in astonishment. Oddly enough it was the same on the top, only difference was the people at the top were ninja villagers and various shinobi while the people at the bottom were much like Ozzy or Ms. Loni, cat irises surrounded by strange eye colors staring back with curiosity and amazement with a little uncertainty and fear in the mix.
The very work of it was amazing and state of the art. The colors vibrant and to scale with shadows and lights. Covering the picture again Sasuke could only stare at the now blank space, absolutely speechless at what they'd just seen. Naruto had to shake himself out of his daze, staring curiously at Sasuke as he put the painting in a more secure wrapping. Looking around Naruto saw a large side bag that he could use, grabbing it and putting the leather-bound book inside with the scarf and some extra clothes for both of them. Nodding to the brunette they both left the room in silence, Sasuke pausing only to shut the door behind them and the front door mainly out of habit than anything else. Passing through the kitchen Naruto stooped down to gently pull the cat off the floor and letting it settle in the bag with everything else. Though instead of using the door as one normally would, Naruto just opened one of the living room windows and climbed out to the scaffold. Handing out the floppy object Sasuke came out into the open himself as Naruto held the painting. Using their newfound powers thanks to their spirit partners, Naruto took to bouncing off building walls as Sasuke simply took to the skies securely holding the art piece in hand.
The ninja group had since the departure of the two rivals come to move back toward the inn with the hopes of some sleep and a good meal and in Itachi's case, a believable explanation from his would be younger brother. The sound of something lightly pounding against stone and the even beat of large wings met their ears as they progressed down now familiar streets. Looking behind them they saw the familiar blur that was Naruto speeding their way practically on all fours with the goofiest grin on his face. Above they saw a dark form holding something flat and hard to discern came swooping their way, a well-known pale face smirking at the looks on their faces as he climbed back into the skies above. Lilith and Akako joined him in their hawk forms, screeching in excitement from the simple thrill that only the freedom of flight could bring. "Show offs." Evan grumbled as the three circled and dove in the air, Naruto having long since come to a stop to walk like everybody else. Ozzy could only scoff. "Oh you think you can do better than him? He's doing pretty good for a first timer actually."
"I know I can and I can prove it!" Evan protested as he stabbed an angry finger at his twin who only smirked and scoffed again. "You can't even fly proper! Let alone land. You crash every time you try! What makes you think this'll be any different?"
Angry and determined to prove his sibling wrong, Evan huffed and ran forward as fast as humanly possible. Wings of tan with specks of white, black and brown sprouted out of his back as he went, flapping with all their might to get into the air. Within seconds he was circling with the other three, sending mocking faces down at his brother with triumph sparkling in his eyes. Ozzy's smirk became a knowing smile as he procured a camera from one of his pockets, taking snapshots of his brother, their spirits and Sasuke flying high above the roofs of residential buildings. Each one was spat out of the camera's front, almost instantly developing into pictures of amazing quality. Putting the device and some of the pictures away he started to smile in amusement at the ones of his brother, held it high and yelled. "It's about damn time!"
Ozzy chuckled as he kept walking, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a large lump of snow meant to get him in the back from an irritated sibling. "You are such an ass you know that?" Chevy stated as he moved to walk beside the still smirking man as they headed home. Ozzy just nodded before responding. "Yeah I've been told that plenty of times before. I just hope he doesn't crash like he did all the other times."
"DON'T JINX ME!!" an annoyed yell came from the sky above only making Ozzy laugh harder at his brother's displeasure. Another hour or so of random silliness from the strange dysfunctional family that was made up of a bunch of guys under the strict ruling of a middle aged woman progressed to grow more relaxed and in tune with whatever the hell it was they were doing. Coming over a hill they saw the inn still under repairs with the assistance of the ninja left behind along with two handicap Guardians and another still recovering but able to help those who needed it.
"AUNTIE! AUNTIE LOOK UP!!" Ozzy shouted as he jogged forward toward the woman, making her look up from a clipboard to follow her nephew's instruction and pointed finger at the skies. What she saw amazed and excited the woman as she saw her other nephew flying high like a living kite, waving with enthusiasm in her direction. The other three cheered and hooted him on as the woman stood speechless, her eyes bursting into tears as she watched him soar through the air. The children from her daycare spewed into the street in winter gear, making their own kinds of noises and sounds of amazement, some growing wings themselves in the hopes of achieving the same feat as Evan. They soon noticed the ninja group returning and stampeded toward them with loud greetings and welcomes, some managing to get airborne for only a few moments to only touch down back to the frozen earth again. One could swear they went nuts knowing that Naruto was finally back to play with them again. Many of them crowded in awe and curiosity around Itachi, their innocent eyes drinking in everything about the man before them before deciding to climb all over him in their childish enthusiasm. Sasuke and Evan landed on the roof, their wings disappearing out of existence as Evan looked over the edge to wave happily at the onlookers below. Sasuke just grew his wings back to land on the ground amidst the chaos, holding the well-wrapped painting above his head and using his wings to keep the children at bay, which proved to be his downfall. They grabbed with greedy hands at his wings, pulling at feathers and muscles, straining bone to almost breaking. Ms. Loni moving in for the kill, shooing the little monsters back into the inn before they froze saved him from their nasty little hands and unstoppable curiosity in the obvious.
Sasuke held one of his wings as the stinging pain continued to make the new appendage throb as he fought oncoming tears. Naruto came running up with a look of concern as Sasuke inspected the wings for missing feathers, testing for sprains or pulled muscles and winced when he found one. Hissing in pain Sasuke tried to hide it as Naruto came face to face with him. "You okay Sasuke?"
Through his pain Sasuke simply uttered. "I really hate children now." He would've said more but Ms. Loni came up to the two chuckling at Sasuke's words. "Those kids are like that sometimes. Too curious for their own good. I'm Ms. Loni but you can call me Tia or what have you. Why don't you come inside and have that looked at? I've dealt with child damaged wings before."
"I could just bring it back and--."
"And feel like someone stepped on your back with spiked shoes? I don't think so young man now in you go." She said leaving no room for argument. Turning to the rest she spotted Itachi flinching under her gaze. "So this is the famous Uchiha Itachi. You've really given my boys some nasty problems not that I blame you dear. You should be fine in a few days or so. Chevy why don't you get him settled while we finish up out here? We could use the extra help cleaning up that mess you made."
"Yes ma'am." The dog man said as he motioned for Itachi to lean on him for support as he lead the man indoors. After an hour of work and the door finally fixed all sat in the dining area for a breather. Not soon after meals were served, a much appreciated gesture for the many empty stomachs. The cat lay on the bar; softly purring as Chevy rubbed his belly while Evan patched him up, Ms. Loni icing down Sasuke's damaged wing while the boy ate. As usual the boy scowled at being fussed over but was thankful for a real dinner for once after eating only soup and eggs for days. Needless to say that Ms. Loni was amused on how excited Naruto got when he kept ordering ramen and nothing else. So far only Naruto and Sasuke had seen the painting as it leaned patiently against his table, wrapped firmly and securely in the sheet it was in when they found it.
Itachi sat near Sasuke's table, eating what he was given though he was sending uncertain and nervous stares at those around him. He knew Kakashi, and possibly Iruka along with Asuma but everyone else along with the one claiming to be his brother he didn't know at all. He was brought out of thought with the one who'd been introduced as Naruto. The blonde didn't seem at all perturbed that he was sitting across from the man who tried to kill him to gain the Kyuubi's awesome power but right now he could care less what the man had done, only what was to be done on salvaging family ties between the brothers Uchiha. Staring at the uncertain man with blue eyes of unmatched quality and depth, Naruto smiled at him with confidence. "Hi there. Feeling okay?"
"Um… I…" Itachi didn't know what to say to this odd individual but Naruto didn't wait for him to respond. "It's okay. If they say you'll be fine in a few days then we wait a few days. And I'm sure when we all get back home you'll be forgiven since it all really wasn't your fault anyway." Naruto smiled wider at the confused man before leaving to check on Sasuke who was careful to face away from the supposed murderer of his own family. His left wing was resting in a tub of ice, sitting comfortably on a table pulled closer to support the weight and keep both the ice and the wing at a restful height. Sasuke felt like napping if not for the sound of a chair lightly scrapping the floor next to him. Looking to the right as he rested his head and arms on the table, he watched the blonde, blushing lightly as he tried to think of something to say. "How you doin' Sasuke?" Naruto inquired, his voice a whisper out of consideration to his friend's condition. "Hmm. I wonder what the others will think of us?"
"Us?" Naruto was a bit lost at this point, raising an eyebrow at the Uchiha's words. "What do you mean?"
Sasuke only scowled in frustration at Naruto's knack for stupidity. But he only stared tentatively at the tabletop, eyes following the patterns in the wood as he looked away from the blonde. It was a stupid thought anyway. No it wasn't and you know it as well as I do! The voice popped in again, sounding worried for the boy. Not now Candra. This isn't really a good time you know.
Well I know that but you don't have to be so down about it. At least he showed some kind of affection earlier before you met me.
How is that any different now? What's so different other than the others finding out? They'd probably reject us as soon as they know.
That's not what Sakura thinks.
Sakura? What about her?
Why don't you ask her and find out? I'm supposed to guide you remember? And no matter what it is I have to find the best means of making sure things work out for you! So ask her! She might help you know.
But she has a crush on me. I doubt she'd let Naruto live long enough to hear the end of it. He said sweat dropping thankful that Naruto had walked away to talk to Iruka at this point. That and he was stranded due to his (oh pardon) their wing still on ice from the child attack. Hmm. You wait here. I'll go get her.
What? Wait--!
He never got the chance to say more as a wolf's head wiggled its way out of the side of his stomach and through his shirt to pad its away through the room looking for the pink haired girl she seemed to know so well. Needless to say Sakura was surprised by the sudden appearance of a woodland animal with black wings sitting itself down next to her to stare expectantly at her with silvery eyes. Follow please? Came the voice, sincere and polite, the eyes switching between her and the brooding Uchiha she'd crushed on for so long. "You mean you're his--?"
Yes. Follow please?
"Um sure but why?"
Help him. Confused. Must help. You can help can't you?
"Okay that sounds fair but do you have a name?"
Candra. She said happily, her tail swishing a little to sweep the floor. Not knowing what else to do Sakura followed the wolf back to where Sasuke sat brooding, not liking the fact his spirit was playing love doctor on him. "You didn't have to do that you know." He grumbled as Candra just chuckled at him. Oh c'mon Sasuke. My job is to help you in all parts of life. Get used to it. She mocked smoothly as Sakura giggled, not helping but snicker at the wolf's reasoning. "She has a point Sasuke. I'm your friend and teammate whether you like or not and it seems she's willing to help you, whether you like it or not. Now what's troubling you?"
"Nothing." He grumbled. Liar. Candra whispered as she settled on the cool floor, making him scowl in her direction. "That's enough out of you." The spirit just snickered before dozing off, ears and nose twitching and on the alert. Sakura just smiled and shook her head at their antics. Having not known each other for an entire day and they were already acting like a couple. Not married but just a couple. Looking around she found they were by themselves on the far side of the room since everybody else had gathered for another card game playing frenzy with Chevy taking on Nerissa with Naruto and Kiba caught in the middle. Hell even Itachi had been drawn to the uproar as Ms. Loni tried to get her game on and ironically she was losing. Again. And by the looks of it Shukaku was still trying to get used to not only playing but winning the game as well as the crowd. Sasuke had turned to scowl anxiously at the wall, burning holes into the wood from across the room. Sakura just sighed and said in a commanding voice. "Okay, spill it. Something's bothering you and if you don't talk…" she left the rest for him to imagine as she raised a clenched fist in his direction. He found this to be a very worrying sight once he turned to see a very determined Sakura. Sweat dropping he tried not to fall out of his seat since it risked causing his wing further injury. Stranded with no means of assistance in range, he could only rest his head on the table again before speaking. "I… I don't really know…"
"Bull shit!" she nearly roared but whispered her retort in anger, slapping her palms on the tabletop, a move that didn't seem to bother him one bit. "Then why would Candra come and get me over here if you don't even know what's wrong?"
"It's… complicated…" he stammered, looking away, wary that the female might go berserk on him and there'd be no stopping her. "Try me." She growled, calming herself in the hopes of a better atmosphere. Thankful for this change Sasuke stretched to fold his arms on the table, settling his chin on his forearms. "What happens when you meet the person you really like? You know… the person meant for you?" he inquired, dreading that she might laugh at him or totally tear him to pieces.
But the girl just blinked at this question. How could she answer? Thinking this over, she decided to give it a shot. Might as well, she thought. He's probably referring to Naruto anyway. "Does he know it's you?"
"Huh?" Sasuke perked up, staring at her in amazement as anxiety kicked in again. Sakura only squinted at him, the fist clenching again. "You know who I mean. You're not sure how to approach him are you?"
"Well I…. No I don't." he sighed again, looking at her with uncertainty. "You're not mad? I thought you'd be pissed."
"I would have had I not got it through my head you'd ignore me no matter what I did. Besides that was before Naruto insisted on going after you when we found out the Ice Bear girl had you. Going on all about 'it's my mission and I'm gonna finish it!' bull. You know Naruto when he's determined to do something, even if he does do it wrong. Now do you want my help or not?"
"Well…" Now he was really confused. What should he tell her? That he was desperate for love advice? And to think she would've just got done strangling him by now. Since there was no other option he went for it. "Fine."
"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" She said with a triumphant smile on her face. If it was anyone he could talk to right now it was her since she knew both boys the best to know there was still some tension between them. "So when was the first time?"
"Huh?" She'd just lost him again with an out-of-the-blue question. Sakura didn't know who to slap, him or herself for losing him after taking so long to get through to the boy. She could almost swear that Naruto was the genius and Sasuke was the baka. Almost. Calming herself again she tried the question again. "Have you kissed him?"
This got the reaction she'd almost hoped to gain. His face turned beet red as he tried to hide, eyes wide as he tried to push such thoughts away. But her knowing stare made him spit it out anyway. "The first time was an accident. The second time… it was all him… all over me and then we just stopped."
"Stopped? Why?" Why would they stop if the second kiss was on purpose? Unless something got in the way of the event's progress. "Was it something you did?"
"He was hurt but he jumped me anyway. Things got kinda rough and… that's when the pain kicked in." And ruined the whole thing. She thought. So they went at it with Naruto at the wheel and they crashed into a wall. Did that Ice Bear girl deal with this before it actually happened? "What about the girl? What did she do about it?"
"She wasn't there. She tried to get us to talk though. It happened after Itachi attacked him while he was out walking after… we argued."
Typical boys. Sakura grumbled to herself as she tried to piece it all together. This is going to be tougher than I thought. "We'll talk later. Do you need anything?"
"Water's fine." He said, sounding timid as he rested his chin on his forearms again. Little did he know that sleep was sneaking up on him again, the blissful feeling of much needed rest overcoming the brunette as his eyelids refused to stay open. When she came back he was snoozing away, face hidden in hair as he slept facing away from everybody. Candra had moved to sleep on his feet. Setting the glass down Sakura went back to where the groups watched as Ozzy conquered the table like a pro, smirking as he collected his winnings. Evan watched as Sakura came to stand next to him as Ms. Loni lost another hand to Chevy's sly tactics. "You'll figure something out Sakura. It might fix itself all on its own."
She raised an eyebrow in confusion, opening her mouth to say something but noticed another thing instead. Kind, dead golden green blind eyes smiled back at her, a familiar grin on his face as he 'stared' back at her before saying. "Even the blindest of the blind can see what others can't, in spite of it being right under their noses. It'll work out when they know the other feels the same. It's good you didn't go after him, someone else is hoping for your hand anyway." As if made of air, he vanished right before her eyes to appear on the other side of the room, watching his brother's hand with lively and functional eyes, sharp and on guard for the worst. But Sakura wasn't the only one to see such strange things. Hell no. Things were about to get weird real fast. And if that doesn't bother you… well, I don't know what will.
Itachi was playin' it cool, hangin' back from some of the excitement of Chevy turning the tables on the rest of the players to suffer his hefty hand of aces, kings and the rest of the royal family. But out of the corner of his eye he could've sworn he'd seen his seven-year-old brother standing amidst the crowd of onlookers, tears in his eyes as he stared with anger and sadness, Uchiha glare burning holes into the man's head. Cards went flying like stiff confetti, obscuring his view of the child. Seconds passed before the air was clear of cards, the seven year old had been replaced by a sneering thirteen year old, glaring with a vengeance with the Sharingan in full spin under the proud emblem of the Leaf village headband. A full-length adult of nineteen or twenty took the minor's place, pale face always the same, dark hair spiked in the back and descending over his eyes in the front, hindered by the same headband as the Sharingan, fully developed, gave Itachi one last emotionless glare before the elder Uchiha was aware of hitting the floor, heat enflaming the man with high fever.
The ninja and Guardian crowd alike panicked as Itachi fell to the floor, breathing wet and ragged, sweat coating his face as he fell unconscious to the cold surface of wood and wax. Experienced hands picked him up from the floorboards to carefully take him upstairs to his new room, shutting the door to block out onlookers. The card playing continued until Ms. Loni decided she'd lost enough rounds, almost literally beating them all upstairs to their quarters with her frying pan. Sasuke on the other hand, remained where he was, sleeping like a log as Candra occasionally looked up from where she was to watch someone or something pass by, growling whenever someone tried to wake the boy. But she let Naruto sit in the chair next to her new friend, lying back down as Naruto took on the responsibility he'd accomplished so many times before.
Gasp! It's only been a few days since my last update and chapter 16 is already finished! Is it just me or is this story just getting more interesting with each time you scroll? And no notes to speak of! Man I'm one lucky chick! And I'm one page short from last time. Eighteen pages. I was kinda getting tired of dragging it out. Or at least I thought I was… whatever you get the picture. What's this? Is Itachi remembering the different changes Sasuke went through over the years even though he didn't know it? And what's the true purpose of that awesome art piece? Find out in:
Chapter 17: Going Home: Farewell to Friends?
It looks like things have finally simmered down but is it really over or has the real adventure just begun? Who can say? And will Itachi recover from a bad stop in Memory Lane? Will Naruto and Sasuke ever get it together? And will the Ice Bear aka Berna return from what fate has bestowed in time to give a helping hand once again? Why don't you read, review (no flames) and discover a whole new tour in store hiding in the shadows! This is BLW signing off with the up and coming:
Chapter 17: Going Home: Farewell to Friends?