How the intensity grows as events continue to unfold before all who perceive it to be the best things they've seen. Probably the grossest thing I've said in all my years of living… the wonders that life throws at you sometimes aren't too pretty to those who don't know what to think of it. Ah the joys of confusing people right at the start of a whole new chapter of 'Aurora Borealis'! Now could this be the end of some awesome adventures or is this just the start of a whole new expedition into the unknown? 'Cause it seems to me we've only scratched the surface of what both Guardian and Enemy warriors can dish out at each other. And trust me, you haven't seen nothin' yet. Ownership of Naruto and its characters along with content I don't, everything else I do. Life sucks.
"iii" speech
iii thought
iii spirit speech
Chapter 17: Going Home: Farewell to Friends?
It wasn't until the next day that anyone got a verdict on Itachi's condition, his little brother still sleeping in the dining area with Naruto once again taking on the role of watchman over the snoozing brunette. Wing still on ice and wolf sleeping on his feet growling when someone unwanted came forward, but left Naruto alone. It took the elder Uchiha a few hours of rest and some soup specials before he was able to so much as explain what happened the night before. Having finished his tale, Itachi watched Chevy as he rubbed his chin in thought, sitting in the desk chair the wrong way with folded arms resting on top of the chair's back. "Happened to me a good thirty minutes after I got out of what you were in. It always varies from person to person, some hours, days, others minutes or seconds at a time. With some more rest, some real food in your belly and some exercise you'll be your old self in no time at all."
"But what about what I saw before I collapsed? Can you explain that?" Itachi asked, hoping for a decently good answer. Chevy just sighed and gave the man a sad look with his tired grey eyes. "When I was cleansed like you, I saw my dead family, alive and well right before my eyes. Almost as though nothing had changed. But there was something wrong with what I saw. Their expressions were fixed, contorted to how I remember seeing them last. Needless to say it wasn't a good feeling noticin' somethin' like that. With you it's obviously different. You say your brother is seven years old but there's a young man downstairs that keeps telling you that he's your brother and that you've missed a good 12 or so years of his life. Yet you saw the different ages he went through while you were 'away' as it were. Do you want to know why?"
Itachi dreaded that he actually nodded to this question. He needed answers and this man could give them no matter how much they hurt him deep down in his heart and soul. But dammit he wanted to know! Fear filled his stomach as Chevy opened his mouth. "That's because you were never in control of what you were doing some time after you last saw your brother and the reason you barely remember is 1) due to the culprit suppressing you and keeping you from being able to do anything except watch as he or she had their 'fun', 2) they usually make it hurt when they enter and it made the process hurt so much you blocked it out and finally 3) you remember what you saw last night mainly because it's your real memories coming back to haunt you with things that you personally weren't responsible in doing let alone thinking about in the first place."
"He looked so angry at me. What did that thing do to make him so livid at me for?" Itachi thought aloud, staring at the floor in confusion. "I don't know but you might want to talk to him about it, not me. I wasn't there. Hell, I didn't even know your world even existed up until some wise ass Enemy dragged his ass here."
"What?" Itachi was horrified and astonished. Someone had kidnapped my little brother? But why? "That's the thing. We don't know why. And you think too loud you know that? Well you know now. You get some rest for now. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you… eventually…" the elder Uchiha could only stare as Chevy closed the door behind himself, careful not to slam it as he walked away. Itachi just sat in the bed, staring at the wall across from him as he mulled over what he'd seen. If the invader had suppressed him then why was he remembering the different stages of his brother's life? Not really wanting to think about it anymore, or anything else, Itachi lay back and let sleep get him between the eyes.
Meanwhile downstairs the other Uchiha was waking up, stretching arms and wing as he peered around to find it was morning and Naruto was watching him once again with happy-go-lucky blue eyes smiling back at his own black ones. His left wing was held down by pain and ice along with a strange numbing sensation flowing through the limb as he tested its flexibility only to wince and hiss as the familiar stinging soreness rippled from one end to the other. Sasuke closed his eyes and banged his forehead on the tabletop, making Candra jump and stare up at her partner in surprise that he'd deliberately do such a thing. "Itai." He grumbled, as he not only held his shoulder but his forehead as well. And I was having a good dream too. Candra innocently protested as she did some stretching of her own. Hunger? Thirst? She inquired up at him as the boy stared jadedly back at the silver eyed wolf. "Anything would be great." Was all he said as he tried to stay as still as possible. Her claws clicked on the floor as she confidently padded her way passed a still busted-up-but-boozing Gayle, behind the bar and into the kitchen in search of food.
Naruto stared in worry as Sasuke groaned as his wing continued to throb. "You feeling okay Sasuke?" the blonde couldn't keep the concern out of his voice as he spoke softly to the brunette as he just groaned again. "No. Worse." The pain had traveled to his head and what happened next made it worse than before. A loud boom rocked the building from top to bottom, shaking everything without mercy as the sound of water spewing out of control sounded off. Kiba in all his idiotic glory came running down the stairs with Akamaru right beside him, barking and yelping in excitement as the two went running through the room and out the door soon followed by Evan laughing like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world as Ozzy stoically walked toward the door as the ever amused fellow roommate Berk came running down the stairs, angry as ever and completely soaked with lord-knows-what kind of water. Face red with fury he zoomed after the overly excited man as he mockingly slid out the door and shut the thing in his face. Chevy calmly walked past as he handed the man a bucket and a mope. Fuming Berk stomped back up the stairs, recreating Sasuke's old pain as the noise faded out of range.
Ms. Loni came through the kitchen door with three plates as she followed a happy Candra back to the table, nearly slipping on the trail of toilet water and was about to yell when both Candra and Naruto shushed her, Sasuke's groan filling the silence. "Can't you do something about this Candra? I swear it's killing me!" the boy pleaded as another wave of pain hit him head on, making him dizzy as tears of pain blurred his vision. The wolf looked ashamed of herself as she hung her head. Sorry Sasuke. I'm still new at this. I can get rid of some of the pain but not all of it. I'm so sorry. Rubbing her head on his leg in apology she whined pitifully at him, her shame slumping her figure, her wings practically deflating to drag on the floor. I really thought you'd be better by now. She griped on while Ms. Loni just patted her on the back. "Don't worry dear. You'll get used to it. Happens all the time after flying for the first time. It just waits until you least expect it to show up for the party is all. He'll be fine once his body's become used to the changes that have occurred since your merging. And to think in just a few hours you both will be good as new and ready to soar. I'll go get you some tea." The woman's enthusiastic words seemed to bring hope back to Candra's furred face while Sasuke still looked a little skeptical, thankful he could move without feeling like he'd been hit by an eighteen wheeler in all sorts of places of his body. Both humans and spirit finally ate for the first time in hours, Sasuke more than Naruto since he wasn't feeling well enough to eat the night before.
Upstairs Sakura was having trouble of her own; especially on explaining to the rest of Rookie Nine what she had planned for the two downstairs. "You want us to do WHAT?" Ino had nearly screeched at the top of her lungs but Shikamaru and Choji quickly silenced her by slapping one of their hands over her mouth. Pushing the hands away she scowled at the two but kept her voice down. "Why are you suggesting this again?"
"Because those two boggle-brains have it for each other and it's driving the other up the wall! Not only that they got off on the wrong foot and it didn't end well, or at least so I was told." Sakura said crossing her arms. "Now if we can just find a way to get them together maybe then they'll not only get along better, but they just might make a great couple! So who's in?" hands rose into the air, making the girl smile in triumph. Now she had the manpower, all they needed was a plan. "Now here's what we do…" oh the chaos that only such actions as these can produce. Wait a minute? What our beloved teacher and pervert? Let's see then:
A very antsy Jounin had backed Iruka into a corner with no signs of being able to escape his lover's sex hungry wrath as the chunin tried to think of a way out of his predicament. One could definitely tell he wasn't in the mood. But it seemed that ol' Kakashi wasn't listening. He'd been promised some attention when he got back from getting the two 'I'm in love but so full of denial' boys from the Ice Bear's territory, and by golly he was gonna get it! "Oh c'mon 'ruka please? You promised didn't you?"
"Yeah but not in this fashion and you know it!" the chunin stammered as Kakashi loomed ever closer to him, towering over the now desperate man, hoping that someone, anyone would come interrupt this unwanted activity. At least until he could make some move of his own. But things just weren't in his favor this time. Being the smart ass of a man that he was Kakashi had not only locked the door, he'd also put a sound note on it as well since he knew from experience, things were going to not only get rough, but they were gonna get noisy. Planting gloved hands on the walls Kakashi's single eye smiled down at him as his scent overwhelmed Iruka's senses. The silver haired man leaned in to rub his masked face tauntingly against the other man's, chuckling as he shivered from the touch, closing his eyes and turning away, only exposing his tanned neck to the Jounin who gave in to his urge. Mask gone Kakashi pounced at the neck without mercy, biting, licking and kissing the surface as Iruka's knees almost gave way.
Not able to fight any longer Iruka didn't push him away but pulled him closer, forcing the man's head lower, making Kakashi chuckle as he continued his work, happy to finally get the unconscious go-ahead. Talented hands decided to play under the chunin's shirt, making the man gasp as cool hands met hot skin before giving in to the sensation, moaning from the bliss those hands filled his mind with. And if that wasn't enough Kakashi decided to come back up, bringing his hands up through the man's shirt to hold his head in place as he kissed the living daylights out of him. Iruka bit Kakashi's lip as he responded hungrily, swiping his tongue across the other's lips for entrance, begging to be let in while desperately hugging the man closer with strong but gentle hands. Caught off guard Kakashi could only comply as they fell backwards onto the floor with the Jounin trapped under a now successfully roused chunin with plans of his own. Straddling the man Iruka took advantage of his new position by proceeding with some neck biting and possessive grinding, making Kakashi's mind blow apart as he copied this move, groaning loudly from the sensation. Passion erupted between the two as Iruka made his move to fondle Kakashi's six-pack, hand moving dangerously low to the man's pant line. He smirked in triumph as the Jounin bucked under his touch as his mouth continued to attack, repositioning to the silver haired man's neck to bite and lick, making him shiver and moan as all control went flying out the window but was stopped by a dizzying feeling nearly made him pass out when Iruka's adventurous hand took a dive to a sensitive area.
Kakashi bucked again as Iruka just chuckled at the man's reaction. He loved having the advantage over someone who's had it for too long. Now it was his turn to lead the way. Grinding a little harder and keeping the man pinned to the floor Iruka carefully undid the man's pants while Kakashi lay underneath him, disoriented and blissfully unaware of what his partner was doing. It wasn't until he thought he felt a draft that his brain restarted, eyes focusing on what Iruka was attempting to execute. Needless to say his was I bit surprised to see his pants had come off, exposing his boxers that just so happened to have an odd bulge in them. And the look in his lover's eyes probably wasn't one of the most reassuring. Not like it's a bad thing. It just wasn't a good thing. By now he had a very distinct inkling that he was the one who was cornered and not the other way around. But Iruka wasn't going to make his move just yet. Seeing his 'victim' was aware Iruka decided to remind the Jounin who was boss. Smirking Iruka captured his lover's lips with his own, hands exploring as he restarted his possessive grinding, sending the man back into a blissful oblivion as grinding turned to pumping, their erections rubbing together as Kakashi bucked and moaned into the passionate kiss as tongues fought for dominance over the other. Iruka wasn't going to let him win so easily.
Removing the man's jacket he briefly broke the kiss the have him remove his shirt to reveal a pale chest ready for the marking. But Kakashi wasn't going to let things slide without a fight. Oh hell no. Summoning his lost strength Kakashi managed to get Iruka under him long enough to start his own grinding, hands still under the chunin's shirt as he made the man lift his own arms to remove the offensive articles of clothing. The Jounin attacked Iruka's neck once again only for the tables to turn on him once again. It seems his partner didn't want to be undermined so easily. Another flip brought Iruka back into control as his talented hands held the man down, smirking as Kakashi's look of astonishment stared back up at him as he leaned down bite the man's collarbone. Eyes rolled as Kakashi shivered on the floor, focusing long enough to undo Iruka's pants, pulled the man closer and grinded against him despite being on the bottom. Iruka groaned but continued what he was doing, biting, licking and kissing his way down as Kakashi shivered and whimpered, begging for him to pick up the pace. The chunin teased the other by pausing at his navel, making patterns on the pale skin with his tongue, Kakashi bucking again, his whimper sounding urgent now. But much to his dismay he skipped over to his legs, kissing and licking his way up, Kakashi wrapping them around the man's neck as he took his time back toward Kakashi's boxers. The man's whimpers and gasps for breath filled the room as Iruka continued to tease him, slowly working his way to his target, one hand lightly tugging at the edge of the boxer shorts to slowly pull them down to unveil a very sensitive member sticking proudly into the air as Iruka smirk turned into a mischievous grin, making Kakashi gulp and shiver from excitement and horror. He was in for it now, and he had no time to regret asking for it.
A pink tongue came forth to test the underside, making Kakashi buck again, whimpering and begging for the man to get on with it. Ignoring his lover's pleas, Iruka continued to tease it with his tongue, gently licking it on all sides before moving in for the kill. In one single move Iruka pounced, 'swallowing' the member, sucking on it and swirling it in his mouth with his tongue as Kakashi arched his back and practically screamed his name in pleasure. White sparks flashed in his eyes as Iruka slid it in and out of his mouth before 'swallowing' again, making Kakashi come nearly with everything he had. Iruka was prepared and took the man in. Gasping for air Kakashi decided then to take the wheel once again for the umpteenth time in who know how long. Taking Iruka by surprise he captured the man's lips, hugged him close well enough to get them both on the bed. He grinned at the surprised man who just smirked as his face came dangerously close. "How about some payback hmm?"
"You sure you're up to it? And to think what I did wiped you out." Iruka retorted, still smirking but was faltering as the man leaned closer. "No. I think we've only just begun."
--Somewhere In The City--
Snow and wind whistled past as two identical faces passed through the empty streets, heading back toward where they'd first seen their new roommates as Kiba and Akamaru followed goofing around in the snow. The boy's laughter and the dog's excited barking fought for dominance in the silent street ways. Evan just snickered at their tomfoolery while Ozzy just looked miffed as he tried to drown out the annoying racket behind them. Suddenly he paused, freezing in mid step, Evan doing the same looking around to silence the two who complied in confusion. The twins looked around, sniffing the air, eyes sharpening, ears twitching. As though shocked into motion by some invisible charge their heads snapped around to face the same direction, darting ahead into the maze of buildings and boulevards with unreadable names, turning and twisting past stores and homes, jumping over cans and cars. Skidding to a halt, the two were sniffing, listening, and seeking whatever had made them react like they had. A noise alerted them to look to the left, running forward to see: a child, confused and sobbing as she clung to a woman who was bleeding from her forehead, lying on her side in the snow, eyes closed. She was unconscious but alive. Gently and without urgency Evan reached down and tenderly pulled the girl away speaking softly to the girl reassuringly, from the woman as Ozzy pulled out a first aid kit. Tending to the woman Ozzy looked up from his work. "She'll be fine. Just suffering from some blood loss and head trauma but not enough to kill. We should look around for more."
"See little one? She's going to be fine. Now why don't you tell us your name and where you're from hmm?" Evan asked soothingly. Kiba and Akamaru finally coming in to investigate the matter, blinking at the sight of the girl and the woman. "Hey I know you!"
"Kiba!" the girl said sounding relieved and sad, scared to the bone. She tried to get out of Evan's grip but was held back by a blanket trapping her limbs against her body, making her immobile for the moment. "You know this kid Kiba?"
"Course I do! She's one of the people reported missing from my village! She lives down the street from me! I had to baby-sit her for one of my first low rank missions. But how'd she get here?" the dog boy asked looking confused. "Actually we were thinking the same question: how did you get here and are there more of you?"
"Hai! Hai! A whole bunch of people but I think they're sick like I was."
"Was? What do you mean sick? Can you show us where?"
"Hai! This way!" the girl was off running as soon as Evan set her down, running after her with Kiba on his tail. She stopped in front of a run-down building as Evan and Kiba came to a skidding halt, looking up at the ghostly windows with fluttering torn curtains and broken glass. "You two stay out here. I'm going to take a look." Evan said sternly as he stepped to pass through the gaping door leading to some unknown horror. The girl jumped and pulled at his arm, bracing her feet in the snow. "No don't! You might meet the monsters!"
He looked confused for a few seconds before turning around fully to face her, gripping her shoulders to look her in the eyes. "Monsters? So they're responsible. I'll be fine. It'll take more than the likes of them to get rid of me." He smiled what looked like a toothy grin, canines sharpening as eyes changed, transforming right before her eyes. She could only stare in astonishment as a wolf fox hawk hybrid stood and stared calmly at her, hawk mask acting as porcelain armor on the animal's face. But this was just an illusion. No he stayed human, leaving the girl motionless where she stood as he calmly walked into the dark, a thing he was used to by now. Kiba only watched as the man vanished into the building. Minutes that seemed like hours passed. Finally gasps and coughs for air sounded off as Evan lead a large crowd of Leaf villagers back into the open, looking around disoriented, sickly and confused. Looking down at the little girl he smiled again, even though he was covered in dust and soot. "See? I told you. Everything's going to be okay now." Getting everybody to sit down, Evan eventually pulled a radio from one of his pockets. "Dog man this is Hawk Two do you copy? Dog man this is Hawk Two, copy?" static filled the air soon followed by Chevy's lazy drawl. "Hawk Two this is Dog man, roger. What's the hubbub bob?"
"We've got multiple civilian captives fully recovered and in need of medical care, examination and housing over."
"Roger that Hawk Two. Sending extra units to assist, over."
"Copy that. Over and out." Putting the radio away Evan continued to pass out blankets, producing water and food to those who needed it, using his powers to eat it up when either one got too cold to be consumed. Ozzy trudged around the bend carrying the woman on his back, looking a bit pissed at having to walk all that way to set her down with the possibility of having to pick her up again. Though angry, he was merciful in keeping his mouth shut. Most of the people were dazed and confused, suffering from inhalation and other symptoms of having been in a fire, even though there wasn't one. The girl sat amidst the strangers and neighbors she was used to seeing everyday beforehand, tall and strong, completely immune to things like this. But now that concept had changed and now she and some many others were being helped by two strangers she'd never seen before. Kiba managed to sooth the girl, distracted by Akamaru's clever tricks at getting her to forget her ordeal. Little did she and the others know just how strange the day was going to get.
--At The Inn--
Chevy had once again been behind the bar only this time cleaning the counter with a fresh rag with some of the Rookie Nine and Team 10 sitting at the tables, conversing as Naruto peacefully dealt with an overly broody and still in pain Sasuke, Candra watching everyone with curious innocent silver eyes. Gayle was sitting on one of the bar stools, holding a beer in hand, randomly sipping the brew inside as he half-listened to the ninja group go one about what had occurred and what they'd put in their reports, making Shikamaru say how 'this is such a drag' causing Ino to get on his case to create a whole new conversation entirely. The two warriors couldn't help but chuckle as the heat grew to where Naruto jumped in to shut them up since Sasuke was holding his head in pain again while Candra tried to comfort and relieve him of it. Thankfully before things got out of hand the radio under the bar crackled as Evan's voice filled the room, making all turn in curiosity at the bar. "Dog man this is Hawk Two do you copy? Dog man this is Hawk Two, copy?" Casually meandering to where the radio was positioned, he bent to pick up the receiver and clicked the button. "Hawk Two this is Dog man, roger. What's the hubbub bob?" he responded, sounding bored as his eyes just laughed at the people in the room. What Evan said next surprised even him. "We've got multiple civilian captives fully recovered and in need of medical care, examination and housing over."
Chevy blinked. Then blinked again. This was something he wasn't expecting at all. Since when were there multiple civilians in their sector? He didn't remember filing more tenant papers and housing forms. Confused he nodded to Gayle and pressed the button again, hiding the confusion in his voice. "Roger that Hawk Two. Sending extra units to assist, over."
"Copy that. Over and out." The static scratched the air just before Chevy turned the radio off. Still confused he turned toward to ninja group, hesitant but positive on good feedback. "Why don't some of you go with Gayle and see what those three have managed to pick up? You could use the fresh air and I'm sure you're bored out of your skulls by doing nothing." Shino and Hinata stood up nodding followed by Kurenai and Asuma, Ino making Choji and Shikamaru stand up in response. "Good. Gayle you need to get Nunzio and Finley on the way. See if they can't lend a hand in this. I'll inform the Lion Lady that we've got some more rooms that need to be set up. Everybody else that's able can get off their lazy asses and prepare for chores. Move out."
"All right let's head out." Gayle said lazily as he took one final swig of the beer, knowing he wouldn't be able to take it with him. Opening the door for the girls, he and the rest of the males followed to click the door shut. Chevy passed through the kitchen door, his voice sounding off before fading as the door swung to a close. Coming back seconds later he stomped up the stairs and started to pound on doors, his commanding tone making certain people move faster than thought possible. Once gathered in the same room, including Iruka and Kakashi fully dressed and ready to work. Hell even the daycare kids were lined up, some shivering from the look on the man's face. Finally, Chevy sternly spoke. "It seems some people have been found out in a recently scouted area and are being brought back here for medical assistance and housing. That means that things are going to be taken up a notch. You little monkeys," he growled at the cowering children. "Are in charge of getting rooms together which means sheets, clothes, mattresses and whatnot for the rooms not already taken by present occupants. The rest can either help dust things up upstairs or be in the kitchen with Ms. Loni and help get the night's meal together. I for one will be supervising, correcting or assisting in various tasks in random parts of the house but otherwise I'll be down here if there are questions on assignments. Now get to it!" he roared as they desperately scurried to get to their designated parts of the building.
Naruto and Sakura ended up with Iruka in the kitchens along with a confused Temari and a disoriented Shukaku. Her brothers Gaara and Kankuro were somehow sent upstairs with Team 10 and Kakashi. (Lee and Gai were prohibited from so much as tiptoeing out of their rooms due to nearly trying to 'help' and put the front of the building back together. It didn't end well --;;;). The children were determined to get the job done, and done right the first time, ending up with catfights and the oddest of brawls, half human, half spirit battles that one would definitely wish to have a camera on hand to record to strange interaction. But no such luck. Chevy or someone else eventually had to jump in and break them apart before something bad happened to either them or something else. The kitchen was probably better off without a clueless Naruto and a confused sand spirit in the mix. And if that wasn't bad enough, Kyuubi had come out to play and Temari was probably on her last nerve if she burned another thing no matter what the reason. Kyuubi in human form, fiery red orange hair, red eyes, kinda spiky and held back by what appeared to be Naruto's old goggles, black leather jacket with flame embroidery and black jeans along with black sneakers to match. (Sexy no?) Angered that his vessel gone partner was acting stupidly again; Kyuubi was about to help Ms. Loni bring some order back to her kitchen. After some chaotic arguments and clouds of flour coating everything, Iruka, Temari and Sakura managed to get Naruto to wise up, Kyuubi to cool down and Shukaku on the right track. And to think that by now Ms. Loni would be at her wit's end but she just shrugged everything off and continued to cook.
With some guidance and proper supervision, not only was Naruto able to make something edible, but worth eating. Kyuubi, having gotten his act together, managed to produce some ancient but tasty dishes while Shukaku proved good at keeping things from going wrong as he patiently watched ovens and pots, stirring, turning or removing things by command or simple intuition and observation. After what seemed like hours, the food was finally ready to be served to the unsuspecting mass beyond the door. Chevy could only laugh like crazy when he witnessed the whitening of the place, cracking up so hard he fell over gasping between snickers. Sasuke had the courage to get up with Candra's help to see the commotion before saying. "You dobe." Jump starting an old-fashioned fight to the finish between rivals. But there was a difference, even if the boys didn't notice. They were almost careful not to go too far in certain areas or to get physical. This was something to see. Candra now in human form herself, silvery eyes hiding behind pitch black hair and blending it with pale skin, her 'Kill Bill' outfit (no not yellow and black) black with white lines loosely hiding her slender form from the world. Trying to hold back laughter herself she led the still aching and winged Sasuke out of the room and back into the dining area to his table, followed by Ms. Loni with more ice to put in the tub. It was just another day, another event that made the scattered family so unique in so many places.
--With Gayle & the group—
Having passed through the front door and out into the street, Gayle immediately stopped somewhere in the middle of the road to stare at the sky, gazing up and away into the grey blanket that was the sky. It wasn't too soon that Ino asked. "What are you doing?"
"Making a call." He said plainly, his eyes focused on a dark grey area, tilting his head a little as though to get a better look at it. "Call? What kind?" Asuma queried with a grunt, looking a bit skeptical that someone could just stare upward and claim to be making an important call of sorts. And without a telephone or radio, let alone any piece of technology to act as a connection too. But what happened next blew all other questions out of the water. "A supernatural one." Gayle said absently as a thin form appeared, breaking out of the clouds like a whale out of water only on the opposite side of it. Its head, scaly and horned, elegant and shimmering with water particles, came soaring down, wingless and only having four legs and five claws. A greenish blue with kind sharp amber eyes, the dragon touched down like a kite, barely disturbing the snow it landed on as it slithered closer, its huge nose stopping a few feet away from the masked man. Gayle, calm as pond water, approached the mighty beast and simply stepped onto the creature's nozzle, waltzing his way to sit on the head. Turning its head slightly, one of its whiskers waved around to act as a walkway up onto the mighty animal's back. "You comin'?" Gayle asked casually, looking at them expectantly.
Ino was the first to break out of her astonished trance to proudly march over and up the so-called bridge and sitting confidently on the dragon's back. The others soon followed and before settling on the creature's back they were off and up, heading toward sky and cloud, rising higher than they thought they'd ever go in their entire lives. Soaring above buildings and over winding streets and alleyways they traveled some miles away from the inn toward a large crowd of ant-size people, two of which were waving, one in the air while the other was still on the ground. Konaha's missing persons gaped at the huge animal that landed with enormous grace before them as some of their most respected ninja got down from the mighty dragon's back. Gayle did the same, though in less of a rush as the others. "If we start now we'll get back in time for dinner." Was all he said as he assisted a middle-aged woman who was slightly older than Ms. Loni up the bridge of a whisker. Those who couldn't walk were carried with gentle movements onto the dragon's back where they were held in place by those still conscious enough to assist. Rising once again into the air the dragon set off back toward the inn, eyes widening as the people stared at the spectacle in front of their astonished eyes. Wind whistled in their ears as the empty scenery went by like corn in a field. Only difference was that the girl accidentally fell over the edge, making some people scream and scramble to catch her. Too late 'cause off she went, over and off the side to fall like a rock to the cold ground below. Just as all hope was lost her head came into view, eyes glittering, mouth laughing, arms spread wide as though trying to fly she sat on top of a laughing Evan as the girl sat on his back. Using his arms to hold her legs as he laughed with her, he did some barrel rolls, diving and spinning in the air as she laughed, giggled and screamed in delight, cheeks red from cold wind hitting her skin. Touching down on the ground the girl's hair stood up a little, completely wind-blown as she swayed on her feet, uncontrollable giggles still escaping her lips. The dragon not only landed but also somehow diluted itself to become water, making them fall through it and onto the ground without soaking in a drop before it rose into the air, became solid and flew away. "He's shy around large groups of people. You'll see him again soon enough." Gayle said coolly as he headed toward the front door, holding it open for the females.
Going inside they were greeted by Ms. Loni who once again gave the 'you're late' lecture and the whole frying pan routine, Gayle smart enough to duck out of the way as the twins once again went flying across the room, much to the surprise of both Sasuke and Itachi, both of whom were sitting at own their separate tables. Sasuke's wing had felt well enough to come back in, almost as though they never existed. It took some convincing for the people to understand that Itachi wasn't dangerous, at least now that he was in control of his actions and his thoughts. This explanation, though incomplete but believable, gave the people the calm they needed to sit at the tables by the supposed criminal who hid his face, appearing sad now that he knew why his brother rejected him like he had not minutes before. Having just gotten used to all the memories that'd popped into his head, Itachi had a feeling that Sasuke still wasn't over the 'kill brother to avenge dead clan' concept so he stuck to staying some distance away from his brooding little brother. Candra was sleeping on top of Sasuke's feet in animal form again, snoozing away as her nose twitched at the smell of food coming from the kitchen door. The food was soon served, Kyuubi's and Shukaku's appearance causing yet another ruckus as people stared in suspicion at Naruto and the two spirits. But they were soon astonished when Lilith showed up to entertain the little girl some more, wings flapping and tails wagging as the two went on playing a children's game. Lilith soon changed to human form but changed back when the girl stared in shock, making the confused spirit shy away only for the girl to pounce on her, laughing with delight.
The rest of the ninja search team and the daycare children came downstairs only to join in the odd game that they obviously knew nothing about but tried to play it anyway. No matter how many times they got many parts of it wrong. Nunzio and Finley arrived no minutes later to add more oddity to the strange place, making the people even more confused as eyes widened at the thought of people with 'demons' in them still having the ability to lose limbs or other parts that made them whole. Food was eaten, less than half of Naruto's was spat back up due to taste rather than appearance but later proved safer to consume regardless of what it looked like. Cards were soon dealt as Ms. Loni started a whole new losing streak, Itachi joining this time to win almost every hand which only made Ozzy grumpier than usual and Sasuke to watch, uncertain of what to do other than observe how the local warriors made the man feel so normal and at home with them. Not really caring that he'd once been on a rampage to tear each and every single one of them to pieces. The children were given their own card games to play before they were, one by one, escorted home by one of the twins, Chevy, or Gayle out the door and into the night. Every time one passed the group of human tenants their eyes changed color, cat irises staring back as either scales, fur or wings came into being, innocent smiles or looks of childish mischief appeared on their faces as they were lead out the door to go home, the snow falling softly once again. Tails and claws would sometimes appear or even just changing entirely into animals of specific traits or just animals with a bit of different ones. It was like the circus without the clown and ring of fire to jump through. One after another they were taken home, sometimes two at a time. The hour grew late, the children all gone, and the games still going on. Finally Ms. Loni decided she'd lost enough hands for one night and sent everyone upstairs as Nunzio and Finley headed for the front door waving their goodbyes. Shikamaru, being the lazy person he was, ended up hanging back long enough to listen in on an urgent conversation between worried allies. "… No doubt about it, those people had to come from somewhere and popping up in Raven territory? Don't you dare tell me that's not coincidence?" Ozzy growled, crossing his arms to scowl at the wall. Evan nodded before responding, sounding worried. "I agree with Brother, the Enemy is up to something and those people had something to do with it. It's not normal for normal people to suddenly just appear in an abnormal part of an abandoned town. We may have to send them home and soon."
"Easier said than done Evan, way easier." Chevy grumbled as he rubbed his chin, staring at the floor. "We don't even know if the gate is still where it was a week ago! It could've moved or closed up by now. They could be stranded here with us on the front lines. Let's face it. Anyone that isn't Guardian is trapped in the war zone no matter where they are. Though sending them home is the only option, how do we know that the gate might still be there to do the job?"
"It wouldn't be coincidence but it wouldn't just leave its passengers behind. I've studied that thing long enough to know that it doesn't just take off without letting the people that passed through before get back to where they came from. Though it does have a tendency to randomly place itself in various positions of the city or the world for that matter, stranding people intentionally or not would be considered a glitch in its way of thinking. If it can think that is. The gate won't move to its next location until all travelers have returned to their point of origin."
"We understand your science mumbo jumbo but what were those people doing out there? And why would the Enemy deliberately capture humans and make them 'sick' as we've been told?" Gayle inquired as he took another sip of his beer, not too intoxicated to be speaking nonsense just yet. "That girl you guys found first said that the 'monsters' made them sick but only got better later on. Like there was nothing wrong with them. What happened for that to occur in the first place? And what was it that made them sick?"
"We all know what it's like to gain a spirit for the first time. Maybe they were given spirits that weren't conscious of being merged with humans and it didn't occur to them to suppress the pain of becoming one with someone else." Ms. Loni argued, looking between the four men but Ozzy only shook his head. "No we did tons of scans and we found nothing to show spiritual merging or otherwise unusual symptoms. We even did blood tests, x-rays, CAT scans, hell even MRI's and we still got nothing to show anything wrong with these people! Whatever was wrong with them before is probably long gone now."
"That may be true Brother but it could be what we're looking for has somehow hidden itself from any if not all forms of radar or means of detection. It may be possible that the Enemy has found a way to hide their work from us or we might not be looking at this the right way. Another possibility is that we're not looking hard enough." Evan stared in concern at the tabletop, fiddling with his fingers as his voice fell to a whisper. "It could be that what we're looking for just isn't where we might think it'd be." The man's gaze moved to the side, straight at the door. Shikamaru jumped as he saw sad, blind eyes looked straight at him, through him, sending him a clear message that said, 'I'm sorry'. The lazy Jounin felt terrible for some reason, seeing that expression. One could swear it would break the coldest of hearts.
Silence filled the room as the group sat in thought, staring at something other than each other. Finally Chevy spoke up, straightening up, stretching his aching limbs as he turned toward the door leading upstairs. "It doesn't matter right now. All that matters now is investigating that area further. If we find something that we label dangerous, we destroy it with everything we've got. Tomorrow, we send all of them home. It's too risky for a crowd of humans to be in the middle of a battle our people have fought since the beginning of the world. It's too precarious to have them here anymore, even if one of them is his son." Shikamaru scowled as this. His son? Whose son was he talking about? Who was he talking about? He never got to finish the thought when he heard the next sentence uttered from the man's mouth, tone grim and almost angry. "Tomorrow, … the gate shall not open again."
Chairs scraped on wood as the rest rose from their seats and headed toward the door behind which their eavesdropper was hiding. Silently the Jounin scrambled up the stairs in actual haste to remain unseen as he literally sprinted down the hall to swing his door open and quickly and in clever silence, click it shut. Shoes thudded on wood, doors swinging open to shut soon after, allowing calm to overcome the house again. Some of his friends had gathered in the room with him and were staring at the normally cool and lazy man as he sighed in relief. "Shikamaru? What the hell was that about?" Ino demanded, careful to keep her loud voice down as the man slowly turned to stared and sigh, expressing his infamous saying. "What a drag."
It took almost over an hour to explain the overheard conversation not only to his teammates and the rescued people, but also to their teachers, confused but passive Itachi, and a dunderhead of a Naruto who just so happened to have the memory of a goldfish (3 minutes tops). Finally after telling the tale close to five times, the group sat in silence in shock as what they'd been told. "Are you sure that's what they said Shikamaru?" Asuma queried, cigarette threatening to fall out of his mouth. "Down to every last word. They're sending us all back whether we like it or not. And I don't think they want to wait for those things to make their move. I also doubt they're going to be patient enough to figure out what happened to you people." He said lazily, scowling at the ceiling as he pointed the last sentence at the group of newcomers. "They've made it their priority to get us home and soon."
"But why not tell us face to face? Can't they just admit they can't help us and let us stay until they can? That's not fair at all!" a man asked, offended and confused at this concept of being sent home, no questions asked. Grumbled agreements filled the room as Kakashi tried to quiet them. "Now, now I'm sure they have a fairly good reason why to send us back without telling us in person. They could be concerned we wouldn't take the news as well as we might have if they had told us themselves. We'd be asking them the questions we have screaming in our heads right now and I don't think they want that kind of pressure. For anyone." He paused, his single eye passing over everyone. "I think they believe that keeping us safe is to send us back to where we came from, regardless of whether or not they could help us with anything that may be wrong with a certain number of us."
"But they could still at least of told us their intentions. Don't they trust us?" a woman demanded angrily. Kakashi turned on her, eye flashing dangerously. "You want to talk about trust? Their own human brethren haven't trusted them for centuries all because of a misunderstanding and they've been in hiding ever since. Very much the same way our own village treats Naruto!" this made the crowd blink as Naruto cowered in a corner. He was afraid this would happen sooner or later. "They willingly became friends with what we've been calling demons all our lives, fighting to keep people like myself and others out of the crossfire just as Naruto does and what do you do? You still treat him like he's the monster you think he is but he's not. Do they act like monsters to you?"
The villagers just stared at the Jounin in surprise. It wasn't everyday you get lectured by a dangerous man on something as important and equally sacred as trust, blending it into a comparison between an outcast and a bunch of kind strangers who had heart enough to take them in. Not waiting for an answer Kakashi just left the room, steaming with pent up frustration and inner rage that just begged to be set free, wanting to lash out at the careless people of Konoha. But he decided to sleep it off instead, flopping on his bed, not really caring to notice a familiar chunin had followed him to lay down next to him to hug him close in comfort. "You feeling okay 'kashi?"
"Hmm. I don't know." He sighed. He probably went too far and feeling Iruka next to him was soothing, bringing calm to his mind. "Just want to sleep I guess."
"You guess? My, that's unlike you. But I agree I'm in not much mood either. I'll sleep if you will."
"Hmm." Was all he said as he snuggled closer to the man, wrapping strong arms around his koi, reveling in the man's scent and the sound of his voice as the man chuckled, pulling him closer as well to rest his head in the crook of the man's neck. They stayed that way all night, sleep kicking in as the feel of affection was shared between them, unaware of the events to come.
Everyone else adjourned to their own rooms, thinking about what had been said, unaware of four sets of watchful eyes tracking their every move. Only one of them wasn't seeing anyone, or anything.
The sun, though blocked by snow clouds, rose to shed its hampered light through windows and cracks, doorjambs and other such openings. Eerie silence filled the place, dust gathering on surfaces as routines were oddly ignored. Sasuke sat up in bed. This feeling was all too familiar to him. In another room Naruto had to agree. Something was wrong and someone beyond his or her understanding knew it. The two boys opened their doors to see each other, both with the same worried expression. No words were needed as they both recalled the conversation from last night, nodding to each other and turning back to awaken the other occupants. People like Sakura or Ino protested at first but at the looks on the boy's faces they were silenced into watching them leave the room to knock on another door. Naruto in all his stupidity, walked in on Kakashi and Iruka, still fast asleep and cuddling in all their yaoi glory. But oddly this didn't bother the boy as he snatched a pillow from on of the chairs and deliberately hit Kakashi in the face and Iruka in the side. The two woke with a start, Kakashi sitting up and Iruka rolling onto the floor. They both looked to see an amused and dangerously calm Naruto staring back at them, eyebrow raised, foot tapping on the floor. Kakashi started to sweat, as Iruka blushed deep red. Instead of getting angry he smiled sweetly at them. "I'm not that stupid you know." Naruto stated as he turned his gaze to Kakashi. "I approve. But if you hurt him…" he left that part for the Jounin to imagine as he smiled wider before going grim again, obviously disturbed by something other than finding his teachers in bed with each other.
As the boy left to get somebody else up Kakashi let go of the breath he wasn't aware of holding before taking on the same aura as his student. Coming into the hall he saw he wasn't the only one up early. Shino was doing the honors of checking the owner's rooms, slowly turning the handle to one of the many doors. It swung open, squeaking slightly from rust, to show them: a messy room filled with plans written in a strange language on large sheets of paper taped or pinned onto the walls. The floor was no better, covered in scattered piles of notes, tools and other odd objects some in piles towering some height above the head. The rest was much weirder. Two beds, situated on opposite sides of the room, both contrasting each other as one was made of light colors while the other was dark and appeared smaller to the eye. And both were empty, with no signs of being used at all.
Another door was opened by another brave soul, Hinata trying not to be too nervous should she intrude on something she wasn't supposed too. Opening her eyes she found the room was empty except for rows of plants on shelves, each with a sunlight glowing eerily bright in the dark space, the desk covered in pens and pencils, sheets of paper piling on the surface. Books with unreadable titles or no titles at all made up some of the lightless shelves or joined the plants to preserve space. Sketches and notes also made up large areas of the room space, the bed not far from the door, also unused and empty. Lee with his overexcitement caused yet another door to open in the wrong fashion, the wooden obstacle falling with a loud crash. Much to their surprise, anyone that may've been on the other side said nothing, dust floating back to the floor as silence reigned again. Peeking in, an empty four-poster bed greeted them and nineteenth century furniture made of cherry wood accenting the room's walls and spotless floors. Luckily no one was inside to yell and scream at the boy for totally taking the door off its hinges. Eerie quiet filled the room and the hallway, no sound daring break the peaceful silence that only made the building seem abandoned.
It wasn't until Neji looked further down the hall that he saw a figure standing calmly in the dark, too far away to tell whether or not he or she was staring at them, hidden from view as they stood where it either ended or turned in some direction or other. "Who--?" the Hyuga didn't get to say anything else when the person's eyes became visible, glowing a neon yellow in the dark as the person walked forward. It was Evan and he didn't look happy. Eyes glowing, though teary and sad, he only said one thing and one thing only, sad voice no higher than a whisper. "Goodbye."
Suddenly they felt something push them back, causing them to fly backwards down the hall and downstairs while doors closed themselves with loud slams, the busted one standing back up and closing with a bang. Appearing in the bar, they twirled in the air as they came into the room, heading thanks to some unseen force toward the front door, opened by a reluctant if not solemn Gayle. "Time to go." His words were final, no room for argument anywhere. The unseen force sent them out the door and on top of the dragon from the day before, heading skyward as they clung to the animal's scales as it sped like a rushing river. Passing through a cloud to emerge like a dolphin at play, the dragon headed in a whole new direction, heading straight to where they last knew the gate to be. Ozzy had somehow appeared on the dragon's head, grumpy as ever only a little different. He was obviously not happy with something. "You come back sometime you hear? Could use some good challenges once in a while." He growled before he disappeared after they passed through another cloud.
Unexpectedly the dragon then nose-dived toward the earth, heading straight at the street, its hard surface hidden by unbroken snow and just as it seemed the creature would crash it pulled up to send snow flying to the sides, weaving through the boulevards and passed skyscrapers almost as high as the Empire State building. It turned down a street to the left just as Chevy made his appearance, unmasked and smiling though he looked regretful. The gate sped toward them as the dragon went faster, Chevy standing on top of the creature's head, completely oblivious to the impending doorway. Naruto being closest saw Chevy hand him something, the smile never leaving that scarred face. "You call us when you need us okay? No matter how far away we may seem, we'll come. We didn't promise our services to him for nothing you know." It was a small bag, a satchel of some sort. Naruto looked confused as he tried to speak but couldn't since the wind swept his words away. "Take care you hear?" Chevy smiled kindly one last time before making a slight hop to go flying like a rag doll into the distance, just as the dragon hit the gate head-on.
The spinning vortex, bright lights, blurred swirling colors of all hues made up their sight as the dragon flew head long toward a bright opening as it grew closer and brighter as the dragon went as fast as any dragon could go. Finally they hit it.
Trees, bushes, and disturbed animals heading for the hills made up their new part of the Dragon Express as they sped through large gapes between trees before finally heading up into the sky once again. Its large amber eyes looked left and right, nostrils moving as it took large sniffs of the air, overheard over the howling wind whistling past them as the dragon paused midair to figure out where it was. Abruptly it took action, heading southeast, toward Konoha. The forests were blurred as birds took to the air, screeching and squacking their dislike to a huge thing taking up their air space. The village walls came into view as ninja on duty scurried to get out of the way of the mighty beast. Speeding between, over and through streets, buildings, and shops along with carts and crowds of all sorts. Much to everyone's surprise the dragon came to a halt in front of the Hokage tower, patiently waiting for its occupants to spill out into the open. The Third, the council along with all personnel alike came out to see the great spectacle of a real live dragon floating lazily above the ground like a kite held by a small breeze. Seeing it had everyone's attention and that the entire village had turned out to see the happenings, the mighty animal finally landed with as much grace as before, not even disturbing the leaves on the trees nearby.
Lowering its head and positioning its whisker to create the usefulness of a bridge, it patiently waited for all its passengers to get off. Whispers of wonder went through the crowd as people rushed forward to reunite with the newly found villagers, cries of joy and relief filling the air. "Lord Hokage." Kakashi said shortly as he walked toward the respected leader. "Hmm. Kakashi, what is the meaning of this? I don't think anyone here knows how to summon dragons."
"Actually the funny thing is… it's not our dragon… it's…. somebody else's." the man said nervously just as the last person got off, the dragon became water and began to change into something smaller. Becoming the natural height of a human, scale patterns spotting his skin a man stood before them all, blue green kimono (not sure what they call Japanese clothes for guys) with a sea pattern holding an old sword. Greetings fine sir. I trust you are the Hokage as they call you in this place?
"I am and who might you be?"
I am Sanji (1), loyal friend and ally to Gayle, the Water Dragon Warrior, one of the few of his kind to earn my trust and my services. I have come herewith bearing your brethren on my back as a favor to my ally in arms.
"That is most appreciated and I thank you but why did this 'Gayle' help my people in the first place if I may ask?"
The dragon man simply chuckled in his oddly deep voice. You may ask me this and I shall answer for it's your right to know. For Gayle is not the only one to assist your people in their times of hardship whilst in a world torn by hate, ignorance, war and misunderstanding. No they were assisted by the best I've met in my years of living in any world that is solid like this one and theirs. But that's not the only reason I'm here.
"It's not? Then what other than delivering my people here to their homes are you here for?"
Nay I am here for one other reason and that is to deliver this. He held up the sword, grimy and a bit on the neglected side. This weapon though aged but powerful once belonged to one of yours as well. Forgetful one it seems to leave such a thing behind and I've not the chance to return it 'til now. Where is he I wonder? The dragon man said looking through the crowd that'd kept its distance due to fear and wonder. Staring at this awesome creature the Third blinked as he calmly removed his pipe before speaking. "To whom do you refer pray tell?"
Oh just one who has become greatly respected amidst those I've associated with is all. He was a strange individual, most lazy but otherwise amusing. I believe he's become notorious for defeating someone a bit stronger than I. The man pondered before shrugging nonchalantly. Oh well, his scent has long since faded from this place and my guess finding him would be useless. But I just can't keep the thing. Coming across an epiphany, the dragon man turned to look into the ninja crowd, searching for a certain face. Uzumaki-san. It called, making the blonde jump before running forward.
I believe this is yours. I'm sure he would've wanted you to have it. Sanji held the sword toward the blonde who stared in shock before reaching forward to take it with shaking hands. The dragon man smile calmly and let go and backed away to leave the boy standing by himself with the sword in hand. Naruto was speechless. He just didn't know what to say. Someone had known his father. A person he never knew. "Thank you." Was all the boy could whisper as he held the weapon close, not caring that the thing was dirty from years of lack of use. The dragon man's smile only widened as he turned back to the Third, his face becoming solemn. It's time I left this place for I know not if I will be able to return to lend my services. My apologies but I must leave before I'm unable to return to whence I came.
"Why? Did something happen?" the old man inquired to the dragon man as the expression fixed on his face dropped further. It seems things in my world have become too much and have spilled into this one, explaining just how the people here went missing. I cannot explain much else since it isn't my place. All I know is that they will be blocking the door to ensure this event does not occur again. It was my pleasure to meet you kind sir and see your beautiful village. With a respectful bow the dragon man turned and went back to his true animal form to shoot like a star on a clear night into the forest to vanish amidst the trees. A bright light, bright enough to be mistaken for a bomb flashed to illuminate everything before fading into nothing.
Life went on as it usually did. The ninja rescue team had succeeded in their mission and came back with something extra. Itachi had to prove himself worthy in the eyes of the council and the rest of the village though there was still some tension between him and his little brother but they got along well enough to live in the same house. The people found in the abandoned building told their tales of what they'd seen and heard, though rarely believed. But one question rang through all the villager's minds: had they been wrong to think Kyuubi and Naruto to be the one and same horror from years before? Were they right to treat the boy like garbage even though he busted his ass for them regardless of what they did? Obviously these people had some thinking to do. Candra got used to her new home on the Uchiha estates, running and flying around the place like a pup coming home for the first time. Kyuubi stayed hidden in the hopes of keeping villagers from attacking Naruto on the street when he was there with him. The Sand Siblings went home with a shy Shukaku and a well-rested Gaara, the rings around his eyes fading all the more he slept.
Konoha relished in the thought of Orochimaru no longer being a threat and Itachi forever neutralized and taken out of the criminal charts. Sasuke and Naruto still argued with more intensity than before but still friendly at other times when violence and conflict didn't seem necessary to express their 'dislike' for each other. Needless to say the two were still trying to get their 'relationship' together only to find hardly any success. Deep in Konoha forest, something else was getting ready to ruin the party, with great intent to do only one thing: destroy.
The End.
But we can go over that later now can't we? Yeah it looks like this story has come to a close but what about out Guardian friends you ask? Now you'll just have to wait now won't you? Yeah if I go any further than seventeen chapters I'll just feel like I'm dragging it out but I feel fulfilled in getting them all home like I did. A bit rushed but who cares? They're home right? And to top things off: some Iruka on Kakashi action in all its lemony glory which I incidentally I didn't feel like continuing due to the feeling that I was dragging it out and if I went any further, I'd never get passed it in order to go on to some other part of the story that's probably as equally important as two teachers goin' at it. Oh how I ramble but I just needed to explain myself is all… anywho we actually have a note to speak of in today's chapter and here it is:
1) Sanji: short version of the Japanese name Sanjiro, meaning 'praised' or 'admired'. A name fitting the dragon spirit to the fullest since he's known for being well respected for loyalty and wonderful guidance when a situation seems to go wrong. His actual part seems to be small and part-time but full all the same due to his ability to be helpful with whatever you're doing at the time. I'm not sure if he'll be coming in later but I'm sure he'll pop in sooner or later.
Long but most needed to say: this story is now completed! And I'm hoping the sequel with be 10 if not 5 times better than this one. And things will get even more hectic when Sasuke and Naruto get a little closer than comfort should suggest when another horror of foul proportions decides to make things go from bad to worse for the two boys as Konoha prepares to deal with a threat that's probably more dangerous that Orochimaru! What threat could possibly be able to surpass the Snake man in power and skill? As if I'm tellin'! You'll just have to read on in the almighty sequel:
Aurora Borealis II: Festival Misfortune
It's been nearly six months since their return from the unknown world of walking dead, card playing warriors and spirits gone rabid with actions unbeknownst to themselves and Naruto and Sasuke still have yet to get together! And I doubt that sensible Sakura, perverted Kakashi and in-tune Iruka are going to let the two keep up their games of wishful denial. With new leader Tsunade running things, a new threat heading their way causing Konoha to get caught in the middle, it's going to take more than the Fire Country's finest to rid their world of this new problem. Should they call for the aid of the Guardians and will they come to assist in time? Will the Ice Bear Berna ever return to kick some major ass? Find out in the awesome sequel of adventure, angst, cool battles (plus bloodshed), and the ride of a lifetime for all mature viewers when we return with:
Aurora Borealis II: Festival Misfortune!!
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