Disclaimer: I have never, and will never, own Naruto.
Summary: When Sasuke killed Naruto, Naruto expected to go visit the angels in heaven. He never knew that sometimes the thing you most desire is often found if you just open your eyes…and unlock your heart. When the mission ended, everyone thought Naruto died, but when the Sound attacks a weakened Konoha, a ghost from the past will show them that life will go on, and angels do exist.
Warning: Major cursing and swearing.
X-X
Chapter 7: Songs of Hope
X-XThree long years have passed since Uzumaki Naruto died fighting the missing-nin, Uchiha Sasuke. Two years full of hardships have gone by since Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves, have been at war with Otogakure, the Hidden Sound. A year has past since the village first started giving up hope of ever winning this war over the devious Sound Nins. Now, the village only prays for survival.
Many sentries now guard the gates to the Hidden Leaf village, protecting the defenseless villagers from the harsh blood spilling just outside their front doors. All but the bravest of merchants travel to the once lively village and the wary guards standing on the walls of the shinobi village almost refused to allow their would-be saviours to enter the village.
"What do you mean we can't get into the village?" Kyuubi screamed in outrage. The small band had just traveled many miles to get to the Hidden Village and they weren't willing to leave. She shook her head harshly, long red braid bouncing behind her. "Have you ANY idea who we are?"
The chunin guard's eyebrow twitched. They have been having this argument for the past half hour and all they were doing was talking - and yelling - in circles. "NO! Nor do I care!" He yelled back. What he didn't realize is that he was screaming obscenities at the Nine-Tails Demon Fox that had nearly destroyed his village 16 years prior, or that the blond snickering next to the female was the 'demon brat' everyone thought was dead. Of course no one would know that for both Kyuubi and Naruto were in the disguise that they normally used during performances.
Salira and Mingan sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. They were also in their borrowed disguises as they sat in the shade of one of the large oak trees shading the path. "They're at it again." Salira said quietly, munching on an apple that she had picked up earlier that week. She glanced at the arguing foxes before returning her attention back to Mingan, holding a small envelope in her hands. "You think I should show them this?" She had been holding the letter since they had first arrived at the gate but had been too amused by the actions between the leaf-nin and her brother to disturb them with a simple admittance letter from the Godaime Hokage.
Mingan chuckled softly as he shrugged. "Go right ahead."
Salira smiled before groaning. "That means I have to get up, doesn't it?" Mingan nodded sadly causing Salira to sigh. "The things I do for my otouto." She raised herself to her feet and looked at the half-eaten apple in her hand dejectedly. She'd just have to get rid of it.
"IF YOU DON'T LET US IN THIS INSTANT I'LL-" It was a shame that Kyuubi was interrupted by a flying apple core. She rubbed the back of her head. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"
Salira walked up to Kyuubi and stared at her ruefully before carelessly smacking her upside her head. She cleared her throat before addressing the guard. "I adamantly apologize for my bassist's poor and inexcusable behaviour." She said, bowing her head slightly. "Please forgive me for not interfering sooner but, you see, I was thoroughly enjoying watching the interactions between you." She bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to hide a grin. She found it even more amusing that the once-angry sentry was now confused and speechless. Salira shook her head and held out the simple beige scroll with a Hokage's waxed seal on it.
The leaf jounin took the scroll and opened it as an ANBU landed next to him. His eyes scanned the scroll before handing it to the white-eyed male beside him. Naruto nearly choked on his saliva after recognizing the ninja. Kyuubi casually whacked him on his back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Naruto glared at the red-haired fox but wisely kept his mouth shut. The hyuuga handed the scroll back to Salira and nodded his head. "Follow me." His words were clipped as he turned around and walked away, expecting them to follow.
Salira smiled and bowed to the sentry still at the gate. "Thank you for you troubles." She then ran back to the tree to pick up their pack and then ran after the retreating ANBU - Naruto, Kyuubi, and Mingan followed close behind her.
Salira ran up to the ANBU, folding her hands behind her back and smiling, "You must be a Hyuuga, ne? The byakugan in your eyes tell the tale." She tried to read the male's expression but it was hard to see with the white hawk mask over his face. She shrugged when she received no answer and looked around her, seeing the haggard looks on the villagers face. She looked over her shoulder and frowned to Mingan who shrugged and gave her a reassuring wink. The smile spread across her face once more.
Naruto looked around, his brows furrowed in thought. His gaze wandered over the villagers' cautious faces and he felt his heart breaking at seeing what his once proud and prosperous village was reduced to. Kyuubi place an arm around his shoulders as she sensed his steps hesitating with his overwhelming need to support and protect them.
"We're here to help." She whispered softly in his ear. "And we're going to try out damnedest to end this war and needless suffering."
Naruto nodded as his eyes narrowed in determination. He stared straight ahead, his gaze resting on the tall, red tower in front of them.
The ANBU led them through large metal doors, nodding to the jounin guarding them. He led them through a long hall and up a spiraling staircase lined with various pictures of shinobis. Nearing the top, they reached a maple-coloured door. The ANBU stepped up to it and knocked softly twice with his gloved finger. After a moment's pause, a quiet mumble came from inside. He then opened and held the door open as the quartet stepped inside.
"This group had a letter of entrance to see you, Hokage-sama," the ANBU bowed.
Sensing her cue, Salira stepped forward, bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Hokage-san. As I said in our letters, my name's Uzuriel Li and my band mates are my brother, Toru," Naruto stepped forward and bowed, followed by Mingan. "The gray-haired one's our drummer, Urufu Minny and our guitarist and bassist, Kitsubi Kyuu." Kyuubi bowed her head. "As agreed upon, our band, Koumyou, is here to perform for the village."
The Hokage waved her hand, dismissing the ANBU who then bowed and disappeared. Tsunade smiled, nodding her sandy-blonde head. She folded her hands in front of her, amber eyes observing the small band. "You don't seem to have any equipment with you." She noted seeing only a small pack on each of their backs.
Naruto struggled not to show any recognition upon seeing his old 'obaa-chan'. Kyuubi remained a silent pillar beside him while Mingan stood protectively in front of them and behind Salira, as she was the spokesperson for their group. "A perfectly respectable explanation. You see, Minny here is a proclaimed magician to villagers but to us, we know that he has a certain…connection with the earth and thus can use it to his will. He's the one that builds our stages. Kyuu here can open alternate dimensions. That's where we keep our equipment - our guitars and such."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You told me that you weren't shinobis."
Salira smiled easily. "We're not. But with all the bandits and thieves on the road, we have to be protected somehow. Our sensei taught us some self-defense techniques. As for Minny and Kyuu, they were born with their abilities." Salira shrugged. "That's why we also carry our weapons with us." She rested her hands on the miniature boomerang and short sword at her hip.
Naruto also wore his black sickle at his hip, though he also still carried a spare kunai in a hidden pocket. Kyuubi had a bow made of redwood, strung over her shoulder with a full quiver of red-feathered arrows. Mingan had a long, oak staff strapped to his back.
Tsunade was still not quite convinced though she was willing to let it pass in favour of a renewed flicker of hope in her village. With the war going on for nearly 2 years and both her fighting force and her village's faith was diminishing. When Koumyou had first contacted her, they had said they had heard about the war and were willing to put on a charity concert, free of cost, to help reenergize her failing village. Desperate, she agreed and as far as she was concerned, they were being mostly honest to her. She was willing to give them a chance, with armed guards following them of course.
Tsunade nodded and took out a scroll from the bottom drawer in her desk. Unraveling it, she quickly skimmed over the contents and signed the bottom, nodding to herself. She then pressed two of her fingers into the bottom corner of the paper and infused some of her chakra into it, burning her signature into the scroll. Smiling, she rolled the scroll up and handed it to Salira. "Here's you temporary admittance scroll. It's as good as any citizenship paper and will notify the shinobi of your right of entry into the village." She then handed them a small brass key. "Here's the key to a room that you may stay in. It's fairly large so you may have the comfort you need."
Salira nodded, bowing low. "Thank-you, Hokage-san." Mingan and Kyuubi followed her lead.
Naruto was still dumbstruck at seeing his 'granny' as she had been 3 years ago. He didn't fail to notice the added worry lines on her face nor the grief clouding her eyes. Naturally he gawked, until Kyuubi smacked him over the head. Blinking, he coughed slightly and bowed. "Arigato Hokage-sama."
Raising a delicate eyebrow, Tsunade shook her head. "Formalities out of the way, do you have a time in which you'd like to perform?"
"We were thinking about two performances; this evening and tomorrow, noon. Granted, of course, with your permission. We guessed that it would be easier to get the first performance done as swiftly as possible, so not too many people wonder about our sudden appearance. And tomorrow is the start of the weekend; we wish to get a large turnout then."
Tsunade smirked, she always liked a girl was spunk. "Sounds like you got this all planned out."
"It's always good to be prepared." Salira tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, watching Tsunade's expression. Over the years, the quartet had matured considerably, with the weight of their profession and people's hope resting heavily on their shoulders.
Tsunade smiled. "Permission granted."
In sync with each other's thoughts and feelings, the four teens bowed together and chorused: "Arigato goziamasu."
-x-
Walking through the village was like walking through the past for Naruto. Everything seemed the same yet, at the same time, everything had changed. Finally being able to get a good look at his surroundings, he noticed some buildings now reduced to rubble while others has burn marks marring the surfaces around doors and windows. Salira had ordered him to go scout a suitable location for their show, giving him a suitable excuse to examine the village while they went to their room.
Naruto got a lot of stares and whispers, mostly curious about whom he was but there was always the stray teen that recognized him.
"Excuse me." A soft voice call from the floral shop he was passing by. Naruto turned his head and nearly tripped over his feet as he saw a fully-grown Yamanaka Ino standing with a broom outside her family's shop. "You wouldn't be, by any chance, from the group Koumyou?"
Regaining his composure quickly, from experience, he put on a charming smile and placed his hands in his vest pockets. "If I am, may I ask who you are?" He easily acted out the ignorant fool, not giving away any hint of recognizing the blonde in front of him.
Ino smiled, leaning the broom against the outside wall of the shop. She held out her hand. "Yamanaka Ino." A smile spread across her face. "My friend and I saw you performing once in the Tea Country. We were impressed. There aren't many musicians around here."
Naruto took the hand and offered a careless shrug. "Well, it was my sister's idea. She sort of just dragged me along for the ride, shoved a guitar into my hand, threw me on stage in front of a live audience, and told my to play."
Ino laughed at that. From her experiences with celebrities, they were mostly arrogant idiots. Toru actually seemed charming and charismatic. "I'm sure you had SOME choice."
Naruto chuckled. "First time, no. After that I started to get interested; started to play without her having to glue the guitar to my shirt." He remembered that one incident. He couldn't even take off his shirt for at least a week as the glue had leaked through the fabric and clung to his chest. Seraphine sure had a field day, babying him one minute and teasing him mercilessly the next.
Ino had a fair laugh as mental images flew through her mind of that scene. "And you just got gripped with the music?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"Sounds like some sister you got."
"There's no one like her in the world." A fond smile graced Naruto's lips. It surprised Naruto how easily he was able to talk to Ino. When he was last here, they exchanged occasional words but, like everyone else, he had never become close to her.
Ino causally linked her arm through his. "You think you'd like to try dinner later tonight?"
Naruto chuckled again. "No can do, hon'. Got to help 'neechan to set up the stage. We got a performance later this evening." The pout was just too adorable to ignore. "Thanks for the offer though."
"What about tomorrow night?"
He didn't want to think about tomorrow. He didn't even know who would still be alive by then. No, its best not to think that way, Naruto thought. Determination hardened his once doubtful eyes. While we're here, we're giving them a fighting chance. He offered Ino a small smile. "We'll see."
Ino saw the emotions flash swiftly across his eyes but was unable to identify them. She figured she must have imagined it. She nodded. "Okay then."
Naruto looked to the sun, lowering on the horizon behind the mountain holding all of the carved faces of the previous hokages. He was proud to see Tsunade's face up there with the rest of them. He knew where he wanted to perform. "Hey, Ino was it?" he acted oblivious. "Do you think you can spread the news about our concert? At sun down tonight in front of the Hokage Monument?"
Ino grinned. "Yeah, I could do that."
Naruto grinned as well, eyes crinkling in mirth. "Thanks. Got to fly now. Ciao."
Ino just sighed as she saw the blond race down the crowed street. He was even more gorgeous up close. She could feel herself falling and held onto that feeling as she put her supplies away, yelled a couple of remarks to her parents, then ran off to spread the word.
-x-
"You sure about this?" Salira asked, gazing up at the mountain again before turning back to her brother.
Naruto grinned, eyes not leaving the faces eternally carved into the mountainside. "Positive. Nothing could be better, more perfect, than this spot."
"No point arguing," Kyuubi commented from her spot on the railing. She was sitting casually on the thin rail, one leg pulled up to her chest with a slender arm propped up on it. "He's got that determined look in his eyes."
Mingan crossed his arms, stomping the ground beneath his feet. He naturally shifted his weight to one leg, unconsciously moving closer to the redheaded female. "Can't do much with the cement here. Going to have to transfer some dirt here or build the stage elsewhere and bring it in parts." He offered the twins a casual shrug. "It's you're show. Kyuu and I are just here to make sure you don't build your graves too deep."
Salira grinned, loping over to throw her arm across Mingan's shoulders. "Aww. You care!"
Mingan snorted but allowed his partner to keep her arm around him. "Yeah, against my better judgment."
Salira grinned before taking command. "So, do we want to carry the dirt or the equipment here?"
-x-
In less than an hour, over half the village had heard about the stars performing in their grief-stricken community. Both ninja and villagers alike hovered near the monument, curious about the upcoming show. They were surprised to find a foot-high mound of dirt surrounding the stage. Because of this, they were only able to catch glimpses of what the traveling musicians as they carried equipment from the nearby forest. Anticipation ran high as nearly the entire village waited anxiously for the show.
Kakashi stood watching the entertainers deftly moving and organizing their equipment from atop the dirt wall. The masked jounin had one leg propped on the makeshift structure and left the other dangling over the side. The casual breeze ruffled his spiky, silver, off-centered hair. 'I wonder where they get all that equipment from,' he thought cautiously as he continued to observe the quartet. Curious, he raised the hitai-ate covering his one eye. Pushing that out of the way he revealed a scarred eye with a red iris surrounded by black teardrops. He scanned the blondes first.
Toru, he noticed, seemed to have slightly more chakra than his other band mates while Li seemed to have the least. The blond was talking with his sister in a heated discussion; Toru waving his arms wildly and Li, with an arm full of boxes, pointing at an apparent and awkwardly placed pile of dirt that lay infront of a staircase leading to the stage.
Minny, as he believed the gray-haired adolescence was called, then walked over and, placing a hand on each of their chests, pushed them apart. Kakashi noticed that the drummer spoke softly and sternly to the siblings while Toru and Li listened. Minny then pointed to the forest and Toru sulked away. Kakashi saw Li laughing softly, hearing the soft voice travel to his position on the wall. His first observation was that the trio was harmless. But years of training taught him to look underneath the underneath. He could sense great power within them, whether from it was physical or psychological, he wasn't sure. He was just sure that the three – wait, three?
Kakashi spun around and saw the final band member standing calmly behind him, golden eyes staring at the trio below them. "Impressive, aren't they?" she stated calmly, a soft lisp colouring her words. "They make a good team." Kyuubi looked at Kakashi out of the corner of her eye. Humming, she tucked her tongue into her cheek and crossed her arms.
"Kyuu! Get your butt down here and back to work!" Mingan shouted at the redhead, eyes narrowing. "We need to set up the equipment!"
Kyuubi shrugged as she toyed with the end of her waist-long braid. "All work, no play make this fox grumpy," she muttered. Mingan continued to curse at her causing Kyuubi to shake her head, tossing her braid behind her. "I'm coming!" She turned to Kakashi and smiled. She casually blew him a kiss. "Hope you come tonight," she whispered in his ear. "It's going to be one hell of a show."
Kakashi blinked and rubbed his chin, not too sure what just happened. Regardless, he might just take her up on that offer. He continued to watch the group, suspicious after not being able to sense the bassist. He watched Kyuu stand in an open area with her arms spread out to the side, palms up. Curious, he watched.
Kyuubi breathed in and out, concentrating on the air around her. She felt the air shift and in her mind's eye saw the brief spark burst to her left. Unconsciously her arms snapped out and cupped the small flame in her hands. She tilted her head to the sky and inhaled deeply. Then, the murmured chanting began. To Kyuubi, the flame grew in her hands as she manipulated it.
To Kakashi, well, he thought she was a nutcase. That was before the wind shifted.
Kyuubi let go of the fire and watched it float in front of her. She raised her hands and framed the flame between her connected thumbs and forefingers.
Kakashi watched as a controlled flame erupted in a perfect circle around her feet. The fire spiraled around her and whipped her hair back and forth before flowing through her fingers and making a circle out of thin air. Kyuu's eyes snapped open, pupils copper and elongated.
"Kai…" Kyuubi breathed as she watched the flames open a dimension hole. She smiled as her knees shook from the effort. Opening dimension holes wasn't as easy as some people think it would be.
"Thank you," Mingan whispered in her ear, an arm wrapped possessively around her waist, support her weight as a wave of exhaustion flew through her. He tilted his head back and glared at the masked jounin.
Kyuubi rested her head against Mingan's broad shoulder and waited until she had some of her strength back. "Better? He asked, arm strong and secure around her.
Kyuubi smiled and gave him a teasing poke in the chest. "If you'd let go of me we'll find out."
Once she was able to stand on her feet without swaying, Salira and Naruto ambled over to help pull the equipment out of the black hole. The siblings exchanged knowing glances with each other, lips twitched from the effort to hide their amusement. Mingan and Kyuubi respectively gave their partners a firm smack on the back of their heads. The quartet shared a laugh before getting back to work.
Kakashi, having seen enough, left the wall to make his report to the Hokage.
-x-
Night seemed to fall quickly in Konoha, everyone anticipating the show, eagerness showing in the way the shopkeepers closed up shop early so they could see the performance. At quarter-to-five, most of the village was anxiously waiting in front of the dirt mound. At six-o'clock sharp, the dirt shuddered and slowly disintegrated.
The villagers stopped and gaped at the stage that seemed to have erected in four hours. The theater was framed on the sides by long, flowing purple velvet. Rippling turquoise curtains with the name Koumyou scrawled in elegant red calligraphy hid the main platform and stunning black pillars held the fabrics up. Barely visible beneath the drapes, black coloured stairs started at the front and circled around the side of the stage where it disappeared amongst the reds and the blues.
At the villagers feet, the concrete seemed to have been dyed in a dark violet and was surrounded by bates ushering them to the side as a red walkway shot down between the purple as a path to the stage. The sun hung at the edge of the Hokage Mountain erect proudly in the background and cast the stage into the shadows. Villagers upon villagers were awed by the sudden structures around them. When the residents were standing in the purple areas, the ninja scattered themselves on the various tree branches and roof ledges lining the stage. It seemed that over half the village had come. Once night had fallen, strobe lights flashed and circled around the surrounding area before settling on the stage. The villagers, mesmerized by the sudden brightness, gazed at the stage anxiously. As if on cue, the curtains opened.
Hidden in shadows, various shapes appeared silhouetted and three humans walked onstage and settled themselves into position in front of their equipment. The lights turned on bathing the stage in its soft glow. The two guitarists wore red and black outfits, similar two one another except for the Kyuu's skirt as opposed to Toru's pants. Minny sat behind the large drums garbed in a white dress shirt with blue lining. In sync with one another, they started playing a soft intro. And the music began.
"Where have all the good men gone and, where are all the gods?" A soft, melodic voice began singing softly in tune with the guitars. "Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?" Villager's heads swiveled as they tried to locate the voice that seemed to be floating around him. Soft lights flicked on behind them and they all spun to see.
"Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?" Li continued to sing softly as she stood beneath a small maple tree. The lights gave her honey-coloured skin a soft ethereal look as her eyes sparkled with good humour though her face remained aloof. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, raking her hand through her wavy hair. "Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need…" Li's voice drifted off as the tempo picked up.
Li jumped out from her hiding spot. "I need a hero!" She cried out, blue skirt swirling around her thighs, skintight blue shorts barely visible beneath it. In contrast to Minny she wore a blue blouse with white trims. "I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night. He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight!" As her vocals belted out the note, Li skipped enthusiastically down the red aisle, interacting and smiling with the villagers the entire time. "I need a hero!" She paused again. Let the note hang before continuing, "I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light. He's gotta be sure and it gotta be soon and he gotta be larger than life! Larger than life." Her voice purposely shook as she let the note fade and the chorus end. The guitars took over as Li took a breather, trying hard not to breathe into the mike than hung from her ear.
The group continued in that fashion throughout the next verse. The villagers were unable to avert their gaze, delight apparent in their eyes while the children's faces grew as smiles spread from ear to ear. Guitars rose in pitch and the drums hummed beneath Minny's expert caresses.
"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above…out where the lightning splits the sea…" Li say wholeheartedly from her spot in front of the stage, the black paint contrasting sharply with her pale-coloured clothes. "I can swear there is someone somewhere watching me," Li held onto the last note before diving into the next lines. "Through the wind and the chill and the rain and the storm and the floods. I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood." The instruments picked up where her voice left off. She dashed between the two groups on wither side of the aisle. When the guitars were reaching their climax she rushed to the side of the stage and up the stairs, taking her place between her brother and Kyuu in the center of the stage.
With her band mate's voices blending with Li's, the group repeated the chorus. The music and notes blended together creating a masterpiece. All too soon the music deceptively died down before abruptly picking up where they left off, keeping the audience captivated. Never faltering, the musicians sang their hearts out, draw music their instrument as though they were breathing.
"Oh he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight. I need a hero!" Li strained her voice, tilting her head to the heavens and hitting the final high note beautifully. The sound echoed as a sudden burst of cheers rose from the villagers' throats. Even some of the shinobis were clapping enthusiastically.
Ecstatic about the support, Li grinned. Toru, Kyuu, and Minny played a brief musical piece of thanks. "Hel-lo Konoha!" Li cried out. It was only the beginning.
X-XWow! I had SO much fun with this chapter! Thanks to my loyal followers for sticking with me! The song that Koumyou play is called "Holding out for a Hero" from the movie "Shrek 2" Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.