Note as of v1.7025:
Well, first off sorry for the year long delay. As you may have noticed there's no new chapter in this update, only a quick upgrade of the existing chapters. I've actually been sitting on these for a while but didn't want to release them without chapter 5, but I figure I might as well get these out so I can spend more time focusing on going somewhere with this story. Also, with these updates I've been leaving my previous notes on as well as my new notes, mainly since they actually do sometimes have something useful to say, and for the fact this is how I keep them on my PC. Again, this story is not cancelled or stopped, just delayed. Chapter 5 is en route.
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Blarg. Well… sorry for the horrendous delay, I've just had to postpone this chapter due to multiple reasons I really don't feel like wasting either of our times with by typing here. Thanks for all the positive reviews though, and I hope that the new format I'm currently messing with makes this a bit easier to read and follow (You can't believe how annoying it is trying to find a proper format for writing from one perspective that will actually fit with this story). Again, any comments are greatly appreciated.
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To Avenge and Remember
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Chapter 4: Shattered Dreams
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Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, still squinting to block out the overpowering light filtering through the window to his right.
At first glance he knew right away that he was currently in a medical facility, and another look answered his silent plea to be free of Orochimaru's grasp.
He was in Konoha, sunlight dancing off the leaves outside as petals drifted slowly to the ground, creating an image of celestial beauty.
A quick glance to the left located the quiet sounds of breathing that was echoing off the soft, white walls of the room. Naruto lay unconscious and heavily bandaged on a bed to his left.
Naruto, the great dobe, the dead last. Somehow he had pulled it off. They had both made it back to Konoha.
Sasuke's musings were disrupted by the sounds of a bird chirping out a small yet oddly comforting tune off in the distance. For the first time since the Uchiha massacre Sasuke actually felt at ease.
As he allowed himself to sink into the warm bedding the words Naruto had told him played through his mind:
"True strength comes from protecting your precious people"
The idea still didn't make complete sense to Sasuke, but he couldn't deny the way the words brought the same comfort as a light summer breeze, unlike the cold chill that came with thoughts of Orochimaru.
Sasuke gazed about the room again, noting the way everything seemed brighter, softer, and somehow comforting. Everything just seemed right.
Sasuke slowly leaned back and closed his eyes as he wondered if the world had always been this way, and he had just been too occupied to notice.
As Sasuke relaxed into the simple bed he released a simple plea that this moment would never end, that he would be able to truly find some peace in the world, if only for a hour. He was calm. He was happy. And yet he still had no idea of the danger that approached.
The door was suddenly forced open, revealing the silhouettes of Orochimaru and Kabuto, both forms appearing to meld and become one with the shadows that seemed to appear with their entrance.
"Orochimaru!" Sasuke exclaimed, the peace that had filled his thoughts immediately shattered.
"Hello Sasuke. Ku ku ku…" Orochimaru greeted as he moved towards the foot of his bed.
Sasuke franticly attempted to lunge himself at the snake Sannin, but found his arms and legs unresponsive, almost if they had been bound to the bed by some unseen shackle.
"Ku ku ku… now, now Sasuke, is that any way to act toward your master?" Orochimaru asked as the corners of his mouth turned upwards, forming a smirk that caused Sasuke to recoil.
Sasuke quickly scowled as he spoke, "I don't belong to you."
"Ku ku ku… that is where you are wrong my dear Sasuke, for you are mine." Orochimaru stated, giving a small, almost unnoticed hand signal to Kabuto.
"The moment I gave you that seal your body belonged to me, to do with as I wish. You are never to forget that. Kabuto." Orochimaru finished, nodding towards the medic-nin at the base of Naruto's bed.
Sasuke barely had time to yell out before the blade slid across the smaller blonde's neck and the soft, pristine whites of the room were stained red.
"Naruto! No!"
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Ino sat outside the door to Sasuke's room, saddened eyes turned towards the hunched form of Sakura beside her.
Another day had passed, yet nothing had changed.
Their small group of Genins had received a temporary break from active duty due to the recent events, although their instructors had been sent out on constant scouting and intel gathering missions by the Hokage. Sasuke was still yet to wake, and news of Naruto was yet to be found. Ever since that fateful day Ino had tried her best to help and comfort her pink haired friend and nemesis, but it seemed to be to no avail.
It had taken three days for Ino to stop Sakura from pretending like she was fine, as she had done every time she had seen one of their fellow comrades, but Ino still couldn't get Sakura to talk to her about what was eating away at her. Until then Ino assured herself that she would stand by Sakura and help her in any way possible, to show her that she wasn't and never would be alone, but Ino could only speculate on how long it would take before Sakura finally opened back up to the world.
Ino's thoughts were suddenly disrupted by a cry behind the guarded door across the hall, causing her to jump and instinctively reach for her Kunai pouch.
"Sasuke?" Ino heard Sakura hesitatingly whispered as one of the ANBU guards rushed into the small recovery room.
"Raido, go get the Hokage! Tell her Uchiha Sasuke is awake! Go!" the ANBU stated, still standing in the open doorway.
"Sasuke!" Sakura called out again rushing towards the room of the Uchiha survivor.
"Miss Haruno! I cannot allow you to enter!" the ANBU exclaimed as he flipped back around moving to block the doorway.
'Sakura… I may not be able to do much for you now, but let me do this…' Ino thought as her hands slid into a familiar seal.
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Sasuke franticly looked around the small recovery room, desperately trying to find the wounded blond. He noted an ANBU glance though the doorway, but something didn't seem right about the room. Another deeper glance immediately revealed what seemed wrong.
The skies were overcast.
The soft yet bright hues he had longed to see were replaced with a barrage of dull grays and blues.
Suddenly a patch of pink appeared behind the form of the ANBU, and Sasuke caught the words "Miss Haruno" drift through the room.
'Sakura?' He asked himself, attempting to raise his hand toward his forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow, but his arm wouldn't seem to move. He quickly glanced down, noticing the bindings on his ankles and wrists.
Giving another quick tug on the heavy straps he pushed himself up in the bed until he was leaning against the back wall, allowing himself a better view of the small patch of pink hair being held outside the room.
Sasuke could only watch in curiosity as the ANBU suddenly let out a small shutter, before releasing Sakura and stepping aside. Sakura immediately ran to Sasuke's side, eyes and cheeks slick with tears.
"Sasuke… I…" Sakura started, words catching in her throat.
"Sakura…" Sasuke started, the words of Naruto still in his mind. 'Sakura… is she one of my… precious people? I always thought that friends were just a distraction that would lead to weakness, but… why would Naruto tell me that having precious people lead to strength… It doesn't make sense…' "Why…" Sasuke asked, not realizing he had spoke.
"Sasuke?" Sakura replied through her tears, attempting to understand Sasuke's unfinished question.
Their simple conversation was immediately brought to halt as the Hokage stepped into the room, shooting an inquisitive glace towards the ANBU guard before sighing and turning back to glare at the bound Genin.
"Uchiha Sasuke, do you have any idea what you have done?" Tsunade asked, tone strict and eyes narrowing.
"Hokage…" Sasuke started, unsure how to continue.
The Hokage held her hand up in a sign of silence before continuing. "Because of your actions two Konoha ninja were critically injured and another…" The Hokage paused, bowing her head down slightly and clearing her throat. "… has been captured… Do you have anything to say in your defense Uchiha?"
The room sat in silence penetrated only by the light sound of sobbing and footsteps in the distance as the words sunk in.
"Who… who was captured?" Sasuke asked, fearing Orochimaru's actions were more than just a figment in a dream.
The Hokage stood in silence for a few minutes before the quaking voice of Sakura answered Sasuke's query.
"Sasuke… he has Naruto…"
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Naruto lay in the small, windowless room, eyes half open in a vain attempt to keep himself awake. The copper smell of blood assaulted his senses as he stared out into the darkness.
The solitude was unbearable.
His mind slowly drifted back to memories of Konoha, remembering a moment where he had tripped and fallen in a field, lying in a position not too unlike his current situation. He remembered laying in the grass allowing the light breeze to flow through his short, unkempt hair.
He had felt alone then, that the world had forsaken him and it was his fate to lie in that patch for eternity.
He then recalled seeing two pairs of legs step before him, before he found himself being lifted from the ground. Sakura and Sasuke… beyond Iruka they were probably the closest thing he had to family. As long as he was with them, he knew he wasn't alone. They may have fought a lot, but they were his family.
And now they were gone.
Sakura was still in Konoha, knowing that he had failed at saving Sasuke, while Sasuke himself… Naruto knew that Orochimaru probably had him off somewhere else in these dungeons.
Naruto felt a tear trickle from his eye.
He remembered those last few moments at the Valley of the End. Sasuke had lowered his arm, he had pulled back. Maybe if Naruto had been able to stay awake a few moments longer he could have dragged the two of them back to Konoha, but now they were both in the clutches of Orochimaru.
Naruto really had failed.
He couldn't protect his precious people, and if he couldn't do that how could he ever be Hokage? He had failed at it all. His dream, his promise, his mission, his Nindo… he couldn't keep any of them. Naruto reached his slightly clawed hand and placed it at the edge of his prison of seals, the sounds of clanking chains bouncing off of the empty walls of his prison. Orochimaru and Kabuto had placed a multitude of seals around his small patch of floor, stopping him from leaving or actively charging or recharging Chakra. He could see the extent of his small prison clearly, seeing the areas where the blood stopped and the seals began, binding him to the small patch of ground.
Naruto doubted that even if they removed the seals now he would be able to escape. His natural chakra had long since been drained and he knew that Kyuubi's chakra wouldn't keep him from the verge of death forever.
Naruto had already seen the small changes that this constant use of the demonic chakra was causing. His hands and feet had formed what could very well be a now permanent set of claws, and it wasn't hard to notice his now enlarged canines and the sharp edge that adorned them. The seal hadn't faded from his stomach since he had been thrown in the small room, and Naruto was beginning to doubt more and more with each passing day that it would ever disappear completely again. Naruto also wasn't sure, but he had noticed that his hair has started to gain red highlights, but whether it was from the blood or the demonic chakra Naruto wasn't sure.
Naruto let himself release a pained sigh as his thoughts drifted back to Konoha, of the family now miles apart, and of his friends he had failed.
Naruto knew that he no longer had anything left to fight for, but he still couldn't bring himself to back down. As long as there was blood in his body he would never bow to Orochimaru, and one way or another he promised he would find a way to get Sasuke and himself back to Konoha, no matter what it took.
As he felt his eyes slowly close he saw Kabuto enter the room, and as he slid into unconsciousness Naruto could only hope he wouldn't break another promise.
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Kabuto slowly stood from the small chair he had been observing the Jinchuuriki. Another layer of seals had been added to Naruto's prison, and his reliance on Kyuubi's chakra was increasing just as Orochimaru had predicted.
Orochimaru's plan was rather simple, but extremely effective. As Naruto was forced through extensive trauma his reliance on Kyuubi's chakra would be forced to rise to keep himself alive, and as Naruto drew upon the demonic chakra his body and mind would be forcefully changed.
The first few changed had come rather rapidly, such as his claws, teeth, hair and eyes, but Kabuto expected that the subsequent changes wouldn't develop as quickly or painlessly. It would still probably be a good two and a half to three years before Orochimaru would judge the changes far enough along for Naruto to be used properly, but that was just a rough estimate.
Kabuto had to admit that the power of the Kyuubi had already caught him off guard before, such as when Naruto had began to stir while still in the forest on route back to Orochimaru. It had been relatively easy to render him unconscious, but the fact he had began to stir from wounds that should have left him unconsciousness for days under the best medical care in only minuets was inspiring.
Naruto would make a powerful tool indeed.
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End Chapter 4
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Well… I'm not sure how much I really like this chapter. All well. Onwards and outwards.
Also, I'm tentatively working towards the goal of weekly updates (Which, knowing my life (Or lack of one) will probably end up becoming bi-weekly) and increasing chapter length, so we'll see how that goal works out. Again, reviews and comments are always appreciated. Thanks for reading.
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Additional note as of v1.7:
Well... It's been a while since I've updated this, hasn't it? I suppose my goal of bi-weekly updates has been chucked out the window, and I don't think I have any excuses that would warrant a year of neglect or that I would subject my wonderful readers to, so I'll just leave it at the fact this has not been abandoned, nor is it on hiatus. It's just slow coming, but still coming nevertheless. Again, thank you for reading and for your amazing patience.
Version 1.7025:
-Small changes and fixes added.
-Section dividers changed.
-Head pounded into a wall for neglecting this for nearly a year.