A/N: Apologies for the delay, everyone. Can anyone see this? The site is acting up with notifications again...
This is a bit rougher than I'd like, but I'm still wretchedly ill. Sorry about that.
As ever feel free to drop a review if you enjoyed this; they keep this old man writing. No joke, there. Every bit of feedback, no matter how small, or large, boosts my spirits. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! I say that because I'm writing by myself these days, and I really do enjoy chatting with you all.
Might be ending this story soon and leave it open-ended. Thoughts?
Not much to say this time around. I'll let this little fragment do the talking for me.
"Do you see, now? Do you understand. That girl is no mere child, anymore than you or I.
She is the storm that is approaching...reborn in flames...
Join her or be consumed."
~?
Sight
"Would you like a new eye?"
Naruto recoiled both from the news as much as the suggestion. How else could a child possibly respond to such a thing? His head spun as he sank back against the pillows. Everything was happening so fast. Too fast some might say. He didn't know how to respond. So he sat there instead, gaping in his hospital bed, lone eye blinking.
"I'm sorry," he rasped at Fugaku, "Wanna run that by me again?"
For his part, Cinder's father didn't deign to repeat himself. He remained standing where he was, arms clasped behind his back, silent as the grave. Those dark charcoal black eyes stared intently at him and yet just a little past not quite looking at Naruto, to his side.
The boy supposed he knew why.
Cinder shifted a little all but snuggling against his right arm. She'd not left it once. Not since she'd seen his ruined face. That had been...what, a week ago now? Less? Longer? Time tended to blur when you weren't allowed to leave the hospital. She sat up a bit straighter at his words.
"You should take him up on his offer." Piercing golden orbs met his lone one and held it. "You could get your vision back. And more." As he looked on her gaze split into the scarlet of the sharingan, each bearing a single tomoe within. "Think of what he's giving you."
...the prospect was more than a little tempting.
A hand rose to touch the scarred side of his pitted face.
"I'm honored," he muttered, "But why me? Aren't the eyes of your clan important?"
Fugaku chortled but a little. "We Uchiha pay our debts.
"This a little bit more than a debt, buddy!"
"You're right. It is." Once more his gaze slid to Cinder. "In my daughter's time of need you stood for her. You bought her time. You took grievous on her behalf; indeed, I suspect that were it not for you, she would be dead."
Cinder buried her head into Naruto's shoulder. "He wasn't the only one who helped...
"True," Fugaku granted her a nod, "But you know Rhodes is of the clan and recently returned from a long mission abroad. This was expected of him. As such...
An inscrutable look passed across his weary visage.
Without word or warning, he knelt low and pressed his head to the floor.
"My thanks you have, for saving my family. Truly. I will never be able to fully repay you."
Cinder made a keening sound. "Papa! Don't do that! Get up!"
Naruto's brain slammed to a halt.
He was still trying to make sense of it when the Uchiha patriarch rose to one knee, looked him dead in eye, and changed his life forever.
"Henceforth, I name you a ward of the Uchiha." Right, that settled it. This was some mad fever dream. Had to be. But he wasn't done. "Our numbers may be fewer than before, but our name still carries weight here in the village. Our home is your home. I'll see you moved out of that mangy apartment immediately."
Naruto's mouth open. Closed. Open again. A wheeze emerged.
"Bwuh?"
Cinder elbowed him doe it. Naruto looked left. Naruto looked right. "Is that...a good thing?"
"You fought for my daughter. I repay my debts.
"Well, would ya look at that." Mercury whistled from the position he'd taken by the window. "Seems someone's moving up in the world."
Emerald stomped on his foot. "Shh! He'll notice us!"
As luck would have it, Fugaku did.
His gaze snapped to them, freezing both children where they stood. Much to Naruto's amusement they looked just as chagrined as he felt. Good! If he had to deal with this madness then so did they!
"Rest assured, I have not forgotten you." He bowed his head and bent low at the waist. "Several of the clan would be dead if not for the first aid you rendered."
Mercury preened. "Well, its wasn't like we could do anything less."
Emerald looked vaguely ill, unused to being the center of attention. "Yeah...what he said."
"As you already have clans to speak of, I cannot take you int my own." he straightened and reached out, clasping their hands in his own. "Nevertheless, know that I am in your debt as well. If there's anything you need of me and mine, you have but to ask."
Naruto looked to Cinder, but found no help there. Her face was a dark red now. "Daddy, no...
Fugaku vanished in a plume of smoke not a moment later.
"Seriously?! He used a shadow clone for this?!"
Naruto tilted his head just so.
"Sounds useful...
(.0.0.0.)
Rhodes looked up from where he stood guard.
His gaze fixed on a wary blond girl with lilac eyes.
She'd been lingering in the hall for the better part of an hour now.
The moment his eyes met hers she scarpered.
"Huh." he muttered. "Strange kid...
(.0.0.0.)
He was fidgeting.
Cinder could see it in his eye; the telltale twitch of his jaw. She'd made a career of reading people as an adult. Said skill was no less sharper now that she was a child again. Emerald and Mercury saw it too; because they made their excuses and scarpered. Cowards. She'd have words for them later.
"Have you decided?"
"Not sure." Naruto muttered, eye still fixed on the handheld mirror in his grasp. "That fire did a number on me alright," a grimace stole over his twisted face, "But a new eye...
"You think I wanted this?" She bulled in beside him, mistaking his words for an accusation."I didn't do this! This...!" she choked a little as emotion overcame her. "This wasn't me!"
"I know." Naruto sat beside her on the bed. She tried not look at at his scars. "Remember what you said earlier?" She shivered a little but didn't resist when he pulled her close. "If you're a monster, then I am, too." His forehead kissed hers. "That's fine. We can be monsters together."
A bitter laugh escaped her.
Monster. That's what she was. No matter how hard she tried to change, it seemed impossible to escape her nature. Those around her burned away. Be it through ambition, death, or simple flame.
It was inevitable.
"You have no idea who I really am...
"And?" Naruto blinked at her, lone eye squinting. "You're Cinder. You're my friend. That's all I need to know."
Cinder made frustrated Cinder noises. "If you knew who I really was, you'd run away screaming."
He seemed to consider that, taking those words to heart. Then he smiled at her. "Nope."
"No...?" Cinder felt a seed of confusion sprout in her chest. "Wait, what?"
His arms wrapped around in a full nelson and pulled her close to him.
"Fool!" She sputtered, kicking out at him. "You'll hurt yourself!"
"Nope." he sang right back.
"Release me this instant! I mean it!"
"Nope again! If you're going to deny things, then I deny your denial~!
Cinder quivered in his arms anew. Sniffled once. She mustn't cry.
She would not cry! Absolutely not! "Why...?"
"Because you're my friend silly. Always."
"Dolt...!" Her voice warbled. Just once.
And she broke anew.
(.0.0.0.)
...that went well."
Fugaku opened his eyes, allowing the memories of the shadow clone to gradually trickle in. They filtered through slowly, drawing the ghost of a smile to his lips. It almost made waiting out here worth it. He tilted his head back, savored the light of the setting sun, watched it spill through dapled leaves, moving with flickers of movement through the trees. outside, closed the door behind him, and pushed himself off the wall with a sigh.
"I'm old, not deaf. I'd thank you not to lurk about, Danzo."
He wasn't surprised that the old war hawk had come for him. Him and his precious Root. No doubt still more of them were waiting somewhere in the wings, ready to swarm him at some silent signal. A lifetime ago that might have concerned him. Worried him, even. Now?
It would make no difference.
Pivoting one heel, he turned to face a seemingly inert tree.
A kunai flew forth from his sleeve, crashed through the genjutsu, and forced the one behind it to defend himself or risk bodily harm. Credit where it was due, he didn't flinch, even having been caught out. His sole concession was to bat the knife away. His posture didn't waver in the least. A lone eye glared balefully out at him.
"You overreach yourself, Fugkau."
"No," the tired Uchiha tutted as the last of the illusion wafted away on the breeze. "I overreach you. Did you think I was blind to your schemes? That I wouldn't retaliate once I got wind of them?"
The older man went still. "You would not dare. Hiruzen-
-would be glad to be rid of you after what you've done." Fugaku's smile shattered like glass. "Children, Danzo! Children! What part did they play in this?!
His cane tapped once upon the ground. "It is for the good of the leaf.
Fugaku's lip twisted. "Your good, you mean."
"One and the same."
"Then allow me to ask you a question. Which is better," he posited, "To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"
His expression didn't waver. "A foolish question."
"Perhaps. But consider this if you will." he held up a finger. "Why would you have to kill so many innocents for nothing more than getting close to the truth? Despite the cruelty of it; I'd hoped that their motives might have at least been noble. But more recently I've realized something about these people. What they're fighting to protect is not the Leaf, but their own ambitions." he reached out, grasping the weathered old man by the shoulder. "Which means, all they care about is suppressing those who dare to question their authority in any way. My clan was nearly slaughter by human greed, not the hubris of my children."
...is there a point to this? Are you dictating your obituary to me?"
"An obiturary. Not mine." His eyes flashed. " I...am not a good shinobi. Even less of a father. Unlike you, however, I learn from my mistakes. I'll entrust the future to my children."
Danzo's lips formed a thin line. "And what can a broken man like you do...?"
His words trailed off and he looked down, alarmed to find a spectral sword forged of black-on-silver bone jutting from his torso. He looked up, mystified to see a ghastly creature of smoldering ebony flames brimming from the supposedly weak man he'd once so gladly maligned.
Fugaku's smile would've made a demon weep...and Cinder run for her life.
He turned his head just so, eyes a lively red. "Kill you, for starters."
The sword twisted violently, rending Danzo in half.
It was too much to hope it would keep him down. His severed halves existed for all of an instant before they shimmered away. Fugaku reached out over his back and the hulking giant of flame and bone moved with him, effortlessly interposing an arm between him and the hand that even now sought to grasp at his eyes. Danzo hurtled away at speed, narrowly avoiding a blade that would've bisected him once more.
"Now that was an interesting trick." Fugaku mused aloud. "How many eyes have you stolen? How many burn corpses did you manage to pillage before we stopped you?"
The silence, and the old hawk's simmering anger proved themselves telling.
"Oh my, that few?" Fugaku's grin grew. "Pity. I expected more.
He turned, eyes like balefire.
"They won't save you."
Susanoon swept in.
A/N: Thoughts?
As ever feel free to drop a review if you like; they keep this old man writing. No joke, there. Every bit of feedback, no matter how small, or large, boosts my spirits. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! I say that because I'm writing by myself these days, and I really do enjoy chatting with you all.
Reviews keep me going in this crazy time. Without them, I just can't seem to write.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And as ever:
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
(Previews)
Begone from this place. Enough of my clan have died this month. Not one more.
"They must die!"
"Over my dead body!"
...little fool. That's entirely the point!"
Itachi tugged on his new cloak with nary a sigh.
For the village. He would endure. Even if the world hated him.
"Wow, you made him sad? Congratulations. I fought my own brother.
You think you're the only angry person in the world? You think you're the only one who's been hurt? Who wants revenge? Who feels like an animal?
"They all deserve to suffer!"
"Some do. I've seen plenty of them. But at some point...you gotta ask yourself...am I just going to be this? Or more?
Long time ago, someone gave me a chance. This is yours.
R&R~!