Here I am, with the last chapter right off the press. I haven't edited anything yet. I figured I'd do the fun/hard part now and do the boring/easy part later. Last chapter, you guys saw how Naruto first witnessed the Scarlet Star, and hopefully, you have some questions. For example, why Naruto? Or why at all? I have the answers to them, but they're a ways into the future, so don't expect answers too soon.
Either way, here's another scene that was never shown, hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: All franchises belong to their respective owners. Any of my concepts, plot points, or OCs are mine.
Danzo never dreamed, or rather when he dreamed, they were solely nightmares. But for the most part, the old man only saw darkness in his slumber. Such a thing never surprised him, for he simply dreamt of that which he lived. He couldn't remember the last time he dreamt of anything pleasant, so when his eyes opened to what could only be a dream, he found himself raising an eyebrow.
He had never seen this place before, nor had he ever had a dream where he could feel the wind upon his face. A Genjutsu? No, that didn't make any sense, as he had safeguards in place in the event of such a technique. Still, he found himself wary of his surroundings.
Within his gaze was a sea of gold, wind dancing amongst the gilded grass as light did an ingot. The air was brisk, its smell reminding him of the Land of Tea with a subtle sweetness hidden within. Yet there was still a pleasant warmth from the amber lights above, the stars that twinkled in concert with the sun.
The man then reached for his right eye, confirming his suspicion. His right peripheral was blocked by his invading finger, a peripheral that he had long lost in the Third Ninja War. He had crafted some… rather unsavory plans to replace said eye, but they were still rather far from completion. How intriguing. He'd admit that he was still lightly suspicious, one did not survive three wars without being slightly paranoid, but he couldn't see a reason for an enemy to catch him in such a jutsu.
It didn't seem capable of torture, nor had any means of interrogation made themselves known. A distraction? Possibly, but he was already asleep, and it was much too obvious to catch him off guard. Still—
"Kai!"
No chakra was released, and the scene before him continued normally. So, it was either a dream or a genjutsu much too powerful to break.
"ZuZu! Stop being such a recluse and join us!"
That voice—how long had it been? His head snapped in the direction of the singsong tone that he had once taken such solace in. There she was, sitting on a silk blanket that glittered even amongst the glass. Scarlet threats interweaved with white, such a simple pattern, but one that seemed to fit her all the more.
Her eyes were just as he remembered, brown with small flecks of yellow throughout. He could see it from afar now, knowing to look for it, unlike before. Those were eyes that had closed only to open in the horrors of his dreams.
Instinctually, his hand reached to his side, feeling for a certain pouch that was no longer there.
"Hey, stupid! Get over here!"
He felt sweat gather on his head. Yep, that was definitely her. Regardless, he found his feet making their way toward the woman. Her face began to focus the closer he got to the woman. Brown hair, duller than it had once been but just as unruly as ever. Her eyes twinkled in mischief, causing the man to look at the offered seat with suspicion before the woman tugged him down. Afterward, she slapped his shoulder with a laugh before greeting him with a large smile.
"There you are! I shouldn't have been surprised to see you staring off into space again. You weren't stuck in your head, were you? If you were, I'd have to slap some sense into you again!"
"Not everyone can live with an empty head, you brutish woman."
Her response was a laugh, that low tone mixed with a feminine wile. It was a sound he had missed.
"Well, I didn't want to be by myself, ya big lug! Hiruzen and Biwako already snuck off somewhere, so it's just you and me."
He found himself blinking at that. It had been a while since he thought of Hiruzen's wife. It's surprising that she and her husband found themselves in his dream.
"I have no idea why Biwako wanted a double date so badly if they just planned to run off. Probably that perverted monkey's idea."
Danzo found himself nodding along. That certainly sounded more like Hiruzen than Biwako. Well, from what he could remember anyways. He tensed slightly when he felt a body press into his own, glancing down to see a familiar mixture of chocolate and honey gazing back at him in concern. The concern melted away into a smile as his arm encircled her and his remaining one began playing lightly with her hair.
He became comfortable, enjoying the breeze and laughs that escaped the woman—Kokori. That name brought him sadness just moments ago, but now instead, it gifted him with an odd trembling in his heart. One he wasn't sure he was willing to let go.
As they rested, sometimes speaking and recounting, other times simply listening to the world, a rustle of the grass alerted Danzo's senses. Once again, he grasped for a pouch that didn't exist before cursing himself for not having any weapons. It didn't matter. He had long since surpassed the need for metal to kill.
He prepared himself to make handsigns before a dark blur leapt from the bushes, dancing past the sitting duo. The shadow paid them no mind, moving forward as the tall grass parted and the wind followed closely behind. Danzo caught sight of their shimmering eyes and watched with astonishment as the short silhouette left a prismatic trail in their wake.
Emeralds as large as his fist, amber stone entrapped within sapphire, diamonds shaped like stars and moons, and riches beyond imagining followed each step of the child. And as Danzo watched, so too could he feel the gaze of another upon the small specter. A scarlet ray of light followed each intricate movement the wonderous being made, highlighting them even among a world dressed in gold.
A series of voices then rang out through the world, causing it to tremble and quake from the magnitude. The voices were incoherent, sounding more akin to the call of beasts than any man or being of thought.
However, as a burning traced along the bottom of his right eye, a certain truth reverberated through his mind.
"Bring the consort to me. I have marked him as mine. In turn, all before you and more shall be yours. All once I become that I am destined to be."
Danzo's eyes were drawn to a scarlet spec that floated toward the ground. It sat upon a golden blade of grass, and the world was set aflame.
The man woke with a start, his eye twitching wildly. A quick pulse of chakra confirmed that his root was still in place and that there were no foreign sources of energy either. So how? How was he caught in a technique so elaborate and encompassing as that? It didn't make sense—such a jutsu would take enormous amounts of both chakra and control. The user would have to become a veritable beacon to even finish the handsigns.
"Root, to me!"
Four masked figures sprung from the shadows, kneeling as they waited for an order.
"Search the base! I want all sensors and Hyuuga searching with their maximum range. In the walls, under rocks, above our facilities—every inch must be investigated!"
The shinobi quickly disappeared to carry out his fervent orders as the man rose on trembling legs. How? He refused to believe that such a thing was a simple dream. This was planned. This was personal. Suddenly, a familiar burning erupted from underneath his right eye. He grasped at the source, only to feel his bandages in the way.
He held the wall as his shuddering form dragged itself toward the mirror above his dresser. For so long, the mirror had only reflected wounds of old, all to remind him of what he had survived and done. It had been quite a while since it had been used to inspect new injuries.
He raised his hand once more and tore the bandages away, all to see a burning red symbol beneath his right eye. The charred flesh moved and writhed as if a separate entity from himself, brief flashes of scarlet light coursing through the sigil.
"The Consort. Bring to me. The Consort."
The words echoed, quieter than before but no less powerful. The man hesitated before snapping his fingers. Two Root ANBU appeared beside him, arms crossed behind their backs.
"Finish searching the base. Then I want you to search for something else. A child with shimmering eyes."
Hopefully, this helps build why Danzo became the way he was. More information on these events and Kokori will become available in later chapters. The next chapter should be the last of the prelude, and we'll be returning to where the original story started. Feel free to tell me what you think and all that. See you guys soon.