A/N - Well, it sure has been a while since I've updated this story. In good news, here's a new chapter for this story!
Anyways, for all my fans wondering where the next chapter of Kitsune Sanctuary is. It's in the works, but I've been busy with life. I have some... issues... I'm working through right now. Though, also not being in the mood to write the story hasn't helped either... Heh, sorry. It'll be out when it's out though! In other news, I do have multiple stories in the works. You wouldn't believe how many Chapter 1's I have down in my story folder!
When reading like this, it means you're not in a scene.
When reading like this, it means you're in a scene.
Thoughts are inverted!
I do not own Naruto.
I do own my OCs though!
Enjoy the story!
The blond shinobi blinked, and his eyes came back into focus before narrowing in confusion. He stared at the blank television for a second before stealing a glance at the goddess who was still staring blankly at the same screen. He raised his hand in front of his face and clenched and unclenched it as if testing if it was real. Paranoia swept across him quickly as his eyes darted side to side. He quickly grabbed ahold of the goddess's shoulder and shook it softly. "D-did you feel that?" he asked nervously.
The blond loli blinked at the sudden shaking and glanced at her charge. She registered his question and stared at him blankly for a few moments. "I have literally zero idea what you're talking about," she admitted with a raised eyebrow and simple shrug of the shoulders. She hadn't felt a thing after they just finished the last scene.
Naruto balked at her, "Really?" he exclaimed. Getting another blank stare in return, his shoulders sagged. "I felt like we've been staring off into space for over a year," he informed with a small shiver creeping up his spine.
The blank stare continued for a bit before amusement started dancing in her sky-blue eyes. "That's honestly one of the silliest things I've ever heard," she choked out a laugh not even bothering to hide her own amusement at his statement. After seeing his eyebrow twitch slightly in annoyance but still holding onto his paranoia, she decided to humor him. "I'm a goddess, Naruto. I'm confident that I would notice if I was staring off into space for over a year," she pointed out with a hint of arrogance lacing her tone.
He felt conflicted as he still felt like something had happened. "Are you sure?" he asked unsurely and got a lazy nod in return. He sighed, "Alright, you're probably right," he stated with an uneasy nod. "So, what are we watching next?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.
She turned back toward the screen and pressed some buttons on her remote while humming softly. "Let's go with this one and see what it's about. This is one of the newer branches added to your tree," she chirped, her feet swinging back and forth. With a few clicks, the screen came to life and they both sat eagerly to see what happened next.
Naruto was just so, so tired. A build-up that started since he was at the beginning of his youth. A short life filled with misery; people being cruel to him for no other reason than existing. At least, he could never figure out a reason other than that. He remembered when he lived at the orphanage, – before they kicked him out at the swell age of four and a half – he was never allowed to interact with the other children. Punishment would always follow if he tried to corrupt them as the matron said. That woman never liked him and made sure he knew that quite clearly. She glared hatefully, slapped him for doing something everyone else did or shut him in a corner when he smiled. His earliest memories weren't pleasant.
Kami sighed sadly at Naruto's younger life. This is the life most of the versions of her blond companion faced. Some of them were slightly better if someone grabbed him in time, but most of the time, he was isolated or worse. She stole a glance at the blond and saw him watching the screen intently. She turned back toward the screen to watch more.
Being forced out onto the streets didn't help either. Sure, he disliked the matron greatly, but the villagers despised him on a greater scale. If he was lucky, they would sneer at him and then pretend he didn't exist. It hurt, but it was better the alternative. Otherwise, he would cover the back of his head and keep his head down to avoid the trash and other miscellaneous objects thrown his way. He'd still get hurt, but it helped slightly.
Thankfully, he only lived on the streets for a week before a kind elderly man in a nice pointy hat showed up. He smiled at him, fed, clothed and gave him his own place. He didn't even have to pay for it, it was free of charge! It wasn't amazing; honestly, it was quite small. It was his home though and to him; it was perfect. His own sanctuary from the glares and hurtful words.
"It really was a great place," Naruto suddenly said while not taking his eyes off the smaller version of himself. "I was so thankful to be given a home by him," he stated, remembering all the times he spent with the elderly man. He smiled as his younger self ran around his small home excitedly. He missed his place after it was destroyed during Pein's attack.
As the years progressed, nothing changed. He had hoped when he joined the academy at the prime age of six, he would make friends. How naïve he was. The adults that despised him informed all the kids to avoid him. The children did as they were told and stayed away from him. The teachers felt remarkably like the orphanage matron. They either ignored him or punished him for things that weren't his fault. It hurt but wouldn't show it. He made sure to smile since the nice old man always told him too. "A friendly face brings friends," he said, or at least, something like that. So far, it wasn't showing any results.
"You're Hokage has always appeared to be surprisingly naïve. It's obvious that the source of their hatred smiling constantly would only anger them more," she commented, turning her head to her fellow blond.
Naruto sighed, "He tried the best he could, but he was old and held the village to highly," he stated with a slow shake of his head.
"As I said, naïve," she rebuked but Naruto didn't respond so she turned back toward the screen.
That brings up to now. Sitting alone in his dark, messy apartment with his knees hugged up against his chest was Naruto Uzumaki. When alone in his apartment, he had no need to fake his smile since there were no friends to attract. Dried tear tracks went down his whiskered cheeks as he sighed sadly into his knees. He wanted a friend; someone he could confide in like the other kids. Someone he could trust explicitly with his secrets or pranks. That's what he wanted, but deep down, he wished to disappear and find freedom somewhere else.
There is a simple saying. 'Be careful what you wish for. You never know who will be listening.' It came off as a warning, one that should be heeded.
"Well, that sounds ominous…" Kami said, cocking her head to the side.
Naruto groaned into his hands. "Ugh, something is about to happen to me. Kami, why do you hate me?" he said dramatically, looking over at said goddess. She did not look impressed.
"I don't hate you; Fate just likes to play with you," she informed with a simple shrug.
Naruto suddenly felt like something hard slammed into his head and he blinked in shock.
"Knew it."
He turned around quickly, prepared to defend himself but he only saw his bland wall. Now he's just confused as he rubbed the back of his head painfully. "Okay, what the hell just hit me?" he asked out loud in confusion, but no one answered. He turned around to face his room and blinked a few more times for good measure. "Wait… what?" he asked no one in particular.
The reason for his confusion? It was daytime, the moonlight that previously was shining in was now a warm day streak. The confusion increased with the look of his home. His room was clean, spotless even. His bed was finely made, his shelves dusted and the floor cleaner than he could ever recall. He stood up and walked to the middle of his room and rubbed the back of his head. That's when he noticed another detail.
He was no longer dressed in his neon orange jumpsuit that he was wearing only a moment ago. Instead, he was wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt with a red swirl centered in the middle of his chest. Under that he wore a black long-sleeved shirt and simple cargo shorts. It was his old outfit that he loved before he outgrew it. Just another thing to add to his confusion.
"Did someone break into my home, clean up my home and give me fresh clothes?" Naruto asked with a deadpan expression.
"It, uh, would seem so… The nicest break-in I've ever seen," she chuckled awkwardly.
"Do you like it? A melodious voice asked from behind him. He jolted and quickly shot around and spotted the source. A girl that looked around his age and remarkably familiar. She has golden blond hair much like his own that disappeared behind her shoulders. A soft face with dazzlingly sapphire blue eyes. However, a feature that caught his eyes was the familiar birthmarks on her cheeks. Birthmarks that he also adorned on his cheeks.
She wore a black short-sleeve jacket which was zipped up to just above her chest. Underneath, she wore a burnt orange shirt which was only just longer than her jacket at the sleeves. Dark grey pants that ended just above her ankles and her feet were bare. She was one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen.
Naruto's head slowly leaned to the side as he studied the girl in front of him. She looked remarkably similar to him and his 'Naruko' form as he dubbed it. "I wonder who that is…" he said idly out loud.
"Well, from the appearance, I would hazard a guess at it being a relative of some sort. Most likely a sister if I had to guess," she responded while glancing her over. She agreed with the younger Naruto, she was a pretty girl.
"A sister?!" Naruto choked out.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, you have a sister more often then you think. Most of the time you both love each other since no one else would. Though, sometimes that love sprouts up…" she paused as she blushed lightly, "differently," she finished with a slight giggle.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm sure you'll find out eventually."
"Uh… who are you?" he asked even more confused than he originally thought possible.
"I made sure to clean up your room and give you some fresh clothes while you slept on the floor. I don't know how you can sleep like that, but I won't judge if you find it comfortable. Though, I can't imagine it's good for your back," she stated, tilting her head to the side cutely while ignoring his question.
Naruto's eye twitched while Kami hummed in agreement. "She's right, you shouldn't sleep like that. It's really not good for your back," she stated with amusement.
Her eyes locked onto his own and an unknown emotion swelled within them. "Do you know how long I've waited to meet you?" she asked in an almost desperate tone.
"…no?" he answered unsure how to respond to that.
"Smooth," the loli commented.
"Hey! I'm really confused right now, ya know! Some girl I don't know breaks into my home, cleans it, me and then tells me she's been waiting to meet me. Not to mention how similar she looks like me, I'm probably short-circuiting right now! I bet you'd be just as confused as me!" Naruto argued.
"…no."
The blond teen's eye twitched as she referenced his younger versions awkward answer.
Then, something clicked in his head. His sapphire blue eyes widened in realization as he crouched slightly and rudely thrust his finger at her.
"You should at least take her out to dinner first before you thrust at her," she suddenly said cheekily.
Naruto's cheeks dusted red, "You know that's not what it meant, Ero-Kami," he replied in exasperation.
She smirked at her new nickname but did nothing about it. She would get him back later for it after all. "Do I?" she asked innocently.
"Hey, wait a damn minute! Who the hell are you and how did you get into my home!? Also, why do you look like me!?" he shouted dramatically and only got a stifled giggle in return that he found cute. Not that he would admit that to the strange girl.
She smiled angelically that gave a warm feeling in his chest. "I'm Naruko Uzumaki, your sister and I've waited a very long time to meet you dearest brother," she said sweetly, holding her hand over her heart.
"Ah, the forbidden fruit…" she whispered to herself while giggling perversely getting a disturbed look from Naruto.
Naruto stumbled slightly at that answer and his mind raced. As the realization of what she said started to solidify in his mind, he had to blink back a few tears at the thought of family. "S-sister?" he tested the word getting a happy nod from the girl. "I-I don't have a sister," he choked out in a guarded tone.
"You do, I promise!" she replied instantly. "The Hokage," she spat out harshly, "kept us apart for so long. He helped build a wall between you and me without you even realizing I was there. I never stopped trying to get passed it though! I pushed and pushed until I finally found a way out," she said with tears, but an angry expression filtered over her. "They never wanted us to be together. This village wanted us to stay apart so we would both suffer alone," she growled out before suddenly switching back to a loving smile. "Now I'm here and I'm here to stay," she said softly.
"I know it's not true, but I have to ask. I didn't have a sibling kept away from me in my life, right?" his voice gaining a sharp edge at the thought of someone keeping family from him. If it was true, he didn't know what he would do.
The goddess shook her head, "No, you were an only child," she informed while patting him gently on the back.
His eyes widened further as he felt something deep stir within him trying to push its way out. He clenched his hands and willed it back as he stumbled back onto his bed and sat down in shock. Had the Hokage really kept his only family away from him this whole time? Did the village really want him to suffer that badly? Why? He couldn't understand any reason for doing that. "W-where have you been?" he asked, his voice filled with a variation of emotions.
"I've been locked away in a damp sewer since the day I was born. Every day I struggled to stay warm, but the water was always so cold… It was always so dark and lonely…" she whispered the last part before looking up with hopeful eyes. "I persevered though, just so I could see you," she said with a beautiful, welcoming smile as she opened her arms as if to embrace him.
Naruto felt a wave of anger build up within him at the idea of what his other's sister went through.
Kami, on the other hand, focused on another aspect of what she said. Why was she locked away in a sewer? She thought curiously. She felt bad for the girl, but something was strange about this situation.
Naruto felt his anger spike to untold levels. They made his family, his sister, live in a sewer! He always thought his life was bad, but at least he was given an apartment. A pang of guilt was felt at the thought of him living comfortably for so long while his sister suffered. His sister had it so much worse. "I-I'm sorry," he said quietly, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm so sorry for not helping you… I didn't know…" he choked out, fresh tears sliding down his cheek.
"It's okay, I promise! I've waited for this moment my whole life!" she stated so sincerely that his guilt increased.
Much like his younger version, he too felt a pang of guilt.
She walked closer and gently squeezed him on the shoulder and looked into his tear-filled eyes. She smiled warmly at him and sat down beside him. She leaned onto his shoulder and closed her eyes and held a gentle smile.
Naruto glanced down at his lap, tear marks staining his shorts. What did they do now? Could they stay in Konoha now? No… they would just lock up his sister again or worse. He wouldn't allow that; he would never allow his family to be taken from him again! Righteous anger filled his entire being before it deflated. How many people knew that he had a sister locked away? Did they just jokingly be nice to him to play with him? He didn't know what to do… "What do we do now? He asked in a broken whisper.
"I can't even imagine what he's going through right now," Naruto said softly. "When Sasuke tried to break our bond, it hurt. To suddenly have every bond in the village severed at once…" he trailed off, staring at the younger version of himself in pity.
The loli softly rubbed his back in a comforting manner.
She opened her eyes with a spark of something hidden within. "We leave this village behind and head as far west as we can. Let's abandon the shinobi world and live as a family. We have so much time to make up that they stole from us," she stated clearly.
Naruto froze for a few seconds. Could he really abandon the shinobi world? He glanced at his sister leaning against him and instinctively knew the answer to his own question. His shoulder sagged down, "Alright, we'll leave," he agreed with determination knowing that it was for the best. She suddenly pulled him into a surprisingly strong hug and he felt light-headed.
"I ship it," Kami said with a giggle.
Naruto turned and gave her a deadpan stare. "We're siblings, it's not like that," he stated blandly. Sometimes he didn't understand this child-goddess.
"You said the same thing about Sasuke," she said in a sing-song tone. When she saw her fellow blond turn green in the cheeks she smirked. "So, you never know," she chirped.
"Thank you," she said happily, holding him tightly. She let go after a bit and pushed her forehead against his and stared into his eyes. "This is going to be a weird question, but can I be the leader? Will you trust me to keep us both alive?" she asked, her breath touching his lips.
"Ooh la la," she said while bumping a shoulder against the teen. This was looking more and more like a world where Naruto gave into the forbidden fruit. Another world to add to her collection.
Naruto rolled his eyes.
He agreed, that was a weird question, but he didn't mind her being in charge. In a short amount of time that they had known one another, he already trusted her. It felt weird to give his trust so easily, but this was family. If he knew one thing about family, you trusted them above all others.
"Not all the time…" the goddess responded.
"Yes," he answered after a bit. Her smile grew larger and she kissed him softly. He felt something in the back of his mind swell up before his eyes went dull and mind blank. She pulled back and gently rubbed his cheek until they slowly regained their life. Something felt different to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Something significant just happened, and I'm not sure what…" the loli-goddess said looking at the screen. "Everything about this situation has felt strange, and the effect of that kiss only adds to it," she said, turning to look at the blond who was also trying to figure it out. Was she dangerous, and they really locked her up for that?
"I think it has something to do with those two questions," he said rubbing his chin.
She stood up and with her hand holding his. "Let's get out of here, I'm ready to be free," she said eagerly, pulling him toward the front door of his apartment. While he stared at the back of her head, his hand in hers, he couldn't see his sister's face. If he could, he would have seen her victorious smile adorning her face, her one sapphire-blue eyes now a deep ruby red.
"Wait, she was locked away in a sewer! She might be the Kyūbi," Kami said thoughtfully, a little worried on what she had won. How could the Kyūbi get out of the seal in the first place? She felt like she was still missing a piece of the puzzle.
"No, I don't think it's the Kyūbi," he responded, shaking his head in the negative. "Look at her eyes, they aren't slit," he pointed out just as the now ruby-red eyed girl opened the front door of the apartment. He was a little lost on what was happening.
"Alright."
It suddenly flashed back to Naruto sitting in his apartment alone, back against the wall, hugging his knees. The apartment was a mess, the moonlight breached the window illuminating the room in a soft blue hue. He suddenly straightened, his eyes closed. He clenched his fists as if testing them for the first time before slowly raising his head to look ahead. His eyes opened, but they no longer held their radiant sapphire blue. Glowing, blood-red rubies stared into the darkness, and a smirk crept its way onto his face.
"Free…" he said softly. "Don't worry little light, I won't let you suffer anymore. We'll be together in our perfect dream forever," he whispered to himself before a soft chuckle escaped his lips. Slowly, the volume picked up and throughout the village, the villagers suddenly felt restless. The people of the Elemental Nations felt a shiver crawl up their spine. Something was released into the world and changes were coming.
As the saying goes,
Be careful what you wish for. You never know who will be listening…
"I understand now. She's my inner darkness," Naruto commented as the screen turned off. So, in that world, his darkness took over so he could live within his dreams with his sister forever. He didn't know how he felt about that. It felt too much like Madara's plan.
Kami nodded her head in agreement as all the pieces finally lined up. "the Hokage told you to constantly smile so you hid your negative emotions. I believe that's the wall she was talking about. She was born in your mindscape, so she was trapped in the dark, damp sewer her entire life. Those questions must have been a way to wrangle control from you without fighting for it," she commented. That made sense to her.
"She didn't really lie to me either, mostly just half-truths," he said, leaning back on the couch.
The goddess hummed in agreement, "She played the game very well and won. It looks like that world is getting a darker version of you," she said getting a hum of agreement from her fellow blond. "We may come back to this world in the future to see what happens, that okay with you?" she asked curiously.
"That's fine I guess, I'm curious as well, ya know?" he replied.
A/N - I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Death Watching! See you all next time!
