Chapter 8: Final Farewell
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Naruto felt a dull pain in his head. The air was musty and damp. A tight feeling wrapped around his arms. Suddenly he noticed that it was hard to breath. His chest hurt, his legs had fallen asleep and now felt weird. No, he couldn't feel them at all. Naruto paniced and looked down, 'Phew! They're still there. But where am I?' Then he could hear a commotion.
It came from a corner of the room. The room was a dull gray color. The walls had nothing on them and were made of concrete. A swining light hung above the captured genin. It squeaked with the slightest movement. The voices grew louder and angrier. Then one voice rose above them all. Immediately the others quieted. Naruto thought he recognized the voice.
Then the sound of rock moving and a light. From the corner of the musty room, there was a dark figure standing in the blinding light. Naruto squinced in order to see who it was. But he was too slow as the wall quickly moved back in place.
There was an eery calm about the room. The footsteps of the mysterious person seemed to echo throughout the room. They walked around Naruto's chair once. Finally the steps stopped right in front of him. Then a cold and calm laugh pierced the darkness. It was the same voice that he heard yelling with his sensei in the woods.
Then it spoke to him, Ishida spoke to him. "Honestly I had no idea Kakashi was still alive after our... encounter," Naruto could tell he was smiling in the dark, "Now he'll come for you. Won't he?" With each word he stepped forward. "After all, who would want such a pitiful student?" Now Ishida was standing in the shadow of the light. His face half appeared and half vanished. Naruto could see the bright red hair that sat atop his head.
What Naruto didn't know was that his rage was slowly building up as the words of Ishida struck his heart.
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Kakashi flipped the note over and over again. Morning had come at last. He guessed that the ANBU memebers had been called off. Since none of them entered Naruto's house to see what was wrong. Now the jounin sat on the bed. He thought and thought. Then it struck him. Why hadn't he thought about it before! It was the most sensible plan.
Quickly his hands moved and formed a seal. He slammed it against the floor and puff of smoke arose. From the smoke sat a small stout dog. His face grim and represented an old man. But in fact the dog himself wasn't that old. He wore a small forehead protector and a vest. Both blue. In his usual voice of a grumpy but caring elder, he spoke to Kakashi.
"Oi! Kakashi, what's this all about?"
"Pakun, I need your help. Do you remeber Ishida?"
"What is IT?" Ishida crouched down and stared into the dog's face.
Kakashi laughed and patted the dog's head, "It's one of my father's dogs. He taught me how to summon one before... Well his name is Pakun!" The dog just sat there and stared at the strange creature before him. It wore a red mane on it's head. Dirt covered its faced and hands.
"What are you?" the little dog just sat there as the young boy circled him and occationally lifted his ears or petted his coat. Then when he heard it talk his face lit up and he jumped back.
"It spoke! Wait... you don't know what I am? I'm a boy, like Kakashi."
Pakun just looked at him with a bored face. "Sure you are. I guess that would make me a little rabbit."
"What a rude dog!" With that last comment, Pakun had enough and disappeared into smoke again.
Pakun looked up at the jounin. "How could I forget?" Kakashi smiled and held the note in front of him.
"Well Ishida wrote this. I need you to smell him out." The little dog took a sniff at the paper. He pondered a mintute. The smell was familiar.
He had it, "There's no need for me to go scrambling around the forest. The ink was made from a special sap. The tree only grows in part of the woods. He couldn't have grabbed it from somewhere else, the stuff has to be fresh before you make the ink," the dog sat there and told Kakashi the directions to the place where the trees were located. But before disappearing he added, "The sap also makes a wonderful bath lotion. Just let it sit for a while before adding some neccesary ingredients."
Kakashi stared at the dog. Pakun avoided eye contact, "Don't ask." Then that was it. He disappeared into the cloud of chakra smoke.
Kakashi found a pack in Naruto's closet. It was worn and torn, but it would do. In it he packed some medical supplies, in case Naruto had been injured. He had no time to waste. Naruto was waiting for him. So was Ishida.
The door slammed shut as the silver headed shinobi left. The sun had just risen. This would give him more than enough time to get to the spot before Tsunade began to get suspicious.
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His face came in closer and stared into the boy's blue eyes. "Honestley, I don't know what Kakashi sees in you. All I find is a frightened little boy. No, I lie, your not frightened. Infact your anything but frightened," Ishida pulled back. Now Naruto could only see his white teeth smile. "Good thing you have an honest enemy, eh?" The footsteps moved back into the dark and away from Naruto.
The light appeared again. But before Ishida left he turned around to Naruto, "Anything you want?"
Naruto wanted to say so much, but the one thing that came out made Ishida wish he could kill him. In a calm voice Naruto answered, "You know, I always wondered why Kakashi never spoke about you. Honestley I wouldn't find anything to say about such a dull person." Ishida wouldn't have mind it, but it concerned Kakashi.
But with all it said, Ishida just looked back and then stepped away as the door shut quickly.
Naruto sighed. A cold sweat ran down his face. He could slightley move his hands. The rope was tight. It wasn't just any ordinary type of rope either. Somehow Ishida had reinforced it with some kind of metal. "It's no use," Naruto stopped strugging with the rope. Then he noticed that his hands could move just enough to.."Kagen no Bushin!"
Three other Narutos popped up in the room. "Okay, get these ropes off me!" The shadow clones went to work immediately. At first they pulled out kunai and began to slice the rope. But it proved a futile attempt. The next thing was to hit it with various jutsus. It was too dangerous to use rasengan. After what seemed forever, nothing happened to the rope. Not even a bit of wearing. Then one of the clones pointed up with an idea.
"What if we just simply untie him!" The others nodded, then they felt suddently stupid. The knot was tough, but not as tough as the rope. Soon it started to become loose. Then finally they got it! Naruto took a deep breath as the rope fell off of his chest. The clones disappeared.
Naruto stood up and stretched. He had no idea of the time or how long he had been tied down. But now he was finally free. "Now to find a way out." Naruto walked over to the side of the room where he thought the light had come from. Tap-tap! 'There has to be a weak spot? How did Ishida open this thing?' Just then he felt the earth below him move and slide. There was a dim sound. It was like running water.
The floor of the room had turned to sand. All of it was being sucked under the wall near the entrance. It was all he could do to try and stay above it. But that wasn't enough. He let out a cry of dismay as his body was drug under.
Sssssssss! Sand poured slowly down on his face. Naruto looked up to see little light coming through. Through what? The floor! His head now pounded from the pain that was dormant just a while ago. He looked around and found himself now in a room covered with sand. It was on the floor and rained from the ceiling. Darkness conquered everything here. All he could see was his own hands and body.
Naruto felt down. The sand was soft and easily ran through his fingers. After digging them through a couple of inches, he felt the cold hard floor of cement. At least the could walk on it. Yet the floor above had seemed solid as well. Might as well try.
His legs straightened up, then he began groping about the place. Naruto's arms stretched out like a zombie's. He gave a slight laugh at the whole concept.
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Words could not express enough what he felt right there and then. His heart racing as each tree passed him by. None of them had the right shaped leaf. Not one of them was close. Sweat ran down into his shirt. When ever he licked his dry lips, there was a salty taste.
Before he was worried, but as each minute passed with no result, he was too nervous to concentrate. Then- what was bound to happen to do his carelessness and ignorance- he slammed into it. WHAM! This was new. The pain was terrible. But the leaves! They kept his mind off of the pain. The leaves were just right. It wasn't called a Burning Sun for nothing. Each leaf was shaped a little different. But all had the same basic pattern. It was of a sun. That wasn't the only amazing part. The color was fantastic! A golden orange that stood out like a spot on a white sheet. It was magnificant.
"Another thought and I would have missed it." Kakashi looked up at the tree. So there it was. But not just it. At least a small grove was there. In the middle was Ishida's hideout, and Naruto. Now he would go on foot close to the ground. Ishida never really liked being up high in trees.
Several twigs snapped when he landed. They seemed like a clap of thunder to the jounin. With each step his stomach tightened. Questions and answers raced through his mind and clashed with each other. What if he had grown impatient and dealt with Naruto already? No, he would wait. Ishida wasn't one to toss away a life for no reason. But what if he never found the hideout? Then Ishida would find him. With Naruto's corpse in hand! No! NO! 'Think Kakashi, just calm down. Don't worry about what might happen. Just concentrate on your goal for the moment. I must find Ishida's hideout!'
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So far there seemed to be nothing. Nothing but darkness up ahead. His arms stretched even further and his eyes strained even more. Then... THUD! "Aww!" His arm snapped close to his chest and his face smashed against the wall. Naruto stood there with the pain in his head growing worse.
"Who would put a wall here! Oh, Ishida would." Naruto sighed and pulled himself from the wall. As he did that, he felt his hand touch something. Frantically his hands searched the wall again for what it was. There it was. A switch. Not knowing what was going to happen, and not caring, he flipped it.
To the genin's relief, the light came on. Naruto turned around to a greusome sight that somehow seemed natural for somone with Ishida's personality. Before him lay a large room. Sand carpeted the floor. In large tanks mice ran around. Their water milky white. In the middle of the room was a smaller tank. In it was a blood read substance. But after a second thought, Naruto decided it was blood. Several other tanks of blood sat on shelves and their contents sloshed back and forth. In one was an eye. It bobbed there and then turned to see Naruto. This sent shivers up the boy's spine. He had to leave this place.
There was a door to the right of him. He moved quickly over to it. The thing was unlocked. But before he could open it, two voices came from outside. They were the ones he had heard silence when Ishida spoke.
"I'm tellin ya he's not gonna know!"
"You don't know that Kuzu! Let's go before Master Ishida gets back."
"Ya know you don't have to call him that, Misha."
Misha's voice filled with pride, "Unlike you I like to show a little respect." Kuzu sighed and walked away from the door. Naruto let out a breath when he heard the second footsteps follow.
After waiting a bit he thought it was safe. Slowly the door opened. It revealed a small hallway with a set of stairs at the end. His way out. Naruto's feet were silent in every way possible. He didn't know how many people were in this house, he didn't want to find out.
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The grass was tall and the weeds thick. This made it hard for Kakashi to move about. His every movement made a little scratching sound as the thick plants scraped against his vest. The air was hot and humid. But that was not his biggest concern at the time, or at any time.
Finally the grass gradually began to shorten and the weeds became less. They gave way at a tree line and Kakashi found himself in a clearing. In front of him was another line of the Burning Sun trees. It didn't matter how thick the woods were, he had to make it to Naruto.
The jounin took seven steps when a whizzing sound came. Before he knew it Ishida was upside down staring him in the face. "You came!"
Kakashi's face hardened. "I almost couldn't. You forgot to tell me where to go."
Ishida put on a smile and laughed. His red hair ponytail dropped under his head. "Sorry, but couldn't have other people finding me. I know your thinking it and don't even bother asking. The boy's safe. For now... I always wanted to say that!" Kakashi had enough of Ishida's games. He never got to it right away.
Kakashi pushed him aside and began to continue walking. The red head frowned. He hadn't explained why he came to see him. "Wait!"
"I'm not playing around with you!" Kakashi's voice was cold and tired. He just wanted to find his lost student. Ishida finally decided to through everything at him.
In his calm and evil voice he spoke to Kakashi with a smoothness of water, "I have a propostion for you." Ishida was now turned around, still upside down though. Kakashi sighed and told him, "I'm not interested."
But a small laugh eminated from Ishida. "You may not be, but I bet the boy's life is."
Kakashi haulted. Maybe there was a faster way to getting Naruto safe.
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Naruto's steps seemed to echo in the small hallway. He was ever so slowly inching his way up the stairs. Each step carrying him closer to leaving this dreaded place. "Kakashi-sensei must be worried sick. Sakura-chan..." Naruto said to himself. His thoughts trailing off.
Finally Naruto had reached the end of the hall. There was a simple door and a little bit of light. A simple doorknob that probably led to a simple room. That's what he hoped. No more gruesome surprises. That was the last thing he wanted, and death.
With a deep breath he touched the knob. So far so good. Slowly it turned. Nothing special. Then he pushed the door ever so slightly. A string of light came through. Naruto popped his head through a crack. The deep breath was released. Before him was a kitchen! Vegitables and other foods like fish and fresh meat, lay on the counters. Obviously someone was working here and would come back soon.
Naruto finished opening the door and stepped into the room. The smell was absoulutely wonderful and filled Naruto's lungs. He felt happy. But he couldn't stay. He needed to move on. So Naruto looked for a door. There were two. One led to another room, the other was next to a window. Surely that was a way out.
His sandals slapped the floor as he walked. It was only ten feet away, but Naruto still paused once every other step, to listen for someone coming. No one came at first. This made Naruto very confident as his feet glided across the floor. There was the door. The smell of fresh dirt and growing vegitables eminated from underneath the door. Naruto couldn't wait and rushed it open.
This was not the smartest thing to do. On the other side was a garden. Yes an ordinary garden would have been okay. Infact it would have been pretty and peaceful. It was what was in the garden that worried him. Not the beans and coliflower, nor the beats, carrots, and peppers. But the person tending to these.
A man larger than anyone he had seen. His shirt was tight and exposed a person who really worked out. He had his black hair tied back in a ponytail. When he saw Naruto he smiled and picked off his white dirty gloves. If this was a garderner who lived off woods, he hate to see one who lives in rough conditions.
The man ran at him. Naruto slammed the door and heard in delght and fear as the man slammed into it. Next thing he knew he was skidding across the floor. The door flung open and in came the gardner. There was a large ruckuss as the man chased Naruto all around the kitchen and out into a bedroom. Pictures and wall hangings were brought down with a crash. Carpets upturned and glass broken.
Naruto concentrated chakra into his feet and jumped on the ceiling. Now he was running upside down. But that wasn't enough to get away from the gardner. His large arms wrapped around Naruto in a last attempt to catch him. Before he knew, Naruto was being pulled down and slammed into the ground. It felt horrible. A terrible presure and weight came down on him. It was too much too soon, and he went out cold. Not before hearing a string of curses.
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What could he do, but feel pain. Only this time it was much worse. His body ached all over. Quickly his mind shifted through memories, until it became a little clear. 'I've been caught, yes? Yes. But now where am I?' The genin opened his eyes and as he did a bright light came flashing in them. The room was dead whit. It made everything so hard to see. Then slowly Naruto's eyes adjusted to the bright light.
It was just a plain room. Not something with furniture or plain like that. But plain as in bare and nothing else on it. The walls were stripped of any color. A white light stretched across the room. But there was a distrubance in the constant white. A black figure leaned against the wall. It's outline was fuzzy. Naruto squinted and stared. At first the couldn't figure it out. But soon it became clear that it was the gardner.
He moved closer to Naruto. He had set the boy down on the floor. 'Not tied to a chair?' Naruto gathered all of his limbs and sat up. In a threating voice, his host spoke to him. "I would not try and escape."
Naruto's ears rang. Was it them, or did the man's voice sound... different. "Where are you from?"
He laughed, it came from down deep. Then in the wierd accent said, "Far away. When my family came here to this part of the worl. I was left alone. My brother and I. Lucky for us, Master Ishida came along." The man stood above Naruto and looked down. "All three of us were very young. But Ishida had it rougher. He had to take care of Kuzu and I, Misha Toshibu."
"Your name, it sounds like you come from here."
"Only my father. He agreed to move with my mother to our country." The man walked around Naruto, "No more speaking. Master Ishida will be back soon." With that, Naruto heard the sliding of a chair as the Misha sat down. Misha had something in his hand. The genin recognized it as a knife. But it wasn't threating for some reason. Then he saw the foreign man pick up something that looked like a block and cut into it.
"You widdle!" But to this comment, a cold look was shot in his way. Naruto shut his mouth and sat there. 'How will I ever get out.' It was all so confusing and yet clear at the same time. The blonde fell back and layed on the ground, waiting. For what? He did not know. Then he felt wierd. His stomach tightened. Something was wrong. Not with him. Something else. But what? There would be no time for that answer. The next series of events would speed past, that Naruto would hardly be able to tell Tsunade what happened.
First, there was a dull sound. It came from behind Misha. The gardner was worried, by the look of his face. Just as he turned around to see what it was- BOOM! A cloud of smoke made Naruto's vision worse. Then he jumped as Misha flew back and landed at his feet. Naruto could feel his heart pounding against his chest. Begging to get out. For him to flee. His mind told him everything was wrong!
But he felt some what relieved when he saw who came through the cloud of dust. "Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto stood up and did something he didn't think he'd ever do. Before he knew it, his arms were around his sensei's waist. Naruto realized what he had done and pushed away. A little embaressed.
Kakashi smiled under his mask and was Naruto had hugged him. For it was probably the last time he would see the student. No, Naruto was more, he was a friend. Then Kakashi's thoughts ran back to the current problem. He crouched down and looked Naruto in the eyes. The sharigan was uncovered.
Then out of his vest he pullled a small vile. In it was powder. As red as Ishida's hair and blood. "Take this. Keep it safe. Sakura needs this to live."
"Then why give it to me? You'll keep it safer." With this, Kakashi's eyes grew sad. He couldn't tell Naruto, and he didn't want to.
"Because, no matter what, your getting out of here alive!" Before Naruto could think another word of it, his sensei turned him around and pulled him through the dust. He found himself in a dark path way. Naruto realized that Kakashi had let go of his arm and was now pushing him down the hall. The genin scrambled with his feet and began to run at full speed. Then Kakahsi yelled to him, "Ishida rigged this place to blow; you might want to move a little faster!" And he did.
Naruto stayed on the path, when they came to a two way hallway. "Right!" So Naruto turned right and listened to his teacher all the way through. Finally after about five turns, they were in the main living room. Ishida's house wasn't as simple as you would think. What they had been in was a series of underground rooms. Kept secret from even Kuzu and Misha.
That's when everything went haywire. Another explosion went through the ceiling. This time with simmering heat. Sparks flew all over the place. The Ishida appeared. His face filled with not anger, but hate. Pure hate. Naruto thought he was facing death. Kakashi quickly placed himself between the boy and Ishida.
Ishida's voice rose up and actually sounded angry. As he spoke, the room seemed to grow darker. "Kakashi! You betrayed me! This is not what we agreed on!" Before Kakashi could reply, Ishida's hands began to glow. It was an evil black chakra. Slowly, items in the room lifted. This time, it went pitch black. A flash. Ishida had light lifting from his feet. His eyes engulfed with the darkness. A great wind picked up and Ishida's clothes and hair swirled round in it.
Kakashi kept Naruto behind him. Ishida's plan would work, only they would go his ways. A white light made a pattern on the floor. It represented an eye, with Ishida was above. A circle around it, and a larger one. Touching the edges of the circles, were three triangles. Ishida's feet lifted off the floor. He slowly turned around to face the jounin and the scared boy behind him.
Naruto had never seen something like this. He never wished to again. The truth was that he felt afraid. More than ever. There was an evil, a true and pure evil, eminating from Ishida. Then what sounded like a thousand voices speaking over each other, Ishdia howled, "Now I'll end it! I'll end you and all the memories that have been haunting for 15 years."
Kakashi didn't even bother to pull out a kunai. Instead his eyes shifted around the room. Then, there!- all the windows shattered. It was his only chance, and he was running out of time. Just as Ishida raised his hands to complete the jutsu, Kakashi grabbed Naruto and literally chucked him out one of the broken windows.
Naruto landed on the grass. He heard a rumbling and then Ishida's voice roar like a wild wind. Quickly he turned himself around just in time to see a black chakra blast out of the windows and engulf the house. In a second it was over. As the black cloud came down on the house. Naruto could hear the snapping of wood. Before a second was even over, the house was sucked into the spot where Ishida had stood, and once again exploded.
The blonde covered his head. But nothing came. No wood, no heat, nothing. He turned back. All that was left was a spot of dirt. It was perfectly shaped and not a burn mark could be seen. It was as if someone had just picked up the house and taken it away.
Naruto could feel his hands shaking. Then his heart slowed down. His cheeks grew wet. The boy sat up and hugged his knees. In his hand was the vile that was given to him. Now, Naruto let it all come out. Sorrow, fear, and pain. And in a low voice, he whispered to himself. "Kakashi-sensei."
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H-A-T... The letters fit so perfectly on the stone. They had just been carved in yesterday. Even a little bit of stone dust stuck to his fingers. The blues eyes of the boy were still full of life. He remebered his sensei, and everything he had taught him.
Naruto had been standing at the stone since early in the morning. Today was a perfect day for someone to feel sad. The sky was gray and it had rained earlier. Naruto peered into the stone. Somehow he felt that Kakashi was staring back. Then he heard footsteps behind. The genin didn't turn around to see who it was.
Then a gentle hand landed on his shoulder. In a soft voice, the girl spoke, "We're going to be late."
Naruto stood up and turned around. He peered into the green pools that were Sakura's eyes. "He was always late." A smile appeared and vanished from his face. Sakura felt pity for Naruto. True, she had been grieving herself over the loss of a friend and sensei, but Naruto had to be there. He had to witness it. It was for him, that Kakashi died. "Why did he have to go?"
"So you could live," she said to him. Naruto looked again at her. Then his eyes widened and a smile settled on his face. Sakura had slid her fingers through his. Now they stood there hand in hand. "Let's get going."
The blonde nodded. But before they went, Naruto felt like someone was watching him. His eyes turned to the trees. Nothing was there. Still it felt wierd. In a whisper, Naruto said into the wind, "I'll never forget you."
And then him and Sakura were off. Hand in hand.
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His body black against the trees. His hair blew gentley with the breeze. His grey eye watched as the two genins left the area from the stone. In his hand was a little orange book. In his heart, the love he had for his students. And in a whisper, he said into the wind, "This is the day, I'll never forget you."
The End