-1Burning Sun
By Marlonian Hayes
Xx--xxx--xX
Chapter 1: New Lives
"No matter what, your getting out of here alive!" Alive-alive-alive, the words echoed through his head. His body stirred on the bed. It had only been two weeks since the incident. The memories still haunting his mind. "Because of me." That's what he told himself each time he gazed upon the stone. There etched in it was the memory of his teacher and friend.
Now the night was silent and the only noise he could hear was from the crickets outside. The stars shone brightly above. And the moon sent light through his window. The boy was afraid to sleep. Afraid he'd have to relive the death of his sensei. 'Afraid of sleeping, who would have thought?'
Yet even as he thought this, his eyes began to slowly close. One last futile attempt to awake his mind, and then sleep. A deep and dreamless sleep overcame him.
"Naruto? Naruto. NARUTO!" Immediately the blonde sat up. His night cap sloshed forward and over his eyes. With a gentle touch, a delicate hand pushed it back up. Naruto stared into the green pools that were his waker's eyes. Sakura smiled as the boy looked at her blankly. "You've slept in." She stood strainght and walked over to the table that sat in the middle of Naruto's appartment. "I didn't know what you'd like for breakfast, so I just got a fresh bowl of ramen for you."
The steam simmered up into the air. Dancing it's way across the room and around Naruto's head. Soon he inhaled the intoxicating aroma. It was truly a morning treat. The sheet slipped off and a whizzing sound was heard as Naruto slipped his legs over the bed.
Next thing he knew, his back was sliding into a chair that Sakura had pulled out. The pink haired girl handed him a pair of chopsticks. Soon he was ravenously slurping down the noodles. Finally, broth was dripping from the sides of his mouth and noodles were in mid-slurp, he noticed Sakura just sitting there with a smile on her face. Studying him like you would a book in order to determine whether it was good or not.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan." He dropped the noodles and sticks. Then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Did you want anything to eat?"
Her face snapped back to attention, "No, I'm fine." Sakura blinked and then stood up, "Besides, Tsunade wanted me to stop by. She wants my help in picking the best new team lead-" She stopped in mid sentence. The very mention of replacing Kakashi mad the blonde silent. Sakura sighed in dispair. "I'll be going. If you need anything, I'll be here. Naruto."
He stared into his bowl of soup. As if caught in a trance. "Yes?"
"Iruka and your other friends are still here," with said she began to leave, but instead looked at him. Naruto's back still faced her. "It's not your fault." And then she disappeared around the door. The genin listened as her feet clacked against the cement stairs. Everyone had been more sensative to Naruto since Kakashi's death. Sakura started spending more time around him.
But Naruto wasn't concerned about that. And in one weak voice he told himself for the thousandth time, "Yes it is, because of me."
Clinks and chinks rung throughout the room. Sparkles and shimmers eminated from the table. Valuable gems, jewls of all sizes, and worthless beads, spread across the table. Each one had been taken from the latest victim of the red heads rage and power. Two weeks, in just two weeks, the gang had hit ten villages. Not one of them caught.
Now four dirty hands shifted through the stolen treasures. Ishida gave a good hardy laugh at his two companions. "They're like children, eh Kakashi?" He turned his head to see the silver headed shinobi looking out at the horizon. His face showed no expression, but his heart was heavy with saddness and guilt. Ishida let out a sigh and walked over to him. His hand gentley lowered on Kakashi's shoulder.
The jounin didn't look at his former friend. Instead he kept gazing into the slowly appearing stars. "Now cheer up Kakashi. We both won! I have the life I always wanted, and you got to save that boy! I only wish you had told me you changed the plans a little." Ishida jabbed him in the side with his elbow.
"Then it wouldn't have looked convincing. You were always horrible at lieing." His silver hair rustled as a light breeze came through the window. His body fitted perfectly in the window. It was a little annoying with the wood digging into his back, but still, this is where he made his place.
Everytime Ishida, Misha, and Kuzu came back from a raid, Kakashi never took part in their joy over the stolen goods. Now Ishida was irritated with his behavior. He wanted kakashi to enjoy himself once in a while. He wanted to see the smile he had seen on that boy whenever they played a game.
Ishida thrust his handn into the treasure and pulled out a handful of coins. He tossed them at the lonely shinobi in the window. A couple landed in his lap. Some flew out the window. Misha and Kuzu looked longely at the lost gold.
Kakashi's eyes finally broke away from the horizon and stared at the coins in his lap. This was his life now. There was no reason for him to enjoy it. Yet it was wrong to steal. Still, Ishida had saved most of his findings and could easily over come a village with just a handful of powder.
His fingers picked one of the coins up and he studied it. Ishida put a smile on his own face to see he was getting somewhere. But maybe a little too far. Kakashi jumped out of the window and shut it. The next thing Ishida knew, Kakshi had grabbed some coins of his own and thrown them at Ishida. He had no choice but to defend himself with valuable necklaces. As this little fight went on, Misha and Kuzu reached frantically into the air and tried to catch what they could.
Finally the two fell to the floor. Ishida couldn't help but laugh. Kakashi sat against the wall with his arm on his knee. Memories of fun times rushed back to the both of them. And soon a smile crossed the jounin's face. Ishida sat up beside him.
"Now see, a little fun isn't so hard."
Kakashi grew silent again. "I can either except this life, or think nothing of it. My life is back in Konoha. There is nothing fun about living a dead man's path." Ishida just sat there silentley. Kakashi stood up and pulled from his pocket a little orange book. He had finished a couple of days ago. But it was the only thing to read, so he began it again. Ishida watched as Kakashi walked out the door. He wasn't worried about him running off. He knew that as long as he had the power to destroy lives, Kakashi wouldn't disobey him.
The sky was now a golden color. It made the trees dark, and his mood only darker. This life didn't suit him. Ishida paved the way. There were no turns or detours. 'I chose it. To protect him. To protect them.' A sigh came from within his chest as he slid down the side of a tree and settled on a branch.
The sun burning away.
Hey! How do you like it? Reviews are always fun. Forget about November! I'm writing now! I think you guys would perfer it anyway.
Next chapter: Scratches of Memory
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