Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! I'm back with another chapter of Those Who Are Lost for you to peruse.
I was so pumped from the response I got from the last chapter that I knew exactly what I wanted to write in the next one. So I started writing and this is what happened. Now I know that it's not my best work but I really wanted to advance the story a little and give some insight into the state of certain characters.
I love how quickly I wrote this even though my writing is a little shaky. I'll probably remaster all of the chapters when I finish the story... Enjoy!
Now enough of my senseless prattle! Onto the story!
Disclaimer: I do not in any claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are the respective properties of Masashi Kishimoto and his army of lawyers.
Those Who Are Lost
Chapter 15: Ghosts of The Past
HI NO KUNI - THE FOREST OF FIRE
The two of them remained where they were for a while. Sasuke held onto Himawari's blood-soaked form tightly and rested his head on top of hers. The girl showed no signs of discomfort and if her shallow breathing was any indication then the Hyuuga had fallen asleep, no doubt exhausted by the events of the day.
Unfortunately, the veteran shinobi knew that they couldn't remain where they were. Sae and her small army had only served to delay the pair of them. That armoured Jashinist, Toyohisa would no doubt be along soon and in their current condition the Uchiha wasn't confident about winning that fight. Particularly if he had to protect Himawari in the process.
No matter how many bodies that he and Himawari dropped tonight the Uchiha had the feeling that Toyohisa most likely had twice that number with him at least. The Uchiha's thoughts went back to his shadow clone's meeting with the man and his apprehension rose.
Most if not all the town of Sandy Springs had been replaced with the Silent Step and the man grimaced as he predicted the numbers that they would have to face if they were to stay put. Even if the Silent Step could be dealt with, something about the priest of Jashin sent alarm bells ringing inside of his head.
The man was far more dangerous than he advertised and what was advertised was worrying enough.
Jashinists are practically unkillable and almost always crazy bastards to boot.
Letting out a small sigh the Uchiha got to his feet, shifting Himawari so that she was resting in his arms, one arm under her back and the other under her knees. Shaking his head to clear it of exhaustion Sasuke carried the young girl away from the scene of carnage and bloodshed that the clearing had become.
Not wanting to wake Himawari with a whistle to call Kamui, the Uchiha instead reached out with his senses and searched for his mount's faint but distinct chakra signature.
He could sense a few faint flickering chakra signatures in the clearing they had vacated. No doubt a few of the Silent Step had survived the battle but their chakra flares were dimming with each passing second, a clear indicator that they were not long for this world without medical aid.
Sasuke deemed them no threat as they were retreating at a snail's pace, most likely crawling away trying to keep their intestines from spilling out.
It took him only a few moments to find Kamui, grazing contentedly on a patch of grass and completely unconcerned with the violence that had occurred.
"Hey there girl." Sasuke called to the horse softly. He began humming gently to set Kamui at ease just in case she wasn't as calm as she appeared.
The horse remained composed and continued grazing and so Sasuke placed Himawari into the saddle before hauling himself up behind her. His arms encircled the girl and he grabbed hold of the reigns. This was done so that Himawari wouldn't fall during the ride. They were going to have to move fast to put some reasonable distance between themselves and their pursuers and Sasuke didn't want a repeat of what happened in Whittlebone Canyon.
Himawari didn't bat an eyelid and remained dead to the world.
She's going to be out for a long while.
"Alright girl." Sasuke began, leaning forward slightly to pet Kamui's mane. They needed to get moving but that raised the question of where to go.
Where would be safe?
Under normal circumstances the obvious answer would be Konoha. Himawari had been very clear though that she had no interest in going there. The girl's fear of the Hyuuga clan and what they might do to her outweighed the safety provided by the Leaf's walls and armed shinobi forces.
If he was being honest with himself Sasuke was also reluctant to return home. The things that had happened there before he left ensured that the Village Hidden in the Leaves was a tainted place for him. It was a place that meant nothing but pain and regret to him now.
Shaking his head to clear it, the Wanderer thought about his other options. They needed someplace safe and out of the way. A place where the enemy wouldn't immediately think to look for them. That ruled out any form of civilization or trail lodgings. The forest would give some temporary protection provided they could make it in deep enough but it wouldn't be long before the enemy started scouring the forest in force.
A thought flitted across his mind unbidden and the Uchiha cursed loudly.
It was certainly unexpected and it would take little more than a day to get there. Maybe less if he gave his steed a chakra boost. They would only have to make one stop along the way in order to gather food, clean themselves and take care of Himawari's hand which was dripping blood all over the saddle and Kamui's coat.
The horse snorted as another string of expletives left her rider's mouth. After a moment more of internal struggle the Uchiha let out one more groan before he spurred Kamui forward.
A few minutes later they reached the main trail and Sasuke whipped the rains. With a whinny Kamui leapt forward into a gallop and the three of them sped off into the night.
HI NO KUNI- FOREST OF FIRE
Sunlight. She could feel the warmth of it on her face. It felt good against her skin.
Beneath her fingertips she could feel the familiar touch of grass and it's faint but sweet scent wafted into her nostrils. Her entire body ached, every muscle screaming in discomfort but she didn't react to it. It wasn't the time yet.
The sound of nearby rushing water resonated inside her skull like a drum and caused her to moan in discomfort. The noise was overwhelming and sharp stabs of pain rippled throughout her head.
She could also hear the crackle of burning wood and feel the warmth of a nearby fire on her right side. It felt nice and the Hyuuga turned slightly towards the heat as an escape from the pains of her body.
That was when the events of last night came rushing back, hitting her mind like a tidal wave and for a moment all that she could see behind her eye was a sea of blood and corpses.
Himawari shot up with a scream, visions of blood fading from her mind's eye after a moment. Her throat felt like sandpaper and her stomach growled viciously in hunger. Leaning over to the side, Himawari began to dry heave as she remembered the events of last night and tried to upend the contents of her now empty stomach onto the ground. She refused to open her eyes, afraid of what sight might greet her.
The young girl remained where she was, gasping desperately for air to try and clear her head. It took some time, how much she didn't know, but eventually she found a way to overcome the nausea. Deep breaths as she was taught.
"Shit." The young girl muttered, keeping her eye closed and leaning back. Instead of the regular rise and fall of Kamui's stomach against her back which she had become accustomed to, Himawari felt hard bark in its place.
Her head pounded something fierce and she felt sick to her stomach. It took a few minutes of deep controlled breathing, something Kouda had taught her how to do during her time with him, but eventually the pounding in her head lessened and, swallowing, Himawari rested against the tree.
Pain lessened? Nausea under control? Good. First, shaky step taken.
Nodding slightly to herself Himawari said nothing, not trusting herself not to begin dry heaving again. At the same time, she took the opportunity to extend her senses and take stock of her surroundings. The sunlight hurt her eye as she opened it for the first time.
Remembering the events of the previous night vividly, Himawari hurriedly looked herself over. Her hand had been bandaged though a small red spot of blood had seeped through the white dressing. For a moment she stared at the appendage in confusion, unsure as to why she was so injured before the memory returned to her and she groaned at her own idiocy.
Oh yeah that's right. I had to be the idiot who stopped a kunai with her palm. Great job Himawari.
Feeling around her the area of her empty eye she took note that her eyepatch had been placed back on her head. She hated the feeling of that leather against her face.
Just another reminder of what was taken from me.
Most noticeably though was the absence of blood on her skin. Granted it wasn't completely gone but where before she had shone scarlet in the moonlight now her skin was the colour of rust on metal. Collecting herself Himawari observed her surroundings.
Massive trees, native to the Forest of Fire surrounded her on all sides, sunlight managing to beam through the treetops without too much effort though the shade of the leaves lessened its impact.
Looking to her right, Himawari took stock of the small campfire crackling just a few metres away. Half-expecting to see her protector by the fire the young Hyuuga frowned when she couldn't find him anywhere in the vicinity. However, on the opposite side of the fire Himawari made out the familiar form of Kamui. The horse was asleep and their saddlebags had been placed off to the side.
It was then that Himawari felt the distinct absence of her own clothing. Aside from Sasuke's poncho which had been placed over her like a blanket, only Himawari's undergarments had been left on her.
Alarmed Himawari sat up, hissing as she put weight on her injured hand. Thankfully it wasn't too painful as she hadn't put the weight of her hand on the ground, instead encountering something far softer.
Turning her head and looking down in the direction of her blind side, Himawari's eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw that there was a collection of items placed by her thigh.
There was a bundle of clothing, empty canteen, towel, a sponge and what seemed to be a note. Gingerly opening the piece of paper Himawari began to read.
Had to burn your clothing. These are my clothes from my gennin days. It's all that I had on hand that was roughly your size. I cleaned the worst of the blood off you, but I recommend using the nearby river. Just follow the sound of water.
We need to stock up on food, so I've gone hunting. Will be back soon.
S.
The note was short and to the point.
Just like the man himself
Slowly and with care she got to her feet, her legs shaking as the muscles ached in protest. Gritting her teeth the Hyuuga braced herself against the tree and, once she was sure she wouldn't immediately fall back down, made off in the direction of the river.
It didn't take long for her to find the river. It was a simple matter to follow the sound of rushing water until the small river came into sight. The water was clean and refreshing. The first thing Himawari did was fill the canteen with water from the river. Taking a small sip to confirm its quality the Hyuuga nodded in satisfaction and finished up with her task and, upon filling the canteen, the young girl immediately drained it to quench her thirst before filling it again. She did this three times before she was satisfied.
Looking around to make sure that she was alone, Himawari undressed completely and stepped into the water, wincing at the sudden cold washing over her body as she submerged herself. Acting hurriedly, Himawari scrubbed furiously to rinse the remaining blood off herself. It took longer than she would've liked, the water turning into a mix of red and muddy brown as blood, wet and dried ran from her body into the river.
No matter how much she scrubbed though it was never enough. Even when it could be said that she had washed herself clean Himawari kept on scrubbing. Scrubbing until her skin went from red to white and then back to red as her skin turned raw from the ferocity with which she scrubbed. The scars that covered her body were highlighted, standing out like white chalk on a blackboard, crisscrossing every inch of skin exposed to the elements.
She said nothing as images of last night flashed across her vision. When she looked at her reflection in the water all she could see was Sae's face glaring back at her. The only sound was that of rushing water and silent tears as the young Hyuuga continued to scrub the now non-existent blood from her skin.
The scrubbing continued for some time.
HI NO KUNI- FOREST OF FIRE- THE CLEARING (A FEW HOURS EARLIER)
"It seems the hawk's talons are still as sharp as ever." Toyohisa murmured. Nakata Sae lay on the ground before him, her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest in a respectful fashion. It was the least that he could do for her. She was a comrade after all and deserved at least that.
What happened next happened without warning.
The man let out a roar before drawing his blades, whirling around on the spot and bisecting the pair of shinobi standing directly behind him. They fell in pieces to the ground without so much as a scream or a whisper. Shuddering in exultation from the act of killing, the man slowly stood straight and returned his blades to their sheathes.
"You were always weak Sae. It's no wonder you fell to the Uchiha's blade." Toyohisa raised his voice, ensuring that he was heard throughout the clearing.
Surrounding him as far as the eye could see were the shinobi of the Silent Step. A sea of black-garbed men and women staring silently at the warrior unreactive to the death of their fellow ninja.
They said nothing in response to his comment and merely waited for their instructions.
"Find them. Search every road and trail. Every town and village until you find them. The ritual time is almost upon us and the Master will not be kind if we fail him." He ordered with a hiss and the sea of black vanished within moments as the ninja departed, determined to fulfil their commander's will.
"Are you going to skulk in the shade all day or do you want to come out?" Toyohisa called out loudly to the now empty clearing.
"You always spoil my fun." Motoko whined, appearing before him with a flash and a gust of wind.
Motoko... the Chameleon of Oto
"And yet you never spoil mine. Life's a funny thing isn't it?" Toyohisa drawled in her direction.
"Where are the others?" The swordsman demanded, becoming quickly irritated at all the cloak and dagger business. Give him an enemy to decapitate over all this ninja business any day.
Two more shadows appeared behind Motoko, slinking forwards from the bush. Toyohisa knew that, given that one of the shadows was massive and the other quite tiny, that it could only be two people.
"Maru. Batou." Toyohisa greeted them, deranged grin on his face.
"The Master called them back. We are in the middle of a war, remember?" Maru giggled at him.
"He doesn't think we'll succeed." Batou boomed through his voicebox, voice resonating around the clearing. Toyohisa's eyes narrowed at the man in warning and his fingers twitched, keening to draw his swords and bloody them a second time that evening.
"We'll have to prove him wrong then." Toyohisa grumbled.
"I found something in Sae's possession while I was waiting for you to show up." Toyohisa grunted, patting himself over looking for the object. After a few moments of rummaging around the man found what he was looking for and withdrew it for them to see.
"What is it?" Maru asked, unable to see what the object was from where she was standing just behind Batou's protective form.
"It's the answer to our problems little Maru, that's what it is." The priest chuckled.
"It's just a kunai." Batou dismissed with a wave of his hand, his greatbow shifting from side to side as he did so.
"Look at the spider engraving. It belonged to Sae." Toyohisa held up the blade for them to see. Maru's eyes remained transfixed on the blood coating the blade.
"Well damn… good work priest." Motoko said with a whistle of appreciation.
"Maru, do your thing. It's time to hunt." Toyohisa instructed tossing the blade to the short kunoichi before looking at the forest around them. He imagined his prey running and the thought made it smile.
Soon my blades will taste your blood Uchiha and your soul will belong to lord Jashin.
HI NO KUNI- THE FOREST OF FIRE
"These are boys clothes." Himawari complained as she approached the fire. She was busy using her towel to dry her hair, grimacing as the length of her hair made the task an arduous one.
Maybe I should cut it?
The thought left her uncomfortable and she quickly dismissed it. Since she first woke Himawari had never considered herself to be 'pretty'. The scars adorning her body and her missing eye were already disfigurement enough.
Her hair was the only physical part of herself that she was proud of.
Sasuke blinked a few times at her comment and then he laughed.
"Didn't you read the note? I did warn you." He explained, shaking his head with a slight smile gracing his features. Himawari deemed that the only response appropriate was to stick out her tongue at him.
Sasuke grunted before lifting the knife in his hand to point over her shoulder in the direction of the river.
"Did you enjoy your bath?" He asked her dryly to which she nodded.
Though she would never admit it to Sasuke, the young Hyuuga was surprised at the clothing he had provided for her. It was comfortable and warm despite the shirts' short sleeves. The shoes were a little too big but after adjusting the straps Himawari was satisfied that they wouldn't be an impediment. The pants were the only thing that fit perfectly, though they were a little baggy and left her lower legs exposed to the elements.
Himawari hummed in agreement, moving to stand next to him by the fire. The two of them said nothing and the minutes ticked on by. Sasuke continued to turn the spit hanging over the fire. Two plucked and gutted birds roasted over the flame and the smell of it made Himawari's mouth water in anticipation of the meal to come.
The Hyuuga spent the time warming herself and considering whether to ask the question lingering on the forefront of her mind. As the time passed and boredom pressed on her patience Himawari could deny her burning curiosity no more.
"What's this symbol on the back mean?" Himawari asked him, turning around so that Sasuke could see what it was that she was asking about.
Sasuke's form stiffened and his gaze flickered towards the shirt for a split-second before returning his attention to the roasting birds on the fire.
"It's the symbol of the Uchiha clan." He informed her, pulling out a small knife from the pouch strapped to his thigh. Sasuke began cutting into the bird to check how much further the fowl needed to cook.
"That's your clan isn't it?" Himawari pressed, curious despite herself. It was then that she realised that this was the second time that she had seen the man without his poncho on. On the back of his top there was a near identical symbol stitched there. The only difference was that his fan symbol was wreathed in flames of orange and black.
"Food's ready." Sasuke told her, his tone indicating that he was done with the topic. This caught her attention and Himawari wasted no time dropping to the ground next to Sasuke. The young girl made no effort to hide her scrutiny and shamelessly stared in the man's direction.
"I started working on your hand this morning. It'll take a few more sessions before I can fully fix the damage." Sasuke informed her casually as he picked up one of the spits and passed it over to her. The girl accepted the offering eagerly but didn't immediately tear into the meal as he expected her to.
"You can fix my hand?" Himawari asked slowly, not sure just how much she believed him. Kouda was only able to heal her due to his decades of experience as a trained medical practitioner. Even then it had taken months to somewhat recover from the damage done to her body.
Sasuke looked uncomfortable for a moment before looking away.
"For the most part though there will be a scar. My ex-wife taught me some tricks." The words were spoken with what seemed to be great reluctance.
This was interesting information and Himawari latched on to it.
"You were married?" She decided the direct approach was the best approach, her curiosity burning like a fire in her breast. Himawari knew that she was crossing a line but found she couldn't help herself.
"More than a decade ago. She was a renowned medical ninja." Sasuke said shortly.
"Why aren't you married anymore?" Himawari asked and immediately regretted it as she saw Sasuke's hands clench tightly, the knuckles turning white.
"My… Our daughter died." Sasuke bit out, his teeth bared and clenched as though saying the words caused him great pain.
Himawari nodded and said nothing more on the subject.
Himawari shifted from side to side nervously and, without thinking about it, her forefingers came up and poked together repeatedly. It was an odd sight to see her do this with a spitted bird in one hand. She had jabbed at something that she shouldn't have, and she knew it too.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry." The apology was sincere and Himawari hoped that the Uchiha could sense it too.
This got Sasuke's attention and he stopped what he was doing and turned to face her fully.
"Why are you sorry?" He asked her sharply.
"I don't…" The question was so unexpected that Himawari found she couldn't give an accurate response.
"Don't ever be sorry for asking hard questions." He told her sternly.
"Eat your damn bird already. You're making me nervous." Sasuke continued with a small, strained grin which Himawari shyly returned.
Stomach growling at her, Himawari tore into the fowl with a gusto that she wasn't ashamed of in the slightest.
Aside from a little salt and pepper added for taste the bird was quite plain and lacked the extra flavours Himawari had discovered from the ramen she had consumed not too long ago. But after the events that had occurred since then and the lack of food that small bird was, in that moment, was simply divine.
Cautiously, as though he were afraid that she might bite him, Sasuke picked up the towel she had discarded and draped it over her lap as a makeshift napkin.
Himawari merely rolled her eye at him before returning to her meal.
"Where are we going?" Himawari asked in between bites. Taking a moment to finish taking a swig from his own water canteen, filled earlier that morning, Sasuke considered how to answer that question.
"An old hideaway of mine. A sacred place I don't think that they'll try to investigate." Sasuke told her.
"Is it far?" Himawari questioned.
"We should make it there by dusk, provided that there are no unforeseen delays on the road." Sasuke informed her.
THE UCHIHA SHRINE
"We're here." Sasuke told her gently. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eye Himawari slowly became aware of her surroundings once more.
Perhaps a kilometre in the distance ahead of them, a massive building rose from the forest that surrounded them. Following the dirt trail, they came to the base of the building.
"What is this place?" Himawari asked as she dismounted Kamui and bounced forwards, her curiosity proving overwhelming once again.
"A place where no one will think to look for us." Sasuke answered in way of reply. Moving past her, Himawari's gaze tracked him. Pausing for a slight moment the man brushed away some of the vegetation that covered the side of the building next to the entrance.
The symbol of the Uchiha clan stared back at them the red faded with the passage of time. Himawari's eye widened as realization sank in.
This wasn't some ordinary building. This place belonged to Sasuke's people.
"Why wouldn't they think to look for us here?" Himawari asked nervously. Something about the stone structure made her uneasy. The Hyuuga found herself unable to pinpoint what it was exactly but there was an air of... something in the air.
"Because it's a tomb. No one looks in a tomb." Sasuke told her shortly, aiming a slight smile in her direction in reassurance.
Himawari almost choked on her breath when Sasuke said that. She opened her mouth to say something but found that she couldn't.
"My brother died here."
THE UCHIHA SHRINE- (LATER THAT EVENING)
The two of them had made their way into the main temple hall, Sasuke guiding them through a maze of tunnels and side rooms before reaching their destination. The young girl couldn't be sure but if she had to make a guess then she'd say that they were in the very heart of the building.
It had taken them little time to prepare for the evening, Sasuke using his varying scrolls full of supplies to set up a small camp for them. Kamui was left outside by a small disused stable at the rear of the building with plenty of hay to eat and sleep on. A fire, near the head of the room by the base of a set of steps leading to a large stone throne. The man said nothing as he set up their camp and he avoided the throne as though it were a plague.
This is where my brother died.
Sasuke's earlier words rang through her mind and she wondered If that stone furniture had something to do with it. Once they were done the two of them sat side by side over the flames while a pot of oats bubbled in front of them. The two ate their meals quietly, Sasuke lost in thought and Himawari uncomfortable to start a conversation in this place.
"I have a question for you." Sasuke asked finally. He had finished his meal and placed his wooden bowl and spoon on the floor just in front of him. He would wash it later.
"Hmmm?" Himawari replied through a mouthful of oats. It was a simple meal but she and Sasuke had agreed beforehand that the meat should be rationed.
And so they were eating oats rather than the delicious birds stored in the scroll by Kamui's saddlebags. Himawari didn't mind.
She didn't mind!
Stupid fowl all delicious and meaty! I'm fine with this exotic, tasteless… gruel.
"Are you still determined to go to the Fire Temple?" Himawari felt that Sasuke was asking a lot more with that one question than what appeared on the surface. She swallowed and took her time to think on it.
"I don't know." She replied honestly. It was certainly her goal when she had set out on this adventure, but a lot had changed in recent times.
"Oh?" Sasuke's eyebrows raised and he looked pointedly at her.
"Kouda would've wanted me to go. He would want me to find out who I am, where I come from but…" Himawari continued, flushing under the man's piercing gaze.
"But what?" Sasuke urged.
Himawari squirmed under the attention and briefly considered not answering at all. It was then she considered that it was only that morning that she had pushed for answers from Sasuke and he had obliged. The Hyuuga supposed it was only fair that she returned the favour.
"I'm not sure that that's what I want anymore." Himawari confessed quietly.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke prodded gently.
"It's complicated." Now she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation.
"I've got time." The Uchiha encouraged.
Swallowing, Himawari placed her bowl off to the side and began to habitually poke her index fingers together.
"It's just… I'm scared."
"Scared? Of learning the truth? Regaining your memories?" Sasuke pushed, his gaze intensifying.
"I…" The words died on her tongue, mind racing as her brain tried to catch up with her mouth.
"Talk to me." In the dim firelight Himawari could swear that his eyes of charcoal now glowed a dim red.
Is he using his Sharingan on me?
"Himawari died. The person who I was before, she fell to her death. By some circumstance of fate, I took her place." The words came out unbidden and she still couldn't be sure whether or not it was her or the Sharingan that made the words bubble forth.
Sasuke said nothing, content to lean back and let her continue speaking.
"I'm worried. What if, by finding out who I am, those memories come back? The old Himawari comes back and takes my place? What if regaining my memories is the thing that kills who I am?"
"… I don't know about any of that." Sasuke admitted before motioning that she could continue to speak if she wanted to.
Himawari shook her head. She had said enough and the Uchiha nodded softly in return. Sasuke reached over and Himawari handed him her bowl.
"Regaining your memories… I don't think it would cause you to disappear though." He told her gently.
Himawari said nothing but her attention was fixed to him. Her poking had stopped and the girl unconsciously leant forward
"I've seen you fight. I've seen your will and determination to survive Himawari. If there's one thing I can be sure of it's that no one can make you do anything or go anywhere that you don't want to go. I think you're too stubborn to go back to who you were before." Sasuke reassured her. The Uchiha leaned his head back against the saddlebags behind them, using them as a pillow and settled himself into a more comfortable sleeping position.
"Besides, who you are now could be exactly who you were before." Sasuke continued, his eyes closing and crossing his arms.
"You can't know that." Himawari whispered, head turned and gazing off at the stairs she had sighted earlier.
"No, I can't. But I know you. There is no past Himawari and then you. You are Himawari. You've always been you and always will be even if you don't remember everything." The gentle tone gave way to something far more serious.
"What if I don't want to remember in any case?" The way she said it indicated to Sasuke that Himawari thought she had spoken aloud some forbidden taboo.
The Uchiha chuckled softly at that, stopping only when he felt a small fist slam into his shoulder.
"It's your choice. Memories can be good or bad." Sasuke informed her.
"That's not an answer." Himawari couldn't help but grumble in annoyance. Just once it would be nice if someone could give her a definitive answer.
Ever since she had woken up there had been this shadow hanging over her shoulder. Like some random event could occur such as smelling a specific flower or hearing a word and then that would be it. She would fade away to be replaced with a stranger who had a past.
"I can't tell you what to do here. Only advice I can give you is to listen to your heart. Deep down you already know whether or not you want to remember your past or whether you're content to forge a new future."
"That doesn't sound like the best advice." Himawari knew that she was just complaining at this point, but the frustration of the situation was eating away at her.
Sasuke shrugged at this.
"Never said I gave good advice either." He said this with an air of friendliness and Himawari couldn't help but chuckle.
A long silence passed between the two of them when, surprisingly Sasuke broke the stillness of the air.
"Are you really worried about losing yourself again?" He said it in a half whisper almost as though he didn't expect her to hear his words.
"I am… I don't have anywhere to belong." She hated how broken her own voice sounded.
The Uchiha's knuckles rapped along the floor and his features morphed into a frown as though debating something.
"Sasuke?" She called out gently. The moment she did his eyes snapped open and he looked directly at her, his gaze now undoubtedly burning scarlet.
"Himawari." Sasuke stated. The young girl said nothing and merely watched as her companion got to his feet and looked down at her.
"Come with me." His voice left no room for argument.
Leaning her head back she looked at him but try as she might though, she couldn't make out the emotion in those eyes of his.
Shrugging, Himawari got to her feet as quietly as she could, taking her sleeping blanket with her. Wrapping the material around her into a makeshift cloak Himawari closed her eye and followed the older man away from the firelight and into the dark. He led her away from the firelight and towards a doorway tucked away in the corner of the hall.
With a few simple handsigns the man let out a small puff of flame as he lit the torches adorning either side of the entrance.
"Take the other torch." Sasuke ordered as he moved to the right of the entrance and grabbed one of the two torches.
Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves the girl reached out, grabbed a torch from the sconce on the wall next to the entrance to the stairway and proceeded down the stairs with her guardian.
Wherever it was that he was taking her, Sasuke refused to say a word about it and nothing she did would get him to respond. He just continued to lead her on into the dark.
The stairs descended deeper than she imagined, and, at an unhurried pace, it took them about ten minutes to reach the bottom. The glow of torches behind her was comforting and she was glad that she thought to light the sconces with her own torch as they made their way down the staircase. The dark seemed to hold little sway over the Uchiha though.
Sasuke had no such considerations and walked forwards with the familiarity of someone who had walked this path before. At the bottom of the stairs the Uchiha came to a complete stop and Himawari almost ran into the back of him, stopping herself just in the nick of time.
"Go on in. I… need a moment." His voice came out strangled and Himawari's eye went wide in shock as the Uchiha reached out with his hand and rested against the wall.
Sensing that it was the wrong time to say anything, Himawari stepped gingerly past him and into the room.
Calling it a room was an understatement. Hall didn't quite cover it either.
Himawari found herself in a what seemed to be a gargantuan cavern. Obviously man made as though it were a room made for a family of giants. It was dark, and the smell of damp was in the air. Raising her torch, the young Hyuuga made her way off to the left in search of the wall. After about a minute of walking she reached the corner of the room and breathed a small sigh of relief when she found more torch sconces affixed to the wall separated by regular intervals.
Lighting them as she went, Himawari frowned as she noticed grooves in the wall. Whatever it was it was covered in moss and rectangular.
Reaching out with her bandaged hand, Himawari began brushing away the moss and dust that had gathered over the years of neglect.
As more and more of the object became visible Himawari recognized the object as plaque. There was writing on the plaque but when she tried to read it she found that she couldn' writing was ancient and faded.
Letting out a 'hmph' of annoyance, she moved further along the wall. The space was truly massive, and she gave it a few minutes. As she journeyed along the wall, lighting torches as she went she noticed with a certain degree of shock that there were hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of plaques lining the wall. From just shy of the ceiling, meters above her head to as far down as her ankles.
Coming to a stop she raised her torch to look at one of the plaques, much more modern and free from moss and cobwebs. The writing was legible and Himawari found that if she raised her torch close she could make out the characters.
Saiki Uchiha
Death in battle
Fierce protector
"The power of our rage shall defend our home."
Brow furrowing, Himawari moved across a few spaces and inspected another one.
Takeo Uchiha
Death in battle
First Avenger
"Our vengeance shall shield the Leaf."
Himawari's eye widened in realization as she discovered the nature of the plaques.
They're memorial plaques… this place is some kind of tomb!
Understanding the nature of the place now and realizing that the further into the hall that she traversed, the more and more recent the plaques seemed.
She took her time reading over every memorial that she could find that was within her reach. Himawari repeated this pattern for what felt like hours before finally she reached a plaque that was different to the others.
Mikoto Uchiha
Died
Strong Matriarch
"A light in the darkness can save anyone."
There were words scratched into the stonework beneath the quote. Characters etched there with what looked to be the tip of a blade or perhaps a chisel.
Loving Mother.
The next one over spoke of a Fugaku Uchiha, but the only word scratched at the bottom of it was Father.
"This is the Hall of Names. Every Uchiha born and dead, their names are placed here." Sasuke told her. His sudden presence behind her caused her to jump and turn with a shriek. Placing her injured hand over her heart Himawari glared at the man, her blue eye shining with anger.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She hissed.
"You scare too easily." Sasuke smirked before coming to stand next to her. He lightly kicked a plaque two places below the one belonging to Fugaku.
"This one's mine." He remarked. Himawari bent down to inspect the plaque before noticing that there was another one right below that.
Mikoto Uchiha (II)
"This is your daughter's plaque isn't it?" She asked quietly. Sasuke's silence was answer enough.
"Why are the rest of the plaques left blank?" As soon as she said the words Himawari realised how dumb the question was. She already knew the answer to that question.
"Because I'm the last of the Uchiha clan." Sasuke answered her calmly.
Himawari reached out and traced Sasuke's name engraved in the plaque. It felt so strange to see it right in front of her with the man himself standing at her side.
"You're worried about losing yourself." Sasuke didn't put it in the form of a question and instead stepped forward. The Uchiha withdrew a kunai, knelt and raised it to the blank plaque next to his own.
"What are you doing?!" Himawari squealed as the man began carving characters into the stone, the tip of the blade glowing blue with chakra.
"Making sure that you'll always have something."
Himawari.
"Until you make up your mind."
Kouda.
"I'm going to give you a people to belong to."
Uchiha
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. My purpose for this chapter was just to expedite the story a little. Show the development of the characters and move the plot onto the next step.
I did originally include a segment from Konoha but I took it out to include in the next chapter instead.
If you enjoyed the story so far then please let me know what you think by leaving a review. They help me to refine my technique.
I also want to give a big shout-out to HiimekoO3 for the touching review. It's the kind of review that reminds me why I love fanfiction so much.
Also a shout-out goes to my regular reviewers whose continued support helps me to continue writing my stories.
Until next time my fellow fanfictioners.
Those Who Are Lost
Chapter 16
The Festival of Fire