Those Who Are Lost
Chapter 18
The Fire Temple
Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It's certainly been a while hasn't it?
Now normally I'd give a whole long speech about why I'm so sorry that it takes me so long to update this story or, to be honest, any story of mine but not this time!
This time I know what I'm doing. We're entering this story's endgame people and it's about to get real.
Note: I did try including Naruto and Hinata in the characters for the story for a short while, but I just couldn't keep with it. While the two are certainly important to the plot this isn't their story. This is Sasuke and Himawari's story and so I apologise if it came across as a sell-out move. I will remove them by the time this chapter is posted. This is a niche story I realise, and I appreciate all the support you guys have given me over the years. I honestly didn't expect this story to even reach 50 reviews so the fact that it has exceeded that makes me really happy.
I would like to give a special shout out to Cats Beats for the continued support of this story. The constant support has been a great boon to me.
Likewise, I would like to give my thanks to all those who have reviewed this story. Especially given my limited knowledge of Boruto characters. (Naruto was the end of the journey for me in canon terms I'm afraid). Every review I have received has been near and dear to my heart.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of the masterpiece (most fillers aside) that is Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of Boruto: Naruto Next Generation as all the aforementioned properties belong to the great Masashi Kishimoto and his Lawyers Hidden in the Copyright.
Now then, enough of my senseless prattle and on to the story.
KONOHA- MANY YEARS AGO
Sasuke was angry. He had never been so angry in his life before. It was like a smouldering volcano had awoken deep in his heart and now the lava was pumping around his veins, filling every fibre of his being with this white-hot rage. In some ways it was like a drug. A feeling of euphoria and rightness that felt right at home inside him. In other ways it was terrifying and had the taste of addiction surrounding it.
Sasuke vented his frustration on his evening meal, stabbing his fish brutally with his chopsticks as though the act of doing so would enable him to calm his anger away.
Itachi was late back from a mission. Again.
His older brother was the best shinobi in Konoha and Sasuke understood that meant that he would be given all of the most important jobs that a shinobi could be given. What he did not understand was why it would take so long.
Every mission that Itachi had been given, his brother had completed early or on time.
This was the first time Itachi hadn't done so and it made the young boy angry.
Itachi was supposed to take me to the festival today!
It had been a tradition of theirs for as long as Sasuke could remember. On the anniversary of the Nine Tails' invasion the brothers would walk through the streets of Konoha, enjoying the celebrations being thrown, eating as much and as many different foods as they could stuff their faces with from the travelling merchants before ending up in Itachi's favourite training field to watch as the fireworks danced and spiralled across the sky in a dizzying array of colours.
"Sasuke." His father scolded. Looking up Sasuke felt his cheeks colour with shame and he ceased his assault on his dinner and tried to silently count the seconds until his father's disapproving frown vanished.
It took longer than he liked. His mother gave him a sweet, understanding smile and patted his arm affectionately before returning to the meal.
He hated mealtimes. They were always so quiet unless the topic of training or clan politics came up. It was another reason why Sasuke wished his brother were here to eat with him. If he were then it did not matter how many times father would raise the usual topics.
Itachi made it his mission to speak of anything but training regimens or potential brides. Itachi would ensure that Sasuke was the topic of the evening. His brother would always question him incessantly about school and friends and whether he wanted to pursue anything outside of the shinobi arts.
But Itachi wasn't eating with them and so, father continued to chat to mother about revising the private tutoring programme in place for young Uchiha's not yet in the academy. Sasuke was about to resume his brutal murder of dinner, damn the consequences, when the trio were interrupted by a furious knocking at the front door. The family glanced at each other in confusion.
It was well into the evening and the other clan members knew better than to disturb the clan head at such an hour.
"I'll get it then." Mother said with a razor-sharp smile sent in father's direction as he returned to his meal. Fugaku at least had the decency to lower his eyes, the closest his father had ever gotten to looking abashed.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two of them before they heard their mother cry out.
His father was out of his seat and at the front entrance in an eye blink with Sasuke following behind. Her mother stood there in the front entrance with a dark figure collapsed in her arms.
It took Sasuke a moment to recognize the figure as belonging to his brother. Itachi was in terrible condition. His flak vest and clothing was marred by great rents and tears and there was more blood than Sasuke had ever seen in his life.
His brother who normally looked so strong and full of life now looked anything but. His features were gaunt, the skin pulled tight across his cheekbones indicating malnourishment and there were deep bruises under his eyes.
"Itachi." His mother whispered, the tone of her voice doing nothing to hide her horror at the condition of her eldest.
His father moved up and helped his mother to bring Itachi inside. Sasuke forced himself to take a step closer. He had to be there for Itachi any way that he could.
"What happened?" Fugaku Uchiha asked quietly.
"Ambush." Itachi's reply came out a gasp.
"Fetch the medical kit. Then make a call to Doctor Tegami." Fugaku ordered Mikoto calmly. Sasuke's mother merely nodded before passing her son to the father and making way past Sasuke deeper into the house.
"Why didn't you go to the hospital first?" Fugaku asked, though his tone made it seem a demand.
Itachi took a moment to reply, coughing up blood from some injury or another. Sasuke couldn't help but bite his lip in worry. He had never seen his brother so… broken before.
"They wouldn't take me in." Itachi murmured.
"Those damned bigots!" Fugaku cursed followed swiftly by words so vile that Sasuke, young as he was, gasped in shock.
Fugaku shot his youngest a look of something akin to apology before letting out a sigh. Crouching down Fugaku placed Itachi on the ground, leaning against the door jamb. Casting a quick hesitant glance at Sasuke, Fugaku returned to his feet and made his way past his youngest child.
"Stay with your brother. I have a call to make." His father muttered darkly before disappearing from sight.
After a moment's hesitation young Sasuke made his way to his brother and took a seat opposite him. Neither brother said anything, and the air was filled with nothing but the sound of the rain and thunder and the wheezing of Itachi's breathing.
"Why? Sasuke asked, so quietly that he was sure that Itachi couldn't have possibly heard it. Sasuke didn't offer to speak again, a part of him hoping that Itachi didn't hear it.
"Why what, little brother?" Itachi croaked dashing Sasuke's hopes. Taking a deep breath, the young Uchiha leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. There was no use in trying to avoid the conversation now. Itachi wouldn't let him.
"Why did it have to be you? Why did you have to do it?" Sasuke asked, doing little to hide the anger bubbling inside him. Anger not directed at Itachi so much as it was directed at the cause behind his brother's current state.
There was a momentary change in Itachi's wheeze when he let out a wet chuckle. Sasuke's anger died instantly and looked at his brother worriedly and prayed that their parents would return soon. His brother needed medical attention as soon as possible.
"Because they asked me to." Itachi croaked out as soon as his chuckle was under control. Sasuke's rage reignited and Sasuke bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed in an attempt to contain it.
Itachi said nothing and only watched his brother with tired, sad and knowing eyes.
"I hate them. I hate the village for making you do this." Sasuke bit out, failing to restrain himself and hating himself for it. Itachi only gave him an understanding smile.
"Sasuke…" Itachi began but his brother gave him no opportunity.
"I hate them." Sasuke repeated more strongly and a part of him was terrified at the truth of that statement.
"I wanted to do it." Itachi replied, his voice the strongest it had been since their talk began. It threw Sasuke for a moment and he took the time to collect himself.
"Why? Why does it have to be you?!" Sasuke retorted unaware of how his voice was raising.
Itachi replied something but it was lost as thunder crashed in the sky overhead and the world outside their home lit up.
"Big brother?" Sasuke questioned.
"Good men…" Itachi began only to interrupt himself as he leaned over and spat a gobbet of blood out the open door and onto the cobblestone pathway.
"Huh?" Sasuke questioned with a frown, wondering where his brother was going with this.
"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing little brother." Itachi told him.
"I don't understand." Sasuke mumbled.
"If no one took on the mission or made the hard decisions then bad people would go unpunished. If good people kept doing nothing, then the world would become a terrible place indeed." Itachi explained wearily. "It is better to die standing against injustice with your head held high than to live on your knees in its shadow."
"Big brother… you're not making any sense." Sasuke complained bitterly.
"One day you'll understand." Itachi told him with another tired smile.
Raising a trembling hand, Itachi beckoned his younger brother over. Sasuke frowned but moved closer thinking that perhaps there was something that Itachi wanted to tell him without either of his parents overhearing.
As soon as he got closer Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead hard, causing the younger Uchiha sibling to recoil with a wince, small hands coming up to rub his forehead.
"What was that for?" Sasuke huffed, all traces of anger gone from his voice and a small smile pulling at his mouth.
Itachi merely mirrored Sasuke's expression and shook his head slightly, ignoring the pain of his injuries.
"I love you little brother. Never forget that."
HI NO KUNI- THE FOREST OF FIRE
Sasuke found himself unable to control himself when he first spooned a mouthful of breakfast into his mouth. His eyebrows shot up all the way to his hairline as the normally subtle flavours of the usual morning bowl of oats manifested in a far more pronounced manner than was normal.
It was good. Far better than the simple dish had any right to be. Sasuke tongue raked against the back of his teeth, enjoying the faint hint of cinnamon present in the porridge like consistency of the breakfast.
It's really good.
"How… how is it?" Himawari asked meekly, wringing her hands together nervously from her seated position on the opposite side of the campfire.
Sasuke made a point of showing her, him visibly swallowing before filling his spoon to the brim with more of the stuff and bringing it to his mouth.
"I know it's probably not as good as when you do it but I thought it'd be-" Himawari babbled stopping only when Sasuke let out a low whistle to catch her attention.
A single azure eye focused on his own charcoal pair before his eyes crinkled in amusement.
"It's very good." The Uchiha told her simply before taking another bite. Himawari let out a sigh of relief and a small, uncertain smile before picking up the steaming bowl at her feet and proceeding to dig into the food as well.
The morning had proven to be a bit of an unexpected change if he were being honest. For the first time since they had begun travelling together Himawari had woken before him.
The young girl he had informally adopted into the Uchiha clan had wasted no time and Sasuke had awakened when the smell of breakfast bubbling on the fire wafted into his nostrils.
The first sight he had seen had been Himawari, scurrying back and forth from the saddlebags to the fireplace, Kamui watching the proceedings with an air of curiosity that looked suspiciously human for an equine animal.
A comfortable silence filled the space between the two of them broken only by the sounds of crackling flames as the campfire slowly devoured itself. Whilst he ate, Sasuke took the opportunity to study his charge.
She looked slightly uncomfortable in his old genin outfit, not that he could blame her if he were being honest with himself.
They weren't made for her.
The thought brought a measure of sadness that Saskue found he couldn't explain. He could pick up on the signs of her discomfort, small as they were. The occasional tug at the blue collar, the way she would absently scratch an itch caused by the waist of her shorts. She would kick her heels against the dirt sometimes as the shoes proved too big for her feet.
I'll have to make sure to pick up some new clothes for her the next chance I get.
Sasuke frowned momentarily as the thought raced across the fore of his mind.
Will she still want to be with me by that time?
Slowly a smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth, thankfully obscured by his breakfast bowl at Himawari's single minded determination to finish her meal before he did. The child was practically guzzling down the porridge as if it were a soft drink.
Such thoughts, he decided, would be dealt with later.
She's got a competitive streak that's for sure.
The thought was a familiar one and it took the Uchiha a moment to put it to the back of his mind as memories of happier times with Naruto and Sakura flashed behind his eyes and Sasuke couldn't help but compare for a moment, Himawari's eye and whiskers to that of his best friend.
Focus on the here and now.
Crushing the images Sasuke returned his attention to the young girl. The similarity was an unnerving one and Sasuke considered it, not for the first time since his taking of the Hyuuga under his wing.
The features themselves were not terribly uncommon. Blue eyes existed throughout the Hidden Nations in abundance and, while whisker marks were certainly less common, they were hardly unique to the dobe.
Naruto only has one child.
Sasuke knew that because the baka had made sure to strongarm him into agreeing to be the babe's godfather. The blonde had been overjoyed as he and Hinata had been trying to conceive for a while with little luck.
Something to do with the Kyuubi's chakra and its effect on Naruto's body.
For a moment, Sasuke wondered about his godson. He remembered the child's first birthday shortly before he went into self-imposed exile.
He remembered a near perfect miniature replica of his Hokage, filled with the same boundless energy and seemed to possess an adoration for Sasuke which surprised the man at the time.
Boruto must be about thirteen? Fourteen now?
Sasuke grimaced at the thought and Himawari raised a curious eyebrow at him for moment before turning back to her breakfast.
He had been away from the Leaf for a long time.
Himawari coughed as a spoonful of her breakfast went down the wrong way and she reached for the cup of water resting by her feet.
"Don't eat so quickly." He lightly admonished, poking his spoon at her to emphasize the reprimand. Himawari rolled her eye but nodded all the same before taking a few gulps of water.
It seemed his condemnation wasn't being taken to heart as she kept on shovelling spoonful after spoonful of the gruel like substance into her mouth.
Her defiance should have annoyed him and the Uchiha was certain that shortly before Himawari joined him it would've done just that.
He'd found a lot of things that would have annoyed him in the past no longer did while in her company.
Instead all he felt was the now familiar feeling of his lips twitching into another quick smile.
He had been smiling a lot since they had embarked on this adventure.
I've changed since meeting her.
A part of him wondered whether such influence was good. Another smaller, more hidden part of himself knew that it was.
He had been alone for far too long and she somehow proved able to bring out a side of him he no longer thought existed.
A kinder side.
The sunlight shifted suddenly, the light piercing the canopy above their heads at a different angle and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. The light played over Himawari's form, her scars seeming to shine brighter than the rest of her skin.
They stood out, a maze of white lines crisscrossing all over every inch of visible skin. Some of them were quite faint, visible as they were only under the current light conditions. Others were more obviously plain to see.
From the pockmark and crater scars covering her legs to the long gashes and cuts running along the length of her fingers and bare arms.
Just past the rim of his old shirt's collar, the Uchiha noticed that the tapestry of suffering continued up to the base of her throat.
He already knew from Whittlebone Canyon that her entire upper torso was no different, reminiscent of some heart-breaking game of connect-the-dots. It was only her face that seemed to escape the worst of the damage.
Her eyepatch served as a constant reminder of the worst of it but Sasuke knew it went further than that. When he had cradled her after Sae's death, he had felt the plate in the back of her skull.
Himawari caught his stare.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked him slowly placing her breakfast bowl on the ground. Though she didn't say it the both of them knew what he had been doing.
Almost instinctively she turned slightly away from him, pulling her collar higher and covering her arms as best she could.
Sasuke sighed as he felt a pang of regret course through him.
No child should have to suffer as she has.
"Please don't stare at them." Himawari whispered.
With a sigh the Uchiha placed his bowl off to the side, its contents unfinished before getting to his feet and rocking on the balls of his feet.
"I won't anymore." Sasuke assured her. Collecting his bowl and utensil he made his way over to Himawari.
Slowly, as if she were some skittish game, he gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Himawari refused to meet his gaze, her attention fixed to the ground, but she reciprocated.
Scarred fingers released her arm and rested over Sasuke's bandaged fingers, giving the digits a soft squeeze in return.
"We will reach the Fire Temple by nightfall." Sasuke told her. Himawari gave a small nod.
With a grunt the man extricated his limb and collected Himawari's dish before making his way into the bush.
There was a small stream there where he would wash the crockery and collect some drinking water for the final leg of their journey.
It had hurt.
It had hurt in a way Himawari had never experienced hurt before when Sasuke scrutinized her scars. It had been the first time he had done so deliberately and the feelings pumping through her veins had frightened her.
They had been travelling together for a while now and she honestly hadn't expected to feel anything insofar as this was concerned.
She had almost believed that he simply didn't see her scars and only saw her. For the briefest of moments Himawari could swear that that had been the case and so she had turned away from him, trying her best not to cry hot, shameful tears.
And then he had placed his hand on her shoulder and the feelings went away. The simple gesture of comfort on his part meant everything to her.
When his hand squeezed her shoulder she felt a rush of relief and happiness tempered only by shock of the emotions themselves.
I'm happy…
Himawari couldn't believe it. She tried to think back to her days with Kouda.
She tried to remember everything she had experienced since awakening to this new life of hers.
Fear.
Anger.
Hope.
Desperation.
But never happy. Himawari had laughed and even felt safe at times in Kouda's home and by Sasuke's side. She had been content and felt safe even but never truly happy.
But she had always felt like a stranger in her own skin, she still did.
For that brief moment though when Sasuke's hand touched her, Himawari came to a startling realization.
In spite of everything she enjoyed the time she spent with Sasuke. Despite the dangers she felt safe at his side in a way she had never felt safe before.
More than that though, she felt strong.
Sasuke could have just left her or even fulfilled his promise of escort to the letter but he hadn't. He had took her under his wing. Trained her to fight and to survive. He had given her a family and the notion of it warmed her so that she wiped her tears away with a smile on her face.
Eyeing the foliage into which Sasuke had disappeared for a moment, Himawari made her way to the saddlebags. Reaching for one of the smaller bags, given to her by Sasuke for her own effects and use, she undid the buckle and strap.
Contained within was the backpack she had stolen during her flight from Kouda's home. Inside that pack were all the physical possessions she had left in the world.
A small pot blackened with soot and a few chipped noodle bowls. Himawari remembered her first encounter with the Uchiha. How she had reluctantly shared her meal with was also a dirty blanket and a pair of gloves riddled with holes.
Himawari shivered looking at the hand apparel. It had been freezing when she had started out and if it weren't for the meagre protection offered by those gloves, she knew she might have lost a finger or two to frostbite.
Just looking at them Himawari could feel the sting of winter kiss her skin once more.
Lifting the blanket, the young Hyuuga couldn't help the melancholic smile from gracing her features. It was without a doubt one of her most prized possessions. A raggedy doll in the form of a wolf stared back at her with all the warmth a single button for an eye could possess.
The other button-eye had long since fallen away. Wolfie, as she called him, had been the only company she had when she ran away from her hunters.
She'd found him at the first town she arrived at, thrown away in the trash as if he had no value anymore.
Ruffling the doll's ears, Himawari reached past it for the object she sought.
Kouda's locket. The last thing he had given her before passing from the world.
For a long moment all she could do was dangle the confectionary in front of her, her azure gaze mesmerised by the swaying of the chain in the gentle breeze.
The sunlight reflected off the silver surface of the locket in such a way as to bring the silver heart to life and for a brief moment, Himawari swore it seemed as if the locket were beating like a real human heart.
She had never examined it so closely before. Whenever she glanced at it only served to reminder her of Kouda's death.
"Hey old man." Himawari began, ignoring the surprisingly curious look that Kamui gave her.
Ignoring the oddly aware horse she sat cross-legged on the grass, Himawari dangled the trinket in front of her.
"It's been a while since I last spoke to you." The locket swayed slightly but other than that no response seemed forthcoming.
"I've met someone new. He's been taking care of me, helping me to figure out what to do next." Himawari continued with her monologue. "We're nearly at the Fire Temple just like you wanted."
"Am I doing the right thing old man?" Himawari asked the locket quietly, as if in doing so, it might provide her with an answer.
Hesitating only for a second the young Hyuuga put the chain around her neck and tucked the chain and heart under the collar of her shirt.
They were so close now.
THE FIRE TEMPLE
The room was sparsely decorated. A rolled-up futon in the back corner, a small television mounted on the same wall and a small low table.
On top of the table there were a collection of scrolls scattered across the surface of the wood. A golden statue of Kami served as a centrepiece, it's expression serene.
Only one other item graced the surface of the desk and it was perhaps the most important item in the entire temple, at least to the person it concerned.
The door slid open and a man stumbled inside, falling to his knees as soon as he was clear of the door handle's support. Great, wracking sobs tore through his frame and he crawled to the desk as though he were man dying of thirst reaching for water.
After what seemed an age, the man finally felt his fingertips graze one of the furniture's legs and he used it to support his weight and, slowly, he pulled himself up into a sitting position.
The photo seemed to be staring back at him. Mocking him in the spiteful way that photos seemed to be.
It was a wedding photo. His wedding photo.
Sayuki and he looked so happy there. His wife looked even more beautiful than she normally did in her white wedding dress.
She was the best thing that ever happened to him.
A cry of anguish tore from his throat as Sora, the high priest of the Fire Temple remembered the horror of what had happened.
Sora tried his best to keep strong but there seemed to be nothing in the world that he could do to hold it back.
The tear rolled down his cheek, unchecked as he grazed a thumb over Sayuki's features.
"I'm sorry Sayuki." Sora whispered. Directing his gaze to another face in the crowd behind him and his wife.
The grinning face of his best man now seemed accusatory rather than overjoyed.
"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm so sorry." Sora sobbed. His sobs were abruptly cut off as dark chuckling filled the air behind him.
"They're coming" The voice was soft, feminine and filled with dark promises.
"Please… please don't make me do this." The priest begged, slumping forward to rest his forehead against the tabletop, fingers gripping the wedding photo tightly.
A slender, pale skinned arm snaked over his shoulder, the hand coming up to grip his throat lightly, the threat clear.
"The girl or your wife's head. The choice is yours priest." The woman whispered, the inflection of glee in her voice producing a sense of terror in Sora's bowels the like of which he had never felt before.
It was the kind of fear that made someone's heart leap into their throat and pray to Kami for a miracle.
Sayuki… I'm sorry.
Slowly, as if doing so caused him excruciating agony, Sora nodded slightly.
The hand released its grip and the arm withdrew from him. The sound of cold, cruel and ghostly laughter followed in its wake.
Whirling around Sora found only an empty room greeting him.
HI NO KUNI- THE GREEN SEA
It had taken them a few days, but they had finally broken the cover of the Great Forest. The gargantuan trees had given way to vast plains of gently shifting grass and rolling hills. High overhead, flocks of birds made their pilgrimage south. It was getting colder and the birds would travel to warmer lands. Everything was so green, and he could hear Himawari gasp from behind as she took in the spectacle. Sasuke couldn't fault the girl her reaction. He remembered the first time he had passed through the so-called Green Sea of the Land of Fire.
"Where are we?" Himawari questioned in wonderment, shifting in the saddle behind him.
"This is the Green Sea." Sasuke informed her and Sasuke smiled as he could sense the next question on her lip before it had been spoken.
"What is that?" The inevitable question came.
"Technically it is the vastest plain in the Great Forest." That explanation was true at least. If they were to continue across the plain, then it would only take a few days to encounter the Great Forest's tree line.
"And what is it not technically?" The question made him smile.
"Think of it as the greatest crossroads in the entirety of the Land of Fire." Sasuke said as he used the reins to turn Kamui onto the small path cloven into the earth through the grass ocean before them.
Lifting a hand, Sasuke pointed to the North.
"Keep heading that way and you'll reach the Capital." Sasuke's hand shifted to point the East.
"About fifty miles that way is the Village Hidden in the Leaves."
"And in the centre of the Green Sea we will find the Fire Temple."
"The Fire Temple…" Himawari repeated under her breath so lowly that Sasuke wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly.
"We'll be there in a few hours." Sasuke informed her. With a click of his tongue and a gentle kick, Kamui set off across the grassy plain.
He knew that there was a large cobblestone road a mile or so to the North-west and so headed that way. It would make it easier to ingress.
Nodding, Himawari rested against Sasuke's back.
When this journey of theirs first began the movements of Sasuke's steed had been unsettling to say the least. Now Himawari didn't know how she had ever managed to doze off without the motion or the occasional snort from the horse.
"Wake me up when we get there?" She asked.
"Of course."
And Himawari sank into oblivion.
Their journey took most of the day. The sun fell further and further towards the horizon and the light turned the colour of burnt orange. The change in the light seemed to turn the Green Sea from an ocean of verdant green to one of fiery crimson.
It was so sudden that the sight of it took Himawari's breath away and she couldn't help the gasp from escaping her lungs. It was so beautiful.
"Suddenly makes the name 'Land of Fire' seem a little more appropriate doesn't it?" Sasuke asked her jokingly and Himawari covered her mouth with a hand to try and stifle her giggles. She failed miserably when instead of a giggle she snorted instead.
In that moment Himawari could've sworn that her face could've been seen from a mile away it flushed so brightly. Sasuke's soft laughter didn't help matters either.
The young girl decided that the only reasonable option would be to slap the man on the back of his head. Himawari smiled when the laughter ceased, and he craned his neck back to glare at her.
They continued their journey, passing the time as they usually did. Interposing stretches of silence with bouts of conversation about anything that came to mind. The topics would switch from animals they had seen in the forest to strange and wonderful flora that filled its expanse. Other times they would play games such as spotting games. Himawari would make frequent use of her strange new ability, the Byakugan whereas Sasuke would use his own odd eyes.
She enjoyed it when this happened as it made the games more challenging as they pushed their enhanced senses to the limit. Her eye had far greater range and field of view than Sasuke, but his eyes picked up infinitely more detail.
They continued like this until the sun had set and the stars filled the night sky. Absently Himawari felt that the stars reminded her of a million fireflies blinking softly in a vast dark ocean.
"We're almost there." Sasuke told her and Himawari nodded, still distracted by the view.
Roughly another hour passed by, this time in silence before Sasuke grunted drawing Himawari's attention back to the road ahead.
It was the torches that she noticed first. A great host of them scattered across the layout of the temple.
It was bigger than she had expected it to be.
As they got closer Himawari was able to make out more specifics. The temple seemed more a fortress than a place of worship to her.
Then again Himawari noted with a grimace, the closest she had gotten to holiness had been a broken-down wooden statue of buddha in the dilapidated shack where she had first met Sasuke.
Large wooden walls encircled the temple complex adorned with gently curved, tiled roofs. Large dark silhouettes lay nestled behind the walls, but their shape indicated they were buildings of similar design to the architecture of the fortifications. There were three such silhouettes but the central one was by far the largest. Himawari's eye widened at the size of it though she was sure that it was hardly the largest building to exist in the Hidden Nation.
I wonder if I'll get to see them.
Glancing at Sasuke, Himawari hoped that she would.
Himawari contented herself with scanning the temple and listening to the rhythmic clip clop of Kamui's hooves on the cobblestones as they approached their destination.
This time there were no games or snippets of conversation. This time they rode in silence.
This continued right until they reached the gate embedded into the walls of the temple complex.
THE FIRE TEMPLE
The gate itself was anything but impressive. A wooden portal designed with simple utility in mind over flourish. It was constructed of what appeared to be oaken planks of wood held in place by pig iron hinges and screws. In fact, the only thing about its existence that Himawari found worth noting was its height. The portal seemed able to accommodate their entry even on horseback.
Himawari frowned and considered asking how they were to announce themselves the temple occupants when with a great, wrenching squeal the right most gate swung outwards to them.
Without hesitation, Sasuke guided them through the gate. Once inside he did not stop and took them off to the side where Himwari spied a hitching post embedded in a small grassy patch. A tiny island of brown and green in the courtyard of stone which made up the groundwork of the temple complex.
Himawari dismounted and moved forward, patting Kamui's neck and taking the reins from her guardian. Sasuke nodded in thanks and, while he dismounted, Himawari proceeded to hitch Kamui to the post.
Giving the horse a pat on the neck she turned to join Sasuke who was already moving back to the gate which was now being pulled closed.
The man closing the entryway was dressed in a simple grey woollen robe and was adorned with a variety of bracelets and bead necklaces which jingled with every movement. A thin scarlet sash was wrapped around his waist. Even though Himawari couldn't remember ever having met one she knew that this man could only be a monk. The sash probably served an indicator of the man's position of service to the Fire Temple.
It seemed as if the monk was struggling to close the door by himself. The portal was not meant to be closed by a single person, even Himawari could see that. Himawari didn't know what to expect but she found herself surprised as Sasuke came to a stop a short distance from the monk and just stood there, waiting.
Himawari said nothing and merely walked to her protector's side and waited with him while the monk heaved. Her own actions concerned her slightly.
When she first woke into this new life, she would've rushed to help the man. Now, after everything she had been through, she looked upon the sweating man with a faint sense of disdain and amusement intermingled with concern for his health.
The monk had slowly turned the colour of a tomato with the exertion of his efforts. Eventually the monk succeeded and, taking a few moments to catch his breath, resting on his knees, he turned to them.
"Welcome to the Fire Temple travellers." The monk gasped in between huge lungful's of air. Once his skin turned back to a more normal hue, he looked at them expectantly with a smile. When they didn't respond immediately, the monk's smile took on a nervous quality.
Himawari was about to take a step forward to introduce herself but was stopped by Sasuke's hand on her shoulder and a small shake of his head.
"How did you know we were coming?" Sasuke asked and even from the limited experience she had with Sasuke's range of emotions she could hear the suspicion thick in his throat.
"One of our brothers spotted you from the watchtower and sent word of your imminent arrival." The monk replied with a jab of his thumb over his shoulder to a small wooden tower a short distance away down the wall-line.
It didn't look as if anyone were there, but they could've left or were just out of sight. Himawari was tempted to use her Byakugan to determine the truth of the statement. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge of how it would look to so blatantly challenge the truth of the monk.
"Pray tell…" The monk began after a moment of hesitation.
"Yes?" Sasuke drawled seeming as relaxed as if someone were about to ask him the weather.
"Why have you come?" The monk asked, wiping his brow with a woollen sleeve.
"Do people need a special reason to visit a temple?" Sasuke replied with an almost too casual shrug of his shoulder.
Himawari eyed the Uchiha warily.
He suspects something.
If something had aroused his suspicions, then Himawari would be wary too.
"Of course not, but you are no ordinary person are you Lord Uchiha?" The man answered with a nervous laugh. As if realizing what he had said the monk's eyes widened in something akin to abject terror and he dropped into a bow so fast and so low that Himawari worried he might snap himself in half.
"You know me." It was a statement, not a question.
"You have a reputation in these lands as you well know my lord." The monk mumbled from his almost prone position
"Reputation?" Himawari mouthed.
"It's a long story and not relevant right now." Sasuke replied with a noticeable grimace.
Filing away the information for later enquiry, Himawari turned her attention back to the monk. The monk hadn't returned to a standing pose and so, with a sigh, Himawari shrugged off Sasuke's hand.
Moving to the priest she touched his shoulder gently. The priest lifted his head and gazed at her with a mixture of confusion and… repulsion.
His eyes roved over her scars without reservation and Himawari resisted the urge to slap the man. Sasuke's growl stopped the monk's inspection and the look of fear returned in his eyes.
"I'm here to see Sora." Himawari bit out, trying to force down her anger at the man.
"The high priest? What business does a child and wandering ninja have with the master of the temple?" The monk replied.
"Where is he?" Sasuke hissed. His patience was running thin.
"I'm right here." A voice called from behind them.
Himawari and Sasuke turned as one to observe the speaker. He was a relatively young man, roughly the same age as Sasuke if she had to guess and he was dressed in the same garb as the other monk save for one key difference. Stitched in red lettering were various kanji running up and down the hem of his robes.
Himawari couldn't make out all of them but she recognized a few such as fire, hope and faith.
"It's alright Daiichi. You're always so defensive." Sora said with a small smile aimed at his fellow monk.
"High priest." Sasuke greeted with only the smallest of nods as an indication of his respect.
"You're Sora?" Himawari asked.
"I am." He replied with a smile and a wave. He made his way to the pair and crouched slightly so he could look Himawari in the eye.
"You must be Himawari." He greeted, that smile never leaving his face. Himawari could almost feel Sasuke shift uncomfortably beside her.
"How did you…?" Himawari began only for Sora to interrupt her with another wave of his hand.
"My old friend Kouda sent me a letter concerning you. He informed me that it was his intention to bring you here to meet." Sora explained before giving her a faintly puzzled look.
"Where is the old man?" He questioned.
"He…" Himawari began before taking a deep swallow. "He didn't make it."
"I see." Sora said softly.
"Kouda said you might know who I am and where I come from?" Himawari asked quietly, her eye scanning his features for… something.
"He was wrong." Sora told her stiffly.
"Oh." Himawari mumbled, her gaze dropping to the floor and trying to ignore the burning sensation in her chest. Try as she might, Himawari knew she was fighting a losing battle with the tears that were threatening to fall.
With a small sigh, Sora reached out and lifted her chin with his finger. He gave her a smile so wide that Himawari wondered if it hurt.
"I know exactly who you are Himawari." He informed her and just like that the burning sensation dissipated and Himawari felt the flare of something… else in her breast.
"Let's take this conversation inside. Night fast approaches and the evening winds can be quite chilly." Sora said, rising and turning. Without waiting Sora slowly began to walk away in the direction of the third tower.
Almost entranced by the hope of information, Himawari followed. Sasuke made to move after the pair but was stopped by the monk, Daiichi, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Lord Uchiha." Daiichi began only to shrink back when Sasuke shook his arm off roughly.
"What?" The Uchiha hissed his eyes glowing crimson, his Sharingan emulating his hostility.
"I need you to come with me my lord." The monk pleaded, his voice and posture subdued, as if afraid that the Uchiha might strike him down for the slightest irritation.
"Excuse me?" Sasuke growled rounding on the smaller man.
"We received a message for you my lord. In the event that might ever come here." Daiichi squeaked out, shielding himself with his arms as if in anticipation of being struck.
"Sasuke?" Himawari called out, stopping and turning to look at her companion.
"Go to hell priest." Sasuke spat before continuing on his way.
"It's from the Hokage." The monk called out.
Sasuke froze.
"Is everything alright?" Himawari called out, her expression morphing into one of worry.
"Everything's fine Himawari. I need to attend to something quick though. Shouldn't take me more than a few minutes." Sasuke replied after another few moments of indecision.
"Go on ahead. I know you've been waiting for this for a long time." He added albeit somewhat reluctantly. If there was a chance that Naruto had indeed sent him a letter then he needed to check it out. He had made an agreement.
"You're sure?" Himawari asked uncertainly.
"Hn." Was all the reply he was willing to give. "I'll join you inside soon."
"Come child." Sora called out, his walk slowing but never ceasing.
With an annoyed huff the Uchiha turned and beckoned for the monk to lead on.
"Where are we going?" Sasuke questioned, perhaps too harshly but he felt justified.
Something was wrong. Ever since they had passed through the gates of the Fire Temple his hackles had been raised and he didn't know why.
Sasuke hated not knowing why.
"To the storage room. We keep all confidential communications there." Daiichi replied.
That's a lie. If the communication was so critical then the High Priest would've kept it with him or in his quarters.
"Why not simply bring me the letter?" The Uchiha pressed, curious to see how far this went. Whether there were any more holes in the ploy to uncover.
"The Hokage left specific instructions with the messenger that the letter was to be read by you and you alone." The monk replied.
Interesting. That was said with more confidence. It might even be true.
"I see. And this messenger, are they still here?" Sasuke continued.
"No, the shinobi came and left days ago." The monk replied. There was sweat running down the back of his neck. Something which did not escape the shinobi's notice.
Another lie. Naruto prefers his frogs for such tasks, not his men.
Their trek took them through the inner courtyard of the temple complex, right past the main entranceway to the Main Shrine.
The courtyard was an exquisite location and Sasuke couldn't help but let his gaze wander.
It wasn't so much a courtyard as an intricate garden with twisting pathways of marble stone groundwork and there were small statues of sitting buddhas dotted throughout the verdant green.
This is not a practical way to approach a temple.
That was when something disturbing caught Sasuke's eye. It was so small that most couldn't be blamed for missing it.
Turning his attention toward it, Sasuke knelt down, ignoring the retreating form of Daiichi who hadn't yet noticed his guest's coming to a stop.
It was the grass that interested the Uchiha so. Or rather it was the handful of blades of red amongst the bed of green.
Reaching out Sasuke plucked a blade from the ground and brought the piece to eye level for inspection. He didn't need his doujutsu or his years of analytical tutoring under Orochimaru and Kabuto to identify the substance.
Blood.
"Lord Uchiha?" The priest had finally noticed that he'd stopped and for the first time Sasuke could hear the fear beneath the nervousness.
Interesting.
Scanning the surrounding area Sasuke looked for any other signs. There was still a good chance that there was an innocent explanation for everything.
The fear could be as a result of Sasuke himself. The Uchiha had found that he was equally revered and reviled throughout the Hidden Nations depending on who was asked and it was clear on which side of the line Daiichi fell on.
The blood was equally explainable. The monks were trained in taijutsu daily and the blood could simply be the result of a vigorous sparring session. Kami knows he'd shed his own fair share of blood in training.
Still… Sasuke was a paranoid man. It was the only way that he could be sure that he would survive he years he spent under Orochimaru's tutelage.
And it was his paranoia that allowed to spot the small inconsistencies in the environment. A few more bloodstained blades of grass, small gouges in the bark of the trees.
It was faint but there were signs. Something had happened here and recently.
Rising to his feet, Sasuke activated his Rinnegan. There were faint, remnant traces of chakra in the air. To his eyes they seemed to be thin wisps of purple vapour that hung in the air just above the ground. They were weak and getting weaker even as he gazed at them.
The patterns of chakra were erratic, all over the place but there was a trail if one knew how to interpret it.
Striding forward with blazing violet eyes the Uchiha strode across the courtyard ignoring the increasingly panicked calls of his monk escort.
The signs were getting clearer. Cracks in the stone floor as if impacted by projectile weaponry of some kind or another.
The trail led him to the stone steps of the main shrine. Before Sasuke could take the first step he found his path blocked by Daiichi who had rushed to intercept him. The monk vaulted the first three steps before whirling around to face the shinobi and bar his way with his arms widespread.
"You cannot go this way my lord." The monk said, his voice turning shrill.
"Move." Sasuke commanded. He had no time for this. Something was very wrong here and it didn't sit right with him.
He had been on edge since they entered the precincts of the temple. It was only the call of a letter from Naruto that had drawn him away from Himawari's side. Naruto and he agreed that the Hokage would only contact him when the need was great.
He was beginning to feel that that was a huge mistake.
"You cannot go this way my lord." The man repeated. He was shaking with barely repressed terror and in some small way Sasuke gained a measure of respect for the man. Trying to stop him was like trying to catch a hurricane with your bare hands.
"The monks are in prayer and must not be disturbed." Daiichi went on to say.
"Then why is it so quiet? If the monks were in prayer, then we'd be hearing chanting." Sasuke spat, his patience at an end.
"I won't say it again. Get out of my way." Sasuke warned moving forward as if Daiichi weren't even there.
"No! You cannot-" Daiichi began and moved to grasp at the Uchiha's form in an attempt to impede his progress.
Sasuke sent the monk sprawling onto the cold stone floor of the courtyard with an absentminded backhand. The Uchiha continued his ascent without hesitation.
In a few moments he found himself in front of the great bronze doors. Up close Sasuke could see that the trail of battle had made its way here as well. There were places in the metal that had warped and melted.
This kind of damage could only have been caused by jutsu.
Sasuke frowned as the scent of burning reached his nostrils.
Warily Sasuke reached for the great bronze ring handle on the left portal and, with a hand on Kusanagi's hilt, pulled.
The door opened with a squeal of tortured metal, a further indicator that the damage to the object was more severe than it appeared.
There was no need for Sasuke's eyes to adjust for the shrine was well lit. At the back of the shrine lay seated a gargantuan golden buddha. The statue was so tall that its head grazed the ceiling and the golden skin in which it was encased reflected the light inside the room such as to make the Buddha seem to glow with an almost unnatural sheen.
As impressive and intricately detailed as the holy icon was it failed to hold the Uchiha's attention for more than a fraction of a second.
It was the source of the illumination that grabbed his attention. At the base of the Buddha a massive pyre was burning away. At first glance Sasuke would probably have assumed it was a simple wooden pyre, odd as it may be to have one there.
It was the stench that gave it away. It was so overpowering that Sasuke could feel his eyes water and he had to cover his mouth and nose with a hand.
It was a pyre indeed. Stacked high enough to reach the Buddha's elbows. From his position by the door Sasuke could just make out the mass of tangled, charred and blackened limbs that served as the source of the inferno.
I guess that's where the other priests have gone.
It was then that Sasuke shifted his attention to what he felt to be the next most obvious thing in the hall. The dozens of black garbed shinobi scattered throughout the room. Their backs were turned to the door and each and every one of the figures was seated in a meditative pose as if in mockery of the sacred rituals of the priests who should have occupied the shrine.
Suddenly a scream pierced the air and Sasuke felt the hair on the back of his neck raise in anticipation. The voice the scream belonged to was a familiar one.
Himawari!
Even as the thought flashed across his mind the Silent Step rose as one and turned to face him as if they had known he had been there the entire time.
Black shapes dropped from the ceiling and streamed in from hidden entrances at the rear of the room, revealing themselves to be more Silent Step ninja.
This was a trap. Right from the beginning.
Where before there had been a dozen now a small army stood before him with more coming in droves behind them.
Even as he unsheathed Kusanagi Sasuke couldn't help but curse.
Hold on Himawari. I'm coming.
Wow that took me longer than I thought to type up. I actually intended to go much further but after seven different drafts and much internal debate I decided to split it into two chapters.
I hope you enjoyed my work and I am proud to return this story to its correct categories. This is a niche fic and I am touched by all those who wish to read and enjoy it.
Until the next time my faithful readers and please, if you enjoyed the story please feel free to leave me a review. I am finishing this chapter pretty late at night so this probably coming across as a little snooty and so I apologise. If I have made any mistakes be sure to let me know as well.
Until next time on Those Who Are Lost.
Chapter 18: Dark Day For A Hero