Those Who Are Lost
Chapter 25
Heart of an Uchiha
Hello there my fellow fanfictioners!
It's time for the next chapter, I think. I love this story and the support you all have given me throughout, but I have taken so long to write this story that I slapped myself a couple of times and sat down to try and finish it. It's time to finish this story.
I'm sorry it took me so long to post but my grandfather passed away and it took me some time to grieve and recover, somewhat.
Disclaimer: I do not in any shape or form own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden or Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. These wonderful sagas are all the rightful property of Masashi Kishimoto, the true Sage of the Six Paths. I am just a humble Jonin walking the path of life and coming up with my own interpretation of what might've happened after Shippuden.
Now then enough of my senseless prattling! On to the story!
THE VALLEY OF THE END
Getting to his feet, Sasuke winced as pain shot up his left leg. The Uchiha reached down, massaging the limb as best he could while keeping an eye out for threats.
Not my best landing. No broken bones at least.
Not that he could blame himself for that too much. It had been a desperate situation.
At least I'm sure that the kunai hit its mark.
He had had just enough time to make sure of that fact before gravity took control and brought him crashing back down to earth.
But that didn't mean that everything had worked out.
Get moving Uchiha!
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke moved forward, doing his best to keep as much weight off of his injured leg as he could. The ground crunched underfoot, making him glance downward. The ground had turned to glass and what corpses there were around and near him were blackened, burnt husks with gnarled claws stretched to the heavens in suffering and supplication.
I forgot… how devastating Kirin is.
It had always been a last resort jutsu. Used only when no other option was viable.
I had to do it.
It was a strange thing as well. In the past, using such power would've sent an undeniable thrill through him. After all, obtaining power and strength had been his reason for living for so long.
But when he had unleashed the power of the storm, swept aside the hordes with Susanoo and the Rinnegan, torn his enemies limb from limb...
Nothing.
He had felt nothing. Only an impatience and desperation to be done with it all. His powers now only a means to a particular end.
To save Himawari.
His leg took the opportunity to remind him of his bad landing and the Uchiha grunted at the pain. He had put too much weight on the limb, causing him to stumble into a corpse husk on its knees, hands raised as if to shield itself from might of the Kirin dragon.
The moment he touched the husk it fell apart, crumbling to dust.
Making his way through the graveyard of bodies, Sasuke could see the flickers of Silent Step nin in his peripheral vision. He kept moving, closer to the tower and none of the shinobi tried to intercept him.
In fact, it appeared that they were fleeing, retreating now that the battle had been so obviously lost. As such he was able to make it to the tower's staircase without encountering any resistance. Any ninja who crossed his path, bolted in the opposite direction.
It seems even they know when they've lost. Rats always flee sinking ships.
Sasuke bit back a gasp of pain as another jolt of pain shot up his leg. Leaning against the banister of the tower's stairway, the Uchiha took a moment to gather his strength.
Sucking in a deep breath and readying himself, he began to ascend the tower as quickly as he could. Putting the pain of his leg to the back of his mind as he had been taught, Sasuke raced up the stairs.
He didn't slow down even as the last remnants of the Silent Step raced past him on the staircases and platforms in their bid to escape, though he remained fully aware in case any of them tried to take their revenge upon them.
If so, then he would cut them down without thought or mercy. No one was going to stop him from reaching Himawari.
He could only hope that she was alright up there.
If they had… No!
He couldn't allow himself to even think along those lines.
I can't lose her. I can't lose another child!
Snarling at one of the last shinobi who got too close, causing the man to take his chances leaping off the platform, Sasuke picked up the pace, the pain in his leg completely forgotten.
By the time he had reached the fourth platform there was no one left. He crossed the platform unmolested, the only sounds breaking the cool, night air being the occasional grunt that left his lips as he put slightly too much weight on his bad leg.
Regardless, it only took him a few moments to cross the platform to the final staircase. Each step there felt like it took an eternity. At last he reached the final step out and onto the fifth platform. As he had expected, Himawari was no longer bound to the cross.
But there was no sign of her either.
It doesn't mean anything.
He told himself that repeatedly even as he moved forward to inspect the cross.
Did they take her again?
"There's no one here." Sasuke murmured to himself when he was halfway to the place of sacrifice.
Am I too late?
Yet again, even as the thought crossed his mind he viciously crushed it.
"That's not entirely true Uchiha swine!" A voice spat from ahead of him.
Whipping around, Sasuke examined the new threat as an elderly shinobi stepped out from behind the central pillar of the tower.
It's him. The puppet-master from the battlements.
The old ninja, Tenchen, looked worse for wear. It seemed that he had been unable to escape Kirin's strike. Half of his body was blackened and burned, to such an extent that Sasuke found himself surprised that the man was still alive.
He must be in excruciating agony.
"It's over old man. You've lost." Sasuke informed him coolly. "Now tell me where she is, and I'll let you live."
"I would choose death a thousand times over before I would accede to you turncloak!" The old man spat, the skin of his blackened cheek tearing slightly with the motion, revealing the raw pink flesh beneath.
I don't have time for this.
"Have it your way then." Sasuke growled, stepping forward to make good on his threat only to freeze up.
Not in shock, pain or fear. His body literally froze on the spot and Sasuke found himself straining against some invisible bond. It was as if every inch of his body were bound in chains.
"W-what is this?" Sasuke grunted, staring at his limbs in frustration. His head shot up, one of the few parts of his body seemingly still under his own control, when the old man cackled.
"You're not the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve." The old man spat. His arms were raised toward Sasuke, as if he were conducting an orchestra.
Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he saw the threat. Thin strands of chakra connected the two of them, spreading like cobwebs from the old man's fingertips and attaching themselves all over Sasuke's body.
Glaring at the old man, Sasuke prepared to plunge the old fool into a genjutsu, his tomoe spinning.
"I think not, swine." The old man hissed. The little finger of his left hand twitched and Sasuke felt his Sharingan deactivate suddenly and without warning.
Well… that's certainly new.
Fighting against his bonds all the harder, Sasuke snarled at the old man. If he had just a little bit more chakra then escaping wouldn't be an issue. But he was running on empty, and the old man had seemed to sense it.
Fortunately, his enemy seemed to be in a similarly difficult position. His injuries were incredibly severe and Sasuke watched with vicious relish, every pained pant of breath that the old man sucked into his scorched lungs.
"Seems you don't have much time left old man." Sasuke gritted out. "Now where is the girl?"
The old man sucked in another ragged breath, sweat sheening the unburnt side of his head, and responded with a piercing look.
"I had heard so many stories about the Uchiha. Their power, their intelligence, their wisdom and ferocity." The old man replied, his hands were shaking slightly and for a split second the bonds loosened. Sasuke took the opportunity to advance another two steps before the old man cursed and forced his chakra into his jutsu, binding the Uchiha once more.
The look the old man gave him now was filled with pain, loathing and utter contempt. "You have to be the blindest, dumbest Uchiha to have ever lived to not be able to see the truth of things when it's staring you right in the face."
What truth?
Sasuke shook the thought from his head as he strained to take another step closer. Slowly, glacially, his left foot lifted and then moved forward to take a half step. The old man's eyes widened then narrowed at the feat.
"You are a strong one, aren't you?" The old man bit out, breathing heavily with the effort of keeping him in place.
He's not used to trying to control people who resist him. I'm no puppet though.
"Where is the girl? Where is Himawari?" Sasuke ground out from behind clenched teeth as he forced another step forward with his right leg when the old man let out a pained gasp and his hands wavered once more.
"The girl belongs to us, traitor!" Tenchen wheezed painfully.
"She belongs to no-one." Sasuke replied. "And I am no traitor."
"You betrayed Lord Orochimaru! You betrayed the Village Hidden in the Sound! Every breath you draw is an act of treason against Oto and the Master!" The old man barked, his eyes feral with rage and panic as Sasuke achieved another step.
"You won't be able to hold me for much longer." Sasuke informed him grimly as he took another step forward. There was only a short distance separating them now. Another five or six steps and he would have him.
The old man realized it too as he sank to one knee with a groan, forcing all of his chakra into holding the Uchiha back.
"I don't have to hold you forever Uchiha!" The old man croaked, fresh cracks rupturing on the scorched side of his body, revealing more weeping pink flesh beneath. "Just long enough for one of my brethren to arrive to finish you off."
"There's no one coming. They all lie dead or have fled for their lives." Sasuke pointed out.
Another step forward and the old man cursed blackly.
"We shall see traitor." He hissed.
"I never swore fealty to Oto, never wore their hitai-ate. Orochimaru always knew that one of us would betray the other. I simply won." Sasuke informed him, deciding to answer his prior accusation. He could feel the old man's strength waning as Sasuke was now able to move his arms, clenching his fists.
The old man opened his mouth to argue the point when another voice intervened.
"Tenchen." With an almost casual grace, Toyohisa climbed the steps to the final platform, moving to stand beside the elderly shinobi. He stood there in his red armour, scarlet eyes shining with an excitement that belied his bored expression as he examined the bound Uchiha.
Sasuke, for his part, eyed the Jashinist warrior with caution. Everything about the swordsman screamed danger. He kept resisting regardless. To stop trying to break free would mean certain death.
The old man, Tenchen, remained steadfast, his focus on keeping Sasuke captive.
"You will address me with the proper respect!" Tenchen hissed. Toyohisa merely raised an eyebrow in reply before turning to his compatriot and giving a low, mocking bow.
"My apologies, Lord Tenchen." Toyohisa drawled. Whatever admonition Tenchen had prepared to deliver to the Jashinist was cut off as he gasped in pain, his concentration slipping and allowing Sasuke to inch forward once more before being stopped.
If they had any sense at all then they would strike me down now.
"Did you secure our escape route?" Tenchen gasped, his unmarred, wrinkled skin covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
"The route is secure. Though I suspect escape is a moot point at this juncture." Toyohisa informed him with an amused smirk. He didn't seem to be overly concerned with Tenchen's injuries and leaned in closer to inspect them, grinning every now and then and glancing over in Sasuke's direction.
If Tenchen noticed or even cared then he did a good job of hiding it as his eyes remained trained on his jutsu.
"The sacrifice?" The words left Tenchen's throat strangled.
"I had a lovely view of her and Batou tumbling to the waters beneath us." Toyohisa informed him, his voice bored and at odds with the expression of his face.
Himawari fell?! Is she alive?
The thought made the blood in Sasuke's veins freeze and he could've sworn that his heart had stopped beating entirely within his chest.
"So, the child is dead?" The old man's voice quavered with a strange fear. Toyohisa stilled for a moment, turning to face Sasuke, his expression thoughtful as he considered the question. Eventually the scarlet warrior shook his head slowly.
"She could've survived. If Batou took the brunt of the impact." Though they came from his enemy, Sasuke could've sworn that he had never heard sweeter words. He felt the warmth of hope pierce through the cold that had begun to spread inside him and his heart started beating again.
"So, there is still a chance! You must find and capture her!" It was as if a switch had flipped and Tenchen's tone changed from fear to one of excitement. Toyohisa did not seem to appreciate the switch either as he turned back to the old man, his armour snapping with the motion as he did so.
"What?" The word was drawn out and coloured with extreme irritation.
"We can still complete the ritual!" Tenchen snapped. His legs were beginning to shake from the drain on his system that the extended use of his puppet master technique
"The anointed hour has come and gone Tenchen. We cannot turn back time." Toyohisa argued with a growl.
"Then we will take her with us! Find another way to complete the mission the Master gave us." The elderly ninja spat.
"The mission is a failure." The Jashinist priest insisted, thumbing the pommels of his swords with impatience.
Sasuke watched the exchange between them warily even as he kept struggling against his invisible bonds.
"You will do as I say! I am in command here, now kill the Uchiha, then find the girl and bring her to me!" Tenchen ordered. There was a vein bulging in his forehead. Toyohisa froze and it seemed as if the whole world froze with him. Even the air seemed to fall still. Then, finally, the warrior-priest nodded slowly and turned to face Sasuke. His grim expression at odds with the strange, all too familiar, light of madness in his eyes.
Then he unsheathed a blade, stepped forward and raised it high to cut his enemy down. Sasuke closed his eyes and let out a shallow breath, bracing himself for the end.
And so, ends the line of the Uchiha… No!
With a roar, the Uchiha struggled against his bindings once more even as he waited for the executioner's blade to fall.
"Do it now!" Tenchen screamed, his voice filled with complete and utter panic. What was left of his strength was about to fail him and all three of them knew it.
"Then it seems that I have no choice." Toyohisa grunted. A second later the air was filled with the sound of steel slicing through flesh and bone.
Sasuke felt the bonds holding him back suddenly disappear. He had still been struggling to break free when the hold fell and he ended up crashing to the ground as a consequence.
Eyes shooting open, Sasuke turned his fall into a roll and recovered to his feet, ready to meet the next attack, just in time to hear two dull thuds hit the wooden flooring. For a brief moment he thought that he had broken free entirely of his own volition but sustained an injury in the process until his eyes readjusted to Tenchen and Toyohisa.
Toyohisa stood there, blade swept to his side, the blood on it glistening wetly in the moonlight. Tenchen remained kneeling on the floor, arms raised before him to hold Sasuke back. The only difference now was that Toyohisa's arms ended in bloody stumps at the elbow. The rest of the elderly ninja's arms lay on the wooden floorboards, the blood from the man's stumps spurting out in geysers to stain the wooden material dark.
Tenchen stayed there, on his knees, staring at the ends of his arms in disbelief. Sasuke watched on, shocked himself, as Toyohisa moved to stand behind the old man, humming to himself as he went.
"Toyohisa… you traitor!" Tenchen gasped after another moment as his brain finally caught up with the events that had just transpired. Already the man's skin was beginning to take on a more chalk like complexion, the loss of blood heavily affecting his aged body.
"Oh no, Tenchen. I am no traitor, I assure you. I simply know when the fight has been won… and when it has been lost." Toyohisa murmured, reaching out to pat the elderly ninja's shoulder with his free hand even as the fingers of his sword hand flexed in excited anticipation.
"When the Master finds out what you've done… there will be nowhere on this world where you will be able to escape from his wrath." Tenchen's threats were weak and empty. What little strength remained in him was fading fast. He was already beginning to slump forward into unconsciousness from the blood loss and exhaustion. From there, death would swiftly and surely follow.
Toyohisa merely grinned that grin that set warning tingles down Sasuke's spine before leaning down to speak into Tenchen's ear.
"Ah but you forget that command of this mission was yours, as you saw fit to remind everyone at every turn." Toyohisa then switched over to whisper in the other ear, his eyes fixed upon Sasuke.
"I was unable to assist, hampered as I was by your distaste for my religion. Nevertheless, when I discovered you had been murdered by Sasuke Uchiha, I wasted no time in avenging your death before returning to the Master."
Upon hearing his name and the warrior's intent to pin the blame for Tenchen's death at his feet, Sasuke rose up, his eyes bleeding into crimson. Whatever protest that Tenchen might have countered with died on his lips, his eyes widening in horror and outrage as Toyohisa stood up once more, the hand leaving Tenchen's shoulder.
"Goodbye Lord Tenchen, I can't say that I will miss you." Toyohisa drawled before, with one fell swoop, the Jashinist beheaded the other man.
Sasuke remained stoic though tense even when Tenchen's head rolled to a stop at his feet. He remained silent even as Toyohisa wiped his blade on the shoulder of Tenchen's body.
"You killed him. Your own comrade." Sasuke finally allowed, watching the other man intensely. At any moment, the blade in the priest's hands could come flashing towards him. All it would take was a single instant of being unaware.
"The mission was a failure and he had outlived his usefulness. Besides, I do not think he was long left for this world in any case." Toyohisa remarked, casually picking up the old man's corpse and throwing it off the platform entirely to disappear into the waters of the lake entirely, before sheathing his blade and turning to Sasuke with that same damned manic grin plastered on his face.
"Besides, this has provided me with the opportunity to achieve my life's ambition." Toyohisa explained with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Which is?" Sasuke asked tightly.
"Why, killing you of course." Toyohisa answered with a deep frown, a truly disturbing expression when combined with that grin of his, as if he didn't understand how Sasuke couldn't know the answer.
"This is over. Your forces are broken, and your plan has failed." Sasuke bit out, ignoring the previous statement in an attempt to distract the scarlet warrior.
Distract him while I do what? Talk him down like the dobe used to do?
Something told him that talking down Toyohisa wouldn't have been an option even if he had Naruto's stubborn tenacity and idiotic charm. A point which was reinforced by the maniacal laughter that erupted from Toyohisa.
"This plan has failed. The Master has so many more." Toyohisa remarked once his laughter subsided, speaking as if were explaining something incredibly simple to an especially idiotic child.
"What?" This time Sasuke's whole attention was focused on the man's words rather than on figuring a way out of the current situation. "Who is this Master you all serve so blindingly?"
"You think you've won? That you've achieved anything with the destruction you've wrought here?" Toyohisa replied, sidestepping the question and instead gesturing with an open arm in the direction of the battlefield. "This is nothing."
"Insignificant. A small part in a grand play." The words were full of mockery and spite. "You could not possibly comprehend the scale of events into which you have stepped."
"It doesn't matter. Himawari will play no more part in it." Sasuke growled.
Toyohisa laughed at that, the sound chilling.
"What's so funny?"
"So many things. It doesn't matter anyway; you won't be leaving this tower alive." Toyohisa informed him, his tone now suddenly light and conversational, as if they had been discussing the weather.
"You think you can best me?" Sasuke questioned.
"Oh, I know I can."
Sasuke's Sharingan flashed at that.
"Uh uh uh. I'm well equipped to deal with that pesky little Sharingan of yours. Genjutsu don't work on me." Toyohisa replied, wagging his finger, that damnable grin still pulling at the corners of his lips. At this point the priest looked positively feral. Manic.
"Hn."
Sasuke turned away, walking back to the central pillar. Toyohisa watched him bemusedly as the Uchiha reached up to the sacrificial cross and gripped the sacrificial sword. With a tug and an inaudible grunt of effort, Sasuke pulled the serrated blade free. With a slight crack, the apex of the cross crashed to the ground when the sword was pulled free.
Turning back to face the Jashinist, Sasuke kept the blade hanging loosely in his unbandaged hand.
"Then I'll do this the old-fashioned way." Sasuke informed him, mouth set in a grim line. His Sharingan traced every muscle twitch in the scarlet swordsman's form.
"I knew I liked you." Toyohisa answered with a long, dark chuckle. The sound was nowhere near as insane as his laughter but still managed to send warning bells ringing in the back of his mind. Sasuke kept his form loose but ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
There's no way out of this. One way or another the only escape is death.
"You can't possibly win." The priest taunted; his grin so wide that Sasuke thought it a wonder his enemy's face didn't split wide open. Toyohisa raised a hand in his direction and began counting fingers. "Your eyes won't work on me, you've almost no chakra left coursing through your veins and your injuries are such that a light breeze could knock you over." When he was done counting, the Jashinist closed his hand, clenching his fist tightly. "And Lord Jashin has granted me my own brand of immortality. His blessed gift."
His or mine.
Sasuke watched on, impassive. This seemed to spark something inside the other man as his eyes glinted dangerously.
"I was made to kill you! Lord Orochimaru's final failsafe." The grin remained in place, though there was a distinct air of annoyance as Sasuke failed to react. The Uchiha's face remained stoic throughout it all.
Every second he rants is another second for me to catch my breath, regain my strength.
"Didn't help him in the end." Sasuke finally murmured, watching the flicker of emotion cross Toyohisa's features.
"No, it didn't." Toyohisa conceded, that prior note of annoyance tingeing his tone more clearly now. "I wasn't there when you killed him. I was finishing my tutelage under the priesthood."
With that, the scarlet warrior turned his back on the Uchiha and strode to the edge of the platform, looking on out over the destruction of the fortress turned warzone.
"Such beautiful destruction." Toyohisa whispered. Sasuke's eyes narrowed when he heard the all too familiar longing in the swordsman's tone.
I had been like that once. So blinded by the pursuit of power, the desire of revenge that it warped me.
Toyohisa revelled in the destruction, spreading his arms wide and breathing in deep.
Briefly, Sasuke considered simply striking first. Shoving the sword in his hand through the other man's back or kicking him off the platform to the ground far below. Two things held him back though.
The first, the logical side of his mind informed him, was that the man was a fervent follower of Jashin. It meant that if he had been inducted into the priesthood proper then he was essentially immortal. A sword to the back or a fall would not be enough to destroy the warrior. It would only annoy him.
As far as the Uchiha was aware, the only person who had ever successfully, and permanently, dealt with a member of the Jashin faith was Shikamaru Nara. Sasuke had never heard the full story of it either, a fact which he now regretted.
The second reason was far more basic. More… primal.
Honour. Or at least a shinobi's honour.
There was no honour in attacking his opponent in such a way. He had always faced his enemies head-on. He may have used moves and abilities that were less than honourable, taken any advantage he could make use of, but he had always faced his foes. There was a difference between fighting dirty and fighting without honour.
A long silence passed between the two, the only sound being that of the whistling wind. Toyohisa with his arms raised at the edge of the platform, as if to embrace the world and Sasuke watching him, the sacrificial sword in his hand ready for blood to be drawn.
Reaching up with one hand, Sasuke tore away the last remnants of his poncho. On his back, the Uchiha clan symbol shone in the torchlight.
"You're not the first to tell me that victory was impossible." When he finally broke the silence, Sasuke did so quietly, the words spoken levelly despite the wind blowing in their ears. Nevertheless, Toyohisa dropped his arms and turned to face him. The grin was gone now, all traces of mirth disappeared. The Jashinist watched him, his eyes serious and shining with deadly light, listening intently to every word.
"Not the first to tell me of how my Sharingan would be of no help to me." Sasuke continued, unperturbed by the shift in expression. He lifted the blade so that it was held parallel to his eyes. As he did so, the red of the Sharingan began to bleed to black, the orbs morphing into something else.
Red turned ebony as black turned crimson.
For a moment, both men watched in grim fascination as the flickering torchlight on the platform shone on the metal, causing it to glimmer in the night.
"Let me show you why all the others were wrong." Sasuke said, his eyes completing their transformation to the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.
Drawing his gaze up and down the length of the blade, the surface of the metal erupted into black flame.
The smile returned to Toyohisa's features but it was one that proved to be a curious mixture of bitterness and bloodthirstiness.
"Now this will be fun."
Her lungs were burning. Himawari returned to consciousness with a start. There was water everywhere. She felt the cold liquid seep into every pore and crevice of her being. Her now lilac eye opened in shock. There was nothing but blackness all around her and for a moment Himawari wondered whether she was still inside her own head. Back in the dark place.
She realized all too quickly that she was indeed awake and back in the real world. It took her a moment to remember what had happened.
I went tumbling off the edge of the tower platform… there was water below.
Her mind went into panic as she realized her predicament.
I'm in the lake!
She couldn't breathe, her lungs were burning. She had to reach the surface.
She had to breathe.
Himawari tried to swim upwards but found herself trapped. Looking down at what was keeping her in place, her eye widened when she saw that it was Batou.
His gargantuan arms remained locked around her, keeping her in place. The large shinobi was dead. That wasn't in question. His eyes were open, staring at her but there was no life in those yellowed orbs. His neck was twisted at an impossible angle, a piece of bone jutting up through the space between his neck and shoulder.
Himawari struggled against the corpse's grip, trying to break free of the dead man's embrace. It took her a few moments more than she would've liked to, to wriggle free.
Finally, she succeeded. Batou's arms came loose and Himawari took the opportunity to push free of the corpse, kicking off of Batou's chest to push herself away. For a moment she hung there in place, surrounded by cold, dark, crushing water. She looked about herself unable to find the surface.
Every second that she spent thrashing in the cold darkness of the lake, Himawari could feel the life slipping further and further away from her.
Remember Sasuke's lessons. Panic is a shinobi's worst enemy. Think logically.
She forced her racing mind to slow down. Did her best to see through the murkiness of the water for clues. The last thing she wanted to do was start swimming and aim for the bottom of the lake rather than the surface.
The bottom…
Inspiration hitting her, Himawari turned back to Batou's broken corpse. It was already floating away from her.
He should be sinking.
Following that thread of logic, Himawari waved her arms, manoeuvring herself to face the opposite direction to Batou. Steeling herself she began swimming.
It was difficult to see. The water was so dark, and the cold was seeping deep inside of her. She could feel it all the way down to the marrow of her bones. Closing her eye for a moment, Himawari channelled her chakra into the orb. When she opened her eye, her Byakugan shone with such immense power so as to dimly illuminate the water in front of her. More importantly it allowed her to see with greater clarity into the depths of her watery prison.
The longer she swam though, the harder it became to keep calm.
Just keep swimming.
Finally, as if in answer to her mantra, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. Moonlight reflecting off the surface of the water. It was still much further than she would've liked, her Byakugan extending the range of her sight, but it was a sign of hope.
It had probably been only a few moments more but it felt like she had been swimming for hours. Her lungs were burning, and blackness was creeping around the corners of her vision. It was a peculiar sensation as her Byakugan allowed her to perceive half of the world around her. Not that she paid much attention to it. There was only one thought running through her mind, all pretence at controlled calm gone upon sighting the surface of the water.
Breathe! I need to breathe!
It was on the edge of falling into unconsciousness when Himawari finally broke the water's surface. The young Hyuuga sucked in deep lungful's of cold, delicious, life-giving oxygen.
Her first immediate concern, air, dealt with, Himawari kept on gasping. The water was freezing, and she could feel her strength leeching from her rapidly. She and Batou had hit the water not too far from the nearest wall. Thankfully, a section of the wall near to her had been blown outwards, enough so that the waters of the lake had seeped into it. It also meant that there was easy access to solid ground.
Forcing her frozen muscles to obey her mental commands through sheer force of will, Himawari began treading water. Her progress was slow, painfully so, but she eventually made it to the breath. Pushing aside stray timbers in the water, Himawari reached out with shaking hands and grabbed the wooden flooring at the edge of the encampment, heaving herself up onto solid ground, Himawari crawled forward on her hands and knees.
Eventually the flooded section of the encampment gave way to dry ground and Himawari reached for it like a lifeline, dragging herself across the surface like man dying of thirst. It was then that her body decided to betray her, seizing up and preventing her from rising to her feet.
I can't stay down.
It was an easy thought to think but one that was much harder to make reality. Her clothes and skin were sopping wet and already she was starting to shake uncontrollably. Her breath misted the air in front of her and she could feel a terrible weight as her body tried to convince her to lie down and rest.
To let the whole world fade away.
If I stay down, I'll die.
Another beautiful thought to have when all she wanted to do was lie down, curl into a ball and sleep her life away. She gritted her teeth and slammed her fist down into the ground, trying to force herself to her feet but her body wouldn't obey her, seemingly content to stay put and shake uncontrollably.
The young Uchiha girl remained there, in a battle of wills with herself, until she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A headless body falling from the top of the tower hit the water with a sound that much more resembled a crack than a splash.
Himawari stared at the water for a moment, her Byakugan wide with shock.
Sasuke.
The thought was enough to return her basic motor skills to her.
I need to get to him.
Clamping her mouth shut to keep her teeth from chattering, Himawari finally found herself able to force her limbs into compliance. She got to her feet and, squaring her shoulders, aimed herself towards the first set of stairs leading up the tower's side.
I'm coming Sasuke. Just hold on.
Stillness. That was the best way to describe it. The two of them still as statues, facing off against each other on the uppermost wooden platform of the ritual tower. Toyohisa stood at the edge, his hands resting on the pommels of his blades, thumbing them. He kept up his grin but his eyes were filled with a glimmer of both fervour and caution. Sasuke's foot slid forward, his legs and arms bending slightly, ready to spring into action. He gripped his burning blade tightly with both hands, ignoring the slight tremor in one of his thumbs.
Even the wind had died down, the air filled with nothing but the crackle of the ritual tower's torches and the unnatural hiss of Amaterasu on the surface of Sasuke's sword.
Anything could happen at any moment. Sasuke's muscles, honed by years of tutelage, screamed at him to strike first and strike hard. His instincts, refined over a lifetime of battle, warned him that that was a mistake.
Sasuke always trusted his instincts first. The very air around his opponent seemed to permeate with lethality.
And then it began.
The wind suddenly howled, as if sensing the bloodletting that was about to commence.
If it hadn't been for his Sharingan he would've been dead already. In the time it took to blink, Toyohisa had unsheathed both of his swords and crossed the distance that separated them. His Sharingan caught the movement, and his body automatically brought his weapon up to block even as his mind struggled to process what was happening.
He's fast!
There was a resounding ring of metal on metal as Sasuke blocked an overhead strike from Toyohisa using both blades, his body shaking with the force of his opponent's blow. Even as he did so, Sasuke turned the blades aside, using the serrated edge of his own weapon to catch the katanas. Wasting no time, Sasuke threw his shoulder into the scarlet warrior, knocking him back a step and creating a small gap between them.
Toyohisa laughed, his blades already free and moved back in. His swords moved so fast they appeared little more than a blur to the Uchiha who moved to counter each blow, his Sharingan flitting wildly in order to predict the next strike.
The air filled with screeching as their blades struck one another repeatedly. Sasuke gritted his teeth as, when he blocked a particularly vicious sideswipe, a jolt of pain travelled up his arm. Before the other blade could slice through his neck, Sasuke spun inside the Jashinist's guard to deliver a lightning-fast jab with his free hand to his opponent's chest-plate. Sasuke let out a gasp as he channelled a little of his already meagre reserves into the blow. It wasn't enough for a chidori but the fist packed enough of an extra punch to have been able to kill a lesser man.
Toyohisa let out an 'Ooof' as the air forcibly left his lungs and he slid back across the platform several feet. The man's grin was gone for a split second as he let out a grunt and dropped to one knee. His chest-plate had crumpled under the force of the blow and the man had a sword wielding hand gripping his chest. It was clear that some of the ribs had been crushed and Toyohisa's breathing became irregular.
Sasuke, for his part, mirrored his opponent. Barely able to keep his grip on his blade, the Uchiha fell to one knee, sweat coating his forehead and kept sucking in huge lungfuls of air, trying to catch his breath.
"You know." Toyohisa began. "I've always been a little jealous of you shinobi and your ability to use your chakra in the way you do."
For a moment, Toyohisa's tone seemed almost wistful. Still breathing heavily, Sasuke lifted his head and gazed at the scarlet clad swordsman.
"Oh yeah?" The Uchiha managed to bite out, rising shakily to his feet.
I can't use anymore chakra. If I do, it will kill me.
Toyohisa met his gaze, his expression mocking.
"But then I remember…" He continued, rising to his feet with little effort. Sasuke watched in morbid fascination, the air filling with a sickening cracking sound, as Toyohisa's chest expanded outwards from its concave position. Pieces of the man's chest-plate fell to the ground even as his ribs reformed his chest.
"I remember Jashin's gift to me and how pathetic all shinobi actually are." Toyohisa finished with a deranged smile.
Saying nothing, Sasuke took in a deep breath then released it, gripping his sword in both hands once again. This time he wasn't waiting around. The two of them rushed forward at the same time.
Toyohisa spun his blades around in a figure-eight motion, creating a whirlwind of steel as both a shield and a weapon. Sharingan blazing, Sasuke spotted the gap in the blur of steel. Thrusting his sword deep into the weak spot, Toyohisa arrested the momentum of his blades to catch Sasuke's sword in an X pattern.
Using his forward momentum, Sasuke leapt up and over Toyohisa, twisting in the air to deliver a decapitating blow to the man's neck. The scarlet swordsman spun, his first blade whirling to deflect the flame-wreathed metal even as his other arm came in for a wide swing.
Fortunately, Toyohisa's turn had been too quick, and he had put himself off-balance. The swing was too wide and Sasuke had landed too close. The pommel of the priest's katana smashed into the side of Sasuke's cheek.
Sasuke felt one of his molars crack and chip and hot blood fill his mouth as he was sent skidding to the floor of the platform. Toyohisa, unable to resist the opening, took advantage of his downed opponent and stabbed forward with one sword even as the other slashed downwards.
Acting on autopilot, Sasuke rolled away from the stab and raised his burning blade to deflect the other one. Toyohisa pressed his advance and kept stabbing and slashing, forcing Sasuke to roll further and further away each time until the Uchiha found himself up against the edge of the platform. Letting out a cry of exultation, Toyohisa repeated his stab and slash.
Cursing, Sasuke rolled again, this time off the platform and into nothingness. His shinobi training kicking in, Sasuke's free hand shot out and grabbed hold of the edge of the platform. The maneuverer was stressful, and his arm screamed in protest at the action, feeling as though it were about to be wrenched from the socket.
Refusing to hang there like bait, Sasuke used the weight of his fall to swing out and over, back onto the platform next to Toyohisa, swinging out with his sword as he did. Not a moment too soon as the Jashinist's blades whispered over the space where Sasuke's fingers had been. The move had been lightning-quick, taking place in little over a second but Sasuke's blade found a home in Toyohisa's flesh. The sword raked a bloody path up and through the Jashinist's back-plate, renting the armour and casting a crescent of blood into the night air. Almost immediately, like a hungry beast, the black flames of Amaterasu leapt upon the Sound soldier, igniting the wound.
Toyohisa let out a roar, swinging around with both weapons in an attempt to kill the Uchiha, the black flames spreading quickly. Sasuke managed to back away in time, the edge of one blade shearing off a few strands of hair whilst another left a long cut on his other cheek.
"Yes!" Toyohisa hissed between gritted teeth, his eyes manic. "What glorious, exquisite pain! It brings me such joy!"
Even as the black flames began to eat away at his body, Sasuke could see the Jashinist's 'gift' working hard to regenerate the damaged tissue as nearly as quickly as it was destroyed. It was a curious effect where Amaterasu would peel away the skin and muscle of Toyohisa's back to reveal bone, only to be healed and the black flame would then rent and repeat the process elsewhere as the fires spread.
"Now it's my turn!" Toyohisa suddenly cackled, rushing forward at a speed that confounded all sense. The Sword of Oto thrust forward with one katana whilst he threw the other one up high into the air. As Sasuke intercepted the thrusted blade, turning it aside with his own, Toyohisa sprung his trap.
A fist slammed into the Uchiha's stomach, forcing Sasuke back a step and forcibly pushing the air out of his lungs. Sasuke's mouth filled with spit, blood and bile even as he began to swipe his sword toward Toyohisa's neck.
If I can cut off his head, then he won't be able to control his body.
The scarlet armoured swordsman spat in his face, causing Sasuke to close his eyes and flinch backwards to avoid being blinded. Pressing his advantage, Toyohisa reached out, grabbed his other, freefalling blade and swung down. The katana bit deep, slicing diagonally across Sasuke's body, from his shoulder, down across his chest all the way to his hip bone, before coming up and around to lock Sasuke's blade into place.
Sasuke let out a cry as blinding agony filled him. The cut was bone deep but fortunately hadn't hit anything vital. Using his blades, Toyohisa let out a savage grunt and ripped Sasuke's blade away from him. The burning blade went sailing through the night air, over the edge of the platform to the waters down below.
Feeling the heat of the black flames on the other man, now beginning to lick their way around to his chest, Sasuke reached out and grabbed Toyohisa by his hair. Hands fisted in the shaggy black locks, Sasuke decided to take a move out of the dobe's book. He let out a roar and slammed his forehead into that of the Jashinist's.
Unfazed, Toyohisa responded with a growl and threw the Uchiha bodily across the platform. Sasuke skidded across the wooden floorboards before crashing into the remnants of the sacrificial cross. He bit back a cry as his back thanked him roughly for his treatment of it by sending a blinding wave of fresh pain up his spine.
I'm getting too old for this shit.
A depressing thought to have when he was still so young.
He didn't have any time to dwell on it though as Toyohisa advanced on him again. His opponent's visage and form looked akin to a nightmare from a horror story now. The flames of Amaterasu had spread to his front before crawling up his body. The moment his hair was touched by the black fire, it was devoured in moments.
Though seemingly untroubled by the destructive power of the jutsu, Toyohisa's form remained in a constant flux of pieces of musculature, sinew and bone as the flesh and nerves were destroyed, then regenerated and so on and so on. The entirety of the man's torso and now his head were wreathed in black flame, giving him a demonic appearance.
The thought that the process could last for seven days and seven nights was a nauseating one even as the air filled with the smell of cooking human flesh.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Toyohisa mocked, advancing on the exhausted Uchiha. The words that spilled from Toyohisa lips, which were melting only to be replaced with new tissue, were hollow. Most likely as his throat and vocal cords were receiving the same treatment as the rest of him.
Toyohisa twirled one of his blades around before twirling mid-step and throwing the other sword in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke threw himself to the side and the katana embedded itself in the cross of the wood where Sasuke's head had been only a moment earlier.
Before Sasuke could recover, a hand gripped him tightly by the throat and hauled him to his feet. Toyohisa held on tight, letting out a satisfied hiss as he lifted the Uchiha by his throat, his feet dangling in the air.
"You never had a chance against me. I was born to destroy you." Toyohisa reminded Sasuke mockingly, squeezing his hand causing Sasuke to choke. Sasuke's hands went up and scratched against Toyohisa's forearm.
Damn it!
He couldn't punch his way out. Toyohisa was covered in Amaterasu, even now Sasuke could see the black fire beginning to crawl its way up the other man's arm. If he didn't do something soon then he would be set alight by his own technique.
Nor did he have the chakra to put out the jutsu or use a substitution to escape. Blackness began to creep around the corners of his vision as his air supply was cut off.
"That's right Sasuke." Toyohisa crooned, his voice filled with glee. "Just let it happen. It'll all be over soon and then you can join that pathetic excuse you call a family in the ground with the worms."
Fuck that.
Glaring in hatred at the grinning immortal, Sasuke reached up. With one hand he grabbed hold tight with Toyohisa's forearm and pulled so that the arm was locked straight. Then his bandaged arm came up, letting out a roar of defiance, Sasuke slammed an open palm into the man's elbow. There was a sickening crunch as the elbow bone fractured.
Toyohisa's eyes widened in surprise, for he seemed immune to pain, and the arm with which he had been choking Sasuke suddenly fell limp, releasing the Uchiha from his death grip.
Crashing to his knees, Sasuke reached out and grabbed the second sword, still embedded in the cross. With a yank he pulled the katana free and cut straight through Toyohisa's burning abdomen, opening up the man from hip to hip.
Hot stinking intestines glistened in the firelight even as Sasuke drove the blade home into Toyohisa's innards and then through his spine. As he did so, the Jashinist returned the favour with his own sword. Toyohisa's blade speared straight through Sasuke's left shoulder to the hilt, pinning him to the cross even as Toyohisa stumbled backwards and then toppled into two separate pieces.
Sasuke finally let out a roar of agony as the blade essentially stapled him to the wooden pillar.
I have to get it out, I have to move!
Fighting his way through the red haze that settled over his vision, Sasuke reached up and grabbed the katana's grip with both hands and pulled.
The blade wouldn't move.
Cursing loudly, the Uchiha put the pain out of his mind and tried again and again but the weapon wouldn't budge.
"An impressive effort." Toyohisa told him, his words slurred.
Sasuke's blow had completely bisected the man. Sasuke watched with a mixture of anger, pain, horror and frustration as the flaming upper half of Toyohisa pulled itself on one arm across the floorboards to his own torso.
With sickening, squelching sounds the man pulled his two halves back together.
After a few seconds, Toyohisa got to his feet. His movements were slow and unsteady and by the time he stood upright, his whole form was shaking, and the black flames were tracking their way down to his lower torso.
There was a horrific clacking sound as his spine reconnected the two halves and the split in his torso was already sealing itself.
"But ultimately pointless." Toyohisa drawled. Sasuke watched on in horror as the thing that had once been a man, now little more than a shambling and burning corpse that refused to die, drew closer to him. Toyohisa kept his grip on his katana, the sword now seeming fused to his flesh from the heat of Amaterasu. Despite his horrific injuries which would've killed a normal man a hundred times over, the swordsman kept coming closer, his free hand holding his intestines in while his 'gift' repaired the worst of the damage.
"Why won't you die?!" Sasuke roared, pulling on the sword keeping him pinned. His Mangekyou Sharingan blazed with the full force of his hatred. "Stop grinning and fucking die you bastard!"
Toyohisa kept his grin though now it was because the fire had burnt half of his face to the bone. His jawbone and teeth shone through the black fire, the other half of his grin making the whole visage entirely more gruesome and terrifying.
Toyohisa finally shambled forward to stop in front of Sasuke, grinning down at him.
"Looks like I finally get to achieve my life's purpose." The half-skeleton lifted its blade arm above its head, ready to strike him down.
There's no way out.
Sasuke closed his eyes, his mouth set with grim acceptance.
I'm sorry I couldn't save you Himawari… in the end, I'm not the one who saves people.
The sword began its downward motion, he could hear it as it cut against the wind.
Then he heard the thudding fall of running footsteps. He heard someone yell and then a crashing sound. The sound of flesh on flesh and the now too familiar cracking of bone.
And then he opened his eyes.
I made it in time.
She wasn't sure that she would. Her body had been soaked through and she had shivered uncontrollably, her fingers turned blue with the cold. But she had kept going. Through sheer force of will she had powered on; the movement and exertion had warmed her a little though her clothes were still soaked.
Hypothermia is the least of my concerns right now.
She had ascended the final staircase just in time to see some sort of monster, its back to her, standing over Sasuke. In that moment she let herself go. Her Byakugan could make out every detail of the thing that had once been a man. It's burning flesh and exposed bone, the blade in its hand.
Himawari acted on autopilot, running forward, the cold she felt a distant memory as she raced toward the only thing that mattered.
Sasuke.
The thing raised its blade to kill Sasuke and Himawari felt a mix of blind panic and incandescent rage fill her entire being, coursing through every vein inside her body.
No!
"NO!" The scream left her lips without a second thought even as she leapt through the air towards the duo. Subconsciously, her fists uncurled into palms and extended outwards. Fierce, blazing blue chakra encircled her hands. Chakra so vibrant and so dense as to be near physical. They condensed around her palms to the point where it felt as if she were wearing a thick pair of winter gloves.
As the word died in her throat she landed next to Toyohisa and slammed both chakra infused palms into his side.
The effect was instantaneous. The chakra layer seemed to pulse for a microsecond, holding off any purchase that the black flames might've had on her hands. Then the chakra around her hands seemed to explode outwards and towards Toyohisa. The man went flying across the platform, his feet leaving the ground completely as he did so. He sailed clear through the air for a moment before hitting the ground hard and skidding to the very edge of the platform on the far side.
"Well now… this is unexpected." The words came out as a half-gurgle as the black flames bubbled away the other half of Toyohisa's lips, revealing the full set of teeth and jawbone of the scarlet warrior.
He started to rise only to stop and realize that his torso had been separated again. Toyohisa glared down at his lower half before pulling it forcibly to rejoin the upper half
"I had just put myself back together." The Sword of Oto hissed, the sound accompanied by the crackle of Amaterasu and the now sickening smell of cooking flesh and burning bone.
Himawari remained where she was, in front of Sasuke, her palms still extended in her attack position. Realizing that Toyohisa wasn't going to immediately recover she let out a slow breath and adopted one of the Hyuuga fighting stances Sasuke had taught her.
Sasuke watched in shock, his whole being frozen like a block of ice as his mind tried to process what was happening.
Himawari, her back to him, raised her palms up and assumed a basic fighting stance. Toyohisa, seeming uncaring of the fact that his whole body was alight and being devoured by Amaterasu as quickly as his unholy flesh could regenerate it, cocked his head in amusement while he waited for his spine to reconnect once again.
"You will not touch him!" Himawari vowed darkly, blue chakra gathering once more around her palms. Her whole body was soaked and trembling, though whether from the cold or pure rage even Sasuke couldn't be sure.
"I will kill you if you touch him." Himawari reiterated, the chakra build-up making the air around her palms hazy and emanate a soft blue tinge.
"Himawari?" Sasuke breathed, the name leaving his lips like a prayer. He had abandoned his attempts to remove the sword pinning him, both his hands laying in his lap as he stared at her.
Himawari kept her Byakugan sight trained on Toyohisa but turned her head to look at Sasuke. He looked terrible. Exhaustion and pain evident in every facet of his being. The area around his throat was purpled and bruised and he was covered in cuts and other marks. The Sharingan blazing in his eyes was one she had never seen before, but she chose not to dwell on it.
As for Sasuke, he stared, eyes wide in astonishment at what he saw.
Her eyes.
The one eye was morphed into the Byakugan, though the lavender seemed to glow silver in the moonlight. In the socket where the other eye should've been there was, what seemed to be, a small burning orb of silvery chakra.
Silver fire.
That was the only way to describe the effect.
"It's okay." She told him softly, somehow managing to keep her voice from trembling. She turned her head back to Toyohisa and bared her teeth as the man got to his feet once more.
"This time… this time it's my turn to save you." She promised him.
Sasuke opened his mouth to argue. To tell her to run, to get out of there. To survive even if it meant leaving him behind. He was ready to say anything to get her to safety but it seemed she sensed his intentions. Himawari shook her head from side to side.
"No." Himawari said simply, pre-empting him. "I'm not running away anymore."
"Don't be stupid! You can't win this fight. If you stay, then you'll die!" Sasuke argued, his normally monotone voice now tinged with panic.
"No Sasuke!" The words came out with force and much harsher than she had intended them to, but they caused the Uchiha to fall silent. "I'm going to protect you this time."
She gathered the chakra in her hands once again, the air around them beginning to shimmer once more. "I will not lose someone I care about again. Not when I could do something about it." The words came out angrily and Himawari forced back tears even as she observed Toyohisa begin to make his way back to them, grinning all the while. "I will not run away again."
"Because…" This time when the chakra bloomed around her palms it wasn't a mere apparition of blue, formless energy. It was like, in the light of the moon above, a font had opened up inside of her, giving her access to an unbelievable source of power. She could feel the chakra coursing through her, the tingling sensation at the end of her fingertips.
The chakra blossomed, seeming to resolve themselves into animals of some kind. Two snarling panda heads, roaring their fury.
This time…
This time I'm not running away.
This time I'm fighting for my future.
This time I'm fighting for my family.
"That's my ninja way."
Woah...
I have no idea how this chapter got to be as long as it did but there you go!
Not my best work but as I said I lost a favourite family member so maybe my writing wasn't up to my usual snuff. I'm not good at fighting scenes and I know all the arguments for Sasuke auto-winning every fight but I wanted to try and make it reasonably realistic within the lore of Naruto.
Best way to do that was to make him exhausted, injured and practically out of chakra.
Hope it was believable.
If you enjoyed it then please please please leave me a review. I cherish each and every one that I receive.
Big shout out to my regulars.
See you all next time on
Those Who Are Lost
Chapter 26
The Way Of The Ninja