ItsukoAkatsuki: Hiya everybody :) Hope you liked the first chapter. Sorry if it didn't sound right, I had the sections divided but the line didn't carry through so sorry if it seemed weird. I'll divide them different to prevent that. Also there's going to be little to no Final Fantasy characters in this, sorry if you were looking forward to them. In the movie there wasn't any romance, really, in the movie so there might not be a paring in this story but if there is it's going to be Sakura x Neji.
Summary: Ten years have passed since the war between the five nations and Tobi's attempt to dominate the world. The term shinobi no longer exists and the world is at peace. But when the three sons of Kakashi try to bring back the once Taka member Sephiroth, Sakura must come back and stop them before it's too late. Based off the movie, storyline wise. Summary sucks but it's better than it sounds.
Also, reviews are really helpful :)
#
Chapter 2: The Unwanted Reunion…
Sakura was going through the woods to Healin. During the fight with Yazoo and Loz Sakura got a call from an old friend, she replayed the message as she traveled.
"What up, fool, it's Killer Bee. I am the man, ya feel me?" Sakura chuckled and shook her head.
"Oil, Pinky! I just found the biggest goddamn oil field you ever seen!" he laughed loudly on the message.
"Surveying's done…so I should be able to get out there and see all yawls real soon. So let everyone know, all right, Pinky?" The message ended. Sakura was silent; apparently Neji hadn't told him that she had left Midgar.
Sakura began to slow down as the trail turned and curved around the place where Taka was now hiding. They couldn't go around in big areas without getting shit from the people that were still hateful against them for what they did two years ago, not that Sakura wasn't one of them. Sephiroth wouldn't have been created if it wasn't for Taka, Sakura could've been spending the rest of her days with what peace she still had but of course Sasuke wasn't one for peaceful measures.
Sakura's phone beeped and another message began to play, this time it was Neji.
"Suigetsu called again. He says to hurry, but he sounded kind of strange…so, be careful, ok? You know I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them…" The message ended and Sakura closed her phone. She parked her bike at the wooden staircase that led up to Taka's hideout.
The hideout wasn't hard to find if you were in the air but no one really went around Healin anymore. It was a small town surrounded by trees and water; it was a nice place to settle down, and way too peaceful. It was surprising that Sasuke would hide here but Sakura hadn't seen him in two years so something could've driven them there, what that was, Sakura didn't know. She took her time heading up the stairs.
When she got to the door she didn't bother knocking. She barged in, katana in hand, and blocked Suigetsu's weak blade. Using little strength she knocked him back and he ran forward. Sakura easily stepped out of the way and he didn't stop until he hit the wood railing outside. Before he could step back in Sakura slammed the door in his face.
"Okay, so you're good." Suigetsu sighed and knocked on the door. Sakura ignored him and locked the door.
The side door across the room opened and Jugo stepped in. He was dressed sharply with his eyes strained on Sakura closely. Sakura took notice at the swelling on Jugo's face, it wasn't the stigma.
"Yeah, Jugo, looking sharp!" Suigetsu said from behind the door.
Jugo suddenly drew a blade but Sakura was quicker, she held up hers at Jugo's throat. Jugo twitched a little but slowly backed away, frowning. Putting his blade back in its place.
"Good. You fight like the legendary shinobi you once claimed to be." Sakura jolted, the sound a motorized wheelchair came from behind Sakura. Without looking Sakura dropped her katana and stepped back. It's him…!
A man cloaked completely in a white sheet came in. Sakura couldn't see his face but she knew who it was. He stopped his chair at Jugo; Jugo crossed his hands behind his back.
"Didn't know you could be so obedient Jugo" Sakura joked. Jugo just glared at Sakura.
"Humph…you haven't lost your touch" Sasuke Uchiha complemented; Sakura ignored it and lowered her katana to the floor. She was in no mood to hear complements from Sasuke, of all people.
Looking at Sakura, Sasuke frowned and couldn't help but remember his building exploding, two years ago. A image of Sephiroth coming back, he clinched his teeth in anger but released it and raised his head to Sakura who muttered "Sasuke Uchiha…" Sakura shook her head.
"Do I feel sorry for you" Jugo shifted around and cleared his throat, Sasuke turned to him for a moment, and Jugo looked away.
"The day of the explosion—" Sasuke started but Sakura interrupted him with "What do you want from me?" Sakura was losing her patience already, she didn't like being close to Sasuke, she might lose her temper and attack him but she looked around for a distraction.
"…I managed to get out…" Sasuke continued as if Sakura had said nothing.
"Who were the guys that attacked me? They looked oddly familiar…" Sakura interrupted him again.
"…before it colla—"
"I'm leaving." Sakura turned but stopped. Sasuke closed his mouth and lightly drew his hand up to touch his left eye, Sakura couldn't see it, but it was heavily bandaged.
"We need your assistance, Sakura" Sasuke finally answered, Sakura was surprised.
Sakura shook her head "not interest—"
"I acknowledge that the name Uchiha has…owes the planet a lot" Sasuke's hand turned and Sakura almost gasped at what she saw.
There was a lot of stigma on Sasuke's hand, so much that his skin was wrinkled and old looking. The more chakra Sasuke used, whether it was training or not, the more stigma he'll get, Sakura determined. Her medical side coming back for an instant but she turned her concern off, this was Sasuke remember?
"It goes without saying that my company and I…are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in. There for, it's our responsibility to set everything right again."
"I'm still out here!" Suigetsu called from behind the door. No one took notice and Sasuke continued "our first step…we have commenced an investigation in Sephiroth's wake"
"Yup, at the Northern Cave!" Suigetsu agreed.
"What do you think we found?" Sasuke asked. Sakura remained silent.
"Nothing" Sasuke answered, Sakura could tell he was lying but she kept that to herself.
"Nothing at all. You can relax" Sasuke's sharp remark made Sakura's anger boil.
"However, not everything went as planned. We were interrupted by the same three that attacked you."
"Kadaj and his gang"
The name was reminder enough, Sakura stepped forward.
"Kadaj? You mean…those were Kakashi's boys?" Sakura sighed "I should've known"
"It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started. Really, what could they be thinking?" Sasuke turned his head towards Jugo.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"You're our buddy, aren't ya?" Suigetsu commented. Sakura kicked the door with enough force to silence him.
"Kadaj's group is young, violent."
"As if I couldn't figure that out" Sakura snapped back.
Sasuke smirked, "They are as dangerous as they come…and with this growing stigma killing us off one by one I decided that we need some extra…brain"
"Too bad, I'm a delivery girl now"
"You're the only one that I can trust…the only one we have" Sakura shook her head, he never changes
"Look, Sakura, even if you don't like to remember it there's no changing the fact that there was a time when all we could do was trust each other…when it was just you, me, and—"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Sakura snapped "You have no right to talk about—"
"—Times have changed Sakura, the war between us is over, and all I want is to make amends for what we—I've done. You can't forget what we had between us" Sakura shook her head, refusing to hear him talk anymore, and turned to the door.
"None of that exists anymore…it's all in my head, buried" Sakura unlocked the door and opened it but then she stopped. Something else was resting heavily on her mind, she turned around and asked "what's this stuff about…Mother? I know they're not talking about Hanare…"
"Why, did Kadaj say something to you?" Sasuke asked innocently, Sakura wanted to hit him but refrained. "No surprise…it was different when we were kids. Well, maybe not for you and me."
"There are plenty of kids that miss their mothers. That's the world we live in. I hear there are orphans living with you." Sakura remained quiet, her face registering dejection.
"Think about it. Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces?"
"All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Sakura." Sasuke reached his hand out to Sakura. Slowly, she turned and took a few steps towards him but stopped halfway.
"But I…"
"Come on, Sakura" Suigetsu urged. "Together, we can rebuild Uchiha" Sakura's face turned back into a frown, she turned and walked out the door. Suigetsu was forced to move out of the way; in her leave she muttered "not interested".
"Suigetsu!" Jugo sighed and pinched the bridge on his nose.
"Suigetsu…" Sasuke glared at him but Suigetsu just shrugged. "Just a thought…"
#
Neji opened the door and Marlene ran in, running past the pews, straight for Sakura's flowerbed. This was the place Sakura stayed when she didn't want to face anyone. The church was old and nearly destroyed; almost the entire top right corner of the building was missing. Letting the sunshine cast down on the flowers, making them sparkle. Next to the flowerbed was a rolled out futon and some heavy looking cases, closed and locked. Against a pillar were a small collection of blades and tools. Walking past them Neji couldn't help but notice Sakura's headband lying on the ground, left forgotten. Neji bent down and picked it up, giving it a second look. Using his thumb he cleaned some of the dirt off to reveal the symbol that the five nations used as their symbol of the alliance. He hadn't seen that symbol in almost ten years, his headband was probably somewhere in the rubble of what was left of the leaf village. Neji's leaf headband was back where it should be, around his forehead, over his curse mark. He almost missed the pain that came from it when he was reprimanded by his uncle or any of the Hyuuga elders. He missed that almost as much as he missed his cousin, Hinata, she didn't last long when the stigma virus broke out but she was already dead inside since the moment that Sephiroth killed Naruto.
Neji stiffened and dropped the headband on the top case next to her futon.
"Does Sakura live here?" Marlene asked, turning away from the flowerbed.
"I guess she does"
Marlene got up from her place and went over to where the locked cases were, Neji followed.
"What's this?" Marlene asked Neji but all he could do was shake his head. He turned and looked at Sakura's futon, there was another case but this one was wooden and didn't have a lock on it but Neji's interest was on the thing that was lying on top of it. It was a long piece of medical tape that was darkened, reminisces of the stigma.
Marlene came up to it and picked it up, looking up at Neji. "It's just like Denzel. Is Sakura sick?" Marlene looked very concerned.
"Why didn't she say something?" Neji asked, shaking his head.
"Did Sakura leave because she was sick? Maybe she didn't want to make us sick…"
"No…she just…wants to fight alone" He sighed, looking away.
"Fight?"
"No. Honestly, I don't think she will…" Neji was quiet for a moment.
"Neji?"
Neji waited for a moment then he draped a reassuring smile on his face and bent down to Marlene's level.
"Let's go home Marlene" Marlene frowned and ran to one of the fallen pillars.
"No! Sakura's not here yet…"
Neji took the discarded medical tape and straightened.
"I know…I miss her too"
"Yeah" Marlene agreed, a smile was back on her face.
"So…say she comes back…"
"We'll all go home" Marlene answered.
"Not until…she gets a lecture"
"Uh-huh" Marlene nodded swiftly.
#
There was a flash and Jugo and Suigetsu were on the floor. Loz's gun had been the result of that. Kadaj stepped over them without a thought and went to where Sasuke was seated.
"Boy…do I hate liars" he commented.
"I apologize. This time you'll get the truth" Sasuke looked down; Kadaj came to stand right in front of him.
"The object you seek fell from the helicopter…while we were running from you"
"My Taka members were rather clumsy you see." Sasuke, actually, smiled apologetically. Kadaj didn't know it but that was something Sasuke would never do. Not for anyone.
"Is that right?" Kadaj questioned.
"I swear it."
"Fine, then swear on this" Kadaj reached into his jacket and pulled out a bloody name card. He threw it behind him and it landed at Sasuke's feet. The picture revealed it to be Karin's name card. Jugo's was there as well but he had managed to get away on the helicopter.
"Why did you do this" Sasuke's Sharingan flickered in his eyes. His anger rising at the small teenage boy, he hated the fact that he looked so much like his father.
"We need Mother's power. The Reunion is coming and we need her" Kadaj turned and his pupil widened, his eyes resembled a snake's but the light bluish greenish color around it deemed it not so threatening. There was too much innocence in those eyes.
"Reunion?"
"My brothers and sisters who share Mother's cells will all assemble. And together, we'll take revenge on the planet. We've already sent out the invitations, but you know…someone's gone and hidden the guest of honor."
"Invitations?"
"The stigma. But you know all about that, sir" Kadaj started to step around the seated Sasuke.
"Mother's memetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen." Kadaj shook his head "She does so much for us, and we don't even know where to find her." His tone softened and he bit on his lip, troubled.
"But what can we do, we're just remnants of Mother's legacy. Until we find Mother and receive her cells, we can't be whole again." Kadaj stepped right up to Sasuke and whispered "Geostigma and a legacy aren't enough. Not for a true Reunion."
"What do you mean?"
Kadaj grinned and shook his head, "but, sir, surely you've noticed?
Then Kadaj stood for only a moment before he went down on one knee and bowed his head. Sasuke said nothing as slowly, very slowly, Kadaj began to raise his head again and for every movement there was an invisible wave of power, getting stronger as Kadaj raised his head. The room around them began to tremble under Kadaj's massive chakra rise. Kadaj's eyes narrowed and the look he gave Sasuke made Sasuke think of Sephiroth, the distant memory of him glaring at Sasuke, those same narrow eyes and the same grin.
Jugo and Suigetsu shuddered with the power coming off of Kadaj but they merely watched.
Kadaj grinned and then Sasuke felt the sting of the stigma, it was growing, until Sasuke began to fall forward.
Unconscious…
#
Zabuza's blade was jammed into the earth once again; right next to Haku's grave, where it had been before.
Sakura held onto the hilt of the sword for a moment longer, angered that Kakashi's boys would have so little respect for such a thing, knowing it was important to their father. The leather on Sakura's gloves squeaked with Sakura's clinched fists but she repressed the anger and calmed down, a grave was a bad place to show such action, even if it was fair.
Sakura bent down and rearranged the dead flowers on Haku's grave. The flowers, despite being dead, had been flattened by Kadaj's bike. She prepped them up as much as she could and draped them around the wood cross, happy enough, that it was still in its spot.
'I said I'd live out both our lives…' Sakura looked at Zabuza's sword for the longest time before shaking her head and turning away.
"Easier said than done…Naruto"
There was a flash and Sakura saw Iruka, his teacher grin on his face as usual.
"So, you all want to be shinobi, huh? Well it's not easy work and you have to hang in there even if you think you can't. That's just a small job that shinobi must do. Never give up or give in, that was the words past down to us by our previous Hokage. Learn to be great and to be yourselves, this is just the first step…"
Another flash, this time it was Naruto.
"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"
"So, what're you going to once we get to Midgar? To tell you the truth I could use some good ramen right about now"
Naruto…
Without knowing it, Sakura's eyes turned bright bluish green and the pupil became slanted.
"Why…it's because we're friends, right?" Naruto was smiling like always, his big grin was so hard to resist, you just had to smile back.
"Sakura, run!"
Sakura crashed to her knees right in front of Zabuza's sword. She grabbed her arm and lowered her head until it was pressing into the dirt. She cried out as the stigma pulsed, the pain getting stronger and stronger. Sakura could barely keep herself conscious.
She fell forward and the last thought she had was of Sephiroth's eyes…
#
The sun was still pouring down on the land where the old church stood.
Marlene was humming a song and touching the glowing flowers. Neji was standing behind her, watching her, and smiling slightly. He envied Marlene's simple happiness, even though there was a lot to be sad about she was still smiling and humming, her resilience was amazing.
Suddenly, the church doors were being swung open, and almost broke off the hedges. The heavy sound of boots echoed in the church.
Marlene, thinking it was Sakura, turned and got up. Smiling and laughing "Sakura!"
Neji looked at the entrance and grabbed Marlene before she got too far ahead. Neji's eyes narrowed at the man who had just entered.
It was Loz.
Neji backed Marlene up, past the flowerbed, towards a fallen pillar. His eyes never going off of Loz.
Loz smirked and reached for Marlene, "wanna play?" he asked her.
Neji's hold on Marlene made her unable to reach forward but even if she could she wouldn't, she was afraid of the big bulky man. He frowned and lowered his hand, stepping closer.
"I guess that's a no."
"Where's Mother?" Loz asked Neji, stepping closer again.
Loz stopped at the flowerbed and he gagged, looking at the bright flowers. He clinched his nose as if he was smelling fowl. He gagged again.
"Gross"
"Hey, where's Mother?" Loz asked again, his voice louder.
"There's no one here!" Neji yelled back, turning slightly so that Marlene was behind him.
"Fine. Play with me." Loz said forwardly, holding his arms up.
Neji pushed Marlene off to the side and she ran out of the flowerbed to a downed pillar, hiding behind it. Neji tied his headband and dipped low in a Hyuuga style stance, he had to use as little chakra as he could manage or his stigma would infect more of his chakra tunnels and the stigma shuts them down completely, making them useless.
Loz looked at Neji and laughed, "This'll be fun" he also dipped low, his hands at the ready.
Neji was the first one to strike. His speed was enough to surprise Loz into a standing position but he blocked with his weapon. Neji smirked and sent his hand up, right under Loz's jaw. It connected and Loz fell backward. Neji didn't give him the time to strike back, closing his fists, and using more basic Taijutsu he punched Lox in the face and guts. Loz was sent backwards again and he rubbed his jaw, amused.
Neji jumped forward with a spinning kick and Loz took a direct hit but he resurfaced quicker than Neji expected and Loz came close and shocked Neji right below the lip with his weapon. Neji jumped back defensively into the flowerbed. Loz chuckled and waited for Neji to run forward. Neji touched his lip, numb, but he shook it off and ran forward with a baseball slide. Loz easily jumped over him and into the flowerbed.
Loz was overconfident and before he could turn back to Neji he was right at Loz's face sending a flat palm into his cheek, in the same movement he get him squarely in the guts and sent him flying into the stone wall. Neji hesitated just a second to feel the small stinging of stigma. He had a small patch under his right wrist; he stung when he sent chakra into his palm. After being a shinobi for the most of his beginning life it was hard to resist doing it.
Neji, not waiting another second, jumped forward as Loz jumped back to get some distance. Neji jumped off the wall and standing pillar to give him a kick and it barely missed. Loz did a backflip and just as he stood Neji hit him again in the guts and then using his feet he propelled himself up and over kicking Loz in under the jaw again. Loz was knocked off his feet but like before he resurfaced quickly and was able to dodge Neji's next move, using his weapon as the block. Loz smirked.
They had a quick fight over who had more strength and Loz won it and threw Neji back with a full jolt from his weapon. Neji's entire body went numb as he tried to keep himself from falling. What is this feeling? Neji asked himself.
Loz jumped forward and kicked Neji back. He landed on his feet and Loz lunged towards him. Loz went to pin him against the wall with his weapon but Neji ducked, using his Hyuuga style for just a minute to close a chakra point in Loz's wrist, hoping to level the playing field. Neji pushed himself at Loz and sent both feet into his chest as Loz fell back, Neji jumped, but Loz caught his foot and sent him spinning. He crashed into the wood pews and they hit the pillars, destroyed. Loz finally left Neji go and it sent Neji flying into the stone wall above the flowerbed.
The wind caught the flowers and petals flew up and around Neji, he had landed against the wall on his feet. Looking up at Loz he clinched his teeth and flew forward at the smirking Loz. Again his speed caught Loz off guard and Neji dodged his weapon and hooked his hand in Loz's collar. He pulled Loz back and into the floor boards only to release him and kick him up in the air. He jumped and catching Loz around the neck he sent him crashing into the ground below. Neji landed cleanly, Loz didn't get up.
"Neji!" Marlene called and ran to him. Neji turned and smiled at the small girl, he bent down a little to catch her but they both froze when a loud ringtone suddenly filled the air.
They both turned to where Loz had landed.
Loz suddenly kicked the pew he had crashed into and stood up, he didn't stretch or make any movement that he had just been in a fight, Neji clinched his fists. If I could use my chakra he wouldn't be getting up!
Loz reached into his leather jacket and pulled a flip phone, he opened it without saying a word.
"She's not here." He said, his tone irritated.
"I'm not crying!" Loz suddenly shouted and Neji had the urge to laugh. The sight of a man, much bigger than him, crying was somewhat comical. But Neji knew something he was up and without his Byakugan he wouldn't be as quick to notice his movements.
Loz turned and looked at Neji and Marlene. "No, I got it…I'll bring the girl" Neji pushed Marlene behind him and dipped low again. Loz closed his phone and stuck it back into its place then he did something to his weapon. It extended with a hand rest and the two shockers came forward.
"Now, where were we?" he asked, dipping low into a similar stance.
But he suddenly straightened and kicked a wood pew straight at them. Marlene ducked to the floor but Neji crushed the pew with his Gentle Fist, twitching at the pain coming from beneath his wrist.
Then, without Neji's notice, Loz had reappeared behind Neji and stabbed him in his spinal cord with his weapon and sent his shock on full blast. Neji could do nothing but let himself get shocked. Loz kicked him forward and he began to fall but Loz caught him around the neck and sent his back into a pillar. Neji's vision was darkening.
Loz's weapon surged forward and the whole pillar exploded. The shock had gone right through Neji's ribs and he gasped, blood coming from his mouth. Loz then threw him into the flowerbed. Neji tried hard to get up but he fell back down again, his whole body was numb to a point where he was fighting consciousness.
Loz came to Neji and went down on one knee over him. He grabbed Neji's shirt and pulled him up. Neji couldn't do anything as Loz jammed his weapon into Neji's temple, he braced.
A marble looking object hit Loz in the head. Loz took his attention off Neji and let him fall into the flowers. Loz turned to Marlene who had opened one of Sakura's cases.
Sakura's case was filled to the brink with Materia, small objects that contained fresh chakra. They began to appear in the center of flowers after the Uchiha incident and they were expensive on the market, they were able to heal the stigma but not completely get rid of it, they were very hard to find, even for a shinobi.
Loz smiled with delight and got up. He walked over to Marlene, she had Sakura's medic tape in her hands.
"Sakura" she said before closing her eyes.
Neji was trying so hard to get himself up but it wasn't working so he yelled "just run!"
#
Denzel was shocked, the girl in front of him had said something but he asked her to repeat it.
"You've got the stigma too…come on, they're going to fix us" she said with a smile and this time she reached for his hand and helped pull him up. He went along willingly.
The girl was taking him through the alleys until they got to a truck where kids his age were climbing in the bed. The girl ran up to them and looked back at him, nodding her head to the bed.
Denzel hesitated for a second before walking closer and climbing in the bed, the little girl smiled at him.
At the front of the truck was Yazoo, he grinned at the children and went around to the other side.
#
Sakura stepped into the church, taking notice of the open doors and the broken pews, she looked ahead and saw that her case of Materia was missing. Sakura stopped at the flowerbed and looking at it she instantly saw Neji and rushed to his side without hesitation. She collected him in her arms and shook him, "Neji…?" he didn't move, Sakura began to get fearful.
"Neji!" she said louder. Sakura was about to shake him again when he slowly resurfaced. He breathed out and said "you're late…" Sakura sighed.
"Who did this?" Sakura demanded, she took a quick look around.
"…It…Loz, Kakashi's eldest…" he said, out-of-breath.
"Marlene!" he sat up quickly but then fell back, unconscious. Sakura looked around but saw no one, "Damn" she cursed but the she jolted.
The stigma in her arm was stinging again, like before. It was greater this time and blood started to drip from Sakura's mouth. She doubled over, releasing Neji into the grass. Sakura cried out loudly and gripped her arm. Liquid stigma had soaked through Sakura's glove and was collecting on the ground. Sakura couldn't do anything but brace against the pain.
Memories and images of Sephiroth plagued Sakura's mind. His vision was darkening again and she felt sideways. The pain increasing.
There was light and soon nothing…
#
TBC…
Thanks everybody and please review :)
Hope the battle scene didn't seem awkward and Merry Christmas.