Tifa looked down at Naruto. She gently touched his face. Her fingers traced the edge of his mask before she pulled away. No, this is not how she wanted to see his face. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face as she went to change his bandages. It had been two days since that incident at the Temple of the Ancient, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
Shortly after they had finally stopped the bleeding from Naruto's wound, Aeris had disappeared. No one knew where she went. They just woke up in the morning to find one of the boats missing and Aeris nowhere to be found. Barret and the others were out trying to find her, but so far didn't have any luck. She prayed that Aeris was ok.
A groaning sound made Tifa spin around. Her eyes lit up as she ran over to Naruto's side. "Naruto-kun," smiled Tifa, as he slowly opened his eyes. She didn't realize how much she had missed those beautiful blue orbs until she saw them right there. He turned his head and looked at her. "Tifa-san," whispered Naruto.
"Just relax. Everything is ok," smiled Tifa squeezing his hand.
"You're lying," said Naruto.
Tifa smiled sadly. She should have known that he would see right through her. "Aeris has disappeared and Sephiroth has the Black Materia." A guilty look appeared in Naruto's eyes. The ninja sat up and winced a bit in pain. He leaned back against the bed post. "We have been searching for her, but we can't find any sign of her," said Tifa.
"Did she take one of the boats?" asked Naruto. Tifa nodded. "I can trace it then. I placed some safety seals on the boats for added protection. The chakra of the seals is unique and I can use the other boat to follow it." He started to climb out of bed and almost fell but Tifa caught him.
"You need to rest."
"Where are my clothes?"
She sighed knowing that she would not be able to win this argument. Carefully, she led him to the bathroom before going to get his clothes. Once he had his clothes, she sat down on the bed and waited for him to change. It didn't take long, and Naruto emerged from the room fully dressed. "Call the others." Tifa nodded as she pulled out her cellphone.
An hour later, Naruto and Tifa watched as the others showed up. They were all gathered in the middle of Gongaga Village. That is where the group had set up base while Naruto had been resting. "I am glad to see you are well," said Red.
"Ain't got time for that shit. Tell us what the fuck is going," demanded Barret.
"Talk about rude," said Yuffie. Barret glared at her but she stuck her tongue out at him.
Cid lit his cigarette, "what's the plan?"
"First we find Aeris. If there is anyone that can find a way to stop Sephiroth from using the Black Materia it is her," said Naruto seriously. That isn't why he wanted to find her and they all knew it.
"You know where she went?" asked Vincent. Naruto nodded. "Let's get the fuck out of here and find her then," said Barret vulgarly. The group headed out of the village.
Break
Naruto sat at the front of the boat staring out over the ocean. No one was talking. Everyone had something on their minds. Even the ever cheerful Yuffie kept her silence realizing the depth of the situation. Naruto only had one thing on his mind. Aeris.
He thought back to Midgar when he first met her. How she had helped him despite not knowing anything about him. She had went from someone he met in a church, to a close friend of his, then to a women he cared deeply for. He would gladly give his life for hers.
His eyes roamed over the others before looking out over the ocean. Each of them came from different backgrounds and had different views on life, but somehow they had all become friends. For the first time in his life, Naruto had friends. A hard look appeared in his eyes. He would not let anyone take them from him. Shinra, Jenova, Sephiroth, none of them would take them away. Even if it meant becoming a cold blooded killer like he used to. Naruto would make sure his friends were safe.
Bone Village
Rex yawned as he watched his men continue their digging. Another day of digging and another day of the same ole thing. Oh don't get him wrong, he loved this job. He really did. Good pay, good benefits, and every now and then he found something of real value. Just that after awhile it became a little repetitive.
Though the other day an interesting thing did occur. Some pretty women came through here and went straight into the Sleeping Forest. She completely ignored his men when they tried to tell her to come back. Beautiful, but mental. No one went into the Sleeping Forest and made it out alive. That forest was cursed.
"Yo boss, we got a couple of people here wanting to speak with you," shouted Han.
A groan came from Rex as he stood up. He fixed his cap and headed over to the entrance of the village where some weird looking individuals were waiting. They sure were getting a great deal of guests lately. Most people haven't even heard of this village.
Rex walked up to the man with spiky blonde hair and a face mask covering the lower half of his face. "Y'all need some help?"
"We are looking for a woman. She has brunette hair with a pink ribbon and wears a pink dress," said the man.
"Yeah, a woman came by here yesterday. She fits that description perfectly," nodded Rex.
"Which way did she go?" asked the women with the large chest and long black hair.
Rex gestured for them to follow him. They followed Rex to the back of the village where a large forest surrounded them. Unlike the forest that one had to walk through to reach the village, this one seemed to be alive. The trees swayed and a soft melody filled the air. "The fuck is wrong with this forest?" grunted the large black man.
"Call it the Sleeping Forest. She ran right into it. Hate to say it, but the chances of anyone ever seeing her again are slim to none. No one who enters that forest ever comes back out," said Rex. "It is a magical forest that actually moves. Once you enter it you become lost forever. No one knows why-"
The man with blonde hair stepped forward. "The music coming from the forest casts a genjutsu over any who enters. It confuses a person senses. Not only that but the trees cast a visual genjutsu as well."
A surprised look appeared in Rex's eyes. "An illusion huh? That would explain it," stated Rex rubbing his chin.
"What should we do Naruto?" asked the woman with long black hair.
Naruto stared deeply into the forest. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of cloth. Tifa and Barret watched as Naruto tied it around his eyes. They watched as he then pulled out ear plugs and put them in his ears. "I will go ahead. When I make it through. My clone will lead you through." A clone popped into existence much to Rex's shock. The clone sat on the ground and started to meditate.
"Be careful Naruto-kun," said Tifa. Her eyes were filled with concern. He nodded and shot off into the forest. She watched as he disappeared into the forest. Barret shifted uncomfortably not really knowing what to say to Tifa. "I am going to tell the others," he grunted.
Tifa took a seat on the ground and waited. She prayed for his safety. And the safety of Aeris.
Naruto found himself surrounded in darkness. The little five year old wanted to cry out in pain as shuriken and kunai cut up his body from every direction. But he knew doing so would only get him into more trouble. He tried to run but a powerful blow to the face sent him crashing to the ground. "Get up demon! If you are to be some use to Konoha then you must learn to fight without the use of your eyes or other senses. A true ninja can fight in any condition!" Blood spilled out of Naruto's mouth as a fist buried itself in his gut.
Several more blows rain down upon him. Naruto lie on the ground battered and bruised. He wanted to cry but ninjas had no emotions. Emotions were for the weak. A demon must be strong. Slowly, he stood back up. The life drained out of his eyes. His eyes closed. Not like it mattered as he was already surrounded in darkness. Leaning back, Naruto felt the wind of kunai pass by his face. "Not bad demon. But you need to do better!" Naruto raised his arm and channeled chakra through it blocking a kick. A surprised gasp came from his attacker. In a blur, Naruto tossed a kunai. The sound of gurgling could be heard.
The lights turned on and Naruto open his eyes. There on the ground choking on his own blood was his ANBU trainer. A man with one eye and one arm waked into the room. "Hn, let's go. Time to move onto your next training exercise," spoke Danzo. Naruto nodded and followed the man out of the room.
Naruto ran through the woods weaving around trees and dodging monsters. A ninja lived in darkness. The shadows were his allies. The environment his weapon. No matter the cost, a ninja always completed his objective. Never faltering. Never stopping. His life meant nothing as long as he completed his mission. Only death could stop him.
Save Aeris. Kill Sephiroth. Those were the only two thoughts that filled Naruto's mind. His speed increased.
Forgotten Capital
Aeris took her time walking through what was once the home of her ancestors. A smile appeared on her face as she visited the few homes that still stood. As far as architecture goes, the inhabitants of the Capital incorporated nature into their buildings, many having roofs made up from Conch Shells and other organic sources. The general layout of the area seemed to invoke an aquatic motif. Many of buildings have a shell-like appearance. The ground looked to be similar to the sea floor. Aeris closed her eyes and imagined this place when full of her ancestors. What a beautiful sight it was.
Once she finished walking through the village. She noticed the sun beginning to set. It was time. She made her way out of the village and followed a pathway that would lead to the center of the forgotten capital. As she grew closer to her destination, she thought back to what she needed to do. What she is about to do would invoke a magic equal in power to Black Materia or Meteor. But it would come at a high price. And there is no guarantee it would work. In all honesty, it was a gamble. One that she hoped would work.
There sitting in the middle of a small spring, sat a large seashell castle. She walked through the entrance and made her way through the natural wonder. The voice of the planet filled her ears, comforting her. It washed away her worries, giving her confidence. A hidden stairwell made of light appeared that led to a hidden section of the castle, deep beneath the surface. It led her beneath the spring and to an altar. Surprisingly, she found herself in the middle of another small spring that had towers surrounding it that connected to the surface. She hopped from stone step to the next one until she stood in the middle of the altar.
Aeris kneeled down in the middle of the altar. She closed her eyes and brought her hands together. "Please, hear me," whispered Aeris.
So lost in praying to the planet, she never felt its warning as a dark shadow fell from the sky. It seemed the shadow would consume her. A pinging sound filled the air and Aeris opened her eyes to see Naruto standing over her. He had a hard look in his eyes as his arms struggled to hold back the blade that would have killed her. "I see you have decided to show up as well." Aeris quickly rolled out of the way and turned to see Sephiroth. It seemed that Naruto had once again saved her life. But how did he find her? No one should have been able to make it through that forest in such a short amount of time.
"You will not touch her," glared Naruto channeling chakra to his limbs. He broke the stand still and forced Sephiroth back a step.
Sephiroth smirked, "you failed to beat me in the past. Do you really think anything has changed?" He swung his sword downward slashed right through Naruto who turned into a log. An amused look appeared in Sephiroth's eyes as he spun around blocking a strike to his neck with ease.
"Much has changed." Naruto began a relentless attack. Sephiroth continued to block each slash and thrust with ease. Naruto jumped backwards landing in front of Aeris before shooting forward. He moved so fast that after images of himself were projected. A surprised look appeared in Sephiroth's eyes as Naruto suddenly vanished. The former SOLDIER barely raised his sword up to block a slash that would have split him in two.
The blow had been so powerful that Sephiroth had to have both hands on the hilt. The alter started to crack before breaking apart. Aeris gasped as she fell downward into the water. She gasped for air as she broke the surface and a look of surprise appeared her eyes as she saw Naruto standing on the water in front of her. How was he able to stand on water as if it were solid ground? Sephiroth floated in the air with that same smile on his face. "You're too late. What ever Aeris=san came here to do, she has accomplished. I can feel the power coming off the materia on her ribbon," stated Naruto.
Aeris reached up and pulled out the White Materia. It is as Naruto said. The materia glowed a hazel green signaling that her pray had been heard. She smiled as a clone helped her out of the water. Sephiroth started to laugh. "You are right it is too late. Not even that will save the planet. The reunion will continue on schedule and Meteor will be summoned." Naruto narrowed his eyes. Some may see Sephiroth as overconfident and smug at such a time, but Naruto didn't. What he saw, is a man who knew exactly what Aeris did and how to stop it. He glanced at Aeris and he could see in her eyes that she too realized the same thing as him.
"I wonder," smirked Sephiroth glancing at Aeris. "Would you still want to protect this planet if you know what he has done." Sephiroth looked right at Naruto.
Aeris looked at Naruto confused. Naruto ignored the man's comment knowing that Sephiroth was merely playing mind games with them. Yet why did he feel so apprehensive. Why did he feel as if Sephiroth knew something that he didn't. "If you wish to learn the truth. Travel north past the snow fields and make sure to show the true colors of your eyes," laughed Sephiroth, as he flew away.
Naruto froze and a dark laughter filled his ears. That laughter, he knew that laughter. But, it couldn't be. No. "Naruto! Watch out!" Snapping out of his daze, Naruto looked to see something large emerging from the spring. He had his clone get Aeris away while he prepared to fight whatever was coming.
Out of the water rose an almost exact replica of the Jenova they had fought on the cargo ship. That seemed so long ago. Like him, it stood on top of the water. Naruto's hand started to glow a dark red. He swung it in an upward arc firing five fire spells at Jenova, remembering that last time they had fought it was weak to fire. The fire spells hit a green barrier surrounding Jenova and came right back at him at twice the speed. Naruto quickly dodged out of the way.
Naruto looked up to see a blast of blue flames coming straight at him. The flames swallowed Naruto up. When they cleared Naruto couldn't be found anywhere. Jenova then turned to face Aeris. The last Cetra prepared to gather her magic, but there was no need as a whirlpool suddenly appeared. Jenova couldn't escaped as the whirlpool started to suck it in. As Jenova grew near the center of the whirlpool, two water dragons burst out of the water and wrapped around Jenova. They didn't attack Jenova so they couldn't be reflected.
Naruto stood behind Jenova his left hand sparking with lightning. He thrust his hand into the water. Jenova screamed in pain as lightning coursed through its entire body. The water dragons binding Jenova also became surrounded by water causing even more damage to the monster. Naruto kept up the attack for forty-five seconds before ending it and collapsing to a knee on the water's surface. His injury from before still hadn't fully healed making him much weaker. Even his chakra reserves were at full strength.
A pulse within Naruto made him freeze. His eyes went wide. That chakra. Then again, that dark laughter filled his ears. A dozen bubbles of all sizes surrounded Naruto snapping him from his daze. Unfortunately, it didn't snap him out soon enough and the bubbles exploded in blasts that could rival his explosive tags. The blast sent Naruto bouncing across the water until he came to a stop. He lie on the water, his chest turning red as his old injury was reopened. Once again he found himself swallowed up by darkness. The sound of fighting filling his ears before he completely succumbed to the darkness.
Break
Naruto's eyes snapped open and he found himself in a place he never thought he would see again. He stood in a dark, dank sewer like place. But the water up to his ankles wasn't where his eyes were focused. He was too busy staring at the large steel cage in front of him. A dark laughter filled the air. His entire body tensed as a pair of blood red eyes followed by a row of teeth that would make a shark jealous appeared from behind the bars. "Did you really think I would die so easily?" The beast started to laugh loudly, it dark laughter filling Naruto's ears.
"Kyuubi."