Naruto's eyes glimmered as the center ring was encased in a beam of light. There stood the poised ringmaster, his striking presence sent a calming hush over the crowd, and with the tilt of his hat accompanied by a sly smirk he quietly spoke "Welcome to the greatest show on earth."
(0_o)
Naruto's eyes widened at the sight before him. The ringmaster was amazing, earlier he was a total asshole but there was something about how he poised himself in the ring that sent shivers up Naruto's spine.
"I hope you will enjoy your stay and don't be scared by our acts of prestidigitation, our death defying feats and our audacious attitude. This is the circus as crazy as it is colorful and it is our home. Now sit back." The man smiled.
"Relax" Naruto heard his words like a whisper in the wind.
"And enjoy the show." The ringmaster smirked and raised his arms. At his request the spotlights widened as people sprang forth from the tapestry behind him.
He stood at the center, stoic and aristocratic regardless of the commotion swirling about him. Naruto stared right into those coal black eyes. Why he didn't know, maybe it was because of that ever-present smirk, or the fact that the control of being ringmaster suited the raven in more ways than one. But Naruto felt that the ringmaster, regardless of all the joy happening around him was hollow. Those endless eyes showed nothing and that was the problem.
"Mommy look!" Naruto turned his gaze toward where the child was pointing. Up on a string sat and girl, twisting and turning in ways Naruto couldn't comprehend. Her pink hair matched her white and pink unitard and she appeared to be a blur as she moved on the tight rope.
Naruto was in awe, she was graceful and pretty, really pretty. As she danced up on the rope Naruto noticed that there was a dark blur coming closer to the girl the youth realized the imminent danger and jumped. Naruto's heart pounded as she plummeted down toward the earth, nothing except the hard ground waiting to catch her fall.
As If an angel covered in…green. Wait green? Yes a man…maybe. Regardless of the gender an angel dressed in a green unitard saved our falling dancer. He/she grabbed her by the waist and flew up to the second platform in the row of four. The dark blur suddenly morphed into the shape of a human and stood on the highest platform overlooking the crowd. The audience gasped as the being cackled along to the "hero's" horror. The green clad savior climbed the platform dodging the villain's attacks as he (Naruto just guessed it was a boy) continued to rise up the summit.
Suddenly our damsel in distress was no longer a damsel rather she was soaring once again among the highest reaches of the big top. Two other beings joined in with the antics flying around with the damsel each covered in glitter and radiating light. One with blue hair the other with blonde each smiling as they worked their magic over the dark being. The green hero stood on the dark man's platform and unsheathed his sword. A battle of wits ensued one that had the audience gasping for breath and Naruto anticipating the next moment of the battle.
No one saw the spark that began the blaze of light or the person, being the culprit of the deed, hiding in the surrounding darkness. The dark lord fell from his perch, black cloak swirling around his body as the flames of the fire below jumped in the air to meet him. The man was swallowed by the inferno as it leaped up towards the sky and cackled with each pop of the flames. A man emerged from the fire unscathed, much to the pleasure of the audience and stepped out into the center ring.
Damm Naruto thought as the brunette stood amongst the blaze. His long hair glibly swept across his back gliding over the dancing flames that scampered around his feet. Naruto was fixed on the man's flawless skin, seeing as he was shirt less it was difficult not to. Seconds passed onto minutes as the man remained in the fire, his eyes were white but Naruto was sure that those were merely colored contacts. Yet when those eyes fixated on Naruto he could have sworn he saw the man's pupils enlarge, if he had any that is. He quickly glanced down as Naruto squinted to get a better look at the man suddenly the boys arms lit up, designs dancing across his alabaster flesh glowing red with anger as they continued their cruel onslaught. The man smirked and in a flash was engulfed in red angry flames once they dispersed a small boy was standing there glaring at the audience. His bright red hair matched that of the fire around him yet was concealed by the dark top hat that adorned his head. He held up his hands and the cloak of darkness and light that surrounded him vanished until all the flames dwindled down to their primordial state. The audience gave a deafening round of applause as the boy stood in the center of the ring.
"Thank you" The boy spoke. His voice was gravely and quiet unlike the ringmaster's commanding tone.
"Many call it supernatural, witchcraft and wizardry some call upon the words abracadabra, hocus-pocus and mumbo jumbo to fulfill their desires. Others deem it as a slight of hand, an illusion or even trickery but my friends I tell you magic is no joke."
The fire sprung alive and swirled around the boy creating a twister around his lithe form. The boy laughed loudly and pulled off his hat as the fire flooded into the boy's hat like a black hole was sucking the flames away from the audience. With the flick of his wrist the hat vanished and his cloak ghosted away. The man's eyes widened and Naruto focused on the ice blue color that shown past the black eye liner. The man's lips moved yet Naruto heard no words at all though he saw a picture, like a movie but better and a voice boomed overhead making him shiver.
In a tiny little cave…(1)
Naruto looked around to see who was whispering in his ears yet nobody acknowledged the blonde so he shrugged off the cold feeling and paid attention to the ring once more.
"Some people believe that I am part of this show to pull rabbits out of my hat; the small animals may fascinate some but I detest the pests. Others believe I will wander the crowd importuning members to pick a card and though I don't allow myself to be grouped with my meager counterparts I still will require a member from the audience."
A dog is sleeping on its back…
Naruto felt his body lurch forward and his eye sight fade as the bright lights shone into his pupils. A hand came to rest on the side the blondes shoulder and he looked up gasping.
"So nice of you to join the show." Naruto started to quiver because he was now standing in the center of the ring and not it is comfortable set off of the stage.
"what happened?" The blonde placed his hand to his aching head.
Iron chains around his neck…
"This lovely lad has chosen himself to become part of the show!" the audience clapped and cheered for Naruto who stood in the center of the ring dazed beyond belief.
"What are you doing?" Naruto growled to the taller man beside him.
"Lighten up it's all an act." The man winked at Naruto who questionably looked toward the magician waltzing around the ring.
"Neji if you please." The magician motioned towards the brunette who picked up a large sheet and draped it over the blonde.
"Hey what are you…"
"Call down, like I said all part of the act."
But he's purring loud enough to snap…
Naruto nodded his head and heard the red headed boy mumbling some odd words then he screamed. At least he thought he did because the immense pressure his body went under would have caused anyone to cry out in agony, unless his lungs were caving in along with the rest of his body and he had no air to scream with. Naruto felt as if someone flattened him out with a steam roller and then attempted to make an origami swan out of him.
(now was that so difficult)
Gaara stared at Neji as the blonde squirmed underneath the sheet and nodded his head. Gaara's face remained stoic but Neji knew the questioning look Gaara gave him was one of uncertainty.
Nejji opened his eyes wider prodding Gaara to say the words; the red head complied and mumbled the magic then made a show of waving his arms and chanting in some ridiculous rhyme for the audience.
"He once was here but now he's gone his reappearance will take long. Though do not fret we have found a suitable replacement" Gaara winked, more so an attempt at a wink since it was Gaara and his face did not pull of the sly seductive act easily.
Neji pulled off the cloak for the audience to gasp at the large lion now standing the spot where Naruto once was. The members clapped an applauded forgetting all about the blonde boy who once stood in the center ring and entranced with the exotic feline prancing around the stage.
Backstage Sasuke banged his hand against the desk pacing around the room angrily. "Why the fuck is he here!" Sasuke threw a box at the wall watching it shatter as it hit the surface.
"I could feel it, that presence; it had to have been him. My markings don't react to anyone else's magic like that but his. It had to have been him."
Sasuke looked onto the screen showing him the show from an aerial perspective. He watched Neji and Gaara nod at each other and then transport the figure underneath the cloak and replace it with one of Kiba's pets.
Do they know he's here?
He wouldn't let them get that close to him but one of the two has to have felt him. He's strong enough and they would both recognize him in a sea of faces, the aura he carries is just so strong. So how did he conceal it so well?
"No matter. Kakashi, that good for nothing pervert, is gone and those two are the only ones with enough brain power to actually assist me and besides they KNOW he's here."
Why else would they have nodded before the moved the kid?
He grabbed his hat and walked out of his tent hell bent on finding the two lovers and demanding some answers.
Kiba and Choji stopped eating to acknowledge their leaders presence as he stormed out the tent grumbling all the way.
"Gosh I've never seen Sasuke to emotional." Choji commented.
"Eh hormones, must be on his period or something."
"But he's a boy…"
"So? he's gay right?" Choji nodded.
"But that still doesn't mean"
"KIBA get your ass on stage your lion is sitting on its ass in the middle of the floor with the crowd just staring at it!" Sasuke grabbed the animal tamer by his shirt and pushed him out the door.
Not a minute later Kiba came running back into the tent to grab his prop whip (he'd never actually hurt the animals) and smiled at Choji.
"Yup definitely on his period." The brunette ran out of the tent as Choji shook his head a sighed.
(yay for comic relief!)
"Help" Naruto asked as he sunk to the floor.
I see blood around his snout…
"What?"
A smile that's bigger than his mouth…
"Please help me!" Naruto banged on the cold walls pounding his fists onto the surface.
""
"What!" Naruto screamed.
"" It was as if the world was whispering to Naruto.
They come to hurt him everyday…
"Please someone answer me!"
"" voices calling out to blonde, distorted evil whispers working their way into Naruto's brain and haunting his thoughts.
And stomp him back into a crouch…
"No shut up!" Naruto grabbed his head and sank lower to the floor sobbing.
"Please just go away." That was the third time in Naruto's life that he had cried, the second time in his life that he had given up hope and the first time in his life that he had begged to be alone.
They will never quite cut through cause he's got a little piece of you…
(It's a sad sad story)
"Why?" Sasuke growled at the two men standing in front of him.
"Sasuke you have to understand."
"Shut up Neji, I don't want this 'you have to understand' bullshit! You are my best friend, probably my only one and you know what this means for me!" Sasuke screamed at the Hyuga and the cloaked figure standing next to him.
"Sasuke."
"No you're nothing. You haven't gone through hell and back don't talk to me like you know my pain!" Sasuke was fuming, the legendary Uchiha sense of control had been cast aside as he glared at the pair.
"Having a demon inside of you is not pain? You do know that my life is a struggle just to survive."
"Yes Gaara I know." The red head took the hood off of his head and stared at the Uchiha.
"And you do know that I can never be normal because of this thing, not that I would want to be but still the option was never offered to me unlike some people."
Neji and Sasuke both bowed their heads remembering the childhoods that they both had, the one that Gaara never got to experience.
"I didn't fuck up your life Uchiha you did and just because some demonic shit happened to your markings doesn't mean that I caused them. Something bigger is at work here and you know it. We all do. That kid..."
"He is definitely not a kid, I was a kid when he destroyed ME!"
"Who the child I have locked up in la terra del perso(2)?"
Neji looked between the two men and raised his eyebrow questioningly.
"What? No I don't care what kind of twisted experiments you are trying to do with the kid from the audience."
Neji opened his eyes wide and Gaara met the Uchiha's gaze dead on.
"So what IS this meeting about?" The red head demanded
"Where is HE?" Sasuke growled.
"I don't know who the fuck you are talking about Sasuke."
"You dam well know!"
"How, how do I know?" Gaara was losing it as was Sasuke.
"I can't say his name; I can't say it because he's the one who did this to me." Sasuke took of his black riding gloves and held out his blood stained glowing palms.
"The man who made me what I am today." Neji pursed his lips and looked downward; Gaara acknowledged the gesture and turned toward the raven.
"The man who took my life away from me, who trapped me in this." He pointed to his body.
"Without a soul."
"I know you Sasuke, even though you hate mortality you wouldn't give up your soul for nothing." The Uchiha grimaced.
"What did you get in return?" Gaara's gaze was destroying the walls Sasuke had mentally assembled.
"Power." Neji's voice quivered from the darkness, both heads snapped toward the brunette.
"He got unquestionable power, just like you always wanted eh Sasuke."
(cliff hanger whaddup)
Wow so I can't thank everyone enough for voting on what to do with this chapter hopefully you all enjoyed it because it was a pain the ass to write. Sorry I did not write for a long long time, I've had a lot going on with school and sports. Also my spring break was spent in Italy so I thoroughly enjoyed that but it did cut into my personal time. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and hopefully I will be able to update sooner but I honestly forgot about the story, well not forgot more like I was uninspired to write I felt like I had lost touch with the plot and the characters but it's not fair to the readers for the author to give up on a story, which I haven't!So I will continue on with the chapters and comment if you enjoy the story; I love to hear feedback.
Thank you all again and I hope you enjoy the story and for future knowledge I might be visiting Peru in May to see my family, I'm not from there but my mother is, so the next month maybe hectic we'll see.
-Noctillionine13
(1) The lyrics to Sleep and Dream by Battle of Mice and Men (I love this song! But it's not mine so I take no credit, all the phrases with the … at the end and italicized belong to Battle of Mice and Men)
(2) The land of the lost