Konnichi wa!
YAY! WEEKEND! HAPPY! –chants-
Well, here's chapter ten!
WARNING: VERY BLOODY FIRST PART OF THE CHAPTER! IF YOU GET SICK FROM BLOOD OR FROM READING ABOUT BLOOD, SKIP ITALICIZED PORTION!
Even if it IS a particularly interesting italicized portion…
By the way, ANNOUNCEMENT!
Those of you who have read The Eighth Celestial Warrior to chapter 19 – this is for you!
You know the scene where Sasuke is drop dead gorgeous in that sexy kimono? Well, I have decided to throw a CONTEST! –cheers-
If you can draw the picture of Sasuke in the drop dead gorgeous kimono, submit it (or email it to me) to deviantart, then please do so! The best drawing of Sasuke in the sexy kimono will get a FREE DEDICATION ONESHOT! WOOHOO!
Also – anyone else who draws a fanart for any of my stories will get a oneshot as well!
You guys have two months! If you DO draw it, please submit it to deviantart and alert me that you have done so, or ask for my email address if you unable to submit it to the DA site.
Remember you guys – two months! I look forward to all of your fanart and contest material!
Chapter ten everyone!
Wingless Flight
Chapter Ten – Burning Cold
It was cold. Scorching, burning, freezing cold that numbed every part of his body but at the same time set on fire so intense that made him cry out, his screams and voice drowned out in the excruciating silence.
"I'm going to forgive him," he heard a soft voice say, the words echoing strangely in the vast darkness. "I'm going to let him live. I just want to tell him that, and I hope he moves on. He can't keep on relying on me to kill him – I don't want to. I don't want to kill him. I want to forgive – something none of my – of our – family was ever able to do. Everything will finally be settled between us – I can't wait!"
And the next moment something sickly was slipping through his hair, down his neck, sliding down his arms, dripping off his fingertips, staining his entire body.
Copper reached his nostrils, and he opened his eyes.
A body was before him, mangled beyond all comprehension – a foot had been tossed aside after being ripped from the body, the detached arm was laying on the bloody stomach, a huge, gaping hole had been torn in the middle of the abdomen while the other arm – still attached – was sliced down through the middle of the bone and middle finger. A leg – having been wrenched from the body at the knee – lay by the body's side. The other leg was still attached, but in shreds.
The head had been nearly severed, still held in place by a thin scrap of skin at the throat. Black hair lay in patches and blood stained the long strands. The eyes had been gorged out, the empty sockets forever staring at the sky.
A ring – gold and stained with blood – lay beside the body.
And beside the ring lay a pair of eyes – red and black and forever staring upwards.
He gasped and slapped a hand to his mouth, unable to take his eyes away from the grotesque sight.
"No…" he breathed into his palm and shaking his head in denial. "Nonononono…"
A giant wall of glass was in front of the body now, and he could still see it through the glass.
"This is what you've done," a strange, foreign voice that still sounded oddly familiar spoke. Then the glass wall shifted, and he saw him looking at himself, the body hidden from view.
But his reflection wasn't what he expected.
Black and red eyes stared at him, merciless and stained with the blood of countless of other family members. His face was deathly pale, his eyes wide. Blood stained his hair a sickening red. It stained his face, his shirt, his arms, his legs, his hands.
"This is who you are."
His eyes widened as his entire being began to shake. He stumbled back and shook his head again, his tightly closed eyes doing nothing to erase the vision in his head.
"No…" he breathed, holding his head. "No – stop it!"
Then the voice was inside his head, and he kept seeing the body, the blood – HIS face. The voice changed from one to millions in moments.
"This is who you are."
"You are no different from him."
"That's not true."
"You are as cold as he."
"No – no I'm not!"
"You are as ruthless as he."
"NO! STOP!"
"You two are exactly the same."
"No – we're not!"
"Don't deny it."
"You can't escape it."
"Don't go against it."
"It was in your blood."
"It was in HIS blood."
"The thirst to kill…"
"No – please – stop it!"
"You are exactly like him."
"No – STOP IT!"
"YOU ARE ITACHI."
"STOP IT!"
"SASUKE!"
He looked up, and Neji's eyes widened to see Sharingan blazing before Sasuke's hand hurriedly covered his eyes, feigning a headache, and willed them away. Peering at the third in the group through his fingers, his voice strangely clear after what was just flashing through his eyes, he said,
"Gomen, Naruto – what is it?"
Naruto pouted at him.
"I was just asking you if you wanted to go to get some Ramen now."
Neji saw something suddenly flash through Sasuke's eyes, and he felt concern surge in his chest, which he hurriedly attempted to push down. That look in Sasuke's eyes had made the Uchiha seem so helpless…
Sasuke forced a wry smile at the blonde.
"Gomen, Naruto, but I don't think so. Go get some yourself, if you like."
Naruto gaped at him, and then pouted some more.
"But you promised yesterday that you'd get some Ramen with me today!" He whined, taking Sasuke's hand and pulling on it childishly. "You promised!"
If he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to, you stupid idiot. Neji felt his mouth opening to say those very words, but he caught himself and snapped his teeth together. What the hell? He asked himself.
Sasuke caught him an amused glance, and Neji wondered if Sasuke knew what had just happened.
The wind suddenly rushed by, and Neji caught a slight shiver in Sasuke's frame, which was covered in only a simple t-shirt and thin pants.
He stood.
"Sorry Naruto," he said upon doing so. "But we need to get back. Hiashi is calling."
Sasuke cocked his head.
"He is?" Neji sent him a subtle glare, knowing that Sasuke was just being difficult.
"Yes," he replied stiffly. "Now let's go."
Sasuke nodded and stood.
"Sayonara, Naruto," he breathed, allowing the blonde to embrace him.
"Okay – but you're repaying me for this, Sasuke-teme," he replied, not a single ounce of venom in his voice as he released the Uchiha. Sasuke gave him a small smile.
"Hai, Naruto. Ja!" He turned and walked over to Neji, who nodded to Naruto before leaving.
They silently walked through the trees, listening to the wind whistling through the trees.
That's strange. Neji thought. The wind is abnormally cold for this time of year. I wonder if it's reflecting off Byakkou's mood.
Sasuke shivered again as the wind blew right into his back, slipping underneath his frail shirt and sending chills down his spine.
Neji rolled his eyes.
"Why aren't you wearing anything more than that?"
Sasuke shrugged, holding his elbows and pressing his arms into his sides.
"Hiashi-san didn't give me anymore than this," he replied. "I wasn't allowed to retrieve the clothes from my apartment, and usually temperature isn't much of a problem this time of year. The wind is strangely cold today though."
Like a burning, scorching, FREEZING cold –
Neji gave a soft sigh and looked out at the trees.
"Yeah," he breathed softly, the wind doing nothing to chill him through his long-sleeved shirt and heavy pants. "It is."
Sasuke suddenly stopped, turning his head upwards at the sky.
Neji noticed his pause and stopped as well, turning to face the Uchiha.
"Sasuke?" He asked. "What is it?"
The Uchiha's eyes were dull.
"Something's coming," he breathed softly as he looked upward, lost in his own thoughts as Neji went forward. "Something bad."
"What're you talking about?" Neji asked him. "What's coming that's so bad?"
Sasuke didn't look at him, not even when they were standing with barely a foot between them.
"They're coming," he breathed again. "Akiada…"
That word seemed familiar to the Hyuuga, but why, he couldn't place.
"Akiada? What is that? Hey – Sasuke!"
The Uchiha's eyes had closed and his knees had collapsed, his petite body falling into Neji's arms.
"Oh, dear." Neji looked up to see the giant turtle a few yards away. The Hyuuga picked up Sasuke's small body easily.
"Genbu, what's happening?" He asked. "Why did he suddenly collapse?"
The turtle just shook his head.
"I was hoping they weren't going to appear here. But I think the war JUST got a little harder to prevent."
"What're you talking about?" Neji asked, completely lost. "What is going on? Who is THEY?"
Genbu sighed.
"THEY, Byakkou child," he repeated. "The Akiada – Demons of Death."
The wind was still blowing cold.
End Chapter Ten – Burning Cold
Akiada… such a cool name! XD
I hope you guys liked it!
Please review!
And please remember! Two months!
Ja ne!
DDB