AN: Finally I finished this one. It wasn't easy with school and the other fanfics fighting for dominance. But since I've got holidays now it's easier to decide^^ I also apologize for the long break, but I was under constant attack of plot bunnies. I put them up on my profile, if you're interested in one of those ideas, send me a PM^^
There's one more thing I want to say before the chapter starts:
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you! I can't believe I got this much feedback with chapter 5, a chapter I rather forced myself to write. But I got over 30 reviews, the hit count is over 9000 and the story is on the alert list of more than 170 readers.
This really motivated me to continue this story since I actually considered putting it up for adoption, but with this many reading my story I can't do that, right?^^
Once again, I thank my faithful readers, you are the best^^
And now enjoy the story^^
Faroush
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"Speech"
'Thought'
"Demon Speech"
'Demon Thought'
Please R&R!!!
Chapter 6: Dance of Curse
Naruto's Sub-consciousness
Naruto sat down on the other side of the fire, facing his 'father'. For a while nobody said anything. They both continued like this until the Yondaime sighed heavily, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"You know, if we want to 'catch up' one of us has to say something at some point."
Although he tried to appear calm, the Yondaime easily saw the fury and confusion of the young boy in front of him. But could he really blame his son? The boy had never even seen his father's or mother's faces, or even heard their voices. Being an orphan himself Minato knew how painful it was to be alone. But his son had even worse with the Kyuubi damaging his body to this point. If only he had found another way…
But Minato's guilt trip was interrupted when Naruto finally started to speak.
"I… always admired you. Even when I saw you slaughtering hundereds of Iwa-nin in the Third Great Shinobi War… I still saw the great man who was loved by his village. And now that you're telling me that you're my father… I can no longer say I hate you for what you did to me. I doubt you wanted the Kyuubi to cripple me…"
Minato winced when he heard that. It was true, he had never thought that the seal powered by the Shinigami himself would fail. He had failed his son. Not only he had put the greatest burden on earth on him, he had also failed to at least protect him from the very burden he placed on him.
And as Naruto's voice slowly grew silent, Minato slowly reached out with his hand to comfort his precious son whose head hung low, his hair covering his eyes. But the father's hand was brutally slapped away.
"But why?! Even if I can understand why you placed this burden on me, why, just WHY DID YOU NEVER COME TO ME IN ALL THOSE YEARS?! I was so lonely, so incredible lonely! There are only four people who know of my entire existence, and they'll probably die before I turn 20, that is, if I even manage to live that long!"
Tears flowed freely from Naruto's eyes. Twelve years of suppressed emotions and hurt feelings finally poured out of him, his soul no longer able to hold the grief and pain he had kept inside him.
Just as the pain in Naruto began to surface, the pain in Minato's chest became too much to bear. He sprang to his feet and closed the small gap between his son and himself with one step. Then he hugged his son. For the first time in their lives, father and son hugged. Despite his initial protest Naruto soon stopped fighting the embrace and returned it. His tears never stopped. The young dreamseer had never cried in all these years. He had a lot of catching up to do. Naruto didn't flinch when his father placed his hand on the young boy's head and gently started to pet his son's head.
In this night two lonely souls finally found each other again. And for the first time in twelve years, they weren't alone anymore.
Basement of the Hokage Tower
Never had Sarutobi felt the force of his years pressing down on him this heavily. The eyes of the Hokage looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His face looked paler than usual and the wrinkles seemed to have doubled. No one would think that this man was the strongest warrior of the Shinobi Village that stood on top of the ninja world.
"Naruto… I failed you again. I couldn't protect you. I'm not sure if you can hear me, or if we'll even talk to each other ever again. I know my end will come soon, be it by the hand of my traitorous student or by time itself.
But know this: You are like a son to me, and if I could have taken your place, I would have done so. No child deserves the card fate dealt you. I wish you could have lived in a world where you could have been a normal boy. With friends, dreams… and your parents. Please forgive this old man who couldn't protect you, Naruto. And farewell."
Sarutobi slowly turned around and walked out of the room. At the door stood another person who looked like he was around the same age as the Third Hokage was. His right eye was covered in bandages, and since he walked with a cane and hid his right arm in a sling it was clear that this man got his fair share of war wounds.
His name was Danzou, and he was one of the four who knew about Konoha's greatest secret.
As the old Hokage passed his old comrade and rival, no words were exchanged. Although the two old shinobi had different opinions of how a village should be led, they respected each other for what they had done for the village. Danzou might be an old war hawk, but his philosophy was forged by years of war and struggle. And while he detested Sarutobi's peaceful ways, he knew that this man loved the village as much as he did. The Hokage protected the village from the light. But every nation needed a man like Danzou who did what had to be done from the shadows. Together these two protected the Great Tree that was Konoha.
"You know… You're a fool if you think we'll be able to keep his identity a secret forever. I'm afraid some rumors about him have already escaped to the surface. Nothing concrete, but enough to worry me… And you know my opinion about this entire affair."
The Third Hokage looked tiredly at his old rival.
"Yes, I know you wanted him to be put in a permanent coma and have his mind read by a Yamanaka once in a while. And I still say no Danzou, this poor boy has suffered enough, I won't take the little life has away from him too."
"I think it would be merciful. You see that the boy suffers. Why do you think did he try to kill himself? I doubt it was just to pass some time."
Danzou replied calmly. He knew that the Hokage wouldn't give in, that old fool was far too stubborn to listen to Danzou. But even if he disliked his old rival's ways he still respected them to a certain extent. Sarutobi was made the Hokage for a reason after all.
The Sandaime Hokage just shook his head. "Enough of this Danzou. We have a war to prepare. A job you enjoy I assume? Oh, and don't even think of trying to persuade my possible successors of your ideas concerning Naruto. I made sure in my will that whoever succeeds me will not harm the boy as decreed by the Fourth Generation and me."
With these words Sarutobi left, leaving an impassively looking Danzou behind. The old war hawk was rarely angered. He knew that his time would come. Absently the veteran soldier rubbed the bandages covering his right eye.
"Soon… my chance will come. And with this eye…. I shall become Hokage."
Somewhere in Konoha
After the strange event concerning a certain 'ghost' the Genin decided to call it a day. They were all exhausted and needed rest. They could still discuss the events of this day tomorrow. Furthermore, Shikamaru wanted to think about the whole thing first. Something kept bothering him… and he'd probably find no sleep before he knew what it was.
Once the group had split up, everyone was heading home. So was Sasuke. But he had the strange feeling that he was being followed. He turned around, and indeed, a moment later his pink haired teammate approached him. She was struggling with herself though; apparently she had doubts if this was the right thing to do.
"Sakura? What's wrong?"
There was real concern in Sasuke's voice. He had changed greatly since he had graduated from the academy. It took a great effort on Kakashi's part and some beatings by Haku to get him from his high pedestal, but he finally realized that if he only lived to kill his brother there wouldn't be anything to return to. Strength couldn't just come from oneself. By forming bonds with others you could do the same. The path of the avenger was a road Sasuke would never travel again.
"Sasuke-kun… Can we talk? There's something on my mind."
"… Sure."
The two of them headed silently towards the Uchiha compound. Once filled with people it was now almost completely abandoned. And without Sasuke, there would be nothing living inside these old walls.
Once they reached Sasuke's house, the raven haired ninja gestured Sakura to sit down.
'I wonder what this is about…' The Uchiha thought.
"Sasuke-kun… I'm worried. I don't know if I can handle all this."
"What do you mean? You've made a lot of progress lately – "
"No, that's not what I mean. Sasuke, we're still kids, no matter what we've already done. Can we really fight a war? I can't help it, I'm afraid Sasuke!"
At this point tears were welling up in Sakura's eyes. And Sasuke was unsure how to handle the situation. A ninja's life was never easy, everyone who entered the academy knew that. And yet many ninja sooner or later had an emotional breakdown. Despite how much they were trained to suppress their emotions, they always remained human.
Slowly Sasuke walked around the table they were sitting at. Unsure about what he was doing, he carefully took the now fully crying Sakura in his arms. She was shaking. Sasuke carefully patted Sakura's back as she cried in his shirt. He didn't care though. She was a precious friend to him, and why would he deny a friend a shoulder to cry on when he himself had often longed for one after the massacre?
While holding his teammate, Sasuke's mind began to wander.
'Sometimes our future just seems so dark… I wonder, is there a person who could banish these dark clouds? A person who truly carries the Will of Fire…'
Naruto's Sub-consciousness
Father and son had both reluctantly broken their embrace and now sat around the campfire. Neither said a word, but unlike before, there was no hostility in the air this time. And although Minato enjoyed the comfortable silence they both shared, the former Hokage knew that he had to tell his son about certain… things.
"Naruto."
The blond boy raised his head and looked at his father and wondered why the famed 'Yellow Flash' had such a serious expression on his face.
"There is a reason why I have appeared after all these years, and why you never found me when you dived into your mindscape. You see, after performing the seal I also sealed a part of me in here as a failsafe.
However, to preserve energy I wasn't locked away in your mindscape, where the Kyuubi is, but in your sub consciousness, in the deepest part of your mind. Only if the amount of youki coursing through your body reached a certain level I would manifest in your mindscape and restore the seal.
Don't get that panicked look, we're still in your sub consciousness, therefore the youki level is still tolerable. It is, however, strong enough to deactivate the barriers I placed around me in here, alerting me of the rising youki flowing through your body."
At this point Naruto interrupted his father.
"R-rising youki…? Do you mean the fox is slowly taking over my body…?"
His father nodded stiffly. He didn't like this topic one bit.
"I'm afraid he is. You see, I noticed that you developed the ability to leave your own body, much like the Yamanaka clan does, but even greater. However, the Kyuubi gave you this gift to speed up his own escape. Whenever you severed your ties to your body and took some chakra with you, you also pulled on the Kyuubi's chakra since they're both intervened.
Unfortunately the fox prevented his chakra from flowing out of your body, thus increasing the total amount of youki stored actively in your body. At the moment it's just resting there doing nothing. But I'm afraid the Kyuubi plans to use the chakra as a pathway.
You probably know that if a host uses enough of his tenant's chakra the beast can take over. Your body however isn't able to withstand the force of the Kyuubi's chakra in its weakened condition. Therefore he increased the amount in your body step by step, every time you left your body. And once he has reached the level he needs, the Kyuubi will break out."
Naruto was getting rather panicked by his father's revelation. Would the Kyuubi break out soon and destroy the Village? And since the Kyuubi was sealed within him and thus cut off from the world Naruto couldn't see if the Kyuubi broke out. It was as if someone had removed a variable from an equation.
"B-but wouldn't someone notice the increasing youki inside me? I mean, everybody knows the Kyuubi chakra, they'd get scared the moment it rises to a level where they can clearly sense it.
"I'm afraid the Kyuubi also though of this point in his plans. Imagine the Kyuubi's chakra is condensed into spheres that rest into your body. These spheres are sealed and don't emit the menacing feeling of the Kyuubi's chakra. But once a small trace of the Kyuubi's chakra seeps into these spheres they break open and release all the stored chakra. The Kyuubi is old and cunning. It's not called the Demon Lord for nothing I guess."
Silence befall father and son. But who could blame them? You didn't get such revelations everyday, and even the Yondaime looked like he was at his end of the rope. What could they do?
After what seemed like an eternity, Minato spoke up once more. His voice was lifeless and dull, just like his face. The only emotion he held could be seen in his eyes. They spoke of grief and suffering.
"Naruto… I have a plan how we might be able to save Konoha from the Kyuubi. We'll have to prepare for it, and if it works the plan will be set in motion at the final of the upcoming chu-nin exam. In fact we might even help against Orochimaru, but that's not important compared to the Kyuubi."
Naruto stared at his father questioningly. If he had a plan, then why was he so tense and resigned looking? Naruto swallowed hard. He had a feeling in the gut just why his father wasn't happy about the plan.
"Father… There's a problem with the plan, right?"
If possible Minato's expression became even darker. Just why did the gods hate his family so? First the Kyuubi attack, then the death of his wife and now this. Minato knew, once his soul completely passed on he'd go straight to whatever god who was in charge and deliver a serious beating upon him. But something else was more important now.
Minato looked into his son's eyes. A cerulean blue, just like his mother's…
"Naruto… This plan has one heavy flaw… A flaw I'd never consider accepting if there was any possibility that it could be avoided. But this time… there's no other way."
What is Minato's plan?
Will the Kyuubi break free?
Only time will tell… If the leafs will dance once more.
And this is the end of chapter 6, I hope you liked it^^ As it seems we're slowly coming to an end with this FF, I think I'll end it in the next 3 to 4 chapters. Not because I don't want to continue writing it, it's rather because I had an end in my mind which will soon come. But the last chapters will have a lot of action, epic battles and heartbreaking moments (if it turns out how I want it to).
But with my current pace the end is still in the far future, so no need to worry XDIf you have any questions left now, feel free to ask. ^^ I hope I managed to explain everything a logical as possible, but since it's just my theories of the Naruto world errors may occur. If there are any big mistakes, please tell me and I'll do my best to fix them.
Oh, and about the SakuraxSasuke scene, it's not because I want to make a couple out of them. I rather wanted to show just how much Naruto's enthusiasm and energy motivated Team 7 and supported them. Without Naruto and his 'Never Say Die' attitude Sakura and Sasuke are not as driven as they could be in my opinion.
Until we meet again,
Faroush