Anthem Of My Dying Days
Author's note :
- a huge THANK YOU for DemonKid for his review, which is the 1st review for this fanfic. I will push myself harder to figure out any new and extra-amazing ideas to make this fanfic more stylish and different from other fanfics.
- no ultimate pairing in this fanfic, except for a lil bit of sasuXsaku, kenXtomoe, saitouXtokio and maybe a whole page for naruXhina.. (hi,hi)
that's all... plz keep on reading and giving your own comments... I need those to improve my writing... thanks for everything, especially the supports!!!
Fan : Ganbatte Hitokiri-san!!!
TheEyesOfAHitokiri : hai, sou desu!!!
Episode 2 : Two Different Places, Two Different Situations
The Imperial Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan
That morning is a totally calm morning, suitable for a highly-skilled samurai to meditate besides training his senses, power of instincts and Ki. It is even more nice when a refreshing morning breeze blows, making the environment of the Imperial Bamboo Forest a perfect place for a samurai to train and enhances their skills and techniques. Rumours said that during Tokugawa shogunate rule, the Imperial Bamboo Forest is a forbidden place for a mere citizens and ordinary shogunate officers to enter, since the place is reserved just only for samurai from Tokugawa families. But now in Meiji era, everything has changed due to the Meiji government's policy, which follows the true implementation of democracy and parliamentary system.
K-changggg!!!! K-changgg!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-tsui-sen!!!
After a quite moments of silence, a sound of two samurai swords collide into each other break the peace environment of the forest. The sound continues for a couple of minutes, before dissappears... then the sound seems to appear again.
K-changgggg!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ikazuchi Ryu-tsui-sen!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-kan-sen Garami!!!
"You're too slow, for a highly-skilled samurai... Naruto-kun!!! Don't be too hesitate to give some fatal blows to the enemies!!!" voice suddenly have been heard through the midst of the bamboo forest.
K-channgggg!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-kan-sen!!! Do-ryu-sen!!!!
"I just can't increase more speed, Kenshin-sensei!!! What must I do to achieve the god-like speed??"
The training session stops for a moment. It seems that Kenshin Himura is still unsatisfies with Naruto's progress of swordmanship.
"Naruto-kun, you're holding a sword in the wrong way... you should holding the sword according to the samurai style by pointing the blade of your sword to the enemy to show them that you're not afraid of them, not to hide the sword behind your back just like the ninja style of sword-fighting... that is the most disgusting ways of sword-fighting, de gozaru..."
"Sorry, I'm just carried away with my previous taijutsu session with Kakashi-sensei... can we continue our training session?"
"Before that, there will be 2 hours more for you to spend for technique learning with sessha... after that, sessha will leave your for the whole afternoon to buy some ramen for you and some riceballs for sessha, that time you will enchance your skills all by yourself... then in the evening we will meditate besides sharpening our senses, instincts and Ki... okay??"
"Okay... Kenshin-sensei..."
"Good luck, Naruto-kun... and don't forget about your reasons to be a samurai, sessha sure that will push you harder and harder..."
"Thanks for your advices...I appreciate them very much!!!"
That time Naruto realizes that he is one step closer to the state of being stronger and stronger within day by day, due to his strong will of learning and remembering the whole steps and techniques that he has learnt from Kenshin. Those advices that was given by Kenshin seems having a great impact on Naruto, and he continues training and training without caring too much about his pains. For what reasons he should worry now since he had left his broken heart behind, along with his dying love towards Sakura, the brotherhood bond between him and Sasuke, the friendship between him and the rest of Konohakagure ninja such as Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Neji, Rock Lee, Sai, Chouji, Shikamaru and his family-like relationship with Tsunade-bachan, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei and Shizune-senpai. Naruto's heart tells him that someday he will be coming back to Konoha Village whether he refuses it or not. So, he must change his name, his hairstyle and colour to avoid being captured by hunter-nins and finally ends up his life on the execution stage.
"It has been decided that from now on people will know me by the name of Kankyo Kanashii (Sad Surroundings), I will let my hair grow longer and I will change my hairstyle into ponytail hairstyle, colour? hmm... white greyish colour is suitable for me... Yeah, the colour of sadness and despair...", Naruto talks to himself, in a monotone voice, as same as Yoshinobu's calm and steady monotone voice.
From a distance not far from the training site, Kenshin watches his apprentice keep on training and training with unusual feelings.
"Sessha afraid this boy will drastically turns into the state where he has no feelings at all, looks sad, despair, hopeless, heartless and insane just like The 14th first disciple, Yoshinobu-senpai... Naruto, don't you ever be just like that...", Kenshin whisperes to himself as he worries about the future of his disciple. Then the red-haired guy flee to his destination with his god-like speed ability.
The Hokage Office, Konoha Village
Tsunade is still sitting on his office chair, enjoying the view of Konohakagure during sunset. Yet still she couldn't runaway from being haunted with the runaway Naruto incident She even thinks of blaming herself for being failed in her responsibility to take care of and protect Naruto from any sinister offence. Slowly Tsunade reaches the necklace that she had once gave to Naruto, but later she found the necklace on her desk, along with a note that stated :
Thanks for your love and supports towards me, but I have to go...
my destiny is not in Konohakagure, but in Japan...
You know what does it means, don't you?
I'm gonna get rid of my way as a ninja, and I will start my own way as a free and lone samurai, and I don't even regret on following my new path...
'cause this path has been destined for me...
Anyway, just consider that a ninja by the name of Naruto is dead...
Don't try to search for me...
Naruto (Rest In Peace)
The incident is still fresh in her mind, even though three years have passed since the incident happened. Tears running heavily over her cheek as she looks far into the north of the village, remembering on how Naruto laugh loudly and boast-off his dream, to be Hokage... but now everything has ruined. Even Tsunade herself nearly commited suicide, due to her great loss of Naruto.
To her, Naruto is just like her little brother who died in the First Ninja War and she has a big responsibility to take care of Naruto, besides being a reliable person to Naruto if he tells Tsunade his problems, or what have haunted his life. But Naruto is still not willing to share his despair and sadness with anybody else in Konoha, not even with Tsunade herself. He rather shares his feelings with his own samurai sword "Nagasone Kotetsu" which he got from Yoshinobu Tokugawa during their meet in the midnight, just a month before he ran away to Japan.
"Still haunted by the ghost of Naruto-kun again, Tsunade-sensei??", a voice interrupts her far thoughts on Naruto.
"Oh, Sakura... no.. I... I... some shitty dust entered my eyes, that's why my eyes are fulls of tears... it hurts, to be honest...", Tsunade voices as she wipesaway her tears.
"Don't lie to me, sensei... We have spend 6 years together as a teacher and a student, there's no way you can cheat me just like any ordinary young girl... Tsunade-sensei, I really miss Naruto, rather than I miss Sasuke-kun... He still want to make me happy even though that it is impossible for him to do that... I 've scolded him after his mission to retrieve Sasuke-kun, insult him severely... I was blinded by my total love towards Sasuke-kun... I... I..."
Sakura cries and could not complete her whole words as tears running over her cheek...
"Next month the Japanese delegacy will be coming to Konohakagure to discuss about peace treaty between Konohakagure and Tokyo.. it seems that they have changed their capital city from Kyoto to Tokyo (Edo)... Naruto should be in the delegacy, since he knows everything about Konohakagure and that is the best chance for us to retrieve Naruto back from Japan... but I really hope that those Three Demons of Tokugawa doesn't change him into someone we don't even recognize at all.."
"Tsunade-sensei... I don't.. understand what are you trying to say.. what do you mean... that we might not recognize Naruto?"
"Sakura, what happens if you found out that Naruto is no longer Naruto anymore... If he joins some bastard and mother-fuckin' heartless samurai such as Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Kenshin Himura, Saitou Hajime and finally turns into a heartless and cruel samurai... what the fuck can we do about it?"
"What??? The Three Demons Of Tokugawa teach him the katana technique?? Oh my god, this is insane!!!!", Sakura shouts towards Tsunade.
The surrounding of the Hokage office becomes silent for a moment. That moment, Kakashi and Jiraiya appear in the office, after entering the office by the window which is opened.
"Jiraya, I heard you're searching for Naruto in Japan... what about the news considering Naruto? Whatever the news you bring, I want to hear them now!!", Tsunade asked Jiraiya.
The surrounding of the Hokage office becomes silent again before Jiraiya starts spit out words that shocks everybody in the office.
"Naruto learns the sacred Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from 16th Seijyuro Hiko Kenshin Himura Battousai, one of the legendary Three Demons of Tokugawa... he has changed his appearance and probably, his name too... I'm afraid he will ends up just like the 15th Seijyuro Hiko Yoshinobu Tokugawa, modifying the real technique into Dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... in order to heal his sadness and despair... that would be so dangerous, since the dark technique changes a person into a heartless, cruel, demonic... ouh, I cannot continue talking about it anymore...", Jiraiya voices, in a sad mood... maybe that reminds him about his failure as a former teacher of Naruto.
"Oh my god... what have we done???", Tsunade sighs, tears wildly running over her cheek. She has failed to protect a young child and she blames herself for that.
"I guess we couldn't do anything about it... Naruto has choosed the path of his life... we don't have the power needed to change him into his former attitude... poor Naruto...", Kakashi adds.
Silence again conquers the surroundings of the office before Sakura suddenly shouts half-histerically.
"No.. No...N... NO!!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! ALL OF YOU... ALL OF YOU... isk... isk... isk...", Sakura dashed out of the Hokage office, leaving only Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi behind.
Finally, the news about Naruto learning the sacred Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu has spread to all of Naruto's former comrades and friends, which ruins their only hope to watch Naruto comes back with his usual talkative boast-off style, his grin and his loud-talking habits. Hearing to this news, Hinata is the one who totally suffers from her extreme love feelings towards Naruto and in the next day, she nearly commits suicide which stuns the entire Hyuuga Family, to know that their princess trully loves Naruto very much and willing to kill herself rather than to live a painful life.
That time, all hopes become despair... just like an old leaf becomes dust after being blown by strong wind...
- End Of Episode Two -
stay tune for Episode Three - Time After Time
Author's note :
- I usually listens to some sad songs before writing this fanfic and most of the episode titles are songs' title...
- Keep on reading and reviewing this fanfic... Thank You!!!!
- "such a lonely day, and it's mine..." - the clues of the stories in episode three...