Sorry for the late release, I have been busy preparing for Ikasucon in July! Hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 9: The Sun King
A bead of sweat rushed down Naruto's cheek as the sun blared from above. Already his skin was beginning to glow a soft red. The soft, arid desert air didn't help to soothe the heat that caused Naruto to gasp. Naruto looked down at the black uniform he had been given only a few weeks ago. He felt lucky that he didn't have to wear the heavy black cloak that both Sasori and Orochimaru hid underneath. While Sasori seemed to be unaffected by the heat, Orochimaru on the other hand couldn't help but complain. The man seemed unsatisfied with the mission they had been assigned. It was a small hit on a rogue ninja preying upon several of the lesser ninja villages in the Land of Wind. However, before they moved into that area, Sasori had insisted upon visiting Sunagakure, the great ninja village within the Land of Wind.
Wiping the sweat from his face Naruto gazed at the mountains in the distance. They had been looming ahead of the group for several miles. Naruto grinned at the sight. It was a nice change from the dull brown rocks and soft sand that crowded the desert. They had reached the edge of the desert three days ago, and though they had already traveled several leagues, Naruto knew they were barely more than halfway to Sunagakure. In this short time, Naruto would train with both Sasori and Orochimaru, learning new techniques from both ninja. On the second day, Sasori had retreated within a large and powerful looking puppet that he named Hiruko. The puppet had a large mask upon its back and within the mask was a large scorpion-like tail. Sasori had explained that this puppet was like a suit of armor as the tail was much harder than any other weapon contrived by man. The puppet's left arm also contained an attachment that could launch thousands of poisoned barbs or even release a poison gas.
Naruto looked away from Sasori and noticed Orochimaru complaining about the sand and heat. The boy giggled as he noticed the pale man curse at his surroundings. It was obvious that Orochimaru was not suited for the desert as his pale skin was being torched by the sun's violent rays. As they continued to walk, Naruto became annoyed by Orochimaru's constant swearing and whining. Naruto wondered if any human could complain as much as this man; it seemed nearly impossible. Naruto drew his attention away from Orochimaru and unsheathed the sword Pein had given him. The metal shone brightly as it reflected the sun's rays into Naruto's face. He still hadn't decided upon a name for the sword. Naruto had tested the blade's thirst for blood by giving it some of his own. Remarkably the moment a drop of blood hit the blade the sword came alive. It shifted in Naruto's hands, almost begging for more. The blade of the sword had begun to glow blue as if it had chakra of its own, but Naruto knew it merely used the chakra hidden within the blood. Naruto wanted a name that would hold meaning to the sword. Under Sasori's watch, he had browsed through the various libraries Pein owned searching through the mythology until he had stumbled upon a single name, Surtr. That single name held an air of power, and a thirst for blood.
Naruto held the blade slowly twirling it around in his grip. As he looked at the gleaming blade, he rolled the name Surtr off his tongue. The sword reacted to the name as if heaven itself had cast the name upon it. Naruto gently replaced Surtr within its sheath.
Naruto was quickly stirred from his thoughts by a loud howl from Orochimaru. The man was covering one of his arms, which now glowed a dull red. The sun had relentlessly attacked the pale man's skin for hours. Naruto reveled in the man's pain. A smile struck across his face as a gentle laugh rumbled from his stomach. Moments later Orochimaru chased after the boy shouting curses and throwing various kunai. In an instant Sasori stopped the two as he pointed ahead. In his thick, heavy voice, Sasori mumbled, "Sunagakure is just up ahead. Be careful, the ninja of Sunagakure do not take kindly to travelers. They are filled with a hatred of the other nations."
Orochimaru quickly snapped, "Well, sounds pleasant. I must say this is quite the spot for a vacation, sand, clear sky, desert. Marvelous."
"Your sarcasm will only bring you pain, Orochimaru."
"Whatever you say, puppet-freak."
Naruto watched as Sasori angrily turned away from Orochimaru and continued walking forward. He hesitated for a moment before quickly running to Sasori's side. The hunched over puppet, Hiruko, gazed forward with a blank look in its eyes. The puppet's jaw hung loose in three separate pieces that clattered back and forth. The sound the jaw made every time it clicked sent a cold feeling down Naruto's back. Naruto looked down at Hiruko's massive fist. The thing contained hundreds of different poisons and weapons. Naruto wondered why Sasori had chosen such an odd appearance to hide himself within, but he figured the man had his reasons. Naruto quickly remembered several of the stories Sasori had told him of his home village. Sunagakure was giant and hidden within a gorge and all the buildings were made from the sand-bitten rock of that gorge. Naruto looked up at Sasori and was startled as the dead eyes of Hiruko stared into his own. In his deep, growling voice Sasori asked Naruto, "What do you need?"
Naruto jumped back still not used to the voice, "I was just wondering." said Naruto stumbling over his words, "Why- why are we going to Sunagakure?"
"I am looking for someone. He is very important for what I hope to accomplish one day. I need to use him for something." replied Sasori turning to look at Naruto.
Confused, Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Is he going to help us with this mission Pein gave us?"
"Naruto!" shouted Sasori, his scratchy voice echoing away. "Show Leader-sama respect do not call him by his name. And No. The person I am looking for will not help us at all with our current assignment."
"Okay then, but why can't I call Pein, Pein?"
"Because he will slowly pick you apart piece by piece." retorted Orochimaru as he slithered up to Naruto's side. "Look up ahead, I think we we have reached your village, Sasori."
Naruto glanced upward slitting his eyes against the strong wind as it coughed up sand. A giant wall of red rock appeared in Naruto's vision. To the boy it seemed as though the desert just suddenly ended. While he raised his arm up to protect his eyes from the grains of sand twisting around in the wind, Naruto glanced up at Hiruko's expressionless face. He barely heard what Sasori's gruff voice said, but he swore he heard the word "death."
--
Sakura winced as she pulled the soft, red vest over her shoulders. The wounds in her back had still not fully healed. Slowly Sakura fastened a belt around her waist. She clipped on several different packs to the belt, checking to make sure each one was secure. As she finished slipping on her blue sandals, Sakura reached out to the table next to her and grabbed a red, silk ribbon. Instantly she pulled her hair back and tied the ribbon securely so it held the hair away from her eyes. Sighing, Sakura lifted herself from her bed and walked towards the door.
The hallway was empty save for a few paintings on the wall and a small bookshelf underneath a window at one end. At the other end, dank wooden steps led to the floor below. Sakura treaded lightly towards the steps. With each step, planks of wood sang out their creaking melody. As Sakura entered the kitchen, she saw her mother preparing a breakfast. The woman's hair was unkempt as several strands of hair stood on end. Dark circles lined her mother's eyes, the gifts of many sleepless nights. Trying not to disturb her mother, Sakura silently sat down by the window staring out into the street. The normal bustle in the streets was now absent since the war had started. She noticed a few men talking by one of the other houses. All three were wearing green vests and carried large swords. As the men shifted around Sakura stared in amazement at the mask one of the men wore. It resembled the face of a fox, but had strange markings covering it.
"It isn't polite to stare, Sakura." Sakura jumped in shock as her mother set a plate out on the table. "The food is ready go ahead and eat."
"Mom, please don't scare me like that," said Sakura her hair still tingling from the shock. "You could have killed me from shock alone." Sakura walked over to the table and sat down. She picked at the food on the plate until finally she decided to take a bite. Her mother's breakfast was always bitter and Sakura would rush the food past her tongue so she didn't have to taste it. After a few minutes of silence, Sakura finally spoke up again.
"Mother, who was that man in the mask?"
Sakura's mother took the empty dishes over to the sink. "That man was part of the ANBU. They are all very strong. They protect our village from threats both inside and out."
"What do you mean inside?" questioned Sakura as she went over to help her mother.
"Well, sometimes the enemy isn't always from a different village or country." sighed her mother sitting back on a stool. "ANBU is the Hokage's protection. There are many people within the village who don't like the Hokage. ANBU protects him from those people."
"Why would people in the village not like the Hokage, mom? He has done so many good things."
"Yes, he is a very good man, but he has made enemies that don't agree with what he has done with the village."
"I don't understand," muttered Sakura staring at the plate in front of her. "He hasn't done anything bad."
Sakura's mother let out a brief chuckle. "I think you will understand when you are older. Could you please finish up here. It's time for me to get my gear together I have another mission today." As her mother walked out of the room, Sakura silently stared at her reflection wondering why anyone in the village could ever hate the Hokage. He had never done anyone any harm. So, why? Sakura suddenly snapped back as she heard the front door slam shut. Her mother had left.
School had been closed ever since the war had begun weeks ago. Since then every adult and some of the children of the village were busy on missions or were assigned to the wall. The only thing Sakura could do right now was to visit Chouji in the hospital. While Sakura's wounds had been severe, Chouji's had been far worse in comparison. The young boy had taken most of the damage from the attack because he had jumped in front of Hinata. The shy girl on the other hand had suffered the least pain of the three. She had been lucky thought Sakura as she unconsciously felt her back. She caught herself in surprise and quickly took her hands away from the scars. Sakura glanced down at her hand. Chouji would like some flowers, probably.
--
Naruto stood in awe at the gnarled, black rock that loomed above him several hundred feet. The rock cast a dark shadow across the flat desert the three had just crossed. Ahead, Naruto saw three men stopping people before letting them pass through a large gap in the rock. Attempting to gaze through the pass, Naruto tripped over his robes into Orochimaru. The man immediately smacked Naruto across the face spitting venomous curses at the boy for ripping his cloak. Sasori didn't hesitate to silence the man as a few guards walked up to the trio.
"What is your business in Sunagakure?" asked one of the men brandishing a sword.
Sasori answered calmly, "We have business in the village. A friend of mine lives here. We have traveled a long way and would like to meet with our friend."
"Why are you all dressed like that, and why do you have a child with you?" huffed the man as he lowered the sword and looked at one of his comrades.
"We are the boy's guardians." gestured Sasori pointing to himself and Orochimaru. "These cloaks carry the mark of the child's family."
"Alright, I understand. You might want to get your friend some healing herbs. His body is redder than a desert lizard." joked the guard walking over to the next group. "You can go on through."
"Sasori, if we don't move at once, I swear I will kill that man." snapped Orochimaru reaching into his cloak. "That fool mocked me. I will make sure to dispose of him."
Naruto watched as Orochimaru pulled out a tiny, red book from within his cloak. A pen appeared from his sleeve and he hastily scrawled upon the piece of paper. Letting out a short breath of air, Orochimaru replaced the booklet into his cloak and the pen disappeared inside his sleeve. The boy followed after Sasori as the three entered underneath the shadow of the cliffs above them. Naruto suddenly became aware of the hundreds of eyes that were watching him. He peered to his left and right noticing more men in masks with headbands strapped to their foreheads. All of the men had weapons prepared and their stance revealed their distrust for outsiders. Sasori gently nudged the boy forward whispering in his ear. Sasori explained how these were Sunagakure's soldiers. For years they had defended attacks upon these very cliffs. The cliffs had been an impenetrable wall for outside armies, but for the people living within the village, it had been a force of protection. Naruto gawked in wonder as Sasori pointed out various strongholds and tunnels within the cliff-side. Sasori described in detail the many battles fought on this soil as Naruto desperately tried to imagine men struggling to overcome the forces hidden within the cliffs. As Sasori finished talking, he made a motion for Naruto to look forward. The sight that caught the boy's eyes could not have brought him more excitement.
--
The street was abandoned as Sakura left the flower shop. The shop was owned by Ino's mother, but Ino had been the one working within the shop. Sakura quickly asked her for a simple bouquet of flowers. Ino had persisted in asking who the flowers were for, but Sakura had not been in the mood to say. Ino immediately believe that Sakura was planning on giving them to Sasuke, a boy in their class, who sat alone and refused to talk with anyone unless it was to learn. Most of the girls had fallen for the boy who had perfect scores in every subject, but Sakura had never even thought about Sasuke until that point. He was smart, and intelligent, but she didn't understand why everyone thought he was cool. Sakura simply believed he was shy. The moment Ino had refused to give Sakura the flowers, Sakura blew up on her and explained they were for Chouji. Shocked, Ino quickly ran to the back of the store and prepared a lively bouquet of spring flowers. Sakura took them and left the shop silently.
As Sakura began to walk towards the hospital, a patrol of ANBU rushed past her towards the main gate. All of them had swords strapped to their backs and they wore strange vests different from those worn by most of the regular nin. Sakura quickly decided she would take a short cut so she could get to the hospital sooner.
The alleyways were dark and still damp from the last rainfall. Unlike the main streets, the alleys were cluttered with junk and garbage through which Sakura had to weave. Since the ANBU patrol, Sakura hadn't crossed paths with any other living thing save a few rats. As she turned another corner, she caught a glimpse of the top of the hospital building. She quickened her pace, but stopped when she heard voices. It seemed two or three men were having an argument, but they kept their voices hushed so that no one could hear them. Curious, Sakura carefully edged forward and stared down the alley. Three men were arguing with each other while a fourth leaned against the wall of a building. The first man mentioned something about an assassination, while the second argued that it would fail. The third man immediately hushed the two that were fighting. The third man wore a brown overcoat that fell to his ankles. Underneath the coat he wore a black shirt with several pockets. Around his waist was a red leather belt with a silver buckle shaped into a wolf's head. Sakura gasped when she saw the headband hanging out of the man's pocket. It was clearly marked with the symbol of the Hidden Mist. The man opened his mouth.
"The Hokage is vulnerable at the moment." he muttered as he removed a lighter from his pocket. "We could easily attack him now since most of the ANBU are outside fighting our forces. With the Hokage dead, we could give signal to our soldiers to attack Konoha's wall." The man said the last few word's slowly as he brought a cigarette to his mouth. As he was about to light it, Sakura backed into a metal cylinder. She tried grabbing for it, but the cylinder crashed to the bricks with a loud bang. The four men immediately silenced themselves and Sakura heard footsteps approaching her. She quickly got on her feet and began running. One of the men spotted her and called to the rest. In moments the four men were gaining on her. Sakura tried to focus her mind and control her breathing. Kunai ricocheted off of the wall she just passed. As she was about to run around another corner, she ran straight into the chest of a man. Panicking she grabbed at the animal mask on his face. The man disappeared into the shadows, taking Sakura with him.
--
Night had come too soon for Naruto. The boy had not been given the time during the day to explore the town. Instead Sasori had led them to a small inn where the three would stay for the next few days. Naruto now sat in the comfortable suite the Innkeeper had given them. The suite sat at the uppermost level of the building with a view that spanned the entire city. Within the suite were several rooms. It contained a small kitchen with all the necessary utensils. It also had several bedrooms all decorated with floral designs. The room even came with it's own bath-chamber which Orochimaru currently monopolized. Sasori had left the room hours earlier ordering Naruto to stay put until he returned. Naruto had been left in the central room which contained a sofa and several chairs arranged around a fireplace. Naruto sat in one of the chairs gazing out the window wondering when Sasori would return. Outside, life within the city was becoming still as the sun sank low in the sky. Bright red rays peaked the sky as the wind suddenly stopped. Naruto's eyes widened as he rose from the dark, leather chair and walked towards the open window. A gentle flow of air pushed the boy's golden hair away from his face. Within an instant, Naruto felt a sudden pull on his body. He frantically looked out the window as his body tried to will itself towards some unknown presence. The sun drifted lower. Naruto was struggling against his body as it tried to pull him forward. The boy was now fighting with all his will on the balcony, twisting and writhing on the floor as his feet kicked him forward. A heartbeat drew his attention. He felt him, a man just feet away. He could feel the harsh, steel eyes contemplating. They searched Naruto's entire body. The boy turned and saw a face staring at him from a nearby rooftop. A great, black mane flowed from the man's head, almost alive. His red eyes pierced through Naruto's skin like narrow daggers.
As Naruto let out a rapid breath, the man suddenly darted from behind cover and approached the boy. The grasp that the man seemed to have had on Naruto lessened and the boy scrambled to his feet reaching to his back for his absent sword. Naruto bit back a swear as he realized Surtr wasn't strapped to his back. Back in the room the boy noticed the blade carefully laying against a bookcase. The man stepped closer, his figure outlined by the last dying rays of the sun. Already the moon peered over the high cliffs surrounding the city. The man's gaze never left Naruto. The boy slowly backed away his feet sliding on the iron balcony that scraped at his skin. Naruto stumbled backwards as he caught words mumbled through the man's soft breath. "You have another inside you." The man edged closer his eyes darting into the room. Naruto's eyes suddenly widened as Orochimaru sprang out of the shadows releasing a torrent of snakes upon the steel-eyed man. The snakes bit and tore at the man's clothes, but none seemed to harm his skin. As Orochimaru swung his cloak around his naked body, the man sprang backward into the darkness of a nearby room.
"Hurry boy," spat Orochimaru grabbing several blades from within the depths of his cloak. "We must catch this man!"
Naruto burst back inside as Sasori crashed through the inn's door his iron fist prepared to launch several hundred needles into his target. Naruto quickly gathered the sword explaining to Sasori what happened. Both of them quickly moved after Orochimaru who had hurled himself after the black-haired man. What had he meant? Wondered Naruto as he secured Surtr to his back. What have I got inside of me? Naruto followed Sasori jumping from rooftop to rooftop avoiding barrels and other objects that would hinder his movement. Ahead he saw the black mane of the man who had approached him seemingly disappearing as a flash clattered across the horizon singing of the sun's surrender to the night. Naruto looked up at the moon already positioned high in the sky before following Sasori down into the dark depths of an alley.
Sasori hushed Naruto as he quietly moved towards an intersection. He quickly looked around a corner before signaling for Naruto to continue forward. The two moved on through the endless alleys this way until they came across a panting Orochimaru. The snake-eyed man mentioned something about a blinding light, but Naruto paid no attention to Orochimaru as he felt the same strange pull as he did earlier on the balcony. Something deep in Naruto's mind wanted desperately to give in to the pull, but Naruto quickly shook the feeling away as he crouched near the corner where two roads met.
Naruto quickly glanced around the corner narrowly dodging several barbs that passed next to his eye. Ahead of him he saw the tall man he had been hunting. The man's long, black hair shone beneath the light of the moon, waving wildly in the wind. Naruto pulled his sword from his sheath causing the metal to sing with excitement. Surtr was eager to taste blood. Behind him Naruto heard Sasori prepare a summoning jutsu with his caustic voice. Naruto noticed Orochimaru almost slithering up towards the man. Almost instantly a light appeared in the palm of the man's hand. As it spun around, it became brighter and brighter until Naruto had to peel his eyes away. He looked back over to Orochimaru who had suddenly caught fire as the man shot a beam of the light directly at Orochimaru's heart. As the light vanished, Naruto noticed Orochimaru's body exploding into a flurry of venomous snakes all directing themselves at the man. Within the blink of an eye, the snake's were vaporized by the same white light the man had fashioned earlier. Naruto watched as Sasori shot a stream of poisoned needles at the man's head. The man jumped in the air dodging them all shouting, "Those attacks will not harm me. I am the Sun King."
--
A hand clasped tight around Sakura's mouth as she felt a warm rush of air flow across her neck. A whisper from the man brushed across her warning her to remain quiet. She turned her face to take a look at the man's face. The first thing she noticed was his blood red left eye. A long scar ran from the man's hair into the depths of the cloth, black mask that covered the man's face up to his eyes. The man's hair was a bright silver and flowed oddly to one side of his head. Sakura's eyes quickly darted to the man's left eye which was as black as the shadows that surrounded the two. The man's two eyes stared back into Sakura's emerald eyes as he brought a single finger up to where his mouth was.
The man motioned his head forwards, looking into the distance. Sakura followed his gaze and her eyes fell upon the men that had been hunting her a moment before. All four now had weapons drawn and were searching the alleys ahead of them patiently, occasionally calling for her to come out. The man brought his mouth close to Sakura's ear and whispered. "I'm going to jump away from here. Hold on tightly." Sakura nodded as she let the man's soothing voice calm her. A wave of energy flowed through Sakura as the man hurled himself through the air up onto the roof of a building. He didn't stop, but instead used his forward motion to launch himself forward once again as he cradled Sakura by his side. The two went on like this for what seemed like hours until the man finally seemed satisfied and stopped himself atop a building within the shadow of the Hokage monument. The man knelt down so he could see eye to eye with Sakura. Sakura bit her lip as she fumbled nervously under the man's dauntless gaze.
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" cried Sakura as she balled her hands into tight fists. At first the man seemed to ponder the question as he gazed upwards toward the sky. However, Sakura grew edgy as the man remained silent for several moments. Finally Sakura broke the silence once again. "Are you even going to answer me?!"
"Is that any way to say thank you to someone who saved your life." responded the man calmly as he sat down and leaned against a wall. Sakura folded her arms together and blushed turning her face from the man.
"Thank you," muttered Sakura under her breath. "Who are you, are you a part of ANBU? I remember that mask."
"Was that so hard to say? Regardless, I am a friend. I have no name that you can know."
"What do you mean everyone has a name." choked Sakura as she bit at her lip again.
The man easily responded in a gentle voice, "Our names are kept secret for our safety."
As Sakura wondered about the man's identity she suddenly remembered a question that she had been wanting to ask for a while. "Who, were those men?"
"Enemies of the Leaf and the Hokage would be quite interested in the conversation you overheard."
Sakura stumbled over her words carelessly, "T-the Hokage wants to see me?"
As if in response, a rumbled voice answered her from behind. "Yes, Sakura-chan, I would very much like to hear what those men were saying."