A/N– schools trying to eat me but I'm still going.
RedYentl– thank you for reviewing every chapter in a row, it made a hard day a bit better and helped me bring this chapter out. *hugs*
Summary- Naruto is not like everyone thinks he is, he hides his true self from everybody. The few who know about the real him know very little. When various events force Naruto to spend time with his team mates in situations outside of the norm he finds it hard to keep up the act.
Parings- SasuNaru, some KakaIru others not decided.
Rating- very much an R rated fic
Warning- sexual situations, foul language, self mutilation, attempted suicide, a very OOC Sasuke. And bitchy Sakura!
SPECIAL WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER, RELIGIOUS TONES ARE VERY HEAVY AND ANYTHING SAID IN THIS STORY IS FOR THE STORY AND NOT ANY TYPE OF PERSONAL ATTACK PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED.
Thank you, Sami-chan
Spoilers- for anyone who is not up to date on the manga up – – that's so not true now its kinda funny.
Disclaimer– this chapter is for you and only you ^^ Evelyn starts the ball rolling on the second book!
XxXxXxX
Red Walkways
Chapter Nineteen
Evelyns Eyes
Llorando…
XxXxXxX
For every life that is given, one must be taken. Thus, for every life that is taken one must be given. There is a balance to the universe. That's what ninjas believe. Like the alchemist of the west, the east has its own theory of give and take. But ambition brings forth many challenges and many advancements in all areas.
Like every animal on this planet, people strive to learn to survive. They learn to kill in better and faster so they may have a safe place to rest and a chance to pass on their genes. Unlike every other animal, humans now strive to kill for more then natures intended purpose.
The leaders of this time are all very aware of this development in society. The wise ones reach out for ways to hold back the advancements of weapons and to soothe the anger and hate of the human race.
The wisest have come to see that demons of all sentient beings have learned to live the closest to harmony. Still they have war and death like the rest, but the wisest know we may yet learn something from them.
And earth was without form, and void;
The human race is young in comparison to most everything in the universe. To demons they are children learning how to share for the first time, how to see the world from a view outside their own needs and wants.
And darkness was upon the face of the deep.
But where they are children in their actions, in their "faith" and in their politics; they are gods in innovation, that is born from their weakness. Their most powerful asset is formed from their lacking, and is as awful as it is great.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Where they need to mature… where everything is green and untrained. This is what from their greatest beauty will from.
And God said, let there be light.
Humans have defeated the night…
And there was light.
Humans have defeated the seas…
And god said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let dry land appear.
Humans have triumphed over the lands and their distance…
And God called the dry land earth.
Humans have bent the forest to their will and shelter…
And God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herd yielding seed,
Humans have turned the land to their nutrients…
And fruit trees yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth.
Humans greatest gift and greatest curse is their innovation…
And it was so…
XxXxXxX
"And it was so."
"What?"
Tsunade looked up at her close friend, Shizune who had a slightly confused expression.
"What was that you were just reading?"
The Hokage looked down at the papers in her hand, something her father had given her when he came back from a trip to the west. Its what the people there believe in, their faith in words. It was something tangible that they hung onto when tired and when sick… something they could find peace in. logically she new like many religions it was used in the worst ways against its people, but the hope it brought to them was why they let it happen, to some it was worth all the pain and tyranny. Tsunade has always been fascinated by religion, ninja have always believed in nature and the earth, their Kami is the power that's in the mountains, sands and waters. To believe it all came from one being, one great source of all the answers, someone who will listen if you believe and will help you if you ask. Then when your request goes unanswered you can say it was part of the beings plan and meant to happen What a luxury that would be.
Sometimes the other religions spanning the country worried Tsunade, that one day they will look for more followers and try to bring down the Shinobi nations. Now her mind is taken up by something much more dangerous… human Innovation. Something that has raised the world high, something that her people have kept in control for many generations. Hundreds of years ago before Konoha has even been conceptualized; men and women who later became the ninja traveled and worshiped the earth and the chakra. Only together in balance can both be strong, but human ambition can sometimes cause them to stray from the path. Those elders didn't hate advancement, they held it up as something great and they respected it, they way you do something that can be as hurtful as it is wonderful. They kept it from prying apart the people from the land they lived on.
Blue eyes felt something like the burning of tears, but it couldn't be… she was strong for her people and now was not the time to break. Tsunade put the book aside and pulled the travel papers forward for her trip to see the Raikage.
"Its nothing Shizune… nothing important."
XxXxXxX
Silence…
It had be explained. The fox, the raven, the white eyes that a killer had looked at them with.. All the facts had been put forward (only the facts). Now silence.
Naruto wasn't sure what the Kazekage was thinking, his face was as blank as always. Was he angry that they strayed from their mission? Was he confused? The blond agonized in his mind, of all people he has met Garra was someone he felt might understand some things that even Sasuke couldn't… about being hated and earning love. The last thing Naruto wanted was for Garra to be angry with him.
He would understand why if Garra was angry, unlike Kyuubi and Karasu, the red heads house guest wasn't quite as friendly, and he was always a bit against the Biju and now Naruto has put one, or something similar into another person…
"Naruto"
Naruto looked up.
"You know you are the only one I trust with the missions I requested completed, so I will find a way to distract the rest of team seven, finish them quickly."
To say that he was confused would be a bit of an understatement. Garra just heard an amazing story with many parts that should make him at least pissed off if not raging mad, but here he was talking about the mission that frankly… Naruto forgot he was on.
"Woah woah… hold on a second. Did you not hear everything me and Sasuke just said."
Garra smirked a bit, "yes I heard you perfectly clear, I have known you for sometime Naruto and I wasn't lying when I told you I trusted you. Everything you told me seemed rather unavoidable and I know that you would still get what I requested done in time, and you did so far."
Naruto smiled softly, "as thanks, but your not mad about me putting a demon in Sasuke? After everything you went through with yours it doesn't make you angry I condemned someone else to our fate?"
Garra was the one that smiled this time, a real smile, though not a big one. "It had taken me many years but I have come to terms with my demon and rose above it. I have no doubt Sasuke will do the same. Plus not all the demons are quite an blood thirsty as mine. "
Naruto gave a slight nod, happy his friend wasn't angry at him. "Then before we get to the mission I wanted to ask one more thing."
Garra nodded.
"Evelyn, her eyes… what are they?"
The Kazekage was expecting this question after hearing that the other had seen her use them. "That's something I think you should ask her, its not my place to tell."
"Ok"
Sasuke watched the two demon holders talk, though now he has to add himself to that category, he was amazed at their ease of interaction. Apparently Naruto has been doing missions on the side or something because they seem very close for people from two different villages. He would have to ask the blond later, for now he just wanted to get to the records room.
"Kazekage-sama, if you wouldn't mind I would like to see the records room."
Garra nodded "yes, I don't think you will find anything on your blood limit there but I did promise. As I was saying you got your first part of the mission done on time so you have a day before you have to do anything, take the time to get other things done."
Naruto gave a foxy grin, "I need a break!" He said in one of his old boisterous voices and turned to leave the office.
"And Naruto…"
The blond stopped and looked over his shoulder at his friend.
"Don't cause any trouble."
Naruto frowned, "why would you say that?"
Garra glared at him "because last time I called you here I was doing paper work for a week after the stunt you pulled…"
Garra continued to dead pan at Naruto whom continued to smile for a moment.
"Don't worry so much!"
With that his two visitors were gone.
"He will be the death of me…"
XxXxXxX
"So what did you do?"
Naruto almost jumped out of his skin, Sasuke and him were walking for a good five minutes in silence,
"What?"
Sasuke glared, "Dobe, what did you do to make Kazekage-Sama do paperwork for a week?"
Naruto's grin threatened to split his face, even though he put up a dumb act for years his ambitiousness was real, and so was his trouble making. Everything had been so very serious for the last few days, he went form doing his every day things to having Kyuubi outside and then everyone finding out, also Itachi, the thing with Sasuke, finding another demon, putting him in Sasuke, everything! Its hard to believe its only been close to a couple of weeks, he hasn't been able to lighten up, which is something he does when he leaves Konoha, he acts like him self, and that wasn't going to change with his team around. If there's one thing about being really smart that Naruto has learned over his life, it's that its hard to find ways to amuse yourself, so he takes the time to find new ways…
"Well…" Naruto began.
XxXxXxX
Sasuke and Naruto continued to walk, Sasuke was still impressed with all the things the blond had done to this village, he felt sorry for them. But after all the stories he could understand why Naruto liked it here. This was a village that had overcome their fear of the demon holders, they even made one their leader. So even the people who know Naruto's connection to Kyuubi accept him.
"Ah there they are!"
Narutos voice broke Sasuke's daze, they had decided to find the others and figure out what everyone was doing before they wandered around. Naruto's out burst brought Sasuke's attention to their group milling around the market, Kakashi, Sakura and Evelyn.
Kyuubi waited patiently, soon he would see his raven, only a little bit more, make the group happy then they could vanish for a while, it was for the best. Knowing Karasu was safe was good enough.
For now.
XxXxXxX
In a small Shabu Shabu place on the outer rim of the village the group sat. they had time, a whole day without something to do or worry about, it was surreal for some of them. After gathering in the market they decided to eat, then after shooting down Naruto's ramen idea they ended up here, in silence.
Then Naruto asked the one thing on every ones minds, "Evelyn… your eyes… what are they?"
A collective intake of breath….
Her sea foam eyes looked into Naruto, strait through him making him shiver, Then Sakura, Kakashi, Sasuke.
A singular intake of breath, "I see what is inside you… the truth."
Naruto felt a single bead of sweat roll down his temple, "so you knew…"
She nodded, "yes I knew the fox was there and what he was and how you are bound, but I also see what kind of beings you are. Your happiness and your pain."
Naruto let out a breath, knowing if she sees all of that then its OK, she knows they mean no harm.
"But don't miss understand… its…" her soft musical voice cracked just a bit, sounding like crystal tapping.
"It's a very useful skill… but…"
"You wish you never had to bear it…" Naruto finished.
Evelyn's eyes misted over making them even more sea like.
"It made my life unlike anything anyone had lived, I couldn't do anything normal…" her voice began to raise, and the almost stoic girl became human before their eyes… so painfully human.
"Why are you-" Sasuke of all people put his had over Sakura's mouth stopping her from finishing, she was asking why this girl they barely knew was telling them all of this. Sasuke knew that many people couldn't understand like him, like Naruto did, that this needed to come out of her.
"These things… eyes, they took everything from me. I couldn't even…"
a tear fell.
"I… he… the things I felt he never… but I knew."
More tears.
"I KNEW! Everything… inside him…"
A moment of hysterical sobbing.
"No love… none.."
She calmed down slowly, and again there was silence.
For a moment it seemed as if she was done, then in the smallest voice she had, she whispered.
"We can not ask our feelings to stop. Nor can we ask them to start."
Yo estaba bien por un tiempo -I was alright for a while-
"The sun will set, and in some places it will look like it is seen through water and is slowly melting into the ground, while in others it will look like a fine mist spreading out from a bright cloud of warm colors."
volviendo a sonreir luego anoche te vi -I could smile for a while but I saw you last night-
"Maybe where it is water children hope for sun filled blossoms to spring forth from the horizon."
tu mano me toco y el saludo de tu voz te hable muy bien y tu sin saber -you held my hand so tight
as you stopped to say hello you wished me well you couldn't tell-
"Maybe where it is mist the children think if they could only reach that spot the air would smell wonderful and make them shine."
Yo que pense que te olvide pero es verdad es la verdad-I thought that I was over you but truth is truth-
"When you see the truth, always and everywhere these dreams and imaginations are gone, and they do not fade away but are ripped form your grasp as you try to cling and claw at the ground in fury."
dime tu que puedo hacer no me quieres ya -darling what can I do for you don't love me-
"This is because the truth is black, black and ugly… it is the reason children are so easily able to forgive, because they can create a world outside truth in their imaginations."
siempre estare llorando por tu amor -I'll always be crying over you crying over you-
"I never had that, I always knew, always saw what was inside, even if I didn't want to."
With that she stood, her chair not making a sound on the floor.
No one at the table could completely understand what it was like, this type of life.
No one could bring themselves to stop her, no one had the right,
And none of them knew yet, this would be the last time they would ever see her.
Llorando…
A/N– first part of the chapters italics is from Genesis, the creation of earth. The second is from the crying song from Mulholland Drive. Everyone youtube the song its called llorando
I think I have the right Spanish lyrics, tell me if I don't. I know the translation is rough.
Not super happy with this chapter *sigh*