Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Summary: Naruto had failed, but the cursed war was over. With nothing left, he watched his world be filled with fallen comrades at every turn, but before he lost himself to madness Kurama gave him a second chance. Though everything comes at a price.

Beta'd by Artemis-no-Subaku


The Price of Flames

- Chapter 2 -

The Skylark


1

Three years soon passed in a flash. During that time, Ryota had stored enough chakra to finally be able to contact Kurama. It had taken a long time, but it was worth it. He would be able to talk to the person he trusted the most. The one that had saved him from hell, from himself.

I would have lost myself to madness if Kurama was not by my side.

Ryota thought back to that days where he thought of Kurama as his enemy, the one that had taken his past parents away from him. Though he could not blame him for his actions against his parents. To Kurama, they were his prisoners, the people that were once again taking his freedom. So it was not a shock that Kurama tried to kill him along with his parents when he was born.

It's time.

Shaking his head, Ryota turned his thoughts to his surrounding. He was currently sat on his bedroom floor with his legs crossed, the feeling of carpet beneath him giving him comfort. The room was also dim as faint light steamed from the window since the sun was not fully risen, as it was only it was only 7AM. He had woken up early so no one would disturb him. His brother, Kyoya, was sleeping in his bed to the right of him, so he had to be quiet.

Closing his eyes, Ryota took a deep breath and slowly released his chakra while calling out to carried on for about 15 minutes when he felt the air shift around him. Bit by bit he opened his eyes and saw that he was no longer in his bedroom, but in a gigantic red room and in front of him was someone familiar.

"Kurama!" Ryota shouted out, getting up to his feet and running towards the furry beast in his 4 year old body.

"Hello brat." The kyuubi boomed out with a grin on his face while he was resting on his stomach, his tails flicking in the background.

Ryota collided with Kurama's massive arm, hugging it tightly and as far as small arms would let him.

"I-I thought that you left me," Ryota murmured in a tiny voice, insecurity filling his heart.

"Kit, since when have I ever left you?" The fox questioned.

Ryota flushed red. "Never."

Kurama chuckled. "So why would I leave now?"

Ryota's felt as his face burned scarlet in embarrassment and in shame for doubting his friend in the first place. He then stepped back from Kurama and walk around him so that he was meeting him face to face. His blue eyes clashing with red. Unlike his twin, Ryota still had blue eyes who was said to have inherited it from his mother. Also it was the only way his father could tell him and Kyoya apart, as they were identical in every way with their black hair and pale skin.

"Kurama, how?" He questioned. "How did you do this?"

Kurama stayed silent for a few moments, the smile dropping from his face and taking on a serious expression. He then pulled himself off his stomach, causing him to look down at Ryota. This made Ryota feel like an ant because his body was so tiny compared to Kurama.

"Kit," he soon began in a solemn tone of voice, "this is a secret that only the Tailed Beasts know and now... I'm sharing it with you."

Ryota listened intently to Kurama, his curiosity getting the better of him. He wanted to know the truth. He wanted to know how it was possible for him to be reincarnated into this world with his memories in tact. He wanted to know it all and Kurama told him, causing Ryota's eyes to widen with every word.

"Wait," Ryota interrupted in shock, "you're telling me that the Sage of Six Paths created a jutsu that allowed him to travel to other worlds?"

"Yes," said the large kitsune, annoyed at his explanation being interrupted.

"But how did that make me become reincarnated? " Ryota asked, a puzzle look filling his face.

"I was getting to that point, brat."

Kurama suddenly shifted around as if he was now uncomfortable, almost embarrassed.

"You see, there was an mistake when I tried to complete the jutsu."

"A mistake?"

"Let me finish." He growled softly. "I made a mistake in making the seal. This caused our souls to rip out of your body and implant themselves into an unborn child from this world. And the reason you have your memories is because your memories are engraved into your soul. That's how you remember who you are."

"So you messed up?" Ryota said with a smile growing on his face. "Who would have thought that the great Kyuubi would make mistake?"

"Keep pushing it brat and I will step on you."

This caused Ryota to let out a giggle while Kurama just rolled his eyes.

"Kit, there is also something I want to talk to you about."

"Huh? What is it?" Ryota asked.

"I want you to start training with me."

Kurama must have seen the confusion on his face as he began to explain what he meant.

"We were not the only ones that entered this world."

"What?!" Ryota exclaimed.

"The mistake that I made didn't just send us here. It sent anybody alive with us. That inculdes him." Kurama's face morphed into a look of fury, his eyes showing years of anger and pain. "He's here. That bastard Madara."

Ryota froze at the name. "H-How? He should have died. The Edo Tensei jutsu should have been-"

"The caster of the Edo Tensei must not have been killed," Kurama cut in. "So the jutsu might not have been cancelled. This would cause the souls of the those that were used in the jutsu have been brought here with us."

"But that means... "

"Yes, your father Minato is also here. I can feel the other half of my chakra."

Ryota did not know what to say. Sure he was in happy to know that Minato was alive, but that only put one thought in his mind. He had to find them all, find everyone before Madara could get them to join him. That started with his past father.

2

The rest of the morning carried on normally. He and Kyoya were drawing in their father's study while their father was working at his desk again even though it was the weekend. In the time of three years, Ryota had found out what job his father had. He was the leader of this small town called Namimori or Mayor as people from this world say. He had found this out by simply asking his father when he could speak properly. This caused his father to brighten when Ryota looked interested in his work. He might have given his father the idea that he wanted to follow in his footsteps, but if truth be told, Ryota hated politics. However, he needed to learn it as there was one thing he learnt as Naruto; politics is its own battlefield and words were the weapons, and as long as your words are sharp enough, they can cut through anything even people.

Ryota was now currently trying to draw Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei with colour pencils, but the drawings turned out to be blobs of pink, black and silver as he tried to recreate their hair. Kyoya was drawing himself and Ryota playing in the garden while surrounded by birds. It was a cute attempted by his brother to try and draw them both, which made him laugh in delight to have Kyoya looking up to him.

When Ryota was done with his drawing, he noticed his father staring out of his window to his left. He seemed to be deep in thought, which he had been like for the past few days. This caused Ryota to ask if he was okay, but his father would just put a false smile on his face and say that everything was alright. Though Ryota knew he was not telling the truth.

False face must hide what the false heart knows.

Ryota used to live by these words as Naruto, always hiding behind a facade of smiles and pranks in order to show that he was fine, but he never was. It had been like that for the first 13 years of his life, but soon he was able to create friendships that filled his world with warmth. After that, he no longer had to hide behind false smiles where happiness never reached his eyes.

Getting up off the floor where he had been drawing, Ryota picked up his picture and walked over to his father.

"Otou-san," he said when he had reached his father, snapping him out of his thoughts, "look!"

His father proceeded to look down at him and at the picture in his hand. Then with a small grin of his face, his father ruffled his hair and said, "That's a wonderful drawing. Do you want me to frame it?"

Ryota nodded, but noted that his father's mind still seemed far away as he never questioned who the people in the drawings were, as Ryota had only met a few of his father's friends when there were meetings at the house and none of them looked like the people in his drawings.

He's not paying attention.

"Otou-san," Ryota repeated, "is everything really okay?"

"Everything is fine." He said for the second time this week. Though he seemed okay, his eyes showed a different emotion. An emotion Ryota knew too well. It was hurt.

"Stop lying," Ryota suddenly blurted out. "Something's wrong."

Those words surprised his father as he said nothing, but after a few seconds he sighed.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Ryota shook his head. "You're my father. I can tell when you lie."

His father chuckled, the pain in his eyes slowly fading away. "I thought that it was the parents that are meant to know when their children lie?"

Ryota beamed at his father's laughter.

"Otou-san," said a familiar voice from behind Ryota. It was Kyoya. He must have also finished his drawing and walked over to them.

"Yes, Kyoya?" Their father asked.

"Why do you look so sad?"

At the innocent question, the smile from their father's face started to drop. He sighed again.

"It's finally time then," their father said softly. "I never thought that I would have to tell you this soon."

Their father got out of his seat and began to walk towards the door.

"Come," he said standing near the door, "there is something I want to show you."

Ryota felt Kyoya's hand slip into his, as he took a step forwards. So they both began to follow their father.

3

The garden. Their father had taken them to the garden. It was the middle of November, so the colour of the tree leaves were faint and were piling up on the ground. The sky was also dim, as the grey clouds only allowed a small amount of light to pass through, but the cold hit them the most. It was freezing, which caused his brother to huddle close to him for warmth. This is where they began to walk even more. Through the forest before them they went for about 20 minutes until their father halted to a stop.

There is something in front of him, Ryota realised, but their father was blocking the view.

"Ryota, Kyoya," their father called out, beckoning them forwards, "come close."

So they did. Standing next to their father, Ryota saw finally saw what their father wanted them to see. It were gravestones. There was about 20 of them and they were all the same colour, grey.

Could this be?

"This is the Hibari graveyard," their father explained. "Our family have been buried here for generations. Starting with the founder of our house, Hibari Mizuki. She was a beautiful woman, which caused a legend behind the creation of our house. Do you want to hear it?"

Ryota and Kyoya nodded.

"Long ago," he began, "there was once a woman that used to sit near the lake Tsuki and play the Biwa. The lake was named after the moon because of the way it would reflect off it, creating a beautiful image. However, one day the spirit of the lake heard the woman sobbing instead of playing her usual song. This caused the spirit to take the form of a bird, a Skylark, to appear before her. The skylark asked her what was wrong and the woman said that she would soon be killed. This surprised the bird, which caused him to ask her why. She had said that her father had died and with no son everything of his would go to her, but the lower branch of her family was not happy and were plotting to kill her. This is when the skylark told her to go home and sleep. She will be safe."

"So the woman did just that and no harm came to her that night. And the night after that. And the night after that. On the fifth night, the woman went back to the lake to thank the bird, but saw something that shocked her. The bird was killing people, but not just any people, her family. The ones that wanted to kill her. In terror the woman fled, but the bird caught her. She screamed for the bird to stay away from her and he did. He went back into the lake hurt, but that same night, when the woman went home the lower branch family was waiting for her. A witch they called her and dragged her out of the house as she tried to run in. With daggers in their hands, the lower branch family was prepared to kill her. However, something appeared before her, it was the skylark. He was stabbed in her place."

"With his last breath, the bird killed the last of the lower branch family and then collapsed to the ground. He was dying. Snapping out of her frozen place, the woman ran towards the bird and held him in her arms. She began to cry and begged for his forgiveness. You know what he said?"

"What did he say?" Kyoya asked, entranced in the story.

"'Never forget me for surely the world will. I have saved your life and in return I ask this of you.' Those were his last words. The woman carried him back to the lake, which was now dry as not a speck of water remained. She buried him where the lake was and over the years built the house over the lake to protect his remains. She changed her name. The woman was Hibari Mizuki and out of respect for her story, her husband chose to change his surname to hers. Thus the Hibari house was created."

"But why? Why did the Skylark save her?" Ryota questioned, confused.

"He had fallen for her beauty that's why. You can see her gravestone. It's the one at the end."

Ryota looked towards the end of the line of gravestones and saw it, but before Ryota could go over to it to get a closer look, his father said something that made him freeze on the spot.

"Your Okaa-san is here also."

Okaa-san?

Their father took a steps towards the last grave on the right and called them over. When they reached the grave, their father went down on his knees and put him and Kyoya to either side of him, each arm was wrapped around them holding them close.

"Meet your Okaa-san, Hibari Biyu..."

Ryota stared at the gave, his mind wandering off to the life his family could of had if she was still alive, but Ryota knew that him and his brother were coping just fine. Though, could he say the same for their father? He misses her. That part was obvious to Ryota.

"...and today is the anniversary of the day we met."

"How did you meet?" Ryota asked.

Their father laughed a bit. "It's quite a funny story actually. Your mother had come from China, her home country, and was making her way around Namimori. She had gotten lost and was asking around for help, but she ended up getting into a verbal disagreement with one of the merchants in the market about the price of one of the things they were selling. She believed that they were scamming a woman to buy an item that was cheap for a more expensive price."

"So Okaa-san got into a fight?" Ryota said amused at the thought.

"Ha ha, you can call it that. I was walking passed and decided to help your Okaa-san, but somehow she ended up having a argument with me. At that point, I did not know what we were arguing about. She then stormed off and I thought that I would never see her again, but I did. The next time was on the same day, but at a party my Otou-san held. That's when I found out that she had been invited along with her family to celebrate their business deal. That's when she spotted me and began to walk away. I called out after her and started to explain that I did not wish to get into another argument with her, but just wanted to dance. After a while, she agreed to dance and we danced the whole night. That's when I knew... I found the woman I shall always love."

Ryota heard his father's voice begin to crack as the story went on, causing him to look at his father and what he saw surprised him. His father had tears in his eyes that were beginning to fall. Ryota was not the only one who noticed this as Kyoya had, too.

"Otou-san, don't cry." Kyoya said in tearful voice himself. Emotions were getting the better of him.

"If only... If only you could have met your Okaa-san. You would know what an amazing woman she was." Their father said with a shaky voice.

"I-I remember her voice," Ryota suddenly said. "She used to sing to us."

His father looked down at him utter shock, his eyes wide.

Kyoya sniffled. "I re-remember that. It was a song about spring, about the season we would be born.

Without warning, their father pulled them into a tight hug and said aloud, "Biyu, do you hear that? They remember... they remember."

That was when their father broke down into sobs. However, neither Ryota or Kyoya could see his face as they were tight held facing his chest, but they began to cry with him. All the built up sorrow for the lost of one person came rushing out.

That was the first and last time they ever saw their father cry.


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