DISCLAIMER: This story is solely written for fanservicing. All known characters and plot lines belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the publishers of the Naruto series. I am merely a fan who wishes to write her alternate story to the Naruto manga. The title "In The Name of Life" is taken from Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack of the film 'Spirited Away', by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. This fanfic is not intended for lucrative purposes.
In The Name of Life
Chapter XIII
Ne-ga-wa-ku wa (I would die in the spring,)
ha-na no shi-ta ni te (under the blossoms,)
ha-ru shi-na-mu (in the second month)
so-no ki-sa-ra-gi no (at the time of)
mo-chi-zu-ki no ko-ro (the full moon) ~Saigyou
Sakura woke up with a flinching pain in her stomach. She was on the ground of her cell, with her arms and legs spread. She winced, and contracted her limbs towards her chest in a protective manner, even though there was no point in shielding herself from more pain. The girl tried sensing C, to see if he was near, before she realized that she could not sense anything or anyone anymore. The leather straps tied around her wrists reminded her so; she'd been restrained from her chakra. The memory of Zetsu's clones forcing her, trying to tie the chakra binding leather straps around her wrists, the punch her stomach received, Sasuke and his eyes.
Sasuke and his eyes.
She remembered his presence standing in her cell while Zetsu forcefully took away her chakra. And he did nothing. His immobile state confirmed that Sakura's last remnants of hope for her old teammate were gone. Sasuke had come and spoken to her because he was aware of her talk with Itachi. Her brow furrowed questioningly. But how could he find out? Kabuto's laboratory was kept under heavy guard; the jutsus that protected it were far too complex, even for a shinobi like Sasuke. Kabuto may not possess a strong physical prowess like Sasuke, but he exceeded intellectually.
Then again, Sasuke did mention he had a nightmare about his brother. And he did enter her cell, breaking into the chakra channel that Kabuto had set up on the door.
Sakura's mind didn't want to work anymore. She could have gotten deeper into her thoughts, but her whole body felt so weak that she gave up to the darkness of her cell. Nonetheless, her sight caught on to an object near the entrance.
It was an apple.
There was an apple, just a few inches away from her. It was red and inviting, unlike the one that Madara had forced down her throat a while ago. Since her chakra was gone and Zetsu could no longer use it for his special torture session, Sakura concluded that this apple was not a threat. However, she wondered why Zetsu would have bothered in placing the fruit inside her cell. Usually, when she and C were forced to ingest any type of food, it was before entering Kabuto's lab. Also, the food they were given usually looked expired or rotten, but well enough to digest for more chakra energy. Perhaps C had sneaked it in their cell for her. The idea seemed impossible, since he was also under heavy guard.
It took a lot of will to sit up from her position. Her stomach felt distinctively sorer than the rest of her body. She could no longer heal it, not until she was in Kabuto's lab or C used his chakra. When she reached out to grab the red apple, Sakura noticed that the tips of her fingers were twitching. It was as if the sensation would stay with her permanently. The fear was never going to leave her, and the unconscious reaction of her hands was to stay as a reminder. After Zetsu's torture sessions and the continuous fear in her mind, Sakura realized that her physique was finally acquiring the chronic side effects of imprisonment. She remembered reading about traumatic effects of imprisonment and torture; those days were long gone. Those effects were no longer written on a page for her mind to digest, but burdened on her shoulders for her body to experience.
With some difficulty, she picked up the fruit and contemplated its natural shine. It was an apple on its prime, with the colour evenly coated throughout its surface. It looked inviting, ready to bite. She hesitated before biting into the apple, thinking that it could be poisoned with Zetsu's favourite poison. But once her teeth dug into its core, and the fresh flavour filled in her mouth, Sakura was sure that the apple was trustable and edible.
Once again, her mind could not help but wonder who would've brought her food. Madara and Kabuto were out of the question; they would never give her such an unaffected item. Zetsu would've poisoned it for his personal entertainment. C... where was C, anyway? How long had it been since they last saw each other? Sakura hoped that he wasn't being tortured for more information –or worse, that he was actually giving them information about the Shinobi Alliance. He would never do that, she reminded herself, just like he would not be able to bring her the apple.
Perhaps... Perhaps it was Itachi.
No. That was a stupid idea. His body was controlled by Kabuto, who still kept his resurrected army immobile. Itachi's mind may be free of Kabuto's control, but his body was still under the jutsu.
Which reminded her, she needed to ask Itachi how he was able to wake up on his own and talk to her inside an illusion. The older Uchiha brother had a lot of tricks under his sleeve, and maybe one of them was that he could sneak around the Mountain's Graveyard unnoticed. But if he were able to do so, why would he waste his time giving her an apple? Itachi would probably try to find his brother and explain himself. Or even worse, he would find a way of returning to the world of the dead.
This led her to the next illogical idea. Sasuke could have given her the apple. The more she repeated these words in her mind, the crazier it sounded. Nonetheless, he would be one of the few –almost— sane people in this cave who has access to the valuable food supply. He probably did not eat a lot anyway; anger and hatred was all he consumed.
And the memory of feeding Sasuke slices of an apple when he was in the hospital came to her mind. He had rejected them, pushed the plate out of his reach, showed her that he did not need her compassion. Sakura wished she could have done the same thing before biting into the apple, but her physical needs were overpowering her will at the moment.
The cell's door opened once again, and C was pushed in. His injured body fell on the ground as he grunted. The door closed behind him, and Sakura could hear Zetsu's signature chuckle. Whether it had been a clone or not, Sakura was not sure. C tried to pick himself up, but his arms were so bruised that he only slumped back to the ground. Sakura went over to him and tried helping him as well; however, her physical state was not well enough to pick up a body heavier than hers. In the end, they both struggled together in order to find a comfortable position.
C placed his head on her legs, using them as a pillow, and Sakura offered him a bite of the apple.
"Are you sure it's not poisoned?" he questioned, observing her take another bite.
"I don't think so. If it was, I guess I would be in a much worse state than I am now," she answered. It was difficult to think that there could be a situation worse than the one they were in.
Sakura directed the apple to C's open mouth. His teeth dug into the fruit's flesh and took a large piece. He took his time eating it, chewing it slowly, savouring it. After swallowing, C gave her an approving look. He crossed his bruised arms over his belly, showing Sakura the cruelty he'd experienced with Zetsu.
"I'm sorry I cannot heal you," she apologized. Sakura felt guilty thinking that C could heal her throbbing stomach. He was in a far worse condition.
"Heh, it's the usual," he retorted, trying to shrug off his tortures like they were a child's game, "He likes to injure my arms and hands, thinking that I need them to activate my sensing abilities. That bastard."
With care, Sakura's hand stroked his bloodstained fingers but she stopped at C's wincing expression. The poor man, she thought, he did not deserve any of this pain. She was the last person, friend, ally he would see in this world.
"What he doesn't know is that I don't really need to use hand seals to sense chakra," C chuckled, "I am just that talented. But of course, you have to keep quiet about it."
It was like he was trying to keep his sanity in place by saying comments like these. Sakura had grown aware of C's arrogant attitude. Although she generally disliked people who overestimated their abilities, she was glad that the young man was still able to crack up comments. Sakura instantly remembered her beloved Naruto, who would do the same whenever she was feeling sad. She was relying on her friends again, without giving anything back. This time, however, she was restrained from helping her comrade. The leather straps tied tightly around her wrists, constantly reminding her of fragile state.
Instead, her hand moved up to his messy mane and stroked it gently.
"How long were you gone for?" she asked C, trying to count how much time had passed, "I was taken to the laboratory and then back in here. I remember dozing in and out of sleep before Zetsu came and took my chakra. I fell unconscious, and I woke up a few minutes before you got here."
She dismissed the detail about Sasuke's visit. It wasn't important anyway. Sasuke wasn't important to her anymore. He couldn't. He shouldn't.
"I was actually gone for more than twenty four hours," C replied, much to her surprise. He'd been gone –tortured— for that long, and he was still able to keep his mind sane? What kind of training did he get back in Kumo? "Still, I wonder how long we've been here for. It feels like an eternity, but it is probably just a week."
"It would mean that the war has been going for seven days already," Sakura sadly commented, "Imagine all of the deceased shinobi—"
"Hey, don't think like that," he interrupted her. Sakura was quickly reminded of when she said those exact same words to him; it felt like it'd been ages ago. "We will get out of here. I promise."
She couldn't take it anymore. That was another promise. Another one that would be broken. Like Naruto's.
'I'll bring Sasuke home, Sakura-chan! It's the promise of a lifetime!' Her best friend's feral grin appeared in her mind, overwhelming her.
And she lost it. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Sakura embraced C's injured head and wept. She cried, and cried, and cried. Her stomach throbbed with every sobbing breath. Her sanity was slowly leaving her; all she had left were broken promises, a friend, and the lost hope for the one she loved.
Again, she was relying on men for her survival. Like she couldn't be more of a burden; whether the situation was good or bad, she always ended up using her male allies as shields. It happened with Sasuke and Naruto, and now it was happening with C. His state was just as bad as hers. She had to change, her inner self insisted. Sakura had to overcome the pain that came with this imprisonment in order to die with dignity. She was a Konoha kunoichi, she would not die in vain.
"I'm... I'm so-sorry," she sniffed, cleaning her runny nose with the back of her forearm. There was no point in trying to keep clean; her skin was already contaminated with Zetsu's touch.
"That's alright," C tried consoling her.
She noticed how his bruises were gradually healing, meaning that he had enough chakra to improve his condition. He sat up and wrapped his arms around the weeping girl, rocking back and forth, comforting her. Sakura hadn't broken down this bad since the incident in the Land of Iron. After that, she'd kept her mind occupied with the preparations for war and war itself. The time as a prisoner had really taken a turn in her thoughts; whenever she was alone in her cell, her mind would wander in and out of her memories and thoughts.
"If –when– we get out of here," she started, with a lost tone in her voice, "What do you plan on doing?"
C chuckled, confusing Sakura. Her sobs stopped briefly as she looked up to her companion. She wondered what kind of humour they had back in Kumo, seeing that C found it in her words.
"Actually, I've been fantasizing about us quitting our shinobi career."
Sakura's eyes opened like two plates at his words. No one could quit being a ninja, not with all the enemies trailing after their every step. Nonetheless, forgetting about the torture and suffering of being Akatsuki's prisoners was a much more appealing future than continuing taking orders from superiors.
"Yeah, it sounds like a good idea," she said, "We could buy a farm."
"Or build a hospital in a poor village," C added.
"And forget about our past, forget about the pain, help people." Forget about Sasuke-kun... "We could use our abilities for the greater good."
To Sakura, this daydream could apply to her current situation as well. She wished she could forget about all the wrongs she'd done, all the pain she had caused on Naruto. She wished she had the right abilities to help him, to save the fallen Sasuke. But these crazy ideas could only exist in her and C's minds. They could ponder on and on about a life that they could have together, knowing that it was obvious that getting out of the Mountain's Graveyard would only put them back into the battlefield.
Sakura felt C's body becoming frigid. He'd sensed someone on the other side of the door. Since he didn't need hand seals in order to enter his sensing abilities, C had been able to sense whoever was coming their way ever since they got to the Mountain's Graveyard. She wondered if he was ever going to tell her, but this piece of information was useless when they were under Zetsu's guard. He truly lived up to his talent.
"Who's coming?" she whispered frightened. Were they going to take her for another torture session? She wouldn't be able to bear it after having an emotional breakdown. C held her closer to him, as if he was protecting her frail, chakra-less body.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Sakura's heart stopped.
The door once again opened, and her old teammate's form entered. His eyes analyzed their state, taking notice of the half eaten apple and their embracing position. The Uchiha boy towered over them, wrapped in dark clothing that only added to his obscure aura. Sasuke's features hardened at the realization that Sakura was protectively wrapped around C's arms. She was confused because of his presence. Ultimately, she was even more confused about his scowl.
"Stand up," Sasuke ordered, directing his words at Sakura.
She did so with the help of C, who still had his arms wrapped around her upper half, trying to sustain her. Sakura made a gesture, letting him know that she could walk without his aid, and then directed a warm smile towards the Kumo nin. He, on the other hand, hesitantly let her go before turning his gaze at the Uchiha. Sasuke's scowl was still present as Sakura stumbled her way towards the entrance. She gave C one last look, and she exited, following her old teammate.
It was difficult keeping her pace with Sasuke's long strides. It wasn't that her legs were short; she had little energy. There were so many questions in her head that distracted her from reality. Sakura wondered why Sasuke would come and fetch her, but the boy answered her question.
"Zetsu will meet you in front of the laboratory," he announced still walking, not looking back to check if Sakura was following him.
She had a hand resting on the wall in order to walk without tripping on her feet. Every step felt like a thousand laps. After a few passageways, she had to stop. It was too much for her legs to bear. Sasuke was almost hidden within the darkness of Madara's cave, but he seemed to realize that she wasn't moving. Sakura was panting, and her back hit the rock wall in exhaustion. Taking a walk had never been this difficult for her. With her eyelids threatening to close, she saw how Sasuke neared her once again.
Fear crept up her spine.
He stood in front of her for a few moments, examining her struggles. Bastard, she thought. She stared right into his eyes, taking notice of how they had narrowed. It was like he looked worried. Her mind was playing trick on her at this point. Sakura stood there, helpless, ready for him to slice her throat with no problem. There was no reason for Sasuke to be worried. Her vision was blurring; after all, the bruises in her stomach were still uncured, and the leather straps were teasing her with her restrained chakra.
Instead, Sasuke reached inside his black robe and pulled out what Sakura least expected: a red, fresh apple. It had been him. He had been the one who left the fruit in her cell after she passed out. The apple Sasuke was currently holding looked exactly like the one he gave her when she was unconscious. With a short gesture, he ordered her to take the fruit. He was offering her food, energy to keep walking. Confused, Sakura reached out her trembling hand and took a hold of the fruit. She quickly examined its touch; it felt just like the one she'd previously shared with C.
Sakura didn't even think about pushing his offer away much like he had done three years ago.
She took a bite of the apple, once again engulfing its flavour and richness. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, her mind unnecessarily reminded her. What a stupid comment, she retorted. Sakura slowly chewed on the fruit's flesh without swallowing, showing that she still didn't trust the Uchiha. Once she figured out that it didn't carry any poison, she swallowed the piece and went on to eat the whole apple. It had been sweet and inviting. Weird, Sasuke had never liked sweets, why would he keep an apple in his robes?
"Keep walking," he said, and continued their trail on the passageway.
With more energy, Sakura was able to keep up with Sasuke's pace. She was still a few steps behind, but not far enough for him to lose sight of her. Silently, she followed him. It was like traveling back to their genin days, where she took the usual spot behind him and Naruto. They acted as her shield.
She didn't want anyone to be her shield anymore, though.
"I had another nightmare."
Was he... was he really starting a conversation with her?
Sakura started questioning if the person who was walking in front of her was really Sasuke. If he was, then he wouldn't have given her an apple. But then again, when she looked at his eyes, the worry in them reminded her of their old friendship. Of a time when Sasuke did care –even if he denied it.
"What was it about?" she ventured in a barely hearable voice. She couldn't waste her energy speaking any louder. Otherwise, she might pass out again.
"It was like the last one. You spoke with Itachi," he explained.
"What did we talk about?" Sakura thought that her former teammate's presence did not feel as threatening as before. Fear was slowly leaving her, but he was not to be trusted.
Sasuke was still not looking at her, and he ignored her question. He kept walking along the passageways, only relying on his chakra in order to ensure that she was following him. Nonetheless, Sakura was not expecting his next words, "Then, he proceeded in killing you, Kakashi, and Naruto."
Her features froze in a stunned estate. "W-what...?" What in the world was Itachi playing at with them? Sasuke had just admitted that he dreamed of his beloved brother killing Team 7. Questions started surfacing in her mind, but she could not voice them. Her gaze went from Sasuke's black spikes to their surroundings. They had reached Kabuto's laboratory. Zetsu's face appeared from the rock wall, looking her up and down with a sinister grin. Oh, how she hated him.
Without realizing that Sasuke had stopped walking, Sakura crashed on his back, almost tumbling to the ground. Nevertheless, Sasuke used his speed just in time; he turned around to catch her by her arm before her knees wobbled. Letting go of it, Sakura felt that his touch burned her skin. Perhaps it was due to the consequences of malnourishment –or because he'd just confessed that he dreamed about Team 7. Or because, deep inside, his touch still affected her.
"You didn't need to go through the trouble of bringing her over," Zetsu said.
He merged out of the rock wall, towering over the two young shinobi. His two parts shared the same disturbing smirk, causing Sakura's hands to shiver violently. With a low chuckle, the Akatsuki member took a hold of her two wrists and untied the leather straps. An overwhelming sense returned to Sakura; her chakra was back. She felt empowered by her beloved energy, but this quickly diminished as Zetsu grabbed her arm and shoved her inside Kabuto's laboratory.
She only got to look back at Sasuke, who was looking at her intently. It was as if he was trying to send her a message with his eyes. His eyes... So much like his brother's.
In that moment, she finally understood it. Since Sasuke had Itachi's eyes implanted, he could see what his brother did. The realization hit her like a wave as the door closed, and she was only able to catch the small glint of Sasuke's intent stare. Perhaps his nightmares were due to her last conversation with Itachi, where he released a lot of important information regarding the death of their clan. It could also be that Itachi was trying to send him a message, and Sasuke couldn't understand it so he wanted Sakura to help him decipher it.
Sakura turned around and walked over the only occupied bed where Uchiha Itachi's body rested. The rock walls were once again surrounded with Zetsu's face, watching every move she made. She uncovered the deceased's face, re-encountering his handsome features, his grey, cracked skin. She continued uncovering his inert body, waiting for him to open his eyes and begin their next talk. Itachi was a truly skilled shinobi. To be able to play with the living when he was dead –that was an ability that Orochimaru would've never achieved.
Zetsu's chuckles started filling in the silence of Kabuto's lab. She was alone. Again.
"Work the fuck now, little one, or next time it will be worse!" Zetsu threatened.
Letting her hands travel over Itachi's chest, she let out a green glow. The deceased opened his eyes, casting another illusion over the laboratory. The anticipation Sakura was feeling was another sign that she was definitely losing her sanity. Talking to the dead was never a good omen. Talking to a dead Uchiha Itachi –that was a whole other level.
'I'm here,' she announced with her mind. Itachi was already standing in front of her; the bed had disappeared, 'Now tell me why you wanted your brother to be a hero.' They were in another dimension, it seemed.
Sakura realized that they were standing in the middle of nowhere –literally. The laboratory had completely disappeared within Itachi's illusion. They were in an empty space; there were no walls, no floor, no distinction of colour. It was an unusual place, but Sakura guessed that Itachi did not want to create a specific ambiance because it wasn't necessary.
'So that the Uchiha clan was still considered honourable,' he answered, 'But there are things that Sasuke must be the only one who knows.'
The girl lowered her head, a little disappointed at the thought that Itachi had left her hanging with questions about his relationship with Sasuke. Nonetheless, the Uchiha was right; there were things that only brothers could share. Sakura understood that their situation was very delicate, and that she had no business in knowing Itachi's secrets before Sasuke did. Her mind could not stop wandering around the same question, though.
'Itachi-san,' she began. Since when and why did she address him with an honorific? 'Your brother... he came to visit me yesterday. He said that he dreamed of us speaking.'
Much to her surprise, Itachi's lifeless features showed impression. It was odd, seeing a dead person expressing emotions. His handsome but tired eyes connected with Sakura's, 'I see. And you have concluded something about it.' He was scanning her with his eyes, and it unsettled her to some extent, but being in a separate dimension calmed her nerves down a little. At least this dimension did not include White Zetsu's clones constantly watching her, taunting her, touching her.
Sakura nodded, somehow feeling rather safe around the deceased Uchiha. He hadn't shown any hostility to her –yet. It was like all of the prejudice and rumours about Itachi had disappeared from her mind. Once again, though, Sakura was sure that she was slowly losing her sanity as a prisoner.
'I concluded that your brother could see through your eyes since he had them surgically implanted,' she said, 'My guess is that, somehow, your chakra connected with his by the Sharingan. I am not well educated in your family's kekkei genkai, but the idea of him seeing things through your eyes is quite possible.'
Itachi smirked. The resemblance he and Sasuke shared was so great that Sakura thought she was talking with an older version of her old teammate. However, Itachi's worn out features were not filled with hatred; instead, they carried regret and mistakes that could never be fixed. She wondered how many secrets he needed to tell Sasuke once they reunited.
'Very smart,' Itachi commented, 'You nailed it.'
'Is it... is it also possible for you to manipulate what your brother sees in his dreams?'
This time, however, Itachi remained quiet. Sakura decided to dismiss the last bit of information Sasuke had told her, the dream about Itachi killing Team 7. If the meaning of that dream was alien to Sasuke, it would be even more confusing to her. Nonetheless, she was still expecting more information from the older Uchiha; he was still keeping quiet about many things.
'I'm glad that my little brother met someone like you and Naruto. It's my fault that he turned out like he is now; he doesn't realize that what he needs is company. Good, trustable company,' he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, 'My last wish is for him to find the happiness that he needs. You and Naruto must guide him to the light. Don't let him lose himself in darkness.'
Sakura froze under his touch. It felt real, even though they were in an illusion. Itachi's hand was like ice, grey and lifeless. Her shoulder could still sense the weight of his palm. This touch... This was the touch Sasuke lacked for the last few years. He'd been deeply loved by his family, but they were ridden away from him by the same village she held dear. How could Konoha, where her heart belonged, inflict so much pain to a pair of such talented brothers? Shinobi were supposed to dismiss their emotions, but Sasuke's fall was far beyond that. He'd been overwhelmed with emotions that in the end he'd had to build a wall around him so that no one else could enter. Sakura felt... she almost felt sympathetic for the pain that her old friend lived with.
'Itachi-san,' she began again, 'How was it possible for your mind to break through Kabuto's jutsu?'
'Once again, I encourage you to find the answer. You are a very smart kunoichi, Haruno Sakura.'
Sakura remained quiet for a few moments, thinking over every possibility that had crossed her mind. 'Is it because I touched you with my chakra to revive your body, and your soul still had something left to do in this world before moving on?'
The side smile the older Uchiha gave her was enough to confirm her theory. This was the expression Sasuke had longed to see every day of his life, that reminded him of a time when there were beating hearts around him, not pools of blood and inert bodies.
'When I felt your chakra infiltrate through this body, where my soul is meant to reside for Kabuto's purposes, I grabbed on to the life that was coming out of it. I am surprised to see how strong your chakra control is; no Uchiha of my generation has been able to control it that well. Although my wish was to pass on to the world of the dead and fade into oblivion, Kabuto's decision of using me came as an advantage. My soul's will to grasp on to your chakra only proved me one thing: whether I was dead or alive, there are issues in this world that I have yet to solve.'
Although Itachi towered over Sakura, she felt how his stance diminished in the illusion, as if the guilt he carried on his shoulders shrunk his size. A part of her was about to make a connection between his comment and Sasuke's dream, but Itachi once again spoke.
'Are you saying that had it not been that I was forced to strengthen your body cells, you would not have been able to create this illusion?' Sakura inquired. It seemed that the Edo Tensei that Kabuto was using was not as complete as she thought it was. If Itachi could break through its effect, then the Edo Tensei had a strong weakness.
'It was out of luck that my little brother's old teammate was the one to help my mind break out of the jutsu. If it had been another shinobi, it would not be the same. You can change Sasuke. You and Naruto have the ability of bringing him out of the darkness you have witnessed. Besides, you have such a strong control of chakra that this illusion is even more effective than it was expected to be. I entrust you with saving my little brother.'
Getting praised by Uchiha Itachi, that was something completely unexpected. Sakura wondered if they could have been good friends had it not been because of how life has turned out. There were so many things that she would do differently if she could...
'This is the last time we will ever speak. Your acquaintance has been greatly appreciated, Haruno Sakura,' he said, 'Due to the responsibility I've placed on you, I have also have a final deed for the betterment of Konoha and of your mind. You must listen to me carefully; I can help you escape from here.'
SORRY SORRY for the late update. School started and we all know what that means. If I could make money out of writing what I want I would be out of school by now. Le siiighh... two more years and then I'm done. ANYWAY, on to the chapter.
What!? Leaving Mountain's Graveyard already, Sakura? The party was just getting started! Next chapter will be mainly from Sasuke's point of view. And awww he is starting to show he worries about her! I wonder if it is because he reaaally needs to use her, or because he truly cares about her. Hmm...
I found the haiku in a website, I can't remember which one. If you google Saigyou you will find it! I thought it was suitable to have a poem about cherry blossoms because of Sakura's name. They carry a lot of meaning in Japan, did you know?
Oh, by the way, we are nearing the chapter that will act as an 'interlude' It is supposed to take the story into another arc. The next chapters will mark the end of the "Imprisonment Arc." We will move on to another arc that is even more action packed and with LOTS of lovely moments (if you catch my drift, haha)
Why yes, this is turning out to be a big project. It sucks how I've left other things undone, but I promise to pick them up when time comes.
I really want to know what you folks think will happen in the future chapters. I've gotten reviews of people saying they know what will happen next, but I am still really curious as to what everyone thinks. How about everyone leaves a little message and I show a preview of the upcoming chapter :D The next update will come in October, I think. It all depends if I have time for leisure writing.
Have an wonderful weekend, lovely readers!
MSM