leaving no trail in the wind…
(chapter 3)
They'd been keeping a swift and steady pace for most of the morning, none of them really needing a break longer than to relieve themselves or hydrate with water. By mid-day they had already reached the wide, grassy plains Naruto remembered crossing with Elder Isao, a month prior. They had made one brief stop, where they conversed with a stationed Anbu operative and gained the "all clear" to cross the large field. Halfway across, Naruto couldn't help but pause as he looked at a familiar temple, centered in the tall grass.
Benjiro. Akemi and Tasogare…two warriors as close as brothers. His eyes scanned past the tops of the temple's buildings and into the pale and clear blue sky. The sun's gleam reflected in his eyes as a shout reached his ears.
"Hey! Slow poke! Don't fall behind! We still have a lot of ground to cover!" He turned his head over to his right and squinted into the horizon at a frowning Neji and a quizzical Kiba. Rock Lee had begun to trot back to where he stood and looked out into the field at the buildings along side the ninja.
"Admiring the architecture, Naruto?"
"Huh?"
"It is very beautiful. Did you visit during your travels?"
Yea…something like that. Let's keep going." Naruto shifted his pack higher onto his shoulder as he turned away from the temple and headed closer to the other two shinobi, Rock Lee following closely behind.
***
He could hardly believe his eyes as he crossed over the small bridge leading into the still fractured, but repairing village. His eyes scanned furiously over large wooden planks, tubs of mortar, and jars of nails as villagers bustled about various construction sites, mending and repairing houses and shops. Two bald men in robes ran up the dusty road, broad smiles on their faces.
"Naruto! You've arrived!" Naruto's hand lifted to wave back at the two men as they drew closer.
"Jin-sama. Lee-sama."
"Hyuuga-san!" One of the men trotted over and slightly bowed in front of the longhaired brunet after hearing his name called. "We never thanked you fully after you and the other Konoha shinobi had come to Tayamura. We apologize that our affairs had befallen Naruto, but we were grateful for the assistance. Will you be staying?"
"No, we must return to Konoha. There are some very urgent matters at hand. We were just sent to escort Naruto." He could hear the blond scoffing loudly behind them.
"I could have made it alone. Anyway, where's old man Isao?"
"Ah, Master Isao went back to the hidden temples to gather more supplies. He should be back shortly. Come, we will show you where you will be staying while you are here. Hyuuga-san, you and the other shinobi will stay for dinner. Afterwards, we will show you where you can rest for your return journey in the morning."
"Thank you, Lee-sama." Neji gave another slight bow as they all fell in step behind the two monks.
The trip through the city was quick, their crew passing a half a dozen more repair sites and giggling children as they darted between erecting buildings.
"Children, please! Be mindful not to injure yourselves!" called Jin to the running children, one stopping to wave to the newcomers.
They approached a modest two-story building in better shape than most sites they had seen. Jin paused at the entrance and turned to face them.
"The lodge is one of the first places repaired. The lodge's owner, Elder Sun, has been the heart of the villages welcoming center for years. You will stay here the night and rest. Naruto, Elder Isao requested that you stay at the hidden temples when he returns.
"Huh? I thought you said he was already at the hidden temples?" Naruto interjected.
Jin turned away and pulled open the door. A small bell announced their entrance and a petit, nearly white-haired old woman smiled warmly from behind a wooden desk.
"Jin-san! You have visitors. Welcome, welcome!" The small woman bustled from behind the desk and shuffled towards the group. "From Konoha? Welcome!"
"Are the rooms prepared, Elder Sun?"
"Yes, yes. Come. Come, young ones." She started to shift towards the stairwell. Naruto bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Obaasan." Elder Sun turned and smiled warmly at the young blond, his eyes lifting from the bow to look back at her. Sun seemed to be searching his eyes. Nervously, one hand lifted to scratch the back of his head, the others watching quizzically.
"Um…uh…hehe…"
"Your eyes….they glow, young one. There is much light in you." She then turned and headed up the stairs. Naruto dropped his head down slightly, feeling his cheeks flush as he felt the eyes of the group on him.
"Come on, we mustn't keep Elder Sun waiting." Naruto's head shot up at the sound of Neji's calm voice and turning back as he ascended the stairs behind the old woman.
***
It started as a short walk that carried him several miles away from where he was practicing earlier in the day. He had left to clear his mind, or yet, come to some conclusions to a few of the decisions that lay before him. The day was cool and bright, the midday sun beaming fiercely overhead as he found himself entering a clearing and after stepping down a few crumbing ledges, he emerged beyond the remaining trees and was facing a large expansive field. The winds rustled through the tall grass, swaying the blades like waves in the tide and he could spot a tiny structure in the far distance. The view of the field was a faint memory in his mind as he found himself starting across the space toward the tiny spot against the horizon.
I remember this field…that temple...
His thoughts became more vivid with each approaching step, craning his neck towards the northwestern direction, where the eagles base laid nestle atop a high plateau, several miles away. It was there, roughly a month ago, when had found himself crossing this same field, his journey bringing him to this same temple.
The field stretched in all directions for miles, appearing to have the temple directly in the middle, so it took Sasuke nearly twenty minutes to reach the base steps leading under a grand archway and into the main building, at his leisure pace. His right foot rose slightly and descended upon the first one, and in keeping with the same pace, ascended the remainder of the way to the top. He stopped before another archway, leading further into the outer gardens of the building, his eyes dropping down to a spot slightly to his right.
I remember. There was a bag here…his bag… He observed there was nothing there now and proceeded down the long winding hall.
His footsteps were quiet, even to his own ears, as he followed the curved path, passing blossoming Azaleas, towering walls of Bamboo, and bushels of Hydrangeas. He rounded a corner and saw towering silk screens, starting from the ceiling and stretching down to the length of the floor, depicting caricatures of wispy gardens and horses. As he continued further, one screen in particular, caught his eye. In the scene were two men, both young, maybe early twenties, poised in action of defense and offense respectively, amongst what seemed to be a wave of attackers. His eyes drifted to what the two men held in their hands and he noted that the artist appeared to take great care in their detail…
The swords… His hand lifted from his side and gingerly touched the old worn silk, tracing his finger along the outline of the weapons. His hand lingered shortly over the darker hued sword. This one looks…like the one I obtained from that boastful leader… His eyes traveled over the man holding it. Though he looked fierce, he appeared in control…confident, his dark hair complimenting the black metal in his shielded palm. The man with whom his back was pressed against, looked much different, but the sword in his hand looked faintly like the one he'd seen in-
Clank!
His head turned sharply at the sound of crashing. It was coming from far into the back chambers of the temple. His hand instinctively shot to the handle of his sword, gripping it tightly. He turned from the tapestry of the warriors and resumed walking through the hallway, his fingers never leaving his handle as he rounded corner after corner until he came upon a soft glow from an open portal. He stopped his movements and strained his ears for any sound that he could capture. A very faint and repetitive swooshing noise could be heard from inside, and he cautiously approached the open doorway and peered inside. He could see a slightly bent, bald man in white robes, his arms fluidly moving with the broom in his hand as he swept dust, ash, and what appeared to be, broken ceramic, into a small pile. He could also hear humming, as the man worked, his back to the door, oblivious to any impending threats he might occur being in the temples alone.
The old man shifted and gave a startled jump as his eyes met the pair of dark ones of a young man in the room's doorway.
"Oh! Young man! I thought that I was alone." He stopped his sweeping and his face crinkled in a deep smile, his eyes closing so far that his pupils were barely visible. Sasuke watched the man sharply, not moving past the threshold, but maintaining his stance a few feet away. The old man continued to smile, though he never moved an inch either, appearing to be watching the young man just as closely. The silence lingered between them a few moments before the old man spoke once more.
"Have you come to visit the shrine? I regret that is not quite ready for visitors yet. I am here trying to restore it…little by little." As he spoke, Sasuke noticed a number of healing scars on the man's face.
"What happened to you?"
The man looked confused for a brief moment before his smile returned and he turned just slightly to sweep the broom about the small area around his feet. "Those are nothing major, young one, just the remnants of fighting for what you believe in."
Though the words were simple, they felt sharp to Sasuke's ears as he continued to study the man before him. Although the old man appeared non-threatening, he got the uncanny feeling that there was more to him than what appeared. He couldn't quite get a strong chakra reading from him…maybe he was suppressing it somehow…? He wished he had Karin next to him to get the full scope…
His eyes shifted over to the far right wall and noticed a large gaping hole. It was jagged, like it had been crudely blown apart and he could not understand why anyone would blow a wall in a temple. He continued to look around and the familiarity of the room flooded back to him. Naruto… made this hole. He was fighting that self- proclaimed leader…the one that gave me the sword… Without fully looking at the old man, he spoke out.
"There was a fight here…once. There was something important in this room. A blond ninja…he did this to the wall." He could hear the sweeping stop again.
"Ah…I see. So the stories are true. You are called 'Uchiha Sasuke', correct?"
"How do you know my name," his dark eyes piercing into those of the old man's for the first time since initially seeing him in the dimly lit room. A soft chuckle lifted into the air before any words returned.
"You were all he talked about." Sasuke could no longer maintain the gaze of the man with the broom and promptly shifted it away to a small altar towards the back of the room. He could see a duel stand often used to display swords, namely katana, but these were bare. He looked back towards the sweeping man, who had returned to his duty of collecting the dust and shattered clay from the floor. "Even when he wasn't saying anything, he was talking of you. He seemed to hold such high value of you." His voice floated from his stooped stature, just slightly louder that the swooshing. "He became most excited whenever I would recount particular stories to him. It appeared to fuel his vigor whenever we prepared for training."
"Training?"
The man chuckled again, "Yes, you see, Naruto helped rescue my village some short time ago-"
"The village that was being destroyed?"
"Ah, yes. You seem to know about this?" Sasuke shifted his gaze away. "Please, young one. I'm almost done here. Why don't you come inside? I have a bit of lunch. Why don't we share it?"
Sasuke turned away completely, this time, his back fully to the sweeping monk; one foot already hovered about the corner. The monk's calm voice retuned to his ears, and he stopped cold.
"Wouldn't you like to know why you have returned back here?" His body stiffened, slowly turning to face the old monk, searching his face for understanding.