Disclaimer: I don't own Naluto or Wolrd of Walclaft
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
Naruto stared down at Gaara. They all did. The boy lay on the only remaining patch of grass for almost a mile. All around them was a field of charcoal and ash, the many tall trees and thick undergrowth had been destroyed in a single, catastrophic explosion. They had given it a quick once over, but found that there was nothing. Deidara's body had been completely obliterated, taking with it the secrets of the Akatsuki. Kakashi did not mourn too long over the loss, for it still meant they had one less Akatsuki member to deal with in the future.
Gaara's face was still in agony, Naruto realized. He was dead, and supposed to be at peace in that death. But still he felt agony. Still he felt the lingering, dreadful pain that he had experienced all his life, as Naruto had. That crushing, agonizing loneliness. The knowledge that one was completely alone in the world. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he should have to experience that. He, of all people, deserved peace. Peace that most people could achieve by simply drifting off to sleep every night; a peace Gaara had never been able to attain in life.
The others crowded around, and stared with equal despair at both Naruto and Gaara. What made up their despair was, however, different than what made up Naruto's. They had never experienced the same feeling of terrible loneliness that Naruto had. They had never been brushed off as he and Gaara had, looked at with the same disgust that one would look at a piece of shit on the bottom of one's shoe; they had never had the feeling of being so alone and outcast that even the word "human" didn't seem to apply to them. And so it was because not only was Gaara dead, a person whom few of them had known well, but because they couldn't truly feel what Naruto was feeling, or understand how hard it was for him. They couldn't understand the absolutely disgusting feeling that had driven Gaara to near insanity, and that was now torturing him in death.
When Hinata looked at Gaara, she saw two people. She saw the leering demon that had murdered those shinobi during the Chuunin Exams; and she saw the boy that Naruto could relate with, for some reason or another, a boy that forced Naruto to kill an S-Class missing-nin to rescue. A boy who meant so much to Naruto that it caused him so much pain to see him dead that it made her heart ache as well. She despaired not only for Gaara, but also for Naruto.
Neither Shino nor Kiba had known Gaara at all well. They too remembered the horrible monster he had been before he had fought Naruto; but they then remembered the silent, calm young man they had met in the hospital during Kiba's recovery from his fight with the Sound-nins Ukon and Sakon. They also remembered meeting with him, courtesy of Sakura, after they had both become Chuunin, and how remarkably human he had become. He had been an all right guy, they decided. And he seemed to care for Naruto as well, from what Sakura had told them. Now he was dead.
Kurenai and Kakashi felt much the same. They knew little about Gaara as a person, but their knowledge of the demon within him, as well as the Kyuubi within Naruto, allowed them to recognize the powerful connection Naruto had with him. Kakashi realized that Naruto had found someone who truly understood him—Gaara had experienced the exact same childhood Naruto had, far more so than Sasuke. Losing Gaara was, to Naruto, like losing a brother. Or even a part of himself.
Sakura was openly crying tinted-red tears. She had perhaps known Gaara best of all. While she did not understand the true, ghastly pain that Naruto did, she felt as if she had lost a dear friend, even though she had only spent a few days with Gaara after the past Chuunin Exams. In that time she had gotten to know him, even if she could never understand him in the way Naruto did. It was an even greater blow to her heart than when Sasuke had left.
Because she knew, that no matter what she did, or how strong she got, she could never bring Gaara back.
Tsuwabuki whimpered at the feeling of deep sadness coming from Naruto. It was horrible to feel such dark, painful emotion. It was hard to distinguish from her own, because it was so terribly powerful, like all of Naruto's emotions. She sidled up to her partner, as if bracing him for a fall. She lowered her head. She felt like crying, which was strange, because she couldn't technically cry.
But Chiyo did not understand anything.
She regarded Gaara as the result of her final duty to the Sand. A jinchuuriki, a weapon. She had never known Gaara as a person, only as a whispered presence among the streets of the Sand—like a feared curse or the rumors of some impending threat; or something Kankuro or Temari mentioned during their frequent meetings with Chiyo and her brother, when they had been kids. When he had become Kazekage, that hadn't changed, only he had become a bit more frequently—and fondly—mentioned. For the longest time, she had never considered him anything other than a tool to be used against the other villages.
But people did not cry for a tool.
She looked around. She saw, with her newfound ability to care, at the sadness, rage, confusion, and hollowness that was all reflected in the eyes of everyone who stared down at Gaara's limp form. But what most arrested her eyes were Naruto's. They somehow managed to reflect an inner emotional power that was staggering to behold. Naruto seemed to be feeling enough sadness for a hundred people. She looked at Gaara, and for the first time, she saw something she had never seen before.
A person.
And in seeing him like that, she saw too the reason for why they despaired.
"Dammit," Naruto whispered harshly. His voice drew everyone's stares to him. He now knelt by the red-haired boy's body, his hands gripping the earth tightly. "Who the hell…decided that Gaara had to suffer like this?"
Nobody answered. They couldn't.
"Gaara never had a chance to do anything. He had suffered all his life, and just when things were about to look up—just when he had finally been able to win the respect of his people, and had started making friends…" Naruto trailed off for a while, clenching his powerful eyes shut. "Just when he fulfilled his dream...why the hell does life let something like that happen? Gaara barely even started to live, and now he's gone! Just what does it take? What does it take for life to be fair to you? Why the hell does he keep getting the short end of the stick?"
Again, nobody could answer.
"Gaara…he…he's dead. He'd just…started living. He still had so much to do. He still had a people to…people who finally needed him! Needed him as a person, not as a weapon! And he didn't even…"
He didn't even die surrounded by his friends, knowing that they cared for him.
He had died alone, believing that he had always been destined to.
Sakura wiped bloodstained tears from her face. She knew that it was above all, most cruel to Naruto. He and Gaara were so alike, and both, in the end, had had the same dream. Gaara had achieved it, for but a brief moment, and then had lost it. Would the same be true of Naruto? Would he continue reaching as high as he could, and when he finally grasped that dream, have it crumble like dust through his fingers? She knew he was thinking that. She knew that Gaara's death would be, above all, the greatest fork in Naruto's path of life. The greatest wound of the soul; the greatest doubt. If Naruto were not strong enough, then it would mean the ruin of his dream, and perhaps his life, too.
Chiyo felt a tightening in her chest. She knelt down beside his limp body.
"So this boy," she said, softly. "Really means that much, huh?"
Naruto's powerful eyes flickered to her. She met them squarely.
"Gaara was never more than a tool to me. I regarded him a means to destroy our enemies, and make the Sand strong. But I…have seen many things in these past few days. One of those is a boy who has fought harder than any other for the sake of someone who rules an entirely different village, one that used to be an enemy. I did not think it was possible for someone to care so much for someone from another village." She heaved a great sigh.
"I did not realize that Gaara meant so much to so many. Perhaps I simply didn't care. I didn't care because I only cared about myself, and my life, and had long forgotten what it truly meant to believe in one's village. I had lost faith in life." She laughed mournfully. "In these past few days, I have regained that faith. I have too, regained faith in my village; and I have been awarded faith in others as well. The Leaf," she glanced at Kakashi particularly when she said this, "I once hated. I once despised every man, woman and child that village saw fit to churn out. I did this because they took my son. But I made that pathetic, fatal error that no doubt many of them had made for us. Instead of hating the one who killed my son, I hated all of them. I saw them all as the one who killed my son, and took from me my life.
"But that isn't so, is it? I think perhaps it was what you said, boy," she looked at Naruto again, "that made me think otherwise. I saw and heard that you cared for Gaara as if he were a brother to you. And you fought and nearly killed yourself trying to rescue him, something that I would never have done were I in your position. And I have fought alongside someone who perhaps cared equally as much for my safety. And through her actions, I have realized what a fool I have been."
She looked back down at Gaara, and held out both hands, placing them on the boy's chest, right over his heart.
"I have realized what a precious thing youth is. My time in this world is over. I think it is time for those who think like you; like Gaara; like all of those who support him and fight for his causes, to take over this world, and fix it. We old timers have screwed it up pretty bad," she laughed again as she said this, "and it's up to the young to unscrew it, and give order back to it. So that people like me eventually cease to be. So that such disgusting prejudices…never occur again." She shook her head. "What a time to have such an epiphany, hmm?"
She then smiled. "An old bat for a young brat. It is time for this world to change."
A glowing, brilliantly green light erupted from her fingertips, spreading out across Gaara's torso and then his body, wrapping it in a verdant aura. Sakura stared, wondering what she was trying to do—was it medical ninjutsu? That wouldn't work. What was she doing?
Kakashi pushed up his forehead protector. The chakra was strange—thicker, deeper, stronger than any he had seen before. It took him a moment more to realize that it was not chakra at all.
"Chiyo-baa…what're you…?"
"I wanted to give Sasori back all that he had lost," she said, breathless. "I wanted to give him back his life, at the exchange of mine. So I created this technique, which is the desire of all true puppeteers. We create a crude manufacture of it, and control it, but this technique finally realizes it. This technique brings life. It is Tensei Ninjutsu."
"But you will…" said Kakashi, stunned. "You will die."
Chiyo smiled crookedly, sweat running down her brow. "Is that so? I am prepared. I told you that this world needed to change. I will bring this change by giving Gaara back his life—which I now know will benefit more than just the Sand."
Naruto stared wide-eyed at the woman. "You," he breathed. "Are gonna bring him back to life?"
"Of course."
"You're going to give him back his dream…?" Naruto whispered, as if he could not believe it.
Chiyo smiled. "Of course."
Naruto crawled closer to her, his heart pumping fast. He was staring down at Gaara's glowing body, and the wrinkled hands that gripped it, over the heart. He then looked at Chiyo again, seeing the strain on her face, and in her eyes. She looked back at him.
"Boy," she said.
"What?" Naruto asked.
"Help Gaara change this world, will you? You're already his friend. But I want you to help him change the Sand, the Leaf and everything in between."
Naruto gave her the ghost of a smile. "Yes." He paused. "Because his dream is mine too. I want to become Hokage." He said the words with evident disbelief.
"Then become Hokage," she said. "And be the best damn one there ever has been. You have the spirit for it, and the attitude, as well. Promise me that."
Naruto looked into her eyes with every bit of that incredible spirit. "I promise." The words had never been said with as much force as they had then.
"Sakura," Chiyo turned to the bloodied girl, her face no softer. "I cannot ask this of you in good conscience, but I feel that you are the only one that can understand. I want you to kill Sasori. I want you to…" she coughed, more life draining from her eyes. "I want you to destroy him utterly. He cannot be allowed to live any longer…I promised them. Please." Her eyes half closed, were now filled with tears.
"Please," she said, softly. "Please."
Fresh tears spilled down Sakura's face. She couldn't stop them. And she couldn't refuse the old woman's words.
"I promise," she said.
Chiyo smiled. "Thank you."
The light began to fade, and Chiyo began to slump in her seat. Finally, she gave a shuddering breath, and fell back, making Sakura cry out and grab her. Chiyo's eyes were just mere slits now, with two wet trails down both cheeks. But she was smiling in that same crinkled, almost beautiful smile that Sakura had seen for the first time mere hours ago.
"One last thing…" she said, softly, glancing up at Sakura with that crooked smile. "Tell my brother that I'm…not faking this time…"
Her vision swam. Sakura's tearful eyes and face slowly faded, though Naruto's eyes lingered a little longer. She smiled in the emotion they showed her, like bright, burning blue stars.
And as her vision darkened, she saw someone else, hovering above her. It was a child, with red hair and a smiling, porcelain countenance. There were two other figures there, too. One stood on his left, the other his right, and both were hugging him tightly, both smiling in the same loving fashion as he. She laughed softly again. The boy looked at her with his kind, beautiful, life-filled eyes. Yes. There he was. There they were, as she had expected.
Her eyes closed.
Gaara eyes opened.
He was in a bed, surrounded by whitewashed walls and the distinct smell of disinfectant and misery that usually accompanies hospitals. There was an intense, bright light above him, making him immediately shut his eyes once more. He then slowly opened them in a squint, and saw a group of shadows above him. His first hazy thought was that he was still in the throws of that strange jutsu of the Akatsuki. But oddly, he felt no pain. He felt comfortable, warm, safe.
"Hey, little bro," whispered a voice above him, feminine, kind, almost motherly despite its jocular tone. "Stop being lazy. It's time to get up."
"Yeah," another voice said, more a snort. "You don't wanna disappoint your fans. They may start rioting."
Gaara's eyes fully opened, and there they were. Temari and Kankuro, both smiling in that warm, affectionate way only family members can; Kankuro wasn't wearing his hood, or his face paint, so the expression of relief and joy on his face was far more noticeable and profound; Temari wore her normal clothes and was smiling so widely that her eyes were hidden in a Naruto-like squint.
"Temari…?" Gaara whispered. "Kankuro…?" He raised a hand, though it was hard. His arms felt stiff and cracked with every slight movement. Temari visibly winced with each one. He finally was able to touch his forehead, almost surprised when he felt the skin. He struggled to sit, producing more cracks, and Temari and Kankuro immediately came to his aid. When he was finally up, he saw that Temari and Kankuro were not the only ones in the room.
"Sakura-san…?" he whispered.
"Naruto…?"
The pink-haired girl gave Gaara a kind smile from across the room. She sat in a chair by the door, dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, her left arm in a sling. Naruto sat next to her, grinning.
"Yo!" Naruto said. "You're up! It's about time!"
"We were worried," said Sakura. "You slept the entire way back."
"Back…?" his eyes widened. "But what happened…?" He didn't understand.
"That's for later," said Temari, grabbing him on the arm. "But you've got a few people you need to see."
Gaara turned, looking at her in surprise. "What?"
Kankuro took his other arm, neither responding, and helped him out of bed. Then, arm in arm, they led him slowly across the floor, to the door that Naruto had just opened. They led him down the hall, took the elevator down to the first floor, and then led him through the lobby of the hospital, which was deserted. Naruto and Sakura followed behind them.
As they neared the door, Gaara heard a great commotion outside. It sounded like the voices of a thousand people, all shouting loudly. He could not make out what they were saying—there were far too many, speaking and shouting far too many things, so it sounded like a long, roaring bellow that was not composed of words, but a feeling. But he did not know what that feeling was, for emotions and feelings were still something new to him. He flinched away, reflexively, but then realized that it did not sound angry or violent. He glanced at Temari and Kankuro, and then at Naruto, too. They were all smiling.
But it still came as a surprise to him, when he stepped out into the hot, dry air he was so accustomed to, and was greeted by thousands of faces with the same warm smile on them. And then he knew that the feeling expressed by the singular cry was not anger or disappointment.
But joy.
"Kazekage-sama!"
"He's awake!"
"He's back! Kazekage-sama! Are you alright?"
These and thousands more questions and exclamations assaulted Gaara's sensitive ears, making him wince, but he could not look away. He saw the countless faces—some familiar, like Baki, who stood at the head of the crowd, grinning like a proud father; and there was Taki and Moriki, who ran the ramen shop at the edge of town; and even the three Leaf-nin that he gotten to know better after the last Chuunin Exams, Hinata, Kiba and Shino. But there were many entirely new to him, which made it all the more surreal and strange. For all his life, strangers had shown him nothing but hatred, disgust, and fear. They had always avoided his path, had never spoken to him, and had ridiculed him from afar or behind his back.
But now, they were happy. Happy that he was awake, that he was back among them.
That he was alive.
That he existed.
He stared around, and realized for the first time, that people cared for him.
"Smile, my boy," a whisper came from his side, making him look sharply into the kind, grave face of Ebizo. "They want to see that you're alright."
Gaara looked at the old man, who suddenly seemed so sad, and then back at the crowd. His lips quivered and stretched, arcing upwards, until a smile that was bigger than all the rest was formed. Then he felt a curious wetness run down his cheeks, and dribble into his mouth. It was a salty taste. He was crying, he realized.
"But I'm not…" he whispered to himself, "...sad."
"Crying is for when you're happy, too, bro," said Kankuro. "And then it's okay for a man to cry—only when you're happy. Otherwise, you're a pussy."
"Shut up Kankuro," Temari said, rolling her eyes.
Gaara looked at his brother and sister, and laughed. It was a strange sound, for those who were used to hearing the maniacal roar of bloodlust he once had. But now, it sounded delightful, normal, like a sweet-sounding instrument. The cheers and roars of the crowd, of Gaara's people, soon drowned it out but it had been enough for all of them. Sakura was laughing now as well, tears streaming down her clean face. Temari smiled, and chuckled too, while Kankuro laughed and laughed until he too cried.
But Naruto laughed harder and louder than all of them.
His infectious, delightful sounding cry kept everyone else laughing for a long, long time.
Two days later, Gaara left the hospital once more, and walked alone through the bustling streets of the Sand. He wore only a simple white robe of wool, but people still greeted him kindly as he walked by. They would either bow or nod or even give him a friendly, respectful word or two. He would reply with either words or bows in kind, a little nervous with each one, but finding that it got easier after each one. He walked through the largest bazaar to get to his destination, and was mobbed by shop-owners, all holding out their wares and telling him what they were selling and its benefits and why he should choose it over the other guy. He politely declined each one. Yet, he still felt like from each one he had gotten a million yen deal.
He smiled a little more often as he did, making those who knew how rare it was for him to smile gasp in surprise at each one (or in some cases swoon). He felt totally calm; peaceful in a way that he had never felt before.
Perhaps, he thought, it was because of the sleep he had gotten the previous night.
For the first time in his life, he had gotten a decent night's rest, free of Shukaku's horrifying nightmares, which had kept him in the waking world almost all his life. It had been wonderful. Sleep was the peace he had been looking for.
When the crowds thinned and the buildings grew farther and farther apart, and he neared the massive wall that protected his village, he finally reached his destination. Tucked away in a quiet, dull corner, which he had admittedly frequented in his youth, he found a small group of people, all of whom he knew. Baki stood near the back, his head bowed, only looking up when the whispering conversations of the others ceased, to nod to his former student. Kakashi stood next to Baki, gazing calmly somewhere in front of him. Next to him was Kurenai, her arms crossed and her head bowed too. Her students—Hinata and Shino, stood in front of the adults, while the other one, Kiba, crouched with his hand resting on Akamaru's head. Sakura, Naruto, and finally his brother and sister stood next to them, leaving only a small gap between them, which he suspected was for him. Ebizo, the eldest of them all, stood at the very front, just visible over Naruto's tufts of golden hair.
"Forgive me," Gaara said, softly. "I am late."
"Don't worry about it," Temari said, in a whisper.
Gaara took his place between his brother and sister, and looked upon four small headstones, side-by-side, all identical. They were expertly crafted, but simple and befitting of those they rested over. The lettering of each was carved in elegant kanji, listing only the names and nothing else. Gaara did not recognize two of the names, the middle ones. The other two he did.
"Chiyo" read the first. It was the one farthest on the right, and seemed a little lonely, for it seemed to be farther away from the rest, though that could have been Gaara's imagination.
"Sasori" said the one right before him. It was strange to see, given that he knew the man still lived. He had heard everything about this man in the past two days; everything about the battle and what had happened, most prominently the chilling news which had set them all on edge.
Akatsuki had access to the other world. And it seemed they were even more knowledgeable of it than Naruto. It suddenly changed things a great deal, things that soon Gaara knew he was going to need to discuss with the Hokage.
He had even been present for Naruto's explosion at what had happened to Sakura. In all the confusion after the battles, Naruto had completely missed Sakura's frightening new appearance until halfway across the river country, whereupon he nearly dropped Gaara's healing body in surprise and began shouting in horror that she looked like she was about to die. She had assured him that she was fine, though she looked slightly uncomfortable when she said this, adjusting her bound arm. Naruto settled down, trusting her judgment (as she was the doctor) but still occasionally glancing, to the girl's annoyance, in distress at her arm. She was fine, she kept saying. It was just taking a little longer to heal. That was it.
He knew the marker in front of him—small, indistinct, seemingly the grave of a pauper instead of one of the greatest puppeteers to have ever existed—was but a symbol. If there had been further writing upon the stone, such as the date of his death, it would have been twenty years earlier.
Gaara looked back at the other grave marker, "Chiyo". He had never liked the woman. As he had learned only just recently of her involvement of the sealing of Shukaku within him, it was not that; but rather, it was her attitude. It had been the very same as his father's and the rest of the village. Had he learned in any earlier, he knew he would have killed her. They had only met a few times, and each time they had, she had given him that same look of scorn and hatred he had received so often in the streets. She had deliberately scorned him in other ways, too. She had spent much time with the young Kankuro and Temari, leaving Gaara alone most of the time.
He had hated her.
But now, how could he?
She had given her life for his. She had given him a chance to continue living in this world, with these people. She had returned to him a future, and because of that, he could no longer hate her. He knew that had he seen her face in her last few moments, he would have forgiven her for all she had done to him. She had suffered as much as he, or perhaps worse; because she had lost all of her precious people, after knowing what it was like to have them.
He stepped forwards; past Naruto, who stared at him with those powerful eyes that had allowed Gaara to become who he was now; past Kankuro and Temari, whose eyes encouraged him; past Sakura, who turned her sad eyes to him, knowing what he was going to do; past all the rest, to stand beside the old man Ebizo.
He bowed.
"Thank you."
There was silence. Gaara stepped back a little, as if to observe a reaction from the small headstone.
Ebizo chuckled, rasping and soft.
"'Do some good, brat, or I'll come back to haunt you forever,'" Ebizo said, mimicking Chiyo's voice poorly, but guffawing as well, small tears running from his eyes. "That's what she'd have said."
Temari smiled, and Kankuro laughed a little, both knowing it was true. Sakura wiped fresh tears from her eyes, trying to hold back her laughter as well.
"She'd probably have a senior moment again," Naruto muttered, with a smile, "and forget that she was dead."
"Or she'd pop up and shout, 'just kidding!'" said Kankuro, laughing louder.
"I'm still waiting for her to," Ebizo said, chuckling even louder as well. It soon became a full-blown laugh, as others added to the situation. Soon they were all laughing, and even Gaara felt he had to, just a little.
'I will,' he said to her. 'I will.'
"Old man Mekkatorque's already left?" Naruto said, frowning.
"He left yesterday, during the funeral ceremony," said Baki, calmly. "During the time you were gone, he had been fiercely gathering supplies and instructing our shinobi on the use of several devices he had brought with him, all of which are now being used to enhance our security. It is clear that he does not want something like that to happen again."
The old gnome hadn't even said goodbye. He had met Gaara on the second day after his return, fervently glad that the Kazekage was safe. He'd been pleased to hear, as well, that his new weapon for Naruto had worked out so well.
They were standing just outside the Kazekage's tower, all of the Leaf-nin along with Baki, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. It was near noon, the air was drier than usual, and both teams were packed and ready to return to Konoha. It was to be a short word of departing, as there was a lot for all of them to do.
"He told Gaara-sama that he would be returning for only a short while. Apparently he has several things to do within his world, including gathering more supplies. He will be returning for more discussions of a possible alliance, in the future," Baki said again.
Gaara nodded in agreement.
Naruto nodded. That was fine, then.
"We'd better get going," said Kakashi, calmly. "We have three days to travel back, and I don't plan on going as fast as we did last time." He gave Naruto a look, to which the blonde nodded in embarrassment.
"We gotta come back here," said Kiba, looking around. "This place is awesome! They have so many cool things in those bazaars that I can't believe it!"
"It is a very nice place," Hinata said quietly, giving Gaara a kind smile. "I would certainly like to return."
"Agreed," Shino said.
"Take care, all of you," Sakura said, adjusting her sling. "Thanks for the clothes, Temari-san." Though she had since changed out of them, and now wore her red top, black shorts, and white skirt once more.
"Yeah," Naruto said. "We're gonna come back this way pretty soon, anyways, I think. Keep in touch with Mekkatorque-jiisan, okay? He's got a lot of good ideas, so anything you think you need help with, he could definitely help."
Gaara nodded once.
"And train a bunch! I want you to be as strong as me, when we next meet!" Naruto had flexed to prove his point, making Kankuro snort, Temari roll her eyes, Sakura sigh, Hinata swoon, Kiba frown and Shino to look as he always did—very little. But the issue of Gaara's strength was a large one, and they all knew it. Without Shukaku, it was unclear how powerful he could be.
'I do not lament his departure,' Gaara had said to Naruto. They were in Gaara's office, several hours after the small funeral service for Chiyo. The others had left them alone, ushered away by Sakura and Temari. 'I can…finally sleep. I can finally rest. I am no longer…what my father…intended me to be.'
'Yeah,' Naruto had said. 'But now you gotta keep working, Gaara. It's not gonna get any easier from here. You had already stopped being what your father intended you to a long time ago. Without that stupid tanuki thing, you're going to have to rely on all of your own power.' Naruto ran a hand through his hair. 'It's harder than you might think. You don't have the demon to fall back to anymore. Just like me.'
'It will be difficult,' Gaara had replied, with a nod. 'But in order to continue being Kazekage, I must grow strong enough to protect my village in the future. I will do whatever it takes.'
Naruto had laughed. 'That's good. I wasn't worried, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing.'
Gaara had smiled. 'I do.' His smile had then vanished, replaced by a deep frown, from the eyes more than the face. 'But I am worried.'
'About what?'
'Akatsuki.'
Naruto had nodded, very slowly. 'The clay bomber told me that he and his group had already captured two more like us; or maybe one more, if he counted you. That means they only have six or seven more of us to go. What do you think they want with these things?'
'Power,' Gaara said. 'It is the only thing these creatures bring. They wish for power, and only power. I do not know what they intend to do with such power, but it cannot be good. And this information that Sakura-san brought, that they have contacts, and likely the ability to go to this other world…then that makes them even more dangerous than before.'
'Yeah. They have a lot of things they can do that we can't, and probably have more experience in working between the worlds. But how did they…?'
'I don't know. I shall have this looked into further, especially when Mekkatorque-san returns. Tsunade-sama must hear of this as well.'
'I was planning to tell her,' Naruto had said. 'But there's only so much we can do to prepare, you know? I have to tell Kira-chan about this as well. Now that these guys are in both worlds, maybe if we get help from both sides, we can stop them twice as fast.'
'That is advisable,' said Gaara. 'I shall defer to yours and Tsunade-sama's judgment concerning that. You have no doubt more friends than either of us in that world.'
'Yeah,' Naruto had said, almost wistfully. He shook himself. "Just keep in touch, okay?'
'I shall,' said Gaara. 'Mekkatorque-san has promised many leaps of technology for our village, so keeping in close contact will hopefully not be a problem. He has, I am told "big plans".'
'He usually does,' Naruto had agreed, with a laugh.
Their conversation had not lasted much longer. It had degenerated from important issues into small talk after that, and when Naruto's friends and Gaara's siblings had returned, Naruto was in the middle of his story of Captain Blood and the freeing of the trolls of the Stranglethorn. Hinata, though she knew the story, immediately was enraptured, while Kiba complained loudly that he was making it up, while Temari and Sakura talked in a corner about things that men would not understand.
It had been a good time, and Gaara hoped that more would follow it.
Back in the present, Gaara smiled a smile that was a little wider than normal, and would since become his new standard. He then raised a hand out slightly in front of him, stiffly and mechanically, as it was a new action. Naruto blinked, looking down at it.
"Thank you," Gaara said, softly.
Naruto looked at the hand again, and then up into Gaara's face. The boy's eyes were now clear and bright, and the dark lines around them were beginning to fade. There was that slight smile on his lips, but in that slight smile Naruto could see the entire depth of Gaara's gratitude, all of the emotion he could not express. "Thank you" while to most would sound a little unappreciative, was the only way Gaara knew how to reply. It would change, over time, as a child who is first beginning to learn how to share and interact with other children and adults would be expected to. Naruto hoped that when he next saw Gaara, or sometime far in the future, he'd be able to hear what the boy truly wanted him to know. How truly thankful he was. Because when that time came, Naruto knew that Gaara would become as he had always been meant to.
"No problem," the blonde said, grinning.
"Your dream," said Gaara, "I know that you will realize it. Because it was you who helped me realize mine."
Naruto's smiled faded, just a fraction. Gaara's dead body appeared before his eyes, and Chiyo's words echoed back to him.
'Become Hokage. And be the best one that there ever has been.'
"Y-yeah," he finally said, fixing the fracture and nodding. "You'd better believe it."
Gaara smiled.
"I shall."
Deidara awoke to blackness.
"Where the hell…?" he muttered to himself. "What happened…?"
"You were injured," a soft voice appeared above him. It was delicate and feminine. He groaned. It was her, then.
"That badly…huh?"
"Yes. Sasori-san found you unconscious near the battle sight, buried beneath some rocks. It seems you remained too close to the blast from your clone. You should be thankful."
"I didn't think he'd care," Deidara retorted. But she was right. He had been a little too close, due to his wounds.
"Okashira-sama ordered him to do it."
"Hmph," he muttered. "Where is he?"
"He will return shortly."
Deidara tried to sit. But he realized he couldn't move. He attempted to struggle, to shift any part of his body beneath his neck. There was nothing. His eye widened.
"Hey…yeah, what gives?"
"Anesthesia," the voice said. "To quell the pain, I imagine. Sasori-san thought you might like it, and that is why I am here."
Deidara tried to lift his head, and look into the gloom in front of him. He saw nothing—not even his own body, in the darkness. He looked around, sighting only the blue eyes and the shadowy form of that woman. Then he heard footsteps. He turned his head, and a small light appeared in the distance, illuminating the face of his partner, Sasori. The true face, he realized, and not one of the ones he had always hidden behind, the most frequent of which being the ugly Hiruko.
"Sasori-danna! What the hell…yeah? Why am I all drugged up? Why hasn't this bitch healed me?"
"Because it isn't necessary to heal you, any longer, Deidara."
Deidara frowned. "What? I'm healed?"
"Not yet. I still have a few things to work out. Don't worry, though. You will still have some free will. I am not cruel. You're going to be one of my first experiments, you see. I have had a few corpses to practice on, but yours is the first that I hope will work."
Deidara's eyes widened. What was he talking about? Was he…?
"Hey! What the hell are you doing you bastard? Okashira-sama won't let you…!"
"You've already been replaced, technically. Your body was so injured, Deidara, that having her," he gestured to the shadowy figure on Deidara's other side, "heal you would just be a waste of effort. Tobi will take your place."
"That little shit! What the hell? He's not…!"
"He is stronger than you. All you have is experience, Deidara, and some skill. However, as I said, you will not be dead, or even a hitokugutsu. You're going to be something much better, and you'll still even have conscious thought. You'll still be in Akatsuki, too. You'll even receive orders; the only difference being that you won't get a ring." Sasori lifted a large needle from his cloak, and looked across Deidara to the woman. "You may leave. He doesn't need monitoring any longer."
The woman vanished. Deidara roared in fury, cursing in every way he knew how.
"Why are you so angry, Deidara? You'll still be an artist, and allowed to continue and even propagate your petty and pointless idea of art." Sasori cocked his head to the side. "And you'll still be my partner. I promise, you'll get used to it. It even comes with perks. You'll never have to go to the bathroom again." The puppeteer chuckled, further enraging the former Akatsuki member. "But what I like the most is that you'll be a living contradiction of your own art. Welcome to eternity, Deidara. I know you'll begin to enjoy it."
"You can't do this! Goddammit!"
Sasori came forwards, and the light drifted over Deidara, making him halt his ranting and roaring at the sight of his body.
He nearly vomited.
He was then quiet, as Sasori began his work again.
"My king! My king! Thank the gods you've returned!"
Mekkatorque stared in abject confusion, which slowly turned into worry, as a gnome rushed towards him, as soon as he stepped off the portal platform. Behind him, the portal shimmered and rippled like the surface of a pool, only instead of reflecting Mekkatorque and the massive room in which he stood—a division of Upper Gnomeregan, just beneath the Skyport—it showed a sunny, sandy desert that stretched for miles into the horizon. He could still feel the dry wind blowing from behind him.
"What is wrong?" he asked immediately, pulling up his goggles and throwing off the long scarf that had covered his face from the flying sand. "What has happened?"
"Come with me!" the gnome immediately said. She was young and vibrant, and he recalled her face and name—Janeera—immediately recognizing her as one of the technicians who had helped him build the portal. She was gifted with schematics, from what he remembered. He quickly followed her, through a pair of large, thick doors and into the main Industrial district of the newly repaired city. It was still nothing compared to its former glory, but it shined new and brilliant, and the workers walked with life and youth in their steps, ready to be a part in recreating Gnomeregan in their image.
But not today—today they were solemn and silent, stopping their work as soon as he entered the room, following Janeera as swiftly as he could. The girl looked desperate and terrified, which made him even uneasier.
They crossed only a small portion of the massive room, going through another, smaller pair of doors into a much smaller room on the side. The four walls of the room were lined with a hundred or so drawers, from which papers and maps and schematics of all sorts spilled forth, in such a haphazard way that had he been any less messy himself, he would have found fault with it. He knew the room immediately however, at knew that it was merely a temporary storage room, until the proper Archives could be restored and repaired. Janeera immediately went, however, to a small computer panel that she had set up in one corner.
"Tell me," Mekkatorque finally said, irritated and worried. "What has happened?"
"They've been stolen, my king," Janeera whispered, softly.
"What have?"
"The blueprints."
Mekkatorque frowned. "For what?"
"The portal."
Mekkatorque's eyes grew wide. He took a step back, nearly falling. "W-what?"
Janeera was busy typing; after a few swift keystrokes she turned to him. "Forgive me for my rudeness, my king. But it was urgent. Three days ago, there was a security breach in the Skyport, but nothing was found. A few moments later, another one was set off down here, just outside this room. There were several guards stationed outside, and all along the colonnades, and patrols regularly crossed the main Industrial Hub. However, during this particular time, the patrol had just finished, and so there were only seven guards in the immediate area. When the alarm was raised, reinforcements were immediately sent down, only to find that all seven guards were dead, and the door to this room had been opened, and the plans had been taken from the vault I had placed them in."
Mekkatorque felt a surge of bile in his throat. His stomach churned with worry. Just when he had thought he was going to get some peace. He ran a hand through his hair, wiping the sweat from it and looking at the girl with suddenly intense eyes.
"Is that all that was taken?"
"Yes."
"Were the security cameras working?"
"Yes," she said, and pointed behind her. "I've set up this panel to show the tapes from that night. I…do not believe you will like what you are about to see." She looked at him, swallowing, her own face covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Her bottom lip quivered from worry.
"Show me," he said, calmly, and a little coldly. He walked up to the panel, just as she hit the appropriate key, causing the screen to go black for a moment, and then show a clear image of the Industrial Hub. The camera was positioned on a pillar just opposite the door, giving a clear view of it. It showed two guards, standing on either side of the door, and nothing else.
"It happens quickly," Janeera said.
And she was right. For in the next moment, there was a sudden sound, and both guards leapt off-screen, shouting obscurely, and for a few moments there was a series of loud, brutal sounds; the most obvious and sickening being that of flesh being cut and blood spurting across the metal floor, and several dying screams.
Then everything went silent. Mekkatorque waited, his eyes wide, his breath quick, as the murderer walked onscreen. He could not see his face, for it was covered by a red veil; but the man, for it could be nothing else, was dressed in solid, blood red garments, the only difference being a white tabard, with a plume of crimson fire, almost like blood, splashed across the back. He entered, vanishing for but a moment, into the very room Mekkatorque now stood. His eyes flashed around the room, as if he expected the man to still be there. But the man returned a second later, clutching a rolled up parchment in one hand, and then vanished once more off-screen.
"T-that is all," Janeera said, softly.
Mekkatorque gave a single nod, and strode abruptly from the room. He ignored everything around him as he walked through the Industrial Hub, towards an elevator at the very end, which took him up to the highest floor, the High Tinker's Court. He walked through the room in which he had once destroyed his best friend, and took another elevator up to the very top of the room, the main control center. This entire time, he thought of nothing but how he was going to explain to King Magni and young Princess Kira of the situation.
That the Scarlet Crusade was now in possession of potentially the most dangerous weapon people such as they could have.
When he got inside the control room, he fiddled about on the main control panel, taking a small microphone and beginning to babble into it, quickly and softly, pressing a small button upon finishing, before slumping back in his chair.
This was bad. Worse than anything he had possibly imagined.
In this world, the Scarlet Crusade had become its own plague, ravaging across the humans of the Eastern Kingdoms and turning them into hate-fueled monsters. They had left a bloody, poisonous stain upon the world, and more importantly upon their very race.
Now, it seemed, they sought to bring the hate that drove them into a world pure of it.
Many miles away, Kira awoke with a knocking upon her door. She got swiftly out of bed, wrapping around her a small shawl to keep herself warm, and crossed the floor to her door, opening it a small crack.
"My lady?" a voice whispered. It was unfamiliar to her, but that was not surprising. There were many messengers whom she still wasn't familiar with despite her best efforts.
"What is it?" she asked.
"There is a message from the High Tinker of Gnomeregan, sent on his…device. I have been instructed to take you to receive it."
Kira nodded, softly, opening the rest of her door and meeting the man face on. He was short and thin, but had a kind face and no ill intentions, according to her empathy. She nodded. "Okay. Do you know what it's about?"
"No, my lady."
Kira sighed. "Very well. Shall we go?"
"Very good, my lady."
It was a brisk evening, and the floor of her new castle was cold to her bare feet. Almost immediately upon leaving her room, Kylia was by her side. The girl had a room right next to hers, and whether she just had superior ears or had some sixth sense where Kira was concerned, it didn't take long for her to get ready to accompany the young princess at the drop of a hat, whatever the situation might be. Kira gave her a brief smile, but it didn't hold. News from Mekkatorque was usually good, but the time of his contact led her to believe otherwise, in this situation.
The castle was still in construction. As they descended two floors by way of a single spiral staircase, and walked along another hall towards the back, it became more evident. Patches of wall remained unfinished, and some halls were cluttered with tools, stacks of wood and stone, and other supplies for building. They passed some rooms with no doors and bare of everything but four walls. Sometimes they didn't even have a roof. It still had a long way to go, but every day it became more beautiful and powerful. She could not wait to see it in its splendor.
They went down yet another staircase, after turning down several hallways. This took them below the earth, into the cellars. Stormwind Castle had no dungeons any longer. Criminals now rested in a large, underground section at the other end of the city, called the Stockades. They had been, aside from the infirmary, the first things rebuilt. Nobody knew how many criminals had escaped in the confusion of Onyxia's attack, but since it had already filled to its new, extended brim.
It shamed Kira that most of those contained had been convicted of hate crimes against the other races that now frequented the city.
Now, in addition to the wine and food cellars, there was a new wing, in which the new Deeprun Tram system had been built, which connected Stormwind to Ironforge and Gnomeregan. That wing also housed several of the new gnomish technologies that were being experimented with. And it was there that Kira found herself a moment later, staring at a panel with a blue screen and a few words. It said "1 message," in white, crisp letters.
Linkizzle and Rurizzle had come by a long time previous, and had explained in detail on how to use it. But now confronting it, she was a little unsure. She glanced at the buttons, then at the messenger, who blushed a little and hit key on the panel. The screen remained blue, but the words changed. It now read, "Repeating Message."
Mekkatorque's words came out, distant and muffled. It did nothing to lessen the effect.
"Terrible news. The plans for the portal have been stolen. It was the Scarlet Crusade. I have contacted King Magni. I will get word to Naruto and Benedictus as soon as I can. Keep yourself informed, contact the Argent Dawn. I am sorry. Gelbin Mekkatorque."
The message ended.
Kira stood still for a moment, staring at the panel that was invisible to Kylia and the unfortunate messenger to have to deliver the terrible news. She finally let out a breathless sigh, and turned. Her eyes had become emotionless, cold—regal. Kylia did not like the look, and never had. It made Kira seem a different, darker person. She liked the way her voice sounded even less—brittle, sharp, and emotionless.
"Inform Captain Schneider. I also want missives sent to Southshore and The Bulwark, telling them to keep an eye out for anything at all that deals with the Scarlet Crusade. Inform Lady Sylvanas at the Undercity, as well. She should be notified," she glanced at the messenger. "Immediately."
"Of course, my lady," he said immediately, going ramrod straight for a second with a salute, and then disappearing into the darkened corridor.
When he was gone, Kira seemed to relax, only too much. She slumped in a way that suggested she might fall any second, so Kylia immediately came to steady her.
"Sorry, Ky'. I'm fine. It's okay."
"Not it isn't," Kylia said, softly. "This is not good news, and you have every right to be worried, Kira." She had long since disposed of calling the girl mistress. "What do they hope to gain by this?"
"More followers, I imagine," Kira mumbled. "But how did they know? How did they find out?"
"A traitor?"
"Possibly," Kira said, not wanting to think of that. "But among the gnomes? Not likely, as the Scarlet Crusade despises them. And very few humans know of the portal; I could count them on one hand. " She sighed. "But this is horrible. If they manage to get it working, and do manage to get into Naruto's world…" she shivered. "They could turn it against us. People in that world don't know about things like the Scourge and the Forsaken; the Crusade could use that to breed fear and hate and turn the entire world to their side."
She gripped her shawl closer to her. The one that had ordered the death of her father was among the remaining ranks of the Scarlet Crusade. She had not forgotten the name. Lady Demetria. The Scarlet Oracle. The one that even Whitemane had feared.
"We can't let them do this. We can't let them gain any more power, Ky'. I want to call a meeting."
"Of whom?"
"Everyone. Everyone who is a part of this alliance. I want the leaders of all the races to meet for the first time. We need to discuss a plan of action, and we need to do more than just contemplate." She looked at Kylia with quivering eyes. "We need to begin this battle now, or it might be lost before it's even begun."
Kylia nodded.
They left the room. The air seemed to have gotten even colder as the walked up, back to their rooms. Kira walked each step with the same thought in her mind.
'Come back soon. Come back, Naruto.'
Done. Hope this chapter was good, it positively reeked of emotion didn't it?
I made Gaara survive. Yes, I know it might have been obvious. But it will have far-reaching consequences, at least for Naruto. Probably for Gaara, too.
Deidara getting the sack. I thought it was a rather creepy scene, myself, but what do you guys think? I left the description of his body to your imaginations. I hope they went wild:)
Yes. Back to Azeroth soon, guys. No more copying the storyline for me. It's all original. Hope I get back the fans I lost in those last few chapters. Hope to gain more fans as well.
Keep on truckin'. I'll see you guys in a week.
Review please!
General Grievous