My goodness, it feels like forever since I last updated. I just haven't been in a writing mood lately. Honestly, I haven't written anything. But here is the next chapter so please enjoy.
Sunlight filtered through the tiny window in the room. My fingers skimmed across the smooth flesh beneath me. I let my mind wander aimlessly through the air. Suddenly, I was in a place unfamiliar to me. My eyes drifted closed, embracing this strange thought. I was sitting on a swing, moving back and forth only slightly. In my arms, a small stuffed bear was cuddled. I stared down a small alley to where a group of kids were playing soccer. I longed to join them but I knew I wouldn't be accepted.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, recognizing the memory at last. I slapped my own hand over my mouth, hoping I hadn't woken Gaara. The dream flickered slightly but he just shifted his head and squeezed me tighter. A small smile curved my lips as I put my hand over the one he was using to keep me in place. Then, I reentered his dream. It wasn't me on the swing, it was Gaara.
Out of the group of playing children, a girl appeared. She had a soft smile and giant, red eyes. Did I really look like that? I mused critically, watching the scrawny little thing make her way towards Gaara. But then I was him again. I glanced down at my teddy bear and then at her. She was beckoning for it. Hesitantly, I handed it over but she just shook her head, dropping it on the ground and reaching for my hand.
I felt the shift of atmosphere in the dream before anything actually changed. All of a sudden, the girl vanished and I stood alone, surrounded by nothing but cracked earth. In the distance, I saw others but their backs were turned and no matter how hard I ran out them, I never got any closer. The real Gaara stirred, his brow furrowing as the dream became even darker, his uncle showing up.
"Wake up, my moon," I called, tapping the side of his face while pushing the dream out of his thoughts. "It's morning." Gaara rubbed at his eyes before opening them and glancing down at me. The dream was already lost in his memories.
"We leave today," he pointed out, already fretting over it.
"Everything's going to be fine. You have nothing to worry about," I reassured him, putting my faith in the ninja of the Great Nations. "Besides, I'll be on the battlefield. Somewhere… I'll protect whoever I'm assigned to at all costs." Surprising me, Gaara grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes.
"No, Nari. I want you to promise me that you're not going to get yourself killed. I need you. I can't have you dying in this war. Promise me." I gulped, seeing how gravely serious he was.
"I promise, Gaara. I'll come back to you." He breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at my cuffs. Before I could protest, a new ring formed on my ring finger. It was engraved with one word, "Mine".
►§◄
I kept my eyes wide open as I scanned the battlefield. Even with Kakashi leading our division, the battle was no good. I glanced back at the five people I was supposed to protect and scowled. These people… What were they to me when my moon is also in the line of fire? Why was I here instead of there?
Because you were ordered to, Aiyota reprimanded me in my thoughts, trying to appease me. Even he had argued against Lord Raikage's orders, knowing full well that if I got the smallest feeling that Gaara was in danger, I'd abandoned my post to save him. Still, he hadn't listened. Instead, he put Aiyota in Gaara's Division and me in Kakashi's. My orders were simple; keep my squad alive.
Nari, this time his voice was softer, stirred by my bitter emotions. I'll make sure nothing happens to your mate. He's under my protection. Just focus on your job. I spit at the ground but silently obeyed. Two sealers, a sensory-type, one of the intelligence unit, and one defensive-type. Pretty much, my team, while entirely non-combative, were all extremely important for how the war turned out.
"Follow me," I told them calmly, completely unaffected by those dying all around me. Well, I tried to be. Since I was using my kekkei genkai to determine where the enemies were, I tended to experience a lot of last moments. It was as though I was dying, over and over again. But I brushed it off. I may not like it, but I'd do my part.
I remembered what the Raikage had said:
"You're too impulsive when it comes to those you care about; we've seen it on your file a thousand times. Putting you with the Kazekage would only harm his chances of succeeding, not help them. You're better off with Kakashi."
"But…"
"That's final! I've made my decision. You're assignment is to keep squad 13 alive. Kakashi will introduce you. You're to rendezvous with him immediately." I glanced over at Gaara, at a loss. Neither Aiyota or I could convince Lord A otherwise. Gaara just shook his head. Even he would prefer to have me in his unit but he wouldn't refute the Raikage. I just had to clench me teeth and go with it.
"Where are we going, Lady Nari?" the younger of the two sealers asked. He was a scrawny boy dressed with the traditional Suna attire. I had met him only once before. He had served as a temporary guard on the cliffs while I was revising the defensive strategies of Suna.
"I need to keep you out of danger. Right now, we're nothing but sitting ducks. When they can use us, we'll return."
"We can't just abandon our teammates!" the sensory ninja, a hot-blooded lad around Gaara's age from Iwa, argued.
"This is your team now. If you get involved, you'll only get killed. Kakashi has other plans for you." He gritted his teeth but obeyed. My mind jump to Kakashi's needing to know where he was. Our commander was in battle with Zabuza and Haku. They're plan of action was adequate. He didn't need us. Suddenly, a mummified body landed beside me. Startled, I jumped back, making sure my team was safe behind me and immediately performing the nine tails jutsu. The defense surrounded all of us, keeping whatever was killing these people out.
"That's not going to stop her," the elder of the sealers stated. She was in her mid-thirties, old for a ninja. I disregarded her comment and prepared the mountain ash jutsu. It would take longer to establish in a circle. Meanwhile, I kept an eye out for our attacker. Reanimations were tricky. Sometimes I could get into their heads and other times they were shielded from me. Before I could finish, she made her strike.
"Not these five," I hissed, catching her by the wrist and launching her back out of the circle. There's someone fast enough to get around your nine tails jutsu? Aiyota asked from his position behind Temari and Shikamaru.
Apparently, I responded. In truth, I didn't actually send the thought back to him, he just read it. Even though my kekkei genkai was strong for my young age, I couldn't sustain such forms of communications while in battle. It wasted too much valuable chakra. Not to mention, if I was that good, they'd have put me in the intelligence unit.
"We need to hit the forest," I told my squad, jumping amidst the ongoing battle. They were close on my heels, a sealer in the front and a sealer in the back. The defensive-type was in the middle, between the sensory-type and intelligence member. By pure luck (and my nifty ability to know where the enemies were), we made it to the tree line without incident.
"This is wrong," the Stone ninja spat as we surveyed the battlefield from the edge. The trees kept us well hidden until we could be of use.
"I have my orders," I retorted. "Trust me, I'd like to be part of the battle too." This took him by surprise. So she's not just being a coward, he thought. "No, I'm not," I responded, confusing him and the rest of the squad. "I need to keep you alive. This is what Lord Raikage ordered of me. That's what I'll do."
"But why would he ask that? None of us are Cloud ninja," the defensive type from the Hidden Mist asked while the others puzzled over where my speech had come from.
"Because you're valuable. We need ninja with your skillsets to win this war. You five are the backup if any location runs out. I have to keep the backup safe." Silence followed.
"Yuichi called you Lady Nari. What is it that you do?" the Mist ninja continued, curiosity getting the best of her.
"She's Lord Kazekage's girlfriend," Yuichi responded immediately.
"And the Head of Defense," the other sealer added, glaring at him.
"I remember that," the Konoha intelligence member piped up. I rolled my eyes. Of all things for us to be doing in the middle of a war, we're talking about me, I mused. "You accompanied Lord Gaara and his siblings when they came to Konoha to help with the Sasuke Retrieval mission. I remember Sadao telling me you had a thing for him. Still, the Kazekage having a girlfriend… That seems far-fetched." I laughed, fingering my new sand ring.
"I met Gaara when he was a child, before he had 'love' engraved into his forehead. It was quite a shock meeting him again right before Suna invaded Konoha. He had changed so much. I credit myself for helping him go back to the way he should be and is now."
"I heard tales that you're only loyal to Suna because of your friendship with him," Satomi, the older sealer stated. I nodded.
"It's not in my nature to be loyal to a nation or city just because someone tells me to. There has to be someone or something that makes it special to me."
"You're not a very good ninja then," the Iwa sensory-type, Noboru, claimed.
"Who ever said anything about being a good ninja? Being a good friend is more important." At this, they chuckled and we waited patiently for sun down.
When nightfall finally came, the reanimated disappeared, confusing many of the fighters. Thinking that the battle was over, my squad went to rejoin their comrades but I stopped them, searching for any sign of the enemy with my mind. Nothing… Again, they lurched forward, but, again, I stopped them.
"There's no one out there," Noboru tried to reassure me.
"At the moment but did you see how they vanished? They could just as easily reappear. Be patient. When Kakashi deems it safe for resting, we'll rest." He nodded and backed off, trusting me a little more after spending a full day with me. It took nearly an hour but Kakashi eventually made his way to our group.
"Good, you're all still alive." His eye ran over the group and finally settled on me. "Are you still communicating with Aiyota?"
"Their enemies also retreated. They did not engage today." The elder ninja nodded, glancing about him warily.
"How did you manage to avoid the battle?" Before I could respond, he muttered, "Never mind. Stupid question." I smiled half-heartedly. "Do the same as you did today, tomorrow unless instructed otherwise. We need these five."
"I know." He left then to other business. While my squad rested, I attempted to keep an out on both the Third Division and the Fourth Division but it was a draining activity. Rest, Nari. You'll need to be at full strength when battle comes, Aiyota reminded me in a fatherly manner. I grimaced but agreed, having Satomi stand guard while I took a short nap. When I awoke, it was time to start fighting again.
Lazily, I stared around at the faces of my men. Screams in the distance made some of them antsy but the others, such as Noboru and Kotone, the defensive-type, were now more eager than ever to join the battle. "Let's move out," I ordered, keeping a careful watch over the thoughts of the squad. I couldn't have one of them running out into battle. That'd only put the rest of us in danger.
"Keep your guard up. They're everywhere," Noboru stated, warning the rest of the team. I kept us on the move, dutifully avoiding combat. Thank the gods for sensory techniques, I praised, glad that I had another backing my readings up. As I said before, sometimes the reanimated bodies didn't have thoughts to read, a frightening situation for a nine-tailed ninja trying to avoid them. An hour passed with us skirting around confrontations. Then,
"Hiro!" Satomi exclaimed, seeing the body of one of her comrades laying on the ground. It was evident he was breathing but I grabbed her back before she could jump to his rescue. Hiro knew that he was bait to get others killed but he couldn't say it, his throat being crushed. Keen eyes landed upon the bodies of other victims, apparently sewn onto trees.
"We can't help him. Let's go," I muttered calmly. Horrified, sad, brown eyes stared back at me.
"We can't just abandoned him!" Noboru argued again. I felt a sudden urge to rip out his tongue, but Aiyota was quick to intervene. Have patience with him, Nari. He can't see what you see.
"I said, let's go."
"And I say you're keeping us from the glories of war!" That was it; the snapping point. No, I hadn't experienced war first hand, but I knew what it was like having been through the memories of veterans. War was not glorious and that word should never be used to describe it. I produced a kunai knife from my pocket and shot it at the helpless victim. It pierced his skull, killing him instantly.
"You murdered a comrade!" Noboru shouted. I was already beyond fed up.
"You're a sensory ninja, aren't you? Can't you see the wires criss-crossing all around him? Can't you sense the paper bombs ready to go off if the wire is so much as touched? He was already dead and he knew it. Let's. Go." With a clenched jaw, he followed, growling murderous thoughts in his head. The hot-blooded Stone ninja was going to get himself killed if he kept it up and I was willing to sacrifice him for the sake of the others.
Our run didn't last long. All of a sudden, Arata from Intel, stopped us. "They want our squad to support the Commando Unit ahead." I nodded, knowing exactly where they were.
"Alright. Tell them we'll be there as soon as we can." He relayed my response to whoever was on the other side and we changed directions, going in a straight line for the unit. Sadly, this trip wouldn't be as simple as the last. Before I heard them, or felt their presence in my mind, two reanimated Akatsuki members had appeared. I stopped my squad, falling back behind the shrubbery. Now their thoughts were clear to me, telling me that they'd already seen us. I sighed in disappointment. I knew what was going to happen.
"I'll make a diversion, and you five move ahead. Understood?" I could see the reluctance in their eyes. No, most of them didn't like me, but they didn't want to leave such an important official behind. Nari, don't. Didn't you see who that was? I ignored Aiyota's warning. There were no other options. They weren't just going to let us go. "Don't move until I have them distracted," I ordered the squad.
Narimi Ninetails! Think of Gaara. It will devastate him if you don't come back. Stop this foolishness. I disregarded him again, though my stomach began to curl up at the thought of causing my moon pain. I ran my index finger across my ring again and then froze.
What are you doing to me? I hissed, my body having been paralyzed. He couldn't respond, the effort of doing such a thing over such a long distance was overwhelming. Even the original nine-tailed ninja couldn't perform this jutsu for very long and, as soon as I was free, I dropped down to my death.
"Nari," his cold voice said, slightly surprised by my appearance. Nari, my teacher sighed, but he couldn't do anything now or I'd just die anyway. "I didn't expect you to get involved in a war." I felt his eyes land upon my headband. "And faithful to the Great Nations?"
"I've had years to reconsider my bitterness," I muttered in response, eyes trained to his feet.
"You don't trust me," he noted emotionlessly, observing my gaze.
"Don't belittle me, Itachi-sensei. You'd ensnare me in your Sharingan before I had the chance to blink. You don't want me in this war." With my new level of mastery over mind reading, I could see how very true this was. Itachi was reminded of the Sasuke he died to save whenever he looked at me. I had the same stubbornness, the same hot-blooded will and need to prove myself. He had no more desire to battle me than I to battle him.
"It's not in your nature to fight for others," he reminded me, clueless to how far into his mind I had already penetrated. Somehow, he knew I could hear his thoughts. Someone had told him along the way. Or, perhaps, he had figured it out for himself when he was training me. I wouldn't put anything past the Uchiha.
"I fight for my friends." A second later I added, "And for the people of Suna."
"The others are getting away," Nagato spoke up.
"Let them go. The real threat is before us." This caught me by surprised and, for a brief moment, I desired to flick my eyes up to his. Never before had he noted my skills. But I restrained myself.
"Let's not drag this out, Itachi. Are you go to let me go or not?" I was hesitant to fight him. Even with my kekkei genkai, I doubted I'd be able to fight my way out of his genjutsu. He was too strong.
"No." My jaw clenched and I jumped back, preparing the internal implosion jutsu. If I could neutralize him and Nagato long enough to get a head start, I should, at the very least, be able to find backup. Itachi leaned Nagato against a tree and came after me. Maybe I wouldn't have to fight Pain after all. Just as my old sensei came after me, I launched myself at him.
"Blast style: internal implo…" but before my hands reached his skin, my chakra fell apart, quickly absorbed by my cuffs before it could harm the area. I had done it. I had let my eyes wonder and now I was staring into pinwheel Sharingan, blood red. It was over. Nari! I heard a voice in the back of my head call, but I couldn't register who, or what, it was.
"You're done with this war," Itachi told me, taking my wrists and easing me down to the ground. "You're going to sleep un…," but the rest of his sentence was lost. I was already gone.
I was very excited about adding Itachi into this story; I hope I portrayed him accurately. Anyway, this was kind of my way to avoid having to write my way through the war so don't expect any more of that. Also, while I try to keep up with who's dead and alive in the series, that might also be inaccurate since the war isn't over yet. Well, anyhoo...
Thanks for reading and please review!