Shadow blinds us as we are thrust into the open air and fall back into our body. Suddenly our senses jolt into electric overload, and we gasp, sitting upright and feeling our body seize up in a huge cramp. The crisp smell of fresh air is inhaled, and we breathe deeply, our sight restored as we adjust to the dark. A too-white light outlines every shape, and we know our eyesight is in night vision to accomodate.
Lumps are asleep beside us and don't stir as we stand, loose pants barely shifting with our limbs and our stomach is emptier than we can ever remember. Our chest is bare, and the lower half grumbles at us. The wind leaps by as the train shuffles along the tracks, mumbling nonsensical emotions of loss and speed. Looking out of the open doors, we sigh, and let ourselves fall from the edge, catapulting from the wooden planks with powerful muscles, bunched and springing long and thick.
We could feel our tails swinging behind us, even though they weren't visible or substantial, and they gave us balance to land in the soft grass. The train wasn't going very fast, and we easily loped along side it on all fours, jumping from tree to tree and back into the tall grasses by the tracks. Our fingers and toes catch and release, knots being worked out of them as we sprint, eating up the ground swiftly and galloping beyond our original train car. The whole machine is nothing but storage and transporting cars, no gentle window lights shining into the darkened meadows and forests.
But over the next passage, we can view the next city, and quickly fall back to jump into our car, scrambling onto the roof through the tight top hatch, blonde-red hair waving wildly in the air currents everywhere as we're buffeted.
Through all of this we are silent, but just then a hand grabs our leg and slams us into the bottom of the cart, and we snarl, every hair on our body standing upright, teeth bared. Our fingernails carve grooves into the base wood as we arch our back like one of our old forms, and growl.
The too-white lines grow stronger, and the dark shapes come into clarity. A woman in black and a loose army jacket is holding a large gun at us that smells of oil and powder and metal and death. But not for us. We slip into the darker shadows and slide around the ceiling until she's pointing the gun at nothing.
Just when we're about to move again, she murmurs, "I know I can't hurt you, Naruto. I don't want to." She lays the huge machine on the floor and one of the smaller lumps we'd thought was asleep whispers, "Calm down. It's just us, Naruto."
A petite woman stands up and removes her jacket hood so we can see her soft lavendar eyes watching us gently, with sympathy and care. But we stare at her blankly. Who are these people? Our instincts tell us they aren't a threat, but why do they know our old name?
"Who are you?" our voice is soft and rough, disused from our slumber.
The first girl frowns, but the shorter one gasps, and her eyes get wet. Is she going to cry? But then another voice comes in.
"He's in one of the phases of shock, Hinata. Don't worry. He'll recover." It comes from the darkest person in the corner, soft green eyes watching us sadly but warily.
"How much do you remember, Naruto? Does Sasuke ring any bells?"
Pain rips through us, and we double over, dropping to the floor and groaning, clutching not our stomach but our throat, and then our chest. Are we having a heart attack? Then a fragment of memory slips in and we see dark eyes caressing us and memorizing every inch of our shape and sound and feel and touch and our own eyes.
Sasuke. Who is Sasuke?
More pain when we think his name and our mind splits for a second a scream clutching our heart and squeezing it until we can't breathe.
"Naruto, you idiot. How can you still be hungry after six bowls of jumbo combo ramen?"
"Maybe we should rent a room so one of us won't have to sleep in the back on the way there."
''Happy birthday, dobe. I love you."
"I love you, Naruto."
"I love you, you idiot."
"Tch. Of course I love you, baka. I always will."
"I love you."
"Naruto! Don't go. Stay awake. I'm sorry. Don't think about him. Stay with me!"
"Our name...isn't Naruto," we manage to gasp before the world go black again, and then white.
Red bubbles began to appear and pop, and we can see images flashing through us like lightning bolts, and suddenly everything is back. Our eyes open.
We are in the cart still, but now we're in a bundle of cloth that smells like dirt and sweat and oddly like Sasuke.
Sasuke.
But we aren't Naruto. Not Sasuke's Naruto. Not anymore. Not yet.
The lumps are awake now, and sitting by a small fire in one corner, bricks set around the flames. We stand upright, and crack our back and joints, making sure they all are without complaint, before speaking.
"We aren't Naruto Uzumaki," The noise freezes and all heads turn at us, " but we do remember now."
The short one, Hinata stands up again and walks over to us. Our hair prickles but we stay, inhaling her peach blossom smell and filing it away. She still looks teary-eyed, but better. She's frowning, and whispers, "Not Naruto? How could you be anyone else?"
"We know and remember the Naruto you see, but we aren't that Naruto. We are a different person. We have his memories, and Kyuubi's. But they are asleep still. We have found them inside us. They will wake up in a few days. Probably," we murmur, our voice soft.
We walk to the fire, our hair ruffled by the wind passing by. Semi-bright lights are in the distance, and we can still feel the pressure of pollution in our lungs. Wide-eyes, both sad and calculating watch us as we perch on our haunches and take a piece of bread and sausage someone offers up, before the voice from before asks, "Then who are you?"
We pause. Who?
"Kage. You can call us-me-Kage. That's what we are, afterall," I whispered, and found that I could talk louder now. "Kages." (1)
"Shadows? Why do you say that?" the girl stands and comes to sit by me, and I shuffle a tiny bit away. She could say his name again and hurt me. I don't think she will, but I don't want to feel it again. Sakura. I find her name in our thoughts. My thoughts. Her dull pink hair is pulled into a pony-tail and I watch her.
"Because we are Kage no Naruto and Kage no Kitsune. We are not Naruto Uzumaki. We are not Kitsune Kyuubi. We are Kages."
"Shadows of Naruto and someone else? Who is Kyuubi?" said Hinata her frown deepening slightly, brows furrowed.
"Hush. Let him eat guys. Poor guy needs some food." it was the gun woman from before. Juura. Her chest was covered in bandages and a tanktop, gloves on both hands and combat boots with steel tips crossed as she sat on a bundle of bricks knotted with twine. She was wolfing down a rolled up sausage that dripped cheese. My stomach rumbled and I took a bite, the rumble pausing as the sweet meat burst in my mouth and I almost moaned in relief. (A/N: No naughty thoughts, please. Serious time:)
Her gun is on the ground and a huge black blade is tied to her back, crisscrossing with another gun, and there are smaller knives on her shoulder, hip, and I can see another silver hilt peeking out from her boot top. Her dirty blonde hair is tied back and has another knife holding it up, thin and like a japanese kunai.
I look around. Everyone else is similarly outfitted, though without so much showing off. Names come to me as I eat.
Neji. Gaara. Shika. Kiba. All of them were eating, avoiding my eye and talking softly amongst themselves. They each had knives on thier thighs and boots, at least two guns and a long blade.
Jiraiya is the one sitting crosslegged by the open train door. His automatic Elephant Gun was sitting next to him, and there was a long saber on his waist, tied by a green ribbon. He was wearing his favorite wodden sandals. Kakashi was sitting on a crate with a brunette. Iruka. They were looking at a map together and frowning, thier own rifle and pistols hidden in thier clothing, I'm sure. They each were wearing a string of small daggers on their hips, though.
Sakura and Hinata were both in the back, talking quietly together and nodding. Hinata had two knives and a nail gun, fashioned into a rifle. It was loaded with railroad nails. Sakura had a huge sword with silver and metal for a hilt, wrapped in a spiral and a crossguard. That was sitting in her lap with her long-knife. Her back was equipped with only another blade. No guns as far as I could she. But she looked ready for hand-to-hand, fists knuckled with long spikes, thick and round. Two rings were on each hand, just to add to the pain.
Two redheads were almost asleep, leaning on a stack of hay and coal. Kamurou and Kao. Their backs had a small hilt, and I guessed they were carrying grenades from thier bulky belts. Another brunette was leaning on the opposite door as Jiraiya, smoking and watching the scenery-or so I thought, as his eyes were obscured by hair and his hat. Stone. Of what I could see, he had a machine gun on his shoulder and steel studded gloves perfect for face-shots. His boots went past his shin and were steel toed like Juura's.
There was a pile of duffels next to him. I saw what were probably my own weapons if I woke up. Another saber, a pair of black daggers, and a sniper-rifle with a silencer. Nice, even though I wouldn't be using weapons. I didn't need them.
A tall, busty blonde woman was scowling at the fire, a brunette at her side and reading some sort of manual, twin knives criss-crossed on her back, pistol holstered on her slim hips. The blonde had a machete-looking blade hanging from her hip and a rifle on her back. Tsunade and Shizune.
Only one person was missing.
What happened while we slept? I let myself relax and sit down completely. Now that they're scared, there's an awkward silence, and I sigh inwardly again. I can't let these people distract me, no matter how much I care about them. I know exactly what I have to do. I realize now why I've woken up early. The pain thrusted me out of Naruto's mind, and from Kyuubi aswell. Kage no Kitsune was dormant for the moment, and my own mind was racing at a thousand times the speed of light.
I had to find the Mate. Sasuke Uchiha. Teme.
This is so annoying. I'm in the middle of a nice, peaceful, dreamless sleep and suddenly I'm aware of rolling off the bed. I'll never live this down. I just know Naruto will-
And then I hit the floor, and it jolts me awake, pain tearing through my already injured body. The seat that I was in before had been tipped over, and the crick in my neck hurts like hell. The place the venom went through is both numb and on fire. A sort of freezing feeling. Behind me, he spoke darkly, "Your little fuck-toy is not very docile, Sasuke-kun. I think with some proper training he'd be accomodating, though. Would you like me to try?"
Panic squeezed me so tightly I thought I'd pass out from no air. Anger flared in me right as the world shadowed, and my eyes flew open, mouth working and air choking me for a moment. Then I was thrashing on the floor, and trying very hard to get loose from the ropes binding my arms to my sides and together. But they were too secure, and instead they just sliced into me. His foot came down on my stomach, squishing into the pain places and I huffed out a cry, still straining at the bonds.
My mind was too foggy to know that it had been almost two months to the day since I'd been in Tokyo with Naruto. It grew darker and darker, until I could only hear his voice, a constant slither keeping me afraid. But not for myself.
"Yes, I think I will train him. Just for you, baby brother. Soon you'll get to see how obedient a pet can be."
"Maybe you should come and see him today? No, nevermind, little bro. You look exhausted. I let you sleep soon."
"Can you hear him screaming all the way down here, Sasuke? He yells for you, you know. He always screams for help. He wonders why you won't save him, Sasuke. Well, brother? How come?"
"Naruto was better today. I think I'm getting through to him. It just takes a firm hand, little brother. Soon you'll get to see a fully broken whore. Would you like that, brother?"
Somewhere deep in Sasuke, his sanity became sick, and there was so sunshine to fix it this time. He was hurtled into a deep darkness. His past. Days with Naruto flew by swiftly, and soon he was beyond them, back to the orphanage. Before Kakashi found him. And before he'd ever had sunshine.
Itachi, meanwhile, was enjoying himself thoroughly. Revenge and torment went splendidly together, and all he had to do was lie. He even got the added bonus of knowing Naruto's past through the files he'd stolen.
Soon he would have visible proof for his poor little baby brother. So worried about his little lover. Wouldn't he be relieved to see his slut again. Of course, that would be after Naruto was already dead and voilated in every possible way. He bet the fiesty little blonde would be quite the plaything once tamed and broken in.
All his people were in place. All he had to do was hit 'go'.
I crouched in the dark as the people who smelled strange loaded and unloaded crates and coal and wood from the train. My nails were secure in the steel rooftop of our box car, and the others were hidden in the only cargo that was staying onboard for the full trip to the Kyoto station, where supposedly more people were waiting to take us to America. The trail had begun there.
Sorry its a bit jumbled. Our Naru-kun will return, though, so have to worries. I just had to get this out! Going back to school on Monday. Day after tomorrow! WAAAAAAAHHH!