Hello, again.
We'll still be having a few songs as part of the intro, but it will help introduce some of the other main characters, such as Sunset's brothers. This will also be giving a few more details about the incident that create Sunset and the others, as well as Sakura's insanity.
Don't own MLP or Naruto, by the way.
Open up your eyes, and sound the drums of war!
Sakura stared down at the masses scurrying around Konoha, trying to either get to safety or fulfill her demand. Sakura smiled darkly as she thought about how her goal was close at hand.
It isn't like any of them are going to be getting out, after all. Thought Sakura, Especially if they want Konoha, Hanabi, or Konohamaru safe.
As insurance, not only did she envelope the village in her special burning, thorny vines, she had taken two of the most prominent children in the village as hostages, planning on killing them first in front of the others if they didn't get her father for her. Her biggest concerns, though, would be Hanabi's father, if the villagers actually notice/side with her father, and Sunset's brothers.
Fluttershy was the first to show up after Sunset, honestly caught Sakura off guard with his hair. Light pink hair, a bit of a yellow tint to his skin, and wearing a green-and-brown kimono and geta primarily, he was the shyest of the set for the most part. But once he found himself in the Inzuka vet compound, he became ecstatic, easily becoming an assistant there and working his way up the ranks fast. It stunned the Inuzuka clan head, Tsume, and caught the interest of her daughter, Hana. Even more so when other animals started showing up, docile as could be, from both outside the village and inside the freaking Forest of Death of all places!
Even then, he would be one of the kindest kids around the village, and pretty much every one knew it. At least until one drunken idiot decided on interrupting his letting a couple of puppies play with a few kids, with Tsume's permission for the play time. He had nearly drove a couple to tears when Fluttershy's eyes turned red as he stared the man down. To make things even worse for the drunkard, he was also scolding him about his actions, and it all led to the drunk literally crying as he ran straight over to the ANBU that appeared nearby, wanting the shinobi to take him away for his punishment.
Sakura couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the memory. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it.
Apple Jack and Dash were next to appear, and they were pretty peculiar to Konoha.
Jack had blond hair, with an orange tint to his skin, but his voice and clothing were what struck everyone. Primarily, he wore boots, a new style of pants he called 'jeans,' a white shirt with a darker green vest over it, and a hat called a fedora. As for his voice, he spoke in a strange accent that no one could quite pick out, but it certainly got the attention of a good many girls around Konoha. But what kept people from distrusting him was when he, within a couple of days, somehow managed to start a rather successful apple orchard affectionately called "Sweet Apple Acres," and was about as stubborn and honest about his dealings as the cycle of night and day. People also brought up rumors that he might have access to the Shodaime Hokage's kekkai genkai, at least from him being so good with plants. No one had yet to really test out that theory yet.
Sakura was still surprised, but also angry, at how easily Hinata 'seemed' to switch from Naruto toJack, even becoming a bit more bold herself from it.
In the meantime, Dash, more commonly known as 'Rainbow' Dash, had shocked everyone with having a blue skin tint and rainbow colored hair. The rest of his appearance was much simpler in comparison, being reinforced shoes, somewhat form-fitting black pants, a white shirt, and a usually open blue hooded jacket. Dash did, however, exhibit a rather spunky, competitive, and outgoing attitude towards life and friends, easily rushing in to help out if someone needed his help. Although he did take a bit for those that got on his nerves. What astounded everyone, was the incident that gave him a job as a courier, and left a rainbow-colored blur in his wake. Even at such a young age, he was incredibly fast, even catching the attentions of Might Guy and Rock Lee.
Rarity was next, and caught Yamanaka Ino instantly. Silky purple hair in a ponytail, his skin was more of a pearl-like pale, and seemed to shine a bit in the light. His clothes consisted of a more purple and silver kimono, in comparison to Fluttershy's own, with stylish purple boots and silver gloves. What was confusing to most was how he could be pretty vain, but could also be rather generous when people needed help, particularly in regards to fashion, clothes/blankets/fabrics, or decorations. He ended getting an apprenticeship with Ino's favorite clothing shop, and ultimately turned it into the shop for even the Daimyo once it was discovered that he could create crystals to add in to the items on sale, but kept their price from going up.
Sakura wasn't the only one that was perplexed by that.
Pinkie Pie was the final one to show up, but the fastest in gaining the trust of the villagers. A wild mane of magenta hair, a lighter pink tint, he wore blue slippers, a blue, pink, and white plaid shirt, and periwinkle purple pants. He usually works alongside the Ichiraku's, either helping them with their ramen stand, or baking a selection of pastrie/cakes/cookies to sell as well.
Even Sakura had a tough time staying angry around Pinkie, but was able to escape his antics and parties ever since so far.
What certainly helped spread happiness, was Pinkie's stubborn antics in both party-throwing and being comical to those around him, to the point that some have even asked him, "Just what are you on, kid? 'Cause I want some of that." Pinkie didn't even need chakra to pretty much do the impossible on occasion, and 'impossible' was coined by the shinobi.
Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when Konohamaru cried out "Why are you doing this?! Let us go!"
She chuckled darkly. "Why? I say it's about time someone got at least a form of justice for the Sun Child, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Naruto?" asked Konohamaru, confused, "What does he have to do with this?
"Everything." Sakura replied, turning to face the two tied up kids on the roof with her, "It was he who my father and his 'friends' destroyed, and took away from me. Just like Ino."
Hanabi scoffed. "Are you sure it isn't you betraying him instead?"
That angered Sakura enough to kick the pole the two were tied to.
"Don't! Pin this on me." She growled at them before grabbing their chins to face her, "You have no idea of what happened! You have no-" she stopped and calmed down, remembering who she was talking to, "Hmph. It's not like either of you kids would know anyways. So innocent of the way of things beyond your sheltered lives." she released the two, backing up a few steps before opening her mouth again, this time being heard throughout the entire village somehow.
[Open Up Your Eyes – Emily Blunt (the singer)]
"It's time you learned a lesson. It's time that you understand." Sakura sang, still facing the two, "Don't ever count on anybody else, In this or any other land." She turned as she continued, "I once hoped for friendship. To find someone who'd see just me." Her expression darkened as she looked out away from her primary audience, "But those were childish wishes, Of someone too blind to see." Sakura turned around and raised her arms, "Open up your eyes!"She placed her hands on their shoulders, "See the truth in your last 'our. Me among the mighty. You caged by my po'er." She grabbed hold of their chins again, "Open up your eyes! Give up your sweet fantasyland. It's time to grow up, and get wise. Come now, little ones. Open up your eyes."
Next thing either Hanabi or Konohamaru knew, they seemed to be drawn into Sakura's eyes, and into the very memories of the incident that started all of this.
It was night time, and a still human Sakura was seen, happy as she dragged an happy yet a bit hesitant Naruto behind her. Her voice then came up again.
"We all start out the same, with simple naive trust." The past Sakura and Naruto arrived at Sakura's house, where Naruto's hesitance reared up and stopped them. Sakura didn't quite take that decision, and pulled him in. "Shielded from the many ways, that life's not fair or just."
Inside, however, when both face inwards, their happiness turned to fear when they saw Sakura's father and a few other men come towards them. Sakura was forced away, leaving Naruto as a silhouette. "But then there comes a moment. A simple truth that you must face." She was left watching as Naruto was attacked by the men, before the scene went black with a few splotches of blood. "If you place trust in others, you'll never find your place."
When the scene came back, Hanabi and Konohamaru saw a hospital being open and Sakura tossed out, leaving just enough time to see an angry Sunset within before it closed. Sakura, on the other hand, picked herself shakily before running off sobbing as their classmates arrived. It quickly changed to Sakura arriving at her home, and noticing a kunai on the table with some blood on it. Recognizing it from the icident, she gingerly picked it up. "And as you take that first step, upon a path that's always known." Sakura's face grew incredibly angry, before she silently screamed and threw the kunai at a picture of her father's head. "You see it all so clearly: The best way to survive is all alone."
As they drew in on the picture, the vision finally ended.
Hanabi and Konohamaru were speechless at what they had just witnessed. While they didn't see what exactly happened to Naruto, they did see enough to understand Sakura's plight. The two kids started giving up hope as Sakura still continued her song. "Open up your eyes! See the truth in your last 'our. Me among the mighty. You caged by my po'er."
A vine came up, grabbed the pole they were tied to, and raised them out into the open air. Sakura flew up on top of the vine as it did that. "Open up your eyes, and behold the fading light." She pulled them off the pole and hung them from the vine, ensuring that they wouldn't fall accidentally, "It's time to grow up, and get wise. Come now, little ones. Open up your eyes." When they finally stopped moving, she finished singing, calling out to the rest of the world as she raised her arms, "Open up your eyes!"
When she finished, she squatted there above the two kids, who looked down in sadness.
"For whatever it's worth," said Hanabi after a few moments, "we're sorry you went through that alone."
"I saw the truth." said Sakura, "He was making a copy of himself in me, and Naruto paid the price. Now I'm the only one that's trying to keep Naruto's memory alive."
"Your not-" whatever Hanabi was about to say was cut off when the voice of her father called out to them from a somewhat distant roof, "Sakura! We got him!"
Sakura noticed the horizon and called back, "Bring him to me, but you better hurry. Your running out of time."
As if on cue, the sun fully started showing on the horizon, catching everyone's attention. However, two things connected to it caught their attention in particular.
"That fake's brighter than it's been for a while." Sakura idly noted one of them, but Hanabi and Konohamaru note the other between them.
"You think it might be..." Konohamaru asked, letting it hang.
"Let us hope so, Kono." said Hanabi, hoping that it was indeed him they managed to see, "He probably has the best chance."
Sunset...please...hurry. For all of us.
***Sunset***
Sunset was barely keeping it together, having used chakra-enhanced speed to run all the way to one of the hills surrounding Konoha, somehow managing to get on the path that led to the main gate. (I have no idea how the village is actually oriented, so just roll with it.)
Catching some of his breath back, he noticed the sunlight starting to creep up behind him. Oh please tell me I'm not too late.
You will if you don't keep moving. A part of him responded.
But...huff...I pretty well tapped myself out making it this far. He reminded of his current state.
...You do recall that you can manipulate nature chakra, right? Came the retort, and Sunset felt like smacking himself for forgetting.
"I completely forgot that." he said out loud, calming down to begin. After a moment or so, he smiled, feeling the energy coming in to his body, "Now I should have enough for the final stretch."
"What are you talking about?" Sunset heard behind him, catching him before he could continue.
He simply quipped, "No time to talk, got to stop Sakura." before running again. Although, looking back on that, Sunset didn't quite know if he actually did here drums or not.
[Savages – Pochahontas (after the sunrise, and the / is to help indicate Konoha while normal is Sunset)]
"/This will be the day! Bring him here, now!/" echoed out to Sunset and his new companion, "/This will be the morning. Just hang on, your two!/"
That spurned Sunset on even more. "I don't know what I can do. Still I know I've got to try."
"/Now I'll make him pay./" By now, Sunset's companion, a man with a sizeable amount of white hair, was getting rather paranoid as to what was going on. Considering what he was hearing, someone was planning an execution, and the kid he was running after was trying to do something about it.
Most likely to stop it from what he sang. He thought.
"Eagle help my feet to fly." The man couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as right after those words, Sunset seemed to speed up a bit. Not much, but enough.
"/No sacrifice to make./" Hiashi? What's his connection to all of this?
"Mountain help my heart be great." while that didn't quite do anything, Sunset did seemed to gain a stronger stride to his movements, "Gods of the heavens and earth, please don't let it be too late!"
As the two got closer, they could clearly the ruins of the main gates from the forest of vines, as well as some more echoes coming from the village that sounded like "/-filthy, stinking, savages! Do not let her kill them!/"
"Okay, seriously, what the heck have I missed?!" demanded the man, to no one in particular. I really should've came back the first chance I got when Sensei sent that letter.
As they got into the village, the two saw a mob of people pulling something a ways off from them. The man saw that the mob was pulling Councilman Fumihiro, and they were heading towards a big vine that had two kids hanging from it while a harpy was on top for some reason. Said Harpy, after a bit, called out, "What's taking you so long? You want the kiddies back? I want him to slack!"
"How loud are the cries for war?" Sunset had just managed to arrive as the mob forced Fumihiro to the ground, ready for Sakura. As she moved to attack, Sunset forced one last boost to make it in time. "Is the death of life and love, carried in the crying for war?!"
Just as the song ended, Sunset took out two kunai and blocked Sakura, forcing her back in shock.
"Sunset?!" she exclaimed, bewildered that he of all people would stop her, "What are you doing?!"
"Stopping you from doing something completely stupid." said Sunset.
"Stupid?!" cried out Sakura, angered beyond belief, "He's the one that killed Naruto!"
Sunset's response stopped her anger cold. "But he's not the one who hurt you."
That left the listeners confused as to what was going on, except for Hanabi and Konohamaru. They recalled what they had seen from Sakura, and began to have an idea as to what they were talking about. They just had no idea of the full story.
After a minute or so of silence, Sunset continued. "I was a hurt and broken fool, and ended up blaming you when you were just as much a victim as I was. But now I see the truth. He will get what's coming to him, I assure you. But please, leave him to the Hokage. If there is anyone that should fall by your hand." he put away the kunai and got on his knees, "It's me."
That threw Sakura especially for a loop. "What are you talking about?"
"I was the one to hurt you. I was the one to make you snap and do all this. I...am the one not deserving of friends. And...I'm sorry."
Sunset went quiet after that, clearly finished.
Sakura was conflicted. Doubt about her course of action started seeping into her heart, wondering if what she tried to do to Fumihiro was really the right thing to do. Visibly troubled, she shakily took out a kunai of her own. This one, the two kids recognized as the one that was in the vision. She raised it to stab Sunset, but her resolve finally started truly breaking, holding her from actually delivering the death blow. Tears started blocking her sight, frustrating her with her 'weakness.'
After what seemed like an age, Sakura finally dropped, crying on her own knees in front of Sunset. The boy, seeing this, gently reached out and brought the girl in for a hug.
"I just...I just wanted Naruto back." sobbed Sakura.
"I wish I knew that before," said Sunset, tearing up a bit as well, "but that doesn't matter now. Even if the original Naruto is gone, the pieces are still around. We'll just have to pick up the slack that he left behind. But I promise you," he brought her up to face him, "Naruto's legacy will never die."
Fumihiro finally gathered enough courage to speak out, albeit in anger, "That's what this is all about? Me finally finishing the job with that demon brat?! You bi-"
He was suddenly smacked across the head, cutting him off. "No swearing, ruffian. There are children in earshot!"
Sunset and Sakura looked up to notice Rarity, or Rare as he prefers, was the one that smacked Sakura's father. And alongside him were Sunset's other brothers.
Dash smirked. "About time you set things straight, Sun."
"Ah got ter be honest, brother." Jack spoke, "Ah'm glad you got here in time."
Sunset scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I am too."
Konohamaru then noticed something happening to the six boys. Each were starting to give off a minute glow, all different colors. What made it even stranger in the child's eyes was when Sunset's glow started turning Sakura back to normal.
"Hey, guys." he asked, "How are you doing that?"
Noticing what he was indicating, Sunset started having an idea.
"Guys, gather round now." he said, getting the other to form a circle, "You know how Sakura had called Naruto 'Sun Child?'"
The five nodded, wondering what he was getting at. Sakura was little better off than they were.
Sunset placed his hand out in front of him, in the middle of the circle. "Let's see just how close we can 'mimic' that?"
Pinkie was the first to place his hand down, a big smile on his face as he giggled out, "Someone's got to keep the laughs coming, after all."
Dash placed his down next, saying, "What the heck, it'd be incredibly boring without you guys anyway."
Noticing the glows growing stronger with each hand placed down, Jack placed his own, saying, "Could be a bit more direct, but at least yer honest."
Rare and Fluttershy joined together, not needing any words to show their agreement. That's when it happened. The glows coming from the six, they finally coalesced and started spreading outwards over the village, catching everyone off guard as it permeated the vines, Sakura, and whatever rubble was created from the earlier chaos. While it didn't do much for the rubble, the vines either disintegrated or seemed to merge with buildings or local plants, while Sakura was returned to full human form. Although she did have a bit of an upgrade left behind from it.
As one, they raised their hands up, focusing the rainbow lights and energy upwards before it seemed to explode and disperse, finally disappearing from the boys as well. Dropping down, it was pretty easy to tell they were tired from...whatever they did.
Thankfully, for Hanabi and Konohamaru, they were caught by Hiashi before landing on the ground. After getting out of the ropes, they, alongside Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Hana, ran over to check on the boys.
"You alright?" Sakura asked for them, getting a round of nods. Smiling, she then said, "Good."
"That's not the only thing." Hana said, bring their attention to the surrounding village, "Not much is left in fixing the village."
Looking around, they all noticed the now lack of vines, as well as Sakura being back to normal. Sunset and Sakura in particular were happy with that last fact.
Pinkie suddenly then appeared sitting on the head of the man that came with Sunset, looking upside down into his face. "Who'sthis,Sunset?He'sobviouslyaKonohashinobi,buthe'sneverbeenaroundbefore-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down!" said man cried out while pulling Pinkie down from on top of him, having no clue how he did that without him noticing, "How'd you get up there, anyway?"
"It's Pinkie, don't think about it." Dash said, eyes narrowing, "But he is correct, old man. Who are you?"
The answer came from Hana, "Jiraiya-sama, the Toad Sage and the Sandaime's student. Also a major pervert."
But just as Jiraiya was about to respond to that, Fluttershy started dishing out his Stare as he remembered something that he found by accident during one trip to the hospital's volunteer section. "And Naruto's godfather."
Sakura, Hinata, and Shy's brothers quickly grew angry at his words. This man was Naruto's godfather, and yet only showed his face now of all times? Where was he when Naruto needed him?!
"So, 'godfather,'" started Sunset as the group moved towards the man, "would you mind ever so kindly, to tell us in a more private setting just where have you been."
"You never wrote." said Rare, hands gaining a crystalline cover.
"You never popped in." said Dash, eyes sparking.
"And you weren't there when Fumihiro hurt Naruto so bad, he became these six boys in front of you." Sakura and Hinata together.
By then, even Ino and Hana started gaining a gleam in their eyes that scared Jiraiya, who couldn't move fast enough to try and escape before the group of six boys and four girls caught him and dragged him off, leaving Hiashi, Hanabi, and Konohamaru alone to spearhead the process of rebuilding.
Even in his anger, Fumihiro joined practically everyone else in slightly shuddering and thinking something along the lines of, Even Pinkie and Fluttershy? He's in trouble.
Although he quickly went back to angry when the village's elite, known as ANBU, took him away to execute him in private.
Now, to warn you, they will be other times when music shows up, but not quite as much as this time. So there will be times when no music shows up, instead of songs every chapter.
Fumihiro will no longer be a part of this story (and that name was just really for convenience), but Jiraiya will still be around. He's just here in this chapter for a bit of fun at the end.
Until next time. Please let me know what you think.