Lest you fade here all alone
Chapter 4
Rei watched the kid double up with laughter, his fury abating into a frustrated irritation. He was glad to see Uchiha unharmed, albeit a bit strung up – who wouldn't be in such a place? – but it still didn't answer his question. "I'm happy to see you in high spirit," he said as the raven's guffaw calmed down, "but why are you in such a place?"
Shisui offered a sheepish smile as he finally pulled himself up from the floor to stand in front of the blond. "Erm, no offense, Rei-san," he started, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't think I can tell you the real reason."
That earned a thoroughly unimpressed stare. "Really?" A smirk crept across Rei's face and the teen narrowed his eyes, having a very bad feeling about it. "Well then. I'm just gonna break you out of the jail and be done with it."
Before young Uchiha could fully process his words, the older man's hand clamped onto his shoulder and suddenly they were somewhere else.
The warm breeze ruffled Shisui's hair, bringing a salty taste of the ocean with it. Through the darkness came the rhythmic pounding of the waves from its unseen shoreline. Millions of bright stars dotted on the black canvas of night with the full moon shining down onto the surrounding looming ruins. The wide and tranquil river curved gently through what seemed like a destroyed grand village, stars and the moonlight reflected on its surface, glimmering with silver sparkles, like a thousand glowing diamonds. On one side, the silhouettes of majestic mountains stood silently in the background.
Rei observed as the kid's face scrolled from surprised to incredulous, to downright horrified. He tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing his expression. It intrigued him – an Uchiha who could openly display such a vast array of emotions.
"Where the hell are we?!" Shisui demanded, rounding on the blond after familiarizing himself with a new environment.
"Uzushio."
"Uzushio?" The teen's face washed blank with confusion, like his brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information. After a few moments, the onyx eyes widened. "Whirlpool country? Are you serious?"
"Yep."
Shisui's Sharingan flared to life, red irises gleaming furiously in the dimness of the night, and he hissed, "Bring me back!"
Rei met the gaze of those accursed eyes evenly, not fazed by the outburst in a slightest. "Even if you could win against me, you're miles and miles and miles away from Konoha. At the very least, it would take weeks for you to get back on your own," he stated before grinning viciously. "If you can cross the ocean, that is. This country is called Whirlpool for a reason."
Shisui studied the man for a while. "Why do you care so much about me?" he asked carefully.
The blond hummed faintly, his gaze shifting to looks at the other side of the river. "My best friend was an Uchiha," he confessed softly, a flicker of grief crossing his face. "We had our ups and downs, but in the end, he took a lethal hit in my stead."
The breeze moved gently over his skin and he closed his eyes, recalling that night at the bonfire after another hopeless and despairing battle, after the death of another team Seven members, leaving only the last two survivors. It was Sasuke who started talking unprompted and Naruto just listened as his best friend shared his most precious memories from his childhood; memories that included his big brother with fond mentions of Itachi's friend, another Uchiha. The one who was standing in front of him right now, still alive.
Rei was determined to keep it that way.
"Do I remind you of him?" Shisui inquired when he couldn't stand the prolonged silence anymore.
A merry laugh welled inside Rei's throat. "No, you're complete opposites," he replied cheerfully. "But I believe that he would have wished to see his clan survive. Also, I saved your life and that makes me responsible for you." The blond fixed the teen with a pointed stare. "As such, I won't return you to the jail without a good enough reason."
The raven sighed, resigned and weary, his shoulders drooping in defeat. His eyes perceived the lies easily, but this man was genuine in his concern and motives. "You're a strange person, Rei-san," he stated with an exasperated shake of his head.
The blond waved his courtesy off. "Just Rei is fine."
Shisui brushed a hand through his hair as he shifted uncomfortably. This was a secret mission after all and revealing its details to another party, to the person from outside of the village, to the foreigner who might as well be an enemy-nin, was bordering on the real treason. The young Uchiha was positive that Rei wasn't an enemy, but from what little he knew about the blond, he could clearly tell that the terrorizing someone wouldn't be above him. Rei was wild and unpredictable with the terrifying skillset, perfectly suited to infiltrate the village.
"You know, ma and pa are gonna notice that you sneaked through the back window in the middle of the night if you keep silent," Rei teased. "And it's not even for a girl."
Shisui shot him a withering look before quipping back, "And whose fault that is?"
The blond's grin was bright enough to power generators. He had so much fun teasing the poor Uchiha, even if he ended up blackmailing an answer out of him. Good thing that he didn't feel guilt over such trivialities anymore. "You looked like you needed a breath of fresh air," he admitted.
The teen felt no urge to contradict his statement because it was, in fact, true. "Danzo tried to convince Hokage that I'm a traitor selling sensitive information to an enemy-nin. You." He pointed at Rei who stayed silent, though the furrow on his brow did betray his dissatisfaction. "The Sandaime didn't believe him, but to take that bastard down we need solid proof. My arrest is just a cover-up to lure Danzo into a trap. If he wants my eyes, he'll find a way to get to me."
A pleased expression settled on the blond's face. "It's admirable to see Konoha finally taking actions to get rid of some trash in their backyard. Alright, I won't interfere unless absolutely necessary."
"You already did. If they notice that I'm gone–"
"Don't worry, kid. I left a disguised shadow clone in your place. They'd never tell a difference."
Shisui released a huge exhalation of pent-up breath and his stiff posture sagged in relief. Rei chuckled.
Suddenly, the ground shook under two ninja's feet, disturbing the river water and sending thousands of ripples throughout the whole length of it. The pillar of a huge cloud of dust shot up into the night sky from somewhere within the ruined village and soon a strong gust of wind blew past them.
Rei scowled at the sight. As an influx of memories rushed back to his mind, he facepalmed.
"What was that?"
"Don't mind that," the blond said as he dragged a palm across his face, his tone carrying a distinct edge of chagrin. "Some of my shadow clones just dropped a building on top of other clones heads. Pretty sure, they think it's hilarious."
Shisui's expression morphed into something that the older man couldn't quite describe and it took all of his willpower not to laugh at how perplexed he seemed.
"There are so many things wrong with those sentences," the Uchiha noted slowly.
"Like what?" Rei inquired innocently, at the same time willing an army of clones to appear behind him. They all scattered so quickly that the only thing the naked human eye could see was orange streaks vanishing into the ruins. This time the original did laugh at the deadpan stare he received from his young friend. "I'm clearing up the rubble to accommodate the future residents," he explained as he gazed at the surrounding dark and quiet remains of the village. "I'm gonna rebuild Uzushio."
The sheer conviction in those words stunned Shisui.
"It will take time, but that's fine," the blond continued. A small smile rested on his lips, one that was stunningly affectionate, with an immense amount of fondness simmering in his cerulean eyes. "This land is calling out to me. Maybe it's just my imagination, maybe it's the Uzumaki blood inside my veins, but I feel good in this place." He paused, then hummed in thought. "It feels like home."
Naruto visited Uzushio for the first time back in his own world while searching for any kind of useful information on seals. The strange, sudden feeling of belonging, stirring somewhere deep inside his soul, simply overwhelmed him as if he was a wanderer returning home after dozens of years. The only difference was that he had never before stepped onto this ground.
Still, Uzushio invited him to stay and Naruto accepted it in a heartbeat.
There was a place – the secret vault of the Uzumaki clan. The boundless knowledge and wisdom were hidden, locked away to prevent it from falling into enemy hands during the purge of Uzushio. It took him years to crack the multi-layered protection arrays with his mediocre expertise in the Art at the time. In the end, it was so worth it.
Uzumakis were brilliant at creating and researching various seals, their very blood and essence of chakra holding the properties of sealing ability. Time and space were mere playgrounds for the Sealing Masters of the highest level. But while they didn't lack the imagination and creativity, even their vast pools of chakra fell short of supporting their most innovative and bizarre ideas.
Naruto in his unique state had no such limitations. So, he experimented. That he was standing here right now spoke volumes about his strength and current prowess in this exoteric and mostly forgotten Ninja Technique.
"I feel the same about Konoha."
"Of course, you do, Shisui. Your Will of Fire is strong, even I can see it."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a while, just staring at the glimmering river's surface.
"Can I ask you a favor, Rei?" Shisui asked after a while.
The blond turned to look at the Uchiha and blinked at the intensity, burning in the raven's onyx gaze. "Sure."
"You know about Itachi, right?" When Rei nodded, the teen continued, "If something happens to me, can you please look after him? He's like a little brother to me. It'll put my mind at ease knowing that someone will watch out for him if I'm not around anymore."
Rei stared at him for a bit. "I promise."
The relief that bloomed on Shisui's face was astounding. "Thank you," he whispered, offering a grateful bow.
The blond swiftly hooked an arm around the boy's neck before he could straighten up, an easy grin toying with corners of his mouth. "You're way too serious for being merely a kid," he teased, ruffling the Uchiha's black mop and eliciting a sputter of indignation. "Relax. With me having your back, everything will be fine."
"I'm not a kid!" Shisui objected as he flailed his arms, trying to free himself from the older man's one-arm impromptu hug. There was a petulant, embarrassed undertone in his voice that he definitely didn't mean to put there. "I'm a Jonin! And have been one for a few years now!"
Ah, the joy of teasing those poor, serious Uchihas! "Have you ever kissed a girl yet?"
The teen's face turned a light shade of red and he glared up at the blond. "…Of course, I have!"
Rei's grin grew only wider. "Guys' night out then!" he declared merrily. "It's been ages till the last time I had a company for a drink. There is this nice, homey place in the Tea Country that you absolutely must visit at least once in your lifetime!"
"Eh? Wai–"
The salty ocean breeze blew across the empty river bank after two people blinked out of sight.
Gaara was waiting patiently like every night for the past three months. He sat at the edge of the roof with his legs pressed to his chest and knees tucked under his chin as his teal eyes stared somewhere in the distant, not really seeing much. A thin layer of his sand covered the whole roof, also waiting.
And while there was no guarantee that the strange man would come tonight, the boy was content on remaining where he was. The village around slowly descended into the nocturnal stillness, the bustling of the people hushing into occasional shouts from the late passersby and slurring songs of the drunkards.
A sudden crunching sound of dusty gravel under someone's sandals from behind startled Gaara from his meditation he accidentally fell into. The sand rose with a mere thought, concentrating the attack into that one spot.
The redhead scrambled to his feet, pivoting sharply to look if he was successful. He caught sight of the orange flash from the corner of his eye on his left and it was enough of a sign to understand that his plan failed.
"Oh, how sneaky of you, Gaara," Rei noted cheerfully, skidding to a halt after dodging an ambush.
Gaara's heart sunk. Maybe he went too far? Would this person think of him as a monster now too? But considering how fast the man was, without a proper plan he would never catch him and…
And kill him!
…and kill–
Teal eyes widened a fraction. No. He didn't want to listen to that nasty voice in his head.
"And so smart! Good job!" the blond praised as he flashed a thumbs-up, the usual sunny grin spreading across his face.
A warm and pleasant feeling swelled inside the little Jinchuuriki's chest. No one ever complimented him before. Definitely not for trying to kill–
No. The boy shook his head. He wasn't obeying the voice this time. Not when this person was so nice to him.
That Yashamaru was also nice… until he tried to KILL YOU! Have you forgotten?!
Ignoring the voice, Gaara swung his arm forward, sending the sand after the blond. The two opponents easily fell into the regular rhythm of their game.
Don't you want to see what kind of shade is this human's blood?
"No…" he whispered, curling his fingers as the sand closed around Rei. The boy expecting him to vanish from his grip and reappear right next to his side. As always.
But it didn't happen this time.
The sand wrapped around the soft human body, ready to crush, to squish, to murder, to make the rain of blood fall.
Gaara gawked, caught completely off guard. He never foresaw this, never predicted that he would be able to catch this person anytime soon.
Rei tilted his head slightly to the side, seemingly unbothered being bound by the hardened sand, watching the boy, some kind of expectation mixed with curiosity shining in his eyes depths. "So, what now, Gaara?"
Kill him before he betrays you!
Gaara's fingers twitched. The sand tightened around his captive just a tiny bit.
Do you want to end up hurt again?!
He didn't, but… But this person was kind and never brought any harm to him. And he was the only one who voluntarily touched him. Gaara loved his hair ruffles. Not even Yashamaru ever dared to touch him. The sand never allowed that either. Before this person came.
He's deceiving you and you know it. Kill him now!
The boy's breathing picked up. What if the voice was right and this person would betray him just as his uncle did? He swore never to trust anyone else but himself because no one would ever give a monster like him a chance.
"Do you want to be an Oni?"
Gaara recoiled violently at the question, frightened eyes meeting the calm and kind blue ones. Oni. Demon. Monster. Did he want to be it? No. No, he didn't. "No…"
His reply came barely audible, but the blond heard him nonetheless. He smiled, the same absurdly friendly and easy-going grin of his. "So, what do you have to say?"
The boy blinked, his brain working a mile a minute, searching for an answer. He was afraid to get it wrong because then this person would definitely be disappointed and might decide to stop being this nice.
"T-tag…" Gaara mumbled, uncertain if that was a correct response. "You're it."
"That's right!"
The little redhead released his hold on the man and the sand scattered on the roof around the latter's feet harmlessly.
You fool! He's going to betray you! Just mark my words!
Gaara watched as Rei approached, apprehension and dread pooling in his gut. When a familiar hand landed on his head, he flinched.
"You did well, little kit." Rei's tone was quiet and soothing, his expression radiating approval. "I'm proud of you."
The boy stared at the adult crouched in front of him, awed beyond belief.
"You know about the great beast sealed inside you, right?"
Gaara's breath hitched. This person knew about it and still acted this nice. He nodded slowly. "You don't… think of me as a monster?" he dared to ask, though his voice was small and dejected. When Rei's smile closed and his lips thinned into a hard line, a pinch appearing between his eyebrows, the boy braced himself for the inevitable rejection. The voice was right. There was no way that someone, anyone would ever accept–
"You're not a monster."
Gaara couldn't believe his ears. The face of the blond suddenly started to get blurry and he blinked a few times, struggling to clear his vision, only for it to get worse. Something wet trailed down his cheek. He absent-mindedly brushed a hand across it and then stared at the dampness left on it in a stunned incredulity.
He was crying.
Why was he crying?
He wasn't injured. No one hurt him. Except, his chest tightened with a strange feeling that Gaara couldn't quite recognize.
Rei scooped the little Jinchuuriki up into a loving embrace. The latter froze, his whole tiny body going rigid. "Everything's okay, Gaara, you're not alone anymore," he soothed. "You're not a monster and neither is the Bijuu inside you, even if he's the big jerk."
As the initial shock of being hugged faded, the boy started to relax against the man's chest, tears still silently sliding down his face. He felt good. He felt accepted. This person was real and warm and safe.
Gaara closed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired. And saw yellow irides with four-pointed star-shaped pupils, surrounded by the black sclera, seething down at him. He wanted to escape, to snap his eyes open. He didn't want to become a prey for this terrifying creature, lurking at the back of his mind.
"Sleep, little kit. You'll feel better after some rest."
Gaara wanted to tell Rei that he couldn't, that if he did the scary monster would come out, that he didn't want to hurt him or anyone else, but his eyelids were so impossibly heavy, fatigue gnawing at his muscles and bones. He was powerless to stop himself from slipping into the blissful sleep, the gentle hand brushing through his hair lulling him further.
Rei's frown was deep and sad as he carefully settled now sleeping Jinchuuriki on the roof. He had planned to fix the seal once the boy trusted him more, but he couldn't let Shukaku keep tearing his already fragile sanity apart. Gaara had to heal his mind first. Once he was ready, Rei would be there to guide him in forming a bond with his constant companion.
The blond pushed one hand under the kid's shirt and laid it on top of his stomach where the seal was located. Then closed his eyes.
A furious roar of the Ichibi washed over him the next instant, its strength rivaling the winds of hundreds of desert storms. The very air and liquid inside the mindscape reverberated to the tune of the giant raccoon's outcry of wrath and desperation.
Once the roar trailed off into the muted echoes around the never-ending space of the seal, Rei stuck his finger into one of his ears in a mock gesture of trying to clear it and peeked at the enraged Bijuu with one eye. "So rude," he commented nonchalantly.
Shukaku all but howled in his immense irritation. Pushing every limits of freedom the seal allowed, he swung his tail and smashed it into the spot where the puny human had been standing.
"Calm down, you brat!" Rei scolded. His words were followed by the punch to the top of the Ichibi's head, carrying enough force to outright flatten the gigantic body against the ground. The blond landed in front of his nose and rested a hand on it. Blue eyes softened when he felt the great chakra beast stiffen under his touch. Of course, the Bijuu would feel its presence inside him.
"You!" Ichibi screamed, albeit much subdued than usual. He didn't – or perhaps couldn't – move away from this human. "How is that possible?!"
"Who knows," Rei replied dismissively. "Ne, Shukaku, I know how much humans hurt you and your siblings," he spoke softly, stroking the Ichibi's nose in an unbelievably affectionate manner. "But as much as I care about you all, Gaara is equally important to me. I can't let you torment him any longer." The ink lines spread from his feet, covering the whole area and crawling up the stone spikes, strengthening the effect of the previous seal. "Gaara is a kind soul, but he's young, hurt, and lost at the moment. I truly believe that you two can become friends in the future if you give the boy a chance."
Shukaku snorted, but stayed uncharacteristically silent. "What exactly are you?" he finally asked.
"A ghost." Rei's lips curled into a sad smile. "A ghost of the future that will never come." He patted the colossal raccoon's nose for the last time and faded from the mindscape with the departing words, "Have some patient, my friend."
Rei woke from his midday nap on his favorite branch of the grand tree, growing in the middle of Uzushio. Not in any kind of rush to get up, he stretched his arms above his head, yawning, and stilled when he felt a tug on one of his Hiraishin beacons. The one on the kunai that he gave to Shisui, and this time it was the right person calling him.
He chuckled at the memory from a few days ago. That Uchiha was way too innocent for his own good. With a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, the blond flashed away and arrived at his destination in a blink – an empty warehouse on the outskirts of Konoha, far from any civilian traffic.
The moment the blond appeared, dozens of seals around him flared to life: several different binding seals, paralyzing arrays, chakra dampening and suppressing matrixes, so much stronger than the ones on Shisui's cell walls.
The blond whistled in appreciation, curiously scanning the impressive trap he just waltzed into, before giving his attention to the people standing in front of him, ignoring the bunch hidden in the shadows. His gaze slid from the Sandaime to Jiraiya, lingered on the man for a bit longer, and then flicked to Shisui. There was an apology written on the teen's expression and the blond suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
Definitely too honest for his own good.
"Oh my," Rei said, light and carefree, a wide grin upon his features. "It seems I'm in a bit of a pickle."