Chapter 4: Dead men, sand, and a scorpion
'inner thoughts'
Tailed beast
Old language
When the humming starts listen Meloetta's song of love.
Warning: Some language
Forgot to add in the last chapter that Yukino's vision gets slightly blurry as it reaches her sight perimeter.
Following the man was easier that what I thought, he was going pretty slowly for what I thought the pace a shinobi would be traveling at. When the air cooled down and the birds stopped chirping he stopped in one area and stayed still after eating as I stood at a distance.
'He must be sleeping.' I thought as I crouched on the ground waiting for him to move. He won't move for a long while. 'So he's sleeping, maybe I should to.' Before you do that. I won't help you once you enter the land of wind. 'Land of wind?' It's the territory Sunagakure is in. 'Oh. But why won't you help me?' There is something there I don't like. You're on your own from here on out. 'Shakko-kun?' I asked only to receive zero response from him. Layed down on the grass to sleep since nothing would keep me company.
Once I woke up I stretched a bit before feeling that I didn't feel my blanket. 'Oh I remember I'm not home.' Tired I used my chakra and focused it to see if the man was still there, he was, and he was still sleeping. I sat down and waited for him to wake up. While waiting for him to wake up I thought to myself. 'Sensing and using chakra to move fast are the only useful things I've learned. I'll ask Shakko-kun to teach me some jutsu once I return home…' Sighing I continued waiting for the man to wake up, once he did I continued following him.
I watched as something crossed behind him, a small black blur. The man jumped back and stopped. I hid close to a tree to prevent him from noticing me. I sensed other people, three, by the disturbance in my field of vision. They stayed above in the trees as one of them spoke to the man I was following.
"You're an Uchiha aren't you?" 'So he's from Mikoto-san's clan.'
"Of course I am. So you better leave if you know what's good for you kiri-nin." The man replied in a cocky tone. 'Shinobi?' I thought to myself.
"In case you haven't noticed you are outnumbered!" the man said as he dove for the Uchina with a sword in hand. The other man on the tree followed him while the third man moved around and behind the Uchiha. 'A battle…' I thought.
"Sharingan!" The Uchiha said while making a hand sign in front of himself. The man with the blade drew closer attacking first as his friend joined in. The Uchiha avoided both of their attacks stepping back getting closer to the third man. The Uchiha did quick hands signs that I couldn't keep up to see, a huge hot ball of whiteness went towards the two shinobi backing up closer to the tree I could feel the strong heat in my face. 'It feels like fire…' I thought losing concentration.
A loud noise erupted I focused again to see a big cloud of smoke. After it cleared one of the kiri-nin with the blade lay on the floor while the Uchiha came out panting. The other kiri-nin with the blade dove in to attack but instead the Uchiha man drove the blade into his stomach. The third kiri-nin stepped out of hiding and rushed to the Uchiha aiming for his back. The Uchiha turned around avoiding the attack stumbling on the body of one of the Kiri-nin, I watched as the kiri-nin stabbed the Uchiha's arm. The Uchiha jumped away from him taking something out and throwing it at the remaining shinobi, another cloud of smoke covered the area as the two men continued clashing.
Things calmed down and no noise could be heard. I looked at the surrounding area but there was no one near I walked towards the Uchiha on the ground. As I stepped closer I feet stepped on something wet and sticky I paid no mind to it and kneeled down to touch the man's neck when he suddenly gasped as I fell back his eyes looked at me. The Uchiha looked away gasping a couple of times before stopping once more with his eyes open, kneeling back up I moved his head back facing the sky as I slowly reached out and put two fingers on his neck. 'No pulse. He's dead.' I looked at him 'What do I do now?' I searched his body for anything that could help, I set the items away from the wet ground 'rhombus shaped metal, a scroll, wire, papers, folded paper, little round soft balls. That's it? This doesn't help me get back home.' I sat there next to the man thinking what to do. I looked at him and poked his face a couple of times. "Hey. Where's home?" Receiving no response I gave up and sat on the ground. 'I tried.'
*SNAP*
A branch broke as I snapped out of my thought. I grabbed the item closest to me and hid behind a nearby tree. A figure appeared in my field of vision I saw as the it crouched down and looked at the bodies. "Pathetic. They could've prevented this…" He said as he stood up again. "This feeling…" he said vanishing I looked around and felt a presence behind me. I turned as fast as I could and threw the item in my hand towards the figure.
"A scroll? You should have grabbed a kunai instead." The figure spoke catching what I threw, a man but not a man the voice seemed lighter and less deep after hearing closely. "Your dress it's not dirty…" he said approaching me. I stepped back and the figure stopped. "Sorry." He said holding his hands up and stepping back. "By any chance where are you from?"
"I don't know."
"Where are you headed?"
"I was heading to Sunagakure." I said pointing to the dead Uchiha letting my guard down a bit. 'Maybe he can help me…' The man nodded. 'Weird. Why can't I see him?' I focused more on my chakra but he was still blurry.
"Well then I'm guessing you'll be needing this." He said throwing back the scroll reaching out I clumsily grabbed it. I saw him walk to the Uchiha again as he bent down and turned him on his side and back on his back. He quickly did hand signs and then pressed on the Uchihas head, symbols emerged from his hand over the Uchiha's face. He lifted his hand up and grabbed the folded paper near the body. "And this." he said walking over to me as he handed it. "Now go off to Suna." He said as he pushed me forward.
"What did you do to him?" I asked in bewilderment.
"I took his eyes." He said darkly. I stared him and looked at the dead Uchiha. "Psych got you. I just sealed up his kekkei genkai or the gene that has it or whatever, so who ever finds the body can't steal it." He said walking away until he came to an abrupt stop. "Shit. Why can't I leave?" He said as I looked at him. "Of course… my role..." He mumbled to himself as he snapped his fingers and turned his head in my direction.
"What does shi-" I was about to ask as he put his index finger on my lips.
"Don't say it only big kids can say it." he said removing his finger.
"I'm a big kid."
"Of course you are. Now you said you were headed to Sunagakure right?" He said diverting my attention as I fell for it and nodded in response. "Well I'll take you to Suna and we'll see what happens from there."
"Okay."
"So you are just going to follow me without hesitation?" I nodded. "You'll get yourself killed one day if you follow strangers blindly." I stopped and extended my hand like Mikoto-san taught me.
"I'm Yukino Uzumaki and you are?" I asked introducing myself.
"I am 'a guy' nice to meet you." He said shaking my hand. I stood there frowning at him. 'Is that really his name?'
"Aguy-san we now we know each other."
"Oh kami... Help her." he said shaking his head.
Following him for a while in silence I thought of speaking up but chose not to. His footsteps were silent as he walked on the grass compared to my crunching steps. "So… the sky is really blue today." He spoke up, I looked up to the light gray sky and shrugged walking at a steady pace while trying to match his silent steps. "Sorry." He said as he kept walking avoiding the tree roots.
His figure turned around to face me his mouth opening and closing a few times before he spoke "Why didn't you show any emotion when you saw the dead guys? You would've at least been shocked or shaken or is this not your first time seeing a dead body." He said quickly.
"People kill each other and people die all the time, my friend told me that." repeating Shakko-kun's words as I hopped over a few rocks and branches.
"True. But what are your thoughts." I looked at his blurry figure and thought for a moment. 'What do I think?'
I opened my mouth and said out what came to mind "Sad, I think. What if that man doesn't know anyone in the Pure Land? He'll be alone…" I said while looking at the ground.
I felt something pat my head and realized it was a hand. "Don't worry. I'm sure he knows someone." He said lifting his hand from my head and onto his hip. "After all he can always reunite with his deceased clan members." I nodded smiling my mood lifting a bit. "That's the spirit. Now let's go to the fiery hell..." He sighed hanging his head down while pointing ahead as he suddenly fell on his knees "Oh… i'm so getting punished for that…" he says sliding his hand across his face.
After waking up I followed him for a long while until there were no more trees I looked around the new area but everything was fuzzy. I stepped on the fuzzy thing and yelped at how hot it was and how my foot sunk into it.
"It's just sand…. Oh I forgot you didn't have shoes on. Here hop on my back." He said as he kneeled down on the sand and moved his arms back. I took a couple of steps back and ran hopping on his back. "Try sitting on my shoulders." I stepped on his hands as I pulled myself up. Once on his shoulders he stood up and took hold of my ankles as I took hold of his head, his hair was short and soft with his hair tied back. As he started walking across the fuzzy thing called sand.
"How much longer…" I asked bored looking around not noticing a single tree or plant as far as I could see. He ignored me, bored I looked around to see nothing more than even more sand. I kept turning my head and saw a dark shadow was underneath a fuzzy mound. "Hey-"
"If you're bored then just go to sleep." I turned my attention to him. 'I'll fall if I do that.'
"No, there's a big shadow in the fuzzy thing there." I said point to his right. He immediately turned to his left and started walking away from the direction that I pointed at quickly. Turning my head to focus better I looked back and saw the shadow getting bigger and bigger. "Aguy-san the shadow is getting bigger."
"Shit. Hold tight." I curled up close to his head as he stated running. A loud hiss came from behind us. Suddenly I jerked forward and rolled on the hot raspy sand I heard shuffling not far as I sat up wobbly but before I could stand up Aguy-san took hold of me and threw me over his shoulder. I could see the shadow, as it got closer I could get a clear image of it. 'A scorpion.'
"A scorpion!" I yelled. The scorpion then lunged forward with its claws open. Aguy-san quickly ducked down as I was left behind on top of the mound. "Yuu-chan!" I heard him scream. I tried standing up and run to him stumbling across the sand but the scorpion was able to take hold of my dress as I tried sliding down the mound.
As I was hanging upside down from one of it's claws the thing jumped down the mound jumping in front of Aguy-san's way "Aguy-san! H-help!" I screamed while swinging around.
"Damn insect, let her go!" He screamed as something came out from behind him. They quickly passed by me. As the scorpion let out a loud final screech as it fell forward I wrapped my arms around my head lessen the impact but it never came instead something wrapped around me as I hung upside down. "Are you okay?" Aguy-san said as whatever took hold of me brought me back up and closer to him.
I nodded in response. "What's this?" I asked pointing at the thing wrapped around my waist.
"That's my jutsu. Adamantine chains."
"That's so cool your Admantin chains. Who taught you that?" I heard a chuckle in response.
"A very dear friend of mine, she taught me everything I know." He said proudly as he moved the chains back.
"Where is she?" I asked once I got on his shoulders again and he started walking.
"Very, very far away…." He said moving his head up.
"Do you miss her?"
"I'll see her again so... no. Okay maybe just a bit." He sighed I looked at him knowing the feeling. 'I miss Shakko-kun too.' I thought to myself. "Now that's enough talking I have a village I need to take you to."
It was the fourth day of traveling in the sand covered terrain and it was still hot. My last memory before I fell asleep was of still being on Aguy-san's shoulders and I woke up still on the same place.
Suddenly he stopped and kneeled down. "Get off quickly." I did as he said. I stayed near him and watched his movements his left hand went to his right arm and a scroll appeared he unrolled it and put his right hand over it. "Release!" He exclaimed as a huge turtle shell like item popped out. He motioned for me to get under it and I did, he followed after me.
Once underneath I sniffed and got the scent of metal. Once he closed the thing on top of us I asked "What's wrong, is it another scorpion?" He shook his head. "Then what is it?" I said laying on my stomach using my sleeves to prevent my face from touching the sand.
"A sandstorm." I looked at him confused. "It's like a really violent storm instead of rain it's sand." He said laying on his back.
"How do you know?"
"There's a change in the air. But I've been taught how to tell before it happens."
"What else have you learned?" I asked curious.
"Well I'm now immune to poison."
"What's im-mune?" I asked as tapping sounds could be heard on the metal turtle shell thing.
"You know what hesitant and kekkei genkai is but not immune or kunai?" I nodded and he huffed crossing his arms. "But to answer your question it means that poison can't kill or harm me." 'So cool.' I thought to myself. He chuckled. "Of course my friend, the one I told you about, she taught me by making me eat poisonous mushrooms." Shocked at what I heard I looked at him intently waiting for him to continue. "Then she made me wait out the effects. It was awful at first but I got used to it and she made me move on to stronger poisons little by little."
"Do you hate her?"
"At first only a little bit but I knew she meant good by it."
"What else do you know?"
"I know kenjutsu, medical ninjutsu, nature transformation, interrogation, seduc- uhh… a-and uhhh… *clears throat* well I can't tell you certain things 'cause they're for big kids." Confused as to everything he just said I nodded to appear as if I understood. 'I'll ask Shakko-kun when I go back home. Silence engulfed us as the tapping sound surrounding us and the sandstorm still engulfed us from the outside. I layed there waiting when I heard a growl. 'Do scorpions growl?'
"I think the scorpion is back." I whispered unsure.
"Sorry. It's my stomach, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything since I got here." I turned to lay on my back like him. 'What can I do about it?' "Wait. When was the last time you ate anything?" I looked at him and thought 'I left the village then slept, and I walked more and slept, and he walked more and fell asleep, now I'm here.'
"Before you found me." I concluded.
"And you're not hungry?" I shook my head. "Hmm...thought it would happen later on…" he mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing. The sandstorm may last for some time *Fake yawn* well I'm tired I'm going to sleep you should to." He said turning away from me quickly. I focused on the area outside but everything was fuzzy, unable to see anything interesting I listening to the repeating taps as my mind calmed down, falling asleep.
Falling asleep I woke up to see I was engulfed in darkness. Calling out Aguy-san's name I realized I couldn't hear my voice. Just when I was about to give up I heard low hums. I followed the sound as it got louder little by little as I blinked the black surrounding me suddenly turned bright white, following the sounds I saw in front of me a woman laying down on her side while her back was facing me. Her bright red hair draping over her dark blue clothed figure. Something about her seemed familiar I thought, as I walked closer drawn to her.
Her humming became clearer and louder the beautiful melody drawing me closer. I crouched down as reached out to touch her to see if she was real. Her humming immediately stopped as she moved to a sitting position swiftly. Surprised by the sudden movement I fell back as she turned her head to face me I was meet with striking blue eyes, tears were flowing from them. Hurt, sadness and loneliness were reflected on her blue orbs as she stared at me falling deeper and deeper into the bright abyss.
Sitting up quickly I banged my head against the metal thing over me. Clutching my head due the pain I curled up replaying the dream in my head. I started breathing quickly my body cold and shivering.
"Hey. Are you okay?" I didn't respond as I my breathing became quicker. "Hey calm down. It was just a nightmare." He said lifting the turtle shell thing to allow fresh air in. Crawling out from underneath it I layed down on the sand allowing it to warm me up. "Hey we're close we need to keep going." After calming down I nodded and we continued on our way.
"This is where we part ways." he said letting me off his shoulders. Looking at his blurry figure I felt saddened 'I like him he's nice.' I thought to myself. "Don't be sad. I'm certain we'll meet again and we'll be friends by the time that happens okay?" He said while patting my head softly. 'Friends.' I thought of the new word. "Friends… it sounds nice." I said smiling as his figure started disappearing slowly into bright white fuzzy orbs. "Here have these back and take this as well." He handed the scroll and folded paper to me along with thin wooden object as I stared at him my eyes widening. "Show the paper to the guards, and use the comb to at least fix your hair, it's a mess." He chuckled. "When I leave go to your left. Sunagakure's entrance will be there."
"Aguy-san's what's happening?" I asked confused and scared as to why his figure was disappearing tears rolling down my face in the process. He bent down and grabbed two little rocks by my feet.
"Hold onto these they're precious and will be helpful to your stay." He said opening my palm with the comb ignoring my question and putting them gently on my hand. His figure becoming lighter. I opened my mouth to say something but he cut in. "My name isn't Aguy, I wanted to clear that before I left. Telling the truth sometimes can get you killed, so lie when you come across strangers and don't trust them easily 'cause they are probably lying as well..." He said as he stood there. "Man this is taking really long. I thought it would be faster." He laughed. "Hey, did you know that red hair is a sign of you being smart?" I shook my head. "Well if your hair starts turning red don't be afraid, be proud of having it... crybaby." he said laughing, I reached out to grab him but he disappeared, leaving me standing there alone in the desert where he previously was.
I wiped my tears with my sleeve and listening to his last words I turned around started walking towards the gates.
Disclaimer Naruto does not belong to me it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Yukino belongs to me as well as other Oc characters I'll create later on.
If you've seen Naruto: The lost tower then you know how this new character's disappearance looks like. Also I don't know what the name of the thing I described is called but Tenten used it during the chunin exams (the one between the 3 yr gap I think it was filler.) because of the sudden sandstorm.
Also yay Summer Break!