Manicherryblossom33
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Happy new year, guys! To celebrate, I'm posting three chapters at once. Im not entirely sure if this is a good idea or not, so I'll let you tell me. I probably won't do this again, though, so please enjoy. About the name for the groups "last stop" before Uzushio... Sorry the names are so similar. Happy new year!
Naruto Fanfic chapter 22
Here's the second chapter of the new year. About the exercise Naruto is doing at the beginning of the chapter, I know I didn't describe it very well so here's a picture of it.
Naruto fanfic ch 23
Naruto Fanfic ch 24
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Naruto Fanfic chapter 22
SASUKE'S POV [A FOREST HALFWAY BETWEEN USHIO VILLAGE AND THE PLACE WHERE THE GROUP EXITED THE RUINS]
"Back already?" Sakura asked when he and Kiba returned from setting up traps. She was leaning over Naruto, checking his temperature and heartbeat, changing the damp rag laid over his shoulder, feeding him spoonfuls of medicine made from special herbs given to her by Yuuki.
She'd poured every waking second of her time to caring for him, probably out of guilt.
Kiba fed the fire with some thick branches and took a seat beside Akamaru, who was acting as Naruto's pillow.
"You know, I'm not complaining," he began, sounding just the tiniest bit annoyed, "but how far away is this village?"
He was referring to Ushio, a beach side trading village almost directly across from Uzushiogakure. Ships had to take a four day detour around the infamous whirlpools just to reach the harbor, but the wealth and rare imports found there were worth it. This was their final stop before Uzushio. They not only had to find a sailor crazy enough to attempt a trip to the island, but they were running out of time to gather Intel on Mami, and Naruto hadn't woken up for three days, four hours, and eighteen minutes. They would reach Ushio in less than a day, and they needed him on his feet.
There was a reason he was still out of it.
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
They spent two days navigating through the ruins. When they weren't resting, Yuuki carried Naruto on her back. On the first day, he was feverish, and throughout the second day, freezing cold.
The ruins ended underground, with a dirt tunnel exiting into a thick forest.
"Where are we now?" Sakura asked.
Yuuki took a deep breathe, then slipped Naruto off her back and leaned him against a thick tree trunk. She revealed a map, which they gathered around.
She placed the very tip of her finger in the center of a dark green region.
"Around here." She answered.
"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.
Yuuki plucked a plant out of the soil. "This particular type of plant only grows in a certain area of the land of fire. It's because we're so close to the ocean, with gale winds blowing the salt inward. You notice none of the plants or trees here are very healthy. That's partly because of the salt, partly because the soil here isn't well suited to growing plants. In fact there wouldn't be a forest here at all if the first hokage hadn't fought here. Our ancestors sealed the remaining energy here to preserve the plants."
"Why...?" Hinata asked.
"The medics of that time thought they could glean some kind of invaluable herb from his wood style. They were wrong of course, but... This forest is still here. Another testament to our mistakes."
Naruto groaned, stirring enough to turn his head. Hinata was the first one up, and at his side in seconds.
"He's still cold. And he's starting to sweat through his clothes." She said with concern.
His breathing was heavy too. Yuuki sighed and went to him, dabbing at his forehead with a cloth.
"I don't understand." Sakura said, joining them. "You healed him. We saw you! He was fine. Why does he look so sick? And why hasn't he woken up yet?"
A few minutes later, Naruto was laying down with his head on Yuuki's backpack and cold rags laid over his shoulder and forehead.
"The fuinjutsu I used on him is called the containment/reverse seal." Yuuki said. "It is designed so that any injuries' time is sucked away, as if it never happened, along with any poison involved. This time is forever trapped in the seal, unless the object the seal is attached to shatters. Since the seal in question now resides in my seal stone, there is no possibility of it breaking, because I won't allow it. However, the human body, even Naruto's body which has a history of healing quickly, is not used to the speed as is associated with the containment/reverse seal. So there are... Consequences. With anybody else, lifespan would be shortened. But I was careful to use only my own energy, so his lifespan is as sturdy and lengthy as ever. Or as lengthy as it was before his injury. Of course, even he will be weakened for some time."
"How much time?" Sasuke asked.
"I'd say... 3-4 days at most." Yuuki answered. "He's only temporarily weakened. Given this is the third day, he may wake up in a few hours. As soon as he does, you should get moving."
"Hold on. You're leaving?" Sakura asked.
"I must meet up with our people before Mami does. Since I am not the one with the... Traveling party, I may find them more quickly than Naruto. Miss Sakura, remind me to enlighten you on some foreign medicines before I leave. Sasuke, I need to speak with you alone for a minute."
Knowing this couldn't be good news, he got up warily and followed her out of earshot of the group.
"Sakura will undoubtedly notice eventually," Yuuki began, "but I would like you to keep it a secret from the others."
"Keep what a secret?" Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at her drama.
"The bruise." She whispered. "It's not there yet, but anyone who has been the victim of a guardian attack and survived it slowly develops dark bruises in place of the healed wounds inflicted on them by the guardian."
Sasuke suddenly found her drama more serious.
"... Is it a curse mark?" He asked.
"No. But it can be harmful if one doesn't take the medicine."
"What medicine?"
"In a moment, I will give Sakura a bag of deep red leaves. They're incredibly rough, worse than sand paper, and have a horrible odor. But they're the best medicine you will ever lay your eyes on. You're supposed to use them to make tea. I'll tell Sakura just how much of it he should drink and how many times a day, and I will be very specific. But he'll try to dump it the minute you take your eyes off him."
"That's not surprising." Sasuke commented, actually rolling his eyes this time. "He's never liked medicine. Or doctors. Sakura and Tsunade were the only exceptions."
"That's not the reason. This particular medicine, as disgusting and pungent as it is, is easily addicting. Naruto will remember the smell because an elder of ours survived a guardian attack almost a week prior to his awakening. The elder was prescribed, by me, to have only half a cup twice a day with an interval of six hours. However he disobeyed me, and... Died. The smell sank through the walls of our hideout. Naruto found out and has avoided it like the plague ever since."
Sasuke sighed angrily. "What do you expect me to do? Shove it down his throat?"
Yuuki's eyelids lowered in a look of expectation. It took him three seconds to realize what she meant.
"No." He glared. "Absolutely not."
"You could do it." Yuuki pointed out. "You could make him take it--"
"I do NOT use the SHARINGAN on NARUTO." Sasuke said, putting his foot down. "Ever."
"So you would rather see him dead."
"Don't put words in my mouth."
"Well what else could you be implying by refusing--"
She stopped talking the minute his snake sword touched her throat. He didn't even remember drawing it, it was a reflex. His vision was tinted red. This was a first. He was so angry he couldn't control his own body.
"Sasuke?!" Sakura called, alarmed.
"You're done here." He stated. "Go ahead and show Sakura what you wanted to teach her. But I'll be watching you very closely. As soon as you're done, leave."
"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, reaching him just in time to miss the threat. She grabbed his sleeve, trying to get him to lower his sword. "What's wrong? What happened?"
He yanked his arm free and sheathed his sword. A silent, hostile understanding passed between him and Yuuki.
But no more words.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
"Guys?!"
Sasuke looked at Kiba. "What?"
"How far away is Ushio?" He repeated impatiently.
"A few hours." Sakura answered.
She and Sasuke stared off into space for a few minutes.
"You know, you guys have been acting weird." He said, stating the obvious. "Maybe you should get some sleep. I can take first watch--"
The three of them froze, with all eyes widening as Naruto blinked his eyes open. His eyelids drooped down so low he almost looked like he'd passed out again. But he was awake.
"Where... Where am I?" He breathed, blinking heavy, sweat-drenched eyelids.
"In a forest, a few hours away from Ushio village." Sasuke answered.
Naruto sighed, exhausted, and turned his head. Kiba laughed as Akamaru barked happily and started poking him in the eye with his snout.
"You should thank him." Kiba nearly ordered while pointing at Akamaru. "He's been you're pillow for over five hours!"
Naruto smiled weakly and reached a shaky hand over to scratch Akamaru between the eyes. Akamaru accepted the "thank you" by licking his palm once.
Groaning, Naruto wrapped one arm around his waist and paused to breathe more quickly for a moment. Pushing himself up, off the dog, he gasped and grit his teeth, breathing even more quickly.
Sasuke stood and helped him up, which took several minutes. At the end of it, his fists were clenched, and one arm was pressed against a tree trunk with him leaning on it for support.
"Where... Whereisshe?" He asked.
"Huh?" Kiba asked.
"Where... Is... She?" He asked.
"Yuuki left hours ago." Sasuke answered just as Sakura opened her mouth. "She and Hinata are gathering Intel in the next town. We had to stay here to guard you until you could move."
Sakura and Kiba squirmed uncomfortably, eyeing Sasuke with looks that said things like "what are you doing?" and "this wasn't the plan!"
"R-really...?" Naruto breathed, pushing off his arm and moving his hand so that his fingers gripped the tree.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that. Naruto was not like Sakura. He couldn't reduce a tree like that to splinters with a single punch. But having been so badly injured, it was unlike him to not be furious enough to literally dig his fingers into the wood even a little. The fact that he wasn't meant he was both furious and a lot weaker than he'd ever been.
Which wasn't good.
"I'm... Good..." He told them, his pupils changing to look more like a foxes without losing their bright blue color. Sasuke grit his teeth. Naruto couldn't fully access the Kyuubi chakra right now without passing out.
"Let's go then." He said, approaching Naruto and throwing one of his arms over his own shoulders to help him walk.
In the pit of his stomach, he did feel guilty. Not about Yuuki, but Hinata.
Naruto wasn't going to forgive him for this.
"Back already?" Sakura asked when he and Kiba returned from setting up traps. She was leaning over Naruto, checking his temperature and heartbeat, changing the damp rag laid over his shoulder, feeding him spoonfuls of medicine made from special herbs given to her by Yuuki.
She'd poured every waking second of her time to caring for him, probably out of guilt.
Kiba fed the fire with some thick branches and took a seat beside Akamaru, who was acting as Naruto's pillow.
"You know, I'm not complaining," he began, sounding just the tiniest bit annoyed, "but how far away is this village?"
He was referring to Ushio, a beach side trading village almost directly across from Uzushiogakure. Ships had to take a four day detour around the infamous whirlpools just to reach the harbor, but the wealth and rare imports found there were worth it. This was their final stop before Uzushio. They not only had to find a sailor crazy enough to attempt a trip to the island, but they were running out of time to gather Intel on Mami, and Naruto hadn't woken up for three days, four hours, and eighteen minutes. They would reach Ushio in less than a day, and they needed him on his feet.
There was a reason he was still out of it.
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
They spent two days navigating through the ruins. When they weren't resting, Yuuki carried Naruto on her back. On the first day, he was feverish, and throughout the second day, freezing cold.
The ruins ended underground, with a dirt tunnel exiting into a thick forest.
"Where are we now?" Sakura asked.
Yuuki took a deep breathe, then slipped Naruto off her back and leaned him against a thick tree trunk. She revealed a map, which they gathered around.
She placed the very tip of her finger in the center of a dark green region.
"Around here." She answered.
"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.
Yuuki plucked a plant out of the soil. "This particular type of plant only grows in a certain area of the land of fire. It's because we're so close to the ocean, with gale winds blowing the salt inward. You notice none of the plants or trees here are very healthy. That's partly because of the salt, partly because the soil here isn't well suited to growing plants. In fact there wouldn't be a forest here at all if the first hokage hadn't fought here. Our ancestors sealed the remaining energy here to preserve the plants."
"Why...?" Hinata asked.
"The medics of that time thought they could glean some kind of invaluable herb from his wood style. They were wrong of course, but... This forest is still here. Another testament to our mistakes."
Naruto groaned, stirring enough to turn his head. Hinata was the first one up, and at his side in seconds.
"He's still cold. And he's starting to sweat through his clothes." She said with concern.
His breathing was heavy too. Yuuki sighed and went to him, dabbing at his forehead with a cloth.
"I don't understand." Sakura said, joining them. "You healed him. We saw you! He was fine. Why does he look so sick? And why hasn't he woken up yet?"
A few minutes later, Naruto was laying down with his head on Yuuki's backpack and cold rags laid over his shoulder and forehead.
"The fuinjutsu I used on him is called the containment/reverse seal." Yuuki said. "It is designed so that any injuries' time is sucked away, as if it never happened, along with any poison involved. This time is forever trapped in the seal, unless the object the seal is attached to shatters. Since the seal in question now resides in my seal stone, there is no possibility of it breaking, because I won't allow it. However, the human body, even Naruto's body which has a history of healing quickly, is not used to the speed as is associated with the containment/reverse seal. So there are... Consequences. With anybody else, lifespan would be shortened. But I was careful to use only my own energy, so his lifespan is as sturdy and lengthy as ever. Or as lengthy as it was before his injury. Of course, even he will be weakened for some time."
"How much time?" Sasuke asked.
"I'd say... 3-4 days at most." Yuuki answered. "He's only temporarily weakened. Given this is the third day, he may wake up in a few hours. As soon as he does, you should get moving."
"Hold on. You're leaving?" Sakura asked.
"I must meet up with our people before Mami does. Since I am not the one with the... Traveling party, I may find them more quickly than Naruto. Miss Sakura, remind me to enlighten you on some foreign medicines before I leave. Sasuke, I need to speak with you alone for a minute."
Knowing this couldn't be good news, he got up warily and followed her out of earshot of the group.
"Sakura will undoubtedly notice eventually," Yuuki began, "but I would like you to keep it a secret from the others."
"Keep what a secret?" Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at her drama.
"The bruise." She whispered. "It's not there yet, but anyone who has been the victim of a guardian attack and survived it slowly develops dark bruises in place of the healed wounds inflicted on them by the guardian."
Sasuke suddenly found her drama more serious.
"... Is it a curse mark?" He asked.
"No. But it can be harmful if one doesn't take the medicine."
"What medicine?"
"In a moment, I will give Sakura a bag of deep red leaves. They're incredibly rough, worse than sand paper, and have a horrible odor. But they're the best medicine you will ever lay your eyes on. You're supposed to use them to make tea. I'll tell Sakura just how much of it he should drink and how many times a day, and I will be very specific. But he'll try to dump it the minute you take your eyes off him."
"That's not surprising." Sasuke commented, actually rolling his eyes this time. "He's never liked medicine. Or doctors. Sakura and Tsunade were the only exceptions."
"That's not the reason. This particular medicine, as disgusting and pungent as it is, is easily addicting. Naruto will remember the smell because an elder of ours survived a guardian attack almost a week prior to his awakening. The elder was prescribed, by me, to have only half a cup twice a day with an interval of six hours. However he disobeyed me, and... Died. The smell sank through the walls of our hideout. Naruto found out and has avoided it like the plague ever since."
Sasuke sighed angrily. "What do you expect me to do? Shove it down his throat?"
Yuuki's eyelids lowered in a look of expectation. It took him three seconds to realize what she meant.
"No." He glared. "Absolutely not."
"You could do it." Yuuki pointed out. "You could make him take it--"
"I do NOT use the SHARINGAN on NARUTO." Sasuke said, putting his foot down. "Ever."
"So you would rather see him dead."
"Don't put words in my mouth."
"Well what else could you be implying by refusing--"
She stopped talking the minute his snake sword touched her throat. He didn't even remember drawing it, it was a reflex. His vision was tinted red. This was a first. He was so angry he couldn't control his own body.
"Sasuke?!" Sakura called, alarmed.
"You're done here." He stated. "Go ahead and show Sakura what you wanted to teach her. But I'll be watching you very closely. As soon as you're done, leave."
"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, reaching him just in time to miss the threat. She grabbed his sleeve, trying to get him to lower his sword. "What's wrong? What happened?"
He yanked his arm free and sheathed his sword. A silent, hostile understanding passed between him and Yuuki.
But no more words.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
"Guys?!"
Sasuke looked at Kiba. "What?"
"How far away is Ushio?" He repeated impatiently.
"A few hours." Sakura answered.
She and Sasuke stared off into space for a few minutes.
"You know, you guys have been acting weird." He said, stating the obvious. "Maybe you should get some sleep. I can take first watch--"
The three of them froze, with all eyes widening as Naruto blinked his eyes open. His eyelids drooped down so low he almost looked like he'd passed out again. But he was awake.
"Where... Where am I?" He breathed, blinking heavy, sweat-drenched eyelids.
"In a forest, a few hours away from Ushio village." Sasuke answered.
Naruto sighed, exhausted, and turned his head. Kiba laughed as Akamaru barked happily and started poking him in the eye with his snout.
"You should thank him." Kiba nearly ordered while pointing at Akamaru. "He's been you're pillow for over five hours!"
Naruto smiled weakly and reached a shaky hand over to scratch Akamaru between the eyes. Akamaru accepted the "thank you" by licking his palm once.
Groaning, Naruto wrapped one arm around his waist and paused to breathe more quickly for a moment. Pushing himself up, off the dog, he gasped and grit his teeth, breathing even more quickly.
Sasuke stood and helped him up, which took several minutes. At the end of it, his fists were clenched, and one arm was pressed against a tree trunk with him leaning on it for support.
"Where... Whereisshe?" He asked.
"Huh?" Kiba asked.
"Where... Is... She?" He asked.
"Yuuki left hours ago." Sasuke answered just as Sakura opened her mouth. "She and Hinata are gathering Intel in the next town. We had to stay here to guard you until you could move."
Sakura and Kiba squirmed uncomfortably, eyeing Sasuke with looks that said things like "what are you doing?" and "this wasn't the plan!"
"R-really...?" Naruto breathed, pushing off his arm and moving his hand so that his fingers gripped the tree.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that. Naruto was not like Sakura. He couldn't reduce a tree like that to splinters with a single punch. But having been so badly injured, it was unlike him to not be furious enough to literally dig his fingers into the wood even a little. The fact that he wasn't meant he was both furious and a lot weaker than he'd ever been.
Which wasn't good.
"I'm... Good..." He told them, his pupils changing to look more like a foxes without losing their bright blue color. Sasuke grit his teeth. Naruto couldn't fully access the Kyuubi chakra right now without passing out.
"Let's go then." He said, approaching Naruto and throwing one of his arms over his own shoulders to help him walk.
In the pit of his stomach, he did feel guilty. Not about Yuuki, but Hinata.
Naruto wasn't going to forgive him for this.
Here's the second chapter of the new year. About the exercise Naruto is doing at the beginning of the chapter, I know I didn't describe it very well so here's a picture of it.
You must be registered for see images
NARUTO'S POV [USHIO VILLAGE INN, NEAR THE HARBOR]
"203...! 204...! 205...!"
He let out a steady breath as sweat dripped from his nose to the floor, joining a small puddle that had built up under the wooden chair. With one arm behind his back, most of his body pointing straight up in the air, and his other hand gripping the wooden chair, he pushed himself up so his feet grazed the ceiling.
"206...!" He groaned, smiling. His strength was returning fairly quickly, and the multiple body pains and strange burning sensations were fading away. "207...!"
Sasuke had helped him walk for most of the trip, but once they reached the village he was able to walk by himself. They booked several rooms at an inn and split up. Naruto was told by the other three to stay put and rest while they went out to buy supplies and locate Hinata and Yuuki.
"W-Whoa! Whoa!" He yelled as he lost his balance and his grip on the chair, landing on his back with the chair clattering to the floor behind him.
He ran his fingers through his hair with his eyes squeezed shut as he breathed through gritted teeth. There was nothing worse than hitting your head against the floor three days after having your shoulder sliced open.
He rubbed said shoulder and looked at it ruefully. He wasn't wearing a shirt right now, so it was easy to see the huge, crescent shaped bruise enveloping most of the curve of his shoulder. It was fairly light a few hours ago. Now, it was almost darker than night.
His eyelids lowered in an expression of guilt.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
He slapped a hand over his left eye. Why did he blow up at her like that? He'd never been so angry at anyone but Seto or Mami. Hinata was the opposite of them. She was sweet and helpful and sensitive and beautiful--
He flinched as his face turned red and he sat bolt upright, pulling his hair down in his face as if to hide from some invincible audience.
Then the guilt came back to him. Why did he do that? Was he really such an idiot as to let the word "forget" get to him so much?
"Yeah of course you are." Kurama answered, bringing Naruto's focus to his mental self, who was still blushing, and sitting cross legged on the ground while he gripped his ankles.
"I thought you said you were gonna take a nap?" Naruto asked.
Kurama laughed bitterly. "As if anyone can sleep through the racket you were making."
"I wasn't that loud!" Naruto argued.
"I meant your EMOTIONS. You know how it is. Our chakras are in synch too the point that it affects your psyche. MY nap time. If you're lost, it gets foggy in here. When you're feeling guilty, it freezes over. Anger makes the water boil or the cage shrink. It's irritating."
"Sorry."
Kurama growled. "Don't apologize to me, kid. It makes me uncomfortable."
Naruto just stared off into oblivion while the guilt and the ice settled in.
"That's it!" Kurama snarled, making Naruto jump. "We both know what you're thinking right now, so how about you just admit it!"
Guilty or not, Naruto was still stubborn.
"Admit what?" He asked, pretending not to know better.
"You're angry at yourself for yelling at the Hyuuga girl." Kurama accused. "Not to mention almost dying before you get your memories back. And right in front of your freinds. You need to be more careful! You're not the only one who will disappear if you die, you know!"
"I just got wounded! No big deal!" He argued. "Yuuki healed me, so everything's fin--"
"Shut up!" Kurama ordered. "You didn't just get injured fool! You're heart stopped. Long enough for me to almost disappear! I was THIS close to leaving you when Sasuke managed to jump start your heart with his lightning style! BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I REALLY HAD LEFT YOU?! THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO COMING BACK! Not for YOU! You'd be DEAD!"
Kurama glared out of rage and worry, but Naruto only stared back in shock while his hand drifted to his chest. He gulped and stared down at his reflection in the now unfrozen water.
"My heart stopped...?" His voice sounded hollow. "Really?"
"For about two-three minutes." Kurama said, folding his paws and resting his head on them. "Scared me to death. And the others too. Sakura was panicking because she couldn't heal the wound. I know you thought you blinked, but you actually passed out."
Naruto shot to his feet. His heart stopped. He didn't just get injured. He was DEAD. But Sasuke saved him. And Yuuki healed him...
"Kurama, what all happened while I was out?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know EVERYTHING that happened. I can't watch clearly when you're THAT weak and sleeping THAT deeply. You know that."
"Then tell me everything you do know! What happened while I was passed out?"
"You seem better."
Naruto blinked, returning his focus to the real world. Sasuke had just walked in the door.
He got up off the floor, grinning to hide the remaining as he pulled a shirt on.
"Yep! You were gone for a while." He pointed out, picking the chair up off the floor. "I guess you had some trouble finding Hinata and Yuuki?"
"Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru are with them." He replied. "They found a lead on Mami."
Naruto jumped, letting the chair fall through his fingers.
"Really?" He asked as it hit the ground. "What is it?"
"Someone saw a red haired woman board a ship taking the trade route." Sasuke answered. "But it wasn't a trade ship. It's suspicious, so we're investigating."
Naruto clenched his fists. Finally, a solid lead. All he had to do was find the ship, and then--
"Yuuki wanted me to give this to you." Sasuke said, breaking his train of thought. "I saw her use something like this to seal that monster away so I guess it must be useful..."
Naruto saw him pull something small from his pocket and drop it on the bedside table.
He gasped when he saw it. It was a seal stone, but it looked weird. Small, rocky, rough, but clear. It was mostly dark red, but with a yellow core in the shape of the Konoha leaf symbol.
He sighed in awe and confusion, and took large steps to the table, nudging Sasuke out of the way to cup his hands around the seal stone, hesitating.
He blinked, gulped, and carefully picked it up, pinching it between his index finger and thumb.
"Weird." He mouthed, turning it over.
"What is it...?" Sasuke asked.
"It's just... Most seal stones don't look like... Huh?" Naruto said as the yellow leaf in the center exploded, reaching outside the seal stone to blind Naruto and Sasuke.
"What's happening?!" Sasuke asked, shielding his eyes with his arms.
"I don't know!" Naruto replied.
The yellow light turned bright white, making Naruto blink. When he opened his eyes, he and Sasuke were standing outside, in the forest.
"Where are we? Outside the inn?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "No. We're near the border between the land of fire and the land of lightning."
"What?!" Naruto yelled. "But we were just--"
Both of them froze as a party of four walked past them, as if they weren't there. The three adults were obviously ninja, since they were wearing kumogakure headbands and ninja gear. The little red haired girl was wearing a Konoha headband though, with her hands tied behind her back.
"Mom...?" He whispered, reaching out to her only to have Sasuke lash out and grab his wrist, stopping him.
"Don't touch her." He warned. "You might break it."
"Break what?" Naruto asked, a little annoyed as he yanked his wrist free.
"This is a memory, isn't it?" Sasuke asked. "That's what those stones are made of. The chakra and memories of people."
"Uhhh... Kind of." Naruto answered. "Seal stones appear out of the graves of people who were never sealed into the sacred tree. Yuuki and Uri think it's their chakra, like, it became solid somehow when they died."
"So this IS a memory." Sasuke nodded. "Then I know what's going to happen next."
"I don't get it." Naruto said.
One of the men hit the ground, making the two other Kumo ninjas jump and turn around. Naruto blinked, realizing the ninja hadn't just fallen. He'd been pushed. Or... Knocked out.
He concentrated, and managed to see it this time.
A little kid, with spiky blonde hair and a Konoha headband, jumped out of the trees and kicked a second ninja in the throat, knocking him out before disappearing into the trees again.
The last Kumo ninja revealed a kunai and leapt backwards, concealing himself in the treetops.
The little girl kept walking, as if someone was forcing her to. Red hair hung in her pale, exhausted face as she swayed with each step. Naruto took a step forward, wanting to make her stop, but Sasuke put an arm out to block him.
"What's your problem?!" Naruto demanded to know.
Sasuke shushed him and pointed.
"Just watch."
Not three seconds later, the last ninja dropped out of the trees, unconscious.
The girl kept walking, causing Naruto to be even more relieved when the spiky haired boy landed on his feet a short distance in front of her.
"Are you hurt?" The boy asked. The girl came to a stop, looking up just as a cloud moved, shedding some moonlight on the situation. "I came to rescue you."
"I knew it." Sasuke said. "This is history."
Naruto gasped at the same time as his young father did, who ran to catch his exhausted mother as her legs gave out.
"You're safe now."
Naruto clapped a hand against his skull, wincing in pain.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked as the memory dispelled, returning them to the room.
He clapped a second hand against his skull as the same voice rang in his head, over and over.
...I-I BELIEVE YOURE AN INCREDIBLY STRONG PERSON...
...I'M JUST BEING SELFISH...
...IM NOT AFRAID TO DIE IF IT MEANS PROTECTING YOU...
'NIGHT, _____ ____
Naruto shot to his feet, slowly lowering his hands.
"What is it?" Sasuke pressed, sounding hopeful. "Did you remember something? Naruto--"
"Hinata..." He said, dropping his hands and looking helplessly at the floor. "I don't understand... I need to talk to her. Now."
He turned, running and throwing the door open as he flooded his ears with chakra. He was very careful to listen for her footsteps alone, her breathing, her sound.
When he found her, he couldn't believe it.
"She's not in this village." He said in surprise, which quickly turned to anger. "Neither is Yuuki."
He whirled, glaring at Sasuke, who was expressionless.
"You LIED to me." He said, furious. "Why? What's going on?"
"... She was summoned back to the village. By her family." Sasuke answered. "They're sending Neji as her replacement."
"What?!" Naruto yelled. "They can't do that! Granny Tsunade said I could pick my team members."
"The Hyuuga are in the middle of a crisis right now." Sasuke explained. "They have been for a while."
"What crisis?"
Sasuke sighed. "My friend... The one who disappeared... He was very powerful. Konoha considered him a pillar of strength. So did other countries. When he disappeared, we tried to hide it, but we also called on allies to help search for him. Word got out. Konoha was attacked. The Hyuuga were the core of our defense. A lot of them were KIA, including the clan head, Hinata's father."
Naruto was taken aback. "What? Then... Hinata leads the Hyuuga? That's why they called her back?"
"No. Her little sister, Hanabi, has been their heiress since the two of them were children. She exiled Hinata the minute she was put in charge."
"Huh? Then why are they calling her back?"
"Probably because they found some way to use her."
"After she was EXILED?!" Naruto shouted, deciding he'd had enough. "And you just let her go? How did they get word to her anyway?"
"Messenger hawk." Sasuke answered. "And she wanted to go."
Naruto opened his mouth to ask why, when it dawned on him.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
"Oh no..." He said, gritting his teeth. "No. No!"
He jumped from the second floor doorway to the ground and took off running in her direction.
He had to stop her. She was making a horrible mistake.
"203...! 204...! 205...!"
He let out a steady breath as sweat dripped from his nose to the floor, joining a small puddle that had built up under the wooden chair. With one arm behind his back, most of his body pointing straight up in the air, and his other hand gripping the wooden chair, he pushed himself up so his feet grazed the ceiling.
"206...!" He groaned, smiling. His strength was returning fairly quickly, and the multiple body pains and strange burning sensations were fading away. "207...!"
Sasuke had helped him walk for most of the trip, but once they reached the village he was able to walk by himself. They booked several rooms at an inn and split up. Naruto was told by the other three to stay put and rest while they went out to buy supplies and locate Hinata and Yuuki.
"W-Whoa! Whoa!" He yelled as he lost his balance and his grip on the chair, landing on his back with the chair clattering to the floor behind him.
He ran his fingers through his hair with his eyes squeezed shut as he breathed through gritted teeth. There was nothing worse than hitting your head against the floor three days after having your shoulder sliced open.
He rubbed said shoulder and looked at it ruefully. He wasn't wearing a shirt right now, so it was easy to see the huge, crescent shaped bruise enveloping most of the curve of his shoulder. It was fairly light a few hours ago. Now, it was almost darker than night.
His eyelids lowered in an expression of guilt.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
He slapped a hand over his left eye. Why did he blow up at her like that? He'd never been so angry at anyone but Seto or Mami. Hinata was the opposite of them. She was sweet and helpful and sensitive and beautiful--
He flinched as his face turned red and he sat bolt upright, pulling his hair down in his face as if to hide from some invincible audience.
Then the guilt came back to him. Why did he do that? Was he really such an idiot as to let the word "forget" get to him so much?
"Yeah of course you are." Kurama answered, bringing Naruto's focus to his mental self, who was still blushing, and sitting cross legged on the ground while he gripped his ankles.
"I thought you said you were gonna take a nap?" Naruto asked.
Kurama laughed bitterly. "As if anyone can sleep through the racket you were making."
"I wasn't that loud!" Naruto argued.
"I meant your EMOTIONS. You know how it is. Our chakras are in synch too the point that it affects your psyche. MY nap time. If you're lost, it gets foggy in here. When you're feeling guilty, it freezes over. Anger makes the water boil or the cage shrink. It's irritating."
"Sorry."
Kurama growled. "Don't apologize to me, kid. It makes me uncomfortable."
Naruto just stared off into oblivion while the guilt and the ice settled in.
"That's it!" Kurama snarled, making Naruto jump. "We both know what you're thinking right now, so how about you just admit it!"
Guilty or not, Naruto was still stubborn.
"Admit what?" He asked, pretending not to know better.
"You're angry at yourself for yelling at the Hyuuga girl." Kurama accused. "Not to mention almost dying before you get your memories back. And right in front of your freinds. You need to be more careful! You're not the only one who will disappear if you die, you know!"
"I just got wounded! No big deal!" He argued. "Yuuki healed me, so everything's fin--"
"Shut up!" Kurama ordered. "You didn't just get injured fool! You're heart stopped. Long enough for me to almost disappear! I was THIS close to leaving you when Sasuke managed to jump start your heart with his lightning style! BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I REALLY HAD LEFT YOU?! THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO COMING BACK! Not for YOU! You'd be DEAD!"
Kurama glared out of rage and worry, but Naruto only stared back in shock while his hand drifted to his chest. He gulped and stared down at his reflection in the now unfrozen water.
"My heart stopped...?" His voice sounded hollow. "Really?"
"For about two-three minutes." Kurama said, folding his paws and resting his head on them. "Scared me to death. And the others too. Sakura was panicking because she couldn't heal the wound. I know you thought you blinked, but you actually passed out."
Naruto shot to his feet. His heart stopped. He didn't just get injured. He was DEAD. But Sasuke saved him. And Yuuki healed him...
"Kurama, what all happened while I was out?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know EVERYTHING that happened. I can't watch clearly when you're THAT weak and sleeping THAT deeply. You know that."
"Then tell me everything you do know! What happened while I was passed out?"
"You seem better."
Naruto blinked, returning his focus to the real world. Sasuke had just walked in the door.
He got up off the floor, grinning to hide the remaining as he pulled a shirt on.
"Yep! You were gone for a while." He pointed out, picking the chair up off the floor. "I guess you had some trouble finding Hinata and Yuuki?"
"Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru are with them." He replied. "They found a lead on Mami."
Naruto jumped, letting the chair fall through his fingers.
"Really?" He asked as it hit the ground. "What is it?"
"Someone saw a red haired woman board a ship taking the trade route." Sasuke answered. "But it wasn't a trade ship. It's suspicious, so we're investigating."
Naruto clenched his fists. Finally, a solid lead. All he had to do was find the ship, and then--
"Yuuki wanted me to give this to you." Sasuke said, breaking his train of thought. "I saw her use something like this to seal that monster away so I guess it must be useful..."
Naruto saw him pull something small from his pocket and drop it on the bedside table.
He gasped when he saw it. It was a seal stone, but it looked weird. Small, rocky, rough, but clear. It was mostly dark red, but with a yellow core in the shape of the Konoha leaf symbol.
He sighed in awe and confusion, and took large steps to the table, nudging Sasuke out of the way to cup his hands around the seal stone, hesitating.
He blinked, gulped, and carefully picked it up, pinching it between his index finger and thumb.
"Weird." He mouthed, turning it over.
"What is it...?" Sasuke asked.
"It's just... Most seal stones don't look like... Huh?" Naruto said as the yellow leaf in the center exploded, reaching outside the seal stone to blind Naruto and Sasuke.
"What's happening?!" Sasuke asked, shielding his eyes with his arms.
"I don't know!" Naruto replied.
The yellow light turned bright white, making Naruto blink. When he opened his eyes, he and Sasuke were standing outside, in the forest.
"Where are we? Outside the inn?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "No. We're near the border between the land of fire and the land of lightning."
"What?!" Naruto yelled. "But we were just--"
Both of them froze as a party of four walked past them, as if they weren't there. The three adults were obviously ninja, since they were wearing kumogakure headbands and ninja gear. The little red haired girl was wearing a Konoha headband though, with her hands tied behind her back.
"Mom...?" He whispered, reaching out to her only to have Sasuke lash out and grab his wrist, stopping him.
"Don't touch her." He warned. "You might break it."
"Break what?" Naruto asked, a little annoyed as he yanked his wrist free.
"This is a memory, isn't it?" Sasuke asked. "That's what those stones are made of. The chakra and memories of people."
"Uhhh... Kind of." Naruto answered. "Seal stones appear out of the graves of people who were never sealed into the sacred tree. Yuuki and Uri think it's their chakra, like, it became solid somehow when they died."
"So this IS a memory." Sasuke nodded. "Then I know what's going to happen next."
"I don't get it." Naruto said.
One of the men hit the ground, making the two other Kumo ninjas jump and turn around. Naruto blinked, realizing the ninja hadn't just fallen. He'd been pushed. Or... Knocked out.
He concentrated, and managed to see it this time.
A little kid, with spiky blonde hair and a Konoha headband, jumped out of the trees and kicked a second ninja in the throat, knocking him out before disappearing into the trees again.
The last Kumo ninja revealed a kunai and leapt backwards, concealing himself in the treetops.
The little girl kept walking, as if someone was forcing her to. Red hair hung in her pale, exhausted face as she swayed with each step. Naruto took a step forward, wanting to make her stop, but Sasuke put an arm out to block him.
"What's your problem?!" Naruto demanded to know.
Sasuke shushed him and pointed.
"Just watch."
Not three seconds later, the last ninja dropped out of the trees, unconscious.
The girl kept walking, causing Naruto to be even more relieved when the spiky haired boy landed on his feet a short distance in front of her.
"Are you hurt?" The boy asked. The girl came to a stop, looking up just as a cloud moved, shedding some moonlight on the situation. "I came to rescue you."
"I knew it." Sasuke said. "This is history."
Naruto gasped at the same time as his young father did, who ran to catch his exhausted mother as her legs gave out.
"You're safe now."
Naruto clapped a hand against his skull, wincing in pain.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked as the memory dispelled, returning them to the room.
He clapped a second hand against his skull as the same voice rang in his head, over and over.
...I-I BELIEVE YOURE AN INCREDIBLY STRONG PERSON...
...I'M JUST BEING SELFISH...
...IM NOT AFRAID TO DIE IF IT MEANS PROTECTING YOU...
'NIGHT, _____ ____
Naruto shot to his feet, slowly lowering his hands.
"What is it?" Sasuke pressed, sounding hopeful. "Did you remember something? Naruto--"
"Hinata..." He said, dropping his hands and looking helplessly at the floor. "I don't understand... I need to talk to her. Now."
He turned, running and throwing the door open as he flooded his ears with chakra. He was very careful to listen for her footsteps alone, her breathing, her sound.
When he found her, he couldn't believe it.
"She's not in this village." He said in surprise, which quickly turned to anger. "Neither is Yuuki."
He whirled, glaring at Sasuke, who was expressionless.
"You LIED to me." He said, furious. "Why? What's going on?"
"... She was summoned back to the village. By her family." Sasuke answered. "They're sending Neji as her replacement."
"What?!" Naruto yelled. "They can't do that! Granny Tsunade said I could pick my team members."
"The Hyuuga are in the middle of a crisis right now." Sasuke explained. "They have been for a while."
"What crisis?"
Sasuke sighed. "My friend... The one who disappeared... He was very powerful. Konoha considered him a pillar of strength. So did other countries. When he disappeared, we tried to hide it, but we also called on allies to help search for him. Word got out. Konoha was attacked. The Hyuuga were the core of our defense. A lot of them were KIA, including the clan head, Hinata's father."
Naruto was taken aback. "What? Then... Hinata leads the Hyuuga? That's why they called her back?"
"No. Her little sister, Hanabi, has been their heiress since the two of them were children. She exiled Hinata the minute she was put in charge."
"Huh? Then why are they calling her back?"
"Probably because they found some way to use her."
"After she was EXILED?!" Naruto shouted, deciding he'd had enough. "And you just let her go? How did they get word to her anyway?"
"Messenger hawk." Sasuke answered. "And she wanted to go."
Naruto opened his mouth to ask why, when it dawned on him.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
"Oh no..." He said, gritting his teeth. "No. No!"
He jumped from the second floor doorway to the ground and took off running in her direction.
He had to stop her. She was making a horrible mistake.
Naruto Fanfic ch 24
HINATA'S POV
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
Hinata read the letter over and over, trying to make sense of it. Her hands started shaking around the same time her silent sobs began. Gritting her teeth, she backed up against a tree as tears streamed down her face. Meanwhile, the others were fast asleep, including the recovering Naruto. The messenger hawk waited to be dismissed or assigned another letter on a nearby branch.
She crumpled the letter in her hands and turned, running off into the woods where she couldn't wake the others. There she leaned against another tree and slid to the ground, folding her legs to her chest and putting her head between her knees before wrapping her arms around her head. Her sobbs and tears were louder now.
So the elders were summoning her home. After she was exiled by Hanabi. After her father died.
Maybe this was a good thing. What good had she been since Naruto returned? She was assigned to guard him, but let him escape. She was picked to go on this mission, and had persuaded him to trust the others, but had been trying to jog his memory this entire time. But only his memories of her.
How devious. What was she expecting? Just because he had forgotten Sakura, didn't mean his heart didn't belong to her. It didn't mean she could get him to return her feelings before he remembered everything. And what was she doing, trying to make him remember anything at all? If the seal on his memory broke or even cracked it could kill him. Is that what she wanted? To keep him from remembering anything, so he could never return to Sakura?
How selfish. Wanting to be remembered by the person most important to her, even if it meant killing him. She was the worst person imaginable...
This WAS good. Naruto-kun didn't want her around anyway.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
She could leave, and Neji would come as her replacement. He was much more practical, and worked well with Sasuke.
This WAS good. This was good. This was good...
"What's good about lying to yourself?"
She gasped, lifting her head up. Sasuke was standing over her, looking bored, like always. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. Had she been talking to herself this entire time? Or had he read her mind?
"Do you always talk to yourself when you're alone?" He asked, answering her question for her.
"No... Maybe, uh... I don't know." She replied, drying her eyes pointlessly. The tears just kept coming.
"What's going on?" He asked with a tone of authority, causing her to hand him a letter.
"And you're going back to them?" He asked after reading it. "After what they did?"
"Yes... It's better this way." She said. "He almost died because of me."
Anyone else would have assumed she meant his injury, but Sasuke only said:
"You mean how you've been dropping hints that he should know us?"
She laughed a little. Of course he saw through her. Sasuke was an intelligent person.
"You could leave, for all I care, but he'll be angry." Sasuke told her. "Bowing down to a clan that doesn't want you, running off instead of apologizing."
"Apologizing...?"
"The whole 'forget' thing." Sasuke said. "Sakura told me he snapped at you. It's probably not what you think. Saying the word 'forget' to an amnesiac is a natural taboo."
"True... That's true..." She said, finally calming down. "I... I'll be going now, Sasuke."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I am. It's just...It's become to dangerous to be around him. Too painful. I might outright tell him next time, and you might not be able to revive him again. It's for the best."
She walked past him, back to camp.
"So be it. But you know..." Sasuke said, "For someone who claims to have the same nindo as Naruto, you're acting like a coward."
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
NARUTO'S POV [SOMEWHERE BETWEEN USHIO AND AKANE]
His shoulder and head started burning about half an hour after he started running. Technically, he was still recovering, so it made sense that he would be slower than usual.
But THIS MUCH slower? If he hadn't been injured, he would have gotten to Akane Village in the first ten minutes. That was something Uri had him work on for days on end: his speed. It took a month to perfect it, but he managed to reach a speed so blinding he was barely visible as a red flash. This made it possible to travel a weeks journey in a few hours. If he was by himself. Which he almost never was.
Except now.
But he was weakened. Recovering from the side effects of Yuuki's containment/reverse jutsu.
It was beyond frustrating.
A hot flash of pain climbed over his shoulder, making him flinch and stumble, crashing sideways into a tree while he gasped and gripped his bruised, burning shoulder.
"Owwww..." He said through gritted teeth. He didn't have time for this. Hinata was in Akane last time he checked her position. He was just a short distance away from town. He could make it if he didn't waste valuable time standing here, licking his wounds like some crybaby.
"I can do this." He said, staring forward with determination.
Then he froze midstep, making his bangs fall in his face and cast shadows over his eyes. He stepped away from the tree, clenching his fists.
Mami popped out of the ground via ripple seal a distance away from Naruto. She looked just like she usually did. Long sleeved kimono, too much makeup, flirty eyes and wicked smile.
"Do I look beautiful in moonlight?" She asked.
Naruto exhaled through his nose, eyes red from Kyuubi chakra. She was anything but beautiful.
"How are you, Naruto?" Mami said, sounding so normal he might've thought she was just another stranger. "Tsuna wouldn't be happy, seeing you all buddy buddy with Sasuke Uchiha. And if everyone else knew about Hinata Hyuga, I bet you'd have to take another beating."
He blinked, locking eyes with her. Why was she here? Why now? Why when he was alone? Why wasn't he furious right now just from looking at her?
"Because you've got to get to Hinata right now." Kurama reminded. "Don't let her figure that out."
He straightened up at the thought. Hinata was alone right now. If Mami had placed teleport seals within Akane she could reach her before he could.
"I figured you'd be more angry with me than this." She said, smirking. "Or did Kairi rub off on you?"
Naruto searched the ground for answers. Why wasn't he angry? Kairi was killed because Mami and Seto had a plot. They attacked Ame. Konoha was next on the list. The kids he and Tsuna doted on would die in some silly war. It would be Mami's fault, or his, unless he killed her right now. But...
Why? Why wasn't he trying to kill her? This was Mami. He hated Mami! He needed to stop her. He couldn't push the job onto Uri and Yuuki.
"You look frustrated." She told him, right in front of him now. "You know, I should tell you something else about Kairi. Did you know those aren't her real parents?"
"You're lying." He said, trying to ignore her (nothing she had to say could be worth listening to). "You always lie."
"You sound so desperate." Mami noted with a giggle. "But I'm not lying. Kairi was different. She wasn't like me, or you, or anyone else. She wasn't even human--"
He cut her off there by sliding a kunai out of a ripple seal on his palm and holding it to her throat. Suddenly, his rage had returned.
"I'm telling the truth." Mami stated, not even flinching. "Kairi wasn't human, and that's because she can't be killed. Ever. She's still alive."
Naruto gripped the kunai. She was lying. He had seen Kairi's body. Their clan had cried for her, and sentenced Seto to death for it. She couldn't be alive.
"You know about the sacred tree right? How every member of our clan who was too old and about to die would seal their chakra away, and their body, within the tree? So now it has abundant amounts of chakra. Except it can't be sealed away or used as a weapon of war. The ultimate goal of all the wills residing within the sacred tree is to protect our family. Every last member, half blood or no. A few years ago, we made a pilgrimage to Uzushio, and we sealed some of our dead within the sacred tree. But... then it gave something back. A baby. It just appeared out of nowhere, in the tree's hollow, and Kairi's 'parents' picked her up for the first time. She was the personification of the will and power of the sacred tree. Her body was just made up of all that light."
Naruto squinted, shifting his gaze to search her face. She was lying. She always lied. Always...Always, always.
Kairi was so... Kind. To Naruto. To Seto. To Mami. To everyone. She loved everyone in their family, and they all loved her back.
Naruto had been wondering why she had used such an extreme, permanent solution to ending Seto. She was gifted. Clever. She could have told Naruto or her parents or anyone and they would have defeated Seto together. Or she could have poisoned him, and Mami too. She could have told everyone, and a civil war might have started. There were numerous things she could have done. But nothing Naruto could think of that ended without their number of clan members being reduced in some way.
Instead only Kairi died. Which was what she wanted. No one she loved turned their swords on each other. Nobody died because of a decision she made. Naruto was safe. Seto didn't have to die either.
Kairi protected everyone. Because she was Kairi. Because it was her nature, her instinct...
But Mami was lying! She had to be!
He dropped his arm without loosening his grip on the kunai.
Mami laughed at him. "I thought you would be relieved. You're not acting like the person I know. By the way..."
He looked up out of pure curiosity as she took a step back.
"I saw a friend of yours on my way here," she smirked as he whipped his head up, "and paid her a visit."
She threw something at his feet before slipping through a ripple seal.
His heart jumped into his throat even before he crouched and picked it up.
It was Hinata's jacket. Ripped to shreds and covered and blood.
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
Hinata read the letter over and over, trying to make sense of it. Her hands started shaking around the same time her silent sobs began. Gritting her teeth, she backed up against a tree as tears streamed down her face. Meanwhile, the others were fast asleep, including the recovering Naruto. The messenger hawk waited to be dismissed or assigned another letter on a nearby branch.
She crumpled the letter in her hands and turned, running off into the woods where she couldn't wake the others. There she leaned against another tree and slid to the ground, folding her legs to her chest and putting her head between her knees before wrapping her arms around her head. Her sobbs and tears were louder now.
So the elders were summoning her home. After she was exiled by Hanabi. After her father died.
Maybe this was a good thing. What good had she been since Naruto returned? She was assigned to guard him, but let him escape. She was picked to go on this mission, and had persuaded him to trust the others, but had been trying to jog his memory this entire time. But only his memories of her.
How devious. What was she expecting? Just because he had forgotten Sakura, didn't mean his heart didn't belong to her. It didn't mean she could get him to return her feelings before he remembered everything. And what was she doing, trying to make him remember anything at all? If the seal on his memory broke or even cracked it could kill him. Is that what she wanted? To keep him from remembering anything, so he could never return to Sakura?
How selfish. Wanting to be remembered by the person most important to her, even if it meant killing him. She was the worst person imaginable...
This WAS good. Naruto-kun didn't want her around anyway.
NEVER TELL ME TO FORGET ANYTHING, EVER!
She could leave, and Neji would come as her replacement. He was much more practical, and worked well with Sasuke.
This WAS good. This was good. This was good...
"What's good about lying to yourself?"
She gasped, lifting her head up. Sasuke was standing over her, looking bored, like always. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. Had she been talking to herself this entire time? Or had he read her mind?
"Do you always talk to yourself when you're alone?" He asked, answering her question for her.
"No... Maybe, uh... I don't know." She replied, drying her eyes pointlessly. The tears just kept coming.
"What's going on?" He asked with a tone of authority, causing her to hand him a letter.
"And you're going back to them?" He asked after reading it. "After what they did?"
"Yes... It's better this way." She said. "He almost died because of me."
Anyone else would have assumed she meant his injury, but Sasuke only said:
"You mean how you've been dropping hints that he should know us?"
She laughed a little. Of course he saw through her. Sasuke was an intelligent person.
"You could leave, for all I care, but he'll be angry." Sasuke told her. "Bowing down to a clan that doesn't want you, running off instead of apologizing."
"Apologizing...?"
"The whole 'forget' thing." Sasuke said. "Sakura told me he snapped at you. It's probably not what you think. Saying the word 'forget' to an amnesiac is a natural taboo."
"True... That's true..." She said, finally calming down. "I... I'll be going now, Sasuke."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I am. It's just...It's become to dangerous to be around him. Too painful. I might outright tell him next time, and you might not be able to revive him again. It's for the best."
She walked past him, back to camp.
"So be it. But you know..." Sasuke said, "For someone who claims to have the same nindo as Naruto, you're acting like a coward."
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
NARUTO'S POV [SOMEWHERE BETWEEN USHIO AND AKANE]
His shoulder and head started burning about half an hour after he started running. Technically, he was still recovering, so it made sense that he would be slower than usual.
But THIS MUCH slower? If he hadn't been injured, he would have gotten to Akane Village in the first ten minutes. That was something Uri had him work on for days on end: his speed. It took a month to perfect it, but he managed to reach a speed so blinding he was barely visible as a red flash. This made it possible to travel a weeks journey in a few hours. If he was by himself. Which he almost never was.
Except now.
But he was weakened. Recovering from the side effects of Yuuki's containment/reverse jutsu.
It was beyond frustrating.
A hot flash of pain climbed over his shoulder, making him flinch and stumble, crashing sideways into a tree while he gasped and gripped his bruised, burning shoulder.
"Owwww..." He said through gritted teeth. He didn't have time for this. Hinata was in Akane last time he checked her position. He was just a short distance away from town. He could make it if he didn't waste valuable time standing here, licking his wounds like some crybaby.
"I can do this." He said, staring forward with determination.
Then he froze midstep, making his bangs fall in his face and cast shadows over his eyes. He stepped away from the tree, clenching his fists.
Mami popped out of the ground via ripple seal a distance away from Naruto. She looked just like she usually did. Long sleeved kimono, too much makeup, flirty eyes and wicked smile.
"Do I look beautiful in moonlight?" She asked.
Naruto exhaled through his nose, eyes red from Kyuubi chakra. She was anything but beautiful.
"How are you, Naruto?" Mami said, sounding so normal he might've thought she was just another stranger. "Tsuna wouldn't be happy, seeing you all buddy buddy with Sasuke Uchiha. And if everyone else knew about Hinata Hyuga, I bet you'd have to take another beating."
He blinked, locking eyes with her. Why was she here? Why now? Why when he was alone? Why wasn't he furious right now just from looking at her?
"Because you've got to get to Hinata right now." Kurama reminded. "Don't let her figure that out."
He straightened up at the thought. Hinata was alone right now. If Mami had placed teleport seals within Akane she could reach her before he could.
"I figured you'd be more angry with me than this." She said, smirking. "Or did Kairi rub off on you?"
Naruto searched the ground for answers. Why wasn't he angry? Kairi was killed because Mami and Seto had a plot. They attacked Ame. Konoha was next on the list. The kids he and Tsuna doted on would die in some silly war. It would be Mami's fault, or his, unless he killed her right now. But...
Why? Why wasn't he trying to kill her? This was Mami. He hated Mami! He needed to stop her. He couldn't push the job onto Uri and Yuuki.
"You look frustrated." She told him, right in front of him now. "You know, I should tell you something else about Kairi. Did you know those aren't her real parents?"
"You're lying." He said, trying to ignore her (nothing she had to say could be worth listening to). "You always lie."
"You sound so desperate." Mami noted with a giggle. "But I'm not lying. Kairi was different. She wasn't like me, or you, or anyone else. She wasn't even human--"
He cut her off there by sliding a kunai out of a ripple seal on his palm and holding it to her throat. Suddenly, his rage had returned.
"I'm telling the truth." Mami stated, not even flinching. "Kairi wasn't human, and that's because she can't be killed. Ever. She's still alive."
Naruto gripped the kunai. She was lying. He had seen Kairi's body. Their clan had cried for her, and sentenced Seto to death for it. She couldn't be alive.
"You know about the sacred tree right? How every member of our clan who was too old and about to die would seal their chakra away, and their body, within the tree? So now it has abundant amounts of chakra. Except it can't be sealed away or used as a weapon of war. The ultimate goal of all the wills residing within the sacred tree is to protect our family. Every last member, half blood or no. A few years ago, we made a pilgrimage to Uzushio, and we sealed some of our dead within the sacred tree. But... then it gave something back. A baby. It just appeared out of nowhere, in the tree's hollow, and Kairi's 'parents' picked her up for the first time. She was the personification of the will and power of the sacred tree. Her body was just made up of all that light."
Naruto squinted, shifting his gaze to search her face. She was lying. She always lied. Always...Always, always.
Kairi was so... Kind. To Naruto. To Seto. To Mami. To everyone. She loved everyone in their family, and they all loved her back.
Naruto had been wondering why she had used such an extreme, permanent solution to ending Seto. She was gifted. Clever. She could have told Naruto or her parents or anyone and they would have defeated Seto together. Or she could have poisoned him, and Mami too. She could have told everyone, and a civil war might have started. There were numerous things she could have done. But nothing Naruto could think of that ended without their number of clan members being reduced in some way.
Instead only Kairi died. Which was what she wanted. No one she loved turned their swords on each other. Nobody died because of a decision she made. Naruto was safe. Seto didn't have to die either.
Kairi protected everyone. Because she was Kairi. Because it was her nature, her instinct...
But Mami was lying! She had to be!
He dropped his arm without loosening his grip on the kunai.
Mami laughed at him. "I thought you would be relieved. You're not acting like the person I know. By the way..."
He looked up out of pure curiosity as she took a step back.
"I saw a friend of yours on my way here," she smirked as he whipped his head up, "and paid her a visit."
She threw something at his feet before slipping through a ripple seal.
His heart jumped into his throat even before he crouched and picked it up.
It was Hinata's jacket. Ripped to shreds and covered and blood.
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flowers:flowers
