Manicherryblossom33
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Edit: finally! Man that was embarrassing. First I took forever to write it and then this editing fiasco took place. On top of that, it's so long! But it's good, I think. I'm very proud of it. Still, sorry about the length! I've divided it into two parts so take your time (please comment!). Criticism and praise are both welcome. But no hating! It irks me.
I kept the title I had in mind. However, I was unable to avoid the flashbacks within flashbacks. However these will be conveyed as DREAMS/MEMORIES. This is another chapter that is not for the feint at heart. This is your only warning. I had t hurry for the editing, so their may be some mistakes! So embarrassing. I was praise for my improvement with editing not long ago, too. Sigh.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Part A
Part B
I kept the title I had in mind. However, I was unable to avoid the flashbacks within flashbacks. However these will be conveyed as DREAMS/MEMORIES. This is another chapter that is not for the feint at heart. This is your only warning. I had t hurry for the editing, so their may be some mistakes! So embarrassing. I was praise for my improvement with editing not long ago, too. Sigh.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Part A
Naruto Fanfic A future without you
Chapter 44: How Dare You!; Uri’s story part 3
URI’S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
“With the Uchiha clan's support, nee-chan and Minato were saved.” Uri proceeded, his back to the wall and his arms crossed. “However, we all earned Danzo’s loathing as a result. Minato was released from the hospital and told he could return to missions. We celebrated, but he seemed… Lost in his thoughts. I later learned the whole truth, and was forced to accept a horrible fact.”
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
MINATO’S POV [KONOHAGAKURE HOSPITAL, OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
He wasn’t sure why he was keeping quiet about it, but if he had to put it to words, he’d say he didn’t want to be leaned over and examined like a dying man. And anyway, the medics stated any of it would pass in due time, so he should be fine.
Still the pain was intense. As he stood at his bedside, folding get-well cards, gifts, and other patient paraphernalia into the brown grocery bag the nurse had given him, there was a horrible vibrating ache shooting back and forth along the ribs on his left side. It was the same spot where he’d been fatally injured by Kushina, which he’d sealed shut and later healed with the medicine Mikoto had given him. It made turning, standing, walking, and even lying down difficult and if not for the fact that he’d been told there was nothing wrong with him, he would have been worried.
The pain would pass. That’s what he’d been told, and that was what he would go with it. He didn’t want to spend any more time in here than necessary. Fuji, Kushina, Uri and Mikoto had all looked far too anxious when he’d been carried in here by Jiraiya-sensei after reaching Konoha. He didn’t enjoy being coddled like a victim.
He grit his teeth as the pain became more noticeable. It had to be his imagination, but it really seemed like the pain was increasening, not lessening.
He froze, eyes widening before slowly relaxing once more. He leaned over the table and returned to packing away all the hospital mementos as the door clicked shut behind him.
“You’ve been released.” Was Danzo’s greeting. Minato slipped the grocery bag over his hand and up to his elbow before turning around and meeting the advisors gaze.
“Yes.” He replied courtly. He then bowed slightly from the waist, just to be courteous, and turned to approach the door.
Danzo stepped slowly into his path, the walking stick tapping on the floor twice as he moved. Minato, whose arm was outstretched to reach the doorknob, froze. Danzo was much taller than him, and dangerously close at the moment. His wrinkled, crow’s gaze bored into Minato.
“Excuse me, I need to pass.” He said, earning no physical reaction from Danzo.
“You have loyal companions. Even young Fugaku seems to have unwavering faith in you.” Danzo stated, his tone and gaze clearly challenging Minato. “The fact that he would go to his family for favors on your behalf is a gift. And your other friends took part in convincing them as well, from what I understand.”
Minato said nothing. So that was what happened. Fuji hadn’t explained his “plan” but Minato had had his expectations. And the others supported him. So that’s why he was standing here in one piece, and Kushina as well…
“The jinchuuriki has been under close watch since her arrival here.” Danzo stated. “My subordinates guard her at every moment. She is under surveillance more than you are. Night, day, even during the bath.”
Minato felt a needle prick him between the eyes and he glared at Danzo, his fists clenching.
“That’s illegal. It violates her rights. I’ll report you.” He stated. Why would he tell him this if he knew what would happen?
“You won’t be telling Hiruzen anything, boy.” Danzo replied curtly.
“Watch me.” Minato stepped to the left, but Danzo stretched his arm out, walking stick included, and tapped it against the floor. He now had the path to the door completely barricaded.
“I’m fully aware of her every action.” He narrowed his eye at Minato, who whipped his head back to glare at the elder. “Her training, her meals. She actually studied for her academy tests.”
“I know that.” Minato replied flatly.
“I’m also aware of your proposal. How bold of you. Grotesque as well. A jinchuuriki shares their experiences with their tailed beast.” He informed.
Minato remained stock still. He needed to remain calm. Danzo was baiting him. If he fell for such a trap, then all of Fuji’s efforts would be meaningless.
“You have an interesting choice in women.” Danzo continued. “She’s not exactly a lady. She’s far beneath her peers in beauty and in grace.”
Minato’s knuckles cracked so loud it could be heard from anywhere in the room.
“Is it pity? Or maybe power-lust?”
“Do not compare me to you.” Minato warned.
Danzo hesitated before lowering himself to Minato’s eye-level. They locked their gazes, challenging each other with a battle of wills.
“I am pitiless towards traitors and anyone else who poses as a threat to the village, Minato.”
“Your protection will only bring destruction upon Konoha.” Minato replied. “Your suspicions of the Uchiha, Kushina, and I, amounts to nothing more than a purge.”
“A necessary one.” Danzo replied, straightening up.
Minato’s eyes trembled with rage. One hit. If he could just have one hit, without consequences, he would be eternally grateful. Adrenaline was pumping through his body, and his arm muscles felt tight. He was strong. If one hit was allowed, he would be sure it hurt.
“What do you want?” Minato asked. He had to get his mind off it. And quickly.
Danzo's good eyelid slowly lowered, closing over his dark pupil quietly. He turned his back on Minato and approached the wide window, which was blocked by thick curtains. Danzo brought one hand from the top of his walking stick, raising it high before throwing one panel aside.
Minato stood stock still as he was momentarily blinded by the late evening sunlight, which, ironically, was crimson.
"Kushina and Mikoto lack training." Danzo stated. "It would seem they were completely unaware that my subordinate replaced the medicine with a dangerous drug. The same medicine that Kushina entrusted to Mikoto ages ago. What you consumed only had the appearance of medicine."
Danzo faced Minato, slipping a vile filled with odd, glowing blue milky liquid from his sleeve and into his free palm.
Minato's eyes were wide, flickering with shock.
"You--"
"It won't kill you. It's something my clan used during the warring states era to interrogate captives. It's meant to torment, not murder. You have no doubt been experiencing the pain. It will intensify. High temperature, hallucinations, vivid nightmares, and death is still a possibility if you aren't careful. You'll be forced to relive your worst memories. The hallucinations are dangerous as well. You could kill your best freind if you're not careful."
Minato stifled a gasp.
Minato's mouth formed a tight line of hostility. He and Danzo stared each other down for a moment while he contemplated in the back of his mind what he should do.
Holding out his hand came to mind. So did negotiating. But something told him Danzo wasn't going to just hand over the antidote.
"I won't be manipulated by you." He decided it was best to get that across first.
"Are you certain of that?" Danzo countered.
"Yes." Minato stated. "I will report all of this to Lord Hiruzen, including what you're men are doing to Kushina."
"I already said that you won't be telling him anything, didn't I?" Danzo reminded. "Not unless you want him to know who you really are."
Minato waited a moment. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Did you really think I wouldn't investigate?" Danzo asked. "'A prodigy, adopted by the Namikaze?' Did you really think I would fall for such a story? It was a clever one, but even so. I've looked into your background. The youngest son and heir to the tyrant Namikaze Raido who instigated the Uchiha/Hyuuga genocide? Your vile bloodline took the lives of over eighty children all under the age of twelve. In other words all of this," Danzo gestured to Minato, "Is the DNA of savages and brutes. You have the blood of scum in your veins."
"Expose me if you want." Minato dared. "He will forgive me immediately."
"You are right about that. Given your nature and age, Hiruzen will believe there is nothing to forgive. But what about Fugaku's parents? Or the now childless couples of the Hyuuga who still mourn their sons and daughters? Or the freinds of the children who were taken. I understand a few of them have taken a liking to you. It would be a shame to see them turn against you so quickly. Or the rest of the village for that matter. When such a tragedy as the kind that you're father brught on Konoha occurs, whole cultures weep. Right now, you are the pride of our village. However your position is a precarious one. One wrong move, and the people of this village will turn against you. Their hatred of your clan will revive, multiplied exponentially."
"That won't happen." Minato argued. "They belive in me."
Danzo raised one eyebrow questioningly.
It would be alright. They belived in him. He was one of them now. No, he always had been--
At that thought, he froze, paling.
Danzo smiled, and Minato grit his teeth.
"I'll be happy to cure you if join the foundation." Danzo offered, and Minato squared his shoulders. He was trembling.
"I'll even forgive young Fugaku and his entire clan." Danzo continued. "He isn't like you after all. In fact, no one is like you."
Minato bit his lip and dropped his head.
So... So...
FRUSTRATING.
He wanted his weapons. His kunai, his paper bombs. He wanted to punch him with a strength that surpassed Lady Tsunade's and Kushina's put together...
"You can have as much time as you want to decide." Danzo added as he approached the door. "Although, if I were you, I would decide quickly."
Minato clenched his fists to the point that his fingertips dug into his palm. He glared at the floor, his heart beating abnormally fast.
My peace of mind or the faith of this village? He mentally spat. As if you would let me have either!
That evening, he had the house to himself. Uri was on mission and Mikoto was spending the night at Kushina's. So he was conveniently alone.
True to Danzo's word, the pain did increase drastically.
The burning ache in his left side was enough to make him want to bury himself in snow. It cruised back and forth along each rib and pricked his vital organs. There were times where it fluctuated, making it impossible to keep standing.
As he stood, half draped over the cold metal sink, he stared at the thermometer in his hand. One hundred and two degrees. Not good at all. If it got any higher, it could kill him.
He felt another pulse of prickling heat and dropped the thermometer. His newly freed hand reached around to grip his left side as he fell over, crashing into the floor with a grunt of pain. He blinked as his vision turned fuzzy, as if he were staring into fog.
He panted, drooling in an overheated daze before squeezing his eyes shut.
HELP ME!
"No..." He moaned as reality began to drift away.
SAVE ME! I'M SCARED!
DREAM STARTS HERE
A five year old Minato sat in the corner of the hospital, which was also his grandfather's study, making it a very small hospital with one operating table and two beds with IVs and other medical equipment. Now that Grandfather was gone, this room never got used. It was sound-proof as well, so even if Minato knocked something over, no one would discover him.
It was nice too. It smelled good, like barbecue, or at least that was what Grandfather had called the aroma that filled the room whenever the fire was lit. Each wall was covered by a row of consecutive bookshelves, filled with tomes. They told stories of the outside world, things Minato had never seen. Grass, trees, the sun, a blue sky, flowers, and more.
Even the door was a moving bookcase which swung open on hinges. There was no way to lock it, so Minato just had to hope no one disturbed him while he tried to memorize every word that described the lands outside their home.
Unfortunately, he wasn't very lucky.
He looked up as the moving bookcase swung open to face Minato. His father and three older brothers marched in. His brother Ren was dragging a little girl behind by the arm. She had dark hair and eyes, and looked to be the same age as Minato.
She seemed terrified. Every inch of her was shaking uncontrollably, and she was tearing up as she wriggled and squirmed to free herself from Ren's grip. She tried to pull away, to jump free, digging her toes into the ground as she attempted to flee.
Then she caught Minato's eyes and she panted, looking at him pleadingly.
Minato flinched. Why was she looking at him like that?
She wasn't one of the villagers. He could tell by how she was dressed, and he didn't recognize her anyway. Although she did resemble one of the children in this village...
"What are you doing, son?"
Minato looked up. Father only called him "son." He called his other children by their names, but Minato was "son."
"Studying." He replied, his wide blue eyes widening when he saw his father smile.*
"Good. I was about to send Ryuuji to fetch you." He continued. "Put that book away. I have something I want you to see."
Minato did as he was told and went to his father, who gestured for Ren to shut the door. Minato's older brother glowered at him as he kicked the door shut, knocking a few books down in the process.
The little girl was panting, with tears accumulating in the corners of her eyes. She panicked as she glanced about, trying to escape.
"Do you know her, son?" Father asked, and Minato looked up into the thick, hungry gaze that stared down at him expectantly.
"No. She doesn't live in this village." Minato replied, and was greeted with a proud chuckle.
"Good, good. That's correct." Father praised him as if he were talking to a dog that had learned a new trick. He then gestured for Ren to pass the girl to him.
Ren yanked her arm, swinging her feet first over to Father, who grabbed the top of her skull, gripping it with his fingertips. She yelped in pain and grabbed his hand, crying and whimpering as she looked at Minato desperately.
"She's an outsider. From Konoha." Father said.
"Help me."
Minato blinked. She must have been really scared to be calling out to him. Her cheeks were red and her eyes puffy from tears. Her trembling had gotten worse as well. Her mouth twitched as she whimpered without taking her eyes off of him.
"P-P-Please..." She begged, breathless. Her voice rose barely above a whisper. "I'm afraid... My mommy will be worried... I'm hungry, too, and tired... I need to go home..."
Minato didn't move, or speak, or show any emotion at all. Something heavy had fallen into his stomach, making him feel very uncomfortable. His throat was clogged up, he could hardly breath. His eyes wouldn't move, no matter how mcu he wanted to avert his gaze.
He wasn't sure why, but he felt something that was strangely similar to... Fear.
"I'm afraid! Please help me!" She pleaded. "I'm so afraid. He's squeezing my head! It hurts! Please, please help me! I want to see my mommy. I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid--"
"Shut up." Father clenched his fingers, making her scream. "You're noisy."
She cried more heavily, lurching as she sobbed.
"Please stop." She begged, looking up. "It hurts. I'm afraid."
"No need to be afraid." Father smirked, his eyes lighting up. "It'll be over shortly."
She inhaled sharply, now more terrified than before. Father lifted her up by her skull and she screamed in pain. Minato's feet were nailed to the floor as his father and brothers strapped her into the operating table. She screamed even more, begging for mercy.
Father, Ren, Ryuuji, and Tora raised scalpels.
Minato retreated into his mind as far as possible, but it didn't help. Her terrible screaming seemed even more audible. His brothers were dead serious as they demanded for her to activate her sharingan. When she cried out that she didn't know how, her screaming seemed to be even more blood-curdling.
Minato passed in and out of his psyche. He caught glimpses of the large amounts of blood that splurted into the air, painting the floor and cieling. He saw her movements. Violently gut-wretching at first, but quickly becoming more and more feeble.
And then... All was quiet.
Like a forest animal carefully entering the clearing, Minato left the sanctuary of his psyche and returned to reality. There was so much blood. It dripped and poured from the table, rolled across the floor, lay splattered over the walls and the faces of his Father and brothers.
Vaguely, Minato looked at his clothes and something inside him burrowed into his heart, never to appear again.
He was as dirty as the rest of them. Painted red.
He blinked as Father stepped in front of him, kneeling and holding out his hands.
"This is our prize." Father said. In his cupped hands was a glass, rectangular jar filled with liquid. Floating inside were two brilliant scarlet eyes, with one black tomoe each.
DREAM ENDS HERE
Minato sat bolt upright, horror-stricken. He hurried to catch his breath, but it pulled away with each gasp like a ripple on water.
His chest heaved as he gripped his shirt. No, no, no.
He was different. He was different from them. He'd always been--
"Help me."
He froze, slowly looking up. To his terror, the little girl now sat on her knees in front of him.
She still had both her eyes, but they were leaking tears of blood.
She reached out and grabbed his wrist, and her hand felt real. As real and warm as any living hand.
"Why didn't you help me?" She asked, her eyes wide and bloodshot. "You watched me die. You watched us all die. Why? Why?"
Minato inhaled sharply and smacked her hand away, getting to his feet and turning his back on her.
It's alright, he told himself. She's not real, she's not real. She's an illusion.
He sighed and lifted his hands to place them over his eyes only to stiffen.
They were dripping with blood.
He gasped and ran to the kitchen sink, turning it on and trying to wash it away. He felt panic rise up in his heart when the blood seemed to be resistant, but his brain was still working: if it wasn't washing away that meant it wasn't real.
None of it was real. Just his mind playing tricks on him, thanks to Danzo.
It would go away if he ignored it.
He gasped as an icy pain sliced into his back. He coughed up blood and looked down to see the tip of a kunai poking out of his left chest.
He shuddered and fell to his knees, reaching around to pull the knife out of his back. He gasped, deeply saddened and looked over his shoulder to see his clan, as plain as day, glaring down at him.
"Traitor."
"Traitor."
"Traitor."
He looked away, closing his eyes. He tried to drown out their voices as they continued to chant.
It isn't real. It isn't real. The pain, the blood, the faces. All of it was fake.
Wake up. Wake up now. It's an illusion.
He waited for a moment, rejoicing in the silence and the abscence of the illusional hole in his back.
All was quiet.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. For a long time, he stared at the bottom kitchen cabinets, and listened to the running water. He watched the shadows of leaves dancing in the wind move across his floor in the moonlight.
Sighing deeply, he got to his feet.
Suddeny, Danzo's words came back to him.
IN FACT, NO ONE IS LIKE YOU.
Was there... Was there even the tiniest possibility he was wrong?
Minato sat down, leaning against the cabinet door before curling into a ball.
It would be alright. Some nightmares, a little pain. He could handle that. He’d been through worse. Much worse. Besides, it wasn’t as if those memories weren’t always there, in the back of his mind, poking and prodding him.
He would be okay. As long as he didn’t give in, he would be okay. He needed to act like everything was fine. If there was a change in his routine or attitude, Fuji would pick up on the situation immediately.
If his friends discovered this predicament, no good would come of it.
MINATO’S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
He made good on his vow. Even two weeks after leaving the hospital, his friends were still in the dark.
However, the pain increased and the illusions/nightmares became more vivid.
He lay in bed, curled in on his right side while gripping his left. They were in the cold season now, but the house may as well have been on fire for how warm he was.
He writhed in pain as loud cracking sounds echoed off the walls, as if his bones were cracking. To prevent the noise from waking his friends in the next rooms, he moaned into his pillow.
Afterwards, he rolled onto his back and stared out the window. It was a full moon tonight. The sky was clear, and full of stars.
He smiled, although he was covered in sweat and felt very uncomfortable. In Yuukigakure, the sky was always blocked by thick snow clouds. So it wasn’t until after leaving his homeland that he saw a sky that wasn’t gray and brooding. Apparently Uri and Kushina had a similar experience. Their home was an island, surrounded by precipices that rose far above the clouds. As a result, much of the morning, noon, and evening sunlight was blocked. So in a way, the days were shorter there.
He was really happy when Fuji and the others had taken him outside of the ruins of Yuuki. He hadn’t known what to do back then, only that he had to protect Mikoto. Come to think of it, if they hadn't come, he might have remained there until he starved. Leaving had never occured to him, even though it would have been simple.
He grit his teeth and tightened the grip on his side. It was terrible, the pain. Would he have to live like this forever? The drugs effects had to fade at some point. How long would it take? Weeks? Months?
It was better than letting that man have his way. But if he did… If he did then Fuji’s clan would be spared.
The Uchiha weren’t like the Namikaze. They didn’t deserve whatever Danzo had in mind for them. And Minato was the reason they were on that man’s hit list, so shouldn’t he protect them?
Minato blinked his eyes groggily. The heat was exhausting…
What should I do? Minato wondered as he turned his head and slowly drifted to sleep.
DREAM STARTS HERE
The murders continued.
Young, five-year-old Minato trudged along the eastern halls of the iron fortress. They were deserted, as they were mostly used for storage. There was more than enough food here to feed everyone in the village and his clan, but Father and the others would rather hoard it all.
The villagers were starving and freezing to death ever since Father took over. There had been riots, even planned mutinies. Some families had already been wiped out. Children kept sneaking in to steal food and were punished severely.
Minato couldn’t go outside anymore. His freinds and playmates from infanthood wanted nothing to do with him now. They looked at him as if he were a beast, or a vile creature.
Minato felt numb and empty. He’d been forced to watch all the murders. Twenty-three children from Konoha were dead thanks to his clan. Fourteen of them had begged for his, for Minato’s, interference. Five begged mercy. Four fought back and died even more brutal deaths as a consequence.
Minato shuddered. He hadn’t slept in days. Food and drink lacked flavor. In his dreams the children reached out to him, begging him for help. They called for their parents and siblings. They screamed for the blood of his clan.
He was an observer. A witness. A coward
He missed his grandfather…
The shuffling of his feet came to a stop. He could hear something. Something familiar…
He looked to his left and saw a darkened staircase leading down into the gallows. Quickly, he retrieved the lit candle from its holder on the wall and descended in a frenzy.
He knew this sound, though it wasn’t nearly as horrifying as usual.
He reached the end of the stairs and came face to face with a prison cell. The others were empty, but the one in front of him was occupied.
There was a little girl inside. She was wearing a raggedy grey dress with her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was buried in her skirt as she cried.
Slowly, she looked up at him and Minato winced. With a jolt, he realized this girl, with her dark eyes and hair, looked just like the first child. She was the same age, too, from the look of it.
They stared at each other for a long time before Minato set the candle down on the unoccupied warden’s desk and reluctantly approached the cell.
“Why are you crying?” He asked. It was the reason he’d come down here, so he figured he might as well ask.
The girl sobbed. “It’s dark here. And cold. And lonely…”
Minato sighed in awe, then straightened in shock. It was surprising that he cared. No, it was surprising that he was surprised that he cared.
He searched his heart for a moment then started to leave. This was a little scary. If he was caught here—
“Wait!” She screamed, running and flinging her arm through the bars. She grabbed him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. For some reason, he was very afraid. She shouldn’t be touching him…
“Don’t leave me here!” She cried, her hair glued to her cheeks with tears. “Please!”
Minato’s teeth were clamped together. He wanted to shake her off. She was acting too familiar. He wasn’t used to this…
“M-My name is Mikoto.” She introduced herself while drying her eyes with her free hand. “What’s yours?”
Minato’s eyes flickered from left to right before he met her gaze again. She was waiting, expectantly.
He gulped. “Minato.”
He wasn’t sure what sort of reaction he expected, but giggling was not it.
“W-What?” He demanded. How was his name funny?
Mikoto was crying again, but laughing quietly at the same time.
“Our… Our names sound… Similar.” She explained.
Minato hesitated before smiling cautiously.
“Y-yeah.” He agreed, and tilted his head back before chuckling. Mikoto continued to laugh.
Their laughter grew, echoing off the walls to create such a riot that Minato was afraid the vibrations would knock the candle over. He shed a few tears for reasons he couldn’t explain, and he had a feeling Mikoto was crying still.
After a few moments, he heard footsteps but he didn’t care, not even when his father joined them and demanded to know what Minato was doing down in the gallows.
In response, Minato pointed at Mikoto.
“I’m bored. Can I play with her?”
DREAM ENDS HERE
Minato blinked his eyes open to find it was still night time. However a small cloud had moved in front of the moon.
He chuckled. People rarely cried in his home village. The angry cold made such actions dangerous.
He had saved Mikoto for selfish reasons. But he was glad for it all the same. He had gained a lifelong freind as a result. She helped him remember the ideals of his kind grandfather, whom he had cared for deeply and lost at a young age. Mikoto was warm and kind, and had cried for her siblings and parents when they passed.
No he was not the same as her. He was different. He'd always been different from others. Even Fuji...
He was an outsider in his home village. But Mikoto had made him feel as if he belonged. And now it felt as if he had found a family in the form of this new village, where sun shined over the people. Children weren't tortured here. They were nurtured and trained. They lived happily together with their families and freinds, and fought to keep what was precious to them.
Minato really liked this village. No, he loved it. He loved every person, every building, every tree, and every insect. He loved the mountainside images of past hokage. He loved the training grounds and shopping district. He loved the sound of laughter that could be heard when the children played in the streets, and he even loved the sound of nagging mothers.
He would die for this place if the situation called for it. He wanted to be here forever, even though he knew that was impossible. He was so proud to call himself a konoha shinobi.
But he could still hear Fuji and the Hyuuga twins screaming at the sight of their mutilated clan members. It was always there, in the back of his mind.
That was how you were supposed to react when your family was murdered. When his clan perished, he had felt close to nothing.
He raised his left hand, placing it over his left eye. His right gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting fear and shame.
What should be done? What COULD be done?
He sighed and winced as the pain in his left side returned with a vengeance.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [KUMOGAKURE, PRESENT DAY]
From his seat on the floor, Uri's knees were raised up, his elbows resting on them with his fingers laced together in front of his face.
As he ended his explaination of Minato's secret ordeals, he pressed his lips together.
Every soul present in the room looked strucken aghast. Apparently they had been in the dark about these details, even though Minato had told the third hokage everything. But of course the sandaime kept them to himself. He would have respected the fact that Minato didn't like to be made out to be some petty little victim, and more to the point...
"I'd had no idea it was so bad in Yuukigakure." Enoki stated, looking like he had swallowed something repulsive.
"EIGHTY? Eighty CHILDREN? Those monsters! I hadn't known the number was that high..." Mei gasped from behind her hand.
"The yondaime had to watch all of that?" Ay hissed. "It's a miracle he turned out so well."
"True. Others would have turned out like Madara... Or Obito." Kakashi added sadly. "I'd wondered why the fourth and Lady Mikoto were so mesmerized by the children of our village. I suppose this is why."
Uri nodded. "They were grateful. So was I. We appreciated these tiny things that others took for granted because we were well aware, even at that young age, that such things could be hidden, or disappear entirely. It shaped us into better people. But Minato was exceptional."
"How?" Mifune asked, turning his head to the left questionably.
"Our origins divided us." Uri knit his brow, not pleased. "Nee-chan and I had wonderful parents who loved us. Fuji's father and mother were a little serious, and they had to suffer the loss of their youngest son, so there was a period of time where they were neglectful. However that loss only strengthened their love for Fuji. In other words, our clans, our parents, were good people who cared for their children. Minato never had that luxury. After we moved to Konoha, Minato found a father-figure in lord Jiraiya, and loved him as such. But this couldn't change where he came from. It was a fact. His real father was a monster who wasn't worth anything. Boys... when they are young... they look at their fathers and see the world. At least, thats how it was for us. All of us.
"Minato carried the sins of his clan on his back. He believed he was just as responsible for the deaths of all those children as his father was. It was particularly painful to accept that for a long time, he had done absolutely nothing to stop his clan's monstruous acts. He believed it was up to him take responsibility for it."
Enoki harrumphed. "Maybe it was. He didn't help them even after they begged him to."
Uri's eyes zeroed in on the old man, and his expression was probably pretty threatening seeing as Enoki actually gulped despite being Tsuchikage.
"You're wrong." Uri stated. "Everyone has that right. The worst criminals, the traitors, the scum of the earth. No matter what crime or what consequences occured, everyone has the right to forgive themselves. These tragedies should never be forgotten. But comeuppance is unneccessary. There is no need to make people answer for these things. True, apologies aren't nearly enough. But forgiving each other is a good start."
Uri sighed heavily. "Minato was unaware of this. He was unaware that he had the right to forgive himself. Regardless, the past cannot be escaped. As it turned out, neither he nor I was able to outrun it."
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE; OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
So cold, so cold. Cold, cold, cold.
Uri shivered beneath his heavy, thigh-length winter coat. He ceased wringing his hands together long enough to fix the scarf that shielded the lower half of his face; this made it quite hard to breath but his nose would have frozen and fallen off by now without it. If only he had a second pair of gloves...
He looked at Minato a little enviously. Having grown up in a land of contiguous winter, Minato was used to far colder temperatures. As a result he was only wearing a thin coat and scarf. He leaned back into the front wall of the pastry shop as they waited for Mikoto to return from the crowd that filled the tiny building.
"Minato... Aren't you even a little cold?" Uri asked, shuddering as a cool breeze blew right through him.
Minato exhaled smoothly. "Not really."
Uri shivered uncontrollably, finally earning a look of light mercy from Fuji who stood fractionally taller than his two younger freinds.
"Just head home." He ordered. "We can wait for Mikoto ourselves."
Uri shook his head. "No! I’m a man. I’ll wait for the lady here."
He spotted a pair of giggling girls across the street. There were five of them, perhaps the same age as Fuji, all hurdled together in the cold and whispering into their hands. Uri followed their line of sight and discovered they were staring at Minato, whose face was red, perhaps from cold. There was a sweat drop trickling down the side of his face.
Uri's eyes popped open. What...?
"Mina--" He began when one of the girls suddenly appeared in front of him.
She had long black hair and almond-shaped, olive green eyes. She was quite tall and thin. If not for the immensely pleased, cunning expression on her face Uri might have called her cute.
"Hello." She said.
Fuji narrowed his eyes at her. Uri waited for Minato to return the greeting. Regardless of who they were, he always treated women with respect.
Uri's heart stopped. Minato's eyes... They looked clouded... Exhausted.
"Want to come with us? We--" The girl began when Minato suddenly fell forward.
Uri gasped and put an arm out, grabbing both of Minato's shoulders to steady him. Behind, the girl blushed, "eeped", and ran back to her freinds.
Minato's scarf fell loose, so it was easy to see and hear that he was out of breath. On top of that, he was very warm. Uri could feel his temperature beneath the shoulders of his coat.
He was burning up. His temperature was catastrophic... Even though it was so cold out...
He was sweating up a storm! Wait... Had he been like this all morning? Was that why he wasn't cold, and wearing only a thin coat?
Uri flinched, looking over his shoulder. People were starting to stare and were whispering amongst themselves.
Minato hated so much negative attention. Uri had to get him out of here, now.
"Fuji, I'm sorry." Uri said, looking at Fuji to find he looked extremely worried. "I'm taking him home. Could you wait for Mikoto out here?"
Fuji knit his brow at Minato, who was barely standing and clearly in a lot of pain. Uri understood he had to have a million questions. But Fuji, seeming to understand that such questions would have to wait until later, merely nodded without relaxing his jaw.
Uri threw one of Minato's arms over his shoulder as it began to snow. He hastily made his way home, using alleys and deserted streets. Minato seemed to have recovered a little, as he was walking fairly well while still leaning on Uri. The cloudy look in his eyes had not dispersed.
Uri didn't bother asking him if he was alrught. How stupid would that be in this situation?
It had to be a cold, judging from the symptoms. But if he wasn't feeling well, why hadn't he said anything? Minato was so meticulous, even when it came to maintaining his health. Ninjas had to be in good shape at all times, so their bodies needed proper care and nourishment. Minato wasn't the kind to snack on junk food for hours, or ignore any health issues.
Uri frowned. Maybe a hospital would be best? No, a simple cold shouldn't be that big an issue. Home was fine. Besides, Uri had told Fuji that home was where Minato would be.
It wasn't close anyway. He would need to take the shortcut, and even then it would be a good half hour before he reached the hospital. It wasn't good to stay out in this snow.
A few moments later, he opened the front door to a darkened sitting room. The curains blocked whatever daylight, however murky, that may have entered the room.
Uri set Minato down in an arm chair, a gift from their elderly neighbour, and threw a blanket over him.
His breathing was much shallower and quiet now, and his head was bowed so his spiky blond hair shielded his eyes. He sank into the cushioned chair and leaned his head against his right shoulder.
He needs medicine, Uri thought. He headed to the kitchen and took some supplies out of the cabinets. Red oak bark, elder water, grounded needle grass, yellow ointment.
But all of this was from Uzushiogakure. And he was nearly out of almost everything. Even though he'd tried to be frugal, so much had come up. His classmates would've lost eyes, limbs, and lives if he hadn't acted accordingly.
He didn't have enough herbs to make the cooling tea used for most colds. The yellow ointment was for sealing large wounds, not curing illnesses.
Uri rolled up his sleeves. He had enough blue corn seed too make a special water that should lower his tempera—
Uri hit the floor. The cabinet door cracked and caved in, now sporting a large fist-sized hole.
Uri dodge-rolled back and revealed a coil of wire. One flick of his hand and the wire wrapped itself around a six-and-a half-foot shadow. Uri manipulated the wire with his fingers, tightening it so it dug into the intruders cloak and skin.
Uri felt a shiver shoot up the back of his skull and flipped, digging the heel of his sandal into a second enemy's chin.
The man smirked from ear to ear, making Uri jolt. He folded his legs back and hit the floor, throwing his arms out as he jumped.
He felt the second man reach for him and inhaled sharply as his palms touched the ground. Supporting his body with the heels of his palms, he spun rapidly and kicked the second mans legs out from under him just as his partner, the one trapped in wires, crashed into him.
Uri grinned. He'd been sent flying when Uri threw his arms out.
Uri jumped and skidded to a stop just outside the kitchen.
He did a few hand signs before clapping his hands to the floor. Sealing chains formed an intricate circle beneath the two intruders and locked into place.
Good. Now they were sealed where they were. And Uri wasn't going to let them out, no matter what.
"Which land do you hail from?!" He demanded to know. "Kumo? Tsuchi? Suna?! Kiri?! Or are you from a smaller nation?! Answer the question!"
To his shock, both enemires smirked, flashing one gleaming white, evil eye each.
"Amateur..." Said the first.
"Falling for such a simple trick..." The second chuckled.
Uri paled as the two went POOF, one after the other.
A distraction?!
He turned halfway at the waist. "Minato!"
BOOOOM!
His vision shook, and all the shapes danced out of their borders for a full minute.
The floor rushed up at him and he grit his teet, clenching his fist as blood trickled down the left side of his face. Groaning, he looked up at the two intruders. They stood side by side, sneering. They seemed to be quite proud of themselves.
I won't pass out. I won't let them win, Uri thought as he dragged his clench fist through the blood and tried to force himself up.
He felt himself be pushed down with great force by a large boot.
"Ungh!" Something... was cracking... his spine...?
"You're in the way." The First said, drawing out the sword at his waist.
Uri blinked lethargically. In the way of what?
"DIE!"
The sword was swung, and Uri's heart stopped.
CLANG!
A kunai blocked the sword about two feet above Uri's back.
Minato was standing over him, supporting the small blade with both hands. Although, judging from the sound of metal grinding against metal, and the look of desperate determination mixed with exhaustion that occupied Minato's features, he wasn't confident he could win.
Uri hacked up blood, and with one swift movement of his right arm, cut an unfortunately shallow wound in one of the intruder’s shins.
A grunt of pain later, Uri rolled away and into a crouch.
Just as he had gotten to his feet, Minato slashed through one of the enemies' black face wraps, ripping it to shreds. The remaining black cloth tore on its own, stopping at the back so that the top half was forced backwards, over the skull.
His face was revealed.
He was young, with jagged, shaggy black hair that framed his square jaw and gold hawk-like eyes. He had a distinctive birthmark, shaped like an open hoop, hooked around his left eyebrow.
Uri did a mental run-through of the bingo book profiles and came up short. This man wasn't in the records... He wasn't wearing a headband either...
Minato jolted, his eyes widening before quickly narrowing themselves. His feet stopped skidding across the floor and seemed to glue themselves in place. He was dripping sweat...
It was no good, he was too tired...
Uri flinched. His partner... Where did the other intruder go?
Minato's eyes zeroed in on him. A moment too late, Uri realized he shouldn't have been standing there in a daze.
As if he had appeared out of thin air, the second intruder lunged, and Uri received a kunai hilt-deep in his side, halfway between his hip and shoulder.
He coughed up blood through clenched teeth as his pupils shrank in terror. No! The wound was too deep…
He was forced onto his stomach, the second enemy pinning him to the ground. The man smirked, quite proud of himself before grabbing the kunai stuck in Uri's side and giving it a swift twist.
To his shame, Uri screamed. Out of the corner of his blurred, watery vision, Uri saw that the noise had been planned for by the enemy. Minato was distracted for so short an instant, however it was more than enough time to tip the scales.
The first man took advantage of this, added to Minato's current vulnerability, to tackle him. He slapped something over his mouth, a cloth, and Minato immediately began to struggle somewhat furiously. There was a vengeful fire in Minato's eyes as he used the last of his strength to slice at the first man's neck, missing the jugular vein by a fraction of an inch before turning the knife in his hand and digging it deep into the man's shoulder.
The first man spat p blood through clenched teeth while Uri watched desperately from the floor.
"Minato! MINATO!" Uri shouted, hacking up blood before watching in terror as Minato stuggled in vain and passed out cold.
The first man chuckled in victory and grabbed Minato's neck.
Uri felt a rage unlike any other and immmediately let out a long scream of fury.
"Get off him! GET AWAY FROM HIM! I'LL RIP YOU'RE TONGUE OUT!" He threatened before feeling the second man's knuckles, as hard as iron, make contact with his spine.
He threw his head back, grunting before collapsing as his eyes rolled back in his head.
Chapter 44: How Dare You!; Uri’s story part 3
URI’S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
“With the Uchiha clan's support, nee-chan and Minato were saved.” Uri proceeded, his back to the wall and his arms crossed. “However, we all earned Danzo’s loathing as a result. Minato was released from the hospital and told he could return to missions. We celebrated, but he seemed… Lost in his thoughts. I later learned the whole truth, and was forced to accept a horrible fact.”
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
MINATO’S POV [KONOHAGAKURE HOSPITAL, OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
He wasn’t sure why he was keeping quiet about it, but if he had to put it to words, he’d say he didn’t want to be leaned over and examined like a dying man. And anyway, the medics stated any of it would pass in due time, so he should be fine.
Still the pain was intense. As he stood at his bedside, folding get-well cards, gifts, and other patient paraphernalia into the brown grocery bag the nurse had given him, there was a horrible vibrating ache shooting back and forth along the ribs on his left side. It was the same spot where he’d been fatally injured by Kushina, which he’d sealed shut and later healed with the medicine Mikoto had given him. It made turning, standing, walking, and even lying down difficult and if not for the fact that he’d been told there was nothing wrong with him, he would have been worried.
The pain would pass. That’s what he’d been told, and that was what he would go with it. He didn’t want to spend any more time in here than necessary. Fuji, Kushina, Uri and Mikoto had all looked far too anxious when he’d been carried in here by Jiraiya-sensei after reaching Konoha. He didn’t enjoy being coddled like a victim.
He grit his teeth as the pain became more noticeable. It had to be his imagination, but it really seemed like the pain was increasening, not lessening.
He froze, eyes widening before slowly relaxing once more. He leaned over the table and returned to packing away all the hospital mementos as the door clicked shut behind him.
“You’ve been released.” Was Danzo’s greeting. Minato slipped the grocery bag over his hand and up to his elbow before turning around and meeting the advisors gaze.
“Yes.” He replied courtly. He then bowed slightly from the waist, just to be courteous, and turned to approach the door.
Danzo stepped slowly into his path, the walking stick tapping on the floor twice as he moved. Minato, whose arm was outstretched to reach the doorknob, froze. Danzo was much taller than him, and dangerously close at the moment. His wrinkled, crow’s gaze bored into Minato.
“Excuse me, I need to pass.” He said, earning no physical reaction from Danzo.
“You have loyal companions. Even young Fugaku seems to have unwavering faith in you.” Danzo stated, his tone and gaze clearly challenging Minato. “The fact that he would go to his family for favors on your behalf is a gift. And your other friends took part in convincing them as well, from what I understand.”
Minato said nothing. So that was what happened. Fuji hadn’t explained his “plan” but Minato had had his expectations. And the others supported him. So that’s why he was standing here in one piece, and Kushina as well…
“The jinchuuriki has been under close watch since her arrival here.” Danzo stated. “My subordinates guard her at every moment. She is under surveillance more than you are. Night, day, even during the bath.”
Minato felt a needle prick him between the eyes and he glared at Danzo, his fists clenching.
“That’s illegal. It violates her rights. I’ll report you.” He stated. Why would he tell him this if he knew what would happen?
“You won’t be telling Hiruzen anything, boy.” Danzo replied curtly.
“Watch me.” Minato stepped to the left, but Danzo stretched his arm out, walking stick included, and tapped it against the floor. He now had the path to the door completely barricaded.
“I’m fully aware of her every action.” He narrowed his eye at Minato, who whipped his head back to glare at the elder. “Her training, her meals. She actually studied for her academy tests.”
“I know that.” Minato replied flatly.
“I’m also aware of your proposal. How bold of you. Grotesque as well. A jinchuuriki shares their experiences with their tailed beast.” He informed.
Minato remained stock still. He needed to remain calm. Danzo was baiting him. If he fell for such a trap, then all of Fuji’s efforts would be meaningless.
“You have an interesting choice in women.” Danzo continued. “She’s not exactly a lady. She’s far beneath her peers in beauty and in grace.”
Minato’s knuckles cracked so loud it could be heard from anywhere in the room.
“Is it pity? Or maybe power-lust?”
“Do not compare me to you.” Minato warned.
Danzo hesitated before lowering himself to Minato’s eye-level. They locked their gazes, challenging each other with a battle of wills.
“I am pitiless towards traitors and anyone else who poses as a threat to the village, Minato.”
“Your protection will only bring destruction upon Konoha.” Minato replied. “Your suspicions of the Uchiha, Kushina, and I, amounts to nothing more than a purge.”
“A necessary one.” Danzo replied, straightening up.
Minato’s eyes trembled with rage. One hit. If he could just have one hit, without consequences, he would be eternally grateful. Adrenaline was pumping through his body, and his arm muscles felt tight. He was strong. If one hit was allowed, he would be sure it hurt.
“What do you want?” Minato asked. He had to get his mind off it. And quickly.
Danzo's good eyelid slowly lowered, closing over his dark pupil quietly. He turned his back on Minato and approached the wide window, which was blocked by thick curtains. Danzo brought one hand from the top of his walking stick, raising it high before throwing one panel aside.
Minato stood stock still as he was momentarily blinded by the late evening sunlight, which, ironically, was crimson.
"Kushina and Mikoto lack training." Danzo stated. "It would seem they were completely unaware that my subordinate replaced the medicine with a dangerous drug. The same medicine that Kushina entrusted to Mikoto ages ago. What you consumed only had the appearance of medicine."
Danzo faced Minato, slipping a vile filled with odd, glowing blue milky liquid from his sleeve and into his free palm.
Minato's eyes were wide, flickering with shock.
"You--"
"It won't kill you. It's something my clan used during the warring states era to interrogate captives. It's meant to torment, not murder. You have no doubt been experiencing the pain. It will intensify. High temperature, hallucinations, vivid nightmares, and death is still a possibility if you aren't careful. You'll be forced to relive your worst memories. The hallucinations are dangerous as well. You could kill your best freind if you're not careful."
Minato stifled a gasp.
Minato's mouth formed a tight line of hostility. He and Danzo stared each other down for a moment while he contemplated in the back of his mind what he should do.
Holding out his hand came to mind. So did negotiating. But something told him Danzo wasn't going to just hand over the antidote.
"I won't be manipulated by you." He decided it was best to get that across first.
"Are you certain of that?" Danzo countered.
"Yes." Minato stated. "I will report all of this to Lord Hiruzen, including what you're men are doing to Kushina."
"I already said that you won't be telling him anything, didn't I?" Danzo reminded. "Not unless you want him to know who you really are."
Minato waited a moment. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Did you really think I wouldn't investigate?" Danzo asked. "'A prodigy, adopted by the Namikaze?' Did you really think I would fall for such a story? It was a clever one, but even so. I've looked into your background. The youngest son and heir to the tyrant Namikaze Raido who instigated the Uchiha/Hyuuga genocide? Your vile bloodline took the lives of over eighty children all under the age of twelve. In other words all of this," Danzo gestured to Minato, "Is the DNA of savages and brutes. You have the blood of scum in your veins."
"Expose me if you want." Minato dared. "He will forgive me immediately."
"You are right about that. Given your nature and age, Hiruzen will believe there is nothing to forgive. But what about Fugaku's parents? Or the now childless couples of the Hyuuga who still mourn their sons and daughters? Or the freinds of the children who were taken. I understand a few of them have taken a liking to you. It would be a shame to see them turn against you so quickly. Or the rest of the village for that matter. When such a tragedy as the kind that you're father brught on Konoha occurs, whole cultures weep. Right now, you are the pride of our village. However your position is a precarious one. One wrong move, and the people of this village will turn against you. Their hatred of your clan will revive, multiplied exponentially."
"That won't happen." Minato argued. "They belive in me."
Danzo raised one eyebrow questioningly.
It would be alright. They belived in him. He was one of them now. No, he always had been--
At that thought, he froze, paling.
Danzo smiled, and Minato grit his teeth.
"I'll be happy to cure you if join the foundation." Danzo offered, and Minato squared his shoulders. He was trembling.
"I'll even forgive young Fugaku and his entire clan." Danzo continued. "He isn't like you after all. In fact, no one is like you."
Minato bit his lip and dropped his head.
So... So...
FRUSTRATING.
He wanted his weapons. His kunai, his paper bombs. He wanted to punch him with a strength that surpassed Lady Tsunade's and Kushina's put together...
"You can have as much time as you want to decide." Danzo added as he approached the door. "Although, if I were you, I would decide quickly."
Minato clenched his fists to the point that his fingertips dug into his palm. He glared at the floor, his heart beating abnormally fast.
My peace of mind or the faith of this village? He mentally spat. As if you would let me have either!
That evening, he had the house to himself. Uri was on mission and Mikoto was spending the night at Kushina's. So he was conveniently alone.
True to Danzo's word, the pain did increase drastically.
The burning ache in his left side was enough to make him want to bury himself in snow. It cruised back and forth along each rib and pricked his vital organs. There were times where it fluctuated, making it impossible to keep standing.
As he stood, half draped over the cold metal sink, he stared at the thermometer in his hand. One hundred and two degrees. Not good at all. If it got any higher, it could kill him.
He felt another pulse of prickling heat and dropped the thermometer. His newly freed hand reached around to grip his left side as he fell over, crashing into the floor with a grunt of pain. He blinked as his vision turned fuzzy, as if he were staring into fog.
He panted, drooling in an overheated daze before squeezing his eyes shut.
HELP ME!
"No..." He moaned as reality began to drift away.
SAVE ME! I'M SCARED!
DREAM STARTS HERE
A five year old Minato sat in the corner of the hospital, which was also his grandfather's study, making it a very small hospital with one operating table and two beds with IVs and other medical equipment. Now that Grandfather was gone, this room never got used. It was sound-proof as well, so even if Minato knocked something over, no one would discover him.
It was nice too. It smelled good, like barbecue, or at least that was what Grandfather had called the aroma that filled the room whenever the fire was lit. Each wall was covered by a row of consecutive bookshelves, filled with tomes. They told stories of the outside world, things Minato had never seen. Grass, trees, the sun, a blue sky, flowers, and more.
Even the door was a moving bookcase which swung open on hinges. There was no way to lock it, so Minato just had to hope no one disturbed him while he tried to memorize every word that described the lands outside their home.
Unfortunately, he wasn't very lucky.
He looked up as the moving bookcase swung open to face Minato. His father and three older brothers marched in. His brother Ren was dragging a little girl behind by the arm. She had dark hair and eyes, and looked to be the same age as Minato.
She seemed terrified. Every inch of her was shaking uncontrollably, and she was tearing up as she wriggled and squirmed to free herself from Ren's grip. She tried to pull away, to jump free, digging her toes into the ground as she attempted to flee.
Then she caught Minato's eyes and she panted, looking at him pleadingly.
Minato flinched. Why was she looking at him like that?
She wasn't one of the villagers. He could tell by how she was dressed, and he didn't recognize her anyway. Although she did resemble one of the children in this village...
"What are you doing, son?"
Minato looked up. Father only called him "son." He called his other children by their names, but Minato was "son."
"Studying." He replied, his wide blue eyes widening when he saw his father smile.*
"Good. I was about to send Ryuuji to fetch you." He continued. "Put that book away. I have something I want you to see."
Minato did as he was told and went to his father, who gestured for Ren to shut the door. Minato's older brother glowered at him as he kicked the door shut, knocking a few books down in the process.
The little girl was panting, with tears accumulating in the corners of her eyes. She panicked as she glanced about, trying to escape.
"Do you know her, son?" Father asked, and Minato looked up into the thick, hungry gaze that stared down at him expectantly.
"No. She doesn't live in this village." Minato replied, and was greeted with a proud chuckle.
"Good, good. That's correct." Father praised him as if he were talking to a dog that had learned a new trick. He then gestured for Ren to pass the girl to him.
Ren yanked her arm, swinging her feet first over to Father, who grabbed the top of her skull, gripping it with his fingertips. She yelped in pain and grabbed his hand, crying and whimpering as she looked at Minato desperately.
"She's an outsider. From Konoha." Father said.
"Help me."
Minato blinked. She must have been really scared to be calling out to him. Her cheeks were red and her eyes puffy from tears. Her trembling had gotten worse as well. Her mouth twitched as she whimpered without taking her eyes off of him.
"P-P-Please..." She begged, breathless. Her voice rose barely above a whisper. "I'm afraid... My mommy will be worried... I'm hungry, too, and tired... I need to go home..."
Minato didn't move, or speak, or show any emotion at all. Something heavy had fallen into his stomach, making him feel very uncomfortable. His throat was clogged up, he could hardly breath. His eyes wouldn't move, no matter how mcu he wanted to avert his gaze.
He wasn't sure why, but he felt something that was strangely similar to... Fear.
"I'm afraid! Please help me!" She pleaded. "I'm so afraid. He's squeezing my head! It hurts! Please, please help me! I want to see my mommy. I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid--"
"Shut up." Father clenched his fingers, making her scream. "You're noisy."
She cried more heavily, lurching as she sobbed.
"Please stop." She begged, looking up. "It hurts. I'm afraid."
"No need to be afraid." Father smirked, his eyes lighting up. "It'll be over shortly."
She inhaled sharply, now more terrified than before. Father lifted her up by her skull and she screamed in pain. Minato's feet were nailed to the floor as his father and brothers strapped her into the operating table. She screamed even more, begging for mercy.
Father, Ren, Ryuuji, and Tora raised scalpels.
Minato retreated into his mind as far as possible, but it didn't help. Her terrible screaming seemed even more audible. His brothers were dead serious as they demanded for her to activate her sharingan. When she cried out that she didn't know how, her screaming seemed to be even more blood-curdling.
Minato passed in and out of his psyche. He caught glimpses of the large amounts of blood that splurted into the air, painting the floor and cieling. He saw her movements. Violently gut-wretching at first, but quickly becoming more and more feeble.
And then... All was quiet.
Like a forest animal carefully entering the clearing, Minato left the sanctuary of his psyche and returned to reality. There was so much blood. It dripped and poured from the table, rolled across the floor, lay splattered over the walls and the faces of his Father and brothers.
Vaguely, Minato looked at his clothes and something inside him burrowed into his heart, never to appear again.
He was as dirty as the rest of them. Painted red.
He blinked as Father stepped in front of him, kneeling and holding out his hands.
"This is our prize." Father said. In his cupped hands was a glass, rectangular jar filled with liquid. Floating inside were two brilliant scarlet eyes, with one black tomoe each.
DREAM ENDS HERE
Minato sat bolt upright, horror-stricken. He hurried to catch his breath, but it pulled away with each gasp like a ripple on water.
His chest heaved as he gripped his shirt. No, no, no.
He was different. He was different from them. He'd always been--
"Help me."
He froze, slowly looking up. To his terror, the little girl now sat on her knees in front of him.
She still had both her eyes, but they were leaking tears of blood.
She reached out and grabbed his wrist, and her hand felt real. As real and warm as any living hand.
"Why didn't you help me?" She asked, her eyes wide and bloodshot. "You watched me die. You watched us all die. Why? Why?"
Minato inhaled sharply and smacked her hand away, getting to his feet and turning his back on her.
It's alright, he told himself. She's not real, she's not real. She's an illusion.
He sighed and lifted his hands to place them over his eyes only to stiffen.
They were dripping with blood.
He gasped and ran to the kitchen sink, turning it on and trying to wash it away. He felt panic rise up in his heart when the blood seemed to be resistant, but his brain was still working: if it wasn't washing away that meant it wasn't real.
None of it was real. Just his mind playing tricks on him, thanks to Danzo.
It would go away if he ignored it.
He gasped as an icy pain sliced into his back. He coughed up blood and looked down to see the tip of a kunai poking out of his left chest.
He shuddered and fell to his knees, reaching around to pull the knife out of his back. He gasped, deeply saddened and looked over his shoulder to see his clan, as plain as day, glaring down at him.
"Traitor."
"Traitor."
"Traitor."
He looked away, closing his eyes. He tried to drown out their voices as they continued to chant.
It isn't real. It isn't real. The pain, the blood, the faces. All of it was fake.
Wake up. Wake up now. It's an illusion.
He waited for a moment, rejoicing in the silence and the abscence of the illusional hole in his back.
All was quiet.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. For a long time, he stared at the bottom kitchen cabinets, and listened to the running water. He watched the shadows of leaves dancing in the wind move across his floor in the moonlight.
Sighing deeply, he got to his feet.
Suddeny, Danzo's words came back to him.
IN FACT, NO ONE IS LIKE YOU.
Was there... Was there even the tiniest possibility he was wrong?
Minato sat down, leaning against the cabinet door before curling into a ball.
It would be alright. Some nightmares, a little pain. He could handle that. He’d been through worse. Much worse. Besides, it wasn’t as if those memories weren’t always there, in the back of his mind, poking and prodding him.
He would be okay. As long as he didn’t give in, he would be okay. He needed to act like everything was fine. If there was a change in his routine or attitude, Fuji would pick up on the situation immediately.
If his friends discovered this predicament, no good would come of it.
MINATO’S POV [KONOHAGAKURE, OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
He made good on his vow. Even two weeks after leaving the hospital, his friends were still in the dark.
However, the pain increased and the illusions/nightmares became more vivid.
He lay in bed, curled in on his right side while gripping his left. They were in the cold season now, but the house may as well have been on fire for how warm he was.
He writhed in pain as loud cracking sounds echoed off the walls, as if his bones were cracking. To prevent the noise from waking his friends in the next rooms, he moaned into his pillow.
Afterwards, he rolled onto his back and stared out the window. It was a full moon tonight. The sky was clear, and full of stars.
He smiled, although he was covered in sweat and felt very uncomfortable. In Yuukigakure, the sky was always blocked by thick snow clouds. So it wasn’t until after leaving his homeland that he saw a sky that wasn’t gray and brooding. Apparently Uri and Kushina had a similar experience. Their home was an island, surrounded by precipices that rose far above the clouds. As a result, much of the morning, noon, and evening sunlight was blocked. So in a way, the days were shorter there.
He was really happy when Fuji and the others had taken him outside of the ruins of Yuuki. He hadn’t known what to do back then, only that he had to protect Mikoto. Come to think of it, if they hadn't come, he might have remained there until he starved. Leaving had never occured to him, even though it would have been simple.
He grit his teeth and tightened the grip on his side. It was terrible, the pain. Would he have to live like this forever? The drugs effects had to fade at some point. How long would it take? Weeks? Months?
It was better than letting that man have his way. But if he did… If he did then Fuji’s clan would be spared.
The Uchiha weren’t like the Namikaze. They didn’t deserve whatever Danzo had in mind for them. And Minato was the reason they were on that man’s hit list, so shouldn’t he protect them?
Minato blinked his eyes groggily. The heat was exhausting…
What should I do? Minato wondered as he turned his head and slowly drifted to sleep.
DREAM STARTS HERE
The murders continued.
Young, five-year-old Minato trudged along the eastern halls of the iron fortress. They were deserted, as they were mostly used for storage. There was more than enough food here to feed everyone in the village and his clan, but Father and the others would rather hoard it all.
The villagers were starving and freezing to death ever since Father took over. There had been riots, even planned mutinies. Some families had already been wiped out. Children kept sneaking in to steal food and were punished severely.
Minato couldn’t go outside anymore. His freinds and playmates from infanthood wanted nothing to do with him now. They looked at him as if he were a beast, or a vile creature.
Minato felt numb and empty. He’d been forced to watch all the murders. Twenty-three children from Konoha were dead thanks to his clan. Fourteen of them had begged for his, for Minato’s, interference. Five begged mercy. Four fought back and died even more brutal deaths as a consequence.
Minato shuddered. He hadn’t slept in days. Food and drink lacked flavor. In his dreams the children reached out to him, begging him for help. They called for their parents and siblings. They screamed for the blood of his clan.
He was an observer. A witness. A coward
He missed his grandfather…
The shuffling of his feet came to a stop. He could hear something. Something familiar…
He looked to his left and saw a darkened staircase leading down into the gallows. Quickly, he retrieved the lit candle from its holder on the wall and descended in a frenzy.
He knew this sound, though it wasn’t nearly as horrifying as usual.
He reached the end of the stairs and came face to face with a prison cell. The others were empty, but the one in front of him was occupied.
There was a little girl inside. She was wearing a raggedy grey dress with her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was buried in her skirt as she cried.
Slowly, she looked up at him and Minato winced. With a jolt, he realized this girl, with her dark eyes and hair, looked just like the first child. She was the same age, too, from the look of it.
They stared at each other for a long time before Minato set the candle down on the unoccupied warden’s desk and reluctantly approached the cell.
“Why are you crying?” He asked. It was the reason he’d come down here, so he figured he might as well ask.
The girl sobbed. “It’s dark here. And cold. And lonely…”
Minato sighed in awe, then straightened in shock. It was surprising that he cared. No, it was surprising that he was surprised that he cared.
He searched his heart for a moment then started to leave. This was a little scary. If he was caught here—
“Wait!” She screamed, running and flinging her arm through the bars. She grabbed him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. For some reason, he was very afraid. She shouldn’t be touching him…
“Don’t leave me here!” She cried, her hair glued to her cheeks with tears. “Please!”
Minato’s teeth were clamped together. He wanted to shake her off. She was acting too familiar. He wasn’t used to this…
“M-My name is Mikoto.” She introduced herself while drying her eyes with her free hand. “What’s yours?”
Minato’s eyes flickered from left to right before he met her gaze again. She was waiting, expectantly.
He gulped. “Minato.”
He wasn’t sure what sort of reaction he expected, but giggling was not it.
“W-What?” He demanded. How was his name funny?
Mikoto was crying again, but laughing quietly at the same time.
“Our… Our names sound… Similar.” She explained.
Minato hesitated before smiling cautiously.
“Y-yeah.” He agreed, and tilted his head back before chuckling. Mikoto continued to laugh.
Their laughter grew, echoing off the walls to create such a riot that Minato was afraid the vibrations would knock the candle over. He shed a few tears for reasons he couldn’t explain, and he had a feeling Mikoto was crying still.
After a few moments, he heard footsteps but he didn’t care, not even when his father joined them and demanded to know what Minato was doing down in the gallows.
In response, Minato pointed at Mikoto.
“I’m bored. Can I play with her?”
DREAM ENDS HERE
Minato blinked his eyes open to find it was still night time. However a small cloud had moved in front of the moon.
He chuckled. People rarely cried in his home village. The angry cold made such actions dangerous.
He had saved Mikoto for selfish reasons. But he was glad for it all the same. He had gained a lifelong freind as a result. She helped him remember the ideals of his kind grandfather, whom he had cared for deeply and lost at a young age. Mikoto was warm and kind, and had cried for her siblings and parents when they passed.
No he was not the same as her. He was different. He'd always been different from others. Even Fuji...
He was an outsider in his home village. But Mikoto had made him feel as if he belonged. And now it felt as if he had found a family in the form of this new village, where sun shined over the people. Children weren't tortured here. They were nurtured and trained. They lived happily together with their families and freinds, and fought to keep what was precious to them.
Minato really liked this village. No, he loved it. He loved every person, every building, every tree, and every insect. He loved the mountainside images of past hokage. He loved the training grounds and shopping district. He loved the sound of laughter that could be heard when the children played in the streets, and he even loved the sound of nagging mothers.
He would die for this place if the situation called for it. He wanted to be here forever, even though he knew that was impossible. He was so proud to call himself a konoha shinobi.
But he could still hear Fuji and the Hyuuga twins screaming at the sight of their mutilated clan members. It was always there, in the back of his mind.
That was how you were supposed to react when your family was murdered. When his clan perished, he had felt close to nothing.
He raised his left hand, placing it over his left eye. His right gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting fear and shame.
What should be done? What COULD be done?
He sighed and winced as the pain in his left side returned with a vengeance.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [KUMOGAKURE, PRESENT DAY]
From his seat on the floor, Uri's knees were raised up, his elbows resting on them with his fingers laced together in front of his face.
As he ended his explaination of Minato's secret ordeals, he pressed his lips together.
Every soul present in the room looked strucken aghast. Apparently they had been in the dark about these details, even though Minato had told the third hokage everything. But of course the sandaime kept them to himself. He would have respected the fact that Minato didn't like to be made out to be some petty little victim, and more to the point...
"I'd had no idea it was so bad in Yuukigakure." Enoki stated, looking like he had swallowed something repulsive.
"EIGHTY? Eighty CHILDREN? Those monsters! I hadn't known the number was that high..." Mei gasped from behind her hand.
"The yondaime had to watch all of that?" Ay hissed. "It's a miracle he turned out so well."
"True. Others would have turned out like Madara... Or Obito." Kakashi added sadly. "I'd wondered why the fourth and Lady Mikoto were so mesmerized by the children of our village. I suppose this is why."
Uri nodded. "They were grateful. So was I. We appreciated these tiny things that others took for granted because we were well aware, even at that young age, that such things could be hidden, or disappear entirely. It shaped us into better people. But Minato was exceptional."
"How?" Mifune asked, turning his head to the left questionably.
"Our origins divided us." Uri knit his brow, not pleased. "Nee-chan and I had wonderful parents who loved us. Fuji's father and mother were a little serious, and they had to suffer the loss of their youngest son, so there was a period of time where they were neglectful. However that loss only strengthened their love for Fuji. In other words, our clans, our parents, were good people who cared for their children. Minato never had that luxury. After we moved to Konoha, Minato found a father-figure in lord Jiraiya, and loved him as such. But this couldn't change where he came from. It was a fact. His real father was a monster who wasn't worth anything. Boys... when they are young... they look at their fathers and see the world. At least, thats how it was for us. All of us.
"Minato carried the sins of his clan on his back. He believed he was just as responsible for the deaths of all those children as his father was. It was particularly painful to accept that for a long time, he had done absolutely nothing to stop his clan's monstruous acts. He believed it was up to him take responsibility for it."
Enoki harrumphed. "Maybe it was. He didn't help them even after they begged him to."
Uri's eyes zeroed in on the old man, and his expression was probably pretty threatening seeing as Enoki actually gulped despite being Tsuchikage.
"You're wrong." Uri stated. "Everyone has that right. The worst criminals, the traitors, the scum of the earth. No matter what crime or what consequences occured, everyone has the right to forgive themselves. These tragedies should never be forgotten. But comeuppance is unneccessary. There is no need to make people answer for these things. True, apologies aren't nearly enough. But forgiving each other is a good start."
Uri sighed heavily. "Minato was unaware of this. He was unaware that he had the right to forgive himself. Regardless, the past cannot be escaped. As it turned out, neither he nor I was able to outrun it."
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE; OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
So cold, so cold. Cold, cold, cold.
Uri shivered beneath his heavy, thigh-length winter coat. He ceased wringing his hands together long enough to fix the scarf that shielded the lower half of his face; this made it quite hard to breath but his nose would have frozen and fallen off by now without it. If only he had a second pair of gloves...
He looked at Minato a little enviously. Having grown up in a land of contiguous winter, Minato was used to far colder temperatures. As a result he was only wearing a thin coat and scarf. He leaned back into the front wall of the pastry shop as they waited for Mikoto to return from the crowd that filled the tiny building.
"Minato... Aren't you even a little cold?" Uri asked, shuddering as a cool breeze blew right through him.
Minato exhaled smoothly. "Not really."
Uri shivered uncontrollably, finally earning a look of light mercy from Fuji who stood fractionally taller than his two younger freinds.
"Just head home." He ordered. "We can wait for Mikoto ourselves."
Uri shook his head. "No! I’m a man. I’ll wait for the lady here."
He spotted a pair of giggling girls across the street. There were five of them, perhaps the same age as Fuji, all hurdled together in the cold and whispering into their hands. Uri followed their line of sight and discovered they were staring at Minato, whose face was red, perhaps from cold. There was a sweat drop trickling down the side of his face.
Uri's eyes popped open. What...?
"Mina--" He began when one of the girls suddenly appeared in front of him.
She had long black hair and almond-shaped, olive green eyes. She was quite tall and thin. If not for the immensely pleased, cunning expression on her face Uri might have called her cute.
"Hello." She said.
Fuji narrowed his eyes at her. Uri waited for Minato to return the greeting. Regardless of who they were, he always treated women with respect.
Uri's heart stopped. Minato's eyes... They looked clouded... Exhausted.
"Want to come with us? We--" The girl began when Minato suddenly fell forward.
Uri gasped and put an arm out, grabbing both of Minato's shoulders to steady him. Behind, the girl blushed, "eeped", and ran back to her freinds.
Minato's scarf fell loose, so it was easy to see and hear that he was out of breath. On top of that, he was very warm. Uri could feel his temperature beneath the shoulders of his coat.
He was burning up. His temperature was catastrophic... Even though it was so cold out...
He was sweating up a storm! Wait... Had he been like this all morning? Was that why he wasn't cold, and wearing only a thin coat?
Uri flinched, looking over his shoulder. People were starting to stare and were whispering amongst themselves.
Minato hated so much negative attention. Uri had to get him out of here, now.
"Fuji, I'm sorry." Uri said, looking at Fuji to find he looked extremely worried. "I'm taking him home. Could you wait for Mikoto out here?"
Fuji knit his brow at Minato, who was barely standing and clearly in a lot of pain. Uri understood he had to have a million questions. But Fuji, seeming to understand that such questions would have to wait until later, merely nodded without relaxing his jaw.
Uri threw one of Minato's arms over his shoulder as it began to snow. He hastily made his way home, using alleys and deserted streets. Minato seemed to have recovered a little, as he was walking fairly well while still leaning on Uri. The cloudy look in his eyes had not dispersed.
Uri didn't bother asking him if he was alrught. How stupid would that be in this situation?
It had to be a cold, judging from the symptoms. But if he wasn't feeling well, why hadn't he said anything? Minato was so meticulous, even when it came to maintaining his health. Ninjas had to be in good shape at all times, so their bodies needed proper care and nourishment. Minato wasn't the kind to snack on junk food for hours, or ignore any health issues.
Uri frowned. Maybe a hospital would be best? No, a simple cold shouldn't be that big an issue. Home was fine. Besides, Uri had told Fuji that home was where Minato would be.
It wasn't close anyway. He would need to take the shortcut, and even then it would be a good half hour before he reached the hospital. It wasn't good to stay out in this snow.
A few moments later, he opened the front door to a darkened sitting room. The curains blocked whatever daylight, however murky, that may have entered the room.
Uri set Minato down in an arm chair, a gift from their elderly neighbour, and threw a blanket over him.
His breathing was much shallower and quiet now, and his head was bowed so his spiky blond hair shielded his eyes. He sank into the cushioned chair and leaned his head against his right shoulder.
He needs medicine, Uri thought. He headed to the kitchen and took some supplies out of the cabinets. Red oak bark, elder water, grounded needle grass, yellow ointment.
But all of this was from Uzushiogakure. And he was nearly out of almost everything. Even though he'd tried to be frugal, so much had come up. His classmates would've lost eyes, limbs, and lives if he hadn't acted accordingly.
He didn't have enough herbs to make the cooling tea used for most colds. The yellow ointment was for sealing large wounds, not curing illnesses.
Uri rolled up his sleeves. He had enough blue corn seed too make a special water that should lower his tempera—
Uri hit the floor. The cabinet door cracked and caved in, now sporting a large fist-sized hole.
Uri dodge-rolled back and revealed a coil of wire. One flick of his hand and the wire wrapped itself around a six-and-a half-foot shadow. Uri manipulated the wire with his fingers, tightening it so it dug into the intruders cloak and skin.
Uri felt a shiver shoot up the back of his skull and flipped, digging the heel of his sandal into a second enemy's chin.
The man smirked from ear to ear, making Uri jolt. He folded his legs back and hit the floor, throwing his arms out as he jumped.
He felt the second man reach for him and inhaled sharply as his palms touched the ground. Supporting his body with the heels of his palms, he spun rapidly and kicked the second mans legs out from under him just as his partner, the one trapped in wires, crashed into him.
Uri grinned. He'd been sent flying when Uri threw his arms out.
Uri jumped and skidded to a stop just outside the kitchen.
He did a few hand signs before clapping his hands to the floor. Sealing chains formed an intricate circle beneath the two intruders and locked into place.
Good. Now they were sealed where they were. And Uri wasn't going to let them out, no matter what.
"Which land do you hail from?!" He demanded to know. "Kumo? Tsuchi? Suna?! Kiri?! Or are you from a smaller nation?! Answer the question!"
To his shock, both enemires smirked, flashing one gleaming white, evil eye each.
"Amateur..." Said the first.
"Falling for such a simple trick..." The second chuckled.
Uri paled as the two went POOF, one after the other.
A distraction?!
He turned halfway at the waist. "Minato!"
BOOOOM!
His vision shook, and all the shapes danced out of their borders for a full minute.
The floor rushed up at him and he grit his teet, clenching his fist as blood trickled down the left side of his face. Groaning, he looked up at the two intruders. They stood side by side, sneering. They seemed to be quite proud of themselves.
I won't pass out. I won't let them win, Uri thought as he dragged his clench fist through the blood and tried to force himself up.
He felt himself be pushed down with great force by a large boot.
"Ungh!" Something... was cracking... his spine...?
"You're in the way." The First said, drawing out the sword at his waist.
Uri blinked lethargically. In the way of what?
"DIE!"
The sword was swung, and Uri's heart stopped.
CLANG!
A kunai blocked the sword about two feet above Uri's back.
Minato was standing over him, supporting the small blade with both hands. Although, judging from the sound of metal grinding against metal, and the look of desperate determination mixed with exhaustion that occupied Minato's features, he wasn't confident he could win.
Uri hacked up blood, and with one swift movement of his right arm, cut an unfortunately shallow wound in one of the intruder’s shins.
A grunt of pain later, Uri rolled away and into a crouch.
Just as he had gotten to his feet, Minato slashed through one of the enemies' black face wraps, ripping it to shreds. The remaining black cloth tore on its own, stopping at the back so that the top half was forced backwards, over the skull.
His face was revealed.
He was young, with jagged, shaggy black hair that framed his square jaw and gold hawk-like eyes. He had a distinctive birthmark, shaped like an open hoop, hooked around his left eyebrow.
Uri did a mental run-through of the bingo book profiles and came up short. This man wasn't in the records... He wasn't wearing a headband either...
Minato jolted, his eyes widening before quickly narrowing themselves. His feet stopped skidding across the floor and seemed to glue themselves in place. He was dripping sweat...
It was no good, he was too tired...
Uri flinched. His partner... Where did the other intruder go?
Minato's eyes zeroed in on him. A moment too late, Uri realized he shouldn't have been standing there in a daze.
As if he had appeared out of thin air, the second intruder lunged, and Uri received a kunai hilt-deep in his side, halfway between his hip and shoulder.
He coughed up blood through clenched teeth as his pupils shrank in terror. No! The wound was too deep…
He was forced onto his stomach, the second enemy pinning him to the ground. The man smirked, quite proud of himself before grabbing the kunai stuck in Uri's side and giving it a swift twist.
To his shame, Uri screamed. Out of the corner of his blurred, watery vision, Uri saw that the noise had been planned for by the enemy. Minato was distracted for so short an instant, however it was more than enough time to tip the scales.
The first man took advantage of this, added to Minato's current vulnerability, to tackle him. He slapped something over his mouth, a cloth, and Minato immediately began to struggle somewhat furiously. There was a vengeful fire in Minato's eyes as he used the last of his strength to slice at the first man's neck, missing the jugular vein by a fraction of an inch before turning the knife in his hand and digging it deep into the man's shoulder.
The first man spat p blood through clenched teeth while Uri watched desperately from the floor.
"Minato! MINATO!" Uri shouted, hacking up blood before watching in terror as Minato stuggled in vain and passed out cold.
The first man chuckled in victory and grabbed Minato's neck.
Uri felt a rage unlike any other and immmediately let out a long scream of fury.
"Get off him! GET AWAY FROM HIM! I'LL RIP YOU'RE TONGUE OUT!" He threatened before feeling the second man's knuckles, as hard as iron, make contact with his spine.
He threw his head back, grunting before collapsing as his eyes rolled back in his head.
Part B
URI'S POV [OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO; HIDDEN LOCATION]
....
.......
.... Where am I?....
... We... Were attacked...
... Minato!... Minato is...!... Is...!
Uri snapped his eyes open, feeling shaky and lethargic. It was dark... So dark and hard to see... Where was he...?
His body... He could feel rope binding his hands behind his back, and his ankles. He couldn't move his mouth very well either, but it was open, and there was this awful taste. Like trapped steam and mildew. Was he gagged with a cloth?
Something like fire raced over his skull, accompanied by a loud cracking noise like an egg breaking. His back felt weighed down in one spot between his shoulder blades, and it felt as if he had slipped a disc (or two) around the small of his back. And he could tell he’d lost a lot of blood through the wound in his side, though it was now bandaged.
He was shaking. So... So painful... And it was freezing here, wherever "here" was.
The ground felt like packed soil, although a little muddy, with some gravel that was digging into his cheek. But if he rolled onto his back, he had a bad feeling he could fatally injure himself.
Calm down, he thought. Use your other senses.
He sniffed the air. It smelled musty, like burning wood, and he could hear the crackling of a fire which pretty much confirmed it. There was some other noise, like whistling, but deeper. As if wind were blowing through some strange rock formation at the end of a long tunnel.
There was another sound, like rumbling or shaking, and Uri felt much dirt and gravel fall onto him from above. If he had to guess, he'd say he was somewhere underground.
He bit into his cheek and began to squirm and writhe as he dragged his head down. He felt the blindfold and gag slip and some light poured in. Moving his head back some more did the job; both cloths snagged on a root and tore right off...
A root...
Now able to see, Uri scanned the area with his eyes. Yes... they were underground.
It seemed to be some sort of earthy cavern, and judging from that large, darkened opening in the wall the cavern was likely connected to a tunnel that possibly led to the surface. The ground was dirt packed as he had guessed, slightly damp, and littered with roots that poked out of the soil along with gravel.
It was possible this was one of the safehouses where Konoha stored emergency rations, as there were plenty of wooden crates and barrels, medical supplies, weapons, firewood and more. A stack of boxes blocked Uri's line of sight, and in doing so seperated him from the fire. He could tell from how the majority of light was coming from behind the crates.
He shuddered. Even with that fire, it was still so cold down here.
He flinched, suddenly remembering. Minato? He was sick. Tired. Where was he?
He moved his head this way and that, looking for him, and with some difficulty turned onto his other side without hurting his back. Surprisingly enough, he found his friend right beside him.
But! He looked terrible. Worse than before. Feverish. Purple-eyed and deep red skin, caked in sweat.
Grinding his teeth together, Uri curled in on his side to place an ear over Minato's chest. His heartbeat was erratic!
Luckily, the kidnappers had left him without a gag and blindfold. This made it easier to
breathe... maybe. It was hard to tell, as Minato’s breathing had slowed considerably, with each breath making his entire body shake.
Uri bit his lip. He felt so useless! Dammit!
He would get them out of this! He would!
He flinched as someone approached, foretold by the sound of footsteps and a shadow. One of the enemies rounded the crates to stand over them.
Uri looked up at him somewhat shocked. It was the one with the odd birthmark. He grinned like the devil, and stank like a pig. He was still wearing his disguise from earlier, with his black facewrap now hanging in tatters over his shoulders and around his neck.
"Hey, Aniki... one of them is awake." He said.
There was some movement behind the boxes as shadows danced across the cavern roof.
"Which one?" A voice, possibly the second enemy, replied.
The younger one sneered. "The EXTRA."
Uri shuddered, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold. These two... Were insane. If they didn't escape soon... they were going to die.
"Hm?" The younger tilted his head to the side. Uri followed his line of sight down to Minato, who let out another shallow, shaky breath.
"Oi, Aniki..." He said.
"What is it, Raku?"
"Bochan* isn't looking good."
Uri was still shaking. Bochan? Was that some kind of joke...?
No, acutally, he looked fairly serious and even a little concerned.
There was more movement behind the boxes, and the second brother came to join the younger behind the crates. They both cast wary glances down at Minato before exchanging looks of understanding...
"You know... I THOUGHT it was too easy to kidnap him." Raku admitted. "That shouldn't have gone so well."
"We were both injured, but I agree with you." The older one nodded. "We should have had to take ‘the extra’ hostage, or cut an arm off. Something."
"Instead, the chloroform actually WORKED." Raku said in wonder. "Something so simple, so common, the oldest trick in the book! The king made sure to give him spcial training so he'd be resistant to such things."
"It shouldn't have been effective."
"But if he's ill..."
The two shared another begrudging glance of acceptance. Nodding in unison, they nodded, making Uri gasp as Raku pulled Minato's chin down and peered inside his mouth.
"His tongue isn't swollen." He noted. "But he's worn down with fatigue and stress."
The older one placed two fingers over Minato's neck and paused as he checked his pulse.
"It's not steady..." He commented.
"What's wrong with him, then?"
"How should I know?"
"He's sick!"
Uri spoke without thinking and in doing so earned the attention of both kidnappers. He faced them both with desperate eyes.
From the sound of it, they knew Minato from somewhere, and were expressing concerns about his health. Perhaps this kidnapping was a rescue mission in their eyes. That "cut off an arm" comment disturbed him, but maybe...
"I can help him! I have medical knowledge!" Uri continued. "At this rate, he could slip into a comatose state or his temperature could rise too much and kill him! Free my hands, please!"
There was a moment of tense silence in which Uri stared into the eyes of the two brothers, begging them to understand and do as he said. For a moment, it seemed as if they might.
Then the two brothers burst out laughing. Uri was taken aback as the two fell back, pounding on the ground with their fists as the laughter racked their bodies. They laughed so hard, there were tears in their eyes.
Eventually, they slowed to some light, short chuckling and sat up. As they tried to catch their breath, Raku thumped his older brother on the back twice.
"This is bad, Aniki." Raku said inbetween chortles. "This extra thinks we're FRIENDS."
"Yeah, I know." The older brother replied in a rich tone. "Is he an idiot?"
"We caused him serious injury and dragged him all the way out here." Raku sighed. "And he thinks we're here to help? Pleeeease."
Uri's heart fell into his stomach as the older brother pointed at him.
"Let me explain something to you." He began, switching to sit on one knee. "You see this brat?"
He pointed down at Minato.
Uri took it as a rhetorical question at first, but after a few moments of waiting, he realized the older brother wanted an actual answer. Uri cast a quick glance at Minato.
"Y-Yes." He answered.
"Good. Now see us?" The older brother gestured to himself and Raku.
"Yes."
"Nice. Now... What's similar? Between the three of us, what do we have in common?"
Uri knit his brow. Raku was young, and if not for that sneer, handsome. His older brother looked much older, with gray hairs and wrinkles and watery eyes. Both were cruel and evil. Minato was young, kind-hearted, and good-natured.
"You don't... look alike at all." Uri replied.
The older brother smiled.
"That's right." He said. "Our clan has wierd genes. Just as we brothers look nothing alike despite being close in age, Bochan looks nothing like his parents or either of us. We have no distinctive traits nor kekkei genkai. The only real trait we share is our talent for killing."
Uri's eyes widened slowly in horror. "'Our... clan'?"
The brothers smirked.
"My name is Namikaze Enma." The older brother introduced himself. "This is my little brother, Namikaze Raku. And this..." He pointed at Minato once more. "Is our baby cousin, the youngest son of our dear king and heir to the throne, the traitor who sold out our entire clan to bounty hunters, Namikaze Minato."
Uri gaped, casting a glance at Minato, whose eyes were now barely open. Was he conscious…?
Uri noticed Enma's eyes darken and gleam with hatred as he looked at Minato.
"This brat... Is no good. True I would have liked to torture him to death, but if he's ill then it's no good. Don't want him dying too soon. Still, it works if he's sick. Dead is dead. The goal will be met no matter what methods we use. I'll still torture him a little. Just a little. That's where you come in, extra."
Uri didn't flinch. He was too confused. Clan...? Cousin...? Traitor...?This didn't make any sense. Not one bit.
"I don't understand..." Uri said.
"Hm? Don't understand what?" Enma asked. "Can't imagine I could have been more clear.”
"No... No, this isn't..." Uri said, his throat drying up. "You are... from the same clan? Minato betrayed you? You're going to torture me, just to torment him?"
It was like they were speaking a different language.
Uri had always been raised with the beliefs that clans shared unbreakable bonds of loyalty and love. Some were more rough around the edges, but parricide was an unimaginable impossible crime in the shinobi world. Clan members fought for each other. They risked everything to protect each other.
Betral? Murder? Torture? No, that was impossible...
Enma glared. "You are ignorant. The world isn't so kind, you know. This guy... Is just a thing, nothing more." He glowered murderously at Minato. "His loyalty was to his father, our king. To our clan, his brothers and uncles and cousins."
Enma went on to tell the tale of Yuukigakure's so-called "royal clan." The kidnappings of the Hyuuga and and Uchiha children, Minato's revolt, the riots of the villagers, the civil war that destroyed the village.
Uri knew most of it already, but to hear it from Enma made it sound knew...
"It was near the end of the war." Enma continued, still glowering at Minato. "King Raido took a hostage. He was going to kill her to anger the rebels, which would make them stupid. But Minato, without hesitation, stabbed the king in the heart from behind. Just to save that hopeless commoner b****, Mikoto."
Uri glared, exhaling angrily though his nose as he grit his teeth.
"We were going to punish him accordingly, however he was fast." Enma continued. "He took the girl and fled like a coward. A moment later, some bounty hunters showed up, said they'd gotten directions from a spikey-haired blonde kid, and that they were there for our heads. Raku and I alone escaped as the soldiers fought the villagers. There were many explosions, frying everyone alive. We got out and hid in the underworld. Then we caught word of Konoha's Yellow Flash, who was racking up a body count consisting of some of the biggest names in the shinobi world. Names that would have earned him a fortune in the black market. He was listed as 'flee on sight' in the bingo books, and was said to hold the very heart of Konohagakure. What a joke..."
Enma reached out and grabbed Minato's head, gripping his skull and lifting him just-so off the ground. Minato grit his teeth to suppress whatever moan of pain that may have escaped him otherwise.
"What a joke. This guy has killed more of your guys than we did." Enma stated, shaking Minato's head. "I heard it in the underworld. Some guy named Danzo sent anbu, squad after squad, to the ruins of our home village to take this kids head. And he cut them all down in cold blood."
Uri flinched.
ARE YOU FROM KONOHA? ARE YOU HERE TO KILL US?
So that's what you meant, Minato. Uri thought with a shudder.
“You guys seriously made friends with him? And it seems the feeling is mutual.” Enma laughed. “How twisted can this world be? In any case, he made a mistake. He should have died with his mother and brothers. Now we will correct that mistake.”
Uri’s eyes shook in terror. He had… He had…
He had known nothing about him. Nothing at all. Only that he was a wonderful person, and a good friend whose side he never wanted to leave.
But even though he’d known about his hometown being destroyed, and the mixed feelings he had about his clan, and the guilt he had to be feeling towards the Hyuuga and Uchiha clan, he hadn’t understood any of it. He had dared to say he would protect his friends and sister… And he hadn’t understood someone so close to him all this time. Even learing all this… It felt as if a great rift had opened between them.
Enma nodded at Uri, and Raku proceeded to pick the boy up by his hair. He felt something tear on his scalp as blood trickled down into his eyes. Raku stopped at the fire, where two pairs of chains were dangling from the ceiling at opposing sides.
Uri saw once more, the inhumanity and hatred of these two people and felt livid.
He didn’t care if he died anymore. He just wanted to hit them both over and over until his arm went numb. He wanted to return the pain they’d forced on Minato tenfold.
Grinding his teeth together, he forced his bleeding and battered body to cooperate.
He snapped his eyes open and elbowed Raku in the stomach with all his strength. The younger brother grunted in pain and curled in on himself, allowing Uri to leap over the fire, grabbing Minato in midair. He landed on his feet a short distnace away, with his freind tucked under one arm.
Immediately the two brothers proved their status as veteran fighters of the lowest tactics. With speed that rivalled Fuji's they moved in on him like hawks.
However he'd expected that, and had already planned for it.
Enma's leg sank knee-deep into the floor, as if consumed by quicksand. Indeed, this was the case. By sealing water into the sand using a storage seal hidden at the bottom of his left foot, and a time-consuming seal hidden at the bottom of his right foot together he could make a quicksand trap.
While Enma struggled to free himself, and simultaneously buried himself further, Raku dashed swiftly around him and zoomed in on Uri.
He turned, shielding Minato as he raised his free hand. He succeeded in confusing Raku for an instant, which was all he needed. Indeed, it was distracting:
Cupped in the palm of his hand was a translucent ball of compacted air, so small it rivalled the size of a child’s pinky nail.
Leaping, he flexed his fingers, and simultaneously released the bomb.
What followed was a great explosion that forced the cieling and walls of the cavern to collapse in on themselves. Before this happened, Uri drew an eddy in the cieling and passed through it, running through solid wall like it was fog while holding onto Minato.
They resurfaced in the tunnel, as Uri sensed the surface was too far up.
He could sense that his chakra was dangerously low, and judging from his heartbeat and lack of energy another big move might kill him. On top of that, blood was pouring from his scalp like a waterfall now, and the wound in his side was the same and getting worse. He could barely see…
No time for pain, he had to move. Throwing Minato's arm over his shoulders he took off in a sprint down the tunnel. His heart pounded in his ears as fear crept up his throat. No, no. They were getting close and they were furious now. If they caught them he would die for sure. Slowly, painfully. Minato would suffer something far worse than what Fuji’s little brother had.
There was no one else. He had to protect him! He had to!
He found the earthen stairs that led to the surface and climbed them three-four at a time. There were so many though. Just how far underground were they?
The hairs on the back of his head stood up. No, NO!
Make it, please make it!
Move it, move FASTER! They're closing in on you!
He could see the exit up ahead. Just a little further! Just. A. Few. More. Steps!
He jumped, landing outside. His sandals scraped up mud and became stuck like suction cups. A cold rain bombarded him from every angle, blinding him even as they washed the blood away.
He yanked his legs free and took off, using the tree branches to avoid slipping and sliding. Behind him, he could hear multiple THUNKS, and knew the two brothers were still in pursuit.
They won't give up. He knew that.
If he could just lose them, even for a moment, he could hide Minato and replace him with a transformed clone. Then he could lead them off in another direction, and buy some time for his comrades to find Mina—
He jerked to a stop, losing all feeling his legs. The smell of rain filled his nostrils as his arms went limp. Slowly it dawned on him that he was falling through the air. The world seemed to slow as the ground rushed up at him, and the pitter-patter of rain in puddles became even louder as he slammed into the mud.
He tasted dirt and blood, and the stench of the latter hung in the air despite the rain. There was a horrible pain at the back of his neck, but it was fading fast.
No...
He turned his head so that he could see out of one eye. The two brothers were standing over him, with only their shadowy silhouettes and their devilish grins visible.
Uri felt a horrible mixture of hopelessness, regret, and fury. He... Hadn't even maimed them. He'd barely done any damage at all. And now what? They would succeed?
No! No!
"You should have known better than to resist." Enma mocked him, twirling what looked like a giant stone hammer in his hand like it was a broom. "Now you'll die."
Uri couldn't help himself. He grinned out of spite, startling the two brothers.
"What's so funny?" Enma asked in a sour tone.
Uri let out a shaky laugh. "You'll... Lose."
"To WHO?"
The brothers stiffened, feeling it before they turned around to face it.
Fuji was so close to Enma he may have been standing on his shoes. Enma's pupils shrank in fear as he paled. Fuji looked murderous and more livid with each passing second. His eyes turned scarlet, with the three tomoe rotating at blinding speed.
Enma flinched, raching up to grip his head as he fell to his kness. High pitched wailing echoed through the air. The sound was bloodcurdling and made Uri shiver in fear, and somehow he knew what Fuji was doing to the much older, powerful, man.
Raku attempted to help his brother only to be distracted by a bloodthirsty battle cry. Too late, he turned and was tackled by what looked like a flying red ball of fire.
Nee-chan pinned him to the ground, one foot planted on either side and continued to scream furiously as she raised her fists and punched Raku over and over. Blood spurted, teeth flew, and the sound of bones breaking in two could have been heard from miles away.
Raku grunted in pain as Enma screamed. It continued for a long time, and Uri could only shake in terror. However he felt something else. Something that surprised and disturbed him.
Joy.
However it quickly drained away as he felt a rush of adrenaline. His eyes zeroed in on Nee-chan and Raku, who was looking more and more as if he had a face made of ground beef, and instict kicked in.
He nearly choked on his own tongue.
"NO!" He somehow found the strength to scream. "NEE-CHAN! THAT'S—!"
Kushina realized it before he could finish, freezing with her blood-soaked fists in midair. Fuji whipped his head up to look at her back, temporarily ceasing Enma's mental torture. The two of them flinched.
Lying beneath nee-chan, one section near the top reduced to splinters, was a block of wood.
Substitution.
The three looked in the same direction and felt their anger rise to dangerous heights.
Raku was standing a good distance away, beneath some low-hanging tree branches. He had taken quite a few punches from nee-chan, so his once handsome face now looked as if it were peeling apart like a wet, blood-soaked, book. Regardless, he was on his feet, and his arm was hooked around Minato's head so his neck was good and exposed. Raku held a knife to his jugular vein, looking victorious while the three children glared at him in shock , which quickly turned to heart-stopping rage.
Together, they grit their teeth and shouted:
"HOW--DARE--YOU!"
Raku sputtered, snickering. At the back of his mind Uri was surprised he still had so much control over his face. At the front of his mind he imagined killing Raku in numerous inhuman ways.
"I don't know... What you see... In this traitor..." He spoke well through a busted jaw and swollen lips. "But garbage like this... Isn't worth the trouble..."
"The only garbage here is you."
Uri gaped as Minato peeled his eyes open and looked up at Raku with something that greatly resembled disappointment.
"And just to clarify..." He continued as he raised a shaky hand. "I never betrayed you..." He grabbed the blade of the kunai being held to hs throat, cutting himself badly in the process. "Since the day I was born I was never one of you."
"You—!" Raku spat but Minato gripped the blade and refused to let up.
"However, I never hated any of you." He went on, softening a little while Raku looked more and more enraged. "I was just disappointed... In you and in myself. Still... I'm happy I met you. As for why... There's no real reason. Only that not knowing you may have hurt me more than having to listen to all the screaming..."
Uri grit his teeth.
"You gave me a clear picture... Of exactly whom I didn't want to be." Minato laughed through his nose a bit. "It was agony, knowing my words... would never reach you... Even if you were close to me like this..."
Minato's eyes widened, looking determined. "But I am different now. I have... A private clan that is all my own. One I built for myself.
"I'm sorry I left you to die alone. But I won't be joining you anytime soon. So... Please. Go and wait for me in that place. When the time is right, I'll..."
He trailed off, then slowly closed his lips in a weak smile.
Raku's pupils shrank in fury and he attempted to take back the kunai. However, Minato reached up with his free arm and clenched Raku's chin. He forced his head back while Raku grit his teeth in resistance and Minato grinded his in strain. Using the arm of the hand that gripped the kunai, he elbowed Raku in the throat, causing his cousin to release the kunai and grunt in pain.
Minato pushed away from him, twisting on his heel and circling to a stop a safe distance away.
There was a moment in which Raku glared at Minato with hatred as deep as the oceans.
Uri stiffened as he watched Raku's throat tear open, spraying blood everywhere.
Minato was still battle-ready. As he fell, Raku reached out to him, clawing at the air as he tried to scream something. A curse maybe. Or a threat.
It didn't matter. The man was dead long before he hit the ground.
Before anyone could react, Minato turned swiftly. He bounced the ring of the kunai on his fingers before expertly launching it. In an instant it crammed itself into Enma's skull. WIhtout anyone noticing, the man had recovered his senses and was a split-second away from stabbing Fuji to death.
Fuji had shifted his attention back to the man just in time to see the force of the kunai's impact knock him over. He died instantly.
At first, Uri felt nothing.
He looked at Minato, who panted as his arms went limp. His knees gave out but nee-chan ran to catch him, letting him rest his head on her chest as he reached up to grip her arms.
And he could see that nee-chan had started to cry silently. Fuji stood by, silently observing them with a look of acceptance that didn't include any sort of emotion.
Uri now felt despair and self-blame.
Dammit! Why hadn't he killed them himself in the cavern! He knew they had to die, and yet—
He moaned in pain as the back of his neck felt sprained and torn. This got everyones attention and soon he was encircled by Minato, who was half-leaning on Nee-chan, and Fuji . The three observed him for a moment and then became horrified.
"Uchiha!" Nee-chan grabbed Minato and leaned him towards Fuji, who steadied him while she tried to draw a seal around Uri to no avail. Be it blood or etched in soil, the rain washed it away.
Uri blinked groggily. So tired... Everything hurt, and he was wet and cold...
But his freinds were safe. Everyone was...
"Move aside, Kushina."
Uri might have laughed if it were possible. That voice... He must have been half-dead already. Why did it still hurt so much?
He looked up and smiled. Sure enough, there they were. His people were standing over him, led by Mako, who sat on his knees beside a shocked and crying nee-chan.
Uri felt more blood pour from his mouth as he looked up at Mako, much happier than he'd been in a long time.
"Master..." He sighed and earned a quiet frown in return. Behind him, some of the others laughed softly. He noticed Yuuki, his childhood freind, and his uncle, Seto.
"Don't speak." Came a soft voice from his other side.
The sound brought more tears to his eyes. Even she was here? Really...?
No, it was impossible.
He looked up as she leaned over him and had to bite his lip. Some part of him wished Minato and Fuji would look away, but the other part didn't care.
Mother’s closest friend, who had always looked after them like an aunt. Gentle and beautiful and lovely. A lady unlike any other, an irreplacable loved one, whom Uri had dreamed about and been haunted by more than most of the others.
Tears, hidden by the rain, trailed down his face as he met her sympathetic, gentle eyes.
"Mami...?" He asked.
Slowly, she nodded.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
"WHAT?!"
Ay shouted loud enough to make everyone excluding Uri and Gaara jump.
Uri rested his cheek against his fist and waited for the man to settle down. However, Ay's anger didn't relent even after several moments and Uri was forced to give in.
"Speak your mind, Raikage." He permitted.
"You expect me to believe," He began, "That that woman was actually... Kind? She actually cared about anyone other than herself?"
"And why," Uri asked, "Is that so difficult to accept?"
"After everything I've seen and heard, it's been made perfectly clear that she and Mako are no good!"
Uri stared at him impatiently before dropping his head with a sigh.
"It should be obvious to you by now."
"What?!"
"That this world," the light in Uri's eyes dimmed, "Is cruel. And in being so, turns perfectly well-meaning, good-natured people into... Something else."
Ay looked taken aback.
"In order to combat despair of great magnitude, an extraordinarily strong heart is needed." Uri went on. "Yuuki and Minato were gifted with such a thing. Most others aren't so lucky."
A long silence followed. Uri looked over his shoulder and saw that the light outside was fading fast. He had been sitting here for a long time and had grown weary. He needed to rest, but that would have to wait.
"Moving on," He began, "My clan members were kind enough to heal mine and Minato's injuries. It took them no time at all to discover that Minato had been plagued by a drug commonly nicknamed Moon's Advent, or MOA, for some months."
Several of the group's faces turned grim and knowing. They would have guessed what it was from its earlier description, and had been hoping they were wrong.
"When we returned to Konoha with my clan, it caused an uproar." Uri recalled how they were met with conflicted hostility. "In that time of war, one or two outsiders was enough to put everyone on edge. A group of over seventy strangers could've caused a great chaos. However my people were understanding and cooperative, and agreed to wait outside under heavy guard of the anbu while Mako and Mami spoke with the good Lord Hiruzen.
"Minato, who had finally been issued a cure, and I were both taken to the hospital. As we were now in good health thanks to the superior medical knowledge of my clan, we were given the ok to leave in a few hours time but later had it revoked by the third hokage, who wanted us to stay in the hospital overnight. This seemed a tad unreasonable. But as we were both tired and overstressed, we didn't put up much resistance.
"Fuji and nee-chan were quick to give their report, however they were in the dark of many things. I anxiously waited to tell the hokage everything I could and even waited up for him in my hospital bed while Minato rested. However, it got late, and I was lacking energy so I eventually passed out. Later in the night, I was awoken by the sound of voices..."
FLASHBACK STARS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE HOSPITAL; OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
"I see... So that is what happened."
Uri stirred in his bed, parting his eyelids with some resistance. The light was on but his area was shaded. Ah, the curtains were pulled around the bed.
He moved quietly beneath the covers to see the silhouettes of Minato, who was leaning against the back rail of his hospital bed, and the third hokage, who stood on the side opposite Uri where the door was located.
The curtains were parted just enough to give him a glimpse of their faces. They appeared to be feeling different kinds of understanding acceptance, with Minato looking somewhat ashamed.
"To be honest, Kushina and Fugaku's report was somewhat vague." Hiruzen said.
Uri blinked, recalling the day's events and felt weighed down with anguish.
"I'm sorry." Minato said a little breathlessly. "I should've told you everything sooner. Ages
ago..."
"To be honest, I see why you kept it from me." Hiruzen replied. "However I am surprised that Mikoto, Fugaku, and Uri were also in the dark."
Minato looked at him, somewhat confused.
"I refer to you being a witness to the murders of those poor children." Hiruzen explained, making both Uri and Minato stiffen. "That isn't something most could endure. It would seem you've been through a lot."
Minato laughed bitterly. "That is irrelevant. On the grand scale of things--"
"Why did you keep this to yourself?" Hiruzen asked point-blank.
Uri waited. Minato had gone quiet, and he feared his freind may have retreated into himself. But on the other hand, Minato would never ignore Lord Hiruzen like that. He would find it rude not to answer honestly.
"... It seemed devious to share it with others." Minato answered, stone-faced and dead-voiced.
"... How?"
Uri could see Minato bite the inside of his cheek.
"If I told Fuji, it would have been as if I were asking for forgiveness." Minato explained. "If I told Kushina, Mikoto, or Uri it would have been like asking for sympathy. If I told you, it would have felt manipulative. That and..."
Minato gripped his sheets as his face fell a little.
"I..." He said, faltering. He squared his shoulders. "I was aware that everyone who was close to me... Would forgive me instantly. Even Fuji. I had no doubt. You, too, would act as if there was nothing to forgive.
"However it is so frustrating... So terribly frustrating that it's hard to control. I feel so much... shame and guilt.
"Even though they called out to me and begged me to help them, I did nothing. I watched them all die, and they are still screaming inside my head. I couldn't escape them if I wanted to. And on top of that... I felt close to nothing. Both when I watched them be killed, and when I killed my clan members."
Uri's teeth clamped together. No...
Minato laughed again, this time sounding close to hysterical.
"For a while now, I'd been thinking..." He continued. "That living in this village had released me. My heart was no longer frozen shut, and I feel determined to protect the people here, who are like my family. And I was thinking that if my real clan approached me once more, I would not be able to simply kill them without any qualms. It would... hurt.
"But killing my cousins in cold blood has opened my eyes. Sometimes, especially now, I feel as if I'm lacking something. Something the others have... this connection they have to their clans that drives them to protect them at any cost, or feel anguish at their loss. I never possessed that for anyone until I met Mikoto, and even then it wasn't the same."
Minato reaxed his hands and raised them. He stared at them for a long time.
Hiruzen seemed to have softened, and reached up to pull his pipe from his mouth before remembering it wasn't there. He folded his arms behind his back and watched Minato until the boy lowered his hands and smiled weakly.
"You are lacking something." Hiruzen said, making Uri flinch in anger. "However, it isn't something crucial. You need not fear; I have known you for a while now. I can say this with utmost certainty: you will never turn into your father."
Minato looked up, not seeming to believe it. "Lord Hiruzen--"
"We all lack things, Minato." He went on. "Both crucial and non. That is why we have our allies, who possess the qualities we don't, give us their support in our moments of weakness. You have never lacked what you refer to. The Namikaze have specific genes that stimulate specific reactions to strong negative emotions, and subconciously block these out. This usually makes them into cruel, unfeeling people. However, every once in a while it creates good souls like yourself and the late-late leader of Yuukigakure."
Minato knit his brow. "How do you--"
"One of my teachers, the second hokage, looked into the unique biology of enemy clans and shared a few secrets with me."
Minato wavered between acceptance and disbelief as the third hokage turned to leave.
"I will speak with Danzo." He said. "He has gone too far, once again. I might need to restrain him soon. You should rest for now... And, if it helps you..."
Hiruzen paused with one foot outside the door.
"I have never forgotten their faces either." He reffered to the lost children. "Nor their names. However, you are not to blame for that tragedy. To continue to torment yourself would be unwise."
Minato stared at him, his eyes shaking as he looked away.
"What should I do?" He asked, sounding rather helpless.
The sandaime was quick to reply.
"You should forgive yourself."
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
"After that, Minato told us everything." Uri frowned as he remembered Fuji’s, Mikoto’s, and nee-chan’s individual expressions. "That is how I am able to relay everything to you in such detail.
"As he had expected, we all forgave him immediately. But in our hearts, we hated his family even more. Fuji, who was Minato's best friend, did not react well to hearing about how his freinds and family had died in horror and blood even if he had surmised as much on his own. Even so, he bore Minato no ill will, and swore to overcome the pain so that he wouldn't lose him."
Ay sighed in aggravation and threw his head about before glaring at Uri.
"You know, I really don't get this. Any of it!" He spat, getting the attention of everyone as well as Uri.
"Uchiha Fugaku... killed hundreds of my freinds and subordinates in cold blood!" Ay ranted.
"He betrayed his village, planned a coup de tat, and lead his clan like pigs to a slaughter! He betrayed the fourth hokage!"
Uri relaxed and straightened up. Ay was annoyed by the clear look in his eyes and grit his teeth in response.
"What?! Is that not right?!" Ay questioned, though it was clear he believed otherwise. "Don't act like you don't know! If you were so close to him, then you know without a doubt! That guy knew exactly what would happen if he planned a mutiny against his village! And you're saying he was loyal to the fourth?! That he didn't want to lose him?! He betrayed him! When he decided to go against the village, he trampled all over everything his so-called close friend stood for. And Mikoto as well!"
Uri looked away, feeling strange.
"What were they thinking?! That they could win?!" Ay shook his head. "Hasn't that been what you've been saying from the very start? That a single clan, no matter how powerful, couldn't take on Konoha and be victorious?! And even if they were, would it really be worth it?! They would have to kill their freinds, their teachers!"
Uri sighed through his nose.
"He turned his eldest son against him!" Ay continued. "He forced Itachi to go through... Exactly what Minato did! In order to protect others who were innocent, both Itachi and Minato had to slay those who shared their flesh and blood! I won't pretend to know what thats like, and I hope no one enlightens me. But it must be... Worse than death! And on top of that, Sasuke became one of the biggest problems the hidden villages have faced since their creation. In fact, he still is!"
"Raikage!" Tsunade snapped.
Ay whipped his head around. "I don't understand it!"
Tsunade relaxed, faltering in her anger.
"I don't... See it." Ay grinded his teeth together. "I don't know how I feel anymore. Thanks to HIM..."
Ay's eyes zeroed in on Uri. "And THIS guy. I really don't understand it. Why... Why... If they were such good people... If they were such good freinds...
"Then why did they all meet an end like that?" He asked, seeming to want a substantial answer. "Why, one after the other, did they die like that?"
Uri looked up at him with awe and laughed through his nose. Ay seemed to take offense at this, as he glared at Uri as he got to his feet.
"You... For someone who seems so brash, you're actually a very nice person, aren't you?" He asked, shocking everyone in the room.
Ay recoiled. "You--"
"I won't lie, I've held you and this entire village in contempt ever since nee-chan's kidnapping." Uri continued, smiling softly. "But now I see how my nephew was able to come and go here as if it were some sort of... Second home."
Ay knit his brow as Uri turned his back to him. One look out the window proved it was late now. He approached it and placed his hand on the glass.
It was cold...
"To answer your question, 'why did Fuji betray konoha if he was so close to Minato,' you should understand something." Uri smiled. "Fuji, as I explained to you, cared more about his freinds and his village than Minato did. He loved them all, just like a hokage does. Just like Minato did. As we grew together, it was incredibly obvious to us and to everyone else. Our entire world... revolved around Konoha."
He felt everyone become more confused and chuckled under his breath as he leaned his head against the glass.
"For all the pain we'd suffered, for all that we lost, Konoha was our
salvation." Uri turned his head. "They were the best medicine. They healed our hearts and gave us hope. Hope that the future would be different. However... Even before Minato's death and the Uchiha's oppression, Fuji and Mikoto's world had begun to revolve around something else."
Somewhat cautiously, Gaara asked:
"... And what was that?"
Uri looked over his shoulder at him.
And smiled.
SASUKE'S POV [HIDDEN LOCATION]
He hopped from one tree limb to the next, not even trying to ignore the cold and angry wind and snow.
He was getting close now. He would be there soon. He should've known it would be easier than he thought to reach his desired location.
He felt a drop of water roll down his cheek and flinched, wiping it away with the back of his hand before looking at it. It trailed down his thumb and dripped off his palm.
He relaxed. It was just melted snow, that was all. He could tell from how cold it was...
However, as as result of this momentary scare, he had remembered his moment of weakness back in Kumo, where he'd actually...
He leapt into the air, coming down once more on a sturdy branch as he continued his race to the secret prison.
When had he beome like this? When was it that they started to mean so much to him?
Gaara's comment disturbed him, but it was also comforting.
THEY BRING OUT HIS HUMAN SIDE, AND KEEP HIM SANE.
Yes, that was true. He would own up to that.
Ever since the war... Ever since he retuned to Konoha, to their side, he had started to remember it. The heart that his mother and his clan had molded and shaped to resemble something so bright and warm and rejuvenating it scared him.
He shut his eyes as he jumped into the air once more, and came clapping down on a somewhat shaky branch.
Yes. As arrogant and self-centered as he may have been, he had felt... Human. And he was the same now...
But still,when exactly had he returned to this state of mind and heart?
After the war, he was still angry, vioent, and cold. He wanted nothing to do with the rest of the vllage after his chakra had been sealed with restraint jutsu, and the feeling was more or less the same. Those who had had high hopes for him, who'd cheered for him during his academy days and his time on team 7, had moved on. They looked at him with anxiety, fear, and hatred. He might as well have been some man-eating monster.
However, Sakura and Naruto were different. They gave his past actions no mind and were just excited to have him back. At first, he was as venomous towards them as the others. But they teased him, encouraged him, even provoked him.
They dragged him to barbecue restaurants and festivals and all kinds of ridiculous places. Noisy, annoying places.
But it worked, and much more quickly than he cared to admit. His heart, which was warped and cold and shut off from the rest of the world, began to heal, something he'd thought was impossible.
Really, how was he supposed to recover from all that had happened?
To his clan, to his brother?
And yet, Sakura and Naruto were still there. He was healing, and it was such a weight off his shoulders he began to do other things.
Laugh. Smile. Even enjoy their company.
He'd actually been looking forward to seeing it. Naruto, as hokage. He had begun to think that maybe, if it was the two of them together, then they could create a new Konoha. One where such things as whole clans being oppressed and slaughtered wouldn't be allowed.
He had gained a happiness, a future, and he'd even begun to remember things. The good memories, some of which had become painful, became cherished irreplacable things once more.
But now... He had to wonder.
How was it alright?
FLACHBACK STARTS HERE
SASUKE'S POV [THIRTEEN YEARS AGO]
"Sasuke, come here."
He frowned at her. "No."
"Sasuke, listen to your mother." She said, reaching her arms out to him.
"Come here. Let me look at you."
He bit the inside of his cheek and looked away. He was holding both hands behind his back when he walked in, but she'd laughed and crouched in front of the hallway that led to his bedroom, refusing to let him pass.
With her arms held out, she waved her hands in a "come here" gesture. Accompanied with a knowing, warm smile... it was hard to refuse her. She had always had this pull, like gravity, so he came whenever she called him.
Begrudgingly, he trudged over to her where she turned her hands over, palm-side up, and flexed her fingers in a way that said "hand it over."
That bugged him. She acted like he'd stolen a cookie out of the jar.
He didn't even like sweets.
His eyes narrowed, and he slowly revealed his clenched fist, which was bleeding from a long slash across his palm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw he'd left a trail of blood, and a little puddle at the door.
So that's how she'd known...
She laughed through her nose as she cleaned and wrapped his hand.
"When covering up a crime, it's best to hide the evidence." She advised as she tucked the end of the wrapping into a fold of gauze. "Not that you shouldn't hide you wounds. They'll only get worse if they're not treated, you know?"
Sasuke exhaled through his nose stubbornly. "It's just a little cut."
She pulled on his cheek, making him wince in pain as she let go. He looked up at her, as if he were accusing her of something.
"You stayed late today again." She said gently. "And you came back hurt too. You should give your body some time to rest."
"I want to be strong." He replied curtly.
She made a "fuu"sound and placed her chin on her upturned palm, giving him another one of her knowing looks.
"Did you make any freinds?" She asked.
Sasuke frowned at her. "Who would want to be freinds with them? They're annoying."
Mother smiled, laughing under her breath.
"It's alright if they're annoying." She said, her eyes shining. "It's alright if they rely on you, and its alright if they don't. It's alright if they have red hair that no one likes, or spiky blond hair that everyone likes. It's alright if they're a little cold, and say selfish things.
"It's alright if you can't protect them. It's alright if you forget
them..."
She stiffened, making him look at her strangely. She had an odd look on her face. As if there were something on the tip of her tongue that she didn't know how to say.
"Mother...?" He called out.
She placed her hand over her lips.
"Just now, I..."
He waited, and slowly the look softened into a slight disappointment. When it had faded, she looked down at him, and ruffled his hair with one of her hands.
Her hand was very cold, just like always. He didn't care though.
He liked the cold.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
How was it alright?
He really didn't see how it was okay. And he didn't understand most of what she had meant.
But...
Why? He had lost his brother. Again. Wasn't the first time enough?
He really did hate this world. All it ever did was take from him
But... But...!
He wanted to hear it again. Just one more time.
Please mother, he begged, just one more time. Let me hear it again...
-------!
He froze, coming to a stop on one of the higher branches before turning to face the opposite direction.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Could he have... Was it possible that...?
He frowned, ashamed of himself. No... No it was impossible...
....
.......
.... Where am I?....
... We... Were attacked...
... Minato!... Minato is...!... Is...!
Uri snapped his eyes open, feeling shaky and lethargic. It was dark... So dark and hard to see... Where was he...?
His body... He could feel rope binding his hands behind his back, and his ankles. He couldn't move his mouth very well either, but it was open, and there was this awful taste. Like trapped steam and mildew. Was he gagged with a cloth?
Something like fire raced over his skull, accompanied by a loud cracking noise like an egg breaking. His back felt weighed down in one spot between his shoulder blades, and it felt as if he had slipped a disc (or two) around the small of his back. And he could tell he’d lost a lot of blood through the wound in his side, though it was now bandaged.
He was shaking. So... So painful... And it was freezing here, wherever "here" was.
The ground felt like packed soil, although a little muddy, with some gravel that was digging into his cheek. But if he rolled onto his back, he had a bad feeling he could fatally injure himself.
Calm down, he thought. Use your other senses.
He sniffed the air. It smelled musty, like burning wood, and he could hear the crackling of a fire which pretty much confirmed it. There was some other noise, like whistling, but deeper. As if wind were blowing through some strange rock formation at the end of a long tunnel.
There was another sound, like rumbling or shaking, and Uri felt much dirt and gravel fall onto him from above. If he had to guess, he'd say he was somewhere underground.
He bit into his cheek and began to squirm and writhe as he dragged his head down. He felt the blindfold and gag slip and some light poured in. Moving his head back some more did the job; both cloths snagged on a root and tore right off...
A root...
Now able to see, Uri scanned the area with his eyes. Yes... they were underground.
It seemed to be some sort of earthy cavern, and judging from that large, darkened opening in the wall the cavern was likely connected to a tunnel that possibly led to the surface. The ground was dirt packed as he had guessed, slightly damp, and littered with roots that poked out of the soil along with gravel.
It was possible this was one of the safehouses where Konoha stored emergency rations, as there were plenty of wooden crates and barrels, medical supplies, weapons, firewood and more. A stack of boxes blocked Uri's line of sight, and in doing so seperated him from the fire. He could tell from how the majority of light was coming from behind the crates.
He shuddered. Even with that fire, it was still so cold down here.
He flinched, suddenly remembering. Minato? He was sick. Tired. Where was he?
He moved his head this way and that, looking for him, and with some difficulty turned onto his other side without hurting his back. Surprisingly enough, he found his friend right beside him.
But! He looked terrible. Worse than before. Feverish. Purple-eyed and deep red skin, caked in sweat.
Grinding his teeth together, Uri curled in on his side to place an ear over Minato's chest. His heartbeat was erratic!
Luckily, the kidnappers had left him without a gag and blindfold. This made it easier to
breathe... maybe. It was hard to tell, as Minato’s breathing had slowed considerably, with each breath making his entire body shake.
Uri bit his lip. He felt so useless! Dammit!
He would get them out of this! He would!
He flinched as someone approached, foretold by the sound of footsteps and a shadow. One of the enemies rounded the crates to stand over them.
Uri looked up at him somewhat shocked. It was the one with the odd birthmark. He grinned like the devil, and stank like a pig. He was still wearing his disguise from earlier, with his black facewrap now hanging in tatters over his shoulders and around his neck.
"Hey, Aniki... one of them is awake." He said.
There was some movement behind the boxes as shadows danced across the cavern roof.
"Which one?" A voice, possibly the second enemy, replied.
The younger one sneered. "The EXTRA."
Uri shuddered, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold. These two... Were insane. If they didn't escape soon... they were going to die.
"Hm?" The younger tilted his head to the side. Uri followed his line of sight down to Minato, who let out another shallow, shaky breath.
"Oi, Aniki..." He said.
"What is it, Raku?"
"Bochan* isn't looking good."
Uri was still shaking. Bochan? Was that some kind of joke...?
No, acutally, he looked fairly serious and even a little concerned.
There was more movement behind the boxes, and the second brother came to join the younger behind the crates. They both cast wary glances down at Minato before exchanging looks of understanding...
"You know... I THOUGHT it was too easy to kidnap him." Raku admitted. "That shouldn't have gone so well."
"We were both injured, but I agree with you." The older one nodded. "We should have had to take ‘the extra’ hostage, or cut an arm off. Something."
"Instead, the chloroform actually WORKED." Raku said in wonder. "Something so simple, so common, the oldest trick in the book! The king made sure to give him spcial training so he'd be resistant to such things."
"It shouldn't have been effective."
"But if he's ill..."
The two shared another begrudging glance of acceptance. Nodding in unison, they nodded, making Uri gasp as Raku pulled Minato's chin down and peered inside his mouth.
"His tongue isn't swollen." He noted. "But he's worn down with fatigue and stress."
The older one placed two fingers over Minato's neck and paused as he checked his pulse.
"It's not steady..." He commented.
"What's wrong with him, then?"
"How should I know?"
"He's sick!"
Uri spoke without thinking and in doing so earned the attention of both kidnappers. He faced them both with desperate eyes.
From the sound of it, they knew Minato from somewhere, and were expressing concerns about his health. Perhaps this kidnapping was a rescue mission in their eyes. That "cut off an arm" comment disturbed him, but maybe...
"I can help him! I have medical knowledge!" Uri continued. "At this rate, he could slip into a comatose state or his temperature could rise too much and kill him! Free my hands, please!"
There was a moment of tense silence in which Uri stared into the eyes of the two brothers, begging them to understand and do as he said. For a moment, it seemed as if they might.
Then the two brothers burst out laughing. Uri was taken aback as the two fell back, pounding on the ground with their fists as the laughter racked their bodies. They laughed so hard, there were tears in their eyes.
Eventually, they slowed to some light, short chuckling and sat up. As they tried to catch their breath, Raku thumped his older brother on the back twice.
"This is bad, Aniki." Raku said inbetween chortles. "This extra thinks we're FRIENDS."
"Yeah, I know." The older brother replied in a rich tone. "Is he an idiot?"
"We caused him serious injury and dragged him all the way out here." Raku sighed. "And he thinks we're here to help? Pleeeease."
Uri's heart fell into his stomach as the older brother pointed at him.
"Let me explain something to you." He began, switching to sit on one knee. "You see this brat?"
He pointed down at Minato.
Uri took it as a rhetorical question at first, but after a few moments of waiting, he realized the older brother wanted an actual answer. Uri cast a quick glance at Minato.
"Y-Yes." He answered.
"Good. Now see us?" The older brother gestured to himself and Raku.
"Yes."
"Nice. Now... What's similar? Between the three of us, what do we have in common?"
Uri knit his brow. Raku was young, and if not for that sneer, handsome. His older brother looked much older, with gray hairs and wrinkles and watery eyes. Both were cruel and evil. Minato was young, kind-hearted, and good-natured.
"You don't... look alike at all." Uri replied.
The older brother smiled.
"That's right." He said. "Our clan has wierd genes. Just as we brothers look nothing alike despite being close in age, Bochan looks nothing like his parents or either of us. We have no distinctive traits nor kekkei genkai. The only real trait we share is our talent for killing."
Uri's eyes widened slowly in horror. "'Our... clan'?"
The brothers smirked.
"My name is Namikaze Enma." The older brother introduced himself. "This is my little brother, Namikaze Raku. And this..." He pointed at Minato once more. "Is our baby cousin, the youngest son of our dear king and heir to the throne, the traitor who sold out our entire clan to bounty hunters, Namikaze Minato."
Uri gaped, casting a glance at Minato, whose eyes were now barely open. Was he conscious…?
Uri noticed Enma's eyes darken and gleam with hatred as he looked at Minato.
"This brat... Is no good. True I would have liked to torture him to death, but if he's ill then it's no good. Don't want him dying too soon. Still, it works if he's sick. Dead is dead. The goal will be met no matter what methods we use. I'll still torture him a little. Just a little. That's where you come in, extra."
Uri didn't flinch. He was too confused. Clan...? Cousin...? Traitor...?This didn't make any sense. Not one bit.
"I don't understand..." Uri said.
"Hm? Don't understand what?" Enma asked. "Can't imagine I could have been more clear.”
"No... No, this isn't..." Uri said, his throat drying up. "You are... from the same clan? Minato betrayed you? You're going to torture me, just to torment him?"
It was like they were speaking a different language.
Uri had always been raised with the beliefs that clans shared unbreakable bonds of loyalty and love. Some were more rough around the edges, but parricide was an unimaginable impossible crime in the shinobi world. Clan members fought for each other. They risked everything to protect each other.
Betral? Murder? Torture? No, that was impossible...
Enma glared. "You are ignorant. The world isn't so kind, you know. This guy... Is just a thing, nothing more." He glowered murderously at Minato. "His loyalty was to his father, our king. To our clan, his brothers and uncles and cousins."
Enma went on to tell the tale of Yuukigakure's so-called "royal clan." The kidnappings of the Hyuuga and and Uchiha children, Minato's revolt, the riots of the villagers, the civil war that destroyed the village.
Uri knew most of it already, but to hear it from Enma made it sound knew...
"It was near the end of the war." Enma continued, still glowering at Minato. "King Raido took a hostage. He was going to kill her to anger the rebels, which would make them stupid. But Minato, without hesitation, stabbed the king in the heart from behind. Just to save that hopeless commoner b****, Mikoto."
Uri glared, exhaling angrily though his nose as he grit his teeth.
"We were going to punish him accordingly, however he was fast." Enma continued. "He took the girl and fled like a coward. A moment later, some bounty hunters showed up, said they'd gotten directions from a spikey-haired blonde kid, and that they were there for our heads. Raku and I alone escaped as the soldiers fought the villagers. There were many explosions, frying everyone alive. We got out and hid in the underworld. Then we caught word of Konoha's Yellow Flash, who was racking up a body count consisting of some of the biggest names in the shinobi world. Names that would have earned him a fortune in the black market. He was listed as 'flee on sight' in the bingo books, and was said to hold the very heart of Konohagakure. What a joke..."
Enma reached out and grabbed Minato's head, gripping his skull and lifting him just-so off the ground. Minato grit his teeth to suppress whatever moan of pain that may have escaped him otherwise.
"What a joke. This guy has killed more of your guys than we did." Enma stated, shaking Minato's head. "I heard it in the underworld. Some guy named Danzo sent anbu, squad after squad, to the ruins of our home village to take this kids head. And he cut them all down in cold blood."
Uri flinched.
ARE YOU FROM KONOHA? ARE YOU HERE TO KILL US?
So that's what you meant, Minato. Uri thought with a shudder.
“You guys seriously made friends with him? And it seems the feeling is mutual.” Enma laughed. “How twisted can this world be? In any case, he made a mistake. He should have died with his mother and brothers. Now we will correct that mistake.”
Uri’s eyes shook in terror. He had… He had…
He had known nothing about him. Nothing at all. Only that he was a wonderful person, and a good friend whose side he never wanted to leave.
But even though he’d known about his hometown being destroyed, and the mixed feelings he had about his clan, and the guilt he had to be feeling towards the Hyuuga and Uchiha clan, he hadn’t understood any of it. He had dared to say he would protect his friends and sister… And he hadn’t understood someone so close to him all this time. Even learing all this… It felt as if a great rift had opened between them.
Enma nodded at Uri, and Raku proceeded to pick the boy up by his hair. He felt something tear on his scalp as blood trickled down into his eyes. Raku stopped at the fire, where two pairs of chains were dangling from the ceiling at opposing sides.
Uri saw once more, the inhumanity and hatred of these two people and felt livid.
He didn’t care if he died anymore. He just wanted to hit them both over and over until his arm went numb. He wanted to return the pain they’d forced on Minato tenfold.
Grinding his teeth together, he forced his bleeding and battered body to cooperate.
He snapped his eyes open and elbowed Raku in the stomach with all his strength. The younger brother grunted in pain and curled in on himself, allowing Uri to leap over the fire, grabbing Minato in midair. He landed on his feet a short distnace away, with his freind tucked under one arm.
Immediately the two brothers proved their status as veteran fighters of the lowest tactics. With speed that rivalled Fuji's they moved in on him like hawks.
However he'd expected that, and had already planned for it.
Enma's leg sank knee-deep into the floor, as if consumed by quicksand. Indeed, this was the case. By sealing water into the sand using a storage seal hidden at the bottom of his left foot, and a time-consuming seal hidden at the bottom of his right foot together he could make a quicksand trap.
While Enma struggled to free himself, and simultaneously buried himself further, Raku dashed swiftly around him and zoomed in on Uri.
He turned, shielding Minato as he raised his free hand. He succeeded in confusing Raku for an instant, which was all he needed. Indeed, it was distracting:
Cupped in the palm of his hand was a translucent ball of compacted air, so small it rivalled the size of a child’s pinky nail.
Leaping, he flexed his fingers, and simultaneously released the bomb.
What followed was a great explosion that forced the cieling and walls of the cavern to collapse in on themselves. Before this happened, Uri drew an eddy in the cieling and passed through it, running through solid wall like it was fog while holding onto Minato.
They resurfaced in the tunnel, as Uri sensed the surface was too far up.
He could sense that his chakra was dangerously low, and judging from his heartbeat and lack of energy another big move might kill him. On top of that, blood was pouring from his scalp like a waterfall now, and the wound in his side was the same and getting worse. He could barely see…
No time for pain, he had to move. Throwing Minato's arm over his shoulders he took off in a sprint down the tunnel. His heart pounded in his ears as fear crept up his throat. No, no. They were getting close and they were furious now. If they caught them he would die for sure. Slowly, painfully. Minato would suffer something far worse than what Fuji’s little brother had.
There was no one else. He had to protect him! He had to!
He found the earthen stairs that led to the surface and climbed them three-four at a time. There were so many though. Just how far underground were they?
The hairs on the back of his head stood up. No, NO!
Make it, please make it!
Move it, move FASTER! They're closing in on you!
He could see the exit up ahead. Just a little further! Just. A. Few. More. Steps!
He jumped, landing outside. His sandals scraped up mud and became stuck like suction cups. A cold rain bombarded him from every angle, blinding him even as they washed the blood away.
He yanked his legs free and took off, using the tree branches to avoid slipping and sliding. Behind him, he could hear multiple THUNKS, and knew the two brothers were still in pursuit.
They won't give up. He knew that.
If he could just lose them, even for a moment, he could hide Minato and replace him with a transformed clone. Then he could lead them off in another direction, and buy some time for his comrades to find Mina—
He jerked to a stop, losing all feeling his legs. The smell of rain filled his nostrils as his arms went limp. Slowly it dawned on him that he was falling through the air. The world seemed to slow as the ground rushed up at him, and the pitter-patter of rain in puddles became even louder as he slammed into the mud.
He tasted dirt and blood, and the stench of the latter hung in the air despite the rain. There was a horrible pain at the back of his neck, but it was fading fast.
No...
He turned his head so that he could see out of one eye. The two brothers were standing over him, with only their shadowy silhouettes and their devilish grins visible.
Uri felt a horrible mixture of hopelessness, regret, and fury. He... Hadn't even maimed them. He'd barely done any damage at all. And now what? They would succeed?
No! No!
"You should have known better than to resist." Enma mocked him, twirling what looked like a giant stone hammer in his hand like it was a broom. "Now you'll die."
Uri couldn't help himself. He grinned out of spite, startling the two brothers.
"What's so funny?" Enma asked in a sour tone.
Uri let out a shaky laugh. "You'll... Lose."
"To WHO?"
The brothers stiffened, feeling it before they turned around to face it.
Fuji was so close to Enma he may have been standing on his shoes. Enma's pupils shrank in fear as he paled. Fuji looked murderous and more livid with each passing second. His eyes turned scarlet, with the three tomoe rotating at blinding speed.
Enma flinched, raching up to grip his head as he fell to his kness. High pitched wailing echoed through the air. The sound was bloodcurdling and made Uri shiver in fear, and somehow he knew what Fuji was doing to the much older, powerful, man.
Raku attempted to help his brother only to be distracted by a bloodthirsty battle cry. Too late, he turned and was tackled by what looked like a flying red ball of fire.
Nee-chan pinned him to the ground, one foot planted on either side and continued to scream furiously as she raised her fists and punched Raku over and over. Blood spurted, teeth flew, and the sound of bones breaking in two could have been heard from miles away.
Raku grunted in pain as Enma screamed. It continued for a long time, and Uri could only shake in terror. However he felt something else. Something that surprised and disturbed him.
Joy.
However it quickly drained away as he felt a rush of adrenaline. His eyes zeroed in on Nee-chan and Raku, who was looking more and more as if he had a face made of ground beef, and instict kicked in.
He nearly choked on his own tongue.
"NO!" He somehow found the strength to scream. "NEE-CHAN! THAT'S—!"
Kushina realized it before he could finish, freezing with her blood-soaked fists in midair. Fuji whipped his head up to look at her back, temporarily ceasing Enma's mental torture. The two of them flinched.
Lying beneath nee-chan, one section near the top reduced to splinters, was a block of wood.
Substitution.
The three looked in the same direction and felt their anger rise to dangerous heights.
Raku was standing a good distance away, beneath some low-hanging tree branches. He had taken quite a few punches from nee-chan, so his once handsome face now looked as if it were peeling apart like a wet, blood-soaked, book. Regardless, he was on his feet, and his arm was hooked around Minato's head so his neck was good and exposed. Raku held a knife to his jugular vein, looking victorious while the three children glared at him in shock , which quickly turned to heart-stopping rage.
Together, they grit their teeth and shouted:
"HOW--DARE--YOU!"
Raku sputtered, snickering. At the back of his mind Uri was surprised he still had so much control over his face. At the front of his mind he imagined killing Raku in numerous inhuman ways.
"I don't know... What you see... In this traitor..." He spoke well through a busted jaw and swollen lips. "But garbage like this... Isn't worth the trouble..."
"The only garbage here is you."
Uri gaped as Minato peeled his eyes open and looked up at Raku with something that greatly resembled disappointment.
"And just to clarify..." He continued as he raised a shaky hand. "I never betrayed you..." He grabbed the blade of the kunai being held to hs throat, cutting himself badly in the process. "Since the day I was born I was never one of you."
"You—!" Raku spat but Minato gripped the blade and refused to let up.
"However, I never hated any of you." He went on, softening a little while Raku looked more and more enraged. "I was just disappointed... In you and in myself. Still... I'm happy I met you. As for why... There's no real reason. Only that not knowing you may have hurt me more than having to listen to all the screaming..."
Uri grit his teeth.
"You gave me a clear picture... Of exactly whom I didn't want to be." Minato laughed through his nose a bit. "It was agony, knowing my words... would never reach you... Even if you were close to me like this..."
Minato's eyes widened, looking determined. "But I am different now. I have... A private clan that is all my own. One I built for myself.
"I'm sorry I left you to die alone. But I won't be joining you anytime soon. So... Please. Go and wait for me in that place. When the time is right, I'll..."
He trailed off, then slowly closed his lips in a weak smile.
Raku's pupils shrank in fury and he attempted to take back the kunai. However, Minato reached up with his free arm and clenched Raku's chin. He forced his head back while Raku grit his teeth in resistance and Minato grinded his in strain. Using the arm of the hand that gripped the kunai, he elbowed Raku in the throat, causing his cousin to release the kunai and grunt in pain.
Minato pushed away from him, twisting on his heel and circling to a stop a safe distance away.
There was a moment in which Raku glared at Minato with hatred as deep as the oceans.
Uri stiffened as he watched Raku's throat tear open, spraying blood everywhere.
Minato was still battle-ready. As he fell, Raku reached out to him, clawing at the air as he tried to scream something. A curse maybe. Or a threat.
It didn't matter. The man was dead long before he hit the ground.
Before anyone could react, Minato turned swiftly. He bounced the ring of the kunai on his fingers before expertly launching it. In an instant it crammed itself into Enma's skull. WIhtout anyone noticing, the man had recovered his senses and was a split-second away from stabbing Fuji to death.
Fuji had shifted his attention back to the man just in time to see the force of the kunai's impact knock him over. He died instantly.
At first, Uri felt nothing.
He looked at Minato, who panted as his arms went limp. His knees gave out but nee-chan ran to catch him, letting him rest his head on her chest as he reached up to grip her arms.
And he could see that nee-chan had started to cry silently. Fuji stood by, silently observing them with a look of acceptance that didn't include any sort of emotion.
Uri now felt despair and self-blame.
Dammit! Why hadn't he killed them himself in the cavern! He knew they had to die, and yet—
He moaned in pain as the back of his neck felt sprained and torn. This got everyones attention and soon he was encircled by Minato, who was half-leaning on Nee-chan, and Fuji . The three observed him for a moment and then became horrified.
"Uchiha!" Nee-chan grabbed Minato and leaned him towards Fuji, who steadied him while she tried to draw a seal around Uri to no avail. Be it blood or etched in soil, the rain washed it away.
Uri blinked groggily. So tired... Everything hurt, and he was wet and cold...
But his freinds were safe. Everyone was...
"Move aside, Kushina."
Uri might have laughed if it were possible. That voice... He must have been half-dead already. Why did it still hurt so much?
He looked up and smiled. Sure enough, there they were. His people were standing over him, led by Mako, who sat on his knees beside a shocked and crying nee-chan.
Uri felt more blood pour from his mouth as he looked up at Mako, much happier than he'd been in a long time.
"Master..." He sighed and earned a quiet frown in return. Behind him, some of the others laughed softly. He noticed Yuuki, his childhood freind, and his uncle, Seto.
"Don't speak." Came a soft voice from his other side.
The sound brought more tears to his eyes. Even she was here? Really...?
No, it was impossible.
He looked up as she leaned over him and had to bite his lip. Some part of him wished Minato and Fuji would look away, but the other part didn't care.
Mother’s closest friend, who had always looked after them like an aunt. Gentle and beautiful and lovely. A lady unlike any other, an irreplacable loved one, whom Uri had dreamed about and been haunted by more than most of the others.
Tears, hidden by the rain, trailed down his face as he met her sympathetic, gentle eyes.
"Mami...?" He asked.
Slowly, she nodded.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
"WHAT?!"
Ay shouted loud enough to make everyone excluding Uri and Gaara jump.
Uri rested his cheek against his fist and waited for the man to settle down. However, Ay's anger didn't relent even after several moments and Uri was forced to give in.
"Speak your mind, Raikage." He permitted.
"You expect me to believe," He began, "That that woman was actually... Kind? She actually cared about anyone other than herself?"
"And why," Uri asked, "Is that so difficult to accept?"
"After everything I've seen and heard, it's been made perfectly clear that she and Mako are no good!"
Uri stared at him impatiently before dropping his head with a sigh.
"It should be obvious to you by now."
"What?!"
"That this world," the light in Uri's eyes dimmed, "Is cruel. And in being so, turns perfectly well-meaning, good-natured people into... Something else."
Ay looked taken aback.
"In order to combat despair of great magnitude, an extraordinarily strong heart is needed." Uri went on. "Yuuki and Minato were gifted with such a thing. Most others aren't so lucky."
A long silence followed. Uri looked over his shoulder and saw that the light outside was fading fast. He had been sitting here for a long time and had grown weary. He needed to rest, but that would have to wait.
"Moving on," He began, "My clan members were kind enough to heal mine and Minato's injuries. It took them no time at all to discover that Minato had been plagued by a drug commonly nicknamed Moon's Advent, or MOA, for some months."
Several of the group's faces turned grim and knowing. They would have guessed what it was from its earlier description, and had been hoping they were wrong.
"When we returned to Konoha with my clan, it caused an uproar." Uri recalled how they were met with conflicted hostility. "In that time of war, one or two outsiders was enough to put everyone on edge. A group of over seventy strangers could've caused a great chaos. However my people were understanding and cooperative, and agreed to wait outside under heavy guard of the anbu while Mako and Mami spoke with the good Lord Hiruzen.
"Minato, who had finally been issued a cure, and I were both taken to the hospital. As we were now in good health thanks to the superior medical knowledge of my clan, we were given the ok to leave in a few hours time but later had it revoked by the third hokage, who wanted us to stay in the hospital overnight. This seemed a tad unreasonable. But as we were both tired and overstressed, we didn't put up much resistance.
"Fuji and nee-chan were quick to give their report, however they were in the dark of many things. I anxiously waited to tell the hokage everything I could and even waited up for him in my hospital bed while Minato rested. However, it got late, and I was lacking energy so I eventually passed out. Later in the night, I was awoken by the sound of voices..."
FLASHBACK STARS HERE
URI'S POV [KONOHAGAKURE HOSPITAL; OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO]
"I see... So that is what happened."
Uri stirred in his bed, parting his eyelids with some resistance. The light was on but his area was shaded. Ah, the curtains were pulled around the bed.
He moved quietly beneath the covers to see the silhouettes of Minato, who was leaning against the back rail of his hospital bed, and the third hokage, who stood on the side opposite Uri where the door was located.
The curtains were parted just enough to give him a glimpse of their faces. They appeared to be feeling different kinds of understanding acceptance, with Minato looking somewhat ashamed.
"To be honest, Kushina and Fugaku's report was somewhat vague." Hiruzen said.
Uri blinked, recalling the day's events and felt weighed down with anguish.
"I'm sorry." Minato said a little breathlessly. "I should've told you everything sooner. Ages
ago..."
"To be honest, I see why you kept it from me." Hiruzen replied. "However I am surprised that Mikoto, Fugaku, and Uri were also in the dark."
Minato looked at him, somewhat confused.
"I refer to you being a witness to the murders of those poor children." Hiruzen explained, making both Uri and Minato stiffen. "That isn't something most could endure. It would seem you've been through a lot."
Minato laughed bitterly. "That is irrelevant. On the grand scale of things--"
"Why did you keep this to yourself?" Hiruzen asked point-blank.
Uri waited. Minato had gone quiet, and he feared his freind may have retreated into himself. But on the other hand, Minato would never ignore Lord Hiruzen like that. He would find it rude not to answer honestly.
"... It seemed devious to share it with others." Minato answered, stone-faced and dead-voiced.
"... How?"
Uri could see Minato bite the inside of his cheek.
"If I told Fuji, it would have been as if I were asking for forgiveness." Minato explained. "If I told Kushina, Mikoto, or Uri it would have been like asking for sympathy. If I told you, it would have felt manipulative. That and..."
Minato gripped his sheets as his face fell a little.
"I..." He said, faltering. He squared his shoulders. "I was aware that everyone who was close to me... Would forgive me instantly. Even Fuji. I had no doubt. You, too, would act as if there was nothing to forgive.
"However it is so frustrating... So terribly frustrating that it's hard to control. I feel so much... shame and guilt.
"Even though they called out to me and begged me to help them, I did nothing. I watched them all die, and they are still screaming inside my head. I couldn't escape them if I wanted to. And on top of that... I felt close to nothing. Both when I watched them be killed, and when I killed my clan members."
Uri's teeth clamped together. No...
Minato laughed again, this time sounding close to hysterical.
"For a while now, I'd been thinking..." He continued. "That living in this village had released me. My heart was no longer frozen shut, and I feel determined to protect the people here, who are like my family. And I was thinking that if my real clan approached me once more, I would not be able to simply kill them without any qualms. It would... hurt.
"But killing my cousins in cold blood has opened my eyes. Sometimes, especially now, I feel as if I'm lacking something. Something the others have... this connection they have to their clans that drives them to protect them at any cost, or feel anguish at their loss. I never possessed that for anyone until I met Mikoto, and even then it wasn't the same."
Minato reaxed his hands and raised them. He stared at them for a long time.
Hiruzen seemed to have softened, and reached up to pull his pipe from his mouth before remembering it wasn't there. He folded his arms behind his back and watched Minato until the boy lowered his hands and smiled weakly.
"You are lacking something." Hiruzen said, making Uri flinch in anger. "However, it isn't something crucial. You need not fear; I have known you for a while now. I can say this with utmost certainty: you will never turn into your father."
Minato looked up, not seeming to believe it. "Lord Hiruzen--"
"We all lack things, Minato." He went on. "Both crucial and non. That is why we have our allies, who possess the qualities we don't, give us their support in our moments of weakness. You have never lacked what you refer to. The Namikaze have specific genes that stimulate specific reactions to strong negative emotions, and subconciously block these out. This usually makes them into cruel, unfeeling people. However, every once in a while it creates good souls like yourself and the late-late leader of Yuukigakure."
Minato knit his brow. "How do you--"
"One of my teachers, the second hokage, looked into the unique biology of enemy clans and shared a few secrets with me."
Minato wavered between acceptance and disbelief as the third hokage turned to leave.
"I will speak with Danzo." He said. "He has gone too far, once again. I might need to restrain him soon. You should rest for now... And, if it helps you..."
Hiruzen paused with one foot outside the door.
"I have never forgotten their faces either." He reffered to the lost children. "Nor their names. However, you are not to blame for that tragedy. To continue to torment yourself would be unwise."
Minato stared at him, his eyes shaking as he looked away.
"What should I do?" He asked, sounding rather helpless.
The sandaime was quick to reply.
"You should forgive yourself."
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
URI'S POV [PRESENT DAY KUMOGAKURE]
"After that, Minato told us everything." Uri frowned as he remembered Fuji’s, Mikoto’s, and nee-chan’s individual expressions. "That is how I am able to relay everything to you in such detail.
"As he had expected, we all forgave him immediately. But in our hearts, we hated his family even more. Fuji, who was Minato's best friend, did not react well to hearing about how his freinds and family had died in horror and blood even if he had surmised as much on his own. Even so, he bore Minato no ill will, and swore to overcome the pain so that he wouldn't lose him."
Ay sighed in aggravation and threw his head about before glaring at Uri.
"You know, I really don't get this. Any of it!" He spat, getting the attention of everyone as well as Uri.
"Uchiha Fugaku... killed hundreds of my freinds and subordinates in cold blood!" Ay ranted.
"He betrayed his village, planned a coup de tat, and lead his clan like pigs to a slaughter! He betrayed the fourth hokage!"
Uri relaxed and straightened up. Ay was annoyed by the clear look in his eyes and grit his teeth in response.
"What?! Is that not right?!" Ay questioned, though it was clear he believed otherwise. "Don't act like you don't know! If you were so close to him, then you know without a doubt! That guy knew exactly what would happen if he planned a mutiny against his village! And you're saying he was loyal to the fourth?! That he didn't want to lose him?! He betrayed him! When he decided to go against the village, he trampled all over everything his so-called close friend stood for. And Mikoto as well!"
Uri looked away, feeling strange.
"What were they thinking?! That they could win?!" Ay shook his head. "Hasn't that been what you've been saying from the very start? That a single clan, no matter how powerful, couldn't take on Konoha and be victorious?! And even if they were, would it really be worth it?! They would have to kill their freinds, their teachers!"
Uri sighed through his nose.
"He turned his eldest son against him!" Ay continued. "He forced Itachi to go through... Exactly what Minato did! In order to protect others who were innocent, both Itachi and Minato had to slay those who shared their flesh and blood! I won't pretend to know what thats like, and I hope no one enlightens me. But it must be... Worse than death! And on top of that, Sasuke became one of the biggest problems the hidden villages have faced since their creation. In fact, he still is!"
"Raikage!" Tsunade snapped.
Ay whipped his head around. "I don't understand it!"
Tsunade relaxed, faltering in her anger.
"I don't... See it." Ay grinded his teeth together. "I don't know how I feel anymore. Thanks to HIM..."
Ay's eyes zeroed in on Uri. "And THIS guy. I really don't understand it. Why... Why... If they were such good people... If they were such good freinds...
"Then why did they all meet an end like that?" He asked, seeming to want a substantial answer. "Why, one after the other, did they die like that?"
Uri looked up at him with awe and laughed through his nose. Ay seemed to take offense at this, as he glared at Uri as he got to his feet.
"You... For someone who seems so brash, you're actually a very nice person, aren't you?" He asked, shocking everyone in the room.
Ay recoiled. "You--"
"I won't lie, I've held you and this entire village in contempt ever since nee-chan's kidnapping." Uri continued, smiling softly. "But now I see how my nephew was able to come and go here as if it were some sort of... Second home."
Ay knit his brow as Uri turned his back to him. One look out the window proved it was late now. He approached it and placed his hand on the glass.
It was cold...
"To answer your question, 'why did Fuji betray konoha if he was so close to Minato,' you should understand something." Uri smiled. "Fuji, as I explained to you, cared more about his freinds and his village than Minato did. He loved them all, just like a hokage does. Just like Minato did. As we grew together, it was incredibly obvious to us and to everyone else. Our entire world... revolved around Konoha."
He felt everyone become more confused and chuckled under his breath as he leaned his head against the glass.
"For all the pain we'd suffered, for all that we lost, Konoha was our
salvation." Uri turned his head. "They were the best medicine. They healed our hearts and gave us hope. Hope that the future would be different. However... Even before Minato's death and the Uchiha's oppression, Fuji and Mikoto's world had begun to revolve around something else."
Somewhat cautiously, Gaara asked:
"... And what was that?"
Uri looked over his shoulder at him.
And smiled.
SASUKE'S POV [HIDDEN LOCATION]
He hopped from one tree limb to the next, not even trying to ignore the cold and angry wind and snow.
He was getting close now. He would be there soon. He should've known it would be easier than he thought to reach his desired location.
He felt a drop of water roll down his cheek and flinched, wiping it away with the back of his hand before looking at it. It trailed down his thumb and dripped off his palm.
He relaxed. It was just melted snow, that was all. He could tell from how cold it was...
However, as as result of this momentary scare, he had remembered his moment of weakness back in Kumo, where he'd actually...
He leapt into the air, coming down once more on a sturdy branch as he continued his race to the secret prison.
When had he beome like this? When was it that they started to mean so much to him?
Gaara's comment disturbed him, but it was also comforting.
THEY BRING OUT HIS HUMAN SIDE, AND KEEP HIM SANE.
Yes, that was true. He would own up to that.
Ever since the war... Ever since he retuned to Konoha, to their side, he had started to remember it. The heart that his mother and his clan had molded and shaped to resemble something so bright and warm and rejuvenating it scared him.
He shut his eyes as he jumped into the air once more, and came clapping down on a somewhat shaky branch.
Yes. As arrogant and self-centered as he may have been, he had felt... Human. And he was the same now...
But still,when exactly had he returned to this state of mind and heart?
After the war, he was still angry, vioent, and cold. He wanted nothing to do with the rest of the vllage after his chakra had been sealed with restraint jutsu, and the feeling was more or less the same. Those who had had high hopes for him, who'd cheered for him during his academy days and his time on team 7, had moved on. They looked at him with anxiety, fear, and hatred. He might as well have been some man-eating monster.
However, Sakura and Naruto were different. They gave his past actions no mind and were just excited to have him back. At first, he was as venomous towards them as the others. But they teased him, encouraged him, even provoked him.
They dragged him to barbecue restaurants and festivals and all kinds of ridiculous places. Noisy, annoying places.
But it worked, and much more quickly than he cared to admit. His heart, which was warped and cold and shut off from the rest of the world, began to heal, something he'd thought was impossible.
Really, how was he supposed to recover from all that had happened?
To his clan, to his brother?
And yet, Sakura and Naruto were still there. He was healing, and it was such a weight off his shoulders he began to do other things.
Laugh. Smile. Even enjoy their company.
He'd actually been looking forward to seeing it. Naruto, as hokage. He had begun to think that maybe, if it was the two of them together, then they could create a new Konoha. One where such things as whole clans being oppressed and slaughtered wouldn't be allowed.
He had gained a happiness, a future, and he'd even begun to remember things. The good memories, some of which had become painful, became cherished irreplacable things once more.
But now... He had to wonder.
How was it alright?
FLACHBACK STARTS HERE
SASUKE'S POV [THIRTEEN YEARS AGO]
"Sasuke, come here."
He frowned at her. "No."
"Sasuke, listen to your mother." She said, reaching her arms out to him.
"Come here. Let me look at you."
He bit the inside of his cheek and looked away. He was holding both hands behind his back when he walked in, but she'd laughed and crouched in front of the hallway that led to his bedroom, refusing to let him pass.
With her arms held out, she waved her hands in a "come here" gesture. Accompanied with a knowing, warm smile... it was hard to refuse her. She had always had this pull, like gravity, so he came whenever she called him.
Begrudgingly, he trudged over to her where she turned her hands over, palm-side up, and flexed her fingers in a way that said "hand it over."
That bugged him. She acted like he'd stolen a cookie out of the jar.
He didn't even like sweets.
His eyes narrowed, and he slowly revealed his clenched fist, which was bleeding from a long slash across his palm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw he'd left a trail of blood, and a little puddle at the door.
So that's how she'd known...
She laughed through her nose as she cleaned and wrapped his hand.
"When covering up a crime, it's best to hide the evidence." She advised as she tucked the end of the wrapping into a fold of gauze. "Not that you shouldn't hide you wounds. They'll only get worse if they're not treated, you know?"
Sasuke exhaled through his nose stubbornly. "It's just a little cut."
She pulled on his cheek, making him wince in pain as she let go. He looked up at her, as if he were accusing her of something.
"You stayed late today again." She said gently. "And you came back hurt too. You should give your body some time to rest."
"I want to be strong." He replied curtly.
She made a "fuu"sound and placed her chin on her upturned palm, giving him another one of her knowing looks.
"Did you make any freinds?" She asked.
Sasuke frowned at her. "Who would want to be freinds with them? They're annoying."
Mother smiled, laughing under her breath.
"It's alright if they're annoying." She said, her eyes shining. "It's alright if they rely on you, and its alright if they don't. It's alright if they have red hair that no one likes, or spiky blond hair that everyone likes. It's alright if they're a little cold, and say selfish things.
"It's alright if you can't protect them. It's alright if you forget
them..."
She stiffened, making him look at her strangely. She had an odd look on her face. As if there were something on the tip of her tongue that she didn't know how to say.
"Mother...?" He called out.
She placed her hand over her lips.
"Just now, I..."
He waited, and slowly the look softened into a slight disappointment. When it had faded, she looked down at him, and ruffled his hair with one of her hands.
Her hand was very cold, just like always. He didn't care though.
He liked the cold.
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
How was it alright?
He really didn't see how it was okay. And he didn't understand most of what she had meant.
But...
Why? He had lost his brother. Again. Wasn't the first time enough?
He really did hate this world. All it ever did was take from him
But... But...!
He wanted to hear it again. Just one more time.
Please mother, he begged, just one more time. Let me hear it again...
-------!
He froze, coming to a stop on one of the higher branches before turning to face the opposite direction.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Could he have... Was it possible that...?
He frowned, ashamed of himself. No... No it was impossible...
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