Shadows within a Dream
By: Kisu
A/N: This chapter was rearranged because some people had a difficulty in reading it. I guess trying to make flashbacks is a little confusing when I have like three timelines going on at the same time! Ahahah! But yes, I hope you guys have a better time reading this one. Also I added in a bit more than the original chapter! So enjoy!
italicized: is the past..i.e. the story they are telling.
Disclaimer: Only Kishimoto-sama owns Naruto and crew! XD
Chapter 3.7: Saba
Shikamaru's eyes were raised to the ceiling as he walked down the corridor to the Hokage's office.
"Women." He muttered under his breath. He had lost count of all the times that he had walked down this hallway in order to accomplish a simple task for their leader. "That's why Konoha never had a woman in office before. They're too troublesome."
He stopped before too large doors and knocked once. The ANBU on either side of the door nodded to him and Tsunade voice drifted through the doors, telling him to enter.
He pushed one of the doors open and held it out as he waited for the three Cloud-nins to enter.
"Hokage." He bowed as he released the door and greeted the woman. Tsunade waved him to the side and clasped her hands together.
"I understand that, Uzumaki Naruto was your former sensei." Tsunade spoke up. "It seems like Jiraiya didn't mention to me that he entered Lightning Country."
"Perhaps it was Jiraiya-sensei's purpose to not tell you." Saya retorted, angrily. "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, Hokage."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"Watch your mouth." Shikamaru warned. God, women were so troublesome.
"Who put you into office, woman?" Shiko snapped angrily. "Don't you know how to handle your shinobi?" He eyed Shikamaru who merely raised an eyebrow in return.
"For your information, young man." Tsunade began as she slammed her hands down onto her desk. The room shook as she got to her feet. "Your former sensei placed me into office and he is my successor!"
"Konoha does not need him! We need him more as Raikage!" Cho burst out angrily.
"Only ninjas from their respectable villages can officially be the Kage of that village." Tsunade said, tiredly. "But I wish to understand more of your dilemma. What happened to your village?"
"Itachi of the Akatsuki was hired by Kazuo. Uchiha Itachi killed my father." Cho said, hotly. Bitter tears welled up in her eyes and she clenched her hands into fists. "Itachi destroyed our village and burned it to the ground. We are the only survivors!"
Silence rang out across the room and no one was able to speak. Saya and Shiko glared at the floor and Shikamaru slowly straightened.
"Please Tanaka-sama." Tsunade said, quietly. "Tell us your story."
Within the borders of Lightning Country was a small fishing village. It rested high on the cliffs, overlooking the bountiful blue ocean. Saba was a prosperous village which its citizens made their living off fishing and trades. Ninjas, villagers, explorers, and many more unusual people could be found roaming the town. Every night, there was a festival full of good cheer and laughter.
On a particular day when the sky was exceptionally clear with only a few lone clouds in sight, a trio had gathered in the apple orchard. A boy with eyes that were an emerald green glanced worriedly up a tree. He brushed away a few strands of jet black hair from his eyes and his lips curved downward in a frown.
"Cho-chan! I think that's enough!" He called up the tree. His twin sister nodded in agreement.
"Your mom will kill us if you fall and break your neck!" She added with worry.
"I'm almost done." A voice floated down to them. Almost blending in with the trees, a girl with dark green hair and chocolate brown eyes winked at the pair below. "This one is so big and ripe!" Edging slowly across the branch, her sandaled feet slipped.
"Cho!" The girl below screamed.
"I'll catch-." The boy was interrupted when a bright flash of yellow crossed his vision.
The twins turned around and stared at Cho's savior, a boy in foreign dark gear. His hair was bright as the sun and his eyes were a deep blue like the vast ocean.
"Are you all right?" He asked as he placed Cho onto her feet.
"H-Hai!" Cho squeaked while blushed a bright red. "Saya! Shi-chan!" The twins ran to her and immediately examined her for cuts and bruises. Then they immediately sighed in relief.
"You idiot!" Shiko growled. "Thank god you're not hurt."
"Such a close call, my heart is racing." Saya added as she placed a hand on her chest.
"Sorry." Cho blinked.
"Did you want this?" All three of them turned around at the voice of the boy with blonde hair. Cho gaped as the aforementioned apple was held out to her.
"Thank you." Cho stared as she accepted the apple. Her eyes raked up and down his figure and landed on the glint of metal around his neck. Nestled in his dark blue collared shirt was a hitai-ate and it was engraved with the symbol of Konoha. "You're a shinobi?"
"Yeah." The boy replied as he absently lifted the hitai-ate into clearer view.
"Hey we are shinobis too!" Shiko boasted as he glared at the blonde boy. "We're Genins!"
"I'm a Genin too." The boy smiled. "I have to go now. Take care and try not to fall again." With that, he took off.
"He's a Genin?" Saya gaped as Shiko frowned and crossed his arms.
"Konoha's Yellow Flash." Cho murmured. "I'm sure of it."
"Here is your coffee, Sensei."
A mug filled with brown liquid was placed softly on the table before the man with white hair. Jiraiya smiled as he leaned back, grasping the mug in his hand. His breathed in, sniffing appreciatively at the contents and gave a large grin.
"Ah Io, you always make the best cup of coffee." He exclaimed.
"Jiraiya stop kidding around." Io laughed as she settled down in the chair across from him. Her house was small but very cozy. Warm steam rose from the water kettle on the stove and the door to the kitchen was opened to welcome any visitors that dropped by.
"How are you faring?" The sennin asked as he eyed her over the rim. She sighed and clasped her hands together, resting her elbows on the table.
"Kai passed away a few years ago and since then, his brother has taken over the position as Kage." Io said, quietly.
"Kazuo?" Jiraiya sputtered. "That loser?"
"They say Kai's death was an accident but I'm sure Kazuo was behind it." Io said, her brown eyes blazing in anger.
"What was the accident?" Jiraiya asked.
"It was no accident." Io replied sharply. "They said he drowned. And his body was never recovered. I heard he hired a man to get rid of Kai."
"How is your daughter taking it?" Jiraiya murmured.
"Cho? She's-."
"Mama! I saw him!" A girl burst through the kitchen door, her green hair becoming slightly undone from her long braid. Her eyes, the color of the coffee in Jiraiya's mug sparkled in excitement.
"Cho? What on-." Io began as she got up slowly.
"I saw him! I saw Konoha's Yellow Flash!" Cho exclaimed as she ran up to her mother. She tugged on her apron excitedly. "He was everything that you said he was! His hair was the color of the sun and his eyes were the color of the ocean!"
"Cho-chan, Konoha's Yellow Flash passed away nearly a decade ago." Io said quietly as she smoothed her hands over Cho's dark green hair.
"No Mama! He rescued me when I fell in the apple orchard! Shi-chan and Saya saw him too!" Cho frowned.
Io was a fair woman with hair the color sun-ripened wheat and eyes the color of the new spring grass. However, Cho's looks all came completely from her father. Jiraiya had seen Io's eyes light up when her daughter had burst into the room.
"She must be talking about my student, Io." Jiraiya spoke up. A boy and a girl burst into the kitchen, breathless. Wordlessly, the boy placed a basket of apples on the table and the girl leaned against the kitchen door frame to catch her breath.
"Cho…you…brat." Shiko glared as he leaned over to catch his breath.
"Shi-chan! Saya! Tell Mama that we saw him! We saw Konoha's Yellow Flash!" Cho demanded.
"What?" Saya frowned. "What yellow flash? We just saw a blonde boy!"
"So is he his son?" Io asked. Jiraiya paused and slowly finished the rest of his coffee. He placed the mug back on the table and closed his eyes.
"Yes."
"Tadaima." A soft knock sounded on the side of the house as a boy walked in. Jiraiya opened his eyes and watched as Io's eyes widened at the sight of the boy. She walked over slowly and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Is this the boy?" She asked. Jiraiya nodded and she blinked rapidly as if to hold in tears. "His eyes are bluer than his. What's your name?"
The boy raised his head and searched her eyes for a moment before smiling slightly. "Uzumaki Naruto."
"Do you have a dream, Naruto?" Io asked.
"No, but I do have a goal." Naruto replied, honestly. "I want to be the Hokage!"
"Work hard and it'll come true." Io smiled.
"So…Jiraiya brought him to that village." Tsunade spoke up thoughtfully. A faraway look got into her eyes and she sat back in her chair. A soft knock sounded at the door and Tsunade slowly turned to look at Shikamaru. With a soft sigh, the Chuunin pried himself off the wall and walked over to open the door. Shizune walked in and placed a tray of tea and sandwiches on the Hokage's desk.
"Yes, Nii-chan loved our village dearly." Cho said, quietly.
"No." Tsunade stood up and strolled over to her window. Her eyes searched out one particular face on the Hokage's monument and her gaze softened. "He took Arashi to that village."
"Hokage-sama." Shizune said, respectfully as she held out a cup of tea. Tsunade took it wordlessly and sipped it as Shizune distributed the tea and sandwiches to the other people in the room.
"Okaasan knew your fourth Hokage when she was young. In fact, Otousan and he were great friends." Cho continued softly.
"So, if you will. Can you please continue your story?" Tsunade asked as she turned around and faced them.
"I'll take over." Saya said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she began.
"Very good, Saya! You climbed that tree like a pro!" Their teacher clapped his hands and swung his long legs over the branch he was sitting on.
"Really, Sensei?" Saya asked breathlessly as she got up from the ground. Naruto grinned as jumped down, landing softly on the grass below.
"Really. Now can you three please stop calling me 'Sensei'?" Naruto frowned.
"No!" The three of them chorused. Naruto's eye twitched and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You can call me 'Nii-chan' if you like. But if you call me 'Sensei' again, I won't train you." He threatened.
"Hai!" The three chorused again.
"Nii-san! You smile more now!" Cho voiced. Naruto blinked and looked off in the distance.
"Is that so?" He murmured with a peaceful smile on his face. "Today, I want to tell you three that I won't be able to train you guys anymore."
"What?" Shiko yelled out as he jumped to his feet. Cho gasped and Saya quickly whipped her head around.
"Why?" Saya protested.
"Are you leaving, Nii-chan?" Cho asked, bluntly. Naruto gave them a nod.
"I can't stay here too long or danger will come to your village." He explained. "He follows me everywhere."
"He?" Saya repeated.
"The man you call…Itachi?" Cho whispered to herself. Shiko and Saya stared at Cho in an unvoiced demand for explanations. Cho just shook her head at them.
"You three have grown so much since you started training with me. In no time, you'll pass the Chuunin test. Then you can be great Jounin!" Naruto laughted.
"Nii-chan!" Cho wailed as she dove forward. "Don't leave us!" Naruto grunted as Cho wrapped her arms around his waist and refused to let go. Naruto ruffled her hair fondly, noting that she was only a head shorter than him.
Suddenly he tensed and he paled.
"Sensei?" Saya asked, worriedly.
"He's opened up so much since he got here." Io smiled as she and Jiraiya sat in the shade of a tree a few feet away.
"He's a good kid." Jiraiya stated as he stared at the group in the distance. "I never thought that someone could take his smile away."
"That man." Io turned her head toward the sennin. "His name is Uchiha Itachi? The Uchiha that turned rogue and killed his family?"
"The very same." Jiraiya replied.
"He must be sad." Io said, quietly. "He has no one. Even his little brother detests him."
"Maybe. But that Uchiha isn't one to grieve. I don't even think he has emotions." Jiraiya mused. Io opened her mouth to reply when they heard a shout. Quickly they stood up and rush to where Naruto was standing.
"Nii-san!" Cho cried, clearly stressed over the fact that Naruto was clutching onto her in a death grip. The young man's complexion was pale and his breathing was strained.
"Naruto!" Jiraiya bellowed as he stopped in front of him. Io tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He's near." Naruto whispered. His voice was hoarse from suppressed emotions and fear flickered through his blue eyes. "We're too late."
"How far?" Jiraiya asked. He straightened and strained to locate any foreign chakra.
"He's in the village." Naruto breathed as he ran off. "I have to stop him!"
"Naruto!" Io cried, worriedly as she ran after him.
"You three! Stay here!" Jiraiya ordered as he ran after Io's fleeing figure.
"Hell no!" Shiko yelled as gestured toward them. "Let's go!" Saya and Cho nodded in agreement and followed him.
"Damn him!" Tsunade yelled out as she slammed her teacup onto its saucer. Shizune winced as the fragile teacup slowly cracked perfectly in half. She had lost count of all the china that Tsunade had broken in her fits of fury.
Wordlessly, Shizune cleaned up the mess and prepared to pour another cup of tea for the Hokage. She watched as Tsunade drummed her well manicured hands on the desk. It was her cue to get her something strong, supposedly sake. Shizune shook her head slightly and Tsunade scowled at her response.
There was no way she was serving Konoha's leader sake in front of Chuunin from a different village.
"If Itachi wasn't dead yet, I would personally go and destroy him myself!" Tsunade ranted. The three Cloud-nins watched with wide eyes as Shizune reassured her quietly and placed another sugar cube in Tsunade's cup of tea.
"My turn." Shiko spoke up. All eyes turned toward him. "I will tell the rest."
The village was ablaze when they arrived and bodies of numerous villagers lay on the streets. Naruto's eyes widened and he whipped his head to and fro looking for the source of the tragedy.
"Itachi! Show yourself!" He screamed as he ran through the village. The smoke stung his eyes and made it hard to breathe but Naruto continued swinging doors open in an attempt to find any survivors. "Itachi!"
"Naruto-kun! Run!"
"Kairi! Thank goodness you're all right!" Naruto swung around and stared as the baker's daughter suddenly coughed up some blood and fell forward. Behind her was Uchiha Itachi. His sharingan eyes spun and his katana dripped blood of the slain village. "K-Kairi!" He rushed forward and grabbed the girl, shaking her roughly.
"This is your entire fault." Itachi whispered. "If you hadn't run. I wouldn't have to come after you." The katana in his hand lifted up to graze Naruto's neck like a lover's caress.
"Y-You killed them all!" Naruto whispered as he stared into Kairi's lifeless eyes. He slowly removed his hands from her body and stared at the amount of blood that was on them. His hands shook and his eyes widened. "You killed them!"
Itachi met his gaze and smiled bitterly. "Yes."
Naruto threw his head back and howled in anguish. Hot tears slid down his checks and he screamed, crying for those who he couldn't protect. Startled, Itachi took a step back and lowered his katana.
"What are you doing to him?" Somebody screamed angrily. Itachi watched in amazement as a fair headed woman lunged out for Naruto and captured him in her arms. They skidded a few feet away, gaining distance away from Itachi. Her green eyes narrowed and she stroked Naruto's hair, soothing him from his wailing.
"Give him to me." Itachi frowned as he stepped forward. The woman frowned and wrapped her arms tighter around Naruto.
"You killed Kai, didn't you?" She asked. Itachi paused and raised his katana.
"Believe what you must." He replied as he dashed forward. Just as he neared them, kunais flew in his direction and directed his attention away from them. Itachi avoided them easily and spun around, staring at the white haired sennin. "Jiraiya."
"Uchiha Itachi." Jiraiya nodded. "You are an S-class Missing-nin wanted under the authority of Fire Country. Come with me peacefully or by force." Itachi said nothing but raised his katana and Jiraiya frowned. His eyes flitted over to Io who was smoothing Naruto's hair while crooning softly at him. His eyes narrowed and he moved his feet into a defensive stance. "For taking his smile away, I will never forgive you."
He had spent the entire day out near the lake after he had woken up and left the house abruptly. It was peaceful here in the forest. It was a place that only he and Naruto shared. So when he heard the sound of rushing footsteps he knew that Naruto was coming.
"Sasuke!"
The dark haired Chuunin turned around and stared as a flash of yellow crossed his vision. He could barely ready himself for the attack as a bundle of gold hit him and they went sprawling on the ground.
"Naruto." Sasuke hissed feeling slightly irritated that he was covered in muck and leaves. "What do you think you are doing?" Naruto said nothing but buried his face into the soft cotton of his black shirt. Sighing remorsefully, Sasuke laid back and one hand reached up to run its fingers through strands the color of the sun. A small smile crossed his lips as he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the earth they laid on.
"Sasuke." Naruto's small voice made him open an eye curiously.
"Mm?" He mumbled.
"Do you have dreams?"
Sasuke stiffened and he was sure Naruto could feel him tense under him. With a short release of breath, he relaxed and calmly continued to run his fingers through Naruto's hair. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you see yourself as someone else?" Naruto murmured. "Are you someone who wants power? But no matter what you do, you can't grasp it?"
"…Maybe."
"What do you remember Sasuke?"
"I don't remember anything."
"Is it like you're a different person?"
"…Yes."
"If you had to choose between being that person and the person you are now." Naruto raised his head up and stared deeply into his eyes. "Who will you be?"
"…I don't know."
Sasuke watched as Naruto studied him intently, emotions flickering through his eyes too fast for him to follow. "I'm afraid." Naruto confessed as he sat up.
"Why?" Sasuke blinked as he also sat up.
"You were with Orochimaru for a year, Sasuke." Naruto told him. "And I brought you back."
"What?" Sasuke stared at the blonde. He racked his mind for memories of Orochimaru, only receiving their fight in the Valley of Death.
"When you came back you were in a state of mind that you would not eat or drink. So Tsunade sealed away your memories." Naruto continued. "No one was allowed to talk about it."
"My memories?" Sasuke repeated as he straightened. "You can't be serious."
"Your dreams are your memories. They are real, Sasuke." Naruto whispered. "Once, you were that person. And the seals begin to unravel. Tsunade warned us that you could slowly remember."
"I won't accept this." Sasuke glared as he shot to his feet. "I can't believe all the lies that are coming out of your mouth, Uzumaki!"
"I'm afraid to lose you again." Naruto said, quietly as he focused blindly on a random spot.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw angrily. "I don't want to speak to you again." With that, he rushed off leaving Naruto alone.
The blonde got to his feet and brushed a few stray leaves away from his clothes. He tilted his head up and watched as the leaves danced in a soft breeze.
"I'm sorry." He whispered heartbrokenly.
Sakura walked out of the sweets shop with a bag of rice cakes in hand. Her lips pursued as she debated whether to give some to Naruto since he was fond of sweet things. Sasuke on the other hand…didn't seem to like sweets.
She turned the corner and gave a small cry as someone barreled into her. Well speak of the devil…
Sasuke shook his head and glared at Sakura. When he recognized her, his glare disappeared and was replaced by a look of indifference. Slowly he got to his feet and helped her up in a silent act of apology.
"What's wrong Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as she made sure her rice cakes were all right. "Where are you off in such a hurry?"
"I-I…" Sasuke began but promptly shut his mouth. Sakura watched as a whirl of emotions flickered through his eyes.
"Did you see Naruto?" Sakura asked. Sasuke tensed and Sakura's lips thinned out into a line. "Come with me." She grabbed his arm and he wrenched away from her.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Sasuke seether. Sakura grabbed a hold of his arm again, not caring that her fingers dug into his skin relentlessly.
"We need to clarify things." Sakura said. "If you want explanations, come with me now." She dragged him off into the direction of the nearest tea shop.
Once seated, she ordered tea for both of them. Sasuke refused to look at her and kept his eyes trained to his hands that rested on the table.
"You two are always so stubborn." Sakura began as she placed a hand under her chin. She tilted her head to the side to observe the dark haired Chuunin. "One of you wouldn't wait for the other to finish speaking before the other responded. I remember how after an argument, you two wouldn't speak for days."
"Get to the point, Sakura." Sasuke snapped. He wasn't in the mood to talk about the past, especially after his encounter with Naruto.
"Fine, Baka." Sakura frowned. "Naruto has probably told you that your memories were sealed away by Tsunade-sama, correct?" At Sasuke's slight nod, Sakura clasped hands together. "I wanted to tell you about the seal earlier but Naruto told me not to mention it to you. He said since you were recovering, it would only make you worry." She laughed softly. "Sasuke…Naruto almost died when he brought you back."
Sasuke jolted upright and stared at his former teammate in shock. "What?" He blinked.
"He had used up so much chakra that he was at the point of collapsing. But he wouldn't let you go. He made sure you were out of Orochimaru's fortress before giving away in his exhaustion." Sakura said, softly. "His chakra system was delicate after fighting you, which is why it almost collapsed when he lent you his chakra."
"So…it was my fault again." Sasuke murmured.
"When he woke up, he was a complete blank. He wouldn't talk about anything that had happened between you two. It seemed like the fight had unnerved him." Sakura continued. "You were in the same state. You refused to eat or drink. You wouldn't talk. You would just lie in your bed, staring up at the ceiling."
"So I've heard." Sasuke replied.
"That was when Tsunade-sama decided to seal away your memory of the fight. Naruto was against it and had to be sedated when Tsunade performed the jutsu. That was when Naruto left with Jiraiya to take some time away from Konoha while you recovered." Sakura sighed and watched as the waitress placed their cups of tea in front of them. "You should understand Sasuke. It wasn't because Naruto didn't want to tell you about your memories till now. It's because above all people, Naruto cares about you the most."
"So what can I do now?" Sasuke asked.
"You should go see the Hokage." Sakura replied. "I'm sure she has a solution."
Sasuke stood up and his hand reached in his pocket for some money to pay for the tea. Sakura shook her head.
"It's on me. You should go see her now."
Sasuke stared at her for a few more moments before nodding abruptly and disappeared with a puff of smoke.
She stirred her tea and glanced out the window as a small smile crossed her lips.
"I think I just lost you forever, Sasuke-kun."
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade listened intently as Shiko wrapped up the story.
"Jiraiya fought Itachi but in the end Itachi got away." Shiko told her. "And we began to take the long task of burying every villager."
"Naruto Nii-san dug all his graves with his bare hands." Cho said as tears came to her eyes. "His fingernails soon became cracked and they bled. The skin on his hands became raw but he refused to stop." Cho quickly drew her arm across her eyes and wiped away her tears. "But when it was too much for him, he'll break down and cry. He grieved so much and we couldn't do anything to help him."
"That was when Io-san got sick. She caught a disease that was going around and Nii-san became more depressed. Io-san was like a mother to all of us and when she passed away, it was like something snapped in Nii-san." Saya said, quietly.
"He moved like an old man. He walked carefully and thought before he acted. He didn't act at all like his age." Shiko cut in. "Then Jiraiya-sensei took him away after seeing us to the Hidden Cloud Village. He told us to become strong and protect the ones that we loved."
"But before Naruto Nii-san left, he told us, 'Becoming strong does not mean revenge. Know your path as a shinobi or don't become one at all'." Saya said, bitterly. "Unfortunately we didn't abide with his words and made a deal with Kazuo."
"Everyone makes mistakes." Shizune said, sympathetically. "No one is perfect."
"But Sensei has suffered so much!" Shiko yelled out suddenly. "We became strong to protect him! Everything we've done is for him!"
"Shi-chan." Cho gasped.
"Aniki…" Saya murmured.
"Why won't you let us take him with us?" Shiko demanded.
"Naruto's will is his alone. No one will make decisions for him." Tsunade said, quietly. "You should direct your questions toward him and not to me. Whether he decides to leave with you or stay in this village is entirely up to him."
"Whatever he decides…" Cho murmured. "You will not interfere? Do we have your word on it?"
"You have my word as Hokage." Tsunade said, solemnly.
"Wait you can't go in there!"
"Stop him!"
Tsunade looked toward the door and Shikamaru's hand causally came to rest beside his kunai pouch. The doors swung wide open and Uchiha Sasuke stared at them with narrowed eyes. He literally pulsed with anger as he took a step forward.
"Even if you will not interfere in his decision," Sasuke hissed. "I will not stand by if he decides to leave Konoha. If he leaves, I do too!"
Tsunade closed her eyes and massaged her temples. What else could go wrong today?
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Uhm…probably filled with so much grammar mistakes and sentence structure stuff…but yeh…I was in a hurry to upload it.