Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Without Any Destiny ❯ Chapter 18: Whose Wish Is Mine to Yearn For? ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter 18: Whose Wish Is Mine to Yearn For?

 

`The crescent moon in the sky,

Signifying love;

My Eternal Love for You.

 

~Haiku #11, Anonymous'

 

The door opened ajar. Kakashi and Tsunade's conversation were interrupted by their presence. The both of them jumped to their feet when they saw their guest.

 

“Hyuuga Haruko!” The both of them cried simultaneously.

 

Sasuke looked at the three of them. They didn't look too pleased seeing each other. Haruko somewhat reminded Sasuke of Hinata. She had a nervous look but nevertheless, Sasuke could feel that her aura was very strong… compared to all the other female ninja he had met besides Tsunade-sama.

 

Tsunade looks around anxiously.

“Where is she?”

 

“That… is a serious problem now. I don't where she has gone off to.”

 

Kakashi slammed his fist once more again on the table.

“How can you lose her out of your sight?”

 

“It's better than what you did. I managed to keep her under my sight for three whole years. You barely stood for a month,” Haruko snapped.

 

“Enough! Both of you! There's no time for your silly arguments. Right now, the main importance is to find her and bring her back to Konoha Village!”

 

Haruko and Kakashi stared at each other, creating a static wave between the two of them. Tsunade just shook her head in disappointment. Of all the catastrophes to happen, this was the worse. The girl has to be found, no matter what. Tsunade began to imagine the worst that would happen if she fell into the wrong hands. Tired of being ignored, Sasuke gave a loud dry cough. Kakashi sighed.

 

“Tsunade, it is best that we tell him about it as well… since he's already involved in the matter,” Haruko said.

 

“Not too much though. We don't want him to know about the rest which is pretty irrelevant to him, “Kakashi added in.

 

Tsunade noticed the look that Kakashi gave. She knew that she shouldn't mention too much about her…. Otherwise, there would be tension between the two of them. She knew what was bound to happen if he found out a little too much.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke, what you will hear after this must not be discussed or told to anybody else. Otherwise, you will face a penalty of death. Do you hear?”

 

“I clearly understand. Now, can you please tell me what's going on?”

 

Tsunade exhaled and then, sat down back at her seat ad the other two retreated to a nearby couch.

 

“Tell me, Sasuke, have you heard about the Red Ninja?”

 

 

Memory flashbacks playing once more as Yuri began to think about the incident. It was all not purely an accident. It was worse than that.

 

How can it be? She was not supposed to be here…. Besides that, who were the two women cloaked in red and white who saved Neji from being devoured by her? I'm really confused…

 

Footsteps rushing up the stairs could be heard. Yuri halted in her steps. Tenten was pushing through the doctors and nurses and making her way up the stairs.

 

“Tenten?”

 

“Please excuse me! I have to hurry now! I have to save Neji-kun!”

 

Tenten ran by quickly. Instinctively, Yuri ran after Tenten, wondering what the commotion was all about. They burst into Neji's room which made Rock Lee, who happened to be there, jump out of his skin.

 

“Tenten! What's this all about?”

 

“This…” Tenten announced while showing them both the colorless vial.

 

Please… make Neji wake up.

 

There was a shining glimmer on the colorless vial. Yuri began to feel suspicious about the vial. She watched on as Tenten removed the cork on the vial.

`There's something strange about that vial…. It seems too good to be true.'

 

Tenten poured the colorless liquid from the vial into Neji's mouth as the others watched, waiting for a miracle to happen.

 

Sweat began to trickle down their skin.

Their hearts were praying for Neji to awaken from his sleep.

Their hearts began to beat quickly.

 

Suddenly, there was a bright flash that blinded their eyes.

Thoughts began to run through Yuri's mind as she covered her face.

`Damn it! What the heck is that thing?'

 

The flash dispersed after a few seconds. Yuri could hear a faint sobbing. She opened her eyes and the next thing she saw was beyond her imagination. There he was, Hyuuga Neji, sitting upright as if he had just awaken from a very long sleep.

 

“Tenten, Lee, Yuri… Where am I?”

 

“Neji-kun!!!” Tenten cried as she embraced Neji tightly in her arms. Rock Lee began to feel his eyes water but Yuri felt something amiss. She ran out of the door, shaking her head in disbelief with the door shut behind her.

 

“It can't be possible…. How can anybody just wake up like that? It's no ordinary miracle. There's something strange about that vial and I'm determined to find out.”

 

 

His eyes gazed at the ground. Tsunade sipped tea out of her cup as the other two looked at Sasuke, with hope that he'll understand.

 

“Let me summarize everything that you just said. This person that you have been searching for, this girl, is the Konoha Ninja War Deity?”

 

“That is correct. However, it'd be preferable if you refer her as the Red Ninja.”

 

“Right…. So, her purpose of coming here is to help rebuild Konoha's strength.”

 

“That is correct.”

 

“Besides that, she's also here to destroy the Mysterious Ninja or rather known as Sogen Kaede as well as protect the Village from any sudden attacks from outside forces.”

 

“That is absolutely right.”

 

Pacing from the door to Tsunade's desk, Kakashi and Haruko watched Sasuke closely, hoping that he wouldn't suspect anything fishy. Kakashi knew how sharp Sasuke can be at times, and it'll kill him if he ever found out about her.

 

“So, when you mentioned outside forces, you do mean threatening forces to Konoha?”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“Well then, it can't be wrong for me to say that she is also going to protect Konoha against the Akatsuki, am I not right?”

 

Gravity seemed to be pushing them lower to the ground as Sasuke began to hit jackpot indirectly. The look on Tsunade's face as well as the other two began to make look as if Sasuke had read their mind.

 

“Is that what you are hiding from me? The fact that she's going to go against the Akatsuki is not really bothering me, but there's someone -“

 

“That someone is involved with her somehow!” Kakashi yelled out.

 

Tsunade and Haruko gave Kakashi a surprised look. They never expected Kakashi to be the one who tells the truth. Kakashi felt guilt painted all over his face as Sasuke had given him dark glare.

 

“The Red Ninja and the Sharingan of the Akatsuki… they are connected somehow. I can't tell you any further details. Any more than that—“

 

“Anymore than that and you'll get you head cut off!” Haruko shouted in anger, and then unsheathed her large axe from under the white robe.

 

Kakashi looked pale and silent. It was best not to mess with Haruko's temper, especially when she was as sensitive as a land mine: Once touched and that's the end of your life. Tsunade looked at Sasuke and calmly replied,

“It's best you know not of any further. If we were to tell you any further than that, Haruko will kill us immediately. She knows no mercy, especially when it comes to matter regarding the Red Ninja.”

 

“She has something to do with that man. I will—“

 

Haruko swung her axe and hit the wall. The whole building was shaken by the tremor that Haruko caused. Sasuke realized that this was no ordinary person he was messing around with. She glared at Sasuke, then in a hoarse voice, warned,

“You touch one hair on her, and I swear, I will hack you from limb to limb and you will never be alive to even get the chance to fight that man. This, I swear by my axe.”

 

“Now, now, Haruko, let's not be hasty. He knows his limits very well and I think that he'll know how to keep his distance away from her… that is unless he finds her,” Tsunade noted.

 

Kakashi clasped his hands tightly; then whispered, “Nobody will be able to find her. She's too fast for anybody to notice her presence. She moves out silently, just like the Fourth Hokage. That's why no one was able to detect her during all her battles. Young child prodigy, she was. An even more fearful enemy than the Sharingan of Akatsuki and all the Hokages put together.”

 

The thought of that shivered Sasuke's blood a little. A person who is even more frightful than the Hokage and his brother is certainly someone not to be messed around with. The fear of the power made the adrenaline rush through his blood. Goosebumps began to sprout out from his skin.

 

`I don't know why … but I'm feeling quite excited…. What is this feeling?'

 

 

Vermillion painted the skies as the sun went to hide itself once more from the world. Nightingales had sung their songs of farewells as rabbits went back to their hidey-holes, into the comfort of their families. The warm evening breeze blew by, heading southwest where the wind will finally reunite with the ocean. Sasuke and Yuri were watching the sun's reflection on the clear sea waters from the Nostalgic Fields. Yuri pushed her hair back as the wind kept taunting them to let loose.

 

“Sasuke-kun, it's been a while since we've met up with each other.”

 

“… Yeah…”

 

“Sasuke-kun, is something bothering you?”

 

Yuri could see the expression etched out on Sasuke's face. His mind was clogged up with thoughts and questions. The frown on his face, the wrinkle on his eyebrows, the hand position on his lips, his faraway dreamy look: It told her everything.

 

“…. I've been thinking…”

 

“Thinking about what, Sasuke-kun? Please, tell me…” Yuri pleaded.

 

There was a think fog of silence over them. Yuri bit her lip in anxiety.

There was a cold atmosphere among the both of them.

Neither one of them said a word.

 

A tinkling bell echoed in the silence.

 

The lavender petals showered the air.

 

There was a presence there. Both of them sensed it. The strange familiar aura that gives the tingling sensations in their very nerves is around them.

 

The both of them turned around.

 

Time had somehow stopped momentarily.

 

“…The Red Ninja….”