A Monsters Rest

A Monster's Rest: Chapter One: Repose
Ok, this story just came to me out of nowhere, and I have a challenge going about who can write the best sleeping beauty story(mines not in the running) based on Naruto character's. Please let me know if you'd like to enter.

“This happened over thirty years ago,” his voice is soft yet firm as he stares around the room meeting all the children’s eyes, “A malicious spirit descended on the village. The spirit ravaged our city. It destroyed crops, homes, and took lives. Our people were starving and desolate, yet the spirit showed no sign of stopping. The shinobi of the leaf village fought bravely, but could not seem to stop the monster. Many ninja were sacrificed before we were avenged. Yondaime Hokage saved us. He fought against Kyuubi and he finally managed to seal it, but lost his life in the process. Kyuubi was sealed away in a vessel, but many knew that his power would not be contained for long. It was then that priestess Masamuki gave us the answer. She placed a curse on Kyuubi. The curse pushed him into a deep slumber, one that he won’t wake out of unless summoned to protect the village. To atone for the lives he’s taken, Kyuubi must protect the Leaf Village. His body is interred in the Shikikydo Shrine.”

He stared around the room, his eyes landing on a pale black haired boy who stared stoically back at him.

“That is why it is forbidden to play in the forest by the shrine.” he said with a barely noticeable angry glint in his coal colored eyes, “Your actions could have caused an innumerable amount of problems for the village. It is unacceptable for shinobi of the Leaf Village to act so ignorantly. I don’t want to catch this happening again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Itachi-san,” the four mumbled obediently.

“Good,” Itachi said, “Then, all but Sasuke, are dismissed.”

Sasuke walked to his brother’s side. He pushed his dark hair out of his face and leaned against the redwood wall nonchalantly.

“What did you think you were doing, Sasuke?” Itachi started angrily, “You of all people should understand why the forest is off limits. Kyuubi took many of our family members. How can you disrespect them in this way?”

“I wasn’t trying to disrespect them, Itachi.” Sasuke said in a bored voice, “I simply wanted to see if I could destroy it.”

Itachi stared at him taken aback. “Destroy Kyuubi,” Itachi muttered shocked, “Are you insane? You’re only twelve years old Sasuke. Did you really think that you were any match for that spirit?”

Sasuke shrugged, “Yes, I knew that I wasn’t any match for him now, but just wait Itachi, I will destroy that beast.”

6 Years Later

“SASUKE,” the pink haired teen waved frantically as she ran down the dirt path, “SASUKE, wait up.”

Sasuke groaned, but slowed down, “What do you want, Sakura?”

She stood by his side breathing hard. “I…wanted... to walk…with you,” she said between breaths.

“hn,” he muttered before walking again.

“Hey, Sasuke,” she said, “Since we don’t have training today and you don’t seem to be busy, would you like to get something to eat?”

“Sakura,” Sasuke said turning to stare at the blushing pink haired nin, “How many times have you asked me out?”

She blushed harder, “I don’t know. I’ve been asking you out ever since I was ten.”

“And what has my answer always been?” he asked turning his back on her.

“You’ve always said no,” Sakura said as she stared at her hands.

“So, what makes you think this time will be any different?” He began walking away from her as tears flooded her eyes.

“I’m not giving up, Sasuke.” she said as she wiped the trails from her cheeks, “One day you won’t say no.” She turned and ran as the tears began to flow heavily down her face again.
Sasuke continued to walk absentmindedly. His eyes contentedly searched his terrain and finally landed on the spires of redwood known as the jinja torii*. His feet shuffled as if moving of there own accord bringing him to the jinja torii. He let his eyes roam over the marred redwood before passing the gate and stepping up the stone steps. His feet stopped at the sloping red brick roof with richly lacquered shoji doors, stretching halls, and a stone alter that sat a little before the entrance to seemingly modest shrine. His eyes darted to the oak door on the eastern side of the shrine. Sloping lines and curves dotted along the door, the outer edge of the wood had swirling spells that seemed to ebb, flow, and rearrange positions. He knew that door was heavily protected by jutsu’s.

“So, you’ve come again.”

A kindly smile was directed at Sasuke as the elderly man, in white kimono that reached past his knee’s and a dark violet hakama, walked toward him.*

“Master Makoto,” Sasuke said bowing, “Please excuse me for disturbing you.”

“You aren’t disturbing me, Sasuke.” he said as he stared at the boy curiously, “You intrigue me.”

“May I ask why?”

“It isn’t every day that you meet someone who is willing to kill what he knows nothing about. I assume you still plan to kill Kyuubi?”

“Yes, I do,” Sasuke said trying to keep his voice calm, “And I know all I need to know about that monster.”

“Is that so?” Makoto eyes held a mocking, Sasuke wasn’t used to seeing in a priest, “Tell me something Sasuke, what does Kyuubi look like?”

“He’s a fox with nine tails.” Sasuke exclaimed with barely veiled impatience.

“Let me clarify, what does his vessel look like?”

“How should I know?” Sasuke’s eyes held a blank angry stare, “I’m not interested in the vessel.”

“To kill Kyuubi,” Makoto said giving him a knowing stare, “You must kill the vessel. I will ask you to remember that Sasuke.” He began to walk away.

“What exactly is that suppose to mean?”

“Is it not a Shinobi custom to know all there is to know about they’re opponent?”

“That would be the accepted practice.”

“Compared to those in the temple, you know very little.” He smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “If you wish to know more, come to the temple tomorrow. You cannot very well kill what you have not seen.”

“How am I to get close to an enemy that is sealed away in a shrine?”

Makoto laughed, “That’s simple. If you get close to the shrine, you get close to the vessel. After all, only the most trusted priests have access to Kyuubi.”

“You already know what reason I would have for joining. I am fairly certain that would bar my chances to kill Kyuubi.”

“You give up rather easily Sasuke.” he said, “I thought you had more endurance.”

The glare he received would make anyone’s blood run cold, but he merely smiled benevolently before turning and walking down the path leading to the oak door.

“Do you think that was wise?”

“Are you questioning my decision, Kakashi?”

“He may kill Naruto, I hope you realize.”

“I am very well aware of that Kakashi, but it is better to have a snake in a cage with you than in a forest where you cannot see where it will strike.” He stared back at Sasuke who had his eyes trained on the heavy wooden door.

“I suppose I will never understand your logic.” Kakashi said wearily as he followed Makoto’s gaze.

Sasuke continued to glare at the oak wood as if daring it to give him answers. He understood that it would be a risk to enter the priesthood. They would be his enemy and may try to stop him, but it did seem to be the most effective course of action, albeit a reckless one. He continued to ponder this as he walked home, and even as he laid on his futon, it didn’t leave his thoughts.

Light filtered through the tree’s bathing the lacquered wood in a shiny iridescent glow. Sasuke steeled his resolve as his feet resounded up the stone steps.

“I see you’ve come again,” Makoto said his withered face gleaming with happiness. Sasuke slid to his knees in a fluid motion, his hands resting on the ground before him and his head bowed.

“Head Priest Makoto,” he stated formally, “I am ready to devote myself to the gods. I will work hard for their purpose.”

“Rise Sasuke,” Makoto said, “We shall receive you as a brother and a son. Kekkashi would you give him his robes then escort him to the receiving hall.”

Kakashi gave him a knowing stare then motioned for Sasuke to follow him. Kakashi walked fast with Sasuke trailing slightly behind him out of respect. The pungent smell of maple surrounded them as Kakashi opened the modest storeroom. He lifted the robes softly from they’re perch, and set them roughly in Sasuke’s hands.

“You can change here,” he said while pushing open a shoji screen. He then turned to leave, but stopped mid-step. “If you do anything to hurt Naruto, I’ll kill you.”

“That’s a rather odd thing for a priest to say,” Sasuke said nonchalantly.

“You really have not room to talk, Sasuke. I am simply warning you to leave Naruto alone.”

“What makes you think I’d hurt this Naruto person?” Kakashi stared at him as if he’d sprouted two heads.

“Naruto is Kyuubi’s vessel,” Kakashi said giving him a fierce look, “Did you assume that the vessel had no name? You know very little Sasuke, and yet you pose the greatest danger to Naruto. Why Makoto would allow you to stay, I’ll never understand.”

He stepped out of the room, leaving Sasuke to ponder what he had said. “Naruto, huh,” he thought, “I didn’t even bother to think about what the vessel’s name might be. I suppose I made the right decision coming here. If I am going to kill Kyuubi, its best that I know all about the vessel he inhabits.”

The light blue of the kimono he’d slipped into contrasted with his pale skin, and made the onyx color of his eyes stand out. The black of his hakama contrasted nicely with the light blue. In all, the clothing made him seem paler, and made the deceptive blue in what would normally be considered ebony hair stand out. Kakashi regarded him coldly as he walked out of the room.

They walked quietly to the large receiving room. Sasuke could hear the rustle of noises as he stepped inside the room. The talking stopped abruptly.

“Sasuke welcome,” Makoto said kindly. The priest’s sitting reverently in the room eye him, some with admiration others with hatred as moved to stand in front of the priest. He slid effortlessly into a bow. “As a new member of our order, I hope you will be happy here, and do nothing to disgrace our priesthood.”

“I won’t stand for this.” Sasuke eyed the young man who stood up. His chocolate colored eyes blaze with anger. Soft white skin contrasts with the crimson markings that span either side of his cheeks, his chestnut hair is spiked out in odd angles.

“If there is something you wish to say Kiba then by all means, say it.”

“How can you allow him to join us? Don’t you care what happens to Naruto?”

Another boy, his short dirty blond hair jostling about his face as he clambers to his feet to stare at Kiba with a matching angry expression. The round contours of his face are held in a grimace as his hands are clenched into fists. Light honeyed eyes stare around the room.

“I don’t care what happens to that beast. Have you forgotten all the pain that he has caused? He’s a monster. We would be safer just getting rid of him.”

“Do you truly believe that, Suoh?” Makoto asks calmly, “Does the death of one bring back the life of another?”

Suoh stared at his hands shamefully. “No, of course I know it doesn’t.”
“Then, why would you wish for another’s death, Suoh? Is it not our duties as priest to forgive?”

Suoh stared up at Makoto the fierceness darting back into his eyes. “I cannot and will not forgive that beast for the pain that he has caused my family.”

“If you want Kyuubi to be forgiven, why would you give someone that opportunity to hurt him?” Kiba’s hands shook in barely restrained anger.

“What will be, will be.” Makato said closing his eyes for a moment, “If Sasuke truly wants to kill Kyuubi there is nothing that any of us can do to stop him.”

“Don’t you care what happens to your grandson?” Kiba yelled his arms flailing in exasperation. He glared at Sasuke before leaving the room in a huff.

Sasuke felt his limb constrict as the words continued to reverberate in his ears. “His grandson,” he thought, “The Kyuubi is his grandson.”

“It’s true,” Makoto’s voice resounded throughout the room, “Naruto is my grandson, and I wish nothing more than to see him safe from harm, but only fate can know what will happen to him.”

That’s what I have so far, oh and to reiterate this I have a challenge going. Who can write the best sleeping beauty story? Prizes will be given, I just haven’t figured out what.
Let me know if you’re interested. You can email me at donahoecarrie@hotmail.com


* jinja torii: is known as a Shrine Gate. It’s a structure with two long wood poles set parallel to each other, while two flat pieces of wood stretch vertically on the upper part of the poles. They are normally used in Shinto Shrines.

* I wasn’t entirely sure what a Shinto priest wears. I’ve read articles, looked at pictures, but they all seem to contradict themselves. So, if the head priest robe is wrong, or if anyone knows what it should look like, please tell me.