Soul Mission

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto. Wish I did though. XP

Authors Note: This was a difficult chapter, mostly because I just couldn’t seem to get into it... which was very annoying. Me no like this chapter! I’m looking forward to the next chapter though, so that should come faster than this one. XD Yay for Sai!

Oh and this ones a bit more angsty then the others. XP


Soul Mission


I never saw a man who looked
With such a wistful eye
Upon that little tent of blue
Which prisoners call the sky,
And at every drifting cloud that went
With sails of silver by.

Oscar Wilde, Balled of Reading Gaol

Chapter Three: Neji


That idiot had run off without doing the dishes again. It was all Jiraiya ever asked of him. Just do the dishes after breakfast please, before you run off to do whatever it is you do… Hey, don’t even worry about paying the rent! But no, he was even too scatterbrained to remember that one simply thing.

Jiraiya glared at the tower of dirty dishes, as if his wrath would make them clean and then stack themselves up in the cupboard. When that didn’t work he pulled up his sleeves with a sigh and got to work. It wasn’t as if Naruto would be doing them anytime soon, and he really hated seeing them there, gathering bugs.

As he washed he took the edge of his anger by imagining various ways to torment the stupid blonde. Maybe switch his shampoo with glue? Would that even work? Worth a shot.

The sudden, if rather tentative, knock on the door knocked him from his thoughts. “Ho, what’s this?” Naruto had never knocked on a door in his life and Jiraiya wasn’t expecting anyone.

When he opened the door he was pleasantly surprised to see a young woman standing there. Her hair was as dark as raven feathers, cut shoulder length to frame a pale, flawless face. She stood timidly in the hallway, hands clasped in front of her, over a floral patterned dress. Despite her eyes being oddly pale, a faded grey, Jiraiya noted that she had good firm, breasts and was damn good looking.

“Hello there!”

She’s such a shy little thing, but very pretty. It’s my lucky day!

She gave a courteous bow. “I’m very sorry to bother you-“

Not at all my little sweet meat!

“ – but I’m looking for Naruto. Is he… here?”

….

“Oh.” His fantasies were crushed in one fell swoop. Hmph. She was too young for him anyway. “He’s not here right now. What do you need him for?”

“Well, I… I heard he can…” She trailed away, now stuttering when faced with his sudden cold demeanour and a question she would rather not answer. It didn’t matter, Jiraiya quickly figured out what she was about.

“You’re one of them.” Jiraiya said looking her over with a clinical gaze no longer clouded by lust. It was obvious now that she was from a well off family. She held herself well and had a certain sophisticated grace. The dress she wore, though not flashy, was clearly well made. Whatever her problem was, she wasn’t likely to tell it to him. Jiraiya didn’t really want to know anyway.

“Come inside. I’ll try get in touch with him for you, but you’re just going to have to sit down and wait.”

“Thankyou so much. I’m sorry to be a bother.”

With a noncommittal grunt Jiraiya went back to dishes, leaving her to fend for herself.

--

An hour and a half later Naruto crashed through the door.

“I’m baaaack! Jiiiraiya!” As he bounced into the room he caught sight of Hinata sitting demurely on the couch and came to an abrupt halt. “Ewww Jiraiya, don’t bring your hookers home. That’s just not right!”

A wet dishcloth slap to the head halted any further complaints involving Jiraiya’s perverted-ness. The owner of the dishcloth then gave Naruto an extra slap to the back of the head with his hand for good measure. “You should be more polite.” Jiraiya scolded. “She’s here to see you.”

“Oh…” The twisted face of disgust was quickly replaced by a dazzling smile. “In that case, my room is this way!”

Quickly standing, the young woman began to protest over Naruto’s presumption. “No, no, no!” She was blushing. “I-I came here t-to ask you for help.”

Naruto frowned. “Are you… dead?”

Jiraiya rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You know, I think you’re getting dumber by the second. Yeah, she’s dead. I killed her before you arrived. Oh and I can see ghosts too. Sorry for not telling you earlier.”

“Ya don’t have to be so sarcastic.” Naruto sniffed.

“Hm. Well, how did the doctors visit go?” Jiraiya smirked and cast a knowing wink at Hinata. “He got rabies in his last job.”

“I did not!”

“He was telling me all about this crazy-“

“I don’t have rabies!”

”- And I told him he should go get a shot before he started foaming at the mouth.”

“JIRAIYA!”

“Heh.” Jiraiya slapped a hand down on the blonds shoulder. “Relax moron. Now grab the girl and bugger off. Oh, and you’re doing the cooking tonight.” With a two-fingered salute to Hinata he wandered off to another part of the very small apartment.

“N-Naruto-san?”

“Eh? Okay. What’s the problem?”

“I have a car waiting. I’ll explain everything once we get there.”

--

“Woah!”

Naruto stared up at the large, expansive mansion that was Hinata’s home with slack jawed awe. During the ride over, in a flashy Mercedes driven by a stoic man in a suit, he’d began to suspect that he was either out of league or he had hit the jackpot.

After giving him her name, Hinata had said little, opting to sit back and fidget nervously. Naruto amused himself by chatting with the driver, not that he ever replied, and staring out the window, as the houses kept getting bigger and more expensive.

Now they were at her house, easily the best one in the entire street, and it was a stark contrast to the crime-riddled area he lived in. Naruto couldn’t wait to get in there and look around. Would she have a cook? Oh, he hoped so. Hinata could pay him for his help with a really top-notch meal!

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Hinata shook her head. “I would rather show you first, if you don’t mind.” When he nodded she led him up the steps and into the house.

Inside it was a grand as he had expected, but it didn’t have the warmth he associated with houses that were filled with close, loving families. It felt cold and meticulous; a place he would never wish to live despite its grandeur.

Up the stairs and down a spacious hallway, it’s furnishings all simple and sophisticated. There was no clutter to be seen (probably thanks to the legion of maids he assumed were hidden away somewhere) and the colours were all pale shades. He didn’t have too much time to check anything else out; Hinata was hurrying along with her lips pressed into a thin, nervous line. She sure was the skittish type.

Finally she stopped, turning to face him. “Here Naruto. I –“ She didn’t finish her sentence, simply shook her head and then placed a hand on a door similar to all the others they had passed by. Taking her attention from him she looked sadly at the door. “Neji-san. I’ve brought you a visitor.”

Naruto was just starting to wonder why she would name a door and even use an honorific when she partly opened it. “Please go in Naruto.”

Doing what he was told he gave her a wide grin and then stepped inside the room.

At first he couldn’t locate the ghost, even though he could feel its presence so strongly he wasn’t sure how he could have missed it standing just outside the door, until a dark shadowy form took shape in the corner, becoming clearer and clearer as Naruto watched. Long black hair spilled across bare shoulders, helping to hide the face that was bent towards the ground. Kneeling in the ground he almost looked like he was in prayer until Naruto noticed the chains that were wrapped around his arms and torso, leading up into the ceiling.

A feeling of desolation washed over Naruto, so strong that he felt liked crying at the despair of it all.

Naruto ran his tongue around his dry mouth. That was all he needed to see for the moment.

--

“So… his name is Neji, right?” He asked upon stepping out of the room, sighing softly with relief from being away from the oppressive atmosphere.

“Yes.” Hinata answered. “He’s my cousin.”

“Can you see him?”

“No. I can only sense him. Does he… does he look okay?”

Naruto ran a hand through his scruffy hair, regarding the door he just closed behind him. Inside there was one of the saddest individuals he had ever encountered and he was supposed to do something about it. Needless to say he was feeling a little nervous.

“Not really. Um, hey, is there somewhere we can talk? I need a few details. That Neji guy has some serious issues.”

--

The little coffee room was pleasant. Well, little compared to the rest of the house. In actuality it was bigger that Naruto’s entire apartment. The main theme seemed to be white, with the occasional splash of yellow in the form of buttercups or sunflowers.

Seated, a little uncomfortably on a white leather couch, he stared across a small coffee table at Hinata. She had just explained that her parents were away on some business meeting and she’d given the hired help the day off, so he could have as much time as he needed to get things done. Naruto didn’t ask how exactly she’d found out about him. These sorts of things travelled quickly along the grapevine.

“Nobody would believe me when I told them Neji was still here. Even though we were never very close I could feel him. Whenever I go near his room, I just want to cry.”

Poor Hinata looked ready to burst into tears any second, but Naruto didn’t have time to let her sit there and sniffle. He had to be callous if he were going to get anything done.

“How did he die?”

“He… he killed himself.”

That made sense.

“When?”

“Three months ago.”

“Do you know why?”

“N-not exactly.” Hinata was hugging a yellow pillow to her chest as if it were her own lifeline. “Though a few weeks before he said to me, ‘the life fate has in store for me in unbearable. I cannot escape it no matter what I do.’ I’ll always remember those words. He felt trapped. The family was… being hard on him and he was, well… he had lost his eyesight.”

“Trapped? Well, that might explain the chains.”

“Chains?!”

“Yeah, he’s um… got chains all over him.”

Hinata gasped. “That’s horrible!” She held the pillow in a death grip, her knuckles white. “Why is he like that? Why is he chained up?”

Naruto cleared his throat before answering. “It’s a physical manifestation of his inner pain. The chains represent that feeling of being trapped. They are keeping him in place and making him unable to escape his fate… or whatever it was. The other day…” He leaned back against the couch, his expression thoughtful. “… I met this other dead guy who had canine characteristics. Looked all doggish with the long teeth and claws, there was even bloody looking marks on his cheek, and all because he was missing his dog. Yeah, he was a bit of an idiot.” He chuckled.

“Oh….”

“Now I have to go back in that room and give Neji a wake up call.”

--

Back in that room Naruto wanted to turn around and walk about out again. But he held firm, taking large steps froward until he was standing directly in front of Neji. The spirit didn’t look up, didn’t even seem to notice that Naruto was there.

“Neji?”

Gently he placed a hand on Neji’s shoulder, suppressing a shudder that shot up his spine. “Neji? My name is Naruto.” He whispered, trying to get a reaction from the other man. “Tell me... tell me why you killed yourself?”

A voice like the sighing wind answered. “I only wanted to be free.”

“And…?”

“I thought that it would be the only way to escape this life. But… but it didn’t work. I’m still here, still in this god forsaken place.” Neji’s voice cracked on the last words, his body beginning to shudder with unshed tears. “I-I won’t ever escape. Never.”

His head jerked up, the shadows clearing to show his face. Eerily white eyes stared at Naruto, unblinking. Completely blind, even in death.

“No, you’re wrong. You are free Neji. You are-“

“Never escape. The family won’t let me go, won’t let me be free.”

Naruto’s cheeks puffed up with annoyance as he was completely ignored. Neji continued muttering to himself; things like ‘escape’ ‘fate’ and ‘trapped’ in every second sentence for the five or so minutes it took for Naruto to get his composure back. This conversation was becoming very repetitive.

“My fate is to remain here, trapped by this family, so that I shall never escape – ugh.”

A finger poked Neji roughly in the chest, stopping him mid rant. “Look Neji. This is ridiculous. You are free; the only thing keeping you here is your own belief that you are trapped. You made these chains and you took your own life. That’s what happened; now you need to face up to everything and just let go.”

Neji was quiet, whether he was actually listening or not, Naruto couldn’t tell.

“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” The poking finger, or rather the hand attached to it, moved back to the shoulder. “Don’t be such a fool. Now tell me… what do you want Neji?”

“…”

“Neji.”

“To fly.”

“Then fly.”

“I used to watch the birds flying through the sky when I was little. So free and beautiful. I want to be like them.”

“Then be like them….

Neji…” He leant forward, his face so close to Neji’s it made him slightly nauseous. The sadness still rolling off him made his stomach turn. “… Your family can’t touch you anymore. Can’t judge you. Forget them.”

“Forget?”

“Yeah. All that pain just let it go now. Right now you’re as free as a bird, you just don’t realize it yet.”

“…”

--

The chains shattered. Naruto fell back with both a grunt of pain and a sigh of relief. How long had that been? Three, four hours? In any case, it had been one hell of a pep talk. He’d sat talking to the guy for ages, searching for the right words that would finish it.

In the end he had simply given Neji’s hair a rough, frustrated tug and yelled, ‘You’re so useless! It’s not that hard damnit! If you won’t get what I’ve been saying through your head soon then you really are a weak moron who lady fate is going to piss around with forever!’

Anger was apparently a very good way to get past despair. Though it was going to leave him with a black eye, Naruto was pleased to see Neji was out of his pitiful me stage.

“Well then, go on… fly.”

Blinking with surprise, Neji tilted his head to the side and stopped moving. He was still crouched on the floor, though one hand was in the process of reaching out to grab Naruto (and possibly choke him).

“Hurry up, shoo Neji.”

“Oh…” Something seemed to click in Neji’s head, making the smallest of smiles appear. It wasn’t exactly a happy smile but it was better than nothing. “That’s right. I understand now.”

There was a snapping sound and a flash of light blinded Naruto. When his vision cleared he caught a glimpse of a black bird soaring out of the window. Then he was left alone in an empty room feeling strangely bereft.

“N-naruto?”

“Eh? Oh, Hinata. I’m here.”

A head peeked around the doorway, eyes wide. “He’s… he’s gone.” She seemed amazed at that simply fact.

“Yeah – ooph.”

Hinata grabbed him in a strong hug as he picked himself up from the ground. “Oh, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.”

“He looked a bit happier too. Um, I’m going go home now. I’m really tired.”

“Okay…” She wiped away a tear, blushing and smiling up at him cutely. “How much do I owe you?”

“Noth - … how long was I in there?”

“Four and a half hours.”

“That’s $450 please.”

She can totally afford it.

“Give the money to Jiraiya if you could. I totally owe a few years rent.” Naruto chuckled and gave Hinata an awkward one-armed hug. “Okay now, I’m going home. If you ever have any trouble, give me a call.”

Strangely enough he wasn’t completely satisfied by how things had turned out. For a long time he would be watching for Neji, searching the sky for a lone black bird.