Moon's Light, Reality's Dream

Hey guys, Amy I have decided to post this next chapter in a different, smaller format. We don't want to kill your eyes! Thank you for the many hits. We're complimented!

Yomi: Wanna go to the bathhouse?

Ibuki: ^__^ Sure!

Yomi: Score.

Ibuki: I know a good one.

Yomi: Lots of cute girls?

Ibuki: Tons *winks*

Yomi: YATTA!

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Moon's Light, Reality's Dream
月の光、うつつの夢
Chapter Five - チェイス (Chase)
Part I


足跡を なぞる日は足跡を
I followed your footprints, that day I could hear your footprints
はじめから理解ってた　だから悲しくはない
From the beginning, I understood, so it’s not sad.



Hitori found herself feeling a strange sense of being lost without any real commands to follow, other than those originally given to her by Danzou. Her life, to this point, had been a series of actions carrying out orders issued to her from someone or another. It wasn't something she'd ever consciously known, but she was feeling that loss keenly now. She glanced around the strange mirrored room one last time as her hand closed over the doorknob.

No matter how hard she tried, she could never figure out why this room drew her the way it did. Being in here actually made her very uncomfortable, and seeking out such a feeling made no logical sense to her at all. The sounds of hurried footsteps above her head snapped her out of the momentary reverie she'd been lost in. This tendency her mind had to wander lately was more irritating than even the odd flashes of anger she'd started experiencing.

She moved quickly down the hallway, nearly tearing the door off it's hinges in her haste to find out what was happening. It had only been three days since she arrived, and she reluctantly cast her eyes around for Kankurou, knowing Temari had already left for Konoha. Kabuki boy could tell her what was going on. An unfamiliar sense of unease started to fill her as the panicked sounds of many different voices shouting at once became clearer.

There were too many people packed into this small area - too many armed people. Shouted orders and the general sounds of the chaos of an army preparing for battle filled the air. A sudden explosion drew her eyes towards the starless night sky. Far above her, floating on a platform of sand, was Gaara.

Another figure was perched upon an odd looking bird that darted through the sky, never really coming too close to where Gaara stood impassively while his sand chased the intruder. Hitori studied the other man and quickly realized by his clothes that he was a member of the Akatsuki. That dangerous organization was not to be underestimated. Danzou sent her specifically for that reason.

She found herself annoyed at the strange feeling growing within her and threatening to choke her at any moment. All these damned emotional responses were pissing her off now. Gaara's faintly angry face never changed expression as his arms slowly rose. As they came up, an enormous wall of sand rose behind him. She watched in awe, amazed by the sheer amount of power he possessed. Danzou thought this man required her protection?

Explosions rocked the sky and sand darted everywhere. Hitori found herself unable to move, unable to tear her eyes from the battle going on above Suna. Every tense moment took on a surreal quality, a feeling that time had both sped up and slowed down all at once Her eyes jumped from Gaara to his adversary whenever the other man was close enough for her to study him. That blonde ponytail, the weapons he used... everything about him was trying to tell Hitori who he was.

The Akatsuki file was woefully thin, and most of the information in it, aside from that on Uchiha Itachi, came from a source who's reliability was questionable at best. But going by that information, she was able to put a tentative name to the face grinning at Gaara through the smoke overhead. Deidara.

Hitori heard Kankurou before he appeared beside her. “It’s just as I thought.”

Baki was already shouting orders to the shinobi around them. “Hurry, prepare for battle! We’re going to assist the Kazekage! Medical team, set up a barrier, and guide the civilians in there! Kankurou…”

“What is it?” The snapped reply caused Baki raise a brow at him. He softened a little, understanding what Kankurou must be feeling with his brother under attack, and tried again. “What if he loses control and Shukaku appears again? Are you really willing to...”

Kankurou ground his teeth, letting a short laugh escape. “That won’t happen. Gaara won’t harm the people of this village.”

The Anbu thought back to three days ago, when she had been on that narrow walkway overhearing the conversation between Kankurou and Gaara. If Gaara was truly the person he seemed to be on that day, then he certainly wouldn’t risk harming anyone in the village. No, he would do everything in his power to protect them.

The strange tugging in her chest didn’t allow her to think rationally. Hell, she didn’t want to! These people who had never believed in Gaara were standing here with their arms raised, cheering for the most feared man in their village.

“Do your best, Kazekage-sama!” The shouted words of encouragement came from all around her. She idly wondered if he could hear them, all the way up where he was. That thought drew her full attention back to the sky, to see a giant ball of sand floating there. Gaara's ultimate defense. She could just barely see the crack in that defense where he was standing, like a seeing a shadow on the moon. Could Deidara see Gaara's piercing gaze through the all encompassing darkness around them?

They seemed to have come to a stand-off, but that feeling only lasted for a moment before Hitori saw the small bird-like object in Deidara's hand. Her eyes widened when he tossed it out in front of him and it grew to an enormous size as wings spread on either side of it. Even though her mind stubbornly insisted that it vaguely resembled some sort of angel, she knew an explosive that size could flatten the entire village, killing everyone within in a matter of seconds.

Baki’s hurried voice was small as he panicked, penetrating slowly into her hazy mind. “This is bad! Spread out!”

The Anbu stood in stunned silence as the giant bomb began to fall, her eyes unable to leave the vision of death that only came closer with each passing second. Her hard meeting with the ground, and the sudden pressure over her just seconds later therefore came as a complete surprise. Hitori struggled unsuccessfully to free herself from the protective shield Kankurou had made of his body over her. Realizing it was futile she relaxed with a sigh, feeling the sharp stab of failure as she waited for was would certainly be the end.

Idle thoughts of what death would feel like were shattered by the violent shaking of the ground she was laying upon and a sudden light that blinded her through the lids of her closed eyes. In spite of the muttering around her moments later, she was certain that they were dead, until she opened her eyes. Kankurou looked over his shoulder in shock, and she was then able to see above them again. A massive shield of sand hung suspended above the entire village. Gaara had saved them all.

Kankurou stood slowly and Hitori eased herself up off of the ground as well. The nearly anguished sound of his voice whispering Gaara’s name, snapped the Anbu's attention to him immediately. If anyone knew Gaara’s limit, it was his brother. She opened her mouth to speak when another small explosion from overhead killed whatever thought had been forming. The defensive sand around Gaara appeared fully closed when the smoke cleared. How in the world was he still hanging on? A long, tense moment of silence passed as she glanced to Deidara who appeared calm, his bird hovering as if waiting. Waiting for what?

The answer came quickly in the form of another explosion. This one originated from within the defensive ball. Sand rained down upon them, sliding away as Gaara's form slowly emerged, his head hanging down. Above them the shield that had saved their lives began slowly moving away. Her eyes met Kankurou's slowly, both of them knowing exactly what that meant. As the sand fell harmlessly to the ground away from the village, her head lowered, her gaze focusing on her feet. Gaara had made his choice. He'd saved Suna instead of himself.

A choked sound of rage came from Kankurou even as Baki began shouting orders to the men around him. Giant arrows shot into the sky and Deidara's bird weaved between them, heading inexorably for the sinking figure of the Sand's Kazekage. Hitori knew she should move, should do something but her feet didn't seem to want to obey her until Gaara's form crashed onto the tail of the Akatsuki's bird. A shout seemed to tear itself from her throat as she darted forward, only to be yanked back by Kankurou.

"You can't fly, Anbu." He released her arm as he glared at her. The overwhelming emotion that flashed across his face caused the Anbu to feel an odd sense of grief. "I'll take care of this."

“You can’t go alone.” She narrowed her jade eyes at him, anger ringing in her voice. "I’m going with you."

“Part of your mission?” Kankurou remarked sarcastically, as he turned away from her. “I’m doing it because he’s my brother.”

“It is part of my mission, but he’s…” Her eyes darkened, as she stepped closer to him. “He’s the Kazekage. We need to bring him back.” His head turned slowly towards her and they stared coldly at each other for a long moment.

"Keep up," he finally said, his voice hoarse as he turned away and started running, not waiting to see if she followed. Hitori took off after him immediately, Danzou's words echoing ominously in her mind.

'You are to sacrifice your life to save Gaara’s.'


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Nisei purposefully stayed behind Team Kakashi as they moved towards Suna, keeping their figures in sight, but barely more than human shaped blurs on the horizon. The scar on her face almost felt as if it was burning, and she caught herself trying to touch it, in spite of the mask over her face. Memories pushed hard at her consciousness, trying desperately to force their way in, making her wonder if somewhere deep inside she enjoyed tormenting herself by reliving that nightmare.

That horrible day... the smoke filling the air, the distant sounds of the few remaining battles echoing under a gray sky, everything appearing monochromatic, every moment filled with tension. It was the worst day of her life.

Sweat and smoke combined to sting her eyes as Nisei leaned against the tree catching her breath. She carefully wiped her face and then replaced her kitsune mask before glancing over at Kakashi. He was staring almost blankly out over the barren, war torn landscape before them, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Ever since they'd found Rin's body, Nisei had gotten nothing from him but silence. Failure weighed heavily on him.

Her sensei wouldn't even meet her eyes as they made their way back to the village, his trudging steps carrying an ominous tone. Exhaustion and a few minor wounds kept her from doing much more than just keeping up. When he stopped where they were now standing, she was just thankful for the chance to rest her aching body.

"I'm leaving Anbu." His abrupt words cut through the tired fog in her mind, his tone snapping her head up before she even registered the meaning of his words.

"But, Kakashi senpai...."

"It's not your decision to make, Nisei. There's no point in arguing." His voice was soft, sounding almost defeated, as if something had finally beaten him down to the point where he could no longer go on. He finally turned to look at her, his eyes holding a flinty resolve, his jaw clenched almost as tightly as his fists."You aren't even supposed to be here. I regret allowing you to come along."

Surprise met with hurt and anger inside her. "This is about Rin's death, isn't it? There's nothing you could have done! She was gone long before..." Her eyes didn't have time to register anything. The next few seconds were nothing more than a blur and then pain as she felt her back slamming into the tree she'd been leaning on moments before, his hands pinning her shoulders there forcefully as he leaned in close.

"You shouldn't speak of things you don't understand." His face was barely inches from hers as she struggled to free herself. Every deep, scared breath she drew caused her chest to brush against his as it heaved. "What are you, Nisei, but a little girl, unfit to be Anbu. You try so hard to fit into this world that you can never understand. You're too naive, too childish..."

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" Her words didn't even seem to register to him as she struggled harder. He held her there easily, his breathing not even slightly quickened by effort. She could feel his fingers digging into the flesh of her arms around the armor she wore.

"You don't even know what you're fighting for!"

She tried to push down the hurt his words roused in her. "I fight for the safety of the Leaf Village! And.. also... " The words choked up in her chest. Nisei was unable to face the anger in his voice. How could she ever say that to him when he was looking at her with such contempt in his eyes? The hands on her shoulders only pushed her harder against the trunk of the tree, the bark scraping painfully against her spine as his eyes narrowed a little. Fear spiked within her again, stronger than before. Maybe she really didn't know this man at all.

"Do you know what happens to the women who love me, Nisei?" He paused a moment, his eyes almost searching hers as his grip tightened yet again. "They die."

Tears threatened to fall as she blinked slowly, trying to force herself to calm down. "What happened to Rin wasn't your fault." Her voice nearly broke by the time she finished, her golden eyes lowering as if she couldn't bear to see what he was feeling any longer. Releasing her left shoulder, he used that hand to turn her face back up to his again, anger simmering in his mismatched gaze.

"I made a promise, and I broke it. I failed in the worst way." His tone was as dark, as bitter as the words he spoke. Something shattered inside of her. She needed to show him he was wrong, to convince him to change his mind. Finally, she let go of her anger, allowing it to build inside of her until she could no longer hold it back.

"I won't let you leave." This time her gaze narrowed. Kakashi froze for a long moment before both of his hands released her and he stepped back, a short, sarcastic laugh coming from him. It sounded chilling as it seemed to echo around her.

"You don't know when enough is enough, do you?" That laugh came again, hitting her like thousands of tiny, poisoned needles, driving the hurt deeper within her at every impact. "You can't stop me."

"You're only a man!" She stepped towards him, eyes blazing as her anger only grew with his insults. "What gives you the right to act like some sort of god? People die! We can't..." She never had a chance to finish her words. His hand crashed into the side of her face, and her world narrowed to the sound of the porcelain shattering and a swift stab of pain. Her hands met the ground as her knees did, the shattered mask laying around her on the earth as blood oozed from the gash just beneath her eye. He hit her?

The dazed condition of her mind made it almost impossible for her to register what had just happened. "Kakashi senpai... onegai..." Her words were soft, barely louder than a whisper strangled by her overwhelming sadness. Silence surrounded her for so long, she was almost certain he wasn't going to answer when she heard the soft sound of his steps close by.

"I don't need another burden." The weight of his harsh words was like a fist driving into her back, the hurt exploding inside of her as she nearly broke under the emotional onslaught. Blood roared in her ears as tears fell, landing silently beneath her next to the blood also dripping from her face. He saw her as a burden?

Her hands dug into the earth beneath her as her mind was repeatedly ravaged by his words, and by the time she looked up, he was gone. Her hand raised to cover the wound as she slow regained her feet and stumbled off in what she hoped was the right direction. She wandered for what felt like forever, growing weaker and more confused with each step before hearing voices and turning towards them.

"Nisei chan! It's not like you to lag so far behind." Startled out of her thoughts, the Anbu captain glanced up to find herself surrounded by Kouki's team. Before she answered, she glanced ahead to see Kakashi and the others much further in front of her than they'd been before. All she'd ever wanted was his approval. Now, she found herself wondering why she'd felt she needed such a thing in the first place. Turning, she forced cheerfulness she didn't feel into her voice, speeding up a little more as Kouki's team fanned out around them.

"Just try to keep up, ne?"


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Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter!


Yomi: Ibuki-kun, what is that in your hand?

Ibuki: (impish childish gaze) ...the second half of this chapter... Amy and Lisa chan finished it. They told me to look after it.

Yomi: what happens in there? *tries peaking*

Ibuki: -slaps hands away- A lot of private things.

Yomi: as if this chapter wasn't private?

Ibuki: Mm!!