The Sound of Dreams

AN: You will find some paradoxical thinking in this chapter because Orochimaru seems to have a tendency to plan things with only the best possible outcome in mind. Before the timeskip, he was brilliant and sinister and a badass, but it has always occurred to me that he has a hard time seeing the possible negative ramifications of his actions. However I am unsure if this is a flaw within his character or a tendency in bad guys in the Naruto universe in general. (*cough*takeovertheworldbyundercuttingninjaprices *cough, cough*)

Also, there is a nod towards the current chapters in the manga, but only in passing reference.

A few quick explanations to those who were a bit confused by last chapter:

Yes, Gaara is still alive, but the fact remains that he was killed by the demon being extracted even if he was then subsequently revived by the old lady. That was enough to piss Naruto off.

The reference to Itachi’s eyesight becoming blurry was directly from the manga when he and Kakashi were talking about the Sharingan (after time skip). Itachi uses it way more than he probably should and it is taking its toll on his vision. I am sure the advanced form doesn’t help either.

Orochimaru had been a part of the Akatsuki. The reason why the Leader wanted him brought back was to find out what he knew about Naruto (since rumors were connecting the two together) and, as a bonus, punish him for leaving (I believe chapter 48 alluded to this.) The fact that he is in Naruto will just be fuel to the proverbial fire to the Leader of the Akatsuki in Itachi’s opinion.

As always, thank you so very much for your reviews!! They always bring a smile to my face and make me happy to be writing this and sharing it!


Chapter 53


Katsuro stood outside the walls to his home, a frown marring his features.

“You will find them,” he said, the sentence both a statement as well as a question.

Shino raised an eyebrow curiously. When had the prince a chance to get attached to Naruto and Sasuke?

“They have served us well,” the young man explained. “Naturally we are concerned about them.”

He wasn’t sure how anyone could have survived fighting against the two men that had captured him. They had both been powerful, killing with efficiency and little emotion.

Shino looked away. “We will do everything that we can to find them.” He turned his head back towards Katsuro. “Go home. Your father is worried about you.”

Katsuro frowned slightly at having the younger man order him around so casually. “Let us know what you find out. We can help in the search.” He would not have this Leaf-nin underestimate Rice Field Country.

Shino hesitated before nodding. “I will get word to Sasame if possible.”

Katsuro watched as the ninja took off, leaping up onto the rooftops and into the night. He truly hoped that the two were found. They might not have belonged to his country, but they had helped tremendously. It would be a shame if something ill befell them.

Sighing, Katsuro turned and walked through the gates of his home. He needed to let his father know that he had returned safely and then he needed to contact Sasame.

**********************
Shino fairly flew through the trees as he rushed back to the Sound Village. He was painfully aware that as every second passed by a possible clue to Naruto’s and Sasuke’s whereabouts could be fading away.

He easily slid past the village’s inexperienced guards and entered the alley that contained the gentleman’s club. He was spotted almost immediately by the more seasoned men standing watch over what was more than likely the future Otokage, their Sandaime.

After identifying himself, they allowed him to enter the building. Not wasting time, he quickly located the other Leaf-nin sitting about the room they had claimed as their own. It appeared as if everyone had finally shaken off the effects of the poison although he could tell they weren’t at their fullest capacity yet.

He closed the door behind him, making sure they were alone before he spoke. “We have to leave immediately,” he said quietly, but with firmness beneath his words. “We had a run in with Akatsuki and now Naruto and Sasuke are both missing.”

He heard a sharp gasp and snapped his gaze over to the small boy that had been lying on the other side of Akamaru. He looked at Shino with large, distressed green eyes.

“Leave him with Sasame. I need you to scour the area to see if we can find any sign of them,” Shino instructed.

The boy made a protesting sound in his throat.

“But, Shino-kun…” Hinata said hesitantly.

“I don’t think Naruto would appreciate that,” Sai stated.

“We’re not leaving him here,” Kiba growled out. “Have you seen the way they look at him?”

“It’s like our villagers look at Naruto,” Sai added.

“Not all of them anymore,” Hinata said quietly. “Some of them have changed.”

“We don’t have time to-“

“He can ride Akamaru,” Kiba interrupted Shino. “I’ll be responsible for him.”

“As will I,” Hinata said firmly.

Sai grinned over at Shino. “It looks like you are outvoted.”

“I wasn’t aware that this was a democracy,” Shino replied, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

Sai smiled as he stood up. “It isn’t and I am the mission leader. The boy will be coming with us.”

Shino hesitated before nodding. It wasn’t that he wanted to leave the child behind, he just didn’t think where they were going was any place for a boy his age to be.

****************
Hiroki held on to the furry scruff with both hands. Even though the situation was dire, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilty excitement from riding on the large white dog’s back.

Inside he was verging on panic that something had happened to Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata-chan had explained to him that they were to be his new family. He hadn’t had a family in such a long time that he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act.

Somehow he wasn’t sure if he should follow Sai’s advice and call Naruto Otousan and Sasuke Okaasan.

If anything, Naruto was the one that held him when his fears threatened to get the better of him. Sasuke was more like a big brother because he had nightmares, too. Hiroki could tell from the look in Sasuke’s eyes. He had seen things that he didn’t want to remember, either.

They arrived at the scene of the fight after traveling for several hours. It was early evening, with the sun setting low in the sky but still providing abundant light.

The trees were broken, some smaller ones uprooted in a clearing that extended about twenty meters in diameter. Hiroki’s eyes immediately fell on the bloodied mess in the center. He was curious as to what had caused such damage to a human body, but was not disturbed by the image.

“Holy shit,” Kiba muttered with a look of disgust on his face. “That is fucking gross.”

Hinata kept her eyes averted after the first glance. Instead she concentrated on looking for other visual clues without her bloodline limit. It would be hard to ignore the grotesque sight once she activated her Byakugan.

While Shino didn’t avoid the body, his stance and shifts in his footing indicating his uneasiness to Hiroki. Sai took one look and made a slightly pained sympathetic face.

“I bet that hurt,” he said artlessly before adding, “Sushi anyone?”

Hinata looked decidedly green at the comment.

“Well, I smell Naruto and Sasuke, that’s for sure,” Kiba announced after taking a whiff of the air. “Among other things,” he said with a grimace towards the center of the clearing.

Akamaru whined slightly beneath Hiroki, having yet to step into the clearing. The team then quickly got to work.

“Come on, boy, it’s time to do what they pay us for,” Kiba coaxed gently.

Akamaru huffed in discontent before joining his owner and companion.

“There’s a lot of chakra residue,” Hinata said, trying to suppress the shakiness in her voice. Her veins bulged around her eyes as she examined the area. She couldn’t help but notice the malicious feeling red aura about the clearing. “Kyuubi’s power was out,” she said quietly.

“Sasuke’s scent is all over this area here. He was fighting someone,” Kiba added as he looked at the tracks on the ground.

After a few moments of sniffing around, Akamaru barked urgently at Kiba. Kiba immediately came over and looked over the area as the nin-dog made a series of yips and whines.

“This is where his scent is strongest, he was bleeding, and Naruto’s smell joins his. But there’s something wrong with the idiot’s smell. Kind of like before.” Kiba’s eyes suddenly widened. “Orochimaru!”

“Snog!” Sai cursed. He noticed the three odd looks directed his way. “What?” he asked, blinking in confusion.

Kiba couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “There was one other person that left the area. The one that was fighting Uchiha. We can probably all guess who that was.”

“So Itachi left by himself and Naruto, now Orochimaru possibly, left with Sasuke. Since Naruto hasn’t come back to us, it is pretty safe to assume Orochimaru is in charge,” Sai summarized. He suddenly had a very bad feeling in his gut. The same kind of feeling when something was about to go very wrong on a mission. It made no logical sense, but Danzou had told him to listen to the feeling for it was his shinobi instincts talking to him.

“I want a search pattern started radiating outward from the last source of Naruto’s scent. Look for tracks, smell, damaged flora… anything that looks out of place,” Sai ordered, suddenly more business-like than any of the others had ever seen him before. “Shino, I want a report sent to Hokage-sama telling her what has happened.”

Hiroki looked around at his older companions and felt his insecurity awaken. He could sense the fear and tension coming off of them in waves. They were afraid for Naruto and Sasuke, he could tell that though he was unable to follow the reasons why.

As his own apprehension increased so too did the sensation of metal and flesh moving underneath his skin. His fingers clenched in the soft white fur as his body rippled and moved on its own. He had finally found someone who really seemed to care and they had been taken away from him.

A rough wet caress against his leg brought him out of his dark thoughts. He looked down to see intelligent eyes staring up at him as the canine’s tongue once again licked his leg. He felt his seat wiggle as a tail waved back and forth, trying to cheer him up. Those eyes seemed to say “We’ll find them.”

Hiroki nodded. They would be found, even if he had to look for years. He would find them. It was a promise. He held up his thumb and gave a big, albeit shaky, grin to Akamaru. The nin-dog gave an enthusiastic bark and joined the others in their search.

*********************
After Orochimaru had teleported several times to throw off his scent, he finally came to a rest beside a small stream. It wasn’t usually wise to teleport blindly into an area you were unfamiliar with, but it had been necessary. Had Itachi remained unconscious, he would have ended the younger man then and there. But with the Uchiha awake, he wasn’t going to take the chance when he himself had been close to collapsing. He loathed to admit that the man was stronger than him, but he had a very strong sense of self-preservation. He hadn’t developed an immortality jutsu just to throw his life away by going up against Itachi. There would be other opportunities.

He slowly lowered his burden to the ground, careful not to jostle the boy any more than was unavoidable. Tanned fingers checked for a pulse on a pale neck and found one, though it was faint. He quickly and efficiently went about healing a few of the worse wounds with his dark purple chakra. He might not have used his medical knowledge for healing very often, but he did know how.

Once satisfied that the younger Uchiha wasn’t going to die any time soon, he bound the rest of the lacerations and chakra burns upon the pale body. He didn’t want to heal him fully because a conscious Sasuke was an annoying Sasuke that he didn’t want to put up with at the moment. If he had his way, Sasuke would never regain consciousness again.

Afterwards he turned his attentions to his own aching and sore body. He realized with some amusement that he had already gotten used to the Kyuubi’s regenerative powers in the short time he had been inside the boy. It was almost a shock not to see his wounds close over as quickly as they should. Apparently the demon had used up a lot of chakra in the fight. He hastily did what he could for himself, not wanting to admit that he was close to collapsing. The body knew it was severely damaged and was trying to shut down so it could utilize its full energy in repairing itself.

He knew however, that he had to get a little bit farther. He had to get to Grass Country so that he could heal and then enact the next step in his plan. It wouldn’t be long now. It wouldn’t be long before this body belonged to him completely and he had every intention of keeping it.

The other bodies before had been inferior in their ability to contain his soul, to hold his chakra in conjunction with the owner’s. But this body was used to handling a large amount of chakra. It was used to containing a soul other than its own. This body was constantly healing itself, preventing the slow decay that necessitated him having to transfer every three years to a new container.

Soon, he would make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the demon’s soul was tied even more tightly to the soul of the boy so that he could harness the endless power without the repercussions. Then…then, he would learn how to steal its immortality and make it his own.

********************
Kyoshiro sorted through the papers on the table that acted as his desk for the time being. Many of the reports were over a week old now that they had to be funneled through a different route to get to him.

He had hated abandoning his previous base of operations, but the number of spies in the area that were not his own had necessitated the move. He had known that Uchiha and the little jinchuuriki prick were going to be trouble. After they had joined with the rebellious element in Rice Field, it was only a matter of days before Orochimaru’s other operations started being shut down.

That was why he had orchestrated the uprising of the spies that had been planted among the Fuuma clan. One, he had to get rid of the pretender who called himself Otokage to show those imbeciles that even without Orochimaru they were still weaker than the true rulers of Sound and two, he had wanted Uzumaki found and brought to him. It had been purely ill timing that had caused the boy to be out of the village during the incursion. His subordinates had even swept through the pitiful excuse that they used for a base only to turn up empty handed.

Not that his current base was much better than theirs had been. This small place had been set aside for the possible eventuality of him needing a place to relocate if their lair had been compromised. It was small and cramped, but infinitely better than the alternative.

There was a knock on his door, alerting him before the guard stuck his head inside. “Kyoshiro-sama, the doctor is here as you requested,” the man said respectfully.

“Send him in,” he instructed.

The door opened and a middle-aged man with silver eyes and graying black hair entered the room. His handsome face was carefully neutral as he approached the leader of this wretched base.

“You wanted something?” he asked, his tone as dispassionate as his expression.

“What’s the status of the project?” Kyoshiro asked, a frown displaying his displeasure at the lack of honorifics.

“The subject’s constitution is weak, but that seems to be natural. The move certainly didn’t help. I’m assuming that is why you sent for me?”

Kyoshiro nodded at the question. “I know that Orochimaru-sama valued the research you were currently doing, but your skills made you the ideal choice in helping us stabilize and acclimate it to its new environment.”

“She is slowly regaining her strength, but any experiments are going to have to wait until I clear them,” he informed Kyoshiro with a frown.

Kyoshiro smiled sardonically. “I will say when she is ready. Based on your previous actions, she would spend the rest of her days being pampered and catered to. She lives because she is useful. Remember that, Togimeishu.” He leaned forward, placing his hands upon the table. “Also remember what will happen if you do not do as you are told. I know exactly where your son is and I know you don’t want me to send someone to fetch him.”

The doctor’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed dangerously. If it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t know who Kyoshiro had watching Ryou or what their orders were, he would make the attempt to kill the man. Togimeishu might not have been in his prime any longer, but he had been a jounin level medic-nin in his younger days.

However, he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he could get out of here alive even if he did somehow manage to kill the bastard in front of him. There would be no way to escape to try to keep his son safe from Orochimaru’s men.

He would follow Kyoshiro’s orders for now, until he could find a way out and prevent any harm from coming to his boy.

He would do everything that he could to keep Ryou from becoming involved in this world. He would do anything to keep Ryou from finding out what this life had forced him to do, even if he had to do those very same things again to keep him safe and ignorant.

Togimeishu had thought he had finally escaped from Orochimaru’s grasp. He had hid his ninja training and worked at a small village as a normal doctor. It was a village that had never seen shinobi before and had looked upon his expertise with pride and awe.

It had been in that village that he had met Ryou’s mother. She had been a pretty little thing with honey colored eyes and light brown hair. She had been sweet and kind and everything that Togimeishu had needed in his life but didn’t warrant. The birth of their son had made him feel complete, as if he had accomplished something tremendous and worthwhile.

It hadn’t taken long before word of his skill had reached the larger towns in the area. His wife had been thrilled that her husband was respected as a doctor and encouraged him to pursue his career in a town that could provide a better living for them.

He had never told her about his life from before. So he had no reason to give her for not wanting to give her everything that he believed that she deserved.

Things had gone well for many years. He was often called away to other towns when a particularly difficult case gave other doctors problems. He began to trust that he had left his previous life behind him for good.

That had lasted until a few years ago. As soon as Orochimaru had needed him, he was brought before the Sannin on the threat of bodily harm to his wife and child. Ryou was almost an adult by then and was planning on becoming a professional artist since he wouldn’t let his son become a ninja. He didn’t want him to have anything to do with the death, deceit and cruelty that were part and parcel of the shinobi world.

At first he had refused, but the brutal death of his wife taught him that one did not say “No,” to Orochimaru. Now he was once again working for the snake and on the same project that he had run away from to begin with. Why they had pulled him away from his research on Juugo and the cursed seal was beyond him. All he knew was that Kyoshiro had sent him the missive along with the ninja to back it up to call him to this hole in the wall to keep a woman alive that, by every indication, should have died a long time ago.

Her genetic make-up, thought eerily familiar, was a mess. Whoever had run the project before him had been an idiot. She required meticulously monitored dosages of rare herbs and drugs to maintain her health. She had the potential to have been an excellent ninja with a naturally large reserve of chakra. She exercised and trained in soft combat forms as well as worked numerous low-level jutsu utilizing any element she wished.

However, there was no way she would survive on her own outside of a controlled environment. She was too delicate and grew ill easily.

Frankly, he was surprised that Orochimaru had kept her around for as long as he had.

“If you have no further need of me,” Togimeishu said finally, “I need to return to my patient.”

“Make sure you do your job,” Kyoshiro warned in a parting shot.

Togimeishu turned and walked from the room, his posture stiff with impotent anger.

TBC


For anyone that is confused about Togimeishu, don’t worry I will explain more in the next chapter. (For those of you who don’t haven’t figured out who he is!! Hint hint.)

If all goes well (meaning I get another chapter written by Saturday), I will try to post on that day if I can. (Of course, now that I have mentioned it, I will probably do so just because I don’t want anyone disappointed in me!!) /keeps fingers crossed and hopes for the best!!