You Can Never Go Home Again

A/N: I think quite a lot of people were confused by Konohamaru in the last chapter. Honestly, I was too, I hadn’t had his outburst planned when I set out to write the chapter. Originally, it was going to be a fight 3 to 1, but something just made me turn it into a duel between the two. Maybe it was just a chance to let Konohamaru grow a little. As such…apparently I’ll be making slight adjustments to my original plans for this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto or any characters therein associated with him. All are copyright Kishimoto-sensei. Thank you for your brief attention.

ENJOY!

You Can Never Go Home Again

Chapter Eight: It’s Just A Dream You Dreamt You Had

This is not a love song. This is not a sweetened version of the truth. This is a life song. With black and white, and more gray than we can handle. So toss out your dreamy visions, your grasp on hopes and lies. This is how it really is. With all the pains of life.


!!!!!!!



Hey there, hot stuff!


It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m missing the sunny weather of Konoha. It’s only sunny here in between the storms. I’m wanting a nice long shower and some of your sweet skin.


Sasuke held the letter at arms length, not sure if he really wanted to touch the parchment.


I’m sorry we parted the way we did, I’m sure we both said things we didn’t mean.


In apology, I’m sending you a gift, but it won’t be there for a while. The person I’m sending it with has a few other errands on His list.


He stiffened. Tsugi wasn’t one to apologize. Unless he was up to something. And he certainly wasn’t one for presents. It had to be a trick, or a catch of some kind. Or maybe Tsugi knew a tease like this would bother him.


I don’t think I’ll be on this mission much longer. When it’s over, though, I’ll return to see you. And we’ll settle everything. You’ll see our mistakes like I see them.


See you on the other side.

Tsugi.


!!!!!!!


Her eyes were glassy, her last expression pleased, as a hand gripped Konohamaru’s shoulder. The boys eyes were wide and his skin pale as she slid down his frame into a pile on the ground.

“Kono—“ Naruto stopped Mizuo.


Konohamaru started shaking. Time stopped, he stared at the crumpled form.


“We can’t just stand here…”


“Shut up, Sigume, this is the first time he’s—”


Konohamaru’s kunai hit the ground with a hollow ‘thunk’ effectively silencing them. Tremors became visible as Konohamaru turned, eyes lifting, “Naru—” he stopped short, and Naruto thought, for a terrifying moment, that her final attack had connected and he was looking at a dean man. But Konohamaru moved, a hand lifting to the blood escaping from under his hitae-ate.


“Come away, Konohamaru. Let’s patch you up as best we can.”


“The body.”


“The others will deal with it.” Naruto gestured again, “Mizuo.”


“Yes. Konohamaru, we have to see if we can save your eye.”


The young man looked between each of them, and then promptly passed out. Naruto moved, an instant reaction, catching him before he could hit the ground.


He glanced at the Lord and Lady, then hauled Konohamaru into his arms and walked away from the pool of gold and red, hating the sound his footsteps made in the blood-soaked soil.


!!!!!!!


“I don’t think this is a good idea.”


“Why not? It won’t hurt anything. We’ll only stay for a moment.” Sakura dodged a branch and looked at Naruto, trailing behind. She paused, putting a hand on her hip, “Uzumaki Naruto, this is something you know you need. Just for a moment.”


“Why? A reminder? ‘Don’t get too cocky, your name’ll be there one day.’? Thanks, but I can remember that just fine on my own.”


“Naruto.”


He crossed his arms.


“Don’t be like this.” She came back to him, touching his arm, “Please, trust me.”


Trust. The word was like a cool breeze, the way it came off her lips, and for a moment, he just stared at her.


She must have taken his silence as permission, because she extracted one of his hands and pulled him forward.


The rock seemed smaller than he remembered; the list longer. The half-staffed flag whipped out lazily in the evening breeze. Naruto felt his heart die in his throat. Sakura’s footsteps slowed, as she pulled him to the monument.


“I suppose…” Sakura began, then fell silent. Naruto let her words die on the breeze, but she resurrected them too quickly, “I suppose I want this to be a reminder for you…”


He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.


“A reminder that…we’re only human. Even you.” She turned to look at him, “One day, one of us might not come back.”


Naruto’s eyes flashed for a moment.


“But you’re special, Naruto.” She turned her back to him again, “You’re made of different things than the rest of us.”


“Sakura…” Did she know? Did she know about Kyuubi?


“You’ve shown us what it means to keep on going, what it means to live life like each day could be our last. That a smile can make anyone feel better. That a joke, no matter how lame, will lighten the worst fear. It’s okay to reach out, and to take, as long as you give in the end…Maybe, one day, you won’t return. Maybe your face will never be carved in the Cliffside.”


She looked over her shoulder at him.


“But your name is already immortal.”


She smiled softly at him.


And he felt a little more human.


!!!!!!!


It seemed appropriate to him that when they made it to the border, the clouds swept in and they were greeted with the roll of thunder and flashes of lightning. He didn’t let them stop when the rain began. For a while, he enjoyed the chill against his skin, and was able to block out the sound of complaints from their charges.


Like this, listening to the noise of the light storm, he could think of nothing and everything. The sound of the rain made him think of Sasuke, fingers rolling across the kitchen table, an annoyed tic. The thunder made him think of those same fingers in his hair, the lean body pressing him into the wall. A mouth on his. The lightning wiped those thoughts clean, only to die and let them rise again.


Nothing in this life is forever. We are only here, only now. But we rise, like the tides, as many times as we can. Until we are burned to nothing.


Naruto pushed them hard, even though he could hear them gasping for breath, and even though the rain was beginning to pound down like needles. Something was pushing him, telling them they had to move. They had to get these two home. This journey had already been too long, Sasuke would be furious at him as it was. The longer this took, the more possibility that the Ice Prince would shove a few kunai-shaped ice sickles down his throat.


Something in the back of his mind, though, nagged at him. That nin that had attacked them. There had been more, he’d known it. But…when the first had fallen, there had been no more. If anyone of those nin were in their right mind, they would have attacked, especially when they were wrapping Konohamaru’s eye. Or maybe that was just Naruto’s way of thinking.


He heard a sudden pause in footsteps behind him, and slid to a stop on the muddy ground.


“We are almost there.” The woman murmured.


“So why are we stopping? It’s too dangerous.” Sigume shifted, feeling jumpy.
“ANBU from the village will meet us.” She bowed over hands clasped at her chest. Pale, red chakra blossomed to life as she pulled her hands away from her body, creating a red orb against her palms. She straightened, and murmured something Naruto didn’t quite catch, then watched the red orb float into the air.


Signaling beacon.


“Are you crazy?” Naruto hissed, “If those rogue nin behind us didn’t know where we are, they’d know now.”


“It is the only way for the village to let their guard down for us.” The woman glared at him, “Not that I have any problem with you going in without the signal.”


He bared his teeth at her, but turned his head away and dropped to a defensive stance as he heard soft footsteps rushing to meet them.


“Your Graces.” A low voice suddenly purred through the rain, “Welcome home.”


!!!!!!!


He didn’t know when he’d activated his Sharingan, but he was suddenly desperate to use it to locate Naruto’s familiar signature. Which wasn’t working. Mainly because he was still in his house, ripping his closet apart. A growl escaped his throat as he threw the last shirt across the room, then pounded down the stairs and out of the house, not caring that the door bounced back open when he slammed it shut and walked away.


Something about that letter had apparently hit him harder than he understood. Tsugi’s words pushed at his mind until he wanted to dig a kunai into his forehead and forcibly remove the memory. What was it about Tsugi that got so goddamn far under his skin?


His footfalls were heavy on the dirt ground as he stormed the city center, people clearing out of his way as quickly as possible. Maybe it was the familiar annoyance, that he’d come to expect from Naruto, had become something he’d placed in Tsugi. A new vessel for overflowing emotions.


Yeah.


Something like that.


There was a flash of blonde and for a moment, he thought he’d found him, but the person turned and revealed a much older man. He shook his head, trying to clear it.
I’m sending you a gift…


Tsugi didn’t send gifts. You were lucky if Tsugi could even remember what you were arguing about.


See you on the other side.


Other side of what? Nothing about that letter made any sense to him. Much like the man, he supposed.


THERE. Familiar heat washed through him. Like he was drowning in desire with a thirst for something that could never be fulfilled. Naruto. He changed directions quickly, following his senses.


Why was he at the monument? And who was he—


Sakura.


He growled, and drew up short. Through the trees, he could see two figures standing close together. The shorter, Sakura, brushed her shoulder against the taller and said something. Naruto’s head turned and smiled down at her.


A real smile.


Sasuke’s throat caught.


Her hand reached up, pushing a strand of hair from Naruto’s face.


Sasuke growled.


They said something more, softly. God, he wished he could hear what they were talking about.


Then Sakura leaned up and kissed Naruto’s cheek softly, before turning and moving away, letting her fingers drag down his arm before she vanished.


!!!!!!!


The building they were led to was mostly dark, it’s main hallway lit only by an occasional half-burned candle. Naruto could still smell and hear the rain, as they followed the Lord and Lady deeper into the shadows.


“You are welcome to stay here tonight. But you will leave in the morning.” There were no arguments, the Konoha nin were more than ready to turn around anyway. Naruto felt itchy, something wasn’t right here.


They entered a room at the end of the hall, massive, with tatami-mat floors and the barest of decorations. The Lord went to a small altar and bowed to it, as the Lady held back. Servants fell into the room, setting down two pillows. The Lady knelt gracefully into one, facing Naruto and the others.


“Despite the trouble, thank you for getting us home.” She said in a soft voice Naruto hadn’t heard her use before. The Lord knelt into the other pillow, then gestured at them.


They dropped to a sitting position, watching the two as the servants brought in steaming cups, placing one before everyone. Silence reined until they were gone.


“Aren’t you worried, Lord, about the nin attack?”


“We are safe in our walls.”


“How can your walls protect you and your people from those owls? These aren’t normal ninja you are dealing with.”


“I do not believe that is any of your business, demon.”


Naruto clutched his fist in his lap, “I believe it is, since we have to return the same way we came.”


“Then perhaps you should sleep well tonight. Asahikage.” A door slid open and a tall, slim man in dark robes entered, bowing to them, “Show these gentlemen to rooms.”


“Yes, m’lord.” The man looked at the group for a moment, before turning and heading out the way he came.


Naruto rose, leading the others down another dark hallway.


Something wrong.


I know.


Everything is off here.


I know.


So do something.


Not yet.


Kyuubi fell silent, though he could feel heat in his belly.


He wondered, briefly, if he made their guide nervous when he growled as he stepped passed him into their guest quarters.


He hoped so.


!!!!!!!


He heard her leave, and tried to ignore the other presence in his senses. His eyes scanned the names slowly, one right after the other, even though he’d memorized them so long ago. At least some things never changed.


Some things couldn’t change.


And some things had to.


And he was learning that the hardest way.


There were too many things going on here, mixing him up. He couldn’t stay focused any more, now that he was reminded of life. He’d grown into a routine, and now…now he was here. Now he was back among living. Where apparently he didn’t have to look over his shoulder every second of the day.


But he knew he’d do it anyway.


Because there are some things you can’t forget.


A tree branch snapped behind him, and silent footsteps approached.


There are some things that are just too hard to let go of.


!!!!!!!


See you on the other side.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ch. 8 Fin.

Next Chapter: Illusions.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HELLS!! FINISHED THIS JUST FOR YOU!!

In case anyone’s wondering, chapter titles are lines from songs.

1. “Big Machine” Goo Goo Dolls

2. “The No Seatbelt Song” Brand New

3. “To The End” My Chemical Romance

4. “Here’s to the Night” Eve 6

5. “A Man And A Woman” U2

6. “Lonely Nation” Switchfoot

7. “The Phrase That Pays” The Academy Is…

8. “Lonely People” Augustana

I seriously suggest at least looking these songs up on YouTube…TAI, Augustana, and Brand New are just……guuuuuuuh *melt*

Ch 9 and 10 are both relatively short, so hopefully they won’t take nearly as long to get up, and hopefully close together. The original plan was to get Ch 8 and 9 out together, before Anime Detour, which I’ll be attending. IF YOU’RE GOING, COME FIIIIIIND ME!!! I’ll be Tsunade with a sake bottle (and the ID of Crystal Child), and my sister will more than likely be in her totally over the top Kijin from YnM costume. Maybe I’ll feel like dropping hints towards what’s going to happen…