A Dream for a Dream

A Dream for a Dream

chapter 9

--N

Despite the bout of tense nerves that the thought of the inevitable delivery brought on, I found myself anxiously awaiting the end of my pregnancy, especially throughout the last few months. Once our traveling was done and our new home was completed, the time began to really drag.

To help pass the time ,Kyuubi continued to teach me things and tell me stories, but there were many practical lessons that I couldn’t safely handle at that point. He had promised, for instance that after the child was born he would teach me how to transform like he did. That sounded so cool to me that I could hardly wait and I asked him to explain everything he could about it right then.

That was when I learned why he kept the nine tails even in human form. He told me that he was simply used to the additional mass behind him and losing the tails each time meant a much greater adjustment to his sense of balance. He guessed that when I learned to shift forms, I very well may decide to make things easier on myself that way. He was right too. I just learned to shift a few weeks ago. I bet the others will be surprised. People always underestimate how much I can learn in a short time.

I’m a fox form of course, since it was Kyuubi’s chakra that changed me. I’m smaller and more of a golden color and I only have three tails. He says that’s because I’m so young and still mostly untrained and I’ll get bigger and more powerful later on. Three tails are heavy enough though. I can’t imagine suddenly gaining and losing nine all the time. I like to picture him falling flat on his face from the overcompensation. Not that he would ever do anything so ungraceful. I always seem to get stuck with these perfectionists. At least in his case I can blame it on centuries of experience. (He hates it when I call him a cradle robber.)

But I’m getting off topic aren’t I? Well as I was saying, other than conversation and some rambling walks, it was pretty boring for a while. Not that I was unhappy or anything, but I am used to much more excitement in my life. (Now I think I know why single demons tend to roam around a lot. They’re probably just itching for some type of challenge.) The day did finally arrive though and I had a hard time deciding if I was relieved or horrified.

As a shinobi and not having grown up as female or even around females really, I can’t say that the miracle of birth had ever been a big topic of discussion for me. It wasn’t a subject I spent any amount of time thinking about or researching and I had only a very basic idea of what to expect. Like pain.

The pain definitely came, and fear and confusion and outright panic! If Kyuubi hadn’t been right there with me, I don’t know what I would have done. Thankfully, as the time grew nearer, Kyuubi stayed closer to my side until he would a barely even leave me for a moment. I believe I threatened him with a bloody and horrifying death if he didn’t back off at one point, but he bore it quite serenely.

With him coaching me to draw in a high and steady stream of chakra from himself and everything else around me, the pain was lessened and the process went a lot smoother than it would have otherwise. You didn’t think we’d bother with that silly breathing crap did you? That shit’s just a placebo, I’m sure. I mean that was a Bitch! No way can you convince me that breathing funny would have made any real difference.

When my baby was born, the first thing I did was ask if it was okay. Kyuubi proudly assured me that the baby was the very picture of healthy perfection... Then I asked the gender. Yeah, yeah, stupid question I know. This is a demon baby after all but I hadn't been a demon for all that long and I was seriously out of it at the time. What? You give birth and tell me how clear headed you are right after!

Anyhow, our child is almost six months old. I can hardly believe that much time has passed already, and yet it’s hard to remember what the world was like without him in it. We named him Hinode because he was born just as the sun was rising and he is the same blend of golden colors as the sky was that morning. He has a tuft of blond hair as bright as my own and soft as down and Kyuubi’s golden eyes to match and I still can’t get over how incredibly beautiful he is. Am I gushing? Oh my God, how girly! But he really is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

At least I know Kyuubi is just as smitten as I am. He doesn’t bother trying to hide his utter joy and love for his family. Not that there haven’t been frustrating moments and sleepless nights but at least there’s none of that typical macho bullshit that some human mothers have to deal with. I think that with all demons having the ability to give birth, it’s perfectly natural and acceptable to them to show a softer nurturing side. The roles and duties of each parent are totally interchangeable.

Well needless to say, I can hardly wait to show him off. Of course I’m excited to be able to see my friends again as well. I sent Gamakichi to talk to them several weeks ago and he came back with a positive answer, including a date and meeting place. It won’t be long now. Kyuubi just keeps shaking his head at my excitement but I know he loves it. It’s just who I am after all.

--S

I’m sure I’m not the only one who cursed the damn Dobe for not setting up some way of contacting him. If we’d had any idea where he was and could have found him to give some kind of warning, it would have saved everyone a massive migraine.

The council’s initial reaction to the raiding of Ino’s mental filing cabinet was to panic at usual. Then they realized that Itachi was most interested in Naruto and things went downhill, or dropped right off a cliff might be a more accurate way to put it.

The first issue they thought of was the possibility of the Akatsuki getting their hands on the Demon’s power, but then, the Demon was no longer extractable now was it? That led straight into a debate about what they could be planning now and the barbaric suggestion of letting the two ‘threats’ to our village go at it and hopefully destroy each other.

Most of the clan heads asserted that the Akatsuki needed to be dealt with anyway, which should be reason enough to look into this possible opportunity. Hyuuga Hiashi in particular was disturbed at the thought of allowing such dangerous S-class criminals any chance of obtaining more power. Surely they would not even think to approach a free Kyuubi no Kitsune if they didn’t have some plan in mind that they thought would work, and would yield some kind of gain. And if Akatsuki does gain in power, the repercussions for our village and indeed all of the five nations could be catastrophic. Even a 0.1 percent chance of such a thing should not be simply ignored.

However, many besides the elders were against doing anything that could aid the ‘evil demons’. Besides, there was no solid indication that any members of Akatsuki would show up at all. There were even some threats thrown around about punishments for the three ‘traitors’ who had been in contact with, and conspired to meet with Konoha’s demon enemies. In the end, despite all argument, the situation was eloquently worded as - too great a threat with too many unknown factors and not worth the possible loss of manpower. The final decision of the council was to leave well enough alone and reassess their options after the fact.

This does not mean that everyone agreed with them. Naruto does have friends in Konoha and not everyone is stupid enough to sit idly by and allow things to escalate. Most Konoha shinobi take their oaths of loyalty quite seriously and would never go against the council, no matter how uneasy a decision may make them. Still Tsunade had little trouble gathering a group together for an ‘unofficial outing’.

Naruto’s former team would surely have gone to meet him regardless, as would I. It was noble of the Hokage to take on the responsibility for our inevitable actions. She sent Kakashi with us as well with instructions to send a dog for help if necessary. No doubt she would have reinforcements standing by.

We left this morning, hoping to reach the meeting place before Naruto, and before our unwelcome guests may arrive. We’ve been making good time actually. My wife is running along at my side with a look of determination reminiscent of Naruto himself. I hadn’t thought about the possibility before she followed me out of the house in full gear, but I can’t say that I’m surprised at her desire to come.

The selected meeting place was a gently sloping hill in an unpopulated area within the lower borders of Cloud Country, which had long been declared neutral. Not only was it a nice place to look at, but it would have been nicely defensible… if the enemy wasn’t already there, preparing for an ambush.

We’ve arrived quite early, but Akatsuki have evidently beaten us to the punch anyway. Their chakra signatures are dampened, making it difficult to distinguish identities or even numbers, but we were expecting their presence (thanks to my overconfident sibling) and have been paying such close attention that they couldn’t hide from us completely. Besides, Kiba’s overgrown mutt can smell them anyway.

Kakashi has called a halt before we reach the edge of the tree-line. They don’t seem to be reacting yet but we have a very limited amount of time to locate and size up our opponents and try to get a look at what they’re doing. No matter how careful we are, they’ll be on the alert for us as well and it certainly won’t be long before our presence is noted.

Neji’s byakugan is already at work. He says there are four of them, my brother and his fishy looking partner, and two more that he says he recognizes from that mission to save the Kazekage a few years back. I couldn’t care less whom the others are myself. I’ll be taking care of Itachi. Once and for all.

“They’re planting a circle of seal tags.” Neji whispers. “And one of them is trailing some sort of powder around the area in a spiral design. Actually it looks something like the mark Naruto used to have on his stomach.”

“Then it seems they’re preparing for some ritual. It’s probably a way of subduing a demon. They had to know that they’re no match for Kyuubi. It figures that they’d have a plan in mind.” This statement is all that Kakashi can manage before a sudden explosion sends us all flying. We’ve been discovered. Worse, we’ve been effectively separated by the blast.

A quick moment to jump to my feet and get my bearings in the smoke and confusion before I take off in the direction of the chakra signatures that have flared up now that hiding them has proven pointless. From the sound of things, some of the others are already engaged in combat. There won’t be a chance to plan a group attack so I might as well just jump in and do what I can.

The air has cleared and I’ve found myself in the clearing, to see my brother facing off with Kakashi. My former sensei’s forehead protector has already been pushed up to reveal his single sharingan eye, though he’s carefully avoiding Itachi’s direct gaze.

Itachi is mocking him about previous encounters in that infuriatingly backhanded way of his. (The dick) His stance is deliberately nonchalant but I notice that he’s holding a strange object with unusual care. I have only a brief moment to study it and I can’t say that I find anything outwardly special about the thing, save perhaps the fact that whatever material it’s made from is indistinguishable. It’s simple, a dull blue shade and vaguely shaped like a pear… or a gourd.

I can’t spare the time to ponder it further right now though. There are much more pressing matters to attend at the moment, like personally making absolutely certain that Itachi will never be able to threaten another of my precious people.

I’ve lost the thread of the conversation - if it can be called that- in my observations, and Kakashi is moving to the attack. I can’t let him take over. This is my fight. I’m sure the others could use his help in any case. In a flash I’ve cut Kakashi off, place myself between them. Itachi is already smirking condescendingly at me, though his body is tensed, leaning forward at the ready and he cradles the strange object closer.

From the slight pull of his facial muscles, I can tell that his eyes are narrowing on me although I’m not about to glance up to confirm anything. My glare is firmly fixed on his sneering mouth as he greets me with that old sarcastic endearment.

“Otouto,” he calls me and I scoff, refusing to rise to the bait.

Behind me, Kakashi sharply barks my name but I wave him off.

“Go look after Hinata Kakashi.” I can spare him no more attention than this and I’m somewhat relieved to feel him go with only a second’s hesitation. Then I have to clear him from my mind.

“So you think you’re ready to try this again my foolish little brother? I do hope you’ve gotten a lot stronger.

He’s underestimating me. Now I recognize that for the advantage that it is. What I have gotten is smarter. Once I would have flown into a rage, but this time I won’t allow myself to lose my head. I’ve learned not to focus on proving my own power and to pay more attention instead to my enemy’s potential weaknesses. Which is why, when I make my move, it’s the object in his hand that I aim for.

I’ve caught him by surprise. He was surely expecting a hateful, berserker assault on his person, not a cool purposeful try for the thing that he’s being so protective of. Not that it takes him long to recover, but for the first time in my life I have the satisfaction of seeing my perfect older brother dodge and flee from me.

I closely follow his retreat into the circle of seal tags and he tosses the blue object to one of his companions that apparently has remained stationed here. The man is running off with it. I can’t spare even a second to watch where he goes. I feel an instant of temptation to try to intercept him and get my hands on this unknown article that is obviously important to them, but I can not abandon my confrontation with Itachi.

Neji is calling out to the group to target the seal tags, to try to destroy or at least move some of them and disrupt whatever the enemy is planning. Unfortunately the enemy can hear him as well as I can. Itachi calls to his companion, the one that just took the blue gourd thing. He reappears with a grunt of affirmation and is already moving, his hand quickly working through the signs, and a chakra string shoots out to the nearest tag. It’s moving around the whole circle, connecting the tags. He must be protecting them or maybe activating them now before they can be disturbed.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see some of the tags. They’re beginning to glow. There’s a brilliant flash! My senses are exploding with a huge burst of chakra that encompasses the entire area within the circle! It’s almost painful…

The tags must amplify and reflect the power that’s put into them. It’s a barrier. Did they really think they were going to catch a demon this way?

“This barrier will absorb any chakra that’s thrown at it Little Brother. It was not meant to be activated yet. I suppose you and your pathetic friends have proven more of an annoyance than I’d thought.”

“I’ll be much more than a simple annoyance very soon Aniki.”

“You’ll be long dead by the time our target arrives,” he corrects me in that bored tone. That seriously pisses me off. Do I sound like that? Never mind. Focus.

I know he’ll probably refuse to make the first move so I start with a good one, taking a page from Naruto’s book and going for surprise. In a fraction of second I’m right there in his personal space with a chidori crackling in my palm. He just barely manages to dodge, the billowing fabric of his cloak singed and smoking. I can’t help but smile grimly in satisfaction. I’m faster now than he’d expected. I push my advantage trying to keep him off guard. I can’t give him the time to do anything but defend.

--N

Kyuubi is grumbling quietly to Hinode behind me (as if the baby can understand and sympathize with him), while I zigzag ahead, trying to get him to hurry along. I can hear him anyway of course and he knows it. If he thinks it’s going to have any effect, he’s dead wrong. I already know that we’re going to be there ahead of schedule and that getting there faster doesn’t really mean I’ll get to see my friends faster but I couldn’t possibly sit around waiting at home any longer.

It feels nice to be traveling again, with an actual destination in mind. It makes me feel purposeful and alive. Life has been good to me lately, sure, but I have to admit that I was going a bit stir crazy. Kyuubi is great company and Hinode is beautiful and wonderful and quite possibly the cutest baby that ever lived and I’ve been truly blessed to be a part of this little family, but I’m not used to the hermit lifestyle. I can’t help missing my friends and all the action my life used to revolve around.

Kyuubi took Hinode from me shortly after we left, saying that all my bouncing around was probably going to make him sick. I know that’s just an excuse. He doesn’t feel completely comfortable with taking the baby so far from home yet and holding him close makes him feel better. He can’t help his natural instincts and I can understand that. Heck I even feel it myself to an extent.

Oh well, at least I know that he’ll get over it eventually. He’s promised that when the baby is older, he’ll take me to all sorts of places I never knew existed. He told me about some demon villages that we could visit. Some types of demons are more social than others and actually like to share a community. The markets are apparently quite something to see. Most of them have more private homes that they go live in for awhile when they’re with child. As a general rule demons only care to allow immediate family around their young ones.

I don’t have an immediate family though and I made a promise to my team mates, whom I trust completely. They can be like my family stand-ins I guess. Kyuubi was along for the ride (so to speak) for every mission I went on with them and I know he trusts them too. After all, he may be a little uncomfortable but he hasn’t actually tried to dissuade me from meeting them.

We’re almost there now. The meeting point is just over this next rise. I doubt they’re there yet though and if they aren’t, I’m going have a hard time sitting still until they come. I think I can feel a flicker of chakra but it feels faint like it’s still quite far off. I hope that means we won’t have to wait too long.

Wait, the chakra has suddenly flared up. It wasn’t far off, it was suppressed. There’s too many, and the signatures are pulsing and flaring as if in battle. Kyuubi and I shoot a look at each other. Something is very wrong. Moments later there’s a veritable explosion of chakra that quickly stabilizes but definitely increases our feeling of urgency.

So now he picks up the pace. Within minutes we’re cresting the hill where I was supposed to meet my friends. I stop short at the sight of a familiar black cloak with red clouds. My friends are fighting Akatsuki. They’re two on one - save Kakashi who's taking on that shark faced guy alone - but it still appears to be a fairly even battle, neither side gaining ground.

“A barrier,” Kyuubi growls. I follow his gaze to the clearing and gasp at the sight of Sasuke in a pitched battle with Itachi. Both seem to be trapped inside a dome of chakra. Before my eyes, Itachi leaps high into the air, throwing a shuriken at Sasuke’s head. Sasuke twists his head to avoid the weapon, bringing his face exactly where Itachi lands, inches away from him.

“SASUKE!” It’s too late. Their eyes have met and Itachi’s lips curl into a cruel smirk.

I blink in surprise as Kyuubi thrusts the baby into my arms.

“Stay,” he commands sternly before bounding off into the fray. He gives me no time to argue, the clever bastard. I want to be the one to fight. These are my friends I’m supposed to help. Protecting them is my responsibility. Now with Hinode in my arms I can’t take one step. I’ll be forced to watch here while the others fight for their lives and Sasuke is tortured by his brother.

ARGGHH! I’m itching to take the offense. I’ve always been the type to make the first move. Playing defense makes me antsy, but there’s no way in hell I’d put Hinode down somewhere and leave him vulnerable.

--S

Everything outside the circle is forgotten. There is nobody else in this world but myself and Itachi. I will not be distracted by my own desperation this time. Much of the time there is no thinking at all, just acting and reacting. I’ve trained my whole life for this. My instincts are flawless. As the battle rages back and forth between us, tearing up the field, we seem more evenly matched than I had hoped. I’m holding my own against my genius brother. All it will take is one instant, one slip on his part, one stroke of luck or sudden inspiration on mine and I will finally have the upper hand.

Shit, I swiftly turn my head, lifting my chin as a shuriken whips by where my face used to be, and he’s there. The weapon was meant to shift my gaze in this direction and he has already moved into place. I don’t even have time to gasp at the menacing sight of the Mangekyou before the world runs red.

Oh God no! Not the fucking cross again, and hung from kunai in my wrists this time. I can feel the pain despite knowing it’s not real. It hurts so bad! I’m panicking… Stop fucking panicking! I can’t let him do this to me again. I’m stronger now! I’m supposed to destroy him!

He’s just pacing slowly in front of me chuckling away like he doesn’t have a care in the world. I hate that evil freak so much! The memories are battering at my psyche, images of me and my beloved big brother from all those years ago, of him carrying me home on his back and those gentle little smiles he used to give me. He’s tainting those images with this sickening blood red haze. He’s trying to break me down, to bring out my grief, to turn me back into that sobbing helpless mess that I was when I first realized his monumental betrayal. Well I won’t let him! This creature before me is NOT my brother! I refuse to believe that the same boy I knew is even still in there.

I’m seven years old again and running down the blood soaked streets. He’s making me relive that day yet again. It always comes back to that day. Don’t look, don’t look, don’t LOOK! I can’t let him steal my sanity. I need it to kill him!

I can’t close my eyes. I hate thinking of this day. I don’t want to see this. I HATE seeing this!

“Poor Otouto, you keep falling for the same trap.” His voice washes over the debilitating mental assault. “You’re still not good enough, and now I suppose you never will be. I need to dispose of you quickly after all. We need finish getting ready for your little friend’s arrival. I’m so looking forward to seeing Naruto kun again.”

Mentioning Naruto is the biggest mistake he could make. Suddenly my goal is completely clear once more. I must protect Naruto! The illusion of being a small helpless child swiftly weakens. This isn’t about catching up to my awe-inspiring brother. This is about Naruto.

Reserves of strength and determination that I didn’t even know I possessed are suddenly being tapped as I forcibly shove the powerful genjutsu down. It’s Itachi’s shock that turns the tide. He always was too confident. The instant in which he fails to react, frozen in his surprise, I manage to rest control of my own mind. Like the realization that you are in a dream, it is completely freeing. With one hard jerk I pull the kunai in my right arm out of the splintering wood of the cross and reach over to yank the other kunai out of my left arm swiftly sending it flying toward my brother’s face, all in a single smooth motion.

He certainly wasn't prepared for such a thing. I’m actually taken aback when it hits him dead in the eye… but not nearly as much as he is. He drops to his knees, screaming in pain as I fall from my cross. He’s disoriented and seems to have forgotten that this is genjutsu, and his own at that. I know that the pain can’t be real. I know what is going on, and he doesn’t. I guess that means I’m now the one in control of this nightmare he’s created.

This is my chance. I mustn’t let him get his bearings. I leap at him jabbing the other kunai into his other eye blinding him completely. It’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever done in my carrier as a shinobi. His shrieks are painfully piercing my ears and I think they must actually be real because I can no longer feel the phantom pain in my wrists from the wounds that I know aren’t there. Can everyone else hear him screaming?

This thought abruptly brings to mind what could be going on in the real world around us and thinking about that seems to make the bloody red landscape around me slowly fade, though Itachi doesn’t notice. He’s begun thrashing around trying to defend himself. I’m concentrating carefully with all my strength to help drag myself out of the genjutsu but just as the clearing is coming into view, he pulls a blade from his cloak and lunges blindly, slashing deeply across my abdomen.

I feel this…

His real body has been reacting to the imagined situation. He’s staring sightlessly around, still trapped in his own genjutsu, believing that his all-important sharingan eyes are destroyed. And he’s holding a blood darkened kunai.

I can’t look down. I feel that everything will be over the second I do. I still have to kill him before his companions can get to him. I swore that I would end this today, that I would never let him threaten Naruto or anyone else again.

It hurts like hell just to lean down but I grit my teeth and work through it, picking up a discarded shuriken from where it’s dug a furrow into the ground. My powerful brother looks incredibly pitiful in this moment, but I push the thought away before it can complicate things further. I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out as my arm pulls back and swings forward in the swift familiar motion, aiming directly for his throat.

I don’t bother to look. I can tell by the sound that I’ve struck on target. I sink to my knees and the ground feels wet. A lazy glance down and I understand that it’s my own blood pooling beneath me. I press my hand to my wound but it’s too big to cover and the warm liquid is seeping out through my cooling fingers. I’m starting to shiver with cold, and maybe shock. I really need to lay down.

(A/N; Gaahh! I'm so late! Again! Damn I hate not knowing when I'm going to be busy. Plus this chapter really wasn't kind to me. And it's another cliffy (of sorts). How much do you guys hate me now? Even if you do hate me though I really would like to thank everyone who has bothered to stick with me after all that waiting I put you through. You guys know who you are. I really do appreciate all the support and encouragement.

Well I guess this time I won't make any definite promises. I'll just say that the next chapter will be out 'very soon'. Thank god this is nearly over...)