Naruto Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Memoirs of a D-Day Veteran ❯ Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Relief Comes With Perseverance

 

 

I looked around the room that I found myself in. There were four couches, a cherry wood coffee table, and a blue rug under the coffee table, a big TV in an armoire, and a counter that had a big teapot and eight teacups. I immediately knew that I was in a living room.

 

I noticed then that everyone was sitting around me staring off into whatever world they found themselves interested in at that moment. We had all powered down, it seemed, and were wearing clothes that we were not wearing before Hideaki appeared. Michiru-san was wearing a light sea green dress and white heels that looked like her sailor shoes. Haruka-san was wearing a black wife beater, a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a denim no-sleeve jacket. Hotaru-chan was wearing a gray T-shirt, a black skirt, and gray boots. Setsuna-san was wearing a tan/ brown coat, a dark red dress that came a third way down her thigh (about four inches below the coat), and dark red heels. Rei-chan was wearing a red midriff top, black denim shorts, and black-and-red tennis shoes. Makoto-san was wearing a short green dress that was skintight, and green boots. Minako-chan was wearing a pair of jean shorts, a yellow T-shirt, and sandals. I was wearing a blue sundress and blue Sunday slippers. Despite the new clothes, we all looked like we came out of a hospital. There wasn't a single person that hadn't gotten hurt that day. Even Setsuna-san had been hit a couple times. Out of everyone there, Setsuna-san, Minako-chan, and I had received the least amount of damage.

 

I noticed too that everyone had bandages around them. Rei-chan had bandages around her ribcage and right arm. Hotaru-chan had band-aids on her face, bandaged left leg, and several broken fingers. (Later while Setsuna-san was talking, she healed herself using her Saturn powers) Minako-chan had broken her right leg. Haruka-san had bandages around her ribcage, and bandages around both of her wrists. Makoto-san had bandages on both of her legs and around her forehead. Michiru-san had a band-aid on her forehead, a bandage on her right wrist, and tons of band-aids on her left arm because of the amount of scratches she received. Setsuna-san had a few scratches on her back and on her legs, and a patch on her right eye. I had a bandage wrapped around my stomach, and a completely useless left arm that I knew was beyond any type of healing.

 

Setsuna cleared her throat. “Scouts, please come to order. As you all can see, my plan worked. We got away from Hideaki—this time. There's no telling when we'll meet him again, and lest we acquire reinforcements that are strong enough to beat him, the next encounter will be our last.” She looked into our pain stricken faces. “We were all injured today, but we learned that we need to become stronger, for Serenity and Endymion's sake.”

 

Hotaru spoke up. “You said that there was a way for us to bring them back. When will we be able to do this?”

 

Setsuna sighed. “I said there was a way. I didn't say it would be easy. In order to bring them back, we first must become stronger. I'm going to take you all to other dimensions. In the first, we will train ourselves and acquire new abilities. There we will meet five Sailor Scouts. They are not aware of their being scouts, so while we are there we have to find them ourselves. In the second dimension, we will learn to fight using machines. None of us are used to that method of fighting, but we will learn. In that dimension, there are five knights that we will meet almost directly after we arrive. You will all know who they are, even if they don't. In the third dimension, we will meet two boys. When you meet them, you will notice something very strange about them. They will teach you all a principle of a branch of science, and you will learn to use this principle to you're advantage. In the last dimension, we will all learn to fight with unbelievable circumstances. We will have to fight without gravity and with too much gravity. There we will meet two knights and three scouts. Once again we will have to reveal their identities to them.” She looked at us again. “Are you all ready?”

 

We nodded, knowing that we didn't really have a choice in the matter.

 

“Then let us go.” Setsuna opened another portal and we all walked in.

 

I blinked. We were in a grassy field. As I sensed the energy around me, I could tell that peace was evident here. But, I thought, how long would that peace last? With Prince Hideaki out there, it wouldn't be long…

 

Setsuna turned to us. “This is a dimension where travelers come to train. Here, power is driven on by chakra, what we know as ki. You can use your chakra to perform many techniques, called jutsu, such as Aratameru no Jutsu, Irekawari no Jutsu, Kuroonningen no Jutsu— the list of techniques is never ending. Teenagers here are in Ninja Academies. They study Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, even Taijutsu. They are also taught how to harness their powers— some of their lives depend on learning this. You scouts will learn these fighting styles, and I think that Haruka-san and Makoto-sensei would prefer Taijutsu to the other styles.

 

“Aside from that, your training will start today. Makoto-sensei and I will pose here as your teachers, in case anyone gets suspicious as to why there are eight of us. Remember what we went over earlier, Makoto-sensei? We have to go over those things with them. Makoto-sensei's team will consist of Ami-san, Rei-san, and Minako-san. You are team # 16 of Higashikazegakure (Hidden Eastern Wind Village) of Celestial Country (A/N: I made this country up): Team Natsuno. My team will consist of Haruka-san, Michiru-san, and Hotaru-san. You are team # 23 of Gaikazegakure (Hidden Southern Wind Village) of Celestial Country: Team Minobu. Now, Makoto-sensei, take your team and go over the basics, and I will do the same. Oh, and before we start, let me just say that none of you are to take your training lightly. I expect that you all will train as hard as possible, else doom will fall upon us all the next time we come face to face with that damned prince. You have been warned.”

 

Makoto-sensei led us to a small meadow a little far off. “Today,” she started, “you three are going to learn Aratameru no Jutsu. To start things off, each of you must bring me five big banana tree leaves. But Rei-chan, you will bring me six.”

 

We nodded and set out. I jumped from tree to tree, looking for a banana tree with big leaves. I searched a while, and then by chance I found the tallest, widest banana tree I've ever seen. Luckily, the leaves were big, too, but at the top of the tree. I contemplated as to what I could do to get the leaves, when I heard something coming towards me. I quickly hid behind the tree, wondering who or what was coming. Then, a boy, about 12 or 13, jumped out of the trees from above. He had spiky blonde hair and was wearing an orange jump suit.

 

“I could've sworn I saw someone out here,” he said suspiciously. “Might as well grab a banana while I'm here. Kinobori no Jutsu!”

 

I watched carefully as the boy performed a few hand movements. Then, he began to walk up the tree, and I mean he literally walked up the tree! Once he was up there, he pulled out a weapon and sliced off a bunch of bananas and three big leaves. As the boy was walking away, he turned and looked in my direction.

 

“I hope that helped you out!” he said as he jumped into the trees and made his way back to wherever he had come from.

 

I looked at the three leaves on the ground and silently thanked him, when I remembered that I needed five leaves. I played the boy's hand movements over and over in my mind. I tried in vain to use my left hand along with my right to perform the movements. Then I wondered if I'd be able to do them with only my right hand. I tried it a few times, and then realized that I would have to move twice as fast as he did in order for it to work, at least a little. I tried it out, and discovered that I had been right. When using one arm, I had to move faster and use the movements twice than one normally would. Having been successful, I climbed the tall tree and pulled off the last two leaves that I would need. Then I picked up the other leaves and made my own way back.

 

When I got there, I discovered that Rei-chan, Minako-chan, and I had arrived at the exact same time.

 

“Very good,” Makoto-sensei said to us. “Now, you will each have to find flowers. Ami-chan, you will have to find four blueberry blossoms and two lightning wildflowers. Rei-chan, you will have to find four cherry blossoms and one lightning wildflower. Minako-chan, you will have to find four orange blossoms and one lightning wildflower.”

 

I set out again, this time for the flowers. I found the blueberry blossoms with ease, but I wondered what a lightning wildflower looked like. A couple times while I searched, I bumped into Haruka-san and Michiru-san. They never stopped to talk, but I knew that they were most definitely on a search of their own.

 

As I was still wondering about the features of a lightning wildflower, it hit me. I was walking around a bush, when a group of flowers in particular caught my eye. They had little lightning patterns all over them. I picked them with a little fascination and then returned to Makoto-sensei. Once again, we all arrived at the same time.

 

“Great! You guys are doing fine with this. The last thing you have to get is a five-foot roll of bandaging rope. Minako-chan, you will have to get two rolls. Setsuna-sensei and I hid them somewhere in the forest.”

 

I searched again for the last time. I jumped from tree to tree again, looking for white bandaging tape. I soon came across a river. I was about to go through the water to the other side when I remembered that I was still wearing the sundress. Then a thought struck me. I could just jump over the wide river. I was a Sailor Scout, after all, and I was fully capable. Just as I was about to do that, a knife-like weapon was thrown at my head. I tilted my head to the side so that the weapon hit a tree instead.

 

A boy came out of the shadows. He looked to be the same age as the boy I had met earlier. This boy had raven colored hair and eyes that looked dark and mysterious. “Who are you?” he demanded.

 

I looked at him, wondering whether I should answer him or not.

 

“Tell me!” This boy apparently thought that I was a threat of some sort.

 

I decided to talk. It was probably the only way to get across the river in one piece. “I am Nori Aoi. What's your name?”

 

I saw him contemplating the same thing that I had moments before. “Uchiha Sasuke. What is you're business here?”

 

I wasn't too sure at the time, really, so I said, “Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I need to cross this river, so I'll be seeing you Uchiha-san.” I bowed slightly, out of courtesy and turned to make the jump I was going to make.

 

“Call me Sasuke,” he said. He was watching me carefully.

 

I looked at him from over my shoulder. Then I jumped over the long width of the river. I could feel his eyes on me as I somersaulted in the air and landed on my feet on the other side. I waved to him and said, “Until we meet again, Sasuke-san.” Then I headed out again, looking for the promised tape.

 

It was when I came across a village that I finally saw the bandaging tape. But, alas, it was at the top of a very tall pole. The pole was even taller than the banana tree. I knew instantly that Kinobori no Jutsu wouldn't work because this was not a tree. I wondered how I would achieve my goal. Looking around me, I noticed that trees surrounded the pole. Not as tall as the pole, but still a good height. I then performed Kinobori no Jutsu and walked up a nearby tree. Once at the top, I mentally calculated the distance between the pole and myself. Six meters. With that number set in my head, I jumped off of the tree and did another somersault. Halfway through the somersault, I made a grab for the tape. I missed. Landing on my feet, I looked up at the tape. I wasn't about to give up. No way.

 

I tried it again, this time at a steadier pace, and with more spring in my legs. I did the somersault and grabbed again. So close. I tried four more times. On the fourth try, I felt the tape in my hands as I completed the circle. I was so caught up in getting the tape that I didn't notice that I had miscalculated again. The added spring in my legs, the slower movements of my body, and the time it took for me to make sure that the tape was secured in my hand caused an earlier descent, resulting in a fast fall. I felt myself falling, but it didn't register that I could have gotten hurt. If it weren't for him I— let me go back a moment.

 

I waited for the impact with the ground that I knew was about to occur, but it never came. Instead, I found myself in the strong arms of the most handsome boy I had yet to see in this dimension. Well, maybe except for Sasuke… The boy looked to be in his late teens. Probably 17 or 18. He had gray hair that was tied back and strangely black eyes. He was wearing glasses.

 

He smiled at me. “Are you okay?” he asked me as he set me down.

 

I nodded and bowed. “Domo arigato for saving me.”

 

“No problem. What's your name?”

 

“Nori Aoi,” I said.

 

“Segio. My name's Yakushi Kabuto. What were you up to? It must have been something important if you tried so many times just to get that roll of tape.”

 

I blushed. “I'm unauthorized to say,” I told him. If things were like Setsuna-sensei said, then the teens here were used to missions and seeing other teens carry out untold tasks.

 

“I see,” he said knowingly. “You must be on a mission. Are you a genin? I've never seen you around here before.”

 

I didn't really know what he was talking about, so I just nodded and smiled. I'd learn later what a genin was…

 

Yakushi-san looked me up and down. “Interesting choice of clothing, Nori-san,” he said with a chuckle. “Usually ninja carry out their missions and go about wearing less frilly things.”

 

I blushed again and looked down at my sundress. Was it so strange here? I bet myself that the people here would find it weird to hear of fighting in my sailor fuku. “I was actually on my way to that village when the mission was brought upon me,” I lied. It was a pretty bold lie, if I do say so myself. I didn't know at the time if missions were given just like that, or if genins had to be assembled in any special way. Basically, saying that could have risked my life.

 

“You mean Konohagakure? What were you going there for, if you don't mind my asking?”

 

“I was looking for a friend, actually.”

 

“Really? Who? I pretty much know everyone in Konohagakure. I could tell them you were looking for them.”

 

Damn. This guy wouldn't quit, I knew. So I said the only name I knew at that moment. “Uchiha Sasuke.”

 

His eyes narrowed. “You are looking for Uchiha-san? Doushite?” He looked me up and down again as I nodded. “I suppose you're capable enough. Do you have a bone to pick with him? Is he your ex-boyfriend and you're seeking revenge on him, or something?”

 

I laughed nervously. “Iie. I'm just a friend of his, and I wanted to talk to him, was all.” I turned to go back to the meadow as I said, “If you happen to see him, please tell him that `Aoi-chan wants to talk to him at sunset where the fishes sleep at night'. If he doesn't understand, then please tell him `Where we first met'.” Then, with the bandaging tape in tow, I raced back to Makoto-sensei. I was late, no doubt about that.

 

 

___________________

 

TBC

 

 

- 6 - October 4, 2006