Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ In the Rain ❯ Nightmare ( Chapter 14 )

Author: And back again with another update. Last chapter was kind of like a filler chapter, so it wasn't that interesting in my opinion, but hopefully things will be more interesting now…

 

Quote: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” -Abraham Lincoln

Fanfiction: Vertigo by Cynchick. url: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4146785/1/Vertigo also on FF.Net, and there's only 2 chapters, but it's still good =]

Book: Sebastian by Anne Bishop. Wonderful author, great storyline. I love Anne Bishop's work.

 

 

 

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Chapter 14:

Nightmare

 

 

 

 

Neji was confused. Ever since the beginning of the mission, both Hatake siblings had been way too laid back about getting their mission over with. When they spent the night in the inn, they didn't set their alarm until 9 a.m., so even though Neji was awake by 5, his two partners forced themselves to be asleep until 9. Not only had then been purposely slow, the slight feeling of tension between Saiiya and the males of this team that was there since the start of the mission was tenfold as they watched the sun growing closer and closer to the horizon. “My, it's getting late, we'll meet the man tomorrow morning,” he suggested.

 

Neji was about to protest when Saiiya picked out a nearby inn. “That'll do just fine for tonight. Let's go check in.” Neji gave her a look that made her shrug her shoulders and turn to run and fall in place with her older brother. The protégé groaned inwardly and jogged to catch up. They got up to their room and Saiiya immediately went into the bathroom. She came out ten minutes later and nodded towards her brother, who then disappeared behind the oak door. Saiiya hesitantly stepped over to the window, moving aside the curtains. She gazed down at the street below. “Saiiya.” She didn't move. “Midori.”

 

The kunoichi turned, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions. “Yeah?”

 

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, and Saiiya shrugged, turning back towards the window. Neji stood up, grasping her shoulders and spinning her back around. “Tell me what is with you and your brother. I know something is going on that I don't know about, and as your-” he paused, glancing at the bathroom where the faucet was running. He lowered his voice. “As your boyfriend I deserve to know.”

 

The kunoichi stared at him with a blank expression. “I don't know how to tell you.” Neji was going to interrogate her again when they heard the door handle jiggle and Saiiya moved around him and sat on the bed. Kakashi stepped out, eyeing the two before going to sit down on the opposite bed. He was still wearing his regular clothes. “I'm going down to go find our man and set up a meeting tomorrow. I'll be back later.” He formed two seals and was engulfed in a puff of smoke. When the grey substance dissipated, he was back to normal. He opened the window and perched on the seal, glancing around before jumping into the air and disappearing in the night.

 

Saiiya watched him go and sighed. “Neji, I apologize for anything that happens in advance,” she murmured, and received a questioning gaze. She sighed and sat down on the bed. “Saiiya, what's going on?” he asked gently, sitting down next to her. A look of frustration crossed her face and she turned to look at him. “Can you sleep next to me tonight? I don't want to wait until Kakashi gets back and I can't sleep alone. Not tonight.” Neji thought it over for a moment. “Alright.” Saiiya nodded and then got underneath the covers. Neji followed suit, staring at the door. “What about your-”

 

“It'll be fine, he understands.” Neji sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist and turned off the light with his other hand. Saiiya soon fell asleep, and Neji not long after.

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Heat danced across a young Jonin's face, flames licking the ground at her feet as she clutched the scroll, sliding it into a pouch in her vest. She jumped backwards, her shimmering evergreen eyes scanning the area around her. A flash of crimson hair and a small tornado tearing apart the ground in front of a masked ninja signaled that Kayrin was holding up. She glanced in another direction and saw another Jonin with very light blonde hair forming seals, looking pretty beat up. A bolt of lightning struck down two enemies. The raven-haired Jonin grinned until she saw the fire create a complete circle around the blonde. Her evergreen eyes widened in horror as her comrade failed to notice and killed another Jonin.

“AIRI!!” she yelled, blocking another attacker with her sword before running towards the ring of fire. The blonde turned, her jade eyes sparkling from the light of the element closing in on her. “GET OUT OF THERE!” Saiiya screamed, frantically forming seals, but her mind couldn't form them correctly. Each time she tried to get it right, she would stumble and hear the clang of metal in the clearing. The flames doubled in height, and she couldn't see the other Jonin anymore. “SAIIYA!!” Saiiya turned, seeing the flames getting closer to her, daring to trap her. Kayrin waved at her before stabbing through the last ninja. Saiiya turned to look at the flames that held Airi captive and wrapped her cloak closer around her, running into the flames to get Airi.

The heat overwhelmed her and stung each and every one of her nerves. She found Airi's burning body in the patch of land that hadn't been engulfed in fire. She let out a heart-wrenching sob, collapsing over the corpse. “Airi…no…Airi…AIRI, AIRI!!!!” she screamed, tears falling like rain. She shook the body, trying in vain to wake it up. “No, don't you die on me, damn it!!” she yelled, choking on the smoke. She felt her head spin and she attempted to pick up her dead friend, but blacked out in the process. She only felt pain and darkness for what seemed like ages when light and outside noises flooded her senses.

Visions overwhelmed her again, images of just before the mission. Airi was teasing Kayrin, amusement glittering in both kunoichis' eyes. Saiiya had rolled her eyes, grinning as she packed their supplies. The visions changed to Airi's funeral. Saiiya watched as the casket was closed and lowered to the ground; tears escaped her eyes as she collapsed, covering her face with her hands. Heart-wrenching sobs slipped from her soul. “Airi….get up…you have to get up!!” she begged, raking her fingers down the side of her face. The other attendants watched in amazement as blood trickled down the Jonin's face, mixing with her tears.

Saiiya then watched as Airi's eyes opened just as the first clot of dirt hit the casket. Images of Airi's terror-stricken face overwhelmed Saiiya as she watched the other girl try and get free of the prison that was slowly losing air. “No….” Saiiya gasped. “She's alive…Airi's alive! She's ALIVE! Get her OUT OF THERE!!!” she screamed.

“Saiiya, Saiiya!!” Neji yelled frantically as the woman thrashed beside him, breaking out in a cold sweat. She was moaning and murmuring about someone, but all he could make out was `Airi' and `No'. He tried to keep her still, but her nails dug into his skin. Suddenly, she shot up, gasping, her eyes wide in fear. “Airi….Airi's out there…she's alive…” she breathed, throwing the blankets off of her. She ran towards the door but Kakashi was barring her way. “No, Saiiya. She's dead. Airi's been dead for over 6 years.” Saiiya rammed against Kakashi, but the older man wouldn't budge.

“No, she's alive, Kakashi. She's alive! I heard her, I HEAR HER!! She's screaming, Ani, she's suffocating!! I can't let her die!! She can't die, Ani, she can't!!” Saiiya protested, but Kakashi refused to move. He looked calmly at her. “Saiiya, she's dead. Airi died in the fire. You saw her die, Saiiya. She's gone.” Saiiya shook her head weakly, backing up. Neji saw her knees shaking and moved behind her as she collapsed, catching her. He watched in astonishment as Saiiya began to sob.

“Airi….Airi…she's gone…” Saiiya choked out and Kakashi nodded slowly. “She's gone, Saiiya. Now relax. It's alright.” Saiiya shook her head, leaning into Neji. “No, it's not alright!” the kunoichi sobbed. “I let her die, I couldn't save her….from those flames…it was awful….I couldn't breathe….she was there….burning. She was too busy watching my back, she couldn't stop the flames…they killed her….and I watched her leave….” The copy nin closed his visible eye and stepped over to her. “It's not your fault, Saiiya. Lie back down,” he soothed.

Kakashi watched as Neji awkwardly guided the distressed woman to bed, carefully placing her in. He was about to stand up straight, but she grasped Neji's hand. She didn't look at him, but he understood. She moved away from the side of the bed and he lay next to her, pulling her into his embrace as she clung to him, murmuring incoherent sobs. He smoothed out her hair and held her tight, waiting until she calmed down a bit.

When her sobs became harder again, he tilted her face up to gaze into her eyes. “Saiiya. Look at me,” he instructed gently, earning a curious gaze from the girl's older brother. He placed both hands on either side of her face, rubbing away the fresh tears. She blinked, trying to stifle her sobs. Neji didn't dare glance at Kakashi. The copy nin was smart, he knew Neji and his sister had become a bit more intimate than he may have liked. “Saiiya, do not cry. I'm here, and so is Kakashi. Everything's okay. And I care about you,” he whispered, leaning in and placing a lingering kiss on her lips.

He pulled back a hair, opening his eyes and looking at her features. She opened her own, wiping her face, brushing Neji's hands away from her cheeks. He leaned back a bit further, and Saiiya placed her hand over his. “I'm sorry, you have to see me like this…” she whispered, and Neji chuckled, lifting her chin back up. “I get to see you, and be with you. That's all that matters to me,” he murmured, leaning back in and kissing her forehead. Saiiya let out a watery sigh and placed her hands on his face. “Neji,” she breathed, resting her forehead against his, “thank you. For everything.”

Neji smiled elegantly, slipping his arms around her waist. “Anytime, love.” Saiiya lay back down, and Neji held her until she fell asleep. He ran his fingers through her soft tendrils. “Neji.” The Hyuga genius flinched. He had forgotten about the rather intimidating father figure to the boy's girlfriend. He looked over at Kakashi, his face wiped of any emotion. “Yes, Hatake-san?” he replied respectfully. Kakashi was completely expressionless, but the Hyuga could feel the coldness from him. “Saiiya is my only remaining family member. I will protect her with my life. Do you understand my meaning?”

Neji tilted his head downwards as a way of saying `I do.' Kakashi turned and without another word, he left the room to be by himself. Neji continued to watch Saiiya for the remainder of the night, unable to fall asleep. He wasn't sure who Airi was, but at least she was sleeping soundly now. He didn't realize how much it hurt him to see her cry, but now that he knew, he was determined to keep her from ever having to cry again. He smoothed her hair out of her face and kissed her temple. “Hatake Saiiya…I love you.” And with that, he lay down next to her and watched over her until dawn crept up on the resting couple.

 

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Kakashi stood outside of the inn, making the excuse that he was watching for any signs of trouble. The idea of his sister dating the Hyuga was unnerving to say the least. She had grown up quite fast, and now she was growing in ways he didn't want to think of. Ever since he had first met her, she had grown on him. Perhaps it was partly his fault for pushing her so hard since she was a child. But he wasn't prepared to play the role of a brother, let alone act as a father figure.

 

She pulled through and now she had come so far and she never complained, never told him to stop training her. She was passionate about being a kunoichi, and she always wanted her older brother, her role model, to be proud of her. He was. He was very proud, though he didn't show it much. He sighed. No, he never showed it. Saiiya often went without thanks, but she deserved a lot more. The Copy Nin glanced back at the entrance to the inn. He wondered about the Hyuga. He would be damned if he let his younger sister get hurt, so he was a little wary.

 

Neji was known to be rather cold to his clan, but he seemed to show a lot of affection towards Saiiya and took care of her. Albeit an awkward kind of affection - the poor protégé probably hadn't dealt with Saiiya when she was so upset and delirious. He smirked. He had been somewhat the same way when Saiiya first had the annual nightmares when she coped with Airi's death. For the first 3 weeks after the funeral, she woke up the same way: crying and screaming, claiming her friend was still alive and tried to get out the door. Then it happened each month, and then eventually the nightmares only came once a year.

 

Airi had been so close to Saiiya, and she still partly blamed herself for Airi dying. She had lost several people on her team or that she knew since then, but none had affected her quite as much as Airi. The silver hair nin watched the sun rise above the horizon and wondered how long he had been standing outside. He finally turned to go wake up the couple, praying to whoever watched over him that Saiiya had stayed asleep the rest of the night and he wouldn't walk in on anything that would burn his retinas.

 

 

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Author: Well, there's another update =] I'm glad to have gotten it out of the way. Thanks so much for continuing to read this after so long.

 

 

Oh, reminder: ani is older brother in Japanese