Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Key Through the Heart ❯ Thoughts in the Dark ( Chapter 14 )

llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura

“Normal Talking”

Thoughts/Sound Effects

“Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words”

“Demon speak”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Key Through the Heart

A fanfiction by Andrew J. Talon

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, or any of the characters or properties mentioned in this story. The story's mine, the concept is mine, but everything else is not mine. And I'm certainly not writing this for profit.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Twilight Town was a unique community on an even more unique world, simply named Home by its residents. Advanced, prosperous, and somewhat isolated, the town was most known for the origin of its name. Due to the tilt of Home's axis, Twilight Town had no night. The sun, at most, skimmed the horizon, even during winter, and thus the area surrounding Twilight Town was known as the breadbasket of Home.

 

What drew Jiraiya of Konoha here, more than anything else, were the fruits of this area's labors. Or, more accurately, the grains.

 

He threw back another rich Twilight Ale, enjoying the buzz in the back of his brain and the burn of the potent liquor down his throat. He smiled, shaking out his impressive main of white hair with an appreciative hum.

 

“Quite the brew you have, my dear,” the Sannin complimented his hostess in the small bar near a wide field in the center of the town called the Sand Lot. His finely tuned ninja senses could pick out the weak auras of some of the kids training for some fighting contest. The hostess blushed prettily in response.

 

“Why thank you, Mister Jiraiya! Would you like more?”

“Please!” Jiraiya grinned, holding out his mug. He then frowned.

 

“Well, I see you're wasting no time,” a high-pitched, amused voice said behind him. Jiraiya turned and smiled at the short, red-clad mouse hidden behind an illusion of a non-descript man.

 

“Mickey! I wondered when you were going to get your tail here,” Jiraiya commented. He motioned to the seat next to him, eyes turning to the hostess.

 

“Ruby, can you give us some privacy?” The silver-haired woman smiled and nodded, turning and heading to tend to her other customers. Mickey walked up and took his seat, the illusion doing the same. Jiraiya whistled.

 

“Huh… Not bad. Not quite as good as a henge, but then it doesn't really need to be.”

 

Mickey sighed, scratching an oversized ear.

 

“Magic and chakra can be shaped in the same ways, but in the end they're still different forces,” the mouse king surmised. He then frowned, looking about the bar carefully.

 

“Relax, I cast a privacy jutsu,” Jiraiya said, taking another draw of his beer. “So, how did you get out of running your kingdom to come see me?”

 

“Simple. I left without telling anyone,” Mickey raised an eyebrow at the white-haired ninja. “Since the last time I met you I woke up with a hangover the size of a Gummi ship on top of a volcano.”

 

“In a cupid costume, don't forget that,” Jiraiya added with a grin. Mickey snorted.

 

“Minnie won't let me forget, that's for sure. Besides, as I recall you didn't turn out much better.”

 

Jiraiya cringed.

 

“I swear I had no idea what possessed me to enter that chocobo race… Though you have to admit, I did pretty well.”

 

“You blew up the race track,” Mickey pointed out flatly.

 

“So? I still won,” the sannin insisted.

 

Mickey rolled his eyes again, thinking that if Jiraiya were not his friend he'd have knocked him into orbit with the Keyblade a long time ago.

 

He still might. But, business before pleasure and all that.

 

“The Heartless have been idle too long,” Mickey said at last. “They slowed down after they conquered Hollow Bastion, but it's nothing like this. The world they destroyed just before they stopped was close to the worlds Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud all came from.”

 

Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully.

 

“At the same time, that organization I've been tracking, the one with the interest in the Biju of my world, have been sighted on other worlds.”

 

“Working with the Heartless, or against them?” Mickey asked. Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head.

 

“A little of both. A few worlds they've been defending from the Heartless in exchange for tribute, while a number of their members have helped the buggers conquer and destroy a few more. What the connection is, I haven't been able to figure out,” the sannin reported, taking out his pipe and chewing thoughtfully on the end. The mouse king also adopted a thoughtful expression.

 

“I've locked the keyholes of as many worlds as I can, but there are only so many I can seal,” Mickey sighed. “And if the Heartless get their hands on another Keybearer… It won't matter.”

 

“Another one, hm?” Jiraiya asked. Mickey nodded.

 

“The legends do say that there were more than one. Possibly hundreds at one time, though for what purpose no one knows.”

 

“Legends? They've descended into myth by now,” Jiraiya snorted. He'd filled and lit his pipe, and let the soothing tobacco fill his senses. He blew a smoke ring, still looking thoughtful.

 

“Still no sign of Ansem?” The sannin asked. Mickey shook his head.

 

“Nothing. Considering how he remained behind to make sure the last civilians got off-world, I'd say my old friend is… But something in my gut just tells me he's still around.” The mouse shrugged. “How, I haven't the foggiest. It just does.”

 

Jiraiya smiled around his pipe.

 

“Gut feelings have their place too,” he noted sagely. Mickey smiled back.

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Hey you!”

 

Both sannin and mouse king turned at the source of the noise. A blonde kid with piercing blue eyes, white sleeveless coat, and black knit cap on his head was scowling at them.

 

“Yeah, you two! What do you think you're doing here?”

 

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows at Mickey, who closed his eyes and laughed silently, gloved hand over his mouth.

 

“Sitting and talking… And drinking,” Jiraiya explained slowly, as though speaking to a complete moron. Which the blond seemed to wish to prove himself as.

 

“You're outsiders! You're supposed to announce yourselves to the Disciplinary Committee before entering!” He said self-importantly. A taller, tanned youth with black hair and red shirt, accompanied by a blue-haired, red-eyed girl in blue strode up behind him.

 

“Yeah! Get up and show us some ID, before we knock you flat, ya'know?” The red-clad boy stated proudly, puffing himself up.

 

“Squashed,” the blue-haired girl stated in a monotone.

 

Jiraiya smirked unpleasantly. Mickey rolled his eyes.

 

“Jiraiya…” The mouse said warningly. Jiraiya just grinned.

 

“Identification, hm? I'll have you know Miss Ruby is quite familiar with me. Isn't that right, Daisy dear? You'll vouch for me, won't you?”

 

The silver haired woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly, shaking her head, as she walked up to the trio.

 

“Now what have I told you three about coming in here? You're not legal aged yet, so out. Stop bothering Mr. Jiraiya and his friend!”

 

“Hey! This is Disciplinary Committee business! Back off, ya know?” Red said with nervous bravado. Blondie nodded and crossed his arms.

 

“We know what's best for this town, you don't! We're taking in this geezer and his buddy!”

 

Jiraiya's smirk became positively lethal. The Disciplinary Committee took no notice. Mickey, again, rolled his eyes.

 

“Jiraiya…” The mouse warned once more. The sannin shrugged and grinned.

 

“Meh… Waste of my time to teach these punks a lesson,” Jiraiya stated dismissively. “I need to be going anyway. See you same time again?”

 

“Maybe earlier,” Mickey answered carefully. The blond growled.

 

“Hey! Who you calling punks, you old-!”

Jiraiya vanished with a final wink at Ruby, a few leaves kicked by a breeze and a generous sum of coin on the table all to mark his absence. The Disciplinary Committee found that the `old geezer's' friend had also vanished.

 

Ruby summarily kicked them out, leaving Seifer Almassy to angrily swear he'd make that old coot pay the price for humiliating him!

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Twilight Town's clocktower, on top of it's train station, was a huge landmark and fantastic draw for tourists. A marble spear jutting into the sky, it's cheerful bells could be heard miles away.

 

On a ledge near a few winged statues surrounding the top of the tower, a small girl with long brown hair, bright green eyes, and an orange dress sat, kicking her feet.

 

“Now what did I say about sitting up here?” Asked a calm, masculine voice. The girl turned her head and grinned happily.

 

“Mister Jiraiya! You're back!” She said happily, getting to her feet and rushing over to the old man. She gave him a hug, and Jiraiya returned it gingerly. Exactly what the small girl saw in him he'd never know.

 

Well, I did save her life, he thought to himself with a mental chuckle.

 

“Yes, but not for long,” he told her. She immediately began to pout.

 

“But you're never around! And I just moved here! And I don't have any friends, and Mommy's always busy, and-!”

 

“Woah, woah, take it easy Ollette-chan!” Jiraiya laughed, patting her on the head. “Look, if you want some friends, you just have to take charge. Be confident.”

 

A mischievous glint entered the old ninja's eye.

 

“Or beat up that annoying blond kid. That'll earn you plenty of friends, I'm sure.”

 

Ollette looked unsure about it.

 

“Beat him up? But, but he's… He's head of Discipline and-!”

 

“And it's like me declaring myself ruler of Candyland,” Jiraiya snorted. “Doesn't mean a damn thing. Knock him flat, I know you can do it.”

The girl wavered a bit, but nodded, determination appearing in her eyes.

 

“I… I'll do it! Besides, he's always mean to me!”

 

“That's the spirit!” Jiraiya grinned. “Now then… Your mother gave you that envelope, right?”

 

Ollette nodded, and fished a thick, tightly bound envelope out of her school bag, lying next to a gargoyle. She handed it to Jiraiya, whose grin turned slightly lecherous.

 

“Mister Jiraiya? Are you okay? What are you smiling about?”

 

“Oh, ahem, nothing,” the sannin said, composing himself. He then gave her another big, caring smile, which she returned.

 

“Now, what did I teach you?” He prompted. The girl took a deep breath.

 

“'Hit the nose with the flat of your palm only. Heads are hard, stomachs and groins are soft and hurt lots.'”

 

“Good girl!” Jiraiya enthused. Ollette moved forward and hugged him again, tightly.

 

“Please, promise you'll visit again soon, Jiraiya?” The girl asked, plaintively. Jiraiya's grin became a soft smile, as he patted her back with genuine affection.

 

“I promise,” he said. “After all, Gallant Jiraiya keeps his promises!” With a heroic pose that made Ollette giggle and clap, he took off, hopping from roof top to roof top. As he traveled, he opened the envelope and peeked inside, lecherous grin reappearing.

 

“Heh heh heh… Always knew she'd come through, ooh hoo hoo!” Jiraiya giggled.

 

Now, the sannin did have a soft spot for hard luck kids, and Ollette certainly qualified as such. Her father, a farmer, had died and her mother had been forced to sell their meager homestead and move to Twilight Town, where it was somewhat difficult to find work at times. He would quite happily have helped support them (the money he made from Icha Icha alone giving him a fortune that rivaled Scrooge McDuck's), but Ollette's mother was not willing to accept charity.

 

Fortunately, she wasn't shy about tastefully photographing her beautiful self…

 

“Ah, wonderful inspiration,” Jiraiya sighed, as he headed east again… But not before he paused by the Sandlot. Looking down, he spotted the blond kid and his gang. With a smirk, he summoned a toad and gave him a few quick instructions. The amphibian complied.

 

“GAH! GET IT OFF ME! I CAN'T SEE! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!” Was soon being screamed by the blond. Satisfied, Jiraiya turned and headed back for his Gummi ship.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Sakura was, for once, glad to have been the top kunoichi at the ninja academy. She'd memorized the emergency survival manual, which outlined how to survive with wounded teammates in hostile territory.

 

Drained of chakra as she was, Sakura still managed to drag Naruto and Sasuke to a hollow in between the roots of a gigantic tree. She gathered as much moss and as many branches as she could to conceal them, and make their hiding spot resemble just another part of the forest floor. That finished, she began to examine her teammates, both of whom were still out cold.

 

All this was done while she was very seriously considering panicking. Inner Sakura kept her calm and focused though, yelling encouragement and advice the inner personality had memorized.

 

It may have been a rather humble bloodline, but the Haruno's Inner Self had its uses.

 

Right… Pulse is faint but steady, blood pressure's stable, he's still got a high fever… Sakura looked over Sasuke's face and blushed slightly.

 

You know… Inner Sakura began, a perverted leer on her face.

 

Not now, Sakura chided. Inner Sakura sighed.

 

Oh fine. Hmph. We could die at any moment and you're not taking the chance to, you know…?

 

Now is not the time damnit!

 

You are such a prude! C'mon, check out the goods of our future husband, SHANNARO!

 

No! Now shut up! We still have to check Naruto!

 

The pink haired girl moved to Naruto, blushing slightly at his severely torn clothing. It exposed his tanned, and surprisingly muscled, body. She then frowned as her eyes fell on his flat stomach.

 

What the heck is that? I don't think that Orochimaru guy had enough time to draw thiselaborate a seal on him! And why?

 

I don't know… It doesn't look anything like Sasuke-kun's seal, Sakura thought with a frown. Admittedly, she didn't know a whole lot about seals, but she had studied enough to know that the larger they were, the longer the preparation and the more resources needed to create it. Naruto's seal couldn't have been created in only a few minutes…

 

And he wasn't bitten, Inner Sakura pointed out as well.

 

Sakura frowned, running a hand over Naruto's belly. Cautiously, she extended her chakra senses towards the seal.

 

Scarlet, flames-!

 

She quickly withdrew her senses, shaking and taking deep breaths. The killing intent put out by Orochimaru paled in comparison to the sheer menace she'd felt. Sakura scooted back, staring down at her trembling hands. She looked back at the unconscious Naruto… Before turning back to Sasuke.

 

Shouldn't we check him more thoroughly?

 

After that? Look, I'm all alone, I have no idea what's wrong with them, we're stranded in the middle of the Chuunin exams-! I have enough stress as it is!

 

She bandaged up Sasuke's cuts and bruises as best she could, before reluctantly turning back to Naruto's still form. She blinked at the fact that the cuts she'd seen on him before were all gone. She bit her lower lip and shook her head, before turning to her pack and rummaging for some food. After all the adrenaline, her hunger had finally caught up.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

All throughout Training Field 44, night was falling. More than half the teams had been eliminated in the first few hours alone, falling to other ninjas or the natural hazards in the forest.

 

Anko's thoughts were more on the genin team before her. Or rather, what was left of them in the forest clearing, near the walls of the village.

 

“We found them this morning,” a cat-masked ANBU reported flatly. “Judging by the decay the med ninjas found, they can't have been dead more than a day or two.”

 

“Just in time for the chuunin exams,” Anko noted flatly. “The jutsu that did this… I've seen it before.”

 

“Then… It is him?” Asked an owl-faced ANBU, a hint of nervousness in his young voice. Anko rolled her eyes.

 

“His name is Orochimaru,” she hissed in disgust. The ANBU stiffened, as Anko rolled her eyes.

 

Newbies… She bent down and examined the corpses more closely. Her brown eyes narrowed, as she took a deep whiff with her nose.

 

“Grass nin.”

 

“How can you tell?” The owl ANBU asked. Anko rolled her eyes.

 

“Because they smell like the grass nin at the exams.” She stood up and glowered. “Combined with that explosion a few hours ago and looks like the old snake bastard's back in town.” She turned to the cat ANBU.

“You, report this to the Hokage,” she ordered, and the ninja vanished. Anko turned to the owl masked ninja with a slightly sadistic smirk.

 

“And you… Come with me. We're checking out some things.”

 

“Um, wouldn't you prefer a full team?” He asked nervously. Anko's smirk didn't waver.

 

“Sorry, I'm pretty sure my rank is toubeketsu jounin. What's yours?”

 

“J-Just chuunin, ma'am,” he replied nervously, Anko's killing intent (and no doubt reputation) affecting his verbal skills. The trench coat-clad kunoichi grinned.

 

“THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE FOR? GET GOING!”

 

The owl ANBU was off like a shot, Anko right behind him.

 

Newbies, she thought, only this time in twisted amusement as she savored the fear in the younger ninja.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“You told me you wouldn't interfere.”

 

Maleficent smirked, not bothering to look at the speaker in the tree behind her.

 

“And I didn't…”

 

Orochimaru smirked. He'd played this game many times with the witch, and truth be told he enjoyed it on a perverse level. She was almost as cunning, ruthless, and powerful as he was. She'd make a good host body… If not for the fact that he wanted to wield chakra as well as magic, and that her body was completely wrong for taijutsu.

 

He was a ninja before anything else, and preferred the life he'd chosen.

 

His musings were cut off by Maleficent's next statement.

 

“I am merely here to observe.”

 

“You really expect me to believe that?” The snake sannin hissed. “You think I don't know about your influence on Kabuto?”

 

Maleficent raised her eyebrows.

 

“He has considerable talent. If you are to finally wield the Heartless, I'd like to know just what kind of army you've built. The strength of their hearts, among other things.”

 

She finally turned around, gaze icy cold on the snake sannin, who returned the gesture with a murderous glare full of his killing intent.

 

“You know that won't work on me. Don't forget who it is who controls the Heartless.”

 

“Don't forget that you are on my world,” Orochimaru sneered. “Even the Heartless are not invincible.” Maleficent smirked.

 

“I see… You are not completely absent of sense…” She turned back again, and the sannin seethed.

 

“I will make an offering, a show of good will,” Maleficent spoke then. Orochimaru frowned.

 

“What kind of… Offering?”

 

“I will grant the genin team from your village the power to summon and control the Heartless. If they prove themselves… Competent, then I will grant you the same power. If not… You will have to fine some other means of convincing me that my time has not been wasted on you.”

 

Orochimaru smirked, even as insane rage blazed in his yellow eyes.

 

“Very well…”

 

The witch vanished, and Orochimaru left, in his mind repeating his vow that when he gained power over the Heartless, he'd enjoy watching Maleficent die. Slowly.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Iruka-sensei!"

 

The scarred-man looked up from his paperwork, and smiled happily at his favorite student.

 

Ex-student, he reminded himself, but he'd prefer not to dwell on that. He smiled at him happily.

 

"Naruto! What brings you here?"

 

The orange and black-clad ninja swung in through the open window and landed easily on the floor. He grinned broadly back at him.

 

"Just visiting!"

 

Iruka frowned at his student. They'd talked little about his mission to Wave Country, and Iruka was nearly to the breaking point when it came to demanding answers from Naruto. The official report alone had nearly driven him to confronting Kakashi directly, though there was little he could do. Kakashi had prepared his students as best he could, Iruka knew this, but...

 

It still hurt to be unable to do anything for his students.

 

"Shouldn't you be meeting Kakashi?"

 

Naruto snorted.

 

"He never shows up on time. Well, he does, just not when he says he will."

 

Iruka grimaced. Kakashi's 'punctuality' was infamous. He took a deep breath, and gave Naruto a serious look.

 

"Naruto... Kakashi mentioned something in his report to the Hokage..." Iruka noted how Naruto's expression became stiff.

 

"... Is there anything you want to talk about?" Iruka asked. Naruto bit his lip.

 

"Is this about... The Kyuubi?"

 

"Have you spoken about it, to anyone?"

 

"No," Naruto replied. He smiled before summoning the Keyblade in his hand.

 

"See? It's all... Its not like it was with the... The fox..."

 

"It's chakra?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded and sucked a deep breath through his teeth.

 

"It... She... I think, it talked to to me in a dream."

 

Iruka also took a deep breath.

 

"I... I see."

 

"She... It... Offered me power. To let me... Let me use it's power." Naruto looked fearfully at Iruka, who merely stared at Naruto expectantly.

 

"And?"

 

"And... And, aren't you wondering what I said?"

 

"No. Because I know you said no," the chuunin replied, a soft smile on his face. Naruto nodded, smiling back.

 

"What I want to know, Naruto, is why you haven't talked to anyone else about this? Or why your sensei didn't talk about it!" Iruka shouted. Naruto cringed.

 

"I only had it this morning!"

 

Iruka sighed.

 

"Still... You should tell the Hokage about this."

 

"I know, it's just... I don't want the old man to worry..." Naruto sighed.

 

"And really... What can he do? I can't get rid of the Keyblade... And I might use the Kyuubi's power again. I don't want to but... But what can I do? Is there some kind of jutsu I can use for this?"

 

Iruka closed his eyes sadly.

 

"I don't know..." He reopened his eyes, and moved around his desk. He took Naruto into a hug, and Naruto tensed a little at the contact.

 

"But we'll find out, I promise," Iruka said finally. Naruto nodded, smiling back.

 

It wasn't the first nightmare he had since he returned, and even after telling the Hokage, even after checking the seal, they continued. There was nothing that could be done, except trust in the Fourth Hokage… And Naruto.

 

Iruka grimaced, the light from the waning moon shining through his apartment window. He couldn't see the Forest of Death from here, but his memories provided enough background to imagine what his students might be going through.

 

He'd caught a few snippets of gossip saying how tough the competition was this year, not to mention that practically every ninja had felt that glimmer of the Kyuubi's power.

 

Did you use the Kyuubi's power, Naruto?

 

Willingly, he wouldn't, Iruka knew this, but the chuunin could remember the terror of the Kyuubi's power. More than it's ability to topple mountains or cause tsunami with it's tails, the suffocating chakra aura that stretched for miles made it so legendary, so terrifying. It made you feel utterly insignificant, like the ant underneath the heel of a boot.

 

The glimmer of the Nintail's power was no where near as strong as when the beast first attacked the village, but it was painfully familiar.

 

And yet… He shook his head. What the panicking ANBU and ninja had seemed to miss was the fact that the Kyuubi's chakra hadn't been as hostile as before. It was muted, as thought mixed with something else, something less malevolent.

 

He had no idea what had happened, the ANBU were keeping everything silent, but all the same… Iruka was comforted by the fact that, if Naruto had truly been killed there would have been a much, much bigger explosion.

 

How could Naruto go out with anything less?

 

Despite the fear he had for his surrogate little brother, he couldn't help but smile at this. And hope, as tenuous as it seemed, grew inside him.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

I know, it's something of a filler chapter, but it's setting background for the future story. Plus, while updates are going to be a bit slower for the time being (Summer cold, among other things), I don't want to leave you, my loyal readers, with nothing.

 

Hope I kept everyone in character for the most part.

 

Due to very credible criticism by my beta reader, magic and chakra will be different forces. Shaped and manipulated in the same ways, but of fundamentally different forces.

 

Hope you liked Jiraiya and Mickey's friendship, and a little peek into my interpretation of Twilight Town. You'll see it again, just not any time soon.

 

Not writing a preview for the next chapter this time. Just know that'll show the end of the Forest of Death and get us into the third part of the Chuunin exams. As always, I welcome criticism and suggestions on various aspects of the story.