Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Words Aren't Forgotten ❯ Lightning Next ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Even the Mizukage didn't reveal any information about Ura or her plans.  Though Gaara tried to reason with the Mizukage, there was little even Gaara could do that would make them leave on peaceful terms.  Naruto was distraught trying to get some information, seeing as Sasuke had returned saying that this was the place Ura would've gone.  The blonde approached Sasuke as he began to linger away from the group, "Hey..."

"What?" Sasuke sharply turned and eyed his partner.

Sasuke looked Naruto up and down.  Attractive, but he didn't have the curves that made Sasuke crave to touch him.  Nor did he have the long, silky hair he could pull on.  Naruto blushed lightly from embarressment, why was Sasuke eyeing him as if he could critique him all day?  Finally, Sasuke sighed and put his hands in his pockets, "What did you want, Naruto?"

"While you were gone...  I missed you," Naruto smiled lightly to himself as he glanced away from Sasuke.

"Great."

Such a sharp, quick word made Naruto's heart want to tear itself to pieces.  He looked back at Sasuke and knew the truth.  It wasn't the fact that Sasuke possibly made love to Ura, it was the fact that his partner still had feelings for her.  Of all the years she was dead, even before when she denied him to be with Sasuke, he still craved Ura more than he wanted Naruto.  It was never enough for Sasuke, he always had to have the best.  Naruto felt the hot tears sting his eyes as he thought of all the love he had given to Sasuke, of all the promises he kept, and the future he wanted for them.  Why did Sasuke have to be that selfish?  Naruto took a step back as he wiped away his tears, not saying a word to Sasuke.  The Uchiha noticed Naruto backing away from him and strode over to him.  He took Naruto's hand gently in his own, making him stay where he was.  The promise he made was to never leave the Uchiha under any circumstance.  Naruto hated himself for that lone promise, why did he have to have such a selfish partner?  

"Naruto?  Is everything alright?" Sakura approached her old team mates.

"He's fine, it's just a small fight," Sasuke waved Sakura away from them.

"But he's crying," Sakura pointed out as she came closer, "Naruto?"

"I'm fine...  It's just like Sasuke said, it's a small fight," Naruto sniffled as he hid his face from Sakura.

Sakura knew better and narrowed her eyes on Sasuke.  Just because she had his child didn't mean the feelings were there.  She had learned her lesson and made up with Ino, but now she had little to do with Sasuke.  Her tiel eyes glared at Sasuke harshly as he did the same.  The animosity grew and died in a rhythm, but none could sense that the Suna siblings were approaching.  Gaara was growing restless in the Village Hidden in the Mist when he was so close to finding Ura.  They had stayed there a few days and they had little information on his wife's locations.  Temari was even growing even more aggrivated than Gaara or Kankurou, stamping her large fan in the ground when she caught sight of the Leaf-nin arguing, "Enough!  Ura could be anywhere and you three want to have some fight now!?  If this is how you three are going to be, we can search for her on our own."

"Temari, calm down," Gaara crossed his arms as he glanced over at Temari, "We don't have time for your anger either."

"Fine.." Temari gritted her teeth, but she put her fan back in her sash.

Naruto calmed himself and walked away from Sasuke and Sakura, "Alright...  Since we couldn't find any information here, we might as well go towards the Lightning Country.  That's where she said she was going, right Sasuke?"

"Right."

"Then we better head towards the water, we'll be needing some transportation," Naruto explained as he started to lead the others.  

Since they were in the Water Country, they had to head North towards the Lightning Country.  The distance was quite a ways and would take them a few days by boat.  Naruto was a bit worried about taking such a long distance with a medium sized group.  Who would take them?  A small raft wouldn't carry them and a larger ship may be too obvious to an enemy.  Instead, he would have to get them two rafts so that they wouldn't be easily seen.  When they reached a dock, there were no boats or rafts that were available to use.  Gaara grew angry and demanded that some would be provided immediately.  The captain of the dock apologized heavily, but simple said that they would have to come early in the morning.

"Dammit..." Kankurou grimaced to himself as he heard the news.  

"We don't have the choice," Temari murmured to Kankurou and Gaara, "We'll have to stay the night.."

"Again.." Gaara grumbled as he glared at the ground, "Ura would've left by the time we depart to the Lightning Country."

"It's a possibility, or she will be there by the time we get there," Temari optimistically commented as she took Gaara's shoulder in a light grip, "Ura will be fine and we'll be together again soon enough."

Gaara looked over at Temari with a soft gaze.  She had her own worries and family issues.  Two daughters that needed their mother and a husband who had never abandoned Temari were waiting for her in the village.  Gaara apprecited his sister's forced optimistic words, someone had to be the role she had to play.  Though Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke went to look around the village, Gaara and his siblings stuck together and stayed by the docks.  They would wait all night, but it gave them some alone time together.


*~*~*~*~*
Osamu
*~*~*~*~*


"Wh ere did they go!?"

"I apologize, but i'm afraid I cannot tell you," a Leaf Jonin named Kakashi shrugged.

"You have to tell me!  The Kazekage is my father!" Osamu growled as he felt his father's temper emerge in him.

"Sorry, i'm afraid it's confidential," Kakashi gave another shrug, "You will have to ask elsewhere."

"Damn..." Osamu grumbled as he turned away.

He had been looking for his aunt, uncle, and father for several weeks.  There had to be something he could do, but...the way things were turning out it was harder than he imagined.  Osamu turned to exit the village, until something caught his eye.  Leila stood against the village's front gate in Ura's original Jonin outfit.  He had no idea how Leila could look so much like his mother.  A small smile formed on his lips as she smirked at him, she was nowhere near a ninja level, but she was trying to cheer him up.  The recent events were driving the family apart, but they needed to stick together through this event.  Leila waited for him to approach her and then hugged him lightly, "I've recieved an anonymous letter, Ura is heading towards the Lightning Country.  So, I bought us train tickets to head over there from this village."

"What!?" Osamu's icy blue eyes widened in hope, "Did you really?"

"Yes," Leila smiled as she led the way, "We are heading to find Ura like real ninja!"

"Uhm...  Aunt Leila, I am a real ninja," Osamu pointed to his head band and the goard on his back.

Leila glanced at both, then kept walking, "You can be the ninja and I can be the damsal in distress."

Osamu knew his aunt wasn't like other aunts.  She was still a kid inside her adult body and that was why his Uncle Kankurou and Aunt Leila did not have children.  He still respected her of course, but there were times when he needed her to be the adult.  For example, he needed an aunt that would fight for him like Temari did when he was fighting that mystic.  That day...  Osamu felt his heart lurch at remembering the day his mother's body was taken from him.  Temari had fought for him when he didn't have the strength to fight back, but where was Leila?  She was at the shrine and had merely cried.  Osamu looked up at Leila, who was in front of him, and felt that she didn't have any idea on how to fight for anyone.  Maybe for Ura, but they were sisters.  She had to fight for Ura.  But, when it came to anyone else, she didn't know how.

"Aunt Leila," Osamu called over to her, "Maybe you should go back to the village.  It may be dangerous if we find her."

Leila paused for a moment, then turned her head as her gaze turned to a glare, "I'm not going to sit around and wait for Ura to show up.  She's always been late and the type to run away from trouble.  Maybe everyone else forgot, but i'm the type that isn't afraid of confrontation.  I'm dragging her back to the village."

Osamu knew she wasn't strong enough.  Leila wouldn't last a fight with his mother.  He continued to follow her to the train station and then wait for their train to arrive.  As they waited, Osamu looked over Leila again.  What had she been like as a child?  No one told him why she was stuck in an ageless body.  How would she live when Kankurou was gone and so was everyone else?  Would she commit to the oldest sacrifice like his mother did?  When he saw that Leila noticed him staring at her, she smiled at him and lightly patted his cheek, "You have your mothers gaze, you know that?"

"My mother's gaze?" Osamu asked, he had never heard of that.

"She did the same thing when she wanted someone to talk to her," Leila turned to him with her hands on her lap, "Tell me what you want to talk about."

When he was about to ask what she would do after everyone died, their train let out a signal of it's arrival.  Osamu and Leila stood up as the train slowly pulled into the station.  They showed their tickets and went onto the train, finding a good seat where they could get service and watch the scenery outside the window.  Osamu wanted to ask, but it seemed it wouldn't be a good opprotunity.  He glanced at Leila one last time before he turned his attention to the window.  A warm feeling on his hand made him look back at Leila, her deep brown eyes warm as she smiled at him.  No matter the differences he found in them, they were still kin of the same blood.  Even if she was weaker than anyone he knew, she still had a fiery spirit like his mother.

"Osamu, did I ever tell you how I met your mother?"

"No."

"Well, I was around six years old..."

*~*~*~*~*
Elsewhere
*~*~*~*~*

"Are you sure of this?"

"I give you my promise."

"Then it is settled...  We will find the traitor and take back her gift."

A menousing laugh echoed lightly through the cave.  Another traitor hid in the shadows as her heart began to warm.  Gaara should've paid more attention to her instead of chasing a dead dream.


*~*~*~*
Ura
*~*~*~*

The mountainous range and natural beauty made Ura want to live there as much as she had wanted to live in Konoha.  Even the people were as beautiful as the surroundings the country provided.  She had just arrived a day ago and the Raikage knew of her presense.  Immediately, since she was well-known in the area for her defeating Kabutome previously, Ura was given a large room to stay in in his mansion.  From what Ura could take of his generosity, A was quite impressed with her abilities as a Suna Kunoichi.  When she arrived at the mansion, no one bowed in her entrance and gave her some irritation.  She was far above them and deserved respect.  At least, that was what she felt after she had given her life for her village.

There was a large rumbling, Ura paused as she brought out her umbrellas, preparing for an attack.  Then, crashing from above her, A appeared with a smirk on his face.  The old kage was definitely aging, Ura thought to herself as she smirked as well.  She put her umbrellas back on her back, no need to fight or horse around, "Well, your reputation as an excitable person exceeds you."

"I couldn't contain it," he stood straight as he placed a hand on his hip, "Knowing you had arrived here was more than I had imagined.  Your reputation as the best kunoichi in Suna has traveled far across the lands.  I cannot tell you how much I have been hoping you would challenge your strength on me."

"I'm afraid, Lord Raikage, I did not come here in order to fight," Ura approached him, "I am sure you know my standing as of now."

"To defeat the entire Sound Army, so i've heard," he nodded as they headed towards his office, "You are playing on dangerous grounds, Ura, you may want to evalutate your strategy before you go any further."

"Are you implying your loyalty, Lord Raikage?" Ura stopped walking, glancing over to him suspiciously.  

They remained in silence.  A was known for his stern personality and his decisive nature.  He was not an easy book to read like the Mizukage was.  Ura did not want to remain in the country if she knew he would turn her in if it meant that his country was safe from harm.  A put his hands behind his muscular back as he eyed her, "Ura, I am sure you know my standing."

"Do not betray me, Lord Raikage, I do not want to deprive your country of a leader," Ura warned beneath her breath, her crimson eyes narrowing on him, "I am sure you have heard of my foul temper as well.."

Though he did not take lightly to threats, A was still undecided on what to do to Ura.  Sound was a natural enemy to them, but joining forces with Ura may be risky.  A simply nodded and continued to walk to his office with Ura tagging along behind him.  Once they reached his office, they discussed many reasons why she would need his aide.  He listened intently to her arguement, trying to find loop holes that Ura may have forgotten to look at.  But, in the end, he was still undecided on what to do.  When she finished going on and on, he merely stood up and said, "You have a fine placement, but I am afraid that I must look at the whole problem.  I request that you remain here for a few more days as I figure out what to do.  While I am deciding this, all I ask is that you not leave this village."

"I can't do that," Ura slammed her fists on his desk, "Have you any idea on what I have to do!?  If I remain here, the entire Sound Army will be looking for me!"

"That is on you, Ura, but if harm comes to my village because of you, I will naturally give you over to them," A glared heavily at her, "Do you understand?"

"Then you're leaving me no choice but to consider you my enemy," Ura growled angrily as she returned his glare, "And that, my dear ally, will be Hell on Earth for you."

In an instant, shinobi appeared around her with weapons drawn.  A had made his decision.  He would not allow Ura's alliance with him nor his aide.  Ura glanced around her, she could easily kill them all, but it wouldn't help her at all.  She raised her hand to grab her umbrella, but dodged a kunai that graved across her skin.  Her eyes widened, she couldn't move her arm at all.  The kunai that grazed across her skin had an electric base metal that paralized her tissue beneath her skin.  Ura moved her pupils around her, she could sense that more shinobi were close just in case she began to attack.  A sat back down as he lowered his Kage hat, "My apologies, Ura, I don't think an alliance with you will be safe.  You are now a prisoner at large, I will contact your officers in hopes of a negotiation."

"No need," Ura smirked as she glared at A, "You've made a powerful mistake, Lord Raikage."

When more shinobi appeared, the original shinobi were about to attack when she disappeared and a puppet-nin appeared in her stead.  They looked around, but they couldn't sense where she had gone to.  A growled to himself, he was speaking to a doll the entire time.  How did he not notice?  A stood up and looked out the window at the bustiling village beneath him, the real Ura was outside somewhere then.  

"Search for her, we cannot let her leave this village," A ordered as he prepared his own plan to capture Ura.

Meanwhile, Ura was among the villagers in a common attire.  She had hair tied in a bun and one eye covered in a patch with a face mask on that covered her nose to her neck.  The dress she wore was a common dress that other females wore in the village.  She walked among the villagers until she found a sign of the Sound Army officers following her.  Ura managed to find an isolated spot behind a few buildings where she met up with them.

"Lady Ura, how did the meeting go?  Is he suspicious?" one of her officers asked intently.

"He doesn't know of how close the Army is to here, but we can ambush him in a few days time.  Lets give them three days.  By the end of the third day, we will get them why they are all sleeping," Ura gave them a few scrolls to seal off the area of any other ninjas that will enter the country, "We will be the silent kill for them.  Once we take this country, we can then take the smaller countries near The Fire and Wind Country."

"Then we go for them, right?" her other officer questioned.

No use for hesitation.  Ura smiled as she nodded, "Yes, we should have enough power and land to use in order to take down the last two enemies."

"You will be with us...right?"

Ura nodded at the question the entire army was asking.  They all knew her marriage with Gaara and the alliance she brought between the two countries of Fire and Wind before.  It would only to be natural that she wouldn't want to fight them.  Ura concluded their secret meeting and decided it would be best to travel on the main road to leave the country.  She would need to go to the closest camp outside the village in order to meet with other generals around the country.  Nightfal was approaching and she would need to find some shelter if she wanted to get through a bad lightning storm that was also approaching.  Ura eventually found a cave near the campsite where she unpacked her weapons near the back of the cave and went to the camp with just her hari.  

The meeting was swift, just basic plans of surrounding the village.  They would approach with Ura leading the way, sweeping the entire village with a sea of hari.  Whoever survived that attack would be killed by the army units following Ura.  Once the strategy was agreed upon, Ura was able to leave knowing she would be killing another village that night.  All in the name of peace, she reminded herself.  She would keep the Raikage alive though, he would be looking for her head in the end anyways.  Then again, she was giving his village hope by keeping him alive.  Ura headed back to her cave, but froze.  There was someone there.

"Ura?  Is that you?"

"Temari," Ura murmured as she quickly entered the cave.

Her sister-in-law was alone, but she was tired.  The large fan looked pretty worn, did she really glide all the way to Ura's location?  How did she even know where she was at?  Temari smirked as she stifled a yawn, "You are a tricky one to find, Ura."

"Shh!" Ura gently pushed Temari farther back into the cave, "Hold on.."

Ura went over to the entrance, using a scroll so that no one could see them or hear them.  She then turned to Temari, just seeing her old friend made her dead heart lurch with nostalgia.  Temari was no longer a young adult, but a woman who has seen tragedy and life.  There were traces of wrinkles around her eyes, but laugh lines around her lips that meant she had a good life.  Ura wished she could've experienced those events with her family in Suna.  She ran over to Temari and was welcomed with open arms, feeling the hot tears that wanted to leave her eyes, but could not.  Though Ura felt her lungs move from breathing life, her other body parts did not want to wake from their worldy slumber.  Temari ran her fingers through Ura's silky hair, "C'mon...  There's no time for tears."

"I'm sorry..." Ura pulled away slowly, "Where's....?"

"They are on their way, I took to the skies when they finally found a raft.  I'm sure they'll be here in a few hours.  We left yesterday from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Temari explained as she sat against the cave.

Ura wanted to see Gaara again.  At least a glimpse at the love of her life.  Temari saw the hope in Ura's new crimson eyes and smiled, no matter what her sister-in-law has done...she was still like her old Genin days when it came to her little brother.  Such love exceeded through time and space.  Ura explained to Temari at the plans that were made for the Kuminogakure.  Though Temari was displeased at what Ura was planning for the village, there was little she could do to stop her.  Plans were plans, and Ura was still the top general in the Sound Army.  Interfering with the plans meant Temari was putting herself in danger.  

"In three days, I will need you and the others to leave as soon as possible so no one is killed," Ura stated as she sat next to Temari, "Go back to our village, I am trying to avoid going there until I can round up the entire army in one location.  Then...  Well, i'll kill them all without hesitation."

Temari remained silent for a few moments.  She didn't want Ura to fight on her own, but what else could she do?  Ura wasn't the type that fought in a team format, she had to be the first one to strike and the last one standing.  Arguing with her was pointless because she would just find a way to get her own way.  Temari decided to change the subject, "When Gaara gets here, do you want to be alone with him?"

Ura felt a smile on her lips, Gaara has also aged from the last time she saw him.  He was no longer the young man she had given her heart to again.  Now, he was the man who still held her heart and the father of her son.  Her love for him has never changed, not even through death did she forget him.  Though she was with her parents, she never stopped searching for Gaara's presense in the village.  Like a ghost, she haunted him and watched over him in spirit.  

"Yes, when he arrives, I want to spend what little time I have with my husband," Ura murmured as she looked over at Temari, "I have one question, did Sasuke find you guys?"

"Yeah...  Ura, did something happen while Sasuke was with you?" Temari didn't want to hear the answer, but she knew Ura too well.

Though she knew Ura loved Gaara, she was still a woman who needed some relief.  Temari had never slept with another man besides Shikamaru, but Ura was different.  She needed to have a man to be her relief or she would find something else.  Searching Ura's crimson eyes were harder, but Temari knew the truth when Ura didn't look away.  It was just another secret she would keep from Gaara.  Temari felt disappointed in Ura, she claimed to love Gaara, but she couldn't stop toying with the Uchiha.  She crossed her arms as she tightened her gaze on Ura, "That has to stop, Ura."

"It has," Ura mumbled to Temari, "That life has ended, I just...  I just wanted to feel that former life one last time.  Time has been cruel to me in so many ways, but has given me nice gifts for my patience like Gaara and Osamu."

Temari didn't say a word after Ura's statement.  She could feel Gaara's and Kankurou's chakra from miles away.  They were approaching and saw the campsite too.  Good, at least they were straying away from the site too.  Temari stood up and opened her fan, "I'm going to lead them here, will you be gone when we return tonight?"

"No, i'll be here," Ura stood up as well, "Tell me, you will keep my secret, yes?"

"Yeah..." Temari sighed, "I understand why you do the things you do, Ura.  We are both grown women and have needs too.  I know where your heart lies."

With a soft smile, Ura watched Temari glide off in the stormy skies.  If she could feel her heart, it would be beating rapidly as she anticipated her time alone with Gaara.  The love of her life was going to see her and she wanted nothing more than just to be in his arms.  Of all the years of watching him from a distance, hearing his threats, then serving him when he became the Kazekage, and then giving him her love...she was given so much from a life that took from her.  Ura knew this was her final chance at making things right for everyone.
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