Avenger's Destiny: Chapter 21

Chapter 21- Illusions

二十一-幻想

All at once, the pink-haired girl found herself sinking. Or floating. Whichever it was, she wasn’t sure. All around her was pitch black darkness, and eerie silence filled the endless void, making her feel… empty, all of a sudden.

Then there was a call.

“Sakura!”

It was loud, desperate, even. Naruto’s, maybe? Or Sasuke?

‘Nah… Sasuke would never yell like that…’ a vague thought popped up in her mind.

It was surprising, really. She was probably dying, and that was all she could think of? A heavy fog seemed to be settling in her mind, blotting bits and pieces of her consciousness out. She tried to remember random things, like Naruto’s favourite food, but she somehow could not recall it. When she shifted her thoughts, she found that she couldn’t even remember her hair colour. Feeling childish excitement bubbling within her, Sakura grabbed a lock of her own hair and glanced at it.

‘Ooh, I’ve got pink hair!!!!’ she giggled, flipping herself over as she went on floating in the pitch-black vortex, her fear seemingly gone. Acting like a five-year-old, the pink-haired kunoichi twisted around and pretended to be swimming, giggling all the way as she stretched her arms and legs this way and that, experimenting. Just then –

“OW!” Sakura shrieked as her hindquarters met with solid ground and reality came rushing back in one humongous wave, leaving her confused one moment, and angry the next. Angry at herself, for not focusing on her problem and getting carried away by the genjutsu until she forgot herself.

The sudden presence of light had nearly blinded her, but as Sakura stood gingerly, her butt still hurting, she saw that she was on terra firma again. Shadows of barren trees drew long across the similarly barren landscape, similar to the effect of Tsukiyomi – save for the fact that the trademark, blood red moon was missing.

Thick mist began to envelop her, limitating her line of vision. Sakura glanced around warily, her kunoichi’s instincts kicking in. The only things visible now were the faint outlines of twisted, gnarled trees. There seemed to be a faint sound echoing all around her, gradually growing louder.

Laughing.

At first, she felt nothing. Then there was that awful feeling gnawing at her heart, eating her alive. She knew what it was, the emotion was all too familiar.

Fear.

N

Naruto dived towards Sakura’s motionless body, shoving her away forcefully, hoping against hope that he’d managed to get her out of harm’s way, but he knew the truth.

“Too late,”

Itachi deadpanned, his red eyes leaving the pink-haired kunoichi, who was now crumpled upon the earthen ground, looking as if she was asleep, to meet Naruto’s furious azure eyes. The jinchuuriki’s fists clenched – all that separated him from lashing out with the nine-tails’ chakra was his promise to Sakura, just before this fight.

Sasuke saw it, as his brother’s gaze shifted to rest on him. The three black swirls within the blood red sea of his brother’s unconcerned gaze, with a spark that seemed to mock him perpetually.

“Tsukiyomi… you used Tsukiyomi on her!” Sasuke growled, a burning feeling rising in his throat. No one without a Sharingan, trapped by Tsukiyomi, could ever survive.

No one.

“It’s not Tsukiyomi,” Itachi said emotionlessly, waving a hand almost carelessly. “It’s something much worse. And it’s not my fault she jumped in. That was meant for you,”

‘Why now, Sakura, you damned idiot?’ Sasuke hissed in his thoughts, trying to stop his body shaking.

Naruto was kneeling beside the pink-haired girl, looking absolutely furious, angry tears running down his cheeks. Sakura – Sakura – she –

‘No! Sakura-chan’s not going to die!’ he desperately tried to reassure himself, desperately tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn’t. Death was still something the cheery blonde couldn’t comprehend, especially the death of someone so precious to him.

“What did you do to her?” Naruto growled, looking ready to murder as he stood slowly, fists clenched tightly.

“I didn’t do anything,” Itachi deadpanned. “Saving other people is a waste of time – especially if that person happens to be my little brother,” the older Uchiha’s face was blank. “She will see the future as I intend it,”

“Get her out of it. Now.” A certain onyx-eyed boy demanded, his eyes lowered to the ground as he stopped himself for showing signs of weakness. He couldn’t cry. He was an Uchiha. He couldn’t cry, not in front of this murderer. “DO IT!”

Itachi’s blood red eyes stared at him. “It’s irreversible,”

His words seemed to echo, on and on. Sakura’s three male teammates froze. It had registered in their minds, the moment Sakura crumpled in their midst, that she was gone, but somehow, having someone say it made it utterly... final.

Subconsciously, their gazes fell upon their pink-haired friend, lying on the ground with a restless expression on her face. They recognized the familiar expressions, appearing plainly upon the cherry blossom’s face – Sakura had never been able to truly master the art of concealing emotions.

Fear.

Confusion.

Sasuke spoke in a quiet, low tone, confusion etched into his pale face.

“Irreversible…?”

N

A sharp jab to his lower back brought the Nara genius sharply back into the world of the living and conscious. It was Sai. “Snap out of it,” the raven-haired boy hissed, with quiet a bit of viciousness laced into his voice. “Any ideas?”

Various rather unusable ideas raced through his supposedly ‘genius’ brain. Shaking his head slightly to clear the fog settling over his mind, he shook his head and glanced at Sai.

At a loss. Shikamaru never imagined that it would ever happen to him.

“Nara. Get your clueless butt moving,” a dry voice sounded. The Kazekage looked passive. “After I get him to stop, trap him again. Move fast, he’s too quick for our attacks to last. Sai, you’re the distraction. Don’t let him hurt Yamanaka.”

Sai nodded, leaping out of sight. Gaara turned to face Shikamaru, who was getting into position. The Kazekage had waves of sand shifting around him, as if they, too, were impatient to attack.

“Shikamaru,” he spoke flatly, his dark-rimmed eyes narrowed.

The boy looked up, his face unreadable.

“Don’t let her down,”

N

Everything seemed to blur for a few moments as her emotions took control. Shutting her eyes tightly, the kunoichi forced herself to calm down and think rationally.

Then she opened her eyes. The mist was gone, and all that surrounded her was an endless, empty white place.

It’s strange, really, when one is surrounded by a vast expanse of emptiness. It feels as if you’ve suddenly become hollow, and everything becomes cold… so cold, because you can’t feel. You can’t feel the warmth that keeps us human, that keeps us alive.

That was how Sakura felt. Empty. Lonely. Then she was bewildered. What was happening?

And then, in a single, split second, agonized screams rang through the air, and Sakura collapsed to her knees, clutching her head, shaking all over. Every scream pierced deep into her heart, causing pain beyond anything she could describe.

“No… no… STOP IT!” the cherry blossom whimpered, her eyes shut tightly, willing the ghastly sounds to go away, to leave her alone. “Stop… stop…”

She kept trembling. The air felt so cold… so lifeless. When she finally opened her eyes again –

Her world was full of blood.

“NO!”

N

“I don’t give a damn,” Sasuke lunged at his brother, the Chidori sparking dangerously in the palm of his hand. “Reverse it! NOW!”

“Getting attached to her won’t help you kill me,” Itachi said simply, dodging. “You will simply collapse when I kill her – “

“SHUT UP!” Sasuke roared, his sword drawn.

“Hn,” Itachi smirked, blocking Sasuke easily with a kunai. “Do you… really think you can protect her?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Sasuke growled subconsciously, hardly registering his own words.

“Is she really that precious to you?” Itachi asked with an air of detachment, twirling his kunai with a finger before sending a barrage of shurikens at Sasuke.

His brother could not reply.

N

Sai dodged behind a clump of bushes and trees, discreetly making his way to a spot where he was behind Kisame. He pulled out several scrolls and prepared to start on a distraction when a sudden movement on the ground made him pause. His dark eyes scanned the earthen forest ground, trying to detect any attacks.

His eyes widened. Bugs…?

Millions of the tiny black kikai bugs scampered upon the ground silently, carefully avoiding the patch Sai was squatting on. The forest ground looked like shifting black earth as more of the insects appeared and moved past him steadily, ignoring him, clambering onwards.

It took him one moment to realize exactly what was happening, and then a tiny smile crept up upon his face.

‘Aburame Shino…’

N

Ino struggled within Kisame’s steel grasp, trying to comprehend the sequence of events right after her soul had crashed into Kisame’s chakra barrier and ricocheted back into her body. That encounter left no visible bruise, but it still hurt. Like hell. The blonde haired kunoichi squirmed uncomfortably.

‘The shark-faced idiot is going to pay for scarring my skin like that,’ Ino thought vaguely, feeling the blood circulation in her arms halting due to Kisame’s unyielding grip.

Thinking fast, she focused what was left of her chakra and created a weak, but effective electrical field about her arms, jolting the Akatsuki member considerably – probably from the shock.

The moment his grip slackened, the blonde kunoichi summoned her energy and kicked him – right where a guy ain’t supposed to be kicked.

N

‘Blood… there’s so much blood!’

Outside the gates of Konoha, a battle raged – a vicious battle between the Leaf and Sand, Sound and Akatsuki. Weapons rained down like a hailstorm, sources unknown – and while the Sound and Akatsuki remained standing, their numbers never decreasing; Leaf and Sand shinobis lay dead upon the ground, as far as an eye could see.

Sakura stood, shivering with terror. The dark, thunderous sky was raining crimson droplets, staining her face, her hair and her body blood-red. All of a sudden, she was standing right in the middle of the battlefield, no longer an observer, yet she could only watch as scores of Sound shinobis raced towards her, weapons in hand.

Something struck her. Sakura looked down, and there was a katana struck right through her chest – but she felt no pain. Only fear.

She looked around slowly, apprehensively, almost afraid of what she would find.

Her friends lay on the ground, horribly mangled. Dead. She whimpered at the sight, falling to her knees.

“Tenten! Hinata…!”

Neither of the girls, lying on the ground covered in blood, responded to their friend’s desperate calls. Their faces were pale, their skin cold. They were dead.

“Neji! Lee? Naruto!!!” Sakura’s choked, her frantic cry sounding again as she grabbed the hyperactive ninja by his bloodied collar and shook him hard, hoping against hope that he would wake up, grinning, perfectly fine, and tell her that they were just playing a prank on her.

He remained still.

Lifeless.

“No…” the pink-haired kunoichi whimpered, turning with hot tears streaking down her pale face. “No…”

A pair of strong arms gathered her into a tight embrace, and a shaky voice whispered into her ear. “Shh… it’s alright…”

She’d know that voice anywhere.

“Sasuke…” she clutched at his shirt, sinking into the warmth, feeling just a trace of comfort from the fact that he was there.

That moment was not to last. Sakura heard a soft gasp, before the raven-haired boy suddenly went limp, his grasp on her slackening before he slumped to the ground. The girl froze before she had any time to react. She was staring into those eyes – those eyes that had kept Sasuke on a never-ending rush for revenge, for all these years.

Itachi’s smile was unnerving, curving up ever so slightly at the edge – as if he was satisfied. Sakura’s mind was utterly blank as she stared into the blood red depths of his Sharingan, feeling pain beyond anything describable.

“He’s gone.” The Akatsuki member let out a small smirk, motioning carelessly towards all the dead bodies of her friends, lying around them. “All of them are gone,”

Silence.

“Alone,” he continued, his voice distant. “Lost, desolate. Alone. That’s all you are, and ever will be,”

Itachi faded from her view, and Sakura simply stood there, her limbs refusing to move, her mind refusing to work.

In a single, powerful explosion, the once beautiful village of Konoha went up in flames, dancing and soaring towards the sky viciously, mocking the kunoichi below, laughing at her helplessness. The cherry blossom fell wordlessly to her knees, watching her home village burn.

It burned. It burned to the ground until nothing was left – save for smoke, soot and ashes.

N

“What - ?” Kurenai whispered in horror. “Deidara… in Konoha?”

As soon as the Akatsuki member rounded the corner of the corridor, Kurenai dispelled her genjutsu and looked around, searching for a way to follow him. She would need more proof. Glancing upwards, she saw that there was a ceiling panel that could be moved.

The crimson-eyed woman leapt upwards lightly, shifting the panel and gripping the edge to hoist herself up, hoping that it would bear her weight.

‘At least it didn’t collapse,’ Kurenai thought vaguely once she was above the ceiling, crawling on all fours in the filthy place after replacing the panel. Pausing a moment to be sure of her bearings, she moved silently along the rafters holding the roof up, until she was certain that she was right above the room behind the closed door. Using a kunai, she expertly made a peephole through the ceiling board, and peered down.

N

Kotetsu watched intently as the duo beneath him met at the corridor, subconsciously holding his breath. Danzou and Deidara, in cahoots? What next?

Deidara stood before the older man and looked him straight in the eye, speaking firmly but softly.

“Taiyotsuki,”

‘Sun and moon? Is this a code?’ the Jounin thought, frowning.

Danzou seemed to hesitate for a moment, before replying. “Chikyusora,”

‘Earth and sky… so it is a code, then,’ Kotetsu’s eyes narrowed as he watched the duo carefully.

Danzou looked somewhat perplexed, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t pluck up the courage to say it. He kept quiet.

“We have a slight… problem,” Deidara spoke calmly, his expression detached. “Shall we?” he motioned to the corridor leading in.

The older man was tight-lipped, simply giving him a curt nod and walking on, looking like someone who knew that he was about to be executed. Deidara followed.

Kotetsu silently replaced the ceiling board, creeping in the direction where he assumed they were going.

N

There was a man sitting, cross-legged on the floor by the traditional Japanese low table. Kurenai inspected him closely, trying to detect any familiarity in his features or his movements, but she could not recognize him. His Akatsuki cloak lay on the floor beside him in the rather dimly lit room, and he twirled his katana almost carelessly in his right hand.

‘Who is he? If Akatsuki has new recruits, that would mean they’re planning something… and that doesn’t sound good…’ crimson eyes narrowed.

The door leading into the room suddenly opened. At that very moment, Kurenai heard a slight shuffling noise right next to her and sprang up lightly, careful not to make a sound, her kunai in hand. She relaxed when she saw that it was only Kotetsu, grinning at having successfully frightened his superior – even if it was only for a moment.

Kurenai glared at him, returning to spying through her peephole. Beside her, Kotetsu knelt and did the same.

The blonde man Kurenai had not recognized stood up as soon as Danzou and Deidara entered. He didn’t look too pleased.

“Is the deal still on, old man?” he demanded, gripping his katana tightly.

“Yes, of course it is,” Danzou looked surprised, drawing back.

“Chill, Seijin. You’re scaring the pants off him. And please remember who’s your superior in here,” Deidara sat down and cast the man a sidelong glance, looking nonchalant. “Let me deal with him. As for you, Danzou… we were supposed to obtain the Haruno Scrolls and the two jinchuuriki – and we promised that you would be given Konoha once it has fallen,” He poured himself a cup of tea and casually took a sip, looking as if he owned the world. “Yet, the next thing we know, a bunch of brats and the Kazekage beat us to the scrolls. You – were supposed to make sure that didn’t happen, un,”

Danzou felt himself begin to sweat. “I didn’t hear of their mission, or I would’ve prevented it! I had my subordinates provide the wrong information, but you know the Godaime isn’t exactly one woman who listens to advice!”

“Well, then you’re pretty much useless to us if that’s the best you can do,” Seijin snapped, irritated.

“You have one more chance,” Deidara cut in smoothly, giving Seijin a warning look. “Get the scrolls when those brats get back. Kill them if you have to. But don’t touch Haruno and Uzumaki, you hear me?”

Danzou swallowed, then nodded.

“If you fail that – “Seijin spat viciously, obviously still sore from having run away from a bunch of teenage shinobis. “Watch out for your pathetic butt. You don’t know just what I’m capable of,”

N

The moment Danzou disappeared into the other building Shizune had mentioned, Iruka darted into the Sakeya again, finding Genma and Izumo trying to figure out how to open the shelves concealing what ever was behind it. A secret passage, perhaps.

Genma found a bottle stuck fast to the shelf, with less dust on it. Examining it closely, he gently twisted the bottle in a counter-clockwise motion. It wouldn’t budge. He turned it the other way.

Izumo sprang back in surprise when the shelves began shifting silently. The mechanisms moved smoothly, indicated frequent use, sliding noiselessly to the right.

“Iruka, bird call if you see anyone coming,” Genma instructed, glancing at the other man.

“No problem,” Iruka gave him a thumbs up. “Hurry up, he might be back any second,”

The two Jounins entered the dark, musty corridor, walking silently. There was nothing particularly striking about the place, save for the fact that there seemed to be rooms on either side of the averagely wide corridor, all boarded up. The place was falling apart, wooden panels missing ins several places and water leaked from some parts of the ceiling.

“It’s hard to believe a man like Danzou would walk through this place,” Izumo groaned at the stench of stagnant water gathering in pools at their feet, and dead rats. “I mean, looking at him, you’d think he’s the kind of old man who prefers a more luxurious life than… well… this,”

“You have to remember that he’s a pretty tough guy to be in charge of ANBU Root division,” Genma explained quietly, examining their surroundings, squinting to see in the dim light. “But he’s bankrupt right now, with Tsunade-sama not trusting him. And if he does any construction or renovation work here, people would get suspicious,”

“I’m guessing where this leads to,” Izumo said grimly. They could barely make out a wooden door before them in the dark.

“Here goes,” Genma stepped forward and slowly pushed the door open. Both stepped out into a dark room, filled to the brim with junk. Old furniture, chests, large volumes of books and chinaware lay piled up haphazardly, in obvious neglect.

“Is this a storeroom or something?” Izumo slapped the arm of an antique chair beside him and nearly choked when a cloud of dust engulfed him. He sounded like a strangled chicken as he tried not to make a sound.

“Hey, keep quiet,” Genma warned, walking towards the doors at the opposite end of the room. Dim rays of light shone through the traditional rice-paper sliding doors, and the Jounin cautiously pulled them open,peering out.

Izumo joined him. “So, is this place what I think it is?”

“Yeah. We’re in Danzou’s mansion.”

N

Kisame growled, involuntarily releasing his grip on the blonde kunoichi. Ino, who had neither chakra nor strength left, fell like a limp doll.

Shikamaru darted forward agilely, catching his teammate in his arms before springing back, out of Kisame’s reach. She smiled tiredly up at him, drifting in and out of consciousness. “So… you lazy ass… you finally did something to save my butt, huh…”

“My pleasure,” the pineapple-head tried to smirk, but somehow, it came out rather choked.

Ino laughed softly, before her eyelids dropped. “I’m… so… tired…”

Before Shikamaru could say anything else, Ino had already succumbed to sleep. Feeling a slight, reluctant smile curving his lips, the Jounin gently placed her against the trunk of a tree.

“Nara!” a warning voice sounded, and he whirled around, his instincts tingling madly. A very angry Kisame, wielding his huge chakra-absorbent sword, was bearing down upon them.

‘Shit!’ he swore mentally, eyes darting left and right for an opening to escape. Just then, a taller figure sprang before him, blocking Kisame’s path. A certain shinobi with spiky black hair and shades.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. Your sword is pretty useless right now,” a deep, stern voice spoke from behind the high collar.

Kisame halted, looking at his sword instinctively – and nearly dropped it.

The Sameheda was crawling with millions of tiny, black bugs.

N

Sasuke dodged the flying senbon Itachi threw at him with ease, his Sharingan burning with obvious hatred as his eyes kept watch on his brother. The younger Uchiha had resolved to the fact that he needed Naruto to cover his back in this fight, Itachi wasn’t the ‘genius’ Uchiha for nothing. His attacks could spring out of nowhere, and even if it was a genjutsu, every weapon that connected hurt like hell.

“Oi, teme, any ideas yet?” Naruto demanded, backing up against Sasuke, two kunai in hand as he blocked the array of weapons flying towards him. Sweat glistened on his skin, he was dying to unleash the Kyubi on Itachi. Again, only his promise to Sakura kept him from doing so. “You’re supposed to be the genius here!”

Sasuke smirked inwardly, despite the fact that he was right in the middle of a battle. ‘I’m going to hold that against you when we get home, dobe. If we get out of this alive,’

Then he swore. That one thought had been all the distraction Itachi had needed. Sasuke spotted, too late, the exploding tag attached to a kunai that was flying towards him.

“Dobe! Out of the way!” Sasuke shoved Naruto aside as a small explosion took place, and landed several paces behind where he had been standing before. A glint of metal told him that the exploding tag had been yet another ploy. Itachi was sprinting towards his brother with remarkable speed, a sword poised to strike.

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his kunai tightening. In a spilt second, he moved.

Sasuke’s hand shot out swiftly, his reflexes at work. At the same moment that he caught the oncoming blade in his hand, millimeters away from his skin, metal clashed with metal.

The sharp blade of the katana cut through the fabric covering Sasuke’s palm and drew blood. But the Uchiha hardly registered it. His eyes were trained on the three weapons that had clashed. A katana, a kunai, and a specialty blade, glowing with chakra.

“In a rough spot, eh?”

Kakashi and Sasuke looked up in surprise.

Asuma’s grinning face stared right back at them.

N

Flames engulfed the surrounding trees as various explosions rocked the ground. Neji and Hinata leapt out of the way in the nick of time, and landed on a safe spot some distance away. It was several moments before Neji noticed the weapons mistress’ absence.

“Where’s Tenten?” he asked his cousin sharply.

Hinata shook her head, worried.

Neji’s eyes narrowed and he swiftly performed a handseal. “Byakugan!”

He scanned the forest, and saw a feminine figure leaping from branch to branch, coming towards them. Neji subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief.

It was a moment too soon. Just as Tenten came into view and swung over a branch, another smaller explosion occurred, sending jets of flames soaring upwards – right towards the branch the kunoichi was using as her support.

First there was a scream

Then the brown-haired kunoichi fell, plummeting to the ground below, her right arm charred and useless.

Neji’s breath caught in his throat, and he leapt forwards.

“TENTEN!”