Chapter 16 - Struggle for Love

No Such Thing as Home

Chapter 16
Struggle For Love

Naruto



It was two days later that Naruto finally got to see his cousin, Gaara had to leave the day before and Naruto thought his cousin might enjoy some company. Not that she didn't have her brothers and subordinates -Hinata, Kiba, and Shino- coming in to talk and learn from her. In fact Lily was still in charge of team 8, and they seemed to like her, Hinata and Lily actually seemed to be close friends. Sakura was always busy tending to Naruto, as his nurse, that she didn't get to Lily that much either. It was reported though the Sasuke had woken up and has amnesia.

Lily reported through Sakura that with Okami, and if the Kyubbi was tame, she could remove his seal. Lily was still to weak to visit him during sleep, and her demon power was totally focused on giving her a full recovery. Which was the reason the Naruto was now choosing to talk to Lily about preparations for Sasuke, and to say he was sorry. Lily wasn't allowed out of her room but in two days she would preform the seal breaking along with Naruto. The last reason of course being that he wanted to talk with Lily about something that hurt him very badly, something that he refused to talk about to any one else for the past eight hours in fact. Jirraha's death.

The fact the his sennin had died at the mercy of his older cousins hands was unbearable. Remembering all the times that he and Jiriaha had spent training, made Naruto hurt worse, but he refused to cry in front of Sakura, who had told him the news from Tsunade. Sakura remembered the old hermit too, though not as well, but the fact that one of the sennin so close to her master and friend made her grieve for him. In fact she was sobbing all over Naruto when she told him the news, Naruto still was refusing to believe it. His friends tried to bring him out of his denial, but only Jirraha's dead body had done the job, it left him empty.

He walked up to Lily's door, and knocked twice, waiting for her to answer. She gave her consent, in a low groan, her voice was cracked, and he heard laughing too. When he pulled the stainless steel door open, Lily was laying down, her arms crossed and her face was pouting at a laughing Kai.

"Hey Naruto!" Kai called waving at an empty chair on the other side of Lily's bed, he wasn't surprised to see that the window sill was full of flowers, like his.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you around, Tsunade finally realize that your fit? I wish she'd do me next, I'm essentially bored with all this babying me around." Lily said as he plopped down on the overly stuffed chair, and propped his head on his hands.

"Lily, are you... feeling better?" Naruto asked, feeling uncomfortable himself.

"Yeah, loads enough to take the darn curse mark off your friend at least. Kai could you leave, I believe Naruto wants to talk in privet..." Lily suddenly frowning and glaring at Naruto seriously.

"Okay sis, if you need anything, just send Midnight." Kai said looking at Naruto briefly before he quietly closed the door. Naruto noticed Midnight dozing beside the flowered sill, her black coat bouncing off rays of sunshine.

"Naruto, I heard about Jirraha's passing, and while I knew the man little, I do believe that he wanted to die the way he did. And he wouldn't like you to be mopping around, he'd want you to help your friend." Lily said there was an edge to her voice, Naruto had never heard her speak to him this way, he balked.

"I know, but," He took a deep breath, saying what was really frightening him. "I'm afraid that without him I won't be able to control myself, and your being here is proof that I can't do this by myself..." He trailed off, the remembrance of what he'd done clawing at his insides.

"Naruto! Your not alone, your never alone, you have a family and friends, and we'll always be there. And what you did to me was not you, it was... A command, that you had to fallow, Tobi knows your demon name, and he can summon you. There was no way you could resist." Lily said there was still an edge to her voice, but it was softer.

"But how can I stop it?" He asked with his pleading cerulean blue eyes.

"You cannot... You must obey your master, the only reason you were pulled out of killing me is because I carry more authority then Tobi -if Tobi is who he says he is. But it takes almost all my chakra to command you, since you are in second rank, and I had already exerted so much energy." Lily said there was no edge left in her voice, and yet she sounded so authoritarian.

"So I can be... Summoned? And you can control me too?" Naruto asked in horror.

"Yes but I mean you don't have to always take orders, like if the summoner asked you to jump off a cliff or kill your self, anything that causes you life risk. But on the other hand I could call you to battle, and I could tell you to kill your self, because I'm your Alpha, and you are Beta -second in command." Lily said, causally, while Naruto thought of his summons, and he shivered, he now knew what it was like to be forced to something now. But wait... Hadn't I enjoyed it? Hadn't I wanted to kill her? Was that my summoners fault too..? Or was that me..?



Anyways, we need to talk about preparations! So will meet at the place where Sasuke is being held, your going to need to fill him in on whats happened so far, with your memories... Just choose the ones he's in, he doesn't need know your life story, I'll help you with that. But Kai says I'm not allowed to set up anything so he'll help you set up our basic runes and things we need. But Naruto, do me a favor, I'm afraid that you'll have to stay in your normal human form for this. When you transform I think you might attract Tobi's attention and then... He might summon you more easily. Lily said with false cheer.

"Okay, you want to do the memory thing now?" Naruto said his voice barly above a whisper, he wasn't looking forward to his cousin looking through his thoughts. He wasn't sure that he wanted her to everything that he'd done, whether she was a mass murderer or not.

"Come sit on the bed then..." She sat cross legged and waited for him to sit on the other end, her hands were extended and her eyes closed. Naruto mimicked her and laid his rough hands in her soft ones, she held them tightly, then suddenly her hands were all he could feel.

Everything was gone, the bed, the hospital room, in fact the only thing that was still there was Lily, and himself. Lily was still closing her eyes, but her face was screwed up in concentration, to Naruto it looked and felt like they were levitating because he could neither feel or see the ground, it was just white. Naruto eyes started to burn from all the white, so he closed them. Then he felt something soft underneath him, it was itchy and he felt a light breeze blow past him, his eyes snapped open.

Lily was there like last time, only so was everything else, they were on a cliff, it was the one that he and Sasuke had fought on, the one that had plagued his dreams after he left. the reason everything was so itchy was because they were sitting on a thorn bush that was just on the ledge of the cliff. The Vally of the End,, why are we here? I thought we were supposed to be in my mind? Is this whats in my mind? My mind scape? Naruto wandered, as Lily got up and walked toward the middle of the waterfall where a faint light glowed. The weather was stormy, no light shone through the dense dark clouds, and cold rain beat his face.

"Yes Naruto, we're in your mind scape, I do have to admit that this is not exactly a peaceful place to rest your head... Naruto, why do you come back here?" Lily asked turning to him and grabbing his shoulders and shaking him gently, she looked like she might cry, what was wrong with her? And how was I going to answer her question when not even I know the answer or do I?.. Naruto wandered.

"Lily, Lily! Calm down, nothing wrong, I'm... I'm not sure why this is my mind scape... I guess when ever I see this place it reminds me of my mission, my promise..." Naruto said wrapping his arms gently around his cousin, which felt nice, it was almost like what hugging a little sister must feel like. He had an odd sense of release, like he just wanted to blurt out everything he was worried about. But Lily beat him to it, she patted his head and kept whispering "I know... I know... It's okay, you don't need to say it out load, I can hear it, go one just think about it... I'll know." Lily whispered, and then Naruto did let it all out, visions of Jiriaha, Sasuke, and the fox blurred in his head, even some of his father, the forth Hokage, spun in his head. Lily patted his back and he put his head onto her shoulder. He didn't realize why Lily's shirt was wet until he reached up and felt the tears that were flowing from his dry eyes.

"Come on, lets find those memory's." Lily said at last pulling Naruto and herself up. Naruto smiled a half hearted smile, and she stepped in the light, radiating from the water.

Gaara



"Kazekage, how was your visit to the Leaf Village?" Kankurou asked Gaara, as he just arrived from his long journey back, he wished he would have stied with Lily. He so wanted to see her now, to talk to her about everything that he was worrying about, and he wanted to get away from his duties as Kazekage. But he knew that was impossible, he had an obligation to his village and it's people.

As long as he was the Kazekage, and Lily was trying to fix all the problems in the world, then they could never be together except on short visits like that. Gaara was thinking, debating, on weather to ask Lily to just marry him, and then she could stay with him forever, or quiting his job and giving it to someone more competent. But neither answer would work, if he truly asked himself. Lily would be grounded, and while theres so much to do in the Sana, as the Kazekage's wife she couldn't leave. And he knew of no one in the Leaf village that would be better then himself, he did have to admit though, he wouldn't mind getting away from the dry dessert, he liked Kohona for other reasons too.

"Great, the plans for the Chunnin exams are all in place." Gaara said dryly, he knew that Kankurou wasn't just asking about the plans though, but the walls have ears...

"You'll tell me the specifics inside then?" Kankurou said, reminding him further of the time he had spent alone with Lily in the hospital. If the Elders knew, they might forbid him to go near Lily again. It wasn't like they did anything, -although thats probably what people thought- all they did was talk, and barely touch, holding hands, or caressing each others faces. Gaara had felt so vulnerable in those moments, when tears came out, from old memory's past, and Lily put her thin arms around him in a rough embrace -since she was still hooked up to several IVs- and he for once in his life felt warm, happy, the most content then he'd ever felt in his life.

"There aren't any specifics," Gaara decided to play dumb. "I just had a few meetings with the Hokage, and arranged her stay while the Chunnin exams were being held."

"So she is coming then?" Kankurou seemed surprised by this news, Gaara would have thought it obvious.

"Yes, do have any other news for me?" Gaara asked pointedly.

"A... A letter arrived earlier today reporting the death of a sennin, the Toad Hermit, the author of Itcha-Itcha paradise."

"Oh..." Gaara recognized the name well, Naruto had said something about he being his mentor, Lily said she knew a little about him too.

"How?"

"He was having it out with the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, but our data books say he was taught by the Hermit, and his name is actually Cage." The name hung in the air, Lily's so called brother, the one who killed her parents, and made all their lives miserable. His lip pulled up over his teeth and he made a growling sound, he walked at a faster pace then normal, Kankurou shut up.

Sasuke



"Naruto? Is that you? Why are you here? I thought you died in the Forest of Death? Who is that with you? Please do not tell me that your doing that stupid, mental, perverted Jutsu again!" Sasuke grimaced, he was still stuck to the table, and all everyone ever id was question him about his memory. How stupid, those guys should be trying to find Orochimaru. And now Naruto, who has been at the hospital they said, is walking in with some girl, and bother of them were in bandages. The girl looked like an extremely pale version of Naruto, and Naruto looked about four years older then he really was. How long had he been out?

"It's me Sasuke," Some one using Naruto's mouth answered unsmilingly. "this is my cousin Lily, she's going to help get the curse mark off you, and then I'll give you some of my memory's. Just so you know what's happened, to you, to me, to every one..." Naruto muttered under his breath and stood on the left of him, while Lily stood on the right.

"What are you doing to me!" Sasuke roared, but it was already to late, Lily was holding his shoulder with one hand and pulling his head to the side with the other. Naruto was holding down everything else, clamping down tightly with his hands. Lily leaned forward as if to kiss Sasuke, but aimed for the strange mark on his neck, Sasuke felt as if a web of acid was placed over the scar that already burned, Then the pain was released, all at once, there was a since of floating for a moment, before everything throbbed, painfully, but there was still a light headed feeling left.

"Sasuke, can you feel pain anymore from the scar on you shoulder?" Lily asked gently, leaning over him, smiling warmly.

"No, it's gone..." His voice, he just now noticed, was not his own, but an older, haggard version of it, like he was older.

"Were going to give you some memrys before we explain to you what just happened, okay? And then we'll go to the trail..." Lily continued on frowning, her brow furrowed, her eyes troubled.

"Who's trail?" He asked breathlessly.

"Yours, you've deserted the village, attempted to kill your comrad, twice, and betrayed the village secrets to Orochimaru." Lily answered, but Sasuke did not hear correctly, he didn't do all those things, he'd never betray the village, let alone to a snake like Orochimaru.

"Me... But I couldn't have... I didn't.... I've been here! Who would I try to kill, why would I join Orochimaru? What are you talking about!" Sasuke yelled, struggling uselessly against his bonds.

"You haven't been here, we captured you two weeks ago, and you tried to kill Naruto, twice, and you joined, betrayed, and killed Orochimaru, for power." Lily said tonelessly, Naruto stood silent, observing him.

"What..." Sasuke said, but no sound came out, it was like he was in a nightmare, everything he'd worked for, was being torn to shreds. Lily and Naruto did some odd hand sign's and then he was plunged into a dark hole, and he relived every signal memory that Sakura, Kakashi, Team Snake and Naruto had with him in it, or had importance. After the point where Lily and Naruto fought, Sasuke didn't see anymore, he didn't need to, he knew what had happened, his own memory's came flooding back to him. The poor choices, the power, the loss, the pain, even the betrayal to Naruto, floated in his head, making him seem more down to earth, once again within gravities reaches.

"I didn't, I couldn't! IT WASN'T ME! It was him, Naruto, you believe me, do you forgive me?" Sasuke's recently acquired memory was making his attitude change, he was slowly remembering the power, and the loneliness. He didn't want to remember any more, he wished he had never woken up, he wished he was dead.

"Sasuke, calm down, of course we believe you, thats why we'll be fighting your case. And Sasuke, I do forgive you, I forgive you for everything." Naruto said quietly, it was barely above a whisper, but Sasuke could hear the concern, and sympathy in his voice. He forgave him, for being himself, for almost killing him, for everything...

"Come on Naruto, I have to get back to the hospital, and Sasuke needs to rest. Good night, Uchiha, and remember what you wanted was reached, and yet you were not truly happy, and remember now the happiness that you felt when your comrade forgave you. That will be the key in finding true, and unending happiness." They stumbled out of the room, and left Sasuke thinking about their words, his actions, and his life.

This was how he came up with a new goal, an old goal actually, that he gave up on. I, Sasuke Uchiha, will never let another comrade, friend, or neighbor, die infront of me again, or I will die in their place.



David



"You have a very nice hospital here, I would be privileged if you let me assist there." David said, making a small bow to Tsunade, who had just asked him to take a job at the hospital, since he was a medic what else was he going to do?

"Good, Sakura, please show David the hospital, and our units, give him a basic study test too." Tsunade added thoughtfully.

"Tsunade-sama, my brother Kai, what will you do with him?" David asked, ignoring Sakura's struggle to get him out the door.

"Oh, well," She turned to Kai, who was staring out the window. "I suppose you could do anything, you have an official statement that says you were once a teacher. Would you like to work at the Academy?" She asked, reading a regime under her desk, unaware that we could see it.

"Sure," Kai said distractedly, Shadow soared down from above, and landed on his shoulder. "as long as Lily can help me when ever she's not on a mission. I really don't want Lily running around alone, you may think she can take of herself, but your wrong. Even now, she can't," He stopped, his voice cracked. "Tsunade-sama, please, I'm begging you, make sure that when Lily's on a mission... That she's never let out sight. She's been know to do crazy life threatening things." Kai turned to face them, his face set in a deep sorrow.

"Okay... I understand." she dismissed them with a wave of her hand, and they trooped back to the place where Lily was reviving Sasuke.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment