Journey of the Three Failures

Chapter 32: Toward the Sun

Journey of the Three Failures

Thirty-Two: Toward the Sun

Part One: Life, Moving On

Naruto ナルト

I am wind.

I inhaled, fully conscious of the world breathing around me – though its breath was not a simple, mechanical, easily comprehensible thing. But it spoke of life, just as mine did – and feeling that majesty in harmony with my own body was a calming thing.

I exhaled, and felt the weight on my heels vanishing. Motionlessly working the steeping currents of energy that surrounded me, I rose just until my toes held solid ground, my heels resting an inch higher.

This is the best I can do now? Okay... maybe not quite 'wind.'

In Sage Mode, I inadvertently gained the ability to peer into my own chakra and sense in what ways it was disturbed. I gave a trace scowl.

I had thought the spectacle yesterday would make me feel better. Perhaps it was a good sign that I had not particularly relished in 'Gedou's' punishment; while there had initially been muted satisfaction, fascination with seeing such a presumptuous person brought low, when it came down to it it was a man – a creature – a life, at least, being subjected to torment. It was not something that could lighten a spirit. It was just a lot of pain.

Naturally, not a few of those who had been victimized by him had indulged in the sight of the chosen 'justice' taking its course. I could sympathize with them, immersed in this sea of fresh hatred, but it changed nothing in me.

I was back to being empty. I could feel the world around me, its many forms of respiration healthy and strong; my own breath grew short, more stifled by the panic of feeling nothing within me the longer I dwelled upon it.

Opening my eyes, I reached out quietly, spontaneously.

"I know you've been watching me meditate the last few mornings. What is it?"

I turned my head as I said it, and the source of the human energy I'd detected showed himself, flickering into view on the other side of the chasm of scaffolding that spanned the damaged Hokage tower. He was a shinobi, the same age as me, but our similarities ended about there. He was thin, neat-haired, and almost impossibly pale. He tilted his head aside to a measured degree, and smiled.

"Ah... I was curious, you see?" he said politely. "You're the one who killed the man who at this very place killed Danzo-sama."

I quirked a brow. "Your chakra's not as calm as you're pretending to be, y'know. You can lose the fake smile." I remembered seeing his trial – with a group that had served New Sound directly under this Danzo guy's complete control. Circumstances left the individuals guiltless as they came; they were being assigned a new leader for the time being, since they could barely function without orders, but the village didn't much know what to do with them yet. I groaned. "And you have to realize that a lot more than your Danzo were avenged that day, pal."

His brow very slightly furrowed as he looked down into the scaffolding. "Danzo-sama meant to take with him whoever saw him die, yet Orochimaru escaped even that. But to think you, of all people, were able to silence my lord's enemy..."

He was odd – happy that Orochimaru had died, perhaps, but silently irked by something. He wasn't sure why he was here, either. "You have a problem with me? Don't tell me you would've wanted to kill Orochimaru yourself?"

"Of course not... I would have died in such an attempt. And I can't 'have a problem' with the Hokage-to-be, can I?" He was wearing that closed-eyes smile again. "You were one of the poster children of the resistance, and they say you distinguished yourself in the battle. Now they're having the most famous, heroic face inaugurated as Hokage as quickly as possible, as soon as the remaining trials can be completed. Like the village looks to move on and finally sweep all that happened under some rug..."