Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟒𝟏| Stars

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
– Harriet Tubman

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DAWNS POV

Dreams consisted of a multitude of components.

To dream was to squander in a place your mind considered to be safe, a place built upon the likeliness of your imagination, a place where the impossible was possible. It was a place where one wouldn't want to be disturbed, in fear of waking up. Keiji spoke lightly of the topic, as he was a dreamer himself and used to tell me all about his dreams. It only made me even more eager to get know what dreaming felt like. The only piece of advice he lent me was that to dream was to release the strain in your shoulders, to unclench your jaw, to dissolve the tension in your muscles and to let go of everything that was disrupting the scales of peace and destruction in order to maintain balance.

Yet, the scales in my mind were bent to the liking of my ruination. Peace was nonexistent, I was in a state of constant turmoil unable to find a safe place, which was also the reason why I was unable to dream. Simply because to dream was to do the exact opposite, as such it created a hurricane of devastation to wake up to.

I couldn't sleep.

I wanted to, but I couldn't. This time it wasn't because I was afraid of the nightmares awaiting me, it was reality that frightened me the most. I failed my teammates, I failed Naruto who was in an unconscious state, I failed Sakura who was likely alone and panicking. And most importantly, I failed Sasuke. Every part of me was aware of the red flags that I chose to ignore, I knew that somehow Orochimaru wanted Sasuke for a bad reason, I could've done something to prevent Sasuke from the pain he was in now. For some reason I was bestowed with abilities to see things others couldn't and yet I was still blinded by fear.

Or maybe it's because you didn't want to save them.

I did. It was all I ever wanted. I didn't care that my leg was broken or it hurt to even move. I just wanted them safe. For once, I wanted to be the one to save others. I didn't want to be the victim.

You were never the victim. It replied deridingly. You were the one who victimised others and led them to their demise.

I didn't want anyone to die. I didn't want anyone to leave me again.

Leave you? Please, they were running away from you. Maybe you should leave your teammates before any harm happens to them because of you.

That wasn't true. It couldn't be. I tried protecting them from him, I didn't bring Orochimaru to them.

Are you sure about that?

It's words lingered in my mind. The only connection I could make of Orochimaru was with Kabuto, but there was something else that made me believe that the connection they had wasn't what I made it out to be. That Kabuto was different, but nonetheless, I couldn't be ignorant. He knew who Orochimaru was, so he was the only option I had in finding out what he wanted to do with Sasuke. Why him? Why did Sasuke have to be targeted out of all people? Why-

"But they didn't say I couldn't harm you..."

My thoughts halted, the colour on my face disappearing in an instant. It wasn't possible... was it? No matter how much pain my body was in, the thought of my past making it's way to my present stroke such an intense fear within me. One that was the burning epitome of all my others fears, the very reason as to why I couldn't move on and why I was stuck to the past. Vengeance was always my goal, one that had a rocky path due to the obstacles I had yet to overcome. I was nowhere near strong enough to face my tormentors and the people who had destroyed and mercilessly slaughtered the men, women and children of my Clan. Rage was a distinct emotion that bubbled and stirred within me, rage much stronger than the monsters that scared me.