006- Video; Action for Blackthorn

[used_friendship]

[Action]

[It is early in the evening when he finally begins to stir. A hand slowly reaches up to rub at tired eyes as they blink into focus, Naruto staring up at the ceiling above him. Immediately he frowns as memories of new and old jumble together. It had felt like a dream, though it couldn't have been. Why didn't he have chakra? Oh yeah- Johto.

Feeling the presence of someone else in the room distracts him as he turns his head to the side, immediately greeted with the sight of long, flowing red hair.]

....So when are we going to Violet? [You hit hard enough to knock him out Mom, he'll concede this time.]

[Video]

[A little time later the Pokegear shows Naruto sat on a bed as an excitable Carnivine is wrapped around his shoulders, happily chewing on his head once again. Some things never change!]

So--yeah. I guess that thing happened to me, y'know, when people fall asleep and have the dreams? But they're not real dreams? [Descriptive as always. On that subject though, there are some people he wants to talk to. He should probably send them some private messages.]

Oi Neji. Sasuke. I wanna talk to you guys.

[...Or just do it that way instead. He has a pretty serious look about him for once, so they should probably get in contact with him.]

[With a huff he moves around and attempts to unwrap the Carnivine from around him. Since he has it on, he may as well ask that question he had before the coma stuff happened.]

I'm still gonna go check out that dragon place up here, the one Tenten told me about. What's the best dragon type out there? I have Ryūka-chan already, she's a Charizard now and she's grown really strong.

Comments

[itsjustdust]

[The smile dropped away almost immediately, and he huffed a breath, gaze dropping away from hers.]

I meant. It's okay if you did something about it Kushina-nee, I understand.

[ghostpepper]

[She swore under her breath and let him go one last time. She had finally found her emotional limit of the day. But at least he had ditched the smile.]

Then it's a promise. [She stood up and walked to the door, Kyuubi following right at her heels. Her hand rested on the doorjamb as she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder.] So long as you stay the way you are here, the way I know you to be, I think we'll be alright. [Maybe.] But if you take one step in the wrong direction...

[She leaves it unfinished. He knows. Unspoken threats of ripping him limb from limb, throwing him off the inn rooftop, stuffing him full of kitchen knives, siccing her entire team on him... When she imagined doing these things, it was to the masked man, not the broken boy here with her. She sighed and left the room. She'd hold herself together until she could return to the room she shared with Minato and lock the door, then break down completely.]

[itsjustdust]

[He lifted his head, watching her walk... and it choked him. He'd intended to just- just force himself to be okay with it. He'd managed to stop sobbing, right? The bottom of the world had fallen out and he'd decided it was okay because he couldn't fix it but he, he-

He couldn't.]

Wait!

[He stumbled to his feet, but stalled out without trying to grab her, and his voice broke.]

Please.

[ghostpepper]

[She originally wasn't going to listen. Every fiber of her being was saying to keep going. But that "please" brought her to a screeching halt two steps out the door. As if to make matters worse, Kyuubi walked around in front of her and nudged at one of her legs with his head. His silent way of saying "go back". But what else was there to say? She had said her bit. Maybe a bit too much. So she waited silently.]

[itsjustdust]

[He took a few steps, but stopped, inside the door, halted there like it was a barrier.

His voice was very small, with a quaver. He... He kept needing to ask things like this and it was horrible, but every single time he expected the answer he didn't want.]

Do you- Do you hate me now?

[ghostpepper]

[It was a hard question. Just yesterday, she would have quickly proclaimed she could never hate him. But knowing what she does now... Did she?]

I... I don't know. Right now... You're not the masked man that destroyed my life. Him, I can say I hate and may never forgive. He is a monster, a murderer, and the worst person I have ever met. You... You are Obito Uchiha: a fellow Konoha shinobi, one of my husband's beloved students, and someone I care about like my own family.

[Holding back tears was getting harder and harder with every word. Every word that echoed her broken heart as she did her best to keep her voice from breaking too. She inhaled deep as if she was going to say something else, but shook her head. There was nothing more she could say. So she took her leave, stepping carefully over Kyuubi, who trotted off in her wake after sparing Obito a sympathetic glance.]

[itsjustdust]

[He stared after her, but didn't follow, sliding down against the doorway with a sob. It was a better answer than he'd hoped for but... But he wasn't done.

Finally, after struggling just to breathe, he went looking for his sensei.]