Hope for Light

Chapter 8: Rebellion 「謀叛」

Chapter 8: Rebellion

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"This feeling... it's this dream again?"

She was floating. Groggily, she got up, only to notice that her surroundings resembled the Konoha sewers, that she had cleaned after a prank gone wrong, but without the nasty stuff. As usual, her nose couldn't detect a smell at all. Her half-lidded eyes noticed the familiar hallway, and she followed the pipes to the destination.

It was like a maze, but she knew where she was going. A minute or so later, she entered a room and found herself in front of a giant gate with '封印' (fuuin) kanji paper on the middle.

Darkness was what she could get out from it, yet she felt the powerful being, the emotion it radiated, the breath-stopping chakra and she just freeze on her spot like a scared little girl.

Her breath was taken away when all of sudden a giant, menacing red eye gazed directly at her.

"Get out of here, you brat―"

A surge of a powerful blast of wind knocked her away, involuntarily made her close her eyes.

While it happens every time, the roar that was echoing throughout the dimly lit hallway, sent a chill down her spine.

The scenery rapidly changed and it took a few seconds for her to register.

"... Naruto, you're awake?"

She blinked, taking in the change. "Shisui?" It was a dream. Again, it felt so real she still felt the tremor that was caused by the powerful roar that was laced with the red chakra. "Is that you?" Looking at the hovering Shisui beside her futon with his sharingan on for a second, it reminded her of the giant, red one-eyed... being that she kept seeing in her dreams for as long as she could remember. She had yet managed to find out if the terrifying being was one eyed or not.

"Yes, it's me." Shisui nodded, the corner of his eyes creased as his lips tugged upward. He watched as Naruto groaned and placed her hands on the futon to get up, finding that Naruto didn't have problems, he relaxed. "You okay?" he inquired.

"Ugh... I feel sore all over." She rubbed her eyes and clapped her cheeks to feel awake. "What happened?" Naruto looked around. She was at a traditional lodge; ryokan? Naruto let out a relieved sigh when her eyes spotted Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and Shikamaru, alive.

"You fainted after you healed Sasuke." Shisui let out a faint snort as he said, "he said you're a moron, by the way."

"... hey, you just don't antagonize the one who healed you." Naruto glared weakly at nothing in particular. "I know you're there even if I don't see you, Sasuke." Her tone was biting, challenging the boy to insult her like always.

"Calm down, Naruto, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Shisui put up his hands and conciliated, a small smile formed on the corner of his lips. "Ready to go home?" He crinkled his nose. "Or do you want a bath first?"

"Ng?" Naruto sniffed her short, orange sleeved yukata. She eyed the dried stain of blood on it. Must be Sasuke's. "Ugh, yeah, a bath it is." She tried to get up only to trip over her hair. With a thud, Naruto was lying down on the futon again. "Who the heck untied my hair?" She moaned while looking for her red hair tie.

Shisui shrugged and looked over his shoulder to the silver-haired man in the corner of the room. Kakashi, noticed the silent question, looked to Shikamaru, who in turn looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke hummed uncomfortably while elaborated, "I thought it looked uncomfortable to sleep with your hair tied like that. My brother used to sleep with tied hair whenever he's tired and I used to untie it for him."