CHAPTER 116 — ARMAGEDDON
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She'd been sleeping more.
And each and every time, her dreams were filled with images of people she had failed to save. Kei was inches away from her grasp and yet, she'd managed to slip away into the darkness; alone, cold, with no one by her side but a malevolent voice that guided her to a painful death. Her body torn to shreds and her mind filled with thoughts of her family, of the one who'd left her behind despite how hard she tried to hold on.
The Fugishima bakery no longer existed. A hollow room filled with cobwebs in the corners and untouched tables smothered by a layer of dust and grime. The pictures hung on the wall the only remnants of a lively past filled with sweet smells and rich laughter. Nana would be waving her wooden spoon around and Hitomi would be arguing with Sasuke, these memories were endearing yet fruitless. A reminder that her mere existence had ruined everything beautiful and created a tragic, inevitable ending. If she had left sooner, if she'd ventured her endless pursuit of vengeance- the only one who would've suffered in the end would be her. Only her. And her existence would age with the ruins of time; long forgotten, a mere relic of a tragic past.
She had known Jiro long before she met him and perhaps, there was no way she could defy the workings of fate in order to ensure their paths were not intertwined. The moment she was born, his soul was promised to her. He'd search the earth like a lonely traveller in pursuit of a hopeless dream and when they meet, he'd realise that maybe his search wasn't futile after all. That there was meaning in living a life with a fragment of his soul missing if it meant they'd be reunited in the end. Only for her to realise that when he left, he'd take her entire heart with him as well, leaving nothing but an empty shell incapable of feeling. The irony was humorous, she'd spent her life plagued by a curse, but that was never the case. She was the curse, she was the entity that ruined the lives of others, destroying them from within and inescapably destroying herself as well.
Dawn was aware of what was occurring outside, the tune of war was loud, but the darkness that tainted the Fire Lands were nothing new. They always existed, it was only now that its inhabitants were no longer ignorant to the lies said and told and it was only now; they paid the price of damnation, of an archaic revenge rooted into the soils cultivated by blood.
Dawn had seen this image one too many times, she'd seen the injustices of child soldiers being sent to their deaths as they watched their comrades slaughtered right before their eyes. She'd seen the very shadows that had haunted her from childhood manifest into material beings of darkness, eager to rampage and wreak chaos upon earth. She'd seen Naruto lose every ounce of control he had, pushed to his very limited and unable to retain a shred of humanity as he lost himself while losing the very spark that she had once admired so dearly. She'd watched Ino naively venture into the darkness as a new soul was tainted by the curse of Tenebris. She'd seen the events unfold on the front lines, the struggle to protect the civilians in the Leaf, the many lives lost, Itachi's honourable sacrifice and the rampage of the nine-tails. She'd seen it at all five years ago and now, the time had finally arrived.
"Ichiki was a selfless woman, the kindest there had ever been." Sora stood idly in the field, a red hyacinth resting between her fingertips.
Though, her figure slipped through reality and fantasy. Dawn was unsure whether her body had given up and she was stuck in a world her mind had created with no chance of return or if she was still within the prison cell and counting the indents on the wall.
The feeling was unsettling, Sora, who had been the only consistent thing in her life was fading away along with everyone else as well. Loneliness was inescapable.
"She existed during the time where the power of the Fate Wheels had split and distributed to seven, corrupt individuals after Ahmya's reign had damaged the structure of their society." Dawn watched in curiosity as Sora's eyes flashed solemnly. "Unlike Yona or Ahmya, Ichiki was born in a small village in the Land of Fire. Her parents were determined to keep her existence a secret, but the curse of Kaede could not be bound by silence. Her father had died during the second war and her mother had decided it was time to reveal the truth of her lineage before she passed away."
"In a way, you remind me of her. You both desired normalcy and a peaceful life, but your fates differed. Ichiki had befriended Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third Hokage of the Leaf and shortly after he had signed a blood pact with Anomie, had Ichiki decided to return to her Village and reclaim her rightful place as head of the Fujioka bloodline and a wielder of the Fate Wheels."
Her visage darkened, a black rage obscuring her features and her eyes an endless sea of rage. Ichiki's death had affected her visibly and it was after a while Dawn had realised that Kaede's existence was more than a manifestation of cursed energy; but a testament of its prior hosts, memories, personality, emotions- the curse ensured that its vessel would never be forgotten even after the passage of time.
But now, it was different. Dawn was the end of a cycle of grief and death and pain, Mazoku's resurrection solidified the end of the Hinode and rise of their adversaries; beings who sought misdirected vengeance.
"Her plans backfired. Hiruzen had betrayed Ichiki and she survived the rest of her days rotting away in a prison cell as she succumbed to the curse, much like how you are at this moment of time." Her voice was airy, light, as if she refused to allow her venom to taint her memory. "She knew of my existence, yet, she did not condemn me. She desired to befriend the being I was, understand me and even empathise with a creature as cruel as I. There was a man and he refused to leave her side, Mako was his name. He believed in her, prayed for her liberation and the time they'd spent together separated by iron bars soon developed into love."
"Alas, fate itself wasn't cruel, but the people who'd confined her were. It was a public execution, beheaded in front of men, women and children long before she even succumbed to the curse. Soon after, Mako committed suicide, unable to live in a world that repelled her existence. He left behind a journal, Ahmya's journal. Except, it contained a recollection of Ichiki's life, her time in the Leaf and the world she had seen, the time spent imprisoned, the love she had felt for Mako and the teachings of Yugen and Ikigai- of how to wield Shizen."
And now, it was Dawn's turn.
To leave something behind. Something positive and light, as if it'd overcome the darkness that bestrewn her name. Her sins, her faults, her flaws and her blood would die with her for it was only her burden to bare and no one else. In return, life would continue as Dawn had hoped. She'd ensure that the world would never meet its end as long as it meant Sasuke could live.
It wasn't just Tenebris that coursed through his veins, but her legacy, her power looming over his shoulders like a guardian angel eager to shield him from harm. The only thing she had to ensure was that he was able to wield such power accordingly.
"Writing at a time like this?" His voice reverberated in the walls of the quiet room, breaking her concentration.
The journal on her lap was splotched with ink trails, tears, even blood as the pen in her hand quivered in her grip. It was words that had written fate and brought the two together, words spoken under a moonlit canopy as the world grew minuscule, cowering in the presence of stories told and the memories that accompanied it.
Within this journal, told many stories of her ancestors and whomever would be able to read the blank pages would soon acquire an understanding of her true motives. The real reason as to why she had discarded everything good in her life in order to merge into the darkness. They'd soon understand that within the shackles of confinement, of a curse running through her veins, was a slither of altruism. And a selfish desire to put others before herself.
Even as she lifted her eyes to stare at him, Dawn realised that in her gaze he remained the same. The lines were no longer distorted, no uncertainty, no disarray— only him.
"There's nothing much a prisoner can do besides utilising their time productively." She said, her fingers curling around the spine of the book.
Dawn was aware of the severity of their current circumstances, the heavy permeation of death in the air and the darkness obscuring the Fire Lands. But her heart was absent of anything human.
"I assume Itachi had told you what he planned on doing." Dawn continued hesitantly, keeping her eyes on him, watching him carefully. "His suicide mission had always been predisposed, an acceptance both him and your father had shared. I'm... not going to say not to feel the way you do. I know how it feels."
"J-Jiro..." her voice hitched, her fingers digging into her palm, drawing blood. She noticed his eyes staring at her hands. "I made him promise not to choose me over him, just like how Keiji and Hitomi had done. And then... he appeared, he sensed I was in danger and put himself in harm's way. His death wasn't quick either, Ukan had ripped him apart, piece by piece and then tore his heart out of his chest right before my eyes."
"Even if he didn't die by my hands, I was the one who killed him." Dawn turned her body away from him. "Just like how I'd been the one to kill Hitomi, Kei, Fugaku and Keiji."
And in a way, she killed Sasuke as well.
Dawn tried her very hardest to avoid the future where Sasuke was stuck in the middle of internal and external strife. She pushed him away in hopes he'd leave, telling him lies about the lack of control he had over his future or his feelings. That he never truly loved her and she never truly loved him. Even as he looked at her, she could feel the fissure she created in their bond. He loved her, but his trust in her wavered. He couldn't believe her words so he trusted his heart instead, despite its absurdity.
If she had been honest about her intentions, if she let him in and allowed him to see all parts of her unadulterated by the lies she told— then maybe, he would've listened. He wouldn't look at her as if he didn't know who she was anymore. As much as it hurt to believe, Dawn knew that the version of her he fell in love with no longer existed. He stayed as it was the only thing he was familiar with.
"I'm aware words are meaningless to you and the reasoning behind why I'm telling you this is not important, but..." please listen to me. "It'd be wise if you listened."
"Why should I?" Sasuke looked at her, his stare devoid of anything she was familiar with. Dawn wondered if she had the same look.
"You're right. You don't have to listen if you don't want to, but like I said- it's in your best interest." Dawn watched his face carefully, waiting for his features to ease, for him to relax. He never did. She didn't blame him.
He didn't say anything, Dawn took this as a sign to continue. "Unlocking your inner gateway is the key to controlling Shizen. There's two principles: Yugen and Ikigai. Yugen refers to the deep, emotional connection you have with the world around you. It's indescribable, but once you are able to intertwine your soul with the earth, you'll find that everything is a lot more clearer than it ever was before."
She echoed the words of Sahiro, the words of her ancestors, passing their legacy to the man who, at the moment, was unaware of the weight her words held. In time. Dawn told herself.
"Ikigai, on the other hand, is an innate motivation. Purpose that develops through experience, through hardship and turmoil, through intense emotions and constant change." She lifted her hand, her finger trembling as it formed a Wisteria that crumbled in an instant.
"You lost sight of what you wanted."
Dawn looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"You're growing weaker." Sasuke speculated. "You've never once told me what was happening to you. Everything changed after that day on the beach and I knew that whatever was happening to you would inevitably change everything else as well. But still... it wasn't enough to make me leave, I wasn't ready to let go of you. I didn't want to."
"For a year, you were sick. Sometimes you'd fall into a trance, unresponsive. Sometimes you'd have seizures, other times it felt like I was moments away from losing you. You grew frail, weak, to the point you couldn't even speak. It made me realise despite everything, I was willing to do anything to bring you back." He then scoffed out a laugh. "And then you became better. Stronger than you ever were before. Everyone else was relieved, but I wasn't fooled. Of course I wasn't, I knew you better than anyone else. You looked better, but in the inside... it was a different story."
"The six months you were away, the mission at Shimo, the Kage Summit, Kei's death, the month you'd spent in a coma- all the times you- she'd take over—" his body began to shake, a crazed look obscured his eyes as he let out another laugh. "You did all of that and I still- I still fucking stayed and even now, I'm still here instead of giving a shit about what's happening out there. In fact, it can all burn to the fucking ground. They never cared about me, they never cared about you. They- they..."
Her eyes were wide as she watched him fall to his knees in utter despair and it was all her fault.
Maybe it was possible for an Ankoku and a Hinode to feel something greater than love, a feeling unrestricted by boundaries. When they loved, they love with everything they have. Dawn may not be human anymore, but still, love governed her soul. It tethered her to one person and it was the reason why she made it this far.
Dawn kneeled to the ground, reaching through the iron bars that separated them and placed her hands on his cheeks.
"I'm not someone you trust anymore, I understand." She whispered, closing her eyes and focusing on what little energy she had left. He was there, in front of her, while everything else was unstable, filtering through her fingertips. He felt real beneath her touch. "So then, tell me how you feel now?"
Red strings flailed in their vision as Dawn showed him a place where they both would always be able to find each other.
A waterfall manifested from thin air, concealed by the large canopy of leaves surrounding it like a moat and an assortment of hyacinths, lilies and wisteria arranged in a mural woven into the earth. Purple petals cascaded from the sky, a token of spring time and warm breeze gliding idly against the skin. Her eyes fluttered open and he was by her side, eyelashes loosening against his flushed, pale skin, a prominent scar on the peak of his cheekbone and above his eyebrow. He didn't know she was staring at him, taking in the still image as if it was a fairytale manifesting into reality and him— an anomaly, something to be studied, to be understood and admired.
She remembered this day like it was yesterday. Dawn was having dinner at his house, when Sasuke stormed away after an argument with his father whom he had defended her from. It wasn't the event in itself but the feeling that came with it, the blind trust he'd upheld as he followed her deep into the forest as if she was a guiding light at the end of a tunnel. The sounds that surrounded them and the calmness it instilled. Everything that day wasn't perfect, but it was real.
"What do you see?" Dawn asked, her hesitance masking her desperation. She needed to know that he wasn't completely blinded by her lies, that they felt the same way.
He took a moment to answer, his jaw shifting under her touch. She was about to remove her hands until he placed his hands over hers, keeping them locked in place.
"Nothing." Sasuke spat, those words poison on his tongue, as if he himself couldn't believe the reality of the situation. Dawn blanched as his grip tightened on her fingers. "I see nothing and I feel nothing."
It was strange. How love lingered in the strangest of places, refusing to leave. It allowed her to feel at ease for the first time since she returned to this Village, being around him was enough for her to forget everything.
However, like all spells, the effects vanished.
"Controlling Tenebris is different." Dawn continued, her hands slipped away from his touch.
She ignored how, despite their circumstances, the glimmer of hope that'd sparked died in an instant. And still, she continued to speak because loving him was the only thing familiar to her.
"Instead of forming connections, you are dismantling it. Taking each piece, understanding its structure, its substance, before destroying it." Dawn turned her back to him, refusing to let him see the look of pure anguish on her face. "And your purpose, your strive, derives from the intensity of your hatred, of vengeance or malicious intent. If your heart is truly capable of such hatred, then it is capable of annihilation. Do what you will with that information. You'll need it."
You need to do what's right.
Dawn couldn't tell when he left and it was then she realised that the price of selling her soul away also meant letting go of him as well.
∷
Sasuke lied.
Her touch, despite her cold hands, filled his cheeks to the brim with familiar warmth and the vision of wisteria petals cascading from the sky danced in his vision- but that was the thing, he didn't know what to believe.
He didn't know if he felt inclined to love her, to follow her to the ends of the world due to the Tenebris coursing through his veins. He didn't know if every memory they made together, every promise, every feeling— had all been one-sided. A cruel, twisted game of his imagination, a fictional tale he'd created as he overlooked all the warning signals that blinded him from the faults of the world he lived in. He wondered when it'd began, if his misinterpretation of love had made him vulnerable to manipulation- if that had been the true reason why he was susceptible to the Fox's lies; because his life was one, big lie in itself.
Sasuke wondered if he'd regretted lying to her. He would never lie to her, despite the amount of lies she had told him. Words were a weapon of misdirection, actions were all he could trust. But how long could he withstand the fatality of one's words until he himself was no longer able to differentiate fiction from reality? Truth from lie? Love from hatred? Did she truly hate him?
No. The answer would always be no, because as much as he tried to ignore it, Dawn was incapable of hating him as he was incapable of hating her. It wasn't just the matter of words, but actions, signs, hints, revaluation of events, of everything that was true to him. The stone she had touched that day five years ago had transformed the trajectory of their lives, she'd seen everything, known it all along. It was a curse that bestrewn her mind and heart and he knew that because he could feel it, as if it was his own very soul that had been tainted and his own heart being torn between his morals and love.
It was a decision that was easy to make, discarding everything he believed in. It was something he'd always been willing to do if it meant he had a chance at saving her soul from damnation or burning with her in the process.
Dawn had told him how to control his Tenebris, being able to follow through her instruction was a risky agenda- one he had no choice but to accomplish. Jiro was no longer the guiding light that reassured him everything was going to be okay, Hitomi wasn't there to endow him with her wisdom at convenient times nor was Nana who'd pinch his ear and reprimand him for his mistakes, the relationship with his own mother had faded away as time traversed into a haze of memories of a kind woman who'd gently direct him along the right path. Time waited for no one, it didn't allow him to rectify his mistakes or to even look over his shoulders to see if there was anyone willing to follow him into the darkness. He ventured alone to acquire the one thing that costed him everything he had.
"What are you planning on doing?" Obito asked, but his words fell to deaf ears.
Sasuke merely glanced at Kakashi who was suffering from the aftermath of straining his Mangekyou Sharingan to the boy who laid unconscious in the arms of his father, drifting into a different sort of darkness that appeared at the price of losing yourself.
"Summoning Jutsu."
He was transfixed by the sight of bright lights dancing in his vision as he boarded the raven he had summoned, courtesy of his brother, his destination obscured by the meteorites emerging from the dome.
It was anger that tainted his blood, equipping his instincts that it blinded him with red. At some point in his life, most of his emotions were directed towards his father, a man who'd tormented him, belittled him and familiarised him with the taste of violence and pain that anything otherwise alerted his survival instincts. He was scrambling for a solution to a problem that resided beneath a shared roof when the answer had always lied within him; his power, his actions, the innate motivation to take control over his life regardless of external forces that claimed possession to the Tenebris that'd been passed through blood; an ace shaped through suffering and experience.
That was his Ikigai. His purpose. To have control over his life, to have the ability to make choices- something she was deprived of right from the very moment she was born. And it was all because of them. If Dawn had been deprived of her right of vengeance, then he'd simply be the one to avenge her.
All-consuming was how he described the feeling. An intelligent source of energy that recognised his sudden need to tap in and sneered in disgust, reining control over its lariat and tugging with all its strength. Sasuke acknowledged its existence and accepted it for what it was, he wasn't afraid, he couldn't afford to be- curious was more fitting, and almost enticed by the power that surpassed the restrictions of natural and spiritual energy. In a way, his Chakra had long adapted to this new presence, perhaps that was the reason behind his struggle to control a power that desired to be release. Adjacent to confining a wild beast within a cage and expecting it to act tame- an impossible endeavour.
This isn't right, Sasu. A warm feeling filled his chest, one that alerted him immediately as the scent of home-cooked food wafted into his senses. You know what'll happen if you do this. It's too dangerous.
Almost as if he was a child reaching out, his hand outstretched, pointing towards distant images of a warm smile and a soft crease in the corner of her eyes- a regret he had. His mother had suffered the most and he left her, just like how his father and Itachi had left. And now, he pushed aside all that he used to be in order to chase something greater.
Power.
The air grew scarce and his raven strained to persevere through the pressure of falling rocks powered by electromagnetic heat, but he was within distance of the dome's weak spot. The outskirts were layered with a defensive measure, armoured and solidified, but security was lax at the peak of its spectre. If the Raven had assumed a soul would be able to reach the parameters of his prison, he wouldn't have expected someone like him to be able to break down his defences with stolen power.
The second his hand touched the dome, he was brought back to the day of the Fire Festival five years ago, where he'd set the Village ablaze and struggled to regain control over his mind. Dawn had made it rain that day, a divergent power but the feeling was all the same; freedom. As if he stood on the highest mountain and the winds brushed past his skin, a delicate, welcoming touch. The Raven's Tenebris was stubborn, but it didn't seem too hellbent on retaining its form as soon enough, the dome shattered into pieces, the light of a new day blinding his vision momentarily but also filling his stomach with ease.
This is only the beginning. Sasuke thought, staring at the blue sky, the world below a blazing purgatory for the damned.
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2 DAYS LATER
The number of casualties were immeasurable, and medical supplies and staff were truncated.
The Will of Fire was a philosophy that most of the Leaf Shinobi and their predecessors had obtained; that in order to attain true peace, love was needed. Each and every generation had once fought for something they believed in, whether it'd be to preserve oneself or the world around them, or to pass down a flame that'd continue to simmer as years passed by. While destruction and death was inevitable, effort would come to fruition as civilisation flourished under just rule.
At least, that was what Shikamaru used to believe in.
It wasn't a miracle that the dome disappeared nor was it the workings of any extraterrestrial beings. Despite its disappearance, the damage was already done. Ino had sacrificed herself, comatose, showing no signs of waking up. Choji was in critical condition, as were many of the other casualties who'd faced the wrath of the nine-tails. The wounds he'd sustained were life threatening if he hadn't received treatment in time. No amount of medical ninjutsu could reverse the damage of the nine-tails, the consequences of relinquishing control had left Naruto abandoned in a place where the probability of returning was little to none.
They had barely made it out alive, and this was no war. Far from it. It was pure annihilation, unless an armistice could be reached. A naive thought.
Beyond the walls of the Leaf, were scorched lands. Trees decimated to the ground as well as any other life forms, animals, vegetations, even rivers or streams. Unusual fissures emerged from cracks forming on the surface and the damage created from the meteorites and battles that had commenced were unfathomable. A strange thought had passed his mind at the sight of chaos, Dawn had once told him that these lands were already plagued with blood and death— only now, it was more visible to the human eye. Only now, they were no longer ignorant, not when all lives were affected, and not just those who weren't able to afford self-preservation. In the face of God, all humans were the same. They'd all face the same judgement and the same punishment regardless of the scales.
It was human nature to find fault in another in order to not be consumed by an obsessive, relenting rage, but for some reason, he couldn't find anyone or anything to blame. Mistakes of the past held heavy ramifications, that was true, but that no longer mattered when the future had been consolidated with blood. It was impossible to move forward when there were many that were being left behind, it wasn't the matter of what they were going to do anymore but to preserve what they already have. Or what little could be sanctioned until the end arrived.
Shikamaru glanced at Ino, her chest still, too still, but a pulse was present. She was laid on a stretcher, among many other bodies that couldn't fit in the hospital. However, unlike them, black marks obscured her skin. A web of veins dancing across her body that he'd only ever seen on one person.
He squeezed her palm slightly, placing a kiss on her cold knuckles before glancing at Choji. He tried his best to wipe off the dirt and blood that stained his skin, but war left scars- some harder to see than others.
"I'm sorry I failed you both." Shikamaru murmured, his chest tightening. When he closed his eyes, he could still see it, his stomach being torn open as he was flung across the ground. The screams of his teammates as he laid there helplessly, unable to do anything. "You don't need to worry anymore."
Lies, lies and more lies.
The sharp biting pain in his stomach and body didn't hinder his journey through the busied streets of Konoha, the light of day was an ephemeral blessing after many long, gruelling hours enduring drastic changes in weather and hearing the sounds of dark creatures lurking around the corner. Everyone had their own demons, but regardless of your fears, there was no escaping the collision of another frontal attack. The Merchant Trials, Shimo and the North were prime examples of that.
In a sick, ironic way- through death and suffering, peace had been achieved. Humans were reminded that they were all the same in every shape and form. Even if it didn't last long, it existed at some point in time.
"Shikamaru!"
His cheeks were cupped delicately as his mother, Yoshino inspected every part of his face and body- ranging from the large cuts littering his skin to the lack of warmth in his eyes. His eyes fluttered as he leaned into her touch, remembering the times when his only source of stress was evading his mother's lectures.
"My poor boy," Her voice cracked, her thumb shadowing over a graze on his cheekbone. "You did well, you did enough. You don't have to do anymore."
Yet, despite his efforts, nothing had been achieved but an empty feeling in exchange for a beating heart.
Shikamaru memorised the way she looked, features that mirrored his own, creases in the furrows of her eyebrows and greying brown hair messily tied back. He felt his eyes water as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, before pulling away.
"I'm only done when I've seen things through to the very end." He took a small step back and forced a smile. "Don't worry too much about me, yeah? They need your help tending to the wounded."
"I'm not stupid, Shika." She bit out, her eyes watering. "They're not telling any of us about what happened out there, but they didn't need to. We already know that time's not on our side and that there's nothing that can be done to stop it. So why try?"
Shikamaru hesitated. "Because I won't be able to forgive myself if I didn't try one last time."
The final meeting commenced.
Neither having recovered from the Raven's attack. Minato had chosen to spend what little time he had with his family and ensuring Naruto's survival- whether he chose to remain ignorant to the aftermath of losing control of a tailed beast remained unknown. Tsunade's presence was required elsewhere, yet a meeting ensued. For obvious reasons. Communications with other Villages was down and even if their allies had received word of the catastrophe that had been unleashed- travelling across the Fire Lands, let alone with emergency relief, was near impossible.
They'd been isolated, targeted and decimated. But it wasn't anything new. The bigger picture had always been available, all they'd been doing was gathering pieces of a broken picture frame blind to the truth laid out right before their eyes.
"Sasuke Uchiha had successfully destroyed the dome. However, the power of one man is not enough to counteract the future that awaits us all. The Raven had single-handedly confined us and unleashed terror within our cage. We'd lost many people today, men, women and children who'd been sent into the battlefield with no warning on what had awaited them. An honourable sacrifice had been made by Itachi Uchiha who was a prominent target of the Raven." Tsunade said.
The Uchiha had always been targets of the Oogami's machinations. Itachi Uchiha had been a dedicated Shinobi who was willing to do almost everything in order to ensure the tides were in their favour- but this time, Shikamaru knew that his sacrifice wasn't for the sake of his Village, but for whom he loved. It was strange, the Uchiha were known for their curse of hatred, yet they loved like no other.
"These attacks had both been widespread and targeted. The Oogami had memorised our behavioural patterns, our strategies and our supply routes. With that being said, our next course of action isn't to defend our Village, but to protect its people. We are no longer able to sustain the grounds we once walked on with pride. However, in order to guarantee us a future, we'll need to discern a way to mass transport civilians beyond the danger zone of the dome's radius. Preferably, far away from the North."
In a way, they were like musicians.
Masterminds with the abilities to allocate sound subjective to an individual's preference. They studied their opponents and memorised certain characteristics that aligned with the tune of their body, soul and mind. Three distinct, abstract concepts all catered towards one's own perception of sound. Once you memorised the tempo of a song, instinct was what drove the body to move. Likewise, in order to conduct an orchestra, you must know your audience and how they would perceive the display of music and the absence of components befitting to their predilection.
Shikamaru glanced at Dawn. It was how she was able to infiltrate the Leaf and its defences, she knew the people she opposed- grew up with them and ensured that a part of herself was concealed and locked away. She thought like them. With that being said, the Oogami had already anticipated that securing the survival of their people was their only priority.
"It's risky." Obito pressed his lips into a thin line. "And impossible given the amount of casualties we have. It is likely that the Oogami are already aware of our intentions and our next course of actions and will attack accordingly to every move we make."
He glanced at Dawn who was transfixed by the bright blue sky, Shikamaru followed her gaze, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of birds of all different kinds travelling in masses towards the South. As if they could sense the danger and made hast to escape as soon as possible.
It was unnatural, animal migration was specified to certain events- even when the storm raged in the North, life continued to prosper elsewhere.
Shikamaru noticed her shoulders stiffen and the way her hands kept clenching and unclenching in anticipation. Dawn was never transparent with her emotions, however, now he could read her as clear as day. She knew what was coming, what trouble awaited them that even nature cowered at the prospect. His mother had always mentioned how the submission of nature was subsequent to humanity's near end.
"Can you hear that sound?" Dawn asked Shikamaru in a low tone. Her voice was frail and weak, as if speaking any louder would strain her throat.
He decided to heed to her words and closed his eyes in deep focus, zoning out of the discussion in the room. At first, he heard nothing- not even the Villagers outside seemed to be making any noise.
And then suddenly, the hairs on his arms shot out instinctively like sharp needles, goosebumps covered every inch of his skin as a cruel shiver crawled up his spine. It started off as a low hum, as if a swarm of bees were within the near distance. The more he listened, the more the sound escalated into something bigger, to the point he could feel it in the ground, a tremor circulating in different areas, an earthquake of some sorts. He tried to shake off the sound, but to no avail. It was real.
"It's coming from the North. That's where it will start." She said.
The mention of the North itself was enough to make him tense in discomfort. As if he already knew what it was.
"What will start?" Shikamaru asked, almost inaudibly.
Dawn glanced at him, knowing that deep down, there was something else he wanted to ask. That, he too, was as selfish as she was.
She then smiled softly. "Ino will be fine."
His eyes widened. How did she know I was going to ask about her?
Obito intervened. "Dawn. You have the ability to see the future... don't you?"
See the future? The idea was absurd, it made perfect sense. Shikamaru entertained the thought a couple of times in the past and not once had he found any evidence to counteract his hypothesis. The future was meticulous and twisted and Dawn happened to be even more of a complex enigma. A player who'd memorised all the rules in the game and knew how to bend the scales to her favour. But if that was the case, there were many things she enabled to happen that were unfavourable to her cause.
The truth behind her past had been unveiled, her true identity, possible motives, her abilities- and yet, he wasn't able to figure her out. But what was the point? It was the end for them, after all. There was nothing more that could be done, unless...
It was all never for herself to begin with.
"Perhaps." Dawn answered and he suppressed the urge to scoff. Even now, she refused to give straightforward answers. "Even if I could, it doesn't prevent anything. But I'll humour you, only if you grant me a favour."
"A favour?" Tsunade laughed in disbelief. "What more could you possibly want?"
"Okay." Obito agreed.
She looked at him straight in the eyes. "After this is all over, Tsunade will perform the surgery to implant Itachi's Mangekyou into Sasuke and once that is complete, you will allow him to do as he pleases. Whether it'd be to cut ties with Konoha with no ramifications or to fulfil his role as Uchiha head- you will support it. You'll enable his freedom."
How could he have missed it all along?
Shikamaru stared at the side of her face, his heart racing wildly. It was so simple and mundane, but Dawn was never one to follow conventions. She always followed her heart. And in order to follow her heart, she followed all that allowed her to achieve her goal. Even if it meant betraying the Leaf who had betrayed her first, even if it meant aligning herself with her own enemies, even if it meant endeavouring a path of isolation and loneliness- she knew her actions would never be futile, because the future had always been visible in her eyes.
It was unequivocally selfish, but Shikamaru had always known Dawn for her selflessness. How could a person change so drastically? If they knew the outcome was worth the struggle. It meant gambling everything they had. One huge risk.
"That implies many things." Tsunade spared Dawn a glance, her face devoid of what she was thinking.
"How so?"
"Well..." Her gaze switched to the swarm of birds travelling in flocks outside. "One: that you believe we'll survive the aftermath of what is to come. Two: that you know what's going to happen. Three: that you care. Four: a confirmation of your prognostication. And lastly, you have no way of ensuring this promise will be fulfilled, insinuating that you either have some level of trust in us or that you won't be there to see it to the end."
"I don't trust you." Dawn rectified. "I trust my judgement. I also trust that Obito is a man of his word."
Obito hesitated to respond, Shikamaru knew that he didn't need to. There was nothing uncertain about her demands other than Sasuke's freedom. It was his own morals and emotions intercepting his desire to accept her favour. It meant that he was also accepting that there was a possibility Dawn could die; which either meant that she had accepted death as her providence long before it was even an option, or that there was no guarantee Sasuke would align themselves with the Leaf if it meant the only person he cared about would die in the process.
And in his own selfish way, he didn't want her to die either. Shikamaru didn't understand the logic behind his reasoning, so he ruled it out as emotion. At some moment in time, he didn't resent her for her betrayal because despite everything that happened, they were still best friends.
"I accept." He finalised his decision.
Dawn's shoulders relaxed, as if his words were enough to lift the weight on her shoulders. "Everything I'll be telling you is a confirmation of your assumptions. The burning victims are sacrifices and the required number has almost reached its limit. My mission had been to return seven stones belonging to my clan back to its original place, by doing so it enables the Oogami access to unimaginable power. With the sacrifices and the stones, they will use it to resurrect Mazoku- their true leader."
"I am only but a pawn in their games, nothing more, nothing less. It's not to say I had no jurisdiction over my actions, rather by following them- I follow myself and stay true to my own goals." Her fingers lightly trailed against the edges of the wooden armrest. "Once Mazoku is resurrected, the departure will occur. An event in which the northern lands will be separated from the rest of the world into its own separate island."
"That's impossible." Tsunade breathed out, growing pale. "Separating land is one thing, but resurrection?"
"You really think it's impossible after what just happened?" Obito remarked, crossing his arms.
"The signs are already apparent." Dawn continued mindlessly, as if she was relaying a bed time story. "The nuclear fallout in west, the droughts, the drastic change in weather, the earthquakes. You're right, it should be impossible. But it isn't, and we are right in the centre of its assault. Once the incision is created, we are welcoming sea on land. In times of desperation we forget that nature is our true adversary."
The separation of land. Shikamaru leaned his head back, his body was in a permanent, frenzied state. Death had always been a spontaneous aspect of life, Shinobi understood that when they accepted missions, they accepted the fact that their lives would always be on the line. But the destruction of the world? An unavoidable calamity? The resurrection of an ancient being? Such tales were written in religious scriptures.
Maybe this was his punishment for ignoring the obvious signs. For not listening to the signs she gave him.
"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam." Dawn murmured.
I shall find a way or make one.
He looked at her.
"You've never given up before, don't start giving up now."
"It's a bit too late to be giving me friendly advice, don't you think?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
Her lips twitched, before curling downwards into a frown. "Shikamaru, I-"
Death wasn't quite what he imagined.
It was silent, a shadow creeping up behind you as the sun settled in the west and darkness enshrouded the night sky. It wasn't a comforting shadow, but steadfast and hellbent on following you around everywhere you went until you were sick of your own reflection. Death itself, made him realise, he'd spent the last few weeks festering in resentment towards the one person who had truly cared about him; that he had a lot more regrets than he cared to admit.
It was difficult to deem someone unworthy of justice when judgement was dictated by a personal description of righteousness. Shikamaru had deemed Dawn as a traitor, as someone who had betrayed his trust and wronged their Village- but who had she truly wronged, if her interests dwelled in her heart? How could he resent someone who showed him the world that surrounded them was built upon lies and that in order to see the truth, you had to be true to yourself. He had realised that all he was doing was telling himself lies because that was all he knew his heart could fathom.
But it was late. It had always been too late.
The Hokage building was the first to crumble and Shikamaru could vaguely recall the moment Dawn had realised that they'd been attacked. It crumbled, as easy as dust, the place where it all began. He lost sight of Obito and Lady Tsunade who he was certain had managed to evade the fall, but he wasn't too lucky, and neither was Dawn. The bright, orange light of the explosion was blinding as the rubble and pieces of the building fell on top of them, a consuming pressure that pierced several parts of his body and numbed the pain.
Through the haze and distortion, he remembered stretching his arm out, trying to grab onto her- she wouldn't survive the impact unscathed and he was determined to prevent yet another person he cared about from suffering.
It was then, Shikamaru realised, that he may not even see it to the end- for everyone's story ended differently.