Hissing and grabbing your shoulder, you sit up, once again blinded by the bright white void.
"Fuck..." You mutter, wincing.
"It seems like I won't have to wait to get to the next step." Madara quietly seethes, eyes narrow.
He walks over to you, steps light with a heavy, boiling anger. You look up at him, pain etched into your face. Holding out a hand, Madara grabs yours tightly. He pulls you up, but you were still dizzy.
When you stumbled as you took your first step, Madara decided that it would be faster if he just carried you.
He remembers the halls, the various rooms running along each corridor. He remembers his room and the fire that always seemed to be burning in it's hearth, and there it was.
His section of the Uchiha Compound.
You groan on his back, spurring Madara into movement once again. He reflexively headed straight to his room, not needing a map even with how long it had been.
You might've come up with a serene area, but his was familiar, warm.
He slides open the door to his room, seeing the hearth emitting it's normal flames. With a calming sigh, he sets you down in front of the fire, head in his lap.
"You are incredibly stupid." He flatly states, fingers combing through your hair.
"Yeah, I know."
You answer, heartrate slowing as the pain finally fades, at least enough for you to coherently speak.
"Then why did you get caught?"
"Because I was being extra stupid."
"You got that horrid curse mark because you were being extra stupid?"
You nod, shivering as Madara's hand traces the area of the mark lightly, soon cupping over it.
"If you're getting hurt because of your own idiocy, then I have no choice."
You look at his face, seeing his eyes firm and his face serious.
"Be aware, this is going to hurt."
"What do-"
You get cut off as the fiery pain reignites, making you grit your teeth as your back arches and you try to move away. Madara's grasp on you is unwavering, and you begin to sweat, the pain wrapping itself around your throat and restricting your ability to speak again.
After another agonizing few minutes, Madara's hand finally disconnects from your neck. You release the breath that you had been holding, gasping raggedly and weakly shoving Madara away. You sprawl out on the wooden floor, unable to move any further.
Madara watches, a victorious feeling filling him as he sees you turn your head, looking at the fire. The previous mark on your neck was replaced with the pattern of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, deepening his connection.
"Wh-what the fuck did you..." You stutter, achingly looking back at him.
"I've advanced our connection, is all."
"Wh...what?"
"I've given myself the ability to contact you more than just when you are asleep."
"Why?"
"I need to protect you. I couldn't before; I was far too slow. But now..."
He pauses, his voice echoing around you while his lips only move to smirk.
"I can."
You look around, bewildered, before focusing back on him. "What? You can... speak into my mind?"
"Correct."
"Wow." You sigh, lifting one of your arms to cover your eyes. You hear Madara pull himself closer to you, his hand gingerly removing your arm from your eyes. After he places your arm beside you again, you open your eyes to look at him, unimpressed.
"I am not having a good time right now."
"Well, dreams aren't always peaceful."
"Generally they don't involve something that would actually affect me in reality."
"I guess I'm just special then."
"Screw off."
You huff, hearing Madara chuckle. At this point you grumble to yourself, Madara smirking as he hears something about not being able to move.
"Do you need my help?" He asks amusedly.
"You're the one who did this to me, you actual soggy towel. I'll drag myself with my chin, thank you very much."
"How are you going to get on your stomach?"
Your eyes look over your own limp body, and your head thumps against the floor.
"I'll... uh, I'll-"
"Just stop being stubborn. Let me help."
"Can't you give me back my movement? You caused this!"
He hums, watching as you lift your head just to glower at him. He puts his hand up to his chin, acting as if he was thinking while he enjoyed your sharpening glare.
"I possibly can."
"Then will you?"
"I don't think so. You are quite entertaining like this."
Your head thumps against the wooden floor again, and you sigh irritatedly.
"You're a dick, you know that?"
He simply laughs.
+with the others+
Orochimaru catches your falling body and jumps off his summoning, landing next to Kabuto with a satisfied smirk.
"We have one of the targets. Time to leave."
Naruto stares in shock at your unconscious body, spotting the three black marks on your neck. He cant see them begin to spin, merging into a complicated shape through the red fog that covered his vision. His canines grow and his whiskers get more exaggerated, with his eyes turning scarlet.
"Leave my sensei... ALONE!!" Naruto screams, moving with unexpected speed as a shadow clone helps him form a bright blue Rasengan. It swirls, and Orochimaru isn't quite ready for the compressed air to slam him into the ground.
Kabuto takes a step forward and opens his mouth like he was about to shout, but when Naruto looks at him over his shoulder, he freezes, sweat rolling down his cheek.
This aura!
It was unlike anything he had ever felt!
The fear was tangible, and he somehow knew that if he ran in there, his life would end right then and there. He takes a step back as Naruto grabs your limp body, pulling it away from Orochimaru with little resistance. The moment his feet touch the ground again, he takes off running. He jumps over the white arm that tried to swipe his ankles, ignoring the raspy 'No!' that emitted from the man.
Naruto snaps out of his stupor as he makes it to Jiraiya, looking at the sannin while confused. He sets you down.
"D-did I...?" He shakes his head, almost unbelieving as a wide grin grows. "I did! I used the Rasengan! I did it, I did it!" He jumps up and down, whooping and hollering.
He turns to you like he was about to inform you, his face falling as he remembers that you were still knocked out.
"Oh, yeah..."
Jiraiya shakes his head, bewildered. "I cant believe how much of an idiot your son has turned out to be..." He murmurs, Naruto turning to him.
"Huh? Did ya' say something?"
"Nope, nothing at all!" Jiraiya fake laughs before getting serious as he sees Orochimaru manage to stand up, albeit shakily.
"Gah..." Orochimaru hisses, Kabuto wincing at the spiraling welt as it begins to bleed. He slips behind his master, beginning to heal him.
"You damn brat. When I next get the chance, you are going to get a blade between your ribs." He rasps his finishing line, and the last thing Naruto sees before they both disappear is Kabuto's aggravating smirk.
Shizune lets out a shaky breath, looking over at you. Her brows furrow as she stares in confusion, walking over and crouching down next to you.
"Jiraiya? I need you over here."
He looks over his shoulder at her, his gaze asking his question for him.
"Just come see this." She presses. He sighs, moving to your side as well, opposite to Shizune.
"What is it?"
"Well, the curse mark... it's gone."
"What?!"
"That's not it, either. It's been replaced by a strange symbol."
"Let me see."
Shizune tilts your head to show your neck, and Jiraiya's eyes widen. He takes a single step back, his expression making Shizune tense.
"What, what is it?!"
"That symbol... it's the same as Madara Uchiha's Mangekyo."
"Madara Uchiha? But he's dead!"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out!"
"What're you both so worked up over?" Naruto asks, interrupting the back and forth.
"The mark on Y/N's neck is worrying us is all." Shizune carefully responds.
"Yeah, but I heard you both yelling about Madara. They knew him, ya know?"
"Wh-what? They knew him?"
Tsunade finally makes it over, crouching down next to you and feeling your pulse.
"Yeah! They used to always tell me stories about fighting next to the First and Second, and about talking to Madara."
Jiraiya looks at Shizune as she does the same, them both soon looking back at Naruto.
"Are you absolutely sure that they weren't lying?"
"Yep! When they first told me, they had on really old looking clothes with a big hole in their chest."
"So you're saying that Y/N fought alongside my Grandfather and great uncle?" Tsunade asks, looking at the blonde boy as he nods quickly.
"Yeah! Just ask Kakashi-sensei!"
Tsunade looks at Naruto, examining him and trying to decipher whether or not he was lying. His smile was bright enough to light up a cave, and he was as easy to read as a child's book.
Tsunade wasn't sure if he even had the ability to lie.
Naruto snaps his head in your direction the moment you shift and groan, cracking open an eye as your shoulder aches.
"Ugh, what the- gah!" You get cut off as Naruto tackles you, tears streaming out of his eyes.
"Y/N-SENSEI!!" He sobs, you lowering your arms to pet his hair.
"Hey Naruto."
"ARE YOU OKAY?! ITS BEEN TWO DAYS!!"
"Uh, yeah. I'm good."
You turn your head as the door opens, Jiraiya walking in with a serious face. Tsunade and Shizune follow, and as they take a stance surrounding you, Naruto slides off of you after a gentle nudge.
"There are a few things I need to confirm."
"Shoot."
"That mark on your shoulder... it's symbol is that of Madara Uchiha's Mangekyo."
"Well, they got something right."
Your focus fades for a moment as you hear Madara's voice echo around you. Wait, the curse mark changed?
You knew he did something to it, but you didn't think it would change the symbol.
"I... guess so? I can't really see it, so..."
"Moving on, according to Naruto, you knew Lords First and Second, as well as Madara. He said you were in the past."
"That's true." You sigh, propping yourself up. "Back fourteen years ago, I was just a sad brat. One day, Minato called me to his office, where he gave me two scrolls. Actually, I still have that other one..."
You remember, putting a hand to your chin. Shaking your head as if to rid your mind of that thought, you continue on. "Well, he gave me two scrolls, and after I took this," You lift your arm, showing off the maroon ribbon with golden embroidery. "off of the scroll, it unraveled, pretty much forcing me to the past."
"How can we trust you?" Tsunade questions, suspicious.
"Well, I still have the outfit from when I was sent back here, and, uh-"
You were cut off as fingers firmly pressed on your neck right where the mark was, and warmth grows around the area. It soon intensifies into burning, and you realize that the fingers don't belong to a hand or body.
The feeling was just ghosting over your skin, and you see Tsunade take a step back, intimidated. Everyone in the room looks shaken as you stare at them, confused.
You couldn't see it, but there was a figure made of smoke that had escaped the mark. It opens it's eyes, revealing two Mangekyo Sharingan, in the same pattern as your neck. With a smirk only shown through the bright light escaping it's mouth, it's pupils ripple outwards.
The pain had finally begun to fizzle out, and after it completely disappeared everyone sighed in relief, except for a certain blonde.
"What was that?!" He screams, you just looking at him dumbly.
"What was what?"
"That! The weird figure!"
"I... still don't know what you're on about."
Tsunade steps back up, and you hear Madara laughing to himself. What did he do?
"Okay, I believe you."
"Just like that?" Jiraiya questions, not ready for the look Tsunade gave him over her shoulder.
"The aura of that figure... what I felt was most certainly not normal fear. It was simply knowledge of how overwhelmingly weak I am compared to it."
"She's giving me far too much credit. I merely gave them a little peek of my strength."
Peek of his strength? What did he do?
"Though, that is Hashirama's granddaughter. I'll admit, I am a bit flattered."
He was clearly poking fun at Tsunade, but he was curious. He didn't exactly have a reference for how strong these people were, and the prospect of fighting someone even related to his former rival was definitely exciting. You remembered what happened when all five Kage went against a weaker Edo Madara, so you would rather not.
"Well," Jiraiya starts, drawing everyone's attention once more, "Now that our dead weight is awake, we can get to the village faster."
"Y/N-sensei is not a dead weight!"
"No, I've been out for two days. I was a dead weight." You sigh, rubbing the back of your neck. Slipping out of the bed, you look at the group expectantly.
"What? Do you expect me to undress in front of you all?"
That made them move, Shizune with the lightest of blushes on her face as she imagined it.
After the door shut, you sigh again.
"I'm pretty sure you can see through my eyes, right?"
"Correct."
"If I close my eyes, can you still see?"
"Yes."
"Damn. Okay, so I'm just going to have to ask you to... not look? I don't really know how else to do this."
"What if I want to?"
"Uh, tough titties I guess. I can't exactly stop you, but please, don't."
"Fine. Only you can order me around like this without major consequence, Y/N."
"Well, that's nice."
"I never said no consequence."
"Slightly less nice. Okay, close your eyes."
He huffs, entertained, before following through with your request. He could see it all later.
After a few moments of indeterminate shuffling, the sound stops.
"Alrighty then. I'm done."
"Much faster than I expected."
"Yeah, well, it's how I do. Anyway, I'm gonna have to sign off on my end; can't talk to ya in front of them."
"Hurry, then. No need to prolong this."
You smile. "Out of everyone, I wouldn't expect you to say that."
"They may get curious, and I wouldn't like to be forced to reveal my hand so early in the game."
You nod, slipping on your Jounin vest and slinging your bag over your shoulder just as before.
"Welp, let's get going."
You turn, walking to the door and sliding it open.
Fun Fact: Orochimaru's English VA, Steve Blum, also plays Zabuza in Naruto, and a whole lotta other shit in other series.
{losing my edge less than 1500 words bye}
rewrite: hah get FUCKT past me, this is past 2500 words now!
I know it isn't much compared to chapter 7 or the 1000 heart special but it's still better than less than 1500 words
edited: 8/29/19