Chapter 2: Chapter One: Fox
Lucas suddenly found himself in the heart of a beaten road, burdened by a backpack and three swords hanging awkwardly around his waist. "What the-AH", a sudden and sharp sensation struck him, piercing him to a knee.
⋘ Downloading Information…⋙
Luca clutched his head. Visions cascaded, a maelstrom of images, books, hand signs, all bombarding him to the ground. "So much information", he gasped. His mind stretching, taut as a drum, ripping around the relentless barrage. And then, as abruptly as it had begun, it ceased. The visions evaporated, leaving Luc feeling, disoriented, sprawled on the beaten path.
As Lu slowly gathered his wits, the world around him seemed to steady, though the echo of the visions still rang in his ears.
[Task: Arrive Safely at Konohagakure]
"What the fuck?"
* * * * *
Four Weeks Later
It's all a dream. That's what I kept telling myself in those early days, or maybe weeks. I didn't fucking know. Time had lost its meaning, boring on like a summer afternoon. The entire day, all I did was walk, eat, and pass, god knows how long, building a damn tent. To not even sleep, just lie awake in it, restless, catching at best an hour or two of shut eye.
My body was always so alert, and I didn't even know why. The entire night, every tiny sound jolted through me. It was ridiculous, really. If this was a dream, my subconscious was… on something, because this isn't normal.
Also, if you're dreaming, you wouldn't really know you're dreaming, right? You also wouldn't be feeling the blisters on your feet, the aching in your muscles, the constant hunger gnawing at you—they were all too fucking tangible to be… figments of your imagination, or whatever.
As days blended into weeks, the hope of this being a mere dream dimmed, replaced by a stark acceptance. I found myself speaking to the stars each night, sharing my fears, my loneliness, venting my anger at the fuckers that had put me in this situation. There was a strange comfort in voicing my thoughts, even if the only reply was the soft rustling of leaves.
I kept moving, though I wasn't even sure why anymore. Perhaps I was clinging to a sliver of hope that I'd wake up in my bed, realizing this was all just a vivid nightmare.
But as I angrily packed up my things, my frustration boiled over. "Five in the morning, and not an ounce of sleep". The entire night, I had been sprawled at this abandoned farmer's field, hidden underneath this old barn looking place. Well at least I hadn't need my tent tonight, but let me tell you, my back was really no fan of this whole 'sleeping on the ground' situation.
I pushed my damp hair back from my face. The morning dew had soaked everything, making my clothes stick to me like a second skin—only this one was cold, clammy, and absurdly heavy. With a resigned sigh, I picked up my belongings and set off again, it's was not like I will be able to sleep anyway.
So I went my way, back to the road.
Yet, as I walked, a nagging doubt lingered in the back of my mind, a fear that perhaps there was no road to return to. Well, not the literal road - i could see it in the distance already - but the metaphorical one, the one back to my life, my world... the thought of that being gone was terrifying, yet somehow, thrilling.
God, listen to me.
I kept moving, my boots crunching on the gravel, trying to walk off whatever that last thought was. The scenery started to shift around me. The fields, with grass still wet from morning dew, turned into this dense forest of fir and spruce. They were like these huge, silent watchers, casting long shadows across my path, wrapping me up in a world that felt weirdly alien and yet, so, so familiar.
Like, i couldn't shake this weird feeling, like my brain was crammed with someone else's Google Maps. Suddenly, I knew stuff about this place – intimate, detailed stuff. Like how I was tiptoeing around Kageta Province, entering the Kageta forest… this massive forest that spread its green fingers all over the Land of Fire's northeast corner. It was wild, kissing the shores of the Fire Sea and flirting with Ryūchi Cave's foothills. At its heart, the forest was thick and untamed, sprinkled with villages that seemed to pop up like defiant specks, and roads that cut through the trees like they were nothing.
Like, I actually remember flipping through a book once, about these forest roads. They're always wrestling with the wild – tiny saplings making bold moves in the middle of the path, storms playing dominos with the trees. Nature's winning more than losing in this tug-of-war. The road I'm on now is smothered in pine needles, like a forgotten blanket of rust. It's supposed to be this big deal road, connecting Taka and the Hokage Province, but it's more like a secret passage. It feels like it's meant for lost souls, like me.
Fuck I'm cringe.
Well, I walked. I walked till the sun pass, till the moon came. And by the time I decided to stop, it was not because of the darkness around me, but because my stomach growled.
So I went of the off the road, looking for a cozy place, found a warm place, well somewhat warm; kindle my fire and started on my tent. My godamn tent. With it's fucking sticks, beams that didn't went nowhere, until they do and there something fucking jammed in its place. And then two more hours of fucking bulshit.
…
Anyway.
There I was, sitting on some nondescript rock, mindlessly shoveling rice into my mouth. Plain, bland rice. No spices, no flavor, just... fucking rice. Washing it down with fistfuls of water I scooped from the river where I had camped by. The water wasn't clear, it wasn't pure, but fucked it was all the I had. Hope I won't die from it.
Now, or later, because I certainly filling my water with it.
Splashing the stream's chill against my face, I felt the ragged edges of my journey. Barely a month on the road, and already, I longed for a shower, a bed, hot food.
Oh, Christ. What wouldn't I do for good chunk of meat. Then, a rustle in the darkness – my hand flew instinctively to the hilt of my sword, every sense suddenly as sharp as a blade.
Eyes narrowed, I scanned the shadows, searching for the source of the disturbance. The rustling, closer this time. From the west, up top. I stood still as stone, every fiber of my being focused on the unseen presence. The wind shifted, carrying with it the faintest scent of something foreign. Iron? No. Blood. My grip tightened on the sword, the metal cool and reassuring against my palm. Then, with a suddenness that made my heart leap, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a man, or at least the shape of one, cloaked in darkness, hunched over a tree branch.
"At ease, gennin," the figure uttered.
But no, my grip didn't waver, despite the command. Trust seemed like a luxury I could ill afford, especially on nights like this, when every shadow seemed an enemy, every rustling leaf a potential threat.
"Gennin…" the man whispered, then half fell and half dropped from the top of the tree branches. I barely checked my startle, the man… there were so many kunais on his back.
My hand quivered upon the hilt of my blade, yet I didn't dare to draw.
"Please…" came a plea, faint, like a ghost. The figure, now on one knee, seemed more a shadow than a true danger, yet the chipped mask he wore made me hesitate.
The Anbu were supposed to be elite, right? Ghosts that walked among men, unseen and unheard until they struck. Then get easily one tapped by an Akatsuki member, or even the likes of Sound Four.
I scrutinized the figure, the kunais jutting from his back, the ragged breathing, the strained effort to remain upright. He looked frail, yet what were my chances against an Anbu? Even in this weakened state, this wounded, kneeling man might as well be a viper coiled to strike.
"State your business," I demanded in a low growl.
The figure barely managed a nod before collapsing forward, a broken puppet cut from its strings.
I hesitated, torn between instinct and an unfamiliar, gnawing emotion. Compassion? Was that what this was? This strange, twisting feeling in my gut. I furrowed my brow. Was that even a real person in front of me?
I watched as the blood, dark red, seeped into the grass, flooding the ground. "Fuck," I let it go of my sword and moved towards the man. Kneeling beside him, I was unsure how to aid a dying man..
⋘ Medical Ninjutsu…⋙
"Fuck," it felt like a lighter had pierced and then turned on inside my brain. Images of anatomy, textbooks, Konoha's medical knowledge flooded my mind; I understood it now. "Are you from the land of fire?" the man whispered.
No.
"Yes,", my mouth replied on its on while I rushed to my backpack and rummaging through it as he mumbled something about the Chunin Exams. "Yes!" I exclaimed, finding what I needed.
I ran back to the man, already opening my medical kit. "...I'm Fox, an Anbu member..." he struggled, his body spasming, and blood spraying onto the grass. "This scroll... important message for..." My hands, guided by my newly awakened knowledge, worked swiftly, beginning to cut the clothes off the man.
"For?" I asked.
His breaths came in labored gasps, each one seeming to draw life from his body. "...for Danzo. If you love the land... the land of fire, take it. Bring it to him."
"Don't worry, friend," I said, smiling and dropping my armored scissor to the side.
I formed the seals—Monkey, Dragon, Hare—and a verdant glow enveloped my hands, a warm, otherworldly light. And for a moment, I didn't know what to do. Then I knew, because of course I knew. I placed my glowing hands upon his back, where death had laid its cruel touch. The luminous energy surged forth, weaving into his wounds.
"Please," Fox whispered.
"You'll be fine", I reassured.
The man grabbed onto my clothes.
"Please," he whispered, "promisse me…"
A violent cough wracked his body, sending another wave of blood across the verdant grass. His eyes, clouded with pain, searched mine for something—anything that resembled a promise.
"I'll take it," I vowed solemnly, the weight of the promise settling on my shoulders like a mantle. I swallowed dry. "If you die. I'll ensure it reaches Danzo."
Fox's hand, trembling and weak, reached into his cloak, extracting a tightly rolled scroll, sealed with the mark of Konoha. With the last of his strength, he pressed it into my hand.
"Swear it," Fox gasped, his eyes imploring.
"I swear," I said solemnly, clutching the scroll and pocketing it in my waist bag. "You-you Swear? Good"
Then Fox, with a final whisper of gratitude, finally closed his eyes, a quiet smile spread across his mask. His chest rose and fell one final time before it stilled.
.
.
.
And rose again.
"Oh, thank God," I sighed in relief and went back to work.
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Evil_Monologue
Evil_Monologue So, instead of asking for the people to share the fic, power stones, reviews - I decided to just write some random questions here.
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