(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com) Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach.
I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's
why I'm poor, okay?
Author's Notes: I never noticed that cuito-san was reading and
keeping up with this story! (I'm a huge fan of your work; that's why I
was so excited when my brain finally registered who you were...) I also
had a review by Serpentine Rose herself, back in chapter 16. I shrieked
at that one. She changed her screenname, but I know who you are. Wow. Anyways,
you two are DA BOMB in terms of writing. If you're depressed, just remember
that this fiction has profound influence from you!
And if THAT depresses you even further, then tell me. I like constructive
criticism.
A major spoiler in the original Wedding Peach series is coming up. At
least, for the manga...
The air whistled. Itachi looked up to the sky, narrowing his blood-red
eyes. Kisame stood next to him, looking at the waterfall.
"Four Akatsuki members versus the entire Sound center?" Kisame said.
His tongue licked the jagged teeth glinting within. "Isn't that a little
uneven?"
"We'll be able to do it. Orochimaru will be too occupied at the moment,"
Itachi said. A slight trace of a frown tugged at his lips, but it was immediately
squelched. 'The Akatsuki, nor I, won't allow something like his ambition
to come to truth.'
Kisame grinned. "I'll enjoy every minute of it," the man said with a
laugh. He glanced at Itachi. "It's an all-out slaughter, right? Any weapon,
any jutsu, with any scream resulting?"
Itachi's face remained impassive. "Make all the noise you want. It won't
make any difference." The raven-haired man looked to the side, studying
the forest around them. 'You might as well shine your brightest right before
you fade out, partner.'
Kisame laughed. "Serves the old freak right for leaving the Organization.
I wonder how he did it? Removing the ring and all..." He intently studied
the seal-ring on his own finger.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. Thirty meters away, a black feather floated
down from a blurring image.
The tengu. And he was mentally poking Itachi's thoughts. 'Hey, Itachi,
remember what I told you.'
Itachi turned away, before Kisame noticed his distraction. Celestials:
always showing off.
"We're going now," Itachi said. He and Kisame put chakra in their legs,
and shot off towards the hideout.
Sakura awoke to the sound of a scraping knife. The noise was terrible,
bringing chills to her already cold body.
Cold body. Her eyes scanned the place she was in. It was a dungeon,
with only torches as the source of light. A spot of curling purple hair
appeared under one of them. The flickering light exposed something of a
young girl, tied up in ropes. Potamos. Her breathing looked shallow.
"Potamos!" Sakura exclaimed. She then heard the tingle of chains. Her
wrists were handcuffed together behind her back. A single chain connected
her ankles together, and then trailed into the stone wall behind her. Sakura
grimaced: the Nawanuke no Jutsu would not pull her out of this one. She
did not have her weapons. Her gear and Tennyo rested on a table against
the opposite wall. For some reason, the teenage girl felt exposed without
them.
A tiny whip in the air sounded out. Sakura winced as she felt something
cut her cheek — it made a thud into the wood panel she sat against. Her
green eyes looked to her right, and saw the knife imbedded in the wall
with her blood staining it.
A voice drawled from the darkness. "Sakura, you're already awake? You
indeed have a thick skull to withstand the blow I gave you."
Sakura's eyes narrowed at the sight of Din. Comments about her forehead,
as yet, managed to irk her.
"I suppose you're wondering why you are here."
Sakura looked defiantly into Din's eyes. She said nothing in return.
Her piercing glare slightly amused the thunder-demon. He decided quietly
that he would enjoy breaking her. The blue-haired demon reached out, and
lifted up her chin. He wanted this pretty little creature to taste fear,
and horror.
"You are here to die. Too bad that the necromancer I hired to consume
your party gave up when you broke his Pomegranate. Useless idiot... he
tried to fight back when I found him and killed him."
Silence.
The kunoichi's quietness began to unnerve him. Why was she not shrieking,
begging for her life? He wanted her to ask for pity.
Sakura's gaze into his eyes was so long. Why did she not break down
and cry?
"Answer me, damn it!!!" Din shouted, hitting her across the face. Sakura
gritted her teeth; she was not going to scream if she could help it.
Potamos awoke at the sound of the blow. She looked up to meet the sight
of Sakura's face. It was nothing like what she had seen before in war situations
— it was only a scratch and a red mark — but Potamos' yellow cat-eyes flashed
at its sight.
An angry yowl escaped her mouth before she pounced after Din — or at
least attempted to. Din smiled as the purple-haired girl realized her disability.
She was tied up. The surprised looked was only for a moment. She became
angry once more. "Don't touch Sacchan!" Potamos screamed.
Din walked over to the water-demon's struggling form, and placed his
index finger on her forehead.
A zap of blue electricity shot into her.
Potamos screamed in agony as it traveled through her body, setting off
all her nerves at once. Din then pushed her head back with his finger.
She fell into a trembling heap. "That was only two seconds of my most minimal
power," Din soothed. "You think you have a chance against me, Potamos?
My, how you have fallen since your previous life." Din glanced behind him,
where Sakura was still chained. "Potamos, you were such a formidable opponent
of Wedding Peach. And look, your precious little Sakura is not even attempting
to help you."
Potamos lifted up her head slowly. What was Din talking about? She had
never confronted Wedding Peach, as far as she remembered. That would be
totally pointless. But what confused her more was Sakura's silence in the
matter. Why wasn't Sakura struggling to help Potamos, like she always did?
That somehow hurt. Weren't they close friends?
Sakura's head tilted downward, her pink hair covering her face. She
was trying to digest all of the information Din was spouting off — while
calculating how to escape.
The odds were bad. Very, very bad. If only she could get close enough
to Tennyo...
"Potamos, do you even know how important you were during the Great War?"
Din asked. "Don't you think it strange how Angel Salvia and Viento seem
to grow extremely uncomfortable in your presence?"
Potamos snorted. The electric shock treatment Din gave her seemed to
escape her thoughts as her annoyance grew. "A lotta people are uncomfortable
around me. Especially IMPORTANT people." She smirked evilly at Din. "And
I'm proud of it!"
Din pulled away a strand of his long, light-blue hair. "Well, at least
you have some ounce of demon pride left in you," Din said. "But you know
whose child Sakura is?"
"I know that she's part-demon and part-angel; SO WHAT?!" Potamos screeched.
Two seconds after she said this, her eyes widened. Sakura froze.
The blood-pact Minoru put on Potamos' mouth. It was gone. That meant
the elf was...
Sakura shut her eyes, attempting to hold back the tears. Potamos turned
away.
Din was ignorant of Minoru's secret-keeper charm. But from Potamos'
simplistic answer, it was now evident: the demon did not know the full
story of her own past, and Sakura's birth.
Din's smirk faded away. He looked contemplative for a moment, studying
Potamos. He pulled out a small, red orb from one of his pockets. It looked
like a marble, but it glowed with a strange energy.
"Let me show you two something," he quietly said. "Especially you, Potamos.
There is still hope for you."
Din whispered a few words over the tiny sphere. It floated upward into
the air, and slowly moved towards Potamos. The purple-haired girl squirmed
as the object hovered near her face. "What the hell is that?!" the demon
shrieked.
"An item that will reveal everything," Din answered. The red orb touched
Potamos' forehead, and Din began to recite the ancient demonic incantation.
"Karmic retribution..."
Sakura's green eyes widened at the pulsing, red energy. Squinting, the
kunoichi studied the changes in Potamos. The water-demon's pupils seemed
to disappear, leaving blank, yellow orbs.
Din willed the red jewel to come back to him with a slight movement
of his finger.
"Birth and rebirth..."
Potamos blinked, and her yellow eyes turned cat-like again. She looked
confused as she watched Din snatch the red jewel back. "Bitter grudge,
redemption." Din's fingers tightened around the item.
He violently threw the marble-like object onto the wall — it broke into
a thousand pieces. "Show us the last moments of Potamos' former life!!"
the thunder-demon ordered.
A red cloud burst out of the remains of the jewel. The smoke filled
the room. Sakura held her breath in case it was poisonous. The cloud filled
the area at an abnormal fast rate.
And then, the red around her slowly turned clear. This was not an attack
— it was an illusion. She could breathe without worrying about toxic fumes.
She was still chained. But Potamos and Din were nowhere in sight. "Potamos?"
Sakura called out. Great. This was a complex spell; she did not know any
counter-jutsu to cancel this one out.
The water-demon appeared in front of her, standing. "Potamos, you got
out of the ropes!" Sakura exclaimed.
She then noticed that Potamos did not answer her. In fact, it was as
if she did not notice Sakura in the first place. There were also some physical
changes in the water-demon — her facial features were slightly different,
her outfit tighter and more revealing. Her eyes were not the yellow which
Sakura was familiar with.
Sakura turned her head around. The wall that should have been there
was now gone. There stood a girl in civilian clothing, with yellow ribbons
in her pink hair.
It was a younger version of Momoko. Her long hair billowed in the wind.
She looked tense and frightened.
'This is a flashback,' Sakura realized. It was not her own memory —
it happened years before she was even born — but this enchantment allowed
her to witness the past. 'Wait a minute... Potamos' last moments? Did Momoko
have something to do with this?!'
(( Momoko screamed as ropes of water encircled her. Potamos had taken
away her Sacred Mirror, so Momoko was still in her human mode. Without
her holy item, she could not change into the angel uniform of Wedding Peach.
Potamos grinned, the Sacred Mirror safely tucked away within her bosom.
"Even with the Sacred Four Somethings assembled... You're no threat if
you can't transform!" The water-demon gave off a triumphant laugh as she
floated in the air. "I'll start with you, Wedding Peach! I will NOT allow
you to get to Viento!!"
Momoko choked. The aura-controlled water constricted around her throat.
'Yo... Yousuke... No... I can't just give up, without seeing Yousuke...'
Potamos giggled with excitement. Her only romantic rival nestled in
the palm of her hand. "Time for you to die, Wedding Peach! Once you're
out of the picture... Viento will come to his senses..."
Scarlet, Hinagiku, and Yuri could only watch in horror as their leader
was strangled before their eyes. "Momoko!!!"
A powerful gust of wind fell upon Potamos. She screamed, her concentration
broken. The enchanted rope around Momoko splashed away. Her body fell down
— and was caught in a warm set of arms. Viento's arms.
Raging winds swirled around the young wind-demon Viento, otherwise known
as Fuuma Yousuke. "Potamos..." he hissed. His hazel eyes glared at the
purple-haired girl. He knew that the water-demon was attracted to him —
but to kill Momoko? That was too much.
Viento tightly held Momoko to him, bridal-style. His gaze on Potamos
was cold and frightening. "I told you... to leave Peach ALONE."
Potamos trembled from the amount of hate the wind-demon directed towards
here. "B-but... It's YOUR fault, Viento..." she softly whined. After all,
he told Potamos before that HE was going to kill Wedding Peach. Yet instead
of attacking the angel, it only seemed like he was protecting her.
Viento felt a warm tug at the front of his black shirt. Momoko.
"Yousuke..." Momoko's face brimmed with relief — and genuine love. She
hugged Viento, who looked surprise at her intimate gesture. Even when he
was in his full battle regalia, pulsing with demonic energy — she still
cared for him. "Yousuke... Oh, I missed you!"
Potamos looked from afar as Momoko buried her face in Viento's neck.
Her fists shook in jealousy and anger. "Peach...!!" ))
Sakura blinked. 'Potamos... was in love with Viento,' she realized.
The closeness Momoko and Yousuke had always touched Sakura's heart. But
now that she saw its implications, especially on Potamos...
The scene changed. Somehow, Sakura knew that she did not want to see
this. A green-clad demon entered the picture — he looked strikingly like
Yousuke, only older. And more cruel.
It registered to Sakura: that was Uragano, Yousuke's father. Biologically,
her grandfather.
(( "I'll deal with you three later!!"
Uragano threw a wave of demonic aura at the love-angels. Angels Lily,
Daisy and Salvia screamed at the powerful blast. Even in their aura-filled
uniforms, they were no match for him.
"That'll keep them from meddling." Uragano smirked as he saw his son,
Viento, holding the still-powerless Momoko. He aimed his hand at the young
couple. "Viento... and Wedding Peach!"
Viento quickly embraced Momoko, using himself as a shield for her. He
screamed as his father's energy hit his back.
"Yousuke!!" Momoko shouted. She struggled to make him let go of her.
Was he insane? Even in his demon-form, he had no chance against his father.
The fearsome wind-demon laughed as he continued to harm his son. "With
your fading power of hatred... you stand no chance against my power." He
smiled. "Use the love-angel as a shield... It's the only way you can save
yourself," he told Viento.
Viento gritted his teeth. He heard every word his father said. But he
would not budge. Not ever.
A piece of Potamos' heart shattered as she watched. Her lower lip quivered.
'Viento...'
"Let go!!" Momoko ordered the wind-demon, nearly in tears. "Let go of
me and run! OR YOU'LL DIE!!!"
"Forget it!" Viento snarled. "I'm not doing that! Just stay still and
BE QUIET!!"
Tears began to fill Potamos' yellow eyes. 'Viento is... protecting Peach
at the expense of his own life...' The water-demon let out a sob. "Why?"
Potamos
asked out loud. "Why PEACH?" She sniffed. "A demon... and an angel!? WHY..."
Uragano scowled in loathing and disappointment. "So, Viento... You're
no contender with that human blood... Letting yourself be moved by worthless
emotions..." His palm crackled with a dark-green energy. It formed into
a volatile cluster of ki. "GET LOST FOREVER!!" he shouted, throwing the
attack at the two of them.
Potamos gasped. That attack would destroy him — she had to —
Viento and Momoko looked shocked as Potamos fell. The water-demon had
jumped in, taking Uragano's attack in order to shield the two.
Viento's arms caught the water-demon. "Potamos?!"
Her yellow eyes opened slightly to see his face.
The wind-demon was baffled. "...Why?" he asked. He had treated her horribly
before, like some sort of insect. And she took the full brunt of Uragano's
force for him and Peach.
"I... I don't really know... but..." Potamos raised her gloved hand
to touch his cheek. A hint of guilt shot through him. "I didn't want you
to die..." she said simply. "Even... if you do love Peach." She gave a
gentle smile. "I wanted you to live, Viento." With the last of her strength,
the water-demon raised her head up, and gave him a chaste kiss. "I just...
wanted you to live... I love you..."
Her body disappeared in bubbles of blue light. Momoko's Sacred Mirror
clattered to the ground.
The fierce Angel Salvia was stunned as she witnessed the scene. It was
totally illogical. "A demon... sacrificing herself?!" she asked.
Momoko covered her mouth with her hands. 'Potamos... she really must
have loved Yousuke...' Tears of pity and grief filled the love-angel's
eyes. ))
The vision disappeared into red clouds. Sakura blinked. She looked up.
The dungeon was back. Din stood with his arms crossed, looking grim.
And Potamos...
The young water-demon — the Potamos of now, the Potamos who had followed
Sakura so closely, through laughing moments and near scrapes — trembled
as the memories seeped into her psyche. The water-demon did not want to
believe it. But those visions were real. They were unnaturally familiar.
It explained a lot of things...
(( "Uncle, I wanna have my fortune told!" a seven-year-old Potamos whined.
"No, Potamos; most soothsayers are frauds," the demon grunted. At the
urge of his sister, he had to take his niece to an exotic fair. Potamos,
the child she was, was fascinated with everything. He, as a full-grown
celestial, was utterly bored.
Unsatisfied, Potamos tugged on her uncle's sleeve as they ambled through
the colorful festival. "This lady even said that I was a real something
in a former life! Can I ask her?!? Pretty pleeeease?"
Her uncle froze. His eyes grew sharp. "Are you saying you already saw
one?" he asked her harshly. His grip on his niece's hand tightened. "What
did she say to you?! Tell me!!"
Potamos gasped; her uncle was never this way with her. "She only mentioned
something about a 'former life'," she squeaked. "I ran away, saying that
I didn't have any money!"
"Stay away from her," the adult ordered.
He then felt the trembling from the girl.
The man gently patted her head, easing away the fear he unintentionally
put into her. "Potamos... just because there are 'cool' things about doesn't
mean that they'll make you happy. Remember that." ))
Potamos' eyes fell upon the sad expression of Sakura. It clicked. Sakura
had been a 'guest' in the home of Viento and Wedding Peach. How else did
she get food and lodging so easily from them? And when Potamos examined
Sakura's abilities, it all made sense.
The purple-haired girl's thoughts lingered on Yousuke and Momoko. They
were in love — and it resulted in her death. She was alive NOW, sure. But
it made her rather sick, imagining those two together in bed. Especially
when the fruit of their love sat right before her eyes, living and breathing.
"Sacchan... you're..."
Something in the way Potamos said it — it pained Sakura's heart.
Din snapped his fingers, and the ropes around Potamos dropped away.
She looked confused, wondering why the thunder-demon let her go.
"Get up," Din ordered. Potamos gingerly obeyed, rubbing the sore areas
where the ropes held her.
Din pulled an axe from the wall, and offered it to Potamos. "You have
the option to go free, Potamos. You are demon-kind, after all. But to prove
your worth to me: you must kill Sakura."
Sakura inhaled sharply.
Potamos' yellow eyes narrowed on the weapon. The memories were digging
into her. Images and scenes from both her past life and this life mingled
in a confused jumble.
"You are not powerful enough to defeat me," Din continued. "If you do
not kill Sakura — I will kill you and her both."
Sakura tightened her lips. For her to die by Potamos' hands — that would
be the water-demon's only chance for life. Din was too strong. The bargain
was terrible: it was either Sakura alone would die, or Sakura and Potamos
both.
Din smiled at the blank look on Potamos' face. She appeared to be studying
the axe, but she really was contemplating the choice.
"What is the matter, sweet demon?" he asked gently. "Do you not want
revenge for your unrequited love? When your supposed-friend is the physical
manifestation of your failure to win Viento's heart?" The blue-haired demon
sneered. "Look how happy Viento and Wedding Peach still are now. As if
your sacrifice made no difference."
The sweat in Potamos' hands began to show up in her gloves. Her fists
tightened as Din held out the axe in front of her, like an offering.
"You are demon-kind. You can kill Sakura. Take it."
After a long silence, Potamos reached out and grabbed a hold of the
weapon. She slowly trod over to her chained comrade.
Sakura looked up at the water-demon. 'Potamos...'
The girl's yellow cat-eyes directly met Sakura's green ones. "Ya know
what they say, Sacchan," Potamos said in a low tone. "A true shinobi does
not display emotions." The girl powered up the weapon with aura, making
its blade frosted over with energy.
Potamos lifted the axe, and swung it towards Sakura's chained form.
"ARGH!!!"
Orochimaru kicked Sasuke against the wall in a rage. The boy coughed
out as he felt another blow go into his stomach.
"You!!" the master exploded. He grabbed a hold of Sasuke's neck, and
slammed him again into the wall.
Sasuke's eyes were dark, but Orochimaru knew exactly what they looked
like a few seconds ago. Sasuke had looked out the window, and spotted some
outsiders — using his Sharingan. And the eyes just so happened to have
three dark teardrops in each orb.
Sasuke's eyes were fully developed.
"You've been keeping the state of your Sharingan hidden from me all
this time," Orochimaru hissed.
Sasuke remained quiet.
The snake-master forced out a laugh. "I must say, I was angry at first
— but now I am IMPRESSED with your tenacity. You've already mastered that
bloodline limit, and I did not notice until now!"
Sasuke said nothing. The young man wondered why his master had not cracked
one of his ribs yet with this revelation. The amount of anger Orochimaru
emitted was frightening, even for Sasuke.
The man's grip loosened. He forced his breathing to slow down. Raging
about was the last thing he needed, and Sasuke had to trust him.
Finally, he sighed. "You are an intelligent boy," Orochimaru said.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Boy?
"And yet... even with that mastered state of the Sharingan, you are
in no ways near defeating Itachi. He has the Mangekyou, after all. I can
help you with that — for something in return."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You want me as your next vessel," he concluded.
And from his suspicions, Orochimaru to transfer his soul into him NOW.
No wonder Orochimaru did not seriously hurt him. The master would feel
the pain later.
"Yes," Orochimaru replied. "This body is showing the first signs of
deterioration. It is in no shape to go after Uchiha Itachi, even though
he is coming."
Something within Sasuke flared up. "Itachi's coming?" he snarled. "Here?"
"Yes. A few of my spies say that an attack is soon due," Orochimaru
replied. "It would be better to retreat, but maybe this would be the best
opportunity to strike Itachi down."
Sasuke growled at this calm answer. Why did his teacher always withhold
important information from him until it was almost unavoidable to hide
it?
"Listen carefully, Sasuke-kun... If you let me take possession of you,
I will fulfill your revenge. You cannot defeat Itachi with your body, but
I can. Your bloodline ability with my vast knowledge of jutsu... I — no,
WE — will be invincible. I myself do not like Itachi. And resurrecting
the clan will be easy."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The offer was tempting. Even though it would
meant certain departure of his own soul from this world — from his point
of view, it would mean freedom. He had not much left in terms of relationships.
And wasn't he the one who did not want to contemplate the manner in which
he resurrected the clan? Especially when everything precious to him seemed
to have disappeared from this world... He did not even see dreams about
Naruto, Sakura, or Konoha anymore...
"On your word?" Sasuke asked.
"On my word," Orochimaru said with a grin.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please tell me! If
I suck, by all means tell me. In an intelligent manner.
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