A thick black fog covered the place. Everything was dark, it was as if the ground was made up of an infinite sea of blood, and up in the sky, a large red moon rose to the top.
In the middle of it all, stood Ino.
She looked around without knowing what was happening, she was confused. She didn't know where she was or why she was there, however, this feeling of sadness she felt being present in that place was... depressing.
'What is this?'
Even without knowing it, Ino looked at a small crimson sphere a few meters away.
"...Toru...?"
From out of the mist, the black-haired, gray-eyed boy appeared.
He looked at the small sphere that formed and took it in his hands.
"Toru!"
She tried to get closer, however, it was as if her body could not move. It felt as if various chains were wrapped around her arms and legs. She looked at this... they were chains made from the blood that was on the ground.
Toru! What is all this? Why don't you talk?"
Toru seemed to hear Ino's words, but he just looked at her with that poker expression he always wore on his face.
Then, that sphere began to spin, glowing brightly. It rose into the air and then disappeared.
"Toru?
Ino opened her eyes unable to believe what she was seeing. The mist began to swallow Toru, two skeletal hands wrapped around his chest and right behind him... ten shadows formed, shadows wearing black cloaks that reached below their knees, with long necks, which hid their faces.
Again, the crimson sphere appeared, but this time, in front of the shadow at the center of it all. Toru turned around, looking at the shadows. Then, this shadow located in the center of everything held out his hand. He looked at the shadow and also extended his hand.
"Toru! No! Don't go!"
Ino tried to break free from the chains, but it was impossible, they only dragged her backwards, leaving her no chance to go after Toru.
"Stop!"
She tried her best, but it was useless, she couldn't go after him.
Toru took one last look at Ino and a few tears fell. He, for some reason, was crying.
"No!"
Ino opened her eyes and woke up. She was lying on her bed, the sheets covered her body and that teddy bear was still beside her, but....
*Tears...
She touched her cheeks and felt the tears spilling over.
She didn't know why she felt that way, was that a dream? She couldn't understand what had happened, she didn't know what that place full of blood was, she didn't know why those shadows took Toru... she didn't know why Toru was crying.
And these tears that were shed, she felt that they were not only his tears....
"Toru..."
***
She had just woken up. That dream made tears overflow like a waterfall of sadness.
"Toru-kun..."
He touched his chest in pain. She felt sad, those shadows wanted to take Toru away and she couldn't do anything about it. She just stood there, watching everything without saying a word.
But that thing she saw... Why was Toru crying?
Somehow seeing that broke her heart.
The day before, he was together with Toru and Ino. He looked normal, as usual. That quiet attitude he had that time was gone, she thought Toru was feeling better from after being alone, but with this dream, she wasn't sure if that was true.
"Toru-kun... He'll never leave, will he?"
Hinata hugged the sheets and lay back on the bed. She looked out the window, the moon was shining brightly, illuminating the darkness.
***
And at the same time somewhere. The Sound Four were waiting for Sasuke, who appeared in front of them.
"Let's go."
"Yeah..."
Together, the five of them set off on their journey after offering a strange pill to Sasuke, who had to go locked in a barrel after taking that "medicine" that rendered him completely unconscious.
-The next day
"Who are you?"
He had just woken up after being awake for a long period of time. Toru still felt his eyelids heavy, he was still fatigued from his confrontation against Sasuke and The Sound Four. He decided to get some sleep before going to check if Yamato had returned, but when he opened the door to leave, there were two ninjas waiting for him.
"We were sent by Hokage-sama. She needs your presence right now at the Hokage Mansion, please, we have to hurry."
"There is no time left."
The two messengers looked worried.
With this, Toru instantly knew why he was being called by the Hokage. This had to do with Sasuke, it was obvious.
"I understand, then let's go."
If he was called to testify about what happened the day before with his childhood friend, he might take the trouble to say a few things about it. Although, he had no way of knowing Tsunade's intentions with all this.
'Sasuke, you're starting to cause me trouble.'
***
"Toru..."
"Hello."
It had been a few minutes since he left the house, now he was standing in front of Tsunade, who had a serious expression on her face. Right next to her, was Shikamaru, who looked tired as usual.
"Why did you call us, Hokage-sama?"
Although he already knew the reason why he was in front of the Hokage, Toru decided to ask anyway. Too much information could sometimes be good, and sometimes too bad.
'What a bummer... I was having breakfast a few minutes ago. I also want to know why the Hokage called me, but he's here too, Toru. Ha~ this doesn't look good. I feel like this is going to be a pain in the ass' He was tired of all these recent events, problem after problem, it was stressful for Shikamaru. And now he was being called by the Hokage, this only meant more trouble.
"Last night, Uchiha Sasuke left the village. And there's no doubt he's headed for Otogakure."
"He left? Why?"
Shikamaru was confused. That this guy had left the village was too sudden news, after all, he thought Sasuke was someone who deserved respect, for he was one of the prodigies of the new shinobi generation.
Toru, however, already knew about all this. So he let out a name.
"Orochimaru..."
"Uh?"
He looked out the window remembering what had happened the day before. Orochimaru's bodyguards managed to convince Sasuke, this led him to leave the village in search of power, so he could carry out his revenge against Itachi.
"I see you know about the matter."
"Just a little."
"Wait, wait! How is that possible, what would a guy as dangerous as Orochimaru want from Sasuke?"
Hearing that name gave Shikamaru a headache, as he wasn't wrong in thinking that this matter would be a bother.
"That's not what's important now. We don't have much time left. For now, I'll assign you two your first mission as chunin-ranked shinobi."
'Don't tell me that...'
This was something that bothered Toru. If Tsunade was going to assign them their first mission being chunin rank ninja, that meant the mission would be....
"Flying Sasuke in, isn't it?" said Shikamaru.
"Exactly..."
Hearing all this, Toru looked at the ground. Previously he said he wasn't going to interfere in his childhood friend's decisions, but now the Hokage shows up and gives them this kind of mission.
"However, this mission must be carried out quickly, and there may be complications."
"What?"
"Sasuke is most likely being guided by Orochimaru's subordinates."
'Not likely, it's kind of obvious. They tried to convince me too, The Sound Four. Ha~ I have no choice'
He sighed wearily as he listened in silence.
"In that case, we're going to need four or five more ninja, preferably chunin and jounin."
"That won't be possible."
"What, what do you mean?"
"All our ninja of are busy on more important missions. Right now there are only those who can defend the village in case of an attack. So, in the next thirty minutes, you will have to get quality ninja who can help you in this mission."
Shikamaru sighed. Now he not only had to complete a difficult mission, but also recruit companions who could help him.
'Damn... at least Toru will be here.'
But he still trusted the guy next to him, so this wasn't going to be that complicated.
"Hokage-sama, I apologize, but I will have to refuse to perform this mission."
"Ah?"
He couldn't help but stare at Toru without asking himself what the hell was going on. A second ago he had put all his trust in him, but now....
"Can you tell me a reason?"
Tsunade, on the other hand, folded her arms as she looked at the gray-eyed boy seriously.
As far as she knew, Toru and Sasuke grew up together, as the Uchiha clan and Asahi had an alliance, so it wasn't strange to think that this boy would try to bring him back, but apparently she was wrong, as, Toru was refusing to participate in this mission.
"I just don't want to participate in anything to do with Sasuke."
He shoved his hands into his pockets, at the same time looking Tsunade in the eyes.
"Hm... I understand. But I can't accept that, we're short-staffed right now. You'll have to go along with Shikamaru on this mission. You can't refuse."
"But I-"
"It's a direct order from the Hokage. Are you planning to refuse, Asahi Toru?"
Toru lowered his gaze.
If it was Tsunade who ordered it, there was nothing he could do about it. To refuse was to go against the Hokage's word, and that brought consequences. Toru knew this, so he could not insist, could not refuse. But he had promised not to interfere with Sasuke's decisions, to participate in this mission was to break his promise.
'No choice, I can't do anything about it.'
Toru closed his eyes and headed for the door.
Once there, he turned his gaze back.
"What are you waiting for, Shikamaru? We don't have time."
Tsunade smiled a little at the sight of this boy resigning himself so obediently.
"Ha~ it's alright. Here I go."
Scratching his head, Shikamaru hurried to get good companions, but first.
"Before you guys go. I wanted to recommend someone to you, he'll be able to be of help."
He smiled again as he looked at the two boys at the door. After that, Toru and Shikamaru ran out, there was no time to waste.
-Minutes later-
Having searched for the teammates that were needed to make this a search squad. The members of this team are: Shikamaru, Naruto, Neji, Chouji, Kiba and Toru.
It was almost thirty minutes since this started, so the team was ready.
Right now, they are all at the entrance of the village, ready to start this mission.
"Hey, Shikamaru. I don't trust you as the leader, you know, knowing how you are."
"Naruto, Shikamaru is the most competent of us all. He may be a little lazy at times, but when it comes to leading, he's hands down the best."
"Enough, Chouji. There's no need to talk any more."
So far, Shikamaru has been thinking about how to start this mission. Having Toru and Neji, two extremely powerful ninjas, putting together a strategy should be easy, but without knowing Toru's abilities, it's hard to know what role of this mission to give him.
Well, I knew a little about him. The Shakuton, the unique taijutsu he has, but what I needed to know was what Toru's eyes do.
"Do you really think you're the leader, Naruto? I'd certainly rather be bossed around by Shikamaru than you" On the other hand, Kiba looked pretty relaxed for the kind of mission he was getting into. He even went so far as to say it would be fun.
"Neji, good luck."
Listening to Rock Lee, Neji nodded his head. While this boy's surgery had been a success, he couldn't work as a ninja until his wounds were fully healed. What's more, Lee still has the crutch, which allows him to mobilize better, so it's a matter of time before his health improves.
"Well, let's get straight to the point. Tell us what your plan is. According to what you said while we were heading here, it's very likely that the enemies will ambush us" Neji said.
This made Shikamaru smile bitterly. Just thinking about what could happen made him feel more tired than usual.
"Think of this as a game. We're the pursuers and the enemy is the pursued, so it's easier for us to be set up. That's why I want to create a formation that allows us to react quickly to an attack. That is why all of you must follow my orders, otherwise, if you decide to do as you please, we will all die."
So far he had kept quiet, after all, Toru didn't want to be on that mission, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Right now, he was appointed as the second leader of this squad. If Shikamaru becomes incapacitated, he will be the one to answer for the team.
"If you're looking for a formation, the most efficient would be to move in line" Toru said.
"You read my mind. I had already thought of that. So, Kiba, you'll go in front of everyone. Your sense of smell is perfect for detecting enemy traps, plus you can track Sasuke's scent. You always take Akamaru with you, together you can increase your strength, which also makes you the perfect defense in front. I'll go second in line, since I'm the leader, I can give orders to everyone by waving my hand, I can also help Kiba on the way. In third place, Naruto. You will go in this place since you react fast, you are the center of the group, besides, you can use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu".
Shikamaru took out a scroll from his pocket and sat down on the ground.
"In fourth position, Chouji. You're not the fastest of all, but your defense and attack strength are higher than anyone else's. I trust you to defend us, you are our final blow. In fifth position, Neji. You will have the hardest job of all, you will use your Byakugan to cover our backs, using your eyes, nothing must escape your sight, it is possible that your energy will wear out fast, but for this is the last place. As for the last one, Toru. You will go last, your attack strength is too high, you will protect Neji from far distance attacks and attacks that he is not able to see. Because you are fast and react quickly, you are able to do this with ease."
With that said, Shikamaru finished drawing the positions of each team member.
"Now, look carefully. In this drawing is represented the area that each of us must guard. Kiba will watch the front like me, only I will watch a wider area. Naruto will watch the right and Chouji the left. Toru and Neji will watch our backs. Now, I'd also like to know what ninja equipment each of you brings and... Toru..."
Seeing the seriousness in Shikamaru's expression, everyone looked at Toru, who until now had watched without saying much.
"Yes?"
"Your eyes, I need to know what exactly they do. If you could tell me, our formation would be-"
"No..."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I won't say anything about the powers my eyes have. If I do, I'd be condemning myself and the people around me."
Revealing the secrets of the Shigan was not something Toru could do so easily. If anyone ever discovered the true power these eyes hid, trouble would come one after another without stopping.
"I understand, I won't ask about it again. In return you will have to show your equipment like everyone else."
I close my eyes and put the scroll away again.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Shikamaru asked, but what he received in return was silence and Naruto shaking his head.
"Okay, now the last thing I'm going to say. It's the most important thing."
With his hands in his pockets, Shikamaru looked at everyone before continuing.
"Sasuke was never my friend, I might even say I don't know him. Plus I don't like him. But... he's a Konohagakure ninja, he's our comrade. So, as Konoha ninja we are, let's bring that idiot back, no matter if I have to put my life in danger. That's what we ninja do, we won't abandon our comrades."
These words somehow made Toru think things over.
'Shikamaru... he's a good leader. He has thought of everything in just a few minutes. Besides, someone who is willing to go to such lengths for a fellow ninja deserves respect. At least that's what I think. Ha~ Sasuke, you're causing trouble for everyone.'
After these words, everyone showed their weapons, tools, among others.
Naruto was surprised to see that Toru's equipment was less than anyone else. He only had a few explosive seals, ten kunais and thirty meters of iron thread. Unlike the others, which had double or triple what Toru carried in his pockets.
Well, for someone who can kill with a single slash of his daggers, having so many things he doesn't use is useless.
"Are we done yet? Let's not waste time" Toru said, but then....
"Wait!"
"Toru!"
"Toru-kun!"
Toru felt as if a great unknown force was pushing him violently backwards, making him lose his balance to finally fall to the ground. When he came to, he saw Ino and Hinata on top of him.
"Why are they here?"
They all looked at him and simply didn't know what to say.
Two girls appeared out of nowhere and jumped on top of Toru, it was too weird and awkward.
"Sakura-san told us..."
"When we went to look for you you weren't there. So we came."
The two were clinging to Toru's cloak tightly. It seemed as if they had stuck to his clothes, giving him no chance to escape.
"Oh... I'm sorry. This mission came out of nowhere, so I didn't have time to tell them anything."
"That doesn't matter. I just wanted to see... if you were okay."
Ino laid her head on Toru's chest. She still remembered that dream.
"Toru-kun, please... come back soon."
Touching Toru's cheek with her hand, Hinata looked into his eyes. The two looked at each other completely ignoring Ino, but there was something that interrupted him.
"Hinata-sama."
"Uh?"
Hearing that voice, Hinata's face turned that deep pink color. She had forgotten that they were surrounded by people, so now she was too embarrassed to get up from the ground. Although this didn't matter to Ino, who continued to enjoy Toru's warmth, after all, now that she saw that her beloved gray-eyed boy was okay, she felt a little more at ease.
"Please, Naruto. Bring Sasuke back."
But the meeting of these three was overshadowed by Sakura, who, in tears, was begging Naruto to bring Sasuke back.
This caused Toru to narrow his eyes.
'I don't think... we can bring Sasuke back.'
Toru knew, the chances of Sasuke coming back were too low. He was determined to leave Konoha, so, this mission was going to be harder than any mission he had had so far.
"I promise, we'll bring Sasuke back!"
Holding up his thumb, Naruto smiled. This made Sakura wipe away her tears as she thanked this boy.
"We have to go" Shikamaru said.
They all looked in his direction and prepared to leave. Ino and Hinata let go of Toru to say goodbye one last time before this boy starts his mission.
"Toru... I'll wait for you here. We'll have a date when you get back."
"I... I just don't want Toru-kun to get hurt."
These girls were worried about Toru, so confidently and with a slight smile, he replied.
"Don't worry. I'll be back, I'm not going anywhere."
With that, the rescue squad started on their way, squad whose steps turned into a brisk walk to running as fast as their legs would allow them.
But as they walked away.
Ino and Hinata's eyes widened in shock.
As if the images were distorted, Toru was walking straight into the darkness. That darkness where those shadows were waiting for him.
________
Author's note: Volume 2 has started! You can find it on my P atreon.
p atreon.com/NotPolarArtics
Remember that I will start posting chapters every 50 stones of power, so I wish you lots of luck, in the meantime, I will keep writing.