Chapter 16 - Arc IIii- Internal Conflict: Chapter 1

Naruto and Sakura sparred casually, making sure not to smack each other around too much. Not that their ‘teacher’ was around to see it.

“Why would he do that on his own?” Naruto growled, punching at Sakura.

Sakura dodged, then replied. “It was his battle. I was just mad he got himself so beat up.”

Naruto dodged Sakura’s low kick, then backed off entirely. “He’s been messed up for two days now. He might as well not even be here.”

‘Here’ was a temple. Kekkou-ji temple. Ryouko had a friend here, and he had chosen to come here to heal. But it didn’t look like he’d healed at all. The blood was gone, and the bruises were fading. But mentally, he was absent.
--

I stared at my feet, sitting up against a shed wall. Asuna-chan had been in and out, trying to talk me around. I couldn’t explain why I was being like this. It just felt like it was necessary. There was so much to think about; so much to worry about. It was horrible, but I felt this need to bear it alone.
--

A carriage was pulled up to the temple; it was carried by four men, and there was one on each side of the carriage. The monks and priestesses all stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. They were a small, unimportant temple that happened to be favored by one of the Leaf village’s shinobi, despite his coming here not being a religious thing at all.

Out of the carriage stepped Uzume. The priestess all the young miko’s admired. Kind, beautiful, clairvoyant- she was everything they hoped to be. It was said that she could bring the Amaterasu out of the Sharingan.

“I’m told you have a…Ryouko here. Lady Uzume needs to speak with him immediately!”

One of the carriage’s escorters spoke up, sounding gruff, and even annoyed. Uzume hopped out of the carriage herself, lightly touching the man on the shoulder.
“Yoshimaru, there’s no need for that attitude. I know who I need to speak to. I know who he has spoken to. Please guard me from here.”

Uzume walked toward Asuna, stopping to give her a kind smile and nod.
“If you please, Asuna-san, show me to where Ryouko is. I need to speak with him. I’ve caused some of his pain indirectly, and I may be able to ease it.”

Tongue-tied, Asuna lead the way.
--

Ryouko looked up when they came in. It immediately became clear to Uzume that Ryouko had put himself in a protective genjutsu.

“Asuna-chan, can I count on you to guard my body? I’m going to enter his genjutsu to talk with him. Please don’t take it personally that he’s been unresponsive to you. That he looked up when you walked in meant he trusts you enough to relax his genjutsu.”

Uzume made handsigns, and entered Ryouko’s genjutsu.
--

Genjutsu

It was a veritable library. Books and scrolls of every kind were all over the place, stacked precariously. That went on for a while. Uzume looked at the books; all shinobi materials. She smiled.

Dedication

The next section was an empty field. Beyond it, Uzume could see a dark area. But she had found Ryouko, in the center of the field. He was surrounded by weapons; he apparently knew a great deal about them and their uses. For a time, Uzume silently observed him.

Graceful. He must have more natural ability in this genjutsu world. He’s not far from this in real life, though. I hope he’ll be able to talk with me. If he put himself in such a tranquil genjutsu, that must mean he’s suffered an injury that would corrupt his mind somehow.

-

Ryouko stopped working out, bowing to Uzume deeply.

“It’s an honor to meet you here, Lady Uzume. Though I regret you’ve now seen one of my sins.”

Uzume smiled serenely. “Sins? Vanity, for allowing yourself extra powers here?”

Ryouko nodded. “Yes. It’s what I dream of- power to protect against any threat. It’s my role. Or, at least, the role I wish.”

Uzume pointed to the dark area behind Ryouko.
“What’s over there, Ryouko? What is it you’ve held in such strong chains, yet you let into this ideal world you’ve created.”

Ryouko looked a little saddened- Uzume was surprised that he allowed himself to feel that in this ‘nexus’. But she knew him well enough to know that he had to give himself a reason to leave this place eventually.
“While we walk over, I can tell you why I’m here to begin with. I can open that darkness to you, Lady Uzume. It might do good to bare my soul to someone else.”

Uzume followed Ryouko. He explained that he was so paralyzed by pain in real life that he couldn’t move his body. He was going out of his mind. He had hoped this genjutsu would keep his mind safe while his body recovered.

“Kind of like putting myself in a coma. I know Naruto and Sakura must be worried sick…but I couldn’t even tell them. I can’t let Sakura close to me.”

They were almost to what Uzume could now describe as a large gate, padlocked and sealed with blood. There was a little more time before they reached it, so she asked more questions.

“Kimihiro…”

Ryouko hadn’t heard his real name spoken in a long time.

“…Don’t you desire a life for yourself, beyond study? A girl, maybe? Or a business? Or a position of prominence?”

Ryouko smiled a little forlornly. “I like to keep my dreams realistic. That which is unattainable in real life…well, I do my best to leave that out of here.”

Sakura…I see, Ryouko. You don’t know your other love interests yet. There are so many girls who would want you. But your chosen one is your chosen one. I look forward to seeing who you choose as ‘yours’.

They were at the gate now. Ryouko opened it, ignoring the locks and blood.

So this security system is meant to keep things in…not others out…

Uzume covered her mouth with her hand, stunned beyond words.

It was Ryouko, in chains. Thick, black chains that came from every directions in the void. A circle of light kept Ryouko visible. It wasn’t the same Ryouko that was next to her. This Ryouko was beaten up; his body was cut up. Right in front of Uzume’s eyes, it seemed like the wind kicked up and cut him again; blood ran down his face from a new cut on his cheek.

“It’s gruesome, I know. But this is me, Lady Uzume. These chains are the things that hinder me from reaching my full potentail. ‘Worry’, ‘Guilt’, ‘Natural ability’, ‘Fear’, and the one around my neck- ‘Anxiety’.”

Ryouko looked at himself sadly.
“I want to shatter those chains. But I can’t reach them. Not even in this genjutsu. Feel carefully.”

Uzume put her hand out.
Glass?

“The real world is past this pane of glass. I don’t know what the glass represents. Until I do, I can’t break it. And I’m stuck on this side- not being ‘one of them’. And not even being myself.”

Uzume didn’t answer. She couldn’t. That was the kind of answer one had to find out for oneself. Instead, she gave Ryouko her kindly smile.

“Will you allow me to heal your body? Using the cursed seal will become easier after this. The pain will recede faster. And you won’t be helpless- you have two wonderful people who think the world of you. I know you won’t let them cry. You’ll cry their tears for them. That speaks volumes about your character.”

With that, Uzume was gone from this paradise Ryouko had created for himself.
Genjutsu[/i]
--


Uzume’s eyes opened in real life. Her first vision was to see that Asuna was standing guard, a naginata in one hand, chakra seals in the other. The miko’s fierce dedication was impress.

“You must be a talented young priestess to wield those so efficiently. Weapons were never my strong point.” Uzume kindly smiled. “If you’d like to help me now, you’re free to do so.”

Asuna wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to learn from her hero. She walked over and knelt next to Uzume.

“I’m not going wake him up- he’ll wake up on his own when he senses his body has mended. Asuna, you’ll be able to do this for him the next time he undoes his curse bindings. This time, please observe.”

Uzume’s hand was glowing with a silvery energy. She reached toward Ryouko’s stomach and drew out the cursed bindings. She made a motion with her hands, as if doing a cat’s cradle. The curse bindings sunk back into Ryouko. Asuna could see into Ryouko’s chakra network, and watched the curse bindings wind their way around his inner chi point, three inches below his navel.

“There. He’ll be in a little pain when he wakes up, but it will be manageable.”

Asuna was in awe- seeing her idol work right in front of her, and making such a complex operation look so simple.
“Lady Uzume…you’re amazing!”

Uzume shook her head. “No, not at all. My powers have nearly peaked, and I’m still very young. What I’ve foreseen concerns me. Perhaps my mind would be more at ease if I took on an apprentice… Asuna-chan, what about you?”
--

Ryouko woke up, finding himself alone. He was in a state of controlled panic at first. That was normal for waking up from a genjutsu. That was why he never made his genjutsu worlds any kind of a perfect paradise. He always kept reminders that there was more for him to do in real life.

The chains and the glass…this time, the glass felt weaker. But why? What has changed?

It didn’t matter. Right now, he had profuse apologizing to do to Naruto and Sakura for making them worry.
--

“You scared the hell outta me!”
“Tell us next time!”
“What were you thinking?!”
“I’m going to kick your @$$ if you do that again!”
“I can’t believe you!”
“Don’t you trust us?!”

Ryouko expected all that, and more. He took it in stride, sheepishly deciding to treat them to a night at the hot springs once they checked in at home.

“Sorry. It was just a personal thing. You know, we’ve all got secrets. That kind of thing.”

“Yeah, well…!”

Naruto stopped in mid-sentence. Ryouko stopped period. Sakura walked into Ryouko, her eyes trained on the view in front of them.

“The gates of the Leaf…locked? But that’s…never happened before!”

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