Naruto : Monsters

"Honored Ancestor."

Oh, it's you again.

He was sitting on the edge of a stone boulder, arms braced behind him as he smiled down at me in welcome. And once more I felt as if I had returned home after a long trip.

Tiny droplets of water sprayed the air, kicked up by the tiny waterfall not far away. A gentle stream stretched from it, snaking around the boulders scattered around and past us off into the distant horizon. The water was so clear it was almost invisible, and I could see the small pebbles lining the stream's bed with crystal clarity.

I barely paid any notice of it, instead, my eyes were reserved solely for him.

One of his legs dangled off the boulder's edge, his toes just brushing the stream's surface, sending ripples running in the water, while his other leg lay folded up to his chest, arms wrapped around it and a cheek resting on the knee.

You've been showing up a lot more often lately, haven't you?

He quirked an eyebrow at me, his red-eyes dancing with amusement, "Ah, forgive me Honored Ancestor but I fear you are mistaken." A smile bloomed on his face as he spoke, "You see it is not I that has been appearing before you but it is you that have been appearing before me."

He waved a hand, indicating the lush green valley around us, "This is my home, my sanctuary and alas, also my prison. Even were I to wish it, I would be unable to leave. Thus it is only when you appear here that we may ever meet."

Is that so?

"It is so." He nodded, the action carrying a great deal of weight behind it. "Though please do not think I am displeased, your visits have been a source of great pleasure to me. 

One I have begun to cherish over the years. For as you can see," He raised his head off his knee and looked around, "none live here other than my humble self. While I had always enjoyed my privacy, even I must admit that too much of it can easily turn into a burden. As the old proverb goes: solitude is a gift that many seek, but none can bear it for long."

You have no one else to talk to?

"I would not say that," He shook his head, his long hair rippling with the motion, "but the number who can set foot here are few indeed. Other than my reincarnations, you have been my only visitor in near four hundred years. We are in an existence untouched by both time and space, a plane beyond the reach of most mortal men. 

Though there exists a special few, other than yourself, who are capable of reaching this paradise and indeed, they have tried several times in the past, but I have denied them entry every time. For I find their presence-" 

For a heartbeat his crimson eyes darkened, burning with barely restrained hatred, before it was flickered out, dying like a candle's flame in the wind, replaced with his usual serene expression. The entire thing was over and done so quickly that I almost believed I imagined it, "most unwelcome."

I see…

Now that I think about it, who are you anyway?

"Truly?" Lifting his head off his knee, he shot me a bemused look, "Honored Ancestor, I believe I have told you my name several times already." The edge of his lips quirked up and he cocked his head, "Could it be that you have simply forgotten?" Sounding more amused than offended.

"Very well," Moving with all of his usual grace he rose to his feet. Taking a moment to straighten his slightly ruffled clothes before turning to face me.

When he bowed, he did so with all the elegance and formality you'd expect to see from an aristocrat. It was as if we were meeting in a royal palace rather than the middle of a valley. "Allow me the honour of reintroducing myself to you once again Honored Ancestor."

He rose up from his bow and shot me an impish smile, and I felt a wave of nostalgia washing over me. "I am your direct descendant, the firstborn son of Otsutsuki Hagoromo, he who is the Sage of Six Paths, and his former heir. I am the founder of the Uchiha Clan, the first wielder of the Mangekyo Sharingan and-

"-My name," He gave me another slight bow, "is Otsutsuki Indra. And it is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Honored Ancestor."

...

My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring up at my bedroom's ceiling.

There were a lot of things that I wanted to say at the moment, in fact, I could have written entire essays on it, but it could all be pretty much summed up in one word.

"Shit..." I blurted.

Indra, I was dreaming about bloody Indra. For nearly four years I had been meeting him in my sleep and I never even realised who he was. He was bloody Indra! The guy who started a four-century war all because he wasn't his daddy's little favourite any more. 

Why was I dreaming about him out of all people? I thought the only people who dreamt about him were... his... reincarnations.

Oh no. Hell no! No, no way, no how. I refuse to be Indra reborn! I thought all that reincarnated shit that happened near the end was a bunch of nonsense that Kishimoto pulled out of his ass to save the plot because he wrote himself into a corner. How the hell was I supposed to know he was being serious?

Wait, wait a second, didn't Indra mention that I was the only one other than his reincarnations to visit him? Oh thank goodness, that meant I wasn't his reincarnation. Oh dear lord, did I dodge a bullet there. 

If I had been his reincarnation that would have meant I would get tied up with the entire Indra-Asura nonsense. Something I wanted absolutely nothing to do with.

No, seriously, give it a rest guys. You've been bitching about your little sibling feud for centuries now and it's gotten old. I don't even want to count how many wars you two started because neither of you learned to share. I mean you've both literally killed each other, multiple times already and you still won't let it go. Seriously, no one cares anymore.

Still, if I wasn't his reincarnation then what the hell was Indra showing up in my dreams for? That's not even mentioning the whole 'Honored Ancestor' thing he keeps calling me by. What was up with that?

What I didn't get was why was he being so nice to me? I mean wasn't Sasuke supposed to be his latest reincarnation? Didn't that basically mean I offed the guy? Shouldn't he be, I don't know, just a little pissed off at me for that?

Ahhh~~~~~! You know what? Fuck it. This is far too much crazy for me to deal with so early in the morning. I'll think it over later after I had some food in me and some of my morning coffee. 

It wasn't like I was under a time limit, the guy had been haunting my dreams for years now. If he was planning on doing something to me he would have tried something by now so I should be safe for a while yet.

Kicking my blanket off me, I sat up on my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Well, at least I could safely say that I've gotten the craziest part of my day over and done with.

"Hikaru, save me!" There was a loud bang as the door slid open, and I found myself staring at a frantic looking Naruto standing at my bedroom's doorway. 

She was panting, her shoulders rising and falling with her every breath while her long blonde hair was in a tangled mess. Her eyes darted around the room, wide with panic, before landing on me. "Your mother is trying to molest me. Help!"

…Seems I spoke too soon.

I just shot Naruto a deadpanned look, "This is too early in the morning to deal with this much crazy."

Naruto opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter a word she was attacked, a figure leaping from behind her.

"Ninja-secret assassination technique – Juuken strike!" Hanabi called out as she delivered a deadly blow to the side of Naruto's neck – who promptly burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing her to be a clone.

Hanabi landed softly on her feet before clenching both of her hands and raising them over her head, "Yes! Assassination successful, mission complete!" She cheered.

…Like I said, far too much crazy.

"Hanabi," I began, trying to keep the smile off my face as I spoke, but despite how exasperated my voice sounded I knew I failed. "How many times must I tell you not to call out your attacks when you're trying to ambush someone? You'll give yourself away."

"Eh?" Hanabi blinked owlishly, "But-but Nii-sama, Neji does it all the time and he looks so cool when he does." Swing her arms around in her excitement. "He always says that one's fire of youth would only burn ever brighter when you call out an attack."

Ah yes, Neji.

To think it possible for someone to change so much. Whatever coolness factor Neji still held was completely lost after he ended up in Team Guy. Mentally, I sent a prayer to the alternate Neji and hoped that he would never find out how his current self-turned out. The guy might just die from shame.

Uncle Hizashi, I'm sorry to say this but the world would have been a far better place if you'd only dropped dead years ago.

Giving the puppy-eyed Hanabi one last glance, I sighed and decided to drop the matter. She was still only eight, and as sad as it sounded she only had four more years left of her childhood before she became a Genin, I should let her have her fun while she still can.

Hopefully, this was all just a stage that she'll eventually grow out of.

"So," Tossing my legs off the side of the bed, I pushed myself to my feet and raised my arms over my head, stretching, "What's all this about Mom molesting Naruto?"

Hanabi's eyes widened, gleaming with sudden excitement as she held up a hand to her lips and tried her best to hold back a laugh. "Nii-sama, you have to see this! Come quick!"

She rushed forward, grabbed my hand in both of hers and began leading me out of the room.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Hanabi just flashed me a mischievous smile, "Wait, You'll see."

...

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