Mistake - A Naruto Fan-Fiction 20 Enthralling Gaze

Help didn't arrive until later in the night. Orion already fell asleep in his father's arm and the ninjas around them were still unconscious when Inoichi and his aiding squad arrived. Seals were around the area when they came, and they knew it was Kuro's doings since he can't possibly move everyone back to their original camp.

The Yamanaka assessed the area, eyes locking on the King Centipede's head lying on the floor, its body hanging still between a web-like structure made out of tough ninja wires. Was it Kuro's doing? At first glance, it could've been, but when the said man filled him in, he was a bit shocked.

To think that a child was able to nearly end a king-class creature is past his imagination. But it's Orion they're talking about. Of course he's able to do it. The child already showed them that something impossible can really be turned to become possible.

"So his eyes glowed golden?" He inquired at the Nara while doing his work of getting into ninjas' heads—inside their mindscapes to see what damage the said golden eye did to them. He heaved a sigh as he realised that something was blocking his jutsu to work… or maybe something just didn't exist in their minds. He narrowed his eyes.

"It did… it gave a cold feeling yet… at the same time… warmth…" Kuro answered, caressing his son's face. "It was as if he's trying to warn me that it's dangerous, yet trying to care for me… I can't really describe it."

Inoichi was already lost in his thoughts after going through all of the ninjas' heads to even hear what Kuro had told him. The case wasn't something to be looked over. He had already taken a look into the affected ninjas' head and it seems like whatever happened to them weren't accessible even to a Yamanaka. He looked into Shikakuro's too but nothing really came up.

It's rather… intriguing for him.

The only choice he had left is to look into an unconscious Orion's head, and so he did—with Kuro's permission. Before he did though, out of habit, he observed the young boy.

Mad was seemed like it was wiped off from all over Orion's body. His once silver-ish white hair became filthy and a bunch of twigs and soil is stuck to it. His face was cleaned off, by his father, Inoichi presumed, giving anyone a clear view of the boy's face.

Inoichi narrowed his eyes when he saw blood marks under the boy's left eye, like he had cried blood. The Yamanaka then gritted his teeth when his gaze travelled down the boy's body and onto his small right foot that was bandaged just enough to make it stay.

What happened to him is what Inoichi wonders. Because of it though, he was evident that what Kuro had told him is true.

Sighing, he ran through a seal and gently placed his hands on to Orion's forehead, a little burst of energy released but he paid no mind and simply closed his eyes. When he looked into the boy's mindscape, however, he was beyond stunned. No one in history had a blank mindscape. He looked around, but it was all white. The floor… the endless sight is all white. The space is never ending, he observed. It's also as silent as it can be. If one dropped a needle, it could definitely echo in this wide space.

He whirled around after hearing footsteps come towards him, stepping back as he saw someone was about to collide with him. He closed his eyes and waited for the impact to come, but only a chill came to make him lift his eyelids up. He looked back, looking at the same person that went through him.

The person was wearing modern civilian clothes—black coat over his turtleneck cotton long sleeves and black trousers along with his black boots. The person turned around, showing his bare face that gave chills at Inoichi's back.

The person looked exactly like Orion, only if he's older and had pure white hair and deep blue eyes. The Yamanaka then continued to watch, raising his brow as the young man in front seems to be looking at someone behind him. He narrowed his eyes when the young man suddenly leaped forwards, hands reaching out to someone as he went through the Yamanaka.

Inoichi turned around in time to watch the young man pushed a young, freckled, emerald-green eyed, petite girl out of the way before they both disappeared into dust.

He then turned around and saw the same young man under rubbles and debris with a long, iron pole sticking out from his back through his chest. A faceless crowd had gathered around them. The young man was coughing out blood as he talked to the same young girl the ninja had seen earlier. He watched as the young man handed something over to the young girl before his death.

Inoichi blinked when something dark manifested over to one person he had thought earlier to be just part of the crowd. The dark dust surrounded a black-haired young boy, looking cunningly similar to the one that died from getting stabbed by a sharp, iron pole.

Then everything shattered like glass, making the ninja to try to cover his body. But the shattered glass pieces just went through him. He didn't feel anything.

Inoichi opened his eyes again, only making his gaze at a young boy that seems to be in his 12's or younger. The young boy seems to be the younger version of the young man that had "died" earlier. The Yamanaka stared down at him and the young boy seemed to be looking back, and the said boy seems to be livid.

The Yamanaka froze when he heard the boy speak, ""You're a worthless piece of shit, 'ya know that?"" Inoichi was far past dumbfounded when the boy just called him as a "worthless piece of shit"—especially when it's also in their ninja language, English. He was going to retaliate but stopped when a hand went through him and grabbed the collar of the boy's clothes.

Inoichi leaped back, now realising that the young boy wasn't actually talking to him, but rather, someone behind him. The man who held the boy by his collar seems to be a tad bit older than him, with raven black hair and stern face—and he looked angry. Who wouldn't? He just got called "a piece of shit" by a child, no less.

Now that Inoichi is at a good distance, he noticed that someone—a trembling young girl with raven black hair, was holding on for dear life at the young boy's arms. The young boy seems to be protecting her.

""If you weren't someone who abandons his family, Vinna would be glad to accept your terms and grow up under your care."" The boy sounded more furious than the older man, ""But did you really need to sell out your own daughter? Don't get me wrong here, but you just betted my sister's soul and body to someone you lost to—a pervert at that. Fuck you, Mr. Asshole.""

The young boy then pried the man's hand away from him before marching out together with the young girl who appears to be much younger than him, his blue eyes flickering in the golden shade of the spectrum before the three dissipated into dust. Inoichi narrowed his eyes at that.

Inoichi was confused, he admit. But he was quick to pick himself up together and put things through. These seems to be memories residing deep inside young Orion's mind… and they seem a bit out of place to be called the child's so-called "memories" since, the damned boy is still just a child.

Dreams, maybe? It's possible, but everything could very well be reality for the young child.

Oh, only if the Yamanaka knew.

Inoichi sighed, looking around at the blank canvas he's on. Things were happening too fast for him to process anything. Anything could happen in here, so he decided to leave since he didn't really get anything out of this brief search. After running through a swift seal to get out, he froze. He ran through the seal again, but nothing seems to be happening.

He's stuck.

This never happened before. Well, getting stuck in people's mindscape isn't new to the Yamanaka, but getting stuck in a child's mindscape was a first. Normally, someone much more powerful than him could force him out or force him to stay in the mindscape… so what the hell?

He was sweating when he tried again, heart beating as fast when he's chasing a particular demon cat. He may actually be panicking.

He then heard a crunch, making him turn around and meet a golden gaze coming from someone very familiar. "O… Orion?" He called the child out, stepping forward at the items that appeared out of nowhere. He took note that a giant roll of movie reel is playing something in front of the young child who's sitting on a red couch while munching on a bag of buttery, caramel popcorn (by the sweet smell he got). "Orion?" He called the child again, but the said child doesn't seem to pay attention to him.

Inoichi approached the young boy, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy turned his head to him, startling him as two golden gaze met his already panicking ones. Inoichi stumbled back. "I'm not the Orion that you know of." The young boy spoke, stuffing his mouth with the caramel popcorn, "Well, I look like him but I'm not him."

The Yamanaka got goosebumps when the young boy added something after his former sentence, "Not yet, anyways."

"Oh?" The crunching stopped as the young boy looked back at the old man with his golden gaze, "Too much information in one go, am I right? Well, ninjsan, all I'm going to tell you is this: your Orion isn't ready to wield my eyes." He emphasised his words and somehow managed to make the couch and his popcorn disappear, only leaving the large movie reel behind him playing.

He pointed his small thumb towards the reel as it played something that seemed very real, "See that?"

The reel played something that made the Yamanaka even more shocked. It was someone's perspective, and it seemed to be owned by the Orion he knows. It was as though every time "Orion" give his gaze to anyone, those "anyone" would cry out blood and give their deafening scream.

Inoichi was so close to emptying out his stomach. It wasn't as close as a war scene, but it was enough to be that horrible.

"When you try to push Orion over his limits just to pry on something you don't, you won't understand," The young child sounded so casual and bored at the same time, "this exact scene will happen. It will cause you casualties, trust me. Maybe even worst."

Inoichi blinked at him, not really getting what the child was saying.

"You wouldn't want for the universe to collapse now, do you?" The young boy smirked, his eyes flaring off a cool, golden colour.

The Yamanaka, of course, shook his head furiously. The young child absolutely looked like someone he shouldn't mess with. He doesn't even know what those golden eyes can possibly do. And those very same eyes are definitely hiding a great poison that he doesn't want to touch.

"Lemme be blunt with 'ya." The young boy coughed, covering his left eye, "Protect Orion, or else…" He narrowed his eyes at the Yamanaka.

Inoichi paled.

"I'm kidding." The child waved his hands off in a bored fashion, "Now, run along… you won't remember much things anyways." He yawned, "Two more things, actually—I'm serious about you peeps protecting this Orion. He's not someone you should take lightly. He's far greater than any of you. And… don't ever go back in here ever again, unless you want your head to go crazy."

Inoichi knew that it was a threat, so he stepped back.

"Your eyes clearly says that you're a Yamanaka… and the dead giveaway is your capability to get in this place that is only accessible for the owner of my eyes." The young child sighed, waving his hands, "I wanted to chat more but I'm really tired… bye now." He smiled just as Inoichi's surroundings started to crumble

Inoichi started falling.

He screamed.

__________

"Inoichi!" Kuro tried to snap his friend out of his… shock? He doesn't know why the Yamanaka suddenly looked so pale and so shocked a few seconds after he had gone into Orion's mind. He had never seen the Yamanaka seem so scared when performing his clan's mind jutsu—unless what he's seeing now is far from horrible.

He knew Inoichi has a calm and perceptive nature, generally staying calm under pressure—so what could've possibly made him this scared? "Inoichi!" He called again as soon as the Yamanaka stumbled back, blinking in confusion. "Are you okay?" The Nara asked the man.

Inoichi wiped the endless sweat coming from his forehead. He blinked. Is he okay? He doesn't know himself. He doesn't even know why he stumbled back. He doesn't know why he's sweating so much like he had seen a ghost. He doesn't know why he feels so panicked. He doesn't know what the hell happened.

He doesn't remember anything, actually… and he has a feeling that if he try to remember what happened, he's definitely gonna go insane. "Protect Orion…" He mumbled, not really knowing why. "Hm?" Kuro hummed at him. "Nothing… it's uh… I'm… tired." The Yamanaka smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Let's continue tomorrow then…" Kuro smiled as he sent out a shadow clone to scout around, "I too needs a little rest."

"You… do that." Inoichi stood up, almost tumbling down once again but he regained his balance fairly quickly. He sighed as he jumped up to a branch, looking up through the sky shining through the thick leaves of the trees in the forest.

The Yamanaka needs to think things through.

From the moment he snapped back out and away from the jutsu he casted to get inside Orion's head, something felt so wrong—like something happened, but he couldn't really remember. There is a blank space of time he was sure he had spent inside the boy's mind.

Now what does the boy's mindscape looked like again? He doesn't really remember…

The only thing he could remember was a pair of golden eyes staring deeply into his soul, engraving in his mind to treat Orion with great care.

The gaze was cold yet forgiving.

It was vicious yet caring.

It was there, yet it seemed so lost.

"Protect him or else…" He trailed, eyes shadowed by his hitai-ate. He's very sure himself that he won't be able to forget that enthralling gaze along with those words.

Chapter end