Avengers
Chapter 1: Konoha's leaf' village
Everything was swallowed by darkness. Everything was so deadly quiet and calm; like if a poisonous tornado had passed a moment ago.
Footsteps broke the silence as a long, black shadow emerged on a lifeless house's wall.
The wind blew harder and harder, entering the windows' cracks, squeaking with those dull doors; holding within its fingers a lost childhood, and lost dreams that used to live between these ashes once upon a time.
The shadow got nearer...
It stopped by a house; by the wreck of an old house...
He looked to be sixteen years old, and dressed in a long sleeve, black, turtle neck with wide collar, along with black shorts.
"Mother..." the owner of the dark muttered. "...Father..." he added.
His deep breath and voice echoed in the empty allies that were smashed into voids.
The wind squealed stiffly once more, making the man's raven hair float peacefully, and few drops of pure tears shine their way down…
"I..." he stuttered. "...I can't do this any longer..."
He lifted his dreary right hand slowly and stared at it. "I'm just... too weak..."
The thunder roared and the lightening flashed... they sounded like bombs in the middle of world wars…
For a second, the shadow was replaced by a teen.
For a second, the shady face and that dark voice were replaced by sorrow and pain.
The rain began firmly, as its drops seemed heavier and more intense for the young man.
Nothing but the sound of the raindrop clashing the shattered wood, and the broken metal confirmed the existence of time...
"I... I'm sorry..." His tender voice was then nothing louder than a whisper.
The thunder growled once more, twice... and by the third time, as that blaze touched the wet, cracked ground, the boy's dull body touched it as well...
The rain continued... transformed into light snow, and fell serenely like feathers on that body...
He closed his dark silvered eyes... and lied peacefully in the cold world of dimness.
For the first time in years, he dreamed.
He saw a picture of a young kid... a smiling kid...
He heard laughter...
He realized that it was happiness, what he saw; the same one he had lost long time ago, pretty much a dream he used to live...
The image got clearer...
He could see that little boy running happily under a tree... chasing a golden butterfly, giggling, laughing, and having the time of his life...
The image got even clearer...
He could notice a woman rushing behind the kid; they both had black hair and gray eyes that sparkled with joy.
The image became clearer, such that the teen could actually feel it, and feel everything in it... like living the moment itself…
The little child entered a house. The woman chuckled and turned slowly her looks to the dreaming man.
She smiled to him.
He looked around confused; no one else but him seemed to be there.
"It's ok dear... I know..." she uttered softly.
And when the boy finally realized that it was his mother, the woman at whom he was staring, his wonderful dream faded to white...
He opened his heavy eyes bit by bit.
"What... happened...?" he hissed to himself.
Everything around him was pure white, and a small sound was beeping aside him.
"Where... am I?" he wondered sighing. He tried to get up, but his arms failed him and he was forced to stay lied down. "Damn it..."
He glanced everywhere in the room; it was a sunny day outside the window.
"Oh, you're finally awake?" a sweet female voice made him turn to the door.
A girl his age entered, holding a tray of food, and then placed it on a counter beside him. He stared strangely at her. She had cherry pink hair and emerald green eyes that can't be entered easily.
"Where am I?" he asked. "And why… can't I move?"
She chuckled, took out a notebook and then wrote something on it.
"I'm Sakura Haruno; a nurse in training. What about you...?" she asked friendly.
"I wanna know where the heck I am." He replied annoyed.
The girl rolled her eyes and stood by the wall.
"Why are you that cranky?" she said.
He shook his head trying to figure out what has happened to him.
"Do you feel anything...? Is there something I can do?" she offered.
"Please," he muttered with his hand on his forehead. "Just tell me, where am I? And how did I end up here? And…"
But before he carried on with his questions she interrupted him.
"You are in Konoha's main hospital. You were found by the hot springs of Konoha's leaf' village." She said.
"What day is this? And since when I've been here?" he added.
"Well, as far as I know, I was assigned to take care of you, two days ago."
"Two whole days…?" he hissed.
"Said anything?" she wondered, like if she heard him.
"Where's the exit? I must get out of here before…" he tried to get up, but like his arms, his legs fell short. "Damn it!!" He complained falling down the floor.
"No, you must stay in bed. You can't get out of here yet." She helped him up. "Here, this is ought to make you better." She assured, handing him a spoon filled with some kind of medicine.
"Get that away of me!!" he shouted, forcing her, with all what's left of power in his arms, to throw the spoon out of her kind hand.
"Why did you do that for??" she wondered surprised.
She stared at him for a moment; his looks were too mysterious for her to understand their meaning. They were scared, yet strong; frightened, but powerful…
He was gazing down in the blankness with empty looks… looks she had never seen before.
She felt worried, concerned and anxious. She felt that she must help him endure whatever he's going through. She just felt that.
He was gasping heavily… his heart beats were obviously getting faster on the screen next to them.
"It's ok, I'm sorry for whatever I've done. But please, I have reports to write on your conditions, and I need your name at least." She pleaded.
He thought a little… (What should I tell her? I can't tell her my real name… I mustn't…)
"Well…?" she added, waiting his answer.
"I can't remember anything." He said eventually. "I don't know…"
"Oh my god…" she muttered. "Poor guy… Well, I guess I'll just tell them that. You have to get some rest for now."
And as she headed outside, she heard the sound of glass breaking. She turned; the window was shattered and blood stains were all around.
"What the…!!" She moaned rushing to take a look. "Hey!! Come back here!!" she shouted at him. "How on earth did he do that??" and she ran in the hallways calling for security.
His room was on the third floor, and he could barely stand. However, she was sure of what she saw; she saw him lumbering outside after he smashed the glass and jumped.
(I have to… get out…) he thought as his hike seemed to be now a limp. (I have to go, or I'll lead them all into darkness too… I have to go!!)
"Catch him!" he heard men saying behind him.
"No!! Let me go!!" he yelled, trying to breathe correctly.
Two men caught him by his shoulders from behind, and two other held his feet so he would not move. Even though, he was too tired to struggle for freedom.
People gathered around as the men tied him into a cradle and held him into the hospital.
"What the hell was he thinking…?" a woman's voice said outside his new room. He was sitting calmly on his bed, still confused because of this new world to him, and because of those loads of questions no one seemed able to find an answer.
He stared down at his weak hands listening to them.
"He must've been through a lot to act crazily like that." Another one replied.
"Sakura told me he forgot his own name. I think we should him to a special treatment center; one with unstable people like him."
(Unstable … People…?) He thought, shocked. (They don't know what they're doing with me…I'm too dangerous for them…)
"We won't send him there! He's my responsibility and I'm gonna take care of him!" he heard that sweet voice of Sakura defending him.
He smiled for a split second, or maybe it was sadness…
Her footsteps got closer…
(I must do something about it… now that I'm here, I should not leave to loam another country…) he told himself.
"So," she started as soon as she entered and closed the door behind her. "I'm not gonna ask you for what happened. I just wanna make sure you're ok. And… did you remember anything? I think that was why you ran off like that." She gave a chuckle.
He stared at her strangely, thinking.
"I…" …
"What…? I'm listening; go on." She assured her concern.
He sighed. "…My name is Sasuke Uchiha." He submitted. "I'm from an old town at north; called Yukino country."
"I guess you never forgot who you are, then." She assumed, writing on her notebook again. "And, umm… why didn't you tell me at the first place?"
He didn't answer…
"Anyhow, I'm glad you finally found me worthy knowing your identity. And please don't break the glass this time; your bandages are red enough." She smiled friendly.
Birds' sudden twittering made them both look outside.
"It's spring; it's time for love." She affirmed.
"At Yukino country, there's nothing but snow…" Sasuke muttered, still looking at the lovely couple of birds. "I really have to get out of here…"
She turned at him. "Listen, Sasuke, if you answered all my questions honestly, I can mange getting you out of here by this evening. But you have to promise to respond at all of them sincerely, deal?" she suggested.
He looked at her. "I have nothing to lose…" he said.
Even though she didn't understand what he meant, she just began filling her report as she should.
"What's your father's name Sasuke?" she asked preparing to fill the table she had on her nurses' notebook.
"It's Fugaku." He answered.
"Umm… is there any way to connect with him right now, to tell him about you?"
"No." he quickly said.
She shrugged having am odd feeling. "Well, how about your mother, is there any—…" but before she could continue, he interrupted her.
"No, there aren't any ways to communicate with any of my family members." And he closed his eyes calming himself down, because he was starting to get disturbed for some reason.
"But…why?" she wondered, and her pencil was shaking in her shivering hand. She had a feeling something wasn't right somewhere.
"They're all dead." Sasuke replied mysteriously, such that she couldn't understand exactly what his emotions were. Was he sad about it, angry, upset?? "They're all deceased five years ago. When I was still young…they were butchered
viciously… they were killed cruelly—…"
"Ok!" she shouted nervously. His calm attitude gave her the shivers down her spine such that her hand was shaking abnormally.
He stared at her right in her green eyes. He gazed deeply as she felt a heat going in her veins instead of blood. Her heart pounded faster and her breath hardened…
She got scared… frightened… terrified, such that she was a second away of panicking.
"I didn't do it…" he hissed still looking at her.
A drop of sweat slid down her cheek and hit the floor. "H-How… d-did you kn-ow I was think-king of that?" she stammered.
"They all are the same." He answered, closing his eyes serenely. "They accuse me of something I didn't do. And then they try to slaughter me." He then opened his eyes and noticed how agitated she was. Her pencil—due to her trembling—was hitting the paper on that report repeatedly…
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." He said. "Please get me out of here before they find me." And he placed his hand gently on hers.
She quickly stood up seizing back her hand, still afraid. "What makes me sure? Why do they want you anyway?? Why aren't you telling me the full truth if you were innocent? Huh!!"
Right then, Sasuke realized she's panicked.
They kept staring at each other for a minute, without saying anything.
Nothing but silence existed at that moment.
"Did someone ever trust you before?" he asked.
"Y-yes…" she muttered.
"Well, can you trust me when I tell you; if you knew what happened, you'll be in danger?"
She got surprised.
"Trust me, Sakura. I assure you, as long as I stay alive, no one will hurt you." He comforted her. "I promise… and I never forget my words…"
"Ok…" she agreed quietly, sitting down again on her chair. Even though her mind kept telling her off, her heart just couldn't bear having someone cornered without helping him. She believed him, but it was not the full trust he hoped it would be.
"What shall I write then?" she asked for advice, because she surely can't report what he said.
"You won't be lying if you said I'm orphan, with no address…" he proposed.
She nodded filling what she had to.
She got up on her feet and turned to leave. And when she grabbed the handle… "Sakura, I'll be waiting for you." He declared. She nodded and left him with his solitude.
"What's wrong Sakura, you look troubled." Someone told her outside.
"Nothing…" he heard her giggles. "Just leave this boy alone for a while, he needs some rest. I'll be back very soon." And her steps faded.
(At least I know someone is on my side in here; Konoha's leaf village…) he thought lying down. (I guess I have to wait for now, if I want her to trust me faithfully.)
And he closed his eyes, listening to what was around him; from beeping machines, to birds' twitters and doctors' chats…
Sakura walked in the hallways still having that picture of his focused dark eyes, staring at her.
To her, he seemed lost…
He needed her help, immediately. That's what she kept telling herself as she gave the main doctor the report she wrote.
"Orphan?? No address to—what is this nonsense??" the doctor yelled at her. She blushed, closing her eyes, taking it as calm as she could.
"Whatever he says… I'm not getting paid to be relations therapist." He shook his head and walked away.
Sakura sighed in relief. She got away this time. However, she had promised Sasuke to set him free that evening. So how on earth is she going to do that?
She felt obnoxious and tired for a second.
(I have to get Naruto; he'll know what I have to do.) She thought, thinking of that fair haired boy, with that naughty grin painted on his sweet face.
She rushed outside the building to get her ruse friend.
She wasn't sure if he'll do, but she couldn't bear telling lies alone. Besides, Naruto lied and tricked people many times before; of course he didn't harm them. And he wouldn't mind lying for her, she thought.
End of chapter 1