Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.


Curse of The Firebug

Prologue

Embers glowed everywhere on the battlefield with bodies laying abundantly on the barren ground. Sasuke directly faced Naruto- both hurt. His hand pressed hard against the huge wound on his abdomen and Naruto seemed to be suffering from internal bleeding. Both panted heavily and needily for air.

"Teme, wel-welcome back." Naruto managed to utter before he collapsed.

"Dobe! Wa-wake up! Sak-Sakura...Sakura..." With outstretched hands, he too collapsed.

Their visions blackened and all they could hear were muffled voices and the crackling sound of burning woods.

"I need medics here! Come quick. We're bringing these two home." Shizune rushed to the two friends and ordered other medic-nins to do the lifting.


It was two weeks later that he woke up and found himself in a hospital. The hospital seemed familiar. After taking in the surroundings, a very loud voice called out to him; that was then only did he realized he was home. Home, Konoha- it felt so foreign to him.

"Teme! You're finally awake!"

"Dobe."

"You've been out cold for two weeks man! Granny said you'll be fine. You just have to rest for a few more days and then you can get out of here! Dattebayo!"

"Hn."

"You haven't changed much have you? Welcome back!" Naruto gave an awkward laugh, still feeling strange about the whole situation.

"Hn." Sasuke smug.

"Oh... umm... when you get out of this place. You can bunk in with me. I mean, before they start to interrogate you and all." The blond offered.

"Where's everyone?"

"What everyone?"

"Team 7."

"Ah, Sai and Yamato-sensei are helping out with our village's restoration and Kakashi-sensei is probably somewhere up in the trees reading his novel, being lazy and all as usual! Sakura-chan..."

The mention of her name caused him to straightened his slouching body and his face hardened.

"She's hurt. Isn't she?" The Uchiha inquired.

"Sakura-chan is fine now. She was healed by Granny! Thank Kami you were there to block the attack from her...us, I mean. I wouldn't know what I'll do if I were to lose her... and you, Sasuke." Naruto looked at his best friend gravely.

"Aa." He nodded.

"She did visit you a few times but you were still comatose." Naruto told him.

"I guessed." He was looking at the tiny vase of daffodils beside his window.

"Oh, really teme? Still trying to be a smart ass here I see!" Naruto teased.

"I want to... see her." Calloused fingers traced the scars on his hands.

"Of course..." Naruto smirked.

"Just to thank her, dobe. Now, if you would, I want some rest. You're too loud." Sasuke pointed to the door.

"Alright, alright! Rest then. See you tomorrow!" The door was closed with a loud bang.


(Flashback.)

"Sasuke Uchiha! You betrayer!"

"No, you're the one who manipulated everyone. You brought the downfall of our clan!"

"Hn, you think you've defeated me. Just you wait. I'll make sure you suffer!"

Madara eyed Kakashi. A rossette-pink haired medic was infusing chakra into him. Swiftly flicking his fingers, multiple fire razors traveled towards Kakashi's direction. Sakura noticed the flaring razors and jumped to cover her injured sensei. Hence, causing the fiery blades to traverse through her stomach; blood gushed out from her mouth and the cuts on her stomach were on fire.

"Sakura!" Kakashi cried out in a mangled voice.

Never once has he seen blood oozing out from her mouth, staining her delicate face. And never once has he seen her getting hurt like this because he always, ALWAYS made an effort to keep her out of harm's way during their genin years. The sight of a bloody Sakura on the verge of dying triggered something in him, making his heart pound harder out of...was it fear? Fear of what? Losing her?

"SAKURA!" He yelled out to her.

"DIE!"

He lost it.

Sasuke charged towards Madara, eyes flaring red and bright with his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Madara barely dodged his attack and landed on a fallen boulder. He was getting weak by the minute.

"Judging by your reaction, she seems pretty precious to you." Madara sent out a small fire bug that flew with amazing speed. Stealthily, it seeped into Sakura's heart. Nobody saw a thing; she didn't feel a thing neither.

"Hold on, Sakura!" Naruto ran towards the heated battle.

Lithely, Madara sent out raw lightning towards Naruto, electrocuting him. Making him fall onto the ground with a loud thump. Without sparing another second, Madara focused all his fire force onto Naruto and Sakura, attempting to finish them off before his inevitable defeat.

"Don't you even think of it! Never! Chidori!" Sasuke took light steps towards his ancestor, his hand went through Madara's heart, shielding his comrades from hurt in the process. Unfortunately, he was the one who received harm instead.

"No doubt you're an Uchiha descendant, Sasuke. Just you wait, when full moon comes, you and a precious person of yours will suffer. Bu-but, to reward you, I'll leave you with this riddle, listen carefully:

When full moonlight, drop the tears of a flame,

Imbibe it and shall the fire quench."

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" Before he could grasp a reply, Madara fell silent.

Sasuke, knowing he would not be getting any answers, activated his Amaterasu.

Black flames consumed Madara and in seconds, his form turned to ashes. Sasuke fell to his knees, focusing on his blond friend's injuries and a certain rosette. After exchanging some words, he drifted off into an unconscious state.

He remembered her name was the last thing that slip from his tongue before darkness consumed him.


Sakura was in the hospital going about her duties before Shizune appeared in front of her.

"Oh, senpai! You gave me a fright." The pinkette exclaimed.

"Ah, sorry Sakura, but Tsunade-sama wants to have a word with you."

"Alright. See you for lunch later?"

"Sure!"


Sakura then hurried towards the Hokage Tower to meet her shishou. When she entered the office, she wasn't the slightest bit surprised because her shishou was drinking sake rather, she was because Tsunade was reading a scroll, without Shizune nagging.

"Ah, Sakura. You're here. Come." The big bossomed blonde motion for Sakura to come closer.

"Yes, shishou. What is the matter?"

"Do you feel alright." Tsunade rested a hand on her pupil's forehead.

"Of course!"

"Really?" She cupped her face and checked her eyes.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. Why?"

"Your chest, you noticed that little brown blotch right?"

"Ah, it must've been a scar from the war."

"No, it isn't. I called you here to tell you this. I sensed some foreign chakra in your body. There isn't much of it; just a small trace. There's nothing to worry about now but I read all sorts of scrolls yet I couldn't find any explanation as to how it entered your body."

"Hmm... That's weird seeing normal chakra infusion would mold the foreign ones into mine over time. I read somewhere that to allow foreign chakra to linger in another body for long period, the process is very tedious and requires blood and herbs. During the war, there was blood but I didn't eat any herbs."

"Precisely, and so far we still haven't found any other way to do it. Not only that, I tried all sorts of extracting jutsu to remove it but failed. I'm really afraid it may harm you."

"But so far I'm feeling normal. Do you think it's dormant now?"

"I can't confirm. So Sakura, if you start to feel pain or strange, report to me immediately."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. I will report to you if anything happens."

"You may go back to your duties then."

"Tsunade-sama, please keep this a secret. At least for now. I wouldn't want my parents and even Naruto or Ino to worry." Sakura looked at the beautiful blond woman with pleading eyes.

"Hn." Tsunade nodded.


Deep within the forest in a dark cave, laid a body. It was not quite a human's but not quite a snake's.

The pale grey deformed body wasn't moving, only it's head occasionally bobbing with its forked tongue protruding from time to time.

"He's still alive." The thing grinned.

"And he's in Konoha. I can smell it." Yellow reptilian eyes shone bright with glee.

"Immortality and the Sharingan can still be achieved." Orochimaru's horrid laughter echoed throughout the cave, causing animals surrounding the area to scatter far away.


A/N: I'm attempting my hands on a Canon-verse Naruto fic. I roughly have the whole story plotted out but mind you, updates will not be frequent. However, I will not leave this story incomplete!

Reviews! Throw in your ideas as the story goes along... to help me if I ever have writer's block!

Thank you for giving this fic a chance!

Oh, leave comments too on whether I should continue or terminate this story. :)