Chapter 1: Night of Fire
Pairings: GaaraXNeji, NarutoXSasuke
Rating: This story is rated M for mild language and possible explicitness... just to be on the safe side... but there's nothing truly appaling in it or I'd warn you so don't worry about the rating too much.
Note: These are the revised chapters for Witchwood... hopefully the story will be better developed now...
Soft panting was heard coming from behind a small stack of barrels behind one of the gypsy troupe tents. Two small boys were hiding behind it, one in fear of the soldiers now tearing their small gypsy camp apart, and the other ready to attack if anyone should hurt the smaller boy beside him.
"Shh… It'll be okay Ru. We'll get out of this. We'll be okay."
Naruto could hear Sasuke's calm voice trying to comfort him from where he had his head buried in the other boys shoulder, but the small boy was too frightened to believe his best friends words. From where they hid, the two of them could easily hear the rest of the camps' screams pain and shrieks of terror rising into the dark night along with the smoke of many burning tents and wagons. There were no stars to bring cheer to those in need of it, because tonight was not a time for happiness or hope. Tonight every gypsy found, man, woman, or child was either slaughtered or if they were young enough to train, taken into captivity to be enlisted as a soldier. Blood stained the dirt roads and the walls of every piece of brightly colored tent canvas in the little camp. Instruments that had once played beautiful tunes, smashed and used to feed the fires that were consuming everything.
"I'm scared Sasuke!" Naruto whimpered, clutching his little hands tighter to the cloth of the other boy's tunic.
"I know. Shh…" Sasuke cooed, running his hand through the long blonde locks of the boy shivering in his arms.
That was the last bit of peace Naruto knew before an officer, who'd overheard their small whispers, ran from around the corner and dived, grabbing Sasuke around the waist before the two of them could get far enough out of reach. The smaller boy tried to keep a hold of him, hands tearing fabric as they were separated, but it was no use. His best friend in the whole world was being pulled away from him, the soldiers binding his hands and feet, gagging him. Naruto barely had time to see Sasuke's struggle before he was grabbed by the arm and dragged from behind the barrels by a strong set of fingers digging forcefully into bare upper arm.
"Don't let them catch you, Ru!! Run!!"
Sasuke's gag had come loose in all his struggles, but that was all he was able to scream before Naruto's wide blue eyes witnessed him being knocked hard over the back of the head by the man carrying him.
"Sasuke!!"
Naruto's screams filled the air around him as his best friend was taken out of sight by the horrible men in grey uniforms.
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"Hush. Don't make a sound little one."
Gaara's small frame had been quickly hidden under a pile of blankets and clothes in a small chest when he heard footsteps running to his and his mother's tent. His mother's voice was barely heard over the screams filling the air outside, but the little boy knew better than to disobey, he could tell something wasn't right. He could barely see what was happening through the small cracks in the side of the wooden chest, but that was enough to ruin the innocent, childish outlook he had once had on life.
His bright green eyes could see every time the men with swords had stabbed his mother's begging form. Blood spattered everything and he could hear his mother's screams ringing deep in his heart, shattering it as she died.
Her head was the last thing to be severed and when it had been, the men dropped her mangled corpse and left, laughing to themselves. They shouldn't have been laughing. Gaara couldn't stand for such cruelty, he just couldn't do it. Slamming his feet up against the top of the chest, throwing open the lid, he sprung out and grabbed the slingshot he had hidden under his bed. He'd hidden it from his mother because she had never approved of him learning to use it, she had always said there was not need for him to have to fight anyone, but now was hardly a time to consider such thoughts. He was going to use it to get back at every wretched piece of flesh trying to call itself an officer of justice and peace. They'd killed his mother, the only person he had left to call his family and they would know his pain.
Running as fast as his little legs would carry him, tears streaming unnoticed from his big green eyes, he passed by several matted and torn tents before hearing a scream that pulled him from the path that would have lead him to his untimely death.
Gaara headed toward it and slowed his feet so he wouldn't be heard, making his slingshot ready before peeking carefully around the corner and spotting a small blonde boy struggling to get away from one of those monsters in grey. If he could not avenge his mother by killing the men that had hurt her without killing himself and disappointing her, he was going to do it by saving the life of another, knowing that she would never have wished for him to avenge her anyway. Gaara was convinced this was her way of distracting him from doing what he'd intended to do.
Taking aim unprofessionally, Gaara pulled back the rubbery band and shot one of the rocks he'd picked up. He missed the head of the man he'd been aiming for, but the cut he'd made in his clothed arm was good enough to get the other boy free, even if it did get the man's attention. All that mattered now was for Gaara and the little blonde to remain alive. The redhead didn't waist any time dashing out and grabbing the blonde's hand, pulling him hurriedly to his feet.
Gaara pulled hard on the boy's hand and began running as fast as he could. It was hard at first to get the boy to move when he had clearly been too traumatized and frightened, but Gaara tugged relentlessly until the officers loud yells of " RUNAWAYS!" had them scurrying for the safety of the forest trees on the edge of the camp.
"Who are you?"
Gaara's small but cold voice asked as they ran through broken branches and over big curving tree roots. The small redheaded boy had never been all that social with any of the other kids he had lived with in the camp, so he didn't know the boy like he should have.
"I'm N-Naruto."
The other boy had started crying now, falling to the ground in misery that Gaara only wished he could feel, but he himself felt oddly cold and disconnected from everything, like it wasn't really the worst that could have happened. It felt real enough, but for some reason Gaara was immune to the grief he knew his new friend was feeling. He had to be strong for the both of them.
The night passed slowly for all, screams making the souls of everyone who'd witnessed such tragedies, burn with sadness, hatred and fear. Women and men alike were lying in careless bloody heaps over stained dirt. Children too young to walk alone were met with the same bloody end, never again to experience the breath of life or cast their eyes up at the stars.
On that night, our small little survivors were but ten years old. Forced to grow up faster then any child should have.
I've editted and redone all the chapters to Witchwood so the story should be a lot better... the plot line hasn't changed or anything like that, just revised so it's a little easier to read and understand for those who had trouble...
Hope you enjoy!
-Himitsu
