There were always rumors. Strange ones, ones that made people snicker amongst themselves with amusement. Rumors that raised a few eyebrows or one only whispered about on the dark corners of the streets. However; there was a particular myth beyond the wildest of imaginations; more fantastic than the others combined…
"You mean to tell me there is a dragon locked in the Forbidden Valley?"
"That's what I'm saying, Forehead!"
"… you're an idiot."
Two women leaned back in their chairs; warm green tea perched at their lips. The blonde one took a quick sip before placing her mug down hard, nearly tipping it over in the process. Thin lips pursed into a frown at her best friend. Blue eyes flashing irritably right before she tilted her head to the side in annoyance.
"Whatever Billboard Brow. You know nothing. I know someone who's seen it."
The other female rolled her emerald orbs, stirring more sugar into her green tea. "Let me guess: Uzumaki told you huh Ino?"
Her cheeks tinted, and she toyed with the napkin in her lap. "Why does it matter who told me? Who lies about dragons, Sakura!"
Said woman sighed and rubbed her temples. Why would a dragon dwell in the Forbidden Valley? It remained off limits because of the dangerous cliffs and wild animals that roamed the area. Anyone who entered it never returned, hence why it became impermissible. Still, the list of feral animals did not include a mythical dragon. The dragon's story entertained children for centuries. Over a thousand years ago, there was a man whose sole purpose included protecting his loved ones. Some parts of the story were lost throughout history, but the story recites this man, a shinobi, found out that his family members were the dangerous ones. They were planning a coup d'état that would kill hundreds of innocents and throw his world into war. With a solemn face, he murdered his entire clan. Angry about the man's decision to slaughter his clan without consulting him first, the god of Pain transformed him into a dragon, the one creature that breathed fire as hot as the flames the man engulfed his family in. He remains chained inside the cave he poured the blackened ashes in, haunted by the smell of singed flesh and the screams of agony that rang in his ears.
That was all a load of crap. Dragons never appeared before except in medieval shows and books. If they existed, scholars believe they went extinct thousands of years ago. Sakura opened her mouth to say so but her best friend cut her off before she uttered a syllable.
"If there isn't a dragon, why don't you go to Forbidden Valley and see?" Ino gave Sakura a sly smile after picking up one of the slim straws and whirling it in her drink.
Pink brows furrowed. "Why the hell would I go out there?"
The blonde rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "To prove dragons don't exist, duh."
Sakura grew annoyed with her friend's persistence. She didn't care if a dragon resided in the Forbidden Valley or not. It is forbidden; therefore, no valid reason for visiting. She said this to her friend who kept the smirk on her face. An awful sensation built in the pit of Sakura's stomach from the look she received.
"What's your problem?" she snapped, taking the last bite of her apple cinnamon muffin.
Ino's bright irises sparkled mischievously. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about telling Sasuke what a chicken you are and he'll forget all about you. I'll be in with him and guess whose bed he'll... "
"Yeah right, pig!"
A few heads in the teashop turned to gaze at the woman's sudden outburst. She inched back into her chair, cheeks flamed bright red and a strong urge to wrap her hands around Ino's slim neck. The silence that took over the room plus Ino's smug expression made Sakura regret such an outburst.
"Well, you know," Ino began, her smirk growing wider. "Sasuke was the one who brought up the subject of the dragon. He's interested in the truth."
Sakura growled at her sudden interest in seeing if there lied truth to this mythical creature. If Sasuke wanted to know if the dragon existed, discovering that information may impress him. That would help start a conversation between them. Even though they sat in the same Physiology class since they started their junior year of college, Sakura hadn't worked up the courage to talk to the dark-haired male except for one time when she asked to borrow his notes. It was the most uneventful conversation Sakura ever had in her life. It couldn't classify as a conversation since it only lasted thirty seconds.
The woman analyzed the setbacks of exploring the Forbidden Forest. Apparently, Sasuke was worth the risk, so she said, "All right, I'll go."
"Great!" the other woman exclaimed. "We'll go this weekend! You, Shikamaru, Naruto, and me! I'll pack... "
Ino's voice faded as Sakura's mind drifted off into thoughts about this trip. Dread formed in her chest at what she agreed to. She lacked desire required for traveling into the middle of a forest during summer to fight off insects and whatever else. It was possible because she had dumb friends and she seemed to lose common sense with Sasuke, the end of her life may be closer than it should. Kami, help them.
"Come on Sakura!"
Said woman sighed as she gazed up at the bright, but partly cloudy sky. Why did she follow through with this idiotic idea, in the middle of summer, sweat pouring down her body, and insects eating her alive? She contemplated this wasn't such a good idea, especially on a ninety-degree day with what had to be one hundred percent humidity. Life sucked at the moment. She believing it would be easier just to go up to Sasuke and talk to him instead of taking this roundabout, idiotic way of trying to impress him.
"Shut up, I'm coming!" Sakura shouted back while attempting to fight her way through a stubborn bush. After breaking through with a struggle, Sakura stumbled toward the bright orange jumpsuit that moved farther and farther away. "Naruto, slow down, you idiot!"
The spiky-haired male looked over his shoulder but continued to walk away with Shikamaru and Ino a few feet in front of him. "You're moving so slow Sakura! Catch up already!"
"Why you... " Sakura muttered, having every intent on bashing that guy's head in the moment she caught them. "Damn bastard, I'll... "
Her sentence stopped abruptly when her sandal got tangled in a mess of roots. Sakura cursed her luck and attempted to unwrap herself from its clutches. Eyes darting ahead as she tugged, she barely saw Naruto and the others from how far ahead they had gotten. Sakura attempted to break the vine, but the root held fast and she got more irritated the harder she fought with it.
"Wait a second, guys!" she shouted loudly and her heart sank when they continued walking.
Great, she was all alone, miles deep into the woods, the roots still refused to let go of her sandal, and now the sky darkened with the threat of a storm. Damn the weatherman for saying it would be a sunny day. Enraged, Sakura yanked her shoe so hard that she ripped the foliage and fell flat on her butt. She cursed again, stood up, and tried to dust the dirt off her red shorts when a drop of warm rain plopped on her nose. Turning green eyes up to the sky, Sakura's spirit deflated further at the sight of the darkened clouds. Thunder sounded overhead, and she took off in the direction she last saw her friends.
"Naruto!" she yelled as she dodged trees and jumped over bushes. "Ino! Shikamaru! Where are you bastards?!"
The howling of the wind picking up sounded as her only reply. The rain fell heavier and lightning majestically forked the sky. Sakura's eyes darted in every direction trying to find shelter from the storm, but her immediate surroundings included only forestry. She had to put some distance between her and the many trees. A lightning storm this strong created high electrocution rates and dying in such a way had been omitted from her to do list.
"Damn it," Sakura cursed while brushing her wet locks out of her face. "Just my luck for this to happen to me! Of course, they wouldn't bother to make sure everyone was still together."
The lost woman got soaked to the bone within seconds and just when she thought underneath a tree would be her only shelter, out of the corner of her eye, Sakura spotted a cave in the side of a rock wall. It seemed a little... intimidating, but a bright flash of lightning and a deep roll of thunder threw all hesitation out the window. Sakura bolted for the cave and once inside, she placed her hands on her knees and struggled to catch her breath. Her sides screamed with each breath and her throat raw from how much oxygen she tried to inhale at once. After a few moments, the exhausted girl managed to slow her breathing, and she paused a moment to take in her surroundings. Her eyes had to adjust to the dim lighting and when they did, Sakura saw the cave sharply grew narrow. It went deeper into the side of the mountain. Could it be…
"Does the dragon live here?" Sakura whispered to herself. She then frowned. "I sound so pathetic..."
Still, her curiosity slowly got the best of her. A dragon didn't live in this cave, but it couldn't hurt to look... right? Sakura paused for a moment and weighed her options. The safest course of action involved remaining at the mouth of the cave until the storm passed. What if she missed a critical detail determining if the dragon survived?
"Why am I even contemplating this again?" she scolded herself, eyes still scanning her location wearily. "I need to find the others first."
Unfortunately, the woman was inquisitive. If anything, she wanted to check out the cave to prove a myth remained just that so she could rub it in Ino's face. Nothing was more satisfying than proving her best friend wrong... since she always seemed to be right. With a decision in mind, Sakura pulled a flashlight from the pack on her shoulders and made her way deeper into the cave. It was eerily quiet; her unsure footsteps reverberating off the rounded walls, the only noise that reached her ears. Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, Sakura nervously hooked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and threw worried glances over her shoulder toward the opening of the cave shrank in size. Soon only the yellow light of the flashlight gleamed.
Sakura wasn't sure how long she walked, long enough to feel claustrophobic. Her footsteps sped up unconsciously and the worried female wondering why she decided to travel deeper into the cave. Her panic mounted until she was at a full run, trying not to trip over stray rocks while keeping a death grip on her flashlight.
Run… little girl…
Fright seared through her body at the voice that seemed to be surrounding her in the tight cavern. What the hell was going on?!
Are you afraid?
I'm losing my mind! Sakura screamed in her mind, her legs pumping as faster than ever before. I have to get the hell out of here!
The pink-haired woman ran hard and breathed a sigh of relief when a sliver of light grew brighter the longer she ran. Finally, she reached it and threw herself into its glow. Surprise washed over her when Sakura landed on sand soft white sand. Looking up, she gave the new area a once over, confusion written on her features. "What the hell is this?"
Sakura witnessed a clear lake with a large waterfall straight across the calm water. This beautiful place resided inside of a cave? This was like a scene from a movie, but she never witnessed it in real life. Shakily getting to her feet, Sakura brushed some sand off the front of her wet clothes. The woman grew frustrated as the sand turned to mud and quit trying. She took a few curious steps towards the water and looked into it.
"I look like crap," she muttered to self, reaching up to smooth out her disheveled locks.
Surveilling the waterfall once more, Sakura squinted and noticed an opening behind it. a Giant lizard didn't occupy the area she found herself. The area surrounding it was closed in by jagged rocks and stretched a vast distance away from her, perhaps 150 to 200 feet and ended with a small forest of trees. The young woman turned her attention to the dark cavern from which she had escaped. It appeared to be her only way out of this unusual place, but she didn't want to risk hearing those voices again. The grainy yet deep way of speaking terrified her and Sakura felt the shiver go up her spine at the thought of it. Perhaps another exit existed behind the waterfall. She understood her completely brilliant plan to impress Sasuke was a stupid one.
Sakura realized the contrast in the brightness of the area compared to the darkness of the tunnel and the storm outside the cave. Pausing, Sakura discovered the loud crashes of thunder were no longer heard. What an odd turn of events. Sakura hung onto her flashlight and dropped her bag on the shore. Placing a foot inside the surprisingly warm water and thanking Ino for talking her out of bringing her cell phone, Sakura waded into the pond. After a few steps, she dropped under the water's surface. She came up sputtering and coughing. The water didn't seem deep at all, but she sank immediately and it took a moment before the urge to swim kicked in; the pond's floor existent?
Sakura continued to curse to herself as she swam, her limbs growing tired of the extra weight of her soaked clothes and trying to hold her flashlight above water. After a few moments that seemed like an eternity, the twenty-year-old pulled herself up onto the flat plateau next to the waterfall. The rushing current provided a soothing melody, but something was off; the air moved up in temperature drastically compared to the other side of the water. What caused such a bizarre change? An unfamiliar scent filled her nostrils. It was faint but almost sickening. The smell brought back a piece of the folktale, but Sakura pushed it away before she lost her sanity. The young woman pulled her flashlight out of her pack and turned it on; nothing happened. She shook it a few times, but that didn't help either. Unscrewing the head, Sakura blew into the inside until it was dry and tried again. This time it worked.
"All right," Sakura coached herself as she peered inside. "Here goes nothing."
She took her first few shaky steps into the cavern, not knowing what to expect. The warm air she felt on the outside tripled in intensity. Sweat poured from temples and it became harder to breathe the stifling oxygen. Why the hell did it get so hot suddenly? The next moment, a deep rumble echoed throughout the cave, causing Sakura to freeze. She pointed her flashlight straight ahead and her heart dropped to her feet when she saw the light glitter. Viridian orbs widened in shock at what she saw.
"It's real," she breathed.
There stood an enormous dragon, black scales shining in the dim lighting. It turned its head in her direction, crimson orbs sparkling like rubies. Smoke billowed from its nostrils as its quiet growl vibrated in Sakura's chest. The dragon attempted to move towards her, but the rattle of thick chains sounded and stopped the large creature's movements. Sakura took a step back, still in awe at the sight of the majestic mythical creature. The dragon existed; Sakura was dumbfounded. The beast stared at her, sharp teeth bared in her direction. This monster's ability to put her in danger loomed in the back of her mind, but Sakura was mesmerized.
Its claws clinked against the hard floor as it turned to face her. "Why are you here?"
Sakura blinked. "Did you just-"
Her sentence ended when the dragon's massive tail wrapped around her body. The flashlight clattered to the ground and shut off, but the creature's piercing orbs still shone brightly in the dark.
"Why have you come?"
Sakura's fear skyrocketed inside her when the creature brought her close to its face. Every breath that fanned her felt scalding hot, and she struggled to free herself to no avail. The surrounding grip only increased until she was sure her ribs would snap if it squeezed any tighter.
"I-I wanted to see if you were real," she wheezed. "I'll leave now and never come back. I promise!"
The dragon moved, so it was only inches away from her. "You'll never leave this place, Sakura Haruno."
Sakura's heart sank at those words. Coming to the Forbidden Forest was a mistake. Perhaps this answered why people disappeared after coming here. Terror crept into the frightened woman and her breath hitched as tears formed at the corner of her eyes.
"Please don't kill me," she begged. "I'll do anything!"
The dragon's grip tightened a fraction more. "You have not, nor will you be, the last to say that. What do you believe you can do for me?"
"I-I... "
What could she possibly do for something that wasn't even supposed to exist? The answers had to be slim and out of her power to do so.
"I'll find a way to free you!"
The creature was silent for a moment. "How can you, a mere human, free me?"
It placed her down but kept its tail hovering behind her in case Sakura tried to bolt. She gazed up at the large dragon, beryl orbs wandering over its body with curiosity. The mythical creature was... beautiful. Ebony scales, piercing red eyes, talons sharp enough to tear through human flesh. No matter how much danger the mystical being radiated, Sakura could still see the majesty and grace as it gazed at her.
"I don't know," she breathed. "Do you know a way?"
A deep rumble echoed from the creature's throat. "Yes, but it will require time; a month to teach you."
Sakura's eyes widened. "An entire month?"
Burning crimson eyes gazed at her. "Would you rather I destroy you now?"
She had an easy answer to that menacing question. She didn't want to die, but she had so many obligations as it was! Her job at Olive Garden, college, and the new video game she had just bought two days ago! By the time she got out of here that game would be old news and she wouldn't have a clue what the new talk of GameStop would be! Still, being alive trumped overall; however, what about food? This dragon would not allow her to leave. She would starve to death before she learned how to help the dragon escape. Sakura brought it up and cringed when the dragon's tail moved closer.
"There is plenty of fish in that pond," it responded. "The water is also drinkable."
Sakura frowned. She loved fish as much as the next person but eating it nonstop for an entire month did not sound appetizing. What was she going to do without her cinnamon apple muffins? She would die that's what would happen. How would she cook the fish, anyway? Well, perhaps her captor could assist with that...
The young woman gazed at the dragon once more and her inquisitive nature churned. "So... are you the dragon that was once a man?"
"Yes," he answered simply.
This dragon claimed he was the character from that folklore. Sakura couldn't believe what horrid luck she had. An impossible situation lay before her: help the dragon-like she promised or suffer burning alive or worse: ripped to shreds. She'd really gotten herself into a mess. Maybe she could plan an escape, but as of now, thoughts of escape were void.
Sighing, Sakura hooked her knotting hair behind her ear and asked, "Well, what's your name?"
The dragon raised his head and said, "Itachi."