Author's Note:
HI EVERYONE! :D
So yeah.. This is my very first story as a writer of any sort. But I've been reading fanfiction for so long that I just couldn't help myself one day and decided I just HAD TO write a fan fiction and see how well I fare compared to all the professional writers here! :P
So here it is - 'Chi No Kizuna' or in English, 'Blood Bonds'.
Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D
"Lalalalalalala" - normal speech
'Lalalalalala' - thoughts
"Lalalalalalala" - inner selves
Chapter 1 : A Promise To Be Fulfilled
Late Evening.
The forest was quiet. Not an animal in sight. A few birds suddenly fly out of the lush green foliage that surrounded a forest than the blink of an eye, a group of ninjas flitted across the trees and alighted in the middle of the clearing.
"Alright everyone. It's getting late. We'll camp here for the night", said a man whose mop of messy silver-grey hair fell across one eye that was covered with a forehead protector. The rest of his face was also hidden behind a black mask. His one visible onyx eye swept across the darkening sky and over the clearing and its visitors.
" But Kakashi-sensei! We're not tired! And we have to find them as soon as possible!" a young man with a head of unruly blond spikes disagreed. Loudly. His cerulean eyes blazed with determination.
" Calm down Naruto, Remember what Pakkun said? They've stopped moving for quite some time now so we have to assume they're resting too. Besides not everyone has a endless energy like you do!" rationalized a young woman with shoulder length rosette locks that swayed gently in the slight breeze, framing her pretty face. Bright viridian eyes gazed in reprimand at the blond man's restless form.
" Yeah I know Sakura-chan, but that's our chance to catch up and bring the teme back!" Naruto pleaded
Flinching slightly at the name of their long estranged teammate, the cherry blossom reached into her backpack to obtain packs of rations which she then proceeded to distribute to their teammates.
"Relax Naruto, we'll be on our way before you know it", She replied.
"Yeah Knucklehead! Besides, I need to recharge a bit. And Akamaru's pretty tired too. ", interjected in a young man with canine shaped eyes and red triangles that ran down both his cheeks.
" Yes Naruto-kun. We should take a small break. If we happen to run in to a group of enemy ninja, we have to be prepared and fit enough to handle them.", chimed in a soft voice as everyone glanced at the pearl eyed Hyuuga heiress.
"Hinata-sama is right Naruto. We'll need to be at full strength for any upcoming confrontations", the deep voice of Hyuuga Neji signaled the end of the discussion .
Grumbling and slightly miffed that everyone was evidently conspiring against him, Naruto flopped down on the grass next to an already napping man with spiky hair that was tied up, greatly resembling a pineapple.
"Stop being so troublesome Naruto", the said man Naruto could retort however, a feminine voice beat him to it.
"Oh stop it you two. You know as well as anyone here, Naruto, that everything's deemed 'troublesome' by Shikamaru", said the young woman, flipping her long ponytail of blonde hair aside as she glanced, amused , between the two men.
Sakura chuckled as she walked over to give the trio their rations.
"He knows Ino-pig, but you know men. They can hardly resist retorting to a well placed jibe", grinned Sakura as she tossed packs to the said blonde and the weapons' mistress of the team, who came strolling up to join their little group. "You would know Forehead, seeing that you spend the most time around him, ne Tenten?" laughed Ino, looking towards the chocolate-eyed kunoichi who chuckled in agreement.
Sakura glanced around at the rest of the team, checking to see if she had missed out on anyone. Spotting a shinobi who was sprawled against a tree sketching silently, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world, she approached him, curious to know what he was working on.
"Hey Sai!", she greeted him, "what are you working on?"
The dark haired youth lifted his ebony eyes off the paper to look at her.
"Hello Ugly, Im preparing some ink animals for any upcoming battles we may have to face." Sai replied, gesturing to the beautifully inked selection of beasts on his scroll.
Sakura twitched at the ill- suited nickname he had come up with for her as studied the fine artistry of the drawings for a while, before she passed him his pack of rations and turned to walk back with a smile of admiration.
After everyone had eaten and rested, the team gathered around the campfire to discuss the plan for the next day.
"Alright, so since we're not very from where the targets supposedly are, we'll split up into groups so we can scout a wider area. Each of you will be partnered with two of Kakashi's ninja dogs. Shino, you have your bugs so you will be alright I take it? " questioned the brown haired ex-Anbu member, Yamato, glancing at the bug wielder of the team.
The Aburame youth nodded in verification.
"Right then, everyone get some sleep. We'll be on our way at 5 am. Lee, you take first watch" Yamato said, standing up.
"Yes Captain Yamato!" cried the enthusiastic shinobi, striking the famous good guy pose before moving over to sit on a log across the clearing as he started first watch.
Sakura laid next to Naruto on the soft grass, her thoughts on their mission and that fateful day he had left. She hadn't been strong enough to stop him from leaving then, she reminisced. She had been so weak.
"Are you thinking about him Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto gently. He hadn't been sleeping after all.
Sakura smiled a little sadly, Naruto always knew when she was reflecting on their past days. He was always there to cheer her up.
"Mhmmm…..", Sakura sighed, "I was thinking how I wasn't strong enough to save him last time Naruto….And now….."
"Sakura-chan….. We both weren't strong enough. But we've trained hard. And this time, We won't lose to Sasuke-teme, the Akatsuki or anything else thrown in our way. We'll bring him back for sure! " He replied.
Sakura smiled, a true smile this time. She took his hand that rested on the grass beside her, squeezing it gratefully.
Naruto returned the gesture, grinning at her. Their bond couldn't be broken.
He loved Sakura like sister. Team seven. Their bonds were one of the things he valued above all else. He knew she did too. They all did. Him, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei…even Captain Yamato and Sai had become a part of it.
Although Captain Yamato could do without the creepy eye thing and Sai needed some serious social lessons he thought.
And Sasuke. He was the brother Naruto never had. Sasuke had accepted him. Treated him somewhat like an equal. They had gone through so much together. Naruto refused to let their bond be broken just like that. No matter how much Sasuke claimed to have severed it, he knew it still remained deep inside his heart.
'I will protect that bond ', Naruto thought, as he released Sakura's hand gently, so as not to wake the sleeping kunoichi up, he himself drifting toward unconsciousness.
'Even if only a tiny silvers of it remained...'
In the treetops, a bird alighted on a high tree branch with a view of the entire clearing.
A raven.
In its eyes whirled the distinctive pattern of a Mangekyo Sharingan.
A/N:
Well that's that! My first chapter! Woot! :D
Please review! I'd love to know what my mistakes are and how I could improve my writing style and other knick- knacks. Any advice or constructive critisism are welcome.
Basically whatever floats your boat :P
Any ideas for the storyline are warmly welcome too! :D
Thank you sooo much everyone!
~Melon Blossom