Ok, I want to first apologize to you all for two reasons. First, I don't think that I will be working on Resurrection for a while, and second, I wish to apologize for the characters in this. I realize that many people are against original characters plopped into a fanfiction- especially those that people like to call Mary Sues and Marty Steves. But please try to understand, these characters are only going to be in a few chapters, if more than one. The only one that will be lasting –coughcough- is Kuro.
The only reason I added the three extra is because I need them for the intro. And as for Kuro… well…. I couldn't write this story without him… the whole plot revolves around him, so it might be a little hard to write this without him.
Right, and I want to clear things up for you. Shimazu is the oldest, and is the only kunoichi. The other three are boys: Ochii is the youngest, and the least mature, Kuro is the oldest, and he doesn't say much, and Komatsu is the one in the middle, also the one with the worst temper.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!
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The full moon shone brightly on the village below, illuminating the deserted streets of Konoha. The shimmering leaves of the tall trees seemed to give off a soft glow as a gentle wind brushed through the branches. Everything was silent, save the creaking of the trees as the wind passed, and the occasional cricket or frog, shattering the silence with a shrill chirp.
Four figures slunk stealthily through the woods nearby, taking care not to step into moonlight. Hiding themselves in the shadows, they stepped gingerly, one leading while the other three followed cautiously behind. The first one would freeze at the slightest noise- a snap of a twig, or the rustling of leaves, and signal with his hand to command the others to follow suit. Another breeze passed through, and the hiss of the leaves echoed through the night.
"Komatsu-san…" The shortest of the four figures reached to and nudged the leader. The leader ignored the other and continued to step cautiously through the woods. "Komatsu-san…" The first figure hissed his name again, more persistently this time, adding a whine to his voice. However, Komatsu still did not answer. "Kom-"
"What do you want, Ochi?!" Komatsu wheeled around to face the shorter one, irritated with the pestering boy. Ochii sheepishly averted his eyes.
"Well… I was wondering… where are we going again?" He squealed in pain as Komatsu landed a fist hard on the top of the younger boy's head.
"Don't you ever pay attention?" Komatsu growled. "I told you before we left! Keh, I'll let you figure it out yourself, brat." Ochi rubbed the top of his head and stuck his tongue out at Komatsu. "You little brat!" He hissed angrily, and lunged at the taunting boy. After a brief second, however, Komatsu was dragged off, being restrained by a thin, brown haired kunoichi.
"Calm down, Koma-san," She whispered into his ear as he struggled. "We don't want to wake any of the villagers; we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble." Komatsu stopped struggling, then pulled away from the kunoichi.
"You don't think I know that? I'm aware that we're breaking a million rules by doing this. I'm not stupid, Shimazu." Shimazu sighed.
"Too bad you act stupid." Shimazu shot an angry glance at Ochii. "Listen, Ochii, I want you to start paying more attention. And don't harass Komatsu, you know he has a temper." Komatsu stuck his tongue out at her. The kunoichi merely raised her eyebrow.
"You never told me what we're doing out here…"
"Tch, Ochii. Listen up. We're out here to find that witch. Remember I was telling you about the one who brings spirits back from the dead? If we can find her, we might be able to ask her how her magic works!"
"Oh, I remember now! But wait…" Ochii paused to think, then turned to the fourth nin who had been leaning against a nearby tree, the leaves shadowing his face. "Kuro, why are you here then? You said you weren't interested." Kuro lifted his purple eyes to meet Ochii's and shrugged slightly.
"You don't talk much, Kuro." Ochii pouted, then turned back to Komatsu. "So how far away are we?" Komatsu looked around.
"Actually, I think we're basically there," He pointed to a small clearing ahead, through the thick of the trees. He stepped over a broken log, and made his way over to the clearing. His teammates followed closely behind, and crowded around a small stone protruding crudely from the ground.
Komatsu squatted in front of the grave marker, brushing his hand across the weatherworn stone.
"U-m-ki Na-o" Komatsu shook his head, and stood again. "I can't make out the name, only a few letters. I'm pretty sure this is it, though." The shinobi looked up at the sky and turned to the others. "We should probably find a place to hide and watch the witch. It's almost midnight, so she'll be here soon."
The four nin hid behind trees and awaited the arrival of the 'witch.' Several minutes passed, and Komatsu shifted to look at Kuro.
"I heard the witch used to be a nin from Konoha, like us. I just have to wonder, why did she leave?" Kuro shrugged, then looked around the trunk of the tree he was hiding behind, gazing at the battered grave.
"I wonder… if she and this spirit… were close." Komatsu laughed.
"I doubt she would leave just because the death of one person." Kuro's amethyst eyes flashed briefly, but dulled again as he averted his attention from Komatsu. An abrupt gust of air, stronger than the previous, whipped around them, leaves flying into the air. And suddenly, a lone cloaked figure stood in the clearing, black robes swaying slightly as the air stilled.
The figure reached for her cloak, and drew it back, her pale skin glowing in the soft moonlight. Her expression was filled with worry and pain and a black substance was spattered across her face. She stood for a second, holding her hand to her stomach, anguish distorting her features.
By her appearance, Kuro judged she was no older than 19- much younger than he had expected. She seemed determined, though her emerald eyes were glassy, and her cheeks were blanched and tear-stained. She staggered painfully over to the grave, and collapsed. She reached weakly for the old stone, tears falling to the ground beneath her. She lifted her other hand and grabbed the pendant of a necklace she wore.
And suddenly, a figure began to materialize. The spirit, glowing faintly, was a young boy with blonde hair, and deep, azure eyes. Seeing the kunoichi on the ground, he quickly knelt beside her.
"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" He spoke in alarm, narrowing his eyes as he saw her hand on her stomach. "Sakura, you're bleeding heavily, you need to go to the hospital. We need to get you to Tsunade, now." Sakura shook her head, and coughed, blood spurting from her mouth.
"N…Naruto. He's….back…" She was unable to say anything more, as she was overtaken by a fit of coughing. Naruto made a motion to catch her as she fell, but her limp body passed through his arms.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura!" Naruto desperately tried to arouse the pink-haired kunoichi, but froze as a cold voice cut through the night air. His eyes narrowed with anger as he turned to see a raven-haired nin behind him. The black-haired shinobi wore a black cloak with swirling red clouds, accompanies with a light brown hat that resembled that of a peasant's.
"Sasuke…" Naruto hissed angrily at the nin that stood before him.
"Well, if it isn't Naruto…" The shinobi spoke without emotion, his gray eyes dull, and blank. "I thought I rid you from this world." He narrowed his eyes, glaring angrily at the blonde. "But apparently I was wrong about more than one thing…" He trailed off, looking at Sakura who was unconscious with blood pooling beneath her. Unaffected, he turned his attention back to the spirit who knelt beside the limp kunoichi. "Now tell me, where exactly is that Bijuu that you so heavily relied on- when you still lived, that is." Naruto stood up, growling.
"Like I'd ever tell you, traitor." The shinobi stood motionless for a second, then closed his eyes.
"Even though my sharingan doesn't work on spirits, I still have power over you, you know." He took a deep breath. "Did you know, that when a spirit nears the person who killed them, they experience their death again; but this time they aren't given the relief of death." Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and stared coldly at Naruto. Naruto stood rigidly, and within a second, he had fallen to the ground, translucent blood pooling quickly beneath him. "But I know that even if I make you experience death again and again, you still won't give me what I want. You've always been stubborn, and I doubt death could change that." Sasuke turned to where the four eavesdropping nins hid. "But I do know your weakness, Naruto. You would never want to put others in danger." Naruto leapt to his feet as fast as his injuries would allow.
"Don't!"
"Too late." Sasuke activated his mangekyou sharingan cooly, entangling the four nins in the deadly jutsu.
--
Kuro opened his eyes to find himself on the ground, unable to move. The sky above was black, and a bloody red moon illuminated the eerie scene. Sasuke stood above him, his chakra blade above, poised directly above his heart.
"Welcome to hell," he said indifferently. Sasuke plunged the icy cold blade crudely into his heart, then disappeared, leaving Kuro to suffer.
Weakly, Kuro grasped the blade, the pain blinding him. He found himself suffocating, and he struggled to breathe. Everything began to blur, and his entire body began to numb. His vision began to fade, and he began to slip into unwilling unconsciousness.
But suddenly, a figure appeared before him, and with little effort, pulled out the long chakra blade. Kuro gasped as he felt air return to his lungs, and the pain returned to his body. He looked up at his ally and froze, seeing the spirit standing in front of him. The ghost boy was heavily injured: blood dripped from several deep wounds in his chest.
"I'm…sorry…" Naruto collapsed, and Kuro, finding himself free from the invisible bonds, sat up, and looked around. The red moon began to fade, and the sky began to lighten as the scene faded back into reality.
Kuro shook his head and staggered to his feet. There was no sign of either the spirit or the kunoichi. Maybe it had all been a dream?
And that's when he saw them: his three friends, lying unnaturally still on the grass. His eyes wide, Kuro walked numbly to them, and collapsed beside them. Their bodies were cold and Kuro found himself facing the horrible truth: they were dead.
--
Ochi is the word for the punch line in a joke, but the kid's name is actually Ochii. Komatsu calls him Ochi only to annoy him.
I know, I know, such a morbid not to end on, sorry. But I hope you all liked it. This will be continued as soon as possible, as I know where I'm going with this. (Unlike Resurrection –sigh-) Anyway, let me know what you think, and again, I apologize for having the original characters, but they're taken care of now, right?
Inuluvr