Heya guys ..with the end of Naruto I'm having an overload with story ideas. This is one of them. Actually the original plot is another story I've started writing(uploaded in tumblr account-LINK IN BIO) but ... So...
Other than that there's nothing which needs to be read for this story...
And don't worry our heroes will have prominent appearance in this story... So read on... ^.^
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Beyond the blank pages.
Summary: She always thought that she was the mixture of the three. Her three favourite characters from her favourite manga. And then they come crashing into her world. 'Oh this will be fun.' She thought with a frown.
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Chapter 1 The world she lived in
Her black eyes darted across the room to see the source of her discomfort. Finding the small device was not hard, since it screamed its tone so loudly. "Ugh." She moved, her eyes squinting under the rays of sun. The phone was still ringing. Loudly. Groggily she picked it up and groaned.
"Please, tell me that you have something worthwhile to say." She spoke through a scowl.
"Why would I call then? Do you really think I am that free?" Her mentor's voice came through her latest model of Gen10- the leading company of telecom and communications. The phone had cost her pretty much but it was worth it. She could store unlimited data on it and browse the e-library without any fuss or so.
"I know but... It's six..." She grumbled and rubbed her eyes. The man on the other end sighed. "Yes, I know. But this is important."
"Okay." She sighed and got out of her bed. The Minister wouldn't be calling if it was not important. "Will be there in an hour."
"It takes fifteen minutes from your place to come to my office." He spoke in an impatient tone. She grumbled about her Sunday going down the drain and replied. "Yes but I also need a bath and a breakfast."
Honestly, four years since she knew him, he's still as grumpy as ever. How his daughters had turned out to be the chirpy ones, she'll never know. With a pang in her chest she realised that it was just 'daughter' now.
"Sarada." He grumbles her name in annoyance. "Genmai." She mocks him by taking his.
He pauses and then gives a long sigh. "I give you twenty."
She rolled her eyes and walked to the mirror. "What's it about anyways?" She asks.
"I need you to visit my brother."
She straightens her black hair and raises an eyebrow. "Mr. Ishida?" She asks. He says something about her paying respect to everyone but him. She snorts and shakes her head. Her eyes land on her shoulder length hair again, making her frown. She needs to cut it.
"You want me to take Ayane?" She asks, knowing how thrilled the girl would be to meet her uncle.
"No. I need her at the hospital."
She nodded, but then remembered he can't see her. "Okay." She doesn't object. After all, her friend is the best medic in Hona-her city. Probably in the world. But she wouldn't know. They don't have much contact with the other cities other than those who go out of Hona for a mission.
Yes, this was her world. Individual islands were cities distributed around the world. Of course after the great flood, they didn't have many habitable choices either. It was either underwater or in air or on water. She lived on one of the islands situated on water. Hona which translates to Peace from the ancient language of spirits. Yeah, as if. She rolled her eyes at it, always. She had never been outside Hona. Except when the flood hadn't come. Before that she had lived in what used to be New York. Now it is submerged underwater. She missed her old life.
"Sarada." A gentle voice rouses her from her thoughts. She turns to see the peeping form of Ayane Kasumioji. The daughter of the Minister. She smiled at her. "Morning Ayane!"
The girl smiles and comes inside. "Who were you talking to?" She asks as she places two plates of scrambled eggs on the table. After her father was appointed as the minister of Hona and after the death of her sister, Ayane had moved in with Sarada. Of course, Sarada wouldn't mind, she herself was a little lonely. Her parents lived a little far away from her place. It took an hour to reach their place by bus. She didn't regret though, her job was dangerous and unpredictable, so it was best if they stayed away from her. But not too far away. She frowns, remembering the last time she pushed them away.
"Sarada?" She asks again, a worried look on her face. Sarada shook her head and growled. "Your dad." Ayane looked surprised. Who wouldn't be? On a Sunday he would generally come to their house to have a family lunch. If he called it meant he wouldn't come. Technically Sarada wasn't a part of the family, but ever since she was taken by Genmai as his apprentice she became one of the members.
Ayane's bright green eyes dropped down. She was looking forward to this day. She had prepared a lot of things to eat. Sarada's face softened at her. She hated it when she would be hurt. After all that they had faced together she didn't want to see her hurt again.
Sarada raised her hand and placed it on her head. "I'll be back tomorrow. Save some of that cake for me." She spoke with a grin. Ayane's green eyes twinkled with hope and she smiled, her bright orange bangs framing her childlike face. Sarada laughed and shook her head. "Honestly, you turned eighteen today miss. Behave like one."
Ayane blushed and giggled. "Meh. I wouldn't know how to. I don't have a good guide." Sarada pouted. "Hey I behave my age!"
Ayane giggled and sat on the table pushing forward the plates.
Sarada smiled and sat down next to her. Yes, she acted well for a nineteen year old who had seen her world end. Again and again. Ayane thought about her.
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She looked in the mirror and sighed. Another Sunday will be missed. Not an ordinary one either. Her best friend's eighteenth birthday. She wondered why it was so important for her to go meet Genmai's brother. Shaking her head she tied her hair and walked over to the table. She frowned at the book-comic lying on it. The front page had 'Naruto' written on it. Under the bold name was another line- 'Naruto Gaiden: The Scarlet Spring'. It was her favourite manga-even before the world had ended. She had grown up watching and reading the series. And she had grown with the characters. They were like her friends. She had been on all their journeys with them. Or so it felt like. From time to time she would return to the now complete series and reminiscence about her own past.
One would ask her who she liked the most in the series. She would answer with the names of the three main characters. Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Why? Because she was a mixture of all three together. A little bit goofy and determined. A little bit grumpy and damaged. A little bit of sunshine in the dark days.
She smiled and shook her head. She would come back to it later. She surely would.
-x-
"Jack?" She growled. The said boy took a step back and flinched. "I swear. I just came to give her the present!" He replied with a goofy but uncertain grin. Sarada sighed and shook her head. "Whatever, just don't do something stupid while I'm gone." Her advice was more towards Ayane than Jack. He was American before the world had ended, just like her. May be it was the too easy nature of his but she didn't like him-too goofy and irresponsible. But then, he was a perfect balance for her shy and gentle friend. They were in a relationship. But she didn't approve of it yet. But she couldn't say no to Ayane either. She looked at the blonde boy and cringed. He reminded her too much of Naruto. The lead character. Except Jack's eyes were brown instead of Naruto's blue.
She opened the door and glanced back. "I'm off." And she left the two alone.
-x-
"This arrived yesterday." He handed her a scroll. She frowned. Who uses scroll these days? "This looks ancient." She mumbled. Genmai nodded. "Perhaps it is. Open it." His hand ran through his light brown hair. Sarada opened the scroll and narrowed her eyes. "What the hell is this?" She had learned all kinds of languages known on earth. Even that of the spirits. This resembled none. It was more like the nonsensical scribbles of a child.
"That's what I thought. I don't recognise it either and so does Hayley."
Sarada's interest piqued at the name. Hayley was her best friend since the days of old. They were childhood buddies. She was the one who bought her the first copy of Naruto. And she was another person in Hona who had learned ancient languages.
"You think Mr. Ishida will know?" She asked, rolling up the scroll again. Genmai shook his head and closed his eyes, hiding the orbs which were much like the daughter she had left at home today.
"Okay. Then I guess I should leave right away." She spoke and adjusted her jacket. It was pleasant here, but uphill it might get cold.
"Hmm." He nodded and looked down. Sarada teetered and then turned to leave, but not before saying. "You better not let her be alone today."
And as she left she swore she heard him speak "I wouldn't dare to."
-x-
The trees were denser here while the sun was too direct. She guessed it was the reason why she liked it here. The quiet and the natural scape. It was so...serene.
Huffing, she stepped onto the boulder. She could see the cottage. Small but cute. She smiled. That old man was going to have a fit when he sees her. Groaning at her burning feet she started climbing again.
-x-
She knocked twice and then thrice. Before getting annoyed and shouting. "If you don't open up I swear I'll break it and enter."
A second later the door opened and revealed a boy. Around her age. She was taken aback by his dishevelled light brown hair and groggy eyes. "And who are you to do that?" He asked in a bored and annoyed tone. Sarada scowled. "Sarada O'Connor." The guy raised his eyebrows in surprise. He paused and grinned, making her blush. "Isn't that an Indian name? And O'Connor sounds American to me." Sarada rolled her eyes. "Yes, my mom is Indian and my dad is American. Now can you move?"
"Don't you wanna know my name?" He asked, flexing his muscles. She noted that he was rather lean built-not thin but not too muscular either. She would have drooled at him if she was any other girl. But she was Sarada- a girl with immense power of self control.
She sighed in frustration. He laughed and shook his head. "Jason Curb." She looked up at him in surprise. "You're Mr. Ishida's apprentice?" She asked in disbelief. He smiled and shrugged. She could've sworn he had blushed. Somehow the thought made her happy.
"Oi! Close that damn door before I freeze in here!" A grumpy voice echoed from behind Jason. Sarada shook her head and walked past Jason, who looked at her in amusement. Unbeknownst to each other, they were checking each other out.
Ishida had grown a beard now. His brown hair was a shade or two darker than Genmai's and his eyes were light blue instead of green. She rolled her eyes and threw the scroll at him. He caught it without even sparing a glance her way and then looked up.
"Sarada?" He asked, blinking rapidly making her smile. He grinned and scratched his chin. "Man, I must say. This is a surprise." His nervous tone was dramatically aligned Jason's cry. "Oi! Get off!"
Sarada looked at him and gaped. He was trying to push off what looked like a giant lizard. Colour drained from her face as she slowly formed words on her mouth. "Mr. Ishida, please tell me that isn't a salamander."
The said man laughed nervously and mumbled. "Sadly, it is."
Sarada groaned and pinched her eyes. Oh, the day had turned into the worst one.
"I'm gonna report you." She turned and opened the fridge next to her.
Ishida looked mortified. "What? No! Why would you do that?"
Sarada glared him and crossed her arms. "Because it's illegal to keep them in cold areas. Don't you know it?"
Ishida passed her a goofy grin and shook his head. Jason huffed and grumbled something unintelligible. Sarada sighed and spoke through her own irritation. "No wonder it's trying to climb up on him."
Jason looked at her as he finally threw the reptile off of him. She rolled her her eyes and snorted. "Your chakra nature is fire."
He gaped at her before shaking his head and disappearing behind what she assumed to be the bedroom door.
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"I see. So none of you can read it?" He asked through his cigar. Sarada nodded and placed her head on her hand. "I've never seen anything like this. Although it does look like... Greek? No, may be..." She bent her head towards the scroll. "Japanese?"
"It's not a human language. As far as I think." Ishida spoke after blowing smoke. Sarada wrinkled her nose and turned her head away.
"Sorry, kid. But I need time. You'll have to wait till the morning to get this one out of me."
-x-
Sarada groaned as she shivered, it was colder than she predicted here. And above all the salamander's croak was determined at keeping her awake. Deciding to go and help Ishida she got up.
-x-
"You don't look good."
Ishida looked up to see Sarada smiling down at him. Honestly, the kid could become a brilliant thief. He could never sense her arrival. "Yeah. It's much harder to decipher than I thought."
Sarada nodded and sat across him. May be it was the quiet or the biting cold that it suddenly came down to her like a slap. "Wait. What if..." She took the scroll and blew on it. Normally, dust would scatter around any scroll and then disappear but this time instead of dust the scribbles started scattering.
Ishida watched in amazement and got up in slow motion. "What is it?" He whispered in wonder as Jason entered the room, with a puzzled look.
Sarada looked smug as the scribbles rearranged themselves in air and then went back to the scroll.
"Can you read it now?" She asked. Because she could, as easily as the english alphabets.
"Yes." He spoke in a tired voice.
It was the spirits tongue-one that had been extinct since 10 decades.
"What does it say?" Jason spoke, his interest must have been caught when the letters flew out of the scroll. Sarada smiled. He looked like a child in wonder. A very handsome child. She mentally slapped herself and blushed.
Ishida sniffed and read, before speaking to them. "It's a summoning spell. I think... Yes, it summons something from another dimension."
Sarada looked at him and then down. Summon? She remembered what Genmai had said.
"We found it near the shores. Someone must have used it."
Sarada furrowed her eyebrows. "Who?"
"We don't know. I've got people looking into it. So I want you to figure out what this does. It might help us figuring some other things."
Whatever was summoned to this world from there, something told Sarada that it wasn't anything she would particularly like. So she packed her backpack again and left. Not bothering to stay till sunrise.
-x-
They had left together actually. He had to go down anyways. His mother was getting all emotional and had sent him messages saying that he hasn't visited the family since forever. So when Sarada started to leave, he packed his baggage and left his mentor's house to return to his. And now as the walked down the cliff he felt his muscles tensing in exhaustion. He had trained the entire day, and even in night it was hard for him to sleep due to that lizard.
He stopped and turned to see Sarada trailing behind him. "So, how long have you known Ishida?" She looked at him and grinned. "Three years. He hasn't changed much." He nodded and snorted. "Good to hear that you've endured more than I have."
Sarada smiled and passed him a look of amusement. He blushed. Weird. He never blushed. He was the one who made others blush.
-x-
"You sure?" Genmai looked up at her. His glasses sat on the brink of his eyes, on the verge of falling off.
"Can you not read it?" Sarada asked through a huff. Honestly, this man would be the death of her. He shook his head. "No. Not really." His smile was forced. She could see that he was tired. Then she remembered. "You found something didn't you."
He gave her a long stare and nodded. "Traces of blood." Her eyes furrowed. The summoning spell did not require any blood unless... "You think it's a demon from hell?"
He shrugged. "May be. We can't be sure yet." She nodded and sighed. A little too tired. She was a little too tired. Not like her mentor though.
He sighs and waves. "Go home. I'll call you if..."
She nodded. If he needed her. Being the minister's apprentice was difficult. He never let her take many missions outside Hona, but there were some jobs only she could do. Part of the reason why he kept her inside the city boundaries was because of her...ahem... Abilities.
Yes, even amongst the weirdos she was a weirdo. She would snort at that. No one knew, apart from Ayane, Ishida and Genmai. Something told her that the boy Jason might know as well.
She sighed and swooned before turning to leave.
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The moment she reached home she was greeted by Ayane's hug. Bone crashing. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you!" She was jumping up and down. Huh. Guess she got her present. Sarada scratched her head and grinned. "You like it?"
"I love it!" She kissed her cheeks, making Sarada laugh.
"Well then... I guess my hard work pays off." She had got her the latest dress from her favourite store-the one she had been ogling for months. Of course, Sarada had to save for the same but the happy look on her face made her smile too.
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"Ugh. I'm stuffed." Sarada spoke wiping her forehead. She had eaten too much of Ayane's cooking. And now she was almost bursting.
Ayane giggled and place her head on her hand. "How's uncle Ishida?" She asked.
Sarada waved her hand and snorted. "Too happy for his age."
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"Ayane?"
"Hmm." The said girl looked up from the book. It was a book about the quick medical remedies. Sarada placed her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows. "Where's my copy of Naruto 699?" She had a vague idea as to where it could be. She hoped not though.
Ayane blushed and smiled nervously. "Jack took it."
"Took it?" Sarada pursed her lips and slumped. Ayane blushed even harder and shrugged. "I mean I allowed him to take it."
Sarada groaned. She hated it when people borrowed that chapter. Because it is where Sasuke returns Sakura's feelings openly.
Grumbling under her breathe she went to sleep, leaving a giggling Ayane behind.
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Stay in tune for the next chapter... Coz our three heroes will finally appear.
-NLP