Made for the KakaSaku LJ Poe Challenge.
I don't own Naruto or the characters – only this fic and the cheesy interpretation. I do not own the quote "Spirits moving musically" either, it's Poe's.
The hall was empty, the moldy wooden floor creaking with every step the two shinobi took. If not for the torches the two had with them, pure darkness would have encapsulated their figures. The torch dimly lit the area around them, their shadows dancing on the floor with each move. From their silhouettes, it was apparent that one was a tall male with a slightly lean figure, the other a female. Their breathing was heavy, their skin covered in dirt and blood. Gashes and scratches criss-crossed on the female's limbs, a memento of the battle two hours ago.
"Where are we?" asked the female. The question hung loosely, without any real interest latching on it. She did not really want to know, no. She could never care less about where they were spending the night. Not after what happened. She only needed to hear his voice so she could cling on it and assure herself that she was still sane and she was not alone. She waited for an answer – to her, the seconds seemed to pass sluggishly. Her eyes flitted from one corner to another, inspecting the seemingly endless darkness around them.
"Well, this is now most known as the Haunted Ballroom," answered the male. He glanced sideways to his teammate. "Surely you've heard the story of this place when you were in the Academy, Sakura-chan?"
The name clicked in her mind. Of course she remembered the story. She was the only student in her year to ever earned perfect score in the shinobi world history subject. His question was rhetorical, so instead of answering she threw a retort, hissing through her gritted teeth. "Cut the –chan. I'm not a little girl anymore, Kakashi."
Kakashi's eyes closed momentarily. Of all the people in the world, she chose to throw the retort at him. He was probably the person most aware of her growth and maturity, it drove him crazy at times. He didn't respond, merely continuing his story. "This hall used to be the place where the daimyo and other royalties gathered and had parties after parties. They danced the nights away, uncaring of the people who were dying in poverty. At one point the poor shinobi had enough. They slew all the partying royalties –"
"And ever since the place is deserted and rumored to be haunted by partying ghosts," said Sakura, finishing Kakashi's sentence.
"You know your history well." They stopped walking. The two had reached the end of the ballroom. After putting the torch in a metallic bucket they found near the corner of the room, they both took out their thin mattresses from their own backpacks and laid them side-by-side.
"I'll keep watch first. Go sleep. I'll wake you up in three hours," said Kakashi. He sat on his mattress, leaning on the wall. Arms crossed, he looked at his teammate to lie down on her mattress – but she did not.
"No."
"No?"
"No." She sat on her mattress, legs crossed and back towards him. She stared into the blank darkness intently.
"You basically used up all your chakra to heal—"
"To TRY healing, you mean. And to no avail. So don't you dare suggest that I sleep while someone might ambush you and I might not have the time to…" her voice trailed away, her shoulders trembling.
Two hours ago, she just pumped almost all her chakra into the dead bodies of their two other teammates. If not for Kakashi who got to her later after finishing off their enemy, she might have died, drained of energy, and he would have lost the last of Team 7. The mere thought sent grief crushing his chest. Sakura had been his teammate for longer than anyone else, and she had saved his life countless times, just like how he saved hers. It was almost they depended on each other to just stay alive.
"Sakura," he said. "We won't be ambushed. I killed them all, I made sure to set numerous traps around this place. You'll hear me yell before anything could happen – that is if you haven't woken up at the sound of said assailant's footsteps. Now, sleep."
"No."
"Sakura…"
At that very moment, all the tears she held back suddenly burst out. Sakura sobbed and wailed, head bent down. Her short hair covered her face like a messy curtain. "Y-you have no idea… those nightmares…"
Kakashi reached forward, touching her shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. I know exactly what they are like."
"And you still can sleep? Stop lying." The girl glared at him, tearful eyes glinting under the dim light of the dying torch.
"I stopped getting them. Only occasionally, when something terrible happens." He extended his hand to his ex-student. "Come here."
Sakura took his hand, hesitation apparent in her move. He pulled her up and started moving to the middle of the large hall. Encapsulated by pure darkness, unreached by the glow of the torch they left near the corner, they stood face-to-face, fingers intertwined.
Then, a faint wind blew past them. Its sound was like a faint flute, airy and light. Another tune came, this time startling her as it blew by her arm.
"Relax," said Kakashi. His fingers intertwined with hers. "They won't hurt us."
"They?" Her voice got pitchy, panic lining her every breath. She tried reading his expression with incredulity spread all over her own face, but it was too dark to see anything else other than his towering silhouette.
"Ssshh."
Tune by tune passed and slowly, gradually, there was music and the two people could feel… others. Souls, old ghosts of dead royalties rose from their silence and began filling the hall with their invisible dance. Sakura held her breath, while Kakashi simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the party they were in.
"Could you feel the spirits moving musically, Sakura?" he whispered on her ear. She felt his breath brushing her neck and tensed. She nodded. Her grip was hard on his fingers. Squeezing her hand gently, he whispered again, "Shall we join them, then?"
He did not wait for a response. One hand still holding hers and the other arm around her waist, he began twirling her around and around. Dazed, Sakura could only follow his steps clumsily, at times tripping, but saved by his firm hold. They danced and danced, holding each other, clinging on the only companion they had left. For a moment the battle they had that day never existed, the death they witnessed never happened. For a moment there were only them and the ghastly party they partook in, and nothing else mattered.
The music gradually silenced, and in the end they were left alone again in the empty barren hall.
"Are they…"
"Spirits of the daimyo and royalties? Yes."
"But how…"
"You see, this is how I got rid of those nightmares. I figured that although invisible, those who we thought had left forever apparently never did so."
kjdshfjhg blagh ending. I actually lost inspiration halfway. This is NOT one of my better writings... Comments and critics are much appreciated :3