Hi everybody. This is my third story, and I hope you like it. Word of warning though, the story summary seems really stupid and a bit fanciful even to me. But I suddenly wanted to write it no matter how dumb. I apologize in advance if anyone of Brazilian heritage reads this story because I'm positive that it isn't the least bit accurate cultural wise or weather wise. I just wanted to use the Amazon Basin as the setting, and I completely made up the different tribes. Once again, sorry if the characters seem bipolar or OOC. And a tip that should help you better understand what's going on is: Mayuri is the same person as Sakura's mom and Tuku is the same person as Sakura's dad. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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Amazon: The Waters of Secrecy
Chapter One: Something to Give
It was hard to believe that today of all days was the worst day of my life. The sky was the purest blue, and the surrounding forest was abundant with life. Unlike most days the heat and humidity were surprisingly bearable. Of course, this could only mean that heavy rains were coming – the beginning of the rainy season –, but I had always enjoyed the migration of my people to higher land.
The nonstop packing of personal belongings along with the gathering and drying of fruits whose trees would soon be submerged in water never failed to send a buzz of excitement through my bones. Though this year instead of being a part of that excitement I sat with my legs folded beneath me in a small hut that had been built on the outskirts of the summer village.
To my right sat my father. His bronze skin seemed to glow in the dimly lit hut as he sat with his back straight and his head held high. It was easy to see why he had been so sought after when he was my age.
His name was Tuku.
And to my left sat my mother – the perfect picture of a demure yet strong woman – she too sat with her back straight and her head up, but her eyes were respectably downcast. She was beautiful.
Her name was Mayuri.
My parents and I both know that they would do anything to protect me. So it's only to be expected that they would want to assure a happy future for their only child. I say this because sitting across from my parents and I, are the main ruling family of the Uchihas, a sister tribe.
"So it is agreed," Asked my father, "Sasuke will take my daughter for his wife in her seventeenth year?"
Sasuke's father, Fugaku, nodded his approval.
Without hesitation all present rose from the ground. Tuku and Fugaku nodded at each other, and then Sasuke stepped forward. Like his relatives he was fair skinned and had dark black hair, both were traits rare in the Amazon (save the rest of the Uchiha). Along with black eyes that seemed to hold an abyss of knowledge – a trait he shared with his elder brother, Itachi, who sat opposite him – he was without a doubt a handsome youth.
"I can't wait for our wedding day," he said to me. His voice was pleasant despite the fact that the words had sounded rehearsed. But I only lowered my head in respect.
The Uchihas left soon after.
My mother sighed before turning to me and giving me a wink. She had been waiting for this day for weeks.
'Well at least she's happy.' I thought. A warm hand fell on my shoulder, and I turned to see my father, his eyes twinkling.
"Congratulations," he said proudly, "when the time is right you will rule over both the Nowyu and Uchiha with a strong husband at your side."
My father must have been drunk on happiness. There was no way I could ever be compared to Sasuke, prince of the Uchiha tribe, only overlooked. When we married he would rule, not I. I would only watch from the sidelines as a good and devoted wife should. In other words, I was just another villager when I was in his presence.
Oh! That reminds me. I haven't introduced myself. I apologize. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm heir princess of the Nowyu tribe, a people located on the outer edges of the Amazon.
The Nowyu are strong, but my father believes in having allies. That's why I have to marry that boy, and why today is the worst day of my life.
"Sakura," Mayuri whispered in my ear, "you can go out now."
For a brief moment I wondered why she was whispering. Her eyes had a troubled look about them, and I couldn't help but remember how prone to sickness she was at this time of year. Could it be the fever? Tuku and I share a worried glance.
As if reading our minds she smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. Go join your friends."
I could tell there was something she wasn't saying. But there was nothing I could do so I took her advice and headed for the door. Kagali should be down by the river anyway, and I needed someone to talk to.
As soon as I passed through the doorway the smell of roasting fish mingling with that of sweat and over ripe fruit assaulted my nose. The nauseating aroma had taken years to get used to but I loved it all the same.
Slipping through the foot-worn roads, I watched silently as people hurried in and out of small huts and shacks. Even young children busied themselves with menial tasks such as holding tools and fetching kindle. I smiled at the sight.
A few villagers bowed their heads in respect as I passed by. Others simply smiled or gave a friendly wave and shout. It was obvious that everyone here was happy, and I didn't want my sour mood to ruin anyone else's day. So, I plastered a fake grin on my face and continued in the direction of the river.
I had walked almost a quarter of a mile when I turned onto a roughly made opening in the dense foliage. A carpet of green covered a majority of the narrow clearing, making it hard to discern path from jungle. Thus, I paid close attention to where I walked so I wouldn't lose my way. Even in broad daylight getting lost was a simple task on the "road" to the river, and with the sun already low in the sky I prayed that I would make it back home before dark.
Trees towered above me providing shade from a sun that wasn't brutal. I shivered unconsciously. It was getting cooler and with the coming rainstorm I didn't want to get caught outside.
As my worries climaxed I broke free of the green forest and found myself a few feet from the soft dirt of the river bank. A few villagers knelt at the water's edge with empty pots in hand. I wondered at this because rain would be falling soon. I saw no need to gather water. Shrugging, I trudged up the bank, loving the feel of the dirt between my toes, as I searched for Kagali. Now that I thought about it Kagali had no reason to be here either. What if she wasn't here?
A flash of blue caught my eye and I calmed myself. I made my way over to a girl with beautiful cinnamon hair braided down her back and a vibrant blue sash around her waist.
She sat at the river's edge with her knees brought up to her chin and her arms wrapped about her legs.
I almost laughed at her contemplative countenance. With a streak of mud across one cheek and her nose scrunched in concentration Kagali was a sight to see.
"What are you doing," I asked. I wasn't surprised at how happy I sounded. It was always that way around Kagali.
She looked at me for a moment and then returned her gaze to the water, "I saw it again," she said simply.
I rolled my eyes in an annoyed manner, but pushed her playfully after I'd plopped down beside her. 'Not this again,' I thought.
"Kagali why do you insist on doing this to yourself? I don't mean to sound like a brat or anything, but I'm the princess here." I sighed, "The princess who is now the victim of an arranged marriage I might add."
Her head whipped around at my words. "An arranged marriage?" she whispered. "That's what they wanted you for?" Like a true best friend Kagali's words were laced with just the right amount of pain, horror, disgust, and compassion. I almost hugged her then. I could always count on her to understand.
"My goodness," she whispered. Her eyes skimmed across my face before meeting my eyes again. "And you seem to be taking it well…You are taking it well aren't you?" She asked worriedly.
I nodded, "But enough about me," (No matter how understanding she was it wasn't something I wanted to dwell on.) "What about you? You say you saw them again?" I raised my eyebrow accordingly. This was a technique I used to show what I thought of a person's sanity.
"Look, I know you don't believe me, but I've seen them."
"Them?" I ask, "Who is them? For the last month you've been going on about them, yet you refuse to tell me exactly who they are?"
Her silence was expected and I only grunted. "Would you at least answer me?" I finally asked in defeat.
"What?" Kagali's head was turned away from me, but I was positive I had heard something.
"I said I don't know," she hissed.
I watched her for a moment as worry flooded my mind. This was going too far. When I had first heard this story from Kagali I had dismissed it as some silly game she had wanted to play. True she had never let up on the story, but Kagali loved to gain my trust before completely shattering it.
But this time she really believed it. I could just tell she did. I suddenly felt guilty for not being more supportive. After all I always used her as the outlet for all of my problems.
"Could you at least tell me what you saw Ali?" I asked, hoping that the use of her pet name would help a bit, "I want to believe you but," I struggled with my words wondering what was appropriate, "– there really isn't anything for me to believe. You're always so vague."
"They're only shadows," she said into her arm. I still couldn't see her face but I felt she was crying. "In the water, they're only shadows."
Her head lifted and teary eyes met mine. Not knowing what else to do I hugged her. As soon as my arms wrapped around her, harsh sobs racked her small frame. I cooed words of comfort in to her ear bewildered as to how I had overlooked such pain. I held her tighter in my arms, praying to anyone listening that I was actually doing some good.
By the time Kagali had stopped crying the sun was only a speck on the horizon. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. I could tell by the way she avoided my gaze that Kagali was embarrassed.
"We should head back now. We don't want to get lost," I offered. The words were supposed to show that this little moment was between us, but she still sat rubbing at her eyes. "Everyone else has already headed back to the village, and our parents will be worried if we're not back in time for dinner," I continued. It was true enough. We were the only ones there and at night jaguars and other predators hunted. The village used great bonfires to ward the creatures off, but whenever anyone was away from their safety it was only natural for friends and family to worry.
"You must think I'm crazy, speaking of shadows in the water and all," Kagali said this with a heavy heart.
I shook my head, aware of the fact that she couldn't see me in the growing darkness – 'We need to hurry.' – and probed for her hand with my own. I gave up soon afterwards when I couldn't find it.
"No, I don't. I'm sure you saw something, but we just don't know what it was."
We sat there a moment longer, and when it was clear that Kagali had nothing else to say I brought myself to standup and dramatically stretched my limbs.
"Come on. Let's go," Kagali's voice said from behind me. I jumped. When had she gotten up?
Shaking the thought, I followed behind the vague shadow that was Kagali. Heading in the general direction of the narrow path we instinctively held hands. If we got lost we were getting lost together.
Once we had reached the foliage that marked the end of the river bank and the beginning of the forest we felt our way along until we had found the passage. I tried to walk as straight as possible because the small path sometimes branched out into another direction.
"Look," Kagali said from before me. "The bonfire's been lit." I looked up to the sky and saw the orange glow of fire just over the tree tops. "We'll just follow it back to the village," Kagali finished.
"If the fire's been lit then it's later than we thought. I hope we haven't missed dinner," I whispered in the darkness. Kagali's giggle sounded from in front of me. I smiled at this. She was feeling a little better.
"Don't worry we're almost there." And sure enough the path gave way to the familiar dirt road that led straight to the village.
"Kagali," I called. She answered with a sound of question, "when do you see…them? I mean where are you exactly, when it happens?"
"I told you," she began without hesitation, "I'm always at the river."
That night I was scolded for making my parents worry, but I didn't pay much attention. There was definitely something going on. What were these shadows Kagali spoke of? Could it be possible that they were all in her head or if they were real then what creature was making them? Was it dangerous? I was tempted to tell my father everything that night – he was Chief after all – but I decided against it. If I'd have told him I probably could have spared myself a lot of trouble. But so much would have been lost, so much would never had come to be. Still, it wasn't until the next day that my adventure truly began.
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Like the day before the sun shone brightly. Small rays of light snuck through the tiny cracks of my ceiling where water had dripped only hours ago.
I lay wrapped in the furs that made up my bedding while I shivered in the chill of the morning. My parents had woken sometime before. The smell of roasted fish and freshly peeled papaya wafted in through my door and I figured that Mayuri had stayed home; Tuku had left for a meeting with the village elders.
I sat up, still wrapped in my furs for I was afraid of the cold, and couldn't help but to bounce in a random bout of happiness. All the things that I wouldn't be using on the migration were safely packed away. The sac that I had stored them in sat bulging against the far wall and the sight of it caused me to smile in triumph. Because I had finished my packing so early the day was practically free.
I easily forced the thoughts of marriage out of my head not wanting to ruin the good feeling, and tried thinking of better things like my favorite breakfast that was undoubtedly in the kitchen or; of course, my birthday. True my sixteenth birthday had passed a few days ago, but with all the preparations I hadn't had anytime to revel in the fact. Today I planned to take advantage of my age and roam the forests free of an escort – a right I had been denied of until today.
Finally letting my furs fall back to the floor I crawled over to a small stack of folded cloth beside my packed sac. Next to both items sat a small wooden bowl filled to the brim with cool water. A white cloth floated on top of the water, and I soaked it quickly. I gingerly removed my loose sleeping shawl trying to bare the feeling of cold air on my exposed flesh.
I slowly washed myself, taking note of the sweet smell of gongora nectar that my mother had mixed in. This bothered me. My mother had the habit of mixing my bathwater with sweet smelling nectars when she had something important to tell me. I mentally added this to my list of things to worry about.
When I finished I dressed in my thickest loin cloth making sure that the thongs of leather were thin enough to not be noticed. Over it I placed a simple long skirt. It was made up of two separate rectangular fabrics; the one covering my rear was wider and wrapped half way around my hips, the second one was much thinner and was only a little wider than my groin area. Both went only to mid-calf. These fabrics were fixed on my body by tying strings of leather and beads together so the front of my legs were always visible and my thighs were easily seen with too much movement. Even with such revealing clothes and being only half-dressed I already felt a bit too warm. The day wouldn't be as hot as it usually was, but this was still the Amazon after all. So, my top was a simple looped cloth that held firmly to my breast, and left my stomach out in the open.
"Sakura," my mother called, "breakfast is ready."
I started to leave the room empty handed when I thought better of it. Grabbing my snake skin bag – my grandfather had made it with the skin of an Amazonian tree boa – I stuffed a shawl made from ocelot fur into it along with some bangles I had received as a birthday present. This time completely satisfied I headed for the kitchen.
It wasn't much of a walk. I only needed to turn left before the hut opened up into the front room. The small straw house had only three sections. The first one served as a kitchen as well as a sitting area. The second and third were bedrooms whose doors were vertical to the kitchen. Basically the hut was like a giant T. The kitchen was the top line, the hall that held the bedroom doorways was the second and the spaces on either side of the second line were the bedrooms. The bathroom was outside.
"Morning mom," I said as cheerfully as I could. I hadn't forgotten about the nectar in my bathwater. "What's for breakfast?"
"Roasted piranha, papaya, and guava nectar," she said proudly. "Miguelle caught a few of them and they didn't bite through the net. So he decided to give them to me."
Miguelle was our top fisherman in the tribe. He was always generous with his catch and insisted that others take his most valuable fish. And catching a piranha was very rare so the fish had gained a reputation of worth.
"Why'd he give them to us?" I asked, watching as my mother removed the roasted fish from over the fire pit.
"He said it was an early wedding present for you. He wanted me to say congratulations."
I ignored the last part as best I could and focused on the fish that had been placed on a small wooden slab before me. Today was supposed to be a good day, so I couldn't think about that.
I waited patiently as Mayuri added peeled and sliced papaya, which had been placed inside an earthen bowl, to the food on the small manmade table – my father had carved it himself. She then turned to another small table behind her which was serving as her counter. Her body blocked my view, but I was able to hear the sound of liquid pouring. She came back with two cups of what I presumed to be guava nectar.
Once I was certain she'd settled I began to eat. The piranha was a welcomed treat and the papaya along with the guava nectar was the perfect combination of delectable. I was enjoying my meal so much that I didn't notice that Mayuri hadn't started eating yet. By the time I did notice I was already half-way done. I looked up at her only to find her looking back at me. Her gaze was analytical.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
She was silent for a moment. "How do you feel about this engagement?"
I was about to give her my practiced smile when anger flashed across her face. "Do not lie to me Sakura. I want the truth!"
I felt as if the entire world had gone silent. Mayuri sat across from me glaring into my face with something akin to anger, fear, and pain.
I vaguely remembered a joke my father and I used to share about how hell would freeze over before Mayuri ever became angry.
"What do you mean?" I asked lamely.
"How do you feel?"
It was obvious lying wasn't an option. "Well I really don't know much about him," Mayuri continued to stare; "I wish … I wish I didn't have to marry him." I flinched when I was done not sure if that was what she had wanted to hear.
But Mayuri calmed considerably. I made a note to visit the village's doctor and inform him that my mother was suffering from some sort of illness.
"I thought as much," she said quietly. "But, don't worry. This is something that has to be done." I stared at her wonderingly. What in the world was going on here? Her sudden outburst and accusations – no matter how true – angered me. How dare she even bring up the subject? She must have seen something on my face because her gaze became hard again, "Do not do anything to mess this up. Sasuke Uchiha is a fine boy, and personally I feel you should have no qualms with marrying him."
She began eating her meal as if to say "This discussion is over" but a flame had long been burning within me and her words were the purest type of oil.
"You didn't even ask me," I yelled. "What if I just happened to be in love? Would you ask me to give up my life for someone else's happiness?"
"Yes," she said tersely. She continued to eat. I felt bile rise in my throat at her answer.
Suddenly the aroma of food and burning wood became sickening. I jumped to my feet grabbing my bag as I went. I couldn't be around my mother right then.
"This alliance will help our people. If you even think of opposing this––" I didn't hear the rest.
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Save for the encounter with my mother, the morning had passed uneventfully. I had visited Kagali only to find her still packing her belongings. Hair a mess as she spun around her room searching for this necklace or that pin she promised to meet up with me if she could. Once I had dealt with her rejection I had decided to visit Thiago.
Thiago was Miguelle's son and also my only guy friend. He and I had practically been born together. On the night his mother, Yara, gave birth to him I had been born only minutes later. Despite the minor age difference there was a major one in maturity. Thiago could handle anything responsibly while I whined about it nonstop. He would have good advice on what I should do.
Of course I reached the cozy hut only to be told that Thiago had left hours ago and Miguelle didn't know when he would return. Not knowing what else to do I followed my original plan of roaming the forest, making sure to thank Miguelle for his help and the delicious piranha.
Now I sat under a large tree resting, tired from my grueling hike. I had traveled miles from the village by now and could only find my way back by following the Amazon River – its waters flowed only a hundred yards away from me. I relaxed against the tree's rough bark taking in my surroundings. The vibrant colors of flowers ranged from mysterious violets to cheerful pinks. Birds darted in and out of the trees each singing their own different song creating a pell-mell of sound. The green of leaves and the browns and blacks of wood only made everything else more surreal. I easily melted into the collage of colors around me.
/Splash/
Lost in thought my eyes had drooped closed but at the loud sound they shot open. I listened to see if I heard it again. I knew that curiosity was a dangerous quality to have in the Amazon but I just couldn't help myself.
Over the chirping of birds and insects I heard it again – a splash. As I rose to my feet it never came to me that I had possibly stumbled across Kagali's shadows. I sprinted across the forest floor, my footsteps light. Growing up in the wilderness had taught me a thing or two about stealth. I paid no mind when the sound of splashing led me away from the river's edge. I'd never been in this part of the forest before and thought a separate watering hole could be located somewhere amongst the foliage.
Colors blurred around me as my sprint turned into a flat out run. I no longer tried to hide my footsteps. The splashing had stopped and my curiosity had transformed into something more primal. I needed to know what it was I had heard. Pure instinct led me to my destination, but I had no idea as to where that destination was.
The trees around me thinned and I found myself panting in exhaustion at the edge of a clearing of sorts. I call it a clearing because it's the only way I can think to describe it. The trees here were few and far-in-between, but there were still more than just three or four. To say the least I was in awe. Such sparse plant life was unheard of even to my great-grandfather who prided himself on his various adventures which had led him to find wonders like those of the giant carnivorous plants.
My breathing was still harsh, but I had to know. My eyes curiously examined everything in sight. I gasped at the smoothness of one of the few trees around me. Why was the bark so different than the others in the forest? I squealed when I stepped into the sticky mud covering the ground. I had only encountered so much of the brown muck by riverbanks. Why was there so much here?
It was quite some time before I was able to concentrate on why I was there in the first place. Finding the source of the sound proved to be an easy enough task though. In the middle of the "clearing" sat the strangest hole I had ever seen. Ahead of where I stood, one side of the deep trench slanted at a dangerous angle. If someone wasn't careful the fall could be more fatal than a straight drop. Directly across from me on the other end of the hole – it had to be more than five feet long! – The slant of the earthen wall was less noticeable and was obviously more dangerous than the one I stood over. The third wall that made up the right side of the hole was also earthen, but it was the fourth that intrigued me. It was made of stone that was a mixture of white and gray. Small vines and patches of dirt protruded from cracks that had been carved over time, partially hiding the huge structure. I noticed that part of the rock seemed darker than the rest, but it was hard to be sure from where I stood.
I analyzed the slant of the ledge before me, taking note of the slightest depressions and areas that looked especially slippery. Satisfied, I concluded that it was manageable.
I eased myself feet-first into the trench; my arms straining to hold the load of my weight, for I had spread either arm to rest at the top of both sides. The hole was only about two-and-a-half feet wide. My legs slid slowly down the slope, and I struggled to find a crevice to jam them in. I hadn't realized how deep the hole was until its' opening was over my head. It seemed like forever before I finally reached the bottom. I strained my neck to look up at blue sky and green leaves. I guessed the hole to be a little over ten feet.
Bringing my eyes back down to Earth the full gravity of my situation presented itself. Knowing I was so closely surrounded by earth left me feeling nervous. In my ignorance I was afraid that the walls would collapse and trap me miles away from home.
It was in this nervous stupor that I recognized the sound of running water. The noise wasn't that of hasty rapids, but of a slowly trickling stream. It was gentle and slight. I was positive that the only way to hear it was to stand exactly where I stood.
I turned my head in the direction of the dark patch of rock that I'd seen from above. It was still there.
'So it hadn't been a trick of the light.' I thought.
I moved carefully towards the strange rock avoiding the random jutting out of roots and sharp stone. It truly was a narrow passage. I was surprised to see that the dark rock wasn't rock at all, but a slight fissure in the land.
I pressed my ear close to the opening where the sound of running water was most prominent. Deciding whether or not to go in was the easy part. From what I could see there was no light, and if I had just found an opening within a hole then who was to say that this fissure didn't just lead to a much deeper hole. I frowned at the thought. There could also be poisonous snakes and insects in there. My frown deepened. Well, it was possible.
I admit that I probably wouldn't have gone in if I hadn't heard that splash again. But I did, and I soon found myself squeezing into the tiny fissure sideways.
Rock's scraped across my partially exposed legs and stomach causing pain to shoot through my body. My snake skin bag was a burden in the tight space, and I found myself wishing that I had left it behind.
My eyes stayed open the entire time for I hoped for the faintest bit of light to see by. In this utter darkness I was painfully aware that I was completely surrounded by rock and soil and I wanted it to end soon.
Something moved across my foot and I almost screamed. Frozen by fear I listened to the slight rustle of dead leaves as the creature moved on. My only comfort in that moment was that whatever it was was heading in the opposite direction of my chosen course.
When it had moved on I started on my blind navigation again. This time my shuffling was a bit quicker. I bucked my toes repeatedly as a result of my quickened pace, but I refused to slow down. I didn't want to have to deal with anymore mysterious creatures.
The weight of the darkness on my wide eyes was unbearable. When would this tunnel end? As if my thoughts were magic the sweet smell of orchids filled my nose; instinctively, I knew my journey was almost over.
Smiling to myself I continued to quicken my pace. I felt as though I'd accomplished something great. My thoughts turned to the future and I wondered how I would tell Kagali and Thiago about my discovery.
The feeling was short lived.
With some amount of horror I realized the passage was narrowing. Rocks dug into my stomach more often and my bag constantly hitched onto the walls that were slowly but surely narrowing. I was convinced that if the tunnel led anywhere it wasn't reachable by this route.
Just as I was about to turn back that maddening splash sounded again. It echoed loudly in the confined space of the chasm as if to mock me. I strained my eyes praying that I would be able to make out something in the darkness.
'What is that?'
The shadows up ahead seemed a shade lighter – a desolate gray in the darkness. Maybe the exit was just up ahead. Ignoring the throbbing of my body and the warm trickles of liquid running down my stomach I snaked myself towards the gray region.
My heart pounded in my ears as the walls became closer; the rock was now digging into my back. In a last painful hug the walls squeezed unbelievably close. I pulled myself through the opening with a gasp, only to lose my balance and fall.
Mud splattered when I hit the ground filling my nose and mouth with the disgusting gunk. My hands seemed to move of their own volition to clean my face, but I stopped them when I found that they too were covered in mud. The snakeskin bag sat loyally by my side, it had miraculously avoided being dirtied.
"Where am I?" I asked allowed.
I had fallen into a small cavern that was about the size of my room. It wasn't much to look at so I chose not to make a fuss of it. What I was most interested in was where the light illuminating the cavern was coming from.
Finding a beacon in darkness is a simple task. I looked around the cave once and found the source of the light. To my right at the bottom of the stone wall a crawlspace had been carved out. I brought myself to my knees and made my way over to the opening.
The light was definitely coming from there. I molded my body so that I would fit after checking that my bag was securely shut. With a final breath I progressed into another tight space. As I crawled along I secretly dreaded my trip back home, all of these dark confined spaces weren't my thing.
The crawlspace was considerably short. It was only seconds before I saw small rays of light up ahead.
'Something must be blocking the exit.' I thought.
With renewed vigor I used my arms and legs to push myself forward. The journey was almost over.
'I wonder what's blocking the light.' Whatever the obstruction was I hoped I could get through it.
The smell of orchids, which I had first noticed back in the fissure, steadily became stronger causing me to imagine a fairytale world of beautiful flowers and clear blue water. There would be the most wondrous birds there – exotic even by Amazon standards. Butterflies would spring from the luxuriant plant life with every step that I took, the water would be so clear, so cool, so deep, and I would be free – I began to crawl slower – free from everything.
"Free from Sasuke," I whispered. Tears had begun falling down my face sometime ago. I didn't stop them; my hands were still covered in mud. "Enough," I scolded myself. "This isn't the time."
/Splash/
I felt the sound was agreeing with me.
The obstruction turned out to be a thick curtain of vines and white harrisoniae. The unique combination of floral scents was heavenly. I leaned forward, pressing my nose into one of the many petals sighing as I did so.
"These are so beautiful," I sighed. "What could be on the other side?"
Gingerly I parted the curtain of plants. The shock of light was expected, but I still winced, turning my head away from the bright opening. I kept my eyes turned away for awhile slowly allowing them to adjust to the light that was flooding the crawlspace.
When I deemed it safe I refaced the opening before me. A cacophony of birds and insect songs crashed into me as I poked my head out from in between the closely knit vines.
My eyes literally widened at the sight before me. It was better than I had imagined.
A glistening pool of water spread out before me almost identical to what I had envisioned, except that this pool was a breathtaking crystal blue. Flowers grew everywhere; some I had never seen before, others I knew to be extremely rare. Surrounding the body of water were several mini-islands of limestone and earth, each able to hold no more than five people, but still large enough to not be considered insignificant. Very few trees grew on the mixture of rock and soil, but their lack of number was made up for by their colossal size. All of this was held within the confines of equally limestone walls that towered above everything.
The sky hovered over me; I silently surmised that this meant there was a much easier way of getting here – hopefully that easier way was above ground.
I slumped against one of the enormous trees on "my" mini-island letting my head fall back against its' bark. The pain in my stomach throbbed viciously and I snuck a glance at the injured flesh. It wasn't too bad just a few scratches.
I applied pressure to the side of my stomach – there was less damage there- and winced when pain literally shot through my stomach and into my throat.
'Yeah, just a few scratches," I thought dryly. 'Some much deeper than others though.'
Moving carefully, so as not to disturb my stomach, I removed my bag from over my shoulder. I searched fervently for my ocelot shawl, it would have to do for a cleaning rag, and almost fell into the deep pool at the unexpected sound of a voice.
"One and three makes four. Four and two makes six." /Splash/ "Six and … nine! Six and nine makes fifteen."
I blinked in confusion. 'What in the world?' I thought.
My wounds long forgotten I leaned around the tree to see who was … counting?
I already knew it was a boy, the voice was a dead give away, but I was still interested. His back was turned towards me and he was – I stared – picking flowers. Cinnamon brown hair that was a shade darker than Kagali's cascaded down his back and disappeared into the dark water. He occasionally twisted slightly dropping a flower or two into a bag of canvas slung across his shoulders.
At the mere sight of a boy picking flowers, not to mention in such abundance, I would have laughed, but he went about it fervently as though it was of the utmost importance. His face was turned away from me, yet I found it easy to imagine a countenance of determination.
I watched as he examined the contents of his bag, "This should be enough," he said in a beautiful tenor. He began to turn, and I impulsively scooted closer to the tree. My eyes narrowed when he stopped.
"Then again, you can never have too much of a good thing," he said, his finger seemed to be on his chin.
Impossibly fast, he reached another of the many limestone islands. He picked each flower with deadly precision, never pulling out the root or removing the petals from the stems. With an expert eye he examined them, nodding his approval before gently placing them in his bag or frowning at whatever he found and throwing them over his shoulder.
In the few moments I'd known of his existence I'd already deemed him insane. Gathering flowers wasn't a crime, but I still couldn't wrap my head around exactly what I was seeing.
The brown haired boy spun around, and I ducked behind the tree once again. I listened with hard ears for the sound of rippling water. When I heard nothing, I slowly eased myself from behind the tree opposite the way I had hidden.
The water stood motionless. Nothing disturbed its' placid surface. Nothing swam in its' icy blue depths.
The boy had disappeared.
I pressed myself hard against the tall tree before me trying to hide from someone unseen.
'Where did he go?' I wondered.
Water splashed behind me. I quickly turned to face the opening of the crawlspace only to find the boy examining the orchids growing in great abundance upon its vines. Once again his back faced me – the lower regions of his body still submerged in water while his upper half leaned across the rock – and I was shocked by the fact that he hadn't noticed me.
Just as before, he began to place the colorful blossoms into his bag without the slightest hesitation. Now even if I wanted to leave I couldn't. Flower boy was blocking my only exit. Unaware of my thoughts he continued his gathering.
My father had always warned me to be wary of my curious and blunt nature, and I thought of him now. For inside me the strangest feelings were churning. I wanted so badly to confront this strange boy, yet I was so very afraid. I wanted to run from this strange atrocity that had revealed itself, but at the same time I wished for the strength to stand bravely before him. 'What should I do?'
I analyzed the situation further and came to the conclusion that he would eventually notice me anyway. With this thought in mind I slowly stood from my hiding place. I was careful to make as little noise as possible moving across the stone island and soon found myself an arms length away from the object of my deepest curiosity. He didn't seem to take notice of my presence.
"Excuse me," I said. Two things happened at once then. First, the boy whipped around, incredulous eyes clashing with my own. Second, I heard my name being called and the distant sound of barking.
I looked to the crest of the stone walls surrounding me searching for whoever was calling my name – it was a mistake.
No sooner had I turned my head did a large spray of water soak me to the bone. Swiftly, I twisted to grab the boy who was obviously trying to escape. But my movements caused me to slip and before I could catch myself I fell headlong into the blue water. I was painfully aware of when my head struck something hard; the water around me soon bled crimson. For a moment I couldn't understand what was happening. I tried to focus but found that I couldn't. The muffled quality of aquatic sounds left me feeling dizzy and ill.
Water entered my lungs, I began to choke: I was drowning. Ironically enough the thought of death brought life to me, and I tried to cling to something. But the currents beneath the surface of the seemingly calm pool were powerful – where was the water flowing to? – and I was only thrashed about.
Then suddenly arms were around me. I focused enough to see that it was the strange boy who was holding me so tightly, and was bewildered by the worry lacing his features. Was he rescuing me? The eyes that had been shaken by my sudden appearance now shone with righteous intent.
He moved swiftly through the water avoiding rocks and debris. From the strange rush upon my face I guessed we were heading for the surface. Ever so slowly the edges of my vision began to darken and I felt unconsciousness sweeping over me like a cooling breeze. I wondered vaguely at his eyesight in such misted waters and his strength against the currents before finally succumbing to the nothingness that was oblivion.
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I woke to the sound of voices calling my name. With a groan I sat up. My stomach throbbed, and I easily remembered my trip through the narrow fissure. My head pounded, and I recalled the strange boy and his rescuing me from drowning.
"Sakura!"
The voices were closer now.
I checked my wounds and found them all to be bandaged with some strange plant. They hurt, but whoever had cared for them, I thought immediately of that boy, had done an excellent job. I continued to look over my bandages regardless of this fact and was soon curious about this different way of healing wounds.
'Plants,' I thought. 'Who'd have guessed?'
Thunder crashed overhead and I was suddenly very much aware of my distance from home. Grimacing, I rose to my feet. I wobbled a bit, but soon regained my balance by holding on to a smooth barked tree.
I gasped. Smooth trunk? I had woken up in the small clearing that held the giant hole. I spun around not really sure of the reason for my surprise. Where did I expect to be?
"Sakura, there you are," a voice said to my right. It was Thiago. His dark brown hair fell down into his face, a disarray of spikes in some places and strangely smooth in others, but the worry in his eyes and voice made me ignore all of this. I looked up at the sky. It was late.
"Are you alright?" He asked, moving closer to me. I caught his swift glances to the bandages adorning my body.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing out here?"
He seemed angered by my question, "What am I doing out here?" I blinked at him. "You disappear; have the entire Nowye and Uchiha tribes searching for you, possibly delay the migration by an entire day, and you have the ner––" His voice had risen, but I didn't mind. Thiago yelled when he was worried. That was just how he was.
I closed the gap between us with a hug. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't realize."
He pushed me away with such force that I thought he might strike me. But he didn't have to. His denial hurt more than anything else I had ever felt; worse than my own wounds.
"Don't," he said. "We wouldn't want to start anything."
To say I was confused was an understatement. Everyone in the village new that we were only friends and that was all we ever would be. Why was Thiago so worried? My answer soon appeared.
Sasuke sauntered out of the surrounding trees; a natural air of superiority about him. He was dressed in onyx furs and brown leather. Against them his skin seemed to be of the finest ivory. It was easily noticed how his legs and arms were wonderfully muscled or how his chin jutted out just so. Once again I found myself acknowledging his obvious beauty.
He paused some ways away; I watched smartly as his eyes darted from Thiago to me and then back again. I hadn't even married him yet and already he was destroying my friendships. I grimaced at the thought.
"Sakura, we've been looking everywhere for you," he said in a hushed tone.
I was silent.
"Did you get lost?"
"No, I just lost track of time," I said simply.
He made to speak again, but Thiago beat him to it. "We should get back to the others."
"Others?" I asked. It was only then that I noticed the glowing orbs of light among the trees – torches. I paled. "You didn't really mean it when you said 'all of the Nowye and the Uchiha tribes' did you?"
A ghost of a smile played across Thiago's face – he truly was trying not to be angry – as he headed in the direction of the other villagers.
"Thiago!"
"Well, maybe a few of the women and children stayed behind but…" I could almost feel the smirk spreading across his face.
Slowly I followed behind. I was aware of when Sasuke fell into stride beside me, but I decided to be polite and not glare at him. Truthfully, he wasn't a bad guy. If I actually thought about it, it became obvious that he too was a victim of the great injustice known as arranged marriage.
'I could try being nicer.' I thought.
"So, what did you do today?" I asked gingerly. Sasuke turned his head towards me too fast to be healthy. Shock was evident in his eyes.
"W-what?"
"What did you do today?" I asked.
Once he had gotten over the initial shock he seemed to take the question very seriously. He furrowed his brows in concentration while his hands fiddled absently with a knife that had been strapped securely around his waist.
"Hunting," he said finally.
"Hunting?"
He nodded. "It may seem trivial, but I enjoy it. Plus it's something to do."
"I don't think it's trivial. I just thought that as a prince and all you'd have more important things occupying your time."
He raised an eyebrow, "And what may I ask have you been doing Princess?" His voice had taken on a playful tone. I quickly reminded myself that I was only trying to be nice. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea.
"Wandering the forests," I said.
"Exactly, you shouldn't have an opinion about my day at all."
He returned his eyes to the forest before him. I took note of the slight spring to his step with disdain. What had I done? I had only wished to make an ally in this cruddy situation, but somewhere along the line I'd taken a wrong turn. 'Maybe I can still fix this,' I thought hopefully.
"Sasuke?" His head turned once again. "How do you feel about…this?" He stared at me blankly. "I mean," I didn't want to say "us", "the marriage?" Understanding flooded his features, but he was silent.
"Well," I urged.
"I'm afraid to tell you," he said quietly. I prayed that he was disgusted by me. That way we could both oppose the marriage together.
"Tell me," I said eagerly. Sasuke stared at me a moment too long and I wondered if he'd mistaken my eagerness for something else. If so, I was failing.
"I'm looking forward to it." Like some sadistic counter weight, as my heart dropped his confidence rose. "It isn't like your … weird … or anything. You'll make a good wife. And to tell you the truth I think it'll be nice to have a family of my own, a family that I can support and look after." He moved closer. "What about you?"
After that speech I couldn't find it in my heart to actually tell him how I felt. So I lied.
"I'm just really scared." Sasuke nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry. I promise, you'll never want for anything."
At that precise moment we reached the main search party. The procession was made up mostly of men, but a few women could be seen here and there.As I walked into the crowd, welcomed by the joyful cries of my people and the Uchiha, I tried to disregard Thiago's enraged glare while simultaneously moving subtly away from Sasuke. Thiago had only walked a few feet ahead of Sasuke and me so I didn't doubt that he had heard every word spoken. He knew I was lying.
Amongst the crowd I spotted my father standing next to a young man not of our own village. 'He must be an Uchiha.' Both men seemed to be in the midst of a heated conversation. My father swung his arms about as he always did when caught in the passion of speaking, and the strange man repeatedly nodded his head in a fervent manner. Suddenly, the man shook his head "no", and began to speak. My father's face became ashen.
I sneaked a glance at Thiago to see if he had noticed the unusual spectacle. He had. But unlike me Thiago didn't seem to be very confused. Instead his forehead was wrinkled in anxiety. I quickly made my way over to him knowing full well that his anger would be gone.
"Thiago," I whispered into his ear, "who is that man speaking with my father?"
He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes before taking my hand in his own and pulling me in the direction of Tuku. "We're going to have a talk about what you said later." I instantly knew he was referring to my conversation with Sasuke. "But right now we have bigger problems." I was only further confused by his words; nevertheless, I allowed myself to be dragged along.
Tuku looked up when we were only a few yards away, relief flooding his features at the sight of us. But despite his beaming I could still discern how pale and distressed he seemed. I thought back to how my mother had behaved that morning at breakfast. Why was everyone acting so strangely? What was going on?
"Where have you been," my father asked, when we'd reached him and the strange man. "Your mother fell ill when you didn't return home."
Could that be it? Was it mom's sickness that had him so troubled? Somewhere in my mind a little voice scolded me for not being the least bit worried about Mayuri; however, I chose to ignore it. I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could answer the strange man gave a slight cough.
"That can wait," the man said. Tuku looked at him oddly, but soon meekly nodded his agreement.
"Sakura," my father said, "This is Shikamaru," the man bowed slightly at his name, "He belongs to the Uchiha."
"It's very nice to meet you." I replied. I tried to use my most diplomatic voice. It was easily seen that this "Shikamaru" was an important figure.
"Actually," Shikamaru began, his dark eyes roaming over me, "its Shikamaru Nara. I'm not directly related to the main Uchiha line."
He continued to ogle me, and the funny thing is I didn't feel angry or disgusted at all. Something in his manner assured me that his actions weren't perverse but curious. I felt as though he was only gathering information or taking notes. I immediately wondered why.
Someone called out to my father, and Tuku soon left Thiago and me alone with the "Uchiha". If I wasn't mistaken he appeared happy to go. Shikamaru's attention had been drawn by the sudden events. He watched my father as though waiting for something, and I used the moment to acknowledge Thiago who had fallen back to stand behind me, as was custom.
"What was so important about this again?" I hissed. He spared me the most scathing of glances before completely choosing to ignore me.
'Fine, I'll just find out on my own.' I thought bitterly.
Once again I focused on Shikamaru, and was shocked to find him looking intently back at me. An awkward silence followed. It was only intensified by the thunder that now crashed frequently above.
"We should hurry to follow the others Sakura, "Thiago said. The large group had begun to head back to the village. As if seeing him for the first time Shikamaru blanched.
"Thiago Nez?" He asked. Thiago nodded gravely. Shikamaru started to say something, but then abruptly stopped. He turned and left without another word.
"What a strange man," I inquired, hoping Thiago would take the bait. Whatever had just transpired between the two men had eluded me completely, but I was smart enough to know that it was vital.
Once again my question was ignored. This time I had sense enough to leave the matter alone for Thiago's eyes had clouded over, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
I pushed him forward some and was rewarded with a slow walk. We moved with the others through the forest; tumbling over uneven ground, shivering in the storm-chilled air, and listening for predators. Through it all Thiago stayed in his trance, and I used the opportunity to think of the flower picking boy.
I had already figured out that it was him who had rescued me. But where exactly had he gone?
Against my skin, the leaf-bandages rubbed smoothly. They were yet to be noticed, save for by Thiago, and I wondered why that was. A strong wind blew through the trees and caused me to shiver.
'This storm's going to be bad.'
Almost mechanically, my hand reached for my snakeskin bag. My ocelot shawl would keep me warm, but my hand met only air. I stopped abruptly and found that it was true – my bag was gone. In my shock I didn't realize that Thiago had noticed my distress and stopped as well. His eyes were still clouded, but he seemed to know something was wrong.
I tried to think of the last time I'd had my bag, and realized with disdain that it had been at the large tree on the limestone island. 'Right before I'd seen that boy.'
How could I have forgotten it there?
I was just about to run off when a firm grip on my arm fastened me to the spot. Thiago must have known I planned to leave because he refused to let go. His eyes were no longer clouded. Instead they were vibrant with his stubborn conviction. I soon found that I had no choice but to follow as he pulled me along for the second time that night. With a frown I realized that I would have to go back tomorrow to retrieve my bag. My wounds that merely throbbed before now stung with each step, and I began to dread the coming hike even more.
Thiago whispered something, but I was so lost in thought that I hadn't heard.
"What?"
"You're bleeding," he said. I looked down to see that it was true. Somehow my wounds had reopened, and small rivulets of blood seeped through the leaves. 'Well, that explains the pain.' Fortunately, the wounds that bled were only on my stomach. My head bandage was still firmly wrapped.
Thiago led me to a tree on our left, and forced me to sit down. "Let's have a look," he said. Gently but quickly, we didn't want to be separated from the others, I removed the leaves. When I had finished I placed them on the ground beside me.
Thiago examined the small cuts and gouges littered across my abdomen. His face was calm, and I wondered if that was a good sign or not. He swiftly glanced up at me, and looked down just as swiftly when he found me staring back. I frowned. My day had been weird enough. I didn't need Thiago acting strange as well. He continued his examination, asking me to lean this and that way, while I watched the progression of people moving further and further away from us. Finally, he nodded appreciatively and moved away. For a second I thought I saw something in his eyes, but whatever it was, if it was ever even there, it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"Your wounds are quite clean," he said. "They aren't bleeding too much either. If we hurry we should be able to make it back to the village before they get any worse."
I nodded. Rising to my feet I caught him looking at me again. Only this time he didn't hide it. "Sakura, what's that supposed to mean?" He pointed to my stomach.
"What?"
"Right there," he said, pointing again to my stomach. At first I didn't see what he was talking about because it blended in so well with the surrounding injuries. But when I did see it I gaped. I barely registered when Thiago came to stand next to me. That's how shocked I was.
On the right side of my stomach in the lowest region that was almost my hip, symbols had been lightly carved. In English they stood for three words. Three words that scared, puzzled, and possessed me. 'What are they supposed to mean?'
Something To Give
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Please R&R because your opinion matters. And I'll try to update as soon as possible. Flames are accepted.