Hello!, long time no see huh? Well, I updated it as I promised. I'm very sorry for the long delay, I hope you enjoy!
Unforseen Shadows
Spicy Peppermint
Disclaimer:
I also own a cat
THUD!
"Hey… what's that sound? Is there anybody here besides us?" Sakura asked timidly while creeping closer to Naruto
"Huh? I'm not sure, I didn't hear it clearly. Gomen Sakura-chan"
"Hmm… maybe it's just my imagination… but I'm pretty sure that I heard something…"
Drops of water started falling from the sky
"It's going to rain soon, we better keep moving" Kakashi finally closed his book and stood up. The rain started getting worse while their jumping from tree to tree
"The rain's not going to get any better… Don't you think that we should just find shelter and wait for it to stop?" Naruto whined and almost lost his balance
"We're getting drenched Kakashi-sensei. The rain's too hard and the wind is strong, too" Sakura kneeled down next to Naruto
"If you want then you could just turn back and leave the mission to us. You're just going to hold us back anyway" Sasuke glared at the pink brunette
"Yeah, right… th-that's all what you think about me. I'm just a little wimp who keeps holding you back" Sakura tried to hold back free tears falling from her eyes. She turned away and jumped off
"Are you nuts?! How dare you say those words to Sakura?!" Naruto punched Sasuke hard in the face
"Hn."
"That's all you're going to say?!" Naruto prepared to launch another punch on the Uchiha's stomach when the silver haired nin stopped the infuriated blonde
"Hey… I think we should look for Sakura instead of fighting like this"
Naruto glared hard at Sasuke who sat silently on top of a branch, deep in thought
"This is getting worse. I think a storm is coming this way! The wind's getting stronger! We should take refuge somewhere before we're blown away" the copy nin shouted
"I still can't find Sakura-chan! She could be anywhere!! I'm not leaving without her" Naruto glared hard at Sasuke who doesn't seem to mind the storm. He activated his sharingan and started to run
"Sasuke you bastard-" Kakashi gripped Naruto's wrist tightly
"He knows what he is doing. For now, we should dry ourselves over there" he pointed at a small opening at the side of a mountain
"Son of a… how come a storm like this stirred up so fast? It was so bright and sunny earlier!" Deidara bellowed as he dodged debris flying his way
"The heck do I know! Besides, we haven't got little pinky yet. Itachi and Pein will kill us" Kisame punched a boulder out of annoyance
"But we were so close! I told you we should just have ambushed them"
"Oh right! And then we fight them and have ourselves killed! Great idea. Fantastic. I'll rate it zero"
"What's your problem? They're just a bunch of kids, yeah?"
"They're not just ordinary kids! One is an Uchiha, another is the great copy ninja. Then they also have someone with a monster inside his body. And who knows what that girl has that made Pein interested in her!"
"She's just a medic capable of dealing killer blows. That'll do no harm if you're careful enough… or don't tell me you're afraid?"
"What did you say?! I'll pound you clayface"
"Wait…I didn't remember the place being like this before…"
"…Where am I?" Sakura woke up, her head still dizzy and hurting
She gasped as she saw her surroundings. The storm had stopped, but the thick fog covered everything else. All that can be seen is its white darkness. The silence is very deafening. She could not feel any wind at all, but it is very chilly
"What is this place? I… I remember I was running. But… that's all I remember"
Sakura heard leaves rustling from behind. She quickly turned and saw a silhouette of a person walking nearer to her, his red eyes the only thing she can see clearly
"Sakura? What are you doing here?"
"S-sasuke? I thought… I thought you were somebody else!" Sakura cried and hugged Sasuke tightly
"H-hey… the others are looking for you. We're worried about you"
"Including you?" she gave a hopeful look
"W-well… uhh… sort of" he couldn't hide a faint blush from showing
"Sasuke-kun… waaaaaaaaa" she hugged him tighter
"Wait, what are you doing? Don't hug any tighter, I can't breathe!"
"Achoo! Brrr… It's getting colder, don't you think?" Sakura smiled lightly
"Hn… I want to apologize for earlier… about what I said to you" cold onyx eyes met warm emerald ones
"That is the longest sentence I heard from you since we were young"
"Hey, young folks! What are you doing out there in the cold? We're going to have a bad blizzard soon, I tell you! Why don't you spend the night in my mistress' house?" a voice of an old woman interrupted them
" Really? Thank you very much!" Sakura smiled happily and walked beside Sasuke
"What are you two even doing out there? It'll be freezing cold later and you're not even wearing winter clothes" the old lady chatted happily
"W-winter?" the two chorused
"Oh yes, winter. I hate winter but I have no choice. No crops, hard livelihood, not that desirable, right?"
"I'm pretty sure it's still summer…"
"Huh? In what country are you from then? Somewhere to the south?"
"We are ninjas from Konoha" Sasuke said in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone
"Oh, Konoha? The Hokage is doing a very fine job, right? Being the village's founder and all"
"Tsunade-sama is not the one who founded Konoha…"
"Tsunade? Aahh, Tsunade-hime, the current hokage's granddaughter! She is a very pretty child indeed"
"Tsunade is the current hokage of Konoha"
"Hahaha, children these days always weave unbelievable stories" the old lady laughed heartily
"What is up with baa-san?" Sakura whispered loud enough for Sasuke to hear
"Hn."
"Baa-san, do you think the owner of the house will allow us to stay?" Sakura asked after a few seconds of silence
"Of course, my mistress is a very good person. She always helps people who need help" the old woman smiled warmly
"I see… whoa!" Sakura gasped as she saw the huge mansion in front of her eyes
"Welcome to my mistress' place. Make yourselves at home"
"We can't go home without Sakura-chan! Screw that Sasuke, but I'm not going anywhere without Sakura!!"
"Sigh… now that I think of it, Sasuke has gone missing too. What could those two be up to now?" Kakashi smiled perversely
"Stop imagining things pervert! Sakura can't be happy with Sasuke"
"Right, right. But we've been walking for hours now and we still haven't seen them! Where in the world are they?"
"Why does it have to be so hot in summer?" Naruto yelled near Kakashi's ear
"Watch it!! Sigh… I never experienced a 32 degrees Celsius summer. But why does it have to be now?" he wiped off sweat trickling on his brows
You two! What are you doing in this place? Do you know what danger you are facing just by being here?" a woman halted them and she glared at them hardly
"But we're just looking for our friends, they're still missing and-"
"Forget about them! They will never come back anymore. Return to where you are from and never go back if you value your lives!"
"Miss, we're ninjas trained for all kinds of things and possibilities. You don't have to worry about us anymore" Kakashi smiled behind his mask, eyeing the woman with interest
"Many have come here and didn't come out anymore. Things here are more than what meets the eye. Your friends are no more because they treaded forbidden grounds. The shadows now have them"
"B-but Sakura… I would never leave without Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, his determination firing up
The woman's eyes widened at the mention of the pink brunette's name "S-sakura? She's returned? Sakura's returned?! Doom upon us all, the cursed flower had returned!" the panic stricken woman shook Kakashi violently
"The flowers are gone… I'm so sad during winter…" Sakura sighed
They have been asked to wait in the receiving room while waiting for the master of the house.
"Sasuke, even though we're already inside, I still feel a little cold. Maybe the fireplace still doesn't have fire?"
"Maybe…"
"What's taking that old woman so long?! Maybe she's a lunatic who tries to kill Sakura! I can't let that happen! W-wait, why am I being overprotective?
"Maybe you are not Sasuke anymore"
"H-huh? I have my inner self?!"
"Right. Everybody does, you just don't want to talk to me"
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting;" the old woman interrupted Sasuke's chain of thoughts "It seems that the mistress is already sleeping. As soon as she wakes up tomorrow, I'll introduce you to her. I've already prepared your rooms, please follow me"
The walk through the large hallway is dead silent. They could almost hear their heartbeats. They passed through a corridor full of paintings
"I feel that the paintings are looking at me… their eyes are following me" Sakura shuddered at the thought of ghosts
"They're frowning at me" Sasuke muttered more to himself than to the women walking ahead of him
"Haha, I thought it at first, too. But my mistress said that if a painter is good, he can make his paintings real and full of life" the old woman smiled and continued to lead the two to their chambers
Sakura gasped as the old lady showed her where she would be staying for the night
"This room is superb! It's so big and beautiful and fantastic! I could only dream of sleeping in a room like this!" Sakura ran around the room like a small girl. Sasuke can't help but smile
"Well young boy…"the old woman waited for him to say his name
"It's Sasuke"
"Ahaha, well Sasuke-san, your room is just in front of hers so you wouldn't need to worry about your girl friend"
"W-wait, she's not… It's not what you think it is!" Sasuke shook his head defensively. Sakura blushed crimson red
"Is that so? But you looked so close and sweet to each other… Well, forgive me for my mistake"
"N-no, it's okay. Don't worry about it anymore baa-san" Sakura looked at Sasuke one more time. She swear Sasuke mouthed the words 'good night'
"If you need anything, just ring the bell. I'll be here at once. Good night beautiful lady" baa-san smiled before she closed the door
"Yeeeeeeesss!! Sasuke bid me good night! It's a first! It's a record breaking event in history!!" Sakura giggled and jumped up and down on her soft bed
"Sigh… If only he would always be like that, then it would be easier for me to deal with him… He'd also be cuter!" she smiled, fantasizing him as a prince, and her as his princess
She closed her eyes and finally slept, but she feels somehow scared, as if someone is watching her every move. But there's something bothering her, she felt at home. She felt like she's finally back to her rightful place. And she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep…
Whoo! Done, done and done!! I'm not sure if I'll be back for a while. Please read my other story. Thank you! Please review... Love ya all! Not sure how many you are, but love you!
