Chapter One: To the Sanctuary of the Betrayed: 500 years later
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…. So yeah, there
I'm glad to be back and just so you know I plan on making a few changes to the chapters hope you enjoy.
"… Centuries ago the Great land that is the Fire Country rarely knew war. In fact in all its history there has been only three wars. The War of Birth when it broke away from the lost and fabled Jutsu Empire and became the Fire Country, The War of Sorrow when the hidden Sand attacked and the beloved Hokage Injin was assassinated. And the last war was the War of Merchants over the rights for trading routes to the Land of the Birds; it was for the most part a bloodless war. Then around three hundred years ago there was a shift in the universal Balance and the peace and joy the world had known for hundreds of years was shattered leaving war, disease, and sorrow in its place. The only clue as to why this has happened lies in the Sanctuary of the Betrayed. This temple that was once the center of Balance, a almost forgotten and ancient knowledge that has all but been lost to the world. The temple is now surrounded by a deep and ancient forest that harbors beings that would destroy any human with to much darkness within themselves. Or so the stories go…" (The Lost Texts of the UnBalancing. the Scholar Knu Hyugga)
"… The hurt in the chained away heart
must be mended for the healing to start
restore the innocence that was lost
but be warned there is a cost
the blood is washed away by the gentle rain
but only love can erase that piecing pain…" (To mend a Shattered Heart. the Poet Nihau)
…Red eyes… hate filled…so much anger… calling to him, reaching out to pull him in… the ivory skinned teen awoke with a gasp. He pulled his black mass of hair out of his face as he tried to calm his breathing Its that same dream he thought those eyes calling to me, what does it mean? He rolled from bed and made his way to the bathroom his thoughts still upon his dream. As he got ready for the days mission his mind raced trying to figure out what it all meant. He has had the same dream for days now and he could feel something inside of him responding to it, to those hurting eyes.
As he made his way to the bridge where Team 7 was to meet he did a mental over view of the mission specs 1) Meet up with this woman Dui' Kino 2) Escort her to an ancient temple deep within the forest 3) Return her to Konoha safe and sound. It sounded pretty simple a class B mission at the most, but there are old stories and whispered legends of the creatures and demons that lived in that forest. A but the most ancient of the villagers told these tells but their eyes moved in fear as if by speaking of the stories they would come alive. As the bridge came into view he was surprised to see everyone waiting there, even Kakashi. " Good you're here Sasuke. I was about to brief Sakura and Hinata on the mission." Said Kakashi as he put away his copy of "Make-out Paradise". Sakura and Hinata, who were both the same age as Sasuke,18, looked up as Kakashi greeted Sasuke. Sakura ran forward to meet Sasuke as he came up the bridge " Hey Sasuke!" the pink haired girl said " Are you ready for the mission? Sasuke?" she asked again as Sasuke stared off into space.
Sasuke was lost in thought as he went over the mission. It was nice to get a little break, sure it was B rank, but that was a vacation compared to usual rank A and S missions that they've had for the last couple of months. The Fire Country and all its neighbors have been at constant war with one another on and off for about five hundred years now with a few tense times of peace between the fighting. And this just happens to be one of those times. "Sasuke are you listening?" Sakura asks. "Hn" was all she got back. Of course he could hear her but that doesn't mean he has to answer her stupid and rhetorical questions. "Were suppose to meet Miss Dui' Kino at a shop near the eastern gates so lets get going." Kakashi says as he turns and heads east.
Sasuke was lost in thought again what are those eyes trying to tell me? he wonders it feels like its important. There's so much anger and hatred and yet…behind it all there was this sorrow. And then there was that other look… one that seemed so strange and at the same time so familiar. "We're here." Kakashi said pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts. The shop was an old, tiny thing that had been built between two apartment buildings. Sasuke was surprised that it was still standing considering the state it was in. "There you'll are. I been waiting all mornin' for you." Sasuke look up looking for the source of the voice and saw that it came from a little old lady whose face was a landscape of wrinkles and who looked as odd as the shop she had just stepped out of. She had a wide fox-like smile on her face that made her cerulean eyes twinkle from behind her snow white bangs.
" I'm Dui' Kino, but you can call me Granny Kino or just Kino." She said her face threatening to split in half by her vulpine smile. She walked up to Hinata and gave her a hug making her blush and whisper a greeting " N-n-nice to meet you G-g-granny K-kino." She then turned to Sakura and hugged her as well. When she turned to Sasuke she gasped and for a moment a look of such dark rage and hatred crossed her face that it force Sasuke to take a step back, but was gone so fast they thought that they must have been seeing things. All of them that is except Sasuke who was face to face with her and received the full force of the look. It was a surprise to him, most people were glad to see him and girls…and some guys… were always trying to flirt with him, but no one had ever looked at him with that kind of anger and hate before. And yet it called to mind his haunting dream, Granny Kino had a mischievous smile on her face that oddly made her look like a fox. " Hello deary. What's your name?" "Uchiha, Sasuke." The stoic Uchiha answered. A twinkle appeared Granny Kino's eyes when she heard that "Sasuke Uchiha you say." She said as looked him over " Yes I can see the Uchiha traits in you clearly the blue-tinted hair, the ivory skin, that proud emotionless face. Yes you're an Uchiha all right. You know your named after an ancestor that was a very powerful man." when she said this to Sasuke her compliant sounded like the worst kind of insult. She threw another look of ancient anger at the Uchiha, the look raced across her face and her eyes seemed to flash with a red glow, before that same vulpine smile was back on her face. Sasuke saw this look too and when her eyes glowed like that it brought back his dream, the same red eyes, that look of anger, and betrayal. I most be seeing things today… Sasuke didn't believe his own lie for a minute
" Well lets get going I'm not getting any younger." She said and with that she disappeared in a puff of smoke. " You didn't tell us she was a ninja." Sakura said as they took after her. For an old woman she was amazingly fast they had trouble keeping up with her. Soon they where far from the village heading towards the Green Waste, an endless stretch of mountains and forest that ran to the seas to the far west. The Green Waste took up a good half of the Fire Country, this once prosperous land had been abandoned over four hundred years ago and no one knew why. There had been several massive projects to resettle the land but every time one was attempted it failed horribly ending in death and sorrow a unimaginable scale and after the fourth failed attempt all efforts stopped. As they chased after the old woman they saw her look back at them and grinned at some private joke it seemed. " To tell you the truth Sakura I didn't know. In fact I've never seen her around the village. Have any of you?" Kakashi asked as the trailed behind Granny Kino. None of them had ever seen or even heard of her it was like she just appeared one day, then again the village was a big place and very few knew everyone in the hidden Leaf. We may not know anything about who she is or where she came from but I do know one thing and that is that she's dangerous. Sasuke thought to himself as he slowed down with the others as the caught up with Granny Kino who had stopped. " We're about to enter The Forest of the Whispering Tears this is the heart and sanctuary of what you now call the Green Waste" said Granny Kino a look of grief on her face before she said softly to herself "I can remember when this was the Spirits Wood, when those of the heavens and those of the sea would come and dance with the earth and the life fire". Sasuke stared in wonder at what this woman was saying What are you old woman? His thoughts raged she's either out of her mind or…. His thoughts were cut off as Kino began to speak again "This is home to many demons, spirits, and Kami so be very alert you don't want to get separated in here. The beings in here are, for the most part, of a darker persuasion, their sorrows have darkened and turned into a deeper evil" She said as the three ninja landed beside her. At the mention of demons and spirits smiles crossed Sakura's and Kakashi's faces, this old woman was way to superstitious. Only Hinata and Sasuke didn't smile and that was because she could see some very strange charka signals among the trees that could not possibly be human. And Sasuke because he was trying to figure this woman out " Ka-Kakashi sensei." Hinata blushed as everyone looked at her in surprise, even Sasuke was snapped out of his thoughts, for she had not said a word the entire journey " I-I think she's right. There are things in there that are not human. We must be careful." They all looked from Hinata to the forest and the deep shadows that dwelled there slightly worried looks on their faces. Granny Kino looked at them and laughed "Don't worry my brave little ninjas." she said that vixen smile on her face once more "if worse comes to worse I'll protect you." with that she took off once again quickly disappearing in the darkness of the ancient forest. Kakashi sighed "Let's go."
