Kyuubi

*thoughts/inner Sakura*

"Dialogue… duh"

What is goin' on all my beautiful fans and fanettes! It's you're favorite author Kagesensei coming at ya with another fantabulous chapter! *chirp* *chirp*… Ahem… Well anyway, I told you I'd be updating more often and I'm gonna deliver dammit! So just sit back, relax, lube up the hands and get ready for the next chapter. And please review. I really do place the basis of my life by the number of reviews I get… T-T

A Ninja's Passion chp. 3

Sakura woke with a start. Her dreams had not been pleasant that night, nor had they been since Naruto had left for his new mission. It had only been a week, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"How long will you make me wait, Naruto?" she softly asked into the empty air. She got out of bed and walked over to her window, not bothering to dress herself yet. A cool breeze came in and gently brushed against her bare skin, causing a chill to run through the entire course of her body. The sun had barely started to rise but she could see the store owners rushing about making last minute preparations to open up shop.

She stood there and just watched as the sun began its slow ascent into the sky. She watched as the sky changed from the soft purples and pinks into the bright, glowing yellow and orange. She watched, but all she could see was Naruto. She imagined him holding her tightly in a warm embrace, his hand following the crease of her back.

She slammed her window shut, and the images of him with it. She couldn't do this to herself again. Sakura made her way to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She reached for the towel, but then let her hand fall away as she sank to the floor, cradling herself. Today would be another long day.

Wake up you fool! How long do you intend on lying there on the ground? There is much to be done and not much time to do it. Wake up!

Naruto groaned and opened his eyes. He tried to sit up, but instantly his senses assaulted him and he was back on the ground. Once his head stopped spinning, he opened his eyes again. This time he was able to make it to a sitting position and look around. He was still under the tree he had made camp under and his supplies were still there. The forest around him seemed almost peaceful in spite of the fact of what had only recently happened.

Are you just going to sit around all day enjoying the scenery? Get the fuck off you're lazy ass and get moving!

"Must you yell? It really isn't doing anything for my headache," Naruto replied. He used the tree for support as he stood up, his legs shaking. "How long was I out?"

Almost two days.

"Well that's not good. What happened back there?"

What happened was you got scared shitless and got completely overpowered. Useless little brat, can't even fight back against a single opponent.

"I don't remember YOU being very active during that encounter. If I recall, you were cowering in the depths of my mind like a scared little pup!" Naruto spat.

I would watch my tongue if I were you.

They kept going back and forth like this for the better part of 20 minutes when they both got the feel of something they didn't like. All at once they stopped talking and Naruto dropped into cover. The air around him had become still, deathly still. A chill ran down his spine as he looked around. Everything around him had begun to change.

The trees dropped all of their leaves and instantly dried up. The squirrels (and other small animals that had been running around enjoying the pleasures of life) fell to the ground dead. Shadows from all directions began to grow, almost like they were alive.

RUN YOU FOOL! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!

Naruto didn't need to be told twice, in an instant he was off. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him while all around him everything was dying. He boosted his speed with chakra to try to get away, but the death was still closing in around him.

Desperate, he called on Kyuubi to help him get away. She lent him her strength and he began to run on all fours. He looked around and saw that he was finally gaining ground against the terrible destruction that seemed to be chasing after him and he began to relax when suddenly he felt something take hold of his leg.

Naruto faltered and went face first into the dirt. He looked down to see what had tripped him up and saw a black hand wrapped around his ankle. He looked up from the hand and saw that the shadows from the now dead forest were creeping ever closer. In a panic, Naruto tried desperately to free himself from the hand, but it held him like the shackles of a guillotine.

Closer and closer the shadows came, all the while writhing and twisting like a snake as it dies. Naruto desperately looked for something to get him out of this nightmare, and that's when he saw them. The glowing amber orbs that pierced him to the very soul. The eyes that shone beneath raven locks and promised only death to those that would fall in their path.

Then, without any kind of warning one of the shining swords was hurtling toward him. All Naruto could do was put his arms out in front of him to try and deflect some of the blow. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop the blade, though and prepared for the worst.

Just as the blade made contact with his skin, it vanished. Naruto uncovered his face to see what had happened to the sword when he noticed that not only had the sword vanished, but so did Kage. Naruto was still held by the hand, but he could feel it quivering so he pulled his foot away and freed himself from it.

He looked around and saw that the shadows were receding and no longer coming after him. He was so relieved that he almost didn't notice the two blades crossing in front of his neck. As soon as he did, though, his blood turned to ice.

"Seems like a familiar set-up, don't you think Naruto-kun?" purred a voice that would have made the sun itself freeze. Naruto could do nothing as he felt the steel cut into his flesh. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and everything went black again.

Kage sat beside Naruto as he writhed on the ground. Naruto had been going through this gen-jutsu for the past two days. He wasn't particularly fond of doing this to Naruto, but something compelled him to test his future rival's will. Kage smiled as he contemplated the battle that would be fought between them. "Well, that should be enough to make him remember me. Guess its time to deliver this package back to Konoha," he purred. He needed his rival to begin training. Kage was not the most patient of assassins.

Well, there you have it! Chp. 3 of "A Ninja's Passion". now that I finally have time on my hands I'll be able to actually write these a lot a bit more often than I have been. Remember; read, review, favorite, and enjoy! Oh! And above all else, keep on keeping on!