Sorry for this late update. An excuse just like other authors, SCHOOL!!!!

Anywho I thank WrongTimeForDreaming for pointing out in the last chapter that I said heroine instead of hero. I laughed myself at my silliness. I can't remember what I was thinking haha. I also thank you all the reviewers for reviewing my story. I appreciate it a lot!

This chapter is dedicated to TwiLigHT8D for supporting me to carry on typing. I would've taken even longer if it weren't for her nagging me (which I had actually asked her to…)

Hopefully you all know by now that mostly ALL of the characters are OOC ^ ^

Disclaimer: .hack//Another Bith is not mine, it is Miu Kawasaki's. I just wanted other people to read this amazing story, so Iput it up with some romance added.


.hack//Another Birth

Vol. 1//Infection

Chapter 3: A Bolt from the Blue

I held Konohamaru's delicate hand as I told him about the previous night's adventure. I told him about Kyuubi, so he would know that he wasn't alone and that I was trying to help him any way I could.

Sifting through what had happened, I felt like I had made progress, but I wasn't sure what any of it meant. Everything was still too scattered, and it left me feeling confused. And yet I also felt like I was on the right track. It definitely was reassuring to find an ally like Sharingan—someone who was after the same goal.

But if only I'd never suggested those words to Konohamaru… "It's my fault you're here," I told my brother. "I'm sorry."

I squeezed his hand. Even when I tried not to think about it, my guilt weighed heavily on my mind.

x-o-0-0-o-x

When I got home, I fired up my PC right away. The familiar ding signaled new mail; there were two messages. One was from the CyberConnect Corporation, so I assumed it was registration confirmation or the like, and the other was from Sharingan. I quickly opened it.

Thanks. Hope to see you around again.

He sounded so indifferent. Maybe I shouldn't have e-mailed him after all, I thought, but before I could dwell on it, I heard Mom call me downstairs for dinner.

We'd been eating late recently because Mom would visit Konohamaru in the hospital. In fact, every aspect of life around the house had changed since Konohamaru's collapse. Gone was the dinner table banter, replaced instead by an awkward adherence to ritual politeness. Kouta's complaints about whatever food was 'yucky' instead of 'yummy' was the only attempt at conversation.

In the past, Mom had never allowed the TV on during dinner, but now no one bothered to turn it off. Often the terrible sounds of a sitcom's laugh track were all we had to break the mood, but they usually just made the oppressive silence that much worse.

I sat down, my guilt welling up again as I looked at my parents' somber expressions. No one would feel this way if I hadn't chosen that stupid destination, those fateful words.

I wasn't hungry, but I knew Mom would yell if I didn't eat. I put the rice bowl to my mouth and shoveled it in.

Mom gasped. "Sakura, stop eating like that. Hisashi, say something to her."

Dad looked at me, but remained quiet. I decided to start a conversation to see if I could lighten the mood.

"They're going to announce who's first string on the tennis team soon. I have to keep my strength up." I rolled up my sleeve and flexed my bicep.

Dad smiled. "You'll knock 'em dead. You've always had good reflexes."

"I'm like you, Dad. Good at sports, bad at studying." I forced myself to smile.

"What do you mean, bad at studying? I'm a school teacher, you know." He said, proudly sticking his chest out.

"Yeah, a gym teacher."

Kouta giggled.

"Even a gym teacher has to earn a college degree, and you don't get one without studying." Dad reminded me.

"Yeah, but you hated it, didn't you?"

"Well…"

"See!" I said triumphantly. But Dad looked wounded instead of treating it as a plain teasing. He turned back to his food.

The table fell silent. I tried not to let my smile fade, but I had nothing else to say. This sucks.

"Mommy, I've gotta potty." Kouta tugged on Mom's sleeve.

"Okay."

Mom and Kouta left the dining room. Dad looked over his shoulders as if checking to make sure they were out of earshot, then turned and looked at me. It made me feel nervous for some reason.

"Sakura," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to force yourself to be cheerful just because you're the big sister."

He noticed. "I'm not forcing anything." I insisted.

He smiled back and we finished eating in silence.

When I got up to clear the dishes, I heard him quietly say, "Your dad has to be stronger too."

x-o-0-0-o-x

I sat in front of the computer, unable to move. I was suddenly afraid to go back to The World. What if I ended up in a coma just like Konohamaru? My family would no doubt crack under the strain.

Feeling paralyzed, I realized there was no way I could go into the game today.

I returned the controller to the desk, removed the goggles and stretched on my bed. I knew there was a lot I'd be able to learn from the game, but I stood to lose a lot as well. With these conflicting thoughts racing through my mind, I fell asleep.

I didn't have any dreams that night. I almost felt disappointed. Maybe my mirror image in the dream world had fulfilled her duty now that she'd given me the golden sword.

x-o-0-0-o-x

"Oi! This time I got proof." Shikamaru said. He approached Hinata, Temari, Karin and me while we ate lunch the next day.

"You mean the game again?" Temari raised an annoyed brow. Lately, it seemed like all Shikamaru talked about during lunch was gaming.

"It was troublesome to check on the 'net in the morning, but I read a new thread about ghosts. They swear it's the real thing. Let's go check it out tonight, okay?"

Ghosts? I had to ask, "Do you know an area where ghosts appear?"

Everyone turned and looked at me in surprise.

"Don't tell me you're playing The World, Haruno?"

"No. I just can't help being a little interested…I mean, I've heard you guys talk about it so much, of course I've caught on to a few things!" I couldn't tell them I had logged onto their game; they might want to join me. Knowing the dangers I faced and the fact that I was searching for the source of the virus, I couldn't endanger my friends.

Besides, they were used to playing for fun. I didn't want to waste time being dragged on silly adventures when I had a real goal to achieve.

"Yeah, could you see Sakura playing games?" Karin joked.

"Not at all. She's just not the type." Said Shikamaru.

"Though I have to admit, it would be fun to play together." Temari added.

" you kidding!?" Hinata scolded shyly. "You should see Sakura in tennis practice. She's dedicated to working on her backhand and her serve. She doesn't have time to waste on computer games. In fact, she might even make first string!" (A/N: OOC, I know.)

"Hinata…" I said. "I really don't think that's likely…"

I was glad Hinata had bailed me out, but…first string? Me? Hinata was on the team too—we'd been friends ever since elementary school, and she's been the one who'd convinced me to try out for tennis—so she knew as well as I did that there was only five sports and eight juniors; there was no way a freshman like me would get picked.

"Um, don't take me so seriously," Hinata backpedaled. "It was a joke."

I sat back. Of course she was kidding, that's Hinata. I should have realized immediately and played along. But to me, it wasn't a joke. I knew there was no chance of me making first string, but in my heart, I really wanted it.

Though now, what I wanted most in the world was for Konohamaru to recover.

"Anyway," said Temari, "By the looks of it, Sakura is totally the outdoorsy type. I can't imagine her sitting for hours cooped up in her room, playing video games!"

If only they knew...

x-o-0-0-o-x

I sighed. I wasn't sure how long I would have to keep up with them, hiding this secret. It made me feel a bit guilty.

I walked through the hallways of the school, wandering aimlessly by myself as always. Being by myself gave me time to think through things, and this was the perfect time.

Unexpectedly I bumped into someone. I looked up, and to my surprise, it was the same guy as last time. Whom I had bumped into. He glared at me.

"I...I'm sorry." I stuttered. Noticing for the first time that he was a pretty good looking guy, I blushed at that thought. There was no time for thinking of those kind of things.

"Do you daydream a lot?" he looked at me with an annoyed face.

"Um...ya I do." I answered lamely. Stupid

I noticed that he was about to walk away again, just like last time. But I didn't want him to; I really wanted to speak to him for some odd reason.

"Hey, what is your name?"

He glanced at me and leaned against the wall next to an open window, his hands stuffed in his pocket. "Uchiha Sasuke. Yours?"

I smiled, "Haruno Sakura." Sasuke eyed me a bit.

"What is it that you want?" he asked.

I think that he knew that I wanted to talk to him. Otherwise he wouldn't have asked me that question. He's a strange guy, he almost reminded me of someone. But I couldn't put a finger on it.

"Are you always by yourself?" I asked curiously.

"Lately. Yes." He replied like a robot.

He sure knows how to be polite. It seems like it'll be hard to talk with him and his stiffness. I racked through my brain for a topic to talk about.

"So um, what sport do you play? I play tennis; it's a really fun game. I enjoy it a lot." I really can't remember the last time I tried to be so conversing. But I wasn't going to stop it with this person.

Sasuke turned his view away from the window, rude of him, and faced me. "I love soccer. Though I'm don't play at the school."

If he loves soccer, why doesn't he play it at the school? If someone loved a certain sport, I was sure that they'll play it. So why doesn't he? Hoping to find out more about him, I asked.

"None of your business." And he walked away.

I was shocked, what!? I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him to face me. "Hey! I was just trying to be polite! You shouldn't be so—"

"I know." He cut me off.

"Huh?" I stared dumbly at him.

Sasuke sighed and faced me, looking into my eyes, "I know that you were being polite. But I don't want you to be." And this time, he walked away without me saying or doing anything. I just stared at him, utterly shocked and surprised. He knew that I was trying to be polite to him, and that I wanted to talk to him. So why act so coldly?

x-o-0-0-o-x

After tennis practice ended that afternoon, the coach gathered everyone together. It was pretty obvious what for; standing behind the coach, the upperclassman manager, Tenten, was holding what had to be the first-string uniforms. Hinata and I stood together nervously with the other freshmen.

"After paying close attention to your practices up to this point, I'm ready to announce the players for this fall's tournament," the coach said. "If your name is called, please come forward to get your uniform."

The coach rummaged in his pocket for a crumpled memo and handed it to our captain. "Read it, Shizune."

"Yes, sir."

My heart was beating fast, even though I knew there was no hope.

"First, in singles, Haruno Sakura."

My heart stopped. Did he just say…?

"Haruno! Respond!" shouted the coach.

"Yes, sir!" I stood at attention.

"Get your uniform."

I stole a glance at Hinata, who looked as shocked as I probably did, then timidly stepped forward and took a uniform from Tenten. My hands were shaking.

The uniform itself was old and nearly threadbare, but I didn't care. I had actually made it!

"I'm glad you were chosen," Tenten whispered to me, smiling. "You're always at practice before everyone else to help set up and you've shown the most dedication."

I was grateful she'd noticed.

"You deserve it. Kick some butt, Haruno."

"Sakura. I prefer people using my name." I smiled.

She let out s little giggle, but tried to keep it quite; I didn't think she wanted the juniors to hear. I like Tenten. She is definitely the athletic type, though I've heard that she enjoys academic clubs too, but she was Captain Shizune's childhood friend, so she got the position. And she did a good job keeping things organized.

I took the uniform and returned to my spot next to the stunned Hinata. My legs trembled with excitement. I didn't even hear the names that were called for the double teams.

'That's all. Dismissed!"

As the other girls shuffled off to the locker room, the freshman gathered around me, chattering excitedly. I was still a bit dazed, but Hinata had obviously recovered—she hugged me.

"Sakura!" she cried. "Congratulations!"

I hugged her back, "Are you sure I'm not dreaming?" I asked.

The other freshman congratulated me as well. "Good luck, Haruno."

"I'll do my best!" I promised. "Now I'd better practice twice as hard!"

It was finally settling in. After everyone left and I got changed, halfway out of the schools gate I couldn't hold back my excitement any longer and did a little victory dance. When I turned around, though, Sasuke was watching me with an eyebrow raised. My face felt like furnace.

"Er…" I couldn't think of anything to say. Especially what had happened earlier today.

"You're done?" he asked.

I somehow managed not to die on the spot. "Y-Yes…"

"Hn." He said and walked past me, as usual, walking away.

"W-wait, Sasuke!"

He turned around to face me, "What?"

"Um…" I hesitated. Why did I stop him?

"What is it that made you make a fool of yourself?" he suddenly asked.

My face heated up again, "Er, well I'm first string in tennis."

"Oh. Aren't you too annoying to be one?"

This time my face was red of anger, "What!?"

This guy is just so rude! I couldn't let one sentence bother me so I calmed down. Sasuke almost has no emotions; I couldn't figure him out even if I tried to. Why was he like this and was he always like this?

"This morning," I took a deep breath, "If you knew that I was being polite, why did you act so coldly?"

I really wanted to know the reason, so I asked with a serious face. But I was quite nervous on the inside.

"I've already told you." He sternly said.

"Well that isn't a proper answer!" I cried out.

"I've got better things to do at this moment." And once again he walked away, out of the schools premises.

I felt so frustrated and confused at the same time. I just knew that I had to get him to be my friend.

I needed to get to Uchiha Sasuke to be my friend.

But why waste my effort? And reality set in. As first string, I should be dedicate all my effort to the team. Some to Sasuke too. But doesn't Konohamaru deserve all my effort as well?

x-o-0-0-o-x

That night at dinner, I saw smiles on my parents' faces for the first time in a long while.

Dad said, "That's my girl!" and Mom was really happy for me. Caught up in the mood, even Kouta giggled. It was so good to see them almost back to normal.

I relaxed so much that I almost wept with joy…but I was desperate not to let anyone see me cry.

As I sat down at the computer that night, my doubts from the previous day nagged at me again, but I already knew where my responsibilities lay. Still, it was nearly midnight before I logged on.

I searched if Sharingan was online, but if he was, he didn't reply to my e-mails. It was late and I had no idea whether the real-life Sharingan would be awake. I realized that I didn't even have any clue about what he was like in real life, such as how he was or anything like that. Other than him being strange, I suppose.

I walked along MacAnu's canal, pondering what to do, when my reverie was interrupted.

"Heyyyyyy!"

I turned to see Obito running towards me, waving. Behind him, Nova walked along more leisurely.

They immediately invited me to join their party and I agreed. The game's party chat mechanism made conversations easier.

"Long time." Obito ran circles around me the way he had when we'd first met.

"It's only been three days." I smiled.

"That's a long time for me!"

I guess three days is a long time to people who do this everyday.

"Your e-mail said you wanted to ask us something?" Kakashi interrupted.

"Yeah. I heard you talking the other day about a place where monsters don't show up."

"Yeah? You mean the church, right?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, there's nothing there. It's just decoration, which makes it a good place to practice your skills until you become proficient. Most players who've been at this awhile know it's empty."

"And you say things like monsters never show up? Ever?" I pressed.

"What do you mean by 'like monsters'?"

"Um…" I didn't want to tell then about the Data Bug.

Obito tsked. "You weren't scared of the creepy old church, were you, BlackCherry?"

"No, it's not that."

"Did something happen?" asked Kakashi.

"No, nothing happened."

'Why don't we all go together? Obito and I aren't doing anything, and it's been awhile since I've visited. You wanna go?"

I didn't want to risk running into the creature again. I couldn't deal with it myself, but I didn't want to get them tangled up in this mess. How can I dissuade them? "Uh, no, that's okay."

"No? Then how about we go somewhere else? Have you ever been to that Expansive, Haunted Sea of Sand place that people are talking about?" Obito asked.

I was glad he'd changed the subject.

"That place might work," Kakashi agreed. "The area level's not too high. I think they just finished designing it, so it'll be fresh for al of us."

I had read on the BBS that a mysterious girl had been spotted there. Could it be that girl Sharingan mentioned?

I was a bit uneasy, but I also wanted to check it out. "Okay, that works." I agreed.

"Excellent decision!"

"Let's go right away. Is this your first combat?"

I couldn't tell them I'd fought the other day, so I just nodded.

"Then we'll teach you about combat too."

"Thanks."

We arrived in a desert region littered with gigantic snail shells (large enough to live inside), and the occasional beached starfish (the size of a truck). The area had apparently been designed to resemble a dried-up ocean.

"Oh, goody, there are lots of them." muttered Obito.

"Lots of what?" I asked.

"Magic portals," Kakashi said as he pointed to a big, yellow, spinning sphere with hand-drawn designs specific to the region.

"If you get close to the yellow thing, it invokes a magic portal. Try it out, BlackCherry."

I walked closer. The sphere was roughly twice my height. The instant my avatar stood close enough to touch it, the patterns on its surface unraveled and burst open. A blue treasure box appeared.

"Too bad it's not a monster." Kakashi sounded disappointed.

"It's all good. Let's open it." Obito said eagerly.

"Wait!" shouted Kakashi.

Ignoring Kakashi's plea, Obito opened the treasure box. There was a flash of light—an explosion—and Obito's health meter glowed red; he was nearly dead.

What the hell was that!?

"Geez, another bomb." said Obito.

"You idiot, you could've killed BlackCherry! What would you have done if she'd been caught in the blast?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry."

Kakashi huffed. He chanted a spell and Obito's hit points returned to normal.

"Are bombs common?" I asked.

"Yeah, but Obito is also a completist on springing traps."

"A 'completist'?"

"Right. He says he wants to try to spring every kind of trap at least once." Kakashi turned to his friend. "Don't be like that, Obito. It's very annoying." He teased.

"Obito almost died because of a trap?" I gulped. Were these guys for real?

"Blue treasure boxes have traps planted in them. You just gotta use a fortune wire and turn them yellow."

"Yellow?"

"Uh-huh. Yellow ones are normal treasure boxes, so if you open them you get items or gold." Kakashi shrugged.

"I almost always get near-death experiences!" Obito cried.

Springing traps with no regards to safety didn't seem like fun to me! Whatever floats your boat…I guess The World has something for all types.

For the next hour they taught me the basics of combat, until I told them I had to get some sleep. I logged off, feeling grateful for the lesson.

If I wanted to support Sharingan, I'd have to get better at battle. I also needed to grow stronger. I couldn't stand relying on others to protect me.

x-o-0-0-o-x

Over the next few days, I visited various fields: scorched landscapes, frozen wetlands, nighttime wilderness, and dense forests where it was easy to become lost.

I invoked magic portals and found treasures and monsters. Once, I got surrounded by too many enemies…and BlackCherry died for the first time.

It was extremely unpleasant. Afterward, I played more cautiously.

Once my character reached Level 13, I e-mailed Sharingan.

I read a message on the BBS that mentioned the girl and that black thing you were talking about. Do you want to look for them on the Theta server?

x-o-0-0-o-x

Dun Loireag was the root town on the Theta server. Built on a small plain that was surrounded by towering, rocky mountains, it had a Scottish Highlander theme. The shops and houses were built into sheer rock cliffs. Bridges linked many areas together…though calling them 'bridges' was more than I thought they deserved, since they were just sloping wooden planks (with no railings leading from one platform to another.

The sound of the wind rushed constantly in my ears. Even though I knew it was only a game, as an acrophobe (also known as acrophobia; an abnormal fear of high places), the thought of crossing the bridges terrified me. In spite of my fear, I looked down, trying to find the base of the mountain. Bad idea. All I could see were clouds below me. I scurried away from the edge.

Compared to MacAnu, this place was much smaller, more like a village. I explored the area while I waited for Sharingan.

One lot I came across had a sign out front with a picture of a pig on it. But the bizarre-looking animals I could see in the back of the lot didn't resemble anything in real life, least of all pigs. I looked at the sign once more. Is this some kind of ranch?

I decided to talk to the computer-generated character that ran the place. I guess gaming lingo referred them as NPCs for Non-Player Characters.

He explained that he raised and sold the small creatures penned up in the back. They were called grunties.

Grunties? What the hell kind of name is that?

I continued through the town for a little while before getting bored and then just returned to the Chaos Gate to wait fro Sharingan. I'm not exactly a patient person.

Finally, he showed.

"You know it's impolite to keep a girl waiting!" I joked.

'Sorry about that." He shrugged.

"We're going to Quiet, Eternal, White Devil, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay! Let's go!: I said, joining his party.

"Is it okay if I invited someone else along?" he asked.

"Huh!?" this was unexpected.

"He's a Heavy Axeman. He'll be good to have along."

"I guess I don't mind. What kind of person is he?"

"Hmm. Well, rather than me trying to explain him, why don't you just see for yourself? I'm sure he'll be here any moment."

"Fine." I answered curtly. Am I the only one who doesn't want to involve other unrelated people? The beginnings of dread pricked my heart.

"You know what?" Sharingan spoke suddenly.

"What?"

"I did some searching without you."

"You did?" I was surprised.

"Yeah. Sorry. But we just met the other day."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, I wanted to follow a few leads on my own." he said.

"What did you find out?" I asked/

"I read on the boards about this place that looked like a dried-up ocean."

"Oh, I was just there, too."

"You were?" Something in his voice sounded strained.

"Yes."

"Oh." He stared at me.

"See, you should have taken me along!" I teased.

"Well, when did you go?"

"Just the other night." I answered.

"But you're okay, right?" he sounded worried.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"Did you meet anything like we did before?"

"No. did you?" before he answered, I knew that he had. "tell me what happened." I demanded.

He sighed and told me that he'd visited the field a few days earlier, before I went with Kakashi and Obito. Unlike when we'd gone, there had been an NPC standing guard at the entrance to the dungeon. He warned Sharingan to return to town, but Kite ignored him and continued forward.

When Sharingan arrived at the deepest point of the dungeon, he encountered a cheerfully reckless Wavemaster and together they fought a Data Bug.

I realized that if I had taken Kakashi and Obito there first, we might have been in danger. I had the feeling that there was some connection between the Data Bug and the places where the girl had been sighted.

Next, Sharingan told me about Chouji in a dungeon where an ogre was giving him the spanking of a lifetime, immediately after Chouji had bragged about what a kick-ass fighter he was.

"I couldn't sit back and let him die, so I ended up lending him a hand." Sharingan said with a smile.

I tried not to laugh. "Hey, does this Chouji guy know about the virus?"

"No."

"Well then are you sure you want to involve him in this!?" I asked, incredulous.

"I don't want to, but I need companions." Kite rubbed his right arm where he wore the bracelet that the girl had given him.

Then it hit me. Sharingan can fight Data Bugs with the power of the bracelet. I on the other hand, was utterly powerless against the irregular monsters. Even though we shared the same goal, Sharingan was far more powerful than me.

"Hey," Sharingan asked, suddenly very serious, "do you know about protected areas?"

After listening to Temari talk so often about message board rumors, I'd made it a habit to check the BBS diligently. Some of the threads had mentioned the protected areas.

"Those are places that can't be accessed from the Chaos Gate," I said. "If you try to enter, you show up, see a warning indicator, and then you're warped back to town."

"Yeah, but I went to a protected—"

Our conversation was interrupted as a huge green mass abruptly appeared before us. "You've done well summoning me! Now let us begin our harrowing journey!"

Say what?

"You there, woman! I am honoured to your acquaintance. I am the Lone Wolf, Chouji the Silver White!"

"Uh, hi. I'm BlackCherry." I keyed the motion for a bow, but he didn't notice.

"Let us begin our quest!"

I clicked into Whisper Mode so I could speak to Kite without Chouji hearing. "Can you finish telling me your story?" I pressed.

"You'll understand soon enough."

Perhaps Sharingan was taking us to a protected area now. Is that possible?

We warped to the field.

"We got right in." Sharingan sounded surprised, as if we shouldn't have been able to get there easily.

The scenery of this place was very different from any of the other fields I had visited.

Purple clouds hung low in the sky; snowflakes danced through the air. What at first appeared to beeline of trees in the distance was actually a rip in the very fabric of the game.

The trees were actually green glyphs; symbols and letters that looked like programming language. The characters zigged and zagged like snakes across a black void. Even the snow-covered ground sported occasional fissures that revealed the computer code.

"Well now, this is rather strange, isn't it?"

I could tell that Chouji was as bewildered as I was.

Occasionally, a scream rent the silence, and when it did, the colour of the scene inverted. Isn't that the sign of a Data Bug?

"It's the same as the other day." Sharingan muttered as he looked around.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Hidden, Forbidden, Holy Ground on Delta didn't look this bad."

"No, not there. This is what it was like in Expansive, Haunted, Sea of Sand when I went there."

"Well, let's proceed!" Chouji said grandly. "Standing around avails us nothing, boys!"

"I'm a girl!"

"Oh, yes! Girls, then!"

"But Sharingan's not a girl!" I said.

Sharingan watched our exchange and laughed. I felt my tension ease, but only a little.

We entered the dungeon.

It was the same as the field. The floors and walls contained rips revealing the same lines of meaningless alphanumeric characters.

"Wasn't entry to this field prohibited?" Chouji asked.

'But we got in." Sharingan said, confused.

"Hmm. Of course! Then the prohibition was lifted, but the reason for this is shrouded in the reek of secrecy!" Chouji concluded. "I see! Then we have come to expose the terrible secret, tight, boys?"

"I told you, we aren't all boys!"

"I apologize, BlackChar!"

"As long as you remember this time…Wait, what? 'Char'!? Get my name right!"

A fish!? Chouji annoyed me to no end. I just prayed he was trying to be funny.

We continued forward, my heart skipping a beat every time we turned a bend in the passage or descended a staircase. The farther we went, the more fear of Data Bugs was overshadowed by my hope that we might encounter the girl who granted Sharingan his power. At least she could explain what it was and why it worked. Perhaps if we understood that, we might understand the reason Sharingan's friend and Konohamaru are in comas.

We were descending a staircase when Sharingan suddenly stopped.

"It's a dead end." He announced.

That was very odd.

"Well we mastered this dungeon," Chouji said grandiosely. "There was no mystery. Now my friends, let us return to town!"

But the fact that there was no mystery was itself a mystery. We'd explored every room and passageway, yet we hadn't encountered anything at all.

"They're not here." Sharingan's voice echoed hollowly through the dim darkness of the dead-end passage. "Neither the black creature nor the girl."


Wow, this was a long chapter! Hope you enjoyed it and not confused either. I wonder if you survived reading it though…

Please do ask any questions.

I will try to update soon since its holiday time for me! Please review. But i won't update if i don't get enough reviews, hehe. So you people who don't review better review!