**Thanks again for the reviews guys and girls! 3 SmileyCakes 3, I don't mind long reviews at all. In fact, I love 'em! Thanks for the pointers; I'll keep what you said in mind. In this chapter, Naruto and Sakura actually talk! Oh, and this chapter contains irresponsible teenage under aged drinking. Don't do this at home guys, m'kay? =D Enjoy.**
.
.
Chapter 3: Party Crasher
.
A Black Eyed Peas song was booming, nearly drowning out the conversation in the house. It was standing room only and more people arrived every minute.
Sakura, Ino, and Temari clustered in the kitchen laughing and talking about whatever came to mind, plastic cups filled with beer in hand. It was supposed to be an alcohol free party, but that hadn't lasted long. Sakura and everyone she knew were too young to even try getting alcohol, but someone had known someone else, who for a 40 dollar fee would buy it and before she knew it; her house had 3 kegs and a cooler full of it.
She only hoped the party didn't get much bigger. Her house was out of the way and far from neighbors, but one patrol car and her life was over.
Sakura looked at her watch. It was nearly 10 pm and Sasuke still hadn't arrived. Someone would have told her if he had. Everyone knew she had a thing for him. Not that it mattered. He'd made it clear more than once he wasn't interested in that way. She had landed in the friend zone some time ago, with no way out. Still, they were friends and could she help it if she held out hope he would change his mind? It happened.
"Hey, Sakura! Are you listening?" Ino shouted in her ear over the music.
Sakura started, sloshing gold liquid onto her new white blouse and black skirt. "Crap! Ino!" she cried, trying to brush it off.
"Sorry," Ino laughed.
She didn't seem sorry. It was easy for Ino to laugh. With a small blue tank top and tight hip-hugging jeans it wouldn't really matter if Ino spilled something onto her clothes. It was a smart move for a party, actually. Sakura threw mental daggers at her friend.
But that was Ino. She could be voted most likely to laugh at misfortune in the yearbook if they had that category, or maybe most flirty, which was a category. With long blond hair she habitually tied into a pony tail, large blue eyes and light personality, Ino's biggest joy in life was the art of the flirt. If a guy was cute and unattached, Ino would find a way to get to know him. Ino had never had a steady boyfriend other than having dated Sasuke for a few months, years ago. She seemed to like it that way.
"Here, come here," Temari ordered as she grabbed a napkin in one hand and the edge of Sakura's blouse in the other, dragging her toward the kitchen sink. "You're such a klutz, Sakura."
Sakura rolled her eyes and let Temari tend the stain. She had learned not to argue the small things with Temari. Tonight her friend wore a light yellow t-shirt that said "Kiss" on it and some tight blue jeans.
What could you say about Temari? She was a little bossy. Oh, and beautiful, with her golden hair in pig tails and her dark eyes and her cute button nose. Not to mention she was more developed than either Sakura or Ino. Her chest made her the instant center of attention wherever they went as a group. Temari put up with it, but when they were alone she complained about it.
It was real frustrated complaining too, not the kind you sometimes heard when the person complained as a way to brag about something they were secretly proud of. There was no knowing smile or a roll of the eyes as she talked about some guy checking out her ass.
Guys would hound her, even much older guys who should have been afraid of going to jail. It really bothered her, and had been the source of a lot of heart-to-hearts between them in the past. It had brought the three of them very close and Sakura would jump through fire to protect her from it, while Ino would jump through fire to trade places with Temari.
"So?" Ino prompted Sakura around Temari.
"So what?"
Ino's eyebrows rose and she put her hands on her hips. "So why are you looking at your watch like, every minute? Got something better to do?"
Sakura blushed. I didn't think I was that obvious. "No. I'm just exshpecting someone." She blinked. Did I just slur that? She was cutting herself off. No more shots for her tonight.
"Oh yeah?" Ino got real interested, leaning forward with a knowing smile. "Who? Anyone I know?"
"Who else?" Temari sighed, gulping downing half her cup. Something was on Temari's mind tonight but she wasn't talking about it. She looked determined to drink herself into a coma instead. Sakura was going to make sure Temari slept over tonight. If Temari came home to her parents hammered, Sakura would never see her again.
Ino's smile faltered and she threw her hands up in the air. "Oh my god! Sasuke? Still?"
Sakura took offense. "What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong with it? Do you want that in alphabetical order or chronological?" Ino laughed.
Temari snorted laughter into her cup, attempting to hide her smile.
Sakura flushed a deeper shade of red. She had made many tries to get Sasuke's attention. Including an incident in 5th grade she would never forget involving a failed spin the bottle attempt. The biggest problem was she knew Ino was right and for a moment hated her for it.
She was saved from responding when a drunken guy Sakura didn't recognize right away bumped into Ino as he stumbled backwards, which cased both of them to drop their cups. When he turned around Sakura realized it was Sai, Sasuke's cousin. He was a sophomore, a year ahead of them. He had just moved in from out of town and hadn't met Ino yet. Sai was pretty good looking, sort of like Sasuke but skinnier, in a black t-shirt and slacks. A Sasuke light. Not really my type though, Sakura decided. She liked a little more muscle.
Ino spun around to face him, about to verbally blast him a new hole, but stopped, looking him up and down. A slow smile began on her flushed face.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he returned, looking Ino in the eye with a smile.
"Wanna dance?" she asked, with a hand on his arm.
He shrugged. "I don't know how."
Ino's smile grew as she leaned closer. "Want me to show you?"
His face lost its smile for a moment as he said solemnly, "hell. Yeah."
Ino was already pulling him away toward the crowded living room. Sakura was just able to make out Ino's parting shot as she left; "find someone else, Sakura," before the noise and moving bodies swallowed her from sight.
Sakura realized her jaw was hanging open and closed it with a click. Just like that, Ino and Sai had hit it off. Ino hadn't even asked him his name! She didn't know how to find someone else. Even if she wanted to, which she didn't, she only knew how to like Sasuke. She couldn't switch who she liked on and off like a switch like Ino could.
"You really do need to move on," Temari pronounced sagely, draining her cup before grabbing someone else's half filled cup from a nearby counter.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she sighed. I can't help how I feel. Something occurred to her then. Sai is Sasuke's cousin. So, maybe Sai had come in with Sasuke. She needed to see.
"I'll be back," Sakura murmured hurriedly as she started through the crowd of people, looking at faces.
"Say 'hi' to Sasuke for me," Temari called, waving a hand disinterestedly then rolling her eyes as a guy immediately moved in to flirt.
Sakura sighed again as she moved the throng. Now where is he?
.
.
Naruto wandered aimlessly, cursing himself for storming out without at least grabbing a sweater. It was starting to get really cold. Not only that, but he was hungry too. His stomach gurgled in agreement.
Naruto had walked blindly for who knows how long after leaving his house. His foster father was horrible! How could he sleep there knowing Orochimaru was torturing things just below? Should he go to the police? Tip off a news station? Was what Orochimaru doing even illegal? It had to be. It should be.
Shivering, Naruto looked around. He wasn't really sure where he was. The town of Konoha was relatively small, population wise, but the houses were spaced really far apart with a forest that surrounded and practically grew right through it. There was only one shopping center, one high school, one police station. It wasn't like the town was cut off from the outside world, of course. The outskirt of a large city was only a 20 minute drive away.
At least it wasn't that hard to see. The moon was full that cloudless night, bathing everything in gentle silver light.
The last house he had passed a few minutes ago had been dark, a dogs bark echoing in the night, warning him away. He came to an intersection at the bottom of a hill, where a stop sign hung askew. Under the word STOP, someone hand inked (or not) in a messy hand.
A jeep filled with teenagers drove by, a rap song pumping and thumping. Some of them spotted Naruto on the side of the road; they howled at him, laughing as the Jeep took off with squealing tires up the hill. Naruto snorted. Thanks! I'd love a ride! Assholes.
Deciding one direction was as good as another, Naruto followed the Jeeps path up the hill. Eventually, maybe a 30 minute walk later, he spotted a glow down the street, highlighting the trees along the road. As he drew nearer he heard some kind of music, barely heard over his own chattering teeth. Someone was having a party, he figured.
Rounding a final bend, a large house came into view. All the lights where on, and more cars than he could count were parked in the driveway, along the street and up the hill. Among them hundreds of kids his age and older milled about, talking, laughing and shouting, all mixed together into a general symphony of noise. As he walked closer he passed a couple making out against a tree. A little further away he could hear someone throwing up to the sound of others laughing, making exaggerated grossed out sounds.
As he drew even with the entrance, looking at all the people and laid back atmosphere, an idea grew in Naruto's mind. This was a party; there would be food, and something to drink. It would be warm in there. No one would notice if he popped in and out real quick. No one would care. He smiled a real smile for what felt like days.
He turned toward the door. It grew larger in his eyes and no one even looked at him. His smile widened. Pushing through, the first thing he noticed was how loud the music was. It nearly shook the walls and he felt it in his toes. It was a good song at least, one he'd heard before; Uprising by Muse. As he moved through the hallway he grew nervous as he realized people were starting to notice him. No one pointed and laughed or anything obvious, but girls were looking at him out of the corner of their eyes. He felt his palms grow sweaty.
He ground his teeth, looking around quickly for any party food he could scoop up. Forget the drinks; he just wanted to fill his belly. There! On a coffee table sat an untouched bowl of nachos. As nonchalantly as he could, he sidled up to the bowl and grabbed it. Prize in hand, he scooped some up and into his mouth, crunching happily. Turning, he made a B-line straight back the way he came, eager to escape with his loot. Almost there… almost… FREE!
Chortling gleefully, he made it out and quickened his pace, making for the forest across the street. He would find some place out of sight to sit and eat in peace. He needed to think about what he was going to do.
.
.
Sakura had searched a long time and had finally found Sasuke out on her back porch talking to his best friend, Jugo.
Jugo was a gentle giant. Standing at 6 foot 5 as a freshman and all muscle, no one messed with him. He had only lost his temper once back in 7th grade, when a kid had mistaken his gentleness for weakness. The kid had spent a month in the hospital and had moved away soon after. With light brown hair and eyes and his quiet, calm personality, Sakura thought Jugo was a sweetheart, and loved talking to him, which is just what she did.
A few hours later as a bunch of them sat around in her backyard chatting and the party was starting to die down, Ino came rushing up.
"Sakura!" Ino said on unsteady feet. She'd had a little too much to drink, Sakura decided. Despite that, her tone set alarm bells ringing in Sakura's head instantly. Ino only got serious when it was serious.
Sasuke had wandered off to the toilet a little while ago but Jugo was sitting close by and looked up.
"What's up Ino?" Sakura asked, getting up and looking Ino over. She had been running. "You okay?"
"Some of Itachi's asshole friends showed up a while ago, and they started hitting on Temari," Ino began.
"Oh great," Sakura interrupted, seething. Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, was an okay guy for a senior, but he tended to hang out with real low life types. Most of the vandalism in town was rumored to have been done by Itachi's friends. Jugo got up and came over, which made Sakura feel better.
"That's not it though! I turned around for, like, a second and Temari was gone! So where they! I don't know where she is and she won't answer her cell!" Ino cried, anguished. Ino never said it, but she loved Temari as much as Sakura did. Coldness seeped down Sakura's spine. Oh shit!
She didn't think Itachi's friends would stoop to rape, but then again…
"I'll get Sasuke. You two go look for her. If there's trouble, get us," Jugo ordered, his demeanor no longer gentle. Used to his quiet and calm side, the change unsettled Sakura. He was slow to anger, but when it happened, he was like a force of nature.
The two girls nodded and Jugo took off for the house at a run. Sakura looked at Ino. "You look in the house. They might have taken her to a room. I'll check out front."
"Yeah," Ino agreed. They separated, Sakura running around her house to the front.
People where scattered about. Some talking in groups, while others just sat there as some do when drunk, as still others were saying their goodbyes as they headed off home. No Temari. Her heart beating fast, Sakura did a complete circuit around her house, only finding future alcoholics and couples. The cars! Maybe they're in a car.
She ran over to the cars still parked in her driveway, peering through windows. She followed the line of cars out, checking each until she reached the street. Looking up and down the street, she checked each car on the side of the road in desperation. Nothing! Her search had carried her up the road a distance, out of sight of her house. It was dark save for the moon's light, which is how she saw a flickering light in the woods across the street.
Could it be them? It looked like flashlights. For a moment she almost went back for help, but she gathered herself. If she did, she might lose them. Running across the street she pushed into the forest, following as best she could.
"Temari!" she called, her voice sounding muffled, in a wild hope her friend had only gone for a walk and Itachi's friends had just gone home.
The glow ahead paused. Encouraged, Sakura tried again in a stronger voice. "Temari! Wait up!" Everything would be all right. She had freaked out for nothing.
To her horror the light ahead flickered off, plunging everything in darkness. The moon had trouble illuminating anything under the branches, creating stark contrasts of bright moonlight and unfathomable shadow. Scared now, Sakura paused, crouching.
She was far enough in the forest now that she couldn't hear the music from her place anymore. No ambient light penetrated here, where the wild things still grew.
From ahead she heard the crunching sound of someone approaching her over gravel. Branches snapped and she heard a bird fly away, startled from its slumber. Heart pounding in her throat, she looked around wildly until she saw the dark forms of two people slip from shadow.
The moonlight fell on their faces long enough for her to recognize two of Itachi's friends. Hidan, of medium height, a shaggy mane of hair and a tooth necklace and Kakuzu, who was taller and broader across the shoulders, with close cropped hair, dressed in a long dark coat. One of them clicked on his flashlight in her face, blinding her.
"Are you following us?" asked one of them.
She couldn't tell who was who with the light in her eyes. Raising a hand to block the light, she peered at them. "I'm looking for Temari."
They looked at each other. "Oh?" One of them said. She thought it was Hidan.
Something in the way they looked at each other, something in their taunting one word response to her, made her realize they knew exactly where Temari was and why Sakura had followed them.
"Where is she?" she demanded, her growing anger overtaking her fear.
Hidan's slow smile made Sakura shiver. "Let me show you."
They stepped toward her as one.
.
.
Naruto hadn't even realized he had dozed off until a noise woke him up. Crackling branches, broken twigs, the scuff of shoe on dirt somewhere in the distance, out of sight. He yawned, as he looked around, getting his bearings. He rested against a rock on a slope and he couldn't see a soul. He'd lost his way shortly after entering the forest and had started to panic a little. He'd decided his best bet was to wait for daylight rather than risk getting even more lost at night.
It had been stupid of him to go into unfamiliar woods at night in the first place. He listened a moment longer, closing his eyes to hear the better. Maybe my imagination? A dream? No, there it was again, not far away. Then he saw three figures walking, two of them struggling while a third walked along with a flashlight.
"Let me GO!" a frightened girlish voice cried.
Naruto jumped to his feet, adrenalin making him shake. Where they kidnapping her? They drew closer, but hadn't seen him yet. He could see by their shapes it was two guys and a girl.
"Would you shut up? We aren't going to hurt you," the bigger one with the flashlight said, in what was meant to be a calming tone. It sounded more sinister than the guy probably realized.
"Fuck you!" she screamed, the cry swallowed by the forest.
Crack! The guy struggling with her slapped her, hard, showing her the lie about them not hurting her. Her form sagged a little in shock then she struggled even harder, kicking out, clawing, screaming "Help!" as loud as she could. No one would hear, Naruto knew. The trees swallowed sound. With a heave the smaller guy threw her into a tree. She slammed into it and slid down, the wind out of her sails.
The bigger guy took something out of his pocket while his other held his flashlight to the girl. With a jolt Naruto realized he recognized her. It was Sakura!
He didn't know what was going on, but he was going to stop it. He couldn't stop his stepfather. No, not my father. Orochimaru. He would never think of the man as anything like a father again, not even in name. He couldn't stop what had happened at home, but he could stop this. I will stop it!
He stepped forward.
.
.
Sakura started to hyperventilate in fear as she stared at what Kakuzu held in his hand. It was a sharp hunting knife, gleaming in the dark like a silver star. Oh-my-god! Omigod! They were going to kill her! Cut her. She was trembling, hardly believing it. She couldn't move.
She had lived in this town all her life, grown up with these faces. She'd never been kissed by a man she loved. She'd never gone to her prom. She hadn't done anything with her life. It was all in her future.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. They were just trying to scare her. They were doing it well. They wouldn't do anything serious. Would they? Would they? Gathering her courage, she pushed herself to her feet.
"S-So, where is Temari, you dicks? If you hurt her I swear-" she cut off as they started laughing at her, low and nasty.
"Bitch, I don't even know who Temari is." Hidan sneered.
"It's that chick with the big tits, dude," Kakuzu supplied, his smile wide.
"The one that slapped me?" Hidan wondered.
Kakuzu sighed. "No, the other one."
"Oh, right! She got all pissed when I felt her ass. Like she didn't like it. Whatever. What a cock tease," he lamented while picking at something in his teeth.
"You are such a prick!" Sakura shot at him in disbelief, amazed anyone could be such a loser.
"And you are going to strip for the prick. Right here. Right now," Kakuzu promised, raising his knife a little.
Sakura froze again, fear gripping her by the neck. Her back was to a tree. She would have to run past them to get away. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at the knife, feeling helpless, feeling small.
"No," she whispered past the apple in her throat. It took everything she had to say it. She closed her eyes, a sob breaking loose despite how hard she tried to keep it in.
She heard laughter in his voice as he said, "what was that? I didn't quite hear you"
"She said," a new, slightly gravely voice grated, "NO!" Her eyes shot open just in time to see a booted foot slam into the knife from the side. She heard a sharp crack as Kakuzu's wrist snapped. The knife twinkled as it flew out of eyeshot, skittering on the ground.
"AAGGHH!" Kakuzu cried, falling back, cradling his wrist, the flashlight falling to the ground.
"Damn!" Hidan whistled, backing up a step as the new boy entered, planting himself between them and Sakura.
Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. It was dark, the flashlight settling on the ground, but she had seen this boy earlier that day.
"Naruto?" she cried in shock.
The swirl on his shirt was almost like a trademark. Standing in front of her, closer than she had ever been to him before, she suddenly realized he was a lot bigger than she had noticed before. He was easily close to six feet tall. Had his shoulders always been this wide? A sudden thought hit her. He doesn't smell like B.O. at all!
With dread Sakura watched as Hidan pulled his own hunting knife from his pocket, smirking. "Tough guy, huh?" he taunted, brandishing it.
"Sakura," Naruto said over his shoulder. "When I say so, run and get help." She looked at his strong back. He didn't sound scared. He sounded like he was asking her to get him a cup of coffee.
"She's not going anywhere," Hidan said, his voice cheerful.
"Sakura?" Naruto repeated.
Okay! "No!" she said fiercely, fighting her cowardly thought. "I can help you." I'm a cheerleader after all. I can cheer him on, she thought sarcastically. Seriously, what was she going to do? They were super sized senior guys and she was a small freshman girl. Why had she said all that? But Naruto was a freshman too, not fully grown, and they had knives. He was going to die without help.
Hidan started circling, while Kakuzu backed up, glaring at Naruto with murder in his eyes.
Naruto counter-circled, holding his hand back to make sure Sakura was behind him, his body going loose.
"You can help me by getting help," he said to her. Did he sound amused? She got a little angry. It was the thought that counted, right?
She put a hand to his back, clutching the shirt a moment. His back was warm and hard with muscle, surprising her. She must not have really looked at him before. "Okay. Just don't die," she relented. She felt keyed up, ready to move. I can do this. I'm fast and I know the woods. There was no way in hell they were they going to catch her.
"Don't die. Right," he said, his voice cracking a little. She kicked herself; she shouldn't have said that.
"No promises," Kakuzu called nastily.
With a surge Naruto charged Hidan, twirling low over his swinging knife at the last second and catching the guy in a beautiful leg sweep before springing up and jumping over Hidan, tackling Kakuzu and going down in a swinging surging pile.
"Sakura! Now!" he cried out before grunting as Hidan jumped onto the pile. Sakura Jerked. She had been rooted to the spot, amazed at the display. She took off toward her house, leaving the noise of an all out brawl behind her.
Tears were flowing freely as she ran. Don't die! I'm coming back with help, just don't die!
.
To be continued…
.
** Ah, the dreaded cliff hanger! Evil of me, no? This super-sized chapter (10 pages in word) was brought to you by all you kind reviewers who gave me your thoughts on my story! When I need inspiration I just read them over again to get pumped. JJ and Jax02, worry you not! Plenty of Naruto/Sakura stuff to come and descriptions too. And I also plan to delve into Naruto's history with Orochimaru as well. Thanks for reading, see you next time.**