A/N: Big chapter, coming! This is my longest chapter, I've ever made. Hope you like it! It gets graphic near the end. Not to
the extreme, just enough to seem weird. Enjoy!
Chapter 3: A Burning Invitation
Sakura had lost the man in black, after dodging through people and merchandise stands for a
good 5 minutes. She was calm enough, now, to stop and recall what she had seen in his eyes,
and why they made her shiver, down to the bone. She regretfully, imagined his eyes again, in her
head, and shrieked under her breath. She put it out of her mind, quickly. She shook the image
out of her head, and looked at her watch. It showed 3:32. She still had half an hour, until she
was to meet up with the others. She sighed and looked around. She spotted a small Cafe, off to
the side of the road, and decided that she would take a break, from looking around and have
something to drink. Sakura pushed open the door and walked into the Cafe. Above the door, a
bell on a string, bounced around, and rattled it's signature chime. Sakura got spooked, and
jumped a little. She quickly regained her composure, and looked around. There were not that
many people in the Cafe, to begin with, but she didn't want anyone to think she was scared of a
bell. She was letting the confrontation with the man in black, get to her.
Get a hold of yourself, Sakura! she muttered to herself, in her head, you aren't this paranoid!
Sakura closed her eyes, sighed, and continued into the Cafe. She walked up to the counter and
waited for the man, behind the counter, to finish with the customer in front of her. Once he was
done with her, and had given out what she had ordered, Sakura moved up to the front.
"Hi," the man greeted, with a big smile, that was almost too big for his small face, "welcome to
Minjari Cafe! What can I get for you?"
"Um...?" Sakura thought, looking like a complete ass, as she looked up at the giant board of
food and drinks.
"Haha..." the man laughed, "I can definitely tell that you aren't from around here!"
"Huh?," Sakura wondered, "why's that?"
"This is a fairly small town, compared to others," he explained, " but it's still big enough to enjoy
for a long time. Anyone that comes in here, I know from mutiple meeting s with them around
here. So...since I don't regonize you, and you have now clue, as to what to order, from our
huge selection of food, I can tell that you are from out of town, and not from around here."
"...blush...yeah...hehe...," Sakura, shyly admitted, "I'm not."
"My names, Wesley," he introduced himself, to her, "I own this Cafe, and I also do a lot of work
outside the store, like giving tours of the town. It might not look like much, but there's more
to this town, than meets the eye."
"Really, like what?" Sakura asked, as she blushed more. The man was young. No more then 20,
but looked like he still belonged in high school. He had the most intense, crystal blue eyes, Sakura
had ever seen. His hair was a light, chocolate brown, with faded gold streaks in it. His uniform,
was a black, short sleeve shirt, and black dress pants. He had a red apron over his body, with a
picture of a headband on it, with the words, "Minjari Cafe: Number one for a reason!", printed
across the metallic part of the band.
"Well," Wesley began, smiling his enormous smile again. It was big, but at the same time, very
calm and relaxing, "for one...I know of a popular field of Mokuren flowers, that has become very
popular in this town."
"Wow...I'd love to see them!" Sakura smiled, putting her hands together, in delight, "I'd love to
see a flower field!"
"Well, then...how about I take you to see them?" Wesley offered, still smiling, "I am a tour
guide, after all."
"Yeah!" Sakura burst out, "I'd love too!"
"Ok, how about I meet you back here at 7, and I'll take you there?"
"Ok!"
Sakura left the Cafe, smiling about her date with Wesley. Sakura giggled, at the thought of it
as a date, but she kept thinking of it as a date, just because it made her smile. She was only
around the corner from the Inn, where she was to meet the others. When she got there, Lee
was already there, punching and kicking the air. Sakura walked up to him, and just stood
there, smiling. After a few seconds, out of the corner of his eye, Lee finally noticed Sakura,
standing beside him.
"Sakura," Lee greeted her, as he stopped his training and turned to face her, "glad to see you
back!"
"Yeah," Sakura agreed, smiling, "the others not here yet?"
"No, not yet," Lee admitted, shaking his head, not letting the smile on his face, disappear.
Sakura looked at her watch.
"We still have 5 minutes, before they have to meet us," Sakura said, as she read the time on
her watch, "what do you want to do?"
"Well...," Lee thought, "why don't we just sit and talk?"
Sakura looked at him for a moment, and then agreed.
"Ok," she said, nodding. The two walked over and sat down on a wooden bench, in front of
the Inn. The two sat down, beside each other, staring forward. The two didn't speak a word,
because none couldn't think of anything to say.
"So...Lee?" Sakura, finally got the conversation going, "what was that that you were talking
about yesterday...about how you had someone close to you, die as well?"
"Uh...well," Lee hesitated, scratching his head, "that really isn't anything important..."
"Well...I just wanted to say, thanks!"
"Why?"
"Because, you were my closest friend in all of this," Sakura explained, "you were there to
comfort me, and help me get over Sasuke. You are a great friend, Lee!"
"Thank you, Sakura," Lee, accepted the compliment, "I did it, because I like you a lot, and
would hate to see you end up, crying forever."
Sakura looked at Lee and smiled...a sad smile. Lee smiled back.
"So...," Lee mumbled, not sure what to say next, "...Sakura?...I was just wondering...I hear
that this village holds a fireworks show, every thursday and friday...did you want to see it with
me, tonight?"
"Ohhh...I'm sorry, Lee," Sakura apologized, "I actually already have plans with someone..."
Lee's face almost fell off, when he heard that. He covered up his hurt, so fast, Sakura didn't
seem to notice anything.
"I see...," Lee said, putting on a big smile, "well, that's ok...we can go tomorrow! We can just
ask your Sensei, if we can stay an extra day."
"Lee...," Sakura whispered, looking into his face, "I'm..."
"Hey, guys!" came Naruto's voice, erupting from behind them. Naruto, came jumping out of
the Inn, like a maniac, followed by Kakashi.
Lee got up and greeted them both. Sakura hung her head, and closed her hands into fists.
She wanted to apologize reconsider her answer, but couldn't do it, now that the others were
back. Sakura got up, and joined the group, flashing a smile that concealed her pain of
rejecting Lee.
"We have a few rooms booked," Kakashi, told everyone, "so how about we get some food,
before we call it a night?"
"Sounds good!" Lee piped up.
"Oh, yeah...," Naruto joined in, "I'm gonna get me some Ramen, and then after that...I'll get
me some more Ramen, and then after that...MORE RAMEN!!!"
Kakashi pulled out his wallet and opened the pouch, where his money was held. He looked at
the small amount that he had, and sighed. He closed the wallet and put it away, back
into one of his vest pockets. The group joined together and went off to get some food. Naruto
went nuts and began listing every flavor of Ramen, that he would eat, while Kakashi just
smiled, thinking how empty his wallet would feel, after they finished. Lee and Sakura, didn't
say anything or join in on the fun things, that were being said. The two stood on either side of
Kakashi, looking in opposite directions.
After the group had left, and were a ways down the road, the man in black came from down
the road, and stood in the middle of the street. He watched as Sakura, sulked and walked
along with her friends.
"My Dear, Sakura...," he said, in cackling voice, "we shall soon be together, once more...just
like old times...hehe..."
His laugh was quiet, but very dry and raspy. Like rubbing two pieces of sand paper, together.
He then, proceeded to follow the group, from far behind, quietly laughing to himself, in his
raspy tone.
(A/N: Ok, this may seem like an ideal place for a story to end the chapter, and leave
you till next time...but not today...keep going)
Inside "Minjari's Smorgasbord of Food", Naruto burst in, and rounded up all the bowls he
could carry, and started piling on the Ramen. Kakashi, who was next to enter the restaurant,
spotted Naruto, as he almost knocked over a waitress, carrying a tray of food, to get to the
next flavor of Ramen, just out of his reach. Kakashi sighed, deeply.
"I guess the bright spot of this is...," he mumbled to himself, "...he won't ask for more, for a
least a hundred years..."
The group, except Naruto, sat down at a booth, and opened up their menus. The group sat as
follows, from left to right; Sakura, Kakashi, Lee, and then Naruto would sit beside Lee.
Naruto, who finally finished with his raid of the food table, came to join his group. Naruto slid
into his place, and stacked, what looked like an unstable tower of bowls. One small gust of
wind, could end up bankrupting Kakashi. The group took a minute to order, and then called
over the waitress.
"I'll have the Pork ribs," Kakashi told the girl.
"Caesar Salad, for me," Lee demanded.
Sakura was up next, but she just looked into her menu, like it was hypnotizing her.
"Sakura?" Naruto asked her, looking up from his bowls of Ramen. A big pile of noodles, hung
and then fell out of his mouth, back into the bowl.
"...Huh?" Sakura gasped, bolting her head up. She moved so fast, that she flung her menu,
up into the air. It came back down, and landed on the table. Everyone stared at her.
"Are you not hungry, Sakura?" Kakashi asked her, cocking his head to one side, as he
asked her, his question.
"No...I'm fine...," Sakura assured him, picking up the menu again, and planting her face, deep
within it.
Everyone stared at her, some more, as she took her time to order. Finally, Sakura looked up
and ordered something.
"I'll just have the spaghetti...," she whispered. The waitress, nodded, wrote down Sakura's
order, gathered all the menu's from everyone, and left to tell the cook. Sakura watched the
waitress, as she walked down the isle's of tables and into the kitchen, by pushing open the
big, white swinging door, that separated it from the dining room. Sakura, slowly turned back
to the others, who immediately swung their heads around, so as not to embarrass Sakura
anymore, then they already have.
The others were quiet for a minute and then Lee, spoke up.
"Kakashi-Sensei?" Lee blurted out. Kakashi looked at him, in amusement. Kakashi had
always liked Lee. He had an attitude and spirit, about him, that you could never break, and
you loved him for it.
"Yes, Lee?" Kakashi quietly responded, smiling under his mask.
"I would like to ask you...if we may stay a little longer, than planned?" Lee, hesitantly asked,
remembering for a second, how Sakura had just shot him down, not even fifteen minutes ago.
"Oh?" Kakashi wondered, his visible eye, widening in interest, "may I ask, why?"
"I would like to accompany Sakura to a fireworks display, tomorrow...," Lee explained, trying
not to draw his eyes over to Sakura, "it's only on for another day!"
"Hmmm...," Kakashi hummed, thinking it over, "I suppose that we could use a little
excitement, before beginning our mission."
"Great!" Lee boomed, making a fist, "...!!...um...cough...thank you, Kakashi-Sensei!"
"You're welcome," Kakashi replied, smiling some more.
Sakura looked at Lee, who still did not look at her. She looked at him, with a shocked,
studying look. Then, she smiled, and giggled to herself. Since Sakura had smiled, Lee's
attention got distracted by it, and he looked in her direction. Sakura smiled at him, as he
looked her in astonishment. He smiled back at her, and flashed her a Rock Lee, "thumbs
up".
Outside, the man in black finally got to the restaurant, in which Sakura and the rest, were
eating. He looked through one of the windows, and spotted the group sitting near the back of
the building. He studied them and watched them, as their food finally got to them. The man
looked away, from the restaurant, and studied the stands around him. He spotted a stand,
about 100 feet away and stared at it for a moment. He then, decided to walk over to it, and
take a look. Once there, he saw a man behind the counter, sitting on a wodden chair, fiddling
with some project, behind his table. He spotted the man in black, and stopped his work. He
smiled, a cheerful smile at the man, but he didn't return the smile. Continuing to smile,
ignoring the man's gloomy face, he turned his chair to face forwards.
"Hello, there!" the shopkeeper, cheerfully greeted the man in black, "what can I interest you
in, today?"
The man in black didn't reply. He just stared. The shopkeeper, began to sweat a little,
seeming uneasy in the man in black's, presence. The man in black, looked at all the stuff
the shopkeeper had to offer, and scowled. Then, he spotted something behind the man, that
sparked his interest. His eyes grew wide with shock and then anger.
"That, there...," he said, dryly, pointing a finger at the object that the shopkeeper was working
on, only seconds ago, "who does it belong to?"
The shopkeeper, turned around, and looked to see what the man in black was pointing at.
The shopkeeper, saw what he was talking about, and scowled slightly.
"I'm not allowed to say," he said, with a hint of frustration on his voice, "that is personal stuff,
that I am not allowed to divulge."
The man in black's, angered face grew more intense, as he now showed signs of impatience.
The shopkeeper, reached behind him, and grabbed the object. He then, skidded his chair
backwards.
"Tell...me...," the man in black, hissed each word, like he was out of breath, "...who...that...
BELONGS TOO!!!"
The shopkeeper, now afraid for his life, jumped up, and moved back a few steps. Then,
without notice, he swung his fist, and struck the man in black, right across the jaw. His head
snapped to the side, and stayed there; like his head had just hit a wall and got stuck to it.
The shopkeeper, now totally ecstatic with fear, fell back even more, holding the object of the
man in black's interest, against his chest for protection. The man in black, held his head to
the side and laughed to himself, quietly. The shopkeeper, gasped in fear, and held his hands
closer to his chest. Finally, the man in black, turned his face around, and looked at the
shopkeeper.
A small black and blue welt, could be seen, partially hidden by the man in black's cape,
covering his face, just above the chin, on his left side. His eyes, burned with anger, and his
teeth, gritted so hard together, it sounded like a dam on the verge of bursting.
"You...," he said, hissing like a snake, "...will pay for that!..."
"Aghhh...," the shopkeeper, gasped, trying move back farther, but couldn't, because of the
equipment behind him.
"Let's see, how you like tasting the darkness, within my soul!!!" the man in black, hissed
some more. His eyes, again, went all warped and began to spin and hypnotize it's target. The
shopkeeper was unable to look away, as he gasped, while looking into the dark eye.
"Stop...ugh...ple...," the shopkeeper, tried to say. The man in black's anger, got more
intense.
"Taste...all of my darkness!!!" he screeched. This time, his eye stopped it's spinning and
hypnosis, and the pupil shrunk in size. Suddenly, it turned red, and started to bleed inside of
his eye. The blood, spilled over the eyelid, and slid slowly down his cheek. Two thin streaks
of blood, trickled down, and stopped about an inch down, from his eye. It harden, and now
looked more like a tattoo. As this was happening, the shopkeeper's body was now rippling,
and waving like water. Little bumps could be seen, floating along the tides of ripples. His
body, then began to float, up into the air. His head, fell back, and hung, like the head of a rag
doll.
"Taste...all of it!!!" the man in black, howled. The shopkeeper's body, rose higher off the
ground, and was now at least 5 inches above the dirt. His body, along with the rippling, now
began to shake, as well. It started off slow, and then, rattled like a bag of marbles. The blood
from the shopkeeper's face, now disappeared, and his eyes went white. His body, started to
expand and the rippling got larger. The man in black's eye, was now throbbing and pulsing,
as the shopkeeper was being sucked dry, of all life in him. As the shopkeeper's body rose
higher, rippled faster, and shook harder, he was able to formulate his last few words.
"Ugh...Judy...I...lo...ou...ugh!!!"
The man was gone, and his body fell limp. The man in black's vicious torture, didn't stop once
he was dead. His dark eye, still proceeded to make the man suffer, as the man's body hit it's
breaking point. It began to rip and tear at the seams, and then...
"Yeah!!!" Naruto cheered, out loud, "86 bowls of Ramen! My new world record!"
Kakashi watched as Naruto, slurped down the last noodle, and sighed.
If he could only put that much effort into fighting, as he does with eating..., Kakashi thought,
he'd defeat anybody that stood in his way...
"So, what should we do now?" Sakura asked, patting her cheek, with a napkin.
Kakashi looked at the clock on the wall, across from their table. The time was 4:47.
"We can look around the shops a little longer, and then we can call it a night," Kakashi,
explained the plan.
"Sounds good!" Lee barked, looking happy, again. Kakashi paid for the bill(just barely), and
walked out the door.
"So, what should we ne...?" Naruto, began to ask, but was cut off by a woman's scream.
The group, ran outside quickly, and found the source of the scream. There was a guy, down
the road, next to a merchandise table, standing over a man, draped over the front edge of the
table. A woman, who worked at the table, a few feet away, was the one that had screamed.
"What the heck is going on, down there?" Naruto asked, trying to squint to see, far away.
"I don't know...," Kakashi answered, crouching down low, "...stay here, while I check things
out."
Kakashi, zipped up into the air and was gone. The others watched as Kakashi hit the roofs,
of the passing buildings, nearby, and was off to the crime scene.
"Stay here?!" Naruto shrieked, "like hell!"
Naruto, did the exact same as Kakashi, and jumped up to the roofs. Lee and Sakura looked
at each other, sighed, and followed behind Naruto. Kakashi was already there, when Naruto
and the rest, made their way up to the roofs. Now, only 5 seconds later, and Naruto and the
others, were now standing beside Kakashi, staring at the brutal scene, before them. The
three Genin's, shook violently, as they saw what was before them. Sakura, shook the most.
There, stood the man in black, laughing with pleasure, standing over the shopkeeper of the
item stand, who hung over the top of his table, dead, and with his stomach blown open. The
man in black, had smears of blood, splashed across his suit and his face. The shopkeeper's
stomach was blown wide open, with his guts, blood and intestines, hanging out of his body.
His face, was withered and white.
"Dear god...," Kakashi whispered to himself, "...what happened here?"
The man in black, turned his head, but not his body, and looked at his new visitors.
"Well...I guess I have some new playmates," he cackled, "want to play a game of "Simon
Says?...Let's begin...scream for mercy!!!! Hahaha!"
Sakura looked at the shopkeeper, and recognized him. He was the headband engraver man,
that she had told to write her message to Sasuke, onto her headband. Sakura's heart began
to beat faster, and then she screamed. The other's looked at her, knowing exactly how she
felt. Kakashi sighed, sadly, but didn't look at her.
"Sorry...you lose, my dear...," the man in black, snickered, "I didn't say, "Simon Says"...
now, you die!!"
He hunched over and went for Sakura. Lee and Naruto moved fast, upon seeing him bend
over, and shielded Sakura. Of course, they didn't get the chance to protect her, since
Kakashi was quicker to react and hit the man in black, sending him sailing, and colliding with
the wall. He hit the wall hard, and fell to the ground. He got up, and looked at Kakashi with a
look that said, "Stay out of this...this doesn't concern you!"
"I only want the girl, you masked idiot!" he barked, and then looked at Sakura with sadistic,
sweet eyes, "me and her...have a history together. Isn't that right...Sakura Haruno?"
Sakura's eyes went wide. She still didn't know who he was or why his eyes still haunted her,
but she was still shocked, nonetheless, that he knew her name.
"I see that you don't quite recognize me...," he sighed, still with the sadistic look, "but I
guess it was a long time ago."
Sakura, continued to look at him, eyes wide.
"I shall not fight you here...," he continued, his look fading a bit, "I have a much more
appropriate place, to fight you..."
Sakura looked at him and studied him a little, trying very hard, not to turn her attention to the
dead shopkeeper, on the table.
"You don't know, do you?" he sighed, looking frustrated now, "...just follow your lost heart...
and find your way home!"
Sakura's eyes, hit their limit of shock and she knew what he was talking about. Her home
village...where she grew up. Whoever this man was, she knew her from there, and wanted to
fight her, in her home village.
"Why do you want me to fight, there?" Sakura asked, her voice shaky.
"I will explain all, once you are there...," he told her, "...till then...I await your arrival..."
He jumped and flew off in the direction of the forest, just beyond the bridge to the east of the
town.
"Oh...and here's a little gift for you...my sweet Sakura," he laughed, as he sailed off. He took
his left hand, out form under his suit, and held it up, like he was going to snap his fingers. He
did just that. He snapped his fingers, and flew off. Nobody knew, what that accomplished
...until they looked back at the shopkeeper. His body was now engulfed in flames, and was
burning all of his rotting flesh, as well as his guts, that were hanging out of his stomach.
Sakura watched, as the flames surrounded the shopkeeper. Her face, now showed no signs
of sadness or shock. She now had look of a determined ninja, dying for revenge. As she
stared at him, with her hate-filled eyes, she spotted something fall out of the shopkeeper's
hand. It was her headbands, that she had left with the man, to get her engraved words on.
She walked over and picked them up. She looked at Sasuke's headband, and turned it over.
There, where she had told the engraver to write, she saw a long, thin piece of metal, across
the top of the blue headband. She read the words over and over in her head, and began to cry
after reading them.
In memory of Sasuke Uchiha; Sakura Haruno loved him
A/N: I like this chapter, and I hope you do, too! I'm making my next chapter just as long. Till next time!