Hey guys, Eight reviews. I'm so happy. Words can't describe it. Thanks to Wahyah and vero1092 for reviewing again and thanks to BlueFiction36 and SasuSakuKawaii for reviewing as well. You guys are awesome. This chapter brings in a little of the background story. So hopefully it answers your questions, but not all of them otherwise the story would be finished. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
…SilverMoon…
Chapter 3
The sounds of their laboured breathing seemed to deafen the noises of the dark forest around them.
Quickly, they struggled up the steep hill, using rocks and branches to pull themselves up. As they reached the crest, they paused to catch their breaths. They had left behind the silent camp of sleeping hunters and eight werewolves. They had both paused and looked at fellow creatures, but in the end they had both realised that they would have more chance of being caught if they had dragged them along with them, even though it tore up Sakura's heart to leave them behind. But her wolf had bullied her along communicating that if they found her pack they could tell them about the hunters and they would destroy them. The ones that had been taken would be avenged and rescue those still alive.
In the end, she hadn't killed Yellow Teeth even though she wanted to do it. Oh, she had wanted to do it so badly. She had been two seconds from stepping off into the deep end and silting the asshole's throat. Oddly enough it had been her blonde knuckled-head friend who had pulled her back.
"We may be animals, but it is our choice alone to whether we become monsters." His words had been meant for comfort and to explain to Sasuke, when his great uncle Madara who Sasuke had been close to had gone insane and murdered an entire town of innocent humans.
The pack had been forced to kill him for that and not everyone had survived. Madara was incredibly strong and when he had turned on the pack, all hell broke loose. They had all lost their childhood innocence that day. Nearly all of Sasuke's family had been killed leaving only him and his older brother Itachi, Naruto had lost both his parents who were the alpha pair at the time, as had Sakura and many more. As a result, most of their pack were either very young or very old. Those that had been orphaned were taken in by other families in the pack to be raised. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto had all been ten years old when the attack happened and had been taken in by Kakashi. And while Kakashi wasn't always the best of fathers (due his pervy obsession with his orange books) he was always there for them and became the rock or a place that would stay steady wherever the world shook around them. However, as you can imagine no child or adult could go through something like that and remain unchanged or so you would think. Sasuke became more sullen and Naruto cried a lot, but Sakura did something different.
Whatever had happened to her while Madara had given into his beast had been too much for her young brain to comprehend and so she had forgotten the whole thing. Just like that gone. It was like she was in denial, she knew her parents were dead but for one reason or another she thought they died a little after her birth. Sure, she missed them but, how could she miss them like Naruto and Sasuke if she thought they were already dead before she even knew them. Even so, this event forced all of them to grow up quicker than normal, with the exception of Sakura who grew up regularly and had stilled retained a small amount of innocence and naivety before she was captured. But now that little spark was gone and she was no longer blinded to the harsh cruelty of the world.
Nevertheless, those very same words had saved her. Her ramen loving friend could be incredibly stupid at times, but then he would say something or do something like that. He really would be a great leader of the pack one day.
Thanks Naruto.
Sakura smiled.
I'm coming home everyone. Naruto, Ino, Tsunade, Kakashi.
Sasuke.
But I'm coming home without giving those hunters a single piece of my soul. Animal or human.
Finally gaining her breath back, she tiredly straightened her aching body. The purple eyed girl glanced at her and it occurred to her that she still didn't know her name.
"My name is Sakura Haruno. What's yours?" She held out her hand. Her bloodied abused wrist seemed to garner most attention before she smiled.
"H-Hinata", her friend replied softly, returning her smile shyly, "Hinata Hyuga."
"Nice to meet you, though I would have preferred to have met you under better circumstances.", Sakura said jokingly, trying to make the best of their situation.
Both girls laughed quietly.
"Come on, we should go. If that's the waterfall I think it is we should be close to my pack's outer territory," Hinata said nodding in the direction where they could both hear the faint rush of water, when they finished laughing.
Sakura nodded and both girls turned as one and headed towards waterfall, a renewed spark of energy in their abused bodies. The poorly lit forest didn't hinder their vision, as their wolves could see in the dark almost as well as they could in the daytime.
After fifteen minutes of trekking through the dark forest, Sakura's mind began to wander to thoughts of everyone at home, especially Naruto and Sasuke. Before she had been taken the three of them had gotten into a massive fight over Naruto's cousin, Karin who had come to visit. Karin had taken upon herself to make Sakura's life miserable for one reason or another and Sakura had put up with it for three weeks. Hoping if she ignored her childish attitude and cutting remarks it would stop. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When she was not continuously flinging herself at Sasuke and sucking up to Naruto she was pestering Sakura and telling her how worthless she was.
Bloody bitch.
And still Sakura had put up with it telling her to act her age. But it was the final straw when Karin moved her attention to her student Moegi, that Sakura lost it and sucker punched that stupid conniving whore in the face. She could take the abuse but she wouldn't stand for others being abused because of her. Unluckily, Sasuke and Naruto chose that very moment to walk in. Both had taken Karin's side and would not listen to her no matter what she said. Karin of course, used the opportunity to snuggle up to Sasuke and it became alarmingly clear that Sasuke obviously wasn't going to pick her to be his mate. Her heart shattered into tiny pieces all around her. So she told all of them to go screw themselves and she didn't have to put up with their abuse. They all called each other a few horrible names. Then Sasuke and Naruto hit Sakura with a below the belt shots about her being weak and incompetent. Shocked, tears had welled in her eyes and both men had frozen only just realising what they had said and tried to pull it back. But Sakura would have none of it, she told them to shut up and if she ever saw them again it would be too soon. With that she had stormed out of the room and left their sorry asses there. Bloody Karin smirking all the while. She had taken to the woods to cool down and think rationally about the situation, if she ever decided to approach either of the idiots again.
Sakura sighed.
Even so, she hadn't expected to be taken and gone for two weeks. It had been a long time to think about her actions and nearly dying, being abused and almost raped had put things into perspective for her. She had forgiven them, sure they were both idiots and they had both said horrible things to each other, but close friends do that. And it would only make their friendship even stronger if they got past this. However, she would tell them she would not put up with Karin's abuse again. So if she wanted to keep that pretty red head on her shoulders she would stay away from her. If neither of them could handle that then, she didn't need to be their friends she had plenty of other friends like Sai, Ino, Kiba and Shikamaru just to name a few, to not have to worry about being alone. And now she had Hinata as well. It wasn't that she didn't want to remain friends with them it's just that she didn't need to put up with their lack of support and blindness which had turned them against her and favoured Karin. No one deserved to go through that and she wasn't going to anymore.
Both girls climbed up a steep slipper rock, but their feet found sure foot hold thanks to their wolves.
Then only problem left were her feelings for Sasuke. Yes, her heart was still broken after his apparent choice. After pining after him and hoping he would notice her for as nearly as long as she was old, twenty years, she had decided enough was enough. She would get over him and move on. She would. Just watch. If the bastard wouldn't support her after all they had been through and allow someone he barely knew take her place than he obviously wasn't worthy of her. Yes, it would take time and a heck of a lot of it. She would cry a lot that was guaranteed, but she would get over it. She would be happy again. Although, she was under no illusion, part of her heart would always belong to him. But in spite of that, she knew she deserved happiness. If Sasuke couldn't give that to her then she would find someone who could or she would be happy on her own. And those hurtful words that had hurled unwittingly at her, she would use them to get stronger and wiser. Then she could say screw you all if she needed to and to their faces. She was proud of whom she was and she was going to let anybody drag her down again. Sakura was a fighter.
She absently moved a branch out her way.
But more than anything she didn't want to lose her friendship with the two men she basically considered family. Sakura often prayed she wouldn't and they would all forgive each. It might be wishful thinking, but she loved the pair of them; one like a brother and the other a little more. Even if they didn't forgive them she was sure they would still hold a special place in her heart. So all she could do was hope and pray, and plan what to do if the worst happened.
Trekking in their human form through the hilly terrain wasn't as easy as it would have been in her wolf, but both girls agreed changing was a bad idea. In their human forms, the rate of the silver poisoning their bodies was slower and in Sakura halfway gone. As she was a healer wolf, her body automatically counteracted the silver poisoning, which was the only reason she had managed to stay alive for a whole two weeks while most perished after one. However, if they were both in their wolf forms the poison would have killed Sakura in a week and Hinata in five days.
Sakura's mind continued to drift, barely paying much attention to her surroundings, allowing her wolf to take over foot placements and make sure she didn't walk into a tree.
Snap!
Both girls froze at the sound of a twig snapping not far behind them.
"Did you hear tha-"
"Shush" Sakura covered Hinata's mouth with her hand.
The forest was quiet. Too quiet there were no animals sounds as they moved around in the night, not a single owl hooting. Something was wrong.
Then there was a barely audible click which sounded suspiciously like a -
Shit!
Quickly, Sakura dragged Hinata with her behind a tree just as a gun sounded and a bullet whizzed past them.
Bang!
"Run!" Sakura yelled, grabbing Hinata's hand to jerk her into action before she let it go.
Both girls ran full pelt through the forest, a burst of adrenaline giving their tired bodies the energy they needed to get away. At the speed they were going both girls allowed their wolves to take over their mind and control their running. Allowing them to never make an incorrect step that could slow them down and take the easiest path. Weaving through the trees, jumping fallen logs and ducking around bushes. The sound of the waterfall becoming clearer and clearer, as they ran.
Never looking back.
They already knew they were being chased, why look back to see if you were going to be hit. They had enough trouble, as it was, forcing their tiring bodies to run without keeping their eyes on where they were placing their feet.
Suddenly they burst into open space and the gigantic waterfall was in front of them. They both slowed. The falls were ten metres wide and there was no way they could jump that far.
Hinata turned her panicked gaze to Sakura and gestured to the edge, "We have to jump."
"Are you crazy!?" Sakura exclaimed. She glanced over the edge it was at least a twenty metre drop and sharp rocks stuck out of the water below.
The sounds of the hunters crashing through the woods drew ever closer.
A stray bullet whizzed through the air that separated them. And Sakura made her decision. Anything was better than being captured again.
Grabbing Hinata's hand, both girls ran to the edge and jumped. In those few seconds a single hunter emerged from the trees behind them.
Bang!
Hinata cried out in pain. And from the corner of her eye Sakura saw the silver bullet pass through her friend's shoulder.
And then the pair of them were falling to the icy depths below.
Sakura quickly grabbed Hinata to her. In those precious few seconds, she forced what little she had of her healing magic into her unconscious friend to close up her wound so she wouldn't bleed out.
New record for healing. Sakura thought blearily.
Then they hit the freezing water.
…SilverMoon…
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