A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews that was given to me… and about the Paragraphs, I'm trying to minimize it but with my imagination being useless in front of a computer, a lot has to be done… I'll try to do something about it so to my readers, please bear with me….
MarzSpy: thank you so much for the reviews that you have given me from the beginning of my story… I truly appreciate it and I will definitely do something about my paragraphs. I apologize for the late updates that's been happening, I really want to update soon but unfortunately, I had a hard time writing my current chapters even though I have all the things that would happen on my mind… hehehe… but don't worry, I will definitely do something about it… thank you again for the reviews, I truly appreciate it.
Luka1Sakura: thank you for the review and I really am glad that you like my story… I will soon update my latest chapter but for now, I hope you'll like this chapter. I hope you could wait a little longer whenever I am unable to update fast. Thank you again for the review…
Lily : thanks for the review of my other story; sorry I haven't been reviewing yours. I've place it in Microsoft Word so that I could read your story at home…hehehe…don't worry' I'll review your story as soon as I have the guts to get out of my room and closet. Thank you so much for the reviews by the way, I'll make sure to make my story longer than it already is and about the brutality of the story, gomene, don't forget I'm quite a sadist when it comes to brutality and all (and my mom will vouch for me for that…)
I do not own Naruto or its characters… I am only a disclaimer…
BLACK BLOOD SCARLET EYES
Chapter Three:
The Battle and the Two Shadows
Part One
~X~x~X~
Silence…
Nothing…
There was nothing at all….
No noise of animals, nor is there any chirping from the birds… everything has been so quiet that not even the rustle of the wind made any noise…
Something was definitely up. And it's neither bad nor good.
It seemed to be quite long since they'd been so focused. The moon now in its highest peak, while the gray clouds of the night too far to overshadow the silver moon. This was the time they had been anticipating, the day of the assassination. They were all ready and in position to make sure of the safety of the informant.
"Don't you think it's really quiet? I haven't heard any noise at all. Not even the night animals are making a noise let alone the wind." Kiba spoke as silent as he could yet enough to let the others hear him. They were all in position and ready but the silence had been far too much for them.
"The silence is too much. How long had we been waiting like this?" Ino complained while she gripped her kunai tightly with impatience. They we the third line, closest to the cottage where the informant is. They were all in their designated positions by matched team and ready to battle but not a single change had been done. The eternal silence continued in the forest as they waited.
Hinata, who by that time is near Ino, spoke. "A-a-about two h-hours and twen-twenty s-seven minutes, Ino-chan." In a low voice.
Looking rather incredulous, the blonde ninja snorted. "That long? Tsk. Can't believe it. Where is that damn assassin anyway? Don't tell me he freaked out. If that's what happened to him then he's not as strong and brave as I think he is… hn… why doesn't he just appear now anyway. "
Looking at the blonde ninja with a raised brow, Kiba snorted as well, as he spoke to the female ninja. "Great… just great, Ino…"
Glaring at the dog boy, Ino snapped at him. "What? Why on earth are you snorting at what I just said?" what was wrong with what she said anyway?
"… because Miss Big Mouth, you just jinxed us for saying something like that."
"Oh shut up, Kiba. I'm just saying what's on my mind!" Ino retorted irritably as she glared at her companion who is near her and Hinata. "You can't blame me you know… if this assassin would just appear right now than we could get this job over with!"
"I-I-Ino-chan, K-Kiba-kun, please s-s-stop f-fighting…" Hinata spoke in that timid voice of hers as she tried to stop the upcoming fight that would surely come about soon enough.
Sighing as her comrade's glared at each other before viciously turning their heads to glare in the opposite direction, Hinata went into concentrating on her surroundings using her Byakugan. She had not seen any unfamiliar chakra signature as of late and nothing is different as far as she could tell. As she told her companions about it, they relaxed a small bit as tension risen from the quietness around them.
Tenten, Naruto and Choji stood a few meters away from them but near enough to hear Ino and Kiba argue, sigh or shook their heads but Choji just munch some cookies that he was able to bring as he watched the short bickering almost turning into a small war between the two.
At least that tension is out now…
They were all taken aback when a sudden growl came from Akamaru, "Grrrrr!!" as the large canine dog growled even louder making them all get in position at once. Something was coming. And soon enough, a chakra signature was felt but faint enough that it was hard to find. The figure ran in an incredible pace that's hard for normal eyes to see.
"Everyone!! He's coming!" with a sudden shout from Kiba, everyone from their row was able to defend themselves just in time to stop an attack that was meant for them.
Shuriken's, senbon needles, kunai's were thrown in their direction, and a lot of it at that. Over a hundred or so were directed in their direction and if it weren't from Kiba's sudden yell, they were definitely going to have a lot of injuries all right and possibly their death.
"What on earth is going on!!!?? There are just so many of these!!!" Ino shouted as the weapons that are aiming at them continued. "DAMN IT!!!! It's like these weapons are unlimited!!! Are these illusions or what?!"
Tenten herself seemed to be getting irritated as well as exasperated since they all deflected the weapons but the weapons itself does not diminish in number. Hinata had begun to have a hard time evading each and every one of the weapons and so is Kiba and Akamaru, Naruto, and Choji because for some reason the weapons seems to be getting faster and faster by the minute. Or was it just their weariness that made them think so…neh… probably not.
"I swear the attack is getting faster and faster by the minute!!!" Kiba shouted with no more restraint in his voice showing that he is utterly annoyed by the minute. "Damn it!!!! We have to do something or we're screwed!!"
"I-i-i-I c-c-can't s-see a-a-anyth-ing beyond half a-a m-m-mile…" Hinata's timid answer made them more frustrated! Hinata had been using her Byakugan to see beyond the attacks directed to them but she could see no apparent chakra signatures… not even from their comrades that were supposed to be in front of them.
"Could you see the ANBU's that are in front of us? The first and second squad?" Tenten asked while she dodged and block the weapons aiming at her.
Hinata shook her head at the same time as she dodge the upcoming attacks. They were all out of breaths but what bothers some of them who are actually thinking is the fact that the first and second squads that were supposed to be in front of them were gone! And not to mention that even with the non stop attacks, the place still stood in silence besides the constant shouts from most of them.
As if the place itself is sucking all the sounds they produce to only be heard in one part and not go beyond that border. It really felt weird and chilling but they're ninja's, and ninja's don't get frightened or get panicky that easily by anything. They also have a job to do which is more important as it is.
"This is getting ridiculous!!" Naruto screamed as a vein had finally popped in his head with irritation, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!!! TIMES TWO! TIMES TWO! TIMES TWO!"
And right after the hand signs were finished, over at least two dozen clones appeared running full speed towards the source of the attacks only to be met with a sudden changed in surroundings. The clones disappeared as soon as they appeared leaving the original Naruto with his friends in a new environment.
"Wha--!!!" exclaimed the bewildered ninja's as they were now in a place completely different from where they were just a second ago.
The place was filled with mist that made it harder for them to see one another and instead of a cluster of trees and the cottage just in sight; they were greeted by a dark, forsaken and cold barren land with no trace of life and the soil seemed to be no longer fertile. This place is way too creepy than the cemetery and somehow, they agree to it in their own way.
"Where are we?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Sasuke, what's wrong? You've been staring out the window for a good measure of time. Is there a problem?" Kurenai-sensei asked when she caught the Uchiha prodigy stare outside the dark with that serious and calculative expression he seems to always have.
Sasuke, who by now had gotten out of his sort of trance looked at the genjutsu expert with a serious expression. There was definitely something wrong about the whole situation because of the silence of the forest.
"Something doesn't seem right at all…something's up"
It was just a soft whisper of seriousness but it was enough for the genjutsu expert to then look outside and strain her ears to listen to the surroundings around her. And true enough, something was definitely not right about any of this. It was just too silent for anyone's own good. Last night, it wasn't this silent at all. Heck, it was noisy even when they were all asleep because of the owls, crickets and other night animals that lived in the surrounding forest. But now, there is not a single cricket singing, no night birds making a fuss, no wind blowing to rustle the leaves, no nothing, there is nothing at all. The place was just too silent and eerie.
"You're right," Kurenai whispered in response as she continued to listen, "I'll tell the other sensei's about this. Keep watch and report if anything changes in your position."
Deciding that something bad is going to happen, Kurenai gave Sasuke a nod of appreciation –after giving some further instructions— for having to sense such disturbance and headed to where the other senseis are. They had to know about the abnormality so that they could prepare for any upcoming attacks that they might least expected. After all, she hadn't received any transmission from the others that were outside when they had gone out for their patrol.
'I hope nothing bad had happened to them… we can't let our guard down in any case.' Kurenai-sensei thought while heading towards where the other senseis are and where the client is. They had grouped themselves in order to do their job well. Everything has been completely planned out but not knowing the skill of the assassin that is to come gave them the disadvantages.
How the heck would they know how the assassin would attack?! They practically have no clue about the 'Black Reaper's' skills and it only made them more and more anxious. How could they even be sure of their plan? All they could do right now is stand their guard and ensure that they won't fail their mission…hopefully.
As soon as Kurenai opened the door towards the client's room, she was greeted with a serious atmosphere.
"Is there any problem Kurenai?"
Kakashi asked behind the book that he was reading. On his left side was the ANBU Black Ops from the Water country sitting on a spare chair while on his other left is sat the ANBU Black Ops from the Mist Country standing motionless in one corner. Not too far from any of them, sitting at the middle of the room is their client. A black haired man with brown eyes around his 20's or early thirties sat on a chair, hands clasped together and his chin resting on it.
Kurenai looked at Kakashi and nodded, closing the door behind her before going forward just a bit before she spoke ensuring that the other occupants of the room were listening to the conversation.
"Sasuke, who is guarding the entrance, had commented about the lack of noise outside. I checked it myself and he is right when he said that something isn't right…" she began. They were looking at her expectantly to continue and continue she did. "…there is no noise, not from some insects, night animals or wind and the groups that we sent outside had not even once reported in the difference concerning their surroundings. It had been over two hours since they last reported. I have a feeling that the assassin might be near here already."
Shifting from his standing position to fully face at the genjutsu expert, "Did neither Guy-sensei nor Asuma-sensei reported to you? How about the other chuunins have they reported to you?" The Mist ANBU asked.
Kurenai shook her head and looked at them form her position in front of the closed door. Apprehension loomed over the room as the information sink in. The assassin had made his move and they haven't even noticed it even though it has been hours, two at that. They were really dealing with a very skilled assassin and someone whose skills they have yet to know.
"What are we going to do about the teams outside?" the client, from his position, looked at the ninja's present in his room. It's obvious that he's nervous about the assassin and talking about the lost of communication from the others only worsened his condition.
It's not that easy being the one hunted ya' know! Maybe its okay when the one hunting you is a ninja you have data on but being hunted by a ninja, assassin or whatever it is out there that wants you dead that you have no data on and who could practically kill you even with very skilled ninja's protecting you is not something you can't get nervous about. But though that's the case, the client seems to be able to hold his gaze as he stared at the ninja's present and not to mention keep his voice even.
He was once a ninja and though he no longer is one, some old habits just die hard in his case…
"We can't be certain that anything bad had happened to them but we can't also be certain that nothing had happened to them. All we could do is ensure your safety and stay here until we could capture or kill the assassin. As far as what we know, whether or not the assassin had finally made his move, we don't have to worry about our comrades' safety since surely they are unharmed and are probably unconscious right now. What we have to worry about is if the assassin has finally infiltrated the place or not."
Kakashi spoke while still reading his perverted book. Knowing that what he said was true, the client just returned from whatever he was doing… mainly, staring at nothing as they waited with alert senses.
Outside the door of the client's room, Sasuke continued to stare at the window from the transparent black curtains. Lights turned off to give the impression that the ones inside are sleeping and wearing a black pants and equally dark blue shirt with the Uchiha emblem sewed at the back, he easily blend in, in his surroundings. Eyes activated but covered with dark locks of hair, he stared at the darkness in his surroundings without shifting in his standing position from the very beginning.
After Kurenai-sensei had left him to his observations, Sasuke continued staring at the surroundings of the cottage. Quiet. Far too quiet for him. Just like before… before his clan's massacre. It is just so similar to it that he couldn't forget. He was just eight when that happened…
~Flashback~
A young boy around eight years old ran along the dirt road going towards his home. It took him quite a while to finish his training to master shuriken throwing which caused him to come home late.
'I hope Outo-san and Okaa-san wouldn't be angry at me for being late.' The young boy thought as he continued to run.
Chest heaving from exhaustion but nonetheless continued running as to not be late more as he already is, the young boy with raven hair and eyes is determine to get home as soon as he could. Without noticing as of yet, he ran on the dark road even though it is barely seven in the night. Everything is dark and quiet, no noise from all around him. And as soon as he had noticed such quietness and darkness surrounding him, he stopped.
Looking p behind him, on a wooden electric pole, he swears he just saw someone on top of that pole just now.
Shrugging it off to think about it later, he continued running towards his destination…
"How come it's so quiet? It's barely the time for dinner and everything should have been lightened for the night…why is it that there are no lanterns in any house?"
Barely stopping but slowing down from running, Sasuke Uchiha from the Uchiha clan looked around him. Everything around him is quiet and dark. No lantern, no candles, no nothing. Something was up and he doesn't like it one bit. His surroundings gave him the creeps as it is and now that he was near him home… it had just gotten worse.
The traditional Japanese house is as dark as the houses inside the Uchiha town and not a single soul seems to be anywhere. Walking slowly into the dark house, passing the small koi pond that happened to be as equally motionless that not even the water surface seems to be moved by the koi fishes swimming in it, Sasuke gazed at it quizzically. As he remembered, the fishes were usually still active at this hour. But now, they seem to be asleep which usually happens when they are fed after the family eats dinner.
Noting the changes, the young Sasuke decide to continue on heading towards his home to ask his parents about the strangeness that is happening in the Uchiha town. It wasn't like this just yesterday but today, something is going on. Sliding the paper thin shoji door, the young Sasuke went inside the dark room that is, if he could remember with the darkness, the living room where the family usually sits when eating dinner. When he opened the door, darkness greeted him with its cold and eerie smiles.
"Outo-san? Okaa-san? Nii-san?"
Nothing… there's no sound… only the quiet darkness gave its presence. Deciding to go inside and search for his missing parents and brother, unknowing of the brutal sight he has yet to encounter, Sasuke left his sling bag on top of the table of the dark living room and slowly walked towards the different rooms in the household.
Sliding the door of the kitchen, his brother's room, his parent's room and even the guest rooms, there is no sign of any one nor is there a sign of the living at that. Sighing with nervousness, young Sasuke walked towards the last place he hasn't gone to, the Training Room.
Walking towards the training room, nervous as well as anxious as to what is really going on, sliding the thick shoji door open, the young Uchiha was greeted with a horrible sight that a child like him should not have seen at all.
There, at the middle of the room lay the dead and bloodied bodies of his mother and father. Motionless and cold as another figure stood in front of the bodies motionless and face covered by the shadows but the attire illuminated by the white moon.
Clearly showing the attire of an ANBU Black Ops and a male at that, the shadowed figure stood still and seemingly looking at the horrified child in front of him, just in front of the opened door. The said child stared at the dead bodies of his beloved mother and father with a gaze of fear. Body trembling with fear yet not wanting to cry no matter how much he wanted to, Sasuke finally looked at the figure that is half clad by the shadows of the room.
Sasuke glared, or tried to. "Who are you!? What did you do to everyone!? Why did you kill Outo-san and Okaa-san? Tell me!" drawing his shurikens with trembling hands from the pouch from his left hip side, readying it just in case he has to throw it to the still figure, the young Sasuke did his best to calm his shaking hands and fast beating heart.
The still figure just continued to stand there, not moving –but clearly breathing – watching the young Uchiha glare at him with an underlying fear so evident that it was not hard to see. Minutes pass yet it felt like hours as the two figures stood there in that dark, one stood motionless like a statue yet breathing while the other quivered slightly with fear but held his ground no matter how much fear he is feeling.
"Answer me!! Who are you and what have you done!?"
A breathe of sigh, the figure walked slowly and silently towards the child allowing the moon to fully allow him to come into sight.
Eyes wide with disbelief and more fear came into the view as the figure that is now emerging itself from the shadows stood a foot away from him. Short black shoulder length hair tied in a low ponytail, equally black raven eyes with lines just below the eyes showing how much sleepless nights he has gone through stared at him with nonchalance, mocking and teasing him with no mercy.
Sasuke whispered with his trembling voice. "No…" More than ever, he could not believe that this person is actually the person that he knew… it's just impossible!
"No! …no! …no! …no! This isn't true!!! This can't be true!!! No… this is all a lie!! This can't be true…"
Throwing the shurikens that he has left that are in his hands, Sasuke tried to ran out of the Uchiha manor and onto the streets to get help. He just can't believe it… he just won't believe it! He… he could never do it! Not him, not him! He was his idol, his goal. He had always wished to be just like him and to grow up as strong as him but seeing this… he… he… he can't accept it at all! But when he had turned to leave, shurikens came flying towards him and embedded itself in his right arm.
Stumbling down with a thud on the floor, "AHH!" he screamed. Pain traveled in waves in his arm and throughout his body.
This proves it; the pain he now felt proves that this is not a dream, that this is real as it is. No illusion, not even a nightmare.
Trying to move, disregarding the pain that he felt, Sasuke stood up, clutching his injured arm as he ran out of the manor. Attempting to escape and head to where a lot of people are, knowing that he would be safe there and he might be able to ask for help at the same time. There was no way he could fight him let alone wanted to but nonetheless, believing that he's the one doing it is just
The person whom he had trusted, his idol his god had turned out to be the one who killed their parents!!
'NO!!!' Sasuke continued to scream in his mind. 'NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! This has to be a dream! An illusion! Nii-san… Nii-san could never do such a thing to our family… our clan!!!'
Running in a continuous straight and endless road, darkness surrounds him. The full moon shining through the black clouds in the sky… he stopped.
In front of him on top of a wooden pole stood a figure clad in an ANBU Black Ops attire… the person whom he was trying to run away from stood there with ease, staring at him from atop. He stared at him with terrified black orbs while the latter stared back with nonchalant and empty black orbs.
Standing from that height, "Even if you run as fast as you can, you can't escape me…" the older Uchiha sibling spoke in a cold dread voice. Staring down at his younger brother with no emotion, in a blink of an eye, he suddenly disappeared from Sasuke's sight, reappearing only at his back.
Trembling. "Nii-san… why? How could you?"
Voice still and cold, "… because I have to. I want to test my power and skills and fighting against another Uchiha is the only way to know how strong I am and I'm quite disappointed to know that our own clan members are weak. I have no intention of staying with weak people. To test my strength, I must fight only the best in order to know my limit." Form unwavering, eyes apathetic as he stared at his younger brother's quivering form.
"Is that the only reason? Why kill Outo-san and Okaa-san? Why kill them and the others who are, to begin with, not even ninja's? Why?"
"Father, because he is of no use. I'm tired of him telling me what to do. Mother, because she is weak. And the others… because they can't even fight me and so, I killed them. That is the only reason I have. They are only a hindrance to me to begin with…"
"Nii-san… how could you?"
"This is life… Little brother… this is how things go."
Scared beyond everything and hatred grew in his heart, Sasuke turned his body to look at his older brother with hate and fear filled eyes. Looking up, he saw the appearance of his brother, face streaked with a few spots of blood and eyes crimson in color.
Without him realizing it, he had been staring at his brother's crimson eyes… instead of the Sharingan, a different symbol had been carved (in a way) in the eyes of his brother. It was similar to a shuriken but with only three edges, twirling.
He hadn't realized that he was already staring into those red orbs when the surrounding suddenly changed… all he could hear back then before the scenery changed completely to another was the voice of his older brother…
Everything he saw was the worse nightmare that he could ever have. He saw each and everyone of the clan killed by his older brother. No one was able to even react to defend themselves and his brother continued the killing without even flinching. He couldn't hear the screams but he could feel it. It scared him to see how the massacre happened; it scared him more when he saw how his parents were killed by 'him'.
It was repeated over and over, like a broken record. Starting from the beginning and going back to the end, over and over until he couldn't handle it and he collapsed…
Letting the darkness consume him completely, making everything blur…allowing himself to succumb to the darkness will just to escape the pain he felt…
"If you wish to kill me,
Hate me, detest me,
And survive in some unsightly way…
Run and run and cling to life."
~End of Flashback~
That was the last thing he heard before everything went black and when he woke up, he was in the hospital bed, his arm that was bruised by the shurikens covered up in bandages. He though it was a dream at first when he woke up, but the pain on his arm didn't made it easier for him and it became worse when he heard the nurse's talking about the Uchiha massacre that happened last night and how he is the only one that survived.
It was painful and having to hear the same deafening silence just like before isn't helping him at all. He vowed on the day of the burial of his clan that he would avenge them by killing his brother, Itachi, the one who had done it, person who took everything away from him than darkened night. He vowed to take revenge and restore the lost clan with his own hands no matter how long it takes. And he'll make sure it happens no matter what.
Silently observing his surroundings with unwavering gaze, he hadn't noticed a black figure standing at his back, observing him with emotionless dark azure, nearly black orbs. Just watching as he stared at the darkened forest, waiting for anything out of the ordinary, besides the one that he had already observed.
The figure just stood there unwavering and unmoving, just observing the Uchiha Prodigy who had been watching the outside surroundings all this time not noticing the unwelcomed guest who is just staring at him.
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A/N: Sorry took so long, Chapter Three finished, part two next in line… thank you so much to those who had given me their reviews…