Chapter 7! Haa-haha-haha!

Going stronger! More and more people read my doujinshis!

Thanks to God, He gave me such talent in Horror stuff!

Anyway, Midterms in three days!

Mind-banging and nerve-racking reviewing tactics must be pursued!

Aiming for Dean's List! Hahaha! If I can, that is…

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but disturbing Midterm Examinations…

*****

'A flower blooms… and then withers away…'

Chapter 7: My friend, Renge

No leads. Once again, no leads…

Sasuke was staring blankly at the window. She can't accept that we lost our track and once again back to square one…

"Naruto…" she softly whispered, "Find them…"

"It was just luck. But I'll try again…" she sighed. I stared at her, thinking about why she had to go this far. This is as far as she has to go… she should stop! But then again, the solitude she felt must have been so hard. I stared at her longer. Moments after, Itachi knocked and opened the door. He peeped in and called her, "Sasuke, someone's by the door. She said she wants you right now."

"Renge?" the bored maiden looked sheepishly at her brother. Her brother cracked some giggles and then he went away. Sasuke puffed and walked to the doorway, with me at hand. She met up with a redhead girl with big pink puppy eyes. She smiled at her then snuggled her arm, "Sasuke-chan! Let's play! Ita-nii, I'll give her back by night!"

"Nii-chan, buh-bye…" Sasuke said with all the pint-sized energy left. Itachi just waved his goodbye and went back to the house. I don't know this girl but I know smething for sure… something will happen and a dark entity is around. I looked up at the sky, wishing that it would not happen.

*****

Renge, the neighbor girl who Sasuke knew for three years, was now orphaned by her parents. She was all lonely and she would want to be in the Uchiha household. Sasuke is still in momentary shock by the issue when three small girls went to them. The one in pigtails said, "Wow, Sasuke-chan! It's so beautiful! Where did you buy that?"

"That doll is so exotic, isn't it! Don't you think, Sara?" one with a flowing short hair said. The other one with glasses agreed. Renge giggled and said, "She said she found it burried underground! It such a waste, right?"

"Really? Geez, Sasuke-chan, you picked up a trash?" pigtails said with annoyance. Then Sasuke carressed my head, "But at least she's pretty… isn't she?"

"Yup! Naru-chan is pretty!" Naru-chan? Anyway, the girls chattered for a while then they robbed me away from Sasuke and ran away, "We're going to play with Naru-chan!"

"Naru-chan's cursed…" I heard Sasuke said and Renge freaked out. Back to my side, pigtails said, "What is she talking about? There are no cursed dolls. She's stupid…"

"But what if this one is?" the glasses said. The short hair said, "Stop that! There's no ghost!"

"Hmph! Black dolls, huh. This is not true…" then they stopped in front of a shop… BLACK DOLLS TRADE! What the—

"These kinds of beautiful dolls don't deserve to owned by that Sasuke. If this is hers… then you know what to do…" the girls giggled and stared at me with malicious smiles.

*****

Kicks at the trunk… kicks at the limbs… kicks at the head…

They kicked me at any side and my dress was so dirty and ripped apart now. Mud dusted my face but I can still see them enjoying the thing. The leader stepped on my face and then followed by a leap… then a stomp! I heard, "Why won't her face break!?"

"Maybe she's really cursed!"

"No way!" then the glass girl picked me up, "A-Are you hurt?"

"Sara!" the two chorused. Then I smiled at Sara. She shrieked and threw me away. She sat down in fear and pointed at me an accusing finger, "I-It— it smiled at me!"

"Smiled?" then I heard Sasuke, "Don't touch him. He'll get angry if he hears you've been destroying newly-bought dolls by snatching them from the owners…"

"He? Are you making us laugh? This doll will get angry?" Pigtails snickered after as well as the other one. However, Sara went to Sasuke, "Sorry, Sasuke-chan! Sorry!"

"Naruto! Look behind the tree!" from my position I saw broken dolls hidden behind the tree. I can even hear faint screams of agony from there. The girls tossed me upwards but Sara hysterically screamed, "Don't do that!"

"Don't believe her, Sara…" Sasuke eyed at Sara. She shrieked and said, "Please!"

"Don't worry, Sara. He won't hurt you… right, Naruto?"

When my body left their hands for tossing me, I remained suspended in mid-air. They looked at me and their eyes started to grow big. I landed before the two girls. I stared at them with a glare, "Are you the ones who were destroying the dolls around here?"

"Monster… Mooommyyyy!"

"Bad girls should be corrected. But don't worry, this won't hurt…" I tried to scare them but they ran out of sight. Sara was still dumbfounded while Sasuke started snickering. I turned to them and flew to her arms, "Look at me! I look so dirty! And the dress you just sew—"

"I can make another one…" Sasuke wipped the mud off my face. Sara came to and ran away as well… then Renge came, "There you a— Naru-chan! What happened to you?"

"Nothing much… let's go home, Renge." Sasuke said and then Renge's eyes glittered. Since we will be vacant for a while, why won't we make some bonding moments!? Yay!

*****

They were at the bath tub. Sasuke was squeezing herself but Renge was like all-out! She was really feeling at home at the Uchiha House. But I was really wondering why they have to put me at a chair near the tub and Renge was cuddling me and she puts me down now and then. With her hands soaked in water, I became wet. I don't want to get sick!

Like you could get sick. I shouldn't have let her bathe with me. I'm not used to bathing with someone after all.

I thought it's because she's naked.

I am not like you, damn perv…

I just snickered within. He was talking to me with his telepathy. That's something he could do when he was a doll… but not that frequent. Anyway, I don't know why he had retained his memory and powers when he died… as a doll. Seriously, this curse of the Black Doll of Dreams had something more to it than what we know. We'll find it out sooner or later, though. But first things first, Sasuke's revenge is not over yet. We should find Ino… then maybe she knows about Hinata.

Anyway, enough murmuring. I just have to find Ino… but where? I mean, the world is too big to raid. I must find something that's going to narrow the places. Geez, this will be hard. I hope we could find her quickly…

"Sasuke-chan?" Renge said with a modest voice which made Sasuke twitch. She stared at the cherry buds. They were teary-eyed and the onyx ones were wondering. Renge then hugged her, wrapping her arms at her waist and shoving her head at Sasuke's valley, "Sasuke-chan, I've been dreaming!"

"People dream…" Sasuke's naughty answer but the cherry eyes cried more, "It's so horrible! I saw someone and she's going to kill me!"

"Kill you? Who will?"

"I dunno! But… she's scary…" tighter hugs came and Sasuke finally flushed. She was a genuine girl… while she was not. She still looks at things as a boy and feels like one. But setting that aside, Sasuke hugged her back trying to comfort the crying girl. She said, "Renge, no one will hurt you."

"But why did my parents do!? I don't understand! They left me alone!" tighter hugs and Sasuke just let her do it. Sasuke ran her fingers at the red locks. She whispered, "There are things that make you happy and there are things that make you strong. They didn't mean to leave you… let's just pray for them."

*****

Renge was missing that night. Sasuke was in denial that she was worried during the search but anxiousness was all over her face. Itachi looked for her in the city while Sasuke and I looked for her in the house. She must be hiding somewhere. But Sasuke had a different feeling. We then headed for the woods near the house. Sasuke was still in her night gown but she was straying too far from their home. I was in her arms and we were looking for any Renge around the vicinity. Then we saw strips of red clothing hanging from the branches. Sasuke picked it up and was certain that it was Renge's. She walked more then she saw a girl lying at the dirty ground. Her hair tells us she's Renge. Sasuke went to her, "Renge, what are you doing he—" Sasuke turned her around.

Eyes were plucked out the holes and were dangling from her face. Her jaw was broken and it was slitted to the ears. Her chest was opened revealing her lungs and the heart was dangling from the cage. Her lower torso was like slash in the middle many times. Her legs were like rammed by a stampede and her feet were broken at the ankles. Her dress was ripped apart and her fingers are twisted. Horrible…

Sasuke was speechless about it. She was just staring at her friend… who was murdered brutally. Then tears ran down her face, "Renge… why do you have to leave me like how your parents did to you?"

Snickers were heard and the angry Sasuke turned to the culprit, "How dare you!"

*****

… Ouch!

That'll hurt! Murdered like such…

Looks like the culprit was there and ready to kill again…

Will Sasuke be a victim or will she be able to kill her?

Thanks for reading… Renge means Lotus…

Please don't vomit today's food… that'll be a waste…