An:/ I'd like to remind everyone that I respect each and every one of you, but the minute you say something rude, I have every right to return fire. I assure you, my flame responses are justified so don't you dare think for a minute that I don't respect my readers.
Incredibly late update but I'm a busy person and I'm not paid for this so please be understanding. (Also I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this story, I'm a lot less organized than you think)
Uchiha Sasuke began to panic, scrambling through his stuff for a brush and paper. Resting in his clenched fist was a chain, split in half due to a bent link. No matter how much chakra he poured in, the chain wouldn't repair itself and the response from the other side was absent. His anger flared. If this was a joke, there was hell to pay. But if it wasn't...if it wasn't, Sasuke wouldn't know what to do.
Frantically dipping his brush and sloppily scribbling a quick message before his hand started to shake uncontrollably, blotching the paper with running ink. He clasped his right wrist, hoping the shaking would stop. His vision began to blur as he tried to control his tremors. Naruto...
Waking up to the sounds of a nearby stream, the chirping of birds, and the bright sunlight was definitely different in comparison to the usual dark dreary mornings where he rose before the sun did. But that thought was cut short when his head throbbed. Wait, usual? What is usual? Why was this scenery so different from what he was used to? What did he do before? His mind was racing with questions that he could no answer.
There was a dull ache in his ribs and his shoulder has definitely seen better days. There was a burning sensation in this throat and suddenly he felt incredibly parched. Sitting up straight amplified the pain in his side, causing him to groan in pain. Clutching his side, he sat up all the way and began to flicker his eyes open. The harsh light caused him to wince as he tried to gather his surroundings. For some odd reason, his eyes felt drawn to the knife on the side of the wall. It confused him a lot but he shook his head and looked for water of any kind. Thankfully, there was a small glass of clear liquid resting on the night stand. The room, or at least, the hut was very basic, completely made of straw and mud with occasional rocks. It was very...primitive.
He looked around again and saw the door rolled open. There was a pile of clothing on the floor near the far end of the bed. The green vest seemed to bring comfort to him that he couldn't understand. Looking down he realized he seemed to be void of any clothing save for the bandages wrapped heavily around his torso. Shifting forward even more, the blanket tumbled further down before he swept his legs over the side and leaned his weight onto his legs, only to hear a large cracking symphony of his joints. He groaned again and leaned on the nightstand before standing all the way up.
Grabbing the cup of water he spotted before, he downed the liquid only to discover it wasn't water at all. He choked and sputtered, gagging at the strange taste of the liquid.
"You're supposed to drink it all, not spit it out."
He turned to the new voice only to see an old man walking in with a wooden cane. He looked, least to say, ancient. There were several bandages wrapped all around his body and face. He was hunched over but still managed to look regal...and cold.
"What was that?"
"Herbal medicine. To help with your joints."
Yeah right, old man. That thing was hell in a cup.
"Do you have any water?"
The old man raised a brow and looked behind him.
"There's a whole stream of water."
He tried to heft himself up but the old man pressed a hand against his shoulder to prevent him from getting up.
"Why don't you put on clothes first, Senju."
The room went silent and he could practically hear his heart beat.
"What...what is a Senju?"
The old man only furrowed his brows and shifted over to a makeshift table and held up papers.
"Your ninja registration papers. Senju is one of your...many last names."
Newly proclaimed Senju reached for the papers only for the old man to have faster reflexes than expected.
"I don't think you're ready for these yet, kid."
"Civilians withholding information from me is against the law, and I could have you arreste-"
Senju felt those words roll off his tongue like it was rehearsed and he stopped before he could finish the last information. -arrested or killed. Judging by his ownership of ninja registration papers, his occupation must have been a ninja, explaining his whole self righteousness for information. All this new information was giving him a headache.
"Look, old man. I don't remember anything really. It's cool that you're giving me medicine and caring for me, but I don't think I'm safe to be around."
"Don't worry about me, kid. I can handle a lot more than you think."
Senju frowned but shrugged it off, picking up the stack of navy blue clothes next to the green flak jacket. After changing in them, Senju felt more at ease. He saw a tattoo on his wrist and saw the intricate patterns along it. The old man eyed Senju warily and watched as Senju picked up a cup and stared defiantly at the old man as he marched out of the hut to the stream just outside.
Something stirred inside to tell Senju he had to wash out whatever the old man gave him. Medicine was great, but it wasn't herbal if it was clear as water. Pretending to choke on the water, he turned to the bank and regurgitated the liquids he just ingested.
He lifted himself up and marched back into the hut only to see the old man watching him closely.
"So...if my name is Senju. What's yours?"
"Ryuu."
"Uhuhh…" Right. Whoever named their child 'Ryuu' must have been on something. "And why am I here"
"I found you near the river bank more upstream near the ravine"
First things first, get the ninja registration papers back.
Looking around Senju couldn't find anything else that he owned. He seemed to have standard issue everything. Shuriken, Kunai, scrolls. All the scrolls in his jacket were empty. Something stirred again in his gut and he looked at the papers.
"So any reason why I can't get my papers back?"
"I need to confirm your identity."
Senju narrowed his eyes. Everything felt so wrong.
"Does it matter that much?"
"Of course."
Something told him to run. Run so far that the old man couldn't keep up. It was scaring him.
Senju fiddled at the blanket under him. Suddenly his ears picked up a faint ruffle outside. He clenched his eyes and felt a jolt of pain wash over him.
"I need to get air" Senju winced out. Stumbling forward, Senju made his way to the door before something told him to turn around.
He instinctively dodged to the right as a cane shot right at his head. He didn't see the kick to his stomach and was launched back towards the stream.
"Not so fast, Senju."
Several cloaked figures jumped down next to the old man with a cane. Then it clicked.
Danzo.
His name is Danzo.
His name is fucking Danzo.
Senju stumbled back and started to run. He need to go far away. Somewhere, anywhere but here. He felt a tug at his stomach before the area around him began to warp and he suddenly found himself in a new scenery. He could still hear the sounds of the ninja searching the forest for him. Monotone voices confirming the area to be clear.
Senju felt his knees give way but he held strong and started to sprint. He felt pulled to jump towards the trees, summoning a stream on energy to his legs on instinct he shot up to the trees and began to speed through the branches.
In his hands, he clenched his registration papers. After stumbling out to towards the door, a quick snatch and he had grabbed his registration papers of the table as planned.
He would look at it once his pursuers were off his trail. And the best way to do that is to travel water. And the closest water source was the ravine below him. Quickly stuffing the papers in a pocket he dashed towards the left, hopefully away from the figures closing in on him.
Their mission was simple. It was to retain the information on Orochimaru's cronies and Kabuto given by Sasori's informant. They were to meet at a bridge over a ravine. Support Yamato-taichou as he posed as Sasori's puppet. Sakura watched as Yamato-taichou casted a jutsu creating a wood frame around him. Now before her was the Hiruko puppet she saw not long ago.
"Sakura. Can you tell me what his voice sounded like?"
Yamato-taichou began to go through a range of sound pitches until Sakura nodded. She then gave the specifics and mannerisms. She looked at the bridge from the foliage and frowned. A ravine, huh.
"Stay here in Formation R. Until I give the signal or the situation becomes hostile, do not engage."
"Ryoukai."
(I was going to end it here but I'm a dick, not a cruel asshole)
Danzo could see the blond disappear from his sight before he closed his eyes. He turned around and began to walk towards the regurgitated remains of his "medicine" on the river bank.
"Tch. Even when he's incapacitated. Minato trained his boy too well...Fox."
A short Ne ANBU flickered in front of Danzo.
"Regroup. Head back to base. It's useless."
The boy nodded and flickered away again. Danzo shuffled away as several ANBU agents cleaned up the area.
Sakura watched as Yamato-taichou, or now Sasori of the Red Sand, emerge from the forest. Sakura could hear the cables of the bridge creak from the wind. The tension was building as Yamato approached the bridge. The other side was vacant save for a few fallen branches before the edge of the forest. Konohamaru nudged Sakura before whispering.
"Do you think they'll actually show up?"
Sakura gave a stern glare, shutting him up, before turning back towards the target location. Everything was quiet when suddenly there was movement ahead.
"I'm glad you could show up, Sasori! I was worried I'd be the one waiting all day!"
Everyone's eyes widened when a cheery voice rang through the air. A short figure emerged from the trees and Sakura could almost feel her heart quicken. Electric green hair, cropped short, framing a pair of large piercing red eyes. The champagne cloak billowed behind her as she walked towards Yamato. Where had she seen this girl?
"This is the contact with Kabuto?" Konohamaru mouthed to Sakura.
But they all flinched when the glint in the girl's eyes changed in a split second. With a twitch of her muscle, two long blades extended from her wrists and she swiped towards Yamato, splitting up the puppet and allowing the controller to jump away. Sai, Sakura, and Konohamaru flickered in front of Yamato who regained his bearings, a large gash appearing from his chest to his right shoulder.
The girl chuckled and rolled her wrists, the blade catching the sun's light with a red glint.
"You don't think we wouldn't know when one of Akatsuki's agents are dead? Don't take us lightly, Konoha scum."
Yamato's eyes narrowed as he shifted into stance behind Konohamaru.
"Who are you...and what was your purpose for coming here if you knew Sasori was dead?"
The girl stepped forward and cocked her head.
"I'm Akarii. And I'm here for extermination. Nothing feels better than killing off pests. Especially when they have significance to one of our little prodigy. What's his name? Satsuki? Does it matter? When he finds out you're dead, oh, his face! It will be priceless-"
"Shut up," Konohamaru growled, "you're not leaving this bridge if I can help it."
Akarii froze and looked at the Sarutobi before she smiled.
"Why did we have to get Sasuke when we could've gotten you. You're much cuter...less revenge obsessive I'd hope-"
"Stop talking about him like you know him personally, you bitch." Konohamaru glared as he unsealed his staff.
"Oh right. I know you. You're that supposed prodigy on that loser's team. I heard he's dead now. Saw it coming from a mile away-"
"SHUT UP!" Konohamaru bellowed.
"Relax, monkey. Keep it up, and you'll be joining the fool soon! I can personally guarantee it too, if you'd like!"
"Stop, Konohamaru!-" Yamato tried to stop him but it was too late. Konohamaru charged head on with his bo at hand and aimed to decapitate her from the get-go. He lurched forward and swiped upwards from the left only to have her block it with one of her blades. He smirked and used the force of her block to bring the other side of his bo down from above, successfully hitting Akarii and sending her feet away into the ground.
The surge of chakra he sent into his weapon during the strike made sure that the kunoichi was either burned from the fire or the chakra itself. With a blow like that her spinal column had to be shattered, her face concaved from the side, and severe hemorrhaging in the brain. A few weeks studying with the rest of the Sarutobi clan had really improved his weapon skills. Skills he'd need so that he could save the people who were important to him. No one would escape his grasp.
But his determined look morphed into horror when his scarf was suddenly jerked back, launching him into the forest and crashing into the tree.
Cackling.
He could hear the high pitched cackling in front of him as the mass on the ground began to stand up slowly. A disfigured human figure began to slump upward, a snapped back slowly fixing itself, vertebrae by vertebrae, the sickening crunching noise as bones clicked back into place and to Konohamaru's horror, half of Akarii's face was completely obliterated from the burns and her jaws were unhinged. Her eye sockets hollowed inward and there was blood everywhere and he could see the burns etching away as the skin repaired itself. Her jaw hung around like a puppet when she began to talk.
"HAHA, good one, monkey. That smelt awfully like foul play. I don't like cheaters."
His forehead was bleeding and his vision began to blur from the blood slowly creeping down from his gash. He struggled to lift himself up and propped his staff up as support. He let the staff go, only for it to stay upright as he flashed through hand seals.
Katon- Goukakyuu no jutsu!
The massive ball of fire shot straight at Akarii but she deftly dodged to the right and let the ball head straight for the bridge.
Konohamaru's eyes widened when he saw that Sai dodged without a word, leaving Yamato and Sakura. Sakura had her back turned while she healed Yamato's shoulder wound. Yamato tried to shove Sakura to safety but his wound sent a sharp pain to his shoulder. Sakura caught on and immediately shoved Yamato out of the way and slammed her hands on the ground.
Douton- Doryuuheki!
A stone wall shot up just in time for the ball to collide. But when the fire collided, the heat curled around the pillar and the flames licked at Sakura's calves causing her to stumble back. Suddenly the wall was punched forward towards Sakura, ramming into her. Akarii's broken fist quickly repaired itself as she sidestepped from a wooden spike that shot from the ground. Sakura rolled around the pillar and managed to dodge the blunt of the attack.
Akarii began to walk towards Yamato who was struggling to keep up his jutsu, the blood evidently seeping out of his clothes from where his fresh wound reopened after Sakura's first aid.
Sakura's breath was shallow as she tried to breathe. She narrowed her eyes and made a split second decision.
She charged up her chakra and shunshined to Akarii, grabbing her before she punched the floor of the bridge. Akarii tried to struggle as she saw Sakura gripped her wrist tight.
"You're going down with me" Sakura smirked.
If her calculations were correct and her positioning was right, she could land on the side and charge up her chakra, leaving Akarii to fall. With a surge of adrenaline, Sakura snapped Akarii's wrist and began to spin, flinging Akarii around her until she launched her downward into the river. The excess energy of Sakura's spin was exerted with Akarii, leaving Sakura to properly balance herself before she dove for the wall, flipping and skidding her feet against the unexpectantly jagged rocks. But her chakra wasn't enough. The ravine was too deep and the momentum she gained from the incredibly long fall itself wouldn't dissipate by the time she reached the bottom, regardless of how much friction she was causing. The spin had decreased the distance to the ground too much, and despite how satisfying the sound of Akarii's body hitting the water with a loud sound and the blood spreading everywhere, the spin costed her too much.
Sakura dug out a kunai knife and tried to dig into the face of the ravine, but the blade only chipped and weared away in a matter of seconds, sending sparks into her face. This was it. Maybe she could send chakra into her feet to cushion the fall, broken legs was better than dead-
Suiton- Nanatsu suiko!
Suddenly Sakura was enveloped into a warm chakra heavy water form. To her side she could see a faint green flash and several large water forms chasing after the green color. The water formation climbed down the ravine after it had caught Sakura from the side. As it reached the bottom. Sakura was let go and her head whipped around from side to side for the person she knew could be the only person to use that jutsu.
He didn't know what made him do it. He was just walking, uh, running with his somehow extensive stamina. When he heard explosions from above he flinched and looked up, hoping to see something. And he saw something alright. There was suddenly a really large fireball that crossed over a bridge and then like there was a large sound of earth breaking and then the fucking bridge started to collapse! Like, what the fuck!?
And then in the distance he could see a flash of pink and green and that's when his heart caught in his throat. There was a girl with pink hair grasping on tight to another girl with green hair. Something tugged at his heart when he saw the girl with the pink hair. A sense of familiarity.
Did he know her? Who was she? What did she have to do with him? What was she doing? Is she in trouble? Should he save her? What would he do?
Suddenly a resounding crack reverberated through the ravine as he noticed the green haired girl's wrist was limp. The girl in pink began to spin fast before launching the other into the ravine below. He gasped and hid behind the nearest rock as the green haired girl crashed into the water, the force of the impact completely obliterating the girl's body. He looked back up and saw the pink haired girl skidding across the side.
She's not going to make it. A voice rang in his head. You better do something.
What do you mean she's not gonna make it? He felt pained and his expression morphed into genuine pain as he watched the girl struggle to slow herself down.
Oh, no. She's not going to make it.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed the green hair girl someone managed to rise from the water unscathed! What was he going to do!? If the green haired girl got to the other one, who knows what she would do! He had to do something! But what?
Then move!
There it was again. A voice. Something eerily like his own.
What?
Move. Do something.
His muscles twitched. But what what would he do? He could barely remember his own name. Here he was cowering behind a rock as two women fought it out.
JUST MOVE YOU IDIOT OR SHE'S GOING TO DIE!
Something surged in him and his vision sharpened as his hands began to move on their own, flashing through patterns he couldn't fathom their meanings or bother remembering at the moment. His mouth moved on its own and his voice yelled something. The water around him began to morph as they formed into large foxes the size of horses. A fox shot up into the air and caught the girl in the pink before it hopped to the ground. The other six foxes shot towards the green haired girl who only turned around in shock before they barraged into her.
His heart rate sped up and he slammed his back into the rock in hopes neither of them saw him. He crouched and clasped his head with his hands and curled into a ball.
He didn't know what came over him. What if they both came after him? He didn't mean to do anything like that. He couldn't reproduce it even if he thought so hard it gave him a headache. His shoulder was throbbing. There were tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He was sure he never felt so terrified in his life. An unexplicable fear. He felt helpless, confused, cornered-
"Naruto?"
His heart stopped. The girl. The pink haired girl. He could see flashes of memories. A girl in a classroom next to him, smiling. A girl talking to him. She had such pretty eyes. Her voice was crisp yet soothing like honey. And it washed over him like a wave of nostalgia. It was like his body had been waiting to hear that voice again in forever. Something in him wanted him to run up to her but he smothered that thought as he pressed his back further against the wall.
Naruto. What did that mean to him? What is this word? Why did it hurt so much yet feel so good to hear that word leave her lips?
An:/ "Short" chapter but because I'll be updating a lot faster this time. I sincerely apologize for the turbulence but now I am back on track. I stopped here because of reasons.
Next chapter, hopefully Naruto will gain his memories! I had to add a bit of romance (sorry for those who are here for the action). And now a bad guy is officially introduced and as you can see...she's hard to beat. Almost, what do we call it, "invincible"! :D
Any questions do not hesitate to post a review or PM me. Any complaints, keep it to yourself unless its constructive.
Predicted next update: 4/1 (hahahahaha...is it a trick or is it a legit chapter? You'll just have to find out)
I'm glad to be back and hopefully you'll be getting a hell of a lot more frequent updates.
Aerotyl, over and out.
