CHAPTER TEN / Lost Creatures of the Forest
A/N: Sorry about the short 'hiatus' or whatever you'd like to call it, but basically I would like to say sorry for the delay of chapters. As you've probably noticed, I've posted a new SasuHina Fan Fiction, but it doesn't seem to have the same views as this one. ;) Well…Thanks for waiting and hopefully you don't hate me. D:
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Through the rough forests, you could never tell if it was night or day, or if the horrific creatures of the forest were asleep or not. You had to be extremely careful, especially when one actually reaches the center of the forest…Where Sakura and Naruto set their camp, both tired after a strong battle with a giant, enigmatic spider. If the center of the forest was this difficult…What would it be like halfway across toward the end?
Naruto wiped the sweat off across his forehead under his headband, panting harshly with Sakura on her bottom with a tired frown. Naruto unlatched his breastplate, placing it down gently against the tree's trunk. Their camp was set on a large branch, far up from the forest floor, where more creatures were bound to destroy them.
"Naruto," Sakura whispered, gasping for breath, as if she had just come from underwater. "I have a bad feeling about the path we're taking."
Naruto took one deep breath, then unlatched his shoulder pad and tossed it beside the rest of the armor he unlatched. He sat down with his legs crossed, his hand on his scratched-up metal headband. He licked his dried lips and searched for his canteen, ignoring Sakura's statement. She continued, searching for her own medicine to revive herself.
"Why does it feel like we've been going in circles? Do you really think it was a good idea to take this path - through this rough forest, as a shortcut to reach Sunagakure's main gate?" Sakura held a small capsule, the length and width of her pinky finger, and twisted its silver cap. A thin puff of smoke hissed out of the tube as she unfastened it, the liquid itself sizzling to the air it let out.
"Naruto-san," Sakura said worriedly. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
"Then you think of a way to get us out of this hell," Naruto replied aggressively as he lied on his back, his arms behind his head. "The only way we'll be able to get out is if we keep going - until we find at least one stream of sunlight."
Sakura paused and choked the potion down, a sour-bitter taste burning her tongue as she let it slither down her throat, causing her to gag. Her medicine wasn't as good as her master's - yet - and the terrible taste was proof enough. She tossed the tube away, letting it roll of the tree's strong branch. It rolled off the branch and made its way down to the dark forest floor, where it would be impossible to search for again.
"Don't litter," Naruto muttered.
Sakura ignored his warning and began to burn up as she felt a sudden rush through her spine, followed by a shiver she hated. "You're still such an immature brat…If you expect me to lead the way. You're the hokage, Naruto. Not me."
"If you plan on rescuing your precious Sasuke, then how do you expect to go through all these monsters alone if you can't even think of another route out?"
"Now you're blaming me?" Sakura laughed skeptically. "I can't believe you."
Sakura stood and walked away until she was at least at a fifty-feet distance from where Naruto slept for the night, and rested to where another tree trunk met the long branch they set camp on. She pulled out a picture frame out her bag and held it close, a single tear slowly falling down her cheek. Soon…Tomorrow…She would get over it, she thought displeasingly. Hopefully, she would cry herself to sleep.
--X--
Who would've guessed that hundreds of feet below Naruto and Sakura's branch were where our villains are, sneaking through the night, feared by everything else around them. Little wisps of dark fire surrounded them, and possibly protected them from 'bad spirits'. Inside the realm of dark fire were four, shadowy figures, the leader alone, another alone behind the figure, and two figures last of the group. Glowing through the dark realm were red clouds, one after each figure inside the small group. But out of them all, the leader's crimson eyes stood out the most through the shadowy forest.
Itachi's Sharingan wouldn't last for long. Through his eyes - through the leader's eyes - everything was a blur. The sharper the color was, the blurrier it was. He could sense the many devious powers around them, but could not aim for the source of all that strength. He paused, his partners behind him stopping as well.
"What?" the center girl demanded, feeling a bit impatient. Itachi scowled and hesitated, then brought out his hand, extending his arm through the wisps of fire, a small tube suddenly falling into his hand.
"What is it?" Kakuzu said groggily, creeping forward slowly with curiosity. The one behind him stayed put, and knew that eventually he would know what it was. As Kakuzu walked fourth, the red clouds at the bottom of his cloak shifted along his movements, following wherever he went - as if the clouds guided him.
Itachi felt groggy himself - he closed his eyes and kept the item safely hidden in his cloak, slipping his whole arm back into the sleeve, hiding his fingers and the tube that fell into his hand. Hidan rested his scythe on his shoulder, then sighed stressfully. He nodded with approval and the wisps of dark flames slowly hissed away as they slowly prepared for camp, and hid their existence.
"Why do we need camp?" Karin grumbled.
"Because I need it," Itachi replied stiffly.
"And we call ourselves missing-nins." Itachi didn't reply, but closed his eyes tiredly, wishing that he didn't know what was up for him…Soon, he wouldn't be himself again.
"You idiot."
At that last remark, Itachi grabbed Karin by her cloak and pulled her close to his lips. He worded each word with disgust, hoping it would haunt her the way his fate haunted him. Karin froze, full of shock, closing her eyes as Itachi's cold breath blew over her face. She pushed him away, whining with disgust.
"Ew!"
"If I'm going down…" Itachi hissed, pulling Karin back closer toward him. "I'm going to make sure you're coming down with me." He closed and strained his eyes, while flashing them back open, his eyes another frame lower, causing his disability to see - worsen.
"Disgusting, Itachi-san," Karin murmured, finally out of his grasp. She brushed away the fake dirt, then rushed away back to her dark-spot, behind everybody else. As she stood behind, keeping her distance close to a tree, she heard a hiss and rustle.
"Remember Karin-san," the snaky-voice hissed behind her. "Kill himm…"
Karin jumped and looked back behind her, seeing nothing but the dark, thick forest, not sure what else lurked through those deep wood. A shudder was sent down her spine, a cool warning pouring over her. She swallowed and leapt along, biting her lip as she moved on, while still keeping her distance at least two meters away from the rest of the group.
Hidan chuckled, bringing his scythe over to his shoulder. "Uchiha really got her shuddering this time." Kakuzu agreed, but still had a puzzled face, not sure if that part was sarcasm, or if he was actually telling the truth. Either way, Kakuzu agreed, beaming evilly to himself.
--X--
"We're nearly there," Naruto said, holding his hand over his forehead as a visor, to protect his eyes against the bright and hot sun of Suna. Sakura had a brief grin of triumph, the tough dust whipping against them, as if a welcome to the shinobi of Konoha. But the welcoming 'dust' wasn't welcoming after a few moments, as Sakura and Naruto's grin fell, and silence was around them.
"We are here," Sakura muttered. "But something's…Wrong."
Naruto squinted and jumped off one last branch, then landed on the Suna property, the main gate just a few meters away. Sakura leapt off behind him, thinking to herself. The main gate was unguarded, which Naruto immediately knew was a complete mistake. On the other hand, Sakura began to think, as Naruto began to jump to conclusions.
"What's going on?" Sakura whispered, walking slowly behind Naruto.
"Stop!" Sakura said, suddenly pausing. As if it were a warning, a stronger gust of wind blew them forward. "Something wants us to go forward," she explained through the loud gusts of wind. A gale was soon coming toward them, as Naruto was too anxious to realize it was coming.
"What?" Naruto called, holding his hand above his head and squinting. He strained his ears, hoping to get a better ear on what his partner was saying. But it was no use - the strong wind currents were too loud and forceful, only bringing them both down together.
"She said get down, you idiot," Hidan stated impatiently. Naruto and Sakura turned around, alarmed, readying their fists to attack the intruder behind them.
Naruto froze, while it took a bit longer for Sakura to realize who the enemies were. Soon, all three Akatsuki members faced them, with sharp, blazing eyes, giving them the unexpected feeling of an ambusher.
"Itachi," Naruto muttered, keeping his fists out, his body positioned into an attacking stance. Sakura gasped, then turned around in a flash, kicking blindly to a figure that began to twirl behind them.
"We can't afford to die now," Sakura said. Naruto agreed. "We have to find Sasuke…"
Naruto disregarded her last comment, but kept his head down while glaring angrily at the enemy facing them. As Hidan was ready to strike, Itachi's grin swept fourth and stopped Hidan's arm from lifting his scythe. He let out a chuckle, while bringing out his menacing eyes.
"Sasuke?" he said playfully. "So you haven't told her, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto gritted his teeth, then attempted the first strike forward, while taking out a sharp dagger out of its case.
"Naruto-kun," he repeated in a false, sweet tone. Then he said, evilly, "Do not let my questions pass without giving an answer…Or you'll be the next victim of my power."
Itachi and Naruto were head to head, while Itachi held Naruto down with their wrists against each other. Itachi restrained Naruto as he did with Hidan, while slowly lifting his eyelids and revealing his crimson eyes.
"Your eyes don't scare me, Itachi," Naruto growled. "You've gone weak and blind…Old man."
Sakura still had her back turned on Naruto, but heard their words and actions clearly. While keeping her defense up, she asked a question Naruto wished she hadn't. "…Tell me what?" At first she had asked that quietly, until she had grown impatient and repeated it louder. "Tell me what, Naruto!?"
Itachi began to press his wrist down harder, while smiling devious as he gained strength. "Go on, Naruto. Tell him about Sasuke-kun."
Naruto grunted and swept away, leaping up and summoning a clone. It charged for Itachi's back, but was only swallowed up by a flock of shadowy birds that substituted Itachi's body.
Karin, Kakuzu, and Hidan had disappeared as well, and began charging for the lone and clueless target; Sakura-chan.
"Why won't you tell her?" Itachi mocked louder, while appearing behind Naruto. Naruto charged again and nearly fell as Itachi's body was swept away again. They continued higher until they were finally mid-air, with Itachi's hissing aggression keeping up smoothly.
"Tell her now, Naruto-kun…Before it's too late," he whispered in Naruto's ear.
"Rah!" Naruto shoved him in the stomach with his elbow, Itachi disappearing once again.
"Tell her now!"
"Un!" Sakura grunted as she was taken down by the group below Naruto.
"Tell her!"
Naruto refused, binding more chakra, trying to ignore the shouts and sounds coming his way. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.
"Tell her now!"
Naruto strained.
"Tell her that your precious Sasuke is DEAD!" Itachi shouted.
And as a last thing Sakura had heard, she heard those exact words, and was thrown aside simply, nearly dying both physically and spiritually…I say nearly, because Sakura can't die…Not yet.
A/N: OMG! IT'S ALL ALMOST OVER! *CRY* WHY AM I STILL TYPING IN CAPS? I DON'T KNOW! SORRY FOR THE HIATUS - AND KEEP READING! PLEASE REVIEW…STAY TUNED!