Dawn
"I'm bored," Sakura drawled and placed her scroll on the table lightly, leaning back in her seat and staring at Sasuke, who looked up from his own reading with an arched eyebrow. "And you expect me to do something about it?" The raven replied simply and returned his eyes to the parchment. "Let's go look around. Angard said this is his clan's estate and there aren't a lot of people around right now."
"Go on your own," Sasuke replied. "I'm busy." "Sasuke-kun..." The Uchiha felt his eye twitch and the urge to throttle Sakura rose once more. "Why do you need me to go with you," he growled without looking up. There was the sound of wood scraping on carpet and then Sakura was standing by his side, leaning down so her short pink bangs brushed his nose. "'Cause I don't want to go alone," the rosette admitted.
"You just said there's hardly anyone around," Sasuke reminded his teammate and tried to move his head away from her hair to read around her presence. "Look Sasuke-kun, if Naruto were here I'd ask him instead of you because I know you don't like 'pointless' things like exploring. But please? I would really appreciate it if you came along instead of holing up in a room all day."
Sasuke sighed in exasperation and raised his head to meet Sakura's stern emerald gaze, both teammates narrowing their eyes in a silent glaring match. "What happened to bowing down to my every word?" The raven eventually asked and broke the tense silence between the two. Sakura looked down and mumbled something unintelligible and brushed at her hair with her hand.
"I realized acting like a mindless fangirl isn't going to get your attention, Sasuke-kun," the kunochi began and Sasuke blinked. "And I need to get stronger anyways, to protect myself and the people I care about. Like Naruto.." Sakura trailed off into silence and her eyes hardened, appearing like she was trying not to cry. Sasuke tried to ignore the pity that was pressing against his lips.
"...Fine," he grumbled and pushed his chair back, rising and placing his scroll next to Sakura's and ambled to the door, where he flung it open and stalked into the hallway before turning and crossing his arms over his chest. Sakura soon followed and shut her door behind herself, striding to where Sasuke waited. "So where should we start?" Sakura asked and mimicked the raven in front of her, glancing to the left and right.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted and looked down. Sakura sighed and uncrossed her arms, poking a finger into the Uchiha's chest. "Can you at least pretend to be interested? I get it, you're doing this to make me shut up Sasuke-kun. But please, act like you care. Pretend we're on a reconnaissance mission or something, but just get involved..." Sasuke closed his eyes and counted to ten silently, then twenty just to be safe.
I'm going to regret this...he thought and groaned out loud. "Okay," he muttered and Sakura's face lit up in a bright grin. "Thank you Sasuke-kun!" She said happily and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's torso, to which the raven protested and tried to shove her off. The rosette laughed and stepped back, blushing lightly. "Sorry," she apologized. "Guess I sort of over-reacted, yeah?" "Tch," Sasuke coughed irritably and looked to his right. "Let's go this way," he mumbled and stepped in that direction.
Sakura's wedged sandals clacked on the smooth stone floor after Sasuke as he led the way down the corridor, which was made out of an odd smooth red stone and seemed to create a light of it's own as the raven and his teammate made their way past doors and windows to meet a high arched doorway that seemed to lead to a courtyard. Sasuke stepped outside and was met with a warm breeze on his face, brushing his long bangs from his eyes.
The clearing's floor was made of jagged pieces of cobblestone, fit together like an odd puzzle with bits of red grass growing between the cracks. An old fountain was the centerpiece of the area, with clumps of moss growing over the edge of the basins. Bushes of midnight black leaves lined the area, where the walls they were set by had more of the windows covered by twigs facing into the space. Sasuke looked up and didn't see a sky, which unnerved him.
Instead, it seemed that this entire world was under the earth; high, high above his head was a cover of more red brick, stalactites hanging down like raindrops just barely in his view. Sakura stepped behind him and followed his gaze upward. "Told you it was beautiful," she murmured and Sasuke nodded in agreement. "You said this was Angard's clan's estate, correct?" He asked softly and looked at Sakura.
"Yeah," she replied and walked forward to brush her gloved hand against the old stone of the fountain. "His family must be really wealthy," she noted as she examined the rock. "And old." "Yeah..." The courtyard reminded Sasuke of the Uchiha Complex, when it was inhabited of course. Clan member's large estates often had small clearings like this, and the few children that had been around when Sasuke was that age would often come to places like this to play out of the adults' watchful eyes.
"Let's keep going," he eventually ordered and stepped around the fountain and Sakura, who followed behind as he went to the opposite archway into another hallway, but now there were three figures bustling about in the corridor with brooms in their hands. One looked up, his hazel eyes meeting Sasuke's and his brown hair streaked with orange shifted around his forehead. "Ah...you two must be Master Uchiha and Mistress Haruno," the man spoke respectfully and his two companions looked up, one a male with blonde hair and another a woman with red hair.
Both of their eyes were a dull grey, Sasuke noticed as he looked at them cautiously. "Um...just 'Sakura' and 'Sasuke' are fine..." Sakura mumbled from over Sasuke's shoulder and the raven nodded in agreement. The female shook her head and her eyes looked at a point just past Sasuke's elbow. "You are Master Angard's esteemed guests. You are deserving of such respect, Master and Mistress," she said and bowed, the other two following suit.
Sasuke tried to keep a disgusted look off of his face. He got this kind of "respect" enough at home and he certainly didn't want to deal with it here, with people he didn't even recognize. He stepped forward and pointed at the brunette man with the yellow eyes. "Well then..." he said lowly. "I order you to address my teammate and I as 'Sasuke' and 'Sakura'." A shiver ran through all three of the servant's bodies. "Yes...Sasuke," the man said slowly. "Yes Sasuke," the other two replied mindlessly, their grey eyes still not quite focusing on any one point.
"What's wrong with them?" Sakura whispered in Sasuke's ear and he scowled. "You expect me to know?" He hissed back and noticed the brunette staring at him, eyes warm with amusement. "Master Angard did not tell you?" He said and smiled, brushing at the ground with his broom. "We are the Damned. The ones not worthy of Heaven and cursed to an eternity of servitude to the dark ones." "Demons?" Sasuke asked and the boy nodded. "As well as Daemons," he finished and the two behind him returned to their activities. "I am Consecro," the brunette said politely after an uncomfortable silence. "It means 'Cursed' in Latin. Ironic, hm?" Sasuke stared.
"And the other two?" The raven asked and indicated the boy and girl behind Consecro, who were now scrubbing at the floor with soapy water and rags, their simple black ropes dripping and covered in bubbles. Consecro smiled sadly. "They have been here for so long their identities have been forgotten," he said. "Even they probably do not remember. Eventually they'll just...fade away. All of us are waiting for that to happen as well, but we will continue to serve for many centuries more..." Sakura made a sickened sound. Consecro looked at her and beamed. "Do not look so disturbed, Sakura," the brunette said happily.
"Those of us who serve the Ignatis clan are treated very well. I would probably feel sorry for those in the Quary. That place...is like a hell within hell." Consecro bowed and fastened the black cloth belt that held his white robe tighter around his waist. "If you'll excuse us, we have to clean this sector before Master Angard returns..." The woman murmured from the floor, which seemed spotless enough to Sasuke but she continued to pick at a particular spot over and over. "Of course," Sasuke said hesitantly and stepped around the three servants. As they padded down the corridor and the sound of scratchy brushing on rock faded, Sasuke released a pent out breath.
"That was..." He said slowly, trying to find the right word while Sakura walked by his right shoulder. "Strange?" The rosette offered. "Disturbing? Awful?" Sasuke nodded. "Having to be a slave for eternity...was that what Angard meant by suffering?" Sakura continued and the duo stopped in front of a set of double doors guarded by a pair of identically bald men wearing the same outfit as Conserco; a white robe tied around the middle with a black belt and black slippers. The two bowed while Sasuke and Sakura approached. "Master Sasuke, Mistress Sakura," they murmured in unison.
Sasuke rolled his eyes but complied as he pushed the heavy doors inward to reveal a massive dining hall, a table made of dark mahogony surrounded by high backed chairs made of red oak gilded with gold marks and a massive fireplace on the other side facing Sasuke and Sakura, a warm flame crackling merrily in its depths. Atop the stone was a large shield colored a royal blue, and what seemed to be phoenix was carved in white marble in the center.
Sakura noticed a door on the wall adjacent to the fireplace and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder, pointing at the object. "Wanna go there?" She asked. Sasuke nodded and they maneuvered past bustling servants and chairs, until someone ran head first into Sasuke's chest. Exclaiming a curse, the raven stumbled back and he felt his sharnigan activate in his rage at the clumsy obstacle in his path. Sakura had managed to leap out of the collision path and stood watching the Uchiha with wide eyes, standing in a pose ready for battle in case he tried to maul the person laying on the floor in front of him.
Which he very much felt like doing.
The object of Sasuke's destructive attitude was a boy who appeared to be twelve or thirteen years of age, bright blonde hair framing his face. He blinked his eyes open, their color a shimmering blue that twinkled with mischief. His torso was covered by a black and red high-collared vest and he wore baggy black pants tied at the ankles by black tape. Sasuke stared at the blonde, his heart aching as a resemblance began to show. In fact, this boy was almost so much like Naruto, minus the odd marks on his cheeks, that Sasuke would have punched the kid right there and yell some obscure insult that he didn't really mean if he knew any better.
"Ah, ah, sorry," the boy chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Sasuke winced and he noticed Sakura do the same. "Watch where you're going," the raven muttered and stepped around the boy's mass to Sakura, who was shivering in either fear, rage, or sorrow. The blonde stood and looked at the two with a questioning stare. "Wait a minute, you watch where you're going!" He exclaimed and pointed an accusitory finger at Sasuke, who's eyes narrowed at the familiar gesture. "And who are you to act like Naruto," he hissed lowly and the boy raised an eyebrow.
"Who's that?" He asked and stood, brushing nonexistant dirt from his arms and back. "My name's Dracyl. This Naruto should feel lucky he can be compared to me!" Draycl puffed his chest out proudly. Sasuke looked at Sakura and she returned the stare, her eyes with disbelief. "Master Draycl!" A feminine voice called from Sasuke's right and his head swiveled to see a woman with black hair tied into a tight bun and dressed in black robes bustling towards them. Her face paled as she saw Sakura and Sasuke.
"Oh! Oh, I...I am so sorry you had to s-see him," she stammered out and grabbed Draycl by the shoulders, the latter protesting quite loudly to the treatment and proceeded to drag him towards the double doors Sasuke and Sakura had entered in. "Master Angard can explain, b-but I...I'm sorry!" She called as she carried the struggling Draycl out of the doorway. Sakura breathed in sharply. "That was...weird," she commented slowly, as if her brain was moving at the speed of a snail. Sasuke's didn't feel like working very much either. "Hn..."
The encounter disturbed him. Draycl had been so much like Naruto it took his breath away, and if someone had drawn three lines on the blonde's cheeks Sasuke would be dealing with Naruto 2.0, reminding him of the fact that the real Naruto was probably suffering somewhere in the Overworld...for reasons the raven still didn't understand. This is insane, he grumbled in his mind and forced his legs to move towards the door like before. "Come on Sakura," he called over his shoulder and proceeded to throw the door in front of him open to reveal a dim room filled with floating orbs.
His sharnigan faded as he gazed at the rainbow of spheres hovering around him, and Sakura squeezed by his side and gasped loudly at the sight. An orange orb the color of Naruto's ridiculous jacket floated past Sasuke's eyes and he reached out to grab it, the object fairly warm and energy pulsating from it in waves. An idea occurred to him as he recalled Angard's note. "Show me where Naruto is," he demanded forcefully and heard Sakura exclaim "Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?!" but ignored her question.
The orange in the orb shimmered and seemed to shift like mist to the out edges of the sphere, the middle beginning to become foggy. Then there was a wordless shout that erupted from Sasuke's hand. "Give it to us!" A deep, cold voice nearly screamed out and then Sasuke was looking upon a circular cave from high up onto a stone table surrounded by nine candles, a white chalk line connecting each pillar of wax to the slab. One man for each candle stood huddled around the table, and one more man dressed in complete black, his head covered by a hood, stood above a figure chained to the table with a silver sickle dripping with blood in their hand.
Sasuke's gaze travelled to the person on the table and he snarled at the sight. Blonde hair hung low over shut eyes, blood covering the familiar whiskered cheeks. Heavy breathing left his mouth in gasps and the shackles holding him to the table shivered with the force he was exerting against them. "Naruto!" Sakura's voice said dimly somewhere to Sauke's right, but he ignored it. The sickle came down on Naruto's arm and blood spurted from the wound like a river. "Deliver the Kyuubi to us, Fox Child..." The hooded man whispered.
Then he seemed to look up and straight into Sasuke's eyes. The raven hovered, wide-eyed, as he saw that the man's entire eye, both of them, were pure black. Like looking into a tunnel with light...those terrifying orbs narrowed, and then Sasuke was back in the rainbow filled room. Sakura gasped and Sasuke assumed she had been pushed back as well. "Naruto..." the rosette whispered, then there was the dull sound of a body slamming to the floor. Sasuke shivered but remained where he was, blankly staring at the orb in his palm.
I'm going to kill him, he thought dangerously as the image of Naruto, laying bloodied and broken on that slab, filled his head. "I'm going to kill that man!" He yelled and threw the orb at the opposite wall, the object stopping just before impact and rejoining its companions in their strange orbit. Deliver the Kyuubi to us...the horrible creature's voice rang in Sasuke's ears and he froze as he was about to draw his katana and swing it at the nearest orb. "The Kyuubi..." He whispered, and then something inside him clicked.
The stuffed fox. The angry stares of the villagers. Kakashi's refusal to discuss anything to do with Naruto. Naruto's loneliness. Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt the pure shock course through him as he realized his best friend's, his...his...he didn't even know what Naruto was, but as he stood there following orange orb Naruto's secret unfolded before him.
Naruto is the Kyuubi's Jinchūriki!