Chapter 11: Into the Lion's Den.
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"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look at fear in the face."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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It had been three quarters of an hour since Sasuke and Sakura encountered the Kyuubi. They were walking up a hill upon Sakura's insistence. In fact they had been walking all the way to there mysterious destination. Why? So that if Sasuke ever got stuck down there he would know a way out in case he was not able to teleport himself out. When Sasuke and Sakura finally made it over that very hill the male reaper was genuinely surprised at what he saw.
"There's a garden in hell?" Sasuke said
"The owner like's her fragrances" Sakura said.
"And she is?"
"Karin."
"Okay. Goodbye." Sasuke said as he made a turn to go back.
Sasuke didn't even make one step when Sakura stopped him by grabbing the scruff of his collar quickly. "And where do you think you are going?"
"Away from that psycho" Sasuke said like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he pointed towards the garden.
"I never thought you to be a coward Deadboy" Sakura said.
"I'm not, but I rather not be around Karin."
"Neither do I, but Karin happens to be the sheriff on this ring of Hell and the friendliest in Hell."
"…Are you kidding me?"
"No, I'm not"
"I thought you don't like her."
"I hate her Sasuke."
"Then why are we going to be talking to her?"
"Being a Sheriff in hell would give you better access to everything, including information. And like I said before she happens to be the friendliest sheriff there is in Hell, the rest would most likely try something you wouldn't like."
"But why her?"
"To investigate each ring you need to inform the sheriff, Karin happens to be this ring's sheriff"
"…"
"…"
"…couldn't we just skip it?"
"No, besides I don't see the big deal it is for you."
"No big deal? That demon tried to drag me down here and the way she was looking at me…"
"Sasuke, you were just a soul then. She gives that look to every good looking soul she collects. She won't remember you."
"Excuse me?"
Sakura sighed and pinched the top of her nose to keep her cool. "Karin never really looks at a soul in the eye; she feels she is above them no matter what they look like." Then glanced back at him when she felt she was under control "Because there has also been a period of time she won't recognise you. Names and places are what she's good at."
"You sure?"
"Positive. By the way, don't get too close to her."
"Not that I was planning to, but why?" Sasuke said and frowned.
"She's part succubus."
"What's that?"
"Succubuses, or incubuses, have the ability to attract the opposite sex and have them under their complete control through a combination of eye-contact, a metre and half radius and pheromones." Sakura said. "Only a few reapers such as I are immune and I very much doubt with your track record that if she wanted you she'd have you right under her thumb."
"And you're taking me to the lion's den."
"Better for her to know you're a friend of mine than for her to try and take you when you are on your own here."
"I'm your friend now?" He said with a smirk.
Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Trust you to pick that up."
His smirk got deeper. "And are you?"
"Let's just go already" Sakura drawled in annoyance.
They had walked through maze after maze through that unforgiving garden. Dodging thorn bushes and any other plants that would have been quite deadly to them, it was a wonder to Sakura why Karin even kept them in the first place. She even had to stop Sasuke from trying to touch the vegetation in case of being eaten by a plant or something green and scary. She wasn't quite sure what it was but didn't want to find out just yet.
Sasuke had asked why they couldn't just fly over with Springtime, Sakura then pointed out that a maze was designed to keep idiots away from the house. Flying over a maze like that would be deemed idiotic as the demonic plants could see them easily. It was only Sakura's memory of the safe route allowed them to make it out alive. Sasuke almost cringed at the sound of something squealing and then audible crunch could be heard behind them. "Did Karin take a page out of The Little Shop of Horrors?"
"Wouldn't be surprised" Sakura said, she having no trouble at cringing at the sound.
They then walked down the pathway till they saw Karin's home. If they weren't in Hell Sasuke could have sworn the castle-like-mansion was something from a fairytale. There seemed to be hundreds and hundreds of black roses crawling everywhere up the dirty ochre coloured walls. The windows were huge but had bars that were even coated in barbwire for extra protection. Four towers on each side where the only part of the entire estate to have slit window, probably for guards and shooters if Karin's home was ever attacked.
"She lives in that?" Sasuke said.
"It's been recently renovated." Sakura said.
Following the path to the Sheriff of that particular Ring of Hell's home, they came across to see a white haired demon talking to a large purple one. The white haired demon was not someone Sakura was familiar with. The demon was male from the sound of it, a little shorter than Sasuke but equally strong and lean as him, maybe even leaner. Yet there was something about him she couldn't put her finger on. The large purple demon, however, was definitely someone that Sakura knew so very well.
That demon is still alive.
I know
Why?
I have no idea
As they got closer it was clear that the white haired demon was trying to get pass the larger one with no success. He was handsome from what she could see from her angle and seemed to be a little anxious or something. But if he was she could not say, demons could not show any weakness to any of the same species and could be killed because of it. A part of her wondered why he was here but before she could follow the path of her curiosity Sasuke brought her back from her thoughts.
"How are we going to get passed that guy?" Sasuke said, eyeing the demons closely.
"We'll walk pass him"
"What makes you so sure that going to happen?" Sasuke asked as they drew closer to the big purple demon.
"I know the password." Sakura grinned. Sasuke frowned at her but didn't say a word, if she knew the password then she knew the password. As they got closer Sakura raised her hands and braced them against her neck as she chirped "Hi Momoshi".
The large purple demon, aka Momoshi, glanced over at the rosette for a second before his eyes comically widened and his jaw dropped in fear. He looked like he thought the world would end any second when he saw her. "AHHHHH!" Momoshi screamed and another second later he disappeared.
The white haired demon glanced at Sakura with his purple eyes along with Sasuke who was just as baffled and curious. "What did you do to him?"
"To be honest…nothing" Sakura smiled at the man then glanced at Sasuke. "You coming?"
Sasuke gave her a nod and followed her into the mansion like castle, never checking if the white haired demon was following them.
The big black gothic doors opened to reveal Karin sitting by her cluttered desk. Most of the furniture was made out of coal coloured molten rock and it was no surprise that the desk was too. The redhead was leaning back in her brown cushy leather chair and a pair of black rimmed glasses were perched on the edge of her delicate nose as she read the scroll in her hands.
"Old age getting to you Karin?" Sakura taunted as she and Sasuke approached her desk, Sasuke being a little bit behind her for obvious reasons. He was still nervous of being in the domain of the demoness who would have tortured him for his human lifestyle before.
"What is it now Sakura?" Karin said in a bored tone, without lifting her eyes off the scroll.
"Three Reapers are missing." Sakura said.
"Oh goody" Karin sarcastically drawled then looked at Sakura and frowned when she saw she wasn't alone. "And you brought company. Shall I bring out the best china?"
Sasuke hid his surprise, did this woman really not recognise him like Sakura had said? Or did she not care for souls that much. Either way the look Karin was sporting was the one noble woman would think with an ink-stain on satin sheets, disdain. And that really pissed him off but not enough to let his temper fly with that. He was annoyed, not stupid.
"This is serious Karin, they could be in your ring" Sakura said.
The redhead's frown deepened then looked back Sakura. "Where is your proof?"
"There has been a report that three Reapers entered Hell and they have not returned."
"I did not ask what has happened to them, where is the proof they are here."
"Karin, most captured reapers are caught here. You know it, I know it."
"Well, I haven't heard anything and you…" Karin paused for a moment then leaned forward to get a good look at Sakura when she finally spotted Sasuke did not have a single scratch on him. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"You just noticed?" Sakura said in disbelief that the redhead had realised what she was wearing aka burnt and torn clothes "Glasses not working as well as they should be Karin?"
"What had happen Sakura?" Karin growled out.
"Kyuubi happened" Sakura said.
Karin rolled her eyes and pressed a button "MOMOSHI, HERE, NOW!" then released it again and looked at Sakura expectantly "Where about was he last seen?"
"Heading to Zabuzo's." Sakura reluctantly said as the large purple demon appeared in a shimmer.
The big purple demon took one look at Sakura and twitched in fear. The rosette couldn't resist when she grinned wickedly at him before turning her attention to her nails. Karin who had witnessed this all looked at Momoshi in suspicion before she stored the information for a later time and relaxed back into her chair. No matter what happened, Momoshi was always a loyal minion to her.
"Momoshi, go to Zabuzo's ring and find the Kyuubi. Tell him that if I catch him on my lands again I will send out the Master's best sealers and have him contained in the most annoying vessel ever. He will not be able to feel, taste or do anything he wants but listen and see through that being's eyes till the day it dies and he will die along with it and never to exist again." Karin said. "Understood?"
"Yes my mistress" Momoshi said and shimmered out.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the redhead and dryly said "Karin, you care about me".
"As if! The Kyuubi should not be trespassing on my lands." Karin said.
"Oh yeah like that's going to stop him." Sasuke muttered.
"Shut up boy, you have no opinion here" Karin snapped at Sasuke instantly.
"I can say what the hell I want." Sasuke said, irritated at being talked down to yet again.
Karin laughed out loud in shrills of what could be said as 'incoming death'. Her red eyes glanced lazily at the male reaper as her laughter quietened to a smile. "You're cute…" then her smile dropped "…but stupid. If I was any other demon you would be up on that ceiling right now."
Curiosity killed the cat, or Sasuke's appetite really, when he looked up and paled subtly at the adornment on the ceiling. It was not a pretty sight. Slowly he looked back at Karin and, with much muster, gave her a bored look despite that his very insides were squirming in queasiness. "You should fire your decorator."
Karin grinned evilly.
"I was raised to have etiquette, boy, but I'm a demon." Karin said with a low purr "And demons don't play nice for long." She looked up at the ceiling and glanced back at him through her glasses. "Do you want to know what they did?"
"That's enough Karin." Sakura said as she crossed her arms angrily.
Karin tucked her chin on the back of her hands that happened to have her elbows resting on the desk. Her eyes now looking over her glasses with wickedness. Her grin became more twisted than before and Sasuke had no doubt that when she said she 'enjoyed her job very much' she very much meant every word.
"Awe, Sakura, spoiling my fun again." Karin said then tilted her head. "You should really get that stick out of your arse and live a little. You know, vent those…frustrations out."
Sakura's blood boiled at the sharp jibe. "If I were you I wouldn't be talking to me like that" Sakura hissed. Inside Sakura's mind she could feel Hakumei pacing up and down, her teeth glittering in a deadly snarl of destruction and impatience. The creature inside her mind itched to get out and kill and she could feel the desire growing and infect her own control. She didn't know whether embrace it or not, all she needed now was something to make her snap.
"Oh, still on that tune?" Karin nonchalantly said. "Such a foolish child you still are."
That did it.
The rosette lunged towards Karin, ready to maim her pretty little face. However, before Sakura could reach her, Sasuke wrapped an arm around her waist. Because she was light enough he was able to swerve her easily away from the redhead. He then took a step back just for a precaution in case she tried something when they faced Karin again. Sakura was slightly stunned that not only Sasuke caught her but he also had the strength to stop her from wriggling out of his grasp. Even Hakumei inside her mind was stunned into silence.
"Can we please get back to the main problem?" Sasuke said, now exasperated at these women's insistence to start some kind of fight. "This is getting us nowhere, it's annoyingly hot and I want get out of here as soon as possible. So, the both of you cut out the crap already."
"…Hmm, I don't know whether to be angry at your outburst boy or just turned on." Karin smirked.
Sasuke internally twitched but remained composed, neither feeling fear nor showing it. "The Reapers, demon, where are they?"
The redhead shrugged. "Beats me."
"I'll do it happily" Sakura growled from her place.
"Sakura" Sasuke warned the rosette reaper, she looked away annoyed and he glanced back Karin. "You sure haven't heard anything?"
"Well, there is an organised fight tonight in Guren's ring. If you're looking for those Reapers then that would be your best bet. She really doesn't like them and it would seem too coincidental that there are missing Reapers and she's organising a fight."
"Hn" with that Sasuke then dragged Sakura out of the room and away from Karin.
Once she could no longer hear the pair she looked towards a hidden spot and raised an eyebrow towards it. "You can come out now."
"Really?" a sardonic voice said as an apparitional mass began to form from a liquid to solid body. "You sure your babysitter isn't going to be around?"
"Momoshi is not my babysitter. He knows his place, unlike you" Karin said as she placed her glasses down and rubbed her nose to ease her discomfort.
"Harsh babe."
"Don't call me that Suigetsu."
The lean body then changed and showed the handsome features of a man with silver white hair and deep purple eyes. He approached her and knelt before her as his hands pressed the insides of her thighs to then lean forward and kissed her abdomen. Karin half growled half purred before she yanked him up by the labels of his lavender shirt so they were at eye level.
"What are you doing?" she hissed.
Suigetsu smirked his infamous 'one sided smirk' that revealed one of his canines at her. He readjusted his hands to then suddenly lift her up effortlessly on him and then plopped her onto the desk when he turned around to it. As if they had done it a thousand times he easily slid between her legs and trapped her on the desk.
"Two things babe." He said and his smirk deepened when he saw the glint of anger in her eyes "One. Don't ever say that Reaper turns you on when you know I'm in the room"
"Jealous?" Karin growled.
"Hardly"
"Liar"
"Two. Don't egg her on, not in your condition."
"She upset me."
"I don't care if she destroyed your favourite torture device, I rather not see harm come to you"
"How sweet of you"
Suigetsu bared his sharp teeth at her "Take that back".
"Make me" Karin growled, and found Suigetsu slammed his lips against hers in a ruthlessly passionate kiss. It wasn't long that they were ripping each others clothes off and venting off a lot of frustrations.
As soon as Sasuke and Sakura exited the gothic mansion the human reaper let the rosette go from his grasp. He then had to dodge the punch that was aimed for his face quickly, Sakura was still not happy. "That is uncalled for" Sasuke said.
"Uncalled for? You stopped me from giving her the smack down she needed!" Sakura growled.
"Don't be so immature, she was trying to provoke you." Sasuke pointed out to her.
"Eugh! I could kill her!" Sakura shouted upwards to the sky in frustration, she could still feel Hakumei's restlessness at the back of her mind.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"And you!" She said as she glared at him like a she-wolf would when loosing her meal to another. "What the hell was that about?"
"Hn. You are easily manipulated by her, you know that?" Sasuke said, before walking off with Sakura trailing behind him.
"I am not!" Sakura said.
"If I hadn't intervened Momoshi would be getting demon off the walls by now…"
"Heh, you think I'm that good?"
"…and I'd be dragging you to the Infirmary."
SHLUNK!
Sasuke froze. He had this awful feeling that he had been stabbed by the rosette. Yet, when he did not feel the pain that one would get when stabbed, he then came to the conclusion that something else got stabbed. When he finally looked over his shoulder he saw Sakura holding Springtime in her samurai sword form. The human reaper then followed the blade's point down and found it was lodged into a metre long white snake's head. He blinked in surprise at just what happened and then glanced at Sakura again for an explanation. She shrugged.
"I hate snakes." Sakura said simply and pulled out the sword with a sickening squelch, her temper now calmed.
Sasuke pulled a face at the sound before composing himself again "So your answer is to kill it?"
"Didn't you know deadboy? It's my answer to everything I hate" Sakura smirked.
"How morbid."
"Sasuke, where exactly are we?" Sakura said as she gestured to surrounding area.
Sasuke shook his head at her before he headed towards the exit. He didn't catch the look Sakura had on her face when she looked back down at the dead white snake. She glanced at its eyes, still gleaming with that frightening yellow.
"Silly…Little…Girl"
Shaking her mind off the memory, she then stepped over the snake and jogged to catch up with Sasuke. She really did hate snakes.
It was nearly an hour later that they found themselves being dragged by the ankle by a very large and bulky orange demon that had some similarities as Momoshi except this one was NOT polite. Despite the situation Sakura looked very relaxed and right at home. And if she was relaxed then Sasuke knew it was going to be okay. Except he couldn't exactly fathom why she was okay to begin with, they had been captured and they were being pulled by the ankle as they lied on their backs. Talk about demeaning.
"Of all the careers I imagined I never thought I'd literally be dragged on my arse." Sasuke mumbled to Sakura.
"Well compared to other activities that arse goes through this happens to be more productive" Sakura smiled cheekily.
"PIPE DOWN BOTH OF YOU!" the demon who held their ankles snarled. "YOU WILL BEHAVE FOR LADY GUREN LIKE THE GOODY TWO SHOES YOU ARE!"
"Hey I resent that butthead!" Sakura shouted back.
The demon shook them violently and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how on earth they got caught in the first place.
~*Flashback*~
Both reapers were standing on a hill outside and out of sight of the fortress of Guren's. It literally looked Fort Knox had a decorator from Halloween Town and decided to go all out. High and thick impenetrable walls guarded the towers upon gloomy towers that decorated the giant gothic exterior with cruelty and malice.
"Sort of reminds me of my parent's house." Sasuke drawled at the sight. "So how do we get in?"
"I would say teleport but it's never a good idea." Sakura said as she eyed the wall "Those walls go five miles deep, have all sorts of protection on each brick and could set off an alarm so loud that your entire body would implode if you thought of teven rying to get in just by climbing on it."
"And this is where the Reapers are being held" Sasuke said.
"Yep" Sakura said.
After a moments pause Sasuke asked "So…how are we going to get in?" his question was answered when Sakura pointed behind her. There stood the orange demon ready to knock them out.
~*End of Flashback*~
"Was it really necessary to call the guard a 'butthead'?" Sasuke mumbled to Sakura.
"Oh c'mon Sasuke, you know it was" Sakura smiled cheekily in a low voice.
"You are so immature." Sasuke muttered.
"Lighten up; we're here to see Lady Guren after all."
There was a snort from the demon before they entered a grand hall. Sasuke nearly winced at the sight of the decoration hanging on the wall. If he thought Karin's ceiling was bad then this was damn right unpleasant. His stomach seemed to want to roll and heave all its contents at the sight.
"Easy Deadboy. Breath nice and slow and happy thoughts" Sakura sympathetically murmured to him softly when she noticed his eyes closed and his breathing became shallower. "We'll be out of here soon enough"
Sasuke did what he was told, trying his best to calm his stomach as he asked "Seriously, who decorates their home like that?"
I quite like the décor.
Hakumei…
Yeah, I know, 'shut up'.
"…I'll tell you when we get out." Sakura said.
"If you get out" the demon growled then shoved them to two gangly yellowish-orange demons that then proceeded to place them on their feet as the main one then strolled up to the purple hair woman on her thrown. The crystal goat like horns protruded on either side of her head were both about seven inches in length, which pointed out she was the boss like Karin's small black horns. She was shorter than Karin and definitely not as beautiful as Sakura but there was something very demonic about this woman.
"What have you brought before me minion?" Guren asked.
"More fighters for your event Lady Guren" the orange demon said and bowed.
"Let me have a closer look at them." Guren said her interest peeked that was until she spotted the pink hair. She raised hand to stop her minions from bringing forth the prisoners, to then stand up and walked to the reapers instead. Both reapers had there face bowed as the pink haired one whispered to her companion before the both looked up and back at Guren. Guren glanced at the pinkette to the dark hair man and had to take a double look at the rosette reaper as she recognised who it was now smiling at her.
"Guren sweetie" Sakura singsong to Guren "How ya doin'?"
Guren turned and glared at her now bewildered minion as she said while she walked up to him slowly and frightenly"What were you thinking of bringing her here?"
"But mistress—?"
"Do you know who she is?" Guren growled.
"I—"
"If she is here then she is here for one reason and one reason only!" Guren growled and stabbed her forefinger into his chest to punctuate every word her sentence. "Get her out of—" then saw something was amiss and the other guards unconscious "—where the hell did they go?"
"I didn't expect you pull something like that" Sasuke said as they ran down the corridor.
"Hey, I still have no way of getting around those impenetrable walls." Sakura said. "If being captured was the way in: then bound my wrists."
"Is that a request?" Sasuke smirked.
"Oh, trust you to pick that out!" Sakura muttered.
Once they made quite a distance between them and Guren, Sakura stopped in her tracks to check her surroundings quickly first that in turn caused Sasuke to stop as well. Springtime was then summoned into Sakura's hand and she placed the weapon onto the floor in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.
"Guren see's through her guards, they are literally her eyes and ears around this place. Nothing get's by her." Sakura explained and bit her thumb, allowing for it to bleed for a moment. "If a guard sees us then she sees us and she will then send the rest down here. We're going to need a distraction."
"And you are just telling me this now?"
"Shhh!"
Once there was enough blood she swiped it across the side of the blade. To Sasuke's surprise the red blood turned black as ink as Sakura picked Springtime off the floor and stood up straight again. The black liquid then dropped off the blade and onto the floor. The raven haired reaper watched as it then split out and formed into a symbol.
"Come on you emotional inept idiot, I don't have all day." Sakura growled.
The liquid then began to expand rapidly and upwards, changing its form into a solid mass of white flesh and black clothing. There stood a thin but strong looking young man with features similar to Sasuke but with harder lines to his body and slightly shorter. Sasuke looked astonished at the sight but kept his mouth shut, he rather not say anything that may risk him sounding stupid.
"What is it Ugly?" the man asked in a neutral tone.
Jezz, he hasn't changed much...
"Sai, cause as much chaos as you can around Guren's castle within the next twenty minutes. I need to get some Reapers out and—" she was interrupted when Sai lifted his hand up to stop her.
"You had me on chaos" Sai gave her smile that looked rather fake before he ran off and pulled something out the looked remarkably like a paintbrush.
When the lookalike disappeared Sasuke turned to Sakura with a bemused face. "Who's he, and I thought teleporting could not be done here."
"That's Sai and let's say I've got other methods" Sakura curtly said.
"Uh-huh and Naruto renounced eating ramen." Sasuke said.
"Let's not get into this Sasuke we have Reapers to find." She then dashed off with Sasuke following close behind when he quickly caught up with her.
"So what exactly is he going to do? He's only one man."
"He's going to cause one hell of ruckus around here that the guards would be dealing with a hundred Naruto's"
"I see," the human reaper rolled his eyes. "And here I thought one Naruto was enough to last a life time."
"Huh"
"Huh?"
"Yeah huh."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh nothing."
"Doesn't sound like nothing."
"Well, okay, but you're starting to sound an awful lot like Kakashi-sensei."
Sasuke nearly tripped on his own feet with that remark. It wasn't enough though, an image of their sensei appeared and then changed so that Sasuke had his likeness, erotic book and all. He internally cringed at the thought; it was just as bad as image of turning into his father or, god forbid, brother. Just as he was about to make a comment Sakura stopped again and shot a hand out to stop Sasuke crashing into a guard up ahead.
"We are going to have to knock him out quickly and without him seeing us otherwise more trouble." The rosette reaper whispered.
Just as Sakura was about charge into a fight, Sasuke placed a hand on her abdomen to stop her from going any further. She spotted the stone in Sasuke's hand and, to her amusement, watched the stone being thrown towards the guard. There was a resounding 'donk' before the guard fell to the ground heavily and, importantly, unconscious.
"Funny and effective" Sakura grinned.
"Sometimes the simplest of methods are needed." Sasuke said.
"Book?"
"Actually me."
"Ah. C'mon."
They both ran again only to briefly stop to collect the keys from the guard and ran down into the dungeon that it was conveniently guarding. The stairs from the archway were steep and narrow as the pelted through, knocking out any guard they come across along the way. Once they had cleared the stairway they turned right and shot down the passage way, ignoring any caged beasts. Well, Sakura had to stop a couple of times when Sasuke stopped to stare at weirdest and scary looking ones and yank him back into a run. They both slid sideways when they took another turn, until they were in front of a cage room. There, in the middle of the room, was a handsome man with long brown hair in a simple black cut garment meditating silently. His eyes slowly opened to reveal milkish-grey eyes, looking quiet bored, relieved and annoyed at the same time.
"I never expected you to be down here Neji, did Kiba dare you or something?" Sakura asked.
"No, he did not. I was here to retrieve a teammate of mine. The idiot wanted to take the long way round and got captured." Neji said calmly.
"Then how did you get in?" Sasuke said with a smirk.
Neji stared at Sasuke for a moment and then glanced back at Sakura 'Is he really asking for a beating?'. Sakura gave him a look back as she pulled the cell keys out from her pocket and it was just by luck that the first key happened to be the correct one. "I'm curious myself Neji, how did you get stuck here?" Sakura asked as she opened the door.
"I forgot about the wall." Neji said still in that calm voice.
Sakura cringed in sympathy and empathy. "Can you move?"
"I have managed to heal most of the damage but I would only slow you down if I was on my feet."
"Alright then" Sakura then looked back at Sasuke and pointed at Neji. "Give him a piggyback"
"What?" Sasuke said.
"Hey, I'm map and direction girl. Plus you're the newbie, meaning you do grunt work."
"I am not giving him a piggyback."
"I have to agree with the underling." Neji said from his place.
Can these two be even more childish?
"Hmm, okay, let's rephrase this then. Sasuke you will happily give him a piggyback ride as I have commanded you to and if you don't you will loose any hope of sleeping in your own home again." Sakura said "Neji you will accept the piggyback ride on the account that I will overlook that instead of informing Tsunade-sama of the situation you went ahead and took it upon yourself to rescue your comrade and got captured. Does that sound better gentlemen?"
Moments later, Sakura and Sasuke who carrying Neji, piggyback style, were running down another passage. Sakura could distinctly hear Hakumei just laughing her arse off in her mind from the look both men were sporting. It wasn't long until they found the other trapped reaper, or really a guard to the Gates of Hell. Sakura had to take a closer look as the usual hairstyle of this person was now let loose and flowed over their shoulders.
"Tenten?" Sakura said in surprised, she'd never figured she was 'the idiot that got caught'. She always found the girl to be quite smart, both intellectually and street smart.
"Sakura thank goodness you're here. Neji how can you—?" Tenten said then her beautiful brown doe eyes spotted Sasuke, who was still carrying Neji. "Uh, new guy?"
"Kakashi's new student; Sasuke. I'm showing him the ropes" Sakura said as she tried key after key to get Tenten out.
"Ah. Nice to meet you, although, I preferred it on better circumstances." Tenten said to Sasuke.
"Same here." Sasuke said, not knowing what else to say.
Tenten looked back and Neji with a disapproving look. "What on earth were you thinking? Attempting to teleport through that wall, you could have seriously injured yourself."
"Wait a minute," Sakura said as she then unlocked the door to then push it open. "How do you know about the wall injury if he was rescuing you?"
"He wasn't rescuing me" Tenten said as she walked out of her prison. "I was rescuing him but let myself to be captured and they threw me in that cell before I could escape."
"But Neji said he was rescuing a teammate before he got caught and you were rescuing Neji." Sakura said as she looked at Tenten. "Then who is this—?"
"MY YOUTHFUL CHEERY BLOSSOM I'M DOWN HERE!"
Sakura froze incredibly quickly at that scarily familiar voice that her entire body tighten up so rigidly that anyone could knock her down with a flick of a finger.
Oooooooh you have GOT to be fucking KIDDING me!
"Someone you know?" Sasuke teased.
"Shut. Up. Sasuke." Sakura growled.
She walked passed them and a couple of corridors and prisons too till she found the owner of that voice. The rosette reaper found him with five unconscious demons and giving her such a sparkling smile, wisdom teeth and all, which she felt she needed to put her pink sunglasses on. He was tall, muscular, china black eyes and with his black hair spikey she guessed the humidity must have made it that way. The second surprise was that he wasn't in his usual gear, black and green spandex, but in black robes himself.
"Lee." Sakura greeted politely.
Can't we just leave him here?
No, besides he does have good qualities.
Such as?
Not being afraid of me, that's for starters.
"Sakura-chan, you have come to rescue me?" Lee said.
"Yes Lee." Sakura said as she opened the door and observed the chaos he created. "I'm presuming you have enough energy to get yourself out?"
"Why of course, these unyouthful demons thought I would make a nice snack. Pity the only thing Gai-sensei had taught me in cookery was a knuckle sandwich." Then added to the blank look she gave him. "Ah, see that you don't get it too, they didn't either."
"They wouldn't, Demons eat knuckles Lee." Sakura explained.
"…Ah. That does clear it up. What happened to your clothes?"
"Kyuubi."
"And you survived?"
"Uh-huh" she then tilted her head to gesture to the exit. "Want to meet up with Neji and Tenten?"
"My sempai's have come?" Lee said in surprise but happily as he jogged out of his prison next to her.
"Yeah, can you not sense them?" Sakura asked, taking a step back to create some space, abeit subtly.
"My sensing skills are not quite good but they believe I would make a fine guard as my prows on the battlefield are full of talent and untapped potential." Lee shyly said. "At least that is what Gai-sensei says to me."
"Yet, you seemed to know I was here."
"Your aura is so distinct and youthful that I sensed you the moment you entered the keep." He smiled at her.
"I don't know whether to thank you because that was sweet of you or that I need to work on suppressing my aura is a rookie like you can sense it." Sakura said.
"I'd take both; it's always good to improve oneself abilities." Lee said happily.
"Wise words." Sakura said and turned away to look down the corridor "Let's go!"
They shot down the hallway with Lee right behind her. She wasn't surprised that Lee could keep up with her as from the stories she heard about Gai being very exuberant teacher in all his methods. Each student that she had come across seemed to retain lightless about them while retaining skills that couldn't have been crafted without sheer hard work. There was so many similarities she found in lessons with Kakashi that only thing she and Naruto picked up from their sensei was they seemed to be late for any meetings. A habit that everyone knew about time and time again. At Sakura's and Lee's current pace it wasn't long until they found the others waiting for them.
"Neji!" Lee said in horror from the sight of his friend clinging onto Sasuke back "What happened?"
"Went to find you and the wall stopped me." Neji drawled.
"My friend! For your injuries that I have indirectly caused I shall carry you out of here with my own youthful strength."
"NO!" Neji said as his eyes widened in what that Lee was saying.
But it was too late. Neji was taken from Sasuke and was on Lee's back instead. "DASH. OF. YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUTH!" and Lee zoomed off with his 'baggage' clutching in all his might along the way. They would have laughed if they had seen Neji face, they all couldn't believe it just happened like that.
After a beat Sasuke glanced at Sakura "Is that guy for real?"
"As real as they come" Sakura said. "That was Lee."
"Oh." Sasuke said, recognising the name from somewhere.
"You should see him when he gets drunk or eat Grandma Kai's 'Curry of Life'." Tenten said and sighed. "Ten times worse. It really doesn't help Gai-sensei encourages it."
"Isn't that the guy who plays 'rock, paper and scissors' with Kakashi?" Sasuke said.
"So you met him?" Sakura asked, curiously.
"Heard of him, Naruto likes to inform me of Kakashi's wins and loses" Sasuke replied.
"Ah." Sakura said with a nod then saw her scythe became black for a moment before returning to normal. "Let's go! Our twenty minutes are nearly up!"
And they were gone with nothing more than a breeze left behind.
Haha, Lee and Neji are just meant to be, not in the romantic sense but you get the idea.
Big shout out to: HlorkexD, sleepingdreamer08, delirious0ne, Amara Dzi, 7HeartAndSoul7, nightwish635, Reignashii, Diamondreamer, Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha, Neko-Graphic, Kaydreams, TeenageCrisis, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, Lady Rini, MichiiHaru-Chan, LaughsRFun, xXNinXGalXx, Mizz Hime-Sama, and finally cowgirl137. Thank you so much for your reviews guys, especially for those who persevere with every chapter. You guys rock!
I hope everyone have enjoyed the chapter as much as I loved writing it, so let me know what ya think. ;)
Chow!