Haunted High Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters or themes mentioned in this story.
….
Anko and Kabuto walked through the large doorway of the abandoned house that Orochimaru was calling home. Spider webs hung to every corner. Cracks led from the base of the walls all the way up to the ceiling but the house still stood.
Kabuto nodded to Anko to head upstairs. She did as she was told and walked up the creaky stairs of the old house. Once at the top she found one door, that wasn't bolted shut, at the end of the hall. She approached it with the same confidence she always had.
Anko opened the door and kneeled before Orochimaru, who just sat in a chair reading through a book. He smiled his snakish grin and said, "Anko, what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've uncovered some new information." Anko said and held her kneeling position.
Orochimaru laughed and turned from his book. "Oh do tell, child."
Anko looked up and met the man's dark glinted eyes. "They have the scroll of sealing almost complete, and I've given Hinata the book that you requested."
"Good and I feel that the lizard has been released as well." Orochimaru said, "All is going according to plan."
"My lord, if you don't mind me asking," Anko said. "Why did you want me to give the book to Hinata and not Sasuke?" Anko asked with a puzzled expression crossing her facial features.
Orochimaru's grin widened. "The young Hyuga will play just as big a role in things to come as our little Sasuke."
"Won't they get the key once they fill the scroll though?"
"That's where you will come in. I need you to steal the scroll out from under them as soon as they seal lizard in it." Orochimaru said, "And then my plans will finally be realized."
"What is the master plan, lord Orochimaru?"
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that? Just play your role in all of this and all will be as it should." Orochimaru nodded at Anko.
Anko gave a quick nod of her head and walked out of the room leaving Orochimaru with his book once again. Anko was starting to wonder about the true motives of her master and if she would be discarded after she was used up.
She shook her head. He wouldn't do that to her, after all he did look out for her like a father would. She smiled to herself as she exited the old house and got into her car to drive away.
….
Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru walked down the dark streets. They avoided every street light they could and held their hoods as they walked. The creature just had to be around town somewhere.
"Can we go back?" Naruto asked but it sounded more like a whine. "We've been out here for hours and haven't seen anything."
"No, Naruto, we can't." Sasuke said, "This thing is still out here and we need to find it before it hurts anyone else."
Naruto put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I know, but do we have to be out here so late? I mean this could wait until morning right?"
"No it cannot, Naruto. Now shut up and keep looking." Sasuke said and gave an unsatisfied grunt.
Shikamaru stayed silent as he did during most of their bickering. They bickered a lot and maybe they were really brothers like a lot of people at school thought. They seemed to act like brothers. Always avoiding each other at school but hanging out all the time after school, mostly because they were hunting but that was beside the point.
The three moved to one of the more run down parts of town. The buildings were all abandoned or condemned, and nobody lived there. It would be the perfect place for a monster to hide if they had to.
An old and tall apartment building stood at the end of block, it was entirely secluded from the rest of the town and looked like it had to be condemned. It probably was but there wasn't a sign on the door or gate.
Sasuke pushed open the gate and they walked down the unkempt lawn up to the apartment building.
"Do we really have to go in there?" Naruto said, "Because I've been in one too many scary looking old buildings today."
"Just come on, Naruto. Sasuke won't let us say no, he's in the zone right now." Shikamaru said and pushed Naruto through the open gate. Sasuke was already at the door knocking.
"Why'd you knock?" Shikamaru asked.
"Just making sure." Sasuke said as he opened the door.
The building smelled musty, and looked like it had been abandoned for over a hundred years. The walls of the building looked like they couldn't take much more from the weather and the next wind would blow them over.
"This place looks deserted." Naruto ran his finger across the mantle and brought up his dust covered finger.
Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, this place is a dump, but what'd you expect?"
"More dead things," Naruto said. "Oh and maybe have some creepy music to play in the background as we walk up the stairs."
"You're watching too many horror movies." Sasuke shook his head as he started to walk up the stairs. He stopped, "Are you coming?"
Naruto and Shikamaru shared a glance before walking up the stairs behind Sasuke. By the time they reached the top Sasuke was already pushing open one of the doors. He took a quick glance inside before heading over to a new door.
A low grumbling noise was heard, followed by a scratching on the door. Naruto froze in place as Sasuke pushed open the door. A human body fell from the door and hit the wooden floor with a sick thud.
"What is that?" Naruto asked in a squeak.
"It's a person and why are you so afraid all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked.
"Is he dead?" Shikamaru asked as he leaned over the body with Sasuke.
"It appears that way, I wonder how long he's been here." Sasuke said and checked the dead person's back pocket for a wallet but found none.
Sasuke moved to check the room behind the man who just fell. The room had a blood covered bed, a TV on a small table, and door that most likely led to a bathroom. The room smelled different from the rest of the house though, a sickening smell, most likely caused by the dead guy.
"Anything in there?" Shikamaru yelled after Sasuke.
"Nothing," Sasuke said and stepped away from the door.
Naruto froze again. "Hey, guys,"
"What is it, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
"Are you sure he's dead?" Naruto asked.
"Pretty sure, why do you ask?"
"Because he's moving around," Naruto said.
Sasuke turned to see the dead man get up and start slowly walking towards Naruto. "Damn, it's a zombie."
The door next to Sasuke broke off its hinges as two zombies crawled over it. The smell of the dead filled their noses as they tried to back away from the zombies that had just emerged. One of the dead grabbed Sasuke's foot so we swung with his sword and cut its hand off.
"There are a lot of them." Naruto said and backed up against a wall.
"I think this was a trap." Sasuke said as he started swinging his sword at the dead.
Sasuke ran at the zombies, jumped over them, and landed safely on the other side. He stabbed his sword into two and threw them over the banister. Naruto and Shikamaru cut off the heads of the closest zombies and moved to the stairs.
Sasuke ran by, cut off two more zombie heads before making it to the bottom of the stairs with the other two. "We need to get out of here."
"Way ahead of you." Naruto said as they ran out of the room.
….
Orochimaru stood outside of a two story house. He was blending in with the shadows too well for anyone to notice his presence. He watched as people entered and left the house.
Hinata walked from her house with her cousin Neji. She walked him to his car and smiled as waved as he left. She walked back to her house and closed the door behind her.
"Soon, young Hyuga." Orochimaru laughed and faded from view.