An: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 12
The spirit of ash
Back with Sasuke and Sakura
a few hours after sending Kakashi the letter,Sasuke and Sakura were still looking for clues to Naruto's whereabouts.
Inside the trees, low - lying sun created a confusing pattern of bright glare and dark shade, contrast between the light and shadows made it difficult for the eye to focus. But as ninjas they moved well and before long they found a patch of soil with a paw print.
"Naruto's" asked Sakura looking at the print, it kind of looked like Naruto's paw print but the size she was not sure about.
"No, too big" answered Sasuke he too had been looking at the prints size
"Maybe what took him?, I mean that burnt patch was not much to go on" Sakura said thinking on it, Naruto was not the type, (well not any more), to get himself in to trouble that he could not get himself out of.
"Maybe," Sasuke said thoughtfully before inspecting the mark again, and continued "let's follow it and see what happens"
They continued pacing slowly through the forest, bent over, looking for more signs. Soon there were more signs that indicated and explained to both of them that this creature was obviously on to them but was not trying to loose them, it was leading them away.
Then suddenly they came on the creature, it was as if like an artist had taken what some animals were suppose to look like and changed them, mixed them up some how. Sasuke and Sakura moved stealthily forward making no sound.
In spite of their stealth, something alerted the creature, it sat bolt upright, looking around with moonlit eyes, before seeing them and saying "why do you follow me, am I who you are looking for or is some one else your target?"
"Yes we are looking for our friend, a demon fox boy, who came with us to the village, also who and what are you?" Sakura said looking at the creature
"Glad I am not on your lists young ones. As for what I am?, I am a spirit trapped here till someone breaks the villages curse, and for my name? I have many but you may call me by the name of Ash" said Ash, and he smiled at them, or what they thought was a smile.
"Do you know where our friend is?" said Sasuke relaxing now he knew Ash was not the creature that took Naruto.
"Yes, do you see the dark house on the hill, the house of the winged one" he said pointing to a dark shape high on the hill over looking the village.
"Yes" Sakura and Sasuke said together
"Good, go there nd defeat him and you may save your friend if it is not too late" Ash said, then before they could ask more "but take my warning, the winged one lives in shadow and is made of shadow, to win you will need something that is made of light" and before their eyes he vanished in a ball of light.
Sasuke and Sakura were taking this in as they neared the village again.
"Something of light?, how are we going to find something like that?" said Sakura worried now
"If Kakashi sensei was here, he could do it, he once told me that his form was more light than dark" Sasuke told her
At the edge of the forest, they saw someone that looked very familiar, a silver fox man stood there looking at something in the trees.
"Sensei?"they called out together only to have the fox man turn to look at them and smile.
"Please tell me you have something to go on?, something to help us find him?" said Kakashi the smile now gone, replaced with a look that only Kakashi could pull off, a look that told them they had better have something or he was going to go crazy.
"Yes, a spirit that is trapped here told us where to go and what we need to defeat the monster there"said Sakura trying to say this in a calm voice (knowing Kakashi could loose it if he knew more than this) then pointed to the house on the hill.
"Let's go then" said Kakashi turning to the house that Sakura had just pointed at.
"Sensei,wait" said Sasuke then when Kakashi turned to look at him he continued "are you or do you have something of light because the spirit said that was the only way to beat the monster".
"I am not sure... but if not I am sure I could use my chidori to beat it" he said looking at his hand knowing the damage that it could do.
"Yes, that would do it" said Sakura less worried now
Then Kakashi froze as they all heard the monster's voice in their heads.
~ Your boy's not playing by my rules, silver one, but still... I shall not tell you what I am doing to him, soon I will do it to you~ the voice told them and they soon knew that something terrible must be happening to Naruto, also that the monster was planing on doing it to Kakashi too.
Kakashi growled and with a quick change, took off to the house on the hill.
"Kakashi wait for us" called Sasuke and Sakura together as they ran to catch up to the vanishing fox.
An: hate me for not writing about Naru? don't worry that is next, will Kakashi and the others get there on time, only I know and I am not telling.
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