ARC4: Naruto's Novel Life


CHAPTER 12: The Secret Grove

In town square, I hid behind a barrel. In a distance I saw Naruto in a still stance. Across from him were three people. The Leaf Bandits Tenten, Neji, and Kiba. Luckily they had no weapons out in the open, for now anyway.

"We're so toast," I whispered, watching quietly. My thoughts were praying for a miracle that someone would come and just take care of these guys.

"So you're the Leaf Bandits I've heard about," Naruto finally said aloud.

Kiba smirked. "Ah, so we're famous in these parts now. How nice."

"Want me to take care of this guy?" Tenten glared as she stepped forward, only for her to be blocked by Neji's arm.

"No, look," Neji said, everyone seeing Naruto's sheriff badge. "He's the sheriff of this town."

"Seriously?" Kiba asked as if it were some funny joke. "You're kidding me." Kiba's dog Akamraru barked behind him energetically.

Naruto growled. "You're not getting past me!"

As I shuffled in my spot, I felt Tenten's eyes dart in my direction. A smirk pulled at the side of her mouth. And as swift as wind, she pulled out a bow and arrow and shot one directly at the barrel in front of me. Was it even one second?

"AH!" I shouted, just barely dodging the blow-up of the barrel of what was apparently water.

"Looks like the sherrif's got himself some back-up," Tenten smirked.

"Sakura!" Naruto scolded with a bewildered face. "What are you doing here?!"

"Cut the questions Naruto we all know you wouldn't stand a chance against these guys alone," I remarked, making Naruto sweatdrop.

"Thanks for the confidence booster, Sakura. I can always count on a friend like you," Naruto said sarcastically.

"Now this is my kinda character," I said, starting to like the story.

"And I sound so cool as a villian!" Tenten said, punching the air.

"Is there gonna be one of those showdown things?" Hanabi asked.

"Not quite," Naruto said with a grin and a wink.

The wind brushed past us all as we stood off, watching each other's every one movements. I personally have never been in an actual showdown before. Naruto and I have seen some before back in our days, when we'd hind behind boxes and barrels or windows. These things never did end well.

However, a strange wind came across the dusty fields, and all of our heads picked up at the sense.

"That wind again," grumbled Neji

"Should we retreat?" Kiba asked him

"What's going on?" Naruto said, seeing the bandits talking amongst themselves.

"No way are we retreating after this brat called us out!" Tenten shouted anxiously before taking out a giant shurriken-like weapon, making both Naruto and I turn pale white. What kind of old west setting has giant ninja-weapons, anyway?!

"Shikamaru wasn't kidding about that Tenten girl," Naruto said with a sick feeling of dying within the next thirty seconds.

Tenten yelled as she fired her weapon. Naruto and I put up our arms in an attempt of protection. Giant spinning steel verses flesh. Things weren't looking up for us. But of course, this was the part of the story when we'd be saved.

Just before the weapon could strike us(and I mean like 10 inches away) a boy jumped from the roof of a building and caught the hurling shurriken.

I opened my eyes and saw someone standing in front of us, holding the giant weapon that would have killed Naruto and me. It was some sort of teenage boy, like Naruto. He had black raven-colored hair and a black bandanna around his neck, along with the usual cowboy western attire. All he was missing was that hat.

'Is that even remotely possible?' I thought in my mind.

"It's him," Tenten said, narrowing her eyes in a focused glare. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked, never hearing of the name before.

"To think the guy actually exists," Kiba smirked.

"We'll be back," Neji said as he instructed the three to leave. Akamaru and Kiba threw some type of bomb that exploded into dust, making Naruto and I cough. In the end, the dust cleared, but so had the Leaf bandits.

"Damn, they got away," Naruto said through his coughs.

I looked up at the boy who had saved us. He had his back turned to us and he looked back at me at the corner of his eye. That soulful onyx colored eye. I'd remember that.

"You," Naruto said, knowing this guy wasn't an enemy. Though Naruto was still skeptical of the stranger. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Hn," was all he replied before he jumped up on the boxes and roofs until he disappeared.

"Who the hell was that guy?" Naruto said aloud.

"I don't know," I answered, starring up in the direction he disappeared to. "But I feel like I've seen him before."

"Hey maybe Shikamaru knows something," Naruto shrugged. At least this time no one was seriously hurt. But no doubt those bandits will be coming back soon.

--

"So you guys actually made it back here alive," Shikamaru said impressed as we sat at the town bar.

"We all were worried about you," Hinata added.

"We are curious about a few things, though," I pointed out.

"I thought we were only curious about that Sasuke guy," Naruto said as I made an embarrassed face at him.

Shikamaru's eyes widened at the sound of Sasuke's name. "Wait, did you say Sasuke?"

"So ya know him!" Naruto said a grin.

"Strange enough yes," Sasuke said, going back into his lazy-sounding tone as he placed his arms on the counter. "He's a legend around these parts. Hold up a sec."

Shikamaru went into the back room and came back with an old bounty-hunter's paper. It was rather dusty and had turned yellow from old age.

"That looks ancient," I said, making no exaggerations.

"It's supposed to be. The date's from back when Hillrest was just starting out," Shikamaru said.

"Let me see that," I said, standing up and taking the crumpled-up paper. I waved off some of the dust as Naruto bent over to look. And to our surprise, Sasuke's face was on it.

"It's Sasuke," Naruto and I said in unison. But why on earth would he be on a wanted poster-

"Wait a minute I'm in the story now?" Sasuke asked, not happy.

"Well everyone should be," Naruto muttered, glad he was able to get that far into the story without interruptions. "What of it, teme?"

"Why do I have to be that character?" Sasuke said, having rather not be involved with the story in the first place.

"In the beginning I was thinking about making you the donkey but I knew I'd get hit for that," Naruto said as a matter of fact.

"Got that right," Hanabi remarked, seeing how annoyed Sasuke was getting.

"But this poster's so old," I started out. "And he looks the same as he does in the picture now."

"That's the thing," Shikamaru said.

"So what's the story behind this guy?" Naruto asked.

"Legend has it that he's supposed to be immortal," Shikamaru said as if it were nothing. "Whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, he still has a lot of money over his head if he's ever captured."

"Why's that?" I asked worriedly. He seemed like a good guy when he rescued us.

"Back when Hillrest was being built, an arson came about half the town," Shikamaru explained, Naruto and I imagining he flashback. "Sasuke was in one of those fires, and by the time his family found him he was on the brink of death."

"So then what?" I asked as Naruto and Hinata listened to Shikamaru's story.

"So the family took Sasuke to a local fakir," Shikamaru continued. "The fakir promised to save Sasuke's life through magic, but with the wish came some kind of curse. To save Sasuke, the fakir rebuilt Sasuke's bones out of pure gold, according to the legend. His golden bones allowed Sasuke to live forever due to the fakir's magic. Living forever can seem like a curse after a while."

"How sad," I said, feeling sorry for Sauske, if the legend were in fact real. Who knows? It could be.

"But why would he be on a bounty?" Naruto asked lost.

"Isn't it obvious, numbskull? The guy had rock-hard golden bones. You have any idea how valuable that'd be?"

"I'm failing math," Naruto pointed out rather bluntly.

I sighed. "Yet I still wonder how you're sheriff of this place."

--

It was night now, and I was walking through the night of Hillrest. Who knew after a whole day, so much could happen. I had my first showdown, I met real live bandits from the wanted posters, and not to mention heard a legend of a cowboy named Sasuke.

I let out an exhausted breath. "I can only imagine tomorrow."

I walked passed one of the liquor bars. It was on my route home. However, there were a couple of drunks standing outside the bar with beer bottles, and they eyed me in a suggestive manner. I felt uncomfortable, so I tugged onto the sleeves of my button down shirt and lowered my hat.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and tensed up and turned my head. Surprisingly, I didn't see any drunk men, but Sasuke instead.

'It's him again...'

Out of curiosity, I looked back over my other shoulder and saw the drunk men, watching from a distance. Would they have come after me if Sasuke hadn't shown up? Maybe they backed off because of him.

Eventually we reached my house, and both Sasuke and I came to a stop. The entire walk was tense-filled and awkwardly quiet. For me anyway. The only other word I've heard Sasuke say was 'hn', and that was early this afternoon.

We stood there for a minute, as I contemplated on talking or just going back into my house.

"I..." I started to stammer, something I didn't do a lot. "... Thank you."

I felt that strong familiar wind again and I winced my eyes shut. But the time I turned around Sasuke was gone. But in his place was a red rose on the dusty ground.

I picked it up. A flower, something you didn't see around here in the old dry west, much less a rose. Was it from Sasuke? At that thought, I smiled and looked up into the night sky. Chances were he just disappeared up onto one of the roofs again.

--

"Hey Sakura! Morning!" Naruto greeted as I walked into the sherrif's office.

"Morning Naruto," I smiled. "You find any info on those Leaf Bandits?"

"Not much," Naruto said. "But I think I've summed up they're after something here in Hillrest."

"About time you figured that out," I told.

Naruto narrowed his eyes with a pout. "Your sarcasm hurts, you know?"

"But you do have a point," I added, pulling up a wooden chair as I placed my hat on Naruto's desk. "What could those bandits be after? Hillrest isn't exactly a wealthy town."

"Got that right," Naruto said as we both looked up, trying to think of what's valuable in Hillrest. "Wait, Sasuke," he said, remembering. "Could they be after Sasuke?"

"Nah," I answered, doubting it. "They came here not knowing Sasuke would even be here. One of those bandits did say they didn't even know Sasuke existed."

"So what the hell could they be after??" Naruto asked, beginning to think we'd never get a lead.

I tried to think before my head jumped. "The secret grove."

"The secret groove?"

"No the secret grove not groove you idiot!" I snapped, making Naruto almost fall off his chair behind his desk. "It's up north of town."

"Well I never heard of it," Naruto said, blinking at me.

"Of course you'venever heard of it. Medicalists go up north for herbs for medicine, since you can't grow anything here in Hillrest," I explained. "I'm training to be a doctor, so I've been up there once or twice."

"Ah," Naruto said in realization.

"I've heard rumors of the secret grove, though," I said, trying to remember. "They say there's an underground forest under the gardens. They call it the secret grove. Of course no one has ever found the entrance to it."

"A real grove," Naruto said, imagining all the plants and green that grew there. "I wish I could see it."

"I bet those bandits do, too," I said, formulating a theory. "Around here flowers are real valuable. For all we know those bandits could be after the flowers of the secret grove, if it exists."

"We just found out a ghost boy with golden bones exists. I wouldn't be surprised if flowers grew underground," Naruto pointed out with a raised eyebrow towards me.

"Good point," I nodded. "But we can't let those bandits find that secret grove."

"Looks like another adventure!" Naruto shouted as he jumped up.

"You shouldn't be so hasty, you know," I said with a pout. Leave it to Naruto to take quick action without thinking the whole plan through, if we even have straightforward plan of our own. "They don't call it a secret grove for nothing. No one can find it."

"Well we can!" Naruto said with that huge grin, slamming his palms onto the dark wood of his desk. A pencil rolled off and fell to the floor, too.

I sighed, knowing Naruto won't listen to reason. If anything we'd need more help. And there's one person I know who's on our side.

--

That late afternoon, I waited by the wooden door of my house, crossed arms and all.

I was waiting for a friend.

"Shikamaru, is there anything you can tell me about Sasuke?" I asked down at the bar a few hours previous to now.

"Nothing you don't already know."

"Is there some way of contacting him?" I pleaded.

"Are you in love with the guy or something, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked with a sly smile.

"Please don't act like Naruto," I said. That sounded like something Naruto would say.

"Alright alright," Shikamaru, having gotten his laugh for the day. "No one knows for sure where he lives. But streets say that if you leave your hat out on the dried river by the railroad tracks, he'll come to you, to return your hat. If you're so anxious to see the guy you can try it. But don't come nagging at me saying it didn't work."

And here I was, hatless. I noticed the sun was already setting for the day.

"Maybe Shikamaru's idea isn't gonna work after all," I muttered to myself, turning my head to my side.

"Although you'll have to thank him later cause it worked," said a voice, making twist my head around to see Sasuke right beside me, holding my hat out. As if fireflies had flew into my stomach I had that churning feeling, the same from the showdown previously. How he got here must have been something beyond the normal. But then again, Sasuke wasn't normal. "I believe this is your's?"

I looked at my hat and made a small smile, taking it from his hand, too nervous to even bear a thanks. "Sasuke," I started, trying to muster up my questions. "I need your help."

There was a short silence but the wind beneath our strands of hair. It was as if he was contemplating whether or not to answer my request of help. On contrast his facial expression didn't show much of an answer either. "That's a surprise," he said, making me look at him in confusement. "Most times when people call for me with their hat, it's to kidnap me for the bounty," he said stately before actually looking towards me. "You're a different one."

"Well I have a different purpose," I remarked.

A smirk came upon the boy's lips. "Smart too. How strange, for a girl."

I rose my eyebrow in entertainment. It was like talking to a normal human being. I couldn't confirm whether he was a human being yet or not. "So are you willing to help me?"

"Depends on your problem," he replied, hands in his pockets.

"Remember those bandits the other day?" I asked, the both of us having a flashback of how Sasuke had saved us from Tenten's attack.

"What of them," he said emotionless.

"My friend Naruto and I think they're after the garden of the secret grove," I stated, trying to keep my speech intact, clear and hearable. "We can't let them find it."

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Is that so," he began. "If that's the case I can't allow that either."

"Why so eager to help?" I asked suspicously, narrowing my eyes.

"For one the secret grove is my home," Sasuke said, catching my attention. "How else do you think I've stayed hidden for so long?"

My shoulders shrugged. "I don't know," I said out loud, looking up into the red orange sky.

"But even so, I can't let them in," Sasuke continued. "Impure spirits of humans are poison to the grove. Anyone unworthy, an impure spirit, shall tarnish the grove, and it's plants will wither way until they die."

"I find that hard to believe," I remarked. It's one thing to believe there is a secret grove in existence. Believing it was magical enough to die at the touch of one unworthy was even harder to even think of. "But I trust you, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at me again. I could feel his eyes on the side of my head. "Is it because I have approached the secret grove and had not tarnished its greens? You believe I am a pure human spirit?" he said, as I contemplated on whether or not to look back at him. My nervous feeling was back for some reason. Eventually Sasuke calmed down. "I'm afraid... I do not know whether I am a pure spirit. Good or evil. I am not human, therefore the secret grove has no right to judge me, to keep me out."

"That makes sense," I said, listening the entire time. Like I could not listen?

Sasuke looked down at his hand. "I don't know, what I am, or whose side I'm on.... But I do know this, I can trust you."

I smiled, grasping onto his hand by his sides. This caught him by surprise. He turned to me for an answer to my motion. "Thank you," I said.

Just as I held his hand and said that, I felt it fade away when I looked away. He had gone, just like the wind. He had not jumped up to the roofs, or run away with the dust of the ground. He... disappeared, like any other non-human being. But I squeezed my hat against my chest, as if it were a very treasure of my own.

'I'll see you soon, Sasuke.'

"AW MAN THAT IS SOOOO SWEEEET!" Tenten's voice chorused as both Sasuke and I blushed a certain shade of red on our side of the table

"T-Tenten cut it out," I said, trying to lower down the color on my cheeks.

"I don't know about Sakura but I'm starting to enjoy telling this story," Naruto said poking my shoulder until I hit him upside the head.

"Well don't stop there. Keep going," Hanabi urged.

"If Sakura will stop whacking me," Naruto muttered. "Anyway, after that little meeting, the next morning sheriff Naruto and Sakura ventured up to the north where the herbs were grown."

Naruto and I marched through the desert.

"So you think we're meeting this Sasuke dude up north?" Naruto asked in disbelief. He was still contemplating how he even agreed to this plan of mine.

"Yup," I said. It took me a while to persuade Naruto to come with me. But what can ya do when a sheriff is requested by one of the townsfolk to go on some dangerous mission?

"Isn't there some kind of shortcut on this thing?" Naruto asked, looking at the map with a frustrated look on his face.

"No, we have to go straight across," I answered quite sternly.

"But see? There's a small path around this way!" Naruto encouraged, pointing on the map.

"We're not taking any other direction besides the one we're on now, Naruto. This part of the desert is surrounded by quicksand. If we stray off the path, no doubt we'll get caught in it." Ha, what do you have to say to that Naruto!

"Since when does the wild west have quick sand?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

He could say that. Good point.

"I mean, I'm not that smart. I'll admit that," Naruto started off. "But I know for sure that quicksand only exists in places like the rain forest or something like that."

"Surprisingly you're right," I said lost that he'd figure that out all on his own. "Must be the heat that's getting your old working brain working."

"You can never let me have my own spotlight can you," Naruto muttered. "And just for that I'm taking my shortcut!" he said stubbornly, walking another direction.

"N-Naruto!" I called.

"I can't hear you!~" Naruto sang as he began to disappear.

I groaned, holding my head up. "Again, why is he the sheriff?? Naruto wait up! Get back here!" I called, having no choice but to follow the fool.

"Calm down Sakura there is no such thing as quicksand in the desert-" Naruto soon found himself not moving and blinked his eyes before looking down, seeing himself slowly sinking. "Hm. Didn't see that coming."

"Naruto- AH!" I shouted, tripping and falling onto the uneven ground, and on my bottom. "H-Hey, I can't move."

"Welcome to the club," Naruto said unenthusiastically.

"Naruto you dolt now look where you got us!!" I scolded, slowly feeling myself sinking, along with Naruto. "Now what?"

"I don't know. All I do know is that I have a bad sense of direction," Naruto summed up, throwing the map over his shoulder, knowing we had no use for it now. All we could do was wait.