Sparrow

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Chapter 13:

I glared in those Sharingan eyes while at the same time screaming at myself for being so stupid. Itachi's grip on my hand tightened, and I couldn't help wincing. The chains that bound the fish guy shattered and fell to the ground in small clunks, releasing him. Great. I'm so screwed.

"Suzume," Itachi said. "You're coming with us. Quit fighting."

I deepened my glare. "Hell no. I'm not going anywhere. Why do you want me, anyways? What am I to you?"

I was getting emotional. Scared, to be more precise. Well, who wouldn't be? Kuragari was stirring, and her laughter echoed in my head.

Pathetic, she said. You're so pathetic, Suzume. So weak. Set me free. I'll make sure you're safe, my sweet little host.

'Shut up! I don't need you!' I thought back defiantly.

Itachi merely looked at me, obviously reading all the emotions that danced on my face. I bit my lip.

'If I attack, then he'll break my wrist,' I thought to no one in particular. 'Heck, if I even manipulate my chakra, he'll break my wrist. And the fish dude? Great, I'm screwed. I don't have anywhere else to turn.'

That's why I'm saying set me free, the demon inside spoke again. Let me take over.

I didn't see any other option. I relented and felt Kuragari's power rush over me. My eyes burned into blood-colored orbs and my canines grew into sharp needles. Blood lust coiled inside me, burning my throat. I looked up at Itachi, his heart pumping invitingly. Mesmerizing. I looked into his eyes, rage filling my core.

"I'm going to kill you!" I screamed at him.

I swiped at his chest with a clawed hand. He broke my wrist, but I barely felt it. Just as I was about to hit him, he stepped back, just out of range. I smirked, then sent shadows after him. They slithered towards his feet, but he jumped out of the way before they made contact. He suddenly appeared behind me, a kunai pressed into my back. I whipped my hand around and scratched at his face, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke. A shadow doppelganger. I looked around for him, my throat screaming for blood. I saw Naruto standing there, as if in shock. I narrowed my eyes.

"Fool, I told you to get out of here!" I hissed at him.

He blinked, as if forcing himself out of his stupor.

"Suzume, you're gonna get yourself killed! They're a lot stronger than we are!" he cried.

I glared at him. "I don't care. I'm not gonna let them take you. Now leave."

Movement suddenly caught my attention as Itachi kicked me in the stomach. I flew back and crashed into the wall. I growled, then disappeared into shadows. I reappeared behind Itachi, and grabbed him so he couldn't escape. I could feel his heart beat under his skin, and it made my throat burn even more. I was about to sink my teeth into him, when I noticed that we switched positions. I looked back at him, surprised. Suddenly, Itachi turned his head slightly, looking behind him. I followed his gaze and gasped.

"Sasuke," Itachi said in acknowledgment.

Sasuke stood there, Sharingan activated and a glare on his face that screamed of blood lust.

"Itachi...Uchiha," he said, his voice thick with rage.

Itachi's arms around me tightened until I couldn't breathe properly. He was almost super-humanly strong. I could hear my ribs groan in protest as Itachi's arms tightened, but I couldn't tear my eyes off of Sasuke's Sharingan eyes. I've never seen him want to kill so badly. His eyes flitted toward me, and his glare deepened. My oxygen depletion made my head swim. My eyes reverted back to their natural green color, and my teeth went back to normal. My broken wrist began to throb dully, but I ignored it.

"Let go of her," Sasuke seethed. "I'm going to kill you!"

Itachi looked down at me, then back at Sasuke.

"You're letting this girl get in the way of your hatred," Itachi observed.

Suddenly, Jiraiya appeared next to Naruto, the lady from before slumped over his shoulder.

"You don't know me very well, do you?" he asked, a smirk plastered on his face. "The great Toad Sage Jiraiya falls victim to no woman's charm! It is the women that drop for me, like cherry blossoms in a storm!"

I took advantage of Itachi's momentary distraction and stomped my foot, aiming at his, but he moved his foot back just before impact. Then, he spun me around and punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, coughing up blood. He jerked his knee up, clipping my chin and sending me into the air. Then, he kicked me. I flew past Sasuke and crashed into the wall, making a dent in it. Blood dripped out of the corner of my mouth and down my chin. Sasuke yelled in rage and the familiar sound of the chidori chirped in the air. He ran at Itachi, but Itachi deflected it. The chidori flew in the wall beside him, making a huge hole. Itachi held Sasuke's wrist in his iron grasp. If I didn't do something soon, Sasuke's gonna get a few broken bones in a minute. I struggled to stand, but was hit by a wave of dizziness. I managed to stay on my feet as black dots danced in my vision. I blinked a couple of times, then made my way towards them. Itachi's eyes flitted towards me, and Sasuke glanced back.

"Suzume, stay out of this," he growled.

I glared. At least, I tried to glare. I don't know how it worked out.

"Suzume! Don't do it!" Naruto cried. "Let Pervy Sage handle this! You're going to get hurt!"

I glanced towards Naruto.

"Idiot. I told you to run while you still had the chance."

"I couldn't leave you!" he cried.

I closed my eyes as sudden emotions surged through me. Finally I opened them and took another step forward.

"No. I'm not gonna just sit back and watch," I told them defiantly. "I'm going to protect the people that matter, even if it costs me my life."

Naruto turned to Jiraiya.

"Pervy Sage, do something!" he cried.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his lips turned down in an angry frown. "I'm going to be the only one doing any annihilating!"

I smirked. "Fine with me. Just let me protect you."

Sasuke didn't respond, but I could see a momentary flash of emotion in his eyes. It disappeared just as quickly as it came, leaving me unsure if it was only my imagination. Just then, Itachi broke his wrist. Sasuke's scream pierced the air and my heart clenched in my chest. That's when I lost all my common sense and ran straight at Itachi, ignoring the pain that flashed through my body.

"Suzume!"

I barely heard Naruto's voice. Itachi kneed Sasuke in the chin, forcing him in the air, and kicked him in the stomach. Sasuke flew back and was about to crash into the wall. I quickly focused my chakra and manipulated the light so it caught him before he made impact. I sighed in relief. Itachi threw three kunai at me, and I barely had time to shield myself. He was suddenly in my face, kneeling to my level and looking me straight in the eye. His crimson orbs took up my whole field of vision, and his Sharingan swirled, performing his jutsu.

I was suddenly in a world of crimson and black. I looked around for Itachi, and found him standing not far off. I glared and was about to run at him, but an open-bottomed cage suddenly fell on me, locking me in. I grabbed the bars and shook it to no avail. They wouldn't budge.

"Get me out of here!" I yelled at Itachi as he came forward to meet me. "You jerk! You can't just cage me like I'm an animal!"

"This is Tsukuyomi, the nightmare realm," he said calmly, ignoring my frustrated protests. "It is my world. I have complete control over time and space."

I growled at him. His figure suddenly distorted until it looked like...me. My eyes had a crimson-colored luster, and black streaks ran down the sides of my face from my eyes like thick trails of tears. My skin was pale and smooth, having an inward glow like I just devoured the moon. My canines were long, sharp needles. I was...beautiful. In an evil, predatory sort of way.

"Dear, dear Suzume," the fake "me" said in a voice I was achingly familiar with. It was my own. "Such a pity. You always were a weakling. Never being able to truly protect yourself, let alone your so-called friends."

"Hey, Suzume!" Naruto's voice suddenly drifted through the darkness. "There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" He suddenly appeared, grinning happily.

His blue eyes sparkled, and was out of color for this crimson world. But they weren't looking at me. No, I was in this cage. They were looking at my other self. The fake me that was my demon. Kuragari.

"Suzume...where were you? You were starting to make me worried, stupid," Sasuke said, appearing beside Naruto. His onyx eyes were gentle, and infuriatingly trained on Kuragari as well.

I couldn't help but panic. I shook the cage hard, making loud rattling sounds.

"I'm right here!" I screamed. "Look at me! I'm right here, guys! Can't you hear me?"

Apparently they couldn't. Kuragari looked at me, a sinister gleam in her eyes.

"Fool, they can't hear you. Now watch, as your loved ones die right in front of you! That's my vengeance for your ancestors killing my loved ones!" she said. "Don't worry. I'll make it a very nice show for you. Wouldn't want you to get bored, now would I?"

Tears filled my eyes, then flowed down my cheeks.

"No!" I screamed, rattling the bars again.

Kuragari ignored me. Before I knew it, Kuragari wrapped her shadows around Naruto and Sasuke, pinning them to a wall that appeared out of thin air. She grinned evilly as she sent a clawed hand through Naruto's shoulder. He screamed in agony as her dark chakra entered his body.

"S-Suzume!" he cried, tears flowing down his face. "W-w-why are you...?"

He suddenly moaned as Kuragari bit his neck. I watched helplessly as she sucked him dry to the bone. Her shadows released Naruto and he fell to the ground. He looked me straight in the eyes, finally seeing the real me for the first time.

"Why? I though we...were friends. Why did you lie?" he asked just before his body turned to ashes and was picked up and scattered by an unfelt wind.

I couldn't breathe. My heart ached painfully, and my blood roared in my ears.

"Naruto!" I screamed after him. After the wind that took his ashes away.

Sasuke's scream suddenly pierced my ears. I reluctantly forced my eyes to look at him, my tears blurring my vision. Kuragari had her fangs locked deep in his throat. Multiple puncture wounds decorated his body, all of them bleeding. His blood poured out of his wounds, forming a pool that spread through the entire floor. It never stopped. He never ran out of blood. As Kuragari continued to suck the life out of him, his deep onyx eyes turned to me. He looked past me and straight into my soul.

"I...thought you said I mattered..." he whispered before Death took his soul.

His blood continued to drip into the crimson pool. His words replayed over and over in my mind, my heart clenching tighter and tighter in my chest, until I let out a mourning, deranged scream of agony.