The Curse
Chapter Twenty-One: No Regrets
Naruto inhaled deeply – laboriously – as he stumbled against the trunk of a large, low-branched tree, right hand cradling his left side as he struggled to steady his rapid breathing. Blue eyes shifted along the darkness of his surroundings, wary of every shadow around him, and listening to the distant sounds of his multiple shadow clones causing distraction for his plan. Grunting, he removed a rectangular paper from his back pouch and hastily slapped it against the rough bark of the tree before moving on further into the darkness.
'Clone Group 27 – Destroyed. North; northeast. Deformed,' Naruto thought as the memories of his copies returned to him in waves – and after years of doing this, it didn't come as a shock as before, but that didn't erase the brutality of the ways they were defeated, 'Clone Group 62 – Intercepted Corpse Mob – 15 degrees west of position; roughly 300 yards away.'
The Leaf shinobi grunted as he squeezed past two boulders and a cluster of trees, setting several ofudas against their surfaces, before darting off in the direction of the Rain Border Village – a direction leading as opposite from his comrades as possible.
'You've planted twenty-eight of your thirty ofudas,' Kurama stated lowly in observation, 'Sixty-eight of your One-hundred and twenty Clone Squads have been destroyed. You can't keep going on like this, brat.'
"It's only been forty minutes," Naruto whispered, careful not to draw attention to himself, "It's not enough time to give the others a head start. These things are fast; they'd catch up to them in no time."
"You won't have enough chakra to use Hiraishin to get back to your teammates," The Kyuubi warned.
"I know that," He responded just as seriously, setting another ward against a large, upturned tree root, "My clones are doing their jobs; I'm doing mine. Once these seals are set, I get as far away from here as possible before I activate them."
"These creatures might be drawn to the ofudas, but they might be drawn to you also," Kurama acknowledged warily, "Once you activate these seals, there's no telling if it'll affect you the way it did back at the Patrolling Facility – or worse."
"It's the best plan we got," Naruto dismissed before pressing himself against a tree trunk, peering around it to see the mass of wandering, groaning Corpses.
"Reckless Brat," The Nine-Tails muttered.
Frowning, Naruto felt along his chakra network, 'Clone Group 97 – 200 yards, northeast. Pulse Nine-Tails Chakra.'
The blonde opened his eyes and within several seconds a flash of red erupted in the distance. He flinched as a niggling of his chakra pulled uncomfortably but it lapsed within seconds concurrent with the fleeting pulse his far-off shadow clones gave off. The Corpses wandering the clearing stiffened before giving a unified moan and moving as a unit towards the northeast where the flash of demonic chakra had originated. Distraction successful, Naruto crept across the now-empty clearing and placed another chakra-ofuda against an additional shadowed tree trunk.
"All enemies are contained within this area, right?" Naruto questioned, removing his last ofuda and already creeping towards the last rough location of the perimeter to set it.
"Don't you have your Sage Mode to figure it out?" Kurama sniffed; nonchalant.
Naruto grinned, crouching low as a Deformed and several Corpses ran past him in the direction of his diversion clones, "I'm sorry your chakra isn't much of a positive help, Kurama; are you jealous?"
"Hardly," The Kyuubi growled petulantly.
The shinobi sped through the underbrush silently before skidding under an alcove of toppled trees, "I have a couple of shadow clones in the Rain Border Village gathering some natural energy in case I need it for Sennin Mode. I don't want to use it until I have to. So, lend me a paw here?"
Kurama rolled his eyes before swishing his nine tails idly, "Fine. Yes, I sense all enemies within the area. None followed your comrades," The demon paused, "…Hmmm…"
"What?" Naruto asked; his brows furrowed.
"Not all of your comrades left…" Kurama stated, a hint of amusement laced with his gruff tenor, "It seems two stayed behind for you."
Naruto's eyes widened, "Who? Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan?"
Kurama shook his head, "No. Surprisingly, no. It's a man and a woman, however."
"Well…Who?" Naruto pressed.
The Kyuubi scoffed, "I don't make it a point to memorize your friends' names, brat."
The blonde shinobi scowled, "Are they being attacked?"
The demon-fox shook his head once more, "Your clones are doing a decent job keeping the enemies' attentions. But they're circling the area; no doubt, looking for you."
Naruto blinked before holding his bruised side and rubbing his thumb along his final chakra-seal, "Maybe this can work out."
"Then start working, brat," The Nine-Tails growled impatiently.
"Alright, alright," he muttered in response, brushing dried leaves from the forest floor and spreading his last ofuda across the surface of a protruding rock, "There. Now, to get out of the area."
'What are you doing, Uzumaki Naruto…?'
Naruto stiffened and even Kurama's pointed ears straightened within his mental imaging. The blonde immediately straightened from his crouch and spun on his heels slowly, narrowing his blue eyes against the dimness of the half-moon. He knew that voice. Soft – wispy even – and filled with mocking curiosity.
'…What are you planning?'
"Where is she?" Naruto muttered to himself as he tensed his body, turning it in readiness at the slightest of noises or movements.
'Let's play, Naruto-kun…Let's play a game. Hide and Seek. If I find you…I get to kill you. Fun, ne?'
"And if I don't feel like playing?" Naruto inquired, turning his head as a bush rustled, swift shadows passing by and out of sight.
'So boring,' She sighed, 'I don't want to skip the game and just kill you. That's not fun. Not fun at all.'
Naruto frowned; mind beginning to spin with scenarios on how to handle his current position, "How about another game? How about…a Race?"
"Naruto…" Kurama growled lowly – warningly.
'…Race?' He query was laced with intrigue, 'Perhaps…Tag?'
Another shadow sped past his left peripheral vision and Naruto shifted in preparation only to find nothing once again, "…Do you think you can catch me?"
The Little Girl giggled.
SNAP!
Naruto spun on his heel in a one-hundred eighty degree turn, arms raised defensively as he was met with the origination of the noise. She stood there under the luminescence of moonlight dressed in her petite white dress and smiling her sweet-sweet smile. But that innocence was stained with red crimson splashed across her front. Fresh lacerations, made by electric currents, were slanted sickeningly across her porcelain face.
But she smiled – oh how she smiled. Her long lashes fluttered as she grinned at him, tilting her head to the side and long hair tumbling over one shoulder. Her dark-dark eyes suddenly became hooded and her tongue peeked out to lick her lips – hunger filling her expression.
'Oh Naruto-kun…Of course I'll catch you…'
Kurama suddenly snarled, standing up within the confines of his mind and nine-tails swishing restlessly, "Run, boy. RUN."
Naruto's eyes widened with apprehension as the Little Girl's body began to jerk uncoordinatedly before she fell onto her knees, dark hair covering her face. He took a step back and a giddy giggle tumbled from her kneeled position.
'I'll catch you…I'll catch you…' She sang before she looked up and connected coal eyes with blue, '...Better start running…'
And she began to crawl, elbows jutted out, head rotated as she stared up at him unflinchingly with a feral grin on her pale lips. Naruto could only stare. This – this girl wasn't a girl at all! She was a monster! How could something like her exist?
"NARUTO!" Kurama roared, snapping the blonde out of his reverie, "RUN!"
Thinking quickly, Naruto spun on his heel, pumped chakra into his legs, and sped off into the night, spurred on by the Little Girl's laughter just meters behind him.
'Faster, Naruto-kun. Faster! Don't you want to live?'
"Damn it!" Naruto immediately dismissed one of his shadow clones nestled within the Rain Border Village and a subsequent yellow-gold glow surrounded his body, natural energy gathering within him and causing his Sennin Mode to take effect. The transformation exponentially increased his speed and he sped off in a flash.
"You've now held them off for an hour and a half," Kurama noted, "Once you activate the wards it should allow another hour of distraction for you and your comrades to get away. Do it now."
"We need to find the other two first," Naruto murmured, "I can't have it activating, and them finding me, only to be caught in an attack."
"Send a clone to find them and relay the message," Kurama suggested.
Naruto nodded, grunting as he spun to avoid the surprise swipe of claws from an incoming Deformed, "Already done!"
"You need to clear out at least 500 yards from the closest ofuda if you don't want to experience the effects," The Kyuubi informed, "But even then it's not certain."
A wave of memories returned to Naruto as the Little Girl's white form darted by him, forcing him to switch directions in an effort to avoid her, "Damn it; it's Raiden-san and Akemi-san. They've been intercepted by the Shadow. It's not looking good for them!"
"So what are you going to do?" Kurama asked, agitated.
Naruto zipped as a yellow-orange flash across the tree-lines, his minor vision seeing the Little Girl remained within viewing distance, giggling maniacally, "We activate them now!" He dipped into his chakra network hastily, "All shadow clones – pulse Kyuubi chakra!"
A wave of regret for the command ran through him as the forest rippled with simultaneous pulses of Kyuubi chakra, dotting around the parameter Naruto had set to contain their adversaries. His body pulsed uncomfortably in accordance to his clones and his running faltered slightly from the nauseating feeling.
Howls began to echo in the air and the massed moaning of the Corpses increased in volume. Memories returned to Naruto with the defeat of his copies and he groaned at the simultaneous sensations of both the horrid obliteration of his clones and the pain beginning to vibrate through his limbs – the feeling of chakra slowly exiting and entering his body. His Sage Mode flickered waveringly around his form, steadily losing power.
"Keep moving, brat," Kurama encouraged – but his growled demand was strained, also feeling the effects of the pulsing chakra.
"I think they're in the clear," Naruto whispered as he jumped through the branches, brows furrowed with the suspicious silence of the Little Girl's laughter, "Raiden and Akemi. The Shadow and other creatures are leaving them alone to find my clones."
'Don't tell me you've stopped playing, Naruto-kun.'
Naruto's head snapped upwards to find the Little Girl perched on a high tree branch, grinning down at him with sharpened teeth. She pounced and Naruto flashed as fast as he could out of her range, his Sennin Mode flickering dangerously and his legs shaking involuntarily due to his depleting chakra.
'I want to know what demon blood tastes like, Naruto-kun…' She whispered with the wind.
"She's not being drawn to the clones," Naruto growled, "Why?"
"If you activate the ofudas with her here then she'll head straight for you when you're defenseless," Kurama noted.
"Damn it," Naruto reached for his back pouch and pulled free his three-pronged kunai, "I only have enough chakra for one shot at this," He frowned, "Sorry Sasuke – I can't head towards you if I want Raiden-san and Akemi-san to get out of this alive too."
'What are you planning, Naruto-kun?' She sang, voice gaining proximity.
Naruto gripped the kunai in his hand tightly and immediately searched for familiar chakra signatures, targeting one northeast of his position, "Hiraishin!"
His body glowed bright yellow before he disappeared in a flash of dazzling color, chakra guiding him to his destination as the Little Girl's outraged scream echoed behind him.
It was several seconds before another flash brought him back and he stumbled against hardwood floor, rolling to a halt with a groan.
"…Nice landing."
Naruto looked up and was greeted by two of his shadow clones. One was closing his eyes in Sennin Meditation while the other was grinning widely, holding up one of the kunai counterparts of his father's Flying Thunder God Technique. He quickly scanned his surroundings, analyzing the run-down Rain Border Village house that his clones had taken refuge in so they could gather their natural energy without too much trouble.
"Alright, activating seals," Naruto stated as he performed the hand signs Kasumi had taught him, wasting no time, "Fuuinjutsu: Sanjuu Kekkai!"
The effects were immediate.
Naruto dropped to his knees and groaned; his eyes were wide and dilated, shifting from the gold of his Sennin Mode into his natural, expressive blue, before flickering into a dark, crimson red. He stared down at his hands which were spread flat against the hardwood floors, keeping his body propped, but the yellow chakra surrounding him began to change, flashing into the Nine-Tails' deep red. His nails elongated and he groaned against the pain of roiling chakra inside his body, digging his nails into the floor.
"Fight it," Naruto growled to himself, lifting his head to see his two clones struggling, also bordered in red chakra, before puffing out of existence, "Fight it!"
"It's working," Kurama whispered, ears pinned against his head, red fur standing on end, "They're heading for your chakra wards…"
Naruto fell onto his side, unable to hold his weight, before curling into himself, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried his best to block out the same haunting whispers and voices he had heard when the same event had happened in the Patrolling Facility.
"Got to…" Naruto struggled, clutching his jacket as an anchor to reality, "…Got to hold out…Got to endure it so everyone can get away…"
"You will fail…"
"You will die…"
"Demon…"
"Don't let them take me…"
"Why is this happening?"
"Monsters…"
"Ghosts…"
"You're one of them, aren't you?"
Naruto moaned, trying to block out the whispers filtering in his head as chakra continued to pull and push throughout his aching body. Kurama stayed silent in his mind, pressed to the floor and his nine tails hovering protectively over his face, pointed ears still pinned back with discomfort.
'I've found you Naruto-kun…' The Little Girl's voice broke through all others battling for his attention in his mind and he stiffened with fear, 'I know where you are. I can feel you,' She giggled triumphantly, 'We're coming to get you.'
"Damn it…" Kurama muttered, "The creatures are changing direction. They're headed for us. The wards worked but you're the source – you're giving off a more powerful signal."
THUD!
Naruto's red eyes snapped upward, staring up at the darkened ceiling warily before he winced, another painful pull of chakra filling his senses.
Creak.
Naruto felt tension rise, even more than he thought his already-rigid body could go. He pushed himself onto shaking arms as he followed the noises of something moving above him. He looked around frantically, noticing he was in the main room of the structure, closed off by simple paper-sliding doors and wooden walls. The only light was coming through windows high up on the ramparts, bathing the small space in a white moonlit glow.
Shhhhrk. Shhhhrk.
Something…Something was sliding now – or rather, dragging – across the ceiling. The blonde shinobi propped himself against the far wall, clutching his jacket desperately as he followed the direction of the noises with narrowed, red eyes. His jaw locked tightly and his teeth gritted together to prevent any more noises of pain to erupt from him.
THUD…THUD…THUD…THUD.
'Stairs,' Naruto realized as he looked at the paper partition across from him. Beyond it the sounds were steadily getting louder, leveling closer to him.
'…Blood…'
The paper partition suddenly rattled and Naruto gulped, struggling to bring his hands together to call up chakra so he could materialize any clones, but the pain of chakra coursing through his body was proving too much. His heart was pounding.
Another rattle and the partition opened fractionally. He held his breath, not able to see past the darkness, but along the side of the sliding door were fingers, clutching and pushing, slowly revealing a pale face and unkempt, black hair. The Shadow stared at him with black eyes and a blood-stained grin, slapping the same hand that clutched the door onto the floor before dragging herself forward, intent on reaching him.
'Fuck…' Naruto thought, blood rushing hotly through his veins as she slowly edged closer. Not only could he not move because of the activation of the Kyuubi's chakra but he was paralyzed – absolutely paralyzed with fear.
'Blood…' The Creature whispered, her mouth dripping red and landing in thick droplets onto the floor.
She was only a few yards away, and the closer she got the faster she began to move, impatiently anticipating her prize once she reached him.
'MINE!' She screamed, her pale hand thrown out to grab him.
CRASH!
Naruto flinched as a rain of glass fell over him and he looked up in time to see a flash of red. A shadowed body fell protectively in front of him, crouched low and hands moving in a series of hand signs.
"Rairyuu no Tatsumaki!"
The atmosphere instantly became charged with energy and flashes of bright blue light circled around his protector, whizzing uncontrollably before rising up high in the form of a large, electric dragon and shooting downwards to connect violently against the Creature who flew with a scream across the room.
"Raiton: Rakurai," She was a flurry of fast movements as she removed several senbon from her belt, lighting them with electricity and throwing them in conjunction with an exploding tag. She didn't wait for the inevitable explosion, wasting no time in turning towards him, red hair flipping with her movements. Her olive eyes took in his tensed-up state worriedly before she crouched before him and took his right arm to sling over her shoulders.
"I've got him, Raiden," She spoke hurriedly, grunting as the fire-tag exploded behind her and caused a momentary falter in her movements; her free hand pressed into her radio, "Escape?"
Naruto could hear a slight static coming from her left ear but he didn't strain to understand what was being said. Instead, he was doing his best to control his urges in his Kyuubi form, trying to ignore the voices now speaking rapidly in his mind. The last time he had been with a comrade in this state, he had almost hurt Sakura. As if the memory triggered something, his right hand clutched Akemi's shoulder to the point of nails digging painfully into her skin.
'Stop it,' Naruto told himself fiercely and his grip loosened, but only fractionally.
She winced but said nothing; attention solely focused on the voice in her ear as olive eyes darted around frantically, "Surrounded? Just Corpses? Shadow is down but not for long – Little Girl isn't in sight. Come on, Raiden; give me something to work with!"
More static before Akemi cursed and removed another explosive tag from her pouch. She looked over her shoulder, relieved to see that the Shadow was taking a while to recover due to her electrified senbon; but her time was dwindling.
"Try to keep up, okay Naruto-san?" Akemi muttered before she threw the flaring tag at the wall at her right, twisting Naruto's body so she could shield him from the subsequent blast. The wooden wall blew apart without trouble and the space instantly filled with dust. However, the kunoichi urgently pulled him along, exiting through the forced entry as fast as possible.
Naruto was starting to feel sluggish. The push and pull of chakra in his body wasn't as strong as before but he could feel consciousness leaving him. His steps were dragging, slowing him and Akemi down and he was doing his best to keep up. His red eyes were mechanically following movement. Corpses were just outside of the house he had been residing in, staring upward as fire fell from above – he slowly registered that it was probably Raiden.
"Come on Naruto-san," Akemi grunted, voice laced with panic as she released a sai from her belt, the blade bordered in blue as she struck at an incoming Corpse, "Keep moving!"
More static and Naruto blinked drowsily, his ears now filling with groans and moans from fast-approaching Corpses, "Raiden! I need some help here! They're adapting to your fire! Shadow is down – she probably hasn't fed – but I have no eyes on the Little Girl!"
"…Akemi…" Naruto mumbled; he didn't like being helpless, or a burden. He wanted to be active and not a liability.
"You're okay; you're okay," Akemi whispered, as if reading his mind, "Just got to–watch out!"
The next thing Naruto knew he was on the floor, shoved by Akemi herself just as the Little Girl lunged in an attempt to grab him. He groaned, and the red chakra around him pulsed erratically. He blinked from his position on the floor to see Akemi standing in front of him protectively, twin sais sizzling as she glared at the Little Girl, who only giggled in response.
'Akemi-san, Akemi-san…Are you here to play too?'
She didn't respond, but the blue surrounding her blades burned brighter.
There was a shift in the wind and footsteps sounded somewhere behind Naruto's crumpled body. Corpses were still closing in but the appearance of the Little Girl seemed to have halted their killer approach.
"Akemi!" Raiden's shout was panicked.
'Raiden-san too…' Another giggle, dark eyes never leaving the red-headed kunoichi, 'Come with me, Akemi-san; we can go see your Papa. Don't you want to see your Papa?'
"SHUT UP!" the teenager's snarl was full of rage, "You little bitch, shut up!"
The Little Girl's smile faltered, '…That wasn't very nice, Akemi-san,' Her eyes darkened, 'You should be punished. I'll kill your brother next. Akio-san, Akio-san,' She sang mockingly, 'He'll make perfect prey.'
"Come on, Naruto," Raiden whispered, arms wrapping around him and suddenly leading him off towards a Hawk Summons; the bird's beady eyes were darting around restlessly, "Akemi!"
'We won't let you go so easily…' The Little Girl stated, amused.
"You want to play?" Akemi whispered, challenging, "Then let's play…come and get me."
The Little Girl smiled, 'Gladly.'
The last thing Naruto saw before he and Raiden lifted off into the skies was Akemi's twin sais flashing white-blue before she charged for the Little Girl who only laughed with glee.
His heart pounded in panic, "…Can't…leave…her…!"
"We aren't," Raiden answered.
"It's fading…" Kurama growled softly, "The wards are fading…"
It was true. The pain of chakra flowing in and out of his body was ebbing away and it was getting easier to restrain himself from violent impulses. He was still tensed but his fatigue and drowsiness was only increasing.
Another flash of lightning caused Naruto to peer over the hawk to view below, watching as Akemi zipped quickly to avoid the Little Girl's strike before throwing out her sai, electricity flowing from the blade towards the intended target, determined to make contact with the corpse child. Around them, the Corpses were edging closer, circling the pair, waiting with eagerness. It took seconds to realize that their intent was to ambush her.
"She…" He started with delayed anxiety.
'GOT YOU!'
Naruto felt his heart stop. Akemi had spun out of the way a second too late. The child had grabbed her long strands of red hair, gripping tightly and causing the kunoichi to fall to her knees with a strangled cry. The Little Girl laughed happily as she pulled the crimson locks roughly and took each pigtail into both her hands. Then she yanked the crimson tresses so hard that her forehead forcibly collided with Akemi's. The Corpses wandered closer – so close that Naruto could barely see the pair in the middle.
'Time to join your Papa…'
Akemi smirked and the Little Girl blinked, "You lose."
Raiden instantly steered the hawk in the direction of Bird Country, "Let's go!"
'What?' The Little Girl whispered angrily.
Akemi's smirk widened, "Raiton: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Lighting Element Shadow Clone Technique," Her body began to glow bright blue and the Little Girl stepped back with a flinch, "Boom."
The clone exploded into a bright ball of white-blue before electric currents shot out intermittently, striking against the surrounding Corpses and causing a collective cry of pain and outrage. The brilliance of light caused Naruto to shield his eyes with his right arm and he abruptly felt the hawk dip and lower in altitude.
"There!" Raiden shouted above the winds, "Akemi, get on!"
Naruto removed his arm just in time to see Akemi jumping along the village's rooftops before Raiden held out a hand. Another leap and she was straddling the space behind Naruto, releasing Raiden's helpful arm before putting both her hands on the Leaf shinobi's shoulders. Olive eyes raked over him worriedly to assess his condition. The hawk soared higher into the sky, gaining speed at Raiden's insistence.
"That should give us some time," Akemi stated, out of breath, "Majority of my chakra went into that last attack."
Raiden nodded, white hair flying around his face, "Good job, Akemi. I think it'll be enough. I don't think we'll be followed considering how slow the Shadow began moving. They'll probably start to ignore us to focus on feeding."
"Right."
Naruto blinked sluggishly and his body sagged. The adrenaline and pain and panic from before were draining him into unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of relief coursing through his body as Akemi's petite hands squeezed his shoulders in silent reassurance.
They had made it. They were safe.
Sakura frowned as she gingerly wrapped a bandage around Sasuke's bare torso, inwardly wincing at the jagged laceration that spanned diagonally across his back. The wound had been cleaned with little trouble and a quick chakra scan showed no abnormalities with the injury, but it still looked painful – deep red and slightly bruised; the occasional scarlet trickle leaking through his new bindings prompted her to press her hand tightly against the damage to help stop the bleeding.
"I wish my chakra reserves weren't so low" The medical kunoichi whispered worriedly, "Are you sure you won't have Kasumi-san heal you?"
"Hn," Sasuke grunted in response.
Sighing, Sakura carefully applied tape to keep the compresses in place before removing her wind-swept pink hair from her face, "…Do you think he's okay, Sasuke-kun?"
The two were sitting on the roof of the Patrolling Facility, gazing out at the Tri-Point Forest – one filled with trepidation and the other staring in silent contemplation. Akio sat on the other end of the roof, accompanied by Souta, also quiet as they scanned the darkened skies and swaying tree-lines, waiting for the remaining members of their group. Everyone else had returned to Base at Sakura's insistence – Isamu and Dai needed medical treatment and Shin and Kasumi had the chakra to perform their healing. Takeru had stormed off with little explanation but there was no surprise as to why he had.
"He'll be fine," Sasuke answered softly, still staring out at the darkness, "He's an idiot, but…" He trailed off and his shoulders shifted. Sakura pulled herself forward to sit on Sasuke's left side and glanced down at the three-pronged kunai he absently fiddled with.
"Yeah…" She whispered, panning her vision back to the forests, "…He's an idiot; but he's our idiot."
Sasuke snorted but nodded his head in agreement nonetheless.
"Come on, Akio-nii-san," Souta's soft voice consoled across the expanse of the roof, "We all know how much Akemi-nee-chan complains, but we both know she's tough too. And Raiden-nii-san is with her," He pat Akio's slumped shoulders with a strained smile, "Please stop being so down. I feel like you're going to jump off this roof any second to find them."
"I just might," Akio muttered sullenly.
"Now, don't be irrational," Souta sighed, crossing his legs together and resting his elbows on his knees, chin propped up by his palms.
"You're one to talk," The red-head countered.
Souta glared at the teenager from the corner of his chocolate brown eyes but didn't respond.
"…We've been back for over an hour now," Sakura noted before she turned her head. She frowned at Sasuke's blood-stained cheeks and nudged her shoulder against his lightly, "How are you feeling, Sasuke-kun? How are your eyes?"
"…Later," Sasuke answered, side-glancing her briefly, "…Worry about it later."
Sakura hesitantly nodded. Later – after her chakra reserves had replenished and after they finally got an update on Naruto's status.
A sad smile slowly spread across Sakura's lips, "…I know it annoys you when I get self-destructive with my decisions; but I also know that what I did today was wrong and dangerous. I almost got a lot of people killed…"
"Sakura–" Sasuke sighed.
"No," She interrupted hastily, "I'm acknowledging and owning up to this massive fault that I made. But also…I want to thank you," She ran a hand through her pink hair, "You and Naruto are always there – saving me; getting me out of tough situations; and I don't know what I'd do without you both," Her brows furrowed, expression pinched as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle, "When I woke up back there and saw you…I was so – so – relieved," She shook her head, "And we had a plan. There was a chance that my team and I were going to be staying in the Rain Border Village yet you and Naruto showed up. You both came to my rescue! You both knew I was in trouble – and that…" She sighed, "…that made me so reassured yet so angry too."
Sasuke blinked, "Angry?"
Sakura shook her head, "Maybe a little angry…but more afraid than anything else. It's just…my mistake could have cost you your life! The Little Girl almost touched you. And, now, Naruto has voluntarily stayed behind! And I'm just so afraid – all the time!" She closed her eyes and placed a palm to her forehead, "I guess…all I'm saying is…I'm thankful for all you and Naruto do for me but it terrifies me, at the same time, how far both of you are willing to go to protect me."
"Sakura–"
Again, Sasuke was interrupted, but by the sudden static of their radio ear pieces. Sakura's hand immediately flew to her communication's device and Sasuke's head snapped back to the Tri-Point to scan the horizon.
"Come in. Does anyone copy? This is Raiden calling Base. Come in."
Akio and Souta were already scrambling to attain contact and the Leaf shinobi left it to them to get answers, yet they waited with bated breaths on their status.
"Raiden-nii-san!" Souta called out excitedly, "Are you okay? Are you with Akemi-nee-chan? What about Naruto-nii-san? Where are you?"
Another bout of static interference and Akemi's soft voice filtered through, heavy with fatigue – Akio's body immediately relaxed upon hearing her, "We're a few miles away from Heiwanasu Village. We're all relatively unharmed. Naruto-san is unconscious, but fine. We're not being followed."
Upon hearing the news Sakura's and Sasuke's bodies also relaxed from tension and Sakura could feel her eyes mist with relieved tears.
"Naruto-san needs rest," Raiden spoke, "We'll land at Base and set him up in one of our rooms for easier transfer."
Souta nodded, "Okay! We'll meet you there then!"
"Over and out."
"Thank Kami…" Sakura whispered as she allowed her head to fall into her hands, wiping away stray tears in the process.
"Come on," Sasuke grunted as he stood up; he pocketed Naruto's kunai before holding out a hand for her to take.
Sakura nodded and took his offered hand. Souta and Akio also stood from their perch and eagerly gestured for the Leaf shinobi to accompany them back to Base. The red-head was obviously in more positive spirits as they all walked back to the village and Souta spoke in grave – yet anticipative – detail of the entrance found in the Twisted Valley. Sasuke and Sakura lagged behind the boys, silent and lost in their respective thoughts.
"Unconscious…" Sakura muttered softly; her face crumpled with relief and she shook her head, "Stupid Naruto…"
It was several minutes after the group of four arrive at Base that Sasuke's Hawk Summons landed. Raiden and Akemi carefully removed Naruto's body from the hawk's backside before Sasuke swept in to aid the white-haired male in bringing the blonde into the house; Souta ran inside to prepare a room and Sakura followed wordlessly. Akio approached Akemi who tiredly nodded an acknowledgement towards him; in response, Akio placed a hand on her head and ruffled her already unkempt red hair.
"Yeah, yeah, good to see you too," Akemi sighed as she pulled away with a scowl; yet her olive eyes were softer and her movements were more at ease in the presence of her brother.
"Seriously though," Akio responded as he lightly tugged on one of her pigtails, following her into the house, "Glad to have you back, Sis."
She smiled wryly, "Glad to be alive."
Sakura lightly ran her fingers across Naruto's forehead and through his spiky, blonde hair. She was assured by his even breathing, tracing her index finger along his whiskered scars before allowing green chakra to encase her palms, scanning his body for any irregularities. His chakra was steady – low, but steady – and he didn't have any physical injuries. According to Akemi, her best friend hadn't been touched by the Creature or the Little Girl which gave her one less thing to worry about.
Her medical analysis reinforced the fact that Naruto only needed rest, just as Raiden suggested on the radio, and that his stunt with using the Kyuubi's chakra didn't result in any long-term negative effects.
"Oh Naruto," Her whisper was affectionate, "Always playing the hero…"
"Hn," Sasuke snorted in agreement.
Sakura threw a smile over her shoulder towards the Uchiha, who stood silent, leaning against the doorframe. Her expression faltered, however, when she noticed him rubbing at his eyes, unaware of her concerned stare.
Sighing, Sakura ran her hand once more through Naruto's golden locks before taking a stand, "Rest up, Naruto; I need to attend to another hero of the night."
When Sakura turned back to Sasuke he was staring at her with a raised brow of curiosity. The medic only shook her head before ushering him out of the bedroom and leading him to one just down the hall of Naruto's.
"Sit," She ordered softly as she pointed to the bed in the corner of the room.
Sasuke sighed, "Sakura, it's fine, you don't have to–"
"Sit," The kunoichi enforced, jabbing her index finger with extra emphasis towards the bed, "I'll be right back."
Before Sasuke could utter a protest Sakura had left the room and with a resigned breath he took the seat, wincing faintly as his backside injury throbbed. Seconds later the kunoichi breezed back into the enclosed space with her medical pack hanging off one shoulder.
Placing her pack on the nearby desk, Sakura absently twirled her index finger in Sasuke's direction, "If you can turn around, Sasuke-kun, I'm going to start with your back."
The Uchiha was about to restart his protests when a glare from her piercing emerald irises caused him to pause and reluctantly do as he was told. Sakura approached his seated figure as he knowingly removed his shirt and she delicately began to unravel the gauze around his torso. She was pleased to see that his injury wasn't infected and that healing it, even hours later, wouldn't affect any future scarring.
"How's the pain with your eyes?" Sakura inquired, hands glowing bright green as she hovered healing chakra across the diagonal laceration, watching as the skin slowly knit together and the bruised coloring begin to gradually fade away.
"They're fine," He muttered in response.
"Don't lie to me, Sasuke-kun," She admonished. When he remained rigidly silent the medic tugged a lock of his hair at the nape of his neck, "Come on. Do they feel like they're burning? Blurry vision? Headache?"
More silence answered her. Another tug of blue-black hair, and Sasuke sighed, "It doesn't burn. The blurry vision isn't long-lasting…And I feel a slight headache in occasional sharp pains."
Sakura smiled and ran her finger down the length of his smoothed back, making sure the injury was completely healed, "Was that so hard?" He answered with a grunt and Sakura rolled her eyes before tapping his shoulder, signaling for him to turn and face her, "Heroes, you and Naruto may both be, but sometimes your actions can be so…annoying."
Obsidian irises stared at her, affronted, "Earlier you were thanking us for our actions."
"And if you remember, I said I was angry of them also," Sakura defended herself, "You two just bring out a whole bunch of emotions out of me," She sighed as she placed her fingers against his temples, seeping chakra along the nerves of his eyes to soothe the discomfort he was feeling, "I'm thankful – really, I am – but sometimes I can't help but think you two are too overprotective. It's a contradictive feeling, really…"
"…Contradictive…?" Sasuke repeated slowly.
"Yeah," Sakura affirmed, now moving her healing chakra towards the Uchiha's temples to help alleviate his headache, "I'm grateful, but there's a part of me that thinks – I can take care of myself. I don't like when you two jump in front of me to fight battles that I can fight. A small part of me is angry because of my insecurities of being weak–"
"But you're not weak–" Sasuke began.
"I know that," Sakura interrupted, "I know that. It's the bigger part – the guilty part – that doesn't like seeing you and Naruto getting hurt for me," She pulled her hands away from his temples and he patiently stared up at her as she continued in softer tones, "…You both came after me tonight. Naruto risked his life. You used Amaterasu when I told you not to – we both know the risks that come with utilizing such a dangerous technique! You could have gone blind; you could have lost your Sharingan completely!"
"I'm not blind, Sakura; my Sharingan is unaffected," Sasuke responded calmly, still patient, "And Naruto is fine too. Stop worrying."
"Then stop risking your lives for me," Sakura argued weakly – it was an unreasonable request only because she knew she wouldn't stop doing the same for them.
Sasuke closed his eyes, "Tch. We both know we're not going to stop."
The kunoichi sighed, staring down at him with resignation, "I know. I can't see why though." Her latter statement was a mutter mostly for herself as she took a step back from his personal space.
"The dobe has a hero-complex," Sasuke answered with a shrug.
She couldn't help but snort at the response, "And you, Sasuke-kun? Is that hero-complex rubbing off on you?"
The Uchiha instantly scoffed, "No."
Sakura chuckled and with a sad smile she reached out and slowly traced the dried blood tracks along his cheek. Then her sad smile morphed into a sad frown, brows furrowed as she recalled the reason why those scarlet tears marred his pale skin.
"Even if you don't stop," Sakura whispered softly as she shifted her emerald eyes to connect with bottomless obsidian, "It still doesn't erase the fact that I hate seeing you both get hurt for me," She blinked and looked away from his piercing gaze, "I'm always afraid of what might happen. I can't help but wish it would happen to me if it would mean taking away any pain you and Naruto would endure."
She sighed, suddenly looking very exhausted, and removed her warm touch from his cheek, beginning to turn away from him to start cleaning up his discarded bandages.
As her soft words registered in Sasuke's mind a brief 'what if' flashed through his head. If he hadn't used his body as a barrier against the Little Girl; if he hadn't used Amaterasu to prevent the Creature from grabbing her – Sasuke couldn't help but imagine a scenario where Sakura was dragged away into the darkness and ripped apart like all the other Curse's victims. Just thinking about it bothered him immensely.
And although he knew Sakura was capable of taking care of herself he didn't want to risk the chance of her getting hurt or killed; not when he could take the pain of the attack; not when he was present, willing to trade his own life if it meant being able to protect her and keep her safe.
Without even thinking – acting out of fear of not being able to see her smile, hear her voice, feel her mere presence – Sasuke grabbed her wrist, needing to be in tangible contact of her. His quick but firm grasp prompted Sakura to halt her own mechanical movements and she stared at him, brows pinching, concerned that he might still be in physical pain considering the intense look on his face
"Sasuke-kun…?"
And continuing to impulsively act – driven by fear and need and maybe even desire – Sasuke pulled her closer to his sitting form, bringing her body between his legs and causing her knees to knock against the bed frame. Ignoring her worried and confused expression, Sasuke resolutely pulled her down with a tug of her wrist, caught her cheek with his free hand, and gently caressed her lips with his own.
Unsurprisingly, she froze under his unexpected touch, stunned by the gesture of intimacy, failing to respond in her dazed uncertainty. Though his right hand cupped her cheek, wanting to keep her anchored to him, Sasuke mindfully kept his hold loose, making sure she knew that she could pull away at any time.
The first few seconds of Sasuke's intimate action was a simple touch and hold of the lips; when he moved to pull away Sakura hesitantly responded – shy and unsure. Her wide eyes of surprise fluttered to a blissful close, right hand resting against his bare chest as she leaned in closer, craving for more. Sasuke was quick to answer, left hand releasing her wrist to curl around her waist – his repressed emotions seemed to explode throughout his body ignited by simple passion and need.
Slowly, he pulled away, breaths heavy, watching as Sakura caught her own breaths with closed eyes; he waited until she looked up at him, darkened emerald connecting with smoldering obsidian, "…This is why I would endure it, Sakura," She blinked at his husky words, staring down at him with absolute wonder, "…This is why I protect you."
"Sasuke-kun…"
The past five days seemed to race through their minds in that one moment.
For Sakura, a simple C-Ranked healing mission had turned into an S-Classed problem that direly needed solving. The things she had witnessed since stepping across the threshold of the Rain Border Village had put her mind in a perspective state – a live or die mentality. The unknown of their adversaries and the slow progress that was being made in solving the mystery had made Sakura paranoid – afraid – and uncertain of the future. So in this moment – this one moment as she lived in the present and for herself – Sakura didn't want it to end. Because being wrapped in Sasuke's arms brought her back to the night when he had helped her sleep – it reminded her of the safety and peace he provided her.
For Sasuke it was much simpler for him. He had left Earth Country with Naruto fearing what had happened to their teammate – fearing that she had been caught in a trap that would cause her to disappear from their lives forever. Yet even after they had found her, covered in blood and accompanied by a stranger, Sasuke's fear hadn't lessened but instead grew – grew from disbelieving Sakura's haunting stories to seeing the extent of the Curse's power and the apparent fixation they seemed to have with his female companion. He undoubtedly cared for her well-being, protected her, and comforted her to the best of his ability; but when he saw her being dragged away from him just hours prior, so close to being sucked into the darkness, never to be seen again, his fear had escalated – because he couldn't imagine any life without Haruno Sakura – it wasn't an option.
And because there was still that possibility that something – anything – could happen to either of them during this mission, Sasuke couldn't help but feel like he should take action. A selfish action – but he couldn't accept harboring any regrets.
No regrets.
"Sasuke-kun…" It was barely a whisper but, with their foreheads pressed together, the slightest of noises and movements were noticed. She raised her right hand and lightly ran her fingers through his hair, eyes never leaving his, her body almost trembling with the amount of emotions rapidly rushing through her.
The silence between them stretched and out of nervous force of habit Sakura licked her lips. Sasuke's eyes darted downwards and his grip on her waist tightened. Unconsciously, the kunoichi repeated the action and with a muttered curse the Uchiha captured her lips in another kiss, his movements a little more aggressive, but it was received without complaint.
It was minutes of sighed words, gasps of breaths, her petite fingers traveling the expanse of his bare chest, and his calloused hands languidly caressing her slim waist beneath her shirt. It was simple touch and the exchange of air – needy and wanting, in the beginning, before slowing down into sweet and pleasurable relish. She released his bottom lip with a soft smile before brushing her mouth leisurely along his jaw, stopping at his ear to murmur his name once again. He pulled her flush against him, trailing his nose along her shoulder and taking in her uniquely addictive scent.
The door to the room was open and, as much of a temptation as it was to close it, lock it, and continue their heated actions, they both knew that it wasn't the right time. With a soft, satisfied hum, Sakura pulled away from the Uchiha and climbed onto the bed, crawling around Sasuke to lie down, pink hair splayed across the pillow and back pressed against the wall. He watched her silently, examined her flushed skin as she closed her eyes with a smile, and stood up to close the door until only an opened fraction remained.
"…I…" Sasuke turned back to her and she blinked up at him, mouth opened in indecision, before she pat the empty space beside her. The Uchiha quietly did as she requested, laying comfortably on his back now that his injury had been healed. Sakura hesitantly moved closer, pressing her forehead against his left shoulder and feeling warm when he shifted in response to curl his left arm around her upper body.
"…Thank you, Sasuke-kun," She whispered, lips brushing against the skin of his bare arm, 'For caring; for protecting me; for being here – for everything.'
Sasuke's hold around her tightened and his body relaxed with the knowledge that she was safe, silently promising himself, and her, that she would remain that way,"…Aa."
Sakura didn't like that she was wide awake. Just the night before she had been wishing for the chance to have a decent night's rest, tossing and turning in an unfamiliar bed and desperately wishing that Sasuke – or even Naruto – would be able to help her achieve a peaceful respite of sleep. But even as she lay comfortable and content beside the quiet Uchiha, as they had done once before, she couldn't help but recall the events of the past couple of hours.
Sasuke wasn't asleep either. She could tell by the quickness of his breaths, which didn't match that of a slumbering individual; and his chakra wasn't dormant with unconsciousness. Idly, the young woman traced the arm her cheek rested against with her index finger, following the contours of his muscles and taking comfort in the warmth his skin possessed. Sasuke's thumb would brush against her back in response and the small gesture relaxed her – actually made her wish for simpler times – and it relieved her that they had lived through yet another dangerous night. She felt fortunate that she was where she was – safe in Sasuke's protective embrace.
"You're not tired," Sasuke observed softly, but Sakura could hear the underlying query.
She shook her head in reply, "Too much to think about."
"You should rest," His suggestion was firm.
"You should rest too," She countered wryly.
"…Hn," His grunt was petulant and Sakura couldn't help her soft grin.
Her fingers lightly traveled up his arm and over his torso, running the tips across his warm skin, taking absent notice of every scar that littered his toned abs and strong collarbone. She blinked, vision swimming with memories of their time in the Tri-Point Forest, mouth tugging into a frown.
"You know…when you're fighting for your life, a lot of details can slip past you when you're in the moment," Her words were thoughtfully whispered, "Important details," She then bit her bottom lip, brows furrowing steeply, "Then you take the time to stop and think about it. At first you're confused, then you realize something – realize those details could have helped – and then you become angry that you hadn't figured everything out earlier."
"…What kind of details?" Sasuke asked, curious.
Sakura shook her head, "…It was chaos, Sasuke-kun. We were scrambling. But didn't you notice…?" She lifted her head to stare up him, her expression pinched with irritation – though it was directed towards the past situation, "…Didn't you notice that every Corpse we cut down was a test subject we could have taken back? Didn't you see that the Deformed attacked blindly and even ate their allies? Didn't you detect the fact that the Little Girl took a more active part in attacking after you had used Amaterasu? She usually stands back and talks…but this time…she was determined to touch you. The only time that's happened was during my first night at the Rain Border Village – when Yoshiro was dragged into the Forest and I ran after him – but even then it was only a game to her. This time she was aggressively trying to get to us."
"…Maybe they're getting impatient in capturing you…" Sasuke offered.
"…Maybe…" Sakura whispered, "…But her focus was on you. Maybe she was trying to get you out of the equation. You're strong, Sasuke-kun; you saw what your Amaterasu did to the Shadow. You're a powerful force that's protecting me." She frowned as she looked away from him, twisting her head to lean comfortably against the Uchiha's shoulder, "I have a feeling that the targets on both your head and Naruto's head have just gotten a lot bigger…"
"Better on ours than on yours," Sasuke grunted.
His response only prompted a deeper frown from the kunoichi. Of course she didn't like it. She had enough to worry about – solving the mystery, keeping herself from being captured by these creatures – and the additional worry for Sasuke and Naruto, being targets to kill, just so that the enemy can get to her, was another weight of anxieties on her shoulders.
Fear for her two best friends caused her to shut her eyes tightly and shake her head – forcefully trying to get rid of the bad thoughts and scenarios from her mind. Her nose bumped against Sasuke's collarbone and she gratefully took comfort in the warmth he offered, appreciative of the security and safety he provided by keeping his single arm wrapped around her when she knew that he was unaccustomed to intimate, physical contact. She hadn't realized just how much she relied on his physical presence being beside her – and now willingly holding her – until she actually had it.
Suddenly, Sakura stiffened.
"…Realized it…?" She muttered softly as she sat up, brows pinching together in contemplation.
Sasuke sat up also, watching the young woman as she glared at her lap intensely, "Sakura."
Her green eyes suddenly snapped up to meet his and he recognized a clarity in them that meant that she had just discovered something – something important.
"You can't realize something – you can't know anything – unless you encounter it," Sakura stated firmly, "Information – knowledge – is gained through experience. So how can they know? How do they know?"
Lost, Sasuke shook his head, "I'm not following."
"The warnings," Sakura growled as she began to crawl off the bed, absently smoothing out the wrinkles of her clothes and her slightly unruly hair, "There can only be warnings if it's happened before, right?"
Her emerald irises had now hardened with determination and Sasuke could see her eyes begin to narrow with anger. Bewildered – and inwardly annoyed by it – the Uchiha was left with no choice but to follow the kunoichi as she purposefully strode out the room and down the stairs to the ground floor. Fortunately, just as she reached the foot of the staircase, Daisuke rounded the corner, running a tired hand through his shoulder-length brown locks, clearly heading to his room to get some rest during whatever hours were left of the night.
Sasuke noted that all the lights were on and the distinct voices of Raiden, Kasumi, Shin, and even Masahiro could be heard towards the rear of the house, which meant a follow-up meeting had been taking place.
"Daisuke!"
Sasuke watched from the first landing of the staircase as Sakura stepped in front of the puzzled Bird Chuunin, green eyes burning with accusation. She crossed her arms over her chest, standing in front of the stairs to block his ascent, and widened her stance with a firm-frozen resolve.
"Sakura-san?"
"Who is it?" Sakura questioned lowly, glare narrowing on the Bird Ninja's confused expression.
"Sorry?"
"I need some answers and you're going to tell me," Sakura growled, her forwardness surprising even the Uchiha, "Who is it?"
Dai opened his mouth, still thoroughly mystified as he darted his gaze from the intense kunoichi to the equally baffled Uchiha and then back again, "I don't understand–"
"Who is it?" She repeated again, a little more aggressively as she took a step forward, green eyes burning, "You know someone who's been affected by them. You're hiding something."
Dai's bemused expression suddenly turned into apprehension and, immediately after, morphed into fear and uncertainty. Sasuke frowned at the quick shift of emotions and took another few steps down the stairs, instantly suspicious.
"Sakura-san–"
"Who is it?" Sakura asked a final time, impatience highlighting her penetrating features, "You always tell us – warn us – not to be touched by the Shadow or Little Girl. Why is that? Why can't we touch them?" She took another step forward, her glower intimidating and causing Dai's worried frown to deepen, "So tell me, Daisuke: who is it you know that's been touched?"
A/N: YAY! A faster update! I'm on a roll! Hope you liked this chapter and the SasuSaku-ness! Please tell me what you thought about it. I hope the situation and scene was believable for a horror story like this one. And yes, originally this chapter was named Secrets, but I decided to split it into Two Parts. The next chapter will be called No Secrets. I'd greatly appreciate your feedback, from new and continuing readers; it'll really help for future chapters! Warning – next chapter might be a bit of word vomit and explanations! But since we're at the halfway point, things are really going to pick up in the horror aspect.
Sooooo…if we break the 600+ Review Mark…definitely a motivation to update muuuuuch quicker, heehee, I really want to know what you guys think, I'm so CURIOUS!
BTW: How do you readers feel about the Original Characters? What do you guys think about Daisuke? How do you like the interaction of Akemi and Akio? How about Akemi's role in Naruto's rescue? Are you guys suspicious of any characters? Tell me what you think of them! :)
As For NARUTO: All that has been discovered about his connection with The Curse and his Kyuubi chakra is that when he activates his Kyuubi chakra near the creatures it has a negative effect on his body. No one knows why yet and it may be discovered further more along the story – so, hope you keep reading to find out! All Naruto knows is that the creatures are attracted to his chakra so that's why he willingly sacrificed himself to help his comrades get away – although he went into it not knowing too much about the effects. He acted on a hunch pretty much – but that's Naruto for you, taking action at the cost of himself if it means others will be safe. I love him! (…And of course I wouldn't kill him off!)
And Team Kakashi/Sai/Hinata…definitely should be making another appearance soon. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company. Just the Plot and Original Characters.
Next Chapter: No Secrets
Next Update: So, I was really good updating about a week later. I'll try again this week, if not, hopefully within two weeks…Thank you for your patience and support!
Translations:
Jutsu:
Naruto: Hiraishin: Flying Thunder God Technique
Akemi: Rairyuu no Tatsumaki: Lightning Dragon Tornado
Raiton: Rakurai: Lightning Jutsu: Lightning Strike
Raiton: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Lighting Element Shadow Clone Technique
Other:
Heiwanasu Village: Bird Border Village – Peaceful Nest Village
AND! Has anyone watched the anime series Darker Than Black and Sword Art Online. Because those are my current obsessions. Hei is such a dark and brooding hottie (and his Li personality is so cute!). And Kirito is just freaking adorable. Now I'm gonna flail with them in my dreams (with Sasuke-kun of course!)
Thank You to all readers and reviewers! You're the BEST!
I have a Tumblr now, called SincerelyLen. It's more of a personal blog if you're interested, but I have a few fiction recs and quotes I will put up and reference also. My Twitter was a fail since there's only so much I can say in a small box. Blogs are more my thing. Add me if you'd like?
Please Check-Out My Other Fictions!
Updates Soon to be POSTED!
(…hopefully…)
Rehabilitation
Psychotic
Missing In Action
Vengeance
False Façade
The Road of Touch; The Road To Feeling
A NEW STORY – Confinement
AND EVEN MORE TO COME!
Thank You To Those Who Read And Review! You're AWESOME!
LotzaLove!
Len83
aka
Luvinukag83