A/N: Thanks to everyone who continues to read, review and add. It's all very much appreciated by this authoress.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Naruto or Blizzard's World of Warcraft Sin'dorei, or the few Thalassian words I've borrowed for this fic. I am just not that much of a genius people.
Summary: The Great Ninja Wars had ended more than a decade ago. But that wouldn't stop a country supposedly in a state of peace from searching for greater power to hold over other countries, or even a clan from another. Itachi Uchiha, a cold and calculating ANBU captain, and prominent and rising prodigy of the Uchiha Clan, captures Sakura Haruno an elusive "Sin'dorei", something many believed to be nothing but a childhood fairytale.
Suggested Listenings: "When Cicadas Cry" – From Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni
Chapter 21:
During mid-leap Itachi nearly stumbled as the seal on his palm began to itch more and more. The niggling feeling was beginning to drive him crazy. The dark haired male scratched at his palm voraciously. He landed on a branch and paused, turning around to gaze in the direction of Konoha. After having the seal for so long, and since Sakura had decided to stay with him, he'd not given it much thought. So why was it going crazy now? As soon as he returned he was going to demand that the Godaime remove it. He didn't see a point in it any longer, especially if it was beginning to act defective.
The seal was weak at best now since he had long stopped using it to locate the trouble making pinkette. Yet suddenly, he was able to vaguely sense that she was drawing further and further away from him. It made sense, he supposed since he was traveling away from Konoha in the first place. But then why was there this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach? Sakura promised him that she wouldn't do anything rash, but that thought lent very little comfort to him as he thought about many of her troublemaking antics, his lips thinned perceptibly beneath his mask.
"Are you alright Captain-sama?" Hiro stopped on a branch behind his ANBU squad leader.
"Yes, let's continue. We'll stop for the night soon enough," Itachi shook his head, and pushed away the continuing sinking sensation in his lower abdomen, he then continued to lead his team at a ground eating pace, trying his best not to think about it.
-oOo-
Neji Hyuga's countenance was completely devoid of emotion as he strode in the Hokage's office, barely knocking before waltzing in and striding over to her desk. Wordlessly he plopped down the sloppily scribbled letter that he had obtained from Sakura Haruno's apartment with Naruto's infamous chicken scratch handwriting.
Honey brown eyes narrowed at the male's almost rude manner before lifting the paper and quickly perusing its contents. Temper marred the blonde woman's features as she suddenly stood up and brought a tightly curled fist crashing down on the wooden surface. Neji moved back at the Hokage's infamous display of temper as the desk cracked down the middle and split sending several splinters flying in every direction. The Godaime roared, "Those IDIOTS!"
Stoically Neji queried, "Do you want me to pursue them?"
Tsunade paused in her fury, but the anger never left her eyes, her voice was tight with white-hot rage as she asked tersely, "How long ago did you discover this? Do you even know what direction those two troublemakers took off in?"
"As soon as the sun went down, I was sent by my father to look for Naruto since he should have already been inside the Hyuga Compound. Someone told me they saw him walking with a young pink haired girl. So I immediately went to Sakura's apartment and discovered that note. As for knowing which way they left Konoha… I do not. I asked the guards at the gate and they didn't see them pass through," his pearly eyes followed the agitated woman leader's movements calmly.
"The only person…who can find Sakura would be Itachi… but I sent him on a mission just earlier today…" the Hokage knew she was divulging something she should not, but it was of a higher priority that the Akatsuki did not get their hands on Naruto at any cost, "I want you to go after his team and tell him I said to return immediately. His subordinates will be able to handle it without him."
"Where are they headed?" Neji asked without preamble.
"His team is en route to Aoimori, at the border between the Land of Fire, and the Land of Wind to meet up with the Daimyo in that province. They left about seven hours ago, but you might be able to catch up since they will stop to rest as it's not an urgent mission," Tsunade rubbed her temples as she replied, her agitation very evident at that moment.
"I will leave right now," Neji bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Sake, I need sake," Tsunade murmured to herself before bellowing, "SHIZUNE!"
-oOo-
Many hours later, as the sun began to rise, Naruto interrupted the peaceful silence by saying, "Oy Sakura-chan. I don't think it was a good idea to leave without bringing some food." The blond gripped his stomach as it rumbled at him angrily.
"I'm sorry Naruto. If we lingered we might have never gotten out of town," Sakura apologized softly.
"It's alright Sakura-chan, I've gone without food many times," Naruto replied softly as the breeze pushed his bangs back.
"Maybe we'll find some wild fruit trees bearing fruit along the way," Sakura added with a wry twist of her lips, "I'd stop to let you hunt something but it's better if we just keep moving."
The male behind her nodded even though she couldn't see him do so. After several moments Naruto asked, "So what's this Silvermoon place like?"
"It's very large and beautiful," Sakura replied, her heart twisting at the memory. Ever since she had decided to return to Konoha with Itachi she hadn't given it much thought, "Most of the buildings are white, with red and purple banners with the symbol of my kin, and the roof tops are different colors according to what family line you come from. The residential homes usually have red stained glass windows. There are large marble statues lining the entrance with heroes of old, nearly forgotten legends. It's fall right now, so many of the trees will be awash with hues of gold, reds, and oranges. The city streets are paved in soft reds and browns. It's really lovely this time of year."
Naruto tried to imagine it, but never having seen something like that in his life, he shook his head to clear his thoughts, "I'll have to see what you mean when we get there Sakura-chan. It sounds really nice though."
The Sin'dorei was silent a couple seconds before asking, "Do you mind if I ask what happened… when you went after that blond Akatsuki when we went to rescue Gaara?"
Naruto's countenance darkened slightly but he replied with a fairly level voice, "He got away. He had very weird attacks. He made these clay bomb bug things with his hands. He was the most annoying person I've ever had to fight."
"So he got away?" Sakura's eyebrows drew together in a worried line, "Exactly how many of these Akatsuki people are there?"
"I don't really know. Tsunade-sama has always wanted me to stay out of all that stuff. So I've never been really told much about them. All I know is that they want the Kyuubi inside me. I never knew why until you told me Sakura-chan," Naruto's tanned fingers grasped at his chest at the thought, the orange fabric folding beneath the abuse of the appendages.
"You … believe me?" Sakura asked in surprise. None of the humans she had told had given any credit to her beliefs. But then again, Naruto was running off with her at her request.
"Of course Sakura… Why would you lie about something like that? Even if you are wrong… at least it's some sort of answer," the Kyuubi container finished this last bit softly.
Ahead of him, the pinkette's eyes softened at his words laced with tangible melancholy. It must have been terrible for him to be kept in the dark about people who wanted to take his life just to get at the Kyuubi within him. As she was about to reply Sakura nearly stumbled at the blatantly sinister chakra signature coming from behind them. How could she have not noticed it before? Maybe whoever it was had just started to catch up with them?
The woman said softly so only Naruto could hear her, "We are being followed but it's not a Konoha nin…"
Naruto asked, "Do you know who it is?"
"No, but whoever it is… is a very bad person," the ominous chakra made her sick to her stomach. It was someone who liked to kill. The murderous edge was sharper than even Sasori's signature.
"It's probably an Akatsuki," Naruto supplied, somewhat angrily, "What do you want to do?" The urge to turn around and fight was strong in the young man. He hated running away like a coward.
"We will run," Sakura said the very thing that Naruto loathed to hear, "It's better for us to make it to the entrance of Silvermoon. We've got at least a couple hours yet at this pace. So I'm going to feed chakra into both of us, to make us move faster."
Naruto caught up with the girl, and they started to leap from branch to branch side by side, before whispering, "I'm going to make clones of us… once I do, do whatever it is you plan on doing to us to make us go faster."
"Alright," the girl agreed swiftly remembering the jutsu well, having seen him use it several times on his team mates during many of their practice sessions.
Naruto crossed his forefingers as he muttered under his breath, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
A puff of smoke was the only indicator that a jutsu had been done. Several pairs, perfect copy images of themselves took off in many different directions. Sakura murmured pulling on her chakra reserves as she did so, "Oh breath of Zephyr, submit to my desires," clapping her hands she finished, "carry me safely to the land of my kin."
Grabbing Naruto's hands as her feet began to glow yellow with chakra, they zoomed away at unfailing speed, a colorful blur beneath the jade canopy of the forest growth. It was almost all Naruto could do to hold on to Sakura's hand but she had nothing on Gamabunta as they blazed over the branches at eye watering speeds.
-oOo-
Neji found the ANBU team just as they were beginning to break down their camp. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon and they were already up and nearly ready to go. It was a feat in itself just to find them. He doubted he would have found them if he did not possess the Byakugan. It was obvious to the Hyuga male that the Uchiha ran his squad in a meticulous manner.
He felt self-satisfied as he was able to come upon the higher ranked ANBU without them being aware of his presence. Or so he thought until the tell-tale poof echoed behind him and a kunai was placed at his throat.
Neji recognized the voice as Itachi's as he stated in query as he recognized the tell-tale coffee colored hair and cream hued clothing, "Hyuga?"and the kunai was immediately pulled away.
The Hyuga male turned around to meet Sharingan enhanced eyes gleaming at him through the ANBU mask, "The Hokage sent me with a message for you. There has been a change in your current orders…"
Itachi's subordinates started to come over to them but Itachi held up his hand ordering them to stay back without words, "Sakura…" He already knew it was about the young woman.
Neji nodded immediately, "Yes. Apparently she and Naruto ran off together somewhere unknown to us…"
Sharingan eyes narrowed dangerously, "What? Why would she do that?"
"You haven't heard yet have you?" the Hyuga's shoulders sagged slightly giving away his worry, but his face remained perfectly stoic as any good male member of his clan's should, "The Akatsuki got their hands on the eighth container. Naruto is as you know the last… he must have said something to Sakura… we're really not sure. All we found was a note stating that they were leaving Konoha for awhile and that they were alright and not to worry about them…"
"Why didn't anyone go after them? Why are you even here?" Itachi's voice was sharply terse. Anger and fear for Sakura was blossoming in his chest though his face showed none of it.
"No one saw them leave… Tsunade said that you would be the only one able to find Sakura, and in turn find Naruto," Neji ignored the other clan lordling's rude tone and continued, "she says your squad should be able to handle whatever mission she's assigned and for you to return to Konoha as soon as possible so that you can track down the missing … pair."
A fierce growl ripped from his chest as he tore off his mask, "Isao, Hiro, apparently you two will have to finish this mission alone. The Hokage has ordered me to return to Konoha…"
The two saluted him and Isao responded curtly, "Of course, Captain-sama."
And before Neji could react Itachi was gone in the blink of an eye. After traveling all night to find the ANBU team, it was a struggle to catch up and keep up, but he managed to do so.
Neji spoke to break the silence after they had traveled for a couple hours, which was very unusual for him, but he could no longer stand the cold anger emanating off of the male ahead of him at break neck speed, "I don't envy you Uchiha, but yet strangely enough I do."
After several moments Itachi grunted, "What are you talking about Hyuga?"
"That woman of yours. She's always causing you some sort of trouble, saying odd things, or does something that inevitably draws attention to her very unique self," Neji said only to hear a huff of agreement from the male in front of him, "And yet every time I see her with you… I can clearly see that she loves you with a steadfastness that any male would envy."
"Why bring this up Hyuga?" Itachi's shoulders had stiffened at the last set of words, knowing them to be true. Sakura had declared her love to him a few times now and still despite her open honesty he had said nothing in response to her obviously truthful declarations, and yet she always looked up at him with those large beautiful luminescent viridian eyes of hers as if she already knew how he felt about her.
Neji replied without fail, "After seeing her fight with Kakashi, I seriously contemplated… trying to take her from you just because of the sheer power she exuded that day. It would be most beneficial to any clan to integrate that woman's blood into their lineage. I'd wondered from time to time what things would have been like if I'd been the one who'd found her and ordered to guard her. But, every time I saw her, seen they way she looked at you, I knew it was a lost cause from the start."
Itachi growled under his breath, the thought of anyone taking Sakura from him made him feel out right murderous, "Are you just wanting to piss me off Hyuga…? Because it's working really rather well…" the Uchiha's fists clenched, intensely aching to punch something or someone.
"I'm telling you this, because you're a lucky bastard and I feel you need to be told that you are. People like us don't find someone like Sakura very often," the Hyuga's voice sharpened in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, "I can see you're nearly in a blind rage over this situation, but I think you just really need to focus on bringing her home before the Akatsuki gets their hands on either her or Naruto."
The two males fell into silence the rest of the way to Konoha, lost in thought. Itachi resolved that once he found her, he was going to lock Sakura up and swallow the key. It seemed no matter what the girl said or did, she was always causing some sort of trouble. Yet despite these thoughts, all the anger he had felt previously at her breaking the promise she made him, all that he felt inside was fear for her safety.
-oOo-
Only when she began to feel the tug on her chakra reserves did she slow down.
"Whoa!" Naruto breathed through his teeth before letting loose an amazed whistle, "That actually felt kind of amazing Sakura-chan. I think my eyes actually dried out…"
Sakura would have laughed if she didn't feel urgency nipping at her heels. Despite having tried to trick their pursuer and put distance between them, it did not work, and she could still feel the sinister chakra not too far behind them. The pinkette said, "Whoever it is, wasn't fooled Naruto… he or she is still following us pretty closely."
The pinkette was startled by the animalistic growl that left Naruto's throat, "Let's just fight him Sakura."
Sakura didn't reply, because the little hairs on the back of her neck raised in trepidation as she realized that whoever it was, was now in front of them. There were only a few beings she knew that could move that quickly, and they were from her own kin. Sakura knew that the one pursuing them was not a Sin'dorei, but a human shinobi. Naruto was probably right, it was probably an Akatsuki. Their pursuer was more than likely aware that his prey knew they were being followed by their attempts at escaping.
Grabbing Naruto's sleeve Sakura gestured for him to stop. Pulling her bow off her shoulder, she quickly cocked an arrow and pulled, whilst ignoring the curious look Naruto was giving her. Fire based chakra swirled around the metal tip and Sakura aimed in the general direction of their mysterious pursuer, letting the arrow fly a moment later.
"Hold on to my hand Naruto," Sakura ordered as the arrow struck a tree in the distance, giving a ground shaking, ear splitting explosion.
Naruto did as he was bade, his hand trustingly folding over her very small delicate one, and her brain fumbled for the right words, "Wind which blows across the endless expanse. Become one with my will."
Bending her knees, Sakura gripped Naruto's hand ever tighter as they rocketed off into the sky above them at least a couple hundred feet up. The blond let out a surprised eep but said nothing as they hit the peak, and then gently began to descend in the direction of their destination. This had to have put them in front of the one who chased them Sakura hoped.
They landed on a branch and Naruto asked in a whisper, "Is he gone?"
Sakura was about to reply when tendrils of vegetation began to wind themselves around her ankle and before she could open her mouth they were already wrapped around her knees. Instinctively she shoved Naruto out of the way as the strangest looking human began to melt out of the tree trunk right beside her. Sprouting from his shoulder, a large mouth-like venus flytrap protruded. One half of his face white, the other black The pinkette ordered Naruto as the vines had her now completely encased from ankle to neck, their pinpricks scratching against sensitive skin, "Run NARUTO!"
"Hell no!" Naruto reached into his pack to grab a pair of kunai.
Desperately her chakra touched the Kyuubi's, prodding his attention to her, she said desperately in Thalassian, "Please Kyuubi get him out of here now! I beg of you! Take him to Silvermoon. Where the light of the moon and the sun meet, Silvermoon remains hidden. My people will help you both if possible! You do not want to suffer the fate of the Shukaku! I will catch up to you if I can."
Suddenly Naruto felt his body freeze up just as he released two kunai at the weird plant shinobi and the Kyuubi began to immediately take over his body and move in his stead. His pupils contracted as they took in the both of them. Sakura yelled once more in the human tongue, "Naruto, when you get there, ask for Captain Sathren Azuredawn and tell him that Alshara sent you."
The pinkette could see the protest in Naruto's eyes as he was forcibly turned by the inner beast within him and he began to run in the opposite direction.
The dark side of Zetsu growled at the retreating kyuubi container, "Oh no you don't brat!"
Several tendrils snaked after Naruto and quickly Sakura murmured, "Spirit of fire, crimson flames dance…" And though her hands were bound, her palms were touching the greenery that engulfed her. Immediately fire traversed over the vines, burning her assailant and scorching her own skin painfully as the vines fell away from her blackened.
She repeated the weave before the human plant could react to having just had his weaponry burned to ashes and sent a well aimed fireball at the vines that trailed dangerously close at the heels of her friend. They shriveled away uselessly and a breath of relief left her lungs. It was more important that Naruto escaped. Once inside Silvermoon, no one would be able to get to him. Sakura prayed to Alah'ni to beseech the kind nature of Queen Sunstrider to protect Naruto.
Sakura swallowed as she realized that she had the full attention of the cloaked Akatsuki in front of her. Her green eyes narrowed on him as she leapt to the branch that barred his path in the direction of the now long gone Naruto, "I will not let you pass…"
The Akatsuki threw back his head and laughed, the venus flytrap things at his neck wriggling in the most disgusting manner as he did so. His icy golden eyes encompassed the prey in front of him, licking his lips as he stared her down, "You look delicious little girl. I can smell you from here. Never met anyone that smelled of wild strawberries."
Her hands tightened into fists, "I'd give you indigestion…"
Sakura's eyes widened as his voice changed, it was like a different person was speaking, "We can't eat her. Shisui wants her alive remember."
The voice changed back to the more evil, deeper tone of before, "Yes, yes, you always ruin anything that might seem remotely entertaining. He didn't say we couldn't have fun with our prey first…"
What the…? Sakura was taken off guard and she watched with trepidation as the male began to merge with the tree. His body was out of sight before she could even think to react. With a fear filled screech, the Sin'dorei sensed his presence below her and just as a hand reached up for an ankle, the girl moved far to the side well away from the groping fingers.
He was by far the creepiest person she'd ever had the misfortune to meet. His first words to her had indicated that he was a cannibal. Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't quite notice him come up behind her and he wrapped his arms around her, the tips of the prongs of his venus flytrap floated passed her fear filled eyes. She shuddered when a raspy tongue slithered up the back of her neck.
"Aiiiiiyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!" Sakura couldn't help herself. She never believed she was the screechy type of female before, but then again she'd never been licked by a human venus flytrap either.
She began to struggle beneath iron arms that held her immobile; his breath teased her hair as he laughed in enjoyment of her fear of him. The black side said, "We are Zetsu, tasty little girl."
Her brain was screaming at her to get away from him. Sakura was unprepared for the feel of his tongue on her cheek, but this time only a startled peep left her when this time the white side spoke, "It's rude not to introduce yourself, especially if we took the time to tell you our name."
Instead of replying to his demands, Sakura's hand snaked down to grasp his wrist to his consternation, "Blue wind and flame! Grant the power of thunder to my hand!" her voice choked out the command, "Lightning!"
It was obvious Zetsu did not expect the painful blue white voltage to travel through his limbs. He released his grip on his prey as his body convulsed for a good several seconds. Sakura took that time to put distance between them, her green eyes narrowed, as loud gasps left her tiny, slender body, "Do. Not. Underestimate. Me"
Sakura was barely able to move aside as he retaliated angrily at her strange, yet very painful attack. A large whip of a poison vine snaked out to stab her. She quickly moved to the side to avoid the green appendage. Taking her bow off of her shoulder once more, she plucked an arrow from her quiver and easily cocked the weapon straight for the male's face. She knew he'd melt away again into the tree but she would be able to use it as a distraction to maybe get away.
Letting the fiery infused arrow loose, he did exactly as she hoped and it seemed as if the intentions of running on the trail of the trajectory weapon would work as planned, she forced chakra into her feet and blazed past. Leaping to the side before the arrow struck the trunk of a tree, the explosion sent sprays of wooden splinters in every direction as she ducked and rolled.
The Sin'dorei swallowed hard as she sensed the now rage filled chakra signature hot on her heels. If she could get into the open somehow, she'd have a better chance, she thought to herself. Fortunately she quickly found what she was looking for, weaving in and around the branches of pine, realizing she had traveled up higher in elevation than she first initially realized. Sakura was inwardly relieved to know that she had gotten Naruto far closer than she had known.
Just as she was about to leap down into the open field, a hand gripped her ankle and swung her around, hard against the trunk of a pine. The grisly bark scraped her skin through her clothes painfully and she groaned from the sensation. She suddenly found herself face to face with Zetsu, who was smirking at her pain filled features. The black side growled mercilessly, "If it weren't for my orders, I would eat you alive little girl."
Sakura couldn't help the sarcastic reply on her tongue as she bit out, "That might be a better fate than smelling your breath." Which was not far from the truth. What in the hell had he eaten for breakfast? She wanted to gag on the odor. She realized however that she didn't really want to know any more about his twisted eating habits than she already did. She tried not to flinch as his hands held her tightly against the tree, once more holding her immobile.
At first Zetsu couldn't believe the cheeky reply he'd just received from a mere slip of girl. Most people were smart enough to cower in front of someone like him. Instead she issued something that sounded like a challenge to him in that language she'd spoke to the Jinchuriki in, "Bandu thoribas."
"You're a spunky little thing, I'll give you that," the white side finally spoke.
Sakura's eyes narrowed on the very, tall and large imposing male in front of her, her only words spoken were, "Strength of the earth, gather in my feet, become my might!"
Chakra glowed over her sandaled feet as Sakura ignored the painful burns on her arms and the scratches on her back. The girl resolved to truly fight her way out of this as she lifted her foot and brought it down in a powerful stomp. The earth beneath them both shook and began to fissure dangerously under Zetsu's feet. Once more he was forced to release his hold on her.
Sakura took the chance to bound away to the middle of the field. She turned to face her opponent but he was no where to be seen. The pinkette's face paled. Could he travel in the ground as well? Just as the thought floated passed her brain, Zetsu began to come up out of the ground inches from her.
Leaping back, Sakura wasted no time, raising her hands in the air. Azure energy formed on the tips of her fingers, icy fog swirling about her bruised ankles and feet, "Spirit who traverses freely between sky and earth, gently flowing water, gather in my humble hands. Glacier spike!" The whirls of white tendrils traversed, spiraling up her shaking, burned and now bruised arms, forming a long sliver of ice in her outstretched palms.
Zetsu's eyes widened as the girl brought the ice down and hit the ground with it. As it impacted the ice spread and he found himself stuck in freezing ice nearly up to the waist. He couldn't but help smirk at the girl, "Very interesting indeed. You speak to control chakra in the most interesting ways."
Sakura didn't reply as she was too angry at the cocky look on his face. So she did something that Zetsu would never, ever forget, even if it wouldn't exactly stop him, it would make her feel better. Her elbow cocked back and she socked him in the face. She wasn't a strong person physically, and so it angered the Akatsuki more than anything had in a long time as the meager blow only managed to split his lip. When he tasted his own blood, he saw red dance before his eyes as he felt the blow was nothing more than blatant mockery, "I'm done playing with you… little girl…"
With a roar, the ice shattered from his form. Sakura tried to back away, but he came at her, his movements fast and unpredictable as he weaved back and forth with several tendrils of poison vines coming straight for her. The pinkette grabbed her bow and lifted it with shaky fingers. The vines grabbed it from her fingers, and crushed it in front of her. Her taijutsu was still weak at best and it did little to fend him off as he back handed her, sending her flying several feet.
Her body pitched and rolled painfully over the uneven surface of the rocky ground. Coughing, blood dribbling down from the corner of her lip; she lifted herself bodily with her hands and knees, only to see his elongated shadow engulfing her frame. He smirked down at her, the black side cackling, "And just what do you think you can do little girl?"
"My name is Sakura," she bit out tersely, tired of his derogatory remarks.
"Oh so now you're willing to give us your name," Zetsu's white side laughed down at her.
"Earth below…" Sakura began to start another weave.
The male brought up his foot, kicking her in the gut, "We'll have none of that…"
Coughing once more Sakura glanced up at him, red tears trailing down her cheeks at the pain, her will still strong and with nothing but iron resolve she finished the weave, "Me… Submit to my desires!"
Bloody hands curled into the coarse dirt breaking her nails and bloodying her fingers as a large stone spike shot up out of the ground from beneath the Akatsuki. He moved aside just in time to avoid being injured, but the sharp tip caught the edge of his cloak, and ripped it in the process.
Arms shaking as she tried to lift herself. She wanted to keep him away from her to allow her time to recover, "Holy wind which traverses the land, let all things be filled with your pure breath."
Zetsu could hear her speaking in that odd lilting tone again and so he raced around the earth spike and raised his foot, placing it on her back, he forced her to the ground, the black side ordering her tersely, "Shut your mouth bitch or I will kill you!"
Sakura knew that she couldn't escape her own attack due to his close proximity but she was resolved to at cause him one last bit of pain as she released the final vestiges of her strength with two simple words leaving her small frame in a mere hoarse rasp, "Ice Dagger!"
Pellets of ice assaulted them both, Sakura and Zetsu cried out at the same time as the sharp pellets cut at any available area of skin. Bits of blood dripped from her various wounds but there was a satisfied smile on her face that Zetsu couldn't see, but he heard her say in triumph, "It's alright… Naruto got away…"
And with that she allowed the comfort of darkness to engulf her mind.
-oOo-
Meanwhile Naruto found himself on the other side of two obelisk shaped granite pillars with two yellow runes at the top.
Tears were running down his whiskered cheeks as he berated the kyuubi within him, "How could you allow her to do that? That Akatsuki will kill her!"
Kyuubi's answered echoed in his head, "She wanted you to live. I complied with her request."
"WHY?" Naruto screeched in his own head, "You… you never listen to anyone… WHY now?!"
"Because she granted me a peace I have not known since I was free to traverse the planet on my true plane of existence, before you humans snatched me from it, rather rudely I might add," the kyuubi sneered in complete derision as he replied, "And also because she fears that the Akatsuki wish to use my power to release the Lord of Dreams. If they do that… we may all cease to exist. It is against my nature to wish for a fate worse than death. Is not oblivion worse than death?"
"But … if we had stayed we might have had a chance if we stuck together," Naruto argued back, still filled with anger.
"It is not in my nature to leave things to chance. Her decision was the wisest one. I, being the fox that I am, followed the most cunning course of action," Kyuubi said in a matter of fact way that left his container speechless.
"Halt human!" a voice ordered tersely.
Naruto turned; his blue eyes meeting stern turquoise. The male who stood before him was dressed all in white, with a fancy looking sword at his side. His pristine white hair was tied back in a ponytail. The blond rubbed his cheeks with his hand to wipe away the traces of tears as he said, "I'm supposed to ask for Satyr, I mean Sath… Sathren Bluesky, or Azuremorning… or something like that."
The Sin'dorei folded tanned muscled arms across his chest, his eyebrow twitching at the human's massacre of his name, "And what were you supposed to say to this person once you found him?"
"Ur… that … Alshana… or Alshera sent me," Naruto bumbled once more.
Kyuubi had enough of his container's nonsense and groused at him, "Alshara… is the name you're searching for. She sent you to look for Sathren Azuredawn. Was I the only one listening….?"
Naruto mentally argued back, "Hey! I was busy trying to fight your hold on me dammit!"
The chakra fox within smirked, "Are you telling me boy you can't do two things at once?"
"Oh shut up…" Naruto murmured out loud tersely.
"Excuse me?" Sathren's eyes narrowed on the very strange human.
"Ur uh…" the blond rubbed the back of his head, "I'm supposed to be looking for Sathren Azuredawn… Sakura said… I was told to say Alshara sent me to find this person."
Sathren murmured a few choice things in Thalassian before redirecting his attention on the brightly dressed human, "I am Sathren Azuredawn. Why has Alshara broken our laws and sent a human to the sacred city of Silvermoon…?"
"She said something about the Akatsuki trying to summon the Lord of Dreams. They are after the Kyuubi inside me, I guess they need its power to open something or other," Naruto explained his blue eyes wide and he burst out when the thought of Sakura's situation chose to come to the forefront of his mind once more, "I need to go back to save Sakura…!"
"Save Alshara?" Sathren's broad shoulders tensed, "What happened boy?"
"We were attacked by one of those Akatsuki. Sakura forced me ahead to the city… so that I wouldn't be captured," Naruto's shoulders drooped at that last bit, guilt eating at his gut for leaving the woman behind, even if it was forced.
"Where is her mate? Why were you both alone?" Sathren's hand was on his hilt now.
Naruto replied easily, "He was sent away on another mission. It was Sakura's idea to run away here alone… I guess she felt that the Akatsuki wouldn't be able to get to me here…"
Sathren felt a momentary pang of fear for the woman that would have been his mate if he hadn't treated her so badly in their younger days. He wasn't at all surprised by her hard headedness and he almost felt sorry for the male in charge of her care. Almost. The queen had sent him to the entrance to wait for Alshara, she had told him that she was on her way to Silvermoon, but the queen hadn't mentioned anything about the human. However, she had ordered him to allow any companions that she might have into Silvermoon, if the first gate had allowed them to pass. And for the first time ever, the sentinel obelisks had allowed a human male, a container for an earth spirit no less, enter the boundaries of their sacred city.
"Come with me…." Captain Azuredawn paused, waiting for the boy to give his name.
"Naruto Uzumaki," the blond easily interjected, "I can't go in there with you… I have to go back to save Sakura…"
"Alshara sacrificed her safety for yours. You will respect that Naruto Uzumaki," Sathren's tone brook no argument as he ushered the young human male in front of him, "Feel honored. You are the first human to ever set foot in Silvermoon as a guest of her majesty, Queen Sunstrider…"
"But… but," Naruto tried to argue but something about the stern look in those glowing, ice cold aquamarine eyes, and the blond found himself complying wordlessly, guilt still eating away at him. Maybe Sakura's people would be able to do something about it, he tried to tell himself. Even still, sadness tore at his heart, and a salty tear trekked down his cheek. He couldn't stand the thought of someone sacrificing themselves for him, for his safety.
However as he arrived through the inner gates, his azure eyes widened and his troubles were momentarily forgotten. The city was as Sakura had described it exactly. A surprised hiss of air left his lungs as a broom swept by, cleaning the streets, but there was no one pushing it along. It had a will of its own. They walked down a large marble walkway and on each side huge statues of warrior-like looking people at least fifty feet or taller, made all of marble, eyes embedded with what Naruto swore were sapphires. As they traversed the busy streets, Naruto noticed something immediately. Everyone he saw had white hair, and glowing blue eyes. There was not one person who looked anything like Sakura. He stored that information in his mind away for later.
Naruto could feel everyone's eyes on him, and he realized there was some malice behind several of those stares. He ignored this however, somewhat used to that behavior from people, human or not. The Captain of the Guard led him to the largest and most spectacular building he'd ever seen in his life.
It was almost like a castle like in the children's fairytales, except it was not made of brick and mortar. The buildings were a soft white, not a piercingly blinding white, with spirals reaching at least a hundred feet in the air, the rooftops were stark sanguine. They passed by two guards with large dangerous double-bladed weapons in their hands. Sathren murmured something to them in their language and they let them pass by, their eyes following him suspiciously as he strode past.
Naruto was led through beautiful gardens, hues of brilliant purple, gold, oranges, pinks and reds met his bedazzled eyes and as he glanced at the soft gray swirling marble fountain with a milky marbled phoenix rising out of the top above the spurting water. He realized that the colors of the gardens reminded him of a brilliant sunset or sunrise.
Suddenly Sathren halted and bowed deeply at the waist. Naruto stopped just before accidently walking into the man in front of him. Curious azure eyes roamed over the top of the bowing male and a blond eyebrow raised in inquisitive wonder as a very beautiful woman approached them. Long flowing, slightly curling white hair, streaked with vivid gold fell in a swathe down to just past her waist. Glowing blue eyes and almost piercingly eerie red pupils met his with silent welcome.
He could hear the hem of her blue dress softly scraping the ground as she approached him. A soft smile twisted her beautiful lips, her voice was almost like music as she greeted him kindly, "Welcome son of Neph'o, friend of Alshara."
-oOo-
Translation: "Bandu Thoribas" – Prepare to fight!