All late but huge thankerz to Rayven818, , and ty7769 (Sorry if it's wrong. I'm sorta in a rush) for favoriting my story! Thank you, oh so, very much!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
~Naruto's POV~
That bastard is going to pay for what he did! I ran past each civilian, which was pretty easy since some still refused to be around me. They just moved out of my way. Refusing to put up with their attitudes, I jumped onto the roofs and made my way. I could sense the familiar chakra coming in the direction of the setting sun. We'll definitely bring you back Azumi. Definitely. I sped off in that direction when I noticed...
"Naruto? I thought you went to search for Kazuma?" Sakura asked, more than stated. Now I was confused. I thought I had left here as well. I was right back where I had started: the hospital.
"I did, but... Kazuma's chakra keeps leading me here. How's that possible?" Within minutes, Haruka came from behind me.
"Naruto, I thought you'd found Kazuma. Hurry up and lead us to him." Haruka demanded from me, leaning on her hip with a desperate look. I scratched the back of my neck, confusion etched into my expression. I had no idea of what to do. But...
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't? Kakashi's depending on us, Naruto. On US to find my.." Haruka's eyes drooped briefly before continuing, "..my dad. If we can't locate him, then we've let down all of Konoha. We have to do this. Do this for me. Or no. Do this for Konoha. Konoha needs you, Naruto."
Haruka took a hold on one of my hands, grasping it reassuringly before letting go. I, wide eyed, didn't know what to say to that. That was unexpected. H-How do I react!? Now, there's much more pressure on me! WAAH! What do I do!? I hesitated to speak. I was utterly speechless.
"I-I'll do my best! For Azumi and Konoha and Sasuke and-" Before I could finish, Haruka shut my mouth and began dragging me away towards the Hokage tower. I guess I was wasting time. I don't know why, but Sakura hesitated to come. She took one glance at us and walked away. Maybe she'd join us later. I know she will.
Arriving at the Hokage tower, we noticed that it was rather scarce of Jounins, which sometimes roam around in here. Haruka, still dragging me, was walking at a fast pace. When we reached the Hokage's door, a voice commanded us to come in before we could knock.
"Milady, Kakashi told me to come here if Naruto was getting us nowhere, which he was."
Stab.
My feelings. Ouch. Jerks. Have they no mercy on my poor soul? Haruka looked at me in a manner Sakura would to get me to shut up. I gulped and put my hand to my chest, trying to show her how it hurt my poor little self's feelings. She ignored me and looked away, trying to listen to Tsunade Obaa-san.
"Yes, I know. I need you both to go and assist Kakashi. The others (Jounins) are already there. Which leads me to ask... Where is Sakura?"
"She bail-"
"She said she'd catch up to us. Don't worry, Obaa-Chan. I'll make sure to inform her of the current situation." I interrupted Haruka who glared at me and humphed, turning her head to look away.
"But Tsunade-sama, why do we need to go? Why do we Chuunins have to do with any of this?" Haruka asked. Tsunade looked at her, somehow conflicted.
She hesitated to speak but answered, "You will go to Konoha's gates and wait there. This is a special mission only you can do. That is all I'll sa-"
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"THAT is all I'll say. Just go. " Tsunade stated as her eyebrows scrunched. She closed her eyes and sighed after looking at Haruka.
I took one good look at Haruka and realized: She was hurting. Emotionally, she was broken. She was desperately trying to cling onto the fact that her father was a traitor. The man who had raised her was... For all we could know, a rapist. Or something. How did I come up with rapist? Oh yeah. He abducted Azumi's body. Right.
After signaling us to go, we ran side by side, yet so distant. This wasn't the same cheerful Haruka I knew. She was emotion deprived. I could hardly believe this was the girl whom I cared for. What happened to the girl who once smiled? The one who was violent-ish? The girl I'd come to like and know? All those thoughts ran through my head and before I knew it, we'd made it to the Konoha gates.
"He's out here?" I looked around, watching for any sign of activity. Haruka was silent and watchful, too.
"This is where Kakashi and Tsunade told me to come. But.. Where is everyon-" Before she could finish, Haruka stumbled a few feet away. I noticed something or someone standing next to me with the most pedophilic (A/N: not sure if that's the right word..) gleam.
"It's a shame it had to be this way, Haruka. I thought you knew better than to open your mouth about daddy's business!"
"KAZUMA!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
~Kakashi's POV~ (A while earlier)
"Well, let's get going!" Haruka shouted, already running towards the window.
"Um.. No, that's okay. You follow Naruto while I head to the Hokage tower. If, and I'm pretty sure he will, Naruto is a lost cause, report to the Hokage tower. Tsunade will tell you where to go, then." Haruka nodded, comprehending my orders and was off.
"Why don't you join them, Sakura?" I looked at her through the corner of my eye, just enough to see her expression. She looked traumatized, the poor child. But this was what she had signed up for when she chose to become a ninja. It had been ultimately up to her.
"I-It's fine. I'll just... wait. Don't worry about me. Just go ahe-"
"Sakura, I need you to do something important." She looked at me, curiosity evident in her expression. "Contact Haruka's mother, immediately. She and I have some talking to do. Send her my way!"
"But-!"
I was gone before she could finish. I jumped out the window and made my way to inform Tsunade of my plan. I'm sorry, Haruka. But it's crucial for this plan to work.
Sakura worked fast, surprisingly. By the time I had reached Tsunade, Ayame, Haruka's mother, was present. Mental note: Kakashi, you need to step up your game. Snapping back to reality, Ayame looked worried, stressed.
"Ayame, if you have anything to say, say it now. We have no time to waste for beating around the bush kind of shit-"
"I'M SORRY! I SHOULD'VE SPOKEN UP SOONER! KAZUMA.. Kazuma.. He..." She spoke between sobs, her voice cracking with each word. "He'd been acting weird ever since we came to this village. How could I have been so foolish? I hadn't even realized it myself but he'd always had a.. soft... spot for Haruka. Too soft for a father daughter relationship. I'd asked Haruka about it but.. She was always hesitant and quiet about that topic. Why!? How does this bypass me!? When he left for that rescue mission, he told me it was an important thing to him. That he had an urge to save this poor girl I had met; Haruka's friend, Azumi. I didn't know it'd come to this!"
"So even you don't know? His own wife..." Tsunade spoke coolly. Eyes widening, fists clenching, Ayame looked up.
"Wh-What do you mean? What is it? What don't I know!?"
"Kazuma isn't only... What we assume him to be. This is his big score. Azumi is his big score. He'll have a girl to fuck and power to steal if his hands are on Azumi." With my conclusion, Ayame broke into a hysterical crying fit.
"Now that that's been verified, Yondaime?" Tsunade looked to me, a clear questioning expression staring at me. "I need you to send Haruka to the main gates when she comes here-"
"Kakashi, what are you planning?" Tsunade's piercing eyes studied me, questioning me.
"Please, for the sake of Konoha, I need you to clear the main entrance. There can be no civilians nearby for this to work. But sadly, some must be sacrificed." Before the two females (Ayame and Tsunade) could interrupt, I continued, "No, not sacrificed as in death. Sacrificed as in possible injuries or if worst case scenario... Rape-"
Now, they did interrupt.
"What the hell are you thinking!? My daughter is not going! I forbid you to allow such a thing, Tsuna-!"
"Approved." Tsunade answered, although it was apparent she was disgusted with herself. "I'm sorry, Ayame. But what's a better way to lure a pedophile than with his favorite playtoy?"
At this, Ayame stayed silent as her eyes widened even further. As I headed out, I turned and was faced with a face full of sorrow. A face where tears would be left uncried.
Upon my arrival to where my hounds smelled Kazuma, I noticed that it was quite vacant. There wasn't any chaos. Heck, there was nothing suspicious. The villagers frolicked freely without a care. There weren't any Jounins anywhere. Where the heck were they? I looked down to my hound, when it clicked. They were.. Lost. Confused. His scent.. was everywhere.
So that's why we can't locate him. Fuck. This makes everything much harder. Well, no actually. Where's the Hyuuga or Neji? Wait no, fuck. Neji's out on a mission and so is the- FUCK! I'm glad my emotions are well kept. My dogs poofed away after I sent them away. I was in the shitter right now. For now, I'd have to rely on my plan.
"Sucks, I'd been hoping that I'd find him first rather than having to go with that plan." I ran my hand through my hair and released a sigh. Well, better get going going. I ran as quickly as I could, hoping that I'd get to my destination as quick as possible. Who knows what could be happening at this moment. Haruka, Naruto, I'm seriously sorry it's come to this.
"KAZUMA!"
Is that Naruto? Don't tell me-! Just as I set foot on ground by the enormous gate, I was blown away by a gust full of unnaturally immense chakra and crashed into the spot where Izumo and Kotetsu would keep guard. This chakra.. There's no doubt about it! Standing up, I scanned the scene in hopes of verifying my hypothesis. Low and behold, my plan had worked, but not exactly as I had planned. It was verified. Naruto was indeed the cause of the chakra outburst. Fuck, Kakashi! How could you've not taken into account that Naruto's protective of Haruka!? At this rate, he'll... Fuck.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
~Narrator's POV~
Malevolent chakra engulfed his very being to the core, staining his once cerulean blue eyes with the tainted red color of blood. His eyelids were darker as if he was wearing eye shadow and his pupils were in slits like those of a cat. The nails on his arms lengthened as did his canines.
"LET HER GO!" At such impossible speeds, Naruto pierced the enemy in his chest and flung him onto the gate. Haruka, now in rags, crawled away to Kakashi like she had met death itself. Green horrified eyes met red infuriated ones, yet they dared not look away.
"Never let the enemy get behind your back!" Within the blink of an eye, Naruto dodged Kazuma's attempt on attacking him and pinned him to the floor. Kazuma calmly faced Naruto, not a single hint of fear evident. Naruto's fangs bared, his way of showing that he had overpowered Kazuma.
"Where's Azumi?" Naruto's voice, rather than goofy and calm, came out sharp and commanding. It was.. demonic. Haruka, awestruck, could only watch and sob quietly to herself. Where was the Naruto she knew? Where had he gone?
"I don't need to answer you, you insolent fool. Kill me. Go ahead. I won't stop you, but you'll never find the girl. Azumi, was it-?"
"SHUT UP AND ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" Naruto's hand clenched over Kazuma's neck, tighter each passing moment. His claws dug into Kazuma's throat which resulted with Kazuma letting out a croak as blood seeped out.
"Naruto, that's enough!" Kakashi ran over to the two on the ground and attempted on pushing Naruto. Barely dodging, Kakashi was surprised Naruto swung at him. Naruto stood and had one hand on Kazuma's today while the other was out and ready to swing. He eyed Naruto and seen the stage he was in: Three tails.
"I'm sorry Naruto but that's enough!" And with one swing to the gut, Naruto lost his air and released Kazuma. Surprisingly, Kazuma still had a pulse. Kakashi released the air he had subconsciously held in and looked to Naruto who was still in his... whatever you call it. He was on his knees, clutching his stomach. Luckily though, now he had only one tail. That meant he'd have some more sense in him.
"Naruto, you need to control yourself. Don't let it get to you-"
"H-How!? I can feel its hatred rise, but I can only hold on for so long..!" Naruto struggled to speak, clutching his stomach due to the immense pain it was causing him. Not because of Kakashi's kick, but something else.
"Naruto," Kakashi kneeled down and grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "Think about how Haruka's feeling. She's scared. Scared of what you might become. Don't let her down. Don't let it get to you. Do it. For Haruka."
With a small gust of wind, Naruto's body returned to its natural state. His eyes, which had widened since Haruka was brought up, were back to being cerulean blue.
"Haruka!" Closing his eyes to regular size, he stood and ran over to Haruka, but haltered for she had flinched. "Haruka?"
She was merely quiet. Her eyes were shadowed by her bangs, but it was obvious. Haruka was frightened. Of him. As well as Haruka, his spiky hair shadowed his eyes as he began walking away. Haruka's eyes lingered up and onto Naruto's retreating form, no intention of stopping him. She turned her head over to her father, staring emotionlessly at him. With his eyes shut, his chest rose slightly, indicating that he was alive barely.
"Haruka, I'm sorr- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE!" Hiccup. "Die- NO! LET ME KILL HIM! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE! NOT AFTER ALL HE'S DON-"
"We need him alive, Haruka! We need him to bring Azumi back!"
"BUT SHE'S DEAD! SHE SHOULDN'T MATTER ANYMORE! DEAD PEOPLE ARE USELESS-!"
"Shut your mouth, bitch." Both of the two people quarrelling stopped and looked over to:
"Sasuke, you should be resting. And be nice." Kakashi stood, dragging Haruka away from her father whom she tried stabbing in the chest. She allowed Kakashi to drag her, wondering if what she had said was overboard.
"How could I rest when this maniac was on the loose. And I'm not going to be nice just because 'she's going through a rough time'. How do you think I feel? Females aren't the only ones who can feel upset." Apparently, Sasuke thought she had gone overboard. And he was right. Haruka looked to the ground in repent, avoiding eye contact with Sasuke as much possible. Sasuke walked over to Kazuma who laid in front of the gate.
"What are you doing?" Haruka asked rather hostile, feeling a weird sensation come over her. She wanted to rush to her father's aid for some unnatural reason. She hated him, so why? Why, she did not know.
"I'm searching for any traces of Azumi-" Sasuke became silent as he froze. His eyes extended greatly, it was as if his eyes 'd pop out. Shakily, his hand hovered above Kazuma's collar. On Kazuma's neck was the very thing Sasuke despised, yet appreciated in some way: A curse mark. This curse mark was different, though. It had three wind shaped swirls, rather than tomoe like Sasuke had. Why did Kazuma have one?
"What the fuck is going on here?" Sasuke backed away from Kazuma, eyes wide with surprise. He clenched his fists and shut his eyes, thinking for a logical explanation. But then again, none of it had been logical up until then. So, no more thinking rationally. He had to think outside the box. It had seemed strange to Sasuke that suddenly an Uzu..
"That's it.." Sasuke whispered to himself, the answer finally dawning on him. If he was correct, then...
"What is it?" Kakashi asked, stepping away from Kazuma to hear out Sasuke. Haruka stood by her father's side, seemingly attached somehow.
"Haruka?" Sasuke's voice, emotionless as ever, broke the silence which had just started to settle in. "Do you happen to remember a man who reminds you of a snake when you were small?"
Haruka was silent, wide eyed that Sasuke could know of such. Kakashi, taking a hint, prepared himself to take action. "Yea-"
And with that, they were off. They sprinted towards the Hokage's office, leaving Haruka in their dirt. They hoped that maybe Tsunade would form a plan. They had a man to hunt down. A man who once was a great Sannin. But with the Kazuma and Azumi situation, it'd take some preparation, hence why they went to Tsunade. Haruka stared after them, frozen put in her spot. Her mentality urged her to go, but her body wasn't exactly on terms. Her heart.. What did it want? To leave? Or to stay? Well, technically, her body did whatever her heart wanted. You know, heart's desire? But.. She knew that wasn't how she felt. She wanted to ditch this mother fucker ASAP. So... What was keeping her there?
A cold laugh filled the air, breaking the silence in her thoughts and reality itself. This laugh sent chills up her spine. It shook her to the very core. This laugh she knew all to well.
"Sure, I'm hurt badly but I'm not dead," He stroked her hair in a seducing manner before whispering, "And you will obey me."
Haruka looked at her father through the corners of her eyes. She couldn't move. She was frozen in place. Was it because fear? That was possible, but even before he had gotten up, she still couldn't move. So what was it? Her answer became apparent. Clear as the day. Her eyes widened to saucers when green eyes met... his eyes. They weren't gold like how they should be.. They were blue- Manatsuru. (A/N: OMG that rhymed!)
"Y-You..!?" Haruka shrieked. Her father, Uzumaki Kazuma, had...
Azumi's eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Kakashi ran, he noticed something was off. A new Chakra filled the air. It hadn't been there before so...
"Do you sense it?" For being a Chunin, Sasuke seemed to have some exceptional sensory skills. It was vicious-like. Yet, somehow, familiar.
"This chakra is almost like..!" Without a second thought, Sasuke's body moved on its own. All sounds drowned out. The only thing he was focused on was getting to her. To the one person he cherished. To Azumi. Step by step, time felt as if it had slowed down. The world had become a dull gray and at the end of his path, a vivid blue. Just as his hand reached for his goal-
"AZUMI!" He froze. He was at the scene of a crime. The vivid blue light had led him to Haruka's house. He entered the house cautiously, unsure of what to expect. Many nurses rushed past him and into the basement. His eyes widened a fraction. There was blood on the floor, the curtains, everything. Blood wouldn't scare him. What scared him was the arm lying in a pool of blood on the floor that was feminine like. Picking up his pace, he went downstairs, ignoring the protests the nurses and ninjas gave him. Little by little, a torturous cry seeped into his ears. By the stairs in the basement, was a blood covered Haruka. Her eyes shed waterfalls as her mouth released sheer horror. However, Sasuke's ears couldn't register any of it. With every step, his heart's rate sped up.
Thump.
He was on the last step when he seen a lady sprawled onto the floor. Her intestines flowed out like someone had ripped them out of her. Bloody handprints covered her skin along with maggots that had begun to eat at what was left of her. It was Ayame. But... her arm wasn't missing.
Thump. Thump.
He swallowed hard and turned towards the closet in the corner. Along the walls were bloody drag marks and... kunai scratches. Finally, he began to register his surroundings. Haruka cried, wept, suffered.
"I'M SORRY! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" Were the horrific words that spewed from Haruka's mouth. On every wall were these words written in blood:
Don't just assume. Someday, assuming is going to get you killed. Just like I... Azumi. Assuming that the bad would save me got me here. How idiotic, huh?
Almost instantly, it registered in Sasuke's mind. Those words... Those were his words. To Azumi.
"Don't just assume. Someday, assuming is going to get you killed." Sasuke warned.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With every movement Sasuke's hands made to reach the knob, time got even slower and slower. Click. Eyes widened as the body fell out, slowly. With a thud, all noise was drowned out from Sasuke's ears. All colors became dull. His eyes watered as puddles of water escaped his eyes. By his feet lay his intended. Only, rather than a pain filled expression, there was the opposite.
A smile graced her lips. Her body, missing an arm. Her empty black pools stared back at him, taunting him.
"...Azumi..."
Thump.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This chapter just...WOAH. It's come to this. OMG I got the feels DX
Don't worry, though! This isn't the END end! ...This is just the beginning of the end... }:-) MWAHAHAHAHA!