I am, So, so Sorry!

I feel completely awful for not getting this done sooner.

I don't want to be making excuses, but I'm dealing with some utter crap in my life at the moment.

I'm working a job I'm beginning to despise, because they can't organise anything, and are working me to the bone.

And I've injured my back because I'm so stressed out.

So overall, I'm becoming very depressed because I feel I've been chucked into a never ending black hole that I'll never escape from.

So yeah, everything is kinda shit right now. But finishing this chapter has made me feel much better, I forgot how much writing relaxes me.

I'm sorry isfthe chapter is pants. Please be patient with me, I'm trying as hard as I can to get this story finished.

Her once silk black and blonde hair was now in rags, looking like rats tails. Her beautiful face was covered with dirt and blood. And her eyes, all wide eyed and dilated gave off the impression that she wasn't all there.

"Come with me Daughter" The woman commanded, "Don't you see you belong with me now."

I shook my head in disbelief "Never!"

"It is useless to resist" she told me evilly.

I managed to kick my leg free from her foot, making her stumble. This new found energy I had, enabled me to jump back onto my feet.

I stared at my so-called 'mother', blood pouring all down her, staining her beautiful white kimono.

"You are not my mother" I said sternly.

I noticed her stiffen slightly.

"You are but a figment in my mind… nothing more!"

I now noticed her shaking violently, which I must say unnerved me a little.

"Not acceptable…" she muttered "I have waited long enough!"

Her eyes widened in an unnatural way "You will surrender to me!"

Her blood-drenched hair suddenly became alive, and started to wrap all around me, trapping me. I attempted to struggle, but it was to no avail.

Gradually she came closer till her face was inches from my own.

"I am going to rip your mind apart" she announced gleefully, is a twisted manner, "brick, by brick, by brick."

"Like hell you are!" I shouted and managed to head butt her, causing her to throw her head back. She stayed like that for a little while, before slowly titling her head straight again.

"We will be together…"

"NO NARUTO DON'T!"

I blinked, that sounded like Sasuke. I then could hear fighting, the clashing of blades. Wait a minute, Naruto is here!?

"How Cute, what a cute prey."

That voice! That's the sound ninja.

"Naruto be careful!" I shouted as loud as I could.

The woman narrowed her eyes at me.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Can you hear me!?"

I heard Sasuke call Naruto again, only he sounded a lot more fanatic.

"Naruto!" A female called, that was Sakura!

I attempted to escape this inferno woman's hair once more, my teammates needed me!

"No one will help you, no one cares as much as I do" the woman sang.

"Shut up!" I hissed "and get out of my head!"

The woman began laughing manically. But I wasn't paying attention to her, I was listening to Naruto's painful cries.

"Eat him for now" The sound ninja's voice echoed.

No! Naruto! What the hell is Sasuke doing!?

I had to do something, I had to get out of her.

I stared back at my kidnapper, watching her finally calm down. I remembered how my charka killed off the snake before I was sent here… maybe if I focused, I could do it again.

However, I wasn't a hundred percent sure how I did it. I closed my eyes and imagined the snake once more, then I sent waves of my chakra out of my body.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked, sounding scared.

My hair began floating with my chakra, reopening my eyes, my body was now illuminating a spring green glow.

"Awegcuman nú and nàwa cumin Hrycg! (Leave now and never come back!)"

I heard her gasp.

"Awegcuman nú and nàwa cumin Hrycg!"

She began growing under her breath, but I could feel her grip on me loosen.

"AWEGCUMAN NÚ!" I yelled, "AND NÀ CUMIN HRYCG!"

The green light knocked her backwards, forcing her to free me. Immediately I turned my heel and started running, hearing her call out to me, practically screaming.

"YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF ME!" She screeched, "FIGHT ALL YOU WANT, YOU CONSCIOUS AND MENTALITY WILL CRUMBLE! TILL YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A SHELL OF YOURSELF!

I watched Naruto switched from a victim, to going completely berserk. Continuously attacking the snake, it seemed he was being toyed with.

My heart felt like it was beating a million miles per hour, as I watched our enemy counter attack with a fire justu.

"That's… Naruto?" I whispered.

"You're next!" the grass ninja suddenly announced staring right at me. "Sasuke-kun. How will you fight?" he asked as the Snake moved to strike me.

I tried to move, but my body was frozen! My fear getting the better of me.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, trying to warn me.

But as my heart rate raced, the more frozen I became. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

Only for it to never come. Instead, I heard something getting stabbed and crushed into the tree branch. I slowly reopened my eyes, to see Naruto had blocked the snake's path by stabbing kunai into its lip.

He was facing me, head hanging low. Every breath he took was a heavy heave as if he was every tired.

"Hey…"

I blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out whether he was actually calling out to me.

"Are you hurt..." He asked me breathless.

My jaw was nearly on the ground, as I watched him lift his head up and say…

"Scaredy-cat?"

Something stirred within me, as I recalled the moment I said the same thing to him, on our last mission.

I stared into his now, feline red eyes as he stated, that the idiot and coward he saw before him, wasn't the Sasuke he knew.

Suddenly, a snake like tongue coiled around Naruto's arms, and ripped him upwards. The ninja held my teammate in the air with unnatural organ, seemingly amused by his struggle to get free.

"Let go! You snake bastard!" Naruto barked.

But his orders fell on death ears, as the ninja pulled him closer. He proceeded to make a strange hand seal, then purple flames erupted from his fingertips.

With his tongue he lifted up Naruto's shirt. I couldn't see what he was looking at due to the fact Naruto's back was facing me.

"Gogya Fuuin! (Five Element Seal)" he yelled and like the mountain fist, he stabbed his hand into my teammate's stomach. No screams came from his victim, only gasps of pain.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called desperately, "Please help Naruto!"

But all I could do was watch, as Naruto's body slumped forward, and hung loosely in the ninja's grip. The enemy took this chance to reach in for our scroll and take it. Without a care in the world, he tossed Naruto like an unwanted rag doll behind him. Sakura had enough sense to throw a kunai knife to pierce through the orange ninja's shirt and pin him to the tree trunk, halting his fall.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she shouted at me furiously!

I didn't answer her, I just kept staring at my fallen teammate.

I then heard Sakura scream that Naruto was many things, but at least he wasn't a coward!

I closed my eyes, ashamed of myself… how I was I ever suppose to claim my revenge now. I couldn't even face this guy without losing my head.

His last words to me… from that horrible night, echoed in my head, making me cringe and shake like a leaf.

"Foolish brother. If you wish to kill me, hate, detest me… And survive in an unsightly way… and cling to life."

"Remember who you are!"

I reopened my eyes and gasped… that voice…

I looked downward, seeing her staring up at me… a determined look in her forest green eyes.

No longer was she laying face first in the dirt. Now she was on her knees, with on hand against the ground, where she had pushed herself up. The other hand was resting in her lap. Her breathing was heavy, as if she had just ran a marathon. Even though her body was shaking just as bad as mine was, her eyes sang courage to me.

"Tomoko?" I whispered, not really believing what I was seeing.

"Öu néon ne sum eargian! (You are not a coward)" she told me. "IC cunnan hit, öu cunnan hit! (I know it, you know it!)"

I once again closed my eyes, absorbing her words.

"Show them the power of the Uchiha Clan!" she ordered. I felt the power ignite in my eyes, my bloodline running through my veins.

As I revealed my Sharingan to my enemy… my courage returned.

My words seemed to aspire my best friend, as he stared at our enemy with that deadly Uchiha look.

"Tomoko!" Sakura cheered.

The Grass Ninja narrowed his eyes at me, as if to say 'how can she be awake?'

Too be honest I wasn't sure how myself. I remember being coiled up in a snake, and the Grass Ninja saying something about a Blood Seal...

Pain shot through my head, making me cringe. Noticing this, Sakura called to me again, asking if I was hurt.

I waved my hand at her, reassuring I was fine.

I watched both Sasuke and the enemy prepare for a strike, I saw a glare of the mighty Sharingan from the corner of his eyes, as he held a kunai knife in his mouth and charged.

The Grass Ninja released some sort of wind technique, but Sasuke was able to dodge it and throw several weapons at him.

Feeling confident that Sasuke could handle this, my focus shifted onto Naruto.

As I pushed myself to my feet, I could still feel the effects of the snake venom. My body screamed at me not to move. But I was a stubborn gal, and I had to help my teammate.

"Hang on Naruto, I'm coming." I whispered as I walked towards the tree he was stuck on.

I heard a gust of fire behind me, intense heat touched the back of my neck. I turned to watch the fight again, my eyes widening slightly.

'Did Sasuke do that?!'

The flames disbursed and the enemy went for the strike, but Sasuke jumped backwards and the battle was paused.

'Damn it, Naruto is right in firing range of this fight' I told myself. I had to get him down from that tree trunk.

Focusing my chakra into my feet, I gingerly walked up the large trunk towards my orange dressed teammate.

When I reached him I grabbed his arm, "hang on Naruto" I told him. I quickly pulled the kunai out, his body fell forward so fast I nearly dropped him.

With all my strength I pulled his arm over my shoulder and jumped back down onto the ground. I gently laid him on the floor and put my ear to his chest.

As the fight between Sasuke and the enemy continued behind me, I concluded that Naruto still had a heartbeat and was still very much alive.

But I got distracted when I heard Sasuke cry out in pain. Turning once again to fight, I noticed the Ninja beating the snot out of him and kicking him to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried.

I hissed under my breath, as the Grass Ninja stood over him. I couldn't hear what he was saying, which unnerved me more.

'Come on Sasuke get up!'

But then, out of nowhere. Explosions blasted from the enemy's back, knocking him forward. Sasuke immediately sprang to life and jumped over him. He threw several shuriken towards the ninja, and landed on the nearby branch.

"What is he?"

I never finished my question, as I saw a faint glimmer of wire strings being handled my teammate and pinning the ninja to a tree.

The Snake was caught, and about to get a taste of his own medicine. Flames erupted around Sasuke, and ran along wire directly at our enemy, who was now screaming in pain.

The slowly retreated, the smell of burning wood filled my nostrils as I saw the damage of Sasuke's fire technique. The ninja hung limply from the wires, and Sasuke was now hunched forward, completely out of breath.

I saw Sakura run towards him, but he seemed not to be paying any attention to her. Instead, he glanced in my direction.

I gave him a slight smile and nodded, letting him know he did a great job.

But this moment, was short lived. As the sound of the wire strings pulling and snapping hit me highly attuned ears.

My face dropped, and my heart stopped for a second.

Sasuke threw me a puzzled look, clearly not realising what was happening.

"Sasuke! Sakura get out of there!" I screamed but it was already too late. The Grass Ninja had put some sort of paralysis on the three of us.

I tried my hardest to move, but my whole body felt like it was being crushed.

The Grass Ninja stood above us and said...

"I'm impressed that you can use your Sharingan so well at your age, you live up to the name of Uchiha".

Something strange was happening, the ninja's voice was gradually going much deeper, and sound a lot older.

"I want you after all" he stated.

Was he talking to Sasuke? What was going on!?

Sasuke screamed in pain, trying his best to move.

"Sasuke!" I cried as I managed to move my left foot. The ninja took notice of this as looked at me.

His face was melting off, like a snake skin it hung loosely from his skin, but what unnerved me was the yellow, snake like eye that was staring at me. What was also different was his headband, he now has the symbol of a sound ninja.

"Those two are definitely brothers, wouldn't you say Tomoko? But I think his eyes carry more potential than Itachi."

I gasped, how the hell did he know about Itachi, or Sasuke for that matter!?

"Who are you!?" Sasuke demanded.

The ninja produced our scroll, looked at Sasuke and held in his hand.

"My name is Orochimaru" he answered. "If you wish to see me again, get through this exam as if your life depended on it."

"NO! OUR SCROLL!" I cried as I watched him burn it to ashes.

"In other words" he casually continued "you'll have to defeat my subordinates, the three Sound Ninja."

"What nonsense are you chattering about?" Sakura snapped. "We never want to see your face anymore!"

I heard him chuckle "It doesn't work that way." He entwined his fingers together and made a seal I'd never seen before.

It all happened so suddenly, Orochimaru's neck stretched out and coiled to attack.

I screamed out in horror as this freak clamped his jaws into my best friend's neck, it lasted for a second, but it felt like an hour. Eventually he released his bite and retreated back to normal.

"Sasuke!" I called as he clung onto the bite, and started wincing in agony.

"What did you do to Sasuke-kun!?" Sakura wailed.

"I gave him a farewell present" Orchimaru answered.

Sasuke collapsed to his knees as Orchimaru kept spouting that he would eventually seek him for power.

I clenched my fist, "as If I would let you!" I said between gritted teeth.

Orchimaru turned to look at me, a look of interest was written across his mangled face.

I felt chakra once again, coursing through my body.

"AS IF I WOULD LET YOU TAKE HIM AWAY!"

Out of sneer will power, I broke out of the paralysis and went straight towards him.

But this Orchimaru was ten steps ahead of me, as he kicked me in the gut, knocking me backwards.

My back hit the tree, but before I could do anything, he grabbed a hold of my throat and pinned me there.

"You are a fascinating creature" he mused at me. "You were able to give him the courage to fight me, and break out of my paralysis justu."

I struggled to get free, but he as far stronger than me.

"However, even a pure soul like yours cannot stop the darkness that grows in his heart."

"If you touch him again... I'll kill you!" I spat.

"You're naive, I told you... Sasuke-kun will willingly seek my power, he is an avenger after all" he explained to me.

Finally he let go of me and I crashed to the ground.

"As valuable as you are, I can't let you blinker Sasuke-kun... whether it will be by the Sound or the Mountain... you must die."

"Then why won't you kill me now?" I spluttered.

Orchimaru smirked "because Sasuke-kun would never let me live it down. Literally."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and demanded him to explain himself.

"Sasuke-kun needs to have the intent to kill, and you're going to be his trigger."

He began to sink into the bark of the tree "it was fun being able to see a lot of yours and Sasuke-kun's moves."

And just like that... he was gone.

I stared at the spot where he once stood in shock, what did me mean by a pure soul...

Would I really cause Sasuke to kill someone?

But my thoughts were interrupted as I heard a blood curling cry from above me.

"Sasuke..." I whimpered and immediately ran and jumped from branch to branch.

When I finally reached him, Sakura had a one hand in his back, and the other holding his hand, as he gripped it tightly.

Once again he cried out in agony, and eventually collapsed in my female teammates arms.

"Sasuke!" I shouted frantically. Sakura reacted to my voice and looked up at me.

"Tomoko... Sasuke-kun... that guy... he..."

"I know I saw the whole thing" I answered kneeling down to their level. I stared at me friend, who was completely passed out.

"NARUTO!" Sakura cried "SASUKE-KUN IS..."

"It's no use!" I shot in "Naruto's down for the count to."

A flock of crows flew around us, making the two of us jump.

I scanned to area, making sure that snake creep was nowhere in sight.

"Tomoko..." I heard her sniff "what are we going to do?"

I stared down at me lap, daring not to look at her...

"I don't know..."