A/N:
masayume here,
here is the newest update of Catching Fire.
Happy Reading!
Chapter 4. The Haunted Woods
Silence befell them as they contemplated their next step. The idea that they were being hunted by an otherworldly creature or some sort of a curse kept them all on edge. Whatever this thing was, it was something new and unknown, even to the most skilled of shinobi — and that meant that they would remain cautious every step of the way while they remained locked in the cursed land.
It was in this moment when the Konoha shinobi looked towards the ANBU captain — their leader, an Uchiha prodigy, a genius who would certainly get them all back home. And yet, the tired captain seemed miles away, his charcoal eyes focused on the empty rice bowl resting on the low table. Itachi seemed as if he was going over the events that have transpired so far and trying to make sense out of them. The truth was that the supernatural aspect of this mission, of this land, left a bitter taste in his mouth. His mind feels on fire as he continously goes over the events — he remembers the ghostly samurai rider and how he did not detect a single ounce of chakra within the apparition— how the rider simply disintegrated into nothing at the threshold of the gate. And yet there were details in that haunting experience that kept him on his toes, questioning the things he had seen so far. One such thing that remained on his mind was the fact that the samurai did not enter the city itsef — he could not. It would seem that only the boy's melody had the ability to penetrate through the thick walls of the city and bring its residents out in the open fields. This observation only led to more questions: what was it that prevented the curse from physically entering this place? Was it like Sakura said earlier? Was the city built on sacred grounds? It is Tenma's frustrated voice that finally pulls him out of his never-ending spiral of questions.
"We can't just give up and succumb to this—this whatever this is. We gotta do something!"
Itachi glanced over to his teammate, taking note of his frustration. The primary thing was to remain calm. Panic would only escalate the situation and that was the last thing they needed. So, he subtly cleared his throat before choosing to speak in a calm and soothing voice.
"And we will. For now, we will investigate within the city. Make sure to return here before the sun sets. I want every member of this team locked inside until sunrise so we prevent any further losses. This includes you Naruto, as ANBU captain I am taking over leadership of this mission until its completion," Itachi said as his eyes traveled to Naruto.
"Yeah, I have no problem with that," Naruto agreed.
"Good. Now, there are six hours until the sun sets-" Itachi began only for Sakura's voice to interrupt him mid-sentence.
"Forgive me, captain—but I think, Chihiro and I should check out the infirmary. We are trained in protocol to handle infectious diseases and with the analysis lab scroll we can determine the potential cause of the infection. Also, if Nobutada is still alive, someone needs to question him about what he knows."
Sakura rises to her feet, already prepared to work her best to analyze the cause of the infection. This was where she excelled — analyzing medical journals, exploring possible treatments for various illnesses and diseases, and saving lives. And yet Itachi felt different — the idea that Sakura herself could be potentially exposed to an incurable plague caused a sliver of fear to form within him. His eyes shifted towards her, taking in the sight of the confident medic and for a moment he found it hard to simply be her captain — for a moment he was seeing his lady, the woman his heart was growing very fond of, and it felt as if she was willingly walking into an infectious trap.
"True, but I don't want any team members exposed to a deadly illness," Itachi said.
"We don't have a choice. It must be investigated," Sakura replied.
"She's right you know," Shisui agreed.
He was reluctant, and yet Itachi understood that they were both right. The infirmary had to be investigated just as much as the rest of the city.
"Very well. Take every precaution before you enter the premises. I want both of you to return unharmed. Make sure to report here by seven thirty," Itachi said.
"Alright. We will do our best to do it in time," Sakura agreed as she glanced over to her fellow medic Chihiro who nodded simply offered a nod in agreement.
Then, the two medics took their leave of the group and closed the door behind them. As soon as the door closed, Itachi turned to the remainder of the team. Hinata remained asleep with Naruto sitting right next to her, while Tenma and Shisui sat next to each other on the futon. Sasuke was siting behind the low table, taking slow sips of the remaining, now cold tea.
"In the meantime, I will split us up. Shisui and Tenma, explore the city and try to find anything that can tell us about this forest curse. Speak with the remaining residents—find anything that could help us," Itachi said.
His words caused Tenma to straighten quickly in his seat. His heart was beating wildly at the thought of venturing out anywhere near where the curse might strike.
"You want us to go out?" Tenma said incredulously.
Shisui placed his hand over Tenma's mouth, effectively silencing him. Then, he glanced at the captain and nodded in understanding. "We're on it, captain."
Itachi then glanced over to his younger brother.
"Sasuke— you and I will investigate the history of this place. There have to be written books or scrolls that can shed some light on this situation," Itachi said.
"Yeah, alright," Sasuke agreed.
Without needing to say anything further on the subject, Sasuke downed the remainder of the cold tea and rose to his feet, ready to begin. Shisui was already pulling Tenma up on his feet, urging the man to get moving as Itachi turned to leave. Then, he halted for a moment and glanced over to the young blond man, currently trying his hardest to stay awake.
"And what about me?" Naruto asked, looking to Itachi for directions.
"You'll stay here and recuperate. I want you at full strength come morning— also, it's best if one of us stays here with Hinata," Itachi said.
"Y-yeah, you got it Itachi. I'll stay here," Naruto agreed.
As Sakura and Chihiro ventured out of the lord's house and towards the infirmary, they took note of the city's nearly vacant surroundings. Most of the homes had their windows barred and their front doors closed. The open stalls of former street vendors were abandoned, and their wares left to collect dust. There were a few residents out on the street, looking for supplies and staring at the foreign women as they walked past them. Sakura and Chihiro remained calm, following instructions of Masako — the only remaining servant within the lord's house — on how to find the infirmary.
As they followed the crooked street towards their target, the sightings of Hatsumei residents quickly diminished. The quiet street seemed lifeless as none of the residents dared to come close towards the isolated place. When they reached their destination, both came to a halt, taking a good look at the infirmary. The building was two stories tall and one of the modern builds within the city. And yet it appeared quite worn: the once creamy white outside walls were doused in dirt, greying its overall appearance. The windows were covered, preventing any sunlight from entering the infirmary. Upon its large red door was a stapled notice of quarantine. The letters slathered in messy ink and stamped with the lord's seal. In that moment, Sakura unzips her kunai pouch and pulls out a small yet sealed blue scroll.
"Remember, standard medical protocol for infectious diseases: we assess each of the patients first and then work on diagnosis," Sakura said to Chihiro as she activates the seal on the scroll.
"We're wearing the bubble, right?"
"Yes," Sakura answered.
As soon as she releases her hand from the seal, the two medics are adorned in a visible protective bubble. Then, as Sakura tucks in the scroll into her kunai pouch, the two medics enter the door. Within the entry way they found themselves in an abandoned reception area with no staff present. As they ventured in farther, following an ongoing coughing sound, they entered a large space filled with several hospital beds on each side. The lack of care made Sakura feel uneasy if not downright angry as the sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks — they were not sent here to receive care. They were sent here to die.
"You take the ones on the left, and I'll take the ones on the right. Assess and stabilize," Sakura ordered as she glanced over to the right, already taking note of the four patients.
"I'm on it," Chihiro agreed, and she stepped towards the left, going towards the young girl who was lying on the futon, barely awake and aware of her surroundings.
Sakura makes her way from one bed to another, trying her hardest to remain professional and keeping a certain emotional distance from her patients. Her first patient was a young girl of merely twelve-years-old. She reminded her of Ino, with her long blonde-hair and the lavender shade of her patient gown. The girl was barely conscious, as if the swollen lymph nodes around her neck were constricting her. With the aid of medical chakra, Sakura helps reverse the swelling and the young girl is able to breathe. She collects a sample from the inside of the patient's mouth and tucks it onto an empty tray. She pens down the symptoms into her notepad. Then, she moves onto the next patient: an elderly man, currently in the midst of a coughing fit. She takes note of the fresh blood on him and begins to examine him further. Then, once she ensures he is stable, she looks to another patient — a young boy no older than eight, crying as he squirms on the bed in pain. Sakura steps forward and with gentle hands she touches the young boy's forehead, assessing his body temperature. The tender touch of her hand calms the boy, and he glances up to the rose-haired woman with foggy eyes. Sakura does not say anything — instead her hand comes aglow, and she pulsates her chakra through her hands and into the patient. He is a patient — she must remain calm; she must not succumb to tears. At the exposure to her chakra, the boy calms and falls asleep. Sakura collects a sample from her third patient and moves onto the fourth. She takes note of his attire. He is a lucid young man with his long blond hair disheveled. And for the first time since she began her examinations, Sakura engages the patient in a conversation.
"Nobutada, correct?"
The blond man looked up at the rosette physician, his vision foggy as he struggles to remain awake.
"Yes, who are you?" he asks weakly.
"I'm Sakura," she answers and then she points towards her companion on the other side. "And that is Chihiro. We're medics from the fire country requested as backup by Naruto— you know him as Tomoe's escort."
Sakura leans over the young man, taking initial notes of his appearance. The first thing her eyes fall to are the large swollen lumps around his neck, remnants of dried blood around his nose, the sweat laden skin, and foggy eyes.
"Y-yeah, but you should stay away. There's nothing you can do," Nobutada confirms only to succumb to coughing fit.
Without hesitation, Sakura extends her hand and pulses green chakra into his chest soothing the vicious cough with ease. Nobutada's coughing slowly fades and the young man stares at the medic with disbelief.
"Is that better?" Sakura asked, as she kept her hand pulsing green chakra against his chest a moment longer.
"Yeah, much. Thanks," Nobutada answered.
"It's alright, I'm here to help and I'm not giving up on any of you. Now, I need to take a sample so we can figure out to fight this thing," Sakura said.
She grabs an empty sample jar and begins to extract a sample. Then, once she finishes with the specimen, Sakura sits down next to him, as she quickly writes into her notepad all his symptoms.
"Now, what can you tell me about this situation?" Sakura questioned.
"The illness came from the fishing village— on the other side of the lake. A few days before Tomoe arrived, people started rushing into the city claiming that something dark lurked in the shadows. I thought it was only superstition— the people here tend to take their folk tales seriously. My father he doesn't do much anymore. It mostly fell on my shoulders to deal with this situation," Nobutada said.
"What about your medical staff?"
"We had three doctors and five nurses. I deployed Kobayashi to the village as aid along with two nurses: Saya and Aiko. They never came back. And the other two doctors: Senaka and Kochirou left in the middle of the night. I haven't seen them since yesterday. The three nurses that we still have should be tending to people in the city. I ensured that no one enters here," Nobutada said.
"What can you tell me about the woods?" Sakura asked.
"You mean the apparitions?"
Sakura nodded and her thoughts ventured back to the ghostly rider she witnessed mere hours ago. "Yeah, those— and anything else that comes to mind."
"To be honest, I don't know much. All I know is that it started with the village," Nobutada said weakly as his eyes began to feel heavy.
"Rest Nobutada. Chihiro and I will do our best to get you back on your feet," Sakura said, and she rose to her feet, taking the tray of samples and her notes with her.
Chihiro was standing by the door, already finished with her assessments, holding a similar tray of samples in her arms. As Sakura approaches her, Chihiro taps her left hand against her medical pouch that hung off her hip. "I think we need to set up the analysis lab," Chihiro said.
Sakura places her patients' samples onto Chihiro's tray.
"Yeah, do it. Find an empty room and begin isolating the particles from the samples. I will summon Katsuyu and then join you once I finish here," Sakura said.
"Alright," Chihiro answered, and she turned towards the office spaces.
Later.
The sun has long gone to sleep when Sakura finally leaves the cloistered infirmary. The seven patients that were now under the care of the Konoha shinobi were stable — their nutritional needs met, and their symptoms stable. As she steps away from the infirmary, the protective bubble disperses, and she breathes freely. And with ease she walks down the street, moving farther away from the patients and making her way towards the lord's house.
The darkness of the city does not phase her — her mind is elsewhere, meticulously going over every little detail of the last few hours within the infirmary. The illness is caused by an unknown poison — it is not easily transmitted. It mimics the signs of other illnesses while it slowly destroys the organs within. Her thoughts are on her patients — the young girl that reminds her of Ino, the little boy writhing in pain, the elder man struggling to stay awake, and the lord of this land — who had lost all hope of recovery. She is unable to remain distant any longer, and so Sakura weeps. A trail of fresh tears glide down her cheeks as she feels for the people of this land.
Her body moves on its own accord — she is no longer walking towards the lord's house. She is walking up the stairs along the wall, climbing up, all the way to the rampart. When she reaches the top, she takes in the sight — the moon in the night sky illuminating the large glittering lake. Then, her eyes travel over to the meadows and to the haunted woods.
"Ha ha ha"
The sudden melody of a child's laughter captured her ears, and the rosette quickly averted her eyes back towards the meadows, searching for the laughter's source. Her eyes widen in fear, and she stands petrified as she sees a young boy dressed in a white hakama, sitting in the meadow. His ghostly white appearance unnerves her as his skin nearly merges with his clothing and yet it is the child's peaceful face that causes her to remain calm. And so, she calls out to him, daring to say the first word.
"What do you want?" she commands to the apparition, attempting to hide her shaky voice within the authoritative order.
The boy remains sitting in the meadow, his deathly white eyes meeting the pinkette's gaze.
"A lamb led for slaughter I am to claim," the boy answers with a sing-song voice.
Her eyes remain fixed upon the child.
"There is no lamb here for you. Leave!" Sakura answers with a firm voice.
"Sakura!"
At the call of her voice, Sakura turns to her side and her heart begins to race. There, mere steps away from her, standing on the rampart was Itachi.
"No, no— you're not supposed to be out during night! You said so yourself. The boy—" she says as she looks from Itachi back to the meadow, only to see that the boy had disappeared.
"He was just there," she nearly whispers. Itachi steps forward towards her and takes her hand. Sakura's eyes finally leave the meadow and fear takes her as she already reaches to cover Itachi's ears, expecting the boy to begin to sing. Itachi shakes his head and turns slightly showing her the presence of neon green ear plugs within his ears. "Let's go," he says as he pulls Sakura away from the rampart.
Itachi entered the house first – quickly slipping out of his shoes and opting to wear the slippers as he stepped onto the wooden step. Then, he removed the plugs from his ear, only to place them into his pocket. As Sakura followed suit, he turned his attention fully onto the rosette kunoichi – stealing the moment for them to speak without the presence of the rest of the team.
"I believe I told you to come back to the house before sun set. What were you thinking?!" Itachi asked with a worried tone.
His darkened eyes focus on her, and his supposed anger dissipates quickly and turns into a wave of worry as he stares at the rosette before him. He reaches for her, gently cupping her face in his hands, taking note of her reddened eyes and puffy complexion. She leans into his touch, her hand resting upon his forearm. At her gentle action, his voice softens instantly. "You've been crying," he notes. "What happened?"
Without warning, Sakura lunges into him, her face pressed against his chest as she wraps her arms around him, seeking immediate comfort from the embrace. Itachi wraps his arms around her, ensuring her safety – savouring the tenderness between them. And for that moment, they are not captain and a subordinate. For a moment, they are lovers, alleviating each other's fears.
"I'm sorry, I was overwhelmed. I didn't mean to wander at night. The patients — there's a girl and she looks so much like Ino, and there was a boy struggling to breathe—it just triggered something within me. I just needed a moment to clear my head," she mutters into his chest.
Itachi leans down and presses a soft kiss on top of her forehead, "it's alright, I'm not angry with you."
Sakura smiles at the stolen gesture and she pulls away from the embrace. Then, she rises on her tiptoes only to press a soft kiss on his lips. Pleasantly surprised by her genuine affection, Itachi returns the tender peck, his hand gently gliding down her cheek. Then, just as quickly as the moment appeared, Sakura pulls away.
"We must see the others. I spoke with Nobutada. I have news," Sakura said.
The group of Konoha shinobi was within the familiar guest quarters, settled around the table as they were in the middle of sharing information. They were missing two team members: Hinata, who still remained sightless and was therefore commanded to remain on bedrest, and Chihiro, who was working through the night at the infirmary, analyzing the various samples from each patient.
The captain was sitting behind the table, his charcoal eyes focused on the sheets of paper distributed evenly before them. There was Sakura's notes on the current patients in the infirmary, Nobutada's revelation of the fishing village, and the presence of the ghostly boy in the meadow. And then, there were still Shisui's findings from the residents.
"Poison, huh?" Naruto said out loud. "And Nobutada?"
Sakura cleared her throat as she compiled her notes into a single pile.
"He's alive, for now. We are in the process of analyzing what kind of poison it is. Chihiro will be staying in the infirmary and if there is an update, we will communicate via Katsuyu," Sakura replied.
"The information about the fishing village is crucial. We will have to send a team to investigate it," Itachi said with a calm voice. "Shisui, what have you found?"
"Well Tenma and I spoke with the few remaining people in the city — most of them didn't even wanna leave their dwellings. But, this woman, she spoke of that rider we saw — and how he is believed to protect an old sanctuary. Somewhere deep in that forest, the samurai of this land used a sacred place to conduct rituals of sorts. But finding it is going to be tricky, that forest stretches all the way to the eastern border— so around five hundred hectares of forest to cover," Shisui said.
The shinobi paused for a moment, contemplating their dilemma as they stared at the center of the table. Then, the captain took the pen and grabbed a blank piece of paper. The black ink glided with ease as he jotted down two words: Hatsumei and Aino.
"We have no choice but to split into two teams. Team Aino will consist of Shisui, Sasuke, and Tenma. You will take the boat and travel across the lake to the fishing village. If you find any survivors, bring them here. Whatever you find, you must return before the sun sets, understand?" Itachi commanded. His gaze was intense as he looked from his cousin to his younger brother, and to his childhood friend.
"Alright, we can handle that, right boys?" Shisui said as he looked to his two teammates. Tenma seemed to exhale a sigh of relief, as if he was glad that he was not the one to enter the forest. Sasuke remained silent, as if the young Uchiha was already contemplating the various possibilities of what they might encounter in a plague-ridden village. As Itachi's eyes shifted from the newly formed team Aino to the remaining shinobi sitting around the table, Sakura felt dread settle in the pit of her stomach.
"Team Hatsumei will consist of myself, Naruto, and Sakura. We will enter the forest and search for the sanctuary. Chihiro and Hinata will remain in the city. Chihiro's skills are best utilized in the infirmary," Itachi ordered.
Next morning.
At first light, when the dew still hung from the leaves of grass, the doors of the city parted and two groups of shinobi ventured out, dressed in a light gear and without their porcelain masks.
Team Aino which consisted of Shisui, Sasuke, and Tenma made their way down the path leading to the edge of the lake. The idea of locating a boat to ferry themselves across the sprawling lake, rather than simply chakra walk across it was not appealing. But, in case of an emergency they had to preserve their strength. They were walking into the unknown.
As soon as team Aino left for the lake, the remaining trio of Naruto, Sakura and Itachi walked on towards the haunted forest. It seemed quiet, lifeless even and yet eager to keep its secrets hidden as a thick white haze settled near the ground. Sakura took a deep breath, trying to conquer the budding fear within her — what would they find? would they even find anything? would they even return?
"Remember, we stay together at all times," Itachi said calmly.
They walked into the thick of the woods in formation — Naruto heading in first, already familiar with the terrain, followed by Sakura, and finally by Itachi. She focused on her breathing, her forest green eyes wandering from tree to tree, from branch to branch, from leaf to leaf. All her senses heightened as she felt the loud crunch of dry leaves beneath her feet, and she took note of the thickening woods — as if the trees were beginning to cluster together to prevent any from going any farther.
"Stay together!" Itachi repeated, this time his voice holding more command.
Sakura turned to look back at Itachi, only to come to a halt. The fog that hugged the earth only moments ago, spread upwards enveloping the entire forest in a thick blanket. There was no one standing behind her. Unwilling to settle into a panic, she quickly turned to face ahead, hoping to see a glimpse of the blond-haired teammate walking ahead of her, only to see nothing but the thick fog, rolling closer and closer. And for a moment, she closes her eyes, only focusing on her breathing, completely ignoring the fact that she was now alone in a haunted forest walking possibly towards her doom.
"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid," Sakura repeats under her breath as she stays firmly planted in her steps, not eager to move forward.
As soon as she opens her eyes, she sees that the fog was still spread out all around her. But there was a way for her to go — it was only a few steps away from her. There was a path surrounded by old trees from each side. Their thick trunks were bent and curved unnaturally in the same direction, as if they were beckoning her to come closer.
A/N: Don't forget to review. Until next time.