Don't own it
Chapter Seven: Divided
Sasuke propelled himself onto a rock with Sakura in tow and dragged himself up panting hard. He took her unconscious body into his arms and tremblingly jumped the few rocks it took to get to the pebbled beach.
"Sakura, wake up," he said setting her down.
He patted her cheeks a few times and leaned over to hear for her breath. Nothing. Sasuke tilted her head up to clear her airway and breathed into her performing mouth to mouth resuscitation. By the third breath Sakura coughed up water and he rolled her onto her side.
"About time," he said.
"What happened, were are we?" she asked after her coughing fit had ended.
"You capsized the boat," said Sasuke getting to his feet. "We got sucked into a current. I don't know where we are."
Sakura suddenly blushed furiously when she realized what he had just done for her.
'Score!' shouted Inner Sakura. 'Ack, but we were unconscious!'
Sakura's face dropped and she stood up.
"This doesn't look like the land of the waves to me," she said. "There's no mist anywhere..."
* * *
Naruto woke choking up water. He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees gulping much needed air.
"What the hell just happened," he muttered.
"You idiots capsized the boat."
Naruto jumped at the stranger's voice and snapped his head to the left. The woman they had saved from the noose was lying on her back. The blood and mud had been washed away and her hair was a tangle of knots. She was breathing hard with her eyes closed.
"Where are we?" asked Naruto looking around.
"Sorry kid, I forgot my atlas scroll," mocked the woman.
"Listen lady, don't call me kid!" snapped Naruto. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"
The woman's eyes snapped open and turned to regard Naruto.
"Your name... you're the one they sealed the fox demon's spirit in, aren't you?"
"So? Want to make something of it!" he spat crossing his arms.
"Well, I've changed my mind about killing you for one," she sneered.
Naruto coked his head to the side and raised a brow.
"Just why were you going to be executed," asked Naruto suspiciously. "Most countries would pay for the secrets of a missing nin."
"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked the woman with a bitter smile.
"No I don't."
The woman sat up hissing at the pain and gazed out at the ocean.
"My name is Imako... I'm the demon wolf."
Naruto stared at her.
"...Never heard of you..." he said.
Imako sweat dropped and her eye twitched. She turned to the genin about to say something, but decided against it and turned back to the ocean.
* * *
"Sasuke, over here!"
Sakura and Sasuke hurried over to the unconscious jonin lying face down in the waves. They quickly turned him around and dragged him to shore.
"Is he...?" asked Sakura frightened.
Sasuke put his ear to his Master's chest and listened.
"His heart's still beating... but it's weak," he said.
"You have to do something Sasuke!"
Sasuke made a face, but knelt down and freed Kakashi's airway.
"You're going to owe me," he muttered.
Sasuke was about to lower the mask when the man's eye snapped open and Sasuke fell back. Kakashi turned to his side coughing up water through his mask.
"Master Kakashi, you're alright!" smiled Sakura relieved.
Kakashi sat up and rubbed his head with a slightly trembling hand.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked.
"We're fine, but Naruto and the woman are still missing," said Sakura.
Kakashi seemed to snap to attention and pushed himself to his feet. At once his knees gave way and he fell.
"Master, don't exert yourself!" reprimanded Sakura. "You're still too weak!"
"There's no time for that. We have to find Naruto before he does something stupid," he said.
"You mean before that missing nin finds him, don't you," said Sasuke. "It's about time you told us the whole story Master Kakashi!"
Kakashi seemed angry, but sighed and nodded.
"Her name is Umino Imako," he began. "And in her current state she's very dangerous. "
"Why?"
"Twenty four years ago the demon wolf attacked the land of the waves, bringing devastating floods to eat at the very earth with its howls. That is why though it seems like an island it is titled land. Eventually the land broke away from the continent and the floods attacked it from all sides. Peaces were broken off creating the smaller islands around it while others vanished completely. Many lost their lives fighting this demon or drowning, but then after a year the demon was finally tricked into possessing a newborn and trapped inside this vessel."
Kakashi paused for a moment and continued.
"Unlike the seal used for the demon fox, the demon wolf is only restricted from ever leaving the vessel or calling upon floods."
"The vessel was- is Imako?" asked Sasuke.
"Yes, she is."
"Then why didn't they destroy it when it was at its weakest?" asked Sasuke. "It couldn't use its powers right?"
"You can't just kill a baby!" gasped Sakura.
"It would have been a sacrifice for the greater good," stated Sasuke.
"The demon had thought ahead," said Kakashi with a bitter smile. "It found a loop in the seal and used all of its powers to activate a curse. Were the demon to die inside this vessel, a flood of unimaginable magnitude would rage across the entire world drowning everyone and everything on the face of the planet. But also when it was sealed it became dormant and so the child was like any other. Her parents fought hard for the right to keep her and raise her like a normal child instead of sealing it away in some cage to grow up just barely kept alive. After much debate permission was finally granted. A big factor in the decision was that Imako is a twin sister."
"Twins share a special bond, take one away and the other will suffer," said Sakura as though answering a question in class.
"Something like that," said Kakashi. "You'll no doubt have guessed her twin."
"Umino- she's Master Iruka's twin," said Sasuke.
"Then Naruto was right... but if the demon was dormant what happened?" asked Sakura.
"Things were pretty much fine for the next five years," he continued. "But the demon became active again, making Imako more aggressive. Eventually it changed her appearance completely for short periods of time, turning her into some kind of monster. The villagers had treated her much like Naruto is treated, but after they found out they became very hostile towards her, not just ignoring her anymore, but physically harming her. Her parents tried to calm them, but then a year later Imako lost complete control and killed someone while grievously injuring a seven year old boy."
"That's terrible," whispered Sakura.
"Then after all that's happened, why would Lord Hokage want us to bring her back... and why us, we're not even chunin level yet," said Sasuke.
"Can't tell you," shrugged Kakashi.
His demeanor had returned to its usual laid back self and it seemed obvious to the others he didn't know why rather than keeping it from them. But something still bugged Sasuke, though he knew he'd have to wait for the answers.
* * *
"What are you doing?" asked Imako as she watched Naruto digging through his soaked backpack.
The genin ignored her until he found what he was looking for and approached her with a few roles of bandage. She watched in amazement as the boy so boldly plopped down next to her.
"I'm going to dress those gross wounds on your arm or they'll get infected," he said. "Hold out your right arm fist."
Imako stared at him baffled and vaguely amused.
"Why aren't you afraid... or show contempt?"
"Because one- you're in no condition to fight, two- you already said you wouldn't kill me and besides, who do take me for!? What do I care if you're a demon or not?"
Imako couldn't help it and laughed, closing her eyes against the pain it caused.
"You surprise me little fox," she finally.
Naruto scowled at being called that.
"Just hold out your arm!" he said.
Imako's bones had already healed the worst fractures and she gingerly lifted it for Naruto to dress.
"Tell me," she said, "If you didn't know who I am then why did you save me from the noose?"
"Coz it's our mission to bring you back to the village. That reminds me..."
Naruto put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his hitai-ate, quickly putting it back on.
"That's better."
"You're from Konoha!" stated Imako irate. "You've been assigned to take me back to Konohagakure village?!"
Naruto furrowed his brows.
"Well yeah... I thought you said you knew me," he said wary.
"You're name yes, but I had no idea you were from Konoha itself!" she said getting angrier. "Why do they want me back? Tell me!"
Naruto stood up and stepped back, cautiously readying a kunai just in case.
"I don't know, Master Kakashi never told us," he said guarded.
Imako jumped to her feet making Naruto brandish his weapon.
"Hatake Kakashi?" she snarled maliciously. "You mean him?!"
"You know him?" asked Naruto ready for a possible attack.
Imako's eyes shortly flashed red before she suddenly calmed down again.
"Forgive my outburst little fox," she said smiling. "I mean you no harm. I was merely surprised."
Naruto gingerly relaxed and put away his kunai.
"Some surprise," he muttered.
Imako approached him and lightly put her hand on his shoulder.
"Come, you're companions will be worried about you," she said. "We should look for them."
"Oh no! Sakura might be hurt!" said Naruto suddenly. "Come one, we gotta hurry!"
Naruto hurried ahead up the pebbled beach leaving Imako. She smiled evilly and followed.
"Lead the way little fox... it's time I finished what I started," she snarled.
There ya go, another chapter done. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as well.
Later days, Imako the Demon Wolf
Chapter Seven: Divided
Sasuke propelled himself onto a rock with Sakura in tow and dragged himself up panting hard. He took her unconscious body into his arms and tremblingly jumped the few rocks it took to get to the pebbled beach.
"Sakura, wake up," he said setting her down.
He patted her cheeks a few times and leaned over to hear for her breath. Nothing. Sasuke tilted her head up to clear her airway and breathed into her performing mouth to mouth resuscitation. By the third breath Sakura coughed up water and he rolled her onto her side.
"About time," he said.
"What happened, were are we?" she asked after her coughing fit had ended.
"You capsized the boat," said Sasuke getting to his feet. "We got sucked into a current. I don't know where we are."
Sakura suddenly blushed furiously when she realized what he had just done for her.
'Score!' shouted Inner Sakura. 'Ack, but we were unconscious!'
Sakura's face dropped and she stood up.
"This doesn't look like the land of the waves to me," she said. "There's no mist anywhere..."
* * *
Naruto woke choking up water. He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees gulping much needed air.
"What the hell just happened," he muttered.
"You idiots capsized the boat."
Naruto jumped at the stranger's voice and snapped his head to the left. The woman they had saved from the noose was lying on her back. The blood and mud had been washed away and her hair was a tangle of knots. She was breathing hard with her eyes closed.
"Where are we?" asked Naruto looking around.
"Sorry kid, I forgot my atlas scroll," mocked the woman.
"Listen lady, don't call me kid!" snapped Naruto. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"
The woman's eyes snapped open and turned to regard Naruto.
"Your name... you're the one they sealed the fox demon's spirit in, aren't you?"
"So? Want to make something of it!" he spat crossing his arms.
"Well, I've changed my mind about killing you for one," she sneered.
Naruto coked his head to the side and raised a brow.
"Just why were you going to be executed," asked Naruto suspiciously. "Most countries would pay for the secrets of a missing nin."
"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked the woman with a bitter smile.
"No I don't."
The woman sat up hissing at the pain and gazed out at the ocean.
"My name is Imako... I'm the demon wolf."
Naruto stared at her.
"...Never heard of you..." he said.
Imako sweat dropped and her eye twitched. She turned to the genin about to say something, but decided against it and turned back to the ocean.
* * *
"Sasuke, over here!"
Sakura and Sasuke hurried over to the unconscious jonin lying face down in the waves. They quickly turned him around and dragged him to shore.
"Is he...?" asked Sakura frightened.
Sasuke put his ear to his Master's chest and listened.
"His heart's still beating... but it's weak," he said.
"You have to do something Sasuke!"
Sasuke made a face, but knelt down and freed Kakashi's airway.
"You're going to owe me," he muttered.
Sasuke was about to lower the mask when the man's eye snapped open and Sasuke fell back. Kakashi turned to his side coughing up water through his mask.
"Master Kakashi, you're alright!" smiled Sakura relieved.
Kakashi sat up and rubbed his head with a slightly trembling hand.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked.
"We're fine, but Naruto and the woman are still missing," said Sakura.
Kakashi seemed to snap to attention and pushed himself to his feet. At once his knees gave way and he fell.
"Master, don't exert yourself!" reprimanded Sakura. "You're still too weak!"
"There's no time for that. We have to find Naruto before he does something stupid," he said.
"You mean before that missing nin finds him, don't you," said Sasuke. "It's about time you told us the whole story Master Kakashi!"
Kakashi seemed angry, but sighed and nodded.
"Her name is Umino Imako," he began. "And in her current state she's very dangerous. "
"Why?"
"Twenty four years ago the demon wolf attacked the land of the waves, bringing devastating floods to eat at the very earth with its howls. That is why though it seems like an island it is titled land. Eventually the land broke away from the continent and the floods attacked it from all sides. Peaces were broken off creating the smaller islands around it while others vanished completely. Many lost their lives fighting this demon or drowning, but then after a year the demon was finally tricked into possessing a newborn and trapped inside this vessel."
Kakashi paused for a moment and continued.
"Unlike the seal used for the demon fox, the demon wolf is only restricted from ever leaving the vessel or calling upon floods."
"The vessel was- is Imako?" asked Sasuke.
"Yes, she is."
"Then why didn't they destroy it when it was at its weakest?" asked Sasuke. "It couldn't use its powers right?"
"You can't just kill a baby!" gasped Sakura.
"It would have been a sacrifice for the greater good," stated Sasuke.
"The demon had thought ahead," said Kakashi with a bitter smile. "It found a loop in the seal and used all of its powers to activate a curse. Were the demon to die inside this vessel, a flood of unimaginable magnitude would rage across the entire world drowning everyone and everything on the face of the planet. But also when it was sealed it became dormant and so the child was like any other. Her parents fought hard for the right to keep her and raise her like a normal child instead of sealing it away in some cage to grow up just barely kept alive. After much debate permission was finally granted. A big factor in the decision was that Imako is a twin sister."
"Twins share a special bond, take one away and the other will suffer," said Sakura as though answering a question in class.
"Something like that," said Kakashi. "You'll no doubt have guessed her twin."
"Umino- she's Master Iruka's twin," said Sasuke.
"Then Naruto was right... but if the demon was dormant what happened?" asked Sakura.
"Things were pretty much fine for the next five years," he continued. "But the demon became active again, making Imako more aggressive. Eventually it changed her appearance completely for short periods of time, turning her into some kind of monster. The villagers had treated her much like Naruto is treated, but after they found out they became very hostile towards her, not just ignoring her anymore, but physically harming her. Her parents tried to calm them, but then a year later Imako lost complete control and killed someone while grievously injuring a seven year old boy."
"That's terrible," whispered Sakura.
"Then after all that's happened, why would Lord Hokage want us to bring her back... and why us, we're not even chunin level yet," said Sasuke.
"Can't tell you," shrugged Kakashi.
His demeanor had returned to its usual laid back self and it seemed obvious to the others he didn't know why rather than keeping it from them. But something still bugged Sasuke, though he knew he'd have to wait for the answers.
* * *
"What are you doing?" asked Imako as she watched Naruto digging through his soaked backpack.
The genin ignored her until he found what he was looking for and approached her with a few roles of bandage. She watched in amazement as the boy so boldly plopped down next to her.
"I'm going to dress those gross wounds on your arm or they'll get infected," he said. "Hold out your right arm fist."
Imako stared at him baffled and vaguely amused.
"Why aren't you afraid... or show contempt?"
"Because one- you're in no condition to fight, two- you already said you wouldn't kill me and besides, who do take me for!? What do I care if you're a demon or not?"
Imako couldn't help it and laughed, closing her eyes against the pain it caused.
"You surprise me little fox," she finally.
Naruto scowled at being called that.
"Just hold out your arm!" he said.
Imako's bones had already healed the worst fractures and she gingerly lifted it for Naruto to dress.
"Tell me," she said, "If you didn't know who I am then why did you save me from the noose?"
"Coz it's our mission to bring you back to the village. That reminds me..."
Naruto put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his hitai-ate, quickly putting it back on.
"That's better."
"You're from Konoha!" stated Imako irate. "You've been assigned to take me back to Konohagakure village?!"
Naruto furrowed his brows.
"Well yeah... I thought you said you knew me," he said wary.
"You're name yes, but I had no idea you were from Konoha itself!" she said getting angrier. "Why do they want me back? Tell me!"
Naruto stood up and stepped back, cautiously readying a kunai just in case.
"I don't know, Master Kakashi never told us," he said guarded.
Imako jumped to her feet making Naruto brandish his weapon.
"Hatake Kakashi?" she snarled maliciously. "You mean him?!"
"You know him?" asked Naruto ready for a possible attack.
Imako's eyes shortly flashed red before she suddenly calmed down again.
"Forgive my outburst little fox," she said smiling. "I mean you no harm. I was merely surprised."
Naruto gingerly relaxed and put away his kunai.
"Some surprise," he muttered.
Imako approached him and lightly put her hand on his shoulder.
"Come, you're companions will be worried about you," she said. "We should look for them."
"Oh no! Sakura might be hurt!" said Naruto suddenly. "Come one, we gotta hurry!"
Naruto hurried ahead up the pebbled beach leaving Imako. She smiled evilly and followed.
"Lead the way little fox... it's time I finished what I started," she snarled.
There ya go, another chapter done. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as well.
Later days, Imako the Demon Wolf