Back in the house -
Naruto stared at the sleeping body of Sasuke. Kakashi walks into the room, regarding Naruto. "I'm going to the village nearby, to see about our attackers. Sakura is still out, you'll be alone for awhile, so behave!" Kakashi stares at the mock innocent face of Naruto before shutting the door and starting off. Naruto went to the window and watched until Kakashi was out of sight. He walked back to his chair and put his face close to Sasuke's ear and yelled, "WAKE UP!!!" Sasuke bolted upright, eyes full of moment shock before he noticed Naruto leaning in his chair watching Sasuke's reaction.
"Why you incompetent idiot!" Sasuke shouted. Tries to get out of bed to hit Naruto, but his hand flies to his chest when a sudden flash of pain passes through him.
"Lay back down, if you hurt yourself more, Kakashi will have my head." Naruto gently pushes Sasuke back down.
"Why wake me up then?" Sasuke mummers with shallow breaths.
"Only to comment on what a stupid bastard you are." Sasuke stares at Naruto. "What, you don't understand? Then let me explain." Naruto purposely stalls time by placing his hands together as if contemplating his thoughts. "You threw yourself in front of an attack that would have killed a weaker person." Naruto pauses to cough, remarkably his cough sounds outstandingly close to Sakura. "We all know you'll write it off as a (does finger quotations) "reaction", but lets face it, it wasn't!" Sasuke opens his mouth to argue but Naruto gets their first. "Do you know where Sakura is?"
"No, until minuets ago I was sleeping." his voice rolling with sarcasm. "Why?"
"She spent two days by your side. Praying and hoping that you'd make it. Not letting anyone take a shift until Kakashi forced her on a break about say, an hour and half ago. She told me to go in, and then on one has heard from her since. Do want to know where I think she went?"
"Fine, tell me. Where do you think she went?"
"I've no idea, but I know what she's doing."
"And…"
"Crying, she feels responsible, thinks its her fault that you almost died." Sasuke looks down at the floor feeling like a jerk for making Sakura cry. "And…" Sasuke looks at him. "she loves you. Whether you will admit it or not, you do too. I have feelings for her too (understatement of the year!), but I want her to be happy. And if that means you, fine, but if you ever hurt her…" Naruto his face close to Sasuke's. "I will personally see to it that you pay, and pay for a long time!" Naruto stands up, stretches and heads for the door, but turns first to Sasuke. "Sweet dreams!" With that he leaves and sits on the step outside the door waiting for either Kakashi or Sakura to come back.
Sasuke stares at the door opened mouthed before lying uneasily back down. "Like I'm going to sleep after hearing that!"
Somewhere in the nearby village -
"They what?"
"That's right, Mr. Kakashi, those thieves you brought in were members of the notorious clan Estrige. After you left each of them bit down on a bead of pure cyanide. They committed suicide, so they wouldn't have to answer to their leader." Kakashi sat down heavily into the chair next to the jail warren's desk. "I'm curious though, do you have any reason that they might have attacked your group?" Kakashi pressed his fingers together in a thinking position.
"None, unless…" he rummages through the bag on his hip and came out with a picture. "do any of these kids mean anything to you?" The picture shows Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all together. The warren regards the picture carefully before replying.
"The one in the middle, the girl, who is she?" Without looking Kakashi knew who he was talking about (or so he thought), and was slightly confused.
"That's Naruto, but just because he's weird doesn't give you the right to call him a girl."
"The pink haired one?"
"What?" Kakashi quickly looks at his picture again and scratched his head I could have sworn that Naruto was in the middle, not Sakura. "Ok, then that's Sakura. Why do you want to know?"
"She looks nearly identical to the Goddess that clan Estrige worship. A blood thirsty God she is though. Their prophecies believes that an image of their beloved Goddess will walk again. And when she does, they must find her, rape her, then sacrifice her by cutting her up an inch at a time, then burning the remains and then have the whole village eat the ash." The warren notices Kakashi's repulsed look. "They've done it three times to some poor unfortunate girls, but their God is not happy yet." draws himself closer to Kakashi. "If you want you little "Sakura" here to live I suggest you get her out of here!"
Kakashi stands up. "Thank you for your advice, but that won't be necessary. Sakura was killed in battle three years ago." He turns to leave. "Just in case anyone asks." He winks and leaves the building and the warren confused.
The woods on the way back to camp -
Sakura got bored just sitting all alone so she decided to head back to the camp. Once she found the clearing she found Naruto sleeping, and Sasuke setting up his bedroll and belongings. She ran over to him. "Sasuke? What are you doing? You should be sleeping. You should be in the cabin." She tried to user him into the cabin, but he stopped her with a half smile.
"Kakashi said that I should sleep outside. The fresh air will help me heal."
"You on the other hand," Kakashi walks out of the cabin with the rest of Sasuke's stuff. "should stay in the cabin until we leave." He puts down Sasuke's things and stretches.
"But why?" asks Sakura, still not getting the reason.
"The "thieves" we fought were after you. They wish to sacrifice you to their God in a way that's too repulsive for your ears." Turning to Sakura. "Compliments of the warren." Getting serious. "So you are to remain in the cabin until we break camp. Then you will be in disguise. I told the warren you died three years ago in case anyone came asking." Kakashi turns to leave.
"But sir, what happened to them?" he freezes.
"All three of them committed suicide." His back still to her.
"But if their all gone, how can I be in danger from them?"
"The were only a small number of the huge clan Estrige." Turns back to Sakura. "Your orders are to remain in the cabin until further notice." he points to the cabin. "Now move!" Sakura drops her head and shuts the door on her life.
Somewhere unknown -
"Yes my lord, the girl lives, all we have to do is seize the moment!"
"Very well, tomorrow, we will attack!"
"Very good my lord. I'll go and address the soldiers."
"No."
"My Lord?"
"Address the entire village."
"The entire village my lord?"
"Yes, there will be no screw ups this time!"
"Of course my Lord, I'll leave now."
"Lets see you get away this time, my pretty!"
Naruto stared at the sleeping body of Sasuke. Kakashi walks into the room, regarding Naruto. "I'm going to the village nearby, to see about our attackers. Sakura is still out, you'll be alone for awhile, so behave!" Kakashi stares at the mock innocent face of Naruto before shutting the door and starting off. Naruto went to the window and watched until Kakashi was out of sight. He walked back to his chair and put his face close to Sasuke's ear and yelled, "WAKE UP!!!" Sasuke bolted upright, eyes full of moment shock before he noticed Naruto leaning in his chair watching Sasuke's reaction.
"Why you incompetent idiot!" Sasuke shouted. Tries to get out of bed to hit Naruto, but his hand flies to his chest when a sudden flash of pain passes through him.
"Lay back down, if you hurt yourself more, Kakashi will have my head." Naruto gently pushes Sasuke back down.
"Why wake me up then?" Sasuke mummers with shallow breaths.
"Only to comment on what a stupid bastard you are." Sasuke stares at Naruto. "What, you don't understand? Then let me explain." Naruto purposely stalls time by placing his hands together as if contemplating his thoughts. "You threw yourself in front of an attack that would have killed a weaker person." Naruto pauses to cough, remarkably his cough sounds outstandingly close to Sakura. "We all know you'll write it off as a (does finger quotations) "reaction", but lets face it, it wasn't!" Sasuke opens his mouth to argue but Naruto gets their first. "Do you know where Sakura is?"
"No, until minuets ago I was sleeping." his voice rolling with sarcasm. "Why?"
"She spent two days by your side. Praying and hoping that you'd make it. Not letting anyone take a shift until Kakashi forced her on a break about say, an hour and half ago. She told me to go in, and then on one has heard from her since. Do want to know where I think she went?"
"Fine, tell me. Where do you think she went?"
"I've no idea, but I know what she's doing."
"And…"
"Crying, she feels responsible, thinks its her fault that you almost died." Sasuke looks down at the floor feeling like a jerk for making Sakura cry. "And…" Sasuke looks at him. "she loves you. Whether you will admit it or not, you do too. I have feelings for her too (understatement of the year!), but I want her to be happy. And if that means you, fine, but if you ever hurt her…" Naruto his face close to Sasuke's. "I will personally see to it that you pay, and pay for a long time!" Naruto stands up, stretches and heads for the door, but turns first to Sasuke. "Sweet dreams!" With that he leaves and sits on the step outside the door waiting for either Kakashi or Sakura to come back.
Sasuke stares at the door opened mouthed before lying uneasily back down. "Like I'm going to sleep after hearing that!"
Somewhere in the nearby village -
"They what?"
"That's right, Mr. Kakashi, those thieves you brought in were members of the notorious clan Estrige. After you left each of them bit down on a bead of pure cyanide. They committed suicide, so they wouldn't have to answer to their leader." Kakashi sat down heavily into the chair next to the jail warren's desk. "I'm curious though, do you have any reason that they might have attacked your group?" Kakashi pressed his fingers together in a thinking position.
"None, unless…" he rummages through the bag on his hip and came out with a picture. "do any of these kids mean anything to you?" The picture shows Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all together. The warren regards the picture carefully before replying.
"The one in the middle, the girl, who is she?" Without looking Kakashi knew who he was talking about (or so he thought), and was slightly confused.
"That's Naruto, but just because he's weird doesn't give you the right to call him a girl."
"The pink haired one?"
"What?" Kakashi quickly looks at his picture again and scratched his head I could have sworn that Naruto was in the middle, not Sakura. "Ok, then that's Sakura. Why do you want to know?"
"She looks nearly identical to the Goddess that clan Estrige worship. A blood thirsty God she is though. Their prophecies believes that an image of their beloved Goddess will walk again. And when she does, they must find her, rape her, then sacrifice her by cutting her up an inch at a time, then burning the remains and then have the whole village eat the ash." The warren notices Kakashi's repulsed look. "They've done it three times to some poor unfortunate girls, but their God is not happy yet." draws himself closer to Kakashi. "If you want you little "Sakura" here to live I suggest you get her out of here!"
Kakashi stands up. "Thank you for your advice, but that won't be necessary. Sakura was killed in battle three years ago." He turns to leave. "Just in case anyone asks." He winks and leaves the building and the warren confused.
The woods on the way back to camp -
Sakura got bored just sitting all alone so she decided to head back to the camp. Once she found the clearing she found Naruto sleeping, and Sasuke setting up his bedroll and belongings. She ran over to him. "Sasuke? What are you doing? You should be sleeping. You should be in the cabin." She tried to user him into the cabin, but he stopped her with a half smile.
"Kakashi said that I should sleep outside. The fresh air will help me heal."
"You on the other hand," Kakashi walks out of the cabin with the rest of Sasuke's stuff. "should stay in the cabin until we leave." He puts down Sasuke's things and stretches.
"But why?" asks Sakura, still not getting the reason.
"The "thieves" we fought were after you. They wish to sacrifice you to their God in a way that's too repulsive for your ears." Turning to Sakura. "Compliments of the warren." Getting serious. "So you are to remain in the cabin until we break camp. Then you will be in disguise. I told the warren you died three years ago in case anyone came asking." Kakashi turns to leave.
"But sir, what happened to them?" he freezes.
"All three of them committed suicide." His back still to her.
"But if their all gone, how can I be in danger from them?"
"The were only a small number of the huge clan Estrige." Turns back to Sakura. "Your orders are to remain in the cabin until further notice." he points to the cabin. "Now move!" Sakura drops her head and shuts the door on her life.
Somewhere unknown -
"Yes my lord, the girl lives, all we have to do is seize the moment!"
"Very well, tomorrow, we will attack!"
"Very good my lord. I'll go and address the soldiers."
"No."
"My Lord?"
"Address the entire village."
"The entire village my lord?"
"Yes, there will be no screw ups this time!"
"Of course my Lord, I'll leave now."
"Lets see you get away this time, my pretty!"