An overnight stay
Curiosity
When he had opened the door, the pink haired girl peaked out from his shoulder. From the inside, everything was darker however with the help of lightnings coming out of the window and the strong sound of falling rain preoccupied the depth-like darkness of the said room. He couldn't see more so he decided to come in. A creaking sound of his shoes against the floor as it made its contact gave the girl a hint that the boy has started walking.
Before he could set his other foot for the next step, he felt his shirt tugged from behind and through that, he decided to stop.
"What?" He asked.
"Don't leave me..." The sound of tremble in her voice made him believe she was scared of something.
And without second thoughts, he reached out his hand and held her soft and cold hand against his. Again, the sound of his and soon her footsteps began to mix with the sound of the roaring thunder coming from the outside. Sasuke started searching for the switch to open the lights. He touched the wall right beside the door frame and as soon as he felt that he had just found the switch, he turned it on.
Nothing happened.
"I guess the power was cut off..." Sakura commented, "or maybe there weren't any power at all."
"Tch."
Without the light they'll be having a hard time examining the room, lucky for them, he had brought his flashlight. He reached out for his bag, opened it and searched his flashlight.
"I really...don't like this place, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said while observing in the darkness.
"Neither do I. But we don't have any other place to stay. And this rain... it wasn't supposed to rain." He replied. And as soon as he felt his flashlight, he immediately pulled it out of his bag and turned it on.
The strong light emitting from the tool had struck Sakura's jade eyes, which was quickly shut, "Oops. Sorry, Sakura."
Sakura had rubbed her eyes and smiled, "It's ok, Sasuke-kun."
Now that they had the tool to look everything inside the room, they started walking again.
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After a full seven minutes lingering inside the rooms, the teenagers went out one by one as they exited from the rooms where they've entered. Shikamaru said that there was only one large bed in which two persons can share. As for the room, if they will to divide the group into two, four or more people could share one room. However, the majority's decision has to be settled.
"So guys, what do you prefer?" He shifted his attention to Neji.
"Divison of two." The eldest answered. Shikamaru looked at Naruto.
Naruto thought for a while, well, he wants to sleep with Hinata or Sakura but... "I'll go with Neji."
And before Shikamaru completely get Sasuke's attention, Sasuke had answered right away, "Like he said."
"How about you?" Shikamaru asked to the girls, although he already knew what would be their decision.
Ino was the one who had answered for them, "We," referring to the girls, "will sleep together."
There was a short silence after their conversation, but to not to waste any time, the group had been divided and walked off to their desired rooms.
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"Hey Sakura," Ino was lying with her stomach on the bed and was looking directly at Sakura's direction, "Why were you so afraid a little while ago?"
Sakura was now standing against the window frame of their room, watching the lightning and listening to the angry roars of thunder. She was like that after they've prepared their bed, "Me? What about you? Aren't you scared of this place?"
"I'm scared, too. But... you really were acting strange. Ya know." Ino grinned sheepishly before saying, "And Sasuke was goddamn worried about you."
She smiled, but it wasn't her usual sparkling smile, it was rather... sad smile. "Honestly speaking, when I first saw this mansion, something really pulled me to get here. I don't know what that was but I did felt something was eerie."
Tenten decided to join the conversation, "Everything in this place is eerie."
Sakura and Ino nodded. Hinata, after placing her bag beside theirs, sat beside Ino. "Ino, did your auntie expect us to arrive at her place at this time?"
Ino shook her head, "No. Actually she didn't say anything. I just told her I'm tugging you guys along and we're gonna go mountain climbing and rest at their place. She wasn't even replying at all nor gave me details concerning our route."
"Do you think she knew about this place?" Tenten queried.
"I don't know. Like I said, she didn't tell me anything."
They chose not to speak as of now. And for the meantime, they decided that they shouldn't be worrying too much about this place. That they should be grateful that the caretaker had let them through and lend the place for them to stay.
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After settling down their things, the boys got their own positions inside the room. Naruto was lying with his back on the bed and his arms supporting his head. He was looking directly at the ceiling, wondering what will happen next. He was unexpectedly quiet for the past five minutes. Maybe he was sensing that something was not right about the situation they're currently in to.
Shikamaru was lying next to Naruto, facing the side where he could see Sasuke and Neji. He was thinking too much and thought that everything had occurred was too troublesome. With his lazy attitude, he let his eyes dropped down.
Neji was sitting quietly on a chair situated beside a round covered table. His left leg over the right and his arms rested across his chest. He was thinking, too, or rather recalling the past events.
As quiet and distant as he always was, Sasuke sat with his right leg on the wide window sill while the left leg almost touching the floor. His right arm rested on his right leg and all he did was staring outside the window. In all honesty, he had been thinking that there was something wrong about their situation. First, earlier when they left the weather was really fine for trekking. There was no sign of any coming rains. Secondly, he'd trusted Shikamaru's instructions and directions and there's no way he would be wrong. But now, where were they? Shouldn't they be resting at Ino's auntie? And lastly, Sakura had been acting strange when she first saw the mansion until the very last second before they parted. He narrowed his eyes.
Out of nowhere Neji spoke, "Do you guys noticed the oddity of our current situation?"
"Like what?" Naruto popped up as soon as he sat up and was listening to Neji.
"Shikamaru never make mistakes but we were lost. This strange mansion located at the heart of the forest, the untimely rain, the eeriness of this place and the mystery behind that man." Neji supplied Naruto what he was saying for him to realize what was really going on.
"So what are you trying to say? We're gonna leave?" Naruto asked.
"No. It's just too odd." Neji gazed at the brooding boy by the window, "And I noticed Sakura's silence. Believe me or not, I saw that man staring at Sakura more than once."
He know he'd got his attention, because Sasuke stiffened in his place. "What does it have to do with Sakura?"
Shikamaru decided to butt in, "Neji was trying to tell you that you better give Sakura extra protection. We don't know what that man is up to, especially to Sakura."
Able to grasp what they were trying to point out, Naruto scratched the back of his head, "You mean to say, that old geezer is taking a liking to our Sakura? Hell, he won't be able to touch her because Sakura was sleeping with the girls. But if he makes a wrong move, even if he had gave us shelter, I won't hold back."
Then again, there was silence. They didn't know what to do or even think about what's gonna happen next, though, Shikamaru was tempted to look all over the place.
"Say, I know it was rude to walk around the mansion, but still, I really wanted to figure out what's in this place." He said while scratching his neck.
"I'm going." Neji answered after figuring out that Shikamaru was actually inviting them.
"I'm going, too. Soon after we gonna go eating dinner right?" Naruto butt in and was standing from his position.
"Sasuke, are you coming?" Shikamaru asked as soon as the three of them were now standing near the door.
Without hesitation, Sasuke stood up from his place and started walking to them.
'I'll find out what's in that old man and why he was staring at Sakura...'
[To be continued]
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[SDA]
A/N: I'm slacking, am I not? Oh well, I'm through with two written midterms and more to go. When I had started writing for 'Naruto Saga' my eagerness for writing has returned. I might focus my writing (and thinking) on that story, but there's a huge possibility that I could complete this story. (What about 'Unpredictable' and 'Behind the glares'? Hehe, I don't know)