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Chapter 4: Monster in the Deep

Sasuke sat, cross-legged, with a frown.

"…And once you cross over, you can't come back."

The words repeated themselves in his thoughts.

He looked across the horizon where there was nothing except forbidding darkness. Try as he might to feel brave, there were cracks in his courage. It was a fact that he dealt with death constantly. He may have even wished for it a couple of times. But he had never actually been so close to it as he was now. His brush in the forest with Orochimaru, his fights with Gaara and Itachi… Those instances seem to pale in comparison with this.

According to the shadow, if he went, his chances of returning were slim to none. Mostly none.

Logic said to leave. Return to Konoha and continue training. It would only be two more years until he reached eighteen anyway. Besides, if he went to the Land of the Dead, he would throw away his chance to defeat Itachi, throw away his chance to really become an avenger. It really wasn't worth it. In perspective, he had known Sakura for only a few years whereas he had spent his whole life seeking revenge.

Sakura was only a girl. One girl out of hundreds in Konoha.

She wasn't a talented ninja. Even if she wasn't weak anymore, she still had to work to keep up with him and Naruto.

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful. Even if Rock Lee and Naruto thought otherwise, Sasuke was sure he had seen better, although none with the same fierce love she bore for her comrades.

And she wasn't particularly smart, either. She had chased after him for a long time, after all, when he had nothing to give.

The more morbid side of him said they would meet again eventually anyway.

Every part of him wanted to leave, except for one. The part that he often hid beneath a demeanor of coldness, the part that understood Sakura's worth. He thought back to Kakashi.

"Naruto and I are counting on you."

"Are you giving up now?" 'Naruto' asked. The shadow was no longer aggressive but that made it nonetheless aggravating. Especially those words. Coming from one who looked like his rival, Sasuke couldn't help but scowl.

"No." And that was that.

Decision made, he got to his feet and scanned the river, "You said a boat would be coming. I don't see anything."

"Be patient."

Sasuke couldn't resist the feeling of frustration. He didn't have the luxury of time. Yet, there was nothing he could do but wait to see her again. Unless… His eyes traveled to the black water before him.

The shadow, noticing the direction of his gaze, shook its head, "You can't swim across. You'll be eaten before you even get to the halfway point."

"Eaten? There's a monster in there?"

'Naruto' glanced at him, suddenly sly, "Perhaps."

"How much longer will I have to wait?"

'Naruto' tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Hmmm… These boat trips are rather sporadic. Sometimes, they're every ten minutes, sometimes they're every ten years. Just depends, I suppose."

"Tch, I can't wait that long." He had to get to Sakura before time was up and whatever monster lurked in these dark depths had better think twice before trying to stop him. Having made up his mind, Sasuke walked to the edge, careful to avoid looking too long at its ebony surface. Swimming was probably tolerable but drinking the stuff undoubtedly had a much nastier effect.

Sasuke could sense the shadow watching as he stepped into the black water.

The minute his foot went beneath the ebony surface, he felt sick. Ignoring the nausea, Sasuke forced himself to continue. Deeper and deeper in he went until the liquid touched his neck and the air was putrid all around. Soon, he could barely breathe without wanting to throw up. Everything smelled like dead bodies and blood.

"Oy, how does it feel?" 'Naruto' called out curiously, "I've never been stupid enough to go in so I wouldn't know."

Sasuke couldn't answer. He was too busy struggling to keep afloat. It was strange. Things usually became lighter in water but his whole body felt ten times heavier.

There was pain, too, though he couldn't tell whether it was physical or not.

He swam forward but with every stroke, his skin crawled and he was revolted not so much by the water as by himself. All of a sudden, it occurred to him that he was dirty. Filthy. Something in him was tainted and trying to drag him down with its weight.

Itachi's face suddenly flashed in his mind, too clear and detailed to be only a passing image.

Sasuke jerked and shook his head wildly, but the face wouldn't leave. It glared at him with blood-red eyes and he suddenly remembered those same eyes watching him when he first found his slaughtered parents.

"A man I must kill…"

"I will kill you…"

"Nothing matters so long as I kill him…"

The words were those that lived in his heart. Now, they echoed so audibly and so loudly, pounding into his eardrums, that he wondered if he was going crazy.

Move, move! he told himself frantically when he found himself slowing

Then something grabbed his feet, not pulling him but adding to his weight. It was unnaturally still yet, at the same time, he could feel its intention. It was not letting go.

It was the monster.

Fear gripped him. He could not look down to see what was holding onto him. He did not want to look.

Then there was another sudden tug, more forceful than the last and frighteningly strong. His head moved against his will. Down into the water, down into the darkness, down toward the demon that he feared.

It was himself, skin rotted and features all horribly twisted and ugly. Maggots swarmed in and out of the dead flesh that was covered with the black marks of the curse seal. The skull still had hair but the mouth was empty of teeth. The only parts of the living corpse that looked perfectly intact were the eyes and they were the Sharingan as it had always served Itachi. Red and empty but for a chilling bloodthirstiness.

It was just an illusion, he told himself, frozen, Just an illusi--

The corpse twisted its head to look at him and smiled viciously before tugging down harder.

Sasuke screamed.

It tasted disgusting. The water rushed eagerly into his open mouth, trying to destroy him. He struggled but his limbs soon became too tired to move. Gradually, resistance faded away from body and mind and a terrible ecstasy took hold instead. His eyes closed. He was going to drown. He was going to die.

He was sinking and everything around him was black, black, black…

She was in a field, humming quietly to herself as she picked flowers, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…"

He was right behind her. He couldn't see her face, only her back. Odd, her hair was longer here. He was so close that when the soft wind blew, the pink strands brushed against him.

Sakura, he wanted to say, I'm right here. Turn around.

"You make me happy when skies are gray…"

Again and again, he called her name before realizing that she couldn't hear him or that the words weren't coming out right.

So at last, he reached for her. Right before his fingers could clasp tightly around her arm, something pulled him away.

He awoke, coughing violently.

Someone clapped him on the back, "Feeling better there, pal?

"Naruto?" he said dumbly, turning in confusion. The world was shaking ever so slightly, rocking back and forth. He was on a boat.

"Yes… it's Naruto." His eyes fixed on the familiar face. It was smug, "I rescued you. How 'bout some thanks?"

"You're not Naruto."

The shadow quickly clamped its hand on his mouth. Sasuke glared angrily before noticing that 'Naruto' was glancing worriedly at someone behind him. It was an old man with a wooden oar in hand. Apparently, he had been rowing them steadily across the distance. Now though, he had stopped and was gazing at them sharply.

"My friend's tired," the shadow said hastily, "He's probably still out of it. Doesn't have a clue of what he's saying. Tell him that I'm Naruto, would ya, pal?"

Sasuke looked suspiciously at him until finally, the shadow hissed into his ear, "I saved you!"

"So?" He got the distinct impression that shadows weren't usually transported across the river. The old man was still watching them.

There was a second, more compelling whisper, "I can help you find her."

"He's… Naruto."

The old man nodded, returning to movement.

Sasuke turned to the shadow, "What happened?"

'Naruto' seemed more relaxed now that whatever danger the old man posed had passed. Leaning back, he said casually, "Everything that I said would happen. You, being the biggest idiot that I've ever seen, tried to swim across. Halfway through, you went under. Luckily, the boatman had come by then. He let me on and we came to rescue you before you sank too deep and were out of reach."

"I see… Why did you rescue me? You didn't have to."

'Naruto' pretended to be insulted, "I'm a kind person. Can't you just accept that?"

Sasuke snorted, "You were willing to let me drown before. What changed your mind? That old man?"

"Well… more or less, yes," 'Naruto' smiled, "I'll tell you more once we reach the other side."

"You better," Sasuke said before turning away. His back to the false Naruto, he allowed himself a small sigh. His mind was still reeling with what he had seen and he was more shaken than he would admit. Though he refused to show it, he was grateful for the rescue.

"You're still wet. Want a towel?"

"No."

"Ha, didn't have one anyway. And you need more than a towel to get rid of that kind of water."

His hair dripped black drops onto his skin. Sasuke watched them fall onto his arm, making an ironically familiar pattern. It was almost like the curse seal.

"Did you see the monster?" the shadow asked quietly. It was odd to hear the voice so hushed and solemn.

There was a long pause as Sasuke pondered the experience.

"…I saw it."

"Eats you alive, don't it?"

This time, there was no response.

But the shadow saw the pain in the other's face and knew that he had understood.