#::Hidden Spirits: Village Hunting & Side Effect::#
A Naruto Fan-fiction -- Sequel from 'Hidden Spirits'
By: Climax
Disclaimer for ALL chapters: Do not and never own Naruto. Except this story plot, idea, and my own characters I create on this story.
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Scroll 6: Reason
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Sakura opened her eyes. Her body was sore and her head was spinning. The last thing she remembered she shouted to her blonde teammate and then blackness. She didn't immediately get up. She scanned her surrounding in case there was an enemy or more around her. With her sore body it was better to avoid useless conflict by pretended to die. But after realized that nothing dangerous, she sighed.
"Where am I?"
Instead of echo, a hoarse voice reached her ears shells. "Oh. You are awake now. I was beginning to think that I had to get you up by a hit."
Sakura suddenly forgot the soreness of her body and backed off as quick as human can do. In front of her was Shijirou. The old man faced her and what separated them was a campfire. She stared at Shijirou, wide-eyed. "W-wh-what the—?! How and why do you here??" her voice stuttered because of newly received heart attack.
Shijirou glared at her resentfully. "Don't stare at me as if I am an extraordinary chimera or something. And to answer your questions, I saved your life. You should be grateful."
"WHAT?? You? Saved me??"
"Why? Do you doubt my ability? Even my appearance doesn't show it, I'm still as fresh as a fresh picked fruit."
"Not that I doubt you, it's just… unexpected. You are from Ino pig's team, right? Why didn't you help your own team?" asked Sakura.
"Feh, it the beginning I didn't bring my team. They are on that young Asuma care so they don't need my worry. What matters now is how we get out of here." Shijirou took a bottle of sake and drank it.
Sakura frowned. "Hey old man, it isn't the right time to drink sake. It's not gonna help us and bad for your health."
"But it helps to ease my mind. By the way, I heard from Ino that you are a medical ninja, is it right?"
"Well, yeah, but I'm still in study. I'm not officially a medical ninja yet. I still have to learn a lot more…"
"All humans never stop to learn. Either they already reached their destination or not. Since humans never stop to learn, you'll never become an official medical ninja then."
Sakura snickered. "Humph, funny. And you are, Shijirou-san? There shouldn't be much you can do as a battle ninja."
The old man sighed. Now Sakura could saw him in his real age. Old and tired. "If only I'm younger… Thesia might be a skilled ninja like you…"
"Thesia?"
"My granddaughter. The only family left for me. She is a pretty girl like you. Her eyes are so beautiful. But they aren't functioning now," Shijirou said as his eyes had a sad glance.
"Why is that? Because a disease?" asked Sakura curiously.
The old man shook his head. "No. I myself actually don't know why. The doctors we have seen said it was their first met this strange case. The eyes don't have any disease. They don't have anything wrong too let alone wound. It's just as if it stopped functioning."
Sakura silenced, didn't know what to say to comfort the old man in front of her. Shijirou continued. "That shocked her. She used to want to be a talented shinobi. But now she hates shinobi. I know it's not that one can't become a shinobi because blind—just like your friend, it's just she has no talent other than dancing and create maps. And… to create maps she needs her eyes…"
"But you are a shinobi now. Don't you afraid?"
"Of what?"
"Of course, being hated by her. You said she hates shinobi, right?"
"Yes. But it's okay if she hates me now. When I reached my goal, I'll ditch that shinobi title."
Sakura smiled. "The way of you talk about her… she sounded so precious to you."
"Of course. Didn't I say that she is my only family now?"
Sakura sighed dreamily. "Her dancing must be beautiful. I wanna see it…"
"That's why," Shijirou's voice sounded determined. "I must be a talented enough medical ninja and cure my granddaughter's eyes. No matter what."
Sakura frowned. "Old man, you could just be a doctor. You don't need to be a medical ninja. Doctors and medical ninjas both study medic. The difference is a doctor doesn't need to combat. Battlefields now and then don't and never cooperate well with old men. Just see our Sandaime (Third Hokage). He is older than you and he died in battlefield so quit from it before you do die."
Shijirou looked down. The orange looking ground picked his interest now. "May be you are right that for an old man like me, being a doctor is more suitable. But do you know? Medic ninjas information network are wider. Didn't I say that I'll cure my granddaughter's eyes no matter what? That also means I'll do it even it is forbidden or taboo."
"Stubborn old man. Don't blame me if one day me and my team after you for being a lawbreaker. I did tell you."
Shijirou grinned. "I'll look forward if you can catch me."
"So that reason is valid with your lust of blue glow plant too, right?"
He scratched his chin. "Well if you put it that way…" then he grinned, "Actually, I already have three blue glow plants on my hands." He showed what he clutched in his hand. Indeed, there WERE blue glow plants.
Sakura wide eyed. "Old man, when and how—?" she lost her words.
Shijirou grinned confidently. "Well, this old man has his own ways…"
Sakura sighed. "Really…"
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It was a mere afternoon in Konoha Hospital. The sun ray met with the white color of the building. Doctors and nurses buzzing around from room to room, some checking patients, some others consulting patients, and etc. A sight that anyone could find in any hospital. In one of the rooms, a doctor with short and neat dark grey hair was reading and checking some hospital files. His brown eyes were moving right and left behind the glasses. He was in deep concentration so he didn't notice one of the hospital nurse entered his room and waiting for him to notice her. But since he didn't, the nurse called him.
"Doctor."
The said doctor snapped from his concentration and accidentally let his works fell from the table.
"Oh, it's you. What is it?" he quickly smiled and started to pick the papers from the floor.
The nurse bent down and helped him. "Sorry to startle you, doctor. I didn't mean to."
"Ah, it's okay. I didn't notice you so it's my fault. So, why do you call me?"
"It's your patient. She comes for the usual check," answered the nurse as she stood up because there was no paper left to pick. The doctor stood up too and looked at the calendar on his table.
"Ah, yes. I forget that this day is her time to check. Can you tell her to wait me in the usual place?" asked the doctor.
The nurse nodded and left the room. The doctor quickly tidied his works and after finished he left to the place where his patient was waiting.
When he entered the room, he met a girl in her sixteen, with long light blue colored hair that reached her waist. She has bandage wrapped around her eyes as a teller that her eyes were not functioning. But despite the fact that she couldn't see, she turned to the door and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Yuhgosaki-sensei," she greeted the doctor with her melodic voice.
The doctor sighed. "Man, how many times I should tell you to just call me Hakuto? By the way, how can you know it is me who entered the room? It can be not me, you know."
"I just thought that your family name is more… manly than your little name. And I always know it is you who will enter this room because your room is like the one in those haunted house and the doctors and the nurses won't enter it for unnecessary business," she smiled again as she heard the doctor growled.
"Oh my, it's just because this room is rumored to be haunted it doesn't mean it is. This room is just built from the old corpse room. What a chicken are they…" Yuhgosaki growled as he went to his desk and looked for her files while continued. "Because of that, I had to borrow the main office every-single-day of my turn to wait for the nurse or doctor that brings the information about new or old patients that come to see me."
"Don't blame them. They just wanted to be… safe."
"I.am.NOT blaming them. I'm blaming to those who gave me this cursed room for being rumored. In truth, I never see any wandering soul in this room." After he finished talking he found the file and stood up.
The girl chuckled. "That means you are known as the bravest doctor."
"But sadly not the best… So Thesia, where's your grandfather? He always accompanies you at every check. Is he buying some drinks?" asked Yuhgosaki.
"He said he is going with his teammates to train. But he isn't comeback yet since yesterday…"
"Oh, I see…" then he noticed something, "Wait a minute. That not means you came here alone, does it?"
"What if I am? I may blind, but I can do things."
"It's not the 'I can do things' part. But it is safe or not part! You should inform me if you are going alone!! What should I say to that protective grandfather of yours if you missing! I'm the first one he would kill!!"
"Then I won't be missing."
"It's easier to say."
"So, are you going to check me or not?" asked Thesia impatiently.
"I'd very appreciate if you don't become more and more like your grandfather…" Yuhgosaki said as he took a seat in front of her and began to open the bandage.
"I can't help it. I'm living with him and sees him in twenty-four hours long," said Thesia matter-of-factly.
"Now that's what your grandpa would say…" Yuhgosaki said as he finished took the bandage off. "Open your eyes."
Thesia tried to open her eyes. But a stinging pain attacked her eyes. "I can't. It hurts."
"You still?" receiving a nod, Yuhgosaki sighed. He looked at Thesia's closed eyes sadly. A feeling of guilt was entering and filling his heart. "I'm sorry, Thesia, I couldn't be a good enough doctor to cure you. What kind of untalented doctor am I? I wish I could help people if I'm a doctor. But I guess," he looked to his hands. "I'm not 'strong' enough. I'm sorry."
"Hey! Quit being a worrywart! I'm not blind because of you in case you forget. Beside, a good doctor receives his talent because of experience, right? So, if you can cure me that mean you are a very good doctor! I'm your tool to learn! Doctors and patients should not have any feelings!" exclaimed Thesia. Yuhgosaki looked at her with a strange expression.
"Yeah, you are right…" and he continued his check.
Later at the afternoon, Thesia walked home alone. She insisted to be okay alone. Yuhgosaki of course wouldn't agree easily though, but at last—being a stubborn—she won. If she could see, she would stare to the ground all the way.
"A doctor and a patient should not have any feelings, huh…" she mumbled and then she made a disappointed sound. "Hmph. I wonder what I feel towards that worrywart…" she continued to walk. She didn't realize where her feet bring her too but when she regained her conscious, she knew she was in a quiet park.
She sighed. Her mind was going to explode if she thinks too much. So she let it out. "Where are my memories anyway? Who am I? Why my grandfather seemed so sad if we talk about where I come from? And why, why my eyes are BLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND??!"
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/Sniff… sniff/
Some one is crying, but… who?
/Why?/
Why what?
/Why… sniff… those monsters… did this…?/
Monsters?
/If… only we… are stronger… sniff…/
/We can't help it. We are just plants anyway…/
Another one? This time is a boy's sound…
/But! Someone can do something! I know!/
/But who? Animals and other plants won't help us since they are too strong, let alone this place is too dangerous to enter. And humans can't see and hear us!/
Uuhh…
Rhaera woke up now. All dark—of course it was—since he was blind. But now since he was awake, he could swear he was amazingly safe, mentioning the fact that he fell from somewhere high up there. If only Naruto was conscious at that time… wait. NARUTO?? Where the heck was that blonde now?? He was lucky enough to not hurt because he fell on something soft. Soft… No. Don't tell…
Rhaera quickly got up and search at the previous place where he sat. Just as he thought. He fell on Naruto. If he survived, it was a much more magnificent miracle. Suddenly he felt the body he touched moving.
"Huh… glad… you… finally… awake…" Naruto's voice was raspy. "I was… beginning to think… that I'm… gonna be a good… pressed human…"
Rhaera quickly took Naruto and placed one of his arms under the blonde's neck to support him. "Hey! Don't die yet!"
Naruto smiled but quickly erased by his cough. He held his palm in front of his mouth and found blood on it when he drew it back. He coughed blood. And when someone coughed blood, no good things happened in that someone's body. Even he was not a medical ninja, he could tell that Naruto had internal bleedings. And if he didn't get Naruto to hospital or a doctor, he might be…
"Naruto! We have to get out of here, fast! But firstly, I must give first aid for your wounds. So, which one is hurt?" asked Rhaera plainly but fastly.
"Well… to make it… short… my body… is… hurting all over…" Naruto's heaved breath preventing him from speaking smoothly. Why Kyuubi's chakra didn't work? May be because his wounds were too many and bad.
"Just tell me which one is that most hurt!"
"My chest… and my… left leg…" Naruto coughed again. He never expected that it was so hard to just speak. Rhaera touched his chest to see what's wrong and it was answered by a hiss.
"It looks like some of your ribs are broken. I can't move you around freely if this is your condition," Rhaera explained his conditions.
"Just… get my ass… out of this… fucking place..!" growled Naruto before coughing again.
"I want to but since your body is too badly injured you will surely die if I move you around," said Rhaera as he observed Naruto for minor injuries.
"Do you think… whose… fault is it… in the… first place..? By the way… I'll not die… by… just moving… —cough— around…"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry for fell on you. Quit being stubborn won't you? It's not gonna help either of us. And what do you expect from moving around with this kind of injuries? You are already struggling hard and coughing to just speaking."
Naruto could only sigh hearing that. Rhaera was true. Speaking made his chest moved a little and that 'little' made him coughed in pain. He could only wait for Rhaera to finish his job giving first aid to him. When the green haired archer finished, he stood up and started to walk away.
"Where… are you… —cough— going..?" asked Naruto. There was no way the archer would leave him behind wouldn't he?
"I'll look for exit. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind. I think this place is safe enough for you to wait for me." With that, the archer walked away and gone from Naruto's vision.
Rhaera walked as long as if it was forever. He occasionally met with branch tunnels but no more or less than that.
/They began attacking again…/
Rhaera abruptly stopped. He used to hear the voice low and unclear but this time it was as clear as if the voice was speaking right beside him. He looked to his right. He could feel the tunnel wall with his hands. But his body automatically decided to relax a bit, took a step back, and began walking right towards the wall. Rhaera expected to hit a wall but the truth he wasn't even feel the wall. He continued walking, ignoring his feelings to stop and go back to Naruto. It was as if his body was programmed to walk automatically. After a moment he began to hear those voices again.
/Someone is coming!/
/Stop worrying too much! As if anybody can see let alone hear us!/
/But..! This person's aura is different!/
/Different? In what way?/
/Uhh… I don't know, it's just… the aura felt similar…/
/Similar? To what?/
/To… the guys in 'that' place…/
This caught Rhaera's attention. He stopped to hear more.
/What?? Then he or she can see and hear us! This is not good!/
/But! Doesn't it mean that he or she can help us?/
/Are you kidding?? Those people from that place bring nothing but death!/
Rhaera had been walking again and now he was near to the source of the voices.
"Sshh! He or she can hear us, remember?"
"Hah! He or she maybe doesn't care about us and is pretending to not to hear we—"
"Who doesn't care about you two?" asked the archer.
The voices abruptly stopped as if the owners were in shock.
"H-ha-haa- Hakai aniki, he reeeaaallyy can hear us…" said the girly voice, frightened. She was a little girl that looked like a five years old girl. But if Rhaera could see, he would find that this girl was no ordinary. Her skin, eyes, and hair has the same color of the blue glow and glowing like the plants. Her hair was short and bobbed but she was cute and innocent looking.
"C-c-calm down, Akaki. I think he is blind. If we can trick him correctly, we can run for safe…" said the boyish voice (this must be Hakai), trying to calm the girl called Akaki down but actually he was as frightened as his sister. Hakai was nearly no different from his sister. For short description, he was the male version of Akaki and his hair that reached his shoulder was tied into a small and loose ponytail.
"I'm sorry if I'm blind, but at least give me a reason of why you two are frightened of me. I have no clue of why a blind boy like me could be scary in your eyes. Who are you anyway?" said Rhaera plainly but his words told enough about how annoyed he was.
Akaki and Hakai looked at each other then to Rhaera.
"You don't have a clue about who are we?" asked Akaki.
"That's why I asked."
"Don't tell me you even don't have a clue about 'what' you are…" said Hakai. This caught Rhaera's attention.
"What am I? I don't know who am I or what I am because I lost my memory. If you don't mind, please tell me about who I am," said Rhaera, a bit hurried.
The brother and sister looked at each other, sending unvoiced thoughts.
/Well, why don't we test him?/ asked Hakai telepathically to Akaki.
"Test me about what?" asked Rhaera.
"Well, he really is from 'that' place. He can hear my telepathy," said Hakai.
"Could someone who is kind enough, fill me in?" Rhaera obviously confused.
"We will tell you. But you must help us!" said Akaki enthusiastically.
"That's right! You must help us to get rid of those monsters!!" Hakai continued.
"You don't mean… those giant plants, do you?" asked Rhaera still plainly as ever but in his heart, he was thinking that this would be very troublesome.
Akaki nodded. "Of course! We know who knows their weakness but we are too weak and… a coward to do it."
"Akaki! We may weak but we are not a coward!" exclaimed Hakai.
"Oh, yeah? So who is the one that was shivering in fear when they drained our friends' life?!" shouted Akaki.
"Drained your friends' life? So those ninjas are your friends?" asked Rhaera.
"No idiot! Our friends are another blue glow plants!!" yelled Hakai.
"Huh?"
"Oh yeah, we forgot to introduce ourselves! I'm Akaki and this is my older bro Hakai. We are… uh… how to say it?" asked Akaki to herself.
Her brother answered for her. "We are one of the blue glow plants' soul."
"What?!" Rhaera of course wouldn't believe it so easily. By the way, if they were really souls, how could he hear them?
"Look, we know it's hard to believe since most of the humans are stupid enough to do not have the ability to hear or see us let alone touch us. But as you can se— hear, we are really souls…" said Hakai.
"Humans often called us 'fairy' for short. But we are not much different from any other living things. Our souls are just strong enough to left our body without die trying and project ourselves in spirit mode to be enough for 'your kind' to be seen. But still, most of the humans can't see, hear, or touch us," Akaki explained as simple as possible.
Rhaera was silent for a moment to collect his thoughts. He could never believe such a ridiculous 'explanation' but wondering and doubting wouldn't bring him to anywhere. Then a thought came to his brain. "And I'm one of those exceptions. But why?"
"That's what we are going to tell you if you agreed to help us," said Hakai.
"And I must get rid of those annoyingly annoying gigantic plants, mustn't I?" asked Rhaera mockingly.
"Yup! Because those strange buddies decided that our friends' soul is their favorite meal of the day." Hakai answered in the same mocking tone.
"They eat… souls?" asked Rhaera unbelievably. It sounds like Shinigami (God of Death) but in giant plant form.
"They love humans' blood and life energy too!" Akaki added in a strangely cheerful tone. Maybe because if there was human(s) their 'friends' wouldn't decrease so much.
"But how should I do that task? I was forced to surrender previously…" asked Rhaera.
"Hey, didn't we tell you that we know the one that knows their weakness? We are going to bring you to her! But… doesn't that mean you are agreed help us?" asked Akaki.
Rhaera shrugged. "As if there's another choice for me. But I'll do it if I think I can, okay?"
"Don't worry! If you, we know you can!" Hakai persuaded.
Rhaera thought again. "Okay. But if I do it, promise me to help me to get out of this place once I done."
"We promise! No, we swear!" exclaimed the two fairies.
Rhaera then began to walk.
"Wait! Where are you going? The place is there!" said Hakai as he pointed his index finger to the opposite direction from Rhaera was now.
"I'm going to my friend. My friend is injured and need a good medical treatment right away. Do you mind?" asked Rhaera coldly.
Akaki shook her head. "No. But the person that we are going to bring you to is good at medic."
Rhaera got the point. "All right; I'll bring him to her."
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"Oneee-saaamaaa! We bring a 'gueeesstt'!" said Akaki in a sing-song tone when they entered one of the tunnel's deep parts. If Rhaera could see, he would see that this part was almost an open field. The ground was so wide and the ceiling was high plus the fact that it was the only part of the cave that received sunlight. Because there was a large hole at the ceiling that took half of the ceiling size. And it was very colorful because many plants that similar to the blue glow plants were there. The difference was only their color. Some were red; others were green, yellow, purple, and any other color you can see in rainbow. The unique smell of the plants filled Rhaera's sharp nose.
"Blue glow?" he wondered out loud.
"No," came a melodious voice of a lady. "They are the flowers that called The Seven Glow. They are similar to the blue glow but they are not blue glow."
For those who can see, they will definitely sigh: "Wow, she is beautiful…" and will fail to find a reason to hate her. She was a beautiful lady in her twenty with a very long brown hair; so long till it could reach her knees. Her eyes were jade colored and shine brilliantly under the soft ray of sunlight. Her long hair was tied into three low braids; one on the right, one on the left, and one on back. She wore a simple white blouse and white skirt that covered her legs until in the middle of her calf of legs. She wore nothing on her leg but she has silver bracelets on her wrists.
"Well, it's so rare to have a guest. Or I rather say I never have a guest. You are my first guest since I stay here." She looked to Rhaera and Naruto who was on Rhaera's back. She smiled warmly and then said, "Anyway, welcome to my private garden."
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Ended on: January 13, 2005
I have no mood for author notes now. I just wanted to ask: I don't give a good conflict yet, don't I? I know this when one of my best friends told me that. That's why; my story is not so interesting yet. I'm a slow type in conflict. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review.
