(Author's Note: Hello!! Welcome to my third chapter! I am sorry it took so long. I am not allowed to use the computer during weekdays! I repeat, I am not allowed to use the computer during weekdays. Sucks? I know! Anyways, I thank all the guys who have been reviewing. You make me cry! Oh yeah, a lil' info, I don't know if the guys should be chuunins or jounins. Please help me! Thanks and peazeawt!!       -chibiabi)

CHAPTER 3: Ruins And Sickness

   "Kakashi-sensei… What's this about a legend?" Sakura asked as the waitress came and gave them their food. Naruto was busy slurping down his ramen but Sasuke was listening, not saying anything at all. "Where did you get it?"

   "Oh well, I was hoping to skip the legend once we started. I never really liked this legend. I'm not much of a storyteller. The Hokage told me about it." The silver-haired jounin sighed. Sakura gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, how do I start? The goddess, Ara, that's her name, fell in love with a mortal. So there, yada yada, the guy was a loyal devotee who prayed to her everyday. But the other gods got mad and they were separated but Ara chose to give up her immortality to save their love but she ended up dead. Before she died, however, she promised the man that one of his descendants would be her reincarnate. So, this clan was blessed. But we have no idea about the whereabouts of the clan. So, I think it's just bogus."

   "Oh… Ara…" Sakura said. She stared down at her steaming ramen. 'That name… I know that name, I just can't recall. This is so weird.'

   "Yep! That's the goddess' name. After we eat, we're going to check out the newly-found ruins. They say it's the goddess' main temple or shrine or something." Kakashi said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "This place had some weird inscriptions on the walls and none of our archeologists could decipher it. But there was this old man who could read part of it. And that was the part about the reincarnate."

   "So, sensei, where is this place?" Sasuke asked. He was in the same position as Kakashi. He raised an eyebrow. Naruto was still busy with his ramen, oblivious to the others' conversation. "How do we get there?"

   "I wish you haven't asked that question." Their teacher's remark caused all three of them to look at him. Even Naruto was listening. "Fine, I guess I have to tell you. It's north-east of the forest, underneath some ruins."

   Sasuke looked shocked. He couldn't believe his ears. 'North-east of here? Underneath some ruins? Does he mean my village's ruins? '

   Kakashi gave an apologetic look to Sasuke. Sasuke just gave a curt nod, understanding what must be done to accomplish this mission. Sakura saw the look her sensei gave to her team mate and wondered if the place had any connection with him.

   "Oi, sensei! I'm done. Shouldn't we get going or what?" Naruto said as he stood up. He stretched to get the kinks out and paid for his meal. (A/N: Imagine Naruto doing that. Hmm…) They all nodded and paid for their own meals. As they walked out the door, Naruto suddenly asked, "So, is this place near a village or something?"

   "It was before but you see, that village fell into ruins about 10 years before. It's located in a remote village." His sensei replied. Sasuke gave a small smirk. Sakura saw this and still wondered about his connection with that village. "Anyways, we should be going. I don't want to get there after dark. I heard it was pretty spooky there."

   They walked to the village's exit point and entered the forest surrounding it. Focusing their charka into their feet, they swiftly and silently made their way to their destination…

   "Sensei?" Sakura asked as they were jumping from tree to tree. (A/N: Amazing things these ninjas do! O.O) Kakashi looked at her, one lazy eyebrow raised. "Why did you ask me to go on this mission? I'm not an official ninja. I don't even have that metal protector."

   "Umm, to tell you the truth, it was the Hokage who requested it. She wanted you to get some experience. And she said that you really needed it." He replied. Sakura looked down and sighed. So it wasn't her sensei who wanted her to go on a mission. "But if I didn't trust you, I would have told her that you weren't ready. Besides, you've been training since you were a kid! I guess that you're ready for some real action."

   Sakura smiled at his comment. At least he didn't think her weak, like Ino did. She smiled at the thought. Ever since they met, Ino had taken Sakura under her wing. They, together with Hinata, would always train together and had fun together. However, there were times that Ino looked down upon Sakura because of that reason…

   "Sakura-chan. Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet lately." Naruto asked, a concerned look in his eyes. Sakura shook her head and gave him a bright smile. She did not want anyone to worry about her. These were her problems. "Okay, if you ever need me, I'll just be here."

   "Hn." Sasuke smirked. The dobe did have some sense in him. From the start of their mission, he had seen that far off look in Sakura's face. He wondered if she was alright but he knew better than to ask her. "Sensei, we're here."

   They came to a complete stop and looked at their surroundings. Kakasi was right about the ruins. Everything was charred and burned. There were no solid houses and no people living there. There were a few of the Konoha ninjas who have been waiting for the team's arrival. Strong gusts of wind blew threw the entire area, unsettling dust so they had to pull up their masks. One of the ninjas, who appeared to be the leader, spoke quietly to Kakashi and the jounin nodded. Slapping the man's back, he smiled and the man nodded. He gave a signal to his men and they disappeared in puffs of smoke.

   "Sensei! Look at what I found!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, a happy look on his face. They all went to where he was crouching down and they saw an underground passageway. "Are we going through here? It's so dark!"

   "Ugghhh…" Sakura gave out a groan of pain. She was clutching her head yet again and this time, she fell to her knees. They all surrounded her, asking questions but she shook her head. She took out the bottle of medicine that Taiku gave her and swallowed a pill. She stayed there for a minute and looked up, "There's something in that passage. I don't like it… But I guess we have to go in…"

   Kakashi nodded. Naruto and Sasuke both had concerned looks on their faces. (A/N: I'm kinda making Sasuke a cold but secretly sensitive guy. I know it's weird but please bear with me…) She slowly stood up and dusted her skirt. After recovering herself, she gave her teammates an encouraging smile and off they went into the dark…

   "Mou… Sensei… This place is so creepy…" Naruto whispered as he looked from side to side. Beads of sweat were forming around his forehead. Sakura gave a small snort, which was very unladylike, and she had to hold on to the passageway's sides to keep from rolling on the floor. Sasuke also had an amused look on his face, however, his face was in the dark. "Sakura-chan, why are you laughing? Aren't you scared?"

   "No, what do you think? Hey, there's a bright light up ahead!!" She exclaimed, pointing to what seemed to be the end of the dark and small corridor. Her sensei nodded and motioned for his team to follow him. They reached the end and were surprised to see a beautiful, golden temple, untouched by the dirty world above. "Wow…"

   The walls were sparkling and there were beautiful carvings and inscriptions on them. They all stood there in awe, amazed at the sight before them…

   "Naruto, you search with me. Sasuke, search with Sakura. We need some clues." Their sensei said. They nodded and the two of them went through a different door. Kakashi looked around and figured that this place was the main shrine. Naruto was looking at the marble sculpture of the goddess in the middle of the room…

   "Sensei, this looks like Sakura!!" Naruto shouted as he observed the beautifully carved statue…

MEANWHILE…

   "Sasuke, don't you think it's hot in here?" Sakura said as they entered one of the temple rooms. It was smaller and the inscriptions on the wall were more beautiful. Sakura tried to fan herself with her hand. Sasuke looked at her and shook his head. "Oh well, this is so weird…"

   "Is there anything here that may prove to be useful?" Sasuke asked her. When she didn't answer, he turned around, only to see her dusting the dirt off one of the walls. He looked at her curiously and walked to her side. She seemed to be in her own world as he saw that her eyes roamed through the legendary writings. "Hey, are you okay?"

   He touched her shoulder. She did not say anything but still looked at the writings on the wall. She was not even blinking. He shook her shoulder but still did not receive a reply. He shrugged, turned around and looked around the room…

   "It's not a reincarnate…" She suddenly whispered. He spun around only to face a pale girl. Her eyes were glazed over, her shoulders were slumped, and her lips were barely moving as she once again said, "It's not a reincarnate, we are looking for the wrong person…"

   "What are you saying?" He stepped forward. She did not say anything, she did not even move back. She lightly tapped the wall with her index finger and the whole room lit up. Suddenly, the writings started to glow in a faint blue light. He felt a stronger charka around him. "You can read this?!"

   "We are looking for the wrong person, Sasuke…" She whispered again. He was feeling a bit frightened at the look on her face. He grabbed her shoulder and stepped closer to her. She did not mind. "The writings are always correct… the old man read something else… We have to look for the one. The one who is her daughter…"

   She stepped forward so that her face was a few inches away from Sasuke's. He looked her in the eyes. Suddenly, she fainted…

BACK IN THE MAIN SHRINE…

   "Sensei… Look! Look!!" Naruto pointed to the statue's face. Kakashi sighed, wondering how this kid ever became a ninja. He lazily walked over to Naruto's side and observed the statue's face. He looked at the statue's face, expecting one of those beautifully carved sculptures but only saw the face of his only female student. "See!! I told you she looks like Sakura-chan!"

   "Why? Why does she look like Sakura? Are they connected in some way?" the jounin whispered. He observed the statue, noting the delicate way it had been carved. The statue looked exactly like his student but this statue was wearing a marble priestess' garb. "Naruto, look for Sakura and Sasuke."

   "That won't be necessary…" a voice said. Naruto and Kakashi turned around and saw Sasuke holding an unconscious Sakura in his arms. (A/N: He's carrying her bridal style.) Naruto immediately ran to him and looked at Sakura, a frightened look on his face. Sasuke whispered, "Sensei, we need to bring her to a doctor."

   Their sensei nodded and they all exited the temple. They would go back there some other time. They quickly made their way through the forest again, hoping that when they reach the village, it would not be too late…

   "Sasuke! What happened? Why is she unconscious?" Naruto asked the black-haired man. Sasuke shook his head, not saying anything. While they were jumping from tree to tree, Sasuke felt her head lean between his neck and shoulder. He could feel the heat emanating from her forehead, she was burning up…

   The trip back to Konoha was one of their quickest. They had no idea about what had happened to Sakura. They immediately brought her to the hospital as soon as their feet touched Konoha's dusty ground. Kakashi had gone and reported these happenings to the Hokage and left Naruto and Sasuke in the waiting room…

   "Hoy… Sasuke… Can you, at least, tell me what happened?" Naruto asked with a whiny voice. "I am also her friend. I deserve to know!!"

   "Fine… If you just stop using your stupid whiny voice." He replied coldly. His elbows were resting on his knees, his mouth covered by his clasped hands. "We were in another room. She felt hot and then, she started to read those weird inscriptions. She went into a trance and when her index finger touched the wall, those writings started to glow. But then, she looked so sick and she collapsed."

   "Oh… Poor Sakura-chan…" The blonde-haired boy whispered. He sunk down into the sofa and started to think hard. What had happened to her? All the time he had known her, she was never this sick. "Where's that damn doctor?!"

   "If you just wait quietly, dobe, we could all get a bit of rest." Sasuke whispered harshly. Naruto started having those nerve spots around him. He began yelling. Yelling something about Sasuke calling him a dobe and stuff. "Hn."

   "I presume that you're her teammates." A professional voice suddenly said. They both looked up and saw the man shake his head. He had a tired look on his face. "I can't tell you the news. I have to speak with your sensei first."

   "Their sensei is here." The boys turned around to see Kakashi standing beside the sofa where Naruto was. He also had a tired look on his face. "So, doc, what's the news? It's ok, you can tell these guys."

   "Um, I am sorry. She has a strange fever, which is very high. We have no idea about whatever's wrong with her. A little while ago, she started screaming and shouting so we moved her into the end of the 2nd floor." The doctor replied. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his burrow. "Ehem. The girl is now in a coma. A strange coma, if I might add. She has not lost brain activity and the ability to move around. But she can't see or hear us. She has no brain damage whatsoever so we have no idea about what's happening."

   "Ok… Thank you, doctor." The man nodded as Kakashi said that. He sat down beside Naruto who was still absorbing all that information. Sasuke was silent, as usual. He turned to them, "So, do you want to tell the others? Or visit her now?"

   "I'll go tell my friends…" Naruto whispered as he stood up, his face turned down. Inwardly, he was hurting, he was hurting more than words could tell. How could he tell his friends? He turned around and walked away, raising his hand, he said "Ja ne."

   Kakashi looked back at Sasuke who was still sitting there. His onyx eyes could tell him that he was also thinking about the day's events. Kakashi shrugged and asked him, "Hey, are you going to visit her?"

   "Hai." Came the short and blunt reply. Sasuke stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He looked at his sensei. His sensei nodded and disappeared. He was going to tell Taiku. Sasuke looked at the stairs to his right for a while. He shrugged and walked towards them…

MEANWHILE…

   'How the heck am I going to tell the guys?' Naruto asked himself as he ran towards the Yamanaka's flower shop. He was extremely scared of telling the guys, especially Neji. He walked inside the flower shop and called out, "Ino-chan! Where are you?"

   "You know, Naruto, you can call me without shouting." A female voice sarcastically said. Naruto turned around and saw Ino leaning on the doorframe. Strange, he always saw her that way. She placed her hands on her hips. "So, what's up?"

   "Sakura's in a coma." There, he said it. Now, what he feared was the reaction. He closed his eyes, expecting a huge yelling session or a very annoyed Ino. But he got neither. It was extremely silent. He turned around and saw Ino on the floor, her eyes wide with shock. "If you want to see her… She's in the hospital. At the end of the 2nd floor."

BACK IN THE HOSPITAL…

   "Sakura…" Sasuke whispered. He could hear her screams inside the room. She was screaming about her family dying. He stood outside, his face to the door. He could hear the nurses trying to calm her down. It was like she was caught in her past. But she couldn't have experienced that much pain, couldn't she?

   Another scream echoed into his ears. He winced at how much pain was in that scream. He could not believe he was hearing this. Soon, the screaming died down and he was allowed to go inside. He stepped inside and saw her lying in the white bed, her hair pooled into curls around her.

   "Sakura…" He repeated. He examined her. She was breathing loudly, almost like she was sobbing. Her eyebrows were knotted in pain. She started mumbling…

   "Onii-chan… Please, please find me… If you survive…" he gazed silently down at her. He didn't know that a single girl could have so much complications in life…

BACK TO NARUTO…

   Naruto had gone to Shikamaru's house but did not find him there, he guessed that he was with Ino. He had gone to Lee's and told him the news. Lee disappeared in a flash, leaving Naruto to tell Hinata and Neji…

   'Ok… This is it… Neji will have to face it. But, poor Hinata…' Naruto said to himself as he walked towards the Hyuuga training grounds. He knew that at this time of the afternoon, the cousins would train together. 'Ok, Neji, Hinata, I want you to know that Sakura's in a comma.'

   "Uzumaki, what do you want?" a cold voice said as Naruto arrived at the clearing. He saw Neji leaning by the huge training trunk. Hinata was there, fumbling with the hem of her shirt. Naruto looked at him, his eyes showing complete nervousness. But he shook his head, and sighed. "Well, what do you want?"

   "Sa-Sakura… She's in a comma…" Naruto whispered, hoping that they won't hear. Too bad for him, they heard it clearly. Neji's eyes widened in shock and he took a deadly step forward. But he didn't do anything, he just turned around and disappeared. "Hinata-chan, I'm sorry… I know this hurts you but it hurts me, too…"

   Hinata looked up, her eyes full of tears. She ran to Naruto and he held her. She was sobbing and hiccupping uncontrollably. All that Naruto could do was rub her back. They stayed like that, Hinata sobbing and Naruto trying to comfort her…

IN THE HOSPITAL…

"Aaarrrrggghhhh!!!" Neji gave a sigh of exasperation. He had gone to the hospital as soon as he heard the news but here he was, waiting outside with the others. Ino and Shikamaru were the first ones to arrive, followed by Lee, then him. Naruto and Hinata have not come yet but he knew that they would. "Why do we have to stay outside while that guy's allowed to stay inside! I want to see Sakura!"

"Calm down, Neji…" Shikamaru whispered as he rubbed Ino's back. Ino's face was buried in his chest and her hands had crumpled his shirt. She was sobbing hysterically. "I guess, we have to wait for her sensei's orders. The doctor said that only her teammates and sensei are allowed to go in. so, we just have to wait."

"Hey, guys…" Naruto's voice called out. Hinata was beside him, her hand in his. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked down as she saw Neji look at her. "So, do you have any news?"

"Nothing so far…" Lee mumbled. Neji cried out in impatience. He punched the wall and stared at it. He could not hear any sound coming from the room. Lee looked at Naruto, asking, "How did she end up in a comma? Why is she sick?"

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, asked her to go on a mission with us. So, we went off to some place and we ended up in a huge temple. Then, while we were looking around, Sasuke comes in, holding Sakura and saying that we should bring her to a hospital." Naruto explained. He had a sad look on his face. He continued, "The doctor told us all he could about her sickness but he didn't explain much…"

"IYYAAAAAA!!!" a scream echoed outside the room. It was Sakura. Her scream was filled with pain and anguish. A moment later, screaming continuous, a stream of nurses came running into the room. Shooing Sasuke out of the room, they tried to calm her down…

"YOU!!!" Neji exclaimed, fury in his voice. Releasing his Byakugan, he pointed to Sasuke and charged towards him…

Tsuzuku…

(Author's Note: Wahahahahahaha! Cliffhanger! Oh yeah! Anyways, guys, please review! Please!! Anyways, this chappie is long. I mean, I'm not allowed to use my pc, so, I'll make up for it with long chapters. What else? The next chapter will have some really interesting scenes and more of Naruto and Hinata. Ok, that's it! Bye bye! –chibiabi)