Finally finished the chapter and it took longer than expected so I'm very sorry. This chapters a lot better than the last one (even thought it still sucks).
JapanAnimeGirl: thank you
Mike Pan: sorry about it being a simple chapter but I couldn't really think of anything else to write, the thing is it is kinda important to something that happens later in the story and I thought there was the best place to put it.
Disclaimer: surprisingly I don't own Naruto. Otherwise I would have money...(but I do own my own characters)
Chapter 8
The four chuunin's and the Jounin of team seven were all gathered together by eleven, Kakashi being the only one arriving there past ten, which got him yelled at by Naruto; Sakura sat being quiet.
I wonder what's wrong with Sakura? Thought Naruto
"You're new mission is a bodyguard mission, but it's also an A rank mission. Due to a lack of senior ninja in the village your team will have to do." Said Tsunade from behind the mission allocation desk
"Who are we guarding?" Said Naruto
"A messenger carrying an important document, that's all the information we have. You have to meet them at their home village. I believe it's around a four hour walk. Here's the map and off you go."
Team seven had been travelling in silence for two hours then they stopped for a break.
"Sakura, I need to have a private word." Said Saya, breaking the silence
"Sure." Said Sakura in a tired way
They both walked away from the rest of the group, and out of earshot.
"Sakura, I've had a talk with Tsunade about all of this, and I know you might not have accepted that you're my sister yet, but since you're part of the family you should be given the chance to learn the family jutsu. What do you think?"
Saya waited anxiously for a reply. She wasn't sure if Sakura could take all of this at the moment, so it came as a surprise when Sakura replied eagerly, "Really? I've never had a jutsu that wasn't one everyone else could do already"
"Well you've got to bear in mind that it takes a lot of work, and I can only teach you the basics."
"uh-huh." Said Sakura nodding her head.
Saya let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, she was glad she and Sakura were on talking terms again. "Well how about we start now. There no time like the present." Sakura nodded and Saya continued, "Making the darkness is the easy part, as long as you have good chakra control. The hardest part is seeing. The four seals to do the Ankoku no jutsu are bird, rat, tiger and dragon. The next bit's complicated so you'll have to listen really carefully. When you activate it you have to remain totally emotionless, otherwise it won't work. You can't be scared or angry or anything like that. You have to feel the Chakra flowing through you and into your eyes then open them. If you've done it right it should work."
"Right." Said Sakura, "Shall I give it a go now?"
Saya nodded and Sakura did as she was instructed to, making the correct handseals in the correct order. "Ankoku no jutsu!"
The darkness that Sakura made could be easily seen through by Saya, but that's what she expected; it wasn't something you got straight away, It took practice and work.
"Right Sakura, now you have collect the Chakra in your eyes. Then when you feel ready it's horse, tiger, snake."
Horse, Tiger, Snake, thought Sakura as she did the seals perfectly, Sangan! She opened her eyes and nothing happened.
Saya released the jutsu, "Never mind Sakura, I couldn't do it on my first time either. You just need practice. I think you have too much on your mind at the moment to do it properly. We'll do some more at some other point."
Two hours later they arrived at a quaint little village that had around twenty little cottages in it. All of them were thatched one floored affairs, that were either painted red or light blue.
Kakashi stopped a passer by, "do you know where we can find the Taji family?"
The old woman nodded and pointed to a house that was smaller than all the rest, "you see that house on the edge of the village? It's that one, but it's not wise to go there let me warn you now, some strange things happen in that house."
"Thanks." Said Saya trying not to be sarcastic
The group made their way to the run down little cottage, that had bits of the roof falling in. Kakashi knocked on the front door which looked like it was about to fall of its hinges.
A girl of about seventeen answered the door, she had long blonde hair that was braided into little plaits. She was wearing a scowl on her face.
"Are you Taji Mei ?" asked Kakashi
"uh-huh, who are you?" She asked a bit rudely
"We're Konoha ninja's. You hired us for bodyguards."
"Oh yeah." She said suddenly changing into a nice tone of voice, "Wait there one moment and I'll be out."
She shut the door, and Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look that suggested that this was going to be a long mission.
Ten minutes later she came out with a boy that looked like her, except with short brown hair and good looking.
Kakashi went round and introduced the group, "I'm Hatake Kakashi, this is Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Saya."
Mei stared in disbelief at Saya, then ran up and hugged her, "Saya is that you?"
"Sorry do I know you?" She said trying to get her breath back after Mei nearly crushing her lungs
"You don't remember me?" She said sounding disappointed, "We used to live next door to each other in the wave country, we were practically best friends. I thought you were dead."
"Sorry, but I had an accident and I don't really remember anything; so it's not you it's me."
"Not to worry," She said a little happier, "I'll just have to help you remember. Oh yeah, everyone this is my twin brother Li."
"Have I met you before?" Saya asked him
"Not many times." He said smiling, Sakura and Saya both found themselves staring at him because he had a really nice smile
"Mei have you got any information you need to tell us about this mission?" Asked Kakashi
"Not much really, me and my brother are going to retrieve something that belongs to us that someone stole, and you just need to protect us."
"Right, let's get going then, Mei you're going to have to lead the way." Said Kakashi
Mei and Kakashi led the way with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura in the middle, and Saya and Li at the back.
"So Saya," said Li, "Don't you remember me at all?"
"I'm really sorry that I don't. I just can't remember that much, not even my own family."
"So you don't remember that we used to date?"
Saya's eyes widened. They were not the only pair that did so either, because there were several eavesdroppers to the conversation.
Damn her! Why does she get all the cute guys liking her!!! Screamed inner Sakura strangling the Saya doll again. Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!!!!!
They used to go out with each other? Thought Sasuke with some jealously
I fancy some pork ramen right now, thought Naruto, then he looked around him, have I missed something? Why is everyone shocked?
"How long ago was that?"
"about three to four years ago. We went out for a year."
"A year?" said Saya slightly shocked that she didn't remember this
A year!!
A year?
Mmm ramen
"Yeah." Replied Li
"I'm really sorry I don't remember." Apologised Saya
"Hey, don't worry about it."
Saya and Li were just about the only one's talking during the journey; Sasuke and Sakura were listening to Saya and Li; Naruto was in his own little world; and Kakashi and Mei were talking about the mission.
It had started to darken when the group were travelling across fields with almost no cover, unluckily for them storm clouds rolled across the sky. The rain soaked through the outer layers of their clothes within half a minute. Saya and Sasuke were the only one's who had brought coats so they threw them on.
"Lets get to some shelter!" Yelled Kakashi over the rain, thunder and lightning, the rest of the group nodded and made for a derelict looking farm house in the corner of the next field.
Kakashi banged on the door, then opened it easily because it was unlocked. There was hardly any furniture inside the room they entered into. The floor was stone cobbles and was quite dusty, like the rest of the room. Mei flicked the light switch, and a bare bulb blinked into life. There was some wood in the corner of the room, which Kakashi picked up, put into the fire place and lit a fire.
Sasuke removed his coat and was totally dry underneath, as was Saya.
Li took off his jumper and pulled his top up in the process, Saya saw a tattoo on the back of his right shoulder, "What's that tattoo?" She asked
"Don't worry, it's nothing." He shrugged. Kakashi raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
Mei stood shivering at the edge of the room. "Mei are you okay?" Asked Saya, "Why don't you take your wet clothes off?"
"Because I have no other clothes on." She whispered to Saya.
Saya ushered Mei into the other room and took off her top layer which was her lilac top and skirt, "Here you can wear this."
Saya went back into the other room in a black strap top with a fishnet T-shirt underneath and a pair of trousers. A minute later Mei came in with Saya's clothes on.
"It's freezing in here." Said Saya rubbing her hands together
Sasuke moved up so there was space between him and Sakura by the fire. Saya sat down and began warming her hands.
"Since this storm doesn't look like it's going to stop, then I suggest that you all get some sleep. You'd better go on watch in pairs. Who wants to go first?"
"I'll go first." Volunteered Saya
"Me too." Said Sasuke. He could've sworn Li shot him a dirty look at that point
"Right then, Naruto and Sakura go second, and I'll take last."
How the hell did I end up with Naruto? Said inner Sakura almost on the verge of tears.
Sakura sighed, "Fine."
"Night." Said Sakura settling down to sleep, everyone else followed suit.
Saya got up and switched off the light. She settled herself into a comfortable position and watched the front door. Sasuke sat next to her facing the other direction.
When Sasuke was sure everyone was asleep he spoke to Saya, "Saya?"
She didn't answer him and he saw she had fallen asleep leaning on him. He didn't want to wake her because she looked so peaceful and beautiful while she was sleeping. She wasn't one of those girls who caught your eye because they were pretty. She was one of those girls who got prettier and prettier the more you got to know them. On top of it all she treated him like he was normal; she wasn't a stupid fan girl that was obsessive over him, nor did she see him as the Uchiha prodigy. That's why he felt he was becoming attracted to her. He enjoyed talking to her and he enjoyed being with her.
"Saya, wake up." He said shaking her gently
Saya took a look around the door and screamed inwardly at what she saw. She had learnt not to open her mouth in situations like this, vomit tended to come out.
She sighed trying not to cry. No amount of training or missions could have prepared her for this. She looked again.
There were three people she didn't recognise in the room. The rest were her family, presumably there for her birthday. That was the first time in her life she regretted being late. She could hear her little cousin Kimi crying. She had to do something about it. Problem was that she couldn't totally control her jutsu yet, and at the moment she was totally afraid, but it was worth a shot. Ankoku no jutsu.
She walked into the room. Sangan Nothing happened. She tried again, nothing happened. She couldn't see anything. Someone tugged on her trouser leg
"Saya! Help, please. I don't wanna die. Please he-" The grip loosened and she heard something hit the floor with a bump.
"Leave them along. Please, I'm begging you."
Saya started shaking. She heard someone calling her name, "Saya wake up."
She jerked awake, the room came into focus. Sasuke was looking at her. Before she realised what she was doing she had flung her arms round his neck and was crying on his shoulder.
Sasuke didn't know how to react. He had never really been in this close contact with someone for a long time. He slowly put his arms round her and held her close to him.
"What's wrong?" He asked
"I saw some of my family dead, in my dream, and it was horrible." She said, the she realised who she was hugging and let go immediately, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." She was kicking herself internally for showing a moment of weakness, and it was to Sasuke of all people. She looked at him and immediately found herself looking into his eyes. "Sasuke, I-"
She didn't finish what she was going to say because she found herself kissing Sasuke. Neither of them found themselves not wanting it to happen.
Sasuke felt strange, he had never felt this way about anyone before. He had never kissed anyone before. He felt totally happy for once in his life.
They broke away from each other, Saya had a pink tinge on her cheeks. She couldn't think of anything else to say or do, so they both went back to watching the doors. But they weren't the only ones awake.
I have to apologise for the truly lame ending, and my lack of decent story writing skills cause I've had serious writers block while writing this.
