The Ripple Effect

By: Sweet Bliss

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…

"Death will make your dream past tense, your hopes fly high and your life make sense"

-Aiden, "Enjoy the View"

Pushing herself up from the bed, the pink haired girl looked outside to the frostbitten window. Her limbs ached, her eyes were sore, and her heart was broken. Taking a look at the clock she noticed that most the others wouldn't be awake for another hour or so, except Naruto who wouldn't budge until past noon.

She walked down the corridor to the last room on the hallway. Sasuke and herself were the only ones that had a separate room. Ino stayed with Shikamaru, Hinata and Ten-Ten roomed with each other, and the other three had a room. Sasuke was excused since e wanted space. Sakura had taken the room since there weren't any more beds in the room with the Hyuuga heiress and the karate master's room.

Reaching the door, Sakura sucked in a deep breath and pushed the door open. A bay window lay at the side of the room, giving a good look at the land before it. A desk was covered in papers that most likely belonged to Sasuke. The bed was fixed nicely, a habit one would expect from the Uchiha heir. She neared the desk and sat down in the cushioned chair.

An envelope with fancy handwriting on it lay on top of the papers. It bore her name and she felt her heart crumble even more. She hadn't seen Sasuke write a letter when they were here, and he couldn't possibly have written one in the werewolf's village. Maybe Itachi had gotten this letter inside the home without them knowing. It couldn't be Sasuke's, could it? Only one way to find out.

Leaning back against the back of the chair, she carefully opened the little packet. A sheet of paper, skillfully creased down the middle in two ways, tempted her as it sat in side. She unfolded the paper.

Sakura,

You may not realize who this is, but that isn't a problem. You'll see for yourself in person sometime soon. No, I am not Lords Itachi or Orochimaru. So you can relax a little. The real reason I wrote this is not to try and make you guess who I am. So as to get straight to the point, I must tell you that Lord Itachi is alive. Speak with the king of Fire Country, Lord Asuma. He'll give you the things you need and point you in the right direction. I, myself, have already spoke with him and told him of your condition. He will be of great use for our mission. Farewell for now, dear cherry blossom.

Sakura flipped the paper over, but found no name or hint of whom this person may be. He's most likely a vampire since his use of Lord Itachi and Orochimaru. But since he referred to them as this she began questioning whether or not he was good or evil. But then again he said that it their, including him, mission.

She sighed and heard some shuffling from below. Ino was most likely making breakfast, which meant there was about ten minutes before everyone else would awaken. She'd tell them about the letter after breakfast. That would give herself time to think up a way to explain this all. She placed her hand to her neck to touch the smooth surface of the stone that Sasuke had given her. When she met bare flesh she noticed that the necklace was not there. Her last item from Sasuke was somewhere outside near the burnt werewolf village. A tear streamed down her pale cheek.

Walking around the ashen village, a figure glanced down to the small corpse that lay on the stage. It stooped over to get a better look at the female werewolf. Gently lifting the body up he walked over towards the edge of the cliff where a hole was carved into the soft earth.

He lowered the body into the ground and placed all the dirt back onto the burial place. Glancing sideways he caught sight of a metal blade. Pulling the blade out with ease he smirked. "Looks like they've fallen right into the trap." He sheathed his sword and turned back to the white haired man behind him. "Are you ready to go, Lord Sasuke?" The man who spoke shifted his glasses from the brim of his nose upwards near his eyes. The dark haired vampire turned to his comrade and nodded. "Let's go, Kabuto."

Sasuke followed Kabuto away from the destroyed area. Everything was coming together smoothly. Obsidian orbs looked down to the mud and new-fallen leaves and noticed something terribly out of place. His gloved hand reached down instinctively and grabbed hold of the object. The necklace he'd given Sakura. "Lord Sasuke?" Kabuto tilted his head to the side and the Uchiha made a motion with his hand for his teammate to move on.

"So, you're saying that someone just so happened to sneak into Sasuke's room and leave this note?" The lazy elf stared blankly at the note in his hands back to the girl to whom it was addressed. Sakura nodded and stated, "Itachi's alive and this guy apparently is of some use. He knows important information about the vampires. He is our only lead." Naruto frowned at this.

The mage furrowed his brows, his frown growing bigger, as he said, "I don't trust him at all. And how do we know that he isn't working with Weasel boy?" At this, Sakura shrugged. "We don't trust him. We use him and never let him have the opportunity to use us." Kakashi smiled and stated randomly, "Looks like our little flower is turning into the foul-mouthed Uchiha." Naruto then yelled, "Kakashi, don't encourage her! One arrogant ass is good enough!"

"And why would King Asuma allow you an audience?" The male queried his eyes gazing over the group. Neji narrowed his eyes into a glare and Naruto was being held back by the irritated Kakashi. "They're with me," a voice from behind said. All eyes were on the cloaked figure standing behind them. "Y-yes, sir." They moved aside and allowed the group plus one to enter.

Sakura walked slowly behind the cloaked male trying to put two-and-two together. "Are you the one that sent me the letter?" she asked quietly. The figure didn't turn to look at her but said a quick "yes". He then said, "When we get to the castle, I'll explain further. So save your questions until then."

Asuma rubbed his temples after hearing the group's story. He was already informed of their situation but he needed to hear their side of the problem. Once they were finished Asuma sighed. "I will aid you in your little problem, but my best men will not be whisked away into this war between you and the vampires under the orders of Orochimaru." The shorter of the boys stepped forward and he lowered himself onto one knee, "I would like to lead the troops into battle, your highness. I have… unfinished business with one of their 'friends'." Asuma stared at him in surprise but quickly brushed it aside and nodded.

"Alright. Shikamaru, you may choose any of my men that you may need." Shikamaru smiled and bowed once more and before he walked back to where Ino stood. Asuma scratched his chin and then he said, "Neji and Ten-Ten will also fight alongside the Nara boy." At this Neji scowled. He'd have to put up with that… woman who didn't know her place what-so-ever.

"Naruto, you along with Irakih and Ino will stay with Sakura. Kakashi, I have a favor I must ask of you, too. We will speak of the matter later though." Asuma then leaned back into his seat and the group bowed, but before they could leave Naruto blurted out, "Who the hell is Eerakeeeeeeeeee- what's-his-face?" Asuma sighed and the mystery man turned to face his acquaintances. "For now, you may call me by Irakih. When I feel like it is time, I will tell you who I am and show you what I look like. All you need to know is that I am in a resistance against Lord Orochimaru and his plans on taking over the Vampire Realm."

Sakura cocked her head the side and asked, "So, are you a vampire?" Irakih nodded. "And you're on our side?" The mysterious helper shook his head no and answered, "I am on no one's side. I am just here to bring down Orochimaru under Lord Itachi's orders." It was now Naruto's turn to question their new found member. "But… Why would Itachi want to get rid of Orochimaru?" Irakih sighed and stated bluntly, "Lord Itachi is soon to retire his position as king. Orochimaru is next in line for that title if Sasuke is dead."

The cherry blossom lowered her gaze to the floor and murmured, "Then it's too late. Sasuke died. Orochimaru will receive the throne and get rid of everyone against him." At this they could see an evident smirk beneath the darkness of his hood. "That is where you are wrong. Sasuke is alive and is well thanks to two of my men. They made sure to keep the boy healthy so he will be able to take his rightly place as king."

The green eyed girl snapped her head up to face their new 'friend'. "You mean?" Irakih nodded as he replied, "Itachi won't resign until Sasuke comes to him on his own will. Maybe we can talk with him. Lee and Shino have given me a report and his whereabouts. Two of my other subordinates are also keeping tabs on him." Irakih turned to leave from the chambers leaving the group for now. "Come to the inn when you're done. I have to check up on the Sasuke retrieval mission. Till then I bid you farewell!"

The blond mage scrunched up his face and said, "I don't like the damn guy! And what kind of name is Irakih!" Kakashi patted Naruto's unruly gold locks and sighed. "It's his alias. He doesn't want to reveal himself to us. We don't trust him and he doesn't trust us." Sakura spun around to face the two men as she spoke. "But if he's helping us he must be good. But then again, he is helping out Itachi also." Shikamaru sighed and muttered something about being troublesome as he said, "That damn boy isn't really so much as helping us as he is using us. It's simple. Sakura and Naruto have known Sasuke for a while now. Irakih is just going through us for the new heir. He's basically following orders to rid us all of Orochimaru and retrieve Sasuke for his master." Ino nodded and hugged her best friend saying, "That's our Shika! Known for being a lazy ass and a knowledgeable elf, on rare occasions!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes heavenward. Ino criticized far more than she praised.

"So what's your position and his?" Irakih asked into the cellular phone. The two of his underlings who were on the mission of retrieving Sasuke, then said in return, "He's hiding out in the forest. We can see the campfire and his bags from our spot among the trees." Irakih sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. He'd shed the coat and was now walking around in his usual attire consisting of a three-quarter length black shirt, and a mesh shirt that reached down to his wrists underneath his black top. Black combat boots made loud creaking noises on the old floor of the inn and constantly stepped onto the bottom hem of his beige pants.

"Stay where you are," their superior ordered checking his watch. "I've sent Choji towards your position. Kill his partners if it's necessary, but make sure Sasuke stays alive." With his final instructions and words of parting, Irakih clicked off the phone. He sighed. He'd better get a raise after all of this.

"Uchiha Sasuke. A vampire. A traitor to his friends and species. A pain in the ass," Irakih mumbled to himself flipping through reports. He was use to assignations rather than retrieval missions. So were his partners. They probably wouldn't kill him, but if he resisted they wouldn't hesitate putting him into a fatal condition.

A knock on the door interrupted him from his ramblings. "Irakih, are you in there?" It was female's voice. He quickly put on his cloak and opened the door. He couldn't reveal himself later. On the other side of the door stood Sakura. Her emerald orbs were staring down at her feet as she asked, "If Sasuke becomes king, will I ever see him again?"

It was a completely random question, but there was so much meaning in the words she spoke. She was, undoubtedly, in love with the vampire heir. He'd never seen anything like this though. No one loved the race of vampires. Vampires didn't even like other vampires, but here stood someone that was defying all laws. But now Irakih had to answer her question.

When he became king, well if he became king, he'd most likely not talk to anyone outside of the vampire race. But could he tell her that? "If Sasuke wants to see you, then we really can't stop him from seeing you, now can we?" There. That was a good answer. It wasn't lying but it wasn't telling the truth either. Sakura seemed to enjoy that statement and immediately her face brightened.

"Even… even if I won't be able to see Sasuke again, I'm sure he'll make a great king. He'll make sure that everyone is equal." Sakura stated happily a smile plastered on her porcelain face. Irakih nodded to her statement. But inside he knew that vampires weren't the ones that were treating people differently, it was all other species hating the vampires.

Ten-Ten tied the sash around her petite waist and sighed. She needed a sparring partner that was actually equal to her. Everyone she faced was too weak. Tightening the buns in her hair, her chocolate eyes watched as someone entered the dojo.

Ivory orbs stared back at her as he spoke, "You and me, right here, right now. I want to see why they want you to be my equivalent in our next battle." The girl frowned. He was being way too sexist for his own good. "Very well then," Ten-Ten said, her chocolate orbs flashing with anger.

Ino hummed happily to herself as she and Hinata entered the armor and clothing store. "W-why are we here again?" Hinata asked quietly as she fumbled her way through the clothing. Ino stopped her humming and simply answered, "I thought that you, Sakura, and I should treat ourselves well. Besides the king gave us this letter so everything we want, we get free. Well, mostly everything.

The light haired girl's gaze landed upon a cute fighting kimono and stated, "Here you go, Hinata! It's so perfect for you." The lavender colored fabric looked as if it would reach about three inches above her knee. There was a white obi with pale purple flowers scattered amongst it that brought out the little tint of lilac in her ivory orbs. "Take it, Hinata." The Hyuuga shyly took the outfit and placed it in her arms.

"Now for Sakura." The sapphire eyed girl searched everywhere until finding a pair of beige capris and a green corset styled, strapless top. The timid geisha took the articles of clothing from her blond friend and watched as the fairy skimmed through every outfit until deciding on a light blue, fairly spandex dress that flared out in spikes with it reached her waist. "Okay, we'll go show the letter form the king to the cashier and we'll be on our merry way!" Ino said full of energy, flinging Hinata the last article of clothing.

"But what about Ten-Ten?" the Hyuuga asked once they were outside. Ino shrugged and said, "I asked if she needed anything, but she said she was fine with what she had." The geisha nodded and followed Ino through the crowded streets.

Kurenai stared at her husband. Ever since the meeting with the group that was to take on Orochimaru, Asuma was acting strangely. "Didn't the Shikamaru boy resemble someone?" Asuma asked as he paced his chambers. The red eyed woman sat on top of the bed and as she crossed her legs she said, "He does resemble our late General Nara now that I think about it." Asuma stopped in his pacing and frowned.

"Nara Shikaku? That's who Shikamaru is avenging?" The dark haired king asked spinning around to face his wife. "It makes sense. General Nara did die while trying to save a comrade from the vampires." The king lit his cigarette, earning a disapproving look from his wife, as he stated, "Shikamaru's mother. After the war she left her son with her parents and she vanished."

The queen ran a hand through her dark curls and smiled, "Shikamaru's grown up to be a fine young man. Lazy, but smart." Asuma smirked at this and said, "His fairy friend is most likely a strict little female herself. She really does deserve a medal for putting up with his stubbornness.

Ten-Ten found herself laying on the ground instantly, the tip of someone else's stick a few centimeters from her neck. "You're weak. Is this all you can do," he hissed and Ten-Ten quirked a brow amused. "Not quite," she stated simply, knocking away his weapon with her hand and jumped to her feet. They snapped their weapons together, dodging and attacking skillfully.

In the end, however, neitherwon as Kakashi came in and told them that they were going to exhaust themselves to soon. "You certainly are better than I expected," Neji said sourly, as if saying the words tasted awful. Ten-Ten glared back and said just as bitterly, "Same thing goes for you. You're tough… for a pretty boy." Neji growled ready to retort but Kakashi cut them off, "You should really learn to work together, not against each other."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, Kakashi?" Sakura queried her jade orbs looking up at the taller man. He patted her head and said, "Of course. I'll come back, too, I won't miss the big war between us and Orochimaru." The ninja slung his bag over his shoulder and winked at his friends.

Naruto stepped towards the older man. "What kind of mission is this?" The gray-haired man tapped his index finger on his chin and stated simply, "A top-secret one." Naruto sighed and sweat-dropped. This man was an idiot!

"Well, I'll see you once I complete this mission! Bye for now!" With a puff of smoke, he was gone. At the sound from behind them, they saw Irakih enter. He simply uttered the words, "We've brought him".

"Temari! Kankuro! Where is he?" Irakih asked entering the audience chambers. Two people dressed in black stood waiting in the middle of the room. One was a female. And the other was a male. "He's in the chambers, locked up," the female stated.

The female was clad in tight black pants that had numerous amounts of pockets on their sides. A black sleeveless top stuck tight to her torso and the collar encircled around her neck, a heart-shaped cut was in the shirt reaching to the top of her breasts. Black fishnet styled, fingerless gloves reached all the way up to her elbows. Her hay-blond hair was tied into four pigtails, two at the top of her head and two at the bottom of her head.

The male wore less tight black pants with black combat boots. His shirt was also sleeveless and a short sleeved mesh top was underneath it. Black fingerless gloves covered his hands and to the halfway point between his wrists and his elbow. A black hat covered his hair and covered from his left side all the way around the back of his head stopping at the right, or vice versa. A belt, filled with many types of weapons, wrapped itself loosely around his waist.

"Good job, you two. What about his group?" Irakih asked eyeing the two. Temari looked down as if trying to find the words, but Kankuro saved her the trouble. Temari never liked bloodshed, especially from her own kind. "We managed to kill the one named Dosu. Kabuto got away, most likely to tell Orochimaru of your plans. Kin and Zaku are asleep right now due to the injections but are to be trialed once they are well enough," Kankuro said adjusting the belt around his waist.

Irakih nodded to the two, "Rest here for now. Call the rest of our men. If Kabuto does speak with Orochimaru then the resistance is in danger. I'll talk with Lord Itachi later." Temari and Kankuro bowed to their leader and in the blink of the eye, they were gone to tell the others.

Irakih turned to the group behind them. "Well, now then. I think you should all get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow. Shikamaru, Neji, and Ten-Ten, thank you for agreeing to help us with fighting Orochimaru and his lackeys. My men are under your command. I have over one hundred men that will help you out with the fight. I wish you three the best of luck." The leader of the resistance spun around on his heel and walked off to his quarters, but not before saying, "Sakura, I'd like for you to follow me."

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as she walked behind the quiet Irakih down lower into the castle. "We're headed to the dungeon," he said simply as he continued his steady pace. "But why?" Irakih stopped in mid-walk and remained silent. "You'll see."

The pink haired girl looked around the dark room somberly. "It's disgusting in here," she said looking to Irakih. He just pulled her closer to one of the cells. He unlocked the door and placed the torch he was holding into one of the slots. The cell immediately grew bright enough to tell who the person inside was. "S-Sasuke?" Sakura choked out, entering the small cage that held the Uchiha.

Irakih went outside from the cell and said, "I'll be at the top of the stairs when you're finished." He turned around, his cloak lifting slightly from the swift turn. As his footsteps grew fainter on the stone stairs, Sakura turned her attention away from Irakih to the boy in the cell.

The first thing she did was wrap her arms around him and said, "I'm so glad you're alive, Sasuke." The Uchiha stiffened when she embraced him but didn't push her away. "Why didn't you come back to us in the first place?" She asked her green orbs glancing at his face for any emotion. He just shrugged.

Charcoal eyes never wavered from her doll-like face. So dull and lifeless. Finally he spoke up. "I've lived for 117 years," he paused when he looked at her bitterly. "When I was eight, he killed everyone. That was one hundred and nine years ago. So for one hundred and nine fucking years, I've tried to avenge them. Someone is always in my way, damn it." His voice was icy and filled with rage. Sakura placed her hand on his to feel warmth radiating from it. That was strange, when Orochimaru and Itachi had placed their hands on her face, their hands were cold.

Sasuke leaned his head on the wall and took a sideways glance at the girl. "That's why I hate you." The emerald eyed neko looked at him in shock. He chuckled bitterly and answered her puzzlement with, "You don't have to live as long as I do. You don't have to live for an eternity completely shunned and despised." Raven locks fell onto his eyes and he finally said, "Get the hell away from me."

A/N: For some reason, I can't stop writing this story. Every time I get done with one chapter I have this weird urge to write another. What can I say? I'm obsessed. I'm also going along as I type. I have an idea of how it's going to end, but the extra details and scenes just somehow click together in my mind as I write it out. Anyways I hope you like this chapter and you review! If you're signed in or you're anonymous, it doesn't matter! I take all reviews (except flames which annoy the heck out of me) but constructive criticism and praise are welcomed!

Oh yeah! Just a little note to everyone interested. Irakih (hikari spelled backwards, ha ha) his identity will be revealed next chapter, so if you want to guess, feel free to do so! And Pyromoogle, just because Temari and Kankuro are his followers, doesn't mean for sure that it's Gaara! I hope you also liked the resistance's outfit descriptions. Anyways, love you all!

Sweet Bliss