The last thing Naruto heard was Sakura's voice screaming his name as if he were dying. The liquid hit his back, forcing the air out of the boy from the mere fall and impact. Crying out in pain, Naruto's mouth filled with what tasted like blood as he began to descend into the depths of the crimson lake. His eyes burned from the moment he had opened them to try and see around him, through he forced himself to try and swim back to the top of the lake. With a few thrusts of his arms, the boy was soon losing breath and he didn't even know how close he was to the surface. Slowly, he felt darkness consume him as he sunk to the bottom of the lake; a woman's insane laughter filling his ears.

"…Wake up kid…now!"

Hesitantly, the boy allowed an eye to open; though what he saw wasn't the red crimson lake he had been drowning in, it was the grey bar's of the Kyuubi's cage. "Did I die?" He asked, rubbing his eyes as if coming from a deep sleep.

The fox let out what seemed as though a sigh of relief for the boy's safety before he spoke; something that caused Naruto to blink a bit, having noticed it. "No, but you will be if you don't get out of this damn lake. You are twelve feet under a deep layer of blood that is slowly hardening to capture you…You must push off from the bottom and get to the top before that woman comes back and does send you and me into the depth of hell and so help me child if-"

That was all Naruto needed to know. He turned his back on the fox and interrupted him; a smirk planted on his face. "Whose planning on dying? Cause if you are, you'd better schedule them for three hundred years later because I don't plan on letting you kick the bucket just yet."

"That's my line, you brat." The fox chuckled as the boy left the cell inside his own body.

Soon Naruto felt liquid passing around his body gently and wasted no time to move his body into a crouched position on the sandy floor. Leaping with all his might, the blonde swam for all he was worth; thinking only of his team members and how he had to save them. After what seemed like a forever tunnel of liquid, Naruto felt his hand suddenly reach upward and into the cold air. 'YES!' He shouted before air busted its way into his lungs. Standing on the liquid, he could hear Sakura suddenly cry out his name before she was beside him in a heart beat, wiping the blood away from his eyes and nose. Opening his sky blue eyes, he was shocked to see Sakura crying and smiling at him, as she would have Sasuke if he had been in the same situation. He had seen the look a few times in the past when the raven was on the verge of death and had somehow made it. "Common Sakura…." He whispered, nodding to the other side of the lake.

Sasuke sat alone in lowly lit room, his mind racing with thoughts as he watched the scene from his mind. Sae had allowed him to have some of her own capabilities since they were 'so much alike.' His hand clamped into a fist that made his fingernails dig into his flesh and cause his own blood to spill. "I want her dead!" Sasuke whispered hoarsely as Sae's figure appeared beside him.

Kneeling down, she looked at him with remorse before nodding. "I will…Sasuke, do you know who's room this used to be?" She suddenly asked looking around.

It was a normal room with bamboo mats to line the floor like with all houses, however a doll stand sat on one of the longer walls, as well as a paper-screen that sectioned off a small part of the room, though it wasn't much and easy to see shadow's through. "Yours, you used to play here right?" Sasuke asked, guessing from nearly instinct.

Sae smiled as she nodded before excusing herself. 'Dear Sasuke-kun, you and me are more alike then you thought…each moment you spend with me; we become closer in spirit…soon you and I will have what we want…I will have my revenge and your body while you and that blonde become one…'

Having made it to the other side of the bridge with little complication's afterward, Naruto looked up at the big gate ahead of them before he pushed the surprisingly easy opening doors. As they flung open, Naruto could already sense a feeling of malice around him; the very air holding the scent of rot and decaying flesh. Pressing forward, a mansion laid before them to explore till they were killed or found their beloved friend. Both jumped as the door's slammed shut behind them, Naruto cursing at them for a moment while Sakura held her chest; trying to calm her already pounding heart. Stealing a glance at Naruto, she noticed his brilliant blue orbs that stared at the door's as he continued to lecture the object. 'When did Naruto become so…handsome? His features are very breath taking and-' Though she shook her head at the sudden thought. 'No, no, no! Don't think about things like that in a time like this!' She scolded herself while the inner Sakura continued to stare at Naruto.

Finally satisfied that the door's understood the 'urgency' of getting Sasuke back, the blonde turned on his heel and looked around him. A stone path lead up to the old wooden doors of the mansion; a few lit stone built lanterns lining the way. The fog settled around the mansion, blocking his view for the most part on either side of him. Clenching his fist, his sight settled on the old house as he approached; snatching up Sakura's hand before he done so though. Naruto's gut suddenly twisted and he pulled the pink haired girl behind him with a few protests from her until Sae appeared twenty paces ahead. She stood there, laughing insanely at them; the blood from her kimono still running down the front of the silky material.

"Go away!" Sakura screamed at the fading image, clinging to Naruto's shoulder's and burying her head in his blood stained coat.

After she had finally disappeared and the lingering laughter had stopped; Naruto crept forward to the front door of the tainted building. Placing his hand over the handle, the boy took a deep breath and pushed it forward. The inside was a mess to say the least. A torn banner that had hung on a beam, now fallen an propped up on a side of the room draped over the steps now; a few paper screen's smashed to half their height. "Stick close…" Naruto warned Sakura, noting that the house was almost to dark for the boy to make out things.

"No objections here.." Sakura whispered as they gingerly stepped inside.

Not even a second after they were out of the way, the doors slammed behind them; causing both to jump five feet into the air and spin around. Naruto tugged on the door handle, with no avail and finally stopped once he noticed something. The door was covered in bloody handprints and his hand was now covered in the substance. "Not again!" Naruto cried, slapping his forehead with his hand, not caring anymore.

Sakura's sudden cry however, made the boy's spirit leap and eyes widen. "Sasuke!"

Turning his eyes to see what Sakura had; he gasped when he could make out the raven's face from a tear in the banner; though as soon as the two blinked, the boy was gone. 'She's playing with our heads…' Naruto realized, placing his foot on the first step.

"The twins that will become the sacrifice have returned!" A voice doomed, causing Naruto to pull Sakura up the steps and looke back at the disappearing image of a priest whom bowed to them.

"Twins…?"

"Sacrifice?" Sakura questioned after the blonde before he pulled up the banner to show a hallway with two doors on either side.

His bottom lip quivering, Naruto gripped Sakura-chan's hand in his own. 'We're almost there, and we can't back out now…wait for me Sasuke…'