Disclaimer: I do not own the Anime or Manga Naruto, or the characters contained within it. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Through the Darkness

Chapter 5 - On the Road Again

"Meriel-san overlooked one of the items. I thought I should return it."Grasping the edge of the picture frame tightly, she offered it you. Her eyes seemed glazed as though she was deep in thought, questions about you racing through her mind.

'Should I... Say something..?'

As you wondered whether or not to, you rose both of your hands, ready to grasp either side of the picture frame.

Seeing your hands so close to her own, Sakura recalled the green light that had encompassed them before, and how you'd completely moved your hand through Sasuke's. Due to this memory flashing through her mind she jerked her hand away, releasing the frame which clattered to the floor, glass shattering upon impact.

Carefully picking up the wooden frame, you removed the picture before it could be harmed, leaving fragments of glass scattered across the floor.

"I-I..."Sakura stuttered, feeling guilty for dropping something that must've been so precious to you,"G.. Gomen.."

Clutching the picture closely to your chest, you shook your head,"It's.. It's okay."

Kneeling down, she picked up the frame before collecting the shattered glass pieces,"I'll clean it up.."

Placing the picture safely away in your backpack, you tugged the zipper closed before grasping the strap and maneuvering it around upon your arm, allowing it to hang idly on your shoulder as you adjusted position. Grasping the crutch in one hand, and securing the backpack's position on your shoulder with the other, you managed to get back on your feet.

For a moment, you had to pause, glancing down at the pink-haired kunoichi who was melancholic as she gathered the shards of glass. It seemed as though she'd been very distracted and distant lately. Perhaps it wasn't only you on her mind, but rather something else.

'But.. I don't know how she normally acts... Maybe she's always spacing out.'

You reminded yourself as you hobbled into the kitchen before taking a seat at the table to wait for the others. Once Naruto and Sasuke were ready, and all the glass cleaned up, then the three of you would take your leave.

Currently, Sasuke was missing (as if that were any surprise, he was most likely outside training again). and Naruto was busy trying to fit all of his junk, and the meal Meriel had prepared for him, in his backpack. Due to how much difficulty he was having stuffing it all inside, Meriel had rushed to his aide.

"Alright, I think you're all done packing, right?"Meriel inquired, her eyes dancing with happiness as though the light of the sun shone through them. It seemed as though this woman was always chipper.

Dropping all the contents that had been in her hand, into the trash, Sakura dusted her hands off. Once again, a fake smile appeared upon her lips as she looked over at the rest of you,"Sasuke-san is outside. We'll go get him and then be on our way. Thank you again for your hospitality, Meriel-san."She finished, bowing her head gratefully.

"If you ever come through this way again, please stop by. It was really our pleasure, since we don't get many visitors out here. Just be careful on your way; the roads aren't usually dangerous, but.."

"Don't worry!"Naruto piped in, thrusting his fist into the air,"There's nothing I can't handle!"

With a sweat drop clinging the to the back of her head, Sakura giggled nervously before leaving to retrieve her own backpack.

Glancing over at you, the blonde narrowed his eyes,"Do I have to carry you again?"

"Um, no... That's okay, I can walk."You replied, smiling.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he regarded you with a simple,"Hmpf."Before ambling over to Sakura who'd returned with a backpack hooked around her shoulders.

"Alright, lets go,"She said with the same fake cheerfulness clinging to her voice.

Standing from the chair, you clutched the crutch tightly before limping along behind the two of them. You could catch whispers as the two of them conversed secretly, though there were few words you could perceive. However, you were positive you had heard your name...


After finding the raven-haired Uchiha, who'd been very blunt with the fact that the rest of you had wasted too much time packing, the three of you set off, bidding Meriel and her grandfather a heart farewell.

As the four of you made your way down the road, there was hardly much conversation. If there was any, it was a bit of mumbling from Sasuke, and fierce insults from Naruto, then Sakura scolding the blonde for being so rude.

Rather than walking beside them, you hobbled behind them. It was difficult to keep up with their pace, yet you somehow managed. You felt left out of their loop. Those three had a strong bond, making them so close that any outsiders weren't welcomed.

Staring up at the sky, your mind wandered aimlessly as you followed the endlessly winding road. According to the others, Konoha was still a good, long way away and you wouldn't be taking any rests along the way, aside from sleeping at night. (Of course the 'no resting' thing was Sasuke's idea...)

The clouds formed rather interesting animals, and various other objects. At least it occupied your time to make out the shapes.

However, as the day pressed on, it warmed up. All three of you had perspiration pouring down your forehead. Not only was the heat getting to you, but your leg ached from being the only one to have pressure placed upon it. You were wearing out quickly, however you didn't want to ask Naruto to carry you again or mention the idea of taking a break.

As each hour passed it became increasingly difficult to keep up the pace you were moving at. Until the point that you simply couldn't keep up with the others anymore, and due to your stubbornness you didn't say a word to them...

Until you collapsed, releasing the clutch as you felt forward, crashing against the ground. It barely stung, despite falling as hard as you did, however you could feel your broken ankle through with pain from the fall.

Noticing that you had fallen, the others paused. Rather than rushing to help you, Naruto and Sakura simply stood there staring back. However, not wanting to waste time waiting for you to muster your strength to stand up, Sasuke was the only one to come to your aide.

"Stand up."He commanded in a harsh voice.

Pressing your palms against the ground, you forced yourself into a sitting position before reaching for your crutch.

"Leave it."

Looking up at him you were surprised to find that his eyes weren't cold, but rather impatient. Obviously he was anxious to return to Konoha too, just like the others. Maybe he was so cold because he missed his home..?

Turning around, he kneeled down,"Put your arms around my shoulders."

Your face turned a bright crimson-red as you reached forward, wrapping your arms around his neck. As he stood, he grasped your thighs, holding you securely upon his back as he marched forward, standing beside the others.

"Sasuke-kun, maybe Naruto should do that..? If she's too heavy."Sakura mentioned, feeling a sting of jealousy flicker in her chest.

Perceiving this as an insult, that she thought he wasn't as strong as his rival, Sasuke glared at her coldly, silencing her in an instant."She's not heavy,"He retorted,"Naruto just complains too much."

Averting your eyes from the other shinobi, you glanced into the trees, resting your head against his shoulder. You were almost too tired to consider how embarrassing this situation should have been for you.

Considering that the sun would be setting soon, you couldn't deny the lure of sleeping, and before you could resist it's temptation, it had already taken hold of you...


"Is she asleep?"Sakura inquired curiously, glancing over at your motionless body that lay dormant upon her teammate's back.

The Uchiha gave a slight nod.

Placing his hands behind his head, Naruto wondered aloud,"Have either of you ever seen something like that before? The glowing-hands?"

"Well,"Sakura began, knowing the source of the green light,"When healing someone's wounds, a medic's chakra appears to be green. However, when their intention is to damage the opponent, it's blue."With all her studying, she'd been able to notice this instantly, however..."I can't figure out.. How her hand passed through Sasuke-kun's. It sounds almost impossible."

The entire time, he didn't say a thing. Sasuke didn't even agree with the others about not understanding what had happened. Instead he stayed out of the conversation entirely. Unlike the others, he knew the answer to this question, but had no intention of sharing it.

Glancing back at you, he couldn't help but wonder... What was the purpose for bringing you to Konoha? He knew your bloodline limit had to tie into that, but he simply couldn't figure out how...


As your eyes cracked open, you finally awakened from the dreams you'd been previously immersed in. Judging from the blanket draped around your shoulders, and the complete stillness of the air, as if there were no breeze at all...

'They must've set up the tent...'

This thought barely fazed you, but you immediately remembered something else.

'I didn't bring a sleeping bag with me... How could I possibly be...?'

Glancing around, you noticed two other figures beside you. Both Sakura and Naruto were sleeping peacefully, though the blonde was snoring so loud you wondered how the kunoichi managed to sleep this way.

However, upon your inspection, you noticed that Sasuke wasn't present. This was the last thing on your mind, though, with your stomach growling as loud as it was. Due to this, you began searching around for your backpack. However, it was difficult to move at all since Sasuke had left your crutch behind and your ankle ached with exhaustion.

'What do I do...? I'm so hungry...'

You thought to yourself, sighing heavily.

Just then, the flap to the tent opened and Sasuke poked his head in. Upon seeing you awake, his hand appeared, making a beckoning motion before the flap closed, his head disappearing behind it.

Following his signal, you managed to clamber out of the tent, though not without much difficulty. Immediately, you found Sasuke standing in front of you, holding something in his hand.

"Here."He nearly shoved it in your face."Eat."

Obliging, you accepted the strange-looking dark object from him, hesitantly taking a bite of it. From the taste and texture it was a stringy meat, probably from an old animal that had been roasted over an open fire

"We're saving the food Meriel packed."

After devouring the first piece, you received another, though it surprised you that he'd saved these for you. Then again, it surprised you that he'd lent you his sleeping bag, since that was the only answer to why he wasn't inside sleeping himself.

Once you'd finished the second piece too, your hunger was satisfied, though you still would've liked more to eat, you denied the pleasure of a full stomach for now. Instead you were more curious as to the reasoning behind Sasuke's actions.

"Why... Are you helping me so much..?"You inquired curiously, voice as quiet as the air, which was standing-still with the window blowing as gently as it was.

Stepping back to gain some distance from you, he took a seat upon the ground, cross-legged, before answering your question."It's my mission."

"Yeah, but the others—"

"Don't trust, nor like you."He interrupted, having no interest in conversing about something so completely obvious.

Averting your eyes, you swallowed hard. Thinking they didn't like you was one thing, but being told it so bluntly stung."It's.. Because of... My hands, right? Everyone back at home... They..."

The complete look of disinterest on his face silenced you. It was obvious that he didn't want to sit there listening to your entire pitiful history. Also obvious was the fact that he felt no sympathy for you.

Directing your gaze to the ground, you sighed. It was almost impossible to feel welcome at all now. You felt as alone now as you did back at home.

'Maybe.. I—'

"Konoha doesn't judge people for their kekkei genkai. Most people don't even know what it is, nor do they care."His voice was just as cold as ever, though what he said was somehow reassuring.

Lifting your head, you smiled gratefully, even though Sasuke seemed annoyed by the fact he'd cheered you up. It was obviously not his intention, though it seemed you were on the verge of tears a moment ago, and that would've been even more annoying.

Ignoring your happy expression, he returned to his feet,"Go back to bed,"He commanded,"We leave early."At this, he turned to walk away.

Quickly, you thrust your hand out and gripped the bottom edge of his shirt, causing him to halt and turn back around."Don't you... Need to sleep too?"

"I don't sleep."He replied nonchalantly, obviously expecting you to release him.

Yanking a little harder on his shirt, you persisted,"But... If you don't rest, you won't have any strength in the morning."

Grasping your wrist, rather forcefully, he removed it from clutching his clothing,"It's not your concern. Go back to bed."With that, he didn't even wait for you to protest, leaping into a nearby tree where he was out of earshot, and couldn't be disrupted.

Accepting this, you crawled back within the confines of the tent to lay back down beside the others and attempted to return to the dream world...


As soon as he could spot the sun on the edge of the horizon, Sasuke roused the rest of you and commanded you to get ready to leave. Groggily, the three of you obliged, though Naruto somewhat begrudgingly.

By the time the tent and sleeping bags had been tucked safely away, everyone was fully awake and ready to travel once more. Well, rather not travel, but to simply return home and see their families.

Just as it was yesterday, Sasuke carried you upon his back without complaints. Maybe this was because it was a workout to carry a person, and it helped him become stronger. Perhaps it was because Naruto disliked you, and wouldn't carry you even if you begged him. Yet another reason could be that last time Naruto carried you, he whined like a child, it could be that this annoyed Sasuke enough to take the job himself.

Whatever the reason, you were just grateful you didn't have to walk today. Though, having left your crutch behind, this was really the only choice anyways. Mostly, you were just glad it was Sasuke. Out of the three shinobi he seemed to dislike you the least.

As your hands gripped his shoulders, your mind drifted off. Since there was no conversation, or rather none you were welcome in, this was the only other way to entertain yourself... To day dream endlessly.

"Kana-san,"Sakura's gentle voice disrupted your reverie,"Are you excited to be going to Konoha? You didn't seem happy back home where you lived."

Glancing over at her, your jaw was slightly agape. Somehow it was just surprising how she seemed generally care, though perhaps she just wanted the uncomfortable silence to fade away.

"Oh... Yeah... It'll be nice there... I think."You replied hesitantly, thinking upon each word before speaking it.

With a smile, she gave a slight nod,"Konoha's a nice place to be."

The conversation was short-lived as you fell back into silence, and neither of you attempted to break it again. Even Naruto was silent, though he was usually the obnoxiously exuberant one.

Deciding that, since Sakura had warmed up to you, it might be a good idea to warm up to them as well, you hesitantly asked the blonde yourself,"N... Naruto-san... You don't seem like yourself... Are you alright?"

"Ra... Ramen..."He muttered in reply, holding his stomach as it squealed in agreement about the delicious noodles. Drool dribbled down his chin but he seemed not to notice, being in a day dream himself.


The rest of the day seemed to repeat what had happened the previous day. There was conversation now and then, though only between Sakura and Naruto, with the occasional insult thrown at Sasuke. No one really seemed to have much energy, save for Sasuke who monotonously ordered everyone around.

When, finally, the sun began to set, the three of you found yourselves a good place beside the road to camp for the night. Naruto left immediately to gather wood while Sasuke went to search for food and Sakura remained with just enough wood to begin a fire.

As both of you sat beside the fire, neither spoke a word. Despite the short conversation earlier today, you knew she didn't trust you. Maybe it would simply be better to tell her about...

'I.. I can't..'

Your mind snapped the moment the thought of telling her crossed your mind.

'The last time I did... It ended horribly... For now, only Sasuke-san needs to know, until I can speak to the Hokage-sama.'

The moment after you made your firm decision not to tell her just yet, there was the sound of something stampeding toward you, along with the fierce screaming of Naruto.

"Naruto!"Sakura cried as she leapt to her feet, whipping out a kunai and preparing herself as though it could possibly be an attack.

Staying perfectly still, you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as shivers ran down your spine. If it was at all possible that they had found you already, then... Then...

Tears formed at the ducts of your eyes at the thought. Just before you burst out into tears, however, the blonde came into view, screaming like school girl who'd just spotted a good-looking male.

Both of your jaws dropped, as both you and Sakura had sweat drops on the back of your head, seeing that Naruto was running away from what looked like an angry boar.

"NARUTO!"The kunoichi screamed, raising a fist in the air with multiple veins popping fourth from forehead.

"Sakura-chan!"He called back, running in circles to avoid the boars tusks, and wrath,"Help me!"

'Just wait... Until I get my hands on him!'

Thought inner Sakura, who was nearly exploding from anger at the stupidity of her teammate. After all, only Naruto could've been stupid enough to anger a boar. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura were that dim-witted!

Sighing heavily, you smiled to yourself. Naruto being an idiot was ten times better than being stalked by them. You had to admit, too, that it was rather comical watching him run away from a boar. That is, until he climbed up a tree to avoid being impaled by the giant boar's tusks.

At this moment, the situation lost it's humor, because... Due to it's prey being out of reach, the boar turned it's anger to something that wasn't out of reach. Sakura, who was already backing away and ready to leap into a tree, and you, who had no way to run away even if you wanted to.

As it began charging toward you, you snapped your eyes shut. The sound of it's hooves beating against the ground filled your ears.

Before it could reach you, the boar squealed in anguish as multiple kunai connected with it's lower belly. As blood formed in a puddle below it, the boar collapsed, causing the entire forest to shudder.

Chancing one glance, you lifted a single eyelid open. You were relieved to find that Sasuke had killed the beast and was now removing the metal from it's body.

Holding all of the kunai in his hands, he glanced at Sakura and sent her a glare with a message only she could decipher, before continuing his work of readying the boar to be cooked. Apparently it would be your meal for tonight.

Once Naruto had come down from the tree he'd escaped into, Sakura beat him to a bloody pulp with the warning,"Never... Ever... Do that again!"She snapped at him in a scream that was low-pitched enough to avoid Sasuke's ears.


After retrieving the wood he'd dropped, Naruto assisted Sakura in creating a fire that would be large enough to accommodate the gargantuan beast that would be cooked over it's flickering flames.

Due to the long duration of time it would have to cook, you laid down upon the ground and closed your eyes. It wasn't your intention to fall asleep, but to rather rest until you could fill your stomach once more.

Everyone's stomach seemed to be growling at the moment, having been empty for the entirety of the day. It was surprising that neither Naruto or Sakura had complained to Sasuke about the no-breaks nonsense. Though, you hadn't dared argue either, feeling it would've been out of place to do so.

Cracking your eyes open, you watched as the flamed licked at the skin of the dead beast. It was almost sickening to think that something that could've possibly killed you, would now be your meal for tonight. Eating an animal in general was sickening, though.

As time passed by, like grains of sand pouring through an hourglass, the meat was finally ready to be eaten. While the others crowded around the bonfire to claim their fair share, you laid there motionlessly, almost too drowsy to get up. Sleep was almost more alluring than food right now.

While the others hungrily devoured their food, Naruto doing so at a record-breaking pace, you continued laying there with your eyes barely parted open.

'I wonder... If Sasuke-san really does sleep? Maybe he's just being...'

"Kind..?"You wondered aloud, mumbling the word so quietly that the other's barely caught wind of it.

"Kana-san, you should eat."Sakura commented, handing you a piece of the meat wrapped tightly in some cloth (considering you didn't have plates to eat off of).

Sitting up, you obliged gratefully,"Thank you."

As everyone ate in silence, you played with the thought of making conversation. No one had attempted yet, not even Naruto who was usually buzzing with cheerfulness and the first to start conversation.

'They must really not like me.'

This thought didn't bother you as much anymore, you'd grown accustomed to thinking that none of them really thought that highly of you. After all, back home everyone thought you were the scum of the earth, including your mother.

"Um, so Naruto-san, what's your favorite food?"

Licking off his fingers after devouring 1/4 of the entire boar, he replied,"Ramen."

You smiled, glad that he'd even replied to your question at all,"Oh, I see. Ramen is really nice, but I love curry. My mother use to make it when I was smaller, because it was my dad's favorite too."

"Your father's?"Sakura inquired curiously,"That was the man in that picture you were carrying around before?"

"My picture..? Oh...!"Turning to your backpack, you grasped the zipper, and with a swift, harsh tug, you opened it. Rummaging through the contents, you found your picture, and to your satisfaction it wasn't torn, ripped, or crumpled up.

"I'm.. Really sorry about breaking that frame."Sakura apologized, sheepishly averting her gaze.

You shook your head,"No, that's alright."Handing her the photo, you pointed to the man who's arms were wrapped around two young girls. All three of you looked alike, having the same hair color."That's my father."

"I didn't see him when we came to pick you up."She commented, studying the picture curiously. When she'd first laid eyes on it, she'd figured that he was your father and the other girl your sister, though she wasn't one-hundred percent positive.

"He passed away when I was about seven years old,"You replied,"From a rare illness. I don't remember what it was called, no one really told me much about it."

"This is your sister?"She inquired, pointing to the older child who's resemblance to your father was almost haunting.

You nodded,"She ran away from home the same year my father died."

Leaning over her shoulder, Naruto glanced at the picture too, out of curiosity and for the fact he was rather nosy,"You all look weird,"He commented,"That strange old-granny colored hair."

"Naruto!"The kunoichi snapped, pummeling the idiot in the back of the head,"Stop being so rude!"

"Idiot."Sasuke commented, heaving a sigh at his teammates behavior, mainly Naruto's.

"What's that!"Naruto retorted, glaring at his rival.

Peering over at him, Sasuke explained,"Most old people have gray hair. That's white hair, fool. Don't tell me you're color-blind? Besides, Sakura's hair is pink which is even more rare than white."

Clenching his fists, Naruto quipped,"Well it looks like a granny hair color to me!"

Placing your hand on the blonde shinobi's shoulder, you smiled,"It's alright, Naruto, I know it makes me look weird. But I like it, because every time I see my reflection in a mirror my thoughts go directly to the family I love so much; my father and my sister, the two people who've made the biggest impact in my life."

"Where did your sister run away to?"Sakura questioned, ignoring the bickering between her teammates as she handed the picture back, which you safely tucked into your backpack once more.


Author's Note: I tried to get this one out as quickly as possible, because I would like to get Chapter 6 out soon so that you people who've already read these parts have something new to read. I sincerely apologize for it taking so long---It's hard to keep up with posting so many stories on so many different sites. Besides that this combining process, besides editting, and writing... Has taken a lot of effort. sweat drop I think I've taken on a few too many tasks at once. Most likely I'm going to halt all posting on and try to focus on and Quizilla. Perhaps then I'll find more time to post, write, edit, and combine. :)

Kyori