*I DON'T OWN NARUTO*
Her head was throbbing, and her entire body felt as though it weighed a ton. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was to drift back to sleep. However, everything she was feeling was keeping her from falling back into a deep slumber. Her entire body ached, and throbbed, even breathing was painful. Her mind was also very foggy, attempting to recall who she was, or where she was, made her head reel in pain. She tried her best to relax. Perhaps the best thing to do was to take things slow.
So instead of trying to figure out what had happened to her she tried to open her eyes. At least this way she could see where she was. As much as she tried though she couldn't open them. Her eyelids felt as if they were made of lead. Finally, after a few more attempts she was able to muster the strength to open them. As soon as she did she quickly shut them close. The light that was above her hurt her vision, her eyes felt as if they were on fire.
She tried once more to open them, only, this time, she did it with more care. It took a few minutes for her vision to work properly once more. The light above her wasn't as bright as it was before, something or someone rather was blocking it. She strained her eyes to better focus on what she was seeing. Her heart skipped a beat; a pair of intense blue eyes were looking right at her. She was startled, but she couldn't look away from them. Their color was so vivid and sharp.
"You're finally awake."
The sound of the stranger's voice jolted her mind. Visions began to unravel in her subconscious and in a matter of seconds everything came flooding back to her memory. She remembered her terrifying ordeal, she knew who she was, and furthermore she knew who had hurt her so badly. She looked at the person in front of her and smiled, he was just the man she needed at that very moment.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you're a sight for sore eyes."
"Where is Sasuke Karin?"
Karin's face went pale and her heart raced, she really thought she was going to die out there.
"Karin please, you have to tell me where he is," pleaded Naruto.
Karin snapped out of her trance. She looked right at Naruto.
"Karin…"
"When I was first captured by your team I never thought that I would come to love your village, but I did."
"Tsunade pardoned me from actual prison time because of my cooperation in revealing everything I knew about Sasuke. She had mercy on me, and because of that, I was allowed to live among the villagers. I felt like I belonged, I was finally free. For most of my life, someone has always controlled or used me. I really thought I was going to have the opportunity to start my life all over again, but that opportunity was taken from me by Sasuke. I swore to disobey him every chance I had Naruto, and now that I'm far from his clutches I'll gladly tell you where he is."
Naruto couldn't believe that Karin really knew where Sasuke was. He was finally making some progress. He sighed heavily as he landed roughly on the chair he had pulled next to Karin's bed. His body felt numb and time itself seemed to stay still. Karin silently looked on as Naruto took in her words.
"You know I've been waiting a while for you to wake up, but I didn't think I would be so caught off guard when I got the answer I was looking for," said Naruto in a shaky voice.
"You've been waiting for a while? Exactly how long is a while?"
"Two days."
"You've been here with me for two days?"
"Well yeah, I currently have lots of time on my hands since I can't leave the village."
"Why not?"
"That isn't important right now Karin. What is important is that you tell me where Sasuke is."
"Right, he's at the far corners of Kumogakure Naruto, high up in the mountains. In that mountainous region lays a large waterfall, behind it is a cave that holds a never ending labyrinth."
"Sasuke never left Kumogakure like we originally thought."
"No, he didn't, he's been there the entire time, right under the Raikage's nose."
"But how the hell can that be, there was supposed to be an extensive search of Kumogakure."
"I'm very well aware that the Raikage had all his available shinobi search his land, but there was no way in hell they were ever going to find Sasuke."
"And why is that?"
"Well for starters the area where the waterfall is located is in a very remote portion of Kumogakure. There is no real reason why any common individual would travel that far into the forest."
"I see."
"In the event that it was discovered, the unlucky fool who happens to stumble inside the cave would be lost forever."
"What?"
"Sasuke placed a genjutsu on the cave's entrance. One must perform a certain releasing hand signal before entering it, if not the labyrinth that lies inside the cave will go on forever, and you'll never find your way out."
"But if that's true wouldn't someone hear people calling for help? The echo from within a cave can be pretty loud."
"No, the roar of the waterfall makes it impossible to hear anything coming from inside the cave. Believe me, no one heard me scream."
"What the hell did he do to you, Karin?"
"He used me for experiments..."
"Experiments?"
"Yes, Kabuto needed my chakra to help him created the shell that protects the virus. His chakra alone wasn't strong enough to do it, and neither was Sasuke's."
"I don't understand, though, why did yours work?"
"Well, our chakra is very special."
"What do you mean our chakra?"
"I'm an Uzumaki just like you, didn't you know?"
"You're an Uzumaki?"
"Yes, but just by half, my mother was an Uzumaki."
"I had no idea…"
"It's alright."
"So what makes our chakra so special?"
"It's incredibly strong and durable, it's exactly what Kabuto needed."
"He was able to create a sturdy chakra shell with it, and once the time is right Sasuke will release it, and hundreds of infected shinobi will be rendered useless. With that many of them down Sasuke will be able to stroll through any village's front gates."
"Shit, how the hell did this happen?" Whispered Naruto.
"Sasuke blackmailed me…"
"How?"
"He told me if I didn't cooperate he was going to kill my parents."
"I thought you lost your parents."
"I thought so too, you see when I was little I felt a large group of bad people approaching my village. I could sense their hostility and it scared me to death, so I ran as fast as I could into the safety of the woods. Those shinobi I sensed ultimately destroyed my home and killed everyone. Orochimaru found me, and he could sense that I was a prize that just couldn't be left behind. He's the one who told me my parents perished, but part of me never really believed him. When Sasuke used them as leverage I knew he was telling the truth, he isn't the type to bluff, so I agreed to help him."
"I know what you're thinking, I should've said something, but I was just so shocked to hear about my parents that I wasn't thinking straight. Learning that they had been alive this whole time left me feeling confused. I started to wonder how different my life who have been if I was never separated from them."
"Karin…"
"It's alright Naruto, I just wish I could have done more than just give Sasuke inaccurate information."
"No, everything you did really help us, believe me."
"I'm glad I was able to do something. The entire time I worked for him my thoughts were on my reasons for doing so. At first I was concerned with my parent's safety, but afterward, I asked myself how they would feel if they knew I was helping someone as horrible as Sasuke. It was then that I knew I couldn't help him destroy my new home. After a while, he grew tired of my games, and that's when he handed me over to Kabuto. Heaven knows what happened to my parents."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that Karin, truly I am," said Naruto as he got to his feet.
"I wish I could have given you this information much sooner, but obviously I wasn't able to do so."
"You've done more than you'll ever know, but do you at least know which village Sasuke's attacking first?"
"Isn't it obvious Naruto? He's going to attack the village that is already insanely defenseless. The village that your dear friend Gaara resides in."
"No, not Suna…"
"Precisely, Suna was hit heavily with infected. They are incredibly vulnerable at the moment."
Naruto stiffened, Sasuke was heading right for Sakura. He gulped nervously at the thought of his next question.
"Does Sasuke know Sakura-chan is pregnant?"
"No, he doesn't."
"Are you sure?"
"I never shared that information with him, but I'm not sure if the other spies he had in the area learned about her condition and told him, but I wouldn't worry Naruto if Sasuke did, in fact, know about Sakura I can assure you that he would have acted by now."
"But hey all you have to do is to make sure Sakura is safe," assured Karin. "Keeping her in the village should be a simple enough task."
"That's easier said than done," muttered Naruto.
"What in the world are you talking about?"
"Sakura-chan left for Suna."
"What? When did she leave?"
"Two days ago."
"So you've been here since she left Konoha?"
"Yes…"
"Oh my god Naruto your little wife couldn't have chosen a worse time to go on a peace corp mission," replied Karin as she rubbed her temples softly. "It's imperative that Sasuke never finds out about your unborn child. If he did that would be another Uzumaki he could use, or exterminate."
Naruto clenched his fists tightly, the thought of Sasuke getting anywhere near Sakura and his unborn son made his blood boil. His lips curled upwards giving Karin a clear view of his canines. A deep growl was building up in his throat.
"There is no way in hell I would ever let him anywhere near my family!"
Naruto quickly rose from his seat in anger and made his way towards the hospital room's window. Karin instinctively tried to get out of bed but was stopped by the immense throbbing that coursed through her entire body. She winced, but through her half closed eyes, she could see Naruto almost fully out of the window.
"Now just wait a goddamn minute Naruto! Where in the hell do you think you're going?!"
"Where do you think!?"
"Are you insane!? You can't go to Suna, that's a three-day trip!"
"Even Sakura isn't there yet, besides you would never make it in time, and you leaving would make Konoha vulnerable as well. Abandoning the village for your pointless rescue mission isn't a good idea."
Naruto froze, Karin was right, and even though he wanted to leave at this very moment he couldn't, pursuing Sakura was pointless. Naruto could feel the Kyuubi's anger from deep within him. He cleared his head so he could think things through before he went and did something stupid. Naruto slowly stepped out of the open window, a cool breeze entered the room and Karin shivered.
"Wait, you're still leaving?"
"Yes, but don't worry I'm not leaving Konoha," said Naruto calmly.
"I see, well can you at least use the front door then? Why do you have to go all mysterious like this?"
"I like this way better," replied Naruto.
"God you're unbelievable!" Huffed Karin as she crossed her arms.
Naruto turned around to look at her, he gave her a weak smile as he made his way out into the night. Karin took in a deep breath, his gaze was so piercing and intense. A slight blush crossed her cheeks. She felt so vulnerable when Naruto looked at her that way. She shook her head doing her best to banish the girlish feelings that had overcome her. She regained her composer and stared at her open window, he was gone. The hospital currents danced lightly due to the wind from outside and Karin's demeanor softened. Surprisingly all her worries and frustrations with Naruto had drifted away. Perhaps the breeze entering her room was responsible, or perhaps it was something else.
"That Naruto can be such a fool sometimes, but aside from his stubborn attitude I know he can do this. At least he'd better, because if not, all my fears will once again become reality. Only this time the entire world will share my suffering."
The night air was cool and crisp; a light mist was present due to the constant showers that blanketed Konoha. Naruto traveled silently; it was apparent his mind was elsewhere.
"So villager's lives are more important than our family! You need to abandon your virtuous habits Naruto and get the hell out of Konoha! You know something is going on, you can't tell me you haven't felt something. It is imperative that we reunite with our mate as soon as possible! Danger is too close for comfort!"
"God you aren't helping me out here you know that!" Snapped Naruto as he quickened his pace. "I want nothing more than to do just that, but I can't. Sasuke could very well have his men attack Konoha if I leave, and like Karin said I'll never make it in time. You have to remember that I have a responsibility to this village and to my team. I just can't leave for my own selfish reasons!"
"You're a fool Naruto!"
"Sakura-chan would want me to stay. She'd understand what's at stake here!"
"So you're going to ignore the fact that you're feeling something right now? Honestly boy I don't think you see the severity of things," growled the Kyuubi.
"And I don't think you do."
"..."
"Look I just need to think of a plan alright. Besides, I have faith in my friends and Sakura-chan. They'll be fine."
"You say that but you aren't thinking that Naruto. You can lie to yourself but remember you can't lie to me," murmured the Kyuubi.
Its deep foreboding voice began to trail off into the recesses of Naruto's mind, and in a few moments time, Naruto was left alone with his thoughts. He sighed heavily, the Kyuubi was right; there was doubt in his heart. Doubt that Sasuke would ultimately succeed in crippling the great shinobi nations. Doubt that he would find Sakura and her precious secret. Doubt that he would lose his wife, son, and friends all because he hadn't stopped Sasuke in time. Naruto felt absolutely torn and confused.
He continued to dwell on his thoughts and by the time he got home he all but almost collapsed onto his bed. He rolled over and looked at the ceiling. It was dark in his room; he hadn't even bothered to turn on the light. He sighed and after much reluctance, he dragged himself out of bed and towards the restroom. He had been by Karin's bedside for two whole days; he really needed to take a shower.
He got undressed and stepped into the running shower. The warm water hitting his cold tired body was so soothing. He placed both his hands against the slick shower wall. He let his head hang low as he looked down at the water being sucked down the drain. He started at it for a moment but he looked away when he started to get a little dizzy. He ran his fingers through his wet hair as he tilted his face towards the shower head and closed his eyes. Naruto then began to get the tedious task of getting clean out of the way and in a few minutes time he was done.
Part of him was tempted to stay in the shower a little longer, but he was growing tired of his thoughts running wild. So he turned off the water and slowly stepped out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way towards his room when something made him stop. The atmosphere had changed and he quickly went into alert mode. What in the world was it that he was feeling? It wasn't someone's intentions nor was there an immediate danger, or was there? Naruto shook his head in an attempt to get a better sense of his current situation, something was definitely off.
Suddenly he felt a familiar chakra quickly approaching his apartment. He quickly made his way to the front door and opened it before his guest was even able to knock on the door. He reached out of the open door and grabbed Ino by the arm. He pulled her towards him and swiftly closed the door. Ino was surprised, to say the least as she was yanked quickly inside. Her cool body was tightly pressed against Naruto's warm wet bare chest. She froze when she realized he was basically naked. Her face became flushed and her breathing quickened.
"Shhh, don't say anything," whispered Naruto.
Ino held her breath in anticipation; she wasn't quite sure what was going on but there was one thing she was definitely sure of, Naruto was serious. Sure enough, she could feel Naruto looking from side to side as if he was looking for someone hiding in the shadows. His grip on her was firm but not aggressive; on the contrary, she could tell that he was protecting her from some unseen enemy. After a few awkward moments of silence, Naruto let her go. She heard him walk to the kitchen. He turned on the light and made his way back to her.
"What happened is everything alright?"
"Yes everything is alright Naruto," squeaked Ino.
The shaky high pitch tone of her voice made her wince. She promptly cleared her throat.
"So why are you showing up at my place at 3am?" Asked Naruto.
"I'm not sure really," answered Ino reluctantly.
Now that Naruto had her on the spot her reason for being at his place at this hour sounded childish.
"I just had a weird feeling, that's all."
"You had a weird feeling?"
"Well yeah, I can't explain it really. The best way to describe it is, woman's intuition I guess?"
"Women's intuition huh," replied Naruto.
"It's just that I felt a little off tonight. I couldn't sleep. The more I dwelled on how I felt the more I wanted to be with someone. I felt really vulnerable so I grabbed a few things and headed here. I figured I could stay with you until Shikamaru gets back."
"I see," said Naruto as he looked Ino over.
She was wearing a thin jacket and flannel pants. A large overnight bag was hanging off her shoulder. Naruto relaxed somewhat, but not completely, the lingering feeling of danger was still on his mind.
"Look Naruto I know my reasons for being here are kinda silly now that I think about it, I'm so embarrassed," admitted Ino.
"No, your reasons aren't silly at all Ino. Go ahead and make yourself at home. Just let me get dressed," said Naruto as he went into his room.
Ino made her way to the couch and sat down. She placed her night bag next to her and opened it. She removed her light jacket which revealed that she was wearing a thin black tank top underneath. No matter the weather Ino liked to keep her nightwear light and simple. She placed her jacket into her night bag. Shortly afterward she heard Naruto open the door to his room, he came out wearing a black shirt and gray sweat pants. He made his way towards Ino and sat next to her.
"So can I ask you something Ino?"
"Umm sure, what is it?"
"You said you had a weird feeling, did you feel like you were in danger?"
"Yes and no, it was strange. At first, I thought I was having a premonition or something but after thinking things through I decided that I was just being paranoid."
"Well, I can tell you for sure that you aren't being paranoid. I got that same feeling too, that's why I pulled you in like I did."
"So what are you trying to tell me?"
"That you and I both actually felt something. It's weird though I can't tell exactly what I'm picking up on."
"You mean you're still feeling it right now?"
"Yeah, but it's faint and fuzzy. Sorry, I know it sounds crazy, it's just hard to explain."
"No it makes sense Naruto, but what does this all mean?"
"It means someone or something is coming."
"What should we do?"
"We need to let as many people know about this. I'll head over to Baa-chan's and you head for the main gates. Border patrol needs to know."
"Alright then," said Ino as she reached into the bag for her jacket.
Suddenly an eerie silence filled the room. Naruto instantly felt something fast approaching but it was too late to apprehend it. He barely even had enough time to push Ino out of the way. He dived towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. A loud crash encompassed the room and dust mixed with bits of rubble cluttered the floor. Naruto and Ino skidded across the living room floor and into the kitchen. They crashed into the dining table and chairs, but the furniture alone wasn't enough to stop them from sliding, that is until Ino felt them quickly come to a halt as Naruto's back crashed into the refrigerator.
She felt him tighten his grip on her as he shielded her from falling plaster. Ino slowly opened her eyes, but she was unable to see anything. All she could make out was the dust that was still settling from the collision. The kitchen light flicked on and off, and water leaking from the pipes spilled all over the floor. Naruto pulled himself and Ino upright when suddenly a blood cruelty hiss came from in front of them. Whatever had come crashing through Naruto's apartment wall was just feet away. Ino felt Naruto release her and the next thing she knew he charged into the cloud of dust.
"Son of a bitch!" Roared Naruto.
A loud crash was heard and all the dust and debris in the room was blown away. Naruto's fist had made contact with the thing in his apartment, and the impact from his punch sent the unknown intruder through his living room wall and straight through his bedroom wall. Ino covered her head and curled up into a fetal position as chunks of rubble flew by her. She could hear Naruto intensely fighting as she shut her eyes tightly. After a few moments she cautiously sat up and looked around at what was left of Naruto's apartment, it was totaled. Ino frantically looked for her night bag. Its contents not only had her clothing it in but also her shinobi gear. She sprinted for what was left of the living room. She quickly overturned the couch and sure enough her night bag was there.
She opened it and found her gear knapsack; without thinking twice she strapped it onto her right thigh and made a mad dash for Naruto's bedroom. She could see a gaping hole right where Naruto's balcony use to be. She carefully approached the edge and looked down below. Naruto had rammed the intruder into a vacant building that was right across from his apartment complex. Ino couldn't make anything out from where she was at so she sent chakra to her feet and ran down the side of the apartment building.
She reached the entrance that had been created by Naruto just moments before; the rustle of concerned villagers caught her attention. She looked below her to catch a quick glimpse on what was developing. Occupants from Naruto's complex gathered outside trying to figure out what was happening. Some of them looked up and saw Ino; their whispers became louder as they pointed at her. She did her best to silently assure them, she didn't want to make any noise since their attack was still close by. Suddenly Ino saw ANBU members along with other shinobi quickly passing by. Most were above her while others ran in the streets. She looked on as several of them went in different directions.
The shattering sound of buildings being destroyed and screams could be heard in the distance. The situation was getting worse. Ino continued to watch the current events in front of her unfold when a quick movement from her left caught her attention. Without hesitation, she jumped off the buildings side wall and into the vacant room. It didn't take long for her to find Naruto, and when she did she couldn't believe her eyes. Naruto was literally fighting a monster. It was at least 7 feet tall with pale hairless skin. Its limbs were long and dangly. A misshapen mouth awkwardly framed its face and a pair of pupil-less yellow eyes glared at Naruto.
The strange creature mindlessly swayed its disproportioned body from side to side as Naruto stood in front of it waiting for it to make a move. Suddenly it launched its awkward body at Naruto and in an attempt to grab him it swiftly swung its limbs at the blonde shinobi. Its movements were unnatural and unpredictable, its elongated arms swayed carelessly as if they had had no bones beneath its pale skin. Ino wondered if perhaps Naruto had broken them but the more she saw it fight the more she realized it was meant to move that way.
Naruto charged the lumbering beast and collided into its stomach at full force. However, the creature was prepared this time and it dug the claws on its feet into the floorboards stopping Naruto from pushing it into another room. It leaned over him and opened its mouth which revealed a row of misaligned razor sharp teeth. Drool dripped onto Naruto's hair and the rampaging beast bit him right in the neck. Ino couldn't believe it and in a fit of rage she ran towards the nightmarish monster, but before she could attack she saw Naruto vanish into a cloud of smoke. It had been a shadow clone all along.
"Senjutsu Rasengan!" Yelled Naruto as he suddenly appeared from a dark corner.
Two powerful spinning Rasengan's made contact with the creature's lower abdomen. It screamed in pain as Naruto's attack literally tore it apart. Naruto pushed with all his strength and his opponent was sent spirally out of control. It violently went through several walls until it fell a good 15 stories down to its demise. Naruto knew his attack spelled the end for his uninvited guest. He spit out some blood from his mouth and quickly made his way over to Ino.
"There are more of them," panted Naruto. "We need to find them."
Ino looked over at him, he looked tired and he was in Sage mode. Things were obviously serious if he had used Sage mode.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so tired?"
"I haven't slept for more than two days now. This is the last thing I'd expect to happen, but that's not important. What is important is that we find the rest of these things."
"Well, I saw several ANBU and other shinobi head off in different directions early. I don't know if you heard but attacks around the village have been going on while you've been fighting."
"Shit, we need to move," said Naruto as he ran towards the massive hole in the wall.
"What's the closest spot you saw them head?"
"They were heading in the direction of front gates."
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Six clones appeared next to Naruto.
"Spread out across the village. Make sure each one of these things is exterminated. Don't try and read its moves, it's a waste of time, just focus on beating it as quickly as possible."
Naruto's clones nodded their heads and without saying a word they leaped out of the building. Each one ran towards a different direction. Just as soon as they had vanished Naruto turned around and looked at Ino.
"We're heading for the front gates."
"Right," said Ino as she followed Naruto.
They both jumped out of the wrecked room and onto a neighboring building. The mangled remains of the creature were resting in a large crater on the floor; its body was still twitching.
"Is that thing what we felt coming? Asked Ino as she did her best to keep up with Naruto.
"Yeah but this thing is just like the white Zetsu's, it's just a mindless clone. That's why I couldn't sense it until it was too late. It's hard to pick up on something that has no thoughts or emotions, but while I was fighting that thing I did feel something."
"What?"
"I felt someone's ill intent towards me, I felt them indulging in my pain when that thing took a bite out of my clone."
"So you think someone's controlling these things?"
"Yes and they're in the village at this very moment."
"What?! How can that be?!"
"I'm not entirely sure but I do know that they are indeed here. Now pick up the pace Ino we don't have much time. We need to find out who's controlling these things so we can stop them!"
"Right!"
Naruto and Ino headed for the front gates and as soon as they arrived they were faced with one of their friends fighting one of the creatures. Without haste both Naruto and Ino quickly went to the aid of their friend. Tenten's hair was loose, a rare sight in itself, and her Chinese style pajamas were torn in several places. She swiftly dodged an attack and with a smooth fluid motion she opened a page from the enormous scroll she carried on her back. A plume of smoke appeared and from it, a shower storm of explosive kunai emerged. Each kunai hit its target and when the explosive tags disintegrated the blast from the explosion was ear piercing. Tenten braced herself for the concussion; fresh blood ran down her right temple. The creature hissed as it was blown backward into a bakery store.
"Tenten are you alright?" Asked Naruto.
"Yeah it's just a scratch," replied Tenten, as she wiped the blood from her face. "But I won't lie, it's nice to have some backup."
"Aren't their ANBU here?" Asked Ino as she looked around.
"Not anymore there aren't. I heard a commotion and when I came out of my house I saw several ANBU passing by. I geared up as fast as I could so that I could follow them but before I could leave this thing literally came up from underneath the ground! Do you have any clue what the hell it is!?"
"No, not exactly but I do know that they're strong. Now get ready it's getting up," warned Naruto.
The sound of crushing wood came from what was left of the little bakery store. The grotesque beast stumbled from the wreckage. Smoke from the explosive kunai was still coming off its body. It shook its head in frustration and roared at the three young shinobi that stood before it.
"You stay here and provide cover fire Tenten. Ino I want you to take out its arms and legs, I'll do the rest," said Naruto as he charged towards his opponent.
"Alright just hurry up and kill that thing!" Yelled Ino.
She inhaled deeply and spat out numerous medical needles from her mouth. Each needle fiercely pierced the monster's hide; it winched in pain as the sharp needles went through its appendages. Its legs began to shake and its arms began to quiver as the poison from the medical needles seeped into its veins. Naruto took advantage of its current state and ran towards it at full pace. He kept on running and at first glance it seemed as if he was going to run into it when at the last moment he skid against the floor aiming his feet towards its legs. He hit them at full force causing the creature to ultimately lose it's balanced. It hit the floor with a booming crash. It desperately tried to get back on its feet but before it could an onslaught of weapons pierced its body.
"Go for it Naruto!" Yelled Tenten.
The creature's yellow eyes widened as it quickly looked over at where Naruto. It watched as the blonde haired shinobi smirked at it before he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
"Rasengan!" Screamed Naruto from up above.
The whirling ball of chakra hit his opponent's belly with tremendous force. Pieces of its flesh flew in every direction as Naruto's attack bore into its stomach. It's agonizing howls escaped its throat, as it was literally disemboweled. Tenten and Ino ran over towards Naruto. He was leering at the creature as it was dying at his feet.
"Oh my god," whispered Ino.
"Are there more of these things?" Asked Tenten.
"My clones have taken care of all them, there were five in total, including this one."
"Are you sure that's all of them?"
"No, but there is one thing I am sure of."
"What's that?"
"I know who's behind all of this, and that bitch is going to pay," growled Naruto.
He took off in a flash leaving Ino and Tenten confused and concerned.
"Come on let's go!" Yelled Ino as she went after Naruto.
He was clearly faster than the two kunoichi's but they could still see which way he was going. He was headed towards Konoha's dungeon.
"Did I hear him correctly?" Asked Tenten.
"Yeah you did, he knows who's controlling these things, and obviously it's a woman."
"Well, who is it?"
"I have no idea," said Ino.
"So what the hell are we doing let's hurry up and try to catch up to Naruto. I'm curious to know who the hell ruined my beauty sleep!"
All was still, silent, and pitch black, as Hinata slowly walked the perimeter of their campsite. Her sharp pale lavender eyes caught the tiniest detail in the shadows of the night. She could clearly see that there was no sign of intruders. She deactivated her Byakugan after surveying the area once more for good measure. She quietly approached the rest of her teammates who were all seated around the soft glow of a campfire.
It was early morning, maybe 3am and they had finally settled to get some rest. Everyone could relax a little now that Hinata had finished securing the area. Shikamaru and Sai were on guard duty, and everyone else was getting some much-needed sleep. Sakura, of course, was the only one that would get to sleep the most. Getting special attention was still foreign to her. She wasn't very happy about being set apart from everyone else. She pulled her blanket closer to her body as she watched Hinata approach Shikamaru.
"Everything is clear Shikamaru-san."
"Good let's all try and get some sleep alright. We're extremely close to our destination so we're moving out bright and early."
"Yes, of course, Shikamaru-san the brighter the better," said Lee enthusiastically.
"You really are something else," murmured Temari as she set her giant fan down.
"I agree with Lee-san, leaving as early as possible will ensure we reach Suna as soon as possible," said Sai.
"I know that pasty boy," snapped Temari. "I'm just flabbergasted at his enthusiasm."
"His enthusiasm is his normal behavior," sighed Shikamaru as he sat next to Temari.
He rubbed the sides of his temples as Lee began preaching about the glory of youth and why it was part of shinobi way.
"Well since Nara and Sai are on guard duty tonight I'm going to bed," yawned Temari. "You better do the same preggers."
"Sleep sounds amazing right now," said Sakura as she stretched.
She nestled down into her sleeping bag and got comfortable. She sighed softly while rubbing her belly.
"Don't you worry Sakura you'll be back in Konoha next to your Romeo sooner than you know," said Temari as she covered herself with her sleeping bag.
"You're right Temari," agreed Sakura as she yawned.
She closed her eyes and relaxed. The familiar noises of the forest were all she heard and after just a few moments of silence Sakura's thoughts began to wander as sleep began to consume her. Visions of Naruto, their new apartment, and the birth of their child flooded her mind. Sakura couldn't wait to be back home so that she could be in Naruto's arms again. Just that thought alone made her feel wonderful.
Her last thought had to do with whether Naruto was thinking about her at this very moment as well. She decided that boredom had forced him to fall asleep much earlier in the day. There was no way he'd be awake right now, her poor Naruto was stuck at home sound asleep, and that's the last image she had in her head, because after that last thought Sakura fell asleep. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't be me wrong about her Naruto.
