Chapter 1

My entire family is dead, and it's all my fault….

That's all I can think about as I lay on my back in Orochimaru's drug den.

Shadowy faces pass that I don't bother to identify. My acquaintance (and dealer) Orochimaru comes from the hallway and enters my room. Three people are passed out on the floor. He steps over them and leans over me. My eyes flicker open.

"Hm…" I groan between half-shut lips. Orochimaru chuckles.

"My boy, you're still awake?"

He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a rope. As usual, he ties the crimson string around my forearm and tightens it. He then pulls out a needle, already prepped with the heroine.

"Let me assist you," he hisses in delight. "This will help you forget all those terrible thoughts…"

In my mind's eye, the image of my mothers bloody corpse, sprawled out in the living room- makes my entire body shiver.

"Please," I beg. "I want that."

"Good….my dear Sasuke. Take a deep breath."

I do as Orochimaru says. The tip of the ice-cold needle pierces my skin and pinches my veins. I grit my teeth. The warm sensation travelling through my arm loosens me. Orochimaru unties the wrapping. In one fell swoop, my body falls back to the floor. I close my eyes. Every inch of me is tingling in delight.

Yes. This is what I need. I want to feel pleasure...I want to forget about my family. Dad, Mom, Itachi, I'm so sorry...

…

Tweet! Tweet!

Within the darkness, I can hear songbirds. My face scrunches in confusion. The immense pleasure I felt a moment ago is replaced with fear.

Something is terribly wrong…

My eyelids are glued shut. With increased force, I manage to open them. I gaze up at tree canopies. The foliage is so thick it blocks out the sun. My mouth parts with shock. I lick my lips. They are parched and cracking. Lifting both arms, I turn my palms to face me. My hands are coated in dirt.

What happened!? I was in Orochimaru's drug den a second ago….when did I fall asleep in a forest?

I try to assure myself.

Perhaps this is a drug trip- or a dream!

I use my elbows to prop myself up. Taking my forefinger and thumb I pinch my nose. Pain tickles the bridge of my nostrils. I move to lightly slap my cheeks, still; the pain is evident.

No way, this is real life!?

My stomach rumbles. I wrap my arms around my middle and squeeze...heroine is supposed to suppress your hunger, not make you feel like a starving orphan. My face is contorted with concern. I lift my black shirt. To my surprise, I see my ribs sticking out against my sickly white skin.

What the fuck? I only ate this morning!

My confusion is making me feel sick. I rise to my feet, patting the dirt off my knees as I do. The forest is beautiful...but something doesn't feel right. The trees are huge, taller than any I have seen around Konoha. There are no pathways. The ground is strewn with huge twigs and fallen leaves.

"H- hello?"

My usually deep voice is obstructed by rawness. I clear my throat and try again.

"Is anybody there? Hello!"

I spin in a semicircle. Everything looks the same in every direction.

Taking a tentative step forward my right sneaker lands in a puddle of water. I look down at my own muddy reflection. I have black hair with a spiked back and equally dark eyes. My skin is fair and clear, yet my cheeks are gaunt and sickly. I'm wearing a t-shirt that is three sizes too big, and skinny jeans with the cuffs rolled to my knees. My sneakers have been drawn on with a sharpie. Even now the drawings are fading as I traverse the puddle and continue onwards.

That's when in the distance I see several humanoid shadows traverse the terrain. They are headed right towards me.

I raise my hand and calmly declare- "I'm unarmed! I just wanna' know where the fuck I am."

"Get on your knees!"

A deep male voice cries. The other silhouettes stand behind him. They continue to approach. I count twelve people in total…

"O- ok" I grumble as I get on my knees. "Just don't hurt me…"

The realization hits me that perhaps making my whereabouts known wasn't the best idea.

A man with grey spiky hair and a facemask comes charging towards me. He pulls ropes out from his back pocket and ties my hands around my back. My eyes widen in shock.

"Wait. I told you, I'm not an enemy! I don't know what's going on. Please, where am I?"

"Just be quiet, kid."

He sounds calmer now that my movement is restricted. He moves in front of me again so I can get a better look at him. The stranger looks to be thirty years old. He's wearing a torn and damaged dark green sweater. A wood-carved knife is holstered in his back pocket. He grumbles.

"What's your name?"

"Sasuke...Uchiha." I answer.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake, and we've got some questions for you…."

Kakashi's twelve companions come into view. They all look to be of different ages and genders. Yet they share one similar feature...they are starving and angry.

"Would you tell me where I am?" I repeat. "What the hell is going on?"

Kakashi crosses his arms.

"We have no idea where we are, Sasuke. All of us woke up two weeks ago in these woods. No memories, and starving. The twelve of us have been searching for an exit but these woods are...cursed, or something. Other than birds and deer we've seen no other signs of life. Until...you."

"Me?"

I stare at all twelve of them. The strangers look ready to strangle me right now.

"I'm not dangerous. I don't know why I've shown up now, but it's not due to anything bad." I grit my teeth together. "Now, let me go!"

"Demanding aren't we?"

Kakashi teases.

"Not gunna' happen. Sorry! You're the last one to arrive, and so- the most suspicious. So just relax and my friends will take care of you."

Kakashi gestures to the others.

"Let's keep moving, shall we? Naruto, Sakura, go ahead and help our new friend to his feet."

A blonde-haired boy around my age and a pink-haired female exit from the crowd. They grab the crooks of my arms and hoist me to my feet. The three of us enter the back of the crowd. I turn to both of them in turn.

"Do you guys...really not remember anything? You don't know where we are?"

The blonde boy, named Naruto; shakes his head.

"Nah man! It's crazy. One moment, I'm eating Ramen at my favorite restaurant and the next I'm falling out of my chair! I blink, and I'm here."

Sakura nods. Her large emerald eyes are stunning within the brief revealments of light trickling through the treetops. "Yes, something similar happened to me. I was at a friend's house. Everything got dizzy...I fell onto the floor and woke up in the forest with everybody else."

Naruto glances in my direction as we traverse a particularly difficult section of terrain.

"What about you Sasuke?"

I gulp, no way am I telling them the truth. I just got here- and I'm already under suspicion (just for showing up late to the party!)

"I- I was at home playing video games in my living room. I closed my eyes and woke up here…"

"Strange." Sakura comments. "Why the heck did we all wake up at the same time, yet you show up two weeks later? Something is up…"

We leave the conversation like that.

What feels like multiple hours pass. The sun sets and the moon rises high in the sky. Kakashi stops the group and demands they set up camp and start a fire. Multiple people are carrying tarps sown from leaves, while others create makeshift shelters from twigs and branches.

Another hour passes. The twelve of them are gathered around a small fire. I remain silent, tied up to a small tree in the corner a foot away from the conversation. I curl my knees up to my chest and groan in distaste…my entire body feels hot. My abdominal area is clenching and spasming. I try to itch my arm where my needle marks are. The area is bruised and raw.

Fuck, how the hell am I going through withdrawal symptoms already?

One of the strangers watches me scratch my track marks. I flinch, embarrassed; and turn my back on them.

"Hey- new guy…" Naruto calls. "We might as well introduce ourselves. Who knows, maybe we'll find somebody new and you won't look so suspicious anymore!"

Sakura says- "Ya, I feel bad leaving you tied up in the corner. Look over here, join the conversation."

Sounds like I don't have a choice...I turn around and stare at the twelve of them. They introduce themselves in turn.

Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Neji, Rocklee, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kabuto, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. Those are the names of my new 'slumber-party' crew. For the most part, they look around my age. Except for Kakashi...maybe that's why he's the leader?

"So...what is your guy's plan?" I demand. "You're just going to walk in circles until something happens?"

Rock-Lee shrugs.

"Well...ya!"

Little did I know that my arrival would trigger exactly what we were all expecting.

Something, horrific...