Hey all, the next chapter is here! Let me know what you think. It took a little longer to get this done. I just have so much working going on right now, but oh well, I'm gonna keep trying to update this story as often as I can. Thanks for reading! Please leave any comments or reviews I love reading them!
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Blonde hair swayed back and forth through the air, matching the unsteady, slow footsteps of its owner. Red chakra sloshed around the figure, it's motion was lazy and weakening. Dark red legs continued to move, placing one foot after another on the ground below.
Naruko was a dead woman walking.
Red slitted eyes glanced forward, barely able to look a few meters ahead. Her exhaustion from her travels was beginning to take hold. Her mind was simply a hazy blur. A collection of incomplete memories that were too confusing to even understand. At one point she had thought she had become an inhuman monster…Nothing made sense. Naruko only knew one thing as she walked through the forest.
Sasuke was in her arms, unconscious, and his condition was unknown.
The coat of chakra that surrounded her form also surrounded his. Naruko thought she had heard the sizzling sound of a wound being closed but she wasn't sure how much time had passed since then. Her own wounds refused to be healed by the chakra that surrounded her. Naruko's usually tanned skin was a dark, burnt red. Everything hurt.
But she still continued forth.
A safe place was up ahead. There was a part of Naruko that had the knowledge of her destination. She wished she could search within her mind for the answer. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here, or why her legs continued to move, even after the seizing pain in her muscles screamed at the girl to rest.
A cabin appeared in the distance. A small wooden cabin. Naruko wanted to increase her pace, knowing that this would be where her long, confusing journey ended, but she couldn't. Her movements were restricted by her depleted stamina and would only allow one agonizingly slow step at a time.
As the girl walked out of the forest edge, the sun up ahead shined brightly around her form. She closed her eyes, flinching lightly at the sudden burst of light. Naruko thought it was night time, how could time have moved so quickly?
The girl tilted her head down, shadowing her face as she looked upon the pale, serene face of the man in her arms. Sasuke looked peacefully at rest, only a twitch in his brow led Naruko to think otherwise. His rest was not peaceful, Naruko knew. Sasuke had never been very expressive, but his subtle twitches and flinches disturbed the young woman. What had happened to him?
"Almost there." She whispered. Whether she was telling Sasuke or herself, Naruko was uncertain.
Red chakra vanished from Naruko's form completely as she headed closer towards the wooden door. Her footsteps faltered at the sudden loss of strength. It seemed that she had barely made it to this place.
For a few minutes, Naruko stood still, swaying, as her now blue eyes tried to recognize this home. The door rested only an arm's length away. She leaned towards the home, her balance lost. Her forehead knocked on the door with a muted 'thud'. Naruko stared at the ground, just past Sasuke's form. A soft, pleasant, green welcome mat lazily caught the girl's attention. She faintly remembered seeing that same mat long ago in her genin days.
She could hear the sounds of movement within the home. The pressure of her head against the door kept her barely upright, but that didn't last long. The door suddenly opened, Naruko's stable resting position disappeared. Her body fell forward, yet she still gripped Sasuke's form tightly to her chest.
A startled gasp of a man made its way to Naruko's ears. She felt arms quickly placed around her, keeping the young woman from falling to the floor. The pressure of the man's grip on her burnt skin made Naruko want to scream in agony, but she couldn't find the will or strength to do so.
She tried to steady herself, aided by the arms at her sides. Blearily she tried to recognize the older man that helped her find a small moment of balance. She could barely distinguish his features, but Naruko's mind knew this was the person she was seeking, at least one of them.
Her arms shakily held out Sasuke's body.
"Please…help him." She could only muster enough strength to whisper.
Naruko felt Sasuke being taken from her arms and knew her self-imposed mission had been complete. The man was saying something to her, and her brow twisted in confusion. She couldn't hear very well anymore.
Suddenly, the older man's words didn't matter much to Naruko. The world around her spun and she found herself falling once more. Darkness began to cloud her mind. Oddly enough, Naruko could hear the last few words that escaped the man's lips. He shouted them as his head turned to look back into the cabin home.
"Tsunami! Inari! I need some help!"
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Tsunade growled behind her desk as her brown eyes scanned the documents detailing the investigation into Naruko's explosive loss of control just a few nights ago. None of the ANBU teams had been able to find anything worth value. Nothing but four unrecognizable remains of ninja and a destroyed field. She needed more information.
Suddenly the door of the Hokage's office burst open and Kakashi, followed by Sakura, came in. Normally Tsunade would make a comment about how rude it was for the man to enter unannounced, but the recent loss of Kakashi's most treasured student was certainly affecting his actions. The man never looked more tired. Dark circles under his eyes, loose grey hairs that fell from his normally pristine hairstyle, and wrinkled clothing all gave the man away.
"Have you found anything?" Kakashi asked, unable to keep the deep tones of worry out of his naturally emotionless voice.
"The1 remains were burnt so badly, nothing's left." Tsunade sighed.
Sakura peeked from around Kakashi, hoping to provide some of her own input into the conversation.
"Isn't there any more information?"
The three-ninja stayed silent while wild theories spun through their heads, like spiders spinning a web. The possibilities were endless, and outcomes of any theory usually ended poorly for Naruko's wellbeing. Kakashi cursed, trying to force his mind to pluck some, any information, from the discovery of four dead ninja…Kakashi's eyes widened.
"It's not Akatsuki."
The two women looked at him, hoping for the man to elaborate.
"Jiraiya had made it clear that Akatsuki only move in teams of two. The fact that there are four unknown ninja at the scene means it wasn't them."
Tsunade's eyes widened at the statement. Of course! For the past few days, the most likely organization to attack Naruko had been on her mind from day one. Akatsuki was such a likely candidate that she didn't even bother guessing on any other suspects.
Tsunade spoke up, as her mind raced with plenty of more questions.
"Sasuke was there as well, could he have led an attack against Naruko?"
"No!" Sakura practically yelled.
"Nobody knew about Sasuke in the village except for Naruko…and me."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Sakura's confession, while Kakashi turned to face his former student.
"You knew about Sasuke being in the village and didn't tell anyone?" Kakashi asked.
"Naruko asked me not to. He had only been in the village for a day or two. If he's sure he wasn't followed in, the attackers wouldn't have known about Sasuke."
Kakashi added to Sakura's statement.
"So, if Sasuke engaged in battle, that would explain the scorch marks around the fields and the burnt ninja. But Sasuke was gravely injured…That could have made Naruko lose control."
Tsunade stood up suddenly, staring down at the files on her desk. It seemed they were getting some answers. There were only two major questions floating in her mind now.
"If it isn't Akatsuki, someone else did this. Someone powerful enough to think they can take on a jinchurikki with just a few ninja. That list is incredibly short, and I'm willing to bet they managed to escape before we arrived on the scene."
Kakashi sighed, putting a gloved hand on his tired faced as he spoke.
"So, who are we dealing with here? And where the hell is Naruko now?"
The room went silent in contemplation.
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Sasuke lay on a small cot, his body still and unmoving aside from the gentle breaths he took into his lungs every few seconds. His mind drifted ever so slightly to recognize the dull chatter of people talking in a separate room close to his. His rest was peaceful, enjoying the muted sounds of conversation and the whistle of wind brushing against a window. Sunlight glowed through the white drapes along the walls, brushing his face with a warm sensation that relaxed his muscles further.
Where was he?
He wondered in his mind, but his mental state kept the question a safe distance from his conscious, as if to protect him from returning to the alert and frantic nature of his ninja instincts. Sasuke sighed deeply, letting a cool breath of air provide a gentle refreshing harmony that he could feel deeply in his muscles. He felt rejuvenated and completely at peace.
A harsh sound broke that peace. Although his senses couldn't detect what the sound was, nor what could have made it, the noise that pierced through the walls of his room was loud enough to get the young Uchiha to open his eyes.
He blinked once, then again. Getting used to the feeling of focusing and sharpening his eyesight. Obsidian eyes glanced at the ceiling, wooden planks formed perfectly above. The craftsmanship was oddly noted by the Uchiha, something he doesn't often think about.
"Woah, you're awake!" A young voice said next to the Uchiha.
Sasuke tilted his head, glancing to his left and noticed a young boy with shaggy brown hair excitedly leaning forward in his wooden chair. The boy looked familiar.
"Hey Sasuke…Uh…feeling better?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his mind began to restart the engines of his calculative brain. He vaguely remembered this person. Although, the face he was staring at was much more different than he could remember.
"It's me, Inari. You remember don't cha?"
Sasuke's eyes widened at the name.
"Inari?" Sasuke whispered hoarsely.
The Uchiha coughed, unable to cope with the rough sensation he felt in his throat. How long had it been since he last used it? Apparently Inari recognized his discomfort and offered Sasuke a glass of water. Sasuke slowly sat up, stretching his muscles slowly, testing for any pain. He found none.
As Sasuke sipped on his water, Inari seemed to fidget next to the young man. His movements were starting to annoy the Uchiha. He decided to look at the younger boy next to him and ask a few questions on his mind.
"Why am I here?"
Inari's brow drooped in confusion.
"We're kinda hoping you'd be able answer that."
Sasuke frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Inari stood up, walking over to the blinds on the window and yanked them open. A harsh beam of sunlight blasted Sasuke's face and he used his arms to cover his eyes. Inari glanced over and jumped, noticing the Uchiha's reaction.
"Oh crap! Sorry man." Inari yanked the blinds back over the window. "Thought you'd like some more sunlight."
The young boy walked back over to the Uchiha's side. He started to speak once more only to be stopped by another loud noise coming from another room in the house. Sasuke noticed it was a similar noise that awoke him from his slumber.
"What's going on out there?" Sasuke asked, unable to keep the irritation from bleeding into his words.
Inari's face fell. The young boy almost looked like he was on the verge of tears. He sniffled once, holding back his sorrow and answered the Uchiha.
"About two days ago you showed up unconscious."
Sasuke frowned in confusion, trying to remember the events that led him here His mind was blank.
"Naruko brought you here."
Sasuke's eyes widened, he threw the sheets off his bed and stood up. He scanned the room quickly for some clothes before noticing the small scar that marred the center of his chest. It was light pink, in the final stages of healing. Sasuke stared at the mark for only a second before trying to search for his clothes.
"Woah, woah, woah. You just got up." Inari said, racing around the bed, trying to stop the Uchiha from leaving the immediate area.
"Where is she?" Sasuke asked, uncaring about the boy's warning.
"She's in really bad shape Sasuke, but we're taking care of her."
Sasuke found a white t-shirt hanging on the wall and a pair of black sweatpants. His swiftly put both of them on. His mind raced at Inari's words. Naruko was in bad shape. He felt his mind slowly recover fragments of the battle that took place a few nights ago. He remembered the old bandaged man, his ninja, how they attacked Naruko and himself before they were about to spar.
A vivid flash of a kunai piercing Sasuke stopped the Uchiha in his frantic movements. The young man pulled at the collar of his t-shirt, staring at the scar that had formed after just two nights. No healer could ever do such a thing. Sasuke had many more questions than answers, but his new mission was to find Naruko.
"Where is she?" Sasuke asked again, practically snarling at Inari in the process.
The young boy looked defeated, or depressed. He remained silent and walked over to the bedroom door. Sasuke followed behind swiftly. The two young men walked into the living room of Inari's home. Sasuke immediately recognized the familiar room and searched the room for Naruko. Instead he found Inari's mother standing behind the kitchen counter, arms holding herself up as she tilted her head in a saddened trance.
"Mom." Inari's voice caught Tsunami's attention.
The black-haired woman glanced, up startled by her son's voice, and immediately homed in on Sasuke standing next to the boy.
"Sasuke, honey, you're alright." Tsunami called, rushing from around the kitchen counter and took the young man into a gentle hug.
"We were so worried about you."
Sasuke flinched at the kind gesture. He couldn't recall why these people cared so much for him. In his memory, he hadn't really tried to connect with these people on his first genin mission. Naruko did that.
"Where's Naruko?" Sasuke asked, as Tsunami broke away from the Uchiha.
Tsunami's eyes glanced away, almost in shame from the Uchiha. Her saddened features were starting to put the Uchiha on edge.
"She's in the other guest room. She-."
Tsunami was cut off by the loud piercing sound that Sasuke had heard before, only this time, Sasuke was alert enough to recognize exactly what the noise was. A scream.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he glanced across the room, staring at the closed door that separated Naruko from himself. Sasuke's ears hurt and the sheer level of agony laced within the shriek that penetrated the wooden walls. He could hear the sound of horrifying pain that most ninja would never experience. The guttural, paralyzing panic that carried through each second of the howl made Sasuke's knees weak.
Sasuke remained still, feet planted firmly on the floor as if they were covered in cement. The scream faded back into the guest room, and Sasuke could only mentally curse at his own body to move.
"She arrived with severe burns covering her whole body." Tsunami started, "barely alive. She told us to help you, but you seemed perfectly fine other than the fact that you were unconscious. My father found the best healer in the village…they're in there now…they." Tsunami coughed, almost unable to produce the words she was about to speak. "they're trying to remove all the damaged skin…there was a lot."
Sasuke could only stared at the wooden door that blocked his path. He had no idea what transpired after he'd fallen unconscious on the battlefield. He clenched his fists at his sides and grinded his teeth together. Naruko had been so severely hurt, all because he was weak.
Another scream tore through Sasuke's heart as it blasted through the walls of the home. Sasuke shut his eyes, flinching at the pain Naruko must be going through. He had to be there for her. He had to help.
"I'm going in." Sasuke announced, slowly getting his body to respond one step after another.
Behind Sasuke, Tsunami brought Inari close to her. The young boy felt tears begin to sting the corners of his eyes. Tsunami could feel her son shaking in her arms, so she tightened her hold.
"She'll be okay sweetie." Tsunami whispered to Inari.
Sasuke opened the wooden door and suddenly he was assaulted by the sheer magnitude of Naruko's shrieks. The walls had apparently muted the noise rather well, but now Sasuke could feel the sound blast through his chest, rattling his ribcage.
The young Uchiha quickly closed the door behind him, then scanned the room he was in, using all of his senses.
The first thing Sasuke noticed was the smell of blood. It was strong, powerful, and overwhelming. He quickly noticed Tazuna and the medical healer crouched over Naruko's form. Wet cloths, beginning to soak in blood lay over the young girl's body and parts of her face. The only exposed skin were her arms, which were stained a dark and permanent red.
"Sasuke." Tazuna called, shifting the Uchiha's gaze from Naruko to the old man. "If you want to help, come over here and place these cloths over her arms when we're finished with the grafts."
Sasuke hurried to Tazuna's side, taking the bundle of wet cloths in his arms. The Uchiha could only glance at the medical doctor as he began cutting into Naruko's arms. Sasuke looked away, not trusting his stomach.
Naruko's body lurched upward and shrieked once more in pain.
"Tazuna, keep her still as gently as you can!" The doctor yelled.
"Right!"
"Isn't there any pain medication you can give her!" Sasuke shouted over Naruko's screams.
"Already have, her body's burning it off too quickly!"
"Anything to keep her unconscious?!" Sasuke replied.
"She has more than enough sedatives in her system to knock out a horse. She's not responding to it!"
Sasuke fell silent, praying for Naruko's pain to ease. He stared into her face, covered in bloody cloths. Her eyelids shut tight.
"How much longer will she have to endure!" Sasuke asked.
Tazuna quickly responded. "She's almost there! Once we get her arms taken care of the worst will be behind us!
Sasuke leaned closer to Naruko.
"Just a little more Naru. It's almost over."
Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw Naruko's eyes open at the sound of his voice. He could only helplessly stare as his eyes made contact with her own. He could see the tears of pain that watered around her pupils and he could practically feel Naruko's own silent plea for the agony to be over.
The moment was short lived as Naruko's eyes clenched shut once more as a scream ripped through her lips.
"Sasuke, the cloth!"
The Uchiha looked away and offered a cloth to the doctor as he placed it over a portion of Naruko's arm.
"Just a little more." Sasuke whispered to himself.
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Hours later the worst of the procedure was over. Night time had fallen over the residence and the faint moonlight shined through the window into the room. Sasuke leaned his back against the wall as he sat across from Naruko's form. The girl had fallen asleep almost immediately after the grafts had been completed. Sasuke wiped the sweat from his brow and remained still as he continued to watch over the girl. Meanwhile, Tazuna was walking the doctor to the door.
"Thank you for your help." Tazuna said, shaking the man's hand.
"It's the least I could do Tazuna. Remember to gently apply the lotion I gave you every hour for the next couple of weeks. It'll drastically improve the healing process."
"I appreciate it."
The door closed as the doctor walked out into the living area. Sasuke could hear the faint sounds of conversation between the doctor and Tsunami. Tazuna grunted as he slid next to Sasuke on the floor.
"Thanks for your help kid." Tazuna spoke to Sasuke.
Sasuke could only grunt in response. How in the hell did he help? Half of the time he was either too paralyzed by Naruko's screams to do anything, or too caught up in his own thoughts of how weak he was. Sasuke did not feel like he had contributed meaningfully. If anything, he had gotten Naruko into this mess.
"You wanna tell me how you two ended up here?" The older man asked.
"We were attacked. In our own village." Sasuke paused, trying to think of why Naruko would bring him this far out of the village instead of seeking the hospital in Konoha. What was she thinking? "To be honest I don't know why she came here. Maybe she thought we'd be safe with your family."
Tazuna hummed in response before getting up and heading for the door.
"You two are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. We'll keep ya safe."
Sasuke nodded in appreciation before he was left alone in the room with Naruko.
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drip
drip
drip
Naruko opened her blue eyes, only to find herself in a deep labyrinth of metal walls and tubes. Her ankles were soaked in a small pool of water and she stared directly towards an enormous metal cage. She had been to this place before…it belonged to the demon inside her.
Two large red eyes opened in the darkness, blasting Naruko with a level of malevolence that no human could produce.
"SO, MY WARDEN COMES TO VISIT ME…IT'S BEEN SOME TIME." The beast roared as his large set of pointed teeth shifted into a menacing smile.
Naruko's body shivered as the voice echoed through the room and into the tunnels around her. This beast, this demon seemed to hold so much power over her. She couldn't help the fear that began to bleed its way into her mind.
"ARE YOU SCARED?...GOOD." The Kyuubi let his last word flow slowly from its mouth, relishing the thought his container being so deathly afraid.
His plan was simple, break the girl mentally. Allow her to realize the futile nature of keeping him locked up and convince her that his release would stop her from hurting those closest to her. Then once he escapes, he'd kill her. The thought caused him to release a dark chuckle that had Naruko backing away in fear.
"I-I'm not afraid." Naruko tried to reply, unable to cover up her stutter.
"I WAS SO CLOSE…YOU ALMOST GAVE ME FULL CONTROL." The Kyuubi smiled.
Naruko's breath caught in her throat. The beast wasn't lying. Her body shook as fragments of memories flooded her mind. She remembered to brutal, violent attacks that she used trying to kill the bandaged man that attacked her. She remembered just how close she had been to losing everything. If it weren't for Sasuke still being alive…
Naruko gasped. Sasuke was still alive!
The Kyuubi frowned, feeling Naruko's emotions begin to burst forth. He growled lowly, infuriated by the feeling of happiness and love. The hadn't felt those emotions in ages and he hated them.
Naruko smiled to herself and ran towards the tunnels that led out of the room.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING CHILD?!" The Kyuubi roared as his container raced farther and farther away.
"I'm going back! Sasuke is alive! I have to see him!" Naruko shouted, not looking back at the demon that slammed angerly into his cage.
As Naruko faded away from the Kyuubi's sight, the fox could only growl in irritation. One of these days, he'd kill that Uchiha boy…only then was he sure that Naruko would release him. As his red eyes closed, he could only find himself wondering how he'd accomplish such a feat while stuck in this prison.
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Please don't for get to leave a comment or review. Sometimes they really help with the direction of the story or at least give me nifty little ideas to add.