disclaimer: i dont own naruto
Chapter 2- Lost in the Forest
One more time, thanks for the memories…
It was really late, owls were hooting and wolfs prowled the earth dangerously howling every so often and the full moon, typical thought Sasuke as he wondered a long the path towards the bridge, a wonderfully common meeting place for team 7 and there new friend, Hinata Hyuuga.
They had met here so many times since team 7 had formed he had lost count, something he was annoyed at because he liked keeping track of things. It was a stormy night and every so often lighting would flash and be followed by a clap of thunder, Sasuke would flinch every time, he hated storms. He knew he was being weak but he couldn't help it, thunder and lightning scared him.
"Sasuke you're here" said a familiar voice of there teacher, he turned to face Kakashi and realised he was on time, it was weird. Sakura and Naruto must have noticed to because they said something.
"Oh my god! Kakashi sensei!" exclaimed Sakura and once again Sasuke realised she seemed happy to see him, this time she was more awe stuck though, probably because Kakashi was never on time in his life.
"You're on time!" shouted Naruto bounding up to him like a big dog.
Kakashi and Hinata came into full view and Hinata gave a smile and a half wave, Kakashi spoke "yes, as I have a habit of being late, and Hinata has a habit of being early we made it here on time" he said.
Kakashi lead the group to the edge of the village and soon they were on there way, they would travel by night that night because Hinata was very vulnerable and important and leaving the by day would be hard, they would be stopped and asked questions.
They made there way to a small stream and followed it, walking silently, the teens to tired to talk and Kakashi not bothered with talking to them anyway. Every once in a while someone stumbled or jumped as thunder sounded, Sasuke found himself flinching again and feeling sick and he walked at the back so no one would see his jumpy flinches and his scared expression when lighting flashed and thunder clapped.
They walked in a single file line with Hinata in the middle of Sakura and Naruto, and them in the Middle of Kakashi and Sasuke until they reached woodland.
"Do we cross through the forest Kakashi sensei?" asked Sakura seriously, everyone knew forests and woods were a place to be avoided on any mission, most murders happen in areas crowed with trees because your visibility is decreased.
"Yes Sakura, I am afraid we have to, but maybe it would be better to do most of that journey by day, we'll camp here tonight and start through the forest tomorrow" replied Kakashi, he turned round and started to set up a camp, putting up tents which appeared from no where, two tents, one for the girls and one for the boys.
Naruto retracted his sleeping bag and slipped inside the bigger of the two tents and Kakashi followed in after him, Sasuke watched the two girls slip inside there won tents and as lighting flashed and seconds later thunder clapped he rushed into the boy's tent also retracting his sleeping bag as Naruto had done.
"Well good night everyone" said Kakashi slipping into his sleeping bag, it was dark and no one could see anything except for when lighting flashed and for a second everything was visible. Lightning flashed then and Sasuke saw Kakashi turn over in the sleeping bag. Naruto was already asleep and snoring loudly, Sasuke just curled up under the covers, he was sitting up and hugging his knees, he didn't feel like going to sleep just yet.
Thunder sounded to follow the lightning and Sasuke jumped and buried his head in the covers of the sleeping bag and hugging his pillow tight. He gave a small 'eep', but nothing the other two males would here, they were both asleep. Or so he thought.
"Sasuke?" said a sleepy voice and Sasuke pushed half his head above the covers so his eyes showed and he could look at who had said his name. It was Kakashi, the gesture of looking at him seemed to be enough and so Kakashi continued "are you… frightened?"
Sasuke eyes widened and then turned to slits looking at his teacher "of course I'm not scared, what you think I am? A silly little girl who doesn't like stor-" he cut himself of with another 'eep' and dived under the covers as lightning flashed followed not a second after by thunder. He heard laughter on the other side of the tent and frowned looking at his pillow which he had yet to stop squeezing to death.
"Right, of course you're not scared" said Kakashi sarcastically rolling his eyes "It's just a storm, I promise you wont get hit by lightning" he added. Sasuke came up from the covers again and glared at Kakashi, even though the Jounin couldn't see it.
"Shut up" he said sticking his tongue out childishly and glaring at the rain that poured down on the roof of the tent. Before he knew what was happening Kakashi was beside him, sitting down on the dirt.
"Why are you scared of storms Sasuke?" he asked looking genuinely interested. Sasuke didn't blink an eyelid at this and just carried on glaring at the rain through the top of the tent.
"I'm not scared of storms" he said finally looking at the silver haired (since Kakashi had said he wasn't grey he must be silver) Jounin.
"Good" said Kakashi standing up and walking back over to his sleeping bag, he slipped inside and turned over "because the weather is going to like this for days" he added before falling asleep, Sasuke couldn't blame him for falling asleep so quickly, it was past midnight already.
Lightning flashed again and thunder sounded, Sasuke buried his head in his pillow and tried to ignore it, no such luck, he got to sleep at around three in the morning when he was simply to tired to stay awake. He had dreams, bad dreams. Ones in which he was dodging bolts of lightning and going death from the noise the thunder made, when he awoke the next morning he found his forehead was covered in sweat, Kakashi and Naruto were missing from there beds and when he looked out side he saw them with Hinata and Sakura, sitting on logs, Kakashi would usually have woken him up. But then again, Sasuke usual woke himself up very early.
He swept the sweat off his forehead and got dressed quickly pulling on black jeans and a tight black top and completing the outfit with a black leather jacket and black trainers. He stumbled out of the tent and glance up at the dull grey sky, Kakashi was right, there was probably going to another storm tonight, and this time they would be in the forest. He shuddered involuntarily.
"Cold Sasuke?" asked Sakura coming up behind him and flicking her long hair. She smiled gently and Sasuke gave her a small glance to show he had at least acknowledged her. Yes he was probably cold, but not in the sense she was talking about.
"I'm fine Sakura" he said before joining the rest of his team at the circle of logs they had made into a seating area. He sat across from Naruto and remembered his late night conversation with Kakashi last night. He hoped Kakashi hadn't told anyone that he was a little jumpy when it came to storms.
"You slept in late Sasuke, what's up?" asked Naruto helping himself to some fish, he watched Sasuke watch him and eventually was able to watched Sasuke turn to look at Kakashi who was smirking.
"Nothing Naruto, I just didn't sleep much last night" he replied cradling his head in his hand and taking the fish Hinata offered him "thank you Lady Hinata"
Naruto watched Sasuke in amusement as he nibbled at the end of the fish, Kakashi began to speak.
"Alright, we have to go through the forest today, it may take a few days to get through the forest completely I am sure you all know. If we split up accidentally, which I am sure wont happen but just in case, I have made maps for all of us, just carry on to the edge of the forest and wait for the rest of the team." He said seriously looking round at them all, and sighing "no one leaves Hinata alone"
With these words said he handed out small maps and everyone slipped one into their backpacks or pockets. Sasuke didn't much like the idea of being left on his own in the forest with wolves and storms at night, but didn't say anything and followed the rest of the group as they carried on walking.
Sasuke heard a rustling in the bushes not far from where they where and span round with his knife at the ready, Sakura and Naruto must have heard it to because they closed in around Hinata, Kakashi stepped forward silently in front of Sasuke who was nearest to the bush.
The rustling came again and a ninja star cut past the ninja's and embedded itself in a near by pine tree. Kakashi became steadier in the way he stood and his team followed his lead, all enclosed around Hinata in case any one tried to attack her. Sasuke watched as two ninja made their way forward from the bushes.
"Ninja of the leaf village, so good to see you pass through our forest. But, you either win, or don't go on, that's he rules around here" said the taller of the two, his face was half hidden and the other half carried a great gash of a scar. Sasuke didn't really want to find out how he got it. The smaller of them had no scars and seemed impeccable, except that he had many piercings on his ears and eyebrows, even some on his lips.
"Team at the ready" said Kakashi "don't leave Hinata alone, and let me deal with these two pathetic thugs" he added, he knew these two ninja were nothing to be scared of, they simply got a few fight every now and again and usually didn't win.
The taller made to launch at Kakashi in typical Naruto style. No thought, just go, thought Sasuke smirking at how he imagined Naruto become a forest thug when he was more mature. He hoped Naruto wouldn't, if he paid closer attention during practice he could be a great ninja. Kakashi dodged and elbowed thug in the back, making it yelp.
The shorter one made his way towards Sakura as Kakashi was busy with the taller thug. Sakura was busy watching Kakashi and didn't see it coming, Naruto sliced across at the last moment stopping the thugs attack, Sakura screamed at Sasuke turned to see what the fuss was about. He saw Naruto and the smaller ninja fighting with hand to hand combat and what Sakura had screamed at. Naruto was bleeding, badly, a great gushing cut down his right arm, Sasuke gasped.
Back over with Kakashi the taller ninja was pinned down and Kakashi tied him to a tree with some rope. He rushed over to Naruto who was still fighting and ignoring the cut on his arm, Sakura had stayed with Hinata while Sasuke backed Naruto up. Soon the smaller ninja was also pinned down and tied to the same tree, both were whimpering and Kakashi rolled his eyes at how pathetic they were.
"Come on, keep moving" he said and the team once again began to move, slowly walking through the forest and keeping there eyes out for danger the lurked there.
It was almost night when everything began to go wrong, it was to fast the really explain what happened, one minute Sakura, Naruto and Hinata were there with Kakashi and Sasuke. The next they had disappeared. Kakashi's walkie-talkie beeped and he answered it immediately.
"Kakashi?" it said in Sakura's voice.
"I'm here Sakura, what happened? Where are you?" he replied talking into the walkie-talkie.
"We don't know, but we're all together, Sasuke isn't with us, is he with you? We are going to head on to the edge like you said and meet you there" it said and Sasuke could here Naruto trying to calm Hinata in the background.
"Yes Sasuke is here; okay we will meet you there, be safe Saku-" the connection went to be replaced with static sound, which sounded like a sweet wrapper being rubbed against the mouth piece.
The rain started and the sky turned dark, Sasuke realised after a while of silent walking and him become frustrated and wanting to hit something (preferably a tree) that he was worried for Sakura and Naruto and most of all Hinata. He jumped as lightning flashed and prepared himself for the thunder, it didn't stop him feeling sick when it came.
Hinata had been his best friend for a long time before his family had been slaughtered. He knew her well; she was kind, shy but strong. When storms had happened when he was young she had told him to be calm and think of good things, he couldn't think of any good things right now.
Lightning flashed through the open window and a young girl with dark hair, dressed in a flowery blue dress got up from her sitting position on the floor and shut it. The boy, who also had dark hair flinched and cuddled the pillow he was holding closer to his heart. He stared at the girl with white eyes and she stared back into his black ones.
"don't be scared Sasuke" she said holding the window closed for a bit before walking over and sitting next to him. The widow banged open in the wind again, and Sasuke flinched and dived into a hug with Hinata and the pillow.
"I am scared Hinata" he said as she stroked his back in a motherly or sisterly way, they were like family, the two strongest families in the village with the strongest Kekai Genkai's. Sasuke had Sharingan and Hinata had Biukugan.
"Think of happy things Sasuke, like the pillow, hug the pillow and put all of your bad thoughts into it, then extract its happy thoughts. Because pillows are filled with dreams right?" she replied smiling at him, he nodded at her knowledge and hugged the pillow even tighter.
"Alright Sasuke, we can set up camp here" said Kakashi bringing him out of his thoughts. That was a good memory; maybe he might be able to get to sleep tonight. He flinched as lightning and thunder happened at exactly the same time, signalling the storm was directly above them. "Don't worry, it will pass" he heard Kakashi say and he glared at his teacher.
"I'm not scared" he stated stubbornly.
"Good, then you can go get the fire wood we'll need for the morning" replied the Jounin. Sasuke cursed himself inwardly for opening his big, stubborn, mouth.
"Fine" he said and walked off in a direction he though he might find some wood in, it was a forest, it couldn't be that hard.
He walked further into the forest picking up twigs and adding them to the pile he already had, he flinched every time thunder sounded and last time he had seen lightning he had almost been sick. He hated storms, now no one was around he could admit it, he was scared.
He was also lost. He had become lost a while ago, when he realised he couldn't find his way back, he had decided not to make a nig deal and keep collecting. Camp couldn't be far off, but he just seemed to be walking round in circles, all of the forest looked the same. He broke down and let the wood he had collected fall to the floor, he also fell to the floor, to his knees.
The rain pounded at his back and he started to add to the water by spilling tears, he knew he was being weak, but what would you do if you were lost in the forest with a pile of wet fire wood and a storm in the sky, he was scared, he was upset.
"I'm wet, I'm cold, I'm lost and I'm scared" he said out loud, if some one heard him maybe they would take pity and show him the way back to camp. He sat down properly and pulled his knees into a hug. The rain was still pounding at him and every so often lightning flashed and thunder sounded.
"Sasuke! Where the hell have you been?" said a familiar voice and Sasuke quickly whipped away his tears and turned to face his teacher.
"I… I was l… lost" he replied and silently cursed himself for stuttering. Kakashi seemed to take pity on him and sat down giving him a rugged blanket type thing; he wrapped around Sasuke and picked him up.
"Come on" he said "were going back to camp"
"But what about the fire wood?"
"We don't need fire wood, I was punishing you for being stubborn, you don't have a fear of storms Sasuke, you have a phobia, but you won't admit it. I probably shouldn't have made you go out on your own, I was worried sick when you didn't return." He explained.
"I do not have a phobia, and I can walk you know" replied Sasuke and yelped as he was dropped to the ground.
"Walk then" he heard Kakashi say "and you do, you feel sick when storms are about, you hate the feel of them, you were petrified Sasuke, you couldn't move. That's a definition of a real phobia"
Sasuke grumbled something under his breath and both made there way back to the camp in silence. They made there way inside the tent and Kakashi handed Sasuke some water
"Drink this, and calm your stomach" he said, Sasuke sipped the water and felt his stomach untangle, he instantly felt sick again as lightning flashed though.