Bundyangel: Hiya all! things have been actually going well and I was thinking of waiting till I got more reviews before posting the next chapter but what the hell? Still no one has told me what the headbands proper name is and i can find it anywhere. (I noticed something I've only posted 3 chapters and i have over 6000 words, pretty awesome right? I know I'm a cool long typer like that.)
Any who, here are the reviewers i got from chapter 3:
Highflyincherries
&
sequha
Thanks you two for your positive feedback and demands to update XD now on to our disclaimer!
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Disclaimer:
Me: today we shall have uhh...-pokes head back behind writing curtain and screams, 'Someone get out here! I don't want to let Lee and Gai out of the box to do it!' mumbles are heard and then Shikamaru steps out-
Me: Yay! The lazy genius Shikamaru! Get it on Shikamaru!
Shikamaru: -sigh- How troublesome, but its better then Gai or Lee doing it.
Me: Amen, that's why I put them in the box, they would insist on doing it.
Shikamaru: We appreciate that, really we do. -Sigh- Bundyangel does not own Naruto or any of the characters. She does however own this plot she's made up and some of the jutsus she makes off the top of her head.
Me: Damnit Shikamaru! They didn't need to know that much!
Shikamaru: Whatever. You now have your disclaimer. Later.
Me: -waves away- Yeah, yeah, remind the others I have the box and know how to use it.
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"Baaaka"- regular speech
'Baaaka'-thoughts
'Baaaka!'- Inner self's
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The Ancient Curse of Love PART I OF III
Part 1 - Running from the pain
Chapter 4: Calling her back Pt. 1
By Bundyangel
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(Neji's P.O.V.)
'Fuck!'
I pushed off the branch I was leaping off of with more force then necessary. I ignored the Blood that ran down my arm and focused more chakra to move faster. That bastard! We had reached the stupid trunk to find the shinobi who took it dead and the snake-bastard with the traitor-bastard and the medic-bastard. (Ba/N: yeah in his mind Neji swears a whole lot... cause I think that he does. You aren't that hot without swearing in your mind a lot.). He had giggled at us like a damn girl and then attacked before disappearing.
Ino and Kiba got hit pretty badly and Hinata had stayed behind to try and tend to them. She sent a missive to Tsunade to alert her of the danger that we were in and I had headed north after them, hoping I'd reach team two in time to be some kind of help.
I knew I was pushing myself rather hard, but I needed to be of some use. I knew next to nothing of medical jutsu, and since Hinata sent the missive all I would be able to do was stand there like a idiot. I had rather rudely refused Hinata to tend to my arm but I really didn't care at the time. This was serious! A scratch could wait till my friends were out of danger.
I was making incredible time. Well I wasn't the number one student of my age for nothing. I was sure I was close to them. There were tell-tale signs of travel through the trees and grassy areas. My eyes narrowed when the area started to darken a bit and everything grew quiet. This wasn't good.
My eyes widened in surprise as a heavy wave of air shot me back. I would have fallen if I hadn't grabbed the branch and pulled myself up. My blood suddenly froze. Piercing the air of the forest was the most painful heart-shattering scream imaginable.
Lunging ahead, I forced my body through the air and energy that seems to press against me and force me down in attempt to keep me back. Foolish. I just tried harder. Nothing could stop a Hyuuga when he put his mind on something. Especially me, and my mind was on my friends. I had been told countless times over the years that I had re-written the definition of stubborn. I smirked. Couldn't disappoint them now could I?
I gaped once I reached the clearing. One of my eyes narrowed in pain at the screams that never seemed to stop. In the middle of clearing was Sakura; at least I assumed that was Sakura. I looked closer with my Byakugan. Red outfit. Candy pink hair. Wide green pain-filled eyes.
Yes that was Sakura.
What amazed me more then the fact she was screaming like a banshee was that she was floating about two feet off the ground and covered in pink to black flame like chakra.
Looking around I saw the Snake-bastard standing and laughing like an idiot, a passed out medic-bastard... -no wait he was starting to come round,
'Jesus who could stay unconscious through this noise?' I asked myself mentally. Snapping back to attention I took in the rest of the scene.
Naruto was awake though a little scuffed up with a shocked expression on his face. Traitor-bastard was awake though he was much worse for wear then Naruto, and Shikamaru not 5 feet away from me, exhausted, with his hands over his ears and a scared and irritated look on his face.
Looking back up at Sakura I was slightly relieved when she stopped screaming, but i was more anxious when the chakra seem to grow larger and darker a smidge. The grass 3 feet around her was gone and the rocks and dirt were slowly being stripped away and disintegrating. Hardening my gaze I decided now was the time to get information. Disappearing in a blur I appeared next to Naruto and picked him up by his arm before I took us over to Shikamaru in a flash. Ignoring Naruto's splutters I crossed my arms and looked at them both. In a calm yet extremely dark voice I spoke,
"What the hell did you two let happen?" Naruto jumped up and pointed a finger at the Orochimaru,
"Its the Snake-bastards fault! He did some weird thing to Sakura-chan!" Shikamaru sighed and interrupted him,
"Naruto, perhaps Neji wants to know from someone who wasn't passed out at the time and saw everything?" Naruto scratched the back of his head,
"Ohh, yeah maybe... but-!"
"Enough!" I yelled out to stop the damned rambling,. I turned to Shikamaru, "Tell me what happened now. The shorter version is you would." Shikamaru nodded.
"We caught the ninja who had the chest of scrolls, Sakura killed him. Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto showed up and attacked us. I fought Kabuto and managed to restrain and knock him out. Orochimaru fought Sakura and was doing a little poorly until he knocked her through 2 trees and pinned her to another with a kunai through her shoulder when she tried to attack him again. He opened the chest and pulled out a scroll then started saying crap about her being useful or some crap. I can't do anything because I used almost all of my chakra to take out Kabuto. Naruto was winning against Sasuke until he got distracted by Sakura getting thrown through the trees. He turned his back on Sasuke and Sasuke knocked him out before passing out on Naruto himself.
Orochimaru pulled out this dagger thing and bled on it some before focusing his chakra around it. When the chakra turned a different color he pulled out the kunai pinning Sakura to the tree and held her by the neck. He swallowed the scroll and then stuck the tip of the dagger thing in her shoulder. He let go of her and she stayed standing. He did some seal and called out, 'Secret Shadow Artifact and sacred scroll style: Divining heaven and hell jutsu,' he then ripped out the dagger and backed away
. He picked up Sasuke and appeared next to Kabuto. Everything grew cold and silent before that chakra exploded from her body and she started screaming. That's when you came in and here we are. How troublesome. What happened with your team?" Shikamaru raised a brow at me. I sighed and reluctantly answered,
"We found the shinobi with the artifacts but Orochimaru beat us to him and killed him. He took the artifacts and attacked us. Ino and Kiba got hurt and so Hinata stayed behind to tend to them. Thanks to our defense jutsus Hinata and I got out barely scratched. She also sent a missive to Tsunade. I came here to help." I turned and focused on Sakura once more. She had curled into a ball and was shivering violently. The chakra growing bigger every minute. Currently the chakra was about 6 feet around her in all directions.
Too bad I was too late.
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(Sakura's P.O.V.)
'It's so cold. First it was so warm... but now it's so cold.
It hurts so much.
What is happening to me? What's going on? I see everyone but i can't speak. I open my mouth and all I can do is scream, or whimper.
Is that Neji? Why is he here? Shouldn't he be with Hinata and the others? What are they talking about?
I can't hear what they are saying. Are they talking about me?
I'm in so much pain...
Why aren't they doing something? Why can't they make the pain Orochimaru caused go away? I don't want it. I don't want his power. I don't want to be great his way.
Everyone is so far away...
Are they ignoring me? No... Neji is looking at me with concern. He's trying to think of something...
I can tell.
No matter how much he hates me, he wouldn't leave me like this. Naruto wouldn't either. No I can always count on Neji and Naruto.
Always them. I used to trust Sasuke-kun the same way...
Sasuke-kun? Why did you let him hurt me?
You said you would protect me. Back then you said I didn't understand...
You said... You always said, but you never meant it either. I do understand, but unlike you to me, I tried to help you.
Wouldn't have mattered anyway. You still didn't pass and become a Chuunin... You suffered through all that and you're still not a Chuunin. Well neither did Naruto...
But I did.
Did you notice Sasuke-kun? I'm a Chuunin now. Tsunade-sama says im well on my way to being a jounin too.
Did you know that Sasuke-kun? I might become a Jounin like Kakashi-sensei, and you...
You'd still be a Genin. Its almost funny like that. Naruto is stronger then you and I'm a higher rank then him. Does that make me stronger then you too?
Because I'm as strong as Naruto.
Why am I crying?
I'm not supposed to cry anymore. Not for you, anyone or myself. Especially not for you.
Showing emotions make you weak. Showing weak emotions make you pathetic.
I can become stronger. Orochimaru says so. He tried to make me this way...
Like you.
But I don't want to be like you. I don't want to have this power and the need for it control my life. I don't want the thirst for more power to be the one thing I focus on.
I don't want any of it.
Because it hurts too much.
Sasuke-kun... Why did you lie to me?
Sasuke-kun...
Why?
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(Normal P.O.V.)
Sakura had turned her head so she looked at Sasuke. He could see the questions in her eyes and had no idea how to give her the answers. He felt a pain dig deep into his gut when the tears started to come after a while. Sakura turned her head back to the front and bowed it so it rested on her knees. Sasuke got to his feet and turned to Orochimaru, his Sharingan activated,
"Orochimaru. What exactly did you do to her?" He asked in a low voice. He was worried not only by the look in her eyes but also by the fact that the chakra was steadily growing stronger and larger. Orochimaru laughed again, but answered him,
"Dear Sasuke-kun. Has it really been that long? You cannot even realize the more powerful form of the curse I gave to you not three years ago?" The snake-sannin looked at Sakura, pleasure written all over his face as he chuckled again, "It is beautiful, is it not? Being as powerful as it is it will take more time to enter her body completely, thought of course... the chances of her surviving are much lower then with yours." Orochimaru looked over at Sasuke with a thoughtful look on his face, as Sasuke gazed back in disgust, "You had a one in ten chance of living. Sakura-chans... is about a one in twenty-five chance of survival. Hmm. Its worth the sight of her even if she does die, but... it would still be lovely if she did live."
Sasuke's eyes widened at him and he took a half step forward his fists clenched,
"Is there any chance of me helping her survive? Of making this easier some how?" Orochimaru lifted his eye brows at Sasuke and chuckled.
"Well well Sasuke-kun, it seems you have a... attachment to this little kunoichi. How interesting." Orochimaru brought a hand to his chin and looked at Sasuke deeply, "What would you do if I said yes? Well other then do whatever I said as soon as possible," Orochimaru rolled his eyes as to say 'duh', "Would you help convince her to join me? Would you try and make her stab all her friends and Konoha in the back? Would you try and change her? Make her as power-hungry as yourself?"
"No. I would never try to change Sakura and make her like myself. Who she is now is how she should be. It is what makes her special. I would however try and make her come back with me. I would try and convince her to join me. If she survived."
"Sasuke-kun, that is good to hear. However, you already know how to bring her back. Just as she somehow knew all the way back then." Orochimaru had a pleased smile stretched across his face that grew when Sasuke's eyes narrowed in realization of what he needed to do, but then Orochimaru dropped it once the winds started to pick up again and there were muffled whimpers coming from Sakura.
The Chakra started to rage harder and more erratically. Sakura clutched her legs tighter and tears streamed down her face faster. Sasuke took a step forward and tensed his muscles to start running when Orochimaru dropped a hand on his shoulder,
"Not yet Sasuke-kun. I will tell you when you need to go to her." Sasuke sent a glare of death at him and shrugged his hand of off his shoulder and took two steps away.
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Neji had been staring as Sakura racking his brain for some clue, some idea as to how he could save her. He narrowed his eyes when she turned her head to Sasuke, and he gritted his teeth when she began to cry. Ignoring Naruto's rambles and half baked ideas on how to save Sakura-chan, Neji focused on the Uchiha. He had come to a standing position and was talking to Orochimaru.
Neji's eyes snapped back to Sakura when the wind picked up and he heard her whimper. Seeing movement to the side of his eye he looked back at Sasuke to see him take a step forward. Neji started to take a step forward himself after the Uchiha tensed up to run at Sakura, but backed down when Orochimaru stopped him and mumbled something. Crossing his arms he thought harder. It was impossible; he simply didn't have enough information.
Both dark haired men's attention snapped up to Sakura when she cried out in pain and the chakra jumped out two feet instead of the slow inches it had been doing. Naruto screamed out Sakura's name and Sasuke tried to move forward again but Orochimaru stopped him. Neji stood their uncertain what to do but his attention on the small sound group. Obviously the Uchiha knew something along with the snake-sannin, and it involved either hurting or helping Sakura. Guessing at the way the Uchiha tried to jump forward every time Sakura made a sound, it must be to help her.
Neji took a few steps forward and raised a hand to shield his eyes when Sakura screamed out again and clutched her shoulder and neck, the winds kicking up nastily pushing back more dirt and debris and the ground shredded some more around her. Turning his head Neji yelled at Naruto to get Shikamaru back to a safe distance. Abiding by his harsh tone, Naruto nodded and swung one of Shikamaru's arms over his shoulder before disappearing to take him farther away.
Though her hands were covering it a dark glow was coming from under her hands and Neji's eyes widened in surprise as what looked like small petals made of flames started to dance across her arm and shoulder and up her neck toward her chin. The petals stopped after a short while and grew dark almost black with a slight pink tint to it.
Sakura took a struggling breathe and dropped her hands revealing the spot where the knife had sunk in, the clothing around it shredded and gone. the center dot had shrunk and the five dots around it had grew larger and distorted shape so it looked like a rounded raindrop with the thinner ends pointing to the outside.
Suddenly snatching her hand out she grabbed her headband, which no one had noticed had come off, the material fraying and worn in spots with the edges of the metal loosing its glint. Sakura pulled her arm back to her chest and clutched the headband it her as her other hand tracing the swirled pattern of the Konoha symbol engraved in it.
Neji's eyes softened a little in sadness and he shifted his gaze to the Uchiha. He too had taken a few steps forward and both of Orochimaru's hands were on his shoulders holding him while the Uchiha clenched his fists in an attempt to keep from ripping from the sannin's grip.
"NOOOOO!!!!!" Sakura suddenly screamed out and the chakra burst out again. Neji and the others jumped back at the suddenly unleashment of power. The petals were dancing in fire again going all the way down her left arm and half way down her stomach. More were inching into her hairline on the left side of her face while the rest licked at her right shoulder and upper neck.
"I DON'T WANT IT!!!" Sakura screamed out again and the chakra made another huge outleashment, forcing them to jump back again. A crater was starting to form underneath Sakura and the chakra was about 28 feet around her in all directions.
Neji noticed Orochimaru take his hand from Sasuke's left shoulder and push him forward with his right hand, and although he didn't hear it he saw Orochimaru mouth the words, 'Go now!'. Sasuke disappeared and reappeared next to Neji. Sasuke looked into the silver Byakugan with his crimson Sharingan and said to Neji,
"You're going to have to work with me if you want to save her."
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Bundyangel: please review, I feel inspired after I read an encouraging review. Thanks