OMG! I am so sorry for being so late on this. School takes up soo much of my time and I keep forgetting or get a writer's block.
Arashi: Anyway. Enjoy Chapter 5.
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Three days…
Three days since they entered the Valley of the Storm…
Three days of trekking through the endless pass…
Three days of searching…
Three days of surviving a relentless storm…
They were tired, wet and kind of anxious to find the right cave. "Is it just me, or has this storm gotten even worse than when we first entered this valley." Sakura asked after they exited a wrong cave that they used as a shelter. "It's very possible. It's said that when it comes to her Sanctuary, Arashi takes no chances." Jiraiya begins to answer but waits for the pass of a roll of thunder before continuing, "By making the conditions worse, most people would have been driven off fearing their own safety, leaving the location secretive."
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After walking a bit, Temari looks back to see that both that both Gaara and Naruto are lagging behind.
"Hey! Are you two ok?" she yells.
"Sure. Never better." Naruto pants. The entire group stops.
"Are you sure Naruto? You guys look pretty out of it." Sakura asks.
"I'm…" he starts to say but then collapses on the ground.
"NARUTO!" Sakura yells and then Gaara collapses as well.
"GAARA!" Temari yells and they all run back to their fallen friends.
"They're just unconscious." Kakashi says after feeling their pulses.
"What now?" Sakura asks, but before anyone can answer her, RaiKaze screeches. His screech echoes throughout the valley and then, as if in response, a howl is heard from deep within the valley.
"Come On!" Jiraiya yells as he puts Naruto's limp body on his back and Kakashi does the same with Gaara's. The group breaks into a run, following the slowly disappearing howl. As they continued farther into the valley, the storm just continued to worsen. "This storm isn't helping. We have to find shelter."
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Within moments, the pass opens up to a bowl-like dead end with a single cave opening an enough room to hold half a village. Without giving it a second thought, they rush into the cave and out of the storm. They lay Naruto and Gaara's bodies against the cave wall and sit down to catch their breath and dry off. Temari looks down the cave and sees that once again it ends with a wall.
"It's going to take forever to find the right cave and with this storm and Naruto and Gaara unconscious, it will take even longer." She groans.
"I don't think so." Sakura says examining the back wall of the cave. On the wall, is writing that seems to have been engraved with a smooth unknown tool. The writing is so clean that you could have thought it was written on paper. No tool could work that cleanly. The writing reads…
Here is a riddle from me to you
Answer correctly and you will pass on through
But answer wrong and you will meet your doom
What is greater than creation
Worse than death
The poor have it
The rich need it
And all fear having it.
Answer me this and answer me true
And the way will be revealed to you.
Jiraiya touches the wall and examines the smooth engravings.
"Did Cagalli…" Sakura begins to say but it interrupted by Jiraiya.
"Well, Yes and no. The only one with the ability to carve words into rock this clearly is Arashi. But the riddle seems much easier than something she would have written. Arashi tends to be more cryptic than this. Making it possible that the riddle was thought up by Cagalli." Jiraiya explains.
"But how do we answer it?" Temari asks.
"I suspect that Arashi is watching, so she will most likely open it when she wants to." Jiraiya answers.
Sakura looks at the unconscious Naruto and remembers everything he has done for everyone he met.
Then something comes to her mind and she softly says, "Nothing."
"What did you say Sakura?" her sensei asked.
"The answer. It's nothing. I mean, we all have so much to be thankful for. What would life be like if we didn't? We all fear to have nothing." She finishes without removing her gaze from her unconscious comrade.
Suddenly, the ground begins to shake and rocks fall from the cave ceiling. They all try to keep their balance while still trying not to get hit by the falling rocks and protecting the bodies of their fallen friends.
When the shaking stops, Sakura looks to where the wall was to see it gone. The wall has disappeared and reveals a continuing path heading deeper into the cave.
"Congratulations Sakura, I guess you answered correctly." Kakashi says dusting himself off. Jiraiya and Kakashi pick up Gaara and Naruto and the group enters the newly formed tunnel.
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"That was a good riddle pup. You're getting better at this."
"I had a great teacher. Though I wish they got here before the poison took affect."
"As do I. But we don't always get what we want. "
"……."
"As long as Shukaku and Kyuubi help resist the final effects as I have been for you, everything will be fine."
"I hope so."
"You are such a mother hen."
"Right back at you Arashi."
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"Is that water I hear?" Temari asks.
The tunnels opens up to another dead end, this time however they are not met with a rock wall. A waterfall is flowing right out of the rock and into a small pool that never seemed to overflow. On each side of the cascading water is a rock statue that resemble wolves. And on a rounded stalagmite, in front of the pool, sits RaiKaze. He looks at Jiraiya and then looks to the waterfall.
"Well, now we just need to summon the entire," he says and then looks to the hawk, "I do wish that your master water-skipped us here instead of to the outer barrier." To which RaiKaze seems to shrug his shoulders.
He walks into the pool and bites his thumb, then thrusts it into the waterfall to the wall behind it. When Jiraiya retracts his hand, another earthquake erupts.
"Not another one!" Temari yells.
Sakura, who was holding onto the rocky spire, watches the cascading water part to reveal another passage with an eerie blue glow.
"Is this….the end?" she asks regaining her balance once the shaking stops.
"Yes. Let's go!" her sensei replies.
They enter the pool and follow Jiraiya into the passage.
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"So….they finally arrived."
"…………….."
"Look at you. Not even strong enough to argue."
"…………………….."
"Don't worry. I'll take over and…..'Greet' our guests"
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Well that's chapter 5.
Arashi: Hawks have shoulders???
Me: I think so.
Arashi: Well anyway, can't wait to beat the crud out of Shukaku and Kyuubi.
Me: Hey! That's spoiler.
Arashi: Whatever
BTW. I am most likely starting an Inuyasha, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and another Naruto fic. So look out for them.