Chapter 5: Fairy Tales & Castles
Uzumaki Naruto raced through the crowd of villagers, his heart racing as the blaring of the warning siren echoed in his ears. Various scenarios raced through his head, ones of horrible tragedies and death with hopes of false warnings. He was always the one to stay positive, the courageous one living in his own fairytale where everything had a happy ending. Feeling the power and temptation of Kyuubi, he slowed his pace and tried his best to calm down. That stupid ice cube's return had hit him hard but now this was happening. No, he couldn't take another invasion. Who would end up betraying this village, him, this time? Sakura? No, he wouldn't let that happen...not this time...never again.
"N- Naruto-kun?" came a soft voice beside him.
He sucked in a breath as he turned his head to the side and looked down, "Yeah?"
The pale-eyed girl looked up at him, "Are you okay?"
Smiling at her, he said brightly, "I'm fine Hinata-chan, just a bit worried."
She nodded her head, "Me too...let's do our best. Ne, Naruto-kun?"
"You bet, dattebayo!"
Hinata smiled at his childish phrase and nodded once more.
TenTen grabbed her pack and threw it on her shoulders as Neji waited patiently at the door. She hurried to his side and nodded.
"Let's go," he said monotonously as usual.
She nodded again and flew off after him. Staring at his white clad back, she sucked in a breath. How could this be happening again? Shaking her head, she did her best to catch up with her teammate of well...almost as long as she could remember.
"Neji!" she yelled over the roaring wind.
He turned his head slightly, "What?!"
"Do you know anything about this?!"
Turned his head back to ahead of him, "No...but I have a feeling it has something to do with the Uchiha."
TenTen simply nodded, deciding not to probe further. She quickened her pace till she was beside him. He looked over at her and tried his best to give her a small reassuring smile. She smiled brightly back at him, appreciating the gesture so rarely given by the Hyuuga.
"Neji..." she began.
"We'll talk about it later," he cut in, his expression turning cold, "This isn't the time."
'It's the never the time... Is it Neji-kun?' TenTen thought bitterly, "Where are we headed?"
"Hospital."
xXxXxXxXx
Uchiha Sasuke sat on the leather couch mindlessly as he watched his comrade yell impatiently at him. Her boots were making clicking noises on the ground as she stomped back and forth in front of him. Finally, she finished her rant and landed roughly next to him, instantly latching onto his arm.
"Sasuke-kun," she whined, "Were you listening?!"
He narrowed his eyes slightly at her and shook her off of his arm, "Enough Karin."
Karin huffed and folded her arms in front of her chest, "Well, are you ready to go yet?!"
"Are you sure this information is correct?" he asked evenly. Inside he felt like ripping something – or someone – apart. He couldn't believe it, he was so sure when it happened.
"Yes," she said impatiently and began tapping her foot on the floor.
He glared at her foot and stomped on it with his own causing her to jump, "Stop that. Are you sure they didn't-?"
"Didn't what Sasuke?" a voice came from the window causing them both to look up.
Sakura climbed into the window and shut it behind her, dusting off her pants, "Well? Is she sure we didn't what? Find out about your little plot to get out of Konoha?"
Sasuke stood, "What are you talking about?"
"I ran into your other comrade!" she barked, "I found out!"
He stared at her, "You are-"
"I'm what Sasuke?! The only thing I am is stupid!" She stepped towards him, "How could I have thought that you really wanted to be here in Konoha; with us...?" There it was, the silent cry that only she and Sasuke could hear; With me?!
"I don't know what you are talking about Sakura," he said lowly, "But you are in my way so leave before I have to-"
"Have to what Sasuke?!" she yelled, "Kill me?! Go ahead! You almost did all those years ago! You probably won't even hesitate now, not that you did back then. Excuse me if I'm incorrect Sasuke but I'm already dead to you...like you are to me."
"Oh how touching..." Karin sarcastically remarked behind Sasuke, "Can I kill her now?" She whispered loudly into his ear with a smirk.
Sakura's eyes snapped to Karin, "Excuse me?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Shut it Karin."
Karin pouted and fell back onto the couch, glaring at Sakura. The pink haired woman sneered at her in return before returning her attention to Sasuke. He stared down at her with emotionless eyes, like he always had, like he always will. The man had no emotional bone in his body beside revenge and anger. She laughed bitterly to herself as she thought of all those childish fantasies she'd had as a little girl of him and her. The ones where he would ask her to marry him and help restore his clan. The ones were he would actually notice her as more than an annoyance. The ones where he cared for her. The ones where he loved her.
"Tell me Sakura," he said lowly so that only she could hear, "What childish things are you dreaming up now?"
Her breath caught in her throat at his words, hurt evident in her eyes. Before she could even think about the consequences of her actions; her hand shot up and smacked him across the face – hard. His head snapped to the side and he chuckled lowly as he touched his busted lip tenderly. He returned his gaze to her and shook his head.
"Always so impulsive," and for some reason that phrase sent a shiver down her spine, "That's one of the few things I've always respected about you Sakura; you don't give a damn about consequence."
xXxXxXxXx
The Inuzuka dragged himself out of bed with a grunt;he crashed to the floor. Cursing loudly, he rolled onto his side and stared at Akamaru who was staring back at him with beady eyes, nudging him with his wet nose.
"What are you staring at?" he grunted, "You going to help me or what?"Akamaru turned his head a way from him with a growl. Kiba cursed at himself, "Please? God I sound pathetic...and I'm fucking talking to myself!"
"Its when you answer yourself you have a problem..."
Kiba's head shot up and came face to face with Uzumaki Naruto and his female teammate. Hinata ran to his side and helped him up.
"Are you okay Kiba-kun?"
"Eh..I'm fine Hinata-chan, you worry too much," he grunted and sat up against the side of the bed with her help, "What's happening out there?"
"I don't know. It might be an invasion; Sakura-chan even issued a lock down," Naruto answered loudly and bent down to help him up.
Kiba stood shakily, leaning on the bed for support while Hinata tried her best to heal his wound. He hissed as her chakra invaded his body but soon calmed as a warm feeling spread after it. She smiled at him and pulled away as she finished.
"There you go Kiba-kun, you should be okay for a couple hours or so. After that, you better sleep," she said as sternly as she could.
He nodded at her with a small smile and rubbed her back before turning to Naruto, "After being cooped up in this room for a week; I'm ready to kick some ass..."
"You bet!"
"Kiba-kun..." Hinata scolded.
"Sorry Hina-chan," he said sheepishly.
xXxXxXxXx
Tsunade stood abruptly as Kakashi popped into the room in a cloud of smoke. She glared at him fiercely and stood in front of him.
"Hatake! I gave him another chance! Just like you and most of the Rookie Nine asked! Look what he's done!" she yelled at him.
He stood expressionless, "I'm sorry Hokage-sama."
"Don't Hokage-sama me Kakashi," she bit out, "When this is all over; I have no choice but to accept the charges presented by the council of elders."
Kakashi closed his eyes briefly, "Tsunade...we don't know if it is his doing just yet."
"Bullshit," she spat, "We know damn well he's behind this. Why else would Sakura lock down the hospital. No one can get in or out now Hatake. Not even me!"
"Who's in there?"
"The security cameras show Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru..."
xXxXxXxXx
Shikamaru dodged a flurry of kunai, causing him to move a few feet from Ino who was standing still with her hand below her lip in a defensive manner. He looked at her worriedly before throwing a few shuriken at the man. His opponent dodged them and dropped to the ground to trip him, only to have Shikamaru jump to dodge it.
The Nara rose his hands in front of him in the form of a seal, "Kagemane no Jutsu!"
The man stared at him with wide eyes and before he knew it, was standing with his hands in his pockets. Shikamaru smiled slightly at the guy.
"Shi- What are you-" Ino began fearfully.
"Don't worry, you troublesome woman," Shikamaru said softly, too soft.
He reached down to his pouch and grabbed a kunai and pressed it firmly against his own throat, his opponent doing the same.
"Don't!" Ino cried out to him.
Shikamaru turned his head to face her. His expression was stern. "I can't let anything happen to you. Both of you."
xXxXxXxXx
Kakashi twitched nervously as the Godaime continued to walk around him.
"...Uchiha Sasuke, an unidentified female, Haruno Sakura..."
xXxXxXxXx
Sakura stifled a gasp as Sasuke's hand shot out to wrap around her throat, "Thing is...I can kill you in a second."
"Question is; will you?" Sakura choked out.
"Want me to?" he asked with a smile.
"If it will make you happy."
His eyes hardened as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "And what if it would?"
"Then at least I know you haven't changed...At least I know you're still Sasuke-kun. The boy who would never give a damn about me, no matter how many times I showed that I damn well did about you."
xXxXxXxXx
'Damn...my whole team is in there...Shit,' he thought nervously.
"...Uzumaki Naruto, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata..."
xXxXxXxXx
Naruto walked down the hallway with Hinata behind him and Akamaru at her side, with Kiba a few feet behind her. This formation made her feel protected and pathetic at the same time.
Kiba couldn't help but make a smart comment about the other two people in his presence. "Hinata, why don't you scoot a little closer to your boyfriend! You know you want to."
Hinata couldn't find the words to say in reply to that comment. She desperately attempted to hide the light shade of pink that had taken over her once pale face.
Naruto had the same shade. They looked like a couple of cherry tomatoes. "Why don't you put a sock in it, Kiba?"
"Aww. That's cute. Defending your shy little lover," Kiba smirked as if he had just accomplished some great task.
"I'm not shy!" Hinata managed to squeak out.
"It's okay Hinata, Kiba's just being cruel," Naruto replied. Attempting desperately to comfort the shy, love-struck girl.
This only made Hinata turn an even darker shade of red. Instead of a cherry tomato, she was an overripe strawberry.
"Wait! I hear something. Someone joined us," Naruto whispered in a nervous, yet brave, tone.
Hinata activated the Byakugan. "That Chakra. Could it be--?"
xXxXxXxXx
Tsunade continued to walk around him as she came to a close, head tilted back as if her eyes were fixated on the ceiling.
"...Hyuuga Neji, and TenTen."
xXxXxXxXx
TenTen crept slowly behind her male teammate staring at his white clad back. What's next? Was he going to avoid being with her all together? During their previous missions as a team with Gai-sensei and Lee, at least he made small talk about mission status with her as Gai and Lee did...whatever the hell they did. Who knew what they did? All she knew was that it had something to do with sunsets and hugs or tears. She shivered, they were always a bit creepy, especially Lee, but she'd learned to love them. In her trance she'd failed to notice that Neji had stopped walking; she rammed awkwardly into his back, blushing slightly at the sight before her. This was the first time she had ever seen Neji fall over. But, maybe that was just her imagination. She came out of her daydream only to find herself face down on the cold floor.
"TenTen," Neji said disapprovingly, "What are you doing?"
She scrambled to sit on her behind, her knees out to the side as she placed her hands on the floor between her legs. A dark blush had made its away across her cheeks as he stared down at her, quietly waiting for an answer.
"I...I...I..." She couldn't seem to find anything else to say.
A fashionable shade of pink crept upon his face as he noticed her position on the floor. Which was wrong in every way; Hyuuga men didn't blush. Well, maybe this one did... She bowed her head slightly before it shot back up, her eyes glancing around warily.
"Do you sense that?"
Looking up at him, she found he indeed did seeing that Byakugan was activated. His eyes fell on her as he reached out a hand to help her up. She took it graciously and dusted off her pants when she was upright.
"This is no time to be spacing out TenTen," he said sternly as he let go of her hand.
She smiled grimly, "Sorry Neji." Reaching down to her kunai pouch, she grabbed out two and looked around.
"Stay here," he said firmly as he turned to walk away.
"Neji!" she began to protest but he shot her a glare that shut her up quick.
"Quiet and watch my back," he turned back around, "Wait, is that-"
xXxXxXxXx
"Unidentified female?"
"In the Uchiha's room," she said with a sigh, rubbing her nose.
Kakashi's breath caught in his throat, "Is there anyway we can get in?"
Yeah, I had to re-write this WHOLE chapter because I forgot to save it the first time I wrote it. Grrr...Well, I hope you enjoyed it!!! Please review!!!