Kali ran as fast as she could. The leaves sounded out as she dashed through the woods. Fear was upon her face and her breaths were quick. Behind her rumbling on in the forested darkness came a ferocious beast. Its frame seemed like a dragons, but tar-like ooze covered its body and flowed continuously. It was large and cumbersome. It roared and revealed its large blade teeth, spurting some of the tar from its jaws. It stopped for an instant to do this then continued to chase. Its gleaming reddish orange eyes were filled with inbred rage.
It continued to chase Kali. Its black claws digging deep into the ground to gain speed. Kali suddenly tripped. Hitting the ground and rolling over, she found the beast on top of her. The jaws fell toward her face with tar-ooze dripping. Kali screamed.
Sasuke woke with a start. He was breathing hard and felt the icy sweat on his face. He let his eyes adjust to the dark, and then looked around cautiously. He could still feel himself trembling from the nightmare. The dark figures of Sakura and Naruto lay on the ground with Akkan while Kali's and Oji's were in their places. Sasuke sighed to try and calm himself. Just a dream. He stood and walked silently over to Kali. She slept silently and peacefully. Her face was calm. Her ear twitched automatically as she slept.
Sasuke was going to go back to his bed, but sleep would not come due to the dream. Just a dream. He decided to take a walk. The moonlight was quite bright and it was not difficult to walk silently. He came to a small area of still water. It wasn't quite a pond but it was too deep for a puddle. He looked at the reflection of the moon and his own as well. Just a dream. He knew if he was gone when Kali woke up she would most likely be worried. He turned around and jumped when he saw Oji standing behind him. His eyes were dilated, but there was no emotion in them. Sasuke calmed his racing heart as Oji spoke.
"You sure are up late," Oji said.
"I could say the same to you," Sasuke said.
"I only woke cuz of you, little Sasuke," Oji said, "Is everything well?" Sasuke looked back to the water.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sasuke said. Oji shrugged to himself.
"Ok, if you say so," Oji turned around and walked back to the camp. His tail was swishing from side to side easily. Sasuke breathed in the crisp night air and followed a ways behind. The sun rose the next day on an awake Sasuke. He slept a little after a little bit but the nightmare returned and he couldn't force himself into the sleep.
The sun made the sky change from the dark black to purple to light blue. Sasuke couldn't help but watch as the sun rose. It soon shone through the bases of the trees and the birds began to wake. First the crows woke then the others and soon birds of all kinds twittered and sang, greeting the sun. Sasuke glanced over to Kali as she slept. She was lying on her side and snuggled into a ball. She seemed to have no interest in waking early like she normally did. Oji swung upside down on his branch before letting go to land on the ground. He stretched and yawned. Sasuke glanced at Naruto and Sakura; he noticed the large panther sleeping near Sakura. Oji leaned over Kali and touched her shoulder gently.
"Hey, Kal, C'mon," he said with a kind tone. Sasuke stood up and watched. Kali tensed sleepily and groaned lightly. Nothing appeared wrong at first, but Sasuke knew something was off. Kali was usually the first one up and ready, but today…
Oji stood and walked over to the two sleeping ninja. He kicked Naruto lightly on the side and Naruto sat up after mumbling his disagreement. Akkan flicked his ears and opened his eyes. They gleamed their icy blue as he put his whiskers on Sakura's face. She woke at once and sat up with a yawn. Kali sat up and rubbed her eyes. She seemed ok at first glance, but there were soft rings under her eyes as if she hadn't slept well. Her attitude told Sasuke she was trying to ignore this. He disregarded these unusual facts as Oji organized the group. Naruto seemed to sleep while he stood which impressed Sakura.
"Alright, now that we're all awake," Oji began. Kali stood next to him and looked down at Akkan as Oji spoke. "We will be heading out today and will be travel fairly quickly. Keep up or get lost, and please don't linger anywhere for more then three minutes." Everyone agreed. "Good." He stared at Naruto who seemed to be dozing again. He smiled down at Akkan and Kali saw and grinned as well. Oji tapped the panthers shoulder and Akkan looked at Naruto. He trotted up and jumped playfully between Sasuke and Sakura on Naruto. Naruto, suddenly struck from his dreamy state, yelled in terror. Kali watched with a grin that almost resembled a smirk of sorts. She just noticed now Naruto's raspy almost gritty voice. She knew why it had just become apparent, and it sickened her. It was the terrible curse that heightened her already sharp senses. Akkan removed himself from the angry Naruto and the boy sat up.
"Alright I'm awake!" He yelled angrily. Oji smiled as he spoke, but let it fade when he was finished.
"That'll teach you, Blondie," Oji said with tease in his voice, giving Naruto his famed nicknames. He had always been fond of giving names for short, and it only proved he accepted the ninja in his own way.
They set off quickly jumping silently. Kali disgusted this place. The scents suffocated her and only angered her more. The wafting scent of the poison-red flowers sprinkle over the forest floor, the biting scent of the thorned green plants, and the light and gloomy scent of new and old death. The sounds also had an aggravating effect on her which she could not explain. She found herself having to slow down to stay with the group, but she found no need to do so. She had different plans.
Oji glanced to her and she returned the look. He knew what she was going to do, and it was time now. When Sasuke looked to the direction of Kali, but saw empty branches. He looked for a while, but Kali was no where to be found.
"Where did Kali go?" He asked Oji. Oji was silent as if he hadn't heard, but soon he stopped. He was looking down solemnly.
"She'll be traveling on a separate path, little Sasuke…" he said grimly. Naruto and Sakura stopped and looked worried. His voice continued to where even Sasuke had a hard time hearing him "she has her own war to wage now…" he whispered. They stood in silence for a minute then Oji realized what he was doing. "We've stayed still too long!" he jumped off and the ninja followed. Naruto wondered why Kali had left and wondered if she was nearby or had really taken off. Sasuke had the same thought; he was worried about that curse she had spoken of.
After about three hours of travel Oji stopped. The he and the ninja had been traveling at a good pace that Oji usually kept up all the way across the forest, but the ninja were not cut out for the speed for so long. They were exhausted. Naruto and Sasuke fell down to sit and Sakura hit her knees. They breathed heavily. Oji looked around sternly. He had no strain or any sign of fatigue for that matter. Akkan walked up and looked up at Oji expectantly. He hadn't expected to stop like this since they usually didn't have to. Naruto's breaths were very heavy. Oji reached into his back pouch and tossed him a container of water. Naruto caught it and drank thankfully.
"Anyone else need anything?" Oji asked.
"More time to rest…" Sakura panted. Oji paused.
"Sorry, no more than three minutes," he repeated his instructions.
"But that's ridiculous!" Naruto said in displeasure. Oji only looked at him blankly. He wasn't one to take sympathy.
"Get over it," Oji said, "Unless you want to be splattered across this nightmarish forest, I suggest you get off of you lazy butt and move." Anger tinted his voice as he ended his sentence. Naruto jumped to his feet in fear. Oji was surprisingly harsh, but for good reason. They waited only a little longer before heading off again. This time the speed was decreased slightly, but to the tired ninja it was the same. As Sasuke jumped he looked down and saw Akkan's black shadow moving silently. He was quick for being on the thickly covered ground and surprisingly silent. Sasuke watched the cat weave through the brush; his muscles moved smoothly and cleanly with amazing precision. It was obvious Akkan had done this all his life and needed little to no assistance.
About four hours later when the day was at its hottest Oji finally stopped again. They all panted feverishly. They had no idea the woods were so large. It made Sasuke wonder what part of the forest Kali stayed in and how large it was, since she had said she never truly came here on her own accord.
"While we're resting," Sakura started, "How big is this place?" Oji, still showing no signs of fatigue, sat in front of her and began to draw in the sand as he spoke.
"Well, I don't know if Kali told you or if you can tell, but this place is a place all its own," Oji explained. Naruto and Sasuke were glad Sakura asked that question so they can rest more. Oji drew a rough circle then an inner circle that followed the rough edges of the first. "This entire forest," Oji continued, "Is on a large island." Sakura gasped.
"We're on an island!?" she repeated is surprise. Naruto and Sasuke were also surprised. Oji forced a smile.
"I guess she didn't tell you then. No matter, now you know. We are about here"- he scratched an X on the map slightly off into the left of the center. They weren't extremely close to shore, but at least they weren't in the middle. "The land makes a gradual increase in altitude the closer you get to the center. In the center is a huge tree." He etched in a tree-like crown. "If you climb to the top you can see the shore right on the horizon." Oji smiled as he thought of the place that he spoke of. He wasn't saying for the ninja, but it brought back fond memories of the past. He quickly rubbed out the sketch with his hand and stood. "We've stayed too long," he said in his harsh tone of before. It reminded Naruto of a sensei of the academy. They all got ready to move.
"Hold on," Sasuke said, "before we move- where's Kali?" Oji looked back at him.
"Right now she's probably not far. Why, Little Sasuke?" Oji replied, "Are you worried about her?" Sasuke thought over his answer carefully.
"She's just been gone a while," he finally said. Oji sighed.
"Well, if you want to know she's fine I'll call her." Oji pulled out a small whistle that had been carved in the shape of a howling wolves head and painted black. Sakura thought it looked like that wolf they had seen named Moliko. Oji put his mouth to blow on it, but before he did a voice sounded.
"You don't need that just yet," Kali said. Her voice was calm, collected and almost fragile. She sat above the group with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms around them. She seemed half asleep, the circles under her eyes were slightly darker than before and her face seemed an off color. Oji's hand with the whistle dropped as he smiled up at her weakly.
"You look good, Kal," He said in a comforting fashion. Kali's eyes closed and she smiled behind her knees.
"Thank you, Oji," she said softly. She dropped her knees and looked at Sasuke with a smile.
"We were worried about you so I thought I'd let you drop in," Oji explained. Kali only widened he smile.
"I'm fine, Sasuke," she said. Sasuke got chills from the softness and eerie calm of her voice.
"Why did you want to travel separate?" he asked.
"My curse could endanger you so until I recover I'll stay a safe distance. I won't disappear; I'll just come back when I can think straight," Kali answered. Her eyes suddenly dilated and her tail flicked. An ear-piercing screech echoed through the forest that made Kali and Oji jump in fright. The others covered their ears to try and block out the noise. When Sasuke looked up Kali was gone.
"We have to move now!" Oji yelled above the screeching, "I told you we couldn't stay long!" They jumped off immediately and traveled faster in fear of whatever had sounded out in the woods. After a few minutes the sound abruptly stopped and all was silent again. Oji stopped and breathed heavy. Since he had not been showing signs of weariness, Sakura guessed it was the fear.
"Did Kali follow us?" Naruto asked looking around. Oji shook his head as he composed himself.
"No," he said, "Now you know why I said no more than three minutes." He jumped away again, and the ninja all traveled in grim silence. Night fell soon and Kali returned. She was alive and well, but seemed oddly disturbed. She kept silent as Oji instructed everyone on what to do. Soon, a thriving fire had started and leftover food was cooked. Kali chose not to eat; she just sat and stared absent-mindedly at the flames.
"Kali?" Sasuke asked worriedly. She snapped out of her dream and looked at him. He looked for some words to say. "How long will this go on?" he finally questioned.
"Well…" Kali thought, "I'm not sure, but hopefully I can get through the first stages of it and Oji can handle me for the rest." Sasuke didn't quite understand, but Kali's face told him not to ask any further. After the fire had died away, they all settle down to sleep. It went on peacefully until about midnight.