~Beyond the Hourglass, a Naruto and Black Butler crossover fanfic~
A/N: Here is an update; I know it's a long overdue. Sorry guys, I did mean to update sooner but I have been working long hours. I get home practically drained with hardly any energy to write at all. Chapter title is from Falling Inside the Black by Skillet. On another note, I have to point out that this story takes place a little bit before the events of Jack the Ripper and everything else. It will be slightly canon and slightly non-canon. As for their ages, Sakura is 19, Ciel is 12-13 (like in the canon) and Sebastian appears to be in his early 20s.
Let's see. What else do I have to add? Oh yeah, would you guys mind a lemon in this or should I not include one? Let me know in your reviews.
Anyhoo…Before I go on with the Disclaimer, I'd want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, etc. I appreciate it so much. And I'd also like to ask anyone of you lovely readers that if you want to submit any fan art for this story, you are totally welcome to do so. In fact, I'd really love it if anyone did. I wish I had artistic skill, sadly I don't...Well, anyway I'll leave Sebastian and Sakura to do the disclaimer.
Sebastian: Ivory Illusionist does not own Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters, which includes me. Though, she wishes she owned me. *smirks sexily*
Me: Hey! That's not true…*hangs head* Okay, it is true…*goes to small corner to cry*
Sakura: Ahh…Ivory, are you okay?
Me:*sniffles* Just peachy. Go ahead and do the disclaimer, Saku.
Sakura:*sweatdrops* Alright…Ivory Illusionist also does not own Naruto or the characters. But this story is her idea. Enjoy! *attempts to cheer me up*
Sebastian: Do not forget to review *smirks.* You know you want to.
Chapter Two
Falling Inside the Black
I'm falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back?
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?
Trying to regain consciousness after experiencing pain and agony that is beyond what words can describe—is seemingly impossible. For me, the pain felt like I was drowning beneath the waves of an ocean. I felt that each time I tried to break through the surface, another wave crashed into me, pulling me underneath once more.
"Am I dead?" I thought as I struggled to break free from the currents that kept me in the deep blackness.
Perhaps, it would be better if I was dead. Because if I was dead, then I wouldn't have to feel the pain of heartbreak anymore. I would be free of my sorrow. Of the hurt that I felt inside my heart that extended to my soul. Even the pain that I felt was preferable to feeling as I did.
"I am not dead." I whispered as I finally was able to open my eyes. . A sigh escaped me, as I took a deep breath that I didn't even realize that I'd been holding. How long had I been unconscious? The more important question was what the hell had happened to me?
"Careful, do not try to move yet." A kind female voice spoke just as I slowly began to regain consciousness. "I did my best to fix you up and I would hate to have to patch you up again."
I opened my eyes and turned in the direction I heard the voice. Sitting there beside me was a beautiful woman with short, vibrant red hair. Her eyes, which were filled with sadness and relief, were also red.
"Who are you?" I managed to ask, my voice sounded hoarse. The woman poured a glass of water and carefully helped me drink. I drank the water almost greedily. I hadn't realized that I had been thirsty. "Where am I? What happened to me?"
"One question at a time, please, child." The woman said as she pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "My name is Angelina Durless and you are in the Phantomhive Manor, where you were brought here after an unfortunate accident. You see my butler didn't see you and well he ran you over with the carriage. Fortunately, Sebastian and I were there. So you are quite safe, well for the most part that is." Angelina answered carefully, pausing momentarily, as I took her words in. "I am truly very sorry about this whole ordeal that we put you through. But I can assure you that you will be in the best possible care while your injuries fully heal. It was due to my incompetent butler's disregard that you are in this state and for that I humbly ask for your apology."
I nodded slightly, which was a mistake because I felt a shooting pain in my head. I winced as I waited for the pain to subside. I knew that my body had most likely healed most of the worst of my injuries despite the state of unconsciousness I had been in but my body wasn't fully recovered.
The woman—Angelina—had mentioned that I was mostly healed. But there was a slight trace of concern in her voice.
"When you said I was healed for the most part…" I asked, being careful as not to move too much to cause myself pain. "What did you mean by that, exactly?"
Angelina shifted slightly, meeting my gaze. "I did my best to treat you. You hit your head against a rock when you hit the ground. Sebastian managed to staunch the bleeding before you bled to death. You also received a few scratches but none that won't heal in time. But unfortunately, you a deep gash on the side of your face that I was unable to treat properly at the site of the accident…"
She stopped for a moment, allowing for her words to sink in. My hand automatically travelled to the side of my face to where I felt a deep cut on my skin. I needed a mirror and without needed to be told, Angelina handed me one. It was an ornate antique silver hand mirror with delicate rose carvings on the back of the smooth round glass. She held it out to me glass side down and I took it from her.
I carefully lifted it slowly to reveal my face in the reflection. It took all I had in me to keep myself from screaming. On the right side of my face, there was a long jagged scar reaching from the bottom corner of my eye to the corner of my mouth. It was deep and I knew that it would be difficult to fully heal with my chakra as low as it was. But even with my medical abilities, it would be near impossible to fully heal the gash. I would have a scar permanently on my face.
As a kunoichi, I knew that these were inevitable but I still couldn't help but feel powerless. I was stuck in some strange country where nobody knew where Konoha was. I also felt helpless knowing that I had been unable to prevent myself from having the accident. I was a ninja, so how had I been caught up in this situation?
Before I could speak, a tall man with raven hair appeared alongside a young boy with bluish-black hair and an eye patch covering his right eye. The boy looked to be around 12 or 13. He looked about the same age as her younger cousin. The man appeared to be older than I was. In his early 20s, perhaps? He seemed to be around my older brother's age. But there was something about him that made him appear much older, timeless almost. Not to mention that he was very good-looking.
Who was I kidding? The guy was what my friends, most likely Ino, Tenten and Temari, would call hot! No-scratch that. He was more than hot he was sexy. I mentally reprimanded myself for thinking this. I shouldn't be thinking anything about another guy when I was still in love with another man. A man that was out of my reach.
"I see that you our guest have finally regained consciousness?" The young boy said as he watched me with an expression that ranged between amusement and curiosity but remained calm. "How long has she been awake?"
"Not very long. I would say, about 15 minutes." Angelina told the boy. "She seems to be in pain when she moves."
"She has a name and she is right here?" I spoke out annoyed. I absolutely hated when people didn't take me seriously because of my appearance. Especially if one of those people was a kid.
"Oh, forgive my lack of manners." Angelina said looking slightly embarrassed. "This young lad is my nephew Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian Michaelis. And you are?"
"I am Haruno Sakura." I replied a little bit harsher than I intended. I felt uneasy being here with these people who I knew nothing about. I couldn't let my guard down.
"Sakura Haruno. What an interesting name. It's foreign, so I would assume that you are indeed not from Britain." The man, Sebastian said. "Are you acquainted with Lau?"
There was that name again. That doctor had mentioned that name and now it comes up again. Just who was this Lau? And why did he seem to have bad reputation, by the way his name had been said.
"No, I don't know anyone by that name. Truth be told, I have no idea where I am or how I got here. All I know is that I have to get home." I said as I tried to get up from the bed. A pair of hands pushed me back down.
"Rest, Miss. Haruno. You are still recovering from your injuries." Angelina said. "Once you're better, we shall help you return to your home. I can assure you that. Isn't that right, Ciel darling?"
Ciel didn't look too thrilled by Angelina's words, I could tell but he sighed. "Of course we shall. Sebastian, would you see to Miss Haruno. My aunt and I have other matters we must attend to. Make sure she is comfortable."
"As you wish, young master. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't show our guest the renowned Phantomhive hospitality?" Sebastian said with a smile on his face. He looked at me and I couldn't help but blush.
Ciel nodded before he turned and walked out of the room with Angelina behind him. This left me in this room alone with the butler Sebastian.
"Well, it would seem that you have been placed in my care. I would offer to give you a tour of the manor but seeing as you are in no condition to move, I suppose that you might be hungry." Sebastian said. "I can bring you whatever dish you wish, just say the word."
I narrowed my eyes slightly in suspicion. I supposed it was in my nature as a kunoichi. There was something off about him but I couldn't quite place what it was. I sensed chakra from him but there wasn't any indication that he was a ninja. His chakra was different. Stronger than any I've ever sensed. Stronger than even Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei's. It was similar to Naruto's in a way but stronger still. Unlike Naruto's whose chakra felt pure, this man's felt dark and tainted. And it scared me.
"Whatever is fine by me." I replied as I closed my eyes. I was hungry but I didn't want to feel as if I was a burden, imposing on anyone regardless of anything. Regardless of the accident. I mentally berated myself over having been in an accident in the first place.
"Then, I shall return shortly?" He said
I waited until I heard Sebastian's footsteps retreat down a hallway did I activate my chakra, using it to heal my body from the aches I felt. My chakra felt cool against my skin. I knew that there wasn't very much I could do about the scar without it being too noticeable. But still, I tried to heal the damaged tissues.
I stopped when I heard footsteps and laid back down on the bed. I looked over at the door expecting Ciel or Angelina returning, but instead I found myself staring into the piercing red eyes of Sebastian Michaelis. He was staring at me with narrowed eyes, silently watching me. And in that instant, I felt a shiver run down my spine. The way he was gazing at me unnerved me and I couldn't understand why?
"I want to know who exactly you are and what is it you want, Miss. Sakura Haruno?" He said in a deadly voice. The way he said my name led me to the realization that he knew something but I wasn't quite so sure. "I know you aren't the fragile young woman that you appear to be and that there is more that you did not reveal to my master. And I want to know exactly what it is?"
I gulped slightly beneath his gaze. Could he know who I truly was my occupation? No, there was no possible way he could know who I am more than what I revealed. But even if he did, there was no way that I could trust him. He could very well be an enemy shinobi who has me under a powerful genjutsu. But I knew deep down that that wasn't the case. He wasn't a ninja and I wasn't under a genjutsu.
"Very well then. Now that we don't have to act under pretenses, I will tell you who I am, but first, I want to know one thing…" I said with sardonic smirk. "Are you a jinchuriki?"
"Lady Tsunade!" a shrill female voice yelled as she barged through the wooden door leading to the Hokage's office, waking up the room's only occupant from her deep slumber.
Tsunade opened her eyes and flinched as the morning light hit her and she placed her manicured hands on her temples, rubbing her aching head as if willing her hangover away. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.
"Dammit, Shizune, what are you yelling for? Is it because I drank sake all night long instead of working on this damned pile of paperwork from the elders? If you've come to scold, well save your breath. My head is pounding." Tsunade said as she flinched.
"No, it's not that, my lady." Shizune said. As much as the chuunin wanted to tell her mentor off for shirking off her obligations, she knew that would have to wait. "I am afraid that what I've come to tell you is much more serious."
Hearing the sternness in the younger woman's voice, Tsunade looked up instantly.
"What is it, Shizune? Did something happen?" Tsunade asked. "Well out with it!"
Tears trickled down Shizune's face as she formed the words. "It's Sakura, my lady. I'm afraid that something may have happened to her."
Tsunade could only stare in drunken disbelief at Shizune as her words sunk in. Sobering instantly, the blonde woman rose up from her chair and slammed her hands on her desk, making a crack on the polished surface.
"What are you talking about, Shizune? What happened to Sakura?" She demanded.
"She has disappeared. There is absolutely no trace of her since late last night." Shizune managed to say as she made her report.
"Why wasn't I informed of this earlier?" Tsunade practically yelled. Shizune flinched.
"We've only have been made aware. Sakura's aunt came by along with her brother and cousin. They told me that Sakura never came home last night. And she never sleeps away without informing her family." Shizune continued between sniffles.
"She isn't with any of her friends."
Shizune shook her head sadly. "No. According to Tenten, she hasn't seen Sakura since last night, at the engagement party for Sasuke and Ino."
Tsunade flinched at that. She realized that Sakura's disappearance had a name. In fact it had two. Sasuke and Ino. She was still so deeply in love with the brat that finding out that he was going to marry another woman, her best friend, devastated her. "I see." Tsunade couldn't help but understand the young pink haired girl but at the same time she felt angry because there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent Sakura's suffering. "Now it all makes sense. She ran off."
"If it were that simple, I wouldn't be so worried." Shizune said before trailing off.
Tsunade turned her gaze back at the brunette. "What is it Shizune?"
"Kiba and Hana Inuzuka came across this near the Academy gates. Apparently they had been out walking with their dogs when they found it." She said as she carefully unwrapped a cloth in her hand. In it was a necklace made of rose gold with a cherry blossom tree in the middle of the Haruno clan symbol. Tsunade recognized it because it had been a gift that her mother and father had given Sakura before they died. The necklace was broken and there was a slight crack in the circle.
"Sakura never takes this off. This means that something happened to her." Tsunade surmised. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Tsunade looked up. "Shizune, gather up Neji, Shikamaru, Sai, Tenten, Kiba, Hana, Lee, Choji and Shino. I am going to send them off to look for her. I don't know but I have a bad feeling about all of this."
"What about Naruto and the others? Shouldn't I tell them as well?"
"No. I want to keep this within only the few of us. Especially, we cannot let Naruto find out or he will try to find her on his own and we cannot let that happen." Tsunade said.
Before Tsunade could give further instructions, the door burst open and Hana burst in, out of breath. "Lady Tsunade, my apologies for barging in but Kiba and I found something else." Tsunade motioned her to continue. "We found followed Sakura's scent to the training grounds. There we found the grounds completely decimated. Trees were uprooted and the ground crushed. We thought that perhaps Sakura went there to train but we found blood. It is Sakura's. We also found an unfamiliar scent. Sakura fought this stranger. It seems she lured him as far off from the village as possible but then the trail ends in Team 7's training grounds. It's like if Sakura and the stranger suddenly vanished."
Shizune gasped and covered her mouth in shock, trying to remain as calm as possible.
Tsunade just stood silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Shizune call every capable shinobi that is not currently on a mission .They are to guard the village in case of an attack. Whoever it was that Sakura encountered may return and we do not know what we are up against."
What about Sakura? It is possible that she has been kidnapped. Shouldn't we send someone to look for her?"
"There is not much we can do for her at this point. And as much as this pains me, I must place the safety of the village first. Sakura may very likely be dead."
"But we can't give up on her." Hana said. "There has to be something we can do for her?"
Shizune who had remained silent looked over at her mentor and saw a single tear fall from the blonde woman's eye. She realized that this was a hard decision for Tsunade to make considering that Sakura was like a daughter to her.
"Lady Tsunade is right, Hana. The safety of the people of this village comes first. Sakura fought to keep that stranger away from the village. We must protect Konoha for Sakura's sake."
Author's Notes: Well, that is the end of this chapter. I hope you liked it. I apologize for taking so long to update. But I wanted to make it long as possible. And I came up with a few ideas. There are other forces at work here but I don't want to say too much. Things will become clearer later but I can say that things are not what they seem. I will try to update soon. Do you guys like the double story in the chapter? I had to make something out of Sakura's disappearance because it is unlikely that her absence would go unnoticed by anyone. I haven't beta'd this so I apologize for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I'll try to keep each scene/P.O.V change easy to spot. PM or review if you have any questions/comments/suggestions. xoxoxo ~Ivory Illusionist~
