I had failed. Again! How many times could I screw up in one day? I cursed myself, but loud enough that anybody - if there was even anybody left in the burning building - could hear. I had to abruptly stop my cursing as I fit of coughs overtook me. Not that this was unusual for me, but this time was worse. It was different then the normal attacks that pulled me down. As usual, I couldn't help the cough. There was also the difficulty breathing and how tight my lungs felt, but this time, I felt something rising up in my throat. Probably the smoke I had inhaled. Thinking of that, a shiver ran down my spine and shook me right to the core, and brought back a horrible memory that I had stored away for so long.
I didn't want to think about it, and kept shoving it aside, but it burned in my mind due to this feeling of deja vu. Not again, please not again. And as much as I pushed it away, I still saw the little girl, huddled in the back of her room, sobbing insanely as the fire kept her in the room, threatening to burn her alive like it had to her siblings, who were still in that room. I shivered, and felt new tears form then be absorbed immediately by the headband that still blinded me.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit." I hissed, my voice breaking from time to time. I hated this feeling, being trapped and helpless like this. But then again what was there I could do? I groaned in frustration and desperately struggled against the ropes against my wrist, which resulted in an aggravating rope burn. I swore for about the millionth time, and then sighed. This was friggin hopeless! I'll just sit around and either be burned alive (like my sister), or suffocated by the smoke (like my brother). Great... That's a thought I needed in my head.
Pushing that wonderful thought aside, another idea took its place. "Oh... duhh..." I said, mentally face-palming myself. "Ok, here goes." Yes, I like talking to myself, the air, and nobody in particular.
Carefully - and very slowly- I attempted the hand symbols I needed behind my back, barely managing to get them correct, but soon enough that familiar feeling tugged down by my feet. "Yes!" I nearly cried out, but was forced into another coughing fit from the intake of too much smoke. I struggled to keep hold of my shadow as I sat coughing insanely, until eventually it subsided, and I could concentrate on my shadow again. That was difficult already because the air was now thick with smoke, and every breath burned my throat and lungs.
To avoid getting any more smoke in my lungs, I kept to mostly blowing out with my nose, and kept my head to the side, buried in my shoulder. There was also the problem of figuring out how my shadow could help me when I basically had no hands. Lucky me, right? Well, I guess this was my fault.
[Just let me do it.] No, I'll handle this! Having another person in my head to yell at was a pain in the ass.
Taking a deep breath I concentrated all my energy into my shadow, praying my idea would work. I'd never done anything like this before, so there was the risk I'd mess up and possibly strangle myself. I bit my lower lip nervously as my shadow inched up my body as if it was solid object - a living, human hand. The feeling of the shadow slipping down my wrists towards the knot scared the daylights out of me. Was this what it was like for those that died at the mercy of our shadows? My uncle had taught me this move - sort of - so obviously ninjas had died at the hands of a shadow. The thought sent shivers down my spine.
The rope fell away from my wrists and I had free reign again. It had worked. I was ready to cry out with joy. Quickly, I moved my headband back to my forehead and untied my ankles. Now I was free. Without even glancing around, I ran for the door, to find it locked. Again, I cursed myself. I took a step back then kicked the door as hard as I could. A smile crept across my face as the door fell with a thud.
Now to find out what happened to Naruto.
Racing through the burning building, I held my hand over my face trying to keep the smoke out. Already my lungs were burning, and a coughing fit was threatening to take me. Concentrate, concentrate! You have to make sure Naruto is okay! I told myself as I ran about. The fire blazed furiously, giving the place an orange haze all around. The ceiling wasn't even visible through the thick black smoke that seemed to get lower and lower with every heartbeat. Soon the building became unfamiliar, a hazy memory, now replaced with this strange new building that was tainted orange and black. My head grew light, and everything spun. I had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over.
Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I concentrated on one image; a smiling tem 7. All of. Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, Éclair and I. That was a happier time that I longed for. As the image raced through my head, I opened my eyes again and ran for the door, hanging onto the memory like a lifeline.
My hand trembled at the doorknob and everything was spinning again. I gripped the door knob, and pulled the door away. Smoke billowed out of the building and into the open, now tainted, air. I collapsed onto the soft grass, on all four and felt a raspy cough rise in my chest. Not able to hold it in any longer, I coughed long and hard, watching as the gray smoke escaped my lips. It disgusted me so much, I hurled afterwards.
"N-Naruto!" I yelled, my voice raspy, as I ran my hand across my lips, wiping away any remains of the vomit mixed in with the black smoke. Where was my teammate? Pulling myself up on shaky legs, I looked for any sign of him, Sasuke or Kakashi, but there was none.
I walked through the empty town, leaning against walls and buildings as I went. "Hello?" I called out weakly, desperately searching for my teammates.
"Naruto!" No response. After a moment, I tried again.
"Kakashi!" Still, nothing. I made one last desperate attempt.
"Sasuke!" It was useless. They were gone, and I was alone. Where had they gone to though? Surely somebody hadn't kidnapped them, no they were too strong to be kidnapped so easily.
Feeling another cough rising in my chest, I stopped and slid down to the floor, my back against an abandoned house. The coughing erupted from my chest, up my lungs, then out my mouth, burning my throat as it crashed through. My throat stung and breathing proved difficult, not to mention the taste of ashes lingered in my mouth. In between coughs, I spat out the disgusting ashes. Again, the need to vomit overwhelmed me as I watched the black ashes flow from my lips. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried taking a deep breath, but stopped as pain surged through my lungs and I started coughing again.
"There she is!" At first, my heart seemed to stop with fear, assuming the voice belonged to none other then the wrenched men who had left me in the burning building, but when I turned my head, relief flooded over me instead. Running towards me where Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke, all safe and unharmed.
"You guys are all right." I croaked with a sigh of relief. I was terrified something had happened to them, especially Naruto after he let out all the bad guys. But even Naruto came running to me completely unscratched. I guess I continue to underestimate him.
Kakashi knelt down next to me and held my hair back as another coughing fit erupted. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, then smiled weakly at my silver-haired friend. He didn't smile back, and instead stared at me with worry drawn across his face. When I looked up, Sasuke and Naruto had the same worried expressions.
"Geez guys, thanks for worrying, but I'm alright." I said, smiling at them. They seemed to lighten up enough.
"What happened? We went to the building and you were gone." Naruto said.
With a sigh, I told them; "Okay, they just locked me up in a room. I just got out," I said, shrugging my shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal.
"How'd you get out?" Kakashi asked curiously.
"Why, my shadow of course." I couldn't help and giggle at how silly that sounded. Kakashi was about to ask another question, but I quickly interrupted him. "So, what happened to the bad guys?"
"Uhhh...." Naruto said, looking over at Kakashi, who glanced at Sasuke, who turned away annoyed. Then they were silent. Idiots! They completely forgot! I sighed, only slightly annoyed. Were they so busy about damsel-in-distress-me, that the thought of the bad guys just blew right over them?
"You let them escape... Didn't you?" I asked as my gaze swept over all three of them.
"Of course not!"
"Uhh... well, we had to come find you."
"Idiots..."
I sighed. Of course they wouldn't admit it. Well, Kakashi sort of did... And of course Sasuke had to blame the others; nothing was ever his fault. Rolling my eyes, I wished Éclair was here too. Maybe she would have reminded them about the bad guys. Or, maybe not. Either way, at least having another girl around would have made this a lot easier.
"Alright, let's just find them." I said, rising to my feet - with a little help from Kakashi, who held my arm the whole time. The boys nodded, and we jumped off in the direction of the burning building. Kakashi summoned Pakkun, who immediately went after the sent. Dogs are so helpful! We followed him down the path; all three Sharingan eyes scanning every little nook and cranny as we went.
"The scent splits here." Pakkun said as he sniffed the ground and circled around. "They split up."
"I guess we should split up as well." Kakashi said. Agreeing to this, I quickly bit my thumb - ignoring the sharp sting that accompanied it - and summoned my own hound as well. Through the cloud of smoke, Sakumo looked up at me and wagged his tail. I scratched his ears as I spoke;
"Alright, I guess the best thing to do is Kakashi and Naruto go one way, and Sasuke and I will go the other." As much as I wanted to go with Kakashi, that was unfair, because Sasuke and Naruto had no way to summon the dogs if they needed to, and we needed a use of the Sharingan, so - sadly - this was the only way it was fair.
"Alright, come on sensei!" Naruto called as Sasuke came by my side.
"One minute." Kakashi called. Quickly he came over to me, kissed my forehead and told me to stay safe. When I reassured him we would, he and Naruto ran off in one direction, and Sasuke and I set off after Sakumo.