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Fullmetal Embers
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Chibi-Chaaan
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Chapter 6
"So let me get this straight." Kiba said; doubt laced in his voice, "We are going to visit your cousins, Garra and Temari to ask Garra to help us find Sasuke because he can track magic by using magic sand?"
Naruto just shock his head and decided to give up on trying to explain it to his best friend.
He, Kiba, and after much pleading and begging, Kakashi were all riding along a forest path in a little forest not far from the Kyuubi Kingdom. With Akamaru and Tenshi walking alongside the horses.
Kakashi, seeing the prince give up, answered the question, "Lord Garra is a well known demon tracker. He was given the power to control sand by a powerful demon that saw Garra as a friend. Lord Garra can use his sand to track magic, and if he can track Orochimaru's magic maybe it will lead us to Sasuke. And Lady Temari is a wind witch, who is more like Garra's guard then big sister."
Kiba still seemed to be a little unsure but before he could ask another question Naruto stopped and signaled for the others to stop too.
Kiba was about to ask what was wrong but then he saw two cloaked figures on the road ahead. One had a large clay urn strapped to his back and the other, a girl from what he could tell, had an over sized fan strapped to her's.
Naruto dismounted and walked toward the figures.
When Naruto was but a couple of feet away, the cloaked figures lowered their hoods. The boy had blood red hair, pale skin, eyes of emerald green and the symbol of love tattooed on his forehead.
Whole the girl had dusty blond hair, tided in four ponytails and blue eyes.
Both looked about Naruto's age.
"It's been along time, cousin." The redhead said; his voice was cold and emotionless, yet warmth shinned in his green eyes.
Naruto being Naruto, he just smiled and hugged Garra and Temari at the same time yelling at the top of his lungs, "Its so good to see you again, cousins."
After Naruto had finished hugging the redhead and blond, his face turned serious, "I am in dyer need of your help, Garra."
Garra nodded, "I heard of what happened to Princess Sasuke and have been waiting for you to come see me. I'm ready to begin the hunt when you are."
Naruto nodded and said with a smile, "Right, lets go then."
-
Later that afternoon, back at the lake, Sasuke had decided that she was not going to just sit around and wait for Orochimaru to kill her friends, they had to come up with a plan but first she had to fill Neji in on her curse.
"So what your saying is that whenever the moonlight leaves this lake, you turn into this." Neji said as he swam next to Sasuke.
"Right, the following night if I'm to turn back into a human I have to be on the lake." Said Sasuke, then added, "And the only way to break the curse is for Naruto to prove his love for me to his Kingdom."
Shikamaru started to giggle, "All she needs is for Naruto to prove his love, poor Sai has to get someone to fall in love with him, I can see which one is easier."
Sai, who had been sitting on Shikamaru's shell as he floated on the other side of Sasuke on the lake, glared at the turtle.
"And what about you?" Neji asked the turtle, "How do we change you back?"
Shikamaru's face darkened and he started to swim away, Sai hopped into Sasuke's back, knowing that his friend needed some alone time.
"Was it something I said?" Neji's silver eyes saddened. "I didn't mean to upset him."
"We know." Sasuke reassured the duck. "Shikamaru can only be turned back if Orochimaru is murdered, and with how powerful he is that is not very likely to happen."
Neji's nodded his head in understanding, then it suddenly hit him, "What about me? How do I break the curse on me?"
"Don't worry, Kabuto was the one that cursed you and his magic isn't strong enough to last more then a week, lucky bastard." Sai said bitterly.
Relief washed over Neji.
"Hey guys." Shikamaru yelled as he swam back to the group, obviously over his self-pity, "I think I have a plan." They all looked at him with hope in their eyes, "Neji, do you remember the way back to the Kyuubi castle?"
"Yeah," Neji nodded, "due north. Why?"
"How long would it take to get there if you flow?"
"Well I don't know, I've never flown there before, but I'd say about two hours at most."
"Right its about five hours to dusk." Shikamaru started to mumble to himself; the others could see that he was going through his plan in his head. "Ok, here's what we do, Neji you and Sasuke fly to Naruto, led him back here by nightfall, he sees Sasuke change back into herself then we can tell him about the curse and he can find away to prove his love for you to the kingdom." Shikamaru smiled at his plan, and then started to blush for swan Sasuke kissed him.
Sai looked like he was going to cry.
"Come on Neji lets go." Sasuke spread her wings and started to fly north, Neji right behind her.
"Good luck, guys." Shikamaru yelled at them.
"If you let anything happen to her I'll cook you alive, duck-boy." Sai yelled at Neji just as they were out of hearing range.
-
Garra pulled at his horse's rains, halting the horse.
He heard his companies halt behind him also.
"This is where she was taken?" he asked them, looking around the forest path.
"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "It's been over a week though. Do you think you can still track the sorcerer after that long."
Garra looked at his blonde cousin and saw the hope shinning in his sapphire blue eyes. "Most likely."
The redhead dismounted and reached over his shoulder and opened the urn. After the lid was removed, sand began to pour out and wrap itself around Garra's body, as if it had a mind of its own.
"Find him." Garra ordered and the sand began to move all over the area as if it was some kind of sniffer dog.
After a moment the sand returned to Garra and Garra turned to the other and said, "We've found his track. Dismount, we will travel by foot. And everyone keep your eyes open. This sorcerer is powerful and may be able to change into any animal form."
The others got off their horses and started to walk behind Garra, keeping an eye out for any animals acting odd.
After awhile Kiba signed, "I wish Akamaru was here, he'd be able to tell if the animal was an animal or not."
Akamaru and Tenshi had been sent back to the castle with Kakashi.
Kakashi needed his bandages changed and he knew that Tsunade and Iruka would kill him if he got his healing injuries infected.
Suddenly Garra stopped.
"What is it brother?" Temari asked, reaching for her fan.
"Did you lose the track?" Naruto asked, seriously hopping not.
"No," Garra looked slightly confused. "The old magic signature is still here but a new one very similar is almost above us."
-
Neji and Sasuke were over half way to the Kyuubi castle.
Neji was flying happily thinking to himself, while Sasuke was looking down at the forest below.
"We'd better keep an eye out for hunters."
Neji was about to reply when an arrow almost hit him in the wing without a wound.
"Bloody hell, the other is only just closing you winkers." He yelled down at the ground.
Sasuke however was looking at the arrow that had now started to fall back to earth.
It had golden feathers and only Naruto's arrows had golden feathers for most hunters had brown or black.
"Naruto's here." She cried happily and started toward the ground, but Neji flow in front of her.
"No Sasuke, he is hunting and he will only see you as game. Stick to the plan." Neji said, trying to get Sasuke back on track but all Sasuke could think about was seeing Naruto again. Neji started to use his body to try and push Sasuke back but Sasuke being the bigger bird simply knocked Neji aside and flow full speed toward were the arrow came from.
"SASUKE, COME BACK!" Neji franticly flow after her.
-
On the ground, Naruto, Garra, Temari and Kiba were all looking up, trying to see past the thick treetops, to see if the arrow Naruto sent up had coursed Orochimaru to come at them so they could kill him.
"It worked, he's coming closer." Garra said as they all readied their weapons.
As Sasuke broke through the thick treetops she saw all four of them with their weapons ready. She wouldn't have moved in time to avoid all the weapons had Neji not swooped down and knocked her out of harms way.
"Come on Sasuke." Neji ordered the shocked swan.
The two water birds heard a frustrated "Dammit!" from the blond prince as they flow away.
Sasuke twisted her long swan neck to see Kiba and the blond woman following behind them.
"Where is Naruto and the redhead?" She asked in cold fear.
She had seen Naruto hunt before and knew that once he had his eyes on his prey he wouldn't just let it go without a fight. So if he wasn't behind them it must mean her blond has a trap setup.
"Neji we need to fly higher." We need get out of arrow range.
Neji just looked at Sasuke like she had lost her mind, "But if we go higher they'll lose us."
Just as the duck finished the sentence they both looked ahead and saw a net that looked to be made of sand.
They would have easily avoided it but a powerful wind suddenly through them forward toward the net. Neji was able to stay out of the way but Sasuke was thrown into the net. The sand net wrapped itself around the black swan, making sure that she couldn't escape.
"Neji, help!" Sasuke cried out in alarm, as the sand net took her toward the ground.
Neji followed and tried to break the net but it was no use.
When they were in view of the forest floor they could see the four humans.
Neji made sure that he stayed out of site and waited for the right moment to strike.
"You got him Garra!" Naruto yelled happily as he watched the struggling swan be lowered to the ground.
"Hey, I helped to, you know!" Temari said as she put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, you created a strong wind." Kiba said unimpressed.
Temari whacked the dog lover over the head with her large fan, "I'd like to see you do it dog-boy."
As the wind witch and the dog lover argued, Garra was twisting the sand net into a sand cage.
Neji seeing this realized that the redhead was the one controlling the sand and was about to attack the attractive human when stabbing red-hot pain covered his body, then as suddenly as it come it was gone again (side-affects of Kabuto's magic).
Garra looked up as he felt a power sauce weaken then strengthen again, than suddenly a brown and white duck with silver eyes flow from the treetops and attacked him.
His sand instinctively coming to his aid, freeing the trapped swan. Naruto dived for the now free bird but the swan only bite him on the nose and flow away with the duck close behind.
Temari waved her fan and tried to trap them in her wind but they were out of her magic range.
"Come on, after them!" Naruto yelled as he ran after them again, the others following close behind.
-
The sun was almost gone and Shikamaru and Sai were on a hill new the lake, keeping an eye out for their friends.
"They should be back soon." Shikamaru said with slight worry.
"That's if that duck didn't get them lost." Sai whispered to himself.
"There!" Shikamaru shouted as he saw two birds flying toward them fast. "Thank god they made it, worrying is so troublesome."
Sasuke and Neji landed next to the turtle and frog and all four of the animals saw the four humans running into the old castle gardens, looking around in wonder.
Seeing the hunters stop on the other side of the lake, Sasuke and Neji were safe for the moment.
"Sasuke, its time, look." Shikamaru pointed to what was left moon now shining over the lake.
"Right, wish me luck." She said and then added. "The baka better not shoot me before I get my hands on him for trying to kill me." With that she spread her large black wings and glided elegantly down the hill toward the lake.
Naruto seeing the swan coming toward the lake got over his shock of finding the beautiful garden and readied an arrow.
But Garra stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder, "What?" Asked the blond in frustration.
"The magic is weaken, that is not the sorcerer you are hunting. It is someone the sorcerer used his magic on, that's why the magic signature was the same."
Naruto withdrew his arrow and watched in shock as the swan landed gracefully in the lake and started to glow and change form.
When the purple glow was gone Naruto almost fainted when he saw whom he had been about to kill.
"Sasuke," he gasped and then ran toward her not caring about the water getting in his boots and pulled her petite body against his and started kissing her passionately.
Sasuke moaned, as she tasted Naruto's month and felt his tongue dive passed her lips.
Sasuke would have been happy to continue to make-out but know Orochimaru's wards had been set-off the moment the sand user and wind witch entered the garden so the snake would be there soon. So sadly she ended the kiss but happily getting her payback for making the attempt on her life, she stopped the kiss by digging her heel into Naruto's foot.
Naruto jumped back and yelped, looking at Sasuke with eyes that silently asked, 'What did I do to deserve that?'
"Don't you look at me like that." Sasuke said, pretending to be angry but really she couldn't have been happier at that moment. "You tried to kill me dobe, that was your payback."
From behind him, Naruto heard Kiba and Temari trying to contain their laughter. "But I didn't know it was you." He wined like a child that had just been told they couldn't have dessert. Then he noticed the bruising on Sasuke's face and felt anger take over.
"Sasuke did Orochimaru give you those bruises?" Sasuke touched her check and nodded. Naruto was about to say more but Sasuke interrupted, "Naruto there is no time, you have to listen to me. Orochimaru will be here soon and if he catches you here he'll kill you."
"Let him try, he won't get away with hitting you, then after I've killed the bastard I'm taking you home." The blond said as he grabbed Sasuke's hand and tried to lead her away but Sasuke just shock her head.
"You can't kill him, he's to strong and I can't leave, when the moon leaves this lake I'll turn back into a swan and I need to be on the lake when the moon returns to turn back into a human."
"All curses can be broken, how do we break your curse?" Garra asked.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with hope in his eyes.
"The only why to break the curse is for you to prove your love for me to the whole kingdom." Said Sasuke as she pointed to Naruto.
"How do I prove it to the whole kingdom?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke smiled, for she knew that look on her blond dobe's face. It was a look of pure determination and when Naruto got that look you knew there would be no stopping him.
"I don't know."
"I think I know away." Sasuke turned to see Shikamaru, Sai and Neji swimming toward them.
"Holy crap, that turtle just spoke." Kiba yelled looking like he was freaking out, with Naruto not fare behind and Garra and Temari just stood there looking very unaffected.
"You didn't think I was the only one cursed did you?" The blond and brunette nodded. "No they were humans too."
"Shut up we don't have time for this, that bastard will be here soon." Shikamaru yelled to get their attention, "You, the redhead, you have magic can you perform a love bond vowel?" Every one knew that a love bond vowel was a spell that when performed simply meant that the people would be together forever. It was more like a blessing then anything.
Garra just nodded in reply.
"Then all you need to do is get all your people together and have the love bond vowel performed on you and Sasuke, with the kingdom witnessing this, no one will be able to say you don't love each other." Shikamaru explained to Naruto, who looked happier after each word.
"Tomorrow night I'll throw a ball and have the whole kingdom there." Naruto said, looking proud of himself.
Sasuke hugged Naruto one last time before she started to tell him to hurry and leave.
"I'll send Kiba to get you tomorrow night." Naruto said as he placed one last kiss on Sasuke's forehead and turned to leave but stopped after taking two steps and turned back to Sasuke, "Here Sasuke." He said as he through something at her.
Sasuke court it and saw that it was the silver dragon necklace he had given her. She smiled at him and held the necklace close to her heart.
"Hurry up, Naruto!" Kiba cried from up ahead. And Naruto waved one last time and was gone.
The moment Naruto was out of site Orochimaru showed up.
"What are you doing here? You said I had three nights not one." Sasuke said angrily, pretending to not know why he would be down by the lake.
"My wards were breeched," He said eyeing the princess, "but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
"Why would I?" Sasuke went to walk away but suddenly Orochimaru grabbed her wrist and forced the hand that was clenching the necklace open and took the necklace from her.
"You would because it was your precious Naruto that breeched them." Orochimaru smiled as he twisted Sasuke's delicate wrist painful, making the princess hiss in pain and glare at him. "By the way your plan won't work, because you won't be able to attend the big ball tomorrow night."
Sasuke glared harder, daring him to try and stop her from going, "If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me."
Orochimaru twisted the delicate wrist harder and Sasuke cried out and fell to her knees.
"No, that won't be necessary," He hissed in her ear, "you see you forget one important thing about tomorrow night… there is no moon."
Sasuke looked up at the moon and saw that Orochimaru was right. The moon was almost gone.
Tears started to fall down her swollen and bruised checks.
Then after Orochimaru finished his little victory laugh, he waved his hands and green magic started to wrap around Sasuke's petite body, holding her arms to her chest, then the magic turned into heavy chains, chaining her arms to her body.
Then a collar and leash formed around her long pale neck and Orochimaru started to pull her to her feet by the leash and forced the struggling princess toward the old castle.
Neji, Sai and Shikamaru could only watch in horror as their friend was forced away.