Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Metallica
23 years later, Shadotaka has left Konoha, several people have died and life goes on as normal. This takes the place of the mission to wave
A black figure jumped through the trees. Damn! I have to find them before they cause damage. At least I have a lead. I just have to cut them off before they hit any villages. Gotta hurry!
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A pack of figures looked around, and then sniffed. Their enemy was soon approaching. They should run and find prey before their enemy caught up with it.
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"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! Hurry up! I wanna go out of the village for the first time" Naruto whined. He and the rest of team 7 were starting out on mission to protect a merchant's caravan. Kakashi, like usual, was late. Team 7 was on the bridge waiting when Kakashi poofed onto the bridge. Naruto was so surprised that he fell into the river.
"YOU'RE LATE!!!" Sakura and Naruto yelled.
"I'm sorry. Ya'see, I got attacked by a bunch of giant rabid mosquitoes." Kakashi said in his laid back way.
"Liar!!!" Sakura and Naruto yelled. Rabid mosquitoes, yeah right. What does he think we are, a bunch of morons. Inner Sakura yelled
"Ok. Let's start this mission." Kakashi muttered
They headed out of the village.
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Shit! The dark hooded figure thought. I lost all of them!
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"This is so cool!" Naruto yelled as he sprinted down the path.
"What is, Naruto?! We've only been out of the village for ten minutes. We haven't seen anything!" Sakura shouted.
"So? I've never been out of the village before, so this is so cool! I mean, we get to see new things and go new places and everything! This is great!" Naruto argued.
"Yes," the merchant agreed, "that is exactly why I became a traveler." And he burst into song, singing horribly off-key. "Rover, wanderer, Nomad, vagabond. Call me what you will. But I'll take my time anywhere, Free to speak my mind anywhere, and I'll redefine anywhere. Anywhere I roam, where I lay my head is home. And the earth becomes my throne, I adapt to the unknown, under wandering stars I've grown, by myself but not alone, I ask no one.(1)"
How do you sing metal off-key!?!? It's barely on-key to begin with! Sakura thought, covering her ears with her hands.
Why am I stuck here again? Kakashi thought. Oh, yeah. Naruto insisted on a C-ranked mission and made such a fuss that the Hokage decided to give this team its first C-ranked. Which explains why I'm now stuck babysitting a couple of brats and a merchant who can't sing to save his life. Oh, well. I still have my book. Kakashi pulled said book out of his pouch.
"You shouldn't read porn in front of children," The merchant had stopped singing and was glaring at Kakashi's book like he could light it on fire. "You should put that away, I have some nice books in my trunk."
"No thanks," Kakashi moved behind the group, to act as the rear guard.
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They stopped for camp that night in an inn. The older couple that served there was very friendly, asking what they were doing in that part of the country and where they were going. There were no other customers.
"I'm headed to Yokahama village in Swamp country. I haven't been there, but I've heard it's a beautiful country," the merchant told them and Kakashi winced slightly. That is a little more information then I wanted released, but what can you do?
"Well, you should really be careful. Strange things have been happening around there for years. And avoid the forest, Shimori (2), around there," the innkeeper told them.
"Why should we avoid the forest?" Kakashi asked. Shimori? That's not a good sign.
"Because," the innkeeper's wife said, "people have been know to go in there and never return. It's filled with monsters, demons and other horrors of the night."
So the only basis for avoiding that forest is myths surrounding this place. I was hoping for some reliable info, but what can you expect?
"We should go there to train!!" Naruto shouted, jumping up and knocking over his tea in the process.
"Oh, yeah!" said the innkeeper, coming back with a towel, "I forgot another reason to avoid the forest. It's pitch black and no light shows, none at all. Iasn't that so weird? People think that the forest is cursed."
"Cursed?" Sakura asked. "How? And by what?"
"Well, legend says that ninjas from somewhere chased a demon from there borders. They cornered it, wounded, but before they could kill it, it cursed them. They're bodies mutated and they became horrible monsters, filled with bloodlust. They all attacked the demon, and all perished in the insuing fight. The darkness of the forest is said to be a result of the curse. Some people think that the darkness was created by the demon to cloak a fabulous treasure the it hid there. Others think that there is a powerful energy source in the forest that doesn't want to be found, so it cloaks itself in darkness. Some think that if the demon had gotten to it, it would have destroyed everything in a 20 mile radious."
"Hm…"
"Very… um… interesting" Interesting, My ass! That is so fake! Inner Sakura yelled
"Cool!!! We should soo totally go there to check that place out. Would that be an interesting adventure or what?!"
"What kind of power?" Sasuke asked suddenly.
"Well, some think it's an orb. Others think that it's a magnificent weapon. Some think it's a person. No one knows."
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They resumed traveling the next day.
"These trees are really pretty," Sakura said as they walked along the path. "So what do you think about the whole Shimori thing? Do you think it's real, or what?"
"It sounds pretty cool, but I doubt it's true," Kakashi said. "Even so, I do NOT want anyone going there unless it is absolutely nessecary. Got it, Naruto?"
"Sure, Kakshi-sensei, but why?" Naruto asked, sounding disappointed.
"Because, even though the myths probably aren't true, there are still going to be some dangers in the forest that were the base of the myths."
"So?" he asked.
Kakashi sighed. "Just don't go in there, OK?"
"Well then, why didn't you say so?"
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A pack ran through the woods toward Team 7's campsite. A full moon peaked over the trees.
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Team 7's mission was almost over. Only two more days of traveling and they could head home. Naruto was disappointed because there hadn't been any fighting. Everyone had started to relax. Kakashi, though he looked half asleep like always, was even more alert then normal. I don't like this. It's too quiet.
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Thank Kami-sama! I found them. The black-hooded figure stopped and appeared to sniff the air. Shit! The whole group's headed toward a campsite. I've got to go warn them. I hope I'm not too late.
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That night, for some unknown reason, Kakashi decided to have Team 7 stand guard.
"Kakashi-sensei! We're almost there! Why do we have to have to guard?" Naruto whined.
"I hate to say it, but I think Naruto's right. Why do we need guards?" Sakura asked. I can't believe it! I just agreed with Naruto! The world's coming to an end!!!!! Yelled inner Sakura.
"We need to always be on guard, and I don't think that we'll ha-" Kakashi said, surprised.
"But Kakashi-sensei! We haven't been on guard the rest of the trip. So why now?" Sakura interrupted. She looked seriously annoyed. He's probably telling us to do this just to keep us busy.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I don't think that you'll have any trouble, so I'm letting you be on guard. And you can't complain, I was on guard for most of the trip." Kakashi went back to reading his book.
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I'm almost there. The hooded ninja thought as the figure ran through the trees. This scent, it smells so…familiar.
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The pack ran towards the glow from a dying fire. They smelled prey. Tonight they would feast. Tonight the blood would flow. Tonight they would leave their mark. All creatures must die.
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The fire had burned low. Naruto was asleep on guard. Kakashi was patrolling the opposite side of the clearing. All was quiet. No one noticed the dark shapes slinking into the clearing.
(1)-Wherever I may roam-Metallica
(2)-literally "Death forest"