Withered Black Flower:
By:Terrified of Logic
Beta-ed by the ama-zing Kisa Kisa Yum Yum
With help from the awesome KinkyK and JazzyJ
"Sakura san, please," the Kusakage said, motioning to a chair. She was a kind woman, young, but her face was older beyond her years. Just like someone else I know, but that thought was quickly banished from her head.
"It's been a long time, what brings you to our modest town?" the Kage asked, lacing her fingers together and smiling warmly. Her huge oak desk would put Tsunade's cherry-wood desk to shame. The room was spacious, but it felt smaller due to the stacks of books and papers that cluttered the room, in neat organized piles. Sakura and Naruto took a seat in front of the desk.
They looked at each other once and Sakura cleared her throat. She knew by personal experience that the Kusa shinobi were kind and rather nonchalant, but they were always calculating and analyzing. She wouldn't put it pass the Kage to have some shinobi in the room, disguised as fake potted plants. Any wrong intention or move against them and it was over. But then again if they had wrongly accused the misfortunate, flowers would be arranged to be sent to the funeral. It was a chilling group of shinobi, lead by a very vigilant, nerve wracking leader. But it wasn't to be said that she was inhospitable or unpleasant.
Sakura started again.
"Konoha sends us with a plea for help. Otogakure and Team Taka have banded together to declare war on Konoha and have already destroyed the protecting walls. Walls that have stood for more than four hundred years. I believe the main leader is...Sasuke, which is why--" Her voice cracked. "Which is why we need the help. We are rapidly losing shinobi each day, and Konoha is being slowly ripped apart," she finished.
The Kusakage smiled, appraising the two Konoha shinobi. But her smile somehow chilled the atmosphere in the office effectively, causing both shinobi to swallow and knot their hands together.
"And pray, why do you want Kusa involved? Are you saying Tsunade wants Kusa shinobi to be sacrificed at the mercy of Oto?" Sakura hissed slightly at the flippant and casual usage of her mentor's name, without the honorific.
"Kusa does not need to be affiliated with such matters. To be slaughtered like animals, like worthless soldiers. And pray you tell me, what is the gain?" the Kage whispered, her eyes twinkling.
"A price of one hundred thousand ryo, (The currency that they used in medieval Japan) a piece for each shinobi. If this is not satisfactory, we will be leaving. We have finished the mission and we will be reporting to Tsunade sama. Good day, Kusakage." Sakura made to stand up.
"Sakura chan-" Naruto started and received an eye watering blow to his shin.
They reached the door, Naruto hobbling a bit. The Kage, still sitting behind her desk hands laced, was silent, then-
"How is Tsunade chan these days?" she called out as Sakura turned the handle to open the door. Sakura turned three quarters of the way, not fully looking at the Kage, but her back not fully turned towards her either.
"Have you not heard, Kusakage sama? Tsunade sama has fallen ill by poison and can no longer rule Konoha like she once did. Good day, Kage sama," she said in almost quiet disdain as she and Naruto let themselves out of the office.
"Donguri, Kinomi!" the Kage barked. The two identical potted plants transformed with a puff of smoke into two equally identical twins, their long brown hair tied in ponytails.
"Yes, Kage sama?" they chorused together, eyes on the Kusakage.
"Round up three hundred shinobi and prepare them to leave for Konoha tomorrow night."
The nodded and disappeared. The Kusakage's eyes smiled as she reached for her favourite sweet kept in a jar on her desk.
"Sakura chan, do you think the Kusakage sama will help Konoha?" She better, Naruto added to himself.
"I hope so, I really don't want Shishou getting angry at me today," she answered calmly.
"Well, why didn't you argue your case? It's your fault if you get in trouble," Naruto said pointedly.
"Naruto, you're so stupid. Sometimes I wonder how you even got to Chuunin level." Sakura shook her head but still did not answer his question.
Naruto scowled deeply, and Sakura was forced to be reminded of a dark, brooding teenager she once knew. She coughed and blushed. This was getting beyond ridiculous. Every single detail of anything caused her to think of him and it was getting to be quite tedious to keep making excuses as to why she suddenly turned cherry red at the drop of a pin. Honestly, if she had more control of her feelings then....
She lost her footing and twisted her ankle painfully. Falling to the forest ground, she grabbed the branch that had just whisked by her and hoisted herself up. What the fuck just happened? She swore the branch was just there, but Naruto was already ahead, jumping branch to branch, not having noticed that Sakura had fallen. The branch was there, she had a grip on it…right? She moved to get up and found her hands and body were immobilized. She fought the panic and closed her eyes.
Kai.
She struggled to bring herself from her subconscious. But it was difficult. What kind of genjutsu was this? It was so real, the branches and how tightly her wrist were bound, as if there really were ropes around them. But it made it more frustrating knowing that there were no ropes. She tried closing herself off again, distancing herself from reality, but it was difficult, being a realist... That's not the point! she yelled in her head. Again and again, while being plunged into the dark abyss that was her mind, she shouted, Kai, kai, KAI!
An achingly familiar word rang in her head. The word lisping, hissing and perfunctory all at once. And so achingly familiar...
Weak.
The word rang in her head. "Not. Weak," she mumbled, trying in vain to move her hands into a seal.
Kai... Kai...
Come on. Time was running out. But where was Naruto? Obviously he wasn't in the genjutsu, but in reality what had happened to him? Fear struck her, and consumed her nerves like wildfire. She let out a choked groan and tried again.
Kai...kai...KAI!
And in that instant her world was pitch black. It was only a second but it felt like a full minute. She was acutely tuned in to all sounds; the rustling of leaves and the sensation of bark against skin was all too clear. Without warning her sight was restored and she saw that she was surrounded by black cloaks, artfully decorated with red clouds.
"A-Akatsuki!" Her eyes widened. She moved but found she actually was bound to the tree. Her hands were tied behind the tree and her back was rubbing painfully against the bark of the trunk. She closed her eyes, trying to find inner solace to calm and recollect her thoughts.
She opened her eyes again and grinned at the Akatsuki. They all stood, half their faces hidden by the high necked cloaks, and she wondered briefly about the bright hair colours, then snapped back to the present.
"Stop laughing. We come in peace; all we want is-"
"Kyuubi, yes I know," Sakura finished for the long blonde haired man. Sakura always thought he looked slightly girlish but that wasn't the point, especially when he was holding a cute clay bird that she knew was a ticking bomb.
"So why do you have me chained to a tree?"
"We're not stupid, because if you were not tied to the tree, you would have a) ran back to Konoha alerting the Hokage, or b) tried to get the Kyuubi back from us," Deidara said with a shrug. The Akatsuki parted, showing Sakura a very beat up Naruto slumped to the ground in defeat. Cuts and bruises adorned his face, his eyes swollen closed. His clothes were ripped in odd places and his kunai holder had completely disappeared.
She shrugged her shoulders and felt the ropes loosen. Bringing her hands to her chest, she put them together in a seal. She looked up at the group of Akatsuki and grinned, smiling widely.
"Kai," she whispered once more through her lips, triumphantly.
The scene in front of her dissolved to black once more, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"How did you guess?" A voice came from high up above in the trees.
"It was easy. One, I have never seen Naruto unconscious after a fight. Even if this was true, he has fought you Akatsuki before. He knows your tricks and the special jutsu's you use, it would be easy to avoid them. Also the cuts and bruises; since Naruto's chakra is infused with Kyuubi chakra, his wounds are healed quickly. Such minor wounds disappear after ten minutes, and by the look of him during the genjutsu, it looked like he was out for an hour. Furthermore, he recently fought against Sasuke. His trademark jutsu is Rasengan. Rasengan requires a lot of chakra, and that is why only Naruto at Chuunin level can accomplish this, again, with the aid of Kyuubi. Too much chakra used at one time causes the skin to burn, and neither of Naruto's hands are scarred in any way. So, it was clear it was a genjutsu. The best shinobi is always observant." Sakura smiled again.
"Well done." Sakura heard slow clapping. "But pray, explain why Naruto isn't here at the moment, then. How do you know we haven't already kidnapped him?"
"Because there is none of his chakra tracing around this area. His chakra is very distinct and by whatever jutsu or move he does requiring the Kyuubi, it always leaves a mark discerning where he is. Most likely, he has escaped you and has gone back to Konoha to get together a team of Anbu to come save me. The reason why you stopped me here was so I couldn't defend Naruto. That obviously backfired so, excuse me, I need to stop my idiot teammate from recruiting the team of unwanted Anbu."
"You can see why we covet the Kyuubi. Its powers are strong, aren't they." It wasn't a question. "You're safe today. Go home, but the next time we won't be too lenient, and brains and wit won't save you." With that the voice was lost in the wind, and the trees continued to sing their sorrowful, husky song through the leaves.
Sakura walked the rest of the way and finally leapt over the demolished wall that enclosed Konohagakure.
"Sakura chan!" Naruto yelled, running towards her, three Anbu in tow. Sakura groaned and ran a hand through her hair. Naruto always did such pointless, unnecessary things.
"Naruto! There was no need to call Anbu, I can handle myself. Or don't you have any faith in me?" And with that, she turned on her heel and walked down the road to her house. Naruto gaped after her and then scratched the back of his head.
"I uh--haha..." he said sheepishly to the Anbu members who were grumbling, walking back to where they originally were working.
"Hey, kid, call us when you need real help," one said scathingly as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto sighed. The next planned attack from Oto was tonight, he really shouldn't have bothered Anbu when they were busy going over strategies and training tactics. But he really was worried about Sakura chan.
He walked down the road to Ichiraku, grumbling about Sakura's lack of appreciation.
"The usual please," Naruto mumbled, sliding into a booth, arms crossed on the table.
"Hey boy, you don't look so happy today," the old man serving said, observing the slumped shinobi.
"Women…," Naruto said, face in his arms.
"Aah..." the old man said knowingly, smiling and nodding as he tossed some noodles into the water.
"Hey! I told you, Konoha is this way," a girl said angrily, waving a map vigorously around at an identical girl while hopping from branch to branch.
"No! You said that we have to go over the great river and take the mountain pass-"
"Yeah, and turn right at the second turning and go through the field-"
"Why-"
"You-"
"Stupid-"
"Shut up!"
"Ow! Why the fuck did you just hit me?!"
"Donguri, just cause you were three minutes and twenty four seconds ahead of me doesn't mean you're in charge."
"Actually, Kinomi, it does."
"Donguri, Kinomi maybe it would be better if we just-"
"Shut up, Manryou!"
*Donguri= Acorn
**Kinomi= Fruit or berry
***Manryou= Spearflower