Madara lets him go and stands up and looks at Sasuke as the boy turns away, "Sasuke."
"…"
"Looks like I have won again."
"…"
"You hated yourself for losing the people around you. Then not saving Hinata… Sai… Karin. And now, that girl Sakura." Madara walks out the room by passing through the door, "And soon enough, you won't be able to save that boy, Naruto."
"… then I have to do something about it…"
Sasuke lies down the bed and covers himself with the blanket. Blood starts to eat the white covers and the place earns the usual dust for an unused place. The lock starts to rattle and an intern nurse gets thrown inside. She gets dumped at the floor and malicious giggles are heard from outside. She gazes at the red bed with scared eyes and she breaks down in tears, "Oh please don't hurt me."
She then notices words getting written in blood at the mirror. She has her eyes big and she screams as the door opens by itself. The other nurses outside hears her screaming and so they take a peek inside. They scream and the three nurses run away from the room… leaving it open.
Dreamcatcher Nights
Rei Haruno
Chapter 7: Madness
'No… not you two, too!'
They have heard the news and everyone has become disheartened. Sakura dies in front of everyone and their hearts are still trying to look for someone to blame. That is human nature to begin with. And of course Naruto would be blaming herself and everyone else starts to forget about blaming somebody… and try to comfort Naruto instead. A rainy morning has come and the sky seems to cry for them. Ino decides not to see Naruto again and so she stays with Sakura's side there at the hospital. Even her body is there, her soul has been lost.
"Is there any way to bring back Sakura?" Kiba says to no one in particular, maybe to the three ghosts within the room. They wish they know an answer… but they don't have an idea. No one dies in the MedCenter… but Sai has looked at his Realm yet no Sakura is found. Karin has checked around for any lost spirit but she found nothing. Hinata tries to look around as well but she has found no luck. Naruto's parents are there and they won't be leaving today. They have got a leave and they can stay for the next three days. Kiba and Ino decide to stay and miss class… they are not in the mood to attend anyway.
Most importantly, Naruto needs somebody. He greatly needs it to stop himself from blaming himself. Whatever happened to Sakura is out of hand they say. But the blond couldn't stop himself from seeing things in a negative perspective. He requests everyone else, "Can you leave for now? I wanted to be alone for now."
"But Naruto—" Kushina tries to lighten the load a bit but Minato holds her shoulder, "Kushina, let's leave him for now. He needs time to think. After then, I expect to meet a resolved Naruto with a strong heart." They leave and Kushina whispers, "Naruto, things will be better. Believe it and it will."
Naruto closes his eyes, 'I wish things will be better… even if it's the last thing I will see.'
000ooo000
Hinata is alone at a room where the patient has been covered by the sheets. She sits at its side and she gazes down at the patient. Her lips move… mumbling about something. She then lies beside it and she curls up, "Tell me… is there any chance that I can be—?"
She realizes that how much she says, the patient concealed beneath the sheets will never respond. A tear falls from her eyes and she murmurs with a broken voice, "If ever I become alive again just like Karin… I will feel the same pain all over again."
"Do you want that to happen?"
"Lord Madara." Hinata sits up and gazes at the man who appeared right beside her. She starts to have some sniffles and the man bends down to whisper directly at Hinata's ear, "Hinata, you have tamed down over the years. Have you forgotten who put you in this place? Who is responsible for your own death? No, it's not you…"
"No! STOP IT!" Hinata shoots her hands to cover her ears. She shuts her eyes like they are never to open again. But Madara's voice manages to seep through her delicate fingers…
"It's your father."
…
"—nata!" She gasps and she opens her eyes. A hand then shoots to grip her chin. The owner painfully lifts Hinata's face to make her gaze at his mad face. The poor girl barely has the voice to say something… and the courage to do so. Her father's eyes are eating her alive, ripping her flesh like a hungry dog. Oh, how she wished to dismiss this dream. But no matter internal babble she does, the face haunts her. She says within her, 'Why must I dream of you? Of all faces to see, of all eyes to gaze at.'
The man gives a tighter squeeze and his fingers dig deeper her soft cheeks… but Hinata couldn't react much… fear has eaten her inside. The man throws Hinata to the floor and she snaps out of her gaze with it. Her back hits the hard and cold floor and her lips let out a wince. She starts to sob and she gazes at her father. The man is glaring so hard…
"Father… what…" Hinata sobs at her breaks, "What did I… do to make you… so angry?"
"You are not doing anything…" he picks up Hinata by her collar and raises her a bit closer to him, "And that's what made me… so ANGRY!" He slams her back at the floor once, twice, thrice… until she cries some more. The plea of getting released echoes around but the man wouldn't even let her go. Or maybe when the collar gets torn away from her shirt…
Hinata hits the floor one more time… her body hurts like hell that she can barely move. Her father sits over her and runs his hand at her neck to her collarbone. Her father has just lost his mind…
He touches the exposed part of Hinata's chest and the poor girl watches in horror. His index finger hooks the tatters and slowly pulls the shirt off… like wanting to strip his daughter naked. Hinata murmurs with utmost fear and horror, "Father… what are you… going to do?"
"…" her father remains silent… until he begins to smirk and grabs her shirt to forcefully rip it off. The girl screams as she shoots her arms to cover herself but her father is too strong for her. She screams so painfully, pleading for mercy. She struggles… resulting to kicking her father at the side. He glares at the struggling girl… and grabs a leg.
He breaks it. Yes, he breaks his very own daughter's leg.
She cries in pain and then he completely gets the shirt off… only to stuff it at her mouth. She tries to take it off but her father grabs her shoulders… just to dislocate them. She almost cries blood… in everything she is experiencing. It's like reliving a nightmare… exactly how it is.
She cannot do anything for herself. She cannot help herself. She cannot defend herself.
She can only help him in her once, twice, thrice… until he's awake… awake from the insanity he got himself into. But when is this going to happen?
"But to be honest… you didn't mind. You didn't bear a grudge against your father. You submitted to him like a very obedient bitch. And it's because… of your loving cousin."
"Hinata?" A younger man gasps… seeing his ten-year-old cousin he hasn't seen for six months… with a big lump at her belly. She is sitting at a chair while leaning at the wall at the corridor. Her eyes staring off to a distance and her lips are open like waiting for something to kiss her awake. Tears are flooding from her eyes, staining her beautiful face. He gets near and sits beside her… then embraces her, "Hinata, what happened here?"
"Father…" she murmurs and he grinds his teeth in madness, "How dare he."
"Neji." The father walks towards them and Neji stands up to face him. He glares at the man and demands with a very mad voice, "Tell me… WHY! Why did you do this to Hinata! Have you gone insane!"
"Just who do you think you are— to yell at me!" the man reaches out to grab the Neji's collar. But Neji flicks it off before it reaches him and he grabs Hinata… dragging him away from the mad man.
And the mad man is a mad man. He wouldn't want him to take 'his' Hinata away. He looks around and sees the wood-axe lying around. Neji murmurs something to Hinata… but she's too dazed to take it in. And then suddenly…
Chug!
The axe strikes through Neji's back and the man vomits blood upon the impact. Hinata grows her eyes wide and flings to her father. The older man smirks and he says, "No one… takes Hinata away from me." The poor girl then gazes at her cousin's blood-bathing body. She heard him whisper, "Run…"
She screams and goes for the staircase. Her father runs after her and she tries to escape his grasp. She struggles… vigorously, not caring if her clothes will get damaged as well. She tries everything to get away from the father with a reverse Elektra complex. She manages to fight her way out his arms… those brutal stranglers. But she falls down the stairs… that steep flight of stairs. She lands at the floor with a loud thud and her father has only watched in horror.
She seems to be lifeless on the floor… blood starts to flood around and beneath her. She stares at the front door… which is very far from her reach. 'Somebody… save me…' The door opens and it is police officer. He calls, "Hello? We heard a scream—" His eyes landed at the bloody Hinata at the staircase and he equips his gun, "Freeze! KPD!"
Her father escapes through the backdoor and the back-up might have chased him down. Ambulance is called and the forensics is summoned. Hinata survives and is then taken to the UM MedCenter. She has overdosed herself with IV drips and sedatives… but none has saved her from that nightmare.
…
"It was only I… who saved you, Hinata." The man holds Hinata's chin and pushes her to the bed. She rises herself from the bed a bit… eyes paralyzed by her utmost fears comparable to what she has showed her father. The man grasps at her frail neck and she chokes while struggling to be freed. Madara continues to talk, "What did you tell me… the day that nurse almost killed you! What did you tell me… that you wanted the most?"
"Vengeance." Hinata who is struggling at the bed whispers, "I want… to kill him… for killing my cousin!"
"Is that so?" Madara smirks and strokes at her long hair, "But I don't know where your father is." He gives a big sinister smirk, "However, I can tell you… who does."
"…Then tell me who…" Hinata murmurs and Madara smiles. Dark aura oozes from Hinata and she stands up from the bed. She begins to float and she turns into a typical ghost… but with tubes dangling from her arms. The yellowish liquid of IV flows from it and she then crashes to the floor. She shoots her hands to cover her face and starts to cry. She lifts her tear-covered face to see Madara, "W-Where is my f-father?"
"The blond boy… and everyone near him. They know where he is… they really do." Hinata screams an agonizing one and softens into a liquid. The yellow substance disappears upon seeping through the walls.
"Aren't you scared, Madara?" Madara gazes over his shoulder to see the shadowed figure behind him. The figure leans at the wall and Madara says, "I want you out of this… Dark Naruto." Dark Naruto shrugs his shoulder and turns around, "I see. But… don't you think you're missing something? Everything might be going according to your plan but there are things that may get you in a panic mode. Just like Karin's awakening from your spell."
"What do you know? You're nothing but—"
"I'm just warning the holder of the curse. Nothing more." He disappears and then Madara smiles a bit, "Let's see what threat is it that you see."
000ooo000
Naruto is all alone at his room… still thinking about the lost Sakura Haruno he loves. He can't get it out his mind. He is one of the— no, he is the sole reason why Sakura died, one way or another. He closes his eyes in guilt and mumbles to himself with restrained sobs, "I let her die… I…"
"Naruto." He twitches at the voice and he looks around. The blanket starts to bulge again and he gazes at the crawling lump under the blanket. Since the covers are only pulled to his waist, it unveils the ghost underneath shortly. Sasuke, in his normal patient state (the first form Naruto saw him with and the one in the hospital in the past), crawls out the blanket and decides to sit at Naruto's lap, "You shouldn't blame yourself. She sold herself to Madara."
"She wouldn't do that if it isn't because of you!" Naruto yells at him upon pulling on his collar, "But! You wouldn't even hurt her… if I… was not… in love with her." He starts to sob and sniffles. Sasuke scowls at the boy and asks, "Do you really love her? Or you just think you're in love with her?" Naruto gasps and looks straight at those onyx orbs.
Does he or does he not? Why can't he shoot out a direct yes to the raven ghost?
"Are you always by her side?" Yet he watches her from afar.
"Do you protect her from any harm?" Some other guys would come to scare away offenders.
"Are you willing to give away everything for her?" …
Naruto clutches his other fist and he looks away from the raven ghost. He whispers, "That's right. I never had the chance to show her that I love her. And it's too late now…" He lets go of the raven's collar and starts crying. Sasuke crawls on fours to get nearer and kisses Naruto's forehead. Then he places his chin at Naruto's shoulder, "Believe me… it's not too late."
"What do you know?"
Sasuke pulls back and kisses Naruto's lips… earning a surprised jerk from the blond. The raven closes his eyes and holds one of the blond's shoulders to push his lips deeper against the blond's. His tongue starts to beg for entrance inside Naruto's mouth. Naruto squints in guilt and pushes the ghost off, "Stop it, Sasuke."
"…" The raven ghost just stares at him… with the slightest glare he can give. Then Naruto asks him, "Why?" The onyx eyes blinks innocently… making those blue orbs close in avoidance of the gaze. But they open again, "The first day I was admitted here, a nurse told me that everyone that sees you dies. But… why are you… keeping me alive?"
"…" The raven ghost looks away and the blond knows he is hiding something. The blond is about to say something but the raven ghost answers, "Because I don't… want to lose you… again." Naruto twitches and Sasuke places his chin at the blond's shoulder one more time and closes his eyes. Naruto stares off at a distance… thinking about what Sasuke has said. The raven ghost then whispers, "It's quite nice to hold you so close… I haven't had the chance to do this before."
"But… I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto pushes Sasuke away again gently. The raven loses any emotion in his face and bows down to hide the developing glare. The blond calls for him again, "Sasuke?" the raven jerks a bit and is about to crawl back beneath the covers. But he stops and looks around, "This is not good."
"What?" Naruto looks around in alertness as well and Sasuke gives Naruto a protective hug. A cold breeze comes to the room and some yellowish fluids flood the floor. Naruto remembers about the first time Sakura saw Hinata… then it must be her. Naruto looks at Sasuke… seeing his onyx orbs turn bloodshot. He murmurs, "It's just Hinata…"
"It's not her." Sasuke says and a flame ring circles the bed, "It's Dark Hinata." Naruto tries to get out from Sasuke's embrace but then an agonizing cry stops him, "FAAAAATHEEEEERRRR!" Naruto recognizes the owner of the voice and Hinata suddenly appears from the blob created by the yellow fluid. She lifts her face and asks… "Where is my father?"
"Huh?" Naruto wonders and Sasuke says, "Madara lied to you. We don't know where your father is." Hinata gives another agonizing cry… more painful than the first, "NO WAY! Lord Madara never lies! Tell me where he is!" She begins to float and the tubes starts to move on its own like snakes hissing and trying to bite the two guys. Sasuke heightens the flame ring and Hinata cries again, "Let me in!"
She tries to get in… gladly risking her life to the fact that those flames can actually kill a ghost. Sasuke scowls and sways his hand like commanding the flames to swat her away. It does what is told and Hinata gets thrown to the wall. But a water barrier hits the wall on her behalf. She shoots her hands to grasp at her own hair and she yells like being burned alive, "Tell me now!"
The tubes pierce through the flame ring and hits Sasuke's arm… instead of Naruto's face. The blond gets stunned… why would his friend hurt him? It's just the time when what Sasuke has warned Naruto sinks in. It is Dark Hinata and she's not seeing the two as her friends. Something is blinding her and they have to release her quick… before Sasuke decides to end her life. Naruto yells, "Hinata! Wake up!"
"Father!" Hinata rocks her head violently while pulling on her own hair and crying out loud, "Where is he!" The tubes pull on Sasuke's arm but those synthetic things burn at Sasuke's scowl. The tubes attacks again and Sasuke doubles the flame ring surrounding them. But Naruto starts to feel suffocated as he calls, "Sasuke, I can't breathe."
"I will help you." The raven ghost answers and Hinata tries to dash towards them again. But the raven ghost has his flames catch Hinata and keeps her inside. She screams in so much pain again and Naruto grabs Sasuke's shoulder, "Don't… kill her… please." Sasuke gives a final squash and Hinata falls unconsciously at the floor as the flames disappear.
"Hinata!"
Then the doors open and the rest of the group come in. They see Hinata at the floor and Sasuke embracing Naruto at the bed. Kushina whispers, "What… are you doing to my son?" Minato yells at the raven ghost, "Get away from him!" Kiba and Ino watch things in horror. But then Karin walks towards the two, "Naruto. Sasuke. Are you alright?"
"Yes." Sasuke answers and gazes at the unmoving Hinata, "He's starting to get desperate… in getting rid of Naruto." Karin twitches and looks at Hinata, "Poor Hinata." Then she remembers something and yells to no one in particular, "Sai!" Sasuke moves away from Naruto and pulls on Karin's sleeve the very instant she's about to go, "It's too late. Let's just wait for him to come."
"We can't!" Karin turns around and Sasuke lets go of her sleeve. She continues, "If we do, every ghost will be set free! Sasuke, we don't that much time to spend. We should—"
"Can you find him?" Sasuke asks and Karin twitches. Right, she won't be able to locate Sai without her ghost form… which only comes during night time. It's too far from night time, unfortunately. Karin sits at the edge of the bed and says, "This is all my fault. This wouldn't happen if I didn't wake up. I told Sakura about the archives. I failed to kill her before Sasuke could have done it. I gave her to Lord Madara."
"Karin."
"She's the one who said yes to Madara. She is the one who made me angry. Sai's the one who led her there. I am the one who killed her. I made Madara mad." Sasuke crawls back underneath the covers until he vanishes, "It's not all yours. But for now, we should think of a way to stop Madara's nonsense…"
Silence eats the place and when Kiba is about to say something to break the deafening situation… the place gets engulfed in darkness. Naruto calls for his parents and they respond, fortunately. Lights start to seep and Naruto knows where they have been taken to. He whispers, "Sai's Realm!"
"It can't be!" Karin yells and the humans start to stick together. Hinata starts to sit up again and cries quietly for now. Then Sai appears from nowhere and says, "I'm so sorry, Karin. But I have to keep all of you here till eternity. Death does not exist in this MedCenter." Karin gets into a defensive stance but her waist starts to hurt again. She then collapses at the floor, gravely wincing in pain, "Dammit! What's… what's going on?"
"Sasuke should have known better than leaving you alone." A man walks in the scene and he runs his hand at his long fringe covering half of his face. it is Madara… as called by Karin, "Lord… Madara…" Naruto scowls at him and seems to somehow recognize the guy…
Naruto opens a door and peeps inside the room. There is someone who has his face shoved at the piles of documents at the table, probably unaware that he is already asleep himself. The blond smiles a bit and walks up to him, "Director *unclear name*, it's already three, would you like some coffee?"
Naruto snaps out of the sudden scene that played before him alone. Madara smirks and the hordes of other ghosts circle them. They can even recognize Naruto's former nurse among them. The man orders the hordes, "Tear them apart! Rip their flesh from the bones! Since they will not die… do it as slow as you can… then do it again and again!" Madara raises his arms and the hordes starts to attack. Minato carries Karin and they start running away from the ghosts. But Hinata and Sai follow them. The tubes try to get them as the girl repeatedly asks for her father. Sai… however, just tags along to lead the hordes towards the crowd.
"Naruto! What are we going to do!" Kiba yells at the blond since the hordes are making too much noise, "We can't just run forever!" The blond shakes his head and tries to think of a way to get away from them. Then they see a girl, with her head bowed, standing before them. She sways her hand slowly to the side. She then slowly dissolves into ashes… blinding the hordes. Then a light shines ahead… with Sasuke's voice calling, "Naruto, here!"
They run faster and they pass the girl by. Naruto runs beside the disintegrating girl. Everything seems to get in slow-mo as Naruto turns to see her face. Her burnt locks are seriously unrecognizable but deep inside he can tell… he knows that girl. However, they reach the light… and they're back at the room.
Naruto looks around… finding Sasuke concealing under the covers. He inspects the room… which appears to be his. He gazes at Sasuke, "Who is that girl?" Everyone looks at the big lump at the bed and Sasuke peeps out, raising a portion of the sheets, "A gift."
They twitch and an unfamiliar aura envelopes the place. Naruto turns to the door and ashes starts to flood the doorway. The particles form into a girl… well, the girl standing in front of them again. But contrary to the silent type she made them thought she is, she squeezes aloud and covers her face for doing so. She regains composure and ruins her hair to rid it from all the dusts covering it… revealing those pink locks. She lifts her face and smiles bashfully at them, "Hi, Naruto."
"S… Sakura-chan?"
[End of Chapter Seven]
Sasuke: *sighs and reads directly from the paper* Revelations… I know it really took me a while to update. Everything seems to grab my time and attention. And yeah, I grew so kind to Naruto and Sasuke… so I won't be making them do a scene. It wouldn't fit anyway. *confetti falls over the relieved one*
And yes, I got so lazy thinking of an awesome fight scene and since it's not really my forte… so not much of a fight scene between Hinata and Sasuke. And yes, Dark Naruto plays a big role! Hahah! Next chapter will be about him… and of course, Naruto. I will be doing a second part of Hinata vs Sasuke, I guess.
*own words now* So much for scaring me. Yes, Sakura's back. And that's it. Read for the next chapter.
She thanks you for reading such crap.
*a placard pops out beside Sasuke and it reads, 'Sasuke's a meanie! One big meanie! And you're forgetting something!' *
Tch. Fine. *reads again* this is quite a promotional section. Please check out Innocent Love by smilestitches. It's a GaaSaku fic and I am betareading it. For now, it's just the first chapter I have edited. The edition of the second chapter comes today or tomorrow.
*own words* Tch. Leave me alone already…