The howls of the hell hounds were enough incentive for everyone to run fast. Dripping blood from their mouths was another one. Any reason as long as they didn't end up as a statistic.
"There right behind us!" Hinata yelled. She kept her eyes activated. "We're not outrunning them!"
"Jump to the trees! They can't follow us there!" yelled Sakura.
They immediately jumped to the nearest branch, about twenty feet above them. With the safety confirmed, Naruto took a moment to look behind them to the their pursuers.
His heart leapt into this throat when he saw the leader jump straight at him from the ground.
"Not good enough!" he yelled and leapt to another branch.
The wolf didn't even slow down. It landed on the branch he was just on and bounded to him. The monster then pounced and almost reached him when a black lion burst into view. It grabbed the wolf and directed back towards the ground where it burst into a puddle of ink.
Naruto turned to see Sai with a scroll and his brush. "Thanks, Sai."
"You're welcome but it may be needed again," Sai explained as the wolf shook its head and charged again with its brothers beside him. "These things are not quitting."
"What the hell are they?" asked Sakura.
"I don't know, but they're coming back," said Naruto. "Sai, make some more lions and I'll make some clones to help cover our escape."
Sai nodded and drawled his lion barrage he used on Naruto and Shikamaru. He then made a hand sign.
"Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A large puff of smoke and 4 lions and 5 clones appeared around them.
"Attack," Naruto and Sai ordered.
Their creations immediately charged giving the team a few seconds to leap into the trees.
"I think we found the reasons why people have gone missing," Naruto said.
"No duh," said Sakura. She leapt beside him. "And from what we discovered, I don't think we're going to find any survivors."
"What are they?" asked a shocked Hinata. "They look like wolves, but they look like they've been skinned."
"And stronger," finished Sai. "Normal wolves can't leap like ninja into trees."
"Are they some kind of ninja trained wolves? Can they use chakra?" asked Naruto. He shook his head as more headaches and visions erupted in his mind.
"No they're not using chakra, but there is something in bodies," said Hinata.
"What is it? Some kind of drug?" asked Sakura.
"Not really, but there is something circulating through their systems. I saw it with my Byakugan. Whatever it was, it wasn't normal."
It wasn't a minute later when Naruto slowed down, clutching his head.
"Naruto what's wrong?"
"I don't know," he groaned. "But I think we should keep moving. They beaten my clones."
"How do you know that?" asked Sakura.
"I keep seeing visions of them fighting with Sai's lions. My clones and his art beats were getting thrashed by the wolves. They're back on our trail."
"Really?"
A wolf howl echoed through the trees, sending shivers through their hearts. It was even worse when several more howls echoed around them.
"What the hell? How many are there?" panicked Sakura.
"A pack at three o'clock," said Sai as another group of wolves ran through the trees towards them.
"8 o'clock as well," squeaked Hinata looking in the opposite direction.
"We're surrounded."
Naruto pulled a kunai out of his pouch and prepared for an attack. But if his visions were being correct, it was no use. The wolves his clones fought were tough. Each one was impervious to his attacks.
They needed a place to regroup.
"Hinata, where are the castle ruins? asked Naruto. The castle was built in a giant clearing. If they could get there, Naruto could summon a large number of shadow clones to help. Or even summon Gamabunta.
"Two hundred meters northeast of our position," she said.
"Everyone head there now!" he yelled as he through a smoke bomb to cover there escape.
The team ran through the smoke towards the castle. Naruto could see it through the mists, but just barely. If they hurried, they could make.
The howls were getting closer, from behind and from the sides. It seems like the wolves from earlier were teaming up to take down their prey.
"There!" yelled Sakura. She was pointing at the stone platform the castle was built upon. They could only see a small piece of it through the trees.
"Hurry! We need to get to clearing!" Naruto ordered.
But when the got into the clearing, they were in for a shock. One that froze them in their tracks.
The castle was rebuilt.
"What?!" yelled Naruto. How could this have happened? The castle looked like it never changed when he first saw it nearly three years ago. But that was impossible.
"We shouldn't stop, Naruto," said Sai.
"But-"
Another horrible howl echoed behind them. Sai was right. They had keep moving.
With the hell hounds right behind them, the ran across the clearing and up the stone steps. Naruto reached the door first. He pulled, thanking whatever deity existed that it wasn't locked. However, it was very heavy, even swinging on the hinges. Whoever built this place surely didn't want just anybody to get in.
"Hurry," he said. Hinata and Sakura went first. Sai followed, then Naruto.
He pulled on the door ring, cursing how slow it was to shut it. He could see the wolves closing in.
Sai grabbed the ring and helped. It wasn't enough as a large wolf leapt and fixed his head between the doors. It was snapping furiously at Naruto and Sai's hands, missing by centimeters as they struggled to close the door.
"Oh no you don't," growled Sakura. She reared her fist back and struck the wolf in the face. Its head was completely obliterated from its body in an eruption of gore and blood.
It was enough for Sai and Naruto to fully close the door. Hinata then pushed a wooden barrier into the braces to lock it. A second later and the wolves crashed against the wood, furiously scratching and snarling.
The relief that they were safe made them weak as they collapsed onto the door. All of them were breathing heavily as the tried to recuperate.
Naruto was the first. He checked room they were in. They seemed to have ended up in a vary large entrance hall. Several decorative vases were positioned beautifully around the edges of the room. Only a few doors were leading out. It was dark, the only light coming from small oil lamps that were hanging from the wall. The walls were made of some sort of black wood along with the traditional paper doors. The floor, however, was wooden that was covered by a plush rug. It stretched all the way across the giant room.
It was an almost copy of the last castle they were in.
Hinata was next to recover. She sat up and looked at the door with her Byakugan. "They're still there. Pacing."
Sakura stood up from the floor. "So we're stuck here?" That's just great."
"Hang on. We can find a way out," Naruto said. "Me and Hinata have been here before. Getting out should be a piece of cake.."
"But, Naruto," Hinatat began.
"What is it Hinata?"
"The wolves are at the door and completely surrounding the castle. And that's not all."
"I don't know see how this can get any worse," murmured Sakura.
"There is something in the walls that's blocking my Byakugan."
Naruto stiffened. "How is that possible? You can see outside the castle, but you can't see inside it?"
Hinata nodded. "The walls built within the castle have some sort of sealing tag in the wall foundations."
"So we're not going to be able to see what's waiting for us in this castle?" Naruto shivered. It was bad enough that last time he had watchful paintings and creepy samurai armor, but now they couldn't see what was coming.
Hinata saw Naruto's face. She felt even more guilty that she couldn't be of more help.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
Naruto sighed and looked at Hinata. "It's not your fault, Hinata. We didn't things were going to be this bad."
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Sakura screamed. "Naruto, when you told me about this mission, you told me you guys stopped all the creepy stuff from happening."
Naruto was confused as well. Kubisaki castle was home to a feudal lord, one who promised that his castle would devour all of his enemies. Even beyond his death. Naruto, Kiba and Hinata were able to figure out that the mansion was actually the lord's summons: a chameleon. However, the summons took things a little too far. So with the help from the ghost of Kouzu Kubisaki, they were able to destroy the summons, rescue the missing people, and make the castle disappear.
But why was it back now?
"Check out this wood," Sai said unexpectedly. Naruto completely forgot he was there.
"What is it?" he asked, walking towards him.
Sai ran a hand up and down one of the wood panels. "This wood is still in great condition. Only about a year old."
"But the castle was abandoned for more than 50 years ago."
"Exactly. Judging by this wood and the light layer of dust, this place was built only about about six months ago. A year at the most."
"But wouldn't we have had a report about it from the Hidden Valley Village?" asked Sakura.
Naruto put a hand on his chin. "You don't think someone could be hiding this from us, do you?
Before anyone could answer, a loud thump came from one of the rooms behind the rice paper.
"What was that?" asked Hinata.
"Maybe it's a survivor," suggested Sakura. Though she sounded a little nervous.
Naruto put his hands in a cross symbol. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." When a clone appeared, he gave it orders. "Go into the room and check out what made that noise."
The clone smirked. "You guys scared?"
"Just do it."
Everyone scowled at the clone as it chuckled towards the room. It pulled a kunai out and slid the door open. For a moment, the clone seemed to glance around. Then it walked into the room.
The group waited a few moments. There heard the clone speak, but couldn't understand what he was saying through the paper walls. A moment later, it spoke again with a more raised voice.
"What's going on?" asked Sai.
"I said stop!" yelled the clone. A second later there was a yelp and the sound of a clone dispelling.
"What happened?" asked Sakura.
"I don't-" Naruto started, but then a headache formed as well as a vision.
"You guys scared?" asked Naruto.
"Just do it," said the boss.
Naruto chuckled and walked towards the paper door that led into the room. He slid it open, glanced inside, and walked in. The room looked like a regular business office, much like Grandma's office back home.
He immediately saw what made the noise. There was chair knocked over, next the desk. A man was struggling to get up.
"Are you okay?" he asked. There was no response.
Naruto walked towards the man, intending on helping. But the closer he got, the more he noticed that there was a horrible smell in the room. A smell that he really couldn't pinpoint, but seemed to be coming from the man.
He must really be sick.
"Don't worry, my friends and I are here to help." He reached a hand out help the man up.
The man suddenly growled and snapped his teeth at the outstretched hand.
"Whoa what's your problem?" Naruto snapped as the man got to his feet.
It was then that Naruto got a good look at the man from the front. The man's clothes were grimy, unwashed, and torn. And bloody. Several black stains of blood littered the man's shirt, the biggest one at the neck. The face was even worse. The skin was gray and spotted with what looked like mold. A huge chunk of the man's cheek was missing. Naruto could see the teeth through the hole chewing the air.
The shock of the man's appearance kept Naruto frozen, but finally snapped as the man walked towards him.
"Stop," Naruto squeaked as raised his kunai in defense. The man didn't yield. "I said stop!"
Whatever Naruto prepared for, it wasn't this. He swung the kunai up, slashing the man in the chest. The man didn't flinch, but grabbed Naruto's arm. And bit him on the wrist.
Naruto groaned his vision quit. He was back in the hallway. His friends were approaching the door.
"Don't!" Naruto yelled as he rushed forward and shut the door.
"What it is Naruto?" asked Hinata.
"There's a man in there. He tried to eat me."
"What?" asked Sakura. "Nartuo how do you know that?"
Naruto was about to answer when he stopped. How did he know that? He was about to say he saw it in his head when two arms broke through the rice paper. They tried to grab his jacket, but he was able to slip through. The rest of the wall was torn away and the man Naruto saw in his vision stumbled through. He just stood there calmly, watching them.
"Who is this man?" asked Hinata as she got into her Hyuga stance.
"This guy tried to eat me," Naruto said as he pulled out a kunai. "I don't know what happened, but he's sick."
"Let me see if I can help," said Sakura as she approached cautiously towards the man.
Naruto watched her and the man, intent on throwing the knife straight into the man's heart if he so much as twitched wrong. It wasn't until he saw Sakura's glowing hand nearing the man's chest that he saw it. A chest with a giant cut that wasn't bleeding.
"Sakura get back!" Naruto yelled as he rushed forward and pulled her away. He threw a knife at the man's chest.
"What is your problem, Naruto!?" Sakura screeched and ripped her arm away from Naruto's grasp. "I was trying help him."
"No. Look," Naruto whispered.
The kunai was stuck in the man's chest, right over the right lung. It was buried in the flesh to the handle.
But the man was still groaning. He took a step forward. Then another.
"That's not possible," said Sai.
"Naruto!" Hinatat cried. "The man's chakra. It's not circulating"
"What? What does that mean?" said a confused Naruto."
"It means the man is dead."
Everyone was stunned into silence by the revelation. Naruto didn't want to believe it. The man was walking for crying out loud. Granted yes, he was stumbling, speaking only in grunts and smelled like a dead fish, but still. Dead people don't walk around.
But the evidence was right in front of him. The cut that wasn't bleeding and the kunai in the man's lung told the story.
The man, or now corpse, got tired of everyone waiting and decided to do something. It raised its arms and stumbled towards Sai. The boy reached for his short sword and started attacking. Sai got in three quick slashes to the man's body. But it still didn't even slow down. It lunged towards Sai.
However, he anticipated the movement and rolled underneath the corpse's arm. Sai got back to his feet and gave an upward strike to man's outstretched arm. A groan was all there was as the man's arm fell to the ground.
The corpse didn't even blink at the loss of its limb as it slowly turned around and tried to attack Sai again.
"What more do I need to do?" he grumbled.
"Stand clear," ordered Naruto as he reared his kunai back for a throw. Sai leapt out of the way and Naruto threw the knife with all the strength that he had. The kunai flew threw the air and buried itself to the ring into the skull of the corpse. The corpse suddenly stopped and finally fell to ground.
The four teens slowly surrounded the corpse, ready to try again it the body got back up. After a full minute and the body didn't move, they finally breathed.
Naruto turned and looked at the front door.
"Where the hell are we?"