DISCLAIMER: I do not own the 'Naruto' or 'Naruto: Shippuden' series or characters therein.
CURSED AND ALONE
Temporarily abandoned by my team mates, I followed the cold shiver running down my spine as I came in view of a large house with one window still lit from candlelight. My eyes widened when I realised whose house this was.
My home. I haven't been here for nearly ten years...
I instantly saw Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto crouched behind a tree as they were watching the movements of a stranger robed in black and making suspicious movements towards my house. I silently made my way over to where the others were crouched observing the stranger.
"Akima!" whispered Sakura, who was gesturing urgently at me to quickly crouch down beside them. The memory certainly didn't ring a bell at the moment, although I was definitely positive that this was my memory.
"Do you know what's going on?" added Naruto, who pulled me down into a crouch next to him. I shook my head but noticed my hand was shaking violently. My body knew about this memory, so why didn't my brain? The stranger looked around him, obviously trying to sense if anybody was around, then carefully slid the bamboo door open and stepped inside.
"C'mon!" whispered Sasuke, taking my hand and half-leading, half-dragging me towards the door the stranger had just disappeared into. Naruto and Sakura following closely.
I slid the door open and stepped inside. The hallway was dark and the only source of light was the moonlight behind me. Moving like a cats, the four of us slunk in further, and I lead the way remembering exactly where I was going and found myself entering the sitting room. I paused, waiting for Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke to come in behind me. I looked around the room trying to place the memory that was somehow mine, and saw sitting in a corner of the small but cozy room, cowering and protecting something nestled in their arms was a young couple with fear masking their pale faces. I gasped recognising them almost instantly.
Mom...
Dad...
The something that was huddled in their arms was clearly me, back when I was five years old.
"Akima!" whispered Naruto, I barely heard him. My throat had closed over and the rest of my body, not just my hands, started shaking.
"Akima!" tried Sakura, firmly, taking my hand in hers. But when I didn't respond, Sakura looked at Sasuke for answers. He just shrugged, still not understanding the memory unfolding before him. I dropped to my knees, as I knew exactly what this memory was now – it was the night my parents had been murdered. The dark hooded stranger was obviously the culprit and I was eager to learn who that person was, but also dreading it as well. Because it meant my parents' death was a reality I couldn't fix or escape from.
"Akima? What's wrong?" I heard Sasuke's voice as though it was coming from so very faraway. I turned to look at him, worry and concern clearly evident on his face, as well as Naruto and Sakura's.
"Honey, tell me, please?" Sasuke urged, desperately. But before I could reply, an inhuman laugh rumbled behind us, causing us to jump from fright and rush further into the room.
"Akima!" Naruto was clearly getting frustrated, "What's going on? Where are we?" But I couldn't answer now.
And neither could Sasuke as he had just cottoned on to what this memory was after seeing the couple and recognising them as his Aunt and Uncle. He and I were frozen where we were in absolute horror and mounting grief, when the dark hooded stranger strode into the room and threw back his hood, revealing himself as Orochimaru in one of his disguises. I felt a wave of hatred from the tips of my toes all the way up to my head as Orochimaru glided into the room and fixed my parents with an oily grin.
Forgetting that I couldn't touch Orochimaru because he was a memory, I drunkenly rose to my feet and pulled free a kunai from my pack. But Naruto grabbed my wrist and forcibly stopped me, pulling the kunai from my shaking hands and gently guided me back to the ground. I started sobbing loudly as Naruto pulled me into his arms and let me cry into his chest. Pretty much what my five year old self was doing with my mother.
"I don't like this. I feel like something bad is about to happen." said Sakura, who was desperately trying to shake Sasuke out of his comatose state, but he was not co-operating.
"That's because something bad is about to happen, Sakura." I replied, my voice cracking from the grief as Naruto started rocking and trying to comfort me. Then Sasuke spoke, his voice matching mine as tears started falling down his cheeks.
"No. It can't be." Sakura, who still didn't get it looked at me and Sasuke, looking for a straight answer.
"Sasuke, what is wrong?" But Orochimaru suddenly laughed again, rendering us to silence as Sakura's question was finally answered.
"What a pretty child." cooed Orochimaru. The young man stood up from where he was crouched with his wife and daughter, and pointed threateningly at the rogue ninja.
"Leave this house, you demon!" The insult registered on Orochimaru's face, but he responded by merely tutting disapprovingly at my father.
"Where are your manners? This is just a friendly social call." he explained, smirking at the outraged expression on my father's face.
"Social call! Do you think I'm a fool! The only reason why you would be here, Orochimaru, would be to kidnap my daughter and add her to your twisted collection!"
"That's one good reason, I suppose. But that's not why I'm here." replied Orochimaru, taking a turn about the room, picking up possessions, looking at them and placing them down again.
"Then why are you here?" my father asked, crouching down and taking me into his arms. Orochimaru stared down at my younger self, like I was a tasty morsel he was about to devour.
"I'm here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage for after she becomes of age." Orochimaru replied, simply. I felt my stomach churn from revulsion as my parents looked completely horrified by the idea.
"That's sick!" yelled Naruto, turning green.
"Gross!" agreed Sakura, who was staring daggers at Orochimaru and had my hand clamped painfully in hers. Sasuke snarled, baring his teeth at he glared at man who was training him to become more powerful than he had ever been.
"Never!" cried my father. Orochimaru's face twisted in surprise. He obviously never had come across decent parents who cared for their child's well-being and loved them unconditionally to allow them to choose who they wanted to marry when they wanted to. I silently thanked my parents for standing up to Orochimaru over this.
"What's wrong with that? She'll become an honourary member of a very powerful clan. An unstoppable clan at the very least." I looked at Sasuke with dread. He was already immersed deeply within Orochimaru's clan - a fact Sasuke appeared to be regretting, now that he had learnt something else from Orochimaru that repulsed him and his former team mates. But I knew that even if Orochimaru wasn't an option, Sasuke would still have left to seek training else where. He no longer wanted to live in Konoha. It brought back too many bad memories.
"My answer is 'no!' Now leave this house immediately!" ordered my father, rising to his feet and brandishing a kunai at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's pleasant attitude vanished as he stared at the threatening blade in my father's steady hand.
"I said leave!" my father snapped, eyes blazing.
A trait that Sasuke had said my eyes did whenever I got murderously angry. Orochimaru pulled a sword from within his hooded jacket, removed it from the scabbard and pointed it at my father, who faltered slightly at the size of the blade knowing that he was obviously outmatched and had limited options. My mother, five year old me, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura and I watched helplessly from the sidelines as Orochimaru and my father started circling like a couple of male lions ready to pounce on each other and tear one another to shreds with their teeth.
Then the fighting began and I wanted to run from the room, but I also wanted to know why I couldn't remember anything except for the sharp, painful penetrating feeling in my neck that had caused me to violently convulse and sweat, and then waking up hours later staring into the eyes of Itachi and Sasuke, who was too young at the time to understand what had happened to me – until now. The fight didn't last long and everybody screamed in horror as we saw Orochimaru fatally impale my father through his stomach, just like Sasuke had been about to do to Naruto, only hours ago.
"NO!" bellowed Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. I stared, not breathing, at the blade protruding from my father's back as the six people watching in horror heard the sickening slurp of the blade being removed swiftly from my father's corpse and the heavy thud as the body collapsed on the pine-thatched floor, blood pooling all around it.
"You monster!" snarled Sakura, as Orochimaru turned away from the body without another glance and advanced towards his next obstacle: my grief-stricken and utterly horrified mother.
"Hand over the child, and you shall live." promised Orochimaru, extending his pale hand towards my totally petrified five year old self. I really must have blocked this out of my head, because I don't remember this at all.
"I would rather die a thousand deaths, before I will hand my daughter to you!" snarled my mother, pushing me behind her and shielding my body with hers. Orochimaru took back his hand and smiled sardonically at her.
"And die you shall. Pity, such a waste of human life." he indicated my father's corpse with a fleeting glance. I could feel Naruto's fingernails digging into my arms and I yelled out in pain as I looked up and saw that the pupils in Naruto's eyes had reduced to red slits and his teeth were rapidly forming into sharp fangs. I didn't blame him, but he couldn't kill Orochimaru now. The only people he'd be killing would be Sasuke, Sakura and me.
"Naruto, you're hurting me." I winced and suddenly his hands were whipped away.
"Let go of her!" snarled Sasuke, his eyes also flashing. Naruto turned his rage on Sasuke and sprang into his notorious defensive crouch. He was starting to transform into the fox-demon that dwelled within him. I had reached my limit. I stood up and my eyes flashed, putting an powerful calming jutsu on both the men in my life. Both faltered and collapsed, just as my mother spoke once more.
"Of course. But allow me the chance to say a proper goodbye to my daughter before we fight." My mother sternly requested. Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively.
"Do as you wish. Your daughter is mine anyhow." My mother glared at Orochimaru before pulling me from behind her and cupping my cheeks in her hands. This part I do remember. My mother leaned forward and kissed my forehead as I cried bitterly.
"Mommy, don't go!" I begged. Tears were falling down my face, I looked at Sakura – she was crying also and was being consoled by a weeping Naruto. But it hit Sasuke hardest, he was remembering the day we had found his parents dead on the floor of his house, with Itachi standing over them with a dripping bloody sword. Only, he had been spared seeing his parents being murdered in front of him. I went over to him and folded him up into my arms as he cried and heaved.
"Akima, no matter what happens next, please believe me when I tell you, your father and I love you with all our hearts. Promise me that you'll tell nobody what happened here unless it's absolutely necessary."
"I don't want to, Mommy. Please don't make me." I sobbed. My mother hugged me tightly.
"I know. I know you don't want to, honey. But your father and I did this is all for you. Please! Just promise me." she urged, patiently. I nodded unhappily and she kissed my head.
"That's my girl." Then we watched as my mother secretly tucked a letter into the pocket of my purple dressing gown without Orochimaru seeing.
"Alright! Enough sentimental drivel. Face me or die!" snapped Orochimaru. My mother stood still holding my hand which I clutched with fright and glared at Orochimaru.
"I will put up a fight, Orochimaru. I promise you that." Mom promised. Then proving she was indeed a Uchiha, Sasuke and I saw my mother form the three comma sharingan – which meant she was willing to do anything to win the battle against Orochimaru, even copy his powers and use them against him. Orochimaru noticed the change in my mother's eyes and it peaked his interest. But suddenly he had to leap aside as a tongue of fire narrowly missed him. When he looked back he was kicked in the head by my mother's foot and blind-sided by her left hook.
"Yeah! Get him! Kick his ass!" cheered Naruto, but stopped when he saw the grave expressions on Sasuke's face and my face.
"What? Why aren't you cheering?" he asked, puzzled. I looked up at him sadly.
"Remember when I told you guys about my parents?"
Naruto and Sakura nodded.
"My mother is not going to survive, Naruto." Naruto looked outraged and this fact was rudely confirmed when we heard my mother scream and gag. Then the sound of metal slicing flesh and the sound of a body thudding to the floor. That was when the screaming started.
The screaming came from both Sakura and five year old me as Orochimaru had fashioned a clone from out of nowhere and the clone had extended his ridiculously long forked tongue which wrapped around and trapped five year old me on the spot. I watched in horror as Orochimaru grinned evilly and came over to his absolutely scared and heavily bound 'prisoner' who was staring at him with eyes as wide as saucers. The hidden sound ninja wiped away the tears in my five year old eyes with his pale fingers and leaned in to whisper in my ear.
"Don't fight it, my sweet. It will only hurt for a moment." Then without warning, sinks his teeth into the frightened little girl's neck.
A strong burning pain flared up on the back of my neck, causing me to scream in unison with the struggling little girl before us and clutched my neck in panic as I slumped forward and clenched my hand into a hard fist, so hard that my knuckles turned white. Sasuke, knowing the symptoms, immediately pulled my hand away from my neck and saw the dreaded 'cursed seal of heaven mark' (which had flared up and was pulsing like a gaping wound). It was identical to the one the back of his neck.
"Akima!" screamed Naruto and Sakura, once more. I shook violently and spewed up on the floor from the pain.
Sasuke held back my hair so I didn't get sick on it. There wasn't anything any of them could do for me. Suddenly, the sounds of somebody trying to get into the house interrupted Orochimaru who looked up, licking my blood from his lips. He got to his feet and pulled the hood over his head and made a hasty exit out the back door – content with the knowledge that someday, I would possibly be coming to him seeking more power, like Sasuke did. The only sounds we could hear was the frightened sobbing of the five year old girl just beyond them and me coughing after emptying my stomach.
Suddenly, somebody entered the room in a frantic state. It was Master Jiraiya. Obviously, he had heard me screaming and had come in to my rescue. He saw the corpses of my parents and swore colourfully. Then he noticed me convulsing violently and sweating, but thankfully nodding off to sleep.
"Oh, you poor kid. I'd better take you to the Hokage. He'll know what to do." he muttered to himself and scooped my unconscious body into his arms.
The memory faded away.
I sat up and tried to get to my feet shakily with Sasuke and Naruto supporting my weight by each holding on to one of my elbows each.
"Do you know what happened next, Akima?" asked Sakura, who was wiping my face with a clean handkerchief.
I shook my head, but then another memory immediately materialised, almost after Sakura asked her question. We found ourselves standing in the middle of a private courtyard in large mansion-like house. I recognised it almost immediately as the Uchiha household. Sitting not too faraway from where we were standing was five year old Sasuke Uchiha sitting nearby in a door frame, playing a flute. His brother, Itachi, was sitting underneath the family's tree reading one of his books. A delicious smell of roasting meat hung in the air, which told us that the Uchiha boys' mother was currently cooking.
"Is this your memory, Sasuke?" asked Sakura, who had walked over to the unsuspecting five year old who was beautifully blowing out a lilting melody and apparently irritating Itachi who kept looking up at his kid brother with an annoyed scowl.
"Do you have to play that infernal song right now, Sasuke?" asked Itachi, closing his book for a moment to glare at his brother. Young Sasuke stopped playing and scowled up at his brother.
"But I have to practise." he protested in his little reedy voice, that I cracked a smile at, and looked up at Sasuke who was troubled by this memory.
"Wow. I'm not used to that." piped up Naruto, who grinned at Sasuke who gave him an extremely small smile. Itachi sighed as he remembered their father saying this to Young Sasuke.
"If you refrain from playing on that flute. I promise I'll take you out for some training." bargained Itachi, who cracked a thin smile at his kid brother knowing he couldn't resist the chance to learn something new. Young Sasuke's eyes lit up in excitement and rushes over to his brother's side.
"Really! You mean it?" Itachi nodded, and poked Young Sasuke in the forehead like he frequently did.
"Only if you stop annoying me." Young Sasuke nodded enthusiastically and disappeared back into the house, presumably to put his flute away. Itachi went back to reading his book, when there was a knock at the front door.
"Ugh, what now?" Itachi muttered. He heard his mother open the door and then gasp in dismay.
"Oh God, No!" Itachi frowned at his mother's choice of words.
"That doesn't sound good."
Young Sasuke dashed out of the sliding door he had disappeared through and came over to Itachi's side. Both brothers looked curiously at the sliding door leading towards the front door as they heard their father answering his wife's distressed outburst.
"Mikoto, what's wrong? Who's at the door?" There were sounds of muffled conversation before Fugaku stuck his head out the door leading to the front door and called out to Itachi.
"Itachi, come here please." Itachi put his book aside and followed his father to the front door. More muffled conversation followed and moments later Itachi emerged into the courtyard holding a small bundle with exposed snow white legs in pale purple pants in his arms. Itachi had a weird expression on his face, like he was very happy about what he was holding in his arms but also extremely grave about why he was holding the bundle in his arms. Itachi went back over to where Young Sasuke was standing frowning at what Itachi was carrying.
As Itachi sat down on the bench under the tree, the Sasuke standing next to me holding one of my elbows started to explain the memory to a very confused Naruto and Sakura.
"This was the day Akima came to live with us permanently." he explained, as his five year old self suddenly exclaimed loudly:
"What have you got there, Itachi?" Itachi shushed Young Sasuke by covering his brother's mouth with his whole hand. Itachi removed the thick blanket covering the bundle's face and it was revealed to be, as Sasuke had explained, five year old me who was sleeping unsuspectingly. Or at least I had been, until Young Sasuke's loud inquiry. I started in Itachi's arms and I stirred.
"Oh! Nice going, genius." scolded Itachi scowling unimpressed at Young Sasuke as five year old me frowned in annoyance and yawned loudly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. How was I supposed to know she was sleeping?" Young Sasuke sniped back at his older brother.
Sasuke (standing beside me) chuckled and started ruffling up my hair. I stepped down hard on Sasuke's foot, causing him to wince in pain and hop up and down on the spot.
Five year old me slowly opened her eyes and saw both cousins staring down at her. Both boys were pleased to see me, of course, but also very curious.
"What's going on?" I asked, groggily and tried sitting up.
Itachi assisted me into a seated position and accidentally pulled down on the blanket, exposing the dressing that had been taped over the bite marks Orochimaru had unceremoniously put there and the resulting 'curse seal of heaven' mark that had suddenly appeared moments after Orochimaru had bitten me.
"Don't you remember what happened, Akima?" asked Itachi. Five year old me shook her head and slid off Itachi's lap to stand upright on the pebbly ground. But instantly stumbled, Young Sasuke immediately reached out and caught me.
"Careful, Akima."
Five year old me looked up into Young Sasuke's eyes and smiled sleepily then rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep again. Itachi started laughing as Young Sasuke struggled to support his cousin's weight.
"Where did your parents go, Sasuke?" Sakura asked when no adults returned and the memory started fading away again.
"I learnt later on from Itachi that Mom and Dad had gone off to Dad's study with that pervert, Jiraiya and the 3rd Hokage who had brought Akima to us, to tell them why she had that dressing on her neck and the fate of my Aunt and Uncle." Sasuke explained, shortly. He obviously was still reeling from learning exactly what had caused me to come and live with them permanently.
"Yikes! I wouldn't want to be the one to reveal that news to your parents." commented Naruto, who had shuddered at the mere thought.
"Tactless as usual. Why am I expecting anything less?" drawled Sasuke, who had closed his eyes the moment Naruto had made the comment and frowned deeply.
"I remembered shortly after that, that Mom had put that envelope in my pocket. Inside was this picture..." I produced the photo they had already seen from my pocket. Sasuke took the photo from me and was staring at it as I continued talking.
"When we got our copies of team 7's photo, I glued it together with that photo and kept on me ever since."
"That's really cool, Akima!" said Naruto, impressed. Sakura came over and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Is there a specific reason why you did that?" I nodded.
"Like I had said before to Sai, besides my real family – whom I loved with all my heart, and still do..." I took Sasuke's hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back and refused to let go of my hand as he stroked it affectionately with his thumb.
"But you two-" I pointed to Naruto and Sakura.
"Are also my family and I would do anything to prevent harm to you both." Sasuke let go of my hand as I was suddenly hugged by both Naruto and Sakura tightly.
Then the scenery around us changed once more.
Unknowingly, I had tapped into the psychic abilities that allowed me to see into the future. And somehow I teleported us to the distant future...