The Curse

Chapter Eleven: Base

Sakura groaned as she curled in on herself, her head comfortably burying into the soft pillows surrounding her, arms hugging her chest tightly to retain any warmth that morning's coolness had produced. Her knees pulled up slightly, shifting the blankets caught in her legs, and her pink brows creased as one hand ventured outward to search for the familiar body-warmth that had helped her through the night. Her lips curled downward when her fingertips touched nothing but cold sheets and with another soft groan, Sakura's bleary, emerald eyes opened, disappointed to see an empty bedside and the bedroom door open.

Twisting, Sakura eyed the windows, the gossamer curtains allowing her to see the grey, foggy light of early morning, her shoulders sagging in slight relief with the day's arrival. Sitting up, messy pink hair falling over her face and her body sluggishly moving at her command, the kunoichi switched her gaze to the door, wondering where Sasuke had gone and why it seemed so silent.

"Guys?" Sakura called, frowning at the raspy-edge to her voice, though she unconsciously spread her chakra to discern where everyone was, "Sasuke-kun?"

Her frown deepened when her chakra sensed no other presences in the house. Rubbing her arms, trying to gain back some body-heat, Sakura pondered where everyone could have gone. They could have gathered food, checked the perimeter, studied any damage from the night, or left to obtain evidence; all viable reasons. But knowing her team, at least one of them would have stayed behind so she didn't have to wake up alone, especially under the current circumstances. She fixed her sights to the wall, her brows creasing when she caught sight of Sasuke's Kusanagi.

Sakura's rubbing stopped, she sat up a little straighter. Sasuke never left his Kusanagi behind.

Thump.

Sakura stiffened, eyes trailing to the door before they darted towards the window, making sure that it was indeed daylight outside.

"Naruto?" She tried calling out again, heart thudding rapidly in distress, "Dai-san? Sasuke-kun? I-Is that you?"

Thump.

"Guys?"

Thump.

A pale, grey hand reached up from beside the bed, startling Sakura to quickly scoot away, watching as the long fingers grasped the white sheets before its partner joined just half a foot away. Fear immediately gripped her heart, her hands clenching as she watched a dark head begin to rise, pale-white skin of a forehead, and then wide, hysterical-mad eyes that stared straight through frightened emerald.

'…Ha…Ru…No…Sa…Ku…Ra…' It whispered softly, a crimson stained mouth finally coming into view.

"NO!" Sakura cried out.

'BLOOD!'

The creature lunged, Sakura's arms came up on the defensive but those grey hands had already latched onto her throat. Cold hands that still burned her flesh as crazed eyes stared down at her, blood dripping from the creature's mouth onto her cheeks and it hurt. The kunoichi raised her hands to push the shadow away, surprise taking hold of her as she watched her skin become covered in black, devouring her in darkness.

"Help!" She choked, "H-Help! Naruto! S-Sasuke-kun!"

'Your blood is MINE!'

"SASUKE-KUN!"

'DIE HARUNO SAKURA!'

"Sakura!"

Emerald eyes snapped open only to immediately connect with bottomless, concerned obsidian. Warm hands were gently grasping her shoulders and for a moment Sakura stared up at Uchiha Sasuke with a mixture of wonder and absolute relief; and then she gasped, having unknowingly held her breath upon her awakening and now allowing much needed air to fill her lungs in gulps, her fingers unconsciously digging into the bed sheets and Sasuke's shirt.

Sasuke watched her with fractionally widened eyes as she quickly sat up, her stare darting towards the window, the edge of the bed, her arms, all the while continuing to gasp, the fear in her expression completely evident. The Uchiha had woken to her shouting in her sleep, her face had twisted into terror, and when she had screamed his name in desperation Sasuke had snapped out of his trance and quickly grabbed her shoulders to try and wake her from her nightmare.

"It was a dream, Sakura," He started off slowly, rubbing her shoulders and gaining her attention, "You're okay."

Sakura silently stared at him, her eyes still wide but her breathing was beginning to steady. Briefly, she looked down at her arms, making sure the tendrils of darkness weren't wrapped around her before bringing a hand to her face, feeling wetness but to her relief it wasn't blood – just tears.

Letting a strangled noise emerge from her throat, Sakura leaned forward and rested her forehead against Sasuke's right shoulder, taking comfort in his presence and that he hadn't left her alone; that she was awake and nothing had attacked her. She felt Sasuke's hand hesitantly connect with her back before he rubbed reassuringly along her spine.

"Even when I'm sleeping those things bother me," She complained softly, closing her eyes and shaking her head, "I do not want to deal with this every night…"

Sasuke chose not to say anything but Sakura didn't mind, she pulled back and ran her fingers through her tangled locks, looking out the window to see a sunnier day than her dream provided. Glancing back at Sasuke, seeing his eyes had followed her gaze to the window; she couldn't help but smile lightly as she touched his hand to gain his attention.

When his dark eyes met hers, Sakura gratefully squeezed two of his fingers, "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. For helping me through the night…And for waking me; I really appreciate it."

The kunoichi noticed that the Uchiha had a tendency to stare for a prolonged amount of time, especially when she spoke with him, but she honestly didn't mind, keeping the smile on her face until Sasuke looked away and offered a quiet, "Hn," in response.

It was in that moment that the bedroom door opened, a pale and haggard Uzumaki Naruto entering the room stiffly, walked towards them, stopped at the edge of the bed beside Sasuke, and promptly fell face-first into the mattress. Sasuke scowled lightly as the bed shook with the force of the blonde's fall while Sakura stared down at the back of Naruto's head with a concerned frown.

"Naruto," She called as she touched his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

A muffled, "I didn't get any sleep last night," answered her.

Sakura smiled sympathetically as she soothingly rubbed his back, "…We might have to get used to it."

"And that little girl is freaky!" Another stifled response; he then turned onto his side, blue eyes glancing at his two teammates, "I don't know why I didn't just come in here with you guys!" He pouted, "I mean, I could have slept fine next to you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura chuckled as she ran her hand through his messy, blonde spikes. Naruto could feel a light glare being directed at him, but he ignored it in favor of curling his lips into a devious smile.

"…Or maybe not," Naruto sighed dramatically as he turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling, "Heard a lot of banging coming from this room last night…Wouldn't have wanted to interrupt on your fun."

Naruto felt the dark glare directed at him intensify tenfold, "Dobe."

Sakura blushed a furious shade of crimson as she slapped him on the chest, earning a short laugh from the blonde, "Naruto!"

"What?" Naruto asked innocently, though his expression was sparked with mischief – and Sakura could tell he was fighting his grin, "Whatever gets you to ignore all those loud noises and helps you sleep at night; I won't judge."

Sakura could feel the heat increase on her face and before she could lunge and squash her embarrassment by pummeling the boy before her he had already shot off the bed and was laughing hysterically as he ran out the room.

Sakura clenched her fist, "Why that little–"

"Idiot," Sasuke finished darkly, standing up after his statement was made and grabbing his Kusanagi from the wall.

And despite what had just happened and the pure embarrassment Sakura had just endured, she laughed. It was a soft laugh, a giggle even, but she welcomed it. She could feel some of the tension in her shoulders begin to unwind, her nightmare was just a fleeting thought in her head, and Sakura was beginning to remember and appreciate why she loved Team Seven missions so much. Yes, it had been a while since the three of them had been together on an assignment, but facing this new obstacle, finding her team dynamic with both Naruto and Sasuke after so many months without it – without them – it came so easily and that thought alone lifted her heart.

She realized that if she was on this same Mission with anyone besides Sasuke and Naruto, she'd probably go insane. Her boys kept her grounded, her boys kept her on her toes, they cheered her up when she wasn't feeling at her best, and they kept her safe when she wasn't feeling her bravest. Naruto's silly antics and the sleep that Sasuke helped provide had put her in much better spirits.

They completed her.

"Something funny?" Sasuke drawled as he gazed at her and strapped on his Grass Cutter, though Sakura recognized a hint of curiosity in his onyx eyes.

"Nothing," Sakura assured with a smile, waving her hand dismissively as she stood up and stretched, "Though I'll make a deal with you."

Sasuke quirked a single brow to show that he was listening.

"You give Naruto a good whack to the head for me and I'll give you extra onigiri for breakfast," She offered, placing her hair in a messy yet effective bun, "If I'm starving I'm pretty sure everyone else is too; and before we leave for Bird Country I'd rather we have the energy to make the trip."

Sasuke smirked lightly before turning on his heel, "Add in some jasmine tea and it's done."

Sakura chuckled as she followed him out of the bedroom, "Deal."

Despite the fact that everyone was feeling a little more well-rested and relieved with the day's arrival, the undercurrent of unease was still present and obvious. But Naruto did his best to keep the mood positive, complaining to Sasuke as he rubbed his abused head while the Uchiha rolled his eyes and polished his weapons. Dai sat on the recliner, curiously examining the two ninjas' interactions, amused and intrigued by how such different and clashing personalities got along so well. It reminded him of someone else he knew and the friendship he had with him.

Before Dai could delve even deeper into his thoughts Sakura appeared with a light smile and a few dining wares in hand, mechanically setting down the ceramic bowls, silverware and cups before disappearing back towards the kitchen. It was voted unanimously by the group that their small breakfast would be eaten in the living room; away from the mess Yoshiro's body had left the night before.

"Something smells good!" Naruto crowed excitedly as he took a seat on the floor and scooted closer to the table, grabbing a bowl for himself, "What's for breakfast, Sakura-chan?"

When Sakura didn't answer immediately, Sasuke threw a glare at Naruto, stood up, leaving his katana on the couch, and followed where the kunoichi had disappeared to, "Hn."

Dai watched the Uchiha go, curious, before shifting his sights to find Naruto grinning widely – almost triumphantly, "…Naruto-san?"

"Huh?" The blonde asked, turned away from the hallway as if he had been broken from a pleased daze, "Did you say something, Dai-san?"

The Chuunin quirked an inquiring eyebrow towards Naruto's strange behavior before he cast another suspicious glance where Sasuke and Sakura had gone, "Is…Is something going on between Sakura-san and Sasuke-san?"

Naruto immediately snorted – surprising Dai – before he held up his bowl and began to play around with it, "Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan want each other; simple as that…They're just too wimpy to say anything. They're so obvious too."

"Really?" Dai questioned, surprised once again, "Well…If it's that obvious, why is it so hard?"

"A lot of things, I guess," Naruto shrugged as he inspected one of the cups, "Past, present, future…" He looked up thoughtfully and shrugged again, "Or just emotional constipation from Sasuke-teme and constant denial from Sakura-chan."

"I see…" Dai replied, though he couldn't deny his amusement with the situation.

"But they're getting there," The blonde assured with a wide grin, "It's only a matter of time."

"You seem confident, Naruto-san."

"It's because it's meant to be," Naruto answered simply, smirking, "You'll see. The more time you spend with them it'll become obvious to you too…You'll see."

"See what?" Sakura asked as she stepped into the living room, one hand holding a plate stacked with onigiri and the other carrying a pot of warm tea. Sasuke entered right beside her, holding a bowl that turned out to be ramen when he set it on the table, though his eyes were glaring heatedly at Naruto, apparently, he wasn't as oblivious to the conversation as Sakura was.

"He'll see that I can eat a whole bowl of ramen without breaking a sweat!" Naruto grinned jovially as he reached for the bowl, only for Sakura to swat it away with some chopsticks she had on hand.

"Share, Naruto."

The blonde shinobi pouted but nodded his head, "…Yes, Sakura-chan."

Sakura leaned sullenly against the bathroom sink, staring at the porcelain bathtub across from her and the ash and cinder mess inside. There was nothing left for her to use to help further her study, Yoshiro's body was completely reduced to grey dust, and she pouted when not even a single scrap of full bone seemed to be left intact. Dai had burned the corpse into a useless powder and, although it completely prevented reanimation, it left Sakura feeling a few steps behind in solving the mystery. Sighing, the Medic turned towards her medical bag, which rested on the toilet, rummaging through the pockets before producing some spare, glass jars and vials that she always kept in her inventory.

She made sure to take a few samples of, what looked like, charred skin and organs; a few splinters of hard material that seemed to resemble bone; some of the melted substance that had crusted on the side of the tub, most likely due to the heat of Dai's fire Jutsus; and even stored a seemingly intact tooth. As she shifted through the mess, kneeling beside the tub, the grimace wouldn't leave her face. To think that she talked to the man she was currently running her hands through just two days prior.

"Sakura-chan, I cleaned up all that gross stuff and put it in the trash bag," Naruto stated as he poked his head into the bathroom and presented his assignment, his nose scrunched up in distaste, "And the top of his head was still there…So I threw that in too," Sakura turned to face him just in time to witness his shiver.

She smiled gratefully and stood, pocketing the filled vials back into her medical bag before shouldering it, "Thanks Naruto, I appreciate it."

"Do you really think this'll help?" Naruto asked curiously as he and Sakura began walking towards the front of the house; he shook the bag – considerably lighter than the day before with a smaller lump inside – the contents shifting and squelching with the action; Naruto gagged again.

"Every little thing helps," Sakura explained as they exited the front door, Sakura immediately turning right and making her way to the side of the house, specifically the side where the bedrooms were located.

Dai and Sasuke were packed and already present, and the tell-tale dark trail substance the Creature left behind was visible also. It wasn't hard to miss the thick matter decorating the side of the house, in between the two windows of the room she and Sasuke had been in that night; the area that the Creature kept impacting. Efficiently, Sakura removed a few more extra vials and began taking samples, Dai quietly examining the trail as it came from the main street and most likely led back to the Bridge and forest.

"Four hours, you said, right Dai-san?" Sakura asked, as she scooped the substance into the glass jars, careful not to touch it; she was trying to break the silence, it felt tense all of a sudden, "To get to your Village?"

"Yes," Dai nodded, "It's not a hard journey, just lengthy. And since its daylight we won't run into any trouble."

"I wonder why they don't like daylight," Naruto voiced, plastic bag slung over his shoulder as he watched Sakura do what she needed to do.

"I suspect it has to do with light and heat," Dai answered as he gazed at the rising sun, "Similar affects that fire has on them."

"But you said they adapt to fire," Sasuke pointed out.

"They adapt, yes, but if done continuously, like I tried with Yoshiro, they'll eventually burn and die," Dai replied informatively, "Unlike Yoshiro, who could barely move with his missing limbs, these creatures are fast and fire Jutsus aren't usually powerful enough or can be maintained long enough to burn them into ash in so little time, they'll move away or fight through it…So because the sun is continuous, they can't handle the constant light…" He shrugged, "It's a theory, but it's most plausible."

"I agree," Sakura sighed as she stood up, clearly finished with her extraction as she stored away the jars into her pack, "I think your theory is right."

"If that's the case," Sasuke stated as he began to follow Sakura back to the main street, Naruto and Dai behind him, "Then where are they when morning comes?"

Sakura shook her head, "No idea," She glanced at Dai from over her shoulder, "And I'm guessing you don't know either, else you would have already done something about it."

Dai frowned, "Somewhere in the Tri-Point Forest. That's all we know."

Sasuke frowned, "Hn."

The four Shinobi walked back towards the Bridge, ambling alongside the dark trail, mulling over their varying thoughts in deep contemplation. Sakura couldn't stop the different speculations running through her mind, analyzing every piece of evidence she collected and how they were connected together; she couldn't help but feel like the puzzle pieces weren't fitting together because something was missing, or wasn't right. Sasuke was reasonably annoyed with his and his team's situation and although this Makato Dai seemed well-intentioned, something about the boy didn't seem authentic about him; his onyx eyes narrowed fractionally with suspicion. Naruto wasn't oblivious to the tension – he could be smart when he wanted to be, he analyzed when he had to – but something about the situation made him want to let Sakura figure it out and let her take the reins since she knew more and could gather more with all she had experienced and gathered in her evidence, he would patiently stand by and do whatever it is she asked.

"Four hours," Dai repeated as they crossed the Bridge, ignoring the faded trail of scarlet, "We're heading directly west."

Sakura nodded, clutching her messenger bag tighter to her side, "No stopping or rest, straight shot. However, if something pops out to any of us, anything that might be good evidence, we'll check it out."

All three males nodded with agreement and after a final glance at the foreboding entrance of the Tri-Point Forest, and four simultaneous inhales, they jumped into the companies as dark blurs, hastily making their way through, tension coiling in their shoulders as Team Seven thought that traveling in broad daylight had never before felt so nerve-racking.

Three and a half hours was mostly spent in silence. Sakura felt a little unsure about how to feel for the quiet; on the one hand it was a little relaxing opposed to the constant moaning and pounding from the night before, she rather enjoyed the occasional song from birds in their passing; however, with that calm also brought forth the chaos of her mind, leaving her thinking too much and anxious that the stillness was foreboding and something could happen in any given second of carelessness. She reasoned that there should be nothing to worry about; once she and her companions had past the clearing where Yoshiro's body was found everything seemed fine, looked peaceful, and if her memory had been wiped of the past few days she would have thought she was running through one of the most beautiful and tranquil forests she had ever encountered.

Unfortunately, Haruno Sakura had a very good memory.

It also didn't help that the sporadic squelching from the bag slung over Naruto's shoulder also reminded her exactly what she and her team were in for.

Squelch.

She flinched, tightening her hold on the strap of her medical bag, feeling a little sympathetic to Naruto, who had to carry the valuable baggage. As if on cue, she could hear the blonde groan sordidly from behind her.

"Almost there," Dai assured, his brows creased in apology as he looked back at them.

Sakura picked up her speed to run alongside Dai, catching his curious attention, "Where did you say your Village was, Dai-san? I mean, you said it's a four hour run from Rain's Border Village and it's been three and a half hours but there's still so much forest ahead of us…It sounds like you live in a–"

"–Border Village also," Dai finished with a nod; he smirked as he glanced at her, "You're very perceptive Sakura-san, perhaps Nara-san wasn't the better choice; you clearly are."

Sakura blushed lightly at the flattery but pressed forward, "Thank you, but if your Village is a Border Village and you're still currently based there then I'm assuming that it hasn't been overrun by these creatures."

Dai shook his head, "No it hasn't, but that was because of the wards Yuudai-sensei created…We place them in key areas at the forest's entrance and replace them once every two weeks. Those seals are harder to make because it requires more chakra, but Toki-sama is always sure that shinobi at the Capitol donate some of their chakra to create them."

Sakura nodded her head, informed of Sasaki Yuudai, apparently a mentor of sorts to Dai, during breakfast at the prompting of Naruto.

"It doesn't mean that we still don't have our share of disappearances," Dai continued in a sigh, "They're mostly reckless people who don't believe in The Curse and are trying to prove a point, daredevils who want to see The Curse with their own eyes and try to make a name of themselves if they get out alive – which they don't," He frowned, "Sometimes even kids who don't know the boundaries and wander in…It's lessened since I set up a Patrolling Duty but it's difficult to keep; most of the shinobi are working with me to get answers so they don't have the time, and civilians are too feint at heart to really participate…Patrolling is tough, I'll admit; when you're walking along the edge of the forest you'll see things, you'll hear things, sometimes they'll even walk beside you as you make your rounds, but only as far as the seals will allow…Though it's usually the Little Girl and the Creature…They're fast enough to pull you in if you take a wrong step, or they're fast enough to pull away, back into the forest, if you decide to attack them…"

"…I may just have to try this Patrolling Duty," Sakura murmured thoughtfully, considering the possibilities with the new information.

"My Village is far from peaceful," The Chuunin informed, "We're a crop and farming community and our profits have dropped drastically since the attacks started ten years ago. The fields are near the forests so workers are too afraid to go out and tend to them. The outcome of this mystery's solution will affect my Village greatly. Out of fear many families have moved into the Capitol, so it's pretty deserted, besides the group of shinobi I work with and the few brave civilians and families that support us in solving the problem…Once this problem is solved people will return and the Village can hopefully thrive again."

Sakura watched Dai, could see the sadness in his dilemma and touched his shoulder briefly in comfort, smiling at him gently when he looked her way, "I will work to the best of my ability to help you solve this mystery, Dai-san. I promise."

Slowly, he smiled, appreciation sparking his navy eyes, "Thank you, Sakura-san."

Nodding once, Sakura returned her hand to her side and shifted her gaze forward, a small pressure settling in her heart as she began to think about the weight of this mystery's resolution. An entire Village – an entire Country, in fact three countries, perhaps even the world – were now counting on her and her Team to assist Dai with this Curse and its prevention of spreading. Lives were on the line, loved ones were waiting to be avenged, this problem was becoming bigger than Sakura initially realized and she knew that, as someone that Dai had specifically called for her help – and on the desperation of deception, no less – she couldn't let him down; she didn't want to let anyone down.

Emerald eyes narrowing with determination, Sakura's grip tightened on her messenger bag's strap, a strong resolve building throughout her entire body.

Haruno Sakura was a kunoichi. She was smart. She had reliable and strong teammates with her. She could do this. This was her job.

Squelch.

"Sasuke-teme, can you please just carry it the rest of the way!" Naruto complained; Sakura looked over her shoulder just in time to see Naruto hold out the bag towards the glaring Uchiha, who was clearly making no move to take it, "I can't take it anymore!"

Sasuke's eyes slid from Naruto to the bag before he smirked, "No."

"Aw, come on!" The blonde pleaded as he shook the thing, eliciting more disturbing sounds as he paled.

Brows pinching together in sympathy, Sakura slowed her pace and held her hand out to her blue-eyed best friend, "I'll take it, Naruto."

The self-proclaimed future Hokage's face lit up, but before he could pass the black plastic over a hand had already roughly jerked it from his grasp, a scowl on Sasuke's face as he looked at his newly acquired possession with disgust before picking up speed, leaving a bewildered Sakura and grinning Naruto behind, "Hn."

"Thanks Sasuke-teme!" Naruto called out gleefully, only to be – unsurprisingly – ignored.

Sakura glanced at the two in mild confusion before dropping her outstretched hand, inwardly shrugging and brushing off their behavior as typical. Biting her lip as she returned to her earlier thoughts, the four continued the last stretch of their journey through the Tri-Point Forest.

When the trees parted into open fields and farming land Sakura couldn't help but release a soft exhalation of breath, a bit of relief coursing through her veins as she realized that she was once again occupying a civilized atmosphere. Two days and two nights in the Rain Border Village felt far longer and her shoulders sagged with the apprehension of being able to have a full, undisturbed night of rest. It was when she past the last lining of trees of the Tri-Point Forest – literally the edge – into the clear fields did she become aware of the red ribbons flying in the breeze. The scarlet tendrils were tied to posts stuck into the ground which were wrapped in wards that looked similar to Dai's. Every twenty-five meters another red-ribbon-decorated-post would be spotted, acting as a marked barrier – a do not cross – to be wary of, concerning the very forest she and her comrades had just emerged from.

The kunoichi wasn't the only one to have noticed; Sasuke, who was several steps ahead of her, had stopped beside one of the posts and was examining it thoughtfully, noticing that a ward decorated each side of the square-shaped beam – four wards total per post. The Uchiha looked further down the edge of the forest where he could see about six more red-marked posts, before a large structure – roughly forty yards in length, thirty yards in width, two stories in height – blocked the rest of the way, quite close to the forest's edge, possibly ten yards away, and looking a little out of place in such wide-open fields. However, what was more intriguing was an extension of some sort, protruding from the far side of the building – opposite of where Sakura could see – that led into the forest, but what it connected to was lost among the trees.

"That's our Patrolling Center," Dai informed as he followed Sasuke's stare, "Sometimes we use it as an Observation Deck too."

Dai waved his hand to gesture them to continue following; Naruto and Sasuke wordlessly trailed after him though Sakura stood, examining the building with an arched brow, already knowing that she would be making a visit there soon; real soon.

"Sakura-chan!"

The Medic began walking at Naruto's call, though her eyes stayed glued on the structure a few additional seconds before she finally faced forward and increased her pace to catch up to the group.

At first, Team Seven only noticed fields and cultivated terrain; however Sakura perceived that much of the plant life was either untouched or dying. Some land looked like it was being tended to but it wasn't encountered as often as the vast majority of lifeless ground; Sakura could now visually witness just how much Dai's Village's crop losses were.

After nearly five minutes of walking, the buildings that had been distant in vision, when they exited the forest, were now more pronounced. Their Village Walls weren't very high, possibly twenty feet, so the buildings' rooftops could be seen over them. The Gates were old, made of rusty metal, and they groaned as they slowly swung open at Dai's signal to the on-guard entry men. It was quite a large Village, taking into account that it was mostly populated by farmers, but as Team Seven and Dai walked the wide streets Sakura could see that the community was also based on carpentry and blacksmithing; occupations that dealt with creation and invention, the every-day job if shinobi-work wasn't their calling. Sakura concluded it was purely a civilian-based town, expected since Bird Country didn't have any Hidden Villages and their ninja usually found the brunt of their work at the Capitol.

The atmosphere was a different experience for Team Seven. Due to the Village's relatively large size and numerous household buildings and businesses she figured the roads would be regularly crowded and busy. And although the streets were full of people going about their daily lives Sakura couldn't help but feel like this wasn't their norm, that by these citizens' standards, the Village was quite bare. In retrospect, if the amount of people out in about in this Village were out and about in Konoha, it would be considered a ghost town to her; but for a Village of this particular size – estimated eight hundred civilians – about half seemed to have left and the other half had stayed.

"We'll head to the North-West Compound," Dai stated simply as he glanced at his companions, "It's more deserted there, quieter, so it's where The Group and I set up base. I'm pretty sure they should all be there right now, so while you meet them I'll go and find you proper accommodations within the Village," He frowned as he began walking, "Shouldn't be hard since a lot of people have left."

Sakura nodded silently in agreement, falling into step behind Dai and to the left of Sasuke with Naruto occupying the Uchiha's other side. As they walked the three were taking in their surroundings warily, feeling the palpable tension among the villagers and not oblivious to the curious and suspicious stares being directed at them. Dressed as shinobi, Team Seven obviously stood out among the crowds, but Dai walked on with his head held high, nodding his acknowledgements to men and women who called out and greeted him. Unlike the wary stares Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto received, Dai was looked upon with high-regard, maybe even a little respect, but Sakura's keen observations didn't miss the underlying uncertainty also swirling in their guarded expressions. Dai was young – seemingly stubborn and apparently brave – but after a near decade with little results about The Curse, that respect was beginning to wane in its weariness.

It gave all the more reason to lend their help as soon as possible. The Village seemed to be taut with tension; any more pressure or disappointment could cause their level of peace and trust and hope to break, and who knew what would happen if panic or anger or desperation took over.

Sasuke's lips had pressed into a thin line, his grip tightening on the plastic bag slung over his shoulder, aware of the apprehensive stares being directed at his baggage. His eyes slid towards Naruto who was walking stiffly beside him; the blonde's concentration was trained straight ahead, occasionally darting to whatever caught his interests – whispering old women, playing children – but he kept silent, furrowed brows the only sign of his discomfort for the continued attention aimed at at them.

Another ten minutes of unspoken walking and passing glances before the crowds began to thin out and the streets became less lively. It was when the group of four strolled under a massive, steel archway that they were greeted by an empty, open space and a couple of large buildings that resembled mansions, though it was hardly marbled and decorative, just outsized. One building looked like a warehouse, very square and plain, but in front of it was a wooden carriage, though no horses were tied to it. On the east end of the open field, past what looked like a shinobi training ground with wooden targets, was a gate that opened into another row of houses, though it seemed deserted of any inhabitants.

"This is Base," Dai offered bluntly as he gestured towards the quiet area with a wave of his hand, "Not much to see really, it's basically the place where we do our work and research, hold meetings and train. A few of our members also sleep here if they don't have a home or families to go back to. Toki-sama provides as much as she can…It's not top-of-the-line but we manage…"

"It's so quiet," Naruto stated aloud as he looked around; he was used to walking through busy and crowded villages like Konoha and Suna, even Iwa; quiet towns made him nervous – most likely a side-effect of the little time he spent at the Rain Border Village.

"Everyone's probably inside," Dai informed him as he looked up at the sky, "It's around lunch so I'm sure Reika-chan might be trying to make some food…" He shrugged, "Or baking…"

Once Dai's statement had ended the front door to the main house opened and a single figure emerged. It was a boy, younger than Sakura and her companions – early-teens – and dressed as an aspiring shinobi. He was geared to go, weighed down by various pouches and scrolls but the kunoichi noticed that he didn't have a hitae-ate on his person. Unconsciously she slid her stare back to Dai, raking over his form and not finding a shinobi headband on him either; now that she thought back on it, she had yet to see the proof of his shinobi-status since meeting him.

However, her attention was diverted back to the newcomer. Apparently the boy hadn't missed the four figures standing idly meters from the front door and his chocolate eyes widened in surprise before he hurriedly hopped down the small set of steps. He had short, auburn hair, a slender build, probably reached her shoulder in height, and he was grinning with excitement showing two, perfectly-situated dimples, and two rows of white teeth, though his top, right, front tooth was chipped.

"Daisuke-san!" He greeted happily as he stopped in front of the Chuunin – supposed-Chuunin, Sakura thought warily – the boy's energy was practically spilling from his body, "Where have you been? We've been worried! The Suzuki twins set up your carriage and some medical supplies and everything to help pick up your patient from Rain," He gestured towards the wooden coach by the warehouse, "But you never came back like you said you would! Reika-chan and Masahiro-san wanted to send out a team to look for you but Takeru-san wouldn't have it; he said that if you," Here he deepened his voice and squared his shoulders, "'got killed in the field it's his own damn fault, stupid boy'," His hands began to motion wildly, "But then Raiden-san said we'd wait a few more days and just trust that you had your reasons for not coming back so we did, but the Suzuki twins were getting anxious – well, Akemi-chan was, you know how she is – so we agreed to go after lunch – which was good food by the way, Reika-chan's getting better – but you're here and you're okay and thank Kami-sama, because I really didn't feel like going on a search party in that forest, you know? I need to rest up for The Plan in three days, right? I got to keep my strength!" His brown eyes suddenly darted towards the silent Team Seven members with curiosity, one brow raised in both enthusiasm and wariness, "Who are you?"

Sakura was a little taken aback by the boy's untamed exhilaration, having spoken his entire greeting and explanation in practically one breath, a feat that rivaled Naruto. Sasuke remained impassive, although he was staring at the boy as if he was another Naruto – which consisted of a slightly irritated expression; the Uchiha got annoyed, quite easily, of talkative people. Naruto, however, was staring at the newcomer with widened eyes, clearly surprised, unaware that their conversational habits seemed practically parallel of one another.

Dai sighed audibly as he took the boy's shoulders and pushed him forward a little, allowing a fuller view for both sides, "Souta, please welcome Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf Village. Team Kakashi; this is Yoshida Souta, recent rookie-Chuunin of Bird Country."

Souta's brown eyes widened enormously as Dai recited their names to him, his smile growing even larger with anticipation that reminded Sakura and Sasuke even more of Naruto, "You're Team Seven? You're Team Kakashi?"

Before Sakura could verbally confirm Souta's enthusiastic questions he had already jumped forward and took five seconds each to vigorously shake their hands, grinning broadly, "You don't know how long I've wanted to meet you! When I learned about you when I was an Academy Student I officially dubbed you my heroes! I mean, you've done so much and you're only eighteen years old! Y-You're awesome!"

"Thank you, Souta-san," Sakura answered unsurely, releasing her hand from his hold, prompting him to step back and gaze at the three standing before him with avid admiration; she offered a small smile, feeling a little boosted and more confident with his declarations, but she was modest, "But we're shinobi just like you–"

"Are you kidding?" Souta exclaimed, interrupting her and looking appalled, startling Naruto and Sakura and further irritating Sasuke, "You're not like me at all, not like anyone! You three trained under Fire Country's Legendary Sannin and surpassed them! Uzumaki Naruto," He stared directly at the blonde, who stepped back slightly at the intensity of those large, brown eyes, "You are the Legacy of Hidden Leaf's greatest Hokage, you mastered Sage Mode, and you defeated the Akatsuki! Uchiha Sasuke," He switched his gaze to the ex-Avenger, the dark-haired male staring at the youth with apathy, "You have the Legendary Sharingan, you're one of the strongest and stealthiest Ninja to have ever lived, and you have the greatest arsenal of Ninjutsu I've ever seen! And Haruno Sakura," His eyes connected with surprised emerald, the kunoichi completely speechless, "You're the strongest kunoichi I've ever heard about – literally and figuratively – you're super smart and you're a renowned Medic of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and you're really, really, really pretty too!"

Sakura couldn't help but let the blush crawl up her cheeks, Naruto leaning forward to grin at her while Sasuke's eyes danced with vague amusement. As Souta took another deep breath to jump into an additional long ramble, Dai instantly reached out a hand, covered Souta's mouth, and smiled apologetically at his company.

"Sorry about this kid," Dai stated as he threw the boy a hard look, "He doesn't know when to quit talking. So shut it, yeah?" Souta deflated a bit in disappointment but he nodded his head, Dai pulling his hand away when he deemed it safe; his navy eyes then connected with each of the members of Team Seven, "Let's head inside."

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto nodded and fell back into step with Dai, following the man up the stairs of the mansion Souta had emerged from. The younger boy eagerly strolled alongside Naruto, looking up at the backs of Sakura and Sasuke with obvious awe.

"…So why are you here, Naruto-san?" The boy questioned in a whisper, careful not to get caught by Dai and be reprimanded for bothering the Legendary Team with his inquiries.

Naruto looked down at Souta, grinning when he saw the boy's features light with apprehension for his answer, inwardly taking a liking to the kid's exuberant personality; it was a relaxing and an appreciative change from the night before, "Isn't it obvious, kid?" Naruto's grin widened as he watched Souta's expression twist into confusion; the blonde laughed, "We're here to help."

And Naruto watched gleefully as Souta's facial demonstrations shifted with his thoughts – surprise, disbelief, and finally, untamed anticipation – and his loud shout earned a startled look from Sakura, an aloof glance from Sasuke, an exasperated sigh from Dai, and a wholehearted laugh from Naruto.

"Are you serious?"

(PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ IT ALL, THANK YOU!) A/N: So Chapter Eleven is here. Eh, I'm not as happy with it as I want to be, I don't know, tell me what you think? Also, a lot of SasuSaku moments in here, but I'm unsure whether I'm putting too much. I Absolutely LOVE the coupling but I don't want to go completely overboard with it. This story is centered more around the Horror and Mystery and I don't want the Romance to completely overshadow that…I'm jumping out of my comfort zone but if I find myself back in that zone then I'm not doing what I want to be doing, which is the Horror/Mystery, so please share with me your opinions about how I'm doing, I would really appreciate it.

As for the Next Few Chapters, there will be a lot of Plot Development and Information Overload, I'm going to try and pull it off as smoothly as I can without confusing you readers, so I need your opinion. The next few chapters may be similar to this one. A lot of Details and Visualization, (e.g. the description of the Bird Border Village) and a lot of Heavy Dialogue (e.g. Souta's babbling). So tell me, was it easy for you to keep up and follow this chapter? Your opinion helps, I want to spread information so you guys can follow it as best you can while still enjoying the read, instead of getting annoyed with all the word-jumbles. So, PLEASE, let me know?

AND! How is this Length of the Chapters? Do you want Longer or Shorter Chapters? Please let me know.

IMPORTANT!
(PLEASE PLEASE ANSWER) Questions:
- Who liked the SasuSaku? Which was your favorite one?
- Any ideas about what might happen next?
- Did anyone follow Souta's first paragraph dialogue?
- Who likes Yoshida Souta? Can anyone guess his age?
- PLEASE tell me, is Team Seven In Character? I want them to be IC!
- PLEASE tell me if the Romance is overshadowing the Horror and Mystery.
- OH! And who got scared the very first few paragraphs, did anyone know it was a DREAM? Haha. I hope I got you!
- ALSO, does the small Humor fit? Or is it out of place? Like, when Naruto made that innuendo about Sasuke and Sakura in the bedroom, or Naruto complaining to Sasuke about the plastic bag, or Souta's behavior? Should I omit Humor or is it fine?
- AND! How would you feel - just a random question - if Sai or Yamato or Kakashi showed up? Or All of them? You know, since they're Team Seven too? Just share your opinion. It may or may not happen.
- AGAIN, How is the Length of the Chapters? Do you readers want Longer or Shorter Chapters? Let me know please!
- FINALLY, How am I doing so far?

PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

Disclaimer: I do not own…Sad panda.

Next Chapter: The Group (Update: 6-7 days) Probably a weekly basis.

WARNING! Next chapter: DO NOT EAT BEFORE READING! Haha, especially Pop-Tarts! That means you Sakura's Indecision! HORROR AHEAD!

Actually, Next Chapter might come out SOONER, since I had to break this chapter down. Originally the whole group was supposed to be introduced, but I decided instead to ease the readers into it. So, because it's slightly typed up, it might not take as long.

Review Shout-Outs:

Rayluva4, RedandBlackTears, innocent blusher, Ladyrouge214, Joy-girl, Moonwaterpetal, brokenpureshards, Asha3, AngieVICIOUS, Kurtulmak, sasusaku70123, Arita-chan, Livvy22, FoXyFaLlEnAnGeL-11, shkh4ever, LittleGreenWolf, sasusaku-EienAi, and Lady Rini.

You guys are the best, thank you so much for reading and reviewing and I hope to continue to scare and suspense you on the ride that is The Curse! This eleventh chapter is dedicated to YOU!
Let's try to get to 150 Reviews!

UPDATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
It All Started With – Chapter 17
False Façade – Chapter 2
Forbidden Bonds – Chapter 5
Missing In Action - Chapter 2

I'm sorry I haven't been updating the above stories like I've wanted to, it's just my Muse has been focusing so much on The Curse and I can't let that inspiration slip by, so please be patient with the other chapters of my stories, I will get to them, as soon as I possibly can.

And! If anyone is confused about the Mapping of this story, I'd recommend checking out the World Map at (www . leafninja . com) Just take out the parentheses and spaces, it's where I get a lot of my Naruto Information! :)

Oh! One last thing! Anyone got a Twitter? I made one for the sole purpose of making friends who have the same interests as me (Naruto, Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist, Final Fantasy VII, Anime in general), let me know, I'm open to new friendships and whatever, up to you, just PM me or drop a review! Happy reading everyone!

Oh! And I plan on sending out some Pokémon (AAML), Fullmetal Alchemist (EdWin), and Final Fantasy VII (CloudTifa) Fictions too, so if you're FANS, please check them out! :)

You Are All The Best! And Feel Free To PM Me About Recent Naruto Manga Chapters Too! Heehee!

LotzaLove!
Len83
aka
Luvinukag83