The Curse
Chapter Fifteen: Patrol Duty (Part II)
12:42 AM
Naruto kicked a pebble across the ground, brows creased deeply in reflection. With his hands shoved into his pant pockets, clenching and unclenching into fists and royal blue eyes glaring down at the floor as he walked, the blonde couldn't help but let his calming peace dissolve into rising questions, doubts, and fears about the event that occurred in The Pit. He wondered about the danger he put everyone in because of his status as a Jinchuuriki, what this new information of their threat being attracted to his Demon-chakra could mean for him, his teammates, and the investigation.
Would it open doors? Or seal those doors shut?
Would he be offered as bait? Did he pose as a risk or even a weakness to any plans? Would he prove useless and utterly helpless to the case?
"Emi…?"
Naruto rubbed his aching forehead, frustrated that the occurrence in The Pit was still bothering him; still affecting him with a slight prickling in his senses, causing him to feel a light throbbing in his cranium, as if he kept hearing the guttural screams of agony, the menacing promises of his and his friends' demises, and those helpless, whispered voices crying for his help.
"Emi…Emi, where are you?"
Naruto scratched his head, even shaking it slightly – he was still hearing the voices.
"Emi, please come out!"
He stopped walking, allowing his hand to fall away from his blonde spikes before craning his head to hear the muffled plead better; to make sure it really wasn't a figment of his imagination. He looked around, seeing nothing but the Tri-Point Forest's edge at his right, the distant lights of the Border Village at his left, and the Patrol Facility a good distance behind him – probably three hundred yards away. Ahead of him was a sloping hill he was only beginning to ascend and all that was in Naruto's apparent company were the occasional posts plastered with protective ofudas and its accompanying red ribbons of warning.
A soft sniffle, "…Emi, where have you gone?"
More curious and confused than ever, Naruto eagerly began to climb the slope of the hill, desiring to see what – or who – waited on the other side.
The closer to the top Naruto neared, the lower he crouched and the quieter his steps became. By the time he was able to look beyond the obstruction of the hill towards the North where Earth Country Mountains lay he was on his hands and knees, his stare following the slope downward where a darkened figure was edging dangerously close to the protective barrier separating safety and the Tri-Point Forest.
"Emi! Come out!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness even with the full moon's bright luminosity. His heart thudded in his chest with a bothering uncertainty as he discerned a small figure – a child – with long, brown hair, pink-flushed skin, and tiny hands cupped over her mouth as she continued her desperate calls.
Was it an illusion? A trap? An invention of his own imagination?
But this little girl was within the protective perimeter of the seals. She had to be real, right?
"Emi!"
'Who are you looking for…?'
Naruto felt his whole body stiffen just as the sniffling girl whirled around in surprise, both searching for the origination of the sudden voice but finding no one.
"Wh-Who's there?" The young girl had now wrapped her arms around her body, hunching her shoulders uncertainly as her brown eyes darted around the seemingly empty area.
'…Who are you looking for…?' The eerily familiar voice questioned again; light and curious though Naruto could detect faint amusement…dark amusement.
"…M-My cat, E-Emi…" The young girl responded hesitantly, almost too quiet for Naruto to catch, "She r-ran off…I can't find her."
'…Hmm…Is she white with light brown and black spots on her fur…?' The disembodied voice inquired.
The little girl brightened immediately, hopeful, "Y-Yes! Have you seen her? Who are you? Where are you?"
The light voice giggled in response, 'You may call me Amaya…I've seen your cat; come into the Forest, I'll take you to her…'
Instantly, the little girl's defenses returned and she looked at the entrance of the dark foliage warily, "…I-I'm not supposed to go in there…"
'…Don't you want to see your cat…Your Emi…?' The voice reasoned curiously; alluringly.
A cat's soft mewl followed the question and with the child's desperate need and burst of excitement with hearing her dear Emi within the darkness she immediately broke into a frenzied run towards it. Startled into action, Naruto sprang upward and sped down the slope of the hill towards the girl, arms outstretched.
"No! Don't go in there!"
In his minor vision, Naruto could see a white form rushing from the foliage towards the Tri-Point Forest's edge causing the blonde shinobi to push off with all the force and chakra he could muster, his fingers deftly grasping the young girl's woolen sweater, pulling what he could, causing the girl to stumble back into the protective barrier just as the Little Girl came rushing into the open, feral mouth barred and eliciting a frightened scream from the fragile girl in Naruto's arms.
Naruto, who had fallen onto his rear, quickly scooted back for good measure, eyes never leaving the blood-and-flesh-thirsty gaze of the Little Girl as she glared at the blonde and the brunette child now sobbing in his arms.
'You've stolen my prey, demon,' The Little Girl snarled, black hair rising in her anger as she stood at the very edge of the protective limit, barrier already crackling by her mere presence, 'Give her to me!'
"No way!" Naruto challenged, eyes narrowed as his hold on the girl tightened around her securely.
The Little Girl looked down and seemed to connect gazes with the child in his arms, the girl stiffening with fear, '…Don't you want Emi?' She lifted her arm where a cat was gripped in her pale hand, 'Don't you want your kitty…?'
Naruto felt the girl sob harder, muttering, "Please don't hurt Emi, please!"
The Little Girl's lips formed a salacious smirk, 'Oh kitty…Poor kitty…'
Naruto knew what was coming, disgusted and helpless as he quickly covered the child's eyes, watching in horror as the Little Girl moved her free hand to the struggling creature's neck, ready to break it, white blood-stained teeth grinning with glee as a pained yowl filled the air, multiplied by the child's distraught and fearful sobs.
The yowling stopped and the kitten lay limp in the Little Girl's hand. Her dark eyes connected with Naruto's, who glared at her with a malice he had not felt since facing Uchiha Madara. The ghost child was unaffected as she brought the kitten to her lips, intent to feed, and a fury rose within Naruto at her intentional actions.
Just as fur was about to touch pale lips, a bright light filled the night.
"Katon: Karyuudan no Jutsu!"
In the distance, several screams echoed.
12:55 AM
Heart pounding, calves burning, skin slick with sweat, and breaths coming out in quick gasps. Emerald eyes dart around uncertainly in the dark, muscles tense with every passing shadow, hands clench with the readiness to defend. She has been running for ages now, northeast, to check for her original where the creatures seem to be coming from, but the night is too dark to find the way, and the foliage is becoming denser and more difficult to travel through.
And…something is following her.
It is swifter than a Corpse; it neither groans nor moans but growls and howls; its steps are heavier than hers, its presence more suffocating and ominous than those of its lesser companions.
A hand grabs her ankle and she whirls around with a grunt, blue chakra encasing her foot as she kicks the crawling Corpse away, only for it to be snapped up in a pair of pearly-white jaws. She seizes, watches the jaw snap and chew twice, mangling the cadaver beyond movement, blood and a dark, black substance dripping to the forest floor.
Heels spin, she runs. Even when its pounding feet and heavy breaths follow her, fear shoots full-force throughout her illusory body.
'Give me your blood…'
And so the Creature makes her appearance also…
'Give it to me…'
Hands reach out – hands not her own – and grab for her, but she ducks and dodges and rolls away, breathing in gasps, eyes wide. More shadows are moving with her in the forest, large and intimidating. She breaks through a patch of low branches and stumbles into a large clearing. In the distance she finds some relief in the form of one of her other copies.
A scream fills the air and they recognize it as their own. Memories return and both flinch and shake with horrible realization; there goes their third. The first begins to call out but watches in wide-eyed horror as the second is taken up by a massive beast and its blood-thirsty jaws. It's a second scream and poof.
Silence.
'GIVE. ME. YOUR. BLOOD!'
She spins with fists raised; ready to defend, ready to attack, ready for anything…
She stares into wild eyes, blood stained cheeks, an opened mouth aiming for her neck…
She screams as hair tangles her in darkness, as a song fills the air, as laughter fills her ears…
And she 'poofs' away into oblivion as the outraged cry of the Creature echoes in the night.
12:37 AM
Sasuke watched as Sakura absently rolled her shoulders and neck, right hand unconsciously trailing across her collarbone as if to make sure she had not sustained the injuries received by her very first clone's attack against it. He watched as she sighed for the umpteenth time that night before she turned her back on the glass windows and retook her seat beside him, her fatigue even more palpable with their closer proximity.
"…Are you tired?"
Her emerald eyes side-glanced him briefly, "…Are you?"
Her tone may have been weary but he could clearly hear the underlying amusement and challenge; he turned away with his arms crossed over his chest, "Hn."
Even though he couldn't see it, he could imagine the small smirk gracing her lips – she was picking up a lot of habits from Naruto.
"…Either my clones are really good at running, or those creatures are having way too much fun chasing…" She muttered as her head fell back and she stared blankly at the ceiling, "It's been close to forty-five minutes now…"
"…Maybe they found something…" Sasuke offered – trying his hand at optimism.
"I would hope," She responded with a sigh, "But that just seems too easy."
"Hn," The ex-Avenger grunted – which is why optimism was never his forte.
A short silence ensued – or as much a silence as soft whispers and unintelligible moans just outside the walls allowed.
"…I really hope Naruto is okay…" The Medic whispered guiltily.
"I suggested the use of the Kyuubi," The Uchiha amended.
"And I immediately agreed and pushed for its testing," Sakura countered wearily, placing a hand over her eyes, "I started all those tests, even your eyes, Sasuke-kun."
"Don't worry about it," He replied, fighting the urge to roll those same eyes, "The Sharingan's use is inevitable."
"Inevitable but not innumerable," Sakura argued softly, "…You know I can't help but worry; especially for you two."
Sasuke couldn't stop his snort of agreement.
"…When…" She stopped and took a breath, "…When you helped calm the Kyuubi…Did you notice anything?"
He could tell that she was completely reluctant asking the question given her obvious hesitancy; he could tell that she felt it was too soon to ask after the scare for Naruto's safety and his departure from their presence. However, Sasuke also recognized that she was doing her job too.
Sasuke shook his head in response, "It's just as the dobe said; there was a push and pull between the two chakras – his and theirs. I couldn't determine why or how it was happening; the Sharingan's ability was only able to separate them enough for Naruto to gain back his control."
Sakura was frowning thoughtfully, knees drawn up to her chest and arms wound tightly around them, "…Maybe it was simply a clash of auras. They carry natural energy, according to Naruto…Maybe it didn't take too well to the closeness of a dark chakra source that the Kyuubi carries…Or maybe they are just as dark and crave for the energy the Kyuubi possesses. They were screaming for Naruto…They were trying to break in to get to him…"
Seeing the deeply worried look on Sakura's face Sasuke knew what she was thinking, "We'll just have to make sure the dobe doesn't get into a situation where he has to use the Nine-Tail's chakra…We'll be sure to keep an eye on him…"
"…Yeah…" She stood up, now wrapping her arms around herself in self-protection as she walked back to the railing along the window panes, "…You know, I've been thinking about what you said, Sasuke-kun…About my tendency to do whatever I can at the risk of myself – my health, my safety, my welfare – but…I could never bear it if I risked you and Naruto again like I risked you both tonight."
"But you didn't–"
"I thought about what you said," She repeated in interruption; she turned and leaned heavily against the railing, slowly allowing her downcast eyes to raise and connect intensely with his, "…Do you think I can do this?"
Sasuke remained silent, stunned speechless with surprise. He shouldn't have been because of their close relationship as teammates and friends, but Sakura never asked for his opinion when it came to her skills and abilities. Perhaps it was a taboo of the past – his belittling of her in their youth; her goal to become stronger for him – or the simple desire to grow on her own without the knowledge or need for his judgment of her. Sasuke was no stranger to complimenting her strength and aptitude in chakra control and intense healing, he defended her worth as a kunoichi from skeptics and doubters, and he blandly pointed out the truth of her power and intelligence when training for improvement or strategizing for difficult missions.
But now – now she stared at him with a strange intensity; it was an intensity he recognized when she was trying to overcome an obstacle…to make those watching and supporting her proud. And asking him directly was almost as if she were asking him for a bit of reassurance – something Uchiha Sasuke wasn't exactly the best at giving.
She stared at him with a knowing look – knowing him – and how he was – plain, blunt, and realistic. She wanted the truth.
"I'm not just asking you because you're my teammate and friend, Sasuke-kun," She started quietly, shifting her gaze downward again, "Obviously Dai-san called me here because he believes I can somehow help and do something. And Naruto is always so optimistic – though I'm not saying you're pessimistic – but what I am saying is that…you're honest. You'll be honest with me. You won't cushion anything just like you did before – in our previous talk…"
Sasuke remained silent and staring at her – a part of his mind internally arguing that he hadn't meant to be brutally honest in their previous conversation; just…looking out for her; he dropped his gaze, "If I said I don't think you could solve it? What would you do?"
He could see her stiffen upon his words in his minor vision, sensed her shift in discomfort before breathing in deeply, "…It still wouldn't stop me…"
Sasuke looked back at her and slowly smirked, "Then why let opinions matter?"
Sakura opened her mouth, confused, "Wha–"
"You'll solve this mystery," He stated strongly before nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders, "I believe you can. You're smart, you're skilled, and you're driven. Knowing my – or anyone's – opinion shouldn't matter."
Sakura smiled, "But it does. Your opinion matters."
He looked at her, brow raised in bemusement, "Why?"
He smile widened fractionally, "It just…does. It helps me to know that you believe in me."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I'll always believe in you, Sakura."
'Because you've always believed in me…' The Uchiha thought immediately after.
"I'm glad. Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Slowly, unbidden, a smirk graced Sasuke's lips once more and he grunted in response. He closed his eyes and shook his head with amusement as her light – relieved – giggle filled the circular space.
"Annoying…" He muttered, although without malice – almost affectionately.
He was answered by her scream.
1:00 AM
The fire dragon that appeared from behind Naruto roared menacingly, its flaming body cackling, leaving the blonde in the wake of the fire's brief warmth, holding the child's body protectively in his arms as his royal blue eyes watched the attack strike the Little Girl who released an ear-splitting scream of pain.
Naruto could see the kitten's body drop from her hands in an effort to raise them and protect herself from the light and heat of the fire dragon. Her dark eyes narrowed piercingly on something behind Naruto, the blonde watching entranced as the dragon shone brighter, whirling around the delicate-looking ghost girl as if to create a tornado of searing heat.
'You cannot kill me…' She whispered; her lowered voice was filled with malevolence as it echoed around them, 'What you're doing is useless…'
She was already completely covered by the roaring flames; Naruto watching as the towering tornado even surpassed the canopies of the Tri-Point Forest.
"EMI!" The child in his arms screamed, her arm outstretched towards the kitten's unmoving body which lay dangerously close to the foot of the tornado.
Thinking quickly, Naruto swept his left hand sideways, calling his Wind Element in an effort to retrieve the child's kitten. It rolled to the side; and with a final grunt Naruto swept his arm inward at a pull, relieved that the wind pushed the creature's body into the air and towards them. He caught the frail body with both hands before returning his arms securely around the child, protecting her from the heat and protecting her from watching the scene before them.
'Weak,' The Little Girl whispered as the tornado instantly dissipated; she stood unscathed with narrowed dark eyes before she took a single step forward – just past the protective barrier.
The seals along the nearby posts shone a bright blue in an effort to strengthen with her intruding presence; her foot pushed against the cackling blue energy of the shield while her right hand raised and fought to push through also. Naruto watched with wide eyes, heart pounding with the fear that she could actually break through, when she suddenly stopped and pulled away.
'Weak…' She repeated; though it was mostly to herself, '…Pity.'
Her dark eyes again regarded something behind Naruto before sweeping over him and the trembling girl in his arms. Then her head shifted to the south in the direction of the Patrolling Facility, a faint frown pulling at her lips.
'…This is far from over…' She promised serenely as she turned back to them, her body beginning to fade away back into the darkness of the Tri-Point Forest, '…Far from over…'
And then she was gone.
Naruto was too stunned to move, especially with so much happening in the little time since discovering the little girl who was searching for her lost kitten. His royal blue eyes slid downwards to examine her for any injuries only to feel his heart lurch when he found her crying, hands hovering disbelievingly over the kitten's body cradled in his large hands.
"…Emi…?" She sniffled, tears rolling down her red-flushed cheeks, "…Emi?"
A shuffling of feet was heard behind him but Naruto paid no attention. His hands were trembling as he stared down at the scene, mind processing that the fragile creature in his upturned palms was no longer living and that the child who cared for it was shocked beyond reason to accept its unfortunate death.
"…Emi," She whispered again, "Please wake up."
"Kasumi," A masculine voice acknowledged.
It was answered by a feminine, "Of course…"
More shuffling before someone gracefully knelt down beside him. He slowly transitioned his gaze to the newcomer and couldn't help but let his eyes widen in alarm. The woman looked almost like a ghost – she had pale white skin and little emotion on her strikingly sharp yet attractive features. The only thing that prevented him from jumping up to fight were her eyes – they too were sharp and narrowed, serious and almond-shaped, but the color was a clear, sky-blue, very bright as opposed to the dark black irises the Creature and Little Girl had. Her long lashes fluttered as she shifted her gaze to the young girl in his arms and she lifted a gentle hand to caress the kitten before carefully taking it into her own hands.
"Come child," She spoke – her voice was mellow; one hand stretched out as an offering, "Let's take Emi to the Village."
The little girl sniffled as she took the slender appendage, "…She's dead, isn't she?"
The older woman merely tightened her grip and patiently led the child away, "We'll be sure to give her a proper burial."
"…Okay…"
And the woman turned, her lilac kimono spinning under the moon's luminosity as her wavy, waist-length silver-blonde hair swayed like a curtain.
Naruto watched them go, a little detached from himself as he remained seated on the grassy floor, too tired and too overwhelmed to move.
"You okay there?"
A pair of legs walked into his line of vision, blocking off the scene of the older woman holding the young girl's hand as they left, effectively breaking him from his trance. Before Naruto had the chance to look up, the figure had crouched down to stare directly into his eyes.
"Hey," He tried again, waving his right hand in front of Naruto's face, "What's your name, kid?"
Immediately, Naruto frowned, picking himself up off the ground, "I'm not a kid."
The man laughed, a soft yet deep-toned laugh, "Good to know that you can speak. Saw what you did earlier, pretty heroic of you."
Naruto glanced at the empty forest's edge, "…Well, I wasn't about to let that girl get killed."
"Suppose not," The man agreed seriously before stretching out his hand, "Which is why I want to thank you, for what you did. Enough deaths have already been caused; I'm glad that girl hasn't been added to the list."
Warily and still a bit uncertain, Naruto took his hand and the subsequent shake was firm, "Glad I could help."
The man smirked, a knowing look crossing his black eyes, "The help is certainly something to be grateful for. A pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto blinked, "How–?"
"I know who you are," He interrupted with a friendly smile, releasing Naruto's hand, "I was expecting your teammate, Haruno Sakura, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd be accompanying her here. I assume Uchiha Sasuke is here also?"
"Yeah, but…" Naruto started, still a little confused.
"Introductions, yes," The man remembered, running a hand through his short, white hair, "My name is Akiyama Raiden; though I'm not sure if Dai's mentioned me to you or not…?"
Naruto's eyes brightened in recognition, assessing the man before him with a more attentive gaze, "No, we've heard of you. Nice to finally meet you; and thanks – for earlier…"
Raiden sighed, beginning to dust off his pants before adjusting the twin blades on his back, "Unfortunately, I hardly made a dent on the Little Girl and she seems to be getting stronger, given her attempt to break through the seals; I'll have to get the barriers reinforced. If someone had been scouting the perimeter this whole thing could have been prevented," He shook his head, "Sloppy work tonight."
On first impression, Naruto noticed that Akiyama Raiden was a skilled and serious shinobi, given the Mission of The Curse that he was currently trying to solve. He and Shin looked the same age – about eight or nine years older than Team Kakashi – which gave him an air of authority and leadership usually present in older role models – like Hatake Kakashi. Although he carried himself tall and proud Naruto could tell that something was weighing heavily on Raiden's shoulders though he seemed an expert at hiding it.
Naruto easily picked it up because he too was familiar with putting up a façade of confidence and strength when things became the most difficult. When people looked up to him Naruto made sure that his behavior reflected hope and motivation to continue fighting and pushing forward. Raiden was a bit of a kindred soul in that sense.
"Back to the Patrolling Facility then?" Raiden asked in invitation, faint smile on his lips, "I am quite eager to meet the rest of Team Kakashi."
Naruto briefly flickered his gaze to the patch of burnt grass where the Little Girl once stood before shifting it back to Raiden and nodding his head, "Yeah, let's go."
1:00 AM
The first scream had been one of surprise, heightened in volume by fear. Sasuke's eyes snapped open just in time to see Sakura fall to the floor, her back hitting the ground hard as she stared with wide eyes at the ceiling. He was out of his seat and by her side in an instant, watching with alarm as she gasped uncontrollably, memories from her clones returning to her in waves as her eyes glazed over, unfocused.
"Sakura!"
Suddenly, her back arched completely off the floor as a soundless shout left her gaping mouth, lasting mere seconds before her body fell heavily back to the floor. Again she was gasping; her eyes now shut tight by the tremendous influx of information given by her second clone's defeat. Sasuke quickly put his hands on her shoulders; trying to bring her senses back to The Pit rather than in the memories of her copies.
Her hands flew up, clutching at her throat, trying to rip away something that wasn't there as she whimpered, muttering about 'darkness'.
"What's going on? What's happening?" Souta asked in a rush as he hurried down the spiral staircase, "I heard Sakura-san scream!"
Sasuke didn't pay him any attention, instead taking Sakura's hands into his, preventing her from digging her nails into her collarbone and providing her with another anchor back to her original body.
"Sakura, you need to calm down," The Uchiha stated lowly, gripping her hands tight when she struggled, "Those are memories. Come back to now. Come back to my voice. Come back to me."
Her eyes flew open, but instead of landing with relief onto the dark irises that belonged to Uchiha Sasuke, her gaze slid directly past him, towards the window overlooking the Tri-Point Forest.
Souta yelped.
Sasuke turned his head to look behind him, heart thudding in surprise to the see The Creature standing right against the window panes, her dark stare trained intently on Sakura. Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke shifted to block his pink-haired teammate from The Creature's view and the result were instantaneous; those blood-shot dark eyes flew to lock with his, a murderous intent swirling within their depths.
'Give me Haruno Sakura,' She hissed.
Sasuke turned his back on her, ignoring the loud shriek of outrage as he checked over his female teammate.
"Hey," He rubbed her hands and her eyes gradually slid towards him, "Are you okay?"
The Medic didn't answer verbally, just slowly nodded her head in affirmation.
Her forehead was slicked with sweat, eyes still glassy, but she wasn't shaking anymore and her gasps for breath had stopped; as if she hadn't been fighting for breath in the first place.
"…What's it doing?" Souta questioned, chocolate eyes trained on the window with bewilderment, "I've never seen her do that before…"
Sasuke followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes calculatingly as he watched The Creature pace – or rather, glide – along the windows, eyes never straying from Sakura while the Corpses stood clear of her routine.
'Your protection won't last forever, Haruno Sakura,' The Creature whispered menacingly, 'I will have you.'
"…What do you want with me?" Sakura whispered back – her deadened tone concerning Sasuke.
'Your Blood,' Was the immediate response, 'Your Body, Your Chakra.'
"Why?" Her eyes remained heavenward, refusing to acknowledge the Creature's dark presence again.
'To LIVE!' She hissed angrily in response, 'We want to LIVE. Give her to us!'
"Why me?" Sakura retorted in a shout; sitting up and glaring at the dark silhouette, "Why Haruno Sakura?"
The Creature only smiled; a creepy, blood-stained toothy smile.
Irritated, Sakura whirled her focus to Souta, "Has she or the Little Girl ever mentioned my name before I came here?"
Nervous for the anger being directed at him, Souta frowned, "N-No. I've never seen her put so much focus on only one person before."
'If you don't come,' The Creature started, 'We'll kill everyone. I'll eat that boy alive,' She grinned, referring to Souta, who shivered uncomfortably, 'And I'll kill your friends, Uzumaki Naruto…' Her eyes slid to connect with deep obsidian, 'And Uchiha Sasuke…'
Sasuke scoffed, "Let's see you try."
The Creature laughed, deprecating, 'I'll show you how I'll do it…'
While The Creature stood just a foot from the window panes, shadowed hands shot from the tendrils of darkness surrounding her, swerving along the ground into the furthered darkness of the Tri-Point Forest. Wary, Sakura stood and narrowed her eyes to better see what The Creature was up to, Sasuke sticking close by her side.
After several seconds the shadowed hands began to pull back into the light of the moon, but with it they clutched a lump of a figure, bringing it closer to the window to allow The Pit's occupants a better view.
'Lonely soul was trespassing…' She explained darkly, finally moving away from the window to stand beside the lump; the dark hands roughly pushed it over and an agonized moan of pain followed.
Sakura seized with anxiety, "It's…"
The Creature knelt down and grabbed a fistful of ebony hair, the moon's luminosity shining off a Stone Village hitae-ate. Blood covered every inch of him, his left leg was bent unnaturally, and half of his left cheek was missing.
"W-We have to save him!" Sakura panicked as she headed for the containment room, "We h-have to do someth–"
Sasuke caught her arm, preventing her from going any further, his expression clearly conveying his own torn judgment, yet his decision was made and absolute, "…We can't help him."
Sakura's eyes widened, "How can you say th–?"
"You go out there and she'll get through," Sasuke replied fiercely, "We…can't save him, Sakura. Even if it's the right thing to do…we just can't."
He could tell that she understood his logic; he could tell that she understood it was a trap. It was a cruel move and Sasuke and Sakura were just beginning to realize the kind of malicious game they were being thrown into.
Sakura's eyes slid to Souta and she rushed towards him, "Souta, close your eyes and don't watch."
His brown eyes shifted to her, disbelief filling him as he glanced back at The Creature and watched her begin to pull the man's arms away from his body as if to forcefully tear off the limbs, "What's she doing? W-Why can't we save him?"
Sakura quickly embraced the hysterical boy and covered his eyes, watching in horror as one arm was pulled from the socket, blood splattering haphazardly across the clearing, the Stone Shinobi's screams so loud and excruciating that Sakura clenched her own eyes shut while Sasuke shifted his gaze downward, cursing his inability to give the man a mercy killing – some way to release him from the unimaginable pain.
"PLEASE! SOMEBODY! AHHHH!"
Sasuke flinched as his peripherals caught blood painting against the windows in a wide arc, the crimson liquid trickling down the glass, so thick that it slightly covered the torture of the screaming, young man.
"Why is she doing this?" Sakura muttered to herself, distraught, "How could anybody do something like this?"
"PLEASE!" The man cried out, clearly afraid and in immense pain, "PLEASE!"
The Creature chuckled sadistically, 'Your blood and the blood of others will have to suffice…At least until I have hers.'
Sasuke felt a fury overcome him. Sakura's same questions ran through his head. Why were they after Sakura specifically? Was it coincidence that she be called by Daisuke to help, only for the creatures to lust for her blood? Or was it all a trap?
Sakura lifted her head and opened her eyes, just in time to see the man give off his final scream of pain before his head was completely removed from his mutilated body. Her body trembled as she witnessed The Creature examine the frozen expression of pain and fear on the man's face before she carelessly threw it atop the body, upon which the Corpses swarmed in moaning delight for their meal.
'I promise your friends will suffer worse…' The Creature stated in her guttural voice, 'Much worse if you don't give us what we want…'
"But why me?" Sakura whispered again, confused beyond anything.
The Little Girl's laugh filled the clearing; though she failed to make an appearance, 'Why not you? Ha…Ha…Ha…'
"So why not me?" Sasuke asked angrily; fed up with all the riddles and cryptic words.
'Useless Uchiha…' The Little Girl answered with a dark chuckle, 'You don't have what we want. Simple as that. Although…Naruto-kun seems quite appetizing…'
"Don't you dare go anywhere near him!" Sakura shouted, rage and fear surging through her veins.
Another soft giggle as her final statement was drowned out by the Corpses groans, '…No promises…'
In that moment, Sakura wanted to yell and scream and shout, her frustrations getting the best of her as she reluctantly watched the Creature smirk darkly before disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Through the blood-smeared windows, the three occupants of The Pit watched as the Corpses moved away from what remained of the Stone Shinobi –tattered clothes, red-stained dirt, pieces of bones, and a dully shining hitae-ate.
Wrapped in Sakura's arms, Souta shivered before he extracted himself, head bowed and a resigned sigh leaving his lips. His chocolate eyes flickered upward briefly to gaze at the red-tinted windows and the Corpses that had returned to crowding around the panes of glass and then he shook his head and turned on his heels.
"Are we done…?" He asked softly, failing to meet Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes, "…Maybe we should head back to the Main Building now…"
Sasuke nodded his agreement, a large part of him no longer wanting to be in the presence of moaning, blood-thirsty cadavers, the agonized screams from the Creature's victim echoing loudly and uncomfortably in his head. He shifted his eyes to regard Sakura, noticing the deep-set frown on her features and the way she held her arms to her chest in self-protection. Her brows were furrowed in an expression of fear, anger, disgust, incredulousness, and worry and her emerald irises wouldn't leave the spot the Stone Shinobi had once stood.
"…I could have saved him…" Sakura whispered to herself, "…He didn't deserve to die…"
"Sakura," Sasuke stated, soft yet still firm, wanting to break her from her trance.
It worked, her eyes darting to connect with his, her array of emotions still painted clearly on her face. The eye contact didn't last long as they reacted instinctively to the loud groan of the metal door opening, Souta grunting with effort, grin from hours prior now wiped clean from his young features.
Wordlessly, Sasuke and Sakura followed Souta through the exit, looking forward to the silence as the moans and hissing cut off with the door's resounding, closing boom.
1:46 AM
Sakura felt conflicted as she followed Souta back to the Main Building. Although it had been frightening to hear Satsuma Yoshiro dying at the hands of the creatures, to see it happen was another terror altogether. His limbs had popped off so easily at the will of The Creature and to witness the blood splatter onto the glass windows in a gruesome picture of pain and torture left Sakura's heart pounding loudly in her ears as her blood rushed hotly throughout her body.
Even when the distant sounds of groans and whispers left her range of hearing, even with Sasuke's soothing and reassuring presence at her side, Sakura couldn't get the images and memories of her clones' adventures through the forest out of her mind. They replayed over and over again – forms, figures, silhouettes shrouded by the shadows and illuminated by dim moonlight left Sakura fearing the future and the adversaries she and her teammates had yet to face.
Her fingers trembled and she clenched them in an effort to keep them steady – though the force of her fisting caused her nails to dig painfully into her skin. Yet the pain kept her grounded, the pain allowed her a rooting in the reality and security of being where she was – more so than the silence and Sasuke's presence.
And that fact terrified her.
The final door opened and Souta, Sakura, and Sasuke stepped through into the massive space of the Patrolling Facility. The Medic moved robotically, blinking across the expanse, searching for a place of solitude so she could collect her thoughts – she didn't want to be around anyone. She needed silence and she needed to pull herself together.
"Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme!"
Instinctively, Sakura's gaze flitted to the source of her name's call, settling her sights on Naruto who was in the Rest Area, seated on one of the cots and waving in greeting.
She noticed several people crowding around the Rest Area, including figures she didn't recognize. Dai and an older male with shoulder-length white hair were seriously discussing something as they leaned against the red railing. Shin and Akio were seated near Naruto, all three talking with another male who had shaggy, dirty blonde hair that fell to the middle of his neck, his white grin a contrast to everyone else's serious countenances.
Souta's expression lightened fractionally, "Raiden-nii-san and Isamu-san are back," His head darted around searchingly, "Where's Kasumi-nee-chan though?" He shrugged when he couldn't seem to find the subject of his soft-spoken query before taking Sakura's hand into his and eagerly pulling her along, "Come on Sakura-san, Sasuke-san, let me introduce you!"
Sakura and Sasuke shared a momentary glance – both a little too drained from the events before to meet additional people but reluctantly obliging.
6:27 AM
A tired sigh echoed in the enclosed space as the morning's lightening skies allowed the grey weather to filter light through the landscape windows. Its gloominess was foreboding and worrying, especially as slender hands moved to pick up the scrolls and notes that had been poured over and perused throughout the majority of the night. Lips were pulled downward in a frown of internal struggle and debate, tired eyes briefly flickering to the momentary brightness of sunlight that fell onto the white cards lined up on the Inventory Scroll, smeared with various dark substances, each marked with observations and notes of its origins and theories.
The casted ray of sunlight faded away and her frown deepened with apprehension. Absently, she smoothed down a report, hazel eyes taking in the familiar scrawled writing of her former apprentice, her heart pounding with uncertainty and underlying fear for her former pupil and her teammates. Those same, drawn eyes jumped to a more crumpled report, also covered by the familiar writing of a shinobi she greatly admired and appreciated.
Fingers deftly and helplessly thumbed through the stack of reports and observations brought to her by Katsuyu. It was a lot of information, though she expected nothing less from a kunoichi as meticulous as Haruno Sakura.
A sudden gust of wind flew across the cluttered office and three simultaneous taps against the floor was enough signal for hazel eyes to glance up and acknowledge the newcomers' arrivals. Her hand released the stack of reports and fingers curled together under her chin, expression serious as she stared intensely at the three silhouettes before her.
"Hokage-sama," One figure greeted seriously, lone eye dark with apprehension – although known for being tardy to meetings, Hatake Kakashi knew when some gatherings were too important to keep waiting, especially when summoned during the early hours of morning.
"Kakashi," Tsunade responded before sweeping her eyes to the other two figures of the room – confusion crossed one's pale and delicate features while curiosity covered the other's normally blank expression, "Hyuuga Hinata and Sai…I've called you all here to undertake a new mission…"
Kakashi's, Hinata's and Sai's backs straightened. Their expressions were multiplied. Kakashi became even more grim with the hardening of the Hokage's tone; Hinata became more baffled with her out-of-place assignment as a comrade to the two men beside her; and Sai's expression took on a more calculating look.
"Team Seven – consisting of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto – had been labeled as MIA," Tsunade watched as Kakashi, Hinata, and Sai stiffened upon the news, "A false Mission Assignment was sent to Sakura – the decoy was a basic observation and healing of a patient in Rain Country for mental instability when in fact it was a quick and convenient way for a boy named Makoto Daisuke to call Sakura for her help on a problem currently plaguing the Tri-Point Forest of Earth, Rain, and Bird Countries," She looked away from the three to pick up the stack of papers and straighten them, "I have been informed by the Tsuchikage that when Naruto and Sasuke heard the news they rushed to her aid – apparently Naruto and Sasuke had the Tsuchikage hire them to a Mission to rescue Sakura and find out what's been going on," She smirked lightly before raising her hazel eyes to regard their intently listening forms, "Just yesterday – through Katsuyu – Sakura had sent me her Mission Report and all information she has already obtained during her brief stay there. I read it all throughout the night and what has been discovered by Team Seven is quite…disturbing…"
"Disturbing?" Kakashi echoed, confused, curious and concerned.
"Sakura's reports say that what is plaguing the Tri-Point Forest and is causing the numerous disappearances and deaths…is a Curse. At least by explanation of Makoto Daisuke," Tsunade responded, "Living Dead. Ghosts. Supernatural."
"…And Sakura believes this?" Kakashi questioned.
Tsunade picked up a particular sheet of parchment and began to read from it, verbatim, "She wrote, 'Shishou, I've never once before encountered a Curse, nor do I believe its existence. But the things I've seen, even after just one night has left me feeling a fear I've never once truly experienced. It's a fear of not knowing what it is we're dealing with, not understanding this new adversary and its weaknesses and – most of all – its potential danger. Despite the danger this poses, my lack of preparation and the fact that I am not obliged to take on this assignment because of the circumstances, I am staying to uncover this mystery. I need to know what's going on and I need to help stop this, for the sake everyone's safety and the new threat that it poses…" Tsunade placed the paper back on her desk and sighed, "It goes on to say that Sasuke and Naruto were going to remain with her – not that that's surprising – and that she requests back-up to be sent – particularly Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji for their respective strategic intelligence and bloodline limits."
Tsunade sighed again, shifting through several scrolls before picking one up beside an opened Sake Bottle and scanning its contents, "Unfortunately, Hyuuga Neji is in Water Country and Nara Shikamaru is in Lightning, both assigned to A-Ranked Missions that require a week's time or more. I could call them back to disregard their other missions but time is of the essence and even if they did return in record time they would still need time to study up on Sakura's reports. Because you three are already here, I will be assigning you to this task."
"Of course, Hokage-sama," The three replied simultaneously, determination shining bright in their eyes.
"You will have all of today to read through and retain all that Sakura has sent in her reports," Tsunade continued as she gathered the after-mentioned papers together, "When you are ready you will leave for Earth Country where you will meet with Tsuchikage-sama and gather any more vital information that can help with this case. The journey will take close to a week so during that travel time I want you to be discussing any theories to relay to Sakura and her team. After you meet with the Tsuchikage you will convene with Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto at the Bird Country Village – a Village, her report says, Makoto Daisuke would be taking them. You will go around the Tri-Point Forest, not through it. It may take longer but it's the safer route, especially since this threat is still an unknown. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," The three responded concurrently, once again.
Tsunade rubbed her temples, "I for one, do not believe in Curses. But if what Sakura says is true and if she really believes a Curse is the problem after all she's seen…Then we're going to have to trust her and her judgment. Never have we encountered a problem like this before, so I want you three to be careful. I will send word to Sakura of our plans. Radio contact or Summons contact will have to commence between your two teams, and we'll also have a research team here to work on the evidence Sakura has sent back…" Tsunade's frown deepened, "If this problem goes on far longer than we want, I will send more reinforcements – though I hope two teams will be adequate."
"…Who will be leading the Research Team?" Sai inquired, "Will they be able to send their findings to us and to Sakura's team?"
"Yes, we'll either send the information by Hawk Communication or Katsuyu," Tsunade nodded, "As for the shinobi leading the team–"
A knock sounded at the door, interrupting Tsunade, but she took it in stride and called the newcomer in.
Kakashi, Hinata, and Sai turned to see the door open and a confident form walk into the room, irritated but silent as the proud figure took a stand beside Sai and shot the team of three a singularly-raised-brow-look before returning attention to the woman seated at her desk.
"You called for me, Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade nodded, hazel eyes piercing and observant, "…Haruno Sakura has requested your specific assistance."
Spectacles pushed up the bridge of a slender nose, right hand resting on a slim waist, left hip jutted out in a stance of complete nonchalance, yet crimson eyes were sharpened with calculation.
"What does she want?"
"Your skill in chakra tracking and analysis."
The young woman frowned contemptuously in response. She and Haruno Sakura were far from close. In fact, they had been labeled rivals early on in their camaraderie considering their joint love for a certain Uchiha Avenger.
Though, she knew she had lost the battle for his affection years ago as she observed Uchiha Sasuke's expressions soften with every prolonged stare directed at the pink-haired kunoichi. The bitterness of her defeat had died away with time – buried but not forgotten – and she could not deny her growing respect for Haruno Sakura. Although their interactions were limited they were civil and she would not forget their first meeting, as the talented Medic had healed her from death through tears of anguish and despair.
The woman straightened, staring the Hokage straight through the eyes, determined, "I'll do it. When do I start?"
Tsunade smirked, gesturing to the Inventory Scroll that was laid out on her desk, "You'll begin immediately. Thank you, Karin."
The red-head smirked as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. It was time for the label of rivals to dissolve into that of comrades. If Haruno Sakura– the girl who saved her life – needed her help, then Karin was going to give it.
'I won't let you down, Haruno.'
A/N: Alright, so I KNOW a lot of you wanted Shikamaru and Neji to join in on the fun, exciting mystery of The Curse, but I REALLY wanted to keep this Fiction TEAM SEVEN. I want it to center on their struggle and the experiences they would endure to handle and solve the problem, as opposed to having a high IQ GENIUS and a Byakugan Prodigy to make everything so much easier. There's no fun in easy. Who knows, maybe I'll stick Shikamaru and his team or Neji and his team in a Horror Storyof their own, yay or nay? AND who saw Karin of all people coming into the picture? Did I surprise you? Kudos to you if you did figure it out! It's not a big part. Scenes at Konoha and even Team Kakashi, Sai, and Hinata will be snippets yet still essential to the story.
So guys, tell me what you all think so far on the story. I know the Horror aspects aren't as Horrific as the first night Sakura encountered them, but don't worry, I promise you it's going to get downright scary and terrifying as we progress through the story (at least I hope I'll have you feeling that way in the future). I mean, I think we're only a third through so we have plenty of time for me to scare you beyond sleeping. Hopefully I keep you wide-awake at night, fearing the things that go bump in the night. If not…Well, we're just getting started, muahahahaha.
:)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company. I only own the plot and Original Characters.
Next Update: Maybe the week after New Years. By the way, Happy Holidays to everyone!
Review Shout-Outs and Original Character Biographies will be in Next Chapter's Author's Note!
AND! Please Check Out my Crack Fiction, My Prince, my Dramatic Fiction, ReAnimated Closure, and keep an eye out for my Multi-Chapter Fictions – His Eyes; Vengeance; False Façade; The Road of Touch, The Road to Feel; Missing In Action; Forbidden Bonds; and It All Started With.
New One-Shots To Debut! (Which would you like to see Published First?)
Title: Tainted
Summary: She was still the same person…There was just more to her than they initially realized.
Pairing: Team7ness, Sasuke/Sakura
Rating: M
Themes: Angst/Drama/Romance/Mature
Excerpt:
"Please…just don't look at me like that…Don't pity me. And please…don't be ashamed."
"Sakura-chan…"
Title: Terrified
Summary: Unlike the first time, her confession left Uchiha Sasuke feeling – not annoyed or apathetic or disdainful, but feeling rather – terrified.
Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura
Rating: T
Themes: Angst/Drama/Romance
Excerpt:
"…I'm in love with you Sasuke-kun."
"Sakura…Why are you telling me–"
"I…I just had to get that off my chest…Don't worry Sasuke-kun, I'm not expecting anything from you in return…I just…had to tell you."
"…But why?"
"…No regrets…"
AND! Look out for a Series of One-Shots to Debut!
Teamwork: Because everyone has a unique definition for 'Team Dynamic.' How Missions are achieved with comrades you hardly know…
Style: Series of One-Shots
Pairings: minor SasukexSakura, NarutoxHinata, NejixTenten, ShikamaruxIno
Genre: Humor/Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance
Rating: K
Excerpt:
Mission One: Their first mission as Team Kakashi again. It's going to take some time to find that dynamic again, but they're willing to try –
"What the hell? Naruto, watch where you're throwing those kunai!"
"Sorry, Sakura-chan! Teme! Get out of my way!"
"Hn."
Mission Ten: When knucklehead shinobi are thrown together for a stealth mission –
"Kiba…Were you just howling at the moon?"
"Shut up, Naruto, that wasn't me!"
"You guys are morons."
"Who you calling moron, you water-morphing-freak!"
"That's Suigetsu-sama to you mongrel!"
"Ack! They heard us! RUN!"
Mission Sixteen: When an all-girl unit needs to pull off a Seduction Assignment –
"Forehead, does this dress make me look fat?"
"More than usual."
"I didn't ask you, Four-Eyes!"
"Kami-sama, I had to be stuck with the Pig and Karin for this…?"
"What was that, Pinky!"
Mission Twenty-Two: When prodigies and geniuses are thrown into a mix –
"…"
"…Hn."
"Troublesome."
"Annoying."
Mission Thirty: Love Triangles –
"I don't see why Hokage-sama had to hire a Sand Shinobi, Sakura could have easily done her job."
"She's a Strategist, Ino, and Sakura's busy at the Hospital. What a drag…"
"What? Threatened, Blondie?"
"Why you–!"
Mission Three: Love…Pentagons? –
"This is overkill…We don't need this many people on one mission. Especially them."
"Naruto, stop sulking."
"But Sakura-chan! They are his…other team."
"Drop it, Naruto."
"F-Fine. But I'm sleeping with you tonight!"
"Hn. No, you're not."
"Sasuke-kun! You can sleep with me tonight!"
"Could you get any louder, Cow?"
"Shut up, Suigetsu!"
"Hn. I'm not."
"Sasuke-kun!"
Mission Four: And even if it's just the chaos of regular comrades –
"We shall burn and prevail with the Fire of YOUTH!"
"YOSH, Gai-sensei!"
"LEE!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"Oh, will you please shut up!"
"Hn."
Hope you like the Previews! Tell me what you think and what you would like to see Updated or Published Next!
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 fifteenth chapter is dedicated to YOU!
UPDATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
It All Started With – Chapter 17
False Façade – Chapter 2
Forbidden Bonds – Chapter 5
Missing In Action - Chapter 2
His Eyes - Chapter 2
The Road of Touch, The Road to Feel - 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