The Curse
Chapter Twenty-Two: No Secrets
Haruno Sakura was angry. The anxiety and fear of the past five days had mounted to a boiling point and all of her emotions were overflowing like unforgiving lava from a long-dormant volcanic mountain. The kunoichi was on a mission – she wanted answers and the Bird Chuunin standing nervously before her was going to give them to her.
"…I…" He began softly, navy blue eyes darting everywhere but her face, jaw locking tight when nothing else followed his uneasy mutter. After several tense moments he ran a hand through his shoulder-length, brown hair before setting his lips into a grim line. He then connected his gaze with hardened – expectant – emerald and exhaled a shaky, albeit resigned, breath, "…It's just…"
"…Tell me, Daisuke…" Sakura whispered firmly; her expression unrelenting.
The steady tick-tock-tick-tock of a nearby clock filled the heavy silence – it was probably only a couple of hours after midnight. Sakura stood straight and strong just feet away from Dai; her arms were crossed over her chest and her hands were clenched tightly with impatience. Her stare didn't falter as she gazed at the Bird shinobi, the majority of her expression challenging yet softening fractionally with every second that passed, observing the internal conflict flashing over the young man's facial features.
Sasuke stood silently on the staircase – several steps above the ground floor – but he too stared at Daisuke intensely, frowning at the continued lack of response, clearly not possessing as much patience and sympathy as Sakura did.
"…Just tell them, Daisuke-nii-san…"
The soft voice that cut through the quiet caused all pairs of eyes to snap upward where chocolate-brown irises looked down at the scene with utter exhaustion. Souta sighed before making his way downstairs, side-stepping past Sakura, and taking a stand beside Dai, looking guilty but hopeful.
"…Souta?" Sakura whispered.
"…Hi…" He started lamely, even offering a weak wave – his eyes briefly shifted to Sasuke, who only stared at him blankly.
Sakura breathed out sharply, closed her eyes, and massaged the furrowed space between her brows, wanting to smooth them out, but failing, "…What is going on? Be honest with me, please."
"…Sakura-nee-chan…" Souta started.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Everyone's attentions snapped towards the front door a few meters away – Souta even jumped with startle – and Daisuke ran another tired hand through his hair as he walked away to answer it.
"Who the hell would be coming around at this hour?" He muttered softly before turning the knob and pulling the wooden entryway open. He froze upon seeing their new company and Sakura craned her neck to try and see beyond but to no avail, the partially opened door and Dai's broad back prevented it. Dai sighed, "…What timing. What are you doing here? It's late."
The voice that answered was muffled but Sakura's keen hearing easily caught the wry retort, "I came by earlier this evening. Masahiro-san told me you were in the Tri-Point. I figured you wouldn't get back until around this time – if you got back, that is."
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Capitol?" Dai questioned, tone clearly conveying that he wasn't too pleased about his sudden appearance, "Why are you here? You're never here."
"You know why I'm here, Dai," The masculine voice countered, affronted – and Sakura was more curious than ever to see who was standing on the front porch of the house, "Fuck, you could be a little more grateful – without me you wouldn't be getting shit. Who else gets you the ofudas you need; who else sends your Clinic the necessary medical supplies; who else oversees what needs to be done at the Capitol so this haunted village isn't forgotten?"
Dai remained silent throughout the entire tirade and Sakura noticed the mounting stiffness of his shoulders and the way his grip on the doorknob tightened until his knuckles were stained white. He shook his head before answering in a soft – barely discernible – whisper, "You would have done much more good here. With us."
Another tense silence stretched on. Sakura switched her gaze from Dai's rigid back towards Souta, who was glaring down at his shoes, hands fisted at his sides. Puzzled with the escalating situation, Sakura turned to Sasuke and found him to be staring intently at the pair under the doorway – and because he was standing several steps above her, the Uchiha could probably see the newcomer clearly over Dai's head.
"…Your brother's in the back," Dai stated dully, "With his team." He spat out the final word before stepping aside to allow the mysterious stranger in. His movement permitted Sakura the chance to gaze upon the young man, scrutinizing him as he walked in – his steps were heavy, shoulders slumped, hands shoved in his pant pockets.
He was a tall, young man, Sakura observed – probably just as tall as Sasuke and around the same age as herself and Dai. He had dark grey eyes that bordered on black and his hair was cropped short, falling over his eyes messily in platinum-blonde strands that almost looked white. He was dressed in civilian clothing but he walked with a confident gait that better-suited a shinobi. Even his body-build – lean and muscled – was similar to that of a trained ninja – but a quick chakra scan affirmed that his chakra levels were quite low and underdeveloped for his age.
"You know he's not the only one I want to see," The male mumbled softly, "You, of course, and–"
"Stop," Dai sighed as he closed the door, "I won't prevent you but just…don't talk to me like that. I'm not exactly welcoming you but I won't turn you away either."
The young man frowned but didn't comment, his eyes panning the space silently and falling on the youngest occupant of the room.
"Hey Souta," He greeted hesitantly.
"…Hey…" Souta responded weakly, chocolate eyes glancing up at him before darting back to the floor.
The stranger's eyes then shifted to both Sakura and Sasuke sweepingly, a brow rising in quiet interest.
"New recruits?" He asked Dai without removing his gaze from the two Leaf shinobi, a puzzled expression crossing his features when he took in Sasuke's less-than-dressed state.
"Necessary help," Dai corrected, emphasizing the final word and casting an accusing glare towards the taller male, which was ignored with little trouble.
He stepped forward and held out a hand towards Sakura, his gaze unflinching as he sincerely spoke, "…Thank you for coming. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it," His dark eyes shifted to Sasuke to extend his gratefulness to the Uchiha before returning to Sakura, "My name is Akiyama Keitaro."
Sakura's green eyes widened with sudden recognition as she shook the man's firm grasp, "You're…"
He nodded, albeit solemnly, "Yes. Raiden is my older brother."
Sakura's eyes darted between Daisuke and Keitaro quickly. The former was staring at the platinum-blonde blankly and the latter patiently waited as Sakura took the scene in.
Because not only was Akiyama Keitaro Raiden's younger brother, but, if she remembered correctly, he was also Daisuke's former teammate – or at least, his former Academy classmate. He had decided not to become a shinobi after what happened to Daisuke's older sister, Aneko.
"And you are?" Keitaro inquired kindly.
Sakura blinked before shaking her head, "Sorry. I'm Sakura – Haruno Sakura of the Hidden Leaf Village," She quirked her head towards the staircase, "And my teammate, Uchiha Sasuke," She released his hand and pointed her finger upwards, "Our other teammate, Naruto, is upstairs."
"Ah," He nodded, understanding, before stepping back and examining the kunoichi thoughtfully, "…Haruno Sakura?" Sakura nodded a confirmation and watched his dark eyes suddenly blink with recollection before snapping towards Dai, "She's the one? The one you were talking about?" A sense of foreboding washed over Sakura when Dai closed his eyes and Keitaro returned his full attention on her, "Then you've seen her, right? Can she be helped?"
Before Sakura could ask for any kind of clarification of his question, suspicions rising once again, Souta was sighing loudly and running aggravated hands through his brown hair and Dai was moving forward, taking a stand closer to the group.
"She hasn't seen her yet, Keitaro," Dai answered.
The man frowned, switching his stare between the kunoichi and Bird shinobi, baffled, "Why not? Isn't that the reason why you wanted to call her here? Isn't that why you kept talking about her and her skills?"
"…I asked the same thing," Souta muttered, earning a half-hearted glare from Dai.
"She's not up for visitors," Daisuke said in response, exasperated, "And Sakura-san wasn't ready – she needed more information – more experience – before I exposed her to this."
'To what?' Sakura couldn't help thinking – annoyed, 'What are they talking about?'
"Are you stupid?" Keitaro growled angrily, "She doesn't have much time left – you can't just delay this so irresponsibly! A life, no–lives are on the line!"
"I know that!" Daisuke retorted.
"Then why are you waiting!"
"Because I can't stand the thought of her becoming a test subject!" Dai shouted.
Everything went silent. Souta stared between Keitaro and Daisuke with a deep frown. Both men were breathing heavily from their shouting – shouting that had probably been heard throughout the entire house. Sasuke and Sakura remained silent – bystanders to the dispute.
Dai exhaled heavily before turning his navy-blue gaze to Sakura, "…I was waiting until you got more information. I didn't want to expose her to you only to become one of your test subjects – not that you'd be inconsiderate to her but because she's already been through so much – too much. I didn't want you to know about her until you had a semblance of what was going on and perhaps a cure that could help her…"
"…Who are you talking about…?" Sakura asked slowly; she was still at a loss and trying desperately to get a grasp on the situation. Sasuke had taken the last few steps down the stairs and had taken a stand beside her.
Silence. The tick-tock-tick-tock of the nearby clock seemed to echo louder than before.
"…My older sister…" Souta finally whispered, quickly wiping his sleeve against the corners of his eyes; slowly he looked up to pierce saddened chocolate-brown with bewildered emerald-green, "…Yoshida Kaya…"
Sakura blinked. Kaya – Yoshida Kaya – the final member of Daisuke's team. Another missing piece to Daisuke's mysterious past. Souta wouldn't meet her gaze and the tension between Keitaro and Daisuke seemed to increase to highly uncomfortable levels.
"…You mean…" Sakura swallowed and strengthened her soft voice, "You mean to say that Kaya is alive?"
"Barely," Keitaro half-whispered, half-scoffed, earning glares from both Souta and Dai.
Sakura's innate desire to help others increased. She quickly pushed aside her earlier anger of a secret being kept from her and shook her head, "If she's alive, where is she? If I can help her…Just show me where she is!"
"It's too dangerous," Dai stated lowly, firmly – this time, Keitaro and Souta glared.
"We just lived through a night of dangerous!" Sakura countered, "If I can help this girl – your teammate, his sister – then bring me to her!"
"Not just dangerous for you, but for her as well," Dai explained calmly, "Kaya is the one who has been touched by the Creature. She was the one who had been grabbed all those years ago, and the result of that has created a half-alive, half-dead girl – a shadow of the person we all once knew."
"You don't know that," Keitaro argued, "She has her clear moments–"
"Occasionally," Daisuke spat, "She's a doll. A girl possessed. She's dangerous – a link to those creatures. We've closed her off to the world – to keep everyone, including her – safe."
Sakura blinked and the pieces in her mind clicked together, "…She's in that house, isn't she? Your old house; in the Southern District; the basement."
Dai's eyes widened, "How did you–"
"I had my suspicions," Sakura interrupted seriously, "I've had my bad feelings and followed them; I heard some noises; I saw the ofuda on the window," She shook her head; "You shouldn't have kept this to yourself, especially if me and my teammates could have been affected – it left us completely unprepared."
"I said that by touching them, you die," Dai defended, "I think that was enough reason to avoid them."
"A pretty vague reason," Sakura argued, irritated.
"You didn't object before," The Bird Chuunin muttered.
The kunoichi bristled furiously, "Sasuke was almost touched by the Little Girl tonight! Naruto stayed behind to save our asses! Circumstances have changed! If there's any future chance that we'll be coming into physical contact with these creatures then I want us to be ready to fight it or at least cure whatever negative effects will follow when in that position!"
Green eyes burned as they narrowed dangerously on Dai. His navy irises regarded her half with stubbornness and half with growing guilt. Moments passed before Dai looked away with reluctant surrender towards her insistent glower and he bowed his head in unconscious defeat – gazing at the floorboards with quiet shame.
"No more secrets. We need to work together from now on if we want to figure this out," Sakura whispered with finality.
More silence followed as everyone mulled the sudden turn of events in their heads.
"…And I'd like see Kaya-san as soon as possible," The medical kunoichi stated firmly; her tone left no room for argument.
Souta eagerly nodded his head, renewed hope shining in his brown eyes. Keitaro looked at Dai who closed his eyes and jerked his head in acquiesce also.
"…She's resting now; it's late," The Bird Chuunin whispered before connecting his stare with Sakura's, "We'll go tomorrow, once we've gotten our own rest. I promise."
Sakura agreed without hesitation, "Good."
Naruto blinked several times and looked around with confusion and curiosity. He was standing in the middle of a desolate field surrounded by thickening mists that made it difficult to see beyond a couple of meters. He shivered, staring up at the grey skies, uncertain of the day's progression, before looking around for any familiar landmarks.
He found none.
"Where am I?" He muttered as he began walking across the crop-less turf, rubbing his hands together to try and retain any warmth, "…What was I…" He scratched a hand through his blonde spike, "What was I doing before this?"
Aimlessly wandering through the foggy haze Naruto's confusion only grew, searching desperately for anything familiar to him, panic gripping his heart when his efforts were in vain.
"Sakura-chan!" He shouted, voice quivering with fear as he snapped his blue eyes around, uneasiness increasing, "Sasuke-teme! Where are you guys?"
Brows pinching together with concern for his teammates' safety, Naruto's steps began to quicken, breaths becoming ragged. The field was never-ending – he couldn't see a single person, a single structure, anything that could help him figure out where he was or what was going on.
"Kurama," He muttered desperately, seeking companionship from the fox-demon sealed inside his body, "Hey, Kurama, are you there?"
When there was no response, no familiar drawl of annoyance from the Nine-Tailed Beast, Naruto's anxieties amplified and adrenaline began to pump through his veins, his heart beating rapidly against his chest.
"Anybody?" Naruto shouted, pumping chakra through his legs as he ran faster and faster through the dense mist, "Somebody? Sakura-chan? Sasuke? Where are you? What's going on?"
He stopped running, his breathing labored, and he rested his hands on his knees as he tried to steady himself, blue eyes darting around frantically, and apprehension rising when nothing was different from when he first started moving. Had he been running in circles?
"What was I doing before this?" Naruto growled to himself with irritation, shaking his head, trying to remember.
"Emi…?"
Naruto froze. A sense of recurrence washed over him. He twisted his head around in an attempt to find the origination of the voice but found nothing beyond the surrounding fog.
"Hello?" He called out.
"Emi…where are you?"
It was the voice of a child – a young girl – and Naruto stood to full height, narrowing his blue eyes to see through the haze but finding nothing. He started walking in the direction he thought he had heard the voice but its echo made it hard to discern exactly where.
"Has this happened before?" Naruto asked himself, scratching the side of his head in bafflement.
A shadow cut briefly through the mists that caused Naruto's heart to jump with surprise. The distinct sound of light footsteps going tap-tap-tap-tap gave the blonde initiative to quicken his pace and follow the fading sounds.
"Wait! Come back!"
"EMI!"
The resounding scream made Naruto's heart stop for a brief second before restarting at a hastened beat, his fear escalating. He had to save the child! But where was she?
What seemed like hours of running was only seconds when a small, shadowed form in the distance began to take shape. Wary, Naruto began to slow down, his muscles tensing with unease as the sound of sobs reached his keen hearing.
"Hey," He called out gently when he was only a few yards away from the hunched form, "Are you okay?"
The child wildly shook her head back and forth, brown hair flying with her movements, her sobs unrelenting. She sat on her knees, back facing him, arms pulled tightly against her chest.
"What's wrong, kid?" Naruto asked, edging closer cautiously, "What's your name?"
She started sniffling, trying to stifle her sobs before answering in a soft whisper, "My Emi…My poor Emi…"
Naruto blinked, confused, "Emi? Who's that? Are you Emi?"
The child shook her head again before slowly turning, her long, brown hair covering her face, "…No…"
The Leaf shinobi tilted his head to try to attain a better view of her.
"Your fault," She whispered and a sudden gust of wind blew the hair from her face – Naruto yelped with surprise, backpedaling away from the girl and her blood-stained cheeks, eye sockets completely empty and mouth frozen in a wide grin, "You didn't save my kitty…"
Naruto tripped over his feet subsequently causing him to fall on his backside with a painful thud. He watched with wide eyes as the child stood up and slowly began to walk towards him, brown hair bleeding into a dark black, neck twitching eerily as she raised her right arm, pointing her index finger at him as if condemning.
"Who are you?" Naruto shouted, heart racing as the sounds of mass groaning and haunting whispers began to flood his eardrums.
"Don't you remember, Naruto-kun?" The child giggled melodiously, flash-stepping until she was right in front of him, "Amaya-chan…Amaya-chan…Amaya-chan…Don't you forget it."
Her finger was a mere millimeter from the tip of his nose and he flinched away as much as possible, wondering why his body wasn't moving, "Get away from me!"
The Little Girl giggled and rested her finger against his nose and freezing cold flooded his veins and filled his senses, "Time to die, Naruto-kun."
"AHHHHHH!"
"Eeeeeeep!"
"Shit!"
There was a loud crash, a light thud, and a subsequent shattering of glass and porcelain. Naruto's blue eyes were wide, sweat rolling down the sides of his face as he stared at the far wall of an unfamiliar bedroom, hands tightly clenched around the blanket that had been draped over his body.
"…Naru-nii…?"
The soft, timid voice caused Naruto to seize up with anxiety, blue eyes snapping towards the side of the bed where tiny fingers were clutching. A head of shining, black hair appeared slowly followed by bright irises of silver-grey. In his present mindset, Naruto jumped away from the small figure, eyes wide, pulling the blanket up higher in a weak attempt of protection.
"Oh fuck–"
"Jeez!" Akemi swept into the room, brows drawn together as she brushed her red bangs from her olive-green eyes and swiftly picked the child up into her arms, "Language!"
The child grasping Akemi's neck buried her face against the kunoichi's collarbone, a whimper escaping her and her tiny shoulders shaking. Naruto blinked at the pair in bewilderment as reality slowly began to return to his senses. He peered over the bed and looked down at the broken porcelain plate scattered across the floor, accompanied with crumbled cookies and spilt milk.
Across the room, Takeshi Isamu was wincing in slight pain, rubbing his right hand against his head and sitting up on the floor beside a fallen chair. His left arm was bandaged tightly but he was capable of moving the injured limb, raising it up slightly in a brief wave.
"…Reika-chan…" Naruto whispered in sudden realization, his features crumpling in sincere apology as he regarded the child in Akemi's embrace, "I'm so sorry, Reika-chan, I thought you were…"
"…a monster?" She whispered softly, turning her head to look at him, silver-grey eyes brimming with unshed tears and bottom lip quivering faintly, "…It's okay. I have those bad dreams too. I'm sorry if I scared you, Naru-nii…"
"No!" Naruto started with his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry for scaring you, Reika-chan! I don't know what I was thinking…" He shook his head and scratched a hand through his hair for further emphasis, "Really, I am."
Reika shook her head gently before signaling for Akemi to set her down, which the kunoichi reluctantly did; the child looked down at the mess on the floor and pouted, "I wanted to bring cookies and milk to make Naru-nii feel better. I got scared…"
"…when I shouted…" Naruto finished apologetically.
Reika shook her head again, as if to shake away his apologies, and smiled softly, "I can make more."
Naruto chuckled weakly, "You don't have to–"
"But I want to!" She pressed genuinely, "If it'll help make Naru-nii feel better."
Slowly, a small, appreciative smile spread across Naruto's whiskered cheeks, "Thanks, Reika-chan, it probably will."
"Okay!" She clapped her hands together in delight.
Akemi grinned affectionately as she pat the younger girl's petite shoulders, "You go on ahead, Reika-chan. I'll clean this mess up. I don't want you getting hurt by the glass."
Reika flushed prettily before spinning on her heel, "Thank you, Akemi-nee. I'll make you and Isa-nii some cookies too!"
"Thanks, kiddo," Isamu beamed as he stood up while righting his fallen chair before retaking his seat upon it.
The three ninja watched the child skip out of the room before silence settled upon them. Naruto sighed before closing his eyes and Akemi quietly went about cleaning the scattered food and glassware.
"…Hey…Are you okay?" The kunoichi finally asked softly as she placed the mess inside the nearby trash bin.
"…Fine…" He exhaled slowly, he looked up and watched as the kunoichi moved about the room in her final tasks of cleaning, "…And um…thanks…for yesterday…"
Akemi paused just as she was about to step through the door, her head bowed, before she side-glanced him from over her left shoulder, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips, "…You were doing the same for me, and everyone else, when you stayed behind. It's the least I can do, Naruto-san."
Then she left the room, crimson hair swaying with her movements, before disappearing around the hallway corner. Sighing, Naruto blinked and ran a tired hand over his face before scratching his fingers through his blonde hair. The nightmare that had woken him was still fresh in his mind and his heart was still slowing from the emotions that rushed through him.
"Looking pretty pale there, Naruto-san," Isamu observed from across the room, grey-blue eyes scrutinizing him with concern, "You sure you're okay?"
He had forgotten that the Rain Ninja was in the room with him, but he shook his head nonetheless, "I'm fine. Just tired."
"Not surprising," Isamu agreed, leaning back on his chair, "Pulled quite a stunt last night. Pretty gutsy of you. I'm impressed – and thankful. We probably would have been goners without your help." Naruto looked up to regard the older male who was staring at the wall behind Naruto, head tilted with thought, "You slept through most of the morning, Naruto-san. Sakura-san sat by you as long as she could before she and Sasuke-san had to leave."
"…Leave?" Naruto asked, his company's words sinking into his still-sluggish head, "Where'd they go?"
Isamu's features hardened slightly, eyes narrowing as he glared at the wall contemplatively, "I guess Daisuke-san was keeping something from us-strangers and Sakura-san figured it out last night," He met Naruto's royal-blue eyes, expression less harsh than before, and shrugged his shoulders, "I wanted to go and find out for myself what was going on, but I decided to keep you company since Sakura-san looked so worry about you. Nice girl." He smiled, eyes glazing with reminiscence before shaking his head from the memory, "Either way, Sasuke-san and Sakura-san left a few hours ago to somewhere across the Village – I think I heard Southern District. They should be back before nightfall."
Naruto stared at his clasped hands, resting atop his blanket-covered lap, expression reflective of the new information, "…I see…"
A pensive silence filled the room. Naruto thought about what he could do now that he was awake. It was a step in the right direction if Sakura had uncovered a new lead; and after his recent dream, there was something else – something new – that could be shared. Sasuke was with Sakura – which wasn't surprising considering it would be better to have a comrade present when entering unfamiliar territory…and other reasons – so Naruto wasn't sure what he could contribute.
"…Amaya…" Naruto whispered. That name had been said the night he had met Kasumi and Raiden; the same night he had helped save the child who had been looking for her kitten. He had forgotten it in the chaos, only remembering that the Little Girl wanted to break through the barrier to kill him.
"What was that, Naruto-san?" Isamu asked, not hearing his mutter.
"…Hey, there are some files downstairs right?" Naruto asked, looking up to view the Rain shinobi.
Isamu scratched his cheek with his index finger, "I assume so. Why?"
"How about profiles?" Naruto inquired, pushing the blankets off his legs.
"You can ask Akemi…Doesn't she have it all color-coded or something?"
Naruto nodded, swinging his legs over the bed and standing up, taking his time so as not to strain his sluggish muscles, "Alright then, we're going to look for a file – anything with the name Amaya."
Isamu grinned, standing up with excitement, "Are we on to something?"
Naruto laughed, leaving the room and following the distinct scent of freshly-baked cookies to the lower levels, "We just might be."
Sakura stared at the harmless, white gate meters ahead of her. It looked the same as before under the midday sun. The simply-designed iron swayed lightly with the breeze, creaking on rusty hinges with every slight shift. Beyond the entrance was the same dark pathway as before, leading into clearing that contained a single, run-down house…
…An old, abandoned house that sheltered a victim of The Curse…Yoshida Kaya.
Daisuke was the first to move forward, pushing open the gate with a whine, and stepping onto the leaf-littered trail without hesitation or fear, walking into the darkness with a strong and confident gait – a gait that showed that he was familiar with walking the path many times before. Keitaro followed after him, hands buried in his pant pockets, head bowed, and steps heavier; his shoulders were slouched but he too walked without fear – if only a little reluctantly…sadly.
Sakura stepped through the narrow entry first before waiting for Sasuke until they were side-by-side and they walked the darkened trail together. Anticipation was filling Sakura like a heavy weight in her stomach. The closer they arrived to their destination the more she began to realize what a big step this was in solving the mystery. So many answers could be attained with this new discovery.
She examined the backsides of Makoto Daisuke and Akiyama Keitaro thoughtfully as they reached the clearing and crossed the threshold of the final black-iron gate, still yards away from the foreboding house ahead. Keitaro was taller, but his head remained bowed making him appear smaller – almost defeated. Yet Dai walked with his navy-blue eyes ahead, looking at the house with resolve, jaw tightened as he reached into his pocket and removed a set of keys.
They past the rusted mailbox and traveled up the short path and up the wooden stairs before stopping in front of the wooden, white-painted door. The Leaf ninja watched Dai insert a bronze key before opening the door, leading the group inside before closing the entrance and locking it with an echoing click.
The lights – which were oil lamps – were already lit and Sakura only assumed it was Souta's doing, since he had gone ahead of them to visit his sister alone. The house itself was dusty, furniture covered by cream-colored sheets, bare surfaces covered with dust, and corners decorated with spider webs. The residence looked completely abandoned and Dai ignored all else except for a single door at the end of the hall. Their steps as they walked caused the wooden floorboards to creak and when the door was opened Dai and Keitaro walked through without qualms, heading down a set of wooden steps – footsteps resounding loudly throughout the corridor.
"Stay alert," Sasuke whispered and Sakura nodded her agreement as she began her descent, well-aware that this could all be a trap.
The simple journey of going down the set of spiraling wooden stairs seemed to take forever for Sakura. A faint light coming from the foot of the staircase was her only aid to see where she was going and the further down she went the colder the air seemed to grow. As her hand brushed the walls for support, in case she stumbled, her fingers felt the familiar material of paper and she noticed through the shadows that the walls were decorated with an immense amount of ofudas.
These particular ofudas were different. They were activated but it wasn't as strong – it was muted almost, so as not to attract too much attention, but still more powerful than average for the vicinity. Being underground probably helped and Sakura wouldn't doubt that even more were plastered to the walls around the house, above ground.
"You're here…" Souta's voice echoed quietly just as she reached the end of the staircase; she stepped forward, following the young boy's voice and the distant light deeper into the room through a narrow hallway.
"How is she?" Dai asked.
"…Quiet," Souta answered with a sigh, "I tried to get her to eat, but then she had another episode."
"They're becoming more frequent," Dai muttered, "We're running out of time."
"How about her clear moments?" Keitaro inquired softly.
"…The opposite," Souta responded sadly, "It's not happening as often as we'd like…We're losing her…"
Sakura stepped fully into the room, eyes narrowing with the invasion of light that filled her senses when she entered. Blinking to focus her vision, she looked around, examining the room with growing interest and curiosity.
It was a simple space, lit by surrounding oil lamps. A plain, wooden table that stood on four legs was pushed off to the side, against the left wall, and surrounded by three chairs; one chair was occupied by Souta. Further into the room was a worn couch, topped with folded blankets and several pillows. On her right side there was a small kitchenette stocked with basic necessities and the counter was filled with ingredients of a recently cooked meal.
However, what drew Sakura's attention the most was on the opposite end of the room, directly across from the hallway and the staircase that led to the upper levels. It looked like another room, something small, like that of an average hospital room, which took up a third of the basement. It was man-made, concrete, with a single steel door and a large landscape window that viewed the inside.
If Sakura would make any comparison, it looked like an interrogation room.
Daisuke and Keitaro were standing in front of the window, viewing the inside. Sakura could distinctly see beyond the glass, on the wall near the ceiling, the window she had discovered when she had first visited the ominous house. And just as she thought, an ofuda was plastered to the rectangular glass.
"…Kaya…" Keitaro whispered sadly.
Sakura stepped forward, aware that Souta was watching her, and cautiously took a stand beside the two men. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her blood rushed hotly through her veins. She looked through the large, clear glass, unaware that she was holding her breath as she scanned the mostly-empty room. It was actually a very bare room and the floor was carpeted and the walls even looked lined with…cushioning.
A single bed was on the left side of the room and a small figure occupied it. Sakura leaned forward to discern the form better.
She was thin – malnourishment, Sakura presumed – and looked very frail curled up on her right side. She was facing them, eyes closed with sleep, long lashes touching her cheeks which were pale under the streaming sunlight from the high window. Her hair was a sleek black, growing down to mid-back, falling around her face in unkempt tendrils. If Sakura had seen this young woman in a healthy state she wouldn't have doubted that she would make a very pretty girl.
Kaya's arms were hidden and Sakura probed her body thoughtfully – from a medical standpoint – and noticed with surprise that the young woman was secured in a strait-jacket – an article of clothing that bound an individual to prevent self-violence.
"…She hurts herself…?" Sakura whispered; her voice was shaky with sadness.
Dai slowly nodded his head, "Only during her episodes…We'll let her out of the jacket when she's stable. But when we do…" He sighed, "…When we do she usually just sits in the corner."
"Does she ever say anything?" Sakura asked.
"Loads of things," The Bird Chuunin answered, "Most of it doesn't make sense though. When she's lucid, she prefers not to talk; on rare occasions she'll have very clear conversations – but she only uses that time to get caught up on what's going on and to ask about Souta and the others…"
"So when she's completely coherent she knows what's going on with her," Sakura observed.
"Yeah," Dai exhaled heavily again, "She knows. She doesn't like it. She's getting tired. She's only holding on with the hope we solve this soon. She doesn't want to leave Souta alone."
Sakura glanced briefly over her shoulder at the boy sitting at the table who stared dejectedly at the wooden tabletop. She frowned sadly and returned her gaze back to Kaya.
"What are her symptoms?" Sakura asked as she removed her notebook and pen – she wanted to help this girl as quickly as she was able.
"The list goes on," Dai muttered as he walked away from the window and took a seat on the couch, "She hardly eats, she doesn't speak, her eyes are never focused, she tries to hurt herself, she tries to hurt us – and it's getting worse."
Dai's voice became tinged with frustration the further he explained, glaring down at the floor as his hands fisted tightly against his knees. The more he spoke the more Sakura could see him losing his attention on the present and focusing completely on the past – thinking about all the experiences he had with the young woman tied up in the other room.
"…You know, this isn't your fault Dai…" Keitaro offered gently, dark-grey eyes never leaving Kaya, "…We were kids when this happened. There wasn't anything we could have done to prevent her from being touched…"
"…You're wrong," Dai answered in a fierce whisper, shaking his head as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "I told Aneko-nee-chan we should train in the Tri-Point that day. It was my fault. We could have trained anywhere else but I wanted to go out there. And because of me, my sister is dead and Kaya is…"
"Stop it, Daisuke-nii-san," Souta stated firmly, "…It wasn't your fault."
Sakura didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. She could only stare as Dai ran both his hands in silent aggravation through his shoulder-length brown locks. Souta was watching him with sad, chocolate irises and Keitaro didn't turn away from the viewing window. She chanced a glance at Sasuke to see him staring at Dai also – his face was typically smoothed of expression but his eyes were softened, almost with a sympathetic grief. Losing a sibling was an unbearable pain.
"What else do you need to know, Miss Sakura?" Keitaro inquired, veering the conversation off topic.
Sakura blinked before nodding her head and returning her stare to the room beyond the clear glass, "So…this has been going on for…ten years?" At Keitaro's affirmative frown, Sakura's own lips tugged downward, "How did it start…?"
"She was touched," The platinum-blonde replied softly, "The night Aneko was killed. The Creature – her hair – latched onto Kaya's arm. Several days later, a mark appeared there, where she had been touched, and it slowly began to spread. The more it spread the more Kaya began to lose herself to episodes of paranoia. She would see things, hear things, and become more violent and reclusive."
"…It got so bad that we had to lock her up in here," Souta continued, "My parents didn't know what to do with her – they were just civilians – so they left her here under Dai-nii-san's care. I was only four when Kaya-nee-chan was attacked…so I grew up with her always battling whatever it is that's been haunting her," He smiled sadly, tears touching the corners of his eyes, "During times when she was coherent she'd always take the time to get to know me and spend time with me, but I only know most of anything about her through Dai-nii-san and Keitaro-nii-san," He brought his arm to his face, swiping at his eyes, "But I want to get to know her myself. I want her to get better. I may not know my sister as much as I would like…but I still love her."
Sakura felt her heart pain as Souta spoke. The sadness in his voice was so palpable and she could feel tears start to mist over her own eyes as well. To have grown up seeing a sibling in pain and robbed of the chance to create and cherish that bond – it was harsh and heartbreaking.
"We'll fix this Souta," Dai whispered, nodding his head, reassuring himself even, "We'll save her."
"I hope so…"
Silence settled as Sakura traced her gaze over Kaya's still, even-breathing form. Her pale face was slack but still serene in her unconsciousness.
"It was during the past year that things started getting worse," Dai began, "At first, during her episodes, Kaya would only isolate herself – she'd stop talking, stop eating, and stay locked up in her room. Her paranoia would only go as far as hearing things or seeing things. It scared her – she'd come running to me and Keitaro, ask us if we were experiencing what she was but we didn't. We didn't see or hear whatever it was she saw or heard. So she'd get frustrated, sometimes cry herself to sleep or ask to stay with someone for the night so she wouldn't be alone. Any other person saw her as crazy – strange – but because of what we saw in the Tri-Point we immediately connected her troubles with what happened that night."
"It was probably about five years ago that we noticed an effect by the mark on her arm," Keitaro carried on, "She would start to scratch at it – a lot. When her episodes started to get more severe she began to hurt herself and mutter things – so we brought her here, to watch out for her and keep her safe, as much as we were able."
Sakura nodded. There were times when Dai would mysteriously disappear from Base. She assumed he went off home to get rest since he never slept in the mansion with everyone else but now she realized that it was here that he went. As a matter of fact, Dai had taken a while to get back to Base after he left to find a residence for Team Kakashi to reside. He had probably gone to check on Kaya since he had been in Rain Border Village – with her – for a couple of days.
Keitaro moved away from the window to sit on the couch beside Dai and Sakura blinked, tilting her head as she tapped her pen against her lips, "You said she muttered things…What would she say?"
Dai frowned, "It's hard to tell, she whispers her words – so softly. And she mumbles them. She'll slide into the corner to avoid me when I try to talk to her. And during her clear moments she can't recall what she said – she only tells me what she feels – which is usually afraid."
Sakura wanted to talk to this woman more than ever.
"I could swear she says 'let it out'," Souta said as he shook his head with memory, "Or 'get it out' and maybe pleading, like 'please' or 'help'." He frowned, "It's really hard to listen to. One time I swear she said 'here, she's here' and her eyes got all wild." He shuddered and stopped talking.
Sakura felt herself shudder too.
"The mark has spread along her left arm," Keitaro explained, "We started putting the strait-jacket on her about a year ago. She tried to cut her wrists," Sakura's eyes widened and the Keitaro shook his head, "She was having an episode. When we told her during a lucid moment she suggested the jacket herself."
"When was the last time she was coherent?" Sakura asked.
"A couple of months ago," Dai responded dejectedly, "And before then was a couple of months too."
"Maybe she's due for another coherent moment," Keitaro offered in weak optimism.
Sakura pocketed her notepad and pen. It didn't seem like the right time to write anything down – she'd do it later, at a time and place that didn't seem so serious; if she wrote something down, she'd feel inconsiderate of the situation. Sakura returned her observations to Kaya, eyes drawn to a small wooden table that a held a single item: a hitae-ate. It was probably Dai's mysteriously missing headband. It was sweet that he left it with her.
She switched her gaze back to Kaya – her heart skipped. Kaya's eyes were open and she was watching her.
Sakura blinked, heart stuttering once more with the intensity of her gaze. Kaya's eyes were black – a deep dark black that looked vacant and frightening. Something seemed to pull at Sakura as she stared at those bottomless irises – as if drawing her in.
Kaya's mouth opened. Her lips moved.
'They'll have you.'
"I need some air," Dai sighed, startling Sakura and causing her to snap her head around to face the others. She watched him stand, running a hand with habit through his hair before leaving the room towards the staircase.
"…I'm going to talk to him…" Keitaro said slowly, watching where Dai disappeared with a concerned frown, before following after the Bird shinobi.
Souta stood up too, rolling his shoulders to release the tension, "I think I'll go to the market. Maybe if I make apple pie, Kaya-nee-chan will eat it." He shrugged before disappearing down the hall, Sakura watching him leave with a solemn frown, "Don't enter the room, okay?" He called out just as his soft steps ascended the stairs, "She just had an episode, so she's a little unstable."
Her emerald eyes slid to Sasuke, who also watched Souta's departure, before returning to Kaya's isolated room, heart jolting to see that Kaya was sitting up, still staring straight at Sakura with her empty, dark eyes.
"H-Hey…Sasuke-kun," Sakura called.
Sasuke was by her side within seconds, eyes sweeping over Kaya for any threats, frown pulling at his lips when, even with his movements, her gaze never broke from Sakura.
Why was everyone so interested in Sakura?
He looked at Sakura and was surprised to see her green eyes had glazed over slightly, drawn in by Kaya's unflinching stare. Her body was even leaning forward.
Kaya slowly moved off the bed, swinging her legs with surprising grace before walking right up to the window, her eyes still large and unblinking. It was strange how she moved so easily despite her bound arms, but she stopped right in front of Sakura, tilting her head to the right in a jerky manner, black hair falling around her shoulders.
"…Kaya-san…?" Sakura whispered.
Her mouth began to move but she was whispering, so low that it couldn't be heard through the thick glass and concrete walls. Sakura leaned forward even more to try and read her lips.
"…what's she saying?" Sasuke asked as Sakura's eyes began to narrow with confusion and disbelief.
"…'coming for you'…" Sakura answered softly, "…'you'll be next'…?"
Kaya nodded slowly – once. And then…chaos.
Black eyes widened wildly, Kaya's neck twitched in a strange rotation, and with a scream that was heard even through the thick glass, although muffled, the young woman cranked her head back before slamming it against the window; the dense glass causing her to recoil but a red smear of blood remained. Sakura jumped back with surprise and even Sasuke swore.
"Kami!" Sakura breathed as Kaya moved to repeat the action, "K-Kaya-san! Stop!"
SLAM!
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
"We have to do something, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted, panicked laced with her tone as she ran towards the steel door, scanning green irises for a lock, flinching as another impact of bone against glass echoed in the space.
A key was needed to open the door and, without thinking, Sakura reached into her boot and removed a thin senbon, crouching down as anxious sweat formed on her fingers and temples, jabbing the pick into the lock and maneuvering it to find the tumblers.
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
"Sakura," Sasuke cautioned lowly and she could hear the various warnings in his tone. The blood was getting thicker against the glass – this girl was killing herself. It could be a trap – maybe she was trying to draw them into the room with her. What would happen once she got in?
"I don't care," Sakura muttered as the last tumbler lifted, "I have to help her."
The medic stood and with a grunt she turned the handle and pulled the heavy door open. Kaya was already there, face covered in blood from a deep and long laceration across her forehead. She lunged for Sakura, even in her bound state, but the kunoichi was quick to grab her shoulders, using her chakra-enhanced strength to push her back towards the bed. Sasuke was already readying the buckles attached to the bed frame.
"AHHH!" Kaya's head shook violently, hair flying, as she was forced to lie on the mattress and become buckled in and restrained, "They're coming…I see her…She's in…in…in…" Her voice had dwindled into raspy mutters that were difficult for Sakura to discern but she ignored it in favor of focusing her attention on Kaya's bleeding forehead. She instantly called chakra to her hands, suspending them above the injury and, in the process, transferring bright crimson to her shaking fingertips.
"Kaya-san, please calm down," Sakura tried to soothe, watching the skin knit back together, frowning as agonized moans spilled from Kaya's pale lips.
"…get…out…please…" Kaya began to cry, her movements becoming sluggish, "…please…"
Sakura furrowed her brows as she scanned Kaya and her condition, grimacing when she noticed the young woman's accelerated heart rate and that her brain's neurons were irregularly charged. It was after several minutes of healing and searching her body's network that Kaya had calmed, dark eyes fluttering to a close.
Once Kaya's wound was healed, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and stepped away from the young woman's unconscious form. Sasuke also stepped away from the bed, running a hand through his hair before glancing at the viewing window, slowly dribbling with red tendrils of blood.
"If this is an example of one of her episodes…" Sakura whispered as she looked at the sleeping girl sadly, "…it's such a…severe reaction. And to think she's tried to hurt herself numerous times before…"
"…Did you hear what she was saying?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura nodded, "It didn't make too much sense though…" She sighed and looked through the viewing window, noticing that the others had yet to come back, "Hey, I think they should know what just happened – they probably have some kind of routine to deal with it. Will you let them know for me, Sasuke-kun?"
The Uchiha blinked, looking between Sakura's blood-covered hands to the unconscious girl, to her beseeching green eyes, "And leave you here…alone?"
"She'll be fine; I'll be fine," The medic assured, "She's strapped down and I have plenty of chakra in case something happens. You'll only be upstairs, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke looked reluctant but he saw the logic in Sakura's reasoning – if Kaya had done this before then the others would know how to handle it, "I'll be a minute."
Sakura nodded and watched as he swiftly left the room. Exhaling soft and quick, the kunoichi looked down at the young woman with sadness – to think that such an innocent girl was this haunted; and for ten years; and for Souta to be robbed of the chance to experience a real relationship with his sister. It was tragic.
Kaya shifted, mumbling, but remained asleep. Curiosity caused Sakura to move forward and, with a decisive nod, she started to unbuckle Kaya's strait-jacket – making sure she wasn't unfastening the bed-restraints – and slowly pulled back the canvas cloth, revealing Kaya's pale left arm. Emerald eyes widened as she took in the black marks that decorated her skin, as if heavily bruised but much darker in color. It spread up her arm in ugly splotches and Sakura gently felt along it, green chakra coating her careful hands.
Kaya's body was different than anything Sakura had ever encountered. Her blood moved under her skin in a unique flow that seemed…heavy. Fingers probed the bruises, tenderly taking Kaya's hand and examining her bony fingers before twisting it around to view her wrist.
Sakura's heart stopped. Tears came unbidden to her eyes.
Cuts in various lengths and widths decorated Kaya's wrist and up her arm in a myriad of crisscrosses. Looking at it felt painful. She traced the older scars with a frown before healing the more recent ones.
"…They're not as painful as they look…"
Sakura's eyes snapped upward to find Kaya smiling sleepily yet kindly at her. There was a light of awareness, that hadn't been there minutes before, shining in the depths of her stare. Her irises weren't a completely dark black either. They were auburn now, flecks of red dotted in the seemingly bottomless darkness. Her voice was soft too – timid even.
"Kaya-san…"
"…These happen when I'm not aware…" Kaya whispered as she looked at their joined hands and flexed her scarred wrists, "So I don't feel the pain…" She frowned, noticing the blood on Sakura's hands, "…The pain comes after…when I see the sorrow in Souta's eyes, and when I see Dai-kun and Keitaro-kun grieving…You look sad too…" Kaya traced the crimson on Sakura's hands, "I apologize if I hurt you."
"You didn't. And it's not your fault," Sakura immediately amended.
Kaya shook her head, smile a little brighter, "…I don't have long…But I want to thank you. The only reason you're here and not hurting me…it must mean Dai-kun brought you to help. And I appreciate that. I wish I could tell you something to help more but…" She sighed, "I can't remember much…"
"…It's okay," Sakura assured, though her heart plummeted with yet another dead-end in her investigation.
"Though, what I can say…" Kaya began, removing her hands from Sakura's and placing her arm back in the jacket, silently asking for the medic to buckle her up once more, "I can say that it hurts…in here," Her petite hand pressed against her heart, "I see things and hear things other people can't see and hear. It's agony. And I can recall a child…a little girl. She's crying for help. But she torments me too," She shook her head, "I don't know what it means…but I hope it can help you."
Sakura blinked, a tear sliding down her cheek as she secured Kaya's jacket around her, already noticing the light in her auburn eyes fading, "I'll do my best, Kaya-san."
Kaya grinned, and even in her pale and blood-stained state, she looked beautiful, expression brightened simply by hope, "Thank you."
And then she closed her eyes and returned to sleep, breaths evening out, body motionless aside from the steady rise and fall of her chest, and Sakura's one and only chance, to get more, vital information from an affected victim, ending after a single crucial minute of lucidity.
"Stay strong, Kaya-san," Sakura whispered, brushing tangled, black hair from the young woman's face, "For Souta and your friends. We haven't given up yet." She closed her eyes and took a breath, "There's still another lead that we can follow."
Akemi fumed as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, olive-green eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared with irritation at the three men surrounding the dining room table. Isamu ducked his head in shame, hiding behind a cobalt blue folder as if to protect himself from the kunoichi's accusing stare. Naruto grinned weakly, features laced with apology as he unsurely began to tidy up the pile of papers stacked in front of him. Akio rolled his eyes, unimpressed with his twin's severe glower, challenging her with a raised brow of indifference as he tossed a red folder onto the tabletop in front of him. Then, with a smirk, he raised his feet and rested his boots atop the red folder and its scattered files causing Akemi's eyes to flare and her cheeks to puff with unbridled anger.
"I leave you three for one minute. ONE MINUTE!" She growled, holding her right forefinger up for extra emphasis, "And I come back to this! I keep it color-coded for a reason!" She threw her hands up in the air with exasperation before stalking forward to begin cleaning up their mess, "I swear to Kami–"
"So, what are we looking for again, Naruto-san," Akio interrupted flippantly, perusing through a purple folder nonchalantly before tossing it beside his raised boots – earning another indignant shriek of annoyance from his twin.
"Why the hell are you making such a mess when you don't even know what you're looking for?" Akemi snarled as she rounded the table and whacked her collected folders against her brother's head before slapping her palm against his boots, the tremendous force she put into it almost made Akio stumble off his chair.
"What the fu–"
"LANGUAGE!" Akemi screeched, brows furrowed steeply before she stomped off to continue her organizing at the opposite side of the table.
A snort was heard behind the blue folder Isamu was hiding behind and the subsequent shaking of his shoulders and hands told Naruto that the Rain Ninja was probably laughing – and hiding it desperately to avoid Akemi's wrath.
"Uh, sorry Akemi-chan," Naruto replied sincerely as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess we kind of got carried away looking for information."
Akemi's shoulders suddenly sagged with exhaustion and she didn't look as angry anymore. Her frown was still in place but her movements weren't as harsh as before. Her brows had even softened into that of contemplation as she straightened a stack of manila folders, separating them neatly from the green ones.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Akemi asked quietly, glancing up at Naruto briefly before returning to her task, "I thought you were looking for profiles. And I told you to check the red, blue, black, or purple folders for those. You three messed everything up," She scowled but it was half-hearted.
"We're looking for something – someone – in particular," Naruto explained as he reached for the closest black folder on the tabletop and began to flip through it, blue eyes quickly skimming through text and pictures, "We're looking for a name – Amaya."
Akemi paused in her movements and her brows furrowed with concentration before she looked up at Naruto, "…I've never come across that name before. Who is she?"
"The Little Girl," Naruto replied earning a look of surprise from the red-head, "She mentioned it a couple of nights ago. I just remembered it. So we're looking for any files on that name."
"…Well, maybe Daisuke-kun knows…" Akemi stated, "If there's anyone who knows these files like the back of their hand, it's him. Though I have a feeling we don't have any information…" Akemi frowned, slipping a few files into a yellow folder, "The first thing we did was look for any pictures or resemblances of the deceased or missing to the Little Girl or Shadow. Unfortunately, we came up empty."
"Maybe they're not from here," Isamu shrugged, "We can't rule out Earth or Rain Countries. They share the Tri-Point Forest too."
"But everything started here in Bird Country," Akio pointed out with a heavy exhale.
Naruto shook his head and ran a hand through his blonde spikes, "Either way, we have a name, and having that is definitely a big clue, and a huge step, in solving this problem."
Akio and Akemi nodded simultaneously.
"Agreed," Isamu stated.
The front door opened and everyone's attention switched from the mess on the dining room table towards the direction of the front of the house.
"…want to examine her but even during my brief analysis earlier I can tell that the biology and chemistry of her body is highly irregular," Sakura's soft voice spoke, "With a case as…delicate as hers, where I have never encountered anything similar in scenario, it makes things more difficult, especially when I don't have a team, the medical supplies, or the necessary tools and herbs to make a proper diagnosis or cure. If I do something wrong, something bad can happen and I don't want to risk that."
"…I understand what you're saying," Dai responded just as softly – Akemi, Akio, Isamu, and Naruto couldn't see the foyer but they were desperately trying to discern the muffled conversation, "I just can't believe I missed a lucid moment with her – and now I have to wait another few months, and I'm not even sure she can survive that long…"
"Hey, don't think like that," Sakura reprimanded, "She's strong. Be strong for her too. She didn't speak too long but maybe what she said can help. I'll definitely need to do a little more research and study all the notes that I got today; but we do have some pieces to the puzzle, we just need to find a little bit more and finally connect them all together."
"…You're right," Dai sighed.
"Don't give up now," Sakura consoled, "And showing her, to us, helped. Even just that brief analysis of her condition gave me more to think about and consider. But…no more secrets, okay? We need to trust each other and work together."
"Yeah," The Bird Chuunin agreed strongly, "And I apologize for my deception once again, Sakura-san. Sasuke-san. I also want to thank you for helping her – for saving her from herself."
"I want to help her," And Naruto could hear the reassuring grin in his female teammate's voice, "I want to save her. And we want to help everyone else too. We'll do our best, right Sasuke-kun?"
"…Hn."
"See, Sasuke-kun? You are a hero; told you so," Sakura pointed out, suppressed laughter in her voice.
"Stop being annoying, Sakura."
Dai chuckled softly, "Alright, let's tell everyone our new plan; I've got to get back to Keitaro and Souta at the house."
Sakura, Sasuke, and Dai finally appeared around the corner from the foyer and stopped in their tracks to see four pairs of eyes trained on them. Sakura blinked before smiling in greeting. Sasuke blinked but offered nothing else. And Dai blinked before scratching a hand to the back of his neck.
"So, what's this new plan?" Akio inquired lightly as he leaned back expectantly in his chair; Akemi crossed her arms over her chest and raised a single, questioning brow.
Dai exhaled quick and loud as he closed his eyes. Then, he opened his eyes, took a single step forward, and made eye contact with every single person surrounding the dining room table, expression hard and serious, "We're going back into the Tri-Point. Sakura-san found a tunnel yesterday. We're going to enter the Twisted Valley."
Everyone's eyes widened with surprise; Akio leaned forward with anticipation, "When?"
Dai answered without hesitation, "The day after tomorrow."
Naruto sat on the large bed of Sakura's temporary Master Bedroom, of Team Kakashi's temporary residence, and ran a towel through his wet hair. Sakura was also seated on the bed, her back leaning against the headboard, knees pulled up and propping up her notebook. Her hair was also damp from her recent shower, water trails running down her neck and bare arms. She paid no mind, however, attention focused entirely on her notes as she tapped her pen absently against her lips.
"Why don't we just enter the Twisted Valley tomorrow?" Naruto asked as he heard Sasuke turn off the shower in the next room over, "Why wait?"
"We need to restock our supplies and ofudas. Not to mention we're all exhausted, and a little shaken up, from last night," Sakura answered, raising her green gaze to his, "And you. I'm still mad at you – thankful, yes – but also mad."
Naruto pouted, shining royal-blue eyes at her in an attempt to melt her angry barriers, "But Sakura-chan! I already explained to you, it was the only way – and I apologized!"
"Never do that again!" Sakura demanded, pointing her pen at him condemningly; though Naruto could see the subtle fear in her eyes – fear for him.
Smiling affectionately, Naruto shifted so that he sat beside her, slinging an arm over her shoulders and pulling her against him, her cheek resting against his collarbone, "No promises Sakura-chan. You know I'd do anything for you and the bastard."
"…I know," The kunoichi sighed reluctantly, fisting her hands against his plain, black shirt, "I've already had this conversation with Sasuke-kun. But I don't want to lose you either. Any of you. Let's just…work it out as a team first before resorting to sole-sacrifices…okay?"
Really thinking about it – realizing the fact that he was alive and sitting beside Sakura and having Sasuke just a few meters away, all of them surprisingly unharmed after everything that happened the night before – it made him immensely grateful and reassured.
Sighing softly, Naruto grinned as he rubbed her shoulder in soothing sweeps, "Alright, Sakura-chan."
"Good."
The door to the Master Bathroom opened and Sasuke stepped out with a billow of steam following after him. He was running his dark hair through with a blue towel and looked up to gaze at Naruto and Sakura who were sitting beside each other in a close embrace. He blinked, grunted, and sat at the foot of the bed, continuing to dry his hair with swift motions.
"Sasuke-kun was worried too," Sakura shared with a smirk.
"I bet he was," Naruto beamed, tapping his foot against Sasuke's back which earned an annoyed scowl from the Uchiha.
"Shut up."
Sakura and Naruto chuckled teasingly before the medic pulled away from Naruto's loose hold.
"So…the Little Girl has a name," Sakura started thoughtfully, reaching for her notebook and eyeing the extra chronicles she had added after returning to Base with Sasuke and Dai earlier in the day, "…Amaya…?"
"Yeah…" Naruto muttered, "First time in ten years anyone's found out a name. And she told it to the girl who was looking for her kitten. Why let it slip?"
"…Maybe she was trying to draw her prey in with a sense of comfort," Sakura offered.
"Or maybe she's starting to get sloppy," Naruto shrugged.
"Could it be false?" Sakura questioned, tilting her head thoughtfully, "Maybe it isn't even her name."
"If it wasn't, then why choose Amaya?" Naruto replied.
"Good point. What do you think, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, jotting down several theories into her notepad.
Sasuke paused in his movements. He sat absolutely still for several seconds, back tensed and muscles stiff. Sakura watched him with silent worry until he slowly turned around to regard her with serious, obsidian eyes.
"From what I've seen, she's responsive," Sasuke stated, eyes darkened with deep thought before focusing intently on Sakura's expressive emerald, "She likes to play games with you, Sakura. Her focus is on you. Confront her about it. Ask her." He shrugged his shoulders slightly before resuming in drying his hair, "She'll probably answer."
Sakura blinked, "That's…a good idea, Sasuke-kun."
Naruto snorted, "Ha, like the bastard is going to willingly leave you alone with her so you can ask her what and why her name is what it is. Hell, I wouldn't even leave her alone with you." Sasuke's suddenly rigid body proved Naruto's assumptions true. After what happened last time in the Tri-Point, they weren't going to risk Sakura getting dragged off or taken again.
"…But…" Sakura whispered softly, mind whirring rapidly with ideas, "…What if I don't ask the tangible version of the Little Girl…?"
Sasuke and Naruto turned to look at her, both blinking with confusion, "…I don't get it Sakura-chan…"
"…She wasn't threatening…She wasn't even corporeal," Sakura muttered as she sat up straighter, eyes widened with new discovery, "When I was in that lake, before Isamu pulled me out, I met…something…" She raised her head to meet her teammates' stares, "How about I don't ask my questions to the Little Girl? What if I found something else – asked my questions to something else that might be connected to her – to the Little Girl – to Amaya?" She shook her head and sighed, "I don't know if I'm chasing imaginary shadows; I didn't hear a name before I lost consciousness – but they looked the same. So maybe…what if…" Bright green eagerly met questioning obsidian and confused blue, "What if I found and confronted the Little Girl's ghost?"
A/N: Hey All! Another update! Whoopee! Really long chapter! Sorry for all the word vomit! I feel like this chapter was really fast-paced, I hope you followed okay, I really just want to get back to the Horrors of the story too. But how did you readers think about it? Did I shock you guys with any twists? Did I scare you guys just a little? Did your hearts jump with startle? How about the additional characters – Kaya and Keitaro? How'd you feel about them? They're not as big as the other's but they're a big reveal to Dai's past! I'd love to hear from you guys, I really want to know what you guys think! Are you guys excited for what's next? The Twisted Valley? Heehee, I can't wait until I put our favorite characters in there!
Thanks so much everyone for all the support and feedback! We reached over 600+ Reviews, you guys are AMAZING! I LOVE YOU ALL!
So please, leave me a message, whether review or PM, loved to hear your thoughts! Any questions or concerns, feel free to ask, but I won't give anything away that's important to the storyline! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company. Only the Plot and Original Characters.
Next Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Three: Interlude
Next Update: I've been doing so well with updating lately! I'm shooting for one or two weeks!
So...I've kind of been wanting a cool image icon to accompany The Curse - you know that image that shows up next to it on my profile or wherever else this story shows up. I don't think my girly icon at the moment really...encompasses the horror of this story, lol. So what should I use? I wish I could draw...blah.
AND! Has anyone watched the anime series Darker Than Black and Sword Art Online. Because those are my current obsessions. Hei is such a dark and brooding hottie (and his Li personality is so cute!). And Kirito is just freaking adorable. Now I'm gonna flail with them in my dreams (with Sasuke-kun of course!)
Thank You to all readers and reviewers! You're the BEST!
I have a Tumblr now, called SincerelyLen. It's more of a personal blog if you're interested, but I have a few fiction recs and quotes I will put up and reference also. My Twitter was a fail since there's only so much I can say in a small box. Blogs are more my thing. Add me if you'd like?
Please Check-Out My Other Fictions!
Updates Soon to be POSTED!
(…hopefully…)
Rehabilitation
Psychotic
Missing In Action
Vengeance
False Façade
The Road of Touch; The Road To Feeling
A NEW STORY – Confinement
AND EVEN MORE TO COME!
Thank You To Those Who Read And Review! You're AWESOME!
LotzaLove!
Len83
aka
Luvinukag83