Lost Paradise

Chapter 4- Training Gone Weird

Sakura stood up and stretched then glanced at her watch. Her extended nap had lasted for five hours; it was 10 in the evening already. She had been subjected to fierce training after Yuki and Neji interrogated a sole survivor of the failed invasion from three weeks ago.

True to their suspicions, word had indeed leaked out that Konoha has a new double-Blessed kid.

The man grudgingly spit out that his orders were to locate the new double-Blessed girl and find out what she could do. Later, the orders changed to 'Kill both of the double-Blessed kids and destroy Konoha while you're at it.' Luckily, they had caught the army before it had the chance to strike back.

A lot of things have changed since that battle. Yuki has become distant, deliberately avoiding all of them, even Sasuke, with whom she used to be rarely seen without.

Sakura has now started developing her healing Blessing with Lady Tsunade, who wass also Blessed by Apollo. It's been coming along really well.

As for her archery Blessing, she spends an hour or two after school hitting targets in the gym with Sasuke. She's better at it than he is now, being able to hit targets that move too fast for mundies to even see.

School was great since Sasuke informed her of the fact that none of the Blessed did their homework. The teacher's just automatically gave them top marks, no questions asked.

Hm…no wonder Naruto passed all his subjects with flying colors.

"Sakura! Open up! We convinced Tsunade to give us all permission to skip school tomorrow and she also cancelled all your training sessions with her so we're going to go sparring tonight and you're coming with us whether you want to or not!" Naruto screamed while pounding at the door like a deranged lunatic, interrupting Sakura's thoughts.

Sakura simply groaned before trudging up to the door only to be met by Naruto in a neon-orange-and-black tracksuit with the top half zipped, showing the black tee he wore underneath.

"It's ten p.m., Naruto. Can't we just act like normal people and watch a horror movie?" Sakura groaned, "And Ino's staying tonight, she just went home to get some clothes."

"Come on, Sakura-chan! Ino can wait a bit, can't she? And don't you want to see if your combat training with Kakashi paid off? The teme and Neji are waiting outside already."

Sakura raised a brow, "And Yuki?"

"I'm going to go get her right now, so you get ready and wear something warm, it's chilly tonight." Naruto said before scurrying down the hall to Yuki's room.

Sakura sighed before changing out of her school uniform into her black jogging pants and a pink tank top.

"Sakura! Let's go!" Naruto yelled at the door.

"Coming!" Sakura answered back as she grabbed her bow and quiver from the back of her closet and a black hoodie to keep warm before running out.

Naruto grinned at her before nodding at Yuki.

Yuki stood there casually in a white baby tee and scarlet jogging pants with her dark purple cardigan draped across her shoulders. With a glance at Sakura, she cast a teleportation spell and in a second, they were all standing in the middle of the school's garden.

"Where're Sasuke and Neji?" Sakura asked, whipping her head around to check her surroundings.

"Boo." Sasuke's voice suddenly whispered from behind her, causing her to jump and scream.

Naruto burst into laughter and Neji, who appeared beside Yuki, smirked. Even Yuki laughed. And that was strange, because she hadn't laughed around them at all these past weeks.

"The ice queen laughed!" Naruto said in mock surprise.

"Who're 'ya calling ice queen?" Yuki tossed back, "Is that a challenge?"

"Why yes it is, milady." Naruto answered.

Sasuke smirked and grabbed Sakura before tossing her on his back and climbing a tree, reminding Sakura of a vampire movie she had watched with Ino. Now if only Sasuke drank animal blood and sparkled in the sun...well, maybe not. "This is the best view you could get." He whispered to her once he set her down on the top branch. Sakura turned her head to find Neji and found him in the tree opposite to them.

Yuki and Naruto circled each other in the center of the clearing.

"Any rules?" Yuki asks with a feral grin as she tossed her cardigan on a nearby tree branch.

"Anything goes, but no killing. First blood." Naruto says before he charges.

"What does Naruto do?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"Well, he has the Blessing of fire." Sasuke answered as a column of fire bursts from Naruto's fist, "And like we told you before, he spontaneously combusts at any time. He doesn't get hurt…much, but whoever's near him is practically barbecue, so we try to avoid staying too close."

"Wouldn't Yuki die if that happens?" Sakura gasps.

"Just watch." Sasuke says.

And so Sakura watches as Yuki with a column of fire heading toward her, and right when she would have gotten hit, a purple barrier flickered in front of her, shielding her from the heat.

Naruto then came charging at her with flaming punches and kicks while Yuki dodged and blocked with a smaller version of her barrier which she dispelled right away.

Punch. Dodge. Roundhouse kick. Block with shield. Dispell shield. And the cycle went on, with Naruto on the offensive and Yuki on the defensive. Soon, they were both high in the air, Naruto's feet shooting flames like a rocket, and Yuki standing on thin air

"Why aren't you attacking? Am I too hot to handle?" Naruto taunted.

"In your dreams, you flaming pimp." Yuki answered, before a spell circle glowed from beneath Naruto's feet. Naruto stopped moving.

"No fair. Paralyzing spell." Naruto whined.

"Why not? You said it yourself, anything goes." Yuki smirked as she slowly floated towards him and pricked him on the back of his hand with a shard of her purple glass that she conjured, "There, I win. Now, who's up next?"

"Uhm…Yuki?" Sakura says unsurely before pointing at Naruto.

"Oh, right." She waved her hand at Naruto. The spell circle disappeared and Naruto tumbled to the ground comically, "Well? Someone has to challenge someone else. So the rules say."

"You have rules for this?" Sakura raised a brow.

"Well, we do, but we don't usually follow any except the golden rule." Naruto answered.

"Golden rule?"

"No killing your opponent under any circumstances." Naruto said then grinned, and you could just see a light bulb go on in his head. "How about Sakura versus Sasuke?"

"Perfect!" Yuki clapped enthusiastically. "Okay, Sakura. Now you have to use any means necessary to beat Sasuke, or at least render him unable to attack. Feel free to use any means possible, but we'll be watching you so please avoid making out." Yuki was positively bouncing, "And Sasuke," she added, "Please try to control your raging hormones. I am your cousin and almost-sister. I really do not want to see you with your girlfriend."

Sakura felt herself turn red as she heard Neji's snicker and Naruto's loud laughter.

Sasuke growled as he leaped down from a tree and glared at Yuki, who was now sitting under another tree munching on an apple.

"I'm just kidding. Relax. But seriously, try to attack her. She's not made of glass." Yuki said as she takes a bite out of the apple.

Neji stood in between the two, "Ready, set, fight!"

Sasuke started charging at Sakura, she dodged his punches and his kicks. 'Any means possible, hmm? Maybe I should follow Yuki's advice. It wouldn't hurt to try, probably. After all, what's a little kiss between friends?'

'Wait. What the hell am I thinking! Sasuke might not like me that way.' She argued with the annoying voice in her head.

'But he actually likes you, can't you read the signals?'

'Then I'll ask him later, not now. I have a fight to concentrate on.' Sakura told herself before dodging a strike from Sasuke's sword.

"You need to move faster, Sakura! Focus!" Yuki screamed from the sidelines.

Sakura dodged as fast as she could, jumping to the left, rolling to the right, and leaping up and crouching down, until Sasuke pinned her to a tree.

"I got you. You lose." Sasuke smirked.

"Not quite." Sakura cocked her fist and punched his gut as hard as she could. She knocked the wind out of Sasuke.

Taking advantage of his weakened state, she grabbed a discarded arrow from the ground and knocked the sword out of his hands, and slammed him to a tree with one hand pressing the point of the arrow threateningly to his neck

"And Sakura wins!" Naruto cheers.

"You got owned, Sasuke." Yuki said sympathetically while patting his back. He growled at her.

"Better luck next time, teme." Naruto said to Sasuke before turning to Sakura, "That was pretty good for a newbie, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah," Yuki agreed, "In a year or two, she'll be as good as us."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean." Sakura said.

"I don't mean to burst your bubble, but Sasuke went easy on you."

"Easy how?"

"He's been training for two years now, and his blessing lets him control thunder and go invisible. You think you can compete with that? Anyway, he fought fair and square but he underestimated you a bit. See? You didn't even break a sweat." Yuki said

"In my opinion, all she lacks is field experience." Neji observed.

"I guess so. I mean, experience does make a lot-" Yuki paused mid-sentence to dodge a dagger which seemingly appeared from nowhere.

All of them slid into their battle stances.

"Show yourself!" Neji commanded. Five men dressed in black appeared.

The tension-filled air disappeared almost immediately.

"Great. Who are you people? The men in black?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"They're spies wearing black? That's so cliché." Yuki commented.

"Um, guys? There are enemies in front of us. Focus?" Sakura pleaded.

"Right." Yuki and Naruto said simultaneously.

One of the men stepped forward, "Hand over the girl and no one gets hurt." He said, pointing at Sakura.

"Oh wow, seriously, cliché." Yuki commented, forgetting about being serious.

Neji rolled his eyes in exasperation and charged at the men, instantly killing the man who spoke.

"Sakura, could you take one of them out? We need one alive for interrogation." Yuki asked.

Sakura sighed and shot an arrow at one of them. It lodged itself in his chest.

"You punctured a lung." Yuki said amusedly, "What happened to no killing?"

"He's still alive…isn't he?" Sakura said asked, did she go a bit too far?

"Don't worry, princess, he's fine. Probably bleeding to death, but otherwise, he's fit as a fiddle." Yuki smirked mockingly before a spell circle glowed to life from beneath the enemies' feet. "Paralyze!"

Sakura suddenly remembered something. "Come on, Sasuke! We have to hurry this up! Ino'll be here any minute now!"

"Relax. We'll be done in a minute," Sasuke said calmly. His fingers were actually buzzing with electricity.

"Sakura? Sakura! Where are you?" A feminine voice called out.

"Shit, it's Ino! Quick, get rid-"Sakura pleaded but was stopped by a loud shriek.

"Oh my god! What the hell happened here?" Ino screamed, glancing from Yuki's outstretched hands to the glowing rotating purple spell circle to Sasuke's hands which were buzzing with blue sparks of electricity.

"We're fucked." Yuki murmured.

Ino stood there in shock.

"You're all freaks…Freak, sneak." A small smile spread on Ino's face.

"What?" Yuki raised a brow. Shouldn't Ino be running away by now?

Ino laughed.

Naruto edged closer to Yuki as Ino laughed louder. "Is she going mad?"

"I can't believe it, all this time," Ino laughed harder, "You're all freaks lime me! Me, knee, key…"

"Okay Ino, you have to- wait, what?" Sakura paused in shock. Did she hear her right?

"Alright, Ino, honey, you have to sit down." Yuki said kindly without lowering her hands, "Sasuke, finish these guys off now, so we can all sit down and have a nice chat about Ino."

Sasuke glanced at Ino who was grinning widely to herself rocking in a fetal position, muttering, "I'm not alone. I'm not alone. I'm not alone." and made-up words that rhyme with 'alone' over and over again. He raised his hand and bolts of lighting repeatedly zapped their captives one by one.

Meanwhile, Neji, Naruto and Sakura gathered around Ino, deciding on what to do with her.

"Frankly, she's gone nuts." Naruto muttered.

"What do we do?" Sakura asked.

"Have Yuki wipe her memory?" Naruto suggested.

"No, we have to find out what she was talking about first…then we take her to Tsunade." Sakura said.

"If you haven't noticed, she isn't exactly stable right now." Naruto said, cringing at Ino.

"Can't Sakura's healing Blessing calm her down?" Neji wondered out loud.

"Well, I can try." Sakura shrugged.

"Ino," Sakura said, "Ino-pig, I need you to calm down," a warm golden light enveloped Sakura's hand.

Sakura rubbed her hand back and forth across Ino's back, as one would do to calm a sobbing child.

Within minutes, Ino was calm enough to think rationally and speak normally.

"Since I was a kid," She began, "I noticed that people listen to me. I ask them to do something for me, and they follow, no questions asked. I figured it was just my natural charm, because, well, it's ME, but it started getting weirder, like one time, I heard everyone's thoughts, but I paid it no mind, telling myself it was just because of the lack of sleep.

"Soon, this weird tattoo of a pair of angel wings appeared on my back. At first it was faint, so I thought it was a trick of the light. But then it got darker. I was too afraid to ask anyone about it." Ino said with her face in an expression that was a cross between relief and hysteria.

"Okay…how about we take Ino to Tsunade, like, right now?" Yuki whispered to Sakura.

"Can you teleport us there?" Sakura whispered back.

"No problem."

"Okay Ino. I need you to take a deep breath. Yuki has magic powers, so she's going to show us a little trick, okay?" Sakura asked slowly.

Ino looked at her strangely. "How old do you think I am? Three? I can handle this."

"Okay. Ready? One. Two. Three." Yuki counted as a spell circle appeared beneath their feet. Ino felt a sudden lurch and suddenly they were outside Tsunade's office. "Uhm.. Tada!" Yuki said after Ino fixed her a measuring glance.

"Okay… so you're a magician." Ino concluded.

"Oh, yes." Yuki snickered, "I also do sleepovers and birthday parties. And I can make those annoying boyfriends disappear."

"Not the time, Yuki." Neji warned her.

"Oh, fine." Yuki huffed as Sakura knocked on Tsunade's door.

"Shishou, we need to talk to you about something very urgent."

"Come in." Tsunade's voice said from inside.

"Do you need more arro- Why is she here?" Tsunade asked in surprise. Sakura quickly told her what had happened.

"So you're telling me that some guys attacked you, she discovered you guys fighting then she went nuts."

"Yes." Sakura nodded.

"Well, then let's get this over with." Tsunade sighed before she motioned for Ino to step closer.

"Place both your hands on this crystal ball," Tsunade instructed and she watched intently as the ball shimmered before glowing a full-out pink. "I see, you're a Blessed by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. I can't say it's surprising." Tsunade added in monotone.

"Very well, Yamanaka-san will be staying here tonight and we shall see how it progresses."

"What's 'it'?" Ino asked timidly.

"Your mental stability." Tsunade replied dryly and Ino gulped, "All of you are dismissed, except for Yuki."

They all bowed before slipping away quietly. Yuki shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"It has come to my attention that you have been hiding one of your abilities."

Yuki gulped.

"Now, I have trusted you for many years, even going as far as to take you under my wing when your parents…passed away." Tsunade spoke facing the window, with her back to Yuki.

"I trusted you not to hide something as important as this. I am very disappointed in you."

"But, Tsunade-sama-"

"I am sorry Yuki, but I have no choice. You have committed a grave crime. I cannot let you continue as is." Tsunade said gravely, "The Akatsuki has requested to form an alliance. We will have an exchange of members. I have put forth your name, and they have approved."

"You would have sent me away even faster if I did tell you before."

"You know I wouldn't have." Tsunade said forcefully.

'You liar.' Yuki opened her mouth to protest but shut it quickly before asking in a resigned tone, "Who did they choose?"

"Uchiha Itachi. You should know him very well; he is your cousin after all."

"I see."

"Tomorrow, their representatives will arrive, and after three days you both shall swear an oath on the river Styx, you to remain loyal to Akatsuki, and he to remain loyal to Konoha."

"You know, you should be honored, the Akatsuki do not let just anyone into their ranks." Tsunade said gently.

Yuki took a deep breath before continuing in a detached voice, "Fine. In three days, I shall swear an oath to remain loyal to the Akatsuki. Is there anything else you would want me to do, Tsunade-sama?"

"No, no. You are dismissed. And pack up. You'll be leaving right after you take your oath." Tsunade sighed sadly.

"To where?"

"You're going with them. To Amegakure."

Hey, it's me again. Yeah. Thank you so MUCH for the feedback. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS STORY HAS 25 FAVORITES, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. As for the reviews however, two reviews only? Really? Why? PLEASE REVIEW, reviews are the blood to my vampire, and I really do want to read the comments.

But even so, I will still keep posting chapters every Wednesday or Thursday with or without reviews and I might have a sad little cliche one-shot up by sometime next month, so please REVIEW.

And a few important notes:

1.) YES. They are effin lucky they don't have to study. But then because of training they don't have time to study.

2.) As I had mentioned in the prologue, Yuki was orphaned at the same time when Sasuke's parents got into an accident. She was already awakened at the time though, so she was already living on school grounds.