Inner's Revelations
I watch Sakura leave the Idiot and Caveman as quickly as she could. I guess she didn't want to stick around after revealing a small portion of her past.
I know why she ran away though. I could sense it coming off her, her fear. She's terrified of being rejected, of being treated like she is a freak of nature as she had been in the hospital by most of the patients. Some knew they were sick, some didn't but that doesn't stop them from fucking bullying my charge!
Its moment's like this where I wish I had a real body. One to call my own you know. If I did I could protect Sakura better, she wouldn't have had to reply on others when she has me. She wouldn't be hurt by their changes and afraid of me leaving her. I will never do that!
My fist clenches as I remember the whispers the other students spoke of as she walks throughout the school. Bitch. Slut. Freak. They have no right to speak about her that way! She is kind, strong and smart!
I won't let them hurt her. I have to find a better way for her to be protected by their painful words. To do that I have to know where she stands with her friends.
So after Sakura made it to her P.E. class I left and went to go around the school. Looking for the three Sakura knows.
The Idiot is the easiest for me to find since I fell into him this morning and encountered that damn Fox.
Surprisingly enough Naruto is still on the roof. Laying down on his back pack and jacket while watching the clouds. Once I'm a few feet away from him though he turns his head in my direction and I freeze.
He scrunches his face in confusion, "I thought…nah just my mind playing tricks on me again." He lays back down and relaxes into his makeshift pillow.
He can sense me.
The IDIOT can SENSE me!
Is it because of the Fox's energy still in me? I remember this morning in the office; it wasn't until after I spoke that the boys turned to look at me. But who turned first? Was it Naruto? Or the Caveman? Can the Caveman even sense me? After hearing that he had been surrounded by death it wouldn't surprise me if he has some awareness of spirits. Tonton explained to me and Sakura years ago that those who have been surrounded by death have the tendency to become sensitive to the supernatural. That might be why he is so close to Naruto, he senses the Fox on some level. It also explains his instant attraction to Sakura; he senses that she isn't normal.
A sigh from the Idiot brings my attention back to him and I sit down next to him. I notice the way tension returns to his body. Shit, I was fucking right. He senses my presence.
"Sakura…" he whispers in a husky voice.
I jump as a jolt runs throughout me. Starting where my heart would be if I had one.
Slowly a smile spreads across his face, a kind smile with the hint of mischief. Seeing his face like this I start to glow a dull pink.
What. The. Fuck?!
Oh hell no! I have no clue what he's doing to me but I know he's doing something! I'm out of here.
I drop from the roof without a single thought.
And land straight in the boys' rest room.
Well…This is awkward.
A guy with short dark brown hair and red fangs on his cheeks walks in. Ino mentioned him earlier right? Well I already forgot his name…but that won't stop me from looking. With an evil grin I make my way over towards him as he stands in front of the urinal. Just a quick peak and I'll be gone before he starts his business. Otherwise that's just wrong.
But before I can even get close enough for a peak he lets out a growl.
Not the kind of mock growl humans do, I mean a full grown growl that beasts and demons do.
You have got to be kidding me, I think, another person who can sense me? What is this place? 'Demon Academy'?
I sigh, whatever. No Peeping Tom Time after all. And with that I fall to the next floor and end up in the girl's rest room where the main topic of the purple haired bitch from earlier, Ami and oh fuck! Tenten?!
"And then that Slut Ino just up and insults me! She totally has a crush on that new chick. I knew she was a lesbian! I knew it!" Ami rants.
Tenten sighs as she finishes washing her hands; around her neck is a little wooden carved frog? Written on it is the word "Hall Pass".
"Look Ami, that new girl isn't so bad. She obviously has some…issues but that doesn't mean she's a lesbian. And just because Ino is friends with her doesn't make her a lesbian either. Why can't you just keep your nose out of other people's business?"
Oh right. Like you couldn't help interrogating Sakura this morning you two faced bitch.
"Ugh! Stop acting like dad Ten!" Ami snarls at Tenten.
Wait…dad?
"Then stop acting like mom!" retorts Tenten.
Oh god…their sisters?!
Ami then slams her hand down on the porcelain sink. The sudden sound causing me to jump and fall down one more floor.
This time it's just a hall way. But it's one neither me nor Sakura had been down before. One look around and I instantly cringe than start to chuckle. Oh seeing Sakura's face would be hilarious as she steps into this hall.
I'll have to take her here some time. I grin as I start walking around to make sure I remember where this specific hall is.
After ten minutes of wandering the bell rings. I race to the gym and see Sakura coming out of the locker room first; not looking winded or tired in the least.
"Hey, what no work out today?" I ask.
There was a soft shake of her head. Nope. No work out.
I open my mouth intending to tell her all that I've learned but decide against it. I'll tell her later tonight. When she's all calm and can talk to me without calling too much attention to herself.
I'm pissed I wasn't able to find out anything about her friends that could help with protecting Sakura from the cruelty of her fellow students. I mean I found out that one of her friends can sense me and the other might. While that's good in deepening their friendship it won't help much in protecting her. Is this what Ino went through alone? Is her "reputation" what she uses to protect herself from the pain of being looked down upon? If so that's a pretty shitty armor. I'll figure out a better way.
Her next class is Choir. And usually, I would have stayed and sang with her. Both of us love to sing, it gives us a freeing sensation. As if we're about to burst from the sheer energy it provides us. Singing makes us stronger, not weaker. But today there is a substitute, so instead of singing her class is stuck with watching The Little Mermaid.
I left as soon as the disk was placed in the DVD player.
The next hour was pretty boring. Nothing stood out and I couldn't find anyone I knew unless I wanted to sense Sakura or Naruto.
Finally bored with the day I join Sakura for her last class and sit in with her. I figure I might as well figure out a way to explain to my charge everything I learned today while at school.
But I didn't get to think up a plan, because History taught me why the Fox is here. And more specifically, why he is inside Naruto.
Asuma-the chain smoker- sits in front of the class using his computer to move switch the slides on the power point. He talks explaining each slide before moving on to the next. This picture is a drawing of two men, both long haired but one's hair was much choppier and fell partially in front of his face while the other's hair is brushed back and showed the kindness in his eyes. They are dressed in different forms of uniforms, both having a slightly samurai feel to the look.
"This here is a picture taken by the founding fathers of Konoha, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Legend says that the two leaders were trapped here on earth as they themselves were creatures humans couldn't even comprehend. They wielded the powers of Gods. Some whispered, that they could move mountains, raise oceans, burn an entire forest to the ground with just a single breath, see spirits and heal those on the brink of death."
Asuma chews on his stick of gum before he continues on with the enticing tale.
"However legends are just that legends. At the time this was drawn the world was in a constant war. Millions lost their lives and thousands of families completely whipped out. Much of the world's history prior to the creation of Konoha is forever lost. But that just makes teaching you guys that much easier."
A few chuckles before a hand's raised by a boy with short black hair and a bland face. I shake my head. Compared to everyone else this kid is a nobody.
"Yes?"
"Asuma-sensei could you tell us about the Nine Nights of the Beasts?" he asks.
A round of oooo's and ahhh's are released, leaving me and Sakura once again out of the loop.
Nine Nights of the Beasts?
Asuma sighs. "This will be my third time teaching this today…" he mutters before he continues into the lesson.
"Ever since the creation of the Elemental Countries, especially because of the legends following the creators of the first Village, there have been heavy believers that the legends are real. Because it is believed they are real, that is either something to worship, or something to destroy." He spits his gum into the trash can before he takes another piece into his mouth.
"The believers soon created their own religion, led by this man here," with a click on his keyboard a painting done in shades of red brown and silver of man with sleeked back silver hair and a cruel smirk. Within his hands is a long scythe and around his neck is a necklace with a pendant of a upside down triangle within a circle.
"This group is known as the Jashinist's. A brutal group who believe that only through death will they be given the immortality and abilities the founding fathers had. They believed that a God by the name of Jashin granted Hashirama and Madara their inhuman powers. And as such they too aimed to become the human gods on earth."
I shiver. While this isn't mine or even Sakura's first time hearing the tale of how corrupted the Jashinist were, it is our first time hearing that they weren't the first humans to have been granted power.
"It is said that only the original Jashinist, Hidan, achieved true immortality by pleasing his God with the lives of thousands. Some even believe he is the reason the First Elemental War started. But as such it is impossible for a human to live well over a hundred years and still appear to look like they are in their twenties." He clicks a button showing a flaming explosion and a burning city. Unlike the other images this one isn't a drawing or a painting. This is a photograph, an old one maybe a few decades old. Meaning that the man standing in front of the disaster with a scythe, silver hair and a face almost identical to the painting previously shown had to have been there.
"This was taken approximately 40 years ago in Iwa. The seen after a raid done by the Jashinist ended up with the death toll of 15,000 citizens, this picture was taken by an unknown photographer. The film was salvageable and this image and many others were the first proof that the Jashinists have actively been attacking the Elemental Countries. Ironically this was the 4th night that such an event took place in history." Asuma clicks a button another photo of a man similar to Hidan in another place surrounded by death and destruction. Then another, and another and another. Each picture becoming better quality, showing how time has passed in the art of photography.
Then the last picture.
The date was there in the corner of the image again of death and destruction. But Hidan isn't in the image this time. It's another, a baby in the middle of a bird bath, being baptized in large quantities of blood. On the ground in front of the baby lay two bodies. One of a woman with long red hair either dyed by the blood or natural, while on top of her and his face hidden on the red sea of her hair is a blond man.
The hair on my arms stood up. This picture is different; there is a…evilness to it. But as I look at my charges fellow students I notice that only a select few react to the terrifying aura.
In the back is the busty black haired girl who Ino switched places with. Her eyes have a violet tint to them but I snarl my lip. She looks related to Neji. I could be wrong but I could be right. The only thing I notice is that she is shaking. Her hands clasps together in an attempt to prevent the shaking from being obvious.
Another is the pineapple haired boy who came in with Ino this morning. He seemed to have been sleeping throughout most of the class but now there was alertness in his eyes. A tenseness to his body, like when Naruto sensed me while he was on the roof.
The last student is of course Sakura.
I could feel the fear in her grow. This evil she could sense, even in her weakened state from my earlier feeding. It is as if this particular image has that damn Fox's energy imprinted on it.
I kneel down and place my hand upon her own, hoping to comfort her in some way. A gentle squeeze on my middle and ring finger shows me that she understands.
"This image was taken on October 10th approximately 16 years ago. That year the Jashinist attacked Konoha, it is known as the Ninth Night."
16 years ago…
Suddenly my head jerks up and I focus closely on that image. More specifically on the baby.
No…i-it couldn't be…
But it was.
There lay a baby with its little blood soaked body, its hands reaching out as if waiting for someone to hold him.A baby with most of its head sticking out, with its mostly blood stained hair slicked down it is hard to see but I knew what that is. The lfew ittle light strands unstained by blood confirmed that I know what color his hair is, and I know that baby is a he.
Naruto is the baby in this cursed photo.
A/N:
Tah-dah! I'm on a roll baby! Two chapters in one day! YAY ME!
Yup, no Obito releasing the Nine Tails. It was all Hidan's fault. He really is an under appreciated villain don't you agree? And come on! This makes a hell of a lot more sense than Obito! Hidan trying to prove to the world that Jashin exists is easier to accept then complete regret over losing your childhood love who may or may not have loved you in return. But if he is trying to prove Jashin exists why bring in the Tailed Beasts at all? And what does this have to do with Sakura? Well you'll just have to keep reading to find out!
I'll explain the "official" story of what happened that night in this story next chapter. Sorry to leave you on a cliffy but the next part must be understood in Sakura's POV.
So now we know that a majority of the Rookie 9 have some kind of thing going on with them. And while I already know what most of them are I'm curious what you all think. I haven't out right said what they are yet so what do you think they are?
Did anyone catch the Rosario Vampire reference? It was very subtle but it was there. Did you catch the mascot?