Uzumaki Twins

Chapter 28

~Naruto's pov~

Something's wrong. I don't know why I have the feeling but it's strong. It seems like Kuro's in danger and I don't know why or where she is. We don't have that twin bond between us but I can feel that something bad is coming her way. An unknown blow rocked me back on my feet and I stumbled against the wall. I braced myself and clung to stay standing.

What's going on?

'Oi, Naruto? What's wrong?'

Shikamaru's voice sounded far away as a battle raged in my ears. Flashes of images shot before my eyes. A giant blue paw, a man with a sword and the feeling of being overpowered and weak filled through me. I gasped as darkness scored my vision. I fell and landed hard on my ass. Gasping to catch breath my focus finally returned to the corridor I was in before. Shikamaru knelt beside me, his face in mine, worry creasing his brow.

'Oi, Naruto.' His voice sounded deeply concerned. I focused on him and he sighed. In relief or annoyance, I couldn't tell with him. 'What's going on, Naruto? What the hell was that?'

I folded my legs beneath me and crossed my arms. 'I don't have a clue.' But my mind was swarming. What the hell did happen there? What were those images and why did I feel so defeated, weak and powerless? I ruffled my hands through my hair confused as hell. 'What the hell was that? I don't understand what's going on!'

'Naruto, are you sure you and Chika don't have a connection?' I stared at him confused. 'A bond, are you sure you don't have a bond since you're twins?'

'No, we don't have a bond. If we did, we would have known about it before now.'

His eyes closed as he went into concentration. 'We'll have to tell Kakashi-sensei. I don't like this. Something's not right.'

I nodded in agreement and walked bedside him as we headed up to the stands.

~Takane's pov~

Normally I was never one to trust the feeling that something's wrong. Yet I feel it so strongly that I want to run away and hide. Looking over at Akira, who stared back at me from a quarter way of the stadium, I could feel that he was thinking along the same lines. If it weren't for his telepathic communication abilities, I would never know his opinion. Right now he was telling me that he has this strong feeling that something, somewhere, was happening. It was something bad. Sensei also looked worried. He didn't know what he was feeling but then again neither do we. But it must be something important if the three of us can feel it.

Wait a minute.

Chika. I can't feel Chika's presence at all. The jutsu that Akira knows to connect our minds allows us to feel each other's presence. Yet I can't feel Chika at all. Could that be what I'm feeling? But it's not unknown that Chika hides herself mentally from us. I get she wants privacy but we're in the middle of a mission, she knows not to cut herself off from us.

Guys, I can't feel Chika's presence.

What do you mean? Sensei answered. His voice was strong and firm, yet it wavered with worry. Our sensei was worried for Chika.

Takane's right. Chika's presence is hidden. No wait… There was a long silence as Akira appeared to be concentrating. This isn't good. She's not hidden from us. She's not blocked us from her thoughts. In fact, she no longer has the connection.

Are you saying she's unable to communicate with us by telepathy? Sensei demanded.

Exactly! I don't think that she did it purposely, but she's completely cut off from us. I'll need to re-establish the link with her.

Takane, go find Chika, I'll talk with her as soon as she's here. Sensei ordered.

Yes, sensei.

~Chika's pov~

I blinked open my eyes. The ground stared back at me. I was moving and not even touching the ground. Then I felt a body beneath my stomach. Someone or something was carrying me over his shoulder and dragging me somewhere. I attempted to move to a more comfortable position but my body didn't obey me. A paralysis jutsu? But it can't be. I tried to summon up the memories of what happened but a headache immediately knocked all thoughts away.

'You're awake.' A male said at my side. A growl rumbled through me and I realised it was from the creature that was carrying me.

I lifted my head to stare at the male and all my memories blasted at me.

'You!' I snarled, again trying to move so I could kill him.

'Now, now, Chika Uzumaki, we don't need you to be so violent.' A smirk crossed over his face.

He was confident. He thinks that just because he captured me that he's invincible. Just because he scored me, a big prize in his eyes apparently, doesn't mean that he can do everything. He'll realise that soon enough. I'm sure people have started to realise that I'm missing by now. But what if they hadn't? What if they think I'm just skiving from my duties? My brother won't think that, he knows me and so would my team. But what if they just happen to decide that I'm refusing to do anything? If they did, they wouldn't come looking for me. And by the time they realise I've been kidnapped, it'll be too late.

'Release me!'

'Now that I can't do.' He turned to face the path in front of him.

I looked around. I couldn't see the leaf village in the distance; I couldn't recognise any of these surroundings. But I do recognise the blue fur that appeared to be part of another world beneath me. Was it already too late for me? I closed my eyes and dropped my head. Just because no one else would be coming after me doesn't mean I should just give up. I'm a leaf ninja and I'm not one to easily be taken down. I opened my eyes and glared at the back of the ninja who kidnapped me.

'Once I get out of these binds, you'll realise that I'm not someone you should fuck with.'

'Violence,' he scolded. 'You're only twelve years old; you shouldn't have been introduced to such vocabulary at such an age. You'll be well educated once we reach our destination.'

'Where are you taking me?'

'To the one who employs me.' He turned to look me in the eyes. 'Just so you know, you might want to control yourself around him. He's not someone you can intimidate so easily and he definitely won't appreciate any kind of rudeness.'

I tried to loosen the bonds around my wrists as I watched him. 'I really don't care what you guys appreciate. What I do care about is you letting me go. Why the hell have you even targeted me in the first place?'

His smirk fled. 'I'm not authorised to tell you anything. You'll have to wait until you've met my employer before you ask such questions.'

With that he fell silent as he led the way through the strange forest. I'm not sure how long we walked but my stomach was already starting to hurt and I felt nauseated. Must be from the position in which I was sprawled across the Spirit Guardian's back. I'm sure it's the same day as the Chunin exams but I couldn't be so sure. We stepped out from the trees and a large village sprawled out before me. My eyes widened at the place and I couldn't make sense of where I was. The front gate had an undistinguished symbol carved into its rocky surface.

Inside the village was stranger. Upon seeing the Spirit Guardian and the male, righteous cheers erupted from all around. People stared at me in wonder, awe, disgust and hatred. I glared at each and every one of them. I didn't want to be here just as much as they didn't want me here. We didn't stop though. He led us further into the village, possibly at the back. I could see no one other houses beyond. It was a large house, bigger than any I've ever seen before. I was in awe at first but it was quickly gone when the door opened and a man stepped out.

'My lord,' my kidnapper bowed.

His black hair fell around his shoulders and yellow eyes stared at the young man. Then he turned his attention to me and a smirk grew. It was wicked and evil. I shuddered and glared at him. Not bothered by my glare he turned his attention to my kidnapper. 'Well done, my brother waits for you inside.' My kidnapper turned to me and went to pull me down but the man stepped up. 'Allow me,' he said with a smile.

Powerful hands grabbed my arms and hauled me off the back of the lion. Instead of putting me on the ground, I was carried on the tall man's shoulders and taken inside. My kidnapper followed behind the male and I glared at him with enough venom and hatred that he flinched. Yet, what I wanted was that if looks could kill, he'd be dead so many times already. I wanted to pound my fists into the man's back, but they were tied behind mine. I wanted to squirm, to struggle, but the paralysis jutsu kept me immobile. I felt powerless, helpless and completely at their mercy.

I hate being at someone's mercy.

You ready, Kuro?

The voice of Juuku in my mind was both a relief and worrisome. If she was ready to fight it means things are not looking good. But knowing that she was there ready to help me eased away a little of my doubt I'd survive through whatever's going to happen to me.

Let's do this.

The paralysis wore off as Juuku's chakra flowed through me. If the lion happened to have been here with us, he would have been receiving a lot of power. Thankfully he's not and these two idiots wouldn't know what hit them. Fire burned around my wrists and ankles, making ashes of the ropes. Finally free, I bent my legs at the knees and then pushed against the guy's back. I went flying out of his arms. In the air I turned and fly kicked my kidnapper in the face, sending him to the ground. Behind me, I heard the big guy curse. I looked over my shoulder just in time to counter his reaching hands. I kicked his feet out from under him.

I pushed off the floor and pressed against the wall. The flow of power coursing through me was such a relief that I allowed it to seep through my pores. I was covered within the red chakra and I felt protected and warm. When they got too close they got burned by the chakra. When they were close enough, the red chakra sought them out and burned them where it touched. That was when they realised to keep their distance. This red chakra was dangerous and impossible to penetrate.

'What's going on out here?' a voice demanded. I turned in the direction and saw a man almost an exact replica of the one before me stood off to the side in front of a door. At his side was a boy about a year older than me. His yellow eyes bore into mine and I felt a feral growl rumbling from my throat before I realised what was going on. I felt hazy as I stared at them, almost as if sleep was tugging at me yet my body remained alert and awake. I remembered the feeling from the first time I discovered Juuku and Jyubi shared my body. Juuku was going to take over.

And she's not a very happy wolf.