Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter 6 (The Man With The Hex)

At the side of the bayou lay a small dock, if you can even call it that? The wood had chipped away and it had missing planks. "Be careful, the dock it's quite old," warned Sakura as she carefully walked over the dock, and gracefully stepped into a small row boat. Sasuke and Naruto followed in her foot steps. Once in the boat Naruto insisted that he and Sasuke rowed. Sasuke agreed with Naruto. Part of Sasuke didn't want Sakura doing a mans job, "with her tiny arms we'll never get their," Sasuke thought. It was something his father instilled in him, on how to treat a woman, about how a woman should be put on a pedestal. "Are you sure you don't want me to row?" She said feeling guilty for just sitting. "Sakura, if it wasn't for you we wouldn't be hear. It's the least we could do," beamed Naruto. Sakura just smiled, tucking a loose bit of hair behind her ear.

The slow, almost stagnant current of the bayou, whisked them along. Soon the river grew more narrow. The cypress trees on either side of the river created an arch, making it darker due to the lack of sunlight.

"This is creepy," cried Naruto.

Sasuke looked at him and smirked. "Do you want me to get your bottle," he teased at the blond.

Naruto decided it would be a good idea to dive on Sasuke, causing the boat to rock to one side.

"You fucking idiot, are you trying to get us killed," Sasuke furiously screamed, griping onto Narutos collar.

Both of the boys were too busy squabbling to realise that their was a member overboard.

"H-el-p I can-t.."

As Naruto and Sasuke were once fighting each other, hearing Sakuras desperate cry for help stopped them instantly.

Sasuke looked down the bottom of the boat to see no Sakura. He quickly peered over the side and saw a few air bubbles appear to surface.

"Shit, she can't swim" Sasuke quickly thought.

Without even thinking of the alligator infested waters, he dived in. He didn't care about the danger in what he was doing, he just wanted her to be safe. Naruto watched as Sasuke dived into the dark waters. Naruto waited for Sasuke to return to the surface. Naruto bit his lip, they'd already been under their for a minute.

"Come on you bastard, you better bring back Sakura," the blond cried anxiously.

Soon Sasuke broke through the calm surface of the bayou. The water splashed around him, as he used his legs to lunge powerfully out of the water. In his arms he was holding the unconscious pinklet. Sasuke didn't waste time, as he laid her on the boats floor and started pushing her chest down with his hands. All Naruto could do was watch. Sasuke placed his mouth on hers, he couldn't help but think dirty thoughts at that moment. "what are you thinking, she's on deaths door," he said to himself feeling guilty. He kept blowing air into Sakuras mouth and went back to pressing her chest. Not long after Sakura started coughing up water. Sasuke patted her back, "that's it Sakura, get it all out," Sasuke whispered softly to her. "Sa-ss-ke," she mumbled groggily. Her face was very pail and she looked startled. Sasuke placed her under his face and on his shoulder. "Shhh, your ok," he gently whispered to her, wrapping an old blanket around her. Naruto couldn't believe it, he'd never seen Sasuke treat anyone with that level of care, especially someone he'd only met yesterday.

About an hour later and fully recovered, Sasuke snapped out of it and was at the opposite end of the boat to Sakura. "I only fucking saved that slut, because I need her for my story," he tried telling himself. Who the hell does she think she is, ever since she's got hear she's been bad luck.

Once she recovered Sakura happily started singing a song. Her voice was sweet, like someone who sang in a heavenly choir. Naruto seemed to like it, as he started tapping his foot.

"Stop," Sasuke said glaring at her.

"You don't like the song? I could sing another for you," she flutter her eyelashes at him.

"All I want is some quite time and all you do is annoying me," Sasuke said looking directly to Sakura. "I knew letting you come on this trip was a bad idea. All you do is cause bad luck, and because of you I'm fucking soaking!" Sasuke raised his voice scolding her.

She winced as she listens to what Sasuke told her. She looked like she was about to cry and tried to hold in her tears. Sasuke had never seen a person who carried such emotion and was too easy to read. Sakura turned away so she was sitting facing the water. Sasuke started to hear her muffled whimpers and sniffles.

"You fucking bastard, why did you do that to her? What's wrong with you? Its like your so bipolar with her! I've never known a person who can be so kind and then so horrible," the blond shouted with a serious tone.

"Shit," thought Sasuke. The blond idiot had a point. Why was he blaming her? He walked to the bottom of the boat, sitting next to Sakura. "Look Sakura, I hate saying this, but I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He looked at her and could see the glossy trail marks on her face from where she'd been crying. He desperately wanted to use his hands to wipe them away, but he didn't. She was so beautiful, even when she'd been crying.

"That's ok, I forgive you," she started to smile at him. He didn't understand this girl. She didn't have a bad bone in her body. How could she forgive him straight away. As Sasuke was someone who would fight people on a regular basis, and forgiveness was not a popular word used in his vocabulary. The fact that he apologised to her. That was the first apology he'd ever given, and to the opposite sex. Maybe she effected him? Maybe she used voodoo magic on him to cast a spell?

All of a sudden, in the distance Naruto noticed a hut made out of rotted wood.

"Look over their," shouted the blond to Sakura and Sasuke.

"Oh look, we're hear already," Sakura said joyful as the boat pulled into the side.

"So this is where the witch doctor lives," Sasuke asked Sakura.

She nodded happily.

The hut lay on the side of the river and had a wooden uneven fence. On the fence it had, what Sasuke presumed were chicken bones, dangling on string.

Sakura was the first to get to the door and gave it a light tap. Nothing happened. So Naruto knocked the door. Still nothing.

"Do you think he's asleep?" Naruto question.

Sakura just shrugged. Sasuke decided to take it into his own hands by breaking the door down.

"Why did you break his doors down? Now he can hex us!" screamed Naruto.

The inside was decorated with sculls, and the walls had weird looking masks, scattered all over the place. Their was cabinets full of glass bottles, that seemed to have strange substances in them. In the middle of the hut, their was a small wooden table. Sasuke got out his small note pad from his pocket and started writing stuff down.

The three of them soon noticed a foul stench.

"Oh God, what's that smell?" Naruto said putting his hand over his nose.

"Ahhh!" Sakura screamed looking like she'd seen a ghost.

The boys quickly ran over to where she was standing, to see what she had just witnessed. Behind the table, on the floor, lay a decaying rotted corps. The corps still had clothes on, wearing a fully black suit. The skull still had hair on its head. Naruto was the closest to Sakura, standing behind her. She turned around and nuzzled her face into Naruto neck, away from the ghastly site. Naruto put his arm protectively around her waist to move her away. Naruto looked at Sasuke, "let's get out of hear," the blond said seriously.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura, putting her over his shoulder and climbed back into the boat. Naruto jumped in as fast as he could to get away.

The boat set off. Back up the bayou they went. For about 20 minutes into the journey no one spoke. No one knew what to say.

"I'm sorry, I never knew he died," Sakura said shakily, breaking the silence.

"Well, ad least he can't hex us," Naruto tried to joke.

"What am I going to write now, I barely have any information," Sasuke scowled.

"Don't worry Sasuke, voodoo is quite popular hear. I'm sure you'll find a new lead," she kindly said.

When Sakura reassured him, it made him feel better about the situation.

It was midnight by time they reached Le Sphinx. Sasuke never thoughts he'd see the day where he'd be happy seeing a brothel. All three of them were tired and exhausted.

Madame Clémence greeted them as they walked passed the parlour. "Bonjour my dears. How was your adventure?" the old woman replied, laughing at how they looked. It looked liked they been dragged through hell. The the three of them didn't say a word and just kept on walking up the stairs.

As they got to the hallway, just before the second flight of stairs, men were standing and started whistling at Sakura. "Hey Sakura, when are you gonna show us your titts," growled one of the men animalistic at Sakura. Sasuke saw red. He can't quite remember what happened exactly, as anger took over his body. The only thing he could remember fully was seeing the filthy man lying on the floor covered in blood. Sasuke went ape and shouted at the man, "if you dare speak to her like that again, I'll make you wish you were fucking dead." The dirty cowardly man hid behind one of the doors. Before anything else could happen, Sasuke grabbed Sakura and carried her up the stairs to their room, with Naruto straggling behind.

Once they were up in the room, Sasuke started pacing the floor frantically. He looked at Sakura and realised she looked startled by his outburst. He crouched down to her level, as she was sitting on her bed, and held her hand. "Do they do that often?" Sauske questioned, his eyes softening to hers. She just shyly nodded. To be so attractive and to live in a whore house, made it tragic. She was just a child and was too pure for this lifestyle. Naruto butted in, "Sakura tell us if one of those guys give you trouble, and me and Sasuke will knock there blocks off." Naruto said smiling at her gently. Sasuke couldn't bare to think what it was like for her living with these predators.

Sakura looked at Sasuke and Naruto giving them the biggest prettiest smile. "Thank you for being my friends," she told them with such a genuine aura. Sakura then started to yawn.

"Tired?" Sasuke smirked at her playfully. She just nodded lying down on her bed. Sasuke pulled the covers up over her and Naruto turned off the light.

All three of them were now in bed.

"Goodnight Naruto," Sakura whispered loud enough so he could hear her.

"Goodnight Sakura," Naruto said yawning afterwards.

"Goodnight Sasuke," she said slowly and sweetly to him, as if teasing him.

God, he loved it when she said his name. It rolled out of her plump lips so perfectly.

"Hn," he replied, and then he could hear her sweet giggle. She was driving him crazy.