Destiny of the Cursed
Chapter 32: Team 7, Reunited!
Cold, white dust fell from the sky above them, the ground covered with nothing but snow. Fog escaped Katana's parted mouth as she breathed out, throat parched and frozen from the icy air. Narrowed and unfocused grey eyes squinted, straining to see clearly through the white veil that blocked her sight. The persistent sting of her wounds, particularly the latest one that was carved on her forehead, did nothing but add to her misery, aching every five minutes or so.
"Something wrong, jan?"
Katana turned to the older boy that drew alongside of her, his usual smirk replaced by a stoic demeanor instead. His face, the girl noted, was much easier to decipher when he didn't have his purple face paint on. She knew though from his tone of voice that he was concerned. Mustering what she hoped looked like a carefree smile; she dismissed the worry with a casual wave of her hand. "Nah, this is nothing. Just not used to the cold, that's all." She said, chuckling easily to help convince him. Kankuro smiled lopsidedly, eyes turning back to the path in front of them. "I'll go ahead then."
"Yeah, I'll catch up." Said Katana with a jerky nod and watched as the puppeteer increased his pace effortlessly, leaving her lagging behind. Releasing a quiet sigh, she dropped the relaxed façade, weariness getting better of her. Thoughts in her mind were scattered, all too troublesome to think about. Pain, Akatsuki, the village, Sasuke…war…Even just an attempt on focusing on one gave her a terrible migraine.
She sighed again, hand brushing through her hair, frowning when her fingers got stuck on multiple tangles. She was a wreck; a bloody mess of a kunoichi that hadn't taken a decent shower, meal nor rest since three days ago. Her feet, which full of blisters, were begging for a quick break. Arms were worn-out and stiff, muscles contracting painfully at every movement she made. Katana doubted channeling chakra to relieve her muscle pains would do her any good; if anything, it would result to her collapsing all of a sudden because of chakra depletion.
"Katana."
The smooth voice interrupted her train of thought and startled Katana effectively, causing her to blink a few times before she recognized the person that spoke. "Gaara? Is something the matter?"
"You were falling back too far." He stated as a matter-of-factly, a non-existent eyebrow rising slightly in question as to why. The girl averted her gaze to the ground guiltily and the redhead didn't miss the troubled pinch between her eyebrows. "Oh. Sorry." She said, not really sounding apologetic, as if her mind was occupied by something else.
"Here." Gaara said, hand holding out a light colored cloak. Katana glanced briefly at the snug brown coat in surprise, his affectionate offer distracting her momentarily from her pessimistic thoughts. "Take it." He encouraged when he saw her hesitate, stretching his arm out further for her to grab the clothing.
With a small grateful smile, Katana took the cloak, draping it securely over her shoulders. "Thank you." She said softly to which Gaara nodded in acknowledgement. Looking down, his gaze lingered on her arm a bit longer than necessary. "What happened?" he asked, eyes narrowing. The kunoichi shot him a confused look. "What happened to what?"
"Your hand." He clarified, taking hold of said body part. He raised it up at eye level, fingers tracing the bandages wrapped around it. "I noticed it back at the Kage meeting. What happened to it?"A bitter grimace found its way to her face, the memory obviously unpleasant. "It's…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath to ease her agitated nerves as she recalled the appalling events. "It was Akatsuki." She bit out, unable to stop the ireful tone from coming out as she spoke of the infamous organization. "They attacked Konoha."
"When did this happen?"
"Just two days ago." She answered. "We were all caught unprepared. They came out of nowhere with their gigantic summons, wrecking havoc everywhere. Pain, by himself, caused enough damage to throw Konoha into panic." Pausing temporarily, she swallowed the heavy lump on her throat, remembering the screams, the blood and the corpses that lay everywhere.
Until this time, the scenes of the invasion still haunted her, wounds that were both left inside and out stinging whenever she reminisced about them. "Nothing was left of the village and Tsunade-sama's in a coma. I don't know what happened of the civilians, but last I checked, we didn't lose that many. I-I'm—I'm just not sure of our shinobi though." The words came flooding out of her mouth, all in a rush to be heard.
A quivering exhale left her lips as she finished talking and she was taken aback by the wet presence of tears dripping down from her eyes. She also failed to take notice that they had stopped moving for a while now, both of them now standing in the midst of a snowfall.
Forcing out a tense laugh, Katana wiped away the uncontrolled tears with the back of her hand. "S-Sorry. You must think I'm stupid, crying here all of a sudden. I must be making you feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to—damn it, why won't it stop already?" She exploded out of frustration, overwhelmed by the nonstop fall of tears.
Trembling hands harshly swiped the tears off her face, only to have her face wet again by another wave of fresh tears. Red tearstains marked her cheeks, grey eyes turning bloodshot from too much crying. Anger, grief, guilt, confusion and pain were all present in her expression, her body quaking in hysteria.
"Katana."
A pair of strong arms pulled her in, her rattled frame colliding with a warmer, steadier body. "Katana, don't." She struggled against the grasp instinctively, pushing away the figure that held her in place. "Just— just stop." The arms around her tightened, halting all her jerky movements. She shook against him, crying frantically, her eyes shutting tightly in rage. "I'm—I'm sorry." She choked out, hands fisting the fabric of his vest. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry." She said over and over again, the desperation to regain control of herself clear in her tone.
Watching helplessly as breathless gasps and sobs racked the girl's smaller build, Gaara felt his chest contract painfully in something he couldn't quite name. There was something in the way she cried that made him feel like dying for a second time; it hurt, pained him more than he can imagine, creating a need for him to stop her tears himself.
"You don't have to be sorry. It's not your fault." Closing his thick-ringed orbs, he held her even closer if possible. The young man tucked her head under his chin, unsure of what to do or what to say next. Finally, he found control of his voice once more, "…Don't cry", he said weakly in a whisper, his voice cracking for once, "please. Everything will be fine. Don't cry anymore."
A few quiet minutes passed by them, nothing but the girl's hiccups and heavy breathing could be heard. Slowly, Katana relaxed, hands holding the boy's broad shoulders for support. Pale fingers brushed away the tears that welled on the corners of her eyes, hand sliding up to caress her exhausted face. Her shaking had stopped, leaving her body leaning against his dependently.
"…Sorry." Katana's voice, hoarse and barely audible, broke the silence that stretched on between them. Firmly, she pushed herself away from him, standing on her unstable legs. Wiping the last traces of tear drops from her cheeks, she turned to him, grey eyes scanning his face. Uncertain, Gaara stared back, his aquamarine orbs narrowed slightly in confusion. Before he could ask, Katana yanked him towards her with a forceful tug, taking him in surprise. He stumbled forward before he could recover his balance, eyes widening when she delivered a quick peck on his cheek. Gaara drew back, staring dumbfounded at the girl. "We should go. Temari and Kankuro won't be happy to see us dilly-dallying." With a couple of blinks to clear out the daze, he nodded once in agreement to her statement. "Of course."
Katana turned to him with a sincere beam, lasting for only a few seconds before she turned her attention forward, the smile plastered on her face then becoming nothing but just another part of her façade.
Ash grey eyes looked through the crowd of buildings, hotels and restaurants lined up on the right, searching for a certain blonde shinobi that she's been familiar with through the years. Temari said they were presumed to be staying in one of the inns and yet, they had searched almost all the lodgings that can be found in the small town and still no sign of the hyperactive ninja.
Eyelids fell halfway in disappointment as she wearily scanned the place for the umpteenth time that day. Despite her drained demeanor, Katana knew she would be lying if she denied the relief she hid deep inside, a part of her secretly wishing not to encounter the blonde at all. Because if they do find Naruto, how would she explain what happened at the summit? Knowing her teammate, he would surely inquire about it, leaving her no choice but to mention their former friend's name.
Sasuke… Katana grimaced as her line of thought went over that particularly sensitive topic, chest tightening in misery as she remembered her failed attempt to bring him back. Is it really too late to pull you back from that path of darkness? She asked inwardly, the idea of him never being with them ever again weighing heavy in her mind.
"Over there!" Temari's voice rang in her ears, distracting her from her current contemplations. The sand siblings made a sharp turn to the left, jumping down in front of a small group consisted of two jounins, a pale shinobi and an orange-clad teen. With a sharp intake of breath, the brunette followed suit, landing ungracefully on her unstable limbs, her feet wobbling at the first few steps. Recovering her balance, she straightened up and braced herself for what was about to come. She looked up with dismay thumping hard on her chest and instantly, Katana regretted doing so in the first place.
Cerulean eyes widened, dread and guilt flickering in them the minute he saw her, causing the kunoichi to freeze in realization. The bad news they brought wasn't the first one he would hear and something in the back of her brain told her that Naruto knew something that was even worse than Sasuke attacking the Kage summit.
"We're here to bring you guys up to speed." Temari greeted the group lightly, all of them oblivious to the tension brewing in between the two friends. "Listen carefully, because a lot went down at the Kage Summit."
As the wind mistress relayed the earlier occurrence to them, Katana had her eyes fixed on the Konoha jinchuuriki the whole time, gaze scrutinizing his expression closely. Eyebrows were drawn together tightly, blue eyes dark and lowered to the ground. A permanent frown was plastered on his face, the bright grin that Katana was used to seeing was nowhere to be found. The girl watched as the shinobi's reaction turned from distressed to grave before finally becoming blank at the biting tone of Temari as she mentioned the avenger.
A tense pause stretched between the two groups when Temari finished her report, the shinobi from Konoha silent as they processed the new information shared. "Talk about a long meeting." Commented Yamato dryly, crossing his arms with a grimace. "I knew Danzo couldn't be trusted."
"I agree." Sighed Kakashi this time, rubbing the back of his neck in weariness. "I'm not sure about the idea of becoming Hokage though. Not that I'm not thankful of Kazekage-sama for nominating me." He said, giving the redhead a casual glance. The young Kazekage nodded once in acknowledgement, assuring the man that he took no offense. "I just don't think I'm fit for that kind of role. I guess I'll have to wait until we go back to Konoha and ask for everyone else's opinion."
Eyebrows shooting up in incredulity, Temari cut in, "Madara just declared war on the whole world. This is certainly no time for politics." Jerking his head down in agreement, the wood-user then added encouragingly, "I have a feeling everyone will accept the decision without complaint, senpai. The elders have considered appointing you Hokage for about a while now anyway." With another sigh of defeat, the white-haired jounin slumped down his shoulders, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. "Then there's Sasuke…" he heard Yamato trail off, "Sheesh. I can't believe he really attacked the Kage Summit."
Kakashi casually glanced back at his student, watching with underlying concern as the normally expressive boy remained hollow and unspeaking. He had been frozen in his place for a while now, not reacting to any of the news. There were no violent or enraged protests from him, not even when Sasuke was brought up into the conversation. The boisterous shinobi simply stood there, both his feet and eyes glued to the ground like a statue.
"Naruto", the Kazekage's voice erupted all of a sudden, startling everyone into shifting their attentions to him. "Just so we're clear, this is war was started to protect both the eight-tailed and the nine-tailed beasts. This is a war to protect you, and in doing so, saving the whole shinobi world. Even I, as Kazekage, am putting my life in line for you."
There was a slightest shift in the blonde's eyebrows, knitting even deeper than before. "And if Sasuke, a member of Akatsuki, stands against me…" Gaara said, pausing as he mustered up the courage to continue, "he will be shown no mercy." The jinchuuriki's hooded eyes closed completely, making Katana's heart sink lower at the sight of Naruto looking so sullen.
"Sasuke has stopped looking for you." Stated Gaara, a harsh tone accompanying his deep voice. "He seeks darkness in his own free will." At the redhead's statement, blue orbs snapped wide open in shock and disbelief, his gaze clearly accusing Gaara of being a liar. The sand shinobi stepped up, hand reaching out to pat his friend's shoulder in comfort. "Naruto, you once told me that you will be the future Hokage. Well, I became the Kazekage. If you truly are prepared for the position of a Kage, then as Sasuke's friend, you know what you must do."
Naruto's slumping frame suddenly tensed, his shoulders squaring stiffly as blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Mouth in a firm line, he glowered indignantly at the latter through his stubborn sapphire orbs. The blonde's arm shot up from between them, angrily pushing away the outstretched limb. Ringed orbs widened at the cold gesture of the boy, his pale hand falling down to his side.
Tension surrounded the air of the two and for a minute, Katana almost swore she saw Naruto's hands ball into fists, shaking as if itching to pummel the redhead's face. In three hasty strides, she closed in behind Gaara, grabbing the hand that Naruto previously shrugged off. He turned to her, face immediately relaxing at the girl's genuine concern. "I—"
"Don't." She cut him off before he could start speaking, eyes silently begging him to back away from the enraged blonde. Exhaling softly in resignation, Gaara let her tug him towards his siblings, his back turned to Naruto. Both his brother and sister wore understanding and sympathetic gazes, smiling at him gently. "Come on, jan." Persuaded Kankuro, his gruff voice surprisingly soft when he spoke to Gaara, "Our job here's done. Let's go home."
Gaara glanced down at the girl that stood before him, taking in her pale and crestfallen face. "I'm sorry." He said out of reflex, though truly the boy didn't know what he was supposed to be apologizing for. Lips quirking up in a half-hearted smile, Katana shook her head. "Don't be." She told him, sighing. "It's not your fault. Nobody meant for this to happen."
"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that I still am sorry."
Snorting in amusement, a bitter smile took over the girl's face. "Yeah, well…you know what? I am too." Giving his hand a firm squeeze, Katana looked up at him sadly. He returned the squeeze, thumb brushing across the back of her hand. "I'll be back soon." He promised in a quiet whisper, the grip of his hand on hers slowly loosening. Reluctantly, she let him go, backing away one step.
Gaara's head rose as he stared at the open clearing. "I consider you a friend." He said aloud, the phrase meant for Naruto. "As a child, 'friend' was just another word to me, nothing more, nothing less. But after I met you, I realized that its meaning was what counted." Craning his neck slightly to the side, he spared Naruto a glance from the corner of his eye. "Think carefully about what that word means and what you could really do for Sasuke." Then, turning back, he gave a sharp nod once and said, "Move out."
At the firm command, all three shinobi jumped off the opposite direction, their silhouettes fading away in the flurry of snow. Without Gaara to block her view of the boy, Katana found herself staring at Naruto's unmoving form, his body as stiff as ice. Hesitation crossed her mind before she pushed it away, approaching the blonde with tentative steps. "Naruto." She called out, stopping once she was in front of him. The latter made neither response nor any indication that he heard her. Frustration getting better of her patience, she grabbed both of his shoulders, fingers digging slightly on his back.
"Naruto. What happened? Did Sai tell you something?" Since the pale teen wasn't with them originally when they spoke with the Raikage, the girl figured he had something to do with it. "Naruto, snap out of it and answer me. Did something happen?" she asked, tone clearly impatient and unforgiving at the moment. When the blonde's mouth remained shut, the brunette let out a growl. "Answer me, Naruto." She snapped, giving him a firm shake.
Hope filled her when his lips parted but instead of an answer, a shaky sigh slipped out. "Naruto…?" Grey eyes narrowed in concern, her hands moving from his shoulders to his cheeks. Damp, cold skin met her equally freezing fingers and another shuddering breath escaped the boy. Naruto's parted mouth opened more, his quiet sighs turning into full-blown gasping and labored, heavy panting. Cold sweat mixed with the tears that ran down the sides of his face, his clammy hand shooting up to grip his chest.
"Naruto!" The boy's much larger body fell limp against her, her weak knees buckling under the added weight. Both of them stumbled down the snow and on instinct Katana's arms wrapped protectively around his quivering frame. "Taichou, Tou-san! Help him!" She called out in alarm, fidgeting hands wiping away the sweat off his damp forehead.
The jounins ran to aid her, Kakashi scooping up Naruto with a grunt. Arms went under her legs as Yamato carried the fallen girl easily, his hand brushing away the snow that got stuck on her hair. While doing so, the captain halted when his hand came in contact with her forehead, a frown readily forming on his face. "Looks like you're sporting a high fever yourself, Katana." He said in a stern tone, wincing when the kunoichi's supposed-to-be reply became a fit of harsh coughs instead.
"Quickly, we need to get them both inside." Said Kakashi, his voice laced with urgency and worry. "Sai, lead the way."
"Yamato-taichou—"
"No."
"—I'm fine, honestly."
"No, you're not."
"No, really. Look, my fever's almost—"
"What part of 'no' do you not understand, Katana?" Asked the jounin with an irritated sigh, glaring mildly at the stubborn girl. Katana matched his look with a glower of her own, grey eyes narrowing in annoyance. "You could've at least let me finish!" she hissed, fisting the warm sheets that covered her lower body. Another hasty 'shh' interrupted her once again, causing the brunette to finally snap.
In her anger, she blindly reached out for the floor, hurling whatever it was she first grasped at the captain. A slipper provided by the innkeeper flew towards Yamato's head, to which he merely dodged with ease. "You're a smart kunoichi, Katana. Therefore, you should already know that flinging a slipper at me won't knock me down unconscious." He said lightly, eyeing the fuming chuunin with concealed hilarity.
"I surely hoped it would." She snapped, turning away from him furiously. Yamato released another sigh, one hand on his head, massaging his aching temples. Normally, Katana was a level-headed shinobi, well-behaved and disciplined compared to her easily distracted peers.
'But on times like this', he thought with an inward grumble, 'she really could be troublesome, much like Kakashi-senpai…Maybe even worse.' He glanced at the unresponsive teen, guilt attacking his rather quickly-swayed conscience when he saw the girl hugging her knees, looking out of the window with a melancholic look in her eyes. 'Senpai just had to open his mouth and blabber about Sakura, huh?'
Shaking his head tiredly, he stood up from his seat, snatched up their medical kit and made his way towards her. "Those wounds need redressing. Give me your arm." He said, kneeling beside the silent kunoichi. Katana made no effort to follow the order but didn't bother resisting when Yamato himself took her right arm. The wood user pushed back the sleeve of her shirt and worked on her bandages quietly, asking her once-in-a-while questions like, 'does it hurt?' or 'did I tie it too tightly?'.
The brunette remained cold towards him, giving him nothing but a fleeting glance when he changed sides to bandage her other arm. The awkward silence and thick tension in the air was enough to make the composed captain squirm uncomfortably in his place, surprising both himself and Katana when he spoke suddenly, "Look, as much as I want to let you aid Sai and senpai, Kakashi himself ordered that we stay here, wait for Naruto to wake up then go back to the village." He tied the bandage cloth securely, stretching out the sleeve and letting her arm drop back to her side. "It's not like I have a choice now, do I?"
"…Actually, you do." Drawled out Katana, her voice still laced with indignation. "You can either follow it like a typical subordinate…or you could let me go and help them, like a good soft-hearted guy you are, Yamato-taichou." She turned to him, grey eyes becoming gentle and persuasive, trying to win him over. Swallowing, Yamato mustered up a firm grimace. 'Talk about a smooth character.' He thought, trying his best to keep up his unyielding demeanor. 'She's just like Kakashi.'
"That face isn't gonna work on me, Katana." He stated, crossing his arms to look adamant. At this, Katana's convincing façade fell apart, lips tugging down in a frown as she rubbed both hands on her face. "You don't understand." She said, eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "I have to be there. Tou-san can't defeat Sasuke all by himself."
"Regardless how strong his opponents might be, Kakashi always finds a way to defeat them or at least, a way to get out of the dangerous situation he's in. Don't worry; he'll bring back Sakura—"
"Sasuke fought all Kages at once, taichou. He fought them and he survived. You have no idea how strong he's gotten now. Tou-san couldn't stand against that kind of opponent, no matter how clever or experienced he is. He cannot defeat Sasuke."
"And you think you can? I doubt it. You'd be lucky to reach them without collapsing on the way."
"At least I try rather than sitting here like a cowar—"
"Being logical isn't cowardice. Letting your emotions rule over you could get you killed. I'd prefer to run away than to attack head on foolishly. I'm disappointed, Katana. I thought you were better than—"
A dazed groan cut their heated argument short and both shinobi turned to their sleeping teammate, who sat up, shaking his head to clear out the blurriness. Clearing his throat uneasily, Yamato distanced himself from the girl to inspect the other one. "You awake now?" he asked Naruto, scrutinizing the lad's startled expression. The blonde blinked at him in confusion, then turned to Katana with the same bewildered look. "What happened?" Naruto inquired, rubbing one of his eyes in exhaustion.
"You scared us, baka." Said Katana casually despite the way her eyes shone with relief. She kicked off her blanket and left her futon, crawling towards him. Katana enclosed him in a one-armed embrace, patting his back comfortingly. "Fainting all of a sudden…Don't ever do that again, Naruto." The boy inside her hold muttered an incoherent apology, hugging the kunoichi back. Drawing back, he faced their captain. "Where's Sai and Kakashi-sensei?" he asked with a frown, the earlier events dawning clearer into him.
"They're chasing after Sakura. Now the three of us will go back to Konoha, under Kakashi-senpai's order." Explained Yamato, his face wary of Naruto's reaction. The younger shinobi only gave a curt nod of understanding before standing up, reaching down for his bag. For the second time that day, Yamato found himself sighing, hand bent on a seal as his other arm molded into wood, stretching out to trap Naruto inside its claw-like branches. "Sorry", he said, not even sounding near apologetic, "but Kakashi-senpai will take care of Sakura. You two will come home to Konoha will me, am I understood?"
Katana answered with a scoff of disbelief, making her way back under the covers while Naruto nodded once again, dropped the bag and said, "I know. I'll rest a bit more before going back to Konoha. I don't feel too good." With that, he strode towards his futon and buried himself under the warmth of the clean sheets. Pleased with the submissive attitude his subordinates were finally showing, Yamato stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. "That's better now, isn't it?" he muttered, opening the door of their room. "I'll be going to the bathroom for a minute. Don't try anything stupid now."
"Mmhh."
"Hai, taichou."
The jounin went out of the room, closing the door shut behind him. A few peaceful minutes passed by and for a moment, only the howling breeze outside inn can be heard. As if on cue, the two friends peeked from under their blankets, giving each other knowing looks. "Got a plan?" asked Naruto, his sapphire orbs darting anxiously at the closed door then back at the kunoichi. Katana smirked deviously, her hand tapping the floor beneath them lightly. "The floor's wooden." She said as she shifted underneath the covers. "A kunai can easily cut a hole in it. Do you have one?"
"Two, actually." Said Naruto with a chuckle, handing the brunette one of the weapons. Katana gave a jerky nod in thanks, turning her back on him. "Start working, Naruto. And do it quietly." A prod made her look back again, meeting his worried gaze. She raised one eyebrow in question. "Yeah?"
"If we do get out of the hole, don't you think Yamato-taichou will notice our sheets suddenly going limp?" His inquiry made her eyes narrow in contemplation, realizing the flaw of her plan. After a while of reconsidering, the girl uttered one word, "Pillows."
Dumfounded, Naruto blinked twice at her, a baffled frown present on his face. "What?" Looking up at him, she repeated it again. "Pillows, Naruto. You fluff it out and stuff it by your side. That way, when we slip out, the blankets would still look bunched up."
The sound of footsteps nearing their room startled both teens and hastily they dove back in under the covers, but not before Katana made a grab for her beloved sword that lie only a few steps away from her. Evening out her shallow breathing as she heard their captain enter the room once again, Katana gripped the metal handle of the kunai firmly and began tracing on the floor a circle wide enough for her body to fit in.
Silence filled the room as Yamato took his seat on the floor, bringing one of his knees to support his propped up elbow. Resting his chin against his open palm, the jounin released a deep breath, eyes already half-lidded and begging for sleep. When he began to feel the telltale signs of slumber taking over him, Yamato immediately shook himself awake, sitting straight up in order to shrug off the feeling of exhaustion.
As much as he wanted to succumb to his body's desire for rest, he couldn't just leave the two alone and unsupervised, especially since they were highly likely to find an escape route once he let his guard down around them. "Katana, Naruto. We'd better get going." Announced Yamato with a stifled yawn, his eyelids dropping midway in suppressed drowsiness. "Aren't you guys ready yet?" The two lumps under the sheets twisted slightly and it was Naruto who first answered, "A few more minutes, Yamato-taichou. I don't feel like going out yet."
"Me neither." Added Katana, seconding her friend's statement. She coughed harshly from under the covers, then groaned out, "The weather outside is freezing my lungs off. Taichou, can you please turn the heater up?" The jounin sighed dismally, not at all thrilled to move from his comfortable spot. Nonetheless, he stood up and called before going out, "I'll be back."
"Which way, Naruto?" The rhythmic tapping of rushed feet against the ground rang in their ears as they ran side by side, neither paying attention to the ache of their legs. Naruto inhaled deeply, closing his red-ringed eyes in concentration as he patiently searched for their teacher's chakra in the area. "Kakashi-sensei's chakra's over there!" he said, jerking his head to the right as he changed course. The girl followed his lead, falling into pace with him after catching up.
A good-natured snicker earned her attention and Katana faced the boy, one eyebrow rising up in curiosity. "What's so funny?" The blonde chuckled once again before turning to her, his wide grin in place. "Nah, it's nothing. I just…remember how we used to sneak away from Kakashi-sensei too, when we were younger. This, right now, reminds me of how we used to be in Team 7…" His laughter died down and so did his grin, a sad smile replacing it instead.
"We'll bring him back." Said Katana, looking straight ahead even when the boy craned his neck towards her in surprise. "We promised, didn't we?" An open field soon came in her view, the place an overturned mess and wreckage. "We'll beat Sasuke for sure because no matter how strong he is…together, we're stronger." This time, she looked at him, smiling. Naruto beamed right back and nodded before shouting, "Alright! Let's do this!" The two jumped down in unison, leaping over debris and large craters.
"Don't do it, Sasuke!"
The familiar voice echoed all over the ruins, coming from under the bridge. Hurriedly, the pair sprinted over there, diving down without hesitation. Naruto ran as soon as his feet landed on the water, intervening just in time before the Uchiha can stab their pink-haired teammate with a kunai. In alarm, Katana dashed to where they were standing, skidding into a halt once she was in front Sakura. Hands immediately grabbed the medic's face, moving it up and down as Katana searched for injuries. Seeing none, the brunette let go, letting out a relieved breath.
"K-Katana…" said Sakura, disbelief still clear in her expression. Katana stood up and helped the latter get to her feet, the two of them joining the others. A pang of familiar anguish hit Katana as she looked over to where Sasuke's rigid form stood all alone. "Naruto, Katana." Said Kakashi in front, his mismatched eyes fixed on the missing-nin. "I never expected the two of you to come, especially since I left Yamato to get you back home but… I'm sure as hell am glad you did. I almost lost another student." He muttered and somewhere behind Katana, Sakura looked down guiltily.
"Well, well…Look who's here to fight me. My old comrades…Team 7." Stated Sasuke with a dark laugh, his eyes full of malice and hatred. "Who would've thought that one of the best teams in Konoha would end up like this three years later, eh? Naruto, Sakura, Katana and Kakashi…" He cackled again, shoulders moving in sync with his laughter. Finally, he calmed down, a maniac laugh plastered on his face.
"I'll have fun killing all of you."
End Chapter
Author's Note: How'd I do this time, guys? Mind clicking the link below and leave a comment? Come on, you know you wanna. ^^
Enjoy and review!