Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction ❯ Seeking Peace ❯ I Wish Mr. Cab Driver Had Run Over The Snake Before I Got Out... ( Chapter 2 )

"Ey, ain't'chu the kid that jacked my fare befo' ??" Came a voice.I lifted my head from the cool window and realized I was in the same cab with the same dread locked driver as last time. I let my head fall back down to land on the window with a bang, exasperated at my horrible luck."Look, kid, I don't care what'chu been doin' tonight," He said suddenly, "but I don't want no pukin' in my cab, now, ya dig? Where're you goin'?""Ground Zero..." I replied solemnly."Allaway up dare??" He exclaimed exaggeratedly, "What'evva, kid, but chu better be payin me my fare at the end'a the ride, ya dig?""Yeah..." I sighed, "I dig...""What'chu be goin' up dare fo' anyways?" He questioned disapprovingly, "It's one'a'clock in the AM for cryin'-""My parent's died there." I cut him off, hoping he'd have enough decency to leave it be. He didn't.He slammed on the breaks,"Waah? No parents?? You got a place to go?""No." I told him, blankly realizing it for myself, "Not anymore...""Hmmm," The cab driver pulled on his short dread locked goatee thoughtfully as cars let their horns wail behind us,"Interesting. How old are ya, kid? Got any other relations ta speak of?""No." I replied just as blankly as before, "Are we going?"The cab driver focused on the road again then, asking me all sorts of questions on the way. I was so numbed out, I just told him everything. By the time we'd reached 31st street, I wouldn't've been surprised if I told the guy my entire life story. We were past that now, and on to my philosophies about life."There's no such thing as peace."I said to him, as if drunk on my fatigue, "All it is is another thing to fight wars over. And war is the nature of all humans."The cab driver slammed on the breaks again after that, "Wha!? You crazy? Keep thinkin' like that and you might as well be!""It's true!" I shouted at him, "My parents are dead because of it!!""That's it-" The cab driver switched two gears in the front back and forth multiple times and then flicked a switch on the dash board. Afterwards, he slammed his foot on the gas and the taxi cab lurched forward at a speed I've never felt a car go at before. I screamed and tried to look out the window, but all I could see were stars and nebula. Were we in outer space???All too soon the cab came to a skidding stop, the wheels screeching some and the taxi driver turned around fully in his seat to regard me sternly, "You in'a serious need fo' a inta'vention, kid. So get out, 'n learn what peace really is, ya' dig?"It seemed as if the door opened of its own violation and tossed me out into the dirt."Hey!" I shouted, "What about the cab fare!?"When I turned around, no one was there.Shock ran through me as I took in my surroundings. There was a dark forest all around me with trees as tall and as thick as skyscrapers. I heard wildlife all around, and even spotted a huge centipede spiraling it's way up a branch draped with creepers. I let out a small eeep, and started running.I had no idea where I was going, or how I got here in the first place. Where the hell was that cab driver??I jumped over brambles and swung from low hanging branches to avoid tripping over the gargantuan tree roots that riddled the ground like giant sand worms from a sci-fi movie.I ran impulsively, rounding trees every way I turned, desperately seeking some form of civilization. I should've been more careful what I wished for, though.Because all too soon, I heard a blood curtailing scream resonate eerily throughout the immediate area. It only made me run faster, suddenly running into something hard and solid, then falling backwards onto my ass with an "Uh!" of impact and surprise.When I looked up, rubbing my head in pain, to see the object my clumsiness had targeted I saw a boy staring dispassionately back down at me. He had pale skin for an Asian, and spiky black hair which was more normal, and it had a look to it that said 'just got out of bed, but I still look hot'.What concerned me was something gripped securely in his hand that I could most definitely classify as a deadly weapon. And he wasn't alone. There were two others.The first was a girl with pale, pink colored hair, also Asian, with unusual colored green eyes, and she gripped her weapon tightly with both hands in front of her. I could tell she was nervous.The last was another boy in flamboyant orange clothing. He was by far, the most unusual looking of them all. I couldn't tell if his short spiky hair was dyed blonde or if it was natural, and his eyes were a bright cerulean blue. He just stood there with a funny look on his face, staring at me, weaponless.It was he whom I hid behind, staring at the others, wide eyed, "what exactly are you planning on doing with those?? Who are you people, and where the hell am I?"The girl cocked her head, and the dark haired guy raised a cynical eye brow at me.The one in orange, whom I was still hiding behind looked over his shoulder at me and said in an obnoxious tone that matched the color of his clothing, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! I'm going to be the next Hokage! Are you a ninja too, lady?"I blinked at him, then at the others, and their weapons, "...You guys are ninja...?""Why else would we be here?" The girl said in an intelligent sounding voice, "This is a test for ninjaonly...I take it you're not one of us?"I shook my head dumbly, "I have no idea how I got here. Do you guys know the way back to New York City?""Never heard of it." Replied the dark haired one.I blinked in disbelief again and asked, "Ok, have you ever heard of America?"They all shook their heads simultaneously and my jaw dropped."Well then, where the hell am I??" I reverted to my original question."Forest of Death, Chunin exams...Konohagakure." The dark haired one told me. He obviously still didn't trust me because he hadn't lowered his weapon yet, "Who are you? What are you doing here if you're not a ninja?""I'm Heiwa Aneka." I told him, pulling out my switch blade and raising it defensively in front of me, mimicking his position, and scowling, "...Why I'm here...I'm not quite sure myself. I just got out of a cab, and found myself here...must be some kind of bad juu-juu or something...And I may not be a ninja, but I know how to defend myself and where it hurts the most, so don't even think about trying to rough me up..."The boy smirked and slowly lowered his strange weapon, while I flipped mine into a storage position and spun it back into my belt like an old western movie."My name is Uchiha Sasuke." He spoke his name proudly and pointed out the girl, "She's Haruno Sakura...and I suppose you already know Naruto...""I think he made sureeveryonewho he is..." the girl, Sakura, dead panned while Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly."So you guys are like some sort of gang?" I tried to work out."More like a squadron, or a team..." She corrected, "Team work is one of our most powerful weapons as ninja."I nodded, interested in the concept. Sometimes one of the girls would distract one of the shop attendants while I robbed them blind. I think that's as far as it went for me...But I think I liked their version better..."Do you guys know the way out of here?" I asked pleadingly, "Maybe I could try this team work thing out with you guys."I directed the statement towards the Uchiha since he seemed to be the one in charge-"I gotta pee!" Naruto suddenly ejected and started unzipping his pants.I snorted and had to stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from laughing when Sakura pummeled him with her fist."Do that in the bushes! Not in front of ladies you idiot!" She shouted at him angrily.After a while, he came back, "Man, so much came out, I feel great now!"Sakura held her fist up, "Isaid, not in front of ladies, you-"Suddenly, Sasuke slammed his fist into Naruto's face violently. Hard enough to draw blood...I think it was this senseless act of violence that first led me to admire him."What the hell are you doing, Sasuke??!" Naruto exclaimed in pain.Sakura looked horrified, "Sasuke-kun, you didn't have to go that far-""Where's the real Naruto...?" Sasuke demanded from the form lying on the ground."The hell?" He rubbed his stricken cheek, glaring at Sasuke, "What are you talking about, I'm right here, dumb ass!!"I looked back and forth between the two, confused...but Sasuke seemed to know what he was talking about, so I stood firmly beside him."Your shuriken holster is on the left...Naruto's right handed..." Sasuke replied darkly, "...What's more, you don't even have the scratch the examiner gave him...You're a fake looser who's worse at transforming than the real one...""Transforming...?" I looked at him questionably.He nodded towards Naruto, whom, at that moment, poof-ed into smoke which cleared to reveal a completely different person. Oh. Transformation. I shrugged. I'd seen crazier things.The ninja, because I could tell that's what he was, Was dressed in a strange outfit. He wore on his face, some sort of weird breathing apparatus that distorted his voice, and a head band with four vertical lines on it."How unlucky...You figured it out..." He sniggered nastily, "Oh well, which one of you has the scroll?"I didn't know what he meant by this 'scroll' but I took out my switch blade anyway and pointed it at him, "You wanna die, freak? Where the hell is Naruto?"The ninja laughed again, ignoring my threat, "Heh, I'll just take it by force then!"He began to rush at us, and Sasuke jumped high into the air quickly forming multiple signs with his hands. I gritted my teeth then and rushed at the ninja in turn, letting out a roar, brandishing my switch blade violently.I swiped at him once, twice, but he dodged with a speed I'd never seen before.It was only seconds after I discovered this that I screamed and jumped back, as did the ninja when out of nowhere balls of fire started raining from the sky!Apparently Sasuke was the source. He and the other ninja clashed together with that same incredible speed...Back home, I was known for being the speediest. I was quick on my feet and quick with my hands, so they made me the thief. My size was also an advantage when it came to my profession, but this...this was something else...The two ricocheted off of each other, both brandishing one of those weapons from before. Sasuke went so high, he ended up in one of the branches. I heard someone shouting not far away, and he threw a knife down to the person. I ran towards it, finding Naruto tied up tightly, making his way toward the knife like an inch worm.I seized the bizarre looking knife and quickly started cutting the ropes restraining the hyperactive ninja, hurrying even more so when I heard an explosion from back in the clearing. When I finally succeeded snapping the binds, I swung around to find the enemy ninja pointing a similar knife at Sasuke's neck. In my dismay, I clenched my teeth angrily and flung the my own strange weapon at the jerk with all of my strength and pent up frustration.The guy jumped away in surprise when it left a shallow cut across his cheek before barring itself at the ground behind him. Sasuke smirked and somehow caught it with his foot before it hit the dirt, swinging it around back toward the ninja."You're not getting away, dattebayo!" Naruto crowed loudly at him.With that same awesome speed of his, Sasuke launched himself after the knife he had thrown previously, grabbed it in mid air, and stabbed it into the enemy's shoulder, splattering his face with blood. He gritted his teeth with a rugged expression that I couldn't help but watch with fascination. I felt an elated grin spread across my face in excitement. For the first time, I noticed his eyes glinted red in the sunlight."What are you doing, just standing there?" He directed at a petrified looking Sakura, "There may be others! Let your guard down for a second and you could be dead!"I rushed over and took a stance in front of herwith my big switch blade out as the bleeding ninja fled. I doubted he came with others. Sometimes when the gang went out on a rumble, they sent out singles to do reconnaissance."He's probably a scout. Picking off the weak ones." I offered, staring after his shrinking form leaping away from tree branch to tree branch, "People like him always use evasive tricks to get what they want...""You seem to know a thing or two about that sort of thing..." Sasuke mentioned suspiciously, landing softly next to me.I offered a surly half smile, "Heh, tricks and picking off the weak...yeah, I guess I would know about that...""It's a nice weapon...You use it well..." He nodded evasively at my switch blade, "Where'd you get it...?"He was probing for information. That much wasn't lost on me. He was suspicious, and rightly so. We were almost just infiltrated. I decided to humor him."My dad gave it to me days before he and my mom both died in a national tragedy." I gave him the same half smile as before, shrugging, "What's your sob story, speedy?"He mirrored my half smile ruefully, and pointed at the symbol on his back, "I only earned the right to wear my clan's symbol days before they were all murdered..."I frowned, looking away, displeased, "Well, that's never happened before..."He looked at me questioningly and I explained, "No one's ever bested my horrible back story...I guess I kind of respect you for that one...plus, the whole thing back there with that crazy speed was possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life."He smirked and waved the others over. We sat in a circle, eying each other wearily after what had just happened."Listen..." Sasuke started, "If we get separated next time, even if they look like us, don't trust them...This could happen again.""What do we do?" Sakura murmured forlornly, while Naruto nodded, seconding the question. I stared at Sasuke, since he seemed to be the one with all the answers. I wasn't disappointed."Simple." He told us, "We need a pass word. If you get it wrong, we'll assume whoever it is is an enemy no matter what they look like.""Heh," I smirked, "this is ironic. Why do I feel like I'm a little kid again, playing games...? But you're right...it sounds like a plan."Sasuke nodded, "Listen carefully, because I'll only say it once..."Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stick up. It was as if some unknown eyes were wandering all over my body...it made my skin crawl...I shivered and looked all around us, finally spotting a suspicious piece of bamboo, sticking out of the ground.I interrupted Sasuke in the middle of what he was saying, and he rewarded me with a first rate scowl. I just pointed, and told him breathlessly, "There's something bad there. It's watching us..."He looked at me strangely and murmured back, "I know..."I clutched his arm fearfully, "Don't let it touch you."At that moment, something left an unknown scratch on Naruto's face, "Ouch, dattebayo!"An unnatural wind billowed through the clearing then. I clenched Sasuke's arm even tighter. I just knew something bad was going to happen."More enemies!!" He shouted to the others, "Be on your guard!"The wind blew even harder. Hard enough to blow us sky high...It was all I could do to hold onto Sasuke as we flew through the air. I felt an arm wrap around my middle as we went down, landing, and rolling into a bush. When the smoke cleared, we still held onto each other tightly, with me somehow stuck on top."Thanks..." I murmured to him, fighting back the heat rushing to my cheeks as I rolled off quickly. He smelled like sweet musk and pine needles..."Stay close," Is what he told me, then handed me a couple of those strange knives, "You threw that last kunai really well. You even put a bit of chakra behind it and cut that last guy...maybe you'll be of use after all..."I nodded, taking out my dad's switch blade and stowing the 'Kunai' in some easily accessible pockets in my bag in case they were needed, "I don't know what Chakra is, but I can hit a bulls eye from 30 feet away... I like to practice every day back home."He raised a dark eyebrow at me, and replied, "Likewise."That's two things we have in common, I noted dully as we stood cautiously to observe our surroundings."Sasuke-kun! Ane-" Sakura ran up to us happily, but Sasuke held up his kunai, cutting her off abruptly."Stay back..." He threatened, "Pass word...""Oh right!" She exclaimed, "A large amount of loud enemies are the friends of the shinobi. He must lie in wait and know the proper moment to strike."I gave Sasuke a reproachful look as he lowered his weapon, "That'sthe pass word?? It's so long! Just make itoneword next time, will you?""Were you even listening?" He retorted."No!" I shouted at him, "I was too busyfreakingHe rolled his eyes, "You're a bigger moron than Naruto..."I scowled at him, "Yeah? Well you-"I was interrupted by the sudden appearance of said moron, "Hey guys, what was up with that-""Don't come any closer!" Sakura pointed her kunai at him, "What's the pass word?!"I had that same, sick, skin crawling feeling again and I inched closer to Sasuke. I gave him a look and he nodded almost undetectably.Naruto smirked uncharacteristically and recited the horrible thing word by word, only increasing my suspicions. If I couldn't get it, neither could he. Sasuke knew this better than I did, considering he was ganged up with him...Sakura, however, sighed in relief, now weary at all. I think Sasuke took some sort of sick pleaser out of being violent towards Naruto's likeness though, because the look on his face said he was just waiting for that one slip up. I exchanged a similar look with him and we both hurled a kunai at the Naruto impersonator. The guy let out a Naruto-esque squawk and maneuvered himself quickly, if not intentionally clumsily, out of the way."So This time he's good enough to dodge my attack..." Sasuke mused."What?" Sakura flustered, "But he said it right!""You really don't pay too much attention do you?" I admonished her, "I don't even know the guy that well, and even I know he wouldn't've gotten that code word right. Hell, even I didn't remember the damn thing...""How clever..." Fake Naruto smirked and licked his lips with a grotesquely long tongue, "...Even the girl figured it out...Tell me, what gave me away?""I knew someone was listening in on us." Sasuke smirked as well, "Incidentally, so did Aneka, and she's not even a ninja...That's why I made it something the real Naruto would never figure out."Sakura face palmed, "You're right! I should've known!"I messed her hair, "Don't worry, memorizing that troublesome thing in the first place is an accomplishment in itself."She smiled at me."I see..." Fake Naruto turned into an androgynous looking, long haired ninja with a Japanese styled straw hat, "Neither tired, nor ill prepared, are we? This will be more fun than I thought..."Sakura and Sasuke glared at the guy as he(I think it was a he) held out a scroll with the kanji symbols 'µØÇò' chikyuu for earth on it. At this point I sort of guessed the object of these Chunin exams' was to steal each other’s scrolls at any costs."You want my earth scroll, right...? Since you guys have the heaven scroll..." The guy let his gross tongue droop out of his mouth again.Suddenly, he extended it even longer and wrapped it around the scroll he was holding, then shoved it down his throat in one smooth motion. The three of us stared at him in horror."That's disgusting!!" Of course I was the first one to react..."Go away, freak, we don't want itnow!"The creeper just laughed at me, "What is your purpose in these exams, girl? Where do you come from?"I scowled at him, "Like hell I'd tell you! Even if I did know how I got here!"The guy laughed even harder at that, wiping away a fake tear, "You've got no fear at all, do you, foolish girl...? Let's change that..."He pulled down his eyelid, making a face at us, and I suddenly heard a strange noise, like a fly buzzing in my ear. Even more suddenly, the other two dropped to their knees on either side of me, staring at the guy, shivering and wide eyed. Tears streamed down Sakura's face and I think Sasuke wretched over to the side. I jumped and held his overly long bangs aside for him, shaking his shoulder."What the- Dude, are you ok? Sakura-" I looked back and forth between my two shivering allies, then glared at the enemy viciously."What the hell did you do!!" I exclaimed, as he stared at me in something resembling fascination, "Answer me you freak!""You shouldn't be able to move..." He mused with a growing sick grin, "What interesting children I found today..."I gripped my dad's switch blade tightly and moved in front of my new friends protectively, the shouted, "I don't care how much stronger, or faster you are than I am, or what tricks you pull, whatever you are, I won't let you touch them!!"The guy began to take calculating steps toward me, circling like a cat does a mouse, "And how do you plan to do that...when you're powerless to stop me?"I leered at him, "We'll see how powerless I am when you're dead..."The guy laughed some more, and I felt a shivering had grip my ankle. I looked back to see Sasuke shaking his head, "We need to run. Now."I looked at the guy again to see he had three kunai in one hand for each of us, then back to Sasuke. His eyes glinted red again, and he struggled to stand. I grabbed his arm and Sakura's in turn, the hoisted them up quickly."Running isn't going to solve anything!" I growled to him angrily. There was something about the fear in his eyes though-it was pure and unadulterated- that made me do as he said.While I looked around the tree for our enemy, I had to stop Sasuke from stabbing himself with his kunai for some reason. I slammed his head into the bark and took the weapon away from him angrily, "way are you trying to do, you idiot!?"He explained to me about curing fear with pain briefly, before grimacing and wiping away some blood that trickled from under his headband, "What you just did was enough...Cleared my head a bit..."I handed his kunai back cautiously, "You’re welcome...I guess..."Suddenly Sakura screeched, "Hebi!!"I gasped as ahugesnake lunged at us, and Sasuke grabbed me around the middle again, jumping away from it. He fired several weapons at it, "Get away!!"I flung my last kunai at it as well, aiming at its yellow slit eye. I never missed...I anticipated a target's movement and fired at that instead of the target itself.The snake let out some guttural Scream and lay dead on the branch where we landed in front of it."Are you ok?" I asked Sasuke cautiously glaring back at the giant snake, "That thing could be something from out of a horror...movie..."I trailed off as the head started to move...like a dead thing with maggots inside of it moves. At that point, I heard a loud crack reside throughout the branches around us as the snake skin was penetrated by something within it. A dark figure rose from the crack, slowly, covered in slime that dragged off him in trails..."What the hell is that thing??" I gasped, taking a step back and grabbing Sasuke's wrist tightly."You can't let your guard down for even a moment..." The thing said, looking up at us with a leer, "Prey are always trying their best to run away...in the presence of a predator..."he thought of us as animals. I stared at him aghast, and insulted, instead of how I should've been. Afraid. I wasn't though. Not like Sasuke was. Nothing like he was. No. I was Angry. My anger and rage at this creature, who fancied himself a hunter of his own species, outweighed my fear a hundred fold.When the grotesque horror figure began to twist and turn his body around the tree towards us like a snake, I brandished my dad's switch blade and let out a battle cry, rushing at him as well. That was, until a shower of flying stars flew down in between us."Sorry guys," Came the real Naruto's voice from a branch above us, "I forgot the pass word.

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