Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ 1000 Memories, Words and Confessions ❯ Shall this Fire Burn Forever? ( Chapter 3 )

“I have selected you three to be in the Chunin exams.” Kakashi handed them each a slip of paper. “It is for you to decide whether to go or not.”

 

The next day, as the sun came up the three genin met outside by the main building. Sakura and Naruto were bickering again, but Sasuke was somewhere else. His vacant look told everything that was going through his head.

 

“Come on Sasuke were going to take the exam!” Naruto shouted, making Sasuke wake up from his thoughts.

 

There were so many ninjas from all the different countries under one roof. All of the other rookies were there as well, trying to get in but two boys were standing in the way.

 

“Drop the force field illusion because I have business on the third floor.” Sasuke stated. The two boys smirked and congratulated him on figuring it out. The one with spiky hair attacked Sasuke but Rock Lee got between them and stopped the fight.

 

“Come on you brats, stop the playing around.” A girl in the back with blond hair and blue eyes spoke up. “I am here for an exam.” She shoved past the others but not before looking directly at Sasuke.

 

Once the three genin made their way into the first room, they were overwhelmed with all the ninjas from all the different countries had turned up for the exam. They saw all of the other rookie genin there as well, but a certain group could not leave Sasuke alone. It was the group with the blond girl in it; she had a look in her eyes that reminded him of someone.

 

“Wow, everyone is here!” Naruto said.

 

“I know, there are so many people.” Sakura looked around nervously.

 

“You three gangs of would-be hotshots are all genin, right? Kids barely out of the local ninja academy? All wet-behind-the-ears and runny-nosed! This isn't a school field trip, you know.” A silver haired boy asked with a look on his face.

 

“Who the heck do you think you are?” Ino asked, annoyed.

 

“Name's Kabuto. So what? You kids need to open your eyes.” He looked over in the direction of the rain ninjas.

 

“Why?” Sakura asked.

 

“Watch out for the group behind you. They're Amagakure and they have short fuses.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“The least I can do is give you sweet little babies some vital intelligence on what you're in for…with these shinobi cards.” He whipped out a deck of cards with special symbols on them. He explained how they worked with his chakra and placed the cards down on the ground.

 

“Information on the ninjas from the mist.” Sasuke said as he looked back over at the girl with blond hair. Kabuto nodded and placed three cards down on the ground.

 

“All I can do is give you their name and age. The first is the blond-“ He was cut off by a shadow that swept over him.

 

“My name would be Akari and I am 13. My skills deal with controlling light in battle.” She smirked at Sasuke.

 

“And the rest of your team?” He asked, glaring right back at her.

 

“Oh yes. The other girl, her name is Kori and she is 14 and controls ice like skills. The boy next to her is Yami; he deals with shadows and is the same age as Kori.” She moved from behind Kabuto to next to Sasuke like light. “Now I deserve to know who you are sweet boy, because Auri has a certain liking for you.”

 

~*~

 

I learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to do the worst to get the mission completed. The large building was neither haunting nor frightening to Auri as she made her way to the entrance. Auri was at least a couple of inches taller, more filled out and about three years older than she really was.

 

 

She saw the guards standing outside the building and couldn't help but smirk as she sashayed over to them.

 

“Oh boys, I am here to join the Akatsui, could you please let me in.” She flipped her hair and gazed at them. Entranced with her they opened the doors and let her walk right into the middle of a meeting.

 

“And who let her in?” Growled the leader of the Akatsui.

 

“I let myself in. Besides I prefer to make an entrance when it comes to being a part of the biggest criminal group.” She smirked as she glared directly at the people that sat and stood around the main table. “I probably have to prove myself, but it will be easy.”

 

“You think that you can just walk in here and join the Akatsui! What are your strengths any way? Do you even have any?” Auri turned to the man speaking to her and smirked as she disappeared and reappeared with her sai up to his throat.

 

“I deserve to be here more than you.” She said as she pushed the blade closer to his throat. The leader began to clap as he made his way down towards her.

 

“And you come from what village?” He asked curiously as he noticed there were no tattoos and no head protector either.

 

“Where I come from, ninjas aren't questioned about anything but their skills.” She answered. The leader laughed.

 

“I like how you think. Itachi!” He called out. In a flash a black and red form appeared at his side. “Take her out for a test run. Make sure she is ready to join the group.” Itachi nodded.

 

“Follow me.” He pushed passed Auri and out into the forest. Auri followed him slowly as she took a deep breath.

 

They made their way out of the forest and to a small village that rested on the out skirts of the forest. It was a pleasant little place with barely any ninja there, and probably no idea who was approaching. Auri tried to figure out exactly what where she was, and from the look of it, it seemed to be wave country.

 

“To prove you are as powerful as you claim, you are to destroy this village.” He pointed at the happy little village and looked directly at her with cold eyes. “I don't know you do I?”

 

“If you had met me before, you would have been dead by now.” She said as she made her way to the village, with Itachi close behind her.

 

“And don't take your time about it.” He said again in his monotone voice.

 

“You can shut the fuck up now.” She spat back. She pulled the sai out of her sash and formed hand seals. The sai began to be covered in a red light, not fire but a light. She took a deep breath and sprinted down at the village at top speed. Breathe Auri, just breathe. You can do this…A tear slipped out of her eye as she stopped at the front of the village and held her sai out in front of her.

 

“Forgive me…” She whispered as she threw the sai into the middle of the village and watched as the red light turned into a giant explosion. The buildings were black ashes on the ground and the people were crying out in pain. Auri pulled the sai out of the ground and slid them back into her sash. Auri tried to not look into the eyes of the people that lay along the ground, burned and crying. A child wandered from the forest, the only survivor of the terrible massacre of the village. The child held tightly to the doll in their hands and walked slowly, with a look of innocence in her eyes through the village. Auri turned away from the picture that was engraved in the deepest parts of her mind as Itachi appeared next to her. As she walked past him, she could do nothing more than glare directly at his passing form. Burn in hell. She thought to herself as she disappeared into the forest, trying to block the cry of pain that was coming from the tortured child.

 

“Satisfied?” She asked as she crossed her arms and faced Itachi with a stone face.

 

“What technique was that?” He asked as he reached out to touch one of the sai.

 

“Back off. It's an original. I cause my chakra to build up in the metal and when it collides with the earth it explodes.” She slapped his hand away from her.

 

“Impressive.” He turned around and walked back up the hill. Impressive, what the hell! I just killed people! What the hell have I gotten myself into this time…

 

~*~

 

“Uchiha Sasuke.” He answered. Brushing her hand off of his shoulder he turned to glare at her.

 

“Now, now don't act like that. So you happen to be a part of the adoptive family she had come to love until-“

 

“Stop before I have to make you stop.” Sasuke had a look of pure hate in his eyes.

 

“Still a touchy subject, well for your sake you better not get too close to her.” She got close to his ear and whispered the rest in. “She has something inside of her that is yearning to break free.” She pulled away and went back to her group.

 

“What did she say Sasuke?” Sakura asked as she eyed the girl evilly.

 

“Nothing important.” He said before the proctors appeared.

 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. My name is Morino Ibiki. I'm the proctor chief examiner for the first part of the exam. From this point forward, there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer…” The proctor continued on with what would happen during the test and that everyone would be assigned seats. Sasuke sat down in his seat but his mind was else where as he couldn't shake a weird feeling he had. Auri, what is going on right now? Where are you? As the paper landed in front of him he quickly wrote picked a person and began to copy the answers down.

 

***

Auri found herself resting in a river, taking the cloth she had and scrubbing her skin until it turned red and began to bleed. A tear rose to the corner of her eye and fell onto the top of her shaking hand. The cool water of the river ran over her body slowly, relaxing her tense muscles. She pushed herself under and opened her eyes to look up at the sky, turning red from the setting sun. When she ran out of air she slowly lifted herself out of the water and shook her hair out.

 

“Don't think that certain Akatsui members wouldn't try to rape you.” A deep voice said from her right. Auri jumped out of the river and grabbed her clothes.

 

“And you must be one of them.” She growled back as she pulled her clothes on.

 

“No.” Itachi walked across the river and stood directly in front of her, his eyes trying to penetrate hers. “You have this look in your eyes of someone I left four years ago…” His eyes continued to probe hers for the answers he was looking for but Auri only answered him with one of her own cold looks.

 

“You've got the wrong person. So if you don't mind I'm going back to the camp.” She turned to walk away but she was stopped by a firm grip on her wrist. She turned to pull away but was met by a soft kiss on her lips. Shocked, she forgot to fight back as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Her mind woke her up with the thoughts of her life back at Konoha, of Sasuke who she had left for the mission. Why? Why are you letting him do this? Get a hold of yourself, fight back! FIGHT BACK! She screamed at herself. With all of her strength she pushed Itachi off of her. She took the back of her hand and whipped her lips off.

 

“Stay away from me…”

 

Night descended like a blood soaked shadow over the quiet forest. Auri lay awake on a tree branch high above the small Akatsui camp. Her purple eyes wandered as far as the tree lines would allow until there was nothing more than dark green shadows. She could hear the talk of taking out another village and of finding another demon. She ignored it until one spoke up about a fox demon and a boy from Konoha. Auri flipped herself out of the tree and right into the middle of the small circle.

 

“Watch it damn woman!” One of the men shouted at her.

 

“You watch it.” She yelled back. “Who is it that brought up the fox demon?” She glared around the circle. “No one?” She reached for a sai.

 

“I did.” Itachi said from the shadows.

 

“What are you planning on doing with the fox demon?” She asked, her tone filled with malice.

 

“Were going to bring him to the Akatsui.” He answered before going back to the shadows. Auri sighed to herself as she made her way back up in the tree. Naruto…please be safe. She thought to herself as she closed her eyes and let sleep take over her.

 

~*~

 

 

Sasuke looked out from his hiding spot as soon as the wind died down to look for his teammates. He whirled around to see Sakura standing behind him.

 

“Stay back! Don't come near! What's the password? The Ninki.” He demanded as he pulled out a kunai in case she really wasn't Sakura.

 

“Oh right! “We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate.” Sakura answered.

 

“Good.” Sasuke said as he looked around for Naruto.

 

“Yow…are you guys all right?” Naruto's voice called out as he appeared from behind a tree.

 

“Not so fast Naruto! The password?” Sasuke commanded.

 

“Oh right, the Ninki.” He said. Naruto, to everyone's shock said the entire password. Sasuke was smirking while Sakura gave a sigh of relief. Sasuke threw a kunai at Naruto who dodged it easily.

 

“Hey!” He shouted.

 

What?! Sakura thought. “What are you doing, Sasuke? Naruto got the password right!” She demanded from Sasuke who was glaring at Naruto the entire time.

 

“And this time he is good enough to deflect my attack!” Sasuke prepared for a fight as he turned away from Sakura.

 

“Wait just a second here!” She shouted back.

 

Naruto laughed. “Well done!” A giant wind surrounded him as the ninja changed into his original form. “What gave me away?” The grass ninja asked.

 

“I knew you were underground, eavesdropping on everything we said. That's why I chose that kind of password…the kind the real Naruto would never manage to memorize. Gotcha imposter!” Sasuke smirked as he waited for the Grass ninja to make a move.

 

“I see…watch and wait, eh? This is going to be more fun that I thought!”

 

“That was another phony Naruto!!!” Sakura concluded as she watched the creepy ninja take out his scroll.

 

“I suppose you'll want this but,” He swallowed the scroll. “We'll see who will be stealing scrolls from whom? We'll fight to the death!” The grass ninja created an illusion that sent the two genin into a bloody vision. Sasuke watched as his teammates were mutilated, stabbed and killed in front of him.

 

“I see there is someone else…” The grass ninja spoke in an eerie voice. An image of Auri smiling flashed across Sasuke's mind as he saw her there in front of him. She stood in front of him with kunai knives stuck in her arms and legs. She turned to look at him with tired violet eyes and began to collapse. Sasuke went to catch her but as he stuck his arms out to grab her, a kunai knife hit him right in the forehead. Sasuke fell over and started to puke as he tried to pull himself out of the illusion. It's not death…just an incredible simulation! I…looked into his eyes…and he made me feel it, believe it…Wh-who is he…?!!! Sasuke thought to himself. He turned to look at Sakura but she was shaking all over. “Sakura…” His voice sounded strained and in pain as he looked back at the grass ninja. If we don't retreat were finished! The only other option is death!!!

 

“Heh…I imagine you're paralyzed by now…” The grass ninja continued his onslaught of illusions. Not quite...I can move…just enough!! Sasuke said to himself as he pulled out a kunai and with everything he had turned on the sharigan and ran to save Sakura. Once they were behind the trees Sasuke stabbed himself in the leg with the kunai to pull himself out of the fear and illusions.

 

“SPEAK TO ME, SAS-“Sakura felt Sasuke's hand instantly cover her mouth as he turned to see if the grass ninja was coming. We've got to move fast, or he'll find us again! Sakura started to yell into Sasuke's hand about something until she was able to rip his hand off of her face. “Sasuke! Snnnaaake!!!” She yelled. Sasuke and Sakura jumped out of the way of the snake but the snake was only after Sasuke.

 

“Get lost!!!” Sasuke shouted at the snake as he sent stars and knives right into the reptiles head. The snake hit the tree and landed on one of the branches dead , but what came out of the snake made the two ninjas quake in fear. The grass ninja rose from the insides of the snake with a blood thirsty look in its eyes.

 

“For shame, letting your guard down! Stay on your toes, like a good prey should! It makes the chase so much more rewarding for the predator!” The grass ninja slithered up the tree trunk but got his path cut off by an onslaught of stars.

 

“Sorry Sasuke…I can't remember that stupid password!” Naruto stood triumphantly up in a tree.

 

“You'd love to be the hero saving the day but right now would be a good time to run for your lie!! This guy is way out of our league!!!” Sasuke shouted up at Naruto.

 

“Heh heh…my compliments on defeating the giant snake Naruto.” The grass ninja said.

 

“Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size…? Or something like that…” While Naruto was having a shouting contest with the grass ninja, Sasuke was contemplating how to save the team from the ninja. He turned his sharigan off and pulled out the scroll.

 

“If it's our scroll you want, come and get it! Just take it and go!” Sasuke held the scroll out for the ninja.

 

“Sasuke!! What the heck do you think you are doing?!!! Is this some clever plan, giving everything to the enemy?!” Naruto pointed at Sasuke, his face distorted between anger and annoyance.

 

“Well done you're obviously natural born prey, knowing when your only hope is by tempting the predator with a tastier prey.” The grass ninja laughed at the weak choice.

 

“Come and get it!” Sasuke yelled as he threw the scroll to the grass ninja. Naruto stood in shock before darting from the branch he was standing on to snatching the scroll right out the air and landing next to Sasuke. “STAY OUT OF THIS! YOU'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!” Sasuke yelled at Naruto as he went to take the scroll from his teammate. Naruto glanced up at Sasuke before he pulled back his fist and hit Sasuke hard in the face and sent him flying. “What do you think you are doing?!” Sasuke asked annoyed by now with Naruto as he shook himself.

 

“Naruto…what are you…?” Sakura said to herself as she watched the boys.

 

“I forgot the stupid password…so I can't prove it…but this so-called Sasuke is obviously a fake!” Naruto growled down at Sasuke.

 

“What?!” Sakura said to herself.

 

“Naruto…you idiot! I'm me…!” Sasuke answered, breathing hard.

 

“That's bull!” Naruto said under his breath. “You're the idiot, idiot! You're a coward which Sasuke isn't! And besides who is to say that he'll spare us even after we've given the scroll up!”

 

“And you're right, why bargain when I can kill you and take the scroll!” The grass ninja slid his sleeve up and revealed a tattoo on his arm, bit his thumb and drew a line of blood over the tattoo. Naruto turned with a dark glare on his face towards the grass ninja.

 

“Shut up!” Naruto shouted as he sprinted at the grass ninja recklessly.

 

“Don't do it Naruto!” Sasuke shouted from behind him.

 

“Art of the familiar spirit!” The grass ninja shouted. A giant snake appeared under the grass ninja and lashed out at the attacking Naruto. Naruto crashed through tree trunks until he hit one really hard and stopped to spit up mouthfuls of blood.

 

“Naruto!” His two teammates called out.

 

Naruto began to fall away from the tree, but as the grass ninja gave the order for the snake to eat him he pulled himself together and slammed his fist into the snake's nose. When he glanced up at the grass ninja Naruto's face was already changing from the charka of the fox demon. The grass ninja stared at Naruto with a shocked look on his face. The grass ninja blew a mass amount of air at Naruto and sent him flying again in to a tree. Sasuke could not believe his eyes, was the power that Naruto was exerting really coming from him? When did Naruto become so strong?

While he was thing the grass ninja was planning on attacking him the same way with the snake. Sasuke didn't have time to react to the attack. The attack did not hit Sasuke because Naruto, bleeding and breathing heavily had stopped the snake dead in its tracks.

 

“Hey are you okay…? You big chicken?! What would Auri think of you if she saw you right now?! ” He mocked Sasuke. Naruto… Sasuke thought as he remembered what he had said to Naruto once. As he was thinking the snake wrapped it's tongue around Naruto and lifted him up to eye level with the grass ninja. “Hey get off of me!” Naruto shouted at the ninja.

 

“Heh heh the brat nine tails is still alive and kicking!” The grass ninja got right in Naruto's face with a smirk. The grass ninja began to form hand seals that matched the tattoo that he revealed on Naruto's stomach. As the seals were completed the grass ninja launched his hand at his stomach and made Naruto yell out.

 

“Sasuke! Naruto needs you!” Sakura yelled from the ground. The grass ninja threw Naruto behind him with his long tongue and laughed as he held the Heaven scroll in his hand.

 

“You are unworthy of Miss Auri…” Came a soft voice from where Naruto was thrown. The girl named Kori from the Village of the Mist held Naruto in her arms. She laid the boy down on the ground next to Sakura and walked over to Sasuke. “You are unworthy of her. You are nothing but a coward…” She glared with her piercing red eyes into Sasuke's onyx ones. “This will be the only time I may save you. Miss Auri is precious to me and if you are what makes her happy than I will save you from death.” The girl turned to face the grass ninja. “And I can see through your disguise.” She transmitted to the ninja's mind.

 

“What are you?” He questioned as he watch the girl take a fighting stance.

 

“You're worst nightmare snake!” She formed hand seals quickly, making ice spears come out of the ground at a furious rate. The ice spears pierced the snake's skin in many different places. The grass ninja began to break the ice with punches to save the animal he was standing on.

 

“A gifted ninja indeed.” He said as he healed the snake and looked down at the small girl. “You'd make a good subordinate.” He launched the snake at her but she was prepared with a shield make from charka and ice. The snake glanced off of the shield and landed in the dirt.

 

“You are weaker than the youngest member of my real village. I suggest you don't harm the boy because Auri will hunt you down and her power exceeds mine by a thousand.” She pulled out a few stars and covered them in a steel covered ice. “Try dodging these, they will seek out the heat of your body!” She threw them and smirked as they sunk into the grass ninja's left arm.

Sasuke watched in ah of the mist ninja's skill he felt the hatred of four years ago pulsate through his body. He could hear the words his brother had said to him as he tortured him mentally. You are pathetic, settle for hating me you coward until you can defeat me! Cling to life with no honor…Sasuke pulled out kunai knives and a giant star to attack with. He threw the kunai in his one hand directly at the grass ninja with a fire that had not been there before.

 

“I will let you finish this fight.” She nodded to Sasuke. Kori walked over to Sakura who was tending to Naruto. “He is going to be in pain for awhile. Give this to him when he wakes up.” She laid a small pouch in Sakura's hand. “We'll make sure you three make it out of here alive, but for now I must leave you.” She bowed her head to Sakura before she took off into the forest. Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke who had the grass ninja trapped with strings he had attached to weapons and thrown around him.

 

“He did it!” She shouted as she realized what jutsu he was preparing to use. A fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth and traveled down the string to the face of the grass ninja. When the fire cleared the grass ninja's face was melting and peeling off.

 

“For one so young to have such a mastery over the sharigan eye, I believe I want you after all.” The grass ninja looked up, another face behind the one that was melted. “You really are his brother,” Sasuke and Sakura stopped short as they felt their bodies become paralyzed.

 

“Who are you?” Sasuke demanded.

 

“I am Orochimaru and if you ever want a rematch you will make it through this exam alive.” Orochimaru turned for a second before he lengthened his neck and sank his fangs into Sasuke's neck. “I look forward to seeing you again Sasuke, in the quest for power. I hope to see your friend as well.” He snickered as he sunk into the ground.

 

~*~

 

At that moment Auri was shocked awake by the pain that Sasuke was feeling from the curse. She curled up tightly and tried to figure out what it was that caused the pain. It felt like someone had set her blood on fire and was letting it burn slowly. She pulled herself up slowly as to not show weakness and dragged herself to the river. Throwing herself in she prayed that Sasuke was okay, if not there would be hell to pay. As she lay on the bottom of the river she tried to reach Sasuke but something was blocking her vision, something evil.

She felt a hand reach into the water and grab her by the arm and lift her up onto the shore. Paralyzed and in pain she didn't even try to see who had pulled her out of the cool haven. A hand brushed the wet strands of hair out of her face and sent shivers run down her spine.

 

“It's not normal for ninjas to all of a sudden throw themselves into a river.” A familiar voice said from above her. “You are connected to someone, you feel what they feel don't you?” Itachi pushed. She could only nod in response as the fire kept tearing at her insides. “Emotional connections are for weaklings, you need to break that tie before it cost you your life…” He said before picking her up and carrying her back to the camp. Auri did the only thing she could think of and laid her head against his chest.