Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Cat's Eyes ❯ The Pact ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

 

The Pact

 

 

Sakura watched her team mates leave the clearing, despite what she had told them she couldn't get up. `They must have known too' she reflected sullenly, but instead of calling her bluff they had indulged her. Sakura felt tears of frustration gather in her eyes and leak down the sides of her face.

 

“I'm so useless,” she muttered angrily. “I hold everyone back with my inferior taijitsu, I'm so weak and my stamina is severely lacking. My ninjitsu is average even with my perfect chakra control. My genjitsu is alright I suppose but not on a level where it can be beneficial for the team. I slow everyone else's progress, Naruto has the power of the Nine tails, Sasuke has a blood limit, and even Kakashi- sensei has his special skills. All I ever do is watch them and wish I could do half of what they do…” Sakura clenched her fists so hard she left crescent nail marks on her palm. “Maybe I'm not cut out to be a ninja…” Sakura let a few more tears fall. Before gathering her resolve, “No, I won't run I will succeed, I'll train more and get better.”

 

Sakura dried her eyes, and moved to stand. Wincing she bit her lip, she couldn't move just yet. She sighed and relaxed, opening her senses to scan the area for a potential threat. Suddenly she stilled, her eyes locked with an equally green pair across the clearing. Tensing slightly, Sakura reached into a pouch for a kunai fully prepared under the circumstances she waited for the giant cat to make the first move. And it did.

 

The panther padded silently across the clearing unhurried and apparently relaxed. Then without hesitation it walked over to her and laid its head on her shoulder. Sakura gasped as she felt a tingly sensation run up her spine. You can hear me now, yes? Sakura jumped at the voice in her head. Sakura answered instantly without knowing how. Yes. She felt the amusement of the large cat. Who are you? She asked. I am a minor cat god, but that is not important, I am also the other half of your soul. Today if it is your wish we shall make our contract and bind the two halves of your soul back together. Sakura blinked, I don't understand. The cat grinned in her mind. Don't be troubled by it, with time you will understand everything. Now listen carefully I'm only able to say this once.

 

Haruno Sakura, we now bind your blood to the line of the cat. We give you our eyes, our ears, our claws, our whiskers, our fangs and our voice. We give you our lives and allegiance. From this time forth our spirit kin will answer to your call and our earth bound kin will be your guardians. For now and forever we gift this to you and bloodline of you and your mate.

 

Sakura's mind reeled. Wow, but, why me? The cat's mind voice chuckled. It is fate, you and your team are bound for great things and you need to be equal to the challenge. Suddenly a scroll appeared. I don't need to tell you what to do with this, now sign it quickly, my time is near over. Sakura complied quickly, she pricked her finger signed her name on the scroll in her own blood. Good now it is time for me to bind to you.

 

 

 

 

The great black panther suddenly began to sink into her body. Sakura felt the tingle run up her spine more fiercely than before and then all she knew was pain. White, hot pain seared through her body. Sakura tried to scream but no sound emerged, as her eyes bleeding tears of blood as they reformed. Sakura's body convulsed as her muscles rippled sporadically under her skin reforming to fit new specifications. Her hands clenched and unclenched as her claws formed causing her nail beds to bleed. Sakura cried out like a wounded animal as fangs erupted form her jaw and she fainted as her transformation was completed. Protect her, my kin for she is of us now, much depends on her. The panthers last mind call echoed through the minds of all the cats in the forest, and the rallied to their god's final call. With that the two soul pieces fused and there was no way to tell where one began and the other ended.

 

Kakashi waited by the entrance of the forest for Sakura to emerge. After about half an hour he began to get worried. Slipping away from the other two he made his way back to the clearing where they had left Sakura. When he arrived he found himself confronted with three panthers. Kakashi surveyed the scene, when his eyes came to rest on Sakura's still form he couldn't stop the gasp from leaving his throat. She lay curled up on the ground in the fetal position, ringed by the cats and completely covered in blood. Making a quick decision Kakashi vanished and reappeared by her side.

 

As he moved to touch her still form he heard loud growl from the cat to his left. Sakura woke when she heard the growl, which to her sounded like thunder. Scenting the air Sakura's gaze swung from the cat to Kakashi. “Its ok,” she purred to the cat, “he is my teacher,” the sense of affection attached with the sending calmed the cat and the growling stopped. Kakashi blinked when he heard Sakura purr but when the cat stopped its growling he began to suspect there was more the situation then he had anticipated.

 

“Sakura,” he tried tentatively, “can you hear me?” Sakura nodded her vocal chords hurt from the reshaping her body went through, and she was unwilling to abuse them further. Kakashi sighed his relief and lifted her gently. He leapt into the trees followed by one of the cats, headed towards the forest entrance.

 

Naruto jumped when Kakashi landed in the clearing. “Kakashi- sensei, what happened to Sakura- chan?!” Kakashi ignored to useless question, “Naruto, Sasuke, I want you to get the Hokage and a medic this is a matter of the utmost urgency. Something strange has happened to Sakura. Now go.” Sasuke looked at once at Sakura and then Kakashi before departing, Naruto followed at his heels.

 

Kakashi laid Sakura on the ground, as he did the panther that had followed him emerged from the bushes. It sauntered over to them and lay by her side; before it dropped the scroll it carried from its mouth and began to lick Sakura's face gently. Kakashi reached for the scroll slowly. The cat paused then as if measuring him with its gaze it found him worthy and returned to cleaning Sakura's face.

 

Kakashi opened the scroll, and quickly scanned its contents his eyes widening as he read the contents. Sakura woke slowly the wetness of the tongue on her face teased her into wakefulness. “Kakashi- sensei?” she asked hesitantly. “It's me. Sakura, can you tell me what happened?” Sakura closed her eyes for a long moment, “I couldn't move, so I had you guys leave me to recover.” Kakashi nodded that much he already knew. “Then…” She paused and decided to leave out her bout of self pity. “He came. He said he was the other half of my soul. He bound Himself to me, to my bloodline. He made me kin to the cats. I'm not sure exactly what he did but I know I'm not exactly human anymore.”

 

Suddenly Sakura looked directly to her left, “Something is coming.” her voice coming out as a soft hiss. Kakashi frowned he couldn't sense anything. He looked back at Sakura her pointed ears twitched and her eyes had turned into the slitted eyes of a cat. The cat next to her seemed as tense and as on guard as she did. It moved in front of her and began to growl deep in its throat, a low warning growl, indicating it did not recognize the new comer as anything more than a threat. Suddenly Kakashi felt a large chakra move toward them, understanding the threat he adopted a defensive position at Sakura's side.

 

Minutes later, a dark figure burst through the under growth. Kakashi scanned the intruder and realized it was a ninja from the village hidden in the mist. The figure gasped, “Tell the Hokage, the Mizukage has been slain and the unknown ninja and the hidden village of mist has been taken over. Half the ninja have been killed and all the civilians have been put under house arrest. I just managed to escape as the pandemonium broke out last night.” Messaged delivered the exhausted messenger sank to their knees trying desperately to recover.

 

Kakashi relaxed his stance but didn't drop his guard, “And you are?” The messenger through off their mask, “I am …”

 

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Shinobi Princess