Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Ties ❯ Ties ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 7: Ties

The gentle rays of the sun spread across the landscape of greenery as the birds sang their songs in the background.

An elegant lady with a red crescent mark on her forehead sipped her tea, savoring every drop of it as she dipped her legs into the cool water flowing from a cascade nearby.

Mizu Yuya leaned forward, letting her long gray plait to fall gracefully from her back while she toyed with a sparrow that rested itself on her index finger.

“It's so boring without Sakuya.” Yuya drawled, her voice airy.

“Do you have to do that?” A solemn female voice butted in unexpectedly from nowhere.

The sparrow flapped away immediately, and Yuya opened her mouth, faking a shocked look on her face as her gaze shifted and settled on a silhouette nestling on one of the shadowed branches.

“What a scare you gave me! Since when you are here?”

“Since when you know I'm here.” came the witty remark.

The figure had one arched knee to rest her elbow while the other was left hanging in the air. Most of her face was shadowed from view while the leaves rustled against the wind.

Yuya snickered as she caressed her lips with her fingers. “How long has it been?”

“I didn't count.” came the terse answer.

Yuya sighed and rubbed her chin as she studied the kunoichi in the shadows. “As usual, you're not cute at all.”

The kunoichi smirked darkly at her open stare. “And you are as twisted as usual.”

In between the lines, Yuya thought she sounded resentful.

Shaking her head slightly with her braid swaying with the movement, Yuya cocked one questioning eyebrow. “You're troubled, isn't it? Is that why you're back all of a sudden?”

Silence.

But Yuya knew she had turned her attention to the clouds.

A gust of wind blew by when the kunoichi felt something, or particularly, someone snaking around her body.

She knew it was the leader of the infamous Akatsuki before she appeared, clinging onto her body as she touched her masked face lightly before sliding her hands around the back of her head.

Still, the kunoichi didn't budge, nor did she stiffen at the intimate touches. She knew the leader too well to give her such satisfaction.

The kunoichi has a distant look over her veiled face as she stared into the violet eyes.

“Forgive me?” Yuya pouted.

“Why are you doing this?” The kunoichi asked instead, knitting her worried brows together. “Sakuya-”

She was cut short by a slick finger on her lips.

“Sshh. We mustn't leak the secret.” Yuya whispered, a perverse smirk curled up at the corner of her lips. “It will kill her.”

The kunoichi widened her eyes at that statement. She forced herself to pry Yuya's hands away from her as she snorted, turning her gaze to her side.

As much as she tried to sound nonchalant, Yuya could see there was ruefulness hinted from the kunoichi's eyes.

“How long has it been?” Yuya asked again at her ears with a soft voice.

Somehow, the kunoichi knew the question held a different meaning as to the previous one.

“I didn't count.” She replied with the same answer, but in a more monotonous tone.

Yuya smiled, burying her fingers in the kunoichi's light brown hair that reflected from the rays of light.

“You know…” Yuya paused, her voice becoming dangerously low, “You can always visit Sakuya if you want to.”

“Since you two came from the same village.”

-+-+-+-+-+-

“Sakura”

Sakuya slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid of what she would learn once she did. For a second, she wondered where she was as she rested on her back. Then she saw the glowing sword sitting magnificently just above her head.

She closed her eyes again as she immersed herself in the comfortable warmth surging in her body while hating her now powerless self at the same time. She had never felt so lost before. In all, she felt like a mess. Different emotions were pulling her in different directions, confusing her on what would happen next.

“I'm still here.” Sakuya murmured, after reckoning perhaps the sword could guide a way out. She knew the sword was listening. “Does that mean I died?”

“No.” The sword answered seriously. “But you will… if you don't unseal the jutsu on you fast.”

Sakuya snapped her eyes open at that statement. What jutsu is it talking about?

“Eh?” Sakuya voiced weakly instead, forming her sweaty brows into a frown.

It was strange, but she could swear that a flash of pain seared through her then, making her struggle for breaths as a groan was ripped from her throat when the pain became great… …

-+-+-+-+-+-

Mrs. Haruno dropped the vase of narcissuses in her hands as her eyes dilated in shock at the scene in front of her.

Sand was flowing everywhere in the hospital ward Sakura is in!

And what was worse was that her beloved daughter was actually being consumed by the sand meandering their way around her body on the bed.

She faltered a few steps back when she saw a redhead at a corner, staring eerily at her.

“What are you doing to my daughter?” Mrs Haruno managed to cry out while steadying her feet.

“I'm killing her.” Gaara answered coldly with folded arms.

Mrs. Haruno gasped at that raw realization as she glared at Gaara. What a redundant question she has asked! Aren't his actions obvious already?

She glanced at Sakura anxiously. Her daughter was groaning for help.

She looked back at Gaara. The redhead was daring her to stop him.

But what could she do? It has been years since she… anyway, she has always been the weakest in the family!

But! No matter what.. No matter how… she wasn't going to let this creepy redhead ruin this family reunion she has been visioning for long eight years.

So now, there's only one way out.

She started for the door with the intention to holler for help, but was unfortunately gripped by the sand at her feet. She slumped to the floor in pain as her eyes caught a lump of sand charging straight at her.

She squeezed her eyes tight, waiting for the worst to happen.

If she can't save her daughter, she shall die with her.

But then, she thought she felt a whoosh…

“I already said your battle is over.”

Mrs. Haruno opened her eyes furtively as she belatedly realized she was still alive. She stared at the gray-haired figure shielding her from the redhead as the sand dissipated right in front of him.

It was Kakashi.

“At the end of a battle starts another.” spat Gaara, staring at Kakashi.

Mrs. Haruno quickly looked over at Sakura, and was relieved that the sand on her has also been dissipated. Tsunade and Shizune appeared then, in which Shizune helped her up while Tsunade glared at the Sand menace with clenched fists when she saw Sakura all messed up by the sand.

“Give it up, Gaara.” Kakashi said, looking serious. “You should be on your way home now.”

Gaara flinched at the word of home. “My home is gone now! Thanks to this bitch you've been trying to save!”

“Don't let insolence get into that sand head of yours!” Tsunade spat brusquely through gritted teeth. “You're standing on the grounds of Konoha!”

Gaara hissed, undaunted by the Hokage.

“If you still want the ally, stop this nonsense this very second.” Tsunade warned, feeling irritated that she was negligent about this sand menace when Kakashi's team first stepped into the grounds of Konoha. If not for Kakashi's notice a while ago at her office, wouldn't she lose Sakura again…?

She winced at the thought of that.

“We have sent aiding teams to the Sands.” Tsunade continued with narrowed eyes at Gaara. “You should know better than anyone of us here at how weak your village has become. Any attack now would be just a breeze. Don't make us change plans because of your impulsive actions, brat.”

Gaara scowled at the people in front of him, then at Sakuya.

He wasn't going to give up. He couldn't care less about the ally now that his village is practically gone. But the situation before him proves unfavorable, so…

He would wait for the right moment.

The right moment where Haruno Sakura will pay dearly for what she did to the hidden village of Sand.

-+-+-+-+-+-

The sun was setting in the hidden village of Sand.

Admiring the picturesque view with his hands shading his eyes, Naruto grinned atop of a tree.

Man, was he tired! The ten of them arrived at the Sand village around mid-noon and has been getting down working ever since. The damage done to the Sands was worse than he had expected, making him wonder just how long this mission is going to take them…

But nonetheless, the thought of seeing a well and alive Sakura at the end of it just made his blood boil with excitement. He began to vision how the reunion between him and Sakura would look like... would both of them come into a tight embrace while Sakura would cry and he would be comforting her? Or would they just look at each other in the eyes and then share a passionate kiss… …NO. They would look at each other in the eyes and then share passionate kissES!

Naruto chuckled at the thought of that.

“Do you think there's something wrong with him?” Kiba complained to Neji on another tree. “He's been grinning like a fool ever since we met.”

The three of them were supposedly to be scouting for any suspicions around the west border of the Sand forestry.

Neji smirked, “You will come to understand.”

Kiba snorts, “Give us a break! Right, Akamaru?”

The dog gives a woof in response, staying loyal to Kiba.

“Oei!” Naruto enthusiastically butted in. “Shikamaru is calling us!”

Neji and Kiba looked down and saw the signal for assembly - The reflections of light at the tower porch.

Exchanging each other a knowing look, the three of them immediately whiz for the tower.

-+-+-+-+-+-

Hinata was the last to arrive, along with Ino. Both girls looked exhausted when they propped themselves against the railing of the tower, looking ready to collapse.

Shikamaru kept his worried stare at the two girls, knowing this was too much for them, especially Ino, since she has never really been the medic type. The next batch of medics won't be arriving in another two more days and judging the situation now, the two was invaluable not only to the Sands, but also to the team as well. What was going to happen if they were caught off guard by a surprise attack and there was no one capable to tend to their injuries? Being the leader, Shikamaru was determined not to expose his team to such risks… especially when the risks were lurking in the dark…

“Ino, Hinata. You two get some rest now.” Shikamaru stated plainly.

With a small frown on her tired face, Ino trudged her feet forward. “You're not leaving us out.” She said it more like a command than a question.

Shikamaru frowned back. He has always hated arguing with Ino. It was troublesome, even by looking at it.

“But you two look dead.” Tenten interrupted, shifting her weight on the railing. “Grasp the big picture. We can't have you two heal us looking like that when we need you in times of emergencies.”

Shikamaru sighed inwardly. Why can't Ino be like Tenten? You know, at least have Tenten's sensibility! But somehow, Shikamaru thought Ino wouldn't be his Ino if she did lose some of her crazy violent ways… wait! Did he just say his Ino? Man, this was all getting troublesome…

“Shikamaru!” Naruto interjected, shaking the leader roughly by his shoulders. “Quit spacing out! What is it you call us back all of a sudden!”

Shikamaru smacked Naruto's hands away, and noticed that Hinata and Ino have just turned around the corner.

Good. At least, they heed advices.

“We need to rest.” Shikamaru stated flatly and folded his arms. “None of you has spotted anything suspicious, I hope?”

All shook their heads.

“But we can't be absolutely sure.” Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The Sands are holding a receptive dinner for us at another tower of theirs. We will have our dinner first and later in the night, we will be taking turns in groups of twos to do guard duty together with the Sand shinobis.”

All nodded.

“So now, I'll be assigning the teams.” Shikamaru then pulled out a sheet of paper full of scribbles from his pockets.

“Excluding Ino and Hinata. There will only be eight of us now. So Neji! You shall team up with Kiba. Your sense of insight should complement Kiba's sense of smell well.”

The two nodded in agreement.

“Chouji! Shino! You two shall be in a team. Your attitude goes well with Chouji.”

Chouji continued to munch his potato chips happily while Shino nodded in acceptance.

“And Tenten, you shall team up with Lee since you two are versed in attacks. Pairing you two up will maximize your attacks to full potential. But more importantly…” Shikamaru paused intently, eyeing at Lee. “I think Tenten can guide Lee when he gets impulsive during the fight, since you two has been in a team longer than us. The bonding should work between you two.”

The two nodded and Shikamaru looked over at the edgy blonde comrade.

So now, the two left is…

“I'm pairing up with you then!” Naruto stated, forming his lips almost like a pout.

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow, thinking pretty much the same as Naruto. Of course, he didn't want to pair up with the number one noisy shinobi of Konoha. The chap always had something surprising in his sleeves, making him unpredictable and full of surprises. You can't be absolutely sure what would happen when you're with him. But nevertheless…

“Hai. You have the honor to pair up with the leader.” Shikamaru drawled. “Since you tend to be oblivious of what's really happening and of course, your bighead problem when you barely gained the upper hand of the situation.”

Naruto scowled at Shikamaru, and was about to retort when Shikamaru raised a hand at him, implying that he should finish what he said.

“Don't you get it by now? You have the stamina and I have the brains. We should complement well.”

“Okay!” Tenten stepped in between the boys when she saw Naruto still having the disgruntled face. This argument just seems pointless and out of place. And not to say how things are going to get ugly if conflicts arise from them. “I'm so hungry! Let's go have our dinner now!”

“I think I can eat a cow load of food, right Akamaru!” Kiba joined in hungrily.

“If there's nothing else, I agree to have our dinner now.” Lee added politely.

“Food! Food! Food!” Chouji chipped in happily, still munching his potato chips.

With that, Tenten dragged Naruto and Shikamaru out to the streets of the Sand while the rest followed suit.

-+-+-+-+-+-

Naruto inhaled the cool air as he listened to the chitchat of his teammates. He mused, smirking slightly at the thought of them being amicably together finally. He tucked his hands behind his head as he looked up at the dusk sky when suddenly he felt this reflexive need to halt his tracks and look over his shoulders.

The wind was still.

The streets were empty.

It was strange, but he could swear he sensed someone in proximity... someone watching them… …

He darted his blue eyes around carefully when suddenly, he felt a firm hand on his shoulders.

It was Neji.

“We should go.” Neji said, and gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulders.

Somehow, Naruto thought Neji's words were more than meets the ears. And not to say, he is hungry now. That should be the first priority - to recharge his body after a long day.

Anything… anyone… they can wait.

Shrugging it off, Naruto gave Neji a halfhearted punch in the chest before quickening his steps to meet up with the others. Neji gave their surroundings a quick look before walking away with his hands tucked in his pockets.

-+-+-+-+-+-

At a corner in the shadows, stood a stature furtively against the walls, watching the ten walking further and further away from him as his crimson eyes sparkled in the darkness.

That was close.

He never thought that he was the alert type. Anyway, as much as he was full of anticipation in meeting him again, he couldn't imagine meeting him now in this place, at this time. His looks have changed quite a bit, he must admit. He was about just as tall as him and his blonde hair was longer now and he left it ruffled, hanging at his sides. His features were rid of the playfulness of a twelve year old and were replaced by the maturity of a twenty year old. But the hyper still stays true in him, he noticed. And he still wore that stupid orange suit.

He lost track of Itachi and decided to stop by a nearby inn when he heard that Konoha was sending their help to the dysfunctional hidden village of Sand. And his curiosity was piqued when he heard his name in it, along with nine others as the Konoha's Ten.

Uchiha Sasuke smirked, they were well-known now alright. But then, his smirk disappeared when he thought of Sakura. She was supposed to be in the list too. And together, they are known as Konoha's eleven - A formidable team of seven guys and four girls from Konoha. The girls however, branch out from the eleven of them with their firm and flawless teamwork, and thus they are also known as the Four Flowers from Konoha, in short, the Konoha's Four.

Or so, Sasuke heard.

Initially, other than just wanting to have his curiosity satisfied, Sasuke also hoped to get some info on Sakura's well-being. He felt her purse throbbing when he held her in his arms. It was weak, but nonetheless, it was still beating. And though Sasuke knew he shouldn't get his hopes high, there was this little prayer in his head that wished that Sakura was fine.

And he figured the ten of them should know, if not have the first-hand info on her since they were close comrades, especially the one with tousled blonde hair.

The one with tousled blonde hair… Sasuke kept his jaws tight and clenched his fists whenever he thought of him. Since he left the village for revenge, Sasuke had never mentioned that dobe's name. Just thinking of his name always makes his blood boil unknowingly.

Yeah. He still wanted to fight him. His blood tells him that.

But back to his concern, judging from their outlooks, especially the same old brand new dobe, it seemed that Sakura made it, for the dobe never lied in terms of the expressions on his face. Sad or happy, the dobe never made it a point to hide it.

At one point, Sasuke felt glad but as the same time, Sasuke squeezed his eyes tight as his clenched fists gets tighter.

Why was he still bothering himself with the two after all these years?

But then, Sasuke snapped his eyes opened when Itachi suddenly popped in his mind.

Right. He had almost forgotten the obscure association between him and Sakura. Why was Sakura with him in the first place? What does that bastard want with her anyway? There was no bitterness when Sakura looked at Itachi and if his memory served him right, Sasuke remembered Sakura was wearing a cloak with red cloud patterns - a cloak alike Itachi's…

Sasuke froze as the raw realization hit him like a hard punch in the face.

Sakura was a member of the Akatsuki...?

What the hell...

But one thing was for sure, Itachi must have something to do with it.

And Sasuke sweared he is going to find out what is going on.

And when he does, Itachi's time will be up.