Sakura and Haku opened the scrolls after a few minutes of pondering over the puzzle on the inside of the building in the center of the forest of death. The scrolls began smoking, and in a poof of smoke Iruka was there to meet them.
"Well done on making it here" He said with a cheer that only he could produce. "I'm glad to see you!" Iruka said, then braced himself for the onslaught that he thought would follow. He stood there awkwardly for a minute, waiting for the smoke to clear. When he wasn't tackled down by 100 pounds of happy Naruto when the smoke cleared, he became worried.
Iruka looked over the group Sakura was dropping out of a fighting stance while Haku stood confused. Then he saw behind them. Sasuke and Naruto were unconscious and badly hurt. "What happened?" He asked voice cracking when he saw how badly they were all hurt.
"Long story" Sakura said picking up Sasuke bridal style. Haku bent down to pick up Naruto
"They require medical attention." He said simply. Iruka nodded and lead them in. Immediately there were medical nin with stretchers there to take them to the hospital in the tower. Kakashi came over and placed a hand on Sakura and Haku.
"I want you to tell me what happened." He said in a calm tone. The two nodded and began to follow Kakashi to a nearby table. Sakura and Haku took turns telling Kakashi what had happened from the moment they entered to when they arrived in as much detail as they could. Kakashi remained unreadable through it all but his mind was racing.
'That sounds like Orochimaru alright, but why would he do that to Sasuke? He's up to something, and I need to find out what. On top of that Sakura saw the seal on Naruto's stomach... Good, she thinks Orochimaru did that too. Mental note: Check Kyuubi's seal later.'Kakashi thought as Sakura had ended her story.
"Well it sounds like you four had fun" he said cheerily, earning some ringing in his ears then the two in front of him shouted
"WHAT?!"
"Yes well..." He continued, sticking his pinky in his ear. "I'll go and check up on them once there out of intensive care. I wouldn't worry too much though. They're strong, they'll make it through." Haku nodded halfheartedly while Sakura still didn't look convinced.
"And the thing Naruto did... what was it... the red chakra?" Saukra asked, her voice shaking a little.
"I, um... don't know. I'll check into that..." Kakashi said in a slightly nervous voice that went unnoticed. "In the mean time go take a shower - you both reek! You have 18 hours left of this part of the exam. Get some sleep, eat some Jell-O, I would suggest the bar if you were older but..." Kakashi was stopped short when a medical nin came running up from behind him tapped him on the shoulder, and whispered something in his ear.
Kakshi nodded and stood "Well I have to go and umm... just think non worrisome thoughts about your teammates while I go get a cat down from a tree. See ya." And with a wave he took off behind the medical nin.
"Where am I?" Naruto asked as he seemed to wake up. His voice sounding lower to his ears. One glance around told him he was not where he was supposed to be. There was white in front of him and black behind him but there was nothing more. Just an endless abyss of black and white. He was standing in the middle of the two clashing colors which seemed to intertwine. Although the white and black swirled about each other they never seemed to mix.
"Hello?" Naruto tried again but only got an echo. Naruto tried to take a step forward but didn't get anywhere as he was still on the line of swirling colors. His footsteps echoed but still nothing.
"I suppose I should explain." Came a voice. Naruto turned to look and saw Kyuubi coming into view from his left. It looked almost as if the swirling colors were a fog he was coming out of. Kyuubi stood about as tall as a horse.
"Where is this place...Wait. I think I know... I died didn't I?" Naruto said solemnly. "And I'm going to be judged and either pulled into the black or the white depending on what I did in life right?" Naruto asked turning to Kyuubi in monotone. Naruto reached up and hugged Kyuubi around the neck "You've been good to me and I'll miss you. If you can enter the world of the living after I'm gone, tell everyone I'll miss them too."
"Quit being so melodramatic and let go." Kyuubi tried to be angry but found it hard to hide the amusement in his voice. Naruto let go and stared at Kyuubi in confusion. "You're not dead, at least not completely."Kyuubi said "You're on the border line between the underworlds... heaven and hell so to speak. Since you were so badly injured I brought you here. Don't interrupt me." Naruto closed his mouth and let the fox finish.
"Normally a human soul would float around in the border line and never even see it. When someone is here it means there is a chance they may come back it also means there is a chance they may never return. If the physical body is well looked after, the door becomes larger." Kyuubi motioned to a small blue light to the right and left of Naruto slowly growing as the edges swirled with the white and black. "If the physical body is not looked after, the door will close and the spiritual body will wake up at either the gates of heaven or the gates of hell" Kyuubi motioned to the white and black.
"So I'm nothing but chakra right now right?" Kyuubi nodded "So if you hadn't interfered I would just be floating around, waiting to be sucked up in some light?" The Kyuubi nodded again. "But I thought that Orochimaru put that seal over the..."
"Yes, he did" Kyuubi interrupted, not wanting to hear a recap. "But it is only effecting your healing. I didn't need chakra to wake you up here. I merely had to touch you. Any jarring to the chakra form from on the border line will make the person conscious of what's happening." Naruto raised an eyebrow but nodded.
"You don't need to worry. You will return, but first there is a reason I woke you up in here." Kyuubi rapped Naruto with one of his tails and turned him to face the white side. A slight wind blew by, ruffling Naruto's hair. He felt warmth emanating from it. He suddenly felt at ease and relaxed. Kyuubi's tail held Naruto to his spot as the wind picked up. A small light was emanating from the center of the white abyss. It grew steadily until the warm yellow glow became so intense Naruto had to close his eyes. Naruto thought he heard soft music that came and died very quickly as the light began to fade.
Naruto tried to open his eyes but ended up squinting as two shadowed figures stood before him. As the light died and his eyes began to adjust...
It had been 6 hours since Naruto had been in the hospital ward in the tower and the medical nins had finished his surgery. They were skeptical on whether or not he would be able to use his right arm ever again, but he would live. Numerous stitches were required to close his wounds. Due to the seal over the Kyuubi's seal, he was healing about the same as a normal person would. His breaths were unsteady and blood still oozed out of a cut above his eyebrow, but the medical nins were allowing people to see him.
Due to Naruto still being unconscious however, the medical nins were only allowing a few people at a time to see him. Haku was the first with Hinata, who arrived only an hour earlier. Haku watched him and thanked him while Hinata tried not to faint at the sight of him. Sakura was next with Kakashi.
"I saw the seal right around his belly button, but it vanished. Will you be able to remove it?" Sakura asked
"I don't know. I'll need to see the seal to tell, but from the sounds of things it's the type that can only be seen when he's generating chakra. I'll have to wait until he's awake to remove it." Kakashi said as he peeled down the sheet that covered him. Parts of his chest were heavily bandaged while other parts the stitches were in sight. Naruto still had on his tattered pants, but they had been cut to more of a boxer or shorts length so the medical nins could get at the wounds on his legs.
Kakshi's eyes widened at what he saw on the boys chest. Sakura noticed and asked "What's the matter?" Kakashi took his hand away from the one scar that stood out the most and began tracing over the fresher ones.
"I just never realized how cut up he got." Kakshi said'This scar... No, it can't be!... But it has to!' Naruto smiled softly.
"I wonder what he's dreaming about." Haku said as he came in and stood beside Kakashi. A tear welled up and rolled down the side of Naruto's face, making everyone stare in wonder. Sakura poked him softly in his unbeaten shoulder
"You awake yet?" She kept poking until she was satisfied and positive he was still unconscious.
"Must be a good dream." Kakashi said as he began to turn them away. "Notify me as soon as he wakes up" Kakashi said to the guard of Naruto's room as they left. The guard nodded curtly and went back into position. "Let's check on Sasuke, shall we? After all I hear he woke up!" Kakashi said. Sakura's face lit up and she raced over to where Sasuke was being held. '
'The cursed seal must have finally disappeared, but still...' Kakashi thought idly.
earlier...
As Kakashi raced away from Haku and Sakura behind the medic nin, he couldn't help but let the fear rise in his chest. As he reached the room where Sasuke was being held he was surprised to see Anko, her hand over her neck, waiting for him. He went inside and was surprised to see that Anko's curse mark spinning rapidly, emitting a purple glow. "I know what happened. It just started reacting recently though. I'm trying my best to keep it under control but I can't hold out for much longer..." Anko turned her head slightly and motioned to Sasuke. "He seems to be having the same problem."
The curse marks were absorbing chakra from somewhere and giving it to the hosts. "Orochimaru is dead." Anko said simply. "We found charred remains in the forest, and the remains of his chakra signature were still there. It took awhile to analyze, but they're definitely his." Anko finished. "Can you remove it?" She asked tilting her head away from the spinning mark. Kakashi nodded.
"Take of your shirt" He said as he reached into his pouch to get his ink and a brush.
"What?!"
SMACK! Kakashi went flying.
"This is hardly the time or place! And besides you could at least take me out for dinner first!" Anko screamed, hitting Kakashi again.
"What are you talking about? I need to paint on the inscription to remove the mark! I don't know how to do it any other way!" Anko snorted and instead cut off a sleeve.
"I guess that will do" Kakashi sweat dropped
"Well I'm not going to let my wanting of this mark removed be used to get me to undress so you can fulfill some perverted urge." Anko snorted as she sat down her back to the silver haired Jounin.
'Oh well, it was worth a try.' Kakashi sighed. SMACK!"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Kakashi whimpered, rubbing his head.
"I know you were thinking perverted thoughts!"
'Just for that I will picture her naked!' SMACK"Awwwooh! Come on!"
present
"SASUKE!" Sakura launched herself at Sasuke just as he was trying to take a drink of water. The water ended up coming out and being sprayed on the floor. Sakura gave Sasuke a hug and squeezed him to the point he couldn't breathe.
"I'm alive alright?! Be happy over there! I rather like my air thank you!" He gasped out. Sakura squeezed harder while Sasuke's hand floated over to a glass soda bottle that was on the night stand to his left. Kakashi grabbed it out of his hand as Sasuke was about to whack Sakura with it. When she finally let go, a medical nin came in with a syringe filled with a clear substance. Kakashi tilted Sasuke's head and examined where the curse mark once was.
"How do you feel?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke turned to him with dull eyes.
"Like a large house was turned into chakra and forced into my skull." Sasuke's eye twitched.
"Umm, well, I think that's normal... At least with searing pain you know you're alive!" Kakashi scratched the back of his head. 'He's going to have trouble controlling all that new chakra he absorbed from the curse mark... but hopefully it won't be too bad'
"Well this should help..." The medical nin came closer with the needle.
"At least the hickey's gone!" Haku piped up, trying to be helpful. Sasuke stared at the needle skeptically.
"You know, I feel better. Really." He said in a monotone, putting a hand up limply only to wince in pain and put it back down.
"Yea yea. Just look over there and stare at the polka dots." the nin said, grabbing his left arm. 'Big tough ninja are always scared of a little needle.'
"Why? I don't see any reason how that's going to help. I can clearly see there's only 10, there all different colors but other than that they're... they're very pretty actually. I don't think they're supposed to dance though. Oh well..." Sasuke's expression changed from one of anger to one of happiness. He had a lopsided smile and one eye half closed as he stared at the dots on the wall. "Isn't red a nice color?" Sasuke asked as he fell back into his pillow. The medical nin frowned.
"I think I gave him too much morphine... Umm, I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon..." The nin backed out of the room slowly. Sasuke's teammates glared accusingly at the medical nin as she tried to leave unnoticed. "What? I'm only a temp!" And with that she ran out of the room.
"Heh. She seemed nice. A little crazy, but nice... Dance little spots! Dance!" Sasuke said, still watching the polka dots.
"Wow. It's like they sucked the all angst right out of him!" Haku said
"I think we should leave and lock the door behind us..." Kakashi said as he opened up the door. Sasuke relaxed into the pillow and waved his arms as if conducting an orchestra. "Umm tell me if there are any changes..." Kakashi said to Sasuke's guard as he left.