QOTC: Sakura: [Indicating the cursemark] Do they hurt? Whenever they come out?
Sasuke: Everytime.
*************************************************************
Chapter 37: Know Your Frienemies
Remember the teams:
Neji: Chiruka Sakura Lee Shino
Sasuke: Kiba Ino Choji Sai
For a moment, no one makes a move. Suddenly, Chiruka could hear the faintest sound of something coming, footsteps that were inclining with a loud thud and a mixture of lions rawring. "On your left!"
"Ninja art: Super Beast scroll!" Sai yells, after rolling his scroll and squiggled with his paintbrush, bringing beasts into life. On one side of Team Neji, Sakura sees Sasuke disappear into the thin air. On the other side of the tree, Shino and Lee falls backward towards the flag. Everyone is moving and suddenly it's just like a real battle. Chaos.
"Stay behind my back." Kiba ordered, not turning to Ino.
"Um, sorry, I don't take orders from you, dick."
"What did you just call me??"
"We're wasting time." Said Sasuke, his palm forming a massive amount of lightning ball. "I'll go get the flag. You take it from here." He turned to Kiba. He nodded his head, as if guessing his thoughts. "Come on, Akamaru!"
Sasuke was nowhere to be found, Neji thought. His Byakugan scanned the entire place, but looks like he's perfectly good in masking his Chakra. Clever guy. Wherever he was, seeing Shino take over their flag with an entire colony of his ferocious insects made him breathe easier.
"Ninja art: Heavenly palm rotation!" The Hyuga prodigy yelled, spinning quiskly like an igloo with intensively blue Chakra.
And then there was Kiba. Coming right at him.
As Neji had exceedingly grew tired of using that jutsu, the Hyuga barely had time to reactivate his Byakugan and prepare himself for his first hand-to-hand combat with the young Inuzuka. "Human beast transformation: Double-headed wolf!" Kiba yells, with a single poof he and Akamaru had joined forces in a gigantic white dog.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Neji growled, triggering his Byakugan.
Kiba howled, but then, out of nowhere, someone sprung on top of its head, instantly teleporting on one side.
Chiruka nodded to Neji, giving him a headstart. She smirked knowing Kiba could really be a worthy opponent. "Your fight's with me, sugar."
"Come on, Ino, you can do it!"
"I'm trying!"
It all happened as they've expected. Remembering the rules, in which there are typically NONE, meant that Sasuke could easily teleport and sweep in at the flag in any moment. Sai held his sword and kept his eyes open in guarding their base, both Lee and Shino were on guard defense, and some—particularly by the sound of clashing kunais and the massive amount of Chakras being charged, have been hidden by the verge of smoke and the heavy fog. Ino, on the other hand was assigned take control of the Hyuga's body to make herself resourceful. Performing the jutsu is simple. The problem is locating her target beyond the unseeing enemy.
"Focus, Ino."
"Firestyle: Pheonix flower jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, sending chirps of fire balls into Neji's direction. Neji used his heavenly palm rotation to repel the jutsu, but much to everyone's fear he vanished out of nowhere, leaving the Hyuga alarmed and unsatisfied. "The flag!"
It was a silent pause. Everyone looked into his direction, where Sasuke was heading, even Kiba was forced to poof back on his normal form.
"Baka! You don't know who you're dealing at!" Kiba yelled, as Chiruka took the opportunity to slap his cheek and toy with him by using her teleportation technique. "Heads-up in the game, lover boy."
Oh well, you can't blame him if his teammates were a bunch of hard-nosed nincompoops.
"Leaf whirlwind hurricane!" Lee yells, twirling himself into a tornado but Sasuke immediately grabbed Shino and he got caught into the jutsu before he was about to launch his insects. Idiots. Making to for the flag, he whipped out a huge scroll and bit his finger, drawing blood. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
"There he is!" Ino barely whispered, hiding beneathe the bushes. "Can you hold him in? I need to keep him still."
Choji nodded. "Expansion jutsu!" Pretty much how Neji was distracted, Choji's expanded hand held the Hyuga in his giant fist, careful not to squeeze him in shreds. Neji instantly puffed out of nowhere, getting guiled by a stupid clone.
"Where'd he go???"
"8 trigrams, 64 palms!" Neji yelled, chopping Choji in pieces like a punching bag. On the other side, Kiba was having a hard time taking down Chiruka, and what more is Sasuke and Sai were taking their flight, the two ascended in their summoning hawks. Both artist and the Uchiha were flying to make it into the enemy's side, but with the help of Shino's insects he managed to dissolve Sai's ink in a blink.
For a moment, Ino was frozen watching the others fight. Maybe it was just her natural instinct to stand back when ninjas do battle, whether against Madara or each other. But then she realized she got a perfect spot on Neji. His broad back presents a perfect target. There is a bow and arrow that laid idle on the trunk tree, remembering Kakashi had left some weapons that might come in handy.
I could end this game now, she thought. With just one pull of an arrow, Neji will drop and Choji will be home free to make it back to their side.
So she stretched the arrow. Heck, she hasn't done this before but she was willing to push her luck! Careful not to shoot Choji, her fingers slowly attached into the string, hearing the faintest sound of her heartbeat, pounding and beating into her ear. On the count of three, One. Two...
"SHANNARO!!!"
Ino sprung into the air as Sakura's fist sent her flying all the way down. She threw three Shurikens but missed, Sakura swings first with a big overhand right hook that Ino easily sidesteps. Quickly, the purple Kunoichi rabbit punches the pinkette twice in the side, then attempts to sweep her legs out from under her. Sakura leaps over Ino's leg and grabs her wrist when she tries to smack her with a palm strike to the nose. With Sakura's free hand, she fires off a punch, but Ino blocks the blow and hooks her arm. They scuffle like that, each of them controlling one of the other's arms. Ino twists and struggles, almost everyone can tell that Sakura's starting to overpower her.
"Pig, just like last time."
"Forehead... I can't," Ino started whining.
"You what? Don't tell me you're giving up already..."
"I'm..." Ino groaned.
"You're what?? Ino, what're you trying to say??"
"I'm...."
Sakura's grip loosen a little...
"I'm pregnant."
Sakura lets go of her and leaped away from her. "Y-you're what??"
Platinum Blonde's arm flew into her belly, panting. "I-I slept with Shikamaru a few says ago.."
Sakura's jaw was dropped, tilting her head. "Impures don't produce..."
Ino smirked and looked up. "And I didn't think you were smart enough to be fooled."She scurried in a jiff and stabbed a kunai into her belly. "No hard feelings, billboard-brow." Ino laughed and teleported into the other base, leaving her dropping into the ground.
"Fang over Fang!" Kiba yelled, charging at the persistently annoying Chiruka. As usual, she managed to run into the other side and cut some part of his body with a kunai. She reminds Sakura of Haku. Soft and sharp. "You know, you could really be charming but you should really work on your speed."
"I'm just getting started, princess." Kiba said, pulling himself together. He looked exhausted but he seemed to be enjoying much.
Before he was about to launch another counterattack, Ino raced in front of him full of pride. "Need a hand?"
Chiruka smirked. Here she is, taking away her spotlight. Her day just got a lot better. "Go take on Shino and the others. Sasuke's close in stealing their flag." Ino ordered. Kiba nodded and flashed one last wink to Chiruka. "Now, as for the two of us..." She made a pyramid out of her fingers and yelled, "Mind-transfer jutsu!"
Damn that Ino-pig, Sakura thought, plucking the knife out of her stomach. It was a good thing Ino didn't plunge it deeper. She placed a hand into her belly as green Chakra started to stream its way to stitch her wound.
A few minutes later it started raining. Wakana sang as she called for the winds, thunderclouds grumble from above and raindrops sprinkle into their lashes like tears. This gives Sasuke the advantage, and all Sai's ink had dispersed. On the other side, Kiba lunges towards Shino, Ino was one step against Chiruka, Choji and Sai were hiding somewhere, probbably in the bushes and both Lee and Neji were trying to hold Sasuke more further.
Almost everyone was at their limits, Chakras were drained and the rain had become a burden especially for Sai's sake. Sai decided to use his Taijutsu as he swung his sword simultaneously in Lee's direction but Sasuke had accidently made fire out of his amaterasu, causing him to back off. On the other hand, Neji tried to overcome this attack by performing his Heavenly palm rotation, but Lee was too excited to lay a finger on the Uchiha that he mistakenly jab is leg on the Hyuga-who-knows-it-all.
Kakashi shook his head, trying hard not to face-palm. Seems that neither him or Gai had taught them the essence of teamwork.
The flag, Sakura thought. Sasuke's squad were too distracted they didn't even notice it just stood there, waiting to get hauled.
Sasuke's eyes glanced at everyone of them. He could see the Hokage Stone Henge from here, remembering the time he would want to use it as a special target. Then again, his darker side was begininning to unveil again...
He dropped into the ground, his hands sticking up to his head. Yes, this is your chance Sasuke. Unleash me and we'll both give this village what it truly deserved... It says, as the pain got even further, syncing a damage to his brain. Only one way to end this, he thought.
"Susanoo!"
Everyone's eyes were on the purple-flamed god. Impossible as it may seems, its height is about twenty feet high and it looks like a giant Samurai who had been brought from the dead. From the look of it it looked as if it's about to slash anyone who gets in its way and grind anyone beneathe it. Each steps caused the earth to tremble, as if ordering them to back off.
But his left eye ached. Tobi said there'd be consequences.
"The flag." Sasuke ordered, ornery by nature, "I don't want to hurt any of you."
Kakashi poofed from below. "Sasuke, I'm gonna have to cancel the match if it comes to this."
He was looking for Sakura.
And there was Rin, clinging to Kakashi's side. "Niisan," she called.
"I see," Neji said as he stood with the others. "He's trying to dispose of his Susanoo."
He couldn't. Once you've awakened the Susanoo, it won't stop until it drowns you into darkness, unleashing the hatred inside of you. And in order for the flamed-god to be filled, it needs a human sacrifice. Danzō was one.
But there was something else.... Something prickling his skin, from the back of his neck, his nape, the rippling...
Kiba sniffs. "Is it me or I'm the only one who could smell the Chakra?"
"Arghh!" Sasuke groaned, shrinking back to his regular form.
Konoha 11 surrounded him in a circle, especially Wakana. "Niisan! Are you alright??"
"No, move away from him!" Kiba yelled.
"Get away from me!" He screamed, holding a hand into his nape.
Kakashi held Rin into his side. "Everyone stand back!"
This familiar feeling, something he'd felt before... "The curse-mark," Said Neji. "It's starting to spread all over his body again."
They encircled him, each with looks of hositlity and arcane. Kakashi thought he'd found a way to get rid of it but the curse seal Orochimaru had implanted inside of him will keep on fighting its way back as long as there is hatred and abdomination. The ink merges like a flock of ravens, until it shaded the part of his skin, grey as a titanium, a pair of claw-like nails begin to stretch behind his back, eyes without any pupils nor sclera. Wakana clung into Kakashi's back. He's turning into a monster.
"What do we do???" Chiruka asked, sweat dropped.
"We kill him." Kiba said.
"Let's just get out of here before his transformation is complete!" Said Ino.
Choji, Lee and the others were backing off. Run, the Uchiha's eyes say.
"No, no, no, no!" A voice said, sneaking from the crowd.
Kakashi watched as the Cherry Blossom ran over to pull him into her arms, shushing him.
Her clothes were torned, and everyone could tell she's been in a very bad shape. "Shhhhhh. It's okay. I'm here." There were tears on her eyes, and Ino didn't know if it was only the nature's cruelty.
Kiba and Neji looked at her in disgust. This was the same girl who stopped him from outraging a few years ago, took care of him when he was unstabled, so how could she possibly help the person who tried killing her not once, but twice?
There was blood on Sasuke's hand. And it wasn't his. "Sakura... Who. Did. This. To. You."
"Shhhhh, it's gonna be okay." She rested his chin ontop of his head. "Everything's gonna be okay."
Ino tried channeling her mind into his. She closed her eyes, hoping this technique would work. The ability not only to communicate with one's mind, but to read what's in it.
*Flashback*
"I'm a medic. I suck at weapons." The Cherry Blossom giggled, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. Her right hand grasp for the wooden part of the bow and the other one clasping for the string, where the arrow was quavering into her tipsy finger. "Just focus, kay?" Said Sasuke. Sakura blushed even more further. "I can't. All I can think of is your hands on my waist." "Alright then," The onyx-eyed boy started to pull away but Sakura placed them back with a smirk. "I wasn't saying I didn't like it." She chuckled. "How did you learn to do this anyway?" Sasuke smiled. It was beautiful. "Itachi and I used to chase hogs."
The thought of it had entirely invaded Sakura's mind. Sasuke as a little boy who excelled in archery with a big brother who used to flick his forehead. She wondered what would that little boy turn out to if he hadn't gotten rogue. "If I shoot this, promise me you'll go back to Konoha?"
He was silent for a moment. "NO,"
The pinkette rolled her eyes. "What do I get after all this?"
"One kiss per every bullseye."
"That's so unfair!"
He smirked. "Two kisses per bullseye. How does that sounds?"
Sakura bit her lip."You and your charms."
"Do we have a deal?" He gave her a quick peck in the cheek.
"Uchiha Sasuke, I believe we have a deal."
They just practiced like that, though archery was never Sakura's thing, Sasuke had taught her the proper handling of weapons and gained profficiency in ninja tools. She collected her kisses during breaks, swim into the lakes, have picnic into the grass, Sasuke couldn't remember most of it but he felt so laid back, away from his dark road of revenge and pulls him into her world, in Oto, where butterflies roam free, where there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
During their sleep, they rested under the tree. He held her in his embrace, fingers interwhining. The pinkette couldn't sleep. She stared at the three-tomoed black figures in Sasuke's neck, reminding her how easily he could plunge himself in the world of darkness.
She used her left hand to touch them, full of curiosity. Who wouldn't be fully interested when you have a sleeping Uchiha lying next to you?
He caught her hand. With closed eyes, he asked, "what are you doing?"
"Does it hurt?" She whispered. "Whenever they come out?"
"Everytime." He opened his eyes. When he faced her, he noticed she'd been studying him. "I should probbably get you home. It's getting late." Sakura laid her head back into his chest. "I'm cold." Sasuke rolled his eyes and wrapped the Akatsuki mantle into her body. She could feel the hard throbbing into his chest, creating a blissful melody into her ear. "And I don't want to go back to Konoha. I want to be with you."
Sasuke stared at the star-studded sky sadly. That's the only thing he's afraid of. Is that one day she'll come into her senses and join the him, the Akatsuki, a corrupted organization where in you're gonna have to drain your hands with blood. He can't let her take his hand without the danger she's putting herself into.
≫≫ TᕼE ᑎE᙭T ᑌᑕᕼIᕼᗩ ≫≫
FAIRIES AND VAMPIRES ALIVE
"I now call this fight a tie." Proclaimed Kakashi. "Good job, everybody."
When Sasuke stood up, the first person he went into was Wakana. She just stood there, far from crying—but it was the same look she gave him the first time he laid eyes on her. "Hey," Sasuke approached, careful not to frighten the little girl. "It's alright kid, it's me."
Sasuke may not notice this, but Rin and Sakura were the people who had pull his strings of emotions. Uchiha Rin, Hatake Wakana, whatever person Obito will identify her she will always be his baby girl. Mute, human or not, kid or grown up, there was never a time he would occasionally scare her. In contrast to Obito, who used to loom in front of her and mess with her hair.
Stepping backwards, her foot tripped into a branch and fell. Sasuke wanted to help her, to reach out for her, but she made him felt as if she was a thousand miles from his reach. Get away from me.
Sasuke frowned. He obviously didn't know how to talk to children.
And so she ran, leaving Sasuke's held out hand untouched.
"Sasuke," he turned to see Kakashi shaking his head.
After the fight, everyone strided into the woods to congratulate themselves for a job well done. First was Kiba who limps over to Neji, extending a hand. "Good game, boss."
"Yeah, you too." The Hyuga says, clasping his hand. A few weeks ago the idea of losing into the Inuzuka portent or anyone else from Konoha would've made him nuts. Now, it doesn't seem to matter as much.
After shaking Shino's hand, Kiba steps away and helped Chiruka back on her feet. She looked pretty beat up, bruises all over her face, but much to the curse-mark's prowess it all healed up quickly. Though she was still stunningly gorgeous. "No hard feelings,"
"Yeah, sure." Chiruka replied sullenly.
She didn't see this coming, but she must've seen the Inuzuka boy wink at her and leapt back into his team.
Sai kissed Ino and lifted her from the ground much to everyone's annoyance. That left Neji into think that if TenTen was here, he would've done the same thing a hundred times. Though something seems missing.
He patted the Uchiha in his back. It was odd of him because he hadn't swallowed his pride before. Offering a hand, "I think it's time we make peace, Uchiha." Everyone looked into his direction, wondering what could Sasuke do in reply. "What do you say?" His hand ask, getting numb from exhaustion.
Gritting his teeth, he whispered, "there is no peace." He bumped into his shoulder after he teleported out of the forest, escaping into the unknown. Kakashi just shook his head.
"I'll be right back," Sakura muttered to Ino.
She found him staring at himself into the lake, throwing a stone that sent rippling into his reflection. "Why would you do that?"
"Do what?" He asked aggresively.
"Why can't you let them see the good in you?"
She looks at Sasuke, waiting for an answer. "Because when people see good, they expect good. And I don't want to live up in anyone else's expectations."
Before she even knew it, she was talking to the thin air. Sasuke was gone.
***************************************************************
1.3.14
Vomment!:)