Chapter 6 Curse Marks
The pain I felt could not be described; it was so excruciating that I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed on the spot, but somehow, I was able to work passed the pain; I was able to push the pain aside and attack. Grabbing, her head, I twisted it to break her neck. I dug my nails into her flesh as I flung her away from me. Dropping to my knees, I held the spot where I had been bitten.
Naruto ran to my side. “Sakura, are you okay?” He looked alarmed as he brushed aside my pink hair to looked the bite wound over. “Sakura, there’s another mark showing up on the other side of your neck as well. Its like you’ve been bitten before,” Naruto informed me.
Sasuke came up beside Naruto to get a closer look.
I nodded, standing up, pushing myself beyond the pain. Glancing over at the woman, we found she was still alive. Her neck wasn’t broken, but the flesh on her face was coming off. She ripped the skin away to reveal a man.
Bam! More flashbacks, more intense than the last ones.
“This will hurt a little, but if you live, it only proves how strong you are,“ the snake man told me as he extended his neck, biting me.
……..*…….
I was writhing on the floor of a glass room, thinking I was going to die. On the other side of the glass was the snake man and his silver haired assistant, watching me like I was some sort of a guinea pig.
……..*…….
“I said to do a triple back-flip, spring forward, backwards double cut into the Jutsu, not whatever it is that you think you did. That was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen,” Mr. Four-eyes yelled as he pushed a button, sending hundreds of volts of electricity running through my body.
……..*…….
“You know how much you mean to me,” snake man was telling me as I sobbed in my cell. He knelt in front of me, caressing my cheek. “You are my favorite student who holds so much potential. Kabuto only pushes you because he knows how much you are capable of. Don’t let what he tells you get to you.”
……..*…….
“You are special to me,” he told me, when he found me sprawled out after being punished for not beating my own record. “I care about you.” He helped me into a sitting position. “I hold you close to my own heart.” He leaned in and kissed me square on the lips. I couldn’t fight back for fear of being tortured again. I was so used to this that I didn’t feel anything. I let him do whatever he wanted.
“Ahh!” I screamed as the memories all tried to come through at once. I fell to the ground holding my head. Naruto crouched at my side, holding me still while Sasuke stood before us, protecting us.
“It hurts, doesn’t it,” the snake man said in a dreary monotone. “To be separated for so long. But, now that we are together again, you can come back with me.”
The memories stopped, and I stood up. All I knew about this guy was that he was not to be trusted. He did horrible things to me, and I wasn’t about to let him do it again. “Just leave. I’m not going anywhere with you, Orochimaru.” I suddenly remembered his name. It just popped out.
He disappeared and reappeared between Naruto and me. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong.” He grabbed my arm, disappearing before Sasuke or Naruto could react. He reappeared twenty feet in front of them, holding me in front of him. His arms caressing my shoulders. Goosebumps crept up my skin as I shivered. “Now,” he whispered into my ear. “Are you going to come with me willingly? Or, do I need to do more convincing that no matter what, you’re mine?”
I struggled to get his hands off of me, but he was too strong. “Bug off,” I said as I pulled with all my strength.
He shrugged. “Ok, we’ll do it the hard way.” He elongated his neck, racing for Sasuke again.
“No!” I screamed.
Naruto took out a kunei, throwing it at the head, but Orochimaru knocked it away with his tongue, shoving Naruto back against a tree, knocking him out. Sasuke tried to put up a fight, but in the end, he was bitten too.
“Naruto! Sasuke!” I cried, breaking free, but only because he let me go. I raced to Naruto’s side as Orochimaru’s neck returned to normal. Naruto was still breathing. Grabbing him, I pulled him to Sasuke’s side. Sasuke was on his back writhing in pain. He was grunting and moaning, but there was nothing I could do. “Sasuke, Naruto and I are right here. We won’t leave you.”
Sasuke clutched at his neck, closing his eyes and blacking out, his hand went slack. I glanced back at Orochimaru who was looking at me a little too smugly. He reached his hand out towards me, as if he was offering a hand to help me up.
“Come with me, or Sasuke and Naruto will die,” he threatened.
“Not until you tell me who you are and what’s going on,” I shook my head. If I was going to go with him, I wanted answers first. Maybe Naruto or Sasuke would wake and hear everything. Then, they could go back to the village and let the Hokage know what was going on. They could save me.
“Nice try, but I’ll tell you, once you come with me,” his hand was still outstretched. “So, what’ll it be?” Glancing down at Naruto, I saw bruises forming along his arms and face. Sasuke was laboring to breath.
3rd POV
Naruto was coming around just in time to see Sakura getting up, reaching her hand out. Naruto got up and raced to help, but Orochimaru grabbed him and held him by the neck. “Sakura, don’t give in. I don’t care if he kills me, but I won’t die knowing it was for nothing. If you just give in, Sasuke will have been suffering for nothing. We all have a purpose here, and that’s to protect each other. Well, I’m protecting you. Don’t give in. Ah!” Orochimaru’s hand squeezed Naruto’s neck, breaking it. He threw the limp body down.
Tears streamed down Sakura’s face as she bawled. Stupid Naruto! He just died, and for what? To keep her from going to Orochimaru? Naruto had been the nicest person she had ever known, and now he was gone. Who was left for her?
This wasn’t worth it. Naruto and Sasuke didn’t deserve to die over her. They had only met for a few weeks. They hardly knew each other, and yet they were willing to give up their lives for her.
“Sakura, this can be simple. If you come with me willingly, I will revive Naruto and lessen the pain for Sasuke. If you chose not to, well, I’ll capture you by force and finish off Sasuke. Either way, you are coming with me,” Orochimaru held out his hand.
Sakura just looked at the pale skin of his palm as the tears kept coming. Glancing down at Naruto, she placed her palm on his cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
~~~~>.<~~~~
Sasuke opened his eyes weakly just in time to see Sakura walking closer and closer to Orochimaru reaching out her hand for his. Sasuke vaguely remembered them talking about a deal. Sakura couldn’t trade her life for theirs. “No,” he called out weakly, but Sakura still reached for the hand that would kill them all.
Sasuke rolled to his side, struggling to get up. Pushing the pain aside, he stood. “Sakura, no!” he started running, but it was too late. She had already grabbed Orochimaru’s hand.
He jumped out to her, a blast of energy pushed him back from them. Sasuke landed with a thud on the ground. Before Sasuke could react, they were gone. Glancing at Naruto, he saw he was coming to. He was alive. Naruto had to stand up slowly, his head hurt, a lot. It felt as though a jack hammer was going off inside his head. Glancing around, he noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Sakura?” he asked.
Sasuke didn’t say anything as he rubbed the spot on his neck where he had been bitten. “Orochimaru took her. They made a deal. A life for a life, basically. She went with him to save you and I.” Glancing back at Naruto, Sasuke saw a hint of fear run through Naruto. Could Sakura mean more to him than he was willing to admit?
“Well, what are we waiting for? We need to get her back! Who knows what Orochimaru is doing to her!“ Ignoring the splitting headache, Naruto started running into the trees. “You go alert whoever is on the outside of what has happened. I’ll go alone.”
~~~~>.<~~~~
“Lord Hokage!” a few ANBU and Kakashi ran into the Hokage’s office. “Sakura has been captured. It was what we feared. Orochimaru has come back for her,” one spoke.
The Hokage stoked his beard, “I knew this was going to come. Gather all the ANBU. Bring back Sakura at all costs, alive. Kill Orochimaru if you get the chance.”
They nodded before disappearing. Kakashi turned to the old man. “What does this mean?”
“It means Orochimaru has something big in store for us; something much bigger than any of us could ever have imagined,” the Hokage answered, worry clear in his voice.
~~~~>.<~~~~
Naruto raced through the trees following Sakura’s chakra trail she was purposely leaving behind. They weren’t too far ahead of him. Pushing himself, he went faster, harder. Finally, he was catching up, he could see Sakura’s pink hair through the trees. His legs had never gone so fast, and they were tiring fast, but Naruto was not giving up. He was going to save her.
Using one finally burst of strength, Naruto jumped on top of Orochimaru, who then dropped Sakura; she caught herself and landed smoothly on the floor below. “Naruto!” she sighed.
Orochimaru ripped Naruto off of him, sending him flying to the floor below. Naruto caught himself and landed close beside Sakura. “Sakura, are you alright?” he asked, worry lining his usually sunny face.
She nodded. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m fine.”
Naruto nodded before attacking Orochimaru.
~~~~>.<~~~~
Sasuke raced through the trees, Kakashi at his heels. The ANBU weren’t far ahead. Kakashi turned to Sasuke, “So, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking there is more to this than Orochimaru is letting on. What I can’t figure out is why he wants her so badly. Sure she’s a good Shinobi, but she escaped. He should have went after her and captured her at all costs, why go through the Chunins to get at her? And, why did he bite me if he has Sakura?” Sasuke answered.
Kakashi nodded. “All good questions, but I doubt we will get the answers we want any time soon.”
Sasuke nodded as the two of them raced ahead. Sasuke had been separated from Naruto for about an hour already. Something was bound to go wrong; Sasuke could feel it.
~~~~>.<~~~~
Sakura and Naruto were working as a team to try and take down Orochimaru. Sakura had a huge gash along her cheek from a kunei, and Naruto had a black eye, a split lip, and a few broken ribs; but he wasn’t giving up. Performing a bunch of hand signs, Naruto and his clones called upon the Rasengan.
While Sakura kept Orochimaru busy, Naruto charged at him from behind. Pulling back to deliver the final blow, he put all his power into this one Jutsu. Thrusting forward, Orochimaru turned, grabbed Naruto’s hand and shoved it into Sakura’s chest, sending her flying through the trees.
“Now look what you have done. She’s dead. Just as you will soon be,” Orochimaru broke Naruto’s hand. He was about to finish him off, but the ANBU showed up and Orochimaru was forced to let him go so that he could run away and escape with his life. But not before he threw Naruto against a tree, sending a ripple of pain throughout his entire body. The ANBU raced after him, hoping to catch him.
Ignoring the pain, Naruto, cradling his broken arm, got up and raced through the trees to find Sakura. About fifty yards away lay a limp Sakura. Her leg was twisted in such a way, Naruto right away it was broke; her arm was twisted up underneath her. A hole in her chest gushed blood. Her pink hair lay mingled with the blood. Her already pale skin was even whiter.
Naruto knelt at her side and wept. What had he done? He couldn’t save her, and now she was dead. Naruto placed his good hand on her cheek and caressed it. He had only known her for a few short weeks, and now look what happened. She was gone.
Sasuke and Kakashi came up behind Naruto and stood behind him. Kakashi laid a hand on Naruto’s shoulder. “Naruto, we need to get you looked at. Go with Sasuke back to the village. Let me take Sakura,” he said.
Naruto nodded. He didn’t want to be there when the old man saw the damage he had done. Naruto just wanted to go back home and never come out. If he couldn’t even protect his friends, what good was he? What was the point of being a ninja?
Yeah, I finally updated!
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So, please comment so I know that you like it.
