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Naruko-ナルコ-
Chapter 19
Rekindled Friendship
"Do you think hes going to be okay?" Sakura asked, referring to the curse mark Sasuke had recently received.
"I..." Naruko began, watching Sakura check the boy's temperature with the back of her hand. If she recalled, the survival rate of having a curse mark was around ten percent. But if I tell her that, she might start freaking out...and right now, we can't afford to get emotional. All Naruko could feel was pain, guilt, and knots surging through her abdomen, causing her to flinch in pain. Joro's offer suddenly popped up into her mind. "Yeah. He should be okay..."
"I hope they wake up soon. Naruto is looking okay but Sasuke's temperature hasn't gone down at all."
"Me too..." Naruko agreed.
"...Can I ask you something?"
"Huh? About what?" Naruko blinked, curious as to what she had to say.
"That marking on Sasuke's neck...is it the same as yours?" Pushing the collar of his shirt away, Sakura shows her the curse mark.
"No," Naruko observed. "His has a three comma mark while mine has six...Sorry Sakura, I don't really know that much about curse marks...even mine, and I still have trouble controlling it."
"Oh," she frowned. "But hey, that lady-or guy back there, Orochimaru, you know him right? I mean you mentioned his name before back in the land of waves."
What good will it do if I tell her? Naruko wondered. Still, I can't blame her for being curious though.
"Yeah...and he's a very manipulative man..." But if it wasn't for him, I might have not escaped...Naruko left out, gently brushing her fingers against her own curse mark. Wait a minuet! Naruko's eyes widened as she stared at the unconscious Uchiha.
"I ought to kill you for what happened that day."
"If you had pulled your end of the bargain I would've had the sharingan now!" The snakes word's replayed in her mind till the pieces had finally came together.
"In other words, he wants to use Sasuke?" Sakura assumed, with an unsure tone "Hey," she spoke up, noticing her comrade's expression go from tired to stern "What's wrong?"
"We need to finish this exam as soon as possible."
"Thats what got you so worked up?"
"Not entirely," Naruko shook her head. "But do you really think we can take on Orochimaru again? Don't forget he's still out there. And even if we don't run into him, taking on another team may be difficult considering the state we're in right now. As soon as the guys wake up we need to get going."
"...Right." Sakura sighed, pulling her knees close to her chest. The sudden change of tone cause Naruko to tilt her head in confusion. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I was just thinking...maybe you were right... Maybe I shouldn't have taken the exams..."
"Huh?" Naruko nearly gasped "What...makes you say that?"
"Just look at me," she said while attempting to laugh "I barley have a scratch on me. All I've done for the team so far is get in the way and worry..."
"Sakura..."
"As for you...you're always doing your best to protect us, even if it means putting yourself in harms way...you're strong and smart."
"...I didn't gain this power over night. It was forced onto me. And yeah, I may be pretty strong for my age but I never had a say in it. Had anyone else been in my situation they would've turned out the same way too... You'll become a greater ninja one soon enough. You're chakra control is already amazing, probably the best on the team. Plus, didn't you say you aced every test at the academy?"
"Well...yeah."
"And, you did take care of all three of us by yourself. You know, you'd probably make a great medical ninja..." Speechless, Sakura stares at her comrade in awe. It was a lot to digest, but her words were filled with encouragement and seemed to help a lot more than she had thought. "Naruko..." she spoke after a few minuets of silence.
"Also about the other day...what I said on the bridge...I'm sorry," Naruko apologized as she bowed her head down. "What I said was cruel and mean. And I should've never said that."
"...I'll forgive you-"
"Really?" Naruko gasped as she felt herself being relieved of guilt. "Thank you-"
"I'll forgive you on one condition." Sakura continued, as she held her index finger up. "You tell me the truth."
"The truth?"
"Do you like Sasuke?"
Is she really bringing this up right now?! Naruko's mouth slightly dropped and flashbacks of her conversation with Hinata snuck into her head.
"I..." Naruko began, thinking about her relationship with Sasuke. If he ever found out, theres no telling what would happen to their friendship. Sasuke was the first friend she made excluding her brother and helped her alot through her childhood. To lose it all terrified Naruko.
"I promise I won't mention a thing to Naruto or Sasuke," Sakura said.
"I..." Taking a deep breath, Naruko admits the truth she had been harboring for so long. "...Yes. I do..."
"...I knew it." Sakura sighed.
Finally being able to look her in the eye Naruko manages to continue the conversation, all while her heart rapidly pounds from what she had just confessed "You probably hate me don't you?"
"Not completely...I mean we are comrades." Though she was saddened by her answer, Naruko respected her honesty.
"If I didn't like him...do you think we could've been friends?" Now Sakura was in shock. "I mean, you and Ino used to be friends until you found out that you both liked Sasuke...or at least, thats what I heard."
Ino...Sakura's gazed dropped to the floor. As much as she hated to admit to herself, but it was true. Every single word, and to think about it made her stomach drop in guilt. "Sorry," Naruko apologized, noticing how upset Sakura had become.
"Don't be," she told her. "You were right. Ino and I were friends...best friends to be exact. She helped me break out of my shell and stood up for me...but when we both found out we had feelings for Sasuke, everything changed in an instant. It was hard being friends, knowing we both liked the same guy...and so, we stopped being friends."
"That must've been pretty tough," Naruko frowned.
"It was...and it still is..." Sakura paused "Hey..."
"Hm?"
"...even if we do like Sasuke...I think we try can be friends...But-"
"But?" Naruko wondered.
"I'm not giving up. I'll do my best to make him like me," Sakura stated as her expression filled with determination.
"Well then, may the best girl win." Naruko smirked as she extended her hand out.
"Right," Sakura nodded taking her hand. With a firm, but gentle shake they make a deal. "Anyways, you should really rest, that wound on your stomach is bad."
Naruko looked to see bags under her comrades eyes. She could tell Sakura was becoming mentally exhausted and must've stayed up all night looking after everyone. "Me? Sakura, you need sleep." She told her, focusing her attention on what mattered the most, the well-being of herself and her team.
"Are you serious?" she laughed "You're the one who needs to rest, you can barley stand up!"
"Yeah, but I've slept enough," before Sakura could speak Naruko continued "I promise. If anything happens, I'll wake you up immediately."
"No. I'm not sleeping."
"Why are you so being stubborn?" Naruko asked teasingly.
"Me? You're the stubborn one!"
"I agree. You should get some sleep." Suddenly the warm atmosphere that existed turned cold. As their stomachs dropped, the girl's turned their heads to see the three sound genin standing nearby. "You do look tired."
I didn't even notice them coming...How long were they here for? Naruko wondered.
"Hey blondie, wake Sasuke up! We want to fight him!" the other sound ninja, Zaku, exclaimed.
"...Are you serious?" Nauko asked in disbelief.
"Picking a fight while your enemy is weakened, just who do you think you are?!" Sakura shouted, lowering her hand to her kunai holster. "You guys must be really weak!"
"I can't stay quiet after hearing you two talk like that." Zaku spat out.
"So just what do you guys want? We know Orochimaru is calling the shots," Naruko stated.
"You know what, I'll kill these two first. Then once they're dead, I'll kill Sasuke." Zaku stated with confidence.
"Don't get too eager Zaku." Dosu warned his comrade "That 'blondie' over there is who Orochimaru warned us about."
"Tch, she can't be that strong. Just look how beaten up she looks."
My body's still in pain from before...Naruko mentally sighed. She didn't want to fight, and in her state she wasn't sure if she was capable of taking on three ninjas by herself. Even so, I won't let them hurt them...Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura... I have to protect him...
"Sakura, protect Naruto and Sasuke."
"What are you doing?!" Sakura exclaimed "You're going to get yourself killed!" Trying to pull her back Naruko yanks her arm away and looks back.
"Even so... I'd rather die than to watch those closest to me get hurt. Thats my nindo, my ninja way!" Naruko exclaimed as she adjusted her headband.
"A volunteer huh? Someone's in a rush to die," Zaku smirked.
"Zaku watch out!" Kin shouted, but it was too late. Receiving a blow to the back of the head, Zaku tumbled across the ground.
My chakra is still low...I need to be careful with how I fight these guys... Naurko noted, doing her best to ignore the pain she was in. I'll have to try and take them out one by one, but I should do it quick before they get the chance to gang up on me.
Hearing the sound of footsteps rush over to her, Naruko swiftly dodges a punch from the sound kunoichi Kin and counters it by punching her in the cheek.
"Got you," Dosu said as he flicked his fingers onto his armor. Jumping away, Naruko lands behind Dosu and attempts to land a punch onto him only to miss.
"What the-" she noticed, as her vision became blurry. Suddenly her balance became unsteady and she fell to her knees feeling nauseous.
"N-naruko!" Sakura cried.
Get up! Get up! Naruko shouted mentally as her rings were ringing with pain, but as fast as her thoughts raced her body couldn't keep up. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion to her and by the time she got back up on her feet she was knocked down. Damn...my body is still feeling weak...
Use me...
I can't... Naruko shook her head as she attempted to get back up again. As she stumbled back up, pain raced to her abdomen again along with a popping feeling. She looked down to see her shirt stained with blood again. Can I?...No, Jiraiya-sensei said not to...but if I don't, I'm probably going to die...
"You gotta be kidding me," Zaku snickered as he grabbed a hold of Naruko's neck. "Orochimaru was really concerned about this chick?"
Can I use it? Naruko wondered as she battled with her emotions.
"Look, shes not even fighting back. She already looks dead." Zaku said as he swung her body against the dirt floor.
"Then why don't you just finish the job already, or do you want me to?" Kin offered.
No...I can't...but I think have enough chakra for one more jutsu, Naruko observed, noticing both of her hands were free...However...
"No...Stop it!" Sakura cried.
"Watch this, I'm going to break her neck." Zaku said, grabbing Naruko by the neck again.
"Zaku!" Dosu gasped "Watch out!"
"What the-?!" Zaku gasped as he released his grip on Naruko "A paper bomb?!"
"You shouldn't have left my hands open," Naruko pointed out.
"Crap!" he panicked, ripping apart of his sleeve off Zaku barley manages to toss the paper bomb away and escapes the impact. "I can't believe I almost fell for a cheap trick like that."
"Like I said Zaku," Kin sighed "You should've just let me finish the job."
"Judging from the blood stain on her shirt shes losing alot of blood," Dosu observed "This shouldn't take long at all...still, we can't get cocky. Shes sharper than we thought."
Is there really no other way? Naruko wondered. Searching for a reason NOT to use the curse mark. Right now I'm barley managing to stand up...this doesn't look good at all...
"Kin, finish her. The sooner we wake up Sasuke the better," Dosu ordered.
"Got it." she nodded, disappearing from her view Naruko heightened her senses and kept a sharp eye out for where she was going to make her next move. Then she saw it, though it was fast she noticed something heading towards her from up above.
"Got you," Kin smirked as she went to stab Naruko.
"Naruko!" Sakura cried as the blonde fell to her knees.
Is this really it?...Naruko thought, as her vision and thoughts quickly became blurry. Her eyes were starting to feel heavy until she felt a sudden strong breeze pass by with a green blob appearing in front of her.
"Leaf Hurricane!" Suddenly, Kin was sent flying back towards her team.
"L-Lee?" Sakura awed in disbelief.
"Looks like I made it just in time," he sighed in relief. Catching Naruko's unconscious body, he gently carries and lays her next to Sakura.
"Who are you?" Dosu asks with an annoyed tone. Great, another brat we have to deal with.
"I am the handsome devil of the Leaf Village! Rock Lee!" he states, booming with confidence.
"Lee...why are you here?" Sakura asked.
"I will always appear in times where you are in trouble Sakura."
"But on this test I'm your enemy..." she pointed out.
"Didn't I tell you Sakura? I will protect you until I die."
"Lee...thank you." Though relief swept Sakura, she still felt an immense amount of concern for her teammate. Turning her head she noticed something odd that was out of place.
Those markings...when did they get there? She wondered, staring at Naruko's body.
"That was quite reckless..."
"...What?" Naruko shook her head, confused as to what she did exactly.
"Had I been a second late we might have been dead."
"Dead..." It took a few minuets but after she started to piece things together she knew exactly where she was. "Thats right...I remember." Naruko frowned.
"Do not feel guilty little one. You only did was was necessary to survive."
No...Jiraiya-sensei warned me...whats going to happen now?
"Shhh," hushed Joro. Silencing Naruko's thoughts.
Can she read my thoughts?! Naruko worried. That...that shouldn't be possible right?
"The look on your face tells me that you're worried. But not to worry, I shall heal your wounds and restore your health. All you need to do is rest."
Rest...Naruko repeated mentally. Her body felt heavy and tired. As much as she wanted to deny Joro's words she couldn't. She didn't have the strength to.
"Thats right," Joro smiled as Naruko's eyelids slowly closed shut. "Rest...for as long as you need to..."
"Father and mother shouldn't have died."
What? The Uchiha wondered. His surroundings were murky and hard to distinguish, but he knew that voice all too well. Is this a dream?
"My whole clan has been killed."
It was the person he used to be. His past, younger self. As the voice became clearer, so did his surroundings. It quickly darkened and reverted back to that night. When everything changed.
"Everyone died because I was so weak. I couldn't even save my best friend."
Then, he heard a different voice speak out. One that made his heart drop with guilt.
"Sasuke please..." Turning around he sees his comrade beaten up and trembling. "Please! Run, hide, fight do something!"
Extending his hand out, he attempts to reach out to her. But the darkness swept over and took her away. What he faced was the boy from before with a sinister look on his face.
"All you did was stand there and watch your family die. You were helpless then and you're helpless now. If only you had more power..."
More power...
More power...
More power...
Instantly his eyes opened, and at the same time, his mind too. Standing on his own two feet he takes in the scenery and sees an unforgivable sight. An unconscious Rock Lee, Shikamaru and his team hiding in the bushes, three foreign ninja, Sakura beaten up, and-
"Sasuke! You're awake!" Sakura shouted.
Naruko, unconscious with blood staining her hair and clothes.
"Sakura..." he asked, taking in the situation. "Who did this to you guys?"
"W-whats happened to you?" Immediately Sakura's relief turned into fear as she felt an unfamiliar, dark presence coming off from the Uchiha. Something's off about him...and that chakra...
"Don't worry," he told her "its only the power of the curse mark flowing through me...I've actually never felt better. He gave me this gift, he helped me understand. I am an avenger, and to follow that path I must have power. At any price."
No...That's wrong...Sakura mentally disagreed, while recalling her earlier conversation with Naruko. He's a very manipulative man...
"Well Sakura, who did it?" Sasuke asked, becoming quickly impatient.
"What would be me," Zaku proudly grinned. "As for the other one, we just watched her bleed to death."
Shes dead?! Sasuke's glare hardened at the sound ninja.
"Whats wrong Dosu, you're not getting cold feet are you?" Zaku laughed.
"No Zaku!" Dosu exclaimed as fear struck him. But it was too late Zaku already had casted his jutsu, sending powerful sound waves in all different directions.
I'll kill him, Sasuke's thoughts raced. Before the jutsu could hit his team, Sasuke slipped through Zaku's blind spot, and slams his fist into the side of Zaku's head ,sending him tumbling across the floor.
"Zaku!" his teammate cried, but before Zaku could recover Sasuke then re-appears from behind and pins his foot onto his back, all while pulling his arms up and away.
"You seem to be proud of these arms," Sasuke smirked as he pulls them out of Zaku's socket. Dropping him onto the ground, he then kicks him over so he can face him. "I hope you're ready to die."
No! Sakura's heart dropped, and as if on instinct she raced up and sprinted towards her comrade "Sasuke stop!" She pleaded a couple of times, and at first Sasuke could've cared less. Even when she tried to hold him back from finishing off Zaku. But when he turned and saw the expression on Sakura's face, he was suddenly reminded of Naruko's frightened face from earlier.
"Please...stop," Sakura quietly sobbed. Sasuke paused for a couple of minuets, then looked back at his unconscious comrade to notice the markings covering her skin. Though they were similar to his, hers looked as if they were causing her pain, whereas he felt an immerse surge of power.
"Sakura... hows Naruko?"
"Naruko..." she began as she released her grip on him. As much as she wanted to say she was fine and everything would be okay, she knew Sasuke would only be more upset with a lie. "I don't know..."
Naruko-ナルコ-
Chapter 20
Naruko vs. Kabuto