(Me:ehh my timing on this story is pretty horrible.Sorry if this is one has to be short.I have to make two or three episodes from the show to be in one chapter.Not like my last one.Chater 22 has like four or five episodes.I know the fighting stuff is ugly,its been a while since i haven't written any action story in a long time.So sorry for my suck-ish fighting actions,and I WILL promise that I will make things better for you people.I love you,okay?
)2*~*~*Story Begins*~*~*3
Just when his fingers pressed down onto Naruto's belly,I can't bear to watch anymore of this worst battle that I have ever seen.I'm already seeing my own teammate is going down,tried his best to protect the four of us and it was very unexpected.His blood red eyes turned back into his regular blue orbs,the ones that I will always remember of the real Naruto.The steam rose from his stomach as more marks are carved into his tan skin.My brother tried his best to get Naruto out of the ninja's tongue,without knowing his name,Ryuu doesn't care who he is.4
As the ninja tossed the unmovable blond boy to the side,Sakura threw her weapon to stop Naruto from falling,making him hang off the edge of safety.5
"Naruto-kun!" I screamed,running to the unconscious Kyuubi on the tree.6
Sasuke turned back to watch me getting near to him."Misaki! Stop!"7
And I did,turning my head to wonder why he's stopping from helping our squad member.8
"Don't make yourself a target,Misaki-chan!" Ryuu shouted,blocking a punch from the ninja.9
"But. . ."10
I wish I can talk back to him.But Naruto needs me! But what they are telling is to stay at where we are,so we don't have to get in someone's way of defeating the opponent.But Ryuu is versing the ninja by himself! What he did to Naruto,he will do the same to him!11
Why is he still wants to fight?! This is already too much! I wish we can just take Naruto and run away,for our own safety.He's just trying to get himself killed!12
"No,Ryuu-kun!" my lungs vibrated,don't want anything to happen to anybody."You'll end up like Naruto! Just stop!"13
"He's not going to leave us alone! So might as well give him what he wants!" my brother shouted back during his combat move and making hand signs of a jutsu.14
"Multi-Aura Sphere's Jutsu!"15
His fists clutched as dark aura formed around his hands.The he starts shooting out of arms at the grass ninja.When they crashed onto the branch,an explosion rose with dark flames radiate. The ninja used his high speed from dodging the dark bullets,and came to appear in front of him.16
"You're wasting my time," he smirked,making a handsign that looked unfamiliar."You became a lame distraction,so it looks like I have to finish you off as quickly as possible,isn't that nice? But you're a Manami,the very rare ones in this world.Seems to me that you're the most talented one that I have ever seen out of the Manami clan.So what's your transformation? An earth worm?"17
"What is he talking about?" Sakura asked,when he said transformation.18
"It's nothing!"yelled Ryuu,but the grass ninja went on of confusing Sakura.19
The ninja chuckled at such nonsense he's hearing from the pink haired girl,don't tell me he's going to spill everything about us."You mean you don't know? Well,I'm not going to tell,it will be yourself to figure it out.Now let me finish him."20
"No!"21
I was about to run,but Sasuke hold me back of getting close to the enemy as I struggle to make him let go of my hand.22
"Sasuke-kun! Let me go!" I cried,not letting a second to let the grass ninja to make a handsign.23
"You're going to get yourself killed,too!" He shouted,gripping his hand from yanking myself off of him.24
"But Ryuu. . .!"25
But it was too late.Hearing someone's joints crack and a scream from male.This is getting too far out of hand! No one is winning in our team.We already lost Naruto and Ryuu,but watching Sasuke to fight against will be a disaster.If he's gone,then it will be no one to watch me and Sakura.It will be on our own.26
Sasuke just stared at me,telling me something with only eye contact.Looking deeply into his onyx color orbs as it hit against my blue ones.He was telling me something that I should not interfere with something if it gets me in trouble.And this is a peril situation to come to.I wouldn't want to try to make everyone safe if I step in and fight.Obviously,I have no hope of defeating this ninja.But staring into Sasuke's eyes is something that he would just tell me of what he must do.27
My head began to shake in disappointment,getting the idea that he must do it.28
"No. . .,"I whispered,my voice became sorrow and suffering."No,Sasuke-kun. . .! Not you,too! But why?"29
"It's the only way to leave us alone," he answered flatly,turning back to the enemy as he's done with my brother.30
Why would he want to do such thing? He must fight him because he does want to prove that he wants to kill that certain someone,Itachi.He wanted to prove that he doesn't want to run away from a fight in unreasonable excuse.He has to face his opponent.If he doesn't,then what chance will he have to destroy Itachi? Proving that he's not coward of what everyone says to him.That's a great reason for him to learn.Now he understands so clearly that he would just want to get this over with.But he will get hurt,and he knows that.It doesn't have to be this way.31
Tears form in eyes as I bit my lip of sobbing out cries while Sasuke put his hand on top of my head,wishing himself for some luck or maybe this will be the last time he'll see me.32
I'll give him what he wants,so I took a lot of steps back to give him some space.And also cutting into his pat on my head,leaving him in a daze with his hand is still in the same space.He understand my depression,so he closed his eyes as his hand fall on his side of focusing on the battle.33
It's not like I'm mad at him,I appreciate his suggestion of fighting the grass ninja to depart our team and the ninja.It's just that I don't know what's going to happen next,if he's going to accomplish this or not.34
He's flashing back to everything of what had happened to us in this Chuunin Exams,listening to every word of someone's speaking about him being a coward.Recalling the words that I have said to him has to be the hardest thing to hear from me,making sure he doesn't have to hear such a tone from me again.He will make sure of it.35
Picturing of his own brother.The Gekkei Genkai haunts him.The well-developed of the Sharingan stalks him of hearing the words of his own brother of lacking hatred.Running away and cling onto life,and to survive in an unsightly way.And it mocked him to be so cocky.36
Then he finally snapped back to reality,knowing that fact to battle someone who is against him.Flashing back to the scenes of how we've been through.With Naruto's bizarre chakra,Ryuu's calls of protection,Sakura's help of keeping Naruto and my brother safe,and my cries of peace.37
There would be two choices. . .38
Fight to get our scroll back39
Or run away with our lives and fail40
Sasuke rose his head,feeling the sun's heat radiates down on him as he stared up at the breaking dawn.The voice will always agonize him,finding no relief to tranquilize himself.41
I hope he'll be okay,causing my own questions to shut down."Be careful."42
Then the confident Sasuke quickly pulled out his kunai and bit the handle and start to charge at the prepared unknown ninja who is standing out of patience.The ninja done handsigns that made smoke appear around him as wind gushes out to send Sasuke flying back.He threw shurikens,but the ninja dodged it.While he was up in the air,he flipped and stepped on the tree bark.His legs pushed him off the tree,throwing a punch and kick but didn't came out pretty good when the ninja blocked it.Sasuke jumped over him to come behind him.He was pretty good at flipping himself,looking like a male cheerleader but using physical actions to fight someone.43
It was so surprising that Sasuke is doing so well at this than I thought.I think I proved him wrong.He's not the type of person of running away,seeing this event changes everything about him.Of course,he's an Uchiha for peepsake! That's what makes him so great!44
And this part has got to be my favorite! When the grass ninja ran at top speed around the area to confuse the blue raven,the Uchiha's Sharingan followed every movement of where the ninja is at.He knows where is he going in every step.45
Then the old ninja stopped by a tree and crashed himself at Sasuke.But the number one rookie jumped away to avoid the attack.Screaming in his head that he can see.Then suddenly,he blew his fireball jutsu and done another hand sign.Increasing the heat in his chakra,a shot full of flames explodes out his mouth.The ninja tried to cover himself with his arms as the fire created a vortex around him.46
It has to be amazing to watch this.He's coming up with new jutsu and finally done more than just action.His Sharingal helped him also.47
"Alright Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and I cheered while I clapped and bounce,joyfully of excitement.48
But this part of the fight is hard for to describe because I wasn't looking.Something about that Sasuke had grabbed the ninja and the both of them fall.Sasuke's feet hooked around the ninja's to keep it still so he could bash his head down the ground.It's impressive,awful disturbance,but impressive! But all along,it was a phony.49
"A Substitution jutsu?!" said Sasuke.50
But he was cut off when a weapon scratched his cheek.The shurikens were striking down at him as he jumped away off the branch.Pulling out those wire strings and untangled them,stretching it and swings himself to another branch.And that's the part when the ninja had finally get the chance to hit him.51
Oooo,that's going to hurt on the gut.Even with a sock on the head will be bruised for a long while.52
"Sasuke-kun!" I heard Sakura's voice shouted,knowing that something is bad going to happen.53
I can see that also.And it's obvious that the ninja is pretty pleasantly occupied by walking to the injured Sasuke on the floor.54
"Sasuke-kun!" I called,"you have to get up!"55
The grass ninja smirked,stopping in front of Sasuke."What a disappointment that you turned out to be. . .Your ancestors weep.The Uchiha clan should thank me for killing you."56
And that's going to dig into Sasuke's mind really hard.He should be burning out of rage for hearing that sentence.57
"Silly little worm," he continued,but I caught Sasuke's eyes are fluttering open.58
And notice something that is stuck on the ninja's backpack.Then an explosion is erupted behind him.And up the Sasuke,backing away from the ninja,throwing shurikens that are tied to the strings.They carelessly flew around him as Sasuke jumped to another tree branch,holding it in between his fingers.But once he yanked it,it tied the ninja to the tree to be holding still.He struggled,watching the very tensed Sasuke making new handsigns.59
"Fire Style! Dragon Flame Jutsu!"60
The light of heat burst into flames circling around him of fire roared through the strings.It traveled to the ninja,and it was a direct hit.The scream of the unknown ninja echoed in the forest as my eyes adjusted from the bright light of Sasuke's jutsu.61
The fire kept on going,burning through the tree bark also,meaning that the ninja should be perfectly dead.That attack was so perfect that my feeling inside is more than just excitement.It got me burn down into a handful cheers.62
The fire became dimmed,only little light to be glowing helplessly.Sasuke was completely tired.The worriness inside of my sick stomach is now gone.Relieved,but don't forget that we're still in the test. I could hear Sasuke's breathing of how exhausted he is.So Sakura and I came to him with cheerful looks on ourselves.63
"Sasuke-kun,you did it!" Sakura shouted,delightfully.64
"Are you alright?" I asked standing in front of him.65
But he didn't give an answer,too weary of the battle that he just been through.He started to fall on his knees,with my careful touches,making sure if I'm not touching skin-to-skin.I knelt down with him,putting my hand on his back for support.66
"Hey,hey. . .," I gently said,smiling softly as he looked up at me."Everything is going to be okay now.There's no need to worry about anything.You deserve a rest."67
He felt a little caught in his throat as he coughed.After that,he finally calmed down and sat there in comfort.68
"You're really great,Sasuke!" Sakura sighed,looking around to find Naruto and Ryuu is still in their places."Well,at least we made it."69
I was just too happy that I was crying in happiness and at the same time I was laughing in joy.70
"Stop crying," Sasuke said dully, shaking his head of my nonsense behavior.71
"Okay. . .," I whimpered,rubbing my eyes with my sleeves,a little embarrassed but happy.72
It was silent,Sasuke was still breathing rapidly as I tried to calm myself down.But then some noises still continue to come,it's something that it's not done yet.When will it ever end?!73
Strings are already ripped in half and footsteps of a zombie,slowly got off the tree bark.And the feeling in my stomach came back again.The three of us froze of vibrating our bodies to get a twitch,but there was no use.Just like before when the ninja shown us our death.How is it that possible?74
Again,just like last time.I hope I can try of stabbing my leg to move my body,imitating Sasuke's actions.75
"No. . .," croaked Sasuke,shutting his eyes of moving his system.". . .Impossible."76
"Such mastering of the Sharingan in such an age," then freakishly,his voice doesn't sound like a female anymore.77
It had a tint of hiss,and like chimes of rusty bells rang."You're a true Uchiha after all. Yes. . .You'll do nicely."78
With Sasuke's choking scream when he bent down a little.The ninja placed his hand on his headband,and split his fingers to show the symbol of the. . .sound? that music note on his band is fully carved.79
"You are his brother,indeed.Your eyes are keener than Itachi's," he continued.80
Complimenting about his eyes,it has to be the very strange thing coming from him.81
"Who are you and what do you want?!" Sasuke is in bad condition to shout like that,angrily and frustrated.82
The ninja chuckled,smiling as he held up the Heaven Scroll for us to look at.It made me shock when the scroll is slowly lit up in flames to disintegrate.83
"My name is Orochimaru."84
Orochimaru. . .The worst name for a worst person to exist.I just wished that we have not even met him from the start.He can just be burned alive.From telling by his face,the three of us know that he's not a Genin,he's way older than that.Probably in the mid fifties,also his skin color changes as the old skin before is hanging lazily from his face.It's just plain white,white as paper.85
"If you wish to see me again," and he kept on going,smirking so evilly of the old ninja."get through this exam as if your life depended on it.In other words,you'll have to defeat my subordinates."86
"I don't know who the hell are you,"trembled Sakura,"but if you are done,then beat it! If we never meet again,it will be too soon."87
"It doesn't work that way," he replied,looking at me like I'm such a helpless puppy."You'll be too easy kill,just let me kill you so you don't have to suffer with any pain anymore."88
Sasuke and Sakura stared at me,and back at Orochimaru who done a the sign of the jutsu already.It sounded like deja'vu.I hope he's not playing the same trick again.89
His neck became long and danced around for bit before it goes straight to Sasuke,not one of us are moving because of the freezing jutsu.But I don't have the strength to grab the kunai out of my holster,my skills are not compare to his.It seem that there's another face had appeared in my head when the head of Orochimaru's had bitten Sasuke's neck,just like a vampire sunk it's teeth to make the victim become one of them.90
I gasped while Sakura and I yelled out his name.His shoulders tremble of pain that is spreading throughout his body,paralyzing his body of what kind of poison is to be distributed.Sakura looked thrilled of the sudden impact,eating out of his neck just have to be the worst place killed.My eyes became wide eyed,listening to Sasuke's chokes echo through my skull.And that mark.The mark is forming onto his skin where Orochimaru has bit.It was just black.The symbols were formed just like his Sharingan eyes had,it was so similiar that it has to be ironic for some reason.91
Ororchimaru brought his head back to his body,leaving the screaming boy in deep agony who is holding his neck with long groans and breaths.He undid the jutsu,making Sasuke fall back onto his knees as the two of us surrounded him with satisfaction.92
"You!" Sakura hissed,looking at the sound ninja with pure hate."What have you done to Sasuke-kun?!"93
"I just gave him a little partying gift," he answered to her question,calmly."Sasuke will be seeking me,seeking me for power."94
My eyes shook of Sasuke's misery,his outcries are like a dying bird.An angel is shrilling for help.95
"Just stop it!" my small voice wailed,shutting my eyes of the shriek in his voice."Sasuke-kun didn't do anything to deserve this! Please just leave him alone!"96
"I am so sorry,Ms.Manami,"Orochimaru apologized,sarcastically."But there is nothing I can do after I gave him the gift.There is no refunds."97
Grabbing onto my hand,his grip is squeezing my palm too hard.I flinched of the feeling in his hand,it became very different with his hand holding onto mine.It was all sweaty and warm.His pain is causing me pain.Losing one friend is enough,but losing three boys who I really loved is too hard to bare in this situation.But they're just unconscious,not dead.98
"Who knows?" he said."The Sharingan and his perfectly well skills can be very useful for me.Later,Sasuke-kun will go to me for desire for power."99
And with that,he done special trick to make himself melt down to the branch and disappear.I didn't know that it was afternoon already,the battle took that long to find relief.100
The bawling of Sasuke's voice repeated through the trees,waking up a few birds in their nests.He squeezed my hand even tighter as the pain became very abominable over his quavering body,his cries for hope is reaching to his limit by the obstruct in his pipe is almost hindering of his breathing is low.101
"Sasuke-kun!" both me and Sakura looked closely at him with heartache spilling over our chests.102
Watching Sasuke burn into ashes is killing me in the inside.I don't know what to do.I can't tell him that he'll be okay,because he's not going into a happy mood right now.I don't know what to tell him.And myself,I'm not in such a great mood to tell him if he's going to be okay.But this moment is not the time to just let him suffer in sonorous affliction.Seeing him in this condition made my heart tear apart,like feeling in cold winters fall from the sky.Gray clouds blocked the great day of spring coming,just made the season have to wait for another couple of months to disappear.Or rain hides the happy weather,replace it with salty raindrops form into tears of sadness upon of falling on someone's face who you loved in the coffin of a grave.That's what I felt about Sasuke right now.I don't know why how it's from him than anybody,especially Ryuu,that I felt this way for someone.I just don't know. . .103
"Sasuke-kun," I said to him again,gently as possible to calm down his senses while my eyes tried it's best not to show any sadness but it became very clear to him already.104
"You're not. . .,"my sweet voice have many hints of my cries is ready to burst anytime,lips shuddering and eyes blinking to keep the liquid back in."Sasuke,I'm so sorry. . ."105
Sakura was staring at me with eyebrows curled into a confound expression of my sentences speaking to the injured raven who had broke his wing.She wants to say something,too,but my words felt a lot stronger and promising.106
"I'm so sorry," I repeated,sniffing my nose and eyes blink rapidly in between my long eyelashes."I didn't mean to make you fight this way.I'm sorry for calling you those things that I had said. . .You're strong. . .You proved yourself that you're an avenger and I believe in that,too.Thank you for doing this. . .I should be the one who has to blamed for all of this. But please,Sasuke-kun,please don't think this is the end. . .You're not going to die,because you're going to be one hundred percent better and stronger. . .I promise."107
On that last part,he already gave out his last scream,opening one eye to keep his contact alive before he knocks out of the non-stop pain.But he couldn't hold onto it much longer,but he made sure he listened to every word I said before collapsing on the cold branch.108
His lifeless body just laid there without any movement,not even a twitch from him.Not any response to give us any orders,nothing like that would be in dialogues.109
The silence crept again,my eyes are fully closed and try not to let the memory make itself a huge scar in my brain for life.And I know that I will never get into stuff like this every again.This will be the last that I would watch the precious people fall in front of me.That won't ever happen again.110
Sakura's head bend down low into a quiet voice filled with many fears and despair."What do we do now?"111
From here on now,with three of our teammates is now recovering and we're the only two with no experience of fighting are perfectly okay.And this is just the first day of our Second Exam also.The first day and the three of us are down.And those three comrades are the ones who done the work of saving us.But now,it's up to us to look after ourselves.Things are going to get serious and no playing around.With two of my best friends and my most important brother are now out of the picture,I'll do anything.I'll do whatever it takes to keep them neutralize.112
"Let's start to have shelter."113
And now it's just the two of us.114
*~*~*End Chapter 23*~*~*
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