Colors of Life and Death
by Songbird21
Chapter 2
Note: No matter what happens in this fic,
that I LOVE happy endings.
They reached the door. Sasuke, who had been
designated team leader in Kakashi's absence, ordered Hinata to activate her
Byakugan one more time to make sure they hadn't been seen. "Sakura, open the
lock," he commanded.
Sakura made a short series of seals. A small
stream of chakra leaked out from her fingers and entered the lock. In less than
two seconds a click was heard that indicated the lock was open. She made a slight
smile of satisfaction. "Ready," she said.
Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Go slowly. We don't
know if there are any traps."
Both girls nodded in agreement and walked inside.
Sasuke turned to Hinata. "Hinata, your Byakugan," he half asked, half commanded.
The black-haired heir to the Hyuuga clan shook
her head. "Mm mm. The walls are too thick and the...they are s...solid cement."
Sasuke frowned. "Alright then. Split up and
search. If you find him, contact me," he said, pointing to his headpiece microphone.
Both girls nodded in agreement and disappeared.
Only small puffs of smoke echoed their existence. Sasuke immediately set off
on his own path. He ran quietly, yet swiftly, and soon found himself in front
of a heavy iron door. He took a calming breath and pushed it open...he nearly
vomited.
The stench of death and decay found the young
ninja's nostrils. As he surveyed the scene in front of him he took out a small,
circular tin, opened it and put some of the menthol scented paste that was inside
on the skin under his nose to block out the smell.
There were bodies everywhere. Most hung from
the walls. The ones on the floor lay in piles of their own entrails, which had
spilled out from wounds obviously made by some sharp implement. A large number
of them still had their eyes wide open as they had been in their moment of death.
Sasuke glared at the sight before him in disgust. "That sick, son of a b...."
he was cut off as her heard Sakura's blood curdling scream. He bolted away from
the ghastly scene in the room he had found and ran toward the sound with dread.
He ran as hard as he could. Something in Sakura's
scream had made him afraid of what it meant. His shoes made very little sound
as he ran from door to door, looking for her. He was nearly impaled by a pointed
wooden pole when he opened one door. Another door lead to a second chamber of
horrors like he had found earlier. He quickly shut that one and pushed on. "Dammit!,"
he thought in anger and exhaustion. "Where the hell is she?!"
He went down a flight of stone stairs and made
a sharp right when he thought he heard the sounds of someone retching. His lungs
felt like they were on fire by the time he found Sakura. Hinata was there too.
And apparently she had been the one throwing up, as she was on her hands and
knees, a pool of vomit on the floor in front of her.
"Sakura! What is it?!" Sasuke asked as he took
the last few steps needed to reach her position. Sakura was shaking violently.
Her eyes were impossibly wide with shock as she stared through an open door
in front of her. "Sakura..." he said as he touched her shoulder. The pink haired
konnichi didn't respond. "Saku...ra...." he barely got out as he saw what had
caused his friend to scream.
The room the door lead to was pitch black, except
for a hanging lamp in the center that illuminated a small table. What was on
that table nearly caused Sasuke to scream as well. "Na...Naruto....?"
At the mention of Naruto's name Sakura fell
to her knees and began crying loudly. Hinata sat back up from her 'mess' and
started to hyperventilate, bits of sobs being heard in between her desperate
gasps for air.
It was nearly thirty seconds before Sasuke could
will his legs to move. He walked slowly, as if in a trance, toward the table.
"This can't be right," he thought. "It's got to be a nightmare."
He stopped about a foot from his destination. His breath caught in his throat
as he stood there, staring at the mess in front of him.
The usually spiked, blonde hair was matted to
his head with sweat and speckled with blood. The blue eyes were closed. The
orange jacket and black t-shirt lay on the floor. The blood was absolutely everywhere.
From his collarbone to his waistline...he had been cut open. His muscles in
that area were all visible, owing to the fact that his skin on both sides of
the cut had been peeled back like an open magazine.
Finally, Sasuke's vision came to rest on his
brother's right arm...and the mark of the Uchiha clan...smeared with blood.
This was all it took for Sasuke to lose it. He dropped to the floor, threw back
his head and screamed....
And screamed....
And screamed........
Write to Songbird21
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