Scrapped Naruto Idea...?
Pfttt, it was supposed to be AU in the sense that Sakura is a Dream-walker and blahblahblah. Legit, this is a fail. I'm positing it because..? Because I can, so shush. It's old, it's crap, but...oh well.
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Drowning
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Don't you get it? Can't you feel the way it tempts you?
When will it stop?
Smilesmilesmile, evil smile.
It never does and it never will.
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.All she could smell was smoke.
It entered her lungs, thick and heavy like a storm cloud, shutting off the normal flow of oxygen to her already fuzzy brain. The bright orange flames licked at the walls of her bedroom, the intense, monstrous flames devouring her bed whole, leaving nothing left in its wake. In the corner of the hot, burning room-could no one see the smoke?-a young child wrapped her arms securely around her legs, tucking her face protectively between kneecaps. "Please," she whimpered, her small voice gobbled up by the loud roar of flames surrounding her house. She wasn't even aware of how her home had went up in flames, which was enough to alarm her young, childish mind. One moment she had fallen asleep, eyelids no longer able to fight sleep as her mother sang softly in the rocking chair right by the window, and the next was awoken to the sound of loud screams and wood crumbling to the ground as ash.
"Help me," drawing her knees closer to her body, the young girl squeezed her eyes shut, steady stream of tears feeling cool against her skin compared to the heat burning her cheeks. Her body shook with silent sobs, mentally praying that someone, anyone, would come to her rescue. Inwardly, a wicked voice cackled that this was what she deserved for being such a freak, such a abnormal girl. Why couldn't she fit in like all the other young girls, her mother's friends would ask. Why was her hair such a weird color and her eyes too bright? Maybe if she played with dolls and had normal, childish dreams this wouldn't have happened.
But no one was coming and she was going to die in here.
"I can help you," alarmed the young child's face shot up from the small space created by her knees, red face streaked with crystalline tear tracks. The voice sounded so cold, which contrasted harshly against the inferno her body was currently being subjected to. "I can give you all the things you've ever wanted, child."
The voice was almost malicious sounding.
"Power...," it was a mere whisper, the voice lowered so soft that it hardly caressed her ears. A chill shot up her spine and she closed her emerald eyes again, wishing whatever it was awayawayaway, just go away!
A sinister chuckle barked from no where and she opened her eyes once more, nothing but orange-tinted fire greeting her line of vision. Was the smoke getting to her head again? It was a high possibly, considering she had been inhaling it for God only knows how long. Then it started again, voice smooth and laced with honey, "Just trust me, young one. I promise you'll live, but you have to do something for me in return. Do you accept?"
Nervously she glanced up, noticing a large hand outstretched to her, cloaked man hidden by the shadows created from the flames behind him. Scared and on the brink of death, the small child lifted her tiny, pale hand and laid it down in his palm, letting out a squeak when a prickling sensation sprung up on the junction between her shoulder blade and neck. From weary, blurry eyes, she could hardly make out the crazed smile tilting at the corners of his lips.
"We shall meet again...Haruno Sakura."
With a loud grasp, a young woman shot up from her bed, beads of cold sweat covering her body like a slick coating on top of her skin. Her pale, coral-colored locks hung around her shoulders, ends curling in and sticking to her neck, creating more heat than she would have liked. Nervously she shivered, hands reaching up to curl around the tops of her arms in a protective shield. "The same dream again?" she murmured in a rather confused tone, not understanding why this nightmare had plagued her sleep for the fifth night in a row. Shaking off the ominous feeling, she lifted herself from the confides of her damp sheets and stumbled into the bathroom she shared with her roommate Ino, happily noting that the shower was not preoccupied. With her mind replaying over her dream, she slipped her clothes off and started the water, hissing as the cold droplets hit her body before warming up into a comfortable temperature.
'Why do I keep dreaming about that night', she pondered to herself, groping around for her shampoo bottle, squinting a good amount into her hands. Absentmindedly she washed her hair, jade eyes staring off at her tile as unwanted memories flooded through her brain. Was she having these dreams it because the anniversary of the fire was coming up? Continuing to think to herself, the pinkette hardly even noticed that the water had ran cold until someone pounded on the bathroom door, jerking her out of her long train of thought.
"Forehead," screeched Ino from the other side of the door, long blond hair disheveled from sleep, traces of eyeliner barely visible on the outer corners of her baby blue eyes, "you've been in there for nearly an hour! Are you done yet, or do I have to call the police 'cause I'm starting to think you are trying to drown yourself."
Blinking in surprise, she stopped the shower and pulled a towel over her lithe, petite frame, opening the door and greeting Ino's rather annoyed look. "Sorry," she managed, sheepish smile curling at the corners of her mouth. "I must have gotten distracted."
Ino lifted a nicely manicured eyebrow, "I can believe that one. Haruno Sakura, number one space cadet."
"Shut it, Piggy," Sakura retorted, tracking her way back into her bedroom, bare feet leaving footprints all the way back to her carpeted room. Nineteen year old Sakura lived in a rather nice apartment with her long time best friend and roommate, Yamanaka Ino. Between Medical school and her job at the local bookstore, she rarely had time for parties or anything of the like. Ino complained that she lived a rather hermit-like life, but the pink-haired girl would just roll her eyes at that statement. She was content with her life, and had no plans on changing how she lived out her days. While her loud-mouthed best friend tried to pester her into fun activities, she would often decline with the typical homework excuse or that she was simply tired.
Now she didn't have a reason to lie about the latter.
Sifting through her dresser until she found a suitable pair of jeans and a nice, red t-shirt, Sakura tugged on her clothes and took a seat at the edge of her bed, eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. When was the last time she had receive more than five hours of sleep in one resting period? Shaking her head, Sakura tried to recall the rest of her dream, especially-
"Sakura?" Ino stood in the doorway, hip jutted out and resting against the door frame, worried expression marring her usually beautiful face, "Is there something bothering you?"
Instantly Sakura tensed, not really sure how to explain what she was feeling. Instead she opted for a fake smile, "Nope. Nothing is wrong. I'm just tired."
She sighed, blowing some blonde hair from her face. "You've been having dreams about the fire again, haven't you?" Although it was a question, Ino's tone made Sakura knew that it was more of a statement than anything. Shooting her friend a look of confusion, Ino only rolled her baby blues and waved her hand, "Oh, honestly Forehead, you were yelling in your sleep last night. I tried to wake you up but..." She paused, worried look melting into one of concern. Suddenly Sakura was curious, not recalling Ino being inside of her room at all the night before.
"But what, Pig?"
"I...I don't know," she confessed, pearly whites biting down on her lower lip. "It was like you were possessed or something. I shook you as hard as I could but you wouldn't stop thrashing around. I almost called Shikamaru because I didn't know what to do, but..."
Suddenly Sakura felt a searing pain in the back of her neck, the intensity and pressure throbbing like the skin was on fire. As quickly as it came it left, however, and the pink haired girl shifted her attention over to Ino, realizing that she had zoned out yet again. "Don't worry about me, Ino," said Sakura in a serious tone, lifting herself up from her bed. "It's just getting closer to that date and I miss them, that's all."
"I can't believe it's been nearly thirteen years since the fire. It's hard to believe that your par-," Ino, coming to a halt in her sentence, winced at the sight of her best friend recoiling like someone had touched her with a hot, fire poker. "Forehead, I'm sorry."
Waving her hand and placing on a bright (fake) smile, Sakura sighed and grabbed her wallet laying on her vanity, slipping her feet into a pair of comfortable shoes. "It's fine, Pig. I'm going for a walk, okay? I'll see you later."
And as Sakura closed the door to their apartment with a soft 'thud', Ino whipped out her phone, forehead creased with lines of stress and worry. Frantically she pressed numbers, feet pacing back-and-forth, to-and-fro until the other person picked up.
"Hello?"
"He's coming for her," was all she said before hanging up her phone and grabbing her jacket, racing out the door to find her best friend before it was too late.
Sakura noted that she should have brought a jacket, considering it was in the middle of Tokyo in the middle of one of the coldest winters she had ever had the experience to see.
She was not a cold weather person, regardless of how pretty snow looked upon the trees as she passed them in the park, hands buried deeply into her jean pockets in attempts to warm them up. Shivering slightly as a gust of wind washed over her, the rosette casually passed by a strange-looking man sitting on a bench, legs crossed in a comfortable manner.
"Haruno Sakura?"
Confused she looked back, unreadable expression writing itself across her red-tinted face; she hated the cold. "Uh," she stuttered out, "yes?" The man smirked and rose to his feet, round spectacles reflecting the dim light of the sun, giving him a rather threatening aura. He advanced closer and closer, wearing only one expression on his young face, grey locks of hair blowing into his face from the harsh wind whipping around the both of them. Scared that he knew her name, Sakura took a tentative step backwards, "Do I know you?"
He chuckled darkly, hand lifting up and glowing an intense green and Sakura only stared at it with saucer-place eyes, "No, but...you have something that my master greatly wishes to own. You see Sakura-chan," she made a face at the honorific at the end of her name, "he thinks you have great potential. With some training..."
She wasn't even listening though, eyes glued on his glowing hand. Holy shit, hands weren't supposed to glow! What the hell was going on? Everything was happening too quickly and, to make matters worse, the scorching pain on her neck was starting up, pain nearly blinding her from this strange, possibly lethal man. "S-stay away," she muttered weakly as he continued to walk closer to her, green hand reaching closer and closer to her body.
"Do you believe in magic?" His tone was so serious that Sakura found herself shaking, vision swimming with black spots. She could feel the pressure building up on the side of her head. Added with the pain coming from her shoulder, she knew what was about to happen as her body slumped forward and motionless into the arms of this stranger. She didn't get a chance to answer, however, as a voice rang out.
"Get your hands off of her!"
Then Sakura saw black.