Chapter 5 - Ninjas into Dreams

Ninjas into Dreams
(Or Fights into Dreams)

Violence: Moderate


Sakura changed into her pajamas. The fall nights were still warm, so she chose a two-piece pair of red shorts and a red top that left her stomach mostly exposed. The red material was so soft and soothing to her sore body. She gave a content sigh, then curled up in bed, thoughts of a certain Uchiha boy dancing in her head.

Naruto readied himself for bed too. He pulled on a ridiculous looking night cap, shaped like a frog (he referred to it as “Gama-chan” just like his wallet), yawned loudly, then dove into bed, dreams of Hokage glory offering him solace after the day’s hard training.

Sasuke simply pulled on a black set of pajamas and laid down. His dreams, it seemed, were filled with thoughts of murder and revenge. Itachi was his mantra, his focus, and his reason for living.

Kakashi wore the black jumpsuit that jonin and chunin typically wore to bed. However, Kakashi wasn’t ready to sleep just yet. After a short, but fond, glance at a photo of his team, then a sad glance at a picture of his fallen comrades, Kakashi settled in with Make-Out Paradise. It was a questionable bedtime story, to be sure, but Kakashi either wasn’t aware of this fact, or just didn’t care.

The oddball of the group was easily Ekyt. He was already in bed, propped up by his pillow. His pajamas could serve as combat clothes, as he wore the all-black jumpsuit, like the chunin and jonin, except with short sleeves/pants. He rolled a scroll open and studied it’s contents, making the handsigns, then taking notes in his own scroll. An insatiable desire to be the best (Even though he has no ambitions of being Hokage) drove Ekyt. It kept him awake, this night and every night.


Sakura’s sleep became troubled. She squirmed under the covers as disturbing images and visions took over her sleep.

(DREAM)

Another mission. Nothing new. Team 7 got those all the time. At the head of the group, Sasuke suddenly turned around, the Sharingan’s tomoe visible in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he killed a shocked Kakashi.

Sakura watched as Sasuke’s curse mark spread, taking over his body. He let loose a primal scream, followed by an evil laugh.

Sasuke spun toward Naruto, instantly killing him with his Chidori. Then, Sasuke turned menacingly to Sakura. Ekyt leapt in the way, putting himself between the two.

“So…the little genin…defending the girl…pathetic.”

Ekyt, however, didn’t have his usual fight.

“What will it take Sasuke…What do I need to do to make you spare Sakura?”
Sakura’s eyes widened. He cares about me…oh, why couldn’t it be Sasuke caring about me?!Sakura realized what a selfish thought that was, so she bit her lip.

“What will it take…I want you to die. By your own hand. Right in front of me. If you kill yourself, I won’t touch Sakura.”

“What method?” Ekyt asked.

“Seppukku.” Sasuke answered.

Ekyt looked at Sakura, the nodded firmly.

“I’ll do it…BUT… I want to see her leave first,” Ekyt said, in what was to be his last display of bravado.

“Fine…but I will take your sword as a price.”

Ekyt pulled off his vest and T-shirt, kneeling on the ground. In horror, Sakura watched him plunge a dagger into his stomach, making a plus-sign pattern, cutting up his internal organs. His head fell forward, a nearly placid look on his face, marred only by the slightest twinges of pain.

Sasuke, who had been admiring the sword, raised it high. “Die, Samurai!” he swung the blade downward. In an almost artistic display, Ekyt’s head arched away from his body.

Before the life left his eyes, Ekyt told Sakura to run.

--


With a stifled shout, Sakura threw herself up in her bed. She had to tell someone about this dream. There was only one person she knew would be awake at this hour.

Knock Knock. Ekyt pushed himself out of bed, stifling a curse as his scrolls went scattering. He opened his door to find a panicked Sakura on his doorstep.

“Sakura? Everything alright?” It’s not like her to be up like this…something’s wrong.

Sakura seemed to be near tears. Ekyt picked up on this and gently asked, “Would you like to come in?”

Sakura nodded shyly, and walked unsteadily into the room. Ekyt began making tea, picking out a calming variety that he knew Sakura favored. He filled two mugs of it, and handed one to Sakura, which she took with a shaking hand. He sat down on the opposite side of his rough wooden table, legitimate concern for his friend in his normally burdened dark hazel eyes.

“Ekyt…I know you’ll think I’m weak for this…but I had a nightmare, and it really scared the life out of me. I don’t know why, it just seemed so real…like it had a meaning behind it, something sinister…”

Ekyt removed his mask (Sakura is just about the only one who knows what he looks like without the mask, as she was the first to befriend him) and took a thoughtful gulp of his own tea.

“Well…I’m going to assume you trust me,” he began with a grin, “so why don’t you tell me about it?”

Sakura looked torn. Should I tell him? I mean…he’s involved, and it’s horrible…but I’ve got to tell someone, and Ekyt can handle it…

“Okay…but it kind of involves you…” she warned.

Ekyt gave an encouraging nod, and even a smile.

Whoa…I’ve never seen him smile before…it’s…calming… Sakura thought, blushing slightly. I wish Sasuke would smile at me…

Sakura told Ekyt about the dream. By the end, she was shaking again, near tears. Ekyt had his hands cupped under his chin thoughtfully. He didn’t tell her what he was thinking, it would have destroyed her in her emotional state.

“Sakura…I think you should get some sleep,” Ekyt said quietly.

“Huh? But I’ll never be able to sleep!”

“I’ll stand guard outside your door. If it will help, I mean,” Ekyt offered.

Sakura shyly nodded, really feeling as though she would feel safer with him around.


Once in her room, Sakura locked the door and secured the windows. Then she changed back into her pajamas, curling up into bed. She was exhausted. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. Just as quickly, the dreams began…

(DREAMS)

“Sasuke!”

Sakura heard herself cry out the boy’s name.

Sasuke turned around, the Sharingan visible in his eye. In his hand, he held three kunai knives. Without hesitation, he threw them at Sakura. With a single look from his Sharingan, he had Sakura trapped in a genjutsu. She couldn’t move to avoid the knives.

They never hit her.

Ekyt leapt in between her and the knives. They had struck him in the chest. His makimono pouches had protected his heart.

“Sasuke, you’ve got to fight that mark off!” Ekyt shouted.

Sasuke’s only reply was a smirk. Slowly, the cursed seal took over Sasuke’s body. When that happened, Sasuke’s chakra and power grew, making the naturally talented boy even harder to stop.

“Did you really believe I ever WANTED to control such power? Suppressing it would be foolish.”

“Joining Orochimaru, leaving all the people that care about you…that would be even more foolish,” Ekyt replied.

Sasuke disappeared. In a flash, he was next to Ekyt, using a backfist to knock him backward. Ekyt skidded in a crouched position, then scrambled back toward Sasuke, in the opening stages of a flying sidekick. Sasuke grinned and stepped sideways, then slashed with his kunai. It’s metallic surface glittered twice in the sun.

The second glitter was marred by blood.

A gash opened across Ekyt’s stomach. But he stayed still.

“I swore to protect her…to protect everyone…with everything I had. Every drop of blood. Every breath…” Ekyt’s eye cast a dark look at Sasuke.

“You just took your last breath. CHIDORI!”

Ekyt was hit full in the back with the attack. He had been talking to a Sasuke clone. The young ninja was blown into a tree, hitting it’s rough bark face-first with a sickening crack. Sasuke leapt high and threw a kunai down, striking Ekyt in the throat.

With Ekyt out of the way, Sasuke turned back to Sakura.

“Now I’m going to kill you…hope you still love me,” Sasuke said mockingly as he stepped toward Sakura.

(END DREAM)

Sakura threw herself upright, kunai drawn. She slashed at the first thing she saw. CRASH! Her lamp shattered, the porcelain flying all over, one piece becoming lodged loosely in her hand.


Outside, Ekyt leapt to his feet. “Sakura?” he called. Praying she was decent, and wasn’t going to kill him, he broke into the room.

When he leapt inside, he saw Sakura in her pajamas, holding a kunai, surrounded by the broken lamp.

“Sakura, are you alright?” he asked gently, making sure she knew who he was.

Sakura looked at him, her emerald green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her kunai clattered to the ground as she threw herself at Ekyt. Despite his surprise, he managed to catch her. She sobbed hysterically, her head on his shoulder. She had a death grip around his upper body. Ekyt, who had never been put in a position like this before, wasn’t sure how to react. Gently, he returned the hug (If you could call the life being squeezed out of him a hug). He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that.

Finally, Sakura started to compose herself. She blushed heavily as she realized that she had just hugged Ekyt. Knowing him, he had no idea what to do! It must have been akward…but he genuinely cares…right, the dream!

Ekyt felt Sakura’s hand holding his. He felt a warm sensation in it, one that was all too familiar to him. Blood.

“Sakura, hold still, okay?” he asked her. At her perplexed nod, Ekyt took off his mask and tied it around her bleeding hand. She noticed that his hand was stained with blood as well.

“Here, sit down. Tell me about it.”

Ekyt’s words shook Sakura out of her trance. Sitting on her bed, still giving Ekyt’s hand a death-grip, she told him the dream.


Ekyt wasn’t afraid of the dream. He was afraid of what it did to Sakura. And, almost as importantly, WHY it was happening to Sakura. He had his suspicion, and only knew of one way to prove it. But he had to do it carefully and quickly.



Kakashi heard Ekyt coming. He was used to see the genin walking around town, training more often than not. This time, Ekyt was looking for Kakashi. In hushed tones, they spoke rapidly, occasionally nodding.

“Alright. But if things go wrong, don’t stick around,” Kakashi said firmly.

Ekyt nodded once, then walked off.

--

Sakura woke up, drenched in a cold sweat. “Sasuke!” she screamed aloud, then leapt up. She was headed to the same place Ekyt was.

--

Sasuke looked at the Leaf Village’s gates, almost contemplating his next move while reminiscing about the people he would be leaving behind.

“Sasuke!”

Sasuke turned around, seeing Sakura sprinting towards him.

“Sasuke, please, I know what’s going to happen! Don’t go!”

Sasuke made no indication he heard her. Sakura hugged him.

“Please Sasuke…I love you…if you have to go…take me with you! I don’t want you to leave me!”

Ekyt saw all this and cursed. Damnit! Now I can’t talk him down alone…and of course the fact she’s still in love with him presents a problem. She’s going to hate me…but I’m going to fight him, if I have to. I’m going to stop him from leaving, even if it means Sakura will kill me. In some part of Ekyt’s mind, he knew that he had a crush on Sakura. But it wasn’t his nature to sabotage someone else’s dreams. In fact, he had tried to help Sakura get Sasuke’s attention. Besides, there HAD to be a kunoichi for him, right? He just had no idea who it would be.


Sakura held on to Sasuke, pleading with him to stay. Sasuke was too far gone, lost in thoughts of power, to care. He still harbored feelings for his friends, but his thirst for power, and the ability to beat his brother, overcame all of that.

“Get off.” Sasuke gave a hard punch, sending her flying backward.

Damn it! Ekyt thought to himself. He used the body flicker jutsu and caught Sakura before she landed. He checked on her, finding nothing but a scrape on her face from the punch. He set her down gently, trying to force the image of her crying from his head. He let anger take over.

Ekyt grabbed Sasuke by his lapels and stared, the hatred so thick you could almost see it, rather than just sense it.

“How about you go ahead and try that on me, you son of a dog,” Ekyt snarled.

“Fine. Loser. Without Naruto around (This takes place while Naruto is gone, so in between the regular period and timeskip period.), you pose the best threat to me. In order for me to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan, I need to kill my best friend. That would be Naruto…but you and Sakura would be close seconds. Maybe killing both of you would do it…”


Ekyt stepped directly in front of Sakura.
“I have no problem stopping you.”

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