Unspeakable

NG: bleh.

Itachi: That's what you get for eating all those doughnuts.

NG: Screw you. Why are you even here? You're in this story like once.

Itachi: I felt like dropping by.

NG: okay. So you get to do the disclaimer.

Itachi: Neko Graphic does not own Naruto. Only this plot line and that's it.

NG: P.S the mythical creatures mentioned in this story are as far as I know completely fictional.

Chapter 7: Blood Line

Sasuke was briefing the team about the theories they had come up with when Tenten burst through the doorway breathing hard her eyes wide and Hinata not far behind her..

"Tenten what the hell?" Neji asked getting up fro his chair and hurrying to his girlfriend and cousins sides. Hinata shook her head and looked at Sasuke.

"Something happened to Sakura-san." She told him. Sasuke bolted up from his chair.

"What happened?!" he demanded of the Hyuuga heiress. Tenten shrugged.

"We don't know," she told them, "She was fine and then she got this weird look on her face and totally spaced out. She was shaking; Ino had to slap her to wake her up. And when she did she looked absolutely petrified and demanded to be taken home. That's when Hinata and I came to get you."

"Ino is with her?" Sasuke asked already striding towards the doorway.

"Yeah, she is staying with her until you come." Tenten said.

"'Kay," Sasuke muttered , "Neji you finish up alright?" the Hyuuga nodded as his captain disappeared in a flash.

"Now where were we?" he turned back to the weirded out ANBU gathered in the meeting room. Hinata held up her basket.

"Refreshments?" she asked.

X~X~X

Sasuke ran quickly though the busy streets of Konoha, dodging shoppers and children on their way home from the academy. He leapt from the street to avoid a large crowd gathered in front of a store window. Landing easily on the roof tops he made his way though the dense patchwork of Konohas' skyline. The cool air slapped his face, fall wasn't far away. He gritted his teeth. He needed that thing dead before winter. The council of elders won't give him anymore time before chucking Sakura out of the village and making her live at that things mercy.

'Those old fools,' he thought bitterly, 'everything they do they claim it's for the good of the village but it's just to save their own ass's.' his fist clenched tightly. Oh he awaited the day those two would see justice for all the shit they had done to this village. Tsunade whole heartedly agreed, but bitched about how there was too little evidence. They had covered their tracks well. In his opinion there wasn't enough being done. The elders influence reached far, inhibiting investigations or stopping them all together. Danzou was the worst of the trio, still high and mighty he thought himself to be a better Hokage then any of Tsunades' predecessors especially the third and his students. He sighed, as soon as they killed this Thing, Danzou was next on Sasukes hit-list. Right above the person whom invented tomato puree, really why mess with a good thing?

He bounced off one last roof and landed squarely in front of his own front door. Opening it he stepped in, "Ino!" he called out. The blond appeared in seconds looking relieved.

"Oh thank Kami-sama your finally here!" she praise looking up at the roof, "What kept you?" she snapped looking down and glaring at him in the eye. He glared right back.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked. Ino instantly gave up the glaring contest.

"Up stairs," she told him he voice sounding worried, "She's in your room and wont leave. Scared out of her mind she is." She looked imploring at Sasuke, "What's wrong?"

"That Thing must have contacted her again," Sasuke seethed, brushing past Ino he bound up the stairs. The blond followed closely.

"What?" she gasped looking furious, "You do know I offered to go into her head and set up wards preventing intrusion." She told him.

"Yes I remember," Sasuke replied, "But I don't think Tsunade would have liked you going insane from what you might see in there and I doubt Sakura would have liked yet another person being inside her brain."

Ino paled, "Lovely image you painted there." She told him dryly. Sasuke shook his head and motioned for silence as they came up to his bedroom door.

"Stay out here," he told Ino. When she began to protest he cut her off, "No. We don't want to crowd her." Ino glared at him once more for a few moments before receding and nodded her head.

Sasuke returned the nod then turned and slowly opened the door. He blinked. All the curtains had been drawn and the lights were off. Sasuke blinked trying to gain his night eyes. He didn't dare turning on his Sharingan for fear he might frighten Sakura. Waiting to allow his eyes to adjust, he gradually could see her sitting on their bed. Her legs were curled up under her and she held her head in her hands. The wrappings around her wrist had become loose from constant tearing.

"Sakura," he murmured into the dark, the pinkette looked up, startled. Her eyes were wide in terror. Sasuke felt his heart wrench at the sight. What this woman did to him. She scrambled from the bed and ran into his arms.

"Make it stop," she whispered desperately, her nails beginning to draw blood as she gripped hair. He grabbed her wrists.

"Stop that," he told her gently prying her hands away from her head. He held her close to him as he rocked her gently.

"What is he saying?" he asked. Sakura shivered.

"Who?" she asked looking at him slightly confused. Sasuke, even more confused didn't know what she meant.

"Sakura, is that Thing talking to you?" he asked gently not wanting to freak her out.

"N-no." she answered her voice weak, "But I finally know why."

"Why what?"

"Why it…it wants me so bad!" she began to cry again, "Oh Kami it' all my fault!"

Ino leaned against the wall outside the doorways crying silently as she listened. She never realised how bad it was for her friend. To live through this pain. She shook her head, she couldn't do it. She decided, she couldn't live with such pain and fear not knowing what would happen next, or too whom and think it was your fault. Ino covered her mouth to cover the sob the barley escaped her, tears silently cascaded down her face. Now more the ever Ino admired her friend, for her strength in face of such am impossible situation. She tuned back into the conversation when she heard her name being mentioned.

"Sakura," that was Sasuke speaking, "Ino can put up mental barriers that can keep that thing out." He told her, "You won't have to suffer his taunts again." Ino held her breath, was she brave enough? Could she really go in there and risk seeing what Sakura did? Go through the same pain?

"Thank you Sasuke, I'm sure Ino could," Sakuras voice was calm and sad, "But I could never do that to her." Ino smiled a small smile. Not one of relief, she would have gone in if Sakura had asked that was no question, but one of knowing. That was Sakura, always putting others ahead of her self, making sure they were all right even when she herself was suffering with the darkest of tortures. Guilt. Ino let one last tear fall. There was silence; this was her queue to leave. She smiled, 'Sasukes lucky to have you Sakura,' she told her friend silently, 'I'm glade you both found someone who can take the pain away.' And she walked away. Too soon, for she missed what Sakura had to say next.

"I can see things…"

XXX

Shikamaru stayed late at the office that night, a single light was all to be seen on the dark street below. Eyes watched him from the shadows, the glared angrily as the prodigy shifted in his chair, leaning back he yawned as he stretched out the kinks in his back.

'This one is far to close,' it muttered to itself, 'too close to knowing what I am, what I can't stand.' It hissed at the thought of its one weakness, 'if he should find it…' it trailed off with a small hint of fear.

'I must stop him.' It whispered as it slithered towards the building.

Shikamaru stretched, was reading the silver book through once again. Many other books were piled on the desk in front of him, many were language books others were references. Some were even books of legends and mythic tales from other continents. His eyes itched and he rubbed them wearily.

"Damn sandman," He muttered then stopped looking wierded out, "Did I just say 'Sandman'? God these urban legends are getting to me." He sighed and chuckled, "Gaara would kill me is I told him about that. Puts people to sleep indeed." closing the books cover; a theory was forming in his head. He placed his elbows on the table and hid his mouth behind his hands. His eyes closed he pondered.

'Definitely a shape shifter,' he concluded, 'something that can change at will but still has limitations. Is that the reason why it needs victims?' His hand rested on the gleaming surface of the book. He tapped his fingers gingerly on the cool metal like leather. The book never ceased to amaze him, what it contained was a treasure chest of information. He couldn't understand what it was doing deep in the old library.

A couple possibilities on what the creature was swam around in his mind. He would have put Sakura under hypnosis to retrieve an image to help pinpoint the thing but Sasuke more then likely would skin him alive for even suggesting it.

With a sigh he opened his eyes, the candle he had lit in order to read by flickered playing across the strangely mirror like book. The dancing lights caught his eye. He couldn't resist watching them play.

His gaze narrowed suddenly, a dark shadow loomed in the reflection behind the flames.

'What?' he had no time to ponder further? Yellow eyes flicked open glaring right into his own. He jumped out of his chair and over his desk, just as a spike of solid darkness stabbed in to his chair right were his chest was a short moment ago.

"Die," it hissed, its voice like someone scraping their nails down a chalk board caused Shikamaru to flinch.

"Too close," it hissed out once more, "Too close." Shikamaru frowned it seemed to be intelligent and yet… incapable of communicating physically. Again possibilities of what that demon might be whirled through his brain but it was still shrouded in complete darkness and its form indistinguishable.

"Are you the thing haunting Haruno Sakura?" he asked, making his voice clear. The mass of shadow hissed, its yellow eyes staring into his. Shikamaru could feel paralysis creep into his bones. Shit this thing had a hypnotic stare.

'Like a Basilisk," he thought jumping away when a whip sprouted from the thing and sliced the air when he had stood. 'Except a Basilisk kills with its stare not freeze.' He frowned his body's' movements were beginning to slow. He struggled to move faster, it was a precarious difference between surviving and the split nano-second that lead to death.

"Too much," the Thing spoke again, "You know too much. That is why you must die." Its speech was clipped and short. Shikamaru felt his eyes widen. If he knew enough that this creature would feel threatened and try to silence him. He was on the right track, he was close.

"Why are you after Sakura?" he questioned, trying to stall the monster while he tripped his silent alarm, ANBU would be here in minutes. The monster slithered closer, sprouting tentacles that shifted and stretched into spindly arms poised on clawed hands to help it move.

"Her gifts," it whispered, "not possessed by sister so must be held by her. Must have…must have…Sight." It was struggling now Shikamaru could see. It evidently too energy to maintain physical form to harm him and paralyse him as well. "I know what you are now." He muttered darkly.

"Now you know more," it hissed dangerously, "You Must DIE!" a spear shot from the centre of the Things form heading straight towards Shikamarus' chest. He dodged, only to find he couldn't move, he was completely paralysed.

'So this is what it's like to be victim of my shadow possession technique,' thought briefly as the sharp spear came towards him, 'Damn.'

The door burst open and Sasukes team of ANBU came pouring in. The force pushed Shikamaru out of the way of the spear enough that he wasn't fatally injured but he did receive a nasty slash to his arm. The Thing screeched it's fury.

"Lord and Lady what is that???" Kiba shouted staring at the mass of shadow that was fading quickly.

"It's the Thing that's after Sakura!" Shikamaru yelled at the stunned team. "Hurry, kill it!" Kakashi was the one that snapped out of it first. "Don't look at its eyes!" Shikamaru warned. Kakashi immediately looked lower at the Thing, away from it's eyes.

Ino immediately formed a seal and Chakra enveloped the room now the Thing couldn't escape. It screeched once more causing the group to flinch. Neji jumped forward his Byakugan already found it's weak point.

"Jyuuken!" He yelled thrusting his open palm into the Things centre. It hissed its fury and rounded on the Hyuuga.

"No you don't bastard!" Naruto yelled jumping on the Things back. Being the closest to being a demon, he had the best chance of surviving. The blond leaked a bit of Kyuubis' chakra and held on. "Kakashi-sensei!" he yelled to his former teacher.

"Got it," the silver haired ninja replied calmly Raiki already formed in his hand. He dashed forward and repeated Nejis' action of thrusting his hand into the Things chest. This appeared to have a bigger impact on the Thing. It screeched to Kingdome come ad dissipated. Silence immediately fell over the group.

"Is it gone?" Naruto asked lifting himself off the ground. Kakashi sighed and pulled out the latest volume of his favourite series.

"Yep."

"Oh hell yeah!" Kiba crowed punching the air with his fists and Akamaru barked joining in on his masters pleasure. Ino rushed to Shikamarus side and began inspecting his arm.

"This looks bad," she murmured to him, "I don't want to take you to the hospital in case the elders and Danzo find out. And because it was caused by that Thing maybe Sakura should look at it." Shikamaru sighed.

"We'll worry about that later." He said loudly cutting off Kiba, Naruto and Lees' mini victory party. "This deal is far from over."

"What are you talking about Shikamaru?" Tenten asked, "Kakashi just shocked that thing with a thousand volts of electricity. Nothing can survive that."

"You're right." Shikamaru said standing up with a groan. He walked back over to his desk and sat down after picking up the chair. He grabbed the book and flipped it open to the page he needed.

"So what's the problem?" Hinata asked from the doorway. Ino knelt by Shikamaru and began wrapping his arm with a bandage.

"The problem is…" he trailed off spinning the book around and tapping a picture on the page. "That was the demon after Sakura all right but that's not the problem." Neji looked down at the picture and began reading the caption.

"Minion-demon," he read, "If one can know a minion-demons secret name one can control it and bend it to ones will."

"You're not saying…" Kakashi trailed off Shikamaru nodded.

"Something was controlling this freak." He told them, "at first we had a basic Idea what we were after, a demon. And we were right…partially."

"So the problem is," Tenten started, "Is we have no clue who was controlling the Thing."

"It could be any one." Ino whispered.

"Or anything." Hinata finished.

"But why does he or she want Sakura?" Naruto asked, "What about everyone else that went missing that Sasuke noted. They were from every where."

"With only one confirmed kill Sakuras' sister." Kakashi added.

"And the six traders that were taken with them." Shikamaru added, "The Thing mentioned 'gifts' and 'Sight'"

"What the hell?" Naruto looked down crossing his arms.

"We have to tell Sasuke." Ino said rubbing her head.

"Yeah but I want to know what it meant by 'gifts'" Neji said.

"That I can tell you." A soft voice said by the door.

End of chapter

NG: Cripes it's been forever since I updated this story. Argh. Now I know it was short and I know it sucked, but I need to get back into the feel for this story, since I've been gone so long.

JI GAI!

Blood Oath.