Shattered (#1 in Shifting Series)

Wounded

**Art by Arika Kanzaki**

Sarah woke suddenly in the night with a sheen of sweat on her body.  The sweat contradicted the cool, fall breeze rolling in through the window she had left partially cracked.  One thing she had missed from her world was air conditioning.  It was something that apparently, only the Feudal Lords had in their homes.  She had just about suffocated the first week she had been in the Leaf as her body adjusted to the new lifestyle.  She shifted her eyes to the window, trying to determine what had set her off.  The feeling that something was terribly wrong was wrapped around her like a cloak as she sat up in bed.  She could feel the chakra within her vibrating, as if speaking to her of some distant horror.  She did not remember having a nightmare, so she immediately discounted that as the cause for her to suddenly be awakened in the dead of night.

Her hands and body began glowing blue as the chakra manifested itself in the darkness.  She stared at her hands for a long moment, the sense of foreboding was almost choking her.  Fear rolled through her, knowing it had to be a warning.  She came out of the bed, pulling on her clothes as she stretched out her senses to her surroundings.  Nothing stirred in the darkness of life.  Once appropriately dressed for any kind of encounter, she quickly went through the home, looking for any danger.  She only paused to take her Jo in hand as she did her sweep.  If someone was in the home, they would get more than they bargained for.  She was more than capable of defending herself now after Sasuke and Kakashi's training.

She narrowed her eyes while sweeping with her Kekkei Genkai.  She ignored the amazement of the enhanced awareness that had only just been awakened.  She was able to see further out than was physically possible, beyond walls as if they were translucent.  It was more like an echo of what was beyond, much like a bat's sonar radar.  She couldn't think of another explanation for what she was seeing with her new eyes. Yet there was nothing in the darkness of the home nor in the land surrounding that would cause the feeling that was so heavy upon her.  All was quiet, yet she could still feel that something was wrong.  She felt shaken inside as Kakashi's image came into her mind like a ping.  She wondered briefly if what she was feeling was like what a Jedi in Star Wars would sense... a tremor in the force?  She really was a nerd.  She shook the thought off, feeling more certain that something was very wrong with Kakashi.  Her heart leaped in her throat, almost choking her.  God, no.  Not again.  Please, not again.

She ran back to her room, equipping herself with her weapons pack.  She had packed it the night before, just in case Sasuke had decided to do more than have her run up a tree.  She was thankful that she had done that already as it cut down her time considerably.  If Kakashi was in trouble, she would face whatever that was at his side.  She couldn't stay here knowing something had gone wrong.  She ran out of the house as fast as her legs would take her.  It was very early in the morning, most likely around the witching hour by the looks of the sky, and a fog had settled ominously upon the Leaf Village.  She did not even think about the hour of day as a deterrent as she ran up to the home of the only person that she knew would believe her.

Naruto rubbed his eyes as he opened the door after the insistent pounding that had woke him out of a very deep sleep.  That didn't bode well at this hour.  He had told Hinata to go back to sleep as he answered the door below.  He knew whatever it was, it would require him not her.  No one would dare pound on the door at this hour unless it was an emergency.  They had only just learned that Hinata, like Sakura, was pregnant with their first child, too.  She needed her sleep as she was usually quite sick first thing in the morning.

His eyes widened as Sarah came into his home in a blur of movement, moving rather fast.  Her eyes were astonishing, glowing like blue fire.  Sasuke had told him about her awakened Dojutsu but seeing it was shocking.  In addition, she was glowing in the same blue and it looked very much like he did when he was in full chakra mode except where he was golden, she was covered in blue.  It was shocking seeing her like that and he instantly straightened at the look of terror on her face.