✓ Naruto: Euphoria (2011) ||Winner of NWA 2014||

Ethereal 37: Mysterious Saviour (Unedited)

Chapter 37

It was a mistake letting it go. Even after I had abandoned the scroll, the attacks on me didn't. Will I die? I winced.

The grip on my neck tightened and I coughed, letting large amount of water enter my lungs. My eyes fluttered in pain and my vision blurred. I thought that it was the end when I felt a splash near me and bubbles exploded in front my eyes. A black figure came beside me and using a chain-type weapon, swung it in front of me, freeing me from the bind.

As soon as I felt free, my body limped and I didn't know what was going on. Another hand grabbed me and pulled me out. I greedily sucked in the air and panted heavily. The pleasure of feeling the air rush through the wind pipe made me realise how much for granted we took our lives.

I lay on the ground, numb. Sakura leaned beside me and stroked my forehead. She covered me with my jacket as I positioned myself upright.

"Stay right here and don't move." she instructed me and dived into the water once again. I couldn't move but I felt reckless. Sakura was down there and so was Shun. He came out of no where and saved me. I could make out his figure anytime, anywhere. His hair was flowing behind him and his chain, which he often used to wear as an accessory on his pants, was being used as a weapon.

I waited for them to resurface but because I was tired, I slipped into a reverie. Whatever they did, I knew I could always count on them. They were my hero, especially Shun.

I woke up to something nudging me. My eyes fluttered open to see a white cat staring at me with its head tilted to one of its side.

"Meow..." It nudged me again. I glanced in the other direction and saw that Shun and Sakura were also fast asleep beside me. They were breathing heavily. I jerked myself up and went towards them, putting on my jacket.

As soon as I reached them, I took their hands in mine and checked to see if the pulse was okay. Then I made sure that their heart was beating properly.

"Phew...!" I sighed and Yuki came and sat on my lap. I stroked it and murmured, "Thank god they are alright. I wonder what happened?" I said glancing at Shun's hand which was tightly clutching a parchment.

"Meow."

It wasn't possible for me to carry them both, so I stayed by them until they gained consciousness.

Shun was the first one to show aby signs of movement. I crawled towards him on my hands and knees.

"Shun," I called out, "Shun!"

He groaned and shieldes his eyes with his free hand before he looked at me.

"It is dark already." I told him. He tried to sit upstraight but his body pained and didn't let him. I helped him a bit and supported him from the back. He was covered in slashes and cuts. There was one, too prominent, on his face too.

"So... the mist has gone?" I didn't realise it before he mentioned it. Indeed, the thick clouds were gone and the water was no longer hot. The surroundings had turned back to what looked like another part of wild forest.

I sighed. "So, this place was like that because of this scroll?" I paused, "By the way, how did you find me?"

"Sanako told me about your whereabouts."

"She did?" I asked, a bit surprised. She knew about this place?

"Yes. She said that the first time we came here, she emerged in front of this forest and surrounded with thick clouds." He coughed in between, and handed over the scroll to me.

I took it carefully and studied it. I couldn't understand a word. The worry must have surfaced my face as Shun quickly reassured me by telling that Sanako knows how to read it. At that time, I wondered why he didn't addressed her as mom rather than saying her full name.

I shoved the thought away and nodded. "But," a question still ate me up, "even if you knew about this place, how did you manage to find your way through the forest?"

Shun looked at me with a puzzled mien. "I thought I was also a ninja," he chuckled, "besides, Sanako came along and this thing as well." he pointed towards Yuki as it ran off. "That little guy made us follow it by snatching away the manga."

I was shocked. "Yuki helped again?" I asked bewildered. Wow. I could say that we are lucky.

"Ah...and where is Sanako now?"

"She left with Tisha." Sakura surprised me by replying all of a sudden.

"Sakura! You are okay!" I rejoiced and hugged her. She smiled weakly.

"Thanks, because of you two, I am alive!" I said but to my surprise they just shook their head.

"No, we may have saved you, but," Sakura paused and looked at Shun.

"Yeah, there was someone else too, who saved us."

"Saved you?" I asked.

"Yes. We were almost unconscious when someone came and fought from our side." Sakura came nearer and examined Shun's wound.

"That person was powerful." Shun winced as Sakura treated him. "This scar," he said, motioning towards the cut on his right cheek with his eyes, "was given to me by that person, while trying to save me."

Sakura moved her head from right to left as she was unable to treat that scar. No way! What is that weapon that the other person used.

As if on cue, Sakura answered me.

"It wasn't any physical weapon, it was a body part." She explained, "Probably his nails."

A nail mark which will never go. On his face. I was feeling very low. If only I had waited for Sakura...

"Don't worry about it." Shun said smirking, " A scar is a man's identity."

"Oh shut up." I narrowed my eyes playfully and Sakura laughed. "I will get it bandaged for you!" I teased.

"I don't mind, if its you..." he started laughing and I elbowed him.

"By the way, where did you get that?" I asked, curious about the glove he was wearing in his left hand.

It was a black glove which started from underneath his sleeves and terminated at half fingers. It had a mark, a red and white fan. The mark of an Uchiha.

"This..." he trailed off, "something that the blonde lady with big busts gave me."

"Her name is Tsunade!" I was shocked at his words. Who in the world is he?

"Oh yes, her." he said mischieviously, "she gave this to me telling me that it will help me mould my Uchiha chakra with any other, in my case Uzumaki one, and help me do some awesome jutsu."

"So, did you?" I asked.

"Not much," he said and took jis chain in his hands, "but it helped me use this as a weapon. Tsunade said that I could efficiently use it."

Okay. So, even though I came here before Shun, my brother is ahead of me in being a ninja.

I scowled and jumped up. On his other hand was another black glove but this one was short. It had a metallic plate on the top which carried the sign of Konoha. His, mark of being a shinobi...

I went and grabbed my lowers and quickly put it on, along with my boots and socks. Then I carefully picked up the scroll and I was ready to go back.

"Enough talking." I almost commanded. "Time to revert everything back to it's original way!"

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A/N

Woahh... so this chapter was more talks right? I am sorry but I didn't know how to end it but I will tell you now that the next chapter would be the last one and after that, a short epilogue.

Thanx for reading my story so far. Comment and Vote.

~Sassy