2Scarecrow
Listen, listen to our whispers, for our prayers went unanswered.
Take them and use them wisely, you have been warned.
.
Hush, hush, haven't you heard? Those are wings moving.
Hush, hush, didn't you know? Beware of the crow calling.
Run, run, and better you hide,
there she comes, there she comes,
And she's starving.
Against all odds, he still has strength enough to bite the gag that imprisons his dried screams and feels his molars broke with the pressure. The metal scrapes his lips and cuts his skin but the pain isn't nearly as strong as the one he feels in his chest, his arms and legs shake with the force of his agony. He curses his father and cries his mother for spawning him and condemn the world with his presence. The wire bites his skin. She screams and cries and tears him apart, his flesh feels like butter under her claws. He wants to cry for her but he hates her and pities her so he begs her to kill him, to end him once and for all, but the gag swallows his plea.
He doesn't pass out so he notices when he dies.
Not a month went by without a sacrifice, willing or not, young or old, weak or strong. They laid them down on a bed of stone that was never washed and remained tinted with the blood of their predecessors, tying them by both wrists and ankles with leather cords.
The process used to be slow and tragic, relatives and friends mourning the death sentence of their loved ones until they were forced to leave, shouting their despair and insults to the cold wind.
Now, after centuries of the unjust tribute, tears, and screams, the people were just left with nothing but dry eyes, sore throats, crushed hopes and the memory of brave men that disappeared in the distance promising to return things as they were, only to never be seen again.
Creatures of the night breathed outside the doors of miserable houses in the darkness interrupted by the moon, with the silent guarantee of painful death to those who tried to venture into the forest in search of freedom.
The days were gray and cold.
Old generations were disappearing by the pass of time and its tail of mort, the tales they once pronounced and sang almost buried with them, remembrances of colorful days and laughs dissipating in the ghostly winds surrounding their graves.
New generations were born whose eyes never saw the sun or felt the warmth of it on their skin. It was a tragedy, really, but the new generations couldn't miss what they never had.
Roads of mud surrounded the insides and outsides of the little place that some people used to call home, the rains were constant and the cold almost unbearable, but nothing was worse than the smell of putrefaction and death.
The carriages were abandoned or totally destroyed, their wood used in search of heat, forcing the people to carry the deceased ones by hand. Houses of old peeling paint and exposed bricks were used as shelter by the fortunate few. Skeletons of burned wood or covered-in-mold stone columns could be seen scattered, old blood-spattered among the materials that the rain had not managed to wash, animals and flies licking the remains.
He had become so good at walking on his tiptoes after years of practice and too many ear pulls to count that he always feels a pressure on his chest that he can only describe as pride, the floor barely squeaking under his feet. Sneaking out has been a part of his life since he could remember, the night and darkness his best allies and worst enemies on his mischievous adventures. He took the handle of the door and felt the cold metal around his palm, pushing it down slowly to reach freedom.
"Stop that!"
He screamed. He screamed high enough for his voice to crack painfully until realization hit him, and when it did, a cold sensation ran from his toes to the nape of his neck, sweating despite the cold. "I'm not doing -" he stammered.
"Don't you dare finish that lie, Naruto!" Kushina's eyes were narrowed, her hands on her hips. She was so pale Naruto thought she could be invisible against the cloudy sky if it wasn't for her bright, crimson hair.
Grunting, Naruto tossed his barely fitting cape on his shoulder and crossed his arms with a pout. "I wasn't going to lie," he squinted, "and what are you doing up this early?"
"What?" She said walking threateningly towards him, her tone of voice low and dangerous.
The smoke that came out of her mouth due to the cold hit his face and he blinked, "n- nothing, sorry mom."
But oh, she didn't look anywhere near to accept his apologies. "Oh, you will be."
Naruto gulped, preparing himself for the string of screams that was about to come but Kushina just parted her lips and closed them, not uttering a word.
"Please just stop." She breathed, her hair falling towards her face. "This is not a game."
Naruto's back hit the door loud enough for the thing behind it to hear and scratch his claws against it, "what?"
"This is not a game!" She said louder, "or a bet for you to win-"
"I'm not doing this because of a bet!"
"You can get killed!" She threw her arms to the air. "Do you know that? Do you know how many things are out there ready to kill you?" She pointed at the door, the scratching louder, needy.
"Mom! Yes, I know, I really do."
"I don't think you do!" She almost screamed and Naruto glanced towards the stairs of the house.
"Mom, shh, they're going to hear you."
"If they didn't hear you first! Let them know how a thoughtless son I have!"
"Mom!"
"You COULD DIE!" She screamed, finally, her hand resting on her chest, "YOU COULD DIE!"
There was a pause on his thoughts, his tongue dropping asleep against his palate, heart lost and shattered.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice not cracking under his will.
"Promise me you'll never, ever, go outside again."
He opened his mouth and shook his head but no words came out, he wanted to promise her, he wanted to reassure her, but a person can't lie when they wear their hearts on their sleeve, visible for the world to see and judge and hurt. He was ready for the screaming, he was ready for the glares and the hisses but not for the sadness.
"Naruto."
"I can't."
Kushina pursed her lips, her pale skin almost shining against the darkness that surrounded her, Naruto usually forgets how beautiful his mother used to be.
She didn't speak, she didn't move, all Naruto could hear was her breathing, he almost wishes for a beating, something that would make her her usual self, something that would make him stay with her, but her body wasn't really there anymore, she was a ghost of her past self.
He swallowed. "We need to eat."
"We have food." She whispered.
"It's not enough." He shook his head, "you need more than that."
Kushina bit her lips, "I do not. You don't get to decide what I need." She narrowed her eyes. "Much less if that's gonna get you killed."
"Mom-"
"No. This is not up for discussion. You're my son. You're my son, and I'm not asking, I'm telling you. This thing you do," she pointed at the door, "it stops. Tonight."
"Sas-"
"Sasuke needs you? Is that what you were about to say?" She moved towards him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "He doesn't. He's your friend, I know. But I'm not gonna let you risk your life for whatever the hell you do with him."
"I'm not doing anyth-"
"ENOUGH!" She screamed and as soon as she did she coughed, a dark, warm liquid covered Naruto's chin. Kushina began to tremble as her hand tightened around the collar of his shirt, her chest moving frantically and looking for air. Naruto grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to control her tremors, babbling incongruities in a desperate attempt to help, his eyes watered at the image of the most powerful woman he had ever known became so fragile.
"Let's go, you need to rest." He whispered, walking her towards the stairs, trying to guide her to her bedroom.
"N-" she gagged. "Promise me."
Naruto bit his lip and tightened his grip on his mother, they walked slowly, Kushina almost dragging her feet, until they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Let me," he breathed and Kushina nodded once in comply. He picked her up and felt the weight loss of her body on his arms. He almost shakes at the sensation.
At some point, Kushina fell asleep, so she didn't notice when he left her on her bed and walked out of the room, almost colliding with one of his best friends and one of the few people his age. She was biting her lip and was barefoot, her long, almost pink hair down, her eyes barely open due to sleep. Sakura stood there, in silence, watching him without speaking, her hands grabbing forcefully the cloth of her nightgown.
"I know." He said before she could chastise him.
Sakura sighed. "Is not like I can say something to you or Sasuke-kun to dissuade you." She glanced at the room were Kushina rested. "She shouldn't be moving like that."
Naruto grunted. "Save it. I know what you're trying to say, is my fault that my mom is in that state, isn't it? She pushed herself out of bed when she should be resting to stop me, right?"
In all Sakura's fashion, her face hardened, "I don't want to fight with you. But I'm not going to lie either. What you and Sasuke-kun are doing is stupid."
"It's necessary."
Sakura opened her mouth to retort, but she just pursed her lips and closed it. Naruto thought this was the end of it, but she shook her head and started to talk again. "Not at the cost of both of your lives."
"We have been doing this for years," Naruto started to walk towards the stairs again, "and we haven't died yet."
"Yet." Sakura followed him, grabbing him by the arm. "Naruto, please."
"Sakura-" Naruto imitated Sakura's worried tone, "we're good. And we're alive."
"You are lucky," she argued, "and luck runs out eventually. Please, you and Sasuke should know better…"
"We do! Sakura, if we don't do this, our food will eventually run out. We can live asking Inoichi for some of his edible plants. He would have to plant more eventually and who knows how long will take for them to grow." He gently pushed her away from him. "Besides, is really not that dangerous."
"Oh please", she slapped his arm, "don't give me that crap. I'm a fucking medic-"
"Almost-"
"Almost a fucking medic and I know what those things can do. I have seen the wounds."
"They're dangerous if they attack in packs." He shrugged, purposefully leaving aside that they, indeed, hunted in packs. "But we're two, and we're smarter than a bunch of dogs…"
Sakura narrowed his eyes.
"Sasuke is smarter than a bunch of dogs," he said before putting two and two together. "Ey! I'm smarter too! They're a bunch of dogs!"
"Who hunt! They know how to hunt and…" Sakura gritted her teeth. "You and I know perfectly that the wolfs aren't the ones we should be worried about."
Naruto gulped. "Listen. While you are here making your point, Sasuke is out there waiting for me. He's exposed, alone, and if I know him as I think I do, then he won't be waiting much longer. And you and I know that he's well capable of going all alone."
"And what next?" She asked him, pushing him a little.
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "What?"
"What next?" She repeated. "You really think this is going to be it? For Sasuke at least? I know we could live without the meat, and you do too, and he does too. It wouldn't be pretty, but we could manage, as Tsunade and Shizune and everybody was doing before!" She breathed through her mouth. "We could hunt in the daylight. It would be mostly squirrels, and rats, and who knows. But it would be safe. We would be safe."
"Safe?" Naruto scoffed, "how on earth are we going to be safe with that thing coming here monthly? How on earth- Sakura-"
"No. You. Shut up. Don't treat me like I'm stupid, or like I don't understand." She accentuated each word with a finger to his chest, " I know what he wants to do, alright? I… I know he wants to… but he can't, alright? He can't do it because if he does it then he's going to die and if he dies then I'll die and-"
"Sakura, please."
"And you would be stupid enough to go with him if you can't talk him out of it, won't you? Because that's why you are doing this, god if I know you both." She grabbed him by his shirt. "And I can't. If Sasuke-kun… if you die, then I'll die. Or I might as well be."
"You're overthinking this."
"I'm not."
Naruto stared at her and sighed. "Sasuke needs me." He said, before turning around and walking down the stairs.
"If you open that door," Sakura's voice sounded from upstairs, "then the thing that was scratching it earlier will rip your throat off. I'll go check on Kushina."
And… damn, that was a good point, Naruto thought before going back upstairs again, choosing to go out through one of the windows.
But he was smarter than a dog, that was for sure right?
Adrenalin. Blood pulsing in his ears. Pain in the chest and frantic breathing. Erratic beats. Dry throat. Contained screams of fear and anger. Barking. Paws against the frozen earth in persecution.
"You need to breathe through the nose!" Came the scream somewhere above him and Naruto barely had time to glance at one of the roofs when he felt the sharp edge on his back. He turned quickly, almost falling and breaking his ankle, and sprinted in the opposite direction. "What are you- oh for fuck's sake!"
Despite the situation he was in and the sweat that glued his clothes to his skin, Naruto smirked at the reaction, the noise of steps and jumps following him from above, changing directions and speed alongside him.
"Shoot!" He cried, his chest heavy.
"Stop turning your direction!"
"Shoot!"
"Say please!"
Naruto felt the scream in his lungs and didn't repress it, tears and sweat mixing on his skin, the insult resounding in both their ears. A faint whistle came from the air and brushed his ear, something behind him moaned in brief agony before falling to the floor and then silence. Naruto did not stop for a few more steps until his heart stopped trying to get out of his chest.
"Clean shot." The husky voice re-appeared, the sound of someone dropping from the highs a few feet away from him.
"Gh-" Naruto tried to reply but he had a ball of saliva in his throat. He hit his chest with his fist to lower it and ran his hand forcefully across his face.
"Y- y-"
"You're welcome." Sasuke shrugged, finally reaching his side.
"You… you motherfucker," Naruto turned to punch him, but he just raised his fist in warning.
"Language."
"You almost kill me!" He shrieked.
"Don't exaggerate." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "I didn't even scratch you. It isn't my fault that you ran like a five-year-old."
"ExCUSE ME?!" He shouted. "That's barely an exaggeration! And -wait -what?! A five-year-old? A five-year-old? Really? Seriously?"
"Stop screaming."
"Stop being an asshole!"
Sasuke grunted, "I am the asshole? You were the one who chose to be the bait so we could hunt-"
"CHOOSE!" He screamed in indignation. "I didn't choose! You push me off the roof!"
"Well, it was your plan-"
"It was an IDEA."
"And it worked, you should be proud."
Naruto gritted his teeth and grabbed Sasuke by his collar, the black fur of his cape felt soft against his palms. "I… you… of course I'm proud!" He shook him, "that doesn't mean I'm not gonna kick your ass."
Sasuke tsiked, pushing Naruto gently away from him with the tip of his fingers and dusted his clothes, "as much as I'd like to see you try, we need to get going, I don't want more of them coming because of your screaming."
"Oh please!" Naruto complained, "if they come, then it would be because you shoot awfully, look at it! It's a bloody mess!" He said, pointing at the dead wolf a few steps away from them.
That got a reaction from Sasuke, who became just a little bit redder than normal. "What? My aim was perfect!"
"Oh please-"
"Shut up!" Sasuke grunted walking towards their prey and Naruto followed him close behind. "You could not make a shot like that even if your target is frozen in front of you."
"You wish!" He replied, raising the animal by the front legs while Sasuke took the rear ones. They started to walk, Naruto being guided by Sasuke towards the abandoned home they now used as a shelter to carry out the skinning. They had to change the location after a short period of time, the smell of blood and putrefaction attracted the rest of the wild animals while causing them nausea.
"It's not my wish is just a fact, move to the right."
"Bite my ass, just a fact." He hissed and grabbed the wolf more forcefully while chattering his teeth, the moisture of his skin highlighting the cold.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked at him intently, making him feel uncomfortable and walk faster, his scrutiny wasn't new although particularly unwelcome.
"What?" He asked, trying to look over his shoulder.
"Nothing," Sasuke replied calmly.
"You're doing it again."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Then stop looking."
"Hm," Sasuke made a noise with his throat, "wait."
"What?" Naruto stopped, his first instinct was to look for the kunai around his hip but the weight of the wolf on his hands and Sasuke's bored expression stopped him. "What? Did you hear something?"
"I'm not sure." Sasuke blinked and looked around him. "I'll better check it out, you go ahead and start skinning this thing."
"What?" Naruto was annoyed but kept his voice around a whisper. "Why do I have to skin it?"
"Because I killed it." Sasuke looked at him once more, "that's the rule."
"But I was the bait!" He said more forcefully. "You should be the one doing it. I hate skinning, all the blood and the-"
"Look, do you really want to get into this right now?" Sasuke hissed, his face pink.
Naruto opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out except a grunt, he bit his upper lip and took the dead wolf from the arms of his partner, huffing at the weight. "Asshole."
"Annoyance," Sasuke replied and walked off, his figure melting in the darkness.
The smell of wet fur and fresh blood hit his nostrils with full force so he repressed a gag while trying to breath through his mouth. He walked as fast as he could with all the extra weight and squinted at the pain on the ankle he almost broke during the persecution. He threw an insult for Sasuke to the air and kept walking, reaching his destination.
The old house was barely standing and there was no door to close as to protect himself during his labor, usually, reaching the attic where they perform the task wasn't that much complicated since they shared the weight of the animal and there was no sore ankle, but, to Naruto's dismay, climb precarious and slippery stairs with a dead animal and a throbbing pain proved itself to be almost impossible.
But he was nothing but ambitious.
Panting, he looked at the gray fur of the wolf they had just killed, his eyes just accustomed to the darkness, its tongue hanged from its mouth and its face was relaxed like it died on its sleep and not trying to rip Naruto's throat. It was a rather small one too, almost a puppy it seemed, which was good considering Naruto had to carry it but bad since it had to feed his family and friends with it.
It had been so long since they hunted a good pray, most wolfs were aware of Sasuke and Naruto's presence and often recognize them before they even could get close to them by their smell. Each night the hunting proved itself to be more and more difficult. Often escaping an imminent death by mere seconds. They had to lower their nights out by twice a month, and even with that the wolves were wary. Soon enough, they will have to lower their hunting trips even more, maybe once every two months.
The squeaking sound of wood was every warning he got before Sasuke's head popped up from the trap door.
"You didn't even start yet?"
"Ah! Sasuke!" He screamed, "don't scare me like that!"
"That's because you're not aware of your surroundings." Sasuke admonished him before kneeling in front of him, the wolf in between them.
"I was aware! Kind of…" He scratched his face, "it doesn't matter! You should announce yourself!"
"Announcing yourself could get you killed."
"Not announcing yourself could make me kill you! What if I threw a knife to you?!"
"Oh please, with your aim? I'm more worried about you stabbing yourself."
"Alright, alright, bring it on!" He said and tried to grab him by the collar of his cape once again.
"Hey! Hands off the cape!"
"Hinds iff thi cipi." Naruto mocked him.
"Stop it!" Sasuke tried to push him away by putting his hand on his face.
"Stip it."
"Let go!"
"Lit gi."
"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled and tried to push him more forcefully, trying to enter his leg in the mix. Then, they heard it, a low, deep, inhuman growl. They both pushed each other away and looked quickly to the wolf in the middle of the room, it was just as dead as it was before.
They looked at each other in silence.
"Do you think…"
"I don't know."
"Did the pack found us?"
"I don't know."
"But-"
"Shh, be quiet."
Naruto complied and closed his mouth, nervously biting his lip. They couldn't be far from dawn, they always corroborated that it wasn't too early in the night as to not endure the low temperatures and more than two or three hours of creatures breathing on their neck. They were close to dawn, Naruto was sure of it, any minute now the sun would come up and the creatures will retreat towards the forest like they always do, he wasn't going to worry, no, he wasn't; it didn't matter that the attic had no windows or holes to look outside. Naruto was not going to worry. They had been surrounded by wolves before, sure, it wasn't often and that didn't mean he will ever find it pleasant or could play it cool or whatever Sasuke seemed able to do -if his expressionless face was any indication-, but he was okay. Sure, he was okay.
Although they have been quiet for a little bit too long.
But he was okay, he was okay. If Sasuke was okay then he could be too.
"Do you still counting the days?" The voice of Sasuke made him gulp at the sudden interruption of his thoughts.
"What?" He whispered, not looking away from the figure in the middle of the room.
"The days. Do you still count them?"
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, he was looking at him (Naruto imagined because he could barely see him through the darkness) not even worrying about the slight possibility of the thing being alive. "Oh…" he replied and looked away. "No."
No, he wasn't. He wasn't counting anymore. It was a stupid thing he used to do as a kid, just to make sure everyone knew his birthday and act in consequence, but not anymore. His mother was the one who told him, who helped him start the Wall of days, but now she was so weak she couldn't even remember and he, well, he just didn't feel like doing it anymore. Sasuke always said that he found the idea stupid because there were things to be more worried about and, while Sakura pretended she didn't like it, she still picked through Naruto's wall to see.
Still, she had a lot on her plate now, being Tsunade apprentice and receiving blow after blow of sadness; so Naruto didn't blame her when she stopped looking.
"I see." Sasuke slowly returned to his previous position, silently inviting Naruto to join. He went because he wasn't scared, no really, no; and drew his kunai off his pocket, the weight and handle all too familiar to him.
With a clinking sound, Sasuke lit the only lantern they still had.
"We're gonna need more grease."
"I know," Naruto licked his lips and started to work, the smell hitting them in an instant, the blood warm. "I'm gonna be sick."
"No, you're not."
"It could happen."
"We have done this a lot of times before."
"It. Could. Happen." He repeated and swallowed his gag. "You know…"
"What?"
Naruto almost tells him about his fight with his mother and Sakura, he almost does, but he figured Sasuke would have taken it as an attempt to make him desist. "Uhm… maybe, you know, you should come live with us." He said quickly, rolling his eyes at his stupidity.
"Again with that? I told you I won't do it."
"Come on! It would be great and easier."
"For you maybe. No, I don't have any wish to live with you or Sakura. I stand both of your babbling as much as it is."
"You love us asshole, stop pretending like you don't."
"Stop pretending I do."
"Stop pretending that I pretend you t- whatever asshole, it was just an idea."
"I thought you had already spent your daily quota of ideas."
"Fuck you."
"Bite me."
"You wish."
Sasuke didn't reply to that with words, he just punched Naruto in the arm.
"Ow! I have a kunai!" He threatened, his hands still skinning the wolf. After that, Sasuke shrugged and kept lighting Naruto's work in silence for almost the entire time it took Naruto to finish his task.
"She's gonna be okay, Naruto."
Naruto paused and grabbed the fur more forcefully, clenching his jaw. "Mh."
Sasuke didn't speak for a few seconds. "She's a strong woman."
"Stop. Just stop." He looked at him. "Stop talking about her."
"Narut-"
"Of course she's going to be fine! She's strong. It's just a passing fever, alright? So stop talking about it."
"Alright." Sasuke followed Naruto's movements with the lantern. "I'm…"
"Shut up." Naruto shrugged, thankful for the distraction that finishing his work provided, "I'm gonna save you the embarrassment." He joked, smiling awkwardly and trying to lighten his tone of voice.
Sasuke sighed.
"Happy birthday, Naruto."
"She's not getting better, isn't she?" Shizune's voice almost cracks under her sadness, the figure of Tsunade lightly caressing Kushina's cheek breaking her hopes to million pieces.
"No." Even for a woman like Tsunade who's will and determination could shake the foundation of a man the word seemed hard to pronounce, making the statement even more catastrophic. The prospect of loss reached Shizune's eyes, her feelings cascading down her cheeks.
"How much until…" It was Sakura, god bless the child, her lips were pursed and her hands grabbing her chest, probably trying to make the pain of it stop.
"Maybe the end of the week. Maybe a little more" Tsunade didn't cry since her youth, the sole indication of her distress being the way she gritted her teeth. Sometimes Shizune wished to see her at least sob so she could feel less shadow under her light.
"So we have time to think of something right? We saved people in even worse condition, haven't we?" Sakura's voice was so hopeful that Shizune couldn't help but fall apart. "Shizune-san!" Sakura's hands were soft against her shoulders. "We can do it! I know we can."
"We don't have time," Tsunade said, not even looking at them, Shizune saw her arms shaking through her tears.
"A week is more than enough, we can-"
"Sakura!" Tsunade's yell stopped the little girl from speaking, and Shizune's heart constricted by the words that would continue the outburst. "We don't have a week."
Sakura's hands hardened around Shizune's shoulders, her arms tensed. "Then wh-."
Nothing followed, the voice disappeared from Sakura's throat at the same time realization found a way in, the only sound that came out of her was close to a howl like she was drowning her hopes with the air in her lungs.
When Shizune was just a little child, after her uncle died and Tsunade took her in, people used to walk away from her. They sent glances to her that were difficult to decipher, she never fully understood the dichotomy in those eyes, or why some people called her teacher The Executor and some The Savior, she just supposed that the rest of the town will love or hate Tsunade -and by extension, her- depending on whether she saved her beloved one or not, but the more she grew, the more she understood.
And Sakura understood now, too.
"No…" She whispered, falling to her knees. "Please Tsunade-sama, please!"
Tsunade didn't reply.
"W-We can't! She's Kushina! Sh-Sh-She's Kushina!" Sakura started to cry, "She's Naruto's-"
"I know." Tsunade didn't raise her voice, she just started to caress Kushina's cheek again, without pausing. "I know."
And she kept saying that. Over and over and over again.
