Chapter Text
Naruto's tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth as he inks the pattern onto his arm.
Sakura watches him dubiously. She should be used to his antics by now, but this is reckless even for him. "I really don't think this is a good idea. You've never even seen this seal before!"
“Dobe. Hn." Sasuke merely grunts. Somehow, even that is disdainful.
“It'll be fine, Sakura-chan! And how will be ever know what it does if we don't try?” Naruto’s voice is cheerful as he finishes the last part of the seal with a flourish. He bites into the meat of his thumb with a sharp canine and smears the blood over his skin as Sakura looks on with alarm.
If this ends up being some sort of, of, transformation seal, she dreads what Tsunade-sama will say to them. And to her in particular. How she's ended up being the sensible one to hold the leashes of these two idiots she has no idea, but it's inarguable. Of course, if it turns out to merely be an entrapment seal, she'll just stand on the outside and laugh at him.
She has to take her amusement where she finds it, after all.
Naruto looks disappointed when nothing happens. "Maybe it's broken."
"Tch. Or maybe you drew it wrong,” Sasuke points out, cynical as always. "Your handwriting's never been good."
"You take that back!" Naruto's temper flares, shoving at their team mate. Even as they argue, Sakura notices that mist is thickening around their feet.
No, not mist.
Smoke.
“Guys?" They ignore her.
"GUYS!" She grabs them both by their collars, yanking them together. "Something is happening!”
They spin to place their backs against hers, combat instincts finally kicking in. Sasuke's Sharingan surfaces, spinning slowly. "I don't see anything."
She doesn't either.
Until she does.
A tall figure looms out of shadows that weren't there before, and a scythe unfurls. "Well, now. This is a surprise. And here I thought that Nara kid promised me that I'd be buried forever."
Caked with soil, the figure grins with blood stained teeth, pulling itself together even as they watch.
"So.... miss me?"