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A single black crow cawed loudly from outside the building, its voice mocking to the ear, as if purposely trying to critique the foolish actions of the adventurers. The large grandfather’s clock rang twelve exact times, signaling the arrival of midnight. The eerie moonlight was the only luminary that dimly lit the classrooms, only to be blocked by the old, concrete walls.
Suddenly, a small blue pen fell from the desk of the art classroom, crashing to the floor and breaking the silence. The tiny force seemed to make the timeworn floor shake, the glass frames on the wall that protected the masterpieces rattling. Naruto twitched in response to the unexpected sound, his lynx eyes scanning for any disorders. He looked around the art classroom through the small glass window, then at the desks, the chairs, and eventually at the floor. After being able to confirm that only a mere pen fell, he was finally able to relax, but not for long. Sasuke just held Naruto’s hand more possessively, as if scared that his friend would disappear into the shadows.
Gusts of freezing wind blew into the school, making doors creak, almost deafening in such a manner. The frigidity significantly increased, ice forming on the shattered mirrors. Naruto tried to open the lights of the hallways, only to find the cords broken, covered in abandoned cobwebs.
“Sasuke, are you sure this is fine?” Naruto asked, shivering from either the cold or from horror. His hand was placed in his leg pouch, reaching for his previously packed kunai and shurikens.
The Uchiha boy nodded, though there was slight uncertainty in his movements. He had a quite pale expression, something extremely rare to see on the usual arrogant face. His Sharingan, a representation of his unique bloodline, was already prepared for battle. “We’re fine. Fear wasn’t ever in my dictionary.”
It was a legend from the shady corners of Konoha; when you go to the Academy at midnight and hear a crow caw, do not ever step on the fourth stair of the Misaki Stairs. It will devour you, tear you, destroy you, and eat you alive. No one has made it out alive from this haunted place, and the rumors spread quickly from one shinobi to another, making it to the curious Naruto’s ears.
Before everything, Naruto was the first to suggest this idea.
“Hey Sasuke!” he said, reaching out and waving at Sasuke while hanging up-side down from a tree using chakra control. “I heard about a cool rumor! Wanna try it out tonight?”
At first, Sasuke had rejected the idea, knowing that these rumors were most likely a hoax to waste people’s time. The last time they had ever done such a type of mission was when the two were chasing down the wicked Akatsuki. However, the more Naruto brought up the suggestion, the more his resistance broke. Soon, he succumbed to listening to the wannabe-Hokage’s idea.
“Fine,” Sasuke replied, crossing his arms with an annoyed pout. “But don’t try anything funny. And if you get in trouble, I’m not responsible for it.”
Naruto put his arms over Sasuke’s shoulder. “We won’t get in trouble! Don’t worry!”
Cautiously stepping onto the first stair, Sasuke noticed Naruto’s distress. He intertwined his fingers with Naruto’s, hiding his own fear within his own mind.
The second stair.
Sasuke held his breath, his legs shaking, though he did his best to not show it.
The third.
Naruto looked excited, though his guard was up just as high as Sasuke’s.
The two mutually looked at each other once before stepping onto the last stair of the Misaki Stairs: the fourth stair.
Instantly, the staircase started to shift and distort. The walls seemed to melt away into total darkness, and the stairs seemed to turn into cursed talismans and seals. Naruto fell down and tried to get up, but a mysterious force grabbed him by his ankle, dragging him down. Sasuke attempted to take hold of Naruto’s arm, but it was all futile; too late to ever do anything useful.
A shockwave went through the two, causing them to gasp. It was as if someone was choking them, raising them by their throats and applying the most inhumane pressure ever.
They fell together, their bodies limp and vulnerable, not able to gather any strength; Naruto tried to scream, but the pain was excruciating, gruesome. Before going completely unconscious, he took one last look at his beloved Sasuke…
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“Sasuke, you okay?” Naruto managed to mutter out, breathing erratically while trying to get up, only to find his legs tangled in strange talismans.
Wincing in slight pain, Sasuke let out a small, soft whimper and replied, “Y-yeah…”
Slowly opening his eyes and adjusting to the dim light, Naruto scanned around the new realm they were in. It was dark and mysterious, the only light source being the few candles laid out around the two. There were seals and red threads scattered everywhere. Not a single voice was to be heard besides the quiet struggles of Sasuke when he attempted to get up.
Blinking a few times and analyzing their situation, Sasuke used head motion to signal to Naruto. “Naruto, look around us. It’s a ritual circle.”
He was right, indeed. Taking a closer look, Naruto noticed how the red threads were arranged neatly in a specific pattern, like the ones found on ancient artifacts or a high-level teleporting formation. It seemed so ethereal, the fire flickering on and off from the candle.
The yellow-haired boy tried to shift his position, but he soon realized that his hands were tied back to back with Sasuke’s. He grunted angrily, kicking his legs in anger.
“Why are we stuck here? I swear, someone let us out!” Naruto yelled, accidentally knocking over a candle, letting it fall to the ground.
Sasuke immediately sensed danger. “N-naruto! You idiot!”
“What?”
“The fire is going to spread to us!”
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before Naruto could finally snap back into reality. He looked at the candle he had knocked over a few seconds ago, and then started panicking.
It was slow, but it was brutal. Time was ticking, but neither Naruto nor Sasuke had the strength to stop the flames. The blaze was following the strings, the strings that tied the boys’ fates. The first circle, then the second. It was about to reach the edge of Sasuke’s shirt.
Just before the poor shinobi were going to be burnt alive, as if held by an invisible force, the inferno faded.
“H-huh?” Naruto whispered, still shaking from the fear.
A door (that wasn’t visible at first due to the darkness) opened cautiously, letting in a bright light that would've made a blind man squint his eyes. Naruto and Sasuke instinctively closed their eyes, though due to pure curiosity, Naruto still took one small peak at the door.
A woman.
Tall and svelte.
She looked so graceful; elegant and dainty in every way. The many layers of her junihitoe swayed with each step she made; delicate yet deliberate. Her hair, pure black hair, the color of ink, was tied into a beautiful oiran hairstyle, with a few kanzashi hairpins as intricate decorations.
“Hello there~” she called out to the two, her voice soft and relaxing, like a mother, “you two look like you’re in great dismay! My, my, how should I help you?~”
Sasuke made an annoyed expression, rolling his eyes. “Tsk, what do you want?”
The woman chuckled, covering her mouth with her pale hand. “You cute little ones, haven’t your mothers taught you to be kind to sweet young ladies?”
“Actually,” Naruto raised a weak hand, “I’ve never seen my mom.”
Sasuke nodded in agreement. “My whole family was killed.”
“Oh, how sad,” the woman muttered, feigning fake empathy, “do you need me to help you end your miseries? You know, it’s quite sad to be an orphan…”
“Shut up, you old hag,” Sasuke sneered, clenching his fists. “No one wants to see those fake emotions on that face of yours.”
The woman sighed, her gaze turning darker. “Such a rude child, maybe a lesson will help you~”
Saying that, she raised her long sleeve, revealing something sharp.
A pair of polished scissors.