Red Eyes Take Warning Chapter 1

Red Eyes Take Warning

Chapter 1: Seer of the Future! Team Seven’s Fates!



“Sensei’s late again! Why can’t he take his job more seriously?”

The two boys leaning against a wall didn’t say anything, but they certainly seemed to share the frustrations of their pink-haired companion. Whether it was with her grumbling or with having to wait around, though, it was hard to tell.

Sakura continued pacing up and down the path, and kicked a piece of stray gravel out of her way. “How much longer are we going to have to wait already?”

One of the two boys looked up from his sketchpad. “You know, Hag, this is a pretty small town. Surely you and Dickless could go find something to do until Sensei comes back.”

Sakura spun around on one heel. “Sai, you—Next time you call us that, I cram that doodle pad in your gullet!”

The other boy spoke up. “And if we go off and do something else, and Kakashi-sensei finally shows up, we get into trouble. Besides, what could we possibly do in this dump of a town?”

Sai had gone back to scribbling in his sketchpad. “Look around; you never know what you might find.”

Red in the face, Sakura resumed her furious pacing, steam seeming to blow out of her ears. “Stupid Sai! Always driving me up the wall and insulting Sasuke-kun…”

In her rage, she failed to notice that she was storming off the path and straight into a sign. She quickly found herself making rather close friends with that sign.

“Ow!” As she clutched her arm and winced, Sasuke and Sai hurried to join her.

“You need to watch where you’re going,” Sasuke said coldly, helping Sakura to her feet. Her face flushed red again, this time not from anger.

After Sai confirmed that she was alright, Sakura turned her attention to the sign. “Look, Sasuke-kun—it’s a fortuneteller!”

Sasuke merely grunted and shook his head, though he seemed to perk up a little as he read the sign.

The Purple Dragon House of Fortune, it read. 2000 yen for a reading. Your future revealed in exchange for a blood payment.

“I’d like to have my fortune told!” Sakura’s eyes had grown wide, and all traces of her anger had vanished into thin air. “Do you think the fortuneteller can really tell the future?”

“Eh, most fortunetellers just make stuff up as they go,” said Sasuke, though even he couldn’t hide his interest—his normally scowling face now bore a curious expression. “Hm, what could it mean by blood payment?”

“Let’s ask the fortuneteller,” Sakura said. “So, are you two going to get your fortunes told too?”

Sai shook his head. “I’ll pass, thanks. Have fun, Ugly and Dickless.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything, but rather made his way toward the fortuneteller’s shop as Sakura ranted at Sai some more. He hoped the fortuneteller really could see the future—it would help him determine the right path to avenge his family.

He opened the door and motioned Sakura to go on ahead. “You first.”

Opening the door caused a bell overhead to ring, and as Sasuke and Sakura walked into the dimly lit shop, a tall, slender figure appeared from the shadows and advanced toward them. When the shadowy character—who must be the fortuneteller—stood before them, she calmly bowed in greeting.

She was dressed in an opulent kimono, bright aqua green with gold trim and a purple-and-silver dragon running up the side. There were silver and gold bangles on each of her wrists, strings of colorful beads around her neck, and large hoop earrings in her ears. Her hair was deep purple in color, and appeared to be long enough for her to sit on. Her face was painted with lipstick, rouge, and smoky eyeshadow. But her most striking feature was her eyes, which were bright ruby red and seemed to pierce right through the two youths.

Sakura bowed politely. “Would you be the fortuneteller?”

The purple-haired woman nodded. “Yes… You are here for my services, correct?”

Before either of them could answer, she spoke up again. “You wonder about the blood payment that I require to read your future…”

Sasuke felt a shiver go down his spine. The thought had been on the tip of his tongue, and she had guessed it…

“What exactly is that blood payment?” he said quickly. “Do we have to kill anyone?”

The fortuneteller shook her head no. “Not at all… You merely need to give me… a sample of your blood.”

Sakura stared at her. “Why do we—”

“Have to pay in blood? Well… seeing the future… is no laughing matter. Though I cannot see it clearly… What I see… will come to pass… in some way or another…” The fortuneteller paused, this time a bit longer than most of the pauses in her speech. “Trying to prevent it… would lead to your demise. Paying in blood… proves to me… that you take this seriously…”

He wasn’t sure if her explanation was entirely justified, but Sasuke had to admit she had a point. She might very well see a future for him where he died failing to complete his goals—and he might end up actually causing that future because of his worry. He had to think over whether he really wanted her to look at his future…

Sakura piped up again. “How do I give you the blood sample, Lady… um…”

“Komori.” The fortuneteller bowed again. “Koryuu Komori. And I will provide you with a container and a fresh needle, should you choose to ask me to see your future.”

Sakura nodded and brandished a wad of cash. “I’d like to go in first, Komori-sama! Here’s the money for my session.”

Komori accepted the money and ushered Sakura into a back room, and Sasuke sat tight. He couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive about his turn, and not just about asking to see his future. There was something about that fortuneteller that made him feel a bit off…

~***~

“…Sasuke and Sai did all the work, and all I did was scream their names. I was so scared that I just froze up… But I should’ve pulled myself together and fought…”

“Hm, you realize your mistakes… What would you do differently if you could redo the whole thing?”

“Um, I…” Sakura racked her brain. Would she charge into battle or rush to help Sasuke and Sai? She was nowhere near strong enough to have been able to take on Haku, much less Zabuza…

“You feel inadequate, yes?” Komori said. “You wish you could’ve done something different, but you weren’t strong enough to do what you needed to? It seems you haven’t thought through what is needed for your chosen field.”

“Well, I’m not really a very good ninja…” Sakura seemed to be turning as pink as her hair. “But I’m not sure what to do. All I’ve got going for me is good chakra control.”

Komori shook her head. “No, you have more than that… You have an earth chakra nature… Perhaps you could get a tutor to teach you earth-based ninjutsu? That is but one good use of your potential.”

Sakura certainly thought things were getting interesting. She wasn’t sure how Komori could tell her chakra nature, but that was advice she could make use of. Kakashi-sensei wouldn’t be able to tutor her in earth jutsu, but surely there was someone in Konoha who could…

Still, something was definitely odd. The fortuneteller didn’t seem to be doing anything she’d expected—there were star charts on the walls, but Komori hadn’t asked to see her palms, and she wasn’t looking at tealeaves or cards.

They had been talking about the Land of the Waves affair for a while now—or rather, Sakura would start talking and Komori would finish her thought. It was like those piercing red eyes could see straight through her and guess what she was thinking.

“You are indeed like a cherry blossom, Haruno Sakura… you have the potential to grow and blossom into a beautiful flower, but your springtime is not yet upon you… Your name speaks volumes.” Komori rested her head in her hand thoughtfully.

Sakura quickly spoke up. “Aren’t you going to read my palm or something?”

Komori shook her head. “There is no need… Your heart speaks to me. I can see your true self, just as I can see your future…”

Sakura blinked. What kind of person claimed to be able to see people’s true hearts? But then, the fortuneteller really seemed to be able to guess whatever she was thinking. She couldn’t possibly just be lucky guessing every time…

What would Sasuke think about this? He’d probably never believe something like this could happen… If he thought she was crazy, they might never be together.

“Your thoughts dwell on this boy.” Komori frowned and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I don’t think about Sasuke-kun all the time,” Sakura protested.

“You seem to bring him up quite a bit,” said Komori. “Perhaps that is why you have not tapped into your potential—you think too much about this Sasuke. You let him define you… and base your goals in life around him… Yet you do not truly know him well…”

“I—” Sakura suddenly stopped. She really didn’t have any plans she could think of, other than to win Sasuke’s heart… And she really didn’t know him all that well. Sure, she knew he liked tomatoes and long hair on girls and wanted to avenge his family’s murder, but what else was there? What did he like to do in his spare time? Could she help him find his family’s killer?

“If you wish to pursue Sasuke, there is nothing wrong with that. You’re still very young.” Komori smiled softly, her eyes looking less piercing and more warm and bright. “You’ll have many chances… to get to know him better. However, if you wish to remain a ninja… you must take your job more seriously. Focus on being a ninja first… and on Sasuke second. If you would rather live a peaceful life, you can focus on other talents that might be useful. Lastly, you must not push your family and friends away… Surely Sasuke isn’t the only one dear to you. Strengthen the bonds between you and your friends and family before you seek to fall in love.”

This was a lot for Sakura to swallow. She’d have to talk to Kakashi-sensei, and her parents, to help her figure out what to do next. For now, though, she had one more favor to ask Komori.

“I appreciate the advice, Komori-sama—I’ll come up with a plan for what I’m going to do next. Now I wish to have my future told!”

Komori sat up straighter. “You are positive about this?”

Sakura nodded. “Yes! I’m sure of it.”

“Very well.” Reaching under her desk, Komori produced a small vial and a syringe with a fresh needle, shiny and sharp. “Fill this, and give it to me.”

Sakura nodded, and carefully checked her arm before deciding on a spot on the palm of her left hand. Her fingers quivered a bit as she slowly extracted the payment.

She was relieved when she handed over the vial and Komori accepted it. Had she really done the right thing?

“What would you like to know about your future?” Komori asked, tossing the needle into an unseen plastic bag.

Sakura quickly decided on the question half the Academy students had likely wondered at least once. “Will I marry Sasuke-kun?”

Komori sighed and closed her eyes, raising the vial of blood to her lips. As she started to drink it, her eyes suddenly opened, glowing a bright red, and the rest of her seemed to glow with a red aura. Sakura shivered and couldn’t help but recoil a bit.

When she was done, she set down the vial and closed her eyes again, seeming to enter a trance. There was a long silence that seemed to go on forever before she finally spoke.

“I see you now… You are standing on the porch of a house. Your hair is short, and you are wearing a white apron and bandanna. There is a child running around nearby—a boy, I believe. Yes, it is a boy… His hair is pink, like yours. He appears to be no more than three years old, and quite full of energy… Hm, now you’re trying to catch him, but he’ll have none of it…”

“That must be my son!” Sakura bounced up and down slightly in her seat, looking excited. “Can you see the father? Is it Sasuke-kun?”

Komori shook her head. “I cannot see the boy’s father… He is probably inside the house... It seems your boy wants to keep playing, but it’s time for dinner…”

“What else can you see?” Sakura asked, forgetting to be serious in her excitement. “Any clan symbols, lanterns, anything?”

“Hm… I can’t see the details of the house clearly… But it does seem that you’ve managed to get your boy to go inside.” Komori opened her eyes, looking thoughtful. “I’m sorry, I could not give you a straight answer to your question… All I know is that you will bear a son, and he will look much like you…”

Sakura wasn’t sure if she should feel disappointed, or be hopeful that Sasuke would be the father of her future child. She wasn’t really sure what to make of her prospective future, really…

“Thank you, Komori-sama,” she said, bowing politely as she stood up. She would hold the door for Sasuke on her way out.

~***~

When Sasuke saw the door to the back room open, he stood up and carefully counted out the cash he would need for his turn. Without a word, he approached Komori and handed her the money before following her into the back room.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about her seemed like he’d seen her somewhere before. It couldn’t be those ruby red eyes; those were no Sharingan. Was it the hair, perhaps? He had a vague recollection of someone with long-enough-to-sit-on hair…

“Sasuke-san, is it?” Komori scrutinized him carefully. “You… you seem familiar, somehow. Could you be? Hm… you lack a fire chakra nature, but those eyes…”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes indignantly. “What do you mean I lack a fire chakra nature? I can perform Katon jutsu just fine—you’re making things up as you go, aren’t you?”

Shaking her head, Komori motioned for him to sit down in the chair. “No, I can sense your chakra nature… You are aligned with lightning, not fire… You must be very talented if you can indeed use Fire-release…”

She sat down behind her desk, and Sasuke settled himself in the chair before speaking up. “I am consulting with you for one reason and one reason only, Koryuu-sama. I wish to avenge the death of my family!”

Komori rested her head in her hands, silent for a moment. “Ah, their loss weighs heavily on your heart… I cannot begin to imagine your pain. To lose your entire family… it must be worse than to never have had a family at all…”

“I want them back,” Sasuke said. “Sakura and the other girls think they can help me restore my clan by marrying me and bearing my children, but that’s not what I meant. I would give everything to see them again!”

“Hm… I do not know… if they can return to the world of the living, or if one still living could visit the afterlife…” Komori suddenly sat up straighter. “Do you intend to try to bring them back from the grave? You shouldn’t try things like that… they’ll come back wrong.”

Sasuke hadn’t thought of that yet, though he was sure there were forbidden jutsu that could raise zombies or call the spirits of the dead. He didn’t know what to make of the idea, or if it would be worth it to try.

“I’ll—I’ll think about that once their deaths are avenged,” he said. “What should I do?”

Again Komori rested her head in her hand, though this time it was only one hand. “You wish to ask me to help plan your revenge? That is an… odd reason to speak to a fortuneteller. Why ask such a thing of me?”

Holding his head straight up, Sasuke met her gaze before he answered. “Because you say you can see the future. If I learn something about what will happen in the future, I can plan my revenge around your prediction.”

A frown crossed Komori’s painted face. “That is rather foolish of you. Every vision I have had… has come to pass, someway, somehow. I may well foresee you meeting your demise… and you would likely try to prevent that future, only to instead cause it… it would be cruel of me to share such knowledge with a… volatile young boy such as yourself…”

“Why—This is important!” Sasuke shouted. “I still have to know how to get stronger, where to go, and what to watch out for!”

Komori raised an eyebrow, her frown deepening. “Hm… your anger and hate cloud your mind. That will lead you astray and into bad decisions… likely even to your demise, even if I do not foresee it. You must take the time to find things that bring joy and peace to your heart. Only then… will you be able to think straight.”

Sasuke blinked. How would finding things he liked help with his revenge? “What’s that have to do with—”

“Your long-term goal? I told you… you need a clear mind, otherwise you will only hurt yourself.” The fortuneteller’s voice was firm, and Sasuke couldn’t help but remember his mother. “As for what you should do—carry a keepsake to remember your family by, so you never forget the love they had for you. Hone your skills, but do not cave into a lust for power. Your greatest potential lies in your lightning chakra nature. Plan your goals carefully… but do not dwell too much on revenge. Moreover—though your revenge is ultimately your task alone, do not push away your friends and companions. They care for you, and will help you grow stronger… and gather the courage to face your task. Most importantly, you must have a plan for after your revenge. Consider whether you will remain a ninja or live a peaceful civilian life.”

Part of Sasuke was still skeptical—confide in others? Really? Sai and Sakura would just get in his way and be annoying as usual, wouldn’t they? Well, he was stuck with them for a while, so he might as well try to trust them. Kakashi-sensei was a little more trustworthy, and could teach him a thing or two…

Komori raised both eyebrows this time. “You do not appear to respect your teammates, Sasuke-san.”

He stifled a gasp. Where did that come from? How would she know how Team 7 acted on a daily basis?

“I do not know the details of your personal life, but your heart tells me that you see your teammates merely as obstacles, and that you would rather work alone. You must cast off this view and learn to see them as partners in your ninja work, even if you cannot be friends off duty.  Teamwork is a skill you must master, too.”

Sweat had formed on the palms of Sasuke’s hands. Those piercing red eyes seemed to see right through him—could she see what he was thinking? Something about this fortuneteller was definitely off.

Well, she might be creepy and weird, but he hadn’t forgotten why he’d come to see her. There was one last thing left to ask.

“I know it’s risky, but I want to hear my future. I need to know if I will succeed or not.”

“Very well.” Komori handed over a vial and needle, and Sasuke slid back one of his arm warmers to collect the payment. He wondered what she might do with these blood payments…

He got his answer when she raised the vial to her lips, her eyes glowing bright red. Chills ran down his spine, and his skin was crawling. He hadn’t been this creeped out since hearing scary stories before bedtime when he was little…

It was such a relief when the eerie red aura around her faded, and she closed her eyes. Then she finally spoke again.

“I see you now… You are standing in a dark and empty hall, approaching a throne. You are holding a sword, and your clothing is… strange. What is that large bow on your backside, and why are you wearing a skirt?”

Before Sasuke could interrupt and say he’d never wear women’s clothing, Komori continued. “Now you’re walking toward the throne… yes, I can see it more clearly now. There is a shadowy figure waiting for you… I cannot make it out yet… wait…”

Sasuke clutched the arms of the chair, his spine tense and his hands clammy. She must be seeing the day of his revenge, but what outcome would she see?

“Now you’re raising your sword, and… wait, what? No… oh no… Ah!” Komori shrieked and buried her face in her hands, shaking and shivering.

Fear filled Sasuke, gathering in the pit of his stomach. What exactly was she seeing that would cause her to panic like that? Was he meeting a gory death or something?

“What? What is it?” he demanded. “What do you see?”

Shaking her head, Komori let out a choked sob and turned away. “Go… I can tell you no more!”

She collapsed face forward on her desk, still shaking uncontrollably, and Sasuke reluctantly backed away and stepped out of the room. His future definitely wasn’t looking bright.

~***~

Kakashi still had yet to arrive as Sasuke and Sakura made their way out of the shop and back to the meeting spot. Sakura turned her attentions to her duck-haired teammate, wondering what kind of future he had to look forward to—and stared as she noticed he wasn’t his usual stone-faced scowling self. Instead, he looked shaken with fear, and his palms were still sweaty.

Sai looked up from his sketchbook. “Hey Dickless, Hag,” he said nonchalantly. “Did you do the future seeing thing?”

Sakura was about to reply when a familiar voice broke the silence. “So you’ve been making plans for the future while waiting, right?”

The familiar sight of a very late Kakashi, Icha Icha Paradise book in hand, sent Sakura flying into a rage. “Sensei! What took you so long? And don’t say anything about getting lost on the road of life!”

Kakashi calmly placed a hand on her forehead as she continued to rant, putting down his book with his other hand. “I happened to pass by a fortuneteller as I arrived. I could’ve sworn I saw you come out of there.”

“Is that a problem, Sensei?” Sasuke asked.

“Well, we are here to find a lost cat,” Kakashi pointed out. “Did you ask the fortuneteller anything about Tora’s whereabouts?”

Sasuke and Sakura’s faces both fell. They’d forgotten entirely about Tora the cat!

Kakashi shook his head. “Perhaps you could go and question some of the residents; they might have seen him. I will ask the fortuneteller if she has any leads and catch up with you afterward.”

“Sensei!” protested Sakura. “You were already late!”

“It won’t hurt to question the civilians,” said Sai. “A bright orange kitten should be easily noticed. And people are supposed to find cats cute, right?”

Sakura nodded. “Yes; don’t you?”

“I don’t understand what exactly ‘cute’ is,” said Sai, shaking his head.

Sasuke hung back in silence, barely paying attention to anything his teammates were saying. What was he going to do with such a bad omen for his future?