Legacy of A Flower: Naruto (remake)

Chapter Twenty Seven: Stronger

He wears a black cloak, red clouds adorning it. His feet dangle, hovering over us. "Haruka Yoshida and Lily Yoshida."

I remember him. Those snake eyes. The hideous, repulsive tongue. His slick piercing words. I remember him now. I remember what he took from me on that day.

"What do you want?" My mother glares. He licks his lips, tongue abnormally long. His eyes yellow and sharp. He is snake-like. A serpent waiting to strike his prey.

He jumps, several feet in front of my mother. "I've heard lots about what you've become, Haruka. It's a shame you had to leave so soon."

Haruka scoffs, "What's with the get up?" She places a hand on my shoulder, her arm partly blocking her my view.

"Just a temporary placement as of now." He answers, then looks off to me. "A spitting image... But those eyes, that chakra. How peculiar. I think we both know why I'm here."

"She's not an experiment." She snarls. "Leave."

"As much as I'd like to take her for my own study. I'm not the one who wants her." He says lifting an arm. "I'm taking the Jinchurrki behind you."

********
When I wake up, a sharp pain shoots through my abdomen and shoulder. My eyes widen and I gasp for air, sitting up right. Sakura is by my my side, one hand on my shoulder. I look around frantically for the other half of my team. I exhale in relief when I see both Naruto and Sasuke are safe.

"Lily, relax. We're safe now," Sakura assures me. I notice the wet towels on Sasuke and Naruto's head. I look down to see mine has fallen onto my lap. There are bandages wrapped around my shoulder and wrist. My sleeveless hoodie is drying on the wall of the roots. It was probably drenched in my blood before.

I soon perceive our hide out as the underneath of roots of a giantic tree. I wonder how Sakura even managed to safely carry us one by one to this hideout.

"Thanks," I tell her.

"Don't thank me. You risked your life to keep us safe," she tells me, "I was scared that the bleeding in your shoulder wouldn't stop. Even in the condition you were in, you still stood up to protect Sasuke and I."

"It was all I could do," I say. "You guys are my family... What happened? Before I lost consciousness."

"That guy... He told us his name was Orochimaru," She explains, "He destroyed our scroll and I think he wants something from Sasuke. He... He bit his neck and now there's some bruise."

I raise a brow of concern at that. I turn to the Uchiha and place my hand on hus face. His skin is burning to the touch. I gingerly turn his head to the side. There on his neck, I see what she is talking about. Three black, comma-like marks. It almost reminds me of the Sharingan. So, this snake gave Sasuke a hickey.

It's obvious he isn't here for these exams. He burned our scroll and kept us alive. It's evident that there's something he wants and that has to do with Sasuke. But what? What could he want with a rookie Genin.

I move to Naruto, feeling his temperature as well. He's definitely doing much better than Sasuke. That marking on his stomach. Is that the seal of his tailed-beast? Does he know of it? What did he do to him?

That snake has done a lot of damage in only the first day of the exams.

Orochimaru. He is the one who stole from me. From Basil and Clematis. He was so close to me. So painfully close. He was threatening to steal from me once more.