Haunted High Chapter 1 – The Hunters and the Spider

AU: Hello, everyone, its been a very long time. So very long in fact that it feels like almost a life time ago. I'm finally back and hopefully to finish this story. I reread this recently and realized how incomplete a lot of it was, and how much work it needed put into it. So, I'm doing just that. I will be rewriting this story starting from chapter one, the plot will stay the same but everything will be fleshed out more. If you enjoy the story let me know in the reviews below. Merry Christmas, happy holidays everyone. - SH

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters or themes mentioned in this story.

….

Sasuke sat tapping his toe on the couch in Naruto's living room. He absently twirled his keys in his hand as he waited for his friend. "Come on, Naruto, we're going to be late." Sasuke said.

Naruto ran around the corner wearing a long black hooded cloak over his normally bright orange t-shirt and jeans. "I can't find my knife, and I'm useless without my knife," he said as he walked back down the hall.

"It's just a spider demon, how tough could they be?" Sasuke said leaning back and finding it hard to get comfortable, "and besides, an argument can be made that you're useless even with your knife."

Naruto popped his head around the corner, "okay, now that's harsh, even for you."

"Whatever, just get ready."

"You guys still aren't ready? This night is already turning into a drag." Shikamaru walked through the door and collapsed on the couch next to Sasuke. "What are you wearing?"

Naruto smiled and pulled out two more cloaks each adorned with a symbol. "Come on, they're our team outfit. The hoods will hide our identities as well as make us look like super heroes."

Sasuke and Shikamaru looked down at the cloaks in their hands. Sasuke sighed, hiding their identities was a priority, sort of. Thought he preferred just working in the shadows. It made being detected much easier since he already wore mainly black clothes.

"Do we really have to wear these things?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just do it," Sasuke said, "As much as it pains me to admit, he might have a point."

"About the super hero thing?"

"Yes."

Naruto smiled as he went back to his room.

Sasuke and Shikamaru turned to a very loud yes from Naruto. He walked out holding his knife proudly overhead and an even bigger smile on his face. It was irritating.

"Can we go now?" Shikamaru leaned his head in his hand.

Sasuke nodded and made his way toward the door with his two friends following close behind.

…

Sasuke gazed out the window of his car as they drove through the mid-Autumn night. It was the kind of night where you expected either to be completely cozy or like you were about to be attacked by something lurking in the shadows.

Fortunately for everyone they were on the case. Searching through the shadows and causing less surprises for those that couldn't handle them. It's been like this for a while.

Each of them had their reason for fighting the creatures that lurked in the shadows. Sasuke could remember his so closely that it drove his every action. He was a broken soul that needed repair, but since that was likely to never come, this would hold him over until he could figure that part out.

"So, what's the job for tonight?" Naruto asked, leaning in from the back seat.

Shikamaru reached into a back pack placed on the floor by his legs. He pulled a folder from it and placed it on the divider between the driver and passenger seats.

"What's inside?"

"Hold up," Shikamaru said, "I'm getting to it."

Sasuke flipped the light switch above them on.

"There's been many reports of a spider demon terrorizing people in Hokage park south of here," Shikamaru pulled out the papers and handed some newspaper clippings to Naruto, "several of those reports say that people have gone missing, as the news is not calling it a spider demon attack, and citizens have been advised against travelling there, especially at night."

Naruto mused through the stack of newspaper clippings and articles. "Which is why we're going there at night, right?"

"Obviously," Sasuke said without turning his attention from the road.

"I hate you," Naruto went back to flipping through the reports until he stopped on a picture of the creature. It was a spider, sort of, with a human like torso covered in the same hair on the rest of the spider. It had two pincers for hands and large mouth filled with razer sharp teeth. "Is that supposed to be what we're looking for?"

"Supposedly," Shikamaru said, grabbing the picture from him. "The intel Kakashi passed us says that it can change its form too."

Sasuke pulled the car to a stop in an empty parking lot. He killed the lights and turned to the other two. "We ready to do this?"

They both nodded and exited the car following Sasuke. The cold air sent a shiver down his spine. He pulled open the trunk and pulled their weapons bag from it along with the cloaks.

Sasuke threw the cloak on and attached his signature sword on underneath it. The cloaks may hide their identities, but it was also keeping him warm. Two points for the idiot. Though he'd never let him know that.

"What's the plan?" Naruto asked.

"Simple," Shikamaru pulled three pieces of paper from his bag, "these are tracking tags and they do exactly as the name implies."

"Our mission is to track the creature," Sasuke said, "we don't need to kill it here or even engage it really. We just need to put a tag on it, so we can track it back to its nest."

"It has a nest?" Naruto asked.

"According to its bio, yes." Sasuke turned to Shikamaru, "I need you to put a tracking field around the perimeter and make sure if it exits the park that we know in which direction it went."

"Got it," Shikamaru pulled a few scrolls from the bag and set off.

"Now while he does that we're going to search for it in the park. I have a feeling we might run into it before he does," Sasuke said, "I'll go north, and you can look in the southern portion. This park isn't that big, so it shouldn't be an issue. If you do find it just tag it, don't try to fight it."

Naruto nodded, "of course, you can count on me."

Naruto turned to walk away but Sasuke stopped him before he could, "and don't do anything stupid either."

"Who me?"

"Yes."

Naruto sighed, "rude as always."

…

The park made noised that not only made Naruto uncomfortable but really tense. He was used to run team missions and was not a fan of splitting up. The other two times they'd split up somehow Naruto ended up being used as bait somehow. The monsters just seemed to love him so much.

The park walkway, which was usually packed with people, was now empty and devoid of any light save for the few street lamps that still shone at odd intervals. The path led towards the woods and further from the city.

Why couldn't Sasuke take the path that led to the woods? This is a trap, must be, Naruto thought. He always had that luck.

Each street lamp made his skin crawl. They should have been a beacon of light and some solace from the dark, but it didn't feel that way right now. Each one gave him a momentary vision of bench beneath, but his eyes had to readjust each time and it only made the dark areas even more obscure.

Naruto walked under another street lamp before stepping out into the darkness again with a sigh. Something caught his eyes under the next light. A shape, like a person maybe, or something. His eyes took a minute to adjust before he realized it was a person. He ran up to her.

It was a woman in a kimono holding an umbrella. She turned towards him with an innocent smile. Naruto found himself getting lost in her blue eyes.

"This is a surprise," the lady said, "I didn't expect to have company tonight."

Naruto looked around, "isn't it a little late to be out here all alone, lady?"

She tilted her head to the side with a closed lip smile, "but I'm not alone. You're here with me."

"True, but haven't you heard the stories about this park," Naruto glanced around his surroundings, "it's not safe out here for you right now."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, there's been reports of kidnappings."

"Oh dear," the lady covered her mouth with one hand, "I had no idea it was so unsafe in this peaceful park."

Naruto shook his head, "its okay, you must be new. Let me show you out of here."

The lady smiled again, "would you be so kind?"

It was Naruto's turn to smile, "of course, I'm kind of like a super hero around these parts."

"Is that so?"

The sound of leaves shaking caused Naruto's smile to fade as he turned to look behind him. "Did you hear that, lady?"

Her head titled, "hear what?"

Naruto turned fully around and peered into the night. The darkness was too hard for his eyes to adjust immediately. He couldn't make out shapes in the night.

"Would you walk me home?"

Naruto turned back to the lady, "if that's what you need then sure. I can do that."

"Great," she said, "I don't live too far from here. It's actually a short walk."

Naruto could hear scratching sounds all around where they stood. What could that be? He looked at the lady who just smiled at him and kept tilting her head back and forth. Something was not right.

A web shot out of the darkness and cupped Naruto's hand and wrist, pulling him forward. He dug his heel into the ground and turned just as the lady's skin melted away to reveal a mangled and twisted body popping out. The flesh fell to the ground like clothes and soon six hairy legs emerged with the two pincers where the lady's hands used to be.

"Damn it," Naruto said as the spider demon shook off the remains of the its human disguise, "why is it always me?"

The spider demon lunged at Naruto and he pulled his knife from his belt and batted away its teeth before they could sink into his neck. The spider brought both claws down to crush him, but he ducked out of the way and was pulled back to the ground by the web still around his wrist.

"Sorry, kid," a distorted version of the woman's voice spoke, "its nothing personal, my children just need to eat."

Naruto cut the webbing from around his hand and took a defensive posture. "well I'm taking this very personal."

The spider crept towards him again. Naruto clutched his knife tighter. The spider lunged but stopped dead in its tracks as Sasuke put himself in between them. His blade was drawn and stuck into the creature's abdomen.

It let out a screech and pulled away. As it did Sasuke placed the tag on one of its legs. It scurried like a wounded animal out into the night.

"What the hell, I had that." Naruto stood by Sasuke.

"I'm sure you did," Sasuke said, "now we just need to track it down."

"A thank you wouldn't kill you."

"I know, but you can thank me later."

Naruto glared at Sasuke's retreating form.

…

The leaves of mid-autumn fell all around them as Sasuke parked his car in the shadows a short way away from a large and old house. It was the kind of house you'd see in a movie like Amityville horror. The house was located on the outskirts of town and it's where they tracked the spider demon to.

The trio exited the car and moved silently toward the building. The autumn leaves smashed under their feet with each step. The rest of the mission would be simple. Find the wounded spider demon, finish the job, and trap its soul in the sealing scroll they brought.

Sasuke moved to one side of the door with Shikamaru on the other. Loud banging and crashing could be heard from inside the house. They ran in with Naruto right behind them and stopped at the sight of the giant spider thrashing around.

The wound was more intense than Sasuke first thought. It was thrashing around like it didn't know what to do. The green blood fell all around it and seeped through the old wooden floor.

The spider turned to them and arched its legs and readied its pincers. It was scared and trapped. When most creatures were at their most dangerous. Sasuke moved into the house and took a defensive position by the stairs.

"It's bigger than I expected." Shikamaru said.

"That's what she said." Naruto said moving away from the spider that was standing up again.

"Really not the time, Naruto," Shikamaru said as he pulled his back from his back. He threw it on the ground and pulled out a scroll.

Sasuke peered over at the spider demon as it lowered its body in Shikamaru's direction. Sasuke lifted his cloak and pulled two tags from it. He threw them at the creature. They attached and pulled its body down before it could jump at his friend.

It let out a shriek as it clutched at the floor trying to stand up.

"We need to keep it away from Shikamaru," Sasuke said, pulling his sword from under his cloak.

Naruto nodded and positioned himself between the creature and Shikamaru. "Come at me you, gross spider thing."

Naruto really needed to work on his banter and one liners they were atrocious. Sasuke had moved in beside his friend and was ready for an attack. The building had cobwebs surrounding every inch of it. It was pretty nasty, so gross spider thing might be appropriate.

The spider demon ripped the tags from its legs and lunged at them. Sasuke dodged to the side while Naruto blocked one pincer before he was knocked back by the other one. He flew across the room but caught his balance mid air and landed mostly on his feet before landed and slid across the floor.

"That kind of hurt," Naruto stood up and rubbed his back.

"Keep its attention," Shikamaru started making hand signs over the scroll and chanting in a low voice.

The creature took notice and moved in that direction. Sasuke slashed one of its legs with his sword and it fell off balance. The green blade covered his blade, he threw it off and ran in for another attack. The creature blocked and held his blade in its pincer. The creature threw him across the room, crashing into the wall.

Sasuke's vision went fuzzy for a moment but he shook it off just in time to see Naruto dodged a shot of web from some smaller spiders that were coming out of a hole in the ceiling.

Naruto dodged until he stepped in a pile of webbing and his foot got caught. The spider demon and small spiders all moved on his position. Sasuke ran to assist him but was dizzy from injury.

Naruto pulled a tag from his belt and slammed it on the floor. Smoke shot up all around him just as they would have attacked. He dodged out of the way and slide over to where Sasuke stood.

"I didn't know it had friends," Naruto said.

"Shikamaru, any time now," Sasuke turned to Shikamaru who was finishing his chant with a meditation pose.

"Ready," Shikamaru said as he opened his eyes and placed his hands on the scroll. Two yellow hands shot out of the scroll and at the spider demon.

The spider demon let out another shriek as it tried to bat away the mystical hands. It started to be dragged towards the scroll and dug its claws into the wood of the floor. The wood around began to break and it was forcefully pulled into the scroll. The smaller spiders began to die and turn to dust just as the head of the spider demon was pulled in. The scrolled rolled itself up and let off a yellow glow before turning purple and then dimming back to normal.

Shikamaru placed a seal on it and placed it back in his bag. "That wasn't so bad."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the mess they were in and shrugged.

Sasuke walked over to where the hole had been made by the creature and saw piles of wrapped bodies in the basement. It wasn't a pretty sight. "I'm going to look down there for survivors."

Sasuke peeled the wood back all the way and jumped in, careful not to land on the bodies. A few of the cobweb sacks started to move. He started to rip the cobwebs away from them and saw a few people in tears.

Sasuke helped them out and sent them up the stairs. Six people had emerged from the web cocoons. Six people out of the pile of twenty or so bodies. It wasn't the best scenario, but it was the best they could do.

Sasuke started to walk up the stairs when he heard a cough from somewhere down stairs. He ran back to the sacks and started cutting them open again with a more urgent manner. Finally, he cut one of the last cocoons open and saw a little girl staring up at him with tears in her eyes.

Sasuke pulled the little girl out and she clung tight to him as he carried her upstairs and towards the others.

"I called an ambulance for everyone." Shikamaru said.

Sasuke nodded as he sat with the girl crying in his arms.

Naruto looked at the small number of people and turned to Sasuke sitting on the steps. "Could we have saved more?"

"I don't know."

…

The ambulance came and began to treat everyone. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru had already left just before they got there. The people would be treated and hopefully make it back to their families safely.

"Just a spider demon," Naruto said from the back seat with a sigh.

"At least its gone now," Shikamaru said, "we have school tomorrow too. Why couldn't the things happen on the weekend."

Sasuke just focused on the street as he drove them all home.

…

Sasuke stifled a yawn as he entered the main building of Hidden Leaf High School. It was the only high school in the town and sadly where he had to attend. It wasn't different from any other school really. They had pep rallies, a cheer leading team, football team, and an annoying amount of gossipy teenagers.

The town itself seemed like any other but it wasn't. It was constantly bombarded by monsters, creatures hiding in the shadows, and anything else you could imagine.

It was up to Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru to fight the evils of the night. They were the only ones who knew about the strange things that happened in their town. They knew that the disappearances of their classmates were usually caused by a supernatural entity.

The high mortality rate was just another one of those things that everyone that lived in the town got used to.

"Hey, Sasuke, that was one hell of fight last night wasn't it?" Naruto said walking up to his friend.

"Yeah, it was." Sasuke said, "I'm going to ask Kakashi if we have another job tonight."

"Why? Can't we have just one night off?"

Sasuke walked away from his friend as soon as he went through his locker and headed towards Kakashi's classroom. He entered without knocking and sat in the chair adjacent to his teachers. Kakashi didn't even look up from his book.

"Sasuke, I'm glad you're here." Kakashi said in his calm tone. "How'd the hunt go last night?"

"It was fine, the demon was a little tougher than we thought it would be, but we still sealed it."

"Good to hear," Kakashi said. "I haven't heard anything lately, so you guys have the night off tonight."

Sasuke nodded before turning to leave.

"Oh and, Sasuke, one more thing," Kakashi said.

"What is it?"

"Be careful out there."

Sasuke nodded and left the room, leaving Kakashi to silence, and his book.

….

The school day came to an end and Sasuke walked out of the school heading home. The wind caused his hair to sway as he walked down the steps. Leaves of different colors fell all around him. It was tranquil, or so Sasuke thought. He couldn't complain about having the day off either.

Sasuke stopped when he heard a rustling in the leaves that wasn't caused by the wind. He turned to see a shy girl duck quickly behind a tree, but not fast enough, because he caught a glimpse of her dark blue hair.

"Who's there? Come out, now." Sasuke said, his voice was calm, like usual.

Hinata, the girl with the dark blue hair moved from around the tree. Her cheeks were a deep rosy red, but he knew that wasn't their natural color. She had beautiful pale eyes, and was generally a very pretty girl. Sasuke had known her since they were children, back then their families were very close. They hadn't talked much since the accident and when her mom passed away.

"Hinata," Sasuke said in a low voice. "Why are you following me?"

Hinata stepped out behind the tree and looked anywhere but his eyes. "I w-was wondering if you've seen Naruto."

She was always looking for Naruto. She seemed to have feelings for him, but the idiot only had feelings for Sakura. It was a very strange love triangle he saw unfold. Maybe make it a love square if you add him.

Sasuke sighed as he turned to look down the street. "Sorry, not since lunch."

"Oh, okay." Hinata said.

"Is that all?" Sasuke asked.

"Um, well, there w-was something else I wanted to ask you?"

Sasuke watched her intently. She turned a darker shade of red and turned her gaze to anywhere but his eyes. He noticed that and turned his head. "What'd you want to ask?"

Hinata tapped the ends of her fingers together. "Well I-I was wondering, umm never mind. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Sasuke watched Hinata bow slightly before running off. He looked on confused and agitated. Whatever, he thought, and walked towards his home at the end of town.

….

Shikamaru was curled up on his couch with a book in his hands. He was tired and a little bit sore from last night. Sasuke's news of the night off was music to his ears, and sounded even sweeter to his aching body. They needed to find an easier way to kill monsters. Every time he had to do that chant it took a toll on his body.

Shikamaru found he couldn't concentrate on his book. It was draining him mentally, and that wasn't helping his physical drain. He got up and put the book back on the shelf, maybe a different book would help.

Grabbing a book on monsters, he walked up stairs to his room, and shut the door. Lying on his bed, he began to read. The stories in the book weren't entirely accurate or all that interesting. After fighting monsters for a few months, he thought he knew a thing or two about the creatures that stalked and killed people.

A crash and a thud shook Shikamaru from his thoughts as he stood quickly and reached for his knife hidden behind his dresser. It was a long knife that was almost like a mini machete.

A beast, twice his size and covered in fur, jumped through his open window and stood at its full height right in front of Shikamaru. It bared its teeth and growled a deep throaty growl. This would normally freak him out but after the night he just had, a werewolf would be child's play, if he could get his knife.

Shikamaru backed against his closet door and grabbed the handle. The beast jumped, he pulled the door open, the beast flew through the door, and he slammed the door shut and laid back against it. It wouldn't keep him constrained for very long, but it would give him enough time to find his knife, at least he hoped.

Shikamaru's door opened. He didn't have time to react when Ino walked in the door holding some books in her hand. She brushed her blonde hair back and sat on his bed.

"Hey, your mom told me you were up here," Ino said. "What are you doing sitting against the closet?"

Shikamaru ground his teeth. "I'm sorry, Ino, can we do this in a little? I need to change clothes, and I didn't want you to see how messy my closet was."

Ino nodded. "Yeah sure, Shikamaru, but you never cared about your messy room before?"

"I'm turning over a new leaf." He said and shooed her out the door. She left with haste and Shikamaru grabbed his knife off the dresser and backed away from the closet door.

The nob shook, and turned furiously. The knife was now raised to eye level. The closet door flew off the hinges and crashed into Shikamaru. He pushed the door off just in time to see the werewolf jump out his open window and into the night.

Shikamaru let out a breath and moved the door back to the closet. Ino ran in the door after he did and stared at him with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Ino asked.

Shikamaru frowned as he leaned against the wall by the closet. "A wild dog jumped in here after you left and then jumped out the window again." The door behind him fell off its hinges again and hit the floor with a loud thud.

Ino's eye brow rose at the door on the floor. "A wild dog, really?"

Shikamaru looked at the floor, whispered under his breath, and then spoke. "Yes, and I need to go."

…

Kakashi walked down the stairs to answer the door. He opened it to Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sasuke, all wearing grim looks.

"Who died, please tell me no one died?" Kakashi asked.

They all entered and sat on the couches in his living room.

"I was attacked, like an hour ago, by a werewolf." Shikamaru said.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, that is troubling; did something happen to you two?"

"Nothing happened to me." Sasuke said.

"I was sleeping when Shikamaru and Sasuke woke me up." Naruto said, stifling a yawn.

Shikamaru turned to the window. "Do you think it means something, Kakashi?"

"I don't know but we'll get to the bottom of this tomorrow. You should all go home and get some sleep." Kakashi said.

Shikamaru looked disturbed but then shook it off and walked out the door with the others, and back into the night.