A/N: Hey, ya'll! ZOMG its Angie here, with a brand new story! It's an action fic, one that's actually been inspired by the amazing movie, The Avengers (inspired, mind you, not based off of). This story will have quite a few elements from the Naruto part 1 story line, and...yes. So be excited. Be very excited.
Summary: "Do you really think that these kids- no- these freaks can save the world?" Kakashi looked up, showing only mild interest in the man's distress. "Actually, yes, Sir, I believe these 'freaks' will end up saving the world. Including your sorry behind."
The Squad:
Never Back Down
.1: The Recruits.
One. Two. Three.
Uchiha Sasuke counted each of the bullets his guns released, watching with little satisfaction as each cartridge tore through his targets, making each paper cut out flop back into their hiding places. Sasuke ducked and rolled across the metal floor before unleashing a few more bullets and hitting the same amount of targets. Every shot he took, he made. Every target that appeared, he hit.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
Sasuke heard a rush of air to his left and immediately twisted his arm back, firing one of his dual pistols. Target 11, one he had typically associated with being quite sneaky, had been neutralized. Had he been in a better mood, a confident smirk would have pulled across the pale Uchiha's face as he continued to take out his make-shift enemies, easily breezing through the training exercise. But, as he continued striking down the standees, as he felt the kick of his guns go from his hands to his core, Sasuke couldn't take his mind off of his score.
So far, he had taken out all of the targets, no surplus of bullets, no sloppy work. However, there was still about three minutes left. Room for error. He still had a chance to screw up the perfect score he aimed for. He still had a chance to prove his father right, showing that he wasn't as good as Itachi.
Thirty one. Thirty two. Thirty three. Thirty four…
He shouldn't be worried. Sasuke knew that. It was almost too easy, hitting all of the cut-outs with such precision. Child's play, even. A gunman of Sasuke's caliber shouldn't have to waste his time worrying about what his father thought about of his-
"Target Fifty two has been missed."
-skills.
...What?
Sasuke blinked, hesitating only for a moment before forcing himself back into the swing of things. Surely the computer was mistaken. Sasuke had hit every target, hadn't fired one stray bullet. He had taken aim, assessed his surroundings, and watched them all go down! Hell, he was being extra careful! It had to be a mistake! His focus was unrivalled!
"Are you quite finished, Uchi-" Sasuke moved without thinking, or rather, he had moved because he was thinking too much. In the heat of the moment, he had swung the barrel of his gun to point at the sound of the newcomer, only stopping himself from pulling the trigger because he caught sight of silver hair. Familiar silver hair. Had the shot actually been enough to kill said man, Sasuke might've showed a bit of concern.
Might have.
"You're intruding," were the only words of solace the Uchiha granted. Slim brown eyes wrinkled at their edges as Hatake Kakashi lowered his hands from their surrendering gesture. If it hadn't been for the condescending grin Sasuke knew the man wore under his mask, the eighteen-year-old might've actually felt guilty.
"Ever heard of the colloquial phrase, 'don't shoot the messenger'? Because, believe it or not, it applies pretty well to this situation, eh, Sasuke?" Guilt shouldn't be squandered on an the likes of Kakashi. Sasuke glowered at his trainer before holstering both of his pistols. There was no point to attempt to re-start the targeting sequence. His focus was shattered and the teen couldn't bring himself to forget number fifty two. His perfect score was officially tainted. Sasuke grimaced at the thought.
"What is it you want, Kakashi? I'm busy." Busy failing. Sasuke didn't voice the last bit, but it kept buzzing around in his mind, reminding him of his failure. Damn it. Kakashi shrugged his shoulders casually before motioning for Sasuke to follow him with just a tilt of his head. Sasuke obliged without protest. The two men exited the large training room and entered a long, grey hallway. Sasuke glanced towards his taller companion. "So... what did you want?"
"Not much." Sasuke's jaw tightened. If Kakashi had seriously interrupted his training because he was bored, there was going to be hell to pay. Only, just by the way Kakashi looked around the hallway, Sasuke knew something else was up. Neither he nor Kakashi spoke again until they were in a secured elevator. Then Kakashi began talking, though he was still using small talk. "You know how I always like checking in on my students."
"Student," Sasuke corrected. Because he knew that he was Kakashi's only official charge. Kakashi smirked under the cloth covering his lower face.
"Right, right. You aren't aware of my other... children." Other? Sasuke looked to Kakashi curiously, but the silver haired man was done talking. Instead, he pressed the button for number 26, and the elevator lurched to life. It seemed they were going to the top today. "What's the mission?" Sasuke wanted to know, straight to business as usual.
"Relax, Sasuke, you'll see in due time."
"But I'd want to know now." Kakashi's eyes snapped in Sasuke's direction and narrowed. Sasuke's teeth gritted together as he added an aggravated, "Sir." Kakashi's tense stance relaxed as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Hasn't anyone told you?" Sasuke's silence was the only response Kakashi was going to get, so the man continued with a chuckle. "Patience is a virtue."
"Hasn't anyone told you that you're irritating?" Kakashi laughed as the ding of the elevator signaled they had reached the 26th floor.
"We can continue this stimulating conversation later. But for now, just trust me and follow me, okay?" It wasn't like Sasuke had much of a choice.
It was hot.
Hot, stuffy, and boring.
Sakura personally had no idea why anyone would willingly attend school. Still, as she had enrolled herself and endured the 12 years of torture against her aunt's wishes, Sakura was just as crazy as the rest of them. But then, since she was sitting in her graduation, on an uncomfortably plastic chair no less, Sakura could finally say that she was done with it. She was done with high school once and for all. As the student body stood and tossed their hats into the air, Sakura did the same, outwardly appearing just like they did.
On the inside, though, she was looking into the audience, wondering if he was there. Her green eyes didn't pick him up at first, and Sakura would've kept looking, had her best friend Ino hadn't popped into her line of sight.
"Sakura! We did it!" And then Sakura was wrapped into a tight hug. Letting herself relax for just a second, Sakura hugged Ino back and the two squealed in happiness. "Oh, I'm so excited for this summer! I mean, yea, it's full of college packing and stuff, but we get to like, officially kick back and relax!" A guilt-induced knot formed inside Sakura's stomach.
"Um, Ino?"
"And dude, my mom already said that we could do that beach trip that we've been planning! And I won't invite Ami like I did last time, don't worry! I mean, she might get mad at me, but you mean a whole lot more to me than she does, and-"
"Ino?"
"-I just know we'll have a great summer! Oh, you're coming over later to get ready for the party at Mei's hou-"
"Ino!" The blonde jumped at Sakura's words, her blue eyes widening curiously. Sakura didn't wait for the shock to wear off. Instead she took a deep breath and said, "I'm really sorry, but I have to go away tonight." Ino blinked once. Twice. Three times.
"What? I thought we had plans, Sak-u-ra! You can't bail on me now!" Ino was shaking Sakura's shoulders, and the pink haired girl was trying her hardest not to get irritated. After all, Ino had been talking about her graduation summer trip since the two met.
In kindergarten.
Shooting her down like Sakura was doing now was, in it's own way, homicide. Sakura had just killed Ino's biggest dream with one sentence. And Sakura knew it. Still, there was nothing she could do. Kakashi had made it very clear in the e-mail he sent that morning that life as a normal girl had been cut short. Apparently, the 22 years they had promised her mother just hadn't been enough. Selfish bastards, Sakura thought bitterly.
"I, uh... I know it's sudden, Ino, but I got an e-mail from my... Dad." Ino looked at Sakura expectantly, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows. "Apparently my mother is dying. Literally. Dad wants me to go visit, make sure she can see me in case she... you know." Ino's eyes widened in surprise and then softened in pity.
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!" And Sakura found herself in the second embrace that night. "If I had known I would've sent you there myself! Gah, and I was yelling at you and, and, and-"
"It's okay, Ino. I'm fine. My mom... she was," Sakura hesitated, editting her sentence, "is a strong woman." Ino didn't notice Sakura said was. Or maybe she had and just assumed that since her mother was "sick", she no longer had strength. It probably didn't cross her mind that Asami Haruno had died years ago, because Sakura had never told her. Instead, she accepted Ino's condolences, gave her another hug that would have to last her quite a while, and began leaving the graduation ceremony. There were others who came to talk to her, but as Sakura glanced into the skylight above, she knew she was running out of time.
She hugged another friend before speeding towards the door. Sakura didn't look back. She knew that if she did, she'd probably try something stupid, like not answering to the call of ANBU, and not finding Kakashi's liaison who was sent to get Sakura and take her to the HQ. But she knew it'd be a bad idea, knew it to her very bones. She knew they would've found her, wherever she went, no matter how far she ran.
For one wasn't simply apart of ANBU.
ANBU was apart of them, too.
His cell went through little renovation during his ten years of near solitary confinement, and Naruto (stripped of his last name) didn't mind it much. All he needed was his bed, his clothes, and the window above his head. He liked it, the small room. Especially the window. He had little idea where he was being held, but it couldn't have been too far from a town or something. A rich scent always wavered into his cell, filling it with the smell of some kind of meal. Had to be one of luxury with it smelling so delicious. And with the smells came the sounds of far away laughter.
Oh, how Naruto loved his window, his only portal to the outside world.
He was currently reclined on his bed, digging his sharp nail into the wall. If he wanted to, the seventeen year old might've been able to use his nails to dig and claw his way through the thick pavement and escape. But Naruto knew that he didn't have anywhere to go, even if he did leave. So instead, he settled for carving drawings into the wall. When he was younger, he used to draw people. A man and a woman and a child; a family. As the years went on though, he started to just draw the little boy.
The little boy walking. The little boy on a swing set. The little boy killing all those who had tortured and ostracized him in the past...
Some days, he hated everyone.
Some days, he didn't.
The groaning of old metal sounded. Naruto's blue eyes moved to the left in curiosity. It wasn't often that he got visitors. In fact, his only visitor in six years had been the man with hair like silver fire. He had been kind, someone Naruto liked. The man had even convinced the guards to allow Naruto to be able to use the gym, to eat better food, to get bathing privileges...
But the man in the doorway was large and burly, grim and ugly. His black eyes were full of hatred and he barred his teeth at Naruto as he always did whenever he entered Naruto's cell.
"Get up," the man ordered. Naruto obeyed. He was a little surprised. though. Once he had stood, Naruto realized that since the last time the guard visited, Naruto had grown. Considerably so, for the two were now the same height. This seemed to waver the man's intimidating stare slightly, but not by much. "Come." And on his large feet, the man pivoted and began walking. Naruto followed.
The area out of his cell was lit by dim bulbs, but it was still enough to cause Naruto to blink rapidly and hiss at the brightness. In reaction, the man's hands gripped the pistol at his hip. Naruto stared at him with a blank expression before smiling a little bit.
"The lights are bright." He must've sounded smug. The guard whipped the gun out and slammed it against the side of Naruto's face. Naruto gasped as he tasted blood in his mouth and felt his eyes roll a bit. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, but it bothered him. Angered him even. So, keeping true to his rambunctious nature, Naruto spit at his guard and laughed at the shocked expression on the man's face. That resulted in the man calling for back up. They put heavy cuffs on his wrists and feet, a prohibitory collar around his neck and lifted him to his feet. He stumbled. His guard hit him once more.
"That's enough, Daichi."
"Why? He's a freak of nature, a monster!" The man's eyes locked onto Naruto's. "A demon." Naruto forced a smirk on his face at the words, trying to not let it show that the insult had bothered him. "See? The bastard likes it when I call him that!" The man who had spoken against Daichi said nothing as he impersonally nudged Naruto forward.
"Walk," that man ordered. Naruto walked. And walked. And walked some more. And then, he took the time to realize that he was being taken out of the prison he had practically grew up in, maybe even out of the pain he had known.
"Where you taking me?" Daichi seemed ready to hit Naruto again, but one of the armed men held him back. The man who walked behind Naruto was the one who answered.
"It seems that Kakashi is in need of your assistance. Said something about putting together a team..." Naruto blinked.
"Kakashi?"
"Enough questions." And then Naruto was shoved into an armored van, left in the dark vehicle to wonder about his future in solitude.
And that's a wrap! I know this is long, but I hope you read it and enjoyed it because I enjoyed writing it! So please review and tell me what you think!
