Sequel to Perennial ( link: s/11016600/1/Perennial)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Kyoto, Japan
A young group of academy students huddled around in the cafeteria. Their training uniforms were tattered and dirtied, but none of them cared, exhaustion taking precedence. Steaming bowls of food sat in front of each one, courtesy of the police academy. They exchanged wary looks before shooting glances over their respective shoulders.
It would be bad if anyone overheard them. As if in warning, the banner baring the Uchiha crest rippled in the windless room. Swallowing thickly, Konohamaru fidgeted with sleeves before hushing his voice and quickly hissing, "Did you guys see it?"
His two friends nodded hesitantly. "Don't you think it's a little too crazy though?" Moegi remarked, twiddling her thumbs uncomfortably.
"Yeah, don't you think so?" Udon added, eyes darting back and forth.
Konohamaru sighed, knowing full well that they shouldn't even be talking about this. The walls have ears, especially in the prestigious Uchiha Police Academy. It wasn't a place where secrets lasted very long – at least, among trainees. Everyone knew things were never as they seemed inside the reserves of this place. The trio had unfortunately found that out first hand.
It was perfectly innocent. They hadn't meant to stumble upon those archives. Who would've thought that teeny tiny closet was even an archive? Officer Ebisu had been riding their asses all morning and afternoon – they just wanted a little break. Was that so bad? Konohamaru blinked away images of the documents strewn across the small work table. Shaking away the thoughts, he sank lower into his chair, slowly losing his appetite. "Guys, I think we need to forget what we saw."
Moegi and Udon nodded in unison, clearly relieved that their appointed leader was thinking rationally. Lowly trainees had no place learning about the secrets of the Uchiha, especially when it had to do with him.
A small, bitter smirk crossed Konohamaru's lips at the memory of asking Sergeant Uzumaki about the disappearance of the Uchiha brothers. It was national news. Who wouldn't have heard about the prodigal Uchiha Itachi and his rising star of a little brother – Uchiha Sasuke? However, the second the insensitive question left his mouth, Sergeant Uzumaki told him if he ever discussed that incident casually again, he would make sure Konohamaru was dropped from the academy. That was enough to shut his mouth.
"Let's just eat, shower, and get to bed. Ebisu is going to give us hell tomorrow for ditching him today," Moegi broke the silence, pulling her dinner closer and digging in.
Konohamaru paused for another moment before following her lead. She was right. They needed to forget about what happened and just focus on tomorrow. After all, their final exams were approaching and this was not the time to be slacking off or getting on anyone's bad side. They had a lot of making up to do tomorrow.
But… He lowered his gaze.
XXX
"Should we reprimand them?" Kakashi mused, watching the security feed of Konohamaru's little trio stumbling ass backwards into their "headquarters". Or at least, that's what Kakashi and Naruto called it. In reality, it was a broom closet that had been renovated into a research outlet.
A soft sigh blew past the blonde's lips. He rubbed his face tiredly, bright blue eyes dull. "Just leave them be. They're probably scared out of their minds for even finding this place," Naruto managed a small chuckle, shutting off the video feed. "Besides, it was my fault for carelessly leaving the door unlocked. I didn't think a quick trip to the toilet would be so dangerous."
"Lessons learned, hmm?" Kakashi mused, flipping through a manila envelope with photos. "So what do you think of these? We've sighted Sasuke look-a-likes all around the world, but every lead has been a dead end."
"I'm not even sure anymore," Naruto admitted, standing up to look at the ridiculously elaborate map that had grown with each new sighting and fact. It was spider web of red thread juxtaposed by small photos. "Honestly, with the way Orochimaru operates, I wouldn't be surprised if every single one of these was a set up." The mere thought made his blood boil with humiliation and frustration, but after two years of searching for his best friend, he had learned how to control that anger.
Boxes filled with research, articles, and failed retrieval plans were stacked ceiling-high. Each mistake was another lost opportunity that seared like fire. He watched that vision each night in his dreams. Sasuke standing over him. Itachi already out of sight.
I'm not the one who should be taking care of her, you idiot. Naruto clenched his fists, trying to focus on the latest information Kakashi's spies had sent them. Of all the leads they had accumulated, this one seemed somewhat promising. There were no pictures, but a detailed report of Orochimaru's underlings landing in Japan via private jet meant something was happening. The random sightings worldwide couldn't be followed up as easily, but now they were working on home turf.
Why were they back in Japan? The report gave no information about seeing either Uchiha, however, that made the lead seem even more legitimate. If they knew Orochimaru, and they certainly did, he wouldn't just let Sasuke or Itachi appear in the public eye. There was something here. The only problem was that Kakashi's spies had yet to report in again.
Naruto's phone vibrated loudly in the silence. Jumping, he sheepishly smiled at Kakashi who merely waved him out of the room. Hurrying out, he shut the door behind him and answered. "Sakura-chan, what's up?"
"I just finished my shift at the hospital. Do you have time to spar in a bit?"
He leaned back against the wall, eyes soft. "You sound tired. Why don't you go to bed instead? I'm probably going to be out for a while anyway."
"I have so much pent up stress to work out though!" she whined.
Naruto laughed nervously. That was never a good thing to hear. She was a lot stronger than anyone gave her credit for. Most of the time, people thought he got bruises after their sparring sessions because he went easy on her. How could he admit that a girl half his size beat the crap out of him? "I left you a note actually! I'm taking Hinata out on a date tonight, so I think you really should get some rest instead."
It was only a partial lie. He had taken Hinata out to eat a late lunch earlier. He internally apologized to his girlfriend for using her as an excuse. If Sakura knew he was hunting Sasuke down like a dog, she would want to be part of it. Even if she was stronger than before, he wouldn't put her in danger.
"Oh, why didn't you say that from the start?" she huffed, "Alright, have fun! Treat her right, okay? No ramen, and definitely no stupid, perverted jokes! She's the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan and Neji would kick your ass if you laid a finger on her."
Naruto chuckled, swallowing hard at the thought. If anyone really could tear him to shreds, it would be Hyuuga Neji. "I know, I know! Don't worry! Okay, I'll talk to you later. Sleep, Sakura-chan!" He hung up after saying his goodbyes and sagged against the wall. His best friend could be a handful sometimes.
Turning around he entered the room just in time to see Kakashi's eyes wide, a phone in one hand.
XXX
Cherry blossoms littered the streets, the soft rustling of scattered petals and shuffling feet filling the quite night. There were few roamers at this hour, most already tucked safely into bed or in the arms of loved ones. But some are used to the dead of night – even finding comfort in the silence.
One such person strolled through the park on her way home, breathing in the sweet fragrance of her namesake, and drawing dreams through the blanket of night sky. Her shoulder bag was filled with documents, and spare clothes from too many shifts at the hospital. Her stride was more powerful than years ago, as was the confidence with which she guided herself through the darkness.
The soft tinkle of a fan-shaped charm hanging diligently on her ring of keys often times brushed against the pink flower charm she was safe-keeping. Unlocking the door to her modest apartment, she found the note her roommate had told her about just a few minutes ago. It sat on the kitchen table.
Hey, Sakura-chan,
Took Hinata on a date!
Wish me luck! Be back tonight (but maybe not?)
Love, Naruto
She rolled her eyes, knowing the idiotic blonde would be home later. Hinata definitely wouldn't let him stay the night. Setting the note aside, she dropped her things in the living room. With a deep yawn, she made the executive decision that a shower could wait until the morning.
Pushing the door of her bedroom open, a gust of wind rushed around her, the slithering sensation constricting. Her body tensed immediately.
Bright red irises gleamed in the darkness.
"Run."