The Restoration of Sasuke Uchiha
In the Land of Fire, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, there came a point when wounds, reaching far into time, were stung so heavily by the mistrust, and ill will, that bubbled under the surface for decades, between the two leading Clans of the township, broke free and savaged the land and people of the village in a brief, but bloody civil war.
The war between the Senju Clan, and their followers, and the Uchiha Clan, and their allies, was quick.
The Uchiha became victorious through their sheer anger and grief. They quickly slaughtered many of the Senju Clan and their allies, often eradicating entire families.
The remaining members of the Senju, and their kinsmen fled, leaving their home in defeat, the Village in the Leaves in ruins, in order to fight another day.
Part One
The market
Ke's head bumped against the side of the transport cart painfully as the wagon hit another pothole in the road.
He grunted as a young boy knocked his elbow into his side as the rest of the boys in the compartment fell to the side at the movement, with all the weight of them pushing on him in the corner. They young boys mumbled apologies as he glared at them.
He felt little relief.
The air in the 10 by 10 crate was unbearably hot from the sweltering temperatures, as well as body heat of the 30 young boys and teenagers that he was confined with.
Another pothole plunged the boys and him-self into the side of the crate again, Ke, this time rubbing his face along the un-sanded wood of the wall as he pitched forward jarringly.
He winced as he straightened himself up again; resting all of his weight on the side of the crate he was backed into.
"Ke-san, your face is bleeding." a boy opposite him commented.
Ke lifted his heavy, shackled hand to his cheek and felt the liquid.
"I am," he agreed somberly, before sucking the blood of his finger, in an attempt to procure any liquid nourishment.
The boy opposite him looked at him in tiered jealously.
Then all of a sudden, all movement stopped. He found himself almost crushed under the weight of the other occupants of the crate at the jerking stop, again.
He heard someone rattling the door of the crate, then the squeak of hinges, before the light flooded the wooden box.
He like others in the crate closed their eyes in reaction, others gasped in pain - it was the first time in days that they had been exposed to this much light.
Ke squinted his eyes through the sudden light that erupted from the formerly closed door of the transport cage, to see where they were. Having ridden in the wooden crate for a number of days it seemed that the caravan procession had come to its final destination, if the amount of movement and noise from out side of the crate was any indication.
There were shouts and orders thrown about in strange accents, but he couldn't make out any mention of where they had arrived.
He felt a tug on his leg, the metal of the shackle on his ankle dug into his flesh painfully. Wincing slightly as he followed the other boys in the crate in standing up, he rolled his shoulders, loosening the rigid muscles in an attempt to relive the tension in his back- sitting in one position for three days with his long limbs had been painful to say the least.
The line started to slump forward slowly, shuffeling out of the crate and down the ramp. Ke followed the others tieredly, closing his dark eyes in relief as he felt the wind on his face for the first time in over a week. He opened his eyes quickly when a baton hit his thigh, and he folded slightly as he reached the end of the ramp. Some men with heavy accents wrapped in dirty cream cloaks surveyed the group, moving up and down the rows. Ke craned his head behind him and saw three more lines as long as his at his back. Hearing the footsteps of the slavers approaching his end of the line he turned his eyes forward and looked impassively in front of him. Ke had learned from previous experience that it was best not to attract much attention, and hope no one took a shine to you. Unfortunately for him, he knew he was one of the strongest looking boys from his cursory glance. It was likely he would be sold as a laborer. The slaver smiled toothlessly at Ke as he passed and whacked him in the side- Ke did not respond, but his jaw tensed and his head fell forward slightly. The Salver chuckled and moved away down the line.
"This it? Your really pushing it Yajerobe, nobody wants half dead eight year olds," a man in red robes shouted as he moved down Ke's line, he eventually waddled in front of Ke and sighed as he reached out to grab Ke's chin. Keen black eyes roved over him as Ke looked back in angry silence, his fingers itching to tare the man's gnarled fingers off him . The man removed his hands, heavy with gold and pointed at Ke.
"I'll take him, and the other ten you picked out. We should be able to get some profit off them," he shouted.
Ke resisted rolling his eyes. Profit profit profit. He'd been referred to as that ever since he could remember.
The slaver retuned and grinned at Ke again as he undid his shackles. Ke continued to look forward ignoring him, an finally took stock of where he was. The water filed delta that had been his home for the past few months had been exchanged for arid desert, the early morning sun beat down angrily and sand traveled on the wind.
Once the slaver was done he grabbed Ke by the arm and led him towards a dark tunnel, which lead into a large red clay structure with no roof. He noticed other boys, that looked about as old as him, being headed in the same direction. He ignored the grip of the man in the tunnel, and breathed a small sigh as he was thrust into sunlight once again and shoved down an ally between the cages. Ke followed passively until the man stopped in front of a cage at the opposite end to the entrace, right in the glare of the sun at that moment. The slaver grunted to another man to open the door, keeping a firm grip on the young man, and threw him inside. Ke turned and glared at him as the toothless man locked the door and waved goodbye smugly.
Pathetic, Ke thought. He turned then and glanced around his temporary habitat, taking particular note not to sit in the various puddles of blood and other substances that were fermenting in the corners of the clay floored cage. He settled himself at the opposite end of the small space, the chain, which was now attached to one of the iron bars that made up the cage, gifted him just enough length in order for him to cross his legs under him and lean back against the bars of the cage. Looking to the side he noticed a small bucket of water. Clean water at that, he could see the bottom of the wooden bucket. Ke liked his dry lips, the burning in his throat that had been building for the past number of days rising unbidden and with terrific force. He reached for the bucket savagely and descended on it, gulping down mouthfuls at a time.
Finally putting down the bucket of water, not nearly as sated as he wished he could have been, but knowing that if he continued to drink it would only result in vomiting, he allowed himself a moment of relief, and an exhausted sigh.
He tried to cut himself off from the situation, like he tried hundreds of times before, and attempted to imagine himself somewhere else.
Running though a forest of green leaves, a woman's voice calling to him softly.
But as usual the sound of screaming children and men bartering loudly clouded his perfect forest, blocking out that soft, perfect call; leaving the fantasy to fester painfully in his chest.
Sakura resisted drumming her fingers lightly on the wood of the table as she watched the crowd searchingly for a familiar shock of bright red hair.
She chewed her lower lip in thought; it was not like Garra to be late, especially when it came to herself and Naruto. The iced tea she had ordered for him had now melted, making her looking like some stood up teenager. Which in essence she was, she thought with a scowl. Only her date had had slightly more resting on it than it should have at her age.
She ruminated on the unfairness of life briefly as she watched a pair of girls about her own age, stroll happily through the dusty market place, pointing at clothes that they liked, and boys that caught their eyes. Not a care in the world.
She continued watching them with curious envy until they turned a corner out of Suna's market and onto the main street of the town.
"You know, you should keep a better eye out, someone might see you," a voice stated smugly behind her.
Sakura angled her head to glance at him scathingly before returning to her people watching, and the dregs of her ice tea. "What is it Kankuro?"
Kankuro fell onto the wooden bench opposite her and joined in her people watching, "Garra can't make it."
"I can see that," she bit out petulantly as he gulped down the ice tea infront of him in one go, she couldn't help but notice the purple lipstick print on the glass from his war paint."Couldn't you have informed me of this sooner? I've been here for an hour and a half."
"I couldn't even if I tried!" he exclaimed. "You try sneak out of a meeting with a couple of Uchiha's and their little henchmen there, see how you manage."
"Uchiha's!" Sakura whispered angrily as she tugged her white hood lower over her eyes. She could feel the blood draining from her face; there was no way she was going to be able to meet with Garra now.
"Why didn't you say sooner? How many are there?"
Kankuro scratched his head through his close fitting hood, "only two Uchiha's - 'representatives of the family' they said. They were here to discuss amendments to the treaty. They had with them about 4 other nin, I couldn't tell you anything on them though."
Sakura didn't think it was possible, but she felt even more blood drain to her boots. She rubbed her eyes in thought. This was not good.
"Do I even need to ask what the amendments were concerning?" she asked wearily, her hand flopping onto the table.
"They essentially want us to promise that, if needs be, Suna will come to the their rescue, all guns blazing," he took another drink from a passing waitress as Sakura's free hand cradled her forehead. He gave her a sympathetic smile, "don't worry; it'll take months to finalize. Plus, we have our own little treaty for when that time comes."
Sakura gave him a kick under the table earning a satisfying yelp from the Sand Shinobi. "Be quiet!" she hissed.
"yeah, yeah, I know," he muttered as he chugged down his second glass, "was there chakra in that?"
Sakura gave him a sugary smile, "no." Kankuro grimaced.
Her smile switched back to a thin line as her face slipped back into a mask of pensive thought. A cough brought her green eyes to rest on Kankuro again as he straightened up from his hunched position on the table.
"If you still want to have a word with Garra he's gone to the Market with Father and some Tribal leaders from the south. No Uchiha's, but they are in the city and will be for sometime, though no one should recognize you at the market. When you get there ask one of the ushers, or a servant for Garra, flash some thigh or something," he said in a hushed tone, though not resisting a grin and a wink at the end of his instruction.
Sakura wrinkled her nose at the uncouth statement, before a thought struck her. She leaned towards Kankuro, a slightly confused look marring her oval face, she didn't see any servants, or ushers around, "I thought this was the Market?" she said gesturing with a finger at the colourful tents of the market stalls.
Kankuro let out a snort of laughter before breaking eye contact with her, turning towards the isle of the empty, open air café.
"At the end of the main street, due west," he said loftily as he made his way down the isle before turning to give her a final, penetrating look.
"That's where the Slave Market is."
Sakura's eyes watched Kankuro blankly as she watched him meander round the corner and out of the market, before hastily throwing some money down on the table and scrambling out of the café.
A slave Market, she thought angrily as she crossed the market square to the main street.
She stopped to cross the street, waiting for a break in the traffic of traders and wagons. She watched in passive anger as an obviously wealthy middle aged woman ordered around a younger woman in plain clothes, demanding for her to hurry up.
Her Mentor had told Sakura that in the days before the revolution slavery had been near enough abolished through out the world, a pleasant after effect that had been brought about during the relative peace that developed after the first ever Ninja village was created. Slaves were considered a symbol of a barbarous time and were thought archaic, so the practice eventually fell out of use.
Now it was rampant once again, Sakura thought sadly as she crossed the road and headed in the direction of the Market, joining a large throng of people heading in the same direction, and she found herself pondering a time that was now long gone. A time where she could have grown up in peace under tall, ancient trees happily, and learnt her trade in the place she had been born, like her mother and father before her, and their parents before them. Before she knew it she was closing her eyes and breathing deeply to smell the sent of pine and oak trees- only to step into a hole in the rough pavement and smell the heavy sent of leathery manure and sand up her nose for her trouble.
She blinked blearily and sneezed, squinting around the busy street, the swarthy faces of the men and women in their uniforms and robes, the round clay buildings, the dusty, sandy and tree-less streets, in an effort to remind her-self of where she was and what she was doing.
Get a grip, she thought, go see Gaara and get out of here.
With that thought Sakura strode on with a clear head and quickly found herself outside a large, round open air building with glassless arched windows running all the way along the top rim of the building. She could see the entrance, a huge arched gap into the market, in which people milled about isles, there seemed to be rooms that ran around the inside of the building in a triple ring, with balcony like windows that looked down. Probably to keep the nobles away from the commoners, Sakura thought.
And further along, on the outside of the building she could see wagons trundling around to the back. It stood at the very edge of the town she realized absently wondering how far she had walked.
Sakura slowed her pace and merged with a crowd of people coming from the north, remaining unconspicous as she trailed not far behind a group of moderately wealthy looking men with rich blue robes and patterned scarves. She observed a set of Suna ninjas guards at the entrance armed with pikes but little else. Sakura watched them out of the corner of her eyes; they looked bored and tired in the heat, leaning on their pikes and watching the crowd with dull eyes.
She scurried past them and departed from the blue robed men as they passed under the red clay arch, descending upon the chaos of the market, while Sakura ducked into an alcoved staircase that led upwards.
If being head of the village doesn't get you a room on the top floor then what does? She reasoned as she climbed, stopping and bending her head low whenever she encountered someone on the stair, the image of an obedient servant.
Eventually she reached the end of the curving stairway and she padded along the curving, level walkway quietly, listening to snatches of conversation from the rooms she passed, until she spied around the corner a pair of booted shinobi feet.
Quietly she rearranged her top under her cloak so that the zip was lower on her chest, exposing her pale collarbone. Sakura licked her lips and gave her cheeks a pinch before she rounded the corner slowly with a visible sway to her walk.
Unfortunately it was a routine Sakura found herself doing a lot, and she blanched at the thought that she was getting comfortable with the whore act, but needs must what needs must.
Besides, she thought to herself, it wasn't like they were looking at her really. Sakura had learnt a long time ago that having pink hair wasn't such a good thing for a ninja to have, let alone one who was in hiding, but she couldn't bare to dye her hair – it reminded her of her mother- so she used a genjutsu that she had developed with her master for times when they needed to – disappear. The jutsu altered the perceptions of the other person ever so slightly, making them forget, or simply not look at whoever it was that wanted to be avoided. Sakura had enough talent in chakra control to be able to apply the technique just to her hair, so people often forgot her rather unforgettable hair as soon as they saw it, or just assumed it was a light blond.
Sakura smiled to herself as she saw the guards straighten up and watch her down their noses. She made no outward motion that she had noticed.
She halted in front of the heavy wooden door that stood between the two guards, who dutifully barred her entrance with their spears.
"None are permitted to enter," the guard on her left stuttered.
Sakura tilted her hooded head at him in mock confusion, "there must be some mistake," she said coquettishly. She watched the guard glance at his companion nervously- one more move and their mine, she thought.
The guard on the right cleared his throat and said in a less stuttery voice than his partner, but with little conviction "I'm afraid you cannot pass."
Sakura breathed out deeply and gave lifted her hand to her hood for her masterstroke.
In a swift movement she flung her hood back, which caused the first clasp of her cloak to pop open, reveling her neck and collar to the guards, while her hair (which the pair agreed later was white blond) fell loosely about her heart shaped face.
Sakura gave the pair a small smile and pinned the tall guard on the right with a kittenish look from under her lashes.
His tanned face turned red.
"Gaara is expecting me," she purred.
"I'll go get him," the guard on the left said quickly. Sakura turned her gaze from the taller guard to his shorter companion and flashed him brilliant smile. He bolted.
Sakura hummed slightly as she waited, ignoring the remaining guard, whom she was aware, was still goggling at her. She didn't have to wait long for the guard to reappear with Gaara in tow, dressed in a traditional blue and white robe of Suna. The door they had come through closed quickly, but not quickly enough for Sakura not to see Gaara's father glaring at the back of his son's head. The guards retuned to attention in front of their captain and looked determinedly at the opposite wall.
Gaara looked at her blankly for a moment before he sighed and extended his arm. Sakura laughed and looped her arm through his before reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. Gaara rolled his jade eyes as they set off down the echoing hallway and down the stairs.
The pair were almost in the market crowd before either of them spoke.
"Well that was certainly inconspicuous," Gaara muttered as he lead her into the market. Sakura ignored his comment.
"Your Father looked angry."
"He is," he replied shortly.
"Did the meeting this morning not go well?" She asked quietly as Gaara led her up a less crowded isle that ran down the middle of the arena.
"It might have had something to with it."
"Bloody hell Gaara, at least give me an inkling," she huffed. Gaara came to a halt slowly and pressed her with a contemplative stare. Sakura returned it fiercely; she did not like having to flare her temper, and it was foolish for most people to even contemplate engaging Gaara, the notoriously ruthless and hot tempered Suna Captain, in a battle of wills- But Sakura could handle herself well enough.
Gaara scowled at her, and Sakura knew she had won. The pair looped arms again and continued slowly along the cage-lined ally.
"It was troop numbers, and strategy, which I'm not going to go into with you. Their pushing for a quick push through the paper work, so I got picky," he said.
"What did you ask for?" Sakura asked lightly.
"Fifteen percent Higher trade in Land of Wind produce in Fire, and thirty five percent of Konoha's foreign missions. They didn't take to it very well."
Sakura snorted, "no wonder your Father's angry."
The pair continued along for a time, reaching the shadows that the wall's provided, before Sakura spoke.
"I heard about your incident with Deidara."
"Your master has already sent someone to apologize for that," He replied tartly.
" he was disciplined severely-"
"It doesn't matter Sakura." He said with finality, indicating the subject closed. Sakura bit her lip and kept quiet.
"Why are you here Sakura? I know it's not to chat about your psychotic associates" He murmured tiredly, she glanced up at him from behind her hair. He wasn't looking at her. She sighed before speaking.
"Naruto and Jiraya have been missing for sometime," she noted how Gaara's ear twitched, "Master wants to know if he's been in Suna in the past six months."
"He hasn't, but I'll send Kankuro to have a look in the coast towns and in the south. And I'll tell my squads to keep an eye out for him."
"Two eyes?" she asked with a smile.
"I'll try," he returned in his tried drawl.
They had come to stop under a shade at the western wall, the market was ending as it past noon and the crowd was dispersing. Sakura reached up and caught Gaara in a rare hug. Gaara gave a slight frown but patted her head awkwardly.
Sakura sighed as she leaned her chin on Gaara's shoulder, contented, but only for a moment as she looked on the rows of metal bared cages, and the people inside.
Sakura hadn't traveled particularly far into the country of Wind; for she typically had no reason to visit the country other that to engage in brief meetings with a select Suna politicians, in and around the Suna area, so she had no idea how the Slave traders acquired their 'stock' but she had seen enough of the damage to know the manner in which they were taken. It seemed that it was mostly men and boys in this isle, she could still see a small crowd on the southern wall of the building where they were still hawking the women. The men in these isles, there weren't very many, and they were mostly in separate cages, all wore brutal yellowing bruises and had jagged tares and scrapes on faces and arms, their knees were almost torn apart from where they were dragged along the ground.
Sakura felt her earlier rage reemerge ten fold.
She hit Gaara hard on the shoulder as she pushed away from him, his impassive face marred with a slight crease on his brow.
"Do you have any regulations for this archaic "business" at all?" She demanded.
Gaara looked at her blankly. "Not that I know of."
"Ugh, its vile Gaara, human beings shouldn't be treated like this," she hissed angrily as she ventured down the isle.
The morning had moved forward excruciatingly slow for Ke- the only relief coming when it past noon and he was finally shielded from the sun's rays by the wall of the arena. He probably had sun burn, Ke mused. He looked down at his formally pale arms and winced at the pink tone. Moving about was going to be a bitch.
Lethargically he reached out for the pail of water and took a gulp, trying to ignore the swirls of colour in his vision.
The market was quiter now, and he was surprised to find himself still there – usually a farm manager or a head of house would snap him up pretty quickly. But for some reason today all the people seemed to look briefly at him and wander on. Ke supposed that on some level he was somewhat bemused by this, he knew that he was strong and young, he also knew many people considered him attractive, which made him an excellent bartering chip in township polotics.
With nothing else to do but save energy, he eventually fell asleep against the cage wall, his head lolling forward.
He awoke quickly after when a clang of metal rang around the cage and woke him. He did not need to look up to know who did it so he only raised his eyes enough to see the slavers booted feet. However he was surprised to see another pair of feet next to them. They were wearing sandals, he thought passively as he observed the persons uncovered toes, the back material of the sandal extend up, but a cream robe blocked any further view. He raised his head slowly to look at the person, only to be pinned by a narrow gaze from the person's green eyes. Ke gave her a glare of his own. The person, girl, he realized quickly raised a brow and turned to look at the slaver, who had a grin a mile wide on his grubby face.
"Where's this one from?" The girl asked in a sugared tone as a red headed man saunterd up behind her and casualy draped his arm over her waist. Ke raised an eyebrow himself as the Slaver looked quickly between the two and bowed exessivly low.
"Lord Gaara," the Salver stuttured in greeting. The red head inclined his head slighlty in aknowlagement before resting his chin on the girl's head. The girl, who made no reaction at the red head's touch, narrowed her eyes at the Slaver.
"Well?" she demanded.
"oh, well, ee's from the delta, in the west," the Salver said quickly, glancing between the man named Gaara and the girl with the icy green glare nervously.
The girl retuned her narrow gaze to him. "I see," she murmured.
Ke looked blankly at the girl as she moved out of Gaara's hold and stepped forward closer to the cage. The slaver watched curiously with a gleam in his eye while Gaara watched the girl with narrowed jade eyes.
"Can you move?" she asked as she glanced over him. Ke unhooked his arms from infront of him and pushed himself off the ground, and moved closer to the cage door.
"Don't come closer," the Slaver yelled, banging his baton against the bars, stilling Ke.
"Its okay," the girl said, keeping her eyes trained on him, beconing him to come closer. Ke did, but he watched the Salver wareily out of the corner of his eye until he was less than an arm length away. She smiled slightly with rosy lips, "can you give me your hand?" she asked calmly, reaching her own pale arm through the bars.
Ke watched the Salver's eyes widen, but was prevented from stepping forward by Gaara, who stuck his arm between his and the girl.
Cautiously Ke raised his right arm and let the girl's cool touch encase his fingers and trace his palm as he watched her eyes narrow in concentration. Like she was trying to figure something out. As she read the lines of his palm he eyed her, regarding the girl's shot stature and pale skin. Pale skin was somewhat of a novelty to Ke; the only person he had ever seen with skin quite as pale as her's was Ke himself, as the people of the west tended to have olive skin and dark hair. His eyes rested on her head briefly before he felt his gaze slip to the red head behind her, who was watching the scene with a look akin to that of a patient tiger.
Ke smirked slightly when Gaara glowered at him. Ke's smirk widened.
All of a sudden Ke was aware that his hand had gone numb, the warm touch of the girl's hand had evaporated from his skin and was replaced with a numb throb, as though there was ice rushing in his vains, which pulsed with a slight tingle every time his heart beat. Ke looked down, unable to hide his alarm on his face when he saw a green light emitting from the girl's pale hand. Snatched his hand back, cradling it and rubbing it to try alleviate the strange tingling as he backed away from the bars, while the girl watched him with suspicion obvious in her eyes, her hand still inside the cage. Ke watched her with equal suspicion as he backed up to the far side of the cage.
She seemed to look at him for an eternity before she made up her mind about something and withdrew her hand.
She turned and smiled at the Slaver who, along with Gaara, had watched the episode with bated breath, and asked something that would change Ke's life forever.
"How much?"
Finito! For now… please consider leaving a review! It is always encouraging, and you never know, it might make me update faster. Then you can discover the secret thats not a secret, of who Ke is a bit quicker :)
xxxxxx