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Chapter Two: The Unwanted Decision...
Kagome waited impatiently in the boughs of the trees. Kakashi-Sensei was still with her. Just as she expected, he was keeping with his promise that she would be safely directed to the hideout by the contact. This way they wouldn't have to fear attacks by enemy forces. Night fell upon the forest and he began to fear that the contact was planning an ambush instead. They had no idea who this person was, and as a member of Akatsuki, the jounin already knew that he couldn't be trusted. There wasn't a single person in that organization that had any redeemable qualities. A group of international criminals. That was all that they qualified for.
The two stopped as a familiar and dangerous chakra signal began filter its way through the thicket of trees and bushes.
"Kakashi-sensei you don't think he's…." Kagome began, her voice shaking in fear.
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Could it really be? Could he truly be their contact? That murderer?
"I don't know…. It's possible." He said cautiously. The two remained high in the tree branches, unwilling to expose themselves to the new threat that had just arrived.
A dark hooded figure entered into the clearing below them. It moved to the center then stopped. The person hiding beneath the cloak seemed to have glanced in their direction momentarily before a sigh was heard.
"I'm here for Higurashi Kagome. You may take your leave Hatake Kakashi." A masculine voice commanded. Dread shot down the both of their spines. So their fears were confirmed. Their contact was none other than Uchiha Itachi…
Kagome looked at her teacher for his go ahead. He nodded at her and then they revealed themselves to their supposed 'ally' within the Akatsuki.
"Uchiha Itachi…" The silver haired man started. The missing nin looked at him coolly. Although his Sharingan was not activated, Kakashi knew that underestimating him would be the death of him. In fact he had already made that mistake shortly after the Chuunin Exams.
"We do not have time to dawdle around here. Higurashi Kagome," Itachi spoke once more, "You are to follow my orders exactly. Any deviation from my commands will end in your death. Understood?"
She paled and nodded. In her current state she hadn't the power to defeat the Uchiha. Not even her own Sensei who she respected more than anyone else had the power to defeat him. Her tiny hands balled into fists. If only she were stronger….
Kakakshi bristled at the threat to his student but was unable to do anything. If he were to attack Itachi, then Kagome would be left without anywhere else to go. Even if he managed to survive, he would be forced to leave Konoha as well and that would leave the rest of his students without any guidance at all. He needed to make the most of this situation. If he couldn't save Kagome now, than he'd just have to wait for the opportunity to arise and then pounce on it. He was not the type of man to allow any of his precious protégés to be harmed in any way and would protect them no matter what.
"Hatake Kakashi, leave now. You are not to know of our departure or our whereabouts after this moment. If you do not leave I will be forced to kill you." The Uchiha's eyes narrowed sharply and the beginnings of chakra started to swirl beneath his charcoal gaze-a sign that he was starting to activate the Sharingan.
Kakashi glared at the missing nin and grudgingly began the long trek back home. As he passed Kagome he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't give up."
Her eyes widened with his words and hope filled her heart. So maybe there was a chance that things could go back to the way they were after all? She shook the thoughts from her mind. Now wasn't the time to slack off.
"Yes sir." She whispered back to him. The smile behind his mask was unmistakable. As his hand slid off of her shoulder, he slipped back into the darkness of the forest and out of her life.
A few tense moments filled the clearing after Kakashi's departure. The child stared up at the rogue ninja with an expression of fear and wonder. It wasn't hard to tell that she feared his presence and what he was capable of doing to her now that her Sensei was gone. Itachi fought the urge to shake his head. They had much more important matters to deal with at this point. His charcoal gaze pinned the girl with an intense stare.
"What do you have to offer the organization? What skills can they use from you?" The Uchiha demanded.
"My Kekkei Genkai. Fuu Houshutsu." She answered quickly. Her ninjutsu was average at best and her genjutsu was non-existent, but her taijutsu was quite good. But currently none of her skills other than her Bloodline Limit would guarantee her a spot on the Akatsuki like the Elders wanted.
"Have you mastered it?" Itachi quickly inquired.
"No."
His gaze narrowed even more on her trembling form. "So they sent you here even before you were able to fully master the techniques?"
Kagome turned to look at the ground and nodded at him. For some odd reason, she was suddenly feeling ashamed that she didn't know how to use her Kekkei Genkai.
'So it seems that they feared the girl's power so much that they exiled her before she was fully able to control it….' The Uchiha glanced at his new 'ward' in a manner of speaking. This would be a difficult life for her to adjust to and it'd be even more difficult just keeping her alive around that bunch of missing nin. Itachi motioned for the tween to follow him.
"We take our leave. I'll inform you of the plan on the way."
Kagome nodded silently; too afraid to even utter a mere sound in this teen's presence. Sasuke had confided to her once that the man he most wanted to kill was his older brother. She assumed that this man was the brother that he spoke of. He never told her why he wanted to destroy him so badly but she also never felt the need to pry… at least not until now….
She treaded behind him cautiously and swiftly. She stepped as lightly as she possibly could, however the sound of her own footfalls began to make her cringe. The male in front of her glided across the grassy earth as if his feet never even touched the ground. He was so silent and stoic that it made it hard for her to focus. They continued to march deeper into the forest, the outstretched branches of the thorn covered bushes scratched roughly at Kagome's skin; leaving thin trails of blood over her arms and legs. She tried to ignore the discomfort but it became increasingly difficult.
"Do not make me wait for you." Itachi warned coldly.
The young girl paled even further and hurried her pace. As they trekked through the forest and outside of the Land of Fire, she began to wonder on what would happen after tonight. Would she ever see her teammates again? What about Kakashi-Sensei? How would they think of her after word got out that she left the village? The Higurashi's heart plummeted at all the plausible answers that filled her mind. For a brief moment she wished that there was a way to stop time altogether; that way she could see all of her friends and never have to leave, let alone betray them so harshly. The idea was quickly scrubbed from her mind and Kagome focused her attention back on Itachi. For now the only thing that she could do was follow his orders and hope that everything would be alright in the end.
As the moon began to rise in the night sky, her life as a missing ninja began. A life that would always be plunged in the darkness of the night…
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke trudged through the front gates. The sun had long since fallen and it was no longer as hot as it had once been. However after several days spent sweating it out in the Sand Village, Kakashi-Sensei and Kagome never showed up to help out with the mission. So they were left to put up with Lee's and Gai's boisterous antics. Even Naruto himself, the most hyperactive one of them all, seemed to be rather peeved with them after the first few hours of being stuck together.
The blond's brow twitched, "Where the hell are they anyways? Weren't they supposed to have met up with us earlier this week?" He demanded rather than questioned. Sakura glanced at his sour expression. Normally she would have struck her teammate and told him to mind his own business. But now she had to agree with him. Where were they? It wasn't like Kagome to skip out on a mission.
"….I'm worried about them…" The kunoichi said softly. She held her hands close to her chest. Something was off about this whole situation. First Kakashi-Sensei broke up their team temporarily so they could 'talk' about something and then they don't show up at all to help out with a mission? Sure she'd expect their teacher to be absent, but not Kagome.
Naruto's azure gaze watched her with an intensity that she wasn't used to. "Do you think… something happened?" He questioned. The boy uncrossed his arms and a sense of dread was beginning to fill his being. Sasuke examined his teammates. As Kagome's rival, he was quite aware of how her mind worked. She was rather complex in her tactics but she was also predictable in her mannerisms. Never the one to turn down a challenge if presented to her. So her absence was indeed curious.
"I'm going to go check and see if she's home." Sakura said quickly. She swiftly pivoted on her heel and ran North to the edge of the Village. A cluster of apartment complexes sat side by side, leaving only small alleyways no bigger than a person's shoulder length between each edifice. The girl's emerald gaze spotted the familiar red and white building that both Naruto and Kagome resided in. They had been neighbors for several years now and that was how they originally met each other.
"Oi! Sakura-chan!" Said boy called out from behind. His hand gently fell upon her shoulder. "You ready to go?" He questioned, holding up a small key in his other hand. She nodded at him. Having been left behind, Sasuke slowly trailed behind his other two teammates as they made their way up the concrete stairs. His expression turned serious. Could something have happened while they were away? And why were they separated in the first place? He needed to speak with Kakashi.
The trio climbed to the top of the stairs. They worked their way through a maze of hallways until they reached the far east corner. On the right was a dull grey metallic door with the number "435" painted red on its surface.
"This is it." Naruto gulped. He looked at the key in his hand. Taking it, he pushed the item into the lock and twisted it. The bolts unlocked allowing them to enter into the apartment. Having been friends for so long, he and Kagome both held the keys to the other's apartments. They were very close and would often spend time together outside of missions.
Cell Seven slowly made their way inside. The walls were bare save for a few cracks where it appeared that a few kunai had been tossed at. All of her clothing was hung neatly in the closet and there even seemed to be items left in the cupboard. Sakura moved around the twin sized bed. She examined it closely. Kagome had always been a neat person, but something was off. Her eyes landed on the window sill to find that a small plant that Naruto had given her was missing.
"Naruto look! That bamboo plant that you gave her, it's gone!" She hastily pointed out. The boy's eyes widened.
"Maybe she just moved it?" He questioned, looking around the suite to find the missing plant. Sakura shook her head.
"No way. It was still too small for it to be moved to a bigger location. Also," She indicated the large window that it once sat before, "This would be the best place for it receive sunlight. It's the only window in her apartment…. Do you think she went some where's and took it with her?"
The blond began to sweat. It couldn't be… could it? Sasuke moved to the nightstand. He didn't find any importance in a missing plant. However he did find it odd that the only picture she ever had in her home was missing. The frame was left without the image it was supposed to represent.
"Guys, take a look at this." His pale hand pointed to the empty frame lying innocently on her nightstand. Sakura moved beside him and looked at it severely.
"Maybe…?" Her hand rested on the drawer knob. Taking a deep breath she pulled it open. Inside rested the picture that Team Seven had taken shortly after they were formed. Naruto and Sasuke stood on either side of them, glaring at each other over the top of the girl's heads. While Kakashi stood over his students with a smile beneath his masked face. The pink haired kunoichi gently pulled it out and flipped it over. In blue ink, two simple words were hastily written on the white surface. Sakura stared at it in horror. Turning to her male comrades she yelled, "Naruto! Go to the Training Grounds and look for her! I'm going to Lady Tsunade! Sasuke you should go to Kakashi and get information out of him! And hurry!" Without waiting for their replies, she allowed for the picture to drop back onto the night stand and rushed out to find her mentor.
Naruto stared at her in confusion. What was that all about? He moved to Sasuke's side to look at the message written on the picture:
I'm Sorry
The Jinchuuriki stared at the message. Sorry? What would she be sorry for? He turned his attention back to his rival, "Oi teme, what is she sorry for?" The Uchiha didn't respond. Instead he began to feel around the bottom of the drawer, as if searching for something more. Naruto looked at him suspiciously, "Hey, what are you doing?" Again he was met with silence. After several tense minutes there was a sharp 'clicking' sound and the base board in the drawer popped open.
"I knew it." Sasuke stated. He pulled up the loose board and sitting at the bottom was another picture; one that neither of them had ever seen before. Naruto peered over the Uchiha's shoulder.
"Who's that?" He questioned.
The image was of a young woman. Her appearance was similar to Kagome's. The same crystal blue eyes and dark colored hair, but there was something different about them. Where Kagome's expression was always calculative and somewhat playful, this woman's expression was grim and her eyes seemed to hold some sort of haunting knowledge. As if she had lived through hell itself. By her side was a young, smiling girl. One of her tiny hands hung onto the older woman's haori while the other seemed to be offering her a small pink flower.
"…Wait… Is that… Kagome?" He pointed to the child in the image.
Sasuke ignored his question. He pocketed the picture and began to leave the apartment. "There's no use looking for her now, Naruto. Kagome's already gone."
The blond grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "The hell does that mean!" He shook his comrade roughly with each word he spoke. It wasn't like Sasuke to just give up on anything. And what exactly did he mean by 'Kagome's already gone'. Where would she have gone to in the first place!
"Just as I said. Kagome. Is. Gone. She probably left the Village while we were still out on our mission." The Uchiha's eyes seemed to darken, "There's someone I need to speak to." He quickly slapped the boy's hands away from his shirt. "Don't follow me!"
Before Naruto could react, Sasuke had disappeared into the night.
"Dammit!" The blond cursed. Now what was he supposed to do? He looked back at the picture of Cell Seven still lying on the night stand. His gaze softened. Picking up the picture, he gently folded it and placed it securely in his jacket's pocket. For now he'd look for her at the training grounds and the surrounding forests. If Kagome was still not located than he'd find Sakura again and attempt to figure out what to do from there.
'Just hang in there Kagome-chan, I'll bring you back…'
With that thought in his mind Naruto went in search of his missing friend….
Kakashi slouched in the wooden chair. Several empty shot glasses were left lying in disarray on the table before him. And for the first time his mask was pulled down to expose a face brutally scarred and worn down with stress. So this was how it all ended? First he failed Obito. Then Rin disappeared from the Village never to be seen again. Now one of his precious students was cruelly ripped away from her home and forced into the life of a missing ninja against her will? What else lie ahead of him? How many other people would suffer by his side? The silver haired man filled up another shot of sake and downed it in a single gulp.
For a week now he had holed himself up in his apartment-avoiding his colleagues and students. How could he face them after such a miserable failure? His headband rested on the table a few short feet away from the sake bottle. He stared at the leaf emblem engraved on it. He used to know what it stood for, now he wasn't so sure. Since when did the Village need to sacrifice its youth to keep afloat? Since when did it need to sacrifice its very future to protect its current 'peace'? How could they even call it 'peace' if it was achieved on the blood of innocent?
The man closed his eyes as someone knocked on his door harshly. He could only guess who would be at his door this late in the evening. Kakashi grabbed the thin fabric of his mask and pulled it back over his face. As he stood from his chair he reached for his headband and tied it over his Sharingan. He slowly made his way to his front door and unlocked it. He wasn't all that surprised to find the Uchiha standing on his doorstep.
"What happened?" Was all that the boy said. His tone was demanding and his expression was more serious than he had ever seen it before.
"So you know already?" Kakashi asked in return.
"I know that Kagome is gone…" Sasuke's dark gaze pinned his teacher with an intense glare, "But what I want to know is why? You were the last person to be seen with her so what exactly happened after we left? Did you purposely split our team so she could leave? If that's the case…" The Uchiha was cut off abruptly.
"For as sharp as you are Sasuke, you of all people should know that I'd never do something like that." The older man's voice was sharp and full of an emotion that the boy had only heard in him a few other times in his life. It was anger and rage.
The pupil's brow twitched at the jab. "So what did happen? One of our teammates just doesn't run off without a reason…" His gaze darkened, "What do you know Kakashi?" The sensei glared down at his protégé for his obvious disrespect.
"There is nothing that I can divulge to you Sasuke. Go home."
The Uchiha made a grab for his "teacher's" shirt. The Jounin swiftly dodged the attack, took hold of the boy's arm, and twisted it behind his back. "I will not repeat myself. Go home. There is nothing that I can tell you."
Sasuke ripped his arm from Kakashi's grasp, "You won't tell me? Or you can't tell me?"
The man's one visible eye darkened and the bags beneath them became more prominent. "You already know that answer. You will need to find the rest on your own." Guilt weighed down on Kakashi. He would have wanted nothing more than to inform his students of the circumstances behind their teammates departure, however protocol and the 'Village's peace' depended on his silence. If a single word of the truth spilled from his lips than he would soon find himself six-feet-under with kunai buried in his back.
"So then, this runs much deeper than Kagome just going AWOL." The tween turned his back on his 'mentor', "I get it now." With that the young boy had left the man to wallow in his guilt and despair. He had much more important matters to attend to…
Sakura slammed her fist on her Hokage's bed chambers.
"Lady Tsunade!" The kunoichi yelled frantically. "Lady Tsunade, Kagome-chan is missing!" She continued calling out for her mentor, her voice becoming louder and higher pitched with each cry.
Tsunade stood on the other side of the doorway. Her amber gaze was somber and full of guilt. Because of the selfish actions of the counsel, she now had to deal with the fallout. How could she even look at Sakura and give her the 'information' that they directed her to say? How could she lie to her one and only pupil so blatantly? Her hand remained at her side, unmoving.
No. She didn't have the strength to open that door and face the reality of the fallout. For the past week she had dreaded this moment. The moment she knew when one of team seven, either Naruto or Sakura (she hadn't been sure which would confront her first), would knock on her door and demand answers.
"Sakura-san!" Tsunade heard Shizune's voice call out.
The sound of the pink haired child running to her assistant echoed loudly in her ears.
"Shizune-san! Kagome-chan… she's gone!" Sakura wheezed out between sobs. Fear and desperation had taken a hold of her and now she was consumed with the feeling of helplessness. Where could she have gone and why? Tears trailed down the young girl's face as her co-worker attempted to console her.
"Sakura-chan, I want you to take a deep breath okay. I'll wake up the Hokage and bring Team Seven together for a meeting. We'll explain everything then." The dark haired woman quickly maneuvered the crying girl to a bench a few feet away, "Please wait here while I get everyone here okay? Ino-san will wait here with you for the time being."
The blonde kunoichi stared at her 'friend' in utter shock. Kagome missing? When, and more importantly why? Kagome was never the type to betray the Village. She loved it so much that she even supported Naruto in his efforts to become Hokage. She saw something in him that she deemed 'worthy' of being a leader. Although what that was, Ino herself couldn't even figure out.
She had just been helping Shizune-san file some paperwork before heading home when they saw Sakura bawling her eyes out and yelling for their Hokage. Ino watched as Shizune quickly rushed into Lady Tsunade's personal bed chambers with a grim expression set on her face. The girl stared at the door for a moment, listening intently at the hushed whispers echoing through the door. Ino turned her gaze back to Sakura who had quieted down just enough to attempt to listen in on her superiors. The blonde's heart softened at her appearance. She looked so pale and fragile. Her pink hair was frizzed and unkempt. Red blotches from her tears left its mark at the edges of her eyes down her cheeks. But most notably of all, was the slouched position that she was in. Her back was hunched and her hands were held tightly to her chest-as if she had just been given one of the heaviest burdens to bear of all.
The genin sat silently next to her old friend and rival. There were no words that she could say that would help lighten the burden that Sakura now had to carry. So she said none. The two watched as Shizune rushed out of the Hokage's chambers towards the messenger's station. Soon, they would have to hear of their friend's betrayal and she was sure that it wouldn't be accepted very likely by her team. Dysfunctional antics aside, Team Seven was one of the most closely knit of all the teams. It was like they had bonded together like a family-something that her team had yet to do.
Reaching over, Ino took Sakura's hand supportively. As her comrade, it was her duty to stand by her side no matter what the situation. Even their notorious rivalry would have to be put on hold. Right now, she needed her to truly be her friend and support her through this. And she'd be damned if she ever turned her back on a comrade. After all it was her nindo to stick by the ones that she loved. No matter how much Chouji and Shikamaru angered and irritated her, she'd always be there to stand by their side and protect them. So now she'd do the same for Sakura.
The girls waited in front of the Hokage's office silently with their hands linked together. Without any words or form of oral communication, they held firm and supported each other as they waited for the meeting to begin…
Kagome huffed, rolling on her side to avoid the blow. Her senses heightened as the sound of kunai knives twirling through the air echoed in her ears. She tilted her head to the side accordingly as the metallic objects whizzed past, then crouched and ran low to the ground. Her dark hair billowed behind her as she charged her attacker.
Crimson orbs watched her form from high in the tree tops.
"Too slow. Pick up the pace." Itachi commanded.
The tween huffed again from her breathlessness, and then tried to maneuver around the teen as quickly as possible. If she could just get into his blind spot then…She stopped and suddenly jumped back as another kunai embedded itself on the branch she had just landed on.
"Do you want to help out your Village or not?" The Uchiha questioned stoically, but his gaze held a sharp edge to them that she was not accustomed to. The ex Leaf Ninja stopped in her tracks.
"Help the Village, yes. Help Naruto, yes. But help the Elders? No. I will never help them. Not after everything they've done to me and my team." Her voice became embittered and full of anger. His crimson orbs locked onto her for a long moment. A look of contemplation overtook his expression.
Suddenly he took a kunai knife and tossed it directly towards her head. She titled her head slightly to the left and the kunai quickly launched itself into the tree behind her.
"Look closely at that blade and tell me what you see." He commanded.
The girl's gaze narrowed but slid towards the metallic object. She grasped onto it and roughly pulled it from the bark. The object itself was covered in dirt and bits of bark were still attached to its tip.
"Just scratch marks and filth." Kagome commented. She flipped the blade over while wiping the side of it with her bare hand.
"Look closer." He responded quickly.
As the dirt rubbed left dark marks on her pale skin, a symbol was beginning to become visible underneath. Her gaze widened.
"That's…"
The teen merely watched her ever changing expressions with a cool gaze. The genin turned missing nin looked at the tiny leaf symbol on the kunai knife. What was he still doing with one of these?
"It is the kunai knife that the ANBU Black Ops gave to me after I became their captain. Now tell me, what do you think it means?"
"What do you mean? It's a symbol for Konoha." She stated bluntly.
"Ah, but what does Konoha stand for?" The tween looked at him curiously with those words, "You will need to make a decision of whether you truly wish to feed information back to the village or not. Either way your death does not concern the elders all that much. If you die they will simply replace you. So tell me, can you fight for a Village that's so willing to toss you aside like garbage?"
The young girl stared long and hard at the symbol. Could she really help out a Village that had betrayed her so horribly? Her gaze darkened and a great anger at the elders began to swell beneath her breast. So is this what she had become? An expendable pawn? Absolutely not! She would allow for that! But, what to do from here?
'Kagome! Let's go get some ramen!'
She stopped as those words echoed in her head. 'Naruto...' her heart clenched at the idea of betraying him. However it was far too late to go back on her decision. If what Itachi said was true and that the counsel truly didn't care whether she survived or not outside of the Akatsuki, then her return to the village will only end in death. It would not do to have the ninja they sent on a suicide mission to return and spill the beans on their secret operations. If the other clans found out about this, than it could cause them to revolt. What clan would want to work under a regime that held no care for their children?
No. She could not return to the village. But what did that leave her with? Become the Village's messenger and feed information from inside the Akatsuki?
"What is your choice Higurashi Kagome?"
The kunoichi stared at symbol engraved in the blade's metallic surface. What did it mean to her now? What could she do for the people she left behind?
"I don't know..."
"That's not good enough. You cannot enter the organization without a goal. Now, what is your goal?"
"My goal..." she stopped. Her crystal gaze glanced at her reflection shinning behind the symbol on the kunai. It seemed so strange to her to see a mark crossed through her headband like it was. It felt so foreign and undesirable. She wanted to wear her head protector with pride. She wanted to go home. But that was not possible. So she would do the next best thing...
"My goal is to protect the ones I love." Her gaze hardened as she looked back at Itachi's stoic form, "I will take on this mission entrusted to me."
Naruto Fan's Notes: Okay, let me give you a fair warning now. No character is safe in this story. I won't spoil any more than that. For all those who responded to this story, thank you all so VERY much! I greatly appreciate every review! So I hope that you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the previous one and please let me know what you think!
