OMG I FAIL. I can't believe I didn't submit this yet! Like, omg. I finished it... weeks and weeks and WEEKS ago. Argh
Anyway, I hope you enjoy that last installment of "Sweet and Low" :)
Chapter 2
Two weeks later and the ANBU squad – plus Tayuya and Ibiki – were on their way to the village Tayuya had been staying at. Surprisingly, Orochimaru had moved his position to somewhere near that village during the two-week time of preparation. Tsunade and the ANBU squad were pleased about this, but it had Tayuya very worried. Ibiki questioned her about her worry when they stopped for the night, only a two hour run from the village.
"Why are you so worried?"
"Because he thinks I'm being hidden in that village, maybe?" she snapped back then quickly looked away, "I'm sorry I just – I'm worried about that old woman and her son. He wasn't that old. Maybe ten."
Ibiki just stared at her, "so you're afraid that Orochimaru...?"
"Yes."
--
Ibiki couldn't keep Tayuya from shooting off like a rocket once they reached the small village. The ANBU squad quickly dispatched to see if Orochimaru was anywhere nearby; Ibiki hurried after Tayuya.
When he found her – ten minutes later – she was trying to comfort the old woman, who was clearly relieved and angered to see her.
"Do you know how worried I was, young woman?"
"I – I had an idea, obaa-san, I just didn't expect that... enough about me! Where's Teiyo? Please tell me Teiyo's here."
Ibiki came up to stand next to Tayuya as the old woman's eyes filled with tears, "I-I don't know, Tayu-chan. A – a man came here and he -- he took my little Teiyo."
Tayuya's hands clenched into fists and she glared at the ground. Ibiki eyed here, 'she's upset now.'
"I'll find him I promise I'll – I'll bring him back home."
That night, Tayuya went straight to Ibiki's room. She walked in without knocking or asking, and then flung herself onto the bed.
"Ah – Tayuya?"
"..."
"... are you alright?"
"... no."
"What would you have me do."
"Just let me stay here."
"Very well..." he eyed her suspiciously and then went back to reading the book he had in his hands. An hour passed, and he assumed she was asleep. As he walked over to her to pick her up and take her back to her own room, she latched her arms around his neck. And kissed him.
He froze, fingers twitching. His analytic mind had no idea what to make of this, and was a useless whirring machine in his skull. She pulled back, opened her eyes and released him.
He stared at her as she lay back down on the bed, and he decided that it would be pointless to move her.
--
"I see you've found me."
"Where's Teiyo!?"
"Oh? The little boy? He's with Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru replied, taking delight in Tayuya's fury. Her pretty face twisted in a snarl, not one Ibiki would enjoy having turned on him.
She nearly attacked Orochimaru but Ibiki grabbed her arm, "leave him to the ANBU! Tsunade-sama picked them for a reason – right, Yamato-san?"
"Hai," the wood user replied before having branches wrap themselves around Orochimaru. Tayuya and Ibiki hurried down the halls in search of Teiyo. They threw open doors and left them open, running top speed to find the little boy.
'She's very worried,' Ibiki observed, 'very, very worried. I hope the boy is still alive.'
Finally, they came to the hall. Ibiki skid to a stop but Tayuya continued forward, screaming, "UCHIHA YOU BASTARD!!"
Surprisingly, Sasuke hadn't been expecting the attack, and Tayuya's fist connected solidly with his cheek. Ibiki was sure that the crack that followed the punch was very satisfying for her.
"Tayuya, find Teiyo. I'll take care of this traitor."
"Hai," she scampered off, calling the little boy's name. Ibiki heard the boy respond as he jerked Sasuke to his feet. Yamato and the other ANBU came in, but they had solemn faces.
"Orochimaru got away?"
"Yes."
"That's fine. We have Sasuke. Let's get out of here once Tayuya finds us."
"No. I'll go find her," before Ibiki could stop him, one of the ANBU shot off, calling for Tayuya.
"Orochimaru may have gone after her, Ibiki-san."
"Ah. Of course," his brows furrowed at his failure to realize this. They waited for ten minutes and were about to go off and find the two but they appeared – the ANBU was tired.
"Ran into Kabuto. She gave him one hell of a joyride, though," the ANBU reported, jerking his thumb at Tayuya who currently had her nose in the little boy's hair.
"Good you have the bo-"
"Teiyo."
"... you have Teiyo," Ibiki corrected, "and we have Sasuke. Let us leave."
--
They couldn't stay in the village very long after that, but now that Orochimaru's precious Sasuke had been taken away – and now that he had the knowledge of Tayuya not being in the small village – he had left. Ibiki assumed that he was making plans to get Sasuke back.
Teiyo and Tayuya had a difficult time separating – Teiyo was like a younger brother to her.
"Tayuya, come now. We have to get back to Konoha; staying here endangers these people."
She was quiet, and finally she stood, slowly releasing Teiyo's hand. Ibiki watched him watch her as she dragged herself toward them.
"Bye-bye, Tayuya-onee-chan."
"Bye, Teiyo. Maybe I'll visit sometime. In a year maybe."
"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."
--
The trek back to Konoha was longer than before, it seemed to Ibiki. He hadn't forgotten about the fact that Tayuya had kissed him – no, he had merely failed to bring it up. He was not a man usually confused about things, but Tayuya's kiss confused him.
As the restless group was on the last leg of their trip to Konoha, Tayuya fell into step next to Ibiki at the front; Sasuke was being dragged along, kicking and screaming, by Yamato. The ANBU had by now gotten used to his shrieks of rage about not being able to get his revenge.
"Not everybody does, jerk-bastard," Tayuya hissed under her breath. Ibiki laughed. She never failed to amuse him with her vocabulary.
A minute of silence passed, and the gates of Konoha could be seen rising in the distance when Tayuya asked, "so you aren't going to say anything, then?"
This caught Ibiki off guard and he almost informed her that he didn't know what she was talking about. He caught himself, however, and replied, "I'm not quite sure what to say. You haven't even known me that long."
She coughed lightly, "w-well that's true. I guess. But I... I don't really care. Much. At all. I mean I – um -"
"You should be quiet before you hurt yourself," he said with a smile. She punched him lightly in the arm, "oh shut up!"
"Respect your elders."
"I don't give a damn about the fact that your old!"
"Well, you should."
"And if I don't?"
He gave her a menacing look, "I might just have to interrogate you."
This silenced her but she began laughing, and hooked her arm through his. He accepted this, and her strange behavior; the fact that she liked him. She leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled peacefully, and looked ahead at the gate that opened before them, like it was opening up onto new life.
Hope the ending is fitting 3