Sacred Sin
Was it doubted that those who corrupt their own bodies conceal themselves?
And if those who defile the living are as bad as they who defile the dead?
They say your life flashes before your eyes, when death is impending, when it's inevitable. She only heard his voice in her ear, going against his ally, her enemy, all for her.
"I can't let you hurt her, she can do the same thing you can, she can restore my sanity…and I need her."
His back blocked her vision, obstructed Sasuke's displeased anger along with his little lackey's sneer. She let out a breath that she was only vaguely aware of holding and readjusted herself on the ground, ready to run if it came down to it. She looked around, as subtly as she could, to see if Chouji was somewhere around the present surroundings, he wasn't.
She flinched at her old flame's words, "And what would you need with someone as useless as she?"
"My humanity. You can only calm me with your kekki genkai, but-"
"And isn't that what you wanted, Juugo? To be calmed down." He stated with a cold intention, to persuade Juugo otherwise, or kill him in the process. Ino inched away ever so slowly; if Sasuke could make him do his bidding once, what chances did she have that he wouldn't do it again?
She saw him bow his head, "Yes, but-"
"Then get out of my way." His icy command felt like shards penetrating her skin. She didn't expect him to truly keep his promise, especially since they were fighting on different sides.
This was it, should she have to run, she'd know the best route to take, but what about Chouji and Shikamaru?
…What about that golden-eyed little boy?…
She raised her head, taking another look at his built upper back to his lower, knowing that he was far from being a little boy. He simply was one trapped in a grown man's body. That still didn't ease the pang of guilt she felt.
If anything is sacred the human body is sacred,
And the glory and sweet of a man is the token of manhood untainted,
And in man or woman a clean, strong, firm-fibred body, is more beautiful than the most beautiful face…
He winced as he felt the shape edge of the blade slice the palm of his hand. He knew Sasuke was holding back, in case he did decide to change his mind and allow him to decapitate his angel.
Heh, she wasn't exactly his, but the thought was nice to think about.
His breathing hitched once again. He didn't feel the loss of his control, yet, but a pressure in his chest was building, making it harder to breath. He took his eyes of the narrowed bloodied stare of his medium and turned his head, to see her.
She looked frightened, but not at him, which he had feared for a moment. She looked past him and then focused her azure orbs on him again.
He promised her, promised those eyes, that he would protect her. He drank in her appearance; from her petite feet, her long legs, her chest rising and falling with every breath she took, back up to her face. He already made the resolution to protect her, but going against Sasuke was not an easy task.
The katana's point made its way to Juugo's stomach, begging to penetrate it. "Last chance Juugo. Move, or die with her."
He'd have to do this quick if this was going to work.
He looked up at his leader, "You're right, I made a promise."
Sasuke glared at him and Juugo winced again at the katana's slight prod. Juugo let go of the sword, stepping to the side.
"Sasuke, it's a trick!" Karin screamed and Juugo narrowed his eyes at the redhead. Before Sasuke could begin to ask about the deception, hundreds of birds swept down from the treetops, pecking endlessly at Karin and Sasuke. He grabbed Ino, making sure to cover her mouth as they escaped the clearing.
Have you seen the fool that corrupted his own live body? Or the fool that corrupted her own live body?
For they do not conceal themselves, and cannot conceal themselves…
A scream pleaded to rip itself away from her throat, as they passed several trees in a hasty fashion. She was being held hostage, wasn't she? Did he not move out of the way so that she could be a victim to Sasuke's onslaught?
Or worse…was he saving her?
Yamanaka Ino did not like to be saved; it was annoying. But she may have made the exception in this case. Also, her mouth was covered with his large hand, so she couldn't state her dislike about how the situation was handled just yet.
His strong arms encased her lithe frame and his hand remained poised over her mouth until they reached a cave nearby, but far enough not to be tracked, for now.
She felt herself pushed against a wall, albeit roughly, and looked at him with wide eyes. He looked back at her apologetically and she narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry I had to do that…" He trailed off, looking towards the opening of the cave, and then turning back to her, "But I had to distract Sasuke. I'll help you find your friends, but you've got to trust me."
She continued to glare at him for a moment, then her narrowed stare eased and she looked down at his hand over her mouth and looked back at him, indicating that she wouldn't scream, she just wanted to talk.
He finally took his cupped hand away from her mouth and stepped back, giving her room. She breathes in and out for a few moments, recollecting her thoughts before she spoke, "Do you know where they are?"
He sighed, "I'm pretty sure Karin and Sasuke have your fa-"
"Buxom," She said hastily, cutting between his comment.
He raised his eyebrow, "Right, your buxom friend. Suigetsu's watching the perimeter and I don't know about the one who controls shadows."
She nodded, taking in the information, "Then we should go and try to find him, he'll know what to do." He looked at her intently and she felt self-conscious under his gaze. Ino felt blood rushing to her face and she turned away from him, her hair blocking his view, "We should go."
"Yes, we should," He said finally as he followed her out of the cave.
Exquisite senses, life-lit eyes, pluck, volition,
Flakes of breast-muscle, pliant backbone and neck, flesh not flabby, good-sized arms and legs,
And wonders within there yet…
He felt more human, being around her. He couldn't quite explain why or how, but it hardly mattered to him at the moment. He also noticed how he couldn't stop himself from looking at her, but he tried to ease that thought to the back of his mind. That numbing warmth he felt in his midsection didn't cease either, he still felt her in his arms. The way her eyes looked in the cave, cerulean with the lack of light, but full of life nonetheless.
Karin was a woman, and yet, he felt nothing of that nature, being around her. Then again, Karin's eyes were like Sasuke's bloodied red, she didn't have eyes that were like the sky, eyes a bird could fly free through…
He wasn't even aware that women could look like that, being human. In his time incarcerated, he had heard such rumors, of women being referred to as angels and she-devils. Most of these were from seedy guards of course, but they had caught Juggo's attention once or twice.
He noticed she slowed her pace and he quickly caught up with her. "What's wrong?"
Her eyebrows wrinkled towards the center, "Nothing, it's just really quiet around here…" Ino looked around in a few directions, and then looked back at him, "Are you always so quiet?"
He reacted to her question, a bit more surprised than he should've been, "Yes."
She smiled at him again, and that warm feeling returned to his mid-section, "I thought so."
Examine these limbs, red, black, or white, they are cunning in tendon and nerve;
They shall be stript that you may see them…
She didn't know how it happened, he was fine when they entered the clearing…
They saw two things that were wrong with the scene, a Cosmos and a Tibetan Free. Both rare to the specific area; the flower and the bird respectively.
The plump, small bird dipped its beak into the lavish flower and Ino had commented that that type of flower typically didn't grow in this area. Juugo's eyes remained specifically on the bird.
His breathing hitched and became erratic and Ino looked over to see him clutching his head. "Ino, run. Run away from me."
She was confused, "Why, what's wrong?"
He was breathing in huffs of breaths and it only increased how worried she was, "Please, go."
She got closer and touched his right shoulder. Juugo's head snapped to the touch "Go!" His voice was rough, his eyes larger and possessed. Ino began to back away and Juugo's eyes widened again in fear, "No, don't leave…"
"Tell me what's wrong." She insisted, wanting to help.
"I-I don't feel well," He ended lamely, confusing Ino even more, "If I lose control…help me." He said his plea, looking into her scared blue eyes.
"How? I don't know-"
"Do what you did last time, please." He breathed his last request and she frowned. Entering his mind this time wouldn't be simple. It'd be unsafe and leave them exposed.
She had another idea, already forming the hand signs with nimble fingers. She enacted her Mind Disturbance jutsu, hoping this would work. She noticed thick intertwining vein like marks, stretching from the back of his blond mane, near the front of his face, the arteries in his eyes pulsating.
"Ino," He whispered, his voice getting deeper by the minute. She knew that if this didn't work, she might not leave this clearing, but she wasn't betting on it.
"Juugo, do you want to hurt me?" She answered him with a question. The whites of his eyes was dimming, she had to work fast. When he didn't answer immediately, she called his name again.
"No." He struggled to move and she winced. Holding him steady was getting harder by the moment.
"Then don't hurt me. You don't have to be like this," She pleaded with the shred of humanity that still remained.
The marks wavered, spreading all over his face, then back to his cheeks, "I was born this way," He shut his eyes again as he struggled with inner demons.
"Yes, but you don't have to be this way." She took a deep breath in and exhaled, making sure to hold her jutsu. She saw the marks spread to his hands and dance across his features as he squared his jaw, his mane intensifying by growing bolder and more outright. He shut his eyes as he shook on the spot.
He opened his eyes and those golden irises were gone, replaced by a crazed stripped pattern, "Juugo, please, do you want to kill me?" She whispered her last question, afraid of what the answer may be.
He gritted his teeth, "Ino…"
The continual changes of the flex of the mouth and around the eyes,
The skin, the sun-burnt shade, freckles, hair,
The curious sympathy one feels, when feeling with the hand the naked meat of the body…
Losing control, the one thing he always feared. Was being around an angel simply too much for a demon to bear, when he could tear her to shreds without regard…?
He stared into the depths of her eyes; they were so blue…
He stared at the curves of her mouth, telling, begging him to reach an equilibrium he wasn't sure he could reach.
She bit the side of her lower lip and he lost his reasoning for keeping in control. What he could do to her if out of this invisible grip…
"Juugo," Her voice cracked and his mind wiped clean from all those improper thoughts. "I'm running out of chakra…"
Primal instincts told him it wouldn't be soon before long. He would have his way with her. His humanity fought back, demanding that Ino, his Ino, wouldn't be hurt, especially by him.
He snarled and Ino flinched. Juugo shut his eyes and fought his urges, using his resolve as his weapon. He visualized those marks etched on his face, fading away, being pushed back. The squirming on his face felt strong then moved further to the back of his neck. They slowly subsided and he exhaled, feeling a release. He opened his eyes, no longer seeing the enraged blur that clouded them, he only saw her, looking less scared and more relieved.
"Are you…?" She trailed off, letting the question hand in the air.
He barely smiled, "Yes, I'm fine now."
She let go of her seal and she stepped forward once. He stepped towards her and then dropped to his knees, hugging her legs. Ino nearly stumbled with the abrupt contact, but he steadied her. Numbly, she let her hands roam through the spikes of his wild mane, relishing its softness as she closed her eyes from exhaustion.
She stood there for several moments, her head bowed and eyes closed, letting him hold her lower body, each one of his touches to her lower calf electrifying.
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them,
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul…
TBC…
Part two's done! Part two's done! (Does happy dance)
Thanks to everyone's who has read!
DarkSmile -Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you thought that the plot 's original!
Coco-Minu -More Awesome? I was ALREADY Awesome? Sweet. Well, I knew that of course, but still, you always give me good compliments! Thanks, and this particular couple has just been buzzing in my head…like a pathetic fly that just keeps saying "Write me! Writeeee meeee!" Needless to say, my mother had to beg me to finally go to bed. Seriously though, I would like to know that Juugo x Ino challenge...
And thanks to my anonymous reviewer, hope you liked this one!
Oh, if anyone wondered, the poetic excerpts (not in order) were by Walt Whitman, the poem: I Sing The Body Electric. You know, I'm not REALLY a Whitman fan, but I came across this one day in my HUGMONGOUS poetry book and…the rest's a sacred sin…;P
Part Three (hopefully) will be up soon, cross those fingers!
DAC