Chapter 3: Bonds
Sasuke's hands clenched to fists, seeing them point at the bare asphalt.
Was this some kind of joke?
He needed the scroll and those two kids were just in their way. If they couldn't help them, then he was maybe better off without them. "Let's get going! I don't have all day," he growled to the Hyuga and Terra gave him a disapproving look.
He really needs to know how to let loose!
"B-But, Sasuke, we don't know where to look for the scroll," she protested, keeping her voice low.
"And you think they can find it? They don't even know that we were Shinobi," Sasuke mocked before starting to walk away, expecting Hinata to follow.
Terra and Beast Boy shot him a disapproving look before the shape-shifter turned to the Byakugan user.
"Forget about him! He probably doesn't know where he even lost it," he chuckled and she glanced at him in worry who still seemed to want to find the scroll on his own since he hadn't turned around. "Hey, Hinata! If you want, you can hang out around our place. I don't think you can afford any hotel, right?"
Terra helped with the translation until a look of understanding crossed Hinata's face. "You know what? How about you have some fun while you're in Jump?" the sixth Titan suggested and Beast Boy quickly agreed before both took hold of her hands and the girl felt a little uncomfortable at all the closeness.
"I-I…don't think…I understand what you're saying," Hinata mumbled and Sasuke watched her from the corner of his eyes, hearing her nervousness.
"Just trust us," Terra smiled and they began pulling her along and Sasuke stopped in his tracks.
He couldn't just leave her alone! What if they were kidnapping her?
He let out a sigh before following the 3.
It didn't take very long until the blonde-haired girl and the green boy stopped…at an amusement park.
"The perfect place for some fun and to loosen up a bit," Terra grinned. "Your friend needs some of these rides."
Hinata only cocked her head before they nudged her forward and she complied. Her eyes took in bright and colorful lights and the strange structures that turned, bobbed or swayed.
This place somehow reminded her a little of the few festivals Konoha would hold and she lowered her head.
She was beginning to feel homesick already.
"So what ride do you want to try first?"
Hinata looked up to see the changeling smiling at her – and she realized how much she missed Naruto's smile.
She gave a weak smile back, not sure how to answer what she didn't understand.
"How about that one?" Terra suggested and pointed to the Ferris wheel and Hinata visibly admired its size as it stretched into the evening sky.
"I think that's a 'yes.' I mean who doesn't like some romantic view," the changeling smirked, glancing at Terra and she giggled a little.
"I think you forgot that she doesn't really have a date with her."
"Says who? Mr. 'Too Cool' kept following her all the way here," Beast Boy grinned, pointing behind himself and Terra saw Sasuke turning away from them, pretending to look at a cotton candy stand.
"Then be my guest."
The shape-shifter pulled the confused girl by her hand before reaching the cabin of the Ferris Wheel and opened the door for her.
Did…she have to go in there?
She gave a confused look towards the shape-shifter.
"Come on! It's gonna be fun!" he smiled at her to reassure her and as an answer she nodded her head lightly.
Suddenly his communicator began ringing and he pulled it out of his belt.
"What's up, Robin?"
"It's Plasmus! Come to the museum!" Robin's voice replied before his device turned off.
"Trouble," he told his teammate and her look turned serious before both turned away. "Wait here, until we get back. It won't-"
"Let us come with you," Hinata said, determination leaking into her voice and the two Titans looked at her in confusion before she activated her Byakugan and smiled at them.
"You want to help us? Uh…sure, why not," Terra mumbled but returned her smile afterwards.
"Why do you want to help them?" Sasuke growled as he stopped in his tracks further away before the two Titans passed him, Hinata following them before turning towards Sasuke for a moment.
"Because they are comrades."
Sasuke sighed in defeat before following them.
At least he might get some training done before going home.
They soon arrived at the site of the battle and it seemed they arrived on time as Plasmus managed to get a hit at Starfire who was in collision course with Cyborg when he threw a car.
He lifted another one when Terra stopped him by ripping off a piece of asphalt and flinging it at him, knocking him backwards. But being sturdy, he morphed back from the puddle he had turned into and shot 3 globs of goo at the new arrivals and they scattered to evade.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, deciding to end this nuisance quickly after seeing that Hinata didn't get far in destroying the slime monster.
"Uh…my hand-"she groaned as her hand was being pulled in before Raven wrapped her hand in dark energy and helped the girl escape captivity.
She turned to attack Plasmus when she heard the voice of the raven-haired newcomer.
"Chidori!" Sasuke bellowed before using chakra-enhanced footsteps to reach the monster faster and stab it, causing it to howl in a strange voice as jolts of electricity zapped around it.
And suddenly Plasmus burst, covering the others in pink slime and Sasuke smirked…only for his smirk to fall, seeing Plasmus having simply split into 8 smaller versions of himself.
At least, he was some sort of challenge.
He was about to use his Fireball Jutsu to get rid of the nuisance…when his Sharingan noticed an explosion that occurred in the distance.
What could that have been?
Fighting this pink creature might have been good training…but what if that explosion could lead him to his scroll?
He couldn't risk that chance.
Sasuke gave a quick glance and was pleased to see the others being still busy with that pink thing and using his channeled chakra, he bolted away from them.
But Hinata soon noticed his absence with the aid of her Byakugan, even seeing to some extend where he was running to. "Sasuke! I can't let him go alone," she said, avoiding another glob of goo before she dashed after him.
"Wait-"
Terra's shout was interrupted by Raven as she slammed one of the Plasmus' into the closest shop with her magic and turned to her.
"Let them go! We can handle this ourselves," she groaned, knocking down another one after evading a few attacks.
"It's not about handling it, Raven," Beast Boy spoke in defense before Raven narrowed her eyes at Beast Boy.
"We don't know anything about them…other that they don't come from Jump City," she said in a cold voice.
"They are from Konoha," the shape-shifter said before she raised an eyebrow.
"And do you know where that is?"
Beast Boy gave a nervous chuckle and Raven crossed her arms.
"I thought so. I didn't trust them anyways – especially that boy," she muttered and Terra felt strangely angry at Raven's words.
"Just because you don't know where they came from?" she asked in disbelief and Raven narrowed her eyes at Terra.
"I can feel it. Something's not right. I have a feeling that all this anger and darkness…might make him…evil. He seems like he doesn't care much about friends," she said and Terra felt a strange stabbing sensation in her chest and turned away.
Raven's words touched her – and not in a good way.
"Raven…" the shape-shifter growled before Robin interrupted him.
"Focus on Plasmus," he growled, throwing an explosive disk at an approaching pink glob.
"Didn't you say you managed to beat him?" Beast Boy questioned, remembering that he said so yesterday.
How did Plasmus get out so fast?
"I did…but someone must have helped him escape," he said as he narrowed his eyes focusing on another Plasmus.
Eyes widened in surprise and Terra looked up at Robin.
"Then could it be…that Plasmus…is just a decoy?" she asked and Robin's eyes widened at hearing this possibility.
But why?
Meanwhile Sasuke had just arrived at the scene of the crime (almost getting hit by a car and hitting a car as well). The building that had exploded had been an electronics store, specialized in computer software and hardware but Sasuke, of course, didn't care about what the shop sold.
His attention was drawn to the few people that apparently were rummaging through the store.
Could it be that they had the scroll?
He entered the shop and saw them turning around, one of them having a small computer chip in his hand…but his gaze was quickly brought back to their faces – to their orange masks.
"Tell me if you have the scroll and I might let you go unharmed," Sasuke spoke with a level voice.
Unfortunately, the figures were not level-headed and charged at him.
With quick reflexes, he dodged them before changing to attack, punching one, slicing with his kunai through the other and impaling another with a few shuriken.
Just then, he saw sparks fly from them and he approached before lifting one of the masks away.
His eyes opened wide, seeing that they were only robots before he heard footsteps approaching and turned around to see a fist flying towards him. He managed to catch the fist before coming face to face with a black and orange mask before Sasuke was surprised with a knee to his stomach and sent into the air.
But Sasuke caught himself quickly and landed in crouching position and watched as a tall, masked man approached him. "Who do you think you are?" Sasuke growled, his red eyes narrowing menacingly at the man…and he replied with chuckling before his voice sounded in English again.
Again? Was he…working for them?
"I'm of no importance. But you can call me Slade," the masked man replied…and his voice was now distorted to sound Japanese.
He could understand him! But how? What kind of jutsu is this?
"Tell me what's going on! Are you the one that has the scroll?" he growled, not liking his calm demeanor one bit.
He had a strikingly similar resemblance to Orochimaru in that aspect and it unnerved Sasuke.
"How about we see if you are worthy of any answers?" he replied and with an angered cry, Sasuke lunged himself at Slade, evading a punch and blocking a kick before countering.
But Slade was only knocked back a bit and Sasuke decided to get serious, pulling out a kunai and throwing it at him. Slade evaded with a tilt of the head but was surprised at how fast Sasuke got to him.
Sasuke's hand was covered in Chidori and he buried his hand in the man's chest, expecting to see blood.
But what he saw were blue sparks…again.
"W-what?"
And in all this confusion, he didn't notice that the robot with the microchip managed to silently slip out of the store.
Sasuke ripped off the mask of Slade to confirm his suspicion and was faced with the same mask on a small computer screen.
"Looking for this?" Slade in the screen said, holding up a scroll and Sasuke stared in shock.
How could he get to it?
"I think you earned your prize after our little match. Come to the southern part of the city tomorrow. I will await you by the docks," he spoke calmly before the screen turned black.
And Sasuke smashed the screen with his fist in sheer rage.
"S-sasuke?"
Hinata's voice brought his attention back and he straightened up and tried to catch his breath, the anger getting to him.
"W-what happened?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice as her eyes took in the scraps of metal scattered around the floor.
More footsteps approached and Sasuke turned around to come face to face with the Teen Titans and he deactivated his Sharingan.
He was too angry to fight and decided to give Hinata her answer. "I found the scroll. And it's with a masked man named Slade."
