It's Been A While
Hi everyone, I'd like to thank the people who reviewed for last chapter. Yaoilover1013, a guest, and xdevil-childx. Seriously three reviews. I tried to hold off on this chapter to get a few more reviews….guess not. :( Here's the chapter.
"I cannot land in forests of Konoha. You will have to jump off, kid!" That was what the french pilot was currently yelling to Sasuke.
The Uchiha had quickly reached Paris' airport and was allowed access to the jets, only if someone else flew him.
Sasuke nodded and placed on some ear plugs. "It get a little airy." The french pilot spoke in broken Japanese. Sasuke only placed on his pack as the glass opened.
"Thank you!" He yelled before diving off the jet. The man searched for an open area where his parachute wouldn't scrape within the forest trees.
Once found, Sasuke steered with his legs to that point. He had to get his baby.
Having time to reach ground gave the man time to think about Naruto, how Orochimaru and his men had nearly broken him.
When Naruto wrapped his legs around the snake's throat, his eyes were different.
the way his eyes would widen slightly and then narrow as if a terrible doom had been conjured into existence. This doom would kill him softly, keep him alive to feel everything. Sasuke hoped he wasn't this doom.
Sasuke saw the fear. The blue that should have been shining were replaced by a distant void. The sky turned gray and it began raining, so the blond narrowed his eyes.
There was fear. That's why Orochimaru didn't die.
The dreaded accusation that Sasuke was something not worth saving; not a monster, but a human; a being that could ruin the world with its mind, destroy it in the most exotic way possible, and then try to piece it together its own way.
Not only was their suspicion and fear, but there was the small hope that Orochimaru would do something horribly unexplained.
That was to kill him, because even while Naruto tried so hard to kill the man, his motive was dying. He wanted to be killed, meaning that whatever was happening was already killing him.
And that hurt Sasuke even more.
When the pale 23 year old reached the bottom, he removed his pack and pulled out his pistol, running in the direction of Nashi's schoolhouse, 10 meters west.
There was a slight crack ahead, one not of the branches beneath his stationary feet. No. Someone was already running toward him. Loading his gun, the Uchiha rolled out into the open and pointed his gun at the unknown target.
Three weapons were pointing back.
An assault rifle, a 30 calibre pistol, and a throwing knife.
But that wasn't what mattered to the Uchiha. What mattered were the bright, yet uncertain blue eyes peaking out from behind legs. The blond hair that fell over those eyes and the slight trembling of whisker marks.
"Mommy?" Came the whisper.
At this realization, all weapons went down.
"Kami, Sasuke." Shikamaru huffed, lowering his assault rifle with a relieved breath. "You could have been a goner."
The Uchiha had no words as he placed up his pistol on the ground, tears leaking from his eyes as Nashi ran up and jumped in his arms.
"Mommy there were mean people and uncle Shikamaru punched them and they fell asleep and auntie Hina came to take me and Danzo-jii-san said he was weally sorry." Nashi was crying too.
Not necessarily because of the things she saw, but due to the fact that Sasuke was crying himself.
"Mommy, what's wong? Why you cry?" She asked, bottom lip trembling.
Sasuke wiped his face roughly against his sleeve. He faked a laugh and hugged his daughter. "I'm just so happy to see you." He wiped her tears gently.
"Becwause now we can find daddy together?"
"Absolutely" He told his intelligent child. "I had to pause in my search and find you. If daddy is good at this game, so are you."
Nashi blushed at the praise as Sasuke looked behind her, staring into the eyes of his friends. Getting the signal, Hinata nodded and walked forward.
"I'm going to show Nashi how to pee in nature." It was, in Sasuke's eyes, the best excuse possible.
When they walked away, Sasuke stared at the other men. "I know who took Naruto and I know why."
Shikamaru opened Suigetsu's pack and pulled out some files. "So do we. Danzo had some files in his office. Sasuke, it's not your fault."
"I know that. But, it is an effect of my actions." the pale raven whispered.
Shikamaru came and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. It was a promise to Naruto; something the blond requested of him long ago.
Shikamaru jumped into the chopper next to Naruto, a bright smile on his face. "That was one hell of a mission. I see why Tsunade-baa-chan sent us both."
Shikamaru's smile grew and he nodded. "Hell yeah, man. Who would have thought the the pope was an underground fascist?"
"I know I didn't, but one thing I didn't suspect was that many people to be there." Naruto leaned back in his chopper with a small laugh.
"That was such a drag getting through all them. We could have died."
Both 20 year olds laughed, leaning their heads back. Those carefree laughs began to diminish as their adult prepositions grew.
The secret was out. The news had spread. The controversy had been created.
Naruto let out a sigh."You're my best friend, right Shik. My brother?"
"My brother." the lazy assassin confirmed absentmindedly, too lost in his anguished thoughts. But he meant what he said.
"And we do favors for each other, right?"
"Yeah."
"We're assassins so our lives are moving fast. I just got married, Sasuke's having a baby, pretty soon we're gone."
If it were possible, Shikamaru lowered in his seat, trying to avoid what was coming.
"If I don't come back…...if I don't make it from a mission, I want you to protect Sasuke and my unborn child. I want you to help Sasuke find someone else.
Don't make him like me, though. I want Sasuke to know I was one of a kind. And please, for the love of Kami, don't let Sasuke date Suigetsu. That's so weird.
If my kid is a girl and she's like me, tell her that her father was wonderful a great assassin and a charmer. Kick her ass for me if she tries to talk to boys. If it's a boy, teach him like we were taught in the orphanage, make him a tough survivor;like his father and uncle.
And please don't let them waste any tears. You either, man."
Shikamaru let out a nervous laugh and shifted his body away from Naruto. "Yeah." He stated, but his voice had already adjusted to the tears.
"You're crying right now." Naruto accused incredulously.
"I'm not." Shikamaru grumbled.
"Yeah, I can hear your voice cracking." Naruto pushed further.
"Fuck you. I'm not."
Both men laughed in their minds. Naruto let out a sigh. "If I don't complete a mission and I do come back later on. If I'm not the man I was and I try-"
This time, Shikamaru turned fully to Naruto, a glare in his dark eyes. "You can't ask that of me. No."
"I trust you." Naruto countered.
"You're saying you want me to kill you if somehow you're captured and changed. How could you ask that burden of me?"
"How could I not? I don't want to live with the burden of being something I never wanted. Of being an enemy to my loved ones? Please Shika, if this is one thing in life you could do for me, please do that."
It grew quiet until Shikamaru nodded, and slumped into his chair, a depressive look plaguing his demeanor.
"Hey, man." Naruto let out. "I didn't mean to upset you. Chances are, that won't happen, but I still need you to take care of my family."
Shikamaru reasoned with that claim, attempting to ignore his calculating brain. Eventually, he nodded. "You're right."
Another silence.
"So….anyone you like, Shika?"
A dark brow was raised. "Why this all of a sudden?"
"Just answer yes or no." Came the immediate reply of obnoxiousness. Shikamaru's best best was that odd.
"No. Why?"
"No one. No one you thinking about? Settling with? Having a fami-"
"Why?" The Nara interrupted with a snort. "Don't want me to go out without some form of remembrance."
Both men laughed, the tension leaving quickly. "No. But, I would like for there to be a legacy. Maybe some kid that acts just like you. I'd be reminded of you everytime I saw them. It wouldn't hurt as bad, you know?"
"Fine, if it makes you feel any better, I'll start looking at my options when we reach Konoha. It'll be such a drag."
Naruto nodded and sighed, shifting and laying his back against his best friend's side, looking up at the helicopter ceiling, imagining the unseen starry night.
"We live fast lives. Just don't waste time."
Shikamaru tried to laugh, but it came out a half serious since Naruto's tone was fully serious. When had the boisterous blond ever been serious. "I'm not wasting time." He argued.
"But time is wasting us. It's the only factor in this world that is slowly killing us without physically hurting us."
"How'd you get so smart?" Shikamaru questioned in a teasing tone.
"Fuck you."
Both men laughed, letting the tension roll from their shoulders, a desperate attempt to move away from the negative.
"It's not, so please don't say that." the Nara stated, telling himself more than Sasuke. "We'll be fine."
"Danzo told them to come get Nashi. That's what Orochimaru told me."
Neji nodded. "That's how we got the files."
"Where is he?"
Everyone looked away. "Danzo is...dead…..Neji killed him." Shikamaru asked.
It grew quiet. Sasuke didn't need to ask why they all left then. He already knew.
The Nara continued, choosing to be a leader in this tough time. "Tsunade's giving us a year to sort this out. If we aren't back by then, she can't protect us anymore."
"I don't know whether to be happy that Danzo is dead. Or afraid of what Naruto would do if he found out. Danzo was like a significant figure on his life." Neji whispered.
Suigetsu, at this time, chose to enter the conversation. "Let's get this sorted out fast. We had a choice Sasuke and we chose you and your family."
Sasuke nodded, but just as he opened his mouth, Hinata came through, pulling a giggling Nashi along with her.
"Someone's coming fast." She spoke. "20 meters west."
When they let go of everything except ears, Sasuke could hear the stamping of horses as they kissed the ground, the clinging of weapons on one's side.
Every assassins eyes locked and weapons were free. "Get behind me, Nashi." Sasuke ordered firmly, yet softly.
He didn't mind that Nashi would see a bit of action. Kids with assassin parents had the fates of assassins.
Sasuke ran with a giggle to the clicking of the front door, his babysitter right on his tail. He turned and slid through everything and his smile grew tenfold when his eyes found their desire.
Fugaku Uchiha stood by the door, removing his shoes with his own smile. Probably because he heard the laugh of his seven year old son.
"Dad!" The boy yelled jumping onto his father.
"Sasuke, how are you? Did you have a good day? I'm sorry I couldn't come and pick you up." The man let out.
"It's fine, dad. I got to play with the sitter. Did you make the world safer through your mission?"
"Of course I did." Sasuke closed his eyes in contentment. It was the smile of a young boy who had gotten his first lick of the world and couldn't wait to tell all.
While the boy's eyes were closed, Fugaku snapped, making the guards within that house leave from the window and those around leave too. They would always protect Sasuke when the older Uchiha couldn't.
When Sasuke opened his eyes, he asked his father "Will I be able to make the world safer too, dad?"
Fugaku feigned a thought. Then, he lifted the child into the air. "Maybe so, kid. Maybe so."
They kept their guns posted and ready as five horsemen in all black armor and mask rode up. One came forth, obviously their leader, removing his mask and smiling down at Sasuke.
"Lower your weapons, little brother and friends." He spoke. His voice was like Sasuke's, soft, but a bit rougher.
"Akatsuki" Shikamaru mumbled quietly to himself. As their weapons pointed to the ground, Nashi ran forward with a bright smile.
"Uncle Ita!" Itachi lifted the girl onto his horse and hugged her dearly, placing her on the horse after their reunion. He looked back at his own team.
"Provide Tsunade's men and woman with horses. They're coming with us." He ordered.
The Akatsuki base was far a far distance, thus, Nashi fell into a slumber against her biological uncle's torse quickly. When this happened, Itachi steered his horse and soon he and Sasuke's animals were walking in simultaneous sync.
"I heard about the situation, otouto." He spoke in a low tone. He didn't want his younger brother to know that it was hurting him too. Naruto, to Itachi, was a brother in law and good friend. "We'll be fine."
Sasuke only nodded. "I went to a café in Paris this morning. One of Orochimaru's subordinates had followed me. She had live footage…."
"Hn."
"It was Naruto….being tortured. He didn't react to getting cut on the stomach, but when they hit him in the back with a crowbar, he screamed in agony. It was so loud. I can still hear it and feel it."
"Otouto." Itachi whispered in a solemn pity, as if to apologize for everything.
Sasuke let his horse steer as his covered his blurry eyes with dark hair. "I just….he's in there because of the past. I don't want him to think we aren't trying to help him out. Out of everyone, I know he's the most of afraid."
"Because they'll kill him, but keep him alive." Itachi stated less of a question. Because they all knew the consequences of trauma.
Sasuke laid Nashi into the Akatsuki master bedroom, where Itachi had let them stay. The little girl watched her mother even as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.
She didn't even blink from fear.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, sugarbug?"
"Where's daddy? Why is he weally hard to find?" She asked in a whisper. To Nashi, this was the most intense game of hide and seek she had ever played. Her mind wasn't able to develop into depressing factors just yet.
"He's hiding on a mission. We have to really find him."
Nashi frowned. "But, do you have a hint?"
The raven shook his head at the Naruto clone. "No, baby. We have to do this without hints. We have to be as good as daddy."
"But, don't you know where he's close to?"
Sasuke sighed and kissed her forehead. "Sleep. It's time to sleep, love. We'll plan tomorrow."
He watched her for some time; until her eyes stopped blinking awake in a sudden realization that she wasn't really 'home.'
Finally, the man stood and walked outside the door, holding his face in his hands and trying so hard not to cry. Naruto may be scared the most, but Sasuke was the most hurt.
He couldn't take this.
Someone leaned on the wall next to him. "What's wrong?" Came the whisper.
Sasuke relaxed a bit at his brother's voice. "She looks just like him. I can't look at her; every memory hurts."
An arm was wrapped around this shoulder. "We'll live, Sas. It's what you do best. Our little family is a family of fighters. If one of us go down- you, me, Nashi, or Naruto- it has to be one hell of a good fight."
This made Sasuke smile a little, but he was still plagued by his own thoughts. "Sasuke, we need to wait and plan before jumping out there to find Naruto. I can't have you going out alone either."
"We have to find him; he could not be him if we don't go now."
"Go where, otouto. Let's face it. Orochimaru is good. I can't lose anyone now."
"What ab-"
Itachi shook his head firmly. "I'm not going to be the uncle to tell my niece how she lost both her parents within one week of each other."
With that, the commander walked off, leaving Sasuke with an option of waiting and Naruto living, yet not living.
So that's the chapter. Next chapter, a big lead on Naruto will be revealed and so will the person who helped in raising him.
So please review. Even I'm excited.