Gravity Chapter 7: Slipping, a naruto fanfic

A.N.

Bless all of those who have reviewed, faved, and followed my story. I really, truly appreciate it!

If you haven't read Slowly Slipping Away, you may not really understand what's going on in this chapter. I hope you do though! Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.

Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.

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Slipping

Green orbs looked over the documents in his hands for the umpteenth time. The room, completely quiet, and the girl sitting across from him, completely still. She had yet to remove her mask, the coat however hung off the chairs arm barely grazing the dark wooden floor. The clock outside in the hall ticked as more time passed; vaguely Sayuri realized that she has been sitting in that office for about thirty minutes.

"Are…" Sayuri's attention was solely on her captain. "Are you sure that… Are you positive that…"

She nodded her head. "If I wasn't I wouldn't have written it down…" with a sigh she added, "Kabuto, told me."

"And the documents?"

"Buried under a mountain of rubble…in any case they were just copies."

Kenji laced his fingers together on the table, as he studied her mask with interest. "Do you think he has the originals?" She answered with a single nod. "Ok…you may leave now."

Behind the blue piece of porcelain Sayuri frowned. "We're not doing anything about it?"

"No." He placed her report on the left and moved on to the next. The dark haired man glanced up when he noticed she was still there. "You can go—"

"What do you mean no!" Sayuri asked in a dangerous tone. Kenji raised an eyebrow at the brunette and sighed.

"You don't have concrete evidence. I can't just show up in the Hokage's office and accuse Danzo of stealing documents that he may or may not have in his possession. Until Diachi can find something substantial we can't do much." He walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now, go and rest you need to replenish your energy."

Roughly she pulled away, yanked her coat off the chair, headed to the door and slammed it shut behind her. Watching all this, all Kenji could do was sigh and run a hand through his dark locks.

XXX

Sprawled out on her bed Sayuri looked up at the ceiling, feeling at ease for the first time in a month. Modifying her chakra constantly took its toll; she supposed that was why she was suddenly becoming weaker where Sasuke was becoming stronger…faster. Shaking her head she willed the memory of the avenger to vanish.

He was persistent, she'll give him that. Her mind went back to the hideout, when he had stood a little too close for comfort. She could hear his steady even breath as she stood before him. When Sasuke had reached for her hood to pull it back, she felt herself freeze. She had been blushing profusely, for what? She didn't know. All she knew at the time was that her palms were sweaty and her heart rate increased significantly.

She remembered holding her breath as he stared down at her. And when she let her eyes meet his, through the slits of her mask she had to fight the sudden, and very strange, urge to touch him. Sayuri couldn't move, heck she could hardly think as the Uchiha continued to hold her hood. It wasn't until she saw his free hand reach out toward her mask that the brunette snapped out of her trance and pulled back, clearly surprising the teen.

"Argh!" Sayuri grabbed a pillow and placed it on her head to muffle her annoyed cry. I do not like Sasuke Uchiha, I do not like Sasuke Uchiha, I do not like Sasuke Uchiha, I do not like Sasuke Uchiha! She repeated to herself over and over like a mantra.

"Sayuri?" She heard her name being called and abruptly sat up, pillow falling to her lap.

"Naruto? Sakura?" The young teen questioned. "How…?"

"Door was open!" The blonde happily exclaimed as he plopped down on the bed. "How was the mission? Where'd you go? Did you beat up the bad guys?" he asked, cheeky grin in place as he questioned the younger girl who continued to stare at him…or rather the huge cast on his arm.

"What…?"

"Got in a fight with Akatsuki." Sakura answered as she crossed her arms. "Oh! And we got a new teammate." She pointed behind her to the tall pasty skinned boy.

"His name is Sai!" Naruto exclaimed as he grinned, Sakura smiled, and Sayuri glared. "Hey! Sayuri, you didn't answer my quest—"

"Classified. It's all classified." Sayuri said not looking away from the new comer. "How'd you know I was here?"

Naruto gave her a quizzical look but then happily filled her in. "We were walking back from Ichiraku and we saw Kenji who looked less stressed than before so we figured you'd be back!"

"Hm." Sayuri nodded and turned to Sakura. "Isn't he in Root? Why is he here?" The rosette looked alarmed.

"How did you know?" She asked jade eyes wide.

Sayuri's brown eyes were back on the older boy. "His smile…" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. "His smile it's all wrong…it looks forced, and creepy, like he doesn't know how to express any emotion." She tilted her head to the side, brown eyes narrowed. "Do you even have emotions?" she asked him.

Sai's smile vanished as he stared at the girl impassively. "Hey!" Naruto exclaimed getting up from his spot on the bed. "Don't talk to Sai like that! Of course he has feelings!" The blonde defended.

"I doubt it." The brunette murmured.

Sakura looked down at Sayuri and sighed. "I know he's not very likeable because of…" she turned to look at the boy. "…Well his presentation but he's actually a really nice guy!"

The brunette frowned and crossed her arms. "Whatever…"

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought before he snapped his fingers catching everyone's attention. "Oh! I know, why don't we all hang out together this afternoon? You know, so you can get to know Sai better! What do you say Sayuri?" he asked enthusiastically.

"I…I don't know…" she scratched her head. Naruto placed his good arm around her shoulder.

"Please?!" He pleaded. "Won't you make an injured friend happy?" The blonde waved his heavily casted arm in front of her.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes and sighed in resignation, the blonde and rosette cheered. "You play dirty." She mumbled as she got up and followed them out the door.

XXX

Naruto and Sakura were off getting ice cream a couple of feet away from them, considering it was the only thing the blonde kyūbi vessel could eat without assistance. Sayuri on the other hand was stuck sitting beside the ever so smiley Sai. Her brow twitched as he seemed to be completely happy and at ease beside her while she openly showed her reluctant behavior.

Once she decided that Naruto and Sakura were at a safe distance she turned to Sai, completely determined to get to the bottom of things.

"You're Root."

His smile didn't weaver as he turned to her. "And you're ANBU."

"You helped steal those files from headquarters." At this his smile slipped and he looked off to the side.

"I knew I recognized you from somewhere…you were the ANBU in the forest the one they called Aka." She didn't answer; then again she didn't have to. "I…am sorry, for that." He said rather awkwardly.

"Sorry doesn't cut it." She said through gritted teeth trying to keep her voice down. "You betrayed Konoha when you gave those documents to Orochimaru." He looked at her in what she could only assume was shock, considering his face had was as impassive as ever yet his eyes were slightly wider than before.

"How…?" he looked at her and concentrated and then it hit him. The purple haired ninja, the girl that had escorted him to his room, the one that had every chance—and reason—to kill Sakura in the grass country but didn't. Who had instead settled for disabling the pink haired konoichi. That purple haired teen that went by the name of 'Rei' was the female sitting right before him. "I see."

"What are you really here for?" she asked, her voice cold and unfeeling. Like a true ANBU. "Are you here to spy on us, on Danzo's behalf? Maybe get your hands on Naruto? Because I sure as hell know that you wanted to murder Uchiha back then."

Sai took a moment but shook his head. "My mission had been over the minute we came back from the hidden grass. I requested more time because I want to…learn from him." He watched as she went from angry to confused in record time.

Looking the boy over, she could feel something in her. It was strange. It felt as if she could trust him somewhat…not completely, not when it came to matters of the village, no…not with that, but when it came to Sakura and Naruto, she knew he was being honest.

"Learn from him?" she echoed and he nodded.

"Yes." He smiled then and somehow this one felt a bit more genuine. "I want to learn how to express my feelings like him. I want to learn about the kind of bond he has with Sasuke…and maybe make some of my own."

Sayuri frowned and looked away, her peculiar brown eyes on her teammate's backs as they continued to stand in the outrageously long line. "I don't trust you, and I won't forgive you for what you did with the documents…but I'll tell you this," she felt his attention on her but she kept her gaze on her friends. "If you hurt either one of them…I'll personally kill you." She turned and smiled at him then, a sweet innocent smile, one a girl would give a guy when she was utterly happy. "Understand?"

He looked at her in slight confusion but nodded. "Yes."

"Good." She winked and turned back to eye the two ninja who seemed to be annoyed as a couple of girls before them kept asking the vendor for different toppings.

"Can I ask you something?" She raised an eyebrow but inclined her head, a silent 'go ahead.' "How can you smile like that…like you mean it when in reality all you want to do is murder the person, or more specifically me?"

Shrugging she answered. "I guess it just happens…I don't really know how I do it."

"Hmm…It's just I've been studying Ugly and Dickless over there and I can never understand how they smile at people with ease."

Sayuri blinked her mind drawing a complete blank. "Umm…" Sai stared at her. "…Ugly…and…Dickless…?"

"Yes." He stated completely serious. "Sakura and Naruto…I read in a book that you should give your friends nicknames, because doing so brings one closer to them and helps establish a bond."

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed as he and the rosette returned to their side. "Finally! You wouldn't believe what those girls were adding to their ice cream! Sorry to keep you guys waiting." He grinned as Sakura smiled and happily ate her frozen sweet.

The brunette smiled. "It's no problem…Dickless." At this the blonde almost let go of his treat as he gave the young teen an outraged look. Sakura for her part looked down at Sayuri in shock, jade eyes turning to the smiling Sai beside her.

"SAI!" Naruto exclaimed. "YOU TOLD HER!" The blonde was completely outraged.

"Yes." He answered not really understanding why Naruto made a big deal about it. Sakura snickered from her spot.

Sayuri smirked. "What are you laughing about, Ugly?" Sakura froze and glared at the girl.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" And with that Sayuri was promptly hit on the head.

"OW…!" Sayuri exclaimed as she held her head. "What the heck Sakura! You punch like a brute!" She froze at the murderous look the konoichi was giving her.

"Come again?" she cracked her knuckles and Sayuri immediately stood up, hands rising in front of her as a shield.

"I don't understand." Sai said stopping Sakura as she held on to Sayuri's collar while said girl was desperately trying to pry the hand off. "Why are you hitting Princess Shrimp, I though you two were friends."

"Princess Shrimp?" Sakura repeated, and image of a shrimp with a crown on its head came to mind as she looked at Sayuri who looked indignant before she burst out laughing.

"What did you call me you emotionally retarded, piece of glue?" The brunette said, referring to his pasty white skin, as she pulled away from the laughing Sakura.

"It's true…She's Ugly," he pointed at Sakura who ceased laughing and glared. "…And you're a princess and a shrimp, so Princess Shrimp."

"Oh…you've done it now." Naruto whispered as he ever so discretely began to scoot away from the dead man as the girls crept closer.

XXX

Kakashi sat under a tree enjoying his quiet evening as he eagerly red his porn in the form of an orange book. It was such a nice day, no missions, no scrolls to read, and surprisingly no Guy or Moriyo to bother him.

"Hey, Scarecrow!" the silver haired ninja sighed. He had spoken too soon. Lowering his book he watched as the orange eyed konoichi hung upside down from the tree branch. With a smile she flipped over and landed on her feet, hands in the air in a pose.

"What do you want, Moriyo?" he cut right to the chase, after all, the woman never bothered with him unless she had a bone to pick with him or a favor to ask.

She blinked before asking. "Have you seen Sayuri?"

Kakashi turned the page to his book. "No…although Naruto and Sakura went looking for her earlier today…" he glanced up. "Why? Do you need her for something?"

"Nope." She sat down beside him and crossed her arms. "I saw her by the shops…beating up that new weird kid on your team. What was his name again? Ai, Dai, Kai, Tai...?" she rubbed her chin in concentration.

"Sai." Kakashi kept reading his book as he had lost interest in what she was saying.

"Yeah! Him!"

"So if you don't need her for something why are you asking me if I've seen her?" the silver haired ninja asked in a dull tone.

Moriyo rolled her eyes at the man. "Because, it's nice to know that your old mentor remembers you every once in a while even though you're not in his team." He glanced up from his porn at that just in time to watch her sigh. "Honestly, Kakashi…how much of an ass can you be?"

He stared at her, noting that she had a point…not that he'd ever tell her, but still. Suddenly he felt his hand empty as she plucked the book from his hand and flipped it so that she could read the page. Kakashi did nothing as slowly her cheeks flushed and her eyes widened. In a matter of seconds the book had been thrown at his face bouncing off onto the green grass below him, he glanced down at the book before returning his gaze back to the woman and then he noticed it…Moriyo was gone.

Scratching the back of his head he picked up the book and smiled. "That's a new record."

XXX

The sun had set leaving Konoha lightly buzzing under the moonlight sky. Stores and markets closed as bars and late night restaurants opened their doors to the village's night owls. Everyone was doing their own thing…perhaps that was why no one seemed to pay any heed to the young brunette walking along the paved road.

She walked at a leisurely pace, avoiding contact with the other villagers. She seemed to know where she was going…she seemed completely determined to get to her destination, no matter how slow a pace she had set for herself. However if one were to actually stop and recognize her, they would know that this particular brunette never wondered the streets at night. And if they were to take the time to really look at her, they would notice that she really wasn't herself, that her unique brown eyes weren't filled with the usual fiery spirit that everyone had been accustomed to seeing, that her posture was ever so slightly hunched, and that her usually readable expressions seemed to have been replace by pure apathy.

But no one bothered, because at that time of night no one was interested on what the blossoming Marihasha heiress was doing at eleven at night wondering the streets, heading further and further away from the populated area and towards a part of the village that had been abandoned for what would become nine years the day of tomorrow.

The brunette reached the stairs that ran up a hillside. Slowly she took one step after another, mind focused on getting to the top. And although her body was physically there as she crept closer to the hilltop, her mind was somewhere else…somewhere far, far, away.

Reaching the top she did not see the crumbling and cracked cement or broken large wooden gate. No, she saw none of that. Instead she saw a large looming and very much sturdy gate with beautiful mahogany doors. Stepping through the thresh hold she did not see the remains of burned down homes, the earth slowly taking over the area. No, her brown eyes saw homes that varied in sizes. As she made her way to the small wooden bridge she did not hear the creak of the wood under her weight, instead she heard the sound of the calm river. Reaching the center she did not see the remains of the crumbled down household, the walls that stood by themselves at random places…the only reminders that there were once rooms. Instead she saw her old home in all its glory still intact and perfect.

"I left a scroll in my office, it's white and has a red string tied around it, could you bring it here?" Her father's voice was loud and clear as she stepped into what used to be the ceremony room. And if she remembered right, it was the last place she would ever see her father in. Moving on autopilot she turned on her heel and headed to what used to be the hallway. The brunette made her way to her father's office and stepped over the piece of lumber that had fallen by the door.

Sayuri stood at the center and looked about her. In her mind, her father's desk, with the scroll, was a few inches before her, there was a hand brushed painting on the wall behind it, on the right there was a window that made up the wall, and on the left wall there was a book shelf. But of course that was in her mind, because in reality there was nothing left…no desk, no wall, no window, heck there barely was a floor under her, save the door that was barely hanging off its hinges behind her.

Gingerly picking up the 'scroll' she was order to retrieve, she turned on her heel and walked out of the so called office and headed back to the great room from before…that was until she reached what used to be the kitchen. Walking in she made her way over to the closet door that lay on the floor uselessly. With a frown she squatted. The door wasn't supposed to be on the floor. In her mind the kitchen was not in ruins, it was in perfect order, yet the door was on the floor!

Then something caught her eye. Lifting up the 'white' door with ease she saw a white scroll with a red string tied around it. What? But I… Brown eyes turned to her right hand, it was empty. Confused she reached to pick the scroll off the floor. She was positive that she had taken it from her father's office…so how had it ended up on the kitchen floor? Gingerly she turned it over and saw a bright red stain on it.

"Did someone drop some juice?" Sayuri wondered as she reached for the door knob to open it. Suddenly a body fell forward causing Sayuri to stumble and fall flat on her back.

She lay frozen in shock before she willed herself to move. Squirming from under the body and sighed in relief once she was free. Hands trembling she reached to turn over the body her eyes widening as she screamed.

She gasped as she fell back on her bottom, brown eyes blinked once as she seemed to snap out of her daze. Sayuri looked about her not recognizing where she was or how she got there. Her right hand tightened around something long and round. Looking down she saw a dirtied white scroll. The place she was in was a total wreck. She could see the forest from where she sat the wall no longer there, in a matter of seconds the once completely destroyed room turned into a kitchen…a burning kitchen. She screamed.

She felt rather than heard herself scream. That scream wasn't hers…was it? She tried to stop but couldn't. Suddenly a pair of arms pulled her into a warm chest. She heard muffled words, amongst them she heard her name, or what she thought was her name…who was she again?

"Sayuri!"

That sounded familiar. Was that her? In her mind's eye she saw a young brunette with short hair and light and dark brown eyes. Was that Sayuri? She wondered. Yes, that's you. Her mind answered but she couldn't really concentrate over the sound of someone screaming.

God, who was screaming! Vaguely she realized it was her, as someone appeared in her line of vision, took her by the arms and shook her.

"Sayuri! Stop!" she heard a deep voice command. Looking up she saw black eyes, and black hair that spiked up at the back. Immediately she stopped. Peculiar brown eyes took in the white skin, straight nose, firm lips, and strong jaw. He looked worried as he stared down at her.

In awe her hand reached up to touch this man's cheek. He felt familiar to her…who was he? Sasuke. Her mind supplied for her once more. Her heart began to beat faster, her hands felt clammy, and she suddenly felt the urge to kiss this man, to kiss Sasuke.

So she did. The hand that was once caressing his cheek moved to the back of his head and pulled him forward, her lips meeting his. She felt him still at the contact, but slowly he began to respond as he pulled her closer to him. Using her sudden burst of confidence she bit his bottom lip and pressed herself flush against his body as he eagerly followed her lead, one hand at her lower back the other tangled in her brown locks.

The two broke apart for air, both panting. She felt a hand cup her cheek making her look back up and suck in her breath. Sasuke was no longer Sasuke…he was Neji. The older teen looked down at her tenderly and drew her to him, resting his chin on her brown head.

"It's ok. You're safe." She heard him whisper. "I'll protect you…I promise."

Sayuri was completely and utterly frozen in her place. What the hell did she just do!

A.N.

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P.S. The cover picture is what Sayuri is wearing from now on. For the bigger image please look at deviantart my username is sayuri-hime419

Thank you for reading!