Yeah, I know. It hasn't been even half of the time it usually takes for me to update. Call it the power of summer. That and lack of RS membership.

Enough about my personal ordeals. I'd like to thank those who reviewed and added this story to their alert list. I appreciate it. You really make my day when you do.


Chapter 6: More than a mission

For once, Kabuto made sense. Of course, not while talking to him but eventually. He was Orochimaru's right hand man, so if anyone knew if the man had any kind of plan, it would be him. Since he wouldn't be on the mission, he couldn't guarantee the redhead's safety, so he'd give her a little warning beforehand. The man was actually looking out for her. Even if it was only because of research.

With her mind a little clearer, she and the Uchiha made their way to the snake's office. The air around held a certain amount of awkwardness in it. Her eyes would wonder all over the hallway, trying not to land on him. From time to time, she could feel his gaze on her, but every time she tried to steal a look, his head was facing forward, focused on the way ahead.

They stopped in front of the metal door. Or rather, she stopped in front of the metal door. Sasuke continued walking, not even bothering to knock on the door before opening.

Is that kid insane? Last time I saw someone do that they came out without a head! But, hey, there's no way Orochimaru will kill his toy. She thought, before quickly following the avenger.

The pale skinned man looked up from his table. Books and scrolls littered the long table the man sat behind. The whole office on a whole felt more like a library than a leader's office. The two candles which illuminated the room showed a few shelves that were filled to capacity, some even had scrolls on the side.

A slight feeling of irritation came off him as he looked up, but he pushed it off. "Sasuke-kun," He looked at Tayuya for a moment, before looking back at Sasuke. "I have a mission for you." He pushed aside some books, looking for something in particular.

"I don't care."

The girl almost coughed up a lung as she heard the boy talk. He just said what? She turned to stare at the boy. What kind of death wish does this asshole have!

The snake glared at the boy, letting some of his sinister chakra slip out into the room. The effect was immediate. The air got tenser, heaver and harder to breathe. Neither of the teens even flinched, Sasuke keeping his intense gaze and Tayuya looked rather uninterested.

"I'm not part of your village and I don't care about your personal affairs. If it doesn't have anything to do with my training, I don't care." The boy stated stubbornly.

This actually surprised the kunoichi. At first, she thought he was just stupid but he really was something else. The boy showed no signs of breaking down as he stood before the man.

"Kukuku… I know you're eager to train Sasuke-kun, so this has something to do with it." The boy focused a bit more as he heard those words. Lifting up a scroll, the man began the briefing. "You're travelling out of the area. The directions and rest of the details are inside."

The scroll was tossed to the avenger, who easily caught it. He didn't bother to open it, shoving it in his pockets and grunting at his sensei.

"You will leave tomorrow." Before he even finished, the man's head was down in his books.

Sasuke didn't have to be told twice. The boy was out the door even faster than he came in. Tayuya followed, though she left quickly for different reasons.

Anger coursed through her veins as she walked down the hallway. Her fists tightened and she even let a low growl escape her throat. That damn, damn, damn sanke! After all the shit I've done, all the blood I've shed, now you won't even acknowledge me! I have half a mind to take a little walk across the border and chat with a certain Kage… But no, not yet. He's got to feel my foot up his ass before anyone else gets involved.

Deciding that the day had been long enough, the girl went straight to her room. Sasuke had different ideas, so he went off on his own agenda.

Slipping out of her clothes, the redhead got her towel and marched over to the bathroom, ready to wash off the battle scars of the day.


The sound of running feet seemed to echo loudly in the darkness. Her breathing was harsh and sweat poured down her face. There was no scenery. Only darkness surrounded her as she ran but the thought of stopping never even came.

What is this…?

The ground was so much closer than usual, and her panting sounded a lot different than usual. However, the more she thought, the deeper she dug, it just wasn't coming to her. What was this supposed to be? She could feel the tears running down her cheeks and she was beginning to hear sobs between her frantic breaths. Her heart was beating madly in her chest , ready to leap out and a feeling began to creep over her. Her head began to spin, her hands shake and the instinct to scream bit at her ankles. She hadn't felt so in a long time, but it was unmistakeable.

She was afraid.

Suddenly, her view turned. Her head involuntarily turned back, looking down the dark path she came from. At first, nothing came. All she could see was darkness and the cold, brown ground underneath her. Slowly, everything was beginning to come back. Wooden walls began forming in the darkness, showing the path she so desperately ran. Alleys appeared between these wooden structures and the darkness behind her slowly began to fade. As it faded, a figure began to form.

He's…! He's…

He looked no younger than thirty five and a large gut led the way as he ran behind her. His hair was short brown, matching his small, brown eyes. A scar travelled down the side of his face, from a little below the ear to the chin. His dirt brown shirt was open as he ran, with one of his hands trying to hold up his pants. Profanities and insults flew out of his mouth as he ran after her, only fuelling her desire to escape.

She pushed off faster, using every remaining ounce of her leg strength to go further and faster.

She rounded a corner, nearly out of breath. Her eyes remained glued behind her, waiting to see if the hentai was still following her. She never understood what the shitheads saw in a young girl like her, but they would come anyway. Each time they got bigger and smarter, each time getting harder and harder to escape from. This one was no different. She knew for sure, if she didn't manage to find some magical bush to dive into, this one would be the one to finally succeed.

Without warning, the girl found herself off her feet and crashing down to the ground. The pain which followed didn't even register; all she wanted to do was escape. Looking back, she saw what caused her to fall.

A tall man loomed over her, his skin pale white and long black hair came down. His clothes were odd, the kind she had never seen before. His eyes resembled a snakes own, with purple markings around them. They gazed at her, the look seeming to pierce through her entire soul.

A scowl formed on her face. "What the hell are you doing you snake bitch! Couldn't you have gotten out of my damn way!"

The man seemed to be a little surprised at her language, raising an eyebrow but his face remained devoid of emotion. A voice slowly crept into their ears. Curses and insults rained down softly, sending chills down the girl's spine. She tensed, a look of horror filling her eyes.

Fwap!

A metal knife suddenly found itself lodged in the ground next to the girl. Her eyes widened a bit as the man began to walk away.

"I've given you the power. Don't waste it."

She looked at the man, then back at the knife. "… Power…" A shiver was sent down her spine as she looked at the knife. Slowly, her hand reached for it.

No! Wait… Why is this beginning to feel so wrong…?

Her fingers curled around the blade, her hands shaking as she pulled it out of the ground. The blade seemed to shine, despite the lack of light. She staggered to her feet shakily, turning to face the direction she just came in. Both hands gripped it, a serious look coming over her face.

The man rounded the corner quickly, racing to catch his prey. His eyes widened as he saw the girl mid-air, knife in hand. Time slowed down as she neared her chaser, the knife moving closer and closer. A look of horror crept onto the man's face, his hands beginning to move up to try and block his vital spots.

He failed.

The knife plunged through his muscle, going as deep as possible into the man's chest. Then, it came.

Red.

Blood poured out madly out of the wound, spraying the girl. His hand reached up but fell back down in the pool of blood.

Horror. Shock and sickness filled her being. She felt like running, screaming, anything to get the image out of her head. However, her body refused to move. All she could do was watch as the blood sprayed, his bodily fluid covering her body, the rancid smell filling her lungs.

The dream only got worse from there.

She pushed her hands in the red liquid, pulling them out and staring at her hands. She gave the man a light slap on his face, only to see the body move lifelessly, obviously dead. She slapped him again, harder. The head only slumped to the other side, still giving no indication of life. Her head dropped, her hair blocking her face.

"… Haha…" Softly began to come from the girl. "Hahaha… Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Mad laughter filled the space.

No… No. This isn't me. This isn't me!

The laughter got louder, sicker and sent Tayuya's subconscious sick. She looked down, into the pool of blood. Inside, the girl was horrified and sickened, outside, a sadistic smile painted her face. Slowly, her hands cupped and lowered to the blood. She scooped up the red liquid, her sickening reflection never leaving her gaze. The blood got closer to her face, her lips open. They pressed against her wrists, her hands finally starting to tilt up.


The girl shot up from her bed, sweat raining down her face. Her face held a horrid expression, her eyes wide open. The sheets were dripping with sweat, matching her clothes. The rapid beating of her heart was accompanied by frantic breathing. The room began spinning around her, her stomach beginning to toss and turn like a boat in a hurricane. Then, the boat capsized.

One hand flew over her mouth and the other across her stomach.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom. Her red hair covered her face as she looked down at the sink, watching the remnants of her last meal going down the drain. Coughing a couple more times, she washed her face, taking a long look at herself in the mirror.

"… What the hell was that all about?" She asked herself softly. The last thing she needed was to wake up the duck. Who knows what he would say and the last thing the redhead needed was an awkward conversation. She had enough trouble with herself, she didn't need him in the mix.

It wasn't a dream she hadn't had before. In fact, it was a dream every shinobi has almost on a regular basis. It was her first kill. The one which started it all, the spiral into a monstrous killing machine. No one ever forgot their first kill, especially the face of the victim. It always stayed in their head, serving one of two purposes. One is a negative: a constant plague on the mind, until it turns to a reminder of what would happen if you failed your mission. The second was a pleasure. Something to bring a smile to your face every time you thought of it, something to remind you of the wonderful life you lived.

When you feel the second one, that's when you know you're no longer human.

Slipping out of the bathroom, Tayuya stealthily crept through the room while doing her best not to wake up the Uchiha.

"… What's wrong…?" Her cheeks lit up in embarrassment as the voice came from right behind her.

Did I suddenly turn into a crappy shinobi or something? She asked herself, slowly turning to face the boy. "… Nothing."

The boy didn't even blink. "Stop lying. I've been awake since before you woke up. What's wrong?"

She couldn't help but stare at him. What's up with him? Why's he showing so much interest all of a sudden? "Menstrual issues." She lied through her teeth. There was no way in hell she'd let that damn asshole see her weakness. "I'll be fine by morning."

With a small nod, he made his way back to his bed. "Just don't get in my way during the mission."

Don't… get in your way? Don't get in your way! Her fists clenched as the words replayed in your head. And I actually thought for a moment that he wasn't a freaking lap dog to the snake! She could snarl at the Uchiha by the time she finished, but instead she just opted to go to bed. After all, some of the best dreams come when you're sleeping. Or, at least that's how it used to be.


The next morning, the two made their way to the gates. Unlike in his past life, there was no good-bye committee. Everyone was on their own agenda and couldn't care less that you were leaving. Or, at least that's what he thought it would be. A few of his… followers stood by the gates, sending glares at the girl which stood next to him. He stood next to Tayuya at the gates, waiting for the guards to verify their papers. Despite the two both preferring to just sneak out the old fashion way, an Oto nin came to escort them, ensuring that the new member learned the proper protocol.

He stood in his new attire, a black sleeveless shirt, black arm warmers and white shorts. On his back sat a bag, containing all of his travelling gear. Or at least as much as he could find. The base was disgustingly basic. Knowledge was passed down by mouth, not paper so maps or any other kind of navigational tool was hard to come by. Luckily, he was at least able to get a compass and listened to some perverted woman ramble on about one of her 'missions' in the general area of their mission. The redhead, on the other hand made no prior arrangements. She didn't even have any travel gear, her back clear and two hands swinging.

"Open this once your mission is done." One of the guards handed the avenger a scroll, before opening the gates.

Without taking a second glance at the guard, Sasuke stuffed the scroll into his pockets, casting a look at the redhead kunoichi who had that blasted boy next to her, before leaving.

Tayuya quickly followed, shoving Akhito aside and departing from the base.


The trip was a silent one. Sasuke led the way, leaping through the dense forest and Tayuya followed silently behind. They moved non-stop, with any breaks being less than five minutes, in which the boy would only look at the scroll or a compass. The silence didn't bother either of them. The Uchiha was more than contempt with just focusing on the mission, lest his mind split in two from conflicting thoughts. The kunoichi seemed to prefer the silence, as opposed to the constant bickering and insults of her last group.

The scenery around the two made little change as they moved. The dark, clustered forests of Sound territory slowly began to loosen, a little more light beginning to shine through and a little more space between trees. This allowed them to make a little more speed as they progressed, but it didn't really matter to the redhead. This whole mission was just one reason to escape the cramped walls of the base and stretch her legs.

The day moved by rather quickly. As with most missions, the beginning was uneventful. There were no enemies, not even many wild hostile animals. Before, she would have immediately dubbed the mission boring. However, with her new mind found it rather nice being able to have her guard down during a trip. Well, as down as someone trained by Orochimaru.

At nights, the boy would take it upon himself to set up the rough camp. He set up the fire and a sleeping area for himself. Tayuya would catch food which would manage to feed the two of them, but didn't sleep in the same area as him. Instead, she rested on the back of a tree and crashed for the night. The routine continued for three days, until they boy brought them to a small town.

By then, the trees were looser, allowing travel by foot instead of tree. Compared to other settlements, it was small. Yet, the base couldn't hold a candle to it. The two entered in what seemed to be a residential area, people walking casually outside their homes and chatting with their neighbour. The houses were made out of wood, but were anything except rugged. They looked more than sturdy with a nice homey feel as well.

The redhead stood and stared at the scene. Every detail, every person standing happily, every home (no, not house, home) seemed to sink into her head. The longer she looked, the harder it became to look away. Emotions began running through her, bringing new sensations going through her body. All of a sudden, she felt so… odd. All those feelings never used to affect her, if they even existed before. After all the time, all the missions, she never really felt this way before.

Envious.

"We…" Her voice wavered, her head facing away from the Uchiha. "Let's just get on with this mission."

For a moment, Sasuke stood and looked at the girl. What's…? She's… The sentences never seemed to be able to form. They would never go more than a few words, before his controlling half got to him. "…Hn…"


The two walked through the town, going from residential, to commercial, only to end up back in the forests. They didn't stay too long though. The forest suddenly cleared as they walked, revealing a large, traditional Japanese house.

The avenger didn't even seem to notice the change in architecture, going straight up to the door and knocking on it.

At first, there was no response. The sound just died down, as if the whole building was empty. A growl escaped the slowly irritated girl's throat as she stood there, still waiting.

Without a sound or warning, the door slid slightly open. Nothing was visible, but a presence was felt.

"Why are you here?"

"A snake wants a blowjob." Tayuya blurted out, earning a glare from her teammate.

No response came at first but the door slowly slid open, showing an old man. The phrase 'old man' did him anything but justice. His muscles were still defined, his back still straight and the man looked more than capable than taking care of himself. The only thing which called the name was his hair. Or rather, lack of and discolouration. His bald spot wasn't just a spot and what was left was grey to every sense of the colour.

"I know that voice and crude sense of humour." The man's rough voice said as he eyed the two. "I'm guessing you're not here for anything normal. What does Orochimaru want now?"

Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulled out the scroll, opening it and showing it to the man. His eyes scanned over the scroll, his eyebrows moving as he continued.

Grunting, the man tossed the scroll back. "Bah, does that man think those kinds of materials grow on trees?" The tone in his voice was obviously annoyed as he walked inside, leaving the door open.

The two walked inside, Tayuya closing the door behind her and rushing up to the old man.

"Who's the new kid? And where are the rest of you snot nosed brats?" He asked.

"Those assholes got themselves killed. He's the replacement." The girl said.

The man cast an eye on the boy as she said that, giving him a quick examination. With a sigh, the man continued walking. "As long as none of this affects me aside from my payment, I don't care."

"Say… You get paid a shitload of cash, right?"

"What do you want now?" The man grunted, glancing at the redhead.

"I need a new flute. My last one got destroyed." She deadpanned.

The man had the opposite reaction. He laughed full heartedly, leaning back with a hand on his stomach as he did. "Serves you right! You probably got in over your head in a fight!"

Scowling, the kunoichi glared at the man. "I didn't get in over my head! Some bitch just appeared out of nowhere and had a lucky shot!" The man looked at her, an eyebrow risen. She resisted for a while, before sighing and throwing her hands up in the air. "It wasn't a lucky shot… Even if we fought a thousand times, I would have still lost."

The man had a small smile on his face as she said that. "Wow, you brats can really mature. Last time, you would have denied it to your last breath." The girl scowled at his response. "Besides, a little humility will do you good."

"What the hell do you know about being a ninja anyway?"

"You think I just like to see shiny things in the morning?" The man retorted, the girl's eyes widening a bit as he said that. "Everything I can make, I can use. It's the only true way for you to know if you're doing a good job."

The girl's eyes lit up as he said that. "You know how to play the flute?"

"What? No! I didn't even make that!"

The girl scowled as she said that. "You old lazy ass! I got my last one from you and now you're denying that you made it!"

Shaking his head, the man replied. "Exactly. I gave it to you, not made it for you. I got it from someone for you."

"Ok then, that guy live somewhere around here?" The girl asked, finally seeing the light at the end of her fluteless tunnel.

The man huffed at the question, his face screwing up. "If you want it, get it yourself. I'm not dealing with that thing again. More trouble than its worth."

Tayuya grinned as the words entered her ears. She almost ended up leaping into the air and wrapping her hands around the man. Instead, she settled for bouncing around inside. Finally! I can almost feel the flute in my hands, fingers gliding over…

The look her face took didn't bypass the man. "You're actually going to do it?"

"Hell yeah!" She replied without even thinking. "I'm not letting this pass me by!"

Looking at her for a while, the man nodded. He saw it, the fire in her eyes, the desire which wouldn't be held back. "It must mean more than just a flute to you… Ok then. I'll tell you." The redhead leaped off the ground as he said that. "Tomorrow."

And then she slumped over. "What! Why wait till tomorrow?"

The man leaned over, grabbing her head as he looked at her straight in the eyes. "Three reasons. One: I don't work for free. You want the info, you have to pay me someway or another. Two: My work is tiring and Three: I don't really want to tell you where to go."

"Wait, pay you how exactly?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll see." The man replied, a small smile on his face.


"You old damn, freaking lazy ass!" The girl yelled.

The man brought both of the ninja outside of the house, towards the back. There, still on the compound, stood a large, stone structure. Inside showed the man's true profession. An anvil sat in the centre, with the rest of equipment placed around it. A large coal store sat next to the furnace, shovels ready and waiting next to it. Hammers, moulds and all sorts of tools hung on the walls. Even an ore extraction area was erected in this workshop.

The redhead stood, shovel in hand as she yelled. This only earned her a chuckle in return. "You want to know where you can get your flute?" The girl slowly nodded in return. "Then get shovelling. Hurry up or you'll let the furnace get cold."

Growling, the girl turned to the pile of coal and began shovelling the coal into the furnace.

Behind her, the man spoke to the boy. "It's going to take a week to make, and before you ask, NO you can not hang around to help. This is very delicate, careful work and hands and eyes as unclean as yours can not see this. Go practice making a handsign or something."

Sasuke seemed to understand and left. Or, at least that's what it sounded like to Tayuya. She couldn't be bothered to look. If shovelling the coal would get her a flute, then the furnace would be overflowing by the time she was done. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing.

Slowly, the man walked around behind her. "To come so suddenly with a request as odd as this…" The blacksmith said with a sigh. "Only someone as blind as Orochimaru could do that."

"You can say that again…" The girl muttered under her breath as the sound of a rock being pounded filled the air.


The work was more than hard and by the time the girl was done, her shirt was off, sweat drenching her. Apparently, there were arrangements for them to stay at the man's house, something which had the man not mentioned she wouldn't have known. She was actually surprised he agreed to it, especially after the last time she was there. The kunoichi made her way into the house, arms hanging down limply by her sides. The room was actually empty, save for a couple of futon on the floor.

So, the duck was kind enough to lay out a futon for me. How sweet. Maybe I'll give him a little kiss on the cheek when I see him. She thought sarcastically as she walked inside.

It was only then she heard the sounds of soft, rhythmic breathing. She looked to see a head of black sitting on one of the futon, a body below it.

So he trained himself to sleep, huh? She shook her head, walking towards her own futon. I swear, he won't die in the battlefield. Nope, won't even reach there. He'll kill himself on the training field, overworking his body until the very end. Without any bother for personal hygiene, the girl fell on her own futon. Her eyelids felt heavy, her head tilting to the side. Even blink of hers began to get longer and longer… Until…

Red. Everywhere.

She jolted up, eyes wide and stomach ready to remind her of her lunch. Her hand rushed over her mouth. Without even feeling it, she was breathing heavily and was sweating again. Some time seemed to pass, as there was a lot less light than when she fell asleep.

"Shit…" She muttered to herself. Looking around, she made sure the Uchiha was still asleep before getting up.

The room remained silent as she crept out of it, leaving the main building and heading to the bath house. Her clothes fell as she entered it. After cleaning herself, she dipped into the tub, sinking all the way in and letting the hot water soothe her body. The water steamed, relaxing her whole body as she slowly began to nod off. Once again, sleep called her. Her head slumped to the side, her world falling to darkness.

Laughter. Mad laughter.

She bolted up again, the water she sat in anything but hot. Her heart rate was through the roof, her face sweating again. Angrily, the girl got out of the tub and into her clothes, which she remembered to wash.

With nowhere to go and the night leaving a veil of darkness over the land, she did the only thing she could think of. Going onto the roof.

She stared up, looking at the black blanket. Through the blanket, bright dots of yellow poked out, painting a masterpiece of shapes and figures.

Somehow, the starry sky held a calming feature about it. Her heart slowed down as she watched the stars twinkle, her mind unconsciously making patterns and designs.

"You can't sleep…" The girl almost lept out of her skin. "Why?"

She turned to see the Uchiha sitting next to her, his face still unreadable. "Get lost."

Instead, the boy sat down next to her, looking up as well. "Just make sure you don't slow me down." The girl's teeth grinded as he said that. "I'll take you out if you do."

Suddenly, her teeth stopped. Her eyes widened a little bit, before going back to their normal size. "Ha, yeah right. You're the one who's slowing me down." A small smile coming on the girl's face as she said that.


The two didn't go to sleep that night. They just sat in silence, looking up at the stars. Sleep didn't call as much as it did before and the two stayed and watch the dark sky change into a sea of colours before settling on blue. The whole scene almost moved the girl, making her wish that the sky wouldn't settle on blue so quickly. The man groggily walked out and called them down. After eating, the boy disappeared and the man held up his end of the deal.

The morning was still young when the girl left. She had to walk through the town again and the last thing she wanted was for her emotions to get in her way. The flute had eluted her long enough, her fingers tingling at the very thought. The directions led her through the town, only to exit it once more. She walked through more forest, until coming to another clearing. The house was a bit of the same way, but in the same time different.

Standing in front of the door, Tayuya controlled her enthusiasm as she knocked on the door.

At first, there was no response. Suddenly, a loud thud sounded inside the house, leading to another chain of noises which got louder and louder. The door slid open crudely, a head popping out.

Green eyes stared at the kunoichi, irritation hinted in them. Her hair was jet black, flowing messily down. The fair skin which covered her face held a scowl as she spoke.

"What the hell do you want?"


And I'm done. Another chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. I would have gone further but I felt that here was the best place to stop.

All feedback is appreciated and you can expect the next chapter sooner than later.