A/N: Welcome back. I know I've been gone a long time, but blame it on trying to write ahead! I did manage to get farther than I thought...in any case, I've been sick with strep last weekend, and I also had a play to perform on Friday, so it's been hectic. Also, this chapter's a bit shorter than the last two, but I'm sure you'll manage. I wanted to get this out before I fell into a depression: We all know how those are! (jk, jk, etc.)
I don't own Naruto.
Techie and the Agent
Chapter Seven
Enduring The Pain
"No, no, you're not doing it right! It's pointer-ring, not pointer-pinky!"
Naruto stuck out his tongue as he attempted it again.
"How can you not possibly be able to do this? It's easy, watch," —Neji demonstrated the proper finger formation— "this helps the chakras flow easier, and is the accurate way to achieve pure meditation."
Rolling his eyes, Naruto attempted to try the move once more. His pointer finger couldn't connect with his ring finger properly, and he had no idea why. Neji seemed to be on his last nerve.
They had been out in the friendly July sun for a few weeks now, each day held new words of wisdom and techniques to practice on from Neji. Naruto found he greatly enjoyed these sessions; when he managed to uncover some small piece of the "chakras", as Neji called them, an indescribable peace flowed throughout his body. He made it his duty to practice meditation, if only to feel that at ease all the time.
Neji made it look easy—he'd enter his "happy place" (a nickname that caused many a bruise to form on the blonde's head) in about 2 seconds, and could stay there for hours. Naruto had trouble staying concentrated for little more than a minute.
"You need to relax," Neji would say. It was hard to relax, what with all the new goings-on happening everywhere. Just last Monday, Shikamaru and his team had a B-rank mission gathering information from a computer database in San Antonio. A digital mini-camera was taken along, and Naruto got to "assist" them through satellite. Now, he couldn't wait until he finally got his own mission.
Sasuke had been teaching the techie both physical and mental training. He claimed that Naruto needed it for many important reasons, but all said man could think of was for Sasuke's own sadistic purposes. His biceps still ached with every move.
Naruto had yet to tell Tsunade about the text message; him being too caught up, and she being too busy. A leak to Konoha's location had driven her to many all-nighters, making hundreds of calls and sending many agents out into the night to reassure the safety of the organization. Naruto didn't feel it very respectful to her authority to intrude on her personal issues, so he had asked the receptionist if she could schedule him in with a meeting.
"Oh, don't be silly, Naruto," chided Ino, a girl his age with flowing platinum blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was on Shikamaru's team, and her outgoing personality had allowed Naruto to grow close to her in a short amount of time. "If you go on up to her office, I'm sure she'd let you right in. She isn't a celebrity."
The group—consisting of Naruto, Ino, Sasuke, Neji (which thoroughly outraged Sasuke, although only internally, Naruto could tell), Lee, Shikamaru and Tenten—lounged in the gathering area, the large flat screen TV on the wall in front of them blaring a random music video.
Naruto stretched back against a beanie chair while sitting on the floor. "You probably know more than me, that's for sure. Should I go right now?" he asked.
"I'll go with you," Sasuke offered. The two set off.
---
He knocked on the door twice, waiting patiently. After receiving no reply, Sasuke went ahead and pushed open the door.
They were greeted with a desk, bookshelves, windows, and a sleeping President.
"Tsunade..." Sasuke said, slapping her lightly on the cheek. No response. He tried again.
She shifted, turning her head over and exposing a trail of drool. They grimaced.
"Oi, Tsunade, wake up!"
She sat up, bleary eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. "Whaddayawan'?" she grumbled.
Sasuke handed her a tissue, which she used to wipe her face. "Oh, was I sleeping again? Woopsie."
She caught sight of Naruto, who was looking around at her massive collection of novels. "Ah, Naruto. What is it that you want?"
He handed her his cell phone after bringing up the message. "I got this a few weeks ago...I meant to tell you, but I guess I forgot...sorry...The message said to tell you, so—"
"Sasuke." Tsunade's eyes held a hard look. "Find Kakashi, and tell him to come here at once. You two are dismissed. Naruto, can I keep this?" She waved the phone.
"Oh, um, of course!" he said. She smiled, but it was hollow. He had a gut feeling that she probably wouldn't have needed to ask him, had she wanted the phone anyway.
Once outside the door, Sasuke took off down a flight of stairs, running so fast that Naruto had to jog to keep him in sight. At least the endurance training regime he had been put under had helped him stay standing.
"Sasuke, wait up!"
He was alone. Looking around, he pondered which way his friend might have went.
Moments later, Sasuke appeared at his left, bringing along another man.
This guy was curious. His hair caught your attention like a beacon, with its silvery shade and upright, gravity-defying style. Half of his face was masked, and a cloth covered his left eye. His visible one looked bored.
"...Tsunade said she needs you immediately, so get up there!" Sasuke was saying.
He scratched his chin, while looking at Naruto. "Right now? But I was busy reading—"
"NOW!" The man named Kakashi shrugged, the Uchiha's death glare wasted on his uncaring form. He managed a seal with his hands (one that Naruto recognized from day 7 with Neji), and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Woah!" said Naruto, scanning the area for the man. "Where'd he go?" He was surprised that someone could use seals to teleport; he woulddefinitely need to ask Neji about that.
"To see Tsunade, idiot. C'mon, let's follow them."
With his ear pressed against the door beside Sasuke's, they listened quietly to the conversation taking place within Tsunade's office. It sounded grave.
"...supposed to do? He disappeared a year ago, everyone assumed..."
"It means there are still 2 files of 'Biju' left, Hatake! That means we have more time than expected, which is potentially good, but it also means the boy needs to be rescued..."
"Sounds like they know who it is," Naruto whispered. Sasuke nodded.
"So...'Biju' has 9 files, and they thought there was only one left," Naruto whispered again, looking down. "But there is another person out there, the person who sent the text message, who is being held but hasn't died yet. If we save him, then..."
"We can possibly save the world," Sasuke finished for him.
The new information boggled his mind. Like everything that had happened since that day he was rescued, he found himself feeling stupider and stupider with each passing week. Where had his 3.9 GPA smarts gone? Where did his pride go? Where did Naruto as he knew himself go?
He clenched his hair angrily, seeing if pain could distract his buzzing thoughts.
The so-called "meeting" with an Akatsuki spy was only a few weeks away, and if things worked out correctly, they would be able to gather information on their location. Akatsuki and Konoha were enemies 'til the grave, and both had no problem exterminating the other. Even the concept of killing another human being haunted Naruto's imagination.
A warm hand reached up to take his own, pulling it from his hair and resting it on Sasuke's forehead in a caring manner.
"Stop," the brunette said simply. Naruto's ears reddened; he wasn't aware of how distracted he had become.
The conversation in the room appeared finished, so the two stood up and waited on the opposite wall for Tsunade and Kakashi to exit.
"Were you two eavesdropping?" the blond woman said inquisitorially, seizing them up and making Naruto sweat.
"No, we weren't. Just waiting for you two to stop blabbing," said Sasuke.
She snorted. "I'm sure." She then handed them a manila folder. "These are the only details we can tell you. Kakashi's gone to alert the rest of his team and the council, so that leaves you two. I want neither of you to reveal the information to anyone, understood? Unless I say so, you are not to speak of anything other than the mission in 2 weeks' time."
Naruto nodded meekly. Was it that top-secret? He wondered.
The atmosphere as they walked from the hall felt like a growing sense of insecurity. With each step, Naruto could almost feel a pressure, one like no other he had felt, settling in his stomach. It churned and swirled like butterflies, except this was no high school prom, or first day of kindergarten; this was the real deal.
In 14 days, he might be traveling the globe, looking for answers or clues that might not even be there. He might be kidnapped, or killed. Nothing was certain anymore, and Naruto didn't like it.
Sasuke seemed to sense the nervousness radiating from the person beside him, catching Naruto's eye, and frowned.
"What's up?" he asked calmly. Naruto shook his head.
"Nervous?"
"A little. Sasuke, what was your first mission like?" Sasuke seemed to gaze at something in front of him that wasn't there for a few seconds before replying.
"It was...interesting. I was nearly killed by a suicidal maniac who held me at gun point, but my team member took him out before he could do anything. It was a little nerve-racking, of course, I was only 14 at the time."
"You were only 14?" Naruto said in awe. "How long have you been an agent?! Why didn't you ever tell me any of this stuff?!" Sasuke shrugged.
"There was no reason to, I guess. My whole family has practically been raised in the CIA for centuries—one of the rare ones to do so. It's not a safe world, and any agent who wants to live happily normally chooses to stay single. But my father," he paused, his voice cracking slightly at the end. "He decided to build mine and my brother's lives around this community."
Naruto looked skeptical. "He must have been one heck of a crackpot."
It wasn't common knowledge that Sasuke lived alone—most people assumed he lived in a large mansion with 15 cars and a movie star Mom and Dad . Which, technically, he did have, except he had no parents.
Their deaths were a mystery, as well as the deaths of everyone else that lived in the Uchiha neighborhood (named after the founder of the police force 120 years prior). It consisted of mainly Uchihas, but one night, all were found dead where they lie.
Sasuke never talked much about the massacre. It was all over the news for years, taking place when Naruto and Sasuke were 7. Ever since, the remaining Uchiha and his brother Itachi were shifted from household to household, foster parents always commenting on how creepy the eldest son behaved. Sasuke never said a word about it to anyone but Naruto.
They had met in elementary school, that much was commonly known. The duo had become practically legendary, and there wasn't a soul who could tear them apart. They were like fire and ice; No one could explain why Sasuke put up with Naruto, and vice-versa.
Naruto had often found it strange that Sasuke would disappear for days on end, only to return with numerous small injuries and an even more dedicated attitude. Naruto had thought it was his foster parents that were abusing him, but now he could see it was his training to become stronger that sent him away to Konoha's Institution and caused him harm.
Only a few years ago, Itachi had suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. Sasuke had said he had probably went out looking for his family's revenge, but Naruto could tell Sasuke was lying. Sasuke had his secrets, and as much as the blonde hated to admit it, he so desperately wanted to find out what they were.
A/N: This chapter bugged me. But whatever. I feel a lot better now that I've posted it. Next chapter, the action really starts. If you have any questions, just ask me. I sometimes confuse even myself, so it would make sense that somebody has questions.
Next update: Whenever I feel like it. Maybe Monday.
Adios, amigos.
