Author's Note: Hola! So I recently wrote a new oneshot called "Love" and would really like it if you guys would go and check it out. It's NejiTen and not SasSaku like mine usually are. I thought I try out a different pairing for once. Please R&R like always.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Otoga
Sakura awoke the next morning to a single rose by her bedroll. It glistened in the rising sun as the dew stuck to its petals. The stem was still wet from where it had been cut suggesting that the bloom was fresh. The medic sat up and took a whiff of the rose. Sweet and lovely like how a rose should smell, Sakura made a slight smile. She took out a cloth from her pack and carefully wrapped the memento for safe-keeping. It was now a precious artifact.
Now completely upright, Sakura searched the campsite for Sasuke. She found him curled up on the other side of the campfire on his own bedroll. For a second she could have sworn that he was sucking his thumb by the way he was positioned. However, she quickly dismissed the thought and started to put her bedroll away. She removed a pan, bread, and a slap of thinly sliced ham from her pack. Sighing, Sakura put her gaze back on Sasuke. He grunted in his sleep and flipped over onto his back. Sakura stood up and walked softly over to his side. Kneeling down, she brushed the hair from his forehead and made sure that she didn't disturb him as she pecked his forehead. He didn't stir and snoozed on. The medic smirked and went over to nudge Ino awake. As her friend slowly got used to the daylight, Sakura began to cook breakfast.
Where on earth did Sasuke find a rose in the middle of the forest? She found herself thinking. However, what he did was sweet and she loved it. He was making an effort to prove his love for her during this trek. He really should have been focusing on Otoga and Madara, but the fact that he wanted to prove it now rather than later really meant something to her. Sakura had become a priority and it felt amazing.
Ino yawned and took her place next to Sakura by the campfire to help with preparing the meal. Catching the rosette's glowing mood, she groggily asked her what was up. As the ham sizzled on the pan, Sakura gave Ino every detail of the night before. Ino hung on Sakura's every word and it wasn't until Sakura told her about the rose she had found this morning that her blue eyes widen. The blonde squealed so loud that she woke the four sleeping men. They scrambled awake, knives drawned, and asked the girls what was the matter. When they realized that the noise was Ino, they grumbled and sat by the fire. Ino and Sakura couldn't help themselves from giggling as they served their fellow travelers breakfast.
When the meal was finished, the six of them saddled up and got back on the road towards Otoga. Much to the male distribution in the groups' dismay, Ino took this time on the road to ask them questions about their lives. Sakura knew that her friend only wanted to get to know the group better and that she loves to hear about other people's lives, but she felt sympathy for Neji who Ino started to question first.
"So I heard that you have a daughter," Ino said excitingly.
"Yes," Neji simply stated.
"What's her name?" she asked.
"Mayumi."
Neji flinched at Ino's high pitched squeal. "What a pretty name! So are you married?"
Sakura mentally face palmed at Ino's personal question.
"...No," the male Hyuuga replied. "I'm not."
The blonde frowned and pursed her lips. She tilted her head to the side, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder.
"Why not? Don't you love the woman of your child?"
"Ino," Sakura warned her friend, seeing that Neji was becoming increasingly annoyed.
Neji kept his eyes on the path ahead and calmly responded, "Yes I love her."
"Then why don't you marry her?!" Ino exclaimed, her arms waving around.
"He's just to chicken to ask her," Naruto said from the front of the group with a toothy grin.
The Hyuuga held his collect mannerism and narrowed his white eyes at the knight. "Just like you're too chicken to take my cousin out on a date? I've seen how you look at her."
Naruto, speechless for once, blushed and resumed a conversation with Sasuke. Neji turned back to look at Ino. "Yes, I do want to get married to her and will ask her soon."
Ino, content with the answer, swooned at the thought of marriage. It was every girl's dream to get married, she had said out loud. She wanted to get married to someone that would buy her nice things and take her to exotic places that she had heard of in books. The blonde had been looking at Sakura when she had said it and Sakura stuck her tongue out at her. Ino playfully returned the gesture by sticking her tongue out as well.
For the next five days, the group travelled for long hours at a time. They did not stop until the moon was their only light source. It wasn't until the sixth day that they entered deep into Sound country. The air had gotten damp and the sky dim with grayish clouds. Even the trees had a grey tone to them. A foul smell filled their noses as swamps scattered their path. It was a miserable land to live in.
There were a few times that Sakura swore that she heard rustling in the trees around them and saw figures dash by. She told Sasuke about this, but he stated that everything was fine and she should relax. Then out of the blue, a horse and rider waltzed out from the large trees that lined the road. They blocked the road, looking menacingly with their dark hood and huge black beast that they rode. Removing their hood, it was surprising to see that this rider was actually a woman with a vibrant shade of pink hair that put Sakura's shade to shame. The woman sat atop her horse with poise and her lips a serious thin line. She motioned for Sasuke to come forward and bowed when he did so.
"King of the Land of Fire," the woman spoke. "My master welcomes you onto his lands."
Sasuke huffed and steady his horse. "If he welcomes us, why do you block my path?"
"I was instructed to escort you and your entourage to the castle," she explained. "As you know, there are many criminals that make their home here. My master does not want you to fall victim to their wants."
Sakura watched as Sasuke mused on the woman's words and the hesitantly replied, "Fine, led us there."
The woman smirked and whistled. In an instant, they were surrounded by dark-cladded footmen. For a second, Sasuke believed that he had been betrayed by the woman and that his group had been ambushed. The woman caught glimpse of Sasuke reaching for his sword and spoke, "Further protection directed by the King of Sound. Come along now."
The six were pushed forward with the woman further down the road. Before long, a city came into view surrounded by a grey wooden wall. The woman shouted for the gates to be opened and led the group inside. She turned back to the group and presented them with a snaky grin.
"Welcome to Otoga," she said with a discomforting tone. "If you're not corrupt by the time you come here, then prepare to become so."
Anko sat on the floor of Kakashi's office and unrolled a scroll. She had been relieved of her military duties for a few days to help Kakashi with the Kabuto situation. She dare not say it, but as much as a military buff that she was, she gladly accepted the new duty of doing research. Her job as a profiler and soldier often had her traveling and getting into scrimmages with felons. A few days to put her feet up were a blessing.
She tucked her legs under her as she read this new scroll. Every once and a while she had to pull up the front of her dress to kept it up since it was slightly large on her. Since most of her attire consists the costume of a warrior with much leather and iron, Anko owned only a few of what she called civilian clothes. This current one hugged around her shoulders and had tear-drop sleeves. The length of the dress was so long that it pooled around her feet much to her dismay. She often questioned why she owned such an intangible piece of clothing only to remember that she spent most of her money on armor and weapons; this dress was a bargain.
Anko was not alone in Kakashi's office; in fact Kakashi joined her along with Iruka. Poor Iruka had been dragged into the office that morning without any warning by Anko. He was just passing by to deliver papers elsewhere when he was pulled into the room with his stack of papers scattering everywhere (seems to happen a lot here). The three each took a corner of the room and surrounded themselves with books and scrolls. Even the slightest information on Kabuto or how he got in was helpful.
"I think I know how Kabuto got in Konoha," Iruka said, the city's blue print in hand.
He rolled the long paper out and secured each side with a heavy book. He pointed to the main entrance.
"Normally a traveler who enters our city has to give their name and city of origin so that we can keep who is taking a temporary residence here and when they leave," Iruka explained. "This is done day or night no matter what."
"How does this explain anything?" Anko asked, leaning over the blue print to study it. "We all know that."
"There is a brief period when the gates are not watched: the changing of the guard," he continued. "This is done as quickly as possible. Kabuto must have watched our gates for awhile to learn when the guards change and how long it takes them. He snuck in when we were vulnerable and unwatchful."
Anko wrinkled her nose as Kakashi thanked Iruka for his findings. There were still some questions that were left unexplained. How did Kabuto free the three prisoners and how did they all get out of Konoha without anyone noticing? The three turned back to their research. Kabuto, Anko was remembering, was an agent of Orochimaru's. Therefore he must have some criminal training under his belt. She theorized that Kabuto snuck into the castle through the cook's door in the back. It was always left unlocked and unsupervised since no one expected for anyone to use it for trespassing. He probably quietly made his way into Kakashi's office during the middle of the night and wrote his name in the prison duty list. He waited until it was his turn for the duty and obtained the set of prison keys. Freeing the criminals that belong to Sound, he returned the keys to Kakashi's office where they belonged and somehow escaped into the night.
"Hey Kakashi," Anko said after explaining her theory to him. "Do you remember how you and Sasuke got into the castle when he came to rescue Sakura?"
Catching on to what she was thinking, Kakashi answered, "You mean the tunnel that goes into the lower dungeon?"
"Yes, that one. Has it been closed up?" she asked.
"No," was the reply followed quickly by a, "Damn it, so that's how they got out? That stupid hole that we keep forgetting to close up?"
Anko nodded. "I believe so. It proves them the seclusion that they need to escape and it is accessible."
Kakashi closed his eyes and ran his hand over his hair. The silver spikes bounced back in position once his hand ran over them.
"Why do we live in a stupid country?" he asked.
Anko tsked and shook her head.
"Not a stupid country, Kakashi," she told him. "A smart country that likes to procastinate."
The castle at Otoga was more magnificent than the town that surrounded it. The few houses that occupied the area were either broken down or cluttered. More residents found shacks and tents to be more appropriate. Following the woman with the vibrant hair, the group had to go through the market district in order to get to the castle. This is were most of the houses were located. Each one had a make-shift stand in front of it selling something of some importance or somewhat. No one bothered the group as they trotted by, curiosity of the band of footmen that guarded them. However, from the safety of their stalls, a few sellers yelled out to the group asking for them to buy something from their stands. Their actions were greeted with a threatening stare by the footmen, but nothing more.
As they reached the castle entrance, it seemed that the structure let off an eerie appeal. It towered above them with gargoyles that guarded each corner. The woman urged the travelers on and led them into the throne room where she left them. This left them to take in every aspect of the room itself. The windows were dark, having a purplish hue escape onto the other side. Rugs were black and the banners silver with dark serpents. On all sides of them, servants waited between pillars to be called and kept their heads down and hands crossed. Perhaps the most surprising thing that the group found was that snakes ran freely along the floor. They hissed and their beady eyes stared deep into the travelers' own. One snake decided that it wanted to investigate the newcomers and slithered up to them. As it came closer to Sakura, the one nearest to it, the medic shrieked and took a step back only to have Sasuke kick the snake away.
"Don't hurt my pets in my halls King Sasuke," a voice echoed in the room.
The six looked up to see a man enter the room along with another man and the woman that led them to Otoga. The servants bowed respectively and then quickly went back into place. The main man, the one with long black hair and a pale complexion, went to the throne in the center of the room and sat down. The man and woman took place on his left side and folded their arms in front of them. The man that sat in the center picked up a rather long snake and let it slither across his neck and arms. He pats its head and glanced at Sasuke with curious eyes. The six bowed in his presence.
"I am Orochimaru, King of this land," he said, grinning to show off his sharp teeth. "Welcome to Otoga."
Sasuke bowed his head in thanks.
"So what brings the King of Fire and his entourage to my poor kingdom?" Orochimaru asked.
"It's a matter that I rather discuss with you in a more private location if you don't mind," Sasuke stated.
"If it's a private matter, then why do you surround yourself with so many people?"
The King of Fire narrowed his eyes. "They are my protection. One can not truly trust a kingdom that harbors criminals."
Orochimaru laughed and it was an eerie sound.
"I suppose that you are right," he said with a chuckle. "We will discuss what you want later."
As the King of Sound rose to his feet, Sasuke projected, "I ask that you do a favor for me, Orochimaru."
A thin black brow rose on Orochimaru's face. "You come to my kingdom and ask to talk to me without an appointment and think that you can ask me a favor?"
Sasuke let the question slide and went on talking.
"I ask that my people be protected here," he explained. "If any of them are hurt by one of your followers there will be war. And I know that you don't want to do that."
Sasuke could see that the King wanted to lash out at him, to say that he couldn't make such a bold request in his territory. They were guests nothing more and their importance was meaningless to him. Neither of them wanted a war, or from what Sasuke could tell, and Orochimaru sighed.
"None of my people will harm yours," Orochimaru finally stated. "Now go and relax. I'll have one of my people show you a place for you and your people to stay."
The King of Sound flipped his purple cape around his shoulders and exited the room with his head held high. A crude thought was running through his head, but no one was aware of it.
Author's Note: Woot, another chapter done! Hope you liked it and all. I think that when it comes around to it, I'm going to get all Snakes on a Plane with this part of the story. I can just see Sasuke saying, "Enough is enough! I have had it with these mother****ing snakes on this mother****ing plane!" Just saying. Like I said before I have a new oneshot out and it was really fun writing it. I am offering to write a oneshot for anyone that asks that can be about anything you want. I don't care what it is and I'm willing to do it. I find writing oneshots help me write chapters to other stories because they get me into a writing mood. So don't be shy and go ahead and ask for one. I would love to do it. :)
Things to look for next chapter:
1. a banquet
2. what sasuke wants to talk to orochimaru about
