Thanks for the feedback! I'm trying to keep on a schedule, something around a chapter a month, so that by December when the fic reaches one year old, it'll have at least twelve chapters. Well, it's a hope.


Chapter 9: New Self

"I'm so glad you passed." The woman whispered with her arms wrapped around the redhead.

The girl didn't move, she didn't even breathe. All she was expecting was pain, pain to rock her body as a fist crushed her chest, pain of a blade piercing her body, just some kind of pain. However, it never came. All she felt was the warmth from the woman, covering her body.

"…What…?" She softly said, bewildered.

"I said…" The woman said, pushing Tayuya away from her. She looked into the girl's brown eyes, speaking up. "You passed. What I just did was a test."

At first, the girl still didn't want to move. She was expecting 'Just kidding' and for her life to finally end. When that didn't come, the next best thing did. "A test…? A freaking test?" She yelled, fists balling. "Do you have any idea what you just did to me? Was I really just some kind of toy to you, for you to use as you see fit?"

The woman sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "This wasn't a freaking cakewalk for me either gaki!" The girl stiffened as she said that. "You think I wanted to do this? I saw the look in your eyes when I attacked you. You really did give up, you really were broken for a moment there. But, it needed to be done."

"Needed to be done! What the hell does that even mean? Even though it was just a damn week, you should at least know me by now!" The girl yelled, he voice going louder and louder.

"That was something you could have faked. Plus, I needed to see something. I needed to see if you were ready."

"Ready…?" The girl's eyebrow rose, her attention gained.

"Ready for the new you." She said, the girl stiffening again. It was true, she was in a battle with her old self. The now burning curse mark on the back of her neck was testament to that. "If you fought back, I would have killed you. As much as I wouldn't have liked it, I would have had to do it. It would have shown that you were still tied to your past self and couldn't let go. But, you're ready now." She stepped forward, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You have the resolve. You can do it, you can change your life for the better."

Something in the woman's words, something in her voice seemed to reach out to the redhead. She felt stronger, more determined. She didn't feel alone anymore. She actually… believed it.

The girl nodded. "No way in hell I'll do otherwise."

Grinning, the woman pushed the girl. "Good, now let's give you one last course." Her fists came up. "Let's go."

With a grin of her own, Tayuya put her guard up. Why was she so excited all of a sudden, why did she want to learn from this woman so much? All these things didn't seem to matter anymore. All that did was that she learned.

"Use the water exercise. Don't put any fire chakra though, just normal." The woman ordered, rushing towards the girl.

Nodding, the girl sent the chakra through her body, rushing forward as well. The woman sent a straight punch, well aimed for the chest. Sliding to the side, Tayuya dodged, launching a kick instead. It wasn't going to be that easy, as the woman skilfully caught the foot and delivered a thrust kick to the redhead's chest. Luckily, her hands were waiting, blocking the kick from making direct contact.

Skidding back, Tayuya smirked as she recovered. Damn, when did losing get so fun?

"Saw that?"

The girl stopped, letting what just happened sink in. She got kicked, skidded back, got up… It clicked. She looked at her arms, the pain which last time would have been coursing through them wasn't. Or, not as badly. Also, she didn't go as far as before. She still went quite a distance, but that was something for another day.

"Heh, so you figured it out."

"I'm using chakra to enhance my body." The girl said, looking at her arms. "I'm taking less damage from your attacks."

"So you actually have a working brain on those shoulders." The woman taunted. Her hand rose, beckoning the girl to come. "Now let's see how the combat part of it is."

She rushed forward again, flipping over the girl. She spun around, a roundhouse kick spinning along with her. Tayuya leaned back, dodging the kick before pushing the leg aside and rushing in. Two punches were aimed for the woman's body, the woman blocking both and pushing the girl off. The woman came in again, this time scoring a punch directly in the face. Tayuya flew across the wooden floor, flipping before landing.

Focus… Calm down… Calm… She breathed a bit, controlling herself. The woman seemed to notice.

"Whoa, whoa. What the hell was that?" She said, coming out of her stance.

"What?"

"That breathing thing. What the hell are you doing?" She pointed at the girl a bit aggravated.

"I'm just controlling my temper. You said that I lose it when I get heated." The girl answered, raising an eyebrow.

Hands quickly came up, shaking as the woman spoke. "No! I never said that! I said when you get mad. You're a heated person, so let that heat spill into your fighting. Just don't let it get out of control and never go berserk."

The redhead nodded, making a mental note for the next time she got into a real fight.

"Well, you're supposed to be on your way already so I'll have to cut this short." The woman made her way past the redhead towards the kitchen. "You'll have to progress on your own, but you should be able to do it."

The sound of moving objects echoed through the house. It didn't take long for her to reappear, only this time she had something in her hands. The case was completely black and stretched past her shoulders. Tayuya's eyes widened as she realized what it was.

The woman stopped in front of her, smiling. By now, the girl was shaking in anticipation. Her eyes stayed glued to the box as it opened, revealing a sparkling silver flute. Lines and designs decorated the sides, dancing and swirling down the flute. "Stop drooling."

Although her mouth closed, she couldn't help but do it. It was her life passion, it was her soul mate. Despite it not being too long, she had missed it dearly.

"Catalytic." She started. "The Catalytic flute. Like your former flute, the Demonic Flute, this isn't an ordinary flute. But, it's always for fun to learn on your own what I mean." The girl's eyes scanned the flute, as if she was looking at a nice boy or something. "Run to him." The woman taunted, earning her a stern glare from the redhead.

Slowly, the girl's hand reached forward. It was a bit reluctant, expecting the box to come down or the woman turn around or something. But, it never came. Her fingers metal the cool metal, goosebumps running up her arms as it did. They curled around it, clenching it carefully. With abated breath, the girl slowly lifted it out of the case and held it up.

Abandoning all caution, she pulled the flute into her body, hugging it tightly. Even she couldn't help but give a soft squeal as she tightened her hold on it. She didn't even seem to notice when the woman placed a strap onto her leg for it, still hugging the flute.

"Now get lost, lest you try to hug me or something." With that, the touching moment was broken. The girl slipped the flute into the strap, fastening it.

The two walked over the gate, stopping in front.

The redhead looked around, scratching her arm. "Um… Listen up, ok! I'm not good at this kind of thing."

"Ah shut up." The woman waved her off. "Neither am I. Now just get lost already, you've cut into my sleep way too much."

Tayuya turned, ready to go.

Without warning, she swung back around, throwing her arms around the woman. At first she flinched, but she returned it, patting the girl's head.

"… Thanks…"

"Don't mention it."

Letting go, the girl turned and started making her way back.

"Hey! Don't break it, ok! I put a lot of blood and sweat into that! And make sure you give Sasuke-kun a big kiss for me!"

She groaned. Damn, she can be so annoying sometimes!

"And Tayuya! Make sure you kick Orochimaru's ass extra hard for me!"

Suddenly, the girl stopped. She spun around, looking back at the house.

Closed.

Just a moment ago, she called me Tayuya… But I never told her my name…


She arrived just in time to see Sasuke come out of the blacksmith's house. He had a few bandages on his hands, but aside from the he looked normal. The more striking change was the addition of a long, purple piece of wood on his back.

Sasuke noticed the girl quickly, his head turning to her. His inner mind immediately went off once he saw her. Mentally, he really thought that she bolted. Half his mind gave a slight sigh of relief, while the rest snarled. However, the whole thing wooed as the girl came closer.

She didn't run, she trained. Her armed were bound, as well as parts of her body and legs. Also, she also gained some new equipment. A smirk couldn't help but surface as he saw the flute strapped to her leg. Her clothes had changed, they were a bit more showy yet practical. Even the air around felt different, stronger, more confident. It seemed like the difficult girl just got interesting.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She spat, snarling at the boy.

Very interesting.

"So, we getting out of here or what?" The redhead said, leaning on a tree.

"I hope so." The old man stepped out of her gate, dusting his hands off. "I'm tired of doing work for Orochimaru, he never pays enough."

"Tell me about it." The girl muttered.

Motioning with his hand, Sasuke began walking away. The girl quickly followed, giving a small gesture to the old man before leaving as well.

Sighing, the man went back inside his house. "Seems like Orochimaru has some bad lackeys. The scroll said to kill me once I was done."


"… What did you do…?" Suddenly came from ahead of the girl.

The trip was mostly silent, so the break caught the girl off guard. Why the hell does he care?

"Why don't I just kick your ass and you'll find out." She smirked.

To her surprise, the boy turned around, smirking. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

Her eyes widened a bit. Is he…? No, there's way he is… "Why don't we stop and find out?"

The boy dropped out of the forest canopy, leaving the girl in awe behind him.

I didn't think he was serious… but I'm still going for it! She dropped down too, landing in front of the boy.

The area they landed in wasn't very large. Trees boarded the sides, creating a small ring around them. The grass was low, deprived of sun by the larger trees. The area itself wasn't more than a few feet wide and had more length than width.

The two gave each other distance, their battle stances coming up.

Sasuke's eyes analyzed the girl's own quickly. It was a large improvement over the last one she had. It was more stable, yet flexible and flowing. …I'll have to be more serious than last time…He thought, flexing his muscles.

He wasn't the only one analysing. After fighting with the woman, her notice of fist to fist combat became better. She was beginning to notice the specialties of his stance, the way it allowed for fast movement, quick punches and jumps. This should be interesting. "Do you want your ass handed to you now, or later?"

Smirking, the boy took the lead. He rushed up to the girl, something she remembered from the glimpse of the boy's training she saw. He was quick, so quick that she barely noticed when he appeared in front of her. With a punch.

Her arms came up quickly, blocking the punch barely. She still moved back, a bit surprised at his increase in strength.

"What were you saying?" He mocked, standing up straight.

Putting her block down, the girl chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm just getting started."

The boy went on the offensive again. This time, Tayuya was ready. Her guard came up, her eyes quickly following the boy's body as it narrowed. As he came within range, he stopped, using the excess force to spin around with a kick. The boy's eyes widened as he saw what happened next. The kick seemed to phase through the girl, before a kick of her own slammed into his mid-section. He flipped over, recovering mid-air but still holding his stomach.

What the hell…? She wasn't this strong before…! He thought, looking back up at the girl. The kick itself wasn't that hard, but rather Sasuke was unprepared. He hadn't expected her to dodge like that, nor did he expect the kick. Maybe I should… No, I need not use it on her.

"What's wrong? Didn't think I was so strong…?" She taunted, leaning forward. "Why don't you come again so that I can make sure you weren't dreaming?"

The Uchiha's mind was working, trying to figure out her trick. What was up with that movement?

Shit, he's using me to stall while he thinks. The girl noticed, it having been done to her before. She rushed the boy, swerving as she ran.

His block came up, ready for whatever she threw. However, she didn't go on the offence. Once Tayuya was in range, the boy threw a fast jab, sending the girl to a halt to stop. From that, he spun with a backfist aimed for the head. Again, the fist seemed to pass through her, the girl swerving around it and throwing a punch at his head. The boy leapt backwards to dodge, a smirk coming on his face as he did.

He got it… The girl thought, looking at the boy. I'm going to have to go all out it seems. Her fingers tingled, her hands slowly moving for the strap on her leg. No, I can't use it yet. It'd be bad if I showed him everything I was capable of.

Neither of them wanting the other to think too much, they rushed at each other. Sasuke threw a swift kick to the side. The girl swerved around it once more, moving in for a punch. A smirk appeared on the boy's face as that happened, causing one of the girl's eyebrows to rise. Without warning, a thrust kick burst from the boy. The girl's punch barely had time to turn to a cross block, her arms and chest still feeling the pain despite that. However, it still wasn't over. The block changed to a grip, the boy's leg trapped in the girl's arms. In a split second, the boy changed from steady on the ground to spinning. In the next one, he was airborne.

The tree behind rushed up, and apparently it wasn't the only thing. The girl flew after him, her fists ready to strike. Sasuke hit the tree, his foot coming into contact first. The girl was next, slamming her fist into his chest, chakra flowing through it.

Or, at least where he was.

The boy vanished, the fists crashing into the tree instead. A loud cracking sound filled the air for a few moments, before the girl turned to face boy. He couldn't help but notice the small crack left in the tree from the punch.

The girl turned, her mind racing madly. This fight, this sensation… Her blood was boiling, her heart beating wildly with a heat building inside. Her whole soul felt like it was on fire at this time, her body light yet her head at ease. She never felt anything like it. It was almost as good as getting her flute back, the sweetness in the feeling. The woman was right; she was hotblooded and was she a fool to think that she could contain it.

"I know your trick." The boy said proudly. "You're barely dodging, stepping just out of my range and using your hands to guide the attack and push it away."

Smirking, the girl retorted. "Yeah, so what? Just shut up and fight!"

Chuckling, the boy nodded, rushing in again. He too was feeling the fight. It wasn't as painful as fights had become these days. It was exciting, thrilling, blood pumping… Fun. He was actually enjoying the stalemate between the two.

The pair rushed each other again. Sasuke moved first, swinging a fist at the girl's head. She swerved around, throwing a backfist. The Uchiha's punch quickly turned to a block, stopping the backfist inches from his face. Swinging her foot around, the girl sent a roundhouse kick into the boy's stomach. He blocked it easily, smirking at the girl.

Suddenly, both their heads turned, something feeling wrong.

"You feel it too?" She muttered softly.

"No." He said, still looking. "I thought I saw something."

Fwap!

The two split up, two figures suddenly where they stood. Each stood up straight, one facing Tayuya and the other Sasuke. Tayuya's own was unarmed where a pair of long, tattered brown pants and a short sleeved shirt. The other was dressed similarly, except a large sword decorated his back.

"What luck for us to find you out here." The one facing Tayuya said, a confident smirk on his face. "Especially without your three other lackeys, but just one."

The girl's eye narrowed on the man, trying to add a name to the face. "Tsk… What a bad time for my past to catch up on me…" She looked over the man. "Ne, Sasuke-kun ? Just as I was about to kick your ass."

The boy could only shake his head and smirk. "Just don't die."

"We can't guarantee that." The two attackers said, rushing up to their opponents.

"Who the hell was talking to you?"

Bam!

An elbow rammed into the man's face, taking him down to the ground. Smoke filled the air as he hit, the girl spinning around just in time to block a punch to her head.

As soon as the man landed, he spun around with a kick. His eyes widened as he saw it seem to go through the girl, before she moved in with a punch of her own.

Bam!

He flipped mid-air, clutching his nose as he landed.

"Damn it… You're not supposed to know how to fight like this…" He growled, glaring daggers at the girl.

This earned him a smirk, as the girl placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Well, seems like your information's old. Let me show you just how old."

Sasuke was dealing well with his opponent. The man had skill, but was going about it all wrong. Without his sharingan on, the boy was easily dodging the man's wide swings.

The boy leapt back, dodging another slash. The other man grinded his teeth as he moved. "Stop running so much! What are you, afraid of getting cut?"

"… Hn…"

The man took another swing. Once again, the boy moved back, dodging the blade. However, that wasn't all. Once the blade passed, he rushed in with his elbow out and his fist retracted.

Bam!

The fist connected with the swordsman's face, sending him spinning off into the ground. At the same time, the other man slammed into the other one, thrown by a kick from Tayuya. The two growled, looking at each other before leaping back into the fray.

The man began to barrage the girl, throwing a surge of punches at the girl's head and chest. She resorted to blocking the attacks instead, looking and waiting. Seeing the girl's lack of offense, he came on stronger and faster, starting to throw punches too.

I can't keep this up forever… The girl thought, blocking another kick. And it doesn't seem I can stop this either… Looks like there's only one way…

The girl continued to block the punches, still waiting. The man threw a fast kick, aimed well for the head. The girl blocked, pushing the leg to the side and rushing in. The man smirked, sending a punch of his own, expecting the girl to dodge or block. Except, she didn't. She took the punch, sending one of her own drilling into the man's chest.

Both of them flew back, the man going considerably further. The girl laughed as she looked at the man. "I thought you said something about killing me?"

The man looked up and glared. "I will."

He rushed in again, this time his moves were different. They were faster, stronger and yet at the same time weaker.

Rage… The girl thought, her eyes widening as she saw him approach. Is that really what I looked like when I lost it…?

He came up with a firm punch, something that the girl couldn't block properly. It sent her flying back, though she didn't hit what she expected. Instead of a tree, she felt a human body.

"Watch where you're throwing that bitch around!" The swordsman growled, barely dodging a punch from Sasuke.

"Just shut the hell up and kill that brat already!" The first man yelled back.

They're not even cooperating… The girl thought, jumping back at the man.

She went with a swift jab, hitting the man square in the face. However, instead of moving back he only pushed forward, securing a strong kick to the girl's midsection.

Pain coursing through her body, she stood up again, arms up. Stand up… This is nothing compared to the woman's fist.

The barrage continued, with the man going forward haphazard with his attacks and the girl resorting to only blocking. Pain began going through her body, her arms getting weaker and her block following suit. Meanwhile, all the man did was laugh evilly as he continued attacking, completely wrapped up in his attacks.

"What's wrong? Weren't you going to stop me?" He taunted, beating down more and more. "I thought you were going to beat me! Why aren't you attacking? Can't do anything without your lackeys to protect you?"

The girl's teeth grinded as she continued blocking. Damn it… I can't keep this up… I'll need to make the next one I do count.

The man came again, his fists ready to strike.

Bam!

Luckily, the girl wasn't aiming for there. She swept his foot as he stepped, throwing him off his feet. The end was still to come, as she used this chance to rush up and slam an elbow into his chest. Using the momentum, she spun with the elbow, giving one final punch to the man's chest.

The man flipped, wrecking painfully into the ground and rolling to a stop. Slowly, he got up, a mad laugh coming out. "I won't stop! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

A pit formed in the girl's stomach, her eyes widening and her hands began to shake. The man seemed to mad, so crazed in the idea of killing her, she couldn't help but be freaked. What made it worse was… he reminded her of herself.

Suddenly, Sasuke appeared behind the man and disappeared. The girl's heart skipped a beat as she saw that, words flying out of her mouth before she could even think. "Baka! Move!"

It was too late.

Red over took everything as silver pierced through the man's mid section. It sprayed everywhere, flying out from the man and some even landed on the girl. All she could do is stand and watch as the man's body slid apart, the upper body falling first. Her eyes followed it, stuck on the man's eyes. They slowly turned lifeless, though they seemed to be stuck on her as well. As he hit the floor, his hand reached forward, one last sentence leaving his lips.

"…See you… in… hell…"

The words rocked the girl, her body slumping to her knees as she stared at the blood leaking from the body.

"Tsk, baka got in my way." The swordsman said, looking at the mess. "Though I planned on killing him anyway, I hoped he could at least end your life first."

That was it; the girl's stomach could take no more. She leaned over, her breakfast pouring out onto the forest floor.

While she did, the only other sound to come from the area was the sound of chirping birds.


The two left the area quickly, the girl barely able to keep on her feet and keep anything down. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was shaken. What really was worrying was that Sasuke noticed.

They stopped at the nearest river, the girl immediately throwing her clothes off and sinking into its depths. She didn't even seem to care that the boy saw her strip down to her underwear, she didn't seem to care that he was looking; all she wanted to do was get in the water and wash herself off.

Sasuke looked on as the girl rubbed her arms, legs and stomach madly, trying to remove the blood.

You should not care. In fact, you should just leave her. Orochimaru would have more time to train you, making you stronger.

The boy paid no attention to the voice, only looking at the girl move more and more. What really had him was the look on her face. The look hadn't left her from the time she saw the body. She looked hollowfied, her eyes looking like they weren't looking at the world, but the devil himself. The look of seeing your worse nightmare come to life, stare you down and come nest to you.

…The look of seeing your family dead in front of you…

Although the blood was long gone, she still scrubbed. Her eyes looking over her body countless times, as if more would suddenly appear of she stopped. It always seemed like it would.

After placing her clothes to dry, he turned to the girl. "Stop. There's none left."

Her voice came out shakily, her eyes not even leaving her body as she responded. "No… There's still some left. I can feel it."

He came closer. The sight of her like this sickened him. The strong, fierce, hotheaded girl stood before him broken and weak. He couldn't stand the man who did it, he couldn't stand the sword. He couldn't stand the world for letting it happen.

He couldn't stand himself for not stopping him.

The girl's arms moved again, the scrubbing continuing.

Suddenly, they stopped. The found themselves bound to her body, another set of arms holding them down.

"Stop. There isn't any left." He whispered into the girl's ear, pulling her tighter.

In the water stood Sasuke, donning only his boxers also as he stood behind the girl.

"But… But…" Her eyes went to the water, watching the last few traced of red get washed down by the current.

This was getting to get… hard. He wasn't used to this kind of contact. His body longed to push her away, to run away. Though, at the same time… "… It's alright…" He said softly, the right works becoming harder and harder to find.

Slowly, the girl turned around, her arms slowly moving onto his chest. He could feel liquid dripping down his chest as she spoke. "The blood… It won't stop… Why is there so much blood…?"

He pulled her tighter, one of his hands holding her head. "… I won't say something insensitive like 'talk to me'. Whenever you're ready, you'll tell me. Until then... let me share in your pain..."


He hated the way she cursed to much. He hated her overconfidence and difficult ways. Yet, they were so alike. She seemed to know the pain he felt, she seemed to know what it felt like to have the whole world against her.

His inner Uchiha was furious. It wouldn't stand for this, denouncing the boy for trying to dirty their name, for wasting his time on a useless girl who wouldn't bring him any closer to his revenge. Yet, all he could do was stand with her, listening to her sobs and gently (or at least so he hoped) stroking her hair. For once, he was throwing his Uchiha name to the wind. Now, he was just Sasuke. The Sasuke which hated and liked the loud, foulmouthed girl. The Sasuke who hated to see her in the state she was in.

Day turned to night, the girl slowly regaining some of her composure as time passed. The eventually migrated out of the water, the boy making a small fire to keep them company during the night.

He sat next to her, ready and waiting. If she needed a shoulder, she'd get one. If she needed a fish, he'd swim into the river for her. He would be there for her, even if it was for just one day, he would be there.

Slowly, life began to come back into her eyes, though they still held some lifeless in them.

"…Why…?" She finally started talking again. "…Why are you helping me…? What do you want…?"

Grunting, the boy looked her dead in the eye. "Nothing." He suddenly turned his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. "It just wasn't part of the mission to let you stay like that."

For a few moments the girl stayed still, looking at the boy. Her lips curled up into a soft smile, her head finding its place on his chest. "… Thanks…"

Ok, so maybe seeing her like this wasn't all bad…


Light flooded the girl's vision as she yawned. Her dream that night was… odd. Sasuke was in it, though she'd prefer not say how… From the day before, even she couldn't deny that she felt something and apparently, that something was sneaking its way into her dreams.

"You have a cute moan."

The girl's cheeks lit up as a voice suddenly spoke to her, her body stiffening as feeling came to her. She could feel something warm around her, especially her waist. She quickly bolted to her feet, turning to see a certain someone lying down quite comfortably where she once was.

"What hell do you think you're doing sleeping with me?" She yelled, her face turning even redder as she realized what she just said.

Slowly, the boy got up also and looked across the river. "… Hn…"

The girl growled as he did that, her blood beginning to boil. "Why the hell'd you even comfort—err, try to comfort me yesterday anyway?"

Shrugging, the boy looked around for his clothes. "You being mentally unstable wasn't part of the mission." He responded, spotting them near a bush.

"Ah shut up." The girl leaned forward, exposing some of her cleavage. "I know you'd just hate to lose your jerking material."

The boy's cheeks changed colour, his head spinning quickly to try and hide it. Damn it… I should have seen that coming… How'd I let that catch me off guard? He composed himself, looking back at the girl. At least I know she's back.

Walking passed him, the girl swayed her hips playfully. "I hope you know that you can only have this in your dreams."

Smack!

Oh my…

"We'll see."

The girl's cheeks matched her hair as the boy walked away, leaving a giggling butt in his wake.


The girl decided to keep her clothes, despite them becoming somewhat of a dual edged sword. They left the campsite, neither talking needlessly. As they moved along, some was odd. The trees were thinning out greatly, more and more, though the amount of grass was still low. To make matters worse, they weren't even going over flat land again. The ground was beginning to rise and fall, telling her one thing.

They were on their way to the Kumogakure Base. Or rather, the base near Kumogakure. It wasn't within the village itself, but bordered the Land of Lightning. The sudden change in base surprised the girl. Though it was well known that once a member of Otogakure you weren't supposed to get too comfortable in one place, they only moved for special reasons. One was Orochimaru's paranoia, another was close to being found by a not so friendly village (yeah, basically all) but what else could do it.

"Duck ass…" She muttered, almost smacking herself for not recognizing it earlier.

The Land of Lightning was known for three things. Mountains, Lightning and Swords. Two of which were the duck's weapons of choice. It made sense why he would move, after all the man was still going through the honeymoon stage with his new toy. That and the boy wasted Raition chakra like there was no tomorrow. Even Tayuya could feel the waste when he did a Chidori.

"I'm surprised you're not in awe. Not many people can enter a new land without noticing the change in scenery." She spoke out to the boy, her mind itself not really knowing why.

"… Hn…" He gave a look back, before focusing on the way again. This earned him a glare from the girl. "The mission comes first."

Sighing, the girl continued. "You're such a prick." Why do I care? I could have told him that in my sleep!

The two stopped in front of a hill. In this hill was a small, unsuspecting cave. It seemed like the kind a wild animal would make to nest its children or pregnant mate. If only it was so innocent. After taking a quick look around Sasuke entered the cave, the redhead carelessly following him inside. They went down passed the light, the boy's hand trailing along the wall of the cave. Before long, he came to a stop, his hand moving slightly.

The darkness slowly faded back to a faint light. The wall next to the Uchiha moved to the side, revealing a familiar orange pattern. The two walked in, the wall grinding back to place behind them. They took a couple of steps, before the wall next to Sasuke grinded open, two eyes peering out from inside.

The boy threw the mission scroll inside, walking away without even waiting for a reply. Raising an eyebrow, the girl followed.

The Kumogakure base was quite different from the Otogakure one. The entire base was underground, going deeper and deeper down. Instead of a forest skyline, all you were greeted to was brown. Lights were made to simulate daytime and there were areas to a few 'general' areas but there were a few major differences. Space was tight. There was no useless space. If you wanted to meet with someone, use a corridor or room. The mess hall was gone. It was replaced with a simple window, where you'd walk up, get your food and leave. Most ate in their rooms or some other area like that. Below that were the training floors. The areas were similar to the ones in the Otogakura base, though the terrain closer represented this land than Konoha. The lower floors were no man's land. Only Orochimaru, Kabuto and their close minions ever went lower. Why?

Hell.

The two walked through the corridors, a few others there was well. These however weren't meandering to their destination like before though. The base was more serious, even the vendors were sectioned off.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Tayuya." A voice called behind them. The girl peered over her shoulder to see a man dressed in his purple and grey uniform. "Orochimaru-sama calls. He is on the fourth floor office."

With that, the man was off. The two stopped walking, the boy turning to the girl.

She groaned, already knowing what he wanted. "Yeah, I know the way." She turned, going down on of the seemingly endless corridors. "But I'm giving you a grand tour! Get your ass lost like everyone else if you want to find your way!"

"…"

"Shut it."

"…"

"Not a word…"

"… Loser…"

The girl spun around, fists balled and shaking. "I said shut the hell up!" She turned again and continued walking.

"… We're lost…" Sasuke muttered, stepping next to the girl.

"No we're not!" The girl yelled, turning to face him. Their faces were close, so close that she could feel his breath blowing onto her face. "I know exactly where I am!"

"Then why haven't we reached there yet?" He retorted, looking around.

"We're taking the scenic route!" The girl said, turning and folding her arms.

"We're underground. There's nothing to see." Sasuke deadpanned, earning him a glare from the girl.

"Oh yeah! If you think I'm so lost, why don't you lead the way?" The redhead yelled, throwing her hands in the air. Damn it! She hated that boy! He always felt he was right, he always had to try and show her up! She just couldn't stand him!

At the same time… he never treated her like just a teammate, like just another person under Orochimaru. He always treated her… like a girl, like Tayuya. And her cheeks couldn't help but darken as she remembered the stunt he pulled earlier.

"We're lost." The girl muttered.

"We haven't gone anywhere yet." The boy quickly retorted, annoyance lacing his voice. They walked down another corridor,

"We're lost." The girl said again, causing Sasuke's hand to twitch.

"We still haven't gone anywhere yet." The boy growled, turning to face the girl.

"Aha! So you see it isn't as easy as you thought!" The girl yelled, pointing a finger at him. "I knew where I was going! You obviously don't!"

The urge to rub his temples washed over the boy. Why did she always have to be so difficult? Why was he such an idiot for trying to help her? He should have known not to look a gift horse in the mouth!

"Sheesh, you guys sure are loud today." A voice said around the corner.

Kill me now, lest I do it to him… Sasuke couldn't help but clench his fists as the brown haired boy rounded the corner, hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, baka!" The girl yelled, socking the boy in his arm. "I thought they would have left your dumb ass back at the other base!"

Chuckling, the boy scratched his head. "Actually… They almost did. I overslept on moving day and no one woke me up."

"Jackass." The girl said.

The black haired boy flinched a little, as he felt soft fingers grip his and pull him off to the left.

"Now if you excuse us, we have to get to Orochimaru."

A voice called out before the girl got too far. "Um…" She turned to see Akhito waving at her. "You're going the wrong way."

Her cheeks lit up in embarrassment and a smirk came over Sasuke's face. "Baka."

"Shut up!" She yelled, elbowing his side. She turned to the brown haired boy. "And how the hell are you so sure?"

He shoved a hand in his pockets, rummaging around in them for some time before grinning and pulling out a map. "Never leave my room without one!"

Grumbling, the girl dragged Sasuke back over to the boy, grabbing the map and glancing over it before stomping off.

"Wow, you two sure have gotten close."

The spun on their heels, yelling in unison. "No we haven't!"

"But Sasuke-san's talking so much with you now." This earned him a grunt from said boy. "Plus, you've been holding hands for a couple of minutes now."

Their eyes darted to their hands and it was true. The two pulled away, each holding their hand away from the other one.

"Shut up Akhito!" Tayuya yelled, her face turning red. "Don't you have something stupid to do?"

At the mention, the boy's eyes lit up. "Ah! Kabuto-sensei's class! I'm going to be late!" He gave a fast bow before running off. "Oh no… Kabuto-sensei hates latecomers…"

The girl growled, before turning and walking off with Sasuke following behind. Once they were out of earshot of the boy, he spoke. "You have soft hands."

"Shut up." The girl snapped, looking to the side. "Next time, don't try and make me feel better. Just take advantage of me and have sex, ok? At least then I'll have a reason to kill you afterwards."


Ah crap, I'm late. Though, it's only by one day I wish I would have gotten it on time. I actually rewrote the middle of this chapter, but I'm glad I did. I liked the sexiness going on between Sasuke and Tayuya.

In other news, my birthday's on the 5th. I'd love to update on my birthday, but I'm lost now for what exactly to do for the next chapter and it usually takes me a couple days or so to think things through.

As usual, any feedback is appreciated.