Displaced
Act II— Ouroboros.
Somebody make me feel alive,
And shatter me!
I can taste it in the air. Bloodlust. Things are about to get complicated again.
...Finally!
Konoha and its environs are well into winter by the time I'm finally no longer on probation. Thank the heavens! Much as I love my little foundlings, between them and the endless hours spent guarding various 'important' people around the village I'd been going completely around the bend.
In other words, I'd been rapidly reaching the point where even a no-holds-barred spar with Lee was beginning to sound like a good idea. I've been going stir-crazy with boredom.
The rising tensions within the village haven't been much help; everyone has been antsy since Kumogakure brokered an alliance with Otogakure.
What are those air-headed morons thinking? Orochimaru has already proven he's willing to use others—hidden villages, people— for his goals and throw them away without any remorse... Then again, they are infamous for coveting kekkei-genkai users; Orochimaru's certainly not lacking access to those. You'd have to be mad to ally with him, though. Considering his former 'alliance' with Suna. I wonder what he offered them.
I am jarred from my thoughts by the heartbeats that appear at the edge of my senses. Rapid heartbeats, flares of elemental chakra— a fight. A glance towards Tenzou, our team's sensor and acting taichou for this mission, proves that he has also detected the fight within Hi no Kuni's borders. No surprise.
We are returning from a mission scouting the movements of Oto troops near our borders, taking the opportunity to sabotage their supply lines. If a horse throws a shoe or a flock of sheep falls ill— well, these things happen, who will blame Konoha? Still, our mission is complete. And investigating a potential fight is within our purview, even if it means a short detour.
Moving through the trees as shadows, we arrive at the edge of the battlefield— a clearing not far from the main road that eventually leads to Konoha.
It is a mixed party of five Konoha and Suna shinobi, fighting against a platoon of nearly two dozen Otogakure ninja.
"Mugen— keep them alive." Medic and support, then. "Hai, Taichou," This is exactly why I should have avoided full certification as a medic. Somewhat disgruntled, but too professional to let it seep into my body language, I assess the battlefield, looking for the most severely injured on our side.
There. An Inuzuka on the fringes of the battlefield, being protected by his canine partner while taking potshots at Oto shinobi. His left arm has nearly been severed above the elbow, hanging by his side, attached by only a thin strip of skin and muscle. A pair of enemy shinobi are rapidly approaching them.
Inuzuka Naiou, I note absently. He is a deceptively slender twenty-something chuunin with short, spiky grey hair. No distinctive red fang-like triangles on his cheeks; those are reserved for the main line Inuzuka. He and his 'sweet little Kimi-chan', the grey hound that loyally shadows his every step, specialize in tracking and ninjutsu.
In fact, I am somewhat familiar with three of the four Konoha shinobi participating in the fight.
Komiya Kaoru— a very unfortunately named jounin. He's a bald, burly taijutsu-obsessed guy, only a few years my senior. He's rather quiet; people tend to brush him off as 'dumb muscle' as a result. More the fools they. Much like the infamous Maito Gai, behind the burly exterior is a cunning mind.
Genji is a chuunin, though he could easily qualify for jounin rank if he wanted. He is a nondescript, brown-haired, brown-eyed man in his early twenties. He is best described as 'scruffy' and when dressed appropriately would not look particularly out of place slumming in a civilian bar, as one of a dozen world-weary laborers. Fitting; his specialty is infiltration, and he's excellent with knives, with nearly anything with a blade, a fact his opponent is wholly unprepared for, given the rate at which he's losing blood.
The fourth is an unfamiliar kunoichi, a chuunin or special jounin, judging by her attire, and given the speed and precision of her movements on the battlefield. The fifth, and only Sunagakure-affiliated member of the team is familiar as well: Temari. It's been— maybe a year and a half, since I've seen her last? I shake the thoughts away; now is definitely not the time.
I vent a little of my frustration at being assigned support duties by ruthlessly cutting down one of the Oto chuunin approaching the Inuzuka's position; the ninken handles the other, tearing his throat out with her teeth. I flick my blade— the sizzle of lightning chakra and a mild ozone smell— and the blood on it is gone, tantou sliding smoothly back in its scabbard. The ninken eyes me with suspicion, baring her teeth in a silent threat, but allows me to pass upon recognizing me as an ally.
"Inuzuka." Ally. I convey without words, hands flitting through a sign language specific to Konoha, slipping in a few gestures that mark me as someone that's worked with Inuzuka teammates before.
"Ah... Yes, ANBU-san?" The chuunin sways slightly but continues to chuck kunai at our enemies. Blood loss, I analyze, uncertain chakra pool— may require a chakra pill or transfer, depending on how long the battle has been ongoing. Transfer, because he will be ingesting a blood pill, and the two can cross-react unpleasantly in those of Inuzuka descent. A hastily-applied tourniquet on his upper arm is keeping him alive and conscious, though it will make healing him more difficult in the long run.
"As reinforcements have arrived," I gesture back to the three ANBU descending upon the Oto shinobi with all the subtlety of a raging firestorm, even as I weave a genjutsu to hide the three of us. "I will be treating your injuries." Hands lighting with the calming green light of iryou jutsu, I give him a dark glare, daring the man to protest. Though my face is hidden behind a mask, the Inuzuka picks up on my mood and nods his acceptance, though his expression remains mulish.
"Sit." He obeys, and I crouch beside him. Here, at the edge of the forest, we are relatively isolated from the battle, although it remains within view. My teammates have been herding Oto away from this side of the field.
Inuzuka Naiou struggles to stay still, protesting, "The battle—"
"Will continue without either of us participating." Oto's numbers were whittled down enough for a fair fight even before your injury, considering their training is complete shit.
Besides the injury to his arm by some sort of bladed weapon, the chuunin has a few deep-tissue bruises to his left side. He's relatively unharmed otherwise. And, luckily, his chakra pool is only about two-thirds depleted; no supplements necessary.
"But—"
Stubborn moron. "Don't. Move." I command, my tone scathing. "No whining. If I work quickly, I should be able to save your arm. You're lucky it wasn't cauterized by a jutsu." I glance over to the ninken, "Keep your human in line, will you?" She gives me a doggy grin, and trots closer, standing guard, positioning herself between us and the battle.
"Here, bite this." I pass a clean strip of leather to the chuunin, which he obligingly places between his teeth, "You're running on nothing but chakra and adrenalin. Your body's going to realize exactly how injured you are soon, and I'm not going to dose you with a painkiller on a battlefield."
Stabilizing his wounded arm using a conveniently placed nearby stump—recently created via a jutsu-created wind blade, considering the fallen tree behind it—I begin by sterilizing the injury, as well as our immediate surroundings. The jutsu causes an unpleasant feeling, like one's skin has been scoured a little too thoroughly, but it's essential to minimize infections. It's not truly necessary in a proper operating room, obviously, but a godsend in the field. Besides, this is a hundred percent more efficient than manually washing his wound with sterile water.
I begin by adjusting his humerus, approximating it back into place. The healing chakra trickles through my hands, encouraging rapid growth and differentiation; no need for steel screws, plates, or rods when treating a fracture with a competent medic-nin around. He'll need a splint regardless, to keep it stable as the bone matures for a few weeks. Once the bone in his upper arm is secure, I mend the blood vessels and nerves — some of the nerves were still connected, lucky but unlucky, since this must hurt like a bitch— chakra stitching them back together.
Sweat beads my temples; delicate work like this is my forte, but it is draining, especially as I have to maintain the sterile field at the same time. That duty would typically be delegated to a less senior medic, an assistant. Hell, ideally, more than one medic would handle such a severe injury.
Out of necessity, my attention is split between the Inuzuka's wound and our surroundings. A handful of times, enemy shinobi approach our position, only to be distracted by the genjutsu. Still, the fighting is finally winding down as I remove the makeshift tourniquet on Naiou's upper arm, after dissolving any blood clots, testing the integrity of the newly regenerated blood vessels and nerves one last time. After maneuvering ligaments and muscles back into their rightful place, I stitch his skin back together and slather on an antibiotic salve. Once the limb is bandaged, I glare balefully until he agrees to keep it immobilized in a sling.
"You'll live." I deadpan, "Head over to the hospital once we're home." I can't afford to waste chakra on making certain you don't scar.
"Thank you," he pauses, fishing for a name, "ANBU-san." The chuunin grins sheepishly, "I know that most field medics would just choose to amputate."
Most people are idiots, and I can afford the chakra drain.
"I really owe you one."
"It's Mugen." I retort, tone sharp. "You don't owe me anything; I acted under orders." And not out of some sentimental nonsense. I would have rather participated in the fight. It's not entirely true, I know, but thinking it makes me feel a little less like a chakra-wielding physician. An assassin doctor? Don't make me laugh. Standing, I release the genjutsu that had been concealing us from view. By now, the battle is finished, and our comrades have scavenged the bodies for any useful intelligence.
"Mugen-san, then." The Inuzuka persists, "And I really do. I'd offer to buy you a drink, but—" Tenzou-taichou signals for me to approach, and I shunshin over to the rest of the group, cutting off the rest of his reply.
"Taichou. Injuries?"
Tenzou-taichou shakes his head, but gestures for me to look over the rest of our allies. "Hah, you're so brusque when you're irritated, Mugen," teases a bird-masked ANBU. I suppress an irritated sigh; now that the fight is over, and since we're going to be accompanying the Konoha team escorting Temari-chan, the more social personalities can afford to relax slightly.
Unlike Sasuke is aware of social niceties and easygoing around people he trusts. ANBU Mugen is not social by any stretch of the imagination. That is, except with Kou— because Kou is Shino, and Mugen can make exceptions if he damn well wants to.
"I am always brusque." I reply curtly, "And that was not an answer." I scrutinize the Konoha chuunin and jounin present first— mostly superficial injuries, scrapes, bruises, mild burns and the like. Nothing that requires immediate treatment, certainly nothing they can't take care of themselves. A wince from Temari, as she shifts with discomfort when someone nudges her side by accident. Bruised ribs, perhaps. Possibly a fracture. Finally, my three ANBU teammates are relatively uninjured, as well.
"Suna kunoichi." Accursed temptation to call her Suna-chan. Remember, Sasuke— in this mask, you are Mugen.
"Eh?" The blonde kunoichi glances in my direction, expression neutral.
"Your ribs. Do you want them looked at now, or after we reach Konoha?" A pause, "If it is a fracture or break, be advised that travel may make it worse." That we could always encounter another team of Oto shinobi, or even rogues, goes unsaid.
"It's nothing. Just a bruise." She murmurs with a guarded expression. Hmm... Paranoid? Or maybe an underestimation of my skills? Medics are rare, after all. Rarer still those that know more than just the bare basics needed to keep their team in one piece after a fight.
"On your head be it." Shrugging my shoulders casually, I turn away, awaiting further orders from our taichou.
We travel back to the village together, ANBU shadowing at the heels of the chuunin and jounin escorting Temari. Conversation between the two groups is blessedly rare; I doubt my ability to maintain Mugen indefinitely when around people I know and like.
Later, when we are home, Temari is announced to be the new ambassador between Suna and Konoha. True to her word, after her meeting with the Godaime Hokage, she finds a medic-nin to check over her ribs. Ironically, instead of heading to the hospital, or asking Tsunade-sama or her apprentice for healing, she locates a medic she knows and trusts, more or less: Uchiha Sasuke.
It's early afternoon, a day after Temari-chan arrived in the village. And she specifically sought me out to heal her. I mull over that thought, a small smile playing over my lips. Hmm. I suppose most ninja prefer to seek out a known ally for healing, given the choice. Someone whose chakra they have at least mild familiarity with. I wonder if that's a subconscious bias of some sort?
Although we met under interesting circumstances, I suppose Temari-chan and I have become good friends since. Especially after Suna and Konoha renegotiated their alliance.
I wonder if we'll have any time to socialize, between her meetings and my missions?
I am at a playground situated close to our home. Once, it had been exclusively used by Uchiha children; I'd played here more than once in my childhood, watched most often by Itachi-nii and occasionally by older cousins, like Shisui-nii. Sitting, back to a large oak tree and nose in a book— an innocuous fiction novel, and not a complicated genjutsu treatise, for once— I keep Kyouya-kun and Kyoko-chan in my peripheral vision. A large umbrella sits folded closed beside me; a precaution against the temperamental weather.
Most of the children at the playground have two shinobi parents, though a handful come from mixed shinobi/civilian marriages. Being older than my wards, they are generally uninterested in playing with so-called 'babies'. Still, it is good for them to venture out of the family compound nevertheless.
The twins, bundled up in warm navy-colored jackets, are building something or other in the sandbox off to the edge of the playground.
"Sasuke-sensei! Why are you here?" Hotaru's voice rouses me from my thoughts. Glancing up from the book, I arch a brow. "Watching Kyo-kun and Kyo-chan play." I gesture to the twins.
"...At least, until the weather turns again." A quick glance upwards proves the sky is growing darker with heavy, rain-filled clouds, the scent of an oncoming thunderstorm lingering in the air. Winter would be better described as a rainy season in Hi no Kuni; sleet and rain are more common than snow.
"Oh." The Aburame girl hums thoughtfully, glancing from the twins, then back to me, then at the twins again. "I didn't know you had younger siblings."
"Hn." I don't dispute her conclusion; in the eyes of the law they are just my wards, but... Peering over the edge of my book, I stare at the smaller form clinging to Hotaru-chan's hand. A child, maybe four years old, dressed in the hooded jacket and sunglasses typical to Aburame."And that little one is your sibling? Or a cousin?"
"Oh! My little brother, Haru-kun." The child in question shifts in discomfort, the faint buzz emitted from his coat betraying his embarrassment, and gives a half-hearted wave. "He'll be four next month."
"Aa... Kyouya and Kyoko's birthdays are in spring; they will be turning four as well." Danzou's records were frustratingly vague on that point. Childhood milestones indicated they were four, if not five years old already. Clan children tended to be very precocious, Uchiha perhaps more than most. Iryou jutsu placed the twins' fourth birthday somewhere in mid-March. March 17th, we'd decided. More accurately— March 17th, Naoko-chan decided. The rest of us had no problem indulging her.
Gazing at the nervous younger Aburame, I consider. "They will not mind if you join them in the sandbox. If you like." The child mumbles a wordless reply and glances up, eyes entreating, at his older sister. My student smiles, nodding, "It's acceptable. You wanted to meet children outside of the clan. I will watch you from here."
Hotaru and I watch as he approaches Kyouya and Kyoko hesitantly, standing at the edge of the sandbox. The pair of Uchiha stare at the interloper for a moment, before turning their gazes in my direction. A nod of reassurance, and they're waving to the Aburame in greeting.
I flip to the next page of my novel, paying Hotaru little mind as she sits down beside me, umbrella between us. "Off from genin duties today?"
"Yes. One of my teammates broke his wrist during a spar this morning, so sensei let us go early. No C-ranks for a week or two while he recovers." She sighs, a little melancholy.
"You'll have more free time for training." A rarity, after you make chuunin. And your studies will be more self-guided at that point, as well. "I don't know what my schedule will be like the next few weeks, but you're welcome to visit, as always. I haven't had much time for talking shop about genjutsu since we last bumped into each other." Glancing over at the trio of children, playing contentedly, if quietly, together— "You can bring Haru-chan, too," I add as an afterthought. "They seem to be getting along well." A second generation of Uchiha and Aburame friendships? Perhaps I should consider trying to formalize an alliance, once our position as a clan is a bit more stable... It would certainly be worthwhile to foster closer ties.
We chat amiably for perhaps half an hour. Then, the ominous clouds deliver on their promise. A cacophonous crack as lightning strikes somewhere in the distance, and the sky opens up—a trickle of frigid droplets rapidly becoming a deluge. "Kyo-chan, Kyo-kun! Haru-kun!" I call the children over.
I lift Kyouya up first, settling him on my shoulders, as per his silent demand. Kyoko stomps her foot petulantly, glaring at her brother, but remains silent. I offer her a hand, and she grips it obligingly, still scowling. My other hand is occupied by the giant black umbrella, now unfurled over our heads. The heavy rain beats a staccato rhythm on the waterproof cloth.
I glance to Hotaru and Haku, standing hand in hand. "Would you like me to walk you two back? We can share the umbrella." Or will your jackets be sufficient in keeping the rain off?
"Thank you, Sasuke-sensei, but we'll be fine." She rebuffs the offer, turning to the toddler clinging to her, "Say goodbye to your new friends, Haru-kun!" The quiet boy blinks owlishly at his sister from behind his sunglasses, and mumbles, "...Bye."
I walk home slowly, eyes half-lidded with pleasure, enjoying the soft cadence of rain on pavement, on the canvas of my umbrella... Still, I cannot afford to linger as much as I would like; it would be irresponsible to let the children stay out in the cold rain. We make it back in under ten minutes, and I insist on a change of clothes and warm, peach flavored herbal tea for all three of us. No need for anyone to catch a cold.
I leave the twins to their own devices; there's no point in the playpen, as they've learned to escape it, despite the harmless ninja traps included in its design. Besides, while they're bright enough to get into all sorts of trouble, they're also prone to listen to me. As I've asked them to stay inside, the opportunities for any true havoc are limited. Regardless, I create a Kage Bunshin to watch over them discreetly, as usual. I head back outside to enjoy the rainy weather. Wandering through the flooding streets of my home village means little company, and time alone with my thoughts.
Times like these are becoming increasingly rare.
Besides, this sort of weather reminds me of the time Danzou attempted to recruit me, and subsequently of the fact that the man is now permanently out of the picture... A thought that never fails to make me smile.
Shoot for the moon, and if you do not succeed you will land among the stars.
It is nice, however, that sometimes you catch the moon instead.
After a half hour of walking in the cold rain with no sign of trouble back home, I decide to treat myself. Quirking a small smile, I head towards the nearest teashop, a casual place that doubles as a bakery. It shouldn't be too busy; by now, most people are holed up at home.
They may even have a new blend to try. Maybe a pastry of some kind. Should pick up some dessert for the rest of the family, as well.
The bell above the door jingles cheerily when I push it aside, stepping into the cozy room. Barring my sandals, I am mostly dry, as there is little wind and thus the torrential downpour does not fall at a harsh angle. I tuck my closed umbrella into a stand set aside for that purpose. A quick glace proves the place is largely empty of customers.
A flash of blond hair at the corner of my eye causes me to turn. That color is rare in Hi no Kuni.
Temari-chan? Must be a low-key day.
Surprising; the attack on her has stirred up Konoha like a hornet's nest. Suna is the same, if not worse, I would bet. War could well be in our immediate future, considering Oto trespassed into Hi no Kuni, attacking a diplomatic envoy headed to Konoha. The Kazekage's sister. And when you take into account that Oto also murdered their Yondaime, attempted to murder our Sandaime, desecrated the ancestors of our Godaime...Well, most people find it surprising we aren't at war already.
I call out to her in greeting, "Temari-chan! Good afternoon."
"Sasuke-kun! You have the day off as well?" She waves me over to her table with a smile. "I was glad of the free time, and then the weather turned into... this." The poor girl is soaked, her hair still dripping from the rain, though she's probably been inside for a while, considering the half-finished pot of tea on her table, and the empty plate with a few scattered crumbs. "It never rains like this in Suna!"
"You have sandstorms. We have a rainy season that can cause floods. It evens out." I reason, calmly ordering a second pot of hot tea and a slice of the 'pie of the day' from a waitress attracted by our conversation. "How are you feeling?" Your ribs may still be tender. "Enjoying your stay so far? Barring the tedious work of politics."
She rolls her eyes and ignored the first question— I suppose that means she's fine— focusing on the second. "I am, especially since the food here is as fantastic as before. The only downside is living in a hotel for the duration of my stay."
I suppose I could...? Ah, no. That could definitely be taken the wrong way.
I'll think on it more before offering.
"You could always rent an apartment, or even a house?"
"Hmm," She sips her tea, expression thoughtful, fingers tapping a staccato rhythm on her cup. "Well, I expect to be here for some time. It'd be kind of like having a vacation home, I suppose. Would Tsunade-sama allow it?"
"I'm the wrong person to ask that." Hokage-sama and I are still somewhat at odds, although we set it aside when needed— typically in Naruto's presence, or when collaborating in the hospital.
"Oho?" She leans forward slightly. I pointedly avoid staring at the way her wet top clings to her chest. "The infamous Senju-Uchiha rivalry? Or something else?"
"Hn. Fishing for information, Suna-chan?" I give her roguish smile, eyes glittering with amusement. She laughs merrily in response; the parallels between this meeting and our first have caught her attention as well.
"No— well, not really. Just curious."
"Hmm." I hum thoughtfully, as if skeptical of her intentions. Pouring myself a second cup of tea, I begin attacking my pie, an interesting combination of pear and cinnamon. "Honestly? Just a difference of opinion." We are also both exceptionally stubborn people, I suppose. And the infamous rivalry contributes to a lesser extent. Frankly... I'll respect her as a colleague and my leader, but I won't trust her to look out for the interests of me and mine. Not anymore. "She gets along well with Naruto-kun, however."
"Uzumaki? I suppose he's doing well; Gaara mentioned they've been exchanging letters."
"They have. Summons can make for excellent discreet messengers."
She smiles, "Unfortunately, I have a personal contract, not one with a summons clan."
"Both have their merits." Finishing the pie, I set the empty plate aside, and sip contentedly on my tea, warm and full. "Do you have any other plans for your stay in Konoha besides work?"
"Not really; I don't have friends here besides you and maybe Uzumaki. But he's friendly with everyone."
Fair enough. It would be easy to remedy that problem, however. "I can introduce you properly to the rest of our age group, if you'd like?" Assuming that you don't find socializing with us uncomfortable.
"If you think they wouldn't mind associating with a former enemy." She smirks playfully, "After all, we did crush a few of your lot in the chuunin exams."
I mirror her expression, "Funny, I seem to remember parts of that a little differently..." There is a momentary silence, and we both relax, again sharing a laugh.
"True enough, although I won't turn down a rematch, with either Akimichi, or another one with you, if the opportunity arises. I wouldn't mind sparring your teammate— the Yamanaka, right? That should make for an interesting challenge."
"It's been a few years; all of us have grown, developed our styles in different directions. A few casual spars should be fun." Although our last spar was not so long ago. It would be fun to dance with you regardless, Temari-chan. "I'll try to organize a get-together of some sort, then."
We pass the afternoon in the teahouse, chatting amiably about various topics, until the rain lets up enough for Temari to be on her way. "See you later, Sasuke-kun!"
My traitorous mind reasons that this was practically a date, and my cheeks flush with warmth. I glance to the side, hoping the gloom of the early evening hides my embarrassment. "Right... Later."
Watching her turn away, I consider— What's stopping me, anyway? To hell with it.
"Wait, Temari-chan!"
"Eh?"
"What do you think about dinner?"
Hee, that last bit turned out a bit cuter than I expected.
And so Act II begins with a little bit of violence and a final dose of fluff before shit hits the fan. I had one more part that I tried to fit in this chapter, but the characters didn't want to cooperate, so there you go.