Gravity Chapter 10: The Crack, a naruto fanfic

A.N.

Bless all of those who have reviewed, faved, and followed my story. I really, truly appreciate it!

If you haven't read Slowly Slipping Away, you may not really understand what's going on in this chapter. I hope you do though! Thank you for reading. Also if you have not kept up with the manga from here on out there may be spoilers.

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.

Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.

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The Crack

What the hell is all this!? Sayuri frowned as she looked from one page to another. It was all information on the Uchiha clan, what their abilities were, and their members. Each and every single page had information on every Uchiha to have lived in the village. She stopped at Itachi Uchiha's page and stared at the picture.

"All these achievements…and for what?" she sighed and looked at the page after his. "Just so that you could become a murderer and have your brother living only out of hatred…" she sighed at the picture of Sasuke. Sayuri continued to read until she reached the end. Madara Uchiha…? No picture only a brief description. Long black hair, black eyes, Sharingan-high…? Her brow furrowed. "What…?"

Confused she placed those documents aside and picked up the guard posts documents. In it was every single security post in Konoha as well as detailed information on those who guard them and their shifts. She shifted through each paper at a loss. The Hokage was the only one that was privy to that information.

Finally she turned to those over her clan. The very first page contained and image of her father.

Yūkan Marihasha-Eliminated

Age: 31

Rank: Captain of ANBU

Chakra: Fire

Zenshihai: Activated-High

Position: Clan head

Immediate family:

Kaori Marihasha (father) Eliminated

Mitsue Marihasha (mother) Deceased

Kaminari Marihasha (sister) Eliminated

Nagisa Mizuchi (wife) Deceased

Sayuri Marihasha (daughter) Pending

Sayuri stared at the document in horror. Quickly she looked for her aunt's profile.

Kaminari Marihasha-Eliminated

Age: 20

Rank: Jounin

Chakra: Lightning

Zenshihai: Activated-Average

Position: Advisor

Immediate Family:

Kaori Marihasha (father) Pending, Eliminated

Mitsue Marihasha (mother) Deceased

Yūkan Marihasha (brother) Pending, Eliminated

Nagisa Mizuchi (sister in law) Deceased

Sayuri Marihasha (niece) Pending

She began to flip through the documents in a borderline hysterical manner. Each and every one of those pages contained an image followed by a brief description of the person. Almost each of the documents with a bright red "Eliminated" tag right next to them. Towards the end she found blueprints to the Marihasha compound and detailed information on the compound's guards and locations; behind it information on a specific poison and its effects.

Danzo had poisoned the drinks, allowing her clan members to slowly asphyxiate during the festivity. He sent one of his root members out to kill her aunt while she was under her care expecting to have both of them dead.

He's a monster…Sayuri thought as she re-read the information on the poison. The old man even included the amount needed to kill off more than 200 people.

A knock on her door broke her out of her thoughts. Looking up she noticed that it was already morning. The knocking continued, as she quickly gathered up the papers. The brunette turned from one side to the other trying to figure out where to put them until she fixed her gaze on her closet door. Hastily she opened the door and kneeled, taking out a kunai she poked at one floor board and pulled it back before stuffing the papers inside. Standing up she closed the door just as the one to her room swung open.

"Moriyo sensei…?" The woman in question glared at her as she stomped over to the young brunette.

"You. Me. Talk. Now." And with that the girl was yanked out into the street all the while Sayuri tried to tug away from the woman.

"What the hell is going on!?" the brunette demanded, as the raven haired woman ignored the question and continued on her way. "Sensei!"

Moriyo stopped abruptly in the middle of a training field. "Here's the deal," her tone caught the Marihasha's attention. The woman meant business today. "You might be afraid of fire, but you know what?" Sayuri blinked. "I. Don't. Care." She placed her hands on her hips. "Fire is in your nature, it is part of you…and do you know why?" She didn't even let Sayuri respond as she continued. "Because it was passed down from your father just like it was passed down to him by his father. My job is to train you, and part of that training consists of teaching you fire techniques that you need to be able to do."

Sayuri blinked at her in surprise. She had never seen Moriyo loose her cool like this before. Sure she had been angry and frustrated at her before but this—she looked at the panting raven haired woman—this took the cake.

"You will learn this Sayuri or so help me I'll—"

"Ok." Orange eyes blinked. "I get it…let's begin." She sighed as he teacher began to calm down, lips quirking into an all too familiar smile. Today was going to be hell…She thought, but no matter, the teen needed her brain to stop thinking about her clan, poisons, and Uchiha's.

XXX

Naruto sighed as he sat on the old swing by the Academy. His thoughts on a certain Uchiha who had yet to return and it didn't help that heir last encounter was anything but pleasant. What really surprised him was that Sasuke had seen the Kyubi simply by using his Sharingan.

How much stronger will you get? The blonde wondered as he looked at the clouds. Briefly he wondered if Sayuri had been with them would Sasuke have reacted the same way.

Before he defected the Uchiha seemed to care for the brunette in his own special, stand offish way. It didn't go unnoticed by the blonde that Sasuke's gaze would sometimes linger on the young brunette, or how whenever they had to pair up Sasuke would be in front of Sayuri ordering he to follow him. Of course the brunette would frown and grumble all the while doing it, but not once did she ask to be with Naruto or Sakura when such occasions would arise.

Then there was the mission at the Land of Waves. Naruto admitted that he might be clueless to most things but when it came to Sasuke he noticed almost everything. He did think of the avenger as his older brother after all.

That was why, when Sayuri had been unconscious after the fight with Zabuza, he noticed the bell necklace she wore. That was something she definitely did not have on when they arrived. So where had she gotten it from…certainly not from the little town they were staying at. Just as his hand began to drift over to the bell the shogi door slid open.

"What do you think you're doing, idiot?" Cerulean eyes widened, hand frozen mid air just above the sleeping girl's chest.

"E-eh?" he laughed nervously. "N-nothing!" He stuttered, too scared to move. Coal black orbs narrowed at the hand hovering above the brunette's sleeping form. They shifted to the blonde who was still oblivious to his awkward position.

"Why…is your hand there?" Naruto became alarmed at the suddenly cold tone in his teammate's voice. He slowly tuned to his hand and realization slowly hit him.

He pulled back hastily as he stood up, holding his hands in front of him. "It's not what it looks like!" the blonde blurted out too which the Uchiha only glared. "I swear!"

Sasuke closed the door behind him.

"I just wanted to see her necklace!" He watched as Sasuke's eyes shifted to the silver bell momentarily. "I wanted to know where she got it from."

The raven haired boy turned to Naruto, his expression as impassive as ever. "I gave it to her."

"Huh?" did he hear right?

"Idiot." The Uchiha scoffed.

Naruto smiled, he cared about Sayuri. His smile slipped after another second. He had cared about Sayuri…now he wasn't so sure.

"Naruto?" the familiar voice caught his attention as he looked up, blue meeting mismatched brown.

"Sayuri?" he blinked at her disheveled form.

The girl sported dirt on her shirt, pants, and face. Her cheeks were adorned by two large band aids, and upon closer inspection her lips seemed dry and slightly burned, just like her slightly blemished hands.

"Uh…" he began.

Sayuri blinked and smiled, waving a hand in front of her face. "I was training, don't worry about it."

The blonde laughed. "I haven't seen you look like that in a while!" Sayuri laughed and nodded.

"Yup!" She looked at the blonde and tilted her head. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto sighed. "Sakura is at the hospital and doesn't get out till nine, and Sai had something important pop up."

"Oh…" Sayuri nodded as she moved to stand next to her blonde teammate. "So what were you thinking about?"

Naruto smiled a bit sheepish. "When I was caught with my hand hovering over your chest..."

Her brown eyes widened at that, her cheeks staining pink. "WHAT!?" she yelled.

Realizing the slip up the blonde hurried to amend his mistake. "It's not how it sounded!"

"Enlighten me…" the brunette said rather menacingly. "What was it that you meant?"

"You were eleven!" he blurted out at her glare. Wrong answer…He thought as he watched her stiffen.

"What kind of pervert are you!?"

The blonde laughed. It had been a while since he and Sayuri had actually been around each other since they were children. "But back then you didn't have anything though!" He watched her pink cheeks turn scarlet. Suddenly he felt his cheek sting. Sayuri had slapped him. "Ouch!" the blonde held his cheek with his good hand. "I just wanted to look at your necklace it wasn't because I wanted to crop a feel!"

Sayuri's brow furrowed. Necklace…? Her hand moved to her chest but realized she didn't have it with her. The bell necklace had been stuffed into a drawer as everyday it only served as a reminder of the avenger.

She looked over at the blonde and sighed. "He'll come back…" he turned to her then and she smiled.

"Of course he will!" the blonde added.

XXX

"Here are the papers you asked for." Hajime handed the stack of documents over to Sayuri as they sat in a booth.

Flipping through them she smiled. "Thank you Hajime."

"Here you are…" the waitress placed two cups of steaming hot tea before them followed by a plate of dumplings. "Enjoy." She bowed before leaving the two to carry on.

Raising the cup to her she blew at it softly all the while eyeing the silver haired ninja. She frowned at the slight blush on his cheeks and his far off look. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the blonde waitress moved on to another table taking their order.

"If you like her so much, why don't you talk to her?"

"Eh!?" He turned scarlet as he turned to his teammate. Sayuri raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?" He rose his cup and took a gulp before spitting it back out. "IT'S HOT!"

"Oh my!" the waitress rushed over to the two and handed Hajime a glass of water. "I'm so sorry sir." She moved to clean up the table quickly as Hajime completely froze. Her blue-green eyes met his, hers full of worry and his full of shock. "Please forgive me." She bowed but the silver haired ninja said nothing.

Sayuri looked from one to the other and sighed. "Don't apologize."

"I beg your pardon?" the blonde woman turned to Sayuri. "Miss?"

"It's not your fault he drank the hot tea." Sayuri smiled. "Right, Hajime?" The shinobi only nodded. "See?"

The waitress sighed and smiled. "Yes, miss." And with that she turned her back to them to continue doing her job.

Hajime sighed as he began to get another far off look in his eyes. "Idiot…" Sayuri mumbled as she sipped her tea.

The ninja turned to his brunette teammate and picked up a dumpling. "All right I like her…happy?"

"No." She gingerly bit into her dango and smirked. "Ask her out." Her smirk turned into an amused smile as she watched her usually overly confident teammate blush at the idea of asking a girl out.

"Why do you want the documents?" Hajime asked quickly.

Sayuri frowned. "Don't change the subject, idiot."

His green eyes narrowed at her. "I can always take them back."

Sayuri frowned. "I can always tell her you like her." He froze. "That's right two can play at this game." She smiled sweetly and turned back to her dango.

"It's the Akatsuki, what the hell do you want with them?" He tried again.

Sayuri eyed the documents in her lap and sighed. She felt that something was off. The information she gathered from the Uchiha clan seemed incomplete. Why would a prodigy kill off his entire clan on a whim? Better yet, how could a thirteen year old boy kill an entire clan of shinobi on his own?

"It's nothing really…" She shrugged. "I just wanted to see what you and everybody else gathered on them is all. It wouldn't do if I ran into one, and didn't know what I was getting myself into."

Hajime still didn't look all too convinced. "Why didn't you just ask Kenji for them?"

The teen gave him a look. "You know how he is about lending me stuff…he freaks about the tiniest wrinkle!" At this the silver haired ninja nodded and sipped his tea. He believed her. Why wouldn't he? She was his teammate and she would never betray him. Sayuri looked down at the documents once again. She felt horrible. Lying to her friends was not something she took pride in.

XXX

"All right Itachi…" Sayuri said to herself as she sat on her bed. The afternoon came and went leaving room for the night and the bright, white moon.

She picked up Itachi's documents and began to read. It just didn't make sense, how he just suddenly snapped and killed his family. He didn't show any signs of being psychologically unstable. Not even in the few memories she had of him did he seem cold. If anything, from what she remembered, he loved Sasuke and he cared for her.

But things change. Sayuri sighed as she got to the last page. There wasn't much on him, other than the rumor that he was lodging around the border of the fire country.

The brunette swung her legs off her bed and began to change into a night shirt and shorts. Turning off the light she placed the documents on her night stand and flopped onto the bed face down before she turned onto her back. As she kept her gaze on the ceiling she wondered what she would do.

She could always tell Kenji. But then he would ask for evidence, and that would lead to questions as to where and how she got her hands on the documents currently gathering dust underneath her floor boards. And she was pretty sure if she did that, Danzo would find a way to turn everything against her. She turned to the window and pouted.

She was exhausted. Sayuri could barely keep her train of thought. She still hasn't recuperated her chakra from her mission. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her abdomen where the chakra sucking scar was. Her mind wondered over to Orochimaru and his death at Sasuke's hands, then to the Uchiha who was ever present in her mind, and despite it all…she wanted him back. Slowly she let her mind come to a complete halt as sleep finally caught up to her.

The time drew on, the crickets outside her home continued to sing, Konoha's nightlife still buzzing. The clock on her night stand struck midnight, and everything seemed to be in place. Everything except the window as it slowly slid open. In a swift motion a black clad ninja slid inside the room, making sure his feet didn't make a sound as he stepped onto the wooden floor.

Immediately he focused on the sleeping figure of the teen on the bed. Quietly he made his way over to her and tilted his head, the hood casting a shadow on his face. Her hair was splayed out under her, eyes closed, breathing deep, and mouth slightly parted. Still not making a single sound he pulled out his katana, allowing it to glint in the moonlight for a mere second before he swung it down.

The cold steel didn't meet flesh however. Instead it clanged with the steel of a kunai as it blocked the assault. Brown eyes stared at the hooded figure for a mere second before she rolled off the bed just in time to avoid a punch to the face.

She grunted as she hit the floorboards, quickly she three the kunai at the ninja who jumped over her bed. He caught it with ease as he landed a top of her, straddling her hips, kunai a few centimeters away from her throat as she held his wrists trying to stop the kunai from reaching its goal.

Maybe that wasn't the best idea. She grunted as he put more weight on his arms to push down. In a last ditch effort she kicked the night stand causing the lamp on it to fall over with a crash. The ninja alarmed loosened his hold slightly. Using this opportunity she twisted his wrists as he let out a pained grunt just before he released the kunai.

Still trying to move from under him she gasped as he suddenly latched on to her neck, finger tightening around it. As she started to choke she tried to pull his arms away, frantically reaching for anything. In a last ditch effort she punched him in the face throwing him off. Turning around she held her neck as she coughed. Quickly she pushed herself up with one hand, other still at her throat in an attempt to put some distance.

He however had other plans as he grabedher ankle and twisted it as he pulled her down.

"Shit!" she cursed turning around and delivering a kick to his face as he tried to drag her to him. He crashed against the wall and she scrambled back until her back hit her desk. She watched at the ninja stood up and rushed at her, his katana raised above his head. She pushed herself away towards the other end of the room, as his sword struck down on the wooden piece of furniture.

"Who are you!?" she demanded, wincing slightly at how hoarse her voice sounded.

He didn't answer; instead he turned around and rushed at her again. Having had enough Sayuri evaded the sword and kicked him sending him crashing towards the vanity causing some of the drawers to come open, while his sword clanged onto the floor. Moving quickly she reached for his sword just as he pushed himself up, and struck him through the chest.

The man soon became dead weight as he slumped onto the ground.

Sayuri slumped on the ground as she trembled, the ninja before him made eight. Her eyes settled on the blood on her hands, and she frantically began whipping them, still not accustomed to taking a life no matter how many times she had already done it. Calming her fried nerves she reached for the ninja's hood and pulled it back.

Eyes widened as she saw the leaf forehead protector. In a matter of seconds she pulled off his coat completely revealing the ROOT uniform. Pulling back she cursed. He knew…Danzo knew that she was in his office. She recalled the ninja that she had left unconscious by the door.

Shit… She cursed herself for being careless. What was all that ANBU training for; if she couldn't do something as simple as making sure she wasn't caught!

A light thud on the roof top caught her attention. Eyes widening, she picked up the sword and pulled the hood from the, now dead ninja, on. She stood up but fell back onto her knees at the sharp pain on her ankle. Of course, she glared at the dead man before her; he had twisted it during their skirmish.

Sayuri took a deep breath and pushed herself up just as the door to her room swung open. Brown eyes met coal black. Sai looked from the ninja on the ground to the teen hovering above him. He took in her disheveled hair, the blood on her hands and katana, and the hood on her shoulders.

"More will be coming here soon." Sayuri's brow furrowed. "If you don't leave now you will die." He reached back and she tensed. He showed her his pouch before throwing it at her. "It has kunai, shuriken, senbon, and some ryo…you'll need it."

"Why are you…" Sayuri tried to ask but the older teen had already walked up to her.

"We'll need to make this as believable as possible." He pointed at his temple. "Right here…"

Understanding what he meant, but still wary, she pulled her arm back and landed a punch on his head effectively knocking him out. She stepped back as he slumped forward and hit the floor. She hurriedly secured the pouch on her back and moved over to the window. She stopped however as something small glinted on the floor.

Reaching for it she picked up the glinting silver bell necklace she had received three years ago. Sayuri froze as she sensed three foreign chakras near her home just before she leapt out the window and ran straight for the gate.

XXX

"Do you sense something?" One of them asked as he reached the quiet house.

"No." the one at the centered answered as he leapt to the roof catching a glimpse of the disappearing figure that was their target. "She's escaping." He jumped forward, followed closely behind by the other two shinobi.

XXX

Sayuri ignored the throbbing pain on her ankle as she leapt over the wall of the gate and landed on a branch. She needed to get out of there. And go where? She couldn't go back, Danzo had his ROOT hunting her down, she might be good but she wasn't that good, to face off against however more ninja he had sent out for her. Sure she could take two at a time, but with her ankle and chakra not up to shape it would be difficult.

Her brunette hair waved behind her as she jumped from branch to branch, feeling the rough bark on the soles of her feet and the leaves scratch her ankles. She just needed to get away…and fast.

The sound of metal piercing air caught her attention as she whirled around just in time to avoid being hit by a kunai. Soon a shower of them came at her as she pushed against the tree and ricocheted to another, brown eyes watching as several kunai were now embedded onto the three trunk.

"Well, well, well…" She looked down at the three ninja to her left. "If it isn't Lady Sayuri." The one in the center, she realized, was the one talking as he twirled a kunai on his finger. "Tell me where are you in such a hurry to?"

"For a ninja trained to be a mere tool, you sure are talkative." Sayuri responded as she stood, careful not to wince as she put equal weight on both feet. It wouldn't do for them to know she was injured. "Why are you chasing me?"

"Ah," he began. "That's simple. They were orders…you know Lady Sayuri, it isn't very polite to steal from your elders." He stopped twirling his kunai as she glared. "Go." He ordered and the two ninja at either side of him leapt for her. She let herself fall back onto another branch just as one of them reached for it.

She blocked the kick from the other one with her arm before turning to grab it and slamming her palm into his knee, hard enough to cause it to crack as the ninja screamed in pain. She pushed him off the branch and leapt to another as the first ninja leapt at her with a kunai. He swiped at her left and right all the while she moved back until she reached the end of the branch. He swiped at her once more but she caught hold of his arm, twisted and slammed her knee up to his ribcage causing him to choke.

The ninja fell from her arms and down the tree until he hit the ground. Behind her the third ninja clapped.

"Bravo." She turned to glare at him. "As expected from the heiress of the Marihasha clan, but not good enough." Suddenly he was rushing at her kicking and punching until he cornered her against the tree trunk. He wove a series of hand signs and suddenly vines shot out and pinned her against the bark. She tugged at them frantically but they wouldn't budge.

"What…" she gasped as they tightened around her. "What is this?"

"A jutsu of mine. It allows me to capture my enemy and basically suffocate them. The longer you're trapped the more it gradually constricts." He took out a kunai and dragged it along her jaw. "You can feel can't you? With every breath you take they tighten more…and more, until…well, you don't need me to tell you what happens after."

She grunted as the vines pressed against her ribcage, her palms flattening against the tree trunk.

"I will make you a deal. Tell me where you put those documents you stole from Lord Danzo, and I'll kill you quickly."

"I…" she cringed as the vines tightened once more. "…refuse…" she panted. Her back pressed against the tree in an effort to lessen the pressure on her chest.

"Hn." He pocketed his kunai and took a step back. "Have it your way." He moved to leap off the branch but froze. He couldn't move. Slowly he turned to the Sayuri who stared smugly back at him, her left palm was turned out, small stings of bright yellow chakra spilled from her fingertips and were tied around his wrists and ankles.

"Lightning…Style." She took a breath as the vines pressed further down. "Body current." Her chakra began to rise from her body in small, sporadic, currents as he was being electrocuted by the high voltage. The vines around her body began to snap and her body sagged forward as she landed on her knees. She released the jutsu and watched as the ninja swayed just before falling over the branch.

Sayuri panted and held her chest in pain. Everything was spinning and coming out of focus. She slowly made her way back to the ground and kept walking, although now she herself was swaying. Using the tree's around her as support she slowly trudged forward until she reached a clearing.

Looking up she found that the clearing lead to a stair case which in turn led to a temple. She looked up at the entrance and was shocked at the plaque on the top of the arch.

"Marihasha…?" she whispered.

"Careful, Sayuri. Don't wonder off too far." A small girl looked up at a pretty woman with silver hair and bright blue eyes.

"Ok!" the girl giggled right before running off, her long brown hair swaying from side to side as she ran through the edge of the woods. Far enough to conceal herself but close enough so that she could see the woman who walked towards the trees, a gentle smile on her face.

"This…" she whispered. "It's my clan's temple…" she sighed. Her vision fogged up just before everything turned black. As she fell forward she heard someone call out her name.

A.N.

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