Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Slight AU warning.
Don't forget to review when you're finished reading!
Summary: What if Konoha was a destitute, paltry city that bred nothing of worth within its walls? The people of this miserable community barely keep going every day. The shinobi are no different. However, the dreams of two ninja triggers a feeling of rebirth within their hearts and now they strive to reach their own dreams. Will they find themselves on the right road...or lost forever?
Note: Italicized lines often mean thoughts of a character or in some cases dreams. Bolded lines often mean Inner Sakura's dialogue. Bolded italicized lines often mean flashbacks.
The Author Speaks: There will be multiple couplings, but romance is not what is this fic is completely centered around. Despite this, you won't be disappointed come romance time. Look for the teenage ninja angst however! I will warn you, there will be heavy amounts of violence, swearing, blood, substance abuse, molestation, you name it! I don't like flames, but I do like constructive criticism. Also note; money! I have no idea what the equivalent to a dollar is when it comes to ryo, so I'm just doing it simple. 100 ryo equals 1 dollar. I'll trust you're intelligent enough to be able to perform equivalents with that piece of information given.There will be limes/possible lemons in this fic, mentioned rape and explicit scenes.
Timeline: Being as how it's slightly AU, the time period is the same except all the characters are two years older than before the time-skip in the series (13 is 15, 26 is 28, etc). Also, Otogakure is the main village of the Land of Fire, the biggest city with the most powerful army. It's located where it is in the series, except the Land of Rice Fields is no more; it's part of the Land of Fire.
Definitions:
obaasan – old woman, grandma
kekkei genkai – bloodline trait
celerity – quick, readiness, speed
Songs:
"Numb" by Linkin Park (for Shikamaru)
"Used To" by Daughtry (for Shikamaru from Ino and Chouji)
"Miracle" by Cascada
"Earthquake" by The Used
"Black Books" by Nils Lofgren
"Mouth Shut" by The Veronicas
"You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi (for Kurenai)
"How Do I Feel" by Hoku
Show Me a Hero
Chapter 10 - Otogakure
The early morning was usually dominated by the working class of Konoha. They didn't look much different from everyone else. Most people wore their normal blue dirty jeans and flannel shirts, or somewhat-fancy skirts that worked well with a simple cotton top. There wasn't a need to be dressy at work when it came to Konoha. The simpler everything was the better.
Tsunade had to agree with the philosophy. She didn't like uniforms much either. Rules were nice, but being unoriginal was a little boring. As long as the work got done well, she could care less if people showed up for work in their braziers. Still, when she had been a child forty years ago people weren't as sloppy as they were today. Even fifteen years ago she could figure out who worked where. Now, she would see women in tiny skirts and tight tops head to the meat factory or men with long trench coats standing behind news kiosks.
The air was brisk that morning. The mountains in the far background were splashed with pink shadows and topped with pale green clouds. The forests were wet with early dew dripping crystalline from bursting flora. Tsunade took in the scenery from atop the wall. She could hear the train's whistle. Letting out a yawn, she jumped into the field circling the city, keeping her chakra at a level where she could traverse the wall and the air without painful contact with the ground. The forest stretched out before her. She moved into it. The train station wasn't far away, only about ten minutes. Hopefully everyone would be there; she was a few minutes late getting up anyway.
Eventually she saw the station beyond a clump of trees. The building was small, cubic-shaped and pale grey, like the smoke that poured from the engines. The grass growing around the station was a yellow-green color from the pollution. It was simple and slightly dingy, but the inside of the station was warm and there was a tea parlor and couches.
Much to her dismay, only a few people were there. Team 7 was present—as she expected—and so was Shino and Tsume Inuzuka. Shino was sipping some very strong-smelling tea next to Tsume, who looked irritable. Tsunade could see where Kiba got his usual scowl. Kuromaru was curled up at the end of the sofa, staring at the ground, nose twitching from Shino's tea. Team 7 was playing some form of a western card game.
She cleared her throat and Sakura looked up from her hand. "Hiya Tsunade-san!" she exclaimed, her demeanor unusually active for the morning.
"Hello," Tsunade replied tiredly, immediately heading over to the tea jug and making herself a cup.
"Fifteen minutes past eight," Kakashi read the clock. "And you said I had commitment issues?"
She gave him a look. "Sor-ry. I woke up late and ran to Orochim—the Otokage's hotel to bid him goodbye but he already left really early this morning and then I had to run here. I haven't eaten anything but a really cold egg roll. Is this the turnout?" she changed the subject, disappointed. "I'm missing five Gennin. Tsume, did you give the ticket to Kiba?"
"He's not coming," Tsume said pointedly.
"Neither is Hinata? I delivered the ticket personally to her too..." the blonde woman plopped down next to Kakashi and sipped her tea. "I had a feeling Shikamaru Nara wouldn't come, but I would have hoped Ino gave a ticket to Chouji Akimichi. Both of them flaked."
"I went to Ino's, she said she wasn't going," Sakura confirmed.
"But we're here!" Naruto chirped, laying down a card. "We're Chuunin—we can do this without them! Though I was kinda expecting Hinata to come."
Sasuke laid down three threes. "I win."
"What! No way, I put down a nine, we've tied!"
"But we all have the same amount of cards in our hand, and I had a card that equaled to that number and three of that same number that equaled the number of equal hands, therefore I win."
Naruto grumbled as Sakura cheerfully gathered up the cards. "Relax, it's only a game."
"Not after the fifth time I lose! I'm the only one who hasn't beaten him!"
Sasuke smirked. "Your logic lacks, that's why."
"Do you wanna go, bitch?" Naruto jumped up and went into offensive position. "I'll fuck you up."
Tsume growled. "Would you stop yelling? It's too fucking early for your yelling."
Naruto and Sasuke stopped fighting at once, quietly sitting down on the sofa. Kuromaru lifted up his head and shook it in some sort of apology.
"The Yamagata Sector Train will arrive shortly. Please wait by the train boarding area on platform 3," a pleasant female voice spoke from the speakers in the corners of the room.
"That's us," Tsunade stated. She stood up, depositing her teacup on the counter beside her. The sleepy group stood up and stretched a little before following her to platform 3, the furthest end of a large cement area marked with a fading yellow '3'. They made their way to the benches in the loading area.
Naruto looked at the single track with interest. "Only one train runs through here?"
"Yes. The train runs on the single track with its final destination Otogakure. It makes only one other stop, at Mirai, and the people who don't get off there have to get off at Oto. Most people get off at Mirai if they want to go on other trains that branch further into the Land of Red Beans." Tsunade was weaving around everyone, making sure they had their tickets.
"Mirai! That's the town we went to on our first mission!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, I remember. Wasn't it our only mission though?" Sakura wondered.
"That's kind of sad, actually," Sasuke murmured.
"We couldn't take any more missions because of Sakura's injury. And Tsunade came at that time and she's the one who's helping Lord Sarutobi. The missions were probably stopped for the Chuunin exams too," Kakashi explained.
The voice on the speakers spoke again. "Yamagata Sector Train is arriving on platform 3. Please stand at boarding area. Destination: Mirai, Otogakure, arrival time at Otogakure: eleven-fifteen."
"Eleven-fifteen?!" the kyuubi boy chimed. "That's well over two hours! Didn't you say the Oto people in the Chuunin exam walked here?"
"They probably ran," Kuromaru said.
Tsunade shook her head. "They didn't. It was a strict, no-chakra walk. They got up six hours earlier. It was pre-exam training, Oro—the Otokage said."
"That's crazy. I like the Otokage and all, but he's psycho sometimes," Naruto muttered.
The older woman couldn't help but smile at his words. "Yeah, he always was a little strange."
They heard a dull roar growing louder from the north, and the lights of the train appeared through the morning air. It rambled along the tracks, moving slower than they expected a train to go.
"It's one of the slower trains," Tsunade said. "They switch trains every few hours. The one we're taking back from Oto moves a lot faster."
Still, Naruto and Sakura were excited to get on the train. It was their first mechanical form of transportation. They couldn't wait to see what the train had to offer them. Sasuke had been on a train before; he didn't really think of them as really special, but the scenery was usually nice. Shino wasn't really thinking about the train. He was just hoping they didn't do a cavity search before boarding. Kuromaru sat upright at Tsume's heels, waiting patiently.
The train pulled up in front of them, the halt screeching and tearing apart their ears. The doors opened with a bang. They loaded the train, Naruto very apprehensive and Sakura afraid she'd somehow fall in between the train and the platform. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his embarrassing friends and followed them inside.
The train wasn't very full. A few passengers sat here and there, staring out their windows with cups of coffee or tea. Kakashi wasn't sure why they were staying on the train if there were only two stops and they passed one, but he decided not to ask. Instead, they gave their tickets to the man in front of a compartment. He pushed the door open. "This would be for you."
Tsunade smiled and bowed. "Thank you sir." She stepped into the compartment. No one followed her but Kuromaru, who strode past her and settled himself on the floor so he wouldn't have to walk on a moving train.
Naruto plopped on the seat nearest to the window. He pressed his face against the glass. "It looks so cool from in here," he chirped.
"Wait until you see it when we start moving." Sasuke flopped onto the seat across his friend. "It's pretty sweet."
"Where are you sitting?" Sakura asked Shino sweetly. The boy was hunched in the corner, staring at the ground from behind his dark glasses.
He shrugged. "I'll stand," not bothering to notice Sakura was meaning to offer the seat next to her. Instead, Tsunade sat there and Tsume moved a seat away from Naruto, lowering her head and falling asleep. Naruto was grateful; Tsume was a scary lady.
The wheels against the track squeaked as they began to turn sluggishly; they rolled through the platform. Naruto and Sakura watched people turning into colorful blurs as the train picked up speed. Soon they were hurtling down the forest at a steady rate. Sasuke took out a book and started reading. Tsunade wanted to strike conversation with Sakura but she was busy gawking at the scenery around her.
"You've never been to Oto before, I forgot."
The pinkette looked at the woman. "Nope. I never thought I'd ever get out of Konoha, much less visit Oto. Funny, my parents love to travel, but they'd never take me with. I guess they thought I wouldn't want to go." She smiled. "I don't have to worry about that now, though! I need to stay in Konoha. I have to help." She turned back to the scenery. "For now though, I wanna adventure. Just a little."
Tsunade watched the girl in sort of adoration. She could see a little bit of herself there, thirsting for danger and open roads. But in the end, she ended up back where she started—for one specific reason. Team 7 would be a success. She could just sense it.
XxXxXx
Ino strode through the yellow lawns of the Nara farm and stopped at his front door. Knocking on it, her mind burned with disappointment as she heard the familiar buzz of the TV through the door. There was a fumbling sound and Yoshino opened the door, looking downright perplexed that a visitor would come to her house so politely.
"Oh, Ino! Hello," she said in obvious surprise. "I haven't seen you in such a long time; how are you dear?"
"I'm fine," she said with a faint smile, disheartened from seeing the mother's clammy and tired condition.
"I'll get Shikamaru for you." As soon as she said this, Yoshino winced, as if she had said the wrong thing. "I mean...um...one moment. Shikamaru, there's a visitor for you!"
Ino could tell Yoshino didn't want to go through the struggle of calling for her lethargic son. "It's alright, I'll go see him," she said, when Shikamaru didn't reply. With a small bow, she stepped into the house and walked into the living room.
It was very dark, the curtains were closed and no one had bothered to turn on the light. The only light came from the television, blaring some sort of action comedy. Shikamaru was sitting on the ground, barely two feet from the TV, his eyes half-closed and glassy.
"Shikamaru," she said softly.
His gaze switched from the TV to her for a split second. His mouth twitched downwards just a little, and he returned to watching the episode. She could see he was planning to ignore her.
"Shikamaru, hear me out. I need to talk to you about Chouji."
He made a sound a little bit like a laugh and turned the volume higher.
"You hurt Chouji when he needed your help. What kind of a person are you? I know I've ignored what you've been doing to yourself, but I can't look the other way anymore. Say something," she pleaded. When he didn't speak her voice grew louder. "Please listen to me. I'm not telling you to hate me any less but for god's sake just hear me out. You need to stop this. Shikamaru!"
He didn't move or even look at her. As her voice grew, so did the volume on his TV. Ino heard his mother feebly asking him to turn it down, and her heart grew heavy with pity and anger. "Don't you hear your mother talking to you? Turn the TV down and let's talk."
He yawned and scratched his head, eyes on the television. Ino's ears were starting to ache from the volume. Her blood suddenly felt like it was burning, boiling hot with power. She felt her control slipping away. "Shikamaru!"
Still no answer.
"Shikamaru, listen to me!" Her hands curled up into fists
He didn't move. All composure gone, she roared angrily. "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
She flung her fist forward and her knuckles collided with the television screen. The screen cracked and exploded, and the television short-circuited as her fist went through the screen into the deep wiring of the entertainment box. A horrible burning sensation covered her fist and she screamed in pain. The wires inside sparked with white electricity. It slipped away from her fist and fell over. The crash alerted voices in the kitchen.
"What was that?" Yoshino rushed into the living room, switching on the light. She gazed, horrified, at Ino and her son and the broken TV. Ino was whimpering in pain and Shikamaru's glazed look was now that of extreme anger.
"Get the hell out," he spat at his mother, standing up.
"But—what happened..."
"I SAID GET OUT!"
She yelped and retreated into the front room.
Ino was shaking in pain. The flesh on her hand was sizzling red and black, the burn stretching all over her hand. Her knuckles were charred horribly. The pain was horrible and she was seriously contemplating cutting her hand off to minimize the feeling. Tears ran down her face but she wiped them away with her uninjured hand. The silence was nasty as Shikamaru glared at Ino in complete anger.
"Get the fuck out of my house. How dare you march in here and break my stuff, you stupid bitch," he seethed.
She didn't register his words. "I've been careful my whole life. I've prevented myself from getting hurt whenever possible. If I did get a cut or a scratch I'd make sure it disappeared somehow. I never wanted a scar, I never wanted to be ugly...guess now that I actually hurt myself, I wonder why I've been so cautious. It hurts so much...I've never felt pain like this before. Who in their right mind can last through this without wanting to kill themselves?"
"Did you hear me? Get out!" Shikamaru grabbed her shoulder.
She shook his hand away. "Oh and I'm supposed to listen to you now? What's the point if you won't hear me out? Don't you know how much this hurts?" Tears streamed down her cheeks, yet her waterlogged eyes were full of anger. "Can't you get me some ice or bandages or something? Is me breaking your TV more drastic than my hand burning?"
"You deserve that pain, bitch. I bet it's not even half of what you gave me," he said with some sort of relish in his tone.
"Oh, so this is about getting back at me? Believe me; ignoring me for the rest of life isn't as horrible as you might think. It's what you've been doing to yourself from the day I hurt you that worries me the most. You can hate me all you want but don't you at least have the decency to help me out a little?" Ino didn't want him to try and prove a point now, not with her hand feeling like it was permanently dipped in boiling water.
"Go to hell. It's payback. Karma's a bitch, huh?" He laughed.
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHAT I DID!" Her patience had already worn down to nothing, and his stubbornness wasn't helping. "You're a horrible person, but you don't have to be. You didn't have to hurt Chouji like that, and you don't have to hurt me like this. Don't you have a heart?"
"You're going to assault me about Chouji now? Look, he barged into my house while I was busy and I didn't need any of his complaining. He's just a whiny fuck. And my heart has nothing to do with this. I don't think with my heart. I don't care about anything or anyone. It's too much of a drag to have people step all over your kindness. 'Friends' end up taking advantage of each other and 'lovers' only exist to satisfy each other's needs. That's all it is. We're all selfish bastards. I'm not selfish because I don't even care what happens to me. That's the problem with you and mom and Chouji. You all think I need to be something and someday I'm going to have my ass handed to me on a platter. Well, here's the thing. I don't care. Going through life is a lot easier if you're not weighed down by commitment or goals. I'm drifting by fine. Notice that the last four years of my life have been the best for me. I haven't had to exert myself and think about anyone else. I'm still here. You act like I'm gonna die or something." Shikamaru pushed Ino away from him. "I don't need you preaching how I should live my life. I'm doing a hell of a lot better than you. I don't risk getting syphilis or any other shit like that like you. I don't offer my dick to any stranger who wants a fuck and I don't write it off as 'having a job'. It's just an excuse to have your pussy feel good all the time. Remember, the ones who fucked you used to be me only. Not even that is worth anything to me. I got nothing from being with you, just a lot of heartache—another reason why no one should listen to their heart."
"If I recall, the times you spent with me were the happiest of your life! It's now that's destroying you! Even if you don't care about yourself, it's wrecking everything around you! You used to feel happiness. I haven't seen you smile in four years. Don't you want to be happy again?" She wiped the tears from her face, the pain of her hand starting to subside.
"I am happy," he said bluntly.
"...You really think that, don't you?" Ino shook her head. "I miss the old you. Don't you know what you just told me? That was like the old you."
You used to talk to me like
I was the only one around.
Ino yawned and leaned her head against Shikamaru's shoulder. "What do you mean, they threw the rice balls away? They wouldn't waste food like that."
"I'm telling you, they did. I saw it. I guess they aren't as unsanitary as I thought," the eleven-year old boy replied.
"Nara, Yamanaka—we're in the middle of class! If you want to converse save it for recess!" their teacher barked.
You used to lean on me like
The only other choice was falling down.
They sat outside Nara's farm, watching the deer lazily pick at the freshly-watered grass. Shikamaru's head was reclined against Ino's shoulder. His eyes were droopy.
"You falling asleep?" Ino asked, petting his head.
"Uhuh." He rolled his head back a little and fell backwards, hitting the back porch. "Damnit!"
She laughed. "My shoulders aren't that huge, believe it or not."
You used to walk with me like
We had no where we needed to go
Nice and slow,
To no place in particular.
The sun was lazy that day. It preferred to sleep on a bed of clouds than shine for everyone working outdoors that day. Shikamaru and Ino were holding hands as they trotted down the gravel path.
"Where are we going exactly? I'm kinda hungry," Ino piped, her short blonde hair blowing gently in the cool breeze.
"I dunno..." he said unenthusiastically. "Let's just pick a stop along the way."
They walked together for about ten minutes, talking, until Ino pointed at a sweets shop coming up. "Let's go there!" she exclaimed.
"Amaguriama," he read the sign. "You want to eat candy for lunch?"
"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeeeee?"
He couldn't say no to her big blue eyes. "Alright, but you should actually eat something other than candy."
"Fine, dad."
"Shut up!" he laughed as they stepped up to the counter.
We used to have this figured out
We used to breathe without a doubt.
When nights were clear,
You were the first star that I'd see.
"It's really late," Ino commented, lying on her back next to Shikamaru. She was counting the stars dotting the inky sky. "Do you like the night?"
He shrugged. "It's not a big drag, really, but I prefer daytime."
"Why?"
"Because of the clouds. Clouds drift through life at their own pace and nothing can dictate where they go, they do what they want. Stars don't move. Clouds may be lazy but they cover the sun, or cause rain. Stars just...look pretty. They're too lazy, I think."
"You're so smart," Ino sighed. "Why do you even bother with a simple girl like me?"
He rolled over and swung his arm around her, lying on her top half, smiling. "Because I love you. Don't be such a drag." He kissed her lightly. "And between the stars and the clouds, I'd pick you over everything."
We used to have this under control.
We never thought, we used to know
At least there's you
And at least there's me.
Thinking back on those wonderful times made the blonde cry, not out of the pain from her burn, but from the pain of remembering the day when Shikamaru used to be a tender, affectionate boy who was the one dream in her life that she never wanted to end. Bitterness erupted over her; why had she gone and screwed up the one thing that she thought would carry her through life, comfortable and secure?
She had gone to his house to ask him to reconsider his life, but she was too connected to his misery to be able to affect him. If there was any hope for him, she wouldn't be able to give it to him. As much as she wanted to help, he was hopeless for her and Chouji too. She didn't know who to campaign to, and she wasn't sure there was anyone out there who could help him.
Can we get this back?
Can we get this back to how it used to be?
"I can't make any more moves..." Ino sighed. "Darnit, you got me in a rut! I lose. You said you'd go easy on me!"
"I did. I dropped my skill level to below half of what it is and I tried not to calculate your moves ten moves in advance," Shikamaru noted. "Maybe shogi just isn't your game."
"Maybe you're a cheater for being so smart," she huffed.
"Aw come on. Is our relationship ruined over a single shogi game?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well calculate what I'm gonna do in the next five minutes," Ino challenged.
"Well..." he pretended to think hard. "You're gonna tease me about being so smart and that I'm a geek. You're gonna tell me that your dad says I'm gonna be some sort of genius professor and I'm gonna make millions and that's always a good quality to have in a boyfriend."
Her mouth dropped open in awe. "You read my mind! Uwaahhhh you're such a..."
"Such a what?" he asked.
She giggled and launched himself over the shogi board into his unsuspecting person. He gasped and fell over and she squirmed her way on top of him, hugging him.
The laughing, genius, young man she thought she loved was no longer alive. Instead there was a cynical, numb monster that had taken Shikamaru's place. Why had it taken four years for her to realize he was beyond hope?
It would've saved her four years of heartache.
XxXxXx
Kurenai swung her arms lazily, yawning. She had a bad habit of waking up early if she partied all night, but a breakfast of whole oat cereal and a few glasses of wine usually kept her from dropping in the street. Today she was headed for Asuma's house. The spat they had gotten into yesterday had ended on an ugly note, and she wanted to mend whatever wounds she had caused. Sure, he had said most of the hurting words, but men tended to let their emotions fly when it came to anger. It was lonely in the house when he wasn't over to distract her.
She didn't know what love was. If the sex was great and the guy was a good talker she'd go for it. Many guys she had flings with all fit that mold, but she couldn't help but think something was missing.
It was always the guys who broke it off, too. She believed that the fault was her own but she couldn't think of what it was. She considered herself a sexy person with an open personality. What was wrong with that?
Asuma's house sat near Koyama Grocer's, a tiny two-story house with a somewhat-neat lawn that was about the size of two cardboard boxers. Kurenai could always see what he was doing in his sitting room through his very exposed front window. As expected, he was displayed right in front of her, smoking and talking to someone.
She stared when the other person came into view. It was Anko, also smoking and laughing at something he said. She was holding a sandwich in one hand, a turkey one absolutely dripping with soy sauce and the crimson-eyed woman's insides burned with jealousy. That was Asuma's signature sandwich and he only ever made it for her or his nephew Konohamaru.
At first, she didn't know what to do. Anko had been listening to their fight yesterday, she knew that. Had the hussy jumped on Asuma as soon as she left? She never liked Anko anyway. She was too flirtatious and never gave anything for it. It was needless teasing. Kurenai thought it cruel to show off and not let anyone touch. Women weren't fragile; they could take a kiss...or a finger or two.
Annoyed, she decided to bust in on their party. Perhaps Anko had finally let loose on Asuma, her darling. Stupid bitch should've realized he wasn't leaving me, she thought acidly. She primped her hair a little and walked to the front door.
He answered the door a few seconds after her knocked on it. Asuma's smile faltered when he saw her. "Kurenai?"
"Hello Asuma," she said cheerily, pretending that Anko wasn't in the other room. "I was thinking we could go eat lunch together today?"
"I..." he sounded extremely awkward. "I already ate lunch."
"Well then let's go for a walk. I think we should talk about our little argument yesterday." She tried to sound sincere while propping her boobs up a little.
His gaze snapped down for a moment. He sighed. "You just don't get it," he murmured.
Immediately, Kurenai didn't like where the conversation was heading. "Get what? I'm sorry I slapped you, and I forgive you for calling me all those nasty things. Let's put it behind us, alright?"
He stared at her like she was asking him to forgive her for stabbing him. "You forgive me? Kurenai, you're the one who should be sorry! Do you think I'm going to date someone who will constantly cheat on me? I don't think so!"
Her heart sank. "W-What do you mean?" This wasn't how it was supposed to be. "But...don't you get why I—"
"No! I don't get why you have to throw yourself to any guy who wants a piece of ass!" Asuma shouted. "Commitment means dedication to something, genius! You're dedicated to me! There are no side courses. Look, I like you a lot, but I can't be in a cheating relationship. I don't want anyone else touching you. If you're gonna be like that then you can have all the guys you want—but I'm not gonna be one of them. I'm not adding to the score."
Sadness misted over Kurenai slowly. Tears began to spill over her freshly-curled eyelashes. He was ending their relationship. He was breaking up with her. With her. Again, another guy leaves her in the dust. But this time felt so much different. She had high hopes with Asuma. There was no one she enjoyed kissing more, no one like him in her eyes. Was that love? Maybe it was. Was there no point in thinking about it anymore, now that even if it was love it would never be in Asuma's eyes?
"Is everything alright?" Anko called from the other room, walking in without the sandwich, looking at the crying Kurenai.
The teacher's mood switched from misery to anger in a moment's flash. With a loud growl she ran at Anko. It was her fault. Asuma thought Anko acted better than her. Anko stole him away. "You stole him, you whore!"
Surprised but unflinching, Anko stopped Kurenai with a blast of chakra that reversed the raven-haired woman's attack. Colliding with her floor painfully but not faltering, she leapt once again at the proctor, aiming a punch at her face. Asuma yelled in protest but Anko merely frowned and moved her head, grabbing Kurenai's upper arm and slamming her down on the floor right in front of her.
Lavender eyes peered down unpitying. "I'm not the whore here," she said, completely brushing the assault aside. "It's you. You don't get that fact, do you? I didn't steal Asuma. I'm his friend, here to give him a little comfort. You know he felt bad for saying all those things yesterday, even if they were true? Even if I didn't come along he'd have still dumped your cheating ass. The problem may be what you do but his decision has to do with his feelings. And you dare forgive him for telling the truth? He doesn't want to date a slut like you but that doesn't mean he still wouldn't keep you as a friend. Apparently though you don't think you can stay friends with a guy without giving them a little pussy, huh?"
Salty tears dripped down Kurenai's chin. "I want Asuma. You c-can't have him. Leave h-him alone, h-he's for me only..."
Anko rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like a selfish bitch! You're an adult! He's not a toy, he's a human being and you can't go around and 'play' with other dolls when you get bored with him! There are no favorites in love—there's only one and you don't get anybody else!"
Asuma hoped Kurenai didn't attack again, but he was sincerely surprised with Anko's argument. If there was one person who acted like Kurenai, it was her. Then again, Anko displayed a level of maturity the other woman didn't seem to have.
He ached when he saw the misery of Kurenai's situation but there was also a little cruelty lashing out from the back of his mind—she deserved this. No one reprimanded her for her actions. She was a spoiled child, and for the first time she was finally having to take responsibility for her actions.
"Please," he spoke quietly. "Please leave, Kurenai. I don't want to see you like this."
She sat there in silence. "N-No! Please give me a second chance, Asuma, I can't live without you!"
The words panged, still, he couldn't help but think that perhaps this was the same pleading she gave to every other man she had been with. She had become so much of a loose woman that he couldn't detect her sincerity.
"Leave!" His command was loud but gentle.
Anko crossed her arms and burned holes into her with her sharp glare. Kurenai gave up and stood up. "...Asuma..."
"I don't want to hear it."
A fresh wave of tears blurred her vision. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hold him close like the fight yesterday had never happened. She wanted to listen to him talk, about anything. She didn't care as long as she could be with him. She couldn't see herself as his friend. It was too painful to have to sit next to him without his touch available.
Anko judged Kurenai's face, and her inhospitable demeanor faltered. There was something about the teacher's expression that she couldn't help but feel uneasy about. She decided not to speak, and instead let Asuma coax her out of the house.
The teacher finally left, but the awkwardness lingered. Anko's attention darted to Asuma and he silently tottered into the sitting room and sunk into an armchair.
"You did the right thing," was all she could say to him. He looked regretful.
"I...I know." He thought he knew. But he couldn't be sure.
XxXxXx
Naruto's house was completely empty. Hinata's hopes fell, and she left the bundle of chocolate sweets on his kitchen counter. She knew she shouldn't be in his house, especially because he wasn't home, but he had left the door unlocked and she was feeling dangerous that day. After all, it was the house of her love.
Walking around his kitchen, she checked his fridge. It had all the usual items—milk, eggs, butter, juice, soda, veggies, fruit, and other assorted goods. His cupboards were filled with ramen cups and baking products. He had no glass dishes other than glasses. She had a sneaking suspicion he didn't like washing dishes. The oven had a sticky pan in it, and smelled like cinnamon. She smiled as she thought of Naruto baking something, wearing a little apron, slightly sweaty from the heat of the oven, swirling his finger in a batter and tasting it with his delicious-looking lips.
Next to the kitchen was the living room. A small TV was sitting on a cheap-looking stand. The remote and a knitted blanket were the residents of the little couch he had. A fish tank sat in the corner, a few black-and-yellow fish floating lazily in the water amongst plastic seaweed. The clock hanging over the TV read ten-thirty. The coffee table between the couch and TV was littered with empty ramen cups and magazines; Hinata blushed when she found one of them to be a porn magazine, but the others were political and leadership-based.
She moved onto Naruto's bedroom. This was what she really wanted to see.
The room was messy as expected. His bed was unmade with orange sheets spilling onto the floor that was covered with books, CDs, and videogame cartridges. Posters lined his walls, a few of his favorite bands and others of people he respected, people Hinata had never heard of but looked like respected political figures. A portrait of the Otokage hung opposite his bed. A lamp rested on the stand beside his bed, along with a picture of him with his team. Kakashi-sensei was standing to the side, his eyes smiling, next to a grinning Sakura. Sasuke was slightly behind her towards the middle of the frame, his arms crossed with a small smile, more of a smirk really. Naruto was beaming next to Sasuke, his mouth turned into a huge grin with all his teeth showing, his face shining with happiness. It made Hinata content.
She thought for a moment, before sitting on his bed. She could feel the depression of the mattress where he slept. Lying down for a moment, she could almost smell him on the sheets. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off, before snapping up and careening off the bed.
I'm acting like a stalker, Hinata thought. I just came here to give Naruto some sweets. He's not even here, I should leave.
But she didn't want to leave. She wanted to hang around his house until he came home, where she would greet him with the chocolates. It was be like she was his wife.
They hadn't spent much time together since Team 7's first mission. She missed looking forward to seeing him all day, sitting outside a shop and drinking some sort of smoothie while watching people go by.
She decided it would be best to wait for him to return for Oto. If only she hadn't overslept, she would be sitting next to Naruto right now.
Hinata left his house, closing the door behind her and walking down to the street. To her faint surprise, she saw Kiba waiting by the streetlight near Naruto's mailbox. She didn't want to bother with him today. "Oh, h-hello Kiba."
"What're you doing in Naruto's house for?" he asked.
"I was...I was seeing if he was home." Not feeling up for a fight, she began her journey home. Much to her dismay, Kiba followed her. In order to not seem unapproachable, she tried to make small talk. "I thought you would be on the train to Konoha."
"Hah, that's a funny one," he said sarcastically. He had seen the ticket on the kitchen table at home, right next to his mother's. If he was going to be stuck on a train with his demonic mom all day he would have rather killed himself. "Why aren't you there? I'd think you would be snuggling next to Naruto-kun," he said with an acidic impression of his girlfriend.
"Kiba, I don't want to t-talk about this now. I-I'm going home, please leave me alone for today," Hinata said bravely.
He growled and cut her off in front of her. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. "Please, there's nothing."
"Oh really? Seems to me like you've been following Naruto around everywhere these days. I thought you gave up on dating that lump, but suddenly after he's become a ninja you suddenly have wet dreams about him again?" He wasn't sure why this bothered him all of a sudden. The dog-boy had always known of Hinata's fascination with Naruto. He had been thoroughly surprised when he had asked her out, and she accepted.
Their relationship had always been casual. Kiba didn't think about marriage ever and he was sure Hinata would never marry him anyway. No, in a way their relationship could be defined as a frustration-reliever, with all of Kiba's pent-up anger and Hinata's lust for someone's touch.
As time went on, Kiba grew defensive of Hinata, even though she angered him all the time. The thought of her with another man made him want to rip something limb-from-limb. It might have been a matter of possession, not tender passion, but either way it wasn't a good thing for her male friends.
Naruto used to be a puny, annoying guy. Kiba felt no remorse in poking fun at him. Kiba had been a strong, muscular, boy who could snap Naruto like a twig.
But now Naruto was a defined ninja, skilled with weapons and strategic fighting. He was a threat to Kiba, who had always thought that Hinata would forget about the blonde once she saw his brute strength.
Problem was, now his strength was clumsy and barbaric compared to Naruto's keen technique. Artsy bastard, he thought.
Hinata looked affronted by his choice of words. "I do not have wet dreams! Why do you have to bother me today?"
"Hey, I'm the one asking questions! Are you gonna break up with me?" Kiba barked without thinking.
Hinata's mouth filled with a gasp. He had never, ever brought up that situation before. He never actually talked about their relationship. To be truthful, Hinata had never thought about it either. She did, to escape his outbursts and overall arrogant attitude. There was something that did keep her attracted to him, other than his looks. It was his desperation to impress her. She was afraid to end it. Kiba might kill her in outrage, or even worse, Naruto.
"N-No, of course not," she said with a strained smile. "I-I'm just a little off-put today."
This wasn't what Kiba had expected to here. It filled him with a strange, happy sensation. He grinned unknowingly. He thought he'd walk away from this alone, and then he'd have to go beat the shit outta Naruto for stealing his girl. Was there something in his life that wasn't going terribly wrong for once?
His expression softened. "Wanna go get some breakfast?"
"I-I um...sure," Hinata said, despite having eaten before she left.
"Great! I know a place that makes the best bacon I've ever tasted." He started walking, and she followed. "You know I thought I was gonna be alone all day, but finally I got something to do. Hana wouldn't wanna hang with me and Tobo was busy at the lumberyard and all. Let's go skating later, I gotta show you my wicked moves."
She'd nearly forgotten about his skating habits—he normally didn't let her into the skating park because of all the rowdy guys. He was well-known at the park but that didn't mean everyone respected him.
"I'd like to...um...go," she said. "I can't skate, though."
"I know!" he said with a laugh. "Don't worry about it, you can hang around and watch. Or you could try roller blades." Bringing a girl to the skate park was a sort of show-off move.
Hinata could barely believe that he had switched aggression to cheerfulness so quickly, just with a few words that weren't even reinforced. Was he so desperate to stay away from his mother that he would continue in a relationship for the sake of having someone to be with? So she and Kiba really were the same after all. She preferred staying out of the house and away from Neji's constant complaining.
They found the breakfast house. At least I'm getting free food out of this, Hinata thought somberly.
XxXxXx
The piercing sound of the train slowing down sounded outside everyone's windows. Sakura gently shook Naruto awake. "We're here," she whispered.
His bright blue eyes opened lazily. He yawned. "Already?" He looked out at the puffy clouds floating in the big blue sky. "Wait, it's eleven-fifteen?"
"You fell asleep, dobe." Sasuke pointed to the clock above them, reading the exact time mentioned.
It took everyone a minute to orientate themselves. Tsunade directed everyone outside the compartment to the train's automatic doors. Kakashi eyed the stragglers on the main part of the train who weren't getting off, still confused as to why they were here in the first place. There was a whistling sound and the doors slid open, the intensity of the sun blinding Naruto.
They hopped onto the platform, noticeably a lot cleaner than the one outside Konoha. There was a small amount of graffiti on the rail track, along with candy wrappers, but the glass stations where people chose to sit were sparkling clean, advertisements posted everywhere on the sunny platform. A huge amount of people boarded the train, most carrying briefcases but some carrying scrolls. The businessmen were clad in crisp suit-and tie combinations most likely fashioned by the famous Oto designer companies Ichiro & Sun, Strawberry Republic and Yutaka Irving. The women went for a more tight-fitting, yet formal approach with their nice knee skirts and button-up blouses. Kids ran around the platform on the opposite end of the track, where another train was running. Behind that platform was another set with two opposite tracks.
"This train station is huge," Naruto breathed. "Where do we go?"
"To the exit building," Tsunade pointed to a brick building sitting at the end of the extremely long platform.
They headed there, showed their two-way tickets, and piled outside the station. They were strangely high up, with grand stone steps spilling out onto the street below them. It was then they realized they were standing high up in the city, with a perfect view of their surroundings.
Neat little brick buildings lined the clean streets of the city. Signs directed people to areas of interest and business around the area. Cherry blossom trees were planted at every street corner, swaying gracefully in the breeze, and flowers and shrubs adorned the fronts of especially large edifices. Down the block, flower venders were standing with their gleaming silken carts and selling their wonderful ikebana to passerby; fruit stands also spilled into the street, plump fruits arranged neatly for easy pick-up.
Beyond the smaller buildings, traveling left in the city were rolling farms. They couldn't give a name to what was growing in the fields, but the crops were high and healthy.
They must have been at the edge of Oto, because in the background there were skyscrapers, awesome works of architect ranging from sleek, black stone to polished wood. The train tracks wove around buildings on capable, inventive bridges with no support beams, surely staying up by ninjutsu. If one were to ride the train around the skyscrapers, one would feel like they were flying. At some point while eyes traveled to the center of the city, the buildings became gigantic trees of all variations, pointing out where the central park was.
It was by far the most marvelous thing any one of them had ever seen. If someone had to find the paradise lost in legend, they need only to come to Oto.
"It's so beautiful," Sakura said, awed.
"Yup," Sasuke agreed.
There was nothing Naruto could say that he thought could describe the wholesome magnificence that was Oto. He didn't even want to say anything, afraid that if he put words to its splendor he would be saying nothing less than an insult. Instead, he decided to ask a question. "Where are we headed?"
"You see those trees towards the middle of the city?" Tsunade pointed at the swaying green. "That's the cultural district; the grand library's there, and the Otokage's castle, and the ninja academy. We'll take a taxi there."
They walked down the steps, slowly descending to the sidewalks which, surprisingly, weren't crowded. Clean-cut men and women hurried amongst teenagers and ninja. A few friends were giggling together, their outfits Sakura would die for. Kakashi noted the weaponry the ninja had safely secure on their backs, wondering if any of that equipment was somewhere within Konoha storages.
Tsunade located a taxi and they all piled into the cart on the back. She paid and gave directions; the bull set off with a little tap from the driver and soon they were rolling past scenery at a nice pace.
"It'll take about forty-five minutes," she said. "We'll get plenty of sight-seeing done."
"That's all? It feels like it should take hours," Naruto said.
"Oto's not much bigger than Konoha, really. It just seems that way because of all the different aspects to its architecture, but Sunagakure's much bigger than Oto. Actually, Suna used to be the most powerful hidden village, especially in military power. Around a hundred-fifty years ago, Oto was just a normal hidden village. Suna decided to launch a surprise attack against Iwagakure, who they had been feuding with for a while, but the Oto lord caught wind of the assault and sent his forces to attack a defenseless Suna. The Suna army had to turn back to defend their city, but Oto had already informed Iwa of the premeditated assault and Suna was at the bane of both Iwa and Oto's will. Suna signed a peace treaty with Iwa and Oto was recognized as a hidden village. Its prosperity grew and soon it became the Otogakure we know today." Tsunade cracked her knuckles and lay back in the cart.
"A nice history lesson to pass the time," Sasuke said. He watched restaurants go by, mouth watering at a sign reading 'Tomato curry chowder, new recipe!'.
"That's also how Suna lost its place as the most powerful hidden village in the world. Though, The Land of Fire isn't the most powerful country, but that's because of one problem." Tsunade immediately paused. She didn't mean to say it like that, but everyone's faces had already turned sour.
"Us," Sakura muttered.
The cart remained silent for a few minutes. Finally, Naruto decided to break the tension. "Come on, don't put frowns on our faces!"
"Well," the woman began cautiously, "We'll be getting to the city soon. There's a lot to see there."
"This place is so cool," Naruto piped. "I love it so much. I wish I could live here," he sighed happily.
Sasuke glared at his friend. "Why?"
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Cuz it's awesome! Have you ever seen so much shit in one city before?"
"What about Konoha?" the raven-haired boy defended.
"Relax!" Sakura piped. "Naruto didn't mean anything by it."
"Stop arguing," Tsume snapped, and they quieted immediately.
They crawled closer and closer to the business district, until it was suddenly upon them without warning. They were riding down the streets past gargantuan buildings, the sidewalks teeming with people, ninja and civilian alike.
"Look! Ichiro & Sun!" Naruto pointed at the men's clothing chain.
There was a nice shirt and khakis-combination that Kakashi liked. The price read thirty thousand ryo. He sighed and looked away, instead focusing on the ninja. The older ones wore uniforms consisting of a black shirt worn under a small purple compartment vest that barely grazed their lower chest; around their lower abdomen there were several belts storing scrolls and thin weapons in them, instead of the kunai pouch/shuriken holster that Konoha-nin wore around their thighs. They wore black pants that went down to their knees, with the Oto symbol, a song note, splashed across the left hip and a patch on their breast showing their rank. Chain mail and protective bandages were wrapped from under their knees to their foot, and their open-toed shoes were also black. It seemed the Otokage didn't mind them personalizing their outfits a bit; one man wore gloves with spikes attached to the knuckles and a woman wore no black shirt under her vest, instead she wore chain mail only, and she wore a necklace with a scroll hanging off it.
Kakashi looked at himself, in his baggy pants and grey shirt. We could really use some uniforms ourselves.
Two female ninja, probably Gennin, paused and stared at the cart. They pointed at their Konoha headbands, babbling excitedly.
"Yakushi Hospital!" The pinkette exclaimed. "Kabuto works there, doesn't he?"
"It's named after him, so I'd assume he probably runs it," Tsunade guessed.
"I hope he's with to Otokage," she sighed. "I've been dying to ask him so many things. I read up on him after I met him, and he's simply amazing."
Sasuke scowled, but didn't say anything. People on the street noticed his glare and were affronted when he gazed upon them with the same look.
"He is," the blonde woman agreed. When she had been his age she hadn't known half of what he did. Even now, he could easily outmatch her in a battle of medical wits. It was irritating to think a man thirty years her junior could be so much smarter than her. She hoped Sakura's interest in medicine didn't allocate her to Otogakure; Tsunade had been fond of the thought of teaching the girl herself.
"The people here don't seem as pretentious as the ones at the exam," Kakashi said.
"The ones at the exam always have big heads. You just gotta kick their ass and they'll shut up," Tsume muttered.
Shino was tapping the side of the cart eccentrically. Sasuke eyed him. "Would you stop?"
"...No." He was acting awfully jumpy.
"...Fine." The Uchiha shrugged it off and listened to Naruto exclaim something about everyplace they passed.
The taxi turned down a street where smaller buildings lined the street. The business district was ending, and the residential area of the district came into view, with apartment buildings and houses dappled around clothing and grocery stores.
Suddenly, all buildings disappeared behind them and they were traveling in between huge, lush open meadows teeming with flora and vegetation. The train tracks weaved above the meadows into a sort of forested haven. The buildings had become smaller and oriental, the roads shadowed by trees or open to the sun and the cherry blossom-kissed air.
"It's like a huge park," Naruto said, looking around, eyes on a cultural museum.
"The grand library's in here," Tsunade affirmed.
"Otogakure is so...so cool. It's like a technological whirlpool," Sakura moaned.
The library came into sight, a beautiful wooden building with golden hangings.
"Ah, hello!" Standing in front of it, surrounded by not his guards, but by boxes, was the Otokage himself, in a black leather jacket with a long-sleeved black polo, the color unbuttoned and showing his chest a little. Tight blue jeans clung to him, and his midnight black hair spilled over his shoulders.
A day over thirty didn't cut it for a greeting this time. He couldn't have possible been older than twenty.
Tsunade grew crimson and avoided his welcoming gaze while they sauntered up to greet him. Although she was heading the group, she wished someone would take her place. When no one spoke as they came within conversing distance of him, she was forced to look at him.
"Hello," she said lamely, ogling his extremely handsome figure.
He beamed. "You've come just in time, a perfect example of dedication. Naruto, I'm glad to see you here, very glad. Weren't there supposed to be twelve of you, however?"
"Yeah, me too," Tsunade grumbled.
"Oh well! No use in fretting over it. They'll pay for it in the end. Procrastination begets inexperience!" he chimed cheerfully.
"What are we doing?" Naruto asked eagerly.
"These books are going to the shipyard to be distributed around the Land. They're pretty full up, the boxes, so it's not going to be a simple task. How will you be assisting? Should I get you a pedestal for your back?" He asked Kuromaru.
"I do not need one, thank you," the deep-voiced wolf said.
"After the shipments have been stored, you'll be able to take your own boxes back with you on the train. You needed it for the hospital and the library, correct?"
"Yes. I'm going to start a class. The ones who pass will be sent to Oto to take the official exam at Yakushi," Tsunade said.
"Sounds great! We'll be happy to have you," Orochimaru spoke.
Sakura was looking around the area, seeing no one but themselves around. "O-Otokage-sama?" she acknowledged quietly.
He turned his olive eyes upon her small form. "Yes?"
"Where is Yakushi-san?" she asked.
"Kabuto is at the shipyard. He's overseeing the shipments; after all, he did write the books that are being shipped out. Most of them, at least. There are always rogue ninja that wish to make my job harder, especially when regular civilians can be easily overpowered." Orochimaru sighed. "Being Otokage is not easy! But don't let that discourage you," he added sincerely, "because I was a young ninja like you all once; as was Tsunade! Look at us now—strong, and still attractive, if I do say so myself. Fifty-three years have done nothing to repress our vigor!"
Team 7 stared. Even Shino looked vaguely interested by this piece of news. "You're over fifty?" Naruto gaped.
"We are. Some people argue my age affect my judgment, but I believe with age comes invaluable experience. Why do you think Lord Sarutobi was an ineffective ruler when he began his reign over Konoha? A mere twenty-one year old man with no leadership experience would make a good ruler." Orochimaru picked up a box. "We're delaying this project; we can talk and walk at the same time, I hope. Well, carry on!"
They all took boxes accordingly, Naruto trying to match Sasuke's five but finally giving up and taking four. Sakura helped Kuromaru balance three on his back and took three for herself. Kakashi took five, and Tsume surprisingly held six. Shino took three, and Orochimaru took the final eight.
"Onward!" he cried, and they began moving past the library. They walked down a nature trail. "Walking is a very healthy form of training and exercise. It might seem lazier than running but it's more helpful to some. When weights are involved, it's even more strenuous. I'm no taijutsu master, but I believe nice brisk walks each morning help the body tremendously."
"These are heavy," Naruto said.
"Can't handle it?" Sasuke asked, smirking.
"Y-Yes I can!" He gripped tighter to his boxes. "Otokage-sensei, did you ever teach classes at the Konoha academy?"
"I did. I taught ninjutsu combinations for a while and I was a team leader for a few years. I didn't teach long before I went to Oto." Orochimaru smiled. "What about you Naruto? What are you most interested in learning?"
"Uhhh...well, I really think summoning is cool, but they had no summoning teachers at the academy. You can summon things, right?"
The man nodded. "I can, yes. Snakes, normally. If you ever have problems when you decide to learn summoning, you can ask me. I've perfected many ways to learn it, depending on the animal. Tsunade can summon too, and I'm sure Kakashi-san can too."
Tsunade and Kakashi both looked up from their books. They exchanged glances. "How did you know that?" Kakashi asked.
The blond boy whipped around to face his teacher, the boxes teetering dangerously. "You can?! Really!"
"Be careful," Kakashi warned as he watched the boxes. "And yes, I can."
The others looked vaguely interested. "Really?" Sasuke asked. "You never told us that, sensei."
"I can summon dogs," the teacher said. "I haven't summoned them in a while, so I don't know if my pact with them is still valid."
"They'll remember you if you call," Orochimaru spoke. "As long as you were good to them. I remember Jiraiya always got into arguments with his summons, but they still were faithful to him. Remember, Tsunade?"
She smiled as nostalgia set upon her. "Yeah, Katsuyu got real pissed when Jiraiya tried to take her instead of Gamabunta."
"And Sarutobi-sensei nearly lost an arm. He made Jiraiya do three-hundred push ups for that."
They were laughing hard, tears coming to Tsunade's eyes. She hadn't thought of the good old days much before she was reunited with her teammate. Now that they were sharing memories, she wondered why she didn't want to think about it all.
They quieted, the others behind them watching them in interested. Tsunade sighed happily. "Seems like the past was a lot more fun than it was."
"What do you mean? There were many moments that made us all smile. The hard times are fresh in our memories, but there's no point in lingering on the bad thoughts, because then you downplay your life." Orochimaru hitched the boxes up.
"You can't forget the bad times, though." She flexed a muscle as she moved her boxes around, trying to sort them by weight in her arms.
He shook his head. "I know. If we do, then mistakes will be repeated."
The others trailed behind them, watching them exchange words. Sakura smiled at Tsunade and Orochimaru's natural happiness. She tried to imagine the two older shinobi as teenagers; joking around, fighting side-by-side, being at each other's bedsides at the hospital, eating lunch together, witnessing fellow shinobi die...being there for each other. And in the end they went their own separate ways, only being reunited a few days ago.
She looked at Naruto and Sasuke. Her lip trembled at the thought of never seeing them again. Deep down, she hoped they would always surround her with their bickering for her entire life. And Kakashi-sensei, he had been at her side in a second when she was hurt. It touched her deeply, how these three people had grown from strangers to close friends in only three months. It had taken two years to really become Ino's best friend, and Kiba, whom she had known ever since kindergarten was still only her acquaintance.
Sasuke felt her emerald orbs on him. He stared back. "Yes?"
She looked away promptly. "Nothing. Just wondering if there was anything you wanted to ask the Otokage."
Orochimaru heard his title spoken and turned his head. Sasuke's puzzled look turned into irritation. "I dunno. Maybe how he became Otokage in the first place."
"You wish to know, Sasuke Uchiha? I'll be happy to tell." Orochimaru cleared his throat. "Thirty years ago, I left Konohagakure for Otogakure to further my education. About three years before I left, Sarutobi-sensei had stopped the exportation of a vast majority of goods because of a deficit in funding that caused a decline in factory performance which in turn caused a major underproduction of goods. Because of this, not only did we lose money from exportation, but repairing the factories cost much more and people were being paid less. Many teachers left their jobs and I, at the age of twenty-three, was still attempting to learn all that I could. Going to Otogakure was my best option; but I was also searching for a way to help my ex-sensei, and Konoha in the long run. The Third Otokage was a very strong leader, but he was an ailing man who wanted to retire peacefully. Not to be brash, but I am a very smart person and easily worked my way through my studies and managed to secure a meeting with him. He took a liking to me, and I became his apprentice, and then afterwards his choice for the Fourth Otokage. I officially became Otokage twenty-two years ago, and I finally was in a position where I could help Konoha. Unfortunately, with the power I had I was also expected to help other villages as well as my own and Konoha, so I could not do as much as I had liked."
Naruto was listening to him intently. He remained quiet for many moments after Orochimaru stopped talking. The bounce in his step went down. "Uuhh...is that it?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
"That's...but...I thought it would be...well..." he fidgeted, "more exciting."
The Otokage broke out into laughter. "You would think that, but in truth there really isn't anything exciting about getting up to the top. Once you're leading Konoha you'll realize it wasn't a very action-packed tale."
Naruto blushed. "The leader of Konoha," he mumbled to himself, lips breaking out into a grin. "Yeah! Let's do it!" He began to walk at a faster pace. "We'd better hurry up to the shipyard you slowpokes! Come on Tsunade-obaasan!"
Tsunade's eye twitched. "Obaasan?! NARUTO YOU LITTLE PUNK!" she screamed, chasing after him as he took off laughing, the boxes shaking dangerously as he held them carelessly.
"I hate kids," Tsume muttered. Kuromaru trotted next to her.
"Hey, come on you two," Kakashi said worriedly. "Naruto, stop jumping around!"
A box slipped off of the stack in the Jinchuuriki's hand. Sakura gasped, but she was the only one to notice. Orochimaru had somehow gone from walking behind the two fighters to leading the crew, an extra box in his tow and one missing from Naruto.
"Now now, Tsunade's always been a temperamental one. And we certainly aren't moving slowly at all Naruto; we're here."
Sunlight filtered through the boundary of trees, lighting up the path they had traversed. As they left the forest they came into a beautiful open docking area with sprawling white-stone platforms against a sandy beach down below. People were frolicking in the water while lifeguards watched from their stations intently. Ships floated contently in the salty turquoise waters sloshing against the dark, wooden docks. Little shops dotted the platforms, offering rental boats or fishing supplies or souvenir merchandise.
"It smells wonderful," Kuromaru spoke, his muzzle high in the air, nose twitching. "It's so fresh and salty and mouth-watering. I could go for some fish."
"Go catch some then. Don't bother me," Tsume shrugged.
"It's actually almost two. Lunch will be eminent, but not now. Work before you eat!" He sung the exclamation.
They headed over to a large ship where dock workers were loading boxes ten at a time. Kabuto was overseeing them, scribbling on a clipboard. He wore baggy purple pants that tightened above his knees and a purple shirt with short, loose sleeves and a blue cloth belt. His legs were wrapped in protective bandages, but he wore no chain mail. His headband gleamed on his forehead. Silver bangs fell in front of his pale face, and his glasses caught the gleam of the sunlight as he turned around to greet them, shielding his eyes. Sakura blushed.
"Hello," he spoke in a pleasant voice, smiling. "It's great to see Team 7 again. And newcomers!" Putting the clipboard under his shoulder, he groped around a pants pocket and pulled out a thick set of cards. Staring at Shino, he moved his hand around the tops of the cards, finally pulling one out. Gripping it in his gloved hand, he reviewed it. "Shino Aburame. Konohagakure Shinobi Class: Gennin, registration number 012618, height 5'9", weight 132 lbs., birthday January 23, age 16, blood type AB, ninjutsu 3, genjutsu 1, taijutsu 2, weapons 2, kekkei genkai: Aburame insect infusion."
Everyone's heads either went to Shino or to Kabuto. Mouth open in awe, Sakura stuttered. "H-How did you g-get all that?"
Kabuto laughed. "Don't be alarmed. These are my shinobi information cards, better known as ninja info cards. That's what I call them, at least. I created them as a special filing system, as Otogakure also has copies of Konoha's report files. I can detect chakra coding and match it with the cards."
"What does mine say?" Sakura asked, impressed.
He smiled brightly. "Let me check, Sakura-san."
She blushed as he whipped through the cards. Pausing on one, he cleared his throat. "Sakura Haruno. Konohagakure Shinobi Class: Chuunin, registration number 012601, height 5'3", weight 107 lbs., birthday March 28, age 15, blood type O, ninjutsu 3, genjutsu 4, taijutsu 2, weapons 3, kekkei genkai: n/a."
Sakura giggled. "Are those numbers good?"
"Well, it's out of 5, so I'd say you're average." Kabuto put the cards away.
"Are you done showing off, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk.
He stopped and smiled, embarrassed. "Yes, for now. The ships are in order. Are these the final boxes?"
The Otokage nodded, carefully transitioning the boxes from his hands to the dock workers. Stretching his arms out, he took the clipboard from his subordinate's hands. "I'll just mark these down," he said slowly, writing something on the paper. He handed it back to Kabuto, his fingers brushing against the man's gloved hands in a caressing way.
A pink tinge grew on the bespectacled man's cheeks. "Thank you, Orochimaru."
Sasuke watched the strange interaction with a look of contempt. "What's with the informality?"
"Sasuke Uchiha. Konohagakure Shinobi Class: Chuunin, registration number 012606, height 5'8", weight 127 lbs., birthday July 23, age 16, blood type AB, ninjutsu 5, genjutsu 2, taijutsu 4, weapons 4, kekkei genkai: n/a." As if that had been part of the answer, he continued. "Orochimaru and I have a different relationship than just subordinate and master."
The Uchiha growled. "No kekkei genkai? Your card's lying. I have one, and I'll get it someday." He rubbed his eyes as he said this.
"The Sharingan?" Orochimaru asked timidly. "It's quite a powerful kekkei genkai. Your brother showed good use of the skill when he presented it to me years ago."
"Don't talk about him," the raven-haired boy spat.
Naruto rounded on him, frowning. "Don't freak out on him!"
"Stop fighting," Kakashi commanded. He handed his boxes over.
Orochimaru opened his mouth to say something, but it lapsed into a peculiar grin. He sighed and opened a pouch connected to his back pocket. As soon as he did so, two men jumped down from the ship and ran at him, both brandishing shuriken. The dock workers scattered in an instant, shouting for help. With celerity, Orochimaru threw two senbon to meet the assaulters. They pierced right through their ribcage and flew straight through the heart, embedding in the muscle. They didn't even make a sound before they dropped, sprawled on the platform as if they had just fallen asleep.
The Konoha shinobi just then realized Orochimaru had been attacked. The Otokage turned towards the silver-haired man looking over the bodies of the two men. "Betrayal once, I forgive, betrayal twice, I forgive, betrayal three times, I can't let you live." The statement was articulated in a sing-song fashion. "Dispose of the bodies, if you may, Kabuto."
He nodded and went to the bodies, chakra building on his arm. Sakura blinked, and the bodies had suddenly disappeared. Kabuto stood up, wiping his hands. "They are gone, sir."
"May they have good fortune in the skies above," Orochimaru prayed. "But I do not have mercy on those who continue to dream of taking my life."
Sakura's green eyes scanned the platform quickly. The dock workers were continuing their work with a little more caution. "W-Where did they go?"
"I took care of them," Kabuto spoke nonchalantly. "I'll take these boxes." He took the boxes from Sakura, smiling at her the whole time. She stuttered in thanks and turned away, embarrassed.
Sasuke scowled and thrust his boxes to a dock worker, folding his arms after they were empty. "What now?"
Shino was fumbling around with something in his shirt pocket. "I'm hungry," he stated.
His boxes stood next to him. Kabuto went over and checked them off. "We'll eat in a moment. Where are the boxes for Tsunade?" He asked his teacher.
"They're back at the library. We can get those later. Now, I want us all to have a day on the town. See the sights, eat, be merry."
He smiled at his good idea, but the others weren't so receptive. Naruto fidgeted awkwardly and Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances. Tsunade sighed. "We don't have...well...we can't afford a day in Otogakure. We don't...have the money." She hated saying it out loud. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
The man glanced over all of them, and a smile of pity fell over his face. "I understand. Let me make this easier for you." He pulled out a wallet from his oh-so-tight jeans.
Tsunade glared at him. "Don't dote on us! It's not—"
"Tsunade-san," Naruto interrupted, speaking very seriously, "I don't want to miss out on a day here, especially if I'm not coming back. What's wrong with charity? We can't afford to have egos."
"Spoken like a true leader," Orochimaru said. "Please, take what I have to offer. It's a personal thing, between friends I'd say."
He withdrew many ryo bills from his wallet and distributed them accordingly. Sakura took hers with a generous thank-you, and Naruto grinned and stuffed it in his frog-coin purse. Tsume took it without word. Kakashi bowed to him. When he reached Sasuke, however, things turned difficult.
"I'm not taking any of your damn money," he spat. "I don't need it."
"Sasuke," he crooned, "you shouldn't hold a grudge because of your brother. I had nothing to do with his breakdown."
"Like hell you didn't! Notice how fine he was until he came back from his apprenticeship with you!" The Uchiha retreated from him, walking off. "Let's go, guys."
But Naruto and Sakura lingered. "Sasuke, I wanna go with the Otokage." Naruto said. "And I don't like your attitude!"
"Too fucking bad!" he yelled back. "Be brainwashed by his goddamn preaching! I don't give a shit!"
"He's not brainwashing me, moron! You just hate him because he's the one person who doesn't dote on you cuz you have no family, and doesn't feel pity for you cuz you're an emo jackass!" the blond screamed.
Sasuke's hands curled into fists. "I dare to you repeat that!" He ran at Naruto, ready to clobber the teenager.
Naruto stood at a ready posture, Sakura shouting protests. Sasuke was a second away from punching his friend in the face, but Kakashi materialized in between them and grabbed Sasuke's fist and pushed Naruto backwards. "QUIT THIS CRAP, NOW!" he bellowed, angry and embarrassed.
Sasuke pulled his fist out of Kakashi's grip. He turned around and started walking away. "Whatever."
"Remember to meet back at the library!" Orochimaru called. He received no reply. "He heard me, don't worry." He turned towards the others, sighing.
Sakura watched him leave forlornly. "Why does he dislike you so much?" she wondered out loud.
"He believes Itachi's breakdown was a result of meeting me. I honestly can say there is no reason why Itachi would have ever needed to fear or hate me, but I suffered much disdain from the Uchihas after he returned to Konoha. I was on friendly terms with them, but Sasuke and Itachi's father never trusted me much." The tight-clothed man stepped on the road. "Now then, who wants to join me for lunch? I know an absolutely spectacular restaurant down in the main city district."
"I'll come!" Naruto piped. "Screw what Sasuke thinks. I like you."
"And I'm glad," he replied with a laugh. "Tsunade, you must join us. We haven't had nearly enough time to catch up. And Kabuto, will you be going my way?"
The silver-haired man looked towards Sakura. "Actually, I was thinking about showing this young lady my hospital. I know she'll be interested."
The kunoichi perked up, her eyes shining. "Really, Yakushi-sama?! Oh thank you!"
"Kuromaru wants to check out the fishing stores. We'll stay around here," Tsume said.
"I'll...I'll just walk around," Shino murmured, hands in his pockets.
"I'll go with Naruto and Tsunade," Kakashi said.
The blond boy scowled. "Tell him he's a moron. Let's go, Otokage-sama!"
"Please do call me Orochimaru. I don't mind formality but it's easier this way. Can we all meet back at five? Your train leaves at six-fifteen and you can't afford to be late. Literally, figuratively, whatever!" He headed Naruto, Tsunade, and Kakashi. "Follow my way."
XxXxXx
Sasuke kicked a rock over a small hill that ran down to a thin stream adorned with lily pads. Stupid idiots, he thought angrily, who cares if they're brainwashed by that bastard. I know what really happened.
Actually, no he didn't. His hatred for Orochimaru was completely insubstantial. Itachi had returned from Otogakure in a very flustered, paranoid mood, but he never put any of the blame on Orochimaru directly, nor did he even speak ill of the man when mentioned. Perhaps he had witnessed Orochimaru executing a group of assassins and grew frightened of his power.
No, Itachi was twelve, but he wasn't easily scared. And Orochimaru isn't the type to brutally murder anyone. He killed those rogues cleanly. There wasn't even any blood.
Then what happened? He had tried to peace the events together in his head, but he always stopped before Itachi's actual attack. It was a gruesome thing to think about.
I'm just angry because I couldn't stop Itachi. No, because I was too afraid to. Am I putting the blame on him because I'm trying not to think of my own mistakes?
His brother had all but disappeared. The only gleam in his Sharingan-printed eyes was of complete lunacy. His smirk was wide and terrifying, his teeth covered in blood along with every other part of his body. Bearing down on Sasuke, he looked like a monster, craving to defile all that was pure until flesh dripped from the walls and crushed bones littered the ground.
"Sasuke," he spoke, "you're so frail. I want...I must...I want...I must..." He kept on repeating the half-baked statements with a whine of hunger in his demonic pitch.
The eight-year old screamed in absolute fear, shaking. He scrambled up and continued screaming all down the hall of their home, all the way beating himself for opening up Itachi's door and letting him out to destroy the household like a rabid beast.
He fell and screamed again, his voice hoarse and tear-filled. He could smell the blood spilled all over the floor, and the flesh and muscle ripped from a mangled corpse tossed against and sticking to the wall. The thing he wanted most was to creep into the night and never be found by the hell-creature that was Itachi, but he screamed once more, and vomited from the disgusting stench of the room. He cried harder and stood up, running through the blood, feeling it squish underneath his bare feet, and ran out of the house, onto the village road where Uchihas all sauntered around, taking care of their nightly business.
In a minute, the Uchihas all around the main house saw him, in his state of complete disarray, with his tear-streaked face and vomit coating his shirt and blood soaked on his skin.
"G-G-G-GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed, bursting into tears again.
He heard a lustful breathing coming from the entrance to the house. It took him a century to turn around. Itachi stood in the dark doorway, laughing very quietly, the hair from his father's head entangled in his bloody fingers, the head swinging gently. He lifted the head up and sunk his teeth into it, ripping his father's ear off and chewing on it.
Sasuke's screams were drowned out by the frantic stampede of the doomed Uchihas.
A loud yell snapped him out of his memory. Sasuke hadn't been paying attention to where he had been going, and had wandered into the middle of a road, where taxis were being held up by his unfortunate placement. He hurried out of the street and stepped onto the pavement, shaking his head.
Fucking Itachi. His stomach growled. Noticing he was in a shopping area, he cut through an alley to go look for a fast-food joint. He heard a trash can rustle around the ground. He walked towards a familiar-looking head of brown hair.
"Shino?" he asked.
The sunglasses-wearing boy jumped and whipped around. "W-What?! O-Oh," he relaxed a little when he saw Sasuke, "what?"
Sasuke's vision flickered down towards smoke that was pouring from behind Shino's back. It entered his nostrils and he stepped back, coughing. "Um..." his mind reeled, suddenly being unable to focus on what he was going to ask, "w-where do you...uh...restaurants."
"...Over there." Shino pointed towards the end of the alley. "Across the street. That's where the others are."
"Thanks." Sasuke stood there awkwardly for a minute, before realizing that in order to walk he had to put his feet in front of him. He left Shino in the alley, feeling lightheaded. He was smoking pot, wasn't he? Well shit. I gotta tell Kurenai-sensei when we get back.
He headed across the street and a train rumbled over his head, tilting up like a roller-coaster to curl around a skyscraper. He noticed Kabuto and Sakura sitting at a café, both looking happy in each other's company.
Jealousy flared inside Sasuke, but he decided not to bother them. Instead, he purchased a sandwich and cola from the little shop nearby, and ate it while walking back to the library, where he sat alone, until Shino came about a half-hour later. They exchanged a few words, but it was mostly silence until Kabuto and Sakura came back.
"...Did you enjoy yourself?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura was surprised by his caring. "Ahh...yes, I did! He gave me a tour of the entire hospital, it was so cool! There was so much equipment he showed me, and look what he gave me!" She held out a large medical jutsu. "It's for self-study, cuz Tsunade won't let us keep the books at the end of the course apparently."
He smiled unemotionally. "That's nice."
Kabuto and Sakura chatted amongst themselves until Orochimaru's group finally reappeared. Much to Sasuke's dismay, not only were Naruto and Tsunade enjoying themselves, but Kakashi was animated in the conversation as well. Tsume and Kuromaru came within a few minutes.
Still, he liked seeing them happy. He suddenly felt very guilty for attacking him. "Have fun?"
Naruto feigned a scowl. "Maybe if you hadn't tried to punch me and had come along." But he grinned, and Sasuke knew the fight was behind them.
"I'll get those books for you. Tsunade, come assist me," Orochimaru said.
Sasuke stood close to Sakura as they went inside the library. It was getting dark already. The shadows cast images on the darkening green ground. He closed his eyes, and breathed in the fresh air. He caught a flowery scent mixed in with the salty air sneaking into the forests from the shipyards. He smiled. Otogakure really was a pretty place.
If only, Konoha. If only.
XxXxXx
Another long chapter from yours truly! I'll apologize for it taking forever. I actually had half of it done before school started, but this is one tough year for me. I've got AP U.S. History that gives a ton of homework every day that takes like two hours to do, and British Literature Honors that also demands reading journals that take a good half-hour, if you make no effort. I enjoy reading, but it's not like I want to chronicle every opinion I hold about the story on paper. That's what in-class discussions are for! Algebra II and Biology Honors also contribute to the workload, but Creative Writing doesn't take me long at all. Now that's a fun class! Oh, and since its marching band season, we have contests and practices all the time which cut into my life just as much. We have a contest at Rockford next Saturday...I hope we get higher than 4th this time, now that we have Thriller down.
Ah, how I love my characters so much. They are totally flawed, in a bad way, and I love it. Poor Ino, remembering all those good times with Shikamaru. He really has changed, hasn't he? And Asuma finally let Kurenai go after being cheated on numerous times. Anko's there for him, but she's made it clear it's not in a romantic way. Is it possible for Asuma to have a female friend and not want her? Hinata does act like a stalker sometimes, but she really does care for Naruto. But it seems she's still staying with Kiba.
Is Otogakure cool, or what? I didn't expect to turn into a really cool place. I expected it to be really abounded with flowers and fields and stuff, until I remembered how it was a rich city so it became totally sci-fi cool. It's got skyscrapers and airborne train tracks and shipyards and farms and forests; it's got everything! I wish I could draw a picture of it. I totally would. But, I can't draw or paint or do anything cool other than write, so use your imaginations!
Well, this chapter had a lot of Ino and Shikamaru character development, as well as teacher development, which I've been lacking on. There was development for Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Tsunade too, and some background development on Sasuke. Don't think that's the last time we'll see his past, though—and don't think it gets any less gruesome.
I'll see you next chapter! REVIEW!