Sumiko was relieved to see that the Oto nin team had stepped out, including the team Kabuto led.
"There's only one thing left," Sumiko said to Konan.
"What?" Konan asked.
"Kabuto," Sumiko looked at him. His team was walking away.
"Withdraw," Sumiko said and ran after Kabuto.
"Kabuto-san," Sumiko called. He turned and smiled.
"Yes?" he asked. Fake panting, she placed a hand on his shoulder as if to catch her breath and get support. She looked back up at him and his eyes gazed into her mangekyo sharingan. She undid the henge and looked at Konan, who disappeared along with Deidara.
Kabuto began to scream. Sumiko gritted her teeth and stabbed him in the heart with an ice spear.
"Sumiko?" Sasuke's eyes widened.
Minato appeared next to her.
"You're not leaving again," Minato's cold voice rang in her ears.
Oh this would be fun.
"Hn," Sumiko looked at him and he avoided eye contact. So he had his wits about him.
She created an ice barrier around her and took a good look at everyone around her. Sasuke looked almost happy that his sister was here, but when her eyes met with his, his expression darkened. Naruto looked indifferent. She glanced up and saw Kakashi.
"Oh," Sumiko said quietly. She could leave easily. She disappeared in a swirl of snow and the only thing left behind was a persimmon.
Sasuke picked it up and squashed it in his hands. He shook. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and saw that Sasuke had tears rolling down her cheeks.
"We will begin with the matches now," Hayate said.
Neji Hyuuga vs Hinata Hyuuga.
Neji won by a landslide. Hinata, despite the amount of people rooting for her, lost. Naruto had almost killed Neji by strangling him out of anger.
"Don't think that you'll get away with hurting her!" Naruto growled. Minato gave him a scathing look and Naruto jumped back up to the second floor.
Naruto leaned on the wall next to Sasuke.
They exchanged a look and sighed.
"I wonder why Sumiko came into the exams in the first place…" Naruto mused.
"I don't know. It doesn't matter," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded and the matches continued.
Sumiko lay in her bed in silence. She enjoyed the silence. It was heavy and didn't allow much noise to break it, lest it be muffled and drowned out by the silence again.
Her room was complete darkness. She felt the persimmons in her pocket and sighed.
"I don't know what to do…" Sumiko whispered. I was thrown back into another family. There's got to be a reason besides taking Itachi's place and saving him. Should I defect from here and protect Konoha? No, I'd be killed…wouldn't I?
Sumiko turned over on her bed and stared in the darkness at what was her hand.
Once I capture a Bijuu or two, then I should defect. By then, this whole charade would be boring. Hell, I'm already bored.
A mirthless laugh pierced the silence. A grin made it's way across her lips and she sat up and walked out. Kisame asked her where she was going, and she didn't respond. She didn't even hear him.
Sumiko always had her valuables sealed in a scroll and it didn't matter she left some things behind. It wasn't like she needed them.
She walked outside the hideout and was nearly blinded by the sun. The base was underground and no light came in. Blinking a few times let her eyes adjust.
A small creek and trees until the horizon filled her vision. A few small fish swam in the water.
Sumiko walked until she'd reached a nearby village. People stared at the oddly dressed woman and a few ran away, seemingly intimidated.
"Do you have any spare change?" a small child came up to her. He smiled as Sumiko simply stared.
"No," Sumiko said and walked past.
The child persisted and before she knew it, he was following her everywhere.
Sumiko walked across water and the child simply swam across, trying as hard as he could.
Eventually, she arrived at where she wanted to be.
"Where are we anyway? We've been travelling for like…a month straight. How is it that you aren't tired?" the boy panted and looked up at her.
"I have someone to talk to," Sumiko said. She took off her cloak and handed it to the boy. At a nondescript building, Sumiko pushed open the doors.
"An onsen?" the boy asked.
"It's the only one of its kind in the Land of Fire," Sumiko explained.
"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes.
"I mean that this is one onsen. Not two," Sumiko glanced at the boy if he understood. A red face said he did.
"I'm not going in if you are!" he shook his head furiously.
Sumiko released killer intent and he quickly stripped with a bright red face and Sumiko followed suit. She grabbed him and threw him in to the onsen.
"Ugh, it's another guy," a man grumbled. "Why aren't any women coming?"
Sumiko stepped in and she could see the man had take notice. He stared like there was no tomorrow.
Like any Uchiha, she had pale skin and black hair and eyes.
"You're…" the white-haired man narrowed his eyes. Sumiko simply waited and draped her arms along the edge of the onsen.
"Uchiha Sumiko," he whispered, as if her name in itself invoked the woman herself.
"Yes?" Sumiko's black eyes flitted to him.
"Why are you here?" his hands moved close together to form seals if necessary.
"We need to talk," Sumiko said.
"About?"
"I've defected. The Akatsuki's motives, do you know them?" Sumiko asked.
"As if I'd believe a traitor like you," Jiraiya frowned. Sumiko's eyes turned blood red.
"But it wouldn't hurt to listen," he amended.
"They're after Naruto. I'm sure you know why," Sumiko replied.
"The seal?" Jiraiya asked. She nodded. He looked at the child.
"Who is this brat?" Jiraiya asked.
"This is my disciple," Sumiko said.
"Oh, you have a heart now? You're not going to kill this kid like you killed every single one in your clan?" Jiraiya taunted.
"You know nothing," Sumiko said. Her eyes seemed to bore holes in him.
"You killed all of them! They were innocent, all of them! But you didn't kill your brothers…" Jiraiya said. "I wonder why."
"It was on a whim, you ignorant man. Enough of the Uchiha. I—"
"Heh, you don't like to talk about that? Do you feel guilt? Remorse? Sorrow?" Jiraiya growled. "I had friends you killed. And without a second thought, you killed them!"
Sumiko had suddenly frozen the entire onsen. She walked through it like it wasn't there.
"Heed my words, you toad. If you don't, many will lose their lives unnecessarily. Now, if Minato would get his head out of his wife's grave and look at Naruto and protect him like I would if I could, no one would die and Naruto would be able to live without the threat of the Akatsuki," Sumiko punched him across his face.
"You know, I never thought you'd say 'protect him like I would if I could'. Does that imply you care for your sensei's son?" Jiraiya smirked weakly, even if he could feel the ice not only sucking the heat from him, making hypothermia a threat (the irony) but also his chakra.
Sumiko gritted her teeth. "I wish you'd stop talking like that. You think nuke nin didn't have pasts, they didn't have emotions or people they cared for. I'll tell you this: I didn't leave my brothers alone on a whim. I couldn't kill them. I'll let you figure out what I mean."
The ice cracked and the hot water began to flow again.
"You know, Naruto is here with me," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "What if he heard you?"
"Yeah, what if he did?" a familiar voice asked. Sumiko looked over lazily and saw said blonde.
"Naruto," Sumiko addressed.
"I never thought you cared…about me or Sasuke. I knew you tried when I was little. Still, I know something snapped. Something within the clan. I don't think it was you. You're too level headed for that," Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"Don't," Sumiko warned. Naruto knew he'd hit a soft spot.
"So it was the Uchiha clan. I always knew that clan was…on edge. Always seemingly anxious or ready for a fight at any moment," Naruto said. He suddenly felt his body slammed against a wall. He groaned in pain and his vision was fuzzy.
"Don't even try it," Sumiko said. She grabbed the boy and went off.
Word quickly spread of Sumiko's defection. Since the Akatsuki were different from any type of organization, they did nothing to get her back. They knew, somehow, they'd be obliterated.
Her defection unnerved the Elemental Nations. Kage were on edge and border patrol had an air of fear. They knew she'd come up on their sensors sooner or later. It was only a matter of time until she reappeared, with bloody murders trailing her footsteps.
Sumiko walked into the Wind Country. Sand blew in her face and she squinted. Glancing back at the boy, he looked…pale. His eyes glazed over and his steps were uneven.
"You're sick," Sumiko stated.
"No…let's keep going," he insisted.
"You're not afraid of me?" Sumiko asked. "Even after you found out who I was?"
"No…it's better to be with you since you're powerful," he said.
"Hn," Sumiko grabbed him and slung him over her shoulder. So he's assuming I'll protect him? Interesting…
It took days to cross the sands of the Wind Country. When she arrived, the border patrol was frozen in place. They stared, scared out of their minds. A collective phrase gathered in their eyes: I'm going to die.
It proved to be true. Sumiko took advantage of the amount of water in their blood and froze it. Then she expanded the ice until only shreds of cold flesh remained.
Shinobi quickly ran to engage her in battle, only to be killed easily, some with their own kunai turned against them.
Sumiko knew she was taking advantage of the state of Suna. The shinobi knew it and wished she'd never come.
Since Orochimaru was killed, Suna was left without a Kage, temporarily. The council was almost done with their selections, and then a few more days to finalize paperwork and make it official.
It took only about an hour to take down most of their shinobi. The better the shinobi, the less of them was there. Hell, they didn't even have their jinchuuriki in the village; he was in Konoha.
Sumiko walked away, her clothes slightly sandy and singed. The village was in flames and she knew what would happen next: the rest of the villages would mobilize against her, only to be attacked by the rest of the Akatsuki.
A grin made its way across her face. Amazing…
The boy, at this point, was unable to move.
Sumiko used a henge and walked into a small town. She found a small clinic and admitted him.
Sumiko sat on the chairs and waited for him to released.
After an hour, the nurse came to her.
"Are you his guardian?"
"Yeah," Sumiko answered.
"Well, he's awfully sick. He's going to have to stay for a while…maybe a month or two?" she held her clipboard tightly.
"That's fine with me. I'll stay in one of the inns nearby so you can find me when you want," Sumiko stood and left. The nurse's hand almost reached out, thinking it was strange a guardian would be that trusting. The nurse thought she was either an idiot or over-confident. Shaking her head, she went back to make sure the boy was okay, assuming the former.
"What?" Minato's hands slammed on his desk in surprise.
"Yes, that is what the report says," a Chuunin said nervously.
Minato groaned and slumped in his chair.
"Summon Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi…" Minato hummed in thought. "And Jiraiya-sensei if he's here in Konoha."
"Hai," the Chuunin left.
In three minutes, his favorite student came strolling through the door, along with an Uchiha.
"Yes?" Kakashi drawled.
"Have you heard about Suna?" Minato didn't beat around the bush.
"I've heard basic outlines. Are you going to send me?" Kakashi asked.
"Very soon, yes. I'll come as well. Sarutobi-sama will fill in for me while I'm gone," Minato said. He turned to Itachi.
"You as well, Itachi. Both of your are needed if we're going up against another sharingan user," Minato's mouth felt dry even without saying her name.
"Hai," Itachi answered.
"Sensei, I wouldn't normally say this, but tomorrow is the final round. I can't miss it," Kakashi said with an air of finality.
"But…you can…" Minato tried to argue. Itachi looked uncomfortable and glanced at Kakashi nervously.
"Hokage-sama, I can't miss Sasuke's match," Itachi said.
"I won't miss Naruto's match," Kakashi repeated.
Minato bit his lip.
"They're both fine…Naruto will be fine…tomorrow the three of us will go if Jiraiya-sensei doesn't show up…right?" Minato tried to weakly argue.
"I'm sorry, sensei," Kakashi said, his nonchalant body language contradicting the angry glint in his eye.
"You can go, Itachi. I have to talk to Kakashi," Minato said. Itachi bowed and left.
"What?" Kakashi asked, irritated.
"Why do you worry so much for Naruto? He's my son, he'll be fine," Minato said, his argument formulated in his head.
Kakashi balled his fists.
"I don't understand why you don't worry. He's your son is the reason you should worry. If Kushina-san were here, she'd be so angry with you for abandoning your son even when you have free time. You could leave a clone and spend time getting to know the child whose life you died protecting," Kakashi growled. Minato was shocked. He never thought Kakashi cared so much for Naruto.
"It's complicated. I wouldn't expect a person without a child to understand my feelings as a parent," Minato said. Kakashi was fed up. He closed his visible eye in total shock and anger and disappointment in his sensei and pity for Naruto that he simply left without another word.