The Perfect Plan
ItaSasu
Author's
note: Thanks again for the reviews! I'm happy that so many
people are enjoying this! I'm really enjoying it too!
Okay, a little amendment. I've replaced the words in my Word Document but am too lazy to update each chapter on FF so from now on, instead of the "stone" country, it shall be the "earth" country. That's because that's what it is. "Stone" is the hidden ninja village. Therefore, the Konoha nin wouldn't even know where the ninja village is. xD
Anywhich, please enjoy chapter 11:D
Chapter 11 – Shrinking Distances
After that first meal, we were made to cook every night. It always seemed to be a different number of plates because different members of the organization would pass through before going to commit whatever crimes they actually committed. I felt angry, knowing that I was aiding them in possibly hurting and killing Konoha ninja. Few minutes passed where I wasn't worrying about my team mates. Not knowing their location or status made me feel constantly uneasy.
"Don't worry, guys. I'll get out of here and find you."
In the kitchen, I worked alongside Sora. I was still clueless, so he led the work, setting me trivial jobs like stirring or cleaning. We'd been in our new job for about two weeks now and every so often I would have brief conversations with him about nothing in particular. I hated being locked up in that building – I hadn't been outside for months – but cooking and talking with him managed to lighten the load just a little bit. He would ask me about myself and I found myself being unable to do anything other than tell him. There was something in his voice that put me at ease and I felt some of my wariness of him slipping away. His sentences were set out in a refined manner, and he never cussed or shouted. He always seemed so calm and I often wondered how he could be so laid back when we were in the custody of the most renowned group of missing nins there was. I would ask him things about himself too and he always gave well constructed, clear answers that seemed to satisfy me. It wasn't until I was in my futon each night that I'd realise he had cleverly managed to avoid all the questions and I ended up learning nothing new about him.
I say futon because we had been upgraded to a new room. We were made to share a very small room opposite the bathroom and at night we'd sleep on our two separate futons. We were allowed to take baths when we weren't working and overall it felt more comfortable. I still had to wear the Akatsuki cloak, which annoyed me, but at least I was out of the cell on the other side of the disappearing door.
During the day when we weren't preparing meals, we were made to clean the rooms, put away various other futons, wash sheets and clothes and generally keep the place in check.
Despite what seemed a relaxed security, we both wore chakra consuming bands on our wrists that had been fastened on by Kisame. These stopped us from using jutsu on our captors. I felt very irritated, being unable to practise my ninjutsu so each night before I went to bed I settled with training my taijutsu. I felt a little self conscious as some nights Sora might glance at me from his bed, but I always tried my best to impress him. I would perform my strongest and most complicated combos in front of him but the impassive expression he wore never changed.
In fact, I'd not seen him smile at all in the time I'd spent with him. I would try hard in conversations to say something that would irritate him or make him happy but he never reacted. A lot of the time he seemed very meditative and wouldn't look at me. When we did converse, however, I felt happy to have his attention. I began to understand the way Sakura felt around me – always striving to get my attention or to get a reaction out of me. I just enjoyed being in his gaze because it always seemed so empty and lonely and I liked to think that I was filling that.
Throughout my life, I'd always hated talking and being with other people because they got in the way of my training but when I was off doing chores on my own, I felt a little lonely. I always took pleasure in the laid back conversations with Sora and found myself missing them if I'd been away from him for more than a few minutes. I'd come to enjoy his company now, despite my earlier suspicions and I felt so much more at ease.
One night after completing our duties, we made our way back to our room. As usual, he went to the cupboard to fetch his futon, while I got into the first stance for my taijutsu practice. I decided to ask him something that had been on my mind for a while, "Why are we still alive?"
He made no sign to indicate that he'd heard me and continued to pull out his sheets before moving to his spot on the floor to set it up.
"Surely they must have some other purpose for us," I continued, hiding the slight irritation at his lack of response. "Why would they capture a powerful shinobi and his client just to do the household chores for them? They could get anyone for that. This is so stupid. I can't understand why I'm still putting up with this. If anyone back in Konoha saw me, they wouldn't believe their eyes. This is so not my style."
I began to punch on the spot, trying to vent my frustration. I was concentrating so hard on it that I didn't notice Sora until he had grabbed my wrist. My eyes flashed to him in shock.
Then, he lifted my fist a little using two fingers and I felt a hand pushing into the small of my back, making me stand straighter. I almost let myself blush – I wasn't used to such contact with other people.
"Your technique is inaccurate and blind. You seem to fight recklessly in hope that you might hit the enemy. That's what makes you weak. You need to learn to be more precise."
I felt immediately angry that he felt he could lecture me so suddenly. "Well if you know so much, then why don't you teach me?" I said crossly.
"I plan to," was his response and before I knew it he was already casting his coat to the floor and standing in front of me. "No… I was being sarcastic! You can't be serious…"
"Come at me," he said simply, standing straight, making no move to step into a fighting stance. Well, this was the perfect opportunity to vent my newly regained fury and I launched at him, throwing punches and kicks wherever I could. I was even more exasperated at the way he was just standing there, casually knocking my attacks away with his hands. This made me fight harder, desperate to teach him a lesson for underestimating me so. However, this time he shut his eyes, defending with just as much ease. I was irate now. How dare he mock me like this! How dare he make a fool of me again! What was he? How could anyone so effortlessly block the attacks of Uchiha Sasuke of the New Sannin?
As I aimed a punch for his middle, he lifted his hand swiftly and poked my forehead. I was astonished at his strength as I was thrown back across the room. I found my footing before I hit the wall and stood there, staring at him in disbelief and enragement. There was something weird about the way he'd just countered me. I mean, who pokes the enemy's forehead?
Just as I was about to go to him again, he walked across the small room and bent over, pulling the sheets of his futon back, clearly had enough.
This incensed me thoroughly and I snapped, "Where are you going? I'm not finished with you yet!"
He climbed in and lay down, closing his eyes. "You are weak. There's no point in teaching you when you're too stubborn to focus. Your emotions blind you."
I clenched my fist, "That's not true! I'm one of the three strongest shinobi in the village of Konoha!" It wasn't until I said it that I realised how childish I sounded and immediately resented it.
He rolled over, giving me his back and said, "Then Konoha's standards have fallen greatly."
"What do you know about Konoha's standards?"
He wasn't a Konoha ninja as far as I knew and I'd already given up wondering why someone so much stronger than my team had wanted us to protect him. It just didn't add up.
He didn't reply to me and I felt too angry to train anymore so I stormed over to the cupboard noisily to get my own futon, hoping that by doing so it would annoy him. I dropped it onto the floor heavily, by his head and kicked off my sandals. Still, he didn't do anything and I decided to walk round to see if he was awake. His eyes were open and his face was still inexpressive as he looked up at me. I scowled at him and stood there, staring back. He watched me for a few more moments, then closed his eyes.
I was aware of how much I was acting like a spoilt baby, trying to get his attention. At this realisation, I felt suddenly guilty. What I was doing was just showing him how stupid and stubborn I was about upholding my pride and I was sure his respect for me must have decreased greatly. I dropped to my knees, right by his head and looked down at the floor.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. A moment of silence passed, along with my anger, making way for a new wave of regret. I didn't want him to hate me – he was all I had in that stupid place to keep my spirits up. Then, I gasped. His hand reached up and lifted my chin a little so he was looking at me. His eyes bore right into my own and I felt him seeing into my very mind. His gaze held me there and I had frozen, unable to break the contact.
"Sasuke."
Author's note: BwahahaHAAhahaAHaHaahaHAHaaaa! –manic evil laughter- Waahahahahaaaa I shall leave you hanging because I'm evil and this chapter is long enough already. Well, actually, it's short, but pshhhh. xP Plus, I have plenty to put in the next chapter. I hope you liked this one and I really hope that you are looking forward to the next chapter. Who wouldn't be? xD
Well, I'll leave you here at this awful, awful cliffie. See you in chapter 12!
