A/N: I think there may be a bit of confusion even if some of you don't review. So, Sumiko and Haku are not sister and brother biologically. They're cousins, but like Hinata and Neji, she calls him nii-san. Of about how Sumiko has the sharingan and who is her father, I'm probably not going to touch up on that unless you guys really want me to. I do have an explanation, but I didn't think it would be necessary to the plot.
On to the chapter!
Dawn came and the sun's rays hit Sumiko's face. Slightly frowning, she got up. She'd always woken up at dawn. Sleepily she got dressed and ran a comb through her short black hair. Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she prepared breakfast and lunch. After letting it cool, she sealed the food into a scroll and slipped it into her pocket. She wore a jacket that Sasuke had gotten for her that had pockets on the inside. She'd been surprised that he'd give her something so personal, a jacket with the Uchiha crest on it. Well, I am an Uchiha, after all.
"Sumiko, why're you always up so early?" Sasuke rubbed his eyes as he stood in the doorframe with sleepy eyes and dark blue pajamas that had the Uchiha crest stitched on it.
"Because you and Kakashi eat a lot," Sumiko smirked.
"Do not…" Sasuke yawned.
"Wake up, Sasuke. We've got an important day today," Sumiko said, sitting down and sipping some tea. As she put the cup down, the cup broke and tea spilled on the table. Shocked, she ran and got some napkins.
"That's bad…" Sasuke sighed and took a seat next to her.
"I don't believe in that kind of stuff. You know that," Sumiko said. Still, she was nervous. The last time that happened was when her uncle had tried to kill her and Haku.
"I know," Sasuke said, getting up to get ready for today. Sumiko threw away the broken cup and poured herself another cup. It didn't break.
"Yo, Sumiko," Kakashi greeted her in his usual jounin attire.
"Hey," Sumiko said, taking another sip. Kakashi glanced into the trash can and looked at her for an explanation.
"I don't believe in that kind of thing," Sumiko repeated.
"Maa, you've got Sasuke and Naruto and Anko'll probably be prowling the forest to scare the daylights out of all of you, so you'll be fine," Kakashi said. Truth be told, he said that to also calm his nerves. He cared a lot for Sumiko, a girl who grew up with him for nearly a decade.
"I know," Sumiko said, getting up to gather her kunai and shuriken and extra scrolls.
Sumiko opened the door to see Sasuke running a comb through his hair. He had a huge knot in his hair and Sumiko watched with amusement and pity.
"You want help?" Sumiko tried not to laugh.
"Yeah," Sasuke admitted, handing her the comb. Sasuke watched her in the mirror and looked into her sharingan eyes.
She combed and suddenly, she tugged so hard that his hair fell out, leaving a huge bald patch. She began to laugh and Sasuke as in shock. Sasuke yelled in anger but his surroundings changed after a moment.
His reflection changed to his normal one with his hair normal, without the knot.
"Sumiko!" Sasuke growled.
"It was too good to pass up!" Sumiko laughed. She fell to her knees, laughing. Her face turned red as she laughed. She wiped her eyes and began to sober herself up but was silenced as Sasuke pecked her lips.
"S-Sasuke…" Sumiko turned, hiding her blush.
"That's payback," she could hear his smirk.
"Come on, let's just go!" Sumiko growled and grabbed her shuriken and kunai. Sasuke sipped the miso soup in one gulp and ran out.
"Bye, Kakashi-sensei!" Sumiko yelled as she closed the door. Kakashi waved, clenching his fists. He felt the spike in her heart rate and how it got quiet for a moment and then she'd rushed to get out after she'd gone to her room, and was very unhappy with his theories. None of them were good. If the worst one proved to be true, he'd kill Sasuke. After all, he wasn't the last Uchiha. They'd still have Sumiko. Kakashi grinned.
"This is the Forest of Death!" Anko announced. She explained the rules and had everyone sign the waiver. After receiving the heaven scroll, Sumiko leaned against a tree to wait until they were called to be released into the forest.
"Sumiko!" a screech called her out. Sumiko looked up to see a pink haired person.
"Sakura-san," Sumiko slightly nodded her head.
"Why did you kiss my Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, furious.
"I didn't; he tied my hands and kissed me," Sumiko replied.
"But why did he kiss you?!" Sakura asked as if Sumiko would know.
"Maybe it's because I'm another Uchiha. But, no matter the reason, we'll either have to guess or ask him. I can't read his mind," Sumiko shrugged and walked over to Sasuke and Naruto.
Sasuke raised his eyebrows. What did she want? Sumiko shook her head. I don't know. Team 7 was called and put to wait at a gate. After a minute, they were allowed in.
Naruto held the scroll in his possession.
"Sumiko, don't activate your sharingan. I'll scan for enemies," Sasuke said as they raced towards another team. Sumiko nodded, understanding the underlying reason he said this: she fought better at long range and her jutsus needed a bit of chakra, so she needed to save her strength for powerful enemies. A bug whizzed past her face and she clapped her hands together to kill it. A swarm came.
"Sasuke!" Sumiko stopped and jumped to the ground.
"It's Shino's bugs!" Sumiko said and readied herself to face Hinata's team.
"Fang over fang!" a harsh voice yelled as the duo pushed Sumiko the ground. A huge cloud of dust erupted, covering the two. Sasuke watched with shock.
"Sumiko-chan!" Naruto yelled. The dust cleared to reveal Sumiko slightly panting and Kiba in a block of ice.
"Oi, Sumiko!" Kiba growled. Sumiko went for Hinata and Sasuke for Shino.
Because Shino wasn't well versed in taijutsu and Sasuke kept burning his bugs to ash, he had to fight with taijutsu, even though he knew, even though he'd never admit it, Sasuke had the upper hand. Shino lost focus for a second to glance at Hinata, who'd been knocked unconscious and in ice but seemingly unharmed. Sasuke reached to punch his stomach, his confidence slightly boosted but suddenly he couldn't move. Sumiko turned and Sasuke heard a body fall. He hoped that it wasn't Sumiko. Ice covered the ground in seconds and screams of pain echoed.
"Sorry, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino," Sumiko frowned. Sasuke felt his movement return and he turned to see Hinata and Shikamaru's team out of it. Sasuke punched Shino and kicked him a few times to make sure he wouldn't be coming after them.
"Naruto, get an earth scroll," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded with a blank expression.
Sumiko noticed but didn't say anything. She glanced at Sasuke with a slightly guilty expression. He sighed and they walked through the forest.
"Why did two teams attack us at once?" Naruto frowned.
"An alliance. We're probably the strongest team from Konoha, so combining all their forces together against us probably would've worked if they planned it knowing every one of our jutus, strengths, and weaknesses. However, they didn't know our every jutsu so it failed," Sumiko said simply.
"Hm," Naruto nodded.
Screams of pure pain and fear echoed. Sumiko concealed her chakra and ran ahead. What she saw was something she wished she never saw. Ninjas being killed without mercy and the look on the killer's face were a mix of excitement and murderous intent.
"Please!" a shinobi screamed as he was silenced into the sand, leaving only blood to be proof for his existence. Sumiko couldn't move as a couple splatters of blood landed on her face. I'm going to get killed!
Sasuke grabbed her and jumped into the trees. She was pale.
"What happened?" Sasuke held her shoulders. Sumiko didn't respond.
Sasuke wiped the blood off her and put her on his back. Him and Naruto continued until they reached a stream. They set up camp there; Sasuke knew Sumiko had sealed some blankets in a scroll. Once camp was set up, Sumiko moved for the first time in a bit of time. She froze the stream and allowed Naruto and Sasuke to dig out the fish. She started a fire, but no spark would come. Sasuke smiled and blew out fire. She nibbled on her fish once it was cooked.
The sky turned dark. It was the first of the five nights of bloodshed they'd spend here. She looked at the sky with envy. The sky was free from the lethal lives of shinobi.
A movement caught her eye along with a slight rustling of brush. She flicked a kunai at the bush, barely missing whoever was there.
"Come out," she ordered. They did so.
"S-sumiko…" Kei and Sorata looked bloody and beaten while Sakura was unconscious.
"Kei, Sorata…" Sumiko was surprised.
"Please, help…" Kei fell to his knees as they set Sakura down.
Sumiko knew it would be wise to turn them away, but when she checked the area for any enemies that weren't concealing their chakra again, there didn't seem like it. She glanced at Sasuke. He offered no answer.
"C'mon Sumiko-chan, let's get some water for them," Naruto grinned and ran to the stream carrying Kei in his arms.
Sorata was already asleep. She decided to let him sleep. She glanced at Sakura. She didn't seem to have any major injuries the way Kei and Sorata did.
"Looks like Sorata and Kei did a pretty good job protecting Sakura," Sumiko noted as she and Sasuke watched Naruto splash Kei, whose wounds had opened up again from movement. Sumiko sighed and weaved a few signs. The water covering his major wounds froze.
"T-thank you…Sumiko," Kei looked at her gratefully with a slight blush but Sumiko pinned it up to the fact he looked dehydrated and hungry and tired.
Sumiko let Sasuke have the first watch. Her and Naruto slept on the ground with Sakura, Kei, and Sorata.
Sasuke sat on a tree branch taking everything from today into account. The Konoha teams, at least two, seemed to ally against team 7. Then, Sumiko saw something so horrifying that she couldn't speak of it. Then Sakura's team comes back looking like they barely came out of an attack alive.
He sighed. Kei had looked at Sumiko with the same eyes as Rock Lee, admiration and something else…For some reason, Sasuke felt his chest get warm and his teeth gritted whenever he saw them act like this towards her. They seemed unfazed by the fact the prodigy Uchiha Sasuke was there to fight them off. But, the only good thing that comes out of this is the fact that I know Sumiko will stay by my side. That's good enough considering the circumstances.
Sasuke felt someone staring at them. He activated his sharingan but there was no one there. Sasuke narrowed his eyes but didn't give chase. He couldn't.
Morning came. It was dawn. Sasuke had let Sumiko sleep through the night. He'd woken up Naruto and made him take the other shift as Sasuke slept.
"Sasuke…" Sumiko blinked a few times. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because you're cute when you sleep," Sasuke said, smirking.
"You watched me when I slept?" Sumiko blushed and looked away. "Creep."
Sasuke laughed a little and helped pack up camp. Sumiko sealed away the blankets in a scroll and put it back in her pocket.
"Sorata, Kei, Sakura, wake up," Sumiko shook them. Sorata screamed and tried to stab her with a kunai.
"Hey there, slow down," Sumiko caught his kunai.
"Oh, Sumiko…sorry," Sorata laughed, embarrassed.
"We don't have time for pleasantries. Get up. We're going our separate ways," Sumiko walked away with Sasuke and Naruto. They jumped into the trees, leaving team 12 alone.
Team 7 continued in silence until they felt a huge wave of killer intent. Sumiko took out a kunai and readied herself. A Suna nin came walking towards them with no fear of going up against two sharingan users.
Sumiko calmed herself. She activated her sharingan and waited for the boy to make a move. A move was what he did. He went straight for Sumiko, but his sand hit ice. Sumiko almost let her guard down. She'd forgotten how the ice protected her.
"How is it…that a lowly girl could have an ice variation of my ultimate defense?" Gaara questioned.
"The ice scroll I'd read told me that ultimate defense users originated from ancient clans," Sumiko narrowed her sharingan eyes.
Gaara studied her carefully. Her blood is too precious to feed Mother just yet. I'll wait.
He walked away from her without another word. She didn't give chase.
Team 7 moved on until they were just half a day away from the tower. It was late morning/early afternoon.
"I have to pee!" Naruto announced and ran off.
Sasuke shook his head and leaned against a tree. Sumiko leaned next to him.
"I can see why Hinata likes him," Sumiko said.
"How so?"
"He's got a strong spirit and never gives up. I don't know much, but I'd take a stab in the dark and say that Hinata's timid and stutters because of her family with their cruel main and branch families. The Neji guy probably plays some role as well," Sumiko sighed. "Naruto's an idol to her."
"Yeah," Sasuke nodded. He'd never admit it, but Naruto was a friend.
"I'm back!" Naruto grinned. Sumiko noticed something wrong immediately: his shoes were black instead of being blue. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Naruto, who do you like?" Sumiko asked.
"Sumiko! Why would you ask something like that?!" Naruto frowned. "But if you really want to know, it's always been you."
"Sasuke," Sumiko allowed Sasuke to beat the crap out of the impostor.
"I was wrong?!" the Oto-nin growled.
"Yeah," Sumiko said bluntly.
"So, where's our actual teammate? If you don't answer us, Sasuke and I will kill you," Sumiko glared with her sharingan. The Oto-nin didn't take her seriously as she twirled her kunai.
"Like I know," he scoffed.
"You know, your arms seem special. Do you like them?" Sumiko asked, pushing Sasuke aside as she moved him at blurring speeds to put her foot on his back and held his hands behind him.
"Please!" he begged, feeling the pressure and pain.
"Oh? So you do like them? How about if I took them away? Then what would you do?" Sumiko asked.
"Please don't hurt me!" he screamed as she broke one of his arms.
"You have one more chance," Sumiko said.
"A huge snake ate him! He's a goner!" the Oto-nin said. Sumiko turned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, get close to me," Sumiko said. Sasuke did as he was told, slightly in awe of her power.
"AHHHH!" the Oto-nin screamed as Sumiko threw him across the clearing. He hit his arms on a tree and passed out, probably from the pain. Two more Oto-nin appeared. Sumiko weaved signs for a water jutsu and it covered the two.
"Is that all you got?" Zaku smirked. Sumiko weaved a few more signs and the water on his hands froze and the air tubes in his hands clogged. He didn't notice.
The girl, Kin, had a lot of hair. With that, it retained more water. Sumiko smirked as she froze the water in the girl's hair. From the weight, the girl fell backwards. Sumiko also froze their clothes and walked over to them. She kicked and punched them until they were bloody.
"Oi, Sumiko, what's gotten into you?" Sasuke shook her shoulders.
"I—" Sumiko was cut off as a wave of killer intent came into the clearing.
"Hello, Uchiha, or should I say, Yuki Sumiko," the Kusa nin grinned. "I'm disappointed in my subordinates. They needed to wait for me, but oh well," she shrugged. Sumiko couldn't move. Memories of Kiri came back to her by merely looking into the Kusa nin's eyes. She screamed into unconsciousness. Sasuke tried to move to protect her, but he was too late. It seemed to happen in an instant, but the Kusa nin simply walked over. Sasuke watched with horror. Sumiko's ice didn't appear. Is the ground too dry? Does she not have enough chakra? Sasuke's mind filled with questions, but all those questions were silenced into pure rage as the Kusa nin sunk her snake-like fangs into Sumiko's neck. She screamed again and writhed in pain. Feverish eyes opened to look at Sasuke.
"Sa…su…ke…run…" Sumiko croaked as she screamed again, this time louder. The mark turned into black markings. Sasuke still couldn't move.
"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. I'll watch over you if I want you," the Kusa nin smiled. Sasuke looked into her eyes and what he wanted to forget so badly came back to his mind: the night of the Uchiha Massacre. He simply slumped and his arm reached out on the ground to reach Sumiko's face. He slipped into a hellish unconsciousness with Sumiko's screams following him until the darkness consumed him.
A/N Anyway, yeah. Questions? Comments? Complaints? Review and I'll give you a Levi or Mikasa! (you're awesome if you get that reference!) See ya!