Well, it's been a while. Check my profile if you want to know the summary of what's going on. Just know that I'm back.
Shuumatsu no Tani: Usually translated as the Final Valley
O baa-san: Grandmother, granny, ect.
Mata auo!: Let's meet again! VERY informal, lack of honorific on the name before shows a close relationship.
If you see any more random Japanese in my fic, don't hesistate to ask about it. Enjoy Chapter 12!
The Final Valley
Naruto turned over in the sleeping bag, unable to sleep. The black sky was turning gray through the thin forest, and the stars were disappearing. Gaara... His tension was palpable and constricting. Naruto's face was twisted into the flat pillow as his blonde hair fell over it; the scars on his cheeks looked more like whiskers than they had in a long time. In vain he fought harder for sleep, not realizing it was too late. It was dawn.
Itachi rose at the same time as Kakashi. There was silence as their gazes met and they moved to wake their charges. The team packed wordlessly and covered evidence of their camp. Naruto led behind Itachi as they came upon the Akatsuki lair.
The red arches loomed over them as the seal upon the entrance stared back. Itachi turned to his team.
"There are four more of these tags." Taut expressions met his. "They must be removed at the same moment. When a tag is removed, a duplicate of the person removing it is formed." He paused for a moment, uneasy with their fearless determination. This is a bad time for egos to kick in... "The clones will fight to the death." Those words produced the desired caution upon their faces. "Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Aster- I would like you to remove the perimeter tags. Kakashi?"
The mentioned shinobi crossed his arms.
"Please use your dogs to find the tags."
Kakashi nodded and promptly began summoning.
"Sakura," Itachi continued. "I will removed the tag upon the entrance; you will run in and smash the boulder in the way. Chiyo-san, you will stay with Sakura and I."
"Alright." She tightened her gloves and flexed her fingers, as the older woman nodded in agreement.
Reaching into his hip pack Itachi pulled out his ear piece. The rest of the ninja followed suit. "Report when the dogs have led you to a tag. I will give the signal to remove them."
The dog in front of him was large and gray. Its scars winked at him through its fur as the night's stars had in the dappled light. Naruto sighed heavily. This image of Sasuke's back stayed with him. The Uchiha hadn't so much as glanced at him when they parted from the crimson arch. His chest clenched with the irony.
I will save Gaara.
Still, Sasuke's receding silhouette stayed behind his eyelids.
The dog stopped suddenly and Naruto almost tumbled over it.
"WOOF!" came the reproachful bark.
"Hey!" he scolded in return. He balanced on the rock face, the sound of the nearby waterfall ringing in his ears. For a moment he wondered if he was at Shuumatsu no Tani. The dog barked again, glaring at Naruto and then glancing up. The kyuubi boy followed the dog's gaze. One of the tags glowered down upon them. Naruto pressed the mic button on his earpiece. "Found it."
Naruto's voice sounded through his headset and Itachi glanced down at Sakura. "Alright... Everybody on three... One... Two...Now!" The tag stretched momentarily in his grip and then ripped free of the stone entrance. "Go Sakura!"
"Okay!" Fist glowing with chakra, she ran full force, throwing all her might into the strike as Itachi leapt away.
Suddenly, the rocks exploded. Smoke, dust, and debris clouded the air and Sakura guarded her mouth and nose with her hands.
Deidara sat on the carcass and crossed his arms. "About damn time we finished that, hm!"
Sasori glared at him. "They are here."
"Really?" Deidara grinned, ignorant of the other's animosity. "And how did you know that, hm?"
"Because..." Sasori's eyes locked on the entrance. "I can feel their chakras... Here they come."
The trees loomed over Sasuke as the rip of the tag echoed around him. After Itachi's yell into the radios, there was a stark silence. Temporarily, he wondered if the clone would even appear. Maybe something went wrong?
Then the sound of sludge reached him. He whipped around to see the earth pulling itself from the ground. The figure struggled for a moment, falling to its knees before rising fully. Sasuke watched in shock and the greens and browns morphed until he was staring into his own face.
The ice swords clashed, sending cold chips flying. Aster laughed into the soulless blue eyes of her clone. "I only get better. That's what makes me the real one!" She leaned into the blade, purposely snapping it and driving the fragment through the doppelganger's chest.
Mud poured over her hands and forearms and it deflated before falling back to the dirt. She let the jutsu drop and the sword splashed over her arms, washing the clone's dregs to the vibrant grass.
Sasuke drew his sword, moving swiftly and precisely. The clone dodged fluidly and grinned.
"That won't won't finish me, Sasuke-kun," came the doppelganger's hiss.
The Uchiha boy froze. It doesn't move like me... And these... These things can speak? He stared incredulously.
It smiled and beckoned him. "Come now... Don't you recognize me? Surely you haven't forgotten me already?"
Where's my doppelganger? The incongruities were now plain, but his mind refused to add up an obvious answer. "I don't know you..." He breathed. "And I don't care to."
He swung wildly at his likeness, the panic of the answer he should know paralyzing his muscles.
Laughing, It stepped just out of range. "Now now Sasuke-kun... Your time with Itachi has made you sloppy. You were taught better."
"NO!" This time Sasuke's blade cut straight through It's abdomen. Instead of collapsing, the dirt fused back together. "Itachi has taught me well- It doesn't matter who you are or what tricks you have... This is over!" He struck again, this time severing the head.
The body collapsed back into the earth as the head rolled. Sasuke was ready to shake off the incident and meet back up with the group when It's laughter reached his ears.
"Once upon a time, you would have struck like that in the beginning. Aster has made you soft, hasn't she?" The eyes of the doppelganger had turned yellow upon his face. Sasuke stared into It's gaze, feeling his skin crawl.
"Talk bad about Itachi if you must..." he stalked back over to the head. "But never speak about Aster that way."
It cackled and Sasuke watched the madness of the creature contort his face into something malicious and hardly recognizable. "And now your guilt speaks for you?" It screeched in ridicule.
THUNK
The blade moved swiftly through the creature's mouth, out the back of it's head, and into the dirt. Sasuke watched as the head melted into the grass, his chest suddenly heaving.
"I don't feel guilt..." his voice came out weak and shaky. "I... I'm not guilty...?"
Both Itachi and Sakura's eyes locked onto the carcass that the two Akatsuki had seated themselves upon. Itachi avoided their gazes. Gaara is dead... We're too late...
Beside him, he heard Sakura exhale under her breath, "Naruto..." She turned her ferocious gaze upon Deidara and Sasori.
"Well, well!" Deidara stood, his arms open mockingly. "Itachi, I was wondering where you were, although I didn't think you'd have the guts to turn traitor, hm!"
Sasori eyed Chiyo apathetically. "Quite a reunion."
"How many do you have?" Itachi stepped forward, only subtly ushering Sakura and Chiyo behind him. Deidara raised an eyebrow. "You heard me." Only now did he raise his gaze, the full power of the sharingan staring Sasori and Deidara down. "How many do you have?"
Deidara held up his hands. "You mean bodies? Just this one, yeah." He kicked Gaara's body nonchalantly. "We don't usually hang onto them."
A feral growl erupted from behind Itachi and Sakura. Sakura turned, "Naruto-!" The blonde had arrived and was glaring at them, his fingers beginning to sharpen themselves into claws.
"We usually get rid of them pretty fast. In fact that's what we just about to do with this one, hm!" To prove his point, Deidara kicked the face of Gaara's body. The remains shook, and Sasori finally stood, casting a general look of revulsion around him.
Naruto screamed in rage, suddenly he was moving and then he hit the ground. Kakashi stood over him, restraining him. The kyuubi boy let another howl of rage, the fox's guttural voice coming through.
"He's dead, the ichibi, yeah..."Deidara grinned, watching Naruto squirm.
"Get him out of here!" Itachi wheeled around, yelling at Kakashi. "Get him away from here Kakashi!"
"I killed him," Deidara taunted Naruto. Before Itachi could turn back around and put Deidara in his place, Sakura had moved. He was able to just catch her punch tearing through the blonde Akatsuki's stomach. The figure she'd punched turned to clay and exploded around her.
Sasori sighed. "Idiot. Now it's started."
The smoke cleared to a shell of ice and Sakura guarding as much of herself as she could. It was a moment before she opened her eyes. Aster dropped her seals and the ice melted. "Don't throw swings unless you can take a hit," she growled.
The bickering was cut short as a cloud of smoke exploded from the left corner. It cleared quickly as Deidara threw Gaara's body into a giant white bird's mouth. The smoke and yelling had been loud enough for Sasuke to hear as he approached, and now he skidded to a halt in the entrance.
"NOOO!" Naruto shrieked again as kyuubi chakra became visible. Kakashi struggled with him and began to break a sweat. "That's my friend, you BASTARD!" The gravelly scream echoed as Naruto finally sent Kakashi flying.
"Sasuke!" Itachi caught his attention. "Restrain him- NOW!" The elder didn't pause to see if Sasuke would comply. Once more the younger Uchiha found his limbs sluggish and fighting paralysis. Itachi leapt for Deidara as the rest of the team ran to hold back Naruto in Sasuke's place.
"Look out, Itachi!" Aster's preoccupied shriek reached him took late. Sasori's tail came down over Itachi's chest as he was midair. He hit the floor hard, skidding as Deidara took off.
"Come and get me, little fox, hm!" Deidara catcalled.
Only now did Sasuke's body come to full obedience and Kakashi begin to rise. More kyuubi chakra leaked from Naruto's pores, and he threw off Sakura and Aster easily. They caught themselves, taking minimal damage from an expected tumble as Kakashi and Sasuke dashed past them towards Naruto. But it was already too late.
Itachi swore under his breath, "Kakashi, Sasuke..."
Chiyo called back to him over his shoulder. "Go get the blonde boys, Mr. Rude and Straightforward." The old woman turned back to Sasori. "We have this under control."
Momentarily, he wondered if his fall had knocked a screw loose. "Okay." And he was off, motioning to the other sharingan users to follow.
Deidara glanced back. The kyuubi chakra was visible over the trees even from his distance. And it was advancing rapidly. "Well... Now at least we know why Itachi never brought back the nine-tails, yeah." He laughed to himself, shaking his head. He turned his gaze forward once, dipping into his clay. In his wake, miniature birds and spiders rained down. Each one suddenly began to expel smoke of their own accord.
"I'll take his bottom and left," Kakashi nodded towards Itachi, his gaze never leaving Naruto.
"Alright." The Uchiha replied, studying the movements of the glowing chakra that had recently enveloped Naruto. "I have his top and right sides." He clarified and the copy ninja nodded once more. "Have the tag ready at any moment you get."
"Of course."
Itachi moved out of Naruto's trail of destruction suddenly, closing the space between them in the canyon's foliage. It was only luck that he had happened to have Naruto's above area and that he had moved first. Itachi dodged quickly as a white bird dive bombed him and exploded an area of trees. Looking ahead, he saw more birds coming, and white spiders of formidable size crawling through the gorge.
"Watch out, Kakashi," Itachi glanced behind him as Kakashi surveyed the wooded area around them. "Those creatures are bombs."
The copy-cat ninja's face tightened. "They are all around. We'll have to find another way to catch that Akatsuki."
Explosions rang out ahead of them as Naruto dashed directly through the squirming mine field, the kyuubi protecting its host from the bombs. The other two shinobi stared, momentarily stunned. Inside the red, bubbling chakra, Naruto glanced at the clay creatures and growled.
"MOVE!" Kakashi jumped and Itachi followed suit as the jinchuuriki crouched. The canyon shook as the kyuubi sent out a chakra wave through Naruto, and the bombs erupted.
Itachi's face was pallid as he surveyed the mass destruction of the last few seconds. "The kyuubi... is this strong?" His voice was even, but hollow.
Kakashi grinned without amusement. "You were still too young when the nine-tails attacked Konoha, weren't you?"
"I was aware of the world around me, if that's what you mean," he answered carefully, unsure if the other had meant the comment as an attack.
The other nodded thoughtfully. "I imagine your family tried to shield you from most of it. They undoubtedly knew already what value you had to them and didn't want to risk you."
It had been a long time since Itachi had discussed his family. He drew in his breath sharply as they landed back in the forest. "Yes." He answered disdainfully, more angry at the memory than Kakashi's mention of it. "I suppose neither of us will ever know for certain, but your idea fits with their character." Both turned in time to see Naruto take off once more. "Let's go."
Sasuke watched, still numb, as Kakashi and Itachi disappeared after Naruto. A hand on his shoulder jolted him back to himself.
"What's the matter with you?" Aster's gaze was hard, but panic showed behind her blue irises. "Why are you still here?" Her voice rose, beginning to become shrill. "You were supposed to go with Itachi and Kakashi!"
"I-I was?" He kicked himself, hearing his voice shake. "I'm sorry."
She had seemed previously distracted, but now she refocused on him, taking in his slightly bewildered appearance. "Sasuke..." Aster frowned, her gentleness returning, but with a wary edge. "Now is not the time for this. I don't know what is going through your head, but it has to wait for a bit." He nodded, still feeling slightly dazed. "Go catch up with Kakashi and Itachi."
Laughter rang out behind them, and they turned in unison. "O baa-san..." The hunched Akatsuki behind them breathed. "Whoever said that people become wiser with age was a liar and a fool..."
Chiyo glared at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it... Sasori?"
"Not long enough, if you ask me," Sasori replied, dropping his false amusement.
"His grandmother?" Aster said incredulously under her breath, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear. "Well... I guess that explains why she wanted to come along." She glanced at him, voice and face taut. "Why are you still here?"
"Itachi and Kakashi are long gone..." Sasuke told her quietly, his fingers wrapping around his sword. "I might as well do what I can here..."
Aster sighed. His familiar defiance was back, and it was oddly comforting. But he can't stay here... Not with her here.
A sallow, veined hand reached from under the cloak and tore the cloth from Sasori's face. A three-slatted jaw was revealed. All three pieces dropped in unison and sebon glinted in the light spilling in from the entrance.
"Watch out!" Chiyo called to Sakura, who was standing beside her. "Those are poisoned!"
The younger girl wiped her anxiety from her face and moved fluidly out of the way of the sebon as they were sprayed over them. Aster and Sasuke had been far away enough, that they didn't need to worry over the attack.
"I'm gonna take him out," Sakura yelled back as she moved forward rapidly, her fist glowing with chakra.
Chiyo's eyes widened. "NO! He has traps in the puppet!" The pink haired girl paid the woman no heed as she advanced on her target. Sasuke took off to attempt to head Sakura off before she was injured. Chiyo pulled two scrolls from her sleeves, knowing there wouldn't be time for the Uchiha to intervene. She used a summoning over them, and Aster grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt, anticipating the result of his efforts.
The puppet's tail rose up again, ready to pierce Sakura. As the blade came down, two figures blocked the blow. The sound of metal mangling wood echoed through the cavern. Sakura paused long enough to meet a pair of hollow eyes, and then she continued her attack around Chiyo's puppets.
"Is she insane?" Chiyo cried, shadowing her movements with the second puppet as best as she could. "Why is she still attacking?"
Sasuke watched her movements, and the activation of his sharingan was almost second nature. Sasori is fast... He'll have to time to try to take her out again before she gets to him! He twisted free of Aster's hold, not pausing for her scolding.
"Over here!" Sasori turned at the Uchiha's voice.
"Nice try, little Uchiha..." came the gravelly taunt. Tilting his head back, he opened his mouth and something looking akin to a pipe appeared
Chiyo diverted her puppet. "It's a poison bomb! Don't breathe in anything that comes out of it." The male puppet she'd had moved swiftly towards Sasori and Sakura was finally getting close.
The Uchiha boy glanced back to see Aster running to pull him back. There's no time... Nobody is close enough or fast enough...! Sasuke pulled one of shuriken from its holster. "Let's see if that clone was right about Itachi's training..." It was a long shot from his distance, but he had to try. Whipping his arm out and releasing the shuriken, he watched it sail through the air faster than any of them moved.
The poison bomb appeared at the mouth of the tube. Sasuke was almost sure he could see the force that would propel the bomb moving up the cannon. With a loud bang and a gust of air, the bomb was released. Before it was able to travel, the shuriken connected. The momentum of it tore the bomb from it's intended path. Both items flew deeper into the cavern, hitting the giant statue in the middle of the space. The bomb exploded, releasing green gas a distance away and blowing a decent sized hole in the back wall.
Chiyo, Aster, and Sasori watched in shock as the shuriken did its work successfully. Sasuke grinned. Well... Maybe all that work was for something after all. All four turned their attention back to Sakura as she screamed out. Her fist connected with the puppet's torso and shattered it into fragments of wood and debris.
An unidentifiable mass rolled away, smoking as if it were burning.
"Well, well..." Deidara growled. "Persistent aren't they? I can't play around with the kyuubi and Itachi at the same time, yeah." He shook his head at the dirty clouds coming from the trees that he had dropped his bombs over. "How annoying, hm. All three seem to have pulled through."
The red-orange tails of the kyuubi in the distance glowed like flames. Naruto was gaining on him faster than either Kakashi or Itachi could. The blonde Akatsuki grinned. The nine-tails is just where I want him... He whipped the bird around, landing it at the end of ravine, and perching on the top of a long dried waterfall.
Naruto's body was aflame with the poisonous chakra, but he was too intent on his goal to feel anything but numb. Tree branches snapped like toothpicks as he barreled through, the scent of the raw, pulsing life inside the bark filling the air. A growl erupted from him as he leapt up and came back down towards Deidara's defiant leer. As the kyuubi came down upon him, he dodged, igniting the clay giant bird with his chakra. Kakashi and Itachi appeared from the shrubbery just in time to see Naruto dive directly into the explosion.
The canyon rocked and the scent of burning flesh filled the space. Deidara crossed his arms, watching the shock of the Konoha nin and tasting the acrid smoke in the air. Before the smoke could clear, a half-transformed Naruto tore from the cloud. In his arms was the shell of his fellow jinchuuriki. Gently as he could, with clawed hands, he laid his friend down at the top of the forgotten waterfall.
"Kakashi..." Itachi kept his eyes trained on Naruto and spoke furtively. "I have Deidara... Seal that chakra..."
The copy-ninja nodded. And then they moved. It was like a flash of light, so fast that one had to be looking for it to see it. Kakashi took the tag out with steady fingers, no longer aware of the fragile wax tracing the seal on the paper. Naruto had barely set Gaara down when he felt the force of Kakashi's body throw them both. The kyuubi screamed with Naruto's voice as it was compelled back. The blonde boy collapsed backwards, his sensei over him as he fell unconscious for the moment.
Itachi's kunai was fast, and Deidara nearly didn't see it coming. He dodged just enough for the strike to miss his heart and bury itself into his shoulder. They pulled apart and Deidara yanked the weapon out of his body, throwing it to the ground.
"Well... the was quite the greeting, hm..." The artist laughed. "Looks like I need to return it with an equal enthusiasm!"
The Uchiha activated his sharingan, sparing nothing in trying to take him down quickly. He moved in, trying half-heartedly to hit the blonde Akatsuki with shuriken. The ploy worked just long enough for him to land a solid punch in Deidara's jaw. The blow's receiver went tumbling backwards, skidding across the fine dirt and rocks. He tasted the sweet iron of his blood as Itachi came at him again, fists ready.
Itachi's knuckles connected with the coarse fabric of the cloak and the space where his abdomen was supposed to be gave way into what felt like jello. A substitution! He jumped back as the fake exploded, barely landing on his feet. The Uchiha whipped around in a half circle, quickly spotting his foe. Deidara was racing towards Kakashi, hoping Itachi would have been caught or at least distracted. Drawing chakra to his feet, he leapt at Deidara.
Kakashi watched anxiously, holding Naruto's shoulders in his lap, as Itachi and Deidara traded blows yards away. As he gripped tighter to the kyuubi child, something wiggled in his grasp. He looked down to see Naruto's bleary blue eyes open. He recovers fast... Of course he would...
"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto sat up, surveying his surroundings. Upon looking to his left, he saw Deidara barreling towards them. There was barely time to react. Naruto rose to move and protect Gaara's body, but he wasn't fast enough.
The silver-haired shinobi opened his single sharingan to the mangekyou. There wasn't even a pause for any of them to feel shock. Kakashi scowled with the effort, suddenly opening up some sort of portal, only noticeable by the way it contorted the world around it, as if it was a sun radiating heat waves. Deidara's injured shoulder was caught as he came to a halt. The blonde gave a feral growl of pain as he tore away in an attempt to escape and avoid and Itachi.
His arm fell from his shoulder, spraying blood over the ground and filling the air with its warm, sweet scent. Deidara backed away as Itachi stared in awe at Kakashi, who was now on his knees, holding his face.
"Humph!" Deidara gave them a predatory glance as he held his shoulder, blood leaking between his fingers. "Leader-sama will be interested to hear about this, yeah..." He grinned before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
All except the unconscious Gaara stared at Kakashi, almost heedless of Deidara's escape.
Itachi swallowed hard. "Kakashi-san... What have you done to obtain such a miserable power?"
Clutching Gaara to him, Naruto stared in shock. Kakashi pulled himself to his feet shakily, ignoring Itachi's question. "Naruto... We must return to the others quickly."
The boy nodded, hoisting Gaara over his shoulder. At Kakashi's signal they moved out. Itachi stood behind for a moment, trying to chase the numbness that had crept into his hands. Shisui... It didn't have to be me, did it?
Smoke settled around the figure like clouds around a god as it stood. Red hair was visible first, and then the outline of outstretched arms, hands upturned and opened wide. Sakura backed away, and all of them froze, save for Chiyo, who pulled her remaining puppet defensively in front of her.
The smoke finally began to clear, and hazel eyes set in a delicately carved face were visible. Chiyo's breath hitched. "You really are him, aren't you...? Sasori."
Her awe was returned with scorn. "It's been many years since I was forced to use myself... It's such a shame you destroyed Hiroku. He was one of my favorites." His angelic gaze fell over the fallen puppet and then the one remaining with Chiyo. "Mother and Father, eh? How sentimental..." The leer on his face contrasted sharply with his beautiful features. "O baa-san... You and Father will soon be joining Mother." With that, his hands flipped back from his wrists, revealing the truth of his body.
"So..." Chiyo set back on her hunches, changing to an offensive position. "You've made yourself into a puppet as well..."
The only answer that came was fire from his arms, pouring towards them as if from a giant pitcher. All of them scrambled aside, except for Chiyo, who jumped high over the flames, sending her puppet down at Sasori. Abruptly the flames were cut off as the Akatsuki used his arm as a blade now, driving it through the puppet. Chiyo landed unsteadily as Sasori yanked on Father. She fought him, sweating and trying to move the puppets limbs. He's got it's gears...It won't move!
Chiyo released the puppet form her control, watching in muted horror as Sasori threw Father and it crumpled to pieces. "Your turn, old woman. You've overstayed your welcome."
He knelt momentarily, taking out a scroll and lacing his graceful fingers in and out of seals. Now's my chance! Sakura dashed for him, preparing to land another deadly blow. Unfortunately, the summoning happened too fast. She was careening wildly out of control now, having had too much confidence in the moments before. The puppet was on her in moments, its wild brown hair and dilated eyes followed by the tattered cloak hanging off its shoulders. It raised one knobby hand, grasping a black spear. And the then the world spun.
She next opened her eyes to see Sasuke staring back. They had avoided most of the attack thanks to his quick reaction. Sakura sucked in a quavering breath, feeling his chest heave over her. He's breathing so heavy... Then she caught sight of the scratch on his arm. It was small, sporting only a thread of blood wandering aimlessly to his elbow. But it was enough. His arms shook and he tried to sit back to let her up. Instead he collapsed.
Sasori grinned, all his teeth showing, as Itachi, Kakashi, and Naruto appeared at the entrance. "Well... I'm assuming I won't be seeing Deidara if you're all back..." He gestured towards Sasuke as he fell and Sakura cradled him. "Let's call this a fair trade... At least until we get the kyuubi."
Everyone was running past him and Itachi stood frozen, not realizing as he reactivated his sharingan. Sasori was going to run, and everyone was going to let him as they tried desperately to tend to Sasuke. Being part of Akatsuki for five years, he had gained at least a basic understanding of all the members fighting styles. The one cut on Sasuke's arm was more than enough for Sasori's poison-saturated weapons. 'Let's call this fair trade...' His feet had begun to move before he came to full decision.
Kakashi looked up and Naruto and Chiyo followed suit, realizing what Itachi was doing before he did. "He's going after him..." Kakashi said quietly.
"He's a bright boy then, isn't he?" Chiyo rose and the three of them set off to follow as back up.
Sasori glanced back, seeing the red flash in Itachi's eyes. Shit...I'd better move faster. As he tried to pull away, Itachi activated his own mangekyou.
The Uchiha paused on top of another hill, watching Sasori try to disappear into the foliage below. "Amaterasu!" The word rang out with finality and suddenly the whole forest was up in onyx fire. A scream rang out somewhere within it. Fists clenched, he spread the fire over the trees, unable to hear the shrieks of his objective burning alive. The three who had set out behind him froze, awed by the mass destruction they were witnessing.
Sakura fumbled through her packs, nervously, acutely aware of Aster's eyes and Sasuke's ragged breathing. The redheaded woman bent over him, stunned. Finally, Sakura's fingers grasped the vial.
She positioned the tube against his upper arm carefully, and then pushed the release on the end decisively. "H-he'll be alright now..." Already, the tension was leaving his form.
Aster turned the full wickedness of her gaze upon Sakura. "He'd better be." A pained look passed over her, mixed with disgust. "He did that for you... And if..." her voice broke. "If anything happens to him... I will never forgive you..." She paused, steeling herself. Sakura looked ready to intervene and say something, but Aster shook her off, continuing. "I can't believe I'm saying this... Stay here with him. I'll catch up with the others and we'll start on our way back together." Not sparing time for the girl to respond, Aster took off in the direction the rest of the group had- after Sasori.
The heat hit her first, like a wall expanding outward infinitely. Then Kakashi, Naruto and Chiyo came into view. Beyond them Aster could see Itachi, his shoulders set square, and his fists so tight she could see the white on his knuckles from where she was approaching. Everyone seemed frozen, looking beyond Itachi. Aster paid them no heed, sensing the hurricane of emotion the older Uchiha was giving off in an effort to keep it locked up. She let herself down to a jog from a sprint as she entered yelling range. Suddenly Itachi fell to his knees. She moved back to a sprint.
As she dropped to his side, she saw him grip his head. "Itachi! Itachi!" The blood was spilling down his shirt and over his forearms. "My god- What the hell happened?"
Her panic was waking the others up from their trance. Kakashi and Chiyo stood back knowingly. Naruto tried to approach the couple in front of them, but Kakashi held him back. "Everything's fine... Give them a moment.." Naruto stayed himself reluctantly.
"It's... nothing..." Itachi muttered, trying to sop up some the blood from his face with his cloak. "I'm alright." He sounded dazed and tried.
Aster surveyed the forest for the first time, suddenly speechless. He felt her fingers curl into his shirt shoulder and her other hand almost fall from his wrist. It was a few moments before she found her voice to ask, "Y-you... or him?"
He sighed heavily. "I did it... He received it." Itachi's body and voice were steadier now.
"B-but..." Aster crouched further, trying to meet his gaze, which he deftly kept from her. "You're bleeding...! And so much..." Her right hand was now covered in his blood from holding onto him.
Shaking his head, Itachi tried to furtively put distance between them by pulling back. "It's nothing... Just a side affect. A side affect of Amaterasu... I'll be alright."
"Amaterasu..." She tasted the word, letting her tongue meld the syllables slowly. Understanding dawned on her. "Your mangekyou..." Because of what happened to Sasuke... "Is... Is Sasori...?"
Dispensing with niceties, he wiped his face clean as he could with the sleeve of his shirt. "He won't be a problem again..." He told her coldly, with a bit of cynical amusement. Itachi met her gaze, still clenching his right eye shut. She sighed in relief, wanting to pull him to her, but knowing now was not the time. Instead, they stood together.
"Sasuke is back in the cavern," Aster told them, hastily adding, "with Sakura..." The other's nodded, having overheard the entire conversation.
Sakura clutched Sasuke as she watched Aster leave. She held him for a few moments, savoring the fact that he was still alive. She could feel the warmth of his body in her lap, feel the pressure of his back against her knees as he breathed in and out. Only after the wild pounding of her heart ceased did she realize how uncomfortable Sasuke would be when he awoke. With a sigh of relief she laid him on the floor of the cavern in front of her.
His face was more relaxed now than in any memory of him she could recollect.. It took years away from him, and he looked like the 13 year old boy who had said he was sorry at the gates of Konoha as he left. A familiar throb filled her chest. It was unfair that he could hurt her like he had still keep such a firm grasp upon her. No matter how she fought her own emotions, choked on them in shame, they stayed just below the surface.
Abruptly, the burn of tears in her eyes woke her from her reveries. She stilled her hand, resisting the brutal urge to stroke his cheek. Instead, Sakura sat, impassive to the point of absurdity, over him.
'He did that for you...' Aster's shattering voice echoed in her ears. The sudden dawning of the truth of the situation hit her like a freight train. And behind it came a wreckage of questions.
Naruto crested the new back entrance to the cavern first, uneasy as he tried to push back his motivation for leading the way, disgusted by the irresistible compulsion to hurry back. He couldn't decide if he was thankful or frustrated by the slowness with which they had returned. Itachi was unsteady on his feet after the massive amount of blood loss, and Kakashi's fatigue was beginning to catch him, As anxious as he was to make sure Sasuke and Sakura were alright, he did not want to face Gaara's body, now that the reality of the Kazekage's death had set in.
Too soon, and simultaneously too late, they leapt down into the large space. Sakura rose from her prim posture beside Sasuke as they entered. "He's fine now, just unconscious," she told them hurriedly. Sakura met Naruto's gaze as relief settled over the others. Pain was evident in his eyes and she followed him as he turned to Gaara. Chiyo moved behind him as he took heavy steps towards the shell that had been left behind. Itachi and Aster breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that their charge was going to pull through, unlike the others around them.
They stood around the body in silence, surveying the remains once strong and living being. It was Chiyo who broke the spell. "I'm surprised to see how much he meant to you..." Her words were general, but her tone aimed them at Naruto. He clenched his teeth in grief. The old woman sighed and smiled in a cryptic manner. "I had already lost what I came here to retrieve... If only I had realized that several years sooner."
Confusion spread over most of them. Itachi stepped forward. "Sasori was your grandson... I'm sorry for your loss."
She smiled in the same sorrowful way she had a moment ago. "Now I wonder if I ever truly had him." It was a moment before she continued, addressing the group as a whole. "Before Sasori became... what he was, I had planned something unheard of, and incredibly special..." Chiyo paused a moment to gather herself. "I created, and mastered a jutsu. It was originally meant for Mother and Father... But when I saw Sasori today, I was sure it had gone to waste. However, now I have realized that it is still useful." All stood in patient befuddlement as the aged woman knelt down. She did not string hand signs together, merely rested her hands upon Gaara's chest. The chakra around her hands glowed the standard minty green it acquired in healing ninjutsu. And then it became brighter. The light seemed to emanate from her whole body and reach down to Gaara's still form.
Sakura suddenly realized the nature of the jutsu as she watched the chakra's movement. "N-no! Chiyo-sama! You can't!" She began to panic, dropping down to grab the old woman. Aster stopped her taking firm hold of her shoulder and exchanging a look of agony with Chiyo.
"I'm an old, old woman, little girl," She told Sakura, smiling. "I don't have anything to give or continue on for. Consider this my last gift to you and the people of Suna."
The young konoichi stared, open-mouthed and lost.
It was Naruto who replied. "Thank you."
The light around her body began to fade, as Gaara's grew brighter. It became a piercing, penetrating light, and they shielded their eyes; Sakura pulled back. The light faded, and they waited for the thump of a body as they opened their eyes once more.
Naruto averted himself from their gazes, holding Chiyo in his arms.
Gaara stirred. He raised his arms slowly, testing them, and then ran his hands along the dusty floor, feeling and savoring the pricks of pain as his fingertips met small rocks. I'm alive somehow... He sat up, still weak. Sakura reached into her pack, quickly producing soldier pills for him. "Here, those should help a little." She noted how miraculous it was that her voice didn't waver.
Gaara took them, reflecting upon who it was that stood around him. As he finished surveying them, his eyes rested on Naruto, who was gently setting Chiyo down. The kyuubi stood, giving his friend a genuine smile. He extended a hand, and Gaara took it easily as he stood beside him.
Sasuke stood behind the group, trying to find something besides Naruto's melodramatic goodbye to watch. As hard as he tried to block it out, bile rose up in throat. He couldn't fully escape without plugging his ears, and that would have drawn too much attention. Finally... The group turned to go.
Without warning, Naruto's voice pierced his thoughts once more. "Gaara- Mata aou!"
Sasuke felt his shoulders tense as he gripped the inside of his pockets. Those were words Naruto would never speak to him after what they had been through. As they walked away, Naruto's euphoria ripped him from the inside. Something worse than Naruto replacing Sasuke's place in his life had happened.
He doesn't even care that I exist... So much for all those big words back then.
Sasuke was still cooped in a hospital bed, and Itachi laughed quietly, remembering the hellfire in his younger brother's eyes as they dismissed himself and Aster. Aster crossed her arms and leaned her elbows on the table. "What are you laughing about?" she asked, amused to see him something other than apathetic.
"Life," he answered, turning on the cushion to face her and copying her pose.
Itachi expected her to laugh. Normally such childish gestures from him drew her amusement. Instead, the corners of her smile dropped, and her eyes reflected the sun over the backyard fence through the window, making a abstract picture of a sunset in her blue irises. His own grin fell completely from his face. "Itachi..." She paused, recalling something from their last mission. "I... I've never seen you so upset."
He relaxed, feeling limp and tired suddenly. Clearing his throat, he replied softly. "I've almost lost Sasuke several times... And never once have I had such a clear target for my rage..." Shame colored his face as he turned away. Aster took hold of the side of his face. "I overreacted..." He told her.
Suddenly she burst out laughing. "Really? Just a little," She chuckled. "Hey," She tugged on him, giving him a sympathetic look. "You got him, alright? Several times over...! Just remember you only need to do it once next time." Aster grinned.
Itachi returned it with effort. "Yeah..." He sighed. "Next time."
Gasping, she got up quickly, setting down beside him. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I'm so sorry!"
He brushed her off, pulling her against him. "I know." She wriggled again, making to apologize once more, but Itachi put a finger to her lips. "It's fine. Alright?" Aster gave him a suspicious glance, but followed his prompting and settled against him.
The sunset was just like every other Sasuke had ever seen, but he currently had nothing better to do than watch it. The red-orange halo fading into the clouds matched the color of the kyuubi chakra that had begun to envelope Naruto in the cavern. Naruto was a jinchuuriki, as Gaara had been. It was a unique burden, and Sasuke had seen the effects of it firsthand in there. At least while I was still conscious, he thought in disgust. It was something completely outside Sasuke's knowledge. And it was a great tactic to shut him out of Naruto's life. The same tactic Sasuke had used when they argued and fought at Shuumatsu no Tani, when he had yelled about his family and purpose. The vestiges of that family where suddenly more alive that what he had before his happy childhoods had been disrupted, and the purpose he had given so much to was more than six feet under. Payback is a bitch...
His bitter thoughts were interrupted as the door opened. Sakura stepped in, shutting it behind her carefully. She stood leaning against the door for a moment, the red and orange light falling over her features and softening them. He caught her smile before she turned, nervously, and flipped on the switch. Fluorescent light filled the room and they both had to shield their eyes temporarily.
"Bright, isn't it?" She laughed with a notable tremor.
"Sakura," He decided he was too tired and frustrated for her nervous, giddy demeanor. "What did you come her for?"
She looked like a deer in headlights for a second, and then she began fumbling and busying herself with arranging things in the cabinets. "I work here... Why wouldn't I be here?"
Sighing in a frustrated manner, he sat up straighter in the bed. "That's not what I asked."
This time she was shocked enough to freeze and nearly drop the bottle she was holding. Taking a breath, she shut the cabinet doors and stood by his bedside. "Sasuke..." There was something in the way she said his name that made his heart pound, but whether in trepidation or expectation, he couldn't tell. "I need to ask you something..." Her voice was so low he could have heard a pin drop. She paused, and he realized she was waiting for his answer.
"Ask away." He sounded smooth, unconcerned. Completely the opposite of what his churning stomach was telling him.
Lacing her fingers together, she stared into his eyes, and he almost didn't realize he was holding his breath. "Do... Do you-"
A sharp rap at the door destroyed the tension. Her gaze snapped form him to the floor and she scurried to answer the knock. He didn't pay much attention to what was said, only kept his eyes on her, until she left without looking back.
W-what was that?
The sun had gone down hours ago, and Aster and Itachi had flopped into bed hours earlier than usual, eager for a mattress rather than a sleeping bag against the cold forest floor. Aster has sunk into a deep sleep easily, while Itachi lay awake, gazing at the ceiling. Through the sheets, he felt her arm jerk.
He sat up, looking over Aster. She was on her side, her legs half-drawn up and her arms twisted in her pillow. This time her leg jerked and she winced. Another nightmare?
Aster was clothed as if she intended to go out on a mission. She looked around, expecting to see a forest. Instead it was pitch black in every direction. She took a step forward, expecting to fall. The floor rippled like water; Aster looked down to see her reflection.
Her reflection was nude.
She stumbled in shock and fell on her hands and knees. The reflection followed, but grimaced as if annoyed by having to obey her. On the floor, she was nose to nose with herself. Aster gasped, trying to pull back.
The naked doppelganger was faster. It's fingertips slid through the glass-like surface, sending out ripples, and grabbed her hands by intertwining their fingers, Aster struggled, pulling with her arms. It;'s grip was too strong and she tried to knee the surface. Nothing worked. She fought harder, silently crying out with the effort.
The room echoed with laughter. Aster looked down, into icy blue eyes, ringed with sadistic amusement. She tried to yell, attempted to tell it to let her go. It laughed harder, digging its nails into the backs of her palms. The pain spread like fire up her arms and Aster tried to cry out again.
"How pathetic... Is this all you have?" It's voice echoed like its laughter had.
Aster stopped fighting. It was too strong. If she wanted to escape, she needed help. Giving in and falling forehead to forehead with it, she put all her efforts to screaming out as loud as she could. Swallowing as much air as she could, Aster tried desperately, again and again, to shriek for help.
The laughter stopped and rage flashed in the malicious duplicate's eyes. "Stop that." Aster tried harder. "STOP IT!"
The scream tore through her, starting in her stomach and ripping through her and spilling from her throat. The glass floor shattered, and the naked clone dislocated it's jaw, showing a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth. Aster's howl of terror continued, feeling as though it had no end. She caught it's icicle gaze once more as the room shook violently. Then all she saw was teeth.
Aster sat up in the bed, drenched in sweat and shuddering. Itachi was gripping her shoulders so hard it hurt.
"I couldn't wake you up..." He was fighting to catch his breath and wild-eyed. "You just kept screaming... Shit..." Taking another breathe to try to calm himself, he blurted, "I thought you were going to... I don't know..."
She wanted to reach out and comfort him. His fingers were digging into the backs of her arms. The weight of her own hands seemed too much to lift. He lifted his head, wiping her cheeks. His hands came away wet, and she realized she was crying.
There. That took like... 4 days of work. Insane. It never used to take me that long to type it up. I skipped a lot of editting to get it up this fast. I hope it's alright. My profile now has links to music that goes with these. For some additional mood, check out 'The Path to Abandonment' by the Luna Sequence and 'Dear Agony' by Breaking Benjamin.
PlEaSe ReViEw!