Aniwolfgirl: Just because I'm behind doesn't mean my best friend keeps her damn mouth shut. -.- I already know what happens to the snake-pervert and I also know the basic jist of everything that's going on. -.- It's frustrating when I don't want the surprise ruined and she starts blurting things out, which by then I can't help but want to listen lol. Anyways, I'm glad you're excited! This chapter is a turning point for Sasuke and Sayomi in their relationship as family I'm working on! =3
Goddess Hanyuu: -fist pumps- Hell yeah! You listen to this crazy one Kakashi! I agree with her! Kiss the damn girl and get it over with!... Oh wait, I have the power to do that, don't I? XD Heh... You shall see in later chapters what goes on. I'm big on letting the characters develop together slowly, as most relationships normally do. I hope you enjoy this chappie, my love!
ShadowAmaris: O.O Long review... BUT I SHALL ANSWER IT ALL! -beats on chest like animal- Of course I had to put funnel cake in! -le gasp- Who goes to a carnival and does not get FUNNEL CAKE! It is blasphemy, I say! I wanted the chapter to be lighthearted, especially with THIS chapter following it. Of course, We need an air of something darker in it, thus the Jounin-sensei snippet. =3 Sasuke is ADORABLE isn't he, when he's not all crazy murderer... -.- If I owned a pretty kimono I would never take it off. ^^ They look sooo comfortable, well some at least, and beautiful above all else! Ooh I might add a chapter dedicated to Kasai in here somewhere. I would have to squeeze it into the outline, but she is just one of those side characters readers get interested in, ne? -bows dramatically- I get so fracking irritated when the canon characters aren't in character! I at least TRY to keep them that way, which is why I wrote the hug as I did. If one isn't careful, Kakashi is easy to get OOC. LMFAO! A FAT KID ON A TREADMILL! Made my day, that comment did! And of course, you won't get to hear about that letter for many, many chapters, I promise. XD I'm evil like that... Thank you for all your compliments dear and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!
XII: Returning... Home?
The house was eerily silent- besides the constant snoring of Naruto from the other room- as my eyes slowly fluttered open. It was early in the morning, probably around seven, and none were awake as of yet. With careful ease, I slipped from the bed and over Sakura, hearing her muttering in her sleep about the Uchiha. I snickered to myself and jumped in the shower, drying my hair with a towel and letting the rest air dry as I finished.
I slipped into a tank-top of dark blue with a swirl design of Kirigakure, along with a pair of shorts that showed a bit of my mid-drift. I did not wear shoes, padding through the house without a single noise, as my reputation proceeded me. My eyes did notice that Youko was no longer in his bed, probably gone and stretching his legs from sleeping so damn much yesterday.
I made sure not to wake Kakashi as I placed a full pot of coffee, along with some hot tea, before making breakfast. I was making Okayu (rice porridge), Tamagoyaki(rolled omelette), miso soup, and broiled fish, a simple breakfast but something to get everyone up and moving.
Everything was slowly cooking on various burners, the tea finished as I poured myself a heaping cup of coffee, and I sweetened it slightly before finishing the steaming liquid in a single go. Round two lasted much longer, and I took to sipping on it with my mask down, back towards the living area. My mind was elsewhere, absently staring at all that was being made and rolling things about as I needed to. Where was Youko?
"Morning," I heard the faint murmur behind me and quickly pulled my mask up to find Kakashi pouring his own mug. "Did I startle you?"
"I suppose I'm losing my touch. I didn't even hear you sneak up on me," I laughed, brushing my fingers through my silver mane. "If you wanted to, you could have even snuck a peak of what is under my mask. Too late now, I'm afraid."
Kakashi was smiling, both eyes showing this emotion. "I thought about it, but figured you would have turned a good morning bad. What are you making? It smells good." He leaned over my shoulder, seeing the various contents in the pots and skillets. "I haven't had a good breakfast in ages."
"Seems I'm the only one that will cook it for you," I grinned, shaking my head at him. "I feel like a damned housewife, honestly. I've been basically in the house for days now, besides last night. I think you are making a mom of me, Kakashi." He blushed and the two of us shared a moment of laughter, soft and to the point.
"Hey, you're the one that volunteers. Don't blame this one on me, lady!" He helps me divvied up the portions, setting the table and hearing the Genin rustling in the other rooms. The smell was slowly starting to wake them up, and Sasuke was the first in the room, brushing his hair out with his fingers. No wonder he had such a messy style all the time, his bed head must be the culprit for his hair was just as spiky as always.
"How did I get home last night?" Sasuke bumbled and sat beside me at the table. I gave a brief explanation, the boy blushing hard at the thought of having to be carried back. I took a small moment to realize in what context he had called this place. Home... It brought a heart-warming smile to my face, and I wished he could see it.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked him gently, just as Sakura joined us. She poured a cup of tea as the Uchiha took his black coffee. He nodded, the girl smiling softly and agreeing. "Good, now where is Naruto? I thought he'd be the first up with the smell of food."
"I'm here," he yawned, looking beyond exhausted and lumbering towards the table. I poured him a cup of hot tea as well, sitting back down and grinning at everyone. "Wow, Sayomi-sensei this looks great!"
"I can only make breakfast, tea, and ramen. Trust me, anything else is either burnt, inedible, or somehow alive," I wiggled my fingers for dramatic effect, eliciting a laugh from a few of them. "Now, let's eat, shall we?"
Everyone pulled apart their chopsticks, beginning to dive into the succulent meal. I would have to say, it was not the best I had done, but it certainly was beyond edible. Thank Kami-sama... I really did not want to have food poisoning of children on my head.
As we were finishing up breakfast and Sakura busily helped me wash the dishes, Youko bursted in, looking wild-eyed and grinning maliciously. Everyone turned to look at him, Kakashi and Sasuke cleaning up the table while Naruto went about drying off the dishes for us. He noticed the stares, his grin faltering and turning more serious, as per usual, before he lumbered up to me. "Sayomi, we need to talk. I have an urgent scroll from the Mizukage. And it isn't a weekly check-up."
"Oh what now? She has horrible timing. I just wanted to spend the day training with the kids. I know they have a lot to do to get ready for the final leg of the exams," I grumbled, wiping my hands off on the apron I had on. "Excuse me kids. I'll be right back."
I exited the kitchen and walked outside to the porch, retrieving the scroll from the nin-fox, secured around his neck in a pouch on his hitai-ate. It was messily scribbled, signaling another personal one from Mei. Odd, it must be really important to not be from her secretary... She rarely sent me anything hand-written any more.
I opened the scroll and glanced over it, eyes widening. Oh my, how could I possibly refuse this? "Youko, do you know what the contents of this scroll are?" He nodded, grinning once more. "What do you say, eh? It seems Mei wants us to head the mission."
"The Hokage has already been briefed that you might need to leave for a while. He understands and told me to inform you that you may take your departure at any given time. He does not know the severity of the hunt though, only that it is a crucial piece that our home must act on," he remarked, sitting on his haunches and actually wagging his fluffy tail a bit. "We are taking it, correct?"
I bit my lip, glancing through the doorway and wondering how the Genin would take this. I would be back, hopefully at least, but this mission was something I had been waiting on for years. "Of course. I'll have to get packed up quickly though. No, I just need a few supplies. The rest is at the house in Kiri. Youko, go throw a few things in a pack for us, would you? I need to handle this with the rest of them."
"Oh, and tell Naruto the Hokage requests him immediately. Sayomi, we have to go. Don't lose your nerve. We have both been waiting on this for some time now," he growled, bouncing back inside to go about his packing. I sighed, rubbing my face and hurrying back inside. I would have to do this, and there was no getting around it.
I found the Genin already dressed and ready for the day, some heading towards the exit. I stopped them cold, motioning them to come and take a seat in the living room. "Alright, I have some bad news everyone. But, don't worry, I will be back soon."
"Wait, you're leaving?" Naruto's eyes grew, shaking his head fervently. "You can't leave Sayomi-sensei! We only have three weeks until the final part of the exams!"
"Naruto, don't worry. I will be back before then," I stressed to him, clutching the scroll for dear life. "Something urgent has come up in Kiri, and I have to leave immediately. It has been requested personally by my Mizukage. If I don't go now, it would be considered treason."
"What are you going to do, Sayomi-sensei?" Sakura whispered, looking just as disheartened as Naruto. Sasuke was glancing off somewhere else, though I swore I could see a deep sadness within him. The boy did not let it leak onto his face, remaining only in his eyes. "I mean, you will come back right?"
"Of course, Sakura. I promise I will come back," I said, almost offended that she would have so little faith. "Children, you must understand something. I am a kunoichi of renowned in my village, though little know me by name. I have a job I have to do as a Jounin of Kirigakure no Sato, and it is of urgency."
"I understand," Naruto mumbled, coming forward and wrapping his arms around me. "Promise me you will return, okay?" I smiled, hugging him tightly and swearing on my life that I would be back before the exams. "Good, because I really want you to see me kick some butt."
"I'll be there," I promised, then gave Sakura a huge hug. "And me and you will sit together and watch alright?" Sakura grinned, agreeing, though tears were leaking down her cheeks. I wiped them away, ushering the two to hurry up and go on, and that Naruto had to go straight to the Hokage. "I'll be back, I swear it kids!"
That left Sasuke and Kakashi. I turned the boy first, seeing him standing up, hands deep in his pockets and heading towards the door. I followed him, stopping the Uchiha on the back porch and grabbing him. "Sasuke, I want to give you a special good-bye, or rather 'see you soon'. Please, don't just leave like this."
"You might not be back," he remarked, turning to face me and giving me a glimpse of that strange mark again. "If the Mizukage is requesting you so urgently, it is a dire mission at hand. You could be killed in action, unable to make it back before my fight."
"No, Sasuke. I will be back, this I can promise," I added in, determination beaming in my eyes. "I have something to come back to. As long as I always have that, I shall always return. I don't die very easily, love." He evaluated me for a moment, and after a few thoughts I leaned down and handed him a kunai from a pouch always on me. It had an inscription on it, reading 'My Love, My Sister'. "This was a gift from Terumi Mei when we were growing up together on what we assumed was my birthday. It means a great deal to me, as you can tell. I want you to keep this until I get back. That way, I know it is in good hands. Alright?" I smiled at him softly.
He still looked skeptical, but kept the kunai and shoved it in his pocket. "Fine. I expect you to be back before my match though." Sasuke glanced straight into my eyes. "I know you want to know a few things, and I'll tell you when you get back."
I grinned, nodding vehemently towards him. I had one last gift to give him, something precious and something only a few people alive in this world had...
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
Uchiha Sasuke
First Person's Point of View
I did not know why I was so torn up about her leaving. Did I really care for this woman? Had she really made such an impact on my life? I was an avenger, and I did not have time to get close to anyone, no matter the situation. But for some reason, I was truly worried about the return of this kunoichi.
She had treated me differently than any had before now. When she saw my house, she had not glanced at me in pity, but instead found a small sliver of hope in the darkness that surrounded it. Sayomi was different, really, as she had done things for me that none other dared. The woman had thought of me constantly, even when I was not around, and the proof was in the clothing she had purchased that hung in the closet and stocked the drawers in the room she constantly referred to as 'Sasuke's room'. I had my own room here...
The kunai was indeed special to her, I saw it in her eyes as she handed it over, affectionately staring at the metal. That was the reason I had been so careful taking it, gently placing it in my pocket despite what it looked like. She smiled and I felt in all my heart that she would return to me. To me...?
I supposed I felt a little something for her, but not in the way that a man felt for a woman. No, she was much older than me, in her twenties, and I did not have time for a girlfriend anyways. Perhaps like a sibling, or a mother even? I did not even want to think such thoughts, the pain ran so deep, the hatred. Though, when I thought of Sayomi, I felt my heart swell and a protective edge kick in.
No one would hurt her as long as I was around...
"Sasuke, I have one last gift for you, something that is a pact of a promise," she whispered, checking behind her to make sure we were not being watched. Specifically, to make sure Kakashi was giving us some private time. "With this, you know how serious I am. You might not understand the gravity of such a commodity, but one day you will realize."
"Go on," I murmured, not noticing how silent our tones had receded to. Mine included... She placed a single digit within the stretching material of her black mask, slowly slipping it down. She was revealing herself, something her pet fox had mentioned never happened. Something that only him and the Mizukage herself had ever seen. One would not find this occasion as monumental as it was, but I took it for what she offered. She was giving me something precious, something that frightened her, and was giving it to me willingly.
I had never felt like this before...
The fabric slid down, slowly, and her eyes never left my own. For a brief moment, I saw fear slide through those cerulean orbs, though they closed and a sigh was uttered before she continued. Once more, she was staring straight into me, as if looking into my soul and seeing what none other had. She saw me for me, not as the last surviving Uchiha, but instead as Sasuke...
At last, the fabric fell and revealed all that she had hidden for over a decade, possibly more. Her skin was light, pale like the rest of the woman, and the tips of those purple markings were revealed. Markings like... his. The memory was haunting from the Forest of Death, but I would talk more of it with her later. Right now, I needed to memorize this gift, this sign of devotion.
Her nose was sharp, yet still petite and made her look more of a woman than I had realized. A supple pair of pale pink lips were revealed, turning up into a brilliant smile of gleamingly white teeth. She was beautiful to say the least, and I wondered if her gift was only the revealing of her face. No, there was more to it.
"I've wanted you to truly see how happy you make me. How happy you, Kakashi, Sakura, and even Naruto have made me," she whispered, that smile the most sincere emotion I had ever seen. "I want you to see what I offer all of you. I offer you love, devotion, trust, and all of it is given in the smiles I hide so selfishly. Sasuke, from the moment I first set eyes on you, I knew I would love you. And I do, I truly care for you. Enough so that I would give you the world, if I could, just to quench that hatred within. No matter if we are worlds away, you can call on me and I will come. Never forget that. I don't care if I do take to the afterlife, which trust me it will not happen any time soon, even then I will come and protect you with my entire being. Sasuke, you are a magnificent person, and just in meeting you I will always cherish you.
"You have helped me create memories, and from there many more will follow. I am indebted to you, for not only helping me call this place a home, but also because you have brought back to life a spark I did not know existed in me anymore. I swear I will return to you. Not even death would stop me from that," she swore, not reaching out towards me as I wished she would.
My hands moved of its own accord, placing itself gently against her exposed cheek, feeling the softness of the flesh beneath. She was still beaming that intoxicating smile, her own hand coming over mine, and she pushed into it. At last, her arms encircle me, lips going to my forehead and expressing everything and more in the single gesture.
Perhaps, I loved her too... I did not doubt she would return to me, and I would gladly get stronger to prove myself to her. I had heard of the power behind this fragile kunoichi, had heard only once the nickname Za Youma of Kirigakure, and with a bit of research had discovered she was the best Hunter Nin the village had ever seen, the best Jounin currently of her village.
"Sayomi, I'll expect to see you soon," I murmured into the embrace, not realizing until now how tightly my arms were around her. "So hurry up and go so you can get back, alright?"
"You got it, Sas," she murmured, pulling away and letting me enjoy the sight one more time. It was engraved in my head, that smile, and I found myself smiling as well. I could have sworn the returned gesture made a tear come to her eye, but it was gone before I could fathom the truth.
She was pulling the fabric back up, ruffling my hair once more before I turned to leave. Once she gave one last farewell, I swiveled myself to watch the woman walk back into the house.
She would be back... I knew it in all that was Uchiha Sasuke...
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
Kobayashi Sayomi
First Person's Point of View
"Kakashi, I will spare you a heartfelt goodbye. You know I'll be back soon," I informed him as I enter the house again, almost tearing up from the encounter with Sasuke. "Thank you for the private moment. Youko, are you ready?"
"Yes. Let's get going so we can hurry up and get back," he growled, and I agreed whole-heartedly with him.
I moved once more to Kakashi, wrapping my arms around him. "I'll miss all of you. Look for me when the exams begin again, alright? I'll be there, without a doubt. And make sure you train Sasuke as best as you can. I'm excited to know he got such a marvelous teacher."
"I will, don't worry Sayomi," Kakashi chuckled, hugging me back momentarily. My mask was long since back in place, though I grinned up at him. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I'll see you in a few weeks, lady."
"There's a gift on Sasuke's bed for him. It's a jumpsuit I thought he might want to wear at the exams for his final match," I added, nodding in approval at the idea of him wearing it. "See you soon, Kakashi."
"You too, Sayomi. Don't get killed," he remarked, eyes turning up in a smile. I promised him as well, then left the house with Youko. I was beyond the gates in no time, calling a farewell to Izumo and Kotetsu and earning a wave in return.
"You going to be able to concentrate?" Youko smirked, bounding through the trees with me. I could still remember the mission scrawled so messily in that scroll.
"Of course. I've been waiting on this mission for years," I hissed, shoulders shaking in excitement. I wanted to be in Kirigakure immediately, and thus forced more chakra into my speed while my companion kept in sync with my frenzied steps. "And once I have his head, I'll mount it as a trophy in my living room in Kiri."
Sayomi,
Return to Kirigakure immediately. I need you to lead a mission of dire importance.
Hoshigaki Kisame has been located at last.
Search, and destroy...
Terumi Mei Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato
Oh yes, I was excited.
Author's Note: Oh. My. Goodness. Things just got interesting! And what do you think of her gift to Sasuke? It showed her undying loyalty to him and I thought it would make one realize how deeply she cares for the boy. =]
Next in 'Trust is a Sacred Vow':
The night was void of any life, save a small contigent of shadowy figures that shot through the trees with murderous intent. Their goal was clear and they knew where their target was. It was time for a death match, and many knew they would not make it out alive. She had a feeling things were about to get fierce, ugly... If only she knew just how much shit was about to go down. Her target was crafty...
But was she craftier?