Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! If I did, I wouldn't be as confused and shocked at the newest chapter.
Kabuto knew he was a patient man. He could and would wait for as long as necessary.
He eyed his bare prison cell and the ANBU that watched his every move. It was bleak and boring, but that didn't mean he'd given up on Orochimaru's goal of immortality. The death of the Snake Sannin put a lot of obstacles in his direction, but he didn't care, he could deal with them.
Even now, a backup plan was in motion. Yes, he grinned maliciously at the knowledge that the real him was free and moving just as planned. Dead shinobi still had plenty of uses other than just knowledge.
He wondered if the four Oto-nin had completed their mission yet.
Konoha Hospital
Asami's mind froze at the new information. "W-what?"
Naruto's blue eyes were full of anger and fear. Sasuke had been his rival, his teammate, and his brother in everything but blood. He didn't want to lose a precious friend so soon after just gaining him!
His hands curled into fists, was it something he overlooked? Did that teme take something the wrong way? Or was it because Sasuke was still hell-bent on getting revenge? Kami, he didn't know anymore...
"Sasuke wasn't in his hospital room, and the teme hasn't been found anywhere in Konoha." He looked away as he finished speaking in a low voice, struggling to say the next words. "...He's defected."
"N-no way... W-why would he defect?! I-I don't..." Her mouth and mind failed her as her knees felt shaky. She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. "D-does Sakura-chan know?"
Naruto walked over and wrapped his breaking friend in a supportive hug. He needed support as well. His chest hurt and stung with betrayal. Sasuke was someone who understood him and after Wave, they built their own bridge as well, a bridge of trust and belief. "She knows, Saukra-chan was the one who reported it in."
Asami hugged back and in a futile attempt, bit her lower lip to prevent tears from leaking out. She had grown to have a soft spot for her dark-haired teammate and to know her sisterly affections were rejected stung like a thousand bees. It made her chest ache even more when she felt her best friend tremble, and she knew that the boy was truly trying to keep his emotions in.
They were supposed to be a family; families were strong in times of despair, they held each other up, and they never stopped believing in each other. Sasuke's defection could only mean they failed as a family, as a team, and as friends.
After remembering there were other people in the room thanks to Kankuro's awkward cough, the two pulled apart, wiped away remnants of tears, and quickly apologized. The violet-eyed girl held into her blue-eyed friend's shoulder and the two disappeared in a blur of movement.
Kankuro looked over at his brother with pity and amusement. "Tough luck, it seems like you've got some competition, Gaara."
Temari elbowed him again.
The boy didn't answer, he didn't think what Kankuro was hinting about was true, but he felt uneasy about Sasuke's defection. Such a thing had brought Asami to tears.
He didn't think he ever saw her cry tears of sadness before.
Hokage Tower
Tsunade decided it was too damn early for the depressed atmosphere in her new office. It had only been a day since she was announced as the Godaime and she was already being pushed and tugged at with annoying citizens, clan heads, and situations like Sasuke's defection.
Her head hurt; she needed a drink.
Off to the corner, Sakura had been sitting and silently crying. Her apprentice had been doing so ever since she rushed in, informing Tsunade about Sasuke. The pink-haired girl's tears were an unusual sight for Tsunade. She had always seemed strong, carrying a level-head, the voice of reason for Team Seven. For her to be crying seemed surreal.
Shikamaru leaned against the wall and looked calmly at her. It almost unnerved her how smart he was at times. He'd be a good strategist and the perfect leader for the mission. Naruto's too involved in this to make good decisions right now. I can't count on him keeping a cool head.
Chouji was silently watching Sakura with sympathy. He had seen how she and Ino used to interact when they were much nicer to each other. Tsunade knew that the big-boned genin was too kind for his own good. She only hoped it wouldn't interfere with the mission.
Kiba and Akamaru were sitting on the floor and thinking about something, muttering to each other. The boy had been furious when he heard about Sasuke, but kept his mouth shut at the sight of Sakura. Tsunade knew the boy and dog's good noses would be helpful in retrieving the Last Uchiha.
Neji stood silently and Tsunade saw that the arrogance he wore as a cloak had disappeared. She had even witnessed him helping Hinata clean up the rubble of the stadium with approval. He was sure to be chuunin and even jonin soon. Naruto had done a good job reforming the boy.
A blur in the room signaled Naruto's arrival. The boy had Asami tagging along and both wore somber faces. Asami greeted her before rushing to Sakura's side, and Naruto nodded in greeting to everyone. It's scary how similar the brat could be like Minato when he's actually serious.
"Hey Tsunade-baa-chan." She canceled out the seriousness.
"Don't call me that brat!" she replied in irritation. She wasn't that old!
The blonde cleared her throat and gathered everyone's attention. "I'm sure that you all know about Sasuke's defection by now."
Everyone nodded.
"Good. This morning at nine, Sakura informed me about Sasuke's defection. An hour has passed since then. But before I continue, I would like to congratulate Hakumei Asami, Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Naruto in becoming chuunin. Here are your vests."
The four walked forward and the members of Team Seven felt the missing presence of Sasuke like a sore thumb. They didn't become chuunin together like they promised and a sinking feeling made itself known as it stung their pride and heaved itself onto their shoulders.
"May I ask how I'm chuunin?" Sakura wondered aloud politely. Everyone pretended to not notice her red, irritated eyes and slightly wavering voice. Despite having a short temper and sensitivity, she was holding herself up better, compared to the Sakura from the Academy.
Tsunade nodded. "We heard about your actions dealing with the invasion. Your promotion was a field promotion. If Sasuke had been here, he would've also become chuunin due to the finals. His momentary command has also been mentioned by jonin and chuunin."
The pregnant silence was uncomfortable until Kiba had enough and spoke up. "So why are we here?" He waved a hand at himself, Neji, and Chouji. "We're not chuunin."
"Yes, but you three are all available for the retrieval mission and perfect for searching. Nara Shikamaru will assume the post as leader. Akamichi Chouji, Hyuuga Neji, Inazuka Kiba and Akamaru, along with Uzumaki Naruto will be on the team."
She held her hand up to stop Asami and Sakura's protests. "I have my reasons. Sakura, you're needed at the hospital; we can't afford to lose any manpower. You still have to train with me and Shizune. Asami, unfortunately, your abilities aren't needed for this mission. The team is balanced with the six of them, and we need all the shinobi who can work to fix Konoha as fast as possible. We can't afford to look weak. Just because we're one of the big five shinobi nations doesn't mean we can't get wiped off the map."
The two girls nodded sullenly; they didn't like it, but they'd have to deal with it. Tsunade rarely changed her mind after all. Unless there was sake or a blond Hokage-wannabe.
Tsunade looked at the six boys and puppy for what she hoped wouldn't be the last time. Any mission could go wrong, and she sincerely hoped that this one wouldn't. "You have four days to complete the mission. If you don't succeed, Sasuke will be announced as a missing-nin."
"We won't need four days, Tsunade-baa-chan. We'll finish it today," Naruto grimly replied. He did have a way of immediately teleporting to Sasuke's location anyway. The only reason he was holding himself back from using it was for Asami and Sakura. He didn't want to deal with their wrath at being out of the loop.
"I'll compromise, three days to finish the mission." Her voice held a tone of finality in it, and Naruto didn't protest. "Good luck on your mission boys. Dismissed."
Once she was alone, the blonde sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. This was the time she hated the most. After sending out teams without a medic, she wanted to send out backup, but Sakura just wasn't fully prepared yet and every other medic was needed.
Her worries were only made worse when she thought about the possibility of losing Naruto. She still wore her grandfather's necklace, but that didn't mean he still wouldn't die. She cursed herself for worrying like a mother hen.
Since when did she become so overprotective to anyone other than Shizune?
She signaled an ANBU who appeared silently. With a small, tired sigh, she told the member, "Get me Rock Lee and the three siblings from Suna."
Nodding, he disappeared and Tsunade leaned back, closing her eyes. This was what she would have to deal with until her death or resignation, and she could already feel the weight of pressure and stress piling itself on her shoulders. How her sensei had dealt with this for almost 50 years made her feel even more tired.
"I need a drink."
Konoha Dango Shop
Asami sat down on the wooden bench with a heavy heart. The chuunin vest felt wrong. Yes, it clashed horribly with her sweater and dress, but what was she supposed to do? Go shopping for clothes at a time like this? Most shops were still being rebuilt. Konoha came first before herself.
Her eyes dulled in memory as she recalled what occurred earlier. The boys left with determination glowing in their eyes, and Naruto's promise still rang in her ears. Sakura had been so silent, but Asami remembered the quivering of her friend's shoulders. The pink-haired girl was trying to be strong, suppressing her tears in order to be the kunoichi she had trained to be. Yet, Sakura had asked Naruto to fulfill a wish of a lifetime.
"Please let Team Seven be a family again."
Naruto had nodded and smiled so brightly, it made Asami's chest lighten up with hope.
"I'll bring him back! It's a promise of a lifetime! We'll be a family again, dattebayo!"
Naruto had said it with such genuine determination that Asami felt like grabbing the blond into a hug.
Actually, she did grab him into a hug. "Come back safe, Naruto. We'll have ramen again to celebrate."
"Ah, don't worry Asami-chan, I never go back on my word. It's my nindo."
Kami-sama, please don't let that be the last time I see him. Please don't let the Chuunin Exams be the last time Team Seven is a family. Please don't take away Naruto and Sasuke.
Asami felt tired and weary. In a way, it was funny how old she felt despite not even being in her teens. She came to realize that everyone she cared for could someday disappear. Her violet eyes gazed at her small hands. She was a kunoichi wasn't she? She had to be strong, but right now... Right now, she felt so weak.
Asami sighed and laid her head on the wooden table. She was glad the jonin in charge of reconstruction had let them go on break. The girl focused on the low rumbling of her blood circulating in her body. It reminded her of her lava, flowing forward, churning, and bubbling with heat. It was unstoppable until it reached water. And right now, she felt like she was drowning in that water.
Everything seemed to stop.
"You seem troubled, Asami-chan."
"What's wrong?"
She jumped up and almost fell back in her seat at the new pair of voices. Sitting back up, she met the worried stare from green eyes and slate-gray eyes. The girl paused in thought before speaking. "I'm guessing you two both know about Sasuke?"
Manami's eyes softened and the brunette nodded. "I heard from Kakashi here."
Her sensei nodded once. "If you're feeling guilty about Sasuke, don't. There's still time to get him back, Asami-chan."
"I know-but, it's just that I don't understand why he would defect! I thought we had all helped him become better and that he'd rely on us!" Asami exclaimed in a burst of anger. Her fists curled up as a result, and she took a deep breath, deflating as the sudden burst of anger disappeared.
She just couldn't stay mad for long, that burning anger could never stay in her system, always being washed away by a cold wave of defeat and despair.
The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be sulking like a small kid since I'm a chuunin now, but I just... I wish I knew what Sasuke was thinking when he left."
"Asami-chan, no one will ever understand what goes on in another person's head, not even a Yamanaka," Kakashi sagely replied. He leaned over and ruffled her hair, eye smiling like usual. "Have some faith in Naruto, I'm sure he'll bring Sasuke back."
The young girl smiled weakly and nodded, somewhat comforted by her sensei's words. He was right; she needed to believe in her teammates. Naruto would bring Sasuke back, and Sasuke would explain why he left. The Sasuke she knew did everything for a reason-even if it was absolutely reckless.
"Why don't you go and see Sakura-chan at the hospital?" Manami suggested gently, patting Asami's shoulder. "I'm sure she could also use a friend."
"You're right, I'll go see her! Thanks Manami-san, Kakashi-sensei!" The newly installed chuunin waved and with quick steps, went to find her other female teammate.
Manami smiled at the sight of the young girl. The younger generation held so much promise it made her feel much better about Konoha's current condition. She turned to her fellow jonin. "So what are you ordering, Kakashi? I can pay."
"Hmm, I think green tea will be fine, and I can pay for tonight," he replied with another eye smile.
"Tonight?" Manami blinked in confusion.
"I'll see you around six?"
The woman blinked again before comprehension dawned on her, and she laughed at her companion. "You have a strange way of asking me out to dinner, Kakashi." The last female Sarutobi leaned over and pecked the man on his mask-covered cheek.
He chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes then."
Konoha Hospital
Sakura smiled politely as she greeted one of the nurses and let it fall away when she was alone. She felt so useless and pathetic, falling so easily for Sasuke's forced sleeping genjutsu. He had been secretive during the past days, something was obviously on his mind, but she had thought he would tell her if it was important.
She had been accompanying her teammate after a long training session together yesterday, when he took a different road that didn't lead to his apartment. He had told her living at his clan compound brought back too many memories he didn't want.
Strangely, it seemed that they had grown closer ever since the chuunin exams. She had reasoned that it was because she didn't fangirl over him anymore and treated him like a teammate instead of an idol. Their spars were nothing like his and Naruto's, but then again, it was Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura was fine with how her spars with Sasuke were.
Sakura looked up at the night sky as she quietly accompanied Sasuke on his walk home. They weren't going the usual way, but she knew Sasuke had a reason. She found out that he didn't really do things on a whim.
Glancing over at her teammate, she found him wearing a pensive frown. "Sasuke-kun? Is something on your mind?"
He glanced over and shook his head. "No... Not really," he admitted before a long pause followed, "It's just that it's nice tonight."
She blinked at the response. "Okay, and your real problem?" At his scowl, she replied, "I can't help you if I don't know what you're thinking, Sasuke-kun. Is it about Naruto and Gaara-san's battle? Orochimaru's death?"
"Hn."
She stopped and walked in front of the boy, frowning at his answer. "If it's about your curse seal, I know that Naruto will find out how to remove it. He said he's already got an idea how to fix our seals-"
Sasuke suddenly paled. "Damnit, our seals..."
"Sasuke-kun?" Alright, now she was worried. Her dark-haired teammate stopped and turned to her with an emotion she couldn't recognize in his eyes.
"There's no way of getting rid of them is there?"
She shook her head hesitantly. "I-I don't know. There probably is but only Naruto knows, so you'll have to ask him yourself."
He looked up at the moon. "There's no time for that." The look he gave Sakura froze her. His eyes were calculating, and she watched as red seeped into them.
What the heck was going on? "Sasuke-kun? What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, Sakura." Suddenly, he appeared in front of her, and her breath stopped in shock. N-no way... "I need to do this by myself."
Her green eyes widened in worry. That did not bode well. "W-wait! Sas-"
His Sharingan spun around. Sakura was helpless as her body began slowing down, and her eyes started to close. She couldn't even try to dispel the genjutsu and as she fell, Sakura felt arms catch her and set her down on a nearby bench.
Her voice refused to work. Inner Sakura raged at this situation, but on the outside, Sakura watched with slowly closing lids as her teammate bid her goodbye.
"Goodbye, Sakura. The path of an avenger is a dark road I have to travel by myself."
Sasuke-kun... You're such a...
She wiped away tears that threatened to fall and shook her head, taking a deep breath, and fixing a smile unto her face. The emerald-eyed chuunin knew she couldn't be weak at times like this. People needed to see strength, not tears.
"Hey Sakura-chan." She looked up at the sudden voice and saw her red-haired teammate wave as she walked over.
"Hi Asami-chan. I thought you were going to help clear out rubble?"
She nodded her head. "The overseeing jonin told us to take a rest for two hours before starting up again. How's the hospital?"
Sakura shrugged and gestured her hand around. "Same as always really. Lee-san's up and at it, spouting words of Youth to anyone unfortunate enough to listen. Oh! Someone gave birth today, but that was really the most interesting thing here."
Her teammate laughed and she joined in as they spotted a grinning and crying Lee sprinting down the hallway with a full crew of nurses and doctors behind him.
"Lee-san is really happy isn't he?" Asami commented in amusement.
"Ah, Gai-sensei is as well. The two had to be scolded for continuously shouting each other's names for three hours straight." Their laughter filled the air once more, and the two went to take a seat on a cushioned bench.
They were both silent until Asami leaned over and gave her teammate a much needed hug. "It must've of been hard today, Sakura-chan. Are you okay?"
The girl froze at the friendly hug but relaxed and hugged back as she felt a lump form in her throat. She hated how emotional she was. "I'm sorry for not being able to stop him, Asami-chan. I was with him, and yet I did nothing more than stand in front of him! I thought he would tell me if he had something on his mind, but he didn't..."
Sakura realized that she hadn't really told anyone what really felt until that moment. She had kept it in, and no one really asked how she felt either. The pink-haired girl liked to solve her problems by talking or working it out. Keeping in the feelings of betrayal, hurt, and failure only hurt more.
"It's funny you know," she added softly, "At first, I never thought of Team Seven as anything more than people I'd have to stand being with. I was only thinking of Sasuke back then. But then you came up to me during Wave and pulled me to the rooftop of Tazuna-san's house. I was guarded, ready to fight for Sasuke, ready to fight you for his affections, but you said that the night sky was beautiful. I was caught off-guard and confused by what you meant. You talked about how you missed your family, and how you coped with homesickness. You told me, 'Even though we're kilometers away, we're still under the same sky, and the thought that I'm looking at the same sky my Otou-san and siblings make me happy and sad.'
"I had realized that unlike Naruto and Sasuke-kun, we both still had family members that were alive and well. From that moment on, I couldn't see you as an enemy anymore, not when we had some things in common that the boys would never be able to understand. Then it was like I was having a sleep-over at Ino-pig's house again. We talked and gossiped, slowly getting to know each other more, and then we breached the subject of boys. You told me if I wanted Sasuke-kun to notice me, I had to be strong so that I would stand out from all the other girls who needed to be saved.
"It was a thought that shattered my mind. Everything I did, I did because I wanted to be acknowledged by him. My hair was long because he said he liked girls with long hair. I wore red because it would match with his clan's insignia. I wore a dress so that I could look feminine. I hated exercising because I thought he would hate smelly girls. I rarely trained in the Academy because I thought he'd save me if I was in danger. But then, everything made sense to me. If I was strong, if I was useful, I'd be going against everything I believed, but I'd be different. I wouldn't be a fangirl who didn't train because she didn't want to break a nail; I'd be a girl that was training to be a kunoichi.
"After you mentioned how useful iryo-ninjutsu was, I immediately focused on learning everything about it. But before long, I learned of a woman who lost everything she loved at the cost of war, yet she was still strong, beautiful, and could heal almost any kind of injury. That woman was Tsunade-shishou, and then I found out about her super strength. Soon, getting Sasuke-kun's affections was nothing more than a thing of the past, and then I started seeing Naruto differently as well. When the Chuunin Exams came, that was when I realized that Team Seven had become my family. I didn't want to lose it..."
Sakura sniffled, and a bitter laugh came from her mouth and she pulled away. "Ah, look at me, giving long monologues... I'm sorry; I have no right to be crying so much. Crying won't solve anything anyways."
"That's true but it's a good way of letting out your emotions at times," Asami replied.
"Try saying that to Sasuke-kun or Shino-san," Sakura retorted with a small, teasing smile.
Asami laughed. "Sasuke does let out his emotions. It's just that they're usually arrogance, anger, smugness, and boredom!"
Sakura couldn't help but smile at the comment. "Ah, but what about Shino-san? I don't think I've ever heard him laugh as well!"
The two girls giggled, feeling a heavy burden lifting off of their shoulders. Talking took time, but it was worth it. They leaned against the white walls, the sunlight of the afternoon beaming in from the windows.
If they closed their eyes, they could imagine that they weren't alone.
They could pretend that their boys were next to them, safe and sound, and Kakashi-sensei would be walking up three hours late like usual with his face half-covered with a porn book.
When they felt a presence in front of them, they opened their eyes and were met with the sight of Gaara and his siblings. The girls noted his new clothing. It looked...nice and refreshing. The garb was a color darker than his hair and matched him well.
"Gaara-kun?" Asami asked in confusion before smiling. "You're out of the hospital!" Then the smile disappeared into a worried frown. "Are you okay? You were out for a few days..."
The boy nodded once. "I'm fine. I've grown used to no sleep."
Sakura raised an eyebrow and watched the two carefully. Did her friend just address Gaara with -kun? And the boy didn't even mind? I think Asami-chan and I need to catch up on things...
"Are you going back to Suna? I'll accompany you three to the gates," Asami turned to Sakura, "If you don't mind, Sakura-chan."
"No, not at all," she answered.
Temari walked over to them. "That's nice and all, but we're not heading back yet." The two girls from Konoha blinked in surprise.
Kankuro sighed and walked over. "We've got a mission from your Hokage. After we complete it, we're heading back home."
Sakura wondered if her shishou were bringing the three as backup. "Is it-"
"I'll bring them both back."
Asami and Sakura looked back at Gaara, stunned by his statement. The boy's jade eyes carried something different than usual, something that reminded them both of Naruto.
Determination.
Asami smiled gratefully and cupped his hands in her own. "Thank you, Gaara. I know you can do it, I believe in you."
His eyes softened momentarily, and he nodded before turning around and leaving. Temari and Kankuro followed, but not after they stared in curiosity at the dark red-haired girl.
Sakura turned to Asami and stood up. "Alright, screw it." She grabbed Asami by her hand. "Come on, let's get going."
"Where to?"
The green-eyed girl replied, "Isn't it obvious? You've been pretty silent about Gaara; I think it's time to catch up."
Asami's violet eyes widened. "But I have to get back in an hour!"
Sakura raised a pink eyebrow. "So? I'm sure we can find Ino-pig, Hinata-chan, and TenTen-san in less than thirty minutes. We'll have at least forty minutes to catch up!"
The pig-tailed girl was stunned, but she was also happy. As her friend pulled her out of the hospital, Asami could feel how Sakura was much happier than at the beginning of the day. She'd go through her friend's interrogation bearing in mind that a giggling, teasing Sakura was better than a crying, defeated Sakura.
After all, they were teammates, friends, and sisters right?
Right.
Aww, yay for a happy ending to this chapter and for updating so fast?
Haha, so how many of you thought the story was discontinued or that I would be ending this chapter where Asami thanks Gaara?
Come on, don't be shy now! Raise those hands up high!
So, it's nice to be back again. School sucks, nothing new, but this year... *Sigh* This year...
Anyways! I'm very sorry that I, more or less, disappeared off the face of the planet for months! I've only been updating my other story "Finding Hope" and reading fanfiction, so yes, I was a very, very lazy author. But for those who were patient, voila! An extra-long chapter for you! (13 pages total on Google Docs)
Thank you very much for your support! I promise I'm not letting this story go until I've finished it!
See ya!