STRANDED
Ch. 21- Shit got real, and then some.
Disclaimer: Naruto and all associated characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo.
Beta'd by: Naruto7771
Kabuto used a machete to hack away at the thick leaves blocking his path as he hurriedly made his way over to where Sakura was. Thankful to be rid of the annoying henchmen, Orochimaru had forced him to bring along. He grunted as he brought the blade down heavily and shredded an innocent bush. He wiped his sweat soaked brow with the back of his pale hand and pushed on. Having landed a while ago and hacking at random vegetation for what seemed to be hours, he checked his watch for the time. 2:15. Glancing up through the canopy of green and into the small patches of sky still visible, he compared the time with the color of the sky. The time of day did not coincide with the how dark it was. It may have been the fact that a tropical storm was brewing and had stripped the light from the world above. Maybe.
Stopping to take a couple of breaths, he leaned down to support himself on his knees. His arms ached from all the strenuous hacking he was doing. The quiet of the jungle was nice. Small animals could be heard scampering around and a nice breeze periodically swept by and brought his sweaty body instant relief. Gazing at the ground, he looked at the small jungle insects that made their homes on the ground with mild curiosity. Ants scuttled over rocks and twigs, while spiders fed on their dead friends. He had even spotted a lizard slowly slithering around on a fallen branch and into a pile of mottled dead leaves. As his oxygen levels replenished, he glimpsed at the small device in his hand as he waited. It was a small yellow rectangular box with a dark screen on it. It was roughly the same size as a cellphone and weighed almost nothing. It currently displayed his latitude and longitude coordinates in bright orange on a grid with a dot representing him. Close to his position was another dot. Sakura. He was close, so close. Orochimaru would be so happy with him for retrieving the Uchiha boy back so soon. Smiling, he pushed his glasses back on his nose and flexed his hands. He got a better grip on the slick handle of the blade and wielded it like a baseball bat. Decimating a couple of ferns, he yanked them out of his way and carried on deeper into the maze.
xXx
Iruka frowned as he glanced up toward the small box mounted on the ceiling that was intercom speaker on the plane. What's happening? What could be the problem? Looking over to Itachi, he was startled at a how fast Itachi got up from his seat he watched curiously as the intimidating man strode into the cockpit. Yawning, he covered his mouth and peered down at the still sleeping Kakashi. He hadn't noticed before, but the silver haired man had shadows under his eyes. Looking more closely, he saw that the taller man actually looked exhausted. Why does he look so tired? Hasn't he been sleeping right? It wasn't healthy to skip sleep and Iruka intended to let the man know once he had properly woken up. He didn't want Kakashi to suffering from sleep deprivation. Blushing lightly as he analyzed his own feelings toward the sleeping man, he resumed his petting, this time focusing on how Kakashi's hair seemed to defy gravity. It could go in interesting directions.
Itachi slid the cockpit door open and stepped inside. Closing it behind him, he regarded his employees as he stepped forward.
"What might be this "problem" you speak of?"
He asked light conversational tone, completely belying his true emotions. The plane was literally right on top of the island where Sasuke was. Why the hell were they not landing?
Choji pointed at the image of the plane with his index finger. "He's here. I don't know how, I don't know why, but Orochimaru is here."
Itachi froze and his eyes widened, imperceptivity. His eyes locked in on the image and narrowed into dangerous slits. He had already thought he had lost his brother once; he'd be damned if he was going to go through it again. That fucking snake freak was not laying a hand on Sasuke. Over his-and-everyone-else's-dead body.
"Land. Get ready to drop us off and do a scan of the entire island. Anyone who is seen not under my orders, get rid of them."
He strode out of the cockpit and headed back to his seat. Brutally opening the overhead luggage compartment above his seat, he brought out a black case. Opening it up, he produced two custom-made automatic handguns. He snapped in the silver magazines and tucked one gun behind his back and into his waistband. All eyes were on him as he loaded his guns. The atmosphere had thickened and a sense of uneasiness filled the air as a dark aura of danger radiated off of him. Turning to face his subordinates, his black gaze bore into them.
"You are all on land searching teams now. We will all get off and immediately begin to search. Orochimaru is here and he more than likely has brought help. Protect yourself or don't; I don't care. I will say this once. Sasuke comes back untouched, or there will be severe consequences to pay. Umino, wake Kakashi up. As soon as we land in a few minutes, we move out."
Not bothering to sit down, he began to rifle through compartments on other sides of the planes. Instantly, everyone stood up and obediently began to prepare. Belts were tightened and straps were secured. A family size chip bag was polished off. Guns were loaded and ready for action. The metallic clicks of guns being cocked sounded deafening in the silence. No one said anything. To speak was to break the impressive sense of excitement that was coursing and infecting everyone. It was exhilarating, yet terrifying. Knuckles were cracked and drinks were chugged down. This was it.
Getting a bad feeling, Iruka shook Kakashi awake. "Kakashi, get up!"
"….five more minutes?" Came the sleepy response.
Iruka bit his bottom lip as the memory of "five minutes" came flooding back. His neck began to tingle as the memory of lips marking the delicate skin of his neck returned in vivid detail. Knowing it was not the appropriate time or appropriate place, Iruka shoved the memories away and shook the man more, this time a bit more forceful. The pale man's chest rose and deflated as he let out a deep sigh. The mismatched eyes cracked open and blinked groggily. Rubbing his face, Kakashi sat up and stretched. He back muscles popped as he unbuckled his belt and stood up.
"Looks like I'll have to get my five minutes later."
Iruka stood too and began to mimic the others. "Later, sure. Let me give you a rain check on them." He remarked sarcastically. The fate of his charge was in trouble and all the man wanted to do was sleep. Rolling his eyes in disbelief, Iruka let his hair fall down from its ponytail. Biting the hair band, he slipped his hands into his hair and began to make a new, tighter ponytail.
Kakashi smirked evilly. Eyeing his chocolate drop from his peripherals, he cracked his knuckles. Rain check, huh? I'm definitely taking him up on that later. He was done with waiting. Days with this man in his arms, in his house and in his bed. He couldn't hold back anymore. He forcibly had to keep himself in check during the nights and would be the victim of an aching hard on more than once. The brunette would be sleeping peacefully against him and all he could think of was how fucking amazing it would feel to sink deep into that tan body and to hear the delicious sounds of pleasure escaping from the smaller man. He could already imagine how tight it would be going in, how scorching hot it would feel to be surrounded by that delectable heat. He knew Iruka was inexperienced; it was written on his face as clearly as his emotions were. Once he was done with him, he would be experienced and much, much more. Frowning, Kakashi stretched out his right arm; he flexed the stiff limb. Unfortunately, right now his job was to get the brat back and deal out some revenge. Sex would have to be put on a back burner for now.
Zipping up the slim jacket he wore, Kakashi pulled up the sleeves and exposed his forearms. Tugging on a pair of navy gloves with the fingers exposed, he grabbed his piece and expertly shoved in a magazine. Beside him, Iruka ran his fingers over the automatic pistol in his hands that Kakashi had returned to him. He had used a gun before, but never on another human being. Although he didn't know how he would react in the heat of the moment, he did know that if there were people willing to harm either him or Naruto, or even Kakashi, he wouldn't hesitate in showing them exactly what he was capable of. He too pulled on some gloves and began to adjust his ear piece to the proper frequency. Suddenly, the plane lurched down and smoothly landed on a stretch of semi-clear land. It would have to suffice. As soon as the wheels touched the bumpy ground, everyone immediately stood by the hatch door and waited to begin. Choji gave the okay over the speaker phone and Kiba shoved open the door. It was go time.
Kiba, Kankuro, and Hinata dropped out and instantly disappeared into the jungle as soon as they set foot outside of the plane. Already equipped with a tracking device set to Sasuke's signal, they began to search along the right of the island, taking to the areas with more jungle growth and trees. Shikamaru, Temari, and Gaara took off into the left of the island. It contained the rockier areas with less green. Lee, Ten Ten, and Neji began to head to the shore and to do a perimeter search around the island.
Iruka watched as they all left and prepared to do the same. Adrenaline was rushing in his veins and he was ready to rock and roll. He was about to see Naruto again! Feeling inappropriately giddy, he clenched and unclenched his hands while Kakashi was standing next to him and was radiating waves of eagerness. It was their job to cover the central part of the island. Looking around for Itachi, Iruka noticed that he and Kakashi were all alone. Even the plane had taken back to the skies.
"Kakashi, where is Itachi? Shouldn't he be here with us?" Iruka twisted around and looked for the scary man. Not spotting him anywhere, he turned to his silver-haired companion.
Kakashi shook his head. Looking around the jungle, he picked an entry point. "Itachi likes to order people around, but when he wants something done quickly and correctly, he does it himself. I imagine that he's gone off to find Sasuke and to pay Orochimaru a little visit. Nevertheless, we still have to search. Come on!"
The taller man ran off into the jungle with Iruka right behind him. Iruka kept up with his harsh pace easily. Blood pounding ferociously in his ears, Iruka found himself more and more eager to see his son again. Guided by the tracking device Kakashi was using, it was only a matter of time before he would get to hug and tousle the mop of blond spiky hair he loved.
xXx
Unable to find a good place to land, Kabuto kept the plane hovering steadily as its former occupants got down the rope ladder dangling down. One by one, Tayuya, Jirobo, Sakon, Ukon, and Kidomaru stepped down the ladder and onto solid ground. Touching his headset, Kabuto spoke to all of them while pilling the yoke up to raise the plane higher.
"I'm going to try and find somewhere to land. Go ahead and start searching. Remember, thirty minute intervals."
"Yea, yea, we know."
Kidomaru responded. He grimaced while looking around him. Not one that enjoys nature, he wished he was still playing his video game. He had the highest score so far and was planning on beating it on the way back. We better hurry this up, I have shit to do.
The ladder automatically slithering back up, Kabuto rose higher and went north. The island had a small strip of clear land up there that he could work with.
Sakon and Ukon tugged their tracking device between them. Both wanting to be team leader, they argued with each other heatedly. Glaring at each other, they created mirror images of themselves.
"I'm the smarter one, I should get to lead."
Ukon yanked the device away and jumped into the jungle bushes, not waiting for his brother to catch up.
"I'm older, I get it!"
"Hey, it's mine, you asshole!"
Tearing in after him, Sakon left Jirobo, Tayuya, and Kidomaru behind. Eager to get going and shoot something, Tayuya ran in after them, whooping and leaping onto the fallen trees that littered the floor.
"Fuck yea! See who finds him first, motherfuckers!"
Kidomaru rolled his eyes and slid the device into this pocket. He crossed his arms behind his head and lazily kicked a rock that was near his foot. It rolled away from him, making small tapping sounds.
"They're making way too much noise. Sasuke is bound to hear them and end up going away from them."
Jirobo looked down at his own box and shrugged. "Do you want to head off together?" He didn't mind working by himself, but it was always polite to ask.
Kidomaru shrugged. "Nah. I'm going away from the loudmouths and searching in the quieter areas. That way, when Sasuke is hiding from them, I'll find him. I'm going to win this game." He said with a smirk. He then turned around and headed away from where the others had entered.
Jirobo looked around him in dismay, a scowl on his face. The trees and shrubs were all packed tightly together, making only narrow passages in which to travel through. It would be difficult for him to search and maneuver in there. Snorting, he followed the sound of the ocean and soon reached the shoreline. It would be best to stay out in the open, where he could work better.
Following the shore, he found a sort of rocky area. It had a small cliff surrounded by rocks and earth. It gently sloped up with rocks acting as ledges. Grinning, Jirobo climbed onto the rocky slope leading up to the cliff. From there he had an excellent vantage point. He could see anyone coming by, all without having to move. Plopping down on a particularly big boulder he took out a packet of cookies he managed to sneak on him. Munching on them, he waited.
xXx
Tayuya stopped her stumbling jog and leaned against a tree, huffing. She had managed to keep up with Sakon and Ukon for a good while until her body burned with exhaustion and begged to stop. Leaning her back on the harsh bark, she wiped the sweat and hair from her forehead and shivered as the wind began to pick up and cool her hot skin. Goosebumps broke out on her forearms and she tried to rub them away.
"…Fuck….they're fast…."she grunted. Pushing herself off of the tree, she began to walk for a bit, waiting for her leg muscles to stop their deep aching. Itching for a smoke, she jammed her hands in her pockets and took out a lighter. Out of a vest pocket, she drew a packet of cigarettes that were slightly crumpled and torn. Tapping one out, she stopped moving and shoved the cancer stick into her mouth. Bringing the lighter up and putting the packet back, she flicked it on and cupped her hand around it to shield it from the wind that was picking up speed. Cursing as the small flame gave out, she glared at the lighter.
"Fucking shit, it's out of lighter fluid. Goddamn it. I knew I should have bought a new one." Sighing, she threw the lighter down hard and watched with satisfaction as it exploded into pieces upon impact with a rock. Maybe one of the guys have one I could bum for a while…
Tapping her ear piece, she set the frequency to Kidomaru's channel.
"Hey, Kidomaru. Ya got a lighter I could borrow? Mine's out."
An irritating crackling sound was heard until Kidomaru responded. "No, I don't smoke. Besides, even if I had one, why would I give you mine?"
"Well fuck you then. I didn't need it anyway." Cursing the skinny freak and his annoying laughter, she changed the channel over to Jirobo's, but only heard static. "Fucking fatass, where the hell are you?" She grumbled as no reply came. Finally finding Sakon's frequency, she jumped up in excitement as he anwered.
"What?"
"Sakon, you got a lighter? I need one." Feeling the craving for the nicotine, she licked her licks anxiously. She rolled the cigarette around on her fingers as she waited.
"No, I don't. I think Ukon has one, though. Let me ask him."
Faintly, she heard as he called out to his brother and asked him. Ukon replied, but she couldn't make out what he had said. Flicking a small bug off her leg, she grimaced. She had smushed it and now had bug guts smeared on her lug.
"Yea, he has one. Where are you?"
"Fuck yes! Hold on, I have no fucking idea where the hell I am."
Whipping out the device, she manipulated the screen and located herself and the twins. They weren't too far away, but it would take a couple of minutes to get there. Even longer if they kept moving.
"I found you guys! Stay there and don't fucking mov…hold on…"
Trailing off, her eyes narrowed and stared hard at the little screen. She liked to keep the settings on infrared and was now seeing more yellow human figures closer to her than her teammates were. What the fuck? A rustling noise sounded around her and her eyes widened. On the screen, the three figures were closing in on her. Sakon spoke up in her ear and asked what had happened, but she kept quiet. Slipping her hand down to her hip, she pulled her weapon out of its holster and thumbed off the safety. She silently crept over to some thick bushes and crouched down behind them, waiting.
Suddenly, three pairs of shoes burst out of the undergrowth and stepped into the small area where she had been moments ago. Gazing through the leaves of her bush, she saw a two men and a woman, all armed. Who the fuck are these guys? Where did they come from?
A tall spiky brown haired man was looking around the area in confusion. He had two red triangles tattoos on his face, one under each eye. All of the strangers were dressed similarly and the other two were staring at the tattooed man.
"I could have sworn I…."
A taller dark haired man stepped up next to him and looked around curiously. Apparently not finding anything, he turned to his partner. "Kiba? What was it?"
The man named Kiba rubbed his nose and pressed his lips together tightly. Scratching the back of his head quickly, he shook his head from side to side. "I smelled something strange. I've lost it now, but I'm positive it came from here."
The girl stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder timidly. "What did it smell like?"
Kiba shrugged and sniffed the air, trying to regain the strange scent that was eluding him. "Like some sort of gas. That's the closest description I can come to."
Tayuya watched, stunned. No way! How would he have been able to smell the lighter fluid if the bottle was almost empty? It wouldn't have smelled that much.
"Gas?" The other man sniffed the air, trying to see if he could smell the same thing, but couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary. "I don't smell anything. Anyway, we have to keep going."
Sighing, Kiba was dismayed that he couldn't find the source. It was still present, but it didn't come from any one specific spot, it just sort of hovered in the air. Cursing his own overly sensitive nose, he nodded and sniffed once more, just to make sure he couldn't find it. No luck.
"Now, we've been heading south for some time now, so we should go more towards the east." The tallest of them all pointed in the eastern direction. "I'm sure we're bound to run into the others soon."
The dark haired girl with pale eyes shyly nodded and followed close behind as the duo took the lead. After few minutes more of waiting, Tayuya stepped out from the bushes and stared at the direction of the jungle in which the people had gone through. She reached up and fidgeted with her ear piece.
"Sakon."
"What happened? Why did you go silent?"
"I almost ran into some people."
"People? What do you mean?"
"It wasn't Kabuto or Jirobo, or even Kidomaru. They're complete strangers and they each had guns." Getting a strange giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach, she smiled. "I have a feeling some crazy shit is about to happen. Check your locator and set the settings to infrared and tell me what you see."
Sakon obediently did so and spotted what she had earlier. Heat signatures from strangers unmarked on the device.
"Hmm, interesting. What should we do?"
Tayuya shrugged, not knowing that Sakon couldn't see her. "Hold on, Imma get Kabuto."
Changing the dial, she searched for the wierdo's channel and proceeded to try and communicate with him. After several useless attempts, an earful of static, and almost screaming into the earpiece, she settled for loud whispers and just one more try. Still waiting for him to respond, she glanced back once more to where the people had exited. Hopefully, it was time to have some fun.
xXx
Sasuke and Naruto burst through the thick plants surrounding the clearing. Sakura's scream had been full of terror and horror, urging them to hurry. Shoving their argument to the side, both of them ran at full speed to see what the matter was. Almost racing each other, they were neck in neck as they entered. Stumbling and almost falling on top of each another, Sasuke and Naruto managed to stay on their feet. Breathing hard and pumped full of adrenaline, they both looked around for any signs of danger. Sakura simply stood near the waterfall, her ankles in the water.
Confused, Naruto cocked his head and regarded the pink haired female. She appeared perfectly okay and in no mortal danger. So why had she screamed? What happened?
"Oi, Sakura, what's wrong? Why did you scream?"
Sasuke inspected the clearing carefully. There weren't any signs of a dangerous animal or trouble. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and slid over to look at her. What was she up to now?
"Ah, Sasuke. You have no idea how glad I am to see you."
He knew that voice. He detested that voice. It belonged to Kabuto; the Orochimaru-obsessed freak that was always trying outdo the Uchiha empire but could never step up to Itachi's level. His mouth scowling in disgust, he hid his surprise at hearing the white-haired man here, of all places, expertly. Preparing a scathing smartass comment, he was stopped as something lightly touched his head. Feeling the cool metal of a gun press against the back of his skull, Sasuke froze. Stunned, fear had his stomach plummeting to his feet and his heart picking up speed. Wait what is going on?! Why does Kabuto have a gu…. Something clicked in his head and his anger over road his fear. Kabuto was part of it. He was probably partnered with Sakura, seeing as she wasn't surprised to see him here. Going from scared shitless to furious in nanoseconds, Sasuke's eyebrow began to twitch and a vein near his temple popped out. These were the motherfuckers that had nearly killed him and Naruto. These were the goddamn bastards that tried to take him out. Any normal person would be terrified to be held at gunpoint, but not Sasuke Uchiha. He was fucking pissed.
Turning around slowly, Sasuke faced Kabuto. The gun was now planted against his forehead, pressing hard enough to leave a small indention on his skin. He put on the deadliest and most intimidating stare he had in his arsenal. His eyes were narrowed into angry slits with his obsidian irises appearing strangely red. His upper lip curled in distaste.
"Kabuto".
He spat the name out viciously, putting as much disgust and hatred into it as he could. The new visitor smiled and pushed up his glasses. Keeping the gun right where it was, Kabuto cocked his head and smirked.
"My, I'm surprised you know who I am, Uchiha. I would have thought you had your head so far up your own ass, that you weren't aware of rivals to your family's company."
"I always know where I leave the trash."
Sasuke retorted. He had to try to keep the piece of shit talking. The longer they talked, the more time he had to figure out a way to turn the tables around. He was going to need all the time he could possibly get.
Naruto hadn't noticed the intruder until it was too late and the man had a gun on Sasuke. Stunned, he watched as the two insulted each other and how Sasuke was trying to murder the other with his looks of death. Feeling worried for the raven and confused at how angry he was instead of scared, Naruto fidgeted and glared at the stranger.
"Wait, what the fuck is going on?! Who the hell are you man, and what do you want?!"
Sakura let out a bark of laughter. Naruto's head whipped around and looked at her. Brushing her hair out of her face with a flick of her wrist, she smiled at him. Giggling annoyingly, she wandered closer to the three men. Holding out a hand, she caught the spare gun Kabuto had brought for her and trained it on the blond.
"You still haven't figured it out, Naruto? I would have figured Sasuke would have told you."
Feeling cold sweat drip down his back, Naruto nervously eyed the weapon pointed at him. Swallowing heavily, he raised his hands to mid-chest reflexively, palms outward. Hearing the blood pound in his ears, he took a small step back.
"Figured what out?! Seriously, what the fuck is going on, Sakura?"
"I told you dobe. She and this miserable motherfucker were the ones that put the explosives on my plane. They're probably here to finish the job for their sick snake freak overlord." Sasuke drawled, feeling satisfaction at watching Kabuto's face darken as he insulted his precious boss.
"Hold up, you were fucking serious?! You mean you didn't just tell me to get on my good side?"
Sasuke broke his intense staring competition with Kabuto and turned to look at something more favorable. Twisting around to peer at Naruto, he regarded the blond with his fathomless orbs. Naruto was surprised to see the hard as diamond gaze soften slightly as it landed on him.
"I wouldn't lie so easily to you."
Rolling her eyes, Sakura drew everyone's attention to her as she pulled back the hammer on her gun and it clicked loudly. She leaned to the side and jutted her hip out. Lazily keeping the gun on Naruto, she glanced over at Kabuto.
"Kabuto, what is the plan?"
"We've caught Sasuke and now we must take him back to the plane. Currently, Tayuya and the others are searching the rest of the island. I'll call them together once we've gotten back."
Sakura grimaced and set her mouth in a scowl. "Tayuya? Why bring that bitch?" Her tone turned condescending.
Kabuto smiled and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "Simply because she was almost chosen to over you to plant the explosives, doesn't mean you should be jealous."
Sakura scowled harder and glared at her partner. "I'm not jealous. I got picked, I won. Like I said, not jealous."
Kabuto laughed and shook his head. It's not like he really cared about either of them. Peering down at his watch, he gazed at it for a few seconds then shoved his sleeve back over it.
"Well now, we just-"
A piercing whining noise erupted out of nowhere. Wincing, Kabuto tugged the screeching earpiece out of his ear and tried to hear over the ringing now deafening his ear.
"-ABUTO!" A voice came through, barely comprehendible over the static inundating it. It came out as a screamed whisper.
It was Tayuya. Frowning, Kabuto adjusted the volume and held the earpiece closer to his ear, but didn't put it back in.
"What?" He asked irritably.
"Well now you fucking answer, you prick. We have guests. I've seen several of 'em wandering around already. They've got a fucking tracker and are looking for somethin'. I'm guessing they're here for pretty boy."
Shocked, Kabuto blinked. His eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, he slid the earpiece in, effectively silencing her to all but him.
"What are you talking about? Nobody is out here but us."
"Hell if I know. I've seen ….maybe four? All armed and searching. Sakon says he's seen them too and was almost spotted, but managed to hide. What do we do?"
Deciding on the spot, Kabuto motioned to Sakura that it was time to go. "Kill them. They shouldn't be here. And as soon as you're done, get back to the plane immediately. Tell the others that we're taking off ASAP."
Sakura walked over to Naruto and pointed the weapon at his chest. Nodding at Kabuto, she shoved the blond and indicated what she wanted him to do. She had to get him into the jungle and shoot him there. It would be a clean shot and his body would be easier to hide. Naruto stood paralyzed, still trying to piece together what was happening.
Kabuto shut off the irritating device before twisting around to Sasuke and grinning at him. "Well Sasuke, it's time for you to prove your worth for Orochimaru. Shall we get going?"
Sasuke stood his ground and didn't budge. Looking at his rival dead in the eyes, Sasuke scoffed. "I'm not going anywhere with you or that fucking freak. Fuck you."
Kabuto's face darkened and he stepped forward. As fast as lightning, he brought his hand up and smashed the butt of the gun across Sasuke's face hard.
Sasuke was caught off-guard, but managed to duck out of the way slightly, catching half of what would have hit him. Then strike cut open his cheek and grazed the bridge of his nose. Blood leaked out and began to drip down his face. Hissing silently in pain, he forced down his fight or flight response and tried to regain control on his boiling temper. You can't bring fists to a gun fight. There's no way this is ending easy for him. Not bothering to touch his face and feel the extent of the damage, he refused to show any signs of weakness. But, fuck did it sting.
Naruto flinched as he saw Sasuke get struck. Wanting to go shove his fist into Kabuto's face, he knew he shouldn't move. He was still in Sakura's crosshairs.
"Oh fuck, Sasuke! You alright?"
"Don't you dare speak about Orochimaru like that. Now," Kabuto brought his gun back up and pointed it along with Sakura's. Both were now trained on the blond. "Either you come peacefully, or we get to paint the floor a beautiful shade of red. What will it be, Sasuke?"
Naruto groaned internally. Shit was always going bad for him, nothing went right! "Dude, this isn't right!" He yelped.
Sakura shoved him hard and he stumbled, nearly falling. "Shut up, this doesn't concern you."
Turning to the side and spitting out blood that had made its way into his mouth without taking his eyes off Kabuto, Sasuke cursed. Using Naruto as blackmail was bad. He wasn't about to let the blond get shot, not after all that's happened and all they've been through. Straightening up, he gave off the impression that he was only going along because he wanted to.
Kabuto gave as shit-eating grin and nodded his head once. "Play nice and no one gets hurt. Now, shall we?"
Kabuto brought out the little yellow box and looked for the plane's signal on the screen. Spying the dot towards the south, he set the destination and slid the box into his pants. He walked ahead a few feet and then turned back, waiting for Sasuke to move in front of him. Stiffly, with blood slowly leaking from the wounds on his face, Sasuke strode forward.
A deep rumbling sound shook the earth around them. The trees began a restless dance and the leaves began to whisper amongst themselves. Very gently, rain began to patter down and soak everything. Sasuke glanced up and watched as the gray clouds spilled what they held. Rain peppered his face and ran into the blood, creating pale red rivulets to cascade down his face and onto his chest. Wincing as it stung, he turned to his blond.
Naruto watched as Sasuke turned to leave him. Fear accumulated in his chest and kept him from calling out the raven. He didn't want Sasuke to leave him behind to be stuck with Sakura. His mouth opened but no sounds came out. As rain patted his head, he gazed around and saw that the jungle around them was acquiring a sort of mist. It was becoming harder to see as the fog crept in and created a hazy atmosphere. Calls of tropical birds resounded around them as the creatures called out to one another. Turning back to Sasuke, he was startled to see the raven was looking at him. Sasuke mouthed something, but Naruto couldn't understand. What is he trying to tell me? What? He mouthed back.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and this time pointed at his wrist, mimicking looking at time. Wait here, I'll be back soon. Once they were far enough away from Sakura, he was planning on overpowering Kabuto and coming back. That is, if everything went according to plan. Once again, Naruto mouthed "what" and gave him a confused look. Giving up, Sasuke turned and marched on, followed closely by Kabuto.
xXx
He could see them. Two of them.
Kakashi plastered himself against a tree and peeked over the edge as he followed the two men that were wandering around. Gun held close to his chest, he watched. They appeared to be twins; both were wearing similar fatigues and were arguing amongst themselves. Kakashi bid his time, making he was securely behind the tree and hidden. If he were to go in now and shoot one of them, the other would end up shooting him, and vice versa. He had to wait until they were far enough from each other that he could easily step in and dispose of them. Fuck, this would be easier if there were two of me…I can' ! He can cover me while I go in.
Mentally planning out how to work the strategy, Kakashi turned around and paused. "Iruka?" He whispered. Gorgeous green trees and thick shrubs shuddered as rain pounded on their leaves. Glancing around, the brunette was nowhere to be found amidst the stormy area.
"…Iruka?"
Still no response. Cursing mentally, he whipped his head around, trying to find some evidence of the smaller man, but to no avail. He was alone….which meant that Iruka was alone. With people armed with guns wandering around. Knowing he should give the man some credit, seeing as Iruka hadn't seemed clueless when loading the gun like rookies do, he couldn't help but feel the urge to protect him.
Crouching down, he slid behind some ferns for extra coverage. Tapping his earpiece, he set it to the frequency used for team communication.
"Iruka, can you hear me? Are you there?"
Upon hearing no answer, alarm bells began to ring loudly in his head. Knowing to trust his instincts, he twisted around and had his gun up, ready to shoot. Finding nothing suspicious in the rustling trees around him, he knew that looks were deceiving. Cautiously keeping the weapon out, he eyed his surroundings and carefully stood up. Feeling inexplicably exposed he rubbed the back of his neck. Something was off and it was bothering him not knowing what.
Going back to his look out position, he looked over to where the twins were. His mismatched eyes narrowing, he found no one. Both of them were gone. Where the fuck is everyone? The rain began to fall heavier, shortening his field of vision. Lamenting the loss of visibility from far away, he had to rely on his other senses to keep himself alive. Knowing it was a risky move, he closed his eyes and put his hearing to work. At first, all he could hear was the constant beating of the rain on the foliage around him and the cries of the jungle animals that lived nearby. Bit by bit, it all began to fade away until he could identify which sounds were common and which ones were out of place.
A faint crunching sound caught his attention. His ears twitching slightly like a dog's he strained them to hear more clearly. The noise seemed to draw closer. His built in warning system going off again in full force, he opened his eyes and prepared to fight.
Stepping in to the tiny clearing he had been hiding in, were Sakon and Ukon. Both were well-armed and
had their weapons trained on the silver-haired man, effectively trapping him like a fly behind a clean window.
"See, I told you we were being followed. This tracker has a built in heat seeking system. You didn't stand a chance, you piece of trash." Sakon turned to his brother and grinned. "What was it Kabuto said? Kill anyone that wasn't Sasuke?"
Ukon turned to him and nodded. "He did." Turning to face Kakashi, he cocked his head and smirked, bringing up his gun.
"Sakon, how many times can a person get shot before they die?"
Sakon pretended to contemplate this, hoping to prolong their play time. If Ukon was envolved, it was bound to be over fast; the man didn't like wasting time.
"I don't know."
"Well then, let's find out."
xXx
Kabuto smiled a sick, twisted grin as he goaded the raven, knowing he couldn't do anything about it. He held Sasuke's life in the palm of his hands and it was perfect; he was in control, he made the rules now.
Sasuke gritted his teeth and flexed his sore arms. His hands had been fisted for the longest time and were painfully raw. His temper demanded he turn around and give Kabuto what he deserved, but his brain urged him not to. To do so was to ask for trouble. Orochimaru wanted him, so he wouldn't be killed, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be injured. His cheek and nose where just an ache now, occasionally crying out when rain ran over them or when he frowned heavily. His upper back had small bruises where Kabuto kept jabbing the gun into him for any fucking reason.
"Itachi will be devastated to know that it is his own little brother that is destroying the family business. It'll be run to the ground and annihilated."
Sasuke snorted. He doubted Itachi would even care. That sonofabitch had no heart and no soul. It was nearly impossible to get him to show emotions, let alone get him to care about something.
"You'll be doing everything Orochimaru says, or you will be punished. Make a wrong move, and I will be your executioner."
Sasuke looked around as he kept walking forward, trying to force Kabuto's annoying nasal voice out of his head. I need to go back now, I've gone far enough. If I go for the gun, I have to do it extremely fast; I have to get it before he knows what I'm doing and has a chance to use it on me. I need to distract him somehow…..
"I doubt you'll be able to." Sasuke smirked as a perfect plan formed smoothly in his head after a few seconds of looking at his options. The easiest thing to do was to anger Kabuto and get his temper to blind him, letting Sasuke think clearer and act faster. He flicked the wet hair plastered on his face away.
Kabuto's eyes narrowed and he glared at the raven. "Of course I will."
Sasuke shrugged and looked behind him, a mocking look in his eyes. Lightning arched across the sky and lit everything in a flash of bright light. "If I am this "perfect tool", I highly doubt you'll be able to harm me. Orochimaru wouldn't let you touch me if I'm that valuable of an asset. Most likely, I'll be put above you and you'll be under my orders." Come on, get angry…..
Kabuto's mouth twitch. It slid out of his smirk and into a deep frown. "..No, I am Orochimaru's right hand, he needs me."
"Not if I replace you, he won't. You'll be easily disposable, a mere piece of trash that is long overdue to be thrown away." Sasuke persuaded. He could almost see the panic in Kabuto's eyes as he envisioned his future. Just a bit more should crack him…
Kabuto's eyes shot to Sasuke's and he grinned and cocked his head. He moved slightly and a glare on his glasses hid his eyes. "I know what you're doing, Sasuke. I'm not going to get mad. There is no way Orochimaru is getting rid of me, he needs me. Just for your little useless attempt, I'll do something for you." Snickering, he tapped the earpiece that was miraculously still working in the rain and called Sakura.
"Sakura, go ahead and kill him now. Mercy is not an option."
Sasuke's eyes widened and his heart began a painfully fast rhythm. Oh shit, oh fuck no….
No response.
Kabuto frowned and tapped the piece again. "Sakura, do it now. Do you read me?" He was once again met with silence. Kabuto turned back towards where they had come from and too late realized his mistake.
Whipping around as fast as he could while bringing the gun up to defend himself, Kabuto was already done for. Sasuke's fist slammed into his face and shattered his nose and glasses, driving some of the pieces of glass into his face. Sasuke's other hand knocked the gun out of his hand while his knee was driven straight up into Kabuto's stomach.
Moving as fast as the lighting above, Sasuke had to incapacitate the slimey freak before he could fight back. Knocking him to the ground, Sasuke delivered a vicious stomp on his chest and slammed his foot down repeatedly into his abdomen. Hearing something crunch loudly, Sasuke winced. He had definitely broken something. Oh well, they weren't his bones.
Kabuto's hand shot out and grabbed Sasuke's foot, digging his nails into the tender skin covering his Achilles tendon. His foot kicked Sasuke near his groin. Falling down, Sasuke landed in a puddle of mud on his back, cursing as his hip throbbed in pain. He wiped the rain from his eyes quickly. Kabuto heaved himself up on his knees and leaned over Sasuke, getting ready to punch him. Not suffering from anything broken and able to move faster, Sasuke quickly brought up his other foot and slammed it into Kabuto's chest again, hearing another satisfying crunch as bone grind against bone. Hacking up blood, Kabuto rolled off to the side in agony and found the lost gun. Wheezing, he latched on to it, stumbled to his feet and aimed it at Sasuke. Sasuke tackled him and grabbed the gun hand with both of his and forced the hand up, fighting for it as the both fell backwards.
Kabuto squeezed the trigger, trying to aim back down to Sasuke. The gun shots echoed loudly, mixing in with the roar of thunder and the snapping of lightning as it arched in the sky. Kabuto struggled to bring the gun down and quickly kneed Sasuke, this time hitting his mark. Sasuke grunted in pain and managed to block Kabuto's second attempt at his groin. In his moment of pain, his hands loosened and lost their grip on Kabuto's hand. Taking advantage, Kabuto slammed the butt into Sasuke's ribs and pushed him away. Cursing loudly, Sasuke gritted his teeth, ignored the aching of his body and shoved himself to his feet, not going out without a fight. Kabuto once again brought the gun up, but began to cough violently, his body shaking with each hack. Sasuke ran at him; as the white haired man was occupied with coughing out his lungs, Sasuke gave him a deadly uppercut, watching as his head snapped backwards and he landed hard on the ground, losing the gun. Unable to keep going or take a breath, Kabuto feebly tried to get back up. Blood speckled his mouth as he tried to breathe.
His breath ragged and heavy, Sasuke slowly got to his feet, his body aching. Mud slowly dripped off of him and plopped down to the ground. Staring down at Kabuto, he knew he needed to get to Naruto fast. Sakura hadn't responded and so she might have not gotten the message. Glaring at the body on the ground, lightning flashed behind him, causing his eyes to shine out brightly out of a black silhouette. Leaning down, he dug the cast away gun from the mud and cleaned it off as best as he could. Hopefully it still worked. Spitting out rain and blood that made its way into his mouth, he began to trek back, leaving Kabuto on the ground behind him.