Chapter 21: Of Drastic Change
This chapter: starts really nice, and then gets really screwed up. And then redeems itself. BEST SUMMARY I COULD GIVE. Seriously. I don't think it sucks, but it's one you really have to stick with. You have to dedicate yourself.
I will admit this to you, oh dear reader of mine: I don't think I'll update this next week, really. MAYBE I'll update this coming Sunday, but that's like... I can't promise it for sure. My commitments are coming to full throttle: like, I don't really have school this next week, but I'm still going to be there. Even tomorrow, I'm going to be working on school shit from 9 AM to 9 PM, so there's no way in hell I'll be writing. I'll try to get something done after this chappy, but I can't promise...
To TheGirlWithNoIQ: hehe, thanks... I worked really hard on this kid, so it's great to hear that you like him... and a bigger thanks for calling it different. I just have little to no confidence with my writing, so I wasn't sure if you meant it in a bad way. It's nothing against you, I'm just really weird. x) To McKazekage: ah, sorry. I meant to write it out, because while it was mandatory reading in my school district; I forget that's not the same all around. I just forgot. Haha, you really were snarling at the monitor on your computer reading this? I caused that? Well, don't fret; I don't think I really caused a lot of snarling with this chappy. :D
Disclaimer: no own.
Kiba had his hands shoved into his pockets, whistling happily; basking in the warmth of the day. Such a pleasant, lazy day, he thought as he watched Akamaru pretend to be a puppy once more, lying on his back in the meadow and wind milling his paws in the air. Kiba snickered and raised his closed fist to his hand, holding back the laugh. They were supposed to be training, he knew it; but he didn't feel like it with the weather that day and he knew that Akamaru didn't want to either.
They were content to sit and play in the heat.
Kiba caught sight of the blossoming sakura trees and immediately frowned, thinking of his pink-haired friend. He'd liked Haruno Sakura for a while now, about two years. But she'd never noticed his affections towards her; his inability to not do what she asked of him. It hurt to see her relentlessly flirting with Uchiha Sasuke the moment he got back to town, but there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped that she'd notice him, maybe. But she didn't, and he even doubted she ever would. Kiba was very realistic in that sense: he knew at some point, he'd have to get up and get over Sakura.
He was slightly worried about her. Only he seemed to be able to notice it, but he thought Sakura was acting kind of weird all the time now. Darker. Yes, that was it—she was darker. Darker how, Kiba didn't truly know, nor could he explain it. But she had definitely changed, and it wasn't for the better. He also wasn't sure how to approach her, now that this seemed to be happening. He wasn't sure how to fix what could possibly be wrong, or it that there was anything to be fixed.
He could sure as hell try, though.
"Akamaru, c'mon!" called Kiba, snapping his fingers at his companion. Obediently, the nin dog got up, bounding over to his master. He licked Kiba's wrists affectionately, and Kiba simply grinned down at his best friend. Akamaru barked, but what Kiba heard was: Are we going to see Sakura-chan today? "Yeah, we are. I'm still worried about her. Sorry about ruining your day out, buddy." Bark. Sakura-chan is my friend, too, Kiba-kun. I worry of her, too. Kiba grinned again and scratched Akamaru's big head the way he knew that he liked. Akamaru yipped happily, more than welcome to the affection his master displayed for him.
"Kiba; Akamaru," said a quiet monotone. After years of hearing this voice, Kiba ceased having a reaction of surprise or shock due to the fact that the owner of the voice didn't quite believe tapping a shoulder to display they were there, or even saying 'Hi'.
"You know, Shino, you could greet people like a regular person sometimes," said Kiba in an amused voice, grinning wide at Shino; his best friend. Shino shrugged; a motion almost unseen given the bulky jacket he always wore. Kiba shook his head and snickered, knowing that while Shino seemed so careless about his suggestion, he was actually contemplating it seriously. That was why Shino was Kiba's best friend. Shino was serious when Kiba couldn't be, and when Kiba was he was there to defuse him. The two boys had grown up together, had bonded way before they had gotten close with either Hinata or Kurenai. Kiba always understood Shino's points and emotions; and Shino; Kiba's.
"Have you seen Hinata-chan at all this morning?" asked Shino out of pure curiosity. "My picture of her, the frame, it snapped this morning."
Kiba smirked. "Thought you didn't believe in omens," he teased.
"It doesn't matter. It gave me a bad feeling, and that is all that I need to say," said Shino, slightly irritated and lightly blushing under the concealing, bulky jacket. "So, have you seen her?"
He shook his head. "Nah, sorry. Maybe she's looking in on Hanabi with that Shikaru kid today. Or maybe she's looking in on Neji. I was going to the hospital, anyways, so you can look for her there if you'd like. I'll even have Akamaru help you."
"What are you going to the hospital for, Kiba?" questioned Shino. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to talk to Sakura?" Kiba automatically blushed, and Shino knew he was right. "Are you going to talk to her sociably, or are you going to talk to her about…"
"Don't even say it," growled Kiba, putting his hands over his ears and running forwards a few steps from his friend. "Don't make me regret telling you, Shino! I swear to God, I'm not above beating the shit out of my best friends! I will do it!"
"Hn. Like you could beat the shit out of me, Kiba," 'taunted' Shino, his monotone slightly dissuading a person from realizing he was being pleasant and jocular. Only those close to him could actually figure out that this was Shino in his best mood. "You really should tell her about this, Kiba. It's unfair to her and it's unfair to you. In the long run, you're going to be the one who gets hurt out of this if you don't say anything."
Kiba sighed, dropping his hands. "Yeah, I know," he said irritably, licking his dry lips. "But… you know…" He turned to his friend, eyes bright with mischief. "Hey! Did I tell you that I saw Kankurō last night, leaving Hinata's house and still pulling on a shirt?"
Shino groaned. "Kiba. You're too interested in their personal life," he said with a hot blush on his cheeks. Kiba knew that while he denied wanting to know about the happenings between the relationship of their two friends; Shino was actually interested in it and mortified to know he was. Kiba snickered to himself. Shino's like an open book and its fucking funny!
Sakura bit her nail nervously, sitting down on the bench outside of Hyūga Neji's room. Neji was still unconscious, and Sakura was seriously debating on what to do. She had no idea if Neji had managed to rid himself completely of her influence, since she had no Byakugan and Hinata (true to her word to Neji) refused to talk to any doctor about what might be going on in his skull. And within hours, it was decided that no Hyūga would tell any doctor anything about what was going on with Neji's head. Sakura had no idea why Hinata had done that, but she knew it wasn't good for her.
That little bitch, Sakura thought angrily, eyes narrowing in fury. Now I have no idea on whether or not I can kill Neji! She knew that she would if it came down to it, and that she actually wanted to kill him—after all, Neji and Kankurō didn't have a good relationship, did they?—but she had to make it seem like an accident, being in a hospital.
And 'accidental' deaths take patience, time, and planning. Patience was something Sakura was born without, and her worry stopped her from being able to plan while in a particularly bad fix. And this was DEFINTELY a particularly bad fix.
What to do, what to do… prolong the coma? No; that will actually strengthen Neji's mind, making everything he says more believable… I can't put him in the same genjutsu again; I'll end up killing him and being without a pawn. I could cut out his tongue, but that's always been a horribly messy procedure and not worth the effort when he can simply write things down. Besides, if I do that, what will happen when I realize that he was in the same condition as before? Shit, I wish that I had the Byakugan and not that little whore…
"Sakura!"
Her head snapped up, her green eyes finding that Kiba was waving at her, hands stuffed into his pockets. She smiled shakily at him, inwardly thinking that she could use his life to manipulate the Hyūga clan into telling her exactly what was going on in Neji's skull. She had long since past the thoughts of 'they are my friends, I shouldn't do this'. The moment she had attacked Ino the way she did, it had been erased. Now, she thought of every one her 'friends' as a way to get a leg-up.
"Hi, Kiba-kun," she said tiredly, getting up and meeting him for a small hug. He's warm, but he's not what I want, she thought, pretending for a second that Kiba was Kankurō.
"Can I talk to you, Sakura?" he asked before a doctor rushed up, grabbing Sakura's elbow.
"Haruno-san, I need your help in the children's section!" cried the doctor, pulling her in that direction. Sakura winced and looked over at Kiba, pleading with her eyes to stop this man from pulling her arm out of its socket.
Kiba yanked her arm away, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly in his. He smiled at her. "You look exhausted, Sakura-chan. I'll walk with you to the children's ward, and then we can talk on the way over there. Is that alright with you?" he asked. No, not really, she thought, her eyes darting over to Neji's hospital room.
"Shino, if Neji wakes up, you have to get me!" she cried, sighing internally in defeat. She knew there was no way she could stop this, she knew that she would have to go to the children's ward.
Shino nodded almost imperceptibly, Akamaru sitting at his side. Both felt that Kiba needed to spend time alone with her, and it would be best that they stayed and monitored Neji's condition.
Tenten's hand was fisted under her cheek, and her breathing was light and even. She was asleep; Shino knew that without even taking a second glance. He lightly shook her, whispering her name. She blinked blearily, slightly confused about Shino's presence. "Go get something to eat and go get a change of clothes," said Shino, "I will watch Neji for you. You can trust me."
Tenten yawned. "Thanks, Shino," she said appreciatively, getting up and walking over to her love, kissing Neji's temple. "I'll be back before you know it," she said lovingly, stroking his cheek with her thumb. She nodded back at Shino before walking out of the room, leaving Akamaru and Shino alone. Shino let out a sigh and sat back in the chair Tenten had so recently evacuated, more than happy to let Akamaru lay on top of his feet. The dog was like a space-heater.
"I really do have a bad feeling about Hinata, Akamaru," said Shino, unafraid to admit his feelings to a dog. "I don't believe in omens; Kiba's right about this. But I didn't touch the picture. I was simply reading a scroll at my desk, and then the frame just snapped. It was very random, and it worried me."
Akamaru's big head nodded in agreement before his eyes widened, seemingly startled; and then excited. Akamaru jumped to his feet, running over to Neji's bedside and stood on his hind legs, paws braced on the mattress. Eagerly, he watched the Hyūga prodigy's face. Shino stood up. Neji must be waking up, he thought, walking slowly around Neji's bedside to look down at the boy in his face.
Neji's mouth tilted downward into a frown, and his right eyebrow twitched. He cracked open his left eye only to be attacked by Akamaru's tongue. He winced at the aggressive way that the dog was showing his happiness. "Hey, I get it, Akamaru, you're happy to see me!" groaned Neji, closing his eye again. "But, please, let me breathe!"
"Akamaru, stop," ordered Shino. Akamaru only obeyed six people in the entire world: Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, Hana, and Tsume (especially Tsume, as she terrified him). Akamaru stopped licking Neji's face automatically; panting and looking at Shino with excitement evident in his eyes. Shino nodded and looked back at Neji. "There, better?"
"Much, thank you," said Neji, forcing himself to sit upright. He winced as he moved his leg slightly, but it apparently was nothing he couldn't handle. Neji's hand drifted upwards to his wrapped forehead, under which was a concealed curse mark. "How long have I been asleep?"
"As far as I know, a day or so," replied Shino, snapping his fingers at Akamaru. "Akamaru and I shall go and get Sakura. She told me to notify her immediately should you wake up."
"What… no!" yelled Neji at Shino, who at that point had his hand on the doorknob. He looked back, confused. "Do not get Sakura. I can't trust her any longer, and you shouldn't either."
"Sakura is… a good doctor," said Shino slowly. He really wasn't very close with the girl, so he couldn't compliment her besides her medical skills.
"Sakura is a traitor," said Neji in a voice so angry that Shino trembled under its timbre. His eyes widened, staring at Neji. Sakura… a traitor? "And I need your help to prove it."
"We should rest for a few hours in this village," said Shikaru in a low voice, so low that he almost doubted anyone could hear him. Hinata gave him a barely imperceptible nod, unsheathing her katana and taking it to a tree, slicing an indent into the bark. He noticed that she did this often, marking whenever they changed direction or stopped for any period of time. He assumed it was to backtrack in case they were to get lost, but he didn't want to ask her why.
"We can rest on the outskirts. It's probably best we spend no money; seeing as how most places might need identification," said Sasuke, kneeling down and swinging his bag off of his back. "We can rest for about five hours, but no more, I believe. Was there any sort of rendezvous spot, Hinata? Any specific times we should have met anyone, anywhere?"
She sighed. "No, there wasn't. Nothing of the sort." She pulled off her ANBU robe, folding it up. "We should hide these. It's probably best we don't keep them on our person, it will raise questions amongst shinobi we may pass," she said, deviating from the subject. She was obviously nervous and homesick, probably missing Kankurō more than she would let on to the three of them.
"Where should we head, then?" asked Sasuke irritably, sitting down on the dirt ground at the base of a tall tree. "We have no direction, Hinata. We're wandering; lost."
"Sasuke, stop," said Naruto, sitting down and pulling off his own bag. He glared at his black-haired friend. "This isn't Hinata's fault, so stop trying to pick a fight with her!" Sasuke glared back at the blonde ninja before sighing in defeat; knowing Naruto was actually right. He was trying to fight with her for something he knew she had no control over, and it was incredibly unfair of him.
She didn't want this, either.
"We don't need a direction, anyways," said Naruto after a moment of silence. "If it's like Hinata was saying on the way over, the Akatsuki should want me bad enough to be tracking us as we speak. They're just waiting to make sure no one is following, probably." Naruto grinned weakly. "Who knew that being forced to leave the village would make me actually think logically?"
Shikaru sat down, wrapping his arms around his legs and putting his chin onto his knees. Hinata noticed that this kid looked a hell of a lot weaker than he actually was. He looked small, skinny. But this kid had broken Neji's leg with nothing more than a well-place kid and a lot of power, according to Kakashi. She refused to underestimate him.
"Why do they want us, anyways?" sighed Naruto aloud, unable to think without speaking. "They've always wanted me, but why…"
"It's simple, Naruto-sensei. Obviously, Sasuke-san's Mangekyō Sharigan is something they're very interested in, as not many Uchiha are able to awaken it. And me… well, I think you know why they might want me," whispered Shikaru, biting his lip. "And Hinata… because of the Wood-styled ninjutsu she uses."
Naruto's brow furrowed. "Hinata; that was you who did that to Neji? Surrounded him by with the Wood?" He seemed more confused. "I thought only Yamato was able to do that…"
"Yamato…?" asked Hinata, confused. The only other Wood-styled user she knew of was Danzō! "Who is this… Yamato…?"
"He took over for Kakashi briefly when we were still searching for Sasuke," explained Naruto.
"Orochimaru genetically engineered Yamato that way," said Sasuke. "It was the only possible way for the gene to be repeated. That kekkei genkai died with the First Hokage. Danzō was never a natural-born user, though he could do it. He injected the DNA of the First Hokage into himself, and it wasn't completely successful, either. Yamato was the first success…" He trailed off, staring at her. "Hinata, did you ever meet Orochimaru?"
She shook her head. "Not officially. I can't remember ever crossing paths with him. I knew of him, though." She squirmed under Sasuke's stare. It was making her uncomfortable to know that Sasuke was attempting to analyze her, attempting to figure out something. "What? Why are you staring at me? It's weird."
"Hinata… you shouldn't be able to use Wood-styled ninjutsu. It's a kekkei genkai, particular to the Senju clan and the First Hokage," said Sasuke. "You're a Hyūga, with the kekkei genkai of the Byakugan. You shouldn't be able to use any type of a Senju kekkei genkai." He flicked a glance over to Shikaru. "And you… what are you?"
Shikaru appeared to be slightly irritated by his phrasing. He sighed and stood up, patting down his Capri pants. "I'm sick of assholes trying to instigate things amongst those who would obviously rather not focus on the bad," he said, staring pointedly at Sasuke. "I'm going into town to get some goods."
"But-!" began Naruto.
"They won't ask a kid as young as me for any sort of ID, sensei," sighed Shikaru. "I'm also the least distinctive out of all four of us. I'm the only one who isn't an ex-international criminal…" Sasuke turned red with embarrassment, looking down at his hands. "Or a member of the Hyūga clan, obviously the Main house…." Hinata blushed as well, biting her bottom lip. "Nor am I known across the nations as the 'Loudest Ninja', with distinctive orange clothing and whisker marks on their cheek." Naruto laughed, amused by the truth of Shikaru's words. Shikaru sighed again. "Besides, if I don't draw any attention to myself, I won't look like a shinobi. But I also can't buy any condoms or alcoholic beverages; nor can I buy any sort of weaponry."
"Then what are you going to buy?"
"Hygiene products, mostly," he replied. "Maybe a couple of magazines. I dunno; I'll figure it out when I get to town. Anybody have anything specific they need to be acquired?" He blushed a little, looking over at Hinata with apprehension and nervousness evident in his features. "Anything? Maybe of the girlish variety...?" Hinata was the only to figure out what he was trying to say. She glared at him, unsheathing her katana slightly. Sasuke and Naruto stared at them, the gears still turning in their heads.
Shikaru snickered and ran off.
"Hey, kid!"
"Yo, kid!"
"Little buddy, come on over here!"
Shikaru grinded his jaw, hands stuffed into his pockets as he attempted to ignore the calls from the different people in this town. It was a civilian town, and the one they seemed to be in contained people from the lowest levels of life. They all were creepy, grimy, and all-over bad people. They were like the people his mother used to have him kill. A part of him wanted to adhere to their wishes, to pull them into a back alley; and then to brutally kill them. To spill blood. To see their insides.
Stop it! Shikaru berated himself, biting his gums. You're not him anymore! Nara Shikaru is not a heartless murderer! So he pressed forwards, walking decidedly towards what appeared to be an antique music shop. He found himself drawn for some reason, thinking about the vast amount of musical instruments that used to reside in his home as a small child. His mother had been deeply in love with music, and she managed to hook her husband and child onto her addiction with her beautifully seductive voice. Since her death, he tried to do one thing that he thought she would want: to find good music.
His senses were overwhelmed by the sight of so many musical devices. Flutes, trombones, drums, pianos, guitars, sitars, and instruments he couldn't even name—they were all there. His hand touched the top of the drum, feeling the soft material on its top. He softly tapped his fingertips against it, liking how deep the sound was. It was finely and beautifully tuned. He allowed himself to tap the top again, easily falling into a rhythm with a song his mother had taught him as a child. A simple song.
"Ah, a musician, I see," came a voice. Shikaru whipped around, feeling like he'd gotten caught touching a prized million-dollar painting rather than a simple hand-me-down drum. A man with sunglasses and messy, unkempt hair came over to him, placing his hands onto the instruments and chairs in his way in order to keep from tripping. Is he… blind? The man frowned. "Now, why did you stop? I am interested to hear the rest of this song."
Shikaru nodded, knowing the man couldn't see him, and resumed playing. "Do you own this shop?" he asked, not looking away from this man's face. Something about him seems so familiar to me, he thought. He tried to connect this face to his memories, but nothing seemed to be clicking.
The man gave a small smile. "Uh-huh. It's been mine for about… nine, ten years now? I forget sometimes." He chuckled to himself. "The woman I loved got me into music, and after I lost her I decided to buy the shop. I hoped I could possibly get her back using it. Sadly, it hasn't worked, but that's just life."
"I'm sorry," Shikaru immediately apologized, giving the sightless man a small smile. "My mother, she was deeply into music. She taught me to play whatever instrument we had in the house when I was still young, though when I turned four all music just seemed to stop for a while. I haven't actually played anything for a long time." Shikaru was slightly surprised with himself for so easily giving this man an honest truth, considering he didn't know him at all.
"What happened?" asked the blind shopkeeper.
"My father. He… passed," said Shikaru uncertainly. "He was a great man, and my mother, she just couldn't live on without him in the same way. Everything changed."
The shopkeeper nodded. "How old are you?"
"Uhm… what day is it?" He was vaguely sure it was May, and his birthday was that month.
"The nineteenth of May." Shikaru sucked in a breath. "What?" asked the man, whose ears had grown in sensitivity due to his blindness. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"
"No, I just realized… my birthday passed a couple of days ago," said Shikaru slowly. "I turned thirteen three days ago." How could I forget my birthday? He'd never forgotten it before. Despite the fact that he knew he would not celebrate it like a normal child, he had always looked forwards to his birthday. I must've been so busy worrying about Hanabi; it completely slipped my mind.
"Happy birthday," said the man slowly.
"Thank you," replied Shikaru softly, looking back down at the drum head. He felt, somehow, that he needed to ask this man another question. "Do you have a son?" The man hesitated. Shikaru blushed lightly. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business. Forgive me for asking such a personal question…"
"No, no, it's alright," said the man, waving him off. "And yes, I do. Or, I did. I don't truly know. I haven't seen him, or heard of him, in so many years. He would be about your age right now." He gave a small smile in Shikaru's general direction. "I sometimes wish to see him, but then I think he wouldn't like me very much… who would want to hear from a man who abandoned you at such a young age, huh?"
"I would," whispered Shikaru, his drumming hand dropping to his side. "I miss my father so much. I hardly knew him—I was very young when he died, after all—but I do wish that he'd come back. I wish it so damned hard, every day." He gave a wry smile. "They say ignorance is bliss. Well, they're wrong about that. It always hurts more to know that something might be kept from you." He looked at the blind man. "I'm sorry. I'm just bombarding you with words and criticism, and I hardly know you."
"Its fine," said the man, his own smile growing. "They say that music is the best therapy. If that is the case, then I think I'm happy to know that your soul has been cleansed… kid."
Shikaru chuckled. "I wish my soul could be cleansed," he whispered to himself, not knowing that the man could hear him. The man swallowed and gripped his knee tight. Shikaru bowed to the man, even though he couldn't see. "Thank you for listening to me, mister…"
"Shi. My name is Shi," said the man with a smile.
Shikaru nodded. "My name is… Obito." He didn't want to adopt his former name for this instant, but he didn't want to give this man the one that any sort of tracking Leaf shinobi would know. Technically speaking, all known people with the name Obito were dead. He had no actual worries using that name. He just hated using it. Calling himself Obito made him feel like the person he used to be.
Shi nodded. "It is nice to meet you, Obito," he said, holding out his hand to shake the boy's. Tentively and uncertainly, Shikaru stuck out his hand, letting the roughened palm touch his in an awkward, yet friendly handshake.
Shikaru pulled away first. "I hate to cut this so short, Shi-san, but I must go. I must bid you farewell." They're gonna wonder what's taking me so long! I don't want to keep them waiting for so long, though I wouldn't care less if I happened to piss of Sasuke-san… He snickered at the thought of the Uchiha prodigy pissed off at him.
"Wait." Shi got up, going into the pockets of his oversized jacket and pulling out what appeared to be a shining harmonica. "Take this. As a birthday present. All kids should get birthday presents, right?" Shikaru stared at this man, eyes wide. He had no memories of ever receiving a birthday gift. With a shaking, excited hand; he reached out his hand, placing his fingertips on the shining metal of the harmonica.
"A-Are you sure?" asked Shikaru uncertainly. Shi nodded, smiling again. Completely serious. "T-Thank you," he said, taking the wind instrument out of Shi's fingers, tucking it into his sweatshirt pocket. "You are a very kind man, Shi-san."
"Please, just call me Shi," said the blind man, snickering. "And you're welcome, Obito." He reached out and touched Shikaru's shoulder, running his hand along the boy's shoulder and up to his face. Shikaru was confused at first, but automatically figure out that he was just trying to 'see' who it was he was talking to. So he allowed him to run his fingertips on his face. Shi smiled and patted Shikaru's cheek. "Go ahead. I think I've kept you long enough."
Shikaru bowed again. "I cannot thank you enough, Shi. I regret that I'm simply passing through town." Shikaru swallowed, realizing what he'd just said. Great, now I know I have to run! I'm going to end up telling this man the truth, and I don't know why! Shikaru stood up, turning on his heel and running out of the shop, mortified by his verbal vomit.
'Shi' smiled at the sound of the clacking shoes of the rushing boy. He wasn't at all offended that he'd ran off. Rather, he was ecstatic. He was on Cloud Nine. He had never expected he'd be so lucky enough to be near this boy again, to even talk to him. It had been a shock, at first, when he'd actually recognized the chakra signature the boy gave off. Only one person had ever had that chakra, and he had believed there was no way he'd ever be in the same room again.
Obito… he thought with a smile. I wonder, if you would have been so courteous to me if you had known who I was… you were too young to remember me, I know, but… He was glad he'd made the split-second decision to give the kid the harmonica, which he had infused with his chakra years before. I haven't been the best to you, but what I did, and still do; has always been to protect you… and Amai!
Uchiha Shisui's smile grew into a full-blown grin, walking over to the drum that his son just touched. "I think I shall 'see' you soon… my son, Obito!"
For the past few blocks, Shikaru had been aware that he was being tailed. Using his Rinnegan, he'd been able to figure out their exact location. Their chakra signatures would give anyone else but him a sense of danger and dread, but all he felt was slight apprehension. He wasn't an idiot—he knew these people were Akatsuki.
Shikaru sat down on a bench, waiting patiently for them. He looked up at the sky, realizing the sun was close to setting. He smiled wryly. Just yesterday, I was eating Hanabi's crap hospital food while she feasted on ramen Naruto-sensei gave to her earlier… I will never have those days again, will I? Shikaru thought, deactivating the Rinnegan. He glared at the men with the black cloaks and red clouds within. "You guys walk slow," he said in a low, dangerous voice.
"I didn't think we were on a time schedule," said one of the men sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the boy's irritating attitude. Shikaru's mouth tightened upon recognizing both of them as the other two people who had helped Sasuke try to destroy Konohagakure. Jūgo… and… Suigetsu, I think? Shikaru struggled to remember. Their names hadn't been very important while he was trying to keep his home safe.
"You're not, but I could've done with someone to keep that little bitch, Sasuke, off of our asses for the trip," said Shikaru, maintaining his glare. Suigetsu's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. Shikaru smirked in amusement. "Oh, you didn't know that Sasuke was supposed to be with us? That's a surprise."
"We were only tracking you and the Uzumaki boy," said Jūgo quietly and calmly. Makes sense. We have the largest chakra signatures out of the group, I believe... "How many more are there, besides Sasuke?"
"Just one more." Shikaru was tight-lipped, unwilling to say more. Suigetsu's mouth twitched irritably, and he began to reach for his sword. Oh, you're going to strike at me? And the 'other guy's' already so excited… I didn't satiate him by killing Neji… Shikaru had spent the amount of time he had with Hanabi not only because he cared about her condition, but because he was afraid that he was going to go back and kill Neji. Seeing her managed to keep him calm. Preoccupied. Suigetsu's fingers brushed against the handle of the blade, and finally Shikaru moved. In a flash, he was sitting on Suigetsu's head, feet dangling and bumping against the older boy's chest; and his hands wrapped around the hilt of the giant sword. "Tsk, tsk," said Shikaru as Suigetsu's mind caught up. "You shouldn't threaten me. I don't do kindly with those."
Jūgo raised his hands. "Let's… not fight," he said slowly. Shikaru stared at the man. He's a coward, but I respect him. Because… he seems to be nice. "We are simply following through on orders. And our orders are to take your little group back to our base. It's as simple as that. We're not looking for any fights."
Shikaru pointed at Suigetsu's head. "I'm not either, but your friend threatened me. And the way I was raised, people who threaten me and those close to me are undeserving of any sort of mercy." Shikaru sighed, hopping off of Suigetsu, his sword in his hand. "Ooh, are you a Swordsmen of the Mist?" asked Shikaru. "I think this is called Kubikiribōchō, correct? It belonged to Momochi Zabuza, am I right?" He tested it with one hand. "It's heavy."
"Give it to me, kid," hissed Suigetsu venomously, "Or you'll regret it."
"I'll keep it, I believe," said Shikaru, placing long hilt onto his shoulder, using it to prop up the blade. "I think this will be your bargaining chip. You do not hurt me or my comrades, and I do not destroy this blade." Shikaru glared at them, activating his Rinnegan and Sharigan for effect. The two older shinobi stopped cold, and Shikaru shrugged and turned on his heel, walking away. "If you touch a hair on the woman's head, I will slice your head clean off of your body."
He had figured a while ago that if it came down to it, he would give his life to protect Hinata's. She was Hanabi's sister, for one; and the love he'd seen between her and that Kankurō guy reminded him of the few memories he had of seeing his mother and father together. He believed people deserved that sort of love.
When Shikaru had came back with the two Akatsuki members, Hinata's first reaction was to cut into the bark of the tree again while Sasuke and Naruto put out the small fire they had made. She had done it so anybody who was tracking them, besides the Akatsuki, could find them easily. Her team had developed the habit of doing such, as they were some best trackers of Konohagakure. With Shino's bugs, Hinata's eyes, and Kiba and Akamaru's noses, how could they not be?
I hope they do find us, she thought, placing her katana back into its cover.I know something bad will happen, and I want them to find us soon to prevent such a thing! She turned, nodding at Naruto. He smiled shakily, obviously wishing the same thing. He, himself, had witnessed Team Kurenai often doing such a thing, and he had chosen to say nothing because obviously Hinata didn't want to tell anybody. She was just glad he respected her wishes.
Kankurō, she thought, closing her eyes. I'm so sorry, and I hope you'll find me before something happens!
Unbeknownst to her, back in Konohagakure, a certain puppet master was joining a small group of shinobi who were leaving to track the group. They had spent the last few hours of sunlight using the entire Inuzuka clan to get a scent on at least one of the missing nin, finally picking up the strong scent of Naruto about a mile out from the village. They developed a plan to find them, and now they were leaving to find them.
Hanabi watched with teary eyes. She'd spent the entire day worrying about her sister. Kankurō sighed, walking over to the girl and allowing her to hug him. He rubbed the back of her head. "Don't you worry. I'm gonna bring her back, and I'm gonna bring back your sensei and your teammate. And Sasuke, maybe." Hanabi giggled, despite her sadness. She wanted to come, but her leg was still in bad shape, and she had been winded just walking out of the hospital that day. Kō nodded at Kankurō, who let go of the young girl. "Keep her safe," he said. "And keep her from trying to follow. Bar her window tonight." She glared at him, and Kō chuckled.
"Will do," he responded about his niece.
Kankurō nodded, fixing his scrolls on his back. It was rather heavy due to the extra scroll he decided to carry for this occasion. He nodded at Shikamaru, the unofficial leader of the search party. "Let's go," he growled, only thinking, If they touch a hair on her perfect head, I'll kill them all.