Author's Note: Sorry for how long the update took. You must understand, my faithful readers, that this time of year is horribly busy for this author. I'm always doing something that does not involve a laptop. Anyways, read on. Oh, and make sure to read the bottom as well...
Aniwolfgirl: I hope this one is as descriptive as the others. . There's a lot of POV switching going on so I hope no one gets confused with time lapses and all. It's not a filler and it holds a lot of signifigance, so I hope this excuses how long it took me to update. So sorry love, and thank you for reviewing! xoxo
greenbeansrock: Well hello there! I'm not necessarily holding it for ransom, because I try not to do that, it's just that this time of year is busy for me. Most of the year, I'm doing absolutely nothing, but from January until the first of June I'm never home. Now, I'm glad you've become addicted to my story, dear! I love getting new readers/reviewers! =3 I hope I'm keeping you entertained! Though, if you read it in only two days I assume I have! ;) xoxo!
ShiroKoneko82: -squeals!- I love getting old Quizilla! readers of this story! You guys are what kept me going through all the craziness on Quizilla during this story and others. -.- Anyways, since you know a lot of what is going to happen, or so you think, I'll go ahead and inform there's a LOT of difference going down besides the ones you've already obviously seen. T_T You... called this story... legendary... I'm so honored! Really, truly I am! Thank you so much! =3 Hopefully this edition is twice as good as the first ever TIASV. Read on and thank you soo much for being a faithful reader of forever, darling! xoxo!
READ 'NEXT IN' AT BOTTOM!
XXI: Sasuke's Decision
Uchiha Sasuke
First Person's Point of View
"Hey Sasuke?" Naruto appeared from the room he had claimed, directly across the hall from me. Sayomi's room remained untouched and neither of us dared to take anything from it. "I found this on table. Do you know anything about it?"
I stared at the envelope in his hands, thick and bulging with handwriting scribbled across the front of it. He followed my gaze and handed it to me, and immediately I knew that long, messy drawl on the front of it.
"'To my boys.'" I watched Naruto blink, wondering. He did not recognize it as I had, but I knew who had left it to us. "It's from Sayomi."
"Oh." Naruto had taken her departure hard, almost as hard as I had though I did not show it like he did. Sakura had cried, but that was expected. Despite everything, we could always rely on her to be the most emotional of everyone, even if Naruto wept inwardly. "What could it be? Let's open it together."
I agreed; it is what she would have wanted us to do. Naruto stepped closer and we pried open the sealed envelope before I reached in, tugging it out. From within, something we never expected came. We stared in awe and I noticed how his fists balled up and quivered.
"Money. She left us money." Naruto took the mass of paper from my hands and counted through it, gaping. "I have never seen so much in my entire life!"
Inside, a single note was left to go along with it and I had the honor of unfolding it, heart thundering. I read it aloud, "'Sasuke, Naruto, inside is all the money you will ever need to live on. Along with the clothes I purchased before leaving and the groceries I stocked to the brim in the cabinets and fridge, I thought you might need this. Don't worry about the rent on the house or the bills, I will be taking care of it for the duration of your stay there. This is all the other money I have ever saved up when I simply had no time to spend it. Don't be upset with me please. You could use it more than I could, and if I could do anything with it, I would give it to the two of you. I knew I did not spend it for a reason. Just knowing you have it brings me more joy than you could ever imagine. Spend it on anything you need or want. With all my love, Sayomi.'"
"Wow, I don't know what to say. Believe it," whispered the blonde, tears collecting in his eyes. "I miss Sayomi-sensei already."
I nod, agreeing in the only way I could. Words would not come to my throat and I knew with all my heart that the thoughts I had been mulling over the last two weeks she was gone would disappoint her. I did not want to do it, above all else, but I knew I needed to. She would chastise me, that much was obvious, but she would have to understand in time. I needed her to, if only for my own sanity.
Unconsciously, my fingers skim the mark on my neck.
"Hey Sas, how about we go out and get something to eat, yeah? Come on."
I followed behind him, though we agreed to only take a small sum of the money and put the rest into the safe hidden in Sayomi's closet. It was still her room, no matter if she lived here or not.
"Hurry up Sasuke! We have to go!"
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
It was late that night when I began sifting through my drawers, trying to find a set of clean pajamas. Naruto and I had not been off to clean our clothes yet, if only because of the note we found earlier this week.
I finally yanked out a set of silk ones, the darkest of blues, and when I began to pull my arm through a piece of paper fell to the ground. Clearly confused and believing it to be from Sayomi, I snatched it off the floor and carefully opened it.
"'I know more about you than you will ever believe, little Jounin. Soon, you will seek me and I will show you everything you've ever wished to learn. Soon... – Jounin-sensei.'"
I felt sick to my stomach as my eyes narrowed on the letter. Jounin-sensei had been revealed as Orochimaru and to think he knew things on Sayomi she did not know herself was unnerving. It solidified my decision then and there. I would leave soon, within the week, and I would go to her. I had a gift I had saved ever since she gave me this necklace for, and now would be the perfect time to give it to her.
I would protect her from the world, if I could. From Itachi, Kisame, and now from Orochimaru too, and in the process I would learn everything I could from him of her. If anyone should tell her secrets of her past, it would be me, no matter where I learned them. It might help Orochimaru to stay away from her if I knew how to properly divert him.
I tucked the note away, hiding it so Naruto would never see it. He would do something stupid, as was expected of him. For now, I needed to bide my time.
God, I never thought I'd miss someone like I do her.
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
Hatake Kakashi
First Person's Point of View
"Kakashi?"
I turned my head when I heard the newcomer approach. I could recognize that voice anywhere, and sure enough, Gai stood there, waiting for a reaction. He had come looking for me, that was obvious, and the only place he would come first was obvious.
The K.I.A. stone.
"Hello Gai," I said softly, smiling beneath my mask at the man. He did not seem to want a challenge today, for he simply stood to my left and stared at the stone.
"You miss her, don't you?"
My eye narrowed slightly and my gaze was placed on the man. He was not staring at the stone, as I had believed, but instead off into the trees surrounding the quiet clearing. He did not mean Rin, but instead someone else. The person he meant was new, older, and someone that had just left us.
"I will not say I don't, but I worry over the Genin. Sasuke especially. He was quite attached to her, if you didn't know."
Gai nodded and replied, "I heard they were living in her old house for now. Naruto is probably going to be leaving soon with Jiraiya, whenever the old man decides to depart. Sasuke will be alone there again."
"I will move in with him. Sayomi would appreciate it, I know, but I won't let her pay the rent on a house I'm living in," I admitted and I meant it. When Naruto left, I would stay with Sasuke. Yet, something did not sit well with me about the boy. He had been more silent and reserved than usual as of late. Sasuke was planning something and I was sure it would not be something we cared for.
The man beside me laughed, giving a small grin to try and lighten the mood. "She was a delicate flower, wasn't she?"
"I'm sure she would have hurt you if she heard you say that. She did not like being underestimated, you know."
"I've heard stories. Is that truly Za Youma?" I nodded and he rubbed his neck. "I would have never guessed. I suppose I'm supposed to keep that secret, right?"
"Kirigakure is a secretive village. The Kazekage was not happy another besides the Hokage had learned of her real identity. I'm sure most of the village knows it, but they would never breathe it aloud. Sayomi would have made sure they did not," I explained, moving my eyes back to the K.I.A. stone.
"She isn't dead, Kakashi. I will gladly accompany you to visit her!" Gai grinned, lightening the mood considerably. I could not help but chuckle at him.
"You truly are a pervert."
"How dare you! I challenge you to a race around Konoha on only our fingertips!" Gai pointed accusingly at me, but I knew his intentions. He was trying to cheer me up, and it had worked.
"I'll give you a head start," I murmured, shaking my head.
"You'll regret it!" With that, he took off, jumping forward after a few meters and using his fingertips to run him around the town.
I did not immediately follow, but instead looked up at the setting sun. "Sayomi... Watch out for Sasuke, whatever he does."
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
Uchiha Sasuke
First Persons Point of View
[Elapsed Time]
Sakura was unconscious and it was my doing. I could not help myself, but I had to leave. If I did not, I would never grow strong enough to defeat him. He was after Sayomi and I could not let him have her. I would never allow him to have her. She meant too much to me and I was not strong enough to protect her, or kill him.
In the distance, a group waited for me. The late hour cloaked us, but the moment I was close enough they grinned. I did not listen to their words, I was worried about other things.
Before I went to Orochimaru, I would make a stop that was completely out of my way. I had to, if only to give her this. I needed to, I wanted to, and I would have this. I was an avenger first, but I had someone to fight for now. I would not leave for what could be years without seeing her one last time.
I was doing this for her too.
'Sayomi...'
-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-
Kobayashi Sayomi
First Persons Point of View
I yawned, entering my apartment in the earliest hours of the morning. I had just finished off another rogue and delivered the head to Mei a short hour ago. Now, it was time for a shower and then much deserved rest.
Though I loved going off on my own with just Youko as a companion, it really did cause me to miss the Genin and Kakashi. I looked up at the moon each night, wondering if they were thinking of me as they stared at it as well. I never believed I would miss them so very much.
"Did you send off the rent check to Konoha?" Youko grumbled, breaking me from a trance I had not realized I was in, standing stock-still in the middle of my living room. This house looked far too much like the one in Konohagakure...
I nodded, peeling my clothes from my form and tugging on a robe that was hanging on a nearby hook. I smiled beneath the fabric of my mask, rubbing the soft material against skin that had dried sweat and blood caked on it.
"I'll make some hot tea so we can sleep well," Youko huffed, lightly smacking me with his large tail. "Go take a shower. Keep the water running for me, would you?"
"Of course, Master," I snorted, forcing a smile at the nin-fox. He showed his teeth in return, the only way he could really grin, and I sauntered down the hallway towards the bathroom.
Before I could get very far, I noticed the door to my room was open. My eyes narrowed, body assuming a low crouch and hands already going into the appropriate hand sign for my signature jutsu. I crept slowly, never making a noise and as silent as the grave. Za Youma...
Without hesitating, I threw the door open and began doing the signs. I stopped short, realizing I was alone and feeling that no other was in this room. It held a peculiar scent, one both recognizable and comforting. I would recognize that smell anywhere.
"Sasuke?" I called into the darkness, hoping it was truly that of the boy I missed so terribly bad. No reply came, and instead I moved further into the bedroom. Nothing was amiss, yet the bed caught my eye.
I moved closer to it and when I saw what waited for me, I felt the urge to cry. Biting back the tears, I picked up the solid white rose, my favorite flower, and twirled it beneath my nose over the mask. The smell was intoxicating, but it was not the only thing left to me. An envelope was accompanying it against my pillow, and with nimble fingers I ripped it open.
A letter was waiting, but the envelope still felt heavier than it should. From within, I pulled out a necklace that much resembled the very one I had given Uchiha Sasuke. A kunai, black as the night with a red jewel fixed into it on a silver chain, glittered in the darkness, catching what little moonlight came through. On the back, engraved in neat letters were the words, 'Love Forever.' The phrase was almost identical to the one I had engraved on his, save the final word, which really meant the same thing.
I clasped it around my neck, loving the feel of it against my chest. It reminded me so very greatly of Sasuke and I beamed into the darkness. My eyes softened and I pull the letter out fully, flipping it open and letting my eyes scan the short, simple wording.
"Youko!" I screamed, and the nin-fox was by my side immediately. "Youko, something has happened!"
"Let me see this," he ordered and jumped upon the bed to properly read it. "'Sayomi, never forget. I am always by your side. Love, Sasuke.'" His red eyes widened and he stared up at me. "Uchiha Sasuke does not even write 'love' lightly. His words are troubling. What do you make of this?"
"He has gone." I sunk down on the bed and shock consumed my body. "He's left Konoha. I am almost sure of it, but where he would go is unknown."
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Who the hell..." Youko glanced at me and motioned his muzzle for me to stay put. He bounded down the hall and I heard the door open after a few minutes. "Sayomi!"
I leapt to my feet, hoping it was Sasuke at my door, coming to tell me he was moving to Kirigakure. I knew better, but how I longed for it. Thus, I was disappointed and not at all surprised to find a man in a Kirigakure hitai-ate standing in my living room. He bowed his head in silent respect before he began to speak.
"Mizukage-sama received important news just moments after you left, Sayomi-senpai," he called, producing a scroll. "It says that Uchiha Sasuke has been declared a missing nin from Konohagakure no Sato and that he was spotted on our borders before fleeing in the opposite direction. We wish to know if he has come and harmed you in anyway."
I growled, unfurling the scroll and reading a formal document to say Sasuke was no longer part of Konoha. "You will leave my home immediately! This is business I will take up with our Mizukage!"
He seemed flustered, embarrassed and afraid. "I am sorry, Sayomi-senpai, but I have been instructed to search your house by the Search Division in case he came back here."
"Do you worst then. If anything comes up missing, I will make sure you never see the light of day again, understood?" I stomped back to my room with him close on my heels. As he searched my room, I unabashedly changed back into the gear I had on previously, making sure to pocket the note and tuck the rose into my hair. "I will be at the Mizukage's office if you find anything important. Damned Search Division. I will make sure you are all punished for this blasphemy."
With that, I was out of the door and at the Mizukage's tower in little time, Youko hot on my heels. I ignored all the calls and good tidings, heading straight for the topmost portion of the building and the office of Terumi Mei. The secretary did not even attempt to stop me as I barged in, stomping up to Mei's desk.
"Mei, what the hell is going on?" I snapped, shaking in rage.
She sighed, turning hard eyes on me. "I've already informed Konoha that, should they ever put him in the Bingo Book and need assistance, Kirigakure will not give it in respect to various parties here. It does not seem like they will be putting him in anytime soon. I'm so sorry, Sayo."
"What about the guy searching my house?" I hissed, fists clenching on her desk. "Can you explain that?"
"I never gave an order to search your house," she mumbled, blinking. I stopped, staring open-mouthed and blinking. "Sayomi, I just ordered someone to bring you the scroll. I would be the only one with clearance to have your home searched. Even then, I know you'd tell me if Sasuke had come here so we could get this straightened out."
It clicked immediately, fear and anger tugging at every limb. "Sasuke was here and he left this." I threw her the note. "I have to get back to my house. Someone is in some deep shit!"
"I'll accompany you." Mei stood from her desk and the two of us moved to the window before leaping out, ignoring the shouts of the secretary. We did not stop running until we were on the very edge of the village and in front of my humble home. By this time, the sky had begun to turn multiple colors, signaling the sun would be up soon enough. For now, we had larger matters at hand.
Mei, Youko, and I entered the house, brandishing various weapons and preparing ourselves for whatever might be lurking within. If it was simply a part of the Search Division, someone would be in deep trouble for not gaining clearance from the Mizukage.
What we found was stillness, the house just as silent as it had been when I first arrived. We stalked through, heading to the last place I had seen the man when I left; the bedroom. Sure enough, none were to be found in the house, but something else had been left.
"Sayomi, is this..." Mei trailed off, gently lifting something from the opposite pillow that Sasuke had left my note.
In her slender fingers, she held a scrap of fabric that had been cut jaggedly from the cloth with some sort of weapon. From the way it tore, a kunai was the most likely. What had us on our toes was not the fabric itself, but the colors of it and how it had been placed so explicitly on the white of my pillow.
Outside, it was black and inside... red.
Akatsuki.
Uchiha Itachi.
"SOUND THE ALARM!" Mei screamed, knowing one of the many guards that had followed her here would surely here. "WE'VE HAD A BREACH! AN AKATSUKI MEMBER HAS TAKEN ANOTHER'S FACE AND BEEN HERE! NOW DAMN IT!"
"It was Itachi," I whispered, eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "I do not know if this is a warning or a sign of something else, but I know it was him. Look at how it is cut, Mei."
She laid it flat on the bed, but I stepped forward and arranged it differently, only one part hemmed at the bottom. The red came above the black at the top, created a circle of two colors with a stem at the bottom. The shape of a fan...
"The Uchiha crest," Mei mumbled, realizing the symbol immediately. "Do you believe he is still here, Sayomi?"
"He is not," Youko piped up. "His scent carries to the woods outside of the village just barely past this house. I followed it the moment I saw the fabric. He has gone."
"But what does this mean?" Mei glared at it. "Sayomi, I need you to stay with me for the time being."
"Yes, I agree." I did not budge. "Things are at work, Mei. I fear for Sasuke."
"As you should. When I deem it safe enough, I'll allow you to set up a tracking mission to try and locate the boy, if you wish," she whispered quietly. "It will have to be top secret."
I nodded and our eyes met. "Mei, I cannot even think straight. Let me deal with all of this tomorrow. For the time being, I need hot tea, a shower, and a bed. Youko as well."
"I'll escort you to my home. Guards will be posted around the building. The villagers will see it was normal that I would have some protecting my home. None the wiser, in a matter of speaking." She grabbed up my favored robe and we made our way out of the house, allowing a team within to try and piece together clues that were probably not there.
'Sasuke... please be safe.'
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Next in 'Trust is a Sacred Vow':
Due to decline in reviews, NixxH has now decided that ONLY REVIEWERS shall receive a sneak peek of the next episode via PM. Otherwise, there will be no more sneak peeks to look forward to in the bottom of each chapter. This is another way to try and up review numbers when she is getting so many follows/favorites/readers with each chapter that comes out. Thank you, that is all.