Here is an update after such a wait, so here it is.

Thanks for all the reviews, and wow we are over 300 with the story, i really wasn't sure if it was going to happen or not so thanks to all of you who have reviewed.

So a while ago i got a question of how long the story was going to be and i can safely say over 30 chapters. i just finished writing 28 it is just starting the prologue to the war, so over 30 chapters. that's something to look forward too.

Disclaimer: DNON

Enjoy the chapter

Warning: there is some content in here that is mature. no explicitness whatsoever basically mentioning or implication of some things. Kenji's darker side comes out.

Chapter 25

The Darker Side of Man


Rain Country

Amegakure

Street

Night

His onyx eyes watched his new employer head away from the building and towards a different area and being as curious as he was, he decided to follow the man. Keeping himself mostly hidden in the shadows he followed the man to a wealthier part of town. The man scarcely stopped at a door to a better looking house and just walked into the house. Creeping closer to the house he stood with his back to the wall of the home, face near a window.

Inside he could hear the struggling that was surely going on a few cursed words and then a resounding slap. His fists tightened. The man was also an abuser along with a rebel, but Sakura wasn't at this house, so who exactly was at this house? He heard the trenching of feet as two sets of footsteps made their way up what he thought would be stairs. One was definite and planted solidly on each stair as the other one was clumsy almost as if being dragged up the stairs while resisting.

He grew angry, this man was probably going to do something to the poor victim inside, correctly assuming the person was a female, even though he had a wife. This man was getting more horrendous as the hours passed. He thought of the man in disgust. He had had some 'flings' before he had met up with Sakura but he had never once taken a girl to bed without her consent.

Hearing a door slam he could only turn away from the house and disappear into the shadows until the man was done so he could get some answers. It had started to rain as he stood against a wall watching the house from afar and he was sure that it was well into the morning when Kenji finally stepped out of the house, a faint smirk of triumph on his lips as he shut the door and strode away and it sickened Sasuke.

Making sure Kenji was a fair distance away before he entered the house. Closing the door softly he made his way up the stairs and stopped at the top. Everything was silent in the house except for the faint crying he heard coming from a bedroom to his right. Stepping quietly across the floor he came to a closed door where the muffled cries were coming from.

He didn't dare enter the room without knocking as he didn't want to scare the female anymore than she already was. Knocking twice he heard a short gasp and a quick come in and he could only guess she thought he was Kenji, back for more. Opening the door he let himself inside. Looking at the room he found the bed near a side wall from the door, a girl in the bed wrapped up in sheets.

He could already make out her shaking form as he closed the door and stood as far away from her as possible not wanting to scare her. He leaned almost casually at the far side of the room across from her so she had a good view of him. He kept his arms out in front of him crossed over his chest, hoping it might make the girl feel better.

"Wh...who are you?" she asked voice quivering.

"Not important." he replied smoothly.

"What do you want?" she tightened the sheets around her.

"Answers."

"About what?

"About what just happened." her breath hitched loud enough for him to hear.

"It was nothing." She replied meekly.

"That wasn't just nothing." he retorted.

"It's none of your business. Now leave." she tried retorting back to him.

"I will get answers." he told her defiantly.

"You won't get any here." she half retorted. He huffed and disappeared.

Looking enraged he glared at the house. The girl had answers, he was sure of it. But then again it was probably his sense of timing that prevented her from talking. Who would want to talk after Kenji had been there? But there was also something familiar about the girl and he couldn't place it, but then again it was dark, but he would watch out for her again.

Rain Country

Amegakure

Kage Building

Quarters

Night

She wasn't too upset with him leaving, but the argument had kept her up, far later than she wanted to be. It was now nearing three in the morning and she was still lying in bed as restless as ever. Hearing the door open she quickly snapped her eyes shut as she feigned being asleep but it didn't fool him. She felt herself being roughly rolled over.

She tried to hit the man off of her but larger hands encased her smaller ones as she stared up into Kenji's face. The next thing she used to get him off her was her legs but within seconds of even moving one he was already straddling her and her breath caught.

"Get off." she seethed at him.

"Shut up." he hissed right back. "You listen here." he snarled at her. "You keep to yourself. What I do is none of your business. Understand?" he shook her and in response she only shook her head in defiance.

"You just don't hit people because you feel like it." she growled back. "and I won't submit to you that easily." she half mocked him and she saw his eyes again darken with anger. He leaned closer making sure their bodies could feel each other and again her breath hitched.

"Keep up that attitude and you'll see what I am capable of." he whispered threateningly to her before kissing her roughly.

Once she felt his lips over hers her mind lost it and though she was pinned to the bed she started doing her best to get the man off of her. It was only the second day at Amegakure and things were already getting out of hand. Managing to get one of her hands free she managed to raise it enough and gather a little chakra and slap his face. The kiss was broken and she turned her head away from him not wanting to make eye contact.

She could hear him grunt a little before making a spitting noise before cursing her. Feeling his weight get off her and the bed she began to relax more and her breaths started to come over smoother. Once hearing him rummage around the room a little she heard the door to the bathroom snap closed and she again rolled over to her side and crawled over to the very edge of the bed this time letting her heart rate slow as she fell asleep, though the adrenaline was still pumping through her body.

Fire Country

Forests

Near Fire/Rain Border

Day

The four stretched as they stood upon their tree branches. The trip to the border was relatively quiet as the only sound heard was the tapping of their feet upon the tree's wood. The famous orange book was once again out and looking very bright in the dense darkness of the trees.

"that book is a homing beacon for enemies." Anko snapped.

"Why say it with such distaste?" Kakashi replied smoothly with Genma and Asuma looking at the two bickering.

"Because it isn't one, rather a pornographic ensemble with words incorporated into it." She snapped.

"But a really good one." Kakashi chuckled, with the other two members laughing with him. While Anko grew angry.

It was their second day out of the village and they had just stopped to secure their holdings. The four had decided to make the small enclosed tree top area their hideout as they scouted around the area. There perimeters were 25 miles to both the north and south of the border. They would take turns patrolling the given area.

"Hey Kakashi, isn't it your turn for patrol?" Anko smirked.

"Probably."

"then why don't you get going. You have twenty five miles to cover before nightfall."

"Well, Anko don't you have patrol too, to the north. Twenty five miles to cover before nightfall." Genma laughed at the woman's expression.

"Damn you all." she snarled before starting her own patrol, the three men laughing.

"But seriously, Kakashi, you need to go to." Genma told him, and a frown became visible beneath the mask as he too sighed, stood up and started south.

Fire Country

Konoha

Hokage Tower

The sake bottle hit the desk with a dull thud and a little resounding noise indicating the empty bottle. The drink was probably the only thing that was keeping her from falling asleep. The buzz of it and especially since she had to track down a really strong sake to keep her awake for the past few days to get everything done.

The jounin teams had been sent out and now all she had to was what for their returns to send out the next wave of teams to keep up on the border patrols. The jounins that had genin teams were vaguely surprised to hear they would be leaving their teams to band together other jounin teams for patrols and for the impending battle that was sure to occur.

The jounins were seasoned enough to know that when something was going on it was no kidding matter, especially when all genin teams were halted to form other jounin teams. When it came to the inexperienced chunin and even some jounin, that were no real friends to war, they carried an excitement about them. Their pride bursting that they would be able to defend their country if war came to them. But they were misguided. If they were friends to war they would know that war was nothing to be proud of.

Winning a war was a great matter of pride but having to fight was a whole other matter. She herself had seen war before and knew very well there was nothing glamorous about it. Shinobi and kunoichi died along with the civilians caught in the way. There was the loss of loved ones and enemies, and yet even when an enemy fell there was always a part of them that almost wished for them to still be alive, because they were human too, fighting for exactly what their enemy was fighting for.

She could almost see that excitement in Naruto, who was ready to fight for his country but also for his friends and teammates. He had been in a blind rage when he had heard Sasuke had left again and had to be restrained to not go after the man, seeing how it would foil whatever Sasuke may have been thinking.

But it still bothered her. One day after Kenji had left Sasuke just picked up and left as well under direct orders not to. She knew that the Uchiha was really under no obligation to stay but if something productive didn't come out of what he was trying to accomplish it would just be another mark against him in the long run and might affect his status in the village if he returned when this was all over.

Then it hit her. Kenji knew Sasuke, and if just by chance Kenji had known that Sasuke was here.... She muttered curses as she tried to figure out who else could help her. Yelling for Shizune and as soon as the woman appeared she ordered her to get an Inuzuka in her office as soon as possible no questions asked.

It only took fifteen minutes before an Inuzuka was standing in her midst. The young man stood ready and waiting with his trusted canine by his side. She studied them over quickly before pulling dropping something on her desk that held the scent she needed.

"Glad you could make it in such short time." she remarked a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "I need you to track a scent for me." the boy nodded as the dog sat down.

"This scent belongs to Furusawa Kenji, who was here a few days ago." she held up the piece of cloth. "I want to see if this scent comes up at the Uchiha Compound."

"Why?" the boy asked.

"I have a hunch something happened."

"Of course." the boy walked forward and took the piece of cloth. He sniffed it himself before crouching down before the dog.
"Smell Akamaru." he told the dog, who obediently did so, giving off a low feral growl afterwards.

Hearing something behind him, Kiba, looked over his shoulder to see the Hokage standing over him. She nodded that she was ready to get going and the three started off towards the compound with Shizune in tow. When approaching the compound Akamaru stuck his nose to the ground to begin sniffing, and once inside the compound the dog and boy led them straight towards Sasuke's house. Once inside the house the four stopped.

Kiba looked around the room before moving in towards what was the living room followed by Akamaru, whose nose was still sniffing the ground. The white dog was led to a corner and wall where both Kiba and Akamaru smelled the scent the strongest.
"He was here and so was the Uchiha. Something must have gone on." Kiba informed them and all Tsunade wanted to do was to punch something.

She was right. The two had communicated with each other. Though a part of her told her to trust the Uchiha, she just wasn't sure if she could. The boy had made a lot of mistakes in the last few years of her life and for right now all she could do was determine that the Uchiha was working for the rebels and was on their side until she heard differently. Turning on her heel she readily left the house and compound.

Rain Country

Amegakure

Kage Building

Kage Office

He had been in the office since before daybreak and working non-stop on his plans for the rebels and more pointedly, Konoha. Sakura's defiance had snapped something in him and he was suddenly eager to destroy just a little bit of Konoha, but which part. She was closest to those in the hospital, so one area that would get destroyed would be the hospital area of the city.

Unconsciously his tongue flicked against the small scab that was forming on his lip from where he had bitten himself the night before when Sakura had slapped him. In his rage he had thought about finishing what he had begun with his kiss, but he knew better than to deal with such resistance when she was on full guard and had her chakra at her disposal. If he wanted to do anything he would have to make sure that she wouldn't be able to use her chakra.

But that might not be necessary if she cooperated with what he told her about threatening Konoha. He knew that if the Uchiha was in Konoha, that Sakura might very well know that he was a rebel, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure of it and until he was he would act like nothing was out of the normal, he would just have keep a close eye on things, and he would have to make sure Akiko didn't run her mouth about anything either.

He wasn't ready to silence the girl yet, but if he had too he would, but then it would draw questions and glances to him. Everyone knew that Akiko worked for him. Her father was the only one who knew how far the working for went. Everyone else just saw her as a secretary that he had, that was a personal secretary.

But he knew that beyond the others that would question him about what happened, Sakura would question him as well and she would be harder to fool then the others. He knew she wasn't some dumb girl. He had heard the stories that a long time ago she wasn't particularly the sharpest shinobi, as she payed more attention to boys than training. But those days were gone, she was a full fledged medical ninja, that knew exactly who she was and what she was doing and could probably kill in countless ways and he really didn't want to disturb Konoha this early on in the game.

Hearing a knock on the door he answered for them to come in. Glancing up he saw Akiko enter into the room. A dark purple shirt and a black skirt. He could see the bruise that marred the side of her right eye and upper right cheek bone. Her hands wrung as she stood before him.

"My father wishes to apologize for his behavior." she mumbled quietly though he could hear her.

"Make sure he doesn't upset me again." he sternly told her. "He wouldn't another replay of what happened, I'm sure." she nodded and began to leave the room. "and next time, don't go telling my wife about your problems." he ordered her and she gave off another nod before she fully exited the room.

Eyes narrowed, he knew he would have to keep a watch out for insubordination among the closest people. It wouldn't help him if when he was so close to having everything come together and fall into place that it would all just be taken away from him, right at the edge of victory. It was only an hour later that Akiko returned to the room with a message that both Sato and Akira had just entered into Cloud and were doing quite well already. The news only comforted him more that everything would work out.

Rain Country

Amegakure

Kage Building

Quarters

She was infinitely grateful that Kenji didn't come back to bed after she was able to get him off her. For a moment last night she was almost sure that Kenji would do something greater than what he did to her, but she was glad he didn't. When she had awoken the next morning the sheets weren't any more rumpled than when she had fallen asleep and listening she couldn't hear Kenji at all.

She knew she would have be more careful about things now. It was only two days and things were already starting to look bad, especially since he had used action towards Konoha against her. Getting out of the bed she stretched and yawned, eyes again drifting to the closed off room. She knew she had told Akiko that she would wait, but after last night she wasn't sure if she should. She could still look she just wouldn't write a letter, at least not yet.

Approaching the door seemed like it took a long time but in reality it was only a few short steps. Akiko had told her she wouldn't like what was in the room, but was exactly in the room? If it wasn't a mission curiosity probably would have driven her to look inside the room, just to see what might the man that owned the room might be hiding.

"Please don't go in there." a small voice behind her said. Looking over her shoulder she could see Akiko standing in the other doorway, one hand clutching her opposite upper arm, a defeated look on her face. "Just wait a little longer......for my sake." the girl whispered the last part.

Sakura looked back at the girl, with concern written in her eyes. She seemed genuinely scared at the present moment and Sakura could make out the outline of a dark bruise along the upper right side of her face. There was also a little cut on her upper lip and she could vaguely see some small, almost bite like bruises on her lower neck and a darkening shadow on one of her wrists.

Sakura stepped away from the room to turn fully to get a better look at the girl, who was seemingly cowering in the other doorway. Sakura moved her hand and motioned for the other woman to step forward into a better light so she could see the full extent of the bodily harm that had seemingly been done to the girl and as soon as the girl stepped into the light she could see the marks.

Brows furrowing and forehead creasing she didn't say anything as she took the girl gently by the wrist and led her out into the living area of the apartment and set her down on the couch before getting some antiseptic from a cupboard in the bathroom and then sitting on the same couch, facing the girl. Taking up the wrists she pushed back the billowing sleeves that were arm length to get a better look at the damage.

It was extensive. She could clearly see the faint outlines of human hands that had gripped the small hand and wrist. There were dark purple bruising where the fingers had dug into the skin and a lighter blue where there was certainly the spaces between the fingers. Letting some chakra go she partially healed the bruises to make them more faded and less noticeable.

Turning to the girl's face she pushed a few dark locks behind her ear, catching the wince that the girl gave when she brushed against the bruised flesh. Gently laying her hand against the bruised area, again she gave off green chakra to partially heal the bruising and make it so it wasn't as tender as it was before. When the bruising had diminished she gently turned the girl's head to look at the cut that was along her upper lip.

Twisting the cap off the antiseptic she squeezed a little onto her hand and then gently rubbed it over the cup that was on the marred face. Akiko's upper lip twitched when she felt the coolness of the antiseptic on her sensitive lip. She only looked at Sakura when she heard the cap of the antiseptic being placed back onto the little tube.

"Why?" she asked Sakura in a meek voice, looking at the woman who was more compassionate than anyone she had really ever known.

"No one deserves to get beaten." Sakura replied standing up and going back to replace the antiseptic. Coming out again she gave the slightly younger girl a smile and then offered to make some food for them. Akiko graciously nodded, studying the woman.

She knew that Sakura would be a perfect person to get to help her and her father escape Kenji's hand. Sakura was right no one deserved this treatment. The beating and the other cruel ministrations. Amegakure may not have been exactly the most pleasant place but it should be better than men who plundered for their gain. Only a few more days to get to know her before she would tell Sakura everything she needed to and to let her into the room.

Hope that was a good chapter. and yeah that Akiko is starting to trust Sakura a little. and now we can all officially say we hate Kenji :)

Next Chapter: Time skip, only a week so don't panic. Kenji's plans, Sakura and Akiko talk and Sakura goes into the room, an encoded note is written and deciphered, Sasuke and Akiko meet in daylight, and a little apart fluff between Sasuke and Sakura :)

Next Update: my mind is a little frazzled right now from some news i got during my vacation, and it is making me not want to write, but i will try to get the next update out on wednesday or thursday. i am not sure when, but i won't make you wait too long.

I have another poll going just for fun so go do it.

Please review:)

yoyo