Hey!
Only nineteen days since my last chapter! That's better than the one-month wait that has become a standard for this fic anyway...
SO...a little less depressing, this chapter, but only a little. :P I can't help it that my writing tends to steer itself towards a darker perspective though!! Anyway, no-one dies so you should be happy about that.
Read & Enjoy!
So this is the death of Akasuna no Sasori, the infamous puppet master from Sunagakure, pride of his nation, hmm? Ahaha, how pathetic. What does it matter what I've done and what I've achieved when life is so easily ended? I guess it doesn't matter. Not anymore.
I can't even feel my body anymore.
Sound is the last sense to go - so when I cannot even hear my breathing then I'll be dead.
Hmm.
Goodbye Deidara.
Goodbye world.
'Whooo! I can see the Hokages!' Kiba hollered joyfully, bringing Akamaru to a sharp halt on the top of a small hill. The trees stretching out before them went on for a good couple of miles yet but beyond them the sand-coloured cliff with it's carved landmarks faced them, the first glimpse of home in what had felt much longer than the three weeks they had actually been away for.
'Ah, i-it's good to be home,' Hinata agreed, knowing that by now they must have at least entered Konoha even if their actual town was still less than half an hour away. The good mood was spoilt somewhat though by Shino's darkened aura.
'I don't have a good feeling about this,' he voiced, although it was unnecessary because his uncertainty had already been noted by his comrades. 'My bugs are uneasy - I think we should hurry.'
The Hokage faces, next time they looked, seemed a bit different - as if Shino's words had somehow managed to darken the stone, and the next few miles were travelled in relative silence, each wondering what kind of shadowy calamity awaited them there. Needless to say, none of them expected Akatsuki.
Sasori was really beginning to annoy him; the red-head's stubborn character and silent musings being only two of his problematic personality traits. It was as if the puppet master thought the world revolved solely around him, as if the problems weighing down on him had to be sorted out before anything else could move forward - it was really bugging Itachi. This was, he supposed, why Akatsuki worked in pairs and rarely joined together to form larger forces; It was just too difficult to get used to another pair and how they worked in the short space of time allocated. The extra stress on the two pairs was just impractical, deviating their attentions away from the mission at hand. Personal problems had always waited until the end of missions to be sorted out; members immersed themselves in the successful completion of the mission and so forgot other matters. That was simply how good ninjas were supposed to function - and how Akatsuki always had until then.
Sasori though…I just can't fathom him. I can only assume that the weight of his problems was greater than we took into consideration - so great that it overrode his inbuilt system of living, his automatic fighting subconscious. His problems, at least partly, revolve around Deidara though - and so whilst I was reluctant to let him fight it out there, knowing he will take longer, perhaps it is for the better in a way. When he finally manages to kill Deidara he will manage to overcome a large portion of his problems as well. I believe he will be able to function well enough then to complete this mission before he cracks. At the very least I hope he will be able to function; it's up to him now, the success of this mission - it all depends on Sasori and his victory over Deidara.
Emerging into the sunlight from the shadows of the Hokage faces Itachi paused a moment, surveying the town with worn eyes. Failing a mission was not unheard of but it brought shame to the members - and it was never a nice thing to be the one to have to tell Pein. A small earthquake and a spiral column of water alerted Itachi to the fact that Kisame was fighting over to his left and using his sharingan he could see that there were six ANBU members attacking him. He was tempted to help his partner but decided that, overall, it would be better to head for the ANBU base and attack that outright; Kisame could handle himself fairly well against nameless opponents and so long as he, with his sharingan, could keep the rest of the ANBU busy then when Sasori came he could get through to Naruto fairly easily - and once the brat was captured it would be time to leave.
'So it really does all rest on you Sasori,' Itachi muttered grimly, keeping his eyes fixed on the ANBU base as he spoke; 'I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I really don't think I've ever left a mission hanging on such a dubious last hope before.'
Tch. What am I hesitating for? Itachi rebuked himself a moment later though; Sasori loves himself too much to die. He won't lose.
There is a kind of emptiness that overwhelms us at times in our lives, a numb feeling that blocks all other emotions; the calm before the storm. Sasori was dead, Deidara had killed him; they were just facts, nothing more. In a world where death is common, where 'murderer' is a valid job description, one life's end pales into insignificance. So why do people mourn? Surely if someone cries for one death, they should cry for all deaths - but that philosophy is stupid as it will ultimately lead to their own death (as they would not have time to eat or sleep). It makes much more sense to not cry at all. The concept of mourning is stupid. Mourning is stupid.
If mourning is stupid, as I've always believed, then why can't I stop the tears? I know it's stupid and I'm trying not to cry, but it's not in my control, hm. Thinking brings back self awareness though, and that brings the pain. Numbness is so much better than pain. Pain is a burden; I'm beginning to see Sasori's point about being a puppet with no pain and limited feelings. Aren't feelings just a burden too?
The tears did not last long; crying exhausts itself with time, leaving more emptiness and fatigue. Life is so easily banished, what's the point? Thinking though is too hard; it would be better to never think too deeply, never have to ponder the darker matters of life. Philosophising is a dull sport when one considers death and pain and negative emotions; one might say, perhaps, that it's even destructive.
I need to move, I need to get up and keep moving; I can't stay here any longer, hm. It's over.
Standing brought it's own problems; what to do now, where to go? Sasori had asked to change his last wishes, but Deidara was pretty confident that they could wait - at least a little while longer. He just needed to get away from the village, get away from the accursed mission and the trouble it had brought.
Yet…not just trouble. It didn't just bring trouble, hm.
That's right, there was Ino. He couldn't forget her, he mustn't forget her, he wouldn't forget her. Where was she though? He'd given her to Shikamaru, asked him to take her to a hospital, to help her…
I need to get to the hospital, I need to take her with me and then get out of here. Sasori…for the moment, I'll hide his body here; I'll come and collect it later. Right now, Ino is the priority. Right now, Ino is the only one who matters.
Nngh, Ino thought incoherently as she started to regain consciousness, where the hell am I? Moving her arm slightly helped her discover that she was on a bed because the light sheets were easily recognisable. With her senses quickly returning Ino was soon able to open her eyes, ascertaining that she was in one of the hospital beds…again. The window was propped open with a wedge of wood, letting a cool breeze in, and her chest, when she began to examine herself, was completely bandaged. When she tried to sit up the wound ached and pained so, taking the hint, she refrained.
What happened to me? Why am I in hospital again? Where's Deidara?
Thinking back, Ino remembered the small camp she had helped set up in the woods outside Konohagakure with Deidara and the three other Akatsuki members. Then how she had been stubborn, insisting on talking to Sasori…and how she had found out about the plan to 'kill' her. The rest came flooding back to her then, coming so quickly that she barely had a chance to process each memory before it skipped onto the next one. She had been waiting in the Hokage faces after her escape, waiting for the Deidara that never came. Sasori and Itachi had come instead, and had tried to kill her. Fleeing, she had found the stairs leading to the top of the cliff and, not wanting to endanger the citizens, had run to the edge of the cliff. It was a stupid move, now she thought back on it, but it had made sense at the time. Then Sasori had spoken to her again, with the disgust in his eyes she was so used to seeing from him, and then…?
Yes, I remember now; he threw a kunai at me, didn't he? That's why I'm here, with my chest bandaged. I guess I'm lucky I'm still alive actually! Why didn't I die? Surely I fell off the cliff…and the drop in itself is enough to kill someone…ah, I don't know. I can only think that I managed to land on something that broke my fall enough to prevent my death - and from there somebody saw me and took me to the hospital? I guess that's the most sensible guess. So then, where is Deidara? Why didn't he meet me in the Hokage faces?
Biting her lip thoughtfully, Ino almost didn't notice the door open and a head poke itself around the side, checking in on her.
'Shizune!' She gasped though when she looked up, surprised to be interrupted so suddenly from her thoughts. The black haired woman bobbed her head in recognition, entering the room fully before shutting the door behind her.
'Ino - how are you?' There was genuine concern in her voice, which Ino half-expected now - but there was also something else, something strained about her whole approach.
'Not great,' Ino admitted, guarding her own speech somewhat after realising the change in Shizune's tones; 'but better for whoever fixed me up.'
'Tsunade healed you.' Shizune took her time looking out of the window before removing the wood and letting the glass rattle closed, cutting off the breeze.
'Ah - it was nice actually, having fresh air,' Ino spoke up hesitantly, not altogether sure why Shizune had bothered shutting the window in the first place.
'Sorry, but it was getting cold in here; your back's a bit stiff from the fall so it would be better if it was kept warm.' The practical reason did nothing to alley the awkwardness.
'Where's Tsuande now?' Ino ventured, changing the topic in favour of the Hokage in the hope that Shizune would drop her guard a little and act more normal. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect as Shizune's mouth tightened and she resumed gazing out of the window with renewed vigour. After a little while though she reluctantly glanced towards Ino.
'Outside this window is a sight none of us ever wished to see. Konohagakure is being attacked. Can you guess who by?'
The way the question was asked suggested that Shizune already knew that Ino could guess and as if she was bitter about it. Ino wasn't sure what to say back; yes, she could guess quite easily who was attacking, but that didn't mean she was proud of them or endorsed the attack. Did Shizune suspect her of helping them? In a way, Ino had helped them, but only at the very start, when she had taken them into the village and shown them around; Itachi and Kisame really had very little to do with her.
'Let me see,' she answered at last, trying to lift herself up so she could see out of the window. At first Shizune resisted but finally she relented and helped prop the young blonde up into a sitting position on the bed. Outside the window the ANBU base was visible and Ino could see fire devastating the area, occasional ANBU members appearing from the blaze and throwing projectiles. Further away she caught sight of a tower of water with a dragon's head rearing up eerily form the normally-quiet streets, only to come crashing down on the surrounding buildings with sufficient force to crush them to dust. People who disregarded citizen's livelihood so completely could only be Akatsuki. It had been Ino's first guess anyhow.
'Itachi and Kisame.'
'Oh? You're on first-name terms with them now, are you?' Shizune's biting comment stung, especially considering the two ninja in question had been trying to kill her just outside the walls of Konohagakure that morning. Of course she wasn't friendly with them…but it was a force of habit to call them that after listening to Deidara and Sasori refer to them as such.
So that's why you're acting distant from me, Shizune? Because you think I'm in cahoots with Akatsuki? Ino wanted to openly accuse the other woman but stopped herself at the last minute, a worrying thought crossing her mind; aren't you, though? Deidara is technically still an Akatsuki, right? …or is he? Even if he isn't, I still let him and Sasori into the village; technically I'm in 'cahoots' with them then, right? Confused, Ino's only mode of defence was to change the subject.
'Who brought me here? How come I survived the fall?'
'Shikamaru brought you here,' was the automatic answer, quickly delivered; the rest took a little longer to come. 'He said that an Akatsuki gave you to him, that the Akatsuki had been holding you in his arms, had caught you, and was desperate for you to receive immediate medical attention. Tsunade healed you as soon as you were admitted.'
Ino took the information in silently; Itachi and Sasori had been on the cliff with her, which would only leave Kisame and Deidara as suspects for catching her. It had to be Deidara though, for Kisame wouldn't have been at all concerned for her safety; only Deidara would have asked for her to be taken to the hospital.
I miss him, she admitted to herself, staring out of the window forlornly. Where was he anyway? Itachi and Kisame were not trying to keep themselves hidden, but there was no trace of Sasori or Deidara anywhere that she could see. She wanted to get up and search for him but knew, even before Shizune berated her, that her attempt to escape the room would be impossible; she couldn't even exit the bed.
'How many of them are there?' Shizune interrogated a few minutes later, turning to eye Ino warily. It felt weird to be under suspicion like that but Ino knew that the distrust was well deserved. Should she say though? Presumably Deidara had been seen because he'd handed her to Shikamaru - and Itachi and Kisame were blatantly obvious in their attacks; did they know about Sasori though? Plus, where was Deidara? If he'd been seen and handed her over then did that mean he'd been caught?
'Shizune-' Ino started, intent on asking about Deidara, but she was cut off by the older woman.
'No, nevermind. If you don't want to tell me then I can't force you - that's not my job. Ino…there are many wounded coming into the hospital, as would be expected, and I have to leave now. Please be sensible and stay here; you won't be able to get far in that condition anyway.'
She's leaving me on my own? Even though she suspects me so much? I mean, I guess she's right about me not being able to go very far in this state but still…!
As she was leaving though Shizune added, as an afterthought, 'Though perhaps I'll send one of the juniors up to sit with you until Ibiki can get here.'
She left before Ino could say anything more or protest at Shizune's last sentence. She was OK with someone coming to sit with her, that wasn't really very troubling at all, but since when had Ibiki been mentioned? Even though she was suspicious, having Ibiki come to interrogate her was out of the question; she had to get out of there before he came.
We're almost there, Sai had to remind himself as he ran, the other members of the team sent out to Keikoto running with equal exhaustion around him. They hadn't taken a single break since they had set out from the quaint village, mindful of Akatsuki's level of ability and potential to cause damage, but that simply meant that they were all shattered. Chances were that, if they had to fight when they reached the gates of Konohagakure, it wouldn't be anywhere near their usual standard of fighting. That rather defeats the point, doesn't it?
It shocked Sai when three more ninjas appeared in front of him and his surrounding team members because he would have expected to sense their chakras; then again he supposed that, having pushed himself flat out running, he was no longer as alert as he would usually have been. Testament to this was the fact that the three ninjas weren't even trying to mask their chakra; they were friends.
'Oi! You guys, what are you doing looking so exhausted? You look half dead! (what mission were you on?)' Kiba called, a little surprised, from in front as the ninjas all ground to a halt. Kiba, Hinata and Shino along with Akamaru were relatively well rested, although it looked like they'd been hurring the last few miles, but the others were so tired that it took a while for any of them to work up enough energy to respond.
'Kiba, Hinata, Shino…I forgot you were away on a mission,' Kakashi finally replied when he'd caught his breath; 'we were sent to an area where Akatsuki were reported to have been seen, but it was a rouse; I think they slipped past us and may now be in Konohagakure. We don't have time to talk though - we need to reach the village as quickly as possible and apprehend any danger that awaits it there.'
Sai noted that the three new comers didn't look as shocked as he'd thought they would at the news. Shino explained that he'd felt as if something was wrong but it was apparent that none had been expecting Akatsuki. The dialogue did not last long, being Shino who was speaking.
'Let's go then!' Kiba enthused, wasting no more words but quickly turning and setting off towards the gates which were barely more than a quarter of a mile away. The rest followed without exception, though it was hard to move their weary limbs and get started running again once they had stopped. Sai wondered what the chances were that there would be no threat and no Akatsuki when they did finally reach the village.
The easiest way to get an answer, I suppose, will be to wait and see, was his conclusion.
Finito!
Hmm, so you might have noticed but this chapter was basically just to get things sorted out time-wise. It's all coming to a head now so expect some more fighting-based sections in the next couple of chapters, OK?
Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter;
kimichi - :D aww, thanks so much! I thought I might have been compromising the quality of this story because I wanted to end it quickly, but perhaps not. I'm glad you liked the way Sasori died; I really did want to give him a nice death!
konanxpein0 - :( I know - sad, right? But yeah, I think he's probably happier this way - and everyone else will be happier as well! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Well, I don't know how many chapters I've got left but five/six doesn't sound too unrealistic. Therefore, because I want the reviews to have reached 200 by the end of this story, could you all please help out and send in a review?
love,
~WfCP xxx :)
