Sasuke (Reaper): It's strange…I've never been a big player in Rain's Fanfics before….

Sasuke (Hellfire): Yeah but the two of us are breaking that trend.

Sasuke (Reaper): It is strange. You seem happier.

Sasuke (Hellfire): Well knowing what I know, once we all come back from vacation, things will be great. Besides, knowing the truth can do that.

Sasuke (Reaper): Truth….Hm…

Reaper's Blood: Final Mix
Chapter Thirty - One

Team Seven walked down the lonely street with Denka in the lead. They had been walking for twenty minutes and during that time, Sasuke felt anxiety rising throughout him.

It was the first time in a very long time that he felt such feelings and that was because of that person.

Tamaki and Nekobaa

His first love and surrogate grandmother respectively.

They seemed to remember him but would they still see him as the kid they knew or would they see the darkness that had replaced him. He didn't know why he was so hung up on this. It never mattered before…

So why now?

Was it because he was facing his past by seeing those two again?

"This is place is very beautiful in a gothic sort of way…." Sai said as he painted on the right side of Sasuke. "I've always enjoyed scenery like this…"

"Same here…" Sasuke replied. "It feels like a home away from home…"

"You're more distant than usual Uchiha-san," Sai said

"Everything is fine," Sasuke replied with a frown. "Just a lot on my mind…"

Sasuke actually liked Sai. While he was weird and could be very blunt at times, it was rather refreshing to the Uchiha.

"Like what Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked from his left.

"Just a lot," Sasuke replied a little more firmly.

"You're still the same Sasuke-kun," Denka said as he looked back. "Not as whiny as before but still keeping things close to the vest."

"Oh yeah, you knew Sasuke when he was a kid," Kakashi noted.

"Yeah! Tell us about him?" Sakura said.

"How about we not and say we did," Sasuke said with a firm expression on his face.

Denka laughed and said "I see you being a grump hasn't changed either."

The group continued to walk until that familiar small brown house with dozens of cats walking around it came into view and Sasuke felt his spirits rise alongside his nervousness. "Welcome to the home of Nekobaa," Denka said as he walked to the door and cracked it open.

Inside there were various pictures, many of which Sasuke recognized and many he didn't. The ones he recognized were the ones with a younger version of himself and Itachi and sometimes, his mother.

"Wow, this is a cozy place," Kakashi commented.

Sasuke walked to a desk that held a single bell and tapped it twice but then he paused when he saw a picture hanging on the wall behind the desk. While the others were distracted with the décor of the small shop, Sasuke flipped over the desk and walked to the wall and pulled off the picture that caught his eyes.

It was a picture his mother.

She had a baby bump and by how young she looked, it could have been Itachi in her stomach and it didn't take Sasuke long to realize that beside her was Naruto's mom, Kushina. Kushina had one arm wrapped around his young mother's shoulders and his mother's head laid against Kushina's shoulder.

The duo had matching smiles on their faces, both of them holding up the peace sign. Sasuke lifted up the picture and stared at. His mom looked so at peace beside Naruto's mother…It almost reminded him of whenever he saw her with his fath-

Sasuke's eyes widened with realization.

"No fucking way…" Sasuke whispered.

"Wow…She has a lot of pictures," Sakura commented in the background.

"Yes…I never knew anyone so enamored with cats…" Sai replied.

"Certainly eccentric…" Kakashi's voice added on.

All Sasuke could do was stare at the picture.

It made sense…The way his mother always referred to Kushina as "My Kushina," how she seemed to fawn over her in her journal and damning of all, how hurt she was at Kushina's "Death." How did he not realize it?

"Maybe I'm blowing it out of proportion…" Sasuke thought. His mother never mentioned anything about loving Kushina in that way.

Or maybe…

She didn't know she was in love with Kushina…

But that begs to question…What did Kushina think of his mother?

"You okay Sasuke?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Y-Yeah…Just looking at this picture of my mom and her best friend," Sasuke said.

"Oh…" Kakashi said softly as he gazed at the photo. "Interesting. That's Uzumaki Kushina…"

"Yeah…You know her?" Sasuke asked as he looked at his teacher.

"Yeah…She was a wonderful woman," Kakashi said. "She was a beautiful, fiery spirit. Was on par with the Yondaime in terms of strength. She was the heart of Konoha it was disheartening when she passed away."

'And yet you all disrespect her and the Yondaime's son,' Sasuke thought with anger but then he blinked in surprise.

He had never felt so angry for someone before. Especially the dope known as Uzumaki Naruto. But something about this entire experience has made him look at the blond shinobi a little more favorably. "I see," Sasuke said out loud as he sat the picture back down.

He would have to snag this later.

"Sasuke-kun?" a familiar voice gasped out in shock.

Sasuke felt his heart leap into his throat as he turned around. Standing at the stairway was a girl his age with flowing brown hair that reached below her waist. She wore a sleeveless red blouse, light-colored pants, fishnet stockings as well as sandals along with bandages wrapped around her upper left hand.

But it was her hazel eyes and that beautiful smile that sat on her face that he remembered the most. "T-Tamaki-chan…" Sasuke stammered out. Her smile seemed to widen before she ran down the stairs and launched herself at him with a laugh.

Sasuke caught her and couldn't help but laugh as well as he spun around from the impact, his arms wrapping around her body. He sat her down and immediately felt her hand touch his face. "You've grown taller than me shorty," she teased.

"Growth spurt the last time I saw you," Sasuke said softly.

"I can tell…" Tamaki said as she gazed into his eyes. Sasuke looked away but she gingerly turned it back to gaze into his eyes. "Still the same old Sasuke. Bashful around cute girls," Tamaki said gingerly before she hugged him tightly.

The worry that Sasuke had before melted away as he returned her tight embrace. It had been so long since he got a hug filled with warmth and caring and it was even longer since he saw the girl before him.

He felt…lighter somehow…

"Ahem!" Sakura's voice exclaimed, which caused the two to separate and to look at her surprisingly angry face.

"Oh! Forgive me," Tamaki said as she pulled away from Sasuke and held out her hand to Sakura. "I was so focused on him that I must have come off as rude…Name's Tamaki. Sasuke-kun's best friend."

Sasuke could see that Sakura was taken aback by the pleasant and genuine tone in Tamaki's voice. She was still as friendly as she was back then…

"Haruno Sakura…" Sakura replied as she shook Tamaki's hand hesitantly. "Sasuke-kun's teammate…"

"Nice to meet you Sakura-chan," Tamaki said with a smile before she held out her hand to Sai. He shook it and introduced himself and after him, Kakashi did the same thing.

"So, what are you doing back here after so long?" Tamaki asked Sasuke before she blinked and laid a playful bop on the top of his head. "Also, do you know how to write?"

"I've been busy," Sasuke said with a light grin. "Training to avenge my clan and all that."

It was funny how easy it was to feel happy and free around her.

"I know…It was awful what Itachi did to your family. I hope you get your revenge for them," Tamaki said with conviction in her face.

"Believe me, I plan to give him that and more," Sasuke replied with a determined smirk. "But that is for later. For now, we're here on a mission. Is Nekobaa here?"

"She just woke up a few moments ago when the bell chimed. I'll go grab her!" Tamaki said as she quickly hugged him again and whispered "It's so good to see you again…" before she ran off.

Sasuke let out a light laugh before he felt eyes gazing at him.

He turned around to see his team gazing at him in surprise.

"That is the first time I saw him smile," Sai commented.

"Truly a rare treat," Kakashi joked.

Sakura remained silent but he could see there was something troubling her.

Perhaps she saw something in his interaction with Tamaki that told her something he had been telling her for ages. "Sasu-chan!" A voice filled with warmth exclaimed happily, which caused him to look away from his team and back at the stairs.

He watched as the familiar portly, gray haired old woman, who was walking towards him. Sasuke couldn't help but let out a small laugh when she immediately embraced him.

He had missed her hugs.

"It has been some time Nekobaa," Sasuke replied, his voice taking on a hint of warmth. Even at this age and despite the many years apart, she exuded happiness that seemed to imprint itself in him.

"My dear little Sasu-chan…" Nekobaa leaned back and observed him with a smile and said "My, you've grown so much Sasuke. You are a spitting image of your mother. Kami rest her soul."

Sasuke couldn't help to allow the small smile on his face to grow. For a normal person, he would have pushed them away but the older woman was something akin to a grandmother to him. "Thank you," Sasuke replied softly.

"And who are your friends?" Nekobaa questioned as she turned her attention from him to his team.

"My name is Sai," Sai said with a light smile.

"Haruno Sakura. Pleasure to meet you," Sakura said with a beaming smile.

"Yo," Kakashi said with a bored tone. "Hatake Kakashi. The Sensei to these rugrats."

Nekobaa laughed at this and said "A pleasure to meet you all. I hope you bunch have been looking out for my surrogate grandson here."

"Grandson?" Sakura asked.

"Oh yes. Makito-chan would often bring these two with her when they were younger and soon, they started to come here on their own," Nekobaa explained. "But it had been many years since this has occurred. Understandable reasons however. But enough about that. What brings you all here?"

"We were here to grab some munitions left by my clan and to take care of some unsavory black marketeers in the area." Sasuke explained.

"Ah I see," Nekobaa said with a smile. "Well you do not need to worry about some of the more ill-favored black marketeers. They have already been dealt with."

"Oh really?" Kakashi questioned.

"Really," Denka replied with a satisfied tone.

"I'd trust them," Sasuke said. "They are very good at making some problems disappear."

"I'll leave it to your judgement then Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Well, where are the munitions?"

Nekobaa merely turned to Sasuke and smiled and immediately, Sasuke felt a chill go up his spine. "Not there….Anywhere but there…"

"It was under Uchiha orders dear Grandson," Nekobaa said with a grin.

"Um…Where is it?" Sai questioned.

"The Cat Fortress…" Sasuke muttered with a frown. "Let me guess, Nekomata is guarding it?"

"Nekomata is guarding it and you know what that means," Nekobaa replied.

"Yes I do…" Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Oh I got to see this," Denka said with an amused tone.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"In order to complete our mission, we'll need to sneak into the Cat fortress and fight Nekomata and if I-Itachi said was true, that's going to be tough," Sasuke said.

"I see. If this is the only way, we'll do it," Kakashi replied.

"Very well, we need to move at once," Sasuke said to his team.

The team nodded and Nekobaa said to Denka "Do you mind leading these three to the fortress. Sasuke-chan will catch up momentarily."

Denka nodded and motioned for the three shinobi to leave, leaving Sasuke and Nekobaa alone. "Sasuke-chan…I was asked to give you this…" Nekobaa said as she reached into her sleeve and removed a scroll and held it out to him.

Sasuke looked at the scroll then took it as he asked "What is this for?"

"In the chamber behind Nekomata where the munitions are…There is a seal on the floor that will lead you to the basement of the fortress. This seal is to activate it," Nekobaa explained.

"What? Why?" Sasuke asked.

"I do not know. However, it is something that Itachi delivered to me a few nights after that night. Claims it is something that you will need to see. I know nothing more than that…" Nekobaa said with an apologetic smile.

Sasuke took the scroll and eyed it curiously before he nodded and said "I'll check it out. Thanks Nekobaa."

"Anytime child. Now go and good luck," Nekobaa said.

Sasuke nodded and started to walk off before he heard "Hold up!"

He turned around to see Tamaki fiddling with her sandals. "You tagging along?" Sasuke asked.

"I haven't see you in forever Sasuke-kun," Tamaki replied as she successful slipped on the sandal. "You think I'm letting you out of my sight again?"

"Very well," Sasuke said with a large grin, which she returned with a smile.

Yes…Despite the mystery of his clan, his mother and her relationship with Kushina and the mysterious scroll Nekobaa gave him, he felt lighter than air.

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. So I know Sasuke was little OOC in this chapter but I figured this was the best time for it. He's discovering a lot more about his mother and the coup and seeing two people that reminded him of better times so he's more himself than he's felt since his clan's demise.

Especially since Tamaki is back.

Sorry Kiba but trust me when I say, you won't be when later.

Kiba: Coolio Rain!

Rain: So the next chapter will deal with Nekomata and the Cat palace and also, a huge discovery will be found. I wonder if you all can guess what it is. So until the next chapter…

Sasuke (Reaper): This should be…fun…