Chapter 18. The Art of Love Pt. 1
"I'm trying my hardest to not act how I feel."
|Naruto|
"So," I spread my arms as I stepped into the motel room, "This is my new abode."
Sakura gave our surroundings a quick glance before looking back at me, "For how long?"
I rubbed the back of my neck, "We'll have to go through the divorce proceedings and figure out who's getting what, ya know. She can have the house and the family car; I'll just keep my tin can and—"
"Naruto." She tried to interject but I kept talking.
"Then there's the child support," I went over to the windows and opened the blinds, "Whatever she thinks they'll need I'll give, so that shouldn't be a problem. I don't know how custody works but I've heard things can get ugly, ya know. I hope we don't—"
She hugged me from behind and I faltered before clearing my throat, "W-We don't get into it like that. Boruto's sixteen so he should be able to handle it but it's Himawari that's going to…"
She tightened her grip and I stopped talking, biting down on my tongue to fight off the urge to cry.
"Daijōbu." Sakura said, turning me around to hug me from the front, "You'll get through this."
I returned her embrace and rested my head on top of hers, "Aa…arigato…"
It felt good to have her here. As soon as I had grabbed a couple things from the house, I left Konoha and drove to Tanzaku, the same town I'd taken Sakura to see a movie in. I'd called her over so we could swap stories about our attempts at reconciliation with our partners. Secretly, I hoped to hear that she too had failed to get along with Sasuke.
Instead, she told me that Sasuke had heard her out, apologized for not being there when she needed him, and that as soon as his three-month death shift was over, they would get right back on track. It took everything in me not to show that I was crushed.
After some time, we finally separated and she touched my cheek lightly before stepping back, "I'll be back with something to cheer you up."
As she turned away, I grabbed her hand, "Sakura-chan."
She looked back at me with an eyebrow slightly raised, "Yeah?"
"Never mind." I shook my head and let her go, "Be safe."
She smiled lightly, "Aa, I will."
The door clicked shut behind her and I sat down on the edge of the bed. Kicking off my shoes, I stared at the wall and propped my head up with a fist under my chin.
'Well, I did it.' I thought to myself as I tried to make images out of the yellow white paint, 'I did it.'
Two days ago, on Saturday, Hinata, Hanabi, and I had gone to Otafuku where their father lived to tell him about Hanabi's pregnancy.
"Hanabi? Hinata too? Even Naruto?" Hiashi smiled as he stepped back, "Come in, come in!"
"It's good to see you, Otou-san." I remarked as I set down the crate of oranges we'd brought, "These are for you."
"And you came bearing gifts?" He laughed heartily, "This must be a real special occasion!"
I forced a laugh as Hanabi shut the door behind us, and we removed our shoes before entering into the main house.
Although Hiashi had decided to downsize once Hanabi had moved out, I couldn't help but notice that the new house had traits reminiscent of the old Hyūga lot that remained untouched in Northern Konoha. Some of the family still lived there but as the years wore on, many had decided to move out and find their own space.
A narrow long hallway opened into a wide living room, and a small doorway by the sofa led to the kitchen.
"You guys hungry?" Hiashi called from the kitchen, "I just finished making yakisoba!"
"No thank you." Hinata pushed past me, "We ate before coming here."
She placed her hands on Hanabi's shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze, to which Hanabi nodded and we went to the kitchen.
"Actually Tou-sama," I heard Hanabi say, "There's something I have to tell you..."
I watched as they pushed him out onto the patio, and Hinata slid the screen door shut. As she did, our eyes met, and I gave her a limp smile which received a thin line in return.
I sighed to myself as I took a seat in the living room.
As soon as my shift had ended that day, I got home and managed to catch Hinata alone. Seeing as there was no point in pretending like I hadn't been away for two days, I asked her about the Konohomaru-Hanabi situation, to which she politely told me that she was handling it.
I informed her that I had promised Konohamaru I would be there for Hanabi and she remarked that I had "gone and done something unnecessary." I shot back that it couldn't be helped, and I would be coming whether she liked it or not. She told me that I could come but I should leave breaking the news to her and her sister.
I looked around Hiashi's living room and my eyes landed on a family portrait on the tv stand. A young Hinata and Hanabi stood in the center, while their parents stood on the outer sides. They were all smiling genuinely, with Hanabi's being particularly wide.
Loud voices interrupted my inspection of the photo and I got up, quickly heading to the patio. Hanabi was teary-eyed, holding her cheek while Hinata stood in between her and Hiashi.
My first instinct was to rush out there, but I remembered Hinata's warning and hid myself behind the corner before listening in.
"Tou-sama!" Hinata exclaimed, her voice full of disapproval.
"I don't want to hear anything from you!" Hiashi turned on her, "This is your fault in the first place! You were the one who convinced me to allow Hanabi to move out. She's her own person, you said! She'll be responsible! Now look at her, 28 and pregnant! Unmarried at that!"
"It's not…It's not Hinata-neesama's fault." Hanabi tried to stand up for her sister.
"You be quiet!"
"I…" Hinata took a deep breath, "I will take some blame for this. Yes, if she had still been living with you, this probably wouldn't have happened."
"Then you see—!"
"But!" Hinata interrupted, "What kind of life would she be living? In her late 20s to still be with her dad? Waiting until she finally got married to leave? How would she even get married? You didn't even allow her to date!"
"I allowed you to date." Hiashi spat bitterly, "And look what happened."
"Don't." Hinata warned him.
"I told you when you first brought him home: This one's no good. But you didn't listen to me. Then you went off to college and came back your sophomore year saying you were getting married."
Hinata's voice lowered, "Stop it."
"I should have put my foot down." Hiashi's voice got closer as the screen door slid open, "I should've objected and demanded you two separate immediately, but I didn't because this one begged me not to. Was that the plan?"
"Tou-sama—"
"Was it? She'd help you get out of the house by marrying Naruto and you'd convince me to let her out without marriage?" Hiashi laughed scornfully, "Such clever girls, it worked, I'll give you that."
"We didn't plan anything." Hinata retorted.
"Oh really?" Hiashi stepped into the kitchen, "Then it must be divine punishment for both of my daughters to be impregnated by fools."
"Tou-sama!" This time it was Hanabi who spoke out, "Konohamaru is not a fool, and neither is Naruto."
"He's his sworn younger brother, isn't he?" Hiashi hmphed, "And while you're so quick to say something, why hasn't Hinata denied it?"
"I-It's not true." Hinata stuttered.
Hiashi sighed, "You're my firstborn, I raised you to be smart so you should know better than to try and defend stupidity. That's why you married him, isn't it?"
"No, I—"
"He was young and dumb, and you had your mother's beauty; with a little wooing he was hooked. And you knew my rule, once you were married you would be free from my control. So you jumped ship with him, ne?" Hiashi laughed again, "Wanted to pull a fast one on your father?"
"Tou-sama, please…" Hinata's voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"What are you crying for? I'm telling it like it is. I'll admit, I was annoyed at the idea of having that idiot for a son-in-law, but you two did make some cute grandkids so I took solace in that." Hiashi's voice drew closer to the doorway and I inched back, "But Konohamaru? Do you remember his grandfather? They don't have a hint of beauty in their bloodline yet that's who you chose Hanabi?"
"…I love him." Hanabi finally said, to which Hiashi clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Look what love got your older sister. Sure, he became Fire Commissioner but that doesn't make up for what he is, or rather, what he's not. You were better than him, Hinata. You're still better than him. And you've got some years left in you. You can still—"
"I can still leave, is that what you're going to say?" Hinata's voice was barely above a whisper, "Let's say…let's say I do leave."
"Nee-sama!" Hanabi interjected but Hiashi shut her up.
"Go on." Hiashi said.
"L-Let's say I do leave," Hinata continued, "Who would you have me with?"
"Toneri." Hiashi answered without hesitation, "You remember him, right? Tall, good-looking, easy on the eyes…he never married you know. Never got over you. And don't worry about Boruto or Himawari, I'm sure he'd be good to them."
"Don't worry?" Hanabi repeated, regaining her spunk, "Nee-sama, you can't seriously be entertaining this."
"I…"
"Naruto loves you!"
Hiashi laughed again, "You still don't get it, do you Hanabi? Love can only take you so far. Maybe in the early years everything might have been good, but as time wears on, feelings fade. Ne, Hinata?"
"I don't believe this." Hanabi shuffled around, "So when are you going to tell him? When we're in the car or when you two get home?"
"Don't listen to her, Hinata." Hiashi spoke up, "You've finally come to your senses, so you figure out the best time on your own. I'll call up Toneri and let him know about your decision."
"I never said I was going to leave him." Hinata finally spoke again, although her tone was weak and unconvincing.
Hiashi's was gentler now, "I know it's hard. I said some mean things before, but you truly loved him at one point, right? Don't cry, that's life; lions aren't meant to wed sheep, the poor don't live with the rich, and the noble don't mix with the common. It was only a matter of time."
"And you." He must have been referring to Hanabi now, "Although it's disgraceful, I can find you a clinic faraway to take care of that mistake. Nobuo from the Taketori family is looking for someone. He's in charge of his family business, has a good head on his shoulders, and he's much better than that jumping monkey* you chose."
"You might get Nee-sama with that talk, but I love Konohamaru for real. It doesn't matter how long we're together or how hard things get. I love him, and I'll never leave him because of some outdated talk about lions and sheep." Her voice was filled with criticism.
"You don't understand." Hinata said quietly.
"You're right." Hanabi agreed, "I don't."
Suddenly, Hinata came around the corner and we stood face to face. Before she could say anything, I raised a finger to my lips and went back to the living room. We didn't speak, not even when we got home, and I avoided her all of Sunday.
'At least she'd been planning to leave too.' I thought to myself as I laid down.
Almost immediately after I shut my eyes did a knock come at the door and I got up, expecting Sakura to have returned. Instead, I opened the door to find Boruto.
"Y-Yo." I stepped aside to let him in, "What're you doing here?"
"I saw Sakura-obachan's car leaving." He ignored my question as he entered the room, "I'm guessing she's gonna be back later."
"Boruto?" I shut the door and looked at him warily.
"Inojin beat up Sai-ojichan a couple days ago. Messed him up pretty bad too. Back then, I couldn't understand why he did it, and to such an extent, ya know." He was staring out of the window, "Even after I did some digging and found out he cheated on Ino-obachan and hurt her, I still thought he was in the wrong. Now I'm beginning to understand how he felt."
He turned around and I found his usually light blue eyes to be dark and brooding, "Tou-chan, I'm gonna ask you one question and I need you to answer truthfully. Can you do that?"
I nodded.
He sighed, lowering his shoulders, "Are you cheating on Ka-chan with Sakura-obachan?"
I raised my hand to my mouth and held my chin, "Boruto—"
"Yes or no, Tou-chan. It's a simple question."
I exhaled heavily before answering, "Yes but—"
That was all I managed to get out before he came flying at me.
*Sarutobi literally means monkey jump
|Sakura|
"Order 63? Miso ramen with extra pork?" Ayame called, and I stepped to the front.
"That's me." I said, smiling as she handed me the covered bowl.
"Funny." Ayame laughed, "I was expecting Naruto to be with you. After all, this is his favorite dish."
I rolled my eyes, "Tell me about it. Every day after school."
"But you were never a fan of ramen like that." Ayame noted as she put her hands on her hips, "What changed?"
I shrugged nonchalantly, "Have to try new things, especially when I'm too tired to cook."
"I feel that. Are you stressed out because of what happened at the bank?" Ayame questioned and I raised an eyebrow.
"What happened at the bank?" I asked.
Her mouth dropped open, "You're kidding? You haven't seen the news?"
I slowly shook my head, completely clueless as to what she was talking about. I had gone to visit Naruto around 10 a.m. It was 1 p.m., what had I missed?
She switched one of the TVs to the news and I read the headline: Konoha Bank Attacked By Armed Robbers, 3 Confirmed Deaths.
"Kami in Heaven!" I raised a hand to my mouth.
"That's why I was looking at you like you were crazy!" Ayame continued, "I know the city's been a little rocky lately, but I never thought things would get this bad. Have to say though…" She lowered her voice, "The chaos is good for business."
I gave her a slight smile as I thought back to the numerous police cars I had passed on my way here.
"I'll catch you later, ne?" Ayame asked as she returned to her work.
"Yeah." I waved before exiting the restaurant.
As I was walking to my car, my phone rang, and I dug into my pocket to fish it out. In the process of doing so, I dropped the bowl.
While cursing under my breath, I finally managed to get the phone out.
"Who is it?" I asked angrily, upset about having spilled the ramen.
"Hey Sakura-san, it's Shino. Sorry to bother you but I'm calling about Sarada's attendance."
My anger faded at the mention of Sarada, "Yeah? What about it?"
"She hasn't been to school the past four days and today makes the fifth. Truancy gives her at least seven days of absence before police get involved and since I know you, I decided I wouldn't let it get to that. Is everything okay?" Shino questioned.
It was news to me that Sarada had been skipping school, but before I could worry about that I quickly brushed him off, "Everything's fine, it's just…don't worry about it, she'll be at school tomorrow, alright?"
"Sakura-san, if there's any way I can help—"
"Really Shino." I cut him off, "Thank you for calling but we're fine."
"Okay." There was doubt evident in his voice, but he made no further inquiries, "Have a nice day."
As soon as he hung up, I scrolled through my list of Contacts and quickly tapped Sarada's name. The phone rang three times before going into voicemail and I sighed aloud.
'Is she still ignoring me?' I asked myself as I redialed her number.
It went to voicemail again and I rubbed the bridge of my nose before deciding to give it one more try. If she didn't pick up, I would just wait for her at the house. After all, she had to come home some time.
Surprisingly, on the last ring, the line connected.
"Hello?" A voice I didn't recognize answered, and I wondered if this was the Mitsuki I'd heard about.
"Hi, is Sarada nearby? Can you hand her the phone?"
"Sarada?" The male repeated in clear confusion, "Sorry, I don't know who that is. I heard this phone ringing and found it on the road just now."
"…What?" My stomach curled as I began to process what he was saying.
"Yeah it was on the ground like it was dropped, or maybe thrown? It's got a huge crack on the screen. Etto…I'm at Iburi Place, I'll be standing on the corner if you wanna get it." He offered and I pushed my hair back behind my ear.
"Yes, yes I'll be there in five minutes." I hung up and quickly started my car, buckling my seatbelt.
As I pulled out onto the road, I tried to think of the last time I had seen Sarada.
'Last week.' I recalled, 'Tuesday, when I'd gone to check Ino into Tsunade's clinic. Oh, Kami.'
Seven days. I hadn't seen my daughter in seven days because I was too occupied with things that didn't matter.
"They do matter though." I looked to my side and found myself sitting in the passenger seat, "We found out Sasuke-kun's not out fighting crime like he said he would be, right?"
I groaned, "Of course you would show up to talk about this."
"Remember, I'm only here because you want me to be here. And it's okay, I get it; who wouldn't go crazy if they found out their husband lied to them so he could go on three month long vacation with his mistress."
"That's not what we learned." I turned on my blinker as I made a right turn.
"Really? Taiko told us that he and Karin put in their requests for leave at the same time. What do you make of that?"
"Nothing, I—"
"Come on now, Sakura." She shook her head, "As much as you don't want to believe it, it's true. I'm here because you want someone else to make sure you're not jumping to conclusions. Trust me, you're not. Sasuke-kun's been having an affair, like you and Ino suspected all along."
"Can we not talk about this?" I realized I had been gripping the wheel too tight and loosened my hold, "Sarada is Kami-knows-where and this discussion doesn't help me in finding out where she is."
"It'll help you figure out what to do after you've found her." She sighed, "Why did you lie to Naruto and tell him you and Sasuke-kun made up? If you'd told him the truth, you could have had him for yourself."
"I don't want him, not like that. We should've never slept together. We should've just stayed friends." I admitted.
"Hm, and did you realize this after the first or the third time you had his dick inside you?" She questioned sarcastically, and I glared at her.
"What do you want from me?" I shot back as I stopped at the red light, "Do you want me to say I enjoyed it? Fine, I enjoyed it; I liked having sex with him, okay? But I don't want to anymore."
"And I'm telling you you're stupid for that! How does Sasuke-kun having an affair make you not want to have one anymore?"
"Because I—"
"No, wait, don't tell me." She held a hand up, "You want to lie to yourself about how you have the moral high ground. Don't kid yourself; instead, why not do what he's been doing all along?"
"I don't want to…" I felt the tears building up, "Why can't you understand that I don't want to? Naruto, Sasuke, I don't want anything to do with either of them, okay? Can we just focus on Sarada right now?"
"Sakura—"
"Please?" I cut her off, "Sarada is the only thing I have left, and I have no idea where she is. If I lose her, I…I have nothing."
"…You're not…saying what I think you're saying, right?"
I wiped my nose, "Let's just find her, okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Look, the guy's right there." She pointed out a man standing on the corner.
"Thank you." I nodded as I wiped my eyes but by the time I finished, she was gone.
I rolled down my window as I pulled up to him and he peered at me curiously. He had long green hair and yellow eyes that reminded me of a cat.
"You have my daughter's phone?" I asked, trying my best to keep my voice steady.
He nodded and brought the phone out from his pocket. I sucked in a sharp breath as I confirmed it was Sarada's.
"Um, arigato." I thanked him as I took the phone, opening my handbag to grab him some bills, "It's not much but—"
He shook his hand at the money, "Don't worry about it, I'm more concerned about you. That's your daughter's phone, right?"
I bit my lip and wondered if I should tell this complete stranger anything.
He noticed my hesitation and stepped back, "I didn't mean to pry, I just…I hope you find her."
I nodded and he turned and began to walk down the street. Rolling the window back up, I looked over the phone and touched the crack. I could still remember the day Sarada had asked me to get it for her.
"It costs how much?" My mouth dropped open in surprise.
Sarada grinned and tugged me into the store, "Ignore the price, Mama. Trust me, it's worth it."
"It had better be." I grumbled as I took out my card.
Shutting my eyes, the situation began to dawn on me even more clearly. Sarada was extremely careful, she never left her house without her phone and she definitely wouldn't have cracked it or left it on the road.
"Somebody took her." I said quietly, realizing what had happened, "They took her and tossed the phone."
'Oh Kami.' I whipped my head around and tried to search for the man who had given me the phone in the first place. He could've been the one and decided to give me the phone to throw me off.
'Why didn't I get his name? Phone number, picture, anything!'
"She could be anywhere!" I burst into tears, "And this could've happened at any time, I haven't seen her since Tuesday!"
"Or she could be dead, rotting in some ditch…" I covered my face with my hands.
"Hey, hey, hey!" She reappeared in the passenger's seat, "This is not the time for tears, okay? Go to Itachi-nii and file a report. The quicker you get it in, the faster they can mobilize."
"But what if she's already—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" She yelled, "Are you trying to speak it into existence? Listen to me, go file the missing person's report, now! Somebody has to have seen her! As a matter of fact, call him."
She took my phone from my handbag and scrolled through my list of contacts before tapping somebody's number.
"…Sasori?" I looked up at her questioningly once I saw who the call was going out to, "What would he know?"
She rolled her eyes, "He's a taxi driver, maybe he saw her and didn't realize. Besides, we can't start calling friends, you'll seem like a negligent mother."
"I am a negligent mother." I murmured.
"Beat yourself up later." She thrust the phone into my hand as it went into voicemail, "Leave him a message, then we'll go to Itachi-nii."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Sasori's cheerful voice filled my ears, "I musta just missed ya! Give me a few and I'll get back to ya!"
It beeped and I took a shaky breath before speaking, "Um, Sasori, it's Sakura and I…I don't know who to turn to right now. My daughter is missing; her name is Sarada, you might've seen her around. She's got medium length black hair that touches her shoulders, dark eyes, and she wears red glasses. I'm gonna file a report but if you know anything, please, please get back to me. Okay…arigato."
I hung up and She nodded in approval, "Now Itachi. Hurry, the longer it takes..."
|Karin|
'Of course.' I thought to myself as I glanced at the two across from me, 'Of course it would be her.'
As it turns out, the mystery girl who had been brought along with the kidnapping target was none other than Sasuke's daughter, Sarada.
She was still sitting by her unconscious friend, the same position I'd met her in when Sasori had carried me into the sickbay. While we had gotten into the elevator ready to go to my room, Gekkō had admitted that he didn't feel right leaving me by myself after what I'd just experienced. Sasori again tried to tell them that the more faces Sarada saw, the worse off they made things for her, but Zetsu was also interested in meeting her so they ended up bringing me to the sickbay.
Gekkō and Sasori tried to engage her in conversation but when she persisted in ignoring them, they gave up. Zetsu, never one to go down without a fight, taunted her with threats of what they would do to her.
"You've seen many faces since you got here." He chuckled, "That means you can point us out in a photo lineup. RIGHT?!"
She jumped when he raised his voice, to which the three of them shared a good laugh. I told them to leave her alone and they replied that they were just joking before helping me settle into one of the beds. Zetsu offered to run out and get some snacks for me because "snacks always help me feel better," to which Gekkō replied, "Yeah, especially when your mates are about to get swarmed by the police."
The three of them hung around for a good thirty minutes before I finally dismissed them, assuring them that I would be fine once I got some rest. Sarada didn't even look my way during the whole altercation, something that annoyed but also relieved me.
Except for one hazy memory I had of meeting with her when she was younger, I had no history with her, and seeing how her ears didn't perk up at my voice, it was safe to say she didn't remember me.
"Hey." I called to her, but she didn't move.
"Hey, girl." I tried again, "If you don't talk to me, I can't help you."
"You can't help me no matter what." She said quietly, "I know their faces, I know their names…there's no way they're letting me go so it's either they keep me here or they kill me."
"You don't know that." I tried to give her hope, "Listen to me, if you swear you won't tell a soul what you saw—"
"Really?" She cut me off, finally turning to look at me, "If you were them, would you really take that chance?"
"If I had some assurance…" I trailed off weakly and she looked back at her friend.
"…I should've never gone with him. You need him, right? His dad's rich, he'll give the world to get him back." Sarada shut her eyes, "I haven't seen my dad in a month, and I doubt he'd be in any rush to go bankrupt over me."
'You're wrong.' I wanted to say, 'Your father loves you; he's doing so much for you!'
But I couldn't. Coming from her perspective, her assessment was well-deduced. I was willing to bet that Sasuke hadn't informed his daughter about his leave of absence, so she must have been feeling abandoned.
"I'm sure your father loves you." I managed to say, not wanting her mind to remain pessimistic.
She snorted, "I doubt it. He doesn't even love my mother."
A few days ago, this might have shocked me, maybe even…given me hope. But now that I was coming to see him for what he truly was, Sasuke couldn't have lost any more points with me; he was already at zero.
Although I wanted nothing less than to never see him again, I knew that if I didn't inform Sasuke soon, this would definitely blow up in our faces. If he managed to pop in here with the wrong people around, I was sure she would react to his voice, then we would all be in danger.
'I have to get to him before that happens.' I kicked off the covers before standing up, 'Maybe he can do something.'
While I was thinking, I walked right into Orochimaru and against my wishes, instinctively jumped back.
He did that hiss-laugh thing of his, "Don't worry, I don't bite."
I nodded and lowered my gaze as I tried to step past him but was forced to look up when he blocked my path.
"Leaving so soon?" He raised an eyebrow, "Gekkō and the others told me you had quite the scare, being taken hostage and all."
"I'm fine." I grit my teeth.
"No, you're not." He smiled as he got out of my way, "But at least you're not faking your smiles anymore. Did something happen?"
I thought of Shojoji and Sasuke and quickly shook my head, pushing the vomit back down my throat, "A lot happened."
"Hmm." He went to Sarada and rested his arm on her head, "Does this one have anything to do with it?"
"No." I quickly answered, goosebumps covering my arms as I watched him touch her face and neck, "Why?"
Orochimaru looked back at me, "I'm supposed to figure out what she knows. Is it really such a coincidence that she was with our target? He's a high-profile figure, after all. I, and some others, are thinking she's a spy."
"She's a child."
His eyes shined eerily, "All the more convincing. No one ever suspects the young, I know this better than anyone. And though those fools said they got her phone…"
His pointing finger dropped from her neck to her chest, "They didn't search her completely. She could have a tracking chip and a bug on her, and we wouldn't know until we woke up in handcuffs. Strip."
The way he'd uttered the word, so commanding, so forceful…it took me back to my childhood, if that could even be called a childhood, and I placed a hand on my stomach.
"…She doesn't have to strip, does she?" I asked weakly.
He sneered, "Believe me, I take no pleasure in it but it's better than feeling her through her clothes, wouldn't you agree?"
'Both are horrible.' I thought to myself, but nodded to keep up appearances, "Then maybe I could…?"
"…*tsuki?" I only caught the end of what Sarada said but whatever it was froze Orochimaru in place.
'Moon?' I thought to myself, 'What is that, a code word?'
"Misaki-san, could you leave us for a moment?" Orochimaru requested, at which I glanced at Sarada.
"Uh…"
"Just for a couple minutes." He was staring at her intently now, as if she had revealed a secret of his, "You can wait outside, and I'll call you in when we're done talking."
'Get to Sasuke-kun.' I reminded myself, 'Then you won't have to worry about this.'
"Sure." I nodded quickly, "Take your time."
"I will." Orochimaru promised, not bothering to look up even when I shut the door loudly behind myself.
I ran to the elevator and quickly hopped on before pressing the third floor, 'Come on, come on!'
The longer it took me to reach him, the longer Sarada spent alone with Orochimaru. Finally, the elevator opened, and I turned left towards Pain's office. When I reached the infamous black door, I was surprised to see someone else standing there.
A brown-skinned man with dark blue hair stood in front with his arms were crossed, but he might have been more intimidating if he hadn't been dressed like a jogger.
"Is he in?" I asked the man, who stared me down with a menacing glare.
But the look quickly dissipated as he shared a wide, toothy smile, which was somehow more unsettling than the glare.
"Yeah but he's occupied at the moment." The man exhaled heavily through his nose, "I get out of the slammer and come running to find he's locked the door."
"But…" I stepped forward, "My husband's in there. I have to talk to him."
The man nodded at the spot across from him, "Go ahead and get comfortable. The last time Boss locked that door, we went to war. Who knows what they could be talking about in there?"
I looked at the door again and thought of Sarada. If I went back down, I could keep an eye on things and give her some support, but I wouldn't be able to rescue her without Sasuke's authority.
Taking a seat across from the man, I hung my head and prayed to Buddha that they would be done soon.
"By the way," The man spoke again, "The name's Kisame. You?"
"…Misaki." I answered wearily, "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine." He chuckled quietly, "All mine."
*Tsuki means moon in Japanese
|Sasuke|
"Oyabun..." I started respectfully.
"Hm?" He raised his head.
"I think…I think you two need to sit down and talk. Seriously." At this Konan too looked at me, but the rage I'd last seen from her had disappeared, and instead all that remained was sadness.
She must've realized I was pitying her because she looked to the side.
Pain laughed at this and beckoned for me to come closer, "We've wasted enough of your time. What did you originally come here for?"
I quickly explained what had occurred at the bank, leaving out Zetsu's snack habits. At the mention of Kie and Daibutsu's betrayal his nose flared.
"It was only a matter of time…looks like Watanabe-san and I need to speak." Pain stood up, taking off his suit jacket and handing it to Konan, "Here."
She wore it and covered her face with her hands again. Pain glanced at her and I thought he was going to admonish her. Thankfully, he turned back to me and started for the door.
"Why Watanabe?" I recognize the name of the head of the nation's police.
"He's supposed to make sure there aren't any eyes on us." Pain opened the door, "If they were planning to go to the police then he's not doing his job."
Standing outside was a brown-skinned man with dark blue hair and sitting beside him was Karin. Their conversation stopped as soon as we laid eyes on them and Karin stood up.
"Kisame?" Pain reacted first, reaching out to the man, "You've returned?"
The man grinned and clasped Pain's hand, "As fast as I could. Even made a friend."
Pain invited the both of them into the room and shut the door. Karin looked at me and mouthed the word "problem" but before we could get into it, she spotted Konan at the back. I couldn't quite describe it, but Karin's face took on a frightened expression, as if she was facing her worst nightmare.
Quickly, she went over to Konan and I was left by myself. I took the time to go over what had happened.
When I'd first knocked on the door, Pain only cracked it open, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. But when he saw that it was me, a smile spread out on his face.
"Toshiaki, what great timing!" He quickly pulled me in before locking the door behind us.
Glancing at the door, I turned to the front and saw her. I should have backed out immediately; every fiber in my being told me this would be trouble, but I didn't, partly because I didn't want to be rude to Pain but also because I was stunned.
Konan sat on his desk wearing red lingerie, her legs spread wide in a provocative position that made me freeze. Her eyes met mine and she looked away.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Pain commented from behind me, and I quickly faced him.
"Oyabun, I—"
"No need to lie to yourself." He laughed as he walked back to her, and caressed her cheek, "After all, she wants you too."
"Nagato, I don't—"
He cut her off with a deafening slap, and I winced silently at the blow. Konan hung her head submissively and said nothing more.
"…Sorry you had to see that." Pain apologized to me as he held his hand, "We've been having some…disagreements recently. She's gotten a little bold."
I took the chance to ask what they were at odds about.
"Where to start?" Pain sighed, putting his arm around Konan and bringing her close, "For one, she doesn't want Yahiko to be brought back anymore."
Konan's mouth twitched like she wanted to say something, but she thought against it and kept quiet.
"Why?" I questioned, and Pain's eyes connected with mine.
"Because she wants you." He stood up, coming over to me, "Which is why I'm so glad I didn't have to send for you."
Grabbing my shoulders, he pushed me towards Konan, "She's all yours."
"…What?" I looked at him in disbelief, "Surely, you don't mean—"
"Oh yes." He nodded, "You've heard of her frivolous nature before, but I've never seen her lust after anyone as much as she's lusted after you. So much so that she's willing to give up on Yahiko just so she can have you."
Konan's hand was lightly holding my pant leg and at that comment she squeezed a little harder.
Pain clapped his hands, "Rather than have him come back to be heartbroken, I figured I could let her indulge this one time. I'm glad it's you she's taken to; I know you can keep a secret."
"Sir, I don't think…"
"What's the matter? You remember what I told you before, right? Her ears, her neck…behind." He was smiling, but his voice wasn't.
Although an untrained ear would take his tone to be encouraging and playful, I knew better than to fall for it. Something was going on here, beyond this strange lover's quarrel. I was being tested.
"I…can't." I told him, "I have Misaki."
"Come on Toshiaki," He took my hands and placed them on Konan's thighs, "I won't tell if you don't…"
"I said I can't!" I broke away from the both of them and stood to the side, "I'm sorry Oyabun but I can't. Besides, I didn't come here for that."
"Hear that, Konan?" Pain yanked her off the table and pulled her down onto his lap, "As captivating as you are, his body is for his wife alone. If only you could think the same."
She kept quiet but her expression said more than enough, however her face twitched and I realized Pain was doing something to her behind the table.
"What am I going to do with this woman, Toshiaki?" Pain asked as he kissed her cheek, firmly gripping her neck with his left hand, "All this, I do for her, yet she only has eyes for other men…"
"Ask her why she does it." I suggested, and Pain smirked.
"Well, Konan?" Pain's lips dropped to her shoulders, "You heard the man, tell us why you do it."
"I…ah…" She bit her lip to keep from moaning.
"You…?" Pain continued to tease her, "Go on, answer the question."
"…Please." She begged him, her knuckles white from how hard she was holding the table, "I…can't…!"
"Can't what?" He whispered into her ear, "You know Toshiaki's watching, waiting for an answer."
She shook her head and stuffed her fist into her mouth as her body jerked. Pain laughed lightly as he lifted his right hand up, and I saw that there was a slight shine to his two front fingers.
Realizing what had happened, I looked away as Pain ordered Konan to open her mouth and lick his hand clean. She obliged and Pain called for my attention while she did the deed.
"Such a tricky thing, having a pervert for a partner." Pain commented, "She must've hidden this side from Yahiko; I can't imagine him ever loving someone like this."
At that, Konan murmured something, and Pain lifted her head up, "You want to share something?"
"…Just say it already." Konan told him quietly, "Say what you've been wanting to say for twenty years."
I perked up and observed them carefully, sensing something was about to go down.
Pain looked at me, an act I recognized as an evasive tactic, and laughed, "I don't have anything to say."
"Tell Toshiaki-kun how you really feel." Konan continued coldly, "That you wish I had been killed instead of Yahiko."
The smile quickly slid off Pain's face, "What are you talking about?"
Konan looked at me, "Did he ever tell you how Yahiko died?"
I shook my head and Pain's mouth curved down as if he wanted to frown, "Stop."
"Or what?" She stared up at him defiantly, "Isn't he your right-hand man? He should know these things."
"No one knows anything except you and me." Pain held her chin tightly, "And it's going to stay that way."
Her eyes dropped back to me and she quickly said, "Pain stabbed him. It was either me or him, and he chose to stab Yahiko."
"That's not what happened, damn you." Pain stood up abruptly, shoving Konan away, "You know that's not what happened."
"So what did happen?" I cut in, not wanting Konan to get hurt again, "Can't you tell me, sir?"
Pain looked at me and exhaled heavily before running his hand through hair, "We were 18, just barely adults. Yahiko had…formed a neighborhood watch in our town. You can guess the name."
"Akatsuki." I said, and he nodded.
"But we weren't just kids playing police. We helped elders cross the road, fixed up the local park, picked up trash…we were doing good for our community." Pain clasped his hands together, "And Hanzō didn't like that. He was the mayor of our town."
"And he was corrupt." Konan added, to which Pain shot her a look.
"It turns out," Pain continued, "Our town was being used as a pit stop for drugs on their way to the big cities, like Konoha and Kumo. Hanzō was aware of this and received a portion of whatever profits were made. Yahiko cleaning up the streets brought attention, and that was the last thing Hanzō wanted."
"One day we got a fancy letter saying we were invited to dine with the mayor, that he'd recognized all our hard work and wanted to congratulate us. We were such fools." Pain remarked bitterly, "Yahiko wanted to go alone but I advised him to bring Konan. When she couldn't be found I went with him, but when we got to his manor, we found out it was a trap. They'd kidnapped Konan earlier and when we got there, I was told to kill Yahiko or Konan would die."
"So you did stab him." I impulsively concluded and Pain narrowed his eyes.
"After all you've heard from me about him, you really believe I was able to pick up the knife and kill him?" Pain questioned, to which I shook my head, "I took the knife in order to stall. With a few more seconds I could've thought of something but Yahiko loved her so much…he ran into the knife on his own."
I kept quiet, not wanting to comment on obviously tender memories.
"You think I want you dead?" Pain turned to Konan, "After everything we've been through, that's what you think I want?"
"I think you wish he was here instead of me." She answered in a low voice, "I think you wouldn't be trying to so hard to bring me back to life if I had died."
"You're wrong." He said, taking a seat in the cube chair next to her.
"Am I?" She kept her eyes on the ground, "If it weren't for me, he'd still be alive, right?"
"Is that what you…?" Pain hung his head.
Karin elbowed me out of my thoughts and pulled me out of Pain's office. I looked over my shoulder to see Pain and Kisame were conversing quietly. Konan was nowhere to be seen.
"I helped her to her room." Karin answered as she shut the door, as if she had read my mind, "Don't worry about her; what you need to worry about is your daughter." She said the last two words quietly.
"Sarada?" I said in the same low voice was we got into the elevator, "Why?"
"She's here." Karin pushed the button for the first floor, "The kid that they were supposed to kidnap, apparently he was a friend of hers and she was there when they grabbed him so they had to bring her along."
I cursed, "Did she recognize you?"
"No." Karin shook her head, "But the others have been talking and nothing I've heard sounds good for her."
The door opened as we arrived on the first floor and we found ourselves face to face with a bunch of people.
"What's going on?" I asked as we stepped out of the elevator.
"I must speak to Pain about the girl." Orochimaru answered hoarsely, "I know her."
"I know her too." Sasori added and I decided to give him priority.
"How?" I asked.
"Ya remember that lady I met in the city?" Sasori asked, to which Hidan and Kakuzu nodded, "Sakura-chan? She's her daughter."
I kept my lips pressed into a thin line and felt Karin pinch my leg.
"You're kidding." Kakuzu commented.
"I ain't." Sasori's face wore a serious expression, "And it gets worse, the girl's an Uchiha and her mom's going to the police. Her picture's fixin' to be on every billboard in a 50-mile radius."
"We're fucked." Hidan wiped his face, "This entire day was fucked, but this takes the cake."
I ignored Hidan's anxious sayings to turn to Orochimaru, "And you? How do you know her?"
"She's my son's girlfriend." Orochimaru laughed, "Small world."
'That boy at the train station.' I remembered, 'I knew they were related.'
"Anyway, we gotta talk to him so…" Sasori made a move to go past me but I stepped into his path, "Toshiaki-san?"
"He's occupied at the moment." I told them, "Some guy named Kisame came back and they've been talking ever since."
"Shark Soup's back?" Deidara perked up.
"I brought him." Orochimaru responded and Deidara turned to him.
"Why didn't you tell me? I've missed that walking fish." Deidara grinned.
Orochimaru shrugged in apology, "He said Pain was the first person he wanted to see."
"Now's not the time for that." I interrupted, "While Pain's occupied, I'll take over and I already have a solution, but you guys will need to act. Can you do that?"
"I was into theatre when I was younger." Kakuzu chipped in, "Lying to make money? Seemed like the perfect career to me. Then it got tedious and I moved on to more criminal acts. I still remember a couple things though."
"Then listen up." I nodded.
As I explained to them what they would say and how each of them would act, I didn't even realize that Karin had disappeared from my side.
|Sarada|
I laid my head on Tentō's chest again and listened for his heartbeat. When I heard it, I lifted my head and propped it up with my arms.
'Is this karma?' I thought to myself as I stared at Tentō's still face, 'For trying to defy fate? Trying not to be like my parents.'
It had been a while since I'd been taken, and since the room I was in had no windows, I wasn't sure whether it was still daytime. How long I had been here was the last thing on my mind.
I had never really asked Mitsuki about his past and aside from Log and the Akuta, I didn't know anything about his family. Still, it wasn't hard to tell that the creepy man who had come in before was related to him.
He had the same pale skin and golden eyes, although his voice was anything but soothing, unlike his son's. Yep, this man was Mitsuki's father. Of all places I could've met him, it would be in some random location after being kidnapped and to make things worse, he was working with my kidnappers.
'When I get out of here, I have a lot of questions.' I thought to myself, but quickly became depressed, 'If I get out of here.'
Orochimaru, if I remember correctly, had asked me to explain my relationship to Mitsuki in depth.
"And don't lie." He had warned me, "I'll know if you're lying."
So, I told him everything and made sure to correct myself when I made a mistake. At the end of it all, he simply nodded and got up, telling me that he would be right back.
'That had to be about twenty minutes ago.' I looked up at the caduceus on the wall, 'Did something—'
The door swung open and in walked four people, Orochimaru, Hidan, the red-haired kidnapper, and a blonde-haired man wearing a plain white mask. From his demeanor and the way he crossed his arms, I figured he was their leader.
"I told you I'd be back, did I not?" Orochimaru laughed and that's when I noticed the small bag he was holding, "I have some good news for you."
I watched as he came further into the room and set the bag down on Tentō's legs, shuffling around inside of it.
"Ya ain't gonna ask what the news is?" The red-haired man questioned.
"What is it?" I asked, my eyes flicking to Hidan as he shut the door.
"You get to go home." Orochimaru brought out a needle and a medicine bottle with a clear liquid, "On a few conditions."
"…Like?" I swallowed hard as he drew some of the liquid into the needle.
"Ya can't tell folks anything about us." The red-haired man stepped forward, taking my left arm and rolling up my sleeve.
'Fat chance.' I thought to myself, "Of course."
He gave me a look, "I was a kid once, so I know what that means. But seriously, for yer mother's sake, Sakura's the name, right? Anywho, wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her because ya wanted to play the hero, right?"
Even though I tried to hide it, from the way his eyes shined, I knew my fear had shown on my face, "Remember, that's only if ya try to play the hero."
He flicked my arm for an active vein and nodded to Orochimaru when he found one, taking the cleaning swab from him and wiping the area.
"T-That's it?" I asked, unsure of what was going on.
"Of course not." Hidan spoke this time, "Are you blind? We're gonna put a chip in you that'll tell us where you are at all times."
My eyes widened as I jumped from face to face, hoping this was a lie. Sasori and Hidan exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.
I tightened my fist to keep from crying.
"You two are making the girl cry." Orochimaru clicked his tongue disapprovingly as he took my arm from Sasori, "Don't mind them, this is just something to keep you calm."
"I don't need it." I tried to pull away but Orochimaru's grip tightened and the look on his face told me it would be best not to refuse.
"The only other condition we have for you is to not tell Mitsuki about me." Orochimaru said as he inserted the needle, "That boy has quite the temper and he can be a…nuisance when he's angry."
I watched as he emptied the liquid into my arm, "But…you're his father, doesn't he—"
"You deaf?" Hidan cut in, "What part of don't tell him do you not understand? Or do you hate your mother that much?"
I stopped talking and took the band aid from Orochimaru, putting it on my arm myself. Seconds after, I began feeling lightheaded and looked up at him anxiously.
"It's okay." He assured me as the red-haired man kept me up, "You're going to be just fine…"
My eyelids felt heavy all of a sudden and despite my best attempts to keep them open, when they shut, my brain shut off too.
|3rd Person|
"What did you give her?" Sasuke questioned Orochimaru as Sasori scooped Sarada into his arms.
"A modified anesthetic. She'll be out for three hours, enough time for them to get her to Mitsuki and be back." Orochimaru answered, "And he's waiting so you two should leave now."
"And yer sure he called her mom to let her know she wasn't missing?" Sasori wanted to confirm as Hidan opened the door.
"Yes, and he said he'd bring her home by 9 p.m. It's 6 right now so she'll be waking up just in time." Orochimaru packed his stuff into his bag.
Sasuke touched Sarada's head, "Maybe I should go with them, make sure they don't screw it up."
"Oh no." Hidan shook his head, "You stay here and tell Boss about the decision you made. We've got this."
"Don't wanna be here for the fireworks." Sasori commented shadily and Sasuke lightly shoved him, "Take care, y'hear?"
Once they were gone, Orochimaru laughed, "Don't let their words get to you, I think you handled it marvelously; Pain will be impressed."
"I hope so." Sasuke nodded, "This boy of yours, he can be trusted with the girl, right? He wouldn't…take advantage of her in that state, would he?"
Orochimaru scoffed, "You talk as if you're her father. I'm not the best parent but I raised him to have morals and that would be beyond low."
"Good, good. And I'm only asking because such an incident would be the last thing we need to deal with." Sasuke quickly added.
"I hear you." Orochimaru chuckled, tracing Tentō's face with his finger, "Robbery, kidnapping…rape wouldn't help us one bit."
Clearing his throat, Sasuke looked down at Tentō, "What's the deal with the boy? He's been out for a while."
Orochimaru winked mischievously, "That is a secret that I can only discuss with the real boss."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and set the mask down on another bed, "Well, since we're done here, I'll get going."
"So soon?" Orochimaru looked up, "I have to say, I enjoy your company. And to think, when we first met you were staring me down like an archnemesis."
"Goodnight, Orochimaru." Sasuke waved before leaving the room and Orochimaru turned back to Tentō.
"You're very special my boy, do you know that?" Orochimaru told him as he lifted Tentō's right arm, three needle marks revealing themselves, "Your blood is very special, but the only question is…"
Orochimaru opened a fresh needle and connected the vial used to collect blood, "Is it your father's DNA that makes you special, or is it your mother's?"
"Either way," Orochimaru continued, inserting the needle into another vein, "I'm afraid you won't be going home anytime soon."