The sheet moved.
Sakura tensed. It puffed up with every exhale and then slipped down just a bit further. It had reached his nose. She didn't dare to look to the side but knew that Sasuke had his Sharingan out and trained on the bed. Kakashi remained blissfully unaware. The sheet moved again. It remained on the tip of his nose. This was the hard part. Kakashi needed to exhale hard enough to push it off. Sakura's hands itched to help him.
The door opened. The nurse entered and checked Kakashi's vitals on the monitors, before kindly pulling the sheet back over Kakashi's face, making sure to tuck the corners under the mattress to keep the sheet in place.
Sasuke twitched.
"You two should go, visiting hours are already over." The nurse told them. Her voice was kind and both Genin were suddenly reminded of a sweet aunt. Sakura shot her a small smile and stood. Her muscles protested at the movement. Scrapes and cuts covered her bare skin, all results from her daily training in the morning. She glanced at Sasuke, who got up with the same stilted movements.
They had individually decided to start training more and more. Sakura hadn't yet worked up the courage to ask him to train together. It would probably do more harm than good for her. Sakura still had ways to go, even if she did manage to heal Sasuke's bruised hands that morning.
They walked down the stairs just as another figure ran up. All three stopped. Tenten looked at them, hands full of flowers and lunch-boxes.
"Oh?"
Sakura waved back. Tenten smiled, "Ah you're here for Kakashi-sensei, right?"
"Yes," Sakura's smile faltered a bit, "he's still not awake."
Tenten nodded, expression turning somber, "I've heard... I hope he wakes up soon. Guy-sensei is inconsolable."
"You're here for Lee and Neji?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Both girls looked at him in surprise.
Tenten recovered first and sighed, "Yep. Honestly, between them and Guy-sensei, I'll end up failing my next psych-evaluation..."
Sakura pitied her, and immediately despaired at her own fate. The psych-evaluations were always tough since Inoichi was tough and thorough. He turned the evaluation moments into a Yamanaka-festival, complete with traps and excessive violence to keep those damn ANBU from escaping. Being on the team with Kakashi had significantly lowered her chances of passing this year's test.
"How are they doing?" she asked.
Tenten shrugged, "As expected, I guess. Lee... We're waiting for Lady Tsunade to hop over and perform a miracle... "
Sakura swallowed, remembering that horrible fight. Lee was weird and a tad too much like his teacher, but he was a good person and deserved a full recovery. Neji... He had a stick up his ass but it seemed like Naruto might have dislodged it with that uppercut. Sakura hadn't seen him during the invasion but she had been pretty busy chasing after her two teammates. The memory of sand closing against her skin made her shiver but she pushed it down.
"What happened to Neji?"
Sasuke looked curious too. Tenten's expression darkened, "Well, he did something so stupid that I might kill him for it after he gets released."
Tenten leaned against the wall, pressing her gifts against her chest. She looked as weary as she sounded, "It's not really my place to tell, but you know about the Caged Bird seal right?"
"Yes..." Sakura grimaced, remembering the horrible tradition Neji had explained during his fight with Naruto. Sasuke hadn't heard it and gave her a brief glance. He knew a little from what he remembered having to study as a child before attending formal clan-meetings. His brother had helped him memorize all the customs and rules. He squashed the pain those times dredged up.
Tenten mirrored Sakura's look.
"Yeah, that one..." she confirmed, "Okay, so after his fight, he was brought to the infirmary. He was fine, just some bruises and a light concussion from that punch, but he needed to stay just for observation. Then the big fight started and he left the hospital with his uncle. I saw him and then lost contact until I heard the younger Hyuuga scream."
"Hanabi." Sakura murmured. Tenten didn't notice, eyes glazing over.
"I ran over and saw Neji. He was- he tried to protect her I guess, but something must have gone wrong or it was the concussion or something. In any case, the seal activated. He just started screaming and clutched his head like it was going to burst. The kid kept screaming for her father to help them. I held off the enemies until the clan-head arrived and did something to stop the seal. Neji passed out, Guy-sensei arrived and killed everyone, and I took Neji away."
Tenten stared at the bouquet of sunflowers in her hand. "He's awake but his eyes hurt. That never happened before..."
She chewed her bottom lip. "The doctors and the Hyuuga specialists say that he will recover but they're not sure if his eyes- if his Byakugan will be the same. Not unless they remove the entire seal, but that's against their tradition or something."
Sakura felt queasy and dared a glance at Sasuke. He caught her eyes and shifted. Tenten looked at him, "Did the Uchiha do anything like that?"
Sasuke started, emotions flitting over his face before returning to the stone mask. Much to Sakura's surprise, he didn't ignore the question or walk away, he simply shrugged, "We didn't seal the Sharingan. Not many awakened it anyway." he hesitated, "Just when someone- was buried, we would preserve the eyes separately."
Sakura had a grim vision of a giant library, filled with bottles. An entire clan buried without their eyes. Had Sasuke done that all by himself? She felt nauseous, but couldn't deny her curiosity.
Tenten nodded slowly and pushed herself off the wall, "Well, I guess having special eyes does mean extra caution." she said with forced cheer. Sasuke nodded stiffly.
"I'll be going then, before Lee and Neji attempt to set fire to their room again." Tenten waved with her free fingers. Sakura returned the gesture and walked down the stairs behind Sasuke.
In the silence, Sakura contemplated what to say. It felt strange, she thought as they made their way to the exit of the hospital, being just with Sasuke. Naruto usually formed the bridge between them. Kakashi took up the rear, guarding them with a strange intensity that became visible only during serious danger.
Sakura and Sasuke together were just two teens with no overlapping interests other than trying to tame Naruto and cursing at their teacher's habits. Sakura's stomach still flopped whenever she saw him, but the constant exposure to his various sides kept her from flailing like she used to.
Sasuke was an avenger, Sakura knew that, but she just wished she could help him. He shouldn't have to carry all that burden with him. She saw a bit of it when he described the massacre to her, but there was way more to unpack. Somehow she needed to help him peel back the layers of rage to let out the grief and guilt.
"See you tomorrow." His voice jarred her out of her thoughts. Sakura blinked, looking into Sasuke's black eyes. They were already outside. He lifted his hand and turned to leave.
The cool wind played with her hair. Sakura stared at his back before kicking into gear. "Wait, Sasuke!"
She grabbed his arm. Much to his credit and as a testament to their growing bond, Sasuke didn't aim a kunai at her throat. He turned around, apprehension clear on his face. Sakura winced. He probably still thinks I'm going to ask him out...
"Can- Can I visit-" Her lips moved without permission and she promptly bit her tongue, feeling ridiculous. How could she ask him to let her visit the graveyard of his entire clan? Her cheeks flushed and she stepped back, letting his arm go. "Never mind."
Sasuke studied her expression. Slowly, he exhaled, "Do you... Want to see?"
Sakura wished the ground would swallow her whole. She shook her head but her cheeks were bright red. Sasuke didn't look insulted, despite the frown he wore. Silence stretched between them.
"Sorry," Sakura squeaked, "that was really inappropriate. I just- I just get curious sometimes and my parents are retired Genin so we don't actually have a shinobi clan and I've always been interested in traditions and cultures..." she trailed off.
Sasuke didn't move for a minute, before taking half a step back. "Come on then."
What? "Seriously?" she blurted, staring at him wide-eyed.
"Hn." he was already walking away. Sakura blinked at him before running after him.
The Uchiha compound sprawled just at the border of the village, near the prison. When Sakura had first visited him, she had given the concrete building a wide berth. Sasuke didn't even pause and just walked straight through the gate. The ANBU that had stopped Sakura before, didn't bother to respond. Sakura gave him a long look, wondering about the face behind the mask. Did they have a family? How did they spend their whole day in a ghost-district?
They walked through the empty streets in silence. Sakura felt heavy. Death clung to the compound. It smeared itself over the streets and had soaked into the ground. Ino, during a brief moment of peace between them, had worried about Sasuke still living there. Sakura felt the same. Sasuke had his own apartment but from what she could tell, he spent most of his days in his parent's room.
Sasuke led her through a maze of houses and lanes before stopping in front of a black arch, jutting out of the rocky wall that marked the end of the district. A gaping black opening greeted them. Sasuke stared at it for a long moment.
"It's a bit dusty." he finally said and stepped inside. Sakura bit her lip and followed despite her brain telling her to turn around.
The darkness felt like a blanket, drowning him in suffocating warmth. Sasuke's Sharingan was activated out of principle, but it did no good. He hadn't been here in years, not since the Third Hokage had found him at the entrance, curled up in a ball. He had assured him that the dead would forgive him for not cleaning their graves everyday. The Third had had tears in his eyes that day, and gathered Sasuke in his arms. It was the last hug Sasuke had allowed himself.
Of course, neither of his teammates cared for that. Naruto had no sense of personal space and Sakura was just used to showing affection freely. Only Kakashi understood, but Sasuke had seen how he allowed them to cling to him.
His nose itched. The occasional sweep with a duster wouldn't have hurt. He brushed his fingers against the cold wall, grimacing at the sticky layer of grime that clung to the smooth rock. After a moment, a thick steel cylinder blocked his way. Deftly, he lifted the torch (it weighed more than he wanted to admit) and muttered the jutsu under his breath.
One bright flash and suddenly they had light. Sakura had to rub her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. "Warn me, next time." she muttered, pursing her lips.
Sasuke dragged his eyes away and they kept walking. Her presence of the past weeks had been comforting. Naruto was loud and brash and pushed him to do better. It wasn't bad, but it just kept reminding him of his goal.
"Hn."
Sakura was steady and calm, now that she no longer shrieked at every glance he gave her. She could be surprisingly rational when she needed to be and her fervent studying had given her a goal that didn't revolve around marriage. He felt a little bad for always assuming a return to her old habits every time she spoke to him, but that had been his daily life for a few years.
It's been months already...It felt like an eternity. The beginning of Summer marked the start of their team. Now it Autumn had arrived and so many things happened. The more time he spend with his team, he began to wonder about a life where nothing had gone so terribly wrong. A life with his clan. Would he have acted like Kiba and Shikamaru? Would Naruto be like him?
"It's pretty big." Sakura commented, more to fill up the silence than anything else.
"It is." Sasuke agreed.
Team 7 was dysfunctional at best. They all had their own traits and were barely kept together by Kakashi's aloofness. Everyday they argued about something, with no real sting behind the words. They bounced off each other and fed each other's agitation, much to Kakashi's exasperation. The countless missions, the constant bickering became part of Sasuke's life and he didn't know for sure when he had started to enjoy it. It was as if a tight ball in his chest finally loosened enough for him to breath.
"Who made it?"
Sasuke shrugged, "Madara, I guess."
After Itachi's death, and after he had gotten answers as to why- why, why, why- Sasuke would finally be free again. He would build his own life and rebuild his clan. He would go out on missions and garden in his free time. After Kakashi retired, Team 7 would get their own Genin-team and start competing. A life full of annoyingly loud teammates and a perverted teacher. That was Sasuke's final goal. He would be free. It was funny how he never thought of that point before.
Again, it was because of Sakura, who brought it up one day over lunch. Just a casual question while they had udon before going to Kakashi's bedside again. It had slapped him in the face and now he couldn't stop thinking about all the possibilities.
"That's- I mean, it makes sense." Sakura trailed off, coming to a halt close enough for him to feel her heat.
He swallowed and looked at their surroundings. They had reached the doors at the end of the hallway. Behind it, were the coffins of his family. His parents were all the way at the end as the clan-heads.
He took a deep breath and felt Sakura's hand brush his own. The door opened with a loud whine that echoed around them. Sakura took a shivering breath and waited patiently for Sasuke to take the first step.
No matter how many times he had come home to an empty district, no matter how much the memory played in his mind, Sasuke still wished for the room to be empty. That it was all just a bad dream and his parents were waiting at home. He wished so hard that the sight of the countless stone coffins lined up in the wall in shelves, some hastily dug out and added to accommodate the sheer amount, brought tears to his eyes. He stared ahead, furiously blinking the tears out of his eyes. Up ahead were the graves of his parents. The clan-heads, at the far end along with their ancestors.
He was halfway across the room before he realized Sakura wasn't walking along. She stood still at the beginning, in front of the last coffin. It belonged to Izumi Uchiha. The half-Uchiha that had awakened her Sharingan at a very early age. Because there were no elders to decide otherwise, she had been added to the clan's grave. As a child, Sasuke had disliked her because Itachi-
"She was a member of the branch family, only her father was Uchiha." he spoke quietly, squeezing his eyes shut.
Sakura looked up at the sound of his voice. Sadness radiated off her figure, but her eyes were confused. "Are- Are only the eyes with an activated Sharingan kept apart?"
The question stumped him. She looked lost in this room, pink hair in a room filled with black. Sakura didn't move from her spot, standing in front of the shelf that contained Izumi's coffin. Sasuke walked over as quick as he could, "No, the elders were really careful, so all the eyes, with or without Sharingan, were kept apart. They are kept in those bottles."
He pointed at the dusty, crystal bottles that sat sideways in a specially crafted place in each shelf. "The bottles are sealed and only someone with a Sharingan can unlock them. It keeps them safe."
He finally reached her. Sakura's face was ghostly white despite the warm light shining on her. She seemed to struggle for words before finally reaching out and gently lifting the Izumi's bottle. It almost fell out at her touch. Sasuke hissed and lunged to grab her, but stopped short at the sight.
Sakura turned the bottle so he could see it from all sides. The seal was still intact, but the crystal had been wiped clean at some point. Inside was clear fluid, and nothing else.
T&I Basement, same time~
Shinji was going to kill him.
Ibiki stared at the prisoner with little sympathy. His name was Kota and he was imprisoned for selling information to the Sound delegation. The sneaky bastard had told the invaders about the guard rotations and even drew up a map of the stadium. Kakashi's dogs had found him trying to flee in the aftermath and dragged him over to T&I.
The invasion had left them with a lot of prisoners and not enough interrogators. The Yamanaka were helping traumatized civilians, Ibiki swore he heard Inoichi growl when he approached the blond for assistance on Kota.
With Anko and Genma working on the batch of surviving Sand and Sound shinobi, Ibiki had his hands full with Baki. The Jonin teacher of the Kazekage was resilient and cunning and that just happened to be Ibiki's specialty. That left them with Kota and no one to discover what other secrets the man had spilled.
Kota had been a Academy teacher (and they seriously needed to evaluate the screening process of their teachers) with a lot of connections, who frequently visited the bar. It was a serious breach in security and he had already seen Iruka set up new traps with deadly vigor.
They needed to get through Kota and probably break him to set an example. Kakashi's Sharingan was out of commission, Sasuke's Sharingan out of the question and using Ino's skills was a great way to get your brain scrambled by her father. It was down to Ibiki's headache Shinji to do the job.
She had been incredibly busy lately, even with Ibiki hardly having time for her. According to the clerks in the Archive, the girl practically lived there now. She devoured information at a speed only Sakura had accomplished before.
Ibiki didn't know why, but he imagined it had to do with the emotional stress that weighed down on Shinji. It was a challenge to empathize with a sad, almost thirteen-year-old girl, but he knew she could use a bit of relief.
And all the guilt of being such a piss-poor teacher to the girls had finally caught up with him in his long hours of staring at Chi's comatose figure.
"I don't want him." Shinji scrunched her nose at the skinny man hunched in the back of his cell.
Ibiki's smile grew strained, "I didn't ask."
"Well, I'm telling you." Shinji shrugged and looked up with her arms crossed defiantly. Ibiki distantly wondered if Inoichi fought this battle everyday with Ino and instantly banished the thought. Anko, on watch-duty because she had done something outrageous again, grinned. Ibiki flipped her off behind his back.
"And I'm telling you that you can't choose."
Shinji didn't care and looked very indignant that he even considered she might. Ibiki wondered if there was any D-rank mind-numbing enough to use as leverage.
"Give me that one." Shinji pointed at another cell where a stoic girl stared at the wall, "She's freaky."
"You can't just pick-" Ibiki trailed off in a sigh. Shinji wasn't listening anyway. He rolled his eyes when she darted in front of the girl's cell.
"What the hell did she do?" Shinji asked, still peering in curiously. The girl had bandages wrapped around most of her limbs and couldn't do much more than stare at the opposite wall. Her purple hair flopped over the left side of her face and she didn't so much as exhale hard enough to get it away.
Shinji looked at her like she was a rare animal caught in a zoo. She's going to fail her psych-evaluation... Ibiki despaired. He remembered Team 11's first time here. Ryuya had all but climbed on Chi's back while the latter casually kept her eyes on Ibiki. Shinji's face was tight and she stepped on Chi's toes as she tried to get away from the cells. Once they were given the keys and clearance to do what they wanted to, the trio loosened up.
"She, uh, tried to break into a clan-district." Ibiki said carefully. Shinji's grin widened and she rubbed a hand over the seals engraved on her bracelet. Ibiki felt his stomach drop.
It wasn't until an enraged Inoichi asked him if he had taken in account the trauma they had of cells and torture chambers, that Ibiki realized his mistake. By the time he supervised them again during a trip to the basement, all three had grown too comfortable.
"Which district?"
Don't ever give a frightened animal the keys to his cage, Inoichi warned him.
Ibiki closed his eyes briefly, pretending he struggled to remember, "Ketsueki-district."
When he opened his eyes again, Shinji's expression had turned hard. Ibiki sighed, "She didn't get in."
Shinji was going to kill her.
In the end, Ibiki knew it was going to happen, so he ignored Anko's incredulous look and pushed the prisoner in the interrogation chamber. Shinji watched them, leaning against the glass wall.
"This is Yasu." Ibiki rolled the wheelchair around the table, "She won't speak much, so yeah..." Be nice, he mouthed at Shinji over Yasu's head. Shinji rolled her eyes. He had warned her that this wasn't a normal prisoner. Yasu had all the signs of being a ROOT agent, which would probably include a silencing seal on her tongue. He didn't give her those details, just ordered her to get her to talk, because it looked very unlikely Yasu would say something vital.
Danzo didn't know Shinji would interrogate Yasu and he would never find out if it was up to T&I. Whether Yasu spoke or not, she was going to die and all traces of her would be burned before they could lead to anyone. ROOT agents died all the time without any consequences, one more wouldn't hurt. Besides, no one had ever broken in the Ketsueki-district before and left to tell the tale.
Ibiki felt his heart begin to pick up pace as he closed the door behind him. This is so stupid. What's wrong with me? He'll find out and then he'll come after Shinji and then after Ryuya and then me and then no one will keep Chi out of his hands- Ibiki clenched his fists.
Shinji needed the experience and Yasu was not anyone's priority. The sooner they got the information out of her, the sooner they could get rid of her and destroy all traces to Danzo. Anko, who lingered in the viewing room, shook her head.
"You're being an idiot, Ibiki." she said without preamble.
Ibiki nodded mutely and sat down on the free chair. Behind the glass, Shinji walked in circles around the table and Yasu. Her face scrunched in deep thought.
"Don't tell Inoichi I let her do this." Ibiki ran a hand over his head.
Anko huffed and got up, "I'll see you at the bar, Leather-face."
Inside the interrogation-room~
Shinji was furious. There were many reasons she could name, but she felt ashamed to say that the first to pop up sounded like: 'What did it look like?'.The Ketsueki-district was off-limits for her. Chi had once said something along the lines of 'One day, maybe.' before Ibiki ruined it and forbade it. There was a good reason it was locked away, he told them. Chi had looked affronted but didn't bring up any arguments.
Yasu blinked blandly when Shinji turned on her heel and narrowed her eyes at her. According to her file, Yasu was found being dragged away by a gigantic bear. She had broken just about every bone in both legs, dislocated her shoulders and shattered the bones in her left hand. The training ANBU team had rescued her, thinking she was a regular Chuunin being an idiot, only to find traces leading back to the Ketsueki-district.
ANBU-captain Tiger claimed he almost fell in a narrow pit and only the ironically fast reflexes of Snail had kept him from breaking his legs. The pit was in plain sight but deceptively deep. With some meager Genjutsu's kept in place with seals, it only looked as deep as a puddle. Tests showed that it was actually over 10 meters deep.
Shinji jumped on the table and crouched down in front of Yasu. Her moss-green eyes widened.
"Did you see it?" Shinji asked bluntly.
Yasu blinked. Shinji tapped her foot impatiently, ignoring the burst of Ibiki's chakra behind her. No matter what he claimed, these walls were not strong enough to block chakra. At least not to Shinji. Inoichi, when he discovered it, was over the moon with her ability and had promised to get her a tutor. A promise right before it all went to hell.
"Well?"
Yasu opened her lips slowly and answered in a soft but bland voice, "See what?"
"The Second's family jewels!" Shinji snapped, "The district of course!"
Yasu's jaw would have dropped if it weren't for the giant bruise, gift from Tiger once he got over the shock. Her chakra- higher than average, about a weak Jonin- wavered. Shinji leaned closer. Chakra like a brick wall: basic. She sneered and plopped on her butt, hiding her hands in her lap.
"What does it look like? Tell me." she repeated, forming a few seals in secret. Chi's chakra teased her, but she pushed it aside. She didn't need it for now. The Genjutsu slithered around them, gently easing around Yasu's senses.
Yasu took a breath. Ibiki's chakra went from outrage to surprise.
"It has a couple of gates." Yasu began hesitantly."The main one is big and tall, overgrown with plants, hard to find. Everything is covered in plants and roses."
"Romantic." Shinji snorted, keeping her hands in the seal to keep the Genjutsu up. It was a minor jutsu mostly used for seduction to make the victim feel comfortable. Chuunin and Jonin would shrug it off fairly quickly, but only if they were sensitive enough. Without access to chakra, they were as easily caught as civilians. Yasu looked unsure but continued without prompting,
"The district is hidden but it smells like a body is rotting there. I tried to search for an opening. I think I saw one, but that was an illusion. And the next four were illusions too."
"Four? You continued after five attempts?" Shinji laughed disbelievingly, "I would have stopped after one!"
There was probably a body rotting there somewhere. Shinji didn't try to dwell on it for too much. Her chakra covered Yasu's in a thin film. She forcibly evened out her breathing. "What else happened?"
Yasu's chakra was suppressed with a seal on her neck-brace. Shinji enveloped her with her own chakra, letting Chi's chakra make up for the lack of chakra in her own body. A cold rush went through her, but Yasu never noticed. Shinji's chakra filled the surroundings and her eyes glazed over.
"I saw so many people. They were dancing. I thought I found the right gate this time and stepped closer. Instead I stepped into the hole and fell down. I climbed back out." Yasu sighed.
That must have hurt, with those injuries. Shinji grimaced.
"I wanted to call the people, but they turned out to be a painting with another Genjutsu."
Like Chi always said: a clan full of assholes. Shinji smiled at Yasu, urging her to continue. She did, almost sleepily,
"The ANBU found me when I tried to get away. I was unable to continue the mission so I had to give up."
"Where were you going?" Shinji asked, and immediately added, "I mean, you were hurt, you should have stayed and signaled for help."
Ibiki was going to make her write an evaluation report just for that slip up. Shinji shifted and dragged all her focus on adding another Genjutsu. Sakura had offered to practice Genjutsu together after they left the hospital that fateful day. She had explained the method to maintaining layered Genjutsu. The key was in the preparation.
"I- I failed my mission." Yasu whispered and a flash of fear cracked her stony expression, "I would return and die."
Ibiki's chakra played up again, but it was probably Anko's doing. Shinji's eyes narrowed, "Who would kill you?"
Yasu tried to speak but choked. Her eyes went round and she coughed. Lips turned blue, veins began to swell against her jaw and cheeks. Shinji jumped off the table in alarm, twisting back to look at the glass. Within a second, Ibiki burst through the door.
"That's enough for today." he said in his coldest tone.
Shinji scrambled behind his back, trying to gently release the Genjutsu. Yasu was still gasping for air but she wouldn't choke to death anymore. Ibiki gestured at the nearest guard and had them roll Yasu back to her cell. The girl looked around dazed until her gaze fell on Shinji.
"Bye, Yasu!" The Genin waved brightly, "See you soon!"
Yasu was out of sight before she could reply. Ibiki turned to Shinji, who's face had fallen. When she looked up at him he noticed again how small she was. She had just hit her growth spurt but she still only reached his elbows. Ryuya's body was just a bag of bones at this point, short and stocky. Puberty tried so hard to give her some flesh but it would be a long fight. Chi was tall for her age, but her body just had wiry muscles and sharp bones.
"What's wrong?" Ibiki asked, wrapping a heavy hand around her shoulder. Shinji shook her head.
"Don't know." She chewed her lip. "What went wrong? Did she have a suicide pill?"
"That... is beyond classified for you." Ibiki decided. He'd be damned if he let another student in the vicinity of Danzo. "You did really well, though. You used Genjutsu, right?"
Shinji frowned, stubborn as always, "I'll just look it up in the Archives, sensei. You might as well tell me."
Now that got his attention. Who knew what secrets Shinji had stumbled upon? Out of all his students, the entire T&I office had voted Shinji to be 'Most likely to start an international conflict without trying'. He regarded her with a mixture of amusement and alarm. Shinji's hair had grown out and she wore it in pigtails. She looked exactly like the porcelain dolls he had seen in antique stores. He grinned despite himself and ruffled her hair.
"It's not written down. It's a 'have-to-know'- sort of thing." Ibiki let her bat his hand away. "What did you find there?"
Shinji froze and Ibiki knew it was bad. His blood ran cold, his chakra pulsed and he grabbed her arm before she could bolt. Shinji was a terrible liar, despite the many training sessions. "Shinji?"
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. Her eyes were anywhere but on his face.
"Nothing, sensei."
"I should send you back to the Academy for that terrible lie." he informed her. She squirmed, a red blush rising on her cheeks.
"What did you find, Shinji?" he asked again. This time, she looked up with indignant eyes. Ibiki huffed. She always complained about her plain brown eyes but they were pretty persuasive. I'm getting soft. "I need to know, kid. It's my job to keep you out of harm's way and-" he stopped himself abruptly.
Shinji didn't look accusing or disbelieving, but she winced just a little bit. Ibiki dropped his hand and straightened.
"Don't get in trouble." he said and briskly walked away.
"Sensei?"
He froze but didn't turn.
"It's not your fault, none of this is."
It sounded like she had much more to say and Ibiki wasn't ready. He nodded and left. Her eyes bore in his back and he refused to imagine how dejected she must have looked, standing alone in the entrance of the interrogation-room.
In a village in the Land of Fire, afternoon~
Naruto had so many questions. Mainly about when they were going to train and eat ramen and why they were going to put a gambling addict in charge of a freshly attacked village. Jiraiya had regaled him with tales of his youth and the many missions he had done with his teammates. Naruto tried to equate Genin-Orochimaru with Snake-man-Orochimaru but he only formed some disturbing mental images.
Tsunade was extremely strong and the only person to have ever come close to killing Jiraiya, according to the man himself. She could heal hundreds of people on her own and had revolutionized the medical industry.
"But her greatest talent is her ability to lose every bet she makes." Jiraiya grinned, finishing his tale to the doubtful Naruto.
"She sounds dumb." he said after a moment of contemplation. Jiraiya guffawed but still smacked the kid's head.
"Has no one taught you to respect your elders?"
Naruto shrugged, "I don't care! Old people are all high and mighty and think they're so smart."
Jiraiya gave him an amused look, "I see, well, try to behave in front of Tsunade. She's a princess."
"What?" Naruto bounded up in front of him, "A princess? Like, with a dress and a huge castle?"
Jiraiya shook his head. His white hair swayed behind him. "Nah, more like a bottle of sake and an anger issue. She has an apprentice though, she's nice. You'll like her."
Naruto had already lost interest and ran ahead. The town that they were heading to was just in front of them and already they could hear the bustling of the crowd. As they neared, the beginnings of a festival began to show. Colorful decorations hung from the roofs and kids ran around in bright clothes.
They walked passed countless stalls, with food or little trinkets. Vendors, old wrinkly ladies, tried to push their roasted chestnuts in their faces. Naruto absorbed it all, eyes wide as he took in the crowd. Jiraiya watched him from the corner of his eye. The kid didn't know where to look at first. One of the ladies stepped in his path and instantly, Naruto shot behind Jiraiya's back. The lady blinked, Jiraiya waved her away.
"It's safe here, Naruto." he said quietly.
"I know!" the boy huffed and emerged again, ears red.
It happened again, but as they walked on, Naruto began to bask in the kind smiles and waves thrown at him. Jiraiya tried very hard not to let it affect him, but despite all the festivities, he grew somber. Somewhere, in a kinder universe, this boy would have been brimming with confidence and would not be suspicious at the slightest hint of kindness.
"It's beautiful!" Naruto whispered reverently, as he came to a stop in front of a giant bowl of ramen. It was the size of a tub and filled to the brim with broth and noodles. Fist-sized fish-cakes floated on top. The scent wafted down the street, attracting many empty stomachs.
Jiraiya didn't feel particulary hungry but Naruto was drooling. The casino was just a few blocks away so Jiraiya reached in his pockets and grabbed a handful of coins.
"Here kid," he nudged Naruto, "don't spend it all on ramen. Buy something nice for your teammates and friends and meet me at the big fountain in the center at midnight."
Naruto nodded quickly, staring at the money deposited in his hands. He looked up, eyes narrowed, before Jiraiya could leave, "Where are you going?"
"Work of course. Not all of us can afford a day off!" Jiraiya tapped his head and melted into the stream of people. He weaved around the civilians until he reached the casino. Nothing more than a modest building, with extravagant lighting structures attached to the walls and some big guys acting as guards at the door. Jiraiya grinned, he could feel the raging chakra of his teammate inside.
The guards gave him and the manic glint in his eyes a look but stepped aside when he came closer. The stream of people outside formed a steady outpour of adults looking for luck playing the many games inside. The air was poorly ventilated and heavy with liquor and tobacco. Groups stood around tables, laughing or yelling, but none as loud as the one in the center.
"How is this possible?!" A woman roared, and Jiraiya waited for the subsequent crack of wood. No furniture had ever survived Tsunade's anger. Instead he heard:
"No Tsunade-sama!" A younger, female voice strained under what was probably Tsunade's foot, yelled back, "Let's just leave!"
Jiraiya felt his face split into a wide grin and marched at the source of the sound. The first man he nudged, threw him a dirty look but promptly choked when he saw who he faced. The rest followed fairly quickly.
Shizune leaned over the table, trying to manhandle an obviously drunk Tsunade back in her chair. Jiraiya stepped in to help. He grabbed Tsunade's wrists and pulled until her back smacked flat against the chair. She groaned but luckily didn't use her ridiculous strength to rip his arms off his shoulders.
"Always good to see you." Jiraiya smirked. Tsunade's head snapped up. He could see her try to decipher whether this was real or a hallucination. The answer clearly disappointed her because she groaned again and let her head drop. Shizune's jaw was hanging low. A little pig sat on the table snorted.
"Why are you here?" Anyone weaker would have been whining.
Jiraiya fell on the chair beside her, "Missed you too."
He got a punch for his efforts. Tsunade's eyes glinted with a sharpness that belied the barrel of sake running through her veins.
"Jiraiya-sama..." Shizune sputtered, looking between her master and the man. "Please don't destroy this place, we can't afford it."
Rubbing his shoulder with a grimace, Jiraiya nodded, "Not planning on it. I'm just here for a nice little chat with the princess here."
Tsunade raised a delicate eyebrow at him. The alcohol burned off before his eyes. After a long evaluation, she got up and jerked her head at the private booths in the restaurant of the casino. "In there, and it better not be about your books."
In the town, evening~
Naruto peered at the chains. They came in three colors: blue, red and yellow and there were countless little charms he could attach to them. He gave them a cursory look and turned away. He needed something special. Something that screamed 'Your future Hokage gave this to you' It also needed to last long enough for him to actually become Hokage.
Food was out of the question because the ramen could not be brought along. He wanted something small and easy to carry. The people here were helpful and the prices were quite cheap so he could actually splurge.
"Hey kid!" A man called. Instinctively, Naruto froze and hunched his shoulders. The man wasn't angry. He pointed at his table filled with sparkling, glass marbles. "You want one of these?"
The marbles glittered in the lights of the lanterns and the setting sun. Naruto came closer curiously. They were the size of a coin, in various hues, and artfully wrapped in a knotted network of silk thread. He lifted an orange one and held it up in the light. Red veins shot from one end to another, merging and branching out. The royal blue thread looped at one end, while the bottom end was frayed. It was like holding fire in between his fingertips.
"Good choice, that one."
Naruto tore his gaze away to nod at the vendor. The elderly man squinted at him. A pair of glasses hung from his collar. He spoke in a heavy accent, one that Naruto couldn't place. "You buying for yourself?"
Naruto nodded again, "And for my friends."
The old man smiled, showing the gap in between his teeth. "Well, pick which you like and I'll give you nice price."
Naruto's eyes grew wide, "Thank you, gramps!"
It took a few minutes and some serious discussion with the vendor, who seemed way too pleased to argue with a child, before Naruto found the perfect gifts. The easiest one was for Sakura. He got her a milky white marble with bright pink veins and red thread. Kakashi got light blue with red and a silver thread.
Sasuke was a little tough but eventually the vendor and Naruto settled on deep red with purple veins and a yellow thread. A little bright for the stoic boy but Naruto liked it. The last one was for Chi, which led to a whole discussion on whether she was his girlfriend or not. Bright red, Naruto denied and they finally decided on sea-green with golden veins and a white thread. The complete opposite of Chi color-wise but he just couldn't look away from it.
The vendor gave the orange one for free, much to Naruto's shock. Being a stranger had it's benefits, he deduced. No sooner had he handed over the coins, his stomach rumbled. The old man laughed while Naruto blushed as asked for directions to place to eat.
"Well, I really like this takoyaki stall." the old man said slowly, pointed at a long queue of people. "Try that one."
Naruto nodded eagerly and thanked the man before running off. When he finally got his food and a place to sit and admire his gifts, a loud commotion drew his attention. People shouted and began to run in the opposite direction. Naruto stared at his food mournfully. He knew, somehow, that this was related to the Pervy Sage.
In the casino, just minutes before~
Jiraiya dodged a chair. "We need you!"
"Absolutely not!" Tsunade flipped the table.
"For sensei!"
"Sensei is dead!"
The two stared at each other, each wrestling down their emotions. Tsunade cleared her throat, "I don't want his mess. You take it."
Jiraiya scowled, "Hell no. I need to be outside and keep my network alive."
Tsunade scoffed, "Hah, that network that warned you about Orochimaru starting a damned village?"
"It's still more productive than you." Jiraiya bit out. Tsunade flinched. He barged on, "I will be with you in the first months. There is too much to do. We need a leader to step up before someone else does."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Let them step up. It will be best for everyone."
"It will be Danzo Shimura." Jiraiya replied.
Tsunade folded her arms, not showing her emotions on her face. "He's loyal to the village. He was in my great-uncle's team."
"He's trying to convince the council to make him Hokage. Only the Jonin Commander opposes and without him, no clan will approve of Danzo." Jiraiya said slowly, "Danzo is loyal and willing to protect Konoha no matter what, but you know what he did. You know, Tsuna. Don't pretend you forgot those kids."
"The Foundation is abolished." Tsunade said through gritted teeth. In their active years there were moments where they fought alongside young shinobi, with empty eyes and no care for life or death. Many of them resorted to suicide-attacks when they ran out of weapons.
Konoha was buzzing with reports of missing clan-children and orphaned babies who never arrived at the orphanage. The Foundation had been something of a known secret in Konoha but only the Hokage and the elders knew about the details.
Jiraiya's eyes were dark, "I have reason to doubt that."
The two stared at each other. Jiraiya exhaled slowly, "When I spoke to sensei, before the attack, he told me that Danzo is very interested in two Genin. One is the last remaining Uchiha, and the other the last Ketsueki."
"Personal training." Tsunade said, "Danzo is a good teacher."
"That's what he claimed too." Jiraiya allowed, "Except he's been practically hunting the Ketsueki and there are still shinobi in the ANBU who can't say his name or where they came from."
Tsunade's Killer Intent was always much like a sledgehammer repeatedly ramming into your sternum. Jiraiya swallowed and pushed back. Tsunade's eyes glinted dangerously.
"He can train them." she said. "And they can refuse."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Jiraiya laughed bitterly, "He struck a deal with sensei. Either he gets the Ketsueki or the Uchiha, depending on which one doesn't lose their mind."
Tsunade looked like she was drinking poison, "I don't see the downside of this. Under his tutelage, the crazy one won't do any harm to Konoha."
"Will you let those kids be brainwashed? Are you going to sacrifice a child to keep living like this?" he hissed. In a flash, her fist connected with his stomach, and Jiraiya flew back. The walls snapped in two. He barely had time to get up before Tsunade descended from the sky like the wrath of God.
The fake-marble floor burst into bits as her fist connected. The people screamed. Jiraiya scrambled out of the way. "You know what's right. The people need you."
"Go to hell, Jiraiya." Tsunade ground out. "All of you can go to hell."
He shook his head, "You don't mean that."
"I do."
There were a handful of shinobi in the crowd, all quickly realizing they were better qualified to take the civilians away.
"Tsuna," Jiraiya said, "don't make me force you." he lifted his right hand.
Tsunade chuckled bitterly and lowered her stance. The rasengan whirled to life in Jiraiya's palm. Her chakra cracked the floor. The air was filled with static. They wouldn't go all out but even a fraction of their strength was enough to bring this town down.
They charged.
At the last second, Tsunade lifted her arm and opened her fist to grab his wrist. Jiraiya twisted and used her iron-grip to throw her over his shoulder, bringing the rasengan down on her. It connected with the floor, because she naturally dodged and he didn't want to kill her.
The unfortunate floor exploded.
In the aftermath, Jiraiya peeled himself from the remains of a shogi-table and dove on top of Tsunade, who had just decided to get up herself. It was in this compromising position, that Naruto found them. Jiraiya's cheerful- if sheepish- greeting was interrupted by the kid still chewing on his food.
"YOU PERVERT!" he stabbed his finger at the Sage. Bits of squid sprayed on the man.
"Wait-" Jiraiya began, smile faltering, "I wasn't-"
Naruto grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him off with strength that defied his scrawny body. "I can't believe you ditched me just to jump on old ladies!"
"Oi Naruto!" Jiraiya tried but the slippery floor made it hard to find grip with his sandals.
"Who's an old lady?" Tsunade scrambled up, vein pulsing in her forehead. Her breath stopped when Naruto turned around and stared at her with horribly familiar blue eyes. Her hand dropped to her side.
"C'mon lady, you look almost as old as he does- huh?" His face went blank and he titled his chin as if he were listening to a voice no one else could hear. A series of expressions flitted over his face as if he couldn't decide which was appropriate. In the end he scoffed, "Nah, can't be her. Pervy Sage managed to defeat her."
Jiraiya squawked but his charge was already dragging him off through the rubble.
"You owe me food." Naruto grumbled as Jiraiya tried to get up and talk to the kid. Their bickering could be heard far down the street.
Tsunade stared at them amidst the destruction. Shizune, the only one crazy enough to near her in this state, crouched down beside her.
"Tsunade-sama?"
Her master blinked and tore her gaze away. She looked at Shizune, "Did you see that boy?"
"Hmm?" Shizune looked around, "You mean the blond one?"
Tsunade nodded, "He looked just like Minato."
Shizune grimaced. She didn't really remember the Fourth Hokage's face. She did remember the fit Tsunade had thrown when they heard of his demise. "A little, I guess."
She helped her master up, "Let's leave for now, before the owner comes asking for money."
Chi's hospital room, that night~
Chi had the strangest dream. She laid in a room full of books, cradled in Kosuke's arms and rocked back and forth. The books drifted over her head in the gray fog. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, just watch. She could only see her cousin's hair from the corner of her eyes but she was pretty sure she was surrounded by people. She had been staring for a while when something cold ran through her arm.
She blinked, for the first time in what felt like hours. Tears gathered under her lashes and an unpleasant burning cut through the dull haze of the dream. When her eyes opened again, Kosuke was gone and so were the books. The fog remained, clinging to the edges of her vision.
A wheeze escaped her.
Chi's neck arched and her head rolled to the side. There was so much white around her. The air was cold. Her body didn't exist. It was just her head and a dark shape near her. The shape formed a head and shoulders. The sound of whispers filled her ears but she was fairly certain that the shape wasn't making a sound.
Danzo Shimura leaned forward but Chi couldn't flinch. She managed a shaky exhale but had no energy to turn away. The voices snarled when Danzo pressed a cold hand on her forehead.
"Welcome back." he said.
Traitor... A voice hissed. Chi desperately tried to find the rest of her body. Danzo pressed his hand down firmer and kept her head in place. He stared into her eyes.
"Interesting." he murmured, "When you are weak, your eyes turn brown."
Chi tried to speak but all she managed was a raspy tone. Needles stabbed her dry throat. For the first time she realized there was a tube in her throat. Danzo kept her in place.
"You remember what happened, right?"
The Third Hokage died. Orochimaru escaped. Itachi Uchiha was at my home. Itachi used the Tsukuyomi on me. I was tortured for three days- Chi choked on dust. Danzo didn't move. "Your team arrested you and put you under a severe Genjutsu."
Liar... A man sneered.
Traitor. The woman hissed again. Countless others murmured in agreement. Chi stared at Danzo, wide-eyed.
"You were betrayed." Danzo sighed, in a tone so deceptively friendly it almost send Chi in a panic attack. Images of her team flitted through her head. Their training, their days at the Academy, every piece of cake Ryuya had ever brought. The exact amount of tears in Naruto's clothes.
Pay attention. Someone snapped and Chi jerked back to the room. Danzo studied her.
"They made you think you fought Itachi Uchiha..." he scoffed, eye piercing her, "You would be dead if you faced him."
What the hell is he trying to do? A woman asked.
Desperate measures. Another one replied. Chi squirmed but her body was not there yet. Black spots danced across her vision. Her head began to throb.
"My old friend died for you," Danzo's voice cut through the room, "he protected you and the village."
Chi made a strangled noise. Danzo's grip was close to crushing. "But in the end, he was still too weak. Orochimaru still escaped." he looked at her, "They shouldn't blame you for that. You are no match for him, everyone knows that."
They still left.
"They still blamed you." Danzo continued, "Do you see what world we live in? Bonds," he spat the word, "are useless for shinobi."
Ask him what he wants. A man urged her.
How? Chi asked back. Silence rang in the room for a moment. Danzo let his words sink in before leaning back, "I will train you, so you will never fail to save your Hokage again. I will teach you the meaning of the true Willl of Fire."
I got your finger! The man said and sure enough, Chi could feel her right index-finger warm up. Tap!
Danzo snapped up at the faint thuds. His sole eye ran down her body until he saw her hand. Chi tapped out the code as carefully as she could. He didn't move. Chi repeated the message to be sure. Danzo's expression remained unreadable even if Chi's vision hadn't turned darker by the second.
"I want to train you." he replied, "So that you will be the best you can be. No one here understands you, and no one could. Your clan is cursed," Danzo scanned her expression, "but I can help you overcome it. With me, you will be able to protect Konoha instead of harming it."
Chi let the words sink and tapped out another sentence. Danzo frowned and his voice turned cold, "If you refuse, I will have to go for my second choice, so that at least one of you becomes a shinobi capable of protecting Konoha."
Another series of taps.
Danzo debated for a moment. "Sasuke Uchiha." he said. "Think very carefully about refusing, child. There is no other path for you but the one in the shadows."
He reached over her head and coldness spread along her arm again. Chi wasn't sure when he left but when her eyes opened again, for a brief moment, she was alone.
Entrance hall of the hospital, night~
Sakura and Sasuke shuffled to the exit. Dimly, Sakura realized she had missed her study-session with the nurses, but she could afford to miss out on one. Most of the practice went in chakra-control and she already surpassed most of the nurses. She peeked at Sasuke. His face was still tight but the initial anger had been pushed behind a layer of pensiveness. Sakura didn't dare to call it hope, but she felt the same.
They had inspected all the bottles until Sakura dragged Sasuke out because he was beginning to hyperventilate. There were at least twenty more empty bottles.
They sat outside in the afternoon sun until he calmed down enough to breath again. After that it was back to the cold expression. Sakura thought it was odd for him not to be more upset until she looked closer. Rage simmered just behind his eyes, digging his nails in his palms.
They went back to the hospital in silence.
Kakashi was still asleep and never before had Sakura wished so dearly for that stupid smile and that stupid voice to apologize for being four hours late. Sasuke sat like a statue, completely hidden behind the countless walls. Sakura felt lost.
They stepped outside and kept walking aimlessly over the streets. It was Sakura's reflex that kept them from tripping over Akamaru.
"Ack- Kiba!" Sakura burst, spinning to the running boy. Sasuke's eyes were trained on the dog.
Kiba ignored them and caught Akamaru as he jumped into his arms. Hinata and Shino arrived a moment later.
"Heh, whoops!" Kiba laughed even as he stepped away at Sakura's fuming expression. Akamaru yipped. "We're training."
Indeed, Hinata's Byukugan was active and she looked concerned. Sakura wondered if she saw something about Sasuke. Her anger evaporated as if it never existed, replaced by the urge to ask her for help. The only issue would be Sasuke.
Sakura nodded thoughtfully, "You guys are trackers, right?"
Hinata nodded timidly. Kiba hit his chest, "The very best in Konoha!"
"How much material do you need to find someone?" Sakura asked and instantly, Sasuke's eyes were on her. He was smart, she really should have guessed he would figure it out. She felt him press his foot in her heel.
Kiba huffed in pride, "Just a scrap! A hair or even less. Akamaru and I can sniff out anyone."
"And my beetles," Shino began, "and I can spread over a large area and find the target. How? Because my beetles are great in number and can relay information to me."
A bug escaped his nostril. Sakura shivered. Kiba pointed at Hinata, "She can look through anything and see super far!"
Hinata blushed. Sakura put on her finest smile even as Sasuke resorted to kicking. "That's amazing! Can you help me out with something-"
Sasuke launched them on a nearby roof, leaving Team 8 to blink in uprise.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke demanded.
"I'm trying to find out what happened to you know what." Sakura shot back, glancing down to find the team still waiting there. Hinata's pale eyes looked up.
"I don't need their help." Sasuke shot back.
"Don't you want to find out what happened?" A low blow, but that was usually the only way to get Sasuke to admit something.
His Sharingan activated on its own, "I won't let them in. Hinata's the Hyuuga-heiress."
"They can help." she hissed. "No one has to know."
Sasuke glared harder, "No."
"Let us help you." Sakura insisted. "We can't ask anyone else."
A Jonin would have them locked up with scrambled memories before they could complete the question. Sasuke's very well-trained facial muscles spasmed and Sakura knew she hit home.
"Whatever we discover, we can use to get Shinji to take us to the hidden Archives. We can get more information on the- that night."
Hook, line and sinker.
"Let me handle it," Sakura gave him a thumbs up that was so reminiscent of Lee, Sasuke promptly forgot his anger for disgust," I won't tell them anything they don't need to know."
They jumped down.
"You need our help, Uchiha?" Kiba smirked when Sakura finished explaining their request. Sasuke clenched his jaw.
"I- I want to help." Hinata stepped in between, sending nervous glances at them all. "J-just that my family can't know."
Sasuke crossed his arms, "I'm not planning on visiting."
Sakura glared at him and send a placating smile at Hinata, "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone."
After Kiba finally succumbed to the death-glare Sakura gave him, the group moved. As expected, the Genin stepped through the Uchiha-gate with some degree of anxiety. Hinata especially had pulled her hood over her eyes and was pressed between Kiba and Sakura. The ANBU on guard didn't notice because a very timely giant wasp appeared in front of him. Admittedly, Shino's curiosity to the compound surprised even himself.
Sasuke brought them to the tunnel where they came to a halt.
"Explain the mission." Shino stated, startling them all. "The complete mission. Why? Because this is a cemetery."
Sakura glanced at Sasuke, but he looked away. She sighed, "This leads to the graves of the Uchiha-clan. We went in earlier-"
Breathe. Sakura clenched her fists, "We went in and there is something wrong. The graves are robbed."
Team 8 stared at her. Hinata's face had gone pale, "Robbed? D-do you mean the-"
Sakura nodded gravely, "Some of the eyes are missing."
Shino stiffened. Kiba swore passionately. His eyes were dark as he looked at Sasuke, "I guess no one else knows about it?"
Sasuke shook his head, lips tight. Kiba nodded slowly and looked back at the entrance to the cemetery. "We'll keep our mouths shut, Sasuke. You can trust us."
Only Sakura noticed how surprised the latter was. His eyes widened imperceptibly. She gave Kiba a grateful smile.
"If you let me," Shino said in his quiet monotone, "I will scatter my beetles around the compound to search for foreign chakra."
Sasuke nodded stiffly and a swarm of black beetles poured out of Shino's collar and spread out.
Sasuke took a breath and pushed the entrance open again. They walked in silence apart from Akamaru's soft whines.
"He's not used to the scent of bodies.' Kiba explained quietly. No one commented.
They entered the room and paused. Kiba gulped audibly and muttered a quick prayer under his breath. Sasuke stepped aside and let them explore the room. Sakura showed them Izumi's grave and empty bottle. Hinata looked devastated and Sasuke had the irrational urge to challenge her clan's insistence on sealing the Byakugan.
Team 8 began. Shino stood in the center with the torch and let his beetles fly out. Kiba and Akamaru began their gruesome task of sniffing each coffin. Only Hinata looked at Sasuke for permission.
He shrugged, "This place is warded against Hyuuga's so do whatever."
She hunched her shoulders but activated her Byakugan anyway. Sakura glared at Sasuke who expertly ignored her.
"Eh," Hinata stammered, "I- I can see through the c-coffins... A-and there are still traces of chakra here."
Sasuke glowered at Sakura's 'I told you so'-eyebrow. He stepped forward. Kiba looked grim as he joined them. Akamaru sniffed.
"There are bodies missing." Hinata almost whispered, "A-and there are some who are n-not Uchiha... I can see the different chakra."
Sasuke's legs would have given out if it weren't for Sakura clutching his arms. His face turned chalk-white.
Hinata scanned the room again and gasped, clutching her chest. Sakura tensed, trying to decide if she had to drop Sasuke and help her. Hinata's heart was still damaged and would remain so. Sakura had come across her file in the hospital. For now, Kiba wrapped an arm around her.
"There is this weird scent, you know?" Kiba looked deeply disturbed as he spoke, "I mean it's mostly Uchiha, but there are layers. Not everything is as old and there are definitely some other scents here."
Sakura pressed closer to her teammate. Sasuke had gone still in her arms.
"I believe there is something wrong too. Why? Because my bugs have picked up foreign traces all around the compound." Shino began in his monotone, "These graves have been robbed. The houses have been inspected, most likely by ANBU."
"A lot of eyes are missing." Hinata finally added, shaking like a leaf.
A terrible sense of foreboding began to form in Sakura's gut. She swallowed with difficulty and looked around the room. Suddenly it seemed like the remaining eyes were staring at her.
"Let's get out of here." she said when she found her voice again. No one protested. She could only breath again when they were standing outside. The Genin leaned against the rocky wall and stared ahead.
Sasuke had dropped to a crouch besides Sakura. His Sharingan stared at nothing. The sun was long gone and the temperature had dropped below pleasant. A chilly wind blew through the streets and Sakura shivered.
Sasuke got up when a cold drop of rain fell on his nose. He was numb. Anger like a ticking bomb was growing in his chest and he didn't need anyone to see it.
"Get out." he murmured and began to walk away. He didn't bother to look back or escort them out.
The subdued team 8 left the compound while Shino distracted the guard again. Sakura watched them go but didn't move from the gate.
"A-are you staying here?" Hinata asked with a concerned frown.
Sakura gave a faint smile and nodded. "He needs someone around even if he doesn't want to."
They bid each other goodbye, with them promising to tell Sakura's parents that she was staying with Ino. Team 8 soon became a silhouette in the dark. Sakura shivered again and entered the dark streets. Rain began to fall steadily and she couldn't help but be impressed at the timing.
Water ran down her face as Sasuke's house became visible. A lonely light turned on. Sakura felt her own tears escape. The night-sky was dark and clouded. The moon was a pale shade in the distance. One of the houses had a small shrine build in the outer wall. Sakura stood in front of it and pressed her frozen fingers together. She prayed even as sobs made her words stutter.
It was a lonely night in the district inhabited by ghosts.
Village Hidden in the Sand, the next day~
Ryuya couldn't say she enjoyed the desert sun. It was suffocating and just wouldn't go away. She meandered through the streets, playing her part of a village girl who had just arrived in the big town to visit her sister. Her very grumpy sister. Her sister that almost, almost had skinned her when she returned. Ryuya was convinced that only her part of the mission had kept Owl from murdering her.
She didn't know about the impromptu visit to the Ketsueki-settlement. Aki had managed to convince Ryuya that this would be part of her private report. Ryuya felt uneasy but she wasn't going to undermine what had turned out to be direct orders from the Spider-queen. Trust, Aki had explained solemnly, was not something for outsiders to give to ANBU.
The streets of Sand were- for a lack of better words- deserted. The blistering heat send even the most seasoned shinobi inside. Ryuya wished she could join them around a nice, chilled glass of the popular cactus-juice. She only tasted it once when she tried to find the shop that functioned as Konoha's spy-den and had nearly fainted from dehydration. A kind lady took her inside her home and fed her juice until she could talk again.
Ryuya pulled her headscarf further over her eyes. Her nerves were long forgotten in the face of these conditions. She sped up, trying to keep her eyes on the shady side of the street. The city shone in a golden hue at noon, transitioning from silver to red throughout the day. At night the residual heat made the air shudder and during the day the ground cracked even more.
Sand was holding her breath. Their leader was dead, had been for quite some time apparently, and they had just made enemies with one of the strongest villages. The governing body hid in the palace. Their shinobi were tense and more than one bar-fight had broken out, only to be brutally shut down by the local secret service. Ryuya knew one of them followed her as Aki felt obligated to inform her of his every move.
The shop finally appeared across the street and Ryuya sped up. Her heart beat in her throat. Before she left, Inoichi had told her that these missions would make her very paranoid. Ryuya had received some training to fight it but it was her first mission. On her own. In an enemy nation.
Konoha was no longer our home.
She swallowed and pushed the door open. Inside the fan hummed above her head. There were a few people already there, seated on the faded green bench on the left. The wall on the right held shelves filled with potions and salves in colorful pots. A ruse, though the medicine was real.
The enemy is less likely to kill a doctor than a botanist.
Ryuya nodded at the other disguised shinobi and flashed a meek smile at the civilian woman, before heading for the counter. A silver-haired woman who could have passed for Kakashi's sister, greeted her. Her face looked old with the use of make-up and her shoulders were hunched on purpose. Ryuya greeted her with a shy bow, fully aware that the woman could kill her in a second.
She pulled the bottle out of her pocket and put it down. "A refill please."
The woman's smile faded and she huffed, "You are taking too much of these, Mai-san."
Ryuya looked at her feet, shifting her weight, "It's not just me..."
The woman rolled her eyes but took the bottle. Ryuya absently drummed on the table, trying to look casual as she checked the time. The large hourglass on the side must be perfectly readable to the locals, but all Ryuya could read is that there was still a lot of sand in the top half.
The woman emerged from back and set the filled bottle down. Ryuya smiled and fished some coins out of her other pocket. The currency made little sense to her but the woman accepted without comments.
Ryuya rushed down the streets again in no time. She made it to their hideout and burst through the door. Cool air welcomed her and she sighed in relief. The seal pasted on the door easily reattached with some chakra and Ryuya safely made her way to the living room.
The hideout was small, with two bedrooms upstairs and a living-room attached to the kitchen in the same round space. Owl lounged on the tiny couch, reading some sort of magazine. Her legs were draped over one end and their meager supply of pillows propped her back up on the other end.
"Did you get my candy?" she asked without looking up.
Ryuya froze in her steps, "I thought you said medicine?"
Owl rolled her eyes and held up her hand, Ryuya sagged and tossed the bottle at her. "Need to work on your improvisation skills, rookie."
Ryuya nodded and went to the kitchen while Owl scanned the message in the bottle.
"And stop trailing sand everywhere!" she called after her. Ryuya bit down a retort.
Owl was a peculiar housemate. If Shinji had been here, a fight would have happened by now. Then again, Owl had tortured Shinji that night in the cave. Ryuya bit her lip, wondering if she should be so casual about her new housemate. She hadn't seen the man who burned her again. The only one they could identify was Owl because of Chi. No one at T&I or ANBU was too pleased with that.
Ryuya returned with a glass of cooled water from the pitcher. They needed to boil everything first. Showers were a wet-towel-affair. Ryuya sat down on the chair and took small sips. Her task of the day was over. Now they could kill time until dinner, which would be a fruit salad at this rate.
"Saw anything good?"
Ryuya looked up, "Not really. Was busy at the shop, streets were empty."
Owl hummed, "I'll head out tomorrow."
Her magazine fell on her stomach. She looked at her through her disguise. Her hair was covered in a brown wig, her eyes hidden behind green contacts. "How are you doing?"
"Eh," Ryuya blinked bewildered, "fine?"
Owl just barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I meant with your friends. How is it going?"
Oh. "Oh, it's fine." Ryuya lied, wondering why she even asked. Owl narrowed her eyes, but picked her magazine up again.
"You know," she began casually, "I knew her cousin."
She knows. Ryuya's stomach dropped. She knows. She's going to kill me. She's going to pull her knifes out and cut me to pieces-
"Cute guy," Owl continued, "you would have liked him."
With great effort, Ryuya kept her breath even, "Yeah? How so?" Too casual.
Owl threw the magazine down and laced her fingers across her stomach, "He was sweet. And handsome." she added.
Is this going to be boy-talk? Ryuya could do that. She brought her knees up and settled against the chair, "What did he look like?"
Owl's grin was wolfish, "I saw him at the hot springs once. He looked fine. All muscle and dark hair."
The Kosuke she met was handsome but roughened by his impoverished lifestyle. Now her mind helpfully supplied her with an image of a healthy version of him sitting in the steam. Ryuya's cheeks burned bright red.
Owl smirked, "He had this scar right on his hip-" she pointed at her own hip, dangerously close to her thigh- "All the girls were fighting for a spot."
She laughed out loud when Ryuya pressed her hands to her face. If Owl was planning to test her like this, failure was imminent. She almost wished to come across another evil plot against Konoha but the spies turned out to be out of work. Ryuya glanced at the map pinned to the wall, trying to ignore Owl's stories. They had two more days here and then the almost three day journey back. They took a barely legal shortcut the first time around and now Ryuya dreaded the return. She had to keep her mouth shut no matter what.
Because Owl may be laughing now, if she ever found out what Ryuya had done, she would boil her in her own blood.
Land of Fire roadside, the next morning~
Who knew water-balloons were so tough? Naruto glared at the blue one in his hand. He gathered his chakra and tried again. It wasn't a matter of how much he used, it was how much was actually focused on the balloon. Which wasn't a lot.
The rubbed moved and bulged, but nothing happened.
"Ahw, close one kid." Jiraiya said automatically, not bothering to look up from his notes. "Try again."
Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and focused. He was going to do this even if it would take all day!
It did take a whole day. Just as Jiraiya put his work aside, the balloon burst. Water ran down between his fingers and in his sleeve but Naruto didn't care. Both stared at his empty hand for a moment. Naruto's face split apart in a huge smile and he jumped up, "I did it!"
"You did it?" Jiraiya gaped, "You did it!"
He caught Naruto just as the boy flung his arms around the Sage. Jiraiya laughed and twirled him around. "Good job!"
"I did it!" Naruto panted excitedly. Jiraiya ruffled his hair.
"This calls for a celebration." he winked and reached for his scrolls. He opened one with a blue ribbon and held the seal up. "What do you think this one does?"
It was a long shot but Jiraiya couldn't help it. Genes should count for something. Naruto frowned and squinted at it. Jiraiya felt his hope slip through his toes into the ground as the boy remained silent.
"Is this one of those storage things?" Naruto suddenly said.
Jiraiya sighed in relief and nodded. "Yes it is."
He channeled his chakra through it. A Popsicle appeared. Jiraiya unwrapped it and broke it in half. Naruto accepted his half with awe.
"How is it not melted?" Naruto asked, "Did you seal ice cubes in it?"
Too much hope after all. Jiraiya shook his head and sat down. Naruto followed, most likely to get his surprise rather than getting a lesson. "Storage seals keep anything in the same state as long as they remain in the seal."
"Forever?"
"No." Jiraiya had once wanted to eat a bowl of rice that had been sealed for a month and he was pretty sure it had become sentient. "It kind of depends on the seal and no one really knows the physics behind it, but there are different types of storage."
If Kushina had still been around, she would have given a six-hour-lecture, with her husband cheering her on from the sides. Naruto stared at the seal.
"Chi and I made a seal that could store fire once." he grinned, "We put it in between our homework and when Iruka-sensei opened our essays, it burst into flames!"
Jiraiya gawked, "A flame? A real, flame? How?" Flames were notorious to burn the paper before any sealing could happen.
Naruto shrugged, "We used one of the Blood seals. Chi said they use chakra from the sealer to feed what's inside or something."
Jiraiya was going to drag Chi along for his planned training trip with Naruto. He was willing to pay whatever bribe needed. Blood seals were unique to the Ketsueki-clan and very little was known about them. They were rumored to be stronger than the Uzumaki sealing technique, though most sealing experts refuted that. The Blood seals were very effective but unlike the Uzumaki seals, they needed to be constantly fed by the user. It was a draining technique that required years of training for an outsider to even acquire the skill to mix enough chakra in their blood.
"What are you grinning about?" Naruto made a face. Jiraiya grinned some more and bit down on his Popsicle.
"Show me what you made."
Land of Fire, cave~
Kabuto liked to think he had closed his ROOT-chapter when he decided to follow Orochimaru in his defection. His short hair begged to differ. He ran a hand over it, grimacing at the feel of stubble. It didn't matter. Hair grew back. The worst part, he decided, was that Danzo hadn't even recognized him. Sure, Kabuto had been one of a few hundred kids at that time, but still. What other kid had been so skilled at that age?
Danzo had looked at him, made him stick his tongue out and put that damned seal on him. Kabuto was powerless to stop him. The minute he emerged from that tunnel, four ROOT agents had jumped him and paralyzed him. Not so skilled after all... Kabuto chewed on his lip.
His back ached but it was all between his ears. Kabuto prided himself in being a talented medic. He could heal sores and scraped skin without a thought. A groan alerted him and he turned back from the entrance. The dark cave was dimly lit with a campfire in the back. Outside the wind roared through the forest. A fine spray of rain hit Kabuto's skin.
Orochimaru sat on a heap of blankets, shivering as he cradled his useless arms in his lap. The Grim Reaper's Death seal contrasted against his white skin. The legendary shinobi laid in a miserable heap in a dank cave.
"Did you need anything, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto crouched near him, ignoring the persistent protests of his knees. The cave certainly wasn't helping. Kabuto had been many people in his life but he carried all the memories in the same body.
Orochimaru opened his eyes, "You can't do anything here. Find Tsunade. She is the only one who can help us."
Kabuto stiffened but obeyed, as always. Orochimaru didn't trust him for a second, just like he knew the other didn't trust him. Obedience however had very little to do with trust. Orochimaru didn't like to think what would have happened if Kabuto had possessed his blood and the ability to control it. Deep inside, he could feel that little gate to Chi. A pinprick that showed that she not only had access to his chakra, she could always trace him down and control him.
Without his arms, Orochimaru had no clue how to fight it or how to use it for his benefit. He watched Kabuto slink into the darkness. Maybe Tsunade had a solution. If it wasn't for Kabuto's usefulness and tendency to stay alive, Orochimaru would have taken his body. Sasuke's seal was gone but that wouldn't be enough to keep him away. Orochimaru couldn't wait until the kid walked over like a tailored suit with bonus-Sharingan.
Maybe, during his next visit, he would take care of Chi as well. Or he could take her body instead like he had planned years ago. It would be fascinating to see how she had developed since that time.
It had been laughable how easily he had entered the village, but he could forgive them based on the fact that the entire police force had been eradicated a year ago. Orochimaru only returned for one reason: the Ketsueki-massacre. Yet another potential source of strong bodies destroyed. From over five-hundred options down to two.
Orochimaru had found her sitting alone in Ichiraku's waiting for the blond menace to join her. He wouldn't. Naruto had been captured by the ANBU for once again painting foul language on the Academy walls.
The civilians behind the counter were easily fooled by a Genjutsu. Chi stared in her soup when he approached. She didn't even notice until he stole her bowl and ate her noodles. She didn't protest. Her red eyes stared at him blankly. Orochimaru had seen those eyes before, on countless children and grown soldiers. Eyes that begged for both a punishment and a comforting voice telling them it wasn't their fault. It surprised him that she could have those eyes too.
His offer sounded easy, sweetened by glimpse of knowledge he showed her. She wanted to take it. To be free of this cage she had walked in. It was of course, at that moment when Naruto decided to appear and Orochimaru couldn't continue because the two seemed close and with Naruto came the Fox. It didn't matter. The idea was there, safely secured in her mind.
He opened his eyes in the cave. Perhaps, with a bit of meditation, he could trigger that bit again. Just a little more and he would have two lovely bodies to choose from. Maybe I can make them one. A Sharingan and the ability to control blood.
Orochimaru grinned.
