Sasuke couldn't say that he was particularly close to Sarutobi Asuma. He knew Asuma as the sensei to Team 10 and the son of the Sandaime Hokage. Of course, it was always sad when a comrade died. But Sasuke couldn't say that he felt much more than slight grief for those Asuma had left behind (and a much more intense frustration and simmering anger at finding who was responsible for his death).
The Akatsuki had claimed another life. And if what he'd heard from Naruko was correct, the one who had killed him was immortal. "You're sure?" Sasuke questioned dubiously.
Naruko nodded seriously. "I heard it with my own ears, 'ttebayo. He lived through being stabbed through the chest three times and getting his head cut off!"
After the chunin had delivered the Hokage's message to Itachi, his elder brother had offered a succinct farewell before leaving with a shushin. Sasuke had been on his way back into the village when Naruko and Sakura had landed in front of him and immediately started trading information. Naruko had managed to listen in from outside the window of the Hokage office while Sakura had spotted Asuma's body being delivered to the coroner for an autopsy.
"I've never heard of something like this before. I knew that the Akatsuki had some powerful missing nins. But…immortals?" Sakura said with a hand to her chin. "What kind of jutsu gives you immortality?"
Sasuke frowned. He'd never heard of a jutsu like that before. 'Every jutsu has a weakness,' Itachi's words rang through Sasuke's head. If there was a way to gain immortality, there had to be a cost to it. Or a way to exploit it at the very least…
"Do you know when the funeral is?" Sakura asked Naruko in a somber voice.
Naruko frowned. "Tomorrow, 'ttebayo. I wonder how team ten is doing."
Sasuke didn't respond, but he could imagine the feeling of uselessness he'd harbor if Kakashi had died in action and he'd have to hear it through the grapevine… But would that be worse than being on the same mission and failing to save your sensei? In that moment, Sasuke pitied Shikamaru.
"Poor Kurenai-sensei. She must be devastated," Sakura said.
"Kurenai-sensei? What about her?" Naruko asked, completely puzzled.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sasuke didn't make it his business to get involved in the private affairs of others, but even he knew about Kurenai and Asuma. "They were married, Usuratonkachi. They didn't make a big deal of it."
Sakura sighed and shook her head at Naruko's stunned expression. "I'm going to go check on Ino and see how she's doing," Sakura said and started walking back towards the village.
Sasuke turned back to Naruko when he heard her curse softly. "Asuma-sensei helped me with my wind chakra whenever Tou-chan was too busy. Those Akatsuki bastards can't get away with this," she said with her fists clenched tightly.
"They won't," Sasuke promised. Naruko met his gaze for several seconds, seemingly searching for something in his gaze. When she found whatever it was that she had been searching for, she nodded once. While Sasuke was pleased that she had such faith in him, truthfully, he still held some minor reservations. Itachi had just praised his strength, Sasuke wasn't ignorant to his own weaknesses.
~:~
It was abnormally gloomy in the village- a rare cloudy day during the Land of Fire's summer. Asuma's funeral was a relatively small affair full of familiar faces. Sasuke had stood at his mother's side and silently paid his respects, while watching the reactions in the crowd. Naruko was comforting a younger, crying boy. Sakura stood strong at Ino's side, wordlessly offering a handkerchief. Kakashi was standing with a man with a bowl cut hairstyle, the both of them staring mournfully at Asuma's grave marker. Even Itachi had come, but he was noticeably standing with Shisui and Izumi (and away from their father).
"Today, we do more than mourn the loss of a skilled shinobi. Today, we remember a teacher, husband, and friend," the Yondaime started from where he stood beside Asuma's grave. "In moments like these, it becomes easy to remember that we are human and as such are susceptible to our emotions- to feelings of pain, anger, hatred and loss. Which is why I must implore you do not act on these notions rashly."
Sasuke was only half-listening to the Hokage's words, but he noticed the way Ino and Choji seemed to slump slightly, as if they had already been planning to do just that. Sasuke didn't blame them. When he turned his attention back onto the Hokage, Sasuke was mildly surprised to see that the man had been staring right at him. Minato maintained eye contact for just a few seconds before he continued, but the lump that had settled in Sasuke's gut remained. Was Minato implying that Sasuke would seek revenge on Asuma's behalf? It was true that Sasuke wished for every Akatsuki member to receive a slow and painful death, it had very little to do with Asuma. Sasuke frowned.
"As Hokage, I see the entire village as my family, and I do not take this attack on family lightly. I humbly ask that you lend me your strength and I will do everything within my power to not only protect those under me but to right the wrongs being done outside our walls."
Sasuke wondered if he was seeing things. Just a second ago, the Yondaime had appeared to be a sympathetic man speaking on behalf of a comrade. (Sasuke wouldn't have put it past the man to shed a tear or two.) However, the man standing before him now had a fierce determination sparking in his eyes while still giving off a chilled air. The shift had been so subtle, Sasuke had to know if anyone else had noticed. Instead of puzzled or confused looks, Sasuke could only see a growing determination around him. Even that crying boy was now wiping furiously at his face, trying to remove all traces of sadness. With a short bow, the Yondaime walked away from the grave with purposeful steps before disappearing without a trace. Even without his presence, the newly invigorated air didn't wane.
Sasuke knew that objectively the Hokage was the strongest shinobi in the village. He'd been taught the Yondaime's life story back in the Academy, but it had always been difficult to equate the man who had singlehandedly killed a thousand Iwa shinobi in battle to the man that cried at the Academy's graduation ceremony. The man that had just walked away had looked like a true leader and a man on a mission. Sasuke couldn't help but feel his respect for the Hokage grow.
Once the final offering was left at the grave, the crowd started to disperse. Sasuke followed behind his mother as she made her way over to Kurenai, but he couldn't help but notice the beeline that his father was making towards Itachi. Itachi must have noticed as well because he quickly vanished from the cemetery before Fugaku could get close.
Sasuke almost felt pity for his father. The man had already tried to make amends with Itachi in his own way. Sasuke wasn't sure what had been said, but he knew that it had only served to solidify Itachi's resolve to distance himself from the clan. Sasuke could see the points both men were trying to make- the village was important, but so was the clan. They were family.
Now that he knew what to listen for, Sasuke had heard the whispers among the clan. Itachi couldn't be trusted amongst the clan or with its best interests. He was one, drastic act of defiance away from being labeled a traitor to the clan. It troubled Sasuke how quickly the clan- their family- was willing to turn on one of their own. Sometimes, Sasuke could feel the gazes of some of the clan members weighing down upon him, usually after he was seen publicly interacting with Itachi. He was stuck in the middle, not yet asked to choose a side. Truthfully, Sasuke wasn't sure which he would choose if it came to that.
Danzo was long dead, but he'd left the clan with an internal curse. No longer was the village shrouding them in suspicion. Instead, they couldn't trust each other.
Rather than go home with his parents where he was sure to be forced to sit through yet another one of his father's rants about Itachi, Sasuke opted to take a stroll through the village. (The irony of Itachi forsaking the clan and being a "disappointment", but still managing to monopolize their father's attention was not lost on Sasuke). Despite the light haze of grief that had settled over the village, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the cheerful faces of civilians going about their days. He wasn't sure if he envied their ignorance.
A shinobi's life was often like a shooting star- appearing in a flash, burning bright across the darkness of the night, only to fade and disappear just as quickly. The shinobi life expectancy was so astoundingly low- 24 years- that Asuma managing to live past thirty had been seen as an accomplishment and testament to his skill. Sasuke couldn't say that he agreed.
Asuma had been a strong shinobi- not a certified genius, but still one of the best that the village had to offer. Did skill level matter when any mission you took could be your last? Did it matter when there was always someone stronger? But perhaps that was just the world they lived in. Was it not enough to be strong? Would you only be safe if you were the absolute strongest? Sasuke didn't have an answer to his questions, but he could think of a few people who might.
Sasuke found Kakashi predictably standing in front of the Memorial Stone with his head down and his hands tucked into the pockets of his black slacks. Even though he hadn't said a word, he was sure that Kakashi had long since sensed him coming. Sasuke stood at Kakashi's side and stared down at the monument, somewhat hesitant to break the silence despite his questions.
The two of them stood silently for several minutes before Kakashi broke the silence. "Uchiha Obito," he said. "I told you years ago that some of my best friends had their names engraved on this stone. Uchiha Obito was the first friend that I lost in the line of duty. He sacrificed himself to save me. Not a day goes by that I don't wish that I could travel through time to rewrite that day."
"But you can't," Sasuke replied. Kakashi's face was carefully blank so Sasuke wasn't sure if this had been the wrong thing to say. "Isn't this something we have to live with? People dying around us? At least, until we die ourselves," Sasuke went on.
"Even coming from a funeral, you're awfully glum," Kakashi pointed out, only slightly teasing. "But you do have a point. It almost makes it all seem pointless, doesn't it? Why bother fighting if you could die at any moment? Or worse, you lose those you care about."
Sasuke stayed silent, his eyes staring down at the name "Uchiha Obito".
"I think it would be an insult to the memory of those who came before us to lose faith so easily. Obito didn't choose to die. He chose for me to live. While I may not agree with his decision, I can't ignore it and spit in the face of his sacrifice. He gave me another chance so that I could do the same for others," Kakashi said. Sasuke looked up at his former sensei, feeling twelve-years-old all over again.
"I've heard a few definitions, but I'll give you my favorite. A shinobi is one who endures. We wade through the blood and darkness because we must in order to protect those we care about. There are just some things and some people worth dying for, I suppose," Kakashi said and looked up at the sky. The clouds were starting to disperse.
Hearing Kakashi's words left Sasuke feeling a tightness in his chest. People worth dying for? He definitely had a few of those. "You're a lot easier to talk to than Itachi. He would have spoken in cryptic riddles and not bothered to explain any of it," Sasuke said with a huff, trying to alleviate the heavy air around them.
Kakashi chuckled softly. "That sounds like him. I think I've gotten decently good at deciphering him so you can always come to me for a translation," Kakashi said. Before Sasuke could say anything else, Kakashi roughly ruffled his hair with a smile. "I've got somewhere to be. Try not to get yourself hurt before I get back."
Sasuke scoffed and shoved Kakashi's hands away, but the man was already disappearing with a flurry of leaves. Kakashi was still as uncomfortable with emotional discussions as ever. Sasuke was mildly surprised that he'd made it as long as he had- surprised, but still grateful. Glancing down at the engravings again, Sasuke frowned pensively. Dying for a precious person didn't sound like a complete waste- not the worst reason to die. But there was far greater value in living for those people. Living to fight for them and protecting what mattered would require strength. Sasuke turned from the Memorial Stone. He had training to do.
~:~
It was only an hour after sunrise the next morning when Naruko had practically stormed into his home with a shout of his name. Sasuke could hear the thundering of her steps through his house and up to his room barely drown out the sounds of Shisui apologizing to his father for the intrusion. Sasuke paused in fastening his chokuto to his hip just as his door opened with a slam. Naruko looked windswept and more animated than usual.
"Sasuke! Come on! I need you," she shouted and grabbed at his arm. Sasuke barely put up a fight as Naruko dragged him from his bedroom, nearly bowling over his mother and their clean laundry in the process. When they got downstairs, Shisui was still trying to smooth things over with an agitated Fugaku. "Sorry, Fugaku! I'm borrowing Sasuke!" Naruko exclaimed as they ran by. It had only been a glimpse, but Sasuke was sure that he'd seen his father's deeper than usual frown and slightly reddened face.
"Usuratonkachi-" Sasuke started, but Naruko cut him off.
"I need your help with training," Naruko said. "I have to master my new jutsu as soon as possible or Tou-chan won't let me go with you as backup for team ten."
"Backup?" Sasuke repeated.
"Team ten just left to deal with the Akatsuki bastards that killed Asuma-sensei. Tou-chan is letting you, Sakura-chan and Shisui go as back up. But he'll only let me go if I master my new jutsu, dattebayo," Naruko explained. Personally, Sasuke disagreed with the idea of letting Naruko head into a fight with any Akatsuki members. But he could tell that nothing would keep Naruko away from this fight. If anything, the Yondaime might be hoping that she doesn't complete it in time.
"Tou-chan and Itachi-nii-san are too busy, Kakashi-nii just left with team ten, and Ero Sennin isn't in the village yet. You're my last option," Naruko said as she tugged him towards one of the Uchiha training grounds. Sasuke felt slightly insulted that he'd been her fifth choice, but he couldn't say that she would have been his first choice either. (It took half the fun out of sparring if he couldn't surprise her with a new jutsu.)
When they'd made it to the training grounds, Sasuke had stood before her and waited. He watched her summon a shadow clone that held out its hands over hers while she formed a Rasengan in her hand. He could hear the shrill screech of her wind chakra coming from the attack, blades of wind release spinning around it like a shuriken. He'd seen her use this attack before.
"I can get it as far as here before I have to stop adding wind chakra. If I add anymore, it falls apart after I throw it. But if I don't throw it, I can keep it together and add more wind chakra."
"Have you tried compressing your wind chakra to improve the stability?" he suggested. Unfortunately, she had already thought of that. Compressing it had helped but only temporarily. Wind chakra was notoriously harder to control than the other elements, having a wide range of dispersal and tending to be a bit wild.
Sasuke didn't have much experience with wind jutsus, but he did understand basic chakra principles. Unfortunately, the two of them spent hours discussing and theorizing with very little to show for it. Sasuke could tell that the lack of progress was starting to infuriate Naruko. She was muttering to herself while tugging at her already loose pigtails. "You don't have the chakra control necessary to effectively control that much chakra once you launch it from your body," Sasuke said rather bluntly.
"Kaa-chan says it's an Uzumaki thing and a jinchuuriki thing. I just have too much chakra to do the fine control, 'ttebayo," Naruko said and flopped backwards onto the grass. She stared up at her hands for several seconds with a look of thought on her face.
Sasuke wasn't sure what to say to her. He was a little disappointed to say that he had no idea how to help her. As far as he could tell, the amount of chakra needed for the attack and the kind of chakra control needed to pull it off wasn't feasible. He didn't have to think of anything more to say, however. Suddenly, Naruko sat up with one of her wide-eyed looks of divine inspiration. Based on experience, Sasuke knew that the next words out of her mouth would either be incredibly insightful or completely ridiculous.
"What if I used sage chakra?"
Sasuke raised a brow. He had no idea what she was talking about, but she didn't bother to explain before taking a meditation pose. He watched her, quietly observing. He'd seen her meditate several times before, but he'd never bothered to ask the details of her new practice. As the skin around her eyes started to shift colors, Sasuke spoke, "You've done this before. What is it?"
It took her a few seconds to respond, but when she did, she gave him an excited grin. "Sage Mode, dattebayo! I can use sage chakra to strengthen it and keep it together," she said and summoned a shadow clone.
While she was busy forming the Rasenshuriken, Sasuke activated his sharingan and continued to watch her. From the moment the orange started coloring around her eyes, he could feel a dense pressure building in the air around her. He could see her chakra swirling and churning around her, but he couldn't see the sage chakra she mentioned. Finally, she let her clone disappear with a pop and turned away to launch her attack.
Upon seeing the destructive force of her attack, Sasuke had to admit that he was mildly impressed. The attack held until it had travelled a fair enough distance before detonating, expanding, and completely obliterating everything it came in contact with. Sasuke tried to school the slight awe in his expression when he heard Naruko's triumphant shout of, "Yatta!" Sasuke let her dance and jump around as she celebrated completing her very own jutsu. His mind was busy breaking down the jutsu. From what he could see with his sharingan, she had produced countless number of microscopic blades with her wind chakra. "Sage chakra, huh?" Sasuke questioned.
Naruko paused mid-jump before grinning brightly. "Pretty cool right? Ero Sennin let me start learning a little while before I came back to the village. But I've been practicing all the time since then. Ero Sennin still has trouble, but I've pretty much mastered Sage Mode, 'ttebayo," she bragged and rubbed a finger under her nose. From what he'd seen of her Sage Mode during spars, she got stronger, faster, and far more durable. It made it fairly difficult to keep up with her unless he relied on genjutsu. He was only slightly annoyed that she was faster than him. Between them, speed (among other things) had always been where he excelled.
"Naruko, do that again," he said and activated his Mangekyo.
She straightened and gave his eyes a wary look while summoning another clone. "What are you gonna do, Teme?"
It was just a bit of curiosity- a random thought popped into his head and he wanted to test it out. Sasuke watched her launch another Rasenshuriken and he focused his gaze on the screeching jutsu. While casting the Amaterasu with his left eye, Sasuke manipulated enough black flames to encompass the Rasenshuriken in a careful balance of blaze and wind releases.
"Holy shit," Naruko so eloquently spoke.
The crater produced this time was at least twice as big as the first one. Sasuke watched his flames grow larger than he'd managed on his own.
He could always work alone. He may not be at Itachi's level, but Sasuke was more than capable of handling whatever and whomever he went up against. While he was very proud of his strength, he had to admit that he and Naruko consistently worked better together. He had a short list of people he would have no problem teaming up with and Naruko had somehow managed to shoot to the top of the list. (Sasuke was learning to quickly accept all the ways they were compatible without fuss.)
"Don't just stare at it, Teme!" Naruko shouted. Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasuke could see her desperately and futilely trying to put out the flames with a water jutsu. "Put it out! Do something!" Naruko shouted at him while gesturing wildly at the rapidly growing fire. As he was quelling the flames, Naruko demanded, "What the hell was that?"
"You're not the only one with new jutsu, Usuratonkachi," Sasuke scoffed. He couldn't fully interpret the look on her face as she approached him. He could see some of her natural determination and competitiveness that she saved just for him, but there was something else. When she stopped in front of him, he let her wipe at his cheeks. If she wanted to say something about the blood, she kept it to herself.
Instead, she pouted at the blood on her hands for a few seconds before she looked up at him with a suspicious and irritated look. "You've been holding back on me when we spar!" she accused.
His eyes were strong, but he couldn't use them carelessly. It's not like he'd admit that truth to her. Instead, he smirked tauntingly. He could see the anger and frustration building in her while the pressure around her intensified. He couldn't stop his smirk from growing as he used his superior height to look down at her.
After spending so many years with her always getting in his face, Sasuke was overly familiar with the fine details of Naruko's face and the various expressions she'd wear. He could read her anger, confusion, frustration, joy… But the expression she had now was a new one for her. Despite the novelty, Sasuke could recognize the look as one he'd seen on other girls. He recognized the lightly flushed cheeks, dilated pupils, and slight breathlessness. 'Was she…?'
"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke started and stepped closer. He didn't care to invade others' personal space (mostly because it meant he would have them in his space as a result). But if purposefully invading her space brought on a reaction like this… Sasuke felt like a cat that caught a canary. He let out a knowing, "Hn" that had her ears flushing.
Sasuke knew that objectively, he was considered quite attractive. But Naruo had never shown signs of blatant attraction before, especially not towards him. But it was interesting, the effect that he had on her now. He could see the argument welling up in her expression, so he put a stop to the imminent shouts and half-hearted insults. For someone so used to invading the space of others', she was very quick to clam up hen her own was intruded on. He was practically towering over her with a hand lightly cupping her cheek. He was still contemplating his next move when he noticed her cheeks darkening. Was it enough to just get close?
Moving in closer still, Sasuke traced her details with his eyes, pausing on her eyes. She had so many exotic features, shades of sunny blonde and bright blue that were rare even in Konoha. As a boy, Sasuke had been so used to the darker features- black hair and eyes- of his clan members that he'd been a bit taken by her naturally, bright pigmentations. Sasuke was sure that no one knew her eyes better than him. They weren't as light as the Yondaime's. With his sharingan, Sasuke could count the individual flecks of violet darkening her gaze.
Without any conscious thought on his part, Sasuke had managed to narrow the gap between their faces. He wasn't sure how long he had spent staring into her half-lidded eyes, but it must have been too long for Naruko because she was already pushing up onto the balls of her feet to meet him halfway. Feeling oddly elated, Sasuke moved back slightly with a small grin.
Feeling her hands slide up and over his chest nearly made him regret his teasing. She softly growled a "Bastard" at him before pulling him back down with her arms around his neck. She must have gotten over her embarrassment because she was now kissing and nipping at his jaw. Despite the strong hold she had over him, he didn't feel trapped in the slightest. If anything, she wasn't close enough.
She had to have been studying him as much as he was subconsciously studying her. With every encounter, Sasuke was steadily getting closer to solving the puzzle of her body. He already knew several places where she was sensitive and the kind of responses that different touches had. He was a quick study.
Naruko seemed to move with almost careless abandon and enthusiasm for any and all touches- her attention bouncing between all the areas she knew to and wanted to explore. He was much slower and deliberate in his approach to physicality than she was. His free hand cupped the back of her head, easily working between her blonde strands before giving a sharp tug that pulled her lips from his neck with a soft pop. As expected, she let out a breathy little moan while baring her flushed, slender neck.
She, of course, had her moments of dominant or rebellious energy. She wouldn't be Naruko if she didn't fight him even a little bit. While he did enjoy the back and forth- their matching, competitive spirits front and center even during moments of intimacy- Sasuke always appreciated the times he was victorious. It was a battle of wills, one that gave him a depraved sense of accomplishment whenever she was the first to bend. The sounds she was making from where she was almost bonelessly leaning against him were a good indicator that she was quickly conceding to him.
"Teme," she cursed with little heat before nibbling at his earlobe. Purely on reflex, his breath hitched and Sasuke pulled back as much as he could with her still hanging on like a limpet. She had the foxiest grin on her face, the whiskers at her cheeks bunching. If his face wasn't flushed before, he was now.
"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke warned, but Naruko's snicker drowned him out. He had her pressed against a tree trunk before she could try to tease his ear again. Just based on their positions, it looked like he had the upper hand. But Sasuke could feel whatever control that he'd had over the situation slip through his fingers. It was solidified when he felt Naruko's leg wrap around his waist and pull him closer to her center. Curiously, he didn't mind letting her have her way this time.
The sound of a throat clearing rather obnoxiously had them both freezing.
Now that the world around them was slowly registering again, Sasuke wanted to kick himself for getting distracted. He almost didn't look. But irritation eventually won out, causing Sasuke to shoot a vicious glare at his smirking cousin.
"We have a mission," Shisui said with a barely restrained grin. Sakura was standing at his side, pointedly staring at nothing in particular with a flushed face. Taking subtle, deep breaths to calm his racing heart, Sasuke fixed Shisui with a narrowed glare before turning to leave. "Don't worry, Sasuke. We already packed bags for you both. We're on a time crunch. Team ten needs backup."
"Then let's go, dattebayo!" Naruko urged, grabbed the bag that Sakura had packed for her and started to leave, not even bothering to wait for the rest of them.
"Dobe, you don't even know which way you're going," Sasuke pointed out and accepted his pack from Shisui. Sasuke moved to catch up to her, feeling oddly excited about their mission. Naruko froze in place before quickly objecting that she knew exactly where she was going. Sasuke rolled his eyes with a smirk. Maybe it was the sight of what kind of power their combined jutsus held. Maybe it was left over from their impromptu make out. Maybe both. Nonetheless, Sasuke felt an invincible sort of energy humming through his veins. For once, he decided to let the feeling be instead of push it down and away. It was definitely going to make the upcoming fight interesting.
~:~
Forty-three minutes.
That's how long they were on the road for before Shisui couldn't hold himself back any longer. "Mikoto-oba-san said that you two were training."
Sasuke was set on ignoring his cousin, but Shisui must have accounted for that because he spoke loud enough for Naruko and Sakura to hear. Sakura, the true friend that she was, kept quiet and tried to remain focused on where she was leaping through the trees. Naruko flushed a deep red before glancing back at Shisui from over her shoulder. "We were," Naruko said in a strained voice.
"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke warned. The best approach to dealing with Shisui was to just ignore him until he lost interest.
"You two sure have some unique training methods," Shisui said with fake casualness.
"We have a mission," Sakura reminded. Sasuke nearly hugged her in thanks.
Shisui looked ready to say something else, but Sasuke was quick to lay a genjutsu over him. Shisui barely paused before continuing on and completely missing a step. Both Sakura and Naruko looked back at Shisui in confusion, but the older boy was trying to brush off his embarrassment. "You can be just as bad as Itachi," Shisui hissed at Sasuke. Sasuke smirked but didn't respond.
Now that Shisui was content to remain focused on their mission, Sasuke tried to do the same. An S ranked shinobi using blood rituals to brush off life-threatening injuries and obtain immortality. And a partner with unknown abilities but most likely just as dangerous.
"Can you feel that?" Shisui asked but his eyes were trained on something in the distance. "Someone's using a lot of chakra."
"You can sense it from here?" Sakura asked, genuinely surprised. Before Shisui could respond, there was a loud explosion in the distance. Without needing instruction, everyone picked up the pace.
Sasuke had just touched down onto a branch when he spotted the hand sign Shisui had flashed him. Sasuke watched Shisui's hands move through mudras for, 'Hokage's orders' and 'additional objective'. Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about the message 'asset protection' along with Shisui's discreet glance towards Naruko. In addition to providing backup, they would have to ensure that Naruko made it back to the village in one piece. Sasuke was almost positive that Naruko had no idea of any of this, but he wasn't going to tell her. It would be easier in the long run if she didn't know. She probably wouldn't approve of Sasuke's willingness to abandon the mission if it meant saving her life.
With Naruko leading the charge, it wasn't long before they had left the forest behind and were running through a barren land of dead trees. Shisui hadn't been joking about the amount of chakra being thrown around. "That's not good," Shisui muttered. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke could barely make out the sight of a… man? Or some sort of hair monster readying two jutsu at once. "I'll go ahead. I'll leave extraction duty up to you three," Shisui said and vanished with a blur.
Once they were a bit closer, Sasuke could make out Kakashi, Ino, and Choji being held in place by thick, black hairs. Shisui was already already blurring around, several copies of himself all readying a water release to fend off the combined fire and wind jutsu.
Since Shisui'd joined ANBU, Sasuke didn't get many opportunities to see his cousin fight. They did spar and train together on occasion, but those times couldn't compare to the intense feel of a fight where death was a real possibility. Needless to say, Sasuke felt pride and a small bit of envy at Shisui's battle prowess. His cousin had easily outclassed the wild-looking man in speed and barely have the man a chance to counterattack.
With a quick burst of speed, Sasuke drew and funneled lightning through his chokuto. With a smooth leap and midair twist, Sasuke struck. The lightning gave him enough reach to cut through the strands holding Kakashi, Ino and Choji in place. He could hear Ino's ecstatic cry of his name along with Choji's relieved sigh, but Sasuke landed in front of Kakashi's worn figure. His former sensei looked worse for wear- flak jacket, headband and gloves gone and his mask torn.
"Perfect timing," Kakashi praised and allowed Sasuke to wrap an arm around his back and move him out of range of Shisui's fight.
"Having a hard time keeping up?" Sasuke asked. Despite looking genuinely exhausted, Kakashi still found the energy to glare.
"Kakashi-san," Shisui said as he touched down next to them, drawing Kakashi's attention.
"Shikamaru is facing the partner alone. I want two of you to aid him," Kakashi said and used some of the blood staining his shirt to perform a quick summons. "I shouldn't have to tell you to keep your distance against him."
"Understood. He might require a medic," Shisui said and looked to Sakura. Without wasting another second, Shisui and Sakura followed Pakuun's lead.
"Reinforcements?" the man made of strange, hairlike vines gurgled around the vines spilling from his mouth.
"Kakashi," Sasuke started, his gaze trained on their enemy.
"He's the other Akatsuki member, Kakuzu. Intermediate range fighter with multiple chakra natures. The masks on his shoulders can detach from his main body and fight independently. Each mask also acts as a spare heart. I've killed him twice already, but three hearts still remain," Kakashi summarized. Sasuke was sure of it now that the Akatsuki recruited only the strangest shinobi that the world had to offer.
"You can sit back and relax, Kakashi-sensei," Naruko said and punched her fist into her waiting hand. "Leave it up to me and Sasuke-teme, 'ttebayo!"
Standing at her side, Sasuke offered up a, "hn." Despite hearing Kakashi's mildly concerning assessment of their enemy, Sasuke felt confident (and borderline arrogant) about their chances. Once again, he could feel his excitement and will to fight rise. It might be his small proclivity for showing off, but Sasuke let his chakra loose in response to Naruko's wild chakra.
Sasuke let her summon four shadow clones, three to charge in towards the Akatsuki member and one to sit at her side and begin meditating. Sasuke watched the way the man moved, assessing his speed, reflexes, and estimating his strength. Before the last clone popped, Sasuke moved. For such a bulky frame, Kakuzu was still able to move efficiently. But it hardly mattered. With his sharingan, it was too easy to keep track of all the individual vines. Once the last clone had dissipated, he did his best to keep the focus on him with a mix of attacks from his lighting-enhanced chokuto and the lightning gathered in his other hand.
Sasuke had just cut through some tendrils while simultaneously avoiding some more shooting from the ground to grab him by the ankle when he heard Naruko's call out, "Sasuke!" With a quick flip that managed to catch Kakuzu by surprise, Sasuke was able to land a kick to the center of the man's face before spring boarding off and leaping away. Using chakra to stick to the top of a tree, Sasuke watched her Rasenshuriken expand with loud screeches. The attack was doing its job, but Sasuke couldn't see any sign of Kakuzu within the blast radius. He was still searching for any sign that the attack had landed when he sensed someone behind him.
"Futon!"
Air bullets about his size rained down over him, the destructive power only mildly concerning when each bullet moved too slowly to actually hit him. "Is this it?" Sasuke taunted in a bored voice from over his shoulder.
"Brat. Don't get cocky when you haven't landed a real hit yet," Kakuzu said and shot his fist at Sasuke's back. Sidestepping to avoid the hit, Sasuke watched the fist fly past him, his sharingan already picking up on the micromovements from the thick threads. Before the threads could split from his arm and latch onto him, Sasuke was cleanly cutting through the tendrils and disarming Kakuzu. "The sharingan, huh? It's been a while since I've faced an Uchiha. I wonder if your eyes are better than Madara's," Kakuzu said.
Sasuke was only vaguely familiar with his ancestor from the clan history lessons that had been drilled into him. He wasn't sure how he felt at being compared to a traitor, but at least Madara had been powerful- one of the strongest shinobi of his time.
Sasuke readied his chokuto as he observed Kakuzu. He had been distracting the man for only a few minutes to give Naruko time to gather nature energy, but Sasuke was tempted to tell her not to bother. After the trouble that Orochimaru had given them, Sasuke was expecting more from Akatsuki members. Additionally, he was mildly insulted at being underestimated. Sasuke had long since noticed that the second mask had split off from the main body and was lying in wait. Kakuzu may have fought Uchiha in the past, but (as disrespectful as it sounded) they must not have been particularly skilled. Then again, Sasuke regularly trained with the geniuses amongst his clan.
He could sense the mask with fire release launching a sneak attack from behind. "Sasuke-kun!" he heard Ino cry out, but Sasuke didn't flinch.
Before the second mask could ready its attack, Sasuke heard Naruko's war cry and the resulting boom from her fist pummeling the creature into the ground and shattering the mask with a loud crack. Naruko moved forward to stand next to him, the air around her weighing down on him slightly while still feeling charged and almost alive. "Ten minutes," she reminded him of her time limit.
Sasuke scoffed once. "We won't need five," he predicted. This time when he closed in, Naruko was at his side, keeping pace.
This was their mission. They were facing a deadly threat that not even Kakashi had managed to totally defeat. The air should feel tense and severe with the pressure to not make a mistake weighing down on him, but Sasuke felt none of that. If he had to be completely honest, he could say that he was having fun. Moving together, complimenting each other's styles, displaying a level of strength that was steadily backing Kakuzu into a corner… On more than one occasion, Sasuke had locked eyes with Naruko and had seen his feelings reflected in her gaze. But as thrilling as the fight (if it could still be called that) was, they did have a mission to complete.
"Naruko."
She didn't need further instruction to know what he was thinking. While she and her shadow clone readied their attack, he moved into a defensive position. He didn't have to wait long for Kakuzu to make his move. With a loud cry, Kakuzu gathered his chakra and leaped into the air. Sasuke watched him attempt to use his threads to launch a long-distance attack. 'Pathetic,' Sasuke scoffed and flooded his palm with lightning. 'Chidori eisou.' Before the tendrils could get close, Sasuke was slicing through them with his lightning spear.
"Sasuke," Naruko said to draw his attention. He'd only glanced her way, but the image of her standing tall with the Rasenshuriken in one hand and her sage markings on full display would never leave him. He grunted once in acknowledgement while collecting his chakra.
"Futon: Rasenshuriken!"
"Katon: Gouryuuka no jutsu!"
He had to increase the amount of chakra he used to match her, but their combined attacks still meshed just as well as they had when he'd used the Amaterasu. Granted, this fire was much less devastating, but it still managed to be effective. The fiery orange shuriken flew towards Kakazu, barely giving him enough time to dodge. Sasuke could already see him trying to avoid the blast and moved to intercept, but stopped when Naruko's hand latched onto his arm. Apparently, she had already planned for Kakuzu trying to escape. Her shadow clone launched a surprise attack from the ground beneath him and latched onto Kakuzu to hold him in place. Sasuke was a little impressed by her foresight.
They had to channel chakra to their feet in order to remain upright in the wake of the explosion. Sasuke shielded his eyes from the flying dust and debris, but he oddly couldn't look away from the blast for long. It was awe-inspiring and beautiful in the way that raw power was. Even after the winds had died down and the remaining fires were slowly dying down into embers, Sasuke couldn't help but inspect the damage.
"We did it! Teamwork, 'ttebayo!" Naruko exclaimed exuberantly. Instead of a victory dance this time, she offered her fist to him with a wide grin. Truthfully, Sasuke wanted to do more than bump fists with her, but he would settle. (He hadn't forgotten the others watching behind them.) Sasuke sighed once with a fond roll of his eyes and tapped his knuckles against hers. Not sparing another second, Naruko turned and started sharing her excitement over her new jutsu with Kakashi and the others. Sasuke narrowed his gaze at the still-smoking crater in front of him, however.
He didn't expect Kakuzu to still be alive, but maybe having two hearts left had managed to spare the man from death. It didn't look to be much of a blessing, though. Letting his eyes run over Kakuzu's burnt and bloody form, Sasuke hummed once and tried to ignore the scent of burning flesh.
"You…brats. How could you…defeat me? How did I lose to-"
"Enough," Sasuke cut Kakuzu off. "I don't care about your problems. But before you die, you're going to answer my questions."
"Upstart brat," Kakuzu spat.
"How many Akatsuki members are there left? Who's your leader?" Sasuke questioned.
"Go…to hell," Kakuzu said and coughed up a splatter of blood.
Sasuke frowned before reaching down to grip what was left of Kakuzu's singed, greasy hair. Ignoring Kakuzu's pained grunt, Sasuke lifted his head to stare into his green eyes. "I didn't think you'd want to talk, but I don't need you to," Sasuke said and dived past Kakuzu's defenses and into his conscious mind with his sharingan.
Sorting through Kakuzu's memories felt like it took ages but had lasted only a few seconds in reality. Sasuke had seen five more mostly human members. He couldn't identify them from memory, but he was sure that he'd find them in a bingo book somewhere. Not only did he have the remaining faces of the Akatsuki, but he also knew the location of their main base of operations. "I have no further use of you," Sasuke informed Kakuzu, but the older man seemed to be comatose. With a handful of chirping lightning, Sasuke struck through Kakuzu's final heart.
~:~
The Yondaime had looked both pleased and proud when he heard of their success. And why shouldn't he be? Two more Akatsuki members were dead. Shikamaru had managed to outwit and single handedly take down an immortal man in order to avenge his sensei. Sasuke was moderately impressed by Shikamaru's genius. If only he spent as much time training as he did staring at clouds and napping, he might have made jounin by now.
"This is great news. I still want a formally written report from each of you, but you can take a few days," the Yondaime said. "You're dismissed. Sasuke and Kakashi, can you stay back for a minute?" the Hokage asked, but still managed to make it sound like a command. Sasuke could feel the eyes of his peers on him as they shuffled out of the room. Only Naruko seemed to want to remain behind, but changed her mind when she saw the stern expression on her father's face.
Once the door closed behind her, Jiraiya of the Sannin slipped into the room from the open window. He reached into his robes before pulling out a familiar, black book and tossing it to Sasuke. "You saw their faces. Anyone in there stand out to you?" Jiraiya asked and fixed serious eyes on Sasuke. Sasuke was mildly surprised to see the oaf taking something serious for once.
Quickly flipping through the pages, Sasuke scanned the entries until he found a familiar one. "Hoshigaki Kisame. He was Orochimaru's partner," Sasuke said and flashed the page. While the Hokage and Jiraiya exchanged looks, Sasuke flipped through the rest of the book. "I don't see any of the others in here. One of them wore an orange mask. I didn't see his face," Sasuke said and tossed the bingo book back to Jiraiya.
"Did his mask have a single eye hole?" Minato asked, his voice taking on a chilly tone. Sasuke wasn't sure how the Hokage knew the man, but he nodded nonetheless. Minato seemed to retreat to his thoughts, but still fixed Sasuke with an expectant look and gestured for him to continue.
"One of them looked more plantlike than human. They called it Zetsu. Their leader was a man with orange hair and a woman with purple hair. They go by Pain and Konan."
"Konan? Was there another man with red hair?" Jiraiya asked. Sasuke shook his head, but Jiraiya didn't look any less troubled. "Their base… Is it in Amegakure?"
"Yes," Sasuke answered, feeling incredibly lost. It felt like have the puzzle had already been solved without his help and he'd only managed to fill in a few blanks.
"You know them, Sensei?" Minato asked.
"I met them when they were just kids. They were orphans and I took pity on them. Showed them how to fight for themselves. I thought they'd died," Jiraiya explained. "I need to look into this."
"Do you think they would be a threat to you?" Minato questioned.
"I can't say for sure. It's been a while since I've seen them. Now, they're working with missing nin and hunting bijuu," Jiraiya said with a deep frown.
"Perhaps it would be best if you didn't go alone, Jiraiya-sama," Itachi suggested.
Jiraiya stared at Itachi for several seconds before letting out a loud guffaw. Itachi waited patiently for Jiraiya to finish, but Sasuke was tempted to punt the man back out the window. 'Nope. Still an oaf.'
"No offense, Itachi. But I doubt that a simple reconnaissance mission would be too much for me to handle. I'm a Sannin," Jiraiya boasted. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Jiraiya's blatant disregard of his brother's opinion.
"Mah. It wouldn't hurt to have backup. The Akatsuki members that we've dealt with weren't exactly pushovers. It would take a powerful shinobi to lead them and keep them in line," Kakashi reasoned in a slow drawl.
"They're right, Sensei. I know that you work best alone, but maybe a small team of capable shinobi skilled in infiltration?" Minato suggested.
"No need. I'll take Hime with me. I won't find a better partner. Plus, it's always good to have a medic around," Jiraiya said with a wide grin. While his reasoning seemed sound, the lecherous look in Jiraiya's eyes had Sasuke questioning the older man's motives. "Nice work, kid. You might have a future in T&I," Jiraiya complimented Sasuke before ducking out the window.
"He's right. Good work, Sasuke. You can leave and get some rest," Minato dismissed.
~:~
Itachi watched Sasuke bow before turning to leave the room. He wasn't sure if Sasuke could read the pride in his eyes, but it didn't matter. He could tell his little brother how proud he was of him later.
"Sensei?" Kakashi questioned, already picking up on the Yondaime's serious demeanor.
With some quick hand signs, Minato sealed the room for privacy before he spoke. "Sixteen years ago, I faced a man in an orange mask. He'd been the one to open Kushina's seal and release the kyuubi. I haven't heard of any sightings of the man until now."
"I doubt he's been dormant all these years," Itachi said.
"I agree. But it's hard to tell if he's been hunting the other bijuu as well," Minato said with a frown.
"None of the other hidden villages would admit to having lost their bijuu," Kakashi surmised. It made sense. An announcement of that nature would weaken a village. It'd be an open invitation for an invasion.
"Would he try attacking the village again?" Itachi posed the question on his mind.
"He chose to strike when Kushina was giving birth because that's when her seal was at its weakest," Minato explained. Itachi frowned. An incredible amount of foresight... How many people knew that about jinchuuriki?
"I doubt he'll try again now. Both Kushina and Naruko are too well protected. He wouldn't get close. Plus, his window of opportunity is closing," Kakashi said. Itachi raised a brow in question but Minato was staring at nothing, while deep in thought. "It would make sense to target Naruko over Kushina due to her lack of experience. But Naruko is getting stronger every day. Even if he were to infiltrate the village to get to her, the chances of being able take her without a fight are slim."
"You make a good point. But I'd still like to air on the side of caution. I can send them both to Mount Myouboku for their own safety if I have to," Minato said and rubbed his hands over his face with a deep sigh. It was a decent backup plan, but Itachi wondered if the Yondaime would be able to convince his wife or daughter to run and hide. "That's all, Kakashi. Head to the hospital and have Tsunade-sama take a look at you before she leaves with Sensei," Minato said and unsealed the room. "And please try not to take too long with your mission report this time. Iruka has been to my office to complain three times in the past month."
"Of course, Sensei," Kakashi said with a smile before leaving through the window. Itachi restrained himself from snorting out loud. It didn't take a genius to guess that Kakashi was already planing to take twice as long to turn in his report.
Minato sighed deeply and shook his head fondly. "Itachi, I hope you don't think I'm being nosy, but I couldn't help but notice that things are a bit rocky between you and Fugaku," Minato said as he inspected a paper on his desk.
Itachi paused for a second before giving a thoughtful hum. "You're not wrong, Hokage-sama. Then again, I suppose it isn't hard to notice," Itachi said. It wasn't just his father. The majority of the Uchiha had decided to publicly shun him. Only his mother, Shisui, Izumi and Sasuke were seen associating with him now. "Why do you bring it up?"
Minato seemed to soften as he handed Itachi the paper in his hands. Itachi took it and quickly scanned the contents. It was a mission request form with his and his father's names on it. Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Somehow managing to pick up on the minute details in his face, Minato gave Itachi a pitying look. "He submitted it personally. He didn't give me any reasoning for the request but I think he hopes to make amends and isn't sure how to go about it."
Itachi stared at the sheet of paper with a frown. He hadn't exactly made it easy for his father to approach him. Perhaps he was being a bit spiteful and taking out his frustrations with the clan on his father? "My father has bigger concerns than me," Itachi said and handed the paper back.
"Not for long. I think he's planning to retire soon. He already has someone in mind to take over the police force," Minato informed and tucked the file away into one of the drawers on his desk.
Itachi hesitated slightly before speaking. It wasn't like him to spill his personal problems to just anyone, much less the man that was essentially his boss. But Minato had proved to be an understanding man. And Minato was a father himself. Maybe he could provide another perspective? "I was referring to Sasuke."
"Is there something wrong with your brother?"
"Nothing physical. He'll deny it if I bring it up to him, but I think that Sasuke is feeling our father's neglect now more than ever. He's managed to distract himself well enough lately. But I worry that one day he may come to resent our father. Leaving on a mission with me with the intent to bond would be an unnecessary slap to the face," Itachi said.
"You're right. It can't be easy to be your brother. No offense," Minato quickly amended.
"None taken," Itachi replied. Itachi knew that there was a part of Sasuke that envied him. He supposed that if the roles were reversed, he might envy Sasuke as well.
"I doubt simply telling Fugaku about Sasuke's feelings would work. Your brother and Fugaku don't seem the types to appreciate that kind of meddling."
"They would most likely deny everything and double down on not addressing the issue. They can both be very stubborn and difficult," Itachi lamented.
"So, what would you do?" Minato asked.
The Yondaime would frequently pose a problem to Itachi just to get his opinion on the matter. Some times, they were hypotheticals. Other times, they were genuine issues that Minato was facing. No matter was too small. The Hokage had once asked Itachi to sort through and balance the village's budget in order to find the funds necessary to replace the classroom furniture in the academy.
Itachi took a few moments to think it over but the answer was obvious. "I can't leave the village right now. I'm needed here. My brother, however, just returned and should be available in a few days."
"An impartial and diplomatic answer that kills two birds with one stone," Minato praised. "Fugaku will be disappointed, but I doubt he would blatantly reject the change under the right conditions."
Itachi allowed himself a small smile. "Thank you, Minato-san."