Chapter 42: Gazing into the abyss

Considering the situation, Sesshoumaru supposed the Konoha could've fared worse than it currently was. There were, of course, quite a good amount of blood puddles and corpses lying haphazardly on the streets. Compared to some of the other decimated towns the Taisho heir had seen during his life as a shinobi, though, the people here had done remarkably well. For a Hidden Village to be breached like this, however, represented a failure in the first place, and the young man wasn't sure there was any worth in grading failures.

Golden eyes scanned the streets impassively.

So far, the only stragglers left behind hardly presented any challenge. The silent lack of giant summons surrounding the outer walls likely meant his parents were done with their part as well, so anything that might prove to be a half-decent opponent was already dead. If not for his encounter with the wind user, his whole involvement in this farce of a mission would've been entirely useless.

Was that what his parents had been looking for?

No, the warnings given to them, vague as they were, implied the threat had a much higher skill level than the one the unknown woman had shown. Which didn't discard her as a potential lead. For all of a second, the urge to clench his fists rose inside him before being doused by his self-control. Letting her go might not have been ideal. But for now, his orders were to remain inside the village and get rid of the nuisances. Following after her could've guided him to whoever his clan's leaders were looking for; it could also send him far enough away for him to miss something. The only thing to do was to keep combing the streets.

It was an almost imperceptible sensation; Sesshoumaru felt it all the same.

Inuyasha had claimed to have felt something 'odd' back during the second phase of the exam, following it had ended up guiding his team to the Higurashi heiress. At first, the Taisho heir dismissed the whole thing, but one look at the knowing glint in both his parent's eyes made it clear it had not been some fanciful excuse to justify his younger brother's decision going off-script. Watching her match during the finals had finally cleared up that mystery.

While supervising her training, nothing had caused any kind of reaction; once the girl used her kekkei genkai, however, he finally understood what Inuyasha mediocrely described as an 'odd' feeling. It felt like an almost familiar warmth brushing against their senses.

And it was exactly what he felt right now.

Irritation rose inside him. The heir could not feel his brother's chakra signature anywhere close. Not his, nor any of his other subordinates. Because, obviously, those three had disregarded the fact that they wanted the girl both watched and guarded. Biting back an annoyed groan, the young man moved towards the place he'd felt the slight brush of reiki.

It would seem an extra lesson on what the meaning of following orders from a superior meant was in order for his half-brother's team.

A silver brow rose as he watched the Higurashi heiress slowly come out of the safety of the half-destroyed wall. Sending out just a sliver of his own chakra, he felt the three stragglers the girl was probably trying to bait out of their hiding place in the roofs of the still-standing houses. Her teammate's chakra signatures were stationed waiting behind the wall Either, too exhausted or too injured, then. Was she supposed to simply be bait, or...

His thoughts faltered as he noticed the small change in her posture.

She'd relaxed.

So, the heiress noticed him when he sensed for them and decided it put her in a safer position. His team, it would appear, did contact them. Not like it changed the fact that now it was up to him to take care of their original duties. Quietly, he positioned himself in a better position, golden gaze focused on her petite form; there were already needles between her fingers.

Her movements were slower than what he'd seen during their training, but her aim was just as good. The first attacker fell to the ground without a sound; the next two screamed as the acid of his whip ate through their flesh, letting them agonizing around the calm figure of Higurashi Kagome.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," the girl smiled at him before making a hand gesture in the direction she'd come from.

Well, that was all the confirmation he needed.

The blond that looked like a miniaturized replica of the Yonfaime Hokage's portraits was unconscious in the back of a very much ragged-looking Uchiha. Chakra exhaustion, if he had to hazard a guess.

"I must express my gratitude." The unflinching politeness he'd come to associate with the girl was very much there as she turned to address him. A jarring contrast to the image around her. "Inuyasha-san and the other's help was invaluable in facing Gaara-san, though I fear our target ended up escaping...also I may have taken the liberty to ask them to come back ahead of us. Since they could offer up more help to the village by coming here than getting stuck with us."

"I see." And wasn't that bold, not only putting together that their clans used to be connected but actively trying to use said connection to influence the team's actions. "What are your protocols?"

The girl hesitated, glancing nack towards the Uchiha in what had to be a silent conversation. In comparison to her teammates, she looked way better, but Sesshoumaru had felt the explosion of energy only a few moments ago. There was no doubt in his mind that the Higurashi heiress was now unable to do much with her kekkai genkai apart from some light scanning. The silent discussion going on between the two heirs was a clear indication of their reservations. Not one of them trusted the intentions behind his clan's actions.

Smart, even if currently pointless.

"There's an evacuation center close to the middle of the town. Since we're not going to be much use in a battle, it would be for the best for us to head there." At her side, the Uchiha stepped closer to her, clearly unhappy with the decision.

Sesshoumaru was not supposed to be placed in this role, but as it was, there really was no other option; he would have to guard them. Silently, he raised his left arm towards the black-haired boy. Honestly, he didn't care much for the brat. Sure, there was potential, but his family had never really been interested in the famous clan. Besides, this particular sharingan user was certainly entitled and unashamed to show his dislike for anyone who talked to the girl to his side. Asking him to move while carrying around his unconscious teammate would, however, become a hassle, limiting what little mobility the boy retained. Seriously, having to carry around brats like this was something his team was supposed to do in the first place.

"Right." From that one word, poison dripped.

There was a bit of resistance as the blond kid was passed to the silver-haired man. Stoically, the Taisho heir ignored the blood and dirt on the brat's clothes would ruin his own. Being capable of finishing a mission without a single stain in their clothes was a point of pride in his family (with the unique exception of head-first-strategy loving Inuyasha and sometimes, his father too), a sign of their abilities. Then again, escort missions were usually more annoying than the others.

"I must say." The girl's soft voice cut through the silence as she led their little group. "It would seem like the village was quite fortunate that the esteemed Taisho clan decided to participate in the exam this particular year."

"Hn." Miroku had been right; Higurashi Kagome was not one to waste an opportunity to obtain information. "Remaining silent after being attacked was not an option."

"Of course," she looked back with a smile, even when the Uchiha took her hand in his own with a sharp motion. "Still, many lives were likely saved thanks to your offered aid."

They were curious, the word choices made by the young heiress. Choices he would have to memorize for when his mother would inevitably interrogate him on every single aspect of this unexpected interaction. It wouldn't be too hard, Sesshoumaru admitted. It was common for the Taisho leader's partner to offer support in the more subtle political situations, though that depended entirely on the chosen partner's abilities. As it was, while his father could happily leave all diplomatic decisions to her, the Taisho matriarch had decided none of his potential brides had the skill to replace her, and so the heir would have to learn how to do it himself. So the woman had chosen to grill him in how to spot and interpret even the slightest signs that could betray a person's thoughts. Up until now, he'd already made a decent job in observing the Higurashi's interactions. Considering that, despite her young age, she'd been able to keep up with Miroku, there was no chance this wasn't something she wanted him to notice.

"Only those who are willing to die should enter the battlefield." Within the girl too, was potential.

"Hmmm..." Another thing to remember would be the lack of care in her voice as she kept observing the destruction around. "That's an interesting way of thinking."

The closer they got to the center of the village, the less gruesome the sights they found. But there was no change in either of the genins demeanor, not concern nor relief. Usually, such calm could be attributed to them already going through shock before meeting up with him. Their said lack of relief as they kept walking in front of him suggested something different. Had they seen something similar back during the Uchiha massacred and became numb to it? Or did they simply not care?

He supposed it was better this way, implications or no, Sesshoumaru would rather not have to deal with crying...

A soft cry reached his ears.

Curses ran through his mind as the two teens faltered, trying to pinpoint where the sound came from.

" A civilian?"

"Yeah." Nodding to the Uchiha's question, the girl moved towards one of the empty houses. "This way."

Forcing back his frustration, the young heir simply watched as they both neared the place the crying originated. There was no hesitation in neither of their movement. And while it was evident they took care to stay close to each other, there was no sense of the paranoia he'd expected, considering there were still enemies straggling around. It seemed both trusted in the girl's chakra sensitivity entirely.

"Hey there," her words were soft as she knelt, peering into a small crevice in the walls while motioning the symbol in the hitaiate tied to her leg. "It's okay, we're here to help, see? Can you tell me your name?"

After a moment of silence, a weak voice called out. "...A-Akira..."

Slow and carefully, the girl moved closer, arms rising to rest on the broken wood near the opening.

"Akira, huh? That's such a good name. Mine is a little weird; I'm Higurashi Kagome. I'm here with my teammates and a friend." There was a snort from the Uchiha at those words. "Is there anyone else with you? Do you know where your family is?"

"...we...we got se-separated." He could hear the kid's voice shivering...was he about to start crying? "T-they told me to hide."

"I see...and you've done great. This was a great hiding spot. Most of the bad people outside are gone now. Say, do you attend the academy?" The kid must've nodded because the girl continued. "Have you been taught what to do when bad people come inside the village?" Probably, another nod. "Well, my teammates and I are going to one of the evacuation centers; everyone will be looking there once things calm down. They might go there, and you can look for them there too. What do you say, shall we go together?"

This time her hand moved from the broken pillar and offered it to the trembling child that was finally crawling out of the rubble. With a swift motion, she carried the boy in her arms. "What do you say we play a game? Close your eyes and tell me what direction you think we're going. If you win, then I'll gift you a surprise scroll. What do you think?"

Nodding in silence, the surprisingly calm boy closed his eyes and leaned his head on the Higurashi heiress' shoulder. There was a frown on the Uchiha's face.

"There we go." Finally, she made his way back to the road. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. We should keep moving now."

There was a beatific smile on the girl's face. The image of her, braided hair half undone with dirt and blood while hugging the scared little boy with care was a masterpiece of misdirection. No one would blame either of them keeping a calm facade with a kid in her arms, and her pacifist reputation would be reinforced. To those unused to someone like his mother, it would be incredibly hard to notice the coldness behind her mask, even with the Uchiha grumbling by her side.

"Let's just hurry, Kagome, and Taisho can go back to whatever he was doing."

Leaving Naruto in the hospital to be treated for chakra exhaustion had been more difficult than Kagome thought it would be. In hindsight, she supposed it made sense, especially after seeing just how much damage someone in the blond's exact same position had suffered because of his own hidden village. And the higher-ups clearly knew the prankster was suing the Kyuubi's chakra. Sure, Jiraiya of the Sannin was apparently fine with it, going as far as teaching him a technique that needed the beast's power. The doctors and nurses at the Konoha hospital, however, were unlikely to care about it. It wouldn't be surprising if they were to learn Naruto had been placed at the end of the priority list.

Keeping a smile on her face had become exhausting in no time.

Sasuke's finger's tightened around hers as they made their way back into the familiar silence of the Uchiha compound. The boy had kept quiet since they got back to the village, and she could feel his irritation boiling beneath his skin. It couldn't be helped; her interactions with both the Taishos and the civilians from the evac center had riled him up but were necessary.

That this had to be echoing what it was to find the corpses of his family carelessly lying around couldn't be helping the issue.

And honestly, she was just not in the right state of mind to offer any kind of support. The confirmation of their suspicions of the situation with Gaara had made it surprisingly hard to keep her charade when helping Iruka-sensei in calming down the civilians. Apart from their former teacher, no one inside the center had made any effort to check if the clearly injured and unconscious teen was alright. The adults even went as far as to keep the children away despite the evidence that Naruto had fought to protect the village. It didn't matter how many times he'd come close to dying during that fight; they simply didn't care. Were they really worth it...Naruto's sacrifice?...Itachi's?

Judgemental, and cruel, and weak.

That was all these people were.

What they deserved was exactly what they got.

The thought had come unbidden as they made their way within the damaged outer parts of the walls, where blood and corpses were easy to spot. The image should have sent shivers down her spine, instead it brought a feeling similar to satisfaction. It was wrong and twisted, but it took root inside her mind, refusing to leave, even when she had no choice but to play her role for the Taisho heir.

Because these people...

These were the people Itachi had been trying to protect.

Over and over, the girl forced herself to repeat those words as a mantra inside her head, each and every time they sounded more and more hollow as her anger began to burn brighter with every smile, every comforting platitude she had to offer. These people didn't care about them either. Not beyond what they could get out of the last remaining Uchiha and Higurashi. People who knocked on their door with fancy floral arrangements and greed in their eyes several years ago.

Why were these people worth more than the few people she cared about?

What made the pain and solitude they felt for so long justified for their sake?

Blindly obeying the village had brought nothing but pain to those who complied...used until they either broke or were disposed of.

No.

She refused.

This would not be the path they walked; before allowing them to force Sasuke into that position. She would rather die taking as many as she could to hell with her.

"Hey..." The Uchiha's voice almost made her jump. "We're home."

"Ah...right..."

Her gaze traveled to their joined hands only to freeze. Crimson drops were dripping from Sasuke's skin were her nails were still digging into his flesh. And yet, the boy hadn't said a word in complaint. Guilt built inside her, the medical treatment they got from the chuunins in the evacuation centers was not enough to get them back in top form. As little as it was, the Uchiha shouldn't have to bleed more because of her.

"I'm sorry, I..."

Before she could try and say another word in apology, she could see something change in his expression, dark eyes still focused on their linked hands. Tightening his own grip around her hand to stop her from letting go, he pulled her inside the house, his steps hurried and tense. The unnamed change that had begun to happen in their relationship was there again. His jealousy rising through the surface once more,

And again, Kagome was content to follow him as they ignored the empty rooms to enter Itachi's old room.

Not a word was spoken as he turned, guiding her against a wall before he leaned down.

There was no gentleness as his hands moved to grab her arms, lips moving against hers. After just a heartbeat, slender fingers moved upwards, lightly brushing short raven hair before pulling him closer.

It wasn't supposed to feel this way.

Frantic and desperate and so close to violent that a shiver ran down her spine when Sasuke moved away for just one second before kissing her again.

And she responded the same way.

No softness or kindness as her thoughts bled away, leaving only hunger inside.

This was obsession. Trying to consume one another as fears and trauma amplified their feelings in an urge to entwine it all. To own one another.

It was wrong.

It was not healthy.

It was her love, however.

Their love.

"You won't leave me...won't betray me."

Jealousy and fear battled inside the abyss of his eyes.

Twisted satisfaction bloomed inside her ar it. The confirmation of his love, a sick evolution of his emotions as a kid. With the Taishos appearance, that spark of jealous anger turned into hatred, turning the urge to get closer to her stronger and harder to ignore with every single interaction. And Kagome had gladly taken advantage of it.

"Even if the world turns against us."

There had been no need for words.

One look at the girl's face as they walked down the streets was all Sasuke needed to see to know her thoughts had sunk to the depths of the abyss the Higurashi heiress had spent so much time on the edge of.

And then the memory of silver hair invaded his thoughts.

The pain in his hand becoming a beloved reassurance of just how much she needed him to live. It wasn't enough.

Not anymore.

He wanted her...no, needed her just as chained to him as he was to her.

Soon, they would leave this rotten place; the Uchiha could tell Kagome was already coming around on it. Before that, however, he had to make sure the girl would only ever move with him at her side. The pests that were the Taishos couldn't be dealt with, exactly. But there were ways to make it so the mere idea of leaving him never even crossed her mind. Within the world of lies they'd been living all their lives, it was only Kagome who was true; only her devotion was a trustworthy fact. And he had no plans of ever letting go.

The eagerness of her response soothed his anxieties.

Dark eyes trailed over her tired form as she breathed slowly at his side, still within Itachi's room. Exhaustion had won over shortly after they made it home, shortly after he made the move that changed their relationship, and he'd insisted on having her sleep on his brother's bed. Her long midnight hair was still disheveled, browning blood still stained her porcelain skin. This was the girl who'd spilled her own blood for his sake, who'd spilled other's blood for him. The memory of those eyes, always warm, freezing over in calm rage should've worried him; instead, it woke a fire inside him.

Back when he'd still believed his brother's lie, the Uchiha had longed to see the same hatred he felt reflected in her gaze only to get confusion and hope in return. Things were different now, and the satisfaction it brought him to see her so willing to abandon her morals for him, for them, was a sight he could never get enough of. A visible proof of her love.

Rough fingers lightly traced her cheek. He would need to be careful once they left.

Orochimaru's primary target had been Sasuke himself, but it was clear the bastard still craved to obtain the Higurashi's famed blood. Whatever it was the freak wanted with them; however, it was clear he wanted them to go to him willingly. After all, this whole day had been a perfect example of just how useless the village truly was. It wouldn't have taken too much effort to knock them both unconscious with that first attack in the Forest of Death and take them with him before anyone noticed anything was wrong. For some time, at least, Orochimaru wanted their cooperation.

"Sasuke..." Kagome mumbled, sleep heavy on her voice.

"It's okay." Sasuke moved his hand to brush away some stray locks of hair. "Go back to sleep."

Stubborn as always, the girl turned around to face him. Her gaze still glazes with sleep while her hand reached out to him in such a familiar movement it was almost painful. The same motion she did whenever she wanted to make sure he was real. Another nightmare.

"Do you think he'll get mad?"

"Mad?" The words had been a bit hard to understand as she snuggled into him, her small hand grabbing his own. "Who?"

"For leaving..." she frowned slightly.

"Naruto will understand. Once we come back and explain..."

"Not him..." Slowly but determined, Kagome interrupted him shaking her head. "Itachi."

Wha...

"Why would he?"

"He wants us to stay here, doesn't he?" Her voice was stronger now, a bit more awake. "But we're leaving."

"...do you want to stay here?"

Tension built up inside him.

Not once had Sasuke bothered to think about his brother's original desire for them. It wasn't too hard to figure out what his hope had been if their theory was correct. For them to remain in the village, to stay together and hunt him down, earning the village's respect and protection. So far, Kagome hadn't mentioned it either, her hatred creating a hunger for revenge that immediately pushed her to ask for the lives of everyone and anyone involved in the decision. And the Kagome she knew had always been a stubborn girl. Even if they were to remain in this place until it was time to stab their backs, there was no chance they would be able to keep living peacefully inside Konoha after that.

Had she thought about it before now?

Was she reconsidering their plan?

No...

No, he'd seen the hatred burning in her eyes just this afternoon, so then...

"They hurt him..." Once more, that same hatred began to shine through her sleepy haze, getting her to shake her head enthusiastically. "Hurt Naruto-kun too...I want them gone."

A breath of relief left him at those words. It wasn't that the girl didn't know what to do. She simply worried about Itachi's own wishes. He couldn't help the smile on his lips; this was just the type of thing she would do, even right after a nightmare.

"If we're right...then he wanted us to remain safe," he answered. "But we aren't. After all we've learned, this place is dangerous to us."

Old memories came rushing back. Times where the three of them would spend mindless moments just basking in the warmth that always came with being together enveloping his mind for an instant. In a way, Sasuke had been right. Itachi had lied to them, tried to play them for fools...but those days now felt true. His love and care had always been real.

But he couldn't ignore the one doubt that stopped him from completely sharing Kagome's wishes.

Clearly, his brother considered their lives far more important than anyone else's within the clan, but how would that translate when compared to the village's safety?

Even if they were to try and keep collateral to a minimum, them killing the members of the high council would destabilize the whole system, weakening Konoha to the point where another invasion would become almost inevitable. And as the culprits behind those murders, there would be no way for them to not have bounties and hunters going for their heads.

Would Itachi accept them after they found him? Even if they admitted to their plans of retributions?

Or would he stop them for the sake of the village? Hunt them down if they were to succeed?

Nothing anyone here could do or say would change Kagome's decision. Stubborn, determined, and hateful, there was no doubt in his mind the heiress would not rest until it was done...but what about Itachi?

Would his words sway her?

No.

It wasn't even possible.

Sure, they'd gained some more control over their own specific traumas. For a couple years now, there were no more instances of panicked screams after waking up to find themselves back in the Uchiha house. Moving around the house was something they'd gotten used to once more. But he knew Kagome couldn't breathe when left on her own after little more than an hour. Panic would fill her to the point logic escaped her. The same panic he would feel whenever her absence stretched and would fill him with violent worry. It had lead to a few scares before back when they were still learning how to live again, and the hysteric screams of the young heiress had been the only thing that allowed him to find her within the compound.

No.

She wouldn't leave him.

She could abandon him no more than he could abandon her.

"We will find her, and once we know the truth, we'll burn this place to the ground." His reassurance was met with a tired sigh and another snuggle.

His gaze found her form once more. The form of the girl who was willing to give it all up if it was for him. Beautiful, devoted, loving Kagome that had tried to consume just as much as he'd taken.

Higurashi Kagome would happily jump into an abyss, but only if Sasuke jumped with her.

The Taishos, Orochimaru, none of them mattered. They were chained together, and if sinking down and drowning in one another was what he needed to make sure no one could part them...then he would make sure they both drowned.

Itachi once compared her to a bunny. Small, adorable, and someone who adored to soak up affection.

He had been right.

But unlike bunnies, it was only the love of very specific people Kagome needed to survive. And throughout the years, that remained the same. So when Sasuke's affection changed back during the exam, the girl had immediately noticed. With the warning bells of the threat around them deafening her, however, the heiress had ignored it; the Uchiha had clearly thought the same. The boy had been happy to make small changes here and there while focusing on surviving whatever was coming for them. Now, however, as she played with strands of short raven hair between her fingers, Kagome could feel herself grow more and more satisfied with the change.

Despite all the certainty she felt over Sasuke's attention, watching those loud fangirls throwing themselves at him had always managed to make her blood feel like acid, burning through her veins. The girl was just better at hiding it.

Because Sasuke was hers.

He was her world, one of the pieces she'd grabbed hold of as it broke around her. Always there in every memory she could think of, sometimes annoying, sometimes loving, but always at her side.

Warmth rushed to her cheeks at the newest memories of their time together.

Kagome had always loved physical attention, like a bunny, but this particular kind was one the girl hadn't allowed herself to think too much on. Consumed by an idea of revenge, Sasuke was focused only on his goal. It was an idea of revenge she hadn't shared back then, and despite it all, it had created a bit of a distance between them. One neither of them had dared to try to cross after that one time for fear of clashing to the point of no return.

Now, however, now that their goals were finally aligned, that distance easily disappeared, their thoughts more in sync than ever.

If others were to be told the entirety of their relationship, there was no doubt that they would be judged. It was unhealthy, a twisted form of codependency that had probably started way before anyone had noticed.

But it didn't matter anymore.

A slight movement pulled her attention back to the teen lying at her side, leaning into her hand as he stirred from his usual unrestful sleep. There were going to be a lot of things that had changed thanks to the invasion. Their plans would probably need to be revised as they hunt for information, but for just a few more moments, Kagome basked in the simple warmth she could feel.

"Good morning, Sasuke."

A/N: A bit on the late side today but I swear this heat wave is killing me, I can barely get enough motivation to finish my assignments for uni. In any case here we are, it's a bit of a shorter transitional period but one that was needed now that things are going to pick up speed now that we are back to the main plot. And from here on out relationships will also start changing.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any review/comment/criticism is greatly appreciated.