I am SO sorry. It has been such a long time. I got busy with finishing the school semester. Then I got busy with work (I'm a seamstress and we work on the big summer play the area puts on. I never want to see lace again for a very long time). I am still very sorry that it took this long to put out another chapter, I did try to work on it, but it came to me so slowly and when I did want to work on it all my ideas left, but when I was in the middle of sewing (or right before going to sleep) they would come to me only to be partly forgotten by the time I got home (or woke up).
Anyway, THANK YOU, all of you, for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Silver Streams
Every Heart is not a Gentle One
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Ibiki had enough courtesy to not drag her down Main Street, however, that meant they had a longer walk through the weaving backroads, which left her walking beside him in awkward, and on his half, furious, silence for much longer than she would have preferred. Keeping up with him proved difficult as well, for he obviously wanted to get where they were going quickly, leaving Ai practically jogging in order keep up with his long-legged speed walk.
Unsurprisingly, it turned out he was taking her to the administration building by the academy. Once inside, he took her to a quiet hallway that obviously saw little traffic and from there to some stairs leading down.
They went down and down and down some more, coming out of the stairway into a semi-dark and very chilly hallway, which was thoroughly unpleasant with her damp clothing.
Ai knew down here were their interrogation rooms. Or at least some of their interrogations rooms. She was willing to hazard a guess that they had others in more secure locations. These were most likely the ones for people that weren't likely to attack them. Or maybe they were no longer in the location she thought they were, after all they had walked for a long while and there were numerous hallways branching off.
However, she knew with clarity that Ibiki probably had a few words to say to her and most likely didn't want to be interrupted.
The tall man brought her to a room. In it was a table standing solitarily in the middle.
"Place any weapons in your possession on the table," Ibiki ordered. His tone was completely business-like, lacking the inflection of emotions.
"He must be pretty mad, indeed," she thought walking to the table and reaching into her coat. She pulled out the shoddy gun she'd made and placed it on the table. Next, Ai rolled up a sleeve, placing her fingers on the seal. A small amount of chakra released the metal tangle named Seth onto the table with a clatter. The snake shifted, his head slithering out of his coiled body, which he dropped on top of the gun before pulling them and the rest of his body back into a metal ball, tucking the weapon into himself.
She turned around. Ibiki was still standing by the open door, watching her and Seth. Abruptly he about-faced and strode out the door, obviously expecting her to follow. Which she did.
Ai was led to another room, this one too had a table in the middle, however on either side it had a chair and one wall was dominated by a mirror that Ai knew for a fact was two-way.
"Take a seat," commanded the head of Torture and Interrogation. She slid into the nearest chair, back to the mirror and immediately began to trace the metal loop meant for cuffs riveted to the table. Ibiki, meanwhile, joined her sitting across the way.
The two sat in what was supposed to be an uncomfortable silence, Ai didn't mind it, it was a delay of the inevitable, before he finally spoke. "Let's begin with your affiliation to Itachi Uchiha. How long have you known him?"
"You already know the answer to that," Ai sighed. "You may recall bringing me down here before." Ibiki had had a previous long talk with her after all the Uchiha had been killed.
"Humor me," he droned.
Letting out another sigh, Ai leaned back in the uncomfortable metal chair. "Three years, if we're not counting the time he's been away as applicable to the 'known him' timeline. I met him soon after I got to the village, but it's not like he and I hung out every day and played Dream Phone."
That had been Shisui. He was the one always dragging her out of the house.
"And what did the two of you speak about today?"
"Nothing in particular. He told me to go away. I told him Hayate was dead. He said he was sorry. Then I told him I wander around in the Uchiha district for kicks. Then he accused me of delaying them." Ibiki's eyebrows furrowed at her words, the only sign of his discontent with her answer.
"It was then Kisame Hoshigaki attacked you?"
"He really wasn't trying hard. I guess he wasn't too interested in beating up a teenage girl. At least not until I shot him."
"The weapon that you placed on the table? The sound it made was reported in many different sections of the village. Three successive crashes of thunder, yet hardly a cloud in the sky. What is it?"
"My people called it a gun. It fires projectiles at a high speed. The powder required to do so is not very difficult to make. The Alchemist Guild has been using it, poorly, for decades. Smoke bombs, fireworks, they all use the same thing I did, but at a much less powerful and directed degree. Sort of."
"You've been messing with guild-made products?"
"No. Technically, I invented it. They use a cheap knock-off."
"I doubt they'll see a difference if they find out what you've done. You are associated with this village and your actions will reflect on us."
"I'm not associated with-"
"You live here," he cut her off, "you're associated."
Ai hissed out a sharp breath in discontent.
"Have you been in contact with Itachi Uchiha since he deserted the village."
"No."
"And yet he managed to infiltrate the village with seemingly no difficulty."
"Why would I lie?" Ai grumbled, getting angry. This was that stupid spy thing cropping up again.
"You tell me."
Her temper flared. "Fine! You caught me! Itachi and I have been secret pen pals for years and I've been telling him all of the Leaf's dirty little secrets. Also, I've been misfiling the paperwork for months!"
Ibiki's hand slammed down on the table. "This isn't a joke!" he thundered.
Ai slapped both of her hands down on the table and rocketed out of her seat. "Then stop treating me like I'm the moustache-twirling villain behind every stubbed toe in the village! I just wanted…" Her anger fled as quickly as it had arrived, leaving exhaustion behind. She could feel her eyes beginning to burn. Shoulders slumping, Ai flopped back into her chair, curling in on herself and placing her face in her hands. "I just wanted…" she muttered again.
What did she want?
"A home," her mind supplied for her. She'd hardly felt content since Shisui had been killed. Then Itachi had murdered his clan a few weeks later and she'd developed this gnawing paranoia of 'something bad will happen.'
She'd had a home with Hayate, but now…
Everything was off-kilter.
Slipping.
After a few more questions such as; 'When did Kurenai and Asuma arrive?' 'When did Kakashi arrive?' 'Did you see what happened to him?' 'When and where did Aoba leave you?' 'What were you doing before the incident occurred?' and 'Why don't you recount the situation as you perceived it?' Ai attempted to answer the best she could and once he apparently deemed himself done he got up and exited the room, leaving her behind. She set her arms on the table and rested her head on them. The metal of the table was bitingly cold on her skin.
It was sometime later when Ibiki returned. Leaving the door open, he gestured for her to come with him and he escorted her back to the first room they'd visited. Seth lay in a motionless twist atop the table where she had left him. As she approached him, guiding chakra into the seal on her arm, Seth moved, clacking his nose across his ribs, causing her to pause and sigh.
"Did you really?" she asked him.
He repeated the motion and she got the impression of 'It could be used against you' come to her.
"Yeah, but…" Seth grated his body, with fingernails-on-the-chalkboard sound, against the table. Insisting on the correctness of his decision. "Fine, whatever," Ai let out, rolling her eyes. She touched his skull and she felt him vanish into whatever pocket dimension the seals had created in her arms. "Honestly…" she groused, itching at the painted seal. He really hadn't needed to absorb the gun into his body. No one would have been stupid enough to try to take it from him in the first place.
Turning back around to face her escort, Ibiki led her once more through the not-any-warmer-or-lighter hallway, eventually depositing her outside in a place where they had not entered. "Return to your home and remain there," he ordered, practically shutting the door in her face. Which left her looking around, trying to figure out where in the village he had abandoned her.
"Jerk," she muttered, viciously kicking a pebble as she made her way down the quiet road. In all honesty, he had been somewhat kind to her, not making her walk of shame down Main Street back to her apartment, but that didn't stop her from cursing at him internally for a bit longer.
It was as she was passing through an intersection that someone crashed into her, sending her sprawling to the ground, scuffing up her hands as she tried to catch herself. Ai looked up, a number of nasty words ready to spew from her, only for them to die in her throat when she spotted the reason for her current position. Sasuke Uchiha stood above her, staring at her wide-eyed and panting.
She pushed off the ground, hands burning. "I'll accept you not bothering to help me up, but not even a sorry?"
"You," he huffed.
"What?"
"Is it true? Did you fight Itachi?"
"No," she answered truthfully and finally taking in more of his appearance. She could spot beads of sweat rolling down his face. He'd obviously been running through the village, but Ai doubted it was because he'd been looking for her. "I fought his blue-faced companion."
"Good." Ai blinked, raising an eyebrow. Good? "Come with me," he ordered.
"Excuse you?"
The boy let out a frustrated growl. "I don't have time for this!" His arm shot out and before Ai could pull away, his hand fastened around her wrist in a surprisingly iron-like grip. She pulled and twisted, but only succeeded in getting her shoulder wrenched when he darted off at a fast sprint, jerking her behind him. By the time they stopped she was the one panting heavily and covered in sweat.
"What the hell!" she snapped, tugging at her arm again, but he still didn't release her. Before the pair, the wall of the village stretched upwards.
"We're going over?"
"I don't think so."
Sasuke whirled around, wrenching her arm again. "We don't have a choice. They'll stop us at any of the gates and we have to go find Naruto. He's in danger."
"That's a shame and all but let me rephrase my previous statement. Do I look like a ninja? I can't go over that wall. I'm hard pressed to stick my hand to a tree. Also, I'll be in deep, deep, you-can't-possibly-understand-how-deep of trouble if I even get spotted this close to the wall after what happened earlier." That dark-haired boy studied her for a few moments before he let go of her arm and turned his back to her.
"Get on."
Ai let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I'd rather die in a ditch."
The glare Sasuke sent over his shoulder was ferocious and Ai was pretty sure she caught a flash of red. "We need to find Naruto before they get to him. And if they are already there, or if we come across them first, I need you to keep the other one busy while I handle Itachi."
"That's a noble sentiment and all but –"
"The sentries are going to pass by in a few minutes," he interrupted. She could hear the desperation rising in his voice.
Ai opened her mouth to shoot him down once again.
One day you will realize, the stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you. But will you ever let it shine from within, and cast all of your fears aside?
She snapped her mouth shut and looked up the tall wall that blocked off the outside.
The idea was so beyond stupid she couldn't put proper words to it.
Hands are tied. My body bruised. I've got nothing to win and nothing left to lose. I can't live, with or without you.
"Look," Sasuke caught her attention. He was facing her once more. "If you come with me, I'll vouch for you. I'll say I forced you to come with me."
Ai swore. "I guess it's not like that is very far from the truth." She hadn't even noticed the tension in Sasuke, but at her words his shoulders relaxed. He turned back around and she'd barely even put her arms around his neck before he launched them both off the ground. His hands went under her legs to secure the piggy-back hold.
In a matter of seconds, they were over the wall and landing in woods beyond. He bounced between the trees putting a fair distance between them and the village quickly. Once past the sighting distance of the lookouts Sasuke brought them to the dirt road and put even more speed into his run.
"Do you even know where we should be going?" Ai asked into his ear, trying not to shout, but talking loud enough to be heard over the whipping wind.
"Shukuba Town is the closest, hopefully we'll catch up to them there." Ai raised an eyebrow. Inn-town Town? Was he aware of how many places to check that name suggested? His next words proved he did. "Naruto's with a tall, white-haired, old man, we'll probably want to split up when we get there to search, but we'll also want to try to keep tabs on each other incase one of us needs help."
"Right," she dragged the word out, "or." Ai raised her hand and let her chakra pour out of it. She didn't direct or channel it in anyway, she simply let it flow. She did however light it up. It didn't luminesce to the human eye, but it worked as a beacon for Abel or Seth. Not that they'd have trouble ever finding her, but she used it as a way to let them know she wanted them.
Abel had been on his way to her since Ibiki had dropped her off and Seth was already with her. Tori, however, arrived shortly after her call. The silver bird dove from the sky, dropping down to her eye level. Empty sockets met eyes and Ai pictured Naruto in her head, she then dropped the flow of chakra in her hand before flinging it forward.
Tori flapped her wings, clattering her metal feathers in acknowledgement of Ai's desire, and took off higher into the sky. She quickly outdistanced Sasuke as she flew further ahead of them.
"She'll scout ahead," Ai told him, bringing her hand back to secure her grip on Sasuke once more. "And look for Naruto, as well."
"You have another one?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.
"Freshly minted," she intoned back, looking to the woods flying past them. Not that she could recall the moment. Ai always blacked-out when they gained their 'life' or whatever it was that ran them.
Still staring at the passing trees, Ai briefly tapped her fingers on her arm, flicking chakra through them again. She had no doubt Sasuke would notice that, but he wouldn't understand the meaning of the pattern. The silver glint in the woods on the other hand, did.
Abel, who had just caught up, put on the brakes, pulling off a one-eighty that would have broken anything else's neck, and shot back towards the village.
They arrived at the town a short time later with Sasuke skidding to a halt outside the entrance and letting go of Ai's legs. Her feet hit the ground and she let go of him, straightening up the few inches she had on the boy. It was then she turned her attention to the town sprawling before her.
The place was bustling.
Signs hung everywhere displaying names of shops, inns, food stalls, gambling halls, and other more unsavory businesses. There was a constant drone of activity, making it hard to hear any one thing in particular. Ai couldn't help but feel all the town was missing were flashing neon signs and perhaps a Caesar's Palace or two. Or maybe it had the Daimyo's Palace. Ai tilted her head a little. "Or would that be considered treasonous. Certainly at least in poor taste."
Just looking down the road they were on, Ai could already spot a dozen places Naruto could possibly have been. If they were even staying in the town and hadn't just passed through.
"Anything?" Sasuke asked as he turned to look at her.
"Not yet," Ai shrugged. "But if he's indoors that will make it a bit more difficult for Tori."
"We'll have to go door-to-door then. It'll be easier if we split up." He gave he a sharp look. "Try to be quick about it."
"Yeah, yeah," she said as Sasuke shot off without a backwards glance. Ai sighed, wondering if he had even bothered to consider the possibility that the adults knew what they were doing.
Ai strolled leisurely to the first inn and asked the person at the front desk if they had seen a blond boy, about yay high, wearing orange, and travelling with an older man with white hair, only to receive an immediate negative answer. She thanked the man, possibly the woman, Ai couldn't tell and the voice hadn't helped her figure it out, before she left at the same pace she'd arrived.
Outside, Sasuke was already long gone, most likely harassing other hostellers, or desk minders, or whatever they were called.
On her way to the second inn on the street, Ai passed by a brothel, with the ugliest and most garish exterior she'd ever seen on any building, and a restaurant, with the worst smell she'd ever had the displeasure of smelling coming from it. Before she entered the hostel, however, Ai heard the metal clatter of Tori arriving.
The bird landed, somewhat haphazardly, on a chest high stone lantern. Once situated, she looked to Ai and opened her beak, creating a screeching cawing sound with the hinge there.
"Yeah?" she asked the bird. "All right, go and circle, but make sure you get Sasuke's attention first." Tori rattled her feathers before pumping her wings to take off once more. As she left, Ai looked back the way she had come, closing her eyes and concentrating. She could feel Abel out there, but was he… yes, he was coming closer. She hoped he had succeeded in getting someone to come back with him. He didn't have many good ways of getting someone to follow him that most wouldn't consider to be some type of assault.
Opening her eyes, she turned back to look further into town, picked out Tori's location and took off at a most-definitely-not-a-ninja run.
By the time she arrived she could already feel a fight going down and seeing as how the street had cleared, so could everyone else. Though, they probably heard it instead of feeling the chakra surging through the air. Her heart was telling her to go in, that she should at least try to help, but her mind, and very much her instinct, screamed at her to find somewhere else to be. Preferably across town, or better yet, outside of it.
Ai glanced about the area as the internal debate raged. That was when she noticed a compromise. Spotting a fire escape down an alleyway, she turned her back to the inn that currently held the fight and jogged over. Coating her hands in chakra, Ai did her best to haul herself up to the first level of the metal escape intent on using it to get to the roof. By the time she reached the top the chakra had changed to something that felt more, Ai rubbed at her arm as she felt a slimy sensation press against her. Slimy was the best word for it. It was like she'd gathered algae with her bare hands or had gone skinny dipping in a swamp.
Though, with that thought in mind, Ai titled her head at the inn across way which now seemed to have taken on a strangely frog-like appearance.
Black fire erupted from the side and two shadows shot out, hitting the side of the building beside the inn before ricocheting upwards to the roof and shooting off again, this time passing by her on the roof of the next building over.
The two figures in black and red were easily recognizable from their initial interaction only a few hours earlier. It felt as if time slowed as Ai watched the pair dart past. Then they were a half dozen buildings away.
"Tori!" Ai shouted. The bird wheeled and tumbled far above her in the sky, adjusting her position. The bird dove on an intercepting course to the fleeing pair. As she passed in front of them, much further away now, Tori exploded into dozens of glinting pieces of metal, far to close for the pair to avoid, forcing them to pass through the drifting bits.
Once again, as tended to be her her modus operandi, the exploding bird wasn't an attack. Ai could feel the bits of Tori they'd passed through, the ones that had stuck themselves to them continuing at an exceptionally great speed away from her.
She could see in the distance as Tori pulled herself back together and made her way back to her creator. As the bird arrived, she felt, now far beyond her sight, as the tracking bits of metal Tori had landed on them stopped traveling one by one.
Ai clicked her tongue against her teeth, hissing out frustration. "I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise." Itachi was smart, he probably knew the moment he passed through Tori's debris field what Ai had tried to do. She turned back to the inn, which now had its more wooden appearance back. Distantly, she felt the last bit of metal stop moving away.
Tori clattered her wings, calling those last bits back to her and Ai could feel the bits drifting their way back.
Sighing, Ai looked over the edge of the roof, the street was still empty of pedestrians, but from what else she could feel, Ai was pretty sure Abel had at least entered the boundaries of the town. She slipped over the small lip around the roof and hit the fire escape with a clang and despite trying to descend safely the short drop from the last platform still sent reverberations up her legs.
At that moment Abel rounded the alleyway corner at speed, his claws left deep grooves in the dirt road. He approached her, shifting himself from side to side. Ai could feel his concern as he looked her over for injury.
"I'm fine," she said, placing her hand on his head. Abel turned and followed her out of the alley and to the inn. The cat shivered and Ai saw a flash of green, almost groaning at the idea of the person the image conjured. "Guy?"
Abel jerked his head in a nod but sent along the impression of 'one to listen,' as well.
The desk clerk was no where to be seen so she walked past and to the stairs, not that she would have stopped for the clerk anyway. She had just set her foot on the first step with a second commotion started above her. However, knowing Itachi and Kisame had booked it away, and Tori wasn't setting off the sirens, she knew they hadn't returned. Ai could hear the shouting about halfway up, Guy's deep timbre echoed down the hall alternating with another voice, which she didn't recognize, reverberating through the inn.
Turning the corner at the top of the stairs, Ai could see the clustered group of people. The dark shape of Sasuke was slumped on the floor against the wall, while the other three, two of which were Guy and Naruto stood around him. The white-haired older man, facing in her direction, noticed her first and stopped midsentence as his eyes met hers. She broke contact immediately at the overwhelming humid feel she got from him and spotted the huge amount of damage done to a wall. Bits of wood and plaster were scattered everywhere.
"This is a mess," she stated, ignoring that slimy feel coating her arms again. "Who pays for the damages?" Ai cocked her hip settling a hand on it. "Is there such thing as ninja house insurance? Because if not, I can think of a good racket." The older man she didn't know raised an eyebrow.
"Ai," Guy said, moving towards her, "it is good you're here."
"I considered absconding," Ai inspected her nails, "but living in the woods like a hermit just isn't my thing." At the blank looks she added, just as blandly as before, "They were jokes, I hate being dirty."
"I see." Guy's words were spoken haltingly. He regained his proverbial footing quickly. "We'll be leaving soon, Sasuke requires medical attention." His words caused her eyes to drift back over to the unconscious dark-haired boy. Looking at him, slumped, bloodied, and with his familial resemblance, she felt something twist uncomfortably inside her.
Maybe she should have put some effort into helping.
"…I see now I should have intervened sooner," the old man said, his words brining her back to the real world.
"Wait. Ai interrupted the beginning of Guy's response. She turned to face the man. "Are you saying you let Sasuke fight Itachi? By himself? Is there something wrong with you? How irresponsible can you get? He's just a –" He cut her off.
"I didn't see you there helping him out," he snapped at her.
That stung, especially since she'd just thought that herself. Ai's gaze drifted back to Sasuke. But it wasn't him she saw anymore. It was another boy she'd known so long ago. She flinched as she heard a gunshot.
Blood splattered across the dirt.
The old guy was still talking. "…so you're in no position to lecture –" It was Abel interrupting this time. He placed himself between her and the tall, white-haired man, spitting and hissing as angrily as a metal cat with sawblade teeth could. His sudden appearance caused the man to blink and take a half-step back.
"Fine, whatever, I was wrong," she hastily got out, the want for a fight gone at the sight of the dead boy. She turned her back and addressed Guy. "I'll be outside." Ai didn't wait for his consent, or lack thereof, before leaving the way she'd come. As she passed to the front entrance she idly noted that the desk clerk still hadn't returned, however her mind was on other things.
Like the seven-year-old boy kneeling in the dirt, unlike the others he wasn't crying. He was staring defiantly up at the man about to shoot him.
Ai leaned against the frame of the doorway, her strength abandoning her once again.
She wished he had a name for her to remember him by, but he only had numbers, just like she had. She did her best with that.
Zero-Eight-Six.
He had been the closest to her own designation.
She closed her eyes, picturing him.
The dark fuzz of his shorn hair beginning to grow back in. His black eyes bright as he showed her all the secrets the complex held. The back ways no one used, the interconnecting maze of air vents, and the hidden passages tucked away and forgotten.
He was the only reason she'd survived that night. If he had never shown her the things he had. Naoki and his squad would never have been able to get her out.
Though somedays she wondered if it would have been better if she'd been shot with the rest of them.
A soft rattle caught her attention causing Ai to open her eyes. Flapping gently nearby was a small butterfly-sized bit of metal. One of the pieces returning to Tori. Yet it didn't go to the bird perched on the roof. It fluttered its way over to her and as it neared Ai held her hand palm up towards it. The butterfly landed and she closed her hand around it.
From it she felt a very strong emotional push fueled by anger, which she could only translate as 'leave it be.'
Itachi had apparently left her a message. One that also left her with the impression that he wouldn't be too thrilled to see her again. Not that he'd seemed thrilled to see her in the first place.
Ai jerked her arm upwards, letting go of the bit of metal sending it back to Tori.
Moments later, just as she was lowering her arm, she heard footsteps from within the inn. Multiple clashing steps. She didn't even need Abel's help in telling her who they belonged to.
"I'm glad you didn't go far," came Guy's deep rumble and he actually sounded glad that she hadn't gone far.
"Like I have anywhere to go," she grumbled back.
"We're heading back to the village and the sooner we get back the better." Ai nodded and pushed herself off the wooden frame.
She followed behind Guy, who carried Sasuke on his back, and the other older man, who she still hadn't learned the name of. Naruto trailed along behind them as well, nearly in line with her. From time to time he threw some not-very-surreptitious glances her way. Surprisingly, he held his tongue. Ai shoved her hands in her pockets and slouched her way through town.
Once outside the main entrance of town there was a bit more chatting before Guy bequeathed Naruto one of his green jumpsuits with much ceremony. A disturbing amount Ai thought, but Naruto seemed beyond ecstatic about it.
After the gifting, the two groups went their separate ways. Ai doing her best to ignore Guy and Abel doing his best to trip them both as he darted circles around them before he eventually galloped off the road. Despite his dancing about, he did not stray far and Ai continued to watch him idly as she walked.
The small party had walked for awhile in silence. Ai quite content, before Guy spoke. "Why did you come out here Ai?"
She blinked, looking at the much taller man from the corner of her eye. "Because Sasuke asked me to." She looked back forward. Might as well tell the truth. "He heard about what happened earlier and he asked me to go with him to help. Not that I did much of that."
"And you sent," there was a slight pause, "Abel back to get help?"
"It's not like either of us would stand much chance against Itachi or his blue friend. I tried to tag them with bugs when they left, but," Ai let out a breath, not quite a sigh, "it seems Itachi knows my mentality too well." Her eyes drifted up to Tori, flying high above them. Guy's eyes followed her path, spotting the silver, glittering bird as well.
They walked a little farther before Guy asked, "Do they talk?"
Ai whipped her head to him so fast that she caught the toe of her boot on dirt and she stumbled a little. The way he asked, the tone of his voice, she got the feeling that he didn't mean in her head. She still asked, "Like sit-down-and-have-a-chat talk?" Guy bobbed his head. "No."
"Could they?"
"Well, in the sense that language is only sound vibrations we've giving meaning. I suppose theoretically, he could vibrate his body to imitate words. The same way a parrot does," Ai shrugged, "kind of."
"Have any of them tried?"
"No, not verbally. Abel's tried to speak with others mentally, but none seem to be able to hear him like I can. He's given up on that."
Guy accepted her answer with another nod. "When he came to find me, he made a racket, clattering his bones and grinding his teeth. He continued to dart in front of me at each attempt I made to get around him. I had heard things about him… about you. I chose to ignore his attempts to garner my attention. It was not until he began to repeat a sound, over and over, until it began to sound like a name. Sasuke." Ai stared at the green-clad ninja who towered above her, eyes wide and mouth slight agape. "He kept repeating Sasuke's name and I decided to chance that he was trying to tell me he knew where to find him. It seems my faith was rewarded. Abel brought me directly to the hotel, too late obviously, but he still did it."
Ai turned he gaze to Abel, who was slinking though the grass on the side of the road. He straightened his head up and rattled.
"He… says it was the only way to get your attention. He didn't think you'd follow him otherwise."
"I most likely would not have," Guy agreed. "I shall make sure to mention your willingness to help on my report."
Ai gaped at him again. "But, I…" She found herself unwilling to keep speaking. To confess that she hadn't wanted to help. However, it was the idea that, in the long run, Guy's statement would help her that closed her mouth. He seemed to take her loss of words differently.
"You may not have been fully successful, but you still reported the incident… in a way and you attempted to track two S-ranked criminals. You showed you desired to render aid and there is only so much that can be expected from the untrained."
She felt like all that was missing was a pat on her head and the words 'it was a valiant attempt.'
※※※※※
Their arrival back to the village was uneventful. Guy spoke briefly with the two gate attendants before he escorted her to the hospital where he had Sasuke admitted. However, despite the number of nurses, doctors, and gurneys. Guy himself carried Sasuke to the room he would stay in, which Ai only followed him to after he gestured for her to come along.
"Stay here until either I or Aoba come get you," Guy ordered her as he passed by on his way back out.
In the room, Ai grabbed the visitor's chair near the bed and hauled it to the side of the room out of the way of all the medical attendants bustling about. She settled into it, watching the doctors and nurses take Sasuke's vitals, insert an IV drip, and hook up other equipment meant to monitor him once they were gone. Slowly, one by one, they left until Ai was alone with the steady beep of the heart monitor and Sasuke's quiet breaths.
A light tinkle on the window glass lifted Ai's gaze.
Hanging on the wall, head peering in was Abel. Ai heaved herself out of the chair and opened the window to let him in, closing it after he passed. The cat plodded his way over to the bed, plonking his metal butt down with a thud on the other side of her and began to watch Sasuke as well.
Releasing a sigh, and a roll of her eyes, Ai grabbed the chair she'd moved and dragged it closer.
With nothing better to do, Ai tapped her fingers in a meaningless pattern on the armrest, staring at the sleeping boy all the while. The similarity between him and Itachi was greatly apparent, in the shape of nose, the curve of his cheekbones, yet while unconscious it was strangely lessened. As if sleep lifted the weight of stress Sasuke carried with him everywhere. Stress that Itachi had carried so regularly all those years ago.
Still carried.
This is made for so much more. Only small and insecure, for now.
When it seems all is lost, when you only need hope and strength to carry on. It's so easy to lose your way and slip into the night.
Ai snapped back to reality as the door surged open, nearly slamming but was stopped short. Standing in the doorway was a panting Sakura, her eyes glued to Sasuke. Ai threw a quick glance to the ticking clock on the wall.
"Looks like the rumor mill is running on time," she thought, looking back to the pink-haired girl, who didn't seem to notice Ai was even there.
Clutching her hands to her chest, Sakura walked daze-like towards her unconscious teammate, stopping when she reached the foot of the bed. After an uncomfortable amount of time, and once Sakura started to look like she might cry at any moment, Ai shifted in the chair. The movement finally pulled Sakura out of her stunned state causing the girl to turn her eyes to Ai, and blink dumbly as she finally became aware of her company. Sakura's mouth opened like she intended to say something, but no words came out.
Ai waited unperturbed.
Eventually Sakura got out a stumbling, "What are you doing here?"
"I was told to stay here," Ai said simply, then allowed her vision to drift away from the girl.
"Oh." Sakura shifted from foot to foot, wringing her hands. It took a few moments for her to speak again. "You're… you're Ai, right?"
"Yes."
"I remember you from the Chunin Exams. Kabuto –" she cut off at Ai's cold, sharp glare.
"Don't," Ai ground out between her clenching teeth, "say that name."
"S-sorry!" she immediately apologized. Ai turned her face away, breathing deeply as the rage in her stomach turned to the burning threat of tears.
Abel gently rattled himself to break the tense silence, garnering both the girl's attentions. He slunk forward, his back lowered, approaching Ai. He tossed a look at Sakura as he passed, but once by he pressed his head into Ai's hands. Beneath them she felt his cool metal warm to a gentle and comforting heat.
"I'm sorry," Ai murmured to Sakura.
The door slammed open, making both girls jump and Abel drop into a crouch.
"You are in deep sh—" Aoba halted mid-word, spotting Sakura in the room as well. "So much trouble." Ai rolled her eyes to the ceiling, relaxing back into her chair. "Don't ignore me. Get up and get over here." Abel rose from his crouch and shivered, tinkling his metal body.
We go, rolled across her mind.
"All right," Ai breathed out, rising from the chair. She moved past Sakura, dipping her head in parting to the girl.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Aoba began the lecture all about running off, leaving the village, being in the vicinity (again) of two criminals, the dangers of all the previous situations, and on and on. The lecture, which she barely listened to, continued all the way back to the apartment where he finally left her with "I rescheduled with Inoichi for tomorrow," his voice hardened for his next words, somehow, "seeing as he's busy with today's occurrences. I expect to see you up and ready in the morning." He began to turn away, but paused, "Early in the morning."
"Sure," Ai agreed her voice dull. Aoba's brows furrowed as he most likely narrowed his eyes at her behind his sunglasses. He nodded once before finally leaving.
With a shove, the door swung shut with a thud and Ai turned, further entering her empty apartment.
Sorry for any errors, I didn't reread the later half as much as I usually do in order to put this up sooner. xD
Credits:
Dearly Beloved – Amalee (Kingdom Hearts cover)
With or Without You – U2 (But Amy Lee does a great cover)
Every Heart/Fukai Mori – BoA (Once again I prefer a cover, this one also by Amalee, which also adjusts the original lyrics a bit, so I guess I'm really using her version)
