(Arts) Payback
(Arts) Return, parts 1 and 2
(Arts) Dealing with it 1
DOS chapter 99, and in the evening (Arts) Dealing with it 2
Sasuke leaves the DOS picture to do Kakashi's training
(Arts) Pack and Hive
DOS chapters 100-106
(Arts) Long time no see (this chapter)
DOS chapters 107-108
(Arts)Hard Topics; Part One
(Arts) Getting Settled 1
(Arts) Hard Topics; Parts Two and Three
(Arts) Back in Action
(Arts) Here There be Monsters
Donahermurphy's snippet
Part One
The next morning saw Sasuke at the training grounds with a bag of sweet bean rolls he knew he wasn't going to eat and his cheap, mass produced, ANBU katana in hand.
"I'm sorry for not telling you anyway." he apologized as he sat down next to Shikako and placed the bag next to her.
She took a blank look at the bag before shifting it to him. "That's not-." She broke off before placing her head in her hands. "I'm not mad at you anymore, Sasuke. "
"That doesn't mean I still shouldn't be apologizing. I should have told you." Sasuke argued.
"You weren't supposed to in the first place."
"Yeah, and we're supposed to know about Akatsuki, and whatever it is that Sai is apart of." He rolled his eyes.
Shikako let out a huff. "I get why you did it. Just please be careful. If you see or hear things that don't add up, tell Kakashi-sensei, tell Tsunade, tell somebody." She paused. "This scares me more than Akatsuki does." She admitted. "Because, and I'm just guessing here, but they might have been the ones who leaked our location during the mission with the mill owner. Orochimaru couldn't have gotten that information so quickly if someone high up in command hadn't gotten it for him. What that implies scares me."
Sasuke's mouth went dry. "It implies that someone high up wants me worse than dead, fast. And that's why you were pissed."
"Oh that's not it. I still can't believe that you just let them put a goddam seal on you. Did you even ask what it did, or who controls it for that matter?" She burst out, voice rising in in a tone that clearly exclaimed 'are you fucking stupid?'
Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, then closed it instead, suitably chastised. "Well it isn't a kill switch, I think they would have activated ...His if it was." Sasuke sighed. "You're right, it was stupid. Next time they want to put a seal on me, I'll refuse." He fidgeted. "If I let you put a seal on me that could tell you where I was would that make you feel better about it?"
Shikako looked up, eyes wide, and then they turned to anger and she hit him again, hard, right over his ANBU seal. "Letting people put seals on you is exactly what I'm pissed at you for in the first place, you idiot."
"Yeah, but you're you!" He yelped, "You're my best friend, you're not going to blow my head off if I disobey you. I trust you!"
Shikako snorted, still not pleased, but mollified. Her shoulders slumped. "Yeah, it would. Not now, though. I don't have any ink."
Sasuke grinned. "Whenever you're ready."
Part Two
"Oh so 'ow you're 'ack." Kiba commented around the plastic needle cover as Sasuke entered the exam room. The dog on the table whined pitifully he eased the syringe into the dog's scruff. "Oh shut up, you do this every year." he said in exasperation as he ruffled the dog's neck fur and threw the recapped needle into the trash.
"I've been back for a week or two." Sasuke corrected. "I've been working out a lot of stuff in my system." He took a closer look at the dog. "That isn't-"
"He isn't-. And yes, he is Uhei, one of Kakashi-sensei's dogs." Kiba confirmed, plucking the next syringe off the desk, and readying it for use. "So what's up?"
"Are you, Shino, and Hinata free next Saturday?" Sasuke asked, warily eying Uhei. The dog whined and put on a face that could have melted butter.
Kiba caught the exchange. "Uhei, if we pups know some things that we aren't supposed to, but will make us better able to take care of ourselves and our pack, would you tell Kakashi?"
Uhei perked up and barked.
Kiba rolled his eyes, "I keep telling you, that's their choice, but yes, if I have to hold that over your heads to keep you from telling him then fine. Blackmail it is."
Uhei huffed and barked defiantly.
Akamaru barked up from the corner.
Kiba pointed back at his partner. "Exactly. What Akamaru said. We're telling you, they just won't like it at all. Then where will you get your treats?"
Uhei's shoulders slumped in defeat as he let out a whuff.
"That's what I thought." Kiba noted smugly before turning back to Sasuke. "Alright, he'll stay quiet. Speak freely." Kiba dug a piece of smoked dried meat out of his pocket and tossed it to Akamaru, who snapped it out of the air and got down to chewing loudly and happily.
Sasuke nodded to Akamaru, "Thanks-"
Akamaru gave a happy bark and a tail that furiously beat on the floor as an answer.
Sasuke let out a deep breath. "We need to have that Konoha Twelve meeting, we talked about earlier. I've talked with 'Kako, we're going to put privacy seals all over one of the buildings in the Uchiha complex and that's where we'll have it. And yes, it really is necessary."
Kiba nodded. "You said next saturday?"
"Yep, the girls are having their thing on sunday and it seems like we'll all be in the village."
"We'll be there, won't we Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in response.
Part Three
"So, we have a problem." Shikako began, exchanging a short glance with Sasuke as she spoke to the other nine in the room.
"We've 'had a problem' ever since Orochimaru showed up six months ago. Please get on with the elaboration." Neji commented blandly.
"You all remember when Naruto was nearly kidnapped by Itachi." Shikako continued.
Ino shifted where she stood across the room and Shikamaru tensed, the words "and put you in the hospital screaming" going unsaid like an elephant in the room.
"It turns out he's not working alone." Sasuke elaborated. "He's part of an organization of nine shinobi, all after the bijuu, all S-Class psychopaths. They call themselves the Akatsuki. Known members are Kisame Hoshigaki and Sasori of the red sands."
The silence could have been cut with a knife.
Kiba whistled. "Add that to our problems with Orochimaru, Kumo, and that all of us know by now that an active Iwa bunker was found in inside our borders and we're getting ready to get caught up in some serious shit."
"I agree. Why? Because nine S-class missing-nin going after the bijuu can result in nothing good for us." Shino explained, clearly disturbed.
"Where is this information coming from?" Tenten inquired, frowning and folding her arms. "This doesn't sound like the kind of information we're supposed to have. Not at our level. "
"It's not, everything we know about them, which is pretty much everything we just told you, came straight from Itachi's mouth and was confirmed by Jiraiya, or was discovered by Jiraiya, and the only reason he knows that much is because Orochimaru is a former member." Shikako answered, her eyes flicking over to the kunoichi. "In fact, Tsunade probably wouldn't be a fan if she knew I was telling you. But no one else seems to be doing anything, and since we're the ones who will be around Naruto the most when he comes back, Sasuke thought we should go ahead and get it out so we can start getting ready for them." she added hesitantly, folding her own arms up.
Tenten didn't seem to have anything to say to that. Ino, on the other hand...
"So let me get this straight, there's Kumo, Kusa, Iwa, Orochimaru, and nine other S-Class ninja including Itachi, the Tailless Tailed Beast, and Suna's puppet prodigy, and all of them are after Konoha in one way or another. And yet we're not supposed to know about any of it?" She asked incredulously.
"That's only the beginning." Sasuke began. "Before Naruto left, he and Shikako were placed on a set of missions with a chunin named Sai, who eventually admitted to ninja taking orders from someone other than the Hokage and is high up enough for Sai to pass for ANBU. Me and Shikako think that whoever this is might be responsible for the Team seven info leaks that let Orochimaru send his people to intercept us."
Shikako shot him a shocked glance. "Sasuke-!"
"No, let him go on." Kiba demanded. "Does Tsunade know about this?"
Shikako let out an annoyed snort. "Yeah, there's no way she doesn't. His paperwork looked like it was invented the day before, I think those missions were meant to let him draw himself out a bit more."
Shino nodded. "That seems like a sound strategy." He commented thoughtfully.
"So, looks like the million ryo question is what do we do about all this." Choji commented through a new mouthful of chips.
Everyone turned to look at Shikamaru.
Shikamaru leveled a mild glare. "Off the top of my head?" He asked. "No idea, why don't we ask Sasuke, since apparently he's the one dragging us into all this?"
"It's not his fault, Shika." Shikako stated firmly. "We've talked about this."
Kiba was less tactful. "Shikamaru so help me if you choose now to be illogical I can and will beat sense back into you." He said shortly, gaining the shocked attention of everyone in the room. "You're not the only one with a sister who's been in some shitty situations, and Shikako is very capable of taking care of herself. Ask anyone here who saw her fight with Gaara. Get the fuck over it. We're shinobi, life-threatening danger is what we do for a living."
"Now," Kiba continued, turning to the other occupants. "As Choji suggested, any helpful ideas beyond 'get stronger and kill the bastards?'"
Sasuke hesitated before sighing. "The Uchiha archives are filled to the top with jutsu of every description and element. I'm willing to get you anything you want as long as it isn't Sharingan related."
"I'll let you all know if anything comes through Intel." Ino offered. "I'll probably stay in longer than Shikako will so…"
Shikako smiled slightly. "Thanks Ino, they dress in black cloaks with red clouds. I'll be keeping my eyes open as well."
"I cannot learn more than the most basic jutsu and tricks because of the chakra cost of my contract with my Kikai." Shino explained. "So I will begin breeding significantly more destructive and lethal Kikai instead." He slumped "As well as improving my Taijutsu."
"Yosh!" Lee cheered. "I will do the same! You are welcome to practice with us anytime, Shino!"
Shino nodded like a man walking to his death. "Thank you Lee."
"You are most welcome Shino!"
"I have an idea that I'll be working on to improve my two headed wolf drill." Kiba informed. "I guess now would also be a good time to annoy Hana into teaching me medical jutsu."
"She'd do that?" Ino asked.
"Well yeah. I can't see any reason why she wouldn't. Why? You want me to ask her if she'll teach you girls? Hinata said that medical stuff was why you started meeting every week. I don't think she'll have a problem teaching you as long as you know your anatomy."
Shikako and Ino exchanged a look. "Hell yes, Ino Yamanaka gets beat by no one."
Kiba shrugged. "Cool, anyone else? Tsunade's idea of having a medic on each team sounds good to me."
Tenten shook her head. "I've already tried. My control was never up to par."
Kiba waved a hand dismissively. "You don't need great control to be capable of saving a life. I don't, and I've saved plenty of dogs. Just pay me for the supplies and I'll make sure all of us are up to scratch on non-chakra medic work and outfitted as well."
"I'll pay for everyone's supplies." Sasuke offered, in a tone of a man being reminded of something he'd rather forget.
Kiba frowned, "Sasuke do you even know how much-" he paused for a moment. "Nevermind, you're loaded. Sorry I forgot."
"I please continue forgetting, I really prefer not to think about it."
Tenten narrowed her eyes enviously. "You're so rich you forget about it?"
"What do you think I do with it? I have an average apartment, my clothes belonged to my cousins, and I earn plenty enough to pay my bills, and buy equipment and food. Other than the swords I commissioned I don't use it. Outfitting everyone with enough medical equipment to run a field hospital is the most useful thing the inheritance that I'd rather not have will ever do." Sasuke pointed out blankly. "In fact, this is the only time this building has been useful for any reason in the past six years. We wouldn't have even come here if all the seals on the walls weren't necessary."
"Speaking of Medical jutsu," Hinata began quietly, tapping her fingers together. "Should we tell Sakura-chan?"
"I wouldn't tell her about the serious stuff but if you can get her to teach you, I'd go ahead with it. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to train her up either. " Kiba suggested casually.
"Who's Sakura?" Neji asked.
"Sakura Haruno. She's a classmate of ours that moved into medical after graduation. Apparently now she's Tsunade's apprentice if the rumors are correct." Shikamaru answered boredly.
"They're true." Shikako confirmed shortly.
"If that is all," Shino started. "I will be leaving. Why? Because I must get to work on my part, and my sister has asked me to assist her in her own projects."
AN: Well, yeah, that little talk happened. The original version I had in mind was a little more... charged shall we say, between Shikamaru and Sasuke, but I couldn't get it to work. I'll also admit that some of the characters might not be written as well as they could be. Shikako I certainly seems to have problems with at times, on the one hand, she's somewhat socially and emotionally awkward, and tends to need a little prompting to open up, not pushing, just prompting, like how Shikaku does, and the same for how Ino has done with her experience in the Mangyeko and Sasuke does in "Arts," She tends to open up more if the other person opens up first, and then it just rolls from there. On the other hand she can easily be very forceful in her personality in the blink of an eye.
Kiba, is also a character whose personality might be different from DOS and the show/manga. That's primarily because I see him not as the character who just can't seem to catch up to Naruto, but as the Thirteen year old who stabbed himself in the guts and told Sakon and Udon "Let's die together." My Kiba is capable of being boisterous and like Naruto (which is his way of motivating and encouraging his quieter and more reserved team), but he also is capable of being deathly serious when the situation calls for it.
A note on Sasuke's wallet. I really hate it when fanfictions trivialize his large inheritance, they tend to use it so they can make an excuse for him to buy large amounts of expensive things (usually for a romantic interest), and it's completely fucking ridiculous. For Sasuke, it'd just be another reminder of the massacre, and the only reason he's using now is because he sees it as a way to avenge them and (in the case of the swords) to remember his mom, and to prevent Itachi from massacring his new family.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!
