28. On time, hope you enjoy!
"Then, Mei-san, I await your invitation."
"Consider it given, Sakura-sama, I will send word quickly."
Sakura nods easily, smiling, "We will have to go to an onsen then, Mei-sama."
Teasingly, altering the honorific as the lady laughs, "Yes, we will."
She addresses the Merchant Head, "Hirai has recovered, but no reason to danger him needlessly, if he falls sick, please come back. Other than that, link up with the rest of the Heads. With Mizukage-sama's blessing, I am sure the village can be pulled back on its feet."
And his face glows with the pride of a village who has risen from the depths of despair – Sakura finds herself mildly envious.
Haku has his mask back on and Kisame-san looks unbothered.
She dips her head and Ao-san bows back.
"I will see you all soon. Have a safe journey back."
Little Hirai is sleeping in the caravan, so she doesn't call out.
They bid their final farewells, and she watches till their caravan moves out of sight.
Council will be called latest in two weeks, she guesstimates, how long till Shikaku-sama picks up on Kiri's movements?
"Sensei. Your team mate was Uchiha Obito, right?"
He watches his teacher stiffen, and slowly attempt to relax.
"Yes, that's correct. I've said so… this is his eye."
"Do you know where we are?"
"A Shinto shrine. Are you here to pay respects?"
Sasuke shakes his head, "We are here to desecrate the legacy of the dead. After speaking to Kisame-san I have realised that this world is full of lies. The Uchiha Clan's death was tragic but evitable and yet if I don't tell you now, Sensei you will go blind."
They remove their shoes at the door of the shrine, and Sasuke steps into the main hall.
Stepping carefully, counting, "One, two, five, seven."
Kneeling and removing the tatami mat, gesturing for Sensei to take the ladder.
Within that enclosed space, Sensei questions, "Sasuke, what is this place?"
"The place where the Uchiha planned their demise. The secret clan room in Naka Shrine."
Tugging the straw mat over, the rustle of the dried grass, replacing the board.
"Sensei, I trust you this much, so you have to hear me out."
Making seals, unsealing the meeting room, pushing apart the stone doors, a fire jutsu off his lips lighting the row of candles.
"On that table, I have left a drawing that Kisame-san drew for me. Please be honest and tell me what it means to you."
Kakashi does just that, and Sasuke moves for the ancestral tablets.
Shifting the name plaques away, revealing the hidden side door.
Sensei clutches the paper carefully and Sasuke knows, he was correct.
Calling out, "Sensei, over here. I have one more thing to show you."
His Sensei follows mutely, but he's the one to light up the next room.
Wordlessly, sliding up his head band to reveal his Sharingan, holding a hand up to stop Sasuke from speaking.
He respects that.
His own Sharingan, immature, but enough to read the first paragraph.
The Sharingan is a gift from the founders of Ninja. But it has weakened over time. The second form requires a sacrifice of a precious life, the final a sacrifice of a kinsman's eyes. No two pairs of eyes will repeat – with those eyes the Uchiha will never face defeat.
"Sensei, that eye belongs to the murderer of my clan. The tablet has all the secrets of the Uchiha. You have our eye, that makes you one of us. Me, Itachi-nii and you. And it is now our job to find the rouge Uchiha."
"The second paragraph Sasuke… someone with the Mangenkyou can control a bijuu."
Sasuke doesn't trust himself to speak, only nodding, and Kakashi-sensei continues to read.
"In order to awaken the Mangenkyou, one must undergo great trauma. In order to keep the Mangenkyou and not go blind, one must take their brother's eyes."
Sasuke scans the characters over, but his Sharingan cannot read the pictorial depictions.
Vaguely an eye here, roughly a knife there.
"The moon will reflect an eternal dream, and then the world will be saved. Sasuke, what is this? And there's more, more after this but I can't read it."
Sasuke extinguishes the flame, the stone is not up for discussion.
"Kisame-san told me that Akatsuki has another Uchiha who controls it from behind the shadows. He wears an orange mask and has a Sharingan with that pattern. My clan was killed by that man and he took my nii-san with him. If you have that eye then Sensei, your team mate is alive, and I want to find him."
He replies without pause as they vacate the room, "I have that eye but I can barely use it."
And without skipping a beat Sasuke says, "I will open the archives for you. You have the same eyes, so they can't be used against each other. But if he can use it when you can't then you'll get hurt."
The shrine is empty even as they exit but Kakashi pauses.
"Are you sure we can trust Hoshigaki? For all you know, he might be working with that man still, this could be an elaborate ploy, for me to develop the eye so that he can reclaim it."
Sasuke jerks suddenly as an ANBU materialises before them, his sensei stands protectively half-in front, shielding him.
"Hatake-sama, Council has been called by Nara-sama with Hokage-sama's blessing. Here is the meeting brief, the heads will gather at 8 tonight in the usual conference room."
Now there's a pause, before the ANBU reminds more softly, "Please do not be late."
"Thank you, Neko. Is Haruno-sama expected to be in attendance?"
"The Lord was sent a messenger as well."
Kakashi walks with Sasuke back to the Uchiha Compound, the child asks, "You didn't see him that night?"
He should deny it like ANBU protocol requires but he hasn't the mind to do so because Sasuke trusts him.
"We were too late, Sasuke."
He doesn't apologise – it's too late for apologies and it's the last thing Konoha's Last Uchiha wants.
"I will learn how to use this eye. In the meantime, Sasuke, let us keep Uchiha-related matters to ourselves. Sakura will go to Kiri soon, as will both of us, and then, we will be able to ask Hoshigaki for more information."
"Will you tell Sakura-chan tonight then?"
He eye smiles.
"Would you like to come along?" laughing at his student's disgruntled face.
"I'd sooner give you the power of my Council vote than sit in a room with old fogeys who pushed my clan to the brink."
Sasuke means it as half a joke, but Kakashi knows that his failure to appear as Hatake Head all those years allowed the Uchiha's isolation.
And before disappearing among the library aisles, he throws it out there.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, Sasuke."
They seat themselves on the patio of one of the more child-friendly bars in Tanzaku Gai, and Naruto busies himself with his balloon.
Occasionally, Jiraiya looks up from his notebook to take a look at his progress.
"Still haven't popped it? Want a tip?"
Naruto purses his lips.
"Ero-sennin-sensei, do you crush the balloon with your chakra?"
He takes a random water balloon from the pyramid on their table, "Like I said, it's no fancy trick. Emit chakra from your hand to control the water in the ball, and rotate it."
Naruto reaches out and the Toad Sage rotates the water, stretching the rubber from side to side till it explodes.
He cuts the chakra once the balloon bursts.
"Does it have to become lumpy like yours? If I stretched the balloon like a pancake, and it burst, would it be the correct thing?"
Jiraiya sketches a sphere on his note book paper, "That's what a Rasengan looks like. About the size of your water balloon, the compression of the chakra makes it so powerful, and it's a short-range technique. What you're describing is something like a gust of wind. Not much use on a battlefield."
With that, he leaves the kid to his own devices.
Tsunade's probably here for the festival. Sooner or later she'll appear.
"Ero-sennin-sensei, what are you doing?"
"Concentrate on your task, kid."
The balloon bursts and they both blink.
Now, he watches as the blonde pops the next balloon.
He smiles up at him, beaming from ear to ear.
"So all you had to do was to put the chakra in, and tell the water to escape!"
"Do that again, Naruto."
He does so, the chakra materialises, the water comes alive and bursts free in a shower.
Distinctively he feels the chakra in it, disciplined and alive, rotating and churning.
It bursts faster than even Jiraiya can do it usually, so he arches his eyebrow.
"Well, if you got this easy, the second bit will be harder. How's your chakra control kid? Looks like you have a lot of chakra."
"I can water walk, Kaka-sensei taught all of us."
Tapping his pencil against his notebook idly, "Go buy a rubber ball from that uncle over there. When you pop it, then come find me again. The rubber ball will be harder."
Turning to his back page, continuing with his story draft, but the child's presence makes it hard to write.
Waving over a waiter, asking for a drink, and giving a modest tip.
Nursing a glass of some unknown alcohol, watching the town for signs of Tsunade. His spies would bring him news of course, but a blonde woman with huge assets would stand out wherever.
That, or town gossip would talk about a woman who was easy to win money off.
He's scrawled random things like rubber balls and water balloons on the same page as his next chapter's first line, thinking hard, "What would Mitsu-chan like in a town like this?"
Mitsu-chan walks into the first bar she finds and calls out to the bartender.
"Make me something strong."
Looking through the window, to the actual bar, and he decides to this time, include a sketch – The smooth marble top, laminated with glass.
Whiskey on the rocks, ice cubes clinking in the cup as it slides smoothly down the counter.
"Trying to get smashed, beaut-
"Ero-sennin-sensei, are you trying to get smashed?"
He blinks up at Minato's son, who leans over the table, trying to read off his book.
"You're not old enough to read this, kid."
"If you get smashed, then you definitely won't see Tsunade-sennin-san."
Waving the kid off, who materialised a clone from somewhere.
"Don't be lazy, kid, the Rasengan is a one-handed effort. What if you're stuck in a cave with no space to make a clone? And don't worry about me, this won't even leave me buzzed."
The ball bursts all right, but that's not the point.
The blonde nearly wilts, but he's not as immune to logic as Jiraiya would have assumed.
"You're more like your dad than I thought."
Curious eyes, trying to focus on his task.
Jiraiya knows it's only a matter of when, not if.
"What was mom like?"
He snorts into his drink.
"She'd have argued me to hell on how she'd make a microscopic clone who could help her."
Naruto laughs, "Really? Mom would have said something like that? What would dad have said?"
"Your dad would have listened to me, but then found some roundabout way to do his own thing."
When he looks up again, the patio is filled with concentrated Naruto clones, all with their own rubber ball.
Well, that's what, 30 rubber balls?
"Shadow clones, kid?"
The closest one nods, then presses a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.
"Remember not to dispel all at once, if not you'll get a headache worse than my hangover."
"You're not supposed 'ta get a hangover, Ero-sennin-sensei."
Pencil scratching across his notepad, then a rubber ball explodes.
Peering over the edge of his notebook just in time to see a Naruto clone flail about, accidentally punching another clone in the face and kneeing another in the groin.
He winces as the real Naruto winces, but the other clones manage to scramble away.
"Boss, teach us! How do we pop it?"
"Okay okay, so, he thought about Sasuke's Fireball Jutsu! Now listen, blow it, and your filling it, but the ball doesn't stretch. Just keep filling from the same place and then think about how you wanna pop it and pump the chakra into it!"
Simultaneously, a few more pop.
Those dispel with their task well done, and Naruto relays their techniques to the rest.
"Or think about a swirly fish cake, and put chakra into the centre swirly."
Astounding clone-assisted progress. Half a week and he rotated the chakra. Another week and now he can concentrate his power enough…
The clones cheer as more of them burst their rubber balls, and soon it's down to the original.
With spirits high and even more faith, Naruto hops onto the seat, and tells him to, "Watch, ero-sennin! Watch!"
The ball surely enough pops, and he lets out a whoop, "I did it! I did it!"
He puts down his notebook to show the child his attention is undivided.
Smirking, "Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but there's still the hardest step."
Minato's son, every bit a genius as he was, looks at him wide eyed, blue eyes, before settling into his seat, showing some form of restraint.
He reaches over his cup of sake and ruffles the messy head of blond hair.
"But good job kid. You did well."
The bashful smile tells him all and his smirk softens into a smile.
Tossing him a pouch of coins, "Go take a break, Naruto, tomorrow we'll start on the last step. Keep an eye out for a blond lady with amazingly huge-"
"Yes, yes I get it ero-sennin!"
Darn, the brat runs fast, hollering after his disappearing back, "Don't forget our room number!"
The clock hits 8, and he sighs in the quiet of his room, the table lamp shining on him as he flips the notebook shut.
Looking out the window to the road, little golden paper lamps lining the streets for the ongoing festival.
Hm. Didn't set him a bed time. How much is he supposed to sleep? How much do kids out of war sleep?
Casting a look at the mini-freezer, sighing, "If the kid doesn't come back, looks like I'll eat it alone…"
A wry grin tugs at his lips when the kid starts hammering at the door, yelling, "Ero-sennin! Open up open up!"
Speak of the devil…
"Hush kid, our neighbours might be sleeping."
Opening the door for the child who balances multiple cartons of food and walks in proudly.
"I wasn't sure what flavour you'd like, so I got one of all of them, don't worry about leftovers, I'll eat them all!"
He wasn't expecting dinner, but it came and Jiraiya is… happy, touched even.
"I'm not worried about that, man you should have seen your mother inhale ramen."
"It's the bestest food in the world!"
"Best," he corrects offhand as they slowly unpack all the plastic cartons.
"You're just like Sakura-chan, correcting grammar."
All of the bowls have tags on them, Salt, Chashu, Miso, Bonito, Saba, Tonkotsu, Shoyu, Nori, Negi, Chicken.
Naruto waits for him to choose, so he takes the Chicken one, and then asks, "Naruto, which is your favourite flavour?"
"Large miso with extra pork!"
Favourite order down pat, "Then you don't like vegetables huh… In that case, I'll take the Negi one off you," jokingly and the kid pushes it towards him, smiling happily.
He observes the child as he eats his chicken ramen, how carefully the kid treats his food like he knows what it's like to be hungry.
How he leaves the miso one for last, little things he would have known if he had stayed in Konoha to take care of him.
Slurping up the last drops of the broth, asking, "Still have a little space left for dessert?"
Stacking the empty bowls and putting them in their plastic bag, leaving it neatly by the door for housekeeping the next morning.
"I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just got the red bean flavour."
Jiraiya tears open the packaging, holding the twin popsicles out to Naruto.
They stay like that for a moment, in utter silence.
Jiraiya tries again, "Do you not like red bean? Would orange have been better?"
The kid shakes his head furiously, "No, I like red bean soup! I just…"
"Ice cream's gonna melt if you don't take your half! Just hold that stick and we'll pull together."
Naruto does as he's told, saying so softly that Jiraiya barely hears, "I've just never done it before…"
He laughs out loud to make the room feel more like home, "Well I grew up on these popsicles, so, expect to eat them every now and then with me."
The kid mumbles it around the stick of ice, "Thanks, ero-sennin."
Jiraiya finds that the nickname was really more endearing than derogatory.
"Tomorrow, let's go and visit the castle. There are forested areas which would be better for your training too."
Today, the topics at hand are in this order, follow up action with Suna, the question of a treaty with Kiri, and if we should send a delegation to Kiri. For the first topic, we are currently in the process of normalising relations, their trade inflow has stabilised, though they have not appointed an acting Kazekage. It is said that the Yondaime's children have been keeping the village afloat though the village elders are helping with administration. We expect that one of the siblings will become Kazekage."
Nara-sama expands on the scroll brief, which only states the preliminary motions at vote – To give or not to give further aid to Suna, to pursue a treaty with Mist or to maintain our policy of non-interference, and to send a physical delegation to the Mist to affirm such a treaty.
They go back and forth on whether to send more aid to fix up the economy, from not wanting Suna to be heavily reliant on Konoha, to turning Suna as a puppet state – something the civilians are against but the ninjas are not entirely.
Aburame Shibi watches the Council's youngest member carefully, for some sign of her vote.
Predictably she sides with the civilians whom she's supposed to represent.
"I question how valid it is for Haruno-sama to say that Konoha will be harmed by a friendly takeover. This will ensure that the government in Suna remains pro-Konoha, resentment will not fester like it did to lead to the recent disaster. Why? Because if we can influence Suna politics then we will know before hand that they are planning an invasion."
"But if you control the government, isn't it more likely that anti-Konoha groups will form, mount an insurgency and then destabilise their Council? Aburame-sama, I do not question that you have good intentions, but you protect Konoha in short term at the expense of the future."
The other leaders are content to see the debate play out because they remain unconvinced.
"Haruno-sama, you claim that we should send more aid, and not intervene to prevent people from resenting Konoha. I propose that we send aid and control Suna subtly to stop people who resent Konoha."
For some people, this proposal is not an equal exchange, but ruling by power is how the villages work, not on idealistic notions of fairness.
"So you wish to control the flow of aid based on how friendly Suna becomes? Their desperation led an invasion of an ally, if you do that they will surely invade us with nothing more to lose, and will be our enemies then!"
"I think you do not understand. Why? Because you are too caught up in the plight of the Suna people and that as the root cause for the invasion. They invaded because Orochimaru assumed the position of the Kazekage and controlled the village to do so. He manipulated the village. Now that the village is stable, we must ensure this does not repeat, the only way to do that is to ensure the village does not fall into the control of external forces, not to withdraw our hands."
It's a shame that Hatake-sama chose today to be late, of all days.
It would have benefitted them both to move against the civilian motion to increase aid and decrease influence.
"I too, believe Aburame-sama has a good point there. If we wish to allow Suna to simply be its own country, we should decrease the aid slowly, and with that, withdraw our political influence. Haruno-sama, Aburame-sama is correct to say that we cannot simply give Suna aid. Besides, if we were to give that with no strings attached, there'll be more possible problems."
The Hyuga head speaks out in support of him, and Shibi nods politely.
"In line with your logic Haruno-sama, wouldn't the Suna people be even more paranoid of aid without strings? They would even more likely misread Konoha's intentions, and begin to fear that we will withdraw aid if they step out of line. Fear like that is harder to predict than aid. Why? Because they will toe an imaginary line. We must set them clear lines to follow so that they know how to keep the aid."
Tsume gives him thumbs up under the table, before she stands.
"I accept that Haruno-sama fears the will of people, but ninja fear only the strong and intelligent. These people are more likely to misconstrue Konoha's kindness and take it too far. 'sides, like Aburame-sama said, we don't want to be taken advantage of."
Agriculture Guild Head Katsuo-san then speaks out, "We are not against Konoha exerting its influence. We, as Inuzuka-sama has phrased, fear the power of majority. The culture in Suna is different from here in Konoha. Suna's people fear and resent their ninja yet need the ninjas – Konoha cannot afford to look like a benevolent dictator, the people will reject a system that appears to benefit Konoha at Suna's expense."
Artisan Guild Head Fuki then follows with an unexpected fall back, "As civilians perhaps we fail to appreciate the nuances of a ninja's mind, but the civilians of Suna will favour anything that does not constitute a threat. If Konoha chooses to intervene in Suna's politics, there is not much the Civilian Council can do. However, we are in favour of continuing to send aid because an economically stable Suna will quickly reduce the economic burden of Suna on Konoha's finances. In the long run, if Suna collapses, we have much more to lose."
In the end, it is agreed that Konoha should avoid over committing to allies, and the Council votes 7 to 2, Head Katsuo deciding that it'd be better to not give aid rather than give aid and risk Suna biting the hand that feeds it.
Hatake-sama finally turns up with a cheerful, "Yo!" arching an eyebrow when he takes in the atmosphere.
Tsume passes him a note with the issue summary as Nara-sama introduces the next two issues in succession.
"Kirigakure no Sato has been ushered into a new era, and the appointee, Terumi Mei formally invites Heads Haruno and Hatake to Kiri. They have space for one more, in a gesture of politeness, to show that Konoha is sincere about this treaty. Ninja Village treaties are notorious for being worth no more than the paper they are written on, us sending a delegation that shows our willingness to collaborate will lay the foundation for future Konoha-Kiri relations. If the two mentioned heads may rise, please give possible criteria for, or your preferred last member."
Hatake-sama stands before Haruno-sama has a chance to, and quite firmly states, "I think Aburame-sama would be a good choice."
The Haruno Head accepts, "I have no objections. Aburame-sama would make a fine choice, seeing as how he would be best able to gather a feel of what the new Kiri is like."
And like that, it's set as simply as the pre-meeting he and Hatake-san had.
There is no vote on it, and Council disbands.
They leave the day after, Nara-sama sets them an ANBU escort, "Sandaime-sama has sent these two from his guard. They should have no problem protecting you all. In your absence, your responsibilities will be handled by other people."
Hatake-sama is allowed to bring the last Uchiha out under the condition that they stick together at all times, "It'd be good for Sasuke to see some politicking in action."
Shibi knows that Haruno-sama doesn't object, they're teammates after all.
Besides, it's a short trip, a day there, a two day stay, and a day's return.
Barely a murmur, but he can hear them as they remark to each other in the middle of the night, "Sakura, why Aburame-sama?"
He raises a hand to cover his eyes, using it as a cover to chance a look at the Hatake clan head at the opposite side of their shared tent.
Why indeed?
"Why not, Sasu-chan? Shino-san is smart, his father is too," a mild tone, but without sarcasm or malice, "Besides, the Aburame are known to be strong. Especially since it's a new village, his kikaichu will be invaluable as our first line of defence."
"That's true, but Sakura, is that why sensei was so convinced?"
Her voice filters through the tent sheets, the young lord sounds tired, "The Hatake and Aburame are allied clans. Ask sensei tomorrow? I'm turning in for the night, maybe I'm coming down with something."
"Sleep well, Sakura. If you're sick don't pass your germs to me!"
"Oh, you're afraid of a few puny germs?"
Sakura knows he's listening, she does, but that doesn't make her words any less truthful.
Maybe chastised by his reasoning during the last Council session, Sakura isn't a petty person to hold grudges over snubs since he means the best for Konoha.
If she can prevent another massacre, she'd willingly offer herself up as a target.
Mei-sama greets her with a restrained hug, and offers up the hot spring for a gathering, though she declines.
"I don't feel too well, must have been the cold ground last night. Wouldn't want to spread my germs. Mei-sama, instead, would you bring Hatake-sama and his student around? I understand Uchiha-san and Hoshigaki-san struck up a friendship when you all came around."
Sensei arranges for an onsen visit, and that's the place Sasuke and Kisame-san set as their meeting place.
They take the purple haired ANBU with them, leaving Aburame-sama and her with the other, oddly enough, Cat-masked ANBU.
"Are both of you code named Cat, ANBU-san?"
"I can be addressed as Tenzo to avoid confusion," he says simply, and they both nod.
Aburame-sama understandably does not join the other two at the hot springs, and Sakura figures it works out after all.
Neko is too far to hear them speak, guarding the gate to the onsen, but another person in the bath would have been able to.
Stepping through the doors of the two-storied apartment rented for them, Sakura asks, "Aburame-sama, do you feel like there's someone else in the apartment?"
Merely as a precautionary tactic, so that if he hasn't, he sends out his kikaichu.
But she can now clearly feel, the ANBU codenamed Tenzo outside, and yet the faint trace of someone else.
Pressing her hand to her head, blinking spots out of her vision, caught off guard by the severity of the pain that suddenly assaults her.
Where is the pain coming from?!
"Is something wrong, Haruno-sama?"
She tries to think clearly, but he sounds too calm, his kikaichu clearly haven't detected anyone.
"No… I just…"
"Haruno-sama?" the slightly concerned inflection in his tone.
She stretches out her free hand, and he remarks with alarm, "You have purple spots on you, Haruno-sama."
Sakura floods herself with healing chakra, lips dry, thinking stop the pain.
He helps her to a chair and she tries to think.
Poison? Sickness? Infection?
"Haruno-sama, you've been infected by a poisonous nano-sized bug. They attack your cells on a cellular level – we must get you to a hospital at once, you won't last."
She wants to burn it, suddenly a chill that settles over her.
If it's a bug then I would kill it.
Pushing the invading bodies into her hand, and willing her chakra to trap them in, bearing the pain – willing her chakra to burn, and yet Aburame-sama deploys his kikaichu, which eat the purple mass.
"Rinkaichu, Haruno-sama. We… we have to return to Konoha where the antidote is available with my clansman. I know not how else to treat you other than command mine to overpower the poisonous ones."
She can feel her chakra being consumed as the pain dulls and then flares.
The bugs refuse to die despite her healing chakra being on the verge of harming her own cells, she bears with the pain of Aburame-sama's bugs eating at her skin.
Each time, the mass grows smaller and her skin heals up again, flawlessly but between her fevered haze she must ask him, "Where did they come from?"
She attempts the delicate extraction technique yet the insects bore holes in her chakra net.
Sakura can only cordon them off and wait for Aburame-sama's kikaichu to consume them all.
"We cannot tell when all of them are gone, they are too small for the eye to see when not numerous."
He reiterates, "We must return to Konoha."
She replies faintly, "Aburame-sama, if you do that, then we are doing exactly what the attacker wants. For Kiri and Konoha to not establish friendly relations. I would rather die than let Konoha go to war over an attempted poisoning."
He's silent for a moment, the sound of the bugs clearing off the poisoned skin and the sealing wound's hisses with near corrosive healing chakra takes the foreground.
"Why do you not accuse me of attempting to kill you?"
"Are you?"
"No. I am not, but the rinkaichu are from my clansmen. There is no other logical conclusion. Kiri does not have bugs like them native to the area."
She ignores him, trying to regain her balance.
"Few things in this world are logical, Aburame-sama. But the Aburame clan has nothing to earn by killing me, and if you were, you would not have ordered your own kikaichu to their deaths eating my poisoned skin."
She downs the cup of water he places in her hand, maybe he disapproves of her apparent recklessness.
He makes her sit down again.
"Drinking anything people give you can prove to be fatal, Haruno-sama. You must be feeling the effects of the hallucinogen the rinkaichu produce."
Don't go, she attempts to say, yet he says "I will alert Hatake-sama to our problem. Even if this is what the enemy wants, I cannot justify the death of a comrade for the sake of an empty piece of paper."
Instead, she says, "The owner of the rinkaichu is in the apartment, I can feel him, humming here, everywhere…"
The Aburame Clan Head stills.
"Can you tell me where?"
Her chains sluggishly reach out, the clan head surrounds the figure with a mass of his own insects but there is no one there.
"You were likely bugged before we left Konoha… we would have noticed someone following us the entire way if that had been the case."
She doesn't give in on it, if Sensei suspects him… if Konoha hears… then the Aburame will be isolated again…
Does Aburame-sama understand her intentions when she says, "I do not suspect you, I trust you, Konoha trusts you,"? Half delusional words and she falls into an uneasy rest.
He does.
He does and he's grateful.
He doesn't interrupt Hatake-sama's onsen visit, he keeps the rinkaichu at bay, keeping her alive.
She can't have it though. Sensei needs to cure the Yondaime, he won't go without her but she can't have Aburame-sama's eyes and ears with them.
Or can she?
We all know I won't kill Sakura like this, that would make her a martyr – Yuurei isn't that sort, not too much to worry there. No one will die, I think.
She'd die on her own kind of terms. So rinkaichu and the Aburames. Would Torune be around or not hmm, depends.
Either way here is my intention to accelerate the Root involvement in plot, and my attempt to prevent a self-created crisis around the Aburame.
I would like to write Danzo soon, maybe a write a bit of his warped reasoning to convince Torune…
Sorry :( we didn't see Tsunade this time round, and um, there's no detailed onsen scene I think a few of you were looking forward to that, but onsen scene omake could come, maybe next chapter, as an interlude?
Next month is NaNoWriMo prep, I'd love if you all would give me some prompt things as to which parts of Orochimaru's childhood you'd like to see. Full credit will be given for the prompts submitted and I will definitely keep my inbox open to anyone who'd be willing to talk out the possible ideas with me.
So next month, onsen interlude (Would you all rather Kakashi, Sasuke, Kisame or Mei's POV? All four might be too messy for a short interlude? Pick and mix! I will seriously attempt an omake, so expect a different way of writing.)
Sorry about the really long chapter, I try not to make it a habit since I know how hard it gets, reading long chapters that carry so flatly like mine.
Feedback on my rendering of Shibi please, ahh there's no one to build off, so smarter and formal Shino it is.
Review and give me ideas too!
Kayo
