.
.
Chapter 29
Aftermath
.
.
.
Naruto was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts were a mess. And Sakura's words kept resounding in his ears.
I think I saw your father.
He'd been convinced she was joking.
I'm not supposed to tell you. But he was here, with Jiraiya-sensei.
He couldn't remember anything after they'd met the two Anbu. He knew they knocked him out, and he'd awoken again some time later, with his head resting on Sakura's lap.
But his father was dead. Always had been. That much he was sure of.
Naruto checked the time and almost fell out of bed. He was late. Late for a funeral.
He jumped up and into his trousers, then made sure his hair didn't look like he'd still been asleep minutes ago before running to the cemetery.
It felt like the whole village attended the Third Hokage's funeral. An ocean full of people stood in and around the cemetery.
Naruto was convinced he'd never find his teammates.
Until he noticed that, somehow, he stood out from the rest. He stood out from everyone else.
No one had ever told Naruto that one was supposed to wear black clothes to a funeral. And how was he supposed to know? It was the first funeral he attended. So he'd shown up to the ceremony wearing his favourite outfit - an orange jacket paired with orange trousers
He couldn't have chosen a colour that would get people to stare at him more. But at least Naho, Sakura and Kakashi managed to find him fairly easily.
His two teammates laughed at him, until Naho gave him her black jacket so that he could blend in at least a bit.
The light atmosphere surrounding the three Genin soon vanished. And all throughout the ceremony, Naho was staring holes into the ground while Sakura would quietly sob.
Naruto carefully observed them.
"Kakashi-sensei, what happens after you die?" he eventually asked. It was a question he'd never really thought much about, despite all the death that was part of their life.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You'll know once you die."
"But, during the invasion…" He didn't finish the sentence, and neither did Kakashi respond in any way.
I think I saw your father.
Clearly the adults were keeping something from him. They always were. But dead people couldn't come back to life. And if they did, if his own father did, surely someone would tell him.
"Where's Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto asked instead. He hadn't seen him since they left the village to return to Konoha.
Kakashi shrugged. "I think he left to go on another mission."
Of course, Naruto thought with a good portion of spite. Just when he started to get used to the old pervy man, he vanished. Again.
Technically, they had accomplished their mission. Tsunade was back in Konoha, however that had happened. Naruto almost felt like he'd slept for a whole year instead of a few hours. Tsunade Senju was back, Konoha attacked, the Hokage dead.
Life had changed.
Naruto kept eyeing Kakashi, not paying much attention to the funeral ceremony. He was fairly sure that his teacher had some answers. Kakashi had a way of always knowing everything. And he had a way of keeping it all to himself as well.
"I haven't seen Sasuke," Sakura noted when the ceremony was over and the crowd slowly started to dissolve again.
"He probably blended perfectly into this crowd of darkness," Naruto commented. Though teasing Sasuke felt not as good as he'd thought. Somehow, he wasn't in the mood for it. And Sasuke wasn't even there to get mad at it.
"I visited him yesterday," Sakura continued. "He seemed upset. Was he close to anyone who died in the attack?"
Neither Kakashi nor Naho answered, so Naruto did. "Sasuke's not close to anyone." When he realised that there might be too much truth in the statement for it to be a joke, he added, "Well, besides us, I guess."
"Maybe he just couldn't find us," Naho said. "There are so many people here."
"But unlike Naruto, Sasuke is usually on time," Sakura returned, still all worried. "We said we'd meet at the entrance."
"Maybe you guys can pay him another visit," Kakashi suggested. "I have a few matters to attend to, so we won't be training for a few days."
The three Genin were disappointed, but no one complained. The Hokage was dead. Of course there were more important things to do than train.
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura addressed him. "What happens now?"
She kept her question vague, still her teacher knew exactly what she was asking him. And he wished he had an answer.
The Third Hokage had died without appointing a successor. And it would not take long before a new leader had to be chosen.
"Who are they?" Naruto said, pointing at two samurai that stood not far away from the cemetery. Their posture was straight and they did not move a muscle, like they were standing guard. The armour they wore clearly set them apart from everyone else in the village. It covered their whole body, even face and almost looked too heavy to move in. Yet it was prosperous at the same time, colourful, with golden laces and ornaments.
"Samurai from our daimyo. You brats better make sure to treat them with respect. They don't tolerate annoying little Genin as much as I do."
"Are they here because of the Hokage's funeral too?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi nodded, but he knew that was only part of the truth. The son of the murdered Wind daimyo, the Land of Wind's new daimyo, had not hesitated to publicly blame Konoha for the death of his father. And Konoha's Fire daimyo was anything but pleased hearing the news.
On almost every corner of Konoha's streets now stood a samurai, observing, taking note. Officially they wanted to ensure the village's safety. In reality, it was a sign of distrust towards the shinobi. Especially now that the Hokage was dead as well.
.
.
.
Danzo was walking down one of the many dim underground hallways. Sai and Yamato were quietly following him. Danzo knew Orochimaru, and he knew that he would not come back any time soon. After all, he'd attained what he wanted.
But Konoha had captured the Kazekage and his three children. Another attack from Sunagakure to free them was unlikely but not impossible.
He entered a room. His two men naturally took position left and right of the doorframe while Danzo greeted the two Yamanaka waiting for him.
One of them was his own man, Fuu. The other was the head of the Yamanaka, Inoichi.
"We've gathered most of our information from Temari and Kankuro. Their memories were fairly easy to explore while we were met with a lot of resistance from Rasa," Inoichi reported.
Danzo carefully listened. He was fairly certain he had already figured out the most important points himself, but it was always good to get confirmation from the Yamanaka after they explored the minds.
There were several memories in which Rasa told his children that Konoha had become too strong and powerful and that their own daimyo was not properly appreciating Suna's services anymore. The Fire and Wind country had long been allied, just like Konoha and Suna. But this alliance also meant that the Wind daimyo was able to hire services from Konoha, once again slowly slackening Suna's development and growth.
Danzo was fairly sure that the two children had been kept in the dark about a lot of details. The Yamanaka could not find any memories at all that explained how Orochimaru was involved in all this.
But Danzo remembered Orochimaru's words. He'd received a part of the Edo Tensei scrolls from Suna for his assistance. And it had been Orochimaru's men that disguised as Konoha Anbu and murdered the daimyo. Kakashi had killed one of them. A boy with several arms. Clearly the result of one of Orochimaru's experiments.
It all made sense. Everything except for their treatment of the Jinchuuriki. It wasn't like Orochimaru to try and kill him if there was not some sort of gain involved. So Rasa had tasked him with the attack on Gaara. But why a Kage could possibly want to hurt or even kill their strongest weapon was a mystery to Danzo.
Still, he nodded. "We'll need proof that this was all Sunagakure's scheme. Or it's going to be their word against ours."
"Actually," Inoichi continued, "The girl said that she was willing to testify against her father."
That surprised Danzo. Sunagakure had carefully created the picture that Konoha were the aggressors. And they had plenty of civilians and even nobility that were present during the tournament to prove their claim.
Rasa's daughter testifying against her own father and village almost seemed too good to be true.
So Danzo left to talk to Temari, who apparently wanted to negotiate some kind of terms. The girl was being held captive in one of their underground cells, with her brothers and father far away.
Danzo had to walk down several tunnels, until the walls changed, became rougher and the light scarcer. Konoha's underground system was vast, and no one up on the surface would ever know of all the secrets hidden deep beneath their feet.
The prison was located outside of the village, far away so that any unforeseen complications with the inmates would not hurt Konoha.
One of his root members stood guard. Danzo sent him away, then entered the cell alone. He wasn't scared of a little girl and she still had her hands tied behind her back anyway.
The cell consisted of rough stone walls and sealed metal bars. Inside stood one small bed and a wooden box with a bowl of water on top of it. The only light came from a lantern down the hallway.
The place wasn't really appropriate for the daughter of a Kage, but to Danzo, a prisoner was a prisoner and ought to be treated in accordance with their crimes, not their social status.
He closed the door to the cell behind him and moved the bowl to sit down opposite of Temari.
"I was told you have something to tell me," he said.
"I said that I wanted to speak to the Hokage," Temari replied, unaware that Konoha's leader had died.
"The Hokage has more important matters to attend to," Danzo replied bluntly. "I'm his advisor and right hand. You can speak to me or not at all."
Temari hesitated for a second before a fierce look returned to her face. "I want my brothers freed."
Danzo chuckled. "And what do you have to offer that would put you in a position to make such a demand?"
"I will clear Konoha's name."
"What makes you think Konoha's name needs to be cleared?"
Konoha had taken Temari and his brothers captive right after the tournament, outside of Konoha. She couldn't know what exactly had happened since. And she didn't know that the Fire's own daimyo indeed expected a thorough explanation.
If Danzo could not find proper proof soon, they would be forced to release the Kazekage and his children. Holding them hostage looked too much like Konoha was indeed guilty.
But Danzo wasn't going to free a man who'd plotted against his village.
"Everyone saw that your shinobi killed our daimyo," Temari said, still doing her best to sound convinced. "And then you tried to kill my brother."
"Yes, and everyone knows already that it was Sunagakure who set this up. Your words really don't offer anything new to me."
"I'm not just talking about words," Temari said, ignoring Danzo's bluff. She seemed confident enough that Konoha would be interested in her offer. And she was right. "I know where my father keeps written correspondences. I will give you the letters he exchanged with the Wind's second son. You'll have prove that he's an usurper who murdered his elder brother and father to become daimyo himself."
That did cast an invisible smile on Danzo's lips. Authentic letters and documents could hold a great amount of power.
But he wasn't going to show his interest. "Gaara is a Jinchuuriki. Highly valuable. And not only that. He's the grandson of our First Hokage and holds the onetails that rightfully belongs to Konoha. Now that Sunagakure has broken our peace treaty, it's only natural that we'd take them back."
"Gaara can't control the onetails properly. He's a bigger threat to your village than anything else."
"Is that why your father wanted him dead?" It was merely an assumption, but Temari's face told him that he'd hit the mark.
Danzo tried to take a more comfortable and natural position on the small wooden box. These sorts of conversations had been easier with Hiruzen around. He'd always had that certain air of warmth and trustworthiness around him that Danzo was clearly lagging.
"I believe Gaara will be safer here, in Konoha."
Temari did not look convinced and Danzo wasn't too sure if compassion would get him far with her. Maybe threats were more efficient.
"Especially now with this war approaching." He decided to continue bluffing.
The words showed an immediate effect.
"War?" Temari said, unsure.
"Of course. The Land of Fire has always been stronger than your country. Only the peace treaty between us has kept us from invading your lands. But you broke it. Our Fire daimyo will gladly take the opportunity to start a war with the Wind. Naturally, your village will be forced to support its daimyo. But without your Kage and tailed beast, I assume your losses would be detrimental."
"Our country is not weaker than yours," Temari threw back at him. "You only have one tailed beast left and you haven't been able to properly use that one in decades."
"The Hokage and I have experienced and survived the Three Shinobi Wars, little girl.
It was more than bold of your father to break this alliance. Foolish. Your village might have forgotten why they became our allies all the way back in the Founder's era. But we will remind you. And if there will be a war," Danzo moved his head closer to hers. His voice was no more than a cold whisper when he continued, "I'll execute your father and brother Kankuro. And I'll have you watch. Knowing you could have prevented it."
Threats crossed his lips so much more naturally after all.
Temari bit her lips. "What do you want?"
Danzo sat upright again, with an expression of stone that he had perfected over the years. No one could read him, and surely not this little girl.
"I want the alliance between our villages to remain intact."
"Why?"
"You are too young to know war, and you likely can't appreciate these peaceful times. But I've spent most of my life on the battlefield. I've fought for this peace. And I'd like to keep it." He kept studying her expression, her body language. No change went unnoticed, and Danzo was aware that he had her full attention. "Our villages breaking the peace treaty could very easily set off more conflicts with other villages. Has your father taken that into consideration before he attacked us?"
Temari didn't answer.
"I can make sure that Sunagakure isn't damaged. You will stay our allies, and you will be on the side of the Fire as we return the title of the Wind daimyo to someone who is honourable enough to hold it."
"Why are you telling all of this to me? You should go and tell your threats to my father. He's the Kazekage after all."
Danzo smiled, not really caring whether it looked friendly or creepy. "Your father is a traitor. But you asked me to come here to negotiate, didn't you? And you are the Kazekage's daughter. His firstborn."
Temari was staring back at him with a fierce expression. But Danzo could feel the insecurity, the air of overwhelming duty and responsibility that threatened to choke her.
"I will let you and Kankuro go. You will return to Sunagakure under my watch, where you will become the next Kazekage. And you will be a Kazekage who honours their alliance with Konoha and the Land of Fire. Your shinobi won't dare defy you considering your social standing and Konoha at your back. In return, you will assist us against the usurper."
Temari hesitated. This was not how she had expected this conversation to go. All she'd wanted was to buy her and her brothers' freedom with the letters her father had exchanged with the new daimyo.
And Danzo had not forgotten about those.
"What about Gaara and my father?"
"We can't let your father go, obviously. He's a traitor and opposing military leader. Neither will we give you your strongest weapon back. He will stay with us, in Konoha, where he belongs."
"But you won't hurt them?"
Danzo shook his head. "Not as long as they aren't a threat." He paused for just a moment before adding, "And not as long as Sunagakure continues to stay our allies."
He was fairly sure that he'd presented her options well. Ally with Konoha or watch her family die.
He got up, and told Temari that she could take some time to think this through.
The conversation had already provided enough information to Danzo. If there were letters proving Konoha's innocence, then he would find them.
Either with the help of the Kazekage's daughter, or without.
.
.
.
Sasuke had never been too eager to socialise. Still he would mostly tag along whenever the team decided to have dinner after training. He never asked to meet early or to walk home with Sakura or Naruto, but he also never told them off when they decided to join him. Team 7 was convinced he secretly enjoyed spending time with them, even if he'd never admit it.
His teammates had to be the ones to approach him, but if they did, Sasuke never ran. He stayed.
That changed after the tournament and the death of the Third Hokage. Sasuke never showed up to the funeral, and when his teammates went to his flat to check on him, he shortly told them that he was alright before slamming the door shut in front of their faces again.
"See, I told you," Sakura said, still standing next to Naho and Naruto in front of the closed door. "He's acting weird."
Naruto shrugged. "Sasuke's always acting weird. He's probably pissed that he didn't win the tournament."
"Naruto!" Sakura immediately started scolding him. "The tournament had to be interrupted because Suna attacked us. Don't use that day to make fun of Sasuke."
Naruto rolled his eyes at her, then knocked on Sasuke's door again. He too wanted their teammate to come out and join them. "Hey, Sasuke. Let's go have some ramen together." When the door wouldn't open, Naruto banged harder. "Come on, open up! Your team is hungry."
"Don't speak for everyone here," Sakura intervened.
"I haven't had breakfast yet," Naruto replied in his defence.
They were still standing in front of Sasuke's flat, but his door stayed closed.
"Besides, it's basically time for lunch already. Let's go and have ramen together. Sasuke can stay in his flat all day long if that's what he wants." He spoke loud enough for Sasuke to hear despite the closed door.
"I don't think I can," Naho said. "We've barely been on any missions lately because of the Chuunin exams. I have to save more."
"Don't worry," Naruto said with a bright smile on his face. "I'll pay today. Let's race to Ichiraku's!" Naruto was already jumping onto the roof of the next house before his two teammates could agree or disagree.
Sakura complained, and Naho wasn't too enthusiastic either. Still they followed him.
The three of them ran down Konoha's streets together, chased each other across the rooftops.
By the time they reached the ramen shop, all three of them were giggling. They had to remind themselves why they were wearing mostly black, and that the day was a tragic one.
"How do you even pay for all this food? Every time I see you, you are either eating complete trash from the supermarket or the biggest and most expensive ramen bowl Konoha has to offer," Sakura questioned while sitting down and glancing at the prices of the menu.
"Old grandpa Hokage always gives me money each month. It's enough to eat whatever I want." A sudden realisation hit Naruto. "Was. It always was enough. Oh no, what do I do now that the Hokage is dead? I can't pay for all this with the little money you get from D ranks!"
"I'm sure there'll be a new Hokage soon who'll pay for your ramen addiction," Sakura commented.
"Why did the Hokage give you money though? Are you related?" Naho asked, checking her own wallet to see how much money she had left to pay for the food herself after all.
Naruto shook his head and tried his best to sound nonchalant when he said, "He probably had to take care of me because I'm the Fourth Hokage's son. Maybe I shouldn't take their money anymore. I'm a shinobi now and can take care of myself."
But the conversation reminded him of Sakura's words.
I think I saw your father.
Naruto wanted to know how that could possibly be. Sakura had been just as clueless as him though, and the best explanation she'd been able to give was that someone might have used some sort of illusion jutsu. Which would mean it hadn't been his father after all.
The savoury smell of hot broth reached Naruto's nose and blew those thoughts away. And it really didn't matter, Naruto decided. His father didn't matter. What mattered was his teammates. Now that the Chuunin exams were over, he could finally spend more time with all of them again.
They'd go back to being a squad. The four of them, and their teacher.
"Hey, why don't we have that party now that Kakashi-sensei has given us some days off?" Naruto remembered the conversation he'd had with Sakura, after the second round of the exams.
He'd been looking forward to it ever since.
"A party?" Naho asked.
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Sakura and I decided we should have a pyjama party some time. Sakura-chan even promised she'd cook for us!"
"Hey, I never said that," Sakura complained. "I said I'd teach you some recipes. I'm not your mom cooking for you. Besides, don't talk about parties when the Hokage has just been buried. What will people think if they hear you?"
They continued discussing the pyjama party anyway - when, where, what food.
And all that was left to do was to convince Sasuke.
.
.
.
"Not interested," was the first thing Sasuke mumbled when Naruto told him about their plans the next day.
They'd found him on one of the training grounds. Sasuke usually spent most of his time there, even when team 7 had the day off.
Naruto kept trying to convince him, which seemed to annoy Sasuke even more than it usually did.
"Did you guys come here to train or are you just goofing around? Because I'm busy getting stronger," he eventually asked, eyes switching from Naruto to Sakura and back.
Naho wasn't sure whether she was imagining it, but he never looked at her. Not once.
"Let's spar a bit," Sakura suggested, even though they hadn't planned on actually training. But she hoped that it would improve Sasuke's mood, which certainly was in need of improving.
Sasuke was quick to choose Naruto as his partner, and before they even decided what kind of exercise they wanted to do, Sasuke was already throwing his fists at him.
Naruto complained about the sudden start, but did not hesitate to return each punch and kick.
Sakura and Naho only watched, unsure if this was truly a spar or an actual brawl.
The tension between the two boys rose fast. There was no coordination in their movements, no rules. And soon it was a mere battle of who was hitting harder, who was quicker, who could do more damage.
"I think you guys are taking it too far," Sakura told them when Naruto used his Shadow Clone jutsu to keep up with Sasuke.
But the two girls had long gone invisible.
Sasuke was the first to get the upper hand. One punch connected with Naruto's cheek, then another. A kick followed, sending Naruto flying until he was stopped by a tree.
Sasuke formed signs. Sakura ran at him, yelled at him to stop. He pushed her back before continuing the sequence.
The sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the training ground as Sasuke charged at Naruto, his left hand engulfed in blue lightning.
His hand stopped only inches away from Naruto's face. Slowly the lightning disappeared.
"I thought you were supposed to be a Jinchuuriki. How are you so weak?"
Sasuke straightened himself, turned away from Naruto and the others. Starting to walk away from them, he added, "You are all weak."
Naruto jumped up and threw himself at Sasuke's back. The two boys continued fighting.
"Stop it!" Sakura yelled at them again.
Naho watched as Sakura forced herself between them, trying her best to keep them separated. Only when Sakura called at her to help did Naho approach.
She gripped Sasuke's arm. It was the first thing she managed to get a hold of.
"Don't touch me!" he immediately snapped at Naho before pulling away from her.
But it was enough for him to keep off Naruto. He turned away from him. From all of them.
Sasuke walked off.
"The hell is wrong with that guy!" Naruto yelled after him.
Sakura and Naho were confused, concerned. Naruto was angry.
None of them knew what had gotten into Sasuke. But they could tell that something was wrong. Something about him had changed.
Sakura exchanged a short glance with Naho, then hurried after Sasuke while Naho stayed with Naruto.
Naho couldn't shake off the feeling that this was somehow her fault, that Sasuke was angry with her. But she couldn't tell why.
.
.
.
The next day, Naho went to the training ground early in the morning. She wanted to see Sasuke, find out whether this sudden anger had anything to do with her.
Sasuke was practising his kunai skills when she arrived. He'd jump into the air, throw several of them into different directions before changing their trajectory with a second round of kunai.
Naho watched for a moment before approaching.
"Good morning," she said in a friendly tone, still hoping that it had all only been her imagination.
She liked to believe that the Forest of Death had brought them closer together. They'd been a team there, and as horrifying as the experience had turned out for her, they had survived it together.
Naho felt calm whenever she was close to Sasuke, even now that he was ignoring her.
"Have I upset you?"
She'd always felt that Sasuke didn't like her much. It didn't help that he had attacked her before the Chuunin exams, called her weak. She could still remember every word of their conversation.
And yet she really wanted him to like her. She wanted them to be close. Not only because they were teammates. But because there was a strange feeling that was drawing her towards him.
"Just tell me," she tried again. "You can't keep ignoring me. We are a team."
"I'm not ignoring you," he returned. "I'm busy. And I simply don't want to talk to you."
He collected the kunai he'd thrown, his eyes never meeting hers.
Her gaze dropped. She had already turned away from him, ready to leave, when Naho stopped and faced him once more.
"What have I done wrong?" She wanted to know. She had to know.
He picked up the last blade. Then he turned towards her after all. "You want me to be honest?"
Naho looked into his dark eyes. She expected them to be cold, indifferent. But they weren't. They were filled with sadness and pain.
"I hate that you are a part of my life. I detest your presence, despise it. Having you close to me all the time, it's… wrong. It feels wrong."
Naho carefully listened to every word he threw at her. They were a lot harsher than she had anticipated. And suddenly, she regretted meeting him after all.
"I just want to get our first Genin year over with," Sasuke continued. "So that I don't have to spend any more time with you. So really, just leave me alone."
He jumped up a tree and ran off. Naho let him.
.
.
.
Jiraiya had missed the Third Hokage's funeral by the time he returned to Konoha. He didn't really mind. After all, such funerals were just public events. Whether he attended or not would not change the fact that his former teacher had passed. The Third Hokage now lived in another realm. He now walked among all those other people that had given their life to protect the village.
Jiraiya had learned not to care. Or at least he'd learned not to show it. But he did care about the living. And one - hopefully living - person he had to find. And yet his efforts had proven vain. He searched all around Konoha, in each village and town nearby.
He wanted this ghost of his past back. Even after all these years, he still wanted her back.
Danzo was standing in front of the main gate, several of their shinobi stood neatly in line, waiting for orders. There were alarmingly many. Jiraiya met them when returning to the village.
"Danzo, what are you doing?" he asked.
Next to Danzo stood both Temari and Kankuro. The girl was holding onto her father's hat. The hat of the Kazekage.
"I'm deploying a squad," the hand of the Hokage answered dryly.
Kurenai, Asuma and Genma were waiting for inspection, together with many other Jounin. A good portion of the squad consisted of Root members.
Jiraiya took Danzo aside, making sure no one else would overhear their conversation.
"These are some of our best men," Jiraiya noted. "What are you plotting?"
"Your tone is quite demanding," Danzo calmly returned. "As long as no new Hokage is chosen, I represent the Third's word and will. So these are my men, and I can deploy them how I see fit."
"You think the daimyo will appreciate you deploying a whole squad on some secret mission with the Kazekage's kids? He's already suspicious enough of us as it is."
Once more, Danzo's expression was like never-changing stone, and so was his voice when he said, "You know as well as I do that in times like these, you have to act, not sit around and wait."
With those words, Danzo returned to his shinobi. Jiraiya stepped next to him. He didn't intervene, just watched as Torune, the squad leader, continued with the preparations to leave.
"At least tell me where you are sending them."
"To Sunagakure," Danzo calmly replied. "To seize control of the village."
Jiraiya was surprised, negatively, but he didn't show it. He simply stood there, and in a low voice that only Danzo could hear said, "I may not have the authority to stop you from invading another country, but the daimyo does. And I doubt you have cleared this with him."
Danzo nodded at Torune, then watched his men leave for Sunagakure.
"The daimyo will thank me eventually."
.
.
.
Once more, Sasuke was interrupted during his training. But to his surprise, this time it was neither Naruto nor Naho or Sakura. It was Neji.
The boy approached him in the evening, when the light of the sun slowly started to vanish, and the sound of birds chirping was replaced with the songs of crickets.
Neji looked around, checking that no one would be close-by to listen.
"Sasuke Uchiha," he greeted him, voice cold.
Sasuke had no idea why Neji Hyuuga would stop to speak to him. And neither was he interested in speaking to him. Though that changed the second Neji continued. It was a single word, a single name, that instantly drew all of Sasuke's attention.
"Orochimaru." Neji carefully observed his reaction to the name. "You know him, right?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
The Third Hokage had made it clear that everything that had happened in the Forest of Death was considered top secret. And Sasuke knew better than to mess with top secret information.
Neji considered for a moment. They were both technically strangers, never talked much. And this conversation was too secret and important to be having with a stranger.
Carefully he continued, "He approached me during the exams. And he implied that you two knew each other. He said that you… are invited to join his village."
Neji still had Sasuke's whole attention. Because the young Uchiha was burning to know more about this mysterious Sannin. After all, Orochimaru had talked to him about Itachi.
And there was nothing Sasuke wanted more in life than to kill his older brother.
"Are you here to chat with me about Orochimaru or what exactly is it that you want me to say?"
Neji again hesitated. "Are you planning on leaving Konoha to join him?"
Sasuke snorted, slightly amused that this Hyuuga would openly ask him if he would commit treason. But then the question crossed his mind why Neji would ask him this. Because surely he wasn't worried about him. They were strangers after all. And if he was worried about Sasuke defecting, he would talk to the Hokage, or his teacher, or any other superior.
"Why," Sasuke returned. "Are you thinking about joining him?"
"Answer my question," Neji said.
"I don't." Even if he did, Sasuke surely wouldn't admit it in the middle of Konoha's training ground. His eyes scanned the trees around them, wondering if anyone was nearby.
Neji noticed. "Don't worry. I checked to make sure we are alone."
"Listen, I don't know what you want from me. I don't know Orochimaru, nor do I plan on leaving Konoha. I don't even know where this village of his is supposed to be."
"He gave me a map," Neji told him. "He gave me a map with the village marked."
Sasuke looked into his eyes. They both tried to read each other's minds.
An unspoken question was floating in the air around them.
Are we leaving Konoha behind to go to Orochimaru together?