Chapter 38. The House Always Wins
"Life is a game. Unfortunately, the game is rigged."
|Karin|
"Joō-sama," I grabbed her right shoulder as I called her name, "You have to eat something."
"I can't…" She shook her head as she wept, "I just can't…"
A familiar set of footsteps could be heard from down the hall and when the door to the room creaked open, I didn't have to turn around to know who had arrived.
"Try." I pled, sparing Pain a quick glance as he came around the bed and sat beside her, "Please?"
Pain nodded his head reassuringly before picking up a piece of flame-broiled fish from the breakfast tray and holding it up to her lips. The two of us watched as Konan chewed the piece of meat before swallowing, but before Pain could move to lift another piece, Konan's cheeks puffed up and she turned to the side.
I raised the garbage pail to her mouth just in time for her to empty her stomach contents, which was really just gastric acid considering how she still hadn't eaten.
"…Gomennasai." Konan apologized as Pain rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back, "Hontōni, gomennasai."
"Daijōbu." Pain told her, pulling a napkin from his suit pocket and wiping the corners of her mouth, "Misaki and I are just worried about you."
There was a knock on the door behind us and I turned to find Kisame in the doorway.
Kisame nodded in acknowledgement of me before facing Pain, "Boss, they've arrived."
With a heavy sigh, Pain stood up and cupped Konan's chin, "I have some business to attend to, but I'll be back soon. In the meanwhile, Misaki will keep you company."
"Of course." I assured Pain, and he shot me an appreciative smile before heading towards the door.
Kisame flashed me that toothy grin of his before the two left the room and I returned my attention to a sniffling Konan.
"Joō-sama, maybe you should take a bath." I suggested as she wiped under her eyes, "A nice warm dip might help to settle your stomach."
"It won't." Konan dissented with a shaky voice, but nonetheless she took my outstretched hand and I helped her to her feet.
I made sure she was steady before we made our way to the bathroom and once we were inside, I ran the tap and let the tub fill up. As it did, I mixed in some essential oils and Epsom salt while she undressed and once the tub was a bit over halfway full, I shut the water off and helped her in.
Despite how determined she was to be miserable, Konan couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief as she sank into the mixture. I smiled but said nothing as she leaned her head back, and it was as I brought out a towel from the inner bathroom closet that she spoke.
"It's my fault that Deidara's dead." Konan mourned in a low voice, throwing an arm over her eyes, "If I had told Nagato back then that I loved him, that we didn't need Yahiko…if I could just tell him now then none of these missions—"
"Joō-sama, you can't blame yourself." I immediately tried to dissuade her from that line of thinking, setting the towel down on the counter, "Deidara-san wouldn't either. He knew the risks that came with working for Akatsuki. What happened to him wasn't your fault."
She chuckled pathetically, "You have a kind heart, Misaki-san. And a good mind. If I was more like you, maybe my life would be better."
"Don't be so sure about that." I murmured to the side as I took a seat on her toilet.
Removing her arm from her eyes, Konan turned to me and I moved to apologize.
"Gomennasai," I said as I quickly shook my hands, "You're sick to your stomach, yet here I am complaining about…gomennasai."
"No, don't be sorry." She told me as she laid her arms on the side of the tub, resting her head on top of them as she looked at me, "You're always so composed around me. It's…a welcomed change to hear you speak of your troubles."
I shook my head, "I wouldn't want to impose."
"You wouldn't be." Konan assured me, her voice softening, "Talk to me, Misaki-san. Please. I need something else to think about."
The concern in her voice combined with the genuine look of interest in her eyes was enough to spur me on, and I sucked in a deep breath before speaking.
"Suigetsu asked me to leave Toshiaki-kun. He said that…that he would treat me better. That he actually cares about me."
The water in the tub sloshed around as Konan repositioned herself, "And what did you say?"
"I declined." I shook my head, "To me, Toshiaki-kun is…I love him. Even if he doesn't love me."
"…He does love you, you know." Konan informed me after a moment's pause.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the familiarity of her words, "Now I see how it feels when the shoe is on the other foot."
"I'm not just saying that to uplift you." She pressed on, reaching out for me, "I…I tried to tempt Toshiaki-kun when I first met him. He was cold and he had a serious demeanor, so I thought…anyway, it didn't work. And that day in Pain's office, when I was wearing the black lingerie; Pain had called him there to—to hook us up but Toshiaki-kun refused because of you. He loves you, Misaki-san."
"I don't know what's going on between the two of you right now," She continued, "And I know better than to offer relationship advice, but as an outsider looking in, I've never seen a couple so blatantly in love. You two were meant for each other."
Her words prompted me to recall the various times Sasuke had professed his love for me. At first, the recollections were pleasant, and my heart fluttered at the peaceful memories, but then I remembered how he'd tried to manipulate me.
Sure, he'd profusely apologized for it and had been trying to do right by me ever since, but I couldn't just forget. Sasuke was emotionally crippled, and I wasn't completely confident in my own disposition. To say that he and I were meant for each other was ironic, to say the least.
"Go to him." Konan encouraged with a wave of her hand, and I blinked as I came out of my thoughts, "Tell him how you feel, I know you'll get through to him."
"But Pain said I should—"
She unplugged the tub's drain before standing up and grabbing the folded towel from the counter, "Don't worry about Pain, I'll deal with him. What you need to do is speak to your husband. Don't…don't make the same mistakes I did, Misaki-san. Tell him everything, no matter how ludicrous it may seem."
I bit my lip, "I can't just—"
"That's an order." Her voice hardened with a tone of superiority and for a moment, I feared I had angered her, but the soft look in her grey eyes told me otherwise, "Now go."
With a quick bow of my head, I left her alone in the bathroom. As I passed back through the bedroom and reached the door that would lead to the hallway, I looked back and wondered if it was really alright for me to leave. Konan seemed to be doing better thanks to the bath, but I knew all too well how depressive thoughts could creep up when one was left alone.
I turned around to head back into the bathroom and tell Konan that I wasn't leaving her side, but the rattling of the bathroom doorknob surprised me into standing still.
"If you're still here by the time I'm done dressing up, I'm really going to get angry." Konan said, as if she knew for sure that I was on the other side, "I'll be fine. Might shed a few tears but that's it. I won't…I won't harm myself if that's what you're worried about."
That hadn't been my primary concern, but the reminder of her fragile mental state made the option to leave even less enticing. Konan had long since freed herself from whatever treatment Orochimaru had done to her, of which she had still not told me about; so it was safe to say that I couldn't exactly be sure of her resolve to live.
"Joō-sama, I don't want you to—"
"Do it for my sake." She interrupted, "Lay your heart out for him and listen to his response, then come back and tell me the whole thing. It'll keep the both of us occupied."
I sighed internally before deciding to follow her instructions and find Sasuke. After all, Konan was a grown woman; I couldn't babysit her all the time and according to her words to me, I didn't have to.
Once I'd exited Pain's suite, I opted to take the stairs rather than the elevator, and as I slowly descended the numerous steps, I went over the talk Suigetsu and I had yesterday.
"I never thought I'd see you again, Karin." Suigetsu said after we'd been out on the road for a minute.
My body went rigid as I quickly processed what he'd said but before I could turn to him with lies and excuses, he continued.
"When I started putting things together, I was in denial. I told myself it was impossible. There was no way we'd somehow come face-to-face after twenty years apart." He chuckled uncannily, "But then I found out you applied for a three-month vacation with Sasuke and my mind was blown."
Suigetsu refused to look at me as he spoke, and his left hand continued tapping the steering wheel with an unmatchable rhythm. I forced my eyes to the window and realized that our surrounding scenery was unfamiliar to me. I could've sworn he'd taken a left as we left the compound, which would've led us to Konoha, but I now saw that the road we were on was highly uninhabited.
"I told Jūgo and he didn't seem shocked, so I figured you must've talked to him already but he said that there was a day you had yelled at him like you used to in high school, so deep down he'd always known." Suigetsu whistled before glancing at me, "Leave it to Jūgo to keep silent about something like that, eh?"
Although my heart was thumping beyond my control, I gathered my wits enough to speak, "Is that why you brought me out here? To taunt me about my identity before killing me?"
"Killing you?" He pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road and put it in park before turning to me, "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. I don't want to hurt you."
"What do you want?" I questioned as the tension my body was under began to manifest.
"I want to take care of you, Karin." He brushed his hand against my cheek before swiping his thumb under my eyelid, and it was then that I realized I was crying, "I want to protect you."
Pushing his hand down, I scrubbed my eyes with my arm, "I don't—"
"Need protection, or help, I know." He finished for me, "I'm not saying you do but I—I loved you, Karin. Memories of those few weeks in the summer of sophomore year were all that kept me going some nights. I always hoped that I'd…that I'd make something of myself and come back to you. I wasn't sure if you'd accept me or not but—"
"Wait." I cut him off with a raised hand, "You brought me out here because you wanted to confess your love to me?"
Suigetsu frowned, "It wasn't my intention to—no, no that's not why we're here. I said I loved you, past tense. It's been twenty years, of course I've moved on."
"Just like I said before, Suigetsu; what do you want?" I questioned as I crossed my arms.
As he swiped a frustrated hand through his hair, déjà vu ripped through me as I was reminded of us being in a similar situation all those years ago. Just like now, we had been in his car and he'd been in the driver's seat trying to explain something to me but I had been unable to understand. I had been crying back then too, and even though I argued with him, he remained adamant that whatever he was saying was right.
That was the last day I saw him or Jūgo. Afterward they had skipped town, unwilling to face judgement for the crime they'd committed.
Shaking my head, I forced my focus back to the discussion at hand and drummed my fingers on my arm.
"…I may not love you like I did back then, but I do care about you." Suigetsu finally said after taking some time to think, "Why do you think you're out here talking to me instead of getting sliced up by Hidan? I don't want anything to happen to you, Karin."
"Gee, thanks." I scoffed, "I'm glad you had the decency not to turn me over to your sadistic friend."
It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since I'd dropped my persona, and I was already falling back into my old pattern of speech with him. If this went on any longer, I wasn't confident I'd be able to ever act differently around Suigetsu again, and his immediate attunement to my familiarity didn't help.
"Cut the shit." He hissed, "I'm no genius but I managed to find out who you really are. How long do you think it'll take before someone who pays attention figures it out?"
I rolled my eyes, "What do you want me and Sasuke-kun to do? Leave? Abandon our mission halfway so you and your criminal cronies can pack up and disappear into thin air?"
"Yes! Well, no." Suigetsu corrected himself before shaking his head, "I don't give a rat's ass about Sasuke, okay? All I care about is you."
That stumped me, and Suigetsu took my silence as a chance to lay out whatever he'd been thinking.
"I want you to leave Sasuke and join us. Well, really me and Jūgo but you get the point. Orochimaru may not look friendly but he's the only person I'd ever work under besides Sasori in terms of agreeableness. He rarely asks us to do anything and when he does give us a task, it's usually something small that takes an hour, tops. I think you'd—"
"You're kidding right?" I cut him off with an incredulous stare, "There's no way you actually think I'll join you."
"Why not?" He questioned, "Can you honestly say there's something tying you to Konoha?"
"I'm a detective who—"
"Can easily be replaced." He waved his hand as he dismissed any counter I might've thought up, "Face it, Karin, you have no one. No siblings, no lover, no children, no friends—you're alone. Assuming you and Sasuke were to call it right now, he'd go back to his lovely wife and daughter, and you'd go back to an empty apartment."
I turned away before mumbling, "Things between Sasuke-kun and his wife are…strained. They're probably gonna get a divorce when this is all over, and it'll really hurt him."
"So, what? You're gonna stay by his side and play support?" Suigetsu sneered in disbelief, "You think you can save him? *No one can save us but ourselves, remember? We all have to walk our own path."
"I know." I snapped as I rubbed my forehead, "And you're the last person that should be quoting Buddha to me."
His hand on my knee urged me to look at him and I could see his face was tightened with concern, "Just think about it, Karin. You and I never adjusted to Konoha, and I can tell just by talking to you that you still haven't settled in. With them you have to put on a face and act a certain way, but you wouldn't have to do that around me and Jūgo."
I pursed my lips, "That's—"
"Join us." Suigetsu insisted with a lowered, more pleading voice, "With the three of us together, it'll be just like old times."
Instead of answering him, I removed his hand from my leg and returned my gaze to the window. With a sigh, Suigetsu put the car in drive and made a U-turn, taking us back the way we'd come.
"You don't have to give me an answer right away." Suigetsu said after a few minutes of driving, "Just…think about it."
The door to the first-floor staircase slammed open, jolting me out of my remembrance and I looked up to see a surprised Kisame.
"Mi-chan!" He greeted me with a grin before tilting his head, "Aren't you supposed to be by Konan's side?"
"She sent me away, told me to go look for Toshiaki-kun." I explained as I reached the final step, stopping right in front of him, "Have you seen him?"
Kisame shook his head, "No, I haven't. Ren might've though. He was in the mess hall when I last saw him."
I thanked Kisame before slipping past him and out onto the floor. While the first floor was usually open, today it was significantly packed with faces I didn't recognize. For the most part, they were dressed in business casual, but I quickly noticed that every single one of them had the Otsutsuki clan symbol pinned somewhere on their attire.
I tried not to stare as I made my way to the mess hall, figuring that this was related to Kisame's earlier message to Pain about some people having arrived.
Ren was sitting at one of the back tables lazily picking at his food, and I decided to pick his brain rather than immediately question him about Sasuke's whereabouts.
"Everything okay?" I asked as I slid into the seat across from him.
He glanced up from his plate before sparing a quick nod, "Fine."
Noting that he had purposefully separated his greens from the rest of his meal, I pointed at them before ruffling his hair, "Is eating broccoli that depressing?"
"No." His lips twitched as he fought off a smile, "It's just…Toshiaki-sensei and I got into a fight yesterday and I—I don't know how to apologize."
This was news to me, so I perked up and tried to get some more details, "What was the fight about?"
"Well…" His eyes swiftly jumped from my own to his plate, "Misaki-san, do you…do you know how my sister died? I mean, how she really died?"
I swallowed hard as my mouth became devoid of any moisture, "Sh-She died from an overdose, didn't she?"
Ren shook his head and it took everything I had just to stay grounded, "Toshiaki-sense told me the truth."
'No, that's impossible.' I reasoned as I watched Ren unhappily twirl his fork, 'Sasuke-kun wouldn't tell him that he killed his sister, there's just no way.'
"What exactly did he say?" I questioned, wanting to make sure I wouldn't ruin whatever story Sasuke had told him.
"He said that Nee-san owed some bad guys something she couldn't repay so they sent a tall man with white hair to kill her." He held his hands together under his chin, "Sensei said that the man was…"
Ren's eyes widened as he trailed off and I realized he was reacting to something behind me so I turned around and followed his gaze only to find Kashin Koji approaching us. He lifted a hand in greeting, and I returned the gesture with a nod as he sat down beside me.
"So your group is the one that Pain is speaking to?" I questioned as he shuffled around.
Koji nodded, "The meeting's still going on but the discussion's turned more into numbers and theories rather than something practical, and I'm not too fond of those."
I chuckled as I tried to imagine Koji speaking about advanced mathematics or the like.
"Young man, are you okay?" Koji directed this question at a silent Ren and I turned to him, "You don't look so good."
Ren waved a hand as he stood up, "No, yeah, I'm fine."
"Ren?" I called his name in concern as he stumbled to his feet.
"I'll be fine." He said in a firmer voice, "Just gonna go upstairs and lay down for a bit."
"Okay…" I watched as he came around the table and went up and out of the mess hall.
Once he turned the corner and was out of sight, Koji propped his head up with his elbow, "Did you tell him something about me? He seemed fine when I was afar but once I got close, his complexion dropped."
"No, no, I didn't…" I trailed off as I recalled Ren's words, 'They sent a tall man with white hair.'
'Tall man. White hair.' I looked over Koji again, "Buddha be merciful."
"What? What is it?" Koji urged me to tell him but I shook my head.
"Nothing, Ren just…mistook you for someone else." I awkwardly brushed the question aside, "I'll clear things up with him later."
Koji hummed and nodded, and I cited hunger as a reason for me to leave the table.
I went to the front and absentmindedly looked over the menu before picking the lunch special.
'Oh, Sasuke-kun…' I held my arms tightly, 'Where are you?'
*The complete quote from Buddha is "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
|Sasuke|
"Gomennasai," Takayama apologized, "I-I know I never should've kissed that girl but she confessed to me first so I thought—"
I interrupted his pitiful excuse with a forceful shove and tapped the trunk of the car, signaling for Suigetsu to open it. We waited two seconds before it made a clicking sound as it unlocked, and when it opened my eyes flew to the bloodied chainsaw right in front of us.
'When did that get there?' I wondered as my eyebrows furrowed together, but before I could voice my confusion aloud, Takayama reacted.
"Is—Is that for me?" His eyes bulged out of his head as he stepped back, a bead of sweat running down the side, "NO, PLEASE, NO!"
His sudden increase in volume startled me and I quickly swiped my head around in search of any witness before trying to calm him down, "This isn't for you so shut up!"
"I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING!" He wailed, struggling against the bonds I'd tied around him, "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"
My attempts at pacifying him were failing and I knew that if things continued this way, sooner or later someone would spot us. Just as I considered using violence as a means to quiet him, he shut up mid-tirade and fell forward. I barely caught him and turned to find Suigetsu holding a fist-sized rock in his hand.
"Guy sure can scream." Suigetsu mused as he tossed the rock into the back.
I said nothing as I laid Takayama down and folded him into the trunk before pulling it shut. Suigetsu returned to the driver's seat, and I joined him up front. With a nod, I assured him that we were good to go, and he started up the car and pulled us out onto the road.
"…Did you put that chainsaw back there?" I questioned once we were a few minutes into the drive.
Suigetsu chuckled, "Yep. Wish I could've seen the color leave his face."
"You think it's funny scaring people like that?" I wondered, not understanding the humor in such psychological torment.
Suigetsu looked at me, "Yeah, I do. I don't know what you're getting your panties in a twist for. The guy's a pedo, right? A little prank like this is nothing compared to what he deserves."
"Still—"
"Hahh," He sighed and shook his head, "Some things never change, ne?"
I crossed my arms, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what you think." He sneered, "You always find something to complain about when it comes to me. You were like that in high school, and it looks like you're still like that now. What is it about me that makes you so uptight?"
"I am not uptight." I replied, denying his claim, "And you were the only one I complained about because you gave me reasons to complain. Jūgo and Karin never did anything stupid."
Suigetsu clicked his tongue, "Me enjoying myself isn't stupid. I know you try to live your life devoid of any fun, but you don't have to impose your lifestyle on others. Not everyone wants to be a shriveled-up ball of gloom."
Unsure of how to respond, I kept quiet and he added, "Karin wouldn't like that either."
I snorted at this, "As if you know what Karin wants."
"I know her better than you." He stated confidently and I had to laugh.
"Really? You think you know her more than me despite the fact that we've worked together for years?"
"That doesn't mean shit." Suigetsu spat, "I bet if I asked you, you couldn't even tell me Karin's favorite color. At least I—"
"You left." I cut him off with the undeniable truth, "The summer of 1998, you stabbed an old man half to death—"
"It was an accident."
"—And rather than receive appropriate punishment for your crime, you left." I finished before laying a mean glare on him, "Do you know how devastated Karin was? At first she tried to hide her feelings by saying she didn't care, but I knew better. You were her friend, our friend and you left without so much as a goodbye! Without a second thought!"
"I did think about it." Suigetsu whispered, and I noted how his fingers tightened around the steering wheel, "For the first two years every second, every hour, every day was spent thinking about you guys? 'Did the police come? Did they ask you guys questions? Are you guys doing okay?' I didn't just forget about you guys! I couldn't! I—!"
He coughed harshly as he choked on his words, and I resisted the urge to pat him on the back. Lifting a fist to his mouth, he cleared his throat and spared me a heartbroken look.
"When I was a kid, I swore to myself that as long as I didn't turn out like my brother, I would be okay. Heh, turns out I became him." Suigetsu laughed pitifully and my heart ached in empathy, "The old man came down to the kitchen with a bat and he was calling me all kinds of names, telling me I was stupid to have broken into his house…he was right, of course but I…I don't know, something came over me. He was yelling and the knife block was there so I just…"
He cut himself off as his breath hitched so I waited for him to compose himself before he continued.
"Jūgo was the one who…who stopped me." He swallowed hard as he went on, "He said I was smiling when found me, but I don't remember that. All I remember is him saying that we needed to leave, so I dropped the knife and we ran out to the car, but Sasuke, you have to believe me; I would never—since then I haven't killed anyone."
I nodded and answered him in a gentle voice, "I believe you."
He switched the trafficator on as he moved over one lane, and after making the change, silence overtook us.
"I asked Karin to join me and Jūgo." His voice was barely audible but I managed to understand every word he said, "She'll be happy with us, I'll make sure of it. There's nothing in Konoha for her."
Rather than foolishly say she had me, I moved on, "Why are you telling me?"
"So that the day you decide to leave and you don't find her, you'll know she made her choice."
Tapping my fingers on the armrest, I looked at him, "Aren't you afraid I'll warn her against going with you?"
"If you really care about Karin the way I do, you won't do that." Suigetsu stated, "I already pled my case to her and told her to think about it. At the end of the day, it's her choice. If she chooses to go with you, I'll respect it. I just hope you'll do the same if she decides to go with me."
Knowing I couldn't promise him anything, I kept quiet and we didn't speak for the remainder of the ride.
|An Hour Later|
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Kabuto wondered aloud as he poked Takayama's cheek.
"Of course we didn't." I answered as Takayama stirred at the touch, "You said you need a live sacrifice."
"Just making sure." Kabuto relented as he cut Takayama's bonds loose before strapping him down to the gurney underneath him.
Once Kabuto was sure Takayama was secured, he nodded in recognition of a job well done, and I watched him wheel Takayama out of the room and down the hall. I stepped out to follow him with my eyes but the sound of heavier footsteps behind me prompted me to turn around.
I found Jūgo approaching me and he only stopped when there was about a meter of space left. The two of us stared at each other and it occurred to me that aside from yesterday night's quick chat agreeing to keep things business as usual, we hadn't spoken.
"Jūgo." I called his name in greeting, "Gomen, I was never one for—"
I cut myself off as he took another step forward and placed a heavy but warm hand on my shoulder.
"You look well." He complimented me with a subtle nod, "I know things haven't been easy for you."
At that moment, I felt the overwhelming urge to cry but I fought it off by hanging my head and taking a deep breath. Suigetsu had been quick to say that I hadn't changed, but the same could be said for Jūgo. He was a gentle giant and a man of few words but when he did speak, he always seemed to hit right in the heart.
"…Aa." I finally said as I pulled myself together, "It's been tough, but I'm sure you've been through your fair share of troubles as well."
"I can't say that I have." He shrugged, "But we'll have to catch up another time. Karin has been looking for you."
At the mention of Karin, my nerves jumped, "Did she tell you why?"
Jūgo shook his head, "No, but she said it was something urgent. That was over two hours ago though, so perhaps the situation resolved itself."
I thanked Jūgo for the heads up before making my way over to the elevator and leaving the lab. When the doors opened on the ground floor, I stepped out and bumped into someone.
"Toshiaki, you have the best timing." Jigen met me with a short laugh, "I'd like you to meet my son Kawaki."
Jigen stepped aside to reveal a young man that couldn't have been more than eighteen. He had a short black mullet with shaven blonde sides and the roman numeral nine tattooed under his left eye, as well as a pair of hoop piercings over his right eyebrow.
Although I knew better than to judge a book by its cover, my gut instinct told me that he was trouble, and the tight-lipped expression that currently graced his face wasn't helping.
"Nice to meet you." I said as I extended a hand, and Kawaki shook it firmly.
"The pleasure is all mine." Kawaki replied with a smooth voice, and I couldn't help but notice how Jigen's lips curved into a smile, "My father has spoken very highly of you."
"I'm grateful for the praise." I courteously nodded to Jigen as we dropped each other's hands, "What brings you two to Akatsuki headquarters?"
Jigen clasped a firm hand on Kawaki's shoulder, "It's time my son learns how the family business operates. Otsutsuki Industries has officially taken the shabu business off Akatsuki's hands. From now on, any major expansions regarding the drug are going to be overseen by my heir here."
For a split second, Kawaki's eyes widened but he glanced at me before returning his face to a neutral state.
'This must be news to him.' I figured as Jigen patted his back.
"We've settled all our business today but I didn't want to leave without thanking you." Jigen told me as he tilted his head to the side, "I heard how City Hall's bombing job led to the death of one of your comrades. I'm terribly sorry about that but I'm glad to see you're on your feet. You were injured by the blast as well, correct?"
I could only nod as the explosive scene flashed through my mind, 'Deidara…'
"I'm eternally grateful to you," Jigen bowed respectfully, "With most of my enemies gone, I can confidently say that anything you ask of me, I will do. I swear it as the head of the Otsutsuki clan."
I quickly waved my hand and urged him to straighten up, "I'll be sure to remember that."
Jigen nodded before nudging Kawaki that they would be leaving. Kawaki spared me a brief wave before turning and following his father, and I watched the two as they walked away.
I let out a quick sigh, thankful that our talk had concluded but when I turned towards the stairwell, I was stopped by someone calling my name. Doing my best not to let my annoyance show on my face, I turned towards the voice and found an impassioned Kakuzu coming toward me.
"Do you have a moment?" Kakuzu questioned.
He placed a hand on my arm, letting me know that it wasn't so much of an inquiry as it was a request, so I nodded as he motioned for me to follow him.
"What is it?" I asked him once we were outside.
Shaking his head, Kakuzu led us to the gardens, and I found Amado waiting in the rose beds.
"Fujikage Toshiaki." Amado pulled a cigarette from his pocket as we approached, "Or should I say Uchiha Sasuke?"
My heart stopped but before I could speak, I felt Kakuzu place a hand on my shoulder and turned to look him in the eyes.
"Gomen." He apologized with a tilt of his head as something sharp pricked the side of my neck, "This isn't personal."
As I turned back to Amado, I watched him light the cigarette and lift it to his lips.
"Why are you…?" My words trailed off as I lost feeling of my tongue, and I found myself slumping forward.
Kakuzu extended his arm, preventing me from falling flat on my face, and I had no choice but to rely on him for support in order to keep standing.
Amado didn't respond to my incomplete question, instead opting to take a long drag from his cigarette before turning to Kakuzu, "Think you can manage him?"
"Of course." Kakuzu chuckled, turning me around and placing an arm around my shoulder, "But are you sure you didn't underdose him? He can still stand on his own two feet."
"That's fine. I don't want him completely inebriated." Amado clarified as the three of us began the walk back to the main building, "He needs to be somewhat consciousness for the next part."
"And what's the next part?"
"I told you, didn't I? Orochimaru and I are going to…"
Despite being awake and having unaffected hearing, my cognitive functions began to fail. Everything that they were discussing was going in one ear and out the other. Associates gave me concerned looks as we passed by, but I could tell from Kakuzu's droning that he was telling them I was in good hands or something along those lines.
Once we got into the elevator, Kakuzu entered the correct button sequence before lowering his eye to the retinal scanner, and we began our descent into Orochimaru's lab.
After a series of turns and twists took us further than I'd ever dared to venture, we came to a wide room with a large white, pod-shaped tank. Orochimaru sat beside it and it was then that I noticed there were all sorts of medical readers and monitors waiting for input.
"Gomen ne, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru hiss laughed as he stood up, "Amado told me a very interesting theory about the Uchiha clan. As a scientist, I have to verify it."
Unable to speak or shake my head in protest, Orochimaru came closer and took my chin in his hand, lifting my face up, "Now, shall we begin?"
|Sarada|
I watched as Inojin's "friends" gathered their things before heading for the door, and while I managed to maintain a mainly neutral expression, when Chino pressed a kiss to Inojin's cheek before telling him to text her, my eye twitched.
Like a lovesick puppy, Inojin followed her to the door and the two hugged for what I thought was an unnecessary amount of time before repeating their goodbyes. Even though the door had been shut, I waited until I was sure they were a considerable distance away before I spoke.
"You've gotta be kidding me." I crossed my arms as I turned to him.
"…What are you trying to say, Sarada?" Inojin sighed before making his way toward the kitchen.
I followed him, "Those were the friends you've been telling Aunty and Uncle about? The ones that are supposedly making you feel better?"
"They are making me feel better." He insisted as he opened the fridge, bringing out a jug of unopened lemonade.
"By bringing drugs to your house and getting you to indulge with them."
"They brought weed and alcohol," Inojin scoffed as he grabbed a cup from the cupboard above the sink, "Those aren't really drugs."
"Sure." I pursed my lips, "Is that what you tell yourself?"
He poured himself a bit of the lemonade before turning to face, "It's chill stuff, Sarada. Would you rather I be using shabu? Drenched in sweat, high out of my mind, too wired to think?"
At the mention of shabu, I recalled the time I'd witnessed him on it and how he had looked, how he'd been acting. I lost all anger or drive to criticize him for his current decisions.
'It's my fault he used it in the first place.' I reasoned, 'I have no right to tell him that other drugs are bad, especially after the deal I made today.'
"Hey." He put a hand on my shoulder, "Me and shabu, it wasn't your fault. I chose to take it that first time and every time after that. But since I met Chino-san and the guys, I haven't taken it once, and I don't think I'll ever take it again."
Although his words were meant to relieve me, something about them didn't add up, so I went over them again in my mind. It took me three run-throughs before I noticed the discrepancy and I looked up at him.
"That night at Chōchō's, you told me that you hadn't taken shabu in a while because of Uncle, but you hadn't met your new friends yet." I laid out the basis for my confusion, "You…you took shabu again? Even after everything?"
His silence made my stomach curl, but I had to know, "Why?"
"I went to your house one day after getting into a fight with Tou-san, but you weren't there." He swallowed hard, "When I called your phone to find out where you were, Mitsuki picked up and he told me you were in the shower. I…I pictured something I didn't want to and I was already pissed so it just made me angrier. I wanted to—I needed to feel better, so I went and got some shabu from the usual spot."
"I didn't use it right then and there. I went home first, after some…some stuff happened. Then Tou-san came into the room and tried to apologize. I was ready to forgive him on account that he told me the truth about the raid on the Akuta." Inojin shook his head and laughed uncannily, "But he looked me in my eyes and lied. I told him I forgave him anyways and he left but that—that was it. He's my dad and he didn't have the decency to tell me what really happened. I…took some shabu after that."
"Oh, Inojin…" I took his hand in mine and he didn't resist, instead interlacing our fingers and looking me square in the face.
"I drew you while I was high." He whispered, "It's probably the best piece I've ever made."
The intensity of his gaze prevented me from speaking as well as looking away. After a solid moment however, he released my hand and turned back to his cup of lemonade that sat by the sink.
As he lifted the cup to his lips, I cleared my throat, "If you truly feel like those friends are good for you, then I'm happy for you. Really."
"Arigato." He shot me a smile as he drank the last bits of juice, "But enough about me. Did Mitsuki take you to court or something?"
When I looked down at my business attire, I could see why he would make such a joke.
"No." I shook my head and sighed, "I wish. He actually introduced me to some people but, uh, he and I are—"
Inojin's phone rang in the living room, and he motioned that he was heading over there to answer it. I nodded and followed him out of the kitchen, and I leaned against the living room doorway as he picked up the phone.
"Hello?" He asked as he lifted it to his ear, "Oh, Chino-san! Did you make it back home already?"
My face fell flat at Chino's name, but I forced myself to smile when Inojin's eyes flicked up to me. He raised one of his hands apologetically and I took that to mean we would talk later. I silently reminded Inojin to open the windows and let out the weed smell, and he nodded before turning back to his conversation.
With a silent sigh, I left him in the living room and climbed the stairs to the guest room. After removing my jewelry, I collapsed in the unfamiliar bed and thought about the horrible news I'd received the morning after my sleepover in the Uchiha Compound, and how it had led to me staying with the Yamanakas.
As it turned out, I hadn't managed to wake up early enough for Uncle Itachi to drop me off, but when I considered how nobody woke me up, I took that to mean that my sluggishness wasn't such a problem. The smell of fried eggs and bacon wafted into my nose, and I followed the scent into the kitchen where Aunt Izumi and I had made dango in.
I noted Aunt Izumi had her back turned to me as she slaved over the stove, but I was more surprised to see Uncle Obito sitting at the chabudai. I didn't let his unexpected presence stop me from creeping up on the two of them, and I jumped on Uncle Obito just as Aunt Izumi turned around.
"Ohaiyo, Obito-ojisan!" I greeted him warmly, wrapping my arms tightly around his shoulders.
"Ohaiyo, Sarada-chan." Uncle Obito returned the greeting before turning around, "Did you sleep well?"
I quickly nodded, "A little too well. Gomen, Izumi-oba; Itachi-oji was supposed to take me home, right?"
To my shock, Aunt Izumi's eyes filled with tears as she nodded and Obito stood up, "Izumi…" He called her name gently.
"Gomennasai, I—I can't." Aunt Izumi apologized as she looked away from me and turned off the stove, "Tell her, Obito-niisan…"
Aunt Izumi left the kitchen with that ambiguous statement hanging in the air and I turned to Uncle Obito for answers, "Is something wrong?"
Uncle Obito got on one knee and took my left hand in his, and I was reminded of a similar memory from my childhood. Not wanting to be distracted, I shook my head and focused on him.
"Your mother isn't well, Sarada." Uncle Obito began tenderly, running his thumb over the back of my hand, "She's had mental issues since…since she was born. She was at her worst after your brother's death, but we thought she had gotten better since then."
My stomach dropped but I forced myself to speak, "What happened to here?"
Uncle Obito shut his eyes, "She…hurt herself, Sarada. Really badly. When I found her, she was barely alive. I don't even think—"
"Where is Mama?" I cut him off as tears welled up in my eyes, "Is she alive?"
"Of course. I took her to an acquaintance of mine; he runs an intensive care clinic in Otogakure." Uncle Obito held my cheeks in his hand, "He's gonna do everything in his power to save her, okay? I promise you, he will save her."
Although I didn't fully understand what he was saying, I nodded, and he kissed my forehead before standing up and pulling me into a hug. He patted my back as I sobbed into his chest, and I continued to express my sorrow even when a new set of footsteps came up behind me. An unknown hand touched my shoulder and gently tugged as a request for me to turn around.
I obliged and tearily found myself face to face with Aunt Ino. Her face conveyed the same grief I felt in my heart, and she held out her arms, urging me to come to her. I buried my face in her neck as my tears started up again.
"I know." She whispered, kissing the side of my head, "I know."
With Mama hospitalized indefinitely, Aunt Ino became my de facto guardian. Aunt Izumi had looked a bit hurt and seemed like she wanted to protest when we set out to leave, but Uncle Obito placed a firm hand on her shoulder before waving the two of us off, so that was the end of it.
Aunt Ino had us stop by the house so I could grab a suitcase full of clothes as well as a few things I would need to make myself comfortable, but she assured me that if I ever felt like I needed anything else, I could tell her or Uncle Sai and they'd happily accompany me to pick it up. I thanked her for her support but told her that I was pretty much set, and for the most part it was true. For the past three days, I couldn't really say that I was lacking anything.
Besides, recently Uncle Sai and Aunt Ino had been spending more time away from home. They always left together early in the morning and came back late at night. It didn't really bother me, moreso that it intrigued me but when I asked Inojin about it, he made it apparent that he didn't really care about what his parents were up to. I decided to copy his attitude and leave the adults to their own devices.
My phone vibrated in my handbag, reminding me of its location, and I brought it out to see what had caused the notification. Sure enough, on the lock screen was a text from an unknown number.
Hey, it's Kawaki.
Sitting up, I bit my thumb as I mulled over what to say, and eventually, I just settled on a casual response, Hi. How's it going?
Just to be clear, this is Sarada, right?
I chuckled, Yes, it's me lol
Lol, just making sure. Anyways, my dad is putting me in charge of shabu which means we'll be working together
Oh. I bit my lip, Congrats?
I guess. Maybe this is better tho. Means you won't have to deal with his evil eye. 👀
I laughed at his emoji selection and "Haha'd" the message, Guess I'll just have to deal with yours.
True ️ But yeah, he wants us to get started as soon as possible. I told him we'll have a quick meeting on Friday, then next Monday we'll officially start.
Sounds good. I replied, Wait, isn't Friday your birthday?
I don't celebrate it.
Maybe I was looking too deep into his texts, but I felt as though the amicable mood between us had changed, Hm Okay, well, see you on Friday.
Yeah.
I backed out of our conversation and went to set my phone down when I considered one of the things Kawaki and I had talked about during our introduction this morning.
'It's now or never.' I reasoned as I tapped on Boruto's contact and dialed his number.
The phone rang once, twice, three times before going to voicemail, and I tried not to hang my head.
'He's probably busy.' I thought to myself as I hung up.
I jumped as my phone rang in my hand and when I looked at the caller ID, my breath hitched as I recognized Boruto's name. After clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I answered. It was silent on the other end except for his shallow breathing, so I realized I would have to speak first.
"Boruto?" I called his name, uncertainty slipping into my voice due to the strange start of the call.
"…Yeah." He answered after a moment, his tone begrudging.
'He's mad at me.' I chewed my lip, 'Of course he is.'
I'd walked out on him that night because I felt guilty and fearful. Guilty for having ruined Boruto's promise to only be with his crush, and fearful that Mitsuki was right, that I was way too easy, too gullible around men. My own insecurities had caused me to distance myself from my best friend who was no doubt confused and hurt by my reaction, and I had ignored all his attempts to contact me.
Yeah, mad was an understatement.
"Can we talk?" I tried after a hard swallow, "Please? I…I want to apologize.
He sighed, "If it's about that night then—"
"No. Well, it is but that's not all. I—" I cut myself off as I thought about what Kawaki had said, "I need to see you."
"…I'm in room 302 in Konoha hospital." He told me, and I got up to change into something more casual, "Visiting hours end at 8 p.m."
"Okay." I nodded, although I knew he couldn't see me, "I'll see you soon."
"Aa." He hung up and I tossed my phone onto the bed before heading over to the closet.
I selected a black graphic tee and some jeans as my visiting outfit, but just as I started to shimmy out of my pants, a knock at my door startled me.
"Don't come in!" I hurriedly squeaked as I pulled my pants back on.
"Uh, okay." Inojin called through the door, "Just wanted to let you know that I'm heading out to meet Chino-san at this internet café."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the name, 'Chino-san, Chino-san, Chino-san. She's all he ever talks about.'
"Alright, be safe!" I forced myself to sound supportive as I answered him.
"I will." He assured me before his footsteps indicated he had left, and I sighed.
I really had no reason to dislike this Chino girl. After all, the two of us had yet to officially meet, and from the affection she showed Inojin, I wanted to believe that she generally cared for him. But something about her rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me, but while the two of them had been hugging, for a split second I saw this smug look on her face. When I blinked it was gone but something about it had felt so…malicious, so real, I just couldn't get over it.
'Focus.' I slapped my cheeks together as I changed into my new outfit, 'Make up with Boruto, then worry about Inojin.'
I wore a pair of silver earrings and hooked my Uchiha necklace around my neck before stepping into my crocs. When I was sure I looked somewhat decent and had everything I needed, I left the house and began walking down the street. Boruto and I had been through too much to end our relationship over something like this. Hopefully, this talk would set things right.
|3rd Person|
After having put Sasuke in a docile state to transport him to Orochimaru's lab, Kakuzu had thought he'd be free of whatever scheme the scientist had concocted, at least in this regard, so how had he ended up back in the lab hours later? Kakuzu didn't know. He was, however, intrigued by the sight before him.
A seemingly unconscious Sasuke lay in the pod with numerous wires and pads hooked up to his body, and Kakuzu assumed he was floating in water although it was much too blue to be sure. Besides the pod were screens and monitors measuring one thing or the other that Kakuzu couldn't truly be bothered to care about, but he did manage to notice a red line on two of the screens. Whatever those screens were supposed to reflect, it looked like Sasuke had yet to show a trace of it.
"I thought you said you weren't interested in what we were doing." Kakuzu turned to Amado at the sound of his voice.
Kakuzu shrugged, "Nothing going on upstairs, figured I'd come down here to kill time. Mind telling me what you and the snake are trying to accomplish?"
Amado took a seat in the chair in front of the screens before turning some knobs and pushing some buttons, and the cover of the pod slowly lifted as Sasuke stirred to life.
"Those of the Uchiha clan are subject to powerful emotions." Amado began, standing up and heading over to the pod, "Should they witness a tragic event involving someone they love, they experience a severe chemical imbalance, the likes of which are only seen in those who suffer a psychotic break."
"Dopamine and cortisol levels shoot through the roof, and in some instances, the affected Uchiha is known to be frozen by the development. Uchiha Madara wrote about this phenomenon in his journal. He himself claimed to have experienced it after the death of his younger brother Izuna. He reported headaches, eye pain, gut-wrenching stomach aches, and the occasional case of haemolacria: shedding tears of blood." Amado went on, "But when these pains finally subsided, Madara stated that he felt as if he'd 'broken a barrier' within himself. If one were to believe his writings, he essentially evolved."
Kakuzu blinked after the lengthy explanation and took a moment to process all that he'd heard. When he'd managed to compartmentalize the key pieces, he spoke.
"I'm still not sure about what the two of you are trying to do." Kakuzu admitted, "You want to force the same thing on Sasuke? And then what? He won't thank you for this."
Amado chuckled as he brought a cigarette out of a pack, "Are you familiar with the name Shimura Danzō?"
"Of course. In the criminal underworld, is there anyone who wouldn't know him?"
"Fair enough" Amado conceded, lifting a lit cigarette to his lips, "Although, few people know of his exploits. His true exploits. If you think of me and Orochimaru as unconventional scientists, then you should consider Danzō as inhumane. The things he dabbled in, what he did to members of his ROOT unit…it's remarkable how much of a heart he lacked in order to see the completion of so many operations, but the one I was particularly interested in was Project Blackbird."
"The fabled mind-control experiment." Kakuzu nodded knowingly, "It was real?"
"Beyond real. Former ROOT members still react to his secret command." Amado informed him, "They become violent, volatile, and are subject to intense mood swings as well as bouts of anxiety. However, were this phrase to have come from Danzō, it's rumored that they would turn into cold-hearted assassins, volunteering any form of information and carrying out whatever task he'd given them without question."
Kakuzu snapped his head up in realization, "You're going to turn Sasuke into a super soldier."
"Heh, something like that." Amado admitted, blowing out a line of smoke, "If we can link Sasuke's breakthrough to a specific phrase and then program him to do certain things through the said phrase, we'll essentially have an undetectable sleeper agent."
"This is crazy." Kakuzu shook his head, "How close are you to achieving it?"
"To tell you the truth, Sasuke should've reached his limit hours ago." Amado sighed, "According to Madara's notes, all his readings signify that he's in the perfect state for a meltdown, yet he shows no sign of going into one. Orochimaru believes it's because we're missing the natural component: a hurt loved one, so he went to retrieve that."
Kakuzu wondered to himself who Orochimaru would bring, and as fate would have it, he didn't have to guess for long. As if on cue, the door to the room slid open and Orochimaru and Sakura stepped inside. The first thing Kakuzu noted was that Sakura looked pretty well for an undead woman. A little too well, if he was being honest.
Sakura spared the two other men a glance for a few seconds at most before noticing Sasuke, and immediately she went over to him.
"Oh Kami, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura murmured as she lifted his left hand out of the water, squeezing it tightly, "What have they done to you?"
Orochimaru gave a nod to Amado, and he subtly pressed a small green button on the console. Kakuzu watched as Sasuke's eyes sluggishly fluttered open, and Sakura noted the faraway look in her husband's eyes, despite their normal dark color.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called his name hesitantly, unsure of how conscious he really was.
"…Sakura?" He questioned after a moment as if he had just recognized her voice, "Sakura, I'm here. I'm here, Sakura. I love you. Please don't cry."
"I'm sorry I didn't protect you…" Sasuke tightened his hand in hers, "Everything that happened to you, Kosuke's death…it was all my fault. I should just die; you and Sarada will be better off without me."
Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she shook her head, "No, no, no, don't say that. Please, Sasuke-kun…!"
"Gomennasai, Sakura." He apologized quietly as his gaze fell to the tears streaming down her cheeks, "All I do is make you cry…"
At once, the previous two screens that Kakuzu had noted early on lit up, and Orochimaru gleefully exclaimed, "He's breaking through! Amado! Move on to the next step!"
Amado took a seat at the monitors and tweaked a few knobs, causing an electrical shock to run throughout the pod, zapping both Sasuke and Sakura. In surprise, Sakura released his hand and jumped back from the pod, but she was prevented from moving any further by the look of absolute agony on Sasuke's face.
"Stop it!" She wheeled on Orochimaru, grabbing his collar, "You're hurting him!"
Orochimaru looked to Kakuzu for help but when Kakuzu made no motion to move, he offered him pay, "500,000 ryo."
Kakuzu was by Orochimaru's side in a flash, removing Sakura's hands from the pale man and giving her a shake of his head, "Sorry about this, Miss. Just know it isn't personal."
A loud groan of pain turned the three's attention back to Sasuke and Amado swiped a few things away on the left screen before nodding to Orochimaru, "If you're going to program him, now's the time to do it."
Orochimaru came to Sasuke's side and lowered his mouth to the Uchiha's ear, "Sasuke-kun, you are a true avenger. When you hear this phrase, you will search the scene for me or an underling of mine and do whatever we command."
"No…" Sakura's lip trembled before she yelled, "Wake up, Sasuke-kun! Don't listen to them!"
"Kakuzu, remove her from the room." Amado ordered.
Kakuzu gave Orochimaru an expectant look and Orochimaru waved his hand, a silent agreement to pay Kakuzu for his obeyance of this command. With that settled, Kakuzu grabbed Sakura by the wrist and began dragging her to the door.
"Let go of me!" Sakura cried, struggling to escape Kakuzu's grasp, "Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun, please wake up! Please!"
Kakuzu forced the pink-haired woman out into the hall before sliding the door shut behind them, and Amado and Orochimaru returned to their experiment.
"You are a true avenger." Orochimaru repeated, "You will do as commanded without question, without hesitation, and without distraction. You prioritize your mission above all, but you must not die. Should you somehow lose sight of your goal and fall from grace, you will have no recollection of any of your previous deeds. You are a true avenger."
Orochimaru looked at Amado, "Would you like a clause?"
Amado shook his head as he took another puff of his cigarette, "I've already got my own super soldier, so to speak."
"Well then, that's it." Orochimaru clapped his hands, "How do we know it's worked?"
"Only one way to find out." Amado said, pressing a button that resumed the shocks on Sasuke, "Sorry about this, Uchiha-san."
|At Otsutsuki Heights|
Toneri flexed his fingers as Jigen murmured some instructions into Kawaki's ear. When Jigen was finished, he handed Kawaki a stack of papers before patting him on the back and urging him out of his office.
"I'm counting on you." Jigen reminded Kawaki as the door shut on him. He turned to Toneri, "How can I help you?"
"You had Naruto killed." Toneri stated and when Jigen nodded, Toneri tightened his hands into fists, "Why?"
"It doesn't concern you. Besides, I thought you'd be pleased by his death. The only obstacle of your desire was snuffed out; Hinata should be devoted to you now, no?"
Toneri shook his head, "It's the opposite. Now that Naruto's dead, he's all Hinata can think about. She's filled with regret about their last encounter; at least if he was alive, I could distract her, ask for her attention without feeling guilty. But he was her husband and the father of her children, what kind of monster would I be if I didn't let her grieve?"
Jigen wanted to say something in response to that question, but the look on Toneri's face told him his opinion wouldn't be appreciated, so he moved past it, "Well, what's done is done. What do you want from me?"
"An excuse." Toneri straightened up, "I need something to tell Hinata so she doesn't think that the family she married into houses psychopaths who murder people on a whim."
"…Is that what you think I did?" Jigen asked Toneri in a low voice that sent shivers down the white-haired man's back, "You think I had Naruto killed out of impulse?"
"No, no, I didn't say that I just—"
"I killed him because he disrespected me." Jigen stood up, "He disrespected me, our clan, everything I—everything we've worked for, and if I had let him go unscathed, everything would've come crumbling down."
"How?" Toneri couldn't mask his bewilderment at the suggestion that Naruto's stubbornness could lead to such a future, "He was only trying to keep Kawaki from leaving against his own will. Was that really so wrong?"
"Kawaki is my son!" Jigen roared, slamming his fist down on his desk, "And one day he will take my place as head of the Otsutsuki clan! I would not have him wasting his prime years playing house with some fire chief from a no-name clan."
Toneri swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, Jigen went on, sparing him from having to come up with an immediate response.
"You know I'm a very methodical man, Toneri." Jigen sighed as he fell back into his seat, "There are millions of orphaned children roaming the streets of Japan. Do you really think I adopted Kawaki and Code by pure chance? They're…different. Especially Kawaki. He has the ability to take over the world but he needs the right guidance. Is it so wrong for a father to want the best for his son?"
Toneri shook his head as he recalled his own father's last words, urging him to live for himself, "It's not wrong at all."
"Arigato." Jigen gave Toneri a small smile before lifting a hand to his forehead, "Tell Hinata whatever you have to in order to calm her down. If that means making me out to be a villain in her eyes, then so be it. Just don't let her get out of hand. It would be a shame if something were to happen to her, don't you think?"
At this threat, Toneri felt a hard lump grow in the middle of his throat. Despite this discomfort, he managed to nod his head and Jigen nodded after him.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to look over." Jigen motioned towards the door and Toneri stood up.
"Have a quiet evening, Jigen-ojisama." Toneri bid him farewell before standing up and leaving his office.
Toneri made sure the door clicked shut before turning around, and that's when he bumped into a not-so-subtle eavesdropping Kawaki. Kawaki's grey eyes shined as he stepped back, fearing that Toneri would turn around and report his meddlesome behavior. Instead, Toneri raised a finger to his lips before motioning for Kawaki to head down the hallway and into the open living room.
Deepa stepped out of the kitchen just as the two passed by the door, and the sound of plates crashing to the ground and a frustrated female cry followed right after, causing Toneri to raise an eyebrow.
"The Akatsuki guy Delta hooked up with died in the explosion." Deepa shrugged before smirking, "Apparently he was more to her than a good lay."
Kawaki shook his head before turning to Toneri completely, "Toneri-*oji, can I talk to you?"
"Of course." Toneri answered, glad for a chance to change subjects, "What is it?"
"Well, it's kinda…private." Kawaki said after rubbing the back of his neck, "Mind if we go outside?"
Toneri nodded, "Lead the way."
Garou respectfully bowed his head toward Toneri before giving Kawaki a quick scowl, but the teen paid him no mind as the two left the building. It was when they were out on the sidewalk that Kawaki launched into a longwinded tale about everything he'd witnessed and everyone he'd spoken to, but the boy made sure to omit anything concerning Naruto's revival.
"Hm, so Sarada will be visiting Boruto tonight?" Toneri questioned once Kawaki had finished speaking.
"Aa. If I understood her intentions, she'll want to speak to him alone." Kawaki informed his uncle before crossing his arms, "I don't know if Hinata-san will be onboard with that though."
"Don't worry, I can arrange that." Toneri clasped a hand on Kawaki's shoulder, giving him a small smile, "But why are you going so far from him? From what I heard went down at the hospital, Boruto isn't too fond of you right now."
Kawaki's eyes reflected the current sadness in his heart as he nodded, "It's my fault that Nanadaime died so it makes sense that he's not exactly thrilled about me. But Boruto's got a good heart, and Sarada does too. The least I can do is help them get together."
"You're not a bad person, Kawaki." Toneri ruffled the teen's hair before stepping back, "Don't let anyone try and tell you different, okay?"
"Okay." Kawaki chuckled as Toneri brought out his car keys, "Drive safely, Oji."
"Aa, I will." Toneri assured him before heading for the building's private parking lot.
Kawaki waved once Toneri reappeared in his blue luxury car and didn't stop waving until the foreign vehicle was out of sight. Once it was, Kawaki dropped his hand and bit his lip. He felt a bit bad about keeping things from Toneri, but if what he'd heard in the office was true, then Kawaki wasn't too sure about where Toneri's loyalties lay.
From the looks of things, Toneri hadn't expected Naruto to be killed, and he also seemed to be a fan of allowing Kawaki to make his own decisions, something Jigen was against; still, Toneri loved Hinata who still had lingering affections for Naruto. Even if they were divorced, when Kawaki considered the Otsutsuki track record when it came to obtaining something they wanted, he couldn't count a time when they'd ever approached it peacefully. Who was to say that Toneri was truly bothered by Naruto's death? And if he found out that Naruto was to be brought back, how would he react?
Kawaki shook his head as he tried not to think of the worst-case scenario. With a heavy sigh, he returned to the building, this time opting to return Garou's glare before calling for the elevator. Once it had arrived, he stepped inside and placed a hand on his head. If Jigen promised to keep up his end of the deal, then Kawaki would do the same.
He had to; for Nanadaime's sake.
*Oji means uncle, not to be confused with Ojii or Jii which is typically used for grandfathers and men in that age range
|The Lab|
"Remarkable." Pain murmured, "Orochimaru, you've outdone yourself."
"You're too kind." Orochimaru bowed as Pain continued to circle Sakura, "I simply managed to stumble across a working method; as you can see, there are no drawbacks."
"Amazing." Pain tilted Sakura's chin up and looked her in the eyes, "And you, Sakura-san? How do you feel?"
"I…I feel fine." Sakura answered hesitantly, and Pain released her, turning to Orochimaru for an explanation.
"She's afraid." Orochimaru answered Pain's silent inquiry, "She wants to know what we plan to do with her."
Pain placed a hand over his heart, "I'm leaving you in Orochimaru's care for any follow-up inspections he might have, but once he confirms that you're in tiptop shape, you'll be freed. You have my word."
Those words should've been enough to placate Sakura's worries but knowing that there were things Orochimaru was involved in that Pain had no knowledge of made her doubt the likelihood of his promise being kept. Orochimaru cast Sakura a cautionary glare as a heavy pause hung in the air and she moved to ease the tension.
"Why are you doing this?" Sakura questioned, changing the subject, "Taking random people and experimenting on them? Messing with the natural order of life and death? What is it all for?"
Pain smoothed his hair back before sharing a tired smile with her, "When I was younger, I lost someone very important to me, someone that I couldn't live without, so I devoted my life to bringing them back. Haven't you lost someone that you would give anything to see again?"
Sakura lowered her gaze as her mind went to Kosuke, and Pain nodded.
"I apologize if your stay here has been…uncomfortable." He offered as he straightened up, "But you'll only have to endure this for another week, at most. I can offer you financial compensation if it'll make things easier. Just state your price and it will be done."
She shook her head, "That won't be necessary. All I want is to go home to my family."
"I see." Pain nodded before heading for the door, "Well, whenever you get there, give Sarada my regards."
Her face turned pale at the mention of Sarada, but Pain left the room before she could look any deeper into the statement.
"He doesn't mean anything by it." Orochimaru said once he noticed the distressed look on Sakura's face, "To the best of his knowledge, Sarada is my son's girlfriend. Or at least, she was; according to Mitsuki, Sarada broke up with him this morning, a change I'll be sure to fill him in on later.
Sakura held a hand to her head, "Sarada's been dating Mitsuki this whole time and she never ran into Sasuke-kun?"
"She didn't." Orochimaru assured Sakura as she took a seat on her bed, "Sasuke-kun made sure not to reveal himself whenever Sarada was around, and while he wasn't pleased about their relationship, as you've probably surmised, he's undercover. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to overlook it. He overlooked many things."
Sakura looked around the monotone-colored room and thought to herself for a moment, "And you? What's your motive? You're still obeying Pain's orders but you haven't blown Sasuke-kun's cover. Why?"
Orochimaru chuckled, "The simple answer would be that I like Sasuke-kun. He's an Uchiha, which was always interested me, but beyond that, there's something about him—I guess you could call it his charm—it makes me want to watch over him, see what he'll do, the choices he'll make."
"I don't understand." Sakura shook her head.
"That's fine by me." He shrugged his shoulders as he made his way towards the door, "After all, the only reason you're here is because your biggest regret has something to do with him, ne?"
She pursed her lips and kept quiet, and Orochimaru sighed.
"It isn't my intention to meddle with the affairs of a married couple," He told her on his way out, "So trust me when I say that Sasuke-kun won't hear a thing from me. If there's anything he needs to know, he'll hear it from your mouth."
He dimmed the lights before shutting the door and Sakura hugged her legs close to her chest, "That's the problem…"
|Konoha Hospital|
It had been fifteen minutes since Sarada had arrived at the hospital, and yet less than ten words had been exchanged between her and Boruto. Other than greetings and the age-old question "how are you?" the two had yet to say anything else to each other.
Toneri checked his watch; the time read 7:47 p.m. Visiting hours would soon be over and Sarada would end up leaving without making any progress. Recalling his talk with Kawaki, Toneri cleared his throat and stood up.
"Hinata, my legs are feeling kind of stiff, would you mind joining me on a walk?"
Hinata looked at Boruto and pressed a hand to his forehead, "I don't know. Boruto's—"
"A big kid." Toneri interrupted, offering the blond a small smile, "Sixteen-years-old to be exact. If he needs anything, he'll call us, right?"
Boruto nodded his head, "Aa, I will."
"See?" Toneri turned his head to Hinata, placing a hand on her shoulder and urging her up, "Besides, it's just a quick walk around the building. We'll be back before you know it."
Hinata looked Toneri in his eyes and the two had a silent conversation before she shut her eyes and relented, "Okay. Boruto, please don't hesitate to call us."
"I won't." He assured his mother with a light smile, "Have a nice walk."
Toneri slipped his arm around Hinata's waist and after she spared him one last concerned look, the two adults shut the door, leaving the two teenagers alone in the room. Sarada took a deep breath before sitting on the edge of Boruto's bed, and when she turned to him, he had his arms crossed with an expectant look.
"…Well?" He finally asked after another moment of silence.
Sarada couldn't help but chuckle at his expression. She had seen that same annoyed look on his face in previous situations not half as serious, and it rid her of the current anxiety she was feeling.
"You think this is funny?" Boruto huffed, brushing his hair back with his hand.
Sarada shook her head, "No, no. I just realized that I…I really do…"
She let her words trail off as she gave him an unguarded glance and Boruto uncrossed his arms, a sign that Sarada hoped meant he understood what she was trying to convey.
"I'm gonna need you to listen for a bit." She told him as she scooted closer, placing a hand over his, "And when I'm done…well, you can give me your answer then."
Boruto nodded and Sarada shut her eyes, a sense of dread overcoming her as she realized all she was about to reveal to him. He was her best friend and she had told him about many personal things before, but this time it felt different. What if these details were too much, too strange? Would he reject her before she even got them out?
Before her mind could descend down the rabbit hole of perceived dismissal, Boruto squeezed her hand and she looked up.
"Talk to me." He urged her with another small squeeze, and she nodded.
"For as long as I can remember, Papa's been busy." Sarada began, "I got that he was a police officer in a big city and crime never sleeps and blah, blah, blah, but him not being around hurt me in ways I didn't realize. At first, it was little stuff like him not coming to my third-grade play or sleeping through Father-Daughter Day, but it got deeper than that. I started doubting myself, my self-worth, wondering if there was something wrong with me and that's why he didn't wanna be around me."
"He's my dad and I know he loves me but he never showed it." She swallowed hard before continuing, "He never complimented me or told me I did a good job. That's why when I—when Mitsuki and I first met and he told me I had a pretty name and that he wanted to be around me I…I latched onto that, I guess. He treated me nicely and went out of his way to make my day but I realized that I didn't really love him. Not like I should have, anyway. I was really confused so I—I ended up hooking up with Inojin."
Boruto's eyes widened but he remained silent, and it was a good thing he did because she went on to explain, "I mean, I almost did. It was Mama's birthday and everyone else was downstairs. He told me he loved me and I did too, but not in that way. But I wasn't sure if—ugh, I couldn't tell the difference so I kissed him back, but I couldn't go all the way with him because something inside me knew that it wasn't right. And that night with you, when we…I ran away because I thought I'd made the same mistake."
"We've known each other since we were little, Boruto. Our parents are best friends, and we were pretty much destined to get to know each other, so I figured that us clicking was just a side effect of that, but after taking some time to think about it, I don't think that's the case." Sarada curled her fingers nervously as she looked at him, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you. I'm not sure if this love is romantic or platonic but I want it to be romantic. I know you said you have a crush who's probably miles better than me and not so unsure of herself, but I just wanted to get this off my chest. I'm sorry to inconvenience you with this confession, and I understand that you'll have to reject me but—"
Boruto tugged her close to him and before she knew it, his lips were on hers and he was wrapping his arms around her waist. At first, Sarada was stunned by the sudden move and couldn't believe it was actually happening, but after blinking a few times and seeing that things hadn't changed, she fed into the kiss. She shut her eyes in relief and tilted her head to the side, placing her hands on his chest as she sighed into his mouth.
After a swipe of his tongue across her teeth sent a shiver down her back, Boruto pulled away, leaving Sarada to chase after him.
"Sarada, you idiot." He murmured as he pressed their foreheads together, "You are the girl I'm crushing on, ya know. All this time I…I've always wanted you."
It took her a minute to process what he'd said and even when it registered in her mind, she couldn't believe it, "…What?"
Before he could say it again, a knock came at the door.
"Boruto-san, visiting hours are over!" A nurse called from the other side, "Are you okay?"
"J-Just a minute!" Boruto called back before looking down at Sarada and whispering, "Get behind me."
Boruto lay on his side facing the door and pulled the covers over both of them. Sarada understood what he was going for and pressed herself as close to him as possible, hoping that it wouldn't look too obvious. Once she was done shuffling, Boruto took that as a sign that she was ready.
"Okay, you can come in now!" He yelled and Sarada heard the room door slide open.
"Everything alright in here?" The nurse questioned him as she approached.
He nodded, "Aa, everything's fine. Ka-san and Toneri-san went for a walk a while ago. They should be back any minute now."
"That's good." The nurse nodded her head as she collected his dinner tray.
As she piled the plates and utensils together, she noticed a pair of white crocs halfway under the bed. They were considerably smaller than the shoes Boruto had been brought in with, and the nurse couldn't imagine that they belonged to Hinata or Toneri, which only left one other option. Looking at him again, she could see that his face was slightly red and that the covers were stretched a bit too wide for one person.
With a shake of her head and a smile to herself, she turned and went towards the door.
"Oyasumi, Boruto-san." The nurse wished him goodnight before dimming the lights and shutting the door.
Once Boruto was sure the coast was clear, he pulled down the covers and turned around to find a tomato-faced Sarada. He quickly clapped his hands over his mouth to prevent from bursting out laughing and Sarada pinched his nose.
"It's not funny." She hissed as she sat up beside him, "I thought I was going to suffocate down there."
"Warui, warui." Boruto chuckled before pressing a kiss to her cheek, "But I didn't want them to kick you out. After all, it's not every day I get the chance to have a nighttime visit from my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Sarada repeated, turning red again although this time for another reason, "You mean you really…?"
Boruto nodded, "I love you, Sarada. I loved you when were kids and I love you now. I'll always love you if you'll let me."
"Baka Boruto," Sarada threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with a smile on her face, "Of course I will. I love you too."