"This Changes Everything" - by Ichigo-chan
Chapter Five: Connection
******
Ichigo: Do I EVER post when I say I'm gonna?
Sakura-kun: Nope. ^^
Ichigo: Well it's all your fault you know! **hits Sakura-kun over the head**
Sakura-kun: ACK!!! XP It's NOT my fault you know!!!!
Ichigo: Sure sure - whatever you say. ¬ ¬
Sakura-kun: **nar**
Ichigo: Anyway, ASSUMING Sakura-kun gets her shit together the next chapter will be up next week. If not - well then - we'll just have to make sure to teach Sakura-kun a thing or two about DEADlines.
Sakura-kun: **eep** O_O
Well, I don't have much to say this time, just that - there's still a LOT more to come so I hope I haven't lost too many of you yet! Hehehhehe! I had to laugh at some of the letters I got about my story though! Hehehe! You make me seem so predictable some of you! HEHE! But, oh well ^^, as long as you don't like me any less for it! And if you do - hmmmmmm - oh well!
Plot Summery (again, again, again) - The relationship between Sasuke and Naruto has changed a lot over the years, especially now that they both seem to have come to the same realizations. However, Sasuke finds himself unable too runaway from links to his past - especially those in the form of a strange, tragic, second generation, missing-nin. To find out more about himself, his brother, and to save a life, Sasuke has to decide just how far he's willing to go - as well as what, and who, he is willing to leave behind.
Now, about this FIFTH chapter - I had a LOT of trouble with this one. **Sigh** I wanted to just say enough, but, not say too little. It was hard to find that kind of balance, without just coming across sounding cheesy or something. But I tried my best, and - hopefully - I've done my job here.
Chapter Summery -
Warnings - none here right now
(Once again, this is my disclaimer: "not mine")
***
Jumping down to a branch bellow her and gabbing hold of it with her chakra, she kept herself from slipping as she swung back and set her feet to the bottom of the branch - hangging upside down like a bat.
Catching up to his pray, Sasuke, pulled his kunai from his pockets and hurled them at her with deadly accuracy; hitting her squarely in the chest and forehead. The clone he had hit promptly disappeared and he was forced to stop and try to find out where she really was.
The missing-nin girl was posing a more then worth challenge for him. Her speed, and agility were matched with his, and she had stamina which nearly rivaled that of Naruto. The slender, raven haired girl, had no trouble evading him as she disappeared and reappeared throughout the tree-cover. To him it seemed almost as if she was tease him and mock his inferiority within her element.
"Sharingan." he whispered to himself - his normaly dark eyes became a bright crimson as the familiar spiral-esq pattern appeared within them, lending him an unfair advantage.
"So you really are Uchiha Sasuke-sama." he heard her voice say, almost wistfully, from an untraceable position.
"You know, you don't seem to be playing very fairly." he yelled back at her, a crooked smile on his lips, as though he were beginning to enjoy their little game.
"Then how would you like me to play?" her voice came from directly at his side - and she was standing there, her real self.
He quickly moved his arm to stab her but she deflected him with her own kunai.
"Hostile." she shook her head at him, looking almost offended as she held him back. The sounds of scrapping metal on metal ringing in both of their ears.
"No. Just good." he smiled confidently at her - the challenge she posed to him exciting that part of himself which live to fight.
He came at her again, forcing her to step back, both poised and ready to attack one another.
"You have pretty eyes, just like your brother." she smirked.
"And what the hell would you know - about my brother!?" he shouted, casting several shuriken at her - which missed as she jumped away - and were embedded deeply into the bark of the nearest tree.
"More than you think." she yelled at him again from her hiding place. "And wouldn't you like to know." she added, as she dropped down directly in front of him again - upside down from a tree branch. Her smiling face mocking his angry disposition.
"Fuck off!" he yelled, slashing at her as she dropped down from her perch and fell toward the ground below.
"Ouch." she hissed, as she landed with a thud on the forest floor. Reaching up to her cheek she felt a slow trickle of blood running down her face.
"Not so amusing any more is it?" Sasuke said bitterly, as he came to stand on the ground next to her.
"It never was." she scowled.
"Then quit playing around and come with me."
"I'm not playing, and no." she glared at him as she moved to get to her feet.
He pushed her forcefully back to the ground, glaring at her with his deep, red, eyes, as if threatening her without words.
"Get away from me." she instructed him, in a voice that was nearly a whisper; her bright green eyes turning deadly serious.
"No. Tell me what you know about Itachi!" he demanded, stepping closer to her.
"I said get away from me." she repeated again.
"No!"
She turned to jump off but he saw it coming and grabbed her by the ankle before she could get far from the ground. Pulling her sharply back down, her left shoulder taking the brunt of her fall as she hit the ground.
"Let go of me!" she kicked out at him.
"No! Not until you tell me what I want to know!" he insisted, putting all his weight down on her legs. She grabbed for her shuriken but he easily saw her movements and in a flash had grabbed her and had her pinned to the ground - his legs across her stomach and his hands pinning her arms.
"LET ME GO!" she shouted at him again, struggling under his weight.
"TELL ME!"
"Never." she growled at him threw gritted teeth.
He squeezed her arms tightly in his grip, his frustration welling up inside of him - but she didn't so much as flinch as he dug his fingers into her flesh.
"Tell me and I'll let you go." he told her, certain that she would give in.
"Never." she repeated again.
She returned his bitter stare with her bright green eyes again; yet, the expression on her tanned and dirt smudged face was strange: angry, and yet - partly sad it seemed.
Her breaths were shortening as she stared up at him, her teeth still clenched tightly. Slowly at first, but then more quickly, he began to feel as though her skin was beginning to feel hot underneath his fingers. He could sense the chakra inside of her body was moving, but in a manner which he couldn't recognize. Unsure of what was happening, he could do nothing but hold her down.
The burning sensation in his hands grew stronger and stronger as her skin began to emanate a sort of black static current, much the way his hands would with Chidori.
"What kind of jutsu is this?" he asked himself, trying to keep calm, as he tried to use his Sharingan to figure out what she was doing; but to no avail. Her chest was heaving heavily now in short staggered breaths and she closed her eyes tightly. The hot static current flowing through and around her body was beginning to show plainly.
All of a sudden Sasuke felt a sharp sting of pain in his arm, and looking down he saw a tiny cut appear - as if by magic, and begin to slowly ooze blood. There was a dark flash of movement that crossed his vision once or twice, but it was to fast for him to make out. This was fallowed by several more stinging pains.
All at once it seemed as if here were being jabbed by a million tiny needles as a blur of dark flashes danced around him.
He had no choice by to get up, releasing her from his grip. He raised his hands to try and shield himself, but he didn't know what he was trying to hide from. Getting to her feet uneasily the dark haired girl was still radiating an intense black static glow, far stronger than that of any Chidori. But what was stranger was that she was clutching at her stomach, and under neither her hands Sasuke could see she was bleeding profusely.
The black haze around her seemed to amass and then disperse in tinny bolts over and over again in a way which Sasuke could neither understand nor copy.
Was that it? Was she directly attacking him with her chakra? There as no way from him to tell and the stinging was growing worse, he had no choice but to try to run.
"STOP IT!"
He heard her voice cry out suddenly.
And then - the pain was gone.
He was covered in millions of tiny cuts and his cloths were torn all over. Even his hair had been clipped ever so slightly in places.
"What - did you do?" Sasuke seethed through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry," she stammered, still clutching at her bleeding stomach, "but you wouldn't let me go."
"When did I do that?" he questioned in his mind, seeing the way she was bleeding but never remembering wounding her.
They both just stood there - a tense minute passing between them.
"You are nothing like Itachi-sama." she finally said, frowning as she tried to stand up strait despite obvious dizziness, as she wiped the blood from her hands onto her shorts.
"What? What'd you call him that for?" Sasuke asked, resuming his fighting stance despite the blood oozing from all of his tiny cuts.
"Because."
"That's not an answer!"he snapped at her.
"Why does it matter!" she groaned angrily.
"It just does!" he answered vaguely, just as unwilling to explain anything as her.
"I -" she began uneasily, turning her eyes to the ground "I owe Itachi-sama my life," she said solemnly, a very serious look on her face, "I would NEVER address him otherwise."
At this - Sasuke looked completely stunned. The red faded from his eyes and his shoulders relaxed, and he couldn't help but stare at her blankly.
"What?"
"Itachi-sama," she bagan - stepping towards him.
Sasuke back off for a moment, lifting his hands defensively, but stopped himself.
"I wont hurt you." she said.
"How can I be so sure?"
"Why? Why would I want to kill my sensei's little brother?"she asked him.
"What?!"
But she didn't have time to explain - just then, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi emerged from the underbrush, weapons drawn.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled at him as they surrounded them.
"Get away from him!" Naruto shouted, hurling a shuriken at the dark haired girl standing dangerously close to Sasuke. Dodging it she scowled at Naruto and then, looking back at Sasuke with a sad expression on her face, disappeared again into the tree cover.
"No! Wait!" Sasuke shouted after her.
"Not to worry." Kakashi assured him, pulling a scroll from his back pocket and releasing his summoning dogs to retrieve her.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed again, rushing over to him, "Did she hurt you?"
"No." Sasuke groaned as Sakura began checking over his cuts and bruises.
"Why didn't you grab her when you had the chance?!" Naruto shouted at him.
"She - she said something about my brother."
"What? Did she know him?" Kakashi asked, thinking it odd.
"Yeah, I think so."
It wasn't long before they heard the dogs returning, dragging the kicking and struggling missing-nin girl along with them.
"Ah, here you are!" Kakashi laughed at her.
"Get away from me!" She shouted at him as he bent down over top of her.
"I think you should be quiet now." Kakashi smiled reaching down and touching her neck.
She instantly fell limp, and her eyes closed peacefully - the dogs then disappearing.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Sasuke asked.
"It's just a pressure point." Sakura sighed.
"I know that - but still." he grumbled as he scratched at the back of his neck.
Examining her, Kakashi noted her bloodied stomach; however, he found no wound for the source of her bleeding. Sighing, he picked up her lifeless seeming body and threw her over his shoulder.
"Well, we best g her back to Konoha before she wakes up." Kakashi instructed.
"Yeah - sure." Sasuke nodded.
******
The whole way home Naruto could tell by the look on Sasuke's face that something was bothering him. He wanted to ask what the girl had said to him, but he knew it was best to wait. He'd have his chance to ask later on anyway.
***
To be continued -
******
Ichigo: **mar**
Sakura-kun: Yep, **mar** indeed.
Ichigo: I guess, that's it for now.
Sakura-kun: Yep.
Ichigo: Well, hope I have you all intrigued thus far! ^^ Cuz there's still SO much more I have to divulge to you all!
Hehehe ^^ I hope this story isn't going to many places that you've all been already in other stories. Or, at the very least I hope I'm making it a bit better. I myself haven't read as many fics as I've written probably. Which, is still a TON! But all the same, look forward to more! And I (Sakura: "WE") LOVE hearing from you all! THANX!
What to expect in later chapters - The missing-nin girl is finally brought back to Konoha, and back to a kind of civilization in which she wants no part. Sasuke and Naruto's situation becomes more tense with the addition of this new factor to their relationship and Sasuke seems to be finding ways to make things even more difficult still. What is the girl's connection to Itachi? And to Sasuke? And what, if anything, will be done about it?
Chapter Five: Connection
******
Ichigo: Do I EVER post when I say I'm gonna?
Sakura-kun: Nope. ^^
Ichigo: Well it's all your fault you know! **hits Sakura-kun over the head**
Sakura-kun: ACK!!! XP It's NOT my fault you know!!!!
Ichigo: Sure sure - whatever you say. ¬ ¬
Sakura-kun: **nar**
Ichigo: Anyway, ASSUMING Sakura-kun gets her shit together the next chapter will be up next week. If not - well then - we'll just have to make sure to teach Sakura-kun a thing or two about DEADlines.
Sakura-kun: **eep** O_O
Well, I don't have much to say this time, just that - there's still a LOT more to come so I hope I haven't lost too many of you yet! Hehehhehe! I had to laugh at some of the letters I got about my story though! Hehehe! You make me seem so predictable some of you! HEHE! But, oh well ^^, as long as you don't like me any less for it! And if you do - hmmmmmm - oh well!
Plot Summery (again, again, again) - The relationship between Sasuke and Naruto has changed a lot over the years, especially now that they both seem to have come to the same realizations. However, Sasuke finds himself unable too runaway from links to his past - especially those in the form of a strange, tragic, second generation, missing-nin. To find out more about himself, his brother, and to save a life, Sasuke has to decide just how far he's willing to go - as well as what, and who, he is willing to leave behind.
Now, about this FIFTH chapter - I had a LOT of trouble with this one. **Sigh** I wanted to just say enough, but, not say too little. It was hard to find that kind of balance, without just coming across sounding cheesy or something. But I tried my best, and - hopefully - I've done my job here.
Chapter Summery -
Warnings - none here right now
(Once again, this is my disclaimer: "not mine")
***
Jumping down to a branch bellow her and gabbing hold of it with her chakra, she kept herself from slipping as she swung back and set her feet to the bottom of the branch - hangging upside down like a bat.
Catching up to his pray, Sasuke, pulled his kunai from his pockets and hurled them at her with deadly accuracy; hitting her squarely in the chest and forehead. The clone he had hit promptly disappeared and he was forced to stop and try to find out where she really was.
The missing-nin girl was posing a more then worth challenge for him. Her speed, and agility were matched with his, and she had stamina which nearly rivaled that of Naruto. The slender, raven haired girl, had no trouble evading him as she disappeared and reappeared throughout the tree-cover. To him it seemed almost as if she was tease him and mock his inferiority within her element.
"Sharingan." he whispered to himself - his normaly dark eyes became a bright crimson as the familiar spiral-esq pattern appeared within them, lending him an unfair advantage.
"So you really are Uchiha Sasuke-sama." he heard her voice say, almost wistfully, from an untraceable position.
"You know, you don't seem to be playing very fairly." he yelled back at her, a crooked smile on his lips, as though he were beginning to enjoy their little game.
"Then how would you like me to play?" her voice came from directly at his side - and she was standing there, her real self.
He quickly moved his arm to stab her but she deflected him with her own kunai.
"Hostile." she shook her head at him, looking almost offended as she held him back. The sounds of scrapping metal on metal ringing in both of their ears.
"No. Just good." he smiled confidently at her - the challenge she posed to him exciting that part of himself which live to fight.
He came at her again, forcing her to step back, both poised and ready to attack one another.
"You have pretty eyes, just like your brother." she smirked.
"And what the hell would you know - about my brother!?" he shouted, casting several shuriken at her - which missed as she jumped away - and were embedded deeply into the bark of the nearest tree.
"More than you think." she yelled at him again from her hiding place. "And wouldn't you like to know." she added, as she dropped down directly in front of him again - upside down from a tree branch. Her smiling face mocking his angry disposition.
"Fuck off!" he yelled, slashing at her as she dropped down from her perch and fell toward the ground below.
"Ouch." she hissed, as she landed with a thud on the forest floor. Reaching up to her cheek she felt a slow trickle of blood running down her face.
"Not so amusing any more is it?" Sasuke said bitterly, as he came to stand on the ground next to her.
"It never was." she scowled.
"Then quit playing around and come with me."
"I'm not playing, and no." she glared at him as she moved to get to her feet.
He pushed her forcefully back to the ground, glaring at her with his deep, red, eyes, as if threatening her without words.
"Get away from me." she instructed him, in a voice that was nearly a whisper; her bright green eyes turning deadly serious.
"No. Tell me what you know about Itachi!" he demanded, stepping closer to her.
"I said get away from me." she repeated again.
"No!"
She turned to jump off but he saw it coming and grabbed her by the ankle before she could get far from the ground. Pulling her sharply back down, her left shoulder taking the brunt of her fall as she hit the ground.
"Let go of me!" she kicked out at him.
"No! Not until you tell me what I want to know!" he insisted, putting all his weight down on her legs. She grabbed for her shuriken but he easily saw her movements and in a flash had grabbed her and had her pinned to the ground - his legs across her stomach and his hands pinning her arms.
"LET ME GO!" she shouted at him again, struggling under his weight.
"TELL ME!"
"Never." she growled at him threw gritted teeth.
He squeezed her arms tightly in his grip, his frustration welling up inside of him - but she didn't so much as flinch as he dug his fingers into her flesh.
"Tell me and I'll let you go." he told her, certain that she would give in.
"Never." she repeated again.
She returned his bitter stare with her bright green eyes again; yet, the expression on her tanned and dirt smudged face was strange: angry, and yet - partly sad it seemed.
Her breaths were shortening as she stared up at him, her teeth still clenched tightly. Slowly at first, but then more quickly, he began to feel as though her skin was beginning to feel hot underneath his fingers. He could sense the chakra inside of her body was moving, but in a manner which he couldn't recognize. Unsure of what was happening, he could do nothing but hold her down.
The burning sensation in his hands grew stronger and stronger as her skin began to emanate a sort of black static current, much the way his hands would with Chidori.
"What kind of jutsu is this?" he asked himself, trying to keep calm, as he tried to use his Sharingan to figure out what she was doing; but to no avail. Her chest was heaving heavily now in short staggered breaths and she closed her eyes tightly. The hot static current flowing through and around her body was beginning to show plainly.
All of a sudden Sasuke felt a sharp sting of pain in his arm, and looking down he saw a tiny cut appear - as if by magic, and begin to slowly ooze blood. There was a dark flash of movement that crossed his vision once or twice, but it was to fast for him to make out. This was fallowed by several more stinging pains.
All at once it seemed as if here were being jabbed by a million tiny needles as a blur of dark flashes danced around him.
He had no choice by to get up, releasing her from his grip. He raised his hands to try and shield himself, but he didn't know what he was trying to hide from. Getting to her feet uneasily the dark haired girl was still radiating an intense black static glow, far stronger than that of any Chidori. But what was stranger was that she was clutching at her stomach, and under neither her hands Sasuke could see she was bleeding profusely.
The black haze around her seemed to amass and then disperse in tinny bolts over and over again in a way which Sasuke could neither understand nor copy.
Was that it? Was she directly attacking him with her chakra? There as no way from him to tell and the stinging was growing worse, he had no choice but to try to run.
"STOP IT!"
He heard her voice cry out suddenly.
And then - the pain was gone.
He was covered in millions of tiny cuts and his cloths were torn all over. Even his hair had been clipped ever so slightly in places.
"What - did you do?" Sasuke seethed through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry," she stammered, still clutching at her bleeding stomach, "but you wouldn't let me go."
"When did I do that?" he questioned in his mind, seeing the way she was bleeding but never remembering wounding her.
They both just stood there - a tense minute passing between them.
"You are nothing like Itachi-sama." she finally said, frowning as she tried to stand up strait despite obvious dizziness, as she wiped the blood from her hands onto her shorts.
"What? What'd you call him that for?" Sasuke asked, resuming his fighting stance despite the blood oozing from all of his tiny cuts.
"Because."
"That's not an answer!"he snapped at her.
"Why does it matter!" she groaned angrily.
"It just does!" he answered vaguely, just as unwilling to explain anything as her.
"I -" she began uneasily, turning her eyes to the ground "I owe Itachi-sama my life," she said solemnly, a very serious look on her face, "I would NEVER address him otherwise."
At this - Sasuke looked completely stunned. The red faded from his eyes and his shoulders relaxed, and he couldn't help but stare at her blankly.
"What?"
"Itachi-sama," she bagan - stepping towards him.
Sasuke back off for a moment, lifting his hands defensively, but stopped himself.
"I wont hurt you." she said.
"How can I be so sure?"
"Why? Why would I want to kill my sensei's little brother?"she asked him.
"What?!"
But she didn't have time to explain - just then, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi emerged from the underbrush, weapons drawn.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled at him as they surrounded them.
"Get away from him!" Naruto shouted, hurling a shuriken at the dark haired girl standing dangerously close to Sasuke. Dodging it she scowled at Naruto and then, looking back at Sasuke with a sad expression on her face, disappeared again into the tree cover.
"No! Wait!" Sasuke shouted after her.
"Not to worry." Kakashi assured him, pulling a scroll from his back pocket and releasing his summoning dogs to retrieve her.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed again, rushing over to him, "Did she hurt you?"
"No." Sasuke groaned as Sakura began checking over his cuts and bruises.
"Why didn't you grab her when you had the chance?!" Naruto shouted at him.
"She - she said something about my brother."
"What? Did she know him?" Kakashi asked, thinking it odd.
"Yeah, I think so."
It wasn't long before they heard the dogs returning, dragging the kicking and struggling missing-nin girl along with them.
"Ah, here you are!" Kakashi laughed at her.
"Get away from me!" She shouted at him as he bent down over top of her.
"I think you should be quiet now." Kakashi smiled reaching down and touching her neck.
She instantly fell limp, and her eyes closed peacefully - the dogs then disappearing.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Sasuke asked.
"It's just a pressure point." Sakura sighed.
"I know that - but still." he grumbled as he scratched at the back of his neck.
Examining her, Kakashi noted her bloodied stomach; however, he found no wound for the source of her bleeding. Sighing, he picked up her lifeless seeming body and threw her over his shoulder.
"Well, we best g her back to Konoha before she wakes up." Kakashi instructed.
"Yeah - sure." Sasuke nodded.
******
The whole way home Naruto could tell by the look on Sasuke's face that something was bothering him. He wanted to ask what the girl had said to him, but he knew it was best to wait. He'd have his chance to ask later on anyway.
***
To be continued -
******
Ichigo: **mar**
Sakura-kun: Yep, **mar** indeed.
Ichigo: I guess, that's it for now.
Sakura-kun: Yep.
Ichigo: Well, hope I have you all intrigued thus far! ^^ Cuz there's still SO much more I have to divulge to you all!
Hehehe ^^ I hope this story isn't going to many places that you've all been already in other stories. Or, at the very least I hope I'm making it a bit better. I myself haven't read as many fics as I've written probably. Which, is still a TON! But all the same, look forward to more! And I (Sakura: "WE") LOVE hearing from you all! THANX!
What to expect in later chapters - The missing-nin girl is finally brought back to Konoha, and back to a kind of civilization in which she wants no part. Sasuke and Naruto's situation becomes more tense with the addition of this new factor to their relationship and Sasuke seems to be finding ways to make things even more difficult still. What is the girl's connection to Itachi? And to Sasuke? And what, if anything, will be done about it?