Summary: You're not supposed to fall in love with your captor, especially if he is a high-ranking member of the yakuza. Things just never seem to follow that law, however. Completely AU. Mainly Sasuke/Sakura. Rated for violence and language.
Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura, more will be revealed as the story progresses
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. The only thing in this story that is mine will be the OCs and the plot itself.
Conspiracy of the Heart and Soul
Chapter Thirteen – The Prologue to the War
Strands of chocolate brown hair covered amber eyes, focused on a shining metal blade. Thanatos was clean, for now. She didn't know how long its clean state would last, however. A satisfied smile found its way to her face as she began practicing her swordplay. It was four in the afternoon, four hours until the mission was about to start. Her amber eyes focused on an invisible opponent as she began to move fluidly against the air, hoping to get a substantial amount of practice done. Lately, she had been neglecting her swordplay thus becoming a bit rusty. A couple of hours of severe training ought to do the trick to help jog her memory. She was dressed in the traditional clothes of a male samurai, not that there were any female ones during the Bakumatsu.
The white cloth of her training gi moved slightly against her tanned skin, her amber eyes burning with a fierce determination. The black cloth of her hakama, on the other hand, brushed against the wooden floors smoothly as she began performing various kata, the thumping sounds of her footsteps evident against the quiet air. Drawing back her sword arm, her right arm was stretched upwards, like one would hold a racket to return a ball from up high. Instead of her sword pointing upwards though, the metal blade pointed towards where her supposed enemy was supposed to stand. Her left index and middle finger rested the left side of her blade, her ring and pinky finger curled up to support the blade. Her thumb pressed slightly against the sharp edge of Thanatos.
"Hyah!" she shouted as she thrust the sword towards her make believe opponent, spiraling around and moving back a couple of steps in the process. Another satisfied smile found its way to her face as she fluidly sheathed her blade in the metal casing given to her, the hilt crafted only for her hand sticking out from the left side of her body. Looking straight, she focused her gaze on the mirror in front. She liked the way Thanatos looked like after receiving the new metal sheath and a new hilt. The sheath was black, as black as night, and the hilt had a slight bronze sheen to it, with the cloth that wrapped around the hilt that was styled after ancient swords of the honorable Japanese warriors.
"It's four more hours from now," said Ayumi to herself, a determined look flashing in her amber eyes. Her long chocolate brown hair was swinging freely, much to her annoyance. Looking at a piece of black elastic around her right wrist, she began fixing her hair into a ponytail, a single bunch of her chocolate brown hair swinging freely behind her. Her bangs stuck out but she didn't mind. There was a reason her bangs were shorter than the rest of her hair and perfectly framed her face. It was by no means a fashion statement. It was styled like that so she could hide the flashes of her amber eyes, which occurred every time she felt nervous, angry and all other such occasions.
Going back into her stance, she began practicing even more, trying to get herself into a state of such perfection that it would be just second nature for her to swing her sword both violently and gracefully at the same time, both beautiful and dangerous to look at. Slowly, all other thoughts began leaving her mind as she concentrated on practicing her kata. Soon enough, the only thing on her mind were visions of the silver blade against bodies, against the inevitable appearance of corpses for this mission. She cringed invisibly as she continued practicing. No matter how much she loved her swordplay, she never wanted to kill more than she had to. Helping Sasuke succeed in this mission would most likely assure her of a future with very little reason to kill anybody.
Lurking in the shadows, a figure moved silently. Ayumi stiffened as she continued practicing her swordplay, pretending that no one was there. It would catch her assailant off guard if she countered when he attacked. With the way she was acting, it was as if she didn't notice another person's presence but in reality, she felt the exact opposite. The silver of her blade glinted against the artificial light as she slashed downwards, the air in the path of her sword pushed violently away as the metal blade moved. The figure moved towards her, a dagger poised for attack. Suddenly, Ayumi turned around with her sword in position, hovering just above her opponent's throat. Any motion from either Ayumi or her attacker would result in his death.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Attacking me, of all people," she hissed darkly, her amber eyes flashing dangerously. Her attacker gulped nervously but managed to keep a cool face. "Answer me," she hissed once more, pressing the tip of her blade against the skin of his neck. Blood began to seep slowly as her amber eyes focused themselves on the thin trails of crimson that escaped the incision her blade had just made on his skin. Her attacker remained silent as he gripped his hands together tightly. He had to reverse the situation, one way or another. "Answer me you idiot!" she shouted, causing him to cringe. He, however, refused to speak. "Very well, you have chosen your own fate," she said darkly as she pulled back her sword and sheathed it. Her assailant blinked, wondering why she had let him go. In any case, he turned around and began to run for his very life, lest she change her mind.
In the blink of an eye, Ayumi had unsheathed her sword and blocked his path, a dark grin on her face. Pure fear was what he felt as be backed away and turned around, trying to get away from her. It was useless game of cat and mouse. Wherever he turned and went, Ayumi would be there, blocking his path, Thanatos glinting with the small amount of caked blood on it, his blood. Suddenly, Ayumi sheathed her sword and charged, pulling it out and slashing her assailant. In one fluid motion, Ayumi killed him, blood splattering against her clothes and spilling generously on her blade. Before he fell to the wooden floor, Ayumi lashed out once more with her sword, creating more gashes on his body. She was showing no mercy. If anyone found out about this body, the familiar sword cuts would say it was her. His manner of death would say that she would show no mercy.
"And it was just cleaned too. What a pity," she said to herself as she looked at the carcass on the floor, blood dripping from her blade. Flicking the blood off, she scrunched her face in annoyance at the fact that caked blood still stuck on the blade. Taking out a white cloth, she wiped off the blood that remained on her sword. Taking a look at the cloth, she saw a familiar pattern on either side, something she never wanted to see anymore. Taking out a piece of paper and a brush, she dipped it in the blood that surrounded the corpse. Dipping it, she began to write characters on the paper. When she had finished, she stuck the paper against the now resting heart of the figure in front of her.
Rest in Peace.
Turning around, she sheathed her sword and pocketed the brush, making her way to her room. She had enough practice for the mission that would start in but a few hours. Looking down at her white gi, she stopped. It was splattered with blood. Casting it off, she let it drop to the floor. Her thick undershirt still had the crimson liquid on it. Pulling it off her head, the upper portion of her body was left uncovered save for quite a number of plain white bandages wrapping around her chest and her stomach as well. Amber eyes looked at the scene left in her practice area before walking back to her room.
This is but a warning: death to all who dare defy me. The writing in his blood was painfully obvious against the white of the paper.
Sasuke's Room, Three Hours Later
He watched the wall dully, life barely flickering in his onyx orbs. Green eyes tainted with worry looked at him, but did not make any motion to move towards him. She could only watch his silent mental suffering and offer outside support. Otherwise, it was only he who could do anything about his insecurities. In any case, she would always be there waiting for him. Looking at her watch, the time read seven in the evening. In a few minutes, they would be leaving for Shikamaru's laboratory. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak but no words came out. Pressing her lips together tightly, she watched him anxiously.
"You don't have to worry, Sakura," he said automatically as he continued staring at the wall, "It's not like I haven't been in missions as dangerous as this before."
"That's what I'm worried about, Sasuke-kun. Sure, you've surpassed those ones but how sure am I that you'll be safe and sound after all this is through? I believe that you can overcome this but what about the possible lasting mental grief you can go through? Will you return to me as my Sasuke-kun?" Her voice was heavily painted with worry as her eyes became glassy. Sasuke shrugged as he sat up straight with that determined light in his eyes back. "Sasuke-kun?" she said uneasily, looking at him.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take. But, for your sake, I doubt I'd want that damage to stay with me," he said as he sat down beside her, taking her into his arms. Sakura nodded slowly, still uneasy but his assurances calmed her down a bit.
"Okay then." She fidgeted slightly as her green gaze focused itself on the wall clock. Sasuke sighed as he watched her actions.
"If it makes you feel any better, even while on the mission, you can talk to me." Sakura looked up at him, confused. "You remember that headphone sort of thing you saw?" She nodded. "Well, I'll be wearing one and Shikamaru has one. If you want to talk to me or anything, before we get into any critical stage in the plan, you can always do so." Sakura closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.
"Stay safe. I'll be waiting for you."
"Okay. I will."
Shikamaru's Laboratory
"Are all the preparations complete?" asked Neji as he eyed Shikamaru, the hilt of his Chinese blade at his side, the tassel dangling freely. Shikamaru nodded, waving off the question as he continued typing away at his beloved laptop. Kotoe smiled apologetically as she handed Neji a small black bag that would be wrapped around his waist. "What's this?" he asked as he looked curiously at the black container. Kotoe motioned for him to open it. Unzipping the bag, he saw three extra cartridges for the laser pistol, and a couple of bottles of anesthesia. "So, not only do you make us bring enough for around two thousand four hundred shots but you have us bring first aid stuff too," dead panned Neji as he looked accusingly at Shikamaru's back. Meanwhile, Kotoe handed similar packs to the others.
"Well, better safe than sorry. You probably won't need the stuff but hey, who knows? Anyway, I'm sure Sakura can patch you guys up with the things inside the kits. Of course, taking into account that you're actually brought here to the lab since someone won't let her out of the premises," said Shikamaru calmly. Sasuke shot him a death glare while Sakura paled slightly. "What, Sakura, afraid of actually performing operations?" he asked as he continued typing away. Kotoe smacked her forehead as she groaned. He was certainly the hacking prodigy but he did forget that Sakura had only been through one year in college and she wasn't even taking medicine proper!
"Uhh… Shikamaru-san, I haven't even finished my pre-medicine course," said Sakura softly, trying so hard not to shove the painfully obvious in his face. She wasn't that old. She didn't even look that old! Shikamaru laughed and gave his apology. "But I can perform really minor operations like stitching someone up, if that's what you mean," offered Sakura, trying to be of some use, rather than just sit there and worry out of her mind as she watched what was about to unfold in front of her eyes. Sasuke looked at here warily, not because he didn't trust her medical judgment, which he had experienced first hand, but the pressure might get to her.
"Sir, the first fifty men are ready and on standby," reported a young female as she entered the data room in Shikamaru's lab. She bit her lower lip as she watched them, her eyes darkening nervously. They said nothing as they all looked at the clock and then back down to her. Only Sakura offered her a simple smile as she too waited for what they were about to say. "Sir?" she repeated once more, still extremely nervous at the presence of Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ayumi, Kenta, Kotoe and of course, Sakura, "What do you want them to do? They're getting impatient." Her voice softened as she said the last sentence. As Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, she looked upwards.
"Tell them to make sure they have all their things. They leave in exactly two minutes." She nodded as she hurried out of the inner sanctum, rushing to tell the fifty men still in the laboratory what Sasuke had just said. "And the rest of you, we leave at exactly fifteen minutes past eight," he said, his voice ringing once more. The others nodded as they watched him walk towards the door. His onyx eyes watched them as they shuffled about in order to do a last minute check on the things they were bringing with them. His onyx eyes were devoid of any emotion except determination, determination to see this through the end.
"All ready and go!" said Shikamaru as he watched the various small screens displayed on the large plasma screen TV that he bought a couple of days ago and rewired just a bit to display the positions of the other groups. Sasuke had shouted at him for doing that but after explaining that it came from the company and the reason he had done it, the younger Uchiha's rage had lessened. It was still there but it had lessened and that was the main point. The fifty men outside began moving in pairs, as if they were just strolling out from the laboratory. Five minutes later, all the men had left and began arriving to point A. It wasn't an unusual picture to see so many people leave and arrive in one place at relatively the same time.
"It's just a matter of minutes until it starts," said Sasuke to the other five as he leaned against the table. They would move from his laboratory to where Itachi would be found until later. Drumming his fingers idly against the metal countertop, he focused his gaze on Shikamaru's laptop, the all-purpose one, if he might add. The surveillance cameras were all wired to his laboratory anyway so it would be easy to see if they were near their destined point. The people in the first group of fifty were on their way to point A. The second group of fifty was already in point B, where they would watch and eventually subdue the members of the first group. Moments later, they were in their positions. Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched, his hand clenched tightly into a fist. "And it starts now." As if on cue, the one who was supposed to start the mission went into a heated argument with his partner.
"Damn it! Look where you're going!" shouted a blonde man named Miatsu as he pushed back the one who "bumped" into him. The gray eyes of the other man glared at Miatsu as he shouted back in return. "God! Really! Look where you're going!" A crowd began to surround them as they began "fighting". There were a few men not under Sasuke but most of them were, making the job much easier in clearing up that floor. They could easily move up as support for any other group Shikamaru would direct them to. They each had a tiny hearing device with them that Kotoe had worked on the past two weeks of preparations, that only responded to the microphone Shikamaru had, the very same one Kotoe had made but with minor adjustments from the hacking genius.
"And you go in five, four, three, two, one." Shikamaru's eyes were glued to the wall clock as the long hand reached the three. Standing up, five figures, all cold and tense, began exiting the inner sanctum one by one. Kenta left first, not after a few reminders from his beloved twin sister. Ayumi followed wordlessly, Thanatos swinging by her side. Tenten left after a last minute check up on her small, or so she called it, arsenal of weapons. Neji left after making sure that he had been fully prepared. As Sasuke was about to go, a familiar voice stopped him and caused him to turn around. It was Sakura's voice.
"Sasuke-kun?"
"Yes?"
"Stay safe." She offered him a comforting smile as she restrained herself from reaching out to him. Sasuke nodded slowly, a look only for Sakura on his face, before he turned around and left the room. Sakura watched his back as she felt tears slowly drip from her face. When they were no longer within the laboratory, she finally broke down, unable to hold the tears within her any longer.
I will help you adjust to a normal life. Just return to me safe, sound, whole and the same, Sasuke-kun, and I can promise you that everything will be alright after this mess.
Tsuzuku…
Finally! It's been a while since I've updated this but here's the thirteenth chapter! Mind you, I wrote this all in one day just for your sakes! Seven more chapters until Conspiracy of the Heart and Soul will end. Afterwards, there's Reaching Out to You to look forward to but that's so far into the future. Let's concentrate on this chapter.
Most of it talked about before the mission actually started. I didn't have to go off and explain much about it since it's just basically causing a diversion while the core group moves towards Itachi's place. And about the mystery assailant, they'll find out about that later on. Ayumi is just fun to write with.
Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as possible. Also, please check out my other Naruto fanfic, Summer Days and Nights! I'm also working on a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic, Cryptic Faith, but those two won't be my main priority. I'll write in them when I feel like it but I am still prioritizing CotHaS over the two others.
As usual, here's the chapter preview!
Next Chapter: Chapter Fourteen – The Conflict to the War
Chapter Preview: Sakura backed away into the wall, fearful for what might happen to her. Shikamaru and Kotoe were trying their best to help her but it seems that what had entered their bodies was starting to take effect. They could not move. Sakura's life was hanging in the balance as fear darkened her jade green eyes as her body touched the wall. Looking around, she tried to find something she could use to defend herself with but everything was lethal. She did not want to kill; she wanted to help continue life. It was why she was a doctor in the first place. Without any other choice, Sakura clenched her fist before speaking. "What have I ever done to you?" she rasped out as she fell down to the floor, shivering under the intense gaze of the person in front of her.
