He was on a hill overlooking Konoha, just east of the Hokage Monuments. The sky was already in deep sunset. Itachi leaned against the firm bark of the oak, feeling its roughness grip his back in a promising embrace. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the sweet night wind. The weight in his chest lifted a bit; a soft thud next to him and a hug into his waist announced the arrival of Tsukiko. Nuzzling into his cloak, she looked up at him happily. "Itachi-san, it is a quiet evening." He allowed her the pleasure of a small smile. She let go of him and leaned against the same tree. Her eyes were closed, her head lifted up. "I can smell the stirring of restless minds… something is happening…" Itachi's red retinas flickered with acknowledgment.
"Yes… I can feel it as well--Tsukiko." Tsukiko smiled cheerfully and laid her head on his arm. He did not remove his arm from her, enjoying the pressure applied. "Tsukiko, do not stray off like that again… Orochimaru would be very displeased…" His throat burned from saying the cursed name. Just the treaty between Orochimaru and himself still did not destroy the hatred between them. If Orochimaru was that desperate to get at his little brother, then--
"Itachi-san," Tsukiko suddenly piped up. Itachi blinked, then looked down at her glowing face. "The reason why I left… was because I wanted to speak with someone."
"I told you not to go interrogating drug dealers, Tsukiko, it's just not worth the time…"
"Not drug dealers, Itachi-san."
"Oh…? Then who?"
Tsukiko hesitated, and looked at the ground, the wind gently tossing her long, straight, dark hair. "It was Sasuke. I told him that trying to kill you was pointless…" Itachi smiled with satisfaction, his rare show of expression hidden by his collar. He lowered the field hat until it covered his eyes. So Sasuke was still going on about killing him? Tsukiko wasn't wasting her time after all… if he could get Tsukiko close enough to his little brother, then Orochimaru would be highly pleased, with them both. "He still wishes to destroy you. Yes, I told him that it was useless trying to defeat you--" She grinned and opened her eyes. "You are far too strong." Itachi involuntarily felt the taste of pride well up in his throat. Her smile dropped. "You teach me. Arigatou." He nodded in acknowledgment and approval. He muttered a small 'yes…'.
Itachi reached down toward her thigh and lifted the flap of the kunai holster, drawing one that was closest to his finger's reach. Lifting it up, he took her hand and calmly sliced off the tiny hangnails and smoothed the ragged edges of her fingernails. She didn't move a muscle, her eyes focused on something else. As he continued his work, he said in his low voice, "Tsukiko, you should be more careful… battle scars aren't for women… it'll ruin your skin." Tsukiko snorted playfully.
"It's alright, you do not have to worry of me, Itachi-san." As she spoke, she kept sweeping back her hair from her face with considerable annoyance. She groaned as the naughty hairs somehow fell into her face again. Seeing this, Itachi removed a few inches of bandages off of her arm, and, without a word, tied her hair back for her. She reached up behind her fretfully, her eyes upturned. "Itachi-san, it is really all right! I can tie back my hair on my own," she said with a small laugh, a pout on her face. But she remained still until he had finished his brotherly duty. She sighed when it was finally out of her face. "Thank you, Itachi-san, you have always tied it a bit better than I was ever able to, anyway."
The corner of his lips lifted. "That is because you are not like other weak kunoichi. You are… strong."
She giggled. "Do I really seem that much like a man to you, Itachi-san?" The lifted corner of the mouth rose a bit more. Tsukiko allowed herself the luxury of letting her guard down. She felt all of her muscles ease and relax, and for the first time ever, she felt sleepy. She rubbed her eye and groaned, "Itachi-san…"
"You are tired," he said, his tone blank and empty as usual. "We should head back to the Akatsuki…"
She nodded, and he picked up his tired pupil and dashed off. He had realized how precious Tsukiko was to him long ago. She was almost like a baby sister. She depended on him, and respected him with the utmost courtesy that any Akatsuki member most certainly did not deserve. She was kind, understanding, and innocent (save the blood of thousands on her hands). She had been annoying when she was first assigned to him, yes… But after a while, their trust in each other grew, and soon, the two were inseparable. Itachi felt that, sometimes, without Tsukiko, he would be the most lonely man on the earth. He would gladly risk his life to save her from instant and certain peril. That was why he did not like her fighting alongside Orochimaru: that snake-man was the slyest man to live, as well as the most treacherous.
"Tsukiko--Staring tomorrow, I am going to be gone for a long time," he said suddenly. He scolded himself. He was going to save it for later, but now she knew. Tsukiko turned her eyes toward Itachi, and questioned him immediately. "There's something going on in the Waterfall Country," he said seriously. "I've got to leave…"
She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a sisterly hug. "Well, hope it is successful, Itachi-san." He smiled, then placed a hand on her head.
"Don't worry."
Gaara lay awake all night, not daring to disobey the sleeping demon inside of him. His eyes strained to stay awake; he wanted with all of his energy to listen to the Shukaku--somewhere, where his heart should be, he believed that Shukaku was somehow connected to the spirit of his mother; what did normal people say? Obey your parents. Sometimes Gaara felt as if Shukaku was the only one he would listen to. But even still, he hated the demon inside of him.
His head constantly burned with pain from the lack of sleep, and his back hurt from the weight of the huge gourd on his back. It blinded him with so much pain--it was almost as if it took over his very beingà 'Everyone hates me… They are dangerous; I must kill them all!' Perhaps it was the way everyone avoided him, and maybe this was why he perceived their avoidance as 'hatred.' But in truth, nobody hated him. Few did. But many feared him, and this was a problem. He remembered being involved with the Akatsuki; how he hated it! Using him in battle as if he was some sort of monster on a leash! Gaara's blood boiled, but then, it always did; he was always in a fit of rage, no matter what.
Dawn came with hesitation; the sky split with a flash of pink, a golden sun heralding the new morning. Gaara looked up at the dawning sky, then sighed with exhaustion. His face showed no emotion whatsoever. Standing up with difficulty due to the gourd on his back, he staggered a bit.
"Gaara," called Temari, his 'sister.' "Come on. We've got to head toward Konohagakure!"
He closed his black-lined eyes and rubbed his forehead tiredly, his fingers straying along the tattoo on his brow. The kanji for 'love' shown in red on his skin. Kankurou sighed irritably and turned around, deciding to walk without his other two siblings.
The demon-bearing 'monster' walked calmly past Kankurou, who shuddered with his passing. The other two followed Gaara, who normally led the party. Nobody wanted to displease him. The trees were passing by quicker than they would keep track of. They were traveling at a terrific rate; the wind was whistling around them all. When the final breath of the sky's sigh flowed along the ground, they were there. And who was at the gate than Shikamaru, the famous lazy ninja who had become a Jounin before all the others? Temari quickened her pace and stopped in front of Shikamaru. "And what are you doing here?" she demanded.
He looked up idly and stared at the clouds. "Nothing much."
"Well, let us through."
"Aye, aye," Shikamaru said crossly, stepping aside. "You could have just passed through, anyway. There's no reason for you to ask…" A quiet moment. "Of course, the only reason why you're doing this is because you're a woman. Bah," he said, raising a brow. "Women are so troublesome." She snorted. "Unless, of course…" His earring flashed in the light. "…You're here for the wrong reasons…? Are you up to no good?" She flinched. "Because," he said, "you're obviously worried of breaking rules… doing so would blow your cover. So, Ms. Temari. What are you up to?"
"Shut up. It's nothing," Kankurou snarled, pushing past him and walking forward. He paused, then looked back nervously. Stepping aside, he held out a hand, saying, "Ah--I mean, go ahead, Gaara. Go on." Gaara looked at him blandly then walked past him, radiating a considerable amount of threat and pride. Kankurou growled at his back. "I hate that kid," he muttered under his breath with hatred. Temari sighed and followed them into the city, while Shikamaru kept a close watch from behind, remaining faithful to his post.
"Can't hide anything in Konoha," he said silently.
Tenten was just waking up a couple of blocks away; the light had been screaming into her window, and, while she really would have liked to stay asleep for four more minutes, there came a knock at her door. Nk, Nk, Nk… Tenten rolled off her bed and walked down the hallway while strapping her holster on. She never went anywhere without it. Her fingers trembling from exhaustion, it took her all of her strength to open the door. Rock Lee stood there. "Tenten!" he chirped. "Exercise your youth and train early in the morning from now on! Gai-sensei doesn't like you sleeping in! He says you are wasting your young life!" Tenten nodded tiredly, her head looking like a cork bobbing on the surface of a lake.
"Yeah, yeah… bye."
"Tenten!"
Fire was burning around her; her hair was still messy and standing at an eccentric angle. When her fingers curled into a fist, Lee ran for it. "Leave me alone, you homo!" she shouted, slamming the door shut. There was another knock on the door. Tenten straightened up her hair, then swung open the door gloomily. "What do you want? Who is it now?" she asked crabbily.
Neji stood there. "Tenten," he said coldly. "Exercise your punctuality and train early in the morning from now on, you idiot. Sensei does not like you sleeping in like a lazy person; you're wasting your time when you could be getting stronger." Tenten sighed. She couldn't fight Neji; he was too much of a stoic idiot to understand her anger anyway.
"All right, all right, Neji…" She groaned. "Whenever I train with you, we usually train from dawn to midnight…" The Hyuga brat snorted.
"Anything to become stronger, Tenten."
"That's all you ever think about."
"……. I know."
The day was fast. As far as all of the other instructors knew, nothing much had been accomplished. Even if they were in the end of autumn, the days passed quickly, as if it were winter. Rain fell more often; and the birds has begun their terrible journey south for the coming of the season. The trees were black with water; their leaves fallen and dead. It was several weeks later when something of occurrence happened.
Kiba sat on the porch of an old shrine; it was a quaint little shrine: it was old-fashioned and built in a forest with many trees and animals. Kiba felt at home in the wild, even if the 'wild' wasn't far from the actual village of Konoha. The bells hung along the roof of the shrine were completely still, their vibrant ringing halted by the whispering of the pattering downpour. Akamaru sniffed the air and yapped. "Owr, owr!" It's thin, pink tongue licked at the air, hanging out of the side of its mouth.
Kiba grinned in a canine-fashion and stroked the dog, who ran excitedly around the shrine, returning to its owner within a matter of seconds. "Ai, Akamaru!" Kiba said jovially. "It sure rains a lot now, eh?" The dog barked in agreement. Suddenly there came an odd whir behind Kiba. Without bothering to turn around, Kiba's smile dropped. "Ah," he said, removing his hood and leaning a back a little. "What is it, Uchiha?" Sasuke looked idle as he sidled into a place next to Kiba.
"Nothing," he said.
Kiba looked at the prodigy with an air of smugness. "What is it, suddenly? Now, you're talking to a lowly old commoner like me? An Inuzuka? What's up?" Sasuke didn't answer. Kiba stood up and sniffed the air, just as his dog did. "I've got to fly," he said jokingly. "If I can. Anyway, got to go. Listen, Sasuke. If you've got any problems, I'm sure Sakura and Ino could help you." Sasuke looked sick. Kiba let out a doggish laugh and ran into the rain, shoving Akamaru into his jacket. The rain was pattering gently down at Sasuke's feet; it filled every little empty space of the shrine. He closed his eyes, his head lifted up. For a minute, he thought he felt peace in his troubled mind; maybe it was a mirage… But it felt so real.
The air was still for a second. In an instant, Sasuke heard a rustling behind him. His insane senses perked up, but he remained in his position. This was an unfortunate place to pick a fight--the shrine didn't offer much room, and the rain outside shifted the surroundings; and besides, he had fallen into some sort of fatigue since his last encounter with Tsukiko. He had never noticed the poisoning tag she had left in his room. In moments, the room had filled with some foul-smelling purple mist. He hadn't had much of a chance to see the album either--he managed to return it, but without a glimpse of the inside. It was terribly disappointing for him. Some more rustling was heard.
When the rustling became louder, he couldn't stand it anymore; pulling a kunai from his holster with two fingers, he stood up and got into his stance. "Where are you?" he muttered, looking in all directions. Unluckily, he was not a Hyuga with a 360° vision range. Suddenly someone stumbled from the brush underneath the shrine. Gaara staggered into the shrine and disappeared in a ripple of sand. He reappeared behind him with a dry whistling sound as the grains of dry sand shifted. After "drying" off, he regained his composure and leaned against a wooden beam and stared straight ahead, not making any movements of attack. The dark-haired shinobi shifted uncomfortably.
The sand-nin turned his eerie eyes onto the Uchiha. "Don't worry," he said rather poisonously. "I'm not going to kill you today." The prodigy felt doubt tugging at the back of his mind.
"As if I can trust you," he hissed, holding his kunai up in front of him. "Why the sudden docile Gaara? Where did the killing monster go?" Gaara almost, almost flinched. A fleeting image of his uncle flashed through his mind, and pain ripped through his senses. It wasn't the pain that could be relaxed and tensioned; it was the pain of an old scar within flesh, heart and soul. It was the smell of blood that lingers when he dugs up his memories from the soil of his mind. The countless months of never sleeping hurt him more than ever.
"Shut up, filthy Uchiha," he said with a sigh, making him seem laid-back and relaxed. "I have no reason to kill anyone right now." The other shinobi looked at those black-rimmed eyes with confusion and exasperated anger. They were searching for an answer to the abrupt lacking of blood-lust. "It is raining," Gaara said blandly. "Shukaku does not find a battle in the rain advantageous for our thirst for death." Sasuke shuddered involuntarily then glared at the other boy; Gaara hadn't stirred once from his position.
"You could have said that with more gentle words… you always seem to choose to seem beastly, Gaara of the Sand." He turned away and looked up blankly at the gray clouds overhead. "It is raining…"
"I think we know that," Gaara said acidly.
"Of course we know!" Sasuke said testily, slapping a hand down on the hard wooden planks of the shrine. "I'm trying to seem metaphorical at the moment!"
Gaara sneered. "I don't even know if you're using the term 'metaphorical' correctly."
"Doesn't matter," Sasuke mumbled. "Nothing matters if Tsukiko isn't here. For some reason, I feel as if… wait. Why am I talking about this to you of all people?" He sighed and gave a small smile to the wooden boards of the shrine beneath his feet. The raindrops pattered on the toe of his shoe. A gentle but icy wind shattered the peace, causing the Uchiha to shudder from the cold temperature. Gaara kept his composure, and watched the prodigy with amusement. After the wind had passed, the bells overhead began to clang. Their eerie but beautiful music filled the ears of the two shinobi as the rain continued to patter as if it would never stop. Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired ninja stood up and faced the demon-possessed boy. "Gaara," he said quietly. Gaara didn't blink. With a cold touch of shock, Sasuke realized that he had not blinked since he had appeared. "Gaara, when you first came in, you looked… hurt. What happened?"
Gaara looked away, still unblinking. "Attacked."
"By who?" Gaara glared at Sasuke with annoyance.
"Do you think I would want to tell you everything? As if I'd come sniveling up to you, giving my own poor and cold testimony?" A speechless silence followed. Gaara finally closed his eyes, the black markings seeming to bunch into the shallow black eyes of a basilisk. "Attacked… by a man." When the other questioned why Gaara would attack a person, Gaara replied huskily, "It was restless…" The prodigy stayed silent. "I was destroyed by him… I shouldn't have listened to it… I shouldn't have!" He bit his lip. "He was strong. Beat me senseless--I felt the presence of a shrine nearby, and I fled. Only to find you here, Uchiha."
The 'Uchiha' took a step toward the other. "He? Who was he? What did he look like?"
Gaara unclosed his eyes. "The ANBU… last time I saw him, he was following me; some girl leapt out of nowhere and warded the attacker off…" The smallest of warmth appeared on his face. "…when I fled. I don't know if she's still after me… Uchiha…" Gaara looked at Sasuke with what looked like something rapturous and frightened at the same time. "She… She helped me… after she had defended me, I was frightened… I was frightened of her fear of me. When she turned around and smiled at me, I thought… I thought I had died… I felt… as if I was someone like everyone else… she made me feel like a human being." Suddenly, another rustle of the bushes heralded another visitor. The rain wasn't stopping. Tsukiko leapt out, and landed on her feet, blood spattered on her cheek. When she spotted Gaara, she gave him a gentle smile, the kind that a mother would give to her child, and Gaara's eyes widened and took a step back, his sand acting up. But when Tsukiko saw the Uchiha, she stopped, her eyes locked on his figure. A frown spread across her face, and she lowered her katana. Gaara looked at her scornfully. "You have followed me."
Tsukiko slid her Isamu back into her sheath. "You needed help, Gaara-san." The boy's eyes widened. So she knew who he was all along…? When she moved forward, he gave an unexpected whimper and backed up against the beam supporting the shrine. Tsukiko, without bothering to realize who Gaara had inside of him, drew him in for a soft hug; she felt him stiffen in her arms. "I am sorry, Gaara-san," she said softly. "I know what you go through--I am sorry." Gaara was frozen for an instant, his eyes clouded.
It seemed as if an hour passed before he felt the demon inside of him nagging. He'd never felt this way before--warm--soft-- how he hated having Shukaku with him wherever he went…! He would have stayed that way forever, even tied himself in that position if he could… it had been so long since he had had his last hug. His family had betrayed him, and this… this is what he had turned into--a monster. Another second inched by; Gaara felt himself relax; then Shukaku spoke again.
Suddenly he snapped, and he pulled himself away, growling, "I don't need your sympathy…" Tsukiko bit her lip but kept a steady gaze at the Uchiha, who looked a little disturbed.
"At least I know you are safe," she said quietly. "That's all I am here for. I guess I had better get going…" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
The two looked at Tsukiko with vivid shock. "You never stay for more than five minutes," Sasuke said bitterly. Gaara did not say anything, but his lip protruded thoughtfully; this was rare: Shukaku barely gave him the liberty to think on his own. "Why can't you stay a bit longer?"
"With you two?" joked Tsukiko, seeing the smiles threatening to spread across their faces. "Maybe later but…" Her eyes glazed over, and she looked into another direction, as if suddenly fascinated by the late autumn leaf fluttering past her foot. "I have to leave right now." Her mind strayed toward the Akatsuki: Itachi was away for a long mission; he told her that he'd be back as soon as possible. It has been two weeks already. Worry had already taken a toll on her; she hadn't been eating, and although her slimming was definitely an improvement, the loss of sleep wasn't. She didn't have bags under her eyes, but her condition had worsened; her reflexes were a little slower, and her tendency to get in trouble was more probable. The scar she had gotten from her fight with the young Uchiha had gotten more visible; darker.
"… Bye then," Gaara said in his monotonous voice.
The other did not say anything, but looked down and off to the side; he closed his eyes and let Tsukiko disappear again. "She never does stay long," he said quietly. Tsukiko scaled the support beam that Gaara was leaning against and disappeared from sight as soon as she had climbed her way to the roof.
Jumping through the falling rain with difficulty, she managed to make her way to the shelter of a tall tree at the edge of the forest that the shrine was built against. Pushing her long, dripping hair out of her face, she jumped from branch to branch until she suddenly encountered a squad of Sound-nin. Narrowing her eyes, Tsukiko confronted them boldly and questioned their arrival. "What is it?" she asked, speaking to the leader of the squad, a burly man with his ear pierced with a bead.
The man smirked at Tsukiko's impatience, but spoke in answer: "Orochimaru-sama wishes to speak with you." A cloud crossed her features, and, escorted by the Sound-nin, they were in the base within a matter of minutes. Stepping through the stone gates, she approached the dark hallway, the Sound-nin still leading her. "Orochimaru-sama is very pleased with your work," the man continued out of the blue. "The taking out of the 27 teams of ANBU has especially given you an impression in this place," he said, grinning. "How did you do it?" Tsukiko chose not to answer, so the rest of the way was silent.
Once they reached a huge door, the Sound-nin and the man disappeared. Taking the two knobs in both of her hands, it took her both of her hands to push the colossal door open. Grunting with effort, she finally made it through. Orochimaru sat in front of her, a serpent-like smile on his gaunt face. Lowering down to one knee, Tsukiko immediately lowered her head.
Silence screamed in between them. The room was deadly and dark; you couldn't tell the walls from the ceiling, but the only evident light was coming from some place in the room. She thought it was from her left, but turning her eye to the left, she realized that there wasn't anything there. Maybe it was just an illusion.
Then he opened his white lips and she lifted her head to look at him squarely in the eye. Orochimaru spoke. "Tsukiko-kun, you prove yourself a valuable asset to my forces--if there is anything you need, name it…" She did not speak. Orochimaru's smile grew wider. "You sure? This is the last time and the first I'll be asking this… you see, I normally avoid being generous to my mere subordinates."
She stayed upon one knee, but kept her eyes locked with his yellow ones. "If you please, Orochimaru-sama. It is my pride that I have not asked any favor to any other lords that I have served in the past." The snake-man seemed satisfied with the answer, and gave a small nod of his head of approval. "All that I ask of you… is to let me to continue to serve you faithfully as I have done."
Orochimaru's smile widened even further, exposing his gleaming teeth. "Tsukiko-kun, you please me. You are indeed a most rare diamond in the rough. Valuable. Useful. Faithful." He awaited her reaction with eagerness. Expect a most loyal subordinate to greatly please her lord; the sight of a faithful servant usually raises one's morale. Orochimaru closed his eyes when his trusted subordinate spoke.
"Not at all, Milord," Tsukiko said politely, lowering her head in respect. "I am merely a servant tending to her master--my life is yours, Lord Orochimaru." More silence.
After a while, Orochimaru turned back to Tsukiko, who's fingers were clenched into a fist upon her chest in salute. He ran his long tongue over his sharp teeth and eyed her thoughtfully. She was useful for his purposes, indeed. Her astounding beauty and charm was more than any lord could ask for; she was talented, and had grace and charm even when she was wounded or injured. She knew when to speak and when to stay silence; she was Battle Glory. Tsukiko would prove useful to him. "Tsukiko, you are dismissed. You have my favor." She flashed him an honest smile, and he felt as if the whole room was filled with light. How he hated that smile; it was a bit too cheerful for the room. He held down his frustration as she turned her back on him. Even though he could not see her face, the smirk was almost evident.
"You need not be so flattering, Orochimaru-sama," she said, leaving the room.
When she reached the forest outside, she was blinded by the light. Even if it was raining, it was still bright… compared to… there. Her boots slipped on the mud on the stairway out of the base. When she finally reached the forest floor, the mud had thickened and was soon rising up to her ankle.
"Oh, ew…" she said in disgust.
Studying the trees around her, she recognized her whereabouts and leapt off in another direction. Hopping back onto the roof of the shrine from before, she curled her hands over the edge of the roof and looked down, her long hair swinging forward like a black curtain. Gaara was still there, but Sasuke had gone, apparently intimidated by the presence of the demon-bearing shinobi. Appearing to have sensed her presence, he turned his eyes to glance at her. A moment passed, and Tsukiko felt her face beginning to flush from being upside down. Giving Gaara a cheerful smile that made him blink and give her a curious expression, she crawled back onto the roof and sat, relaxed, upon the roof. The rain hit her face like feathers. The air was full of its hissing. She looked up at the rain, not bothered as the droplets of water hit the surface of her eye; it was the calm before the real storm.
Neji paced the room. There was uneasiness in the air. And he was aware of it. 'How empty the room sounded when tragedy was on its way.' It was something that Neji would wish he was aware of.
Taking his thumb and biting it until it bled, Gaara rubbed his fingers together. Two fingers. Smearing it on the wooden boards, he looked out. The rain was slowing, but it was definitely still present. Sighing, he jumped off, leaving Temari and Kankurou behind. No time to have them slow him down. Leaping from the wooden boards of the shrine, he disappeared into the forest and headed toward his own country; it wasn't far from Sunagakure. The shrine was, in fact, at the very border of Konohagakure. That explained the lack of annoying people buzzing around. The shrine was a perfect place to rest; it was isolated, for one thing. There was business to be done, and he did not need Tsukiko interfering. He was the Kazekage, after all. The Kazekage arrived into his own country. Interesting. Just one toe across the boundary, and he was the leader of an entire nation. The life of a country at his hands, depending on his judgment. How delicious.
When he reached the tower, there were already officials from Konoha there. Tsunade herself, huh? Tsunade leaned forward at his desk and her brown eyes flashed fire. "What is the meaning of this?" she shouted, tossing her head left and right. "We've heard from a captured girl that Orochimaru was to kill us all! She was caught…" a gleam, "no more than five minutes ago, before you got here. Turns out that she came from the same direction you came from. Is there a conspiracy involved, or what? Kazekage-dono, as Hokage of the Konohagakure, I demand to know what--is--going-on!" With each final word, she slammed her fist upon the desk, making it rattle. Gaara looked blankly at her, without batting an eye. Lowering the wide-brimmed hat that indicated his authority, he sighed.
"Hokage-dono," he said irritably, looking up at her reddening face. "The Sunagakure are involved in no conspiracy…" Tsunade snorted and gnashed her teeth.
"That's what they all say," she raged, trying and failing to keep her temper in line.
Gaara frowned and looked at Tsunade hatefully. "If you want an alliance, it is more effective to ask than to accuse." Tsunade flushed, then shut her mouth and calmed down. Closing her eyes, she waited for the Kazekage's next words: "Okay, then. An alliance must be made, due onto the circumstances of Orochimaru's most recent attack." He waved to someone behind him. "Get me the document," he said.
"Right away, sir," cried the shinobi obediently, disappearing around the corner. Upon passing Tsunade, he gave her a frightened look then was gone. The other Jounin behind Tsunade watched Gaara reproachfully, an interesting mixture of hatred and fear dancing across their faces. Gaara smirked and watched it with amusement. When the Sunagakure shinobi returned with an important-looking document in his hand, he placed it in front of the Kazekage. "Here it is, milord," he said hurriedly, fleeing.
The Kazekage looked up at the Hokage over steepled fingers, then flipped the paper over towards Tsunade, who signed it with her seal immediately. Gaara gave a small laugh, shaking his head as he too signed the document. After it was all done, he had a copy made, and gave the other copy to one of the Konohagakure Jounin, who immediately stuffed the important scroll in his jacket. Gaara was still looking at the uncomfortable Tsunade. He smirked again. "It is amazing how even the strongest willed of the lot can become mice when confronting danger, Hokage-dono." He sighed, and Tsunade stood up with her lips tightly closed. A minute passed without neither of them moving. Tsunade looked frozen. "Business over, Hokage-dono. Or are you going to stick around for some fun?" Gaara asked slyly.
Tsunade pushed the chair back in and turned her back on Gaara, snorting. "Leaving is fine with me. No time can be wasted when dealing with that horrible Missing-nin. Orochimaru…" She was trying to look firm for her Jounin, but her fear was obvious. The last time she had gotten into a conflict with Orochimaru, the results were not so good. The country barely got out of the ordeal alive.
Now that he had time to recuperate, the chances were very slim that Konoha would survive another attack from Orochimaru, the Sa-nin.
Back in Konohagakure, things were not going as smooth. Tsukiko had been captured by the ANBU the very same day she had been at the shrine, after she had spoken to Orochimaru. The cell was cold, but Tsukiko leaned against the wall, feeling the freezing stone wall dig ice daggers into her back. Closing her eyes, she bit her lower lip and then raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Tsukiko… you idiot," she muttered, her back slipping down slightly on the wall from the grime. It was dark; the only light was the one outside her cell on the ceiling in the hallway. The cell across from hers was totally empty. No one to talk to.
She removed her cropped kimono and tightened the wide bandages that were wrapped around her bosom; it wasn't sufficient--it still exposed much of her flat stomach and chest. But that was enough to keep you warm. The kimono was thin, and only made her colder. Setting her kimono aside, she sat there in her pants and bandages and thought about everything that had happened. Orochimaru's sudden compliments, Sasuke's interference, and the look Gaara had given her as the result of a casual smile; it was almost as if she was playing the main character in a story. Sighing, she gave a weak smile and opened her eyes.
It wasn't until there was a rattle at her door when she looked toward the unpromising light. A Jounin was standing there, holding a key: Hatake Kakashi. "I've seen you before," he said, opening her door. "You should get some exercise, at least… to keep our prisoners healthy, you know?" When she didn't move, he lost his patience. "Tsukiko! Get out of there, now! You're needed out in the yard for duty!"
Tsukiko turned a lazy eye towards Kakashi. "What is the point of keeping me healthy when we are all destined to die?" she groaned, turning her head away with a frown on her face.
"You're lucky we let you keep the clothes you have on, because you're a girl, you know."
"I do not care." Kakashi stopped what he was doing, which was entering her cell to drag her out. His one exposed eye watched her thoughtfully as she spoke. "When one is in jail… it is almost as if they have all of their hope drained from their bodies. It is torture, Hatake Kakashi. I would rather die here like this, than to try my hardest to survive… I am done-for…" Kakashi blinked, but that was all it took. She was gone. Panic gushed through his veins, and he whirled around; silence: the absence of the expected jingling was apparent, and Kakashi paled. She had stolen the keys! Tsukiko was running on the ceiling, and upon passing a familiar person's cell, she tossed the key to him through the bars.
"Here you go! Free everyone!" she cried.
"Many thanks, Tsukiko-chan!" the criminal said joyously.
Tsukiko broke out into open air; and filled her lungs with the sweet wind that was drifting across the dirty yard. The other prisoners looked up in alarm but she was already gone.
She heard the ANBU and supervising Jounin, including Kakashi; leaping into the street, she flattened herself against the wall of an old building, and waited tensely until the footsteps of her pursuers faded away. Sighing, she turned around to face the cold darkness of the alley. Sighing, she gripped the bandages around her waist and tightened it, the chilly breeze trickling through the alley causing her exposed stomach to make her shiver. She closed her eyes tightly, before hearing someone cough right next to her. Someone was already there. Before she could realize who it was, she felt a blow to her stomach; she gave a tiny intake of breath, and everything went black.
When she came to, she found herself wrapped up in something softer than what she had worn in the jail cell, in which, she was proud to say, she had not stayed in for more than 90 minutes. She immediately sat up, and upon the resounding bouncing, she decided that she was in a very fine bed. Looking around, she realized that, wherever she was, she was somewhere rich. Looking down at her thighs, the soft material was an beautiful red Chinese-embroidered silk dress. She blanched. A dress! She just didn't believe in dresses!
Swallowing her horror, she stood up and looked into a mirror that stood proudly at the very front of the room, on the wall opposite the door. Her hair had been washed, and was tied in an elegant oriental fashion. A sparkling pin had been fitted into her hair, and she felt sick. The dress was… uncommonly tight. Tsukiko suddenly stopped gagging, then surveyed her body in the mirror. She hadn't seen herself for days, due to the mischief she had been making. It was--pretty curvy, she thought, as she turned herself round and round. Tsukiko frowned at her make-upped face and tried in vain to tug the hairpin out of her black hair. Screwing her face up in concentration, she attempted to tug the dress off by removing the buttons on the front of her dress. When she found that everything was securely fastened, she heard a creaking of the doorway. Turning around in horror, recognition and anger flashed through her pretty face upon seeing who was standing there. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, backing toward the mirror.
Neji didn't look too pleased to see her, either. He glared with those bottomless white eyes, and Tsukiko involuntarily shivered, but did not blink as he advanced across the room toward her. After looking her up and down with hot satisfaction, the odd look in his eye vanished as he consulted her with grave manners. "So," he said. "You've become a criminal, by what Kakashi-san has told me."
Silence roared.
Tsukiko looked up into his eyes with a resolved look. "I was a criminal since the day I was born… or have you forgotten what I have done to your father to risk his life? Listen to me, Hyuga. Do not get involved with my affairs, it is really unnecessary for you to--" she grimaced as he took another step; he was already less than a foot away, as is "--report me." Neji smirked.
"I do not recall saying that I was going to report you, Tsukiko-chan."
She allowed him the privilege to see her give a sigh of relief. Then suddenly, in one sweeping motion, he pinned her to the wall; Tsukiko felt the cold tip of a kunai a the her neck, and realizing that she had no weapons, and, seeing that her right wrist were pinned, all she could do was to turned her head to the side, exposing the scar gotten from her recent tussle. Neji frowned and ran a finger along the pale streak on her cheek, giving her sudden, electric currents that passed through her body. Turning his eyes from the scar to her eyes, he gave her a questioning look. Tsukiko pursed her lips and muttered, "My affair is not yours."
Disgusted, Neji pushed the kunai deeper into her throat. Blood suddenly seeped through the wound, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain. She bit her lip and groaned. Neji gave a triumphant smirk, something he was used to flashing. "You're too valuable to hand over to the authorities… maybe I should just… keep you here, in this room, locked up; look at me, Tsukiko-chan," he said, roughly seizing her chin and pulling it to his face. "Do you not realize how much I've hated you all these years? All this time, I've been looking for you, searching… and all this time you've been hiding away with that precious Akatsuki of yours…"
"My loyalty lies with the Akatsuki and Lord Orochimaru alone," she moaned, panting from the loss of breath. The dress was tight enough, but Neji had pushed her against the wall, seeing that he had to hold her chin in place, and at the same time, he had to keep the kunai at her neck. Seeing her struggle, he let out a small smile of satisfaction. "I bend to no one else!"
Neji growled into her ear, putting his head over her shoulder: "You look lovely in that dress, Tsukiko-chan… dazzlingly gorgeous…" again, that odd tingling sensation burst through Tsukiko as his smooth, deep voice cut into her mind, "…but do you really think you can fight in it?" Cold reality pounded on Tsukiko like waves breaking on the rocks. Without her weapons, and her normal garment, she was completely defenseless. All she could do now was… He felt her wriggle against him in a desperate flight for escape; having the tightly-clothed girl struggle up against his body made heat rise up to his face, but he firmed his resolve, ignoring his raging hormones. Amused, he let her wriggle her way free, and watched as she ran to the center of the room, looking about wildly, for an exit. Seeing none, she ran for the door, but upon reaching for the doorknob, she was surprised to see Neji there instead.
"Almost forgot that you are a shinobi," she panted, in a way of an insult, Neji's jaw twitched in annoyance, but he kept a steady watch-over as she vainly tried to push him away. Since he wasn't go be budged, she stood back, then on second though, grabbed a chair and threw it at him with so much force that he was forced to dodge. And that was the instant she needed. When the dust settled, she was nowhere to be seen, but he knew that she was still inside, hiding somewhere. That's what she wanted. She wanted him to leave, thinking that she had already escaped. Then, could true safe escaping commence.
Smirking again, he looked up at the ceiling, expecting to see her hiding on the ceiling. But he sensed her behind him, because she had kept a steady gain by staying behind him, moving along with him without a sound. "You forget that I am a Hyuga," he said out loud. He was meaning the 360 degree vision that came along with his impressive pedigree. If he had been seeking a wife, he would have had no trouble finding a girl who would gladly share her life with him. But Neji's intentions were not of thoughts of a comfortable life with a homely woman who would evolve as a maternal angel. His intentions was to play with his prey.
Straightening, he suddenly swung around and landed an explosive kick at Tsukiko who had been behind him, as he had expected. There was a loud smashing as the kick found ground, and Tsukiko was blasted like a rocket to the wall above the bed. She landed on the soft mattress on her back, and in a daze, she realized that someone was dragging her off the bed by her ankle. Struggling, she stood up to be met by another impressive punch that made her lip bleed. She collapsed onto the floor, then, in blind anger, she seized his arm and gave him a punishing return-punch that made him slam into the ground. Standing up quicker than she expected, he kicked her ankles, causing her to fall.
He grabbed a kunai then pinned her to the floor in the same manner as he had done to her on the wall. Then, he proceeded to attempting to pushing the kunai into the throat, with much force, much more force than before. Her fingers clutched at his own, trying to keep the kunai from killing her. She was biting her lip, and blood trickled from her lip down her chin and her neck; her dark hair was strewn about her face, hiding one eye from view. Her chest was rising up and falling with great speed, and her eyes were fogged up, as if she were on some silent drug. She had a huge attempt to stop him, and with a huge amount of effort, she threw his arm back, causing him to sit up and fumble with his blade.
In anger, he attempted to stab her stomach instead, and with a savage look in his eyes, he brought his arm down with great force, screwing his eyes shut--a clanging of steel--Tsukiko's cry--He opened his eyes.
His blade had never met its target. It was blocked by a four-winged blade larger than his head; one of the projecting wings were stuck onto the frame of the bed next to them. Sasuke glowered down at Neji, who looked outraged. Neji stood up and, seizing a katana from the bed-side, and pointed it at the Uchiha. "Get out of my house," he growled.
Ignoring the other's command, the Uchiha bent down to pick up the unconscious victim, and disappeared without a word. Neji lowered the katana, then snorted, tossing the weapon aside, and, with an air of Hyuga pride, walked out the door, ignoring the pools of blood, the broken chair, and the dark atmosphere of the room. A sudden feeling as if she were jumping without using her legs; and then, moving at great speeds… Tsukiko felt a swishing of air, and when coming to a halt, a gentle, pleasant, feathery feeling on her mouth.
After the moving had stopped, and the air rushing past her had halted its progress, Tsukiko turned her head side to side and tried to speak, but only moans escape. She could almost taste the blood that was leaking faintly from her lip. When she tried to open her eyes, they were stuck together with what seemed to be an invisible substance. That light, gentle feeling hadn't ceased, however, and at this, Tsukiko was very confused about. "Mmmph…" she muttered, frowning and turning her head to the side.
The feathering feeling stopped.
Unable to open her own eyes from the pain constantly searing down her throat, with a huge amount of effort, she rolled over; at least, she tried. She discovered that something had a firm grip upon her back and the rear of her head. Suddenly, instincts kicked in, and she punched out violently with her left hand. Her fist collided with something solid, and there was a dull grunt on the receiving end of her attack.
Almost like magic, her eyes became unstuck, and she came fully into consciousness. The first thing she did was analyze her environment. Eyes raised to the ceiling, she suddenly realized something… ceiling… so she was in someone's home? Tsukiko cursed an unmentionable word, then sat straight up. The annoying prodigy was beside her, nursing a huge bruise on his head. She lay herself back down, closing her eyes and sighing. Maybe she was on drugs or something… how could she have gotten into this house if she… 'No way!' A sudden thought pushed through her ears and out the other side of her head. 'Tsukiko! Have you been drinking? Then, you go and get yourself hooked up so you can lose your virginity!' the voice nagged. She ignored the mysterious counselor and concentrated on keeping her eyes closed. Suddenly, there was that feathery feeling on her lips again. And this time, she heard someone calling.
"Tsukiko-chan…"
When she opened her eyes, she was met with the dark ones of someone that was much too familiar… and too close. She lay there, frozen, as he slobbered his passionate kisses all over her mouth. The feathery feeling was extremely… nice; Tsukiko mentally rolled her eyes. Oh, very poetic. Suddenly she snapped, and the first instinct that came to her mind was.. Pull away! She felt her mind screaming in agony as he continued his activity, his groans of desire and sadness muffled against her lips.
After a while, it was getting out of hand, so she pushed him away (with considerable difficulty) and sat up, before standing up completely and backing towards the wall, looking about wildly for the door out of his apartment. Sasuke was having difficulty breathing; he was clutching at the material on his chest, and sweating. He had no doubt that he had enjoyed that little moment that he had stolen so ruthlessly from Tsukiko, but it was worth it; even the biggest player in the village couldn't have missed that opportunity. Tsukiko dashed from wall to wall, avoiding Sasuke with all the stealth she could muster, if stealth was possible in a room. She attempted to jump out the window as she had done before, but discovering that her dress would most certainly rip, she glowered. She sat back down on a corner and buried her head in her arms, looking very panicked and scared. This of course, wasn't what she felt at the moment.
Sasuke walked over and stared down at her questioningly; when he knelt down and narrowed his eyes, she squealed and cowered, her eyes wild and wide with fear. After a moment of hyperventilation, she gasped, "Get away from me… Filthy Uchiha!" Sasuke seemed quite unperturbed by this little comment.
He took a step and put a tentative hand on her shoulder, which she slapped away immediately. "Tsukiko-chan…" He sat back and sighed, running his hand through his thick black hair in exasperation. "Listen to me. It was the only thing I could do--what if he… when he… you were…" He closed his eyes and turned away from her. When she had calmed down, he looked up at her with concern in his eyes. "I was afraid he would have raped you, he could have…" Tsukiko felt ice pummel her stomach.
She shrunk even more and cuddled herself, a frightened and frenzied expression on her face; the fight with Neji was just too explosive: he could have murdered her, and, Sasuke was right. Neji could have raped her right there and then, when she was knocked out. She could have died, if it were not for Sasuke's lucky arrival. Tsukiko looked up and gave him a twisted smile of gratitude. "Thank you very much," she said softly. "But I need to leave…I… the Akatsu--" She stopped herself. No need to get Sasuke raving up like Neji about her being part of the Akatsuki; she bit her nail, then shakily stood up, her tight, red, dress making it quite difficult to do so. Tsukiko brushed herself off, then, realizing that the pin was still fastened in her hair, she tried to remove it; her fingers were halfway up to her hair when she decided that it just wasn't worth the effort. She made her way across the room, but stopped when he spoke.
"You look breathtakingly beautiful, Tsukiko-chan…" he looked down, blushing, while Tsukiko watched him, poised in front of the door, "… Whether you're in that dress or in anything else, you look beautiful to me." He looked up, his hope for her approval of his compliment getting the better of him. He felt his insides squirm with excitement as she gave him a wily smile, then revealed her gleaming, white teeth as she left with a melodious 'I know that, Sasuke', and left without another word. Score one. According to Sakura, chicks dig having the opposite sex shower them with over-exaggerated compliments; but this time, he wasn't exaggerating at all. Sasuke sighed and slid his back down the wall until he rested on the floor.
The silence was overwhelming. A small smile was tugging at his lips, his eyes closed in amusement, as he uttered the first sound in what seemed like hours.
"What a girl."
It was a few days later when the actual 'storm' built up to a ruckus.
The first signs of ill future of the country was beginning to show.
