Disclaimer: Whatever I do Naruto will never, ever, ever be mine… how sad…

ODES OF THE BETRAYED

by Kage Kurokawa

PART I MIDNIGHT HAUNTINGS

Chapter 1: A Semblance of Peace (SHINO)

Hmmm…the air feels refreshing today. It seems like we'll be having a relatively fine weather. The water on the lake is quiet. At times like this, it would be clear and blue, reflecting the sky above it. This is a good time for a swim, someone told me once.

Maybe later.

I think I'll just go and sit on my favorite spot… and feel the tranquil environment that surrounds me.

This place gives me a sense of inner peace everytime I comehere on a fine day. A certain person tells me that I've found my own personal haven here. It's on this tall, old, and thick bamboo tree which grew unnaturally. Instead of shooting up wards, it bent itself like a rainbow towards the water. Its tip just touches the water's edge. It's the only bamboo tree on this part of the lake. Which is quite strange. I wonder if it gets lonely. There have been many odd tales regarding this single bamboo on the lakeside. I don't know it any of them are true though.

But people avoid this place for some reason. This placeis like taboo to the residents here. I do not understand why. I mean, with the type of people living here, you would think they'd know better than to listen to old wive's tales.

But it is just as well that people rarely come here. It's a good place tohang out and relax when you want to have some peace and quiet…

I always sit on the middle this particular bamboo tree that I grew fond of, at the highest part of its arch. I do sowith my hands on my lap and my feet dangling slightly off the ground. And sometimes, when I'm feeling nice, I let some of my kikai bugs out to enjoy the scenery with me. They need the exercise or so they tell me. But not today. Maybe tomorrow.

My reverie was interrupted as I felt a familiar chakra behind me. I hate it when he does that. He's one of the very few people that I cannot sense immediately until he's almost beside me. Without turning around I acknowledge him.

Uchiha Sasuke.

"You're late." I simply say. Hmmm. I think he picked up one of Kakashi sensei's bad habits.

"No. You're just early." He states me as he walks towards me. Sasuke's steps are light and barely there. He's so stealthy in his movements. You never hear him until he wants you to.

He sits beside me and we lapse into familiar silence for a while. Seven years of repeating the routine of sitting together in calm quietude every so often helps one get use to it.

And then the moment passes.

"Neji said he'll be meeting us here in an hour. He was summoned." Sasuke began.

"Ah." I say. That's all I really need to say. Sometimes our conversations are summed up in two sentences but we learned to understand each other quite well. Our friends think we have telepathy or something.

So Neji was summoned. It means that we will most probably have to go on a mission again. It's been a while since we had a mission. A month to be exact. Not that I'm complaining. It feels good to finally have a break after seven consecutive missions.

I felt a certain sense of agitation from the blue-haired nin beside me. He combed his fingers through his hair. The wind blew some of it on my face. Sasuke's hair had grown longer over the years. On the front, it is still parted to rest just under his chin. But on the back, his hair is always pulled back by a braid that went down to his waist.

Hmmm. He only combs through his hair when he is either irritated or something's bothering his mind.

"What is it?" I ask, always getting straight to the point.

"Team Eight had been summoned as well."

"I see."

So Team Eight had been called on as well. Why would they need two teams on a mission? It must be quite big, this task. They rarely send two teams together on one mission. And with Team Eight? It makes me think that it must have something to do with…

"I wonder why with Team Eight of all teams?" Sasuke thought out loud.

"Maybe… it's important." I answer with a cautious tone.

I think he caught on. He is a geniusfor a reason. Sasuke is frowning. I can tell. His face might seem unreadable to many people but you can always tell when he is frowning. You actually feel it rather that see it. I guess his thoughts are also taking the direction that mine took…

But it's not good to jump to conclusions before we get to the facts. So we just keep quiet.

A few moments later, Hyuga Neji arrives. I sense that he is frowning as well even with my backturned from him. I seem to have a talent for feeling people's frowns. His footsteps are light, yet they are somewhatslower than his usual pace. I think that something's going to happen alright. Did you know that Neji actually had redeeming qualities once you get to know him? Once you get to know him, that is. I've been wary of him at first, especially after what happened with Hinata. And after what happened to me…

Sasuke shifted beside me to face Neji. I, on the otherhand, stay as I am.

"We're going on a mission with Team Eight." He said simply. That's the comfort in this little team of ours. We usually never take the long way round when we speak our minds. "The specific details of this mission will be revealed tonight at the Hall."

The Hall.

If it will be at the Hall, it must be more than just a class A mission then. And to think that the mission standards here are much higher than what we were used to when we were just genins.

"Why are we working with Team Eight?" Sasuke asked. I don't know ifthat is a hint of aggravation or of excitement in his tone. I think I smiled.

"Because…" Neji trailed off suddenly as we all felt three familiar chakras close in at lightning speed. Ah… I started to moved towards the lake. I hear Neji sigh.

"Don't you want to work with us anymore Sasuke kun? I'm hurt…" a fake, sickly sweet voice asked as the owner made himself known. Together with his companions. Team Eight had arrived.

"Shut up dobe," was the automatic reply.

"So Team Three, it seems that we're gonna be stuck with you," another voice suddenly piped in. "This might actually get interesting."

Well he seemed to be in a carefree mood today, this infernally bored man.But I catch a tint of something off from the way he spoke.

I feel some of my bugs become a bit restless inside me at the presence of the third person it their company. Ah, but at least they've learned to tolerate him now. His

I hear them talk about something… but I've lost tracked somewhere between bloodstains and falling off the roof again…

I just stood there, facing away from the speakers, feeling the soft wind blow on my face. On my hair. And letting the lull of the voices take me back in time, when I can still recall what it was like to…

It'speaceful moments like this one that makes everything we do feel easier to bear. For a brief period, we can actually pretend that we are the children that we werein the pastand not the cold hearted killing machines that we were raised to be in this place. That's why this lake is our sanctuary. Here, we can be who we were once in a while. All six of us…

"Hey Shino." Hm. One of them is calling me. I think I know who. Not this again. He moves to where I was. But does not quite get close. Again.

I ignore him. As always.

"Shinooo." He called again in a sing song voice, his hand waving in front of my face like he usually does. This imp is really asking for it sometimes. He knows I'm more levelheaded and least likely to kill him than my two teammates. That's what he thinks. He said so. I don't know why he thinks that way. Well, he's always been more eccentric than the rest of us...

I don't move. But I feel a smirk making its way on my face.

"Shinoo!" He shouted by my ear and prepared to run. But before he could move away, I grabbed him by his collarand threw him into the water. There was a very noisy splash. I don't think he entered gracefully

"Itaii!"

I chuckle silently and hear the others laughing in the background. Ahh. Laughter is scarce to hear around these parts nowadays.

"You're not supposed to do that!" he sputtered as he gathered himself back onto dry land water dripping everywhere. "You were supposed to let me get away!"

"I'm blind Naruto. Not deaf or entirely useless." I pointed out. "I can sense every movement you make."

"Hmmphhh!" He pouts. He can be such a kid sometimes.

Uzumaki Naruto. Yes the Uzumaki Naruto.

He's changed so much these past years, but now and again there are moments like these when we could still see the traces of that playful and trying child that we once knew. But these become rarer every day. And are now marred with that dark aura that threatens to consume him. Like the darkness in every single one of us here…

It is for this few lighthearted moments that me and the others find a semblance of comfort in this new territory that we now call home. It has been our homefor the last seven years.

Phantom Country.

That's what they call this harsh paradise hidden in the middle of nowhere.

It's quite ironic how we ended up here. And beteamed up together nonetheless. Five rogue ninjas of Konoha and a psychotic one from Suna.

I arrived here with Sasuke and Neji six years ago. Quite by accident really. A year later Naruto, Shikamaru and Gaara appeared. It was a surprise for everyone. But not an unwelcome one. Ithad been good to see familiar faces, even when they broughtbackpainful memories. At least we can all be miserable together. At least that's what Naruto said. It was not entirely senseless.

We all left the Hidden Leaf Village for different reasons and yet wehad beenbrought together again inside this mysterious, dangerous yet beautiful country. We all live in a small place called Black Phantom Village.

I left Konoha after I became blind. I left the borders with Uchiha Sasuke.

Yes. The Uchiha Sasuke

Now that was unexpected. Who would've thought they'd see the day thatwe leave together when we barely spoke more than a few words to each other in the village? But fate wanted to intervene with our lives at that time.

Sasuke became a fugitive in Konoha.

But that story is not mine to tell.

All I can say is that, I was walking aimlessly and hopelessly inside this forest, somewhere just outside Konoha waiting for death to come to me. I ran away from the Aburame clan. Seeing nothing but darkness and with only once of my bugs to lead me, I wandered for several weeks with no direction and no purpose, until I literally bumped into the person that was the Uchiha heir.

The first thing he said to me was…

xxx

"Watch where you're going!" I know that voice. Or at least I think I do. But he is not suppose to be here.

"I can't. I'm blind." I just simply say.

"Shino." He says. Getting up as if recognizing me for the first time.

"Uchiha. Sasuke." I do the same. I don't know what to say. We're not exactly friends.

"I heard you ran away." Ah. So he knows about what happened.

"And you're on the run." I have a flair for stating the obvious.

"Yes I am." What do I say?

"Hmm."I have nothing more to say.

"Aren't you gonna ask me if I did it?" He asks. Somehow I can feel his eyes studying me.

"It's none of my business. I could care less." I shrug. I start to walk away. I know I'm walking away because my kikai guide told me where away was supposed to be. I figured he wanted to be left alone. Apparently not.

"Where are you going?" He seemed curious.

"I don't know. I can't seem to find my way." I answered sarcastically.

"I can see that." He shot back.

"And I can't." I replied, somewhat bitterly if I recall correctly.

"Aren't you supposed to be infernally quiet?" Why won't he leave me alone?

I stopped.

"Aren't you supposed to be not nosy." I turned to where my guide said he was.

"…"

"…"

We laughed a bit.

"You wanna find a place to camp the night?" He invited. "If you don't mind a wanted man for company that is."

"Okay." Any company didn't seem so bad when one is miserable.

"I found a spot that will do." He said.

"Aren't they going to send Anbus on your tail?" I asked carefully as I followed his lead.

"They already think that I'm outside the village." He replied casually. But did I sense a certain sadness there?

"Where do you plan to go?" Iinquired after I sat down and leaned on a tree to rest.

"I don't know." He paused. "Maybe I'll go seek out Orochimaru."

"Ah…" Oh well…

"I'll go find us some wood for fire." And off he went.

"Okay." I said to the wind.

xxx

Our journey that ended here in Phantom Country started out that way. It was a peculiar way of starting a friendship… Sasuke never did went to Orochimaru. But there had been a time when…

"Shino…" I felt a hand shaking my shoulder lightly bringing me out of my memory. Sasuke.

"Yes?"

"You were lost somewhere again." I can feel a small smile in his voice. "The dobe and the others are gonna get something to eat together before we go up in the hall. Come with?"

"Hai." I can hear the voices and the footsteps of the others moving away from us.

I got up, and we both followed the rest of the guys to the nearby diner.

A mission is waiting for us after our meal.

I wonder why I have this unsettling feeling at the pit of my stomach?

END CHAPTER 01

A/N: Why Shino first? Coz he's my favorite… 'nuf said.