Chapter 6: Come Out And Play
"Hey! Artemis-chan!"
Artemis turned to see her other team mate, Razuli Jeille walking towards her eagerly. Artemis restained a groan. Jeille was a nice guy and all, but he had a monster crush on her that she did not return. They had just finished reporting to Tsunade of their final completed mission of the day, and Artemis was planning on devoting the night to training. She had (stupidly, she realized now) said as muchto her team, and no doubt Jeille took it as his chance to 'bond' with her.
Nevertheless, she smiled indulgently ather approaching team mate, "Yes, what is it, Jeille-kun?"
"I wasthinking maybesince we're both planning on training tonight we could do it together!" The boy said hopefully.
Artemis considered it. She didn't actually feel like training, and had not felt like it all day. But she used the upcoming Chuunin exam as an excuse to get out of letting Sasuke come to a band rehearsal. What was she going to say now? This was one thing she could not get out of without ending up spending her evening having some 'one on one' time withher 'Dad.'
Artemis sighed. "Sure. Why not."
Jeille beamed at her. "Great! Let's go!" He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the forest. On the way there they passed Matsuri's house, where Matty sat on the couch in his garage, playing his bass. But he looked up when he heard them coming. He took one look at the disgruntled Arty, another at the eager-looking Jeille, and started to laugh. Artemis flicked him off as she was dragged further into the woods.
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"Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke looked up from his book in irritation. "What is it, Sakura-san?"
Sakura's eyes were bright, her cheeks were colored, and her smile was enormous. Happiness radiated from her you could feel the electricity come off of her. Sasuke frowned more deeply. It irritated him. How could she be happy? He was treating her with indifference, and the world was so...ugly.
"Oh my gosh! You wouldn't believe it, but..."
"Yes?" Sasuke asked impatiently. He wanted to get away from her and her stupid, sickening, innocent happiness.
"I finally did it! I finally beat Lee in taijutsu!"
"Great," Sasuke said in a high, mocking voice. "Now only six hundred victories to go, and you might become a half-way decent ninja."
Instantly, that happiness that nauseated him vanish. He smirked. Good, now everything was back to normal, she was sad and broken, and he could go one with life.
But instead of the muffled apology for disturbing him and the sniffle that usually followed situations like this, Sasuke found himself instantly on the ground at Sakura's feet, gasping for breath.
"WHY! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KILL MY JOY? WHY CAN'T YOU FOR ONCE LET SOMEONE BE HAPPY! WHY MUST YOU MAKE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING AS MISERABLE AS YOURSELF! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO TORMENT ME BY DESTROYING EVERY SHRED OF GOOD FEELING I HAVE, AND LEAVE ME WITH THIS EMPTY FUCKING FEELING! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MISERABLE AND PATHETIC, DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE TO BE TOO! GOD DAMN IT, WHY CAN'T YOU GET OVER YOURSELF FOR ONCE AND LET A PERSON BE HAPPY? WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME BE HAPPY?"
Sasuke looked up at the pink-haired kunoichi in shock as she ranted on. What the hell happened to that little timid, polite girl he knew? But no, he could not let her win like this, he had to take control and stop her in her tracks. He got up slowly and slapped her.
Sakura didn't even flinch before knocking him to the floor again and continuing to rant. The sound ringing in his ears, he finally got up again, seized her roughly and pulled her into a voilent kiss.
Needles to say she shut up. She looked at Sasuke as he pulled away, her eyes dazed. "Sasuke-kun?" She said in the voice he knew her for. He smirked.
"Come, now."
Sakura started to pull away, but Sasuke just grabbed her and dragged her by the arm towards his house. Passers-by stopped and stared at them, whispering to each other, but Sasuke didn't care. He just reached his house, pulled Sakura in, and slammed the door.
Sasuke pushed Sakura up against a wall and made her face him. His eyes glittered. "Ready for your reward?"
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A cowardly man would have not entertained the notion of approaching her after seeing what happened the night before; let alone attacking her. Abrave man would tread cautiouslly and go through with it, but in an organiized manner after recieving instructions. Ameel Razuli was foolish. Foolish in the manner that was a commonplace amoung young men with massive potential and a thirst to prove themselves. This was the reason he was currently hiding from the girl, watching from far away, waiting for a chance to attack as soon as that idiot with her was gone.
He had every want to attack her, that was no problem. This girl had ruined his life and robbed him of his greatest dream merely by her existance. It was bringing her back alive that would prove to be the problem.
Razuli's childhoodhad beenone big nightmare. His father, disgusted by his son's red sharingan eyes he inherited from his mother, abused both him and his mother brutally. Mr Ameel blamed his wife for their son's 'deformation,' for she was a distant relation of the Uchiha clan. The truth was, it was more of a miracle Raz's eyes were that color, for his mother was so distantly related to the family that it was a wonder anyone could trace the lineage. But Raz's father beat the both of them for it just the same. And after his mother died, Raz's own abuse became worse.
However, when Raz was eight, the nightmare ended with the visit from a stranger. a beautiful, seductive man from the land of fire who had the ability to switch bodies and thus live forever. But he needed to change hosts and to hide. He had wanted to use the boy, but found him not mature enough. So he took Raz's father, faked his death,and took the boy in, training him and raising him with love and protection. He wished to take the boy when he was older for his sharingan, and Raz was all too willing. With that, Orochimaru's love for the boy showed more and more with each passing year.
He was a second choice, Raz knew that. Orochimaru perferred pretty boys with dark looks. But he wanted the sharingan badly. Raz knew there was a boy marked before him, one who furfilled every requirement, but who had rejected it. Idiot. Of course Orochimaru could have taken him by force, if it were not for the Akatsuki's protection of him . For Sasuke was the only one who could continue the bloodline.So Orochimaru settled on Raz.
But sure enough, a few eeks ago, a rumor reached them of Uchiha's possible illegitimate daughter living quietly in Konoha. Of course, this solved all Orochimaru's problems. If the rumors were true, he could kidnap the girl, hand her over to the Akatsuki so they could have their precious sharingan line, and Orochimaru could get Sasuke. As soon as the possibilty of his first choice returned to him, Orochimaru started neglecting Raz. He finally sent him on a mission to confirm the reports and then wait in Konoha for further instructions.
Raz had sent the message last night regretfully. He still had not recieved instructions, but he knew what to do. Maybe if he was lucky, he would be able prove himself by kidnapping the girl, and Orochimaru would decide on him over that brooding pretty-boy.
Raz knew he could take her, he also had the sharingan and the curse seal's power, as well as advanced training in gen and taijutsu. Only he didn't want people noticing her absence until it was too late. He had to wait for the boy to go before he could make his move.
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Itachi's situation was an odd one filled with selfish optimism. The Akatsuki were undoubtedly watching the village, waiting for the next Uchiha heir to come so they could swipe it and destroy the village. It was only a matter of time before they realized the truth. Artemis, for her own safety, and those of others, had to leave the village and go into hiding. Surely Sakura and Sasuke realized that. It was the only way, Tsunade agreed as well.
This was where Itachi came in. It was agreed he would take her with him after the chuunin exam and that she would become a missing nin to avoid questions. Itachi could not be happier to have his neice with him 24/7, but there was Artemis herself. She would not go without a fight. She would not want to leave her home, friends, family, and band. It would cause great emotional wounds Itachi would have to mend. It wasn't fair she should be robbed of a normal life just because of some organization's foul intentions. Itachi hated to do this to her, but at the same time, he wanted her around always.
She couldn't be told for a while, but Sakura would need to know now. Oh, that was going to be a bad scene as well. Sakura would not willingly give up her daughter, but she'd obey the Hokage's orders. And how would Sasuke react? How much did he care for the girl? The man was stubborn, and may not want to let her go. But then again, he was no fool. The existance of another Uchiha could not be known to the world until the Akatsuki were wiped out.
The urgency was increasing too. Itachi sensed an ill-wisher's presence. The person was strong, whoever it was, for Itachi could not pinpoint their location or identity, but he knew he would have to keep a close watch on Artemis for the time being. So he sat on the branches ofa tree and watched Artemis and her friend train silently. The girl's moves were high above her partner's in strength and technique. In fact, he was so caught up in his appraisal, he didn't even notice the boy giving up and leaving. It was the kunai flying through the air towards Arty that got his attention.