Hello, all. I'm back. Sorry for the wait.
Dedication: Glory to God that I am blessed with such an exquisite method of expression, and such wonderful readers, fans and critics to share it with. He's too good to me.
Ultimatum: Read my profile for instructions on reviews. I mean it. This is important.
LegacyChapter Five- The Release
"When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered."
Dorothy Thompson, author and commentator, 1893-1961A beautiful panic ran circles in Kiba's head. Disbelief blotted out all the other priorities that tried to push their way to the surface. He had other obligations, duties to perform, responsibilities he could not shrug off, but for once they were unimportant. Kiba pushed them to the back of his mind just long enough for this one moment to exist. In a fearful catastrophe of giddy fright and untold exertion, he saw Hinata's face, smiling up at him through soft, joyful tears. She clung to him, as though afraid to let go, and they breathed together in their joint movement. Kiba felt peace finally, though for no physical reason. He knew for the first time that Hinata was his own, and that she accepted him in return.
With a gasp, it was gone. Kiba was alone again, sitting in his bed and glistening in a cold sweat. The panic he had been feeling subsided as he reassured himself that the he had only been dreaming, that this miraculous experience of final release was just another in a long string of illusions. He was sick of the disappointment, but knew to keep his dreams in their proper place.
The others were still asleep. Thankfully, he hadn't woken Shino with his dreams again. Kiba sighed and stared at the glowing embers of the fire that had been crackling vividly when he had gone to sleep. They smoldered now, but could not cover Hinata's scent with the traces of smoke they put out. They simply flickered hopelessly, begging to be fueled once again. Even if he wanted to rekindle the flames, there was no more fuel for kilometers. The Village of Sand was only another twelve hours away, and the last of the shrubbery had gone into the meager fire that had already burned out.
It was a large room, larger than Anko was comfortable with. It had been an observatory before Sasuke, one of her favorite places in the city, and seeing it outfitted as a living space felt very much like seeing a fanciful childhood friend as a jaded adult. Still, she pressed forward into what was certainly the most frightening presence she had ever felt. Even Orochimaru did not generate this sort of oppression to those in a room; hell, she had even been comfortable around her old sensei. Being near Sasuke-sama was like being near the First Hokage, a revolutionary of greater power than other men could fathom.
"What is it?" the confident, shallow voice came from the window. Sasuke was looking out over his city. Anko noted that the house to which she had been assigned was directly in his field of vision, and that he seemed to be comfortable standing there.
"Sasuke-sama," she began weakly, to her own disappointment. "It's me, Mit…"
"I know who you are, Anko. What do you want?" There was no genuine interest in his voice. Anko felt only that her presence offended him.
"It's Kakashi-dono, sir. He's…he's not well."
Sasuke turned his head a bit, glaring at Anko out of the corner of his eye. "How so?"
Anko hated being looked at by Sasuke. She felt ashamed, somehow, as though she didn't deserve to be there yet refused to leave. "He has fits, Hokage-sama. He's taken to breaking things. I hear him talking to himself when he doesn't know I'm there, nonsense mostly. He won't talk to me anymore. I guess that's not a big deal, since he never really liked me, but I'm worried that he might be going mad." Anko stood for a moment, feeling very exposed, before her Hokage's indignant gaze.
"Cabin fever," he muttered and turned back to the window. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and Anko began to wonder if that was his diagnosis and if she should thank him and leave. "Tell Kakashi to report to me tomorrow morning. I have a mission for him," Sasuke said finally, turning his shoulders a bit to make it perfectly clear that he was finished. Anko said nothing in return, but bowed deeply and backed away quickly. She had once been known for her iron constitution. Now, she trembled in the presence of a man half her age.
Kiba's sour mood was tangible the following day. There was nothing for breakfast but lumpy lukewarm porridge, which used up a good quantity of their dwindling water supplies. Anything else would dehydrate the shinobi, so there were no complaints, but few men can walk happily through the desert on lukewarm porridge. Lee was among them.
"I can't wait to get to Sunagakure!" he chimed with a healthy stretch. He had been sleeping uncomfortably in the sand, unused as he was to such conditions. "I haven't seen Gaara-san in so long! I'll bet he's gotten twice as strong as he was!"
"I'm not sure that's possible, sweetums," Tenten interrupted, taken aback by Lee's optimism. Both Kiba and Shino winced at her demeanor, which had been getting increasingly more endearingly nauseating around her new boyfriend.
"Don't get too excited, Lee," Kiba interjected before Tenten could, potentially, say anything more. "You can't even beat me, and Gaara is out of my league. He's not turning down your challenges because he's worried for himself, you know."
Lee stopped. He had been at the front of the group, by far the most enthusiastic, but quickly dropped behind. Kiba stopped as he passed his rival, hoping he hadn't shattered any idealistic assumptions he had fostered, but Lee's face betrayed nothing but disbelief and amusement. "Is that a challenge, Kiba?"
"Oh, no," Shino muttered, dropping his pack where he stood. They wouldn't be moving from that spot for a few minutes yet.
Kiba grinned. This would improve his mood. It always did. "Yeah, sure. Whaddya have in mind?"
"You issued the challenge," Lee observed, shedding his own gear. "You decide."
Kiba thought for a short moment, then threw his luggage to Shino's feet. "First to draw blood?"
"Sounds fair. You don't transform, I keep my weights, one kunai each, no jutsu."
"Allright. Hinata, would you please signal the start of…"
"Now hold on!" Naruto boomed from the back. "Why do you guys get to spar while I have to stand back and watch? I want in on this!" His eyes never left Kiba, who had been sidling him for the past week every time he tried to approach Hinata.
Lee stopped for a moment and thought, but Kiba's mouth curved into a toothy grin. His day just got a whole lot better. "Deal! Three-man fight, last one not bleeding is the winner!"
Lee looked over at Kiba with concern. "Should we really let him in on our rivalry?"
"It's only one match, Lee. We both know that you and I are the real rivals here. Besides, I've been wanting a piece of Naruto for a while. It'll be tough, with no transformations, but I think I can handle him."
The three remaining shinobi cleared a large area of the flat, rocky desert ground, where the contenders stood in a rough triangle. Hinata, excited but just a little scared, stood with her arm extended, holding a red piece of cloth. Her soft voice was barely audible over the desert wind. "Get ready, get set…"
"Wait!" Lee interrupted, slapping his forehead. "We have made no manly promises for this contest!"
Kiba and Lee closed in to a huddle, and Naruto quickly followed suit. "Well, this is Naruto's first challenge, so we have to give him something hard, but something that can be done on the move. How about a thousand cartwheels?" Kiba offered, hoping to occupy Lee's attention. He failed.
"Wait a second, Kiba. Now, I followed through with the promise from our last contest, but you have not."
Kiba blushed. "I won that contest. I don't have to do the same promise."
"Well, if you're going to assign Naruto-san's promise, it makes sense that I should assign your and he should assign mine. Doesn't it?"
"Well…"
"Good. You will have the same promise as before, Naruto-san will have the cartwheels. Naruto, what should I do if I lose?"
Naruto, silent rather through awe to this point, went into a mild concentration. "Well, I don't know. Oh! You'll have to carry Tenten and Hinata's packs for the rest of the trip! That sounds fair."
Lee nodded and retreated to his starting position. Naruto did the same. Kiba lingered, a little frightened at the prospect of loss. Reluctantly, he walked back to the small rock he had been standing by at the beginning, drew a kunai and waited for Hinata to start the match.
"Get ready, get set, go!" Hinata dropped her red cloth, which settled gently on the desert ground. Before the tiny wisp of dust it stirred had settled, all three combatants had connected in the center of their playing field.
The fight began just as was expected. Naruto was taken by surprise when he realized that Kiba and Lee were not simply fighting with kunai but taijutsu as well. A few well-placed kicks that connected with Naruto's ribs and thighs whetted Kiba's appetite for an aggressive beating of his unofficial rival. With one large opening showing itself he kicked Lee a good distance away from the fray and began to concentrate on Naruto.
Lee landed gracelessly on his back, expecting both of his opponents to pounce on him as easy prey. Instead, he heard the fight continuing without him as Naruto and Kiba exchanged half-thought curses and wholly-meant punches. As Lee stood, a particularly savage clash threw both kunai clear of the pugilism. Neither combatant retrieved their weapons, but pressed even closer together, swinging fists and knees as they bit into each other's shoulders.
In a flash, Naruto and Kiba were pried from each other's grip and stood separate. Before they realized what had happened Lee stood between them, their own kunai in his hands. A thin red line formed on both of their chests, with only a trace of blood shed. Lee frowned at both of them in turn, dropped their knives at their feet, and returned to his baggage. He neither smiled nor spoke.
The others walked away as Kiba and Naruto stood there, where they had been fighting, staring at the kunai at their feet. A few minutes' introspection led Naruto to pick up his knife and begin wiping it off. He walked past Kiba to his pack, but stopped as Kiba spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Naruto thought for a moment. "Don't be. We both lost our heads."
"Not that. I did that on purpose. I'm sorry because I'm not going to lighten up. I love her, and she deserves better than the likes of you. I'm sorry. That's how it's going to be."
Naruto's fists tightened. His teeth ground. "You think you're better than me?"
"For her? Absolutely."
An intense moment of silence passed. Neither man turned to face the other. Finally, Naruto grabbed his pack and began to walk after the others. "Hurry up, or we'll leave you behind."
Kakashi loathed Sasuke. He sat in his office, sitting stoically in the chair he had sat in for years and, for once, hating the man to whom he reported.
"It's been a while, sensei. How have you been?" Sasuke spoke with genuine interest, a rarity.
Kakashi said nothing in response.
"It's very nostalgic seeing you here. It would be great to bring the whole team together, like old times. Don't you think so?"
"Go to hell," Kakashi mumbled. He had long ago abandoned the love he had for his students. Courtesy had no meaning for him.
"Don't speak like that, sensei. Especially not in front of a lady."
Catching his queue, Neji opened the office door for Sakura, who walked in quietly and nervously. Kakashi turned at the sound and gasped at the sight. He stood and faced Sakura, who subsequently broke into tears. Overcome by relief, she ran to her old sensei and clung to him, sobbing into his chest.
"They…said…" she choked out, but could manage nothing ore. Sasuke guessed what she meant to say and related it to Kakashi.
"I had circulated the rumor of your death about six years ago to discourage any kind of uprising. Sakura was never a rebellion risk, but she helped to spread the propaganda like few could."
Kakashi ignored this grave insult. It had been years since he had seen anyone but Sasuke, Anko and the guards, making his student's presence a delight beyond expression. He would not spoil it with grudges. "Have you been treated well, Sakura?"
Sakura nodded silently.
"She's been treated excellently, sensei. She's one of the premier members of my staff." Sasuke nodded to Neji, who led Sakura out of the room. She made no attempt to resist, and Kakashi made no attempt to follow. Both were entirely drained. "However, her treatment is about to take a rather severe turn for the worse," Sasuke continued, sitting grimly behind his desk.
Kakashi turned back to Sasuke in a flash. "What?"
"That is, unless you're willing to rejoin the workforce, sensei. There is a mission that only you can complete. Do it faithfully, and I will reward both you and Sakura. Deny me or betray me, and both of you will suffer."
Kakashi narrowed his one exposed eye. He had been driving himself mad to leave the city, but this was nearly as intolerable as captivity. "What is the mission?"
Sasuke smiled. "I was once on a team with three comrades. Two are here with me, and one is yet missing."
Shino slowed to a stop. ANBU guards gathered near the entrance to Sunagakure, blocking all passage. Though the Resistance was still several hundred yards away, it was clear that something was amiss. When the others had followed suit, a single ANBU captain came forth to address them.
"Welcome, Aburame-dono. On behalf of Sunagakure I apologize for this inconvenience, but Kazekage-sama is away and we have implemented new security protocols."
Shino nodded and took off his pack. He was familiar with standard security increases in Sunagakure, so this was nothing upsetting. The others did likewise, throwing them into a pile for inspection. Several other ANBU arrived and picked them up. When he had finished Shino took a step forward, expecting to continue, but the ANBU captain did not budge. Shino stopped again. "Is there something else?" he asked, more annoyed than curious.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. Him," the captain announced, louder than before, and pointed to Naruto. "Our orders stand. Only known allies are to enter the city. I'm the senior officer, and I've never seen him before."
"This is Uzumaki-san, son of the Fourth Hokage and member of my Resistance. Let him pass. I will vouch…"
"I don't care if you can vouch for him, Aburame-dono. Our orders are clear. Only those known to us may enter the village."
Shino pushed up his sunglasses. "We require entry to your city. We are low on resources, and we must speak with your ruling family."
"I do not deny you entrance."
"But why must we enter without one of our number? Is the Resistance not known to you?"
"I know each of you, but I do not know him. Come now, Aburame-dono, do not make an issue of this. An ANBU fortification is located ninety-six kilometers south of here, and Uzumaki-dono is welcome to stay there until you have finished your business. He will be quite comfortable, I assure you."
"Now see here, you…"
"Shino, stop. It's okay. I'll go." Naruto took a few steps forward and joined the ANBU captain. Everyone, including Kiba, looked back to him with surprise. Naruto was not one from whom they would expect such self-sacrifice.
Shino thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Naruto. Thank you. However, I don't think you should go alone." Kiba gasped. Shino continued. "Choose someone to go with you."
"Hinata-chan," Naruto said in an instant, inciting a flattered blush from the kunoichi. Kiba glared at him.
"I'll go with him, too. You know, just in case," Kiba offered, taking a step toward his pack. Shino grabbed him by the shoulder.
"No, you won't. You obviously can't be trusted alone with Uzumaki-san, and I need you here. The two of them will be enough for anything that might crop up here in the desert. Don't worry."
Kiba shot one last look at Naruto before he turned his back to leave, escorted by ANBU and followed by Hinata. Naruto turned to look back over his shoulder, a sly grin sneaking onto his face.
With a bang, the door to the Hokage's office crashed open. Shikamaru walked in, a paper in his hand and a cabal of angry Hyuuga guards walking in a tight circle around him and mimicking his every move. He walked fearlessly to the Hokage's desk and held the paper before Sasuke, who recognized it as Kakashi's mission briefing.
"I didn't authorize this," he growled, looking slightly below Sasuke's eyes. Looking into his eyes would be hazardous.
Sasuke remained motionless. "Release them," he ordered, his anger showing in his voice. Shikamaru reluctantly relieved the Hyuuga guards of his Shadow Imitation technique, and as soon as he did he was smothered by a swift attempt at retaliation. "Stop," Sasuke muttered. The speed with which the Hyuuga responded, releasing Shikamaru and standing at attention, was staggering and, to the genius plotting the Hokage's destruction, rather frightening. "Leave us."
The guards, frowning at Shikamaru when they could, walked obediently out of the room. Shikamaru held up Kakashi's briefing once again, silently demanding an explanation.
"You did not authorize that, Shikamaru, because I am Hokage and do not require your authorization to do anything. Kakashi-sensei has been sent to retrieve Naruto because no-one else could do the job, and he was going to go insane before long if I didn't get him moving around, doing something."
"What makes you think he's trustworthy?"
"He won't betray me. I have collateral. Relax, Shikamaru. I've already pulled your ANBU out of the surrounding area, and Kakashi-sensei can track any target. He won't fail."
"Collateral?" Shikamaru lowered his arm and looked questioningly at Sasuke. He didn't like that Sasuke was applying assets he wasn't aware of. "Wait, what surrounding area? Where are they?"
"Don't worry, Shikamaru. It's all been taken care of. It's your job now to plan our attack on what remains of the Resistance. You can count on having Kakashi in our arsenal, maybe even Naruto."
"But what…"
"You wanted to see me, Sasuke-sama?" a small, feminine voice asked from the door behind Shikamaru. He turned around and, in an instant, realized how Sasuke had gotten Kakashi to remain loyal.
"Yes, Sakura, come in. Did you bring the hypodermics, as I asked?" Sasuke rose from his chair, obviously pained by the movement.
"Yes, Sasuke-sama."
"Good. You're dismissed, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru backed away from Sasuke, slowly. His face made quite clear the disbelief he felt. "Yes, my Hokage."
Naruto reveled in his good fortune. He could not have planned his position better, unless there was some way to have gotten Hinata to volunteer to join him on her own. He didn't dwell on that possibility. He was comfortable in the small barracks, slowly gnawing a piece of jerky and watching Hinata prepare bandages from strips of burlap. She looked very kind, very domestic sitting there, stitching and cutting fabric while humming softly to herself.
"What song is that?" Naruto asked, wishing more to hear her voice than to prompt any sort of conversation. Hinata didn't answer right away, but started to sing when the chorus came around again. Her voice was soft and sweet, gingerly dripping out the words that hung in the air and seemed to swirl together.
"So leave still your cart and set your mules free,
Take thee no pack, we'll find means on the way,
Paradise waits, and find it we shall,
If our feet do not stop 'till our last dying day."
She said no more for a bit, but let Naruto soak up the lyrics. She thought on them herself, and of the man who taught them to her.
"Kiba-kun wrote that for me," she said, quieter than she had been when she sang. "He told me to remember it, so if something ever…"
Hinata choked up for a moment, losing her composure only for a moment. Guilt flashed itself briefly in her mind, guilt at her attraction to Naruto, and it took her best reasoning to stem it.
"It's a nice song," Naruto said, genuinely irritated at the mention of Kiba. His rival, it seemed, was exerting his influence even in his absence. The thoughts of Hinata's remarkable singing paled in comparison.
"Pardon me, Uzumaki-san. You have a visitor," the ANBU captain that had brought them to the outpost called from the hallway. Naruto glanced out the small window that illuminated the mud-brick room, but could not see the entrance to the low building.
"Who is it?"
"His name is Hatake Kakashi. He says you know him."
The Resistance entered the city of Sunagakure, Kiba smoldering and Lee and Tenten waving joyously at the residents that recognized their honored guests. Unfortunately, the village was still largely asleep, with dusk having passed nearly an hour before and a strict work ethic keeping the populous on a tight sleep schedule. The four shinobi made their way to the quarters of the Kazekage, the Sand's equivalent of Hokage Tower. With Gaara away from the city, only one person could be there, and Kiba dreaded the thought. Despite his most sincere wishes to the contrary, the Resistance was greeted by exactly that person.
"Hey guys. I'm taking over for my little brother while he's away, so think of me as acting Kazekage."
Shino spoke for the group. "Of course, Temari-san."
Temari noticed Kiba, who kept his gaze glued to the ground. She walked coyly into his field of vision and looked the group over. "Where's your girlfriend, Kiba-kun?"
"She went south to the ANBU station when your guards turned Uzumaki-san away," Shino replied when Kiba failed to acknowledge the question. Temari turned back to Shino, clearly amused.
"Is that so? Well, I don't know if Gaara would let Uzumaki-san into the village anyhow, so I guess she'll have to stay there for your entire visit. How long are you planning to stay, anyhow?" Again, she directed her question to Kiba, whose eyes did not wander from the floor.
"Four days," Shino replied, no longer waiting for Kiba. "Any longer, and we'll miss our monthly supply train raid."
Temari grinned. "Well, Gaara's taken an official stance of supporting your movement. I can send ANBU to take care of that little project, if you feel like staying longer. They're generally reliable. Would you like that?"
"Where is Gaara?" Shino asked, not willing to promise more time in the city than was necessary.
"He and Kankurou took off with that old hermit who keeps trying to feel me up. I don't remember his name, but he used to belong to your village."
"Jiraiya-sama was here? When?" Shino perked up. Even Kiba shifted his attention to Temari, who absorbed it like a sponge.
"You know what? It's late, and you've had a long day. Why don't we discuss these things tomorrow? We have a festival in a couple of days, so most of my duties have been delegated to the local planning commission. I have lots of free time," she said, her eyes never leaving Kiba's. Kiba looked away, though reluctantly. The powerful woman had always held a peculiar attraction for Kiba, though he usually had Hinata there to distract him. Being there without her was, in a word, frustrating.
"Fine. Have our luggage sent to the barracks when you've finished searching it," Shino instructed, turning for the door. The others followed him until Temari spoke again.
"The barracks? Why?"
"That's where we stay when we visit, Temari-san. You know that," Tenten said, turning to face Temari. She hoped earnestly that she'd be corrected with some other offer, as the barracks used by the local ANBU were horrid. To her delight, such an offer was made.
"Don't bother. Gaara's not here, so I've found you something a bit more suitable. Aburame-san, you can stay in the guest room in our family home on the west side. I'm sure you know the way. Rock-san, I've kept one of the suites of the hotel down the street so I could watch the parade during the festival. I won't be sleeping there, so you can go ahead and spend the night. Tenten…"
"I can stay in that room, too," Tenten announced, reaching slightly to grasp Lee's hand. Both of them blushed. Temari chuckled.
"Okay, great. Just tell the front desk that I sent you and there won't be any problems."
"What about me?" Kiba asked reluctantly. Temari smiled in a devilish way.
"You'll be staying here, Inuzuka-san. There's a room on the top floor that's been unoccupied for nearly ten years. It'd be a waste if you didn't take advantage of it."
"Why hasn't anyone claimed it yet?"
"Oh, it's been claimed. It just hasn't been slept in."
Shikamaru sat uneasily in his chair, looking at a map of the Country of Fire. He had the perfect formula for assaulting Shino and the Resistance in any circumstance, even if Kakashi and Naruto were with them. Oh, there would be dozens of casualties, losses barely sufferable with city security in mind, but the entire rebellion would be wiped out.
Shikamaru crumpled the map, like thousands before it, and tossed it into the trash.
Chouji opened another bag of chips in the larger of the two chairs that faced Shikamaru's desk. He crunched away happily, thinking only of his wife and daughter that were making him a kingly meal back at home. He was an empathetic person, however, and picked up on Shikamaru's uneasiness.
"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" he munched out. Manners were lost on Chouji and few expected anything else. He reached the doorknob with his free hand and closed the heavy slab of maple, lest any suspicious ears wander nearby.
"I'm worried. I could fool Neji and Sasuke with plans that were superficially perfect and inherently flawed. That's how the Resistance has survived. However, I could only fool them because they're completely inexperienced. Since Sasuke took over, neither has been outside of the city. They don't know what works and what doesn't in terms of strategy and tactics."
"So what's wrong?"
Shikamaru tossed Kakashi's mission briefing over to Chouji. "Kakashi's been released from house arrest, and he's on Sasuke's side. I don't know why, but he's agreed to go retrieve Naruto. They know the Resistance is in Sunagakure, and that Naruto will be alone a hundred kilometers to the south. I have no idea how they got this information, but I assume there's a mole in the Country of Wind that I'm not aware of. All of this is happening right now regardless of any orders I could give, not to mention that Kakashi's field experience is extensive. I'll have to start producing real strategies, which means Shino's in real trouble for the first time since I took over ANBU. I'm out of Ideas, Chouji. I don't know what I should do."
Chouji thought deliberately for a long time. Shikamaru went back to his maps, assuming Chouji had no clue what the problem was. After a few minutes of silence, Chouji finally spoke. "Quit."
"What?" Shikamaru prompted, little actual interest in his voice.
"You have two choices. You can either keep pretending to work, get caught by Kakashi and be executed, or you can leave Konoha and join up with Shino. I can stay here and keep making trips to Kigeki to slow down Ino and Sakura. You should quit and leave."
Shikamaru looked at Chouji, very slowly. He had been thinking about this situation for hours, and somehow his friend's innocent insight was able to boil it down into one acceptable option. "Shino would still face real ANBU attacks, but my mind wouldn't be guiding them, and he'd have me there to help."
"Right. It would be somebody else's job to direct them. Somebody not as smart."
Shikamaru put down his pen and stood. He put a hand on his forehead and thought aloud. "If I stay here, it'll only be trouble for Shino or, worse, trouble for me." Another long pause. "But, what'll you say when they question you about me?"
"I'll plead ignorance. It won't even be a lie," Chouji chuckled.
Shikamaru decided, reluctantly, that this was the best option after all. He wavered, though, over a single issue. He wouldn't be able to see Ino if he left, potentially for years. Heaven knew what Sasuke would do to her in that amount of time.
No, he thought. These damn women are too troublesome. I haven't seen a friendly face other than my teammates' in six years, and the others will need me to help ward off Kakashi. I have to go.
"Chouji, I'm going."
"Okay. I'll see you Thursday."
Shikamaru paused. "Thursday?"
"Yeah. My route goes by the north of the country on Thursdays. You know that."
Shikamaru sighed and let out a smile. He'd even be able to see Chouji when he left. "See you then, buddy."
Kiba could not sleep. He could barely stand to lie down. Closing his eyes felt awkward and so he stared blankly into the ceiling, his hands held behind his head in feigned relaxation. Something about this being Gaara's unused bedroom was offsetting, and his mind interrupted his thoughts constantly with images of the enraged Kazekage returning and reclaiming what was rightfully his.
Not that his thoughts were settling in the first place. He tried to think of business, politics, and inevitable combat, but thoughts of Hinata always broke through. When he thought on Hinata, thoughts of Naruto would wash any pleasantness away, leading him to think, against his will, of Temari. She had been, if not attracted to, amused by Kiba ever since they had met formally, and was not one to take lightly her feelings for another person. Her advances had in the past been thwarted by Kiba's intimacy with Hinata, but with the Hyuuga heir so far away Kiba had difficulty focusing on any honorable thoughts.
He sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face with the hands he had washed for the first time since the Resistance crossed a large river nearly a week ago. His nightstand had been provisioned with sake, and so a few drinks of warm liquid were taken to calm his nerves.
Kiba had just lied back into his bed after several minutes of contemplation, and drinking, when he heard the door to the vast room open. A bit of light from the hall seemed infinitely bright, and so he could not see who had entered the room, but the smell was impossibly familiar.
"Hinata…?" he muttered, only mostly awake. The intruder, obviously female by the figure silhouetted by the light, walked cautiously to Kiba's bedside, sat, and leaned over that her face would be nearer his.
"If that's what you want, Kiba-kun," Temari replied, moving closer. Kiba, outraged, pushed her back and sat up, pulling his legs beneath him so he would crouch on the mattress.
"You still had Hinata's pack," he reasoned aloud, "and her clothing." The door to the room clicked shut, closed by its own weight, and Kiba's eyes adjusted to the darkness once again. Temari sat, angry and disappointed, on his bed, wearing Hinata's coat and pants. Even her hair had been let down and rubbed with Hinata's familiar perfume.
"I thought this would be a nice little surprise," she offered, scooting closer to Kiba. He backed away in accordance, drawing a look of exasperation from the woman. "Look, Kiba. Your flat little friend is ninety-six kilometers away, spending the night with another man. What's the big deal? Don't you like me?"
Kiba scoffed. That certainly wasn't it.
"Hinata has moved on, gotten herself a new lover. You should, too," Temari continued, scooting closer once again. This time, Kiba did not back away. He sat and looked away, trying to convince himself of anything that would require him to expel Temari from his room, and failing. Every convincing argument faded from his mind and refused to return as he smelled Hinata sitting beside him. His stomach tied itself in knots, and his tongue ran itself over his teeth. He was just making a mental note on the dangers of sake when he felt Temari, pressing her mouth against his, pulling him back onto the mattress. He wrangled free long enough to speak.
"I can't," he grunted, not moving but expecting Temari to leave him alone. She did not.
"Why not?" she asked, resuming her advance. Kiba mulled the question over for a moment, deciding that there was no reason. Hinata was too far away to know, and had left him the first chance she got. Temari was here, and Kiba was weak.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto shouted, more excited to see his teacher than he had ever been as a genin. Forgetting formalities, he ran through the door to the ANBU station and embraced Kakashi, who did not move to return the gesture. His face had a look of distant disinterest, a common expression for the stoic shinobi but never so forced as it was at the moment. Naruto, oblivious, took a step back and smiled brightly at his sensei. "How did you get out of the city? How did you know where I was? Where's Sakura-chan?"
Kakashi said nothing for a long time. It was refreshing to see Naruto, even more so than when he had first seen Sakura, but the circumstances were too dire for sentiment. Naruto's smile faded as Kakashi's expressionless gaze turned to one of sorrowful determination. "Naruto…I'm sorry."
"Eh? For what?"
Kakashi slowly put one hand behind his back and another on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto made no move to flee, even when he saw the fingertips of Kakashi's free hand glowing with purple flame. He couldn't comprehend the situation, even as Kakashi drove this hand into his stomach. More aware of his connection with the Kyuubi than he had once been, Naruto felt the Five Element Seal taking effect, but still did not understand.
"Why…?" he choked out, holding his stomach.
"For Sasuke," Kakashi said simply, "and for Sakura." His right foot lashed out toward Naruto's left temple, but his student clasped his ankle before it could connect.
"For Sasuke?" Naruto asked, still holding Kakashi's leg. "I always knew you liked him the best."
Naruto snapped his fingers, the resulting explosion knocking Kakashi's leg free and sending his body back into the sand. He righted himself immediately and pulled his forehead protector away from his left eye, the red of the sharingan bringing back several less-than-pleasant memories for Naruto. Hinata watched in horror from the doorway as the two men clashed, both swinging furiously and both too nimble to actually take a blow.
"Stop!" she shouted instinctively, her usual soft voice straining to be heard above the clamor of the fight. Naruto was distracted just long enough for Kakashi to finally plant a well-aimed elbow into his chest.
Naruto's short backward flight ended with a clumsy landing, a hasty regrouping, and a quick hand seal. He did not announce the Body Flicker Technique, for fear of giving his actions away, but Kakashi recognized it just as soon as Naruto's foot collided forcefully with the back of his head.
This is bad, he thought, rolling to relieve some of the force from the blow. Naruto can use the Fourth's teleportation technique. Even with the sharingan, I can't keep up with that. I've been cooped up in that damn house for too long. Though the Kyuubi is sealed, this may not be possible.
Naruto pounced as Kakashi regained his footing, swinging a kunai aimed for his teacher's throat. Kakashi ducked and, after a few seals, caught Naruto's feet in a tangle of dry vines. The plants stretched upward, resisting all attempts to be broken, and wrapped themselves around Naruto's hands to keep his fingers separate. Naruto struggled feebly, looking around and wondering why none of the Sand ANBU were coming to help him. Kakashi extended his right hand, holding his wrist. The stars that once shone brightly in the perfectly clear desert sky dimmed in the light of Kakashi's chakra, sparking and chirping from his fingertips.
"Naruto, I'm not here to kill you. Come quietly, and nobody will get hurt. You cannot form seals in the Vine Snare technique; you cannot even snap your fingers. Please, surrender."
Naruto looked with fear at the chidori, but shook off the feeling in an instant. He shot his teacher a cocky grin and pulled against the vines. "Surrender? To Sasuke's pawn? HA! Cracking Knuckle Explosion!" He pressed his palms forward against the vines, letting his fingers fall back. After a second or two his knuckles popped, firing off a series of tiny shock waves and crackling noises. The vines were torn asunder around his hands, allowing him to perform a single seal. "Expanding Frog Breath!" Naruto inhaled more deeply than nay human could, his torso and limbs expanding like balloons. Mere moments under the increasing pressure caused the vines to burst, leaving Naruto standing unharmed amid the fallen pieces of plant matter. He let out a long sigh, shrinking back to normal size, and assumed a defensive stance.
Kakashi reeled. The chidori faded from his hand, and the Copy Ninja took several steps backward in fear. The Naruto he knew had always relied on overwhelming force to conquer opponents, pushing and enduring his way through traps and combat without any sort of planning. Jiraiya, it seemed, had endowed him with an arsenal of odd, troublesome techniques and, worse, taught him how to use them properly. Kakashi was in no shape to put up a real fight, not after so much time inactive. The cakewalk Sasuke had expected had turned into a rather dangerous miscalculation.
"Uzumaki-dono! Are you hurt?" Several ANBU came running from the fortress, having been awakened by the sound of the explosions from Naruto's knuckles. Their captain was nowhere to be seen, but Hinata finally got up the nerve to leave the doorway. Naruto ignored all of them.
"Go back to Konoha, Kakashi-sensei. Tell Sasuke that I'll never go quietly, and he'll never take me by force."
Kakashi turned without hesitation and began the trip back to his city. Upon review, he decided that this had been the best possible outcome.
Shikamaru felt refreshingly light as he descended Hokage tower, thinking to himself that this would be the last time he'd have to make the trip under Sasuke's rule. He smiled, even, for no reason at all. He chuckled at his own demeanor, thinking that this was how clouds felt all the time.
"Where are you off to, Shikamaru-sama?"
Shikamaru froze at the sound of Neji's stale voice. He was on the ground floor when he heard it, obviously headed for the door. He couldn't say he was going anywhere in the Tower, which was a problem. He hadn't left the building in over a year, having never found a viable reason.
"I was just going out for a drink," he offered, looking straight ahead. Neji was behind him somewhere, probably at the clerk's desk.
"We have plenty of water and tea in the cafeteria, sir," Neji retorted. Something was not right. Shikamaru always looked away when he was doing something he shouldn't.
"I'm going for sake, Neji, not tea." Shikamaru began walking for the door, as though that would conclude the conversation.
"I have sake in my quarters. Come, we'll have a drink together." Neji didn't even bother trying to sound friendly, making the offer sound much more like a command.
"I…prefer to drink alone, thanks." He grabbed the handle on the heavy oak doors and began to push.
"I've seen you drink with Akimichi Chouji-san quite often."
"Chouji…is nobody. I don't even notice when he's around. If I drink with him, it's only because I can't get hid of him. You're the head of the Hyuuga clan and the Captain of the Guard. Drinking with you would be different. I just want to be left in peace." The vague air of honesty in Shikamaru's voice convinced Neji. He walked away, not even bothering to respond. Shikamaru heaved the door open and walked briskly out into the city.
"Idiot," he muttered.