A/N: Well. Here's the last chapter, so I hope you like it. I have a sketched plot for the sequel, and I'm looking for beta readers. If anyone wants to volunteer, let me know by PM. Warnings for this chapter: blood. Itachi and blood.
Legal Stuffiness: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters therein.
Kakashi sent Pakkun on ahead, having him stay on Sasuke's scent. Shino sent a minor portion of his bugs to scout the surrounding area for possible traps. Naruto tried to keep an upbeat attitude about the situation, without much success. Amaya had a kunai ready in each hand, in case she needed to use her chakra whip technique. Shikamaru had them all watching different areas, as they walked in single file.
For a time, they followed Pakkun's footprints. Then, suddenly, they didn't need to. There was an enormous explosion ahead, and they all rushed forward. The cloud of dust and smoke about two hundred yards ahead began to clear, and three figures were seen.
The first was Sasuke. He was swaying, still in the grip of his fever. It looked as if he would fall over any time now. In fact, he was only upright because Hoshi, who was much taller now, gripped his hair, pulling his head back. She had a wakizashi pressed to his throat, and he was bound. It was now clear that she had posed as the third ANBU, as she was wearing an ANBU uniform. The two of them were facing the third figure. Hoshi's voice rang through the clearing. "Your shit jutsu won't work on me, bastard. I'll kill him."
The third figure, taller than both Sasuke and Hoshi, wore a long black coat, with red cloud-shapes scattered over it. From behind his high collar, red eyes flashed in the sunlight. Naruto whispered fearfully, "Itachi." Sasuke's bother! Amaya could see the resemblance. This was the man Sasuke had been waiting to kill for most of his young life. He was responsible for the decimation of the entire Uchiha clan. Hoshi had a blade to Sasuke's throat, but did Itachi care enough to stop her?
Faster than anyone but Kakashi's Sharingan could see, Itachi had snatched the short sword from Hoshi. "No," began the older Uchiha, "if anyone is going to kill my brother, it will be me." His tone was that of a parent taking a toy away from a misbehaving child. Hoshi hissed. Throwing Sasuke to the ground, she launched herself at Itachi.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Naruto. "Do we see which one is the winner, and then kill them?"
"While that sounds ok to me, Naruto, I'm not sure that it would really work." Shikamaru shook his head.
"He's right, baka." Amaya said. "I think we'll have better luck reasoning with Itachi."
Kakashi's eyebrows shot up. "What do you base this opinion on?"
"The fact that I've spent time around Hoshi." The female jounin stared hard at the embroiled pair before them. "She's completely insane. Orochimaru found her in the Hidden Rock. He raised her. When I killed him, something inside her snapped. Besides, I've got a feeling." Turning to the copy-nin, she smiled sweetly. He shrugged. Amaya added, "I also have a reason to make sure Itachi doesn't actually kill her."
The rest of them looked askance at her.
"That's my job." The rest of them nodded. This would be her payback for Hoshi's attack on Kabuto, and for taking her Sasuke-chan.
"I've got an idea!" Naruto said suddenly.
"Huh?" All of the rest, except Shino, asked at once.
"Well, they're fighting, right?" they all nodded. "Why not just grab Sasuke?"
Shikamaru nodded, thinking. He cocked his head. "So simple that only an idiot would think of it. Our mission is to take care of Sasuke first, so why not?" Shikamaru squatted low to the ground. As was his habit when he was forming multiple strategies at once, he rested his elbows on his knees and made a circle with his hands. For a few moments, he breathed deeply, thinking.
Kakashi watched him intently. The son of Konoha's White Fang looked as if he were trying to see the young chuunin's thoughts.
Shino was watching the battle with interest, as was Naruto. Amaya kept her eyes focused on Sasuke's prone form.
"Kakashi!" Pakkun's voice piped up from behind the silver-haired jounin. Amaya and Kakashi turned. "Someone is coming. I think it's that girl, Sakura." Amaya's eyes widened. If Sakura was on her way, that meant that they had another ally against Hoshi, but she did not know what would happen when the girl saw her fiancé lying on the ground as he was.
Itachi had been dodging Hoshi's attacks, and not making a move of his own. It seemed as if he considered it beneath him to actually strike her. The former Rock nin was moving with lightening speed, but it did no good against the Uchiha Sharingan. There were now three large rips in Itachi's Akatsuki coat, and he pulled it off, throwing it at Hoshi.
"Amaya," Kakashi said from beside her, "please intercept Sakura. Inform her of the situation. Make sure she is calm. Then, bring her here."
"Hai."
Replacing her kunai in her pouch, Amaya ran through the Forest of Death. "Pakkun!" She called for the dog, and he appeared almost instantly. "Where is she, Pakkun?" If you do as well as I've heard, I'll buy you a nice slab of roast pork, I swear. The dog veered off to the left, and she followed. After ten minutes, they found Sakura.
"Amaya-san! Where is he? Where is Sasuke?" She was panicked, and Amaya couldn't blame her. When the situation was explained, Sakura's face became a thunderhead. Her voice, though calm, was very angry. "Who is this Hoshi?"
"A former Rock shinobi, raised by Orochimaru. She has some pretty nasty jutsu, and I think she has an advanced bloodline that allows her to produce genjutsu without performing hand seals." The pink haired kunoichi started, but almost instantly, the look of determined anger was once again set on her face.
"We have to kill her, Amaya."
"I know."
They arrived at the scene of the battle, and could not believe their eyes. Hoshi had Itachi by his throat, squeezing with both hands. She was slowly lifting him from the ground. The eldest surviving Uchiha looked as if he were letting her do this. What was he planning that he would allow himself to be put in such a position? The muscles in the girl's arms stood out. Itachi's eyes had been closed until now. They opened, and looked down at Hoshi. They were devoid of all emotion. He was toying with her.
It was only a matter of time before Itachi would get bored and end this little game. Amaya looked at Sakura. Both women nodded at one another. Sakura ran forward, pelting to the spot where Sasuke lay on the ground. Shikamaru's voice cut through the air, telling the two women to stop.
As Amaya made for Hoshi and Itachi, she yelled back, "Sorry, Shika. It's my job, like I said." By this time, Sakura had grabbed the still unconscious Sasuke.
She turned back to the group, and yelled, "Kakashi-sensei! Catch!" Sakura used her freakish strength and launched Sasuke through the air, and in a long, low arc, he flew at Kakashi. The copy-nin rushed forward to catch the unconscious young man. Shikamaru, always the fast thinker, as well as Shino and Naruto, got behind Kakashi to brace him. They were pushed back nearly ten feet as the human missile hit his former sensei full in the chest.
When he had regained his breath enough to speak, Kakashi said, "I'm going to have to speak to her about throwing her boyfriend at me. That was rude."
The two women reached Hoshi at the same time. Since she was in a blind rage, she did not see either of them until it was too late. Both Sakura and Amaya aimed kicks at the girl's ribs. The cracking of bone filled the clearing. Itachi landed on his feet as Hoshi let go of him. The former Rock shinobi staggered, coughing blood.
"Hoshi, what have you done?"
Wheezing, the girl stared up at Amaya. "Me?" she asked, frothy blood now beginning to drip down her chin. "I'm just trying to get payback for my Orochimaru-sama." Coughing, she staggered and spat blood. "You took away everything from me. You killed my Orochimaru-sama. I just wanted to take away your everything. But then that bastard got in my way." She pointed a shaking finger at Itachi. He shrugged. The girl fell to her knees. Her eyes began to glaze over. "Gomen nasai, Orochimaru-sama…"
"I've got it for now, she can't move." a voice next to Amaya said. It was Shikamaru, with his hands fixed in the Kage Mane no Jutsu. Sakura moved toward Hoshi. "No, Sakura. Amaya said it's her job. Let her do it." Amaya stared at Shikamaru. He gave her a half smile. "Tsunade-sama wants her taken care of. Far be it from me to go against the Hokage." Shikamaru nodded to Amaya. She formed the Kaze no Yiba, and knelt before Hoshi. The girl had been crazed with grief, which Amaya understood. Had Kabuto died, she would have felt the same way.
"Was he really your everything?"
"Hai."
"Gomen, Hoshi. You'll see him again soon."
"Arigato, Amaya-sama."
Standing once again, she raised the Kaze no Yiba. In a sweeping arc, the blade of wind severed Hoshi's life. Amaya stared down at the girl's body. It was sad that this had to happen. If she could have been saved, then she would have been a valuable shinobi. It was only one more sin that Orochimaru would be paying for, wherever he was. She turned to Itachi.
The eldest Uchiha regarded her with a quiet respect. "Can I ask you something, Itachi?" He did not answer her. This did not bother her, since she had not expected an answer. "How different are you from Orochimaru?" His eyes lost their red color. It was surprising how much like Sasuke's eyes they really were. He stepped toward her. When he was only a foot away, he cocked his head to one side.
Quietly, he said, "You compare me to him?"
"Hai."
"I am nothing like that coward."
"Aren't you? You killed your entire family, only to see what it was you were capable of. To see if you could. How different is that?" She looked into his eyes. They were, as before, emotionless. His feelings were well hidden, but she knew they were there. She only had to bring them out, as she had done with Sasuke.
"I did it not to see what I was capable of, but to see what the clan was capable of. They were not capable of surviving. They did not deserve to live."
"How do you explain Sasuke, then? Why did you leave him alive?" She watched as a small muscle beneath his right eye twitched slightly. She needed to know the answers to these questions if she was to understand the Uchiha family, and how it was that she could help her new brother.
"He is the final test. He is the clan's last chance. If he can defeat me, then the Uchiha will continue. If he does not, the clan will die with him, as it should."
Sakura had come to stand next to Amaya. "What right do you have to make that kind of decision?" Her voice was full of anger. She seemed on point of striking him, and Amaya hoped that she did not try. The last thing they needed was the girl to be injured by this man. It would send Sasuke over the edge.
Itachi looked at her, his eyes blinking slowly. "You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand, little girl." His voice held no anger toward Sakura. He was simply explaining to her what he saw as the truth.
"Sakura, please." Amaya held up a hand to the other woman. Sakura remained silent. "Are you here to hurt Sasuke-chan?" Itachi shook his head. "Why are you here?" He said nothing. "Shikamaru. Is he awake yet?"
"No. What's going on?"
Amaya turned her back on Itachi. "If we've achieved our objectives for this mission, I think we're finished here." Naruto protested. He said that Itachi would eventually come and try to kill Sasuke. "Naruto, please be quiet. Shikamaru, Kakashi?" Both jounin and chuunin shrugged. Neither of them was a match for Itachi. It was always best to be honest not only about the abilities of one's opponent, but also about one's own abilities. The others turned to leave. Shino carried Sasuke over his shoulder. Sakura ran to catch up, but Amaya turned back to Itachi.
Bowing, she said, "Hajimemashite, Itachi-san. My name is Hori Amaya. I belong to the Uchiha Clan. For this time, you may call me onehsan." At this, Itachi's eyes widened slightly. She thought it best if he knew who it was he was dealing with, and that things begin on a somewhat friendly basis.
Amaya was surprised when he bowed formally. "Hajimemashite. I am Uchiha Itachi. I also belong to the Uchiha Clan." Straightening, he turned to walk away.
"Itachi-san." Amaya said before she could help herself. He looked back. "Sayonara, Itachi-san." He smiled a very small smile. This was a formidable man. As he walked away, she saw that she was looking at what Sasuke would have become if not for Sakura and herself, and Naruto. "Gomen, Itachi-san," she said softly. "I'm sorry that your life went down such a path."
Amaya and Sakura stood outside of the Godaime's office, listening intently to the tirade she was giving Shikamaru. "You mean to tell me that you let Itachi get away?"
"Hokage-sama—"
"I don't want to hear it, Shikamaru. You should have at least made some attempt at capturing him. I can't believe that with your brains, you couldn't think of any way to do it."
"I didn't say that I hadn't thought of anything, Tsunade-sama."
"Then what was the problem?"
"Low probability of success, and high risk to the team. Besides," at this point, Shikamaru's voice changed. It was somehow playful. "Amaya-san had it under control. She's way too good at talking people down." For a moment, there was silence.
"You want me to hit you, don't you?"
"Not after last time. That hurt."
"Then behave yourself."
In that same playful voice, Shikamaru said, "Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Now, send those two idiot girls in here."
Sakura looked upset. Inwardly, Amaya was laughing. Kiba was right. It was obvious only to those who had seen the two of them together, but it was there. Tsunade should be ashamed of herself…Shikamaru opened the door, and poked his head out.
"Your turn, ladies. Give ground if she seems furious." He smiled at Amaya, and she stuck out her tongue at him.
Amaya's eyes flicked past Shikamaru's face to Tsunade, then back to his face, and she raised an eyebrow. The young man's face colored slightly, eyes widening. Then his normal expression of boredom returned. As he opened the door wider for the two of them to enter, he mouthed the words 'bite me' at Amaya. She laughed in spite of herself.
As she and Sakura entered the office, Tsunade stepped forward. "I don't think I need to tell you two that what you did was very irresponsible. You endangered your own lives as well as Sasuke's. So, I'm not telling you that. What I wanted you in here for was for one thing only. Sakura, will you please examine Amaya-san?"
The pink-haired kunoichi blinked and turned to the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama?"
"To confirm a suspicion of mine. Head to toe, please, Sakura."
Shaking her head, Sakura ignited chakra around her hands. Moving her hands slowly around Amaya's head, then her chest, she seemed almost bored. When her hands reached Amaya's torso, however, she gasped. Tsunade's face split in a wicked smile. "How long, Sakura?"
"About a month, Hokage-sama."
Amaya blinked. "Is anyone going to tell me what's going on? What the hell?"
Tsunade's grin became even wider. "Amaya, have you been feeling ill lately? Lightheaded, nauseated?" She nodded. "Then I'd like to congratulate you. If Sakura is any judge, there should be a little Amaya-chan in about eight months. You are hereby relieved of your duties until ten months from now. That is all, ladies." The Hokage's grin was almost malevolent. For a long moment, Amaya stood staring at her, and had a very sharp dislike for the woman. It faded very quickly, however, as her words began to sink in.
Standing there, stunned, Amaya put a hand to her stomach. I'm…pregnant? Well, she supposed that it was about time. She was twenty-eight years old, after all, and she was married. Sakura beamed at her, obviously happy. The younger woman took Amaya's arm, and led her out of the office. Neither of them said anything on the way back to the Uchiha compound.
After seeing her home, Sakura went to Sasuke's house. Amaya walked into her own house, and removed her shoes. There was another person growing inside her…the thought was very alien. When she had put on her house slippers, she shuffled into the living room. Sitting on the couch, she wondered how Kabuto was going to react. Then Naruto's face appeared before her eyes, laughing until he couldn't breathe. It seemed as if it had been prophetic…
How was she going to remain idle for ten months? This did not sit well with her. She felt dizzy, but it wasn't her physical condition that was doing it…there was just too much going on. She needed to see Kabuto. But when she had gone to the hospital earlier that day, she had met Kiba in the hall, and he had told her that Kabuto hadn't woken up yet, and that they didn't expect him to for a couple more days. She felt the need to move, to do something. For a moment, she thought of cleaning, but then she realized that there would be plenty of time for that later, since she had been relieved of her duties.
That thought rankled her. But, I guess there isn't much I can do about that right now, huh? Pacing around the room, she thought. What could she do? Was she ready to be a mother, to have someone call her okaasan? The thought just made her even dizzier. Right then, she wished that her mother were there. If her mother were there with her, she could ask for advice. Amaya was certainly not going to write to any of her sisters for advice. The two younger ones had no children just yet, and the older one…well, let's just say that she wasn't sure she quite wanted her advice.
I'm relieved of duty…but does that rule out any training? Yes. She could train. She was like Sasuke at least in that. Training always helped her to focus. She ran to the master bedroom. After a few moments of rifling through drawers of clothing, she found her favorite training clothes. A long baggy pair of red shorts with lots of pockets for her kunai and shiruken, and a sleeveless black t-shirt that was skintight. Both allowed for movement without much hindrance, which was all she cared about. The fact that Kabuto said she looked sexy in it just boggled her mind, but she put that thought out of her mind.
Once she had put these things on, and stocked up on kunai and shiruken, she headed out the door and walked down the deserted street of the Uchiha compound to the training grounds near the shrine. It was a large open field, with only two trees, and an obstacle course toward the back. It was to this area which she was headed.
The obstacle course consisted of four areas: stamina training, marksmanship, automated taijutsu training area, and a series of walls and other tall objects to climb by use of chakra or physical strength. Usually, she would start with the chakra climbing. Today, she needed to blow off some steam. The marksmanship area called to her, but that wouldn't do just yet. Amaya walked over to the device that controlled the taijutsu training course. It was powered by a crank system. Like a wind-up toy a small child may play with, the harder you crank the handle, the faster the thing would move, and the harder you would have to work to keep up.
Amaya turned the crank handle again and again. The most times she had turned it before had been ten, but she was really agitated. She left it at seventeen turns. The switch to activate the mechanism was at the entrance for the course, so a spotter was not necessary. She sprinted toward the entrance, stepping on the switch as she ran. Two dummies shot out at her, aiming kicks and punches at her head and stomach respectively. She dodged them and knocked the stuffing out of the first one before decapitating the other with her foot. Ten feet further up the course, she had to somersault over a series of trip-wires and then dodged a kunai aimed at her legs as she landed by dropping to the ground and rolling at full speed.
When she stopped rolling from this maneuver, she noticed suddenly that the machinery was no longer turning. Lying on her stomach, Amaya listened intently. Was the pully stuck? Usually, if that happened, the rope system could be heard straining, and one of several kill-switches throughout the course could be pressed to relieve the pressure on the ropes. If that was not done, the entire framework of the course could snap. She knew the location of all eight switches, and she had not touched any of them. There was no straining noise from the ropes…Suddenly wary, she scrambled to her feet.
Reaching into her pocket, she drew a kunai from it, and drew out a length of eight feet of chakra string. Her heart beat fiercely in her chest as she stood motionless, her back to one of the huge beams that supported the rope system. Faintly, she could hear footfalls. The crunch of feet on gravel alerted her to the position of the intruder. Who the hell is it? Why won't they say something? If it's Sasuke-chan or Sakura, I'll have to give them a huge piece of my mind. This is scaring the crap out of me. She was letting herself go way too much. The panic was out of control. She breathed deeply. Again. Again.
Her heart began to slow, and she swallowed, waiting for the person to make their presence known openly. Then, she saw…she blinked…no, it really was! She suddenly felt as if a lump of lead had been dropped into her stomach. Oh, no. What they hell am I going to do? Her mind raced. Watching the intruder come closer, she was frozen to the spot. He saw her, there was no doubt. His eyes were locked on her.
Those eyes…those red eyes, with their odd spots of black around the pupils…
Swallowing audibly as Uchiha Itachi approached her, she was unable to look away from his eyes. They bored into her, unblinking. He was only five feet away from her now. She understood why Orochimaru had run from him. His very presence was oppressive. Amaya shuddered. He came to a halt, three feet away from her. What does he want?
"Do I frighten you?" His voice was a deeper version of Sasuke's.
"Truthfully, yes." She heard herself say this, and could not believe her ears. The first thing she learned in the ninja academy was never to show fear to the enemy. Well, now that basic training is out the window, what am I supposed to do? Itachi smiled. It did not reach his eyes. "Why are you here, Itachi-san?" He was silent. "Are you here to kill me?"
He shook his head. "I'm merely here to deliver a message."
"From who?"
"Akatsuki." The sun glinted red in his eyes. She shivered.
"And this message?"
He said nothing. For a long moment, his eyes only burned into her, holding her to the spot. Then, she felt herself being compelled forward. What! She took two jerking steps forward. Before she could react, he had taken her kunai, severing the chakra strand with his own chakra. He held it before his eyes, examining the edge. His movements had been so fast that she had not even felt his hand. Itachi's eyes left the kunai and fixed once more on hers. In another lightening movement, he used the kunai.
Pain seared through her as the point of the weapon penetrated her abdomen. She clutched Itachi's shirt, leaning on him as he twisted the blade. His eyes were still burning into hers, and she still could not look away. Gritting her teeth, she breathed raggedly, then asked, "What is your message, Itachi?" He raised an eyebrow, twisting the kunai back the other way. Taking a deep breath, and releasing it, she tried to take her mind off of the pain. She repeated her question. "Your message?"
Itachi pulled the kunai from her body. Dropping it on the ground, he said, "Arigato." She blinked in confusion. He smiled at her, and this time it reached his eyes, but it scared her even more than when it hadn't. "For killing Orochimaru. Arigato."
"Is stabbing each other how you say thank you in Akatsuki?" She laughed painfully. "You must not do each other favors very often then." Though not sure why, she found this joke to be hilarious. Blood had begun to run down her legs. "Is that all you have to say to me, Itachi-san?" She was beginning to sway. "Do you have a message for Sasuke-chan, too? What about for Sakura, or Kabuto? If you have messages for them, too, I'll have to kill you, or I'll die trying."
His mouth curled in a smirk. He clearly did not think she was capable. She probably wasn't, but that didn't matter just now. "No, onehsan. The message was for you only. The kunai, however, was from me. Don't get too attached to my brother. He will not survive to continue the Uchiha clan." His voice was so confident, so sure in his assertion…
Amaya's lips twitched into a smile. Her shoulders began to shake. In spite of the damage done to her abdominal muscles, and the pain it caused her, she began to laugh. She threw her head back and laughed, the pain of it coursing through her. When she was finished, she looked back to Itachi's face, which was blank. "Don't underestimate Sasuke-chan. He isn't the little boy you threw aside so easily. He has become very strong. He has a strength you will never have." She smiled a sad smile. "I feel sorry for you, Itachi."
The Akatsuki blinked. Confusion was apparent on his face. She smiled again. Her hands released their grip on his shirt. She put her arms around his neck, and hugged him. He was utterly stiff. This did not surprise her at all. Releasing him, she planted a small kiss on his cheek. "I'm going home now, Itachi. Will you be back?" He nodded. There was some kind of conflict in his eyes. She did not know what it was, but the emotion was there, just as she had known it was. "Ja ne, Itachi."
She turned and began to walk away. Her feet dragged in the dirt, and she left a dribbling trail of blood. Her vision was becoming hazy. How long she could hold out, she did not know. She just kept walking. Pain spread with each step, but she did not stop, and remained standing straight. I am shinobi. Pain is only an inconvenience. I am shinobi. Pain is only a way to know I'm still alive. I am shinobi… Her thoughts became more and more jumbled, then ceased altogether. Finally, she collapsed at the entrance to the Uchiha compound, bleeding and unconscious.
She woke four days later. Tsunade was standing over her. She looked down at Amaya with sympathy. Her hands drifted to her abdomen. The Hokage shook her head. "Oh." She hadn't even gotten used to the fact that she had been pregnant, and now, she wasn't. And it was all because she had been so restless.
Pulling up a chair, the Godaime sat. "So, what happened?"
Amaya fumed silently at herself for a moment. Why was she such an imbecile? "I had a visit from my other brother. He was not polite." Tsunade's brow furrowed. "I think," Amaya said with some thought, "that I am the only person to be officially thanked by Akatsuki for services rendered." A dull pain spread slightly through her stomach as she chuckled, and then winced. "Ahhhh. Can I just report to you later about this? I'm getting dizzy." The Hokage nodded, and made her lay still.
"You'll be getting a lot of visitors now that you're awake. Sakura has been having fits for the last few days." Tsunade smiled. She was very fond of her apprentice. The blond woman then left.
For nearly an hour, Amaya lay propped on her pillows, dizzily looking out of the window. She wondered what Kabuto would think of the situation. They had nearly been parents. She and Kabuto. It was so strange. Thinking back, she could pinpoint the exact moment that she had fallen for him. Occasionally, she was mystified by the fact that she had fallen for him at all. He had, after all, killed her mother and father. It was definitely very strange the way that life turned out for her. Her dizzy musings were interrupted by the sliding of the door.
She turned her head, and her eyes widened. "Uncle Baki? What?" She had not seen her mother's brother for nearly ten years. What was he doing here? Of course, he may be here on a professional level. Konoha was now allied to the Sand. The half-veiled block of a man smiled, skewing his red face-paint.
"I've been hearing some very interesting stories about you, Ama," His dark eyes reminded her of her mother. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" She nodded. The last time she had seen him, he had been helping to train the present Kazekage, Gaara. He was yet another fearsome young man. Baki sat in the chair Tsunade had vacated. "They tell me that you have mastered the Kaze no Yiba. Is that true?" She nodded, wondering where this was going. Her uncle smiled again. It always looked very disjointed on him. "That's good. I'm glad that you've put it to some use."
He excused himself, saying that he had asked the others to wait and that he didn't want to take up any more of her time. She had always been a little afraid of him as a child, but now, he was just her uncle. Amaya shrugged at her own thoughts. There was a scuffling noise, and she looked at the door and smiled. Naruto and Sasuke were trying to get into the door at the same time, and they were stuck. She couldn't help herself. Throwing her head back, she laughed. The two of them were just far too funny sometimes. Jiraya, who was standing behind them, gave them a hard shove.
The two young men spilled into the room, nearly falling on top of one another. Hinata and Sakura followed them, and Jiraya came after, then Shikamaru, being pushed ahead of Kiba, and Kakashi, toting a conspicuous orange paperback. Amaya sighed. The Godaime wasn't kidding. Naruto and Sasuke were still staring daggers at one another, and looked as if they were about to unleash the Rasengan and Chiori on each other. Sakura elbowed Sasuke, and Hinata tapped Naruto on the shoulder, with a quiet, "Anou…Naruto?"
Kakashi was the first to actually approach her. "Yo. How are you doing?"
Amaya snorted. "Not as bad as I was. That fucking hurt." Her eyes flashed warning of any further questions at the moment. The Copy-nin winked at her.
"You bored?" Kakashi asked. She nodded. "Want to borrow some reading material?" He indicated the copy of Icha Icha Paridise, volume three that he had in his hand.
"I'll pass. They seem to have warped your brain. Don't want that to happen to me, too. Besides, I've got a pretty good imagination. Not like I need tips." This half-hearted and playfully indirect insult caused him to grin sheepishly behind his mask. Sakura peeped over her former sensei's shoulder.
"Ugh. Are you still reading that crap, Kakashi-sensei?" The distaste for his reading material was apparent on her face. Kakashi nodded proudly. "You'll never change." Her face had taken on the same kind of look that she had when she watched Naruto's antics. It was a look of slightly annoyed amusement.
Amaya noticed that Sasuke had Naruto in a silent head-lock, Hinata looking on with a very distressed expression on her face. "Sasuke-chan, please let the baka go. You're both being asses." When he had released the blond-haired young man, she sighed. "Now, unless you both want me to get up out of this bed and kick you through the wall, you'll cut it out." Naruto's eyes bulged, and Sasuke colored slightly. She could not help but laugh at them.
Shikamaru and Kiba came forward, and Akamaru jumped up onto the bed, careful not to jar Amaya too much. Kiba thrust a small box at her. "My mom made it." She opened it, and there was a small cake inside. Akamaru sniffed it, licking his lips. She shook an admonishing finger at the dog. "No, Akamaru," Kiba said. "You'll get your lunch in a bit."
Shikamaru leaned toward her. "Get better, baka. Then you can tell me what happened. I'm curious to see who got the better of you." He said this behind his hand, but his face said that he already knew. He really was frighteningly smart.
Suddenly, Jiraya piped up, towering over the rest. "I think we should all leave Amaya alone for now. She looks tired." He shooed everyone out, except for one person, who had been hiding behind the rest. Kabuto stood, leaning against the wall near the door. He slid the door closed.
He was bandaged, and moved slowly. She wondered idly how long he had been awake. "I guess we've both had a bad couple of weeks, haven't we?" He walked slowly over to the bed. He sat down and took her in his arms. "Tsunade-sama told me everything. I'm sorry." Tears came without warning, and she buried her face in his chest. After a very long time, she lay her head on his shoulder, staring out of the window.
"Kabuto?"
"Yes?"
"Aishiteru wa, Kabuto."
"Aishiteru yo, Amaya."
Now out of the hospital, she was just finished giving her full report to the Hokage. Tsunade told her not to blame herself, but it hadn't really helped. Amaya wandered through the streets of Konoha, feeling lost. Eventually, her wandering brought her back to the Uchiha compound. Her feet seemed to be guiding themselves. She went all the way back to the taijutsu training course. Absentmindedly, she stroked the crank-handle.
"How about something that doesn't require machinery?" A voice behind her asked. She turned, finding Kakashi. He was leaning against one of the trees. "You look like you need to blow off some steam." She smiled. She had certainly found a kindred spirit in him. Like Kabuto and Sasuke, he seemed to understand how training cleared the head.
"Hai."
They drew kunais and rushed at one another. The clash of metal rang out time and time again as they blocked each other's attacks. Amaya's thoughts began to focus, and soon, she was feeling much better. Stopping, she put her kunai away. "Arigato, Kakashi. I needed that." There was a small cut on her right hand, where he had knicked her. She smiled slightly. She could have sworn that she'd cut him too…Then she saw it. There was a rip in Kakashi's mask, across the bridge of his nose.
Amaya's smile widened. "Want to have something to drink?" He nodded. They went to her house, and had tea. "So what are you really here for, Kakashi?"
His head cocked to the side slightly. It really was too bad that most of his face was covered. It was so hard to tell what he was thinking! Resting his chin on his hand, he said, "I have been sent here by the Hokage to ask you to be on the team that is going to do surveillance on Akatsuki."
She closed her eyes, leaning back on her hands. "It will probably end up being a suicide mission. Who else is going?"
"So far, the team consists of me, you, Sasuke, and Shizune. Any more, and we'll be very conspicuous."
"Is it wise to allow Sasuke-chan on the mission? If we're only supposed to be watching them, how are we going to control him if he sees Itachi?" She could feel a headache developing, and it felt like someone was driving an ice pick between her eyes. Kakashi shrugged. "Or, is that what I'm there for?"
"Bingo." Kakashi winked again.
"This is going to suck."
"Yep, I'm sure it will." Neither of them wanted to think about what would happen when Sasuke eventually had to square off with his brother. She had confidence in him, but there was no way that he was going to come away from such a battle unscathed.
She sighed. "So, when do we leave?"
End…A Cloud for Konoha.
Tentative…continuing story of Amaya's mission to find Akatsuki, as well as other really fun stuff! must...find...beta reader...