The Link: Snake and Fox was removed from the website database because of a stupidly lame reason. It saddens me so. If you guys want the link, try posting in my forums or emailing me. Meanwhile, thanks so much for the support.
The Link
Chapter VIII: Murders, Soot, and Drugs
Kisame and Deidara stood side by side silently in the Akatsuki cave, watching with seemingly impassive faces as the Leader paced in front of his members, his hands folded behind him. Kisame and Deidara learned that whenever the Leader folded his hands behind him like that, there was never good news coming.
"Status?" the Leader asked.
Nobody answered. The Leader sighed.
"So. For twice in a row, we have lost our most powerful hitmen."
Thanks for stating the oh-so-obvious, boss. Deidara thought inwardly. The blonde did not make the fatal mistake of saying this aloud. The Leader was not very clean when he got rid of the more troublesome members over the years.
"First it was Orochimaru. And now Uchiha Itachi."
Still nobody answered. The silence was almost chilling, and Deidara resisted the urge to nudge Sasori beside him, just so the puppeteer would make a noise. Any noise. As if reading his thoughts, the former Sand-nin made a wooden click.
"And we lost the Houou." The last word came as a spiteful hiss.
Deidara very nearly winced when the Leader's gaze landed on him and Kisame. This was it. They might never leave this cave alive. But the killing blow never came.
"Are you absolutely sure Itachi died?" the Leader asked quietly.
Kisame and Deidara did not even dare exchange glances. It was the former Mist nin that answered, shifting the Samehada on his shoulders before finding his guttural voice. "Nobody could survive a bleeding like that."
"Ah!" said the Leader, his voice turning acidic. "You left Uchiha Itachi because he was bleeding, not because he was dead."
Kisame swallowed. Deidara could clearly see the way his adam's apple bobbed up and down.
"We were sure that..."
"Sure? Do you even know what that word means, Kisame?" the Leader hissed. "Not only did you lose me my most powerful tool, you also lost me one of the monsters. Times like these I wouldn't have wasted my time scolding you, but I've no choice." He paced again, and the shadows seemed to swirl around him. Deidara knew it was a kind of genjutsu, but he never managed to ask. The Leader was very selfish when it came to his techniques. "The fishwife sealed the Houou into her daughter using the same seal used on the Kyuubi brat. She died, and her husband tackled all three of you using his bloodline limit – his purple eyes. Brilliant – combined basic principles of the Sharingan and Byakugan, wasn't it? I can see why Itachi was felled."
Deidara moved a finger, but Sasori gave a warning click beside him. The blonde stayed his tongue.
"Do you know what?" the Leader said as he stopped pacing. The shadows swirled around his head like a halo. A very grisly halo. "I really do not care whether Itachi is alive or dead. But I want you, Kisame and Deidara, to find the girl and bring her to me...alive. As for Itachi – if he is by some chance of fate still breathing...kill him."
Deidara could not stop his jaw from dropping. "What?"
The Leader's gaze landed on him. "Kill him. You dumb or what?"
The blonde wanted to blurt out that the leader was making no point at all when Kisame's right foot slammed into his own. Deidara let out a pained hiss and nudged the shark-man in the ribs, making him grunt.
"Why?" Kisame said.
The Leader's eyes flashed from anger to amused. Amazing how he could switch from one emotion to the other in the blink of an eye. "Because Itachi is already useless without his Sharingan. I am sure the fight has taken its toll on him. His eyesight had been failing for a long time, even though he did keep his silence. I am not stupid, you know. I do not need blind nins in the Akatsuki."
Blind? Itachi lost his Sharingan? The thought was enough to make Deidara's brain sag.
There was a condescending sigh from the Leader. "They all end up as failures. First it was Orochimaru releasing his Fushi Tensei for the Kyuubi brat. Now it's Itachi losing his eyesight. No matter how ruthless they can be in the start, they follow this weird trend of dying as fools in the end. My, my...what a shameful waste of power and talent."
It was Kisame's turn to gape. It was good that the cave was dark. Gaping was a very disgraceful action. Especially for an Akatsuki member.
"Now I want things perfectly done this time, Kisame. Deidara." The Leader went on. "Find the girl and bring her here, and kill Uchiha Itachi. And do not forget to bring back his ring. Goodness knows how the prices have hiked. We need to save up."
They had no choice. Obey or die.
"Yes, sir."
"I said what are you doing in my house!" Naruto practically shouted as he raised his right hand, Rasengan at the ready. "Answer!"
A sudden shrill cry startled Naruto, causing the Rasengan between his fingers to fluctuate before finally fading with a faint pop. He gaped as Itachi spared a moment to glower at him before turning to his side and picking up a...baby...and trying to hush it. All thoughts of anger and alarm fading, Naruto stepped closer to his bed where Itachi was sitting, rocking the baby in his arms.
The baby was pretty. She had creamy ivory skin and tufts of soft dark brown hair on her rounded head. Her eyes were startling purple, her nose slightly pinched, her lips very pink. Naruto could not help but stare at her. She bawled and bawled in Itachi's arms, tears trickling down her reddened cheeks. And then it hit Naruto. Oh holy Yondaime! Itachi is a FATHER!
"Your daughter?" Naruto blurted out, transferring his gaze to Itachi.
Itachi gave a curt nod. "Do you know how hard it was to put her to sleep?"
Naruto scratched his head. "I'm sorry? But hey! What the hell are you doing here? No – what are you doing in Konoha?"
Itachi rolled his eyes. He hated having to explain things. "Long story."
The fact that an Akatsuki and missing nin was sitting in his bed was soon forgotten in Naruto's head. Blue eyes sparkling, he reached out his hands. "Can I carry her? Huh? Pretty please?"
Itachi opened his mouth slightly. He frowned at the direction where he hoped Naruto was sitting on the bed with him. "Uh...I guess so?" And he held out the bawling Heion toward the fox boy, and soon the child's weight left her hands.
Naruto took Heion with all the care in the world, lifting her up so she could peer down his face. Her purple eyes were very wide and drops of tears clung to her lashes as she silently looked down at the new face. She had grown used to Sasuke and Itachi, and Naruto's blue-eyed and whiskered features came as a surprise. However the baby's lips curled, and Naruto knew she didn't like him. But the fox was quick.
"No, no! Don't cry! I won't bite you! Here, look - !"
And Naruto made all sorts of funny faces for Heion. Soon the child forgot about crying her throat out and instead let out a shriek of hilarity.
"Haha, cute little angel, aren't you?" Naruto exclaimed as he rose and started throwing Heion in the air before catching her again. "You like being tossed about, don't you? Don't you? You're just like Asuma and Kurenai's Eikichi – damn bugger wants to be hurled around like a cannonball!"
Itachi gaped. Asuma and Kurenai?
"Ehi! Tickletickletickletickletickletickletickle!" Naruto laughed as the baby laughed with him. "Let's go higher! WOOO!" He threw Heion high enough that the girl's hair scraped his ceiling, but the baby was at the peak of hilarity.
Itachi took a moment to find his voice. "Look...Naruto..."
"Huh? What?" Naruto asked as he caught Heion squarely by the armpits and slung her carefully over his shoulder. The baby immediately slobbered down his neck.
"Listen, ah...you see I...well, I..." Itachi fumbled for words. He was not used to begging for help. "I busted the house and...and...well...we've got nowhere else...see, I was wondering if...uhm...well...ah..." he blushed and finally shut his mouth.
Naruto smirked. "You need a place to stay in? Yeah, that was kind of a very big fire, I saw it. Sasuke will definitely explode once he hears." He turned his attention back to Heion for a moment as he tried to pry her from his neck. "Well, I wouldn't mind you here for a bit...but only until you find a new apartment."
Itachi nodded hurriedly. "Yes...yes...thank you."
Naruto tilted his head sideways and eyed Itachi curiously. The man was looking at the blankets. And his eyes...Naruto frowned. There was a kind of abnormal discoloration on the vicinity of his irises and pupils, silvery enough to make him look like a Hyuuga family member.
"What'd you do with your eyes?" Naruto asked curiously as Heion managed to snatch off his head protector.
Itachi gave a small, mirthless smile. "I've become blind."
Screw the Chuunin exams! Sasuke shouted in his head as he dashed like a madman around Konoha's streets, earning a barrage of stupefied gapes and stares from the general population that saw him. The younger Uchiha ran like there was no tomorrow, Kakashi's words echoing hauntingly in his head.
Sasuke, this morning...it exploded in flames...we couldn't save anything...
The first strangled sob escaped Sasuke's throat as his thoughts strayed to his niece. Soon the first few drops of tears framed his Sharingan eyes, and then flowed down his cheeks entirely. He looked like a maniac as he rounded the next street, running like hell and sobbing like a little boy who got his candy stolen. An Uchiha did not cry for Nidaime's sakes!
Under the moonlight Sasuke finally laid his eyes on the charred remains of what had been a whole compound of silent houses and empty shops. Sasuke had to admit that he had never felt so hopeless in his entire life except perhaps when Orochimaru told him to his face that he was nothing but a concussed idiot not even worth teaching a single jutsu. The only things that still stood were the burnt foundations of the mansion where Itachi and Heion had been left more than a week ago.
Clenching his hands into fists, Sasuke made his way to the burnt ruins, shouting. "Itachi! Heion! I'm home! I'm back! Itachi! Heion!"
Symphatetic neighbors emerged from their houses and watched him silently.
"ITACHI! HEION!"
One of the spectators, a certain ANBU named Hyuuga Neji who paused from pushing his takoyaki cart, frowned thoughtfully at the names Sasuke was recklessly howling in public.
"ITACHIIIII! HEIOOONN!"
"Poor young man, first it was his parents, now his house...I wonder who Heion is...might have been his girlfriend..." a fat housewife muttered beside Neji. "And he even named their baby after his brother..."
Neji eyed the woman askance. She was unbelievably dense. Silently, the Hyuuga let his gaze go back to Sasuke as the stricken Jounin rummaged about the remains of his home, kicking aside burnt windows and pushing aside charred drawers and closets. The explosion was so big that authorities could not determine if there were people inside the house. If there had been, they would have been reduced to atoms.
Sasuke was no longer yelling dangerous names, but was now howling like a mad animal as he dug through the charcoal and fallen timbers. It was not good if he remained like that. He would go mad. Sighing, Neji abandoned his takoyaki cart and followed Sasuke through the ruins, stepping carefully over the remains of the houses on the ground.
Sasuke looked like a mess. Soot smeared his Jounin vest and face and practically blackened his hands and arms. Neji did not waste any second, and a resounding CRACK echoed as he slapped Sasuke with all his might.
Sasuke fell flat on his back and did not move. His open Sharingan eyes stared blankly up at Neji's face as the ANBU bent over to examine him.
Neji brought his face down so he and Sasuke practically touched noses. Sharingan red stared hard and deep into Byakugan silver.
"Sasuke, it is not good if you scream dangerous names like that in public. Come with me. You are a mess." Neji spoke in a hushed voice.
Neji rose, and Sasuke followed suit soon afterward. Neji led the way away from the fallen Uchiha compound as he pushed his takoyaki cart, Sasuke trailing silently behind him, his head bowed. Gradually the spectators went on with their business.
The ANBU led the way through streets that brought them nearer to the Hyuuga's apartment in turn. Still Sasuke followed like a sheep being herded to a slaughterhouse. Neji kept glancing at him every now and then.
"We'll patch you up – you're horribly dirty – and you will eat dinner with me." Neji murmured. "Hopefully I have some teriyaki left that's enough for us."
Neji's apartment was a seven-floor building only steps away from Ichiraku Ramen. After parking his takoyaki cart near the gate, Neji led the way through shadowy corridors and into his humble home. Sasuke wordlessly followed him inside and sat down on the couch, his head still bowed.
The Uchiha was still deathly silent as Neji rummaged in his kitchen. The smell of teriyaki then pervaded the air, and Neji tossed him a pair of pajamas.
"Go change," Neji said as he jerked his head toward the bathroom. Sasuke obeyed.
As Sasuke took his time in the bathroom, Neji set the table with a thoughtful frown. He wondered if it was right to force a confession out of the Uchiha using one of the newly-released interrogation drugs in his cupboard.
Yakushi Kabuto worked silently in his personal laboratory, orange light glinting off the frame of his lopsided glasses as he carefully poured a blue-colored concoction into an Erlenmeyer flask. As he worked, the notorious medic contemplated upon the state of degradation the Hidden Sound had undergone in months. Anger welled up in him as he remembered the madness Orochimaru had done. Releasing the captives and canceling his experiments. Apologizing openly and extending out peace treaties with clans such as the Fuma. Finally, the Serpent asking for his original body to be taken out of cryogenic suspension and releasing Fushi Tensei and going back to it.
For two months Kabuto watched in horror as Orochimaru proceeded with his tasks. The Serpent said that it was necessary to accomplish the said things before he returned to Konoha as a free nin. Free nin...Kabuto knew then that his master had gone crazy. All because of the brat named Uzumaki Naruto.
Orochimaru had grown very weak. And disgustingly soft. Kabuto felt his skin crawl when his former master told him about his other plans. Plans like forming an alliance with Konoha and extending treaties to the Sand and Mist.
Kabuto mourned for the loss of his true master, but the mourning did not last long. He had to nip the madness in the bud before it grew too strong to be killed. Fortunately he did not need to look long for an opening to stab Orochimaru in the back. Releasing the Fushi Tensei after such a long time took its toll. Orochimaru's body was still stabilizing itself. And stabilizing meant a lot of pain, really. And for pain, you needed painkillers. Custom-made painkillers.
It didn't hurt if such tablets had a small dose of poison in them. Small, unnoticeable doses that built up with every taking of the pill. And then...
Kabuto watched as the potion turned into tiny, solid balls of blue. The Hidden Sound needed a new Otokage soon. And the future Nidaime Otokage was none other but himself.
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