A/n: Heya,
Another chapter. Yay. Partay…..lively… I kind of like this chapter (at least more than Chapter 8) I had to rewrite that thing three times because of the action part I wasn't sure how it was supposed to go. I still don't like it all that much but it suffices.
I love the quote I laughed so hard when I read it. Granted it doesn't really have anything to do with the chapter but it's still awesome. Maybe at the end of the chapter I'll post a better more meaningful quote. (Although this quote is pretty meaningful…okay maybe not Aristotle but it's still awesome!)
Anywho, Enjoy
-shyshi
"Don't steal. The government doesn't like competition." -Anonymous
Sirens. Cars. Ambulances. The street was crowded with fellow police officers, ambulances and of course news reporters. News of the fight between police, the notorious drug dealer hit man, his partner and a couple of kids was creating a tsunami of problems and Emiko could barely keep her eyes open as the sirens continued to scream into her ear.
About a block away she glimpsed a news reporter; her outfit was neatly pressed and cleaned while she re-applied her make up before the camera would flick back to her. Her gaze turned to her hands and she noticed they were continuing to shake as she tried to steady herself.
Tightly fastened around her wrist rested a shiny silver handcuff. As she attempted to pull on her latch she felt the metal grind into her skin and she stopped with a sigh. The matching bracelet was locked around a metal stop sign pole and she silently commended Kakashi for his stealth and creativity.
Time paused maliciously and Emiko watched as the woman slowly dropped to the ground, her eyes steadily glazing over as she collapsed to the floor. Zabuza let out a harsh laugh and Emiko dropped to the ground with Sakura and the others as they saw the man pull a shotgun from the shelf.
"Seems you were wrong." The man declared with a twisted smile upon his face as he looked to the woman. For a second remorse seemed to flicker through his face but it fled before she could confirm and she felt her eyes unwillingly focus on the gun in Zabuza's hand. Before another word was spoken another shot rang out and Emiko covered her head as glass shattered.
Taking a chance Emiko looked to see Zabuza, his shirt now quickly becoming dyed red, standing before a broken window. Her mismatched eyes drifted to Kakashi who was standing still with a grim look upon his features. His hand still held his gun and he kept it aimed at the criminal who swayed forward towards Kakashi. The silver haired man's trigger finger twitched but he paused as he saw Zabuza drop to the floor beside his partner.
Thoughts never entered her mind as she watched Zabuza carefully trace the woman's face.
"He was too nice…Haku,"
'HE!' Emiko screamed mentally and her eyes widened as she slowly began to realize it was in fact a man. 'Wha…' Zabuza closed his eyes and the group watched as his blood slowly seeped to the floor. Naruto turned his head away and stared angrily at the ground.
"Don't." Kakashi spoke and the blonde blinked before turning to see Kakashi respectively closing Haku's eyes. His eye rose to the group of kids who had willingly stepped in to help. Wide, scarred eyes stared back and he let out a small sigh. His mouth opened to speak when Sakura screamed.
Emiko wildly spun to face the girl but found her emerald gaze elsewhere. Emiko followed her lead and felt her stomach tighten as she found herself staring at a lifeless body. Clad in dark blue and white. 'Sasuke…'
Thinking of the Uchiha Emiko found herself searching the commotion until she found the ambulance. Its lights continued to blink and it's wailing continued through the air but she didn't care as she strained to see into the belly of the ambulance.
A flash of dark hair caught her eyes and she stood to get a closer look. The few inches she moved didn't help and the people working frantically inside the vehicle didn't help as they eclipsed her view.
'Sasuke no baka.' She thought half heartedly as she resigned to the small, handcuff caused confinement. 'It's his fault I'm even stuck to this thing.' She smacked the metal pole to vent a frustration but found herself with even more as her hand stitched painfully.
The backup Kakashi had called for initially after he had entered the apartment after Zabuza was beginning to arrive and he felt a sense of resentment at their late arrival. Now he had 2 dead and 5 teenagers on his hand, one barely clinging to life and the others battered in varying degrees.
'Although they did help,' he thought but pushed the fact away as he saw the ambulance drive into view. He turned to the group and motioned for them to separate. As they broke away Sasuke was unearthed and Kakashi easily scooped the boy into his arms. Sakura rushed forward, tears were welling in her green eyes and she stayed close to the unconscious teen.
Her hand reached tentatively for the raven locks as she began to pet his head. Something Kakashi was sure the teen would immediately disapprove of but nothing something he was going to try and stop. As the ambulance pulled up Kakashi strode up to the opening back doors and immediately pushed him into the waiting arms.
"Poison, Zabuza's specialty. Treat it like Kuro Acid." He ordered and the EMT's set to work. Sakura stepped away quietly and her hand rushed to her mouth before she fled back to the sidewalk. Megumi waited with open, comforting arms and held her as she cried.
Kakashi's gaze rested on Emiko who sat stonily on the steps. Her arms rested on her knees and her hands were clasped in front and she stared into the distance. Brown tresses fell into her face and her ponytail was barely alive with most of the tendrils of brown twisting out to fall in a mess around her head.
"Emi-chan." Naruto was resting beside her, his blue eyes shone of concern as he tried to steal his friend's attention. Silence followed and despite the blonde's best attempts she seemed unwilling to speak or even respond. Her blue and brown eyes drifted in and out of focus.
Suddenly Emiko blinked and her eyes came into a sharp focus of vivacity and she stood, swaying only for a moment to adjust to her strained muscles and sudden onset of nausea. Her eyes trained on the ambulance and she quickly managed to hobble her way to the back.
"What are you doing?" Kakashi's voice rang in her mind and she tilted her head to look at the cop. A slip of cover passed over her eyes for a moment but it went unnoticed as she took another weak step towards the Uchiha.
"I'm going to go and yell at him for being a jerk." She answered honestly, a light haze in her voice. Her mind twirled and motion sickness came in small tides as she stood still. Her vision fringed in black but she fought it back and steadily dismissed the feeling of numb weakness in her legs.
"Not now." Kakashi ordered but Emiko feigned abrupt deafness as she continued to walk towards the ambulance, intent on making sure Sasuke never did something so stupid again.
So, now there she was, hand cuffed to a stop sign. 'Maybe it's a metaphor,' she joked weakly, a small fraction of a laugh rising to her lips. Heat rose in her head and she felt steam clog her mind.
"I don't feel good…" she whined and rested her head against the cold metal, grateful for the brief respite it provided. Out of the past came an old habit and Emiko began to bite at her pinkie nail despite her mind's protests. It had taken 3 months before Emiko could kick her habit and now it came back as though second nature.
"Excuse me." Heels tapped to a stop and Emiko cocked her head just enough to glance up at the news reporter standing next to her smiling like a high quality Barbie doll. "Are you one of the criminals?" Her sweet tone couldn't drizzle enough honey over the words and Emiko tried desperately to stand only to find her bracelet leash stuck, preventing her from going rising to her feet. So she resigned to simple glaring at the woman and sending her mental insults.
"Iie. I'm not." She stated monotonously as the woman began to step away, motioning for the camera man to stop filming. At this the reporter turned back, her smile once again in place as she bent down shove the microphone in Emiko's face.
"What are you doing here?" She drawled and sarcastic comments flew through Emiko's mind. A few of the more amusing ones included Santa Clause, a boiled egg and a broken computer keyboard.
"Emi-chan!" Naruto's bold voice broke through and Emiko turned away from the reporter, grateful for the disturbance. The blonde appeared beside her and she noticed his mouth twitch as he saw Emiko's new bracelet.
"I and the pole are bracelet buddies." Emiko stated sarcastically, with a light swing of her wrist. Naruto couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter at her predicament. Not one to enjoy being laughed at, Emiko swiftly kicked the blonde in his leg. That shut him up.
"Owie!" Naruto complained in a high pitched voice before slumping next to Emiko on the curb.
"And who are you? Are you her boyfriend?" At the last question Emiko felt heat rise to her face. Not from embarrassment really but from anger at the prying woman and her obvious gossipy nature as she turned to gush to the camera about young love in the slums.
"NANI!" Naruto flushed but Emiko made no comment about it as she waved to get the woman's attention. Still the reporter ignored her, still speaking to whoever was at the station about what was going on and adding tidbits about how young love flourished amongst all the criminals.
"HEY!" This the woman couldn't ignore and she angrily turned on her expensive heel to glare at Emiko.
"Hai?" She snapped. Her candy voice disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Emiko once again attempted to stand but found the handcuff still stuck around the metal pole. Noticing that Emiko was preoccupied the woman turned back around and continued her report, continuing to lay a thick layer of sweetness to her voice that made Emiko practically want to gag. Naruto finally shook to his senses and watched Emiko struggle in vain with the handcuff.
"Oh yeah…" He paused and ruffled through his jacket pocket before pulling out a small ring of keys. Emiko instantly stopped and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the keys.
"Naruto are those the keys to unlock these handcuffs?" She asked. Her voice had dropped an octave causing Naruto to be slightly unnerved. He nodded none the less and Emiko smacked him on the back of the head.
"Naruto no baka! How long have you had the keys!" Emiko yelled. Her frustration at the female reporter and her inability to confront the woman because of her restrains was taken out upon the key carrier who was ironically trying to free her.
Her hand flew to her wrist as she felt freedom graze her wrist. Naruto finished unlocking the handcuffs and chuckled mischievously as he continued to fiddle with the contraptions. Unsurprisingly he managed to lock himself into the cuffs and found himself with the keys in his mouth as he tried to undo the locks.
"Hey!" Emiko knew she had the woman's attention as she stopped shortly.
"What is it!" The woman demanded, ignoring the camera still broadcasting and turning to the young teen with an evil glint in her eyes.
"Stop lying about me and Naruto. And stop being all gossipy! That's not what a reporter is supposed to be! A drug dealer and hit-man was shot and killed along with his partner and here you are talking about love in the slums." As the last word left Emiko's mouth her anger dissipated and she was left with a deflated balloon that had once held her courage. 'Crap…'
Distantly she could hear Naruto cheering but she didn't waste time and instantly fled away from the reporter who looked both shocked and furious.
"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing. Journalism, conscious of this, and having tradesman-like habits, supplies their demands." -Oscar Wilde
