"Skull! Skull! Skull!" The crowd cheered. Loud and rambunctious they yelled with the ferocity of men at their most primal. Sasuke liked the attention, favored the cheers and love people would blow out to him from the stands. He would smile and encourage their attention having found it similar to the attention he would have had in civilian villages. The lack of fear was a nice change of pace he found. Though he did rather enjoy the fear far more than the love of the people around him.
"Skull!" One woman yelled above the rest. Carrying her voice across the sound of the crowd, Lara rushed past several performers - uncaring of the glares thrown her way for her rough shoving and cold demeanor - carrying a large stack of papers and a cup of water. All around him he was surrounded by acrobats and performers, he himself lacked the space to move freely yet Lara undaunted continued to yell his name and cleared space for the two. "Honestly you would think it would be a little less crowded, hn." She glared around her.
"We are backstage," Sasuke couldn't help but point out. "My show is over." He was being short with her, but it was for good reason. Lara was a pushy woman who demanded what she wanted right when she asked for it. She often went over his head in matters that she had no reason to stick her nose into having decided everything in Sasuke's life was her business. She made an excellent manager.
"Yes yes I know." She rolled her eyes, elbowing a clown in the shoulder and glaring him off to the side. "You have a visitor."
"So?" Sasuke asked, finally having had enough of the conversation. He was ready for a hot bath and time to sleep. Being in the circus was fun he would admit, but it took a toll on his body in a way he had never felt before. Sasuke had been slacking on his stretches and Kiba rarely ever wanted to wake up early enough to join him in them or better yet - take over the body and do them himself. Sasuke found himself pushing past Lara to find the exit.
"You need to meet him. A business proposal I think you should hear, trust me on this one I think he is someone worth meeting." He didn't turn to see what face she made when she said it but he knew better than to check. She always made the same predatory smile when she smelled the blood of some poor man with poor financial instincts.
Sasuke didn't bother to respond to her. He did not need to and Lara wasn't expecting one anyway. He rolled his shoulders back and continued with a steady pace, reaching the outside of the tent and being hit with a horrible chill.
"Just one meeting dude," Kiba said sleepily. "Then we can go. This guy better be worth it or we fire her." Sasuke didn't doubt her, but he could not help but agree with Kiba.
She's keeping us from our well deserved rest. Sasuke thought, mentally shrugging. We should fire her for that alone.
"She would deserve it." Kiba laughed.
They had fired her several times before but she always showed up bright and early the next day thanking them for the vacation time.
When Sasuke found himself in the small tent, the first thing he was greeted by was Akamaru sharpening a knife with another knife. He watched a strangely dressed man with what looked like a threat in his eyes. For the first time in the entire day Sasuke smiled genuinely, feeling the spark of happiness bloom from Kiba.
It was a strange way to start a meeting with a new business partner. But leave it to Akamaru to set the tone of any and all private gatherings.
"I have been following you for years now." The man had started after the initial period of introductions. Sasuke stood in front of the man rather than Kiba though he wished to retreat inside his mind and rest. Sasuke was the better of the two with impressions having been trained to take over the clan in case Itachi failed in his duty. "It's been an honor to watch you grow as both a person and a figure in the community." The man was obnoxious in both dress and mannerism. Just the type to take this approach in initial talks. No wonder Lara was so insistent on meeting him, he burned money by breathing.
"Skull-sama is honored to know he has such loyal fans!" Sasuke laughed, bringing forth his own obnoxious personality. "As I - the great Skull - once said, 'my fans mean more to me than anything else'." With a smile Sasuke bowed dramatically.
"Yes.." The man smiled back widely. "As for my proposition, I would like to invite you to a gathering or sorts. You will be compensated for your time of course but it may conflict with your performances here."
"The great Skull-sama is not beholden to any one group or family." Sasuke answered automatically. His and Kiba's loyalty was always to Konoha no matter how far they were. Though the two found fun here in this world they knew they would have to go back to their village someday if not soon.
"I understand." The man nodded. "Think about it though, I think you wont regret taking the chance." The man stood and reached into his inner pocket of the coat he wore. He pulled out a small rectangular card. "This is where we are meeting. I hope to see you there."
"Thank you Checkerface-same" Sasuke bowed his head lightly. "Worry not dear fan. I never disappoint."
Sasuke and Kiba lived for risk.
The adrenaline rush of a fight never failed to get their blood pumping. Switching in and out of the body, allowing Kiba to throw a punch and bare his teeth. Going back to Sasuke as he threw harsh glares and rough kicks to the stomach and chin. The two were so in sync it was scary how fast their body moved. From an outside point of view Sasuke looked insane. Killing was frowned upon here but they were Shinobi, they could kill a man and hide the evidence even with no chakra. It was second nature to both of them. Neither finding a problem with what they did nor finding reason to justify their actions. It was a deeply unsettling thing to witness when someone looked to have held so few morals and felt no remorse for it. Killing was second nature to them, death not bothering them.
From city to city they moved and in their wake lay a pile of bodies.
Justified they were for the kill. Both see no wrong with what they did. Uncaring if they were caught so secure in their skills of deception. Sasuke and Kiba did not exist here. Cherep was the name they adopted when they woke in this new and strange world.
Cherep was offered a spot in this group. Cherep was a boy who enjoyed adventuring, managing risk with reward. Cherep was loud and full of confidence with his ability. Followed by a loyal octopus and loved by many. He had formed a loyal crowd of admirers who followed him from city to city. Photographers came far and wide to watch him perform. Cherep loved the attention - reveled in it even.
Cherep was the creation of two lonely boys.
But Cherep was invited to join something.
"We've been here for so long." Kiba had broken the silence in their shared mind.
It had taken many hours for them to come to a decision. Debating if it was worth it, taking a risk and leaving their circus behind. It had started to feel constricting being depended on by so many. For their livelihood, the workers watched with satisfaction as more and more flocked to watch him and only him. Everyone else was background to his performance. But Sasuke didn't want to be here anymore. Having only decided to join because he wanted to find Akamaru, only staying for Kiba. Having stayed longer because they both adored love and attention. But Sasuke was getting anxious. They had moved constantly but he needed away from this group. They were so predictable it was laughable that no enemies had not come out and destroyed them all yet. It was only a matter of time now, he had argued. Kiba was wary of the group this checkerface wanted them to meet, after all they were not shinobi here. They were famous circus attractions, surely not something worth an opportunity such as this. Kiba was right of course, there was no reason this man should have approached them. And under such shady circumstances, Lara had no idea what the man had said having been sold a completely different story. It was shady and underhand. But it caught both their attention.
A good mystery was what they were missing in their lives. Discovering what this guy was after was far more fun than continuing in as they were now. Restricted in their movements and where they went. The circus was a way out of boarding school, a way to find Akamaru. An escape away from prison. One prison was exchanged for another. Sasuke and Kiba came to the same thought. They were tired of being caged and were ready to move on. This man was a convenient excuse.
They ended up stowing away in the middle of the night. At first Sasuke had made up his mind that the motorcycle must be abandoned but as he tried to walk past he could force himself past it. It was their gateway to freedom, he reasoned to Kiba. Akamaru had looked at him with a judgemental expression as he moved to roll the bike away.
As he looked over at the camp, having found himself on a hill overlooking it, he felt a sense of freedom. Dying was an impossibility, he would boast. He had nothing to fear from this world.
Sasuke flexed his hand. "We came here as a child and now we leave a man," he said out loud. "It's time to move on."
Kiba agreed. Akamaru sighed from his place on the handlebars.
This checkerface was not to be trusted. But what was life if they never took a single risk?
They had found themself several miles away, stowed away in a motel. The trip had only taken them an hour or so, leaving them plenty of time to gather their thoughts and start contacting connections to arrange money transfers and holdings. Sasuke found that their former classmates could be very accommodating.
Acquiring a phone had only taken a well placed smile to a man who lingered outside the motel. Within the hour he held a communication device with everything he needed inside of it.
The man he had smiled at had been a member of the Carcassa before Skull had devoured them in a fight. The man, having recognized Skull, held a healthy dose of fear for him. So he did whatever he could to give Skull whatever it was that he required. Paying for his room and phone, even arranging for one of Skulls very own subordinates to take him to this meeting of others.
The meeting was tomorrow early in the morning. The man had recognized the address and immediately sought to warn Skull what he may be walking into. Skull never spoke a word, but his smile had said enough. His smile only spoke of trouble for those it was aimed at. The man was right to worry as he was sent to gather specific riding leathers and a new helmet. Something unrecognizable to the great Skull.
The man had bowed his head and set off to work.
Sasuke turned away and stretched. He would get no sleep tonight. He had too many plans to set into motion, contingencies needed to be made. The information the man was providing to him was invaluable. He hadnt meant to take advantage of him but the way he deferred so easily to him made him suspicious. So he probed with measured looks and sly smiles. The man hadn't stopped speaking. Often repeating himself in an effort to his Don to stop looking at him like that.
Setting up a mafia family was never in his plans, though Sasuke wouldn't complain. It was sort of like a cult he used to himself. Kiba laughed and agreed. Akamaru would head their meeting and would lead a worship of the Great Immortal Skull. They would all wear strange clothing and go around freaking out the civilians. Sasuke smiled to himself before shaking himself out of his fantasy. There would be time for this later. Right now Sasuke needed to get his business together as he was about to toe his way into a world that was the most familiar to him.
Sasuke and Kiba always knew they were built for criminal life.
The meeting could have been worse all things considered.
Sasuke and Kiba had decided beforehand that they would trade places for this meeting. Kiba would take care of their interactions as he was more in tune with the Skull persona than Sasuke was. Sasuke would take the time observing their company and categorizing different escape plans. The two of them were comfortable enough to do this now as they have been stuck with each other day in day out for so many years now. Sasuke couldn't imagine going back to Konoha and not having Kiba to speak with at all times.
Kiba thought likewise.
When they walked in, Sasuke knew immediately these people did not think of them as a threat.
The man had done his job well. Getting them a bright purple jumpsuit and matching helmet all made specifically for riding their bike. Even their shoes and socks were variations of purple, though it all matched it was garish and unsightly to look at for too long. Judging by the rolling disgust on all their faces the outfit had done its job.
Sasuke smirked to himself, happy that their plan was seeing fruition.
"I am Skull! The Immortal Stuntman!" Kiba yelled as he entered the room. He had his arms raised in the air and he walked with an air of confidence only Kiba could pull off. Akamaru hung off their backs. His slimy tentacle hitting them in the back of the neck. No doubt embarrassed by the show Kiba was giving off.
Closest to them sat a man wearing a traditional red ensemble. Though his face was still and his posture was relaxed, Sauske could tell he was ready for a fight. The man turned to them with a calm smile. "A pleasure to meet you," The man stood from his seat. Swift and graceful he bowed politely. "I am Fon."
If Sasuke had been the one controlling their body he would have instinctually bowed back. Years of bowing to elders and showing respect to his clansmen had brokered in him a distinctive need to be as respectful as he was expected to be. Kiba was the opposite, only showing respect to his sister and mother. And never bowling to anyone. Kiba had never been sent to the capital on a mission that much had been obvious to Sasuke.
Kiba made a face, thankfully unseen behind his motorcycle helmet, at Sasuke's thoughts. Quickly though he turned to the man to respond. "Fon? Nice to meet you!" Skull was not the most polite but he was friendly.
Another man, this one facing the door, made an abrupt movement in his coat. "Take off your helmet." It wasn't a request and that made Kiba almost growl at the audacity of a man to order them around. "A man who hides his face isn't someone I want to trust." The man was stranger than the others in the room. This man had a hat with a yellow ribbon wrapped around the base. And the oddest sideburns they had ever seen.
Beside him a woman snorted though she said nothing, her face said everything.
"Skull takes orders from nobody." It was wrong to say, uncharacteristic of the persona they had built but Kiba couldn't stop himself. "My air of mystery depends on my helmet!" It did not but it was a good enough save.
"Cookies?" Another woman entered the room. She was tall and had a very strange plump hat, it matched her dress and brought attention away from her very plump belly. Pregnant, Sausuke observed, and ready to give birth soon. What a pregnant woman was doing heading a meeting with known criminals Sasuke couldn't say. "Oh! Hello, I'm Luce." She smiled unabashed. Everything about her was open and so happy. It made Sasuke slightly ill and weary. The other members of the room were shady but this woman made an effort to seem unassuming and cheerful; it put him completely on edge.
"Skull," Kiba responded. "Luce right? Sooo you know why we're here?" Slowly he reached up and removed their helmet. Another of Kibas weaknesses, pregnant women made him immediately act as a gentleman. Sasuke would have to be careful and ready to take control. Knowing he might have to fight for it.
Sideburns frowned almost unseen as the shade of his hat covered most of his face.
"Please take a seat Skull-san, I can explain everything now." Luce smiled widely as she gestured to a chair closest to her and next to a man with green hair and just across from a person with a hood on. Both remained silent through his encounter but no doubt watched him for any and all weakness.
"Of course!" Quickly Kiba maneuvered through the room taking the longer way around so Sasuke may get some time to observe the room further as he was limited by only their immediate line of sight.
Luce, through all of this, only watched patiently. She never tried to hurry him along or show any sort of displeasure. She looked to be a woman who was always listened to, Sasuke observed. She never seemed to waver or show any doubt with their movements. As if she knew that he would do as she commanded.
"Interesting," Sasuke commented to Kiba. "She is who we have to watch." It was the obvious choice but it wasn't the only. Sideburns seemed twitchy, always reaching into his jacket pocket. The others were not immediate threats though he couldn't find it within himself to dismiss them.
"I am glad you all decided to accept the invitation issued to you." Luce began. "As Checkerface-san said, you will be compensated for your time." Here she paused and observed them all silently. "I am Luce, head of the Giglio Nero. And I have gathered you all here with a proposition that will interest you and most importantly your pockets. In this room now are the strongest flame users in the world. Only we can do this job, it is a great responsibility and I understand if you decline. This job asks that you all cooperate as a team, something I know none of you are used to doing."
The person next to them shifted. "You expect me to believe this boy is one of the strongest flame users in the world?" Their gender was still indescribable as either male or female. The boy in their sentence obviously described Skull, something that offended both of them. "I expect money for being forced to endure this. Accepting your proposal will also cost you."
"Hey!" Kiba yelped. "The Great Skull-sama is the best at everything! But uh, what are flames?" Kiba looked to Luce with his best puppy dog smile. Silence followed his question. Kiba sneaked a peak at their company and noted the looks of shock and horror.
"You invited a civilian?" The woman next to the sideburns said. "No, no way am I doing this. Not with him." She stood up but was stopped by Luce raising her hand.
"Skull is more than capable of handling himself. Skull," She turned to him, "You are a flame active. If my sources are correct you are a cloud flame. It should be purple."
"Purple?" Kiba asked, slightly confused. "Oh right that." Yeah they both knew what this was neither were happy with it.
"I'll explain after the meeting." Luce never stopped smiling. "As I said. Everyone in this room is the strongest of their flame type. Sky, Lightning, Rain, Sun, Cloud, Storm, and Mist. I would not lie to you all, this you have my word as the Don." She lifted her hand to her chest. "Consider my words. If you accept, we will meet here again in three days' time. A series of missions will be outlined for us all. Working together is imperative for this mission so we will be doing these together. Luce stood from her seat and gestured once more at the cookies. "Please take one at your leisure and stay for dinner if you would like. I would love to host you all."
The meeting was already over? Sasuke sighed. They'd only been here for ten minutes.
Boring! Kiba sang, switching back to the inside of their head. "You handle the talk with Luce I'm exhausted."
This was why they rarely switched for longer than twenty minutes. Sasuke felt no such exhaustion leaving and residing in their head and letting Kiba control things. But Kiba could not maintain it for long, the exhaustion was not just mental but also physical. He could only fight it for so long before he would switch with Sasuke. Sometimes he would play with the little demon in the corner of their mind but most times he would simply rest and observe.
"So flames?" Sasuke stood and saddled up to the pregnant woman.
"Right! What do you know?" Luce picked up the cookies and handed him one. Pleased when he did not hesitate to eat one while the others ignored or considered it with suspicion.
Their talk had been long and tedious. Often running him into circles as new theories and ideas flowed into his mind. It started to make sense to him just how they may have made it into this world. Flames, it seemed, were the key to everything. That and their shoddy writing skills. Leaving the meeting house was simple though the large amount of men in suits milling about started to make sense. Especially with the way they all eyed him with particular suspicion.
Ah the joys of the jumpsuit making him look even more suspicious than needed.
No bother, the man at the motel had warned him what to expect and for the most part he had been right. This was a group of dangerous individuals with differing motivations. Luce was odd but genuinely kind. Sideburns, who he learned was named Reborn, was highly trained. Fon was dangerous in all of his calm serenity. Verde was practically Orichimaru, though he hadn't shown in what way yet. Lal was a soldier, wasn't that familiar? Viper was the most mysterious, the only thing he could pick up from them was that he should not ask for anything. He didn't think he had the bank account to justify such an action.
This could have been in the initial pitch, Sasuke complained. We did not have to show up to this.
"So stupid," Kiba agreed. "Are we actually doing this?"
Sasuke sighed asking himself the same thing. In the end it didn't matter much. They had their plan and it was adjustable. The extra income was nice but not needed. Flames though changed everything and nothing. It was like chakra but more restrictive. Even the character traits were somewhat odd and flabbergasted him. Aloof? Sure. Didn't like to be chained down? Sounded like them fine. Independent, yes. It was their perfect description but it was not Skull.
Any flaw in the persona was a problem for them.
Their first job all together was only a week after the initial meeting. No one was keen on showing any potential weakness or strength but neither Kiba or Sasuke could care. Compared to the Shinobi at home, both found it hard to be intimidated by the others. Guns were a problem of course but they did seem to have accelerated healing. Flames, an unknown variable, fell flat to the power of chakra Shinobi arts. Even without access to Sasuke's sharingan both were confident in their ability to take out anyone that came their way.
Skull wasn't so lucky though. Skull was a crybaby and a coward. He was a boy who had grown up alone in Russia, running from any and all problems he may encounter. Free like the wind, unchained and unbent by the will of others. Skull fought seldomly and ran from most flights. But when he did fight it was a mass destruction. He was a boy, still not a man. Skull was born from Sasuke's body and Kibas mind. He was them but he wasn't. It was fun to embody the boy but on a mission such as this it was inconvenient and frustrating. Being so helpless graded something fierce on his nerves.
"HAIIII!" Sasuke screeched much to his own embarrassment. A hail of bullets rain down on him. Carefully he dodged most of them all while flailing his limbs and acting like a Genin meeting an enemy nin for the first time. If Itachi saw this Sasuke would never show his face ever again. Even worse would be his father seeing him make a fool. Sasuke would exile himself in disgrace and no word from his father was needed.
Kiba laughed joyfully. No doubt he was enjoying the show he was being graced with as if he himself would not be switching soon to make a similar mess of himself.
A few feet away from him Reborn watched him with a critical eye. No doubt wondering for the hundredth time how someone as useless as Skull could have possibly been chosen as one of the strongest flame users in the world. It was a good question, really Kiba had questioned it many times as well. But they were good at making due with unexpected situations and felt no reasoning was really needed. If someone wanted to proclaim them the strongest cloud, someone who was very respected and would be listened to, then who were they to disagree with? Earning a fearsome reputation was harder than you could expect. Having the always smiling Sky do it for him was a boon they would happily accept.
The hail of bullets ended and around him were bodies. Still but not yet dead.
Sasuke would take care of them before Reborn noticed. There was no need to prolong any man's death for the hitman's pleasure. Sasuke knew he could have killed them swiftly and chose not to. His instinctive dislike of the man was slowly rising to something unmanageable.
"Lackey," Reborn grunted, tucking his gun away. His sideburns taunted him, just begging to be snipped away. "Explain."
"Ah Reborn, that was so scary! It's a good thing you had the great-"
"Reborn-sama."
"EH?"
"Lackey." Reborn smirked at him. "You have to respect your betters."
"What the hell does that mean!" Before either Sasuke or Kiba could come up with something mean to say Reborn shot them.
Shot. Them.
Right at him.
Almost clipped him in the shoulder but Sasuke yanked his body out of the way.
"Tsk." Reborn frowned. "Dodging practice. You're a useless civilian."
This was plain insulting. There was no way either of them would possibly stand for this.
"Hai Reborn-Sama!"
Skull wasn't them though. Skull was a coward. He bowed to strength and seethed internally. He plotted an escape for every chain that was shackled to him.
The second mission was also a group mission. Unlike last time Sasuke did not find himself alone with Reborn. Though he almost wished he had.
Verde wasn't even fighting! Instead he dodged punches and kicks. Blocking bullets and discarding bodies with a clinical lack of care. Verde was more focused on Sasuke. Who also wasn't fighting.
Instead he was hidden behind a flipped over couch. There was not a hail of bullets but instead flames, real fire flames. Sasuke wasn't scared of fire. He was an Uchiha, how could he fear what he worshiped? Kiba though was perfectly happy to give it a healthy dose of space. Preferably away from them. They had burned to death once in a motorcycle accident. It was not fun and he very much did not want to repeat it again.
"You're not really immortal." Verde had started. Looking at him with not quite curiosity but with a careful eye.
"I am!" Kiba said boastfully. Kiba loved to talk of their supposed immorality. Crediting it to his sealwork. He after all was the one who had written the part of the seal that had to do with the body. Being an ambitious man he added a few healing facets into their work. Sasuke blamed him for being the reason they had ended up here in the first place. So not fair! Sasuke was the one who had to deal with the spacetime work and dealing with the transportation of said body! He should be the one blamed for everything that had happened to them. Neither of them was sure how they had managed to get stuck in the same body nor how Akamaru had managed to become an Octopus.
Details, Kiba would have waved it off.
"True immortality does not exist." Verde sighed, flicking his wrist and a bullet came straight through it! Only to go back into the hole and be absorbed, So gross.
"I can't die." Kiba said. Honestly these scientists were so hard to convince of anything.
Verde looked at him with a sudden wide smile and shoved him into a man wielding a butcher knife. Ordinarily this would not have been a problem for Skull or Kiba. But Kiba was exhausted, having taken control for too long and not given enough time to switch with Sasuke. The man swung his arm down and carved into their chest.
Kami this was a lame way to die. Kiba thought exasperated.
When Sasuke opened their eyes the fighting was over. Verde and Viper both leaned over him. Verde with a horrifying smile and Viper with a blank face.
"Interesting." He commented. Sasuke did not think this bid was good for him.
Their final mission was Sasuke's favorite. Only for how uneventful it had been. He had been on half a dozen missions, all of them group missions. Each time he had found himself alone with one of the other strange flame users. If he wasn't dying he was actively being attacked by Reborn. Verde had tried murdering him several more times. Lal had been the best of them, quietly finishing her work and not giving him a passing glance. Fon had been a hurricane of bodies with a serene face. Luce hadn't fought, being pregnant and all, but she always congratulated them with sweets and paid them what they were owed.
Viper had been the only one he hadn't fought by and now he wished it had stayed that way.
It wasn't as if they were terrifying, which they were but Sasuke was used to seeing such horror, but their illusions always left Sasuke feeling uncomfortable. It reminded him so strongly of his family and their famed jutsu that it made something tight coil in his chest as he watched the Mist take care of their opponents.
But even that was tolerable.
It was the constant charging.
One question and suddenly they were in debt.
"So unfair!" Sasuke said, not wholly acting as Skull. "You can't charge for everything!"
The Mist looked at them mulishly. "Complaining? Hmm I suppose I can lower the charge."
Sasuke beamed.
"By 0.0000000001 percent."
The smile slipped off his face quickly.
"Ugh!" Kiba complained inside their shared mind. "That was horrible. Can we do something else?"
Yes, Sasuke thought. This was not the life of leisure they had wanted. Relaxation was the goal, not the constant looking over their shoulder for the next bullet. He was tired of dying and tired of being charged. This world was less of a get away and more a prison.
I think we have seen enough here. Sasuke thought. We have learned enough to take back to the Hokage. I think we should recreate the seal and go home.
"Yeah," Kiba agreed softly. "I miss them."
It wasn't so bad here but it wasn't Konoha. They had no one to serve. No one to protect. It was a beautiful life but it was not theirs.
"This is the last mission." Sasuke whispered to Akamaru. The Octo-dog wrapped around the bright purple motorcycle helmet he wore. Step by step he scaled the mountain. Each step heavier than the last, burdened with the weight of knowledge. They were ready to return home but he still had loose ends to wrap up.
Luce had promised this was the end. Their final mission she had said so sadly. He felt it then, when she said it. A small tenuous connection trying to envelope his sense of being. Home. It promised. A false promise Sasuke whispered as he harshly rejected it. This was not home. These people that surrounded him could never be home.
Home was the village he fought for. The village he bled for defended. Home was his mother and her kindness. His father and his stern words. Itachi with his fierce protectiveness. Shisui with his sad anxious gaze. Naruto and his laughter. Sakura and her smile. Kiba and his friendship. Akamaru and his fierce loyalty. Home was Konoha.
When Luce looked at him with those sad eyes he had almost snapped at her. But her eyes held no resentment, just understanding. I am not what you need.
She had understood. But the others had not. They looked at him coldly, angry even. Betrayed for they felt his bond to her snap. How could he? They had asked. We are comrades.
No, Sasuke wanted to hiss. I have fought and bled with my comrades. You are nothing to me.
It was the truth as much as he hated to admit it. He liked them but not as they liked him. Bitter truths they had all learned that day. He had not seen them since. Sasuke wasn't ready to face them again but yet he did.
Like their first meeting he was the last to arrive. It had felt like millions of years ago now since he had entered that room. Surrounded by strangers only having the word of an old sniveling man. The start of a decades long curse he had yet to learn.
They refused to reach his eyes as he joined them. He stood apart from the rest, them against him.
"As it should be," Kiba grunted.
"I am glad you all could come." Checker face stood before them holding a group of pacifiers. This is your final mission. Please put these on."
Luce was the first to leave their little group, a sad smile graced her features. She no longer was pregnant Sasuke noted. He wanted to congratulate her but refrained. She reached for hers, a pretty gold color.
"This is the first mission I will take with you. Please treat me well." She laughed and put hers over her neck. It hangs loose like a necklace.
Slowly the rest followed her. They had bonded with her as their sky, they put their life into her hands. Sasuke could not find the same trust for her as they did. But he followed, second to last he reached for his. Checkerface smiled widely at him as he grabbed it out of his grip. Fon was the last to reach him.
Sasuke put his over their neck. He looked around and saw that everyone had done so as well.
"Now." Checkerface whispered and disappeared behind a cloud of dust.
Pain like never before engulfed him.
Death did not scare Sasuke. Death was a natural part of a Shinobi's life. Pain as well was no stranger to him.
But this was not death. This was a pain, yes but it was hot. Engulfing him and pulling the air out of his body. His Chakra reached for his heart, he could feel everything and nothing at all. His senses were clouded. Distantly he heard screams. They had been betrayed. Has Luce known? She had a child waiting for her. Surely not.
His Chakra coiled around him like a protective mother.
Soon but not soon enough the pain was over. He reached his hand forward but found it came up short. He was swimming in cloth and everything felt heavy. With a rough shove he tore the helmet off his head and looked into the visor. What he was met with haunted him.
His Sharingan spun unhidden and unleashed. If that was not enough of a shock, his body betrayed him. It was like the seals all over again. Tiny hands met him where before he had grown.
"No," Sasuke whispered, horrified. Kiba did not respond.
He looked down and he found his pants pulled around him. Too big for his tiny frame. Instead only his jacket had left. Too big but it covered his whole body leaving him with a small amount of modesty. Sasuke wanted to scream. He wanted to destroy and burn all who looked at him.
Akamaru waddled to him and reached for his helmet. He watched him with big concerned eyes. "No." He said firmer, now noting the distinctive squeak that was his voice. "No. No. No. I refuse." He reached for the pacifier, no longer a necklace but a choker. "Chains." He said. Looking up the rest of the once man and women were nothing but babes. Strangled, another babe was there, a blonde boy in camo.
"You knew!" Baby Reborn screamed. "How dare you!" He screamed at Luce.
Sasuke felt cold all over.
Luce? He wanted to ask a question. How could she? Sasuke wanted to cry. He wanted to bellow with them and beg for answers. But with came sadness anger was quick to replace it.
His tiny fingers dug into his palm. "Fuck this." He stood awkwardly. Tiny legs and tiny arms met him. Kiba! He yelled. Kiba!
Kiba did not answer.
Sasuke reached down and pulled Akamaru into his arms. Leaving behind the helmet he turned his back to the screaming babes. Fire filled his vision and his veins.
How could they? How could she?
Sasuke wanted to rage. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kill. Destroy.
All around him purple flames danced. It consumed the grass and rock under his feet. He paid it no mind.
Sasuke was not easily controlled.