A/N: This chapter was pivotal in deciding where the story would end up. It wasn't easy to write and I think it shows a bit in the pacing. It all needs reworking eventually, but I like it as is too so I'm inflicting it on you all! Bwahahahcoughchoke... Enjoy.

Btw, am looking for someone who would be kind enough to go through it with me and nitpick the story. Send me a private message from my profile page if you're interested!

And on with the story!

The Sound of Pain: Chapter 5

There's a ray of sunlight piercing steadily through the blinds of Kakashi's room. It hits Sasuke's right eye directly. He's tried to cover it up, cover himself up, shift his position and mentally will the blinds to move over, but there's nothing to be done. It keeps poking at him warily, hesitantly. Sasuke wants to growl at it, but he doesn't. Kakashi's in the next room and he'd hear. Besides, it's just sunlight. Sasuke hasn't turned into a vampire just because he spent three years underground. Sunlight can do nothing to him. It's powerless, stupid, empty.

Sasuke throws his pillow at the window in pointless frustration. The sunlight widdens, then turns back to that usual annoying ray with the movement of the blinds. He tries not to scowl at the light, because you can't scowl at light. It's just silly.

Kakashi comes in the room to the unexpected sight of his former student attempting to glare the sun into submission. The image makes him smirk. He goes over to the window and unlatches the lock, opening it wide enough for the fresh air to come through. The blinds, of course, are tugged to the sides to reveal the full splendor of the sun. Kakashi wonders if Sasuke will start screaming and melting. It's perfectly silly, but Kakashi finds the thought amusing enough. He turns to the boy and announces, "I have to meet with the Hokage, be good." Kakashi is perfectly aware that he's probably never said more useless words.

When Kakashi's closed the door behind him, Sasuke shuts his eyes against the light and focuses all of his senses on following the too-faint trace of his former-teacher. When he's fairly sure he can't hear the man anymore, Sasuke counts ten minutes in his mind, each second precise and emphasised by the druming of a finger against the wooden bedside.

After those ten minutes have come and gone, Sasuke glances at the window. His left ankle is strapped to the bedside but it is the only visible restriction though. Either Kakashi trusts him or he wants Sasuke to have the possibility to escape, just to see whether he'll do it. Sasuke scowls at the binding and its meaning.

He can't simply bend over and untie himself, because his wound will reopen and bleed and hurt like a bitch. So Sasuke focuses his eyes on the rope and brings his hands forward to form known seals. His rope escape jutsu is nearly perfect and Kakashi knows that. The rope falls uselessly to the hard wooden floor and Sasuke rolls a little to the side of the bed. He knows he's playing into Kakashi's hands. He's felt that same trapped feeling with Orochimaru far too often not to recognize someone's plan laying over his own. But it doesn't really matter at the moment, Sasuke needs to leave. He can't give the Hokage what she wants. He can't bargain information for a safe return. It isn't the Hokage or Konoha's duty to bring Tayuya's murderer to justice.

Sitting up is a very frustrating affair. His torn stomach muscles protest the very concept, so Sasuke has to twist his body so the weight of his legs falling to the floor tug the rest of his body upwards. It still takes a lot of energy and Sasuke still ends up grinding his teeth against the pain. But he's almost upright. It's just a little further to the window, really.

Stumbling forward, Sasuke's left hand latches onto the chair by his bedside and he pulls himself to his feet. His legs seem relatively uninjured so it's easier once he's actually standing and there's not as much strain on his stomach. His breathing is still labored with the effort and there's a cold sweat envelopping his body, but Sasuke is slowly convincing his body that it can attempt the walk over to the window and the slipping through to the outside world.

Painfully slow steps take Sasuke to the window, he's trembling all over and the worst is yet to come. He could use a jutsu, but he remembers that Kakashi's small appartment is in the middle of the city and at this time of the day, using chakra to escape Kakashi's house would be like yelling 'Uchiha hunt' as loud as he could. He also remembers that Kakashi lives on the last floor. And indeed, Sasuke looks out the window and that's a hell of a long way down.

He isn't about to be defeated by such odds. Sasuke opens the window as wide as it can go and carefully slides his upper body through the frame so he's sitting on the windowsill, looking up at the roof. The roof is much easier to reach than the floor. There's no rope to work with, so Sasuke focuses just enough chakra to his hands to be able to cling to the gutter climbing up the side of the building.

He takes a deep breath and slides his legs out the rest of the way. The tenseness needed for climbing makes his wound hurt in such a perverse way that Sasuke can barely focus on his hands, holding onto the metal gutter. He can't imagine moving from there until at least a little of the pain has subsided.

That's when he hears the sound. It's not the noise of something breaking, not the sound of a protesting gutter, no. This is more intricate than that. It's the twist and plop of a screw. Sasuke looks up in time to watch the second screw give under his weight and in that moment, all pain is forgotten. The metal is starting to give under his weight and Sasuke will be damned if he'll be killed by a gutter.

He puts both feet to the wall, gathering chakra enough to slide down the building. When he's just a few feet from the floor, Sasuke forgets he was even wounded and he gracefully jumps down. His landing would have been perfect if not for two things. The first is the return of pain's vicious edge gripping at his stomach. The second is an innocent bystander who happened to be on his way to Kakashi's. Sasuke's landing would have been perfect if that man hadn't been standing right below him. Sasuke's landing would have been perfect if pain hadn't caused him to black out for those few critical seconds where he could choose where to land.

There's a loud crash and Sasuke can't see for a few moments, the sound of rushing blood deafening and blinding at once. He can't feel his way around up and down, painful and nice, hard and soft. The pain isn't coming from just his stomach now, it's every part of his body sending him distress signals. Sasuke shudders with it and he can feel the edge of consciousness threatening to leave him. He stubbornly clings to it and opens his eyes to the blinding light of the sun.

He takes stock of things methodically as possible. If the sun is up and he's looking straight at it, then he isn't standing. And if he's not standing, and he's not lying on hard ground, then something is softening it for him. If he can't feel his stomach, it means it's probably worsened. Blinking stupidly at the sunlight, Sasuke's eyes shift around to find out about the rest of his surroundings.

His eyes land on a curled fist. The fingers are long and thin, but somehow ungracious. They're closed in a tight grip and it's the only thing in Sasuke's field of vision. Whoever belongs to that fist is somewhere below him. Another realization is that whatever secrecy he might've hoped for is long gone. The chakra presence of several people approaching is slowly jolting the edge of Sasuke's senses.

Just great.

He can't move because his body is too weary, he can't hide because he's sitting on someone and he can't disappear because his presence has already been detected. Come on, genius. Think it through and fast.

The answer comes to him with recognition of the voice that belongs to that curled fist "Troublesome," and the beginning of movement in the body below him.

Shikamaru.

Weakness... weakness...

Before Shikamaru rids himself of Sasuke's weight on top of him, Sasuke has already formed the seals. There's a crowd of people coming closer to the felled couple but when they get there, they don't see a wounded Uchiha and a disgruntled Nara.

What they see is Yamanaka Ino sitting in Nara Shikamaru's lap.

"What the hell?" Shikamaru's displeased exclamation silences the start of gossiping voices and Sasuke curses as all the attention turns back to them. He's not sure how effective the henge is seeing as he's not caught a glimpse of Ino for three years, and fuck but his stomach feels like it's on fire. He can't think properly. He needs to get out of the public eye and he needs to go now.

Sasuke clenches his jaw in anger, annoyance and pain and he wraps both arms around Shikamaru the same way Ino's done to him so goddamn often. He presses her lips to Shikamaru's cheek, then bats her eyelashes at him. "Shika, get me out of here." The tone is high and directive, a perfect replica of Ino's. It's the last thing Sasuke can do because the pain is trying to push past his focus and he's going to scream with it if he has to do any more.

And Sasuke was so right to pick Ino as Shikamaru's weakness. The boy is looking at her pleading eyes and even though he knows this isn't Ino, he can't resist the demand, can't help helping her. With a sigh of exasperation, Shikamaru gathers up the body of the girl in his arms and jumps onto the nearest roof, easily getting them out of the crowd and to a deserted alley.

As soon as he's sure they won't be caught, he sits down the girl and sets sharp, intelligent eyes on her. He knows he can't see through the henge, but whatever small facts he can get off her will be hint enough. He isn't sure if this is a prank or something serious that requires the intervention of the Hokage. It's why he let himself take this girl (Ino) to a secluded area. He figures that the quickest way to end this bothersome business is to just ask, "Who are you?"

After being bent and carried, Sasuke feels like his stomach is eating itself from the inside out. His breathing is fast but the barest hint of control lets him keep his expression unfeeling and cool. His thoughts are starting to run together and everything feels like a trap. There's nothing he can tell Shikamaru because the boy is too damn smart and he'll know. Sasuke closes Ino's eyes and wraps a hand around his middle, over the wound in a senseless gesture of protection, trying to will the pain away.

Shikamaru watches Sasuke closely, as if by looking intensely enough, or thinking of enough possibilities, he can see through the jutsu. When the boy sees Ino's eyes shut and her hand rest over her stomach though, he feels a clench of sympathy and the unmistakable need to soothe her pain. This is not Ino. He repeats that sentence in his head over and over again.

He bends and pulls away Sasuke's hand from his stomach, peering at the wound.

Nasty. Definitely serious business.

Crouching as he is, Shikamaru can see the imperfections in the henge, the way Ino's mouth is a little too small, her eyes a little too wide. This form comes from someone who has only seen Ino from a ways, or someone very bad at henge. Why this person would feel the need to remain hidden is another story entirely. Is she hiding from Konoha or from someone else? The nuance matters little. Shikamaru will still have to bring her in, if only to treat the wound. The Hokage can decide whether she's a spy or not.

Mind made up, Shikamaru forms a seal, ready to send the girl into unconsciousness.

Sasuke opens his eyes at that precise moment and something inside him stiffens at the thought of being caught. Some last resort of will hardens against the pain because Uchiha Sasuke does not lose, period. His Sharingan activates and Sasuke knows what seals Shikamaru is going to use. He mimicks them quickly, then uses the speed which is always his best trait to devance the technique. In the end, surprise is what causes Shikamaru to slump against the rocky alley wall before he completes the last seal.

This is stupid. Sasuke staggers to his feet. He only just realises that he has the ability to push his body past its already reach limits, which means he was definitely not thinking clearly. Focusing inwards, Sasuke unlocks the first gate, sighing contentedly as the rush of energy flows through him. His thoughts seem sharper instantly, his wound a mere annoyance. He frowns to himself at the mess on his hands. First of all, he needs a better henge if he's going to be parading around Konoha. Second, he needs to get treatment and a place to stay. He can't go to the Uchiha compound because they'll expect him there. He can't go back to Kakashi's place because the Hokage will extract the information out of him one way or another and that can't happen.

The energy released through the gates will only last so long. There is no one in Konoha who will agree to treat him without telling the Hokage. There is no place he can hide without being found out if the Hokage were to let his presence be known. Sasuke needs a fucking plan.

He shuts his eyes and methodically sifts through the most important musts.

Have to heal, have to kill Itachi, can't talk to the Hokage.

Hide, heal and escape.

Where would he have access to medical supplies without being found out?

It takes a few minutes of silent thinking but Sasuke finally finds his answer. He knows where he can stay and grieve, stay and heal.

Shifting the henge to take Shikamaru's form, Sasuke heads north towards the Hokage statues. This time he's not shy about using the streets.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's the feeling of being unable to move, trapped in his own body. He can see, smell, hear and feel everything with frightening accuracy, but he can't respond to it. He can't act, move or even blink. Orochimaru is above him, Sasuke can see his slitted yellow eyes narrowed, he can see everything in so much detail it's almost too much to keep track of. There's a parcel of black forming the pupil, speckled out over the yellow in the center. The purple tears drawn from the snake's brows and down the side of his nose emphasise the pale, sickly perfect skin. That too large mouth is forming a smirk and Sasuke can see where Orochimaru's teeth have bit in the bottom lip. He'd never have figured Orochimaru a lip biter. The snake is speaking, the feminine tilt to his words a travesty worst than ever. Sasuke can hear the words around him. He doesn't quite understand them but he can see them. Kanji floating around him, choking him. The fear is undeniable.

When the cold hand closes on Sasuke's neck, he would've screamed. That touch is forbidden, it's intense enough to be painful. It feels like his body was heated up to an unbearable degree and then his shoulder dipped in ice water. The fingers trail pain down his throat, collarbone and shoulder. A very distant, dormant part of Sasuke realises that he's being undressed. But it's a warning shout in the midst of a battle of so bright and loud feelings that it gets lost. On his stomach, Sasuke can feel nails. They trace the expanse of flesh from the center of his stomach and to his sides. The fingers burn cold on his hips. He can't push away those hands. Can't move enough to scream.

Panting, Sasuke's eyes snap open. There's a scream on his lips just begging to come out. He can feel fingers on him. He can remember fingers on him. Swallowing with difficulty, Sasuke looks around himself. He expects to see the white of Kabuto's labs, or the bark of a tree where he's decided it was safe enough to rest. Instead, the first thing he eyes focus on is pink material. It's a dress, well made, soft and classy. In Sasuke's present mindset, he's in the mood to set it on fire. It doesn't have the right to be so soft, beautiful and comforting. Not now.

Grunting a little, Sasuke raises up on his elbows from his position on the floor. There's a large miror by him and a cluster of books on the other side. Sasuke's eyes focus on the scrolls all around him. The camouflage jutsu still holds. With a satisfied nod, Sasuke grits his teeth against the pain and extends his senses to the rooms below him. He can feel the presence of a woman in what he has already established as the kitchen. It's the only person in the house for the moment, so Sasuke decides that now is the best time to attempt his first excursion for medical supplies.

He turns over and climbs to his knees, every movement silent, deliberate and graceful despite the boy's wounded state. Sasuke stands and walks to the trap in the floor. He's in the attic of an ordinary house with an ordinary housewive cooking dinner. He pulls open the trap and slips through to the small opening to land silently on his feet on the carpeted wooden floor. He keeps track of the woman doing her business, careful not to give her any hints of his presence. But the task is too easy to take up much attention. Who expects a missing-shinobi in their house, really? All Sasuke has to do is be careful not to leave any trace of his passage. And really, isn't that what being a shinobi is all about?

It's perfectly natural for Sasuke to walk only on the tip of his feet and to give each step a twist to raise back the hairs on the carpet. It's just as natural to keep his breathing silent through the pain and not touch anything he doesn't need to. Sasuke's chakra is kept hidden and low and he's so perfectly mixing with the air around him that he doesn't hesitate a second when he steps inside the kitchen. He keeps himself in the woman's blind spots even as she reaches in the fridge for milk to add to her baking. When she does a full turn to reach for the sugar, Sasuke jumps to the ceiling and crawls from there to the exit. The woman pours the last two cups of flour in the mix and stirs it, then puts the whole thing to bake. Her husband will be home soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Shikamaru wakes up, he grunts and gathers himself up on a crouch, then brings all of his fingers to touch the edge of their twin. He saw the Sharingan, he's sure of it. There are three people in the entire world to have the Sharingan and no more. That restrains the possibilities quite a bit. There were two red orbs staring at him, so definitely not Kakashi, and he's still alive, so that wasn't Uchiha Itachi.

Shikamaru wonders, as he opens his eyes, if he should count himself fortunate to be alive. He wonders if Sasuke has become dangerous enough that he should've feared for his life. He's fairly sure that's the case, judging by the speed with which his technique was read and duplicated. Shikamaru immediately resolves that any fight between himself and the Uchiha would result in his loss.

Sighing to himself at all the trouble on his hands, the lazy shadow-nin climbs to his feet and heads to the Hokage tower. On his way there, he glimpses Naruto and Sakura at Ichiraku's and another sigh escapes him. "Troublesome, so troublesome."

When he starts on the steps to the Hokage rooms, he can tell by the echoe of shrill screams that said Hokage is not in a good mood. At the doors to the audience room is Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba, the last of which looks fairly terrible. Shikamaru distantly heard of the other boy's deceased team and as he settles in to wait for Tsunade to be done yelling at whoever is in there, he feels he should offer some sympathetic words. He doesn't, though.

Hinata is being as much of a mother hen as humanly possible without taking the boy inside an inner pouch of protection. Neji looks cold and distant as ever, but his eyes seem less harsh when they land on either Kiba or Hinata. Could there be something there? Shikamaru frowns and lets out another sigh, then waves a greeting at the Hyuuga prodigy. His answer is a curt nod and a questioning glance. Settling himself beside Neji, Shikamaru answers the unspoken question, "I've no idea why you were called here." Though he could guess and he'd be right.

It's only a few minutes later that the doors open and an impassible Kakashi comes out. He takes in the assembled nins and shakes his head. His one eye narrows on Shikamaru and the Nara figures that means he should somehow explain why he's here. "I have an urgent report for the Hokage. It concerns a missing-nin."

That should be clear enough without being obvious enough. Kakashi smiles, his one eye closing in that innocently lazy expression, "Ah yes, come in, come in."

Kakashi is prompty out of the room, closing the door behind him. That feels suspiciously like a set-up. Turning to the Hokage, Shikamaru can see that indeed, Kakashi just set him up. Tsunade looks positively pissed off and ready to tear a new one to whoever speaks a wrong word to her. She's scary as hell. Shikamaru isn't sure he wants to tell her another bad news, but it's not like he has a choice.

Troublesome.

"Hokage-sama."

"Shikamaru, what's going on?"

"I encountered Sasuke Uchiha a little over..." Shikamaru looks at the clock behind the Hokage and frowns, "Six hours ago." That's too damn long.

Tsunade growls a little at the mention of that name. That bothersome boy. "Where?"

"Below Kakashi's appartment. He was wounded, but managed to henge into Ino. I took him from the scene to investigate in private but he took advantage of that to knock me out."

After hearing that report, Tsunade's mood grows frighteningly somber. Not only did the boy escape Kakashi's house while he was over here at her demand, but he managed to do so while critically injured and he knocked out even Shikamaru. Tsunade has just enough good mood left to still be amused at the concise, typically Nara report she's just been given.

"Well then, it looks like you've just added yourself to the mission."

The boy's expression says it all. More work? Damn.

The Hokage stands and opens the door to beckon in Kiba, Hinata and Neji. Shikamaru can't quite believe his bad luck when he glimpses Naruto and Sakura joining the others and before he can help himself, another sigh escapes him.

Troublesome.

All the nins file up in the Hokage's office and Tsunade regains her seat on the other side of the desk. Kiba looks like he knows what's going to happen and that makes Shikamaru frown in thought. Did Sasuke have anything to do with the death of Kiba's team?

Neji Hyuuga is standing just a little in front of Hinata, consciously in the best position to protect her should anything happen. The girl is flanked by Kiba on the other side, she still looks worried and is fidgetting with her fingers.

Naruto is in front of everyone, so close to the Hokage desk he could be sitting on it. He's trying to peer at the mission scrolls, practically oozing nervous energy. It makes Shikamaru tired just looking at him. In comparison, Sakura is standing near the back of the group, hands folded over one another, patiently awaiting the orders. But no matter who Shikamaru looks at, he feels curiosity.

Well. They'll be satisfied at least.

The Hokage seems to be gathering herself and all the information around her. Her voice soon echoes across the walls and everyone is riveted, full attention on her.

"You were all summoned here today for a special mission. It is of the most secretive nature and I will not have any of you claiming to have ever participated in it after it's done with." Her eyes are sharply set on Naruto as she says that. His eyes have gone wide at the thought of finally being trusted with such a special, secret mission all on his own. He has completely forgotten that five other nins are to be accompanying him on the mission.

Shikamaru resists the urge to roll his eyes. Too much energy lost in an obvious motion.

"As you all have heard, the scouting team that was sent to Lightning Country to establish new trade routes has been decimated by an unknown agent. Kiba made it back alive, but he also brought back a very important witness." Tsunade sighs, gathering the courage to say the words to both Sakura and Naruto.

Shkamaru, on his part, gives himself brownie points for being right about Kiba's team. The rest of the nins gathered seem surprised at that, all glancing at Kiba to see if he'll spill before the Hokage. There's sympathy in all of the gazes though.

"The person Kiba brought is a ninja from Konoha."

Sakura sets suddenly sharp eyes on Tsunade when she hears that part. Naruto just loudly exclaims in surprise, "What? A ninja from Konoha?"

"The nin was gravely injured and I only barely saved his life when he was brought here. He is the only one who knows anything about the murder of our scouting team..." There's a pause where everyone seems to wait on baited breath, then Tsunade continues, "Also, this ninja has crucial information on Orochimaru. He may even hold the key to defeating him."

It's already dawned on every ninja in the room just who the Hokage is talking about. Naruto has gone frighteningly still, frozen on an exclamation and Sakura's mouth has dropped, her eyes gleaming with unwanted tears.

The Hyuugas are just staring at the Hokage in disbelief. Although what passes for disbelief in Neji's case is a mere widening of white eyes.

Shikamaru sighs, telling himself he never wants to be Hokage.

"He is Uchiha Sasuke."

The blond boy and pink-haired kunoichi aren't reacting quite yet, for which Tsunade is thankful. It lets her finish the explanation before the outburst. "He was taken to Kakashi's house to heal. About six hours ago, Sasuke escaped Kakashi's appartment despite his wounds and met with Shikamaru. He hasn't left Konoha; he can't travel in his present condition. Your mission is to find him and bring him back alive to be interrogated."

After Tsunade speaks that last, she counts to three, expecting the usual loud outburst from Naruto. At the lack of it, she looks at the boy, only to find his fists and jaw clenched, his eyes intense, brimming blue shining with more determination than she's ever seen on him, which is quite something. She looks from him to Sakura, and the girl has wrapped her arms around herself, two lone tears running down her cheeks.

Naruto's voice is a growl when he speaks, "I'll find the bastard. I'll find him and..." His tone breaks a little there, something like grief and relief choking him, "I'll find him and bring him back. I swear it."

Tsunade shakes her head and adds, "Keep in mind, as you search, that the boy has been in constant contact with Orochimaru for at least three years. Do not underestimate him. You were each selected for your unique abilities. Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata will be able to search through Konoha's walls. Shikamaru can figure out each possibility of where he might've gone. Kiba and Akamaru can smell him out and Naruto, you and Sakura know him best. You will split in two teams and locate him. Your teams are as follows and there will be no discussing them, understood?"

Tsunade is answered by a nod from every person in the group except for Sakura and Naruto who are looking like they'll fight any arrangement other than them being together to look for Sasuke.

"Hinata, Naruto and Kiba. Shikamaru, Neji and Sakura. You will all start from Kakashi's appartment."

There's a split second and Naruto's opening his mouth to protest being seperated from Sakura. Tsunade clamps her hand over his mouth and locks eyes with him, "And if the other team finds him? What if neither you or Sakura are there when you find him?"

That shuts him right up and he lowers his gaze with a nod.

"Dismissed."

tbc...

Some replies:

RetaroO: You know what gave me a giggle? I started reading your reply and was interrupted by my cat right after 'I love how you make me feel' So I felt all smug for a second for completely unrelated reasons. (smirk) Really, I'm happy you're enjoying it! Shino's joke cracked me up too. I was trying to think of something to do with insects and googled it quickly. Shino making a joke. It's like Lee kissing Neji. I loved writing those bits! About time for some laughter after the constant dark of The Sound of Fear, heh? About Kakasasu, (points up) Not in this chapter, and probably not in this story... but trust me, the pairing has got a good hold on me so I doubt I'll be able to hold down the muses long. You can prolly expect a Kakasasu story out of me soon enough. (snerk) Or a Sasukaka (as funny as that seems, I've been wanting to pull it off for some time. Heh. I love Sasuke on top. Obviously.

XxHunter The One and OnlyxX: Lol! (love) The powers that be made you goddess off all creepy and inhuman things! Where be fairness? Don't do inhuman things to me or I shall... erm... I shall... look too cute and cuddly for you to go on? (funny fact, am listening to 'Maneater' right now. That amuses me.)