Disclaimer: Of course I own Naruto! That's why I'm writing a fanfic instead of putting this into the series. Obviously, I'm Kishimoto Masashi, despite the fact I'm not the same gender, age, or nationality. Sense the sarcasm.
A/N: Italics are a flashback. This chapter is from THIRD PERSON POV, because there is very little Itachi and Sasuke, as I needed to show you the others to actually show you that this story does indeed have a plot.
Chapter Six
When Kakashi hadn't seen his student around his apartment, he hadn't been surprised. After all, the Uchiha wouldn't exactly be one to actually use a day off to actually take the day off. No, he was probably somewhere out, training his cute little ass off so he could finally be strong enough to take on his brother and avenge their clan. So, he had simply left a note telling the boy to come to the bridge at exactly seven o'clock the next morning.
Not that he would be there at seven o'clock.
But, when he came across Sakura and Naruto standing on the bridge, talking about something or other ("Hah! I got here before Sasuke-teme! Take that, jackass!" "Urusai, baka!"), he had been a little bit surprised to discover that Sasuke wasn't there at all. This, of course, was not like the Uchiha. Sasuke always had to be precisely on time: never early, never late. (A concept Kakashi himself had a hard time understanding…)
So, obviously, he did the first thing that came to mind: completely ignore it, and try to come up with a believable lie about his four hour lateness. "Well, you see, I was on my way here when I came across this old lady walking across the street. She got attacked by some missing nin, and her groceries got destroyed, so I had to go shopping for her—"
"LIAR!"
So much for believable.
There was silence for a few moments before, finally, Sakura gave in and asked, "Ano, Kaka-sensei, where's Sasuke-kun?" It took another half a second before Naruto stuck in his two bits. "Yeah, Kaka-sensei! That bastard--" POW "—is always here on time! I mean, you think it would kill him to be late!" POW.
So, as Naruto nursed two large bumps now forming on the top of his oh-so-empty head, Kakashi shrugged. "Who knows… maybe he's simply sick?" Kakashi suggested. Naruto's eyes gleamed evilly at the thought.
"Oh… so Sasuke-teme can get sick?" he joked. "But wouldn't that mean that the Ice Bastard is human? Gasp… can today get any more shocking?" Naruto's twin bumps quickly were joined by three others and a welt on his shin. "Aw… Sakura-chan, why do you have to be so mean?" POW.
Kakashi had somehow managed to miss the entire scene past his own line, buried in the nice, cozy world of Icha Icha Paradise.
Naruto, finally recovering from a kick to the head that had sent him spiraling into a tree (amazing what an angry Kunoichi can do), limped back towards Kakashi. "Ne, Kaka-sensei, I'm gonna go see if Sasuke's alright. Sayonara, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, running past the still steaming Kunoichi and the pervert.
Glancing up from his book, Kakashi's one visible eye crinkled in mirth. He couldn't help from noticing that Naruto had left out the customary 'teme' attached to Sasuke's name. Maybe his little fox was beginning to grow up.
"ITADAKIMASUUUU!"
Or not.
Kakashi was beginning to wonder where the boy stored all that ramen…
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Naruto was worried. He'd never admit it (you were more likely to get a confession of undying love for Chouji), but he was truly worried about his long-time rival. The Uchiha had always seemed so invincible; so far away from all the things that normal people had to deal with, it was hard to imagine it was even possible for Konoha's number one rookie to get sick.
So, as he slurped away at his ramen, oblivious to the disgusted stare he was receiving from the elderly man on the other side of the bar, he tried his hardest to quell the uneasy feeling in his stomach, as if something had gone horribly wrong. After all, what was one lousy cold going to do to the Ice Bastard of Konoha?
"Ne, ojii-san!" Naruto called. Old man Ichiraku turned around to look at his favorite customer. "Hai, Naruto-kun?" he asked, a large grin plastered onto his face. He always made a fortune off of the blond genin, and had come to think of his almost as a wayward nephew.
"Could you get me one miso ramen to go?" he asked hopefully. Ichiraku didn't normally do take-out, but he hoped that the old man would do him a favor.
Smiling at the young Kyuubi holder, Ichiraku replied, "Sure." He paused for a moment, before turning his back on Naruto, and dishing out the ramen. "So," he asked conversationally, "what's the occasion? This is the first time you've ever requested take-out."
Naruto smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you see, a friend of mine's kinda sick, so I thought that maybe I'd bring him some ramen; you know, as a "Get Better Soon, you Bastard!" kinda thing."
Ichiraku laughed good heartedly at Naruto's choice of words. "So, you mean the Uchiha kid?"
Blinking, Naruto asked, "How do you know that?"
Still chuckling, Ichiraku replied, "At least once a week you come in here with Iruka-sensei and complain about him. I almost feel like I know him, the amount of time you spend talking about the boy!"
Naruto blushed and looked away, a small pout on his face. "I don't complain all that much, ojii-san. Don't blow thinks out of proportion," he muttered.
Ichiraku continued to chuckle at the boy, but made a point of dropping the subject. Handing Naruto his ramen, he said, "Here you go, Naruto-kun. Hope Uchiha-san gets better soon."
Grinning foxily, Naruto nodded. "I'll tell him you said that, ojii-san! Thanks for the ramen!" he yelled out, waving his hand frantically as he ran away from the ramen stand.
Ichiraku sighed a bit, his smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth. "That boy really does know how to keep you grinning."
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Naruto had been wandering around the village for about half an hour before he finally realized he had no idea where Sasuke lived. Feeling a bit disheartened, Naruto sighed and decided to head back to his own apartment. "Oh well," he muttered, "better not waste perfectly good ramen… I hope it's not too cold…"
"Oi, Naruto!" Head snapping up at the sound of his name, Naruto spun around to find a smiling pink haired Kunoichi waving at his from a distance. Grinning, he ran over to the object of his affections. "Sakura-chan! You've come to see me after finally realizing your undying love for me!" He squealed, flinging himself at the girl.
Naruto was stopped dead in his tracks by Sakura's outstretched fist slamming into his cheek. Landing harshly on the ground, Naruto rubbed his now bruising face. "Ne, Sakura-chan, why do you always have to be so mean to me?"
Huffing, Sakura crossed her arms in annoyance. "I'm mean to you because you're an idiot, Naruto, and if I don't discipline you, who else will? Besides, I know for a fact that you don't know where Sasuke-kun lives, so I thought that maybe- just MAYBE- I'd show you how to get there," she said.
A ridiculous grin once again in place on his face, Naruto hopped up, the bruise on his cheek already fading. "Arigato, Sakura-chan! Let's make it a date!" POW.
"Come on Naruto, let's go," Sakura said huffily, crossing her arms and walking away from Naruto's slumped figure, who laid still on the ground, not trusting himself to be walking around with a concussion just yet. Naruto couldn't help but wonder where Sakura got all that strength to beat him when she always freaked during a fight…
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"Hokage-sama."
The old man looked up from his pipe and turned to face the intruder. "What is it, Kakashi? You know full well that you and your team don't have any mission scheduled for another week, so what is it that has you running here to this old man?" asked Sarutobi curiously. Kakashi wasn't exactly one for doing anything that would require more than minimal effort when he had a choice in the matter, so he ruled out "social call" as Kakashi's reason for popping up in his office.
"I'd like to report a missing person," Kakashi said, the seriousness of his tone indicating he wasn't joking. "Uchiha Sasuke has turned up missing. No one's seen him for a couple days."
Sarutobi's eyes widened fractionally. Losing the last Uchiha could be a heavy blow to Konohagakure. He needed to act quickly, but his actions needed to be calculated and precise. He needed more information. "Can you tell if he left of his own will, or if an outside party was involved?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Iie. Not yet, at least. I suspect, though, that Sasuke wouldn't leave the village by choice. I know for a fact that his priority right now is to become strong enough to avenge his clan, so it's unlikely that he would leave Konoha until he felt that he was strong enough to take on Uchiha Itachi. I don't believe that Sasuke is fool enough to think himself as strong as an S-class missing nin."
Eyes narrowing, Sarutobi nodded in understanding. "I see. You're suggesting that someone took him, then? If you are, just who is it you're implicating?"
The jounin shrugged and turned away. "I don't know, Hokage-sama. Forgive me for my ignorance. Once I've found something out, I'll report it right away." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a small puff of smoke.
Slumping back in his chair, Sarutobi sighed. The Uchihas were a pain in the ass.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
When Naruto had pictured Sasuke apartment, he had imagined anything but this. The image in his mind consisted of an eighteen room home (not exactly apartment sized, but Naruto was never known for logic or brains) with the Uchiha fan plastered on every flat surface (including the TV). He definitely had not imagined a small little thing with only a small kitchen, bedroom, and a bathroom, with books and scrolls squished into just about every place they could fit (and some they obviously did not fit).
The only furniture was the stove, a small table, a bed, and a few large bookcases shoved up against the walls. The place was sparsely decorated, and gave no hint of the inhabitants personality. Unlike Naruto's mental picture, there was absolutely no indication it was an Uchiha living there.
The other thing there was no hint of was the Uchiha himself.
"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Where the hell are you?" Naruto called into the house, though it really wasn't necessary. He could see that the place was quite empty; there was no sign of Sasuke anywhere, and there wasn't a place to hide in the small apartment.
"Sasuke-kun…" he heard Sakura whimper.
Shit.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
It was dark. That was the first thing that hit him as he walked into the room. It was always the first thing he noticed; the sudden and intrusive lack of lighting that made him feel dizzy and disoriented before his eyes finally adjusted. "Orochimaru-sama... are you sure this was a good idea?" he asked hesitantly.
"Kabuto-kun," the voice sent chills down his spine, "are you doubting me? Is your loyalty in my abilities failing you? If so, I could always… re-inspire you."
He supposed one of the main reasons he stayed with Orochimaru was fear. There was respect, and there was definitely loyalty, but mostly fear. The snake Sannin was easily the most powerful and by far the most intimidating man Kabuto had ever met. He didn't want to get on his master's bad side.
"Sumimasen, Orochimaru-sama. I did not mean to be insubordinate. Please, forgive my impudence," Kabuto said. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "It's simply that I have a hard time understanding why you are so intent on taking the Uchiha boy. I know that his bloodline interests you, but—"
"Kabuto-kun," Orochimaru interrupted. Kabuto suppressed a shiver. "You shouldn't try to understand things that are simply beyond your comprehension. The Uchiha's kekkei genkai is incredible… I need to study it… to possess it…"
Kabuto nodded, before excusing himself and leaving his master's chambers. He stumbled a bit when the light hit his eyes again, once again leaving him with a heady feeling. He continued his way down the corridors by memory alone, and headed back to the infirmary. He had to take care of Kimimaro-kun… or what was left of him…
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sweat ran down the Uchiha's body as he once again battled against kage bunshins, a technique he had copied from Naruto. It was useful for training, despite the fact he would never bring himself to actually use it in real combat; he wasn't going to steal the dobe's signature move.
Just as the last of the clones puffed out of existence, he sensed an unfamiliar chakra approaching him. Standing ready, he kept his sharingan out and his senses spread out. He wasn't going to let anyone catch him by surprise.
It was with a good deal of skill and luck he managed to dodge the two needles that came at him seemingly out of nowhere. Turning to face the direction they had come from, he saw a single white haired boy approaching him.
The boy was taller than he by a noticeable amount, and appeared to be able fifteen or sixteen, despite the white hair he had tied back in a ponytail. He wore large glasses that covered his eyes, but Sasuke could tell from his expression he was enjoying himself. Sasuke also took notice of the forehead protector, which had on it a musical note.
Scowling at the teen, Sasuke threw a few kunai the stranger's way. They were easily blocked, and Sasuke was given not even a second to dodge another senbon. He couldn't help but have an unpleasant flashback of his fight with Haku.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asked.
The teen continued smirking. "I doesn't really matter, Sasuke-kun;" Sasuke tensed at the use of his name "after all, what good is it to learn something that you're only going to forget anyway?"
Before Sasuke could react at all, the older boy was behind him, and a senbon needle was sticking out of his shoulder. Just as he was about to turn around and stab him with a kunai, Sasuke collapsed on the ground, writhing around in pain. The teen leaned over and whispered in Sasuke's ear, "Don't worry Sasuke-kun. You're not going to die; you're just going to forget for a while. This poison, instead of attacking your organs directly, infects the chakra circulatory system. Since it is so deeply intertwined with your vitals- like your brain- I can manipulate your chakra to do just about whatever I want to your body. I suppose that I could kill you."
Kabuto smirked. "But don't worry. That defeats the whole purpose of Orochimaru-sama sending me here. We're going to use this poison to manipulate your brain into temporarily erasing its memory. But don't worry; it'll all be back in a couple weeks- just long enough for Orochimaru-sama to get exactly what he wants from you."
Kabuto turned away from Sasuke, ignoring the pained cries coming form the young Uchiha. His part in this was done. He turned for a moment to see he master heading towards Sasuke, and felt a swell of perverse happiness at what the sharingan wielder must've been suffering, and what more Orochimaru-sama was planning to inflict.
"Sayonara Sasuke-kun, see you when your brother's dead."
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Stop poking me," Sasuke grumbled.
"Not until you get up, Sasuke-kun."
Groaning, Sasuke sat up and turned to the other man. "You're evil, Itachi-san."
A small smirk formed on Itachi's normally expressionless face. "So I've been told."
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
To be continued…
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A/N: HAH! 2600 words! You guys better review this chapter, seeing as it's twice as long as the last one! Come on, show me some lover my precious little reviewers! You guys make my life rock!
Oh yeah, on another note, I'm going to Disney for a few days for the long weekend (seeing as this is the only time of year my family could afford), so I probably won't update for at least another week.
Please continue to read and review, tell me if I've got any horrid spelling or grammar mistakes, or if I've butchered any of the Japanese! Also compliment me and give me a huge ego! Because we need more arrogant people in the world!
