Infiltrating Nekomata's fortress was not as difficult as Sasuke thought it might be, though the place was pretty impressive. Tamaki more than pulled her weight as far as helping Team 7 act appropriately cat-like so they wouldn't raise suspicions. They'd done so well that the resident cats were completely convinced they had four new recruits.
"I can't wait to kick some hawk booty, nyah!" Naruto grinned, holding his hands up like little paws
"Then hurry up!" The glossy tuxedo cat guiding them down a twisting hall huffed. "We're late for our briefing. The captain won't like the strike force being delayed even if it does mean new members."
Sasuke nodded once. They sped up, finally reaching an assembly room where dozens of growling and hissing cats prowled, sharpening their claws and polishing bladed weapons in preparation for their ambush.
"Is this where Nekomata-sama will come speak to everyone?" Sakura asked, wringing her hands and blushing as she channeled her intense crush on Sasuke into her starry-eyed cat persona. "I'm so nervous to meet him!"
"Are you kidding?" the tuxedo scoffed. "The boss never comes out. Hardly anyone has seen him before. Most of the attacks are lead by Shinsetsu, over there."
The cat he pointed to was small with cream colored fur, missing part of its ear and only had one eye.
Damn. Sasuke clenched his fists. They were getting ready to mobilize and he'd been counting on Nekomata himself leading the invasion. They would reach the hawk realm if they stayed with the ninneko invasion force, but now that meant no Nekomata.
No Nekomata meant no cat ear headband to help him question Fukumaru back in Konoha. And that meant he wouldn't find out what really happened the night Sayuri disappeared.
If they went along with the ninneko ambush, they would have to betray the invasion force after reaching the hawk realm. Which then meant there was no chance they'd be allowed inside the fortress ever again.
Sasuke ignored the cats milling around him. He glanced around, noting the entrances and exits. If he went searching for Nekomata now, he would lose his chance to find the hawk realm. He might never have a summoning contract with them.
Sayuri? Or hawk summons?
Itachi would choose the summons. That man would choose power over family every time. Sasuke was certain of that. But - a flying summon would also be helpful while searching for her.
And be helpful for defeating Itachi.
Do I want to be like Itachi?
He thought back to the gangster that tried to buy Sakura. To Sayuri's months-long silence. To Nekobaa's innocent question.
Weren't they Fukagu's summons?
He didn't want to be like Itachi. He wanted to be the opposite. Like his father instead. Sasuke closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose and forced his breathing to calm.
Tou-san, what should I do?
His father was the clan head. His father was responsible for every single Uchiha. For protecting everyone. For managing everyone. For ensuring the sharingan didn't fall into the wrong hands. Father wouldn't have abandoned Sayuri. He would have done whatever it took to bring her home safely. Sasuke was sure of it. And now, he was the clan head himself. It was just him, and Sayuri.
"Tamaki," he whispered. "Change in plans. I'll go search for Nekomata. You three stay here and try to keep the rest of them distracted."
Her eyes widened. "But -"
"No time to explain," he hissed, then turned and began to quietly amble toward the exit. Pausing to let cats of different shapes and colors skitter past him so it would look more like he was mingling and not trying to slip out.
Things were progressing well until he neared the door. A burly brown tabby cat with a bo staff stood guard, scrutinizing everyone that passed by.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going? The meeting is just about to start," the cat said as Sasuke slunk toward the exit.
Sasuke opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Just that moment, Naruto came barreling toward them in a blur of orange.
"Out of the way!" he howled, holding his crotch. "Augh! I gotta pee so bad I can barely hold it!" He skidded to a stop by Sasuke and danced in place. Taking his cue, Sasuke glanced up into the lookout cat's brown striped face.
"Hey, we're both new. Where do I take this dumbass before he pisses himself?"
The cat's eyes widened and he looked a little panicked. "Uh, straight down that hall! Take three left turns and you'll run right into the sandbox."
Sasuke grabbed Naruto and threw him over his shoulder as he dashed down the corridor and around the bend.
"Hey put me down," Naruto complained. "We're out now. Let's go find Nekomata."
Sasuke dropped him on the floor with a heavy thud. "What the hell was that?" he snapped. "You were supposed to stay behind and distract them. I'm going by myself!"
"You couldn't even get out of a paper bag alone," Naruto taunted, still holding his hands up like kitty paws. "Nyaaaah."
"Dumbass. There aren't even any cats around us right now."
"Gotta stay in character," Naruto said, batting at a fly that emerged from what smelled like the litterbox room. "You never know."
"Whatever," Sasuke grumbled. "I'm going. You'd better not slow me down."
Naruto grinned widely, showing a few too many teeth. "As if."
Together, they shot down the halls in search of the ninneko boss.
Back in Konoha, Sasuke still couldn't quite believe they'd managed to find Nekomata. Not only found him, but fought and subdued him long enough to shave one of his tails. If Naruto hadn't been there to pile a hundred clones on top of the monstrous cat while Sasuke shaved his tail? He doubted he would have made it.
Then again if Sasuke hadn't been there to break Naruto out of Nekomata's genjutsu, Naruto would have been cat food.
The girls had tried to maintain the infiltration part of the mission, but shortly after departing they were revealed to be human and had to flee before learning anything useful about Kyutsu Gorge.
One on hand, he was disappointed. But he'd made his choice. He would become a shinobi his parents could be proud of. He wasn't going to abandon his only family. Not for anything. Once Sasuke made it back to his apartment, Fukumaru immediately began to rub on his legs and meow loudly.
It's now or never, he thought, pulling the precious headband from his weapon pouch. This better be worth it.
He placed the white cat ears on his head.
Fukumaru's yellow eyes grew wide. His tiny mouth opened, but instead of meowing he said, "Sasuke-kun! You're a cat now too!"
"It's the headband," Sasuke explained. "I got it so we can talk,"
"This is so great!" Fukumaru put a paw on Sasuke's foot. "Do you know how annoying it is to try and tell you how I want my mackerel? Because you always serve it to me too cold-"
"Not to talk about food," Sasuke cut in. "I want to talk about Sayuri."
Fukumaru blinked rapidly and looked down at the floor, whiskers drooping.
"There was blood on your fur that night. You were there when Sayuri disappeared."
"That night-" Fukumaru began, "I remember everything. I hid under the kotatsu because Sayuri and her mother were arguing. After Sayuri was sent to her room it was quiet for a while." His little round face drooped further. "A lot of bugs came in. Weird ones that smelled bad. Her mother collapsed, and two men came inside the apartment."
Sasuke crossed his arms. Two of them? "What did they look like?" he demanded.
"I only saw one clearly. He carried one arm like this - " Fukumaru sat up on his haunches and tucked one arm up like it was in a sling. "And he had a sword. He - he stabbed Sayuri from behind."
A jolt of recognition lanced through Sasuke. A memory, an experience seared into his brain by Itachi.
A gleaming blade bisecting his parents' bodies.
Crumpled in a heap, tangled in one another. Tangled in unnatural ways.
Father's arm shouldn't fit through mother's shoulder like that.
"What else?" Sasuke asked, his voice hollow. "What do you remember?"
"That man, he took Sayuri's eyes! When she screamed I ran straight down the hall between their legs. I had to get help! Just as I slipped outside a big crow appeared then reverse summoned with Sayuri."
Sasuke clenched his hands. It was Itachi all along. It had to be. The sword? The way he held his arm? And crow summons too.
Nobody else had all of those traits.
"He said something strange right before he took her eyes. Something about his sharingan collection. He said he wanted another 'mangekyou'. Do you know what that means?"
The sharingan. The fucking mangekyou sharingan.
Sasuke's stomach clenched and he fought the urge to vomit. Itachi you sick fuck. Did you - take their eyes? Everyone's eyes? His legs began to tremble and he stooped into a crouch. Did Itachi, take our parents eyes too? Like fucking trophies? A trophy eye collection?
He fought to get control of his breathing. He needed to know who else was there. "What about the second man?" Sasuke swallowed roughly. "Do you remember anything about him?"
Fukumaru shook his head. "Sorry, no. He stayed all covered up. He was a man, that's all I know."
Damn. Who could it be? A clone maybe? But, what if someone else was working with Itachi? What if it was someone inside the village?
If Itachi had returned for her eyes, then he somehow knew her sharingan had awakened. But how? She'd been so careful to keep it a secret. So cautious.
Someone must have told Itachi, which meant there was definitely another traitor in the village. That was why she was so afraid to sign her letters. Why she never came back.
Sasuke shivered as another realization came over him. Anyone who would betray Sayuri to Itachi could betray him too.
The battered ship creaked and groaned as sloshing waves carried it into the sheltered cove under cover of darkness. Haku stood out of the way as the sailors hurried back and forth, unfurling ropes and throwing them over the cleats on the dock. One of them leaped over the side to land lightly on the wooden planks and began securing the lines.
Haku didn't have to wait for them to finish. He could leave any time, but he still had questions.
The captain, a brown skinned woman with grey hair and pale eyes, nodded to him. "This is the end of the journey. Good luck on your travels."
"That Uchiha your contact inquired about," Haku said. "Where do you suggest I start searching for them?"
"In this country?" The captain snorted. "You could search for years and never find them."
"Where might I find your contact?" he pressed.
A lopsided grin twisted her mouth. "They pay far too much for their privacy. Unless you've got a few million ryō hidden away on yourself."
Haku shook his head. As a mercenary, he could understand wanting to protect a high paying client. That was fair.
"Look kid, here's some free advice. If you're trying to find a chakra user in this country there's a few places you might have some luck. I might even have a map."
She went to the captain's cabin and returned with a scroll unfurled. "The chakra user's settlements are marked out in blue. The civilian in red. If you go here to Hogsmeade, it's close to an academy in case this person you're looking for is younger. The students won't return for two months so you have time. The white star will show the map's position while you travel."
Haku took in the mass of red dots filling up the map and tried to memorize the locations of the few blue. He recognized the romaji lettering but the names of the towns looked like nonsense. There was no way he could afford to buy this. "Thank you, but I don't have any money left."
She rolled it up and thrust it at him. "Consider it a thank you for your help during the storm. I would have hated to lose my crew."
Smiling, he thanked the captain and was on his way.
There was so much to see in this new land. Villages and farms dotted the countryside. Seamless stone roads striped with precise, colorful lines connected larger cities to small villages. Colorful enclosed wagons flew along them at the speed of shinobi travel.
Friendly sheep and cattle populated rolling hills of grass and craggy mountain peaks, while small settlements of villagers were confused to see a young stranger passing through the wilderness. Unfamiliar flowers dotted the forests and meadows and he wondered at their hidden medicinal uses. Rini, his snowshoe hare, scampered among the novel plants sampling the various leaves and flowers.
The ship captain had warned Haku of a few other things before turning him loose. That chakra users and civilians lived completely segregated lives here. That chakra use of any kind was forbidden in front of civilians. That violating the rule about chakra use would terrify the civilians and lead them to violence against the chakra users.
To him it sounded like there had been a war, similar to the one which lead to the Yuki clan's bloodline limit becoming feared to the point of near extermination. So feared that Haku's own father bludgeoned his mother to death.
All because of an innocent game with a ball of water.
So, he kept his abilities to himself as he and Rini made their way closer to Hogsmeade. He hoped to find a bit of work there. To pick up more of the language. And to see for himself what the children of this land were really like.
It took a week to get the floo connection set up, and maybe it wasn't exactly legal since Mr. and Mrs. Granger were muggles, but Aberforth had never let minor details like The Law get in his way before, and he wasn't about to start now. Luckily Arthur had connections in the Floo Network Authority who were able to pull a few strings. And it was thanks to the floo connection that both girls both lay on their stomachs on Sayuri's bedroom floor, blotched and stained parchment squares spread out around them.
Sayuri rested her chin on her hands, listening to the crinkle of parchment as Hermione moved the calligraphy brush over it. "It's all right if you don't figure it out today. Fuuinjutsu is complicated."
"If you say so," Hermione said uncertainly. "But it shouldn't be too hard to copy this formula. I'm just not used to writing with a brush and it keeps dripping in the wrong spots."
"Well, you're brilliant," Sayuri flapped a hand dismissively. "You'll get it figured out. Want to take a break and go visit Hagrid?"
"Let me just give it a few more tries first."
In the end, Hermione used up seven more squares of parchment, the last humming with a warmth that meant the rudimentary storage seal was finally active and complete.
"Try putting something inside!" Sayuri said, leaning closer as she resisted the urge to poke at the parchment. The ink might not be dry yet.
"Like what?"
"Um," she groped around her bedside table. "I think I left an apple around here." Her hand closed over the smooth fruit. She placed the apple on the parchment. Her hand hovered over it, then with a twinge in her palm the apple was engulfed by the seal.
"It worked!" Hermione crowed.
To celebrate her success, the girls visited Honeydukes for some sweets. Hermione tucked a fresh packet of sugar quills into her bag as they exited the shop. "My parents don't approve of sweets," she explained. "This way I can keep some at home and they won't realize."
"You could just load up on the good stuff and hide them in the seal," Sayuri pointed out.
The doors swung shut behind them as Sayuri pondered what it would be like to have parents that cared whether or not she ate sweets. If anything, her own father had gone out of his way to bring sweets to her every time he managed to visit.
Arguing voices drifted through the air. A general feeling of curiosity and distress threaded through the small crowd gathering nearby."What's going on over there?" Hermione paused. "We should go check."
Sayuri shook her head. "Let's go the other way. We can cut around on the next street over."
"Are they fighting?" Hermione asked. "That woman is crying! Come on!"
Cursing Hermione's inability to mind her own business, Sayuri trudged after her toward the epicenter of the drama. The sound of a dog barking and whining cut through the onlookers while a woman shouted at it. "I should have just turned you all the way into a dog!" she wailed. "Not just your stupid head! How could you flirt with someone else during our date!"
The angry woman stomped away, everyone parting to let her pass as the barking and whining man followed close behind.
"Well, that was unexpected," Hermione commented. "And a little bit dysfunctional."
"-very sorry about this. I'm afraid I have to let you go," Madam Puddifoot was saying to someone else. "No, don't go back inside! What I mean is, I can't offer you employment any more! Oh dear!"
"What's going on? Is there anything you need help with?" Hermione asked.
Madam Puddifoot sighed heavily and her skirts rustled as she wiped her hands on them. "No. Oh, I don't know. I hired some new help a week ago, but it isn't working out! People like coming to my tea shop to go on dates. But the last three couples that have come in left halfway through their meals, fighting with each other!"
"That's odd. Why on earth would they do that?"
"It's the help," she muttered. "Very nice young man to be sure, but far too pretty for my establishment. Three couples! All broken up because one half couldn't stop ogling him."
"Well that's not his fault!" Hermione said indignantly.
"Oh I know. It's not fair, and he does work hard. But, I have to keep the customers happy you know. The other issue is he hardly speaks English. So I've been trying to tell him to move on but he just doesn't understand."
"What language does he speak?
"I'm not quite sure. Japanese, I think?"
"Maybe we could help you then! Sayuri speaks Japanese too!"
Sayuri backed away as she willed herself to shrivel up and vanish. She did not want to get roped into firing some poor idiot. That was not her responsibility.
"Would you please talk to him dear? I'd be happy to give you girls a voucher for a free luncheon in exchange. And, please do let him down lightly. He isn't a bad worker at all."
"Can you do it Sayuri? It's not fair for him to be led on thinking he still has a job." Hermione pointed out. "All you have to do is say a few words."
"Fine. I'll try," she grumbled. Pushing past everyone, she went into the tea shop. The soft whish of broom bristles came from a corner where the unwanted employee swept. His presence was - muted. Similar to a civilian. But, also a bit too muted. Like a house elf almost.
As if he was deliberately suppressing his chakra.
A prickle of unease went down her back, and she made sure to stay within reach of the door. She slipped into her native language and addressed him. "Hey you, can you understand me?"
"Yes! Would you like to be seated?"
"No. Your boss wanted me to give you a message. She says you're fired."
The young man chuckled, which Sayuri thought was a weird way to react to being fired. "Ah, I thought so. But I hoped I could get away with working here a little longer."
"Well now you know. Bye then." She ducked back out the front door, cringing all the while. That was so awkward. It was the most awkward thing she'd ever done.
"How did it go?" Madam Puddifoot asked, "oh no, he's probably so upset!"
You don't get to worry about that when you fired him, Sayuri thought bitterly. "He knows he doesn't have a job anymore," she said. "Come on Hermione."
Hermione did not budge however. The door opened and closed with the tinkling of bells as the faint, civilian-feeling presence exited the tea shop.
"Sayuri, we should help him," she said. "If he can't speak English he won't be able to get a job. He won't be able to find a place to live or buy food. And he's so young, he looks like he could still be a student!"
"Not our problem." Sayuri threw her hands up in the air.
"Maybe you could just ask Rosmerta if she might need some help around The Three Broomsticks? Or perhaps Aberforth could use a hand?" Madam Puddifoot suggested timidly.
No way was she going to ask Aberforth anything of the sort! That was her Jiji and she helped him plenty!
"I don't see how it would make any difference," Sayuri said cooly. "It's not like they speak Japanese either."
"THAT'S IT!" Hermione cried. "You can teach him!"
Wincing at the noise, Sayuri shook her head. No, no no no no. "I don't have time for that." She was aware of the young man standing nearby. Probably watching them all discuss him. If she took on a project like teaching someone like him, it would completely mess up her summer training schedule.
Besides, she didn't trust him. The longer she stood in his presence, the clearer it became that he was deliberately masking his chakra.
A stranger in Hogsmeade who only spoke her language, and actively suppressed his chakra? Most wizards in this world didn't bother suppressing it unless they had something to hide. Like Unicorn Killer. She needed to get Hermione and herself away from him.
"Excuse me," the young man said. "Did she call you Sayuri?"
A frisson of dread rippled through her. She grabbed Hermione's hand, ignoring the unpleasant fizzle of the other girl's chakra.
Where do we go? I can't lead him back to The Hog's Head. I can't- maybe The Three Broomsticks.
Madam Rosmerta always had a crowd. Maybe she and Hermione could go straight for the fireplace and floo themselves somewhere safe.
He wouldn't attack them in front of a crowd, right?
Sayuri began dragging Hermione down the street.
"Wait!" the man called out. "I have a question! Are you Uchiha Sayuri?"
"Run Hermione!"
Luckily, her friend had caught on that something wasn't quite right and stopped resisting. The man followed though. Still trying to get her attention.
"-If you are Uchiha Sayuri," he easily sidled up alongside them and matched their pace, "I know your cousin -"
Hermione yelped as Sayuri gripped her arm and yanked her to the doorway of The Three Broomsticks. Together they stumbled through. She dragged Hermione by the wrist straight toward the fireplace. "Quick, grab some floo powder."
"Here," Hermione pressed it into her hand.
Where could they go? Where was safe?
Draco's words from Halloween came back to her right then.
My father is very influential. Adults have a lot more resources than we do. You should make better use of them.
Throwing the powder into the smoldering coals Sayuri shouted, "Malfoy Manor!" The swell of tickling flame swallowed her and Hermione up, and the faint presence following them vanished. Moments later, they were spat out of the spacious destination fireplace in the Malfoy's entry hall.
They were completely alone.
"Hello?" Sayuri called, stumbling forward while still clenching Hermione's hand tight. "Draco? DRACO! MRS. MALFOY? IS ANYBODY HERE?"
Her heart pounded harder than ever. What if the stranger knew how to use floo powder? What if he'd heard their destination? He could come straight through the fireplace at any moment!
"Come on!" She pulled Hermione away from the fireplace.
"Not until you explain what's-" Hermione began, digging in her heels.
Just then, a familiar presence began wending its way toward them. Keen, and this time it wasn't simply unsettled. It was downright perturbed.
"What is the meaning of this! Who is - what are you two doing in my house?" Mr. Malfoy's voice dripped with the same sort of dismay Draco's did when he stepped in dragon dung during Herbology class.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Malfoy!" Sayuri yelped. "A strange man followed us, and Draco said I should come straight to you for help if anyone threatened me. He said you would know what to do."
Please let flattery work, she plead.
"What do you mean, a strange man? Did he do anything?"
She inhaled through her nose, trying to calm her pounding heart. It was now or never. There was not much point to hiding it when they'd actually found her this time. Itachi appearing was a fluke of her summons, but now someone else from her homeland had come looking.
"He only spoke Japanese. He knew my name, and said he said he knew my cousin. Then he chased us through The Three Broomsticks!" She wiped at her blindfold with her free hand. "I-I think he was an assassin, and didn't want to lead him back home. It seemed like going through the floo was the best way to lose him."
Hermione's beehive presence jolted at her words. Mr. Malfoy's breath hitched for a moment.
"Dobby!" he called, sounding slightly strangled. The odd, almost intangible presence she associated with the elf appeared from nowhere.
"Yes Master?"
"Seal all the fireplaces. Secure every entrance into the property. And get Draco back inside."
"Yes sir!" Dobby squeaked and vanished just as quickly as he appeared.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay everyone, and thanks for hanging in there! I've written ahead quite a bit, but also really needed to get these next parts of the story right so things make sense down the road and it took some time to iron out.
Hopefully you are all doing well.
