Chapter Fifty-Six: One Hit and One Miss
Canon-Manga Info: References to Sasuke's Kenjutsu skills and speed have been made before. A lot of people misinterpret that Bee battle: there, Sasuke tossed the Raiton charged sword into his other hand (to hit himself with Raiton and nullify Bee's attacks and make them non-fatal as the VIZ states) before Bee could make a single stab. Bee confirms it; furthermore, Bee commented that Sasuke deflected his Bijū-chakra (three-tails) cloaked attack at the same speed his brother (Ae) does in his version-one (V1) Raiton cloak. Remember, Bee is a "Code Name", given to the winner of the "Lariat-Challenge" with Ae. Bee was the winner of the said challenge; hence, he's been training with Ae since he was five-years-old! He knows how fast Ae moves (without pumping Bijū-level chakra into his system to increase the efficiency of the Raiton cloak). If he states that Sasuke and Ae move at the same speed, then he's correct! Moreover, Sasuke was gravely injured from his battle with Itachi, too—a fact Jūgo (immediately after the battle ends), Obito, and Zetsu confirm.
And that is not all. Mifune has the fastest draw in the entire manga, yet he couldn't land a hit on Sasuke: the latter charged his sword and then blocked his attack, prompting the former to praise his draw. Fū couldn't even sense Sasuke till he didn't cut down all of the banners and stopped moving (standing upside down above Danzō's head) in the Kage Summit's Meeting Room. Also, Ao has a Byakugan, and he didn't see when Sasuke even came into the room and sliced through all of the banners. I can even count the scene that led Orochimaru to comment that "Sasuke's a genius greater than he" as Sasuke had taken down well over a thousand Chūnin and Jōnin-class Shinobis (which were shown to be strewn about the fields) without spilling a "single drop of blood"; none of these things are being exaggerated here in regard to Sasuke; hence, if you don't believe in these feats (and choose poorly written Author Notes centred on "Potential" of "certain characters" and overly exaggerated readings of canon that are anything but canon), you're disregarding canon, and I don't believe there's any cure for the severe lack of reading comprehension.
# # # # # #
Running amidst the cradle of quiet trees, he saw traces of rain on the ground, slick, glistening spots round the stones. A sudden puff of wind made the forest shush in unison again, swiftly followed by a cascade of leaves, a futile protest of their limbs. His eyes caught sight of the man standing with his back to him, and he slowed down his running immediately.
He puffed and blew and reached to his back to pull out that cold water-bottle: Leaf's erratic weather did not suit him. Leaves crunched beneath his well-used sandals, and the man in front slowly turned around; he had the same child-like and clever mien, though his eyes had a slight hint of impish delight that threatened to spill over to the rest of his face. Presently, he was holding a white hawk in his hands.
"I thought ya liked animals," he said as he made his way around the man, his eyes fixed on the bird that was calm as a sleeping babe in his hands. "If ya use Kai's Genjutsu technique on it, it'll buy the farm in minutes. Yor mean, Sasuke."
"I'm not," Sasuke said softly, his Sharingan flaring to life as he looked deeply into the hawk's small eyes. "It'll shake off the Genjutsu as soon as it makes its presence known above their camp. It might stall for a split-second, but it'll recover swiftly."
Sasuke brushed his thumbs against the feathers, stroked the head gently, and watched as the golden threads in its irises bled red. At this sudden invasion, its heart reacted loudly for a moment, but the Genjutsu's veil, which he had thrown on its innocent mind, darkened its senses too soon. It stared back at his eyes mechanically, enchanted by their red glow. Then, as soon as Sasuke slackened his grip, it flew away to the camp as though it knew in its heart to be that place where it truly wished to go.
"That does it," Suigetsu said and took one noisy sip from the bottle again, his eyes looking into the direction of the bird; it had disappeared behind the tall cliffs to the east.
"Did you bring it?" Sasuke asked and turned around to face him. Excitement had made his cheeks, ears, neck a bit red. His eyes had cooled down like the summer's breeze at night, but victory's delightful touch still hovered there, insistent. He had beaten Itachi, and it was making his heart dance in joy. He would get what he wanted today, and his brother would not know a thing!
Suigetsu reached to his back, pulled out a scroll, and tossed it at him. Sasuke caught it and wasted no moment in unrolling it to summon the things he needed. He sat down and spread it on the wet ground and then pressed his thumb between his teeth to injure the skin there. A tiny bubble of blood popped out from the wound, and he pressed it against the scroll's surface and created a long red streak towards the symbols.
A bag instantly appeared on the scroll. It was a small one he usually carried on long missions with himself. He craned his stern face at Suigetsu and spoke, "your clone isn't loitering about out there, is he?"
"I cancelled the purdy lil' thin' before I came 'ere ta Romance ya," he said and bent down to pull out a white Root mask: its mouth was shaped like a monkey, with red streaks running round the eyes.
Sasuke stood up and strapped the common Root sword to his back. The rays spilt out from between the trees' limbs and touched the ground as distorted lights. The sun was a little kind to them today. He made hand-seals, and, immediately, a copy of himself appeared before him.
His Sharingan sang to the tune of his heart whilst he looked into his doppelganger's eyes and touched the bare skin of his neck, feeding him his own Chakra. It raced through it, imbuing it with a power it would not otherwise possess and planted images in its head. It had to go along perfectly—one little mistake would ruin everything!
Suigetsu did the same and watched as a bubble of water took his form, a toothy grin spreading across its pasty face. "Me lad 'ere's jolly, unlike yors!" Suigetsu said and stepped back whilst cupping his chin as if he was surveying his artistry.
Sasuke heard a bird's song drift to them from somewhere, and a cool air followed in its wake. The wind was flowing in from the north. It would rain soon. A battle would be fought in a muddy bog close to the outpost. Sasuke flicked his head to indicate that the clone had to go. It did not speak and rushed off in the direction of the meeting place with the other one.
Sasuke looked back to Suigetsu, eyes fire-struck inside the Sharingan's menacing light, face alight with an expression that made Suigetsu's body tingle with a bad fear. "Put the seal on my shoulder," Sasuke commanded and pulled his sleeve up. Suigetsu stepped forward and made quick hand-seals, and then he tapped Sasuke's shoulder once.
" 'Am alone with a good lookin' lad under the trees," he said and pulled out a tag from his pocket and plastered it against Sasuke's skin. "Ya know what folks say 'bout two men bein' all alone in the forest—?"
"What do they say?" Sasuke asked and touched his shoulder to look at the ink as it seeped into his skin, and within moments, the tag disappeared.
"Folks say many things, lad, but they call 'em queers!" he said and pressed the silky white mask over his face. "Let's touch each other, but let's touch each other gingerly!"
"Can't let go of this sense of humour you picked up from Rain, can you? Say something like this in front of Nii-Sama, and you'll be in for a surprise," he said and he, too, pressed the mask over his face. It rippled and slowly took the form of another face. Then he took out the fox-mask from the bag and turned it around.
"Ya mental? Like hell I will—hey, why do I get a monkey one? That's fair!" Suigetsu protested and put the mask on grudgingly.
"You said that you're the jolly one," Sasuke replied and created a soft smile on a different face that was covered in the shadows of leaves above them.
Sasuke made a few hand-seals and the bag disappeared again. He spat out a little spark of fire and the scroll burnt to ashes by his feet. He turned around and Suigetsu followed. Suddenly, he stopped by a stream, his eyes looking at the slick stones that lay at the bottom, covered in fungal layers.
Sasuke turned his head and spoke, "make another one."
"Why?" Suigetsu asked, stopping. The sun had momentarily broken through the clouds and it was hot on his skin. For a moment, sunlight bounced off a silver stone in the water and blinded him. He did not like where this was going . . .
"Do it—we're running out of time!" Sasuke said, and there was an angry note in his voice. Suigetsu did not complain. He knew the hand-seals by heart; so using the stream as a water source this time, he created another clone of himself and watched him mimic his worried expression. It rose out from water and attained a perfect shape in moments.
"What now?" Suigetsu asked and looked from the clone's face to the dark, strange eyes behind the fox-mask. The Sharingan was in a deep slumber. Sasuke could awaken it if he wished, but he had no reason; then a different contempt's colour came from their depths and consumed the blue irises that, for a moment, Suigetsu thought he saw the trick of Sasuke's favourite toy in his eyes. It was gone.
"Find Sakura when the battle starts," he whispered in a voice hoarse that was not his and bent his head forward to peer into the unfamiliar shade upon Suigetsu's eyes. "Bring her to me in the forest. Spin a story of an injured teammate. I want to end this today." Then he turned around and started running towards the outpost.
Suigetsu breathed out a loud sigh and spoke to his clone in a hushed and worried voice, his eyes darting back and forth between the two. He did not know who to obey: the younger precocious one; the older sinister one? He was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, and he was sure as Yomi that he would land in hot water either way . . .
Kai stared at the flowers tossing in the wind. It had gained strength and was a cooler than usual. He raised his gaze slightly when Sasuke came into view from behind the trees. The mischievous man from Rain was right behind him. His customary grin gave him the aspect of a man who always had a terrible thought on his mind.
"It took you a while to get back," Kai remarked and watched as a tiny frown appeared in the centre of Sasuke's forehead.
"If you're so quick on your feet, you could've done it. I'm sure Nii-Sama would be happy," Sasuke said, appearing as frigid as the weather, which he loved. The red patches on Sasuke's skin gave him a strange mask of momentary passions—he almost looked shy.
Kai did not say anything. He lifted his gaze slightly, and his Sharingan rose to the surface to look beyond the trees. He could not see Itachi's chakra anywhere! His eyes returned to Sasuke's blank face. He did not seem all that worried.
"Where's Itachi-Sama's crow?" he asked and looked from the sharp teeth shining in Suigetsu's mouth to the trees again. Nothing. The crow had vanished!
"I don't know. I'm not its keeper," he said, and this time, a smile disturbed his unfriendly countenance to soften the scowl. He was being mischievous. Kai could tell.
Kai turned around to face him fully. This would land him into a lot of trouble. His eyes roved towards the tree again and many sounds poured into his ears, but he could not hear the crow's sounds. "Did you do something to the bird, Sasuke—did you?" he asked in a voice that was moulded by worry and took a step forward to grab hold of Sasuke's shoulders. His palms were sweating profusely now.
Sasuke slightly turned his eyes and head and looked at Kai's fingers gripping his shoulder. Then he directed his gaze back to the man he could not say he was ever fond of. Kai was too servile—a nasty sycophant in his eyes. Sasuke had no idea what his brother ever saw in him, but he knew that he gave Kai his post in Anbu to get him off his back. He would soon learn what it meant to be truly unfair.
"I told you," he broke off, bending his head forward, eyes coming alive with a glint, "I don't know where it is. Go on a goose chase if you want. I'm not looking for it."
Kai was still staring keenly at the shadows of many leaves lying upon Sasuke's right cheek when a flare rose up high into the sky: it lit up that portion with a deep red invasion. He let go of Sasuke's shoulders and frantically looked at the outpost that was not that far from their location. It was under attack!
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fingers into a hard fist. This was too convenient. He did not know how to lay the blame on Sasuke. It was no use. Kai looked over his shoulder and tried to see beneath the mask of composure, but Sasuke was as impish as ever.
"Let's go," he spoke, voice barbed with distrust, and started running towards the smoke's plumes rising up into the sky.
Sasuke looked at Suigetsu, exchanging a mischievous smile with him, and ran behind Kai into the smoke the wind was pushing in their direction.
Wind brought noises of metal clashing against metal and roars of Shinobis to them. He shrouded himself under the mantle of shadows and bushes, watching as their clones ran towards the outpost that lay in ruins. It was not their business. Sasuke adjusted his mask and flicked his head to indicate to Suigetsu that they had to move. The bandits were advancing, and they did not have much time on their hands to mess this up.
They sped through the noise and the smoke, running over water in the ridges that were immersed and slippery and muddy with rainwater. The clouds were moving inwards, bringing in an earthy scent that overpowered the flammable-powder's stench that refused to lift. The rain was soft at first, but then it turned heavy as it flattened the grass and dug up the ground.
Sasuke and Suigetsu powered through, rain splattering against their white masks. Their heels dug into the ground with a purpose, the chakra there keeping their footing secure and firm. At last, they arrived at the next outpost. It was a mess: guts and blood of many Shinobis had become a fertiliser for the ground. It stank to high heaven!
He looked around and found no one alive. His Sharingan broke through the chakra barriers upon his eyes. It burnt into the film for a moment to take a peek at his surrounds. Arms and legs lay strewn about like discarded dolls' pieces. The gentle rain allowed the big flies to swarm about them.
Few men appeared from behind the wooden tower that was still burning in some places: it had been set alight with crude oil. Sasuke reached up and dug his fingers under the mask's layer and pulled it off with the Anbu one. Suigetsu did the same and stepped forward to stand beside him. These masks did not have enough chakra to last through any battle. They needed to save them for Toruné.
The burly one in front stopped at the sight of Sasuke, and the nasty grin on his face spread wider, revealing uneven yellow teeth and black gums. He was tall, about seven feet Sasuke imagined, and carried the largest axe he had ever seen in an iron-grip. It was like a red guillotine. His breast was wide and big and riddled with green veins he could count easily without Sharingan. The four men behind him came to a halt, two standing on his either side now like a little army.
Sasuke smelt the foetid reek they exuded. The bandits had played him. He had never ordered them to attack any other outpost, but they had their own plans; it did not matter; he would bury these last ones here and offer a prayer of gratitude at the Uchiha Shrine later. This place would be their grave.
"Well, lookie 'ere," he said in a loud, rough voice. "I didn't know Konoha had lovely things who posed as Shinobis." The men behind him started their wild and uncontrolled hysterics as if he had shared the funniest joke in the world.
"Who sent you here?" Sasuke asked, and his hand reached down to lock to the hilt. It was smooth as a woman's skin, a perfect pattern etched into its surface like a man's poetry upon a scroll.
"Why does it matter, lovely? The village girl I'd caught didn't satisfy me—too tiny for me cock. She ran 'way with piss an' blood leakin' down her thighs. Whore! I was lookin' around for a feisty one to take to me bed tonight. I think you'd do fine. Make me last one look like a one-eyed crone, you do. And she was a pretty thin', too," he said and touched the large prayer beads around his neck. His veins bulged and twitched and he turned red in the face as he let out another loud laugh simply out of necessity. He looked at his companions for approval, and they joined in the laughter.
"Did Meru send you to attack the outposts?" Sasuke asked, and the man's laughter trailed into silence at the sight of Sharingan shining in the velvet-like mist. "The stones I'd given him are in your pocket. I want them back. He didn't keep his promises."
His face twisted and warped, and he swung his axe once through the air, clove it clean like a cloth. "Be silent, lil' boy, or I'll put something you don't like where you don't want it," he rasped, spit trailing down his chin as he grabbed the large handle of the axe with his other hand to hold it in an offensive stance. "He wanted a Sharingan, you see—one from the battlefield. I'll give 'im yours. And if you live after I pluck 'em outta your lovely face, I'll sell you off to the famous whore-house 'round 'ere for some more stones."
"Bloody hell! Quit slobberin', ya big, loony faggit!" Suigetsu said and let out an amused chuckle. "Hand over the stones and we might let ya live. Let's not make it messy, eh?" He curled his fingers around the hilt of his small blade and broke the illusion that was placed upon it. It rippled and turned into the Executioner's Blade right before their eyes. He took it out of its sheath and poised to strike.
The man let out an enraged roar, his neck-muscles swollen and bloated like ship ropes. "I'll get both of ya whores! I'll—" he stopped mid-sentence, and his voice vanished into the wind. His watery eyes widened, and the axe slipped from his hands and thudded to the ground. Long red cuts appeared in his neck, torso, and arms. His face contorted in pain and big bubbles of blood popped out of each cut as he gasped out his final breath.
His big, round, shining head tipped to the left and tore itself off his neck and fell into the mud. He went down like a big log, splashing mud everywhere, his head floating in the puddle beside him. Sasuke stood about twenty feet behind him. One by one, the heads of his boisterous companions fell down to their feet, their faces frozen in disbelief.
"Get the stones," Sasuke said and shook his sword twice to rid it of their blood. The ground was slippery with mud, blood, guts. He looked at the man's face once more, a flicker of disgust in his eyes, and then he looked at Suigetsu who had taken the pouch out of the man's pocket.
"Ya didn't have ta kill 'em like that, ya know. I was takin' mental notes as ta what he wanted ta do ta ya," Suigetsu said and threw up the leather pouch into the air twice in delight.
"You didn't hear? You can get hands-on experience from the male brothels around Leaf." Sasuke stashed his sword away and squinted his eyes against a burst of cold wind that threw a spray of rain against his face.
"Don't get nasty with me. I wanted it fer the Tumbles portion in that weekly entertainment scroll fer wemen," he said and trailed behind Sasuke, walking against the wind by keeping his feet firm on the ground.
"Tumbles?" he asked and moved through the lines of sunlight and shadows between the trees.
"It's a weman's club in Mist. They like this queer shit—Cherry-Blossom-Hime's cock-suckers are nasty lil' bitches. They send me hate mails 'bout me murderin' meself and raping me mum and sister—and I don't got a fuckin' sister. Fuckin' loose cunts! 'Am goin' ta kill the whore in the most violent way and that'll teach 'em a lesson!" He rubbed his hands together and created a happy grin on his face.
"Whatever makes you happy—let's go," Sasuke said and pulled at the mask hanging from the jacket's side-strap by a hook.
"Right behind ya, lovely!" Suigetsu teased and put the mask back on, hiding his face and the sword's shape. They ran from the bloody scene and left the outpost behind.
Their rendezvous point was not far from Leaf. They ran through the open gates and witnessed chaos: a small army of bandits had attacked Konoha, as well. Some people lay injured by the gates and were being healed by the Medics. Smoke rose from the Weapons' Depot behind the houses, but several Suiton users were already putting out the fire.
The bandits had probably fanned out and were wreaking havoc. He firmed his hold on the hilt and looked ahead. Time was running out. These masks would be rendered useless in about an hour.
He breathed in a hissing breath and spoke: "we have to find him. We're running out of time!"
"I've sent 'im the scroll. He'll be waitin' fer us by the stream outside the barrier. Don'tchya worry," Suigetsu assured and ran behind him.
The buildings whooshed past them like colourful paintings. They killed several bandits who attacked them along the way. They were pillaging homes and raping women. He had underestimated Meru's propensity for violence. His men were swine! They did not care that children watched whilst they forced the women down beneath them, pulled up their kimonos, and fucked them raw and senseless on the roads. It was a banquet for these brutes: free women and loot!
Meru had not kept his word. Whomever he was working for had asked for a Sharingan—why? He did not know and did not have the time to care. Konoha's army was right at his heels. If he did not elude Kai here, everything would be lost!
The lusty bandits scattered at the roaring sounds of flames launched into the sky: Uchiha men were amongst the frontline Shinobis. He and Suigetsu took a detour and ran between the cramped houses, finding a foothold up on the walls and making their way up to the roofs. It started pouring down heavy and hard, and screeches of men rose up into the air as Konoha's Shinobis pushed them back. It would be over soon. He had to find Toruné and Sakura . . . and fast!
Sasuke skidded to a halt when he found Suigetsu's clone standing by the infirmary. He looked to Suigetsu and spoke roughly: "why's he there? Tell him to find her. We don't have time!"
"Calm yorself, Sasuke," he said, his voice hissing. All that running had drained him good. "She must be in the infirmary. She's a Medic, ya know." He ran his hand absentmindedly across his mask as if he was wiping his forehead clean.
"You better be sure. I can't risk using my Sharingan again—it'll damage the mask," he grated harshly and ran his eyes over the building as though he could see through the façade.
"I'll find her," he assured and moved his mask a little to the side to take a sip of cold water. It was infused with a chakra-rejuvenation powder. "Here—ya might need it." He held out the bottle, but Sasuke shook his head.
"I took one along the way," he said and cast a glance to the side where Suigetsu's clone was still standing and then met Suigetsu's eyes. "Lead the way and bring her to the same spot. The barrier and the mess here will prevent Root from detecting any breach into her mind."
Suigetsu nodded and made a long leap, clearing the sixty-feet tall wall. Sasuke followed him, and they landed on the back of the Weapons' Depot. A clear stream ran behind it. It came from a shrine deep in the forest. They ran upstream, leaving the din of battle and slaughter in their wake.
The clone waited outside the infirmary; he stumbled forward when he caught sight of Suigetsu, but stopped when he saw Sasuke and him leap to the other side of the wall and muttered, "original bastard. Thinks he's the shit. I'll murder 'im and take his place!"
At that moment, Kai came running to him with an injured man behind him, who was supported by two other men. A sword had sliced deep into his left side, and he was bleeding badly. As soon as Kai's eyes focused on him, he pulled in a deep breath and spoke, "where's Sakura? This man needs help."
"Suigetsu left me 'ere ta keep watch. I haven't seen her, and the bastard there wouldn't let me in. He says the place's packed," he said in a jovial manner, pointing his thumb at the big and heavy guard standing at the door.
Kai tilted his head to one side and looked at the man. "Let this man through—he's injured," Kai said loudly, and the burly man took two steps to climb down the stairs. His face was red and mean and he exhibited an angry scowl.
"Who goes there? Lady Tsunade's left me in charge. The infirmary's crawling with Katsuyu clones, and they're delicate little creatures. She's out on the frontlines. I can't let anyone through without chakra identification!" he said and locked his teeth as though he was about to prevent himself from letting out a long whining sound.
"I'm Kai, commander of the Fifth Squad of the Anbu Division," he said and made hand-seals to make his chakra known to him. The man before him sensed his chakra and bowed.
"Kai-San, forgive me, but it's standard protocol," he said and raised his shoulders on a loud sigh.
"My Sharingan can see this man's chakra. He's a clone from Suigetsu—a man from Sasuke's squad," he said and gestured Suigetsu to come forward. "Take him in. I left my clone at the outpost. I need to go back. Send me a hawk if anything happens here."
The man nodded and allowed Suigetsu to carry the man into the infirmary, with the masked Anbu. He climbed two stairs when Kai spoke again, "tell her to come meet me by the gates as soon as she's done here. It's imperative that she does—Sasuke's orders!"
Kai narrowed his red eyes on Suigetsu and spun away. Suigetsu watched him flash away through the smoke floating towards them from the buildings. He looked ahead and carried the grunting man to the second floor, thinking: why would Sasuke demand her presence at the gates? It made no sense, but he shrugged off the thought. It was better to listen to Kai . . . Itachi . . .
Various smells from many medicines hung thickly in the air. It was like a load carried by an old man who could barely carry it anymore. He saw Sakura packing a few things into a bag at the end of the large hall. A timid-looking medic came running forward, along with her two assistants, and took the man from his hands. They laid him down on the bed to his right and moved the curtain around him.
Moans and grunts rose from behind the curtains and assistant medics carried bloody swathes of bandages in trays all around him. Suigetsu looked curiously at Sakura; she did not seem all that perturbed by everything happening around her. A medic went to her, and she told her something with a fake smile on her lips. Her green eyes wandered in his direction and the smile faded immediately.
He bit his lower lip and stalked towards her, and suddenly, her expression looked as though a rabbit had been caught in a trap and was about to be slaughtered upon the sword. "Suigetsu—what're you doing here?" she asked and strapped the fanny-bag around her waist. She was a little nervous. There was a curl of anxiety in her smile, and he realised that she was up to no good.
"Kai came by," he said in a chirpy voice, boring his eyes into hers. "Yor needed at the gates. Sasuke's orders."
"Sasuke's?" she asked, and her face crumpled in a frown as a red-hot anger coloured her cheeks. "Yamato-San's called me to the forest. Tsunade-Sama needs me. I'll send in Shizune-San to assist him. I can't neglect Hokage-Sama's orders. I'm sure he'd understand." She clenched her teeth together as if she was on the verge of speech, but she did not say anything and rushed out of the infirmary.
He decided to follow her, but he had not make it far out of the gates when he lost the strength and turned into water . . .
The mist outside Konoha was cool and sweet; rain, soft. A lovely scent from lilies saturated the air, leading their way to the shrine's heart. They ran some more and came across Toruné who was waiting by a guardian deity statue for them.
His goggles were fogged by the cold, and he looked quite irritated and confused. He sneezed thrice, and his nose turned as red as an over-ripe berry. Mucus splattered out of his right nostril, and he wiped at it without any shame. Sasuke had never felt so disgusted in his entire life. The fish he had had this morning was already beginning to churn in his stomach.
"Took your sweet time, Tabata," he said groggily and wiped a hand across his goggles.
"It wasn't easy to shake off Anbu. They're persistent," Sasuke said in a changed voice and started walking to the east. His walk progressed to a jog, and he disappeared behind the large stones. The shrine was not far.
"Of all the days—this was the day the Uchiha bastard picked up to meet someone? I'll fuck him up for this!" he groaned and chased after Sasuke, with Suigetsu right behind him.
Mist grew thick and rain thinned. A soft sound floated outwards from the shrine. It came up from an empty well the monks used in the past. This place had fallen to neglect. Moss grew on the spires and Buddha statues, and the deity statues lay broken under the constant lashes of rain.
Toruné felt a tingling sensation run down his body. He was sensing through his bugs, and he had crossed Konoha's barrier. He was vulnerable. Where was the fool leading him? He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and rubbed his skin. He hated this cold autumn. It made him sick, and his nose got runny like a sickly Genin kid's no one liked to sit with. He hated it!
He followed Tabata's shadow as it twisted through the stray light beams, Kamiya trailing behind it. He breathed in the woody-scent and spoke: "have you set up the traps for him? He won't go down easy. As soon as he succumbs to poison, we'll slit his throat and take his eyes. Danzō-Sama needs them. He'll deal with Itachi when he returns. We'll say that the Bandits killed him." He coughed and stopped, trying to look ahead into the light as Tabata turned around. He could not see Tabata's face at all. He was a dark figure in his gaze.
"Why did you—" and a shaking breath closed the sentence. Toruné saw the Sharingan burn through the film on the mask, and the little insects vibrated in his bones like hungry gnats at the scent of the powerful chakra. Toruné did not even see him move when a kick crashed into his ribs. His breath flew from his lungs, and he went flying back and skidded and rolled on the muddy ground like a toy.
Eventually, he rolled slowly and his body stopped moving. He tried to get up, but he felt that several of his ribs were broken. He balanced himself on his elbows, straightening his battered torso as his slim-muscled legs tried to lift him off the ground. It was hopeless. He slowly craned his face, streaked in mud, to Sasuke as he landed on his feet before him.
"How are you doing, Toruné?" Sasuke asked and created the loveliest smile on his young face. His mask was gone, and his white skin glowed in the light like that of a Noh-theatre-child's mask. "Danzō's not paying you enough for your troubles? That dog!"
Suigetsu cackled behind him as he took his mask off to drag in a deep breath that swelled his breast. "The air out 'ere's good," he said and spread his arms out wide and spun around like a little child. "Other than ya stinkin' up the place, ya Root bitch!"
Toruné bowed his head and then looked back up again. "What do you want?" he asked and watched anger's sinister colour glow prominently in Sasuke's eyes—a new pattern; and he saw the uncaring eyes change into their eternal, petal-like forms. Then the pattern disappeared and devolved back into commas; Sasuke was playing with him and he resented it, but he did not have the strength and the power in him to take Sasuke on.
"What's this about the eyes? Tell me—I like stories," Sasuke said and stood over Toruné, looking down at him with an expression as if he was a street mendicant grovelling by his feet.
Toruné laughed and created a defiant smirk on his bloodied lips. "You think it's that easy? You fool! You dragged me out of the barrier to read my mind, didn't you? It won't work. We have seals on our tongues and bodies. I can't speak anything and you can't break into my mind without giving yourself away." And he burst out laughing again, seeing no change in Sasuke's smile.
"And they say you're a prodigy," Toruné rasped as he tried to get up again. "No, you're a foolish boy with a good toy in his hands. You didn't think this through, did you? Now, I'll just walk out of here and you will be arrested for treason against Root. I'd love to see your crazy brother pull you out of this one."
The smile vanished from Sasuke's face, and he coiled his leg back and hit Toruné's forehead. His head snapped back, and he rolled across the ground and crashed into a tree. Blood poured out from his head and fell down on his hands in large ugly spatters.
"Don't talk about Nii-Sama like that," he warned and made to move when Suigetsu grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Cool it, lad. Ya got 'im good. The bastard's already bleedin'. Let's do what we came ta do and be on our way. We don't have the time ta be messin' 'round," Suigetsu reasoned and watched the anger slowly fade away from Sasuke's face and eyes.
Toruné clutched feebly at his head. He could barely see anything. He felt one of them slap the palm of his hand against his forehead—a strange feeling tore through him, and he was lifted off the ground high up into the air, and then the world was awash in red, filtered into hot tones that he wanted to spill out all his secrets before the Uchiha.
Sharingan Genjutsu! How? He tried to fight it, but it was too late. He was already floating, and his lips were moving before he could stop them; so he spoke, words tumbling from his mouth: "Danzō gave a rare Sharingan to Yagura for something important. The—the host died mysteriously. He killed several people. Danzō . . . he . . . he . . . "
"Speak!" Sasuke said, his voice grave, and intensified the Genjutsu.
Toruné looked up into the light pouring down from the sky. It was red. He did not understand what was going on, but he spoke again, without shame and honour: "he wanted control of the host. Minato denied him. For—for the village. Yagura threw him out of the Tulip Squad. Namikaze fool!" Then his words vanished into silence. He wheezed, unable to speak anymore.
Sasuke unsheathed his sword and walked to him; he swished it through the air, slicing a deep cut in Toruné's throat. Blood's arc flew from Toruné's neck, and his body trembled and convulsed grotesquely before it went completely still. Sasuke knelt down and placed a seal upon his forehead when it started raining.
He turned around after giving one last look to Toruné's broken goggles stained with his own blood. "Where's your clone? Why's he not here with Sakura?" he asked and looked about and saw no one for several hundred feet.
Suigetsu gulped and stared fearfully into his eyes. "Me clone—it vanished!" he said and Sasuke's expression changed from shock to fury.
"What? I thought I—" Sasuke stopped and frantically looked about. "Merge with water. Hurry—find her! If she's here, she couldn't be far." He frantically looked about, but it was hopeless. The seals were created to fool Dōjutsu users. The bloody shrine could be anywhere!
Suigetsu knelt down and merged a part of his watery form with the water. He could feel everything the water touched: the soft petals of lilies, the slick plumes of birds in the trees, the textures of trees . . . and the pores in a woman's skin.
"There!" he shouted and Sasuke flashed fast to the rocks on the right. There it was, the shrine hidden beneath the rocks. He shot his hand forward, and it turned into a Raiton-Spear that went clean through the stones as if they were not even there.
He heard movement from inside, and he frantically moved the tip of the Raiton sword forward, pulled it back, and then stabbed it into the ground repeatedly till he heard a suppressed whimper from the other side. The roof of the little tunnel was caving in, and the rat was trying hard to squeeze its way through with its head intact . . . then the sound vanished. He could hear nothing.
"Find her. Search this whole area. Now!" Sasuke commanded roughly and flashed away. He went from one corner to the other, but found nothing. Finally, when he realised that it was all for nought, he compressed his lips and signalled to Kirin to call his clone away from Kai.
Suigetsu came running from behind the rocks. He was out of breath. "I can't find 'er. She's not 'ere. It's like she vanished—Reverse-Summoning!" he informed and put his hand to his breast to get his wind.
"I'm going back to the village to end my Bunshin Jutsu. Follow me when you catch your breath," he said and flashed away.
Sun was low in the sky, and smoke was hanging in the air, like something dreadful, when he leapt over the wall behind the depot to land into the village. He saw his clone running towards the infirmary, and he cancelled it. It disappeared into a cloud of smoke right before his eyes. He placed his hand on the façade and looked down, gritting his teeth. He had messed up! Everything was ruined! She had got away somehow. He had to find her and kill her—it was the only way!
"There you are!" a voice spoke, and he looked up to see Kai walking towards him. His jacket was frayed, and he looked quite tired. "You ran off all of a sudden. Are you all right?"
Sasuke straightened his back and looked at the small cut on Kai's forehead. "Where's Sakura? I need to talk to her," he said, and immediately, Kai's expression turned wary.
"I don't know. Suigetsu told me that she'd gone off to see Yamato. He called her somewhere outside the village—Hokage business," he said and surveyed Sasuke's calm face. He looked more composed than usual, and this demeanour was bothering him.
"What's on your—"
"I have to get to the infirmary," Sasuke cut him off and flashed away so fast that Kai could not see the direction in which he ran. Kai called out from behind him, but he did not see him stop. He was in trouble!
Shadows mounted the walls when Sakura climbed up the stairs of her apartment. It would be night soon. She could barely pull air into her lungs. She was tired and . . . sad. Slowly, she opened her door and stepped inside her apartment. A familiar scent of something crashed against her senses like a cart.
Her heart plunged into the depths, and she breathed in and out deeply as though she was being fucked hard, yet it was only terror and a feeling of something a little more delicious. She spun around and found Sasuke sitting on her sofa. His Sharingan ascended, and she felt naked before his eyes.
"W-What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, fumbling with words. Her cheeks were red, and she felt sweat pouring down her back.
"Come here, Sakura," he rasped, watching her. "Place your foot on my thigh."
"What?" she asked in confusion, heart beating in her throat. Light flashed into the room and missed his face. It was cast in shadows; she could not see it at all.
"Place your foot on my thigh—now," he repeated again, a bit more roughly this time, and her heart skipped beats, clasped by fear's hard hand.
"Sasuke, I-I don't—"
"I won't repeat myself again," he cut across her, and his eyes shone wildly in darkness.
Sakura gulped down the thorny lump stuck in her throat and approached him with wobbly steps. It was as if he sat so far away, and the distance was immeasurable for her feet that felt frail to carry her body. The new shadows made the bridge between them seem longer, harder to navigate.
She found a bit of courage in her and stopped in front of him. Her eyes tried to see the fine lines of his face, but she could not. She reached down and pulled down the strap of her sandal. Then, carefully, she raised her foot and placed it on his left thigh.
Sasuke's Sharingan dug into her skin, and, when his fingers touched her thigh, her hairs stood on ends, and she hissed despite herself. Gooseflesh rose on her thighs, and she trembled under his touch. He seemed unmoved.
He moved his hand up and slowly unwound the cloth wrapped round her upper thigh. When he removed it, he looked at the deep cut and the blue skin around it. He touched it with his fingertip and pushed the bruised flesh inwards, and she winced in pain.
"Sasuke, that hurts!" Sakura protested and, with a sudden jerky movement, pulled her foot back down. She stumbled back but quickly regained her balance.
"Where did you get that wound from?" Sasuke asked, and she felt electrifying fear make the tiny hairs on her skin tingle. Her legs trembled, and as he stood up to his full height, she saw his dark, shapely shadow stand taller behind him.
"On the field—what kind of question is that?" Sakura said, and she knew she sounded timid and afraid. He made her afraid and that had never happened before. How long had she wanted for him to come to her, touch her, make love to her? Yet this was something different. There was fury in his red eyes, and she wanted to spin away and run!
"Really? I thought you were a medic?" he asked in a mocking tone, drawing closer, and she felt that she could not even move as the fear settled deeply into her limbs, hindering her movement—all she could do was stand there and tremble.
"S-Sasuke?" she spoke, her voice a trembling sound, fear choking her throat.
"Unless, your thigh was struck by Raiton. It paralyses skin, muscle, and tissue—burns through it, and it doesn't heal for a while. Am I not right, Sakura?" Sasuke whispered, his hand slowly going to his back as though he wanted her to see it move.
She caught sight of the moonlight shining on the long kunai's tip, and she felt completely helpless. Quickly, tears gathered into her eyes, and she staggered back and tried to spin away, to run from him, but all the life had been ripped from her body. It had gone numb.
Sasuke took one step towards her when the front door swung open to reveal Kai. He was breathing heavily. He looked from Sasuke to the quick movement of his hand. Kai's Sharingan could only catch a bit of his hand's swift movement: he had stashed away something, probably a weapon. He inhaled deeply to calm his heartbeats and spoke: "come with me, Sasuke. You're required at the meeting."
Sasuke cast Sakura one last appraising look; then his eyes filled deeply with a kind of malice, and he left the apartment silently with Kai, without an argument. Sakura heard the sound of the door closing behind her back, and she slumped down onto the floor, tears finally breaking through. She cried, hacking, body trembling, eyes looking to the empty spot where he had sat moments ago. He meant to kill her—he had really meant to kill her! O', Sage, Sasuke truly loathed her for he knew what she was up to . . .
# # # # # #