A.N.
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do NOT belong to me. Naruto belongs to Misashi Kishimoto.
Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga/or anime are completely original.
Reviews are welcomed and encouraged! Thank you!
What's Left
There are moments when you just know everything is about to change. For him, that moment was the day that Sayuri stood by his bedside hands quivering at her sides.
"If I hadn't gotten in the way you could've ended up with more than a few simple scratches!" He retorted, suddenly feeling angry and defensive. How could she not see that he was only protecting her.
"You need to worry about yourself first! You can't just jump to anyone's aid without thinking! You're supposed to be the reasonable one!"
"You're my teammate!" He replied exasperated. "Besides, what did more damage was you stabbing me through the abdomen! If you were a better ninja maybe I wouldn't have ended up here!"
He had gone too far. He knew it before the words finished leaving his mouth, and before he watched her take a step back. Her mouth parted slightly, red and blue eyes wide, her shoulders stopped moving as she held her breath, and her hands went up to her heart. He grinded his teeth and looked away when his own chest began to ache at the look she had given him.
"Here take it, I don't want it." The words made him turn back to her watching as she carefully placed the bell necklace on the hospital bed, eyes not meeting his, hand hovering over the jewelry. "Give it to someone who deserves it." Her voice just above a whisper but he heard her nonetheless.
He reached for her hand a second too late. She pulled away quickly and turned to make her way to the door.
He wanted to apologize but when he opened his mouth nothing came out. His pride got the better of him and all he could do was slam his fist against the white mattress.
And now I'm here…Sasuke slid his black cloak on, black eyes staring at his reflection in the mirror then shifting to the mask in his hand. ANBU…he thought recalling that his brother had been one before everything went wrong. Am I really about to do this? He asked himself, finger twitching against the cool, hard material that made up his crow mask.
"I don't like you very much, but Kakashi is determined." Moriyo said, rolling her sharp orange eyes at him.
"Why? Because I used to be a traitor and now he wants to make sure that I won't defect again?" he replied bitterly.
"No." the woman sighed. "Because you hold Sayuri's wellbeing above your own…Isn't that right?"
"I don't see how she has anything to do with this. You seem pretty determined to keep us apart."
She laughed catching him slightly off guard. "Well can you blame me? I've been looking out for her for a long time now, she's a good ninja, but when you're around a lot of things go wrong. Her track record has gone down the drain. The other ANBU don't respect her like they should. She's losing credibility, and every time that happens you're involved. She puts your wellbeing above her own, the missions…above the village's."
"Am I here, for you to berate me about my relationship with Sayuri or about the ANBU." He interrupted, becoming agitated.
"Fine. We got another lead. We want you, Hajime, and Diachi to investigate."
"And that involves me and the ANBU how?"
"Your manners are still lacking I see." She hissed. "It'll keep your identity hidden, technically no one is supposed to be giving you any type of missions and we've received backlash from the Raikage, who's not too happy with Kakashi right now. We want you because you've had the most experience with these people, and sending out other ANBU with no clue as to what they're getting into has proven dangerous."
"So then just send me alone, why give me a team?"
"Because it'll heighten the chance of you coming back alive."
"That's not all." Sasuke said after a moment of silence.
"All you need to know is that doing this will keep Sayuri safe."
Sasuke rolled the bell necklace in his hand and placed it carefully on the small lamp table next to his bed. Mask already in place, he left the apartment quietly into the night. When he arrived at the gates, his two partners were already waiting.
"You can call me Koga." Hajime said, rooster mask in place
"Gin." Said Diachi, tilting his dog masked head.
"Karasu." Sasuke said.
Diachi nodded. "Well, Karasu, let's go."
She may not feel the way that he feels about her, but that wouldn't stop him from keeping her out of harm's way. Even if it meant that he become a part of Konoha that he never would've joined in the first place.
XXX
Surrounded by trees, all Sayuri could hear was pained cries. "Sasuke!" she called out but was quickly shoved to the ground.
"You're going to die."
Sayuri sat up in a cold sweat, gasping for air, and clutching her shirt. "It's just a dream." She murmured, trembling hands going up to the sides of her head, gripping her unruly hair. "It's just a dream."
She could still hear the pained cries.
"It's just a dream." She sobbed quietly, burying her head in her knees.
XXX
"Have you figured it out?" Moriyo asked, eyes on the computer screen.
Crossing her arms, Sayuri shifted her weight to one leg and frowned. "What?" Orange eyes slid to her with a flicker of annoyance.
"I'm not going to keep you here and have you mope around headquarters." The woman said, turning back to the computer.
"There is nothing else for me." Sayuri sighed, eyes turning to the window. "I don't have anything else."
She turned back to her former mentor when she sighed. "If you can't figure out something so simple, then maybe I was wrong about you." Sayuri flinched at the words. They stung coming from someone she considered to be close to her. "You can have the week off, maybe that will help." The dark haired woman finished with a flick of her hand, waving the young konoichi off.
Biting her lip and inhaling sharply, Sayuri turned and left quietly stopping by her locker to retrieve her clothes and change out of her uniform. The sun stung her eyes the moment she stepped out. It was still cold, but not too intolerable. Sighing, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and decided to take a walk, trying to clear her head. Instead her feet took her to the gates of the academy. Where the young woman paused and looked up at the building in sadness.
What else is there for me? She wondered. Her fingers were getting cold but she ignored the stinging pain in favor of watching the academy. Maybe this was as far as she got to go. Maybe she really wasn't meant to be a ninja. Just because her mother and father were didn't mean that she had to be one too. But no, I had to be stubborn, I had to be a ninja. She laughed bitterly. Look where that got me now.
Turning away from the academy she continued on her way, vaguely aware of the many people she passed by. And now we've got a threat…Kenji could be the treat and here I am, unable to do anything about it. Sayuri frowned, how could he do something like this?! How could he turn his back on the village? How could he act so selfishly? Her footsteps came to halt recalling that Sasuke had done it too and that she was almost just as willing to let the village burn to the ground.
Stop thinking about him! She scolded herself, biting her lip at the sudden clench of her heart. She brought it on herself after all.
A sudden scream broke her out of her train of thought. Looking up she watched a young man flailing his arms wildly around him, eyes wide as he fell from the sky. "Ah!" Sayuri yelped and took several steps back letting the boy fall to the ground arms outstretched, face kissing the concrete.
Sayuri stood frozen in place watching the boy push himself off the ground. "Sorry!" he said as he sat up.
"Yuru!" A chorus of voices called out and several kids broke through the trail, all running to check on their friend.
What are they wearing…? Sayuri wondered, eye twitching at the children's spandex uniforms all varying in color.
"Are you ok, Yuru?" Sayuri nearly jumped when Lee landed beside her, hands on hips, thick brows dipped in concern.
"Yes, sir!" Yuru sprung up and saluted his master with a wide grin.
Witnessing this all Sayuri could do was stare. "What just happened…?"
"Ah!" Lee turned to her and bowed. "I apologize if my student scared you, Sayuri. I promise it will not happen again!"
Sayuri's eyes shifted from Lee to the group of kids staring up at the green spandex wearing man in amazement. "Students?"
"Yes!" Lee grinned. "They are my student's. Is this not wonderful!? They're at the peak of youth and are eager to learn!"
"Wow…I suppose that is good news."
"We want to be ninja!" one of the girls said. "Lee-sensei said that if we train hard enough we could!"
"Yes!" Lee agreed. "A ninja just like, Sayuri here! Actually," her turned to her, face bright with a new idea. "…Sayuri would you mind training with us?"
"Oh, I…" she began raising her hands. "I just have a lot on my mind and I don't know if I'll be any help."
"Do not worry, Sayuri! Perhaps if you take your mind off things for a bit, it could help. What do you say?" He tried again. She turned to the children noticing that they had the same eager look as their master.
"...All right." She sighed.
"Yes! Let's give it our all, Sayuri!" Lee said giving her his famous good guy pose.
XXX
"Your posture is off." She said, moving to adjust one of the boy's hands and torso. "Like that."
"It feels weird." The boy replied, pouting at the stiffness in his back.
"You're not used to it, but you will get there. You just need practice."
They were an hour in, and she could already tell that the children were well versed in basic taijutsu. She rarely had to step in to fix their mistakes, something that impressed her quite a bit. Even she wasn't that good at their age.
"Sayuri?" she turned to female calling her name. TenTen stood at the entrance of the training ground surprised to see the young woman outside of work. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was helping Lee." She nodded to the man that was training one on one with Yuru again. She quickly learned that Yuru had become what Lee was to Gai, strangely she found that endearing.
"I see."
"TenTen-sensei?" a teenage girl ran up the young woman. "Did you bring more weapons."
"You're not allowed to use anything other than kunai." She quickly lectured. "Not until, you can show me you've completely mastered it."
"Awww!" she hunched over, looking crestfallen.
"Go on and practice." TenTen instructed to which the girl quickly perked up and ran to a post.
"Are you two training them together?" Sayuri asked as TenTen approached her.
"Yeah, Gai-sensei loves the idea of giving civilian children a chance at becoming ninja."
"Just like Lee."
"Yes." TenTen smiled brown eyes scanning the shorter woman. Cupping her chin, she stepped in front of Sayuri and leaned forward, startling the Marihasha at the closeness. "What happened to your eyes? They weren't like that after the war."
Regaining her composure, Sayuri sighed. "I lost most of my chakra."
"WHAT?! How!?"
"It was sealed off." Sayuri replied, her left arm coming over her right as she looked to the ground. "I'm pretty much useless right now."
"Useless?" the bun haired young woman echoed. "You're kidding right." At her comment Sayuri looked back at the weapon's mistress.
"Ninja don't rely solely on ninjutsu and genjutsu. C'mon, Sayuri you know better than that! Neji once told us that you never really learned genjutsu, but that you made up for it with ninjutsu. So now that you don't have that, what do you have left?"
The auburn haired young woman blinked a few times in shock. "I'm an idiot." Sayuri sighed, running a hand through her hair. "That's what Moriyo-sensei was trying to tell me."
TenTen laughed. "It's not entirely your fault." She assured, placing a hand on the Marihasha's shoulder. "Sometimes when you're in the problem it's harder to see the solution."
"Yes, well it would have taken me longer if I hadn't agreed to be here." She glanced back at the children enthusiastically sparing with each other. "My taijutsu has always been average compared to my ninjutsu, it was my specialty after all."
"Well…" The weapons mistress draped an arm around the shorter girls neck. "…It's a good thing you agreed to come here, Lee is always happy to take on new students after all!"
"TIIMMMBEEERRR!" the two konoichi heard a child yell and quickly scanned the area to where Lee had just kicked a tree so hard that it toppled over.
"LEE!" TenTen yelled rushing over to the green clad ninja. "Just what do you think you're doing!?"
"Sorry, TenTen." The young man laughed scratching his cheek. "Oh?" he straightened as Sayuri approached the two. "Have you been enjoying yourself, Sayuri?"
"Yes. I've also found a solution to a problem of mine." She bowed at the green spandex wearing man who watched her in confusion. "I would like you to take me on as a student and help me perfect my taijutsu, please."
It took Lee a second to break out into a grin. "I would be honored to train you, Sayuri! This is going to be great and as gift for entering my class, I give you this!" he thrusted a green spandex suit into Sayuri's hands. TenTen sighed, shaking her head at her teammate. "The suit's optional." She informed her.
"Yes, but it will help improve your skills tenfold!" Lee encouraged.
Sayuri laughed nervously. "I will…keep that in mind."
XXX
"Oh…fuck." Hajime cursed, looking down at the bodies lying on the wooden floor.
Diachi rushed to the two, turning them onto their backs. "It's them alright." His voice was muffled by the dog mask he had on, but they could still hear the sadness in it.
Sasuke moved around the cabin, stopping at the table taking note of the untouched food on it. "This couldn't have happened more than two days ago." He turned back to the two men by the doorway. "Did you know them?"
"We went on the occasional mission together." Hajime answered.
Sasuke looked around him, rinnegan activated in case he missed anything. "Something's not right here. Whoever did this, made a mess." He said looking at the scattered blood on the ground.
"That's our mission." Said Diachi.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked directing his gaze to the dog masked man. "Your leader told me that our mission was eliminating the men that are working with Naoki."
"That's your mission." Said Hajime as he pushed off his knees and stood up. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the men across from him. He knew there was something more, but he wasn't sure what at first, but now he's got an idea of what's going on.
"They're killing ANBU." The two remained silent but their stiff postured confirmed it. "Does Sayuri know?"
"We all know." His black orbs slid to Hajime.
"Killing two birds with one stone then." Sasuke watched as Diachi suddenly moved to the man closest to the table. "What is it?"
"They were our lead…" he mumbled then tilted his head up to look under the table. "Earth and Tomoya Kisa…"
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"It's carved under the table. Earth and Tomoya Kisa." His eyes narrowed at the blood on the wood.
"Earth and someone named Tomoya Kisa?" Hajime repeated. "What's that about?" he asked kneeling beside him and sticking his head under the wooden piece of furniture. "That's it? That's all we get." His hand going into his pouch.
"Earth country…" the two turned to Sasuke. "Tomoya is our target."
Diachi stood up and patted his dark pants. "It's the only explanation I can think of."
"Well he's definitely wanted…" Hajime flipped over his Bingo book to them and showed them a picture of man in his early thirties, with green hair and black eyes.
"Alright then, that's where we'll be heading!"
Sasuke followed the two men out of the hideout and watched them leap off onto their next destination. Frowning he looked around the area then back at the hideout within the cave. Even he wouldn't have known that this place was here if Hajime and Diachi hadn't led him to it. So how is it possible that Naoki and his men knew where to find it? He wondered and stepped out into the sunlight. Something wasn't adding up.
XXX
"Gah!" Sayuri yelped as she landed on her back for the umpteenth time that day. She blew a strand of loose hair that fell over her eyes and stared up at the white clouds above. She could hear the snickering of the children in the sidelines and the shuffling feet of her current master.
"Stand up, Sayuri!" Lee encouraged. "We must practice again."
"Give me…a moment." She said between breaths. When she asked to be trained she didn't realize that Lee would want her to start immediately. She wasn't even really dressed for it, but that didn't seem to deter Lee. She hadn't thought it be much of a problem either but now…She pushed herself to a sitting position and she could see TenTen watching her with an amused smile. Light and dark brown eyes scanned her ripped and dirty clothing.
"Up and at it, Sayuri!" said Lee as she pushed herself up on wobbly legs. "You can do it!"
"Yeah! C'mon, granny!" Yelled Yuru.
"Kid, I'm not that much older than you!" Sayuri yelled waving a fist, momentarily turning her attention to the grinning boy. Her eyes widened as soon as she realized her mistake and quickly ducked to avoid a flying sidekick by her trainer. "What was that!?" she demanded from the young man as he shifted to face her.
"You must be alert at all times of incoming threats! You did very well, I expected nothing less of you!" he grinned and charged at her again sending jab after jab at her while she scrambled to dodge. "Use the power of youth to keep yourself going, Sayuri!" Lee cheered as he switched to kicks.
She blocked and avoided as best she could but she soon tired out and slipped. Leaving her open for a kick to the side. She cried out in pain as she landed on her side with a dull thud.
"Sayuri?" TenTen rushed to her and helped her sit up. "Lee, I think that's enough for today."
"Yeah…" Sayuri breathed. "I think…I'm good for now."
"Alright then!" he paused and looked up at the sky, noticing how late it was. "All right children time to head home. Tomorrow come with your weights!"
"Yes sir!" the children said in unison and the all ran off leaving only the three ninja behind.
"Weights?" Sayuri asked watching her trainer as he waved the last of the children off.
"Yes." He grinned. "Do not worry, I'll have yours tomorrow!" She glanced at TenTen who shrugged with a sigh and handed her a bottle of water.
"Be here at 1." Tenten instructed pulling her up. "And wear training clothes." Sayuri looked down at her dirtied clothes again and blushed.
"Well I wasn't really planning on training today."
Lee laughed and patted her shoulder. "You should always come prepared."
"Right…" she responded looking at the trees behind the training ground and then at the darkening sky. "I…I'll be going now." Both young adults frowned at the sudden stiffness of her shoulders and she momentarily cursed herself for forgetting that she was among ninja who have learned to pick up on physical cues.
"Are you alright?" asked Lee.
"Yeah." She smiled keeping her tone neutral. "I'll be here at 1 sharp. Bye!" she waved and sprinted out of there, keeping her eyes on the trail ahead of her, shoulders only relaxing as soon as the flickering lights from the village hit her. Bowing her head, she took a deep breath that was quickly lost at the feeling of something heavy on her shoulder. Acting on autopilot she grabbed the offending object and twisted, a loud yelp snapping her back to reality.
"SAYURI!" Naruto cried out as his wrist was twisted in an unnatural angle.
"Naruto?" she gasped and quickly let him go. "Don't do that to me!" she hissed.
"I'm sorry! What's got you so worked up?"
"Nothing." She sighed. "What are you doing anyway?"
The blonde grinned. "I wanted to invite you and Sasuke out to eat with Sakura and I."
At the mention of the Uchiha, Sayuri frowned. "I have something to do tomorrow." She quickly lied. "Besides I thought you and Sasuke was busy flirting with other girls."
"Who's flirting with other girls?" the two turned to Sakura who landed gracefully in front of them. Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head.
"Na-" Sayuri started but was cut off by Naruto's hand slapping over her mouth.
"No one." He said in a slightly higher pitch than normal for him making Sayuri raise a brow and Sakura narrow her green eyes. "Anyway did you find him?"
"No…" The rosette answered slowly, eyes on Sayuri as she pried Naruto's hand off her face. "He wasn't at his usual training spot it's kind of late maybe we should check his apartment."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Hey!" Sayuri yelled when the blonde linked his arm with Sayuri's and tugged her along. "Naruto, let go. I already told you I've got plans tomorrow and I really am not dressed to go out to eat right now!"
"Nope! You're not getting off easy. This is a team bonding experience. You and the bastard are going to take that stick out your asses and enjoy dinner!"
Behind them Sakura giggled as they walked past several businesses that were closing for the night and several others that were getting ready for their night customers. They walked into a quieter district and to an apartment complex when Naruto let go of her arm and led the two konoichi up the stairs to the third floor. He stopped at the second door and knocked. Sayuri looked off to the side watching a couple of people below walking towards the towns center. Her head snapping back to the blonde as soon as she heard the loud banging on the door.
"SASUKE!"
"Naruto!" Sakura hissed pulling the man back by the collar of his jacket. "Are you crazy?! Some people may be sleeping!"
"The bastard's got to be in there. Where else would he be!"
"He's not there." The two turned to Sayuri who leaned against the rail.
"How would you know!?" Naruto demanded.
A year of actively avoiding him…She thought. "I don't sense him…and you're supposed to be the strongest ninjas in our village…" her two companions faces lit up in embarrassment.
Sakura, recovering first, turned to the door and leaned an ear against it. "I can't hear anyone in there either Naruto."
"Well where can the bastard be!?"
"You're the one with the Sage's chakra…" Sayuri mumbled not really wanting to find the Uchiha but knowing Naruto wasn't going to let her go unless she joined them, might as well get it over with. "…Why don't you use it." She watched Naruto's blue eyes widen just before he shut them in concentration. His once relaxed facial expression darkened. His blonde brows dipped and his mouth curved downward.
Noticing the change in mood of the blonde, Sakura stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sayuri narrowed her brown eyes at the two in confusion. She's awfully close to Naruto for someone that says she loves Sasu- She stopped her train of thought right there. It's not like she was any better she slept with the rosette's boyfriend!
"He's not here."
"What?" the two girls asked in unison.
"That ass hole isn't in the entire village. I can't find him. He left!" he shouted the last part kicking the door hard enough to leave a small dent.
Did he seriously leave…just like that? She wondered feeling her stomach turn into a knot.
"Are you sure?" Sakura asked the Uzumaki. "But he wouldn't leave without saying good bye."
"Well he did." Sayuri replied, the anger sinking in. She didn't even really know why she was angry. Was it because he didn't say good bye to his girlfriend or best friend? Or was it because he didn't even bother to tell her? Oh like you wouldn't have bolted the minute you got the chance! Her nails were beginning to dig into her palm. How could he! "It's just like him." Oh she was definitely mad and the other two ninja knew it. "It's not like he hasn't done it before."
"Sayuri!" Naruto started taken aback. "He wouldn't do that to us-"
"Oh really? Because it sure looks like he is doing it to us-you…again!"
"There has to be a reason-"
"Quit making excuses for him, Naruto. He's a grown adult and he'll do whatever the hell he wants."
"Sayuri…" Sakura began. "Are you alright? You're really agitated."
"Oh course I'm agitated! I didn't want to come in the first place. I was perfectly fine with going home and taking a nice shower and going to sleep. Instead you two dragged me out here! When are the two of you going to understand that things are not like how they were when we were kids! We're not the same Team Seven and I am not a part of Team Seven anymore! Now I would really appreciate it if you left me out of your get togethers from now on!"
"What the hell Sayuri!" Naruto started eyes narrowed at the brunette. "You're just as part of Team Seven as the rest of us! So why don't you tell us why you're really angry!"
"Excuse me…"
"What!?" the two feuding ninja turned to an older man peeking out behind his apartment door.
"W-We're…" He took a second to steel himself. "We're trying to sleep. P-Please could you perhaps take your fight somewhere else."
"Oh of course!" Sakura faked a smile. "We were just leaving…right guys." She turned to the two actively glaring daggers at each other. "Naruto…Sayuri…" she said through gritted teeth trying to keep her own annoyance at bay.
"I'm getting the hell out of here. Enjoy your team bonding." The brunette leapt over the railing landing on her feet and stalked off. In the distance she could hear Sakura quietly scolding Naruto but she really couldn't care less. She was livid. How could he just up and leave like that?!
It's not like he owed you any explanation. You made it clear that you didn't want anything from him. She stopped in her tracks watching a street light flicker. "So then…why do I feel so terrible?" she asked herself.
A.N.
I am so sorry! Please forgive me! I've been really busy with life. I'm still writing, I promise. Some of you pointed out my mistake in the last chapter and I fixed it. That's what happens when you do your editing past midnight, sorry guys! Hopefully I can have the next chapter out sooner.
Please tell me your thoughts! Reviews please! Thank you!