edited 12/26/19
I split the last two chapters into smaller chapters. If you're looking for the update its the most recent chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I would've made Konohamaru a bigger character in Naruto's life, with more scenes.
Warning: Strong Violence, Slight Profanity and Mature themes. The writing is a lot more realistic this time around so I did change the rating to a mature one. The first part does include the death of child soldiers - just a forewarning so read (or skip) at your own risk!
Chapter 8: The Dangerous Craving
"Love does not appear with any warning signs. You fall into it as if pushed from a high diving board. No time to think about what's happening. It's inevitable. An event you can't control. A crazy, heart-stopping, roller-coaster ride that just has to take its course." -Jackie Collins
'They were always about Neji.' those hopeless words rang inside Sasuke's head and he couldn't for the life of him seem to drown them out with his own thoughts.
After Naruto let that painful revelation slip he had clammed up for the remainder of the night, neglecting his unfinished ramen and choosing to leave first, his sky blue eyes unmistakably dulled with sadness.
It really hurt to see his best-friend so down on his luck, especially because Sasuke knew how the feeling of hopelessness constantly ate at the mind. Usually he was the one who the hyperactive shinobi goaded into opening up, now however it seemed that they had switched roles, Sasuke taking on the part of the silent but understanding confidant.
He tried his hardest not to think about that day but couldn't sleep- much less think anything that didn't involve his ruined lunch or Naruto and Hinata. The thought of those two, especially together, stirred feelings in him he didn't want to understand. And even though he wasn't exactly sure how to pinpoint or word his emotions, he felt an incredible sense of shame whenever they happened to cross his mind. Like he was betraying one of the few people who stuck by him through everything.
It didn't help that he hadn't seen Naruto in days either, he suspected that man was most likely avoiding him. If there was one emotion Uchiha Sasuke hated more than anything, it was guilt. He was more than positive that he had experienced enough of that feeling to last himself a thousand lifetimes.
He shouldn't have let Kakashi get in his head, he obviously was confusing his curious emotions for something else and ended up creating more problems in the process.
Sasuke heaved his shoulders in a sigh; he was due to meet his team at the village gates in thirty minutes for a mission. He racked through his closet for his standard ANBU uniform, throwing it on top of his bed's navy comforter. Removing his t-shirt he shifted his attention to his arm, finding himself gliding his fingers over the spiral positioned on his left shoulder. The newly inked skin was still inflamed from the pressure of the tattoo needle.
Although his team had already done five ANBU missions they hadn't gotten their official ANBU tattoos until only a couple of days ago. Their positions were solidified and that made Sasuke's decision much more real.
He was officially working for the organization that once wanted him dead.
He had run through that sentence over and over again, wrapped that thought around his mind countless times and yet he still couldn't quite grasp the concept of it. He wasn't sure if it signified his growth as a person or the wavering of his once concrete resolve.
Pulling his black uniform turtleneck down he grabbed the clay ANBU mask he threw carelessly across the room after every mission. He traced the red lines that laced intricately to form the face of a roaring dragon. The design was beautifully aristocratic with an underlying sense of danger, Sasuke could understand why Tenzo had found the animal a suitable representation of him.
Lifting the mask to his face he zipped his grey vest and reached for his katana before heading off to Konoha's front gates by rooftop. The wind that brushed past him jolted his fatigued body awake, and the much needed breath of fresh air circulated through him, getting his heart rate up. He had been fighting a fit of restlessness the past couple of days and felt sluggish, by the time he had reached the gates however his mind felt much more alert and his body felt rejuvenated.
Greeting his team with a simple nod of the head Sasuke pulled out the mission scroll that was delivered to him by messenger bird the night before, it also happened to be the very last time he would receive information in that manner. Konoha had apparently developed something much more efficient and would be giving them to ANBU operatives in the coming weeks. Sasuke couldn't say he was too pleased with the coming arrangements, everything around him seemed to be changing, including himself. He wasn't sure if he could find one constant in his life anymore.
He could feel his thoughts threatening to take over but willed himself to focus on the task at hand. If he could manage to prove himself as an exceptional ANBU captain then he could prove Kakashi wrong, prove that he was capable of becoming a viable candidate for Hokage. That goal would serve to be the one constant in his life for the time being.
Clearing his throat his eyes scanned his teammates in displeasure, the one wearing the owl mask specifically. It had been exactly a week since their ramen lunch fiasco and still Hinata made no attempt to apologize for putting him in such an uncomfortable position. It was infuriating to say the least and reminded Sasuke why he always declined people's offers at socializing in the first place.
He figured that he could at least make an effort to at least try to make a new connection, possibly strengthening Hinata's impression of him and allowing him to utilize her better for his own personal gain, but in the end, she had not taken the bait.
Unexpectedly he was the one left hanging. How Sasuke allowed for it to have come to that he wasn't exactly sure.
The shifting of eyes in his direction prompted Sasuke to begin his mission briefing. Handing his squad the scroll to examine he crossed his arms as he leaned against one of Konoha gate's red pillars.
"The mission is a simple clean up," he said, acquiring back the scroll and stashing it into his grey ANBU vest, "Basically we are to go and take care of a rogue Suna shinobi by the name of Kirigaya Katsura. She's guilty of assassinating two previous Suna daimyo and attempting to assassinate one previous Leaf daimyo. Recently she's been spotted within Konoha's borders, specifically in a small village named the Land of Maple. She's been said to be terrorizing the citizens there and brainwashing their children as soldiers to do her bidding. We've recently been given the ok from Suna to proceed, it'll take about a day and a half."
"So basically we're to extirpate her, correct?" Shikamaru asked. He was sporting a sloth painted ANBU mask, a perfect animal choice for the languid shinobi.
Nodding his head Sasuke prepared himself for what he was about to say, ANBU was no joke. "Not only her… her subordinates as well."
The quiet sigh of a 'troublesome' could be heard as well as Hinata's frantic voice.
"But they're practically children!" she pleaded.
Glancing down Sasuke could see that she had balled her hands into fists, her body shaking in disbelief. He wasn't exactly fond of her at the moment but he could understand why she felt a certain way about their adjective. Still, that didn't stop him from acting petty.
"You think I don't know that?" Sasuke said, not bothering to hide his vexation of both the mission requirements and the kunoichi protesting them. "But an order is an order. Who are we, nothing but mere tools, to try and disobey them?"
Sasuke knew what he said was harsh and he was certain that he himself didn't agree with his words, but he was also the captain of the squad and therefore in charge of the mission going smoothly. Yes, the methods were wrong, but he wasn't in the position to try and question them, not when the one thing he wanted- only thing that he could use to change those very methods- was only attainable through doing what he was told.
"I-I understand Uchiha-kun…" Hinata relented, turning her hidden face away. Sasuke hoped that she was telling the truth.
Making his way in front, Sasuke fastened the katana hilt around his waist, "If we're all clear on our orders let's get going."
At the agreeing nods of his teammates the squad captain lead them on route towards the Land of Maple. He decided they would be travelling via the forest, entering towards the back of the village. It was a fast route and allowed for a more inconspicuous entrance, he figured a problem would emerge if they were spotted and Katsura was made aware to their arrival. He didn't want to give her any time to prepare for them so he would have to proceed with caution.
The soft beating of their feet couldn't be heard against the early morning chirping of birds that masked them. The beginning of a new day was signified as the forest and its inhabitants begun to stir awake. The dew from the rain the day before cleansed the surrounding air and left behind a strangely pleasant wet smell. It had been half an hour they were travelling for before Sasuke decided to speak.
"Listen to me carefully," Sasuke imposed, his voice low and stern, "The Land of Maple doesn't take too kindly to visitors. Katsura is forcing everyone in that village to work for her, so if they spot us they will alert her of our presence."
"So what do you suppose we do?" Hinata asked, it was the first time she had spoken after he had harshly silenced her. Usually she would strike up a small conversation with Shikamaru to pass the time quieting down only after Sasuke asked if they called themselves shinobi.
Shikamaru, whose face seemed to be in a permanent grimace, spoke next. "Well I'm guessing we'll have to sneak in through the back."
"Exactly," Sasuke clarified. "I know of a small hole we can use as an entrance around the back of the village, it should be big enough for us to fit through and it's not heavily patrolled either."
"And you're sure it's there?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, suspicious to how he would know such a thing.
"I travelled there with my old ronin team before, that land isn't very wealthy." Sasuke frowned, that time he and Taka had gone there he had been in complete shock. In all his travels, he had never seen a village so completely run down before, it almost made him sick. "They don't have money to spend on the land's infrastructure, Katsura's presence has probably made it worse."
Nodding his head in understanding Shikamaru pursed his lips, "In that case, we probably won't need to use any transformation jutsus as long as we stay hidden."
"No we won't. Pick up the pace. And put on your masks we're soon to be out of Konoha territory."
Sasuke's vision remained a blur of green as his feet travelled from one branch to the next, his stomach tightening with the thought of what he was obligated to do once he reached his destination.
Innocent children were about to die. Simple, impressionable children who were merely forged by the environment they grew up in. The situation was ugly in every way but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to be remotely surprised. The shinobi world had always failed their youth, training them to be monsters and leaving them to face the consequences of actions they couldn't possibly understand.
The heat from the sun had lessened as the sky begun to dim, its colours turning into a mixture of blue and orange hues. They would need to find somewhere safe and concealed to hide before moving in on Katsura during nightfall.
"Owl, use your Byakugan to scan the area, we need a place to lay low for a while." Sasuke ordered, quickly halting his movements and squatting on a nearby branch.
Nodding her head Hinata weaved her hands into the recognizable, yet unfamiliar seal of her clans Kekkei Genkai. The veins protruding around her unmasked eyes made her already thin skin seem impossibly like paper.
She had used her gift for every mission and yet every time it was activated Sasuke couldn't help but be captivated by the transformation. How a woman so meek and deer like could quickly morph into a lioness was a mystery he hadn't yet possessed the answer to; but it intrigued him none the less.
The fire ignited within her opalescent eyes scanned the area meticulously until she had pinpointed a preferable spot among a myriad of tall bushes. Stepping aside so Hinata could take the lead Sasuke let the wind gently wrap around him as he mentally prepared himself for the difficult part of the mission. His brother Itachi for all his strengths couldn't kill an innocent child, what made Sasuke; someone who thought of himself lesser than his older brother in every way, think that he could?
The pounding of his feet against the terrain of the forest did nothing to calm down his own heartbeat, in all his years of being a ronin he had taken on monsters and criminals of calibers most ninja couldn't imagine, but never in his years had he taken the life of the innocent or wanted to for that matter.
Crouching behind the tall shrubs in the back-entrance area the three shinobi reached their destination, letting the leaves cloak them as the last light of the day flickered into darkness.
Sasuke clenched and unclenched his hands as he fought to gather his strength in the little time they had left. Peering at his teammates he could feel the sense of unease the two held about the entire situation in the air. As the time inched closer towards the harder part of their mission he could feel the weight of eyes on him. Turning his head, he was met with the countenance of Hinata, her ANBU mask lifted just above her pointed nose to reveal the small tug of her lips.
With a reassuring smile Hinata daintily reached her hand over to place it on Sasuke's shoulder, "You don't have to pretend." she quietly said, quickly retracting her hand before Sasuke had the sense to shake it off him.
Frowning underneath his mask he turned his head in indifference, the smile did little to calm the sickness in the pit of his stomach.
"Fix your mask," was all he offered before standing up.
Motioning for his teammates to follow him, Sasuke lifted his finger towards his mask to signal being quiet, stealth would be their only advantage against Katsura, any time given for their enemy to prepare was a second too many.
Absently mindedly reaching for the hilt of his katana Sasuke let the nightfall engulf him as he moved towards the unguarded back entrance of the Land of Maple, being careful not to step on anything that would give their location away.
A painted sloth on his left caused him to semi-halt his movements. Turning towards the masked Shikamaru, Sasuke wondered what it was he could possibly want.
"Is there something wrong?" Sasuke whispered, his voice low. He really didn't want to waste any time they could use to their advantage, especially talking to someone he didn't really get along with.
"Hinata, she's concerned about you," Shikamaru explained, turning his attention towards her from the corner of his eye, "I don't particularly blame her. The situation doesn't seem to be a big deal to you."
"Tell her that she really needs to stay out of my business. I'm fine."
"You can't seriously be so nonchalant about any of this can you?" Shikamaru lowly spat, a sense of complete disdain in his hushed voice, "You couldn't have possibly changed that much from our genin years."
"What do you two want me to do?" Sasuke hissed, his voice low, "Pointlessly protest? Cover my eyes? We're all going to have to come to terms with what the symbol on our arms mean sooner or later, as squad captain that just happens to be sooner for me."
He frowned at that last sentence. Despite what many people thought, what he himself forced his mind to believe, he wasn't invincible. He was human- but before that he needed to be a shinobi, that was the mindset they were taught in school and that was the mindset that would allow him to become Hokage. If he needed to follow the rules in order to change them then that was what he was going to do, the judgement of others be damned.
"The hands of shinobi aren't without blood. At the end of the day Katsura and all traces of her need to be erased." Sasuke bit his lip as he tightened his clutch on his katana, he needed to believe that in order to survive in ANBU, in order to do what Itachi couldn't.
Shikamaru paused before saying anything, like for once in his life his annoying mouth couldn't seem to formulate an answer, Sasuke took that time to walk away before the conversation continued- he didn't have much more to say about the subject.
Focusing on levelling his chakra Sasuke made sure his and his teammates were indiscernible before moving forward.
The back entrance to The Land of Maple was covered in an array of overgrown greenery, the moss leaving behind a musty aroma in the surrounding area. Using a kunai Sasuke cut through the surrounding blockage without much effort, the weeds falling instantly. Entering the village was a whole other thing in of itself, almost like being in another reality, the state of the land even worse for wear than Sasuke remembered it to be.
Looking around at the crumbling infrastructure Sasuke could do little to hold back his state of shock, momentarily pausing as he soaked in the battered image before him. Each house and building looked as if someone had carelessly piled bricks on top of the other without so much a thought. The leaning of certain houses were exaggerated as if they would topple over at any second and the materials used for them looked like they wouldn't last in the chance a big storm hit the village.
"Don't tell me this is all the work of Katsura…" Shikamaru said in disbelief.
"Not entirely," Sasuke said, "But she isn't exactly helping the situation either."
Looking around Sasuke frowned, he couldn't imagine what type of horrors Kirigaya Katsura had subjected the villagers to, let alone fathom how anyone could survive in a warzone like state such as that one, and he had travelled with Orochimaru for half of his life.
The streets were cracked and uneven with every step they took, and the buildings were decaying without a care. If he had to guess Sasuke would say that village renovations hadn't been done in a little over five years.
Everything about the entire situation was just sad. The future of the Land of Maple rested in his squad's hands, they couldn't afford to mess up.
The revelation relieved Sasuke's tightened chest a little, he could understand every one of his actions carried a multitude of weight to them, good and bad- though he wasn't completely comfortable with what he had to do he could comprehend why it had to be done.
"We'll have to take it from the shadows from this point, if any villagers spot us in the streets they will alert Katsura," Sasuke said, taking a step in front of his team. "Are we all clear on what the goal of our mission is?"
A synchronized, "Yes," from both of his teammates prompted the squad captain into action. Drawing his chakra to his feet Sasuke jumped on the first roof within his view, his balance almost stumbling.
"Shit!" He hissed before regaining his footing.
Glancing down he saw the hole in the roofs foundation- a small piece of mesh humbly spread across the opening. The concrete was slightly cracking with his added weight on top of it. He needed to move faster to prevent the fragile roof from collapsing- a problem that probably plagued most of the villages buildings.
Signaling his team to go faster, he moved at a quick speed amongst the shadows, stepping into unlit places to conceal his movements. Their destination was the old village leader tower, which Katsura seized as her headquarters a couple of months back. It wasn't hard to miss; it was the only building in the village that looked as if it wouldn't fall apart in a matter of seconds.
Running through possible mission outcomes in his head Sasuke determined that the likeliness of something going wrong was depending on whether or not Hinata took towards insubordination. As squad captain, it was a pain in the ass to discipline squad members and write up reports of failed missions. He hoped for the sake of the village, and selfishly for his own that she could keep her promise of following orders. He didn't want to talk to or about her- not when she still hadn't apologized and he still hadn't sorted out himself.
As soon as he brought his mind's attention to that bothersome woman, the Uchiha had to fight the sudden urge to look at her, keeping his neck as stiff as could be despite its eagerness to crane itself. At this point, even he couldn't believe himself, thinking about such pitiful things in the heat of a mission… pathetic.
Well, it wasn't exactly pathetic, she did make him look like a fool after all, wrapping him around in the web she created and not even apologizing for it.
And what did she take him for exactly? It was like the name Uchiha had no effect on her whatsoever, it wasn't even enough to command even a little respect in regards to basic manners.
Sasuke scoffed, pushing the thought of that bothersome woman as far back as his mind would allow her to go, now wasn't the time nor the place to get all worked up over something so insignificant as ruined lunch.
The beige bricks of the village tower were becoming clearer in view as he inched closer towards Katsura's base of operations. Unknowingly Sasuke's fingers clenched at his sides, his teeth gritting in anticipation of what was to come. He ignored the increasingly unbearable tightening of his chest and moved closer despite himself, the mission adrenalin beginning to kick in.
Every step felt like he was dragging his feet which seemed to be getting increasingly heavier. Still the squad leader moved forward against his body's wishes until he was perched atop a lonely building, just inches away from the village tower.
Crouching low, Sasuke waited until he heard the soft patter of his team's feet behind him. Signaling them to form a huddle he pulled out an empty scroll and an ink pen. Laying the materials flat in front of Hinata, he turned his masked face in her direction, her head tilted in mild confusion.
"I need you to activate your Byakugan and carefully draw a quick pathway of the tower, make sure to include the number of people in each room as well," Sasuke ordered, sliding the materials even closer towards her.
Nodding her head Hinata's hands formed the seal of her clan's Kekkei Genkai, releasing it just as soon as it was activated.
Frowning Sasuke opened his mouth to say something only to be silenced by what came out of hers.
"They know we're here," Hinata said, her fingers shaking slightly, "They're all gathered in one room, when I had my Byakugan activated they were looking right at me."
Shikamaru sighed, "Great."
"Damn it," Sasuke cursed, quickly unsheathing his katana, "Both of you move now! We've been compromised!"
Instinctively Sasuke clutched his katana tighter, they were going to have to move forward without the element of surprise, things were going to be much harder for them.
"Leave Katsura to me, you two handle her subordinates." Sasuke ordered, ignoring Shikamaru's cries for him to wait and instead jumping down from the building and racing towards the mission.
Pushing open the village towers timber door with his shoulder, the ANBU captain gripped his katana even tighter as he raced up the lengthy staircase leading towards the village leader's office.
Focusing his attention on the powerful chakra of Kirigaya Katsura, Sasuke found his mouth forming into a small smirk.
Katsura was mocking him. Flaring her chakra in a way that boasted her strength. She had no idea who she was dealing with however, and that sent familiar shivers up Sasuke's spine.
It had been a long while since he had dealt with somebody that would be worth his time, he hadn't felt this excited for a battle prospect in a while, and with Naruto ignoring him and their usual spar he was just itching for somebody to take his frustrations out on.
Carelessly kicking open the wooden door that led to his target, Sasuke paused as he was taken aback by the sight before him.
In the middle of the wooden room stood Kirigaya Katsura in the center of a man-made fortress. Using her child subordinates as human shields the rogue kunoichi smiled as her violet eyes met his masked ones expectantly.
The shuffle of feet and familiar chakra beside him signaled his two teammates sudden presence, he could feel however that they were not as surprised.
"We were trying to warn you," Shikamaru said, his voice rough and slightly annoyed, "She's a real coward, isn't she?"
"The lowest kind," Sasuke agreed. Stomaching the disgusting display before him his smirk swiftly dropped into a snarl, "I'm going to have such immense satisfaction bringing you down Katsura."
Simply laughing at his threat Katsura, flicked her wrist.
Immediately the children pushed forward, throwing their weapons all amuck. One redhead viciously swung his kunai at Sasuke. Blocking the offending weapon with his katana, Sasuke took a good look at his assailant, catching the fervor in his jade eyes and realizing just how young he was. If the Uchiha was to guess he would estimate that the kid couldn't have been any older than thirteen.
With that observation Sasuke's stomach twisted into knots, how was he supposed to kill a kid who hadn't even experienced all there was to life yet. He continued to block the boy's attacks without doing much of anything himself. He thought he could do it but when it came down to it he couldn't bring himself to physically harm him, not even a little.
Watching the sight from a seat of comfort Katsura let out a hefty laugh, "I thought you were going to kill me!" She mocked, her eyes in Sasuke's direction.
Frustrated Sasuke thrust the front of his katana to push down the redheaded boy without physical harm. Using the opportunity to maneuver around him he tried to get to Katsura before being attacked by another kunai, this time thrown by a little girl with her red hair slicked back into a ponytail.
Aggravated Sasuke attempted to push her as well but she nimbly evaded him, helping the boy he had been fighting previously up to his feet. Seeing them stand side by side it wasn't hard to see that they were siblings, maybe even twins. They carried the same steel gaze in their green eyes, sort of reminiscent of Sakura in her genin years.
"Shit," Sasuke cursed. Things were seemingly getting harder; he was currently struggling to handle one kid; how could he possibly handle two of them? And with the possibility of them both being siblings they were most likely deadlier together opposed to fighting them apart. Quickly weighing through his options, he settled on defensive tactics until he could figure out a way to get to Katsura without killing them.
Taking a defensive stance, he tentatively watched the two children as they geared to attack. He could tell by their fighting stances that the girl was more of the taijutsu type, while her brother was efficient in his use of weaponry – he would have to look out for him the most.
Blocking the boy's kunai and shuriken with the blade of his katana, Sasuke dodged the hands and feet of his sister every so often. After the redheaded boy skillfully threw his kunai, his sister would then attack him physically not a second after, constantly keeping the Uchiha on his feet. At this rate, Sasuke would not be able to get to Katsura with his full energy at hand, to save it he needed to separate the siblings as soon as possible.
Glancing around he could see Shikamaru struggling to hold three kids in his shadow possession jutsu whilst blocking and evading the attacks of two others.
Hinata on the other hand seemed much more graceful and calmer than both him and Shikamaru combined. She was in the gentle fist stance surrounded by three children with faces as vicious as any other criminal, her pearly eyes calculating each of her opponents next moves carefully.
Sasuke wondered what Katsura had done for the children to be acting this way, it was like they were almost bloodthirsty.
The whir of a shuriken whipping past his left ear jolted Sasuke's focus back on the two siblings. He swiped his hand across his eardrum and felt the warm blood on his fingertips. Their attacks were getting increasingly more violent and with him using little force to fight back they were harder to block without him getting hurt in the process.
The situation was simply ridiculous; the two kids came up to barely past his waist and he was supposed to kill them.
He could now understand why his elder brother hadn't had the strength to kill him that night. He understood Itachi much more clearly than he ever did in that moment.
Looking at his opponents Sasuke didn't see violent shinobi, all he saw were two brainwashed kids who didn't know any better. The world failed them and they became products of that failure. Who was he; someone who had been given a second chance despite his youth, to take their lives before they were given theirs?
He felt the bile climbing up his throat as he tried to center himself and focus.
His overanalyzing got the best of him though as the siblings made move to attack. Realizing too late Sasuke was left with enough time to only block one, choosing to block the little girls kick as she was closer. Her brother raced quickly ahead with a kunai aimed at his side, with the speed and angle he was running at Sasuke could see the kid's attack was calculated in causing a sizeable amount of bloodshed.
Bracing himself for the impact Sasuke was confused when it never came and the boy coughed up blood instead. Releasing his weapon and falling to his knees, behind him was a masked owl, her fingers locked together in what seemed to be a deadly jab.
Staring down at the boy Sasuke watched as his vibrant jade eyes turned vapid. Turning away from the sight he looked up at Hinata in shock.
His brain couldn't seem to comprehend what he had seen; it just didn't make any sense. The Hinata he knew and heard about… she wasn't anywhere near this heartless.
This person…she was someone else entirely.
Absentmindedly dropping his katana Sasuke tentatively reached for the boy's hand, his initial shock fading away as he felt the declining warmth. The thud of his sister's body to the side of him made everything much more surreal and harder to digest. Her undeveloped chakra slowly flickering until it too permanently disappeared.
The hypersensitivity of the situation brought the awful smell of death to his nose's attention. It was a putrid mixture of blood and bodily fluids and it caused his nostrils to flare and his stomach to turn. In all his years as a shinobi he could never get used to that smell.
Looking around he saw all ten lifeless bodies of Katsura's minions, Hinata standing in the middle of them all. Shikamaru was crouching pale as ice in the corner, it was clear as day he hadn't killed any of them.
Instead it was all her. The innocent, docile angel, Hinata.
The irony was relentless. She had protested the mission the most and yet was the only one who could fulfill orders when it all came down it.
This Hinata was different. She was tainted. A dark angel.
The immediate manic fit of laughter that swept the room erupted a bubble of rage inside Sasuke that he had forgotten he could possess. Her echoing evil cackle was an unusual addition amongst the somber and tense atmosphere that dwelled inside the foul office.
And it drove Sasuke mad.
It was all Katsura's fault.
She was the reason why he couldn't just do his job and set an example for his team. She was the reason why Hinata now had the blood of children on her hands, why she was no longer the same person.
And he was livid.
Picking up his disregarded katana Sasuke slowly got to his feet and ripped off his ANBU mask, carelessly tossing it aside the red-stained wooden floor. The expression of fear that temporarily flitted across Katsura's face momentarily entertained him as his sight became sharper, his Sharingan activated.
"You're Uchiha Sasuke," Katsura gasped, quickly getting into an offensive stance.
"And you're dead." Sasuke spat, racing towards her in blind fury.
Blocking her kick aimed at his chest, Sasuke lunged his katana with her foot against it forward, effectively earning a satisfying crack. Crying out in pain Katsura dragged her foot back, one legged hopping out of the way just in time as Sasuke swung his katana again, this time aimed at her right arm.
Blocking the attack with her own kunai Katsura's unoccupied hand formed the necessary hand signs as her cheeks puffed up. Small pellets of rock launched itself from her pursed lips, as Sasuke sidestepped away from her, his sandals squeaking across the dirty wooden floor.
Forming his own hand seals, he inhaled deeply as his mouth heated up like a furnace, the now fiery breath sitting comfortably on his tongue. Aiming for Katsura he let out the fireball in a concentrated line of direction managing to sear the left side of the kunoichi and the wooden wall behind her as she evaded it too slow.
The dreadful smell in the air became even more pungent as the temperature of the room skyrocketed. The dead had all but relieved themselves of their bodily fluids and the overwhelming scent of it was all but enough to make him retch.
Breathing through his mouth, Sasuke struck at Katsura before she could recollect herself, punching her square in the jaw. Collapsing to the ground the rogue ninja rubbed her chin in a grimace as her busted lip begun to swell. Using her hands as leverage she swiveled her good leg underneath Sasuke, creating distance as he was forced to jump back.
Using the desk in the corner of the room as a crutch she managed to make her way unto her feet, her face contorting painfully as she struggled to regain back her one-legged footing.
Struggling to balance, Katsura pushed the wooden desk towards Sasuke with a desperate amount of strength, causing him to drop his katana so he could hold up his hands in a defensive block. Due to the amount of force used some individual splinters of wood sprang up and lodged themselves inside the tips of his fingers and across the side of his lip. A dull sensation of pain sprung up through both arms as he tossed the desk aside and carelessly ripped the splinters off his face, the corner of his lip beginning to bleed.
Katsura, being the coward that she was attempted to use the opportunity as a diversion to escape out the window. From the corner of his eye Sasuke could see Shikamaru beginning to weave through hand signs, so he quickly reached into his weapons pouch and grabbed two kunai, launching one to distract Shikamaru and the other at the heel of Katsura's bad leg, effectively stopping her as she fell to the ground.
"What the fuck!" Shikamaru swore, quickly dodging out of the offending weapons way.
Grabbing his katana from the floor, Sasuke absentmindedly licked the blood from the side of his mouth- his scarlet eyes focused on the rogue nin before him, "Sorry but this fight is mine and mine alone."
Slinking towards his prey Sasuke dragged the tip of his sword across the floor, the scratching of its metal creating a tense atmosphere. His mouth was filled with the taste of iron as he slinked forward, Katsura crawling backwards as he did so, her cocky smile nowhere to be found.
It wasn't until her back hit the wall did she realize she was trapped within a corner. Clutching her hands in front of herself she squeezed them until her knuckles turned stark white, facing downward on her knees in a feeble attempt for pity.
"Have mercy!" She repeatedly cried, the corner of her eyes filling with water.
Looking at the beaten-up woman before him in complete disdain Sasuke rubbed his thumb across the hilt of his sword as he took another step.
"No."
"B-but what if I give you something else, information that you might deem valuable?" Katsura desperately bargained, the tears beginning to fall from her eyes in anticipation of her impeding death.
Admittedly Katsura's sudden outburst piqued his interest but his initial anger of what she almost made him do…, those kids and how she forced Hinata's hand, overrode that interest tenfold.
"I don't care." Sasuke said, raising the tip of his blade to sit on Katsura's throat, with one swift movement he could have her life.
"Sasuke," Shikamaru cautioned, he had regained some colour back in his body, "Maybe that information could be valuable to the village."
"She doesn't deserve a second chance, she perverted the innocence of those children." 'And Hinata', he also thought, but he bit back his tongue. Just the mere thought of it sent his head spinning and his blood boiling. Gazing behind him he snuck a glance at Hinata who was wistfully staring at the bodies laid on the floor, her knuckles were starch white from her grasping them so hard. Tearing away from her pitiful countenance he pushed the tip of his blade closer to her neck drawing a droplet of blood- one more move and she was dead.
"I know, but the village comes first before anything, you said best it yourself." Shikamaru cleverly reminded him, making his way across the bloodstained floor to stand beside him.
Weighing his options Sasuke could see that the best form of action as squad captain was to listen to what Kirigaya Katsura had to say despite his fury.
But that didn't mean he had to take that information gently.
"Fine," Sasuke spat, sheathing his katana, "But I'm not going to be gentle about it. Looks like you've found your mercy Katsura but it's only momentary."
Roughly pulling Katsura forward, Sasuke activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, firmly holding her chin as he maintained eye contact - trapping her as their reality warped.
The familiar setting of the cloudy crimson sky brought a satisfied smile upon his lips. He found that he could use his elder brother's Tsukuyomi technique whilst intensely practicing with his Sharingan, he truly had his brother's eyes. The revelation both shocked and excited him as it opened a whole myriad of possibilities whenever he was met with the prospect of battle. But it also scared him- this place reminded him of the side of his brother he tried so hard to forget.
"You're quite lucky, you're the first person I've ever brought here." Sasuke announced, his voice filling the empty space that was Tsukyuomi.
Chained up to the cross like fixture, Katsura did little to try and fight back, she looked so weak chained up like that- he guessed he had all but worn her out.
"Now tell me, what information do you have."
Violently coughing Katsura slowly lifted her head up to meet Sasuke's gaze. "You're quite the sadistic one, aren't you?"
Raising his eyebrow, Sasuke chuckled at her choice of words. For someone on the edge of death she was quite bold, "It's not like you don't deserve it."
"Be that as it may, I don't think I regret a single second of anything I've done."
Summoning two shadow clones of himself Sasuke watched as they impaled Katsura's stomach with their katanas. The scarlet hue of Katsura's blood blended in with the red hues of the genjutsu, the passive aggressiveness slowly fading away from her demeanor.
"That doesn't sound like information." He noted, watching as Katsura struggled to break free.
"Fine," She said, halting her useless squirming. "I'll tell you."
Cocking his head to one side, Sasuke sat down on the blackened ground, the artificial grass feeling no different than the real thing. He had dreaded coming here for reasons he had no desire to resolve. Although he had forgiven Itachi for all that he had done to him in his youth, the wounds still stung whenever he was reminded of their presence.
Pushing the arising feelings down, Sasuke instead focused on the lengthy breaths his captive was struggling to make, the irregular rhythm was the only thing that proved she was still alive, otherwise she just looked like a dangling corpse.
"They're coming for you. You've probably already met them." Katsura relayed, her breath coming out in short beats.
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke fought the urge to summon another clone. This was the information she had bargained her life for? "And who are 'they'?"
"I… don't know."
The collective sound of metal against skin ricocheted as five more of Sasuke's clones mercilessly impaled Katsura's abdomen, the gutting pain causing her to retch. It was clear to him that her mind wouldn't be able to take much more of this torture before completely shutting down. Time went by so much faster inside Tsukuyomi, one second felt like a day, and so he needed her to be more specific before her mind collapsed.
"Don't waste my time," Sasuke warned, unsheathing his own katana and menacingly pointing it towards Katsura's neck, just like before. "I get aggravated easily."
"Being… truthful," She coughed, small inklings of blood coming up with the harsh gust of air. Her words were choppy due to the amount of pain she was in and thus, her speech was becoming slurred and harder to understand. "But… what…I know… is th… ey…want you…dead. Say… you…and...your team of …misfits…wronged…for… too long. Do… what… it takes to…. See…heads roll…word's…that they…dabble…in forbidden… jutsus…made... their... own."
Although it was almost painful to hear her try to talk Sasuke could understand the bare gist of what she was trying to convey. Instantly his mind wandered to the ANBU exams where his team, along with Sakura and Naruto's, were ambushed by unknown shinobi bent on killing him. He had no doubt that they were the mysterious group of people Katsura was vaguely referring to and that it somehow involved his past with Taka.
Though what they specifically wanted with him and the others was still a mystery. Sasuke was no stranger to people's animosity as he expertly managed to royally piss off a lot of people in his lifetime, but even he couldn't pin point a reason as to why those people would want him dead.
Katsura's coughing became increasingly more haggard, she was struggling to breathe as her eyes were fighting against closing themselves. She was already half dead at this point.
Exiting the Tsukuyomi genjutsu Sasuke watched as Katsura's real body, and not the mental one, coughed up more blood, the small spatters situating themselves on the front of his grey vest.
Realizing he was still holding her, the ANBU captain shoved her aside and picked up his katana, pointing it at her throat. Giving her one last chance to take a breath he slashed it open, not minding the splash of blood that instantly clung forward at him.
"Sasuke!" Shikamaru hissed, racing towards Katsura to check on her now non-existent heartbeat.
"Don't worry, I got her information," Sasuke said, looking at the dead kunoichi's half lidded eyes in disgust. Though it had felt like he had been in the genjutsu for half an hour it probably looked like a mere second from where Shikamaru was standing.
If you asked Sasuke himself, he had done Katsura a massive favour. His brother's genjustu caused excruciating mental pain on its victims, killing the body from the inside out. She was already on the verge of death before he took her there so her mind was about to collapse- killing her physical body before that however was very merciful on his end- he had given her exactly what she asked for.
Sneaking a glance at Hinata he watched as she collected Katsura's body along with the children's, wordlessly pilling the dead one on top of the other.
Muttering a 'troublesome' under his breath Shikamaru reached into his pockets for his silver lighter, a match and a cigarette. Lighting the match, he waited until Hinata finished saying a small prayer for the dead before throwing it into the pile and setting it ablaze. Lifting his sloth painted mask just above his nose, Shikamaru positioned the cigarette between his mouth- lighting it as well. The languid shinobi repeated this specific action after every mission, almost like a mantra.
The strange smell of burning flesh, sandalwood and nicotine filled the air as the three Konoha nin stood there silently watching as the flickering flames begun to engulf the room, the wooden floors creaking underneath all the smoke.
Shikamaru was the first to leave, quietly stepping out of the room as he flicked his lighter on and off, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
It was just the two of them again.
Noticing his own ANBU mask in the corner of the room Sasuke stepped forward to pick it up only for Hinata's hands to reach there first.
Daintily grabbing the dirty dragon mask, she reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a rose coloured cotton cloth, using it to meticulously wipe the blood that had managed to stain the red and white clay surface. Satisfied with the result she silently stepped towards Sasuke, gently extending his mask.
Grasping her wrist, he roughly pulled her towards him until they were face to face- mere inches apart. The underside of his mask pressed uncomfortably into his chest, but he didn't care. All Sasuke wanted at that moment was stand there, peering his dark eyes into hers, trying and failing to understand her. How was this truly the same fragile woman that had managed to capture his curiosity?
Lifting her mask from her face Sasuke watched as the corners of Hinata's lips tugged ever so slightly, the pearly and reflective nature of her eyes becoming much glassier than he remembered it to be.
She was holding back tears.
The smile she offered him was one of the few genuine he had seen her do, though this one in particular was tinged with pain. Lifting her hand, she reached up to his battered face, gingerly wiping the dried blood along his lip.
The tender action alerted Sasuke of the intense intimacy of the situation. Turning his face from hers, he pushed her away from him, confiscating his mask and donning it on his reddening face. The stoic emotion he always wore was becoming harder to hold as he struggled to calm down his mind.
"It was painless for them." Was all she said before she turned to walk away, pulling her mask back into position. Her normally glossy dark hair was matted with a combination of sweat and blood, the strands creating unsightly red streaks across her standard ANBU vest.
She stopped midway at the sound of his voice, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. He unknowingly called for her to wait despite himself, he guessed the thick smoke of the fire was getting to him.
Quickly swallowing the salvia stuck in his throat, Sasuke stood there gathering his thoughts before opening his mouth to speak.
"Why?"
Twisting her masked face forward Hinata paused a beat before answering him, "Because you could not. I knew it was hard for you, so I moved regardless of how I felt. I've told you this before but I feel like we're similar, So I'll endure it all if you cannot."
With that she walked away, the soft patter of her lonely footsteps slowly fading into complete silence, leaving him all alone.
Turning his attention to the blackened wood of the office, Sasuke concluded that it wouldn't be much longer until the room collapsed soon, taking the rest of the building with it. Despite knowing this, he couldn't get his feet to move. He was stuck there, his stomach becoming tighter with every stuffy breath.
She had done it for him.
She contaminated herself for someone as damaged as him and he felt an odd sense of gratefulness about it. He couldn't understand why but Hinata was beginning to get to him, tempting him to unravel the frenzy that was her, to get lost in her never-ending maze. He wanted to.
She was bewitching, even more so now than ever before. Everything about her filled his entire being with apprehension but this time he just couldn't shake it off because for once she wasn't this untouchable angel. She was beginning to become within his reach.
And that fact scared him more than it excited him. He should've never allowed himself to become curious.
Feeling a simmering sensation near his toes, Sasuke looked down to see that the flames had spread all around him and the floor, enveloping the sandalwood structure. The thick fog of the smoke was becoming harder to both see and breathe in.
Moving towards the door he took one final look back, watching as part of the ceiling crumpled and fell apart, covering the charred remains of the dead, before leaving to catch up with the rest of his team.
He was dreading the report he would have to give to Kakashi the moment they returned, he just wanted to lie in bed and forget everything.