She ran from an unknown person. Whether it was a friend or foe, she couldn't determine that at the moment. She had been sunbathing quite peacefully when a person dressed in black had approached her. Though he wore a white mask with long blue hair attached to it, Mayu was sure about his identity. It was him again. Obviously it was him. His voice was the same. He had told her to run. For some reason, her body had done as commanded. Currently, she was trying to keep away from him.
Mayu swallowed hard as she ran across the forest floor, being careful to avoid the trees. Above her, he flawlessly traveled through the tree branches. So he was agile, huh? The kunoichi found herself smirking. She rushed forward, randomly running up a tree. She pushed herself in an upward angle. The masked familiar stranger stopped before narrowly dodging a spinning kick. The girl landed on all fours, only to bring her leg back up in an attempt to catch the masked person off guard. He merely caught her leg. For a moment, the two only stared at one another. Finally, Mayu lifted her foot again. He lowered his wrist. "You're not a pushover, I take it?"
"No," he replied, stepping forward.
"Good. I wouldn't allow myself to fall for anyone I didn't view as my equal," Mayu stated. Blinking, she got a good look at him. "Why the costume? Even if you weren't wearing it, I still wouldn't be able to see you."
"You don't have the right to speak," he muttered. He pointed a finger in her direction, causing the kunoichi to look down at her attire. She, too, was dressed in all black. She felt her face, only to realize that porcelain matter covered it. She removed the mask to see that it had long purple hair attached.
"… We're into matching? Ew…"
"Your idea, not mine." Mayu tossed the mask over the tree branch, nearly shuddering. Just what type of child had she been? "You were dense, though—probably still are." The guy ignored her indignant shout of protest. "These outfits weren't meant to show we were together as a couple. Rather they were meant for…"
"For…?"
"That is… for you to decide." Mayu could have sworn she felt his smirk. She glowered in his direction and crossed her arms. "Still…" He moved quickly so that he was right in front of her. However, the kunoichi didn't rear back. She merely blinked, watching him partially lift his mask. Underneath the white mask was pale skin. "These outfits are the reason we first kissed." Before Mayu could even respond to his statement, he pulled her closer by grabbing her arm. His lips gently touched her cheek. "So… it'll 'heal faster,' is what you told me." The teen slid the mask back in place. "You said your mom told you that."
"Y-Yeah…" Mayu nodded her head. She reached up to touch her cheek. "You kissed me without permission?"
"You kissed me first—remember that."
"Hahaha, que funny."
"Well," he turned his back to her. "This is the last time I'll try to make you remember."
"Hm? What does that mean? You won't be appearing in my dreams, anymore?"
"You're so close, I'm not needed anymore," he stated. "Besides, your mind is getting sharper due to the mental training you're putting your mind through."
"You're not going to reveal yourself to me?"
"I don't see the point. You'll find the real me eventually… and then we'll have like nineteen kids."
"… Ya serious?"
"Yes, nineteen. At some point, we have to have two sets of triplets."
Mayu had a hard time not smacking the mysterious guy.
0-0
Slowly, her eyes opened. She stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then she sat up. This was so stupid. How could her own mind tell her it was the last time it was going to try to get her to remember? Sharper mind, her ass. She still couldn't come up with the identity of the man in her dreams. Well, she had seen his skin this time. However, that didn't narrow things down for her. It could have been any male. The guy seemed to enjoy teasing her, too. Had she come across someone like that yet? No. Males she had met since she had returned to her original home either irritated her or didn't. Mayu frowned. Also, just because he blocked her attacks and knew how to use chakra didn't mean he was a ninja. After all, her past mentor hadn't been a ninja anymore, but he was still a warrior.
Mayu pressed the back of her thumb against her lower lip. This mystery was frustrating as hell. For all she knew, the mystery person in her dreams was Uchiha Itachi. Her grandmother did always comment on how they would make a cute couple and how her great grandbabies would be oh so adorable. The kunoichi frowned. Then there was that whole arranged marriage thing. "Ew…" she murmured. Thinking of that man as anything other than a brother made her want to gag, though. It wasn't Itachi. Besides, he didn't show any indication of having any romantic feelings for her ever. In addition to that, the way the stranger in her dreams teased her and the way Itachi had teased her differed. "Even if it's just a bit, at least I've narrowed it down." Mayu almost laughed bitterly. What a joke that was.
A small noise from her roommate made the kunoichi turn her head, blue eyes focusing on Haruno Sakura. She was still sleeping, though. For the night, the two girls had shared a room. Naruto and Sai had to share a room, too. The captain of the team, Yamato, had his own room. Mayu's gaze lingered for a moment on her new teammate before she removed the cover from her body. The kunoichi then stood up. Judging from the atmosphere outside, it was morning already. She was up now, so there was no point in going back to sleep.
Sighing, she untied her robe. "Better do that homework then," she thought. As quickly as she could, Mayu dressed and made up her futon. She grabbed her things, so she would not have to come back, and left the room. Sakura apparently was a deep sleeper, so even with the bit of noise Mayu had made, the medic of team did not stir. The kunoichi closed her eyes and slid the door close behind her. The sooner she did this, the sooner her headache, which would arise, would disappear. Then again, perhaps it would not be bad. After it was all over, she would fall asleep again.
"Let's get it!" Mayu grinned, walking down the hallway. She intended to do her 'homework' outside. Once outside, the kunoichi found a tree to sit in. A sturdy branch would do nicely. She closed her eyes again. "Maybe with this ability, I can nip this entire mission in the bud. Since it's about that guy's whereabouts, maybe I could prevent this from turning into a long drawn out plot." With that thought in mind, the kunoichi began her training.
0-0
Without warning, Mayu dropped down on the stone walkway, causing Sakura to inhale sharply. Sai only stopped drawing and glanced behind him. The kunoichi stretched her arms high before turning towards her two teammates. "Hey," she greeted with a smile. "I was about to take a nap when I saw you two."
"A nap…?" Sakura repeated. Her green eyes looked around. "Where?"
"Over there," Mayu pointed just beyond the small river. There was a forest. "Didn't want it to appear like I was spying, so I decided to skip the nap and come talk." The kunoichi walked over to Sai, who was still sitting. He had gone back to drawing, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. "So, what are you doing, Sai-chan?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She peered over his shoulder just as Sakura remarked that she was about to ask him that as well. Mayu stared at the colors of his drawing for a moment. "You're into abstract, huh? I don't like it all that much, but I think it's cool that nothingness can have a meaning behind it." Abruptly, the pale shinobi stopped moving. After a second, he turned his dark eyes to the girl.
"Nothingness… meaning? It doesn't have meaning. That is a contradiction," he stated. "Nothingness, I agree, but meaning… I do not believe it has meaning as it doesn't have a title."
"It doesn't have a title?" Sakura looked at the work of art over his other shoulder. Hands on her knees, she turned her attention to Sai. "You mean you haven't thought of one yet, right?" The shinobi glanced at her.
"I meant what I said."
"Of course abstract has meaning!" Mayu argued. "You just don't start drawing for no reason! It must come from somewhere. Take this one for example. The blue and red… could represent emotion. Here-" She pointed to a certain spot on the paper. "-The colors seem to mix and accept one another, while here-" She pointed again. "-the colors seem as though they're clashing. Conflicting emotions…" Her eyelids lowered as she continued to stare down at the drawing. Sakura couldn't help but notice it. Could that be what she was actually feeling about this certain mission? The pink-haired medic turned back to the drawing. She didn't see the same thing as Mayu had. The kunoichi stood to her full height and turned her eyes away. "Uh, anyway, that's my thoughts on it. I'm sure you must have your own opinions and feelings towards your work."
"No, I don't have feelings," Sai responded. He continued drawing. "No thought. No feeling… Definitely no emotion."
"Then why do you do it?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, since you're an artist, you must take pride in your work. There must be a reason why you draw."
"I do it… because I am able," Sai stated with a smile. Sakura frowned at such a response. Mayu only shrugged.
"Well, regardless, you do have talent, Sai-chan," she commented. "The most I can do is drawing a sun with sunglasses." The medic gave the kunoichi a bizarre look. She was about to say something, but a voice interrupted, telling the team it was time to go. Uzumaki Naruto walked towards the three with a frown on his face and his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Captain Yamato told me to come get you guys," he stated. The blond shinobi stopped behind his sitting comrade, looking down at his drawing. He scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "That picture's nothing special." For a moment, the two shinobi only stared at one another. Sakura sighed heavily while Mayu yawned.
"Yeah… Just like your dick," Sai retorted with another fake smile.
"Guh…! I'm really serious when I say I can't stand you!" Naruto shouted, pointing a finger. His glare turned towards his teammate. Sakura snickered, but she managed to cover her grin with her hand. Naruto didn't notice. "Mayu! It isn't funny! Stop laughing! You're encouraging him!" Once it was clear that the kunoichi would not stop—really, it appeared as though she couldn't breathe—Naruto returned his angry stare back to the pale ninja. "If you've got a problem with me, then say it to my face! Quit your fake smiling and tell me straight up! If it's a fight you're after, just name the time and place!"
"That's not it at all." He closed his pad. "I really don't feel anything for any of you." By then, the laughter from Mayu had completely stopped. The wind suddenly picked up as the three responded to the pale ninja with silence. Sai turned his head back. "Please go on ahead. I'll be there when I'm finished cleaning." Sakura volunteered to help him out. She picked up a book, staring at it for a brief second before handing it to Sai.
"Did you draw this, too?" she asked.
"Yeah…" The pale ninja quickly placed the picture book in his bag.
"Can I look at it while we're walking?" Sakura asked.
"No. It's not finished," Sai stated. "Also, I don't let people borrow it. It belonged to my brother." The medic-nin knitted her brow at his statements.
"Sai-chan has a brother…?" Mayu thought. She crossed her arms. "And yet he says he doesn't have feelings… What a strange guy." Her blue eyes stared as the pale shinobi. Then a smirk crossed her face. "He's cute. I think make him mine, after all."
0-0
Mayu couldn't say that she liked this situation all too much. She watched as Sai untied the captain of the squad. Yamato even went as far as to praise the pale shinobi for capturing him. Naruto and Sakura were standing by her side as well. Last night, Yamato had stated the team would be doing an exercise—a simulation of capturing Sasori's spy. The captain acted as the spy, while the rest of the team had to capture without killing. They had been simple instructions, but once the mock mission started, things had taken a turn for the worse. In Mayu's opinion, at least.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Naruto suddenly blurted out once the binds dissolved. "Sai, you asshole!" Yamato closed his eyes, saying that the mock-up was over. He released his jutsu, which had made the bridge, with a grunt. "You bast-" Clearly, the blond shinobi intended to rant his displeasure, so Mayu decided to step in before things got ugly.
"Captain Yamato!" She raised her hand, drawing her teammates' attention. Her sudden outburst stopped Naruto from grabbing Sai. "Permission to evaluate the team!" Almost confused, the older ninja repeated her sentence in a questioning manner. "Yes. I may be young, but I've been the captain of a team of people before, though it was only the archery team at my school. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. And of course, I'll evaluate myself seeing as how I'm on the team as well."
"Ah… I suppose that's fine," Yamato muttered.
The kunoichi turned to her three comrades, smiling with enthusiasm. "Before I begin, let me warn you that while I may seem harsh, what I say and do is the betterment of the team," Mayu stated. At their varying befuddled looks, the kunoichi twittered softly, batting the air like a kitten. "Oh, harsh is something my kohai have whispered amongst themselves. They did not know I heard them. The things I made them do afterwards…" Her expression turned dreamy. Naruto and Sakura exchanged panicked looks. "Now let's get started, shall we?" Her fingertips lightly patted her lips. "As Captain Yamato stated, the spy was successfully captured in this exercise. Well done. I was surprised how quick the spy had been apprehended." She turned her entire focus on the pale ninja. "Sai, your skills are quite something. However…"
"However…?" he repeated. No holds bar, the kunoichi's fist rammed into his cheek. The force behind the punch sent the shinobi sliding back a few meters. The others could only stare, mouths open, stunned into silence. Mayu waited patiently for Sai to return to a standing position. "You… You fooled me again." The pale shinobi wiped the blood from his chin. "That smile—you're so good at it."
"Didn't you know?" Mayu asked. "Forcing a smile is a girl's many talents. But back to the matter at hand. Do you understand why I hit you?"
"It seems that I have made you angry."
"Yes, but do you know the reason?" Sai remained quiet. "It's because you did something unforgivable. If this had been real and I had been captain, I would have brutally punished you for such a thing. Perhaps even made a recommendation of your termination as a ninja." Sakura gasped at the bold statement. Mayu ignored her, though, along with the sudden gust of wind. "You tied your own teammate up, ultimately leaving him to die. What if the enemy had doubled back and came across Naruto? The enemy would have taken full advantage of that situation and killed him because of you! That's the future-fucking-Hokage you're gambling with, and I don't appreciate it!" Mayu crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes into a glare.
"Future-?" Sai began, furrowing his brow.
"No matter what you thought-" Mayu cut him. "No matter your skill level. You are… unfit to be on a team. Not just this one, but any team. In a team, no matter who happens to be on it, the team takes care of each other, backing one another up and covering each other's weaknesses. What you did to Naruto, like I said before, is unforgivable."
Sai's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the kunoichi's words. "Isn't… Isn't that a bit too much, though?" Sakura asked. "I mean, you didn't have to punch him like that." Her green eyes glanced at the pale ninja. "He might need medical treatment for that."
"Sakura," Mayu said, calmly switched her attention to the medic of the team. Despite herself, the pink-haired medic flinched. Mayu's gaze was a bit on the piercing side. "Calm yourself. If I wanted to, I would have broken his jaw. He's fine. Let's move onto your evaluation, shall we?" Sakura pursed her lips and gave a slight nod. "You were pretty good in your role. As the team's medic, I praise you for keeping your distance from the enemy. If you had tried to engage in battle and the enemy killed you, there would be no one to heal the rest of us if need be." Liking the compliment, Sakura blushed and darted her gaze to the ground. "However, you continued to follow the enemy even though Naruto was left behind. Even if he wasn't injured, you should have helped him out in any way you could."
"Oh… Sorry, I was focused on the mission," Sakura muttered.
"No excuses! We only have one shot at this, after all," Mayu replied. Next, she shifted her eyes to Naruto, missing the irritated look on the medic's face. "Naruto, as the powerhouse of the team, I'm sure it threw the spy off to have you and your clone, disguised as Sai, coming at him. This would lead him into a false sense of security, leading the real Sai to come out in a surprise attack. Nice thinking. Super proud of you for that." The blond shinobi grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "However, as soon as you were taunted, all logical thoughts flew from your mind. The spy provoked you, and you easily fell into his trap. He saw how the clone's attack was the same as yours. This made him realize that the real Sai was lying in wait for him." Mayu released a sigh as Naruto poked his lip out. "I told you before. Your temper and impatience are too big of a weakness. They could get you or someone else killed. Do you understand that?"
"Ah, well, uh-"
"Well, what about you?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms. "You said you'd assess yourself, right?!"
"Of course," Mayu coolly responded. She dropped her arms to her side. "My position was back up. I hid myself, waiting for a chance to help capture the enemy. I realized Sai's talent, so against my better judgment, I thought it best to focus on Naruto. Good thing I did. Because he was in a bind, literally, I had to get Naruto out of it."
"Ah! So that was your arrow?" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger.
"We really have to train together, Naruto, so we can get used to each other's styles," Mayu said. She cleared her throat. "However, because I held back and merely observed, I couldn't work with any of the members of my team. Also, perhaps if I didn't just observe, the time it took to capture the spy would have been cut in half." The kunoichi saw Sakura about to say something. "And yes, I am that confident in my skills." A pink eyebrow twitched.
"I just can't bring myself to like her," Sakura thought, sourly pressing her lips together.
"Then there's the whole wasting my chakra thing. Summoning Nana-chan just to have my arrows is kinda silly, so I'm going to keep my weapon with me to save chakra," Mayu continued, ignorant of Sakura's annoyed expression. "Because of this simulation, I have learned from my mistakes, and I hope you guys did as well… Especially you, Sai-chan."
"I do not think I appreciate being the only one hit," the pale ninja rubbed his jaw. Mayu only grinned. "But to think she broke through my jutsu with just an arrow. Her arms are quite strong." Sai felt around his mouth with his tongue. Nothing was broken. She must have gone easy on him with that punch. If she had been serious, would he be missing a couple of teeth? "She really could have broken my jaw..."
"Aww, I didn't hurt you too badly, did I, Sai-chan?" Suddenly, her arms wrapped her around him. "Let me kiss you and make it better." Before he could protest, the kunoichi kissed his nose, equipped with the 'muah' sound. "You've really got to stop doing things that makes me want to hurt you, okay?"
"… Mayu, I really hope you don't do that in front of Sasuke…" Naruto thought, grimace on his face.
"This girl…!" A vein bulged on Sakura's forehead. "I can't get used to her!"
"Anyway, Captain Yamato, how was that?" Mayu questioned the leader of the squad.
"Hm… It was a fairly accurate assessment, I must admit," Yamato answered. The man suddenly clapped his hands, gaining the attention of his subordinates. "Alright, change of plans," he announced. "Last night, I told you the teams we would have when we make it to the bridge. Because of this exercise, I'm changing it a bit. Instead of Sakura and Mayu with me, Mayu will have her own team."
"Eh?" Sakura exclaimed. "But why?"
"Simple. It will be even this way. Mayu has a partner who she can count on to support her," Yamato exclaimed. "This 'Nana-chan' must be big enough to carry Mayu's bow and arrows, yet stealthy enough to avoid detection. I could not sense neither her partner or Mayu."
"True dat," Mayu agreed. She saluted. "I understand and accept the changes."
"Yes. Gather your things. We need to get moving if we want to be there on time," Yamato ordered.
"Yes, captain!"
0-0
"Well, that's about the creepiest thing I've ever heard," Mayu thought. Five minutes later and she still couldn't get Yamato, trying to get Sasori's voice just right, out her head. Still, it seemed useful. Combined with the Transformation Jutsu… She would have to learn it one day. "Still, I should really focus now since everyone's so serious about this." Stifling a yawn, the kunoichi checked her surroundings yet again. She was hiding in the forest crouching down on a tree branch. Below her, Nana lied down, awaiting a command. From her position, Mayu could see her comrades. Her vantage point included being able to strike the spy with an arrow if they had decided the best option would be to run. The arrow wasn't intended to kill, though, merely slow the spy down. Her aim would be the leg or ankle. "Wish I had a scope, though. Should have stolen it from Deidara before he escaped."
By now, Yamato was at the foot of the bridge. Since the spy was already in the middle, the captain only increased his speed a bit. Finally, they met at the middle of the bridge. Mayu couldn't hear at all, but the two were obviously having a conversation. Then, the spy shifted his hood, revealing his identity. The kunoichi frowned, enhancing her vision a bit with chakra. Yakushi Kabuto. He was the spy. That was surprising. Her eyes narrowed. Too surprising. Suddenly, a bad feeling bubbled up inside her. She couldn't explain it, but this situation seemed too strange.
When she was young, and ignorantly watched the show, she hadn't liked Kabuto's character from the start. Something about him had made her lips form a snarl whenever he appeared on screen. She felt slimy watching his interactions with Team 7. Maybe it had just been the voice actor, but… When the truth came out about his affiliation with Orochimaru, she wasn't surprised. Now, five years later, she was having that same feeling. "Something's wrong. I don't like this." Mayu readied her bow and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. Sai had already confirmed that they were no others lying in wait with his jutsu. Akatsuki was not here to ambush them. That fact did not quell the bad feeling, though.
Mayu silently dropped down next to her feline partner. It would probably be best if she moved a bit closer. Not as close as the rest of her comrades, though. Her gut told her something unplanned was going to happen. The kunoichi slowly moved through the forest. The image of the enemy, Kabuto, became clearer as she moved forward. The glasses-wearing ninja suddenly turned his back towards where he had come from. Mayu narrowed her eyes. The man had returned his focus to the disguised Yamato, thinking it wasn't anything important. The observer didn't like that either.
Shifting her gaze, the kunoichi squint her eyes. On the opposite side of the bridge, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. No wonder Kabuto thought it was nothing. Still, it was bothering her that he had given up so quickly. At times like these, she wished she had made the switch with Hinata before coming on this mission. The Byakugan would have come in handle at this certain point in time. Then she saw it. A misplaced shadow moved among the trees. "Shit… Someone had been tailing him this whole time." Mayu thought. Then she frowned. Would Kabuto's character really be so careless? The girl was no fool. Though she disliked Kabuto, she couldn't deny that he was skilled. "This doesn't make sense… Could it be…? An ambush from the Sound?!"
It was plausible. Orochimaru must consider the organization a threat to whatever his ambitions were. Likewise, Akatsuki must view the Sannin as a troublesome person seeing as how Sasori planted a spy in the first place. It wouldn't be surprising to find that this was a plan to kill of a member of Akatsuki. Kabuto, on his own, wouldn't be enough. Mayu switched her eyes back to the bridge, and then loaded her weapon. Should she just kill Kabuto now? No. Naruto would freak out about it. There was a chance her little idea was wrong. Spy or not, Kabuto must have known the location of her teammate's precious Uchiha Sasuke.
Still… The girl pulled at the string of her bow. It appeared the shadow of the person no longer felt the need to hide. It disappeared. Then, on the bridge, right behind Kabuto, was Orochimaru. A large snake wrapped around his body. The snake had begun to do the same to Kabuto, but the glasses-wearing ninja quickly moved, jumping to Yamato's side. Orochimaru, himself, had come, did he? Mayu closed one eye, aiming at the Sannin. The Leaf village wouldn't mind if she took him out. After all, they would have his right-hand man. "My arms… They're trembling," she thought. "Why?" What she felt for the snake-user was indifference, so why did her body react this way at seeing him? There was a time she had felt contempt for him, though. However, there was no reason to feel that anymore.
Without warning, Kabuto turned on Yamato, cutting the puppet's head off her captain's disguise. She knew it. An ambush. Fortunately, her superior managed to get away by leaping up. Orochimaru then sent multiple snakes out. Still in midair, Yamato couldn't dodge the attack and the snakes bit into him. Good thing it was only his wood clone. The snakes then shifted back to their pale master and the real captain landed a safe distance away from the two enemies. Then the three men began talking. No joke. Mayu shook her head. She could attack right now, and they wouldn't see it coming due to their little chat. Suddenly, Yamato lifted his hand. Three fingers. Which meant that signal wasn't for her. Sai, Sakura, and Naruto appeared on the bridge in front of their captain.
Mayu pulled the string back a bit further, noticing a red chakra-like substance already beginning to form about Naruto. "You dumbass!" she nearly hissed. Getting angry already. He hadn't learned a thing. She supposed now was the time. The kunoichi opened her closed eye, and then fired her arrow. The projectile traveled far and fast. No one saw it until it landed perfectly in the belly of the enemy. Mayu smirked, watching the blood flow from the wound and mouth of the enemy. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. "Nana!"
After hopping on her partner's back, the feline dashed through the forest. It only took a few seconds for the two to reach the bridge. Nana slid to a halt behind her three comrades. All of them turned to look at her in surprise. The two enemies looked towards her as well. "Wh-Who…?" Orochimaru, the one she had shot, asked. He seemed pissed. This thought almost made the kunoichi laugh in glee. She had actually wounded the snake bastard.
All kidding aside, Mayu lost her grin. A single arrow would not be enough against a Sannin. Even now, he was pulling it out. "Che… Should have used an explosive note," she muttered. Exclaiming his name, Kabuto rushed over to aid his leader. Hands enveloped in chakra, he began to heal Orochimaru. "Definitely should've used the explosive note." She glanced behind her at her captain. "Sorry, Captain Yamato," she said. "I should have reacted sooner after I realized that it was only an attempt by these two to kill Sasori."
"So, you realized… huh?" he murmured.
"Hm," Mayu nodded her head. "Too bad my arrow didn't really do anything, ne?"
"Who are you?! Attacking Orochimaru-sama like that!" Kabuto shouted.
"… But I'm a ninja. 'Tis what I do," the kunoichi replied, shrugging her shoulders. Kabuto glared at her nonchalant attitude. He wasn't the only one. "One of my mothers used to say 'Don't hate the player, hate the game.' That seems to apply to this situation."
"Hey! This is serious! We don't have time for your shenanigans!" Sakura nearly exclaimed. "With these two here that means we're close to Sasuke-kun!"
"Yes, yes—we're see your precious Sasuke-kun," Mayu replied, rolling her eyes. The medic almost let out a growl. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'm always serious."
"The hell you are!"
"I almost can't believe your determination to retrieve Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru commented, disregarding the mild bickering. "Though this sudden meeting makes me wonder who is stronger. Our Sasuke-kun or this jinchuuriki? What do you think, Kabuto?"
"He's not… yours…!" Naruto growled out. Suddenly, another tail began forming. Then another. Mayu frowned. All in all, the total was now three. "Sasuke... doesn't belong to you!" Orochimaru only grinned at the sight. Naruto's teeth grew into fangs and his nails extended into claws. Red chakra spiraled around the container. The power was so great that it even heated the surrounding air. "Don't talk about him..." Naruto continued growling. "... as if he's some toy that you own! In my presence… don't you dare talk about Sasuke like he's yours!"
"What's... that chakra?" Sakura thought, watching Naruto. Her body trembled, and she wondered if it was because of fear. "What is this?"
The power of the red chakra pushed Naruto's teammates back a little. "The wind is burning..." Sai thought, holding an arm up to shield his face. Kabuto didn't seemed fazed by the incredible chakra emitting from Naruto. In fact, he only smirked. Nana backed away, whimpering and growling at the same time. The chakra scared her. Suddenly, the giant black leopard disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Mayu to land on her feet. Without warning, the wood under Naruto disintegrated, leaving stone. The metal bars and the rope holding the bridge snapped, causing the entire structure to wobble. The harsh winds suddenly stopped, allowing the others to put their arms down. Mayu deadpanned, watching her as her teammate continued growling at the two enemies.
"Oh hell…" she muttered, annoyed. "I feel like I'm gonna be in pain soon," she finished in thought.
0-0
Abruptly, the ninja came to a stop. For a moment, he only stared straight ahead. Then his eyebrows knitted together. Slowly, his gaze drifted down to the ground. More specifically, his focus was on his own foot. After a few seconds of staring, the ninja continued to move down the hallway towards his room. The reason he had stopped was due to the sharp pain he felt around his ankle. Even now, as he walked, the pain only increased. It was nothing he couldn't handle, though.
Barely making noise, the shinobi entered his room, closing the door behind him. Currently, he was the only one here, so being cautious didn't occur to him. Sitting on his bed, the ninja removed his shoe. Expectedly, he was bleeding. He narrowed his eyes, reaching for the thing that pierced his skin. Holding it in his hand, he stared down at the item. The small heart-shaped frame had broken. Right down the middle. "This is… inauspicious," he said to himself. Truly, he should have gotten rid of the frame years ago and only kept the picture, but he hadn't.
He slowly placed the broken pieces on his bed, as well as the glass. In the picture, there was a young girl grinning and posing for the camera. Pressed against her dark cheek was himself. A younger version of himself. Back when things were… better. She had been around to lift his spirits. It had been such a long time since he had seen her face. The shinobi didn't believe in superstitions and things like that but having the frame break didn't make him feel better. However, it could mean an encounter would happen very soon. Again, he didn't believe in that sort of thing, but… "Are you coming for me, Mayu, Naruto?"
For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Sasuke cracked a smile.
0-0
... Yeah... Happy April Fool's. :D