A young man is gazing at him with hollow eyes and a broken soul. He is a boy barely hanging on to the last of his strings. Breathing is a luxury for him, a throbbing sensation buried deep within his lungs. A mere child who continues to stare at his unhinged and corrupted reflection. He will later on weep for the loved ones he has lost. He is a slow learner and in the near future he will finally learn life's most important lesson.
Never trust anyone.
—S—
Sasuke remembers the delicate cracks on Naruto's lips, the deep lines between his eyebrows, his scar like whiskers widening. He witnesses the eye of the storm unveil itself in the heart of the ocean, only this time eyelashes don't catch droplets. Cerulean pupils darken. Nails sharpen. A crack becomes a split, dividing his sanity.
"Why do you constantly throw yourself in harm's way?!"
Naruto's voice is low and stern, on the verge of collapsing and forming a fire that will burn both of them in the process. His anger is erratic and impatient; it consumes whatever is in its path, no doubt harming himself in the process.
Sasuke is the black to his white; the moon to his sun and the sanity to his corruption. He is the quite storm that takes days to form, only to have its destruction inevitable.
Nails dig into his shoulder until they pierce seven layers of skin, forming beads of crimson. Sasuke has never witnessed Naruto so vulnerable. His teammate is mere breaths away, so close yet his mind has long drifted. Mountains between each thought and oceans separating each breath. Sasuke can taste his threatening chakra; he smells fear, feels anger and hears pain.
"Why?"
Sasuke remembers the crack in Naruto's voice, remembers his lower lip quivering before struggling to compose himself. Remembers the aching grip on his shoulders as if it had happened yesterday.
Naruto leans in. Eyelashes flutter. Breaths mingle. It's both beautiful and suffocating as Sasuke finds himself struggling to breathe. His skin is like the Katon that erupts from his jaws, wild and uncontrollable. His blood is rapidly gushing in his veins, loud enough for both to hear. His body begs for more. His mind screeches to a halt.
Why?
Why did he constantly push his limits and tear down boundaries, only to be strokes away from death? Why did Naruto's life have more value than his own? Why did the sudden urge to protect and defend only unleash when Naruto's soul was inches away from death?
Foolish boy.
Naruto's senses him tense underneath his grip. Sasuke is a mosaic of beauty and pain, a canvas of emotions. Painted and drawn to form a breathtaking piece of art. Only to be repainted and perfected over and over again. Sasuke is moulding, forming into a promising shinobi that will no doubt become a prodigy.
Naruto steps closer as his grip briefly loosens on Sasuke's shoulders. He buries his face into his throat while inhaling wildly.
Exhale.
Inhale.
He smells rain and lightning. He smells betrayal and fear. He smells pain, withering and struggling to unbind itself behind the walls Sasuke has so meticulously built over the years.
Naruto cracks. He unleashes an ocean of tears. Naruto is the rain. Sasuke is the thunder; both are the eye of the storm.
"Do you understand you could have died?"
Sasuke says nothing as fists form by his sides, only Naruto's sobs slicing the itching silence.
"Icantlose you" Incoherent words blend together.
Sasuke freezes, barely dangling on the last of his strings. Would an independent puppet be able to survive on its own? The intimacy suddenly becomes excessive. The walls begin to close in as his composure begins to slip. The cracks multiply and his sanity is so fragile, so weak.
Sasuke tears away from the embrace as his Sharingan spins rapidly.
Naruto remains rigid, a lone statue that defies all odds. Tears drip from his chin, forming small puddles on the dry earth between his feet.
An eerie silence envelopes them both as the wind carries loose leaves. The blows of betrayal is fresh. It's shallow and new but eventually doubt seeps in and the cracks transform into cuts. The damage is irreversible.
Teach me how to heal this broken soul. Teach me.
The telescope of the Sharingan spins wildly as anger and destruction unleash.
"Why is everyone telling me what to do?!"
Naruto freezes momentarily, the wind howls as it grows stronger.
"Stop worrying about me Naruto, there are important things you need to focus on"
Sasuke's upper lip twitches, throat still burning from Naruto's touch.
"Of course I worry! For fucks sake, you're my friend!"
Sasuke stops. The breeze dies. The trees no longer bend in pain. The current recedes. Crimson flushed cheeks with wrathful eyes. Whisker like scars and sharpened canines. How long will they both continue to play this game?
Naruto closes the gap between them, chakra seeming to grow ever so stronger and Sasuke wonders where he hides all his strength.
"You're not fine" barely an octave above a whisper. Obsidian eyes darken.
"I am"
"No, you're not. Stop"-"I am"- "acting like you are"
Naruto pushes and bends, he climbs high walls and breaks mountains. In the burst of colours of life all he sees is the black silhouette of Sasuke. In a vivid world of colour Sasuke is the darkness. Unlovable. But ever so breakable.
Naruto cradles his face in his palms, rough callouses stroke smooth porcelain. "Please Sasuke. I need you alive". Crimson morphs into lifeless black and Naruto wonders how far he can truly push an Uchiha.
"I cannot be what you want me to be"
Sasuke is not naïve. This is their end. The beginning of their inevitable end.
Naruto momentarily stiffens before his hands limply fall by his sides. Sasuke wonders whether causing fractures or suffering cracks is worse. He chooses not to decide. (Rejection is the end game.)
Trembling fingers form into tight fists. What were the rules of the game?
Thump
Thump
One fist after another meets the Uchiha's chest, inches from his collarbone. It briefly knocks the air out of him but he stands strong, refusing to let go.
Besides, it's the least he owes Naruto.
Thump
Naruto's anger manifests itself into destruction yet he continuously wallows in his self-hatred once the damage is done. This is no different.
"Goddamnit Sasuke!"
The blows eventually slow down until Naruto's fists are merely grazing his collarbone inches away, from his jawline.
"P-please"
Inhale
"Please"
Exhale
Fingers graze cotton before clinging onto fabric. Howlong howlong.
The lion is the one with the crown.
"Let me in"
They stand there for what feels like hours, neither daring to move a muscle as the cries of Naruto's sorrow is muffled by Sasuke's shirt.
Naruto knows divided rivers meet again in the ocean, even if a storm manifests itself from the very water.
They were dying stars.
—S—
Orochimaru is a mysterious man. A man with his stature and age should not be able to look so young. Porcelain skin stretches to form an unusual nose, cat like eyes that expand abnormally long. Delicate pale fingers that tend to brush against the back of Sasuke's neck during their taijutsu training.
Orochimaru does not walk, he glides. He is not kind, rather harsh. For he believes he will wield an indestructible weapon conjured of milky skin and a fragile heart. He knows Uchiha Sasuke will become Konoha's reckoning.
He is a blur before he descends his sword onto Sasuke's thigh, although he purposely uses the dull side of Kusanagi, it still causes Sasuke to wince. The Sannin sighs before placing the hilt of his sword onto his shoulder.
"Sasuke-kun, could you be tired?"
Sasuke's eyes narrow at the man before him. He shifts his body in a defensive stance, waiting for the next blow.
"You lack stamina" Orochimaru says through a smile.
Sasuke ducks just in time as Kusanaagi sails through the air, an inch above his head.
"You lack speed" he replies.
It takes Orochimaru a mere second to grab the boy from behind, left arm locked around his throat, fingers tangled in black locks.
"And you lack respect" he breathes out into the Uchiha's ear, watching as goose bumps litter his skin.
Sasuke grunts in response as he struggles to unbind himself from his grip. It dawns on him that Orochimaru is much stronger than perceived, that training for the past weeks has merely been an obstacle for him.
"Get the fuck off me!"
Orochimaru grip tightens.
"You are indeed nothing like your brother"
Sasuke snaps as the heel of his right foot meets Orochimaru groin. The man hisses, yet his grip remains strong.
"I am nothing like Itachi" he says the name with such spite, it peaks Orochimaru's curiosity.
This is bait.
"I can see that. Now tell me Sasuke-kun, would you like to be better?"
Orochimaru has lived for decades. He has witnessed enemies become friends and rats become snakes. There is a lingering sensation that creeps in his bones and settles in his flesh. Doku slithers from his shoulder, tangling herself between his fingers. She is young, barely three feet long with minuscular fangs. Olive green scales glimmer in the sunset as she settles onto her master's forearm. The snake erupts in a sudden yawn, revealing flesh coloured fangs. Beady eyes hold his gaze before the creature decides sleep is the best option.
Although Doku is young and her venom has yet to kill a grown Shinobi, Orochimaru has faith his new summon will not disappoint. He has spent decades studying different species of snakes, the scars of their bites evident along his arms. He has created monsters that no longer serve him, rather linger in the wild causing mayhem wherever they venture. He has seen boys become men and forced young girls to become women.
He knows muscle and speed does not necessarily make a Shinobi the greatest. He has witnessed the greatest of men fall due to sheer arrogance. He has seen villages wiped out due to mistrust alone. He knows it is the slow acting poison that seeps through one's bloodstream, settling between layers of flesh that aches the most. The poison that lingers for years, only to suddenly attack one's immune system, leaving him completely paralysed and aching for death.
When he stares at Uchiha Sasuke, he sees a wolf in lions clothing. An apex predator prepared to kill or be killed. However, Sasuke deserves so much more.
Uchiha Sasuke will become a snake. He will become a boar on the battlefield and he will slither through kingdoms and create chaos where Orochimaru sees fit.
Besides, Sasuke is still young, just like Doku.
—S—
The first three months while underneath Orochimaru's training, Sasuke runs. He infuses chakra into his feet and runs on water. He leaps between long grassy fields where the village of Rice and the border of Konoha meet. He sprints alongside rabbits and small forest animals that hide within the shadows.
He runs until he collapses. He runs until Orochimaru himself must lift him and heal his torn calve muscles before Sasuke is able to take another step. He runs until his feet burn and there are blisters between his toes.
He runs.
When Naruto attempted to bid him farewell before traveling with Jiraiya, he ran.
When Sakura punched him so hard she fractured his jaw, he ran.
When Kakashi attempted to dissect his personality and assemble what was going on, he ran.
An Uchiha perfects what he does best.
Orochimaru's knowledge is vast and constant. Sasuke is constantly leaning something new, whether it be about the poison of a mamba or of the Yondaime's Flying Thunder God. He learns that chakra must be treated like a river; a steady flow rather than waves of an ocean in order to preserve one's energy. He discovers that his body favours the lightning element, however he refuses to acknowledge it as he forces himself to perfect every fire breathing technique he can master.
Sasuke does not dare to question his Sensei's (the word is foreign on his tongue. He knows Orochimaru cannot take Kakashi's place) vast knowledge, nor ask how Orochimaru knows that a shallow corpse of a man is an ideal environment for a snake to live in. Sasuke is not oblivious to the fleeting whispers and odd stares from the civilians.
The leather books and mouldy scrolls he gives him are boundless yet Sasuke never dares to complain. The few months under his guidance has taught him more than the years he has spent at the academy.
"You seem interested in chakra control" Orochimaru once says when both are recovering from training. No doubt realising the lack of control Sasuke has when it comes to his chakra. How many times has he burst the vessels in his hand due to his Chidori?
"Easy Sasuke-kun, you'll lose your hand"
(A limbless Uchiha. He would be the first.)
Sasuke freezes mid sharpening his kunai, muscles tensing underneath pale skin. He forces himself to relax and continues to wipe down each weapon individually. The tip of a Kunai prickles his fingertip and the bead of crimson immediately appears.
The Sannin inhales deeply and decides to accept his student's silence as an answer.
He perfects the art of dancing with a steel weapon as he twirls his body with a Katana in his hand. A long sword manifested from lightning itself, no doubt created in order to be held in his own palms.
By the eighth month Sasuke realises Orochimaru's training methods are not traditional. He is not foolish, he knows the Sannin is withholding information. When Sasuke finally confront him, he does not answer. Instead, training that day is harsher and colder. Leaving behind deep bruises and shallow scars.
A few weeks pass before he decides to show him.
"Don't you dare tell that older brother of yours"
But Sasuke is consumed by eagerness and struggling to prove his self-worth to notice the consequences of Orochimaru's actions.
He agrees.
—S—
Kakashi notices a tear between the team. Maybe, if he had looked close enough, he would have noticed the cracks appearing long before. The day Naruto packs his bags to leave for the mountains is the day Kakashi decides to pick up the pieces. The boy is eager, eyes wide and fingers trembling as he rumbles on about how 'Pervy-Sensei' will show him the world beyond Konoha.
Kakashi chuckles, he wonders how Jiraiya will cope.
He briefly mentions that Team Seven should host a 'farewell' dinner at the ramen bar, his fingers momentarily stop before flicking the next page of his Icha Icha book. The doubt that creeps along Naruto's face is unexpected, however Kakashi pushes on.
"My treat" he urges, almost desperate.
Naruto's thumb strokes the strap of his backpack, pupils briefly dilating before meeting his Sensei's gaze.
"I don't think it's for the best. Besides…"
He snaps his book shut, patiently waiting for Naruto to continue. He exhales loudly when the boy chooses silence.
"What happened?" his voice is soft, barely above a whisper and for a moment Kakashi doubts he has heard him.
Naruto is quiet, eyes flickering between his sandals and his clenched hands. "Sasuke is… being Sasuke" Kakashi's visible eyebrow arches.
"Is he not meant to be Sasuke?"
Naruto frowns as he meets his Sensei's gaze. "It's just…"
"Naruto"
Inhale.
"Sometimes it's best to let go" It takes his student a few moments to truly understand what he is implying. A rainbow of emotions flickers across Naruto's face before he chooses his best coping mechanism; humour.
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, are you just upset your favourite student is leaving you?"
Kakashi hears the humour in the statement, yet somehow it sounds empty between the two.
"Masks don't suit you, Naruto" he finally breathes out, fingers already extending for his book. The awkwardness shifts as a sense of relief envelopes Naruto's body.
"You're one to talk"
Jiraiya sees a boy born from mountains and washed by oceans. Naruto Uzumaki is no doubt Minato and Kushina's son. The first night of travel with the boy, Jiraiya almost weeps tears of regret. His expressions and confidence is an exact replica of his mother. He is glad Naruto did not inherit her flaming hair nor her anger.
He wonders how different Konoha would have been if Kushina survived that night.
Jiraiya knows 'ifs" and dreams are for children who do not pass the academy exams and become farmers on their father's land. They are for civilians who fish near the Naka River and shopkeepers who sell freshly made pastries.
Dreams and wishes are not created for Shinobi's who crack the earth and manifest chakra in their palms. They are not made for the ones who die during missions or slaughter innocent on the battlefield. (He still can smell the stench of blood from the night of Kushina's death. A baby screaming for his dead mother)
There are snakes and rats that litter the land. There are villagers and there are towns. There are rivers and oceans. Politics, clans and pawns. When Jiraiya asks his godson what his dream is, it doesn't come as a surprise.
"To be Hokage"
Jiraiya chuckles "You have a lot to surpass brat, your father is a decent Hokage himself. What makes you any different?"
Naruto grins as he pokes the raging campfire, eyes crimson as he stares at the fire.
(Jiraiya suddenly remembers that this boy is a fox. A clever, devious fix)
"I will have Uchiha Sasuke by my side"
—S—
Sixteen months has passed since the Chunnin exams and Sasuke's right wrist still aches during training. News of Naruto's return doesn't take long to reach him, whispers amongst the villagers reach the outskirts of Konoha, however it is Orochimaru who tells him.
"The Kyuubi is back" he states lightly as he easily side steps Sasuke's oncoming attack. The legendary Sannin is a blur against a clear sky, a snake slithering and twisting its way towards its prey.
Sasuke says nothing. His Chidori crackles loudly that day, brighter than it has ever been before.
Naruto leaves as a boy and comes back as a man as muscles deeply moulded from hours of training. Sasuke hesitates at the entry of the ramen bar once he notices both teammates in deep conversation.
He wants to flee, turn around and leave to practice on his new summons. He wants to confront his ex-sensei and bring down the heavens as he accuses him of manipulation. The moment Sasuke decides to leave is the very same moment Naruto catches a glimpse of him.
He roars with excitement.
"Hey! Bastard! Over here!" he stands and eagerly waves as all the patrons stare curiously. Sasuke makes his way towards the table, muttering a string of curse words.
Sakura flashes him a small smile. How long has it been? Months? Cruel words were exchanged between them when they last spoke. He wonders whether Naruto has noticed the cracks yet.
He wraps an arm around his shoulders and brings him closer. Sasuke tenses underneath the grip. (Their last meeting constantly rewinds in his mind. He doubts Naruto has forgotten)
"Took you long enough, you bastard"
Sasuke says nothing as Naruto orders on behalf of all three of them. It takes all of his self-control not to escape at that very moment. Visions of a younger Team Seven arguing while slurping ramen flickers in his mind. A broken family struggling to mend pieces that no longer fit.
(The game of chess is a tedious and manipulative game)
Only after slurping his third bowl of ramen does Naruto speak about his training tactics and complain about the 'Pervy-Sannin's' training methods.
"Pervy-Sensei only thinks about one thing."
Sakura lets out a loud chuckle "Tsunade-Sama does always complain about him. Reminds me of someone". The insult completely sails over Naruto's head.
The exhaustion is evident on Sakura's face and it leaves Sasuke with a bitter taste in his mouth. Guilt consumes him, both her teammates had abandoned her. Yet when she speaks about the hospital and working under such stress, her eyes gleam with pride. Fingers wrapped with bandages lay lazily in her lap. "You see a lot, injuries and accidents you never could imagine. It really teaches you the way of the Shinobi's life"
Naruto offers her a sympathetic smile. But Sasuke knows this Sakura no longer wants sympathy. She is a sturdy Kunoichi who can crumble trees and damage buildings. (Her subtle stares do not go unnoticed by Sasuke. Some things never change.)
"So what about you Sasuke?" she asks curiously, fingers reaching for her cup.
He shrugs as he places his chopsticks to his side, appetite suddenly gone. "Orochimaru's training is harsh but it produces results"
Two pairs of eyes stare at him. Naruto's grip on his chopsticks tighten.
"I guess it's good"
"I heard he's never trained anyone before. That you're his first" Sakura pushes. Sasuke wonders what game she is choosing to play.
Ah. She no doubt has heard the rumours and is deciding whether there is some truth to them. Forest eyes darken before they brighten with artificial light.
"I heard he does other… things" whispers Naruto as he subconsciously leans forward, feet slightly nudging into his shin underneath the table.
Sasuke shifts his foot. Sakura roughly digs her elbow into Naruto's rib as she hisses underneath her breath.
"It's okay" he mutters, index finger slightly twitching.
"He's strange and prefers to accomplish goals using different methods, but…" he pauses as he choose to take a bite of his chicken. Both of his teammates have abandoned their food, focusing solely on him.
"I wouldn't be talking. I'm not being trained by Pervy-Sensei" he smirks, eyes not leaving the cold bowl of ramen.
Naruto's face splints into a grin.
"Would rather Pervy-Sage than that snake bastard"
Naruto has always been easy to deceive. Weaving a few threads of lies and wrapping them around him came naturally to Sasuke. Sakura on the other hand has learnt to tear the threads, her gaze is intense.
Sakura is the first to leave, muttering about the new nurses and her work hours. She grips Naruto into a tight hug, whispering private words into his shoulder. Sasuke awkwardly glances around him, suddenly feeling like an intruder.
Her stare lingers on him a moment longer as she gently brushes a finger against his knuckle. He knows she is not asking for forgiveness nor is she apologizing. Her lips curl slightly as it wanting to say something, instead she turns and bids her farewell.
Sasuke takes his leave because his lungs are lacking oxygen and his corroded mind can only handle so much. Yet as he mumbles an excuse about his worrying mother, Naruto grips his wrist harshly, ocean eyes begging for him to stay.
"I've missed you"
The air suddenly grows thicker as the tension increases by tenfold. Sasuke fidgets, unsure on how to respond to such a bold statement, something that should have stayed hidden rather exposed.
"I never got to thank you for the Chunnin exams" chuckles Naruto, twisting his index and middle finger against each other.
Sasuke arches an eyebrow.
"I know we said some heavy things but I've had a lot of time to think about it. I can't be hypocritical and lash out on you for what you've done."
Naruto fidgets in his seat before continuing "Shit, I would have done the same"
An awkward silence forms between the two. Sasuke knows they are way past apologies. Instead, he brings his steaming cup of tea into the air- almost in offering.
Naruto grins as he does the samw, clinking both cups against each other.
"To always having each other's backs"
—S—
Naruto's walk transforms into a skip, which turns into a jog. He grins to himself as he grips the straps of his bag pack tighter towards himself, nearing his destination.
"C ranked mission towards Amegakure. N 42~ S 64~ at 5000 sharp.
Do not pack ramen.
Hatake Kakashi"
The letter is crumpled in his sweaty palm, ink smudged and words no longer readable. These are the first steps he will take to become Hokage.
Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha, Land of Fire, Son of the Yondaime.
It has been weeks since he has arrived in Konoha and nothing has changed. His father's frown lines has deepened and Sakura's hair has become short, but these are the all things Naruto is willing to see past. Yet, when he looks at Sasuke he sees a fine shinobi in the making. Naruto almost chokes back tears when he first lays eyes on him. Nothing has changed but Sasuke has. How many nights did he moan the Uchiha's name? How many times did Jiraiya Sensei tell him that Sasuke was a lost cause, stating that he was an Uchiha and betrayal was forged in their DNA? How many times did Naruto defend him, crush bones and tear muscle during training when his Sensei would bring up his name.
Too many times.
To his surprise he sees his Sensei quietly dozing off against a small oak tree. Guy-Sensei kneeling near him, muttering about logistics as he drags a stick into the dirt, drawing diagrams. Tenten and Neji lay on the other side of the tree, basking in the early sun rays that have yet broke the surface. Lee suddenly appears before him, forehead glistening with sweat and cheeks flushed red.
"Naruto Uzumaki!" he yells as he does a wide salute.
Naruto chuckles "You nervous too?"
Lee grins as he enthusiastically nods his head. "Has Sasuke-kun not arrived yet?"
He raises an eyebrow. "I didn't know-"
"Here"
Both boys turn.
"Captain Shisui?" Lee asks, eyes wide with admiration.
Shisui's lips curl as he gives a brief salute. Sasuke shakes his head beside him, tightening his weapons pouch against his thigh.
"Why didn't you tell me you were on this mission?" Naruto asks him accusingly.
A shrug "Last minute invitation I guess"
In the distance Kakashi stretches and waves for all four boys.
"Let's go!"
—S—
"Show me" Shisui demands, shifting his feet in a fighting stance, back rigid.
Neji's eyes narrow while standing before the Uchiha, feet sliding in a similar stance.
Shisui is a prodigy; ANBU captain and one of Danzo's most valued soldier. His speed and agility moulds him into a fine shinobi. He dances past kunai's and blocks limbs without activating his bloodline. It no doubt frustrates Neji who has broken into a sweat.
Neji is a Hyuga but Shisui is a prodigy.
It takes Shisui minutes to disarm him, twisting his arm behind his back and forcing his body in a bowing position.
"You're agility and Byakugan is good, although you underestimate your opponent"
Neji grunts in response, struggling to release himself from his grasp.
Shisui's gaze meets Guy's before releasing the Hyuga, he collapses to the floor with a thud.
He knows pride is fragile.
Shisui and Sasuke are family, bonded by clan and blood. United by the Uchiha emblem and Konoha's Hitai-ate. However, both are broken.
Shisui sees beyond what the human eye sees. He looks at Sasuke with a heavy heart and a splintered conscious. Sasuke is fragile glass covered with deep cracks (pieces that cannot be glued). He is a boy, hiding behind a mask of a man. He is a puppet who is struggling to unbind himself from the clan, who in return, has fed him to Orochimaru.
Something cowers underneath his flesh and nestles between his bones. It is ferocious and demon like while gnawing at his mind, begging to be set free. Shisui knows fear when he smells it, he has witnessed team mates gurgle on their own blood as fear envelopes all sense of rationality.
Sasuke is not broken, rather bent. Shisui wonders how long his younger cousin will survive this way. The threads that connect and control them are deeply engraved in their flesh- decades of tradition that will take years to crack.
Sasuke has perfected his mask over the months and it leaves Shisui wondering what Orochimaru has taught the boy. Dragging his younger cousin into politics was a foolish move but he knows Danzo will get what he wants.
Sacrifices are needed to be made. He hopes no more are needed.
On the eighth day of travel, a twig snaps.
For a brief moment, neither of them move, focusing only on their shallow breathing. Shisui shares a look with Kakashi before leaping into the branches above. The forest is unusually silent as Lee strains to hear sounds of any intruders. Guy Sensei grabs him by the shoulder, forcing him to remain frozen.
"Don't move"
His heart is a roaring drum in his ears, palms sweaty as they nervously twitch by his sides. He wants to turn around, see his team mates and now that they are safe. From the corner of his vision he sees Kakashi lift his headband, revealing his left eye.
In the distance a crow croaks. Kakashi's shoulders immediately tense before he too disappears into the trees.
Neji's Byakugan throbs as he looks at his surroundings. No movement. No heat signatures. His senses are burning, as if something is blocking his vision.
"Sensei" he whispers.
"Something is not right" he tilts his head slightly to the right. He sees it.
Something is laying on the forest floor. It's heats signature is barely existent, a hue of orange and red.
"There's something north-east"
Silence.
"Uchiha, what do you see?"
Sasuke shakes his head before answering "No chakra. Whatever it is, it's dead"
Tenten tenses by her Sensei's side, suddenly feeling defenceless. "Sensei, what do we do?"
Guy turns to face the genin, face visibly relaxed. However the muscles surrounding his shoulders coil, as if preparing for an attack. "We wait for Captain Shisui and Kakashi Sensei. Remain hidden between the branches and do not show your location until I give the signal" he whistles a bird like sound.
"Uchiha, you're with me. Neji, keep an eye from above"
Naruto is quick to retaliate "Why does the bastard get to go?"
"Because he has the eyes, dumbass" Tenten hisses back at him before leaping into the trees above. Her teammates share a concerning look with their Sensei before following her lead.
"Go" Sasuke waves off his concern. Naruto's fingers graze the Uchiha's collarbone as if attempting to communicate unspoken words before landing on a branch above.
The Sharingan rotates as they stand before the dead animal, maggots crawl from its empty sockets. The smell alone forces Sasuke to cover his nose as he looks at the rotten charred flesh.
"You couldn't see any chakra, although Neji noticed slight heat signature" Guy says aloud, bringing a finger towards his chin. Sasuke scans the forest again; beyond the thick trees and lavish grass, he only sees small forest animals scurrying away.
Why would a week old rotten corpse produce a heat signature? By the second day, bloods turns cold and the animal chakra stream no longer runs.
"What is it?"
Guy shrugs as he squats near the corpse, arms leaning against his knees. "It looks like a rabbit, but it looks…"
Sasuke follows the man's gaze. The maggots seem to be multiplying.
"Mutilated" he finishes off. Thick scars litter the animal's flesh, its jaw no doubt dislocated as bones protrude at odd angles.
"What kind of animal hunts, but does not feed?"
The cogs turn as the pieces fall into place. Just as Sasuke is about to voice his discovery, something metallic comes sailing into view.
"Down!" he grabs Guy Sensei by the wrist and forces both of them onto the forest floor.
It flies above both their heads, embedding itself into the trunk behind them.
Boom
The weapon explodes, obliterating the tree with it.