Mayu sighed heavily. She had been doing this for quite some time now. It was beginning to annoy the shinobi she traveled with. The group had left Neji and Hinata over an hour ago. Although he was annoyed with the sighing, Naruto said nothing. Truly, he was worried about the others, too. He was sure that they would be okay and catch up soon. But in the corner of his mind, there was some doubts. Chouji had not made contact yet. Shikamaru chose to ignore the sighing. Well, he wanted to as it was too troublesome. However, Mayu's sighs were a bit loud. Kiba had no such qualms.
"Oi! Mayu girl!" he shouted back.
His sudden increase of voice caused the strange Hyuga to look up. She frowned lightly. "Why do you attach girl to my name?" she questioned. "You don't hear me calling you Kiba-boy, do you?" The young Inuzuka scowled. "On second thought, that sounds good. I'll call you Kiba-boy from now on."
"Whatever!" Kiba's scowl deepened. "Would you stop making so much noise already?! My teammate is pretty kickass by herself and that cousin of hers is strong, too. They're fine, so stop worrying!" Mayu blinked at the demand. She then narrowed her eyes.
"I can worry all I want. She's my best friend!" Mayu retorted. "Just how would you feel if Akamaru got left behind?" Kiba, not having a contradictory response, remained silent. The girl huffed lightly. "Besides, I know what Hinata-chan can do. That spider guy doesn't stand a chance against her," she continued. "After all, I put her through intense training to toughen her up." Her words were met by looks of confusion. "Oh, you must be wondering why I'm sighing then, huh?" She scratched her cheek. "To be honest, I'm more worried about Sasuke."
"Huh…? What for? I mean, I know he's your boyfriend and all, but seriously?" Kiba asked.
Mayu snorted and rolled her eyes. "When I say I am worried about him, I meant when I get my hands on him," she clarified. "Causing everyone to go through this mission… I feel like I want to kill him, that's all."
"WHAT?!" Shikamaru exclaimed, turning disbelieving eyes on her.
"MAYU!" Naruto also turned.
"Aren't you his girlfriend?!" Kiba shouted.
"You guys seriously need to stop shouting. You might alert the bad guys," Mayu flatly replied. She shrugged her shoulders. "My friends are more important than some guy. If Hinata gets seriously hurt, maimed, or scarred, I'll end the Uchiha line myself. Consequences be damned."
"… Just keep your sighs to yourself," Shikamaru said. Mayu huffed again but saluted the leader of the group. For a time, they traveled in complete silence. Instead of sighing, the girl took facial journeys to show how annoyed she was. For the most part, she was ignored. At last, Kiba spoke up, telling the others that the enemy was close. Apparently, there were two enemies left. "We've got four," Shikamaru stated. "It's four on two. If things go well, we may finish this mission with one last encounter." The genin of the foursome boasted about their techniques. "That's such a good plan," the leader responded to Naruto, who had suggested using his Shadow Clones. The blond, though, didn't understand the sarcasm. "But let's go with my plan first. Got it?" Naruto nodded his head with a grin. Yeah—he definitely didn't catch the sarcasm. "Mayu…! You up for this?" His eyes turned to her.
"Of course, Leader!" she answered, curling her fist. "Use me how you see fit!"
"Good… Okay, now for my plan to work, we have to catch up to them before the sun sets completely," Shikamaru stated.
"Let's speed things up then!" Kiba exclaimed, increasing his pace.
"But the sun's going to set in mere minutes," Mayu muttered. "We won't make that."
"Hm…" Shikamaru looked up in thought. His eyes focused on the setting sun. "No, this is just fine," he announced. "We'll keep our distance and continue the pursuit."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"It just means that we're going to postpone the attack until the sun rises," the chuunin replied.
"Screw that! We don't have that much time!" Naruto protested, clearly not liking the plan.
"That's right!" Kiba agreed, nearly barking. "Besides, if we're going to attack, isn't it more to our advantage if we attack in the dark?"
"To us, the only advantage we have when we attack is that single moment when we strike," Shikamaru explained. "In that moment, the chances of us getting Sasuke back, escaping, and then getting far away are close to nothing. If, in that moment, we aren't successful in getting back Sasuke, they will collapse their defense around that barrel. If that happens, then we'll be in the dark and unable to do anything. In return, they don't have to make unnecessary movements and that also gives them the advantage. It would be different if we had the Byakugan, though. However, I have deducted that Mayu can't use the eyes if Hinata's so far away. Am I right?"
"You are," Mayu answered with a nod. This circumstance she found herself in—sharing Hinata's body—came with limits. Too far away, and she did not have access to the Byakugan's capabilities. One time, Mayu had stayed behind in the village while Hinata had left with her team. From there, she had made this discovery. For Shikamaru to deduce the same, without experimenting, was truly impressive. As expected of the first to become chuunin of the rookies.
"But we have me and Akamaru," Kiba stated. "Our noses are top-notch."
"I've already put your senses of smell into my calculations," Shikamaru said. "Even with that, they would still have the advantage. Not to mention… if I can't use my techniques, there's nothing we can do. Even if I stopped their movement with Shadow Possession—if the moon was blocked by the clouds, the plan would only be half good. It's troublesome, but there are too many dangerous uncertainties."
"But-" the dog ninja began to protest again.
However, Mayu became impatient with this banter. "Shut up, Kiba-boy!" she blurted. "Shikamaru's the leader for a reason! Or have you forgotten?" The Inuzuka glared in her direction. "We're supposed to follow his orders without question. I'm pissed that this is taking so long, too, but it would be our best bet to just listen to the chuunin. We may get this mission taken care of quickly that way!" Kiba scoffed yet said nothing to retort.
"Kay, thanks!" Shikamaru smirked, secretly glad that he didn't have to explain anymore.
"Yeah, no problem," Mayu murmured.
0-0
"What are those morons doing?!" The red-haired kunoichi did not seem happy. At the moment, they faced off between them and the three opposing shinobi. Each ninja wore glares on their faces. As the leader wanted, the group had caught up by sunrise. Pissed, the two-headed ninja jumped from his branch. In response, Naruto threw a punch. Mayu watched the plan play out from her hiding spot. Shikamaru thought it would be a good idea to have one member of the team in hiding. Since the enemy did not know about her, Mayu was chosen for this role. Shikamaru had buttered her up, too, having said that her ability to be completely undetectable had worked in their favor so far. It was a tried and true method.
Mayu narrowed her eyes, observing the movements of their enemy. It looked as though the leader's plan was going to work. Naruto was already forming the Rasengan. However, Sakon grabbed onto his arm, causing the jutsu to disappear. His taunt to Naruto was interrupted because Kiba came to aid his comrade. The Piercing Fang shot forward, but was dodged. The attack wasn't meant to do any damage. Actually, the plan was to get the enemy into a straight line. This would make it easier to take the barrel. "You think you got us?!" Sakon yelled. He was so frustrated that he didn't notice his teammate being trapped by Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu. Kiba, however, did. His stopped his attack and grabbed the barrel. "Tayuya! Why are you just staring off into space?! And why the hell are you stepping forward?!" Mayu almost rolled her eyes as the two enemies collided with one another.
The two fell over the branch of the tree. "Here ya go!" Kiba tossed the large barrel. Mayu stood up from her hiding place and caught the barrel with a grunt. "Now let's get the hell outta dodge!" The shinobi nodded, and then took off, following behind Mayu. "That was too easy!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Just as I thought… They were full of openings," Shikamaru grinned. "They have problems even though they have talent. It just means we were two steps ahead of them."
"Come back here, you trash!" The angry voice of Sakon echoed through the forest. The group warily glanced back.
"Haah… So persistent," Mayu muttered. She realized that the shinobi would catch up sooner than they thought. He was probably the fastest on the team. She hoped that Akamaru was finished setting up those traps. Several explosions ignited, answering the unasked question. "He did it!" However, their little celebration cut short. Sakon's shouts told them that he hadn't been caught in the blast. Kiba suddenly went back, shouting Akamaru's name. Another blast happened soon after, which caused Naruto to call back in concern. It wasn't Kiba's voice that answered.
"HEY!" It was the kunoichi—Tayuya. "You little shits!"
"The other one has come!" Shikamaru stated. "We have no choice." The three of them stopped. "I'll do something. You take the barrel and go on ahead." Naruto muttered the leader's name. "Stop wasting time and go!" Tayuya had been closing in fast. But… She suddenly stopped moving altogether. Her brown, slightly fearful, eyes were not focused on them, though.
"Why are you here?" she asked. Before anyone could react to her bizarre question, the barrel had moved. Both Naruto and Mayu whipped their heads around, trying to locate the missing object, containing Uchiha Sasuke. Blue Hyuga eyes snapped up. Her mouth dropped open upon realizing who had taken the barrel.
"Sorry, Naruto, Mayu…" Shikamaru sounded almost defeated. "He wasn't in my calculations." His green eyes stared impassively down at them. Mayu recognized him right away. That pale skin, green eyes, two red dots—instead of normal eyebrows—and white hair was a dead giveaway. However, she did not know his name. Megumi, her friend from back home, had quite often called him 'The Hot Bone Guy' as a nickname so that was the only thing that came up for his name. Mayu put on a sour expression. She had forgotten about him. Was he meant to show up so early? Did this mean Gaara and Lee were on the way? Damn it. Maybe her memory had been fractured somehow…
"Kimimaro…" Fortunately, Tayuya had said his name. Mentally, she wiped the sweat from her brow. It would have been quite embarrassing to refer to him as 'The Hot Bone Guy.'
"You're too late, Tayuya," his calm voice spoke. He now stood beside Tayuya. Mayu's eyes grew wide. She had not seen him move at all. This guy was fast. Faster than what she might be able to deal with. "Besides, where are the other three? We were the Sound Five."
"Why are you…?" The kunoichi hadn't bothered to answer his question. A cold sweat formed and slid down her face. She still appeared fearful despite him being a comrade. "Your body… Your body should be…" He moved to another branch, along with the barrel.
"My body is broken. I am using my willpower to move it," Kimimaro stated. Mayu's jaw dropped. Willpower…? What the hell?! But… that sounded about right. The guy was mega strong. Her eyebrows furrowed as Kimimaro went into a mini rant about dreams, Orochimaru, and something creepy. Mayu wasn't really listening, though. However, as the older teen continued to speak, she only got angrier about each word. They had taken Sasuke back, and then this guy comes along and ruins everything. That alone pissed her off. But the fact that he was talking sent her over the edge.
"OI! Give this to Orochimaru-sama for me!" Mayu shouted, holding up her middle finger. Her unexpected screech caused all eyes to look in her direction. Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. "I don't give a flying fuck what that sick bastard wants, but he ain't getting his hands on Sasuke before I do!"
"H-Hey…! Calm down!" Shikamaru slammed a hand down on Mayu's shoulder.
"No!" She smacked his hand away. "I was calm when you told me that I couldn't come on this mission. I was calm when Sakura tried to make Naruto promise to bring back Sasuke. I was calm when we were trapped in that ogre's Earth dome. I was calm when Hinata decided to stay behind and fight with her cousin. I will not be calm about this!" Shikamaru blinked, and then frowned. As he recalled, the dark-skinned girl had threatened him, smacked the shit out of Sakura, broke out of the prison, and nearly cried about Hinata's separation.
"If that's what she calls calm, I really don't want to see the opposite," he thought. Mayu smacked her hands together. Shikamaru produced a flat look. Here it comes… How troublesome. The girl rapidly formed hand seals. The last, the ram, thrusted in the new arrival's direction.
"Ishikari Style: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Within a second, enemies had switched places. "Naruto! Leader! I'm counting on you!" Kimimaro's voice only added confusion. Still, Shikamaru nodded his head. He then put the girl beside him in a headlock. The real Kimimaro was too stunned by the switch that he hadn't seen it coming. He struggled in Shikamaru's hold, but the chuunin held strong. "Naruto!" A kunai was thrown. Mayu successfully caught, and then without warning, the blade embedded deep into her new stomach. She cried out at the pain.
"Eh?! I know you were a crazy sumbitch, but this is too fucking much, don't you think?!" Tayuya was still lost in confusion.
"Tayuya! That's not me! Do something!" Mayu's voice shouted at her.
The older teen gave a painful grin, causing blood to slide down from the mouth. This was something she saw on another show. It was pretty much a bitch move, but it had been rather effective for him. "Thanks… Ginyu…" she muttered, slowly sliding the kunai from her new body. Tossing the blade away, she fell back. The others watched, shocked as Kimimaro's body plummeted towards the ground at an alarming rate. Tayuya shouted out his name. Barely keeping her eyes open, Mayu placed her hands together. "Re… Release!" The feeling of being light as a feather overtook her body. Less than a second later, she found herself in a headlock. "Alright, let me go."
"Mayu…?" Shikamaru hesitantly asked.
"Yes, damn it! Let me go! And, Naruto, why haven't you gotten the barrel?!"
It was definitely Mayu.
The chuunin released the girl. However, before Naruto could make a grab for the barrel, the new enemy returned. He stood beside the barrel yet again. "You foolish girl. Did you honestly think that would work?" Kimimaro questioned. Although, blood flowed out of him, he looked as though the wound hadn't even fazed him. Actually, the wound appeared to have stopped bleeding. There seemed to be something white and smooth covering the injury. What the hell?!
"Yes, asshole, I did," Mayu retorted. She bared her teeth. The guy did have some great willpower. Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. He then took the barrel and just left. "Come back, damn you!"
"You shits!" Tayuya shouted. "He's going to slaughter you all if you go after him!" The three turned to her. The redhead pulled out a flute. "Stay right where you are, and I'll end your lives quickly!"
"Oh no! Not the flute!" Mayu sarcastically screamed, holding her cheeks. She then glared. "Bite me, bitch!"
"Fuck you, trash!"
"Naruto, Mayu, listen to me," Shikamaru distracted the girl from snapping back at the enemy. "Move exactly how I tell you to. After I attack, you two pretend to attack, but don't. Your focus will be to get away and chase the guy who has Sasuke. I'll stay here and stall for time." Naruto and Mayu nodded. He realized that both wanted to reach Sasuke. Their determination to get back the Uchiha far exceeded his.
"Come on, shitheads!" Tayuya beckoned.
"It's three-on-one! We've got the advantage!" Shikamaru stood up, pulling a kunai from his holster. "If we fight together, we can take her!" His acting skills were horrid, but Tayuya seemed to buy it because she laughed and told them to bring in on. "Don't underestimate our teamwork!"
"Here we go!" Naruto shouted. The three of them jumped in unison towards the enemy kunoichi. Shikamaru made an attack first. Tayuya's flute successfully blocked the predictable attack. "Now…!" The blond threw a punch while Mayu reared her leg back to kick. However, this was only a feint. The two of them completely flipped over the kunoichi. "Just kidding!" Naruto exclaimed once they landed safely. He even smacked his behind and stuck up his middle finger. Mayu did the same, without the butt smacking. She, instead, pulled at the skin under her eye. Then, the two dashed away, intending to track down Kimimaro.
"YOU TRICKED ME!" Tayuya's shout echoed.
This only caused Naruto and Mayu to burst into laughter. After a moment, they calmed themselves. Back to business then. "Naruto… When we catch up, I'll hide while you attack, okay?" Mayu said. The blond looked befuddled. He knew the girl well enough to know that she did not like being on the sidelines. She definitely wouldn't suggest it herself. "This is so I can get the barrel while the enemy's distracted.
"Oh, I get it!" Naruto nodded his head in agreement.
0-0
Admittedly, there was another reason Mayu decided to hang back and let Naruto do all the fighting. The opponent was Kimimaro. She may have not remembered his name, but she had definitely remembered his skills. The hot bone guy… Neither Lee nor Gaara could match him in battle. And who knows when they were going to show up for assistance? Also, she couldn't help but feel that the older teen was quite upset that she had managed to trick him. Well, not trick, but she did take his body without permission. She felt uneasy about that look he had given her before he had left. So here she was, in the cover of the tree, watching the demon-influenced Naruto clones surround Kimimaro. Her eyes shifted to the barrel, though. Frowning, she watched it intently.
Briefly, she wondered if the shinobi inside the large object was beat up. The barrel had been tossed around quite a bit, after all. It was only briefly, though. Her attention was pulled into the fight between the opposing forces. As she thought, Kimimaro sliced through the clones with ease, and without being hit either. He was probably the strongest person in their age group. Mayu's frown deepened as she continued watching.
Naruto wasn't thinking clearly. He was attacking as if this guy was just a regular opponent. That type of thinking would get him killed if things continued like this. It was only a matter of time before Kimimaro finished off the clones, and then give the final strike to the real blond shinobi. More and more of the clones disappeared thanks to Kimimaro's flawless attacks. Eventually, it came down to one Naruto. "This is bad!" Mayu said in a hushed voice. About to leap out of hiding to aid her former teammate, she almost did not notice the change. Smoke rose from the barrel. The girl leaned forward, furrowing her brow. The seal on the barrel suddenly tore. "What?" Unceremoniously, the barrel exploded. Mayu had the swallow the scream before it could escape her lips. "Was that supposed to happen?!"
When the smoke finally cleared, there target stood unharmed by the explosion. Mayu narrowed her eyes. His hair was longer and lighter than it was before. His skin was also slightly darker, too. The girl grinded together. There he was, seemingly indifferent to his surroundings. Suddenly, his altered appearance changed back. His arms dropped to his sides. His shoulders rose, and then fell as if he had released a heavy sigh. "Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto laughed out and waved. Mayu frowned at his actions. Clearly, the blond was in denial. "What are you doing with these clowns?! Let's go back!"
For a moment, the girl closed her eyes. She pitied Naruto. He believed, after going through so much, Sasuke would willingly return. At this point, there was no 'Nah, I was just playing!' and returning to the village all smiles. No. Sasuke had made his decision already. He abandoned his team. He abandoned his village. He abandoned… her. Mayu clenched her fists. Her eyes opened, glaring at the Uchiha crest on the back of Sasuke's shirt.
Her body reacted without her brain telling it to. She leapt from her hiding place and sprinted across the field. Kimimaro saw her and moved to strike. He was right behind her. His weapon lifted only to be brought down. "Don't." The sharp porcelain weapon did not reach her. Surprised, Mayu halted, eying the Uchiha warily. Naruto and Kimimaro also froze, probably stunned by the order. Without turning, Sasuke had given the order as though he knew. "Don't touch her." The wind blew, causing leaves and other lightweight objects to fly around. He stepped forward. "Come… Mayu." He jumped away without another word. Mayu released a strained breath, not realizing she had been holding it. Nearly growling, she moved to follow him.
"It's useless," Kimimaro spoke, stopping her steps. "You will not succeed in your attempts to take him back. Orochimaru-sama has offered him something that no one else can. Just as he offered to me. No one can dissuade him of his decision." For a moment, Mayu did not respond. She lowered her half-lidded gaze to the ground. She already knew it. No matter what happened, this would be a goodbye. All she had done—whether intentional or not—to change his mindset had not worked. He was the same. In the end, his vengeance meant more. In the end, her actions had meant nothing to him. She had meant nothing. And… she was okay with that… to an extent. Mayu lifted her head, and then slowly turned to face Kimimaro.
"You're wrong," she told him. "I had no intention of bringing him back."
"What are you talking about, Mayu?! That's the reason-"
"No, that's your reason," she interrupted. "I'm not like you or Sakura. On some level, even though your occupation involves killing, you still have that childish naivety. I, on the other hand, am an observer. I know the world. I know and accept the good and bad. Yeah, I can complain and gripe, and point out how stupid the world works. But I can't change it. It's not me who dictates what's good or bad." She swallowed hard. It felt like her throat constricted. "At this point, there would be no point in trying to convince him or stop him. He has already chosen his path, and I'm sorry, Naruto, but it's clear to me that we are not on it. He doesn't care about us enough for that."
"M-Mayu…" Naruto curled his fingers, forming fists. His gaze dropped to the ground. "We were Team 7—the four of us. We're friends, so… You're wrong."
"I'm not," Mayu insisted, hating that her voice cracked. "I won't pull him from the path he chose. I'm not important enough to do something like that." With that said, the girl took off after the Uchiha, leaving Naruto to face Kimimaro by himself. She felt bad about saying those things to Naruto. He had never looked so down. But it was a truth he needed to accept. Somehow, she had always hated that he had placed such a heavy burden on himself to find Sasuke. He took on that responsibility when he had not needed to. And why wouldn't he? Sasuke had been his first friend and rival. He could not so easily let the friendship go. She understood his motivation, but she did not want that for him. Because it was a terrible burden to have.
Gritting her teeth, Mayu focused on her current task now. Eventually, Lee would appear to distract Kimimaro. Naruto would not be too far behind. Whatever happened, it needed to happen before. She would not stop the clash between her former teammates. She would not observe it either. After she was done, all she wanted was to return to Hinata and make sure of her safety. The girl slipped her hand inside the pocket of her pants. Her fingers fiddled with the item inside. The time had truly come. Her hand left her pocket. She ran across the forest floor, determined to catch up with the Uchiha. This would be the last time, so she would make it count.
The girl lowered her upper body a bit. Using her hands and arms, she increased her pace. Because of this, it didn't take long until she saw the Uchiha crest. He jumped from tree branch to tree branch while she ran on the ground a bit further behind. The ninja suddenly halted his movements. From his crouched position, he stood up. Then he jumped down to the forest floor. He did not make another move to continue. "Mayu," he greeted. Pressing her lips together, Mayu stopped as well. She rose to a standing position only a few meters away. The girl dug in her pocket again. She pulled the item out and clutched it in her palm. Slowly, he began to turn her way. Without warning, she threw the object, and it soared through the air at frightening speeds. He turned, only to have the item collide with his forehead. The impact caused the Uchiha to slide back until his back hit the tree behind him. He gripped his forehead and groaned in obvious pain. "Why are you so damn brutal?"
Ordinarily, she would have smirked. Just a normal interaction between them, really. However, in this situation, she could not show mirth. Sighing through her nose, Mayu walked over to him. Sasuke had yet to lift his head. "Did you honestly think this would be happy reunion?" She tilted her body forward, hands clasped behind her back. "You're a bigger bird brain than I thought." He scoffed lightly, removing the heart-shaped frame from his forehead. Still, he didn't meet her gaze. Mayu frowned, eye twitching just a bit because of his lack of response. "I'm just being curious, but… Do you have any idea how angry I am?"
"Judging from your voice alone, I couldn't tell," Sasuke answered. "But since I know you well, I know exactly how angry you are." He chuckled. "I knew you'd get angry."
"If you knew…" Mayu had a hard time getting the question out. "Why did you leave without telling me?" The girl took another step forward. "We're friends, aren't we? You should have told me to my face what your plans were."
"No…"
"What?"
"I did consider you my friend… for a while," Sasuke vaguely explained. "You saw me. You changed me. You made me feel like I wasn't alone. You made me happy even when I knew that that man was still out there somewhere… You made me realize that I could still laugh." He let out a slow sigh. "And that's why… I don't consider you a friend anymore."
"Eh? On what planet does that make sense?" Her heart jerked in her chest. He had admitted their bond just now. So then how had he still gotten to this point of no return? "Shouldn't that make me your best friend?!"
"No, that's Naruto."
"Naru-" Mayu shook her head even more confused. The relationships between them should not have mattered to him at all. So then why was Uchiha Sasuke confessing that he valued the friendships he formed? He was being so blatant yet obscure at the same time. "What? Sasuke, make this make sense because right now, I don't understand. I don't get you! Why do all this?! Why leave us if you care so much?! Or-Or is this just some ploy to spare my feelings?! I don't need that! I don't want that! Do you realize how hurt your friends are because of your actions?! You're an asshole!"
"Stop it…!" Sasuke had snapped eyes up to glare. Mayu reared back. Her hands fell to her sides. The girl's mouth dropped open. Almost half of his face was covered with the cursed mark. One of his eyes was not the usual onyx color. Rather, it had changed to a dark yellow. The white of his eye was pitch black, making the yellow stand out even more. At her stunned face, Sasuke softened somewhat. "You… and Naruto—always getting worked up..." Mayu averted her gaze to the forest floor. Her eyelids lowered as she frowned.
"What is this…?" she murmured. "I wanted to hit you so badly ever since I got your stupid note. But now, as I look at you, I only want to turn away. I don't want to look at you—what you've become."
"What have I become?" Sasuke asked, standing up. "Tell me what you think."
"Stagnant."
"Ah…" Sasuke slowly shifted his gaze to his palm. The heart-shaped frame rested easily in his hand. "You hate that, don't you? People who choose to remain ignorant and stagnant their whole lives. Isn't that what you said?" Mayu knitted her eyebrows together. That sounded like something she would say, but she did not think she had said it recently… Sasuke lifted his mix-matched eyes to focus on Mayu. "If I'm so stagnant in your eyes, why did you come for me? Don't you hate me now?"
"Because you tried to end things between us like a coward. I cannot accept that," Mayu bit out. "You think I was going to let you get away with a note?"
"So you're angry," Sasuke surmised. A smirk formed. Mayu balled her fists in response. "Sometimes, you're more predictable than Naruto. I knew exactly what you would do. Chase me down just to kick my ass—all because I didn't give a proper goodbye."
"Then why are you doing this?" Mayu asked softly. "If you knew, then why didn't you just tell me? All I wanted was a confirmation that I affected you somehow—that you respect me enough to tell me to my face that you planned on leaving. Your goodbye would have been my confirmation, and I would have been satisfied."
"Are you lying right now?" Sasuke asked. Mayu bared her teeth, nearly snarling. "I thought about it… but then I realized that if I came to you, then you would have told me to stay. Because it's you, I would have listened." The shinobi looked elsewhere for a few seconds. "But I couldn't stay," he continued returning his gaze to her. "I need more power in order defeat that guy. I can't do anything else until he's dead. Staying in Konoha won't make me stronger than him. This is the only way for me to reach my brother."
"Right. Because Orochimaru is the perfect source to gain power," Mayu bitterly retorted. Sasuke said nothing in response to that. A dry laugh erupted from her mouth. "I'm such an idiot. I knew this day would come, but I didn't care." With a shake of her head, she scoffed. "I thought you had the ability to change, but you're still the same selfish, power-hungry, stupid boy that doesn't know anything." She laughed again while Sasuke stared, eyes narrowing. "Wow… I certainly fooled myself. I thought you might have cared just enough. But you don't, do you? Even now, I can feel you mocking me. Were you pretending to be my friend this whole time?"
"That is an unfair and stupid assessment," Sasuke managed through gritted teeth.
"Well, what am I supposed to think?" Mayu snapped back. "You don't consider me a friend anymore. You just said that!" The horrible pain she felt upon finding his note came back with a vengeance. Her hand reached up to grip the front of her shirt. That did little to quell the ache. "I suppose it doesn't matter now, anyway. You're still leaving. And I can't do anything to change that." Again, her resolve reformed. Mayu lowered her arm. "I didn't come here for a persuasive argument."
"Right. You came to kick my ass," Sasuke agreed. He glanced at the frame again before pocketing it. Scoffing lightly, he returned his gaze to her. "You don't get it at all, do you? Being so smart and stupid at the same time—you're so talented."
"Clench your teeth," Mayu said.
Sasuke only smirked again, seemingly amused by the remark. She had said it plenty whenever he had pissed her off. Little did he know how much she meant it this time. "Let me make this clear so you understand…" he said. He stepped forward. Mayu, of course, did not back away. "The childish games I played… that's over. I must be serious about everything from here on out. I can't be like the rest of you."
"Childish games…? The rest of us?" Mayu repeated, eyes widening. "Childish? Is that how you saw things? Is this how you see our efforts?" She laughed again, but it was as empty as before. Then she stopped. Abruptly cut off her laugh and shut her eyes. "Chouji," she whispered. She opened her eyes, gaze settling on Sasuke's puckered brow. However, she gave him no time to ponder. He would know her point soon enough. With no more warning, Mayu reared her head back only to bring it forward faster than a blink. She slammed her forehead against his. The crack of the impact rang in her ears. Mayu ignored the stinging pain, choosing to focus instead on the string of curses that left Sasuke's mouth.
It brought her immeasurable pleasure to hear. Sasuke reached up with both hands to clutch his head, but it gave her an opening. "Neji." The name spit from her mouth like a curse. Then Mayu whirled around, backhanding the Uchiha across the face. Sasuke toppled, losing his balance. She gave him no time to right it. "Hinata." A hard fist sank deep within his gut. Sasuke practically gagged. "Akamaru." She delivered an uppercut that nearly lifted him off the ground. "Kiba-boy." She lashed out with a leg this time, foot colliding with his shin. Sasuke winced, further losing his balance and dropping to one knee. His head snapped up, mouth opening to speak. She did not give him the chance. "Shikamaru." Her hand shot out, fingers curling around his face. She pitched forward, using almost her entire weight in slamming his head against the ground.
"Damn it!" The boy practically growled in pain before swatting hard at her arm. He then lifted his legs, intending to kick her away. Mayu released his face, and with that same arm, she blocked the strike. Just a bit, she winced, but it had been just enough of a distraction for Sasuke to stand.
The shock on his face registered, and for a split second, Mayu felt bad. Then her eyes narrowed. "Naruto." Sasuke clenched his teeth, grimacing. Again, he tried to speak, but Mayu moved quickly. Right in front of him now, she unleashed a powerful blow to his jaw. His head turned sharply, and blood spewed from his mouth. Out of all the attacks, that one had to be her strongest. Yes, she was upset about the others, but Naruto would be the one to take this the hardest, and so she showed him that with her fist. For a moment, Sasuke did not react. "Those are the names of the ninja that came on this mission to retrieve you. They are the ones who risked their lives for you. We've separated, so I don't know if they are still alive or not. They were serious in bringing you back, and they could be dead. You can make your decision, Sasuke. Seek revenge and strive towards your goal. Desert your village. But don't you dare belittle the rest by calling their actions childish or imply they're only playing games!"
"…" Finally, Sasuke turned his head, mix-matched eyes on her. Blood slid down his chin. Though his gaze was intense, Mayu did not falter or look away. "Your name wasn't on that list," he pointed out.
"I am not a ninja, nor did I come to retrieve you," she stated. "I just wanted-" Her breath hitched. She swallowed the strain. "I just wanted you to… to acknowledge me. If you were thinking our friendship meant so little—that it was just a childish game—you were wrong. I took our friendship seriously this whole time." To her embarrassment, she felt tears well and slip from her eyes. "All those times… I'll miss them. Go if you must but don't forget what we had. Don't forget-"
Sasuke suddenly moved. It took a second for Mayu to comprehend that he was right in front of her now. She breathed in sharply, rearing back, marveling his speed. The shinobi wrapped his fingers around her wrists, holding them at her sides and preventing her from moving further away. Not that she had any inclination of doing that. "Have you gotten your fill yet?" Sasuke asked. "Have you kicked my ass enough?" He now seemed unbothered by the earlier strikes. Besides the blood, he appeared unfazed.
"I… I guess," Mayu muttered, eyes darting down. She sniffled a bit. "Will you pay me back now?"
"No… I… I deserved each hit," Sasuke admitted.
"At least you realize it," Mayu agreed, returning eyes to him. She was surprised to see a small smile on his face. It completely threw her. She had not expected a smile. She honestly expected his indignation and retaliation. Not a smile. "Apologize."
"Okay," he said easily. "I'm sorry about the others." Mayu only formed a knot between her brow. She had not expected that either. A brushoff maybe. Not a sincere apology. Sasuke shut his eyes for a moment, releasing a slow breath. Then he opened them, revealing solid tenacity. "What I said, I didn't mean it. I have faith in my comrades, Mayu. None of them will die because of this mission."
"Wha-What…?"
"I was curious, though," Sasuke said, ignoring her flabbergast. "If your reaction might be the same."
"The same…?" Mayu repeated, wholly befuddled now. The tears had stopped flowing. She was much too distracted by Sasuke's odd behavior. It had been a sharp shift, and she had trouble keeping up. "The same as who?"
"Sakura," he replied, easily. Mayu could only blink. "She said… She said she loved me. She said if I were to stay, she would make me happy—that she would do anything if I just stayed with her… or, at the very least, take her with me." Sasuke edged closer, bruised forehead nearly touching Mayu's. "But you… You'd let me go. You respect me enough to let me make the decision." He slid his tongue over his front teeth. "Mayu," he said. For some reason, her insides shivered. "I… like that. I'm glad you're like that. I-" He cut himself off, visibly swallowing. "I like-"
Again, he cut himself off only to shut his eyes and press his lips firmly against hers. The unexpected touch felt like static electricity, spreading from her lips to her very veins. Their teeth collided a bit, too, further shocking her entire system. Mayu blinked rapidly before her eyes seemed permanently wide open. Within her chest, her heart moved like an untamed animal beating against confines. Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? On a loop, her mind had only the one thought. Then it was over. She could not grasp how much time had passed, but Sasuke reared his head back. He opened his eyes slowly, cheeks pink. He swallowed again, and Mayu found herself watching his throat move with bizarre fascination before refocusing on his mouth. His mouth that had been on hers. Kiss. He had kissed her. And it tasted like blood.
Mayu breathed in slowly through the slight opening of her lips. Awareness returned at a snail's pace. She feared a ricochet of thoughts would overwhelm her if her mind moved any faster to process. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. His eyebrow twitched. Oh. Oh! It had been an accident. Of course. Something similar had happened before, right? Only instead of his hand on her chest, it had been his lips on… on her lips. An accident. He probably had gotten nervous about whatever he had intended to say and acted in a dramatic way, leading their lips to meet. Yes. Just an accident.
Of course, Sasuke blew that theory out of the water by tilting his head and kissing her again. Their teeth did not hit this time, but it was no less jarring than the first. Previously, her heart had gone haywire, practically flying out of tempo. This time, it almost felt frozen. Stuck. But that could not be the case. She was still alive. Right? Lightheaded, but alive, right? Shivers surged, seemingly wrapping around her very spine and overtaking every nerve connected. This was… a whole new feeling. One she had never experienced before. Given her circumstances, Mayu was someone who embraced foreign things with an enthusiastic grin. However, this was different. Too different. She did not—could not—understand the notion. So, what would Ishikari Mayu do in this type of situation…? All she could do, really.
Scream.
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