Chapter 26: Teamwork.
Pairings: Naru/Sasu...duh.
Rating: K-T (looonng gone), M-NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own the sheer genius of "Naruto", Shippuden or other. The honours go to Masashi Kishimoto and his genius (but stupid a**) brain that created this masterpiece.
Summary: Remember that summer camp you went to; that quaint place out in the woods, by a lake, sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories and eating s'mores? Well this summer school sure as hell isn't that. Three months, Sasuke, teenage delinquents, illegal alcohol, prescription drugs, annoying shrinks, escape plans, a shitzu from hell, and new relationships; welcome to camp.
A/N: Shit hits the fan... in more ways than one. -grin- Huge ass chap for ya'll...oh and warning #BitchSasuke.
A/N2: I'm absolutely touched and thankful at anyone and everyone who took time to read this, like it and review. #cookies to everyone.
(*)(*)(*)
The echo of the hollow sound in the empty classroom made Sasuke wheel around before marshalling his strength and stoically facing the people in the room, Shikamaru, Gaara, TenTen, Kin, Renjii and Naruto.
Stiff, static silence; like the one before a thunderstorm.
"You're up to something, Uchiha." Shikamaru said evenly, arms spread wide, "...and we want to know what it is."
(*)(*)(*)
Oh. Fucking. Shit.
Trying to look blasé and undaunted Sasuke turned semi-circle to face them and scoffed, "You're all crazy."
"No, we're not," Shikamaru said pushing off the wall, "...though it did take me...well us really... some time to put it together. You're at a camp for criminals Sasuke...we have all noticed your...behaviour."
"Oh yeah?" Sasuke rebuffed, arms crossed obstinately, "Prove it."
Sighing Shikamaru waved a negligent hand to the people behind him and ordered: "Go."
"You need an illegal weapon to be made; one that can override power systems for an indefinite amount of time." TenTen said idly while plucking a kunai out of her boot and using an edge to scrape under her fingernails. "Even though I didn't question it at the time, it made me think...you're planning either a robbery or an escape."
"You've been spending an extravagant amount of time holed up in the library," Kin replied amicably, amber eyes still and non- accusing, "... you know...checking out electronic systems, medical journals, and an ancient war manual."
"Wait...how the hell do y-" he started to accuse but was railroaded.
"You have that look Sasuke... the same look you had when we were twelve...the 'I'm-going-to-fuck-someone-over-hard,' look." Neji added evenly, ignoring the wave of curious looks he was getting shot at his person.
"You've been extremely distracted," Gaara put in, green eyes looking straight at him, "...agitated and tense; it's like you were constantly looking for something disastrous to happen."
Damn it, the Sabaku was right. He had been on edge lately and something disastrous had happened.
"You've been disappearing at night and you've been talking in your sleep," Naruto soundly finished for them, "... mumbling about some Pein guy."
Fuck.
"And I've personally seen you mentally mapping out the terrain and timing the guard rotation." Shikamaru said crossly as he took the reins back, "... so 'fess up, Uchiha; what the hell is going on?"
Sasuke looked each of them in the eye for a long moment; then sighed. A pale hand scrubbed through his dishevelled hair while an irrational urge to hysterically giggle bubbled up in his mind.
Fuck it all. There was absolutely no way out of it.
"What I'm going to tell you all stays in this room." He said seriously, piercing each one with his eyes, every word dripping from his lips like a death sentence. Each of the assembled nodded gravely, intuitively sensing the gravity of the situation.
"It sounds preposterous but trust me, what I am about to tell you is absolutely true. There is a... situation in this camp... one that has been kept secret for months. It's like some Mission Impossible, James Bond shit. This... situation involves the local mob, the Triads, the I.C.J and the American C.I.A..." his deft eyes examined the gathering, "...are sure you want me to continue?"
He had tacked the question on at the last moment because the second he had uttered the word 'mob' the room went static and incredibly tense. Wary looks passed through the informal gathering but, after a second, each of them nodded for him to continue.
"Fine..." Sasuke acquiesced leaning on the nearest wall, arms folded, "... from the beginning then. It sounds incredulous but the local mob is actually run by this precinct's government appointed overseer, Orochimaru Sannin. Months ago the I.C.J imprisoned a man named Pein, one of Orochimaru's top lieutenants, in the basement of the Admin Sector. The problem is that Pein.." his eyes flicked over to Naruto for a second; "...also known as Special Agent Uzumaki Nagato is an undercover C.I.A operative who was working to get Orochimaru deported from the country, tried and executed."
Sasuke watched carefully at Naruto's reactions; aside from a slight widening of eyes at the name, nothing.
The raven then shifted to ease the pressure off his legs, "...unfortunately, Orochimaru acted before he, Pein, could get all the evidence he needed and, after selling out another one of his pawns Orochimaru then used his influence and had the I.C.J imprison Pein; coincidently somewhere extremely easy for him to access... and now for some reason he wants Pein out."
Silence for a minute; then Neji spoke up his question articulating the main query everyone was thinking. "And how do you come in?"
Sasuke had to seriously refrain from rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I'm the one breaking him out."
"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, tugging at his solitary metal earing. "Why though?"
Black eyes narrowed, "Be specific; why as in 'why' does he want Pein out, or 'why' am I doing it?"
The replies were a dull chorus; three saying 'both', one saying 'the first' and the other saying 'the second'. Naruto and Renjii were mysteriously silent.
"On the first; it's all about his drug trade... he needs some information Pein has...information about a fatal bio-hazardous disease that he could literally bottle and sell..." he then paused, a grim expression on his pale face, "...but the other is personal... he staged an attack against my brother. He blew up Itachi's boyfriend's house. It's clear he's trying to intimidate me but I don't get scared that easily." His lips thinned, "You have to understand though; Itachi...is like my lifeline, he's only family I have...I cannot afford to lose him."
"So why not tell the police," Naruto finally spoke up, "you know...get a protective detail for him?"
Sasuke sighed, "I can't."
"Why?" most of them said in harmony.
"Think people!" he snapped annoyed, "I'm a criminal at a fucking reform camp for criminal insane. What are the odds of anyone believing me even after testifying, stoned off my ass with truth drugs and strapped to fucking lie detector, that the local overseer-slash-mob boss, who incidentally people hold as a fucking saint, runs the nation's underground criminal sector and is trying to kill my only family. It's like an ant trying to bite an elephantand then getting crushed... It's my word, a juvenile criminal's word against his, a decorated 'humanitarian'; please guess who the majority would believe."
Awkward silence. Sasuke arched an expectant eyebrow daring anybody to contest his statement.
"Kid has got a point." Kin sighed fiddling with her braid.
The raven bristled at the slight insult but let it slide.
"One more question," Shikamaru asked, "How did you get involved anyway?"
The million dollar question.
"One day Orochimaru himself approached me," Sasuke explained, "He said he knew my family, specifically my father, which in actuality he might have since both were in the medical field. After some platitudes about my genius he told me about Pein...and he offered me a position with his operation."
"What did you do?" The Nara asked his sable eyebrow arched.
"What the hell do you think I did?" Sasuke shot back, "The asshole was keeping tabs on my brother, it was plain as daylight he was going to use Itachi to coerce me. I agreed."
"How... selfless." Neji spoke up, lids half lowered over silvery eyes.
"Not really," Sasuke replied smiling nastily, "I may be a criminal, you know... menace to society and all that, but one thing I'm not going to do is to allow him access to more mayhem, trust me...he's not going to get away with it."
Neji pale eyes glimmered and a small conspiracy-like 'so-that's-what-you're-up-to' smile crossed his face. Sasuke ignored the gaze and turned away.
"You know," the blond spoke up after a stint of silence; hair shadowing his eyes and his tone low, "... if this case was so high profile, I highly doubt the C.I.A would let this slide under the radar. There has to be some surveillance or interference operation going on...its basic military, operative and reconnaissance procedure."
Sasuke pinned Renjii with his dark daring gaze, smooth eyebrow arched in expectation.
Amber eyes rolled as the younger Mizu coughed delicately and raised his hand. "That would be me Uzumaki. Three years: junior C.I.A agent, micro and macro technology expert, trained field recon and combat operative plus weapons and demolitions specialist."
"Wow." TenTen whispered reverently, her eyes wide. "You're what...eighteen?"
"Twenty-one actually." He clarified with a small white-toothed grin.
"WHATEVER!" Sasuke snapped, "TenTen flirt with him on your own time; this is literally a life or death situation."
"What's a life or death situation?" a new voice cut in from the doorway. Sasuke threw up his hands in disgust. Kiba was walking through the door, his facial expression clearly confused like hell. "...and ya'll loud as fuck bastards should really try and keep it down, guards are patrolling ya'know."
"Christ." Sasuke swore, fingertips massaging his throbbing temple, "and now we have a liability."
Snarling Kiba lunged forward but was quickly grabbed by Naruto, "What'd you call me asshole!"
"Mutt-face," Naruto ordered wrenching the Inuzuka's hands behind him into a tight hold, "right now you need to shut the hell up."
Kiba grumbled but went quiet.
A beat.
"Sasuke," Neji said carefully, "...with all this... I'm going to wager that someone else in this place has to know about Pein; otherwise they wouldn't have had the permission or opportunity to imprison him."
"He's right." Kin offered eyes widened, "Someone else has to know."
"Well..." TenTen postulated, "Orochimaru is the overseer; I bet he has serious clout over the managerial council."
"No." Gaara's low thoughtful voice interjected for the first time, "Think about it... Orochimaru has been juggling an official government post and being a criminal boss for years if not decades. The man has to be a master of strategy and deception. Approaching the managerial council would be a major tactical error because most of them are candidates for a similar position with the government. He wouldn't dare risk that. Logic dictates that he would have gone under, someone he can rule or intimidate... if I was him I would go for Gai."
Sasuke went still as the revelation washed over him, "Son of a bitch."
"Ummm, what the hell are ya'll taking about?" Kiba asked from his place on the wall.
"I'll fill you in later," Naruto answered him stonily, "Sasuke; you need to know this is not a one man job. Even if you did manage to break him out, I've seen too many hostile exchange situations like this to know that Orochimaru is going kill you after you've handed Pein over to him."
'He's already trying.' Sasuke thought acerbically.
"He's also right... that's basic common sense...he wouldn't leave someone alive who has evidence to ruin him."
"So..." Shikamaru said, looking each one of them in the eye then back to Sasuke. "...with all said and done Uchiha, you are going to need some help."
Kin placed a hand on his shoulder, "And I, for one, am up to the challenge."
"Hold the hell on." Sasuke said shifting back and shooting her a disbelieving look, "...it's one thing that you found this out and I can live with that but to think you would put your freedom and future on the lin-" he paused to shake his head then smiled slightly humorously "...assassin's' creed...right?"
"What the fuck?!" Kiba cried, stepping back a pace, eyes bugging out facing Kin. "You're a- a... murderer?"
"The term is 'assassin' and yes." Kin said mildly leaning into Kiba's face and grinning, "And I know no less than fifteen ways to make you shut up...permanently."
Kiba closed his mouth so hard his teeth clicked.
"I don't know..." the Hyuuga trailed off, eyes tracing over everyone in the room, "...I mean if we get caught...the repercussions."
'Oh Neji,' Sasuke thought, 'the aim is to get caught.'
Kin but in, ignoring Neji's qualms; "Sasuke, you need us all. And no I'm not doing this for following the creed; I'm doing this because I just like you... This is going to take some serious planning and execution." she grinned, "...and that's right up my alley."
"I'm in." Gaara announced soundly.
"...what the hell..." Shikamaru sighed, pinching his nose, "...me too."
Sasuke was completely astounded. "Let me get this straight...you're choosing to get into this with me...you do know this is a felony, right?"
An undefinable look passed over them before they straightened up and nodded decisively. Shikamaru's eyes were closed; the genius clearly thinking over the facts he has just been bombarded with.
"Yes Uchiha; we do... with our combined genius we can pull this off; but we need to make a deal, right here and right now." The hacker said evenly eyes open and serious, "If we do pull this off; each and every one here needs their records wiped out...complete exoneration."
"That is not for me to decide." Sasuke said, "...though Pein does have that power; the C.I.A can erase any criminal record from the face of the earth."
"Run it by him then." Gaara put in.
"...are we seriously going to do this?" Neji asked quietly, opalesce eyes shifting from one person to the other.
"Yes Hyuuga we are...out of curiosity though Uchiha..." Shikamaru asked idly, tugging at his ponytail, "...how are you going to get Pein out of the basement and not deliver him to Orochimaru?"
So, clearly, the Nara had picked up on that.
Sasuke grinned impishly, "I'm going to kill him."
(*)(*)(*)
****Iwagakure Police Station 8 a.m.****
Kakashi stared at the scanned image of the partial print on the high res LED screen and after a hesitant moment pressed the 'search' button.
The main reason, Kakashi had hypothesised, any links to the murderer wasn't catalogued was because the comprehensive nation-wide identification census system had only been introduced in five nations a mere six years ago. If the person they were searching for had been underground for the last couple decades, there was no way he could've been found using the straight identification method.
But the psychoanalyst had a plan; it was highly possible that the person had some relatives or children. Some family had DNA strains so resilient that it was possible the print could be matched an existing kin that could allow them to narrow the extensive search gap.
It was a shot into the deep dark abyss but then again, nothing attempted, nothing gained.
The silver haired man sat back; nursing the triple shot of black coffee and staring intensively at the fleeting images quickly flitting over the screen; sometime pausing for a rapid second to check a possible match then moving on.
Seventy thousand gone; approximately fifty thousand left.
(*)(*)(*)
**** First Session: Weapons Training Class ****
"Welcome to my god-given obsession: weapons." Anko said grinning, arms spread wide to compass the two sections showcasing huge blown up diagrams of weapons.
Both sections were dedicated to two distinct diverse weapons categories; the first showcased present-day military artilleries encompassing a wide variety of arms from guns and bombs to tanks and missiles. The second depicted theoretical and development weapons like nanotech weapons, mirror camouflage suits, cyborg controlled DNA specific drones and holographic 3D terrain mapping equipment.
"...and when I'm done with you, you will be obsessed with them too."
Sasuke dark eyes bopped, the intense hours he had spent last night with the others, piecing together and matching each one's individual strengths was tolling on him. Seems like he had lucked out though; each and every one of them (barring Kiba) had scored into the 'genius' category and had extensive knowledge of subterfuge.
Upon prodding Sasuke had carefully mapped out his own plans, and after divulging the info Gaara, Kin and Shikamaru and Renjii went to work, individually twisting each scenario to try and find some flaw or loophole.
He was then sufficiently surprised when Naruto, like an acting army general, had then converted the whole situation into a quasi-military op.
The task, which Naruto had termed 'Op Exodus', hinged on three vital steps Sasuke had outlined; step one; giving Pein the berries concoction to fake his death, second; effectively deploying the EMP to shut down the grid; third; getting Pein under and out to the gardening plot where the metal fence was so corroded a pair of dull pliers could cut a sizable hole in the fence.
The fact though, was Sasuke had two more steps he didn't dare share: Fourth and fifth were hinged on getting Orochimaru to show up at the exact time when after a discreet call to the local police force.
It was all about timing and accuracy; one step off and it would all go to hell.
Naruto had then proposed counter measures; he had set up an emergency communication call based on Morse code and speculated some of the many offensive moves the man could make based on his experience with desperate terrorists.
Sasuke had just sat back and watched amazed, impressed (and slightly aroused) at the power and control the blond was exhibiting. Plans, counter plans and counter-counter plans were thinly made and memorized.
Exhausted as he currently was though, Sasuke was breathing easier for the help he was getting. It was like a boulder had been removed from his shoulders.
"Uchiha!" Anko snapped voice almost growling, "Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Actually...yes." he smirked thanking his eidetic memory, "You said that for the majority of the next week we're going to undergo militia training; like how to identify a weapon just by the sound of its discharge, how to assemble a gun blindfolded and upside down and target practice."
Anko huffed turning to the board and mumbled, "Smartass."
(*)(*)(*)
The day's activities, barring the abnormal meeting last night, ran on schedule: classes, cali, meals and a psychoanalysis sessions. Sasuke's current session was with a kind of frizzled out Iruka who told him that Kakashi had been absent from early this morning and had not been seen or heard from since.
Strange.
The discussion started out tame and typical; family, friends, ambitions, until it came to romantic relationships. Sasuke just stared silently and stonily at Iruka until the shrink relented.
"Sasuke," Iruka proposed clearly shifting tactics, "We have a few minutes left so how about we try some RWA: random word association."
"Really..." Sasuke replied, "...okay."
Rummaging for his stop timer and sheet of approved words he stated: "I'm going to start off simple okay..."
Sasuke nodded.
'Black'."
"Green." Sasuke answered knowing very damn well the most standard answer was 'white'. Iruka's eyes widened for a second but then again...this was Sasuke he was dealing with.
"Ocean?"
"Salt." Sasuke answered under a second.
"Wood?"
"Hurricane."
"Witch?"
"Draco Malfoy."
Iruka's lips twitched, "Sasuke, Draco is not female."
"Really?" he scoffed, "...shocker."
"Okay...moving on...women."
The raven sighed, "Menopausal."
Iruka switched tactics following up on Sasuke's answer, "Father?"
Sasuke went rigid, "Asshole."
Iruka started so hard he dropped his pen, "Sasuke... what h-"
"What happened?" he asked eyes narrowed, "My father was a sub-psychotic abusive psycho... that's what happened. I'm glad he's dead."
"Sasu-"
"Come on Iruka, spare me...I know all the platitudes you're going to give me...just accept when I tell you that I'm fine; I've dealt with it long time ago."
The session ran on with the gamut of random words from 'children', which Sasuke answered 'pests'; 'sweets', which he firmly denounced as 'disgusting', 'rock' which he answered as 'roll' and 'hit' which with a grin answered, 'and run.'
A sigh and a glance to the clock on the mantle; "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Yes, when are you going to accept Kakashi?" he asked blatantly.
Iruka sputtered, "W...wh...Sasuke...that is not a topic I'm going to disc-"
"Really?" he asked, "You spend all your time analysing other people but it's clear you haven't done a damn thing for yourself."
The sable haired man was getting red in the face now. "Sasuke, my desires are-"
"So you admit you're attracted to him." He bulldozed. "The man is clearly after you, and honestly you look like you need a go-"
"STOP!" Iruka yelled, "Sasuke...Kakashi and I a-"
"Perfect for each other." He filled in for the man, getting up to leave, "Do yourself a favour...stop denying it."
(*)(*)(*)
The late evening was as calm as possible, which, in hindsight should've been a blatant sign to Sasuke that something was going to go horribly wrong.
The study session, with him, Neji, Gaara and Kin, sequestered in a small corner of the mess hall was going all too well until Ino and Sakura came in and sat down. The pink-ette was sipping her customary cup of coffee while Ino was filing her nails. The raven gave them a bland cursory glance then went back to solving the complicated calculus problem before him.
Sakura and Ino looked tense though; like they were having an argument. Snippets of their discussion wafted over to him;
'I'm telling...orange ...but your complexion... grey...'
'..yes...about the scarf...but the white...'
Then this came from a snidely sounding Ino; "Why don't you ask your Uchiha...he's right over there."
Sasuke's glanced up confused to swiftly meet the young Haruno's eyes. Why in hell were they discussing him? Sakura blushed after quickly breaking the raven's look.
"Oh Ino... no...Sasuke doesn't seem like the type to tell me about the-"
"Why not?" Ino asked facing him, "...Oh riiiight...you still don't know that's he's gay!" Ino half yelled.
Silence.
Utter and complete silence.
The whole room went quieter than an abandoned graveyard at midnight.
A crash. Sakura's mug slipped from her lax hand and smashed on the floor, splattering the remainder of her mocha latte over her shoes. Green eyes went wide as a previous rosy visage went extremely pale and a slender hand started to tremble.
Sasuke felt artic cold engulf his entire body.
"S...Sasuke..." Sakura stuttered turning to him, "Is it..."
After a dumbstruck second the raven opened his mouth but Ino beat him to it.
"Let me answer that for you Sakura," Ino projected capitulating on the dead silence "... when you told me about him rejecting you and I did some searching..."
A panicked mantra slammed into Sasuke's head; "No. no. no. no. no. no. NO! Shewouldn'tdare."
"...turns out he and the pretty Hyuuga over there were an item for years...so yes he is gay...flaming cock-sucker walking." Ino snarled aquamarine eyes lit with hell's flame.
Dimly he saw short cropped pink hair spin and a teary-eyed, fully white clad form run out of sight.
More silence.
In five minutes Sasuke was going to jail for murder.
Ino's smirk was lupine. "..Isn't that right, Uchiha?"
Then all hell broke loose, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" He snarled, standing up, black eyes flashing red.
"You are such a fucking twisted, sick, insane and depraved jealous cunt that you would do anything to destroy something you can't have. News flash bitch you've just destroyed someone who turned down college just to be close to you." He stepped closer to her everything in him aimed on totally decimating the Yamanaka.
"That's right Ino... Sakura got accepted into the paediatrician medical program at Kon-U with a full scholarship and she turned it down just to be with you."
Ino's eyes widened with every word; but Sasuke didn't let up; he slammed his palms down on the desk between them. "You; a sick, stupid, bitter, ungrateful, dumb, slut who can't even understand that you have no future with me or any sensible man on the damn planet who can sense an obvious block-headed, manipulative, gold-digger from miles away."
Ino was trembling by now. Sasuke was unrepentantly going in for the kill. "...so take your gonorrhoea riddled, junkie, vindictive, fake ass self and go rot in hell."
The blond fled; hand clamped over her face.
Even more silence.
Sasuke turned around grimacing, fingers massaging his forehead. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Neji's pale face looking decidedly green and nauseated. He tried to ignore it.
He needed to find Sakura and try to climb out of the simmering cesspool he was in.
(*)(*)(*)
The sound of ripping paper mitigated something in Sasuke. If he couldn't maim Ino this then was the best option; taking his anger out on something that couldn't scream bloody murder.
The shooting range.
Anko had given them carte-blanche approval to use it at any time; just under licensed supervision. Currently Baki was in the other booth decimating his own hanging paper torso.
Sasuke's mind though was still reliving the unbelievably painful conversation he had just had with Sakura.
**** flashback 2 hours ago ****
He had tracked her to her room; when he found her she was braced on her vanity and dully staring at her reflection in the mirror.
"Just tell m..me..." she whispered, dull green eyes in a field of agitated red. Tears marks were still clearly visible on her pale face.
"Saku-" he said reaching out to her face. She shied away from his touch; pink hair mussed and dishevelled.
"TELL ME!" she yelled; sniffling, "...J...just tell me. Is it..."
Damn. It.
"I'm sorry but...yes...it's true."
She stared at him for a moment then flopped down on the nearest seat, head falling into her arms. After a moment she asked dully: "Why d-did you even t-talk to me then... I...I mean it was...it is clear that I like you...what were you doing...w-were you just p-p-playing with me?"
Fuck.
"Yes." He replied honestly, "...at first. But Sakura, I didn't want to hu-"
"Get out." she whispered pressing an ice pack to her forehead. "Go away. I don't want to see you."
Seeing there was nothing more he could've said or done to alleviate the pain he was causing the girl he silently left.
**** present ****
"The recoil is going to give you a concussion if you keep doing that."
Sasuke tore himself away from the memories and physically looked up to see Naruto leaning adroitly on the cubicle's doorway.
"Anko sai-"
"Anko is playing with you." Naruto rebuffed, "...all of you actually...she's trying to see who can figure out the trick for straight shooting before she separates the good from the trash."
Lying the mid-sized gun on the small shelf Sasuke shifted his ear-muffs and asked, "So genius...what exactly is the 'trick'?"
"Ignore the kickback." the blond said nodding to the gun, "Just keep shooting; the force from the next bullet will cancel out the previous one's reaction."
"Hn." He snorted, he should've known that. Raising the gun up again to aim at the target, he went still when a hard, warm body pressed against his back. Tan arms bolstered the pale ones holding the gun and warm breath whispered in his ear, "Higher. You might not know it but the bullet's trajectory decelerates once it is released. Five millimetres above and you will hit the target dead on."
Sasuke felt like he was in rigor mortis; he swallowed hard.
"Go ahead...shoot."
He pressed the trigger, the bullet shot through the dead centre exactly.
"Keep going."
Confident he released the whole round into the hanging target, ignoring the recoil and each one, shot cleanly through the bull's eye.
The gun was smoking when he put it down. "...Thank you."
A grin, "No prob...and by the way...you look hot with a gun."
Sasuke's eyebrow quirked, replacing the empty magazine with a full one of rubber bullets, "I'm surprised...you've not grilled me about the Hyuuga."
"Meh." The blond shrugged and leaned back on the doorframe casually, muscular legs lovingly hugged by form fitting pants and corded tan arms negligently crossed, hair framing mischievous cerulean eyes. "I figured...it was really kinda obvious."
"No shit, Sherlock." Sasuke agreed.
(*)(*)(*)
*****Sparta dorm room, 8.p.m.****
"Uchiha."
Sasuke glanced up from the sociology essay he was re-proofreading about the similarities between the Chinese culture and their own. With a sigh he got up and opened the door.
"This just came for you." The messenger said, handing him a package. "It's been screened already, no metal or weapons found."
Sasuke went still before accepting the package and nodding his thanks. For a long moment he stared at the brown wrapped box wondering what it contained. There was no return address so clearly it was the mysterious stalker.
Sasuke carefully unwrapped the box, each fold of the dull brown wrapping unfolded with clinical care. The box was a Chinese puzzle box, a very intricate puzzle box; looking carefully hand crafted with a painfully detailed roaring, be-fanged dragon carved into the lid wrapped around a yin-yang symbol.
Searching around for the key he found, on the back a set of small wooden squares that looked like moveable type; each one marked with a black mark; some curved.
With each shift Sasuke went tenser and tenser with each match. He went completely rigid when the whole thing was just one step from complete. The whole thing was the outline of the Uchiha fan symbol.
Christ.
How the hell could this... maniac have an ancient relic of the Uchiha dynasty without it being in the family's vaults?
Pushing the last key to complete the 'fan' symbol a nearly invisible slot popped open. Lying at the bottom was...a...a...Sasuke went faint.
His vision went extremely dark and his breathing kicked up into extreme hyperventilation. Desperately he grabbed at the desk's surface to steady himself and to have something solid he could concentrate on and process instead of the horrifying object in the box.
This was im- fucking- possible.
(*)(*)(*)
****Iwagakure Police Station 10:45 p.m.****
The incessant beep made Kakashi sit up groggily. Red was flashing over the computer screen with a bold red script blaring at him; 'PARTIAL MATCH'.
Kakashi looked up and went pale; his eyes had to be playing a trick on him. Three critical minutiae(1) on the partial print had been matched. But...but...this made no damn sense, whatsoever!
Itachi Uchiha's, androgynous, red-eyed face was centred in the middle of the screen.
(*)(*)(*)
(1) 'minutiae': the specific potions of a fingerprint used in matching.
(*)(*)(*)
...nothing to say...nothing at all.
But:
A review challenge, each person who reads this drop a review...I want to get like 50...yes I am shamelessly extorting reviews;
XD
So ...
REVIEW DAMNIT.
NOW!
***Black P.***