Yay! it's another chapter! You know, there basically one band I listen to when I write, and that would be Sum 41. They're so awesome. If you ever feel like it, go onto and look up "Naruto Hell." It'll probably be the first one you'll see, and it's always called the "Best Naruto AMV i've ever seen" so it shouldn't be too hard to find. It's an awesome freakin video!
Love ya
Nicola
Chapter Eight: Betraying the Betrayer
Nothing made sense. At least, not in Kaede's mind.
While she'd comforted a weeping Sakura, she had managed to get the story from the other girl. It had taken a while, but in between gasping breaths and racking sobs, Kaede had been able to decipher Sakura's words, and had been horrified and confused by the story.
After Kaede and the ninja that were left started to hold off the Sound, while the rest of the Konoha fighters evacuated the people to another sector of the underground, Naruto had apparently kept on fighting with Sasuke, eventually disappearing as the doors were closed and latched. Now, the thing that bothered Kaede was that she, nor anyone else, had seen Naruto or Sasuke moving around on the battlefield. If her memory served right, she'd lost sight of them when someone had knocked her to the ground. By then, the battle had been full fledged, and there was no picking anyone out of the crowd.
So there Kaede still sat, in a far corner of the humongous, packed room, all by herself, racking her brains for any reason why they two ninjas would have just disappeared, or even fathom leaving the battle to fight in private. Maybe they hadn't wanted distractions or something, maybe it was just a preference they had, or anything along those lines. Anything but what kept forcing its way to the front of her mind.
One of them had died.
Kaede knew that if Naruto had died, Sasuke would have been kind and respectful towards his friend, and probably left him for Konoha to mourn over. Then, the Uchiha would have peacefully gone on his way. Naruto would most likely have done the same thing, taking Sasuke back to what used to be the Leaf village, laying him by the gates, and placing his sword across his chest. Maybe that was what was keeping him. Kaede's heart twisted at the thought of Sasuke being dead, but it would be best for her village if Naruto had killed him.
She chewed on her bottom lip, curling her knees to her chest and resting her chin against them. There were so many things that had been going on, she couldn't keep watching the two elite ninja fight. It nagged at her that she might have been able to do something about it if she had been paying attention. The back of her eyes stung with tears, and she blinked, forcing them back.
"It's alright to be upset," a soft, wise voice said, and Kaede whipped her head around to see her old sensei leaning on crutches, his torso bandaged heavily. She went to stand immediately, but Kakashi motioned for her to stay down. He pressed his back against the wall and slowly slid down; if he was hurting, he kept it hidden.
The gray eye that Kaede had always thought of as lazy ran over her face; his Sharingan eye was not visible, as his band was pulled down. But, as she further investigated his features, she saw something that made her gasp and clench her fists.
Hatake Kakashi, the great, legendary copy-nin son of the White Fang, was wandering around without his mask.
His pale face seemed naked without it, but Kaede had to admit he was a handsome man. There didn't seem to be any words to describe his solemn, battle-worn face, but if she had to, she'd say it had certain elegance to it.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Kaede gaped at him, a small part of her mind scolding her for calling him sensei again. She was a Jounin, and did not have a sensei. "Why aren't you wearing your mask? I've never seen you without it!"
Kakashi laughed. "Yes, I have that impression with about everyone. You know, that ramen girl has had a crush on me ever since Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke tried to trick me into taking it off." Then his expression darkened. "Kaede, there is no reason for you to try and hide your feelings. You may be a substitute Hokage until Naruto's possible return, but Hokage's can feel things, too. The Third was very passionate about his village, and was never afraid to show it."
"I know, Kakashi, but it's just—"
"Just what?" the gray-haired ninja asked, setting his crutches to a more sturdy position against the wall. "Just that you blame yourself? That if you had watched them fight, or not allowed Sasuke to leave, or paid more attention to your work? Or not visited Sasuke when you weren't supposed to?"
Kaede gasped. "How do you know about all that? I had thought no one saw me leave and see him."
His gray eye narrowed, Kakashi said, "No one inside this place saw you, but there was nothing stopping someone outside watching you." Kakashi's voice turned stern. "You know just as well as I do that Sasuke is a very, very dangerous person who should not be taken lightly. And the two of us, along with Naruto, know Sasuke better than anyone else does. He betrayed us, and assisted in the attack on Konoha. You might still hold on to your feelings for him, but trust me, Sasuke feels for no one. I know that, and you know that. I hate to say this, and yet you need to hear it." Kakashi sighed. "In the most likely scenario, Sasuke is only using you to get closer to us."
The horror and truth of his words struck Kaede like a blow to the face. She fell back against the wall, averting her eyes from her old sensei as she stared at the ceiling. Could what he said be true? Could Sasuke have been using her all this time? No, he loved her too much. Didn't he? Oh, Kami, it was so confusing!
Sasuke had spent all of those days, months, years, with her, spending time with her, buying presents for her, doing little things for her, taking her out to dinner, watching her sleep at night. Was that all a hoax? Was that all a disguise to his true feelings, and his true intentions? Her head spun wildly at the images and memories of her time with him flashing through her mind. Those kisses, those long, nighttime walks holding hands, missions…they weren't real. They were all fake, feigned to make her believe that the two of them had connections.
She hardly noticed Kakashi standing up and hobbling away as gracefully as one could on crutches. She was too far delved into the horror of realization to pay much attention to anything beyond her thoughts. Her hand went up to her lips and touched them as she remembered the feel of Sasuke's kiss. She couldn't see—all she could picture was the night by the lake they'd spent together. He had asked her to come out and see him again the next night at midnight. But that time passed a long time ago.
Taking a deep breath, Kaede stood and licked her lips. There were things that needed to be done, and Sasuke had gotten in the way of too much in the past. She threaded her way through the crowding people, eyes scanning the room for Tsunade, Sakura, or Miki, whichever one she found first.
She spotted Miki on the opposite side of the large, dank room, and started to head in that direction. But then she saw Neji next to Miki, and that the two were having what looked to be an intimate conversation. She rolled her eyes and looked once again for someone else.
Sakura was a rather levelheaded person in disasters or dire moments. Kaede figured that if anyone could give her a flat-out answer to all those questions running through her head, it would be Sakura.
The sober, pink-haired kunoichi was in the hallway when Kaede found her. The once-Hokage sat next to the other woman and waited for her to say something. It was a few long minutes before Sakura whispered a few words.
"I wish I knew where he was," she said softly, looking down at her hands. "It hurts so bad."
Nodding, Kaede didn't say anything. She personally knew that it was worse when the person you were trying to confide in didn't listen, but talked about their own self. As she looked at the worrisome woman next to her, she began to regret coming to talk of her own worries.
Sakura looked at Kaede with wide, moist green eyes. "I don't know how he could've just disappeared like that. Where would he have gone?" She clenched her fists. "It was that damn Sasuke, I know it."
That struck a chord, but Kaede held her tongue and instead said, "We don't know what happened, Sakura. Anything could've gone wrong. You know that."
"You're just protecting Sasuke," Sakura accused, glaring. "That man is all you care about anymore. You just don't understand! He betrayed us! He left Konoha for Orochimaru, he left all of us, left you, for power to kill his brother!" She sobered. "You never knew how lucky you were, though." Her face was no longer angry, but sad, and longing. "For years I hoped that Sasuke would take an interest in me. And then you came along, and he liked you. That was the worst feeling in the world, seeing you and him walking together and talking and spending time together, like I had dreamed for so many nights, except you were in my place." Sakura ran a hand through her bedraggled hair and shook her head.
"But then you found Naruto," Kaede whispered, realizing as soon as she had spoken them that those words were the wrong things to say.
Sakura's face became one of pity. "No, I didn't find Naruto. He more likely found me, and I was in denial of him for a long, long time. But even now, I envy you, and wish things had turned out differently." The kunoichi stood, and Kaede could do nothing but watch. "If you came here to talk about Sasuke, you came to the wrong person." She gave a haughty laugh. "Hell, you came to the wrong village."
Sakura was angry with her.
Kakashi had brought a new light to her eyes, one she didn't want.
Naruto was gone.
And now she didn't even feel welcome in her own village. Well, what was left of it, anyway.
Heart aching, but demeanor stony-cold, Kaede listened to Shikamaru speak of battle plans, casualties, injuries, and possible tactics that might be taken by the Sound village at any time. Shikamaru's voice was not as bored as it normally would have been, and was strained. He had been in the battle, and seen one of his teammates fight. But, once again, Choji hadn't come back. Kaede felt for him, and yet refused to show it. Right now, everyone needed to concentrate on the problems at hand, and forget their mourning until later.
"Now that they know where our tunnels began, they can pretty much guess where they will lead, and with Orochimaru leading them, probably find the entrances," Shikamaru was saying to Kaede, his voice sounding reasonable, but with a hint of urgency behind it.
"So what you're saying is that we're free and open for another attack?" Kaede ran a hand through her brown hair and yanked her fingers through a knot. "Kami, this is not good. Naruto disappears, and we're still available to be killed on a much too personal level by Orochimaru."
Shrugging, Shikamaru said, "It's bad, I know. In fact, it's to the point where I'm about to suggest surrendering and maybe living out the rest of our existence under that snake man's rule." Then he clenched his hands into fists. "But that will never, ever happen as long as I'm here. I know you feel the same way."
Kaede nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. We would not surrender even if he had his sword at our throats."
"In theory, he does," Shikamaru mused, rubbing his chin. Then, his expression brightly considerably. "He thinks he's got us in a corner, where we have no escape. But if I'm thinking right, he has no clue about something else."
Taking a moment to think over what Shikamaru had said, Kaede snapped her fingers, smiling. "I know what you're getting at." They exchanged grins.
In the underground tunnels that they were currently residing in, there led one pathway that was hardly ever used. The path led directly underneath of the Hokage temple. Now, the entrance was extremely well hidden, created by the Third, and everything about him was basically a mystery to those who hadn't known him. The only per son who knew how to get in was Tsunade and Jiraiya, the Third's students. Oh, crap.
Kaede fervently shook her head. "That's not a good idea. The Third told all of his students how to open it and where it led. That means Orochimaru knows, too."
A sly smile worked its way across Shikamaru's face as he motioned Kaede closer so he could whisper in her ear. She leaned down hesitantly, half expecting him to turn into Orochimaru and kill her right then and there.
"Sarutobi told all of his students a different way to get in through the Hokage temple. He told Tsunade about the one we're talking about, Jiraiya about one that is right outside the gates, and Orochimaru about the one he just attacked. Which means that we have two ways to get in, and two ways to attack."
Kaede punched Shikamaru on the arm in a congratulatory way. "I am so glad you're a lazy genius. Otherwise, we would have been lost."
"Yeah, I know," he said, his modesty having disappeared as he aged. Then his expression turned serious as he dug his radio out of his pocket. He hit the button, static came over the line momentarily, and he spoke into it. "Hey, Tsunade, it's Nara. We need ya in the hallway by the door. Get out here. Now."
Silently mouthing an, "Ooh, you're in trouble," Kaede glanced up at the door. She thought she'd just heard something out there. Maybe it was a squirrel. Yeah, one of those little pesky things. At least, she hoped it was.
Then, the sound came again, like someone repeatedly and purposefully hitting the door, and Kaede shot a glance at Shikamaru. He'd heard it, too. Placing a finger to his lips, he placed his hand on top of the door, close to the crease where it opened. Slowly, carefully, he made a chakra sign with his other hand and she heard the tree above the door creak slightly, merely sounding as if it had shifted in the wind.
Slowly, painstakingly, Shikamaru pushed the door open a crack and Kaede saw his shadow jutsu dart out of the small opening he'd made. She closed her eyes and prayed that whoever was there would be snagged by the stealthy shadows. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shikamaru's mouth tilt up to the left in a smirk. He mouthed, "Got him" and pushed the door open completely.
Kaede stared up in the light, seeing only a darkened figure frozen in their tracks; Shikamaru clambered out, as did Kaede, and they stared in astonishment at the person before them.
Anger boiled in Kaede's very being at the audacity of Sasuke to show up and actually knock on their secret entrance. Knock! Who did that?
A satisfied grin spread halfway across Sasuke's face at the sight of her, and he made an attempt to lift his chin in greeting. Shikamaru's shadows brought him right back down with a jerk, and he fell to his knees. Kaede glanced at Shikamaru, seeing if he, too, had fallen to the ground, but the Nara man was up and standing with his arms crossed. Apparently, he'd learned a new and more developed jutsu.
She turned her gaze back to Sasuke, who was trying to look up at her, but was repeatedly forced to rub his face in the dirt. He had some nerve to show up here, but she was almost glad. Kakashi's words ran through her mind, reminding her that he was using her, she was a pawn in his little game. She didn't want to believe it, not right now, when Sasuke was right in front of her, seemingly begging for her to release him from the Nara's jutsu. She was once again pulled in two places.
"Kill him now," Shikamaru said, shooting a glare in her direction. She flinched, but knew what she had to do and pulled out a kunai.
With purposeful steps she stalked towards Sasuke, who was this time allowed to look up at her. When he did, she stopped with the kunai above his head. His black eyes dared her to do it, to kill him. She saw Shikamaru's shadow quiver out of the corner of her eye, and knew that if she was going to kill Sasuke, it had to be right now. Her hand shook as she reared it up to stab her beloved, and she wanted desperately to tell him that she was sorry.
Her knife was inches away from Sasuke's neck when it stopped in mid air, and she pulled away. Sasuke looked at her in amazement, having thought that she was going to kill him. Shikamaru glared daggers at her, wanting to know exactly what she thought she was doing.
"Let him go, Shikamaru," she said, placing her kunai back in her pocket. Startled, Shikamaru hesitated, but did as he was told, and Sasuke stood up. She lifted her chin, walked up to him, and kissed him. Immediately he fell into the kiss, but she pulled back as soon as he did.
"What…Kaede?" he asked, confused. She brought her hand up to his neck, and the sharp edge of another kunai pressed into his skin.
"Don't think you'll be so lucky next time," she growled under her breath, so that only he could hear. His hand reached up and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't think I ever thought I would." She pressed the knife further into his skin, so that a little trickle of blood dripped down onto the blade.
And then, she stepped away, wrenching her hand from Sasuke's iron grip. "Get out of here. Traitor."
His face not showing any emotion, Sasuke turned and disappeared. Kaede said nothing of it, though. She was aching on the inside, having uttered the one word that could sadden her Sasuke. No, just Sasuke. She knew that when he was expressionless like that, it meant he was hurt, he was upset, and when he was upset, he became vengeful. Next time she saw him, she knew that he would have no mercy.
Someone shoved her hard between the shoulder blades, sending her pivoting forward. When she caught her balance and turned to glare at whomever it was who pushed her, she met Shikamaru's angry scowl.
"What the hell was that?!" he yelled, throwing his arms up as if in defeat for an explanation of what she'd just done. "You could have killed him! What has gotten into your head, woman? Three years ago you'd have jumped at the chance to slit his neck, and now you just let him go?!"
Astonished, Kaede took a step back to avoid his madly gesturing hands and waved her own in front of her. "Kami, Shikamaru! Check your temper!" But that would have no effect on him, she knew, so she edged around him until she was by the door.
Quickly she jumped the stairs and landed easily in the hallway; Shikamaru was right behind her, and grabbed her by the back of her shirt.
"You aren't getting away that easily!" He spun her around and pulled her close to his face. "Either you are going to tell me what the hell you think you were doing, or I'll beat the shit out of you until you do."
He was threatening her now. Oh no, he did not just threaten her.
"Go ahead! Try and beat the shit out of me, Shikamaru, and see how far you get before you're the one bruised and beaten," she growled, reaching up with one hand and hitting him across the face as best she could in their current position.
"Put her down, Shikamaru, right now," came Tsunade's voice, and at the commanding loudness of it, the Nara man obeyed, but reluctantly. His eyes never moved from staring daggers into Kaede's back.
Relieved but not relaxed, Kaede bowed her head to Tsunade and briskly walked past her. She was almost out of reach when Tsunade's hand whipped out and yanked her back. With a grunt, she hit the wall and the Sannin released her iron grip. Kaede straightened her shirt, shamelessly meeting both of the accusing ninjas glares. Tsunade had no idea what had just happened, but Kaede would bet she had probably guessed. And Shikamaru was just plain old mad at her.
"Please explain to me what happened," Tsunade snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and staring hard in Kaede's direction.
Kaede took a deep breath and began; "Shikamaru and I were discussing plans for possible attacks against the Sound village, when we heard a knocking at the entranceway."
Shikamaru sniffed. "Yeah, and guess who it was." He silenced immediately, though, and Tsunade's reproachful glare.
"Continue," the Sannin said.
"Well," Kaede went on, shooting a scowl at Shikamaru, "we both decided to check out who was knocking. Shikamaru used his shadow jutsu to hold the person in place while we opened the door. It was Sasuke." Tsunade's sharp intake of breath momentarily distracted Kaede, but she placed herself back on track. "I told Shikamaru to release him after deciding that killing him would be a bad move. I warned him not to let himself get so off guard again, and told him to leave."
"Yeah," Shikamaru snorted. "After kissing him."
Horrified, Tsunade looked at Kaede, who shrugged. "It was the best way to catch him by surprise."
"Your judgment is way off, young lady," Tsunade scolded. "I cannot believe you would allow such a valuable playing card to just walk off! We could have used him in return for our village, or for Naruto—you know that Orochimaru needs Sasuke for a body, and to get hold of the Sharingan. If we killed Sasuke, the only person left with the Sharingan would be Itachi, and there is no possible way Orochimaru would stand against Itachi. That should be clear to you!"
"Yes, but if we killed him, we would have no way to get any information about Naruto, or the Sound," Kaede argued. It was a solid, reasonable point, even if Tsunade seemed to dislike it by the look of her face.
"Now why would Uchiha Sasuke, betrayer of the Leaf, want to give our village the information necessary to defeat his mentor?" Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes. "If you think that just because he seems infatuated by you that he'll give us all the info, then you're so far wrong, Kaede."
For a few moments, Kaede and Shikamaru glared at each other. Kaede knew that Sasuke was probably using her, just as Kakashi had said, but there was the chance that he actually did love her. And if he did…then, hell, it would certainly help her village to have him on their side as a sort of spy, a gatherer of important information, along those lines. She shivered, thinking of how wonderful it would be to have Sasuke with them, even though it would most likely result in his imminent death.
"If you two would stop glaring at each other," Tsunade interrupted, catching both Kaede and Shikamaru's attention. "I have an idea."
Why she was doing this, she didn't know. She felt horrible, terrible about betraying him, but Kami, it was for her village, after all. And her village was the most important thing, she had to remind herself. There was no escaping it. No matter how much she loved him, no matter how many good times they'd spent together, this had to be done. His life and hers would most likely be sacrificed in the process, but it was absolutely necessary.
Kaede Shinota was going to betray the only person she'd ever loved: Uchiha Sasuke.
Wow. I'm getting SOOOO far on this story it's great! Oh, and after the next chapter, I plan on bringing you to Sasuke's POV when he sees Kaede again. Read and review, cause I love getting them. It keeps me going on this story, so if u wanna keep reading and see what happens, review!
Love ya
Nicola