A/N: I'm so glad everyone liked the way I portrayed Team 7. I was worried the action would overshadow their bond/chemistry! As for those who review I will answer all your questions in the next two or three chapters. To answer one question right up front. I am not planning to make Sasuke a punk or a villain (not any more than he already is!) Speaking of a villain that's what this chapter is all about!
Yes, Setsuko Arashi is a original character I made up for this fic! There is actually an interesting backstory to her and Naruto in the Hidden Cloud Village, that I'll probably never get to write ;) In fact, if I ever develop an ability to write quickly there are two back stories, the Setsuko/Naruto one and one in Sand Village where Sakura/Choji/Hinata take the Chuunin Exam plus Shikamaru and Temari have their little "thing" happen. Oh well, we'll see.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine
Chapter 23 – Skin
The forest was exceptionally quiet. The air rasped softly like a snake's skin over the deep green sea. The breeze lulled the senses matching azure calm of an almost cloudless sky visible through dappled leaves.
"How appropriate," Kabuto observed, "a calm before the storm."
The sound-nin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose by a fraction. It was the first movement he had allowed himself since the sun had passed higher than the treetops to the east. Being this close to Fire Country Kabuto had no choice but to conceal his presence. It was not that he feared confrontation…more that encountering an Anbu team right now would be… bothersome.
"The idiotic Leafs are always so complacent," he thought smugly. "It's that same arrogance that is going to be their destruction very soon."
Kabuto detected someone rapidly approaching his position. Immediately he set to deepen his cover. The heartbeat slowed, breath ceased, even body temperature was made to cool. Jutsu were not always necessary to conceal oneself Kabuto had found and the medical genius prided himself on a precise control of his metabolism.
A loud crackle echoed through the copse of trees as Uzumaki Naruto crashed into view vaulting off a branch but scant feet from the leafy preserve that was Kabuto's screen. The blond nin was making enough noise for a troop of genin as he flew off in a great leap heading towards the western edge of Fire Country.
Kabuto smiled as his mission to ensure the delivery of the Ninetails to Itachi was was nearly completed. "You are always so predictable Naruto-kun," he thought. "Your demonic strength and stupid overconfidence won't be enough this time."
Kabuto stood slowly letting the stiffness fade from his atrophied limbs. He then noticed a new presence, but this he had also expected. Landing on the branch farther along from Kabuto was a wiry little man whose bloodshot eyes and spastic manner gave him both a nervous and dislikeable appearance. The man's ninja gear seemed worn out and secondhand not from overuse but lack of care. Even the leaf forehead protector he wore tilted to the side had a grimy, unkempt look to it.
"Kabuto-san," he said waiting to be acknowledged.
"You weren't followed right Nezu?" Kabuto inquired as he looked past the man to scan the trees towards Konoha.
The fidgeting nin looked behind himself multiple times as he answered. "No, no, Kabuto-san," answered Nezu stuttering, "I was very careful."
Kabuto could not help shut his eyes to rid the toady little man from his line of vision. Nezumichi Ichou was a middle-aged genin for the Leaf and would likely remain a low-level nin for his entire life. Nezu had taken the chuunin exam more times that even Kabuto and like him had failed it consistently. However, while Kabuto's failures were to keep his talents undiscovered, Nezumichi's were due to simple incompetence. The man was repulsive in a general, very pathetic way. Most of the villagers who found themselves looking in his direction quickly decided to look some where else, but it was this, as Orochimaru-sama had said, made him an ideal spy.
"What of the Godaime," Kabuto asked turning back to him. The sun glinting off the rims of his wire frame glasses as if to emphasize his impatience for a response.
Nezumichi plucked at his jacket sleeves in another of his peculiar and annoying nervous habits. "She left the village for the meeting with the Raikage first thing this morning," he explained, "… on the Hokusei highway. She had a full honor guard, forty jounin and sixty chuunin plus many genin." Nezu cracked a smile as he knew his news would please Kabuto, "Shizune, Genma, Aoba... Asuma and Kurenai... they were all there in the guard."
"And Kakashi?" Kabuto broke in sharply.
Nezu's smile faded as he was unsure how his report would be received. "I heard he's still in the village, but the Hokage has him under wraps… I hear with the torture and interrogation squad too… which well, you know... mighty peculiar." He drywashed his hands briefly as he waited for reaction from the frigid glare he was receiving.
The jounin level nin let his teeth show. "Perfect," he said with a sinister looking smile.
Kabuto had long wanted to take down that self-righteous bastard Kakashi and now he would not be disappointed. He began to imagine the look on Kakashi's face when he found Sasuke's body possessed by Orochimaru and Naruto turned into a vegetable by Itachi. A shiver of anticipation passed through him as he conjured the scene in his mind.
"I'll have to slit Sakura's throat in front of him for the full effect," he thought delightedly.
Nezu mirrored the grin he saw. Having to leave the village to report to Kabuto was always troubling, but Orochimaru had promised him power and immortality if he aided him in the destruction of Konoha. Nezumichi saw it as a village full of people who looked down on him and despised him. People who deserved what they got.
Kabuto's face became serious suddenly causing Nezu to look around wildly for danger. The frail ninja almost fell out of the tree when he felt the taller man lay a hand gently on his shoulder. He remained perfectly still as Kabuto leaned near his ear.
"You've done an excellent job, Nezumichi," Kabuto whispered.
The phobic nin was unused to praise and felt his face grow flush. "Anything for you and Orochimaru-sama, Kabuto-san," he replied beaming at Kabuto who stepped away from him to look northward into the forest.
Nezu was amazed how relieved and happy he felt. "Things are going to be different from now on," he told himself silently. "No more name calling, disappointed senseis or failed missions. I'll finally be respected in the new village Orochimaru-sama will build." The man suddenly realized he couldn't calm down and began to feel lightheaded. The sunshine came unevenly through trees and brought pain to his growingly sensitive eyes.
"Kabuto-san," he said groggily, "I don't feel so good."
The other nin didn't bother turning around. "It appears that you were followed Nezumichi," Kabuto informed him. "Fortunately your death will look like a complete accident… perhaps they'll even bother to give you a hero's funeral."
Nezu could barely hear what was said to him as the hammer of pulsating blood rang through his ears. He rubbed a hand over his face to wake from his disorientation when he noticed a strange wetness. His palm painted in a garish crimson was the last thing he saw as blood wept freely from his unfocusing eyes.
After a brief gurgling sound and soft thud from the ground below Kabuto turned back to notice pleasantly that he was once again the branch's only occupant.
Out of thin air another ninja took the spot where Nezu had been only a moment before. This time it was a pale and delicate looking woman almost albino in appearance with platinum straight hair framing her impassive doll-like face.
"Oh, it's you," said Kabuto peevishly. Itachi had been kind enough to lend Orochimaru the support of some of his companions, yet Setsuko Arashi was not Kabuto's idea of a friendly face.
The girl peered down curiously at the body below. It almost appeared as if she were inspecting fly that had just been smashed on her windowsill. "Was it necessary to kill him?" she asked still looking down.
Kabuto became annoyed that someone forced to flee her village after a series of gruesome, psychopathic murders was now questioning why he killed someone.
"He outlived his usefulness and Orochimaru doesn't retain useless people," he replied.
Setsuko crooked her head slightly as she looked up at him with her wide lavender eyes. "You must keep you talents well hidden Kabuto-san."
The man grimaced darkly, but then forced what he was about to say out of his mind. Anyone who could defeat Uzumaki Naruto was not to be taken lightly. "Later you little freak," he cursed silently, "when Orochimaru-sama has his new body you'll learn your place."
The escaped kunoichi of Hidden Cloud Village brought her head back upright with the sharpest of movements. She didn't seem to relish in her taunt and continued, "I didn't see him. Did he pass through here?"
"You were told not to interfere," Kabuto replied.
Setsuko blinked once slowly. "I know how to follow orders Kabuto-san."
He locked stares with her for a moment until he realized the gesture was wasted. She looked at people that way all the time. "He passed by me about twenty minutes ago," Kabuto told her as he sprung away into the trees not bothering to wait for her.
Setsuko didn't seem to take offense as she joined him easily matching his pace. "Are you certain he's going to meet Itachi-san?"
"Without a doubt," he replied. "Once you've met Uzumaki Naruto you never mistake him for someone else."
Setsuko felt this man was an utter fool and began instead to study his back wondering when it would be best to place a kunai there. She prided herself on being a very patience girl and she knew that as long as she behaved Itachi would indulge her need to play later.
The two rogue ninja left the clearing as a man wearing Naruto's facade watched them depart silently with swirling red eyes.
In a puff of smoke a slighter built young man with midnight colored hair and an unsociable look to his face remained as he shifted the large summoning scroll strapped to his back. The only constant to his appearance being those crimson, spinning eyes.
"Nice to know you are still a fool Kabuto," Sasuke mused. During his years with Orochimaru, Sasuke had learned the man to be a pompous ass trying to treat him like a subordinate younger brother. Sasuke had never put up with it because he knew in Orchimaru's eyes he was stronger than Kabuto and to the sennin that was all that mattered. Kabuto knew that as well, of course, always failing to hide his jealousy.
"Kabuto, I hope one day you get your silly death wish to face Kakashi," thought Sasuke. His former sensei might not be his favorite person at the moment, but Sasuke had never doubted who would triumph in that contest.
Sasuke's index finger crept up to the bridge of his nose in a reflex he had adopted during his captivity. It was a pointless gesture without glasses. The eyewear had been destroyed in his little misunderstanding with Sakura, yet he noticed now he didn't need them. It all made sense of course. "When Tsunade's seal stopped my sharingan," he realized, "it also inhibited my regular vision." Despite being whole and strong again, Sasuke was oddly a little sad. He sort of missed the affectation.
The reborn nin continued on his journey through the trees and was relieved that he no longer had to make so much noise as he moved. Naruto's body and mannerisms were an annoying second skin to wear for any length of time. "Besides," he mused, "Naruto has no problem hiding his presence when he has too." Sasuke had watched many people like Kabuto underestimate his former teammate to there demise. Hell, for a long time he had been one of them.
He vividly recalled their conversation from two days before. Naruto's revelation had been like being doused in ice water and then finding your clothes perfectly dry. The sun had been high and warm in the sky then just like today, glistening on the grass of the practice field where he and Ino had just finished up with drills so the kids could start lunch.
"Nice to see you brush up on the basics," Naruto said, starting the conversation in his awkward challengingly way.
"Better to be a perfectionist than a hack-job," Sasuke shot back tilting his glasses up his nose. "Did you need something?" he asked getting straight to the point.
Naruto wore a rare, sobering face. It was a look neither of them was comfortable dealing with. "I think there's something you should know," he replied. Naruto paused as he looked up from the ground to stare hard straight into Sasuke's eyes.
"What could he possibly be talking about?" Sasuke wondered. He and Naruto hadn't talked for a long time and honestly Sasuke didn't really think much of it. He knew Naruto had been against what was done to him, but it wasn't like he needed a shoulder to cry on either.
Naruto scrubbed a hand through his already disheveled looking hair and put his other hand up in an almost pleadingly way. "Listen you're going to get really pissed and I need to you remain calm."
"What? Did you tell Iruka my favorite food was fermented natto beans?" Sasuke joked sarcastically. He really couldn't imagine what Naruto was about to say. It was then Sasuke noticed that Naruto's chakra level had increased. "It's like he getting ready to fight me," he thought incredulously.
Naruto's voice took a softer tone as than normal as he delivered what he had to say bluntly
"Tsunade failed to kill Itachi three years ago and now your brother is threatening to destroy the village with Orochimaru."
Sasuke didn't let thought impede him as he reacted. He took a step back and prepared to leap away in the air as Naruto stepped beside him placing a strong hand on his shoulder keeping him grounded. Sasuke's left hand had found a kunai and in an instant was flying up at his opponent's chest. Naruto deftly caught his weapon hand arresting the motion. Sasuke's right leg twitched with the desire to kick, but Naruto had seemed to anticipate that with a foot planted firmly a top his. Using his chakra-enhanced strength Naruto forced Sasuke's kunai clenched fist upward to rest lightly on his captive's throat.
"Are you done now?" Naruto asked tightly.
Sasuke was almost spitting. "Let go!"
Naruto leaned in giving the appearance to anyone in the nearby schoolhouse of a friendly pat on the back. "Listen up," he said, "You're a fool to believe you would survive five minutes once the Anbu started tracking you... Like this you are no match for Itachi."
Sasuke was almost shaking, but he remained silent as Naruto continued.
"Tsunade believes that Orochimaru's target is you while your favorite sibling is still out to extract Kyuubi from my body," Naruto explained. "Now she is willing to give you a chance at blowing away your brother and hopes that by switching our opponents we'll come out on top."
Sasuke heard what Naruto was saying as his bloodlust to kill his brother rose throbbing in his veins, but he refused to believe any of this was in his best interests. "I see," he spat, "She saves her golden boy and gets the pleasure of one less Uchiha in the world."
Naruto grinned evilly. "Well, yeah. 'Cept you get unsealed and plus she's going to give you a little present that should even things up nicely." With that, the tall blond nin released his captive who stumbled backwards from him. Sasuke steadied himself and then decided grudgingly to hear more of Tsunade's scheme.
"Yeah and I decided to have faith in the biggest idiot I've ever known," Sasuke murmured as kept to the course he was told to take to meet his brother by tomorrow morning.
Sasuke's thoughts of Naruto brought his mind around to his other partner on old team seven. Picturing her face in his mind caused a tremor past through him than ended in a sigh. She had fought him so fiercely. At first he thought she was trying to kill him and later as he lay there in defeat he witnessed the pain her last jutsu had put her through, seeming to hurt her more than him. He had known then Sakura had held back, it was an idea both saddening and infuriating to him at the same time.
Sakura was the hole in his heart. A weakness he always despised; a warmth he always desired. Sasuke had wanted to love her, thought he was beginning, but then the object of his hate was revealed alive… alive! Mocking him from the shadows for his blind stupidity. Only he could kill his brother, he understood that now and the final battle he approached now was the reality of his failed existence while Sakura merely some idyllic dream.
Letting go the wanderings of his mind Sasuke decided now was as good a time as any to look at Tsunade's little 'present'.
Landing beside a small stream Sasuke place the scroll down on a flat boulder at the water's edge, then squatted down to refill his bamboo canteen. Choji's medicine had been more than effects at healing the injuries from his lotus and the damage Sakura had inflicted. "Even my torn bicep feels healed," he thought amazed. Choji's prescription to drink lots of water was right on target as well. Sasuke felt like he could gulp down the entire stream.
A strange sizzling sound came from behind him and the nin looked back quickly with Sharingan blazing. He got up and went back over to the summoning scroll. A strange red aura lit it's surface and near one edge he saw something truly peculiar. The bit of water that been on the rock when he placed it down was almost all boiled away.
Sasuke reached for it cautiously and noticed that the crimson light extinguish. "This must have been what Naruto was talking about," he realized. Unrolled the scroll and in it he found calligraphic signatures written vertically each ending in a palm print. He read carefully the last name next to the open space where he would place his and stared in wonder. "Tessen Uchiha?" he read aloud. The names before it were unrecognizable to him, but that last one was clearly a member of his clan. Naruto had said this scroll was buried before Fire Country even existed.
"I wonder who he was," Sasuke thought.
The nin knew he couldn't waste too much time. He bit down hard on his thumb drawing blood at the tip and carefully signed his name down the next column. Sasuke spread the red over his other fingers and pressed down firmly to finish the contract.
He felt a slight tingle as a symbol of three wavy lines made a broken triangle surfaced as a tattoo then fade to nothing on the skin above the wrist of his signing hand.
Sasuke wrapped up the scroll quickly and slung it back up on his shoulder. Naruto had already told him the hand seals required and had given a last bit of advice. "Don't use it until your need is great," he said.
"I don't think I'll ever have a greater need in my life," Sasuke thought to himself as his patented smirk crept onto his lips.
"Hope it's not something stupid like a toad."
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: I'm sorry if I overuse flashbacks, but I find it they are an excellent device for showing a character's motivations for 'why' they do what they do in a story.
(FYI, for those who know, I finally corrected the massive plot error in Chapter 4.)
Other housekeeping…There will be more Naruto/Hinata goodness and Naruto kicking ass, a very nice Ino chapter (I love her the way her character turned out here), a positive Neji chapter (poor boy I've really given him a bad turn), tons o' Shikamaru goodness, wars, wedding plans… and I oddly enough still believe I will resolve all my plotlines gracefully )