CHAPTER IV
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (oh, but how I wish I do). On the other hand, I do own the plot, Keiko, Ai, Hiro and all the others.
Author's Note: Hey! Err... How do I start? So... It's pretty quick, right? Let's just say I'm making up for the delay of my third chapter. Yeah, that's it, I guess. Oh, by the way! Thank you very much Mister-or-Miss tempest-in-a-tea-cup for your review (as for Ai's hilarious moments, it's because I based her on a very funny girl) :).
Well, I do pray that you enjoy my story. I hope it brings you some joy. Also, please type in some reviews on the grammar, the plot, the pairings (?!), and the writing style. Thank you very much. I send you all my love (though you might not want it). :]
Suigetsu ran around the forest, gray hair almost flowing around him due to his incredible speed; ninja speed - not quite sure where to go at first but stopped, and searched for the presence before he turned to the southwest. There you are, Suigetsu thought as he felt the familiar chakra emitted by the girl they were looking for and were supposed to get.
He stopped at a clearing, certain that he had already found his prize. Conversely, the moment he turned around, yellow, slit-like eyes met his unlike the deep brown ones he expected.
"Why, hello there, Suigetsu," the monster of a snake guised in a white and purple robe greeted as his eyes landed on the other male's form.
Pupiless eyes widened at the sight. No, he thought, it can't be! But everything he saw proclaimed otherwise. Orochimaru was not yet finished. In actuality, he was far from being finished. Especially now that he had escaped the restraints of Kabuto's body and acquired Suigetsu's which was actually a lot better than Kabuto's.
"What is it, Neji-kun?" He heard TenTen ask behind him.
"Orochimaru."
He said this as he turned around. Only the three of them were on this mission. Gai-sensei was doing another mission for Konoha and as from what he heard, it involved fixing a barrier and protecting some people. He also heard that he was there with Kakashi-sensei and Sai.
"So what do you suggest we do?" She asked yet again as her brown brows furrowed just below her brown bangs.
"I suggest that we head back to Konoha soon. He is still far from the village but if he decides to go there, he might be there in no time. He is a sannin after all."
Bleak silence hung in the air as the Hyuuga prodigy disclosed amongst his teammates his strategy and watched the two of them nod their heads in unison before disappearing into thin air.
He shook his head and turned off his Byakugan. There was no need to waste chakra. If Orochimaru was indeed going to Konoha, then the village was in for one hell of a battle.
"Why are you still alive? I thought you were dead?" Sasuke asked as he lunged – full speed - at his brother. Itachi merely sidestepped Sasuke before he delivered a forceful kick to Sasuke's side. Itachi's Sharingan caught sight of the punch of his younger brother aimed at him after Sasuke failed the previously planned lunge but Itachi avoided it without breaking sweat.
"That was what you thought," he answered with his voice soft and emotionless at the same time, emphasizing on the 'thought'.
Sasuke's vision was blurred by his anger. For the past three years, he thought he had already killed his brother and ended his nightmare. But now, his worst nightmare stood near him, and worse was his nightmare's cool and ready demeanor which screamed that Itachi could and eventually would beat him on any given day.
Anger. That was the only thing needed to activate his curse seal. It was like a parasite that fed on his anger and transformed it into such dark power. Slowly, the anger in his heart fueled his curse seal and his body.
And with the curse seal, spreading through his body, Sasuke felt the rush of power gather at his hands the same time he thought of summoning blue lightning.
He knew this move was reckless. Using Chidori on a perfectly strong Itachi is useless. Itachi could either avoid it or hit him before the he could even start a run towards his aniki.
Aniki. Sauke thought with disgust. He had already reminded himself time and again that Itachi wasn't his brother anymore. But no matter how hard he tried to deny it, Sasuke's heart still yearned for the person whom he looked up to – his hero - since he was a little boy. He knew his brother was a very intelligent and rational individual who wouldn't do something unnecessary. That was the reason why his mind and consciousness still asked, why?
And before he could stop it, the question swiftly flew from his lips.
"Why did you do it?"
Itachi stiffened. He half-expected that Madara would have already told his brother of the truth. He opened his lips to speak but before he had the chance to do so, a blood-curling scream echoed throughout the forest.
Itachi's mind had clicked and in a puff of black smoke and a squadron of crows, he disappeared.
"Okay. Go and watch over Ai. She has low chakra and gets tired easily but it's no big deal. Take her around the village. Answer any and all of her questions. And the mission, it's B rank in nature," Tsunade said as she walked into her office and sat behind the new, wooden desk Yamato 'built' for her.
"B rank mission? But this girl isn't anything special, there'd be no threats to her life," Naruto argued, his back towards Ai. He didn't see the fleeting look of deep pain that passed her graceful features. Her eyes darkened, it was darkened by a deep hurt.
"You asked for a ninja mission – a real one- and you get a B-rank mission. So what are you complaining about?" asked the annoyed yet somehow amused Godaime Hokage.
"I'm complaining about," the whiskered blonde started but halted immediately as he glanced at Tsunade's glaring eyes.
"No- nothing, nothing at all" he finished as he nervously rubbed the back of his head, "so I guess, we'll go now."
Tsunade grunted and in a jiffy, Naruto was out the door with Ai's hand in his.
Noting the soft and warm feel of Ai's hand in his, Naruto's cheeks heated up and turned slightly pink.
Too soon, however, the warmth was gone.
He looked at Ai's glaring emeralds. Emeralds, Naruto mused. She has the same eye color as Sakura and hers are just as clear.
"I want to go to the park." She demanded. Her voice was icy unlike the one she used this morning, he noted.
A knot formed in the pits of Naruto's stomach but he ignored it thinking he was just hungry though the reason he conjured wasn't even plausible because it had only been fifteen minutes since they had been at Ichiraku's.
"I said I want to go to the park."
Her voice was colder, if that was even possible. Pain was evident in her voice but the ever-so-naïve blonde would never figure out unless it was pointed out or drawn out in front of his face.
He nodded slightly and led her to the place she wanted to go to, thinking all the while why the knot in his stomach would develop when he had nine servings of his favorite ramen fifteen minutes ago. Normally, I'd be hungry after two hours…