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Wooohoooooooo!
This chapter's DONE!
Sorry for the almost scary enthusiasm, but I just so freaking happy that this thing is finally done.
I still have a few more chapters to go before I can update this fic.
And, for anyone reading my revisions, an update for Forgive and Forget? is coming soon.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Absolute silence rang in the room upon their entry. Well the pinkette thought scathingly don't everyone greet us at once.
Geez, with the cautious stares all the room's occupants were giving them, one would think they were the fucking plague or something.
Though, she mused, upon closer perusal of her and her comrade's clothing, they did look a tad bit threatening. The Mizukage, dressed in the formal robes of his station, emitted a regal, deadly air. His sharp, penetrating, eyes surveyed every presence in the room, cutting through facades like butter.
She and the others, decked out in Kiri mission gear that hadn't been used outside the village in years, didn't look too shabby either.
The outfits, unlike typical shinobi uniforms, consisted mainly of black and were individualized for each wearer.
They were made up of, black cloth trousers tucked in black traditional shinobi sandals, black sleeveless turtlenecks, black fingerless gloves, and black long sleeved trench coats.
The family crests on the back of their coats (a dark red Egyptian eye for Kotetsu; the outline of a shark bite in dark green for Kisame; a dark purple flame for Ichigo; a silver star of David with a comet-like figure in the bottom right corner and the upper left corner for Sakura) stood proudly in stark contrast to the background of black.
Their headbands, worn around their necks, coupled with their uncommon coloring (Kotetsu with dark purple hair and golden brown eyes, Kisame with shark like features and blue skin, Ichigo with forest green hair and silvery-blue eyes, and Sakura with short bubblegum pink hair and shimmering emerald-green eyes), and the hate radiating off their forms, added to their slightly sinister look.
Hell, who was she kidding?
They looked like badasses, and they were fucking proud of it.
Take a good look assholes cold viridian pools of malice became mere slits because this is the only occasion you'll be able to do so without fear of death.
Finally, after several moments of utter quiet, the Godaime deemed it time to speak.
"Welcome Mizukage." She offered the Mist leader a hesitant smile. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again." Tsunade's warm greeting, saturated in -Sakura's opinion- insincerity, left a bad taste in the Kiri kunoichi's mouth.
What a fucking load of bullshit. Narrowed emerald viewed the blonde woman with disgust, her hands -faintly shaking in repressed fury- clenched into white-knuckled fists. Just who the fuck does that bitch think she's joking?
Did Tsunade honestly believe they'd buy the crap she was shoveling out?
If so, the Leaf fucker was more foolish than she had previously thought.
Hate bubbling under a deceptively passive exterior, the rosy haired female trained a fury filled glare -the gesture just subtle enough to escape detection- on the Leaf's pathetic excuse of a kage.
Now that she was in the presence of her most hated enemy, Sakura could barely restrain her chakra from viciously lashing out at the backstabbing whore.
What right had the bitch to power and prosperity?
What right had she to any semblance of respect and admiration?
She had none…not after what she had done.
A quick glance at her teammates showed that they mirrored her sentiments.
The Mizukage, noting their murderous intent, shot them a quelling glance. Now his eyes fiercely told them is not the time for our revenge.
Conceding, for the moment, to her leader's unspoken demand, Sakura reigned in her murderous rage. Tsunade the rosette thought with a snarl you are one lucky motherfucker.
Unaware that an attempt on her life had just been adverted, the Godaime raised an authoritative hand and brought the meeting to an official start.
Then, after everyone was seated, the bitch revealed the reason for the gathering.
"I called you here today to discuss a common threat," the blonde's features morphed into a solemn cast. "We have received reports that the Akatsuki and the Sound Village have formed an alliance," a dark look flitted through her hazel eyes as quiet gasps rang threw the conference room. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you of how dangerous these two are on their own, bu-"
Surprisingly enough, Sayoran-sama -stickler for all forms of proper behavior- calmly interrupted her. "With all due respect Lady Hokage," Sakura noted with satisfaction the mocking tinge with which he coated her title, "I thought you said common threat."
The female leader opened her mouth to protest -or perhaps question-, but the Mizukage -blatantly ignoring the gesture- forged on. "The Akatsuki and Sound Village have yet to cause us any problems. They are, in fact, valuable trading partners."
" So," he gave the blonde an apologetic smile, "unless you have something of worth to offer the Mist Village we have no reason to jeopardize our ties with such profitable allies."
Sayoran-sama's statement sent a shockwave throughout the room. The stunned occupants were completely floored, unable to comprehend what they had just heard. Tsunade, looking more than a little unsettled, attempted to reason with him.
"You can't trust them Mizukage," hazel pools earnestly beseeched him. "They are honorless and ruthless shinobi who will not hesitate to turn on you at the first opportunity. You won-"
Tsunade was again interrupted, but this time by Sakura…whose flaming emerald eyes burned with rage. "You," she growled through clenched teeth, "are one to talk." Her words, softly spoken, held a barely veiled threat.
"We," the furious kunoichi continued, "complied with your command and presented ourselves here, in spite of the fact that it is in the midst of shinobi who brutally slaughtered many of our comrades."
Flashing emerald pinned the cringing Leaf kunoichi, "We've restraining ourselves from killing you, even though you fucking betrayed our entire village. We," she continued in a cold whisper, "listened to your attempts at convincing us to kill the closest things we have to allies and only politely declined your offer to join you."
"This -as insulting as it may have been- would have been okay, but then you had to go accuse them of being traitors damn hypocrite. Traitors," an ugly laugh, completely devoid of humor, erupted from her throat, "coming from you that's fucking ironic." Sakura all but snarled the last words out, glaring at Tsunade in pure, unadulterated hate.
Silence once again pervaded the room.
Noticing with a detached concern the dark looks on the Leaf shinobi, the Kiri leader couldn't help a small sardonic smirk. Life he thought fondly is never dull with Sakura around.
Deciding it wise to attempt to somewhat salvage the situation -even though he fully agreed with the Haruno and had derived dark glee from her verbal attack on the Godaime- , Sayoran-sama firmly, but is a neutral and diplomatic tone, delivered his decision, "I do believe you have our answer Hokage."
The blonde received both the lashing and the decision with a guilt-ridden heart. Sakura tender emotions for her former pupil combated with hurt and righteous anger I wish you knew the truth behind my actions…the real reason for my betrayal.
Tsunade let out a heavy sigh, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." Hardening her features, she sharply called out, "Guards!"
Upon hearing her call, the mist shinobi tensed and prepared for battle, expecting the worst from the treacherous -in their eyes- kage. The guards, however, didn't attack them…they were too busy dragging in a body.
A body of a Mist shinobi.
Before anybody could stop him, before anyone even thought of stopping him, Kisame crossed the distance separating him from the Godaime. His face twisted in unholy rage, he wrapped murderous hands around her neck and, lifting her several inches off the ground, proceeded to brutally strangle the woman.
The leaf shinobi -already enraged at the Kiri nins' disrespect towards their leader- leapt to their feet, fully prepared to kill the swordsmen…and his companions.
All shinobi in the room stiffened and subtly prepped for the battle they sensed on the horizon, bloodshed seemed inevitable.
"Stop." A weak murmur from Tsunade, however, effectively averted the crisis.
The Mizukage -keenly aware of how grossly outnumbered their small force was- followed her example. "Kisame," his brusque command, lined with steel, gained the man's immediate compliance.
After unceremoniously sending the faint Hokage crashing to the floor, Kisame wiped his hands off disgustingly on his pants and made his way back to the others.
The felled blonde -quickly attended to by Konoha nins- spent several moments clutching her abused throat, feebly coughing in an attempt to regain her breath.
Sakura watched in sadistic delight. I she resolutely vowed am going to buy Kisame that sword kit he's been wanting as soon as we get back home.
When the Godaime finally regained her breath, she turned to face them. "We didn't do this to him," she stated, features set solemnly and eyes shining in sincerity.
Sayoran-sama looked at the disheveled female and scoffed inwardly. You picked the wrong crowd to try that expression on woman.
Completely unmoved, the Mizugake replied, "I know that," he sent a reprimanding look Kisame's way. "If there had been even the slightest doubt in my mind, I wouldn't have stopped Kisame."
Cold fury radiating off him, the Kiri kage continued, "What I want to know," he frostily demanded, "is who did."
Tsunade viewed the murderous expressions on the Mist nin with grim satisfaction. Regardless of how they feel about us, they will not let such a transgression go unpunished.
The leaf kunoichi answered, fully aware that her next words insured the downfall of a certain organization.
"The Akatsuki."