Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! Only the parts that I'm adapting into the original story line.
Fated Encounter
CHAPTER 24
"That damn woman..." Suigetsu grumbled to himself as they turned a corner and arrived back at the front doors of the Northern hideout.
"Here again." Sasuke huffed to herself. She never like Orochimaru's hideouts since they were literally a maze and she never had any idea where she should be going. The Northern hideout was no exception. There had to be more turns and twists than in any other hideout.
This was getting ridiculous to try to find their way back to Sasuke and Karin.
"Can I kill her when I see her?" Suigetsu asked seriously as they went down the same hallway they had gone before Karin separated them.
"No, you can't. She's valuable for us."
"No, she's not. She said it herself that she's just passing by and soon she'll be on her way to Lunatic-town." The white-haired man gritted his teeth.
"She's not going to leave us." Sakura laughed to herself. "She can say that all she wants, but even the dumbest person can see that she'll follow Sasuke anywhere. Why else would she separate us anyway?"
"Maybe she wants to kill Sasuke for killing her precious mentor?" Suigetsu offered.
"No, absolutely not. She's no match for Sasuke and she knows it too. The only thing she's interested in is getting into his pants." Sakura laughed aloud to her mental image.
"You're the one dating Sasuke so how the hell can you even talk about someone else it getting on with your man." Suigetsu asked as he kicked an unconscious man to his ribs as they passed by him.
"I have all my faith in Sasuke." She replied easily.
"But he left Konoha to achieve power. What if he has to choose between you and that power?"
Sakura stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You're awfully interested in my relationship? Something bothering you about it?"
Suigetsu gulped hard under the stern glare from Sakura.
"N-no! I was just kidding and theorizing!" He took few steps back, "Maybe we should just try to find them and I'll just shut up? Hm?" He offered sheepishly.
Sakura shook her head in slight annoyance but walked past Suigetsu.
Suddenly the whole structure shook under their feet. Sakura had to lean against the wall for support as Suigetsu stumbled on to the floor.
"What the hell!" He shouted in alarm, looking around to see if anything was coming at them.
"Sasuke!" Karin's shriek echoed through the hallways.
Sakura shared a quick glance with Suigetsu before they both ran in the direction of the yells.
"I'm not done yet!" An unfamiliar male voice was followed soon after and Sakura felt chills all over her body. The voice sounded maniac and cold. Almost deranged completely. As they ran towards the loud crashes and cracking sounds, Sakura started noticing Sasuke's chakra more and more. It made it easier to found where they had gone and Sakura felt her legs moving faster and faster as they approached their companions.
A huge buff of smoke suddenly exploded from one of the hallways causing Suigetsu and Sakura stop dead in their tracks.
And as they stopped Sakura realized that Sasuke's chakra wasn't the usual chakra he had. The feel of it brought memories back from their time at the Forest of Death and the small transformation Sasuke had when he woke up after receiving the Cursed Mark. However, this chakra was different to that one.
The manic voice laughed and Sakura felt her heart beat increasing.
"Another one of those damned copies of me?!" The man continued to laugh, "Although, being able to partially transform is something else. You can handle the Cursed Seal really well."
"I have no desire to fight. I just want to talk with you Jūgo." Sasuke's leveled voice said and Sakura felt a sense of calm surround her. There was nothing in his voice indicating that he was in danger.
"Talk?" Jūgo's voice sounded surprised.
"I'm getting you out of this place." Sasuke replied.
Sakura and Suigetsu hadn't moved a muscle. They waited patiently in the hallway and waiting for whatever might happen.
"Getting me out?" Jūgo said and laughed. "Are you an idiot? Without him... I can never leave this place."
"I don't want to fight you. I just want to get you out of this place." Sasuke said back again with no aggravation in his tone. "Join me."
"I already said that I can't leave this place!" Jūgo yelled and Sakura flinched as she heard metal rattling and the sounds of fighting.
"Sasuke!" Karin's panicking voice yelled and it was followed by a loud crash.
Sakura body went to move towards the battle, but Suigetsu grabbed her arm. Sakura glared over her shoulder at him, "Let me go."
"Just wait!" He hissed back and pulled her further away from the hallways she intended to go.
Sakura itched to get into the battle as well and we of help for Sasuke. However, the enemy was an unstable person, who clearly wasn't anyone weak if Karin seemed worried. But sounds were getting more and more worrying.
More dust and rocks flew from the hallways forcing Sakura to cover her mouth.
This time Suigetsu started pulling her towards the hallway where Sasuke and Karin had just been. The sounds of the battle disappeared further and further away indicating that Sasuke was taking it elsewhere.
"There you are!" Karin said from behind the flowing dust.
"Stop faking innocent you who-" Suigetsu exploded, but Sakura cut him off.
"Suigetsu, stop it. It's not the right time!"
"I didn't do anything. You got lost on your own." Karin huffed and turned away from angry Suigetsu who gritted his teeth.
Sakura looked around the hallways that was now in bits and pieces. Large holes littered almost everywhere with cracks and dust in piles. A large crater was directly the opposite of the wide-open cell door.
Quickly moving steps started coming closer from the way Sakura and Suigetsu had come from.
"I'm gonna beat you to death!"
Sakura took a step closer to the wall just like Karin. Suigetsu smirked and pulled his Throat Cleaver from its perch on his back. He looked ecstatic as he lowered his position into better one and he fixed a better grip on the hilt of his sword.
As Sasuke turned the corner, he was closely followed by a large man with bright orange hair. The most distinct feature about him was the half-way transformation his body was in.
That's Jūgo, Sakura thought to herself as she took another step closer to the wall to get away from being in front of the attacking man.
Jūgo's shout echoed loudly between the walls as he aimed another attack towards Sasuke. He was unable to strike Sasuke, who easily slipped just from under the massive disfigured arm and his body was replaced by Suigetsu's large blade. The two clashed loudly in the middle of the hallway causing Jūgo to look very much surprised.
"What?" Jūgo's low voice groaned.
"You're using a different ability this time, Jūgo?" Suigetsu grinned with mirth.
"Stop it, Suigetsu." Sasuke commanded. He didn't want Suigetsu aggravating Jūgo more than he already was.
Neither Jūgo nor Suigetsu listened to Sasuke at all.
Jūgo grinned, "That's right. I remember you now, Suigetsu." The hand that was covered with what Sakura assumed was the Cursed Seal, shifted its shape into a sharper one to rival Suigetsu's sword. The shape it took looked like a war axe.
"This guy is really dangerous, Sasuke." Suigetsu said seriously as he brought his blade right in front of him.
Jūgo's body language changed immediately and eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder at Sasuke.
"Sasuke?"
"We're not here to fight. I just want to talk with him." Sasuke reminded Suigetsu of his objective.
"I don't think anything you say will change this guy's opinion." The white-haired ninja tilted his head in amusement. "We'll just have to use brute force!" Suigetsu went for to attack and Jūgo swung back with his own weapon. Sakura had to dodge behind Sasuke and Karin as their battle was headed right in her direction.
Sakura looked at Sasuke with pleading eyes to make him stop this nonsense. Sasuke didn't miss the look she gave him as he had glanced her way the moment she backed behind him.
"Both of you, knock it off!" This time Sasuke raised his voice in annoyance. Fighting wasn't getting them anywhere.
But no one listened. Sakura saw Sasuke move in a blur and in a less than a second he was standing in between Suigetsu and Jūgo. Both had their weapons raised mid-air ready to strike, but large white snakes had appeared from under Sasuke's sleeves, wrapping around the two fighting men.
"Do you," Sasuke started, "want me to kill you both?"
It was as if something had snapped the two men out of their mindset. Both had sweat dripping from their faces as their muscles trembled under the force the snakes were putting them under. The snakes hissed in warning as Sasuke pulled them away making them disappear back under his shirt.
Jūgo looked horrified. The Cursed Mark around the left side of his body began retreating, leaving behind the normal looking Jūgo. He was shaking his head from side to side as he took steps backwards towards the cell behind him.
The air around the hallways shifted from a murderous one to a complete fear. Sakura sighed deeply as she took in the change occurring in Jūgo. The way his eyes relaxed from the violent look he had before, to scared was slightly disturbing. He looked completely different man as he glanced at everyone standing around him in the room.
Next thing Sakura saw was a blur of a man screaming in fear and running inside the cell locking it behind him.
"Hurry up and lock me in here!" Jūgo screamed from the top of his lungs.
"Jūgo, I came here to free you." Sasuke said and didn't move an inch to try to lock the metal door.
"He's afraid?" Suigetsu said baffled of the outcome. He was scratching his head in surprise, "That's odd."
"No, that's not it." Karin suddenly opened her mouth.
"I don't want to kill anymore." Jūgo said desperately. "Please, can you all just leave me alone?"
"He has two personalities?" Suigetsu offered.
"He's unable to control himself?" Sakura added and looked over at Karin, who looked impressed.
"Seen something like that before?" Karin inquired with a lift of her brow.
"Many times." Sakura shrugged. Being the apprentice of the head medic of Konoha allowed you to places not many people were allowed to even hear of. Mental patients were rare, but in their world of death and blood it wasn't uncommon for someone to literally lose their marbles.
"Even though, he doesn't want to kill anyone, he's unable to stop the urges?" Suigetsu questioned aloud.
"Yeah." Karin nodded and pushed her glasses better in to place.
"See!" Suigetsu suddenly pointed at the door, "I told you he's dangerous! I can't walk in front of him without getting nervous."
"What's wrong with you people!" Jūgo screamed, "Leave me alone!"
Karin and Suigetsu looked uncomfortable with the situation. Sakura couldn't help but feel pity towards the guy behind the door. It must be stressful to fight such urges and not be able to do anything against them.
"Orochimaru's dead." Sasuke said with determination, "This hideout is collapsing. If you stay here, it's going to be the end of you."
"So be it." Came Jūgo's silent answer. "I just don't want to kill again."
"Don't worry. I'll act as your cell. I will stop you." Sasuke's words caused Karin to gasp.
"S-Sasuke-kun?!"
Sakura had no idea what Sasuke was implying, but going by the way Sasuke used his genjutsu to immobilize her, he might use the same tactic to Jūgo, too.
"The only one who can stop this is Kimimaro. I won't leave without him."
"Isn't Kimimaro that creepy bone-guy?" Suigetsu asked looking over at Karin.
"Yeah, he is. He and Jūgo were held in high regard by Orochimaru. They've been test subjects for him for many years now. And Kimimaro was the only one able to contain Jūgo's urges."
"But didn't he-?" Suigetsu asked with a low voice so that Jūgo couldn't hear. Karin nodded as an answer.
Sasuke wasn't bothered by what Karin and Suigetsu were talking about.
"Jūgo, Kimimaro died for me."
A beat of silence fell over the hideout as the group of three waited for Jūgo's reaction.
"He died for you? Then that would make you, Uchiha Sasuke?"
"That's right."
The door suddenly pulled open and everyone took a careful step backwards. Sakura didn't miss the way Sasuke's body moved right in between her and Jūgo. It might have been a nonexistent movement, but it forced some kind of barrier to protect her.
The man that came out was everything but the murderous person that had ran around in rampage few minutes ago. Jūgo looked like a lost puppy with his lowered head and sad looking eyes.
He glanced at everyone in the room unsure and as his eyes locked with Sakura's she gave him a small encouraging smile.
"I only have one goal." Sasuke started as they had stepped outside the hideout and away from the range of the unconscious bodies littered around the front yard of the place.
"And that is to kill Uchiha Itachi."
"That's pretty much what I expected." Suigetsu nodded his head.
"To achieve this goal, I need to lend your powers. Although, I won't be forcing you to do this." Sasuke's attention turned to Karin, "You had some other business to do somewhere. So, what will it be?"
"R-right.." she stuttered. "Well, I've been thinking about it and there's no rush with it so~"
"Just get to the point already!" Suigetsu grumbled with a loud sigh. "All of us know you only want to be close to Sasuke, right?"
"S-shut up! How dare you even say something like that!" Karin flushed with anger.
"No wonder you get so flushed every time! I've known all along that you're in l-" Karin's fist collided with Suigetsu's head causing a splash of water to fly everywhere.
"Suigetsu, stop pissing her off. You're supposed to cooperate!" Sakura scolded and shoved Suigetsu's blind body to the ground.
"Fine! Fine!" Suigetsu waved his arm in a dismissing way. "I'm sorry, Karin! Also, I'm sorry, but I'm going to stay as close to Sasuke as possible. Hoshigaki Kisame is the partner of Uchiha Itachi and he also has one of the swords of Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. It's a perfect opportunity!"
"You just want another sword? How pathetic." Karin huffed in amusement and boredom.
"What about you, Jūgo?" Suigetsu asked with open curiousness.
Said man had stayed mostly silent since they departed from the hideout. He seemed calm and nothing was bothering him. It amazed Sakura that someone could be so drastically different.
"Kimimaro told me that you're his reincarnation and also he saved your life. I want to see what kind of a shinobi you turn out to be like." He answered with seriousness that rivaled Sasuke's calmness in tight situations.
At that point, everyone's attention turned to Sakura.
"And, Pinky?"
On the other hand, Sakura had no idea what she was doing with this group. All of them has goals of their own; Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi, Jūgo wanted to see how far Sasuke could reach and Suigetsu wanted his swords. Karin was obviously infatuated with Sasuke which was her reason to stick with the group. But what about her? Didn't she have the same reason as Karin?
In reality it wasn't the only reason why she tagged up with Sasuke. So far, he's been the only one helping her to stay away from the Elders' claws. Without him she probably would be dead by now.
But she could push her own goal of finding out what she had done to deserve a death sentence aside, until she's helped Sasuke to defeat Itachi. In a way, she owns her help to Sasuke. Without him she would very likely be dead in that forest being eaten my maggots. There was no way she would have survived without him.
"I-.. I guess I'm just trying to stay alive for now." Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "And I just really want to repay my debt to Sasuke."
"How can there be no body?!" A dark blond haired woman shrieked in aggravation.
"I want to see MY CHILD!" She continued to shriek and fight against the shinobi holding her down.
Haruno Mebuki had demanded for months now to see the people that had send her daughter to her death. The Elders were evading her and her husband's pleas to hear what they have to say. All they want is to know why it was necessary to send her little girl on that mission.
So far no one had told them much anything except an enemy shinobi had attacked them, and the two other Konoha shinobi with her had somehow survived.
"Ma'am, you daughter is dead. There's nothing we can do. The body was destroyed during that battle." Koharu said with a very tight voice.
Sakura's mother just didn't seem to get the notion that her daughter had died doing something that many other shinobi die doing.
"I don't believe you!" Mebuki hissed with venom. "I'm tired of these secrets! First of all, no one told as for a whole month that my Sakura was dead, and now you're just too lazy to find her!"
"Darling, please! Calm down!" Haruno Kizashi tried pulling his wife along with two other shinobi.
"No! I won't stop until you bring her corps to me!" Mebuki veiled loudly and started crying. Suddenly her body just sagged against the three men holding her and all of them clumsily tried catching her.
"Darling!" Kizashi gasped in horror.
"I just want my Sakura back." Mebuki whimpered from the floor.
"Please ma'am. Get up from the dirty floor." One of the shinobi urged her, but she didn't listen to him.
Koharu was standing and watching in silence at the charade went on. She was getting more and more frustrated with the Haruno parents since they bugged her with letters constantly. They just didn't understand that their daughter was dead and she wasn't coming back.
At least that is what Koharu hoped from.
The last group of Root sent by Danzō returned with unexpected news. The Haruno girl was still alive and well. Unfortunately, she was with Uchiha Sasuke and the things that they had tried to prevent from happening were indeed happening.
Koharu felt her blood start to boil. They needed to come up with a better plan to eliminate the girl. If the prophecy was to happen then everything they've been aiming for was bound to be destroyed. The Uchihas were not supposed to return back to Konoha.
Itachi had a good warning of not to do any actions to revive his clan. Uchiha clan was a dangerous one and the brothers are going to be the last of them if Koharu had anything to say to this. Their ability to gain great power and being emotionally disabled were only risking the whole Shinobi world. If one of them snapped completely and did the same things as Uchiha Madara, it would very likely be the end of everything.
Koharu just didn't trust the Uchiha's at all. They were hungry for power. They were tainted with deceive and anger.
And if Koharu had a chance to eliminate the whole bloodline from this world, then that is what she'll do.
Haruno Sakura will not carry the off-spring of an Uchiha.
That was the plan decided by the Konoha's Council, and that is why she had to be eliminated.
What did you think? Was it worth the wait?
The next chapter will be out in two weeks. This weekend I'll post The Dark Ages.
Thanks for reviewing:
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Leave a review! I really want to know how mad you guys are for making you wait for this long. :D
- Jakura
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