Chapter Eight Truths
It was only then did the gravity of war bring its burden down on Saori. People died in wars, hundreds upon millions of innocents and vile ones alike. Homes destroyed, families torn - that was the ugly truth of warfare. The war had existed for over a year now, almost two, but it almost seemed not to exist at the same time. Wars were noisy and you always lived in fear of caustic bombs and explosions - Death hovered over you and struck you at whim. That was how war should be, but this time it wasn't the case. There was no desperate fear, and people like Saori could pretend life was normal. While she fretted here, lives were being lost, only they were quiet mass killings that never made it through the censored news media.
"Quit daydreaming," said Kani, which Saori would later find quite ironic. "And come over here."
Saori tore her gaze from the open expanse of the sea to behind her, sighting only a bit of Kani's dark blue hair and the massive hulk of a ship. "What the hell is that doing out of water?"
"This baby doesn't belong in water. There's a reason why I asked you about the Tamakachi Clan. After we burned down the village and most of the Tsukiyomi, we heard other clans had suddenly perished or almost did. We first tired to get in touch with the Uchiha Clan, which we suspected was likeliest to be under fire, but we found Uchiha Itachi had already slaughtered them. We dropped our suspicions until we came across the Tamakachi Clan, who was in flight, much like us. They told us of a clan in Iwagakure that nearly perished around the same time. Upon finding us, they concluded it was not just coincidences, that it was a conspiracy made by the shinobi governments.
"From there, the Tamakachi and we formed an alliance. We could not merge clans, because the Tamakachi felt that land was unsafe and we wouldn't be able to assimilate into their lifestyles. Instead, we agreed to send a three-man cell as ambassadors to one another. The Tamakachi left us one of these, ships meant to glide on cloud moisture," Kani explained, gesturing to the massive vessel. Despite its size, it was unlikely all that remained of the Ookamika Clan could fit inside. "We left them a Reverse-Kuchiyose Seal so when they find themselves in a crunch, they'll immediately be transferred to our underground storage facility."
"It doesn't make sense. We both were clans traumatized by betrayal. Why would we be so trusting?"
"Who's to say? Their elder seemed to like Jigoku and Jigoku was confident they would be loyal. I wouldn't doubt Jigoku's judgment. Look here, he clearly thinks high of you even now. If it weren't for him, you'd be stranded out there on your own with God knows what hunting you down. Anyways, only the Tamakachi can really fly this vessel. They taught us how to fly it but with the Tamakachi we wouldn't last."
"Got that right, Kani. You suckers would be lost without us," jeered a tanned young man with light bluish hair. Kani playfully punched him in the shoulder. If it was painful, he made no sign of it, which Saori guessed was from multiple instances of practice.
"As if! This idiot's the ambassador of the Tamakachi Clan. He spends every day with the ship like it's his kid."
"It is, Kani. Ships are like children. If you don't watch them they won't grow up right and rot away," he defended teasingly. "The name is Tamakachi Hatori. Who're you?"
"I'm no longer the top dog, Hatori," Kani hinted.
"You've been displaced?"
"Yup! And you're looking at the laggard right here!" Kani patted Saori's back none too lightly.
"A half-breed displacing Kani? Hmm, you must have some impressive powers, then, girl," said Hatori.
"I'm… working on it," Saori replied.
"Heh. I don't take it that you want to take this ship for a ride?"
"No! No, I'm good… on… land."
'You know, it's rude not to introduce yourself, landlubber."
"Ahm, Ookamika Saori."
"Hmm, good name, I suppose. Well, if you ladies don't mind…"
"Don't call me lady!" snapped Kani. Hatori disappeared before she could punch him or anything else that would inflict bodily harm in one form or another. One might laugh, but Saori wasn't. She couldn't understand their laidback nature. What if Akatsuki came? Right now? They'd be so unprepared, with al their unjustified laughter. Out there, a dog was howling for food but no one was listening. Somewhere out there, a child was without a nurturing guardian. Somewhere out there, there was nothing to be laughing about. "C'mon!" hollered Kani, her voice vibrating intensely off the cavern walls. "I'll show you the normal way in and out, in case of an emergency." Saori could not help but think, it would have been nice if you had shown me earlier.
"AND THAT'S THE LAST customer," said Tenten. The lunch rush hour had ended and left a mess of dirty dishes and tables in its wake. She wiped her hands on a worn rag. Neji and she had quite literally salvaged the restaurant from itself; what was once a rotting and almost out of business shop. The original purpose of the business was to serve tea only - save a few snacks - but with Tenten and Neji, it had flourished to become "the" place to be for social gatherings and business meetings; that is, "the" place outside of Amegakure. Shinobi rarely came here and they were always wary when they did.
"People will start to wonder," whispered Neji.
"Of what?" Tenten responded.
"We brought up this establishment yet we haven't taken ownership."
"Well wouldn't getting ownership only a few months of living here raise suspicion?"
"Yes, but as does not taking ownership."
"Talk about a no-win situation." Quiet. "How much longer are we going to stay like this?"
"Forever, if we have to. We've no place to go," Neji replied, shaking his now short blonde hair free. Tenten loosened the ribbon capturing her brown- red hair in a mid-length ponytail.
"If we just had a name, a place…"
"Don't we all dream?"
THEY CONSTANTLY RAN. THERE was no rest for Sasori, Deidara, Saori, and Sakura. The latter remembered it well - the pain in her throat, the lungs crying for fresh air, and the legs screaming for rest- all she had experienced like never before. Sakura was no the type to complain - during this run for their lives, she had complained more times than she had in her lifetime. On some legs of rough travel, Sasori carried her on his back. He alone was their driving force. He did not complain of pain once. He knew no limits and pushed all three of his younger companions farther than they had ever before.
The kind of running Sakura was doing now could not even compare. Days upon days of running on insufficient nutrition passed but she, unlike her teammates, felt like she could still go a long, long way. She smiled inwardly, reflecting how much she had grown from her escapade, how much she realized she had been missing out on. As an only child, she never go tot know what it was like to be a motherly elder sister. She treated Deidara and Saori like young, reckless siblings. And for a time, they were. They really were.
Her legs went on autopilot, her senses dulled as she recalled the perilous journey she had undertaken.
"SASORI-DANNA, THEY CAN'T keep up, hmm," said Deidara. Sakura was only a short way behind him, but Saori was falling behind. At the time, Saori had thought she was fast. Only a few genin - Toyotomi included when he was a genin - were faster than she was. Speed and her fire jutsu had been her ultimate weapons. But now her inflated head was popped without warning, and she realized how outclassed she really was. Sasori and Deidara shamed her in terms of speed; Sakura, in terms of endurance.
Sasori glanced back at Saori's bobbing black head and swerved to the right. "We'll make a stop. Sakura, heal Deidara when we do," Sasori ordered. It did not please the pinkette whatsoever, evidently.
"You call that a break? Don't you think I might be tired too? Make Deidara sculpt a bird. They we'd be moving and resting," Sakura testily responded.
"What, are you stupid?" snapped Deidara. "Something must have happened while I was away, because the last time I checked, big, all-white birds that fly at breakneck speeds did not exist naturally, hmm! And people had eyeballs, too! Moreover, my chakra network is what needs to be healed, idiot!"
"Alright, bad idea, I get it! Cool your jets," muttered Sakura. "Then let's go into town, get something to eat, and some new clothes. Your Akatsuki garb and my outfit are too easy to recognize. My bets are that Iwa shinobi will be the ones after us, so chances are they will be able to recognize Saori by her clothes too. We can use the clothes we're wearing now to throw them off if they're following us by scent."
"Getting new clothes is a waste of time. No one cares that your clothes are no in pristine condition, Haruno," interrupted Sasori. She raised an annoyed fist at him.
"Did you not hear my reasoning at all?"
After a moment, Sasori raised the white flag. "Alright, we'll do what Sakura planned. Be quick."
"Great choice, danna! I didn't think she'd shut up any other way, hmm -"
"You jerk!"
"Shut up. We're at town. Deidara, take off your clock. Headbands off. We don't' want to let anybody know we're shinobi," said Sasori.
"Even though we're going into a shinobi clothing store, hmm?"
"Sakura, assist Deidra when he changes clothes. Don't let them know he is injured. It will raise suspicion. If anyone asks, Deidara is courting you."
"Alriiight, Sakura-chan, hmm."
"I believe we use the term 'dating' now, Akasuna. And don't get any ideas, Deidara, or your arm won't be the only thing broken," Sakura sneered.
"Ouch, ouch, hmm." The four made graceful landings, and, after all four had taken deep breaths and slowed their heartbeats, walked into town. Sasori made note of the town sentries while Sakura held onto Deidara's right arm. Sasori pushed the door of the clothier open, holding it so Sakura and Deidara could pass through. Saori squeezed through before the door snapped shut on her. "Remember to find civilian clothes. And don't take too long," Sakura had told Saori, who didn't appear to be listening, before going off to find clothes that would not immediately give her away as a shinobi. The only thing Saori kept in mind was that these clothes could be the very one she would be spending a long, long solitary time in.
"Sasori" - he gave her a pointed look - "... sama, I don't have much money on me..." He rolled his eyes. The least she could have done was be straightforward about what she was after. He held up a finger, carrying a stack of clothes with him into one of the dressing rooms. When he came back out, his pants were rolled neatly under his arm, and he held a wad of cash. Saori resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. The insides of pants were a strange place to be putting cash but she supposed it worked.
He pulled out five bills of very large denominations, handing it to her without a word before heading to the cashier. Keeping her eyeballs and jaws in place, she quickly stuffed it in her pocket, hurrying to pick out the clothes she that had caught her eye right away. Sasori never seemed to be the generous type; because of that, she knew the cash she had been given was not just for her clothing, but to set her off on the inevitable moment where she would have to make it out on her own as a missing-nin.
Her first stop was to the bathroom, to finally wash out the dye that had stained her hair for almost seven years. She watched the inky black become diluted as it swirled down the drain. It felt as though a heavy weight had finally been lifted off of her back, another mask she had finally been able to shed. But it also left the aftertaste of sadness. That mask had been a part of her life for a long, long time; it felt like she was leaving a part of herself behind and that years later, no on would remember the girl she had been, "Ootowari" Sora.
Saori glanced at her reflection. Just three months ago, she had looked much younger and in love with a difficult life, but in love nonetheless because of one person. Sora and Saori looked nowhere the same, not even in their gold eyes, yet they had been on in the same. She fumbled in her pant pocket for the blade Toyotomi had given her what seemed to be ages and ages ago. It seemed so long since she had last seen him, last heard his velvet voice. Pulling some knotted hair free, locks of bright red hair fell into the rubbish bin aside the sink, restoring her hair to the shortness it had known for the first seven or eight years of her life. The only part of her hair that was left alone was a long patch of hair, which was dyed blue to match her father's hair color eleven years ago at age three. It was befuddling how most of the dye still retained its blue hue.
She snuck into the first available dressing room in hopes none of her companions saw her red hair yet. Only Sasori knew she once had red hair, the same shade as her mother's. Putting on her new clothes with as much haste as Sasori and Sakura had, Saori walked tentatively out of the dressing room she had been occupying. She knew she would hear it from Sakura later, as her clothing was far from that of a normal civilian. She pulled a long ninja headband off a hanger. It bore no plate, but transference was easy. She need a hitai-ate that would still fit years from now, when her head was likely to be physically larger. On her way to the cash register, a knife caught her eye. The handle was twisted and black, the blade a dark gray. She had always wanted one of those weapons that almost became one with you, but she never quite got around to training with one. Katana were not her sort of thing; she was a quick little fighter and katana were just that inefficient.
Down the aisle, Sakura caught sight of Saori and immediately began thinking of things to rebuke Saori for. Deidara noticed her distress, turning to sight the cause of it. He froze. The red hair was quite the drastic change, but there was something bigger amiss, something more significant. His fuzzy memory pulled him back to the night he left Iwa. He vaguely remembered that miserable and freezing night. He had an "incident" with his best friend, who he felt had betrayed him. He had been heading out through the main highway - and came across a little girl in thin, loose rags, the kind of clothing they were to keep cool under the blazing sun in the south. He was about let her die there; frankly, at that moment, he was sick of women, as one had just betrayed him. But in an awkward moment of compassion, he brought the kid to his old home and never looked back.
Did that scrawny kid have hair of the same hue? He swore the hair had been a darker red, but with time and the darkness of the night, he could no longer be sure. "Whoa, don't be suicidal, yeah," teased Deidara, who strode up to Saori's side. "Want it? I think I might find it in myself to buy it for you."
"No," Saori responded, "It's nice, and I like the blade's color, but I'd probably lose it quickly, knowing me. Will you be by the door with Sakura?" She made the motions to pay for her apparel, putting the knife back where it belonged.
"Nah, I'm going to buy something. You wait at the door with Sakura; I'll pay for your stuff. To save time, hmm."
"Okay." Deidara glanced at her retreating back before snatching the knife and heading to the cashier.
"I see you didn't listen," noted Sakura.
"I have hearing problems," Saori returned.
"Really? I'll take a look at your ears for you, then."
"That will have to wait. Where is Deidara?" interrupted Sasori, who walked into the store in fresh clothes and with a white plastic bag in hand. Saori supposed it was foodstuffs.
"Here, danna," replied the requested man.
"We have to get out of here. I do not know how the hell it happened, but we're being cornered. Let's go." In the next second they were in flight, narrowly missing a patrol of shinobi. None of the others noticed but Sasori did; the tracking unit bore Kiri hitai-ate. So the deal went through.
They had no idea where they were; the landscape was obliterated in some areas, and just a few meters over, it would be flourishing with vivid vegetation. They were confident they were not in the uncharted territories west of Iwa, as they had never quite gotten past the Ootowari Estate. They agreed, silently, to stay together until the situation was figured out, for separate and untold reasons.
Their days consisted mostly of eating on the run, trying not to choke while swallowing, sleeping a few hours in the night, and constant near-death situations that were the result of low chakra levels. After two days of amiss shinobi tracker units, Sasori allowed them to take a longer overnight rest than usual. He fished his supply bag for two soldier pills and shoved them into Sakura's mouth. She glared at him while she chewed, the horrid taste provoking a need to purge. She knew what was coming next. "Heal him, Haruno," he demanded.
At the moment, Sakura had all the intentions of disobeying the puppetmaster but one glance at Deidara and her mind changed in an instant. Maybe she had been too stubborn for too long. He was a miserable-looking creature, his right arm bulging red form swelling. Sakura inhaled deeply and sized his arm. "Deidara, I'm going to have to break you arm again, alright? It didn't heal properly." He vigorously nodded, desperate for relief.
"Wait," said Sasori, pulling out Deidara's tattered Akatsuki robe. He tore a length from it and firmly tied it around Deidara's head to gag him. Saori sat dumbfounded, but not for long. The sound of the snap alone was enough to make her sick, but the fund did not end there. The screaming was worse than fingernails on chalkboard, despite being muffled. Saori slapped her hands over her ears. Deidara bit his tongue, blood beginning to dribble down his chin. Those Iwa interrogators had known exactly what they were doing - for all he knew, they might have been preparing for his capture since he left. They had seriously screwed up his arm; broken arms were easy fixes. Fixing his disturbed chakra network and untwisting muscles (which to Sakura's surprise were notable in size despite his lanky appearance) and whatever else they did was a bit of trouble and plenty painful.
Not ten minutes had passed before Saori got up, making the motions to leave. Not that Sasori would allow it. "Sit down," he hissed, a vice-like grip on her forearm.
"You want me to sit and listen to this?" she replied.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight so you can run away and I won't leave Sakura alone with Deidara either. She'll kill him the moment I look away. Sit. Plug your fingers in your ears, do something, but you're not leaving." Sakura fought the want to protest on Saori's behalf and give Sasori a good slap in the face. Deidara kept his muffled screams of pain. Maybe Deidara had a right to detest Iwa so much. Saori stared pityingly at him, despite knowing he hated pity. At least his eyes were squeezed shut and he wouldn't have to see it.
Much to the surprise of Sasori and Sakura, she sat down closer to the source of misery than she had been before. She grabbed his unoccupied hand, forcing it from its clenched position. His hand quickly captured hers in a death grip. She forced away her own wish to scream - Deidara was an eighteen year old S-Rank missing-nin and was undoubtedly strong - and let him continue crushing her small hand, knowing it offered just a small piece of comfort.
Sometime later, Saori realized she was getting feeling back in her numbed fingers, and that Deidara was no longer gripping her hand. In a panic, Saori gently slapped his sweaty face. "Hey. Hey! Are you okay?"
Deidara bleakly pried his eyes open, sad blue orbs staring at her. Damn, that awkward scar that ran over her right eye diagonally sure seemed familiar. "I know you," he suddenly choked.
"What?" she replied. He began laughing hysterically. Sakura did not pause her work but was without doubt freaked.
"It's funny," he continued, somehow pulling his gag under his chin. "I knew you wouldn't stay in Iwa for long, but who would have known we'd be here now, you and me?"
"What the hell…"
"Seven years ago… I was eleven when I left Iwa and became their youngest and most dangerous missing-nin. I found you. Scrawny little you, hmm. I almost didn't save you, hmm. Almost. What were you, four?"
"Seven."
"Didn't seem like it, hmm. I remember now. Your scar. You hide it under your hair like it's your shame, hmm. Why do that? Show 'em bastards you're still here, hmm."
"I don't…" Deidara's reading was true. Initially her bangs were parted to the right because that was the way Naomi had worn hers. but after Naomi fled and Saori lost almost all of her sight in her right eye, she grew out her bangs so no one would mark or judge her for the mar on her skin.
"Enough chit chat, more concentration," commanded Sasori, who made note of the green glow around Sakura's hands flickering as she watched her patient and Saori.
"Freakin' slave driver," muttered Deidara. Saori quietly laughed, glad his humorous nature was back. It meant the worse had passed and it would be a smooth ride there on out. The green glow disappeared at last.
"Done!" Sakura cheerily announced. She had been at work since mid-afternoon and it was now evening.
"Does he need anything?" Sasori queried.
"Some vitamins and rest would do him some good. Nutritious food, too. None of that cheap junk you've had us eating."
"Hell yes on the food, hmm! If I couldn't see I would've though you were Kakuzu, Sasori-danna, hmm!" Deidara laughed.
"Come. We'll restock our supplies. Deidara, I take it you can handle Saori?" Sasori ignored Deidara's comment about his current parsimonious habit.
"You kidding me? The girl's a twig, hmm!"
"I'm not a twig…," Saori muttered.
"In muscles you are, hmm!"
"Oh, gee thanks, Deidara!"
"We'll leave you two to it. Let's go," Sasori concluded, saying the same two words for what seemed to Sakura the hundredth time. He began walking.
"See you in a bit!" called Sakura. The night swallowed them. Little did Sakura know, it would be more than a whole night before she would see either of them again. Sakura forgot to remove her vest, which bore her clan's sign, and her ninja hitai-ate. Sasori forgot to remind her. They walked through the town's main entrance, having not found any other way that did not have sentries. Jumping over the surrounding wall would raise instant alarms. The man posing as the main gate sentry grinned as they walked by.
"Alpha, Gamma have arrived."
MEANWHILE, SAORI SET THEM up with a nice fire. The sun was gone, letting the temperature drop. To keep Deidara warm, she threw Sasori's Akatsuki cloak around him and tried to make a sling out of his own, though he refused to wear it because not only did it look "half-assed" he would have to be a "half-assed man" to wear one. She offered to use her fire-like chakra to keep his hands warm but he rejected that too. He wasn't a "lame cripple" to throw "pity on," Deidara had announced playfully. It seemed to him Saori gave him much more respect upon knowing she owed her life to him. Instead of focusing on recovery, Deidara busied himself with palm reading activities, as Deidara was intent on having some fantastical power like Saori had with her Kekkei Genkai, the Mind's Eye.
"And this line here? It means you'll have a short life, hmm," he proudly told her. Who knew he was so incredibly right. She put up a mock expression of anger.
"How could you say that? Do you want me to die?" Deidara chuckled, a beautiful smile perched on his lips, Saori's small hand still comfortably in his larger one, He said something along the lines of "think what you want to," but was midway interrupted. He visibly - and she felt him - tensed. His mouth had bitten. Quickly, he withdrew his arm, attempting to get away, but not quick enough. Saori's arm snapped out and grabbed his right wrist. "Deidara..." she slowly started, forcing him to turn his palm over. Not again, not again, he thought. "You have a mouth on your hand."
Exasperated, he snapped, "Yeah, I think I would know, hmm!" She released her grip and he rushed to hide his Kekkei Genkai from her view. "What's next, you're going to call me a freak?"
"Why would I say that?" she asked, confused.
"Who wouldn't, hmm?" he muttered, half to himself.
"Well, excuse you, I read minds. If you think mouths on your hands are strange, you've got another thing coming." He paused. Personally he felt his hands were stranger, but reading everybody's minds... life must have sucked. "Besides, I think they're kind of neat. They make you different. Special."
"You're weird, yeah."
"Well," she began, a smirk forming, "I think I would know."
ELSEWHERE, THERE WAS A heavier, darker mood. Sakura didn't appreciate Sasori's dictatorial behavior so much, ordering her to do this and that. She, frankly, was getting tired of it. "How much longer?" Sasori demanded to know.
"As long as it freaking takes, got it?" Sakura retorted. The cashier paused he work, the receipt running as the woman stared at them. Sakura plastered a fake smile on her face. "Brothers, they can be so annoying."
"Brothers?" the cashier asked, glancing at the stark difference in hair colors.
"She meant boyfriend. She's rather slow, in all respects. Thank you," Sasori corrected as he pulled the receipt free, leaving Sakura red-faced from embarrassment, humiliation, anger, and though she ferociously denied it, blushing.
"The hell's your problem, Akasuna?" Sakura hissed. He grabbed her wrist and started walking as fast as would pass for 'normal.'
"We're being shadowed. Why didn't you take off your hitai-ate?"
"Oh, shoot. Why didn't you remind me?"
"For get that, run. Now!" They pumped whatever chakra they had left in their stores and ran hard. Their pursuers were right behind them. Sasori whipped out a scroll, summoning one of his restored puppets, the Third Kazekage.
"But I -"
"Does that really matter right now?" he replied. "Satetsu, Iron Sand!" Sakura had no intentions of glancing behind her to witness the blood bath or to acknowledge the disappearing chakra signatures. There had been quite an impressive number of pursuers; Sasori was rather good at relieving them of their duties. The duo sped through and by multiple villages, leaving a bloody trail behind them. Sakura led the way, trying to circle back to Deidara and Saori. After hours of hard running, it seemed the trackers had all been killed or had given up and retreated. Sakura slumped down to the foundation of a muted yellow house. They had spent more time than they had originally intended away from Deidara and Saori. Sasori's red hair and especially Sakura's pink hair had been dead giveaways. Silently, Sakura wished they all had less ostentatious hair colors.
"Damn… we left them too close to Deidara and Saori. They wouldn't be ready," Sasori huffed. Though they had lost their pursuers, they were still in need of rest from the extreme and extended running they had endured. The sun was well into the sky. Sakura paused, then, "Sasori... why the hell are you out of breath?" Underlying her question was another he was well aware of: was he mocking her humanity?
He glared at her. "You don't need to know." She watched his smooth chest rising and falling. It seemed real, his need to breathe.
"If you're mocking me -"
Sasori leapt to his feet. "God damn, Haruno, not everything is about you. I do need to breathe, is that so hard for you to accept?"
She was now on hers. "Of course it is! I'm not joining any pity party of yours so you could stab me straight through the back -"
"Like you did to me?"
"Damn right!" she snapped, despite the fact she hadn't actually done any of the stabbing.
"You wonder why I'm alive, don't you? Well it came at a price." He slapped a hand over his chest. "This! This is all wood, not flesh. But this -" he moved over towards where his heart might lay were he human "- this is real. I have organs. I have to breathe to function. I was fine being dead. I was pulled back and this is what I have to live with. Succumbed to all human necessities in an almost entirely wooden body! You took all that I lived for away from me when you killed me, Haruno Sakura!"
Author's Note: Please review!