White Lace
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Yay, reviews are fixed for now. Well we needed some action in this story, otherwise it was going to get wrapped up soon. So Gaara, I'm really sorry about this. He will be okay though people :P. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
New Story Idea: One of my readers suggested Sasuke and Hinata's son from the future show up in a new story. I'd make him five years old. Poor Sasuke and Hinata are like O_O. Let me know if you think that's an idea you'd be interested in.
Chapter Notation: Because Sasuke's family never died, Itachi didn't join the Akatsuki. So it took them longer to find a suitable 9th member and to extract the demon from Gaara.
Chapter Twelve
"You are so cute when you are terrified." Hinata giggles.
"You just said that he'd chakra block me down THERE, I think I have a right to be! What if he just leaves it that way?!" Sasuke demands.
Hinata couldn't stop giggling. It was just so funny. Her normally very confident boyfriend, was actually scared. She supposed she should reassure him though. It wasn't very nice to tease him like this. The Hyuga Heiress knew this. So points out the obvious.
"I wouldn't let him do that. He wouldn't do that. It'd start a Clan War for one and secondly…" She blushes.
"You prefer it functional as well." Sasuke says with a smirk.
Sasuke smirked. She was adorable when she blushed really. He had no idea how such an innocent person was a ninja. She was still blushing at the mere mention of his…well his equipment. Even after everything that happened in the forest, which he was more than eager to continue with later.
"Something like that." She mumbles and Sasuke smiles, taking her hand in his, and walking off with her back to the Uchiha District.
"Oh thank God, you're both alright!" Mikoto says running over to them.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" Sasuke gives his mother a confused look.
Sasuke was a bit unnerved. His mother was a very calm woman. It wasn't like her to look so worried. He knew that something was up. Something big and it wasn't good.
"It seems like the Akatsuki has struck. Another kidnapping. Only this time, it's not for bloodlines. They took the Kazekage." She says.
"Wait, they took Gaara?! How'd they even manage to do that? I've seen his defense and what his demon can do." Sasuke mutters, reliving the Chunin Exams in his head.
He tries to wrap his mind around this. They had taken Gaara? The red head was like a tank. It was almost impossible to get around his Ultimate Defense. Sasuke knew this form personal experience.
"Poor Gaara." Hinata covers her mouth in horror.
"The extraction process is time consuming. They need at least nine people to pull that off and they can't break their concentration. If we find him quickly, he can still be saved." Itachi says.
"I don't even want to know how you know that." Naruto says.
"In the worse case scenario, ANBUS were instructed in how to deal with a rampaging Tailed Beast." Itachi looks at Naruto apologetically.
Itachi hated to admit to Naruto that there were plans in place. If Naruto ever lost control. They had to have a way to protect the village. The blonde was one of his closest friends though. It pained him to even consider that very gruesome possibility.
"Uh huh. Well let's go save Gaara! Why is it always him?! He was doing so much better! He became Kazekage. He was finally being accepted and everything!" Naruto growls.
Naruto was furious. Gaara was the Kazekage now! People relied on him for protection. He'd changed! The red head was a good person. It's just a lot of bad things kept happening to him! Why was it always him?!
Sasuke had to admit that the blonde had a point. Gaara had gotten dealt a very bad hand. Still thanks to Naruto's "preaching" as Sasuke called it, the red head was now…markedly less homicidal.
Seriously, Sasuke didn't now how Naruto did it. Half of the "bad guys" they faced became good guys after dealing with the blonde. The blue eyed ninja could certainly give quite the Sermon when he wanted to.
"Has the Hokage decided who is going with the search party, yet?" Sasuke asks.
"I'm going. No one is going to stop me." Naruto says determinedly.
"Naruto, you have the Nine Tails. If you walk in there, you are setting yourself up to join Gaara." Itachi warns him.
"I don't care. Let them try. Gaara is my friend. I'm not just going to leave him there!" The blue eyed man practically snarls.
"There's no talking sense into this boy. Believe me, I've been trying for the better part of two decades." Fugaku says with a smile.
Truly, Naruto had to be the most stubborn person the Uchiha Patriarch had ever met. He was even more stubborn than Minato. That was certainly saying something.
"We'll go." Kenji volunteers.
"Oh no you won't!" Mitszu says.
"EEP." Kenji hides behind his wife to get away from the psychotic Uchiha.
"Silly husband." Aiya says with a fond smile.
"I want to go!" Kitzu says.
Kizu was an adult now, in his mind. He'd made fireballs! That made him an adult by Uchiha standards. He could help!
"Kitzu we need you here in case they attack while we are away." Sasuke says bending down to his knee to talk to the nine year old.
"You are just trying to trick me into staying." The younger Uchiha says.
He was young. But he wasn't stupid. There was no way he was going to be talked out of going!
"Alright, if you stay when this is all over, I'll let you ride Aoda." He offers.
"Really? To the Academy so I can make Amaya jealous?" Kitzu asks.
"…I'll talk to Iruka ahead of time to give him a little warning. But sure." Sasuke says and he wonders who the Hell Amaya is.
"Deal!" He says with a smile.
On second thought, he was sure that they could handle it. Plus how cool would it be to rid on Aoda? He could show up at the Academy on the back of the giant snake! Amaya would be so jealous!
"You are not riding that vile beast anywhere!" Mitszu says.
"He is not a vile beast. He's my Summon. Get over your God damn cake!" Sasuke growls.
"How dare you disrespect your elder like that?!" She howls at him.
She was going to throttle that brat. She didn't care that Sasuke was her sister's son. She was not going to tolerate such disrespect. It was time that boy and his damn snake learned some manners!
Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. She starts to pull Sasuke away from his aunt. It looked like an Uchiha showdown might result otherwise. Thankfully, Mitszu's husband was pulling her away from her youngest nephew was well. Thus another Great Ninja War might have been prevented that day.
"We are wasting time! Gaara needs us!" Naruto says.
"Stay safe. Someone has to stay behind." Fugaku says, while standing next to his wife.
"Don't worry. I'll protect them." Shisui says with a wink.
"I feel so much better now. Are there any female members of the Akatsuki?" Fugaku says with a sigh.
"One." Itachi replies.
"He'll be too busy trying to look up her cloak to protect you." The Uchiha Patriarch muses.
"HEY! I can be serious when I have to be." Shisui says, twitching, and the Uchiha brothers drag their cousin off.
Meanwhile in an Akatsuki hide out, Gaara cries out in agony. He felt as if his very soul was being ripped apart. The red head was vaguely aware of multiple shadowy figures wearing cloaks surrounding him. They were trying to remove the demon. He knew that. But if they managed, he was going to die.
He had tried so hard. At least the village was safe form the immediate threat. But he didn't know what they would do once they actually had the tailed beasts. His blood ran cold at the very thought.
"So where we going?" Shisui asks, now racing alongside his cousins, rather than being dragged.
"We are going to meet up with the rescue party from the Sand." Kurenai answers.
"Do you think he'll still be alive when we get there?" Hinata whispers softly to Sasuke, so Naruto couldn't overhear.
"Probably. I've fought Gaara myself. He isn't that easy to kill." Sasuke reassures his girlfriend with an equally quiet whisper.
Naruto was flitting ahead of all them. The blonde was determined to save his friend. One of only a handful of people who understood what it was like to be cast aside because you had a demon inside you. A demon that you never agreed to house in the first place. Though in Naruto's case, he had made "friends" with Kurama.
Sasuke wasn't really sure how this was possible. But Naruto was Naruto. At some point, the young Uchiha thought Naruto would cure cancer or something just through sheer force of will. Privately, he wasn't sure what kind of relationship Gaara had with his demon now that his bloodlust was under control.
Sasuke had met Kyubbi once. Thanks to his Sharingan, he was able to go inside Naruto's head. How a fox that size fit inside a human being, he had no idea. It was unreal. Apparently, he reminded the Nine Tails too much of Madara. So Naruto thought it was best if Sasuke didn't do it again unless it was an emergency. Sasuke had agreed.
"That's good." Hinata says.
She frowns. Poor Gaara. He had been doing so much better. Finally, he seemed to be at peace or on his way there. And the Akatsuki had to kidnap him. She'd never fully understand what it was like to be a demon host, but she knew that it meant your life was constantly at risk. There were far too many ninjas in the world that would love to use that much chakra for their own purposes for you to ever truly let your guard down.
"Don't worry about it. We'll save him and be back home soon." Sasuke says, taking her hand as they raced along with each other, side by side.
She smiles at Sasuke. He always had a way of making her feel better. The Hyuga holds his hand as well and they continue their search.
Itachi's eyes narrowed in worry. If they were able to steal the One Tails that would be disastrous. To complete one extraction successfully, meant they could do others. They had to hurry.
"We'll be there soon." Kurenai murmurs into his ear reassuringly.
"Yes, I know. We have to." Itachi agrees.
Meanwhile back at the Uchiha District, Kizu was trying to avoid his mother. She smelled blood in the water. The young Uchiha had made a mistake. He'd mentioned a girl's name with his mother in hearing distance. Uh oh.
"Who is Amaya?" She demands to know.
"Nobody. Just a girl in my class. That's all." He says.
Yeah, that was the wrong thing to say. Ever since then, he had been practicing his stealth and evasion skills. His mother was insane. Why couldn't he get a normal mother, like Mikoto or Aiya? (Well Aiya was too old to be his mother, but someone like her!)
"Mitszu, let the boy be. He's just trying to show off for his friend. He's 9. If he was 19, I'd see your concern. Or even 12 maybe. But at his age, I really wouldn't worry about it." She chuckles.
"You don't understand. Kids these days grow up so fast. It's not like the old days, Mikoto." Mitszu argues.
"I don't understand? I have two sons!" Mikoto protests.
"Both of which aren't normal." She says.
"Excuse me?" The Uchiha patriarch says and gets her frying pan.
Oh her crazy sister had gone too far that time. No one messed with her kids. Not even her sister!
"Itachi never even looked at a girl until Kurenai. Sasuke was the same way with Hinata. That's not normal." She says.
"That's love at first sight! Most people can only dream about such a thing. How dare you say that like it's somehow a bad thing that they found what they wanted so early!" She scoffs.
Mikoto couldn't believe her ears. The other woman actually thought love at first sight was a bad thing? What was the matter with her? Most people could only dream of such a thing happening to them!
"I'm just saying. It's really not healthy. Most people date at least a few people before they find the one." Mitszu continues.
"It runs in the family. Kenji was set on me from the day he was first on my team." Aiya adds "helpfully."
"SHUT UP, YOU OLD HAG!" Mitszu says.
"I will not tolerate you speaking about my wife in such a fashion." Kenji says and swats her on the back of the neck, knocking her out.
"I love my sister, but someone should have done that years ago." Mikoto says with a sigh.
"Did you hear what she called me?!" Aiya screeches in outrage.
"Clearly, she needs her eyes checked, my love." Kenji assures her.
"Hmpf." The elderly Uchiha woman huffs at the unconscious woman.
"Kitzu, why don't you go play with some of your friends?" Mikoto suggests kindly.
"Okay." He says and heads off to find them.
Nao was Kitzu's best friend. He was in his year at the Academy. The boy's name meant honest and he lived up to it. Kitzu had never met another person who spoke so completely unfiltered.
Nao was about average height for his age. He had brown hair and vibrant green eyes. He was fond of wearing high collared shirts and dark pants. He was only 9 but already knew where he wanted to work when he became a "real ninja." He wanted to work in the Intelligence Division.
"Hey, Nao!" Kitzu says happily.
"Hey, Kitzu. Guess you did manage to escape your crazy mom today. How'd the Ceremony go? Was it awesome?" He asks.
"Oh yeah! It was. Cousin Sasuke's Summon and Naruto's Summon kinda got into the cake though. So ever since then, mom's been in a pretty…crazy mood." He answers with a sigh.
"That's different from usual, how?" He questions.
"Good point! But I'm getting better at making fireballs. Cousin Shisui says I'm really improving." Kitszu states smugly.
"That's good. I've been working on my kunai throwing mostly." He says.
"Come on Uchiha, I want to see if you can really do it!" Kitzu says and turns around to see HER.
The absolute bane of his existence. Alright, he was only nine. But it still counted. It didn't have to be a long existence for it to have a bane.
He didn't know what it was about her, that set him off. But they were like fire and water, always clashing. This time though, he was going to show her. This time he was going to impress her! Wait where did that come from? He didn't care what she thought of him, did he?
"You don't have the chakra. Pretty sure your clan just says their kids can do it to add to the mystique. I mean that's what I would do, if I came from a fancy clan." She says.
"We are not making it up!" He growls.
"Then prove it!" She shouts.
"I will! FIREBALL JUTSU!" He says and sure enough a fireball came bursting out of his mouth, albeit a medium sized one.
"Whoa. You actually did it. That's actually pretty cool. Of course my water jutsus are better." She says smugly.
"What'd you say?!" He growls.
"My water jutsus are better." She answers.
"OH THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR STUCK UP ATTITUDE!" He says and jumps her.
Nao blinks. He watches as the two nine year olds wrestle each other. Owe. Oh that looked painful, Amaya got a hit in to Kizu's nose. Not to be outdone though, he kneed her in the ribs. The continued rolling around each other. It looked more like a cat fight than anything.
"You both need to cool it." He says.
"SHUT UP!" They both said in unison and Nao wisely backs up, on second thought he really didn't want to get in the middle of this.
Meanwhile the Leaf Gaara search party, meets up with the Sand Gaara search party. Itachi smirks. Shisui's Sharingan just activated. Hmm but or who? It was a pretty large crowd. So it was hard to tell. Oh well, it didn't matter right now. They had to focus on saving Gaara first. THEN he would tease his playboy of a cousin.
Shisui blinks. He should probably move to the Sand if all the women looked like HER. She was stunning with her golden hair done in four pigtails and exotic eyes. She also filled out that black kimono of hers in a sinfully good fashion. Wow.
"Temari, what do we know?" Sasuke asks.
"Gaara was kidnapped by the Akatsuki. We have to save him. We think we have a trail. But it's faint." She says worriedly.
"Don't worry, we'll find him!" Shishi assures the blonde Goddess.
"Well with the Byakugan and this many Sharingans, it should be easy." She says with a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Yeah." He assures her.
They follow the trail. The Akatsuki were good at hiding their tracks. Even with all their advantages, it will still difficult to follow it. These were not amateurs that was for damn sure.
Sasuke pulls Hinata back, when her foot was about to touch the ground. It gave way and showed a deep pit.
"How'd you know?" She asks.
"Your footsteps were growing softer. You okay?" He asks.
"I'm fine." She says.
"Good. Let's go get the Kazekage back." He says.
"Everyone be on the lookout for more traps like that. Sometimes the simplest traps are the most effective." Itachi warns them.
Back in the Uchiha District, Aiya was starting to get worried. The Sun was about to set and there still wasn't any sign of Kitzu. She decides to voice her concerns.
"Hmm he probably just got caught up playing with his friends. But you are right, we should go check on him." The Uchiha Matriarch agrees.
She nods. Kenji, Mikoto, and Aiya head off. Mikoto suggested they try the playground by the Academy. They all agree and blink at what they find.
Kitzu and Amaya were still rolling around. They were trading punches and kicks. It was an absolute frenzy. By this point, Nao had done the kid version of fuck it and was now selling popcorn for the other kids who wanted to watch the scuffle.
"50 on the Uchiha." One says.
"Pft. He might have fireballs, but Amaya is vicious. 50 on Amaya." Another says.
"How old are these kids?" Kenji murmurs in disbelief.
"I guess she was right about them growing up fast. Should we break them up?" Mikoto asks.
"If we do, he'll be humiliated. I'm sure they will sort it out. It's not like either of them knows any lethal jutsus." Aiya points out.
"She is quite feisty. Kitzu chose well." Kenji says.'
"Chose well? He's nine." Mikoto says with a laugh.
"He's an even earlier bloomer than Kenji. He just doesn't realize it yet." Aiya says with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Gaara was in a strange place. It was all white. But then people would show up. Was this dying? It wasn't so bad. He had expected it to be far more painful than this. Maybe his mind was just shutting down. It was protecting him from the pain. That was nice, he thought.
"The extraction is almost complete." One of the Akatsuki members says.
"Good we had better finish this. He's the Kazekage. There will be a search party. While they would be easily dealt with, they would distract us and stop us from finishing the removal." Pein states.
"We got company." Sakura says, pointing to Sasori.
"Damn he's ugly." Shisui mutters.
"That's not his real body." Itachi says.
"Why would anyone make such an ugly fake body?" His cousin asks.
"You are missing the point." Itachi says and smacks his forehead.
"He's a puppet master." Kurenai says.
"Dammit. Too bad we don't have Kankuro here." Naruto mutters.
"Doesn't matter. We can take him." Sasuke says.
"Hmm so many of you. I'm sure you will all make excellent puppets." Sasori says and the wicked "tails" of lash out at them.
"I think he made his puppets out of people!" Hinata says in a horrified voice.
"Shit! That's seriously creepy. Damn, I thought Orochimaru was bad." Naruto says.
"If we want to get to Gaara, we are going to have to go through him." Temari says.
"Alright, let's do this then!" Naruto cries out.