If they had been anywhere besides this damned island, Naruto would be about of burst inside because of all this time he was spending with Sasuke. God, just thinking something like that makes him feel so immature, yet so giddy at the same time. Sasuke cooperating was about as common as a zombie apocalypse, so all this is surprising.
The two had successfully left the school zone without seeing a corpse or getting injured yet, thankfully. Naruto's luck could've been better while they were on the move, because he had slid down the bottom part of the bank that led down to the shores. Not only was his ass sore, falling like that was embarrassing! Finding a cave wasn't a very hard task, Sasuke's sharp eyes had spotted one while they were walking along the rocky beach. It wasn't the ideal home, but it wasn't too small or very visible, those conditions that could protect them for a short time. The cave was tucked in beneath the jagged cliffs, conveniently located several feet away from the ocean.
Bumpy copper colored rocks were what apparently had formed the cave, making the surface on the inside surprisingly smooth and free of any huge stalagmites hanging from the ceiling. Looking at it from the outside, Naruto had noticed it was an odd shape, like a weird distorted circle or something of the sort.
Appearances made it not look so bad, until the pair actually stepped inside. The musty smell is the first thing that gets Naruto, but it's nothing compared to the stench of blood that was inside the classroom. Grainy sand gets all over their clothes too, so Sasuke has to empty their bags out so they can use them as seats, since neither of them want a bunch of sand down their pants.
This really does suck. A musty old cave is just the least of their problems, dying would be a lot worse. Naruto knows they're not going to die though, that's bullshit. Neither of them are playing this game, and no one else will, if he can help it. He's going to save everyone and make sure they all get out of this. Sasuke doesn't exactly like this plan, he thinks its ridiculous.
Which brings to the current situation, two teenage boys arguing in a crowded cave.
"There's going to be one person that plays. At least one, it's logical to think there are going to be even more."
"Not if we stop them first!" This response makes Sasuke roll his eyes for what seems like the billionth time that day. He knows better than to try and reason with Naruto of all people. Someone who cares more about their humanity than survival isn't going to last long out here, and if he hadn't showed up, Naruto would've probably died by now. It's strange, how... odd imagining that scenario makes him feel. The teeniest bit of pity an emotion he'd thought he'd forgotten long ago.
Sasuke drops that train of thought, and sighs loudly. "Orochimaru hasn't done the first announcement yet, therefore we don't have any way to tell how many are deceased, besides Suigetsu of course."
"Well yeah, but how do we know that anyone else is do what that old fart says! Everyone else could be teaming up right now, like us," Naruto insists. He would've tried harder to prove his classmate's innocence, if there hadn't been a loud bang the moment he opened his mouth. It's pure irony that they hear a gunshot in that exact moment.
Out of instinct, Sasuke draws his massive sword from its case and stands up, grasping tightly to its hilt. He'd known it was a chokuto, similar to a samurai sword. If an enemy had guns it would be near useless, close range attacks were a different matter. He knew there was more to swordplay than just swinging it around, every single move couldn't be wasted.
"Be quiet," He instructs Naruto, then slowly slips out of the cave. It looks like no one is lurking around the beach, but the gunshot was far off anyway. Sasuke's eyes dart up towards the cliffs, where he sees a frightened looking girl standing there watching them. She doesn't try to attack from afar, she just stands there like a statue. Sasuke doesn't know this girl well, however the brown ponytail tells him that it's probably Hokuto.
She's one of the typical goody two shoes students that never gets into trouble or involved in other people's matters, she also happens to be one of the girls that worshipped him like a god. He could only describe her as a sort of background character. The two stand there and just stare at each other in a daze, until there are three more simultaneous gunshots that ring out in the air. Obviously, the noise frightens Hokuto even more, and she accomplishes what she was planning to do in the first place. Commit suicide.
Sasuke doesn't see much, because it happens too fast for him to even blink. One second her thin body is tumbling off of the steep cliff in the way a rag doll would fall, and the next her corpse is speared by one of the ocean's sharp rocks like a shish kabob. The rock had made a giant gaping hole through the majority of her stomach, and slick blood and bits of intestines were getting washed out to sea. Before, the water had been a clear shade of blue, mixed with the dark shadows the night gave off.
Now, it was just a vile shade of crimson red in the small patch of water surrounding the jagged rocks. Salty waves continue to crash against the rocks, but her body is still skewered there for everyone to see. Anyone who came towards the cliffs wouldn't have to do anything but look down to see that bloody mess. Those previous gunshots had been enough to confirm to her that everyone was getting serious about the program, and Sasuke assumed that had caused her to jump. What a coward.
Despite what Sasuke had told him, Naruto comes running out of their shelter when he hears the gunfire, making as much noise as possible. He doesn't even try to keep his footsteps quiet, or the horrified sound he makes when he sees Hokuto.
"Oh my god, she's.. she's.."
Sasuke has to interrupt. "Yes, she's dead. I saw her end her own life mere seconds ago." He's used to seeing disappointment in people's eyes, so he doesn't really notice the small flash of frustration in Naruto's.
"Why didn't you stop her?!" He asks angrily, finally tearing his eyes away from the mangled corpse to look at Sasuke. Naruto is heartbroken to find that Sasuke doesn't even look the least bit upset or sad after witnessing what just happened. He just stands there examining his sword, more concerned about it than the death. Sasuke finally ties the sword back around his belt and folds his arms over his chest in impatience.
"She knew she was going to die soon regardless, what good would small talk have done? Given her some self confidence before someone else slaughtered her?" Sasuke retorts in a mocking tone. Naruto really can't believe him, he's so pissed right now he's seeing red. Sure, Hokuto wasn't really his friend, but that didn't exclude her from being a human being!
"She might have joined us! We could've helped her!" He shouts back at Sasuke. That would've better than being a bystander and watching her jump without even making an effort.
"We don't need someone like that. As a matter of fact, we don't need anyone else. I don't even need you, you're just slowing me down in the long run," Sasuke claimed, a little too honestly. Were those his true feelings? Maybe, maybe not.
Naruto looks at Sasuke with the most disappointed expression he can manage. He feels insulted, even if that comment was minor. "I know why you act this way, I just don't get why you want to."
"Don't try to sound smart about things you don't understand," Sasuke mutters, his fists clenching slightly.
"Sasuke, you can still be-"
"I suggest you stop this discussion and go back 'inside'. Arguing out here would be nothing but foolish," Sasuke states calmly, not showing a single hint of emotion. Naruto doesn't understand how someone as amazing as Sasuke can let himself start slipping into his old ways. Still, complying with his orders was much better than fighting. The two head back inside the cave and sit down on their bags again. Everything is silent- too silent.
"Do ya think anyone is gonna come down here after they see her?" Naruto finally asks, breaking the icy silence Sasuke has created. He was really scary when he wanted to be. Their last conversation was still making him really uncomfortable, mixed with the rigid atmosphere Hokuto's suicide had left.
"No. We should be safe for a short time, until daylight. No place is safe until we have a GUN to protect ourselves with," Sasuke says exasperatedly. Naruto knows that's another sly dig about his chopsticks, but it wasn't his fault Orochimaru had a fucked up sense of humor! Besides, he's still fuming, this was no time for Sasuke to be sarcastic.
His eyes narrow, landing on Sasuke's sword. "What are ya gonna do with that, poke someone? Now it's Sasuke's turn to be pissed off. He had an actual weapon, not a pair of chopsticks that would snap in half if you stepped on them.
"This sword could easily behead someone. Would you like to be first?" Sasuke quips back, leaning against the cave wall. They've been in the game a few hours, and have accomplished nothing but quarreling since then, not even a single plan. If they wanted to survive, they were gonna have to do better than this.
"Don't say stuff like that Sasuke, you're freaking me out," Naruto forced a nervous laugh and scooted in the other direction a little ways. Had Sasuke been serious when he'd said he was in the way? "Anyhow..."
"Hm," Sasuke replies, not very interested in what he had to say. If it was some sort of half assed plan, he didn't have much faith in it at the moment. Naruto was probably still grieving for Hokuto, he'd never seen anyone die out of their own will, and wouldn't be able to think straight. Anyone who experiences a death of someone they know for the first time will undoubtedly feel that emptiness.
"First, we need to find Sakura and make sure she's okay. Then we're finding a way out of here, hopefully Shikamaru isn't far away and he can help us out somehow. He's smart enough to figure things out." Naruto is explaining it seriously, so he's confused when Sasuke begins to smirk viciously.
"You believe those 'friends' will really help you?"
"Of course I do! They're my friends, that's what they're supposed to do. "
"You really aren't taking this seriously," Sasuke sighs. "Trust no one. What if Shikamaru takes you far off somewhere, and says that this is crucial for your escape. Naturally you're going to believe him, until he pulls out a pistol and puts lead through you." Naruto doesn't want to believe a word of what he's saying, Shikamaru would never pull a dirty trick like that!
"He wouldn't do that to me, you're just thinking about it too much. Besides, I trust you, and all my friends." He tells Sasuke, looking into his cold eyes. Something tells him that Sasuke doesn't reciprocate that trust. It gives him a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Do you really trust me?" Sasuke says, drumming his fingers against the shaft of his sword. Naruto doesn't have to say it, he's always trusted Sasuke, even when he changed. A part of him wants to flat out express just how much he cares about him. Not in some big flashy love confession that the whole world can hear and see, but something more discreet.
"I asked you a question," Sasuke affirms, sounding annoyed and impatient.
"Yeah, I do. More than Sakura, or Iruka.. even the old pervert." Naruto admits, smiling at him. Sasuke doesn't return it, he just raises an eyebrow. In their years together, he'd figured out that in 'Sasuke language', raising an eyebrow meant he was amused or shocked. Right now, this small confession was enough to trigger that.
"How idiotic of you, I've come to expect that. Trusting me is one of your biggest mistakes, especially at the moment. Who says I won't pull out my blade and kill you right now?"
Naruto doesn't have to think about his answer, he just knows it like the back of his hand. "Cause, I trust you enough to know you won't."
"And if I did?" Sasuke asks. It's a strange question, he knows that before he asks it.
"If it means you could live, I wouldn't mind too much. Yeah, I've got hopes and dreams and all that good stuff, but so do you. Maybe my ghost would come back and haunt your ass." Naruto teases, hoping it'll lighten the conversation. Serious talks weren't something he enjoyed. His answer is enough to earn another raised eyebrow from Sasuke. Would Sasuke end up betraying him if they couldn't escape? If it came down to the two of them, could he really sacrifice himself for Sasuke's future? Wasn't that what it truly meant to care about someone?
"My aspirations are very different from yours," Sasuke remarked. It was true they were complete opposites in any way you looked it at. There wasn't really denying that.
"Just cause we're different, doesn't mean I can't look out for you. We're a team now. " Sasuke doesn't look very affected by that answer. As always, he was so stubborn, even in times like this. All Naruto wanted to do was protect him from whatever this game would throw at him, until one of the two died- No, he wasn't gonna think stuff like that. They weren't going to die, no matter what.
These questions were just too heavy. Life and death weren't exactly subjects Naruto contemplated often. His parents had been dead since he was a baby, so he didn't have anything to miss when it came to their deaths. How could you miss something that was never there? Often, he fantasized about what having a real family was like, what his parents had been like. It left him a little sad, but not enough to hurt very bad.
When Suigetsu had died, he had been upset, because Suigetsu didn't deserved his fate. He was a bad person, but that didn't mean he couldn't improve himself. Sasuke was improving, so could Suigetsu if he'd gotten the chance. Naruto firmly believed that a person could change, and that they weren't bound by silly things like destiny. Neji told him that was moronic, but he didn't care what Neji thought.
No one had believed Gaara would ever become a different person either, but lo and behold, Naruto had managed to fix him. It wasn't an easy process, it was something that took months and was a constant struggle everyday. Gaara just needed someone to believe in him, that was what had truly made a difference. If anyone had cared enough about Suigetsu, he probably wouldn't have been such an asshole. At least, that's what Naruto thinks.
"You wish." Sasuke finally replies. Maybe it is just a wish. Naruto can't imagine a life without Sasuke, as crazy as it sounds. Affection was an odd thing. Ever since they were kids, Sasuke was around. Back then Naruto was nothing but jealous of him. Everything he could do, Sasuke would always do it better and brag about his accomplishments. Sports, grades, everything. Things had changed since then, but deep down there was the lingering dread of bitter jealously.
Sasuke stares outside at the ocean, and says, "Your plan is awful, but if I don't agree to it there's no doubt you're going to pester me until I do. We'll leave after the morning announcement and see if we can locate anyone, other people will come sticking their noses down here soon, so we can't stay in one spot for too long. I don't want any allies, unless they're useful."
Naruto can't stop grinning, he's obviously won this time.
Akatsuki was once the most powerful gang organization in Konoha. They were the reason people started to lock their doors at night, the reason the hair on people's necks would stand straight up just at the mention of their name. No one really knew who all belonged to Akatsuki, except that they all wore red and black cloaks with a strange design on them. If you happened to run into Akatsuki, they'd make sure it was your last encounter with anyone. They were ruthless criminals, who wanted nothing more than power and the cheap thrills of violence. Someone had even started spreading it that one of their members had been in the program, before he'd suddenly decided to quit Akatsuki.
Or at least they had been the most feared, until one night nearly a year ago. Rumors regarding that night were always warping as they were passed along, so the minor details had never come to light. One thing that everyone knew for sure was that Akatsuki had been disbanded. The majority of its members were wiped out in some alleyway in the 'less than friendly' neighborhood of Konoha. There were only two survivors from that night; Deidra, and Sasori. While the rest of the gang had ended up with major injuries and bled out quickly, both of them escaped with only a couple of broken bones and bruises.
After they'd gotten out of the hospital, the two had made a vow to avenge Akatsuki. They were going to get revenge on that little group of snotty brats who thought they were so high and mighty. In the meantime, they didn't know what they were going to do. Deidra had always been interested in his art, so that was one thing to keep him occupied, while Sasori worked on his puppetry. As time passed, there was an empty void growing in the two of them. Without their gang, what was their purpose? They couldn't just stand by and tolerate this domesticated lifestyle.
Sasori and Deidra both longed for those nights of crime and torture again. It seemed they would never again go ripping the price tags off of merchandise, and come home at 4 in the morning to wash the blood off their hands. Neither would admit, but in the back of both of their closets were the small cases they stored their rings in, a symbol of their dedication and membership to Akatsuki. Ever since that fateful day, neither of them even wore the rings once. Deidra had contemplated throwing his away, while Sasori stored his immediately. The two sometimes talked about getting them out again and starting a new gang- What a fucking joke.
The only thing that seemed to drive them now was getting their revenge. It seemed nearly impossible, while they were still in school and being 'good boys'. However, when Deidra realized they had just gotten into the program, he was ecstatic. Sasori was too, he was just bad at showing it initially. This would be their chance to finally avenge themselves, and make sure Akatsuki lived on in some way. Of course, there was the slim chance both of them would end up dying, but Deidra doubted that. He was a skilled fighter, and had killed many many people like it was nothing. Like everything else, fighting was a special sort of art. His targets would be the canvases, his fists were the brushes, and blood did make an extraordinary paint. It just took a little bit of practice.
So far, they hadn't killed a single soul out here. Deidra was getting a tad bit bored of just running around in this cat and mouse game, he had always been impatient and in a huge hurry. Sasori just lead him through the huge forest without a word, ignoring his new partner's constant complaints. This island seemed to be nothing but trees, plants, and dirt. All these trees made a perfect place to hide, so they hadn't been able to spot anyone. What a shame, Deidra really wanted to test out these grenades he'd gotten. He'd been wondering if they did a better job of blowing someone up than those collars.
The two reached a rickety old bridge that led from one half of the island to the other. Below it was a large drop off that led straight into a winding river, which meant if the fall didn't kill you, hitting one of those rocks down there in the water would. With every step Deidra took across it, the bridge shook a little bit more. He couldn't die from falling off of this bridge, how lame!
"This is so troublesome Sasori, yeah?" he yelled across. Sasori nodded, waiting for Deidra to cross so they could keep going. Sunlight was starting to peek out from behind the endless thickets and tall trees, which would make their lives a little bit easier. After a few more careful steps, Deidra just gave up and decided to sprint across. The bridge creaked and make all kinds of awful noises, but he'd accomplished getting across, regardless. Now, he just had to wait for Sasori, who's approach was very different. He didn't try to mimic Deidra, and made sure to time his footsteps carefully, for his safety and in case someone heard.
Deidra sighed and blurted out, "Hurry up! You do wanna go home and play with your barbies sooner, don't ya?" Sasori glared at him, and after that outburst he seemed to walk even slower just to be an annoyance. When Deidra got overexcited about something, Sasori always found a way to get on his nerves. At an incredibly slow pace, Sasori managed to cross at last. The two stepped over the overgrowth of bushes, only to be met with a rustling sound nearby.
"Who's there? I'll blow your ass to bits!" Deidra hollered as loud as he could, his voice echoing across the cliffs. The rustling ceased, and every nearby branch and bush was as still as they were before. Sasori walked off in the other direction to investigate, while Deidra poked around nearby. There weren't any tracks or any other signs of life at all left behind from whoever was sneaking around.
"They saw us crossing the bridge," Sasori said, stating the obvious. "Whoever's hiding must have been watching us carefully this entire time."
"That pisses me off! Whoever you are, you're gonna get it," Deidra was fuming, and his hands fumbled down to unzip his bag so he could get ready to throw a grenade. It was probably a waste, but he didn't care. A shadow mixed with his, and before Deidra had time to realize it, there was a tall boy standing behind him. He was taller than the majority of people Deidra had even seen, which was a huge contrast to the rest of his appearance. That silver hair and those dorky looking glasses made him look like a child, it was his height and snake like eyes that really made him scary.
"I'm not here to attack, I'm here to make a proposition with you two," The tall boy offered, smiling wickedly. He had a gun in one of his hands, things weren't looking good for them. Sasori was still trying to take in his appearance, while Deidra's hand was still reaching for his grenade. The intimidating figure reached down and grabbed his wrist with enough force to nearly snap it- what a guy.
"What do you want?" Sasori asked, narrowing his eyes. Kabuto kept watching them with that sickening little grin of his.
"Like I said, I'm here to make a deal," Kabuto stated, Deidra's wrist still in his grip.
"What kind of deal..?" Deidra spoke up. He was already in deep shit, if he even tried to move, this weirdo would break his bones. How could he get overpowered so easily?
"You give a little, I give a little, we all receive." Kabuto tried to give away as few details as possible. Sasori knew good and well what kind of tactic this was, they'd used it a lot in Akatsuki.
"This sounds like you want to blow me, rather than make a deal," Deidra retorted snarkily. Who the hell was this guy? He'd transferred in their class at the beginning of the semester, and was about as mysterious as the Akatsuki itself. No one knew much about Kabuto at all.
"No, I'd rather not even touch someone as disgusting as you, but here we are," Kabuto said dryly, then promptly continued on. "I won't kill you two, if you hand over your weapons quietly, and don't make a struggle.
"Fine," Sasori agrees, and he takes a small line out of his pocket and places it on the ground next to his feet. He had gotten nothing but a small string of wire, like you'd tie around a puppet. Deidra had really been the only one out of the pair who'd gotten an actual weapon.
"Sasori! Don't agree to this," Deidra tried to reason, wincing when Kabuto squeezed his wrist harder until it breaks. The pain shoots up his entire arm, and it hurts so much that Deidra would scream if he wasn't this tough. Breaking a bone was some of the worst pain imaginable, and now he's having to experience it again. He bites down on his lip, drawing a trickle of blood. This Kabuto guy wasn't screwing around.
"Now, for yours," Kabuto says cheerfully, and bends over to get into Deidra's bag. Deidra has to act quickly, so he leans over and sinks his teeth into Kabuto's arm. They pierce through the thin fabric of his jacket, and he clamps down on the skin as hard as he can. Kabuto growls and tries to shake him off, but Deidra only bites harder until his mouth is filled with something coppery. He gets kicked in the stomach several times, apparently Kabuto isn't backing down. Each kick hurts more than the last, making his urge to vomit almost unbearable whenever the air is knocked out of his body. Sasori jumps to his rescue and throws a punch to Kabuto's face. The lenses of his glasses shatter down the middle, but he isn't injured from the blow.
Sasori grits his teeth and tries to hit him again, until Kabuto fires a warning shot into the ground. Oh right, that bastard has a gun. The bullet is lodged into the dirt, but it's causes Deidra stop biting him due to the noise and shock. They've all heard gunshots before in close range, but Deidra knows its aimed at him and backs off. Kabuto looks at the two of them with his vicious eyes, Sasori standing there in a fighting stance, and Deidra backed up against a tree like it's his life preserver.
"I thought we had a deal," He says calmly, wiping some of the blood of the wound Deidra gave him. The teeth marks are still embedded into his skin like a scar - how distasteful.
Deidra glares at him and snarls, "Deal's off."
"What a shame." is Kabuto's reply. Then, he's charging at them again. His fist is headed right for Deidra's nose, but his hand flies up to block the fist from coming any closer. Kabuto is strong, really strong, and Deidra's hand is starting to waver as it blocks his fist. It doesn't make much sense, because Kabuto is skinnier than a broom handle. How could he easily be at Deidra or Sasori's level? Sasori comes up behind Kabuto and wraps his massive arms around his waist to sling him to the ground, Kabuto's other hand just happens to be faster. His aim is majorly off, but his pistol still fires and lands a lucky shot to Sasori's foot. The sound isn't as loud as they'd expect, since the barrel was almost touching the ground anyway, inches from Sasori's shoe.
Sasori howls in pain, his entire shoe covered with blood. The world is spinning rapidly and he can't stand up anymore. He falls to the ground in a heap while clutching his injured foot, that looks more like a bloody mass of charred skin now rather than a foot. He tries to stand up on his good leg, but the attempt is fruitless, because he's stumbling right back into the dirt seconds later. Deidra is more than pissed off, and at this point he doesn't care if he misses. Both of his fists are flying at Kabuto, trying to land a punch wherever he can. It's not the best strategy, but he'll be damned if he lets that piece of shit shoot Sasori again.
Kabuto knows how to dodge every single attack that comes his way, perfectly avoiding Deidra's attempts at landing a hit. Deidra's mind tries to go back to his Akatsuki days, of how he could kill someone with almost no effort. Every single one of his victims had barely even fought back, they'd just sat there and let him beat the life out of them. However, he was more skilled in making the team's bombs and explosives more than hand to hand combat. Deidra thought he was tough, but Kabuto was pummeling him like it was child's play.
"I would've expected more out of the great legendary Akatsuki members." Kabuto warns, before pointing his gun down at the wounded Sasori and kicking Deidra back against the tree. The two are completely powerless, because during the struggle Kabuto had grabbed Deidra's bag full of grenades. "What will you do now?"
38 students remaining.
Author's note: Another sorta late update, my bad. This is the first cliffhanger I've written, OOPS. This was a really hard chapter to write, mostly because I'm not good with Deidra and Sasori's characters. Sorry if you like Kabuto, but I had to make him a dick. Fuck him and his ninja info cards.
