Advent against Time
Written by: Matdeception
AN: Just to note; This fic may be listed under Naruto & Kurenai, but that doesn't mean anything. I don't care to list match ups, I'll let relationships blossom and die as the writing leads itself too, so please, no more asking if it's a Naruto/Ita or Naruto/Kurenai match up.
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Chapter Four: Marriage; Lovers; Plots
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What the HELL was she thinking? Marry Naruto-kun? Betray her Clan and instigate a Blood hunt that would wind up with both of them killed? Did she think he was stupid or senile enough not to consider the ramifications of her request? No, no she couldn't be that stupid; she was ANBU, she knew the harsh reality for what it was. She had too, but that still didn't answer the question.
"Why?"
Ita stood on impassive, holding the little boy close in a tight and desperate hug, either ignorant or purposefully placing his face between her breasts to keep him quiet and unresponsive. Sarutobi knew if he was in the boys position he'd be dumbstruck too if the situation wasn't so dire.
"Why not? I'm intelligent, beautiful, and willing. Naruto is young, virile, and more then willing." she pulled the boy back some, "Right, Na-ru-to-kun?" she singsong with a smile.
Naruto stared up, cheeks tinged pink. Sarutobi didn't have to guess why; How often do women shove you head first into their pliable mammary? The child jubilantly chirruped, "Right Ita-chan!"
Sarutobi frowned at that. Ita he could read nothing from, her emotions were faked expertly into giving the illusion they were real. She was ANBU and trained to portray a lie as if it were the truth; he expected it and wasn't surprised by it. but not Naruto. He was a child; he was open, happy, cheerful child that had been given the short end of the deal with fate. He didn't have the skills to fake something like that so completely, he really wanted to marry the older girl; Or Ita had some how managed to trick him into believing that he did. That she would use the boy for her own ends angered him greatly, his life was already difficult enough, he shouldn't be used like this, shouldn't have his emotions toyed with just so the girl could make a political mess of his village. If she so much as causes him to cry over this...
"What do you want?"
"Marriage, an immediate transfer from the Uchiha to the Uzumaki register, and instatement of the Clan Council Seat as promised during the formation of the Uzumaki clan charter." she coolly listed, intimately rubbing her cheek on top the boys head.
Sarutobi frowned, "I see you've considered the retaliation the Clan Council would levy against you. Well done, Uchiha-san, I applaud your tenacity." eyes narrowing oh so dangerously, "Explain to me, child..." he spit that word out with so much venom Ita almost winced, "... what makes you think I'll allow you to abuse Naruto like this?"
"But gramps!" the child whined, "I want to get married! She's like, my bestest friend ever! She'd never hurt me!"
He nearly winced at the focused glare Sarutobi shot him at that. He didn't need to be a mind reader to see what the old man was thinking. Poor little orphan boy, all alone and with no one to comfort him, desperate for love and attention that he'd be willing to do anything so long as some one showed him even the smallest of kindness. That he wasn't innocent, or even really a child was besides the point. Sarutobi was like an over-protective parent when it came to him, mean, easily angered, and Kami have mercy on anyone who tried to fuck with his children. He was honestly touched the old man thought that way of him.
"Naruto, you're late for school. Go, now."
The boy grumbled, "But I don't wanna..."
"I SAID GO!"
Stunned by his forceful, angry demand Naruto backed away in shock. The old man had never, ever as far as he could remember been anything else but kind and gentle to him, no matter how much trouble he caused or who he pissed off. It took every bit of will he could muster to act like the surprised, terrified little child he was pretending to be. With a trembling lip, eyes wide and watering, he looked so much like a child on the verge of tears as he ran for the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Ita didn't even see the old man move as he left his chair, but she felt him grab her arm and twist it behind her back and forcefully slammed her against the desk. He angrily hissed through clenched teeth even as he twisted her arm.
"Now, Uchiha. You will tell me why you've taken it upon yourself to toy with Naruto's emotions, and what your despicable father hopes to gain by such an obvious ploy!
Ita knew fighting back right now would be the wrong idea, despite the pulsing pain from her shoulder that threatened to dislocate she had to remain lucid and in control of herself. She suspected something like this could happen, especially considering just who Naruto was. That Sarutobi believed her father laid at the root of this wasn't so surprising either, she knew he had tried to do terrible things to him in the past so Sarutobi's accusation made sense. She held no illusions that Sarutobi wouldn't see her executed if she failed to answer his questions either, she had to convince him now or her life was forfeit.
"Naru... Naruto is my friend Hokage-sama! There is no lie there! I've done nothing to coerce or direct Naruto-kun's emotions, you have to believe me!"
Sarutobi sneered at that, she clenched her teeth as he yanked her arm up sharply, yelping as her shoulder dislocated. Focus Ita, focus! Bury your pain beneath ice, allow the agony to slip into the depths of your mind! You have to remain lucid, you have to remain in control, losing yourself now could only end in death.
"Please Hokage-sama... I'd never hurt him... he's the only... only one who understands me! He knows the truth about Shisui!" she gritted her teeth, trying to block out the burning agony of her arm, "... Father has nothing to do with this! He'll kill me if he finds out, just as he's been trying to kill Naruto-kun all these years!"
Sarutobi frowned at that. The fact Fugaku had been trying to kill Naruto wasn't a surprise, many were the Uchiha locked in the darkest cells after failing to so much as harm one hair on the boys head; Fugaku had been smart enough to lay blame on his clansmen despair over the death of so many at the hands of Kyuubi, and the would be assassins, long since broken under torture, never once indicated Fugaku had anything to do with it. He had suspected Fugaku of conditioning their minds into believing they acted under their own power, it certainly was within the power of their cursed doujutsu. Yet here his very own daughter was admitting to her father's involvement in the attempted murders, putting her own life on the line in doing so. He didn't believe for a second she cared about Naruto, very few people did, but to go so far as to implicate her father...
"What game are you trying to play here, Uchiha?" he twisted her arm even more, ignoring the painful whimpers of the girl in agony, "And don't give me any of that bullshit about being in love, we're Shinobi, we both know Love is simply a tool to use against the young and foolish."
"I... won't let that bastard turn me into a whore!" the girl shook, spitting out that word with so much hatred Sarutobi found pause in his actions. "... He orders Shisui to rape me, he plots behind my back to marry me, orders me to resign from ANBU and demands I bend over and spread my legs for any man he deems acceptable!" she spat out furiously, "Never, I'll never let that happen!"
Sarutobi frowned even as he let her go; the young woman went slack at once and slipped off his desk to the floor as she held her abused and dislocated shoulder. He ignored her, slowly trailing back behind his desk, sliding into his seat as he considered what he had heard.
The Uchiha's were trying to force one of their own to marry; A common enough occurrence that he couldn't bring himself to care about it. That was how clans worked, that was her duty as a Maiden of the Uchiha clan. Honor demanded she submitted to her father's wishes, it was as simple as that. She would be a fool is she thought she was the first woman to try and escape such a fate, as foolish as those women who thought to run only to be killed for their troubles. No, he doubted she was a fool, so she had intentionally mentioned Fugaku's involvement in past attempts on Naruto-kun's life. She was offering a trade, information for Marriage. Evidence for a way out of her clans expectations...
He chuckled. "Smart girl, smart. I'll give you that." he drummed his fingers across his desk, "Get up, we have much to discuss."
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Naruto idly wondered if they actually expected him to go to school. He doubted it, at least from Ita, but then again she knew he was so much more then he appeared to be. Sarutobi, that old fool, still saw him as the kid with the heart of gold and some justifiable anger problems due to the circumstances of his environment. He snorted at that thought, the old man was crafty and far more ingenious then people gave him credit for. He acted the kind natured, jolly old fool well enough no one except the most paranoid believed otherwise, and why should they? They wanted to believe him senile; they wanted to believe he was an old man long past his prime. That it made him malleable, easier to convince or trick, to sway to their line of thinking.
That the old man had cast the wool over their eyes was an irony Naruto found entirely too pleasing, yet despite playing such games of subterfuge the old man had yet to realize he was being played in turn, by himself no less. He didn't want to see the facts, didn't want to piece the puzzle together that would prove the blond haired brat was so much more then he seemed. Not that Naruto would complain too much about it, being seen as a happy go lucky innocent child had it's advantages.
Still, Ita had him concerned. Surely she realized how dangerous the gambit she was playing truly was? If the Hokage didn't have her executed thinking she was trying to influence him or some such rubbish, then her Clan was certainly going to see it done. Or try too, anyway. Naruto swore he'd wipe the clan off the face of the map before they managed to hurt his only precious friend.
Naruto grumped, leaning up against the wall down the hall from the Hokage's office and personal secretaries. It had already been three hours, and aside from one Office-nin that went tearing down the halls half an hour ago with a shocked look on her face, it had been a boring three hours indeed.
He was relieved then when Ita came meandering down the hall. She looked tired, physically and mentally, while holding onto her left shoulder like a child would cover a scrape to protect the injury. She moved like she was lost in a daze, buried within thoughts of events that were careening past her control.
He waited until she looked ready to pass him with out so much as noticing his presence before grabbing her and yanking her forcefully into an open closet. "Damn it!" she cursed even as he slammed the door shut and rounded on her. The space was small, little more then a janitors closet which forced them both to press up close to one another. He supposed at any other time he'd be asking himself why the HELL he wasn't trying to initiate a make out session, but really he knew there were other more important things to talk about given the older girls dumbfuckery this morning.
"What the hell happened?" he all but roared his question.
Ita stared blankly at first then slowly smiled, a coy little thing that Naruto just knew was meant to fuck with his sanity. "Well, dear husband, we got married."
Naruto snorted at that. If she thought to unbalance him she had another thing coming. She was a few hundred years too young to catch him off guard that easily. He purposely pressed up against her, hands sliding up her hips and underneath her too short skirt, playing with the hem of her panties.
"Joy, we can celebrate our honeymoon with intense sex, multiple orgasms, and some good ole Kage Bunshin gang banging." he quipped cheerfully, ignoring her increasingly wide eyes as he said so. "Now before I spank you like a bitch, you're going to tell what the hell gave you the idea that marrying me was a GOOD thing?"
"Naruto..." She sighed tiredly, "... I told you once, after Shisui tried to rape me, that I'd rather die then become yet another whore for the Uchiha clan." she grabbed his wrists, pushing his hands out from under her dress. "I meant it, every word, only..."
The blond shook his head, "Only what? I was preferable to suicide?" he rolled his eyes tiredly, "Well gee; you know how to make a guy feel special."
She wrapped her arms around him tightly, fingers digging almost painfully into his back, "No! Don't think that, please don't, you're the only friend I have left. The only one I can trust anymore."
Naruto sighed, returning the hug finally, "Look, just surprised me is all. If I knew what you were going to do I'd of..." he froze.
The door opened with exaggerated slowness, exposing the two as they held onto each other for the outside world to see.
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Izumo hated being on duty at the Hokage Tower. File this, fill out these forms, see to it that so and so is informed about the change in plans, flirt with the ladies in the break room, get in trouble for accidentally dropped the coffee pot, get ordered to mop it up. Damn it, he was a shinobi, a trained assassin that should be out killing people, not wasting his years of training as a gopher for the Administration. It was mind numbingly boring, and force the most part he just zoned out as he walked the halls of the tower...
"Yo, Izumo! Wake up man!"
Izumo blinked. Kotetsu was just suddenly there, smiling like a cat who caught the canary. He boggled at that, there was no way he zoned out that badly.
"Kotetsu... what's up?" he grumped, pushing past him done the hall.
"Same ole same ole." his friend shrugged, "Man morning shift sucks so bad."
"Duh." The errand boy rolled his eyes, "At least you're assigned to Filing, I'm a certified errand boy and janitor."
Kotetsu shrugged indifferently, "Whatever man. I was just looking for ya, wondered if you wanted to go out for a bite to eat?" he grinned, pushing his friend up against the wall as he looked up and down lest anyone could hear him, "Wouldn't believe what came rolling into the file room this morning."
Izumo rolled his eyes tiredly, "All right, I'll bite. What oh what did you find out?"
"Uchiha Ita just got married." his friend grinned sadly at that; It wasn't a secret he and half the shinobi, and kunoichi if rumors were true, had a crush on the dark haired Uchiha babe. That she got married sucked; He could already hear the pitiful cries of her admirers now that she was off the market.
"Well... grats to her, I suppose." Izumo shrugged indifferently. She wasn't his type anyway. "Who's the lucky stiff?"
Kotetsu grinned devilishly as he pulled back and continued on down the hall, hands behind his head as he whistled merrily.
"Oh you really suck." his friend grumped, following after him. "That Miashi fuck? Hotaru? Kishimoto? Takahashi?"
His friend just kept on whistling. Annoying bastard. "Fine, fuck you." Izumo grumped, gripping the handle to the Janitor closet and flung it open irritably.
Boy oh boy what the hell? He easily recognized Ita, the slender and undeniably hot kunoichi pressed against the back of the closet, intimately holding and hugging a smaller boy with spiky blond hair that looked so bloody familiar. He couldn't help but blush, it looked like the kid had buried his head into the fine ass kunoichi's cleavage and was enjoying himself.
Kotetsu stopped whistling too, eyes wide in horror.
Izumo didn't understand that look, at least not until the boy in Ita's arms turned around with a glare. Those eyes, those hateful angry eyes he recognized instantly. It was that boy! The one who assaulted Kurenai just yesterday! What the hell was he of all people doing cuddling up to one of the sexiest kunoichi he had ever met in a closet inside the Hokage tower.
Naruto just snapped, "By Kami, is there no where safe enough where I can ravish my hot ass wife in fucking peace!" as he dragged the dazed, blushing girl from the closet and stalked down the hallway. Izumo watched them go dumbfounded. Kotetsu just glared after the couple.
"Well... least I know who she married now, huh?" Izumo deadpanned as he grabbed the mop and slammed the door shut.
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The walk home was somber, and honestly Ita preferred it that way. She was rather amused when people stared at her, the way she walked hand in hand with her husband, the blond jinchuriiki. Almost as amusing as the look of shocked awe those two chuunin had when they caught her in such a precarious position with her husband, even if it wasn't really as intimate as they would no doubt believe. She supposed it didn't matter, their marriage certainly wouldn't have remained a secret very long.
She really wished she had time to think about this more carefully; Oh she was reasonably pleased with all things. The information she provided to the Hokage concerning the Uchiha had been used as a bargaining tool to marry Naruto and escape her clan for the time being. There were other stipulations, but nothing she had to worry about right now. She also wasn't pleased about going behind Naruto's back to do it, but she simply didn't have time to fill the boy in at that point. She swore she'd let him know everything as soon as she could. She hadn't been lying, he really was her only friend, the only person she knew she could trust with everything.
Naruto let her hand go as soon as they passed through the doorway to his run down shoddy home of a building. Ita looked it over curiously, never actually having come here before. Outside it was hideous, peeled paint, some of the windows cracked, broken, or simply gone, with serious foundation damage lining the bottom. She did happen to notice, curiously, four apartments had their windows bricked in, but aside from idle curiosity she paid it no mind.
"Yeah, it's a shit hole, but hey..." Naruto grinned as he pushed open the door to his room, "... it's home of the Uzumaki clan, wife o mine."
The inside was surprisingly tidy, with buffed hardwood floors, tastefully painted walls and medium quality furniture, the couch looked particularly inviting. Strangely the counter tops looked empty, and aside from a battered toaster there were no other appliances sans the essential stove and refrigerator. Oh, and the Kage Bunshin leaping at each other with Kunai's, how on earth could see miss that?
"It's mine!" a clone screamed as the two collided in mid leap, falling to the ground as they each tried to wrestle the Kunai into the other.
Naruto stared, eyebrow rising as the two rolled around the floor.
"... why?" Ita boggled.
The blond shrugged even as the pinned Kage Bunshin took a kunai to the face, exploding in smoke as it's chakra matrix was disturbed. The victorious clone cheered even as he picked up something from the ground, it was small, roughly oval in shape with a decidedly brown texture. "Ha!" he crowed, raising his hand into the air, "My peanut!"
The victorious clone didn't get to enjoy his prize as Naruto threw a sebon, the needle like weapon piercing the clone straight through the trachea. Casually he scooped up the peanut as the clone erupted in smoke and glanced at the dumbfounded Ex-Uchiha. "... my peanut."
Ita sighed, "... and I thought it would actually be a good idea to marry you."
"Meh." Naruto shrugged as he lept on the couch, "Just wait until the honeymoon Ita, me and the clones are sooooo gonna gang bang you."
Ita blinked, blushed, then scowled. "Get your head out of the gutter twerp, there's no way I'm going to let you anywhere near my body!"
Naruto sighed, "Should have thought of that before marrying me, babe. I know why you did it, I understand, but have you even thought it through?" he closed his eyes, murmuring tiredly, "Sure you thought of the council, good idea there, Fugaku is going to be pissed. But after?" he shrugged, "Some people are actually going to want us to make like rabbits, I mean who wouldn't want the power of the Kyuubi to mix with the Sharingan?"
Ita frowned even as she fell into a comfy armchair, "What they want, and what's going to happen are two different things." she snorted, "Besides, it's not like they can force us."
"Can't they?" Naruto sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "What you did today was basically insult the Uchiha Clan, a grievous insult at that. The other Clans would retaliate simply to keep the status quo; That being you don't fuck with them." he shrugged, "They're going to want something to make up for that."
Ita frowned at that. She knew Naruto was so much more then he pretended to be, everyone simply knew him as that angry little boy who liked to draw and be left alone, which was what he wanted them to know. He had told her some things, about how living life alone had forced him to grow up just to survive, but she really wondered some times. His grasp on politics wasn't something she expected, she was thankful for it mind you, but it really wasn't something she could see a kid, even Naruto, learning about so early in his life. It raised questions she wasn't quite ready to face.
"I imagine they'll try some less savory means to strike at me..."
"Us, Ita-chan, us." Naruto clarified, "Like it or not, we're married. I wouldn't put it past those blow hards to try and see us both killed. You for insulting the Uchiha, me for simply breathing."
Ita made a face, "Us..." she didn't think she'd ever get use to thinking of them as an 'Us', marriage of convience or no. She also couldn't fault the twerp's logic; this was certainly a reasonable excuse to declare open war on the child jinchuriiki. "I suppose we should prepare for that eventuality."
"Yeah..." Naruto yawned, turning over on the couch. "... later, I'm gonna take a nap babe."
Ita just frowned. Sleeping? Now? They should be talking, preparing, devising means to counter her despicable father once he counter attacked them.
"Stop that, you're going to give yourself wrinkles." the twerp singsonged pleasantly.
The black haired Ex-Uchiha snorted, crossing her arms. Annoying pest. She really had to be desperate to marry the little bastard. First that bull shit yesterday with her... She blinked. Her sword, yes...
"Hey Naruto, where's my sword?"
The boy simply cursed.
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Mitarashi Anko was bored; A terrible thing to be sure. People feared so few things in life, but Anko was special. It wasn't that she was at one time the apprentice to the most despicable shinobi to ever come from Konoha, or even her eccentricities when it came to blood and kunai, or the way when she looked at you you just knew she was trying to think of a reason to let you live. No, that was pretty typical of the insane kunoichi, so people were use to it. But a bored Anko? That was a disaster in the making, one that would no doubt involve massive property damage and leave families in the street crying for the Kami's redemption; The curse of Mitarashi Anko becoming bored so near to them had to be divine punishment, after all.
Tap tap tappity tap tap Anko idly tapped the glass of saki. She was decently amused by it, the way the sebon vibrated against the container if you tapped it in different spots had kept her attention for awhile, but now it was just aggravating her. She looked up and sneered, "Oi! You sure you haven't seen a hot kunoichi, brunette, red-eyes wearing an oh so delicious bandage dress come by here today?"
The waitress shivered, silently praying Kami would have mercy on them. "Ah... no... no Mitarashi-san! No one by that description has been here all day, I swear!"
"Bah!" Anko snarled. Damn that bitch! She promised she'd meet her here for lunch. Hell, she had to beg off an interrogation session just to make this little lunch date, and she didn't even have the balls to show up! If she wasn't dead or dying she was soooo going to pay for standing her up.
"Ah man, what a fucked up day." she heard them before she saw them. Izumo and Kotetsu, Kurenai's team members. She felt a faint hope swell in her chest as they walked into the little caf , but felt it gutter out when she Kurenai didn't come in after them.
"Oi! Weener lovers, where the hell is Kurenai?"
The two chuunin startled, eyes widening in surprise then fear as they saw her. Anko preened at that, those two fudge packers were oh so afraid of her, as if she would waste her time playing with them. "Uh... Uh... Anko! Um, err... what a pleasant surprise!" one of them bit out hesitantly. Kotetsu thought his name was, she wasn't good with names, especially for losers like them.
"Yeah, yeah. Feast your eyes on the hottest piece of ass you'll never have a shot at." she smirked dangerously, "But you still haven't answered my question; Where the hell is Kurenai?"
Izumo just rolled his eyes, "How the hell are we suppose to know that? We don't follow her around like love sick puppies."
"Damn it." Anko sighed. "Well, see ya then, got to find me that sexy nymph and make her pay for skipping out on lunch!" she bounded out of her seat and to the door.
She was reasonably surprised when Kotetsu grabbed her by the shoulder. She had almost finished debating about how to end his miserable life when he spoke, "I know it's none of my business, but you're closer to her then us... something happened yesterday, to Kurenai."
Anko raised an eyebrow at that. She began in a deceptively dangerous voice, "She's not hurt, right?"
"Not too bad." Izumo shrugged tiredly, "What we're concerned about is the fact she didn't even try to defend herself when that little bastard hit her."
"Yeah, she just sat there and took it over and over again." The chuunin with the strap across his face grimaced, "She even told us not to tell anyone, but I figure since you're closer to her then us, you'd be able to find out what the hell was wrong with her."
Anko tried to make sense of what they were telling her. Kurenai, that sweet sexy little bitch, got beat up yesterday. What was worse, she apparently let it happen and didn't do a damn thing to stop it; Insanity, there was no way Kurenai would let anyone beat them up, she was too proud, too sure of herself for something like that. "Explain, from the beginning." she demanded as she sat back down with the nastiest frown either of them had ever seen in their short miserable life.
"Well, it began when we found this kid beat all the hell up..."
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She slammed into the training post, arms a flurry of blows as she intricately attacked, feinted, flowed from strike to strike in rapid succession. The wooden construct ached with the abuse, the force of her blows leaving depressions with each and every strike.
Her moves were graceful, practiced, instinctual, but there was something else there. An underlying anger that showed through her emotional calm as jerky pauses in her movements, as slight variations from a Kata that boasted speed, grace, precision.
'Bitch.' she replayed that word over and over in her minds eye, relived the moment he looked at her with furious eyes and twisted snarl. She could still feel the totalities of his repeated blows, not the physical pain, but the emotional ache of his suffering. Like open wounds laid bare, that brief moment of contact showed how badly she had hurt him, how deeply she had scarred him.
Her strikes began to lose any semblance of the grace she had worked so long and hard to earn with such thoughts, the dull thumps of her strikes quickening, from a soft chorus to an undeniable staccato.
-0-0-0-
"Nee-chan..." he didn't whimper, he didn't cry out. His voice was level, steady controlled even as she controlled his perceptions. She knew he felt the blade ripping into his stomach, exposing his intestines and thoracic cavity to the outside world. He didn't scream, he didn't cry, he just sat there and took it with that same... damn... fucking smile!
The Genjutsu was in place, he should be feeling every single nerve erupting in pain, he shouldn't be capable of thought or even able to resist the burning desire to scream under so much continuous agony! What was she doing wrong? Damn it, damn it, damn it!
"Scream damn you!" she cried even as she pulled the blade out and slammed it against his chest, severing his breast bone. "I want you to scream, I want you to beg, I want you to know the pain you've put me through you bastard Fox!"
He just looked at her, even as tears ran down her eyes, even as she gripped the damaged bone and pulled back. The sickening sound of his chest tearing apart, or the sight of his own beating heart still did not bother him. "Why? Why won't you scream!"
"Nee-chan... is so beautiful..." the boy gurgled blood, yet still did not scream.
Kurenai stared. "What?"
"Nee-chan... so pretty... smile so happy... want that smile... forever..."
The brunette began to shake, body tensing as uncontrollable alien feelings blossomed in her cold dead heart.
-0-0-0-
"DAMN IT!" Kurenai bellow as she slammed into the post with unrestrained fury. The first hit broke one it's arms clear off, the second an underhand strike shattered the base in a spray of splinters, the third, a forward elbow strike, snapped what remained of the base, the broken training post flying ten feet back so hard did she hit it.
Gasping she fell to her hands and knees. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it!'
"Whoa babe..." a low whistle broke through to her, piercing the tired haze she hadn't realized she had succumbed too. She glanced up tiredly, spotting the trademark fishnet, short shorts, and trench coat of her long time friend and... compatriot, Mitarashi Anko. The insane kunoichi was grinning, looking at her with amusement plain as day, "... I am female, hear me ROAR!"
Kurenai groaned, rolling onto her back and just laying there. "Damn it Anko... it's too early for this."
"Yeah, early." she snorted, "It's past noon babe."
Kurenai startled some what, "Past noon? Damn it!" she cursed, dragging herself up some. "Damn it, I'm so sorry Anko, it's just that I was training and lost track of the time."
Anko rolled her eyes as she set down a take-out container as she kneeled down, "Think you lost track of everything." she reached out and touched Kurenai's cheek, pushing back the sweat matted strands of hair. She finally got a good look at her friends face and grimaced. "You're a mess."
She grabbed her hand softly, squeezing gently she murmured "Pain is a part of growing."
Anko sighed when she pushed her hand away. "What did you bring me for lunch?"
"Ramen, dango, the necessities of life." Anko shrugged, slumping down next to the woman. She opened the box, and laid it's contents on the ground. Three bowls of plastic covered ramen, Kurenai practically salivated at the sight of the warm noodles so expertly prepared, and a rather large plate with a very generous amount of dango. She didn't so much as peel the plastic off as she did rip it to shreds, she had been about to dig in with her hands when Anko snapped a pair a chopsticks across her nose.
Kurenai growled even as she took the chopsticks, and with a frenzy never attributed to the beautiful woman, began attacking the noodles as a starving man might attack his first meal in days.
For herself, Anko idly munched on dango as her friend slurped the tasty noodles. After her first bowl she calmed down considerably, eating at a far more sedate pace. A companionable silence drifted between the two for a time, a moment of peace, of tranquility between two friends simply enjoying presence.
"So when's your exam?" Anko inevitably broke the silence, idly working on her sixth dango stick.
"Any day now." Kurenai grunted between bites.
"Think you'll pass?"
"I know I will." she murmured softly. 'I have too.'
"Confident, better then those two worthless teammates of yours." Anko made a face, "When they aren't jerking each other off, their wasting their breath trying to score with the ladies."
"They're trying their best..." Kurenai defended weakly; Their tendency to ignore training in favor of anything with tits and a vagina well know to the upcoming genjutsu mistress.
Anko snorted, "Please girl, you're trying your best. Them? They're happy were they are, no drive in them to get better."
"That is their choice, isn't it? I'll support them no matter what they decide to do with their careers." her friend softly replied.
"Whatever." Anko smiled coyly "Though now that we're talking about the weener boys, they blubbered something today that I thought was interesting."
Snap went Kurenai's chopsticks as a glimmer of anger ripped straight through to the surface. She had the grace to look sheepish as Anko handed her another pair. "Ah... what was that?" She hesitantly asked; Anko didn't need to be a shinobi to see how nervous the slightly older woman was.
"Something about a boy, an angry little boy who did a number on this beautiful bitch I happen to love, and how this beautiful bitch just stood there and took it instead of creaming the bastard like the uppity dick he is." she caught her red eyes in a pointed stare, "What happened, Kurenai?"
'I'll kill them.' Kurenai decided all at once. One simple favor, she had asked for one simple favor and they couldn't even do that. They were dead, dead dead dead dead DEAD! This was something that should have remained between them, should have ended at the training ground, but the little shits just had to go and tell some one; Anko. She supposed it could have been worse, like her sensei for example, but that didn't mean Anko wasn't a bad choice.
"Anko... I don't want to talk about it." the red-eyed kunoichi spoke calmly, matching the insane kunoichi's stare with her own defiant one.
"Yeah, well, good thing I didn't ask if you wanted to talk about it then, huh?" Her friend snorted, "Give it up girl, I'm not going to stop pestering you until..."
"You will accept what I said and stop, do you understand me?"" Anko paused hesitantly, surprised at such forceful words and the dangerous glare that accompanied it. It was disconcerting to see Kurenai become so fierce about anything; She was a calm, collected individual for the most part, to see her break her routine like this gave the slightly younger kunoichi pause.
"Fair enough." the purple-haired kunoichi sighed after a time, falling back to the ground and staring up at the cloudy sky.
Honestly, what do you say to something like that? Anko was dying to know what the hell had caused the normally cool and controlled Kurenai to become so fierce. She wasn't stupid, whatever had the red-eyed kunoichi's panties all twisted up had to do with that angry little brat. What was the connection? As far as she knew Kurenai had never interacted with the child before, he lived clear on the other side of town and she highly doubt her friend would want anything to do with him, not after what happened to her family.
'Unless...' Anko glanced at the brunette curiously. Many people lost family in that catastrophe, and she knew her fair share of people who would like nothing more then to hurt the kid, thinking in some weird way that hurting the bastard Fox's jailer would some how hurt the fox. Not that they did mind you, no they knew what would happen if they did and were caught. And try as she might she couldn't really see Kurenai actually being that much of a bitch to the poor smhuck. No, that was silly. Though now that her thoughts drifted to the kid...
Anko giggled.
"I miss anything?" Kurenai raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, you could say that."
"Well, spit it out then." the slightly older woman grumped, poking the purple haired kunoichi in the side. "Been training so long I'm out of the loop! What have you heard?"
Anko grinned. Oh this was perfect. If she played her cards right she'd be able to convince Kurenai to help with some much needed stress release, for the both of them! She schooled her features carefully before she spoke. "I don't know... Knowledge is power, what will you trade for it?"
Kurenai stared. "... Forget it, nothing is worth your price."
"You wound me." Anko pouted in mock hurt, "It's about that boy of yours." she baited expertly.
Red-eyes glared back, "... I hate you."
"Hate, love, you know what they say." Anko smirked, hand trailing down the length of Kurenai's sweaty back. "It's a very thin line."
Kurenai groaned the groan of the damned, "Fine, tonight, 8 o'clock. You bring the oils."
"Victory! Oh yeah, going to have Kurenai-chan all too myself tonight!" her friend cackled even as she leaned up and nuzzled the slightly older woman's cheek.
"Anko..." Kurenai bit out tiredly. Anko knew when she was pushing her luck, and she certainly was now. Not that it stopped her from touching the woman so intimately.
"Well..." she murmured teasingly, "... You know that smoking hot ANBU chick? The one I was crushing on a few months ago?"
Kurenai shivered slightly, Anko grinned in triumph even as she tentatively licked the woman's jaw. She still managed to sound surprisingly calm despite such a... amorous distraction, "... Uchiha Ita?"
"Yep." the purple haired Kunoichi slowed her shameless touching and kissing down, settling for the contentment that washed over her as she laid her head down on Kurenai's shoulder, delighting when she wasn't pushed away. "Looks like she went and got hitched with out the Uchiha's approval to the man of her dreams."
"That... isn't good. For her or the man she ran off with, I imagine the Uchiha are out for blood." the red-eyed Kunoichi groused, resting her head against the other woman as she idly played with the last of her ramen.
"Course they are, or will be. They can't just go after her, apparently the man she married belongs to a Clan." came Anko's whispered response.
"Ah." Kurenai shrugged slightly, "As much as I don't care about Uchiha problems, this isn't what I bargained for Anko."
"Yeah yeah, I'm getting to that." Anko pouted. She honestly wished Kurenai would get in the mood on her own for a change, "I was sitting there for awhile trying to think about the guy and what kind of balls he had to have to go and do something like that. I mean, pissing off the Uchiha? Might as well place a bull's eye on your back."
"I wonder... who did she find brave enough to do something so reckless?" Kurenai asked with a sinking suspicion.
Anko grinned, "Why, your boy of course. Uzumaki Naruto and his darling new wife, Uzumaki Ita, they're the talk of the town!"
Her chopsticks snapped in two even as she startled, "What?"
"I said..."
"I know what you said!" the red-eyed kunoichi hissed, "If this is some kind of sick joke Anko, I swear I will end you."
Anko was honestly surprised. 'She's so intense, I haven't seen her like this... ever.' She grabbed her hands and squeezed placatingly, "Whoa, calm down Kurenai-chan, it's not like I set them up."
For herself, she realized what she had said and how she must have sounded to the other Kunoichi. 'Calm, be calm, take this one step at a time. Don't blame Anko, even if she's a conniving bitch at times, I would have found out sooner or later, right? Not like it's any of my business.' she mentally assuaged a welling anger she couldn't even bring herself to understand.
"Sorry... just surprised, is all." Kurenai sighed tiredly, gingerly grabbing yet another pair of chop sticks.
Anko licked her lips tentatively. Angry Kurenai was a rarity, she knew very little that could get her riled up so much, but what she did know is it always seemed to revolve around that blond haired pariah. What the hell was he to her anyway? What string connected her dear sexy little nymph to that adorably cute, but so very angry little boy? She resolved to find out, even as she rubbed her legs together at the thought what what she and Kurenai were going to be doing tonight.
"So... see you at eight?" Anko moaned despite herself.
Kurenai looked up from her noodles, eyebrow raised curiously. She let out a oh so cute snort at the look of wild anticipation burning in her friends eyes. She had to admit, given how craptastic the last few days had been she was looking forward to their time together... she really could use some stress relief.
'Yes, relief.' Kurenai frowned thoughtfully, 'Then back to training. I have to be ready, I have to pass, I must become a Jounin. For him.'
Anko poked her playfully, "We still on, babe?"
Kurenai shook her head and in a bold move that surprised the purple haired Kunoichi she whispered, "Why wait?" and pressed her full lips against Anko's own.
-0-0-0-
Sasuke hated school; The boring classes, the drudgery of lectures about things he had been taught when he was but a small boy, but really what he hated most about it were the girls. Or most of them, at any rate. He didn't know what he had done in a past life to deserve this curse, but really dearly wished he could reach back and stop himself from doing it; Those annoying pests were driving him insane, especially since that Uzumaki Naruto hadn't shown up and his own fan club joined up with the 'Annoy Sasuke' club for the day.
Uzumaki Naruto was an interesting person. He was smart, almost too smart for some one who failed his last two exams. He could and has given insight into the workings of shinobi, into chakra theory and ways to utilize even the smallest bit of it into grand things. Sasuke would never admit it, but he's learned more from Naruto in the rare instances he bothered to talk then he had from the teachers themselves. He really wondered why he wasn't in class today...
Surprisingly he was even able to go toe to toe with his pyscho of a sister for a little while, and his sister was a prodigy. Graduation at age eight, chuunin by age ten, ANBU when she hit thirteen. If father left her alone instead of demanding she get married he honestly wouldn't be surprised if she made Jounin before next year.
Sasuke sighed even as he kicked off his shoes and stepped into the house proper, thinking about his older sister reminded him that she was being forced to resign her commission today, to play house wife for that annoying prick Shinji, a twice removed cousin of his that he never liked. It made his gut twist to think his father would force that on his only daughter, and he desperately wished there was something, hell ANYTHING he could do to help her out.
He didn't really pay attention at first as he passed by the dining room. He would have missed it entirely if she hadn't sniffled. He paused and stared at the sight of his mother crying, head down on the table. Something was terribly wrong and Sasuke knew it; In all his not so numerous years he had never, not once, seen his other mother shed a single tear.
"Mom?" he tentatively kneeled beside her, softly placing on arm on her shoulder. "Mom? What's wrong?"
Mikoto startled at the touch, pulling back and knocking his hand away in surprise. He could see it clearly now, those tears trailing down her cheeks. Her eyes were red, puffy, she apparently had been at this for awhile. "Ah... Sasuke-kun..."
The boy frowned, "Why were you crying, mom?"
Mikoto winced ever so slightly. She grabbed his hand and squeezed softly. She seemed torn, hesitant. Sasuke wasn't sure he wanted to know what could give his normally head strong mother pause like that, "Sasuke dear... something's happened... your sister, she..."
"What happened to Ita mom?" Now he was really concerned, especially after last night when she became so cold and distant. "She's not hurt is she? Tell me!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. She stared in wide eyed surprise he would ever do such a thing, but Sasuke honestly didn't give a damn right now.
"She... she got married." Mikoto murmured tiredly, "Your father is furious."
"Huh?" Sasuke blinked, "But... isn't that what he wanted? To make her a house wife so she can pump out the next generation of Uchiha?"
"Don't talk like that." Mikoto snapped harshly, much to Sasuke's surprise. "Your father was doing what he thought was best for the Clan, best for everyone. Do not blame him for doing his Duty as Clan head."
Sasuke frowned, "Fine. So why is father upset Ita got married?"
"Because she got married with out permission from the Clan, to some one your father would very much like to see dead." she looked at him tiredly, "She betrayed the Clan today, Sasuke. She's gone rogue."
Sasuke felt his blood run cold. Rogue? Ita? No, he couldn't believe it. Ita wouldn't do something so stupid! The consequences... oh dear god the consequences for her and the unlucky bastard she married were going to be huge. "Where... where is father?"
"Where do you think?" Mikoto bit out bitterly, "He's arranging his daughter's death as we speak."
Sasuke didn't even realize his hands were shaking, his mind awhirl with the fact his father was even now seeking a means to end his only daughter's life. Dear god... "Who... who did she marry?" he asked absently. Honestly he didn't care, that poor bastard would be dead within the week, but he just couldn't think of anything else to say.
"A... boy, much younger then herself. Uzumaki Naruto..."
Sasuke went still. Naruto? My sister married Naruto? "This... sucks." he aptly described the situation.
-0-0-0-
It was late, the moon shone overhead, illuminating the dark paths he traveled clearly for the eye to see. He stepped carefully through the foilage, mindful not to leave signs of his passage lest he be tracked back here. This meeting was too important, too delicate now that things had begun to finally take shape.
Even as he moved his mind drifted back to the meeting with the Clan Elders, of his false assurances that he would see his only daughter dead for her treachery. It amused him to no end those wizened fools couldn't see the deception taking place before them, couldn't see the trap he had taken so long to craft and set into place. Now that things were in motion it wouldn't be long until he wiped their condescending sneers and oh so important looks off the face of the earth.
He shook his head to dispel such thoughts. They were pleasant, but for now that's all they were, pleasant thoughts of what was to come. Fugaku couldn't help but grin despite himself. They would get what was coming to them, he only hoped he was there to see their horrified faces when it came.
He stopped at the entrance to a cave; one of the many that outlined the cliff Konoha had been built around. Two figures draped in dark robes and unnerving white masks greeted him, flanking him to either side as they motioned him forward.
Fugaku walked on in silence, careful not to look to hard at his escorts less he upset them. He could ill afford to upset these people now that things were in motion. They lead him down the tunnels, taking turns seemingly at random. He didn't dare activate his Sharingan to memorize the passages he took, such an act would no doubt result in his death.
When they cleared the tunnels they came upon a large cavern that was bare except for a simple wooden table with two chairs, a globe lantern sitting on it's surface casting a pale light through out the area. Fugaku immediately took a seat and waited, his escorts breaking off and vanishing into the deep shadows like the wraiths they were trained to be.
Time passed, first a minute, then ten, then twenty as he sat there waiting, mind churning over the plan and what would come next. He almost missed the soft sound of his benefactors cane tapping against stone as he entered the cavern. Fugaku watched the man, old, so very old with one eye and one arm missing. Despite this the man moved like a seasoned shinobi, graceful despite his age, purposeful despite his handicap. He didn't sit; He never did during these meetings, preferring to pace, a nervous habit Fugaku decided.
"I'm sure you've heard the news concerning my daughter and the Uzumaki?"
The old man nodded, smiling thinly, "I must congratulate you on your success. Maneuvering your daughter into willingly marrying the child, brilliant work Fugaku."
"It was simply a matter of playing on her fears; Shisui gave her the fear when he tried to rape her, all I had to do was play to it." he chuckled in amusement, "Now it's just a matter of wrapping up this matter."
"We will need you to put pressure on them before we begin the next phase; Call the Council and attempt a Blood Hunt..."
Fugaku startled, "A Bloodhunt? But Danzo-sama, no one on the council will vote against it! Even the Hyuuga would want her neutralized to stop the spread of the Sharingan, I would just be ordering their deaths!"
The old man simply smirked, "The Bloodhunt will never be approved Fugaku, Sarutobi has seen to that. Do not worry." he walked up behind him, placing his hand on his shoulder and gripping tightly "After the notion to destroy her is declined, you will instead invoke the Continued Generations clause to make her prove this marriage is genuine and not out of convience."
Fugaku grunted, "I'll see to it. Have the arrangements been made to deal with the rest of the Clan?"
His benefactor nodded, "It will be taken care of within the month and, as we agreed, only your family will survive the cleansing."
The Elder Uchiha grunted, "Good."
"To keep the Roots of Konoha strong, your kinsmen will burn for their attempted treachery!"
-0-0-0-
TBC
Well, boy, that was interesting wasn't it? I found it entirely fitting to have Anko and Kurenai be bi-sexual lovers, they fought in the War with Iwa (Something I never really realized until I thought about Itachi's age in comparison to theirs), in that terrible war that left so many scarred and eccentric shinobi within Konoha's ranks. To me it was only natural they would turn to each other to seek comfort.