Thank you to everyone that has been reading! Here is an extra long chapter as a treat for this story finally achieving 10,000 hits! =] You all are amazing. Enjoy. ^^
P.S. This chapter has been edited as of October 17, 2010. The ending has been edited to fit in with the new story arc. Thank you for your patience.
Simple sky can become very boring while you are waiting on judgment. At the right time and in the right place, it can be relaxing, soothing, and mesmerizing all at once. This was not one of those times. Al's stomach was tying itself in knots around the butterflies it had caught and his senses were heightened to the point that the mere touch of grass felt like thousands of needles pricking his bare skin. All the while, he was forced to gaze skyward listening to only the occasional sound of battle drifting up from the valley. He was almost too on edge to worry about the safety of his friends turned prison guards.
Almost.
If he was worried about everything else imaginable, why not worry about one more? Al glared daggers at the sky as if to blame it for his misery. He blamed the sky because he wouldn't admit, even in the recesses of his mind, that if he didn't, the only one left to blame was himself.
He never heard the approach of the almost imperceptible footsteps.
Sakura ducked a flying kunai. By now, they had definitely lost the element of surprise. At this point, that almost didn't matter. The battle wouldn't last much longer.
Her gaze rose to focus on the bandit who had thrown the kunai and was now running straight toward her. Poor bugger. Sakura had more than her share of pent-up frustration and now she had something to take it out on. With icy eyes her fist descended to punch the ground. The earth below the bandit – and most of the surrounding area to be exact – shattered and crumbled. The unfortunate brigand was caught in the disaster zone and sent tumbling. Mercifully for him, his head collided with a timely rock knocking him unconscious. It would have been more painful if Sakura had gotten to him.
Tch. Still not satisfied, Sakura went looking for another victim. There weren't enough to make this a real challenge. Even before she got to the rest of the gang, a gust of wind from Temari and a couple of Narutos had done their job leaving a bunch of stunned or unconscious bandits in their wake. Sakura scowled at the lack of opponents and, for lack of a better target, toppled a large wagon with a well-placed kick.
This was more impressive than it sounded because the wagon had long ago ceased its wandering habits and had become a permanent structure incapable of moving. As it toppled, great clods of earth were tossed skyward and a cacophony of sounds split the air as the contents tumbled and collided with each other.
Feeling mildly better, Sakura joined Temari and Naruto tying up the bandits. They were to be delivered to the Daimyo and then sent to prison. More than likely, they would soon after be sent out as part of a labor force or for some other punishment. It served them right.
Among the three ninjas, they found enough rope to go around. Naruto's clones were sent to fetch the rest of the bandits from around the camp, and soon there was a nice pile of bruised and battered brigands trussed up and ready to go.
They would be Temari's responsibility. After all, she was the only one of the ninjas that was actually from the Wind Country and the only one that would be allowed to bring a caravan of prisoners. Besides, Temari was more than happy to oblige. After the Daimyo had cut funding to Suna, she was all for any – legal – headache she could give him. A host of new prisoners was exactly the opportunity she had been looking for.
"You have everything under control here?" Sakura looked pointedly at the number of prisoners that Temari would have to escort.
"Under control? Why wouldn't I? There's only around, say, fifteen of them." Her smile grew demented. "There might even be a few less by the time we arrive. Who knows?" She shrugged as though whatever befell the prisoners wasn't completely at her discretion.
Sakura thought Temari was joking, but the tone of voice still made her shiver. Recollection of the past reputation of the sand siblings passed through her mind. Perhaps she really had no idea what Temari was capable of. She would just have to believe that blond kunoichi had changed.
Sakura forced her mind back to the business at hand. "Well, then we'll be leaving them in your care. Naruto and I will be heading back to deal with Alphonse."
Temari raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Good luck dealing with the little spy. I don't know why your Hokage's let him be for so long. I wouldn't have."
Sakura bristled at Temari's tone, but bit back a retort. She gave a fake smile. "I don't know either. Lady Tsunade must have her reasons." She turned her gaze to find her fellow leaf ninja who appeared to be riffling through a nearby tent searching for souvenirs. "Naruto! Come on, we're leaving!"
The whiskered ninja emerged shoving some unidentifiable object into his pocket. Well, he either grabbed more weapons or some stupid, petty artifact that we're all going to be forced to look at and admire for the next week. Maybe he even found some ramen. At least that could potentially be useful. The whiskered ninja bounded toward the two. Before he reached them, Temari spoke.
"Hey, Sakura. Tell Shikamaru that I'll see him in Suna when this is all over." She spoke so low that Sakura almost didn't hear. Sakura's previous annoyance slipped away. Before she had a chance to reply, Naruto arrived his voice preceding him.
"We're done? Really?" He looked at their prisoners and then made a connection. "Thanks for taking care of everything Temari." He grinned and received a scowl in response. Gone was the low voice from before. The typical Temari had returned.
"Don't thank me. I'm just doing what I was instructed. Take care of that brat and we'll call it even."
"Brat…? Oh! You mean Al. Yeah, I can't wait to learn that jutsu of his. That would be awesome if I could do that, too. Combine that with the Shadow Clone Jutsu and BOOM!" He mimicked the stone exploding out of the ground.
Sakura would've slapped her forehead, if she hadn't been too shocked to even react. The idiot doesn't even get that Al is now a threat. How am I supposed to explain this to him? She glanced at Temari who met her gaze with an equally incredulous stare. Sakura decided not to even bother to explain. I'll just let Al say something self-incriminating enough to take care of the entire situation.
"Yeah…anyway, we'll meet up with you soon Temari." Sakura turned and headed out of the valley while Naruto gave a final wave. He received a one fingered response, but took no offense. He simply shrugged and followed Sakura up the hill. As the camp disappeared from sight, Temari's shouts followed them. Distance didn't mute the angry tones. Apparently, the bandits had been sleeping too long. They were in for a rough journey.
On the contrary, Sakura and Naruto's trip to rejoin their companions was quite short. Time sped inordinately fast for Sakura as questions, concerns, and strategies flitted through her mind all centering around a certain blond awaiting her return. In what seemed like seconds (not nearly enough time to make a decision) the clearing came into view. She had already entered before she registered the presence of an unknown figure. A threat. Her mind, already edgy, jumped to high alert. Her hand reached for her weapons.
The figure, perched atop one of the new additions to the landscape, raised a hand in response. "Yo."
Sakura relaxed: shoulders slouching and her hand falling back to her side. She was going to have a heart attack one of these days.
"Kakashi!" Naruto smiled and gave a wave just as surprised as Sakura to meet their teacher this far from Konoha. Sakura had been under the impression that Lady Tsunade had sent him on a special mission. Perhaps it was related to Alphonse after all. She wouldn't put it past Tsunade to plan that far in advance. Then again, Kakashi was known for taking his time. She wouldn't put it past him, either, to take a detour after the completion of his mission to check on his former students. Anything to avoid work.
The masked ninja hopped down from his perch and acknowledged Naruto's wave with a nod. "I've been here for almost twenty minutes waiting for your return." He continued to slouch. "Where's Temari by the way? I heard she was with you." Behind Kakashi, Sakura could see Shikamaru almost imperceptibly raise and turn his head in their direction. The conversation had somehow managed to catch his ever fickle attention.
"She's…escorting…the bandits to the Daimyo. She said she'd meet us in Suna when she's done." Message delivered. She glanced pointedly at Shikamaru and he pretended not to be listening. As if she didn't already know. Idiot.
"Oh…well, you took long enough capturing them. I was bored. Were they more skilled than we'd thought?" Kakashi's one eyebrow was raised in a questioning look.
"Not really, we just had to bind them all before leaving." Kakashi nodded his acceptance of her answer. So, finally the roles are reversed. For once, I'm the one to make you wait. Just a pity it didn't take longer. You always made us wait hours before a lesson.
It was petty, Sakura knew, but retribution was sweet nonetheless.
"Hey, Kakashi. Why are you here?" Naruto was always so blunt.
"Hmm? The Hokage sent me to check up on you. I understand, from what Hinata told me, that our little friend has an ability he forgot to tell us about. Now that we're all here, perhaps he'd be willing to share?"
Kakashi turned and crouched in front of Alphonse who had long ago been freed from the Shadow Possession jutsu. Shikamaru could only hold the technique for around five minutes, so Hinata had bound Al's arms behind his back so that his hands couldn't touch. His legs had also been bound so he couldn't run away and was forced to remain sitting. Right now, he was looking down avoiding Kakashi's gaze. With one hand, he doodled in the dirt behind him. Apparently, he was fidgeting because he was nervous. Of course he would be around someone he didn't know.
Before Kakashi had a chance to speak, Sakura had walked over and given him a slight shove. Completely shocked, Kakashi pin-wheeled for a moment and took a few miniature steps before finally regaining his balance. He looked like a duck. A slight smile crossed Al's face before it faded into memory. Sakura took Kakashi's spot in front of Alphonse and the rest of the ninjas (except Shikamaru) spread out behind her to see what was going on.
If Sakura had to describe Al at this moment, she would say that he looked depressed. He was avoiding her gaze and his previous smile had left no trace of its existence. His fidgeting had increased.
"Hey Alphonse." She kept her tone as kind as possible, but he didn't even acknowledge her presence. Despite her earlier anger and frustration, it was really hard to be mean to him when he looked like a kicked puppy. She just didn't have it in her to do so.
"I'm going to need you to speak with us and be completely honest. It's a matter of security. You understand, right?" No response. Sakura continued anyway. "We need to know what really happened and how you came to Konoha. Where you are from and how you did…this."
Silence answered. Sakura took a deep breath.
"Alphonse. Did this group of bandits really kidnap you?"
A long pause and then, finally, an answer so quiet she almost didn't hear. "No."
Well, that's a relief. At least he's not lying anymore.
"Wait. What? Those people didn't kidnap you?" Naruto looked around at the rest of the group in confusion. "Then why did we capture them? What's going on here?" His eyes searched everyone on the team and then finally landed on Al who flinched and looked even more depressed. Apparently he wasn't comfortable with deceiving his "friend."
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I lied." Al finally looked up his eyes showing none of the depression Sakura had expected. Instead of dull sorrow, they radiated resolution tinged only by a touch of regret. Never before had their unusual golden color been so apparent and so unnerving.
Naruto just blinked in response to the apology.
Alphonse met the stares of everyone else. "Yes…I lied." He took a deep breath and let it out. When he spoke again, his voice was at an audible level. "I lied because I had no idea what else to do. I have no idea how I ended up so close to Konoha." He shrugged. "Before I woke up there, I wouldn't have even known the place existed. A kidnapping seemed like the most plausible explanation."
He was daring them to say he was lying. "Alright. Well, we always knew you weren't kidnapped by those bandits at any rate. They haven't left this area in months." This time it was Al's turn to be surprised.
He groaned. "I was set up." It was a statement not a question. "Just my luck. How much do you know?"
Sakura remained silent. This was her chance. By not saying anything, Al was free to assume the best or the worst. She just had to let guilt run its course.
Al waited a moment for an answer that was not forthcoming and then seemed to collapse in on himself slightly. "I wasn't lying about where I was from. My hometown really is a little sheep herding village named Resembool. I was never intending to hurt anyone." His eyes glowed with the light of honesty. A light that, in Sakura's mind, was too often false.
Next to Sakura, Kakashi cleared his throat. "I was sent by the Hokage specifically to research that very point." Al winced again and looked away. "I found no village named Resembool matching your description in the Wind Country. Actually, the name doesn't even matter. I couldn't find a single village matching your description."
Naruto was now sitting down by now, and Hinata's fingers were moving rapidly enough that the eye had difficulty following their path.
Alphonse bit his lip. "What if I said that Resembool isn't in the Wind Country?"
"I'd think you're lying again, of course. That is, unless you have some way to prove it." Kakashi's eye looked straight at Al who didn't meet his gaze. The blond mutely shook his head.
Sakura stepped in. "The heart of the matter isn't where you are from. If that was all you lied about this wouldn't be as big of an issue. The problem is this…ability…of yours. If you're a ninja, it's a lot harder to believe that you wouldn't have heard of Konoha, or that you had any good intentions. We have to assume the worst."
"What if I'm not a ninja?"
The kunoichi snorted. "Not a ninja? If that wasn't a jutsu, then what was it? A Kekkei Genkai? I don't know about you, but to me that still qualifies you as a ninja."
"A Keki like Hinata…? How…? Never mind. No, it's not like that at all. It's actually…well, it's called Alchemy."
No heralding fanfare of trumpets greeted this declaration. Sakura had no idea what he meant.
Al had apparently been hoping for a more rewarding response. Something more along the lines of 'Oh! Now it makes perfect sense!'
It didn't happen.
"If I do something, can you promise not to freak out and try to kill me or anything?" Sakura tensed, ready for whatever he thought he could do while bound, but didn't rush to try and stop him. Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed.
A blue light shone from behind his back. As the only one able to see what was going on – he'd been too lazy to move – Shikamaru bolted upright, watching intently. There were some benefits to being to lazy to move. Alphonse gave a quick jerk of his arms and then held them, free of their bonds, far apart on either side of his body.
That was a good choice on his part, because Sakura was already beside him holding her kunai and ready to knock him unconscious if he tried anything else.
Assured that Al was finished, Sakura inspected what had happened. Behind the blond's back, a thin blade jutted from the ground and the cut rope lay beside it. Al had simply sliced his bonds.
"That," Al said, "was Alchemy."
Sakura didn't believe him. To her, it had simply looked like an earth manipulation jutsu that gave off light. Not very good for night missions. Shikamaru was now sitting up shaking his head. "No hand signs." He looked straight at the rest of the team plus an extra Jounin. "He didn't use any hand signs. His dirt doodles were the things that did it. What type of jutsu doesn't use hand signs?"
"For the last time, I told you already it's not a jutsu. It's called Alchemy. It's a science where I'm from. I'd never even heard of jutsus or ninjas until I arrived in Konoha. Everything seemed so strange. I didn't tell you about myself because I wanted a way to protect myself. I was scared. Honest." His doe eyes shone with an earnest light. Hinata had already relaxed, Naruto was nodding along, and Shikamaru seemed to have given up and gone back to sleep although Sakura had the feeling he was once again faking. Sakura stubbornly ignored Al's pleading look. She needed proof.
"Alright. Then we need you to tell us everything: where you're from, what you're doing here, and how you can do that…alchemy." Sakura brandished her kunai promising pain. "And this time, no lying."
"Yes ma'am!"
Honestly, the threat was probably an empty one, but he didn't need to know that. The fear of the unknown is what makes threats so effective.
Al shifted his weight back and forth. He looked like a rocking horse. "Um…I know you said no lying – I'm not going to! – but the story's kind of long… and um…"
"I don't care. You owe us that much at least." Sakura attempted to make her voice harsh.
Naruto leaned over her shoulder ruining the mood with his smile. "Yeah! You've never told me anything about yourself." A thought occurred. "Hey, do you think I could learn that alchemy stuff?"
Alphonse blanched. "That…that would take even longer. It took me years to learn." Naruto's smile faded. "I, I'm sorry…it's not that I don't want to, it's just… I guess I better start on the story."
Al took a deep breath and began, hesitantly at first and then becoming more confident. The fantastical account he spun messed with Sakura's sense of reality, but it had the unmistakable ring of truth that his previous yarns had been missing.
Eventually, the story became too much and even Sakura's brain began to frizzle. A quick survey proved the rest of the team to be faring much the same. Hinata's eyes were glazed, Shikamaru was watching the clouds, Kakashi was reading his book, and Naruto had the unmistakable look of someone listening to a bedside story. He even asked for details in the same way.
Finally, Al finished and Sakura's brain was left to process in peace. It would be awhile until she could fully comprehend everything he'd said. She didn't even know where to start. How could she talk to a person that claimed he'd lived as a soul trapped in a freaking suit of armor for the past four years? How was that even possible?
A groan from the opposite side of the clearing disrupted her thinking. Oh no. Really? The same ninja she had knocked out earlier that day was now waking up. Sakura glanced around at the rest of the team, and much to her delight Kakashi grudgingly got to his feet. He strolled away absently flicking through his book and presently a loud 'thunk' echoed across the clearing.
Kakashi strolled back and took a seat now laden with a solid branch. Five pairs of eyes watched him wide with shock. He looked back. "What?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, Hinata sighed, and Sakura just shook her head. "Well, now we have another issue to deal with. Temari was supposed to take that one too, but she already left so-"
"Fine, fine, fine… I get it." Shikamaru stood and dusted himself off. "Now that Kakashi's here, I'm the one who's going to be sent on prisoner duty. You don't need two team leaders in one group, and I know where to go. Besides, I should be able to catch up to Temari fairly quickly. She has an entire group to attend to."
Sakura hoped her face didn't look as shocked as she felt. Yes, that probably would have been the train of reasoning but still, Shikamaru volunteered for work! Naruto wasn't so covert. His jaw was about to hit the ground. Even Hinata looked shocked.
"Well." Sakura composed herself. "I don't object. Anyone have a problem with that?" Hinata shook her head while Naruto was still too stunned to respond. "Then thank you, Shikamaru."
The lazy ninja didn't even move. "However, I'm going to need a way to get through that cage…"
"I can help!" Al's voice sounded positively chipper now that he was finished recounting his epic of a tale and hadn't immediately been declared insane. "If you'd just unbind my feet so I can get over there, it would be no problem to deconstruct it."
Sakura was still wary. Just because he had talked for half an hour didn't mean that he was freed from suspicion. He still hadn't managed to prove anything other than the fact that he could perform a strange jutsu. That didn't support any of this 'other world' or 'soul' nonsense. All that stuff he said about a 'gate' and 'Truth' just made him sound like he'd eaten some bad mushrooms.
Oh what the heck.
It wasn't like he couldn't already do anything he wanted now that his hands were unbound. The only thing he'd be able to do if they freed his legs would be run faster. He was still nowhere near the speed of a ninja.
Sakura split his bonds.
The ninjas watched closely as the cage dissolved back into the earth. Hinata activated her Byakugan, but stood back to give Al some space. Kakashi wasn't as considerate and watched Al's every movement. He even lifted up his headband to observe using Sharingan. By the wide eyes afterward, even the Sharingan was having trouble analyzing the process. Maybe that was proof enough that this was no normal jutsu.
Shikamaru slung the unconscious ninja over his shoulder after using Al's discarded ropes to prevent the ninja awakening and attacking. He grumbled at the weight, but didn't take back his offer. Shikamaru raised one hand in farewell and headed after Temari.
As he left, two thoughts crossed Sakura's mind. First of all, he was following after Temari. She would have some good blackmail ammunition there. Secondly, Shikamaru was running away. He'd found the first out from a situation that his logical mind couldn't handle and he'd escaped. Traveling on his own, he would have time to come to grips with the information he had tried so hard to ignore and sleep through. Once again, great blackmail information.
An awkward silence fell once Shikamaru left. The gentle rustling of the leaves seemed magnified and the nervous tapping of Hinata's fingers was more obvious than ever. The only subject left to talk about was the fantastical tale Al had just told. To admit it as true would violate reality as Sakura knew it. To claim yet another lie would bring nothing but confrontation. If it were night, the crickets would be swarming.
"Um…" Al broke the silence. "So, do you know if there is a way for me to get home?"
His inquiry was met by silence. Naruto looked at the ground and scuffed his feet. Sakura looked away. Only Hinata responded. "I… I… I'm sorry Al. I have no idea what to do. Per-perhaps we could find something in the records. Maybe the Hokage or… or… the Kazekage will know what to do? I'm just… I'm sorry."
Sorrow weighed on the blond's shoulders though he tried to stand strong. Its all consuming ability threatened to spread to the rest of the ninjas. Here was someone they had no way of helping. Heck, they probably didn't even fully comprehend the situation or the problem. There was no way they could help yet. A spark of indignation flared within Sakura. It was unfair of him to even ask at this point. He should know they would still be confused. Where was his common sense? A small part of her brain whispered that, instead, it was her thoughts that were being unfair; that she was hiding her discomfort behind a façade of scorn. Sakura pretended it didn't exist.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Perhaps the best course of action will be to head back to Suna? We can confirm that the mission has been completed and send Alphonse's… information… to the Hokage."
"What mission?" Naruto looked at Kakashi in surprise. "I thought we were supposed to capture the bandits that kidnapped Al and these…didn't." Hinata looked equally confused.
"Ah, yes." Kakashi's eye twinkled. He always loved when he knew information others didn't. "But these were still bandits in the Kazekage's lands, and we're from Konoha. He has agreed to pay you for your services."
"Really! Gaara's so cool."
"No need to get excited, Naruto. It's not really much. Especially considering it was partially a favor for Lady Tsunade. Also, a sand ninja, Temari, was with you and is now actually delivering the prisoners."
His tone turned light. "Perhaps, Naruto, you'd be better off asking him to treat you to ramen instead. We all know how much you eat." He was clearly smirking behind his mask.
"Hmm… could I really do that?"
The idiot's actually considering. How food motivated can you get? Well, at least the atmosphere is getting lighter.
Kakashi shrugged in response. Naruto was the one that was friends with the Kazekage. If anyone else asked… Then again, Gaara was smart enough to realize how much Naruto could eat. It was a wash.
"Speaking of Ramen, I'm hungry. Could we have ramen for lunch?" He looked like a kid in a candy store. No, scratch that. Like Lady Tsunade outside a casino begging Shizune for money.
"We don't have any ramen, idiot." In Sakura's opinion, the sooner Tsunade broke her bad habit, the better.
"Yeah we do. Look!" Naruto began digging through his pockets pulling out packages of ramen. What he couldn't hold in his own hands, he dumped into Hinata's. Beside them, Al's eyes widened in surprise although he still looked downcast. Well, at least Naruto's loot from the bandit camp turned out to be practical after all. If it had turned out to be yet another frog item, she was liable to shred it.
"Well?" Naruto beamed over his handful of packaged food.
"Well what?"
"Can we eat it now?"
Sakura sighed looking around at the rest of the group. Kakashi didn't really seem to care, Al… well, he seemed happy enough, and Hinata would go along with whatever made Naruto happy. Their mission was complete, there didn't seem to be a pressing need to eat their rations once again. Sakura shrugged.
"What are you doing asking my permission, idiot?"
And so the fire was started, water boiled, and ramen cooked. Naruto's own personal sun was shining. Naruto beamed and dug in eliciting a giggle from Hinata and a snort from Sakura. Al ate with more caution occasionally dropping the chopsticks. At least he was doing better than the first few times he'd attempted. She'd found that pair broken and thrown beneath the bed. It's amazing what frustration can do.
Sakura was halfway through her bowl when a cry from Naruto split the air.
"Ouch! What the heck! OW!"
Moron. What did he do this time? If he burned himself with the ramen, it serves him right. Sakura looked up to see a hawk, of all things, perched on Naruto's shoulder persistently pecking him on the head despite his attempts to shake it off. As Naruto twisted attempting to escape its beak, the box on its back came into view.
A messenger hawk.
Kakashi was on the move before Sakura could get up placing a hand on Naruto's head to hold him still and unlatching the box to withdraw a scroll. Kakashi spread it out to read what was written, and Naruto was finally able to shrug the bird off his shoulder giving it the evil eye. If Sakura didn't know better, it seemed to be smirking right back.
The ninjas gathered around the scroll leaving a confused Alphonse still attempting to eat his ramen. He looked at the gathering group, but remained where he was for the moment. The message was written in a simple code that Sakura had seen often. It was Tsunade's favorite. Sakura finished deciphering it even before Kakashi.
She sat back, stunned, shaking her head in amazement. Naruto glanced between her and Kakashi who had set the scroll down and was quickly moving around camp packing. There was a sizzling sound and a puff of steam and smoke rose skyward as he dumped water on the fire extinguishing it immediately.
The blond looked at Sakura for answers. "So? What does it say? What's going on?"
Sakura stood re-rolling the scroll. "We have a new mission. We are to head back to Suna as fast as possible." She took a deep breath before continuing not believing her own words.
"The Kazekage's been captured."