Chapter Twenty-Eight-
If Yuuki had been less angry and more aware, she probably would've noticed how pathetic her old friend looked. She would've have noticed the empty left sleeve and how scrawny she was. She would've noticed the dark circles under her eyes and sickly pallor. She might even have wondered about all the bandages.
But Yuuki didn't focus on that. Instead, she focused on how exactly she was going to kill the girl.
"I thought you might say that," Modoka said.
She sounded weak and Yuuki sneered at her.
"Who the hell are you?" her Konohan companion snarled. His eyes were a strange red, she noted. Red with black dots…Her eyes widened. The Sharingan! Then this boy was an Uchiha! She had learned about them, of course. But hadn't the books said that that clan had been wiped out several years ago?
Whatever. That didn't matter. If he got in her way, she would eliminate him.
"None of your business," she told him and leapt from the roof. She landed on the ground several meters from them. The Uchiha tensed and drew a few kunai, but Modoka held her hand out.
"Don't," she told him, not breaking eye contact with her, "This doesn't involve you."
"What?" he hissed, but Yuuki's extra sensitive ears caught it anyway, "Sasumi, you're not well enough to-"
The name did it. That reminder of what had been and the gall, the gall, of Modoka to use it. Yuuki launched herself towards her and bowled her over before either of them could blink. Modoka attempted the draw a kunai, but Yuuki grabbed her arm and pinned it to the ground. It was only then that she realized that Modoka only had one arm.
"Is that all you can do?" she sneered down at her, annoyed that Modoka's face was still blank, wanting to bait her into showing some emotion, "Ch, you've always been weak."
"Whatever you say, Yuuki," she replied, quite calmly.
Anger flared inside her and she punched Modoka in the face, bloodying her nose. The Uchiha's eyes widened and he ran towards her, but she was too quick for him.
"Katon: Housenka!"
Her sight of him was obscured by flames, but Yuuki frankly didn't give a damn. Modoka went rigid.
"Uchiha-san!" she cried and tried to get up.
"Don't move," Yuuki told her viciously, holding a kunai under her chin.
Sasumi…no, Modoka narrowed her eyes a little. Finally a reaction.
"Are you going to kill me, Yuuki?" she asked tightly.
"Yes," Yuuki breathed, "You deserve it, you little shit!"
She punched her again, just for good measure.
"You killed…you killed," Yuuki is so mad she cannot even speak.
"Your father," Modoka said, perfectly calm again, "Yes, I did. I won't deny it."
"Idiot," Yuuki snarled, her hands shaking, "It's not about that. I couldn't care less about the bastard."
Modoka frowned, "What are you talking abou-"
"Get away from her!"
Yuuki looked up to see the Uchiha boy again. Persistent brat. She leapt out of the way of several shuriken and threw a flying kick at his head. He blocked her and she saw his red eyes whirl.
"Alright, beast," she thought, "Let's go!"
The six-tailed demon inside of her purred in delight and Yuuki felt the familiar surge of pure power flood through her. Her eyes turned a eerie amber and her nails elongated. She felt fangs sprout and every hair on her body stand on end. Uchiha's mouth dropped open and he stared.
"You are…" he muttered, glancing at Modoka, "a jinchuuriki?"It pissed her off that he was asking Modoka instead of her, and her fury only heightened when she saw Modoka nod.
"That's right," she laughed, "A monster, a demon, whatever you like!"
The boy gave her a wary look, but for some reason seemed reluctant to attack. Was he…no, he wasn't afraid of her, she could tell. Then why…?
"Uchiha-san, don't," Modoka murmured, pulling herself up. Yuuki looked her over in disgust.
"Don't give me that," the boy said harshly, still keeping his eyes on her.
"Actually, she's right," Yuuki spat, "My fight's not with you. Back off."
"Like hell."
"You needn't get involved," the other girl said softly and Yuuki flinched. She hadn't changed much, had she? Still the same old doormat as-
No, she would not think about that! She had sworn she would finish this, even if it killed her.
She slashed out with her kunai, catching Modoka in the stomach. The other girl hissed in pain and flipped backwards, holding her abdomen with her only arm as it seeped red.
"Sasumi!" the boy cried and launched at her.
Yuuki dodged two kicks and then delivered a powerful blow to the crown of his head. He managed to dodge it somewhat, but she still clipped him and he fell to the ground, clutching his head. She raised her arm to strike the finishing blow, but was forced to dodge several shuriken.
"I said, it doesn't involve him!" Modoka said, a trace of anger on her unexpressive features.
"Hmph, alright then," Yuuki smirked and without a trace of remorse, broke the other girl's ribs.
Modoka's mouth fell open and she gasped, her knees hitting the ground with a thud that was music to her ears. She didn't move, though. Made no indication of an escape attempt.
"I don't care what you do to me," she murmured, "Just don't hurt my teammates."
Yuuki snarled and hauled her up by the collar of her shirt, "Shut up! Damn you, don't try and be all self-sacrificing, because I know you're not!"
Sasum-Modoka gave a snort of disgust, "I guess you did always know me the best."
Yuuki hit her again and this time her nose broke, "Don't you dare talk to me like that, you bitch! I'm going…I'm going to kill you!"
Modoka's expression did not changed even as blood ran down her visage. Suddenly, a sense of freedom filled her. This was not the Sasumi, the little girl she had known as a child. This was merely a shell of the person she had once been. Yuuki could do it now. She could kill her. She raised her hand and-
"Let her go."
Yuuki turned in annoyance to see another Konohan ninja, about the same age a the Uchiha and Modoka. He had blond hair and round blue eyes. He wore an orange shirt under his Chuunin vest.
Yuuki sneered, "Piss off, human. Don't make me kill you too."
His eyes narrowed and he looked from Modoka to Uchiha's unconscious body.
"Uzumaki-san," Modoka said softly, "It's okay, don-"
"Shut up!" Yuuki hissed, backhanding her.
The blond went wide-eyed and then hissed in anger, "You bitch, drop her!"
Yuuki inwardly groaned and did what she was told. For a second he looked surprised, but then narrowed his eyes and dodged her front kick. He threw a kunai, but she countered it with several senbon. He hissed in pain as several pierced his arm and pulled them out. Yuuki snarled and let the demon's chakra in her system again. She wanted this over with now; there was no point in holding back.
"Back off, kid," she said, her voice low and threatening, "You're fighting a demon, now. Don't bother me if you want to live."
The boy did not look scared or even unresolved like the Uchiha had. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Yuuki demanded.
"Sorry," he said grinning, "It's just that that's the second time I've heard that. And…" his expression went serious all of the sudden.
"And?" Yuuki asked despite herself.
"Sorry, but you probably shouldn't fight me," he said, "I probably…"
Yuuki's eyes widened as his eyes flashed red and marks that she hadn't noticed before in the dim light began to thicken.
"…have more tails than you."
"You're…!"
"The same as you. Funny how things work out."
Yuuki turned and glanced at Modoka, whose eyes were sad.
"Bring it," the holder of the Rokubi hissed, drawing her wakizashi. The boy dropped to a fighting stance, fangs sprouting and pupils turning into slits. Yuuki ran at him, brandishing her blade-
But suddenly there was a gray-haired man between them and a seal on her forehead. Yuuki hissed in anger as the demon's chakra disappeared. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was Modoka's confused face.
"I'm fine,"Sasumi muttered, as several medics surrounded her, "Leave me alone."
They didn't listen, of course, and laid her out on a stretcher. In the distance, she could see Sasuke's unconscious form in the same boat. Kakashi and Naruto were yelling at each other and it looked like the fires had been put out.
"That's good," she thought and turned her head away.
She watched, quite emotionlessly, as Yuuki's hands and feet were tied together. They hauled her away and Sasumi lost consciousness as well.
When she woke, it was light out and her nose and ribs were healed. She was lying in a bed in…where was this? A hospital? She sat up. The room looked familiar. The this was-
Sasumi threw herself out of bed and slammed herself against the wall. She had knocked over a movable cart and metal instruments clattered as they hit the floor. Sasumi choked and inched towards the door, a mantra of "Get out, get out!" revolving in her head. She had to get out of this hospital; she had been here before.
But before she could leave, the door burst open and people flooded in.
"Sasumi!" Naruto exclaimed, "What are you doing you shouldn't be…up…"
He trailed off and it was only then that Sasumi realized that she was only wearing a tank top and shorts, and that a majority of her scars and burns were exposed.
"Get me out of here," she said through gritted teeth, trying not to shake.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked. He, Naruto, Kakashi, and several nurses who had entered looked confused.
"I've been here before," she said, pressing herself as far away from the bed as humanly possible, "I want to get out."
"Oh," Kakashi said simply.
He grabbed her arm and escorted her out of the room, and down the sun filled hallway. Naruto and Sasuke followed, stopping hospital personal from getting in their way. After what seemed like forever, they walked out the back entrance in an alley behind the hospital. Sasumi yanked her remaining arm out of Kakashi's grip and threw up next to the dumpsters.
"Ano…Sasumi…" Naruto said carefully, "Here are your clothes…"
Sasumi ignored him and shook, "I…that place…I…!"
"You don't have to say anything," Sasuke murmured, but Sasumi disregarded him as well.
"I…I tried to…to kill myself in that place!" She choked in shame on the words, but knew she had to get them out.
She reached up and rubbed a deep scar on the side of her neck, one which was not caused by her torturers. At least directly.
None of them say anything and Sasumi doesn't blame them. It takes her several minutes for her to get herself together, and when she does she takes her clothes. She puts them on and apologizes for her outburst politely, but does not look them in the eye. She cannot bear to see the pity there.
"Yuuki is…?" she asked Kakashi quietly.
"Sekihara Yuuki has been imprisoned for the time being. We have reasons to believe that she started the revolt."
Sasumi said nothing.
They went back to their hotel room, and at noon they ordered lunch, instead of going out to eat. Sasumi was grateful for it and ate even though she was not hungry. A few hours after lunch, there was a knock on the door. Kakashi was not in the room. Sasuke opened the door to the familiar figures of the Konoha ANBU.
"We need to speak to Yamaki Sasumi," they said, but something was off. They seemed awkward and out of place. They had never been this way before.
"Yes?" Sasumi said quietly.
One shifted from one foot to the other, "Er…" he said, "This might be a little private…" He eyed the rest of her teammates.
Sasumi shook her head, "It doesn't matter."
The woman next to him swallowed, "In looking through the Rain's old files. We found," she hesitated, "We found a report filed on the deaths of…of…"
"Modoka Ayano and Naoki," the man said, "They appeared to have died in a fire two and a half years ago."
Naruto gasped and Sasumi's stomach turned to ice, "Oh," she heard herself say.
The ANBU looked even more uncomfortable at her reaction, "Their grave," the woman said embarrassedly, "is in the cemetery behind the village walls. Our superior says you have permission to go there…if you wish."
"You have our condolences," they said politely and bowed.
The door swung shut and her teammates stared at her.
"C'mon," Naruto said sadly after a long while, tugging on her arm, "We have to go."
Sasumi didn't bother protesting and let them take her through the city, the checkpoints, out into the meadows where she and Yuuki had played when they were young. They entered the graveyard and it took a half hour for them to find her family grave.
"Oh," Naruto murmured, "We forgot incense and food."
"I don't care, you know," Sasumi said stoically, staring at the two names on the stone post.
"What?" Sasuke asked harshly, "What did you say?"
"I said I don't care," she repeated, not thinking about the consequences, "I'm glad they're dead."
There was a blow to her jaw and it took her several seconds to realize that Sasuke had just punched her.
"You-!" he snarled, "How can you say such a-'
"Easily," she replied, "I'm not like you, Uchiha-san."
For a second, Sasumi thought he would hit her again, but he throws her a glare and walks off.
"Sasumi," Naruto said coldly, "You shouldn't say things like that."
"It's the truth."
He gave her a look of disgust and left too, leaving Sasumi alone.
The sun was setting by the time she reentered the village. She wandered the streets she knew so well for a while, not wanting to return to their hotel room. She was walking over a bridge when she saw her. She was older now, of course, but was still recognizable. The woman froze as she recognized her.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, sensei?" Sasumi said softly.
The woman whimpered and then ran off in the opposite direction.
Sasumi walked on.
"Where is she?" Kakashi-sensei was asking angrily, "You just left her there?"
"You didn't hear her," Sasuke hissed back, "Saying all this shit!"
"She's under a lot of stress right now," Kakashi-sensei said, "I thought you two would understand that and put your personal feelings behind you!"
"But, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto interjected, angry that he was taking her side, "She was saying that she didn't care that her parents were dead! Her parents!"
"Do you know her parents?" he asked, "Don't judge what you don't understand! I'm sure Sasumi has a good reason."
"How can you have a good reason for being glad that your parents are dead?" Sasuke demanded, but Naruto wasn't listening.
He was remembering what Sasumi had told them in the Sand…
"I had parents!" she had told them, "I had them and they weren't like yours. They didn't die shortly after I was born and they weren't killed in a massacre. In fact, as far as I know, they're still alive. And they betrayed me. Sold me out. That's all there is to it."
"Shit," Naruto whispered, mostly to himself, "We have to find her!"
They spread out, but they couldn't find any trace of her. A few shinobi had seen her in the village, proving that she at least came back into the village. It was getting dark and Naruto was starting to panic.
"Where would she go?" he asked, "We've looked at her old house, the graveyard, everywhere that makes any sense!"
"Then look in places that don't make sense," Kakashi-sensei said tensely.
"Like where?" Naruto demanded as their teacher disappeared in a puff of smoke, "How are we supposed to-"
"Wait," Sasuke said. He had a funny look on his face, "I think I know where she went."
They had to ask a few people where it was, and nobody seemed keen on talking about it. The sun had set by the time they reached the old decrypt building with broken windows and holed up roof.
"The old ANBU headquarters, Sasuke?" Naruto said nervously, "Are you sure?"
Sasuke didn't answer and they pushed open the door, which was strangely unlocked.
"Told you," Sasuke said, "Someone's been here."
The lobby was completely gutted to the point that there was hardly anywhere to walk. Fallen beams and shattered glass littered the ground, and Naruto cut his foot as they walked to the stairwell.
"Well?" he said, looking expectantly at Sasuke, "Up or down?"
"Down," Sasuke said determinedly and they walked down the dark and winding stairwell.
"Sasumi?" Naruto kept calling, "Are you there? Sasumi?"
Finally, after ten minutes, she replied.
"Over here."
Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and then pushed open the door of the fifth floor below the surface.
There was a light coming from the door at the end of the long hallway and Naruto pushed it open. For a second, Naruto could barely see because of the blinding light. There were several glowing orbs floating in mid air around Sasumi, who was sitting in the middle of the room that was empty except for…the chains on the wall? Naruto swallowed and felt sick.
Sasumi sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. She had taken off the bandages on her arms and legs, and her neck warmer. Her scars glinted eerily in the light.
"Sasumi," Sasuke said, looking around, "What is this jutsu?"
"Just something I stole," she aid, sounding quite miserable about it, "I'm a Lightening type too, you know. Lightening and Earth."
"Don't Lightening and Earth contradict each other?" Naruto asked, remembering a conversation with Ero-sennin.
"Yes," she said, "That's why it's so dangerous."
"I'm sorry, Sasu-" Naruto started but Sasumi cut him off.
"Don't," she said, "It doesn't matter."
It did, but Naruto didn't say anything. Beside him, Sasuke shifted uneasily.
"Here," Sasumi muttered reaching out an placing her palm flat on the ground in front of her, "And there," she pointed to one of the sets of chains on the wall, "That's where I was."
She sounded as if she didn't believe it herself.
"It's funny," she muttered, "I thought it would seem smaller. Because I'd grown, you know? But I guess I haven't grown that much. I probably never will."
Naruto knelt beside her and put his hand on her scarred shoulder, the one with no arm attached to it. She flinched noticeably.
"We're really sorry, Sasumi," Naruto whispered, "We shouldn't have-"
The lights went out and Sasumi burst into tears.
"Sorry," Sasumi murmured, rubbing her eyes.
"Don't apologize," Sasuke said gruffly, "You're always apologizing."
"Sorry."
"Sasumi," Naruto said exasperatedly.
Sasuke saw her looked up hesitantly at Naruto in the darkness. He sighed.
"C'mon, let's go back," he said.
"Alright," she said and stood.
They walked silently up the dark stairwell. Sasuke had half a mind to light a torch or something, but refrained.
However, the tranquility was not to last. Naruto was the first to reach the main floor, and when he did, he gasped.
"What?" Sasuke said frowning, "What is it?"
He and Sasumi came up and Sasuke felt like someone had poured cold water over him. The dark-skinned girl that had attacked them the night before stood there. The older girl that Sasumi had called 'Yuuki.' She was breathing heavily and had a multitude of cuts over her body. Her wrists appeared to have been handcuffed, but she had ripped them off with sheer brute force.
"You won't escape this time!" she hissed.
Sasuke drew several kunai, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Naruto do the same. Sasumi, however, did not.
"Why do you want to kill me?" she asked without emotion, "I killed your father, yes. But you don't seem to care about that, do you?"
"You dare-"
"Tell me!"
Sasuke looked at Sasumi in surprise. Her voice was firm and determined, something that had been noticeably missing the previous night.
"She fell apart, you know," the jinchuuriki hissed, "after he died. Just fell apart. Six months after you killed him, she died!"
Sasuke blinked in confusion. He didn't understand what she was talking about…unless…she was talking about her mother?
"And you blame me for that?" Sasumi said stoically.
"Yes!" the girl exclaimed, "If you hadn't-"
"How dare you," Sasumi whispered and she drew a kunai. Sasuke stared as her eyes bled black and she began to shake with anger, "H-How…"
She threw herself at the jinchuuriki and their blades clashed. Sparks flew and he and Naruto could only watch in amazement as Sasumi's face contorted in anger.
"How dare you?!" she snarled, "You know what I went through!?"
The girl's wakizashi nearly sliced off her head, but she did not seem to care.
"Look at me, Yuuki!" Sasumi roared, ripping off the bandages on her arm and legs, "Look what's become of me!"
The combination of her black, empty eyes, and furious expression was a fearsome sight. A part of Sasuke screamed at him to do something, but he couldn't move.
The redhead threw a front kick and jabbed her elbow into the Rokubi's collarbone, taking advantage of her shock.
"You," Sasumi snarled fisting the collar of her shirt, looking feral, "cannot possibly know what I went through! How dare you accuse me of things I didn't do!"
'Yuuki' punched her in the face and Sasumi was slammed against the wall of the rotting building.
Sasuke's eyes widened and he made to attack, but Sasumi stopped him.
"Don't," she said furiously, submissive no longer, "this is my fight!"
The jinchuuriki, who's eyes had changed color and fingernails sharpened, grabbed Sasumi by the collar of her shirt for the second time.
"And then you just left, you coward!" she screamed, "Left and-!"
But the anger had faded off Sasumi's face and a slightly bewildered look took its place.
"Yuuki," she said softly, "you missed me?"
The older girl hissed and gathered a ball of energy in her left hand. Beside him, Naruto cried out a warning, but it was drowned out by the explosion that followed.
"Sasumi!" Sasuke shouted even though the he was forced to inhale a huge cloud of dust. He choked and heard Naruto grunt in pain as he was hit with some debris.
There were a few seconds that Sasuke was sure that Sasumi was dead, but then the dust clears and he saw that Sasumi had dodged out of the way. There was a huge hole in the wall and several more wooden beams had fallen from the ceiling.
"Shut up!" Yuuki screamed, throwing several senbon at her, "Just shut up!"
"Yuuki," Sasumi gaped, staring at her old friend, "You-"
"I said, shut up!"
"Yuuki," Sasumi repeated, "I'm sorry."
"You…what?" She stared at her.
Sasumi stood and bowed as low as she could go without falling, "I'm sorry."
"You…you," Yuuki hissed, "You think you can just…"
Sasumi made no move to raise her head.
"Stop that!" Yuuki screamed and Sasumi chocked back a cry of pain and the purple haired girl kneed her in the chest, "I said stop that.
Sasumi fell to her knees, but did not raise her head. She spat out a bit of blood and forced her voice to become calm.
"I'm sorry."
There was a long silence.
"I hate you," Yuuki said angrily, and Sasumi looked up to find tears in her eyes, "Hate you!"
"I'm sorry," Sasumi repeated, "I'm so sorry."
Yuuki put her hands in her head and sobbed, and Sasumi knew it was alright. She turned to Naruto's and Sasuke's bewildered faces and smiled.
"It's okay now," she said, simply, when Kakashi and the other shinobi arrived, "Everything is alright."
A/N: Oh, the drama! Er…I just hope it wasn't too melodramatic. And I hope the ending wasn't too abrupt, either...
And, argh, it's almost over! Just the epilogue, which will be really short! I can't believe it! Two years went by so fast!
If you have any questions or comments please review! This will be your second to last chance! Special thanks to Torquad333.