Chapter 24 Namesake

Sasuke stumbled, gripping at his side. The pain was getting worse and his bandages were almost completely dyed deep crimson by his own blood. He leaned against a nearby tree, taking steady breaths, before standing up once again and continuing on. Sasuke felt the eyes of the others on him, but he ignored them. About five minutes later, he staggered again.

"Sasuke, you should really let me see that." Hiko said.

"I'm fine."

Hiko took a deep breath and dug a knife hand into his wound. Sasuke cried out and crumpled against a tree, sucking in his breath sharply.

"What the hell was that for?!"

Hiko wiped the blood on her dress calmly.

"I'm not a medic nin but I know tid bits about medicine and wounds. I shoved some anesthetics in you're wound, which means you will pass out in about…" She thought for a second. "Ten minutes."

"Why the fuck would you do that?!" Sasuke demanded, angrily.

Hiko placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and pushed him down so that he was sitting on the ground.

"You said you want to help but, with your wound reopened like that, your just a wounded animal. No good comes from rushing."

"I don't have time for this." Sasuke mumbled bitterly.

Hiko sighed.

"You of all people should know the story of Sarutobi Sasuke, he is your namesake." She began to unwind the bandages from around Sasuke's stomach, peeling away the fabric that had been pasted to his skin with blood. "You remember how he died? 'Course you do. He got caught in a bear trap and amputated his own foot but shortly afterwards he realized he wouldn't be able to escape and waited for his enemies to catch up to stab himself in the throat before their eyes." Hiko looked Sasuke in the eye. "Don't be like that, think! Don't run into battle with a amputated foot, you won't get anywhere."

Sasuke looked away only to see the edges of his vision going black.

"When you wake up," He heard Hiko's fading voice say. "we'll continue."

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Sasuke opened his eye and blinked once, waiting till the shadows and spots of light came into focus. He stared up at the tree canopies. He sat up but flinched, putting a hand to his head. He looked around but the only person around was Mizuko, who was sitting on a log, cutting a apple. There was a sudden moment of déjà vu, until she glared up at him.

"How long have I been out?" Sasuke asked.

"The anesthetics Hiko put in you were pretty powerful." She paused. "Three days."

Sasuke straightened. "Three days?!"

"Relax, they're not gonna kill them, other wise they wouldn't have been kidnapped . They're most likely being held hostage to get you to come, you're Orochimaru's next host body after all."

There was silence and a cicada cried out further out in the trees. Mizuko tossed the kunai down in the ground, inches from Sasuke's hand.

"Do you really care or was that bunch of BS you made up to save your ass?"

Sasuke stared up at her, his face holding it's usual emotionless expression but he said nothing.

Karasu sat down next to Sasuke, snatching the water bottle from his hands and taking a swig. Sweat poured down her face from the training she had just undergone, her hair plastered to her face but she stilled smiled at him.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"Yeah." Sasuke mumbled.

She laughed. "I'll be kicking your ass in no time!"

Sasuke smirked, which offended Karasu.

"What's so funny!"

But Sasuke didn't respond.

"Don't act so smug! I'll defiantly beat you again!" She smiled widely.

Sasuke turned to her and something strange happened.

"Say what you want, usuratonkachi." Sasuke told Naruto.

"Yo, Sasuke?" Mizuko said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Spacing out a bit there, buddy."

"It's nothing." He lied. "Just the aesthetics wearing off."

Mizuko sighed. "What does it matter to me, though? As long as your helping, that's all that counts right? It's none of my business why you do the things you do."

She smiled brightly. "Right?"

Just then there was a rustling in the near by bushes and Hiko popped out, followed by Yoshimitsu.

"Well, seems like sleeping beauty finally decided to join us." Hiko said, crossing her arms.

"Where you two?" Sasuke asked.

"Scouting ahead." Yoshimitsu answered. "We were able to find where Ekima and Karasu had been taken."

"How do you know?"

Hiko smiled just as a furry face popped over her shoulder. "Weasels have a good sense of smell."

Sasuke stood, pulling his shirt back on.

"You feeling better?" Hiko asked.

Sasuke nodded. "I'm a bit woozy still but it's nothing I can't handle."

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I leaned on the window sill in Ekima's room. The fabric of the of the black nagajuban, toped off with a dark green haori, waving over my crossed legs reminded me how much I missed wearing pants.

It had been nearly three days already and no so much as a whisper about anyone coming for us. Maybe it was selfish for me to think that, Sasuke had a gnarly wound and it would take time to heal, but I couldn't help wondering. I could get us out of here but something had affected my chakra and combat skills. The first thing I had suspected was the dinner sent to me my first night but I had checked it thoroughly and found nothing. Then there was the tea Shinsuke had offered me the next day but he had poured some straight from the kettle into his cup, tasted it, and nothing. Speaking of Shinsuke…

The other girls he had collected found it strange that a certain thing in particular hadn't occurred between myself and him. When I mentioned he apparently remembered me from one of his younger travels, rumors grew between them about him getting soft. Sora even said he might be planning to pick me for his next wife and was simply waiting.

I visited Shinsuke at least once everyday and it was true he hadn't done anything to me yet but our conversations were like that of two business partners. We spoke of places we had been and sights we had seen, never once getting on to the topic of classified information. When I spoke, he watched me with eyes that showed he was listening and hinted at nothing else. Shinsuke had a charming personality, one often rare in men his age. His laugh was as bright as his smile and he never made a offensive remark. Hisamatsu Shinsuke, the kind of guys you would see girls fall head over heals for but I merely found him a pleasant person. Despite my efforts to assure Ekima that he was alright as far as I knew, she refused to trust him, always tensing and backing away when he was near. What was it she saw that I couldn't?

I looked over at Ekima. She was dressed in a yellow tsukesage kimono, with poppies at the hem. For the last three days she had left her hair untied, letting it fall down her back and over her shoulders. Ekima was humming softly as she kept herself occupied with a koto. When she saw I was staring she smiled at me, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"How does it sound?" She asked.

"Hm?"

"The song."

"Oh," I hadn't really been paying attention but anything Ekima made was beautiful. "It's very nice."

Now she stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Is something bothering you?"

I hesitated. Some how she had a way of always knowing.

"Do you think they're coming for us?"

"Of course!"

I was startled a bit by the volume of her reply.

"I don't believe they would abandon us!" She paused to give me a concerned look. "Do you?"

I thought for a second. "No, I suppose you're right. You always are."

Despite the fact that Ekima had been cooped up in an underground facility for most of her life, she was pretty damn smart. She had read every single book Orochimaru allowed her too, eagerly waiting for something new to come. That had been her only window to the world outside for who knows how may years and she sucked up the information like a sponge that would never be squeezed. That's right, Ekima remembered everything she read.

"You know how I said I had never seen the outside before we met?" Ekima said suddenly, as if reading my thoughts.

I nodded.

"I lied." She said with a slightly embarrassed face.

I stared at her.

"Well, I had been outside once before," She said quickly. "but I was really young and I can't remember it all that well but what do remember are bright colors, lights and lanterns in bright reds and oranges. Everyone was dressed in yukata, including myself. Orochimaru was in front of me a I was tagging along behind. He said something about a treat and then disappeared. My first reaction was fear. I was in a strange place surrounded by strange people, lots of them. I wanted to call out for Orochimaru but one of the first things he taught me was to never call out his name loudly in public. So I remained silent and walked to the nearest stand. I remember there was some masks on a rack along with pinwheels. I stood of to the side, growing more frightened by the minute. Every now and then people would stop to ask if I was lost but I would shake my head and tell them I was waiting for my father. I don't know why I chose to call him my father, it was the first thing that came to mind, I guess. Eventually I began to think he would never come back and that he had left me. I was on the verge of tears when he reappeared with dango. That's about all I can remember but I later learned it was a test." She looked up at me. "Do you understand why I'm telling you this?"

In all honesty, I shook my head.

"I had begun to doubt," She said with a smile. "but still, I waited. And in the end he came back."

A smile slowly spread across my face.

"How are you so perfect?" I asked.

The smile on her face faded and she blushed. "Nobody is perfect."

Just then the door slid open and Kikuzou appeared, bowing slightly.

"Suisen-san, Shinsuke-sama had requested your presence."

Ekima shot me a look that told me to be careful. I nodded as I gave her a reassuring smile. I stood and followed Kikuzou out into the hallway, giving Ekima a wave before she closed the door. As always, Kikuzou shoved me into the bath. I was still embarrassed about having to have someone wash my body but protesting was futile. My hair had also become much more tame and wasn't such a hassle to brush and style. Next came the dressing. The black nagajuban was left on and she dressed me in susohiki once again. This one was white though, decorated with waved lines and pale shades of gold and silver, the sleeves nearly as long as the trailing hem. In the mirror I saw the hair pins and lax way my hair had been styled.

"What's with the fancy decorations? Is this a special occasion?" I asked with a little laugh.

Kikuzou was too busy wrapping the matching white obi around my torso to respond. Then she tied it in the front, something that I noticed immediately. Something in my stomach twisted slightly.

"Kikuzou-san?" I asked. "What's going on?"

She responded with her silence.

"All done!" She said. "You look so pretty!"

As she turned me towards the mirror, I noticed the way she didn't make eye contact. Earlier, during my reflecting, had I spoken too soon?

Author notes: Ah! I love kimonos! They're so pretty!! I want more of them but they're sooo expensive. So yeah, 24 chapters *whistles*. Don't worry about the next chapter, nothing "mature" will happen.