Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter forty, of the Winds of Change! Wow, forty chapters, that's pretty amazing. First arc still isn't over yet... but details. Anyway, I hope I've improved since my last chapter, since I've been trying to implement the ideas that Poetic Fallacy has given me. It may not be perfect (nothing is), but I can strive for perfection! Although, one day I really will need to go and edit all my older chapters. They're not bad, just cheesy, in my opinion. Anyway, we have some more character development for characters that haven't had any for a while, if at all, as well as some revelations. So, without further ado, I present to you chapter 40, of the Winds of Change.
Kakashi snapped out of his stupor, pushing the thoughts of disbelief out of his brain. No, it wasn't time to debate why his student was using Jutsu only known by two people in history.
His stance became rigid, as roots slowly began to snake up Sakura's legs, and wrap around her lithe form.
He sped forwards, his feet barely touching the ground as he ran. Heart racing, he pushed as much chakra into his legs as humanely possible, the feeling causing a burning pain to sear through his body. He didn't care. He needed to reach her, now!
"Sensei!"
Kakashi skidded across the growing wood, sending shards of it flying everywhere. He swung around, mouth set in a grim line.
Naruto's face was contorted into a desperate plea for help, his leg slowly being wrapped in the neverending scourge of blonde winced in pain, tearing viciously at the growing tendrils that grew up his body at an alarming rate.
Sasuke wasn't faring much better, the roots constricting his downed body as he struggled to break free.
The Copy Ninja's eyes lingered on his two male genin, but he found himself looking back at Sakura. She was unmoving, her body limp, as the branches of the now gigantic tree began to envelop her entire body.
He couldn't decide.
Fuck.
He wasted precious seconds thinking about who he was going to save, Naruto's pleading screams thundering in his head. They banged and clawed at his consciousness, refusing to stop, refusing to back down. Sakura's scream of pain from earlier, however, was still at the forefront of his mind.
His hands twitched nervously, the feeling of sweat trickling down his neck.
He made a choice.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief as his sensei dashed towards him. Withdrawing a kunai, Kakashi slashed at the roots, reducing them into nothing more than tiny pieces of chipped wood. Naruto grinned at him, moving his leg about slightly, testing it. "Thanks sensei!"
Sasuke's face, at the sight of Kakashi helping Naruto, was darker than the night itself, red eyes glinting with fury. Even more rage boiled in his gut, the roots slowly wrapping around his neck. His sensei chose to help Naruto over himself!? The roots only went up to Naruto's leg, and here he was, stuck on the ground, about to be strangled. That bastard.
Growling, Sasuke continued to writhe around, his body struggling against the constricting movement. He let out a strangled gasp, his windpipe slowly being crushed by the tightening roots, as lights began to flash before his eyes.
"I've been betrayed! Again!"
A figure appeared over the Uchiha, coal black eyes staring deeply into the red ones below.
"NOT YOU!" Sasuke hissed violently, his struggles increasing.
Itachi took no notice of his little brother, making a hand-sign. A small stream of fire burst from his mouth, causing Sasuke to wince. It didn't, however, damage him in anyway, merely burned the roots covering his body to ash.
The Younger Uchiha leapt to his feet, scowling. Part of him longed for the idea that Itachi would hurt him, and then he could prove what a bastard he was! But, of course, he was far too clever for that! He barely spared a glance at his elder brother, snorting in displeasure, before his body faded into the mass of roots as he dashed towards Sakura.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called, irritation creeping into his voice. "Dammit..." Turning his head, Itachi nodded to him wordlessly, before he disappeared in a flock of ravens.
Sighing in frustration, he yelled, "Come on Naruto!"
Determination etched into his features, the blonde followed his sensei towards the mammoth tree.
"The everliving fuck is this!?" Raion exclaimed, crushing a writhing root with a stomp of his boot. "Why the hell are we being attacked by a tree!"
Fenris scowled, unsheathing his massive blade, eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. "The reason is important at the moment. Right now, we need too-"
Gurei roughly shoved Fenris to the side, unravelling a small scroll in his hand as he channelled chakra into it. There was a white flash, before a tiger, larger than any man, burst forth, clashing with the humongous amount of crushing roots that slammed into the ink animal. "We need to move!" Kataki yelled, drawing his katana, and dicing through the roots as they flocked towards the group.
The ink tiger was soon burst by the encroaching wave, and Team Itachi were scattered in separate directions.
Despite this, however, the roots could not touch them. Kataki's blades whirred, slicing and dicing the roots into nothing, his pulse racing as he cut a clear path through them, if only a for a moment. Fenris' heaving blade cut through them like nothing more than paper, while Raion's mighty fists crushed them with one blow. Utsuro's senbon skewered roots left and right, rendering them useless as she danced among them.
Gurei withdrew a larger scroll, making a flurry of hand-signs, before unravelling it. Channelling chakra, there was a bright flash of light. A loud, thunderous caw filled the air, as a mighty hawk flapped it's wings, the inky colour of it's feathers sharp and precise. With a beat of it's wings, the a majority of the roots were scattered backwards. Gurei leapt atop the majestic bird, followed swiftly by his comrades, as they flew high into the air.
"Look at the size of that tree!" Raion commented, mouth agape.
The tree in question truly was massive, an eyesore amidst the dull grey walls. Or, what was left of them. It's trunk was large and robust, branches constantly flowing out of it and crashing into walls, roots slinking through cracks in the stone. Below them, it was a giant swarm of gnarled stumpy bark, and long winding roots. The ground was dark brown, and not a single piece of concrete could be seen against the everflowing backdrop of wood.
"What do you think happened?" Utsuro asked quietly, her eyes wide as they swept over the landscape.
Gurei adjusted his glasses. "The First Hokage used Wood Style Jutsu. I believe it was useful for containing Bijuu. I would theorize that his jutsu was at work here"
"Oooh, who was the First Hokage?" Utsuro inquired.
"The First Hokage was a man named Hashirama Senju, who specialized in Wood Style Jutsu, as I mentioned. Hailing from the Senju Clan-"
"With all due respect." Kataki interrupted. "I think we should focus on not being swallowed up by a tree. But." he added as an after-thought. "When we have time, I would love to hear more about the man."
Gurei nodded, smiling slightly, as he directed the gliding mount forward.
The flash of pink that was Sakura's hair stayed in Kakashi's mind as he dodged and weaved through the roots that shot out to attack him. He had to get to her. He was not going to lose the student he just got back. He wasn't going to lose anyone else, ever again.
A kunai flew from his hand, piercing one of the roots as it flailed around. Leaping to the side, he avoided a tendril of wood, continuing on his path.
Naruto trailed behind him, spamming out multiple shadow clones like there was no tomorrow. They leapt with little abandon, tearing and clawing at the roots with their bare hands, doing everything within their power to stem the horde.
Kakashi grimaced, as he noticed Sasuke trying desperately to avoid being swallowed whole. The Uchiha swung his kunai in multiple arcs, slashing the roots in half, sweat pouring down his face.
The closer they got towards the giant tree, the more aggressive it seemed to become. It was a worrying prospect.
There it was again.
Another flash of pink against the backdrop of brown caught Kakashi's immediate attention. He weaved through hand-signs, calling out, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A stream of flame, scorching orange, shot out of his mouth, burning the roots in front of him into nothing more than dying embers.
His view no longer obscured, he felt his heart skip a beat.
Sakura was now almost utterly enveloped in the roots, slowly being pulled back into a cavern of gnarled wood. Her body was unmoving, her eyes unfeeling. She was being pulled into a cage.
Kakashi rushed forward, pumping enough chakra into his legs to take a large leap into the air, avoiding a multitude of the roots. He landed a few metres away from Sakura, heart now slamming against his rib-cage. With an outstretched hand, he reached forward, clawing at the roots that had now almost totally shrouded his student. They wouldn't budge. Harder than stone, his hands could do nothing. He reached for a kunai, shooting the blade forward. It broke in impact, metal shards falling to the floor.
Kakashi went to weave a hand sign, only for his hand to be roughly yanked backwards, something lashing against his leg. He winced in pain, the feeling of blood slowly trickling down his leg, wind lashing at the now exposed skin. Another lash against his shoulder, a feeling of numbness over-taking it, before it turned into a painful stinging sensation. His face, contorting in pain, dropped the kunai he had tried to palm in his hand. He gritted his teeth, moving his legs forward, trying desperately to break the hold. Sakura was right in front of him, he had to get not her. He had to!
A root wrapped around his neck, pulling him downwards, as more and more wrapped around his body.
Sharingan blazed as he fought roughly against his bonds, but it was no good. He could feel the strength draining from his body, as he watched Sakura.
Watched her being fully enshrouded in the wall of gnarled roots.
A emptiness, felt every single day of his life, was now expanded to the point it was almost crippling. The Copy Ninja let out a strangled cry, partly due to the loss of his student, and partly due to the fact he was choking.
Something green blurred in front of him, the sounds of rippling filling his ears, before his feet left the ground.
He looked up, the sight of pearly white teeth, glinting, greeting him. "My eternal rival cannot die by a tree!" Gai exclaimed, as he ran across the wall.
"We need to go back, we need-"
"As I was just telling Naruto a moment ago," Gai continued, his smile dissipating into a serious frown. The blonde that was mentioned peered around Gai's head, grinning slightly at his sensei. "There's nothing we can do right now."
"But-"
"Not right now, Kakashi."
The Copy Ninja opened his mouth to speak, but shut it promptly.
Soon, Sasuke joined them on the wall, a few tears in his clothing and cuts on his skin. He shot Kakashi a look that broke him even more. Gai noticed it, shooting Sasuke a scornful glare of his own, before they all began to make there way forward. They needed to find the others, pronto.
Shikamaru winced, as he slowly began his ascent up the wall. Tenten followed him, both of them carrying the unconscious form of Ino in their arms. Or, the arms they could use, anyway.
In the back of his mind, despite the pain that clouded his vision, he knew they weren't going to make it. They weren't strong enough.
"We can't keep this up!" Tenten hissed, slipping slightly, as she felt her chakra wane. "We're almost out of chakra as it is! Fuckin' hell!"
"We need to keep moving," Shikamaru stated, his breathing hard, sweat covering his brow. "We can't fail!"
"You don't have to tell me twice." Tenten's mouth, despite the small amount of blubbering at the painful ache in her muscles, was drawn into a determined, fiery scowl. The rest of her body didn't match, her shoulders slouched, eyes droopy.
Both ninja pushed onwards, despite the feeling of their limbs failing them, their heart-rates becoming slower. The sleeping blonde in their arms, unconscious, unknowing as to what was happening. How close to death she was.
As Shikamaru tried his hardest to continue, his foot slipped. He fell hard and fast, Tenten's grip being snatched away, as he took Ino with him.
Let out a cry of pure, childlike fear, he clutched the Yamanaka to his chest.
"I'm so sorry, Ino."
"Shikamaru!" Tenten cried, quickly placing her palm on the stone to stop herself from slipping. She could only watch as her comrades fell further and further downwards, towards the roots that would inevitably engulf them.
A loud caw broke the silence, as Gurei's ink hawk swept forward. Raion, with his arms outstretched, grabbed Shikamaru, pulling him against his chest. "You okay there?" He grinned, placing them down. "That's a pretty girl," he commented idly.
Shikamaru fixed him with a glare that lasted for only a second, before it morphed into a relieved smile. "Thank you."
"Not a problem." Raion grinned back.
"Oh shit!"
Tenten's scream of terror caused all on the hawk to swing around. The brunette's chakra had failed her, and she too had slipped, her cries echoing off the walls.
However, she did not get very far, as a slim hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her upward. Kurenai smiled down at her. "Careful now," she stated calmly, as the rest of her group followed after her.
"Yosh! If it isn't the lovely Kurenai!"
The arrival of Gai, with Kakashi still tucked in his arms, and Naruto and Sasuke was somewhat of a relief for the group. Soon after, Neji and Shino appeared, both looking somewhat worse for wear.
"Did the Akatsuki get away?" Neji asked, panting.
Kakashi let out a small nod, but didn't focus on anyone in particular. Just the wall.
"Dammit, they escaped." Kurenai growled. Taking a breath, he pulled up Tenten to make her easier to carry, before continuing."Now." She began, surveying the group of injuring ninja."We'll need to find a way out of-"
She was cut off, as a tremendous, throaty scream filled the air.
Sakura's scream.
Roots shot from the ground, hundreds upon hundreds of them, heading straight towards the group. "Scatter!" Gai exclaimed.
They all did so, leaping in random directions as the roots chased them down, hoping to ensnare and drag them down to the depths of wooden hell.
"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled, as his faithful hound was snatched away by one of the roots. He growled, leaping after him, "I'm comi-"
He was cut off, the wind knocked out of him, as a strong, muscular arm wrapped around his waist, yanking him back.
"Don't go killing yourself!" Gai exclaimed, although he was no longer jubilant. His face, rather, was a mixture of sadness and scolding.
"THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND!" Kiba yelled, baring his teeth. "Let go of me!"
Before Kiba could continue to shout, a swarm of Kikaichu descended on the roots, devouring them, before picking Akamaru up and back into the waiting arms of a grinning Inuzuka.
Sighing in relief, he clutched his faithful in a bone-crushing hug. "Thanks Shino!" He yelled, a warm smile plastered on his features.
The Aburame merely inclined his head forward slightly, although there was the faintest tinge of pink in his cheeks.
Naruto, meanwhile, was having even worse luck. Tons of roots had attached to his body, and were currently wrapping up his hand. His other one was outstretched, as he was slowly pulled back, his entire body almost enveloped. Only a sole eye, and one hand remained. He would be suffocated soon.
"NO!" He cried.
"Naruto!"
A soft hand grasped his own, lavender eyes narrowing in concentration. "Byakugan!" Hinata said, the veins near her eyes bulging. With one hand, she swiftly began to strike at the roots, cutting them away, as she gripped tightly onto Naruto's rough hand. She would not give up, and she would not surrender. They would not take him like they took Sakura!
Cerulean eyes widened at his saviour.
"She saved me." Was his singular thought, as the roots were finally cut away.
To make sure he didn't fall, Hinata pulled him towards her. This backfired, and soon she was pinned against the wall, Naruto's heaving body covering her diminutive form.
They could feel each other's breath against their necks, their noses mere inches from one another. Blue eyes lingered downward. Soft lips...
Naruto pulled back, letting out a cry of some unknown emotion. Face, betraying his feelings to be a mixture of anger and guilt. He grabbed at his head, grunting. He refused to meet her gaze, eyes instead locked on Kurenai.
She gasped as he grabbed at her hand, pulling her along towards the others.
"How're we going to get out!?" Kura snarled, fighting back roots with kunai.
To answer her question, there was a loud explosion, fire and debris raining down in front of them onto the floor down below.
Obsidian eyes poked appeared through a large hole. Itachi smirked. "Up here!"
The group, fighting back the roots with little abandon, all leapt through (or flew through in some cases) the hole to safety.
While the Jonin went and talked amongst themselves, deciding the best course of action, they left the genin alone to do their own thing. They had all been healed to the best of Shizune's ability, although she was getting rather low on chakra. Still, it was something. They were alive, at least.
Naruto sat away from the crowd of genin. He was unfocused on his comrades, rather staring down hard at a pebble. After a few moments, he kicked it lightly, sending it tumbling across the ground, pushed by the wind.
Letting out a frustrated growl, a look of rage, unbound, crossed his features. But, in a blink of an eye, it was gone, replaced with an impassive, albeit somewhat sad, gaze. He looked around slightly, to see if anybody had noticed the slip in his mask. He couldn't see anyone.
But Hinata saw it. With her lavender eyes, full of concern, her lips pulled into a slight frown. She stared at him for a long while, as he did nothing but occasionally shiver in the wind. His cerulean eyes, filled with energy, were gone. They were replaced with dullness. No feeling.
Despite this, and her crushes feelings, her mind, or, rather, her body, wouldn't let her forget just a few minutes ago. It took her a moment to realize her hand was touching her neck. The part where Naruto's warm breath had fanned over her skin.
She shuddered, cheeks tingeing into a soft, rosy pink. She knew she was being selfish. Naruto was obviously in emotional turmoil, but... it was the closest she'd ever gotten to him physically before. They were just pushed against each other, pinned against a wall-
Hinata let out a squeak. Pinned against a wall.
The sheer thought made her knees weak.
Her rather dirty thoughts were interrupted by the slight tapping on her shoulder. The Hyūga Heiress turned her head to the side, and her eyes widened.
Shino very rarely initiated physical contact with anyone. He only did so, when Kiba was ranting, and he was trying to calm him down, or when she was daydreaming about N-
Oh.
The blush on her cheeks morphed from a pink to a fiery red.
"Y-yes Shino?" He questioned, unable to meet his gaze.
The Aburame was stoic as ever, as he adjusted his glasses. "I would like to speak with you and Kiba. It has been a harrowing hour, and it would be pleasant to parlay."
Shino always had an odd way with words. She smiled. "Of course."
He nodded his head slightly, and went to turn on his heel. Hinata, however, reached out, and gripped his arm. Confused, the Aburame regarded her with a slightly cocked head.
"I'm glad you're okay."
Behind his collar, Shino smiled softly.
"As am I, you."
Letting go of one another, they turned and began the search for their teammate, shoulder to shoulder.
Kiba hated this.
He was trying not to stare, he really, really was. He tried averting his eyes elsewhere, from the sky, to the floor, to just generally staring off into space. But nothing was working.
His eyes, as hard as he fought, as hard as he tried, would not stop creeping on her.
Ino's unconscious form, splayed out as it was, allowed a small window through the leg holes of her shorts. He could see she was wearing purple underwear.
Never before had he been truly sick with himself. He had never felt such revulsion at anything. Not at his first kill while hunting with his Ma, not his first time having a females lower parts shown to him in sex education. Not even when they ended up killing that team in the Forest of Death. This was much worse. He was looking, sexually, at his unconscious friend. And he wanted her.
This was getting out of control. The Heat was getting out of control. Everything was getting fucking out of control! In the heat of battle, he could control it. Adrenaline slowed it down, stopped it. It was there, but it was faint.
He had to stop himself numerous times, however, from pinning Hinata to the wall and-
He didn't want to think about it. But, once again, the rather large friend in his pants wouldn't let him forget. The entire journey, scouting the compound, was almost impossible. The confined corridors, the way Hinata breathed, the way her breasts bounced as she ran. It was almost too much.
Akamaru gave a whine at his masters plight, but remained laying down, eyes closed lazily as he rested.
"I wonder how you do it, Akamaru." He told the dog, who merely sighed in reply.
"Kiba."
The Inuzuka's gaze shot up, and visions of the dream he had a few weeks ago filtered into his mind. The feeling of being pinned down, tongue gliding along his chest, his hair held in the fistfuls as he watched the hungry gaze of his lover-
Kiba took a deep, calming breath, before replying.
"Hey Shino, Hinata."
He rose to his feet, straining a grin at his teammates. "'How's it goin'?"
"It goes well." Shino answered. The Aburame, Kiba realized, as he awkwardly scratched behind his neck, was studying him. He wasn't sure what to think about that.
Hinata, meanwhile, continually kept glancing backwards, and when Kiba followed her gaze, it led back to Naruto. Of course it did.
He roughly pushed the images of a foursome out of his mind, and focused on making small talk.
"So, get into any good action?" His smile morphed into a grin.
Shino did not reply for a moment, but his stare never left Kiba's brown eyes. Finally, he spoke. "Yes. We encountered quite a few ninja." He adjusted his glasses, revealing a flash of brown. And it was certainly staring at Kiba, a curious, but apprehensive look apparent in the eye of the Aburame.
Kiba, flushing, continued to speak to his team, as they exchanged what had happened in the battle.
But, The Inuzuka realized, as the conversation died down, Shino's eyes had finally left Kiba's face.
They were now staring directly, at Kiba's crotch.
Shikamaru liked watching clouds. They were so free, and so very wonderful to just gaze at as they floated on by.
But, tonight, on a day where only the occasional cloud dotted the dark blue skyline, he found himself gazing at the thousands of stars that twinkled in the night. The wind felt cool against his skin, the grass' touch soothing to his aching bones. His chakra was barely usable, but the soldier pill he had ingested, at least, made him capable of putting up a small bit of a fight. And he would use that to protect her.
Beside him, her hand firmly in his grasp, Ino lay motionless. He turned to look at her, and felt a slight pang of worry in his chest. Would she ever wake up?
No. She would, he knew that. The logical side of his brain, the side that Shizune had told she would be fine in a few hours, and would awake, knew this. But the irrational emotional side? He didn't have a damn clue.
He turned his attention back up to the starry sky, letting out a small sigh of relief. They were alive. That was all that mattered.
"Neji!" Tenten hissed, as the Hyūga knelt down beside her, a fresh bandage in his hands. "I don't need to be babysat."
Steely eyes met with cold brown ones, locking on for a few seconds, before Neji looked away. "It's protocal," he began, unraveling the bandage, "To change a bandage every few hours."
"It's not been a few hours you fuckin' idiot! And, anyway, what the hell do you know about changing bandages?"
"I used to do it when my mother was sick."
Tenten opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. With a small sigh, she allowed the Hyūga to clean her wound and wrap her a new bandage.
"Wipe that smug-ass grin off your face, Neji. I still have one arm, y'know! Plenty enough to smack you with!"
Naruto's gaze was focused squarely on the waving grass in front of him. His jaw tightened as the cool air brushed over his face, rustling his hair softly in the night wind. He rubbed at his arms, feeling unnaturally cold. And yet, despite this, he could feel the sweat trickle down his neck.
Flashes of death, destruction and pale lavender eyes, unfeeling and staring at him.
Mizuki's laugh echoed through his skull, banging against the walls within his mind. Sensei's mask, torn and bloody. A lock of pink hair, stained crimson. Sasuke's broken body being torn asunder by Mizuki.
Mizuki.
Naruto could feel his blood boiling, and fought to stop a cry of rage escaping from his lips. He succeeded partially, and the sound that came out was nothing more than a frustrated sigh.
He'd lost that battle.
Mizuki had beaten him. Even using the Kyuubi. He'd lost.
He could hear it. The voice scratching at the back of his mind constantly, the hushed whispers, the occasional chilling chuckle. Maybe...
Naruto shook his head. No, that was stupid. The Pervy Sage, Kakashi, The Old Man, they'd all told him-
But, surely it would be like Sasuke using his Sharingan, right? Or Hinata using her Byakugan? It'd give him the edge. The power to kill Mizuki. Tear him limb from limb, shower the world in his blood, rip out his insides and devour them whole-
Naruto bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, his breathing becoming even again. No. No, he couldn't. If he even tried to bargain with it, he'd never be able to come back.
"And yet, you'd be willing to risk your friends dying, because you're scared?"
The voice caused him to stiffen. "Fuck off-"
"What is it you human's say? 'A animal is most dangerous when cornered?' Hm. You're scared, brat."
"I'm not scared!"
"No? And yet, you stand here, switching between melancholy and rage, unable to decide what to do. You can either let me in... or let your friends die. And we both know that if that happens, you won't be able to contain your anger."
"Y-you're wrong."
"Am I? You are nothing but an insolent brat. I am something far greater than your pathetic mind can comprehend. I offer you power, but you foolishly throw it away. It seems you don't care about your friends as much as you think."
"SHUT UP!"
"NO! I AM KURAMA, AND YOU WILL BOW TO ME!"
"Naruto?"
The blonde hadn't realized he'd kneeled down, his breathing fast and heavy. Sweat seemed to pour off his face, wetting the green grass.
He stood, his face cheeks heating up slightly, but his eyes remaining stony. He opened his mouth, and closed it again.
"A-are you alright?" Hinata approached, turning her head down to play with her fingers.
Naruto did not reply, turning his cerulean eyes upwards to stare at the cloudless sky, twinkling softly with stars, farther away than any man has even walked before.
"Y-you didn't look alright, y-you were sh-shaking." She paused for a moment. "I just wanted to check."
"Yes, no, maybe?"
"Yeah." He turned, and strained his lips into a smile.
Hinata met his gaze for a moment, before she bit her lip, and turned her lavender eyes back onto the ground. "Okay," she squeaked. With one last gaze at the blonde, she turned on her heels, her body soon meshing back into the other members of the Rescue Team.
Sasuke didn't know how to react. All rational thought was gone, as he clenched his fists till his knuckles were white. Teeth, bared into a snarl. He took a deep breath.
His brother's back was turned, talking to the Jonin from their-no, his village. It was Sasuke's, not Itachi's.
A Chidori through the heart would end him. His blood would pool on the floor, and the crusade would be over. It would take a few seconds, and the nightmare he had been living for so long would end.
Then he heard a giggle.
He swallowed, his attention turning towards his teammates. Hinata, Kiba and Shino were having a light discussion, punctuated by the odd laugh coming from Kiba and Hinata once in a while. Tenten was swearing under her breath at a bemused Neji as he continued to wrap her bandages. Naruto stood off in the corner, looking distraught.
The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. What was up with him?
Sakura flashed through his mind. They hadn't gotten her back. They had... failed.
The thought pained Sasuke, his heart thumping in his chest. Cold gnawed in his gut, coiling around his veins.
They might never get her back.
If he hadn't distracted them, if Itachi hadn't interfered, they could've got her. He wouldn't have been distracted, and she would've been fine.
His shoulder itched.
And to think, his teammates didn't care that the man that had murdered his family and clan stood not feet away. His sensei, his teacher, had conspired with a murderer, in order to further his own again. The pathetic, disgusting, revolting bastard.
But, he couldn't blame them. His teammates, they weren't... they wouldn't do that. He knew Naruto wouldn't conspire with a killer. Everyone else, he just had a feeling.
Maybe they didn't know. Or, they didn't care.
One strike to the heart. Sasuke turned his attention back to his brother's back. And it would be over.
But, he couldn't. His body refused. His brain screamed at him, begged him to slaughter the man in front of him. His thoughts smashed inside his skull, causing havoc as they chanted, "Kill him, kill him, KILL HIM!"
He still couldn't, though. He wouldn't do that to them.
He could almost hear, over all the screaming, his brother taunting him. "Now you try and make friends? You'll never kill me, little brother. You'll always be weak."
Kakashi's voice managed to break the silence in his mind.
"Teamwork."
Sasuke's eyes widened, and he snapped his gaze towards his teammates. Standing, and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he slowly made his way over to them. He ignored his brother, who he could feel was staring at him out of the corner of his eye.
He'd been wrong. He might not be able to kill Itachi by himself. But, with a team. With friends. Yes, then, and only then, would Itachi Uchiha fall.
Kataki watched them from afar.
They were certainly curious, although rather strange. And this was coming from the group he was in.
They weren't very... serious. Well, most of them weren't. The one wearing the ridiculous orange get-up and the dude with the odd dark hair. Everyone else, though, seemed almost jovial. It was a morale tactic, he presumed.
Leaf Ninja were interesting.
"Are you people-watching?" Kura inquired as she sat down next to her comrade, dark hair blowing slightly in the wind. "Odd, I thought I was the people watcher in this little group. Who have you got your eye on?"
Kataki grunted at her. She winked at him.
"In all seriousness, though." She turned her gaze towards the Leaf Ninja. "Which one do you think would be the best in bed?"
"I thought you said your question was going to be serious."
"That was serious! Seriously, who do you think would be the best in bed?" She accentuated every word, drawing her face closer, and closer to Kataki's cheek, until he could feel her breath on his face.
"The guy in spandex."
Kura rubbed her chin. "You know, I agree. It's always the wild ones."
"For fucks sake-"
"Aw, are you jealous?" She began to pinch his cheek, only for Kataki to slap her hand away. "Don't be like that!"
"Oh for-"
"Listen." she purred lightly in his ear. "I think, if it's not the guy in spandex, it's Mr Smouldering."
"Who the fuck is Mr Smouldering?"
"Him." She pointed, with her long, tan finger, at Kakashi. "Can't you see it?" She licked her lips. "His wonderful, gravity defying hair, his singular eye, his ripped body, and a voice so rich, that it would sound so good screaming my nam-"
"Shut up Kura."
She didn't reply for a while, although the smirk that punctuated her face said everything.
"It's a nice night," she finally commented.
And indeed it was. The cool air was crisp as it brushed over their skin, a cloudless sky giving way to a variety of twinkling stars.
"Seriously, do you ever talk about anything other than sex?" Kataki rounded on her, eyes clouded by an unknown emotion.
Something flashed across Kura's face, a pained look in her eyes, before it was replaced by a cocky grin. "Like what?"
"I dunno." He began. "Maybe what you actually think of them?" He gestured towards the group.
She took a moment to think, taking in a deep breath of air. "Honestly? They have no idea what they're doing."
"You think?"
"I know. I mean, look at them." She pointed to the Hyūga girl, the Aburame and the Inuzuka. "The Aburame has some sense of what the hell is going on here. The other two? They don't have a clue. Hell, the Inuzuka wouldn't stop staring at my boobs the entire time we were together." She chuckled. "We're here, facing off against Orochimaru and the Akatsuki, who both want sensei and Tali and they're laughing and joking."
Kataki sighed. Kura, sometimes, never really made much sense. "Isn't that what you're doing?"
Kura waved him off. "Nah, the difference is I'm always like this-"
"I know."
"-but they're not. They must be, what, genin? At the least. They're not ready for this. While Mr Smouldering is one sexy motherfucker, he's a bit of an idiot."
"Right."
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, the wind still rustling the grass.
The idea of them laughing and joking around, was just so... odd. Especially at a time like this. But, perhaps Leaf Ninja did things differently than sensei did? That was the most logical reasoning. With them, it seemed like it was super serious one minute, and then, out of the blue, they were joking again.
Sensei would've skinned them alive had they acted like this. This was, technically, a mission, and they needed to act somewhat professional. It was get in, get out, and get it done. That was the objective of every mission. And they had succeeded in their objective. Tali was safe. They'd done their mission with honour and valour. And there was nothing keeping them from leaving.
As if reading his mind, Kura spoke softly. "We can't leave, you know."
"Who said anything about leaving?"
She smiled. "Your face is far more expressive than you believe. Sensei is planning something. You remember what Mr Smouldering said? About an offer to him? They're planning something."
"Wait," Kataki's eyes widened, shoulders stiffening. "You don't think he's going to make us go back with them to their village, are you?"
Kura shrugged. "I'm not sure. Perhaps they're planning to run away together!" Kataki's look make her sigh in annoyance, as she continued. I might not be around that long, anyway."
Kataki turned to look at the girl beside him, eyebrows knitting together. "I-" He paused, realization flooding over his face. "I see. When did sensei say he would take you?"
"In a month. And if not, I leave."
Kataki turned his gaze down to the floor. "I see. Tali will be distraught."
"She'll live." Kura smiled fondly. "She's a tough girl."
"You don't need to leave, you know?"
"I do, if sensei doesn't help me, you know I have to. I made a promise, Kataki."
"Forget that promise." He snapped. "We need you here, Kura. Despite how everybody acts, you're one of our most important members. Tali adores you, and worships the ground you walk on. Raion considers you one of his rivals, and you know how much he enjoys your banter. And, you're one of the most level-headed people in this group, and that's saying something. Look, if you want to leave, then fine. I won't try and stop you. But, we all want you to stay, we all need you to stay. Sensei does. And I do, to. Just... think about it, yeah? I'd rather not split us all up."
Kura didn't say anything for a long-while, her eyes never leaving the skyline. Kataki turned his head downwards and sighed.
"Heh." Kura muttered under her breath as she stood up, stretching slightly. "You sound like a soppy little shit."
She retreated back from whence she came, leaving Kataki alone with his thoughts, as the stars shone brightly against the cold abyss.
"I don't think we're welcome anymore."
Fenris turned his cool gaze onto the petite girl next to him. Her white hair blew lightly in the breeze, her eyes impassive, but her mouth contorted into a grim line. "What do you mean?" He questioned.
She turned towards him. "I think you know exactly what I mean."
Fenris opened his mouth, but snapped it shut, turning his attention towards the group in front of him. Gurei and Raion were quietly chatting, while the girl, Tali, he believed, giggled oddly. He frowned.
No, they weren't like that. They wouldn't just abandon them, surely? They'd fought together, they'd eaten together. They'd done everything as a... team. A true team. And now, they were going to leave them behind? Impossible.
"You're wrong." He stated.
Utsuro shook her head. "I don't think so. We were never members of their group to begin with."
"We're not just manpower, girl." He said, folding his arms over his chest. "We're a part of their group."
Utsuro poked at the ground with her foot, a small sigh escaping her lips as she stared down the starry sky. "For how long?"
It occurred to Fenris, as he pondered for a moment, that Utsuro was being oddly serious. Too serious. Even when they were in that prison together, she never spoke much, and when she did, it was always something childish. Talking about the weather, or giggling to herself, or telling ridiculous knock knock jokes. She was never serious. Kura was more serious than her, and that was telling in of itself.
Unconsciously, Fenris' hand reached for the hilt of his sword.
Utsuro stiffened. "You sense something?" She questioned. "Because I don't."
Her voice became many octaves lower, the throaty rumbling vibrating through Fenris' body. He took a step back, tripping over his own feet as he crashed into the dirt.
Wide eyed, he began to unsheathe his blade.
Utsuro smiled sweetly back at him, her kimono, white as snow, rustling in the wind. "Are you all right there? You took a nasty fall!" She reached down with her pale fingers. "Take my hand, I'll pull you up."
Fenris angrily slapped her hand away, leaping upright and unsheathing his blade. He pointed it at the girl, confusion etched on her features, as he snarled. "Get away from me, demon."
She cocked her head to the side. "I thought we were friends, though." She pouted, before something red flashed in her eyes. "Please be my friend again?"
The snowy-haired nin ran through options in his head. Would he attack? No, that would be foolish. She'd play the victim, and everybody would rush to her aid. Retreat? There was a possibility she could attack while his back was turned, and he couldn't afford that. He frowned deeply. So, the only other option was...
He lowered his blade, plastering on a smile. "Sorry, I got a little jumpy."
He could've sworn, under all that innocence, her smile was a tad bit malicious. "It's no problem! When I was little, I always used to get scared, but it was okay, my uncle always protected me! He still protects me now-"
"Is there a problem?"
Kura looked between the two, her usually playful attitude gone, replaced with a stony expression.
Fenris gulped, but shook his head. "No. I... was just a bit jumpy. Orochimaru is here, and..."
"It'll be okay!" Utsuro exclaimed, before she leapt forward.
It was there, Fenris realized. A cold, sadistic glint in her eye, and a malicious grin that turned the mouth upwards in an unnatural way. Kura reached for a kunai, pulling it out and quickly thrusting it forward.
Utsuro wrapped Fenris in a hug, squeezing him tightly. "Don't worry! I'll protect you, promise!"
And, with that, she looked up at him, and gave him a chaste kiss.
His chakra flared, and he let out a roar of rage. Blue chakra exploded from his body, knocking Utsuro and Kura backwards. The dark haired girl managed to right herself, still holding the kunai. Fenris seethed, his body enshrouded in blue chakra. "Don't. Touch. ME!"
"What the fuck is going on!" Raion yelled, as Gurei, Tali, Kataki and himself landed next to Kura.
"Fenris," Kataki stepped forward. "Are you-"
"Get away from me!" He screamed, pointing his blade, edge shining, at the group.
Raion's fists began to turn orange, his face contorting with rage. "Bring it!"
"You two, stop!" Tali tried to intervene, standing between the two. "We don't have to fight! We can sort this out."
"Fenris." Kataki commanded. "Stand down."
"NO!"
Fenris lifted his sword high into the air, his bellow echoing across the open field. However, before he could bring it down, he was pushed to one knee by a weight on his back.
Itachi placed a kunai to his throat, his whisperings dancing around Fenris' brain, and soothing him. His breathing became less ragged, and the stars seemed to shine again, as Itachi's words flowed.
Finally, he dropped his blade, the sound muffled against the cool grass. The chakra shroud dissipated, replaced by a thin sheen of sweat. Eyes alert and afraid, he looked at his comrades.
Raion, fists clenched, eyes hard, looked ready to knock him out. Tali's soft blue eyes were filled with concern, but she slowly began to back away. Kura was not even glancing at him, her gaze focused solely on Utsuro. Gurei knelt down, examining him with studious eyes, and a firm jaw.
Kataki spoke first, as Itachi jumped off the snow haired nin's back. "Are you all right?" He reached out a hand, but yanked it back.
"Why are you asking him if he's all right?" Raion snarled, rounding on Kataki. "He attacked Utsuro! We should... we should-"
"Kill him?" Kura intoned, folding her arms over her sizeable chest. "I think that's a bad move."
"Nobody asked for your opinion." Raion growled. Kataki turned, and two sets of brown eyes locked together.
"And nobody asked for yours." Kataki's jaw had tightened, reaching for his katana.
"Back off." The brown haired nin tightened his hands, causing the knuckles to turn white. "You can't defend him, look what he did!" He gestured to Utsuro, who had a deep gash running down the left side of her head.
"Gurei, go and heal that." Kataki commanded. The grey-haired nin finished his examination of Fenris, who was still knelt down, breathing heavily, and scurried off.
Itachi watched his students with an impassive gaze.
"We don't know the facts-"
"Just because you've got a pet that follows your every demand doesn't mean he's not guilty! I mean, look at you, we all know you-"
Kataki's fist broke Raion's nose on impact, blood splattering onto the cool grass as the brown haired nin fell backwards.
Tali leapt between the two. "Stop it right now!" She pleaded, tears prickling in her blue eyes. "Just stop fighting!"
Raion leapt up, wiping the blood from his nose and onto his shirt. He snarled in Kataki's direction. Kataki glared back.
Fenris finally stood up. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "It was an overreaction, and not Utsuro's fault at all."
"See!" Raion exclaimed. "You should hit him, not me!"
"Next time I won't hit you, I'll fucking gut y-"
Kataki's head bounced off the floor, his eyes greeted by the sight of the starry sky. He heard Raion's groan, and a thud.
Obsidian eyes stared down at him. "I will not have any of this insubordination. This is a mission, and you two are acting like petulant children. This is an order: Do not engage in violence with one another. If you disobey, I will make sure that you regret it. Do you understand?"
His tone was cold and unforgiving, eyes darker than night. Kataki nodded wordlessly.
"Raion?" Itachi turned his gaze backwards.
"Yes," he heard his comrades pained groan.
"Good. I dislike doing this, but it is necessary. We will be leaving in five minutes. Get ready, make sure your wounds are healed." He shot Raion an ugly glare. "And make sure you understand what I've said. It goes for everyone here."
"Sensei?" Tali's quiet voice questioned. "W-where are we going?"
Itachi's eyes travelled up to the giant monolithic tree that rose higher than the tallest building. "We're climbing that tree."
And there we go! A couple of you might be wondering what the point of climbing the tree is. Well, I shall reveal all in time. So, we had some pretty major character development from Sasuke, and learned a bit more about Utsuro and Fenris. I did leave a little hint of something that may impact one of their backstories, so it'll be interesting to see if anybody spotted that.
As for writing the chapter, I did enjoy writing it. It was nice to write some good old character thoughts, as it's been quite a while since I've done so. It was nice to get back into the heads of Naruto and Sasuke, and perhaps push them further away from their canon counterparts. And, it was really cool getting into Kataki and Fenris' heads, and I'm looking forward to doing that with the rest of Itachi's group as the fic progresses. I'm not super happy with the Kiba/Hinata/Shino scene, but I think it's acceptable.
Before I do end, I would like to say that if you felt there was anything missing in this chapter, perhaps some dialogue between characters, a certain character's thoughts or emotions, or a scene that you think could've been expanded upon more, please do say! I will certainly take it into consideration (If I don't have a scene planned like that within the next few chapters)!
Anyway, that's all from me, so have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night, and I'll see you for chapter forty-one sometime soon!