DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (Though the OCs are mine!)
REWRITTEN
Webs of Deception
Chapter Two
Never Lost, Never Found
Sasuke, once again, sat on a high branch keeping guard. Sakura and himself were presently in Kaminari no Kuni(1). It had been four months since they've started the search for Akuma. Four long months searching for an elusive team with a partner he would rather kill than work with. Although 'work with' might be too strong of a word., since trust in this little duo was nowhere to be seen. It's come to the point where they don't even help each other out when in battles. Which over the past four months, if he's been counting correctly, they've been attacked about thirty-six times. And that didn't even count the ones made by mere bandits.
He was slowly going insane. And that's saying something, since most individuals who knew him already consider him legally insane to begin with. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take of Sakura's presence, and her not so lovely comments that keep flooding from her mouth. It was mostly aggravating. So much so, that he was seriously considering murder. The only reason he hasn't just yet was because he knew he could be executed out of mere suspicion alone.
A deafening explosion from his right caught his immediate attention. He shifted forward as he saw the smoke and fire drifting up from the top of the trees. He threw himself off the branch and landed gracefully near the still sleeping Sakura. Surprise ran through him at her ability to still be asleep after that noise. How did she become an Anbu?
"Sakura, get up," he ordered coldly as he kicked her hard in her leg. Hard enough where it probably would form a bruise.
"What?" she demanded with a glare once her eyes were open.
Sasuke paid no mind to her tone. He was by now used to it. "West. Battle. Move." Was the only information he gave her before he sped off in the direction he had said.
Small patches of fire still blazed when he stepped into the area where the explosion took place. It appeared that the battle was already over. Several dead bodies were sprawled all over the place, and whoever had killed them were already gone. He walked around, examining for anything that might tell him who was responsible for it. If he was lucky, it might be the team he was searching for.
He heard Sakura arrive on the scene, and had to stop himself from saying anything about how slow she could be. That would start a whole argument. And the less he had to hear her voice, the better. Another sound of whizzing was heard by him, and he suddenly leaped to the side, dodging a kunai soaring pass him. In one swift movement, he pulled out Kusanagi while Sakura to his right positioned herself in a fighting stance.
"See!" a male voice yelled from a few yards in front of them. Foliage and darkness blocking the person from view. "I told you I sensed two others!"
"Sorry—sorry. . ." came a female voice as three figures in black cloaks and familiar animal masks emerged from the cover of the foliage. The moonlight above glinting eerily on their masks. "Next time I'll try and listen to you and your big mouth."
The one who wore the Dragon mask growled at the one who wore the Dog mask. "Hah, you're the one that needs to shut up for once to hear others!"
"Now you two, don't start," said the one who wore the Tiger mask. "We do have these two to take care of." This seemed to shut the two up.
Sasuke noticed Sakura tighten her gloves around her hands, obviously preparing to fight. But he stepped forward, before she could do anything stupid, and said sternly, "No Hawk. They're part of Tatsuo's team."
"How the hell would you know that?" Sakura sneered.
Sasuke, as usual, ignored her and spoke to the three in front of him. "We need to speak with Tatsuo."
Dragon chuckled. "Ohhh. . .and we're gonna take you to him just because you asked politely?" his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Abruptly, Dog burst into laughter, drawing everyone's attention. "What the hell's so funny?" Dragon asked.
The female under the mask gasped for breath as she tried to speak. "Don't you remember. . .Uchiha Sasuke. . .O-Orochimaru's pet. . ."
Sasuke glared from under his Wolf mask at the 'pet' comment, his grip on his sword tightening. I'm no one's pet. He was pissed that this person he didn't know dared to say he was. She knew nothing of what went on back then.
"That idiot!" Dragon burst, turning his head to him and slanting it just so. "Damn, you're right!"
Seemingly ignoring the two, Tiger stepped forward. "What do you want with our Taichou?" she asked firmly but softly. She acted like she was the only one out of the three who was level headed.
Sakura was the one who answered. And by her tone, she sounded like she took a liking to the three. "The Hokage of Konohagakure has a scroll for him." To his liking this quieted down Dog and Dragon.
"Tsunade-sama?" inquired Tiger.
His brows knitted together at how Akuma knew of Tsunade-sama. And apparently, Sakura was also confused. Since she asked after she nodded in confirmation, "You know my Shishou?"
This time, Tiger was the one who nodded. Then turned her head to Dragon and whispered something he couldn't hear. Dragon shrugged, then saying in a deadly tone, "You two try anything and you're dead." He turned, heading back into the woods with Dog following right behind him. Tiger stood immobile for a moment, before she too followed and said over her shoulder, "Follow us."
Sasuke was reluctant to follow three members of Akuma to an unknown destination, where a trap could have easily been set up. Trust was an emotion he threw away years ago. And it wasn't like Akuma was the wisest candidate for that particular emotion to begin with. They sent off vibes of intimidation, not trust. Though, Sakura didn't seem to have a problem—because without wasting any time, she followed without comment. Maybe he should count it as a sign that she didn't talk. That they meant no harm.
With that new line of thinking, he followed. His senses spread out to alert him for any signs of a surprise attack. The deeper they walked into the forest, the denser the trees were becoming, blocking out the natural light from the moon.
"Someone needs to go ahead to tell them that we have quests coming," said Dragon, sending a new wave of paranoia through Sasuke. "Don't want any faces showing."
"I'll go," said Dog, speeding off ahead of them.
Tiger slowed down her steps. "We need to slow down. They might not even be back yet." Dragon nodded, slowing to the new pace she had set, making Sakura and himself behind him to slow down too. Sasuke didn't think he liked the idea of letting the rest of Akuma know of their arrival before they got there.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at a clearing with bags, sleeping areas and food in crates laying all over the ground and a fire stationed right in the middle. Fox, Dog and Weasel were standing side by side in front of the crackling fire. Fox, also known as Tatsuo, had his arms crossed. "What took you so long?"
Sasuke could feel the gaze on him from Tatsuo, he felt it the second he stepped into the clearing. It made him uneasy. He stretched his senses and activated his Sharingan to look around the clearing for anything that could prove their deceitful intentions. Traps and advanced Genjutsus were the only things surrounding the clearing. It was nothing that would endanger anyone, they were meant to keep people out. To protect the ones within.
"We wanted to make sure you two were back and weren't giving anything away," Dragon said, going over and standing by Dog. Tiger stayed by them. Her posture defensive, like she expected for them to attack.
"Did you find anything?" Tatsuo asked, causing Sasuke to snapped his head forward and stare at the Fox mask man. He was watching him this whole time—watching as he examined the area. And by the way he asked it, Tatsuo was amused by the action.
"You don't want to hurt him again, now do you Naruto?"
That phrase ran through his mind as he stared at the Fox. It was him who Weasel spoke to. Was it really his imagination?
He didn't speak, choosing to remain silent and stare curiously at Fox. His silence though didn't stop Tatsuo from speaking further. "I heard you killed the snake and went back to Konoha, Uchiha." Tatsuo walked forward as he spoke, now standing in front of his Uchiha glare. "Wise choice."
Now, he just wanted to punch the amusement out of the guy in front of him. The ludicrous thought of Tatsuo actually being Naruto dimmed like light in a darkening room. His arm even flinched to fulfill his violent impulse. He refrained himself though, forcibly calming the impulse to smash the other's face in. He was on a mission to get Tatsuo and his team to come back with them to Konoha, and he didn't think punching him would help turn his decision toward going to Konoha.
Tatsuo extended his hand. "Scroll."
It sounded so much like an order that it had Sasuke biting his tongue to keep the few choice words from spilling out. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the scroll. Then shoved the tightly bound roll into the tan hand hovering in front of him.
His eye twitched when he could have sworn he heard a low chuckle coming from under the Fox mask. He watched as Fox moved closer to the fire, opened the scroll and began reading the contents by the light of the fire. Silence befell the entire clearing like just before a big battle. No one moved, only the crinkling of the scroll, and the anticipation rising in the air became tangible.
Then Tatsuo moved, handing the scroll to Weasel standing to his left. Weasel took it and read through it. He took shorter of a time than Tatsuo, and when he was done, he handed it to Dragon. Tiger moved over to the right side of Dragon while Dog leaned closer on his left, both reading over the man's shoulder.
"Woah-woah-woah!" bellowed Dragon. "You're not actually going, are you?!"
"Unfortunately, yes I am," Tatsuo said. His voice different, less confident and more wary. "I have a promise to keep."
"But Tatsuo," began Dog with concern. "They'll execute you."
Execute? Sasuke thought. Did he do something to Konoha that deserved that sentence? But if he did, then why would Tsunade-sama want him there? And why would he even think about going?
"That is, if they find out who I really am." Tatsuo walked over to a nearby tree lining the clearing. He leaned against the trunk and looked straight at Sasuke. The tingling on the back of his neck proved that. "But I don't plan on that happening."
Was that regret he heard?
The tingling in his neck stopped just as Tatsuo banged his head against the trunk of the tree. "But I'm the only one that has an obligation to go, you four don't. So, it's your decision if you want to be in this or not."
Dragon huffed, like the mere comment was completely ridiculous. "You know I'm in," he said, throwing the scroll to the wind.
"So am I!" said Dog, jumping up and down like a child getting ice cream.
Tiger sighed, lowering her head slightly. "I think it's a dangerous risk for you, Taichou. But. . ." Her tone softening. "I have a feeling you'll become reckless with a certain someone around. And I wouldn't trust anyone but myself to treat your wounds. So, I'll be coming."
"Took her that long just to say that," he heard Dragon mutter to Dog.
"Neither would I," Tatsuo said to Tara, before turning his head to the last member.
Weasel stated simply, "Where one goes, we all go—no matter the risk. And besides, I haven't left your side in six years, I'm not going to start now."
Six years. . . His heart clenched. The same amount of time that Naruto's been missing. He closed his eyes against the thought. It wouldn't help him to hope over something that seems so far-fetched. He's just looking in places where the blond isn't. It's just not possible—because Naruto's gone. . .
"Ahhh. . ." Tatsuo began, but Sasuke looked away as he swung his arm over Weasel's shoulders. "I was hoping you guys would come," he heard vaguely. He breathed in evenly, fighting against the daily battle to keep himself together. Each day, it became harder to not lose against the darkness that threatened to take him to the brink of insanity. It was a losing battle though. And the only reason he didn't give in was because he knew the darkness held all his pains. And that was worse than death.
"You thought we weren't coming!" Dragon yelled, sounding highly offended. Crunching leaves of someone walking were heard, then a soft groan. Sasuke pulled his attention back from his inner turmoil and to what was happening. Dragon had Tatsuo in a headlock. "How could you think such a thing of us?!"
Tatsuo grabbed Dragon by the waist and tackled him to the ground. Then the two proceeded in a fierce wrestling match. Neither accidentally knocking off or lifting their hoods or masks as they did. Weasel moved over to avoid a stray kick, while Tiger and Dog stood to the side and watched.
Sasuke was a little astonished with the two's childish behavior. Weren't they suppose to be the most feared mercenary team around? And here were two members—one being Tatsuo, known for his ruthlessness—wrestling like five-year-olds. This was definitely wasn't what he was expecting.
Sakura coughed loudly, obviously having enough of the scene by the annoyance in it, and caught the attention of all the Akuma members. "Shishou wanted you all back at Konoha as soon as possible." Sasuke turned his head away from her, the sound of her voice already raising his aggravation. "So, we can head back tomorrow?"
Tatsuo untangled himself from Dragon and stood, dusting the dirt off his cloak. "No can do," he said, the childlike demeanor gone and replaced with a emotionless tone. "You kind of caught us at a bad time really. We're presently in the middle of a mission. So, you guys can go and tell Tsunade-sama that we'll arrive there when we're done." Neither Sakura or himself agreed or disagreed with him. Which prompted him in asking, "Let me guess, you won't go back unless I'm with you. Am I right?"
This time, Sasuke did speak. "Yes," he agreed, even though it wasn't true. The fact was that he wanted to stay and learn more about this group. They were a mystery to most individuals who weren't a member. And he wanted to unravel the mystery, especially the one around Tatsuo.
"Really now." A pregnant pause followed before Tatsuo spoke again. "Then, I guess. . .you're just gonna have to tag along. . ." He sounded hesitate to even suggest the idea. He turned to the other four Akuma members. "Stick with mission names only and hoods and masks stay on at all times. Oh, and no Kekkei Genkai. Now—" Tatsuo began while strolling back over to the tree he previously leaned against. "—why don't we introduce ourselves." He sat down, leaning his back against the trunk. "As you two know, I'm Tatsuo."
"Ryutaro," chimed in Dragon, giving a two fingered salute.
"I'm Hikko," said Dog with a wave.
Tiger bowed respectfully. "My name is Tara. Nice to meet you."
"Kane," said Weasel monotonously.
Once the introduction were done, Tatsuo spoke again, "Okay, since we already know Uchiha's name, what's yours bubblegum?"
Sasuke's eyebrow quirked at the nickname, finding it quite amusing at how easily Sakura bristled at just one word. Normally, he only had that affect on her.
"It's not bubblegum," Sakura sneered. "So, don't call me it again. It's Haruno Sakura."
"Well, Haruno-san," Tatsuo spoke, his killing intent rising dramatically. "if you use that tone with me again, you won't make it back to Konoha alive." The killing intent rose to the point where it would have sent any decent shinobi in a fit of trembles. And to make the impression even deeper, Kane brought a kunai out and swirled it around his fingers.
If he had been any less of an Uchiha, he would have burst out laughing at the speechlessness that occurred with Sakura. He found Akuma to be more interesting the more they spoke. But he wouldn't let this curiosity lower his guard around them.
"I'm glad we understand each other," Tatsuo said with a smile in his voice. "Now everyone might want to get a good nights sleep. We have a long day tomorrow. And that means you two too. I think I can put you two to good use."
"We're not under your orders," he said flatly.
Tatsuo lifted his knees and rested his arms on them. "If you want me to go to Konoha, you are. Unless you want to go back to Tsunade-sama and tell her it was your fault that I didn't come in the first place."
Sasuke grudgingly sat where he once stood, glaring intently at the Fox masked man. There was one word prominent in his mind at the moment, and that was 'funeral'. It wasn't Tatsuo's either, it was his own if he went back to Konoha empty handed. Sakura, on the other hand, sat herself against a tree, the farthest one from everyone else.
"Good." Tatsuo concluded, glancing around as the other members of Akuma settled in various spots. Sections of the clearing where it was most likely someone—if they were lucky enough to get through the Genjutsus—would attack from. "Night everyone. . ."
The next morning, everyone was up at the crack of dawn. Sasuke hadn't gotten any sleep with the individuals of Akuma all around. Their presences made him nervous and jumpy. Actually. . .anyone made him nervous. He trusted no one. The only time he ever got some decent sleep was when he slept in his own bed; in his securely booby-trapped house.
Currently, everyone sat eating breakfast. The Akuma members chatted among themselves on one side of the clearing while Sakura and himself sat silently on the other. He watched each member interact, trying to get a feel for each of their personalities. Ryutaro and Hikko seemed to be the loud mouths of the group, while Tara was the more reserved type. Kane was silent most of the time, mostly interacting with Tatsuo when he actually spoke.
And then there was Tatsuo himself, who had him completely confused. One minute, he would be emotionless and emitting a killing intent that would made good shinobi wet their pants, then the next minute, he would be loud and joking around like an idiot. He didn't know what to make of him. But one thing he was sure of, there was something about him that made him want to get to know him better. To find out what that nagging familiarity he's had since he met him years ago.
"So Uchiha. . ." spoke Tatsuo suddenly after staring at him most of the time he's been there. "Would you like to be a father?" There was something strange in his voice. Sadness?
With his Wolf mask still on, he stared at the Fox for a long moment. "Excuse me?" he finally said with irritation present. "What kind of question is that?"
He shrugged nonchalantly, "Just a question. So would you?"
"I don't think that's any of your fucking business."
Tatsuo stood and walked forward until he stood in front of his sitting form. Squatting down, his face only a few feet from him, he gently grabbed his chin underneath the edge of his mask. The simple contact that should have sent revulsion through him, sent a spark that made his heart jump. "Smart ass mouth you have there."
He pushed the strange feelings down and swatted the hand away from him. Tatsuo grabbed his wrist instead and brought him forward, closing the small space between them. Close enough where he could whispered in his ear, "There's so many things I could do with a mouth like yours. . ." he heard from the Fox.
Sasuke glared sideways at Tatsuo for the effects he caused on his body. "Get away from me," he growled menacing.
Tatsuo shrugged shortly. "It doesn't matter." He walked toward Kane, his attitude changing from obnoxious teasing back to his earlier light tone. "Because today you're gonna become a proud father of a six year old girl."
"WHAT!" Both Sakura and himself yelled at once.
At that moment, Ryutaro burst into laughter, falling over and clutching his sides from the fierceness of his laughing. He even heard giggles coming from Hikko and Tara. Kane merely shook his head at the situation.
"You're going to trust him with a child?!" incredulously asked Sakura.
Tatsuo's head turned slowly to face Sakura. "Why?" He tilted his head a little in question as he picked up a bag from the forest floor. "Wouldn't he be a good father figure?"
"Of course not!" she blurted out. "He's a traitor!"
Silence fell over the clearing, but Sasuke paid no mind to it as he glared at Tatsuo. He was neither wanting nor willing to take care of any child. They never really liked him. He always suspected they could sense his dislike for their shitting selves.
Tatsuo gave her an icy chuckle, sending a chill in the air. "Then Haruno-san, you're with the wrong kind of people. 'Cause every one of us is considered a traitor to our villages in one way or another." After a pause, his tone turned deadly. "But that doesn't mean we weren't labeled a traitor prejudicially." He let the bag in his hands drop to the ground, then began to preform hand seals.
Sakura took a couple of steps back, most likely suspecting that Tatsuo planned to attack her. But he doubted it. Tatsuo appeared to have a lot of self control. If he hasn't attacked her by now, he doubted he was going to. And he was right when a puff of smoke surrounded Tatsuo.
When the smoke cleared, a 3' 4'' high person stood where once stood a 5' 8'' man. The clothes he wore beforehand were practically drowning this person. He lifted a cloth covered hand and took the mask from his face. Pushing the hood away, it revealed a little girl with chestnut hair and dark brown eyes. He turned his head toward him and as he locked his child eyes with his, he smirked wickedly. "You can call me. . .Mizuki, Tou-san!"
