..Chapter Twenty-Two..
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Amber painted a dimming sky; pinks and fiery shades receded slowly into the horizon as the day made way for the night, as the sun completely escaped view and the world around became a slow fade to darkness. A coolness chilled the air, slicing through the heat that had once been present with the escaping sun. A breeze swept through, upsetting vegetation just enough to, at best, disturb a resting insect.
The calm was almost unsettling, quieted, yet migrating in sound; birds chirped as they submitted to the throws of drowse, nocturnal creatures awoke to the call of a new eve, and things that were better left to go bump in the night stumbled or crept along as they had for ages before bipeds.
Alone, he sped through the undergrowth, unhindered and as fully aware of his surroundings as he was able and trained to be. Dark orbs kept a straight, fixed lock on the direction before him. He became one with his environment, his body like the wind, as a whisper on the air-one of which no one would pay mind to, one that pricked the back of one's neck inattentively and nothing more. His clothing was dark and mooted in the cloudy, concealed forest of which he chose to pass through.
Comfortingly, he took note of the thick scroll concealed in the inner breast pocket of his flack vest as he leapt up, into the trees and silently went from one branch to the next. Admittedly, he should be going faster. Idling longer in this part of Fire Country wasn't especially smart; though, he wasn't here because he was smart, he was here because he had other, undisclosed, orders to follow.
Regardless of that though, he couldn't help but feel unnerved by the atmosphere. He wasn't scared, it wasn't fear; rather, what he felt was what Sasuke preferred to call healthy caution. It was just enough to keep him on edge and (hopefully) out of danger, but, not enough to have him overwhelmed and inevitably caught off guard. This wasn't the place to be caught with your pants off, he reasserted to himself.
As this thought reverberated around in his head, he felt something change rather suddenly; the atmosphere shifted, like a hiccup.
He stopped, halting elegantly on a branch in a full crouch as he inhaled long and low, willing his breath to still, to quell from the rate it had gained while he'd been running. Those who were untrained in chakra wouldn't notice it; the average passerby would assume his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He remained still, listening as the hoot of an owl as it echoed and bounced off tree trunks, plants... A few chirps, the winged violin of crickets, danced elegantly, stoically, around him. His own breathing was a roar in his ears, his heart a drum in his chest as he anticipated and calculated, eyes narrowing. A cool drop of sweat rolled down his head, resting precariously on he edge of his brow, threatening to splash off of his unmoving lash.
Thunk!Thunk!Thunk!
He jumped back as each shurikin cut through the air, spinning wildly and sunk into the trunk where he'd just stood. He fell back, sweeping under the branch as he activated his sharingan. The soles of his booted feet stuck to the wood, chakra enhancing him as he moved into a full on run.
Thunk!Thunk!Thunk!
He heard each one one, felt as the steel-sharp edge barely grazed his bare heel. He leapt, twisting in the air and put his feet out before him to land on another trunk just as-.
He gasped as something grasped his ankle, pulling him down quickly and suddenly.
Damnit! his mind cried out. He looked down, calculating another plan of action as his hands moved into the signs. He reached up, took in a deep breath and aimed for the vine wrapped about his leg.
Snap!
Before the blink of an eye he was completely restrained, hands immobilized. Sweating and heavy for breath, Sasuke wretched about, trying to move; it was was to no avail. As the ground consumed him and stilled him by force, he accepted that for now there was no getting out of this. He inhaled at the last moment and just before the darkness encompassed him he told himself, angrily, that whomever was talented enough to catch him was not going to be talented enough to escape him when he got lose.
ooo
The first thing Sasuke became acutely aware of once he started to wake up was that his throat was dry, for one, and, for two, he wasn't restrained. Faintly, through the fog of his mind, he could sense gentle hands running across his body, shifting from one pocket or placehold on his person to the next. Under any rational situation, this would not have had him immediately reacting; however, he wasn't restrained, he was still in a foul mood, and finally, once that hand started to reach for the scroll he had concealed he was anything but patient.
His eyes flashed open and in the same swift motion his hand snapped over their wrist. Coal orbs met with covered features swathed in a black veil. He could almost sense a smile beyond there; which, did nothing to add to his shiny disposition.
He reached for a kunai a second later, going for-.
"Is that anyway to treat an old friend?"
He stopped, kunai held in front of him with no more than twelve inches between it and the attack point; he was poised and ready as his mind worked to wrap itself around the voice he'd just heard.
"Sakura?" he questioned hesitantly.
He couldn't quite tell, but, he assumed she was trying to figure something out. Then, suddenly:
"Ah," she laughed, "the hood." As she spoke the thing was pulled off, revealing to Sasuke a full head of cotton candy pink and emerald-green hues he was so accustomed to.
He retracted the kunai, holstering it as he said, "I suppose that explains why I'm not restrained... and alive." His lips quirked into a smirk at the last bit.
"I must admit," she said, smiling slightly, "I didn't expect to see you when I caught someone in my snare today. What are you doing all the way over here? Tsunade-sama should be keeping Konoha nin away, knowing all the risk factors."
He relaxed as she asked the question and released her wrist.
He was glad it was Sakura and a little more than relieved. The anger caused earlier at the possibility of being so carelessly trapped by the enemy was gone. "You're genjutsu has gotten better," he couldn't help but say, inadvertently ignoring her question for a moment.
She smiled wider. "Yes, well, you haven't been my opponent in some time..."
He nodded. "Fair enough." He couldn't deny she'd gotten better. Perhaps whenever she and Kakashi finished this mission he'd ask her for a session in one of the training areas.
Recalling the former question, he said, "I'm here to talk to you, actually. We got some intel that you were assigned to these woods and Tsunade-sama asked me to see if I could make contact with you for an update on the situation."
"Ah..." she replied. "Well... where shall I begin?" she asked more to herself as she looked off to the side, eyes deep in thought.
Her hair had gotten longer, he noticed as she considered. It appeared odd, to him. For such a long time Sakura had kept her hair readily short. She looked tired too. Not the kind of tired that makes one want to sleep, but rather the kind of tired you can't ever rid yourself of. In her he could see an emotional burden, but also a sense of determination.
What has ANBU done to you... Sakura?
"Have you been briefed on all the details of the mission, Sasuke?"
He took in a deep breath and sighed. "I have."
She nodded. "When we got here two months ago, we had no idea who we were going to be dealing with. At best, ANBU intelligence knew that the man we sought to remove from power was of Jounin level.
"That information was wrong."
"What?"
She continued, "The man in charge is a former Konoha ANBU member gone missing nin known as Kaoru. Not only that, but, he is also Kakashi's former sensei from his time in ANBU.
"When I found this out I wanted to abandon the mission immediately. Obviously, it's just too close to home for him to handle, is what I thought." There was more than that to it, but, there was no need for Sasuke to know anymore than that about the deeper parts of Kakashi and Kaoru's former relationship.
"Because of the nature of their former ties, Kaoru took a liking to him and offered him a partnered position next to him. It was unexpected, but, earnest thus far. He allowed me to stay as apart of the agreement for bringing Kakashi. As far as anyone knows, both Kakashi and myself essentially hate each other because of the nature of our arrival. Since then, we've blended in as best we can and have gained total trust." Not that it had been easy... their had been casualties along the way... people she'd rather not have killed.
Innocents... for the sake of the mission and all of Fire country.
"Anyway... that's essentially it...
"For now, we're biding our time for the right moment to finish the job."
He was surprised, to say the least. He couldn't believe their intel had been so wrong. And to send Kakashi in... with... His eyes closed. "How's he holding up?"
"He appears fine..." she murmured honestly, looking down.
"But..."
She shook her head. "I know him well enough to know he's not."
"Are you sure Kaoru-."
"No, he hasn't. The Kakashi he knew was a boy and still a little wet behind the ears. I'm sure he can't tell. It surprises me how great his resolve is."
Sasuke nodded, lip pursed in slight as he watched her. "And you..?"
"I'll be happy when it's over. Isn't that how all missions are?"
She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and her eyes drew up to her comrade's as he began to speak.
"We'll be waiting for you at home, alright?"
There was more he wanted to say, she could tell. But then, this was Sasuke; he always said quite a bit without saying very much at all. Slowly, she managed a smile as his words sunk in.
"Alright."
ooo
The hour grew later and the evening that much darker since Sakura had safely seen to Sasuke's departure. It was customary to leave those who were caught in the genjutsu alive and far from the woods from which they'd been caught; therefore, none of her 'comrades' would think the wiser of her sparing him.
A few weeks ago she'd been assigned there to create an elaborately layered genjutsu in order to keep people, shinobi included, far from the woods that lined the open territory of the compound. It wouldn't keep everyone out, but, only the those who had direct business with Kaoru would dare come through and this in turn kept more men on duty out along the road that many of the merchants traveled into Fire country.
She couldn't say it was a bad plan. It was one that made her tired, however. It wasn't her chakra she had to worry about, but more that her focus was so strained in order to keep the genjutsu working properly. She'd been happy to switch shifts with another. She was happy to be heading back to her warm bed. If only it were hers, truly.
Had it really only been two months? It felt like so much more, she considered as she passed through the compound gates and into the main yard.
The open area before her to either side of the path leading up to the doors was void of all life this late at night. Everything was still and each piece of equipment left where the owner had dropped it or set it aside. Here, Kaoru's men operated like a well-oiled machine. If it weren't for the fact that he was such an evil bastard and that he was trying to make things very hard for Fire country then this would be a great endeavor. But he was an evil bastard and he was making things very hard for Fire country.
She pushed these idle thoughts from her head as she came into the main room through the two doors. There were a few people scattered about; they were either leaving for shifts or coming back like her. Some chatted here and there as she passed by and made her way towards the direct route to her room.
The door was opened with the same lazy precision as before: turn knob, pull back, side step-enter and shut it behind. She heard the click and snapped the lock in place. Granted, it wouldn't keep people out if they really wanted in, but, it would at least indicate she was done for the next few hours to the more friendly types.
As she stepped across the room something rather trifle caught her eye on the desk not far from her bed. Her brow rose and she stopped to glance over at the open slip of paper. Her desk was rather cluttered; it always had been. It wasn't that she was disorganized; rather, Sakura was simply too put out to do much about it very often in any setting. Still, she knew what was on it on almost any given day. And that slip of paper had not been there previously.
She walked the short distance and picked it up. Her eyes scanned the contents curiously, with an almost confused expression on her face. It was a letter written to her, but an odd one at that. It was dated for years ago and seemed to be from some cousin she'd never met before, moreover, had never even knew of.
Her eyes narrowed as she considered what it meant. A few minutes pass by as she read it and reread it, lips in a flat line and brow in a furrowed manner that indicated concentration. Considering how much focus she'd devoted earlier that night to the genjutsu this was vexing.
And then it came to her.
Suddenly, the hidden meaning, the hidden message, inked on paper before her became clear. Without thought she was soon burning it under candlelight and dropping it into a glass on her desk. She watched until there was nothing but ash.
"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" she whispered intently after doing the hand sign. Once the replica of herself appeared before her, she said, "Go to bed and stay there. Don't answer the door if anyone knocks." When the bushin nodded and did as she asked Sakura grabbed a cloak from her wardrobe, donned it and made haste out the window to her room.
In the cold night air, careful and in a much more serious mood than before, she made her way up the building. She avoided windows and lit areas as any good shinobi would until the roof was reached. She ducked behind a small structure and took a cautious look. Pausing, she reached out with her senses, feeling out for any ominous chakra's. Anything.
When she felt nothing unexpected she made her way out from behind the object slowly and took in more of her bare and gray surroundings.
"Sakura."
She turned swiftly, bringing up a kunai to meet his with equal fever, lacking the intent, however, to cause harm. Recognition crossed her features and next relief as it did his as well.
"What's the emergency?" she asked quickly, not sparing any time. While both knew the chances of anyone knowing the wiser around them were low this far into the game, one slip up could mean the end.
Kakashi knew that as much as she did.
Behind the shadow of his blackened hood he replied to her as he pulled his kunai back, reflecting her movements in holstering it. "Tomorrow night," he said.
At first Sakura didn't quite catch what he was stating. A second, if that passed, before her eyes widened in surprise. "That soon? You're sure?"
He nodded. "Yes."
She opened her mouth to ask for an explanation, but he beat her to it.
"Usually, Kaoru has men guarding his room from many angles: in the ceiling, sometimes as apart of the walls... Tomorrow night, however, there will only be the guard at his door and a fairly serious set of seals on the walls and door."
Sakura knew he didn't really need all of those guards. But, even men like Kaoru needed to sleep. Being paranoid had kept him alive as well, from what she'd heard of the few who'd tried to take him by surprise in his sleep. It was one reason why she and Kakashi had been having such a hard time finding the right moment to get the job done. Kaoru was a powerful man. By himself he might be takeable; however, he was always surrounded by people in one form or another.
Sakura now understood the old adage: with acceptance of power one must sacrifice the intimacy of one's own company.
Still, why was he making such a change in security now? She voiced this, "That seems a bit odd, doesn't it? And almost too easy..." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yes, I thought so too. And I would be very cautious about taking the opportunity were it not for the fact that this isn't the first time he's done this," he explained. "A few weeks ago when he told me to have the guard assignments changed and the seals put up I assumed he had found us out; at the very least I thought he was testing me.
"When night fell and we retired into his room, however, he didn't go to sleep as usual. Not in the way a person usually does."
Now she was curious. "What do you mean?"
"First, have you noticed something about him that seems different that most other nin?"
"Other than his shiny disposition?"
Kakashi frowned, silent.
She sighed. "What do you mean by 'different' exactly?"
"His chakra, Sakura. Haven't you noticed?"
She took pause, this time considering his question seriously. Her head tilted upward and she tapped her chin. Really, though, Kakashi had more contact with Kaoru than she did. It was only natural she didn't get it right away... Hm, well, now that she thought about it... "He's almost always accessing it." She blinked. "Isn't that taxing? For that matter, why isn't he running out of reserves?" Why had she never considered this?
"I didn't get it myself either," he replied, shaking his head. "He never used this much before. He never had that much stamina before..." He paused only a moment. "At any rate, that's why he does this. The technique he uses condenses the chakra he gathers while he sleeps. However, as a drawback it leaves him completely vulnerable."
Sakura blinked, surprised. "Then why would he get rid-."
"Of his guards?" He offered a frown. "Because, his paranoia runs so deep that he doesn't want anyone knowing he does this. If they were to find out, even people he thinks he can trust? It would leave him utterly open."
She nodded, amazed. To think such a technique existed... why, if they could learn-.
"I know what you're thinking. I was thinking much the same before," he said suddenly. "This isn't a technique that can be used by just anyone."
She sighed, disappointed. "Let me guess? It's apart of his bloodline technique?" When he nodded she said, "Shame... that could have been a real advantage to learn... Ah well," she muttered. "So, to get to the point," she said next, knowing they were really pushing the envelope on their usual meeting time amount, "tomorrow night-or rather tonight as it is technically morning now-Kaoru is going into a coma and were going to take that opportunity to take him out?"
Kakashi nodded. "Don't be fooled into thinking it will be easy. I'm pretty sure despite the fact that I've heard there will only be the guards at the door, there will be others hidden in the hallway leading there..."
She nodded. "You'll be with him?"
"I will."
She paused. "Then why do I need to be? I can take guards from the outside and then you can just proceed."
"You're right, that's true," he admitted. "But, the seal on the door requires one person on the inside and the outside to open it."
She frowned. "Why in the hell would he do that?"
"So that it makes it almost impossible for anyone to get in without his knowledge."
She frowned. "But then, what if his men decided to simply leave him in there? Doesn't that leave him in a tough situation?"
"You would think so," he replied. "But, in the case of the two guards on the outside of the door, he has complete control of them. The only way to keep him in there is to kill them off because of the thrall-like technique he uses on them this one night.
"Like I told you before, no one else knows about this. The others he usually has on duty work in shifts so sporadically that no one realizes that there isn't anyone working the one night every few weeks that he does it."
She nodded, accepting that. It was all very simple and yet horribly complicated. And if they didn't do it right, everything they'd worked for up until this point could come crumbling down.
"Alright," she said finally. "Anything else?"
"Yes, he should head to his room around eleven and plan to start the technique at midnight. However, to give ourselves a bit of cushion, we'll start a half our past midnight."
She gave a short nod this time.
"That's all."
She turned to leave, off in a run.
"Sakura."
She paused, looking back over her shoulder.
She could sense a smile in the blackness of his hood. "Be careful."
She smiled back, knowing he could somehow tell in the much the same manner that she could tell he had a moment ago. A second passed before she was off and into the darkness.
He watched her until he couldn't see her before leaving himself.
ooo
A young girl, perhaps no older than sixteen, carried a tray down the lone hall that just barely lit by candlelight. She kept a careful eye on the contents and watched as the cup of water shook under her nervous hands.
She appeared afraid, as if she might drop what she was carrying any moment. In the dimly lit hallway it wasn't easy to see just where one was going, so it wasn't that hard to imagine.
She looked tired and a bit grubby from the day's chores. Her hair was loosely tied back with a ripped strip of cloth. Despite her humble appearance, however, she wasn't without a some fair features. By her skiddish disposition, though, one could imagine just how easily she was likely preyed upon in such a place. It was probable that she came to be there through forced means.
She was so focused on her tray of food that she didn't even notice the body in front of her. She made a small noise as she bumped into them and grasped her tray tightly to keep it from falling all over the floor. "S-sorry!" she exclaimed automatically as she felt hands on her upper arms, steadying her.
"Well, what do we have here, hm?"
She blinked, looking up at the tall male form before her.
"You lost, girl?" he asked, giving her a wide grin set into gruff, bearded features. It wasn't the most appealing thing to look at.
"I..." she began and paused as a few others were heard laughing behind him. "I-I'm to deliver food t-to the guards at K-Karou-s-sama's r-room," she stuttered, obviously praying they would leave her be; it was obvious to anyone who looked in her apprehensive eyes.
"Food, eh?" the one addressing her asked, glancing down at the tray. "Well... I don't think they'll mind you being a little late, do you?" he explained darkly, leaning down towards her, causing her to back up.
She took a few more, her eyes shaking with the same fear that caused her hands to match the movements of her eyes. The contents of the tray rattled. "I-I... o-o-o-h p-p-please-no!" she screamed as he took hold of her, causing the tray to crash to the floor. Then men behind him moved to surround her while the one who had a hold of her began to molest her body through the clothes ruthlessly.
"Such a pretty thing," he said.
"Hey, I'm next, right?" another said.
"Aw, screw that, we can do this in twos. One can have her mouth and the other can pick a hole," another commented as he licked his upper lip.
"Sounds like a plan, what do you think, girl?" the one holding her asked, obviously not caring about an answer and she cried and struggled in his arms.
Already she could feel a hand snaking up her the thin material of her yukata. "S...stop..!" she cried out before a hand moved roughly over her quivering lips.
"Shut y...our...m...ou...th...uhh...?"
Suddenly, the body holding her went limp and fell into a heap on the floor. She barely managed to gain her footing before the other two men fell as well.
She blinked, noting almost instantly in her surprised, tear-ridden curiosity that they had needles protruding from their necks. It was in the next moment that a masked woman with pink hair stood before her.
"I'm sorry," she heard before she became sluggesh and the world around her began to grow dark. She felt herself falling, being caught and then her body gently being laid down. In her haze, cherry blossoms assailed her sight briefly...
Sakura sighed as the girl went faint. The technique she used on her should keep her asleep for hours to come. As for others, well, they wouldn't wake up ever again. In situations like this against hormone driven shinobi poison worked well. She hated that she had to send for the girl to deliver food for the guards down the hall. It was a thin chance all three would come out of hiding, but, she was glad she took the gamble. It hadn't been that hard of choice after she'd gotten information on who would be on duty here.
She didn't think anyone else would wander in here...but, just in case...
She gathered up the bodies, one by one, and hid them in a near by room closet. The girl was laid on a bed. As an extra precaution, she tied her up and wrapped up her mouth to keep her from calling for help. Once she was sure she could breath fine she left, locking the room behind her.
No one would come looking for her, not for a while. Here... they never did.
She moved down the hall slowly, carefully, until she could just barely see the guards posted at the door to Kaoru's room. Her eyes narrowed behind the holes in her mask as she considered her next move. These guys wouldn't be like the other three. They wouldn't likely move unless she made an aggressive action towards one of them or the door.
If that were the case then she just needed to distract them with another aggressor. A kage bushin should do it. Quietly, she muttered the command and did the hand sign. Once another of herself appeared she gave the orders.
Melting away into the shadows she followed as her bushin moved towards the two. They made no move, just as she suspected when they both saw the bushin. They were almost statuesque, standing there and not speaking. It was a moment later that her bushin attacked. As suspected, both men moved to return attack. And when they did, disbursing the bushin in a cloud of smoke, Sakura sprang out from the clone's shadow as she saw her opening and struck them both at the same time, in the chest with her two poisoned kunai.
They groaned briefly before falling to a heap apiece on the floor. She decided she'd drag them inside once she was done undoing the seal with Kakashi. Then she would have to place two bushin in their place to keep up appearances just in case.
"Kakashi," she whispered softly and waited a moment. Nothing. "Ka-."
"I'm here," she heard on the other side of the door.
"I'm ready. Tell me what to do."
"Do you see the two designs burned into the door?"
"Yes," she replied, spotting them instantly.
"Place a hand on either one, covering them with palms splayed."
She did so. "Alright."
"Now, send a small amount of chakra into the your hands and imagine that your filling the design pattern with it."
She did as he said, slowly and watched as the artwork filled up with a blue-green glow. It was interesting and pretty. Kaoru sure had a flare of the unusual.
"Are they the color of your chakra?"
"They are."
"Ok," he continued, "now, pull your palms off the door and cancel your chakra flow only once your finger tips leave the door."
She pulled her palms away slowly and then her fingers, tips last, just as he asked. "Done."
"Is it still glowing?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Now, reach out and place two finger tips on the top of the left one. Once you've done that, turn it like you would a disk clockwise until you've turned it to where three would be on a clock. Then, on the other one, do the same, but go the opposite direction to where the nine would be."
She did so, following his instructions to the T. They got a bit more complicated, but, she was careful and didn't move unless she understood what he said. It took about fifteen minutes to do the combination and by the time she was done she realized she didn't ever want to see another seal so dexterous for a long while.
Once she pulled her hands away Kakashi slid the door open.
"Help me drag these two in," she muttered after she made identical bushin of the men. She grabbed one and took him inside.
Kakashi took the other and pulled him just beyond the door before shutting it.
Sakura sat the other on the floor and turned to look at the bed where their target lay. He was just as Kakashi said he would be: out like a light and in the center of the bed. She could barely tell he was breathing; the rise and fall of his chest was so slow and insignificant. His hair was tied and fell to the side of his pillow, over his shoulder. He looked almost at peace, his face lacking any malice. She had to wonder, for a brief moment, if this was how he looked to Kakashi years ago...
She was so caught up in her observance that she nearly jumped when she heard the 'shink' of Kakashi's blade. The sharp edge gleamed in the candlelight as he stood over the side of the bed, holding it ready to act.
The silence after that was deafening. She stared at him, green orbs fixed on his side, his arm as his muscles flexed whilst gripping the hilt of the sword. His gaze was narrowed and far from where they both were. No, that wasn't really right either. She knew then man before her knew where he was. Were someone to move to attack him he would react like the shinobi he was trained to be. What she could see in his eyes was an intensity of such focus on what he was about to do she couldn't actually measure it.
What she did know, however, was that what he was about to do-because there was no question as to whether he was going to, he would-would forever change him; it would change him in a way that wouldn't really hit him until hours, perhaps days later.
She would be there for him when it happened. It wasn't even a question.
"Kakashi?" she asked, coming next to him.
His eyes closed.
She placed her hand on his shoulder.
He exhaled and pulled up on the blade. Sakura could feel her body, and his own, flex for a moment as the edge of the blade came down and towards the sleeping shinobi's neck...
ooo
"Sasuke!"
The dark haired Uchiha looked up as he passed the gates and headed towards the two at the guard box. "Kotetsu , Izumo," he greeted as he took the clipboard from one and a pen to sign it.
"Good mission?"
"Long," he replied, signing his name in the blank box on the paper.
"Good night to come home in, though," Kotetsu added, blinking op at the clear, twinkling sky.
Sasuke looked up as well. "Yeah... you can't see anything that pretty in city."
"Too many electric lights," Izumo added, smiling. "Blocks out the stars."
Sasuke was about to speak when he was suddenly and surprisingly interrupted by a glass on the flat wooden surface between him and the two men cracking.
All three were silent, staring at it.
"That's an omen if I ever saw one..." Izumo said slowly.
"I'll say," Kotetsu added.
Sasuke barely heard them, his lips slightly parted as his eyes narrowed.
Sakura?
AN :: I hope you guys enjoyed the update. I don't know exactly when I'll be able to get another one out, because, to be honest this story is getting harder to write for. I have at least one chapter left, maybe two. Finishing this puppy is gonna be hard because I want to make sure I do the character's justice right to the end. No offense to Kishinmoto... but this won't be like the fight with the Kyuubi in 499. What was he thinking? I expected something SO much more epic -sigh-.
Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope I got all of the mistakes!
-Blade