Keisei no Suna

A/N: This is an OCxSasuke fanfic. The OC is my creation, along with any characters regarding her past and also the antagonist in the story.

Chapter 6 – Ikito

She floated in the vast darkness. Her body felt light as coldness became her closest friend. She could feel herself slowly coming to. Something screamed at her to wake up, to move, but as she tried she could feel her wrists being restrained. Was she captured? Was she going to die here, before she even completed her mission?

What mission?

The mission that she gave herself when she found her sensei in the midst of the massacre of her troupe?

What is happening?

Team Taka was halfway home when they decided to stop for a break. Although Sasuke and Karin were both against the mission to begin with, Suigetsu felt as if they were making a wrong move. "Guys, I think we should go back…"

"Why? What for? To help the girl who can't even help herself?" Karin snapped at him. The male didn't reply, but continued. "I just feel that we are making a mistake." He told her, which Karin continued on her rant. "She's just some stupid girl who wants to take revenge. That's NOT our business. It's between her and her sensei and team, or whoever else is involved. Do you hear Konoha in there? Do you hear our names in that statement? No you don't. So why do we—"

"Alright, alright. Calm down Karin, sheesh. Aren't I allowed some input?"

Sasuke remained quiet during the two's bickering, and only thought to himself of the confrontation earlier that day. He didn't doubt himself for being harsh, nor did he regret what he had said to the summoner. It was true that Konoha truly had no purpose in being concerned with a girl's petty personal fight. The only reason that Team Taka had to ever be involved was simply because of their Hokage's orders.

Naruto was a kind fellow. Everyone adored him, and many were glad for when he came to leadership. He was the person that put his life on the line for anyone, bringing home his comrades and even those who he fights with that still had a heart in them. Naruto told Sasuke that she had potential…for what reason? So that it would give Sasuke more inclination to help the girl? To what? Help regain what she had lost?

This wasn't a fairytale, Sasuke told himself, so he wasn't sure what was going on through Naruto's head. But…he always does things for a reason so perhaps it wasn't all for nothing. Sasuke cursed himself about twenty times before he gestured for his group to get up. He was going to regret this.

"Let's go."

Feeling something pull her arms behind her, Mio unconsciously tried to adjust herself. When she wasn't able to move, she started to come to, not remember where or what happened in the last…well however long she was out. She was tied by ropes with chakra bindings behind her and a metal pole. Whoever brought her here meant for her to not escape…at all. Feeling the sudden pang of fear, Mio tried move, as if struggling would loosen her bonds. When she couldn't, she started to panic.

"Shinobi do not panic…they remain calm until their mission was finished, even if a kunai was at their neck…they did not fear anything." A voice whispered. Mio became more frightened. Her scroll was tossed in the corner of the room, out of her reach, along with her pouch of her dulled weapons. She felt powerless and held her breath. She was angry, frightened, confused…but none of these feelings were giving her the power that she needed. She stilled herself as footsteps came close to her, allowing her to not show she was frightened. The voice she heard…she could recognize it, though it was deeper than before when she last heard it years ago.

"Ikito…." She whispered, and the male clapped. "Yes? Mi-chan." He came in full view for her, and she looked up to see his sinister grin that he always had. The man stood at least five foot ten to six feet. His crimson painted hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that went to the nape of his neck. He wore a beige shirt, ripped at the hems and sleeves and black pants that went down to his ankles, with black sandals. He had a katana strapped to his back with a pouch that rested on the front of his right hip. His skin was dark in the room, but Mio could see that he has been under the Suna sun, his skin darker than she last saw him. "What are you doing here?! Why aren't you back at home with Kagura!?" She yelled at him. "Ah…sweet Kagura…well Mio, if you were still in Suna, you would know what happened." He said to her, pacing in front of her. Ikito did not look at her as he talked. "About a year or so after you left, Kagura and I married and were expecting our first child. A few months into her pregnancy, Kagura fell ill and we hoped that it would not affect the baby…unfortunately..well…" He scoffed. "No..she didn't..Kagura.."

"She died before our baby could be born during the delivery. Our child died with her as the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck and it was too late for the doctors to save her." His voice became harsh, and he remained quiet for Mio to take in what had happened.

She remembered Kagura very well. The woman was beyond sweet, and had a motherly figure towards Mio. They were friends through her relationship with Ikito. She was there for their wedding, and remembered how happy that day was. It was foreign to her how that happy day led up to the present. Where Ikito was holding her hostage, talking to her as if it was her fault that Kagura had died. "Ikito, I'm—" "What? You're what? Sorry? Sorry isn't going to bring her back, Mi-chan. "

Mio remained silent, bringing her thoughts together before looking at up at her old teammate. "What do you want from me?" She received a slap to her cheek as a response. "Don't look at me with those eyes of yours. I'm simply living my life out to help our sensei. He's very anxious to see you again Mi-chan. After all, Kagura's death and so many more incidences happened right after you left our team. When you decided to be just a petty civilian." His words had some disgust in it. He was repulsed by being so…normal. Where was the fun? The unique attributes in it? There weren't any, and Mio knew what he thought of her right now. A pathetic civilian who cannot do anything a shinobi can do.

"What? Because I chose to not kill and fight anymore? Because I chose a peaceful way of living?!" Her voice became strong, defensive as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes from the stinging pain on her cheek. "Because I chose to bring happiness to others?!"

"And what about OUR happiness?!" Ikito yelled at her, bringing his face down to hers. "What about the team we had created? Our memories that we all shared. You threw that away to be in a freak show?!" He stood straight and laughed. His laugh that sent shivers throughout her body. He lost all his senses, too blinded by anger and blasphemy at Mio's response to think straight. He turned to pick up a stick that rested on the wall and walk back to Mio. "Ikito, please. Stop all this now."

Mio received a hard hit on her arm. Ikito swung the stick around, hitting her arms, legs, stomach. Anywhere that his stick could hit. He had lost all his senses already and it was pointless for Mio say anything else but scream.

"Why are we going back, Sasuke?!" Karin huffed, following behind said man. Sasuke decided to turn the entire team around and head back to the small village they had left. They had just up and left Mio and he did necessarily feel bad for her…more so he felt he should give her a nudge in what she wants to do.

"Shut up Karin." Suigetsu said with a sigh, which made the female only pout and huffed.

"Something seems off." Sasuke mumbled, which the team heard, on their guards. "Get ready. Seems there's some company up ahead." They were a few miles outside the village, but something just didn't seem right. "Karin, can you locate Mio's chakra?" Sasuke asked, which she nodded, and looked for the female. "She's…two miles to the east of the village…there's another person with her." "Alright. We're going there." The team turned their direction to where Karin had spoken of.

There were a handful of shinobi who came at them. Many used wind based abilities, but they were no match for the team who blasted right through. Though, it seemed that the more they knocked out of their way, more just appeared and at this point became a barrier between them and where Mio was. "This is ridiculous." Sasuke said as he shot a fireball towards a group of shinobi. Suigetsu rushed ahead of the leader and blasted an opening that led straight to the small shack. "Just go on ahead! Karin and I can handle it." Karin nodded to Sasuke, agreeing with Suigetsu. The Uchiha nodded, and disappeared, sparing no time to get to the blonde.

Mio was slipping in and out of consciousness. Something told her to stay awake, but her body begged her to give into the pain and slip out of what was happening. Her body ached, bruised and bleeding from the hits Ikito had dealt. She opened her eyes, barely, to see him throw the stick aside and reach into his back to pull out a kunai. "Now, I am going to end you, sweet Mi-chan." He said, voice shaking with adrenaline and insanity. The girl heard him, but did not react. Her eyes closed, and she waited for the strike. She was done for, as was her pathetic revenge against her sensei. She fell unconscious once more.

The kunai never came down though. Something had halted it. Sasuke had made it in the nick of time, thrusting his katana into Ikito's gut, away from Mio's body. Without hesitation, he asked, "Who are you?" Ikito smiled, blood seeping through his mouth. "Mi-chan's old teammate. She can expect that our sensei will visit Enho." He laughed, as Sasuke pulled his blade out of the man, and he fell limp onto the floor, the blood pooling around him. He was dead.

Sasuke turned to the summoner, cutting her ropes that bound her and sheathed his sword. They would have to get to Konoha quickly if they were to keep her alive. Wasting no time, he grabbed her scroll and had it strapped to his back before picking her up bridal style, and leaving the area. He regrouped with his team and they headed back to Konoha.

"Is she going to make it?" Suigetsu asked, looking at the unconscious female. Sasuke didn't answer. "Her chakra is very weak…if you want her alive, we need to hurry." Karin said, which Sasuke already knew. He could feel her chakra fade quickly, and looked down to see her bloodied face. She really took a beating, and he felt partly to blame yet he didn't. He told her to go on her own, quench her thirst for revenge on her own time, and yet he came back to save her. He didn't owe her anything; yet, he was drawn by his curiosity of her potential. When they got back, he would offer her something that he wouldn't offer anyone. Something that he would see to personally.

Sup readers of the woooorld. Yes, I am a slow updater. I get sidetracked by a TON of things, so you know. I haven't forgotten about this story though, I adore my ideas for it so I am trying to keep it going, even though noone will care to read it because...life.

-Songie