Hellooo, third chapter here. Also. I GOT MY FIRST REVIEWWW! Thank you Awkane for reviewing! I have a steadily increasing amount of views on this story, which is exciting. Again, this is my first story, so I don't know much of what to expect. Winter Break is ending soon. Where did all the time go?
Don't own. Not mine.
"Again!"
Sakusen grimaced, settling back into his stance. His hands and muscles ached something awful, and he was sure that blisters would be forming soon. This was strike 99 for today's practice using the bokken. Just one more to go.
When Jiji had taken him to the weapons shop a couple of months earlier, as promised, he'd gotten the usual supply of kunai and shuriken that most ninja used while out in the field. While his grandfather was buying, he'd taken the chance to run through the aisles of assorted weapons. The rack of swords had caught his eye, and he'd reached out to grab one, knocking the whole supply over by mistake.
So he was a little excited and hasty. But he was a kid, in a room with sharp, pointy objects. What else could one expect?
Sakusen had immediately taken a shine to the various swords, and the shop-owner and Jiji had found him enthusiastically hacking away sections of the wooden dummies with different blades. While Jiji had been mortified, the shop-owner had laughed loudly, and proclaimed that he saw talent in the boy. He'd been happy when he'd walked out of the store with a shiny new wakizashi at his side. He'd wanted a katana, of course, or maybe even an odachi, but the wakizashi and the tanto were the only ones that fit him at his current size. The tanto was too small, in his opinion, so he stuck with a two-foot long tempered wakizashi.
Now, he was starting to slightly regret that decision.
Haori-sensei glared at him, hands on her hips. It might have been scarier if she wasn't wheelchair bound, but she made up for it by leaking Killing Intent into the air. "Your form is too tight. Loosen up! Hands have to be lower! You're gonna die on the battlefield at this rate!"
Gritting his teeth, Sakusen did as he was told, shifting his stance until he was more comfortable and sliding his hands down the wooden sword. The woman was a demon. Worse than Enma, even, and Enma once threw him off of the tallest tree in the village to force him to learn how to swing.
Gekko Haori was a prestigious swords-woman who was well known for her kenjutsu skills in Konoha. She had long, messy brown hair that she kept out of her face with her headband. Her flak jacket was unzipped, showing off her scandalously low tank top with mesh underneath. Despite her short stature, she was fiercely competent with a sword. Jiji had appointed her as his kenjutsu sensei after she'd sustained injuries on the field that would keep her in the village for the next couple of months. Despite her protests, the Sandaime had insisted that she would be a wonderful sensei, if her son's success in the art said anything.
This just made her angry, and Sakusen knew that she was unleashing all her pent-up frustrations on him during their training sessions. She wouldn't let him even touch the wakizashi for the first few months, saying that training with form was much more important to start off with. Which nearly killed Sakusen inside. He like his sharp stuff, dammit.
Raising the bokken over his head, he brought it down on the dummy with all the strength that his sore arm muscles could muster. The wood bounced off the shoulder of the straw doll like it was made of rubber, and Sakusen collapsed in exhaustion, moaning in pain. He was done for the day.
He did not see the sadistic smirk that his instructor wore.
"Good effort, gaki! But you're still too tight! Your strikes have no strength in them! How are you expecting to cut through someone if you can't even make a dent in a dummy?"
The only answer that she got was a snore. Haori's eyes twitched. Hayate was never this whiny or pathetic when she'd trained him. What happened to the Uzumaki constitution that he was supposed to have? Weren't they supposed to be tough as nails? This kid had fallen asleep in the middle of a fucking lecture!
Her face twisted up with a screech that sent the birds flying. "What do you think you're doing? Snoozing when I'm giving you pointers on how to do better! And do you think you're done? You still have those laps to run! Swordsmen need to be quick! My mother runs faster than you, and she's dead! Get up and start moving!"
If there was a hell, then he'd stab himself with his own sword if he hadn't found it already.
When he arrived at the lake, Sakusen dropped like a sack of rocks onto the pier with a sigh.
"Tough session? I told you that you shouldn't have gone jumping through the trees all day yesterday. You burned yourself out."
"Shut up, Itachi," Sakusen ground out to the smug-faced Uchiha. "It wasn't that. I stayed up all night reading those fuinjutsu scrolls that Jiji has hidden away. I got sleepy and Haori-sensei made me do a hundred push-ups for not listening." He rubbed his sore biceps, wincing at the memory.
Turning his head, he got a good look at Itachi, sitting on the deck a couple of feet away. They met nearly every single day after Shisui had introduced them together several months ago. Sakusen was now a fairly common sight in the Uchiha clan compound, and he knew most of the civilians there by heart. It didn't hurt that most of them were excellent bakers, and Sakusen could clear out the entire stock of taiyaki that the bakery had on a good day. Itachi could do the same thing to their dango supply.
The lake stretched out to the very edge of the forest. It was their usual meeting place, and had been since Shisui had nearly drowned them here trying to show them how to water-walk. Itachi had gotten it first, like always. Sakusen required a little more time, but eventually had gotten it down to the point where modifying the hand seals wasn't necessary. For an Uzumaki, his control was phenomenal.
Itachi held out a bento to Sakusen.
"Kaa-san made your favorite. And yes, I've got your taiyaki."
"Sweet! Hold up first."
Stripping out of his sweaty shirt and pants, Sakusen rolled off the pier's edge into the lake like a seal. The cold water was always a relief after Haori-sensei's training sessions. He sank to the very bottom, vigorously running his hands through his shoulder-length sticky hair. Gross.
Itachi laughed, opening his own lunch. It was like a ritual for them now. Meet up, Sakusen jumps into the lake, and they eat and train. He was glad that they had been introduced to each other. Eyeing his food with a suspicious glance (sometimes Kaa-san tried to sneak healthy foods into his onigiri, which should have been a crime), he started eating, only to stop after the first couple of bites. That was an awfully long time to remain underwater. Was Sakusen trying to use the air filtering jutsu again?
He knew this feeling. Oh crap, he remembered, and barely had enough time to sweep up the lunches and retreat before a burst of water showered the place he'd originally been sitting at. Glaring at the soggy yellow-haired lump strewn out over the pier, Itachi briefly considered spiking his taiyaki with pepper the next time he brought lunch.
What an ass. He could have warned me first.
Sakusen blinked at the empty space where his friend used to occupy, then looked up with a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, hehe... used too much chakra."
Sighing, Itachi set the lunches down again where they wouldn't get wet. Sakusen had insisted that it was just chakra he was sending out to make him blast out of the lake, but Itachi was sure there was some Water Release involved. Maybe that was his natural affinity?
Either way, Itachi wouldn't be saving his friend's lunch the next time he did that.
Sakusen dug into the food, frowning. He'd been trying to mess around with the principles of the water-walking technique, which was similar in concept to the tree-walking technique. Instead of a fixed amount of chakra, though, you had to emit a constant stream of chakra to support yourself above the surface of the water. If you made the stream too strong, as Sakusen had usually done at first, then the water would be blown away, and you would sink. But under water, Sakusen could propel himself like a fish. It had become a control exercise in itself, and another game of sorts as well - to see how much chakra would be needed to blast one up to the pier's edge. Finding that amount was the problem, though. Water was harder to work with than trees, because it kept changing.
Itachi glanced at Sakusen. He had his thinking face on again, and it was obvious that he was onto something because his food hung halfway out of his mouth. Sakusen had amazing zoning out powers. Too bad he would never get to use them while Itachi was around.
"Is the food bad? What's the problem?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Sakusen quickly gulped his meat down.
"No, no, it's really good-"
"Then hurry up and finish. Don't let your food get cold. And it's rude to zone out like that."
That was harsh. Itachi was much too well-mannered to get anything at by him. And he thought Biwako-baa-chan was bad.
Pouting, Sakusen finished his bento quickly, diving for the taiyaki next. Uchiha Issen-san made the best taiyaki in Konoha, and the blond-haired boy was a regular at the Uchiha bakery shop. They loved him, and his service.
Itachi cleared his throat, catching Sakusen's attention mid-chew. "Tou-san said he'd going to take me to the battlefield soon. The war is nearly over, but he wants me to see what it's like. I'll be leaving tomorrow, so remember to buy your own lunch. Sorry I won't be around to train with you."
Sakusen almost dropped his taiyaki. "What!" he shouted. Itachi grimaced, holding his hand up to his ear. Sakusen was really loud when he wanted to be. Kaa-san said it was an Uzumaki thing? Apparently, Kushina-oba was worse. Sakusen was still reeling, waving his arms around.
"How come you get to see the fighting? I want to go, too! Can he take me with you? Please? Pleeease?"
Itachi shook his head, watching the flailing taiyaki with a sharp eye. He would not be getting hit in the face with a hot pastry if it broke off. "Tou-san says that this is a big exception he's making, just for me. He can't be responsible for someone else."
Sakusen looked down, disappointed. His taiyaki was still miraculously intact.
It made sense, though. If anything happened to Fugaku's son while he was out on the battefield, there wouldn't be any big repercussions. Because Itachi was his son. Only Mikoto would get angry. No one else would really care.
On the other hand, if Fugaku brought someone else not related to him, especially someone that was under the Sandaime's jurisdiction, well... He would have to take responsibility for any injuries that Sakusen sustained. As well as face the political consequences. Angering the Hokage was probably not a smart idea for any clan head.
Still, Sakusen wanted to go. It wasn't fair that Itachi got all the fun. And besides, he was getting better with his sword, too! His form was pretty good, and he could cut through dummies all day. He scuffed his foot against the dirt sadly.
Uh oh. Itachi knew that face. If Sakusen started thinking, then bad things would start to happen. Drastic measures needed to be taken, and now.
Whipping out another taiyaki from his bag (kept for emergencies like this), Itachi stuffed it in the other boy's mouth, earning himself a cry of protest. "Cheer up. You'll get to see the war soon, too, you know. It's not like we're ever going to not see any fighting in our lifetimes," he said, putting more emphasis on the our. The war was rumored to be ending soon, but it never really went away, if the history of the Great Nations said anything. No doubt there would be another war later.
Sakusen wasn't listening. Itachi's taiyaki attack had been a little too late. Already, his mind was going a mile a minute. He didn't want to wait, not really. And if Sakusen wanted something, if he was determined enough, he usually got it. It was just a matter of how he was going to trail a squadron made up of arguably the most elite ninja in Konoha, including their clan head.
Time to hit his library. That usually had all the answers he needed. And he still had a couple of days. Sakusen had time.
Sitting in his chair at the Hokage's Tower, Hiruzen watched his grandson through his crystal ball with a frown. He hadn't been the same after coming back that one lunchtime. More determined, more focused. He would have chalked it up to a fight with the Uchiha clan head's son, if not for the fact that the scrolls Sakusen was studying had more to do with the Uchiha clan and their Sharingan. Itachi had not awakened it yet, of that he knew.
His grandson did have a certain thirst for knowledge. Maybe it was just that. Just like one of his students, in fact.
A little disturbed at the parallels, Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe. Orochimaru was certainly nothing like Sakusen. Their upbringings were slightly similar, but Sakusen's parental figures still existed. Just, weren't around.
Kushina would be fighting close to the inner outpost soon, actually. Minato, from what he had heard, had needed time to recover after his now-legendary massacre of the enemy forces, and the death of his student. Hopefully when the war was over, everyone would be returning. Everyone left alive, that is.
The Sandaime's grip tightened on his pen. Uchiha Obito did not deserve to die. From what Hiruzen remembered, he was a kind and compassionate boy, loved by nearly all in Konoha. News of his death hadn't even been made public yet, since it was so recent. He was a future contender for the Hokage's seat, with all the love he held to his village. Sakusen would be greatly saddened when he found out.
Returning his gaze to his grandson, Hiruzen was about to do his daily surveillance of the village when a Chuunin barged into his room. He rubbed his head, waiting for the inevitable headache. He needed a break. Yes, that's what he would do. Take a well-deserved break from village work after the war. He was done with the deaths and fighting and war. A new Hokage would have to be appointed soon, anyway.
Now, what was the issue this time? If it was the broken coffee machine again, Hiruzen would break his desk.
"The Sharingan is the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan. It allows the user to see chakra, and gives them an enhanced clarity of perception, allowing them to memorize and copy jutsu." Sakusen recited.
He smirked. Well, that was great and all, but it wouldn't help them see him trailing them. Now, if it was something like the Hyuuga's Byakugan, Sakusen would have been in trouble.
Still, that was a useful tool to have. Itachi was lucky he had a kekkei genkai. Although he hadn't awakened yet, it seemed. How did one awaken it?
Shrugging his shoulders, Sakusen threw the scroll back on top of the stack he'd made and went down the hallway to his grandfather's study. He really didn't need to know how the Sharingan worked or how it got awakened, anyways. He just wanted to make sure that the Uchiha clan didn't have some unorthodox means of checking to see if they were being trailed. He wasn't going to be following them from directly behind, anyway. The last time he'd tried with Kakashi, he'd been caught every single time. No, he would have to stay much farther back.
Sakusen frowned, pausing in his next step. He hadn't seen Rin, Obito, or Kakashi in a while, now that he thought about it. They were so mean, not coming back to visit him. Or even Shisui, for that matter. Shisui had been gone a while, after he'd been promoted to Chuunin. Wasn't Shisui supposed to be stationed closer to the village?
He forgot about everything once he got to his grandfather's "war table." It was a map of the Great Nations on a large table, with pieces representing troops. Jiji kept an exact replica at the Tower, and he constantly kept both updated so he could plan at home and at work. There was even a schedule for the different squads that would be sent out, as well as other things, but Sakusen only really needed the schedule and the pieces.
Thank goodness Biwako-baa-chan or Jiji weren't home. They most certainly would not let him go with the Uchiha squad if he asked, and it wasn't fair if only Itachi got to go. Something in his head told him that this was a bad idea, but he kicked the voice to the side. He'd prove that he could do stuff just as well as Itachi too.
"Now, let's see... Where would Fugaku go?"
He could go through each list and see if Fugaku was on there, but there were at least 50 lists, with different pieces on the board for every squad. That was a lot of work to go through. And Sakusen hated working hard. He would be smart about this.
If he was Fugaku, he certainly wouldn't want to send his kid far out into the front lines. That eliminated the pieces being sent into the top border. Which also meant he could eliminate those going into other nations. No way would Itachi be in an invasion. That left defense. And he knew that Itachi would be leaving in a day now, meaning that he could take out lists that didn't schedule anything for tomorrow. His choices were whittled down by a lot now.
He regretted not asking how long Itachi was going to be gone, because that would have narrowed his search down a little more based on the distance that he could travel in a day. But it was too late now. Itachi would get suspicious if he asked, and Sakusen, while he was a good liar, couldn't really keep anything from Itachi. Or Mikoto. Those two were scary smart.
He gathered up all the lists of defending squadrons that fit his criteria, and plopped down on a comfy chair. It was still a lot of names and patrols. This could take some time going through, and he didn't want cramps from bending over to read.
He didn't see the malicious gleam in the eyeholes of the snarling mask of his ANBU guard, hidden up in the ceiling vent.
Half an hour later, Sakusen had his squad, the route they would take, and the time they would leave. If he wanted to, he could leave before they did to beat Itachi to the outpost, but Jiji or someone else would most likely notice, and send Itachi's squad as a pursuit squad to bring him back. Besides, they were probably faster than he was. Going behind them was the best option.
His only other problem was his tail. After using his rudimentary sensing skills, he'd been able to pinpoint where his guards were most of the time. He didn't feel anything before he started his search for the right squad, so they were probably outside. Unless they were suppressing.
A cold chill ran through Sakusen, and he extended his senses. What if they had been suppressing? Then he would be caught by Jiji, and wouldn't be able to go see the fights. Circulating his chakra, he pinged outwards, trying to find his guard.
The Sensing Technique was something only a select few people could perform. It involved circulating the chakra throughout the body and expelling it in a small wave. Chakra reacted with chakra, and so foreign chakra signatures bounced the signal back, which the sensor could feel to get a grasp of the location and size of the chakra of the person. Or something like that. The scroll that Sakusen had read was for experts, and while he hadn't necessarily understood everything in there, he'd gotten most of it.
That was why suppressing your chakra made it impossible for sensors to sense you. In order to ping back, chakra needed to be moving, and suppression stilled the flow of chakra to make sure that no pings were sent back.
Sakusen had tried the suppression technique once, but had failed miserably. He had too much of it to completely stop, which would be a problem on his secret mission, but he would make do somehow with simple stealth.
Pinging outward, be breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a presence on the roof of the house. That was his guard. No one would actually enter the house of the Hokage, after all. He nearly laughed at his stupidity.
What was he thinking about before this? Oh yes, his tail. That would be a problem, but maybe he would play sick that day. There was no need to guard someone that was staying in the most protected area in Konoha.
First things first though, was his equipment. There was a lot to do, and he had to pack quickly before anyone came home.
The next morning, Biwako set a worried hand on top of Sakusen's head, frowning slightly at the temperature.
"Don't worry Biwako-baa-chan, I'm fine. Just a little tired." Sakusen rasped out, bags underneath his eyes. He started coughing a little.
Inside, she cackled. Did he actually think he could fake a condition to an experienced medical-nin like herself? She dealt with Jiraiya on a monthly basis, and he was the absolute worst. No doubt that Sakusen was pretending the majority of it. Although he wasn't sick, he was certainly exhausted. His chakra was low, and he was tired. That much was obvious. That sensei of his certainly seemed to work him hard. It was a good thing that she was discharged yesterday back onto the active roster after his practice. Sakusen, while smart and determined, was still a child, and closer to a toddler at that. Four-year-olds shouldn't be getting up at seven in the morning to train for five hours in kenjutsu.
He deserved a rest, she decided. But only this once. Next time, he wouldn't be getting away with it. No slacker would be raised in her household.
"Stay in bed for the rest of the day," she ordered with a stern look on her face. "You're tired, so you need to regain your strength. I'll have someone leave lunch out on the front door later during the afternoon."
Sakusen had already pulled the covers over his face, leaving his long blond hair peeking out. She gave a little huff. The boy needed a haircut, but he insisted that he wanted to keep it long. Short hair didn't suit him, he said, and sadly, Biwako had to agree.
Taking a last glance back at him, Biwako walked out of his room, closing the door behind her. He was an Uzumaki, and they healed fast. Next morning, he would be bouncing around everywhere swinging that new wakizashi of his. Sakusen would be fine.
As soon as he heard the front door close and felt Biwako-baa-chan's chakra drift away, Sakusen sat up. He grinned victoriously. He'd had to go through great lengths to be able to fool his grandmother. Staying up all night to look tired had been part of it, and before his grandmother had come in he'd spent the better part of an hour literally roasting his face off near the heater vents to make it seem like he had a fever. It seemed to have worked, but you could never really tell with Baa-chan. That's what made her really scary.
Itachi would leave in an hour, so Sakusen would probably leave about 15 minutes after them. Far enough to stay undetected, since ninja moved fast, and close enough to still catch their trail. He shouldered his bag, snapping his weapons pouch to his leg and his wakizashi to his side. Fingering the hilt, he nearly sighed from the bliss of just holding his sword. His sleepless night had also consisted of tediously cleaning the sword and making sure the edge was keen and sharp. It was good to have your equipment in top condition during a fight.
Extending his senses, he quickly pinpointed the locations of the ANBU guarding the Hokage residence. It would be relatively easy to get past the guards. If they stopped to question him, he'd just say that he was going out training. They wouldn't really force him to stay home. Hopefully they wouldn't alert Baa-chan.
Strangely, when he stepped out, no one stopped him, even as he made a run to the gate. That was odd. He'd expected someone to ask, but maybe they didn't care. That worked better for him, in any case.
Stopping by the local taiyaki vendor (Sakusen ate those religiously), he quickly bought a couple, nodding to the woman who baked them. Munchies were important, and he had to keep his energy up after pulling an all-nighter. He wasn't doing that anytime soon again. Sakusen actually had to force his eyelids open to stay awake.
As he neared the gate, Sakusen slipped between two buildings across the road from the gatehouse. He neatly wrapped up his last taiyaki, making sure it was safely tucked away in his backpack. His outfit consisted of a black, zipped up jacket over a dull green shirt and black pants. He'd seen an orange jumpsuit on sale at one of the stores that made him cringe. Who in the world would wear that? And why? Granted, it did draw less suspicion because of the fact that it was so conspicuous, but still. Orange.
He peeked his head out from the alleyway he was in. By now, Itachi would have left. Which meant it was nearly time for Sakusen to leave, too. He pulled out his crinkled map, running through the route again. It was simple enough, and followed a road. Multiple roads, actually. He would probably stay in the trees to jump to avoid suspicion. Wow. Enma's training would actually come in handy, for once. Monkeys liked bananas, right? He'd get Enma some bananas later, as thanks. If he didn't toss him off another tree when he found out what Sakusen had done, that is.
His stomach suddenly twisted uncomfortably. Was this a good decision? Jiji and Biwako-baa-chan would be terribly worried, he knew. Maybe he should have left a note? The gate guards switched shifts, and Sakusen pushed all indecisiveness out of his mind. He'd prepared and planned too much to let it all go to waste.
He was about to dash out from the buildings and out of the gates when a hand suddenly snagged the hood of his black jacket. Whipping around, his blood ran cold.
"Haori-sensei!"
The first time she'd seen the kid that the Hokage was requesting her to teach, she immediately brushed him off. Too little, not strong enough, and too oblivious to the state Konoha was in. It was one thing to grow up in war, and an entirely different thing to experience it. That shine in the kid's eye spoke of stupidity and a sheltered lifestyle. What was the Sandaime thinking? If he wanted the boy to be safe, he had to let the kid know what kind of shitstorm he was dealing with first. This was not a child ready to go into battle lopping off heads. That's what they did.
He was annoying, with all the crap he spouted day and night about how amazing his "friends" were in battle. Yeah, right, she snorted. You weren't friends with anyone until you'd spent a day bathing together in other people's blood. Or if you fucked the whole day. Any one worked.
He might think that he understood war. Might think that he knew what he was dealing with. But the truth was, you never really knew unless you experienced the fighting for yourself.
But his determination had shone through, and, a little irritably, the boy had grown on her. Just a little. Like a mold. He had a passion for learning, and didn't give up easily. Haori had to appreciate that kind of grit, even in a stupid little brat. Most would just give in and start crying after the first aches started up. But this one was special. He had potential.
That was also the reason why she had decided to do what she was doing now.
Yesterday had been a wonderful day. Haori had beat the kid into the ground in the morning, got the casts off and the uniform back on in the afternoon, and had her first actual mission in a long time in the evening. Being able to stand and move freely after months of confinement was orgasmic.
That mission, unfortunately, was more babysitting. And it was the same kid. She was starting to like the kid, true, but that didn't mean the Sandaime had to take every chance to stick them together. Someday, she was going to park her foot up the ass of the Chuunin that kept sticking her with "babysitting Sakusen" missions.
But when the kid had gotten home, his face reminded her of someone out to kill. That sort of determination always interested her. When she'd clambered into the vents of the Hokage's Residence to do some spying (those small vents were not made for people with hips like hers), she was disappointed to find that he was researching the Uchiha. Haori had expected a little more from her student. Not even a scroll on how to kill someone with your pinkies, but a scroll on the Uchiha? They were boring as fuck. Why the hell did he want to know about the Sharingan?
What he did next really piqued her interest. He'd found, with impressive speed, the squad that Uchiha Fugaku was heading out on. And that jogged her memory to recall some of the gossip that she'd heard around the ANBU lounge. Fugaku is taking his son to see the war, someone had said. She'd smirked then, a slow, sadistic twist of the lips. So the boy wanted to experience war, did he? He was probably jealous of his friend. They hung out together frequently, so it made sense. She would judge him based on his effort to tag along, and would decide then.
This time, she was not disappointed. He might have been a stupid little brat, but he was a smart stupid little brat. If that made sense. Sakusen had drawn plan after plan, and his final one was a decent try, if she said so herself. Not bad, but not too good either. She expected much less, so she was pleasantly surprised at the amount of thought that a four-year-old had put into escaping his village security. That all-nighter was something else too. Kudos to him.
Presently, he was clutched in her arms against her chest almost protectively, still frozen up with fear. How cute.
"Now, now," Haori purred, "Surely, you weren't thinking of escaping here to follow the Uchiha and go see the fights for yourself, were you?"
A fire suddenly lit in the boy's eyes, and she watched, amused, as he connected the last of the dots.
"You! You were the guard last night! I remember your chakra! But... you were up on the roof. How did you know?"
She threw her head back and laughed.
"You haven't heard of Shadow Clones? I made one to act as me on the roof, then I suppressed my own and watched you. I must say, I'm impressed with you. You've done so welllll," she crooned, pinching his cheeks.
He drew back, a stubborn pout on his lips.
"So you told the ANBU not to delay me this morning, either. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm still going, and you can't stop me."
That was quite a leap of logic he made, but correct nonetheless. Except for his last bit.
"You're mistaken. I'm not going to stop you. I'm here to escort you."
She watched as the confusion set on his face, and smirked.
"You weren't thinking that I would let you go on this alone, would you? First though, we should get our stories straight. You escaped out of the village, then I ran off in pursuit, but was too late. You already made it to the battlefield. And it's not like I'll get in trouble, either! I'm not the assigned guard for you today, so I have no responsibility for you at all," she said in a sing-song tone.
"Alright!" Sakusen cheered, and she blinked a little at the complete 180 he'd just done. My my, he was much too trusting. What if she was leading him into a trap? He still was a stupid little kid.
After whispering her plan to him, she sauntered out from between the buildings to the gate guards' booth. They noticeably stiffened up at the sight of her. Gekko Haori was on par with Inuzuka Tsume in her sadistic tendencies, and it was common knowledge.
"So, boysss," she said with a husky purr, drawing out the last word. "How's your day been? Must be boring, with nothing exciting happening around here." She bent over the desk at the word exciting, leering at the petrified guards who were eyeing her now-exposed ample cleavage.
Sakusen wrinkled his nose. Sensei was so weird sometimes. Scratch that, all the time. But he had to admit, there was something hypnotizing of the view he was getting of her swaying behind. Shaking his head, he bolted through the gate while the guards' attention was diverted. That was easy.
A minute later, he was joined by his sensei mid-tree jump. "What did you do to them?" he asked in a slightly disturbed tone. Images of torture filled his head, but to his surprise Haori-sensei simply shook her head and winked cheekily at him.
"You'll understand when you're older. You know where to go, right?"
Oh yeah, his map. He brought it out from his pocket, tracing the trail.
"It says we follow this trail for a mile, then switch to the next."
"Then let's do that."
Sakusen was quiet for a moment, before opening his mouth again.
"Hey sensei... thanks for helping me sneak out."
Haori laughed, this time without any humor.
"Don't thank me, kid. I'm doing this for you, but whatever you do, don't ever thank me for this."
It's because I care for you now that I'm doing this. No doubt, you'll be traumatized. You'll hate me like the piece of shit I am for doing this to you. But I know this. If you can carry on, you will be stronger than you could ever dream. And that strength will keep you alive, at least for now. Stay alive. I don't need more deaths on my hands.
I really enjoy writing Haori, mostly because she reminds me a little of Xin from Shades of Cool by TeeBeMee. Psychotic but still lovable. It's also more fun to write a character with a character that's a little crazy. I felt a little more satisfied with this chapter. Idk why, it feels the same as the last one, but I just feel more accomplished with it. Anyways, next up is obviously the battle. Your guess as to who's going to be in it. As always, Please Review this story! I like to hear what y'all think about my (slightly terrible) writing. Feedback is appreciated.