A/N: Hello all.
I'm so so sorry for how long this chapter took to get up. There's been a lot going on with my life these past few years and it made it very difficult to do anything more than jot down a sentence or two in between all the commotion.
To give a tiny tidbit, I've moved to three different states, had a baby, and finished school. I'm now at a point in my life where things are finally stable and where I'll hopefully be able to put more time into writing this fic; but as always, I will say that real life must come first. I will however, promise you guys that I will not give up on this fic or any of my other WIPs. I may update at a snail's pace, but be sure that I won't ever abandon these fics. They're too much of a part of me to want to.
A great big thank you for all the wonderful people who favorited and reviewed. Despite not having been updated in a while, I still get emails from saying that you guys are enjoying the story. For that I thank you, because you are the ones that make me want to keep going when it would be so easy to just stop.
I hope you enjoy the chapter. Chapter 12 will hopefully come soon to follow.
As always, please leave me your thoughts.
xx LCF
Storm
Chapter 11: Telltale Heart, Pt. I
Sakura's lungs burned.
Her limbs were heavy from the ice-cold water, and she couldn't feel her fingers—but she pressed on. Her gaze settled frequently on Juugo and Sasuke's silhouettes as the three fought the current of the river where they awaited Suigetsu's signal.
The small ship they had targeted to sneak into Waterfall had been right on schedule, and should have been easy for Suigetsu to smuggle himself onto. No one was going to suspect a puddle on deck—especially in this part of the river where the water became quite turbulent. It would be 'No problem'; or so the former Mist-nin had said.
After what seemed to be forever, Sakura could see the bilge of the ship as it navigated around the bend of the river. One look at Sasuke was enough to confirm her suspicions. She took off, her arms slicing through the water as she approached the vessel and quickly made towards its right side. Sakura broke through the surface as it cut smoothly through the water and trailed for a moment, allowing the majority of the ship to pass her by before approaching the stern. Once she got close enough, she caught one of the lower rings of the safety rails.
"You look like a washed-up kitten, Kitten." came Suigetsu's amused voice. Sakura looked up to find the white-haired male leaning over the rail.
"Ha-ha." She replied dryly before accepting the beefed-up arm he extended. He hoisted her up easily and set her down silently on deck. Sakura stopped short when she caught sight of the four crewmembers gagged and bound before them. She rounded on Suigetsu immediately.
"The point is to sneak in, not alert Waterfall's military force to our presence. What kind of attention do you think four captives will bring?"
Suigetsu gave her a toothy grin as his hand began to return to its original size. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Don't worry your pretty little head over it. I know what I'm doin'."
Sakura rolled her eyes exasperatedly before she removed her vest and wrung out the excess water. "Well then, what are we going to do?"
Suigetsu eyed her mesh top appreciatively. "The boat doesn't have any passengers, so it's just the crew—which is sizable. These four I snagged are pretty low on the food chain and shouldn't be missed. I doubt if the captain even knows who they are."
Sakura was far from convinced and told him as much.
"We continue the plan as discussed," Sasuke interrupted, dark eyes taking in the apprehension on Sakura's face. "Once we've docked we'll need to go our separate ways. I'll have a summons find the three of you and lead you to where I am once the coast is clear."
"Easy enough." Sakura said as she put her damp vest back on. She ran her hands through familiar seals and took the form of one of the men, a young man with thick brown hair and hazel eyes. The rest of Taka followed suit, but before they went to join the crew, Suigetsu lugged the crewmember whose appearance Sakura had taken over his shoulder and made his way to the guard rail.
"Sorry pal, but we got shit that's gotta get done." He said semi-apologetically before he dumped the bound body overboard. The other three quickly followed.
When the ex-Mist turned around he was met with Sakura's disapproving glare. "What?"
Sakura frowned severely before heading towards the main deck without another word, leaving Suigetsu confused by her sudden mood swing. He blinked at the other two.
"What's her deal?"
Juugo merely shook his head before he followed Sasuke's lead, leaving Suigetsu confused and stringing curses together as he made his way after them.
Once Sakura and the rest of Taka assimilated with the crew, it didn't take long for the ship to reach Waterfall's entrance.
All personnel on the vessel aside from the captain and his second and third in command had been called to stand on deck for a headcount before they passed through the gargantuan waterfall that hid the main entrance to the village. Apparently travel and trade regulations had previously been more lax, but security had quintupled in the last six months.
It hadn't taken long for Sakura to figure out why.
After taking a deliberate wrong turn on her way from her post (which she deduced to be the boiler room from the look of the thick layer of soot that covered the young man's body and clothes before he'd been dumped into the water), Sakura had made her way to the cargo area and quickly snooped around before she'd found some shipments that were going inbound to Waterfall. A lot of the invoices attached to the cargo were said to contain medical supplies, weaponry, and gear for the Alliance. The fact that much-needed supplies were being sent into Waterfall and not the frontlines all but confirmed that Danzou was there.
Sakura had tucked away the information as she soon made her way topside. As she joined the rest of the crew on deck, she stealthily focused her chakra and picked up on Sasuke, Juugo, and Suigetsu's signatures. They were all scattered along the large deck, and Sakura made it a point to not look in anyone's direction. She didn't know what the men they were impersonating were like—or if they knew each other even existed—so she figured it best to not tempt fate by having them act anymore out of the ordinary than they already were.
As the captain came around, quickly doing a headcount of all the men, he barked out instructions to prepare for docking. They were dismissed once the assembly was completed, and Sakura dutifully followed her 'shipmates' back to the boiler room and used her chakra-enhanced strength to shovel in heaping mounds of coal into the engine's fire.
It didn't take long for them to finally dock, and after the hustle and bustle of arriving to port (her crew was one of the last to be dismissed); she found herself walking out onto the docks late in the evening.
Making sure she wasn't followed or seen, Sakura ducked into a deserted alleyway and hid inside an alcove. Double checking that she was truly alone, she released the henge but retained the brown hair before taking her traveling cloak out of her pack and settling it over her shoulders.
She almost screamed when she felt something slither up her leg.
Goosebumps erupted on her skin and revulsion churned her stomach as she felt the small serpent quickly make its way up to her shoulders. Once perched on her shoulder, the snake relayed its message.
"Sasuke-sama has found a safe place for your team to convene. I shall be your guide."
"Alright," Sakura muttered stiffly as she turned the corner and blended into a bustling street per the snake's instructions.
It didn't take long to reach the inn. It was situated four blocks from where she'd hidden. Rundown and close to the water, it was in the seedier part of Waterfall's docks but it served well for their purposes. No one questioned her when she entered the establishment and walked past the front desk and up the stairs to the room where Sasuke waited on the second floor. "Sasuke-sama is in room two thirty-four." The snake hissed quietly.
Sakura murmured her thanks as she came to a stop before the room in question. The snake disappeared from her shoulder with a soft puff of smoke as she entered.
The interior of the room was as dingy as the rest of the inn. Sasuke and Juugo were already there, seated in the living area. Sasuke's weapons littered the ground as he cleaned and sharpened his blade and kunai. Juugo was occupying himself by making more of the paste he'd used on Sakura when she first woke in the cave several weeks ago.
Both men cast her a sparing glance as she trudged further into the room.
Suddenly feeling grimy and lethargic, Sakura removed her shoes and dropped her knapsack by a couch that had seen better days. She dug through it for a moment, looking for the last of her clean clothes. When she fished them out, she turned towards where she assumed the bathroom would be.
"I'm going to shower," she called over her shoulder before she entered, not bothering to wait for a response.
Standing inside the locked bathroom, Sakura quickly took off her dirty clothes and started up the shower. Steam slowly filled the air as the scalding water beat against her naked skin. Picking up the small bottles of shampoo the inn provided, Sakura worked it up to a thick lather in her hair. The bar of ivory soap quickly followed—leaving a trail of bubbles over the grimy film on her skin that she scrubbed at until she was pink and tender. Despite her discomfort, it was wonderful to have her first real shower in a long while.
After fifteen more minutes of standing beneath the spray of hot water, Sakura finally shut it off and stepped out. Making her way over to the sink, she wiped the steam from the tiny mirror and examined her reflection; a habit she hadn't actively indulged in for some time. The young woman that looked back at her was so different from the one she'd been before going on the run.
In the beginning, Sakura hadn't been keen on looking at her reflection too closely in those early days following her self-imposed banishment. Those first few weeks had been the most difficult; she was constantly tired and skittish—something that was apparent in the terse hunch of her shoulders and the tension in her eyes.
Looking at herself now, though, was like seeing a completely different person. Someone closer to the girl she had been prior to her confrontation that led her to leave her loved ones behind.
She stood with her shoulders squared once again, and though the tension in her expression had not disappeared, the last of the baby fat had. Sakura was exceptionally lean now, a combination of her lifestyle and lack of steady nutrition. Her cheekbones were sharper, and she'd filled out just a bit more in the last two years or so—a late bloomer. Her curves were still subtle, but she was a far cry from the boyish figure she'd sported when she was in her early teens. A wry smile curved her lips as she recalled the dismay of her younger self when she (and the remaining boys from the Rookie Nine) first took note of Ino and Hinata's rapidly developing bodies.
No, she thought with mild amusement as green eyes swept over her reflection that displayed the soft mounds of her modest breasts, the cinch of her waist, and the subtle flare of her hips. Definitely no longer a child.
With that thought in mind, Sakura quickly dried herself off with the scratchy towel the inn provided and put on a pair of clean shorts and tank top after binding her breasts. She braided her hair over her shoulder once she combed through the tangles before rejoining the others.
As she stepped back out into the hallway, the smell of food filled her nose and made her stomach growl. Padding down the hall, Sakura saw that Suigetsu had arrived and had apparently brought food for them. The remaining three-fourths of Taka sat in the living area, all the weapons gone and in their place empty cartons. Sakura spied a closed one off to Sasuke's right.
"Took you long enough," Suigetsu piped up as he stood to throw his empty container away.
Sakura smirked, her good mood from her shower allowing her to temporarily forget her earlier ire at his actions on the boat. "Not my fault you didn't get here first."
The white-haired nin merely frowned. "Hey, I'm the one that brought food."
Sakura waved the sentiment away as he trudged off in the direction of the bathroom. Walking over to where the promise of food sat, Sakura took a seat on the ground, nestled between Sasuke and Juugo. Pulling apart the disposable chopsticks, she opened the container and dove straight for the grilled fish. Leaning back so she sat against the wall, Sakura let out a pleased sigh as she ate her meal. Juugo smiled softly before setting her water canteen beside her.
"Thank you," Sakura grinned as she took a sip.
"You're in a good mood," the giant quietly observed.
"Having a hot shower does that for me." Sakura quipped before she turned her attention back to her meal. They ate in silence for a few minutes, with nothing but Sakura's quiet munching and the water rushing through the pipes in the bathroom to be heard.
Once she was finished, Sakura turned to Sasuke who sat on her other side. He'd already finished his meal and was currently looking over a scroll. Feeling her gaze on him, his dark eyes rose to meet hers.
"I'm certain Danzou is here." She began.
Dark brows pulled together as something sparked within the onyx depths of his eyes. Sakura quickly elaborated. "When we were still on the ship, I snooped around on my way out of the boiler room and found the cargo area. They had quite a bit of supplies coming into Waterfall. Supplies that were supposed to be sent out to the frontlines of the war. Unless Waterfall knows that one of their ships is carrying stolen goods, I think it's safe to deduce that Danzou's given the order to have some brought to where he might be—to keep his own men well-stocked."
"That would explain the squadron of Taki-nin that retrieved whatever cargo was there. My crew oversaw the deliverance of supplies to them." Juugo said.
"So he's here then. Question is, how are we supposed to find the old bastard?" Suigetsu drawled as he walked back into the living area shirtless, with a pair of pants riding low on his hips and rubbing a smaller towel through his wet hair. He tossed Sakura a saucy grin and arched a pale brow.
Sakura merely rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Sasuke.
"We investigate." The last Uchiha replied simply. "Then, we strike."
In the middle of a forest, shrouded from the moonlight, Kakashi's face was grim behind the mask that kept it hidden. He read and reread that contents of the scroll Sai had left in the designated rendezvous point.
Sai had seen Sakura and confirmed that she was indeed traveling with Sasuke and his band, though she seemed to be posing as his redheaded teammate. Which begged the question of where that other kunoichi was, and why was Sakura filling in for her?
The thought of Sakura joining an infamous missing-nin was concerning enough—she had to think about the political ramifications of such actions—but Sasuke had changed quite a bit since they were children. The Sasuke of the past and the Sasuke of the present were alarming in their differences.
Ever since Itachi's death and discovering the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke had gone off the deep end. And while Kakashi wished he could share Naruto's unwavering belief in his former student, he'd simply been around too long to have such blind faith in anyone anymore.
The tired captain took a deep breath before turning to head back to camp, unsure of how exactly he would divulge Sai's message to Naruto and worrying over the lone kunoichi of Team Kakashi.
Sakura, I hope you know what you're doing. For all our sakes.
A coy smile passed Sakura's lips as she tossed a platinum blond lock over her shoulder.
Icy baby blues narrowed when the man's eyes she was currently chatting up followed the trail it left. Dark eyes roved over her form once again, lingering obviously at the low neckline of the strapless bodycon mini dress she wore. Sakura wanted to roll her eyes, but instead forced her smile to turn coquettish as she crossed her legs expertly, flashing him plenty of thigh, before leaning towards him slightly under the guise of answering his rather uncouth question, and offering him a fantastic view of her breasts.
She'd been sitting with him at the bar for nearly an hour, though she and the rest of Taka had been observing him for far longer.
Once Sasuke had made his statement, Taka and Sakura had quickly assembled and began scoping out any possible leads. By Juugo's suggestion, they'd stuck to Waterfall shinobi as there was no way they'd be able to pry any information from Root members and it seemed unlikely that any civilian leadership would be able to point them in the right direction. So it had been nearly a day and a half of observing several Waterfall shinobi in the hopes of finding one that would lead them to another Root or perhaps Danzou himself. They'd lucked out near the communications tower where their hawks and falcons resided.
Juugo had managed to coax an inbound hawk into landing; and after reassuring the creature that he was not interested in the scroll it was carrying, it was able to give them a decent lead on Danzou. The large bird of prey had informed Juugo of the singular shinobi that personally dealt with any incoming messages that varied from the normal code interpreters worked on in communications.
That was all the confirmation Sasuke needed for them to make their next move.
Suigetsu had been left to keep an eye on the tower for any messages that would be relayed to a shinobi and was instructed to shadow the shinobi until he was able to gather his identity and shadow him throughout the course of the day. The former Mist-nin had done as asked and shadowed the shinobi for all of the following day, never coming across any of Root in the meantime, but still keeping an ear open for any plans the Waterfall shinobi might have had.
Which was how Sakura found herself in a skintight dress and ridiculously high shoes sitting at a civilian nightclub in one of Waterfall's more prodigious districts. The civilian girls here were flirty, sexy, and knew how to wrap a man—shinobi or not—around their fingers. They were damn good at it too. Which was why Sakura, despite her initial reservations, couldn't deny the kind of opportunity that was presented before them. And it wasn't as though she was a novice in this area; she had begun reading up on some of the basic tactics used for seduction missions with Tsunade-sama a few weeks prior to Pain's devastating attack, though her shishou had been adamant that she would not be sent out to any of these types of missions until she turned twenty, if she ever did at all.
Oh if Shishou could see me now. Sakura thought as she took a dainty sip of the fruity drink the Waterfall shinobi, who had introduced himself as Han, had ordered for her.
Han leaned forward then, eyes glazed over with lust and alcohol and suggested they move out to the dancefloor. Sakura acquiesced with a flirtatious grin and allowed herself to be led to the throng of people that bounced and gyrated to the music pulsing from the speakers. Once they'd reached somewhere near the middle of the dancefloor, Han pulled Sakura close and began dancing to the fast beat. Sakura had to keep her temper in check as his hand slid down her waist and cupped the curve of her ass. Stomping all murderous impulses down, the kunoichi instead giggled into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
She let him lead their dance, swaying her hips in what she hoped to be a seductive manner as they danced the night away. When a particularly raunchy song played, she turned in his arms and ground her hips back into his own. Instantly she felt the tell-tale sign of his arousal and swallowed the brief flash of disgust that flared through her. Instead, Sakura continued her dance, letting the shinobi run his hands along the sides of her waist and hips before he eventually turned her back around to face him.
Han's face was flushed with alcohol and desire and he wasted no time voicing his wants. He leaned in close and whispered all the things she made him want to do to her.
Bingo, Sakura thought as she shot him a sultry look and bit her lip teasingly. Han's eyes were glued to the appendage trapped between her teeth as Sakura closed the distance between them and whispered her suggestion into his ear. The nin didn't need to be told twice as he pulled them out of the crowd and towards the entrance of the nightclub.
She didn't miss the imperceptible nod one of the patrons gave her as she made her way out.
Once Sakura and her target were outside, she allowed herself to be led to what she assumed to be his place. Han had kicked the door closed as he turned to pull her into a kiss when he was stopped by a small hand pressed against his chest.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes taking all of her in, as though he couldn't quite believe she was there with him. Sakura then felt a small pang of sympathy for the man and what she was about to do.
"I'm sorry," Sakura said as she allowed him to wrap her up in his arms. "I just never do this. It's all a bit new for me."
Han met her gaze just as Sakura's fingers entwined themselves behind his neck, whatever words he meant to say died on his lips as her chakra flared unexpectedly and she delivered a charged hit to the back of his neck that sent him toppling forward, unconscious. Sakura caught the shinobi and eased him onto his couch before turning to open the front door where three signatures suddenly materialized.
"Took you guys long enough," she mumbled as Sasuke, Juugo, and Suigetsu entered the apartment.
"Don't be mad, Kitten. We couldn't help but enjoy the show a bit." Suigetsu smirked as Juugo handed Sakura the scroll that stored her gear. "By the way, that dress and those heels, make your legs look killer."
Sakura rolled her eyes at his lascivious grin before turning and making her way down the hall in hopes of finding a bathroom to change in. She made quick work of her clothes and immediately changed into a black nondescript outfit. Pulling the pin out of her faux-blond hair and afterwards pulling it into a high ponytail, a la Ino, Sakura left the bathroom and made her way back towards the living room where Sasuke was busy laying down a sort of barrier with interlocked genjutsu to the parameters of the house. Juugo and Suigetsu were busy strapping down the unconscious shinobi.
Sasuke turned to face her once he was finished, "Be prepared to revive him shortly. We'll only have a short span of time for me to trap him within the genjutsu."
Sakura nodded as she made her way back over to Han's prone form. On Sasuke's signal, the kunoichi's medical jutsu flared to life. A green-glowing hand settled over Han's forehead, gently coaxing him back into the land of the living just as Sasuke situated himself before him.
From her vantage point, Sakura couldn't see Han regaining consciousness, but she certainly felt him. The lull of his chakra flared to life quite forcefully, taking her by surprise and knocked her into the wall with a forceful burst. Caught off guard, Sakura's head ricocheted violently against the plaster wall before she fell to her knees.
Her vision swam for a moment before a painfully-familiar pinch hit the nerves on the back of her neck, sending her headlong into the darkness.
When Sakura regained consciousness, she found herself nestled in a futon in a room she didn't recognize. Sitting up gingerly, the kunoichi sent a wave of healing chakra to ease the throbbing in her skull. Once she caught her bearings, she realized that she wasn't alone in the dark room. Juugo sat nestled by her side like he had so many other times. Though where he'd normally regard her with a gentle smile or an offering from her canteen, there was only tension lining his shoulders.
"Sakura," Juugo said, his expression one of unending guilt. "Sasuke is gone."
"What happened?" she asked as she sat up. At Juugo's tense silence Sakura couldn't help the anxiety that crept into her voice. "Juugo, what did he do?"
"He killed Han and left with Suigetsu to Danzou's stronghold."
A pale hand covered her mouth as a shaky breath escaped her lips. She felt all-too-familiar pricks in the back of her eyes as her mind ran through every possible scenario. Each as dangerous and outlandish as the last, until finally Sakura could take no more and took a deep breath in the hopes of calming the bout of worry that had taken hold of her so completely.
"What happened? After Han's outburst of chakra knocked me out?"
Juugo looked grim, but gave a soft shake of the head. "Han's outburst didn't knock you out, Sasuke did. He knew that there would be little time. When Han unleashed his chakra like that, he not only tried incurring some damage, he was alerting all patrolling shinobi within the radius of his attack. After Sasuke subdued him, he knocked you out and told me to return with you to the inn and lay low until ordered otherwise.
I obeyed his wishes and returned with you, but not before he took Han's life."
Tears fell, unbidden, from Sakura's eyes when Juugo finished his tale. She wasn't quite sure of even why she was crying.
Was it because Sasuke had knocked her out, again? Left her behind, again? Or was it because of something more?
Something deeper?
She didn't want to know. She couldn't afford the luxury of knowing at this moment.
All Sakura could do right now is try to find Sasuke before any of the other shinobi could and make him see reason before withdrawing from Waterfall entirely. Forget their agreement, what he was doing was borderline suicidal and she would not stand for it.
Steeling her resolve, Sakura deftly got out of bed before scanning the room for her equipment.
"Sakura-san—" Juugo started, but was cut off by her raising her hand in impatience.
"No Juugo, I'm not going to sit idly by while he and Suigetsu go off and get themselves killed. We had a deal, that I'd be there as a medic if nothing else. He doesn't get to do this without me. I'm going and you won't stop me, even if I have to force you to."
The large man eyed the chakra she'd regulated to her hands warily, and wisely stepped aside, allowing her to exit the room. However just as she passed the threshold, his words froze her.
"Be careful, Sakura-san. They had allowed themselves to be taken into custody."
A/N: And there it is!
This chapter got to be a bit too long, so I had to split it into two. The good thing is that means that a good chunk of the next chapter is done, so it hopefully won't take too long to get out.
Thanks once again for reading, and please feel free to leave your thoughts!
xx LCF