Chapter 22: Fuck My Luck!
You know things are bad when you get home from a mission your Godaime Hokage has given you, only to be told to literally fly towards the Valley of the End and save whatever Konoha shinobi is fighting. Not only that, but you know it's pretty damn bad when your country has to ask another ally country to use their shinobi to save their own people. I scour the land below me, finding Saiai helping a wounded Choji- he looks horrible; better go faster. As I go along further, I find Nikun helping Neji, whom isn't at all in the best shape either. Neji? In bad shape? I bite my lip hard, ignoring the blood that dribbles from my lower lip as a result, and push myself all the faster again. I stop, looking down at what I see. A bleeding Kiba carrying Akamaru away from two...Monsters. That's what they look like. Monsters. I snarl. How dare they hurt my fellow Konoha shinobi! My wings furl, and I dive like a bird of prey. I land much harder than I normally would, but I don't really give a fuck. When the dust I managed to kick up clears, I stand in a small crater with my wings spread to their fullest to block the two monsters from getting to Kiba and Akamaru.
"Don't move," I tell Kiba, looking back at him, quickly assessing the damage done to him. Stabbed in the stomach by the looks of things. Shit. That's not good at all.
"C-Cross-sensei?!" The boy sputters out through a mouth full of blood.
"Hush".
"What's this? Someone trying to protect the punk? Move aside so we kill them!" One monster demands. He has red skin, a face like I've seen festival demon masks look like, white hair and a single horn to go with dark eyes.
The other monster looks exactly the same as the first, though he moves forward as though he's intimidating. "No worries. We'll just kill this bitch and let the brat bleed out along the way".
I growl, "I'm sorry, I have no time to wait for you two to figure out what you're going to do". If I wait, Kiba's gonna bleed out. My hands that currently have sheathed claws fly through a set of handsigns that only I know. I look over my shoulder, "Kiba. How are you holding up?"
"I...Don't think I'll be able to help," Kiba tells me, "But I'll try". He begins to stumble forward, hand to his gut.
"No. You stay where you are. Think you can keep your blood in you a little more?" I get a weary nod as my hands hold the single sign. "Good. Daishi no Fuin: Kai". I shut my eyes as suddenly my body feels very light, and my heart begins to beat rapidly before just as quickly calming down. A large wave of gold colored chakra is released from my person, and my body shivers with power. The wave of chakra smashes into the enemy, knocking them back mercilessly. My hands then speed through another set of- a total of 67- handsigns, stopping on bird. "Aoikassai: Kindan no Kassai: Jigoku Dai Nana Jigoku Wa!" As though directing for a large group of people to stand, my hands raise from below my belt- so to speak- to high above my head. What follows my command and my concentrated chakra is not blue fire. No no. Instead, it is white fire. White and hot as the sun's core. When the white fire wall is risen, I feel my hands begin to burn- a side effect of this jutsu and any like it- and as though pushing an actual wall, I step forward and push with my hands, grunt included. The two monsters have no chance, the fire raging forward like a tsunami. I don't have to look their way to know that they're dead. Anything that touches that fire...Is deemed dead. I turn, faster than I'm used to moving, and look to an utterly amazed Kiba Inuzuka. I smile, "That's my strongest jutsu right there S-ranked. I had no time to fight them; you need immediate care". It's with that said, I know I disappear from his vision before suddenly appearing in the sky with him in my arms and being held bridal style; my tail is around Akamaru in some sort of harness hold. My wings push, and my world swims with tunnel vision. I push harder, eyes set on the village ahead of us. When we land, I dig my heels into the ground, only to hear a snapping sound that makes my eyes widen. I look behind me to find that in stopping, I created a small crater in the ground, bigger than when I landed in front of Kiba, but not significantly large, and in that crater are two...kunai. I look down to my feet. Ahh shit, they broke! I'll have to get them fixed later. With the fast movements that this state allows me, I rush into the hospital and demand. "Medic!" We are rushed, and Kiba and Akamaru are taken from my hold. I turn to leave.
"Cross. Where are you going?"
"Before I landed, I saw fighting at the Valley of the End. I'm going there," I turn and tell the doctor that spoke up. The very man that was the first to discover my lack of being human. Kurogo Kyuzo; a doctor of exceptional skill. "You won't stop me, Kurogo-sensei," I tell him lightly before leaving the building. As I take off one more time, I pant, feeling sweat drip down my forehead and fly behind me in the wind. Tunnel vision consumes me again as I travel for a single destination. My face twitches shortly into a snarl, and my body shivers before a feral growl rips from my lips. I cover my mouth with a hand that has claws that were unsheathed without my say so. Another feral growl comes from me again, but this time it's muffled by my hand. Shiiiiiit. As my tunnel visioned eyes find the Valley of the End, they also find four familiar figures. My wings furl to my back, and my body flies towards the earth like a bullet. Seconds before I crash into the ground, my wings flare out and I land heavily, just like I did the last two times. Itachi and Kakashi stop in their tracks. On their backs are Sasuke and Naruto respectively.
"...Cross...?" Kakashi questions, seemingly unsure about who I am.
"Cross. What are you doing here?" Itachi seems more aware of what I did.
My hands fly through unknown- to them- handsigns before one slams onto my chest. "Daishi no Fuin: Chikai". My body shudders as though going through a seizure before a shuddering gasp comes from my lips. And then a sudden wave of exhaustion rushes over me. I shake my head before picking myself up from the slumped position it apparently put itself into. "I saw the explosions. What happened?"
"Sasuke tried to defect," Itachi states, looking over his shoulder to his brother's form. Is that a broken jaw I see? Did Itachi do that? "Naruto stopped him with the help of some of his friends. Kakashi and I were sent out here to get them as soon as we stepped into the village from missions of our own".
"Naruto stopped him?" My brows shoot up into my hair line. Naruto broke Sasuke's jaw...Shit.
Naruto looks to me me from Kakashi's back, blue eyes bleary and tired. "I had to break nearly every bone in his body," he tells me, making my jaw drop.
"And your bones?"
"Okay". He tells me with a proud smile. I return the smile and gently ruffle his blond hair.
"That's my student," I praise, genuinely happy that he actually succeeded in doing such a thing. Proud is probably a better term. I look to Sasuke's battered form, "Why'd he defect?"
"Revenge is my best guess," Itachi sighs and turns his eyes forward, determined not to let his eyes stray to the battered boy on his back.
I sigh. "Damn it. The brat is really determined, huh?" I scoff and look to Itachi next time, "Next time he even so much as thinks about revenge, you should turn his brain into temporary mush".
Itachi raises a single black brow, "You think that would be helpful?"
"You're right," I sigh, "...What about when his brain isn't mush?" I get a look from the older Uchiha and hold up my hands innocently. "Sorry, just trying to lighten things up a bit". And it's not just for you, either. For the rest of the time that we walk, we're silent, myself in between the boys even up until we get to the gates of Konoha. The guards don't bother to stop us, and we continue on with getting to the hospital. While Tsunade takes Naruto, it's Shizune- Tsunade's right hand woman as well as student- that takes Sasuke. After all, it looks like it's just a body of broken bones for him.
The next day finds me in Naruto's room, the boy bandaged from head to toe but as wide awake as ever. Having just entered, I'm surprised to see him in the condition he's currently in. Able to sit up and move almost normally. "Morning Naruto," I greet with a pleasant grin.
"Cross-sensei!" The boy greets with an award winning smile, making me chuckle slightly. He tilts his head, and gingerly moves his torso to the side a bit in an attempt to see what's in my hand behind my back. However, the wing on that side spreads to block his view. The result is a pout. "Cross-sense. What do you have behind your back?"
I grin and demand, "Close your eyes". He continues to stare at me and I sigh, my body slumping over dramatically. "Come on Naruto. I'm not going to kill you or anything. You know that. Just close your eyes real quick. I promise it's something you'll love". It's at this statement that he actually listens to me this time. "Hold out your hands". I only get one hand. I guess the other one was hurt worse than the other. Silently as I can, I remove the object and place it into his hand, standing at his bed side. "Okay, you can open your eyes".
Blue orbs lock onto the object I've placed into his hold, "A scroll...?"
"Open up it up and smear some of your blood on it then concentrate some chakra into the scroll," I direct. He looks at me as though I were asking him to stand on one hand right now. But still, he does as told. The result is a large poof, and smoke surrounds us. When it's gone, the boy's eyes are wide. And excited.
"Ramen! Loads and loads of ramen!" He cheers happily. Stacked neatly and with wooden boards between each bowl that's stacked on to is bow after bowl of Ichikaru's ramen. I smile at the absolutely delighted look on the boy's face as he looks to me. "How did you get so much?"
"I'm back in the Anbu Corps. We lost a lot of men and women during the surprise invasion by Otogakure and Suna. So my pay's gone up. Paying for this much ramen is nothing for an Anbu Captain such as myself".
"You're an Anbu Captain?!" Naruto questions, already reaching forward for a bowl, snapping apart the chopsticks and saying a quick thanks before eating. "I thought you were a normal Anbu!"
"Not any more I'm not. Sarutobi-sama let me turn the position down; Tsunade-sama isn't quite as kind," I tell him. "So...I guess you could say that this is also a 'goodbye' present as well".
The boy stops eating, putting down the chopsticks as the bowl has been resting in his lap. "What do you mean, 'goodbye'? You're not leaving the village for a really long time again...Are you?" The look on his face says 'you better not be'.
"No Naruto. I'm not leaving for a very long time like last time. I'm just...Not your teacher any more. Other than begging Sarutobi-sama to be able to, I wasn't there just to teach you with Kakashi. I was there to help make sure that you didn't go out of control while Kakashi focused on helping Itachi keep Sasuke from going down the wrong path".
Naruto questions, "How were you supposed to do that? Are you secretly a seal expert like Ero-senin?" Ero-senin? Who...Oh. Pft. Jiraiya. He's the only one who fits such a title.
"No. I'm no seal expert. However, for whatever reason my chakra and the Kyubbi's resonate well together. Meaning that my chakra makes the fox's calm. I think he likes me," I chuckle a bit at the end.
"How do you know?" Naruto questions.
"Well...Are there ever some things that you remember feeling, but don't remember when you first felt them? Like complete and unadulterated fear or rage?" I question.
"...Yea," Naruto tells me.
"The fox has taken control of your body before when you felt those things and you've lashed out at the villagers before. I think it was your fifth birthday...They were coming after you and I was coming home from a mission. I found you, and in order to scare the villagers further away from you when they were trying harder to get to you when you were lashing out at them, I let out a burst of chakra. Nothing big. They did run away...But...You also calmed down. After that we did a few tests and well...Here we are". Simple explanation to complex thing is simple.
"Oh...," the boy trails off.
"Listen," I tell Naruto as I step forward and place a hand gently on his head. "I'm glad I found you that day; it changed my life for the better. And it made things more interesting". I pause and place a feather light kiss on the side of his face, "I promised Itachi that I would go visit Sasuke, and then I have that over due date with Kakashi that I have to get ready for. I'll come back tomorrow with more ramen if you like".
The boy beams to me and nods. "I'd love that!"
I laugh a bit before closing the hospital room door behind me, "Deal," I tell him, and close the door fully. Simply for the safety of the two boys, not knowing how they would be towards one another when they woke up, Sasuke's room is on the other side of the building. I make my way through the hallway, my white kunai heeled sandals clicking against the tile. That's right. I'm wearing my white outfit today. On account that yesterday the kunai on my black heeled sandals broke and they're currently at a blacksmith's to get fixed. Cost me just about an arm to get the guy to agree to doing it, but I was willing to pay the amount he demanded; those are some good sandals damn it. So still, here I am in white clothing rather than my usual black. I knock on the door lightly before entering, finding the room empty save for Sasuke whom is...Surprisingly awake. "Hey," I gently greet, sliding the door closed behind me.
"Hey," his jaw moves slowly, gingerly as though he's afraid to re-break.
I sigh and pull the chair next to the bed forward, swinging it on its front two legs as to spin it around so that I can straddle it and over all sit on it backwards. My arms rest on its back and my chin on my arms as I look down on him. "Looks like Shizune did good in mending the bones," as a student of Tsunade's should be able to do with little trouble.
"Yea," he agrees, "She fixed the bones completely, but the pain is still there". Oh. So that's why he's immobile. "How's Naruto?"
I shrug lightly, "He's okay, moving around better than yourself but okay. You did quite the number on each other. He broke just about every bone in your body, and you practically ripped his heart out with a Chidori- failed to and gave him a good bit of internal bleeding instead, but still".
There is silence and then, "Aren't you going to yell at me? No one's been yelling at me for being stupid or selfish or anything like that".
"Sasuke," I shuffle a bit in my seat, "You have to understand...All of those who haven't yelled at you...Most of us understand where you're coming from. We'll start with Tsunade-sama first. She lost not only her brother, but the love of her life to the enemy during those times. Don't you think she'd want revenge of some sort? Sure she would. But instead of thinking on that, she just thought on how she couldn't heal her lover or brother. That sent her down a different wrong path, but it didn't leave her with nothing. There's Kakashi. During the Third Shinobi War, the enemy killed his friend whom ended up giving him that Sharingan eye of his. I'm sure he wanted revenge at some point. And yet all he focused on was the fact that he failed to protect his friends. Itachi? He's in the exact same boat as you. He lost his entire family save his only brother to one man who took them all down in a single night. You thought you had it bad? He would have been able to at least hold his ground long enough for back up to come along, and yet he was away on a mission, where he couldn't do his duty to his family. What about Naruto? You know what he is now and just why he's so hated within the village. He of all people deserves revenge. Yet here he is, a shinobi whose job is to protect the very people that hate him. And while my reasons are minor compared to his, I'm in that group too. I was created in a tube, Sasuke, a damn tube. I have no blood family. I have no life prior to that tube. I would give anything to kill Orochimaru if I could. But for one, I'm a bit too weak. And two, I'm not gonna go hunting for him. Revenge is a path that brings you nothing in the end". The boy is silent. "Tell me kiddo," I prompt, "What pushed you over the edge?" There's a mumbling from his mouth. I know his jaw hurts, but he was talking just fine a second ago. "I'm sorry? Try that again". More mumbling, not much louder than the first time. "Sasuke, really? Out with it man!"
"I wanted to get stronger so that I could prove myself to you!" He finally lets out.
I blink once...Twice...Three times before opening my jaws for a reaction, "What?"
The Uchiha scoffs and lets out a long huff, "I...Like you alright? I've liked you ever since you protected me from him. I've always thought you were beautiful and strong and just over all perfect ever since that day. I trained as hard as I could so I could get closer to you in power and protect you instead of the other way around. This place didn't make me stronger fast enough. And Orochimaru promised to make me strong enough to protect you and take him down". Another one...? Really? You gotta be fucking kidding me. This is seriously getting annoying.
I blanch, "Oh...Um. Thank you, Sasuke, that's rather flattering but...You do know I'm eight years older than you, right? By the time you turned ten, I was already drinking and having a good old time with Kakashi and Asuma and the others".
"Yea, but your body doesn't age...You could wait for me," Sasuke insists. "Wait for me, and I'll show you how much you mean to me".
I blink twice, and then sigh. "I'll tell you what, Sasuke. You stay here in this village, where if you work hard you're sure to get stronger- and here you can get taught Uchiha clan jutsus by Itachi- and higher in rank. If in three years you're able to fight on par with me, and I'm still single, I'll go out with you. I'll date you in other words and we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend. It won't be too weird I guess since like you said, my body doesn't age".
This seems to get Sasuke to give me all of his attention. Every single drop of it, "What if you do have a boyfriend?"
"Then...Well I don't know. I'll...I'll leave him for you. How's that sound? And if he protests to the deal I make with you today...Then you can fight him. If you win, I go with you. If he wins, I go with him. Deal?" I would never really leave my boyfriend- if I had one- for Sasuke, but the boy needs more than just the potential for power gained from this village to hold on to and keep him in here. He needs a lover or a potential lover. Someone to hold on to other than family that'll keep him here. I'm willing to play the part if need be. It just so happens that indeed it's needed for me to do so. The boy is silent for a good five minutes. And for that time, I think that he's going to turn down my suggestion.
But then...Oh then...He decides to demand something that I never thought he'd demand. "We'll seal the deal with a kiss when I'm out of the hospital".
I blink twice, brows shooting up passed my hair line in surprise, "I-I'm sorry? A-A kiss?" I haven't had my first one yet! Damn it! I refuse to give it to a kid who I'm only going to play pretend for. That sounds dark and mean, but you try playing the anchor for an Uchiha bent on revenge and tell me how willing you are to give him your first kiss. "How about a handshake? That's how most deals are sealed you know".
Sasuke makes a confirming sound. "This isn't like most deals. I want a kiss. Nothing less". His words are as deadpan as usual, though his voice isn't droning as it normally is. While it's mostly droning, there's a bit of...Want in the tone? I'm not sure. "It's either that or no deal".
I bite my lip on the inside and ponder for a moment. He's bound to get over the pain in three days at least. That gives me three days to get over the fact that I'll be giving my first kiss to a thirteen year old revenge bound, me-obsessed, Uchiha boy. "Alright," I tell him after a silent moment or two. "We'll seal the deal then". Damn it all. I offer him a smile even though I'm freaking out in my mind. "Until then...You focus on healing. Alright?" He nods and I widen my smile. "Atta boy. I'll come visit you when I can- Anbu duties and all. If nothing else, next time we see one another...We'll seal the deal then". I stand, spinning the chair back to its proper position, and offer him one more smile and a nod in farewell before exiting the room. I manage to keep my cool until I'm out of the building. And then, "Shit! Shit shit shit shit sssshhhit!" I take off into the sky, and fly my way at top speed for Hokage Tower. When I get there, I don't bother to go for the front door, and I barely stop to open the window and make my way into the room.
"What the hell?!" Is Tsunade-sama's demand as I make my way into the room. When she finds that it's me, she glares, "Do you really have to fly into the room literally?" She motions to the papers I've scattered from her desk angrily.
"Sorry ma'am," I tell her before beginning to swiftly picking up the papers. "What's the psychosis on Sasuke?" I question quickly as I work.
"The psychosis on Sasuke...? Nothing worthy of major notice when you take away the revenge part out. With the revenge part, he's not completely sane but that also isn't something major enough for him to need medication to keep himself stable. Why? Is something wrong with him?"
"Ohhhh I don't know," I tell her as I slap the last of the papers on her desk in a messy pile. "How about the fact that he has a hero complex the size of the god damn continent?!"
"A...Hero complex you say?" Tsunade raises a brow. "And who might this hero be?"
"Me! I emphasize. When Tobi attacked the Uchihas- tell me you know about that-," I get a nod, "Good. Anyways, when Tobi attacked, I think I got to him a bit late because he was dead to the world after I finally got away from Tobi and got Sasuke to the hospital. And when I came back around Sasuke's graduation, I talked to Itachi to see how the boy was doing. He said Sasuke didn't remember anyone named Cross saving him, but instead an angel of all things saved him. That's all he referred to me as- 'my angel'. Don't you think that's a little note worthy?!"
"Yes but that-," Tsunade tries.
"I went to visit him today, after I went to go see Naruto. I managed to get the truth out of him as to why he tried to defect. You wanna know what he told me? These are his exact words: 'I wanted to get stronger so that I could prove myself to you'. Not Itachi, not Kakashi and definitely not Naruto. Not just so he could get revenge on Tobi, either. Who the hell did the brain scan on this kid? They did it wrong because apparently they missed the little tidbits I got". Tidbits my ass. More like huge ass chunks.
Tsunade sighs before rolling her fingers over her temples, resting her elbows on the desk before her as she does so, "And what would you like me to do about it? Give him medicine? I would, but I'd have to assess your words myself. If he did end up needing medicine, then it's not like he would actually take it. People who don't realize that their mental state isn't as stable as they think it is don't take well to being told such news. Therefore they revolt and don't do as their told. The best I can do is reassess him and go from there. Is that all you needed?"
I sigh myself before my shoulders slump. Why does something tell me that the reassessment isn't going to go as I want it to? "Yes ma'am. Sorry for barging in like I did". I bow before walking to the window and jumping out with a flourish of my wings.
"God damn it Cross!" I hear after me. I think I might have sent her papers flying again by accident. Oops.