I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
It Ends Tonight
"Well?" Konan demanded. "He's still sucking air!"
"Not for long," Pein assured her. "I have given Sasuke Uchiha some very subtle help, a dead assassin here, a sleeper agent to point him in the right direction there. He is now on the path to Danzo's location. I ordered Danzo to lure Sasuke to him to end him. I also sent Deidara after Sasuke so that he could give Sasuke the final push he needed to be strong enough to kill Danzo. Deidara was weaker. Sasuke will now know what to expect in terms of difficulty. Sasuke will send a letter to Naruto who will then take Itachi Uchiha to back up Sasuke. Together, the three of them will kill Danzo."
"And if they don't?" Konan questioned.
"Then you and Zetsu will kill him yourselves," Pein stated. "As it is, Zetsu will be taking you to watch the battle, carrying you inside of his shell. I promised you could watch his death and I will keep my word. However, after they finish Danzo, you are not to attempt to capture the Jinchuriki. We will go to Konoha personally for that."
"I don't care about him," Konan stated. "I want Danzo dead."
"What do you mean you don't care about the Jinchuriki that you will be less than a hundred feet from?" Pein questioned eyes narrowing.
"I'll be less than a hundred feet from Danzo," Konan stated. "And besides that, didn't Yahiko always preach peace? How is murdering countless people just to be able to murder nine Jinchuriki peace?"
"I know it doesn't seem to make sense some times, but you will understand," Pein stated. "In time. I will use the tailed beasts we have collected to bring peace to the world. Forever. But for now, it's time for you to leave."
Just then, Zetsu grew out of the ground and opened his shell. Konan gave Pein one last look, then stepped up next to Zetsu and he closed his shell, sinking back into the ground.
Sasuke stepped out of the house and Suigetsu looked up at him. For the last ten minutes, he had been listening to Karin beg and plead for Sasuke to love her back. Finally, he had told her to follow him and walked into the house. Then, it had been silent. Until now.
"So how was it?" Suigetsu questioned face devoid of emotion.
"We didn't have sex," Sasuke stated flatly making Jugo spit the water he had been trying to drink out of his mouth and nose.
"Then what did you want?" Suigetsu questioned.
"You're welcome," Sasuke stated smirking.
"Come again?" Suigetsu questioned.
"I did you a favor," Sasuke stated. "I told her I wasn't interested. Now, do me a favor. Go make out with your girlfriend so that she'll leave me the hell alone."
Again Jugo sprayed water.
"You rejected her?" Suigetsu questioned.
"I did," Sasuke nodded. "Now, either you go get her, or I'll send Jugo."
Suigetsu tried to think of something to say but his mind was blank.
"Alright," Sasuke sighed. "Go ahead Jugo."
Just as Jugo began to stand, the door closed behind Suigetsu. Jugo smirked and sat down picking up his water bottle.
"I hope he doesn't mind that she had taken her shirt off," Sasuke stated, once again, making Jugo spray water out his nose.
Suigetsu stepped into the main room which was dark, lit only by a fire. It was enough for him to see Karin, though, hunched over and sobbing. And to see her shirt lying abandoned on the couch, likely where she had thrown it to in a last ditch effort to win Sasuke over.
Suigetsu, not being sure entirely how to react to that, simply pulled his cloak off and walked over silently, draping the cloak over her so she wouldn't be completely exposed. Then, he knelt beside her, and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his back almost instantly, not caring that she was now sobbing into his shirt. After about twenty minutes, she finally stopped and he drew his sword, using it to carefully lift her shirt and pass it to her. She took it, pulling it under the cloak and putting it on before returning her arms to their previous position.
"What happened?" Suigetsu finally asked needing to say something to get her talking.
"I got stupid," Karin sniffed, already struggling not to start bawling again. "I thought he was finally returning my feelings...so...I started to get undressed...but...he told me that...he would never return my feelings...and that I was...being a fool...and..."
She stopped, closing her eyes and fighting back the tears. Suigetsu sighed and pulled her into a hug again.
"It's okay," Suigetsu sighed. "Sasuke won't care by the end of the day. And besides that, he's not right for you."
"What do you mean?" Karin demanded.
"If you two were meant for each other, you wouldn't be in pain every time you talk to him," Suigetsu stated.
"But..." Karin sniffed. "But I love Sasuke."
"Honestly Karin, I'm not going to argue with you about that," Suigetsu sighed. "I believe, or rather, I want to believe, that you are only infatuated with him, just like everyone else that sees him. But it's up to you whether or not you really are."
"Why...why do you want me to be infatuated with him?" Karin questioned.
"You really haven't figured it out yet?" Suigetsu grinned pulling back so that she could see it and so he could look her in the eyes. "You, Miss Genius of the Southern Hideout, can't figure out why I want you to be infatuated with Sasuke rather than in love with him? Why you chasing after his attention, to the exclusion of all else causes me more pain than Orochimaru ever could? You can't figure out that I'm in love with you? Come on, you're smarter than that."
"You..." Karin stared at him in shock for a moment as her cheeks turned bright red.
He was right. It should have been obvious. But she had never noticed.
"You...love me?" Karin finally managed to ask.
"Yes, Karin, I love you," Suigetsu smiled. "After all the times you saved my life, all the times I was experimented on, each time only managing to make it through by thinking of you, hell, after you got me switched to a must save rather than a gladiator. Karin, you saved me so many times I will never be able to repay you. You are my entire world. And I will always be there for you. Whether you want me to be or not."
Karin stared at him in silence and he resisted the urge to wave his hand in front of her face. He was glad he didn't because a moment after he considered doing it, Karin leaned forward, kissing him. He smiled and kissed her back but pulled back a second later when the door shot open and Jugo stepped through.
"It's time to go," Jugo stated urgently. "Sasuke knows where he is."
Suigetsu sighed and nodded and Jugo left. After a moment Karin laughed a bit and kissed him again before standing.
"We'd better go," Karin smiled. "Our fearless leader requires our aid."
Suigetsu also smiled and nodded following her out of the building just in time to see a hawk take off with a letter.
Naruto opened the letter and scanned it. Then he grinned and sprinted away, not bothering to burn this one. He grabbed his robe and weapons and left, Kushina going to his room and finding Minato burning the letter.
It's time! Naruto thought gleefully as he appeared on top of the roof of Itachi's house getting his attention instantly.
"Is something wrong Naruto?" Fugaku questioned.
"We're being mobilized aren't we?" Itachi questioned.
Naruto nodded and Itachi darted inside to get his sword and a few more things then left while a clone explained they were bing sent after one of the Akatsuki.
"I assume you managed to come up with a plan," Itachi guessed hopefully.
"I did," Naruto grinned. "Though, I assume you have one of your own. I made these."
He held up three food pills that looked like any other food pill, except Sakura's.
"Food pills?" Naruto questioned.
"Trust me," Naruto grinned. "If he takes one, he'll die."
Itachi nodded and Naruto tossed two to him.
"Stash them with his own," Naruto stated. "As I recall, they're on the back of his belt."
Itachi nodded and they continued in silence. After another minute Naruto stopped slapping his forehead before pulling out the Bikochu Beetle. He released it and it flew away at a five degree angle from the path they were on. Itachi and Naruto followed it and Naruto tossed the container away.
"Not long now," Naruto grinned. "Let's go. I would hate to keep Sasuke waiting."
Itachi nodded and they both sped up. It would take less than an hour for them to arrive. Then, they would take their revenge for Shisui.
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