Naruto yawned, slumping slightly in his seat as they continued on towards a town that, according to Kakashi, should be visible "any moment now." He rubbed his eyes as he looked around; trees and grass had become much sparser, and in their places stood sand and boulders. As a result of the lack of shade, the sun seemed to be beating down harsher on them, though Sakura seemed to be the only one not affected by the increase in heat. He moved around in his saddle, trying to get a glimpse of Kakashi at the front.
"Are we there yet," Naruto whined, "We've been traveling for days now, and my butt hurts a lot!"
"We'll be there any moment now," Kakashi repeated. The small bird, which Naruto soon learned was named Rin, looked back at him and chirped. Naruto groaned, throwing his head back.
"But that's what you said the last time!"
"Whining isn't going to get us there any faster Naruto," Sakura stated, casting a glance back at Naruto. He narrowed his eyes at her, pouting slightly at her frown.
"Well sorry if we weren't all raised in the heat of the forges," Naruto countered, "Besides, even Sasuke looks like he wants to pass out!"
"Do not put me in the same category as you, idiot," Sasuke said, glaring at him. His face was obviously flushed, despite not having complained as much as Naruto; Naruto glared back at him in return.
"Stop acting like you're better than us!"
"Then stop reinforcing that belief."
"Will the both of you shut it," Sakura snapped, whirling around to face them, "Before I come back there and make you be quiet?"
Naruto paled, audibly swallowing at the thought. "O-Of course, Sakura! We'd hate to make you do more than you have to, right Sasuke?"
"Hn," Sasuke scoffed, "As if a dwarf like you could force me to do anything."
Sakura glared at him. "Are you insinuating that you're stronger than me, daughter of Kizashi Haruno, leader of the dwarves beneath the Cherry Mountains?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see Naruto waving his arms wildly, attempting to signal him to stop talking. Instead, Sasuke merely smirked as he matched her gaze. "I'm merely insinuating that I wouldn't want to make a girl cry when she fails to beat me."
Sakura's brow furrowed as Naruto groaned. "Well then, how about a challenge, for when we get to the next town?"
"Sakura, I really think-" Naruto began, but was interrupted by Sasuke.
"What kind of challenge do you have in mind, dwarf?"
"Sasuke, you really don't wanna egg her on; I mean, she's gonna-"
"It will be a test of strength," Sakura announced, facing forward again, "Simple, yet it shall prove which one of us is more capable in making the other bow to their whims, dekhel."
"Guys, really, can't we all just hold hands and-"
"Hn, fine," Sasuke said, riding up next to her, "Just promise not to cry when I beat you at your own game, naugrim."
Sakura huffed, clicking her heels against her pony's sides; she moved farther ahead, prompting Sasuke to follow her. Naruto groaned, running his hands down his face as he looked at his horse.
"She's gonna break his arm tonight, isn't she Gama," He asked aloud. Gama merely snorted as he followed after the trio ahead of them.
"Man, are we fucking there yet," Hidan complained, running a hand through his silver hair. "We haven't seen another person in weeks."
"According to the map, the temple of Saiken is at the top of the mountain," Kakuzu murmured, glancing up at the peak. It was covered in clouds, hidden from their view; from what they could tell though, it would get colder as they went up, judging by the snow that they could see.
Hidan groaned, throwing his head back. "So you're telling me we have to get off the horses and fucking climb?"
"We'll be at the top by nightfall," Kakuzu stated, continuing onward. Hidan threw his hands in the air angrily as he followed after him.
"If I get frostbite I'm fucking sacrificing you to Jashin, asshole! Fuck this shit!"
"Quite a mouth on that one, eh Utakata,"Saiken noted, lazily looking in the direction of a young man dressed in robes that matched the icy blue of his scales. Utakata hummed in response, blowing a bubble from his pipe as he watched the duo in the large bubble.
"It is rather chilled up here," He stated calmly, removing the pipe from his mouth. He felt a rush of air as Saiken exhaled through his nostrils, resting his head closer to Utakata.
"You've never complained before."
"I'm not complaining; just merely making an observation."
Saiken yawned, teeth glinting in the light that was offered in the room. "Observations tend to be made only when it is pleasing to the eye or unpleasant to the senses."
"Which is why we're watching these two," Utakata said, moving them back to the topic at hand, "You say they are Kaguya's men?"
Saiken nodded, resting his head on his claws. "Kokuo has either forgotten that we are all linked, or he is trying to make amends."
"It's not his fault he landed in Kaguya's territory," Utakata pointed out, bringing the pipe to his lips, "Rather it's the wizards fault for not creating incantations that had specific locations for each of you. Pretty careless if you ask me; if we were unlucky, all of you could've ended up in Kaguya's lands."
"Magical trajectory estimation is quite harder than you imagine," Saiken noted as Utakata blew multiple bubbles, "They couldn't control it, unlike you and your bubbles."
"Yes well, it was rather on the spot," Utakata said, watching the bubbles float in the air. He snapped his fingers, creating a blizzard within the confines of them. He swiped his hand through the air, causing them to move towards the larger bubble that showed Kakuzu and Hidan now leading the horses up the mountain, the path having become too dangerous to ride on. He flicked them into the larger one; instantly, snow began falling on the duo, the wind picking up as it blew their cloaks in every direction. Utakata smirked as he heard Hidan shout obscenities.
"That should keep them busy for a little bit," He said, standing up from his sitting position. He began heading farther into the cave, prompting Saiken to stand and follow him, both walking deeper into the darkness. Utakata's voice echoed in the cave as they turned a corner towards their destination.
"Let us prepare a proper welcome for our guests."
"Kakuzu," Hidan roared over the howling wind, "I swear to fucking Jashin that after this is over, your head is mine!"
"Quiet," Kakuzu snapped back, "Your shouting keeps spooking the horses."
"Oh, like this fucking blizzard from hell isn't doing just as good a job!" Hidan retorted. He growled as his horse pawed nervously at the ground, its skin rippling each time hail hit it. He tugged the horse forward along the path, careful to stay as far away from the edge as possible. Kakuzu rolled his eyes, stroking his horse's nose as he continued onward just as carefully.
"While the blizzard isn't helping us, it is a sign that we're close."
"How is it a sign that we're close," Hidan shouted, pulling his hood over his head again; the wind however instantly knocked it back off, earning a string of curses from Hidan.
"Because it means that they can see us," Kakuzu said, trudging through the snow, "And if they can see us, that means we're within the range of their magic."
"Don't they have control over this whole mountain?"
"Yes," Kakuzu admitted, "But the closer we get, the more magic he'll use, which will result in harsher conditions."
Hidan grinned maniacally at the thought of reaching the top. "And the more magic he uses, the more tired he'll be. Meaning it will be that much easier to tip him apart limb from fucking limb!"
Hidan's voice echoed throughout the mountain; in the distance, a rumbling could be heard. Kakuzu sighed, looking back at him.
"Sounds like we'll be digging our way to the top in a moment."
"Alright, this is where we'll stop for tonight," Kakashi said, stopping in front of an inn. The outside looked dingy, the sign proclaiming it as such practically falling off its hinges. Naruto wrinkled his nose, eyes squinting as well.
"Looks rundown," Naruto commented. Kakashi sighed as he led his horse forward, the rest of the group following suit.
"Well Naruto, considering that Suna is on the edge of a desert, this inn probably doesn't get many visitors," Kakashi explained, handing his reigns to a stable boy.
"And the visitors they do get only care about the ale," Sakura added in, taking off her helmet and shaking her hair free.
"Well, as long as they have a soft bed and something to eat, it's all fine by me," Naruto said, dismounting from his horse. Sasuke did the same, approaching Sakura as he led his horse to the stables.
"So then, what is this challenge that you wish to partake in," He asked, looking at her.
"A good ole' fashioned arm wrestling match," Sakura announced, grinning as she flexed her bicep, slapping a gloved hand on it. "Tis a true test of strength if you can beat a dwarf in this match!"
"Hmph, count me out then," Sasuke said, heading the stables. Sakura stared at him, mouth slightly agape; she regained her composure and angrily followed him.
"What do you mean, 'count me out'," She demanded, "You agreed to this challenge!"
"I agreed to a challenge, not an uncouth childish escapade," Sasuke clarified, putting his horse in the stable. He closed the stall door, stroking the horse's nose; the horse leaned into his touch, whinnying softly. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, cheeks puffed out.
"Hmph, guess the old saying is true," She muttered, "Wherever there are elves, there are lies."
"And dwarves are as hard-headed as stone," He retorted as he passed by her, "If you wish to engage in a real challenge, just let me know."
Sakura growled, suddenly grabbing his upper arm and spinning him around to face her. Naruto cried out as she grasped Sasuke by the collar, pulling him in close to her face, their foreheads almost touching.
"Look here you pompous ass," She spat through gritted teeth, "I've reached out to you with a challenge between comrades; while clashing swords is always a good way to get to know someone, in times like these, a simple affair over a pint of ale works just as well."
He stared at her indifferently. "I never asked for your camaraderie; I merely want to get this over with as quickly as possible, without having to spend much time with either of you."
"You little," Sakura pulled her fist began, only to be halted by Kakashi grasping her arm.
"Enough, Sakura," He said, separating the two, "Why don't we all go get settled into the room? I've made sure it's big enough that nobody has to be in anyone's breathing space tonight."
"Even being in the same village as him is far too close," Sakura scoffed, heading inside. Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he followed her in. Sasuke watched, merely brushing himself off and straightening his clothes.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed," Naruto asked, coming up beside Sasuke. Sasuke glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised.
"As if she could kill me," He said, beginning to head inside. Naruto grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his side, earning an annoyed glare from Sasuke.
"No Sasuke, I mean it; I grew up near her clan, and turning down an offer like that is almost as bad as insulting her dad!"
"Why should I care," He asked, ripping his arm from Naruto's grip. Naruto looked at him exasperatedly, almost as if he were a child asking the same question for the hundredth time.
"Because we're probably going to be on this quest for a very long time," Naruto shouted. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, if you're not willing to do it for the fact of making friends, then do it for the fact that when we get stuck in a battle she's going to save your ass!"
Sasuke merely grunted, heading inside; Naruto stared at his retreating form in disbelief. He threw his hands into the air before plopping himself onto the ground.
"Those two are gonna be the inadvertent death of me," Naruto whined.
The wind howled as the blizzard continued to rage; Hidan grasped at the entrance to the cave, eyelashes and hair covered in frost and ice. Kakuzu brushed the snow off his cloak, lighting a torch.
"About time you got in here," Kakuzu muttered, heading inwards. Hidan followed after him, leaving his horse next to Kakuzu's.
"You fucking ditched me," Hidan said in disbelief, "After all the shit we've been through, you fucking ditched me on the top of a mountain! In a blizzard, nonetheless!"
"It was either that or I spear you through the heart," Kakuzu shrugged, "And you enjoyed that far too much last time, so I figured this was a much more suitable punishment."
"How did I get so fortunate to have you as a partner," Hidan drawled sarcastically, walking beside Kakuzu.
"Because the both of us would kill anyone else," He stated. Hidan shrugged, following him as they continued down the passageway. As they walked, Hidan noted that the air was damp and chilled, making it more difficult to breathe; the walls seemed to be closing in, and with the heaviness of the air it almost seemed that the entire cavern was closing in on him. As he was wondering what it would feel like to be crushed by air, Kakuzu stopped suddenly, causing him to run into his back.
"A little warning would have been nice," Hidan grumbled, rubbing his forehead. Kakuzu ignored him, focusing on something unforeseen.
"Do you hear that," He murmured. Hidan looked at him, eyebrow raised.
"Hear what?"
Kakuzu ignored the question, snapping his fingers; in an instant, the fire on the torch was sent to hidden torches in the walls, revealing that their narrow passageway was actually a circular room. Hidan looked around, examining how the room was covered in different glyphs; he recognized it as the Old Language used by wizards in writings for spells and protection.
"Wonder what this is all about," Hidan wondered aloud. Kakuzu kept his eyes straight ahead, his body tense. Hidan noticed and followed his gaze; standing in the center of the room stood a golem made of what appeared to be ice. The creature turned its gaze towards them, its eye sockets emitting an eerie green-blue light.
"Who goes there," It rumbled, its voice practically shaking the cavern. Hidan drew his scythe, his body tensing as well while Kakuzu formulated a plan.
"Hidan," He finally said, "I'll need distractions."
Hidan grinned, "I'm your man."
He charged at the creature, scythe raised behind him. It roared, swinging one of its massive hands in his direction; he jumped upwards, dodging the fist as it crashed into the ground and landing on its arm. He ran up the beast, scythe dragging behind him; powder from the ice flew out behind him, the blade leaving deep crevices in the ice. The golem swung his other hand towards Hidan, going to grab him in an attempt to crush him. Hidan noticed the hand coming towards him and dug his scythe into the ice; as the hand came swinging towards him, he vaulted back, his hands holding onto the staff of the scythe.
"Heh, gonna have to try harder than that," He said, grinning as he swung to the ground. He yanked his scythe from where it was lodged, leaving behind three gouges in the arm. He raised the scythe and swung, effectively chopping off a few fingers from the beast.
The golem roared in pain, the light in its eyes growing brighter. A light began to grow from its open mouth, Hidan watching in fascination. Suddenly, the light shot out from its mouth, causing Hidan to leap off the arm to avoid the blast. He looked back over his shoulder to see that the gouges he had created were suddenly coated over in ice.
"Sweet Jashin," He shouted, looking back at Kakuzu, "This thing shoots ice!"
"I noticed," Kakuzu said, his concentration not breaking. His mind formed the words as his hands continued their movements; he felt the power flowing through him as he continued watching the battle. "Just keep him distracted."
"Right," Hidan muttered, looking back at the beast, "Distracted."
It stood, its head barely touching the ceiling; it began walking towards Hidan, its foot rising in an attempt to crush him. Hidan dodged, the falling foot creating a massive dust cloud in its wake. He grunted, glancing up at the golem, trying to figure out how the best way to fight it now that it was standing. The golem continued its advance towards Kakuzu, determined to destroy anything in its path.
"Fuck," Hidan shouted, running towards it. He jumped off the ground, swinging his scythe so that it lodged itself in the lower back of the golem. It roared, its body swaying and arms swinging behind it to try and dislodge him. Hidan held tightly to his handle, waiting until a hand came close to him. He then dragged his scythe across the back, swinging so that he landed on the wrist of it; it swung its arm into the wall, attempting to crush him against the rocks. Hidan swung and hung to the other side of the arm that hadn't been smashed, clinging desperately to the slippery ice. With each swing of the arm, Hidan felt his grip loosen, until finally he went flying across the room, his scythe still lodged in its arm. He crashed into the far wall, groaning as he slid down the rocks. He looked up, watching as it began to advance on him; as it reached the center of the room, the golem was suddenly engulfed in flames that were shot from each torch in the room. It roared as it was melted, slowly becoming nothing more than a puddle in the floor with Hidan's scythe in the middle.
"You couldn't of done that any sooner," Hidan panted, glancing over at Kakuzu. Kakuzu waved his hands, moving the water into the air; with a snap of his fingers it was dispersed into a mist that covered the room. Hidan stood up, groaning as he walked over to his scythe.
"I had to wait for the right moment," Kakuzu muttered. Hidan picked up his scythe, stretching his back afterwards. In the silence of the room they heard clapping; turning, they both saw as Utakata walked into the room, carrying his bubble pipe.
"Very good," He murmured, eyeing the both of them, "But that is to be expected of Kaguya's men."
Hidan grinned, getting into a crouched position. "Alright Kakuzu, now it's time for you to be the distraction."
Sasuke hated the tavern that the inn offered; it was loud, smelled of drunken men who had no dignity, and had dim lighting that could practically be considered darkness. He couldn't understand how Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura were having such a wonderful time in this disgusting place; he watched as Naruto threw back an ale, getting claps on the back from other men for being able to hold his pint. He watched as Kakashi quietly sat in the corner, seemingly sleeping but always alert, thanks to Rin who sat on his shoulder. The one he hadn't been watching though was the one he should have been watching the closest, considering that she was the only female of their group.
"Did you just call me a wench," Sakura shouted, grabbing a man by the collar of his shirt.
"'Course I did," The man slurred, "The only girls here are the one's servin' the ales or servin' the males."
A roar of laughter rose from the men surrounding them; Sakura gritted her teeth as she suddenly gave the man a hard head-butt. The men around them laughed even louder as he fell back on the floor, clearly unconscious from the hit. Men clapped her on the shoulder, congratulating her on the hit, telling her that 'somebody needed to knock some sense into him'.
"You see what I mean now," Naruto commented, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts. He looked back at the blond, noticing that his cheeks were flushed and there was a glaze to his eyes. He rolled his eyes, directing his attention back to the activities of the tavern.
"You've had too much to drink," He stated. Naruto groaned, plopping down next to Sasuke and swinging his arm around his shoulder, much to Sasuke's chagrin.
"But you see it, don't ya," He asked, the smell of alcohol strong on his breath. "This is how she bonds with people."
"Hn," Sasuke grunted, "Quite a different tactic than the elves."
"Well we all can't be as high and mighty as you," Naruto said, slapping him on the back. Sasuke rolled his eyes, glancing over at him.
"What was your purpose coming over to me anyway," He asked. Naruto scratched his head, looking up at the ceiling as if it held the answers he sought after.
"Dunno…I think to tell ya to give her a chance or somethin'," He mumbled.
Sasuke pushed Naruto's forehead, causing him to sprawl backwards on the bench, a stupid grin on his face. He stood up, heading over to where Sakura sat drinking and talking with the other patrons. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, arms immediately crossing over his chest.
"What do you want," She asked, her legs crossed as well. Sasuke mentally sighed, not believing that he was about to actually undergo this childish ordeal.
"I accept your challenge from earlier," He muttered, sitting across from her. He saw as her scowl changed into a grin as she turned to face him.
"Ah, so you've finally gathered the courage to test your strength against the Haruno dwarf," She said, resting her elbow on the table, arm ready. He rolled his eyes, his hand clasping hers as he positioned himself.
"Let's just get this over with."
"Aye, so we've a wrestlin' match over 'ere," A man shouted, turning to watch, "I'll be the judge, to make sure none of you's cheatin'."
"Ready when you are," Sakura said, the grin still on her face. Sasuke rolled his eyes as the man counted down; he placed enough force in his hand that he believed should be able to keep her at a standstill for a little bit. As the man said the number one, he clenched his hand around hers and pushed; to his astonishment though, in a few seconds she had already slammed his hand down into the table, earning her cheers from the other patrons.
"You cheated," Sasuke accused, eyes narrowing. Sakura stuck her tongue out, eyes twinkling in the firelight of the lamps.
"A dwarf never cheats my friend," She said, "But, to soothe your bruised ego, how about we give it another go?"
"Hn, fine by me," He said, readying himself. She clasped his hand again, staring straight into his eyes. He ignored the crowd that had gathered around them, opting instead to focus on how the determination in her eyes and the lamp light seemed to bring a sparkle to her eyes that reminded him of the stars from home.
For a moment, as they began counting down, he wondered what her eyes would be like with the fire of anger at having lost to him of all people. But as quickly as the thought came it left, leaving him to focus on the task at hand: Beating Sakura at her challenge.
"Have you recuperated enough yet," Kakuzu asked, sliding atop Saiken. Hidan groaned, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He stretched his back and shoulders as he slowly stood up, ignoring how blood was pooled around him. In the corner, Utakata's body lay motionless, his features practically unidentifiable given how much blood he was covered in.
"Yeah, ready to go whenever you are," He said, heading over to them. He hopped on top as well and, without any hesitation, the three left the cave to head for the skies; from there, they would head back to Kaguya.
Naugrim: Dwarf (In Elvish)
A/N: Wheeeeeee, plot development is fun! Also, I apologize if I annoy anyone with what seems to be frenemies between Sasuke and Sakura; tis uneasy ground I write on, this dwarf and elf rivalry.