A/N: I'm back again! Just trying to keep the momentum going with this latest installment of Adagio for Love.
Sins of the Nocturne
She could hear the fluctuating little blurbs of speech that speckled what little awareness she still held onto in the darkness. Sakura didn't know when she lost her ability to walk, but figured it was sometime between leaving the 8th floor and the 6th where she crumpled underneath the pain and blood loss on the emergency staircase. She was swimming in that darkness by the time they reached the first floor being carried in Sasukes arms amidst the rush of feet and far off sirens.
"Is she..."
"She'll make it. It's just blood loss." assured the piercing voice that carried her through the void.
"Jirobo, destroy the surveillance tapes. We need to move now." he ordered sternly as they raced by and headed into the alley towards their getaway vehicles. Within minutes they were speeding through the back streets of Nagano narrowly avoiding the police that arrived on the scene. Sakura lay in the backseat of the SUV, her head rested in Sasukes lap with his hands pressed against hers trying to slow the blood that continued to ooze from her gash.
"Sasuke…" she groaned her hand twisting beneath his.
"Save your strength." responded the dark eyed man his brow furrowing in confusion when she pushed something into his bloodied hand. He examined the metal trinket critically. Noting the engraving on the amethyst face of the ring; he'd seen something like it before on Orochimaru.
"I got the bastard good, didn't I?" she whispered a weak smiling coming to her face before it contorted in pain. He gripped her hand as if to transfer some of the pain to himself. His chest grew tight as her bloodied hands grip lessened against his, her eyes fluttering as she clung to consciousness. She was losing too much blood; even he was beginning to worry whether she was going to make it or not. He hoped the hell she sent Sasori to was hot enough.
"Yeah…you did. Just rest." Sasuke whispered a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Hang in there Sakura-chan. Can't we go any faster?" Naruto chimed his hands balled into fists on Sakuras legs in his lap.
"You wanna drive asshole?" Sakon shot back narrowly avoiding t-boning a commercial van. Soon they'd crossed into Iizuna and driven deep past the tree line and were hurrying through the tunnel. If the gates weren't already open they'd have bust through them before coming to a screeching halt in the warehouse. Tayuya hopped out and right away began shouting orders to the surrounding subordinates. By the time Sasuke and Naruto had carried her from the SUV there was a gurney and several men and women surrounding it. Hesitantly the two gave the rose haired agent to them following closely as they bustled off, Tayuya trying to keep pace.
"Where are they taking her?' questioned the blonde looking to the redhead with wide worried eyes.
"The infirmary. She's gonna need stitches for that wound, and she's lost a lot of blood." she explained trying to bar their entrance into the O.R. but they pushed past her.
"You can't be in here!" barked one of the physicians behind his mask shooting a glare at the intruders. They didn't budge. Tayuya shook her head in frustration nodding to the man when she realized neither of them would win the battle.
"You two should really get some rest. She'll be taken care of. I promise." Tayuya persuaded as she left the room. Sasuke and Naruto occupied an out of the way corner of the room silently scrutinizing the work they did on their teammate as they poked and prodded her. The raven haired man watched impassively as he idly twirled the ring in his pocket, but internally he was cursing himself for what he'd done. He never intended for this to happen. He knew it was a possibility, but he thought he'd done the right thing sending them to the 8th floor. He made the call and she paid for it. And for what? A ring? The man he threw from the 10th floor knew nothing and told him even less, he wasn't sorry about what he'd done. 'Maybe Sakura learned something from the newly deceased…if she—no; when she wakes.' he thought pushing the doubt out of his mind. For what seemed like hours they watched the physicians disinfect and stitch her wound, start a blood transfusion and hook her up to an IV drip. Once their work was finished one of them approached the two explaining her condition at great length, little of which they understood.
"The knife missed all vital organs luckily, but it was coated in an anticoagulant, hence why she bled so profusely. We managed to counter it with a mixture of recombinant factor VII…err a coagulant protein designed to stop excessive bleeding in her IV. Her vitals are weak but stable. She's breathing on her own; which is a good sign, she just needs rest. As do you two."
"We're fine." Sasuke said simply, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him.
"Think you could look at something real quick Doc?" Naruto asked not waiting for a reply as he removed his Kevlar and lifted his shit, "is it bad?"
He man sighed putting on a fresh pair of gloves and touching the slightly discolored skin over his ribs, "Does that hurt?" Naruto shook his head. "Does this hurt?" he asked again this time applying maybe an overt amount of pressure to the area making the blonde yelp and double over in pain. The physician sucked his teethed and retrieved an ice pack for the man. "Bruised ribs. Now get some rest."
The two sat there in relative silence, as Sasuke would brush the man's attempt to make small talk off with simple grunts or outright telling him he didn't want to talk about it, especially when a certain redhead became his topic of interest. Eventually Naruto slumped against the wall and passed out after several hours. Sasuke checked his watch noting it was a quarter past three AM and sighed heavily as his body caught up with his weary mind. Slowly he left the room giving the two occupants one last look; he lingered on Sakuras sleeping form before he made his departure.
Inside the confines of his room he relieved himself of his vest and blood soaked clothes before retreating to the bathroom to get the remainder off his skin with a scalding shower. He wasted little time with his usual musing having drawn much of a blank as to what his next move was. Sasori was dead, and the only person to know what his last words were, if they truly existed, was in no condition to relay them to him. He could only hope to find some meaning in the charred remains of the photo he recovered. Leaving the bathroom clad in a towel he continued drying himself with another, unaware of the intruder that had snuck their way inside the dark room. Turning the lamp on his nightstand on he spotted Tayuya sitting on his bed; her legs underneath her as she inspecting his sheathed katana.
"Tayuya." he began simply, having an inkling about what she was doing in his bed much less his room at such an hour. "What is it?"
"I couldn't sleep", she responded almost innocently but that notion was thrown out the window when she grinned widely at him, slowly sliding the steel from its scabbard and marveling at it in the dim lamplight. "I figured you couldn't either."
"Haven't tried yet. Though I think I'll do just fine." he answered turning his back to her; rifling through his duffle bag and donning a pair of boxers before removing his towel, he heard the gruff sound she made at his efforts to hide his nudity. He took a spot on the bed with his back to her, staring absently at the wall.
"I'm surprised you kept this old thing. And in such good condition too. Looks like it could cut a man's head clean off with a single sweep." she mused absently taking a few swipes at the air with it before she sheathed it and examined the hilt, "You replaced the seal." noticing how where once Orochimarus Heaven Seal had been, was now home to the Uchiha family crest. He retorted with his usual grunt his gaze still fixated on the wall.
Placing the weapon aside Tayuya mischievously pressed herself against the inattentive Uchiha from behind, "You we're pretty impressive back there. Just like I remembered." she cooed, wrapping her arms around his midsection as she traced patterns in his chest idly.
"I'm sore, I'm tired, and in no mood, Tayuya" he said firmly trying to ignore her familiar touches. Her hands trailed their way to his back, skillfully manipulating the taut muscles as if trying to coax him to relax.
"Tay…" he warned, finding himself using his old shorthand "pet" name more and more as of late.
"I did say I'd visit you tonight. This shouldn't be surprising." she huffed ceasing her ministrations and scooting away. Sasuke threw his legs onto the bed and his hands behind his head, this time giving the ceiling its due attention; he believed Tayuya had finally given up. He was wrong. Almost instantly she mounted him, an impish grin spreading across her face. She wore a loose white dress shirt that barely reached mid thigh, especially in her current position. 'I wonder what she's wearing underneath…if anything.' echoed the annoying voice in his head. The very notion made him scowl ruefully and turn his gaze away from the woman above him. She leaned in close resting her head in the crook of his neck, taking his action for submission. The redhead grinned against his skin, she planting tender kisses up to his neck, stopping on his chin.
"Damnit Sasuke, get out of your head for one night and play with me." she breathed her voice coming out heavy with desire. He stifled a shudder as he turned to face her. For a brief moment he wanted to give in to her chocolate irises; their darkness and depth mirroring his own. Pushing up against the headboard he took a sitting position taking her with him. He took her face in one of his hands, feeling her absently lean into it and release a content sigh as he stroked her pink tinged cheek with his thumb. As he leaned in she closed her eyes anticipating his lips but was surprised when only his forehead pressed against hers. She stared at him questionably as he did the same impassively within her curtain of unruly crimson hair.
"Get some rest, Tayuya" Sasuke advised watching her expression soften into a small smile.
"You sure know how to leave a girl high and dry Sasuke." quipped the redhead slowly climbing from his lap, "I mean it's not like you didn't want to." Tayuya muttered settling herself under his sheets. Sasuke grunted in response to her familiarity, knowing he'd most likely not be able to kick her out of his bed and resigned himself to get some rest as well. Releasing a heavy sigh he slide under the covers and closed his eyes. His bedmate rested her head on his bare chest and lucky for her, he'd already nodded off. Slowly her hand drifted down his chest before it was captured at the hem of his boxers.
"Give it a rest already."
"You can't blame a girl for trying." she whispered groggily, settling for sleep in the early hours of the day.
A slim man dressed in a classic suit with a plain white t-shirt and trench coat sat inside a rustic teahouse thumbing through the newspaper of the day. The headline read: "Massacre in Downtown Nagano!", but he wasn't interested in that. He already knew the truth behind the story the media spun. He was just waiting for confirmation. The blonde man sipped his tea patiently as he critiqued the arts section of the periodical in silence. Just then his phone buzzed; quickly he answered it with his Bluetooth headset. After a brief moment of silence a male voice spoke.
"So it's true then…He's dead."
"Along with three dozen of his men." responded the deep voice on the other end.
His fists clenched around the article feeling his anger rise and morph into an awkward half scowl, "Who?" he questioned through clenched teeth. There was a second of silence on the line. He opened his mouth to ask more forcefully.
"Sasuke and his team." he said finally his voice lacking emotion of any sort. The blonde slammed his fist on the table jostling his beverage and earning himself the gaze of the teahouses few early morning patrons.
"Where?" he seethed his eyes downcast.
"We do not know, but we assume he is being harbored by someone. Possibly an old contact."
"Why can't we find him? Have Sasori's men—"
"Sasori's network is being eradicated as we speak. Without him they are all liabilities. You're on your own until a suitable replacement is found. Lay low until—"
He hung up not willing to hear anymore instructions from him.The blonde ran his hands over his face and into his hair in attempt to calm himself before releasing a ragged sigh. Reaching into his coat pocket he produced a pair of sunglasses and a wallet. Folding his paper neatly he placed it on the table and left a generous amount of money for his tea. He gestured over to his waitress, a diminutive young woman who approached him as if he were a wolf and she a sheep.
"Gomennasai." he said simply before he stood and left the establishment in a hurry. The woman watched his retreat with relief, glad that he hadn't made more of a scene. Pocketing his money she went about her routine of cleaning the table. Noticing he'd left his paper she grabbed it but stopped when she noted the weight of it. Slowly she unfolded the suspicious newspaper. Her voice caught in her throat at the sight she saw within the arts section. A small rectangular brick with wires attached to it labeled "C4". Before she could react the building erupted in a flash of flames. The man eyed his work from a few blocks away a manic smile crossing his face as the smoke rose from the demolished building.
"Uchiha Sasuke. We'll meet soon enough…and the last thing you'll see is my art."
"Nani? It's your what?" questioned the sharp toothed man nonchalantly picking his breakfast from his teeth at the boardroom table.
"My birthday, you bastard! June 20th" exclaimed the bespectacled redhead at his side slamming her fists on the table for added effect.
"Tch, don't get pissy with me. It's not like anyone else knew." Suigetsu defended rising to his feet in response, preparing to stare down the enraged woman.
"Happy birthday, Karin." Jugo said lowly into his tea, doing his best to stay out of the situation.
"See! At least one of you has some sense of common decency. Thank you Jugo." Karin puffed, her arms crossing her chest triumphantly.
"How old are you exactly?" asked the ginger headed man looking up from his tea quizzically. Suigetsu muffled his snickering when his teammates face grew red in embarrassment.
"You never ask a woman her age Jugo!" she scolded turning her attention to her stoic companion.
"Another year older and no closer to Sasuke. How sad." snickered the cerulean haired man.
"Why you…!"
Without warning the double doors burst opened to the boardroom revealing Kin along with the rest of Tayuya's team visibly annoyed by something.
"Where the hell are they?" Sakon spat his annoyance only growing upon entering the room.
"Tayuya-sama planned to meet…She should hear about the recent developments, as well as Sasuke-sama." chimed the attendant scanning the room for the two missing members.
"Both of them are missing, coincidently. Naruto as well." mused Sai peeling the skin from an orange in the corner of the meeting room.
"I will retrieve them." Kin assured turning hastily to start her search.
"Like hell, I'm tired of waiting." argued the cerulean haired man rising from his seat and standing up to the smaller woman.
"…Very well." agreed the dark haired woman apprehensively. Everyone followed them through the corridors until they came to Sasuke's room. Tentatively she knocked on it. No answer.
"Sasuke-sama?" she said just shy of a whisper as she rapped upon the door. Nothing. Again she knocked reciting her lines verbatim.
"Fuck off." responded a gruff feminine voice from within.
"T-tayuya-sama…its half past noon. The meeting…" whispered the dark haired woman realizing the situation was more delicate than previously believed.
"Eh?! What are you doing in there with Sasuke-kun?!" Karin shrieked shoving herself to the front of the pack and franticly shaking the doorknob. Behind the locked door Tayuya tossed and turned underneath the covers grumbling about nosy cunts and responsibilities. Sasuke emerged from the bathroom moments later visibly annoyed by how his guest was handling the situation.
"Are you going to just let them break down the door?" he asked slipping into a pair of slacks above the growing clamor outside.
"Why not? I'm the boss, I can do whatever I want." she responded wiping the sleep from her eyes. Sasuke had already noticed. She did whatever she wanted and barely anyone spoke out against her anymore. She seized control of this bunker and had her own private army. He shouldn't have been surprised that the power had gone to her head as it had to so many before her. Before the door actually threatened to give under the pressure of Karin's shoulder, the raven haired man opened the door catching the overzealous redhead before she could charge into the room.
"What's the problem?" Sasuke inquired calmly as if he and Tayuya weren't both half naked in a locked room late into the day.
"Gomen…it's just that Tayuya-sama intended to have a meeting to discuss our next move. When she wasn't in her quarters or the boardroom…" Kin explained trying to keep her gaze on the floor and not on the Uchihas bare chest or Tayuya in his bed.
"Hn. Tayuya and I were discussing what our strategy should be last night. Unfortunately, it went on longer than intended." he lied with a straight face. Everyone eyed him critically, except for Karin who was all too eager to swallow his "truth".
"That's my Sasuke-kun, always thinking ahead. I knew the rumors about you and Tayuya weren't true." Karin bubbled practically in a world of her own in Sasuke's arms, totally oblivious to the growling woman in his bed.
"Rumors?" he responded his gaze hardening at the idea of them talking about things like that behind his back, especially at a time like this. He shook his head. It wasn't surprising, his team was prone to childish things like that when he wasn't looming over them. Maybe it was the same for Tayuya. "Nevermind. We'll meet you in the boardroom soon."
With that he nudged Karin out the room and painstakingly dislodged her from his arm before closing the door in their faces. Sasuke turned to see that Tayuya was still lazing about in his bed, mussing her already wild hair.
Sighing heavily he dressed himself in a dark turtleneck, "They won't wait all day for us. I suggest you put on some clothes."
"Well they'll have to be your clothes. I'm not walking all the way to my room dressed like this" she argued kicking the sheets off. Sasuke quickly averted his eyes not wishing to sate his curiosity from last night about her undergarments, or lack thereof.
"You're already wearing my old shirt. You'll make due." he assured shrugging into his discarded shoulder holster and replacing his pistols within.
"How are you so sure it's yours and not from one of my many suitors'?" Tayuya questioned rummaging through his duffle bag for fitting clothes.
"That tear and the bloodstain on the right sleeve, it's from our fight in Shinjuku a year and a half ago." Sasuke reminisced slipping into his shoes and moving towards the door.
"Don't forget the first night I ravaged you." crowed the redhead finally finding a pair of pants that might fit with a belt. Sasuke smirked to himself as he left the room and made his way through the corridors. He found himself outside the operating room he'd left Naruto and Sakura in the previous night. Upon entering, he wasn't surprised to see Naruto looming over the woman. He was surprised to see they were quietly conversing.
"Sasuke, it's a miracle!" exclaimed the blonde grinning madly as his dark counterpart approached them. For a second he stood there awkwardly not being able to find the words.
"Naruto, I need a word with Sakura." he said scratching an imaginary itch at the back of his neck.
"Eh? Anything you have to say to Sakura-chan you can say in front of me." Naruto responded shooting him a curious look. Sasukes lips curved into a frown; things never were easy were they? Before he could retort Sakura gingerly touched the blonde's hand.
"Everyone is waiting in the boardroom." Sasuke informed him as he took his spot beside Sakura.
"You look well," he began, intertwining his hands almost nervously, "are you feeling better?"
"Yeah much better, thanks." she answered weakly doing her best not to shift under his gaze. Her hair had been thrown into a messy bun that framed her face with its loose tendrils, and she'd been outfitted with a light green gown of her own. He continued his line of questioning about her health and whether or not the doctors had treated her well. She answered all his inquiries, but she felt it was somewhat forced if not just plain awkward. Maybe it was because they'd never really spoke. Then again, maybe it was just because Sasuke was terrible at small talk.
"Isn't…isn't everyone waiting for you at the meeting?" she asked adjusting herself against the pillows at her back.
"Yes, I just…wanted to see how you were doing before." Sasuke responded taking a moment to find the right words. Sakuras eyes widened marginally at his statement and she could feel her face heat up.
"T-that's sweet of you Sasuke, but I'm fine really. They're going to move me to my own room later today." she whispered, trying to hide her blush with her hands. He was glad she was at least trying to keep a somewhat tough façade over her injury.
"There is something else though." said the dark eyed man his tone becoming more serious. "About Sasori…"
Sakuras girlish fantasies disappeared as quickly as they'd been brought out at the mention of his name. 'Of course this was about him. Stupid me.' she thought miserably, trying to fight the disappointment that threatened to rise to the surface. "There isn't much to tell...I was fighting for my life."
"I know. Sakura, I didn't mean to…I'm sorry." apologized the onyx eyed man feeling he'd put the mission over her well being again. She shook her head offering him a small smile and a gentle touch on his arm. "I never planned for this to happen…"
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." assured the emerald eyed woman
"I sent you to that floor, and you almost died for nothing." Sasuke bit out his voice laced with confusion over her acceptance.
"It could have been Naruto in my position, but I took point, and I was the one who confronted Sasori. I knew the risks, Sasuke. I'm not a little girl anymore I can handle myself." Sakura asserted playfully hitting him in his healing arm. He was still too stunned by her boldness to even feel it. "And I didn't almost die for nothing."
"Did Sasori say something about his plans?" he asked his curiosity getting the better of him again.
"He said Akatsuki wanted to fix the corruption in the world. The rest was just the ramblings of a dying man." she answered, clearly skeptical at the deceased's assertion of the terrorist organizations true goal.
"What did he say?" urged the raven headed man again, feeling anything may be a clue as to the organizations next move or intentions.
"He mentioned Deidara…making art from a forgotten age or something? Like I said, it was pretty cryptic." elaborated the wounded woman, her brow furrowed in thought, trying to recollect more from that evening. Sasuke sported a similar look as he prepared to leave; but found himself compelled to stay, if only just a moment longer. Her brush with death had shaken his resolve briefly, and put his decision of including the agents in his mission into perspective.
"I…I know you must hate me for what I've done." he said simply making her eyes widen considerably in shock.
"Sasuke…I said it was alright…"
"No, for dragging you and Naruto into this, and now you…" he broke in harshly, cutting her off, "You've said as much. This mission will only get more dangerous from here on, and I…cannot allow you or Naruto to be killed for it. It's best if Naruto, Sai, and you leave."
Sakura frowned through his confession, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach when he finished. If what she truly wanted was to go back to the life she knew a week ago why was she saddened by his words? He couldn't even look her in the eyes. She tried to hate him for years; to think of him as just another criminal but never could. Her sadness quickly turned to anger, "No."
"This isn't a debate, Sakura."
"I won't let you push us away again because you're scared!" she barked her fists clenched tightly around her bed sheets. She wanted to hit him for all his stubbornness. "You said it yourself, this mission is bigger than all of us, and I…I won't let you face it alone." her fury dissipating as quickly as it had manifested. He could make all the excuses he wanted, but she knew he was scared of what his mission entailed, what it demanded of him; of all of them. Apprehensively she reached out and touched his hand. The simple contact made him stare into her deep emerald eyes.
"We're all in this together now. No matter what."
"As stubborn as ever…thank you Sakura. For everything; now get some rest." Sasuke insisted tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind her hair. She nodded numbly through her blush and his modest show of affection as he made his way to the door. "I'll stop by after the meeting to let you know what's been decided."
With that he was gone and she released a pent up sigh and laid back down; staring up at the ceiling. Speaking to him had become more emotionally exhausting than she remembered. 'But then again…' she thought touching her still warm cheek. He still had the power to turn her into an infatuated teenager.
"So that's it then? That's all we have?" Tayuya asked visibly annoyed by the less than productive meeting.
"Reports are still trickling in of other bombings in the metro area of Nagano. Tayuya-sama, the deaths are mounting and at this rate a state of emergency will be declared." Kin explained sitting at the side of the redhead.
"But that's good right? It'll stop him from killing more people." Naruto remarked looking up from the newspaper of the day.
"We won't have a chance to find the bastard if there are military personnel on every corner." Suigetsu broke in resting his legs on the round table as he reclined.
"He knows we'll be pressed for time. He wants us to make a mistake and get caught." surmised Sai.
"So what should we do?" asked Karin, expecting an answer other than silence for the previous seventh time. Momentarily everyone's attention was turned to the creaking of the double doors as they open revealing the meetings absentee member.
"Figures you'd show up just as we we're about to call it quits." chimed Sakon sarcastically, yawning and mimicking his half asleep brother with his head on the table. Sasuke casually took his seat and placed the photos he recovered from the execution site on the table passing the few around.
"Those are useless. They look like some tourists photos." criticize Tayuya before they even reached her.
"You said it yourself that they used that execution site to eliminate threats and cover up Deidara's plans. These may be his targets." reasoned the Uchiha producing the charred photo and eyeing it critically, "The only question is when, and which one?"
"This is the Zenko-ji temple…and this one is the Matsushiro castle. Why would he attack landmarks and teahouses indiscriminately? It makes no sense." Kidoumaru chimed upon further inspection of the photos.
"What sense does it need to make, he's a fucking terrorist." Tayuya sneered pushing the photos away when they reached her, "What we need to do is act before he gets away."
Sasuke could see the appeal in striking while the iron was hot, so to speak. Deidara may be smarter than he seemed though; he had to be to have make it this far in the organization. His partner's death had provoked these attacks; Sasuke was also almost positive his surname had something to do with it as well. Now all eyes were on him for direction.
"We can't rush headlong into this. We need to be sure of where he'll strike next, we risk too much otherwise." Sasuke reasoned
"But he's killing people!" Naruto barked slamming his fist on the table.
"Have you lost faith in the authorities already Naruto? There's nothing more we can do until we figure this out." returned the dark haired man icily, as he passed the charred photo along. Each member passed it along inspecting both sides with bewilderment.
"That one's a piece of crap, just a bunch of random numbers and barely a quarter of a photo." argued the redhead opposite the Uchiha as she rose from her seat, "Let's call it a day and meet back tomorrow at 0800. No excuses."
"Tch, you're one to talk." Sakon muttered smirking slyly. Naturally the two began exchanging words; insults rather. Sasuke sat there ignoring the words they threw back and forth despite some of them having to do with Tayuya's presence in his room. The numbers floating around his head until something clicked.
"2200…of course, it's military time." he said to himself doubting anyone would hear it above the argument, "That must mean 625 is a date…the 25th of June."
"What are you going on about Sasuke?" inquired the blonde at his side, catching his near silent musings. He rose from his seat firmly slamming his palms on the table to get the two bickering outlaws attention as well as everyone else's.
"The 25th of June at 2200. Deidara plans to attack the building in that photo. We figure out what it is, and we find him." declared the onyx eyed man firmly.
"I will have our people get on it Sasuke-sama. But if the target is one or even both of the sites, what do we do in the meantime?" inquired Kin rising from her own seat.
"Surveillance would work best. Something small and effective." Sai suggested.
"Like a stakeout! We'll post two teams of two at each landmark looking for anything suspicious." Naruto offered receiving surprised stares from the boardrooms occupants, "Err…or not."
"No, that works. Naruto and I will take Zenko-ji temple. Pick your team Tayuya." Sasuke decided turning to leave, Naruto following close by.
"Fine. Sakon, since you've got so much damn mouth, take your brother on a five day stakeout." sneered the redhead reigniting the quarrel between the two.
"So you really think this will work?" asked the stocky man at Sasukes side
"Enough to willingly be trapped in a car with you for several days, yes I do." answered the dark haired man flatly as he hustled through the corridors and past suited subordinates. A few of them nodded in acknowledgement or saluted; some had even begun to bow. That was somewhat off-putting. The last thing he wanted to be was a fixture in this little kingdom Tayuya had carved from Orochimarus remnants and a mountain face. He was sure she would love having him under her thumb, among other things
"Not like it'll be the first time. Like that one time we were doing surveillance on that guy Gato's opium den in Konoha" reminisced Naruto slapping the man on his back lightheartedly. Sasuke remembered it alright, three days and four nights in a cramped sedan with the blonde littered with coffee cups, snack foods, and ramen. Alternating eight hour shifts; several of which Naruto had slept through. Eventually they grew too impatient and raided the establishment themselves on the fourth night. Surprisingly, it went off without a hitch as most of its occupants had been too high to do much of anything in protest. Hell, they'd even caught Gato himself off guard. Sasuke smirked at the memory. Those days were simpler, when you knew who your enemies were. Though the memory turned sour and his lips curved into a scowl when Naruto brought up their punishment for being so brash, ordered by his own father. Naruto received a minor demerit while he was suspended for what his father called "brazen disobedience in the line of duty". The words loomed over him still to this very day, "Your brother would never act so childishly and with such reckless abandon."
"Naruto! Sasuke!" called a voice down the hall drawing Sasuke from his thoughts. Sakura was making her way towards the two at a measured pace despite the IV drip stand she was dragging beside her.
"Sakura-chan what are you doing out of bed? Your wound…" Naruto fretted rushing the her side
"I'm fine I swear! The doctors said I could finish recouping in my own room." she explained patting the door of her room, "How'd the meeting go?" Naruto fidgeted nervously at the question, tugging at his collar almost comically.
"Deidara has gone on the offensive since Sasoris death. Naruto and I are going to stakeout one of his possible targets for the next few days." Sasuke answered brushing past the two and down the hallway, "Gather some supplies and meet me in the warehouse in two hours Naruto."
"Eh? Where are you going?" he shouted down the corridor, though he wasn't surprised when he didn't get an answer. The man continued walking somewhat aimlessly, scanning the plain concrete walls of the compound. He found himself outside the bunkers armory judging from the rooms of wide array of armaments and equipment. Grabbing a box of nine millimeter ammunition and earplugs he adjourned to the nearby firing range. Sauntering over to an empty stall the Uchiha removed one of his sidearms and loaded rounds into the magazine, his gaze hard on the cool steel. Slamming the loaded clip into his firearm he wasted no time firing down range into the paper man at the other end. He pumped round after round into his foe until his arm grew tired and his stoic stare crumpled into a contemptuous scowl for the face he saw on the other end.
"Itachi…"
Sasuke drove through the summer streets of Nagano with the window rolled down and a lit cigarette hanging limply from his mouth. The streets were practically empty, he wasn't surprised. The city must have been paralyzed with fear in the wake of Deidaras bombing spree. Three more had occurred since the first earlier that day and not a single person had a clue as to who was behind it all.
"When did you start smoking Sasuke?" asked the man in the passenger seat breaking the silence after a record thirty minutes.
"A few years ago." he responded flatly exhaling slowly.
"It's bad for you ya know." Naruto commented fiddling with a bag of chips he pulled from the duffle bag of supplies. The dark haired man grunted in response, 'There isn't much I do anymore that's good for my health.' he wanted to say but knew it would only egg his companion on. He ashed the cigarette outside the window as he circled the temple several times trying to find a good spot to post up. He turned off the car on a darkened backstreet with an adjacent view of the gates. He flicked his cigarette butt outside and rolled up the tinted windows, "I'll take first watch. Get some rest." He said simply holding his hand out to Naruto as if he could read his mind. The blonde stared incredulously for a few moments before he slapped it with his own hand sporting a grin. Sasuke shook his head sighing heavily, "Binoculars, you idiot."
"How was I supposed to know?" he grumbled in response handing said binoculars to the dark haired man after rummaging through the supplies. Naruto leaned as far back in his seat as it would allow and stared up at the sedans ceiling.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Sasuke."
"Of course you have." Sasuke droned flatly, scanning the anterior of the temple critically. It was better to indulge him seeing as they'd be trapped in a car for the next few days.
"Humor me. That Tayuya woman…are you and her…?"
Sasuke was beginning to regret his choice of partners already. Maybe even Sai would have been a better selection, "Next question."
" Ah ha! The rumors must be true then. Alright then, what about the one with the glasses, Karin?", his foxes grin growing at the sound of Sasukes disapproving grunt.
He was definitely regretting it, "Is that all you care about, childish rumors?" chided Sasuke his annoyance rising. Slowly a police cruiser rolled down an intersecting street past them.
"I know you won't answer any of the other ones so I might as well have fun with it." defended the blonde tossing in his uncomfortable seat trying to find a half decent position.
"Try me." challenged the onyx eyed man adjusting the binoculars when he spotted movement past the gates of the temple. A monk most likely.
"This mission; taking down Akatsuki. Why did you need us, really? Naruto asked his voice serious and weighty for once. For a moment Sasuke was taken aback by the question.
"Simple, you—we were trained to deal with these types of people. My team isn't enough." he answered correcting himself. It was easy to forget he had at one point been one of them, a peacekeeper, and an agent of the law, protecting and serving the citizens of the world. After all, he became the very criminal he had been trained to capture or kill.
"Bullshit. What about Kakashi-sensei or any of the other senior officers?" contested the blue eyed man giving up in his quest to get comfortable and returned his seat to the upright position.
"Tsunade would never part with one of them, besides; she needs plausible deniability to cover her ass should our actions come to light. Most likely she'll say I kidnapped you all and forced you to aid me." Sasuke admitted lowering his binoculars when another cruiser crawled by, this time down their street. Naruto opened his mouth in protest but was silenced when he noticed the approaching car's flashing light.
"Remain calm." instructed the dark haired man as he reached inside trench coat. The cruiser came to a stop several feet from them and out stepped a uniformed officer flashlight in hand as he approached. The man rapped on the window with his flashlight and slowly Sasuke rolled it down.
"Evening gentlemen. Is there some sort of problem?" he asked moving his blinding light between the cars occupants.
"None yet, officer." Sasuke responded lowly his hand twitching on cool metal.
"E—excuse me? What do you mean, yet? Are you threatening me?" he stuttered his hand moving to his holster. Sensing the rapid escalation Naruto acted. Quickly he pulled out his Interpol badge and identification waving it between the two.
"Sorry officer he's just a rookie. I'm training him, but not very well it would seem." blurted the blonde offering a nervous smile. The officer's free hand moved from his weapon and inspected the badge critically.
"Uzumaki…Chief Inspector Gaara never mentioned Interpol…" he said skeptically handing the badge back, his gaze still trained on Sasuke. He couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen his face before.
"Well…our superiors figured it would be best to be dispatched in secret to get to the bottom of these bombings without alerting the culprit to our presence." Naruto lied hoping it was believable enough to fool the officer.
"I see, well we certainly could use the assistance. Sorry to bother you two, as you were." with that the officer made his way back to his cruiser and pulled away. Naruto released a drawn out sigh as the cruiser disappeared around a corner.
"What the hell was that about!? Were you planning on killing him!?" fumed Naruto once the window had been rolled up
"Not at all," he responded producing a badge identical to Narutos own, "Actually, I planned to do the same thing."
"But, where did you…?"
"It doesn't matter. It's only a cheap imitation for the real thing." he said firmly, putting it away and picking up his forgotten binoculars. Despite going back to his observations, his mind wandered to the hunk of metal in his coat pocket. It had been three years since he last carried a shield, a real badge of authority. He could remember the events leading up to it as if it were yesterday.
A year into his tenure as a member of Interpol's Special Task Force, himself and his two companions had been tasked with raiding a warehouse where a suspected terrorist cell was said to be planning an attack. They were all prepared to act, but were waylaid by bureaucracy and other agencies wanting a piece of the glory. For almost a week he obsessed over the mission; scrutinizing dossiers, missives, blueprints of the warehouse, anything connecting the cell to other acts of terrorism. He was convinced his brother was attached in some way, and he wanted nothing more than to finally confront him for what he'd done to their family. Eventually the operation was green-lit and the joint forces were mobilized. The building was surrounded and Sasuke and his team were the first to breach the warehouse; the empty warehouse. Sasuke had rushed ahead searching frantically for any signs of their suspects despite his teammate's protests. In a back office he found a Konoha PD detectives badge on the desk amidst the pervasive starkness of the room. He had joined Interpol to catch international criminals of his brother's caliber, but all he found was bureaucracy and red tape at every turn. A week later the Tokyo Stock Exchange was attacked. A dozen dead, nearly a billion yen stolen, and the Uchiha name on the front of every major news outlet. Within a week's time Sasuke laid his badge and gun on Tsunades desk and isolated himself. Neither Nartuo nor Sakura could convince him to come back; even Kakashi had tried, he shared leads on his brother's whereabouts as a means to coax him. None of it swayed him. The system was too bloated and no longer protected the people; they protected the criminals. His brother's message was clear. Only a wolf could catch another wolf, not a sheep.
"Oi Sasuke, what's that? It looks like…smoke?" Naruto chimed pointing at the billowing wisps that floated from within the compound. Examining them with his bare eyes, Sasuke's gaze hardened. It was far too much smoke to be the incense the monks would burn during prayer, and it was an unusual hour for such a thing.
"We should investigate." Sasuke nodded in agreement as the two of them exited the vehicle and made their way to a squat rock wall. Bounding the barrier they slowly made their way through the surrounding gardens, guns in hand as they skirted along the outsides keeping parallel with the thick plumage of smoke. They found themselves passing under the Niomon gate, receiving glares from it statue guardians as they began approaching the smoke in the distance. Climbing the far off steps they saw the huge brass incense holder breathing flames, several robed bodies littering the stone tile around it. The duo rushed to check the bodies, only to find no signs of life.
"A shame really," droned a voice in the distance, "I told them no harm would come to them if they stayed out of my way. Old fools, hm."
Naruto and Sasuke shielded their eyes from the flames in an attempt to focus their vision on the voice. "Show yourself." demanded the dark haired man watching as the figure descended the steps of the main hall. The man emerged from the shadows draped in a black trench coat, a wide grin on his face and his hands in his pockets.
"Show us your hands!" ordered Naruto raising his gun towards the man, Sasuke doing the same. The blonde man did no such thing, he only continued smiling.
"I expected you to come alone Uchiha Sasuke. Doesn't matter, this'll end the same anyway, hm." taunted the blonde, malice dripping from his lips.
"No. It won't." Sasuke returned flatly as he opened fire on the man. Deidara quickly sprinted across the grounds, taking shelter behind a stone statue.
"You damned Uchihas! No respect for pageantry or art!" he shouted back; having been winged in the arm by a bullet. Quickly he pulled a trigger inside one of his pockets. The brass incense holder exploded with enough force to send Sasuke and Naruto a few feet out in opposite directions. Amongst the ringing in his ears, Sasuke could hear Narutos shouts and more gunshots ringing out. As his head cleared he rose to his feet the faint sound of sirens approaching in the background. The blue eyed man rushed to his side, patting out the flames threatening to spread on his coat.
"Wish I could stay Uchiha, but duty calls. Here's a little parting gift, my art!" Deidara called from the shadows as he activated the final charges' with a single click. Within seconds the main hall combusted in a storm of stone and wood fragments as the black smoke rose into the night's sky.
"No…"Naruto whispered as the flames rose higher and higher, the heat licking at his skin. The sirens were now upon them and amidst the chaos they missed the sound of footsteps rushing towards them.
"Freeze! Put your hands up!" barked an officer behind them. Knowing full well how the situation looked and would pan out, they fled.
They played right into his hand, and now they had become the hunted.
Dun-dun-dun! Well that's it for this chapter. I was considering making it longer but after last chapters fiasco I didn't wanna find myself between a rock and a hard place trying to find a good point to stop. I tried to sprinkle in as much of Sasukes sorted past and some SasuxSaku goodness as possible since the story thus far has been lacking; my apologies. Anywho I hope you guys and gals enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, and as always shoot me a review or PM if you have anything you'd like to get off your chest.
Next Chapter: Edo Style Tango
Until next time! Sayonara!