22. Trust

My quaking knees gave out and I collapsed to the ground. The large slab of concrete that had been towering over me now broke apart, crumbling to the ground in a plume of dust and debris. Exhaustion threatened to claim me as I bent over, palms on the ground to hold me steady. Breathing heavily, I attempted to regain my breath. Hair was now sticking to my face from sweat and long locks fell like curtains over my shoulders.

Due to the insufferable summer heat, I'd opted for more breathable clothing. But my light purple tank top and black shorts left my skin bare and vulnerable. My skin was cut, scraped, bruised and bleeding. Scabs had ripped open and bandages were soaked through.

The thin layer of blood that coated my skin was mostly caused by my kekki genki. The sheer force I was exerting made my wind rush from my pours, cutting at my skin from intensity and amount of use. The lacerations and bruises were caused by a variety of things. Sometimes it was from debris from the trees and structures I ripped from the ground. Or the debris that shot out from a whirlwind I encased myself in should I lose an ounce of focus. Sometimes they were from a weapon of Keitaro's choosing.

He'd been hellbent on the idea that not a moment of my month to train should be wasted. Day after day I was outside from dawn to dusk. I ripped apart everything and anything. I made barriers and traps. I fought with only my wind. I fought with only jutsus. I fought with only weapons. I fought with all of them.

I trained until I physically could not; until I had to crawl back to my house. I trained until Keitaro called it a day, with no breaks and no lunch. I had to train until he was happy. But he was never happy.

"Quicker next time. I could have killed you in the time it took you to do that."

Panting, I peered over my shoulder at Keitaro. He stood ten feet behind me, critical eyes filled with disapproval.

The close sibling relationship Keitaro and I shared seemed like a distant memory. Ever since the Chuunin Exams started, our relationship had been strained. First came his lack of faith in me, and then my lack of faith in him. Suspicion had lodged into my heart the moment Keitaro's name had escaped Natsuo's lips.

Escaping the heat, I pushed open the door to my house, scurrying inside. I gave a sigh of relief as the house's coolness spread over me, cooling my skin. I closed the door with one hand as the other wiped away sweat from my brow.

"You're home."

Closing the door with a 'click', I turned to see Keitaro at the dining room table. He was getting to his feet and I moved into the dining room to meet him.

"You look much better," Keitaro offered, glancing at my healing injuries.

But I barely noticed. I'd had plenty of time to think during my hospital stay and I had a lot of questions.

"Kiba visited me today."

"I'm glad," Keitaro replied distractedly as he noticed my hand move to my pants pocket.

I took the paper from said pocket and unfolded it. Wordlessly, I handed the paper to my brother, who took it in his right hand. His eyes scanned the paper and his lack of recognition told me he hadn't seen the matches yet.

I watched him carefully as his eyes neared the end of the page. Suddenly, his face paled and his lips twisted into a grimace. Subtly, his knuckles tightened and the paper creased accordingly. His eyes finally snapped back to mine.

"I heard you're allowed a month to train. You need to begin right away."

I watched Keitaro flatly. "Who is he?"

Keitaro seemed to lose his words. He stared at me for a long moment before answering quietly. "What…?"

"Makase Natsuo. I know you know who he is."

Keitaro looked as though he might be choking. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard. His eyes were a mass of emotions that I couldn't hope to unravel.

"Well?" I asked impatiently. "What the hell is going on, Keitaro? I know you know something. I want to know why I'm being targeted by people I've never heard of; people who seem very familiar with me."

Keitaro finally sighed, sinking into the nearest seat at the table. He placed his elbow on the tabletop, resting his forehead in his palm. He looked tired all of a sudden. He placed the bracket on the tabletop, setting his gaze on it but not truly seeing it. I took a seat opposite him.

I watched Keitaro expectantly until he finally glanced up at me. He sighed ago. "Makase Natsuo is our cousin."

The footsteps were at the rock now, someone would be here any second. But as I made to shout out, Natsuo brought his face closer once more, pushing his lips against mine. My scream caught in my throat as my eyes widened, my mind slow to understand what was happening; and still confused when it did.

My stomach churned dangerously and I thought I might puke. I pressed my lips together, fighting the bile that climbed up my throat. I felt light-headed for a moment and placed a hand on the table to steady myself.

As I felt the nausea calm, I glanced to Keitaro. His eyes were taking in my reaction with an expression of distress. When I spoke, my throat was dry. "Cousin?"

"On our mother's side…" Keitaro said quietly. "His mother, our aunt, is…was…our mother's younger sister."

"Was?"

Keitaro nodded. "She's dead now. She was a very…bitter woman, Nakao. She was always jealous of our mother. I'm sure you can understand why. Mother was naturally skilled, and she was so…kind…helpful…loving…"

"I remember…" I whispered, feeling pain coil around my heart.

Keitaro's face also looked pained. I watched him fight the nostalgia off his expression and he sighed, rubbing at his temples. "What happened, Nakao?"

My thoughts rushed through the events of the Exam. Where did I start? Natsuo mysterious appearance in the first Exam? Orochimaru showing up and almost killing us? That he left a curse mark on Sasuke and threw doubt onto my entire life? That he had a group of Sound ninja working for him? That Natsuo was linked to him? My mind was swirling just thinking about it.

"Who is Orochimaru?" I finally asked.

I watched Keitaro's jaw clench. His eyes darkened. "Orochimaru?"

"Was kind enough to introduce himself in the Forest. He tried to kill us. But then he…" I swallowed hard against my throat. The memories brought forth a rush of emotions I'd rather stayed behind a carefully crafted wall. "He…he said he wanted us-me and Sasuke."

I'd never seen Keitaro look so tense. He was grinding his teeth together, fingers twitching atop the tabletop. I wondered if he'd ever answer as the silence stretched between us. But finally, bitter words flooded from his lips. "Did you ever wonder why Mother and Father left Sunagakure?"

My lips twisted in a frown and I shook my head. I'd been eight when they died. A child doesn't typically wonder these things.

"The Makase Clan…" Keitaro paused. "Our parents left because the Makase Clan had aligned themselves with Orochimaru."

My eyes widened, thoughts racing. I didn't know what to think. So many questions ran through my head and I didn't think Keitaro would answer them, even if I could formulate them into words. But one question did pop out of my mouth.

"Is that why our clan was massacred?" I asked quietly. I wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to be the cause of my clan's elimination.

Keitaro squirmed uncomfortable in his seat, which made my eyebrows furrow. But he plowed on, distracting me. "Our parents wanted nothing to do with Orochimaru. I'm sure there were a few that felt that way. So they came here to Konoha. But our aunt was different. She seized the chance to be my mother's replacement, serve Orochimaru to any ends. She became one of his most devoted followers. And so she offered him her only son."

"Natsuo."

Keitaro nodded. "Yes. As far as I'm aware, Orochimaru's taken him on as…"

"His successor?"

Keitaro shrugged. "I can't say. But something along the lines of an apprentice."

"Did you know he would be here?" I asked quietly.

Keitaro shook his head. "No. I've only heard passing mentions of him through intelligence."

My mind was whirling, swimming with information and questions. I shook my head. "So why is he here? What does he want? What does Orochimaru want?"

Keitaro looked troubled. He squirmed again, avoiding my eyes and placing his gaze on the far wall. But he answered. "Orochimaru's interest with our clan wasn't coincidental. He was, I assume he still is, fascinated with our kekki genki. The scientific mechanism of our jutsu is appealing to someone like Orochimaru. He spent years studying, dissecting, replicating. But when our clan was…wiped out…that all ended. My guess is that he's here for a new test subject."

The blood chilled in my veins. I suddenly felt violated. That Orochimaru wanted to use my body for experiments and research.

A shiver ran down my spine. "But why me? Why not you?"

Keitaro visibly scowled. "He probably assumes, with good reason, that it's not worth his time to try and recruit me. He knows I'd never join him willingly. He knows I'm no use to him if I'm dead, not if he wants you to cooperate."

"And that's what he thinks I'll do now? Cooperate?"

But I remembered how Orochimaru told me Sasuke was much more likely to join his side than I was.

"He has a better chance of manipulating you than me. You were in the dark about our clan, being so young. And he may have been able to twist the truth."

"And what about Sasuke?" I finally asked.

Keitaro stiffed. "What about Sasuke?"

"He wants Sasuke. It's almost like he's obsessed with him. Orochimaru wants him for something. Enough to leave that mark on him."

Keitaro's eyes watched me, first alarmed, but now with a very guarded expression. His jaw twitched and, at first, it looked like he was ready to say something, but he closed his mouth and shook his head. "I don't know, Nakao."

The way he glanced away from me, back down to the paper on the tabletop, made me feel, with a sense of unease, that my brother might be lying.

"What do you know, Keitaro?" I asked.

His brown eyes jumped back to mine. But I couldn't read anything in them. There was a wall there, unbreakable and solid. He got to his feet. "I'm sorry I don't have the answers you're looking for, Nakao."

And with that, he left the room, leaving me with my thoughts and a seed of doubt in my heart.

Sweat rolled down my face. My muscles screamed in protest, my mind filled with frustration, doubt and fatigue. It wasn't just Keitaro's behavior that day that concerned me. It was the fact he trained me as harshly as he did. As though he was afraid; because he thought I wasn't strong enough. And I had long since started to feel as though he was right. That I wasn't getting any stronger. And that Natsuo was going to win our battle. And that I was going to die there.

The very thought of Natsuo filled me with fear and nausea. He'd shown me, in such a short display in the Forest, that he was a formidable opponent. And the look, ever present in his eyes, promised death and destruction. And now that I knew who he was to Orochimaru, it filled me with a whole new level of fear. Who could say all that he had learned? All that Orochimaru may have taught him or enhanced.

I had a week and a half left to train and part of me was relieved. I wanted to be done with this excessive training program. I wanted to be rid of Keitaro's criticisms and complete lack of faith. I wanted the time to be able to think about and process all that I had learned and sort out my feelings about my brother.

On the other hand, the strain was mounting. My last nerve was stretched so thin I thought it might snap any second. I'd long since forgotten to care that the Third Exam would decide which of us would graduate to Chuunin. It seemed inconsequential compared to the potential life and death situation with Natsuo. I said life and death to make myself feeling better but the truth of it was that I knew Natsuo had no plans to let me walk out of that arena alive.

"Do it again," Keitaro said. "You're too slow, Nakao."

That nerve strained and trembled. My fingernails dug into the earth, hands shaking slightly, teeth clenched. "I don't suppose you have anything positive to say."

"Not with that performance."

And just like that, the nerve snapped, frayed ends flying away from one another. My fear and irritability caved under the strain of the hot sun, my brother's biting words, the fear for my survival. I found the energy to soar to my feet, facing my brother, glaring daggers. "Well you've been the one orchestrating my training, Keitaro. If my performance is lacking, maybe you ought to look at yourself!"

"Excuse me?" Keitaro hissed, eyes narrowing.

I was fuming. I'd never looked at my brother with such contempt before. "Well what is it they say? A student is only as good as his teacher?"

Keitaro's cheeks flushed with heat, teeth clenched. "I've shared everything I know-!"

"Have you!?" I snapped. "You sure didn't teach me anything about our family! Never thought to mention Natsuo's existence and that he was dangerous! Don't you dare try to tell me you never thought I'd find out, our believe he'd one day be a threat! So why the fuck would I think you'd teach me everything about fighting?"

"I didn't tell you those things to protect you!" he gritted out.

"Ooooh thanks, I feel so protected," I rolled my eyes with exaggeration.

The ire that flooded off Keitaro rivaled mine. We glared at one another, angry words piling up on our tongues. But I was furious, and I'd had enough. I had never lived with such doubt. I'd never questioned my brother and his integrity, but now I didn't know who or what to trust. And the fear and sadness this brought mixed with the anger and threatened to overwhelm me.

Fear, rage, frustration, vulnerability, insecurity, it swirled in my mind, clenched at my heart. I was cracking under the pressure and I still had over a week before I met my destiny. I wanted to shut it all off, curl up in my own mind. I wanted to crawl onto my mother's lap, feel her stroke my hair, fall asleep to the smell of her perfume. Get lost in a time where none of this could plague me.

With newfound speed, I whipped out handsigns in a blur. A twister roared to life, obscuring all sight in a ten-meter diameter. I shoved the twister towards my brother, who quickly activated his own jutsu. With little effort, he whipped up his own twister, large than mine. They rammed together, the howling winds causing a deafening roar probably heard for miles. His twister engulfed mine and he fought with the sheer power of the two raging wind storms until he was able to dissipate it.

The surrounding area looked like a war zone. Trees were ripped from the ground, bark and other debris scattered around the clearing in heaps. Leaves skittered across the ground as the wind began to die and I was nowhere in sight.

I sighed, slumping against the stone wall. The stone walls on the bridge were brittle and falling apart but I cared very little as several clumps of clay and stone broke off from the wall against my back. Exhaustion took me, in my mind, in my heart, in my body.

The forestry around me was quiet and undisturbed. There was no natural breeze and the brush and leaves of the canopies above remained eerily still. It was peaceful out here and only the deteriorating walls of the bridge reminded me of the time that had passed since I'd first began coming here.

Sasuke watched me curiously for a minute before a smile broke out on his face. I stuck my thumb and pinkie finger outwards. "This means friends in another culture. My mom told me."

"Really?" Sasuke copied my gesture, glancing at me. "Friends?"

I nodded eagerly before crossing my index and middle finger together. "Always. I promise."

Sasuke crossed his fingers. "I promise."

Sighing at the fond memory, my mind switched back to more recent events. My anger towards Keitaro began to fade as the cause of his incessant behavior swam to the forefront of my thoughts. I could see Natsuo behind closed eyelids, his devilish smirk, his cold eyes. My fear of him sparked new anger, but it was mainly directed at myself.

No one had ever rattled me the way Natsuo did; not even Orochimaru. At least Orochimaru seemed to have a purpose, a reason for his madness. Natsuo…well perhaps he had a purpose too: to see me destroyed. And the unnerving part of Natsuo is that he would stop at nothing to see this completed. Because he was completely without conscious; what would he do to see me dead? What atrocities was he willing to commit without batting an eye?

I sighed deeply, eyes flickering open. As much as I hated to admit it, I feared that Keitaro was right. That I was not nearly strong enough to beat my cousin. And though his damning words hurt, I knew they were realistic. And more than likely, his words came from his own fear. Because my brother loved me and he would never want to see me hurt. …Right?

I immediately chided my own doubt, but it did not fade. I could not help the constant nagging fact that Keitaro had kept secrets from me; big secrets; secrets that involved me. Why would he keep them? I simply couldn't buy that he was trying to keep me safe. It made no sense. It seemed impossible to me that Keitaro doubted I'd ever run into Natsuo's existence. I'd never thought my brother would do something like this, but he did.

And I never thought that Itachi-san could commit genocide…but he did.

The thoughts churned uncomfortably in my gut. It was not lost on me that Keitaro and Itachi had been best friends since day one of the Academy. I had few memories of Keitaro in our younger years that did not involve Itachi in some way. And I had always wondered, while trying to shove down the dark thought, if Keitaro had continued to be Itachi's confidant until the very end.

The idea had disgusted me all these years. My brother would never cause harm. My brother would never keep such a secret. But now…

It turns out Keitaro had kept plenty of secrets.

I ran hands over my face. I felt sick and depressed. But the sound of a twig snapping quickly wrenched me from my dark thoughts.

My head perked up and I glanced over my shoulder. The new arrival glanced up as well, equally surprised to find me here. Turning, I watched him until he neared the bridge, stopping below me.

"Hey, Stranger. What brings you to this neck of the woods?" I bit down on the giggle over my own joke.

Sasuke's eyes met mine. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and the familiar action caused a smile to slip onto my face.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, resting crossed arms on the bridge.

"Busy," he replied, hands dug into the pockets of his shorts.

"How mysterious."

Another eye roll.

"You must be terribly busy," I teased, lazily indicating our surroundings.

Sasuke shrugged. "Kakashi-sensei was busy today and I decided to take a break."

I quirked an eyebrow. "And you decided to come here?"

Sasuke jerked his head away to hide the embarrassment on his face, but I caught it.

"Aren't you supposed to be training?" he countered.

"I'm taking a break."

A tiny smirk slipped onto Sasuke's lips. "And you decided to come here?"

Unlike Sasuke, I did not hide my face. Instead, I smiled at him, but before I could answer, I did need to hide my face. So I turned around, leaning my back against the wall again. "Reminds me of simpler times."

Sasuke did not reply, but the sound of crunching leaves indicated movement. I turned back around to find Sasuke ducking beneath the bridge. I hurried after him, pulling myself over the wall and dropping to the ground. I ducked beneath the bridge.

"Seemed like there was more room under here back then," I muttered, crouching lower to avoid hitting my head.

Sasuke was already kneeling on the damp ground, eyes on the undercarriage of the bridge. I crawled over to him, sitting beside him. My knee brushed against his. The sketch remained, untouched by time and events. Without the elements to destroy it, the drawing remained nearly as fresh looking as when we first drew it.

I couldn't help the chuckle that escape my lips as my eyes took in the drawing. "Gosh, we were really stupid back then."

"No," Sasuke said, prompting me to glance at him, but his gaze remained on the sketch. "Just you."

I puckered my lips, unamused. With my right hand, I reached over and shoved the boy in his shoulder. Sasuke wobbled unsteadily but regained composure. Shooting me a glare, he shoved me back. My hands flew behind me, catching me as I fell back on my backside.

"Jerk," I glared.

"Don't be such a baby."

I ignored the tingle that zipped across my skin. Shaking dark bangs out of my eyes, I spotted a white stone on the ground. Sasuke watched me curiously as I snatched it up and placed it against the stone of the bridge. He watched over my shoulder as I sketched.

Smiling in satisfaction, I sat back on my heels. Beneath the original stick figures, I'd drawn a new one. This one was taller than the older one. On the head I'd drawn a crude representation of a duck with its back feathers exaggerated. I shot Sasuke a smirk as he glared at me.

"Hey!" I cried out as Sasuke plucked the stone from my hand.

I watched cautiously but amused as Sasuke drew his own picture. I scoffed when I realized he'd drawn a stick figure with long hair, but with donkey ears and a tail.

"You ass!" I head-locked the boy from behind.

Sasuke struggled against my grip but I held on, stifling a laugh. Sasuke abandoned his attempt to pry my arms off and proceeded to try and pull me forward. I felt my cheek brush against his.

I felt as though a bolt of lightning struck me. The entire atmosphere seemed charged with energy. I felt my breathing grow shallow and heavy and my head felt dizzy. In horror, I wondered if my breathing was really as loud as I thought it was.

What was this?

My skin parted from Sasuke's and the world around me seemed to snap back to normal. The static-charged air dissipated and was back to its musty, dank quality. I felt my breathing return to normal, but a strange heat had taken over my skin.

I didn't know what it meant, and for some reason, I was scared to find out. I didn't want to know. I didn't know why I didn't want to know, but the same fear I associated with the lonely aftermath of my parents' demise rushed through me. On my knees, I crawled out from beneath the bridge. I tried to leave behind the feeling, turning away from it the same way I turned away from so many other thoughts and emotions.

The sunlight hit my face I got to my feet. I took in several deep breaths of forest air. A noise from behind my drew my attention and I glanced over my shoulder to find Sasuke exiting from beneath the bridge. He got to his feet, his eyes set intently on me.

"I…have to go," I said, the tone of my voice foreign and unfamiliar.

Sasuke's eyebrows grew together in question. But I held no answers for him. I turned forward once more, quick footsteps carrying me away from my memories. But when I was a good ten feet away, I halted. A thought had crossed my mind, and it lodged there, refusing to be removed like the emotions I shed from me like a coat.

I pivoted, turning my gaze but on Sasuke. He remained standing where I'd left him, his onyx eyes on me. They were searching for something, but what, I didn't know. But as I watched him, my mind played tricks on me. I blinked and Sasuke was how I remembered him fondly, six years old, his cheeks retaining their childhood pudge. I blinked again and he was his present self, though his eyes still held a plethora of questions.

Smiling gently, I offered him a small wave. "I'll see you soon. Happy birthday, Sasuke."

And before he could respond, in any possible way, I turned on my heel and hurried away from Sasuke, my memories, and my own constricted heart.

I sighed heavily with exhaustion and anxiety as my bare feet brushed against the brown carpeting of the hallway. My muscles ached and my mind swam as I reached the end of the hallway and pushed open the cracked door.

Kiba glanced up from his spot on the bed. He sat crossed-legged, counting smoke bombs on the black bedspread. He gave me a small smile, shoving the bombs into a weapons pouch and pushing it off the bed. Another sigh escaped my lips as I moved over, flopping down onto the bed. The bed rested against a wall and Kiba moved over to make room, resting his back against the wall.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a stretch of silence.

"No," I murmured before cracking my eyes open. Kiba was staring down at me intensely. You tried to offer him a smile. "I'm okay; don't worry."

Kiba seemed unconvinced. "Is it about Keitaro?"

I gazed at my friend for a long moment before half-shrugging. "Sort of."

"Your match?" Kiba tried again.

Another sigh and I shook my head. Kiba flopped down beside me, resting on his shoulder so he could look at me. I copied him, lying on my side to face him.

For the past two weeks, I'd opted to stay at Kiba's house. I couldn't explain why, but I felt safer here. Something about having my most trusted loved one lying beside me gave me a sense of comfort that I was sorely lacking in my life.

Kiba was dressed for bed, wearing a black t-shirt and gray shorts. Akamaru was already asleep in his doggy bed in the corner of the room. I had changes of clothes here, but I was exhausted, lacking desire to change. Though I knew I needed to, my clothes were dirty and sweat-stained.

"You're going to win, Nakao," Kiba finally said, his eyes boring into my face.

I was silent, my eyes searching him. I didn't want to admit the fear. I didn't want to admit the anger, frustration and doubt that swirled within me. When I answered, my voice came out quiet. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because you have to. Because…"

Kiba trailed off, his face looking particularly troubled. My eyebrows crinkled together.

Kiba glanced away. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

I gave him a soft smile. "Your life would be a hell of a lot less dramatic."

He looked like he wanted to smile, but the twitch of his lips didn't meet his eyes. With an inaudible sigh, he reached to his left wrist, taking hold of bracelet that rested there. His older sister had gifted it to him, per custom, the day he graduated to genin. It was a simple black band with three beads taking up the middle. Two smaller beads rested beside a larger one. They were dark orange, each with a dark red slit running down the middle, like animal eyes. The large, middle bead was a metal charm, molded into the shape of the Inuzuka Clan symbol.

I watched in surprise as Kiba slid the bracelet off before gently taking my wrist. He slipped the bracelet onto it before glancing back to my face. "I'm going to lend this to you for good luck; be sure to bring it back to me."

I felt my heart constrict. I never considered myself an emotional person, but the last six weeks had taken their toll. All the frustration, the lies and betrayal, the uncertainty and confusion, guilt and anger, they all rose up in a wave, crashing against the emotions that tugged at me with one look at Kiba's face. I felt tears sting my eyes, try as I might to push them back. I leaned over, wrapping Kiba in a hug, made awkward by our positions.

"You know I love you, right Kiba?" I whispered into his shoulder, taking in the scent so reminiscent of comfort and companionship.

Kiba didn't respond, though I failed to think much of it. I pulled away, glancing down to my wrist, to the beads that were cool against my skin. I felt Kiba shift to rest comfortably on the bed and I slid out of bed, quickly changing into clean clothes.

Turning off the lights, I returned to my place in Kiba's bed. His room was cast in shadow and I could not see Kiba's face. I laid on my side, feeling my body relax as I touched the bracelet on my wrist. As my eyes began to close, I felt Kiba's shift closer to me. As exhaustion tugged at my conscious, I felt his hands run through my hair, his go-to action to ease my nerves.

"I love you too."

His voice was so soft, so quiet, that I almost missed it. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips before I felt myself slipping into darkness and dreams. The warmth of the blankets, and the love and concern from someone I loved deeply, whisked me off to sleep.

Author's Note:

Feeling the love of these reviews and sending the love right back at you!

In the older version of this story, I do make reference to Nakao's friendship with Ino; which is her only female bond. But it was only vaguely implied here. Great minds think alike!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Sending lots of love.