Lady Yugito lets all her weight fall into her chair. Tired after another week of report after report of movements and rumors that do nothing to help her situation.
Or that of any other Beast Tamer.
The news don't surprise her, everything written there she has already heard and the only reason for this is the new found friendship she has developed with the One-Tail. Who is always quick to remind her that whatever he knows is because of the Nine-Tails.
A group she has learned to trust and though sometimes she wonders whether she would have had a better chance with another clique, Lord Gaara shows some type of goodwill that only serves to strengthen her resolve.
She's going down with them.
Or maybe they'll win and she'll get a cozy vacation after all this.
She eyes the report on her hands and dreads to read the pages her guard has already briefed her in. It's dumb. As if she somehow believed that the attack on the summit and then the attack on their meeting could mean anything other than a full-on attack against them. An attack on the Beast Tamers. To what they represent, to what they mean to their respective clans.
Without them in the picture treaties and borders grow blurry. Without them as a threat, what? What could possibly deter the clans who can't get their hands on a Beast from attacking another clan who just lost theirs?
In a world where Beast Tamers are no more, a new foundation must be found.
And a clan like hers, where the assurance of a Beast Tamer has protected their meager territory from other bigger and more powerful clans, this whole thing brings nothing but uncertainties.
Her council has egged her to use the Four-Tails as a bargaining chip, and in any other circumstances she would have given it some serious thought.
But now…
She needs the old man to hang on till she can use him as a weapon. And she can't help but feel glad everything is happening fast.
Her usefulness grows exponentially and her nerves- her nerves will finally have a good needed rest. She wonders about her other comrades, and can only feel sorry for the Nine-Tails. What timing this is.
She stares at the ceiling long enough and then reads through the papers. The Utakata clan reporting suspicious movement near their territory, especifically near the secret location of the Six-Tails.
The same information they received from the Han clan, who were protecting and trying their best to own the territory surrounding the summit, where the Five-Tails was sealed as a last attempt.
Lady Yugito is interrupted as she's growing bored of the documents in front of her. The guard looks winded and before she speaks, Lady Yugito knows what she's going to say.
"My lady, the Karatachi clan has-" a gasp of air, "they have been attacked."
Lady Yugito expects some sort of reaction coming, but she feels calm and the only thing that comes out of her mouth is, "Yeah, makes sense."
She could bet the Three-Tails has disappeared.
•···•···•
Gaara drags his fingers down the stones of his necklace. The same necklace Itachi brought to the Nine-Tails and that Shikamaru offered to Gaara.
Temari sits down next to him unceremoniously. Her eyes glancing at his hand, the green shine enough to make her look away, knowing full well what the necklace means to Gaara.
"If shits goes down," she starts, but Gaara -like never before- chuckles.
"When shits goes down," he says. And the tension this conversation was establishing goes down the window, Temari's eyes go wide and she stares at her brother. He smiles at her, and it breaks her heart knowing why he's letting his usual demeanor drop. "I'll be at the front of it, as all Beast Tamers will be."
"Kankuro and I will be at Lord Naruto's side, Gaara, I promise. I swear we will do our utmost to protect him, so you can just-"
He listens to her, though his eyes travel from her face to the garden. His hand at his neck, his fingers touching the necklace -as if making sure it's still there. "Please," she tries, Kankuro and her wishes are on her shoulders, "I swear we will lay our lives if necessary-"
"Temari."
"So you expect us to watch our little brother go face a monster and risk his life while we- while we stay back and watch?"
"While you stay and protect our land and our people."
"But that's your duty!" She stands, her eyes searching for his. But he keeps on looking forward, unperturbed.
"You are the clan leader, Gaara, not us. Please, let us go protect Lord Naruto… you stay with our people."
"I owe him a great de-"
"So do we." His eyes travel to hers. Black surrounding it, but even the eyeliner isn't enough to hide his dark circles. "Gaara, we couldn't do anything for you when we were children, at least let us help you like this."
"You aren't at fault for what happened back then."
The red-headed boy screamed as their father dragged him down the hallways, Temari and Kankuro still and petrified at the sight. If they didn't move, that man wouldn't see them, and if he didn't see them…
"We did nothing and that still weighs heavy on us."
"You were children, Temari."
"So were you. And if you're arguing with age, you are the youngest and still the one with- with-"
All the responsibilities and burdens they couldn't manage, the pain they dodged. They hid and held their breaths and hoped that nothing happened to them.
And nothing did. But then the brother that came back was quiet and somber and dark and nothing like the bright-eyed child that would follow them and laugh as they played.
And it was their fault.
"Fuck, please don't die."
"I don't intend on dying, Temari."
But his hands keep on touching that necklace and Temari can't say anything else. She walks to her brother and envelops him in a hug. She knows this brother they got back was all thanks to Lord Naruto and if only her life was the price she would pay it without a thought.
Just not her brother. Not her baby brother, please.
"Kankuro will give you a whole other spiel, be warned."
Gaara scoffs that low laugh she has learned to love, and he hugs her back. As a Beast Tamer, as a clan leader, the Sand needs him and as his bodyguard she will protect him.
But as a brother, she can't bear the thought of seeing him in danger and she will blow herself up before anything happens to him.
•···•···•
Sakura enters his room and checks his vitals. She checks his IV and his bandages and his leg. He hasn't even tried standing up, it feels and looks better than when he first arrived, but the mere thought of putting his whole weight on it is enough to send shivers down his spine.
It's routine, all of this, and he can recite from memory what this Sakura will check and do. Even the conversations she strikes with him are redundant.
He doesn't know if it's because he's become bored out of his mind or because today of all days this Sakura acts so badly like a Sakura that he can't bear it.
"Where's she?"
She doesn't even flinch. And he's tired of this.
"Who do you mean?"
"Sakura."
She looks confused and geez, yes, he knows they act like Sakura does. But he spent a bunch of time in this room alone with her and fuck if he wasn't gonna try to use whatever she could give him to aid his clan. He knows how she looks at him. With contempt and the unflinching assurance that even if he tried to do something, she would obliterate him.
Some of them avoid his gaze immediately and this one looks at him with pity. He hates this one most of all.
"Sakura," he repeats, "the real one."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Sakura keeps on doing her work and he can't find even one thing out of place. Aside from her fucking aura, she's the perfect Sakura double. But he needs more information. Time has passed and if his calculations are correct, Madara is soon to attack.
"If she's not here she's with the Nine-Tails wife, right? Is she in labor already? Soon? You do know Madara will come raining down on you as soon as she starts giving birth, right? Can you imagine how the Nine-Tails will react when he sees his wife's body dead on the ground? And the child, of course, dead."
"I don't know how you think that is supposed to rile me up, but, huh, good try, I guess. You aren't getting anything out of me and, well," her syringe plunges into his IV bag and she gives him a smirk as she fills it up, "it's not like you're getting out of here, boy."
"We'll see about that, bitch." He expects to say the words with venom but the liquid makes him nauseous and he blinks to keep the blurry out of his eyes. "What did you do?" His words come out slurred and his chakra feels even more muddled.
"Next time try not to antagonize your doctor, Uchiha, it can bite you in the ass."
"You won't kill me."
"No, I can't kill you. But I can make it so your stomach churns and your head floats and maybe, if I feel like it, I will make it so that you can't feel your hands and legs. I don't know, we'll see."
Sasuke opens his mouth, because he isn't sure he can do that anymore, his jaw feels tight, but he's sure his mouth is open. He watches as drools fall to the sheets. Focus. She's riled up, now's the time. "My brother…"
Sakura raises an eyebrow, "Now you're worried about your brother?"
His brother has earned their trust. Their pity, their empathy, whatever is it, Itachi has made it so they care something for him and that's enough for Sasuke to exploit. He thought they would use Itachi as a weapon, he had hoped for it, for that bastard to die at the hands of Madara out there in the woods, alone and with nobody to witness his death. But his pathetic act is enough to buy him compassion and now he knows they won't send Itachi to die just to get rid of him.
He's the bad brother and Itachi is the good one and if that gives him one piece of information is that-
"Where's my brother?"
"I can call for him if you want."
"Yes."
"Yes?" The room turns and turns but even then he can feel her antagonizing him. But he's weak now. He's on the receiving end.
"Yes, please."
She leaves with nothing but an annoyed humph, but as long as she calls for Itachi that's all good. He already knows his position in all this. He's useless to Madara. His body hasn't healed and he would rather eat his shoes before getting all buddy-buddy with this whole lot. No, fuck that.
He knows there's an easier way. Itachi has wormed himself into this place with everything Sasuke hates about him. That guilt he seems to wear like a mantle everywhere he goes for the things he himself did.
Fine. He's the good brother, so if he's such a good brother won't he listen to his dear little brother? Share information he has to this poor weakened dumb idiot that doesn't know what he's doing?
He isn't useful to Madara in battle, and If he can't prove himself useful in battle, for fuck's sake, he would at least bring useful information to him.
Hullo, everyone! Here for another dose of our boy Sasuke just not staying put and for people being super anxious about this whole Madara ordeal.
Who could blame them.
Have a good one, see you next time! 😘😘
Dear guest Tomo! Thanks for leaving your thoughts and YES, I agree, life has been already hard enough for Naruto and Minato and they HAVE been through enough... but well, life sucks. I promise to grab your hand as we keep on going, dear Tomo!
Dear guest Ramona! *Hands tissues* I'm so happy this story can make you guys feel stuff. Thanks for that , I WILL KEEP ON TRYING TO MAKE YOU GUYS CRY (◔◡◔)
Dear guest 444! You are more than welcome to give Sasuke that bonk on the head. Itachi will try his hardest to keep you away from him though, godspeed.
Shoutout to our new guest, Secret Reader! Thanks for the love and I will continue writing this, yes! You guys do wonderful job at keeping me motivated 💕💕
Shoutout to our new guest, Goddamitiminlove! I'm (◔◡◔) very happy you enjoyed this story. Thanks for taking the time to leave comments as you went along! Knowing you just binged this is the highest honor!
Also, glad the political stuff was interesting enough to keep you invested! as well as the smut, with all this going down sometimes I forget I started this because I wanted Naruto and Hinata to just get nasty
Finally, your cojones pueden descansar tantito mientras viene el siguiente capítulo!
And finally, shoutout to our new guest, Fooloofafa! I am very honored by the surprise, thank you so much for the comment!
And thank you all for loving this story