Serendipity
Chapter Twenty Three
Wait, was this freedom?
The fresh air was sweet and greedily filling their exhausted lungs—yet they continued to run ignoring the burn. The earth against their raw paws felt like an impossibility, a dream that had been so far away. It spurred them to run faster and never look back.
They never wanted to go back.
Freedom was just too good!
Tayuya, Jirobo, Kidomaru, followed their leaders, Ukon and Sakon to the steep opening of a wide pipe line. Water dropped over their fur as they skidded to a sudden halt. Their breathing was heavy, but they tried to hold it in, listening intently as they were passed by several cats.
Each was running for their own lives.
Following them were the heavy footsteps of Kabuto's henchmen. Useless as usual they were loudly arguing over whose fault it was that the cats had escaped in the first place. They were complaining and clearly doing a poor job in getting the cats back. They didn't check into the pipeline, skipping it as one claimed they saw one of the other cats running into some of the bushes.
It was a sacrifice, if anything.
Those cats might not all make it out, or they might, you never knew, but what mattered right now was to ensure that they were all safe. That they had successfully made it out of that shit hell.
Once they were gone, Sakon and Ukon turned to the others.
"Is everyone here and safe?" Sakon asked.
Everyone nodded, starting to relax, so happy that they had managed to escape. Now they had to find a way to remain that way.
Tayuya started to count them all, but failed to get the right number.
"Wait! Where is Sasuke?" She screeched with worry.
The others immediately panicked, looking for the small kitten. Almost as if looking behind them or next to them would suddenly make the tiny kitten appear. They called out to him, loudly asking him to respond if he could hear them, but no, the kitten was nowhere to be found.
"We have to go back for him," Kidomaru urged.
Jirobo nodded his head fast, agreeing with him. "Yes, lets."
"That little idiot," Tayuya cursed, angry that they had lost him. Angry that he had not made it out with them. "We have to go back for him no matter what," She too, agreed.
Everyone looked at her oddly surprised that she wanted to go and help get Sasuke back. She usually would advocate for leaving behind dead weight. Forgetting to pick another person up if they fell because her escape mattered most, a feeling she possessed because she'd been left abandoned by her own owner. This was a big change in her, and no one dared tell her about how weird it was.
"Okay, we are going back! Mission save Sasuke, start!" The decision was made.
Sakon led the way back to the pound- which they weren't too far from given how much they had ran. Taking an approach to keep them hidden, they stared down the doors from a safe distance.
Breaking in had never been one of their plans.
Now they would have to a find a way to do so in order to break Sasuke out. It was going to be hard, especially if they wanted to keep each other safe while doing so. Sakon could only think that one of them would have to sacrifice themselves, and that would be him as their leader. He would have to leave the rest of his clowder to his brother…
"So, what are we going to do?" Ukon asked, aware that this might not end up in their favor.
Sakon bared his fangs, thinking hard. There was no other choice, his heart was pounding. He knew what would have to be done.
"We…" he shook his head, "I don't know." He breathed, knowing he was wasting time. Seconds might as well be a precious resource right now, but he was scared. He didn't want to die but he wanted to save Sasuke…
"Sasuke could get killed if we don't find a way to get him out of there," Tayuya hissed with her own concern and panic.
They were all afraid.
The last thing they wanted was to get near the pound and be taken in again. No doubt that death awaited them all.
Ukon and Sakon shared a look. The two were out of their element on this. For the longest, they stared down the doors that lead to the inside of the pound. The sun was finally setting behind the horizon, bringing with it a pink and purple sky. Clouds danced around the fading light, making way for the moon and the stars.
They didn't know just how long they had thought of possibilities.
Suddenly, the door was opening to show an exuberant blond haired man and an elegant raven haired woman at his side. She was gently holding a pet carrier in her arms, inside they caught the flash of bright red eyes. They jumped to attention, wondering what was going on.
They weren't seen by anyone as they followed the couple to their minivan. It was a shabby little thing, but it was a nice and well-polished ride.
The couple opened the side door that slid to the side, and the woman placed the carrier into the seat, making sure the seatbelt was secured around it. The blond jumped, like he remembered something and went to the back, opening the trunk. He created a mess calling for the woman to help him. She rushed to his side, laughing gently at the ridiculous man.
"Stay here," Sakon ordered, and dashed across the parking lot to the van. He jumped in, taking a look inside, relieved to find Sasuke safe inside. "Hey kid, what's going on?" he asked, sniffing around the cage, taking a moment to find where it locked.
Maybe he could open the latch and free Sasuke here and now.
Sasuke perked up, "I got adopted by this couple. Why are you still here?" he asked, concerned that Sakon might get seen. He was so sure that they would have kept running and not looked back. That they wouldn't care to come back and see what had happened to him, but here Sakon was.
Despite what had been said, Sakon had come and looked for him.
"We were worried that you got caught, but…are you okay?" Sakon looked at him with a pained look.
Sasuke nodded once, "I'm fine," he said. Their ears twitched, hearing that Hinata and Naruto were finishing up whatever it was they were doing. "You should go," Sasuke urged.
"Who adopted you?" Sakon asked, wanting the information. That was all he would need to figure out and find these people so they can ensure that Sasuke at least remained safe.
"I got adopted by miss Hinata and mister Uzumaki Naruto, I don't know what to expect, but I will figure it out from there," Sasuke muttered.
Sakon gave him a hard look and nodded, "You're not alone, we will find you and help you escape them so that you can return safely to mister Itachi," he jumped off the moment that the trunk closed down and locked. "Sasuke, stay safe," was the last thing he said before he was gone into the darkness that was the sudden night.
Sasuke's ears perked up and he turned his head to look up at Hinata who gave him a soft smile and asked him to hold on while they drove. She shut the door and climbed into the passenger side door. Sasuke let out a breath when Naruto got into the driver seat, but was surprised to find that although the man seemed loud and clumsy, he drove safely.
The couple sat in comfortable silence, smiling at each other and holding hands.
Sasuke let out a deep breath, wishing he was home right now. He felt tired, an exhaustion that was more from his soul than it was physically. All he wanted was to see Itachi again- to feel and be in his presence again. He hoped that his demon was alright and not driving himself crazy looking for him. He wished there was a way that he could tell Itachi that he was alright and that he could find his way back.
To tell Itachi to please, be patient and wait for him.
Closing his eyes, Sasuke curled into a loaf position and he thought back to Itachi, hoping that his feelings would reach him.
It shouldn't be hard to escape from Hinata and Naruto, the two seemed kind and trusting all he needed was a plan. He first had to figure out how their house worked and then he would find out his exact location. They had to have a computer or a cell phone that he could use. Maybe if he could find some sort of map, then he could pin point his exact location. He had no doubts that he would figure out how to get back with no problem.
Then he will surprise Itachi and get to feel his warm hug, and his delicious scent…just patience for now.
He had to follow his own advice.
The kitten jolted when suddenly the door beside him opened. Hinata was standing in front of him again, taking the seat belt off. She held the pet carrier close to her gentle face and offered him a nice smile.
"We're here," she whispered to him while Naruto shut the door and they moved to enter what was essentially a mansion…
"Welcome back," Several maids greeted the couple, bowing were they stood.
Sasuke was scooted in the farthest corner of the pet carrier when he was brought into a bright and warm home. The late evening hour did nothing to dim the bright smiles of the maids that readily received Naruto and Hinata. It weirded Sasuke out and made him want to run and hide from it all. It was just too much.
He was so used to the humble and quiet apartment that Itachi shared with Kisame.
The couple easily took off their coats and greeted their staff in return, soft smiles and warm words. Their house slippers were placed out while their shoes were taken away to who knows were. Reports about other people not being there until tomorrow were reported.
Just who were these people?
"Will you need anything else?" the head maid asked, looking eager to do anything for Hinata and Naruto.
"No, that will be all." Naruto said, placing his arm around Hinata who still held the carrier in her arms. The maid darted her eyes to the carrier, looking like she wanted to comment about it but kept her mouth shut and bowed.
"Very well, dinner will be served in a few minutes." She said, walking away once she said that.
Hinata and Naruto waited for her to leave before turning to each other.
"Let's show our new kitten the living room." Naruto suggested, moving his hand to hold Hinata's. Hinata shifted the carrier, and grabbed her husband's hand, allowing him to lead the way. She was excited to get the kitten out and hold him in her arms once again. She didn't know why, she couldn't explain it, but it gave her the warm feeling she needed at a moment like now.
The living room had a large fire place. A comfortable white couch, carpeted floor, and was decorated with potted house plants. The room was warm, in a dim yellow that was happy but calm enough that it made it feel more like home.
Hinata sat by the coffee table and opened the carrier.
The kitten inside remained at the corner.
"Come here little one," She called, blinking at it with worry when it remained in its corner. She tilted her head, wondering if the kitten was perhaps nervous about its new home.
"Do you think it's scared?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms as he waited for the kitten to move on its own.
Hinata gave a sad smile. "I supposed when you're new to a new home you will feel a bit afraid, so yeah, it probably is," She said, brushing her hair behind her ear. She was willing to wait for the kitten to be ready.
"Oh right, we could probably get it to warm up to us by giving it food. You know food is the national language of friendship," the blond said as he got to his feet and left for the kitchen. Hinata giggled softly, her cheeks heating up in a nice rosy flush as she watched him go. She truly loved her husband with all her heart.
She couldn't have asked for a better husband. He was so nice and understanding all through everything she was going through.
Sasuke glanced up in time and blinked when he saw Hinata's face, he knew that look. It was the same one that Kisame and Suigetsu would share with each other. Either when they were together, or when the other was thinking of the other. There was no doubt that Hinata and Naruto were likely in love with each other.
"How did I get so lucky with him," Hinata whispered to herself. She turned her head and back to the kitten. She tilted her head with that same kind smile on her face. "It's okay you know. You don't have to be scared. We will love you and take good care of you," She reached her hand in but stopped when she saw the kitten flinch away from her.
She kept her hand there, not moving further. Her kind eyes kept watching as ruby red eyes opened and looked at her and to her hand. The kitten slightly relaxed, but still watched closely and alert of her presence.
"It's okay," She whispered, allowing him to be the one to make the first contact. Hinata wasn't rushing it, she wasn't being persistent.
Sasuke wasn't sure what he should do. While he had taken the opportunity to charm her in order to escape that horrible place, he didn't actually want to get close to her. He just wanted to go back home to Itachi.
Something that, sadly, was not happening any time soon.
He was here in her home. He had to find out where he was, how he could get back to Itachi, how he could escape. He had to be careful that he didn't carelessly shift around anyone here, or he could end up dead. Just about anything could happen to him and that scared him.
Letting out a breath, he finally moved toward her hand, sniffing the tips of her fingers before brushing his cheek against them. Being friendly with her wasn't that hard as he pressed his head into her soft hand. Hinata's smile grew and her fingers flexed into his fur, scratching him behind the ears gently, petting him, and cradling him towards her.
I guess you're not too bad… Sasuke thought as he was held up from under his arms. Hinata was looking at him with so much caring warmth, almost the same as Itachi always did. His ears dropped, he missed him.
He wanted to cry so badly…
"I got the food," Naruto noisily came back into the living room, a bowl of cat food and one of water in hand. He grinned when he saw Hinata holding the kitten and walked over. He placed both bowls down and took a seat next to her on the carpeted floor.
Sasuke was placed down before both bowls. He made his way to the water dish and took a much needed drink. He hadn't thought about it much as he had ignored it in favor of finding a way out of his prison, but he was incredibly thirsty. The water was refreshing and felt like bliss as it made contact with his tongue.
He was hungry, but he couldn't bring himself to touch the pet food once he sniffed at it. The smell wasn't appetizing in the least and he was stubborn enough that he'd starve himself.
"What do you think this little one is?" Naruto asked as he proudly watched the kitten move to lap up water again.
"Hm," Hinata got a thoughtful look on her face. She moved to pull the kittens tail up and giggled when it turned around to hiss at her. The kitten moved around his water bowl, this time looking at her with wary eyes. "He's a boy," She announced.
Naruto laughed, knowing how Hinata was predicting that their first born would be a boy. Sadly, that child was not meant to be…might not be…
"Do you think then it was fate that we chose him?" he softly asked.
"Of course," She turned to smile sweetly at her blond husband. "What do we name him? I think it should be something that we both like,"
The blond paused. Taking a thinking pose that made it seem like the act was hard and painful for him. Sasuke's tail flicked with annoyance, not looking forward to what he was going to be called. He didn't care much for it anyways, he wasn't going to be staying. He would just be here long enough to figure out how to safely return to his Itachi.
He sat back, licking his paw.
"How about Ramen?" Naruto asked.
Hinata laughed at the name. She knew just how much her husband loved to eat Ramen and she was right there with him. She loved it just as much. It was how they had met, over a nice hot bowl of ramen in that fated restaurant…
"That's perfect." She whispered.
"You know, It's been a while since I last saw you smile like that," he muttered into her hair, brushing some of the strands behind her ear. He had been so glad that he had seen her smile so much today, especially after they got the kitten.
There was no regret in him, getting this kitten was the best idea ever.
Hinata flushed lightly and turned to him with an apologetic look.
"I know and I never wanted to make you feel like there was nothing that you could do to help. It's just hard to hear that I might not be capable of having a child I just…" Hinata sighed softly, sadness flashing in her eyes. "I get inside my head about it but I don't want to anymore…I just…"
"Hinata, It's okay. Just know I will love you either way if we can or can't have a child, so please, let me in," Naruto brought his wife closer. She leaned into her husband, turning her head to him. Naruto dipped down, kissing her on the lips.
The kiss was chaste, but sweet.
Sasuke who had been debating eating some of the food because of his hunger was suddenly snatched back into a flowery hug and stiffened. Hinata was blushing brightly, and looking away from the blond man.
"Don't you think he's such a pretty Kitty huh, look at his fur, so perfect," Hinata said to change the subject, running her fingers through the soft gray blue fur. She had noticed it before, but even now the fur shinned so electric with hints of blue. The kitten was so obviously well-groomed and taken care of. It was in his fur, his teeth, in his bright eyes, and his sharp reflexes.
It was hard to imagine that he had no past owner.
Naruto perplexed by the sudden change in subject nodded his head. He had noticed the same things that his wife had. The kitten was nothing like the haggard cats that usually lived at the pound. "Maybe we got lucky that he hadn't been at the pound for too long," he said.
Kabuto's assistant had mentioned that it was a new find and they were processing the poor thing. He had been found at the post office with no collar or chip from an owner.
"That's true." Hinata muttered, smiling down at the kitten. Whatever it was, she was just glad that now he belonged to them and was safe from suffering the procedures of the pound. She was looking forward to raising this little kitten as part of their family.
"Master, My lady, dinner is ready," A maid suddenly called from the door.
Hinata and Naruto got up and followed her to the dining room. The two were having dinner alone today as none of their family members were around. Usually the table would be full with all their family members, but when they became busy it sometimes meant that they shared a meal alone, with each other.
Not that they minded.
The food was delicious, and Hinata laughed when the kitten jumped onto the table and helped himself to a chicken leg. Straight out of Naruto's plate, no less.
Naruto was wide eyed, amazed that he'd watched his food run away with the kitten.
"I was going to eat that!" he called as Ramen ran off to eat his bounty where he wouldn't be grabbed.
"It's alright, I noticed he wasn't eating his pet food. We might want to look into getting him something he will enjoy," Hinata said, "He might be used to different food, especially if he was living in the street. He might have gotten food from other people or leftovers from a trash bin,"
"But Hinata, he took my chicken leg, there's no more…" Naruto lamented the loss of his chicken leg. He had been looking forward to it. He'd even saved the meatiest one for last.
"Do you want mine?" Hinata offered.
Naruto shook his head. "No, you eat. You need all your strength. You're still recovering remember?"
Hinata smiled, "I'm not that weak,"
"Please," Naruto pleaded with her. Hinata let out a breath and nodded her head. Not wanting to worry her husband she ate her meal until she was full. Naruto didn't complain about any food that he might have lost to Ramen anymore, especially when the kitten returned to steal more from his plate.
When bed time rolled around, Hinata and Naruto took Ramen to what would be his bedroom. A whole room decorated and made into what would essentially be cat heaven. Toys, pillows, and climbing pillars filled the room.
Ramen was placed down, and told to go explore. This was his room, and he could choose anywhere he wanted to be his bed.
Sasuke stood there in shock, before he ran to the cat tree. He climbed to the highest bed and looked towards Naruto and Hinata, who stood by the doorway looking like two proud parents. Sasuke wasn't sure what to think about them, but decided that they weren't bad people.
Finally, they called good night to him and closed the door. Sasuke was left in the dark, alone, with his thoughts. There were windows around the room, and they were high. They were latched with locks that he could easily open if he shifted to his demon form. The thought crossed his mind, but there was no clear destination of where he should go just yet. On top of that, he wasn't sure if he was being watched or not, he couldn't risk it.
He was tired, exhausted.
It had been a long day.
Sasuke curled into himself, thinking about Itachi. He thought about how his demon would scoop him up in his arms and cuddle him close to his chest. He imagined he could smell Itachi, his wonderful scent filling his lungs and his warmth melting his bones. He imagined Itachi's soft voice by his ear telling him a story.
To further comfort himself, Sasuke began to purr and fell into a strange and dreamless sleep. Usually when he slept he had dreams full of things that he liked, but not tonight.
His mind was blank tonight.
It was late night and Itachi was hunched over his desk.
He was deep in thought about the file in front of him. He had looked at all the evidence, read all the reports, and the statements made by all the suspects.
The case made no sense.
The sudden disappearance of the child that was usually well looked after and suddenly none of the adults in his life had any idea of where he could have gone. It was easy to blame the supernatural for it, but there was no sign of that.
The nonchalance on the mother's part screamed of how she was lying through her teeth about the disappearance. She didn't care that he was missing. She wasn't even crying or helping in the search. In fact, she acted as if the child was already dead.
It all made Itachi suspect that this was a murder case and not a supernatural one.
They didn't take many of these cases because often they were hard to prove. Sadly the parents were innocent until proven guilty and the window for evinced was well and closed by now. If they acted fast though, they might be able to find at least one piece of evidence.
By all accounts, they would face no blame for the death of a child unless they were found and they could pull the evidence from the body. Itachi was sure that finding the body would be simple, but that was if the parent had not been smart about how they disposed of it. If he could only…
Itachi yawned, blinking at his suddenly blurry vision.
Sleep felt heavy in the center of his mind all of a sudden.
Inside of his head he felt a warm fuzziness take over, and he swore he heard a buzz of familiar purrs invading his thoughts. He shook his head, trying to focus once more, but before he knew it Itachi's head dropped onto the table, and he fell into a restless sleep.
Dreams of chasing deliciously plumped ducks filtered through his head. For some reason or the other, those damned ducks were mocking him. He needed to catch them and make them pay. They'd definitely taste good, raw and feathery…
When morning came, both were rudely woken up.
Itachi was woken up by an annoying Kisame and Suigetsu. Both men insisted that they should get ready and head out to post up the missing posters for Kitty. Itachi felt anger simmering beneath the fog of sleep so much that he was frustrated and unwilling to do as they said. He closed his bedroom door in their face and begrudgingly got ready for the day.
Sasuke had been woken up by Hinata who insisted that he needed a bath. She wanted to baby him and feed him disgusting cat food as she held him squeezed in her arms. Sasuke silently groaned, wishing he could sleep more.
Itachi glowered at his friends and coworkers.
They were all piled up inside of his and Kisame's small living room. Deidara was passing out piles of missing posters while Suigetsu had the others marking up a map of where they should post them. Pain and Konan had called all of the Akatsuki employees to join them, in hopes that with more people they could cover more ground in finding Kitty.
While their gesture was nice and all for some reason it just pissed Itachi off. He didn't want them wasting their time trying to look for Kitty. They had more important things to do, like solve cases and help those in need.
"Itachi, come with me. We are going to cover this street," Kisame reached for Itachi, pulling his arm. Itachi's dark mood was getting to the others and he wanted to get him away from them.
"Wait, we don't have to do this," Itachi pulled his arm back, stopping Kisame from dragging him outside. "Everyone, I appreciate you taking time to help me look for my cat, but I think we should get back to work. We don't have to do this," Itachi sighed, "Please go home,"
"Don't be modest Itachi, we're happy to help search," Zetsu called and everyone agreed.
"We're here for you Itachi," Hidan added, "We will start heading out. It's no big deal,"
Itachi watched them in disbelief, angry. They all dispersed going on their way to do their part in said search.
Itachi bristled, but didn't get to say anything else as Kisame forcefully dragged him outside. Itachi scowled, digging his heals in to make it difficult for Kisame. The shark demon said nothing, simply pulling Itachi along as he kept his gaze forward and hard.
They left the apartment and headed through the back streets, were they found Kitty when the rat demons had taken him. It was a place that was a sore spot for Itachi, and Kisame knew.
"I was reading the case file that Pain gave us a few days ago. I think if we get started on it we can prove who murdered the child," Itachi said as he looked around, disinterest clear on his face. Kisame paused long enough to hang the first poster and was back to pulling Itachi again. "I think we should question the mother." Itachi added when Kisame didn't respond. "Spoiler alert, I think his mother killed him," he sneared.
"Itachi," Kisame breathed as they kept going, "Why are you doing this?" he asked, taking his chance to glance at his friend over his shoulder. All morning Itachi had been unsupportive to their efforts. Everyone had gotten up early in hopes of helping today. Everyone was willing to go around and ask about Kitty but Itachi was just being impossible.
"Doing what?" Itachi tilted his head, looking clueless and it wasn't cute at all.
Kisame shot him a glare. "You know what,"
"Here," Itachi reached for the posters in Kisame's arms.
"Huh…" Kisame easily handed them over, watching his friend closely.
Itachi paused to look at the image printed on the poster, his eyes flashing with hurt. Suigetsu had used one of the cutest and silliest images that Itachi had of Kitty. The kitten looking up wide eyed with one of Itachi's socks shredded around it and the other hanging off the side of his ear and around his small body. Pencils and pens littered the floor at the mess the kitten had made…
Itachi then walked to a trash bin and tossed the posters in with harshness that hadn't been needed. His shoulders straightened as he breathed deeply and composed himself, trying hard not to cry. He swallowed thickly, pushing all of his feelings deep inside, hiding them away from the world.
"There, let's stop this nonsense." Itachi said, turning back to Kisame, his face stone cold and devoid of any emotion. That same blank look was back on his face. All traces of sadness erased from his face like it had never been there.
It was as if Itachi didn't care.
Kisame saw red.
"Why do you suddenly not care?" Kisame snapped, sick of Itachi's sudden cold and nonchalant attitude, "I thought you'd be tearing up the world, searching for Kitty, why are you acting like you don't care!" He grabbed Itachi by the shoulders, trying to get him to look him straight in the eyes.
He wanted to know but fuck if it wouldn't be a mistake to do that to someone like Itachi, but Kisame didn't care. He dared to do it knowing the consequences of what looking into Itachi's eyes could mean.
Thankfully, Itachi didn't do anything.
He simply brushed Kisame away from him.
"Why are you so insistent that I go off searching for Kitty?" Itachi asked in return, anger clear on his face, "He's gone okay, there no way I am going to find him. I've accepted it, why can't you?" his words ended in a harsh whisper.
"Do you really believe that?" Kisame asked, "Why are you giving up so easily, he could be out there needing you to save him and-"
"No," Itachi cut him off, "Don't you get it Kisame. I am not capable of protecting him much less take care of him. He's probably better off without me." Itachi shook his head. "Just drop it, I don't want to hear about this anymore we should get back to our case…"
"Itachi why…" Kisame grabbed him once more.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Itachi turned away and started to walk off. Kisame opened and closed his mouth in desbelief.
"You coward!" Kisame rushed to catch up with Itachi. "Itachi why are you acting this way. This is nothing like you, why are you so willing to let Kitty go just like that. You promised him…"
"Enough Kisame," Itachi sped up, wanting to close off himself from what his friend was saying. What Kisame was saying held merit, and he should be looking for Kitty he should be but…
Damn it.
"Itachi, Kitty is,"
"Enough!" Itachi turned, his red eyes flashing.
Kisame froze, choked under the demonic hold of Itachi's shackling stakes. The world around him had gone a daunting crimson, causing his heart to sink as he couldn't see the real world anymore. Was this an illusion or was this the other world were the souls unfortunate enough to cross Itachi went… Kisame chocked, his glare faltered as Itachi vanished in a flurry of a murder.
His friend was gone, off on his own, to do who knows what.
"Fuck, he's running away from it," he muttered under his breath as he fell to his knees, released from the hold Itachi had placed on him. It hurt, but not as much as he was sure that Itachi was currently hurting.
The problem was, Kisame had no idea what to do to get through to him. That it was going to be okay. That he didn't have to pretend to be strong. That he didn't have to do this alone, he wasn't alone—they were all here for him.
"Damn it Itachi,"
Sasuke sat in the living room, freshly showered, fur fluffed, and a large pink ribbon around his dainty neck.
It had taken all morning, but finally, someone else had called Hinata's attention. The woman had left with another girl that looked almost like her, except a bit smaller and daintier than Hinata. Her hair was dark like chocolate, and her eyes a similar white moon like Hinata's. Sasuke didn't know who she was, nor did he care to know.
Shaking his body, he attempted to get rid of the ribbon, until it finally fell and he made his way towards the closest window.
Sasuke looked around the window, trying to see how it opened, but found no way that it could. It was huge, about five times bigger than Itachi's bedroom window had been. This one was fancy with all the flowery designs it had, nothing like Itachi's simple rectangular ones that slid open one way. This one had no locks, just sat there like decoration not meant to be moved.
Sighing, the kitten flicked his tail and turned when he heard a maid scurry towards a door. Sasuke watch the event happen a few times before jumping off the window and following the next made. His large red eyes widened at the sight of a busy kitchen. He moved away from all the stomping feet until he made it across to the other side, glad to find an open back door.
Sasuke ran for the fresh out door freedom.
His eyes sparkled at the thought that finally he had escaped. His dream only cut short when he came face to face with a large black fence.
Somehow the sight reminded him of when he had seen that kid-Konohamaru- inside that house. It was similar to that. So people with money kept what they valued inside of black large fences, it seemed. He sat back, his eyes scanning the fence until he saw the sign that warned against touching it.
Set up with electricity as well.
It didn't stop Sasuke from jumping over the bricked off garden. He went through the red rose bush, and came out the other side. He scanned the area to see that he was in the neighbor's back yard now. Their fence was white on the other side. Acres of acres of land filled with lush green lawn and a lot of trees.
Sasuke twirled his tail, attentive of being seen.
He was about to jump into the new lawn when a voice stopped him.
"Hey, hey there little one, stay in your territory," the voice said, in a warning tone.
Sasuke halted his paw and looked up. In the center of the largest tree sat a white bony cat with two brown ears, and some brown at the tip of its tail. It had large green eyes that stared back at him, calm and curious. Around his neck he had a dark purple rope acting as a collar.
Sasuke's nose twitched and he sat back. The shampoo and flowery perfume that Hinata had used on him was strong enough to impair his ability to smell when he was encroaching in another's territory. He cursed under his breath at his blunder and just hoped that he hadn't started a potential war.
"I'm not trying to take your territory, I just want to go across it," Sasuke responded.
"A shifter," The cat smirked, "Come to think of it, the Uzumaki's are well known to house creatures out of their own kindness," he said, "I didn't know they were adopting them now,"
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, perplexed. He already knew this cat was a shifter as well, but he had not been expecting to hear anything about the Uzumaki's. They being the people that adopted him.
The strange cat sat up, moving his head to the side as he looked down at Sasuke. "The mansion you just came from, you are part of the Uzumaki clan right? Not many owners care to have creatures in their family, but there are exceptions. I'm one of them, we are the Otsutsuki clan and my owner enjoys all kinds of attentions from beings lesser than her. She welcomes everyone, but then again she's a bit…off in the head."
"You're saying the Uzumaki keep creatures?" Sasuke asked, turning his head to glance back at the mansion he had just come from. "Why would they…?"
The cat shrugged, "I mean they don't seem to make a habit out of it, but they have a son that is half fox, half demon,"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Could Hinata and Naruto have adopted him knowing what he was…but they never once alluded to knowing about him. No, Sasuke was sure that they didn't know, but how interesting. To learn that the Uzumaki might be okay with creatures meant that he might not be in too much danger, not that he cared to trust them.
"How do you know?" Sasuke asked the strange cat.
"Well besides being their neighbor, they are a famous family that have received a lot of love and hate in equal amounts. The media talks." the cat then jumped down, coming to sit next to Sasuke. "I'm Kimimaro, nice to meet you."
"Oh…I'm Sasuke. Same I guess…" Sasuke's tail flicked up and down, showing that he wasn't all that comfortable with this cat's proximity.
"Relax, I won't attack you. I'm not a savage, in fact I am well educated." He glance up and smirked, "also something tells me that you are planning to escape. I can only advice that you don't, as a creature I think you've made it. You're safer inside the Uzumaki mansion than out there in the world…"
Sasuke flinched and looked away, "It might be so but I have to leave. I have a home and even safer place waiting for me out there,"
"Really, what is?" Kimimaro asked in curiosity.
Sasuke felt tears prick his eyes. "My Itachi, my demon…he's out there all alone waiting for me. I have to go back to him." Sasuke said, looking up at the sky with longing. Kimimaro was surprised that the emotion filtering from Sasuke hit him so hard. It was a feeling he was all too familiar with.
"I see…is Itachi in danger?" Kimimaro wondered.
"What, I hope not," Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. He would never forgive himself if Itachi was hurt in anyway. "He's strong but he's also…a bit of an idiot! He can be so stupid sometimes and I have to be there to ensure that he doesn't do anything stupid. He needs me but…" Sasuke sighed. "I'm here instead…"
Kimimaro tilted his head. "What happened?" he asked.
Sasuke told him the story. Kimimaro sat and listened, understanding what had happened as Sasuke spoke. His heart went out to Sasuke and Itachi, knowing how terrible it was to lose your most important person.
"I don't know how you're not in a ball crying, I don't think I would react all that well if I was taken away from my Juugo," Kimimaro said.
"Who's Juugo?" Sasuke asked.
"My mate," Kimimaro's ears flickered and he stood in alert. Sasuke's ears followed suit and he could hear the clear crunching of leaves and wood. He too got up, ready in case of an attack. "Who's there?" Kimimaro demanded.
Five cats poked out their heads from the bushes, and Sasuke's eyes widened.
"They're my friends," Sasuke was amazed. He didn't think that they would actually come after him like this. He knew Sakon said they would try to find him, but he didn't think they would be able to…
"Hey Sasuke, how are you doing?" Sakon asked. Ukon, Kidomaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo greeted him, happy to see that he was doing well.
"What are you guys doing here, you should find a safer place to go and be free," Sasuke hissed at them.
"No way, we said we'd take you back to Mister Itachi, and that is what we will do!" Sakon said making the others agree. Sasuke groaned but didn't argue with them. Then again, they were determined to meet his Itachi. Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"They will be safe if they stick to this neighborhood, I can share my snacks with them if you'd like Sasuke," Kimimaro offered. He already considered Sasuke a friend and he wanted to help him get back to Itachi as well.
"You don't have to," Sasuke was perplexed at such a helping gesture from another cat he just met. All these cats were strange and way too friendly. He had never met so many beings willing to be on his side.
"I insist, besides, if you are all planning to escape you might as well be smart about it. What's the plan to get back to your Itachi?" Kimimaro asked.
Sasuke thought for a moment. "Itachi..." He whispered, thinking back to his life with him. "We lived in a small apartment in Konoha and I was attending Hidden Leaf Academy,"
"Where's that?" Sakon asked and the other cat's shrugged. Tayuya started to whine and complain that it was going to be hard finding Konoha. In fact, they had never even heard that name before. It was all new that there was something outside of what they did know.
Kimimaro shook his head, "Problem, you are far from home," he turned to Sasuke, giving him a hard look, "You're in Senju, have you ever heard of it?"
Sasuke furrowed his brow, and then his eyes widened. "I'm several states away…" he breathed in disbelief. He had come so far in such a short time it seemed impossible.
"The easiest way to travel is through the air, but that requires you to have a passport, and that includes traveling through a train as well. To enter different states means showing identification. Animals can travel with their owners, but that means having money." Kimimaro explained. "Oh, why don't we write to Itachi and let him know where you are so he can come get you,"
Sasuke got hopeful for a second before he remembered, "Problem, Itachi doesn't know that I am…that I'm a shifter." He admitted. This was not the way he wanted to reveal to Itachi what he was.
"How…" Kimimaro let it go when Sasuke gave him an imploring look, "Okay, I'll write the letter that I found you or something, hopefully once he gets it he will know where to come find you,"
Sasuke hesitated and then nodded. He wasn't sure how it could be explained that Kimimaro knew he belonged to Itachi, but it was better than not trying anything. "Okay, I'll give you his address." Sasuke said and then remembered something. "Also, while at it, Kimimaro could you write to Akatsuki about the animal pound,"
"The animal pound…why?" Kimimaro was confused at the request.
"Why would you write about that awful place?" Tayuya demanded, angry at the mention of the pound.
"The Akatsuki is an amazing organization that helps those in need. They will go there and stop Kabuto from ever hurting anyone else," Sasuke said with strong conviction. "It's best to tell them about the black market that he's running. That way I will know you all will be safe and remain free wherever you choose to go."
"A black market…" Kimimaro had never heard of such a thing.
"Kabuto runs a black market and sells the organs of creatures, no matter who they are. As long as someone is willing to pay the price for them, he sells them." Ukon explained and Kimimaro's eyes widened in horror. "We're all failed experiments that he created, just because he could."
"Understood, I will write to Itachi and Akatsuki," Kimimaro agreed. He was appalled that such a thing existed. He knew people killed creatures, but to catch them and then sell their body parts…that was scary.
"Ramen!" A female voice suddenly called.
Sasuke would have blushed if he could, but he still felt the warmth of embarrassment settle in his little body. The voice continued to call for this so called ramen and he got to his feet.
"I have to go now…" he said, and could hear laughter follow him as he dashed back into the Uzumaki garden. Sasuke cursed them all as he made his way to Hinata who was waiting for him at the front door.
"There you are, how did you get out?" She scolded lightly, reaching down to pick him up. Sasuke didn't say anything. Instead he distracted her by head butting her gently and purring. Hinata giggled softly, making her way back inside.
She shut the door and walked to the living room.
There were several people there having tea.
"Everyone, we'd like you to meet our newest family member," Naruto said as he walked to stand next to Hinata, placing his arm around her in support. They had let their family know of their wishes to adopt a pet and what it meant. All of them, wanting to be supportive wanted to ensure that this new pet was well welcomed and treated like a real family member. "This is our kitten, Ramen!"
Everyone clapped, and congratulated the couple. Sasuke was turned away from Hinata's bosom and towards the crowd.
"Ramen, meet my family, that is my father, Hiashi, my sister Hanabi, and my cousin, Neji." Hinata pointed to all of the ones that had eyes just like hers. Hiashi nodded his head in greeting, Hanabi gently petted his head, and Neji just sat there indifferent to it all.
Next to them stood a red headed woman, and another blond blue eyed demon. Next to them was an old man he recognized, Hiruzen, and his grandson. What was Hiruzen the Hokage doing here of all places…
Before he could think to much on it, another red headed male- his hair not as fiery as the female, and his eyes golden instead of blue moved into his line of vision.
"Such a cutie," the man said, petting him.
"Ramen this is my mom and dad, next is grandpa Hiruzen, and Konohamaru our little cousin," Naruto introduced, "and this is Kurama, my older brother!"
There was a scoff from somewhere.
Kurama suddenly closed off his expression and turned away. He looked upset over something.
"Boy, you promised to be supportive. Don't make me bash you on the head young man. Now come here and say hi to Ramen!" Naruto's mom hissed, her eyes and hair blazing like real fire even Sasuke felt scared of her.
He watched as a dark haired man stood from where he was slouched in the couch, a deep set scowl on his face as he moved forward. His breath came in short and his heart squeezed in his chest with fear as he recognized this one with no trouble…
Deep blue eyes looked up, "This is fucking ridiculous, why are we even entertaining this bullshit,"
"You promised, Menma, that you'd be supportive!" Naruto hissed, grabbing the kitten and shoving him close to Menma's face. "Say hello to Ramen. Ramen this is my twin brother Menma,"
Twin brother…that explained why Naruto was so familiar…
Ruby red eyes were wide, fear clear in them as he got a good look at the man in front of him. He had Naruto's face, but his hair was a dark black. Standing in front of him was the person he never wanted to see ever again…
His father
"Hello, Ramen," Menma rolled his eyes and Ramen hissed, claws set, and scratched his face. Ramen flipped out of Naruto's arms and ran. He had to get away!
"Ouch…" Menma muttered under his breath. He felt the sting of the scratch tickle across his cheek. He closed his eyes and turned away, gingerly touching his slowly healing wound. Naruto huffed, with his hands on his hips, annoyed by his brother.
Hinata excused herself, going in search of Ramen.
"Well, now that we have introductions out of the way, why don't we go have dinner," Minato said, wanting to break the sudden tension in the air.
It was always nice when family came together.