Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 35: Renegades

Sasuke released the few prisoners at the base and told anyone who was a follower of Orochimaru that they were finally free to do as they wanted. He made his way, room by room, until the whole base was cleared except the main laboratory. He weaved his way through the various vats throughout the room.

"I knew you'd show up," a garbled voice echoed through the lab. "I take it you've killed Orochimaru then?"

Sasuke walked up to a large, glowing vat filled with water. "Yeah, now let's get you out of there." He sliced the glass, allowing the water to flow out over the lab's floor.

Out of the water, a human form began to rise. "I'm free at last. My regards, Sasuke." The watery form turned into the solid shape of a young man with white hair and sharp teeth.

"Suigetsu," said Sasuke, "I want you to come with me. I'm gathering a team and I need someone with your skill."

"Who else then?" asked Suigetsu as he crouched in the water, unclothed.

Sasuke looked away from him. "Juugo from the northern hideout and Namiko."

"I know Juugo and I'm not particularly fond of him." Suigetsu stood, a curious look on his face. "Who is Namiko?"

"She's my…" Sasuke paused. He didn't want Suigetsu to know of their relationship, but how else could he explain who she was? "…teammate."

"Your teammate…? Oh, I get it." Suigetsu waggled his eyebrows mischievously. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" He watched Sasuke's jaw tighten and he knew he was right. "I didn't expect that from you. Interesting…"

"Anyway, let's clarify our own relationship first, shall we?" He walked behind Sasuke, holding a finger to his temple threateningly. "You may have defeated Orochimaru, but that doesn't make you my leader. Everyone wanted him dead. You were his favorite and he kept you close, so you just had the advantage of getting to him before anyone else. And right now, I have the advantage."

Suigetsu lowered his finger from Sasuke's temple and laughed. "I had you in a pretty bad spot and you didn't even flinch. So it wasn't luck that you killed him. I heard you were strong. Your genin team took down my predecessor Momochi Zabuza, didn't you?"

Sasuke ignored his question. "Just hurry and get dressed."

"Why should I bother? We're both guys, it's not like we don't have the same parts." Sasuke shot him a glare and Suigetsu held up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, it was just a joke."

"Are you coming or not?"

"Okay, fine, I'll come with you," said Suigetsu as he put on his clothes. "But before we get the others, there's somewhere I want to stop."

"Namiko is here in the base with us, so we'll gather her before we leave." Sasuke started leading the way to his room.

"Was she kept locked up or something?"

"No."

"You're a man of few words, aren't you?"

When they got to the room, Namiko was sitting on the bed, looking through her notebook. She startled and quickly closed it and shoved it in her backpack. "I'm all ready to go." She noticed the man behind Sasuke and tilted her head to get a better look. "Oh! You must be Suigetsu." She stood up and gave a small bow. "I'm Namiko. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Suigetsu as he flashed a toothy grin. He turned to Sasuke and purposely whispered loud enough for Namiko to hear, "You failed to mention your teammate was a knockout."

Namiko flushed pink. "Thank you…?" Sasuke clenched his teeth again and Namiko turned to him and mouthed, "Teammate?"

"Enough, Suigetsu. Where was it that you needed to go?" Sasuke asked as they made their way through the base, ignoring Namiko's earlier question.

"Eh, I know it's in the opposite direction from where we're heading to get Juugo, but I need to find Zabuza's sword. Rumor has it that it's still near where he died, and you would know that."

Sasuke gave a curt nod. "Near the Land of Waves."

"Wait," piped up Namiko, "that was the mission you fought against Haku and got impaled with senbon protecting my brother, wasn't it?"

Sasuke nodded again as they exited the base and crouched down slightly in front of her. "Get on and we'll start that way."

"What?!" Namiko stepped back from him.

"I told you I was going to carry you until you regained your strength." Sasuke gave a hum of irritation. "Don't start arguing with me about this." Namiko hesitated a moment longer before complying and climbing on his back, a blush flooding her cheeks. Sasuke motioned with his head for Suigetsu to follow him as they began to leap through the treetops.

"So, Namiko, are you from Konoha as well?" asked Suigetsu as he stayed in line with Sasuke.

"Yeah, I've lived there my whole life until the last six months," Namiko answered but didn't turn her head. "I take it that if you called Zabuza your predecessor, you must be from Kirigakure."

"Right on point, but then Orochimaru found me and decided I was a puzzle he wanted to investigate. He, Kabuto, and even other of Orochimaru's followers poked, prodded, and experimented on me." Suigetsu shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyways, enough about me, how'd you two meet? Did you grow up together?"

"We graduated from the academy together and then he was placed on my twin brother's team."

"You have a twin brother?"

Namiko nodded. "We're not very much alike though. He's strong and loud and impulsive."

"How'd you end up with Orochimaru?"

Sasuke felt Namiko tense before she answered, "I…about six months ago, I felt Sasuke's chakra while I was on a mission, and I went after him against orders. I got knocked out and woke up in Orochimaru's base."

"Sounds pretty impulsive to me."

'I'm only impulsive when it comes to Sasuke,' she thought as she shrugged.

Suigetsu faltered in his steps for a minute, nearly missing a branch. "Wait, did you say you felt Sasuke's chakra? You're a sensor?"

"Yeah, I had a bit of natural talent for it when I was younger and I was put on a team after the academy that specialized in tracking. Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei helped me expand my range drastically. When I started, I could barely sense five hundred meters." She gave a little sigh and spoke softly to herself, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear, "I wonder how they're all doing…"

Sasuke's thoughts drifted at her musing, 'I knew I should've made her turn back when she followed me. Maybe I should take her back to Konoha on our way to the northern hideout. No, she'd just fight me on it, plus I wouldn't have her help in finding Itachi.'

"So, what is your range now?" asked Suigetsu.

"About twenty kilometers, give or take a few."

"That's pretty far. Do you, like, see chakra or what?"

Namiko's lips pressed together in thought. "It's more of a feeling than a visual. I can tell how far someone is and the direction, and even who they are if I've met them before. If I know the person really, really well I can feel when they have a major emotional change."

"What does my chakra feel like then?" Suigetsu excitedly asked.

"Your chakra is open, flowy, and free. Like water in a river."

Suigetsu raised a mischievous brow. "What does Sasuke's chakra feel like?"

Namiko didn't hesitate in her answer. "Warm, comforting. Like home." When she realized what she said, she tried to cover up the personal confession. "Though right now, Sasuke's chakra is tossing around a little like waves in the ocean, which means he's probably annoyed with your questions."

Sasuke smirked, making sure Suigetsu couldn't see his facial expression. "Suigetsu, pick up the pace if you want to make it there before dark."

"Sir, yes, sir!" he replied sarcastically with a salute.

Namiko let out a giggle. 'He's going to try Sasuke's patience for sure. I imagine he must be strong for Sasuke to be willing to put up with his antics.'

A couple of hours later, they arrived at a large covered bridge that led to the Land of Waves. Sasuke lowered Namiko to the ground at her request. A bold sign was across the entrance of the bridge.

"Great Naruto Bridge?" read Suigetsu aloud, obviously confused. "Wow, what a weird name."

"Wait, is this named after Naruto? My brother Naruto…goofball and chaos maker extraordinaire, has a bridge named after him?!" Sasuke scoffed amusedly and Namiko turned to him, her face equal parts surprise and confusion. "Did you know about this?"

"No, I didn't. Now, come on, you two. We left the sword at their gravesites just across the bridge." Sasuke started across the bridge and Namiko followed quickly behind. Suigetsu stared at the sign for a moment longer before sprinting to catch up with them.

At the end of the bridge, Sasuke led them down a path to a wooded area with two wooden crosses and a large sword stuck in the ground. "There you are, Zabuza's sword."

A wide grin spread over Suigetsu's face. "Never thought I'd find this here. Sorry, Zabuza, this is mine now." He gripped the handle tightly and wrenched it out of the hard soil. "Pretty heavy…this is the Executioner's Blade, the sword of the Demon Zabuza from the Village of the Bloody Mist!"

Namiko looked over the large blade carefully. "It looks rusted. Is it really that special?"

"This sword repairs itself from the iron in the blood of its victims." Suigetsu smirked at Namiko's slight shudder. He tilted his head toward Sasuke. "So long as I have this sword, not even you can touch me…maybe. Besides, if Sasuke's got to have Juugo, this sword will definitely come in handy. Alright, now that I have what I came for, what's next? Heading straight for Juugo? It's gonna be a long haul."

"I'm aware of that. We'll stay in the town tonight. There used to be a small inn," explained Sasuke as he turned and Namiko followed right on his heels.

They arrived a few minutes later and reserved one room. Sasuke wanted to keep an eye on Suigetsu and Namiko and this was the easiest way to do that. Namiko was still weak from the poison and Suigetsu, while strong, wasn't someone Sasuke trusted just yet.

After entering the room, Sasuke glanced over at Namiko, who was sitting on the edge of the futon, trying to mask her fatigue. "You need to rest. You've been through a hell of a day," he said, his tone softer than usual.

Namiko nodded, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I'll be fine. Just need a little sleep."

Suigetsu leaned against the wall, inspecting the Executioner's Blade. "So, what's the deal with you two? You seem pretty close for just teammates."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, his overall expression unreadable. "It's none of your concern. Keep your focus on the mission."

Suigetsu shrugged, clearly amused. "Alright, alright. Just making conversation. I'm gonna go shower; I haven't had a proper one in a long time."

The door shut and Namiko felt a pang of anxiety. Keeping their relationship secret was already difficult enough before they had an extra person with them every moment of the day. "So, we're still keeping us a secret?"

"For now anyway. Even once we get back to Konoha, we should probably keep it quiet. I don't want you to be lumped in with my sins. I'm a rogue shinobi and I don't want you marred by that."

"Sasuke, you know I don't care about what people think of me. Are you forgetting Naruto and I have been ostracized most of our lives anyway because of the kyuubi?" She blew out her breath forcefully and motioned for him to come near. "I just want you. I could care less about who knows it and what they think."

"I know. Trust me, I don't like hiding us, but for now, it's necessary. It's hard not to punch Suigetsu for calling you a knockout when you are all mine." He knelt in front of her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. He let go just as he heard Suigetsu's footsteps approaching and opened the door. "Suigetsu, since Namiko can't use her chakra sensing right now, we'll take turns on watch. I'll take the first shift."

"Wait, she can use it in sleep?" At her nod, Suigetsu's skeptical look turned to surprise. "But why can't you use it now?"

"Orochimaru poisoned me, and it's messed up my chakra." She sighed. "I feel blind and deaf without my chakra sensing, but I know it'll only take me longer to heal if I keep it active."

As night fell, the room grew quiet. Sasuke and Namiko took the futon while Suigetsu settled against the wall, keeping his sword easily within reach. Sasuke lay on top of the futon blankets, his thoughts racing as he kept watch. He knew the challenges ahead were daunting, and the stakes were higher with Namiko involved. He couldn't afford any distractions, but his feelings for her were undeniable and getting stronger every day.

Namiko, sensing his tension, gently reached out and placed her hand on his. "Everything will be alright," she whispered. Sasuke squeezed her hand lightly, finding comfort in her presence.

The next morning, they all rose early, ready to continue their journey to collect Juugo. As they prepared to leave, Suigetsu glanced at the other two with a smirk. "You two seem awfully synchronized. Almost like a couple."

Sasuke shot him a warning look, but Suigetsu just chuckled. Namiko avoided eye contact with them both, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I think I should be able to run again, Sasuke."

"Let's move then," Sasuke ordered, taking the lead with Namiko close beside him. They had to stay focused, keep their secrets, and above all, survive the trials that awaited them.

With his new sword strapped to his back, Suigetsu fell into step behind them. Despite the tension, an unspoken understanding passed between the three of them: they would need each other to face whatever was waiting for them at the northern hideout.

"You're late!" snapped Tsunade as Sakura and Naruto entered her office. "What took you so long?"

Sakura bowed apologetically. "Sorry, shishou, Naruto was eating lunch for breakfast," she said, rolling her eyes at her teammate.

"Now, now, calm down, Tsunade," said Jiraiya. He turned to face his student. "It's been a while Naruto, hasn't it?"

"Ero-sennin! It sure has," greeted Naruto with a grin. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back here? I have so much to tell you!"

"So I heard. At least the gist of it, not the details; good job against Kakazu." Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest. "But we have our own information to share."

Naruto straightened up, spun around, and locked eyes with Hinata. "Hey, Hinata!"

"Hi Naruto-kun," greeted Hinata with a smile.

"Nice of you to address us too, Naruto…" Kiba said with a chuckle as he stood next to Kurenai and Hinata.

"I…uh…didn't see you guys at first!" defended Naruto, a light rosy tint to his cheeks.

"Alright," Tsunade's voice cut through, "we've been seeing some intel floating around multiple channels and need to discuss it."

"Intel?" asked Kiba.

Naruto could tell something serious was going on. "What? What is it?"

Tsunade took a slow breath in. "Orochimaru is dead, and it seems Uchiha Sasuke killed him."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Seriously? For real?!"

Jiraiya nodded. "There's no mistake. I heard it from a trustworthy source."

"Then that means…" started Sakura.

"I knew it! I knew he'd win against that creepy snake!" Naruto cheered before straightening up at Tsunade's serious look. "Why the long face, baa-chan?"

"It's apparent they're not going to return home…"

Kakashi's lazy drawl cut off Tsunade as he walked into the room, "Did you really expect them to? Sasuke is determined to kill Itachi. Namiko told Hinata that Sasuke 'needed' her, presumably to find Itachi, so it would make sense that they wouldn't return right after killing Orochimaru."

"Why don't we form a team? Operation Track Akatsuki is still going, right?" asked Naruto.

"Yes…" said Tsunade hesitantly.

"So, we track down an Akatsuki member: Uchiha Itachi," said Naruto matter-of-factly. "We hunt Itachi to find Sasuke and Namiko."

Kiba stepped forward. "If you're going hunting, you better take Hinata and I too." Hinata nodded in agreement.

Kakashi folded his arms over his chest. "That would be ideal. We'd want to hold Itachi captive if we found him first. If we killed him, Sasuke would lose motivation and who knows how he'd react. So, we'd need at least two teams ideally to give us the manpower to hold Itachi captive. Since Kurenai is no longer on active duty, we can pull in Sai and Yamato as well."

Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "Let's do this!"

The journey to the northern hideout was arduous, but Sasuke, Namiko, and Suigetsu pressed on over the next two days of travel. As they neared their destination, the air grew colder, and the landscape became more desolate. Sasuke led the way, his Sharingan eyes constantly scanning for any signs of danger even with Namiko regaining the use of her chakra sensing.

"Sasuke, there are approximately eighty-four people near the entrance of the northern hideout," said Namiko as they ran. "They all seem to have the curse mark as well. I can sense the same tinge to their chakra that you have."

As they reached the entrance of the base, Suigetsu smirked at the sight before him. "Sure enough, Red, you're exactly right. Time to put this baby to the test," he said as he removed his blade from its holster.

"Red?" Namiko shot him a confused look but let the comment slide.

"Juugo should be in a locked cell in the center of the base," explained Sasuke before turning to the Kiri shinobi. "Suigetsu, do what you want with them." He gestured to the curse mark experiments. "But don't kill them."

Suigetsu scoffed as he hiked his sword on his shoulder. "You really are from Konoha. You're too soft."

Sasuke ignored him and turned to her. "Namiko, you stay here until everyone is cleared. Let's go, Suigetsu," he said as he leaped forward and started clearing the people out of the way, not drawing a drop of blood as he did so.

Suigetsu was a bit rougher with taking down the prisoners but still left everyone alive. "You know, it's a lot harder to leave people alive than just killing them. I don't know why you go through the trouble."

"Because the only one I need to kill is my brother. It's pointless to kill anyone else. Stay on my good side and you'll stay alive too." Sasuke walked into the large doorway of the base and motioned for Namiko to follow.

They entered the base and navigated through the labyrinthine passages until they reached a heavy iron door. Sasuke grabbed Namiko's arm and pulled her several meters away from the door. "Stay here, I don't know what Juugo will do." Sasuke placed his hand on the door, activating a hidden mechanism with his chakra, similar to the chakra limiters Namiko had worn.

With a loud creak, the door swung open, and Juugo launched forward. "You're dead!" He slammed Sasuke into the wall, a cloud of dust and debris showering Namiko.

Namiko shielded her eyes. "Sasuke!" she called out. She knew he was okay but it worried her when she felt the dark tinge of the curse mark to his chakra. Every time he used it, she could feel his chakra darken permanently a little bit more.

Juugo's curse mark was almost completely in the second phase, his left side mottled with dark gray marks and his left arm twisted and contorted, pinning Sasuke to the wall. A dark gray, clawed wing began pushing back against Juugo's monstrous hand forcing him back several meters.

"What? Another copycat?" Juugo cackled. "Quite impressive that you can do segmental transformation. I haven't seen a copycat this good since Kimmimaro!"

Sasuke moved out of the crater in the wall, still partially transformed. "I'm not here to fight you, Juugo. I only want to talk to you."

Juugo's voice changed for a moment, becoming softer, "To talk?"

"Yes, I came to get you out of here. I'm not interested in fighting you. I want you to come with me and that's all."

Juugo narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "Don't you see I can never leave here? Never again!" He charged forward and Sasuke leaped out of the way as Juugo's hand clashed with the Executioner's Blade.

"Nice technique, Juugo, different but solid." Suigetsu smirked as he held his blade in front of him. "Leave him to me, Sasuke."

Sasuke's curse marks began to recede. "Stop it, Suigetsu, we didn't come to fight. Just let me talk to him."

"He's not the type that listens to words. The only language he understands is force," said Suigetsu as he took another swing at Juugo.

Juugo easily defended against the attack. "That's right! I remember you now!" He began to laugh maniacally as he went on the offensive. The two fought back and forth, both appearing to be evenly matched.

"Stop this, both of you!" warned Sasuke.

The two continued to fight and Namiko had to quickly use Teleportation Jutsu to get out of the way or be hit. Sasuke flashed in front of her instantly, eyes suddenly flashing with the Sharingan as white snakes extended from his sleeves and wrapped around Suigetsu and Juugo.

Namiko felt like her heart stopped. Sasuke's chakra almost felt infernal. Not mottled like with the curse mark, but pure killing intent. She laid a timid hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke, I'm okay. I promise."

He ignored her comment as he glanced at both men. "Do you want me to kill you?" Even Suigetsu and Juugo could feel the darkness in his chakra and stopped immediately as Sasuke retracted the snakes, his eyes fading to black.

Juugo's marks disappeared as he gripped his head in his hands, eyes filled with panic. He ran back into his cell, slamming the iron door with tremendous force and cowering in the corner. "Hurry and lock the door!"

"Juugo," Sasuke called out, his voice echoing in the chamber. "I came to recruit you for my team. We need your strength."

Juugo tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "How could I join you? What makes you different from anyone else who has tried to control me? I'm a monster."

"I'm not here to control you. I'm here to offer you a purpose," Sasuke tried to assure him.

Namiko stepped forward and peeked into the cell, her voice gentle, "We understand the burden you carry, Juugo. I carry a similar burden, I'm the host of the kyuubi. Sasuke has protected me and taken care of me every day over the last six months…and even before that."

She took a step back, deciding to plead with him, "We're not asking you to suppress your nature but to use it for a cause that matters. This hideout is destroyed and there's no one here to care for you. If you don't come with us, you'll die."

"Fine by me! I have enough blood on my hands. If I leave this cage, I'll just kill again," said Juugo, fear choking his voice.

"Don't worry," said Sasuke quietly. "I can be your cage. I can control your urge to kill."

"The only one who can stop my urge to kill is Kimmimaro!" snapped Juugo, causing Namiko to back up.

Sasuke stepped forward opening the cell door more. "Juugo, Kimmimaro died for me. He's gone."

"He…died for you? So then, you're Uchiha Sasuke?"

"That's right," Sasuke said with a slight nod.

Juugo's eyes lingered on each of them, assessing their sincerity. Finally, he let out a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Alright," he said slowly. "I'll join you. But know this: if I lose control, you have to be ready to stop me."

Sasuke nodded. "Understood."

"Well, since I'm the only one you don't know yet, let me introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Namiko," she said as she stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you."

With that, Juugo stepped out of his cell, his massive form towering over the others. He bowed in return. "Nice to meet you too."

Suigetsu chuckled at the scene. "Red, I know you're short, but next to Juugo you look like an ant."

Namiko rolled her eyes. "Me being short is an advantage, thank you very much. I can fit in small places, plus I can move faster because I don't have the extra body weight." She shrugged. "I'm not strong, I know that, but sometimes escape is what is best."

"Which brings me to the main reason I gathered you two to come with us," said Sasuke as he gestured to Suigetsu and Juugo, "my goal is to kill the Akatsuki member, Uchiha Itachi. I need your help in doing so. Itachi has a partner in the Akatsuki named Hoshigaki Kisame; your responsibility is to keep him occupied and protect Namiko while I kill Itachi."

"I'm all in, especially if it means I can get my hands on Kisame's sword, Samehada." Suigetsu rubbed his hands together excitedly. "So where are we off to now, boss man? Do you know where Itachi is?"

"I'm not sure yet of Itachi's whereabouts but that's where Namiko comes in with her chakra sensing." Sasuke began leading them out of the base. "But first, we're going to stop in Sora-ku to gather what we need to prepare for battle."

Namiko tilted her head. "Sora-ku? That's not too far from Konoha. Isn't that risky for us, Sasuke? What if Hinata happens to see me?"

"Don't worry about it. It's mostly abandoned now, so people tend not to go anywhere near it," reassured Sasuke. "Plus, didn't you tell me before that your range is slightly more than Hinata's? You would sense her before she would you."

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. "I know, I just don't want us to be forced to go back to Konoha before you've completed your goal. I'd rather get this all done and over with." Her voice dropped to a whisper to him, "I want to be home with you."

As they exited the base and were forced into the bright sunlight, Sasuke grabbed her hand, gave her a quick squeeze, and whispered back, "Soon, I promise."

A/N: We've turned our duo into a quartet! I'm extremely glad I changed my mind about adding them, I forgot how awesome Suigetsu is. He definitely knows how to annoy Sasuke and it's so much fun to do it.
I also wanted to remind you to check out the chapter notes or my FFN profile for helpful images and a playlist based on "Dual Chronicles".
See you guys all next week…hopefully – my husband and I are buying a new house and will be closing soon, so packing and moving may interfere with my writing schedule over the next few weeks.

Love, Eriisu