A Shadow Darkly

XI

“Has he made any progress?” Naruto asked Sakura as they watched Sasuke and Michiko draw with chalk on the playground black top.

“Some. He’ll snap and snarl, but it’s not predictable.” Sakura rubbed her neck and sighed. “I don’t think he’ll ever fully become what he was, and I’m almost afraid to take off that collar.”

“Backlash of chakra could kill him,” Naruto surmised. “Weaning, maybe?”

“Maybe. I’ll look into it.”

Naruto sighed and tilted his head back to look at the sky. “How’s he getting along?”

“He refuses to get near the boys. He plays only with Michiko, and he’s begun sleeping in her room instead of the couch.”

“You let him?”

Sakura blew out a sigh. “He doesn’t touch her, if that’s what you’re worried about. For the first few weeks, that’s what I thought too. He’s more of a guard dog than anything.”

Naruto rubbed his face. “At least Sasuke has a friend.”

Sakura made an agreeing noise. “When’s Kakashi due back?” It’s been a month almost.”

“He apparently got side tracked.” Naruto said through clenched teeth. “He’ll be back soon, and then I’ll kick his ass.”

“For Sasuke?”

“Partly.” Naruto closed his eyes and sat forward a bit, just listening to the sounds around him. “There’s a mission I’ll send them on. Simple recon, but if I can get them to work together, then maybe Sasuke’ll heal.”

“Wishful thinking, but let’s see if it’ll work. I’ve been doing a little training with him to keep him in shape so he’ll be physically fit.” Sakura replied, looking over at the Hokage.

“Good, because I think he’ll need it.” Naruto rose then, stretched and sighed. “Kyuubi’s calling.”

“Good luck,” Sakura said with a small smile. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her and wisely retreated out of slapping distance, vanishing in a puff of smoke and ozone. Sakura heaved a sigh and looked back toward her old frenemy and her daughter, finding herself wishing this peace would last.


Kakashi grumbled to himself the entire time the donkey cart jumped over a bump in the road. He was doing it just to annoy the driver and play his part of a grizzled old man accompanied by his pretty daughter. He kept sneaking glances at Sasuke as well, trying to find the boy under the Oiroike. Sakura had changed collars, giving Sasuke on that allowed limited jutsu – henge mostly. He still couldn’t access his Sharingan or any higher-level jutsu, not without Kakashi’s removal of this collar.

But, God dammit, Sasuke made a beautiful girl.

Those long black tresses were pulled back and pinned up with decorated senbon (and Kakashi was damned sure Sasuke knew how to make them weapons), his eyes lightly rimmed with violet eye shadow, his lips lightly rouged, and his nails neatly painted. His kimono was of a dark blue, bringing out his eyes, and it fit so well that no one could mistake Sasuke for anything other than an obedient daughter.

Of course, Kakashi knew the truth.

The cart bounced and rolled along, the dirt path leading them inland to a secluded little village in the mountains. Trouble was brewing; some sort of civil war, and Naruto wanted information in the event one side or another requested assistance. Kakashi could have easily done it on his own, but Naruto wanted Sasuke to spend some time outside Konoha. As much as Kakashi had disagreed, orders were orders.

But Sasuke was behaving. Kakashi had given him sound warning and whatever progress Sasuke had made in his absence had been soundly tossed out the window.

“We’re almost to Yagami Village,” the cart’s driver called back to his passengers. “Few more hours.”

“Hours?” Kakashi barked, doing his best to imitate an old man. “Can’t you make that beast move faster?”

Customary angry silence. For those hours, the only sound was Sasuke’s pencil scratching over paper, drawing out any images his mind dredged up. Kakashi had to admit the drawings would give the best bingo book artist a run for their money and was partly surprised when the cart driver bought a sketch from Sasuke.

“Pretty girl.” The driver said off-handedly. “Must make her parents proud.”

Kakashi said nothing. When they arrived at the village, Kakashi wasn’t surprised to get stared at. But he soon realized it wasn’t him who was being ogled, but Sasuke. It made Kakashi’s blood burn. So he whacked his cane against Sasuke’s shins and barked at him to get moving.

Whisper reached his ears, but Kakashi made no move to correct them. Neither did Sasuke. He followed obediently to the inn and waited until they were in their room to let the henge fall. Kakashi’s fist promptly cracked into the boy’s cheek. The nukenin too the hit as he did all beatings, and let himself be raped. He’d stopped fighting long ago, deserving this punishment.

What frightened Sasuke was the fact Kakashi was much gentler about the sex. It frightened Sasuke enough that he clung and tried not to cry. Crying would only prove weakness. Kakashi left him eventually, and in that time Sasuke bathed, going over everything Sakura had instructed him to do to be a woman. He wished he was back in Konoha, playing with Mi-chan.

Something in the bedroom rattled. Sasuke sunk deeper into the bubbles, hoping the water masked the expellation of chakra for his henge. He was pretending to be a girl after all.

But the Something wasn’t looking for him.

So Sasuke relaxed and continued his bath, even though a thin cloud of nervousness was still wrapped around his heart.