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Winter Release	By : Cepheus Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1260 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Thanks to all
reviewers who had the patience to wait out for me� this chapter is dedicated to
all of you, with a special mention to Agni, Yum2, Ecchan,
Imperial Mint, May_Neuma and Kat.

Note: remember that this fanfic is moving away from canon timeline, and I will keep
my Leader�sama as well as my reasoning for the Uchiha massacre.
Cepheus: I can�t say anything but� I�m sorry it took so long. Seriously. I hope
someone is still following this fic and me. If you
are, thank you so much. I won�t delude you.
��
Rating: M (or is it
higher?)
Summary: Kyuubi�s
secret out. Akatsuki attacking. Fighting for strength, and falling for your
ex�best friend�s older brother. Maybe Naruto will have to deal with more than
he imagined�
Warnings: yaoi, boy x boy relationship, angsty, torture, and such. Mental torture as
well. Flames will be used to warm up food. OC warning as well.
Disclaimer: Not own
Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

�Talking�
�Thinking�
�Flashbacks, memories,
dreams�

��
Winter Release
Chapter 24: Preoccupations

�You know what
you have to do, and remember you only have less than two weeks to bring the
plan to completion �time is our ally as of now, the Hokage does not suspect a
thing, nor does he Council� he slammed the stick on the floor as to make his
words clear.
�I will not
delay the plan further, and no suspicion will fall on me. No one will be able
to connect it with me �nor with you,
Danzou�sama�.
�Then you are
dismissed, Sai. Move to Konoha straight away and start your plan. There should
be no need for me to remind you what would be your punishment if you fail�.
Sai nodded
stiffly, and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Danzou alone once again.
Slowly, a
smirk made its way on his face as he started walking again, the metallic end of
the stick echoing in the open space as he disappeared on the other end of the
walking pass. This was going to be it. Soon enough.
Yes, soon
enough.
��
Tsunade
sternly looked at the three shinobi in front of her, eyes fixed on the Jounin
leader of the team, fighting to keep herself from looking at the blond ninja
instead, knowing all too well what reaction she would get as soon as she stated
the purpose for calling them to her.
Kakashi was
purposefully sifting through his �Icha Icha� book, eye scanning the pages, yet
his tense body was clear show that he was waiting for the Hokage to speak.
�Team 7� no,
Team Kakashi�� moving her attention to the reports in front of her, Tsunade
cleared her throat.
She didn�t
like what she was about to say, but the Council had been pressing on the
matter, and she had no other choice than to relent to their will.
At least for
now� there was nothing she could do.
�Well, Tsunade
obaa�chan? Why did you bring us here for?� Naruto was fidgeting from one foot
to the other, looking out of the giant window behind Tsunade, his eyes lost in
the distance.
It was clear
he�d been up to something before she had called him, but Tsunade wasn�t sure
she wanted to know. At all.
�Yesterday I
received a report from one of my informants,� tone carefully neutral, Tsunade
intertwined her fingers on the desk, looking down at them. �About the
whereabouts of one of Orochimaru�s storage buildings�.
Her eyes noticed
instantly the reactions of the three in front of her �Kakashi brow twitched,
and his eye turned sharply towards her, Naruto stiffened visibly, fists
clenching, and Sakura lifted one hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp.
�What does
that imply, Hokage�sama?� Kakashi lowered his book slightly, attentive.
�As we have
known since the start, Orochimaru�s main hideout is Otogakure, but he owns
various labs and minor dens around the various countries,� her fingers
twitched, but otherwise she kept herself blank. �Most of those are just small
storage buildings that he uses whilst moving from one hideout to the next� we
were aware of a small number of them, unfortunately already abandoned �he never
uses the same hideout again, once deserted�.
Kakashi nodded
gravely, whilst Sakura and Naruto exchanged a look.
�The storage
building I received a report about has yet to be used� the blond woman
continued, humming. �Not only that� my contact was able to secure information
regarding this storage building�s exact location, and the fact that Orochimaru
will soon be using it�.
Naruto moved
forwards in a flash, both hands slamming on the desk and staring right into her
eyes, his own wide in excitement.
�You mean�
Sasuke might be there, too?!�
Tsunade nodded
slightly.
Naruto
flinched and shifted backwards, once again exchanging a glance with Sakura,
then looking expectantly at Kakashi.
The Jounin had
yet to look away from the Hokage. �The orders, Tsunade�sama?�
Tsunade
straightened her back. �C�rank scouting mission in the neutral territory
between Taki no Kuni and Ta
no Kuni,� she stated, seeing the recognition in
Kakashi�s single eye. �Surely you understand the importance of this mission,
Kakashi� there is no� official information regarding Orochimaru, and this is
merely an assignment to investigate the appearance of missing�nins in the neutral territory�.
He nodded
briskly, turning around to look at his two pupils.
�The lands
between Taki and Ta have been considered nobody�s
territory by every country, and thus are used to hold special treaties and
negotiates between enemy countries during difficult periods� he explained,
seeing as neither Sakura nor Naruto had understood. �Officially, at least, no
Country nor Hidden Village has spies in that territory. Unofficially, we all
do, of course,� he let out a soft snort. �That means there cannot be
preventively planned attacks whilst inside the neutral territory�.
Sakura�s eyes
widened slightly as she understood the implications, �Orochimaru�s hideout
being in the neutral territory means we cannot attack him, but if we happen upon
it, and a fight breaks out, it won�t fall under a previously planned event, and
there will be no repercussions against Konohagakure!�
Kakashi
nodded, and Tsunade hummed again.
�Missing�nin are wandering through the borders of our country, and
more having been spotted close to the borders of Kaze
no Kuni, and it is a given that we investigate if
other countries have the same problem lately� so a scouting mission to the
borders of the neutral territory will not rouse suspicion�.
Naruto�s face
split into a smirk, but both adults noticed how his fists were still clenched
tightly. �There is a chance that we might find Orochimaru and Sasuke�� he
muttered, looking to the side. �Thanks, Tsunade obaa�chan!�
She sighed,
shaking her head. �That is not everything, though�� she stood up slowly, moving
away from the desk and closer to the window, looking outside.
�What? You
called us here so that we could go on this mission� what�s the problem?� Naruto
clearly could barely stand still, shoulders trembling now that he had a lead to
Sasuke.
�Your team�
lacks a member,� Tsunade didn�t want to turn around, so she focused her eyes on
the Hokage mountain above.
She looked
really young up there.
�Y�yes, of
course� Sakura and Naruto once more exchanged a puzzled stare. �But for now
we�re team Kakashi �we won�t be complete until Sasuke comes back�.
�Unfortunately,
to function as a proper team, you have to be four �one Jounin instructor and
three ninja,� Tsunade bit her lower lip �and you need another participant to
take on this mission�.
Kakashi�s
single eye narrowed. He didn�t like the hesitation with whom Tsunade was
speaking.
�So what? Do
we have to go ask everybody if they want to join us on a mission?� Naruto
scratched his chin thoughtfully �to him, it wasn�t such a hard decision, and he
was sure his friends would be happy to help him out�
�No �you get
no say in the new teammate�s addition� Tsunade frowned. �It is a final
decision, and not even I can do anything about it�.
Kakashi let
out a hiss, coming to the right conclusion as he noticed a file on the desk.
�We have been
assigned an external member by the Council� he muttered, so the two teens could
hear.
Both gasped.
�What? But can
they even do it?� Sakura turned a shocked state to her master. �I��
�I won�t accept
some random stranger to join our team! There is no place for someone else �our
teammate is Sasuke, and that�s it!� Naruto stepped forwards, angered.
He wasn�t fond
of the Council �those old coots were bad enough on their own, and now they were
messing with things they had no say in� Naruto was seething.
�How did that
happen?� Sakura pressed one hand on Naruto�s shoulder, trying to calm him down.
She was the most rational of the two, and she knew that a decision that even
overrode that of Tsunade had no way to be objected by them. �Why would the
Council be interested in our team, if Sasuke isn�t there anymore?�
�To keep a
leash on the demon!� Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. �The old coots are
still suspicious of me!�
�Naruto��
Tsunade closed
her eyes, remembering the meeting with the two Elders of the Council. More than
a meeting, it had felt like the two were determined in showing their power over
her.
Homura had
looked at her from above the line of his glasses.
�Do not send Naruto on missions that have possibility
of contact with Akatsuki, and from now on, appoint high�rank shinobi with
Naruto. Assign him to four�man teams to reinforce our supervision and guard
over him�.
Koharu�sama
had leaned forwards, the wrinkles under her eyes intensifying with her glare. �Also, you should decrease his amount of
missions as much as possible, and restrict the range of his movements�.
Tsunade had
felt her heart constrict at those words �she was the Hokage, but they had a say
in this as spokespersons of the Council.
�Unacceptable�.
She had
frowned, her glare matching that of Koharu.
�Tsunade�� the older woman had switched from
an offended stare to one of condescendence.
�Naruto is� no ordinary child. He�s a Jinchuurichi.
Normally, we should not allow him to leave the village, and keep him under
constant supervision� Homura sniffed, �I
assure you, we are truly making concessions�.
Tsunade had
forced her expression to turn stony. �I
am in favour of a four�man team, but such restrictions shouldn�t be placed on
Naruto!�
Shaking her
head, Tsunade forced herself to focus on Team Kakashi. Despite her heartfelt
words, her remark on how she trusted Naruto with her life (he wore her bad�luck charm, yet for him� for him, it hadn�t been
unlucky. He was still alive, he was still fighting�), they had still forced
her to accept an external member �someone she had no way to control.
Someone coming
from Ne. The ANBU division completely under control of Shimura Danzou �Sarutobi�s old rival, the man that had nurtured a secret
hatred towards the Sandaime since the start, wanting nothing more than to
become the Hokage in his stead�
Danzou had
created and kept the division of Root for himself, aside from the ANBU troops
that were following the Hokage�s orders, and this was dangerous.
What could
that man want? He wouldn�t want to work with the Council for nothing �yet, his
interest for Naruto had to be null.
The Council
might want to control the demon, or at least restrain it as much as possible (didn�t they know it was impossible? Naruto�s
loyalty was with Konoha, he couldn�t understand revenge and hatred� and that
was the only reason he had not extracted vengeance on them all�), but
Danzou had never cared.
There was
surely something else� something fishy �and Tsunade had a vague idea of what
that could be.
�It is not the
only reason� she stated, finally turning around and staring straight at Naruto.
�Whilst the Council wants to maintain the control over the Kyuubi, there is an
ulterior reason they appointed a team member of their own choice to Team
Kakashi�.
Naruto and
Sakura abruptly looked at her. �What does that mean?�
The Hokage
sighed again; the Council�s elders had surely made a deal with Danzou, who was
part of it. This was not good.
�The Council
always looked upon the last of the Uchiha with greed,� Tsunade�s words were
spit out with an accent of bitterness. �But it�s the second time an Uchiha
betrays the village, and they are guarding the secret so that no outsider might
gain this knowledge and use it against us�.
Naruto
stiffened at the vague mention of Itachi, as he had managed to avoid thinking
about him for an entirety of four hours, and looked to the side, stiffening.
Once again, he
felt cold seep through his body, and tried to hide his sudden uneasiness; the
memory of Itachi�s body pressing against his own, with cool lips trailing down
his skin, hands mapping every part of his body�
�Don�t think about it!� he chastised himself, biting down
on his lip.
It was not
important. He couldn�t focus on Itachi now �he had a chance to see Sasuke, once
again, after their last encounter, and he had to concentrate on it, or Sasuke
wouldn�t deem him worth fighting.
There would be
enough time to focus on the Uchiha afterwards, when he got back from his
mission.
Tsunade�s eyes
narrowed as he looked at the blond teen; his reactions were easy to read� the
mention of the older Uchiha, albeit vague, had unsettled him. The Uchiha had
been the one controlling him, keeping him caged�
One way or the
other, the Uchiha were still ruling each of Naruto�s decisions.
Clearing her
throat, she returned to the point of the situation.
�I am afraid
that now that Sasuke is with Orochimaru, the Council has decided him to be a
threat to the village, and they might be trying to solve things their own way�
knowing of Naruto�s fixation with him� Naruto had the decency to look vaguely
sheepish at that �placing a single man to both control him and scout for Sasuke
at the same time would the preferred course of action�.
�Hmm�
Kakashi�s visible eye narrowed.
�I won�t allow
any stuck�up council�lackey to get his hands on Sasuke! Sasuke will come back
to Konoha!� Naruto spit out, growling. �Ne, Sakura?�
She hastily
nodded, but her worry was clear. �Who is the shinobi, Tsunade�shishou?�
�His name is
Sai,� Tsunade sighed �he should be arriving today� after meeting up with him,
you will be able to start your mission�.
Naruto�s pout
almost made Tsunade smile.
�I don�t care
who this guy is! He�s not welcome, especially if they�re preparing something fishy
against us!�
With that, he
turned around and stomped out of the room. Kakashi�s eye curved upwards, almost
sheepish, and Sakura shook her head, muttering under her breath.
�He didn�t
even let me finish�� Tsunade shook her head, but there was a small smile on her
lips. She knew that he wouldn�t allow anyone else to interfere with his
decisions, indeed. �Your new teammate is waiting for you at the training
grounds, Sakura� she added, seeing as the only female of the team was about to
follow her friend out.
�I�m going to go
tell him then� Tsunade�shishou, Kakashi�sensei��
Turning
around, the pink haired shinobi followed her teammate out.
Instantly,
Kakashi lowered his book and leaned against the wall, staring through the
window at the Hokage mountain.
�This� Sai�
he�s from Root,� he stated. At Tsunade�s reluctant nod, he took a deep breath.
�I suspected as much �it�s Danzou�s doing. It is good that I am in the team,
but with the latest development with Naruto and Kyuubi�s chakra, I wonder if I
might be enough�.
He remembered
what he�d seen that day �the raw wounds on Naruto caused by the demon�s chakra
forcing itself out and lashing against its bearer�
Jiraiya would
have been enlightening on the matter, but the man was nowhere to be found.
�I already
sent someone to look out for Jiraiya, Kakashi,� Tsunade clearly read his mind,
and he shrugged. �You are skilled enough to intervene in case things get out of
hand, but I received monthly updates from him during the three years� Naruto
effectively lost control of Kyuubi�s chakra, though it should be more
manageable now that the second seal has come to effect��
Nodding, the
silver haired shinobi puffed out from the room, ready to follow his team.
Tsunade sat
down at the desk again, wishing Shizune hadn�t discovered her secret sake
stash.
��
Jumping above
the few houses around the Hokage Tower, Naruto frowned and looked around. He
hadn�t wanted to ask about the new teammate to Tsunade, but now he regretted
not asking�
He could be
anyone. Sai. The name was Sai.
He already
disliked him.
Sent by the
Council to keep an eye out for Sasuke and control him, too?
�I will not allow anyone to control me� he thought,
filled with self�assured vengeance.
A butterfly
fluttered above his head, but Naruto ignored it in favour of looking down in
the streets, where people were moving everywhere, including a few ninja and a
lot of villagers.
Between them,
somewhere, this Sai was waiting, ready to go to the Hokage to be assigned to
his team.
�I�ll make his life a living hell �that�s my word as a
ninja!�
From the top
of a nearby building, a black�clad shinobi with a newly acquired Konoha hitai�ate slowly unscrewed the top of a dark scroll,
extracting a long, wooden paintbrush from one of its tips; holding it tightly
into his right hand, he gently unrolled the scroll, white sheet all over his
knees.
With
deliberately slow�paced movements, he then pressed the other end of the scroll,
and a compartment filled with ink popped out from it.
With a
flourish, the brush was dipped into the ink, flowing gently on the paper.
He took his
time, as this was not a battle situation, and he could actually take his time
tracing every angle and curl, observing the ending result with blank eyes.
Nodding, he
breathed a jutsu, fingers coming together to form a
seal �Ninpou �choujuu giga�.
A mere second
later, his drawing exploded in a wave of ink, a giant lion�like creature
roaring out from it, no sounds made yet with open jaws.
It galloped
into the air, unmindful of gravity, following the pull of its creator, roaring
with silent voice, eyes concentrated on a blond flash sailing in the air, busy
looking away from it�
Naruto felt
something �it was the acute knowledge that something was coming and that it was
dangerous; his senses suddenly alert, he spun in midair, grabbing the edge of a
rooftop and pushing himself out of the way, down into the empty side�street and
away from danger.
Not even a
second later, something black with jaws attacked the exact spot he�d been in
before.
�W�wha�?!�
Naruto�s
fingers clenched into fists, feet attaching against the wall of the house and
running up back to the roof.
With a pause
to collect himself, Naruto looked back down, and had the clear sight of his
attacker �a giant beast like none he�d ever seen before.
It was�
although three-dimensional, Naruto�s eyes unfocused for a split second whilst
watching it, giving him the impression that it was flat and without substance,
as ink on paper could be.
Then, the
monster silently roared up at him, inked eyes focused into his own, and it
jumped upwards; Naruto had just enough time to notice how the �animal� had no
need to balance itself on something to get up that it was already upon him.
�Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!� rolling on the
rooftop again, he brought together his hands in the familiar signs, even though
he had no need for them anymore.
Three clones
appeared at his side.
The first
kneeled quickly, giving a support for the second with his back and hands, who
jumped forwards and threw the third clone towards the monster.
The third
clone kamikaze�d against the monster, exploding into contact but managing to
destroy the thing at the same time.
The lion (or
was it a tiger? Or a dragon? Whatever it was, Naruto had never seen something
like that before) exploded like a water balloon, ink drops flying everywhere.
The first and
second clone stood up and grimaced, trying to brush away the ink from their
clothes.
�What the hell
was that thing?!� Naruto wondered aloud, nerves still tense�
One of the clones
slammed against his chest and threw him to the side; Naruto gasped out at the hit,
rolling away as the second clone puffed away. The blond shinobi had then a
clear vision of a second beast silently sailing through the air, jaws wide
where he had been before, targeting his first �and last� clone.
�Kuso��
The jaws
closed around the Kage Bunshin, which exploded instantly into smoke. The thing
apparently wasn�t hindered by it, but Naruto took the opportunity to stand back
up and jump towards the monster.
�Take that!�
His fist fell
through the monster�s body like through water, and just like the other, the
second monster vanished in a pool of ink.
Waving his
fist to cleanse it, Naruto rapidly looked around, unsure as to where the attack
had been from. If Konoha was under attack �no, if he was under attack, then maybe some enemy was around, and he had
to restrain and stop them.
There
�Naruto�s keen sight noticed the black�clothed figure on top of a roof, three
buildings away, and narrowed his eyes, trying to make out his features.
He had a
Konoha headband, yet had attacked a fellow shinobi� was it a mistake or was he
trying to pick a fight with him?
�I think I have my answer already,� he thought as
he watched the ninja quickly draw something on his scroll.
Narrowing his
eyes, he watched as four, five �ten creatures swarmed out from the scroll,
roaring to life and flying towards him.
�D�damn it!�
they were easy to destroy, but what if one of them landed an attack on him? He
didn�t know if they were strong�
Charging
towards them, fingers preparing his usual seal, Naruto was about to yell his
counterattack when�
�Naruto, get down!�
Instantly he
bucked down, and flickers of darkness slithered up from the ground behind him,
tendrils attacking every beast, making them blow up one after the other.
Not turning
around to look at his unexpected helper, Naruto charged again, jumping forwards
and extracting a kunai from his sleeve.
Slashing with
one hand, he used the roof edge as leverage, impressing more speed and power to
his blow, which was unfortunately blocked by his opponent.
Face to face,
Naruto could finally look at him, noticing how pale the other shinobi was.
Black eyes, black hair, black clothes� strangely dressed, a part of his mind
noticed, revealing shirt that left his stomach uncovered.
And he was
damn strong �his blow had been stopped far too easily, even though he hadn�t
used much strength to begin with.
�Who the hell
are you�?!�
Eyes wide, he
stared in shock as the other �young, around his age, maybe� stared at him with
an intense glare, eyes drooping slightly.
Under Naruto�s
gaze, the unknown shinobi�s lips slowly shifted upwards into a cold, bare
imitation of a smile.
�You are�� he
hesitated, closing his eyes �fairly weak� So what do you have between your legs?�
Naruto
spluttered, completely offended. �W�what?!�
��
The guards
standing in front of the huge hall inside the Palace of the Kage stared in
suspicion at the single man strolling through the corridor, clearly headed
towards the office of the Tsuchikage.
He was wearing
a small cape that hid his head from them, and he was dressed in normal clothes,
bearing no visible luggage or bag on him, yet moving as if he didn�t know his
surroundings �clearly, someone who had never been in the Tsuchikage tower
before.
The guards had
been warned not to let in any stranger, so two of them moved forwards, their
kusarigama extracted and pointed towards the intruder.
�Stop!� the
guard on the right shifted his blade so that the sharp edge was pressed close
to the stranger�s uncovered neck. �No trespassing as per order of the Tsuchikage�.
The man
shrugged, slowly lifting one hand up to show a scroll to the guards.
�I have been
appointed to give this to the Tsuchikage in person,� he stated clearly, tilting
his head to the right. �I came to Iwa especially for this�.
Glasses
glinted in the light of the room.
�This does not
mean you can pass� the same guard repeated, shaking his head. �Step back �you
can appoint a meeting with the secretary of the Tsuchikage, if it�s so
important, but the Kage is a very busy man, and won�t lower himself to talk
with whatever nobody who asks to see him�.
The stranger
also shook his head, shrugging a bit. �I bring� important information. By a�
well, by someone who would prefer to be left unnamed. Information regarding the
line of the Namikaze�.
The guards
were startled out of their tightly�controlled stillness, turning to look at one
another with narrowed eyes.
In the past 15
years, nobody had dared to speak of the Namikaze anywhere around the Kage palace,
knowing what kind of reaction that name received, ever since the Third Great
Shinobi World War.
Because of a
Namikaze, Iwagakure had lost the war against Konoha, all because of the
destruction of the Kannabi Bridge and the slain of
their troops by a single man, Minato Namikaze of Konoha.
Iwagakure had
always had the greatest military strength amongst the other hidden villages,
yet it had been vanquished by a single man, causing the village to suffer a great
loss, with hundreds of casualties that had rendered them unable to fight,
declaring Konohagakure winner.
Because of
that Namikaze �then elected Yondaime Hokage of Konoha� Iwa had been hindered in
its growth for the five following years, and only now the village had started
to recuperate, growing stronger and trusted with missions and the like.
That name was
a taboo, sometimes used by mothers to scare away their children to bed, mostly
murmured reverently when speaking of a majestic, heroic enemy�
But that line
had been long since dead to the world. Their last member, the same Namikaze
responsible for their loss, had been dead since the attack of the Great Bijuu.
�Impossible�
steering his fellows to calm, the head of the guards shook his head. �There is
no chance that a seed of the Namikaze family could be still alive. You are only
a liar, or a beggar�.
The cloak fell
from the man�s head, revealing silver hair tied up in a short ponytail.
With one
finger, the shinobi pushed his glasses up his nose, bangs of hair falling
freely over his hair, as if something that should have been holding them aside
was not there anymore.
�Then, you
give me no other option��
The Tsuchikage
turned a sheet of paper around and carefully read through it, lingering on the
last few lines a second more, then stamped his seal down on the paper, placing
it to a growing pile on his right.
Unfortunately,
most of his days consisted in working on paperwork, something he detested (he
wondered if there was someone who actually liked doing them?), and he would
have gladly accepted any kind of intermission, if only to pause from that work,
and�
There was a
soft knock at the office�s door, and the Tsuchikage tilted his head to the
side, straightening his back up.
He had
actually asked not to be interrupted, so he felt a vague irritation bubbling up
inside him, but at least it was a distraction. He wouldn�t extract revenge on
his guards, just this once.
�Come in� he
ordered, placing his stamp down on the desk.
Much to his
surprise, the person entering his office was none of the guards, and the
younger man was actually alone, eyes narrow, head covered by a cloak.
�Who are you?�
the Tsuchikage�s muscles tensed instantly, and he stood up and away from the
desk, clenching his fists. �Where are my guards?�
He had enough
strength to protect himself from any threat, and he was not going to
underestimate this single person.
The young
shinobi shrugged. �I had some problems getting in� they are� incapacitated, at
least for now�� a small smirk on his expression, the young man moved into the
room, closing the door behind his back and lifting one arm towards him. �I do
not intend to attack, but I bring forth news that will surely interest you, and
I had to make sure you receive them�.
The Tsuchikage
didn�t move and didn�t relax, but the calm appearance of the stranger alerted
him even more; he slowly slid one hand down his robes, grabbing a hidden kunai.
He motioned
for the chair anyway, and the young cloaked shinobi nodded graciously, sitting
down on it and presenting to the Tsuchikage a chakra�sealed scroll.
As the Kage
didn�t look like he wanted to move any closer, the stranger pressed the scroll
on the desk, away from him, and remained still until the other took it in his
hands, fingers tracing the binding seal on it.
�It will open
only with your chakra signature� this was made in case someone else tried to
take the scroll away from me�.
The Tsuchikage�s
eyes narrowed, but he allowed his chakra to slither through the seal
nonetheless, feeling it release its binding as the scroll came undone in his
hands.
�This is�?!�
Eyes scanning
the scroll, wide and shocked, the man�s grip on its edges tightened
considerably; he couldn�t believe what was written, but�
�My master
has� spies in the village, Tsuchikage�sama� the young shinobi stated, crossing
his arms as he looked from behind his eyeglasses up at the older man. �I assure
you that the information on this scroll is the truth�.
�How can I
believe this? And who might your �master� be, then? Are you from Konoha?�
�No, of course
not� he shook his head, a trace of amusement in his tone. �But my master has
been hearing� things about your intentions towards the Hi no Kuni. About what you plan on doing against Konoha��
Stiffening,
the Tsuchikage turned fully towards the unknown man, who was standing up,
smiling.
�How did you��
How could
someone know? He had planned things so secretly that outside of the closer
circle in the Tsuchikage Tower, nobody could have been alerted of his
intentions. Things were done differently, in secret, and�
�I have my way
of getting to know things, and I assure you my master means no disrespect
towards you� he is willing to aid you, at least unofficially� this is what we
have done, and the only thing we ask is for you not to� wander too far �.
The leader of
Iwagakure stiffened again.
He knew now
who this man belonged to, and knowing it made him understand how he could know�
after all, that man was no pushover.
If he wanted
the Tsuchikage to follow up with his plans, it meant there was something to be
gained for him, too.
It also meant
that the information in the scroll were�
�I understand�
he hissed, the scroll slightly cracking in his grip.
He was holding
a terribly important pawn for his plans; he wouldn�t trust the person in front
of him not to intervene, one way or the other, but he could trust this
information, and he would use it.
With a nod
towards the man, who was already walking out from his office, the Tsuchikage
smirked in satisfaction.
��
Naruto was
fuming. Literally.
First, he had
someone dare to question his manliness �who did he think he was?! Stupid idiot�
after having attacked him with strange drawn�monsters, then, just right when he
was about to shove his foot up the other shinobi�s ass for his words, the guy
had just disappeared away in a swirl of ink.
Really, Naruto
wanted nothing more than kick that person�s ass and shove it six feet under,
but he didn�t even know his name!
�Naruto,
Naruto, calm down, Shikamaru went to report everything to the Hokage, with your
description I�m sure they will find whoever it was and send him to the
interrogation department!�
Sakura placed
one hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
She had
managed to catch up with Naruto only when the whole attack had ended, finding a
truly pissed off blond teen and Shikamaru, who had been muttering his usual
�troublesome� under his breath.
Asking what
had happened, Naruto had then moved into a rant about a guy dressed in black
and using ink to fight, with Shikamaru cracking his neck on the side, already
losing interest in the situation.
�I will be
going to inform the Hokage� he�d stated after a moment, clearly having had
enough of Naruto�s bitching. �The ANBU patrolling around will surely find him
in no time, so please stop your troublesome whining, Naruto�.
Throwing a
dark look at the brown haired lazy teen, Naruto had grunted in reply, stomping
away.
Sakura had
waved back at Shikamaru and reached her teammate, trying to placate him.
�I am sure he
didn�t mean anything� uh, personal, Naruto� just concentrate on your mission��
At that,
Naruto�s eyes narrowed down, nodding briskly. �You�re right, Sakura�chan� I need to focus on taking back Sasuke once for all!�
She smirked,
clenching her fist. �You�re not alone in this, Naruto �I�ll be helping as much
as I can!�
With a curious
gaze, Naruto turned towards her �I didn�t quite ask you what did that old hag
teach you, though� was it helpful at all?�
�Ah, of course
it was!� remembering the hellish training she had received under the prized
Legendary Sucker, Sakura shivered a bit. It had been hard, but worth it� her
strength was par with that of Tsunade, and to balance the power of her fists,
she had also been taught medic�nins� jutsu. �At the first stop, why don�t you spar with me? I�ll
show you I�m not the same weak Sakura you left three years ago!�
Giving her one
of his usual foxy smiles, Naruto returned cheerful.
With such a
promising offer, he had nothing to be angered about!
�Ah, look!
There�s Kakashi�sensei!� Sakura smiled a bit, her eyes falling on the last
member of the team waiting for them at Kakashi�s side. �Oh, that is probably
that Sai��
Naruto looked
up, already sobering up, and froze at the sight.
The same guy
from before �same black clothes, black hair, black eyes� was waiting with his
back pressed against a training post, right at Kakashi�s side; whilst the
Jounin was apparently busy reading his book, a new one if the differently
coloured cover had anything to say, �Sai� was flickering a small brush through
his fingers.
�Y�you!�
pointing his finger at Sai, Naruto felt his anger bubble up again, threatening
to choke him.
�Ah, Naruto,
Sakura, welcome!� Kakashi lifted one hand in greeting. �Where were you?�
Completely
ignoring his teacher, Naruto stomped up to the dark haired teen, glaring at
him. �The fuck?! You�re Sai?!�
�Hello there,
Naruto�kun!� Sai imitated Kakashi�s greeting, lips twitching upwards into a
cold smile.
�You� you know
him, Naruto?� Sakura glanced from one teen to the other, puzzled.
�He�s the guy
who attacked me! How dare you��
�Sorry about
before. I just wanted to gauge the ability of my new team member,� Sai tilted
his head to the side, voice carefully neutral. �I just didn�t know how much I�d
have to look after the little prick with no balls��
Despite his
nasty words, his face maintained a mock�happy expression, and his words had a
cold tone.
Sakura
shivered slightly. She didn�t really like�
�What
did you say?!�
Naruto jumped
forwards, ready to settle everything down with a fight, and Sakura reacted just
as quickly, grabbing Naruto by his arms and holding him still, using some of
her abnormal strength to keep him from moving.
�Hey! He�s our
teammate! Cool down, Naruto!� she stated, bopping the blond shinobi on his head
as he calmed down.
�But� Sakura�chan��
She turned
towards Sai, regarding him with an unsure grimace. �But� you�re not that nice��
Sai shifted
his gaze and cool smile from Naruto to her, hesitating a second before it
twitched upwards even more.
�Ahaha� really?� something in his tone shifted, making
Sakura think he was trying to sound sheepish. �I like people like you� friendly
crones�.
Anger mounting
inside her, Sakura stepped forwards, ready to settle everything down with a
good fight �only to be stopped by Kakashi�s arm on her shoulder, firm and
heavy.
�Maa maa~, Sakura �remember what
you just said to Naruto? He�s your teammate now, so play nice~�
She settled
down with a frown, feeling more akin to allowing Naruto a punch or two at the
uncouth �Sai�.
�Now, let�s
review things� why don�t we just introduce ourselves?� Kakashi smiled under his
mask, apparently easy�going and relaxed.
�Uzumaki
Naruto,� the blond muttered, throwing angered glances at the new arrival.
�Haruno
Sakura,� she stated in a grumbling tone, also glaring at Sai.
�My name is
Sai!� the dark haired shinobi replied, still smiling the same way.
Naruto
twitched.
�And I�m
Hatake Kakashi� welcome to Team Kakashi, Sai� that said, the Jounin
straightened up. �Now, let�s review our mission. We have to scout the neutral
territory between Ta and Taki,� he threw a glance at
Sai as he said that �unofficially, we are to set up a trap and wait for
Orochimaru to show up �he will presumably switch hideouts in a few days, as the
report confirmed. We have to be there by then�.
Naruto and
Sakura nodded, whilst Sai simply stared at him, waiting.
�No individual
actions shall be taken,� he continued after a small pause, looking right at
Naruto as he said so �This is a strictly reconnaissance mission as far as the
Hokage is concerned, and it is going to be dangerous �we are not going to fight
against Orochimaru if we can avoid that, and if we merely end up gathering
information, then so be it�.
Naruto bit his
lower lip, but grudgingly nodded.
He knew that
Orochimaru was stronger than he was, and that if they ended up in a fight
against him, it would mean lose another chance to get Sasuke back home�
He had to be
patient.
�Please
collect anything you might need for the mission, and let�s meet at the front
gates in thirty minutes� Kakashi checked the sky as he said that, wondering if
thirty minutes were enough to properly say goodbye to Iruka enough that it
could last him for a while. �Dismissed!�
He vanished in
a swirling spiral of leaves, and Naruto stomped away quickly, ignoring how
Sai�s eyes followed him, emotionless and dark.
�Argh! I cannot believe he�s our new teammate! That� that
asshole!�
Sakura
chuckled. �Come on, Naruto, don�t be hasty��
�But why is he
taking Sasuke�s place? Three people is enough for Team Kakashi!� frowning,
Naruto looked to the side, not even knowing why he was so bothered.
There was no
way any of them would ever consider this stupid Sai as someone like Sasuke, so
he didn�t need to be bitchy about that. Maybe he had to pity him instead�
because he would never be accepted!
�He�s
definitely very vulgar,� Sakura admitted, sheepish. �But don�t you think he
resembles Sasuke somewhat?� she looked upwards, thinking. �His face, his
voice��
The blond
teen�s head spun around in shock, not understanding how could that guy be
similar to Sasuke. They were completely different� Sasuke�s eyes shone with
hatred and despise, whilst Sai was�
There was
nothing in his eyes. As if he could barely know how do that stupid empty smile,
as if even his voice didn�t know how to use inflections.
He had
attacked with no hesitation, his eyes set on Naruto all the while, unmindful of
the blond teen rushing up towards him, attacking him with a kunai�
Shivering,
Naruto shook his head. He had nothing of Sasuke�s burning anger, of the scoff
present on the Uchiha teen�s lips as he fought, of his actions.
If anything,
he resembled Itachi the most.
The same empty
gaze, the same emotionless stare�
Naruto froze,
clenching his fists to prevent them from trembling.
No, Sai didn�t
resemble Itachi.
He wouldn�t
resist in the team if he thought the two shared even a small resemblance, and
there was none. He was not ready to face what had happened yet, and there was
no time for that, either.
�O�of course
there is nothing similar between Sai and Sasuke! Sasuke is cooler! No, he�s
just way better!� he protested loudly, grateful when Sakura simply giggled at
him.
�You�re right,
Naruto, Sasuke is somewhat cooler� she winked at him.
He flushed,
pouting �what do you mean �somewhat�?�
She laughed a
bit, and he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips, too. He had missed this
kind of hanging together with Sakura. Even if his feelings for her were a bit�
messed up, with what had happened with Itachi, and� and everything� he still
cared for her a lot.
A smile coming
from Sakura had the power to cheer him up massively.
�Let�s just do
our best for this mission, ok Naruto? Let�s not keep our hopes up too much,�
she stated then, biting her lower lip.
Looking in front
of him, Naruto gently nudged the pink haired kunoichi with an elbow.
Sakura was
just as worried as he was, and he had to be strong for her, too, just like she
was being strong for him.
�Don�t worry
Sakura�chan, we�ll get Sasuke back� if not this time,
then the next! But of course it�s better if it�s this time, don�t you agree?�
flashing her a grin and a thumbs up, Naruto straightened his back.
�Yeah! That
idiot will not see what hit him!�
Yes, bring
Sasuke back.
Naruto had to
remember the priorities he had placed down for himself.
This was what
mattered. The Akatsuki was nothing.
Itachi was
nothing.
Understand the
Uchiha� for both of Sasuke and Itachi�s sake, he had to understand them, but�
to bring Sasuke back was his top priority.
Smiling in
determination, Naruto threw his fist up towards the Hokage mountain, smirking.
�I�m coming, Sasuke!�
��
Cepheus: how was it?
Was it satisfying at all? Please think about dropping me a review, will you? :)

Ninpou: choujuu giga � Ninja Arts:
Great Beast False Image (Sai�s attack with ink, it makes his drawing come to
�life�)
Kuso � shit
- 23
- 24
- 25
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Winter Release