# Broken Wings



## Nandireya (Nov 24, 2009)

*Fic Title:* Broken Wings
*Fic Author:* Nandireya
*Genre:* Action/Adventure (mostly)
*Rating:*  Probably M...that's what the uncut DVDs are here...violence...language...that sort of thing...


Okay...yeah...my first venture into _Naruto_-based fan fiction.

As you can probably tell from my signature, what I'm really holding out for is a Team 7 reunion/Sasuke redemption arc, and it's looking like that could be a long way off...if it ever happens at all (Sasuke is being such a poop!). So I decided to write my own 

Though it _IS_ mostly a Team 7/Sasuke redemption story, there is some SasuSaku in there, (I may not be part of the FC but I _AM_ an official lurker and I kind of feel she'll be an instrumental part of his redemption).  It'll be pretty subtle though...at least to begin with.  But all the detractors out there can't say they haven't been warned.

So...enjoy? And let me know if it's worth continuing. This is only the beginning.
__________________________

Pain and darkness.  He was no stranger to either of them.  He just wasn?t accustomed to them both being so all encompassing.  His entire body felt like it had been set alight.  He couldn?t move.  He could see nothing but shadows.  

Had the light been permanently snatched from his eyes already?


*Spoiler*: __ 



He took a deep breath, even though it hurt to do so, centring himself as he tried to force his way through the pain that clouded his mind.  He knew blindness was to be his eventual fate, and so he?d been training for it.  He reached out with his other senses.  Touch, sound, smell, taste, all so overlooked in favour of the power of sight.

He could feel the touch of cold metal around his wrists and ankles.  A slight movement of his hand and he could hear the clink of chain links.  He was bound, hand and foot, suspended by his arms. Supporting his body weight, if he struggled against the bonds he?d most likely end up dislocating his shoulder.  

Well, that explained why he couldn?t move.  Now to focus on why he couldn?t see.

He could feel a tightness about his face.  Though he couldn?t confirm it, he presumed his eyes had been bound as well.  Firm bandages no doubt encircled his head.  It wasn?t that he was blind; he simply couldn?t open his eyes to see.  

He let out a relieved sigh.  He may have accepted his eventual blindness, but that didn?t mean he welcomed it.

They certainly weren?t taking any chances, whoever they were.  They obviously knew what he could do and had gone to great lengths to prevent him from utilising his gifts.

But who were they?  How did he come to be in this predicament?  He frowned as he tried to remember.  The pain he felt wasn?t due solely to the chains that bound him; he knew that from bitter experience.  He?d been in a fight, a battle, his body told him that much. Had he taken a blow to the head that had robbed him of his memory of it?

He took in another deep breath, through his nose this time.  The air was moist and cold, and there was a familiar smell to it.  Iron and copper, bars and blood.  He could hear a steady drip, drip, drip.  Was it water?  Or was the blood he could smell his own?

?What the hell is going on here!??

He knew that voice.  How did he know that voice?  He frowned.  Why was his head so muddled that he couldn?t even place a woman?s voice?

?He?s bleeding all over the floor!?

Yeah.  That?d probably do it.  

He raised his head and sniffed the air.  _?Sake??_

Whether it was from the effort of raising his head or the scent of the alcohol filling his sinuses and burning his throat, he began to cough.  Violently.  The coopery taste of blood filled his mouth, and trussed up as he was he was unable to keep it from escaping and splattering against whatever surface was close to him.  The coughing made his throat feel raw and enflamed other pains that had been dull aches.  His right side began to really flare up.  He gritted his teeth against it.  He couldn?t let them know his pain.

?Get him down.?  The woman sighed, her voice a little disgusted.  He heard the rustle of someone smoothing fabric and realised he must have coughed some blood on her.

?But?he?s dangerous??

He turned his head slightly towards the new voice, a male voice, but it was not one he recognised.

?Get.  Him.  Down.?  She repeated with quiet authority.  ?He?s in no condition to be a threat to anyone.?

Shackles loosened, chains rattled and he half slumped, half fell to the floor.  He tired to upright himself, but his arms, raised for so long over his head, wouldn?t obey the simple command.  He collapsed, almost screaming as the pain in his side erupted into an agony so intense he would have seen stars if he?d been able to see.  It took all his strength of will not to cry out.

He instinctively pressed his all but useless arm into his side and he heard something crack.  Nothing could stop the gurgling gasp that escaped his lips this time.  He could feel the bleeding now, warm and sticky against his arm, against his side as it began to spill on to the floor.  He was hurt worse than he?d thought?

?_SHIT_!?  The woman hissed.   

?Lay still.?  She said to him with that same authoritative voice she?d used with the man that he had to assume was her underling.  He winched as she turned him onto his back.  ?I?m going to see to your injuries??

?Are you sure that?s wise??  The other voice enquired in disbelief from his left.  ?He _IS_ dangerous.?  He reminded her.

?He?s _DYING_!?  She snapped and he heard the shredding of fabric as she tore at it to gain access to his injury.  His breath caught in his throat as he felt a strange tingling against his skin.  

?And wouldn?t the world be a poorer place for it??  The man muttered sarcastically under his breath.

?Do you know how he got in this condition??  She asked.  

The tingling intensified.  The pain began to subside, breathing became a little easier. 

?Yeah.?  The other voice scoffed.  ?But I don?t believe it for a second.?

She placed a cool hand on his forehead.  That simple touch was so soothing.  ?Maybe _YOU_ should tell him??  She suggested.

?I?don?t remember.?  He admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

?You?re so desperate to believe he?s changed.?  The man snorted.  ?He can?t remember what he did because it doesn?t matter to him.  You give him far more credit that he deserves.  You?re just like that Uzumaki kid.?

_?Uzumaki??_ He frowned.  ?Naruto???  He whispered.  The name itself knocking something loose.  The frown deepened as images flashed across his mind.  Black flames.  A masked man robed in black.  Wide blue eyes full of shock.  

?I?I was?protecting him??

That couldn?t be right, could it?  He?d severed that tie, turned his back on it years ago.

?And what were you protecting him from??  The woman prompted.

?Maybe you should ask him.?  He suggested.

?We?ve got his side of the story.?  The man said.  ?Now we want yours.?  He felt something cold and hard press into his jaw.  A blade of some kind?  ?Answer carefully??

The image of the masked man floated in his mind again, surrounded in those shadowy flames.  He knew that man.  Knew him better than he wanted to.  

?Madara??  He said.  ?I was protecting him?from Madara.?  He frowned.  ?He can?t be allowed to get his hands on all of the tailed beasts??

The man and woman had fallen silent and he knew they must be exchanging a glance.  Had he corroborated Naruto?s story, or contradicted it?

Then the man laughed.  A harsh, mocking sound.

?You expect us to believe that??  He scoffed.  ?You happily handed the eight-tails over to Akatsuki and then you betray them and almost get yourself killed defending the nine-tails?  Do you think us fools??  The blade pressed in harder, breaking the skin.  He instinctively flinched away, causing the blade to be racked across his jaw, resulting in a rather nasty gash which began to bleed quite profusely.

?Hey!?  The woman snapped.  ?I?m trying to patch him up here!  I don?t need you adding to my workload!  Put that thing away!?

His head was beginning to swim.  He?d already lost too much blood.  Why had he done it?  He didn?t care about anyone or anything.  He?d purged himself of such useless bonds.  Hadn?t he?

Or maybe he?d just been fooling himself.

?The eight-tails is not my friend??  He said.

?You still consider him?your friend??  The woman asked in a stunned whisper.

?Yes??  He admitted, his voice beginning to slur.  ?Even though?I don?t?deserve to??

He didn?t remain conscious long enough to be aware of the tear that slipped from beneath the bandages that bound his eyes.

~~~~~~

Wide blue eyes stared at the single tear frozen on the anguished face on the video monitor before him.

?Sasuke??  He whispered, stunned.  He _DID_ care.  The dark path he?d walked hadn?t completely corroded his heart.  The faith he?d always had in his revenge-crazed friend had just been proven by those few simple words.  A grin spread across his face as he turned towards Sakura, fading quickly at the look on hers.

Her hands were over her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears of her own.  But they weren?t the tears of joy he?d expected.  She looked totally distraught.  He frowned as he took a step towards her.

?He passed out after that.? Tsunade, newly returned to duty, told them.  ?He hasn?t woken up since.?  She sighed.  After what the pair before her had been through to get him back, she hated to be the bearer of bad news.  ?His injures are _SEVERE_.  And there?s evidence that he?s been pushing himself for months, without rest or the opportunity to allow himself to properly heal from the injuries he received during that time.?  

She sighed again.

?We don?t know if he?s going to survive.?

~~~~~~


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## Nandireya (Nov 24, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



She let out a deep sigh as she looked at the hospital entrance.

She still wasn’t sure why she was there.  She’d been standing on the sidewalk for what must have been close to half an hour now, twirling the daffodil in her fingers.  Half of her trying to build up the courage to enter, the other half trying to tell her he wasn’t worth it.

But she had to see him.  She had too many questions. 

Of course, given his condition she wasn’t about to get any answers any time soon.  That was the reason he was in the hospital.  He needed intensive care, which could not have been provided in a prison cell.

Finding him hadn’t been difficult.  Tsunade had told them exactly where he was.  She’d known better than to try and keep them from him, though she had expressed her concerns about them going anywhere near him.  It was the comments of the staff she encountered as she made her way to his room that were hard to take.

“I don’t know why we’re wasting resources on keeping that bastard alive.”  One spat.

“He can’t stand trial if he’s dead.”  Another grinned.

“He rid the world of Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi.”  Another added.  “That’s gotta count for something.”

The trio quietened as they saw her.  They obviously knew of her connection to him, the entire village knew that.  It was more likely out of respect for her that that had stopped as she approached.

She lowered her head as she passed them.  She didn’t want them to see how their comments affected her; she wasn’t even sure how they did affect her.  She couldn’t really blame them for feeling such animosity towards him.  He had done some truly reprehensible things.

She continued along the corridor to the ICU, ignoring the comments that started up again as soon as she passed.

They were keeping him isolated, as far away from the general population of the hospital as possible.  He was in the last room of the ICU, a room specifically fitted out for him, specifically designed to keep him completely visible and completely contained.

The window had been completely blocked up, the only light in the room was artificial.  One wall had been replaced with a sheet of toughened glass.  Two ANBU stood on either side of the door, two more were positioned inside the room.  Orders were no one was to enter the room without Tsunade’s direct say-so. 

Including her.

It seemed an obscene amount of security for one comatose patient.  But he had shown in the past that he WAS that dangerous.

She stepped up to the glass, gently placing her fingers against its cool surface.  At the moment he didn’t look dangerous.  She’d never seen him look more vulnerable…or more peaceful.

He lay in the bed, the gentle rise and fall of his chest the only indication that he was even alive.  He was surrounded by monitoring equipment; all displaying the minimum of body functioning, and numerous signs and seals.  Some were medical, some were for containment, some for protection.   Tsunade was doing everything she could to keep him alive, and to keep him in place.

Just about every part of him that she could see was covered in bandages; arms, torso, even his eyes were tightly bound.  Only his nose and mouth were exposed, and they were covered with a breathing mask that was feeding oxygen into his all-but lifeless body.

It was a far cry from the last time she’d seen him.

She closed her eyes, leaning forwards until her forehead came into contact with the glass.  The quiet beep, beep, beep of his heart monitor was strangely hypnotic, taking her back to an encounter only a few short days ago…

~~~~~~

_It had taken a while, but Kiba had finally got the scent.  Sasuke.  He wasn’t moving fast, and he wasn’t alone either.  He had his team with him.  They knew little to nothing about them, only that one was a sensory ninja.  If they got too close to them, they’d be sensed, and they could lose them.  Sasuke however, knew them.  He knew what they were capable of, or at least what they HAD been capable of.  They had all grown since he had known them, improved, mastered new techniques, but he knew SOMETHING, he still had the upper hand.

So they kept their distance, following until they could find an opening that they could use to their advantage.  Until…

“He’s onto us.”  Kiba said.  “He’s stopped.”  He looked at her.  “He’s waiting for us.”

She took a deep breath.

“Then let’s not disappoint him.”

The clearing they stepped into was fairly large, about a hundred meters across.  Sasuke stood on the far side, flanked on one side by a giant of a man with flaming orange hair and by a snowy-haired man on the other.  He must have said something as they both looked at him, the snowy-haired one with an expression of slight irritation, before they both set of at a sprint towards them.  Sasuke himself just started walking, calmly, confidently, as if he was simply out for a stroll in the park.

She felt her companions tense around her.

“It’s okay.”  She reassured them.  “We’ve got them outnumbered.  Let them come to you.”  She turned and looked at them.  “Leave Sasuke to me.”

She broke from the group, running across the clearing, her eyes never leaving her target.  His oncoming team-mates paid her no mind as they shot past her; though she was sure she heard the smaller one chuckle.

As she got closer she noticed that his eyes were red.  He’d activated his Sharingan.  So, he wasn’t willing to underestimate her, huh?  She felt a swell of pride in that.

He’d stopped walking, standing in the middle of the clearing, waiting for her to come to him.  She pulled back her fist, readying herself.  He was going to be surprised at just how strong she’d become she thought as she aimed for his face.

But with just the tiniest, miniscule movement, he dodged the blow, his own hand locking around her wrist.  He looked at her hand for a moment before turning those eyes on her.

“What exactly were you hoping to accomplish, Sakura?”  He asked in that flat, emotionless voice she’d become so accustomed to.  “Were you planning on dragging me back to Konoha all by yourself?”

“I’m not planning on dragging you anywhere!”  She snapped, taking aim with her other fist, only to have it similarly immobilised.  She could no longer use her hands.  But then, unless he chose to release her, neither could he.

“So…”  He said.  “You intend to be my executioner?”  He questioned with a slight smirk.

“You think that’s funny!”  She growled.

“You’re not a killer, Sakura.”  He said, his voice notably softer.  His eyes darkened to their regular onyx as he glanced away. “I doubt even living my life could turn you into one.”

Was that regret she heard in his voice?

“I’m not going to let you destroy yourself, Sasuke.”  She said.  “I’m not going to let you destroy Naruto, or to bring any more shame on our home.”

“Home?”  He echoed.  “I haven’t had a home since I was seven years old.”

“Konoha is your home.”  She told him.  “Whether you want to admit it or not.  And what you’re doing reflects on it.   You’re destroying it!”

“My intention is not to destroy Konoha.”  He admitted.  “Only four must die for my clan to be avenged.  But if the people of Konoha wish to stand in my way that’s their concern.”  He pulled her closer.  “You’re a smart girl, Sakura.  Stay out of my way and you won’t get hurt.”

But she wasn’t listening to him.  Not entirely.

“Four?”  She whispered.  “But…Itachi…”

“Was only following orders.”  He cut her off, his voice thick with emotion.  “Your precious Konoha ORDERED the whole scale slaughter of my clan!”

Her eyes widened.  No.  That couldn’t be!  But…if it was, then Sasuke wasn’t a criminal, at least not the way she thought he was.  He was still on his mission to avenge his clan.  

This changed everything.  But if he continued on this path he could never come home…

“But the entire village is not responsible.  You’re making all of Konoha your enemy.”  She said.  “Even those who would be your friends…”  She glanced back to the skirmish behind her.  Even outnumbered, her companions seemed unable to gain the upper hand against his.  “If you keep doing this…you’ll be an outcast forever.”

He just looked at her, but there was something in those ebony eyes.  He’d always been hard to read, and at first she thought she could see nothing in those bottomless black orbs. Nothing but cold, dark emptiness.  But there WAS something there.  Something familiar.  Something she’d known all too well in the time he’d been gone.  Loneliness.  A loneliness that he had embraced and accepted.

“You were never planning to come back, were you?”

“I knew the path I was taking when I decided to turn my back on the future and live in the past.”  He said.  “I knew I’d have to make…unsavoury…alliances in order to achieve my goals.  Alliances that would make it impossible to ever return to the life I knew.”

He glanced at the fight near the tree line. At the familiar faces of those that had come after him in the past.  They had risked their lives for him, now they wanted to kill him.  It was probably better that way.

Then he turned back to her, lifting her arm that was still caught in his grasp.  He studied her hand, the hand which she had been so intent to use against him.  He ran his thumb along the inside of her wrist, slowly, gently, almost tenderly.  She was sure he could feel her pulse quicken at his touch.  He leaned in closer and she was sure her heart was going to break from her chest.

“Besides…”  He said softly.  

So close…too close…

His eyes were locked with hers, and they said so much.  There was no hate in them, no anger or arrogance.  There was just pain.  Pain and loss and loneliness.

“There’s nothing left for me there now.”_


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## Nandireya (Nov 24, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



_He released her and turned away.

?Jugo!  Suigetsu!?  He said as he started back across the clearing.  ?We?re leaving.?

Though he?d barely raised his voice it somehow carried across the melee.  The big one immediately withdrew, but the other looked annoyed.

?He never lets me have any fun.?  He muttered before following his companion.

Sakura?s group moved to make chase, but she held up a hand to stop them.

?Let them go.?  She said softly.

She watched in silence as the trio made it to the opposite tree line.  They were joined there by a woman with unruly red hair.  Despite the distance, Sakura could tell she was glaring at her.  She draped her arm on Sasuke?s shoulder in an almost possessive way, but removed it and backed off after an obvious harsh look from him.  Then she attacked the white-haired man for some reason.

?I think I know what Naruto was going to say.?  Sakura said as Sasuke?s companions disappeared into the trees.  Sasuke paused, turned slightly and looked back at them for a moment before he too disappeared into the forest?s gloom.

?I hope he can help him.?  She whispered._

~~~~~~

?I tried so hard to hate you??  She whispered to the glass.  ?But no matter how hard I tried?I couldn?t do it?? She closed her eyes and chocked back a sob.  ?It?d be so much easier if I could hate you.  Why can?t I hate you??

?Because he?s Sasuke.?

She looked up, started, to see Naruto?s reflection in the glass beside her.  He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, smiling reassuringly at her.

?We can hate what happened to him.  We can hate what he?s done and what he?s been forced to become.  But we can?t hate him.?  Then he turned towards the glass and his smile faded.

?Jeez!  He?s a mess.?  He gaped.

?Yeah.?  Sakura agreed.  ?There was a lot of internal damage apparently.  Tsunade won?t let me in there.  She won?t let me help.  She says I?m too close?that if he?if he doesn?t make it I?ll blame myself.  But she didn?t tell me about his eyes??

?I think that?s just a precautionary measure so he can?t use his Sharingan.?  Naruto said.  ?Nothing happened to his eyes.  Though there was something weird about them??

?What??  She asked, tearing her eyes away from Sasuke to look at him.  ?Tell me what happened.?

?I don?t know exactly.?  Naruto admitted.  ?Something had set him off.  He was already fighting?which was probably a good thing, or we may never have found him.?

~~~~~~

_The tranquillity of the forest was suddenly shattered by an eruption of light and heat.  But it was no ordinary fire.

?Black flames?? Yamato whispered.

?Amaterasu.?  Kakashi said grimly.

?Sasuke!?  Naruto shouted, and began running straight towards it.

?Good idea.?  Yamato muttered.  ?Let?s run towards the inextinguishable fire.?

?You know Naruto.?  Kakashi chuckled.

The trio skidded to a halt as close to the ebony flames as was comfortable.  In the heart of the flames two figures stood.  The last remaining members of the once great Uchiha clan.  Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Madara.  And though Sasuke?s chokuto was drawn it was merely held at his side.  Neither combatant was moving a muscle.  They just stared at each other.

?What?s going on??  Naruto asked.

?Tsukuyomi.?  Kakashi said.  ?Their battle?s totally illusionary.?

?Why are they battling??  Yamato asked.  ?I thought they were allies.?

?Something?s changed.?  Kakashi noted.  ?Though I have no idea what.?

Suddenly the pair shifted, each taking a staggering step backwards as each broke the other?s Tsukuyomi.

?Sasuke!?  Naruto called.

Two heads snapped towards the sound.

?Nine-tails??  Madara sneered.

?Shit!?  Sasuke cursed.

The pair seemed to vanish, both moving too fast to track.  A blur of black and white coalesced before Naruto, taking the form of Uchiha Sauske.  He raised his chokuto, crackling with Chidori, as he took up what looked like a defensive position.

?Get him out of here!?  He barked.

?WHAT!??  Naruto protested.  ?I?m not going to just leave??

Sasuke turned to glance over his shoulder.  Naruto gasped at the eye that glared at him.  It was red like the Sharingan he was used to seeing in his friend?s eyes, but the pattern of it was like none he had ever seen before.  It seemed to be some weird combination of a star and a pinwheel.

?You?re the only one left!?  He hissed.  ?You have to??

His words were cut off as he let out a strangled, gurgling breath.

Blue eyes widened as Madara pulled back the hand he?d just thrust completely through the younger Uchiha?s body.  The chokuto slipped from Sasuke?s fingers as he coughed up blood.  Naruto had experience with that injury.  Sasuke had done the exact same thing to him three years ago.  He knew how much it hurt.  But Sasuke didn?t have Kyuubi?s power to help with it.

Sasuke?s head slumped forward as his breath began to rattle painfully in his chest.  His legs began to buckle._


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## Nandireya (Nov 24, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



_?You should know better than to allow yourself to become distracted in battle.?  Madara gloated.

Sasuke managed to raise his head.  ?And you should know better than to allow yourself to get this close to me.?  He raised his hand and grinned.  He may have dropped his blade, but he?d managed to hold on to his Chidori, which he happily shoved into Madara?s masked face.

The powerful discharge of the lightening-based attack sent both Uchihas flying.  Madara skidded across the ground and through the circle of black flames.  Sasuke impacted with a tree, cracking his head against its trunk.

?Keep an eye out for Madara.?  Kakashi ordered as he leapt to his former student?s side quickly tearing away his shirt to get a better look at his injury.  It was not a pretty sight.

?What I wouldn?t give for a medical ninja right about now.?  He muttered.  He tore the shirt in half, wadded it up and stuffed one half each into the entry and exit wounds, ignoring the boy?s pain-filled hisses as he did so.  He had to stop the bleeding.

He cut through the rope he had knotted about his waist and began to pull free the cloth it held in place, only to have a surprisingly strong hand grab his wrist.  He looked up into Sasuke?s dark eyes and for the first time noticed the blood and damaged flesh that surrounded them.  The eyes themselves were glassy and unfocused.

?You have to get him out of here??  He slurred, lolling his head towards Naruto.  ?He?s the only one left??

?You know he won?t leave with out you.?  Kakashi pointed out as he began to slice up the cloth.

?He is such an idiot??  Sasuke muttered with a slight smile.

?Yeah, an idiot who never gave up on you!?  Naruto spat.  ?Idiot!?

?We?ve got movement.?  Yamato called over his shoulder.

?Great.?  Kakashi muttered.  ?This guy?s harder to kill than a cockroach.? Sasuke winced as Kakashi tied off his make-shift bandages. ?Stay put.?  

Dark eyes narrowed angrily at the order.

Madara had dragged himself to his feet.  His robes were tattered and smoking, his mask blackened and cracked, he could barely stay upright.  But he was still in far better shape than his opponent.

?So much for the GREAT AVENGER.?  He sneered.  ?You?re just as pathetic as the rest of your clan.  And now you?ll die like them.  Alone.  Unloved.  And unavenged.?  

?The hell he will you son of a bitch!?  Naruto growled and took a step forward.

?So you plan to fight me??  Madara sounded amused as he considered the thought.  His head turned slightly taking in the two older ninja flanking the child.  ?I?m weakened.?  He admitted.  ?The three of you could possibly take me.  But consider.?  He held up a finger.  ?It?ll take some time.  And all the while your precious Sasuke will sit there and slowly bleed to death.?

Naruto turned.

Sasuke sat where he?d landed, slumped against the tree, head hanging forward, dark hair obscuring most of his face.  His breathing was laboured, and there was a dark stain spreading on the makeshift bandages.

Three years he?d been searching.  Three long years he?d held to his promise, to Sakura and to himself, to bring his friend home.  It couldn?t end like this!  He hadn?t come this far to loose him now!

He could feel his anger growing, and though he knew that was a bad thing, knew what it would unleash, for once he welcomed it.

He began to turn back just as Sasuke began to raise his head.  Ebony eyes widened and immediately flashed to red.

?Naruto.?

His head snapped back and he was lost.  Lost to the power of the Sharingan.

It was a familiar place. A vast space full of water, bars and barely contained power.

?What are you playing at!??  Naruto demanded.  ?I could have??

?Kyuubi.?  Sasuke addressed the form lurking behind the bars.

?Uchiha??  The voice seemed to come from everywhere, echoing off the walls, dripping with malevolence.  ?Do you really think you can control me?  You barely have the strength to maintain those accursed eyes of yours.?

?I have no desire to control you.?  He told the creature.  ?I only seek to keep you from the one who does.?

The beast just growled in response.

?You warned me once not to kill Naruto.?  He continued.  ?Now I ask the same of you.?

?Why would I slay my host??  It sneered.  ?His death is mine.?

?Show yourself and he will take your power.  As he has taken the power of all of your brethren.?

?He???  It enquired.

?We spoke of him when last we encountered each other.?

?HIM!? He snarled.

?We are not so unalike, you and I.?  Sasuke said softly.  ?Reviled and revered.  Hated by those who fear us?but much sought after by those who would seek to use our gifts to further their own causes.?  He looked the creature straight in the face.  ?Do we have an understanding??

?Yes.?  It replied.  ?I will not willingly give my power to HIM.  I will not endanger my host.  And you?  Will you protect him??

?I fear I have already given my life for him.?

He began to cough violently, the painful spasms of his body causing him to break eye contact and lose the connection.

Naruto blinked as the world returned to normal.

He should have been worried about the still very real threat of Uchiha Madara, though he couldn?t sense him anywhere nearby.  Or the black flames that continued to burn.  But the only thing his mind would focus on where those words?his last words?

I fear I have already given my life for him.

He dropped down beside his fallen friend.  ?You can?t die here, Sasuke.  You hear me?  You can?t die!  I made a promise!  To Sakura.  And to myself.  I promised I?d bring you home.?

?Dead or alive??  He rasped, not even raising his head to even look at him.

?Alive of course.?  He yelled.  ?I just told you you couldn?t die!?

Sasuke let out a snort of a laugh, raising his head though it was an obvious strain to do so. He fixed him with an unwavering ebony gaze.  ?You shouldn?t make promises you can?t keep.?

Then his whole body slumped forward, all strength gone.

?We have to get him out of here.?  Naruto looked at his companions.  ?He needs medical attention.?

?Where would we take him??  Yamato asked.  ?There?s isn?t a village that would help him.?  

?Then we take him home.?  Kakashi said.

?We?re a long way from Konoha.?  Yamato reminded them.

?Then we better get moving.?  Naruto said as he made to pull Sasuke into his arms.

?Wait a minute.?  Yamato said.  He made a quick succession on hand signs, calling wood from the earth to wrap around Sasuke?s body in a similar way he?d immobilised both Sai and Kabuto on their first mission together, though he left his arms free.  Sasuke hissed as the bindings tightened around him.

?That should keep him together.?  Yamato said, nodding his consent as Naruto once again crouched to pick up his friend.

?Let?s go.?  He said._

~~~~~~


----------



## Nandireya (Nov 24, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?I wish you?d been with us.?  Naruto admitted.  ?You coulda started healing him up right away??  He placed a hand on the glass.  ?Some team we are??

Sakura was stunned at the bitterness in his voice.  But she couldn?t blame him.  They?d kept so much from each other recently.

?When he wakes up we?re really gonna have to put some effort into rebuilding our teamwork.?  He grinned.

?Naruto??  She began.

?I know we haven?t been a team for three years now, but we were amazing together.  And we?re all so much stronger now.  Imagine how awesome we?ll be!  We?ll be unstoppable!?

She turned away, unable to look at him, unable to destroy his naive dream.  After all he?d done, there really were only two possible fates for Sasuke.  And neither of them would have him rejoining Team Seven.  His sacrifice to keep Naruto out of Madara?s hands wouldn?t change that.  One noble act would not erase his list of crimes.

Naruto wasn?t a fool.  She knew he had to know the truth too.  But she?d let him keep his dream for now.

After all, it was such a nice dream.

~~~~~~

Tsunade sighed.

?I?m still not sure this is the right way to go about this.?  She said.  ?After all those two have gone through for him?to keep them out of the loop??

?I suppose it is kind of cruel.?  Kakashi admitted.  ?But it?s for the best.  Naruto?s not exactly gifted when it comes to hiding his feelings.  This won?t work if we can?t keep it hidden.  So where is he??

?Interrogation Room Three.?

?Interrogation??  He arced a brow.  ?That?s hardly the way to earn his trust.?

?He should be the one earning our trust.?  She snapped.

?Point taken.?

?Besides, Ibiki insisted.?  She sighed.  ?I think he was looking forward to the challenge of breaking him.?

Morino Ibiki was waiting for them outside Interrogation Room Three as they approached and he didn?t look at all happy.

?Couldn?t get a damn thing out of him.?  He grumbled.  ?It?s like he?s brain?s wired differently or something.?

?I?m not surprised.?  Kakashi smirked.  ?He always was a stubborn little brat.  And his clan do have some pretty impressive mind torturing techniques of their own.  Believe me.  I?ve been on the receiving end of them.  It may grant him some kind of immunity.?

Ibiki considered this for a moment.  ?Might have to go for a more traditional approach then.?  He grinned as he ground one fist into the palm of the other hand.

?So you got nothing??  Tsunade asked in the hopes of distracting the man from the thoughts of physical torture.

?Well?we did get one thing??  He admitted.  ?But that was only because he said it.  ?Those who break the rules of the ninja world are called trash.  But those who don?t take care of their comrades are lower than trash.??  He snorted.  ?That?s rich.  Coming from someone like him.?

Kakashi chuckled quietly as one of his first lessons was recited back to him.

?Is he protecting Akatsuki??  Tsunade frowned.

?It?s not Akatsuki he?s protecting.?  Kakashi shook his head.  ?He has companions.  Three of them, though we don?t know much about them.  They?re the ones he?s protecting.?

?If you?ll excuse us, Ibiki.?  Tsunade said.  ?We?d like to have a word with him.?

?Of course, Lady Fifth.?  He replied respectfully.  ?He?s still restrained so he should give you no trouble.  He might not listen to you though.?

The pair waited while he took his leave.

?He?s already turned on Orochimaru, Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara.?  Tsunade said.  ?What?s to keep him from turning on us??

?Probably nothing.?  Kakashi admitted.  ?But he did almost die for Naruto, if not for you he would have.  It would seem the bonds he formed while in Team Seven haven?t been as severed as he?d like to believe.?  He shook his head.  ?And I don?t know what it is, but something?s changed in him.?

?I?m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for Naruto?s sake.?

?Right then.?  Kakashi said as he turned the handle and opened the door to step into the room beyond.

?Good morning, Sasuke.?  He said brightly.

?What do you want??  He grumbled, turning his still bandaged head slightly towards the sound of his voice.

?Well, I see the attitude hasn?t changed.?  Kakashi muttered.  ?We have a proposition for you.?  He said more loudly.

Sasuke sniffed the air.  ?Lady Tsunade??

She was a little surprised to hear him address her with any kind of respect.  From what she knew of the boy it was something he just didn?t do.  Perhaps he was thankful that she?d saved his life?  Or maybe he felt it would prologue it.  He was one of the best minds of his generation, now that he was captured he had to know the fate that was most likely in store for him.

Kakashi was impressed by the way his former student was utilising his other senses.  He had identified Tsunade by scent and now he?d angled his head ever so slightly in order to hear them better.  At least he was listening.

?There is a mission??  Kakashi told him.  ??a rather dangerous mission?for which we feel you would be ideally suited.?

?If you successfully complete this mission??  Tsunade took over.  ??following without question all the specific instructions we set down for you I will grant you a full pardon.  You will once again be a Leaf Shinobi?with all the rights, responsibilities?and protection that entails.?

It was impossible to gauge the boy?s reaction to the offer with his eyes hidden behind their bindings.  His mouth remained in its usual inexpressive tight line.  But he didn?t immediately respond, so it seemed he was mulling it over.

?Do I have a choice??  He asked finally.

?Not really.?  Kakashi replied lightly.

He let out a sharp breath with a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh.

?What?s the mission??


----------



## Erendhyl (Dec 4, 2009)

Is this going to be a multi-part story? The ending seemed to imply that, but I wanted to check to be sure.

Now onto my review. In my opinion, this story was excellent. You have very nice descriptions in your narration, like using "giant of a man" to describe Juugo instead of just "giant man". Your characterization was also way above average. The only characterization complaint I had was with this line:



> ?Good idea.? Yamato muttered. ?Let?s run towards the inextinguishable fire.?



I don't really focus on his character much, but Yamato doesn't sound to me like the sarcastic type normally. He's had his moments, like when rebuilding the village during chapter 451, but on missions he's generally pretty serious. Of course, I could just be reading the line with the wrong tone of voice.

Another thing I noticed is that you tended to put words in ALL CAPS a lot. In some cases I felt that this sounded a little odd, like here:



> ?He passed out after that.? Tsunade, newly returned to duty, told them. ?He hasn?t woken up since.? She sighed. After what the pair before her had been through to get him back, she hated to be the bearer of bad news. ?His injures are SEVERE. And there?s evidence that he?s been pushing himself for months, without rest or the opportunity to allow himself to properly heal from the injuries he received during that time.?



When I see all caps, I tend to read it as though the person is shouting the capitalized segment. While Tsunade was definitely emphasizing this, it sounds a little odd if she's shouting it while trying to break bad news. It's definitely not a huge detractor, but it was still something I noticed when reading.



> ?Was only following orders.? He cut her off, his voice thick with emotion. ?Your precious Konoha ORDERED the whole scale slaughter of my clan!?
> 
> Her eyes widened. No. That couldn?t be! But?if it was, then Sasuke wasn?t a criminal, at least not the way she thought he was. He was still on his mission to avenge his clan.
> 
> This changed everything. But if he continued on this path he could never come home?



The flow here seemed a little abrupt. While Sakura trusts Sasuke a great deal, it seems like she'd need a little more elaboration or evidence before believing that her home village ordered the murder of Sasuke's entire clan.

I really liked the rest of the scene though, especially this:



> Something she?d known all too well in the time he?d been gone. Loneliness. A loneliness that he had embraced and accepted.
> 
> ?You were never planning to come back, were you??



The description there is excellent.

Once again, I really liked this story. Hopefully my review was at least somewhat helpful.


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## Nandireya (Dec 4, 2009)

Thanks for the comments.  I'm glad to know people are enjoying it.

I admit...I really don't know Yamato...AT ALL.  Still a newbie to the series...and I've kinda been focusing on all the Team 7/Sasuke stuff, you should see how I've been buying the collected mangas and DVDs...I'm all over the place (and only the original, pre-timeskip DVDs have been released locally so far)...and he doesn't appear in a lot of that.

In my writing, a single capitalised word is not shouted, it's just stressed...if they're shouting the whole sentence is capitalised...and there's explanation points.

And, yes, it's multi-chaptered.  I've written about a page of the next part.  I'm just stumped on how to start a scene I have in mind for it (there'll be some yelling in that bit).  I've got it mostly plotted in my head, though...


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## Erendhyl (Dec 4, 2009)

Nandireya said:


> Thanks for the comments.  I'm glad to know people are enjoying it.
> 
> I admit...I really don't know Yamato...AT ALL.  Still a newbie to the series...and I've kinda been focusing on all the Team 7/Sasuke stuff, you should see how I've been buying the collected mangas and DVDs...I'm all over the place (and only the original, pre-timeskip DVDs have been released locally so far)...and he doesn't appear in a lot of that.



It's not too big of a deal. Like I said, that was pretty much my only complaint of OOC-ness in the entire piece, which is _very_ good. As he's a minor character in this story it isn't too jarring either; it was just something I wanted to point out.



> In my writing, a single capitalised word is not shouted, it's just stressed...if they're shouting the whole sentence is capitalised...and there's explanation points.



Ah, okay. Good to know.



> And, yes, it's multi-chaptered.  I've written about a page of the next part.  I'm just stumped on how to start a scene I have in mind for it (there'll be some yelling in that bit).  I've got it mostly plotted in my head, though...



I'll look forward to it.


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## Nandireya (Dec 21, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



She sighed as she dropped the daffodil in the vase with its golden brethren.  She was going to have to empty it again soon.  Several of the bright blooms had begun to sag, heads nodding as their petals began to curl.

She placed her hand against the glass.  Nothing had changed.  If anything his life was beginning to slowly ebb away like the beauty of the flowers she brought to him.  He?d always been so stubborn, so driven, but now?it was as if he no longer had the will to fight for his own life.

_We don?t know if he?s going to survive._

Tsunade?s words echoed in her head.

?You have to fight this.?  She whispered to the glass.  ?You have to come back to m?to us??

She caught a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision, enough for her to cast her eyes to her left to the smaller of the two ANBU that flanked the door to his room.  Had he been looking at her?

He could be looking at her still, it was impossible to know where his eyes were directed, hidden as they were behind expressionless porcelain.  His mask bore the likeness of a cat, highly stylised, decorated in simple brushstrokes of red and black, complete with three whiskers on either cheek that reminded her of Naruto.

She smiled slightly as she gave him a quick look over.  The mask had been well chosen. With his height and lean but well-toned frame, he did bare some resemblance to the sleek feline form.  His dark hair was mostly tied back in a simple, though relatively short, pony tail sitting at the base of his skull, though several shorter strands spilled down between the triangular ears in irregular length spikes.  The skin around the signature tattoo on his upper arm looked red, irritated.

The brand was fresh.

A new recruit it would seem.

She had often wondered how someone became ANBU.  She knew they were handpicked, selected by the Hokage, but she knew little of the selection criteria, only that they were considered the best of the best, that they had some talent that set them apart and above all others.  None of her peers were yet to make the cut so those ?talents? has to be something extraordinary.  

She sighed as she sank down onto the chair that the hospital had generously provided for her as she took up her daily vigil.  She was still sitting there when the new ANBU went off duty, and as he walked past her he definitely looked at her.  She had to wonder what he was thinking.  Probably something about how foolish she was to waste her time so diligently watching over someone like Sasuke?

~~~~~~

Though everything had been done to keep the knowledge of his presence in the village top secret it was a hard thing to keep under wraps.  The ANBU who guarded him weren?t a problem; they were accustomed to keeping things to themselves.  The hospital staff were another matter, in the end they had been forced to sign confidentiality agreements or risk having their tongues sealed in a more permanent manner.

No one had seen him returned to the village.  Kakashi had, rightfully, pointed out that they couldn?t just walk through the main gates into Kohona.  Now that he had been officially declared a missing nin, Sasuke would have set off every alarm that had been put in place.  So Naruto, who had flatly refused to hand his dying friend over to anyone else despite the fact that carrying him all the way home had him on the brink of exhaustion, had been led to one of ANBU?s secret entrances into the village.  

From the very beginning, all care had been taken, but somehow, rumours still abounded about his return.  No one was really sure how they started.  But the news was out there, it was only a matter of time before Tsunade would be forced to make an official statement, if only to nip the more outrageous tales in the bud.

But not everyone was willing to wait for the official confirmation.

?So where is he??

Naruto looked up, noodles hanging from his mouth, at Shikamaru?s question.  He saw the same thought reflected on the faces of his flanking team-mates.  He sucked in his mouthful with deliberate slowness, chewing thoughtfully for a moment, before responding.

?Where is who??  He asked, the picture of innocence.

?Don?t be a pain in the ass.?  Shikamaru sighed.  ?You know exactly who I?m talking about.?

Naruto took another mouthful of noodles and continued to look at him with innocent eyes.

Shikamaru rolled his.  ?The rumours?the upswing in daffodil sales??  He glanced at Ino.  ??the fact that you?re in the village and not running around out there somewhere trying to save him.  He?s here.  You brought him back.  And knowing you, you brought him back alive.?

Naruto swallowed his noodles and rose from his seat.

?Why do you wanna know??  He asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.  ?So you can finish what you hoped to start??

He was a little taken aback by Naruto?s obvious hostility.  But it was hardly surprising given the subject of their conversation.  It always hit a raw nerve.  He sighed.  He hadn?t come to the decision lightly.  He may not give a damn about Sasuke, but he respected Naruto, and it was out of that respect that he?d stepped back and allowed him to pursue his own methods in stopping his friend.  But his attempts to sway Sasuke hadn?t worked, their revenge-crazed former comrade just continued from one dark act to the next.  He HAD to be stopped.  Permanently.

?He?s dangerous.?  He said quietly.

?He?s one of us!?  Naruto snapped.

?He?s _NOT_ one of us!?  He countered.  ?Not anymore.  I don?t know if he ever was??

?You don?t know him.?  Naruto grumbled.  ?You never did.?

?I know what he?s become.?  Shikamaru said flatly.  ?He?s let his lust for vengeance consume him.?

Naruto let out a snort of a laugh.  ?It?s not like he?s the only one who?s sought out revenge.?

?Don?t you DARE compare me to him!?  Shikamaru snapped.  ?I didn?t abandon my village!?

?That?s because your vengeance was an official mission!?  Naruto shot back.  ?If Granny Tsunade had told you to let it go and stay in the village would it have stopped you??

Shikamaru glared at him for a moment before lowering his eyes.

?No.?  He admitted softly.

?You were _WILLING_ to abandon your village for the death of a single person.?  Naruto said.  ?And seeing as you admitted you would you obviously feel you were justified to think that way.?  His angry blue eyes slid to Ino and Choji, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.  ?And you two were willing to go along with him.?

He looked from one to the other, only Shikamaru willing to meet his eyes.

?So you were justified in seeking revenge for the death of your sensei, while at the same time you were quite happy to drag your team down with you.  But Sasuke, who wanted vengeance for his _ENTIRE FAMILY_ who died when he didn?t have the emotionally maturity to deal with it, and who left so his team-mates wouldn?t share in his fate?and you so know we would have helped him if he?d given us the choice?isn?t??

His eyes flashed red for a brief second.

?Tell me that you wouldn?t have ended up in a position similar to his if you hadn?t been ordered to go out and get your vengeance.?

No one offered an answer.

?You?re just a bunch of fucking hypocrites!?  He growled before turning on his heels and storming away.

The trio remained silent long after the orange-clan ninja had disappeared from their sight.

?God, he?s a pain in the ass.?  Shikamaru muttered.

?You?re only saying that because he?s right.?  Choji said.

?I wouldn?t go as far to say that.?  He snorted.

?But there?s some truth to it.?  Ino glanced at him.

?Yeah.?  He admitted.  ?Maybe??

?You know??  Choji lay a hand on Shikamaru?s arm.  ?If you _HAD_ ended up like him?I wouldn?t have given up on you either.?

~~~~~~


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## Nandireya (Dec 21, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Tsunade paused to rest on her way down into the catacombs beneath Konoha.  She still wasn?t up to her full strength yet and she was beginning to feel her years.

There were few who knew about the maze of underground tunnels, fewer still who had seen them without being a part of those who dwelled here in the darkness.   This was the realm of the ANBU.  Their living quarters, their training grounds, their meeting rooms.  A dark place for a dark group of people who performed the darkest of tasks.

She found Kakashi leaning nonchalantly against a railing, resting his chin on his palm as he watched a lone figure moving in the training area below him.

?How?s our new recruit shaping up??  She asked as she came up beside him, taking a seat on the bench next to him.

?See for yourself.?  He said, turning his attention back to the figure below.

Dressed in the tradition black with grey armour of the village?s most elite forces, he moved with expected grace and confidence.  Though his face was hidden behind the porcelain likeness of a cat, complete with painted whiskers, she could see the intense concentration in his body, in his movement, his forms.  What was unexpected, however, was the weapons he was brandishing with apparent expert ease.

?Swords??  She questioned as he went into a series of flips and spins, the blades a blur as he slashed at the various training devices set up around the arena.

?It was his idea.?  Kakashi told her.  ?If he?s to remain incognito he can?t exactly use his more familiar techniques.?

?True enough.?  She nodded.

Below them, the ninja paused for a split second as several panels slid open in the wall revealing spring loaded shuriken and kunai.  He braced himself, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet, as the springs released, sending a deadly rain of sharp metal at him from all directions.

His movements were so fast it was almost impossible to follow them.  He deftly dodged some while deflecting others.  The swords were like an extension of his arms, moving with such speed, strength and accuracy that he actually cut through many of the smaller weapons the mechanisms had sent at him.

?Are those katanas??  She asked with a frown.

?Yep.?  Kakashi confirmed.

?They?re not even ninja weapons.?

?He insisted.?  Kakashi told her with a shrug.  ?Something about honouring the dead.?

The sound of metal on metal had stopped.  He stood in the middle of a pile of ruined projectiles, his breathing even, his body unmarred, twin katanas held out to his sides.  He flipped them in his hands, reversing his grip on them, and re-sheathed them in the scabbards strapped to his back.

?Impressive.?  Tsunade?s brows raised as the masked boy walked from the training area.

?He always has been.?  Kakashi said.

?Do you think he?s ready for a little field test??

Kakashi raised his own brow.

?What have you got in mind??

~~~~~~

Naruto had not slept well.  Shikamaru?s words had haunted him

_He?s NOT one of us! Not anymore.  I don?t know if he ever was?_

Sasuke was a wanted criminal?a missing nin.  He had turned on Madara to save his life, but would that make any kind of difference?

He shoved open Tsunade?s door without even knocking.  She looked up, rightly irritated at his unannounced interruption.  But he spoke before she could say anything.

?What?s going to happen to him??

She sighed, the anger draining from her.  She didn?t need to ask him for clarification about who he was asking about.

?I don?t know.?  She admitted with all honesty.  

She truly had no idea.  She had offered him a full pardon, under specific conditions, an offer that he?d accepted, though he?d had no real choice in the matter.  But there had been something in the tone of his voice, the way he held himself, in his eyes when they?d finally been freed from their bindings.

He had known it was an empty offer even before she had.

?There?s no precedent for this.?  She told him.  ?No missing nin has ever returned to their village.?

?You never declared him a missing nin.?  Naruto said hopefully.  ?Danzo did?and he was never really Hokage.  Maybe there?s some kinda loophole in that.?

?Maybe.?  She granted.  ?But even if I were to grant him a full pardon?it won?t be enough.?

She sighed at the confused look on his face.

?It would only be for Konoha.?  She told him.  ?The Daimyo would no doubt go along with my decision, so he?d be free within the Land of Fire.  But he wouldn?t be able to step outside our borders.?

?Why not??  Naruto frowned.

?By attacking the Kage Summit he made himself their enemy as well.  He?s the enemy of the lands of Water, Wind, Lightening and Earth, and the Land of Iron as well.?  She shook her head.  ?Harbouring him could possibly make us an enemy to them all as well.  Even if they don?t demand his head, he?ll be trapped here.  A hawk in a cage??

?Can?t we convince them to forgive him?  To grant him a pardon as well??  He asked.  ?Sasuke was willing to die to keep me out of Madara?s hands!  Doesn?t that prove that he a good person?  That he?s on our side??

She smiled sadly.  He was still so determined to save his friend.  But for the first time since he?d left the village to seek his own brand of justice she felt he may actually be worth saving.

?We might be able to.?  She admitted.  ?I?m sure the Kazekage at least will support him, if only for your sake.  He hasn?t done anything in particular against the Mizukage or the Tsuchikage.  The Raikage will be our biggest stumbling block??

?We can do it.?  Naruto grinned.

A soft knock at the door interrupted any plans the pair would have started making.

?Come in.?  Tsunade called.

The door opened to admit Kakashi and an ANBU in a cat mask.  Judging by his height and build, Naruto had to guess he was of a similar age to himself, though he was a little taller and a little leaner.  He had to wonder why Kakashi was with an ANBU though.  He had once been one himself, he knew that of course, but that was a long time ago.  Maybe, once a ninja was assigned to the ANBU, they never really left it.

?Ah, welcome back.?  She smiled at the pair.  ?We?ll continue our discussion later.?  She said to Naruto.

?Right.?  He said, acknowledging his dismissal.

The ANBU turned his head to watch him as he passed on the way to the door.  Naruto couldn?t quite put his finger on it, but there was something about the guy that irked him, though it was probably just due to the usual hoity-toity attitude the ANBU seemed to exude.  His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the whiskers painted on his mask that too closely resembled the marks on his own face.  Was it a coincidence, homage or mockery?

?So?how did it go??  He heard Tsunade ask as he closed the door behind him.

?Not bad.?  Kakashi admitted, glancing at his silent charge.  ?Though he did have a tendency of doing things his own way.?

?Not a team player, huh??  Tsunade eyed him.

?No.?  Kakashi smiled.  ?But then he never really was.  And he has been doing things his own way for a while now.  But given that the task we have for him requires a certain level of autonomy??

?Yes.?  Tsunade echoed his smile.  ?He should be as ideally suited as we initially anticipated.?

The masked boy in question let out an irritated breath, barely even audible under his mask, but said nothing.

Tsunade leaned forward across her desk as she studied him.

?I guess all you need now is a name.?

~~~~~~


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## Nandireya (Dec 21, 2009)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Naruto was startled awake by an incessant knocking at his door.  He looked at it, bleary eyed, until he finally realised what the noise was and rose to answer it.

Sakura frowned as she took in his dishevelled appearance.

?Have you been up all night??  She asked him.

?I was working on a letter??  He mumbled sleepily.

?A letter??  She echoed.  ?For who??

?The Kages??  He said, staggering back to the paper strewn table.  ?I need to convince them to pardon Sasuke??

She sighed.

?I?m sure it?s heartfelt, Naruto.?  She smiled.  ?But I don?t know if you?re the best qualified to be pleading his case.?

?Maybe you could help.?  He said, the spark coming back into his eyes.  ?You?re really smart!?

?I really think that?s something Lady Tsunade should handle, don?t you??

?Yeah?I guess??  He admitted grudgingly.

?Besides.?  She said, returning to the reason of her visit.  ?We have a mission.?

?We do??  He boggled.

?Kakashi Sensei should be here any minute?so you better go wash up.?  She said.  ?You have ink on your face.?

?Great??  He muttered as he made his way to the sink and began scrubbing at the black splotches on his face.  ?Do you have any idea what this mission is about??

?Lady Tsunade feels, now that you?re the only remaining free jinchūriki, it would be best if you were to?well?go into hiding.?  Kakashi answered as he entered via the window.

?I have a door, you know.?  Naruto mumbled under his breath.

?We?re going into hiding??  Sakura frowned.

?A moving target is harder to hit.?  Kakashi nodded.  ?Besides, Konoha is a pretty obvious place to look.? 

?But wouldn?t the village offer more protection??  Sakura asked.  ?The Akatsuki have been severely compromised?there can?t be many of them left.?

?That we know of.?  Kakashi allowed.  ?But Madara may have been recruiting, especially now that he?s lost his hold on Sasuke.  As for protection?we?ve got that covered.?  He turned from them.  ?Reimaru??

He?d slipped into the room as quietly as a shadow, a silent and instantly recognisable figure in standard ANBU attire and porcelain cat mask, the hilts of two katanas framing his face from where they were strapped to his back.

?That?s the guy you were with in Granny Tsunade?s office yesterday.?  Naruto said.

?That?s right.?  Kakashi nodded.

?He?s been guarding Sasuke too.?  Sakura added.

?He?s been assigned specifically to you, Naruto.?  Kakashi said as Reimaru took in his surroundings with barely discernable movements of his head, taking in all he saw in order to learn as much as he could about his mission.

?You assigned me an assassin??  Naruto questioned incredulously, watching suspiciously as the still silent ANBU began to move about the room to study things more closely.

?The ANBU may be best known for assassination and interrogation.?  Kakashi admitted.  ?But there?s far more to them than that.  Though Reimaru is well versed in both arts, he is actually the first of a new branch of the Black Ops.?

?So what?s his designation??  Sakura asked.

?Yojimbo.?

Naruto?s eyes widened.

?I don?t need a bodyguard!?  He protested.

Reimaru glanced up at his outburst from where he had paused at the framed photograph of the original Team Kakashi.  He cocked his head to one side as he studied the photograph, noting how much those depicted in it had changed since it had been taken.  Folded neatly in front of it was a shinobi headband, a deep scratch marring the Leaf village symbol.  He reached out for it with tentative gloved fingers.

?_DON?T TOUCH THAT!_?  Naruto exploded, leaping at him and causing the other to back peddle in shock from his sudden rage.  ?Nobody touches that.?

Reimaru inclined his head in a way that indicated that he understood and would respect his wishes.

?Alright then.?  Kakashi said.  ?Pack your things.  We leave at sunset.?


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## Erendhyl (Dec 21, 2009)

I loved Naruto calling Shikamaru out in the first part. It's something that's annoyed me in the manga, especially because Shikamaru was the one leading the decision to kill Sasuke. Plus, I really liked seeing Naruto get a chance to stick up for his friend, especially after the last couple of manga chapters have shown him getting hit with blow after blow about Sasuke.



> ?_DON?T TOUCH THAT!_?  Naruto exploded, leaping at him and causing the other to back peddle in shock from his sudden rage.  ?Nobody touches that.?



Very nice characterization there, and again, I love seeing Naruto stick up for Sasuke. Team 7 goodness...

For the second segment in a row, you've written a great story.


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## asha3 (Dec 23, 2009)

Nandireya I'm officially hooked by your story! The pace is great and I love the characterization.  The plot is unique and you have a way of making the scenes entracing and intense. The dialogue hit a dead center again and again, I love how canon this is. 

I'll be waiting for your next update 


*Spoiler*: _some Q and specs_ 



Why Reimaru? What does it mean? I think you made it pretty obvious who the new ANBU recruit is... And I think it's smart of Tsunade to make them all go on a mission. If they stay, they  would definitely figure it out sooner (most likely Sakura first). I'm curious on how long this masquerade will last . The story is getting interesting, can't wait to see how you'll play this.


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## Animus (Jan 8, 2010)

Absolutely fantastic FF. I wish the manga did (or does) something like this, because this is golden.


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## Nandireya (Feb 27, 2010)

And...I'm back!


*Spoiler*: __ 



?I can?t believe they assigned me a bodyguard!?  Naruto grumbled.  ?I mean?what makes them think I even _NEED_ a bodyguard!?  I?m perfectly capable of taking care of myself!?

?I?m sure they have their reasons.?  Sakura said.

?And how can they make us leave now!??  He continued.  ?When Sasuke?s lying in the hospital.  We just got him back and now they expect us to leave him behind!?  When he wakes up and finds us gone?what?s that gonna do to him??

That was something that was bothering her too.  It was a lot for Tsunade to ask.  She knew how strongly they both felt about him.  And given his deteriorating condition?

?Naruto??  She said softly.  ?He?s not getting any better??

Naruto stopped in his tracks, his eyes on the ground at his feet.  It was obviously not an option he?d considered, or, given the look on his face, one he?d denied.

?All the more reason we should be here.?  He said.

He frowned, lost in thought for a few moments.  She glanced at him as they continued in silence.

?There has to be a way.?  He said finally.  ?Some way that we can stay here in the village.  At least until he wakes up??  He flatly refused to acknowledge the other option.

?I could talk to Tsunade.?  Sakura suggested.  ?But I doubt she?ll change her mind.  She?s pretty stubborn.?

?Yeah??  Naruto agreed, his expression downcast.  He thrust his hands into his pockets as he lapsed back into silence.  Then suddenly his eyes brightened as a grin slowly spread across his face.

?Oh no??  Sakura shook her head as she noticed it.  ?What are you thinking??

?I?m thinking??  He said, a mischievous look coming into his blue eyes.  ??that I can?t leave the village if I?m in no condition to travel??  His stride lengthened with sudden determination.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him up short.

?NO!?  She snapped at him, all her medical instincts kicking in.  ?You are NOT going to allow yourself to be seriously hurt for him!?

?He got a fist punched through the gut for me!?  Naruto countered, yanking his arm from her grasp.  ?Now??  He took on a thoughtful look again.  ?Who do you think?d be the best one to pick a fight with?  I?ve already got Shikamaru ticked at me?but he?d probably be too lazy.  I could make a comment about Choji?s weight.  Kiba?  Poke a dog with a stick and it?ll turn around and bite you??

Sakura was flabbergasted.  She couldn?t believe he was even considering getting one of his friends to injure him so severely as to lead to hospitalisation.

?I want no part of this!?  She snapped.  Turning on her heel she stormed off to find Kakashi before Naruto did something certifiably insane.

~~~~~~​
It took some searching and, she worried, far too long to find him.  When she finally did he was with Sai, no doubt informing him of their upcoming mission.  The younger man arced a brow as he saw her.

?Is something wrong??  He asked.

?Naruto?s doing something stupid.?  She sighed.

 ?When is Naruto _NOT_ doing something stupid??  Kakashi asked with a chuckle.  ?What?s he doing this time??

?Picking a fight so he?ll wind up in the hospital and not have to leave the village.?

The Jōnin?s visible eye widened.  He let out an exasperated sigh as he began massaging his temple.

?Well?that?s stupider than usual??  He admitted.

?Hadn?t we better stop him??  Sai asked.

?I wouldn?t worry too much.?  Kakashi smiled.  ?We have assigned him a bodyguard after all.?

~~~~~~​
Getting into a fight proved to be incredibly easy.

He had found Kiba grumbling angrily to himself, a mostly ignored Akamaru whimpering in concern at his side.  Naruto didn?t know what was bothering him and didn?t much care, he just knew he could use it to his advantage.

All it had taken was a rough collision of their shoulders, an angry ?why don?t you look where you?re going? and an unflattering comment about his mother to get the already riled teen ready to explode.  The hard part was going to be not countering his attacks or defending himself from them. 

He braced himself as Kiba drew back his fist.  It wasn?t like he hadn?t taken a beating for Sasuke before?

But the punch never connected.  Something?_SOMEONE_?had seemingly materialised between them in a flash of dark and light?easily catching the incoming fist. 

?What the???  Kiba questioned, his voice cut off in a hiss as he found his body spun and his arm twisted painfully up his back.  He?d only had an instant to take in the pale visage of a painted cat.  He barely heard the soft metallic hiss before the very sharp edge of a katana was pressed against his throat.  Akamaru was growling but knew better than to attack this new threat.  He knew the blade would spill his partner?s blood if he were to make a move against its wielder. 

?Shit!?  Naruto muttered.  He?d forgotten all about his newly acquired bodyguard.

?Reimaru!?  Kakashi?s commanding voice rang out.  ?Stand down!  Kiba is Naruto?s friend and comrade?all appearances to the contrary?you KNOW that!?

Reimaru?s only response was a soft snort, barely audible from behind the mask, but he released the started shinobi and stepped away, causally re-sheathing his katana.  Akamaru continued to growl at him, until the ANBU?s head snapped sharply towards him.  The over-sized dog let out a whimper before retreating to the shadow of his Inuzuka partner, the animal?s reaction not lost on the quartet of young ninja.  Although it wasn?t as severe as his initial reaction to Gaara, there was obviously something about Reimaru that frightened him.  Kakashi appeared unconcerned however.

Or perhaps he simply had other things on his mind.

?And, Naruto??  He turned on the blond.  ?Grow up!  There?s a lot more at stake here than the fate of one rogue ninja!  We are leaving at sunset even if I have to carry you out of here!  Now go and pack.?

He walked over to where Raimaru had distanced himself from the group.

?You?re off duty until then.?  He told him, receiving only a slight nod in response before the silent shinobi disappeared as quickly as he?d arrived.

Kakashi sighed.  At least some good had come from the incident.  Kiba and Akamaru, two of the finest noses in Konoha, gave no indication that they had recognised Reimaru?s scent.  And given how frequently they?d been called upon to track it that was a surprising thing indeed.  

?It would seem the masking jutsu of his is extremely effective.?

~~~~~~​
?I thought I?d find you here.?

Sakura looked up at the sound of her mentor?s voice, her hands, which had been pressed together in front of her lips as if in prayer, dropping slightly.  Naruto glanced at her briefly, angrily, before turning his attention back to their slumbering former team-mate.

?And I know you?re angry at me.?  She said with a certain degree of terseness in her voice.  ?But I have to do what I think is best for the village and all the people who call it home.  And right now the fate of the village?the entire _WORLD_?depends on your staying out of Madara?s hands!?

She shook her head.

?This is just too obvious a place to look for you.?  She said.  ?Especially now that he?s here.?  She pointed through the glass.  ?Those who know your history would not expect you to leave him behind.  They?ll expect you to be here.  Which is why you can?t be.?

She put a hand on his shoulder.

?I give you my word that no harm will come to him while you?re away.?  She glanced back at him through the glass.  ?He?ll be safer here than he would be anywhere else.  Even though he?s wanted outside our boarders, as a native of Konoha, our warrants take precedent over all others.  They won?t make any demands for him as long as they know he?s not a threat to them.?

?And what we discussed??  He asked.

?I?m working on it.?  She told him.  ?I?ve already sent word to the Kazekage?he?s the most likely to be sympathetic.  He may even be able to help me convince the other Kages.?

She smiled, hopefully reassuringly.  ?Now come on.  It?s time to go.?

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Feb 27, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Reimaru was already waiting for them when they approached the massive gates of the village, standing just outside them, staring at the darkening sky?or searching the trees?or just staring off into space?it really was impossible to tell.  He was completely ignoring the gathering of people inside the gate, thought they seemed to be highly interested in him.

?So what do we know about this guy??  Shikamaru asked as he studied the silent form before him.  There wasn?t anything particularly striking about him.  Average height, average build.  His hair was dark, like about ninety percent of the village.  There was nothing at all distinguishing about him.  At least not that could be seen.

?Not a lot.?  Kiba admitted.  ?He?s fast and he?s strong.  And he sets Akamaru?s hair on end.?  He ran a gentle hand over his furry companion?s head to scratch him between the ears.

?And his scent is completely alien to me.?  Kiba?s eyes narrowed.  ?He?s gotta be a Konoha shinobi to be a Konoha ANBU, right?  But I have NEVER caught the slightest whiff of him in the village before.  So where the hell did he come from??  He looked at Shikamaru who was stroking his chin in thought.

?Could he be Root??  Ino asked.

?Don?t think so.?  Kiba shook his head.  ?Sai didn?t know him.?

?Did you get a name??  Shikamaru asked.

?Kakashi called him Reimaru.?  Kiba told him.

?Reimaru?  That?s?interesting.?

It was an alias of course, no ANBU went by their true name when they were wearing the mask, but it said nothing about him, because that was exactly what the name could be taken to mean.  Nothing.

?Hey!  Reimaru, is it??  He called out.  ?You?re new to this job, huh?  We could give you some info on your mission.?  He offered taking a few steps forward.  ?We?ve all known Naruto for a while now?since we were kids.  He can be quite?troublesome??

Reimaru didn?t respond.  He didn?t even acknowledge the other shinobi?s presence.

?Nice talking to you.?  He muttered, thrusting his hands in his pockets and returning to the group.  ?Arrogant jerk.?

?It?s not like this village hasn?t created its share of arrogant jerks.?  Kiba chuckled.

?You know I can see you looking at me, don?t you??  Neji said evenly.

?Well??  Tsunade interjected as she approached the gate with Naruto, Sakura and Sai in tow.  ?Looks like you?re getting quite a send off.?

The assembled group, barring Reimaru who continued to look at whatever it was he was looking at, turned to acknowledge their village leader.  She smiled absently at them as she strode past.

?Reimaru??  She called as she stopped at the very threshold of the village.  Finally the so-far still and silent shinobi moved, turning his head ever so slightly to let the Hokage know he was listening.  ?Where?s Kakashi??  Reimaru?s only reply was a slight shrug

?Late as usual??  Naruto muttered.

?I guess it doesn?t matter.?  Tsunade said with an indulgent shake of her head.  ?He already knows the full details of your mission.?  She turned back to the trio, looking from one to the other, finally settling on Naruto.  ?You know that you?re leaving Konoha in order for it to make it more difficult for the enemy to find you.  But you won?t be wandering around aimlessly out there.

?Uchiha Madara may have made a declaration of war on the shinobi world, but he is yet to make any move to actually open hostilities, probably because he hasn?t got you for this Mooneye Operation of his.  His plans have got to run deeper than that, though, and the only person we have access to that has had any recent contact with him is??  She paused as she noticed the downcast expressions on Naruto and Sakura?s faces.  ??in no condition to offer us any information.  He may not know anything anyway.  All intelligence gathered would indicate he was nothing more than a pawn to Madara, and that he had no interest in his schemes.  He was only interested in his own agenda and the assistance Madara could offer him.?

She glanced at Reimaru, but he had returned to his former position.  He didn?t seem to be paying any attention at all.

?So they were using each other??  Shikamaru mused.

?It looks that way.?  Tsunade nodded.  ?It certainly appears they didn?t trust each other.  He must have known something, though.  He almost got himself killed to keep Madara from getting his hands on you.?  She looked at Nartuo.

?So??  She said.  ?The four of you will be visiting our outlying villages and those of our allies to make certain they?re prepared for when Madara does make his move.?

?Four??  Sakura questioned.  ?Aren?t there five of us??  She glanced at Reimaru.

?Reimaru?s mission is to act as Naruto?s bodyguard.?  She clarified.  ?He?s not part of your more?diplomatic team.?

?About that.?  Naruto cut in.  ?Do I really _NEED_ a bodyguard??

?Reimaru has some truly unique talents.?  Tsunade informed him.  ?Talents that could make all the difference in the battles you may have to face.?

?I see we?re all here and ready to go.?  Kakashi?s voice broke in.

?Just saying their goodbyes.?  Tsunade answered.

?You know??  Kakashi said as he eyed the group.  ??the whole idea of us leaving at sunset was so we could slip out unnoticed under cover of growing darkness.?

?Let them say their goodbyes.?  Tsunade said tersely as she too watched the group.  ?It could be a long time before they see each other again.?

?Fine.?  Kakashi sighed as he ambled out to wait with Reimaru.

?We?ll watch over him.?  Shikamaru assured, his eyes moving from Naruto to Sakura.  There was no need to clarify just who he was talking about.

?We will guard him with our lives!?  Lee added.

?And visit him every day.?  Ino smiled.

?Let?s not get carried away.?  Shikamaru glowered at them.

?We?ll even be friends to him when he wakes up.?  Choji said with a smile, his optimistic ?when? not missed by the pair he was addressing.  ?As much as we can anyway??

?Why should there be a problem being friends with him??  Shino asked.  ?I never had a problem with him.  At least he can remember my name??  He added in a low grumble.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he studied Reimaru who had turned ever so slightly towards the discussion.

?Kinda makes you all misty, doesn?t it??  He said.

Reimaru just let out a barely audible, but highly irritable, snort, and Kakashi was sure, even though he couldn?t see them, that a pair of dark eyes were shooting an angry glare in his direction.

?And keep a close eye on that guy.?  Kiba shot a glance at Reimaru.  ?There?s something about him that gets my hackles up.?

?He?s arrogant?rude?disrespectful??  Shikamaru began.

Sai, listening with half an ear to what they were saying, strolled over to Kakashi and his silent companion.

?Hi.?  He beamed at Reimaru.  ?We haven?t been properly introduced.  I?m Sai.?

Reimaru considered him for a moment before making a quick series of shapes and signs with his fingers.

?Is that some kind of jutsu??  Ino gasped.

?I knew that guy couldn?t be trusted!?  Kiba snapped, tensing to spring, but was stopped in his tracks by Shikamaru?s hand on his chest.

?Wait!?  He commanded.  ?That?s not a jutsu.  It?s sign language.?

?Sign language??  Choji frowned.  ?Is he deaf??

?No.?  Shikamaru shook his head.  ?He responded to the Hokage?s spoken command.  And he had his back to her at the time so he couldn?t have read her lips.  He?s not deaf?but it does appear that he?s mute.?

?No wonder he wouldn?t talk to you.?  Ino said.  ?He assumed you wouldn?t be able to understand him.?

?So maybe he?s not so rude and disrespectful.?  Sakura noted as she watched him trying to communicate with Sai, Kakashi acting as a go-between.  He knew exactly what was going on in the world around him, but he could barely interact with it, trapped within himself for lack of a voice.  ?That?s got to be a frustrating and lonely existence??

?Okay you two!?  Kakashi called out, gesturing for Naruto and Sakura to join them.  ?We?ve got to put some distance between us and the village before we stop for the night.?

The pair started forward, taking only a few steps before Naruto stopped and turned to look back.

?We?ve got your word, right??  He said.  ?You?ll look out for him??

?He?ll be fine.?  Tsunade assured him.

Naruto scanned the group, searching for and finding the same reassurance in their faces.

Hinata, who had hung back, all but hiding behind her team-mates, offered a slight smile as Naruto glanced her way.  He hadn?t spoken a word to her since her confession, their paths had not crossed long enough to discuss it.  She didn?t have the nerve to bring it up, she was too afraid that he had not taken her seriously.

He paused as his eyes fell on her, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks.  He had pushed her words, her declaration of her love for him, to the back of his mind.  He?d had to, thing had been rather chaotic at the time.  In truth they?d never settled down long enough for him to absorb the true implications of it.

But now he knew how she felt.  Looking back it had always been there?the blush, the shy looks, the catch in her voice.  Her devotion to him was as deep and eternal as Sakura?s for Sasuke.  And he?d been just as unreceptive.  Of course he?d been totally oblivious, to wrapped up in his own unrequited feelings for Sakura to notice.  But that was really no excuse.  She deserved better?they both did.  He?d have to do something about it when he got back.  And he?d have a good, long talk with Sasuke too.  

?See ya!?  He beamed at her offering a wave, causing her cheeks to all but spontaneously combust.

?All right then.?  Kakashi said as they joined him.  ?Reimaru, you take point.  Sai you?ve got our backs.  You two, you?re with me.?

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Feb 27, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Kakashi had proven true to his word.  He had run the group at full speed for several hours, finally stopping when there were several leagues between them and Konoha.

While they waited for their fish, which Reimaru had retrieved from a stream near to where they had decided to camp for the night, roasted over the fire, Naruto and Sakura reminisced about their past adventures with the comrade they?d left behind.

?You had best get used to it.?  Sai said, turning towards Reimaru who leaned against a tree at the very edge of the fire?s warmth and light.  ?He is their favourite topic of conversation.?

Reimaru?s fingers flashed through a long series of signs.  The trio looked to Kakashi, whose brow had risen as he watched the silent shinobi speak with his hands.

?What did he say??  Sakura asked.

?He said he can?t understand why you would want to keep a bond with a person who betrayed you, abandoned you and who doesn?t appear to have treated you very well in the first place.?

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other, momentarily lost for words.  It was hard to explain the bonds they shared with Sasuke to an outsider.

?There is far more to it.?  Sai came to their defence.  ?I didn?t understand it at first either.  To be honest, I still don?t fully understand it.  All I know is that the bond is strong.  I don?t think anything can break it.?

?I know he comes off as a jerk.?  Naruto added.  ?And sometimes he is, but when you get to know him you realise it?s really just a front.  I _KNOW_ he cares, even when he says?even when he _THINKS_ he doesn?t.  That it was _just a reflex_.  That his body _just moved_.? 

Silence descended on the group, the only sound the crackling of the fire, punctated by the occasional hiss as oil dripped into the flames from the skewered fish.  Finally Reimaru stepped forward, squatting down to grab a fish.  He made another quick series of signs at Kakashi, who nodded in response, and watched as he disappeared into the trees.

He turned back to find three sets of eyes looking at him expectantly.

?He?s just going to check the perimeter and find a good place to take up the first watch.?  Kakashi told them as he reached forward to grab his own dinner.

?Now eat up and get some sleep.?  He said.  ?We?ve got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.?

~~~~~~​
Sakura awoke with the sun, which was her habit when on a mission.  She liked to have a good wash in the mornings and she preferred to not have an audience, her eyes falling on Naruto at the thought.  He was no where near as bad as he once was, his childhood crush had all but abated, but he was still a mischievous sixteen year old boy. 

She sighed as she grabbed her toiletries and headed for the nearby stream.  He was the lucky one.  She could only wish that her childhood crush had passed instead of deepening into whatever it was now.  It seemed that absence truly did make the heart grow fonder, even when that heart belonged to one who for all appearances didn?t seem to possess one of his own.  Why _DID_ she want to keep a bond with someone who had betrayed her, abandoned her and never really treated her very well in the first place?

_?The heart wants what the heart wants??_  She thought. _ ?Even when what it wants isn?t very good for it??_

As she neared the water it took her a while to realise that the soft, melancholy tune she could hear was not the soundtrack of the thoughts playing in her head, even thought it fit so perfectly.  Someone was actually playing the music, on a flute by all accounts.

She had left Kakashi, who was now on watch, Sai, who had been capturing the likeness of some bird that had caught his fancy in his sketch book, and Naruto, who was still lying flat on his back snoring softly up at the overcast sky, back at camp.  So that left only?

Reimaru?

He was sitting on a branch overhanging the stream, one leg tucked up under him, the other swinging back and forth over the water.  His freshly washed hair was unbound and lay in damp strands down his back.  The gloves and armour of his uniform lay neatly piled nearby.  The mask, however, was still in place, pushed back only far enough to allow him to bring the instrument to his lips.

It was a hauntingly beautiful melody, one she could have sworn she?d heard before but couldn?t quite place.  She closed her eyes, lost in the music.  She unconsciously began to hum along as she attempted to pull the tune from her memories.

Then she realised it had stopped.

She opened her eyes to find Reimaru, mask, gloves and armour now completely in place, hair tied back, standing by the overhanging branch he?d been perched on, looking at her.  There was no sign of the flute.

She hadn?t imagined it, had she?  No.  She could still hear it in her head.

?You didn?t have to stop.?  She told him.  ?That was beautiful.?

He just stood there, looking at her.  At least she assumed he was, it really was impossible to tell.  He might not be able to speak, but he couldn?t hide what his body was telling her.  He stood like a little boy who had been caught doing something wrong?or rather, something he didn?t want anyone else to know about.

She smiled at him reassuringly, and finally he made one of those signs with his hand, much slower than he usually did, she noticed.  Whether it was because he was unsure or if he?d slowed it down so she could catch it she wasn?t sure.  She didn?t know what it meant anyway.  But she had a good idea.

?Was that ?thank you???  She asked.

He nodded once.

?You?re welcome.?  She smiled.

He gestured at the bag she was holding.

?Ah?yeah?I came to wash up??

He nodded again, and headed back towards the camp, granting her some privacy.  She watched after him for a while.

?Well?aren?t you the enigma??  She said quietly as she turned to tend to the tasks she?d come for.

~~~~~~​
The day quickly took a turn for the worse, the overcast sky turning slate grey and bleak.  A steady drizzle that had began shortly after breakfast had continued unabated well into the early afternoon.  It had not been a great day for travelling.  But travel they had, though a good deal slower than Kakashi would have liked. 

All but Reimaru were hidden under heavy cloaks.  The silent shinobi was soaked to the bone, his dark hair plastered to his skull and mask, but he didn?t seem to care.

?Why won?t he put on his travelling cloak??  Sakura muttered.  The ANBU?s apparent total disregard for his own health went against everything her medical training had taught her to believe in.  ?He?s going to make himself sick!? 

?Maybe he doesn?t have one??  Naruto suggested.  ?The guy _IS_ travelling light.?  He hefted his own backpack for emphasis.

Sakura?s eyes widened.  Naruto was right.  The only thing Reimaru had strapped to his back was his swords.  He had no apparent belongings?only she knew about the flute he had hidden somewhere on his body.  The guy didn?t even have a change of clothes!

?Kakashi??  She questioned.

?We?ll be arriving at Atsusa pretty soon.?  He said.  ?We?ll pick one up for him.?

~~~~~~

The group broke up as they entered the gates of Atsusa.  Kakashi and Naruto went to meet with the village elder while Sakura and Sai headed for the markets for supplies.  Reimaru had disappeared well before they reached the village.  If he entered with them they saw no sign of him.  But that was the way of the ANBU.  They didn?t exactly walk down the street for all to see.  There was no doubt that he was shadowing Naruto as was his mission, but none would ever know he was there.

The village elder, a warm, round-faced man named Masa, greeted them warmly.

?We are honoured to receive the highly renowned Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan.?  He bowed to the silver-haired man.  ?And Uzumaki Naruto. The Great Hero of Konoha.?  He gestured to a younger man, a leaner, meaner looking version of himself.  ?This is my son, Taro.?

Kakahsi greeted them both respectfully.  ?We have been sent here by Lady Tsunade, Hokage of Konohagakure.?  He told them.  ?We have much to discuss.?

Naruto sighed as he followed the trio into the council chambers for what would no doubt be an extremely boring discussion about politics, alliances and the upcoming war.

Even shopping with Sakura had to be better than this.

~~~~~~​
The markets were mostly deserted, probably due to the poor weather.  Sakura was perusing a rack of travelling cloaks, wondering what colour to buy for their mysterious new companion.

?I would recommend something in black.?  Sai suggested as if reading her mind.  ?I can?t imagine him wearing anything that wouldn?t allow him to blend into the shadows.?

?Good point.?  She admitted, moving around to the darker selection on the rack.  ?What do you think of him??  She asked in an off-hand kind of way.

?Too early to tell.?  Sai said with a shrug, as he began to flick through the cloaks.  ?He certain doesn?t seem keen to make friends.  I guess bonds are not important to him.  To him this is a mission, nothing more.  He is a true shinobi.?

?It can?t be easy for him, though.?  She said.  ?Not being able to talk to people.?  She paused in her searching, absently testing the fabric of the cloak under her finger.  ?I wonder how he lost it??  She mused softly.  ?His voice that is?if he ever had one??

?You could ask him.?  Sai said.  ?But I don?t suppose you?d get an answer.?

She glanced at him, not sure if he was making some kind of insensitive joke or if he was just being Sai.

?I don?t suppose it?s something he likes to talk about anyway.?  She sighed.  ?If he could, that is??  She stammered.  ?Well?you know what I mean.?

?How about this one??  Sai held up an inky coloured cloak.  ?It?s lightweight and waterproof.?

?Looks good.?  She nodded.

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Feb 27, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



After purchasing the cloak and the supplies they needed the pair headed to the village?s only eatery to find a despondent Naruto, his head propped up on his fist, staring intently at the wood grain of the table he was sitting at.  They exchanged a glance, bundled their packages at the table?s end under the open window and took a seat, one beside him, the other opposite.

?What?s wrong??  Sakura asked with obvious concern.

?Next time??  Naruto replied softly.  ?Next time _YOU_ go with Kakashi and _I?LL_ do the shopping!?  He rocked back in his chair, spreading his arms.  ?That had to be the most boring experience of my life!?

?If you plan to be Hokage some day it?s something you?re just going to have to get used to.?  Kakashi said as he took his own seat.  ?And you?ll have to actively participate, not just sit there struggling to stay awake.?

?That guy was so boring!?  Naruto snorted.  ?His voice was lulling me to sleep.?

Kakashi chuckled.  ?He was a bit much.?  He agreed.  Masa was an open and well-meaning man, hard not to like.  His son on the other hand, Taro, Kakashi had taken an instant dislike to.  Though he had said very little, there was a shrewdness to him, to the way he absorbed every little thing that was said and filed it away.  ?But I?d have thought you?d have enjoyed all the Great Hero of Konoha talk.?

?It?s a hard thing to admit??  Naruto sighed.  ?But that got pretty old pretty quick.?

The waitress arrived then, with a tray laden with five steaming bowls. Each took a bowl, Kakashi balancing the fifth on the windowsill.  The Jōnin picked up his food, telling them he was going to check on the weather.  The young trio began to talk about trivial things as they ate, laughing and joking and just being young. 

When they had finished, and Kakashi had returned, the fifth bowl was empty.

~~~~~~​
The rain had eased a little when they left Atsusa.  Masa, his surly son, and apparently the majority of the population who had learned that The Great Hero of Konoha was in their midst, had gathered to see them off.

?They obviously don?t get a lot of?well?anything around here.?  Naruto muttered, glad to be putting the place behind him.  As a lonely, ignored, and sometimes despised child, he?d wanted to be thought of as somebody, but this was a little much.  

_?Be careful what you wish for, I guess.?_  He sighed.

No one was entirely sure when Reimaru rejoined them, he was suddenly just there, in his usual point position, as watchful and silent as ever.

?Oh, good.?  Sakura beamed, happy to see he?d dried off somewhat during their time in Atsusa.  ?I have something for you.?

He paused, turning at the sound of her voice, cocking his head to one side at the black piece of cloth she was holding out towards him.  

?I noticed you didn?t have a travelling cloak.?  She explained when he made no move to take it.  ?And given the season?and the weather??  She gestured at the sky.  ?Well?we all thought you could use one.?

He seemed to consider it for a moment, then made a quick series of signs.  Sakura recognised ?thank you? from earlier, but looked to Kakashi for an explanation of the rest of it.

?He said thank you but it would hinder his movement and make him a less effective protector.?  The masked Jōnin translated.

Sakura?s eyes narrowed.

?Is that right??  She said as she stepped up to the well-muscled and heavily armed shinobi.  ?Well, catching your death from cold will hinder your movements even more and make you a far less effective protector!? 

Reimaru stiffened slightly, obviously not used to, or appreciating, being talked to in such a manner.  If Sakura noticed his tensing, she didn?t care.  

?I am the medical nin of this team.?  She said, balling her fists on her hips in response to his folding his arms tightly across his chest.  ?And as such I am responsible for the health and well-being of all the people in it.  And you, Mister High and Mighty ANBU Yojimbo are part of this team.?  She leaned in and jabbing a finger in his face for emphasis.  ?Whether you like it or not!?

She thrust the cloak at him.

?He?s a stubborn bastard.?  Naruto whispered, leaning towards Sai in a conspiratorial manner as Reimaru still made no move to take the garment.

?A battle of wills has certainly begun.?  Sai nodded, because Sakura wasn?t backing down.

She was so close, glaring at him so intently she could actually see his eyes behind the mask.  Dark, narrowed, and locked with hers.

Finally he moved, his eyes never leaving hers, and for the briefest moment she thought she?d won until he drew both katanas in one quick, fluid movement.  Her eyes widened fearfully until he twisted them, driving their tips into the ground on either side of her feet.

He gently took the cloak from her now numb fingers, twirling it rather dramatically over his shoulders.  After he?d fastened it he retrieved his swords, returning them to their scabbards, slicing neatly through the fabric of his newly donned cloak.  Then with a cordial nod of his head, he moved off through the trees, back to his point position.

?So?who do you reckon won that??  Naruto asked.

?Perhaps we should call it a draw??  Sai suggested.


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## Erendhyl (Feb 27, 2010)

Very nice update, Nandireya. I like your characterization: the characters are consistent with what's been established in the manga so far, but there are also fewer of the divisions between them that have sprung up in more recent chapters. I can't say that I really miss those, and I like that you managed to remove them without sacrificing anyone's character.


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## Animus (Feb 27, 2010)

I'm glad you finally updated this fic. It's been great to read these new chapters! I hope you'll update much more frequently from now on.


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## DarkAura (Feb 28, 2010)

That was quite impressive. I enjoyed it so far and will wait for your next update. The characterisation was good and everything is going smoothly so far. Good job and hope to see more soon!


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## mariah uchiha (Feb 28, 2010)

wow this is really good 
keep itt up


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## Akane (Mar 15, 2010)

This is really good! I think that your approach to Sasuke's return 
*Spoiler*: __ 



having him be a masked observer of Naruto and Sakura while he supposedly stays in a coma


 is really original and it provides a perfect tension in the plot.


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

Happy Easter guys 

And, just for the record, I always intended to bring in the character that I bring it at the end of this chapter...


*Spoiler*: __ 



Tsunade sat at her window, as she did every morning, her head propped on her hand, watching as the village gradually grew and repaired itself before her eyes.  Konoha had been all but flattened by Pain…by _PAINS_…or by the one controlling him…them…it was still difficult to fathom or place true blame, but the Will of Fire was strong.  As long as the people survived, the village would go on.

With a smile she turned to the morning reports, the requests and invitations that littered her desk.  The smile faded at the sheer volume of scrolls and stacks of paper that faced her.  She sighed as she scanned them, deciding where to start.  She sat up a little straighter as she recognised the handwriting on one of them.  A non-descript and rather battered looking curl of yellowed paper.

She grabbed it, pulling off the band that held it closed, and sat back in her chair as she unrolled it.  It was in code of course, but a code she knew all too well.

_The diplomatic mission is going well._  Kakashi had written.  _The outlying villages are all prepared for whatever happens.  We are now en route to visit the first of our foreign allies and should arrive there within the next few days.

The secondary mission, however, is not going nearly as smoothly.  Reimaru, though extremely efficient in his duties, remains distant.  I’m yet to see him stray from his mission parameters, or even relax from them.  He may be a part of this team, but he’s still a part from it.  We may have to rethink out tactics in this regard._

The report didn’t mince words and got straight to the point, much like the man himself.  It had been their hope that just being around Naruto and Sakura would have a positive effect on their newly recruited ANBU.  They had, after all, had a claming effect on him in the past.  Perhaps too much had happened, too much had changed.  Perhaps he truly was unreachable.

Or perhaps it was the presence of Sai that kept him stand-offish.  She had been uncertain about sending him, but he was the fourth member of Team Seven now, to have not sent him would have raised too many questions.  

It was hard to know what was going on inside the boy’s head, but seeing the team full and complete could have him thinking that there was no room in it for him, or that he was neither wanted nor needed. 

She sighed.

_‘Maybe their next port of call will have a more positive effect…’_

~~~~~~​
Naruto decided he was sick of trees.  And he was sick of walking.  And he was sick of the small scraps of mystery meat Reimaru continually provided for dinner.  He wanted a proper dinner, something he could recognise, preferably something involving boiling water and noodles.

Lots of noodles.

He poked at the chucks of white, slightly translucent flesh in his bowl.  He picked a piece up with his chopsticks, sniffing it suspiciously before popping it into his mouth.

“So, what do you think this is?”  He asked around his mouthful.  “Besides chewy?”

“I don’t think we want to know.”  Sakura replied as she sampled a small morsel herself.

“It’s quite tasty.”  Sai admitted.

“It’s snake.”  Kakashi said matter-of-factly.

Naruto and Sakura froze in mid chew.  Sakura delicately set her bowl aside while Naruto spat his mouthful into the fire.  Sai just shrugged and kept eating.  

“I hate him.”  Naruto grumbled.  “Arrogant ass is trying to poison us.  I bet he’s watching us right now and silently laughing at us.”  

“He’s your bodyguard, Naruto.”  Kakashi pointed out.  “His mission is to keep you alive; he’s hardly going to poison you.  Besides, snake is perfectly edible and highly nutritious.  Don’t you remember your survival training?”

“Yeah…I know…”  He admitted.  “But it’s snake!”

“Be grateful it’s not bugs.”  Kakashi smirked.

With a sigh, Sakura retrieved her bowl and resumed eating, though she was unable to keep the look of disgust off her face as she did so.  Though she didn’t know exactly where they were going, she knew they had a long way to go.  They’d only visited a handful of villages after all, and there were so many they were allied with.

“Eat up, Naruto.”  She said, the back of her hand pressed to her lips to keep her from gagging.  “We have to keep our strength up…”

“Just imagine it’s fish.”  Sai suggested as he rinsed out his empty bowl.

Kakashi, his senses ever on the alert, was the only one who noticed the tiny object fall into the fire.  It appeared to be a natural thing, some kind of nut by the looks of it. Its surface cracked as he watched it, and the fire flared briefly as the high fat content of its flesh ignited.  It could have been a natural occurrence, nuts, leaves and various other objects fell from trees all the time, but they weren’t sitting under a nut tree.  

He glanced upwards, trying not to be obvious about it, to see Reimaru perched in the tree above them, almost casually tossing a second nut into the air and catching it repeatedly.  His was in a low crouch, his body tensed and ready to spring, as he scanned the trees around them.  

_‘This doesn’t look good…’_ He thought.

He let out a deep breath to let him know he’d gotten his attention. The boy’s masked face turn slightly towards him.   His hand flashed through a series of signals, not sign language this time, but regular Konoha ninja code, used when verbal messages were inappropriate.  

A fist, three fingers, another fist then a single finger pointing into the trees.

_‘Not good…’_ He sighed and gave Reimaru a curt nod.  He sprang soundless in the direction he’d pointed, disappearing into the shadows as if he were made of them.

Kakashi’s eyes returned to the fire, glad of Reimaru’s suspicious nature.  He’d thought they’d be safe within their own boarders, so close to Konoha.  But they were being tracked by a group that their ANBU team-mate had considered a threat.

Then he frowned.  He hadn’t noticed anything.  Were they that good?  Or were Reimaru’s eyes just that sharp?  Or was it something else?  He didn’t think the boy was trying to pull anything, trying to make a break for it now that they were close to their boarders.  He’d been genuinely affected when Tsunade had refused to place any seals on him to bind him to the group.  But there really was no telling what was going on inside that keen mind of his.

For now, he had to get the others out of harm’s way, get them further away from whatever threat it was that Reimaru had sensed.  He rose and began to kick dirt into the fire.

“Alright.”  He said.  “Lunchbreak’s over.  We’ve got to cover some ground by nightfall.”  The trio quickly began to gather their things at his words.

“What about Reimaru?”  Sakura asked as she noticed the ANBU’s absence.

“He’ll catch up.”  Kakashi assured her.

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



~~~~~~​
Kakashi had taken Reimaru?s usual point position and was continually scanning the thinning woods around him.  They had passed out of the Land of Fire now, heading west, and the land was changing, becoming more open, there were broad meadow amongst the trees now.  The land they had passed into, while not technically an enemy, it was not an ally either.  Kakashi was already mentally kicking himself for letting his guard down, he wasn?t about to do it here.

They had just entered a small clearing when they heard it.  A creaking, a crashing, a rustling in the trees, the tell-tale sign of something moving quickly and uncontrollably through the branches.

That something broke through the undergrowth, tumbled across the ground and slammed into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing with a groan.  They had only just managed to identify it as a man when a second something moving at an incredible speed broke into the open in pursuit.  Reimaru?s black cloak flared out behind him given the impression of a giant predatory bird, a dark angel of death, closing in on its prey.

The man had only just begun to drag himself to his feet when the ANBU landed beside him and knocked him flat on his back.  His fearful scream became a choked off gurgle as Reimaru pressed a knee into his throat.  Kakashi began to move as soon as he saw the masked shinobi reach back for his katana, grabbing his wrist and holding it fast just as the blade cleared the scabbard.

?I?d like to question him if you don?t mind.?

Reimaru re-sheathed his sword and rose to his feet, giving Kakashi a slight bow and moving his hands in such a way as to clearly express ?be my guest?, before moving off into the trees.  The man?s wide eyes never left the spot where the ANBU had disappeared.

Kakashi cocked his head as he studied the ashen man before him.  Despite the blood and various swellings on his face, he knew the man.

?Hello, Taro.?  He said coolly.  ?You?re a long way from home.?

?What the hell was that??  He rasped, his eyes still on the woods.  ?Is Konoha employing demons now?  Is he like this one??  He gestured towards Naruto, who stiffened visibly.

?Reimaru is very much human.?  Kakashi assured him.  ?As is Naruto.?  He added tersely.  He crouched down beside the prone man.  ?Now?tell me what you?re doing out here.  Why were you following us??

Taro glared at him.  ?I don?t have to tell you any??

His voice trailed off as Reimaru returned, dragging two bodies behind him.  These two, going by their clothing and builds, were obviously shinobi, unlike Taro who was the son of a politician.  Neither wore anything to identify their village of origin, though Kakashi doubted they still called any ninja village home.

Kakashi frowned at Taro?s reaction.  He was obviously terrified of the ANBU, so much so, he had to wonder just what Reimaru had done to him.  Still, he could use it.

?You can tell me.?  Kakashi said.  ?Or I can get him to ask you.?  He jerked a thumb at Reimaru who, with Sai?s assistance, was currently binding the pair of apparently only unconscious shinobi.  At least he hadn?t killed them.  He glanced at the trio, hoping they take the hint and not say anything about Reimaru?s inability to speak.

Reimaru rose and took a step towards him.  Taro swallowed.

?I?m doing what everyone else is afraid to do.?  He said.

Kakashi leaned towards him.  ?And that is???  He prompted in a light tone.

?Him.?  He pointed at Naruto.  ?Everything rest with him.?

?Me??  Naruto frowned, touching his chest.

?You are the last.?  Taro nodded.  ?You and that monster inside you.  You die and it dies.  You die and the plans of a madman cannot come to pass!?

?You want to kill Naruto??  Sakura gasped.  Reimaru stepped towards him, blocking him as a proper bodyguard should.

?This is how you treat your heroes.?  Kakashi shook his head.

?It?s not what I want.  Nor is it what he deserves.?  Taro admitted.  ?But it?s logical.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, especially if it can avert a war.?  He looked at Naruto, half hidden behind his ANBU bodyguard.  

?One small sacrifice so the rest of us can live in peace.?

Kakashi would later say he almost heard the snap as those words reached Reimaru?s ears.  The masked shinobi stiffened, his fists clenched as a shudder ran through his body.

?Oh shit.?  Kakashi whispered a scant second before the ANBU launched himself at the man.  He yanked him from his position on the ground, slamming him against a tree and holding him there with such force that the metal of his forearm guard cut into his throat.  Taro made the mistake of looking down at his assailant, meeting his eyes through the openings in the porcelain mask.  Of course, the fool was unaware of the danger in the simple act, as he was unaware of just about everything he?d said and done.  Taro?s eyes widened with abject fear as his gaze locked with the irate shinobi.

Even as Reimaru had moved, Kakashi had moved too, reaching for the trailing cloak as he flashed by.  But the boy was quicker and the fabric had slipped through his fingers, his hands closing on nothing but air.  Now that he was stationary, however, his attention focused entirely on the man before him, he was able to dig his hands into the dark cloth.  With a downward yank and a sharp twist he hurled the boy across the clearing.  As expected, Reimaru flipped easily while in the air allowing him to land on his feet.  Skidding to a stop, his body still tensed, he turned back towards his prey.  Taro scrambled backwards, whimpering, as he saw Reimaru fall into a cat-like crouch, ready to spring.

But Kakashi was there to stop him, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him bodily from the ground.  Reimaru resisted, kicking at the air and twisting in his arms as he desperately tried to break free.  Kakashi only narrowly avoided a broken nose as the boy threw his head back in an effort to crack him in the face.

?Calm down!?  He hissed in his ear, quietly, so the others couldn?t hear him.  ?I know.  It was a poor choice of words.  But remember yourself?and the arrangement you made with us.?

He felt the boy?s body relax, saw his head sag forward, and knew it was safe to release him.  

?Heroes have to set a better example.?  Kakshsi smiled.

Reimaru made a quick series of signs.  Though no one else could understand what he was saying, the quick, forceful flicks of his fingers easily conveyed his turbulent emotions.


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Naruto had watched the whole thing with wide blue eyes.

?This is the guy you assigned as my bodyguard??  He asked incredulously, gesturing at the ANBU.  ?He?s a fucking psycho!?

?We knew things could be?difficult?with him.?  Kakashi admitted.  ?But we still felt he was the most suited for the job.?

Sakura wasn?t listening; she was watching the silent shinobi.  His head was still hung slightly; his whole body seemed to be sagged.  One long lock of hair had escaped from its binding during his struggle with Kakashi and now hung down the side of his face, standing out starkly against the smooth whiteness of the mask, making its expressionless face look somehow forlorn.  In fact his whole body looked forlorn.  He looked almost embarrassed, ashamed of his outburst, or maybe that they?d witnessed it.  She went through the incident in her head, trying to decipher what exactly had set him off, but she knew so little about him.  He certainly didn?t seem to like the idea of sacrificing Naruto.  Was it because he didn?t want to be seen to be failing in his mission, or was it something else?

She was watching him, so she was the first to see him move.  He raised his head suddenly, and all the uncertainty melted away.  She turned to see what it was that had caught his attention.  Her eyes widened.

Taro, it seemed, was not as incapacitated as they?d thought.  Though he was still shaking, he had drawn a knife, a wicked looking thing that had a slimy shine to it.  A poisoned blade!  She didn?t even have time to cry out a warning before Reimaru crashed into Naruto, knocking him aside.

?What is wrong with you, you asshole!??  Naruto demanded as he regained his footing, stalking up to the ANBU as he backhanded Taro across the face.  ?Difficult!?  You?re not difficult!  You?re downright??

His voice trailed off as he watched Reimaru?s gloved fingers curl around the hilt of the knife that had sliced right through his armour to imbed itself in his abdomen, a knife that had been aimed at him.  

He pulled the knife free with a muffled grunt, letting it fall from his fingers.  He swayed a little as Taro began to laugh.

?Not feeling so good, my ferocious little friend??  He taunted as he cocked his head towards the discarded blade.  ?That poison was designed to bring down a tailed-beast.  It?ll make short work of you.?

Reimaru staggered towards the trees, one hand pressed against the wound.  The blood loss and the poison in his system were taking quite a toll on him.

?I have to admit.?  Taro smirked.  ?I?m impressed that you?re still standing.?

Sakura retrieved the knife, handling it carefully.  If she could isolate the poison, separate it from the blood that stained the blade, determine the toxins used, she could mix an antidote.  

If she had time.

Reimaru had stepped into the shadows of the woods, taking a somewhat haphazard path through the trees.

?Go after him and keep him still!?  She pointed after him.  ?The poison will only spread faster if he keeps staggering around like that.?

Sai moved to follow him but was stopped by Kakashi.  ?Sakura?you?re best qualified.?

?I?m the only one who can make the antidote.?  She reminded him.

?Not in time.?  Taro sneered.  ?He?ll be dead before you reach him.?

?You need to shut up now.?  Naruto said as he cold-cocked him across the face.

?He doesn?t need an antidote.?  Kakashi sighed.  ?His body can metabolise the poison.  He can?t, however metabolise a knife wound to the stomach.?

?He can metabolise poisons??  Sakura gaped.

?One of those unique talents Granny Tsunade spoke of, I suppose??  Naruto arced a brow.

?Something like that.?  Kakashi nodded.  ?Sakura??

?Right.?  She said.  She placed the knife gently on the ground.  ?Nobody touch that.?  She said.  ?I?d still like to work on an antidote for that poison??  She glanced at Taro.  ?Just in case.?

?So what are we gonna do with these guys??  Naruto asked.

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



It didn?t take long to find Reimaru.  He hadn?t gotten much further into the woods before he?d sunk to the ground, the double impact of the tainted injury overwhelming him.  His body may have been able to deal with the poison, but it obviously came with a price.

He was doubled over in agony, one hand still pressed to his side to staunch the flow of blood that was oozing from the wound, the fingers of the other digging deep trenches into the earth.  His chest was heaving and she could hear his breath escaping from his hidden lips in harsh, raged gasps.  His whole body was shaking and what little skin she could see was covered with a fine sheen of sweat.  If he?d had a voice, she wondered if he?d be screaming.

She sat down beside him, deciding it best not to attempt tending to the knife wound until it was over.  She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. As a medic, she knew the simple presence of another human being helped those in pain.  She smiled reassuringly as she smoothed his sweat-dampened hair.  Even as she did so his breathing began to even out.  He finally sat back, landing heavily and without his usual grace, exhausted but apparently over the worst of it.

?You okay??  She asked with concern.  He responded with a weak nod of his head.  ?Let?s see to this wound, then.?  Another nod.

She unbuckled his armour, noticing how much it was stained with his blood, and carefully removed it.

?Now?let?s get this shirt off?? She said as slipped her fingers under the black garment, pausing as his hand fell over hers.  She looked at him to find him shaking his head.  He pressed his fingers to his mask.  The shirt was so form-fitting to remove it he would have to also remove the mask, something he was obviously unwilling to do.

?I?m a medic.?  She explained.  ?We don?t discuss our patients with others.?  She assured him.  Again, he just shook his head.

?Fine.?  She sighed.  ?I?ll just roll it up.  Okay??  This was met with a nod.  _?He really is a stubborn bastard??_ She thought.

She heard his sharp intake of breath as she gently pushed the fabric up over the injury.  After she?d cleaned it she found it was a deep, but very neat cut.  The blade had been strong and sharp enough to slice through his armour; it had easily cut through his flesh.  There was some slight discolouration around it, no doubt after affects from the poison.

?Okay?it?s doesn?t look too bad.?  She looked up at him to find him watching her curiously. At least his head was angled in a way that it looked like he was.  ?But I?m going to have to see if there?s any internal damage.  This could hurt a bit??

He remained silent as she worked, but then she really didn?t expect to hear anything from him.

?I?m going to strap it.?  She told him as she finished.  ?It?s sealed, but it?s still going to be a bit tender for a while.  You?ll feel better with the padding and support.?  

He didn?t respond.

She looked up, a little concerned.  His head had lolled forward, but his breathing was even and his pulse was good.  It would seem he?d either passed out from the loss of blood or had been so exhausted from fighting the poison that he?d simply fallen asleep.  She smiled as she pulled out some thick bandages.  

He was a weird one, that was for sure.  His attack on Taro had frightened her.  It was brutal, but not entirely unjustified.  He had told them of his plans to kill Naruto, and he was assigned to protect him, he was just doing his job.  But afterwards he?d seemed so sad.  And now?well?he looked so vulnerable in sleep.

She began to ease his shirt further up his torso as she prepared to bandage him.  She blushed slight as her fingers brushed across the sculptured plain of his stomach.  He was in amazing shape.  Then she encountered a large patch of scar tissue.  She ran her fingertips over it.  It appeared to be a puncture wound, caused by something, something about the size of a fist, punching through his flesh.  

Or through his body?

Her eyes widened as she remembered Naruto?s story of what Sasuke had done for him.  How Madara had thrust his hand right through his body and almost killed him.

She twisted around him to see if there was a similar scarring on his back, letting out a little squeak when she found it.  It was the same kind of injury.  It was not a totally uncommon injury in their line of work, _SURVIVING_ it was the unusual part she told herself.  It was just a coincidence.  It _HAD_ to be a coincidence. Sasuke was back in Konoha, in a coma, possibly dying?of that same kind of injury?

Wasn?t he?

She sat back on her haunches, studying him for a moment.  He was of a similar build, that was true enough, and a similar temperament.  And he was only slightly less talkative.  He was as swift and as deadly.  They were so similar in so many ways.  Her fingers itched to remove the mask.

She reached out, running a fingertip across the cool porcelain cheek, brushing aside the strand of hair that hung there.  Just one little peek.  She was alone with him.  He was asleep.  No one would ever know.  

She chewed on her lip in indecision, her fingers pressed to the smooth white surface.

Then her fingers dropped to his left shoulder, pushing back the fabric to reveal?nothing.  Well, not exactly nothing, there were more scars there, but there was no sign of the mark Orochimaru had branded him with.  And now that the sun was hitting it at just the right angle, she was sure she could see a coppery tint to his dark hair.  Sasuke?s had always shone a blue-black.

?I must be going out of my mind??  She muttered to herself as she picked up the first roll of bandages.

?How is he??  Kakashi asked softly.  She hadn?t heard his approach?or Naruto?s, who was strangely subdued?but she had been expecting him.

?Worn out.?  She told him as she wound the bandage firmly around his torso and tied it off.  ?But he?ll be alright.  Judging by all the scar tissue, this isn?t the worst injury he?s suffered.?  She gently rolled his shirt back into place then turned to pack away her things.

Kakashi smiled wryly as he crouched down by the slumbering shinobi.  ?Taking a serious injury for someone else??  He mused as he picked up the long, errant strand and tucked it over the mask?s triangular ear.  ?And you say you?re no hero??

?When did he say that??  Sakura questioned with a frown before recalling his terse response to Kakashi earlier.  ?Oh?after his little?outburst??

Kakashi nodded.  ?Reimaru?s had a rather difficult life.  It?s left him extremely jaded, and I feel, somewhat self-loathing.?  He rose to his feet.  

?Sai and I are going to take Taro and his friends back to his father.  You three are to stay here and wait until we return?shouldn?t be more than a day.?  

He looked at Sakura.  ?And make sure he rests.?  He pointed at Reimaru.  ?The next leg of our journey will take us through some rather inhospitable terrain, and I don?t want him keeling over because of after-effects of his poisoning of something.  Tell him it?s a direct order from a senior ranking ANBU if he makes any kind of fuss.?

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Sakura sighed as she added a branch to the fire.  She sat back and glanced up at the darkening sky, the pin-points of stars just starting to shine.  

It had been a quiet afternoon.  Reimaru still showed no sign of waking, though, as a medic, she wasn?t too concerned.  His vitals were good; he seemed to be resting comfortably.  She could only imagine how much strain his body had gone through to metabolise the poison and render it harmless.  And if what Taro had said was any indication, it had been particularly potent, it was no wonder it had done this to him.  She had no real idea, but this was probably a perfectly normal reaction to his being poisoned.  She made a mental note to discuss it with him later.

It was Naruto she was worried about.  As soon as Kakashi and Sai had departed, he?d made himself comfortable against a tree and proceeded to stare off into space.  He hadn?t spoken a word which was exceedingly out of character; normally she couldn?t shut him up.

After a cursory check of Reimaru, she sat down beside him.  He didn?t acknowledge her, or even react to her presence; he just continued to stare into the fire.

?Are you alright??  She asked finally.

?He?s right, isn?t he??  He said softly, his eyes never leaving the flames dancing before him.

?Who??  She frowned.

?Taro.?

He turned his eyes to her.

?If I??  He sighed.  ?If I was?gone?then??  He placed a hand on his belly, over the seal.  ??then the Kyūbi?the threat would be gone??

Her eyes widened at his train of thought.

?Don?t say that!?  She snapped at him.  ?Don?t even think that!?

?It _IS_ logical.?  He countered.    ?One small sacrifice so everyone else can live in peace.?

?We wouldn?t live in peace!?  She cried.  ?All the people who know you?all the people who made their own sacrifices for you?do you think we could live in peace knowing you were gone??   She glanced over at Reimaru.  ?And him.  He doesn?t even know you and he took a poisoned blade for you!?

?He knew it wouldn?t kill him.?  Naruto said flatly.

?And that makes it less of a sacrifice!??  She rose to her feet.  She had to move, she had to or else she?d hit him for his stupidity?his heartlessness.  He was starting to sound like?

?And what about Sasuke??  She turned on him.  ?He gave up his vengeance?his freedom?his very life?for you!?

She sank to her knees, her head in her hands.

?God, Naruto.?  She sobbed.  ?I can?t lose you both.?

He looked at her with wide eyes.  He?d been looking at the big picture, not even thinking of how his death would effect the individuals who meant so much to him?to who he meant so much?

He moved over to her, pulling her into his arms.

?You?re not gonna lose us.?  He assured her as she wept into his chest.  ?I?m not gonna let that idiot make me do anything stupid.  And Sasuke?we both know he?s too much of a stubborn bastard to die.?

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Apr 1, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Nobody approached the last room in the ICU at the best of times, not if they could avoid it, and certainly not in the middle of the night.

So nobody was there to notice the strange way the ANBU guards were standing at their positions on either side of the door, that they seemed to be almost hanging from the wall rather than standing against it.  

If someone had been there, they would have seen the ANBU inside the room, collapsed on the floor like a puppet with its strings cut as the other approached the single hospital bed with its single comatose patient.  They would have seen the flash of moonlight on metal as a kunai was drawn.

?Foolish boy?letting your heart get the better of you??  They would have heard him whisper.  ?You didn?t even give me a decent challenge??

If anybody had been there, they would have seen him pause as he reached the bed.  They would have seen his hand flash out to grab the slumbering boy?s face in a painful grip.   They would have sworn that the strange texture to his skin looked scaled, almost akin to that of some kind of reptile, as they watched him turn the boy?s head roughly left and right as he examined him.

?Hmmmm?.?  They would have heard him breathe.  ?Things just got interesting?? 

Then they would have seen him turn and leave the room, stepping over the elite shinobi he?d slaughtered, leaving the boy untouched. 

But no one was there, so no one noticed a thing.


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## Akane (Apr 2, 2010)

Amazing update!


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## mariah uchiha (Apr 2, 2010)

wow i cant wait for the next 1 *super excited*


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## DarkAura (Apr 2, 2010)

That was good. The plot is still as strong as ever so I'm still enjoying it. Everyone is just so in-character which is always such a challenge for every writer of fan fiction. 

Just a little pointer, this time, you've made quite a few typing errors, nothing big though, like: "*We’re* they that good? Or *where* Reimaru’s eyes just that sharp?"
It should be "*Were* they that good? *Were* Reimaru's eyes just that sharp?"

I know theu were most probably just some typos, so just be careful next time. Other than that, I have absolutely no critisicm. Alsoi, I really liked how you wrote the last part. The mystery was thick and exciting to read. Great work.


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## Nandireya (Apr 2, 2010)

Did I?  Thanks for that.  This is what you get when you proofread your own stuff...you read what you meant to write  

I'll go back and fix those...


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## Animus (Apr 2, 2010)

Awesome chapters! Loving it so far. Would be nice to see Reimaru/Sasuke open up a little bit.

Can't wait for the next ones!


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## Nandireya (Apr 2, 2010)

Animus said:


> Would be nice to see Reimaru/Sasuke open up a little bit.



Be careful what you wish for...


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## mariah uchiha (Apr 4, 2010)

thats kinda scary ... ^_^


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## Erendhyl (Apr 17, 2010)

I'm very late, but this section was once again awesome. I especially loved the scene with Sakura and Reimaru and the part with Kabuto. I already can't wait for your next update.


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## asha3 (Apr 18, 2010)

Great update as always  I love how in character all of them are. 
Aww... Sakura didn't get to see Reimaru's real face :giggle:


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## Vappourider (Apr 24, 2010)

*get back to it*

PWNAGE give us more


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## Nandireya (Jun 6, 2010)

Sorry I'm a bit late with this part, guys.  Real life has been...and continues to be...pretty crappy...


*Spoiler*: __ 



Naruto was crouched over the still form of Reimaru, his head cocked to one side, rubbing his chin thoughtful.  He leaned over, his face only inches from the ANBU?s masked one.  The night had passed uneventfully, sleep, and his little talk with Sakura, had rejuvenated him, returning him to his usual, mischievous self.

?What are you doing??  Sakura asked in a hissed whisper. 

?Whattya reckon he looks like under there??  He mused.

?An ANBU?s true identity is a highly guarded secret.?  She reminded him.  It was this thought that had stilled her own hand when she?d been treating him, leading her to check his shoulder to confirm or deny what she had suspected at the time, rather than to uncover his face.  ?They?re not supposed to reveal it to anyone but their superiors.?

?We know Sai?s identity.?  He reminded her.

?But not his ANBU identity.?  She countered.  ?Probably not even his true name.  We don?t know what kind of mask he wears.  If we were to see him as an ANBU we wouldn?t know him, and he wouldn?t do anything that we could identify him with.?

?I reckon he?s ugly.?  Naruto nodded to himself, all but ignoring her.  ?Do you reckon he?s ugly??  His hand hovered over the mask.

?Naruto?I don?t think??

Strong, gloved fingers wrapped around Naruto?s wrist, halting his hand.  Reimaru shifted and rose to a sitting position, his masked face looming dangerously close to Naruto?s

?You were gonna say ?I don?t think he?s asleep?, weren?t you??  He looked at Sakura.

?Actually, I was going to say ?I don?t think that?s a good idea?.?  She said.  ?But the meaning?s pretty much the same.?

Reimaru tightened his grip and twisted Naruto?s arm.

?Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!?  Naruto winched.  ?Okay!  Okay!  I won?t peek!  Let go, you sadist!?

The silent shinobi released him and rose gracefully to his feet while Naruto sat down and began rubbing his arm.

?You know, you _ARE _my bodyguard.?  He glared at him.  ?Doesn?t that mean you?re not supposed to let me come to any harm??

Reimaru?s head turned towards him and Naruto just knew he was glaring back at him.  Then he turned away and began going through a series of bone-cracking stretches.  It wasn?t until he twisted at the middle that he paused, placing his palm against his abdomen.

?Is it giving you trouble??  Sakura asked, coming immediately to his side.  He removed the hand, holding it out to stop her, shaking his head.  She took it to mean it wasn?t bad.

?Well?you let me know if it is.?  She told him.  ?Kakashi wants you whole and hearty when we move on.?

He nodded, picking up his armoured vest.  He let out a quiet, slightly exasperated snort as he examined the damage to it, sticking an index finger through the opening caused by Taro?s blade.  He touched the area surrounding the slit, turning his head towards Sakura.  She could almost see the question in his simple action.

?Ah?yeah??  She smiled, a little sheepishly.  ?I cleaned it?got most of the blood out of it?but I didn?t know how to fix it??

He nodded his head slightly and made the sign for thank you that she had come to know, and for some reason she felt the colour rise in her cheeks.

?You?re welcome??  She said, watching as he sat down and pulled a small piece of rolled up cloth from under his left armguard.  He untied it and lay it out on the ground beside him.  Naruto, curious, wandered over to see what he was doing.

It appeared to be some kind of repair kit.  There were several patches of the same kind of fabric as the vest, thick needles and spools of what looked like fine wire.  He selected a stout needle and one of the spools, unwinding a length of the thread and cutting it with a kunai that he pulled from the pouch on his leg.  He deftly threaded the needle and began to sew up the slit in his vest with small, neat, tightly spaced stitches.

Naruto arced a brow at the rather domestic scene.  He leaned towards Sakura as Reimaru continued, completely absorbed in his work.  ?You reckon this is one of those unique talents Granny Tsunade talked about??  He whispered, receiving only an elbow to the belly in response.

~~~~~~

The day began to warm; though as they were coming into winter, ?warm? was probably not the best description.  It was still quite cool, but the sun was pleasant, and the quiet droning of insects quite soothing.

Naruto sighed.

He was lying flat on his back, his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky he could see through the break in the trees.  He glanced over to where Sakura was absorbed with Taro?s knife, developing the antidote they really didn?t need.

?I?m bored.?  He commented to the sky.  ?Can?t we do?well?something??

?Kakashi told us to stay here.?  Sakura reminded him, not even looking up from her work.  ?This is a nasty mixture of toxins??  She muttered.  She glanced at Reimaru who was nodding absently in agreement.

She cocked her head to one side, curious.

?You?re not usually so affected, huh??  She asked him.

He shook his head as he continued with the repairs to his armour.

Naruto raised himself up on his elbows as he looked towards the ANBU.  Learning something about the silent shinobi would be a break to the monotony if nothing else.

?How many times have you been poisoned??  He asked.

Reimaru shrugged absently.

Naruto looked at Sakura who was showing interest now too.  It would seem he was somewhat willing to communicate with them, but it wasn?t going to be easy.  Without Kakashi, they were basically limited to ?yes? or ?no? answers.

?A lot??  Naruto pressed.

A nod.

?Double figures??  He asked.

Another nod.

?All in battle??  Sakura asked.

This time he shook his head.

She glanced at Naruto, shock evident in her face.

?You deliberately poisoned yourself!??  She snapped, the medical training taking over again.  ?That is the stupidest, most irresponsible??  She trailed off as she saw him shaking his head.

?Somebody else deliberately poisoned you??  She gaped.  A nod.  ?Why??

He paused in his repairs long enough to flex the muscles in his arm.

?To make you stronger??  She guessed.

He nodded.

?That?s pretty damn twisted.?  Naruto snorted.

?So you?ve been forced to metabolise multiple poisons??  Sakura frowned.   ?Your blood must be a pretty potent antivenin??

?It?s a what now??  Naruto sat up.

?Kind of a universal antidote.?  She told him.   She glanced at Reimaru, almost shyly.  ?I?d love to do some tests on it??  She said, smiling slightly at the masked shinobi.

Reimaru had returned his full attention to his work.  It would seem the discussion was over.  Whether he needed to concentrate, he didn?t want to consider Sakura?s subtle suggestion or he simply hadn?t heard it was anybody?s guess.

She was about to attempt a different approach when a loud growl interrupted her.  Naruto, the source of the sound, grinned sheepishly as he put a hand to his stomach.  Sakura threw him a disgusted glare.  Reimaru had also paused to look at him.

?Heh.?  He chuckled.  ?I guess I should go find something to eat.?

?Kakashi said to stay??  Sakura began.

?You know?we _ARE _ninjas.?  He reminded her.  ?Highly trained and very accomplished ninjas.  We can take care of ourselves.?

Reimaru sat up a little straighter and carefully scanned the woods before settling back to his work, obviously at ease.

?See.?  Naruto gestured at him.  ?The Yojimbo?s not worried.?

Sakura glared at him for a moment before sighing.  ?Fine.?

?I won?t go far.?  He promised.


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## Nandireya (Jun 6, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?Well this was a brilliant idea.?  Naruto grumbled to himself as he kicked his way through the tangled undergrowth.  It was only when he?d stepped into the trees that he realised he wasn?t much of a hunter.  Finding food or preparing it was not a task he had ever been particularly good at or even remotely interested in.  Boiling some water and pouring it on a flavour sachet and some dehydrated noodles was pretty much the extent of his culinary expertise.

Thinking back, he?d never been responsible for taking care of meals during missions.  Sasuke had always been the one to track down the food while Team 7 had been away from any kind of civilization?a task Reimaru had taken upon himself now, though he was yet to use Naruto as some kind of bait.  Jiraiya hadn?t been a big fan of ?roughing it? so they usually bought their meals, though he made Naruto pay for their meals more often than not?

He slowed, lowering his head.  Thinking of either one of them always brought an unsettled feeling to his stomach, a pain to his heart.  They were the closest thing to family he had?his brother and his?well?not his father?his sometimes inappropriate grandfather, maybe?  And he hadn?t been able to hold onto either of them, hadn?t been able to save them.  Admittedly, Sasuke was still alive?barely?.but despite his optimism, Naruto was beginning to lose hope in his friend ever waking.  Sakura, with all her medical training, didn?t seem to have any hope either.  But he had to keep up the front?he had to believe?if not for Sasuke, then for Sakura.

When he heard the twig snap under his foot, the distinct whoosh of a trap being sprung, he silently cursed at his own stupidity.  A distracted ninja is a dead ninja.  His eyes widened as heavy ropes suddenly surrounded him, the sturdy net encasing him and pulling him into the air.

?Damn it!?  He snapped at himself, reaching for a kunai.  He had to get himself out of the net before whoever set the trap was on him.  He frowned as he set the blade against one thick strand of rope.  They were massive cords, of similar thickness to his arm.  The tightly woven net couldn?t have been constructed to capture him?but what the hell had it been set for?

It didn?t matter; all that mattered was getting himself out.  He slashed at the rope, barely making a noticeable cut in it.

?This is gonna take some time.?  He sighed as he began to saw at it.

?Hey!  Takeshi!?  An angry voice called out from bellow.  ?This jerk?s cutting up our net!? 

He paused, looking down at the boy?he couldn?t have been more than ten?glaring up at him.  A second boy, slightly older but still young, Takeshi, assumedly, emerged from the trees to join him.  There was an obvious resemblance between the pair.  Brothers, he guessed.

?What the hell do you think you?re doing??  Takeshi demanded.  ?It took us months to make that net!?

He briefly thought about making some kind of joke about hanging around when he suddenly found he wasn?t anymore.  He hit the ground hard in an ungainly heap, not even being able to move before he was immobilised under the weight of the enormous net.

It was only then that he noticed Reimaru crouched nearby, his twin blades held out at his sides, pointing slightly backwards.  The ANBU had entered the clearly, sliced through the rope suspending the net and landed without being seen or making a sound.  

He hated to admit it, but the guy was one hell of a ninja.

The masked face shifted slowly towards the two young boys, who were staring at him in a mixture of shock and awe, as Reimaru rose slowly from his crouch.  His whole body turned and he paused, considering them for a moment, the swords still drawn, still looking highly lethal.  

Then he began to stalk towards them.

?Oh shit!?  

Naruto?s eyes widened as Reimaru changed the grip on his swords, bringing them forward for the attack.

Yeah.  He _WAS _a hell of a ninja.  A highly focused, deadly serious, totally mission orientated ninja.

?This has nothing to do with me!?  He yelled, struggling under the weight of the net, but he couldn?t even get his hands together to form the handsigns he needed to help himself get free.  ?Look at this net!  Do you think it was made to trap me?  Though I couldn?t tell you what it was designed to catch.?  He admitted.  

If he was getting through to him, the silent shinobi gave no sign.  He just kept moving forwards, slowly, towards the two now very frightened boys.

?They?re not after me!?  He implored.  ?They?re innocent!?

Where the hell was Sakura?  Maybe she could stop him.  He seemed to pay more attention to her.  Or at least she could deck him or something.

Naruto slammed the one fist he could move against the ground in frustration.  The crazy bastard was going to slaughter a couple of innocent kids in his duty as bodyguard?which made Naruto feel totally responsible?and there was nothing he could do to stop him because he wouldn?t fucking listen!


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## Nandireya (Jun 6, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?Kitty!?

The delighted squeal made them all pause.

Reimaru shook his head and let out a small grunt, looking for all the world like he was coming out of some kind of trance.  His focus shifted from the trembling boys before him to the tiny girl standing at his feet, gazing up at him with huge, shining eyes and an even huger grin.

?Ayame!?  The older boy shouted in warning.  ?Get??

His voice trailed off as Reimaru titled his head to one side.  He studied the smiling toddler?she couldn?t have been more than three?for a moment, then re-sheathed his swords and turned towards the trees, the little girl following for a few steps before the older boy scooped her up.

?Kitty!?  She repeated, reaching out with chubby arms.

?That?s a cranky kitty, Ayame.?   He told her, his eyes never leaving the masked man as he leaned against a tree and slowly sank to the ground.  ?I don?t think it?s a good idea to pet him.?

Naruto frowned as Reimaru hung his head.  Was that regret he was showing at what he?d almost done?

?Jeez, but he?s fast!?  Sakura commented absently as she came to a halt, panting slightly at the exertion it had taken to catch up.  She took in her surroundings.  Three kids, all looking at what appeared to be a melancholy Reimaru in a mixture of fear, awe and delight.  But where was??

?Naruto??  She called.

?Here.?  He waved his hand through a gap in the net.

?What are you doing under there??  She smiled indulgently.

?Just taking a break.?  He muttered.  ?Will you get this damn thing off me!??

With a chuckle she focused her chakra and flipped the heavy tangle of ropes off the prone Naruto who rolled over on to his back gratefully, lying there for a moment as he took stock of everything.  He wriggled his toes and flexed his fingers.  Finding nothing seriously damaged he sat up.

?What happened??  She asked.

?I?um?kinda??

?You stumbled into a trap??  She offered.

?Yeah?kind of??  He admitted, scratching the back of his head.

?That explains why Reimaru took off like a shot.?  She glanced over to him with a frown.  ?I guess he was keeping some kind of eye on you??

?Yeah?I guess??  Naruto frowned.  ?So he showed up?cut me down?and then??  His eyes flicked towards him and he let out a deep sigh.  ?Then he turned on those two boys??

?What!??  Sakura gasped.

?It was like he was in some kind of killer Yojimbo mode or something.?  Naruto shook his head.  ?I tried to tell him it was an accident?my fault?that they weren?t after me.  Bu he either wouldn?t or couldn?t hear me.?  He gestured towards the girl, struggling in what he assumed were her brother?s arms.  ?The little girl snapped him out of it.?

?He doesn?t look too happy about it.?  Sakura noted.

?Yeah??  Naruto nodded.  ?That?s what I thought.  I don?t know?do you think there?s something wrong with him?  You know?up here???  He tapped his temple.

?I doubt he would have made it into the ANBU if there was.?  She said, though she didn?t feel all that convinced by her own words.  They knew so little about him, only what Kakashi had told them.  And that was next to nothing.

But she had seen him snap before.  Go from a cool, calm, collected Yojimbo to a crazed killer in the blink of an eye.  Maybe Naruto was right.  Maybe he did have some kind of psychological problem, or some deep-seated emotional issues that he hadn?t properly dealt with.

Either that or he took his job way too seriously.

?He?s a ninja, isn?t he??

The pair turned to see the younger boy squatting down a few metres from them, watching them intently.

?I?ve never seen a ninja before.?  He said, looking over at Reimaru.  ?But my dad says they?re fast and deadly??  He looked back at them.  ??and not to be trusted ?cos they?ll turn on you in a heartbeat.?

?Depends on the ninja.?  Naruto muttered.

?It?s a job.?  Sakura said.  ?A profession like any other.  A ninja is assigned a specific task?a mission?and then??

?So his _MISSION _is to scare the crap out of kids??  The older boy growled.

?No??  She shook her head.  ?His mission is to protect Naruto??  She gestured at her orange-clad companion.  

?I can see why he needs it.?  The younger boy chuckled.

?Hideaki!?  His brother chided as Naruto glared at him.  

?C?mon, Takeshi.?  The kid rolled his eyes.  ?The guy was caught in a trap watched over by kids.?

Sakura could see the angry retort building and placed a soothing hand on Naruto?s arm, cutting him off before he could say anything.

?When he was caught in your trap?he saw you as a threat?and reacted in kind??  She continued, not even sure why she felt the need to defend Reimaru.

?It?s not our fault he stumbled into our trap.?  Takeshi snorted.  ?I mean, does it look like we were trying to catch _HIM_??  He jabbed a finger at Naruto.  ??with _THIS_!??  He pointed at the massive net.

?Which begs the question??  Sakura said as she hefted a thick strand upwards.  ?What exactly _WERE _you trying to trap with this??

?Onibuta.?  The younger boy, Hideaki by all accounts, answered.

?What?s an onibu??  Naruto began, trailing off when he found the trio of children suddenly weren?t there any more.  ?What the hell!??

He looked left?right?all around?then finally up.

Reimaru had the children braced against the trunk of the largest tree with one arm and was gesturing rather insistently for them to join him with the other.

?What the hell is he up to now??  Naruto frowned, glancing at Sakura to find her looking up at the ANBU with a similar expression.

?I guess we should find out.?  She replied with a shrug.

The pair joined the group up in the tree easily enough, much to the astonishment of the children.  Handing them over to the newly arrived ninja, Reimaru fell into a tensed crouch, peering back down at the ground below.

?What is it??  Sakura asked, concern in her voice.  She knew him well enough to know he?d sensed something?something that had set him on edge.  Something that was dangerous enough for him to remove them all from its path.

Naruto dropped down beside him.  Checking to see where he was looking, he followed his line of sight, scanning the trees, though he could see nothing.

_?Guy must have eyes like a hawk.? _ He thought.

Then he heard it.  Something crashing through the underbrush, snuffling and snorting.  Blue eyes widened as the something moved into the clearing below them, sniffing at the net and nosing through the bait the children had set their trap with.  It was a boar, and it was enormous!  All bristles and tusks.  Now the net made sense.

?That?s a big pig.?  He muttered.

?Onibuta I presume??  Sakura asked.

?Uh-huh.?  Hideaki nodded as the creature began to sniff the air.

?It?s been terrorising the local farmers.  Tearing up fences and buildings and hurting people.?  Takeshi said.  ?And if it destroys any more of our crops we won?t have enough to last through the winter.?  He turned an angry face on Naruto.  ?This is the path it always takes to our village.  It?s why we set the trap here.  But you ruined it!  And now onibuta will wreak havoc again!?

The kid had a point.  If he hadn?t stumbled into their trap, they could have stopped the thing.  Anything it did, any damage it caused, any people it hurt, it was all on his head. 

?No worries.?  Naruto stood up with a cocky grin.  ?We?re ninjas.?  He jerked a thumb at Sakura and Reimaru.  ?We can take care of this thing no sweat.?  

He was about to make a move to follow the creature when he was pulled up short by a strong hand grabbing the neck of his jacket.

He glared back at Reimaru who was shaking his head in an eerie imitation of Kakashi when he thought Naruto was about to do something stupid.  His eyes narrowed.  It irked him enough when Kakashi did it, he wasn?t about to take that condescending attitude from his own damn bodyguard!

He jerked himself free and turned on the ANBU.

?Give me one good reason why we shouldn?t help these people??  He challenged.

Reimaru held up his hand and ran his thumb over the tips of his finger.

?Okay?I know it?s not our mission?and I know we?re not getting paid.?  He sighed.  ?But sometimes you do something because it?s the right thing to do.?  He stepped up to the silent shinobi, making a quick series of seals as he did so and suddenly the branches were full of Narutos.

?Now?I am gonna help these people?and if you want to continue with your own mission you?re just gonna have to back me up.?

Reimaru let out an annoyed snort as the nest of Narutos dropped to the forest floor and ran after the giant boar.  He glanced at Sakura who simply shrugged and followed him?them.  Reimaru touched his masked forehead with his palm, running his fingers through his hair, a sure sigh of his exasperation, before he too dropped to the forest floor.

Hideaki grinned.

?I have got to see this!?


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## Nandireya (Jun 6, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?So what?s the plan??  Sakura asked as she caught up with Naruto.  She wasn?t sure if it was the real him or one of his numerous clones that she was addressing, it didn?t really matter.  What one knew, they all knew.

?Um??  Naruto glanced at her sheepishly.  ?I guess I could pile all of the mes on it?slow it down?then you could?I dunno?punch its skull in or something???

Sakura pulled a face.  She didn?t relish the idea of taking anything?s life?even a monster like onibuta.

There was a sudden cry of scared voices somewhere ahead of them and a bell began to toll.  They broke through the trees to find several buildings, surrounded by paddocks full of tenderly tilled produce clustered around a slender, meandering river.  It would be quite picturesque if not for the panicked villagers dashing about and the humongous pig bearing down on it.

?We can?t let it reach the village.?  Sakura said, slamming her fist into the ground.

The animal stumbled as the earth beneath its hooves rippled and split.  The Narutos launched themselves at it, piling upon it and knocking it to the ground. The unexpected, one-woman created earthquake and tidal-wave of blonds made the villagers pause.  They dropped the makeshift weapons they gathered to defend their homes and stared in disbelief.

But onibuta would not go down so easily.  It began to thrash beneath the masses of Narutos, flinging several off into the trees where they vanished in their customary puff of smoke.

?Whenever you?re ready, Sakura!?

She was about to move when she felt a gentle hand on her arm.  Reimaru punched the air with a downward strike, indicating that she should punch the earth again.  She nodded her understanding.  

Onibuta was struggling to its feet, shaking off more and more Narutos.  She struck the earth for a second time.  Reimaru used the momentum of the up-churned earth to give extra height to his jump.  At its apex, he somersaulted and drew his swords.  He landed neatly on the creature?s head and thrust both katanas downwards with all his strength, burying them to the hilts in the animal?s skull.  As a result he was sprayed with blood and?he didn?t even want to think what?as the creature shuddered and fell.

A cheer went up from the village as the animal went down.  They retrieved their weapons and began to walk, a little warily towards their unlikely heroes, not entirely sure they could, or should, trust them.

?Cool.?  Hideaki whispered from the edge of the trees.

?I have to admit, that was pretty impressive.?  Takeshi nodded in agreement.

?Kitty??  Ayame frowned.

The ?kitty? in question slipped from onibuta?s head, somehow managing to stay on his feet as he landed, and stood there, watching in morbid curiosity as the gore dripped from his body.  He was drenched in it.  It was warm?and sticky?and rank.  It was in his hair?his eyes?his nose.  He could feel the bile rising in his throat.  His grip tightened on his swords as he struggled to steady himself.  The last thing he wanted was to throw up in his mask.  He wanted to take the damn thing off, breathe in several lung fulls of fresh, non-blood tainted air?but he couldn?t.

?Are you alright??  Sakura asked with concern.

?Woo Hoo!?  Naruto crowed as he punched the air.  ?Bacon for breakfast.?

Reimaru turned, he inhaled deeply and immediately regretted it.  His grip changing on his swords, he began to stalk towards the orange-clad idiot.  Sakura?s chuckle brought him to a halt.  He felt her hand, her fingertips really, touch his blood splattered shoulder.

?His enthusiasm can be a little tiresome.?  She admitted with a smile.  ?But it?s one of the things I love most about him.?

She didn?t notice his head turn sharply towards her, or when his grip on his swords slackened.  She was too busy smiling at Naruto, now surrounded by grateful villagers.

An elderly man stepped before them and bowed deeply.  ?You have rid us of the demon, onibuta, and for this you have our eternal gratitude.?  He said reverently.  ?But I am afraid we can offer you no more than our thanks?a hot meal?a soft bed for the night??  He looked at Reimaru.  ?And?perhaps a bath???

He looked down at himself, wondering if there was a square inch of him that wasn?t covered in blood and gore.

?You go and get yourself cleaned up.?  Sakura smiled.  ?I?ll make sure he doesn?t get into any more trouble.?

He watched her as she walked over to join the jubilant ninja, before turning away to follow the old man with a lowered head.

~~~~~~​
Kakashi frowned as he looked around the small camp.

?I distinctly remember telling them to wait here.?  He said.

?Perhaps they ran into some kind of trouble??  Sai suggested.

?Naruto does seem to attract it.?  Kakashi sighed.  ?Gather the stuff.  I can track them.?


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## Nandireya (Jun 6, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Sakura sighed as Naruto shared tales of his adventures with his rapt audience of youngsters, Takeshi and Hideaki amongst them.  He certainly was good with kids…probably because he was of a similar mental age.  

She hadn’t seen Reimaru since he’d disappeared into the bathhouse.  Little Ayame was continually glancing in that direction.  She didn’t know why the girl had taken such a shine to him; she certainly hasn’t seen him at his best.  The threadbare cat plushie in her arms probably had something to do with it.  She probably saw him as some big cuddly toy.

Ayame suddenly perked up.  Sakura turned to follow her gaze.  Her eyes widened in surprise.  If it wasn’t for the mask she probably wouldn’t have recognised him.  He was dressed in a pair of black umanori topped with a short deep blue kimono, on loan while his uniform was washed.  With his swords shoved into his obi and his freshly washed hair slicked back into its customary ponytail, he looked more like an ancient samurai than a ninja.  She smiled and waved as he glanced her way, but he moved off without reacting to her greeting.

_‘What is it with this guy?’  _

She thought they’d been growing closer, that she’d actually been breaking through the figurative mask that he wore, but now he seemed more distant than ever.  She sighed and got to her feet.  Was he upset with himself for what he’d almost done to those kids?  Or was he embarrassed about almost freaking out when he got splattered with onibuta brains?  She couldn’t blame him for that; she shuddered just thinking about it.

She found him by the river, his bare feet trailing in the water; playing another melancholy tune on his flute…he must have had it on him when he’d taken off after Naruto.  He stopped even before her shadow fell across the water, quickly pulling his mask back into place.

“Are you okay?”  She asked him…she seemed to ask him that a lot…as she sat down on the sandy bank.  He shrugged in response.  Well, it wasn’t like she could get much more out of him.  She sighed.  He looked so different in his borrowed clothes, softer, less deadly…more…human.  The kimono was too big for him and hung open at the neck revealing the smooth skin of his chest and abdomen.  

“Oh!”  She gasped in sudden realisation.  “I should rebind your wound.  It’s probably still pretty tender, right?”

He shrugged again, but pulled the kimono from the obi allowing her to examine the injury.  There was some strange discolouration to his skin around the angry red mark of the wound, probably some kind of after-effect from the poison.  She probed it gently with her fingers, stopping at his sharp intake of breath.

“It’s still pretty sore isn’t it?”  She questioned.  “I did the best I could with it.  But the poison may have affected the tissue.  How does it feel?”

Then she remembered he couldn’t answer her.

“Jeez I wish I could really talk to you…”  She muttered.

He seemed to consider her comment for a moment.  Then he smoothed out the sand between them and began to write in it with his finger.  Sakura slapped her forehead with her palm.  Why hadn’t she thought of that?  He may not be able to speak, but that didn’t mean he was illiterate.

_It is sore_  He wrote. _But I have survived far worse_

“Like being skewered?”  She touched the scar.

_Yes_  He responded in the sand.  _That was no fun at all_

“How did that happen?”  She asked. 

_I got distracted_

“How did you escape?”  She frowned.  “You would have been at the mercy of whoever did that to you.”

_I was protecting a comrad_e

“And they got you out?”  She prompted.

He nodded.

“That helps to explain why it didn’t kill you.”  She said.

They were quiet for a moment, both staring across the water.  Reimaru twisted the flute in his hands.

“It must be frustrating.”  She glanced at him.  “Not being able to talk to people…”

Sometimes

She frowned, then brought up a subject she’d been thinking about for a while.

“Do you think you could teach me?”  She asked.  She could almost feel him frown behind his mask.  “Teach me the way you speak.”  She clarified, making the sign for thank you that she’d learned from watching him.  “We already know that Kakashi’s not always going to be around to translate for you.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

The pair turned to look up at Kakashi who was beaming at them from behind his mask.  He arced a snowy brow when he saw Reimaru release his grip on the katana he’d been subtly sliding out of its scabbard.  And he thought he’d actually managed to sneak up on him.

“Nice little place you’ve found here.”  He said as he glanced back at the village, noting the location of Naruto, gesturing wildly with his hands amid a group of children.  “It’s not on any of our maps.  I need to talk to the village leader.”  He looked back at the two.  “You wouldn’t happen to know who that is, would you?  This village, if it can even be called that, doesn’t look very strong.  It could be decimated during the war if it’s not under the protection of one of the Allied Nations.”

“That old man over there thanked us for taking down onibuta.”  Sakura pointed him out as she got to her feet.  “He might be in charge.  Or else he’ll know who is.”

Kakashi nodded.  

“What is an onibuta?”  Sai asked as he trailed after them, leaving Reimaru alone by the river.

He watched them leave before returning his gaze to the water.  With a soft sigh he pushed back his mask and brought the flute to his lips.


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## Erendhyl (Jun 6, 2010)

I always look forward to your updates. The OCs that you've added this time were sweet, especially Ayame.  I also like Reimaru; you're handling him very well. I definitely look forward to seeing Naruto and Sakura's reactions when they find out who he really is.


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## asha3 (Jun 6, 2010)

This Onibuta arc is so fun to read! It was like the old Team 7 is back 
I agree with Eren, so far you've done a good job on Reimaru's presentation. Please keep writing, Nan-san!


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## Animus (Jun 7, 2010)

Great job with the update. The last part was particularly good.

Though it does seem that things are progressing really slowly...to the point of it becoming stale.

The only other criticism, in all honesty, is the innacuracy of Naruto and Sakura's ability. Naruto could have infused a kunai (or his hand) with wind chakra to cut through that rope like a hot knife through butter, yet didn't due to PIS. And then there's no way Naruto or Sakura couldn't have easily subdued the onibuta creature with ease.

All in all, though, I am really looking forward to the next update.


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## Nandireya (Jun 7, 2010)

I'm not all that up on all their abilities...I've only been reading since November...and...well...I haven't actually been reading at all lately...I don't like where it's going...but that's what inspires me to write fanfic.

And it was a really big and tightly woven net...he wouldn't have gotten out of it before Reimaru arrived...


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## DarkAura (Jun 7, 2010)

That was a good update! I really look forward to them because I'm absolutely loving this story! I normally don't read such fics which is highly team 7 centric but I'm happy I decided to give this a shot. 

This time, I enjoyed the slow pace the story took on. The subtle SasuSaku you added is something I really liked too. About the onibuta, I agree with the above person but such things I'm not particularly picky about, so it's fine. I thought that OC Ayame was really cute! I'm waiting to see when Reimaru will get unmasked. That's what keeps me so attached to the story. Naruto and Sakura's reactions are what I'll be waiting for. And as always, I really admire your writing style. I'd be glad to have half the talent you possess in writing!


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## Akane (Jun 7, 2010)

Yay I've been looking forward to this update. I laughed when Naruto said that it was twisted for some one i.e. Orochimaru to intentionally poison Reimaru to make him stronger. Huge understatement but I thought it was funny that he came to that conclusion without even knowing who he was talking about. Orochimaru is inescapably creepy.

I thought that it was really sweet that Sakura is developing a bit of a crush on Reimaru, lol especially when she blushingly asked for a sample of his blood. Way to pick your chat up lines Sakura! 

I thought that the OC Ayame was even more adorable - I really enjoyed the image of her and Reimaru staring at each other. Did you get the idea for 'Kitty!' from Monster's Inc?

Reimaru's psychological problems will be especially interesting to read about as well - I thought that you approached them in a really interesting way (as in from the POV of Sakura and Naruto).

Ha also laughed when Kakashi knew exactly whose fault it was that they got into trouble 

Thanks for the update.


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## mariah uchiha (Jun 7, 2010)

i cant wait for the next one *yays*


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## SatoshiHyuga (Jun 21, 2010)

I'm officially in love with this. 
I've never read a FF that handled Sasuke's return in this way, it's really creative, and I'm loving him as Reimaru.
Can't wait for the next chapter!!


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## Devinera (Aug 8, 2010)

Amazing! 

I'm excited to read more! You got me hooked!


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## mariah uchiha (Oct 2, 2010)

ITz killing me i want more of this one its soo well written  
its really good u neeed to write more *begs*


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## Nandireya (Nov 15, 2010)

Been a while, huh guys?


*Spoiler*: __ 



Shikamaru stared through the glass at the slumbering Uchiha Sasuke.  He?d never much cared for the guy, even back when they were class-mates; he?d just been too full of himself.  And besides, it wasn?t like he?d been lacking in admirers, even if they had been predominately female.

And he hadn?t been at all surprised when he?d abandoned the village.  He?d never been happy in Konoha, not that he could really blame him for that.  If his whole family had been slaughtered within its confines, he certainly wouldn?t have wanted to stay.  He needed to avenge his family, and for that he needed more than he could get in a village that was trying its best to deter him from that path.  Shikamaru couldn?t blame him for that, either.  He knew a bit about the need for revenge himself.

Even if he didn?t agree with the choices the last surviving Uchiha had made, he could respect them in a way, or at the very least, understand them.  That was part of the gift of his analytical mind.  He could see both sides of everything.

And it was his analytical mind that had brought him here.  Admittedly, he had promised Naruto and Sakura that he?d keep an eye on him, but that was something he had happily left to Ino for the most part?even now the girl still liked just looking at her former crush.  But someone had broken in here to get to the Uchiha, and that bothered him.

He glanced to the door, to the tell-tale patches on the wall where the ANBU who had been on guard at the time had been pinned to it.  His gaze returned to the glass and the room beyond, to the extra circle of seals that had been added around the bed, around the window, on the medical equipment that was in all likelihood the only thing keeping him alive.

?You?re the last person I expected to find here.?

The voice was soft, familiar, slightly teasing.  His eyes flicked to the reflection of the village leader for a split-second, but he made no other real acknowledgement.

?It?s strange??  He said after a while.  ??that someone would go to all the trouble of getting past the security seals protecting the village, slipping past a hospital full of staff without being noticed, slaughtering four ANBU to get into that room?and then leave the target untouched??

?Very strange??  She agreed with an almost unperceivable arc of her brow.  ?And more than a little disconcerting that they managed to do so.?  She added.

It hadn?t been made public that someone?someone they hadn?t been able to identify?had managed to get so far inside Konoha without being spotted by any form of surveillance, but it had had a severe impact on those who did know.  Security had been beefed up considerably after the Pain incident, it should have been impossible for an enemy to step foot inside the village without detection.  But someone had.  

Either that or the attempt had come from within the village.  And Tsunade was even more uncomfortable at the thought that one of her ninja was so determined to take out the Uchiha that they would slaughter four ANBU to do so.  What was even worse was the fact that she could think of several who fit the bill.

Whoever it had been, one thing was for certain.  They knew the truth.  And as her eyes slid towards the thoughtful young shinobi, she realised the attacker wasn?t the only one.

?So??  Shikamaru drolled quietly, so quietly that even the ANBU standing just a few feet away couldn?t hear him.  ?Where is he??

She sighed.  There was no point denying it, not to him.  If she did, he?d probably just dig until he had his proof.  For such a notoriously lazy young man he could be surprisingly determined.

?I think you already know the answer to that.?  She replied.

~~~~~~​
Reimaru wasn?t expecting any trouble, but he had a duty to fulfil.   So he had found himself a relatively comfortable spot in one of the sturdier trees at the edge of the forest that bordered the settlement?it wasn?t really big enough to be called a village?and settled in to keep watch.  It was an extremely peaceful place, a community of farmers that, as Kakashi had pointed out, didn?t appear on any of their maps.  There were no ninjas, no warriors, no fortifications of any kind.  Naruto, for all his newfound celebrity, wasn?t recognised here.  That was probably a good thing.  There should be no repeat of the Taro incident.

He let out an exasperated snort at the sound of the giggle below him.  He looked down from the branch he was perched on to find the little girl, Ayame, grinning up at him, clutching a threadbare plush toy to her chest.  She reached up with one hand, stretching to take a grip on one of the lower branches, her intention to climb up to him obvious.

He sighed and dropped soundlessly to the ground.  She didn?t look capable of climbing to such a height, especially with her toy restricting her to a single hand, and he couldn?t very well have her falling for her efforts.  She grinned up at him, holding the toy out to him as if it were a flesh and blood kitten.  He ran a gentle hand over its head in such a way as to maintain the illusion, then started walking towards the cluster of buildings knowing full well that she would follow him.

Kakashi chuckled as the unlikely pair approached him.

?Some things never change, huh??  He smiled.  Reimaru paused, his masked faced turned towards the silver-haired Jōnin.  He could almost see the questioning look through the painted porcelain.

He inclined his head towards the adoring child shadowing him.

?You always did attract the attention of the ladies.?  He grinned behind his mask.  ?Whether you want it or not.?

Reimaru let out an annoyed snort as Kakashi fell into step beside him.  He looked down at Ayame who was happily walking along in between them, talking to her stuffed toy.  The silent shinobi made a series of quick hand motions, forming words with his hands.

?Yeah, I know.?  Kakashi nodded.  ?We?re falling behind schedule here.  But being where it is and with no one to protect it, this place, these people, they could be in a lot of trouble when Madara makes his move.?

He glanced at the younger man to see if there was any reaction at his mention of the name.  When he saw nothing he continued.

?I need to talk to the man in charge, offer them our help, but he?s not here at the moment.?  He explained.  ?He and several of the other farmers have taken some of their produce to a local market to barter it for goods they can?t grow or make for themselves.  They?re quite self-sufficient.  It?s very impressive.?

He stopped, looking out over the fields that surrounded the cluster of living quarters.  All villages started out like this.  A group of people coming together to work together and support each other.  He wondered if one day it would grow to the size of Konoha.

?They should be back by mid-morning.?  He said.  ?In the meantime??  His visible eye crinkled as he grinned.  ?Sakura?s waiting for her first sign language lesson.?

Reimaru?s hands moved in a flash of signs.

?Of course I?m serious about that.?  He said.  ?You need to be able to communicate with someone other than me.  Who knows how long this mission is going to last?  Sakura?s the best choice.  She?s smart, she?s interested in learning and she does so quickly.  Or would you rather teach Naruto??

Reimaru let out a snort that sounded suspiciously like a deriding laugh.

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Nov 15, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Sakura had spent the morning studying some of the more unique plants grown in the commune.  The settlement was so isolated, and, though she hated to think it, quite primitive with their level of available health care, it wasn?t like they had a hospital, or even easy access to one.  And yet they were a healthy and happy lot of a wide variety of ages.  She found that they had cultivated many varieties of flora with healing properties to tend to illnesses and injures to their small population.

She had just sealed several cuttings into a scroll that she?d have Kakashi send to Tsunade with his next mission report.  She leaned back from her work, gasping with shock as she collided with something.  Something slightly warm and slightly giving.

She spun quickly, her hand falling to the weapons holster strapped to her leg, to find herself facing the silent figure of Reimaru.  She found herself slightly disappointed to find him returned to his ANBU uniform, though she couldn?t think why.

?Oh?hi??  She smiled, a little flustered that he?d gotten so close without her knowledge.  He certainly was the consummate ninja.  ?I was just?um?hi.?

He tilted his head to one side, no doubt the closest he could get to a quizzical expression.  If she could see his face she had little doubt his eyebrow would be arced.  Though she had to wonder why he was here, he wasn?t exactly the type to seek company.  Unless?

?Is your injury giving you trouble??  She asked, her hand instinctively reaching out to his abdomen.  But he caught her wrist and shook his head.

Dropping her hand, he then placed one of his own horizontally across the bottom half of his masked face while he angled the other over his left eye.  It was her turn to give him a quizzical expression.  Though, the way he had his hands positioned, it almost looked like?

?Kakashi!?  She brightened with a slight giggle.

He nodded.  Then he gestured towards her with an open hand before placing it against his own chest, repeating it a few times when she just frowned at him.

?Me and you??  She queried, smiling when she received another nod.  It was kind of like playing charades.

Finally he made the sign for thank you, the only sign she knew.

?Kakashi?me and you?thank you??  She frowned.  That didn?t make any sense, unless Kakashi wanted her to thank him for something?

She heard him let out an exasperated snort.

He made the Kakashi face, placed his hand on his chest, made the sign and pointed to her.

?Kakashi wants you to thank me??  She asked.

His palm connected with his forehead and he racked his fingers back through his bangs.

Okay, that obviously wasn?t right either.

She shook her head in her own frustration.

?I really wish I could understand you??  She muttered.

He began to jab and shake a pointed finger at her and it was like a light bulb lit over her head.

?Kakashi wants you to teach me!?  She beamed as he nodded once.

?Alright then, Sensei.?  She smiled at him.  ?Where do we begin??

~~~~~~​
Naruto was enjoying a late breakfast, shovelling in vast quantities of food with a delighted grin.  Sai sat beside him, eating in a much more polite manner, his usual expression of blank disinterest firmly in place.  It never ceased to amaze the artist just how his golden-haired companion could ingest so much so quickly without choking.

?I was really hoping for some of that bacon.?  He said around a mouthful of various foodstuffs as he loaded his chopsticks with even more.

?I believe it needs to be salted for several weeks at least before consumption.?  Sai responded flatly as he flicked some of Naruto?s breakfast from his cheek.

?Let me guess.?  Naruto pointed his laden chopsticks at him.  ?You read a book about it??

?It would serve you well to read one on proper etiquette.?  Sai observed as Naruto brought the laden chopsticks to his mouth.

Naruto glared at him and was about to make a retort, despite his bulging cheeks, when the slightly older shinobi suddenly tensed and drew a kunai.  Swallowing quickly with a painful gulp, Naruto went for his own weapon as he followed Sai?s gaze.

His eyes fell on a tall man, several scars trailing down the side of his face, practically dripping with hostility as he surveyed the pair.  His eyes narrowed as his gaze lingered on their hitaiate.

?Who are you??  He demanded in a low growl.  ?What are you doing here??

?Kunio??  The elderly gentlemen who had first greeted them stepped forward, bowing respectfully.  ?It was I who invited them to??

?Hiroshi!?  Kunio snapped, turning his obvious anger on the old man.  ?You know what?_THESE_??  He gestured at the pair.  ??are, and you invite them into our midst!??

Naruto and Sai exchanged a slightly confused and wary glance.

~~~~~~​
Sakura had never dreamed there was so much to sign language.  

Nihon Shuwa, as Reimaru called it, consisted of shuwa, yubimoji, miburi and kōwa, all used in conjunction with each other to enable the auditory and vocally impaired to communicate.  Shuwa more or less consisted of common words and grammar that were used to form sentences.  Yubimoji was a collection of visual kana used to spell out words that there wasn?t a shuwa sign for, an alphabet done with the fingers.  Miburi were gestures, a pantomiming of whatever the individual was trying to say?currently his most commonly used form of communication with anyone but Kakashi.  And kōwa was the actual mouthing of the word, which, for obvious reasons, was something neither Reimaru nor Kakashi actually practiced.

It was a lot to absorb.

He had started by getting her to ask, via writing the words in the earth they were sitting on, for shuwa forms for common words she felt she needed to know in order to talk to him.  She had mostly asked for those regarding his wellbeing, her medicinal side kicking in again.  He had shown her ?pain?, ?hurt?, ?hungry?, ?fine?, ?broken?, ?blood?, all of which she had formed herself, along with ?danger? and ?trouble?.

She was about to ask him how to sign her name when he held up his hand to silence her and cocked his head to one side, obviously listening to something.

?What is it??  She asked.

He made one of the signs he?d just taught her.

_Trouble  _

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Nov 15, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?But, Kunio??  Hiroshi said meekly.  ?They rid us of onibuta??

?We had our own plans to take care of that monster!?  Kunio cut him off.  ?We don?t need their help!?  He turned back to Naruto.  ?Your kind are not welcome here.?

?Our kind??  Naruto questioned, his hackles rising in the face of the man?s obvious prejudice.

Kunio moved in closer.  ?We are a peaceful people.  We came here to escape you and your?unnaturalness.?  He gestured towards the field where onibuta had fallen.  ?I take it you?re responsible for that!??

?Well?not personally??  Naruto mumbled.

?You harness the elements, and gods only knows what else, bend them to your will and unleash them without any thought as to the consequences of your actions!?

?I think about the consequences.?  Naruto protested.  ?I could have cut that monster pig to pieces but I didn?t ?cause I knew you and your people??

?Cut it to pieces??  Kunio echoed.

?Yeah.?  Naruto nodded.  ?I?ve got this jutsu that could have reduced him to cold cuts??

?And that is exactly my point!?  He snapped.  ?No human being should have that kind of power!?

?You have no idea what you?re talking about!?  Naruto snarled.  ?You don?t know what we?re up against!  And with the war coming we need every advantage??

?War??   Kunio cut him off.  ?_WAR_!  You fight amongst yourselves and we get caught in the crossfire!?

?We do everything we can to protect??

?If you didn?t have your precious jutsu?your unnatural abilities?we wouldn?t need protecting!?

The pair were right in each other?s faces, in all likelihood it would soon come to blows, but they were stilled by a firm, but strangely gentle hand on their chests.  Kunio stiffened at the sudden appearance of the black-clad man between them.

?How many of you?are??

His voice trailed off and all expression drained from his face as the porcelain mask turned towards him.  Hiroshi covered his mouth and took a step back.  He had heard, and seen, what this masked man could do.  If there was one among the group of ninja who didn?t think about the consequences of their actions, it was this one.

But he didn?t make a move against Kunio, he just stood there, looking at him.

?Reimaru.?  Kakashi, also drawn by the raised voices, warned.

The ANBU made a quick series of signs.  Sakura watched carefully, but only managed to understand ?fine? and ?hurt? among the quick movements of his gloved fingers.  But whatever message he?d passed on seemed to convince Kakashi who merely nodded in response.

Kunio then blinked rapidly a few times, looking for all the world like he?d just been suddenly awoken from a deep sleep?or he?d come out of a trance.

?We will respect your choices.?  Kakashi said to the still groggy man.  ?And be on our way.?

?We?re leaving??  Naruto asked.

?I think it?s for the best.?  Kakashi nodded.

Sakura looked at Reimaru with a slight frown as he walked towards Hiroshi.  She had never seen him use anything but taijutsu, so she had thought him to be like Lee, unable to use chakra-based techniques.  But seeing his dealing with Kunio?and now that she thought about it, Taro had also been intimidated by the ANBU?s stare?she realised that wasn?t the case.  On both occasions he?s stopped them in their tracks with a look.  Which could mean only one thing.  

He was a practitioner of genjutsu.

He stopped when he reached Hiroshi, causing the old man to baulk slightly, nervously.  But the silent shinobi merely reached beneath his cloak and produced the borrowed clothing, neatly folded, and passed them to the man with a slight bow of his head, before moving off towards the trees.

?Let?s go.?  Kakashi said to the remaining trio.

?But?I didn?t get any bacon.?  Naruto protested.

~~~~~~​
Several hours later, after travelling in near silence, the group took a brief break near a rather sickly looking drizzle of a stream.  Reimaru had gone on ahead to check their path while Kakashi had the others make certain that all their canteens were full.  Sakura kept glancing back they way they?d come, a concerned frown on her face.

?Something on your mind, Sakura??  Kakashi enquired as she looked back yet again.

?Did we do the right thing??  She asked.  ?Just leaving them like that??

?We can?t force them to accept our help.?  Kakashi said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.  ?Don?t worry.  They?re pretty remote.  I doubt the fighting will come anywhere near them.?

?It?ll be their own fault if it does.?  Naruto muttered.

?Naruto.?  Kakashi warned.

?What??  The blond grumbled.  ?We took care of that monster pig and Mister High And Mighty Village Leader just runs us out of town.  He didn?t even thank us!?  He folded his arms angrily across his chest.  ?Damn bigot didn?t even give us any bacon??  He muttered under his breath.

Kakashi frowned.  It had been a long time since he?d seen Naruto so angry at someone.  The cheerful young ninja had the knack for finding the good in everyone and bringing it to the surface.  But Naruto had also known his fare share of prejudice, of fear and distrust simply for being deemed different.  Such bias, such unfounded judgments, weighed heavily on him.

?You have to understand??  Kakashi began.  ?Not everyone grew up in a hidden village.  Not everyone sees the benefits our profession can bring to a community.  They only see what we can do.  And to be honest, they have every right to be afraid.  There are those among us who have become exactly what they think we are??

He looked down at the patchy grass for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.  When he looked up he found Reimaru crouched on an exposed rock, watching him intently.

?How far??  He asked, nodding as the silent shinobi answered with his fingers.  ?Right.?  He said.  ?Let?s go.?

?How far to where??  Naruto asked.

?You?ll see.?  Kakashi smiled.

Reimaru led them up a sharp incline completely devoid of trees.  There was nothing to see beyond it but the broad blue of a cloudless sky.  A harsh wind began to intensify with each step they took making the uphill trek so much more difficult.  The ANBU stopped as he reached the top, turning back to watch them, his inky cloak whipping about his body as if it was writhing angrily at the wait.

Sai reached him first, letting out a quiet, slightly surprised ?Oh.? 

The fact that whatever lay beyond the crest of the hill had brought forth any kind of reaction from the usually emotionless young man caused Naruto and Sakura to exchange a glance and quicken their pace.

?Whoa.?  Naruto intoned as he reached the dark-haired pair and looked out at the vista before him.  For as far as the eye could see there was nothing but an ocean of sand, periodically broken by outcroppings of rocks.

?Welcome to Kaze no Kuni.?  Kakashi smiled.

?We?re gonna see Gaara??  Naruto beamed.  ?Awesome!?

?It?s about two days travel to Sunagakure from here.?  Kakashi said.  ?So ration your water.  We probably won?t have a chance to replenish it until we reach the village.? 

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Nov 15, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



?This is so boring??  Naruto whined.  ?Couldn?t we just get Sai to draw us a couple of birds so we could fly straight to Sunagakure??

?We don?t want to draw attention to ourselves.?  Kakashi said.  ?And if we do run into trouble, Sai will need his ink and his chakra to help deal with it.?  He slapped Naruto on the shoulder.  ?A little exercise won?t hurt you.?

Thanks to the cooler weather, travelling through the desert had been comfortable?and totally uneventful.  They?d been walking for hours and it all looked the same.  Pale sand spread out towards the equally pale horizon, the two at times blurring into one.  It didn?t stop Reimaru from climbing every looming rock they encountered to survey the endless sands around them however.   And other strange things that had Naruto questioning his sanity.  Well?more so?

He was currently crouched, scooping up a handful and letting it drain through his fingers.

?What is he doing??  He whispered as he leaned towards Sai.

?I have no idea.?  The other youth admitted.  ?Perhaps he?s checking the direction of the wind??  He suggested as the grains trailed off slightly to the north.

?He needs sand to do that??  Naruto questioned.  ?It?s blowing all around us.?

?Have you another suggestion??  Sai questioned.

?He?s soft in the head??  Naruto?s lip curled as the ANBU plucked something from his palm and rolled it between his fingers.

He rose, wiping his hands off on his clothing and approached Kakashi.  There was a brief exchange of rapid hand movements between the pair, then he disappeared.

?What was that about??  Naruto asked.

?Don?t worry?he?s just checking on something??  Kakashi assured him.

?You know??  Sai mused.  ?I?ve read about giant worms creatures that live beneath the sand and track their prey by the steady pounding of their footsteps.?

?WHAT​!??  Naruto boggled at him.

?They come up from underneath??  He mimicked the movement with his hand.  ??with hardly any warning and drag their unexpecting prey down??

Naruto was casting about, searching for ripples in the sand that would indicate approaching giant worm creatures.

?Sai??  Kakashi sighed.  ?Don?t bait Naruto??

?But I read it??  Sai began to protest.

?I know.?  Kakashi sighed.  ?I read that _NOVEL _too.?  He turned to Naruto.  ?There aren?t any giant worm creatures indigenous to Kaze no Kuni.?  He assured him.  ?In fact, there aren?t many animals indigenous to this part of Kaze no Kuni at all.?

?No animals??  Naruto put a hand to his stomach.  ?Then what do we eat??

?Whatever we?ve got in our packs.?  Kakashi said.

Naruto groaned.

~~~~~~​
?This is so boring!?  Naruto whined again, his stomach grumbling with him.  ?And I?m so hungry!?

?Can you think with your brain for once instead of your stomach??  Sakura snapped at him.

?But I?m hungry!?  He protested.

?It amazes me how he got through his survival training??  Kakashi muttered under his breath.  He had little doubt the rest of the team were hungry too, but they hadn?t made a peep about it.

The high pitched shriek of a predatory bird split the air.  The quartet looked upwards to see the hawk spiralling on the air currents above them.

?What does hawk taste like??  Naruto wondered, licking his lips.

?Chicken.?  Kakashi answered.  His exposed eye narrowed as he studied the bird.  It was an unusual looking hawk.  A little on the small side with deep russet feathers, its wings tipped with black.  ?I?ve never seen a hawk quite like that.?  He admitted.

?Is it a messenger hawk??  Sakura asked, shading her eyes to peer up at it, the prospect of a dinner consisting of more than dried fruit and meat sounding very appealing.

?Doesn?t look like it.?  Kakashi said.

?Sai???  Naruto questioned.

?Yes??

The artist pulled out a scroll and some ink and began to draw.  Though he customarily used his technique to produce battling creatures, he could also use it to make more commonplace items.  He quickly drew forth a bow and arrow.  Notching the arrow he took aim at the bird and let it go.

But the arrow never reached its target.  There was a blur of black and grey and Reimaru materialised seemingly out of thin air, to snatch it from the air.  Even with the mask in place, they could feel his glare. The hawk cried out, its plaintive call sounding as if it were thanking him for saving its life.  He glanced up at it, shifting his head in a series of strange, almost bird-like angles, watching as it continued to circle.  It cried out again, then headed off to the north-east.

He returned his attention to his fellow ninja, making a deliberate show of snapping the arrow in two.  Broken, it returned to the ink from which it was made and dribbled to the sand.  

?I?m guessing hawk is off the menu.?  Naruto surmised.

?So it would seem.?  Kakashi nodded, frowning slightly.

Reimaru reached beneath his cloak and produced a pair of rather scrawny looking hares.  He tossed them to, or rather AT, Naruto, making some quick, and rather angry looking, jabs with his fingers before stalking off.

The trio looked at Kakashi.

?Leave the hunting to me.?  He translated.

~~~~~~​


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## Nandireya (Nov 15, 2010)

*Spoiler*: __ 



Night came quickly, and coldly, to the desert.  The group settled quickly amid a series of rocky outcroppings, sitting around the fire Kakashi had lit, except for Reimaru who was crouched at the edge of the circle of light, his back to one of the looming rocks, gazing broodingly off into the middle distance.  Naruto was happily ripping the tough flesh from the bones of the hares with his teeth.  Tough as it was, it was still preferable to the dried meats and ration pills in their packs.

Sakura glanced over at Reimaru while she sliced the meat off her piece of hare with a kunai into her bowl.  She put the bowl down and grabbed one of the long hind legs and walked over to him, offering it to him with a smile.  He signed ?thank you? as he took it from her.

?Sorry about before.?  She said.  He nodded once, acknowledging her apology.

She turned to leave, but curiosity got the better of her.  He?d been truly angered at their attempt to shoot the little red hawk.

?So?what?s with you and hawks??  She asked.

He hadn?t taught her enough Nihon Shuwa to express himself properly so he wrote his response in the sand.

_They?re too intelligent and beautiful to be a meal_

She had never thought about their intelligence, but she had to agree about their beauty, even if it was of the deadly kind.  But then, she had a lot of experience with beautiful and deadly things.  One beautiful and deadly thing in particular.  She sighed as she wondered how he was doing?

?I suppose you?re right.?  She smiled as she turned back towards the fire.

~~~~~~​
Naruto let out a delighted whoop as the massive outer walls of Sunagakure finally came into view, and broke into a run.  Sakura sighed and increased her own speed, Sai following suit.  

Reimaru was less enthused, eyeing the towering walls of sand with some trepidation.

?It?ll be alright.?  Kakashi reassured him quietly with a smile.

By the time they reached the gap in the walls, a phalanx of Sunagakure shinobi had gathered there to meet them, Gaara, flanked by Temari and Kankurō, at their head.  He smiled slightly as his pale turquoise eyes scanned the group.

?Welcome to Sunagakure.?  The young Kazekage greeted warmly, his eyes travelling from one face to the other until they finally came to rest pointedly on Reimaru, his smile widening slightly.

?All of you.?


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## shikamaru naraS (Nov 15, 2010)

I like your story a lot , this chapter was nice and I liked the end. Garaa seemed to know who is really behind the mask! It will be interesting to see where you will go from here.

you have done your research about Japaneses sign language. I like the simple explanation and the fact that sakura is learning it from sasuke. and the hawk was a nice touch.

I will be waiting for your next update! thanks for sharing.


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## Erendhyl (Nov 15, 2010)

Wow, it really _has_ been a while. Thanks for the new chapter, Nandireya! I like how you manage to make little bits of Sasuke show through in Reimaru, but you still don't make things so blatant that it would be ridiculous for Naruto and Sakura not to notice. The hawk bit in particular was a very nice touch.

Also, I'm glad to see Gaara appearing!


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## SatoshiHyuga (Nov 15, 2010)

You don't know how much better my day got when I saw an update.
I agree with Eren.  I really liked the bit with the hawk as well, and the rest was a really good read. Hope the next chapter is soon!


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## Nandireya (Nov 16, 2010)

Gaara appearances are small but full of great depth and meaning 

And the hawk is S'pai...some people may remember him 

Thanks for reading...hopefully the next chapter won't take me so long...


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## Akane (Nov 16, 2010)

How magnanimous of Gaara ^_^ I love the way you write the characters in this story. I think you do a very fair representation of all of them and none of them seem flat... if you know what I mean.


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## ShurikenGirl7 (Nov 16, 2010)

Yeah, it has been awhile... but this is so worth the wait!  You've written a nice combination of action, humor, and suspense.

I liked seeing Ayame for a bit.  She brings out Sasuke's gentle side.  And I loved Kakashi's comment about how he always attracted the attention of the ladies!  

Hopefully Sakura will put her new realization (that Reimaru uses genjutsu) together with the others bits of info she's been collecting and think of Sasuke.  Loved their exchange when Reimaru was trying to tell her that Kakashi wanted him to teach her sign language.  And her instinctive reach for him and his grabbing her wrist to stop her... <sigh>  Looking forward to more SasuSaku interaction!  

Loved the appearance of S'pai!  And this really got to me: "But then, she had a lot of experience with beautiful and deadly things. One beautiful and deadly thing in particular. She sighed as she wondered how he was doing?"  

Reimaru's snorts always made me laugh - as did Naruto's obsession with bacon!  

Gaara seems to know who's behind that mask... and I can't wait to find out who slipped into the hospital and discovered that that isn't really Sasuke there!  

Thanks for sharing your wonderful story.  Looking forward to the next update!


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## SakurasIndecision (Nov 19, 2010)

Nandireya, what a beautiful story you've crafted.  What an absolutely original premise to have Sasuke reclaim his spot on Team Seven by earning back the trust and friendship of his teammates anonymously.  

And the SasuSaku moments are just heart melting.  I love the fact that, despite his disguise, Sakura has sensed that this is Sasuke...maybe not completely yet, but to even suppose it might be when he's fooled a tracker nin like Kiba speaks volumes about her link to Sasuke.  I love her small blushing moments and how you drop the tiniest of hints when you say things like how Naruto noticed that Reimaru paid more attention to Sakura.  

The scene where Naruto, Sakura and Reimaru were waiting around the fire for Kakashi to come back was so nostaligic.  Shades of old Team Seven...  Really well done.

I love that Sakura will be the only one to learn Reimaru's language...if Kakashi isn't there, she will be the only one who can understand him...like it oughta be!  Hee, hee.  

Initially, Tsunade said that Sasuke was protecting Taka when he said "those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash."  Is this true?  When I read the line, I was certain he was talking about protecting Naruto, but when I read Tsunade's comment, I wasn't sure.  Does Taka hold a place in Sasuke's heart alongside Team Seven?  I wonder what would happen if, during their travels, they run into Taka or one of the members of Taka.  Would Karin be able to sense Sasuke's chakra?  

Nandireya, you are obviously no novice to writing.  The care you take with keeping characterization consistent and your steady pacing is evident.  You don't overlook details, making sure each word works for you.  Really wonderful.  Your plot, as I've said, is just amazingly refreshing.  The subtext of bigotry is subtle and well-placed--I think the upcoming events in Suna will underscore this theme since Gaara lived a life of derision, much worse than even Naruto's.  And Sasuke's current yoke of discrimination in Konoha deepens your meaning.  I'm really looking forward to your next chapter, Nandireya.  Brilliant work.


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## SakurasIndecision (Nov 19, 2010)

Oh, I forgot!  I loved Sai's Dune reference.  If there's sandworms in Suna, does that make Naruto the Kwisatz Haderach?  Hee, hee.


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## Akane (Nov 23, 2010)

Oh I just had a thought! I don't suppose that Kankuro is going to start to flirt with Sakura and it will make Reimaru jealous...? Ah I love me some KankuSaku although perhaps its not for everyone. But I could definitely see it happening.


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## mariah uchiha (Nov 26, 2010)

LOVE IT ^.^ KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK


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## Nandireya (Apr 9, 2011)

I really need to get back to this...

I've had some recurring health issues lately...health issues that led to surgery about a month ago.  The healing process has left me in near constant, though not excruciating, pain, which has made me pretty crochety and not wanting to do much of anything.  The past week hasn't been too bad, with my 'good days' easily outnumbering my 'bad days' which is the flip of every week I've had since the surgery...so I think (hope) I'm finally coming to the end of it...



SakurasIndecision said:


> Initially, Tsunade said that Sasuke was protecting Taka when he said "those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash."  Is this true?  When I read the line, I was certain he was talking about protecting Naruto, but when I read Tsunade's comment, I wasn't sure.  Does Taka hold a place in Sasuke's heart alongside Team Seven?  I wonder what would happen if, during their travels, they run into Taka or one of the members of Taka.  Would Karin be able to sense Sasuke's chakra?



Yeah...I love Taka.  Sasuke's total disregard and abandonment of them has made me rather dislike Kishi's version of the character at the moment, so much so I've stopped reading and watching and vowed only to return to doing so when he stops acting like a psychotic arse...which I doubt will be any time soon...if ever...

To that point, in my fic, he didn't actually do all that.  This story kinda skewers off after the Kage Summit but before the Sasuke vs Danzo one. So Danzo is still alive and more-or-less well, Karin didn't get stabbed with Chidori and Sui and Ju regrouped with their fearless leader shortly before his little mind battle with Madara and rescue/abduction by the Leaf.  So they're around...and looking to 'rescue' him.

As for Karin sensing his chakra...well...he's using a jutsu to mask his scent and though he's suppressing his chakra as much as possible, he can't actually alter it...so...yeah...she can sense it...but she has to get real close...



SakurasIndecision said:


> Nandireya, you are obviously no novice to writing.  The care you take with keeping characterization consistent and your steady pacing is evident.  You don't overlook details, making sure each word works for you.  Really wonderful.  Your plot, as I've said, is just amazingly refreshing.  The subtext of bigotry is subtle and well-placed--I think the upcoming events in Suna will underscore this theme since Gaara lived a life of derision, much worse than even Naruto's.  And Sasuke's current yoke of discrimination in Konoha deepens your meaning.  I'm really looking forward to your next chapter, Nandireya.  Brilliant work.



Thanks 

Yeah, I'm no stranger to fanfics...I've been writing them for years...this is just my first venture into Kishi's world.  And I usually have them plotted out in my head...beginning, middle and end...before I start writing.  So I know where this is going...I just don't know how long it'll take me to get there 



Akane said:


> Oh I just had a thought! I don't suppose that Kankuro is going to start to flirt with Sakura and it will make Reimaru jealous...? Ah I love me some KankuSaku although perhaps its not for everyone. But I could definitely see it happening.



I think something can be arranged...

Though I don't know how much it would effect Reimaru...Naruto on the other hand...


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## mariah uchiha (Apr 9, 2011)

AWW IM sorry i hope u feel better


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## Akane (Apr 14, 2011)

Nandireya said:


> I really need to get back to this...
> 
> I've had some recurring health issues lately...health issues that led to surgery about a month ago.  The healing process has left me in near constant, though not excruciating, pain, which has made me pretty crochety and not wanting to do much of anything.  The past week hasn't been too bad, with my 'good days' easily outnumbering my 'bad days' which is the flip of every week I've had since the surgery...so I think (hope) I'm finally coming to the end of it...
> 
> ...



Aw Nandi that sounds terrible, I hope you get better soon 

Haha yes I can see how Reimaru would probably rise above such notions but Naruto on the other hand... I just think that Kankurou and Sakura have enough of a history and probably enough chemistry to be vaguely interested in each other (plus Kankurou comes across as a flirt somehow... maybe its my imagination ) and they have the advantage of that 'flirting but I'm not really serious because we live in different villages' thing. Well anyway I digress. Its up to you Miss Writer 

I didn't know that you had written for other fandoms. Do you have an ff account?


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## Nandireya (May 29, 2011)

Yes...yes I do have a .

Crap!  I haven't updated anything there in nearly 2 years!  I'll have to do something about that...maybe I should put this up there...


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## mariah uchiha (Oct 1, 2011)

yes you should


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## Hariti (Nov 29, 2011)

I read this in one breath,and damn...You've totally got me hooked!Great job with keeping everyone in character and what you've done with the Sasuke/Reimaru subplot...truly original.
The subtle SS makes me .This is on a good way of becoming my favorite Sasuke redemption/Team 7 fic.
I really hope you get the time(and inspiration!) to update this soon.
Also,I think you should add the fic to your FF account,more people will get to read/review it that way.More readers usually= more inspiration.


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