Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Duty ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

 

Sasuke grunted as he came up for his final sit-up. He'd been in the little cell for over a month and he had yet to actually speak to his captor. Someone slipped food and water through door each day and that was the only contact he'd had. The person didn't talk, no matter how much he yelled.

 

The door had been his first target for escape, but it was made of some heavy metal. None of his jutsus could bust through it, so it was clearly sealed with a high level jutsu. He'd tried everything he knew to break through the damn thing. The window was too small, making him wish he'd learned one of Orochimaru's morphing techniques so he could slither his way out. The only other opening was a hole for his toilet needs. He'd peered inside and it was little more than a pit, so no luck there. All he could do was try to keep in shape in the small room and wait until he met his jailer face to face.

 

He'd racked his brain for a reason for his capture and the only conclusions he'd come to, each time, was that someone was after his money or hated his family. He couldn't think of any personal enemies now that Itachi and Orochimaru were dead. The worst of it was that he didn't know if it meant Hinata was in danger as well. He didn't know if anything had happened to her in the two months he'd been away. That thought ate at him more than the thought of dying alone, here in this tiny cell.

 

Their last few days together had been breathtaking. He'd enjoyed being with her for the whole five months before then, but knowing that she was happy, and that there was a chance for his clan, had been the greatest feeling. He smiled sadly to himself, remembering that they had only left their bed to grab something to eat or to wash up a bit. His little wife was one surprise after another. Who would have thought the shy little female of their childhood would turn into such a passionate creature? Of course who would have thought the cold Uchiha heir could ever fall in love? He'd admitted it to himself weeks ago and now he was regretting he'd never told his wife before he left. He hoped she was safe and he'd be able to tell her some day.

 

Sasuke lay on the dirty floor of the cell and sighed. He hated being helpless like this. It was frustrating as hell being trapped and not knowing a single thing about what was going on with the people at home. He didn't even have much hope for rescue. They would have given up by now, declaring him missing or dead. That was just what he needed, to be declared a missing-nin again. Naruto was probably furious about it.

 

He wondered how Hinata was taking it. They hadn't been married all that long, but he knew she cared for him, and she would have been saddened by his death. He hoped Naruto and Sakura were keeping their promises to watch over his little wife. He'd asked them to visit her while he was out on the mission.

 

Sighing again in frustration, he sat up and wondered if he should have asked a different sort of favor from Naruto. Hinata would need someone with her. She had so much love inside that it shouldn't be allowed to wither and die in a sad and lonely woman. He should have asked Naruto to marry Hinata if he was ever killed on a mission. Naruto would do it in a heartbeat and be happy with the decision, even if was only for a friend. Not that he liked the idea of Naruto with his wife in the least, but Naruto would know how to treat her. Plus she'd been in love with Naruto, as least as a child. Perhaps it would grow into something real eventually.

 

Growling to himself he stood and paced, hating his cell more and more with everyday passing second. This was getting ridiculous. The waiting was driving him mad.

 

“Getting antsy are we?” a grating male voice asked from above.

 

Sasuke spun around, his heart in his throat and his body tense. He looked up at the tiny window and saw a slim, older man settle on the ground above and smile down at him. “Why am I being kept here?” he demanded furiously, hitting the wall with bunched hands.

 

“Your brother's orders,” the man said simply, shrugging.

 

“Itachi is dead,” Sasuke said softly, his anger radiating off him in waves.

 

“True and that's why you're here,” the man murmured with a small smile.

 

“That doesn't make any sense,” Sasuke snorted.

 

“Sure it does. Itachi told me that the Uchiha clan was once powerful, the most powerful in the village of Konoha,” the man said conversationally. “He also swore that if he ever died, the line would die with him. I was asked to make sure that happened upon his demise. Kind of like a will…a last request sort of thing. So here you are.”

 

Sasuke frowned and folded his arms. “So let me get this straight. Itachi told you to kill me if he died just so I couldn't continue the Uchiha line?” Well that was a bit petty of his older brother, wasn't it? Itachi just couldn't let it go now could he?

 

“Yes,” the man said with another shrug.

 

“Then why am I still alive? You were supposed to kill me, so why didn't you?” Sasuke asked. “And who the hell are you anyway?”

 

“I'm your brother's former…man of affairs…secretary…whatever you want to call it. My name is Kane. And you're still alive because it suits my own plans…but it's only a temporary situation, I assure you,” Kane murmured. “Don't worry. I'll still kill you, as your brother wished, in the end.”

 

So he was going to kill him; wonderful. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. “And your plans?” Sasuke had a strong hunch that this man also had something to do with the potions that were dumped into his well back home. There was a good chance that he didn't know Hinata and Tsunade had discovered his contamination.

 

“Oh that's the best of all. A nice man wants to buy your eyes for his two sons, and he's willing to pay a fortune for them,” Kane said with a nasty grin. “You'll then be killed and the line will end. I'll be filthy rich and everyone is happy.” He paused thoughtfully and then shrugged. “Except for you and your pretty little wife. She's been grieving horribly. She's not eating much and she's getting sick. Been vomiting for a week now according to my messenger. Pity really. She is so lovely.” Kane grinned. “Perhaps when I'm finished with you I'll go comfort her.”

 

Sasuke snarled at the man's cruel words and in a blink had climbed the wall and wrapped his hand around the man's neck through the window. Kane struggled, turning red and trying to get away from the furious shinobi. “If you even think about touching my wife I will rip your throat out,” he said in a deadly serious voice.

 

Kane had the gall to smile, even though he was turning blue. “Night,” he choked out.

 

Sasuke felt the presence behind him a second too late. He spun away from the wall and Kane to face his new opponent, only to have his vision blur suddenly. Unconsciousness was creeping up and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. “Hinata,” he murmured thickly before everything turned black and the floor reared up.

 

***

 

Sasuke grunted and curled around himself, wondering why his side hurt so badly. A brutal kick into his back resolved the issue a few seconds later. “Get up you lazy bastard!” a male voice growled. Was he kidding? Not only did he hurt too much to consider the move, Sasuke could hardly consider being knocked out by a jutsu a sign of laziness. Sloppiness maybe, but not laziness. “Didn't you hear me boy? Get your ass up. Mr. Kane wants to show off his merchandise to the buyer.”

 

With the less than gentle help of the big brute, Sasuke managed to get to his feet just as the door opened. He barely had time to register that the room had changed before an older man appeared in the doorway with Kane.

 

Where the hell was he? A slight lurch under his feet suggested the awful truth. He was on a boat. He'd only traveled a few times by boat, but it was a sensation that was hard to misplace. Was he still in transit or had they just docked? How long had he been out? The weakness he felt suggested at least a few days. He had to wonder what kind of jutsu they had used on him. He'd never dealt with anything that could knock him out for so long; unless they'd repeated it several times over the last few days.

 

“So this is the great Uchiha Sasuke?” the older man murmured, eyeing Sasuke speculatively. “He doesn't look like much, does he? Are you sure this is the right man?” Sasuke bristled at his mocking words, but didn't say anything. He needed to figure out if an escape was possible and launching into a Naruto like tirade would hardly help him at the moment.

 

“Yes Master Ito,” Kane said pleasantly, rubbing his hands together greedily. “And he has fully developed Sharingan. They'll be perfect for your sons; one for each.”

 

“Show me,” Ito growled at Sasuke. “Show me the Sharingan.”

 

Sasuke blinked in astonishment, unable to stop himself. Was he serious or just stupid? One way to find out, he decided. He drew himself up fully and opened his eyes wide. “Come and see old man,” he growled. Ito frowned and foolishly looked into Sasuke's eyes as deep brown turned bloody red. “Like what you see old man?”

 

“Very good,” Ito murmured stepping forward. Definitely just stupid, Sasuke decided. This was absolutely priceless. Sasuke couldn't think of a single instance where this had ever happened in battle. Not even Naruto on his densest day had ever fallen for this, or at least not with Sasuke. He knew Itachi had succeeded a few times, but Naruto had learned that lesson quickly. Did the man not know what the Sharingan were used for or how they trapped victims?

 

Sasuke smirked softly and activated his Sharingan, letting it spin lazily as he constructed a truly horrific image for the idiot. “Then maybe I'll show you something else. Have you ever wondered what you'd look like turned inside out?”

 

Ito frowned briefly at the strange question, but then his pupils constricted and a look of utter horror cross his face. Ito screamed and began to claw at the air and at his body. Sasuke grinned wickedly when he realized the man was probably attempting to gather up his scattered organs. Kane didn't seem to understand what the problem was at first, but quickly realized it and called on his hefty henchman. The brute came at him instantly on Kane's order, but they'd already made a horrible mistake. They'd underestimated an Uchiha and let their guard down just enough to give him the opening he'd needed all these weeks.

 

Sasuke felt the exhaustion melt out of his body as adrenaline flooded his veins. Spinning he caught the hulking man in the face with his elbow, driving bones into the man's brain. The thug fell without even the slightest noise, dead long before he hit the floor. Sasuke bent and yanked a knife from the man's belt, spinning and throwing it into the retreating back of Kane. The old man landed at the base of some stairs with a startled cry.

 

Sasuke straightened smoothly and looked around him, ensuring that his opponents were out of the game. The thug was down, Kane was gasping out his last breaths and Ito was still staring straight ahead, horror etched into his features. It would take him a few hours to recover from the nasty pictures Sasuke had planted. Sasuke smirked grimly and sent a silent thank you to Naruto for making him watch so many cheesy horror flicks.

 

He stepped over the bodies in the room and yanked the knife out of Kane's back. It wasn't as balanced as his kunai, but it would serve. “That was very foolish Kane. Who doesn't tell their customer when the merchandise can bite?” Kane just made a gurgling sound and then sagging into the floor.

 

Looking up the stairs to the deck Sasuke saw two surprised men looking down at him. “Back away and let me through and I won't kill you,” he murmured roughly, not relaxing his fighting stance in the least.

 

Both men backed up, as Sasuke ascended the stairs, but continued to peer down the steps. “He killed Ryoga and Master Kane,” one whispered in awe. “Just like that!” he said with a snap of his fingers. So Ichiro was the thug's name, Sasuke thought; another name to add to his long list of fallen opponents.

 

The other nodded and then slowly grinned. “Yeah he did.” Sasuke came up into the light and blinked, surprised as the man clapped him on the back. It was all he could do not to react automatically and injure the man, when clearly he'd been offering congratulations only. “Listen up!” he called to the other men on the ship. “Kane is dead! So is Ryoga.” Apparently the crew had little love for their former master as a loud cheer went up. “We're finally free!”

 

The first man smiled at Sasuke and stuck out his hand. “I don't know how you did it, but we're indebted to you.” Sasuke grasped his hand and gave him a small smile. The man took that as a sign Sasuke probably didn't intend to finish them off either and sighed. “You need to go anywhere in particular?”

 

Sasuke nodded and looked around, spotting land nearby. “Can you take me there?”

 

“Why?” the man asked curiously, peering out at the strip of land. “It's just an island, Master Ito's actually.”

 

Sasuke sagged and sighed. So much for trekking over land to get back to Konoha. “Then turn around and take me back to where you picked me up.”

 

“Can't do that either,” the man admitted sheepishly. “Winds are all wrong and there's a storm following us lad. Sorry. We'll be to land in two weeks though and then we can help you get back to your own home, wherever that is.”

 

“Fire Country,” Sasuke muttered, feeling more than a little put out. He glanced behind him as two sailors pulled Ito up the stairs and handed him down to his own men in a small row boat. Well at least that's one less issue to worry about. His men didn't seem inclined to retaliate.

 

“Fire Country?” the sailor asked in surprise. “Shit! From where we're going it's a good two or three months of travel over land…at least in the summer. Winter isn't that far off either, especially in the mountains. Could take a mite longer with the snow coming in.”

 

“Then that's what I'll have to do, isn't it?” Sasuke grunted. Damn it! Assuming he could make it through before winter, he'd have been away from home for five months. Hinata…gods let her be okay.

 

***