Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ He Didn't Mind ❯ Puzzling Events ( Chapter 7 )

Part VII

“Lord Orochimaru, it seems as though we've been going in circles,” Kabuto said, leaning against a tree, panting.

“Don't tell me it took you this long to figure THAT out,” Sasuke spat, rolling his eyes with aggravation.

“Now now, Sasuke-kun, no need to get testy,” Orochimaru lightly reprimanded, lightly closing his eyes and shaking his head. “We are indeed in a trap. A very elaborate trap…set by a very powerful genjutsu wielder,” Orochimaru explained.

“Who set it up?,” Sasuke asked inquiringly.

Orochimaru smiled unpleasantly; “Your brother,” he answered shortly.

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, not truly believing what he heard.

“It seems the Akatsuki has finally caught up with me,” Orochimaru laughed.

Kabuto began to breathe irregularly, his eyes darting dangerously in all directions. “Where are they?,” Kabuto muttered to himself.

“Itachi, what business do you have with me?,” Orochimaru asked naively. He received no response. “Hmph. Typical. No response. I see you haven't gotten more talkative since I left,” Orochimaru commented.

“I see you have grown no more sage,” Itachi said in the shadows, still not revealing his face.

“Hmph,” Orochimaru grunted, an odd, twisted smile on his overly pale face.

Sasuke was almost to the point of twitching, with his brother in such a near vicinity. His eyes darted in many directions ever second or so, perspiration rolling in beads down his brow. His hands were unconsciously moving closer together, the hand signs of the jutsu more easily formed.

Before things could progress further, a deep and penetrating darkness surrounded the three, none able to see through it.

(POV Shift)

“I haven't seen Naruto around today….have you?,” Tsunade asked Jiraiya pointedly, a curious look upon her mien.

Jiraiya stroked his chin, then replied, “Nope. I wonder where the brat went.”
Tsunade smirked, not surprised that the perverted sannin across from her had absolutely no idea where his apprentice was. “That's not taking very good care of your apprentice, is it, Jiraiya?,” she asked, smirking in his direction.

Before Jiraiya could respond, a Shinobi entered, a nervous expression on his face.

“What is it?,” Tsunade asked, rolling her eyes.

“We found something we think you should see, Hokage-sama,” the ninja said importantly.

“Oh?,” Tsunade asked, rising from her chair.

She followed the Shinobi out into the hallway, and down some stairs before reaching the lobby, many ninjas already crowded in the building and talking loudly.

The Shinobi continued to a table, a Chuunin sitting behind it, having great difficulties handing out non-important assignments.

“Here,” the Shinobi said, handing a piece of paper to her.

Her eyes scanned the page, widening more with every line she read, then after finishing, her face paled considerably.

“What are we to do, Lady Hokage?,” the Shinobi questioned.

“Nothing,” Tsunade replied in a stoic but final voice.

“But…we can't just…,” the Shinobi began.

“Quiet. He will come back. He is stronger than most think,” Tsunade replied, silencing said Shinobi, and taking the paper back up to her office.

(POV Shift)

“I wonder why we had to leave so suddenly….I mean, it isn't like missing-nins aren't spotted every day,” Sakura thought out loud, continuing her trek back to Konoha.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Shikamaru answered.

“Any ideas, Shikamaru?,” Kiba asked, looking in his direction.

“Some,” Shikamaru replied.

“Well, lets hear them then,” Kiba barked out.

“I don't think we'll have time for that,” Shikamaru said, eyeing the scene before them.

“What…what is that?,” Lee asked, stopping on a tree branch, not wanting to go further than necessary to get a good look.

“I don't know…but I don't think we should get involved,” Shikamaru said, assuming the role of leader.

“You're probably right,” Sakura agreed, looking at the looming problem and not wanting to interfere.

“Let's bypass it then,” Kiba said impatiently.

A laugh made its way to the ears of the leaf village Shinobi, as they turned around to see an amused blue-faced man behind them, a grin on his face and a sword in his hand.

“You aren't going anywhere,” Kisame said throatily, laughing a little more.

(POV Shift)

Gaara woke up to the sun shining in his eyes, and the noises of his elder siblings as they went about their morning routines. Gaara groaned, trying to hide the noise and light with his pillow, but to no avail.

“Damn,” Gaara muttered, finally deciding to get up and get ready for his day of boring paperwork, hour-long meetings that never accomplished anything, and last, but sure as hell not least, the complaints of villagers and council members and even his own siblings!

He stumbled to his closet, throwing on his normal Kazekage attire, then sauntering tiredly to the door, where he was to obtain his normal cup of coffee to fully wake him up.

He walked into his office, his eyes bypassing everything except the steaming hot liquid sitting in a large mug on his desk, practically calling his name.

He practically fell into his chair as he picked it up and gulped about half of the mug in one sip.

After that, he set his mug back on his desk, picking up the first of many pieces of paper he would that day. He read it probably fifty times, never really caring or understanding what was written on the page. Something about irrigation for farming purposes or something….Gaara really didn't care. He stamped his approval, then set it in a to-be large stack.

About three hours later, Gaara got up, and walked out of his office into the corridor. No one was to be found. He looked to the desk that Kankuro normally occupied and saw a piece of paper that piqued his interest. He picked it up, reading it thoroughly, then set it back down.

He'd have to visit Konoha. Tsunade had lots of explaining to do. And Gaara was going to get the full story this time….

(POV Shift)

Two Shinobi were still dead asleep, falling asleep shoulder-to-shoulder. One finally opened his eyes lazily, the sun shining blindingly in his eyes.

“Ugh,” he groaned, finally noticing that he was not alone. He looked over his left shoulder, to see Kakashi snoozing soundly, his head propped up against Gai's.

A tree supported both of them, the shade sheltering their sleep before the sun got too high in the sky. The sky was radiant blue, hardly a single cloud marring its sheer and unadulterated beauty. The creek ran its path, trickling with fresh and clear water as it continued its unobstructed way. The birds sang almost happily, but there was always that one songbird that sounded more sombre than anything else. The wind blew perfectly; not too hard as to blow things away, but not light enough to tickle the skin and entice it for more.

All in all, it was the perfect day. Well, on the outside it was a perfect day; on the inside, however, things were completely different. Gai knew that Kakashi would wake up and still feel the pain and guilt he had the previous day and who knows how many days before that still. Kakashi had been alone and left that way for far too long, and Gai had absolutely no idea what to do to relieve that sort of loneliness and pain.

He couldn't just come out and bluntly ask Kakashi such a question, now could he? Well, he could have….but Kakashi's reaction might have been more than Gai could handle.

Gai sighed to himself; Would awkward and uncomfortable moments and silences never cease?

Kakashi began to stir; “Ugh,” he groaned, lifting his head lightly, only to flop back down on the comfortable thing he was laying his head on. Kakashi lifted his head again, getting a more comfortable position against his current headrest, which incidentally, was a now severely blushing Gai.

Kakashi could apparently not find such a position, and decided to just open his eyes and blink rapidly for the first few moments. It took him a couple of minutes, but he did notice that Gai was sitting there, a dumb look on his face.

Kakashi's eyebrow immediately shot up, then he continued to take in his surroundings. The happenings of the previous night began to dawn on him. His visible eye widened, as he got swiftly to his feet and immediately left the scene, leaving a very confused and saddened Gai on the ground without so much as a greeting or hello.

(POV Shift)

Naruto was running at break-neck speeds, having heard that Sasuke was near the village. His eyes were entirely focused the on the prize: Sasuke.

Not only had he promised Sakura two and a half years ago to bring Sasuke back, he had promised himself. Sasuke was his rival, his best friend, his teammate, and his l….. Naruto couldn't even finish his own thought. That word had fully manifested itself within the young Shinobi sometime before. He never had truly accepted what he felt, and was quite frightened by it actually.

No matter what he felt for Sasuke, he was determined as ever to bring him back to Konoha…no matter what the cost. If he died, but Sasuke came back alive, then it would not have been in vain, at least, that's what he told himself. He could figure out his feelings later….and anyway, having feelings was something the ninja community looked down on. Feelings merely got in the way of a ninja performing his duty to his village. Feelings were a setback, superfluous and unnecessary.

That was what was taught to the developing ninjas in the day and age, and Naruto didn't like it. Feelings were powerful.

Naruto banished such thoughts from his mind, looking ahead to the forest and thinking how much longer before he found Sasuke.

Naruto got a stupid grin on his face, thinking how he just left the village without Tsunade's permission. He wished he could have seen the look of fury come over her face, even if it was directed at him.

The sound of an explosion directed his attention forward. He began to run faster, wondering what lay in store for him.

(POV Shift)

“What….what is this jutsu?,” Kabuto wondered aloud, moving his body in a circular motion as he awaited a response that he knew probably wouldn't even come.

Sasuke began to cough, some sort of fumes filtering through the thick miasma. “What…..what is this?,” he sputtered, falling to his knees.

A bright light shattered the barrier that was the thick black fog, Sasuke finally falling face first to the ground, unconscious.

(POV Shift)

“What's going on over there?!,” Kiba asked, hearing the explosion-like sound erupting behind him.

Kisame's face fell; “Itachi!,” he yelled, sprinting to join his teammate.

“Let's GO!,” Shikamaru urged, leading the group of Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, and Lee away from the worsening battle.

(POV Shift)

“Itachi! Are you all right?,” Kisame asked, crouching down to his teammate who now lay flat on the forest floor.

Itachi groaned, pushing himself slightly off the ground, only to fall back down.

Kisame took Itachi's arm, lifting him up and carrying off towards probably the Akatsuki's hideout.

Several minutes later, Itachi turned his head to face Kisame. “Hmph. I failed my mission yet again,” Itachi said, a slight nostalgic smile on his face for once.

Kisame looked at him, a look of surprise covering his blue, fish-like face. “What will Leader say?,” Kisame asked with a wry grin.

Itachi made an expression halfway between a smirk and halfway between a smile; “Leader will never find out,” he said in a menacing tone, nearly warning Kisame to not tell the Leader.

“We accomplished our mission. Sasuke was just a perquisite. I will kill him eventually either way,” Itachi reasoned, leaning his chin back onto his chest.

“So, you did kill him then?,” Kisame asked with a questioning tone.

“Of course. I was not surprised he succumbed to that jutsu,” Itachi said matter-of-factly.

“What about his cohort?,” Kisame asked.

“He will not live much longer, if he is not already dead,” Itachi spat, a look of distaste covering his already cut face.