Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Machi Yoko Naruto ❯ Nothing Expected ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6: Nothing Expected

 

Tapping a long nail on the lacquered tabletop, she looked at the door. “She's late, Kankarou. Are you sure about this?” The man sitting in the corner nodded his shaggy head. Temari made an annoyed noise. This messenger, or ambassador, or whatever she was…she was taking a while. The Uchiha's idiot minion had sent an encoded message earlier in the week, and she had been annoyed beyond belief at the gall of her younger brother, when he accepted the conditions Kakashi had dictated. She still did not understand. Gaara knew they were to share the leadership of their clan until he turned twenty-one. Why their father had decided that the youngest of them was to be clan head, she would never know, other than the fact that the man seemed to like the fact that Gaara could be more vicious than even the Akatsuki if he felt like it.

 

The door slid open, revealing the small form of her younger brother, Gaara. He was swathed in a longer than necessary kimono which was the color of dried blood. He cast unsettlingly green eyes around the room, and raised an eyebrow. Temari shook her head. He sighed, but entered the room anyway and seated himself opposite Temari. She watched him from the corner of her eye. How he had turned out so different from she and Kankarou was beyond her. The red hair, the fondness for wearing more makeup than Temari did, and those strange clothes he wore…he couldn't be any more different than what their father would have wanted for a clan leader.

 

There was a light rapping at the door, and a serving girl appeared, all in gray, and said, “Yamanaka Ino has arrived.”

 

“Send her in already!” Temari's voice was sharp, and the small girl flinched. The servant scurried away, and soon they heard measured footsteps echoing in the hall. From the sound of it, this woman had been trained. She had patience, and probably a lot of it. Unfortunately for Temari, that was not the case with herself. Things were never done fast enough for her liking, and it was a character flaw she had tried without success to get rid of. A moment later, a strange-looking woman appeared in the doorway. She had skin as light as Gaara's was under his make-up, and flame-colored hair with obviously dyed blonde streaks in it. Her kimono was all black, and hung off of her shoulders, and would have bared a lot of her breasts if not for the electric blue fishnet shirt she wore beneath it. The woman stepped inside at Kankarou's invitation, and bowed deeply, her long hair falling into her face.

 

As she rose to her full height once more, she fixed Gaara with her deep blue eyes, and Temari watched a silent communication pass between them. “Leave us.” Gaara's command came unexpectedly, and brooked no refusal. “Now.” She grudgingly rose, along with her other brother, and left the room. What was going on?

 

--

 

The man she now was alone with looked her over as she moved casually over to the table where he sat. “Kakashi has sent a very interesting woman.” His voice seemed bland at first, but she could hear something behind it, and her senses were piqued. Sabaku no Gaara was a very interesting man himself, and she wanted to know more about him. But, this was not a spying assignment. It was only her job to make personal contact with him, and discern whether they could count on him.

 

“Is that a compliment, Gaara-sama?” She asked teasingly. Even in an official capacity, she couldn't repress her personality entirely. He raised an eyebrow. “You hide well.”

 

He waved a dismissive hand. “My father taught me.” It was Ino's turn to lift a brow at him. When he saw this, he pursed his lips. “I know what you're thinking. I do consider him my father, Ino-san. It doesn't matter to me who my real father is, or was.”

 

She laughed musically. “But it matters to us, Gaara-sama. Your half-brother is in his rightful place as clan head, though he is not able to serve to his full potential at the moment, and even if you are only an illegitimate child by the same father, you are certainly aware that he needs to know. He has no family, otherwise. Both his mother and father were killed. You are his only living relative.” Gaara was looking out of the window, and seeming not to pay attention to her. This caused her temper to flare. “Are you even listening to me?”

 

His abnormally green eyes turned to look at her, blazing pale jade fire at her. “I am well aware of the situation. I have known for some time about my true lineage, and I have no plans to reveal myself to someone who has no desire to acknowledge the fact that he is at all connected to his own past. He will remain ignorant, as far as I am concerned, until he takes part in his own destiny.” Ino's eyes narrowed in irritation. He held her gaze, and though she was sure many people had quailed under his stare, she couldn't find the ability to even care about it. From her sleeve, she pulled a small package that had escaped the notice of the guards.

 

“There.” She threw the envelope onto the table, and it opened, spilling photographs over the lacquered surface of the table. Ino watched as he sifted through them, staring at the man who was in every single picture. Gaara's eyes widened, and she saw the recognition in them. “You understand now, don't you?” Ino rose from her seat, and strode to the door, admittedly in a huff. “He has `acknowledged' his past, and is serving out his father's debt to the Uchiha. And you, you arrogant bastard, will still deny him? He is your father's son, just as you are. Would you deny that?”

 

Gaara's face looked up from the pictures on the table, an infuriatingly calm smirk spread over his features. “This is my brother?” He held up a surveillance photograph, featuring the altercation between Nara Shikaku and Uzumaki Naruto. “This…animal?” At that, Ino strode over to him, and slapped him hard on the side of his face. His eyes narrowed at her, and he took hold of both her wrists and forced her against the wall. “You dare to strike me, woman?”

 

--

 

Temari and Kankarou stared at the video screen. “Did she just…hit him?” Kankarou's stunned voice came from behind his elder sister. She only nodded. “And she's still alive?” Another nod. “Who the hell is she that he didn't just break her neck?” Temari only sat there. Kankarou pursed his lips in thought. His sister wasn't very patient, and she wasn't good with gathering information, either. So she would just sit there, staring. Her talents were more along the technical lines. She had designed the security system for their house, and their business offices in Sapporo, Beijing, London, and Seattle. Kankarou was more of an observer. A spy, if you will.

 

He knew his trade, and he knew another spy when he saw one. So he could say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yamanaka Ino was under Hatake Kakashi's direct supervision. Perhaps she was the protégé he had heard so much about? No, that couldn't be right. The woman he had heard of was much more unobtrusive, though she had a tendency to dye her hair often. He continued to watch the tape, absently scrubbing his fingers through his shaggy brown hair at random intervals. Perhaps it would be beneficial if he were to pay Kakashi a visit? If they were to be allies, then he might learn something from him…

 

--

 

“All of the pieces are falling into place, Sasuke-sama. Now, all we need is for Naruto to make the call.” Kakashi lounged in his small room, and Sasuke sat in the corner, careful not to touch anything. The man was very paranoid, though Sasuke could not say that he blamed him. Barely escaping from an exploding cargo ship will do that to you. “He will call, won't he?” Sasuke wasn't sure, so he didn't answer.

 

“What did you find out in your little information gathering expedition yesterday?” Sasuke changed the subject, since he really didn't want to talk about it.

 

“Well, Genma is still a bit tight lipped, as you can well imagine. He didn't even want to see me, at first. I did a little bargaining, and then he told me what I wanted to know.” Sasuke watched the one-eyed-man. He was trying to draw out the point, and he didn't know how much he liked it. “Naruto's father was killed by a member of Akatsuki. I believe you're familiar with a man they call `The Shark'?” Sasuke nodded. Kisame. Not only a shark, but a demon. He was vicious, and unpredictable.

 

“Does Naruto know?”

 

“He was the one who kept Kisame from taking his father's body. Those scars on his face are Kisame's doing.” He watched Kakashi as he sipped his tea, and lifted a slim eyebrow at him in a silent question. “Oh, yes. Kisame is a cannibal. He eats parts of his victims. Usually the heart, liver, kidneys and brain.” How Kakashi could sound so calm as he said these things, Sasuke didn't know. He himself wanted to vomit just thinking of it. And Naruto, his Naruto, would want to kill him.

 

“What kept Naruto from killing him on the spot?” He knew that the man was more than capable, so there must have been some kind of problem.

 

“Your brother showed up.” His stomach went queasy. Itachi had a hand in it? Then that would mean that Akatsuki saw the Uzumaki as a threat. Why? They weren't particularly powerful. Sasuke had found Naruto's father to be a first-class moron. Or, maybe it wasn't the old man they were worried about? Was it Naruto? Had the entire murder been to break him? That was altogether possible, knowing his brother.

 

“I have to get back. It's hard enough to get away. I don't want to think of what will happen if he wakes up and I'm not there.” Sasuke had done this three nights in a row. He waited until Naruto was asleep in their futon, and he slipped away. When he snuck back into his room, and slid into the blankets beside his lover, he pulled the man against him. They would, one day soon, both have their revenge. It was a silent promise he made to Naruto.

 

--

 

Ino woke just before dawn to find a knife at her neck. “What?!”

 

“Get up.” The voice next to her ear was gruff, and she swallowed audibly. How had they gotten around her security measures? As she rose from the bed, she wrapped the sheet around herself. It was hot in the room, since there was no air conditioning here, and she had slept nude. It was just a little too dark to see the man who stood next to her, had she looked at him. “What are you doing here, darling?”

 

“Who wants to know?” She tried to keep her voice as level as she could while trying not to feel hot breath on the back of her neck. A calloused hand ran down her back and ripped the sheet from her body. Her anger began to rise. Not only was this person rude, but he was also perverted. The man had still not answered her. Risking a little movement, she turned her face toward the man. As her vision adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw that his eyes were like black coals in the dark, and he wore a mask to cover the lower half of his face. The considerable bulk of his body was clothed in a dark suit, and he seemed to be standing in a way that indicated years of training. Ino could also make out the outlines of many weapons behind the fabric of his jacket.

 

“I'll ask the questions here, darling. Now, tell me why you're here.” He pressed the knife to her throat again, and she felt it bite into her skin. A strangled gasp came from her. She had to think fast. What to do? What to say? Finally, she said the only thing she could think of. A complete lie.

 

“I'm here to give information to Sabaku no Gaara.”

 

“What information would that be?” The hand that had ripped the sheet from her was now pressed into the middle of her back. She was not going to be able to escape unless he let his guard down.

 

“About his family.” The man's grip loosened, and he pushed her onto the bed. Now on her back, she had two choices. Her first was to let the freak do what he wanted, which it was becoming blatantly obvious that he was not sent to kill her, but to do something that she considered infinitely worse. Well, Yamanaka Ino would be damned if she would let this creep rape her. He stood over her, sheathing his knife. He was smiling. “I was supposed to tell him that his sister is going to betray him. Women are like that, you know. You never can tell when they'll turn on you.”

 

The man raised a dark eyebrow. “I know. I've had six wives. I had to kill all of them.”

 

“Why?”

 

“They were less than faithful.” He leaned down over her, watching her, taking in each breath, and how she moved. “Itachi-san was right. You are lovely.” At the mention of her cousin, Ino's eyes narrowed. What the hell did that bastard have to do with this? She tried to sit up, but he took hold of her wrists and held her there. “Now, darling, there are two ways we can do this. You can either cooperate, and we'll have a good time, or you can fight, and I'll have to make you a lot less pretty.” She stopped struggling. “There's a good girl. Now, let's see if you taste as good as you look.” He lowered the mask from his face. Ino nearly gagged as she felt his tongue on her skin, the warm wetness of it running up her stomach and between her breasts. The man let out a little moan as he looked back up at her face again. “Delicious.”

 

He forced her legs apart, and put a knee between them, to make sure he wouldn't have to repeat this exercise. All she had to wait for was that one moment. That one moment when he went for his pants. Ino could bide her time until then, even if this man sickened her to the point that she wanted to vomit. He pulled both of her hands over her head, holding them there as he continued to explore her skin with his mouth. She could feel him hardening against her leg, and she longed to kick him. But it would be much more efficient to take him out all at once. Then, he let go of her arms, and she saw his hands reach for his zipper. In one swift motion, she kicked his crotch and the side of his head simultaneously, and he dropped to the floor. Then, she stood quickly and kicked his head again, just to knock him out. Then, she disarmed him and found his identification. Her eyes widened.

 

No one had ever seen the face of this man before, except for a few, in Akatsuki. It was Sasori, the mysterious spy-handler of the Akatsuki. They called him “The Puppeteer.” She raised an eyebrow at the man on the floor as she flipped on the lights. He had such a smooth face. Almost like a child's. Sneering in disgust, she stepped on him to get to the bed again. Then, she picked up the phone. “Sasuke-sama? Yes, it's me. I have a member of Akatsuki here. He's knocked out. What should I do?”

 

He knew very well that she couldn't kill him. Ino was not an assassin. She was a spy. “Whatever you feel is necessary. If you can kill him, do it, but if not, improvise.”

 

“Arigato, Sasuke-sama. I'm sure I can think of something.” After hanging up the telephone, she smiled deviously. She used two of her best pairs of stockings to bind him, then tied the bed sheet around his ankles so that it was tight enough that she thought it would hold his weight. After that, she used his own knives to shred his clothes. This revealed the fact that he wore a sort of padded body-armor under his suit. After she got rid of that, too, she saw that he was actually pretty thin, and very pale. The Akatsuki really had some strange people. Then, she dragged his naked body over to the balcony. When she opened the door, she looked down at the ground. It was more than a hundred feet to the pavement of the private patio that the hotel owned. She smiled. With any luck, the man would kill himself just by struggling!

 

She attached the bed sheet to the iron railing. After hauling him upright, she tipped him over the edge, and he dangled there for some time. Smiling, Ino went back inside to dress herself and pack her things. One last visit to that odd but good-looking man, and she was going home.

 

Now dressed in a black strapless dress that fell to just below her knees, and her favorite knee-high black leather combat boots, she pulled on her matching leather opera gloves and fixed her hair into her usual ponytail before putting her bags on the bed. Then, she heard a gratifying squawk from the balcony. Sauntering over to the railing, she looked down. “Oi! How are you doing, Sasori?”

 

“You little bitch! I should have killed you!”

 

“What, so you could fuck my dead body? You sick bastard…Why don't you deliver a little message to my lovely cousin? Tell him that I may not have killed you, but it will take months to find all of the pieces of the next asshole he sends to fuck with me. Got me?” She watched Sasori's face reddening. “Oh, and don't struggle too much, darling. I can't vouch for my knot-tying skills where that sheet is concerned.” She had read his file. He would have had sex with her, alive or dead. The entire Akatsuki Federation seemed to have a preoccupation with death. Cannibals, mass-murderers, necrophiliacs, you name it, they had it. She just didn't understand why. “Ja ne, Sasori.”

 

She left the hotel, bags in hand, and took a taxi to see Gaara one more time before returning to Honshu. He received her in his private study. “I didn't think you would be back.” He leaned back in his leather chair, watching her carefully as she set down her bags.

 

“Were you trying to run me off?” After a moment of watching him watching her, she raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

 

“Ino, I'll say this. You're persistent. Nearly to the point where it's annoying.”

 

“It's one of my better qualities. That and I'm great in bed.” She flashed a smile at him, and she thought she saw him blush again, but it was difficult to tell behind all of that makeup. “You didn't answer my question, Gaara.” It was amazing to her that he allowed her to refer to him in such familiar terms. From what she knew of him, he had a short fuse, and she had lit it yesterday, but she was far from caring. One man sent to rape and possibly kill her was enough to desensitize her to almost anything.

 

“Why would I run you off? You're fun to have around. You keep me entertained.” There was a light of amusement in his eyes. So, he did have a sense of humor. It was at her expense, but it was there.

 

“I'm leaving anyway. I just got attacked at my hotel.” He started as she said this. “My lovely cousin sent fucking Sasori to my room.” Gaara's eyes narrowed. “You can imagine, I'm sure, what would have happened if Kakashi had not trained me so well?” He nodded. “I just wanted to tell you to think about what I said yesterday. Your brother deserves to know about you.” She turned to pick up her bag, and felt a hand on her arm. When had he moved? When she looked up, she saw him staring down at her, those mesmerizing jade-colored eyes burning into her.

 

“He didn't hurt you, did he?” Ino shook her head at him, unable to speak. She was still too wrapped up in his eyes. It was like staring at a snake. You couldn't look away. “Why are you leaving?” She felt like he was hypnotizing her. Why did her head feel fuzzy? It was almost like she was drunk.

 

“I don't want to be attacked again.”

 

“Stay here.” She blinked. Did he mean for her to stay in his house? That was risky. When she said as much, he shook his head slightly. “No one knows you're here. You'll be safe. Stay.” Before she could stop herself, she was nodding. How had he persuaded her with just his eyes? That was a gift, and she was jealous. She had to use her charm and usually a healthy amount of cleavage to persuade people. He had simply looked at her. That's all.

 

“Gaara, why do I feel…” She couldn't finish, because she didn't know how she felt. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't look away from his eyes. She didn't look away from them, even when she felt him putting his arms around her, pulling her close. “What are you doing?”

 

“Nothing.” His left hand moved up to the back of her head, removing the elastic band that held her hair in place, allowing it to flow unrestrained down her back. He ran his fingers through it, and she nearly closed her eyes, but that would have meant looking away from him, and she couldn't do that.

 

“Liar. What are you doing?”

 

As he leaned down to her, he whispered, “Nothing at all.” His lips touched hers in a kiss that was barely there, and when he pulled away, she was left wanting more. He backed away from her, and rang a small bell for a servant.

 

Ino blinked. “Nothing, huh? I'll show you nothing.” Closing the distance between them, she grabbed the front of his too-large gray kimono and yanked him to her, pressing her lips firmly against his. Just as she was going to pull away, he grasped her face in his hands and very nearly attacked her mouth with his. She gasped, and he smiled against her mouth, then took the opportunity to lightly run his tongue over her lips as if merely tasting them. This had its desired effect, and she allowed his tongue to slide into her mouth and do things that she was unaware a tongue could do, even after kissing Kakashi. Finally pulling away from him after nearly a full minute, she blinked again. “You hide very well, Gaara.”

 

Just then, the servant he had called arrived, and knocked before entering. Gaara said, “Please take Ino-san's bags to the guest room nearest mine, Hoshi.” The girl nodded and picked up Ino's bags before leaving. “You don't mind, do you? I may want to continue this conversation later, if that's all right with you.” Ino nodded. “For now, I have work I need to do. If you like, you can wander around the house for a while until lunch. Do you like grapes?” Ino smiled, nodding. They were her favorite fruit. “I'll see you then.” After placing a small, chaste kiss on her lips, he smiled in a way that just made her want to melt. Who knew he was capable of that?

 

“Later then. How will I know where lunch is?”

 

“When you hear the chimes, just find a servant, and they'll show you.” He sat in his chair again, and she left the room to learn the layout of the house.

 

--

 

Naruto eyed Sasuke, who sat next to Kakashi. They were in the garden, both seated on a bench, and they were looking at him expectantly. Why did they have to do this to him? He didn't want to be involved. He didn't want to do anything other than serve his debt and get on with his life. The fact that his life now involved Sasuke made him a little nervous, but he could deal with it. But they were trying to get him personally involved in their little plot, and he wanted nothing to do with it. Really. He looked Sasuke in the eye and shook his head.

 

“But Naruto, we need him. He's the only one who can get in and out of the Akatsuki headquarters unnoticed. And only you know where to find him.” Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. He knew his teacher could do everything they wanted him to, because he had taught the blonde everything he knew about stealth, security systems, assassinations, and oddly enough, how to be at peace with himself as he used these skills. No one would have ever guessed that the holy man knew these things, or that he wasn't really a holy man.

 

“How do you know he'll come?” Naruto was being petulant, he knew. He just couldn't make himself care. Sasuke cocked his head slightly to the left, a sarcastic smile on his face.

 

“You're his favorite student. He'll come. Just call him.” Reluctantly, he took the cellular phone from Kakashi, and dialed the number he had known since he was ten.

 

It rang sixteen times before the white-haired man answered it. “That you, kid?”

 

“Hai. I need to ask a favor of you.” There was silence on the other end. Then an annoyed grunt. “I need you to come to Nagoya. Please, Jiraiya-sensei.” The older man laughed.

 

“You must be serious. I'm usually addressed as ero-sensei. So, why do you need me?” There was amusement in his voice.

 

“I'll tell you when you get to Nagoya. Just get here no later than tomorrow afternoon, okay?” Jiraiya agreed, and hung up the phone. Naruto snapped the phone shut, and threw it at Kakashi. “Happy now? The Uzumaki clan is now active again. Damn it. I didn't want this, Sasuke, and you know it.” Sasuke dismissed Kakashi so that they could be alone. After the other man left, he motioned that Naruto should come to sit with him. After he did, Sasuke leaned on him.

 

The weight of the Uchiha pressed against his side was comforting. He was the only constant thing in Naruto's life. Everything else seemed to be in a state of flux. Naruto's father once told him that the only thing that really stayed the same was the fact that everything changes. He felt Sasuke's hand on his arm, stroking the silk of his kimono's sleeve. This simple, soothing gesture made him feel more at ease. “Naruto,” Sasuke said, his voice seeming hesitant, “What would you say if I told you that you were no longer in my debt?” For a long moment, he sat stunned, and then turned his body to face Sasuke.

 

“What? Why? The amount of time was not determined, but…what's going on?” Suspicion rose in his chest like a poisonous wave, beginning to overpower his senses. “Do you not want me anymore?”

 

“No! I can't imagine ever not wanting you. I just…I don't want you to be with me because you have to. I know you're not happy here, even if you try to put on that smile all of the time. You need to be able to lead your own life, not be an attachment to mine.” Sasuke was looking at his hands, which lay limp on his thighs. It was obvious that this had been bothering him for some time. Naruto bit his lip, wanting to tell him that he was with him because he wanted to be. And why not? He was annoyed with the situation at first, to be sure. But Sasuke was not the mask he put forth to the rest of the world. He was not the cold and uncaring man everyone saw him as. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

“Does this have to do with your Akatsuki operation?” He thought it might, since it was his lover's main concern, and had been for months.

 

Sasuke looked up at him with a guilty expression on his face. “I know who you're thinking of. You want revenge for your father's death. Kisame is one of the ring leaders of the Akatsuki, Naruto. If you're always around me, you might not be able to kill him.” So that's what he was worried about? Naruto almost laughed at him. If that was all, then he didn't have to worry about anything.

 

“Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Kisame knows he's a dead man walking. It is, and always has been only a matter of time. I am a patient man about some things, Sasuke. I can wait.” His now former employer seemed relieved to hear him say this. Then the look in the man's eyes changed, and he leaned over to Naruto and kissed him, wiping away all thoughts that did not involve dark gray eyes and pale skin. When Sasuke broke away from him, he made a small noise of protest.

 

Sasuke got up to leave the garden, pulling Naruto with him. Apparently, even though he wasn't technically in Sasuke's debt, he was still going to be sticking to him like glue. Not that he minded, really. Being around Sasuke constantly had a few unexpected benefits. He found as many opportunities as he could to be close to him, which was beneficial to both of them. Naruto got to tease him endlessly, and Sasuke liked the teasing, up to a point, and then it was just time to find an empty room. Not that Naruto was going to complain about that, either.