Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 10

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

"We will, we will rock you!" -Queen
**********************************


Finally... Finally, after all this time... It was finally going to end. I looked at my opponent through narrowed eyes. The rain was making it hard to see him, but I knew he was already badly injured, by me, of course. He was panting heavily. The multiple cuts on his body had blood seeping through. His cloak had already been torn from his body with my attack.

I can't believe this is the man that killed my family. "Is that all you've got... Itachi?" I questioned. He finally stopped panting, and looked up at me. He was leaning against a tree. This man... was pathetic. I barely had a scratch on me. Over the years, Itachi had gotten weaker.

"I used to look up to you, you know," I told him as I pulled out my katana. "In my mind, you were great. Even my father couldn't come close to you in my child-like mind. Now look at you! Reduced to being a weak, blind, fool!" He smirked, causing blood to slide down his chin.

"Foolish little brother, you have no idea what you're doing," he said. His voice was ragged as if he was hurting him to talk. I gave a little smirk of my own.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Itachi," I said. "And don't call me that. You're not even an Uchiha anymore."

Itachi closed his eyes, and laughed, choking on his own blood. "I never felt that I was apart of that clan," he said after getting his breath under control. "To be born in that clan was a burden. I'm glad I killed every single one of them. And if I knew in advance that you'd become just like them... I would have killed you, too." I frowned at his words, and then drove my katana straight through his heart. I pressed so hard that Itachi was now pinned to the tree. I looked him in the eyes again, which were now starting to lose life. Finally, it was over.

I took my katana back, stood up straight, turned, and then walked away, leaving Itachi's body to fall to the ground. Yes, I was going to leave him there to rot. It's what he deserves. He definitely didn't deserve a burial fit for an Uchiha. "After all... you weren't an Uchiha," I thought, closing my eyes.

"You really think you've succeeded in killing me?" a voice asked. My eyes widen as I stopped walking. No... It can't be!

"Itachi...!" I practically growled out his name. So, this entire time I was fighting another fake Itachi?! "Damn it..." I muttered.

"Now who's really the weak, blind, fool?" Itachi's voice asked, throwing my words back in my face. His voice seemed to come from everywhere. "To be so blinded by anger and revenge..." he continued. "That you didn't noticed that who you were exactly fighting--who you exactly killed... was your precious Mayu."

For a moment, I could feel my own heart stop beating. "N-No..." I whispered; my katana fell from hand. I could feel myself start to shake. "Please, no..." I thought, turning back towards, what I'm hoping, the fake Itachi. Because I had walked away, I couldn't quite see. I took a step forward, and then another. Suddenly, thunder struck, revealing who I had killed.

"M-Mayu...? Mayu!" I exclaimed, running towards her body. I knew it was her. Her skin, her hair, everything about her, I recognized. I knelt down beside her, and then lifted her up, so her back was against the tree. Her eyes were closed. Even with the rain on her face, I knew that some of that liquid were tears. She had cried...

"No, please! You can't be dead, Mayu!" I said, pulling her lifeless body into a hug. "I... I need you. You can't leave me... Open your eyes, please...!" Even as I said this, I knew that she was already gone. Gone because I couldn't see. It's my fault. I killed her. "Mayu!" I pulled her bloody body closer.

"You reeaally need to get over your self!"

"Burrrrn!"

"Please don't throw your life away, Sasuke,"

"Ishikari Mayu is the name, kickin' the bad guy's beep is my game! Ready to have my hammer of Justice smash your faces in?"

"I kinda remember what Sasuke had last time."

“WHERE'S MY SASUKE-CHAN?!?!”

"Don't you dare go emo again! I worked too hard to pull you out!"

"Because... because I am in love with you, you idiot!"

"... Yes, I forgive you..."

"Gai's incarnation's training was definitely hell, but it should have made me stronger!"

"Sasuke...?! You... pervert!"

"Sasuke..."

I remembered some of the words she had said in the past. Since I've been with her, I've realized that she had grown. But because of me, she died so young. My body started to shake. "Mayu...! You weren't supposed to die!" I muttered. "We were supposed to get married! Y-You--This wasn't supposed to happen..." I'm not sure if it was the rain or not, but I felt warm liquid slide down my face.

"Do you see now, little brother?" his voice reached my ears, but I didn't move. "If you kill me, you kill her, too."

I looked up to see Itachi standing a few feet away from me, yet I still did not move. "You bastard...!" I yelled. "Why did you bring her into this?! She wasn't involved!"

"You have no idea how involved she was," he responded.

"Y-You don't know what you're talking about!" I shouted. "You don't know anything about Mayu!"

"You're wrong... It's you, little brother, that doesn't know a thing about her," Itachi responded.

I glared at him because I knew that his words were partially true. Sure, I knew her likes, dislikes, favorite color, etc. But I didn't know a thing about her family, her traditions, if she had any, or... I didn't know her background at all. "That didn't matter..." I said, turning my gaze back to Mayu. No matter what, I promised her that I'd marry her... Even though, at the time, she was angry with me. And now she's gone... because of me.

"You're still weak, little brother..." Itachi said. "Such a disappointment you've become... What will you do now? Will your hate for me grow even stronger now that she's dead?" I released Mayu's cold, lifeless body, and then stood up. "I suppose that it will grow."

"Itachi... I will always hate you, but now..." I began. "You've crossed the line. I will kill you."

"I guess you didn't hear what I told you earlier," Itachi said. "If you kill me, you kill her, too. It's the other way around as well... Technically, little brother, I'm already dead."

Suddenly, thunder struck again. When the light disappeared, Itachi was gone. "ITACHI...!" I shouted. Thunder struck again. Something told me to look back at Mayu, but when I did, her body was no longer there! "Mayu...!" I could see her blood still on the forest floor; her blood was also still on me. "MAYU!"

My eyes snapped open. My breathing was irregular, and I could feel the cold sweat on my forehead. My vision was slightly blurred for a moment, before focusing on the ceiling. I sat up and looked around. Sai was sleeping on the other side of the room. Of course, I had to be the one sharing the room with him. Mayu and that asshole, Nakatsu, had their own rooms.

He got his own room because he was supposedly the captain of the team. I had to stop from rolling my eyes. That guy couldn't be the captain of anything. Mayu got her own room because she was the only girl in the team. "Mayu..." I whispered. "That dream..." I placed my hand on my head, and then sighed softly. My body was still shaking slightly. "What the hell did it mean?" I thought.

"If you kill me, you kill her, too."

I removed the cover from my body, and then stood. I slowly walked over to the door, not wanting to wake up my pale teammate. I opened the door, took one last glance at Sai to make sure he was still asleep, and then walked out, closing the door behind me. I walked down the hall towards her room. It was only a few doors down from the room I shared with Sai, so getting there was relatively fast. I opened her door to see her still asleep; her bag, and other things were set on the table next to the futon. Her guitar was leaning against the wall.

I walked in, and then shut the door. I slowly made my way over to Mayu's sleeping body. I knelt down beside her and brushed her dark hair from her face. My hand rested on her cheek. "I... don't want anything to happen to you," I said, even though she didn't hear.

"If you kill me, you kill her, too."

Those words came back to me. But why...? What does it mean? I don't understand... Over the years, I've learned not to just ignore my dreams, no matter how crazy they get. They always meant something. I sighed softly as I took my hand from Mayu's face.

"Sometimes I never find out what those freaky dreams mean..." I muttered. I lifted the covers slightly, allowing me to move my body next to Mayu's. "But this particular dream is really gonna bug me," I thought, pulling Mayu's body closer to mine; I closed my eyes. After all, Mayu was killed... by my own hands. That's a serious problem. I felt Mayu's body move slightly, causing me to open my eyes. I noticed that her eyes were wide open, and she was looking at my chest in confusion; I almost let out a snicker.

"What... the hell?" she muttered; she looked up, causing our eyes to meet. "S-Sasuke...?"

"Hey," I replied. Her eyes suddenly held anger. I guess she's remembering what happened earlier this morning. I glanced out of her window to see that it was almost noon, signaling that we have to leave in about two hours... maybe three.

"YOU!" Mayu brought my gaze back to her. "I didn't want to see any of your asses until we had to leave again! Why the hell are you in my room?!"

"... You've got morning breath," I told her. Her face turned red in embarrassment and anger. Okay, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

"Fuck you...!" she shouted, shoving me away. After I had rolled off the futon, taking the cover with me, I sighed heavily. "Why are you in here?!" she asked as she sat up. Her whole body was exposed now; her robe was loose! I could actually see her cleavage! YES!

"Couldn't sleep," I muttered, sitting up; I tried very hard to keep my eyes on her face. I noticed that Mayu's gaze soften.

"Oh...? Did you have a nightmare?" she asked; I nodded to answer her question. "Hm... You should really go back to sleep. You're gonna need all of your energy later on today." Mayu stood up, and much to my displeasure, fixed her robe.

"Why?" I asked as Mayu walked over to her guitar. After picking up her instrument, she walked back over to the futon and sat.

"We're going to train with each other," Mayu answered. "We need to learn each other's abilities and capabilities before we fight anyone. If a fight with Akatsuki does break out, we'll surely die, so it's better if we do this training." I nodded my head in agreement. There's no telling what kinda abilities and weaknesses that our other teammates have. Mayu began to brush her fingers against the strings of the guitar. "I know the perfect song to get you to sleep," she said, smiling. "But you have to go back to your room, kay?"

"Sure," I said, though, I'd rather stay with her.

Just cuz I'm small, can't hurt you at all
I'm only a girl, what to do?
Let me sing... my song for you

Not many can, this is my command
I know just how to get to you
Let me sing... my song for you...

When you lay down late at night,
I'm the siren you can't fight
I know you don't stand a chance

There is nothing you can do,
Once I put my spell on you
When I sing my lullaby

Lulla-by
Lulla-by
Lulla-by

When I sing for you my lullaby

Ooooh

Now that you see
It wasn't a dream
Reality got the best of you
Told you, boy, I will come after

Now it's too late
Can't hesitate
To hide this, baby
Deja vu
Watch out, boy
I'm coming for you

When you lay down late at night,
I'm the siren you can't fight
I know you don't stand a chance

There is nothing you can do,
Once I put my spell on you
When I sing my lullaby

Lulla-by
Lulla-by
Lulla-by

When I sing to you my lullaby

In your sleep
It's got you so deep
My sweet melody
Has captured you

ah ah ah aah

Forever more!

Lulla-by
Lulla-by ooh ooh ah yeah
Lullaby...
When I sing for you my lullaby

Sing my lulla... by-y-y-y-y

When you lay down late at night
I'm the siren you can't fight
I know you don't stand a chance (I know, I know)

There is nothing you can do
Once I put my spell on you
When I sing my lullaby...

Sing my lullaby...

Mayu fingers played with the strings of her guitar for moment before stopping completely. She looked up from her guitar, and grinned at me. "Sooo! What did ya think?" she asked. I smirked at her curious gaze.

"I think you're much better at playing than you are singing," I answered, truthfully. She glared at me, and then turned away.

"Shut up! My singing is not that bad!" she muttered, removing the guitar from her lap; she turned back to me. "Besides, you couldn't even understand it! Maybe if you did, you'd think it was better."

"That doesn't make sense," I told her; Mayu only stuck out her tongue. "Speaking of which..."

"Nani?"

"Something has really been bugging me since our last mission," I began. Mayu nodded her head, signaling me to continue. "Why is it that... you and Itachi were communicating in that foreign language? What did you say? How does Itachi know that weird language, anyway?" I questioned. I noticed that Mayu's eyes widen slightly, and then she bowed her head; I saw that she bit her bottom lip.

"Ano... I thought I told you to that you had to go back when I was finished," she muttered.

"Don't give me that!" I said, moving closer to her. I grabbed her hand. Mayu looked at me with wide eyes. "Please... Sometimes, I feel like I don't know you at all. Tell me, Mayu... How did--Why does Itachi know that weird language? I've known you for a long time, and yet... I have no idea..." I trailed off. I really had no idea who Ishikari Mayu is. What makes Itachi so special? Why does he seem to know more about Mayu than I?

"Sasuke... You do remember where the Ishikari clan used to reside, right?" Mayu asked; her gaze had turned back to our intertwining hands.

"Hai."

"It was so close to the Uchiha district, and yet... only a few Uchihas knew about it," Mayu continued. "Itachi was among the ones who knew." Mayu turned her gaze upward. The intense look she was giving me startled me somewhat. "Because of me--When I was seven years of age, Itachi and I met. Eventually, he and I became friends. When he wasn't on missions, he would come visit me at my home..."

I felt my eyes go wide in surprise. Itachi... visited her? For a moment, I stopped breathing. "But... I thought he was training, and that's why he never..." I thought. Does that mean... Itachi willingly went there instead of helping me train? Whatever happened to 'Bros before hos?' Not that Mayu is a ho...

"Because he visited so often, it wasn't very long until my family, my clan... considered him as one of us," Mayu said. "Of course, we didn't teach him any of our technique's but... My mother, father, and I taught him the language. Itachi learned it fairly quickly. It wasn't long before he spoke our language fluently." I noticed the small bitter smile on her face. I felt her hand squeeze mine. "One time, he told me that he cussed at his dad and others, they had no idea what he was saying to them."

"So that's why, huh?" I muttered. I had never heard of Itachi raising his voice to father... but then again, I had never really heard of them speaking to one another. Mayu's grip on my hand loosened.

"Hai," she said, looking back down at her hands. They were friends. She even considered him to be apart of her family. Mayu and I are... more alike than I realized.

"That's why she was so hesitant to get revenge... because she still considers him as family," I thought, closing my close. Unlike me, Mayu hasn't given in to killing him for his actions.

"Ano... Sasuke," Mayu's voice caused me to open my eyes again.

"Yeah?"

"You can let go of my hand at anytime, ya know," she told me. I let a grin appear on my face. Mayu looked at me with suspicious eyes.

"Alright," I said, my hand not leaving hers. I saw Mayu's eye twitch, and a forced smile appeared.

"... right..." she muttered, looking away. "Aren't you supposed to be sleep now? You need your rest, Sasuke."

I reluctantly released her hand. "Let me sleep with you," I said; Mayu turned to me again. Her eyebrows furrowed together, not to mention her face turned slightly pink. Hm... I guess she's remembering the last time we slept in the same bed. Not my fault my hands have minds of their own... >.>

"Hell no!" Mayu said, raising her voice only slightly, most likely in fear of waking the rest of our team. After all, it was almost the middle of the day, most people wouldn't still be asleep.

"Oh, come on, Mayu! That was a one time thing," I said. "It won't happen again..." Though, I won't promise it won't.

"Pfft...! Yeah, right! You may say it won't happen again, but you won't ever promise it'll ever happen again!" Mayu responded, rolling her eyes. I resisted the urge to smile. Mayu knew me so well. "Now, be a good boy, and go back to sleep."

Before I could respond, Mayu spoke again. "And no pouting! That puppy-eyed look doesn't work on me!"

"Oh, darn... All those years of perfecting that... and it's all for not," I said with a sigh as I stood up. I turned by back to Mayu and headed for the door.

"You weren't serious, were you?" she asked with a shaking voice. I turned my head with a sly grin.

"I don't know... Maybe," I replied, and then turned back. I opened the door, and just before I stepped out, I heard Mayu say something under her breath.

"Baka...!"

"Only around you," I thought, a smile tugging at my lips as I closed the door behind me.
***************************


Sai quietly walked over to the window. He had gotten dressed, packed up his things, and put away the futon. The pale ninja glanced back at his still sleeping teammate with an impassive look. "... M-Mayu...! It w-was an accident!" Sasuke groaned in his sleep, drool slid down his chin as he turned on his futon. "I-I-I didn't m-mean to walk in on your h-hot, wet and dripping, naked body! Honest! N-No! Not the jewels! I need those to p-produce our children! Mayu!" Sai turned his eyes back to the window, pushed the curtain back, opened the window, and then hopped out. He closed the window behind him, and then jumped away.

****************************

Mayu hummed slightly as her fingers traced over the map that was spread across the table. She had dressed, and packed her things already. Now, she was going over the trip. She stopped humming. "We'll need to speed things up if we're going to get there only a few minutes after Naruto's group," Mayu thought, closing her eyes. She let out a small sign, and then opened her eyes. She folded the map, and then shoved it in her backpack. "That might pose a problem... especially because of our team's faults." She put on her leg weights, and thought about getting heavier weights to replace the ones she had. "I hate replacing weights, though! It sucks that I have to adjust and walk around like idiot."

The girl put a hand on her head, and then sighed again. She ran her fingers through her dark hair, and then stood up. "Alright! If we leave in ten minutes, we'll have time to get to know each other better... Not to mention knowing each other's abilities," Mayu muttered; she grabbed her bag and her guitar, and headed towards the door. Something suddenly caught her eye, causing her to stop and turn back. Looking out of her window, Mayu could see a familiar person. "Nakatsu-kun...!" she said. The seventeen year old was already up, and he looked about ready as well.

Mayu shrugged, and then opened the door. "Less time spent trying to wake him up, then," she thought, walking out. She walked down the hall towards the room Sai and Sasuke shared. "Oi! Sasuke, Sai! Are you two up yet?" Mayu called through door. She didn't get a response, causing the girl to frown. She slowly opened the door, not wanting to see one of them getting undress. A slight blush appeared on her face at the thought; she opened the door fully to see only Sasuke's sleeping body on a futon.

Mayu looked around before stepping into the room. "Hm... I guess Sai is already ready, too..." she muttered, leaning her guitar against the wall. "That leaves only Sasuke." She walked over to Sasuke, dropped to her knees, and then shook the Uchiha slightly, trying to wake him. Mayu knew that this wasn't going to be an easy task. Sasuke was a very deep sleeper at times, and was very difficult to wake. Hopefully, this wasn't going to be one of those times... "Come on, Sasuke! Wake up, damn it!"

No such luck! Uchiha Sasuke continued to sleep on, oblivious of the fact that Mayu's gently shakes had become hard, violent shakes. "Damn it! Don't tell me I'm going to have to resort to that!" Mayu groaned, stopping, letting Sasuke's body fall back on the futon. When both were younger, Mayu had told Sasuke things about that other world. Some were most serious, other facts, however, were... not. Some facts she would tell him would be flat out randomness. Like that one time she had showed him how to 'Walk it Out.'

"Those silly Americans, and their silly little dances!" That was something her father--her caretaker would always say when he caught Mayu watching shows from America.

Sasuke, of course, thought that that information was completely pointless, and felt that she should never do that again. Sasuke had no idea how wrong he was. Mayu had used that information many times since. Mostly to distract him while they were sparing with each other. Other times, though, it was to wake the heavy sleeper. Now, this was the perfect situation to use that knowledge Sasuke knew.

Mayu sighed heavily, stood back, and then gasped loudly... and over dramatically. "Oh my gawd!! It's Hyuga Neji, and he's walking it out!" she exclaimed, pointing in a random direction to add to the affect.

"WHERE?! WHERE?!" Sasuke sat up, looking in all directions. A small grin materialized on Mayu's face. Sasuke's eyes finally turned to Mayu, and then the Uchiha frowned. "You... are evil." Mayu's grin only grew wider.

This was the normal reaction Sasuke had when she mentioned someone doing that dance. Wait, there was this one time that she had said that it was Nara Shikamaru who was 'walking it out.' Sasuke did not wake up, trying to see this... event. He woke up laughing. No, really! Laughing his head off. The boy could barely breathe. The very thought of the lazy ninja doing something like that was crazy. For months, every time the Uchiha saw Shikamaru, he would unintentionally laugh, while Mayu only snickered.

"Whatever...! Anyway, get ready!" Mayu ordered. "Nakatsu-kun and Sai are up and ready! We're leaving in ten minutes. Do not keep us waiting!" She walked towards the door, grabbing her guitar on the way.

"Yeah, yeah..." Sasuke muttered, and then yawned and stretched. "I'll be ready."

"Good." And with that said, Mayu closed the door behind her, leaving the Uchiha to get dressed.
***********************


"Oi! Nakatsu-kun!" Mayu called, giving a wave. Sawatari Nakatsu turned his head slightly to see the girl walking over to him. He instantly grinned.

"Mayu-chan! Come see! Come see!" he called over to her. Mayu quickly rushed over to Nakatsu, who was crouched low to the ground, hovering over something. That something happened to a bird. It lied there on the ground, unmoving. Mayu gasped as she dropped down to her knees.

"What happened?!" she demanded to know. Nakatsu turned back to the bird.

"I'm sure it was attacked..." he answered. "But it's still alive." Nakatsu placed both of his hands on the small bird's body, and then closed his eyes. Green chakra suddenly emitted from his hands, causing Mayu's eyes to widen.

"Healing chakra...? Oh, right... Nakatsu-kun's a medic-nin," she thought. "I can't believe I forgot about that!"

The green chakra disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Nakatsu lifted his hands. A few seconds later, the bird opened its eyes, flapped his wings, and then flew away. Mayu and Nakatsu both watched the small bird fly away until it was nothing but a dot in the sky. "That was amazing, Nakatsu-kun!" Mayu praised. The two both stood up in unison.

"Thanks, Mayu-chan!" he replied, a slight blush on his face. "I... really like animals."

"You do? So do I!" Mayu stated, grinning. "Ever since I was old enough to walk!"

"Hai. You told me that, remember?" Nakatsu asked, turning to face the girl. Mayu didn't keep his gaze, though; her head turned away, grin completely gone by now.

"Oh, right..." she muttered. During those few hours Mayu and Nakatsu had spent with each when they were younger, Nakatsu had insisted on Mayu telling about herself.

"Mayu-chan...?" Nakatsu said, getting the girl's attention.

"Um... We should go find the others," Mayu turned her back to her teammate, and began walking away.

"Wait a second, Mayu-chan!" Nakatsu called; Mayu stopped, but did not turn back to face him. "I know you're still angry with the Uchiha for doing that to you... Why must you keep fooling him into thinking that you're not? I can tell... As soon as the subject turned to that... you are immediately angered. I don't understand why you put on that mask when that's not what you're feeling."

"Nakatsu-kun... I do not bug others about their past anymore... because I don't want them prying into mine," Mayu said, still not turning. Nakatsu noticed that her fists were clenched as if she were trying desparately to keep her anger in, however, her voice seemed as calm as ever. "My past... I'd rather not think about it. Please refrain from talking about it. As for the mask..." Mayu turned her head slightly.

Nakatsu almost let out a surprised gasp. Mayu's eyes were no longer wide, innocent, or cute. They were narrowed into slits. He could practically feel her blue eyes piercing his flesh. Those were the eyes of a person who had gone through emotionally stress for years... The eyes of a person who had not truly gotten over that stress. These eyes held anger, and it seemed as if that anger didn't belong there, and yet... it was.

"Mayu-chan..." Nakatsu thought. Her eyes closed, and a grin appeared on her face.

"Every ninja must have a mask to fool their enemies, right?" she asked, her happy child-like voice returned. Nakatsu walked over to her, and then put a hand on her shoulder. Mayu didn't try to push him away.

"To fool your enemies, yes, but to fool your friends... A ninja should show their true emotions once in a while," he said. Mayu bit her bottom lip, and then bowed her head.

"Ne, Ita-chan! What's with the same blank look for?"

"A ninja must refrain from showing emotion."

"But you're not even on a mission! Lighten up, Weasel-kun!"

"Hai, captain!" Mayu muttered, and then walked off. "I have to stop myself from becoming... that person again," she thought. "You're totally right, Nakatsu-kun! How could I forget?" she said out loud. "Now, let's get out of this forest and find our teammates!"

"H-Hai...!" Nakatsu said, nodding. The transition Mayu seemed to pull off left him slightly stunned.
************************

Mayu and Nakatsu walked over to their other teammates, who were standing at the entrance of the small village. Sasuke opened his eyes, and then looked up as the two stepped closer. Sai continued to draw in his notebook, not once looking away. "Where have you two been?" Sasuke asked, eye brow twitching slightly. Mayu rolled her eyes, and then stopped walking.

"If you must know, Nakatsu-kun and I were making out in the forest," she lied, and then walked over to Sai. Sasuke's mouth dropped open in shock as Mayu walked pass him.

"No! Calm down! She was only joking..." he thought, trying to calm his angry, racing heart. Nakatsu's smug-like grin wasn't really helping to ease the racing either. Sasuke's eye brow twitched again as he glared at the older boy.

"How's it going, homo? Do I look extra hot today or something? You keep staring at me like I'm a piece of meat," Nakatsu said with a sly look.

"I'm going to tear-" Sasuke didn't finish.

"-The clothes from my body? Sasuke-kun, you naughty individual!" Nakatsu laughed. "Please, don't speak that way in public! No matter how bad you want me, I'm totally straight."

"That asshole...!" Sasuke thought, inching closer to the captain. He was going to kill him! Mayu crouched down next to Sai, and peered over his shoulder. Yes, she was going to ignore the two other males on her team.

"What are you doing?" she asked; Sai didn't answer. "Abstract...? You're an artist? I'm not one for art, but I do like the nothing-ness of abstract. I think because even nothing can have meaning." Sai stopped drawing, and finally looked up at Mayu.

"Nothing-ness... meaning? It doesn't have meaning," he stated. "Nothing-ness, I agree, but meaning... I do not believe it has meaning as it doesn't have a title."

"Of course, abstract has meaning," Mayu argued. "You just don't start drawing for no reason! It has to come from somewhere. Take this one for example. The blue and red... could represent emotion. Here-" she pointed to a certain spot on the paper. "-the colors seem to mix and accept one another, while here-" she pointed to another spot. "-the colors seem as if they're clashing. Conflicting emotions. But that's my thought about it. I'm sure you have your own thoughts and feelings towards your work."

"No, I don't have feelings," Sai responded, drawing again. "No thought, no feeling... definitely no emotion."

"Then why did you do it?" she asked. "You're an artist, right? You must take pride in your work. There must be a reason why you draw."

Sai paused for a moment, looked up, and then turned to Mayu with a fake smile. "Because I am able," he answered. Mayu frowned lightly as Sai turned back to his abstract and continued drawing.

"Well, Ino-man definitely wouldn't have gotten along with Sai..." she thought. She looked over her shoulder to see Sasuke and Nakatsu yelling at one another. Well, actually it was Nakatsu yelling at Sasuke, who was looking quite smug at the moment. "Sasuke! Nakatsu-kun! We're leaving!" she called over to them.

The two immediately stopped their little quarrel, and walked over to Sai and Mayu. Both teens peered over Sai's shoulder to see his drawing. "Isn't it great! He's got mad skills, and yet he isn't all crazy about it! Nice change from that bomb crazy, Deidara dude, eh, Sasuke?" Mayu asked.

"Sure, why not?" the Uchiha answered, crossing his arms. "Let's just go already." Sai stood up, and then shut his notebook. He placed his items back in his bag.

"It's not that serious," Nakatsu sneered. He wasn't too happy about Sai inadvertently stealing Mayu's attention. He was an emotionless weird kinda person, and yet Mayu seemed drawn to him. And it was kinda pissing Nakatsu off.

"Yeah... Just like your penis," Sai replied with another fake smile. Nakatsu's face went red in anger and embarrassment. Sasuke let out a small snicker, while Mayu just flat out laughed, quite loudly.

"Well, what do ya know? You do have the ability to make me laugh!" she said with a grin. She slung an arm around Sai's shoulders and pulled him close. "I think this is a start to a wonderful friendship! Good job, Sai-chan!"

"Mayu-chan...! Don't encourage him!" Nakatsu practically whined.

"Dumb ass..." Sasuke muttered.
**********************************



I struggled to break the the snake-like ink that was wrapped around both my wrists, which were tied behind me. Damn it! I didn't think I would get caught this fast. Well, I wasn't actually caught yet. My arms were just... unusable at the moment. Sai-chan really should have made that weird ink wrap around my legs. Even with the weights on, I think I'm slightly faster than the other members of my team. Anyway, the reason I am running away from my teammates is--well, this is kinda like a mission scenario.

I'm the Akatsuki spy, and they're trying to capture me. Seems simple, right? Well, those idiots haven't been able to fully capture me yet. It's already been seven minutes. And I know what's taking them so long. "They're not working together as a team!" I thought, frowning. The true purpose of this is to see if the three males on my team could work together. So far... they're failing miserably.

I mean, Sasuke got tied up by Sai-chan. So, I don't even know where the Uchiha is anymore. Most likely still struggling to get from Sai's ink. As far as I know, they're only two enemies after me. Speaking of those two... "They're close," I thought.

Suddenly, Nakatsu-kun appeared about five yards in front of me. "Prepare yourself!" he shouted. What the hell?! Isn't he our medic?

"Those retards!" I thought as I moved closer to the older male.

"Bring it on," Nakatsu-kun said, getting into a taijutsu stance.

"WROOONG!!" I yelled.

My outburst seemed to shock him because his stance wavered slightly, allowing me to catch him off guard. I quickly flipped over him, and then swung my leg up, kicking him in the face. He fell to the ground, body twitching slightly. I took off running again. "Those idiots..." I muttered, picking up speed. Sai-chan was close. And this ink wasn't letting up either.

I couldn't help but feel angry with my teammates. They had actually let the medic come at me first. If this was real, the spy could have killed him, and then there would be no one to heal the others if we were fatally wounded. Argh...! Complete bakas, they were! I continued running, jumping from tree to tree. Pretty soon, I'd reach the clearing, and then I'll be an easy target. Hopefully, Sai-chan will realize this. Yes, I was kinda tired of running.

I propelled myself from the tree branch, did a small flip, and then landed in the middle of the clearing. I knelt down, catching my breath. Again, I tried to break my bonds, but couldn't. "Damn it..." I muttered, closing my eyes. I stood up as I opened my eyes. I could feel my eyes widen as I felt him.

"Ninpou..." I heard a voice; Sai-chan's voice.

I turned to see him standing a few feet from him, a scroll at his feet. On the open scroll was a long zig-zag line. "Shit! Not another snake!" I thought, jumping up.

"... Choujuu Kikan," Sai-chan finished. From my position in the air, I saw the head of the snake from the paper, and then its entire body sprung upwards towards me. I tried to dodge it, but that proved to be useless since I'm still in the air!

The snake seemed to of have gotten longer because it wrapped its body around both my legs, and then squeezed, causing my legs to smack together. "Shit...!" I thought as I began falling. I hopelessly tried to escape from my bonds, as well as from the fall, but as I said... it was hopeless. I squeezed my eyes shut, and waited for the dreaded impact. Luckily, it never came. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief as I opened my eyes. Sasuke had been the one to catch me, not Sai-chan; he held me in a bridal position. I absent-mindedly thought about who had created that position as I gazed into Sasuke's dark eyes.

He knelt, and then placed me on the soft grass. "You've been caught," Sai-chan told me in a blank tone. The very same tone Sasuke used to use. I had to stop myself from frowning. "And you, Sasuke-kun, have escaped as well. You must be very strong." Sasuke only glared at Sai-chan.

"Nice work, Sai-chan," I praised.

He did succeed in capturing me without the help of his teammates. Sai-chan nodded, and then made a hand sign. "Release," he said, and then my bonds turned back into its liquid form, dropping around my body. Sasuke helped me stand on my own feet, continuing to glare at Sai-chan as he did; Sai-chan looked as innocent as ever as if he didn't tie up his teammate. I mentally sighed.

"H-Hey...!" I turned to see Nakatsu-kun running towards us, waving his hand in the air, a nervous smile on his face. "Sorry that I wasn't as helpful as I'd like to be." He stood beside Sai-chan, and then rubbed the back of his head. "You forgive me, right, Mayu-chan?" he asked.

"Of course, I do!" I answered with the best smile I could muster. "I was captured successfully!" Nakatsu-kun grinned, Sai-chan put on a smile, Sasuke only smirked.

I grabbed Sasuke's left ear, and Nakatsu-kun's right ear, and then slammed their heads together. Since Sai-chan was in the middle of the two, he got his head smashed, too. "What I'm not forgiving you shitheads for is not using your own team to capture me!" I yelled as the three sank to the ground, groaning in agony. Well, at least Nakatsu-kun was.

"M-Mayu-chaaaan...! That h-hurt!" he whimpered, holding his aching head. Sasuke and Sai-kun did the same. I crossed my arms and glared at the trio.

"That fake smile. Mayu-san, I had no idea you were about to..." Sai-chan trailed off.

"I should have known..." Sasuke muttered. His eyes were shut in pain as he hand rubbed his head.

"Honestly!" I yelled. "We were put on a team for a fucking reason!"

"B-But, Mayu-chan-"

"Don't 'Mayu-chan' me, Sawatari!" I interrupted; the older male instantly closed his mouth. "You are our medic! You are not supposed to try and fight alone! What if it was real, and I actually killed you, hm? Did you even stop to think that I could fatally wound your comrades?! Who would be there to heal them, huh?!"

Nakatsu bowed his head, a frown was present on his face. "Uchiha Sasuke...! I'm almost surprised that you didn't take advantage!" I turned my glare to him. He visibly flinched at my loud voice. "Not once did you even try to let Sai-chan or Nakatsu-kun work with you! Not once! You just charged after me on your own! You're definitely not getting anything for Christmas!" Sasuke gapped at me in surprise. (A/N: What? I had to throw something in there...)

"And you, Sai-chan!" I turned my attention to the one in the middle. He stared up at me, same innocent smile on his pale face. "You didn't have to tie up Sasuke! He's your teammate, your comrade! You're supposed to work with him!"

"But..." Sai-chan said, narrowing his eyes slightly, the smile was gone by now. "Capturing you would have been easier. I judged the situation and acted, keeping the success of the mission in mind. As long as the mission is taken care of-"

"-You left him in a vulnerable position!" I interrupted; I could practically feel my glare hardening. "An enemy could have easily took advantage of what youdid, and killed him! In a team, no matter whohappens to be on it, the team takes care of each other! In that team, the comrades always look out for each other! Thatcreates a higher chance of success for the mission! You three need to understand and accept this by the time we reach the bridge! And if you don't..." I turned my back to them. "We will... not survive."

I began to walk away from the three. "Mayu-chan...!" I heard Nakatsu-kun call.

"We're resting until nightfall," I called over my shoulder, not stopping to turn around. "We're going to be traveling at a much faster pace, so you better be up for it!" Wow, hearing myself talk like this... I think I stole Nakatsu-kun's title of captain. I don't know why, but thinking about that made me grin. "Ha! I'm in charge, bitches!"I thought.
*******************************


"SHIT...!" Yasume yelled as she raced through the streets of Konoha. "Boss man's gonna killme!" Innocent bystanders watched the foreigner run by. Never before had they heard a young women speak in such a manner. But then again, never before had they seen such a weird style of clothing either. "I can't believe I'm late again!"Yasume thought.

Yasmine: Well, maybe you shouldn't have been up all night reading that book...

"Oh, shut up! It's not my fault I just happened to come across it in Sasuke's room!" Yasume countered. "Why the hell would that emo bitch have Jiraiya's newest book, anyway?"

The girl slid to a stop at the back entrance of her job. She panted heavily for a moment, before standing up straight. She opened the door, and walked in, careful not to alert anyone that she was there. "YASUME!" a voice made the girl flinch. She slowly turned around to face her angry boss lady.

"Shit..." Yasume thought with a nervous grin. Junko had that crazy look in her eyes. Well, this wasn't the first time Yasume had been late. "Hey, B-Boss man... Sorry for being late... again," Yasume muttered.

Junko fumed. No, literally fumed. Yasume could have sworn she saw stream coming from her red ears. "Ya-su-me...!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you have any idea how long your client's been waiting...?! And quit calling me a man! I'm a woman! Master Junko, Junko-sama, hell, I'll even take boss lady, but not boss man!"

"I have a client...?" Yasume answered. That seemed to be the wrong answer. Yasume tried to blink innocently, but Junko saw right through.

"You have one minute to change into your cat wear," she said. Yasume opened her mouth to protest. "FIFTY-NINE SECONDS!"

Yasume scrambled away, quickly taking over her shirt. "If wasn't just a lil like Mayu, I would so beat her ass..."she thought, taking off her pants.

"Your client will be in your room in three minutes. You will set up quickly," Junko said, turning her back to Yasume.

"Yeah, yeah... Who's the client, anyway?" she asked, struggling to put on her black stockings.

"Hyuga Neji is your client," Junko answered. Yasume looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"He actually came back?" she asked.

"Yes, he did. But I believe he is being forced," Junko continued, crossing her arms. "The girl that was with him brought Hyuga-san in by the ear. She was saying something about 'no training,' so I'm guessing he is being forced."

"The dumb ass shouldn't have ran off last time," Yasume muttered, putting her her cat tail.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing..."

"Anyway..." Junko said, giving Yasume suspicious eyes. "His session will be free."

"Why...?!" Yasume asked, looking incredulous. "He may be of royal blood, but two freesession?! Who are you and what have you done with Junko?!"

BAM

Right in the head is where Junko struck. "You idiot!" she muttered, and then walked off. "Make sure you're ready. I'll be sending him back now."

"... Itai, ya dumb bitch..." Yasume muttered, rubbing her head. It was quite the sensitive spot, too...
***************************


"What the hell is taking that guy so long?!"Yasume thought; she tapped her foot impatiently. She had been sitting in her room for the past five minutes now, and she was beginning to get pissed. "Junko's probably flirting shamelessly with him even though she's almost thirty years old!"

Yasmine: Not to mention that Ten-chan and Neji-san might be dating...

"Teh! I doubt it!" Yasume muttered, resting her head on her chin, which was prompted up on her knee. "There is no way any girl in their right mind would go out with that asexual, stuck-up, prick! But then again, most Hyugas are like that. I'm surprised that they found a way to keep producing..."

Yasmine: That's not true, Yasume! And it's not funny at all!

"It is true, which makes it funny..." Yasume said, closing her eyes. "That's why it's true... hence, funny!"

"I. Can. Hear. You..." a voice said, and it sounded as if they were holding quite a bit of anger in. Yasume looked up to Hyuga Neji standing in the doorway, looking quite peeved. The sixteen-year-old had changed from his normal clothes to a robe belonging to Kitty Paradise. The choices for the robes were sky blue, purple, and bright pink. Why was Hyuga Neji wearing a pink one? Yasume let out a snicker; Neji's eyebrow twitched. This time, a giggle surfaced; Neji bared his teeth and his eyes narrowed into a glare. Yasume couldn't hold it in anymore; she flat out loud, quite loudly, while pointing at the angry Hyuga.

"Wh-Why the hellare you wearing... pi-pi-pink?!" Yasume asked, still pointing.

"It was the only color left..." Neji practically growled out, but by this time, Yasume was on the ground, laughing and holding her aching stomach.

"YASUME!" a new voice entered, causing the foreigner to stop laughing abruptly; she quickly stood. Seeing her boss, she coughed nervously. "Do not laugh at our clients!" Yasume coughed again, most likely covering up a giggle. "And Hyuga-san, I'm very sorry pink was the only color available. But I really think it makes you look quite manly." Junko gave a small bow, half-heartedly glared at Yasume, and then left, closing the door behind her.

Neji turned his pale eyes to Yasume. He noticed right away that she was trying to contain laughing. This only made the proud Hyuga glare at her. "M-Manly...! Manly, she says!" Yasume muttered, trying to suppress the rest of her giggles. "Ha! Gotta hand it to her, though. She kept a straight face as she said it..."

"I'm still here!" Neji muttered. Yasume looked back at Neji as if she just realized he was in the room.

"Sumimasen..." she said, and then grinned.

"Let's just get this over with," Neji grumbled, going over to bed. Yasume moved out of the in order to let Neji climb on top of the bed. She helped him pull her his robe, and then folded it. Neji let out a sigh as he rested his head on his arms. Of course, it just had to be the brash, rude personality that he'd gotten.

"You want the same as last time, Neji?" Yasume called over her shoulder.

"Yes, no candles, though," he answered, turning his head away from the girl. "How did she develop another personality? And to name it Yasume..."he thought, closing his eyes.

Neji had gone over this in his head many times since their last encounter, and his mind had yet to give a good explanation for Yasume. He did know for sure this was the girl he had known all those years ago... but back then, he was sure that she had not had another personality. But then again, this girl might not really be her, no matter how much Neji's mind wanted to believe that she was. "What if it is her? What if she remembers... and doesn't forgive me?"Neji thought. "No... It doesn't matter. As long as she remembers me, and I'm able to apologize. Once that's over, I will finally be able to move on."

"Neji-Meji! You haven't been here recently. I missed you this much!" a small girl held her arms out so that young Neji could see. "Where were you, anyway? Where's your daddy, hm?"

"Don't talk about my father!" Neji yelled, startling the girl. She took a step back.

"Neji-Meji...?" she muttered, uncertain.

"Don't call me that, either!"

"But that's-"

"I don't care! You know what? I don't even want to see your face anymore, Yaya-chan!" Neji glared.

"Wha...?"

"Don't ever come here again!" Neji shouted. "I hate you..." he grumbled, and then turned his back to the girl.

"N-Neji... why? What did I do?" the girl asked.

"I hate you," he repeated, and then ran, not looking back.

"... F-FINE, I DON'T CARE!" the girl yelled out in a different language.

"Yaya... chan..." Neji thought, narrowing his eyes. He shuddered as the warm gooey liquid touched his back.

"What? Can't handle the burn, Neji?" Yasume asked, placing the cap back on the bottle. "You're such a pansy!" Neji's eye twitch as the smell of vanilla hit his nose.

"You're obnoxious," he muttered.

"Least I'm not a pansy!" Yasume retorted in a sing-song voice, and then rubbed the palms of her hands against Neji's back. The Hyuga went stiff. "Jesus, you're sensitive to the touch, too? Yes, Hyuga Neji is the most manliest man on the planet."

"Would you just do your job?" Neji asked. "It would be better for the both of us if you did onlythat."

"Ya know, Neji, you've got a lot of tension in your back," Yasume commented, completely ignoring his question and comment. "I had another jounin... last week, I think. He didn't have as much tension as you do." Neji mentally groaned. She was not going to pay attention, was she? "You should really make it a regular thing to come here. At least once a month. Tension like this could really hurt you when you're old and your insides are decaying."

"Insides... decaying...?"Neji thought with a slightly confused look on his face.

"Almost finished with your back. Next is your arms, and then legs," Yasume said, her hands pressing against Neji's lower back. "Yasmine's gonna do your front and feet, since I don't like feet." The two were then enveloped in a silence, not once speaking a word. Yasume briefly wondered why Neji didn't have any cuts or scars on his body. But then passed it off with a shrug. "Must be an anime thing..."she thought, pressing one hand one Neji's shoulder blade, and the other at his side.

"... You have a scar, don't you?" Neji suddenly questioned. Yasume stopped her moving hands; they hovered over the Hyuga's arm. She was slightly shocked that he was actually starting a conversation with her.

"... of course, I do," she answered, and then continued with the massage. "Most of them being from Mayu. She showed no mercy even to her precious friend."

"When did you meet Mayu-san? I mean, did you exist when you met her?" Neji asked. Yasume's eye twitched; she 'accidentally' slapped Neji's back, causing the Hyuga to hiss in pain.

"Sorry 'bout that. My hand slipped," Yasume apologized, though, she didn't sound very sorry. "To answer your questions... Yes, I 'existed' when I met Mayu, and we met each other when we were fourteen."

"Oh..." Neji mumbled. Yasume gave him a confused look, not that he saw, and then focused more on job.

"He's way out of character," she thought, eyes narrowed. "That's even more creepy than Sasuke being a closet pervert..."

"... The scar... I meant the one on your neck. The one that travels down your back," Neji suddenly said. Yasume's hands stopped moving again.

Yasmine: How do you know about that?

"So, you've seen it. I guess the Hyugas really are a bunch of perverts. Did you get a good look at my ass as well?" Yasume asked.

"So it is there..." Neji thought, and then comprehended what Yasume actually said. He sat up, a slight blush on his face as he turned to her. "N-No! I mean... I already knew about it," he said out loud.

Yasume looked at him through a glare. "And how, pray tell, do you know this?" she asked, her voice seemed to get colder.

"When I was far younger than I am right now, I had a... playmate," Neji answered, slightly embarrassed that he was telling someone about this. Not even his ex-girlfriend knew much of his past. "She and I would always play together at the park. Once, I saw her scar. She told me she fell, but I never believed her. I realized that the one called Yasmine and the girl... are the same. Yasmine is Yaya-chan."

Neji's words caused something to stir in Yasume. The girl's right eye began to twitch as if some dust had gotten into it. Yaya-chan. Yaya-chan. Yaya-chan! That name! Why did that name piss Yasume off? Suddenly, she felt a familiar shifting taking over her. The very same feeling she'd get when she was hit three times. Yasmine had come back.

The girl stepped back, placing a hand on her head as she moved further away from Neji. The Hyuga looked slightly surprised by her actions. "Hey, are you-" he began, but Yasmine held out her other hand as if she were trying to keep him away.

"Y-You stay away from me...!" she whispered, still staring at the ground.

"That language... You are Yaya-chan!" Neji stated, sliding off the bed. Yasmine backed up further until her back was against the wall.

"S-Stay away from me!" she shouted.

Neji stopped, mid-step. "Yaya-chan..." he muttered. This was not the reaction he was hoping for.

"I-I'm not this 'Yaya-chan' you keep going on abou-out!" Yasmine said. Her outstretched hand clutched the part of her shirt covering her chest. Her lungs felt like they were constricting! Her breathing was erratic.

"Hey, you're not-"

Yasume: Leave! Leave, now!

"I want to... help you," Neji stated, stepping closer. Yasmine's eyes widen as the Hyuga continued to move towards her.

Yasume: YASMINE, GET THE FUCK OUTTA THERE!

Yasume didn't have to repeat herself after that. Yasmine turned, and then ran out, leaving Neji with an outstretched hand and a look of pure confusion on his face.
***************************

The four teens walked through a forest in silence. Nakatsu and Mayu in front, Sasuke and Sai behind them. They had been walking for days, only resting until nightfall. But today, the group traveled in broad daylight. Sasuke thought this was strange, but didn't voice his opinion. Mayu and Nakatsu seemed to be in agreement about when they traveled. Something that pissed the Uchiha off greatly. Mayu seemed to talk more to Nakatsu than she did him! Sasuke glared at Nakatsu's back.

Suddenly, Nakatsu stopped, and for a moment Sasuke thought he had sensed him glaring at his back. "Alright, everyone," Nakatsu began, causing everyone to stop. "We're almost there, and it's almost noon. Yamato-san's group should already be in hiding by name."

"Yamato-san...?" Mayu repeated.

"The person in charge of Naruto's team," Nakatsu explained; Mayu nodded. "As I was saying, his group as most likely hiding as we speak. But we still can not let them know of our presence just yet."

Nakatsu removed his backpack, and then dung inside it. He pulled out four wireless radios. He handed one to each member. "We're going to use these to communicate?" Mayu asked. "Does that mean-"

"-Yes, we're splitting up into two groups," Nakatsu confirmed, nodding his head. "In one group, Sai and Sasuke. The other group will be Mayu-chan and I."

Now wait just a cotton-picking minute! Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but someone beat him to the punch. "No," Mayu said, shaking her head. "It would be better if Sasuke and I were together. Sai-chan and Nakatsu-kun should be together for this."

"Why?" Nakatsu asked, slightly disappointed.

"Sasuke and I work well with each other," Mayu answered. "And besides... I don't trust Sai-chan all that much for some reason... Not only that, but... if Oro-teme is involved, I don't Sasuke out of my sight,"she finished in thought.

"Fine..." Nakatsu muttered. "I have to watch keep an eye on Sai, anyway..."he thought. "Okay, we need to stay hidden from our comrades, so we must know of their location."

"I've got it covered," Sai said. He took at a scroll, brush, and ink. "I'll summon rodents. They're small and fast." While Sai drew on the scroll, Mayu pulled Sasuke a few feet away from the rest of the team.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Can you seal things?" Mayu asked, releasing Sasuke's wrist.

"Seal things...?" he repeated; Mayu nodded.

"This guitar of mine would most likely get in the way," she said. "It would be best if I seal it up, but I don't know how. Since you traveled with Jiraiya-san, you must know how to seal, right?"

"Sure," Sasuke answered, reaching into his bag. He pulled out a scroll, opened it, and then placed it on the ground.

"Thanks, Sasuke!" Mayu exclaimed, removing her guitar from her body. She handed it over to the Uchiha.

"Mayu-chan! Sasuke!" Nakatsu called over. "Come over here!"

"Just a sec...!" Mayu called back.

"It's already done," Sasuke stated, rolling up the scroll; he placed it in her hand.

Mayu looked at Sasuke, and then the scroll, and then back to Sasuke. "That was fast..." she muttered. The Uchiha only smirked, causing Mayu to roll her eyes. The two walked back over to their other teammates.

"Two humans are hiding near the bridge, the other is walking towards the bridge," Sai stated.

"So... that means that there isn't going to be an ambush," Mayu muttered.

"It also means Yamato-san's team is already set up," Nakatsu said. "It's about time we do the same. We have a few minutes till noon. Keep close, but don't cross the bridge, got it?"

"Hold on, what's the frequency?" Sasuke asked.

"118," Sai answered. Mayu and Sasuke quickly adjusted their radios.

"Alright," Nakatsu said. "Let's head out!" Both Sai and Nakatsu disappeared, leaving only Mayu and Sasuke. The Ishikari took out a kunai, and then pricked her numb with it. She was nottrying to bite herself again. She performed the proper hand signs, and then slammed her palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!" she said.

As before, a giant cloud of smoke appeared. Mayu and Sasuke stood back. Once the smoke dispersed, the teens could see Nana, the black leopard. "Again...?" Sasuke muttered.

"What? I need my bow," Mayu replied, shrugging her shoulders. She patted Nana's head, earning a slight purr from the giant cat. "That's my girl, Nana."

Mayu removed the bow and quiver of arrows from Nana's body. The leopard purred loudly, rubbed its head against Mayu's, and then licked her cheek. Mayu giggled light as she attached the quiver and put the bow around her body. "Lucky cat..."Sasuke thought.

"Come on, Sasuke!" Mayu said, hopping on Nana's back. The Uchiha followed suit. "This is a stealth mission, Nana, so be extra quiet, okay?" The leopard seemed to nod its head. "Alright, let's go!"
************************************


"The wind is strong, Mayu. We could move a bit closer," Sasuke said.

"No, this place is good," Mayu said. "From here we can see Naruto and Sakura, and the person who is disguised as Sasori." The two teens stood on a sturdy tree branch. Nana was crouched below them on the ground. "Also, if the spy tries to run, I could shoot him in the leg, all from this point."

"How do you know that if he's not even here?" Sasuke asked.

Mayu's eyes narrowed, and then she turned her eyes to the Uchiha. "Why are you questioning my judgment all of a sudden?" she asked. Sasuke held her gaze for a moment, before turning away.

"I'm just a little cautious, that's all," he said. "This person... whoever it is... is spying on Orochimaru. That man may look like his brain's not all there, but he's very smart. He might have figured out already that the spy betrayed him... and he might be here to kill him. He'll kill everyone else as well."

"... Sasuke..." Mayu muttered, and then turned her eyes back to the bridge. "Believe me, I feel the same. If Oro-teme does appear... things will definitely not be in our favor, since he's a Sannin, but then again... With you and Naruto here, he's the one that probably doesn't stand a chance. But on a side note, he's a sneaky bastard..."

"Mayu...!" Sasuke began.

"Listen, don't worry about me, alright?" Mayu continued. "I can take care of myself when it comes to fighting. Protect our medics. They're the ones that can't die."

"You can't die, either, Mayu..." Sasuke thought. "I need you."

"I'm about to switch bodies with Sakura," Mayu suddenly said.

"You're gonna what?!" Sasuke asked.

Mayu chuckled lightly, and then repeated. "Tell Sakura not to alert her team when she gets her body back," she said, and then performed some hand gestures. "El estilo de Ishikari: ¡El interruptor del Cuerpo Jutsu!" Mayu's body suddenly went limp, causing Sasuke to catch it before it fell off the branch.

"Reckless..." Sasuke muttered. Moments later, a groan escaped Mayu's lips.

"Wh-What happened?" she muttered.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, getting the girl's attention. The girl looked up and saw dark eyes staring back at her. Her eyes widen, and then she practically jumped away from the Uchiha.

"S-Sasuke-kun...!" she exclaimed. "How did I get here?!"

"Relax. Mayu switched bodies with you," Sasuke explained, and then looked towards the bridge. "She's in your body now. When you return to your body, don't tell Naruto."

Mayu-Sakura looked towards where Sasuke was looking. She saw her pink hair, and recognition immediately showed in her eyes. "Demo..." she began, turning back to her former teammate. "Why are you two here?"

"We're here, along with two other ninja. The Hokage, I guess, wanted to be extra careful with this mission, so she sent us as back up," Sasuke explained.

"Oh, I see..." Mayu-Sakura muttered. "Sasuke-kun... I wanted to ask you something."

"I don't think this is the right time for talking..." Sasuke said, not taking his eyes off the pink hair.

"It's about Mayu-san. Please, let me talk to you," Mayu-Sakura pleaded.

"Damn it!" Sasuke thought. "Of course she had to ask me something while in Mayu's body...!"

"Sasuke..."

"Fine, whatever, talk! You probably only have a few minutes," Sasuke grumbled. He did notwant to talk about Mayu with a girl that used to have a crush on him.

"Great!" Mayu-Sakura exclaimed. "First, let me start off by saying that I don't think my jealously tactics are working."

"Jealously tactics...?!"

"Yeah, before your mission to save the Kazekage, I told you you were going to take me on a date, remember? I even said that you were staring at my boobs!" Mayu-Sakura asked; Sasuke tried to suppress his blush, he really did. "I tried to say it loudly and clearly."

"Wh-Why the hell are you trying to make her jealous?" Sasuke asked.

"Because you're obviously in love with her, and I want to see you happy, Sasuke-kun," Mayu-Sakura answered.

"Then why did you faint that one time I kissed her?" Sasuke questioned. "It was as if you couldn't believe it." Mayu-Sakura closed her eyes.

"That's because I couldn't believe it! I thought you were gay for the longest time," she muttered, nonchalantly.

"Gay...?!" Sasuke thought, almost falling out of the tree in surprise.

"What? You thought I fainted because I still had that silly little childhood crush on you?" Mayu-Sakura teased, sticking her tongue out.

"Mayu's... tongue!" Sasuke thought with wide eyes.

"I'm completely over that," Mayu-Sakura commented, and then turned her head back. "I like guys who are sweet, charming, sensitive, yet still outgoing!" she sighed dreamily. "Guys like that are the best!" Sasuke suddenly regretted allowing Sakura to talk. "Anyway, jealously tactics won't work against Mayu-san, so... we're going to have to figure out a way for-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted her. "No way in hell! Youstay out of it, alright?!"

"But, Sasuke-kun-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted again. "This is my problem to deal with, and I'll handle it accordingly." The Uchiha mentally sighed. "Come on, Mayu. Come back, already!"he thought.

"Demo..." Mayu-Sakura muttered, biting her lip. "Mayu-san seems to be your anchor... If she's not around... What's to stop you from trying to leave again?" Ah! The truth comes out! Sakura doesn't want Sasuke to leave again. She doesn't want history to repeat itself. "You're my friend, and it'll hurt if you were to leave again."

"That... won't happen again," Sasuke muttered. "I can't... I can't do that to her, not again..."

"If it wasn't for Yasmine, bless her soul, I wouldn't be--I would be six feet under." Mayu's previous words echoed through Sasuke's head.

"If it does... I wouldn't be there to see how she's doing," Sasuke continued. "Doing that, leaving again... That might kill her."

"Sasuke-kun..." Mayu-Sakura muttered, a sad look in her eye.

Suddenly, Mayu's body went limp again, causing Sasuke to reach out again to stop her from falling. He stared at her closed eyes until they opened. "Sasuke...!" Mayu muttered, standing up on her own. "Did you tell her?"

"Of course," he answered, looking back towards the bridge. "That and other things..."he finished in thought.

"Good."

"Minna..." Sai's voice suddenly was heard. Mayu almost forgot about wearing the wireless radios.

"Go ahead, Sai-chan," she said.

"The spy is here," Sai finished.

"Do you see him from where you're at?" Nakatsu's voice joined in. Mayu looked around the bridge, and then narrowed her eyes. She saw a hooded character, slowly walking towards the bridge.

"Hai," both she and Sasuke replied in unison.

"Good, we move when Mayu thinks it's right," Nakatsu said.

"Why me?" Mayu asked.

"Because you've proven yourself to be a great leader, and I trust your judgment even though you're still a genin," Nakatsu answered.

"Awwww!" Mayu cooed, making Sasuke roll his eyes. "That's very nice of you to say, Nakatsu-kun!"

"Oh, give me a break..." Sasuke muttered.

Mayu chose to ignore this remark, though. "Alright, we move when I say," she said. "I don't think I have to say this, but I'm saying it anyway. Don't move without me telling you to. No matter what happens with the other team, don't move unless I say, got it?"

"Hai," three voices replied in unison.

"I'm in charge, bitches!" Mayu thought with a grin. "Oh, yeah... I'm so gonna start saying that out loud if this keeps up."

"The one disguised as Sasori, Yamato-san, has stopped moving," Nakatsu stated.

"Be on your guard," Mayu said. "And the wind might be strong, but stay absolutely quiet!"

Mayu and Sasuke both watched as the hooded spy turned towards the disguised Yamato. The hooded person said something, and then pulled his hood back slightly. "K-Kabuto...!" Sasuke muttered. "There's no way!"

"Kabuto...? I never would have guessed," Mayu thought.

"Mayu... this isn't right," Sasuke whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Kabuto... Out of all the people working for Orochimaru, he's seems to be the most loyal," Sasuke explained. "There's no way anyone's that good at spying... This isn't right at all."

Mayu nodded her head, and then pushed a button on her radio. "Sai-chan, Nakatsu-kun... come in," she said.

"Yeah?" Nakatsu said.

"I'm listening as well," Sai replied.

"Sasuke just gave me some info on the spy, he's name being Kabuto," Mayu continued. "Judging from the info, there could be a possible ambush."

"But didn't Sai check already?" Nakatsu wondered.

"Doesn't matter now. This could turn into a very hostile situation," Mayu muttered. "Sai-chan, you keep an eye on the spy. Nakatsu-kun, you keep an eye out for anymovement coming from the other side of the bridge."

"What about us?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke and I are going to move a little bit closer," Mayu spoke. "Remember, don't move until I say." She removed her fingers from the button.

"Hai!"

Mayu motioned for Sasuke to follow her. The two landed next to Nana, barely making a sound. "We're going to move on our hands and knees, alright?" Mayu said. "And, Nana, you stay here." Sasuke followed Mayu only a few yards away from their initial point. "This should be good enough," she muttered. Sasuke moved next to her.

"Possible ambush...?" Sasuke repeated. Mayu looked at Sasuke, and then smiled.

"If what you say is true, there's a chance that Kabuto might turn on Sasori," she said, turning back to the bridge. "Maybe he was sent here to kill Sasori... And to kill an Akatsuki member... Kabuto, alone, doesn't stand a chance." Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. He knew that he could kill Kabuto if he wanted. That ninja may have been strong, but he was no match for Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke turned back to the disguised Yamato and Kabuto. Suddenly, Kabuto turned back and looked behind himself. Both Mayu and Sasuke saw this action, and then narrowed their eyes. "Hey, did you see that?" Sasuke asked; Mayu nodded her head, and then frowned.

"Yeah, but Kabuto doesn't think its anything, judging from the way he turned back to Yamato-san," she said. "But still..."

"Right..." Sasuke muttered, and then activated his Sharingan. "Shit...!"

"Nani?"

"There is someone," Sasuke answered. "How could Sai miss that?!"

"As I thought..." Mayu muttered, bowing her head.

"Guys, there is a new person," Sasuke said into his head set. "They are making their way towards the bridge."

"Nani?!" Nakatsu exclaimed. "Who is it?!"

"I don't know," Sasuke answered.

"The plan hasn't changed!" Mayu said. "No matter who it is, don't move until I say!"

"H-Hai..." Nakatsu muttered. Mayu quickly removed the bow from her body, and then pulled an arrow from its quiver. She placed the arrow in its proper place, and then pulled the string back. "I-I see him! It's Orochimaru!"

Mayu almost released her arrow in surprise. "What?!" she muttered. "Shit... so he did come." There he was, the snake summoner, on the bridge, standing behind Kabuto, with a big snake wrapped around his body. The snake began to wrap around Kabuto's body, but the glasses-wearing ninja quickly got out of dodge, by jumping over to Yamato. Mayu bared her teeth. Seeing Orochimaru made her practically see red. She reallywanted to release her arrow now and put it through his eye. Her entire body shook, and Sasuke noticed.

"Mayu, calm down," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your aim is going to be off if you continue to shake like that. Calm down..." Mayu's body eventually stopped shaking, but the glare still remained. "This isn't good... There's no telling what could happen that Orochimaru's here,"Sasuke thought, looking back towards the bridge. "Mayu's already angry. Naruto's bound to get angry sooner or later because he'll taunt him. But... I guess since he's here, we don't have to bother with catching Kabuto... We'll need to kill them both."

Suddenly, Kabuto turned on Yamato and cut the puppet's head right off! Yamato jumped in the air, holding his arm, which was bleeding. "I knew it..." Mayu muttered. Orochimaru sent multiple snakes out, and they lunged at Yamato, who was still in mid air. They bit into him, but luckily, Yamato turned into wood. The snakes reverted back to Orochimaru, and the real Yamato landed on the bridge. The three on the bridge stared talking... "Kami-sama...! I hate it when this happens! Why the hell are they talking at a time like this!?"Mayu thought, suppressing an eye roll.

"Teh... Those two love to hear themselves talk," Sasuke muttered, causing Mayu to look at him with a surprised expression. "They're so annoying..." Mayu let out a small snicker.

"Glad I'm not the only one," she thought, turning her attention back to the bridge. Suddenly, Yamato lifted his hand, and then Sakura and Naruto appeared in front of him on the bridge. "That must've been their signal."

"Mayu-chan...!" Nakatsu's voice was heard again.

"Kinda busy, tell him not now for me," Mayu muttered. Sasuke did as he was told.

"Orochimaru doesn't seem like he knows we're here," he said. "We'll wait until Mayu says. Be ready." Mayu pulled the string back a little further.

"Naruto..." she muttered. Sasuke looked back towards the bridge to see the red cloak beginning to appear around the Kyuubi container.

"Shit...! Already?! Naruto, you fool!" Sasuke frowned. "Losing your temper already..." Suddenly, the wood around Naruto crumbled, and the he disappeared! Naruto reappeared in front of Orochimaru, and then swiped at him! Orochimaru flew back... way back! In the forest, back! Mayu released her arrow. It traveled far and fast, and make a sickening thud in Kabuto's left leg.

"Yeah, now's the time..." Mayu said. "Nana!" The giant leopard came, and the two teens quickly jumped on her.

"That was the signal! Go to the bridge!" Sasuke told his other teammates. The five landed on the bridge, which was shaking under the weight of Naruto's frightening chakra. Sasuke quickly jumped from Nana.

"Sawatari...!" Yamato exclaimed.

"How's it going... Yamato-san?" Nakatsu said without turning to face the older man.

"Sakura... stand up," Mayu said. The pink-haired kunoichi quickly stood.

"Giant cat...? Just like her mother and uncle..." she thought. Kabuto pulled the arrow from his leg with a yelp of pain. He looked towards Mayu because she was the one that fired it. Her eyes were narrowed into a cold glare.

"Those eyes... remind me of Sasuke-kun when he was still with us," Kabuto thought. "So... are you ready to return to us, Sasuke-kun?" he asked out loud. "Orochimaru-sama misses his favorite toy..."

"His...?!" Mayu growled as Kabuto began healing himself.

"Shouldn't you been running, Kabuto?" Sasuke asked. "After all, Orochimaru's not here to help." Kabuto frowned at Sasuke as he stood up. "And you, Naruto... You need to calm down before I personally calm you down myself."

Naruto looked back at Sasuke, and then turned his head back. Orochimaru was walking towards the bridge! "Back already..."Mayu thought.

"It's very nice to see you again, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru continued to walk towards them. "It's been quite awhile since you ran from me. You're quite the little betrayer, aren't you?" Nana growled loudly as Orochimaru got even closer. He looked up to reveal that his face was tearing off... "I'm glad that I'm able to test how much stronger my Sasuke-kun has become without me." He stopped walking towards the group.

Naruto started growling. "He's not yours!" he shouted.

"Naruto...!" Sakura and Sasuke exclaimed in unison.

"Oro-teme..." Mayu muttered, and then she started laughing! No, seriously! Ishikari Mayu started laughing... loudly. Everyone looked at her in surprise; the girl stopped laughing like a mad woman.

"Mayu..." Sasuke thought. "Those eyes...!"

"Do you want to play, Oro-teme?" Mayu questioned, her eyes were closed and a manically grin crossed her face.

"And you would be...?" Orochimaru asked, never losing his smirk. To him, it was very amusing that a girl thought she could take him on.

"Who would I be?" Mayu said. Her skin, and hair colors changed. She opened her eyes to reveal the Sharingan. Orochimaru was slightly taken aback.

"Another Sharingan user...? It can't be..." he thought.

"I'm the person... who will kick your ass, and then, of course, kill you," Mayu answered. Her eyes were empty. Even with the Sharingan, they were somehow... emotionless. "Nana!" The giant leopard roared, and then dashed towards Orochimaru.

"Mayu, no!" Sasuke shouted.
*******************************

"That's because I couldn't believe it! I thought you were gay for the longest time." -Haruno Sakura


WHOOOO! I can't believe I'm finally done!

Now, this is a warning... In the next chapter, most of the characters are probably going to be acting stupid, so... there.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY! Perfect present for my reviewers, right?