Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 12

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

last time...

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kabuto jumps out, grabs Mayu, and then jumps to the other side of the bridge. "What in the hell?!" Nakatsu shouted. "Where did he come from?!"

"Mayu!" Sasuke shouted. The Ishikari struggled to get out of Kabuto's hold, but that only caused him to paralyze her.

"... Can't move...!" she thought as her body went limp. Kabuto wasted no time in tossing her other his shoulder. "I swear if this guy farts, I'm gonna kill him!"

"Kabuto...!" Sasuke practically growled.

"Gomen, gomen... Sasuke-kun," Kabuto called over with a smirk. "If you want her, come and get her!" Kabuto then ran away.
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"No one else can save me like you do... You're inhuman..." -Thousand Foot Krutch
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How the hell did I wind up in this situation?! Here I was, staring at up at Orochimaru. Oh, yeah! Kabuto-that bastard-threw me on the ground! I might of been paralyzed, but that still hurt! "Damn it...!" I thought. My eyes took a glance at my teammate, Sai. "I knew it... But why?"

"My, my! What do we have here?" Orochimaru asked. Just hearing that voice of his makes me want to shudder. "Another toy, Kabuto?"

"Not just any toy, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto answered; I couldn't even see his face. "She seems to be... very special to Sasuke-kun."

"So that's why he took me," I thought. "He's planning to use me to get Sasuke... Oro-teme still wants Sasuke's body. Damn!"

"Is that so?" Orochimaru muttered, squatting down to my level. NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I have this weird thing with Orochimaru. I could deal with him from a distance, but up close and personally? Where I am in his tongue range...? Oh, no! Hell to the naw!

"... I-I'm so-sorry, but..." I began. I'm actually surprised I could talk. "C-Can you pl-please get your f-face away from me?" Suddenly, I feel myself getting pulled up by the hair! "Ow..." I muttered, trying hard to glare at Kabuto, but I couldn't turn my head.

"Watch your tongue!" he told me.

"I ain't no watchman!" I wanted to say, but I'd probably be in pain, so I decided to keep that to myself.

"Hm..." I heard Orochimaru mumble. He came closer, but I couldn't squirm in protest, so I settled for closing my eyes tightly. Luckily, those were not paralyzed. I felt his hand grab my chin, and then move my head from side to side. I opened my eyes to see Orochimaru right in my face...

"I think... I just died inside," I thought, suddenly feeling faint. Orochimaru released me, and then turned away.

"There is nothing special about her. Kill her," he said, uncaring. Right now... I don't even mind death. Anything to get away from Orochimaru! ANYTHING!

"Orochimaru-sama," Sai spoke. I almost forgot about him... "Sasuke-kun is on his way, I'm assuming. Judging from my observations, he'd kill for her... he'd die for if that type of situation presented itself."

"Sai-chan... Why are you saying this?" I thought.

"So... She's to die for, is she?" Orochimaru chuckled. I think I'm gonna hurl! "Sasuke-kun sure has weird taste, doesn't he, Kabuto? She's not in the least bit beautiful. Quite frankly, she's not cute at all. Just plain, average... trash."

"WHAT?!" I stammered out. "YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE, YOU-" I was interrupted by a smack to the face.

And it was Sai who did it... But I really needed that. If I had continued ranting, Orochimaru probably would have killed me. "But I'm still gonna punch you in the nuts for that later, Sai!" I thought darkly.

"What I'm saying is..." Sai said. He was facing me with his back to Orochimaru. "She should be kept alive. You do still want Sasuke-kun, right?" Orochimaru laughed, causing me to internally shudder.

"Clever one, you are... Sai, was it?" he said. Judging from the sound of his feet, he had turned back around. Sai had moved out of the way, so it was confirmed that Orochimaru had turned. "Tell me, girl, who are you? And what is your relationship with Sasuke-kun?" I stayed silent, causing Kabuto to yank on my hair.

"Asshole...!" I muttered.

"Answer him!" Kabuto retorted.

"... My name..." I began with much venom as I could possible hold. "... is Ishikari Mayu." After that... Kabuto released me, and I dropped to the ground. "That's it! He's going on my hit list!" I thought, ignoring the pain of my chest.

"Ishikari, you say?" Kabuto muttered, and then he chuckled. "I see, now."

"Oh, do you know that name, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked.

"I'm surprised that you don't, Orochimaru-sama... After all, her clan, the Ishikari clan, is from your former village," Kabuto remarked. "But then again, it's understandable if you don't. Only a few knew of the Ishikari clan, including a few Uchiha."

"Oh? What can you tell me about them?" Orochimaru asked.

"O... M... G...! Do they not know Sasuke's coming to kill them?!" I thought. "They don't seem the least bit worried."

"Well, let me see if I can help you out a little... with my Ninja Info Cards," Kabuto said, causing me to sigh.

"What the heck are those?" I muttered.

"They're chakra encoded, my Ninja Info Cards," Kabuto continued; I narrowed my eyes in slight confusion. Why does he keep saying Ninja Info Cards like that?

"What are you talking about?" Sai asked.

"What villages they come from...?" Kabuto said. "They may not look like much, My Ninja Info Cards."

"Okay, he needs to stop talking..." I thought. "That's getting annoying..."

"The geographical distribution-" Luckily, he was interrupted.

"Kabuto, don't you dare start that again!" Orochimaru ordered.

"... S-Sorry, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto responded.

"If I may interrupt..." Sai said. "Sasuke-kun is still on his way here... I believe we should leave."

"The boy's right," Orochimaru said. "Explain on the way. Grab her and let's be on our way, shall we? We must prepare for Sasuke-kun's visit." I realize that he jumped away after saying this, and then it was Sai. Kabuto grabbed me by the hair again, and threw me over his shoulder. This time, though, my upper body was against Kabuto's chest. I won't have to worry about him farting! For that I am grateful! We were in the air in no time.

"You bastard!" I hissed, causing Kabuto to chuckle.

"You are very lucky, Ishikari-san," he said. "Had you've been someone else, you would die."

"Why don't you un-paralyze me, and we'll see if that happens," I muttered. Kabuto didn't respond for a few minutes... not until Orochimaru ordered him to finish with his explanation.

"For starters, their style of fighting is shrouded in mystery," Kabuto said. "In fact, no one, no enemy to Konoha, at least, knows of their fighting style. But I managed to get that information the last time I visited your former village. The ability to inhabit another's body, and then use that person's abilities as their own when they return to their own body. They take on the appearance of their opponent as well... for a time. That's why this one has pink hair and green eyes now."

"And why she had Sasuke-kun's Sharingan," Sai stated. Even with his emotionless voice, I could slightly hear the curiosity. But that was normal. Granny Theresa taught Yasmine and I to look and listen for emotion. Strange how she was about to do it...

"How... interesting," Orochimaru said. Okay, that's bad. If Orochimaru finds you interesting, you usually get kidnapped or manipulated into going with him. In my case, it was the former. "How many are there?"

"Unfortunately, I heard the clan was wiped out," Kabuto answered. "But now I know... There are two still alive. This one and an older one." I felt my eyes widen at that information. "About a year ago, a group of my underlings encountered the older one. Only one of them survived. He told me that this guy was relentless with his attacks. Not only did he enter their bodies, but also... slit their throats when he inhabited them. Of course, he wasn't harmed because he went back into his own body. The only information the survivor got out of him was his name and his motive."

"Motive...?" I thought.

"He was out on a self-mission... A mission to kill Uchiha Itachi," Kabuto continued. Well, that's no surprise. "He believed that Uchiha Itachi killed his family. Just like Sasuke-kun."

"Very interesting! I suppose you also want revenge then?" Orochimaru asked. His question was directed at me, but I chose not to answer. "If that's true, then it's no wonder Sasuke-kun feels so close to you. I'm not surprise at the hostility I felt from the other side of the bridge, nor the continuing blood lust I feel from him as he chases us down."

I allowed a smile to cross my features. "That's Sasuke for you," I thought. He's probably glaring at everything. But I couldn't feel anything. Orochimaru must be the only one who could feel something like that at this range because Sai and Kabuto didn't comment. "You do realize that before this is over... One of you will die," I told them. Orochimaru laughed.

"One of us is going to die?" he mocked. "I highly doubt it. Even with the training Sasuke-kun did get from me... It's not enough."

"¡Mantenga reír, serpiente!" I muttered under my breath in Spanish.(Translation: Keep laughing, snake!) "Sasuke no irá fácil en usted simplemente porque usted lo enseñaba. Sasuke es más fuerte que usted." (Sasuke will not go easy on you simply because you taught him. Sasuke is stronger than you.) None of the men said anything after that. I'm sure that they were perplexed by my words. Even as old as Orochimaru is... he couldn't have ever heard of this language. It was only spoken among the members of the Ishikari clan... and Itachi, of course. "But then, of course, I have no idea if either one of them has been overseas..." I thought.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me, Kabuto?" Orochimaru finally spoke.

"... Unfortunately, that's where my information is cut," Kabuto answered. "The clan were good at hiding themselves, even away from their own village. I don't even know where they resided in the village." I grinned.

"That's my family!" I thought. "Not even Kabuto could gather good info on them! Hell yes!"

"Lucky you, Kabuto..." Orochimaru suddenly said. "You get a new source to squeezeinformation out of." I did not like the way he said 'squeeze!' But then again, I don't like the way he talks at all, so... yeah!

"Yes, yes... how very lucky of me," Kabuto agreed.

"Creepy..." I thought. "... Ya'll ninja gay..." I muttered. The three males were quiet, causing me to sigh heavily.

It felt like it'd been at least thirty minutes, now, and the silence was almost unbearable! "Something please happen!" I thought, nearly pouting. I sighed again. "Bored... bored... bored... bored... bored... bored... bored... bored... bor-"

"Be quiet if you want to live," Kabuto told me. I sighed again. These people are so... dumb. How could Sasuke stand it?! But then again, Sasuke used to be the same. Boring and a dick.

"HEY!" I suddenly shouted, realizing something. I felt a pair of eyes on me. I couldn't tell who it was because my body isn't listening to my brain yet, so I really am a limp noodle. "I know a song that gets on every body's nerves!" Kabuto sighed heavily.

"How could Sasuke-kun put up with this girl...?" he muttered. I'm not going to even respond to that.

"No, you didn't like that?" I asked sarcastically. "How 'bout this one?" I then began to sing in my beautiful voice. -cough, cough- sarcasm... -cough, cough- "My bologna has a first name! It's O-S-C-A-R! My bologna has a second name! It's M-A-Y-E-R! Oh, I love to eat it every day, and if you ask me why, I'll saaaaay..." I held the 'a' for awhile. "Cuuuuz! Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!"

"Mayu-san..." I heard Sai-chan.

"Kabuto...!"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said. Suddenly, I blacked out...
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Yasume walked slowly back to the passage parlor. That whole thing with Neji was a little exhausting! "I just hope he gives up..." she thought, frowning. "Yasmine doesn't need that... It's been so many years since... I killed that man. She will learn of her past with Neji sooner or later, but... Now is not the time. Luckily, Neji isn't as persistent as Naruto." Years of watching the Naruto series, Yasume, as well as Yasmine, had gained a lot of knowledge about the characters, the arcs, and the layout of the countries. Yasume was a true hardcore Narutard. No one could tell her anything that she didn't already know!

"I'm just glad I didn't end up in Bleach, or something...!" Yasume thought. "Lucky me!" She shoved her hands into her pockets, and began to walk faster. "Boss man's gonna kill me if she finds out I left!"

"YA-SU-ME...! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Yasume imagined Junko turning into a red-eyed devil before her very eyes. She shuddered at the
thought.

"Even Mayu's not that scary!" she frowned.

Yasume stared at the ground. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Mayu's doing on that mission..." she muttered. "That mission was the one about that bridge... Meaning Orochimaru would be there. But because of Sasuke not being apart of Orochimaru's party... I have no idea what is going to happen." Yasume thought it was frustrating as hell that she didn't know the plot! "It's not fair!"

"Huh...? Yasmine!" a voice called, causing Yasume to look up. Who she saw was the weapon's mistress, coming towards her, waving and smiling.

"Oh, Ten-chan! What's happening?" she greeted. Tenten stopped in front of her, the smile had not wavered.

"It's nothing! I was just looking for Neji," she said. "The person at the desk told me she saw him leave... right after you did... So do you know where he might be?"

"Uh... no, not really... I ditched him awhile back," Yasume answered, shrugging. "The guy just started flashbacking, so... I just left him!"

"Oh, I see..." Tenten mumbled, bowing her head slightly. "Hey, uh... are you, by any chance, interested in Neji?" Yasume blinked in confusion at her question.

"Why would I be--Ooooh!" she thought, noticing the small blush on Tenten's face. "That's so cute!" Yes, Yasume was a big fan of the NejixTenten pairing. "Not to worry, Ten-chan! I have absolutely no interest in Hyuga Neji... In all honesty, he's too... weird for me! And I thought I was weird, no! That Hyuga takes the cake!" Tenten giggled lightly.

"I'm glad! For a moment, I thought-"

"Iie! Iie!" Yasume interrupted.

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Tenten said, grinning. "So you have no idea where he is now?"

"Nope! But if it helps... He's somewhere in a forest," Yasume said.

"Yeah... that really helps..." Tenten chuckled nervously. "I guess she wouldn't know how many forests Konoha has... since she's a foreigner..." she thought, staring at Yasume. "Is this what they call an exotic person...?"

Yasume grinned lightly, and then walked past Tenten. "I guess I'll be going then! See ya around, Ten-chan!" she waved, and then took off down the street. "Boss man's gonna kill me once she figures out I left!" she mumbled. Tenten watched her go with narrowed eyes. Never before, not even on missions, had she seen a female like Yasume. But it wasn't just her appearance that was strange. It was her personality, her attitude.

Tenten couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that sometimes that girl would change. Her moods was so erratic. Worse than a PMSing female, actually... Well, not worst, but different. It was strange to Tenten, but at the same time, it was... interesting...? They say people fear what they don't understand, but... Tenten knew that for some people, it wasn't fear. It was most definitely curiosity. Was Neji interested in her?

"Yes, you'll definitely be seeing me around, Yasmine..." Tenten thought. A smirk appeared on the young kunoichi's face. "Neji-kun must feel the same. Well, then... I suppose that makes us rivals. You're not going to steal this away from me without a fight!" The smirk never left her face as she turned, and began walking in the opposite direction. With a certain Hyuga in mind, her smirk grew. What sort of sinister plot does Tenten have in store for Yasume?
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Sasuke landed on the ground, but didn't jump back up. Nakatsu landed next to him. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"This is... the entrance to that base," Sasuke muttered.

"Nani...?" Nakatsu muttered. He pulled out his device. "Mayu-chan's signal has stopped... And... we seem to be right on top of her!"

Sasuke dropped to his knees, and then pressed an ear to the earth. He stood up. "I thought Orochimaru abandoned his bases after a short period..." he thought, narrowing his eyes. "Why is he using this one again?"

"Orochimaru's hideout... it's underground, isn't it?" Nakatsu asked. Sasuke nodded his head.

"The entrance... is this way..." he said, walking away from Nakatsu.

"Hey! Wait up!" he called after him.

"Mayu..." Sasuke thought, walking slightly faster, causing his teammate to walk faster to keep up with him. "Don't do anything stupid before I get to you!"
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"AH-CHOO!" a sneeze startled Sai a bit. He turned around to see Mayu's eyes had opened. "Okay, not a good idea to sneeze while paralyzed..." she muttered. Earlier, Sai had dumped her body on the bed while she was still unconscious. From her position on the bed, she could not see what Sai was doing. The pale ninja quickly put away the items he was looking at into his bag. "Where the hell am I? And why the hell am I still paralyzed?!" Mayu hissed.

Sai turned as he slipped his backpack back on. He walked over to the bed, dropped to his knees, and touched Mayu's cheek. "Mayu-san, you're awake," he said with another fake smile. Mayu narrowed her eyes, seeing as how that was the only thing she could do. She briefly wondered how Kabuto managed to paralyze everything except for her face.

"Sai! What the hell is going on?! Why were you so friendly with Oro-teme?!" she asked. "And don't give me that cheery smile!"

Sai didn't respond for a few moments, but his smile did not drop. "Gomennasai, Mayu-san..." he said. He didn't speak again. Sai was trying to find the right words to say to Mayu. According to his observations, she would sometimes get angry. And Sai knew that he wasn't her favorite person in the word. This had to be handle with extreme delicacy. "I was given a mission different from yours, Mayu-san. From the very beginning, I was to gain Orochimaru's favor, so that Danzou-sama could be allied with him... for the destruction of Konoha as it is," Sai said.

Mayu didn't respond. She blinked a couple times, but that was it. After several moments of staring at each other, Mayu finally opened her mouth. "YOU WHAT?!" she shouted. Sai's smile didn't falter, but he did avert his eyes for a second. Maybe his words wasn't the best approach.

"Please quiet down, Mayu-san," Sai told her politely. "I'll continue... My mission was to also transmit information on Orochimaru to Danzou-sama..."

Mayu glared at her teammate. "Oro-teme...? Gathering info on him is kinda dangerous, Sai-chan!" she said. "But it sounds like this Danco wants to rule Konoha if he wants info about Oro-teme even if they're allies. Why would he only give the mission to you?"

"Eh... It's Danzou-sama..." Sai corrected. "And I was singled out due to my abilities. As you've already seen, Mayu-san, my ink can transform into small animals. Protecting themselves from harm, they can carry the information to their destination."

"... Don't you realize that a lot of people are gonna die if there's a battle involving Oro-teme?" Mayu asked. "Or... Do you even care?"

"I just follow the orders I'm given. I do not ask questions," Sai answered. Still, the smile did not disappear. That smile... was really getting old.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Mayu asked. "You're a human being, Sai, and the last time I checked... human beings have a will of their own! Don't be a tool, never asking questions!"

"But... shinobi are tools meant to be used. We were not meant to have emotions, thus we are not meant to ask questions or speak our minds," Sai said. "You and I are no different... And by the way, Mayu-san... 'Sai' is the name I was given for the mission. In reality, I'm no one." Mayu had to hold back the growl threatening to escape. Sai was so freaking...!

"Like... Haku all those years ago..." she thought.
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"How are we supposed to find Mayu-chan?" Nakatsu whispered to his teammate, who was flat out ignoring him up until now. In all honesty, Nakatsu had been talking none stop since they entered Orochimaru's lair. Yes, he voice was barely above a whisper, but it was still annoying! Until now, Nakatsu hadn't asked a single good question... that Sasuke was willing to answer, anyway.

"I'm guessing that Orochimaru has her locked in one of these rooms," Sasuke answered, placing his hand on every door the two had passed, but it was only briefly.

Nakatsu followed after Sasuke, wondering why he wouldn't open any of the doors to check. "Okay, but you're not looking in-"

"I don't need to," Sasuke interrupted. "I can... sense her. I've known her long enough to do that. But... She's being very still, so it's hard. She must still be paralyzed."

"Oh..." Nakatsu responded. "He can feel Mayu-chan...? That's kinda creepy... But to feel and know that it's a certain person... Uchiha Sasuke must've been trained hard to accomplish that. I doubt that he can sense Mayu-chan just because he's known her a long time..." he thought, narrowing his eyes at his teammate's back.

The two continued to walk down the endless hallway, neither of them making a sound. Nakatsu had stopped talking and asking question, which was good, in Sasuke's opinion. Now, he could concentrate better. "Mayu... Where the hell are you?!" he thought, frowning. "You better not being doing something that'll get you killed!"

"AH-CHOO! AH-CHOO! AH-CHOO!" sounds echoed in the hallway, causing Nakatsu to gasp lightly. A faint sound of "Damn you, Sasuke! I know it's you!" came from further down the hall.

"That was Mayu-chan's voice!" Nakatsu cheered. "I guess he did know where he was going..." he thought. Sasuke took off running towards the voice before Nakatsu could say anything else. His feet hardly made a sound as he went further and further away. "Hold on a minute!" Nakatsu called. The older male quickly caught up to the Uchiha, who had stopped at a door on the left.

"She's in here," Sasuke whispered. "... But someone is with her."

"I'm sure we can handle it..." Nakatsu responded. His hand went into his pocket, and pulled out two wires, one was shaped into a curl, while the other was straight. "But let me handle the door. We have to be as quiet as possible." He got on one knee and held his wire up to the lock.
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Sai turned his eyes towards the door. He could have sworn he her jingling. Could it be Kabuto coming back? Or perhaps Orochimaru? He turned his eyes back to Mayu, who had her eyes closed. She didn't seem to of have heard the noise. Sai heard the door opening. He had to think fast!

"Mayu-chan, are you-" Sasuke had opened the door fully, allowing both of them to see. Nakatsu never finished his sentence, because what the two saw was Sai holding on to Mayu's limp body. But that's not what stunned them. Oh, no! Sai had pressed his body against Mayu's, one hand resting on her stomach... Not to mention his lips were pressed against her cheek; Mayu just had a confused expression on her face.

"S-Sai-chan?" she muttered.

Sai released her after seeing who had entered the room. "Oh, it's just you," he said. "I thought you might have been Kabuto, so I-"

POW

Nakatsu punched Sai right in the face. "How dare you violate Mayu-chan!" he yelled, shaking the pale ninja relentlessly. The scene was actually quite comical, in Mayu's opinion.

"Hey..." Sasuke's voice got her attention. She stared up at him. "You okay?" he asked. He leaned down and rubbed his two fingers against her cheek. "They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

Mayu could not stop the blush from appearing on her face. She turned her eyes away. Sasuke was acting weird again. Sure he had changed, but... this gentle Sasuke was kind of freaky, in Mayu's opinion. "Y-Yeah... Kabuto only paralyzed me," she answered. "I can't move my body, only my face." Sasuke nodded, and then turned to the other two.

"Nakatsu, get your ass over here and fix her," he ordered. Nakatsu abruptly dropped Sai and rushed over to the bed.

"Fix...?! I'm not a machine!" Mayu protested. Nakatsu stooped down to Mayu's level. He placed his hand on her chest. This only caused Sasuke's eye to twitch.

"Good, he didn't paralyze any of your organs," Nakatsu muttered. "If he did, it would be so much harder for me to, as Sasuke put it, fix you!"

"Just get it done, already!" Sasuke grumbled; Nakatsu nodded, and pressed his hand against Mayu's neck. He flipped her over, and then traced his fingers down her spine. Mayu's whole body twitch, and then she sat up.

"Wow, Nakatsu-kun!" she said, flexing her fingers. "Thanks! But... How did you guys find us? Never mind that, it's not important now. What is important is what Sai-chan just informed me of. Tell them what you told me!" Sai nodded his head, and repeated what he had said to Mayu.

"That's insane! ... But Hokage-sama was right," Nakatsu thought. "I should have watch him more closely."

"But since you now know of it, my mission ended in failure," Sai continued. Nakatsu nodded his head.

"You're damn right it ended in failure," he said; he took out some rope. "Come with us quietly..."

"Hold on, take those..." Sai pointed at the bed. On the bed, was a big envelope. Mayu picked up the envelope, and peeked inside. A gasp escaped her lips.

"So... You were going to use these to get in Oro-teme's good graces," she muttered. She took out the paper and began flipping through them. Another gasp came from her. "... Nakatsu-kun..."

"Yes?"

"What rank are you again?" Mayu asked, looking up at her teammate.
*************************

"You lied to us?!" Mayu exclaimed. "You're really apart of ANBU!" Nakatsu nodded his head. The four teens had left the lair, and were now back outside. Nakatsu, Sasuke and Mayu were surrounding Sai.

"It's true," he said. "By order of the Hokage, I was to keep my rank a secret." Mayu turned to Sasuke with suspicious eyes.

"Are you keeping your rank hidden from me, too?!" she asked, pointing a confusing finger.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he whacked her over the head. "Don't be stupid," he said, crossing his arms; Mayu grumbled angrily as she rubbed her head. "I don't really care for your rank-" he turned his eyes to Sai, who had his wrist tied behind his back; he was leaning against a boulder. "-Or your mission. As long as we take care of this mission quickly and go home. That's the only thing I care about at the moment." He closed his eyes in thought. "The sooner this mission's over, the sooner Mayu can be out of danger from Orochimaru."

Mayu nodded her head in agreement, and then turned to Nakatsu. "Yeah, our mission comes first," she said.

"But we can't just leave Sai here," Nakatsu muttered. "There's no telling what he would do."

"Hey! There's Sasuke's group!" a voice shouted. Sasuke unconsciously flinched at the volume of the voice.

"That idiot...!" he muttered. "Doesn't he know it's still basically a stealth mission?"

"Naruto, you idiot! Don't shout!" another shout came. A sound of a punch being landed was heard, and then a faint 'Itai, Sakura-chan!' Mayu rolled her eyes. Suddenly, three ninja landed near the four. Mayu noticed the comical bump on Naruto's head as they came closer.

"Good, you managed to rescue Mayu!" Naruto said, pointing at said girl.

"It's rude to point..." she grumbled, flatly.

"How did you find us?" Nakatsu asked.

"Oh, we followed Naruto," Sakura answered. "He seemed to know where you were. Come to think of it-" she turned to her teammate. "How did you know?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously; a slight blush settled on his cheeks.

"Uh... I guess I kinda just sensed where Sasuke was," he muttered. Nakatsu's eyes widen as did Sai's.

"He's... able to sense Sasuke-kun, just like he's able to sense Mayu-san?" he thought. "Is Sasuke-kun able to sense Uzumaki, too?"

"Wow! Can you sense Naruto, too, Sasuke?" Mayu asked with a grin. "Bet you can!" Sasuke nodded his head.

"I can sense you, too, if I concentrate," he said. "That's how I was able to find you in that room."

"Eek! Sasuke-kun! Naruto! Mayu-san! Your bonds with each other are truly is amazing!" Sakura squealed. The two in subject had a slight blush on their faces at her words. "I bet Mayu-san can sense Sasuke-kun!" she had sparkles in her eyes again. "That's so romantic! I wish I had that sorta bond with my boyfriend!"

"What the hell is she thinking about?" Mayu thought, looking at the sparkling-eyed kunoichi.

"Bonds...?" Sai thought, looking at the three ninja Sakura had mentioned. "Bonds so strong that they're able to sense each other... It shouldn't be possible, and yet..."

"Anyway..." Nakatsu said. "We still have to do something about-" He stopped.

Nakatsu heard something heading towards the group, so he jumped back. He wasn't the only one, though. Luckily, the group did because multiple kunai had embedded into the ground where they once stood. Sai looked momentarily shock as Kabuto jumped in front of him. "Sai... Judging from the situation, I suppose that means you were captured," he said. He quickly cut the rope that tied Sai's wrists together, using his chakra scalpel.

"Kabuto...!" Naruto growled out.

"Sai-chan..." Mayu thought, narrowing her eyes.

"Since it doesn't seem you've seem betrayed us... I'll trust you... for now," Kabuto continued. Sai stood up straight as Kabuto turned to the rest. "So it seems you've rescued that girl, Sasuke-kun," he said. "Tell me, what is she to you?" Everyone turned their eyes to Sasuke, but the Uchiha just ignored the stares.

"Mayu... She is my family, and I'll destroy anyone who tries to harm her," he answered. Mayu blushed.

"Baka... Saying stuff like that," she thought, looking towards the ground.

"I see..." Kabuto muttered. "So I was right to use her to lure you here. Too bad Orochimaru-sama isn't here... But aren't you worried, Sasuke-kun? You considered Uchiha Itachi like family, and look what happened. Who's to say that this Mayu won't betray you... like you betrayed her almost three years ago?"

"What...?" Mayu muttered. Her face became indifferent as she stared at Kabuto, who involuntarily shuddered.

"That look...!" he thought. "So similar to Sasuke-kun's look back then..."

"Who the fuck do you take me for?" Mayu continued in a calm voice. "Sure, I enjoy teasing Sasuke. Yes, I do threaten him... And kicking his ass is a great past time..." Sasuke glared at Mayu's back. "But... to do what Uchiha Itachi did...? Compare me to him again, just because of what Sasuke did, and Orochimaru won't be the only one that I'll kill today."

"Mayu-san..." Sai thought; his eyes were almost wide.

Kabuto chuckled lightly. "Don't you know? People change constantly," he said; he pointed at Sasuke. "It's been twice already that Sasuke-kun has walked the path of betrayal. He'll eventually do it again." Suddenly, Sai grabbed Kabuto preventing him from moving. "What...?! What are you doing?"

"Sai-chan?" Mayu thought, frowning.

"You say people change..." Sai began. "But there are also things that don't change. Bonds... By just watching Mayu-san and Sasuke-kun interact with one another, not just them, though. Also Sasuke-kun and that blond dickless one-" Everyone turned to Naruto; Sakura blushed and tried to hold in a laugh.

"WHO'S DICKLESS, ASSHOLE!?" he shouted, pointing a finger.

"By observing them, I can see that their bonds are strong," Sai continued, ignoring Naruto's question. "I want to see what they're really made of..."

"Sai-chan..." Mayu exclaimed with a smile. "Is this the reason Yasume speaks so highly of you?" she thought.

"Hey, hold him still like that!" Yamato spoke. He held out his palm, and wood slowly made it's way towards Kabuto.

Mayu watched it come from his hand with a horrified expression. "Eww!" she squealed in thought. The wrapped around Kabuto, and Sai pushed him to the ground. The others walked over to the two. "Sai-chan-"

"I want to see more of your interactions," Sai interrupted; Mayu glowered. But she let that slide because he didn't know that she did not like being interrupted. "I once had a bond with someone... I called him my brother. Maybe by watching you, I might be able to figure something out."

Mayu smiled. Kabuto chuckled. "How very amusing..." he muttered. Mayu punched him in the face.

"Mayu-san...!" Sakura exclaimed. "Without warning, too..." she thought, staring at the pink-haired girl. "Does my hair color really look like that?" Mayu grabbed Kabuto's collar.

"Tell us where Oro-teme is, and you won't die today!" she demanded. Kabuto turned his face back, blood ran down his chin. He cracked a smile. "This guy's insane...!" she thought, releasing him.

"There's no need to be violent, Ishikari-san," Kabuto said. "I'll give you a clue to where he is... There are a large number of rooms strewn all throughout the lair. If you end up looking in each as you go, you might find him."

"Well, aren't you considerate," Sakura muttered.

"I see what you're doing," Yamato said. "You're hoping the hunters will become the prey."

"Exactly," Kabuto answered, smirking.

"Well, we should go," Sasuke stated. "I want this to be over soon."

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun..." Kabuto said, chuckling; Sasuke ignored him and turned his back. "It will all be over soon, for all of you." Sakura, Mayu, and Naruto glared at him. They did not like the look Kabuto was giving their friend.

"Stop looking at Sasuke-kun like that!" Sakura shouted, kicking Kabuto; she knocked him unconscious.

"All that for Sasuke-kun's sake..." Sai thought, blinking in surprise
************************

"We'll split into two teams to search," Yamato said. The group had ventured back into the lair. "We'll go in our original groupings. Naruto, Sakura, and I will form one. While Sawatari, Mayu, Sai, and Sasuke will form another." He held out his palm; in it was four seed-like items. "Each of you take one. Naruto and Sakura have already had theirs."

"What is it?" Mayu asked, taking one and holding it up to the light.

"It's my way of tracking you," Yamato said as Sai, Sasuke, and Nakatsu also took one. "If something comes up, focus your chakra. That will be more than enough to produce a reaction in the seeds, alerting me. My team will be there at a moment's notice. Since it's Sasuke that Orochimaru wants, I'll assume and say that he will come after your group first, so my team will be looking for information."

Nakatsu nodded. "Alright, let's go," he said. His team followed after him down the hall. Yamato's team went the opposite direction.

"Be careful, Sasuke..." Naruto thought, giving one last concerned glance at his friend's back.

"This is kinda nerve-wrecking..." Mayu thought as she closed another door, to another empty room. "I know that eventually it's--But what if one of them opens a door and they're not on guard? Oro-teme could kill them!" Beads of sweat suddenly formed on her brow. "Could I... handle that? I mean, when Itachi used that genjutsu on me and made me believe that he had killed Sasuke and Naruto... Before I realized that it was just a genjutsu... I completely froze. Had it not been Itachi, that could've cost me my life..." Suddenly, a hand appeared on hers. Mayu flinched, and then looked at the owner of the hand. "Sasuke...? What is it?" she asked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "You've been at this door while everyone else has moved on down the hallway," he said. "And... you're shaking. What's the matter?" Mayu took her hand back, and looked towards the ground. "Don't tell me you're backing out now?"

"N-No...! Of course not!" Mayu retorted, glaring at Sasuke. "I'm just..." she averted her eyes again. "I'm scared for you... all of you. Before, I wasn't thinking, so I..."

Mayu suddenly found herself in the arms of the Uchiha. Her eyes widen as he squeezed her body. "Stop worrying about everyone!" he said. "You should worry about yourself, alright? You're strong, I know, but be careful this time around. No matter what happens, take care of only yourself."

"... Sasuke..." Mayu muttered. The Uchiha really had changed over the years. There was no way he would be caught saying stuff like this in the past. Sasuke being this way was really starting to strike up Mayu's curiosity. She really wanted to know who his past masters were.

Sasuke released her. "What?" he asked. Mayu brought her hands up, they rested on both of Sasuke's cheeks. She pulled his face towards her, seeing as how he was taller than her. "Is... Is she gonna kiss me?!" Sasuke thought, excited, but didn't show it on the outside. Inside, his heart was practically break dancing, and because of that, blood rushed to his face. This was the first time Mayu had been the one to touch in an intimate manner.

"Sasuke," Mayu said again.

"Yeah...?"

"How long were you with your female sensei?" she asked. Her question totally killed the mood. "Because what you said was really... mushy!" Sasuke glowered at Mayu. Sometimes, she was definitely a mood killer. Sasuke realized that Mayu did this a lot. Thinking back, it almost seemed as if she was clueless.

Sasuke took her hands down. "When we get back to Konoha... we're going to have a serious talk, Mayu," he told her, and then turned his back to her.

"Serious talk...?" Mayu thought. "Sounds like I just got scolded by an old person... Sasuke really does act like he's old..." Mayu didn't know of the smirk on Sasuke's face as she followed him towards the rest of their teammates. He had, once again, succeeded in making Mayu feel better. Mayu had told him once before that he was really good at doing that... or maybe that was a dream... Either way, it seemed that it was now his job to make that happen.

"That's it for the this floor," Sai said, once the two had reached them.

"You think Yamato-san's group has found anything?" Nakatsu asked.

"Who knows?"

"Let's just worry about our task," Sasuke said. "The stairs is further down this hall. Let's go." Suddenly, footsteps were heard, and yet no one in the team moved.

"Well, well... well!" a familiar voice said. That voice made Mayu shudder.

"It's him...!" she thought, turning. The rest of her teammates did the same. What they saw was Orochimaru, walking slowly towards them. "Voldemort... Wait... I mean, Oro-teme! I knew I shouldn't watched those movies..."

"What could she possibly be thinking about at a time like this?" Sasuke thought, noticing Mayu's childish like, nervous grin.

"So, Sai... What side do you intend on taking?" Orochimaru asked. He thrust his hand forward, and two snake out came out. The group jumped back, but the snakes only followed. Sasuke quickly unsheathed his sword and sliced at the snakes. The blade, itself, didn't hit them, but the 'wind' sure did. The snakes flew back to their master, hitting him, and making him also fly back.

"Nice one, Sasuke!" Nakatsu cheered.

Orochimaru chuckled while he was on the ground. He sat up first, and then stood. "So you truly are on their side, Sai..." he said.

"That attack... He concentrated his chakra..." Mayu thought, glancing at her teammate. "That means Naruto's group will be here in due time." Sai didn't reply to Orochimaru's statement, just stared indifferently at him.

"But what truly surprises me is Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru continued. "What happened to that ambition of yours, hm? The wonderful need for revenge that caused you to betray your village, as I once did?"

Sasuke chose not to reply. Mayu, on the other had, did. "Are you trying to imply that he's like you?!" she shouted. "I've not once mistaken him for Voldemort!" Orochimaru blinked at the girl in surprise; Sasuke whacked her on the head. "Itai!"

"Don't saying weird things in situations like these!" he told her, looking as impassive as ever. "Baka..."

"I... see," Orochimaru thought, and then chuckled. "I see, I see! The reason you left me... was for her, wasn't it, Sasuke-kun?" he asked.

"... And?" Sasuke responded. "So what if she is?" Mayu narrowed her eyes at Sasuke, slight blush on her face.

"And he talks about me! His dumbass just said a weird thing in a bad situation, too!" she thought. "Baka...!"

"She's the reason you have not become stronger, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said. "If you had only stayed with me, you might have beaten your brother." Sasuke frowned. "Is that a reaction, I see?"

"What?" Mayu laughed out. Orochimaru turned his attention on her. "Don't make me laugh, Oro-teme! I know for a fact that you're weaker than Uchiha Itachi!" Orochimaru eyes harden. "Oh, you didn't think I knew? That man is the reason you fled from Akatsuki, isn't it? He cut off your arms for trying to take his body..."

"...!" Sasuke looked back at Mayu. How could she possible know that information? "So those arms I saw that one time... with the ring..." thought.

"That's why you came to kill Sasori... Because Akatsuki is still after you," Mayu continued. "I'll have to thank Yasume for giving me that info..." she thought as sweat ran down the side of her face. Even with her confident attitude, Mayu knew that Orochimaru was still a Sannin, he was still out of her league. And getting him angry, although a momentary stall, was not the best choice.

"Sasuke...!" a shout came from behind.

"What took you?" Sasuke muttered, not turning to face his approaching comrades.

"Orochimaru..." Yamato muttered.

"That was fast... I guess he still wants Sasuke-kun, after all," Sakura thought.

"Heh..." Orochimaru chuckled again. "I'll let you live for now... The more Akatsuki members you kill, the better for me."

"You know... I wouldn't say stuff like that," Mayu commented. "Stuff like that only proves my theory that you're weak..."

"Do you wish to fight me?" Orochimaru asked.

"Well, in the beginning, yeah, I did..." Mayu answered. She locked her fingers behind her head, and gave Orochimaru uncaring glance before closing her eyes. "But since you keep declaring how weak you are... It's kinda a disappointment!"

"Yeah, Mayu-san, taunt him into attacking us!" Sakura grumbled. "That's a real good idea!" Mayu turned her head, and looked at Sakura with a confused expression.

"You mean you really want me to?" she asked; Sakura's eye twitched as a nervous laugh erupted from her mouth.

"Don't tell me she doesn't know sarcasm when she hears it!" she thought, a sweat drop sliding down the back of her head.

"Children these days really no manners..." Orochimaru said, and then ran at the group. Everyone got into a defensive stance as he came closer. Sasuke moved in front of the group and slammed his hand on the floor.

"Kanmon Dendou!" he yelled.

A blue, thin shield-like light spread from Sasuke's hand to the walls of the hall. It crackled with intense electric vibes. Orochimaru ran head first into the light, but it was like a force field, so he bounced right off. The group watched in amazement as Orochimaru's body fell to the ground, twitching like mad. "Kyaa! Sasuke-kun, that was awesome!" Sakura cheered.

"An electric barrier?" Mayu thought, staring at Orochimaru's, still, twitching body. She then looked at Sasuke's back. "He really has gotten stronger. The development of his Chidori is amazing! I bet, not even Kakashi-san surpassed this!"

"Hey! One of you needs to think of something! I can't hold this up forever!" Sasuke stated.

"Let's just charge head on!" Naruto shouted. "I'm ready to rumble."

"I meant the none idiots of the group!" Sasuke muttered. Naruto growled at his friend. He had half a mind to kick Sasuke in the back of the head, but he knew that that would probably make the Uchiha lose his concentration, thus, losing the shield. So, Naruto just settled for flicking him off.

"I've got it!" Mayu thought. "Naruto! Lead me your body!" she exclaimed.

"Nani...?!" Naruto shouted, but before he could say anything else, Mayu had stopped making her hand signs.

"El estilo de Ishikari! ¡El interruptor del Cuerpo Jutsu!" she exclaimed, and then collapsed. Seconds later, her body stood. Through Mayu's eyes, Naruto looked around frantically. "Oh-no...!" he muttered, staring at his body, which was not moving. Still standing, yes, but didn't move at all. "Mayu..." he thought.
*********************
Mayu's POV
************************

"Nani...?" I thought, not opening my eyes. "What is this?" My body felt like--like I had submerged myself in water, and yet I could breathe easily. I could tell that my body was sinking, and even if I couldn't tell, I'm a lead weight when it comes to being in water. It's always been that way.

Finally, I felt my feet touch a stable ground. That's when my eyes opened. There was dim light, allowing me to see my surroundings. "This is... new..." I thought, staring at a giant, iron cage. Narrowing my eyes a bit, I noticed paper stuck to the cage, and on it was... "Oh-no!" I thought, eyes going wide in shock, and slight fear. "Please tell me that I am not near the Kyuubi's cage! Please! Please! Please!"

Growling suddenly erupted from the giant cage. "... fuck..." I muttered, backing up a bit. Maybe the demon doesn't realize that I'm here yet... "This could be my chance to leave...!" I thought, taking another step back. That was kinda hard to do, since I'm in water, it seems...

"You are not my gaki," a voice stated. Well, in my opinion, the voice boomed, causing me to shiver. Very scary... "Nor are you the Uchiha gaki! Who are you?"

"Uchiha gaki...?" I thought. There's only one Uchiha that I know of that's still young... well, my age anyway. "Does that mean... Sasuke has been here before?"

"Speak, female gaki!" the voice boomed, yet again. "Who are you?!"

"M-M-My name is...!" Oh, great! I forgot my own name!

"Y-Y-Yes...?"

Hold up... Hold up... Hold up! Kyuubi wasn't mocking me... was he? I shrugged it off. "Nah... There's no way a demon as great as him would do that..." I thought. Bowing my head, I told the demon my name.

"Ishikari, huh?" he said in his all mighty, scary-ass, voice. "I see... So that's why you were able to come here... And I was assuming that it was a Yamanaka."

"If you assumed, why ask?" I thought, keeping my head down, so that he wouldn't see my expression. "K-Kyuubi-sama... Forgive me for intruding, but-" A deep chuckle came from the cage, causing me to stop, and then dark laugh/roar. "If this keeps up, my heart is gonna break out!" I thought, trying to stop my knees from knocking.

"Intruding?! Intruding?!" he barked out. Well, I was rather to pee my pants, right then and there... "That stupid ningen locked me in here and gave me nothing to do! Intrude, my furry red ass!"

"... This is... not what I was expecting..." I thought. I'm sure that I had a sweat drop on the back of my head. "K-Kyuubi-sama-"

"Do not brand me with that idiotic human name! I am not a pet!"

"Forgive me!" My head was practically touching the ground.

"Hm... I smell... the Uchiha gaki on you."

"I smell like Sasuke?" I thought with a disgusted face. Another roar echoed from the giant cage, but this roar seemed to get... smaller? Suddenly, it grew very quiet. But this no sound thing was even scarier than the loud voice. This suspense... IS KILLING ME!

"I can sense your anxiety rising, but also... your irritation," he growled. I felt something rub against my body, scaring the living hell outta me, but I couldn't see it! It was moving too fast. "Very well... I will reveal myself!"

"Don't tell me he's outta his cage!" I thought. If I wasn't in water, I'm sure that I would be sweating bullets by now...!

"Turn around and face me, female gaki!" his commanding voice ordered me. I silently swallowed the spit, and then slowly turned around to face... the demon.

I think my mouth dropped open in shock at this sight. This was the demon?! The demon that struck fear in the hearts of the citizens of Konoha?! That demon?! This demon wasn't scary... This demon was... "CUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTAAAA!" I squealed. I was trying to say 'cute.' But seriously, I wanted to hug and cuddle this cute, almost chibi-like nine-tailed fox.

"What?! No! I am not cute!" he barked. I walked over to the cute, tiny, fox... and picked him up. He yipped in protest, but I didn't mind. I held him close to my chest.

"Don't be silly," I said, lifting him up, so I could see him clearly. "You're adorable!" I could've sworn the fox demon frowned.

"What is with you female gaki?" he muttered. "Always thinking of me in this form! The last one said the same thing!"

"Last one...?" I muttered.

"That Hyuga girl... She was pretty, even to a mighty demon like me," I dropped him in shock. "Hey!" I bent down.

"Gomennasai..." I said. "But, Kyuubi-sama-"

"It's Takeshi-sama to you, ningen!"

"Takeshi-sama..." I muttered. That name seemed familiar... "You don't mean Hinata-chan, do you?"

"Hinata...? Oh, that's right..." he grumbled. "She pressed my head against her large breast. That girl really has no idea that I was loving every second of that!" I decided to ignore that last statement. No matter what the species, males were perverts. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that shocking that the Kyuubi is like that. I bet Naruto's no different!

"How did Hinata-chan get here?" I thought, frowning. "Shit...! I can't stay here any longer!" Suddenly, I hear Kyuu--I mean, Takeshi growling. "Uh... I think I should go now..." I mumbled.

"Hurry it up, will you?" he growled out. "This problem is taking way too long! I haven't had ramen in forever!"

"Oh, it was his stomach..." I thought, standing up straight. This demon that I met... is very different from what I... believed. In the beginning, he was very frightful, but then... he started to remind me of Naruto... Kyuu--Takeshi has been in this stomach way too long... "Liberación..." I muttered, forming a hand sign, closing my eyes. Pretty soon, I'd be back in my own body.
**************************

Mayu gasped loudly upon returning to her body. She fell to her knees, panting. "Why the hell does it feel like I almost drowned?!" she thought, trying to get as much oxygen in her lungs as possible.
"Mayu-san...!" Sakura exclaimed. "Are you alri-"
"I'm fine..." she muttered, standing. She look past the shield; Orochimaru was still on the ground. "Still knocked out, huh?"
"You weren't out of commission for that long, Mayu-san!" Sakura told her.
"Che... Sasuke!"
"What?"
"We're going to have a serious talk when we get home!"
"I know this!" Sasuke muttered. The energy shield suddenly crackled, and then disappeared. "Everyone ready?"
Naruto and and Mayu nodded; Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Time to show everyone that I'm not just a pretty face!" she thought with a determined look in her green eyes. Sakura stepped forward.
"... That was quite a long time..." Orochimaru's voice sounded. "Very impressive, Sasuke-kun."
"Mayu..." Sasuke muttered. She grinned.
"I think Naruto's plan is a wonderful idea!" she said. "Let's drop it like hot!"
....
....
....
...
"What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke thought.
***************************
"That stupid ningen locked me in here and gave me nothing to do! Intrude, my furry red ass!" -Kyuubi(Takeshi)

Wow... There was absolutely no action in this chapter! But judging from the way I left it, you probably think there's gonna be lots of action in chapter 13... Well, to tell you the truth... I'm kinda dreading the upcomming chapter. My reason being... I suck at fight scenes... I am not talented at all when it comes to fights, as you probably already know. Sure, I can think of the fights. I can actually see them in my head... I just can't describe it well...!
This challenge won't stop me from continuing, though! ... It's just... you might have to wait a very long time for the next chapter. SO SORRY!
On a lighter note, for those that like my other stories, this minor block has given me the chance to try to update the others. So, I guess that's good news... right?
-crickets chirping-
-nervous laugh- Well, anyway, please don't hate me for the way, and please review! I'm counting of you reviews(and words of wisdom) to get me through the block of fights!
See ya(not) next time!
... REVIEW!