Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 25

"I'm safe up high. Nothing can touch me! But why do I feel this party's over?" -Pink (Sober)
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Pain was the first feeling she had when she came to. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew that her wrists and ankles were tied. Judging from the texture, it was rope. Also, her eyes seemed to be covered as well, preventing her from seeing even if she had opened her eyes. The teen was in a sitting position with her knees curled up. It was a very uncomfortable position to be in. She moved her head from side to side. The sounds she heard told her that she was outside. That explained the grass. The constant chirping of birds indicated that the sun was out. Here she was, outside, tied up, and seemingly alone. “This so fucking embarrassing,” she thought, frowning.

“So you’re finally awake. I’m glad…” a slightly familiar voice caused the teen’s head to snap in that direction. “I’ve never tried to use my ability on a human before. I was worried that you would die in there.” The teen didn’t speak. She was busy trying to see if there were others around. If there were others, they were being extremely quiet. So far, there seemed to be only one male. Judging from the voice, it was same man from… whenever she had succumbed to unconsciousness. “I have food if you’re hungry.” She heard footsteps coming her way. “Forgive me… We couldn’t possibly stay in an inn. It would only cause unwanted suspicion.” The teen’s mouth twitched. “I also have water.”

“Who the fuck do you take me for?!” she lashed out.

Startled, Zai jumped back in surprise. He blinked twice in utter confusion. Perhaps he didn’t hear right. He was not expecting such a loud voice to come from the young girl, let alone a rude tone. “La… Ladies shouldn’t speak that way,” he remarked. The foreigner’s head snapped in his direction again. She seemed to growl at him. Or maybe that was her stomach… Zai hesitantly took a step towards the teen. He had never met a female that cursed like that.

“Go to hell, you sick fucker!” the foreigner shouted.

“Until now…” Zai thought, frowning. Luckily, the two were in a secluded forest and no one could possibly hear her. The most her voice did was scare away the birds. But come to think of it, this was a bit strange. The person he had been following and captured, and the person in front of him seemed like a completely different person. The teen from last night seemed fragile and soft spoken, never mind the strength she had displayed. The teen girl that was now in front of him seemed to be animalistic. The way she snarled and tried to get out of her bindings was similar to a newly caged beast. “Please calm yourself, ma’am. You’ll only succeed in hurting yourself,” Zai tried to settle the girl’s racket.

The teen did settle, but only for a moment. “Do you realize that you’re going to die?” she asked in a harsh voice. Zai grunted, causing the foreigner to scowl. “When they realize that I’m no longer in the village–because I know that I’m not–they’ll come charging after you! You’ll most likely be mutilated before you even realize what happened!” Zai stared at the girl for a moment in silence. She was important? One wouldn’t think so just by looking.

“Ah… So you’re a princess in disguise, are you? Forgive me, Princess Yasmine, but I’ll be gone long before your rescuers show up. They won’t be my problem, rather theirs,” Zai told her. The teen didn’t respond. “But since you’re important, they won’t hurt you.” The foreign person grinned, and then busted out laughing as if she had just heard the funniest joke. Once again, Zai was utterly confused.

“P-Pri-Princess…?! Yas-Yasmine?! I’m not royalty, and I’m definitely not Yasmine! That stupid girl made it so easy to get captured even though she could have taken you out. I’m not that stupid girl! My name is Yasume and I run this!” the teen hollered. A sweat drop appeared on Zai’s head. He was even more confused by her words. He was sure that he had successfully caught Yasmine, not this Yasume girl. Taking his silence for shock, Yasume continued. She chuckled lightly. “Surprised…? Don’t be–it’s nothing special. Just call me her inner demon.”

Zai blinked again. He released a sigh. “As long as it’s still the same package, I suppose it doesn’t matter what the contents are,” he muttered. He slowly walked over to the foreigner and kneeled beside her. He pressed the bottle to her lips. “Here’s some water.” Yasume turned her head away. “You’re not thirsty? How about food, then?”

“Remove this thing from my eyes,” she muttered. “I want to see your face once more before you cease to have one.”

“How rude…” Zai thought, setting down the food and water. He slowly reached behind the teen’s head and untied the dark cloth. Yasume blinked back the rays of the sun until her eyes were adjusted to the light. Her brown eyes then moved to see her capturer. She blinked. Dark green eyes blinked back at her. “So then… Ar-Are you hungry?” he asked. He had never been this close to a female before. He felt slightly uneasy. Yasume blinked again, and then smirked. “Nani…?”

“At first, I thought you were an average looking guy, but up close… you’re pretty hot,” she commented. Zai gave her a blank look. Yasume winked. “I like the look. The hairstyle is very Sanosuke-ish. Have you found your Megumi yet?” Surprised and embarrassed, Zai stumbled back. Comical swirls had replaced his eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong with you? It was just a compliment. Quit fooling around and feed me! I didn’t get dinner because of you!”

“Go-Gomen…” Zai moved back over and picked up the bento and chopsticks. Yasume opened her mouth to receive the food… only it never came. She cracked one eye open to see that Zai was just staring at the chopsticks. His hand was trembling. Yasume opened her other eye. She stared at his face to see it was fully red. “This is… This is what couples do, isn’t it?” he thought, unaware of the freaked out look he was getting from the teen.

Out of nowhere, Yasume reared her head back and returned it full force. Her forehead collided with Zai’s. He yelled out in pain as he fell back. “Hey! Don’t get the wrong idea, you perverted asshole!” Yasume yelled, ignoring the throbbing the hit caused. “I said you were hot! That doesn’t automatically mean-” The foreign teen stopped her rant. She had just noticed the glare that was fixated on her. She unconsciously moved away.

“I… Am… Not… Perverted!” Zai stated through clenched teeth.

Yasume raised an eyebrow. “Oh… kaay… Excuse me, Mr. Sensitive!” she sorta apologized. “If you’re not some perverted stalker, then why did you kidnap me–especially when I’m in my work uniform?” she asked. Zai coughed lightly.

“That was only a coincidence… As I said before, I am your transporter,” he answered. “I am not the one that wants you.”

“Fine, if it’s not you, then who?” Yasume asked, annoyed.

Zai stared closely at the teen’s face. He did not want to miss her a second of her reaction to what he was about to tell her. Perhaps her reaction could possibly give a hint as to why they wanted her in the first place. “The people that want you… are a part of the organization known as Akatsuki,” he told her. Zai tensed up, waiting for a reaction. He only had to wait a moment before a squeal entered his ears. He covered them up to try to stop the ringing. Right before the squeal, he noticed that the foreign teen had grinned widely and it appeared as if sparkles had appeared in her eyes as well.

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?! Ya hear that, Yasmine? We’re going to meet Akatsuki!” Yasume continued to cheer, oblivious to the sweat drop on Zai’s face. “Yeah, I know it’s gonna be awesome! We’ve got to get everyone’s autographs–of course I meant the ones who aren’t dead! I can hardly wait!” Zai scratched his head as he listened to the foreigner have a conversation with herself. She suddenly turned her eyes to him, causing him to flinch. “Oi…! What are you waiting for? Take us to Akatsuki already! Chop, chop, let’s go…!” Yasume ordered.

“Who ever heard of a willing prisoner?” Zai thought, releasing a sigh. “This assignment is going to be hell, isn’t it?”

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Sasuke suddenly shot up from his sleeping position. He moved his head from side to side until he heard the noise again. He sighed, and then frowned. His dark eyes shifted over to the alarm clock. It wasn’t even six yet. “Who the hell could be here this early in the morning?” Sasuke grumbled, practically ripping the covers from his legs. He stood and stretched. Hearing the noise again, he moved towards the door. The knocking at the door was enough to wake him. The knocking came again, much louder than before. “You’d think it was an emergency…”

The Uchiha teen made his way downstairs and towards the door. The knocking hadn’t ceased. For a moment, Sasuke wondered why Mayu didn’t wake up. She wasn’t as deep of a sleeper as he was. With a shrug, he opened the door. The teen’s eyes were met by greenish black ones. “Nakatsu…?” was his first thought. He mentally shook his head. No… Although the eyes looked the same, this person was not his teammate. “Can I help you?” Sasuke asked out loud. The person chuckled a bit. He was a man, but could easily pass as a woman. With his height and face, just about anyone could mistake his gender.

“Gomen, I just about thought no one was home at the moment,” he said. “Were you sleeping, Uchiha-san?” Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched. He crossed his arms. He wasn’t surprised that his stranger knew him. Everyone in the village knew of him–being the last of the Uchiha and all.

“Why are you here?” Sasuke asked, annoyed.

“I… was in the area, and I spotted this bag on the road,” the unexpected visitor stated. He held up the tan, two-strap bag for Sasuke to see. The Uchiha quickly recognized the bag as an item belonging to Yasmine. “I’ve seen the foreigner carrying it around a few times, so I figured she left it behind.”

Sasuke stared at the man for a moment. He raised his right eyebrow. “So you’re Jano? No wonder she referred to you as kaasan,” he commented. Jano blanched at his words. The teen had heard his roommate speak of a kaasan–that wasn’t her real mother–a few times before. “Is this just an excuse to talk to her?” Jano coughed lightly into his fist.

“Th-That’s… correct…” he muttered. Sasuke sighed. The man’s behavior reminded him of someone he knew…

“You may come in,” the teen reached out for the bag. Jano quickly gave the bag to him. “I’ll go get her.”

The Uchiha teen turned and left the door open, allowing Jano to enter. He told the man to sit before he went upstairs. The foreign girl must be either sleeping or listening to that device again. He walked towards her room and knocked on the door. “Yasmine, I’m coming in! You better not be naked again!” Sasuke warned. “Mayu almost killed me last time…” This got no response, but he walked in anyway. He blinked. The room was empty. There was no sign of the foreigner. Even the bed was still made up.

“That’s odd…” Sasuke thought, closing the door to her room. He had been living with Yasmine for a long period of time now. It was safe to say that he knew her habits well. For one, the teen never made up her bed on weekends. The only time she did make her bed was before going to work. She didn’t have to work on weekends. Yesterday was Friday, which counted as a weekend to her, even though she still had to work. And it also meant the bed should have looked as if someone had slept there. “Perhaps she slept with Mayu last night.” Sometimes his two roommates slept together in the same bed. He didn’t question it. He just assumed that it was because they were closer than normal friends. Mayu had often commented that Yasmine was one of her precious friends.

Sasuke went down a door. Behind the door was his teammate’s designated room. He knocked on the door, not caring to do it gently. He knew that she wouldn’t wake up for a soft knock. A groan was heard, and then some rustling. Sasuke waited a moment before knocking again. This time an annoyed groan was heard, signaling that the teen kunoichi had heard and was slowly moving off her bed. A dull thump had entered his ears. He almost released a chuckle. He knew that the teen had just fallen out of the bed. Seconds later, the door was pulled open to reveal the face of Ishikari Mayu.

“What the hell do you-” she realized who she was talking to. “-What do you want, Sasuke?” She had changed the volume of her voice to a much softer tone. She had also bowed her head, slightly, not looking him in the eye. Sasuke paid no mind to her actions. He smirked as his arm latched around Mayu’s waist. The teen gasped lightly as she was pulled closer to Sasuke’s body. She could feel his muscles beneath her fingertips. She pursed her lips together to prevent a weird noise from coming out–and possibly drool.

“What’s with the look?” Sasuke asked. Mayu swallowed hard, feeling her face grow warmer. “Can I at least get a ‘good morning’? I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh-Ohaiyo,” she murmured without really thinking about it. She mentally shook her head. “Let go of me!”

“Why would I do something like that when you feel so right against me?” He was teasing her, Mayu realized. She knew it, but that didn’t stop her face from turning red. Normally, Sasuke did not behave this way, so she really couldn’t think of anything to say in response to this. Mayu did, however, yelp when she felt his hand on her bottom. He leaned forward and kissed her ear. These actions caused a reaction from Mayu. She reared back and launched a punch towards the Uchiha. Before her fist could make contact with his chin, however, Sasuke stopped it with the palm of his hand. Her teammate was faster when it came to blocking. “Now that was pretty mean of you.”

“Let me go, you big bird!” Mayu raised her voice and tried to get out of his hold, but his arm was still around her and his hand still held her fist. “Why are you doing this?” Sasuke suddenly pulled her closer. Her cheek was pressed against his chest. “Sasuke?”

“You thought I was joking?” he asked as he moved his hand to the back of her head. He breathed out a frustrated sigh. “I was completely serious. I’m doing this because I won’t hold back anymore. From now until I hear your decision… I will continue doing things like this.” He finally released her. Suddenly feeling exposed, Mayu grabbed her arm, covering her chest. She wasn’t wearing a bra at the moment. She turned her eyes away. “But anyway, that’s not what I had originally come here for. Is Yasmine in there?”

Mayu visibly blanched at his question. “Nani…?! That’s why you–wait, she not in her room?” she asked.

“Nah, what was your first clue?”

“Don’t be a smartass…” Mayu folded her arms and a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. “Oh right, Yasmine told me that she was going to hang out with ‘Neji Meji’ today since he didn’t have any missions.”

“Are those two dating?”

“Hell no…! Their hanging out consist of watching him train, that’s all. Yasmine must have already left to meet him,” Mayu answered. “What did you need her for?”

“Someone’s here to see her,” Sasuke responded. She looked confused before asking who. “Jano-san.”

“Jano-san…?” Mayu repeated.

“You don’t know?”

“No, now who the hell is he?”

“… An attractive male that has been dating Yasmine since three months ago.”

“…”

“…”
“NANI?!”

Mayu pushed past her teammate and began stomping towards the stairs. She did not get very far because Sasuke had grabbed the back of her tank top, preventing her from going any further. “I was kidding,” he told her calmly. “He’s really her former caretaker when she was in Konoha before.” At this point, Mayu stopped moving. She slowly turned her head. She smacked his hand away, and then continued on towards the stair. A determined look was on face. Sasuke raised an eyebrow before grabbing onto her again. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to meet that man! He was her caretaker before I met Yasmine,” Mayu began. A dreamy look crossed her face. “He must have pictures of when she was younger.” She clasped her hands together. Sparkles appeared in her eyes. “My photo collection of my precious friends will be complete!”

A little freaked out, a sweat drop slid down Sasuke’s head. He did not let her go, though. “Have you forgotten what you’re wearing?” Mayu paused. “Let me remind you. You are currently wearing a very tight tank top–no bra–and panty shorts because you didn’t come to steal my boxers last night.” Mayu’s shoulders slouched, realizing that his statement was correct. Smirking, Sasuke continued. “Besides, I’m the only guy allowed to see you like this.” With a quick flick of his wrist, he had pulled Mayu into his arms. He didn’t realize where his hands had ended up until Mayu screamed, and then gave him an upper-cut, followed by a roundhouse kick to the face. Downstairs, Jano smiled nervously.

The sounds he was hearing were quite disturbing.

Minutes later, the two teens came down the stairs, fully dressed. The Uchiha was holding a wet cloth to his lip. The girl had an annoyed look on her face. Jano decided that he didn’t need to know. Mayu placed her hands on her hips and stared at the older male. “So you’re Jano-san?” she questioned. The man stood and bowed his head.

“And you must be Mayu… san. Yasmine told me that you were the one responsible for bringing her back to Konoha. I am very grateful to you!” he exclaimed as he bowed again. He stood up straight and looked around. “So… where is Yasmine?” Mayu stared blankly at him. Jano blinked in confusion. “… Yes?” The kunoichi turned her head to her teammate.

“… Are you sure this is a man?”

Jano became very annoyed when the Uchiha didn’t contain his laughter. He coughed into his fist. The laughter slowly started to die. “Gomen… Yasmine is not here at the moment,” Sasuke stated. “She’s with Hyuga.”

“Neji-kun?”

“Yeah, she watches his team train sometimes,” Mayu explained. The teen gestured for the man to sit back down as she sat down on the chair. Sasuke turned, telling them he was getting breakfast. “So Yasmine was here before, was she?” Jano nodded with a smile. “How old was she?”

“Four–her and Neji-kun were four at the time,” he answered. Mayu closed her eyes and nodded. “I don’t know how she got here, though.” The kunoichi opened her eyes and stared intensively at Jano. “What is it?”

“You said four, right?” she asked. The man nodded his head. “Was she cute? Do you have pictures? Can I have one?!” During her questions, her body moved on its own. Sparkles filled the girl’s deep blue eyes as her palms pressed together. Surprisingly, Jano clasped his hands together as sparkles filled his greenish black eyes as well.

“So you also have this near uncontrollable urge to glomp her?” he asked.

Mayu grabbed Jano’s hands; a blush had settled on her cheeks. “You mean you do, too?! I thought I was the only one! Last time I tried that, though, she freaked out, so I opted not to do it often, but when I do–it’s so good!” she exclaimed. “Do you have pictures?!”

“Do I ever!” Jano exclaimed, pulling out pictures. They were all images of when the foreigner was four. They all seemed as if they were taken in secret, though. “What about you?”

Mayu looked up from studying the pictures–and squealing about them–and nodded. She pulled out pictures of seemingly nowhere. “Check these out!” she said. These pictures seemed to be taken in secret, too… Jano squealed like a little girl. “Yup, yup…!” Mayu seemed proud. “She once fell asleep in her work uniform! It was truly a wonderful experience!”

“I have some from when she was sleeping, too! Drool was coming out of her mouth! So adorable!” Jano agreed, nodding his head. The two foreigner fans immersed themselves in the photos, commenting which were their favorites.

Sasuke came out of the kitchen to see the two ninja on the floor giggling. Random pictures of Yasmine–younger and present–were spread all around them. They lay on their stomachs. Their feet were waving in the air as they chatted about how cute Yasmine was. He blinked. He could have sworn hearts, roses, and sparkles were surrounding the two. Sasuke blinked again, and then slowly moved backwards towards the kitchen.

“Otaku…” he rolled his eyes.
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Uchiha Sasuke watched the two ninja with a scowl on his face. He had finished his breakfast minutes ago, and yet the two were still at it. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow twitched every time a giggle was heard. In a few minutes, he and Mayu would have to leave to get their next mission. Her guest and she looked nowhere near ready to clean up the pictures. Another giggle entered his ears. He almost stomped his foot. “Mayu, don’t forget we have to-” Sasuke was interrupted by a knock on the door. Mayu and Jano made no move to get up. A few seconds passed. The two still did not move. They giggled again. Sasuke growled as he stood up from his chair.

Annoyed, Sasuke almost ripped the door off its hinges. “… Sorry for intruding,” his visitor murmured, sensing animosity.

“Hyuga? What do want?” Sasuke asked. He was not expecting to see him. He had heard his team was deployed by the Hokage to help out with a mission with Naruto and Sakura. But then again, it could have just been Lee and Tenten. It was then he remembered that his roommate had gone to meet him, which explained why he was still in the village and his teammates weren’t. “Aren’t you supposed to be training?” Sasuke looked beyond Neji. “Where’s Yasmine?”

The Hyuga looked confused. “This is precisely the reason I’m here,” he stated. “She was supposed to meet me two hours ago. Thinking she forgot to set her alarm right, I waited for her, but she should be up by now, and yet she did not show. I’ve come to pick her up.” Sasuke blankly stared the Gentle Fist user. Neji raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?” The Uchiha frowned and turned his head slightly.

“Mayu…!” he called, not answering the question. A giggle was heard. “MAYU?!”

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!”

“Where’d you say Yasmine was again?”

“I told you she went to see Neji! You idiot! Don’t interrupt fan time!” Sasuke turned back to Neji to see that his eyes had expanded. He had heard Mayu’s answer. He crossed his arms.

“Yeah… I think we do have a problem,” Sasuke finally answered.

Neji clenched his teeth, and then pushed Sasuke out the way. He quickly moved into the hotel. Sasuke grumbled as he closed the door. He returned to the room to see Mayu and Jano standing. Both ninja looked confused. “Why did Neji just rush past?” the kunoichi asked. She had just finished watching the Hyuga go up the stairs. She turned her eyes to her roommate. “Did he have to go to the bathroom?”

“And where’s Yasmine? I didn’t see her,” the shinobi commented. The two–holding pictures–looked at Sasuke, expecting him to answer. He sighed as he closed his eyes.

“As soon as Hyuga realizes the truth and comes back down, I’ll give a guess,” Sasuke stated.

Moments later, Neji came–almost stumbling–down the stairs. He looked paler than usual. “Neji-kun…?” Jano murmured, still confused. The Hyuga looked up, finally noticing who all was there. His eyes widened, and then he averted his eyes as if ashamed. “What’s going on?” Sasuke also looked towards the Hyuga, who did not speak.

“… Yasmine… never went to meet him this morning,” Sasuke announced. Mayu shook her head in confusion.

“What does that mean?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Yasmine–she seems to be missing. Out of the four of us, we don’t know where she is,” Sasuke clarified.

It was quiet for a full minute. Mayu then proceeded to laugh quite loudly. She held her stomach as if in pain. Neji’s confusion turned into anger. “What are you laughing for?! Yaya-chan is missing! This is no time to be laughing!” he shouted at the kunoichi. Mayu continued to laugh as the three males continued to stare at her. She was laughing so hard that tears were welling up in her eyes. Neji stepped towards her, pissed. He didn’t take another step because Sasuke had placed a hand on his shoulder. The Hyuga turned and glared at the Uchiha, who was calmly staring at Mayu with a frown on his face.

“That’s not real laughter,” he narrowed his eyes. “She’s laughing to keep from freaking out and killing you.” Neji’s eyes grew wide again.

“I see… This girl and Yasmine are closer than normal even though they are not always together,” Jano whispered. “We need to report this to the Hokage. Someone has come into the village and taken our foreigner.”

“Let’s not assume the worst yet,” Sasuke said. “She could be… working for all we know. Maybe she forgot that she had to meet Hyuga this morning. Maybe she’s in town–I don’t know–shopping, or something.”

“No…” Neji murmured, looking towards the floor. “It couldn’t possibly–and yet…”

“What are you going on about, Hyuga? Is there something you want to tell us?”

“Akatsuki…” he said, receiving several blank expressions. The laughter had ended. “Akatsuki has once already made an attempt to capture her outside the village.”

Once again, it grew quiet. The information that had just received from Neji slowly sunk in. Dark eyes grew wide, feeling a sudden burst of killing intent. Sasuke quickly moved. Luckily he had because Mayu had jumped up and tried to attack the Hyuga. He held her back in a vice grip, though the kunoichi still tried to escape. “What the hell did you just say?!” Mayu all but screamed. “Why did you feel the need to keep something like that to yourself?!”

Slightly shocked by her reaction, Neji hesitated with his answer. “I thought… I thought that she would be safe in the village. I thought that I had no reason to–I was wrong,” he replied. “Gomen.” Mayu stopped struggling against Sasuke. She instead gripped his shoulders. Inside, she was screaming bloody rage.

“Calm down,” Sasuke told her. He winced at the slight pain her nails were causing. “We should report this to the Hokage right now.” The two other shinobi nodded.

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“Nani?! Akatsuki may have captured the foreigner?! Already?!” Tsunade’s voice practically bellowed. Mayu narrowed her eyes at her leader. So she had known all along as well? “Damn… I still haven’t figured out why they could want her in the first place.”

“Neither have I, Hokage-sama,” Neji murmured. “What should we do about this?”

“Isn’t it obvious?!” Mayu bit out. The others turned towards her. She did not continue. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Tsunade nodded her head.

“Yes, I want a full investigation launched!” she ordered. The ninja looked towards their leader. “The foreigner must be found. I want the four of you to find her, look for information concerning her that Akatsuki might find valuable, and if possible, defeat Akatsuki. But remember, the number one priority is bringing the girl back. She could possibly have information about them because she was kidnapped by them.”

“Hai…!”

“I will assign your other teammates a different mission while this investigation is in process. Dismissed!”

“Hai!”

The four ninja disappeared. “Damn it!” Tsunade felt like slamming her head against her desk. “Akatsuki… what could they be planning?” It just didn’t make sense. What could an organization like Akatsuki want with such an insignificant person? Yes, she was a foreigner, someone who was not from this world, but they couldn’t have possibly figured that out. She was known as a foreigner in Konoha because of her complexion. She had no ninja abilities. She was pretty much considered average to anyone in Konoha, other than the fact that skin was different. Her kidnapping seemed to be almost random. “I hope this isn’t as bad as it seems.”

Outside the Hokage building, the four ninja were frowning. “Okay, let’s think about this clearly,” Sasuke was the first one to speak. “I know that the three of you have some sort of attachment to Yasmine, and your emotions will cloud your judgment on this mission. Because of this fact, I’m anointing myself as the leader of this investigation and mission, got it?” There were no objections. His logic had been correct, so there was no need to argue. “Hyuga,” Sasuke addressed the Byakugan user. “Is it safe to say that you searched the entire village with your eyes?”

Neji nodded. “Yes, I have already scanned the village. She is no longer here,” he answered. Sasuke then asked him how he could tell. “Yaya-chan has a very unique chakra network. This is because she is not from this village. All of the people in Konoha–ninja or not–have similar chakra patterns. Anyone not born in the village would have a different pattern. As of right now, there are none in the village who come from someone else.”

“That must mean that whoever captured her left the village,” Sasuke stated. “Our first destination should be the village gates. Let’s go!” Sasuke turned to leave, not waiting for a response from his temporary team. He stopped walking before he even began. The reason for his halt was because he saw his other teammates moving towards him. Seconds later, the two shinobi were in front of him. “Sai, Sawatari…” Sasuke greeted.

“Tori-suke, Jester…” Sai’s eyes moved. “It looks as if you’re coming from the Hokage building. Shouldn’t you be moving the other way?”

“We have a mission to complete,” Mayu answered with a furrowed brow. Her two teammates noticed the frown on her face as well.

“So… you’ve already gotten the mission from Hokage-sama?” Nakatsu asked. Mayu shook her head.

“I’m afraid this mission is just for the four of us,” Sasuke stated. He gestured back at Mayu, Neji, and Jano.

For the first time Sai and Nakatsu seemed to notice the other two ninja with their teammates. Nakatsu’s eyes grew wide. He pointed a shaky finger at the older of the ninja. “Ani…?!” he shouted. Sasuke looked mildly surprised by this, yet they did look similar.

“Nani…?! Your older brother?!” Mayu looked back and forth between the two. She tapped her cheek. “Well, I guess looking at the two of you, it’s obvious. Jano-san looks like an older sister of Nakatsu-kun.” Jano’s eyebrow twitched. “But never mind that. Neji and Jano-san will be our teammates for this mission. You two will be assigned a different mission.”

“So then… we’re splitting up?” Sai asked. His smile had faltered somewhat.

Mayu stepped forward. “It’s only temporary,” she told him. She moved passed them. “A very important person has been taken away from me. She’s been my lifeline for so long that I… I can’t wait any longer. I must save her.” Nakatsu and Sai watched the kunoichi of their team move further and further away. To them, it didn’t feel right that they would be separate for an untold amount of time.

“But then why is brother and Hyuga-san going?” he muttered.

“They were there when we found out that Yasmine was no longer here,” Sasuke said. “The Hokage wanted this mission to be done quickly, so she assigned the four of us.”

“I, too, must save her,” Jano spoke. “She is also important to me.” He patted his little brother on the head as he walked by. “Excuse me for stealing your teammates for awhile.” Nakatsu gave a half-hearted glare at Jano’s departing back. Neji also walked forward, having nothing to say to people he didn’t even know that well. Of course he did have a reason to go on this mission. Yasmine was his friend, and he had let her down once again. It was his obligation to bring her back.

“I’m sure you two will be able to complete a mission by yourselves,” Sasuke commented. The two shinobi turned to him. “There’s no telling how long this operation will last. If we’re lucky, it will only last a few days, but since Akatsuki’s involved-”

“Akatsuki…?!” Nakatsu interrupted. “Shouldn’t there be more than four going if Akatsuki’s implicated?” Sasuke shook his head.

“No, I think four is a good number. We want to be as discreet as possible–let them think we still haven’t discovered that Yasmine’s missing,” he said.

“Caramel…?” Sai questioned. Sasuke slowly nodded. He had almost forgotten that that was his nickname for the foreigner.

“Sasuke…!” Mayu called out to him. The Uchiha gave a final nod to his teammates before leaving them. The two shinobi lowered their eyelids, watching their teammates’ backs.

“Doesn’t feel right, does it, Sai?”

“No… It does not feel right at all, Dickless.”

Nakatsu did not hesitate to smack the back of Sai’s head.

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

“Hey, it’s Sasuke and Neji!” Izumo exclaimed as the four ninja walked over to the guards of the front gates of Konoha.

“Jun-chan…!” Kotetsu also exclaimed. Izumo rolled his eyes at his partner’s antics.

“That’s the brother, you idiot!” he stated. Kotetsu sat back down with an ‘oh’. Izumo sighed heavily as the four ninja came to a stop in front of them. “What brings you here?”

“We’re here to question you about who has come into Konoha for the past few days,” Mayu’s answer was blunt. The two chuunin stared at the kunoichi in surprise. She had seemed very much aggravated.

“And why is it that you want to know that information?” Kotetsu asked, genuinely curious.

Before Mayu could scream, Sasuke opened his mouth. “We are currently trying to investigate a case of a missing person,” he explained. “Anything you say could help to further our search. Please cooperate… or I’m afraid Mayu will attack.” The two chuunin turned their eyes back to the kunoichi, who now looked similar to a demon cat. They resisted the urge to hug each other in a consoling manner. “First, I’d like to know who has–no, I want to know who left the village last night.”

“Last night…?” Izumo repeated.

“Yes, yesterday was the last time this person was seen in the village, and so I need to know about anyone who left the village last night. That should narrow down who we’re looking for,” Sasuke explained.

Kotetsu and Izumo glanced at one another. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at their action. “Actually, there was only one person who left last night,” Izumo answered. “I know for a fact that he wasn’t a citizen of our village.”

“So what did he look like? Suspicious, right?!” Mayu nearly slammed her hands on the table. A hand touched the kunoichi’s shoulder, calming her down.

“Don’t get too excited,” Sasuke said. He turned his dark eyes to the chuunin. “Any information you have about this person would help.”

“Did you see if he carried a large bag?” Neji asked.

“Can you give us a description of this person? Male or female?” Jano asked.

Izumo started to sweat at all the questions. He held up his hands in mock defense. “Actually, it was kinda dark, so… I really didn’t see much,” he said. Mayu, Neji, and Jano directed a glare his way. He shrunk in his seat.

“I saw it,” Kotetsu stated. The four turned their full attention on him. “When he arrived, and when he left.” He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. “Now, that I’m thinking of him, he was a bit weird. Earlier, he came and said something about opening a business–something about a dream, I think. He didn’t mention what village he came from, either. I found it odd that he would leave Konoha soon after entering. He wasn’t even the village for twenty-four hours.”

“Was he carrying anything?” Neji asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Kotetsu murmured, opening his eyes. “I brushed him off as not important when he came into the village. I didn’t think much of it when he left so abruptly until now. Should I have suspected him of something?”

By now, though, the four young ninja weren’t listening. Kotetsu scowled at the backs of Mayu and Sasuke, who had turned to face the other two. “This person sounds more and more suspicion. He could be our guy,” Mayu commented. Neji nodded his head in agreement; however, there was a frown on his face.

“But how could he leave the village without appearing to have Yaya-chan with him?” he asked. “They said he wasn’t carrying anything. Do you think he did some type of jutsu?”

“There are a lot of jutsu in the world–I wouldn’t be surprised if he performed a jutsu that could conceal Yasmine from normal eyes,” Jano remarked.

“But what if we’re wrong?” Mayu bit her lip as she bowed her head. “If we waste time on someone’s who’s not even involved, then Yasmine could-”

“We really don’t have a choice,” Sasuke said. “This is our only lead right now. Besides, Yasmine will be fine. She might put on a façade, but-”

“She actually makes people think she’s weak when she’s strong,” the other three ninja spoke in unison with small, nostalgic smiles on their faces.

“… Uh, yeah…” Sasuke muttered with a flat look. He turned around to face Kotetsu. “Please give me a name and description of this man.” The chuunin guard nodded.

“He said his name was Kazuhiro Zai…”

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

“Are you sure this is the closet village near Konoha?” Sasuke asked. He and his temporary team were outside of a small village at the moment. After getting further information from Kotetsu, they wasted no time in getting here. Because they did not stop, it took only a few hours to reach the border village.

“It’s not the closest, but since this village is near the border of other countries, I’m thinking that this Kazuhiro person would stop here,” Mayu said. “Or if he’s careful, somewhere near here. Either way, he should be–or has been–somewhere around here. And besides that fact, uncle did say that most of the Akatsuki hideouts he found were West of Konoha on a map, such as the Wind Country, where a known hideout is. This is the only town for miles where this guy can rest before moving to the rendezvous point.”

Sasuke nodded, and then looked back at his team. Any sign that they were ninja have been hidden from view. Even Neji’s famous Hyuga eyes were unseen. Bandages were wrapped around his eyes. He could see clearly if his Byakugan were on, but for now, he held on Jano’s shoulder to guide him. The group did not want to bring any unwanted attention. If the kidnapper was in this town, he would immediately assume that the Konoha ninja were after him and escape before they even realized that he was in the village.

“Okay, this is how it’s going to work,” Sasuke announced. “We’ll split off into teams of two. Hyuga and Sawatari will be in a group and Mayu and I will be in another. First, we’ll check the hotels of this village and ask about Kazuhiro. Make sure to describe his features accurately, or this won’t work. We’ll meet up on the other side of the village in a half an hour, got it?” Several nods were his answer. The four entered the village. “Let’s go, Mayu.”

“Right,” she responded, following after Sasuke. Jano and Neji went another direction. “Sasuke, do you have any idea why Akatsuki would want Yasmine?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking that question?” he responded. He looked to his left and spotted an inn. He moved towards the building, with Mayu at his heels. “You were closer to her than anyone.” Mayu bowed her head as she lowered her eyelids.

“I… can’t figure it out,” she murmured. “Even if there was something special about her, I don’t know how they found out. She’s been in the village the entire time. It’s not like she travels outside the village. I just don’t understand why a dangerous group would want someone as innocent as her.” The girl clenched her eyes shut, suddenly feeling emotionally distraught. Noticing her change in demeanor, Sasuke glanced back.

“Wait here,” he told her, and then entered the establishment. Mayu looked up in question, but Sasuke had already disappeared. The kunoichi succeeded only in waiting for a few moments before walking forward. She moved the paper flap out of the way as she moved forward. Inside, she saw her teammate speaking to a person. She assumed that it was the innkeeper. She couldn’t hear the words being exchange from the distance, though. She blinked once and suddenly Sasuke was looking her way with a slightly annoyed expression.

Sasuke turned back to the innkeeper, bowed, and then moved towards her at a quick pace. “I told you to wait outside,” he said, grabbing her wrist. He pulled her towards him and moved further inside. “Come on!” Confused by Sasuke’s sudden behavior, Mayu only stumbled after him.

“Eh…? Sasuke, what are you-” Mayu began when she realized they were out of sight. She didn’t finish her question because her teammate had pushed up against a wall. “Itai…!” she groaned, and then glared at the taller teen. “Stop pushing me into walls, you jackass!” Sasuke ignored her demand and gripped her upper arms. “Sas-” Her eyes grew wide. He had suddenly kissed her again. Her body screamed in protest, and yet she felt paralyzed at his touch. Sasuke was not holding on to her with an iron grip. His hands were gentle. His lips were soft. He pulled back, only to kiss her chin, and then her neck, and then even lower. It felt so… good to Mayu. She was paralyzed, and yet aware of his contact. It was when his hands started to move down did she snap out of it. Suddenly angered, she pushed her teammate away. “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Mayu shouted. She turned her head away, trying to ignore the blush on her face. “How could you even possibly even think of doing something like that right now…?!”

“What I was thinking…?” Sasuke repeated, pushing himself from the opposite wall. Mayu slowly turned to him. Despite pushing him, he had remained calm. “I did it for three reasons…” He lifted his head and walked towards her. Mayu, in response, pressed her back against the wall. Sasuke trapped her by placing his hands on either side of the wall, near her upper body. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “One: I simply wanted to.” Mayu frowned at his response. “It makes my heart beat so quickly, and I like the feeling.” The kunoichi lost her frown. “Two: This counts as the last mission.”

“The last mission…?” Mayu found herself repeating.

“The last mission before I hear your decision,” Sasuke stated. Blue eyes expanded. She had forgotten, and yet she hadn’t. “I do want you to decide on your own, but I will be trying to persuade you during this time–by kissing, hugging, or anything that will have you decide in my favor.” He rubbed his cheek against hers, causing her to breathe out shuddering breaths. “Three: It’s a distraction.” That was something Mayu had not been expecting. She did not respond, wanting him to explain. “I know that you are hurt. I know that you are in pain. Yasmine is missing, and because of that you’re experiencing overwhelming emotions. I can’t let you drown yourself, and so I use this as a distraction.” Sasuke pulled back again. He placed his hands on Mayu’s cheeks. Unconsciously, one of her hands wrapped around his wrist, yet she did not try to move away. Their eyes locked. It was almost as if Mayu couldn’t breathe. “This is a distraction for the both of us, Mayu. By distracting you now, you will be able to distract me when the time comes.”

“What do…? What do you mean?” Mayu asked. She had broken out in a cold sweat. Sasuke had never acted this way towards her. Either he couldn’t because he was afraid of getting hit, or he never really thought about it. But now–Mayu supposed it was indirectly her fault. He had made it seem as if she had forced him into a corner. She swallowed hard, feeling slightly guilty.

“You will find out, and I hope you react accordingly,” Sasuke told her. He gazed at the kunoichi’s face with lowered eyelids. Her flushed cheeks… Her full lips… Her defiant, blue eyes… He saw her mouth move, but he didn’t hear any words. The movement of her lips only caused him to ease in. It was like… he couldn’t control himself.

Mayu, out of nowhere, squealed. Sasuke opened his eyes. He blinked in surprise. The kunoichi was glaring at him again. Her face had gotten redder. Sasuke, a bit confused by the expression, reared back. He looked down and realized where his hand was grabbing. He slowly looked back up at Mayu’s face. Her eye was twitching. She was grinding her teeth together. “… Shit…” he thought, releasing her.

“Distraction, huh…?!” she ground out. “Distraction, my ASS!”

“M-Matte, Mayu…! My hands have a mind of their own, I swear!” Sasuke backed away from the enraged teen.

“BULLSHIT!”

The last thing the Uchiha saw was a fist coming towards him.

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

“Oi! Oi!” Jano waved the two teens over. Neji and he had already shown up at the opposite side of the village. The older man was standing, while the Hyuga sat underneath a tree; it appeared as if he were mediating. “Neji-kun and I found–what happened to you, Uchiha-san?” he asked, putting his arm down. He looked genuinely confused. Sasuke placed a hand over his black eye. He looked away.

“I got into a fight with a cocoon and lost,” he answered.

“What was that?!” Mayu shouted, causing a small smirk to appear on Sasuke’s face.

“Enough,” Neji’s calm voice interrupted. He stood up from his Lotus position. The three faced him. Even though his eyes were covered, he could feel their eyes on him. “We found something important.” The Hyuga instantly had Mayu’s full attention. “We didn’t have any luck with any of the hotels or inns we checked–I assume that it was the same for you?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke answered.

“As I thought… this man is smarter than the ones who tried to take her before,” Neji commented. “After checking the hotels, we went to a store. Based on what the old woman told me, Kazuhiro Zai bought a bento in her store.”

“Eh…? A bento?” Mayu muttered.

“Yes, I was almost surprised by this, especially since he’s been so careful up until now,” Jano added. “Why would he show his face in such a place?”

“Yasmine…” Mayu gave a thoughtful look. “Since Yasmine was taken before she reached home, I’m guessing she didn’t get to it. Her stomach must’ve been nearly screaming.”

“Exactly,” Neji confirmed. “In order to stifle the noise, he had to buy something to eat for her, I assume.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke crossed his arms. “When that girl’s hungry, her stomach sounds similar to an angry beast.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Jano agreed.

“So then, that’s the only info you got?” Mayu asked.

“She also told us that he purchased the bento a few hours ago, and then left the village soon afterwards,” Jano supplied.

“Hours…? He could be long gone by now…”

“Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to look,” Neji stated. “We could find a clue.”

“Right,” Mayu nodded.

“We should get going then,” Sasuke said. The four ninja nodded.

It did not take long for the team of four to reach the forest on the outskirts of the village. They had been searching for nearly ten minutes now. So far, they had found nothing. Mayu gripped the grass in frustration. She had been searching her hands and knees. “I can’t believe we haven’t found anything yet!” she stood up. She turned her blue eyes to her Hyuga comrade. “Neji, did you scan the area already?” The Byakugan user sighed softly. The kunoichi had already asked him that question two minutes ago.

“As I said before, I have already looked for any chakra signatures,” he replied. “Let me remind you we are searching for any type of clue.”

“This is annoying!” Mayu growled. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. She then smirked, having the thought sudden come to her. She bit her thumb, causing blood to slide down it. “If Yasmine has been here, then Nana-chan will definitely find something she left behind.” She made several hand signs. “Summoning Jutsu!” The kunoichi slammed her hand against the ground. After a few moments, the massive cloud disappeared and revealed Mayu’s feline partner. “Nana-chan, I need you to find something for me.” Mayu watched the giant leopard nod. She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a black hair tie.

“Is that…?” Neji questioned.

Mayu nodded as she held it out to Nana to smell. “Yeah, it’s Yasmine. If she has been in this forest, Nana will find her scent for sure,” she explained. Nana took a few moments to memorize the smell. “I know we might not find her now, but this should at least lead us to where she stayed while Kazuhiro was in the village. The location of where she was–I believe there is a clue there. Something must’ve been left behind.”

The black leopard suddenly jerked her head in a direction. “I have found a similar scent,” she stated. “But it’s strange…”

“What is strange?” Sasuke asked. Golden cat-like eyes shifted over to the Young Uchiha. Nana nodded, recognizing the male as her partner’s companion.

“This scent does not have a trail to follow,” Nana told him.

“Nani…?! You said you found it, didn’t you?” Neji asked.

Nana narrowed her eyes at the Hyuga. She released a growl, causing him to frown. “I did find it, human,” she said. “But there is no trail. It is as if she suddenly appeared at this location. Her scent is… only in one place. Out of the entire area, her scent is in only one spot. There is no trail–just the spot.”

“Eh…?! That makes no sense!” Mayu crossed her arms. “Yasmine doesn’t know any transportation jutsu!”
“This man could have an ability to transport her inside of something,” Jano suggested. “We have no idea what this stranger is capable of, nor do we know of his intentions. It is best if we head quickly to this site.”

“Alright, Nana,” Sasuke addressed the black leopard. “Lead the way.”

“As you wish-” the feline seemed to smirk. “-partner’s future haiguusha…” She whispered the last part. Mayu however heard clearly; Jano also heard and stifled a laugh as the kunoichi fought back a blush. She pulled Nana’s ear.

“Don’t say stuff like that!” she hissed in a whisper. “¡Sasuke no es mi futuro marido!” she spoke in a different language. (Translation: Sasuke is not my future husband!)

“¡Tú hueles como él!” Nana growled back, annoyed at having her ear pulled. The kunoichi released the ear and frowned. (You smell like him!)

“Just don’t say anything about it!” Mayu exclaimed. “Anyway, anyway, let’s find this spot already!” The girl quickly moved forward, pushing the black leopard. She received strange looks from her comrades. Neji and Jano glanced at one another before shrugging; they followed after her.

“I’ve got to learn that language…” Sasuke thought, and then he, too, moved forward.

Minutes later, the group arrived at the location. Neji looked around. “There’s no one here,” he sounded disappointed. Jano called over to the three teens.

“I found something!” he said, waving them over. The three teens headed over to where Jano was. He was kneeling near the base of a tree.

“Her scent is the strongest there. But I fear that I am not of use any longer in this situation. I will go now,” Nana told the group, and then disappeared in the same manner that she had appeared.

“Demo…” Jano murmured, turning his head back. The other three ninja knelt down beside him. “I don’t understand these… scribbles.”

“Let me see,” Mayu gently pushed the man out of the way. “English…? … AH!”

“What is it?!” Neji asked.

“Yasmine wrote this! She’s the only one beside me who knows English here, I’m guessing!” Mayu smiled. Her eyes moved across the dirt, where a message had been written. She read out loud so that her teammates could understand. “‘Akatsuki awaits me… in Ame!’ Eh…? She even drew an Internet smiley face…” Mayu looked up at her teammates. “What’s Ame?”

“Shouldn’t we be asking that question to you?” Sasuke muttered with a frown.

“Shut up!”

“Ame… It could be short for Amegakure,” Neji answered.

“The Village Hidden in the Rain…” Jano breathed. “Konoha ninja haven’t been there in years. It’s a village that resides in an unnamed country. This country borders the Fire Country, the River Country, the Wind Country, the Bird Country, and the Earth Country. It is also the country closest to this village, almost known as the Border Town.”

“So that’s why Kazuhiro rested so close by,” Mayu scratched her cheek. “Right now… He must be waiting by the border.”

“Wait a minute… Are you saying that this country is in the center of it all?” Sasuke questioned, narrowing his eyes.

“That would explain the Akatsuki hideouts all over the land,” Neji remarked. “So Amegakure is Akatsuki’s central base, then?”

“We can’t assume that now,” Sasuke said. “Our main concern right now is to find Yasmine. We must head to the border. There’s a chance that we could stop him from meeting up with Akatsuki. Let’s move out!”

“Hai…!” the rest of the team chorused.
***********************************

Yay, I’m so glad to finish this chapter! I hope to get the next chapter done before Summer Break, but we all the exams coming up, I don’t see that happening–but it doesn’t hurt to hope, right?