Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 26

"Open your eyes–open wide, there’s a whole world to feel! All turns around, it’s a dream or it’s real!"-Neja (Fairytale)
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The door slid open. The room's occupant seemed to be blissfully unaware of their visitor. She groaned lightly before turning on her side. She was still sleeping. The visitor moved forward, closing the door on his way in. He walked toward the sleeping teen. She did not stir even when the floor creaked under his feet. She was tired, he knew. Last night, she and their temporary team had searched the forest for any other clues. They only managed to find one other thing. It was another message from the foreigner. The group at been surprised that the kidnapper hadn't realized that she had been writing these messages. The message clearly said 'Be back,' according to Mayu, the one who understood the writing. Neji made the assumption that Yasmine wrote it because she knew that they were looking for her. He guessed that she was trying to tell them that her kidnapper would be back in that area, and so they'd stop looking for more clues.

Mayu, however, continued to search. She had been pushing herself again, and that's why she was tired now. Sasuke slowly sank to his knees. He leaned forward, watching his teammate breathe softly. His arm extended. His fingers lightly brushed her bangs away from her face. Her face scrunched up, and then it relaxed. She even seemed to move closer to his touch. Sasuke licked his lips as he continued to stare at her. A small smile frown appeared. “Oh no…” he murmured. “… I don’t think I can stop myself.” His lips grew closer and closer to Mayu’s. He moistened them again. Their lips were centimeters apart now. Mayu opened her eyes with a glare.

“You have no self control,” she told him, causing the Uchiha to stop his advances. He noticed her narrowed eyes right away. He, however, did not back away.

“Ah, you were awake,” he stated, unperturbed by the slightly fierce look he was receiving from his teammate. Her palm collided with his nose. Mayu forcefully pushed him away. Sasuke didn’t mind the slight pain he felt when his back hit the floor. He sat back up just as Mayu was adjusting her sleepwear. It was when she felt his eyes did she pause. She turned her blue eyes toward him as if to ask what was with his stare. Sasuke sighed lightly. “This would be much easier if you were dim-witted.” An angry expression passed on Mayu’s face. “But then, I probably wouldn’t find you attractive.” The kunoichi quickly turned her face away, hiding a blush.

“What do you want, Sasuke?” she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. She glanced at him for a moment. “Did Neji or Jano-san say anything yet?” The Uchiha shook his head. “Then why are you in here?” Sasuke didn’t answer right away. He took this time to look at Mayu–really look her. The kunoichi was obviously stressed. The bags under her eyes proved that much. The vein on her forehead was clearly visibly. It only appeared when she was nervous or anxious about something. Most of the time, he couldn’t see it. She normally wore her headband. He could see the bulging vein clearly now, though. Her eyes, usually blue and energetic, were now dull and tired. This mission was clearly taking a lot out of her, and all because it involved a dangerous organization and her precious friend.

Mayu blinked, and then slowly turned her head to her teammate. He had not given her an answer. He was staring at her. A frown was on his face. Confused, she turned her body fully to face him. She stood up. No matter what her actions, Sasuke continued to stare at her. He looked a bit upset. His dark eyes suddenly averted as if he had just noticed her looking. “Mayu…” he murmured. “How much did you rest?” The teen breathed out slowly, unintentionally grabbing Sasuke’s attention again. “You didn’t rest at all, did you?”

“I couldn’t stay asleep. I slept for about an hour. Afterwards, I just laid there,” Mayu answered, frowning.

“Mayu…” Sasuke began, standing.

“I know,” she muttered, turning. She didn’t want to see the disappointed look that she knew was on his face. “I know… I can’t help it. I can’t help but feel this way. Yasmine’s in danger and I feel as if I can do nothing.” She felt his eyes on her back. It was hard to ignore, but she managed. She clenched her fists at her sides. For a moment, it was quiet. Then Mayu heard her teammate moving closer.

“I know the feeling,” Sasuke wrapped his arms around the kunoichi. “I know the feeling well. But this time it’s different. This time things will be different. I promise… Mayu, I will take care of everything.” He squeezed her lightly. “You don’t have to push yourself. I’m sure that Yasmine will be alright. You know how she is.”

“I know exactly how she is–that’s what scares me.”

Sasuke gave her another reassuring squeeze. He pressed his lips to her neck. She squirmed because of his sudden intimate touch, but made no move to push him away. This realization made the Uchiha smirk. “She’ll be fine,” he whispered. He could feel her ragged breathing. From his simple touch, she was nearly hyperventilating. He reluctantly lifted his head. “Mayu,” his hands lowered. “I-”

“Stop!” she interrupted, going rigid. Sasuke was involuntarily startled, causing him to pause his movements. “Your hand…” Not sure which Mayu was referring to, he removed both of them for her body, although begrudgingly. Mayu instantly grabbed her left forearm with her right hand. Her fingers gently rubbed against the cloth. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “It’s nothing… Just forget it, Sas-”

The Uchiha was quick to stifle her sentence. He swiftly turned her around and pulled her sleeve up, causing a gasp to come from Mayu’s lips. Sasuke’s eyes widened at what he saw, and then they narrowed. Mayu’s skin was red as if she had been struck repeatedly in the same place. Mayu sighed heavily. She was a bit annoyed that it had been discovered. Sasuke, keeping her wrist in a firm hold, lightly caressed the outline of the red mark. This action drew a wince from the kunoichi. “This is fresh–you were supposed to be resting!” Sasuke said. His dark eyes met hers. Mayu would have wretched her arm away, but he kept it in such an iron grip.

“I told you that I couldn’t! I had to do something to try to calm my nerves!” she retorted, defiance in her eyes.

“It was reckless! You’re hurt now! What if you can’t shoot properly now?!” Sasuke nearly snarled. Mayu scowled. She knew he was right, but she refused to let him know that. The Uchiha forced his body to relax. Mayu was so irritating sometimes. He breathed out softly. “I know the feeling,” he repeated. “But your abilities are needed. I need your abilities; I need your mind working accurately… I need you.” His thumb lightly touched the red mark, sending jolts into Mayu’s body. She swallowed a noise that she didn’t want Sasuke to hear. He released her arm. She almost let out a sigh of relief.

Her relief, however, did not last long. Sasuke touched her right cheek and slid his fingers down to her chin. They remained there as his dark eyes locked with hers again. Her breath felt trapped in her throat. She almost despised the way he looked at her. It was those eyes–that look–that made her feel so vulnerable. She despised it, and yet she was in awe of it. Her feelings became torn when she was forced to look into those eyes. She wanted so badly to have her body tense–to make him think she did not want his touches. But her body only betrayed her in the end. “Na… Nani…?” she finally spoke.

Sasuke leaned down. He almost let a smug smirk appear on his face. But he knew that would just aggravate his kunoichi, and earn him a bruise. The Uchiha smiled instead. That was one of things he loved about her. Her exuberant nature was something he had been attracted to when he first met her. Later on, it was her smile that captured his attention. It was like a flash of light in his darkness. He wouldn’t deny it. Back then, he was nowhere near happy. Only when Mayu’s true identity was revealed to him did he start to open up with his team. And that led to brief happiness. For a moment, he was shown a glimpse of contentment after what had happened to his family. It was only for a moment, though. Mayu had been taken away from the team and replaced with Sakura. Not that he didn’t care for Sakura now… It was just–losing someone again ate him up inside. He had always wondered what it would have been like if she had not disappeared that day on the bridge. Naruto had not noticed the change; neither did Kakashi for that matter. He had been the only one to lose someone… yet again.

And when she was suddenly returned to him, he could not control himself. Mayu had seemed surprised that he had hugged her. He had thought she died. She couldn’t really blame him for thinking that way. Months had passed without her, after all. After a longer period of time, it had happened again–that time being his fault. He never wanted to make that mistake again. It had cost him a lot, including her smile. But now she was back, and he had the power–he hoped, at least–to make her fall in love with him again. Her defiant nature–though he found it irresistible–was making it quite tough for him. No matter… She was unknowingly falling for him again. Again, it was wishful thinking, but her reactions to his advances were slowly turning in his favor. He should have gotten serious a long time ago.

Seeing her anxious face, Sasuke moved closer. He heard a slight whimper come from those lips. She was getting breathless and he hadn’t done anything more than soft touches. His lips pressed against her cheek. She drew a sharp intake of air as his lips slid across her skin up to her ear. The two stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. His lips moved again. They were pushed against her earlobe. He smirked when he heard the unmistakable sound of a moan. “… Get dressed–be ready in five minutes,” Sasuke whispered.

“Eh…?”

The Uchiha couldn’t help but brush against her as he pulled away. He looked at her for a moment, enjoying the dazed expression on her face. “Five minutes,” he told her, and then turned to go. When the door shut, Mayu’s mouth dropped open. She stared at the door in disbelief. Her mouth moved, yet no words came out. She had been struck speechless. She finally let out a shocked breath.

“Oh no…” Mayu murmured. She frowned as she looked down to the floor. She pinched her earlobe–the place where his lips were. “… I think I’m disappointed.”
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A gentle shake caused the teen to open her eyes. She was, once again, momentarily blinded by the sun. Brown eyes stared into dark green eyes. The foreigner wearily blinked. She still was not used to seeing her kidnapper’s face whenever she opened her eyes. His mouth moved, yet she heard no words. She winced, feeling the rope biting into her skin. It didn’t hurt. It wasn’t tight enough to, but it was still uncomfortable. Each time she was transported, she had to be unconscious for some reason. This process caused headaches and momentary hearing problems for her. She would have complained about it, but he had told her it’s what needed to be done. “… they should be here any minute.” Yasmine barely caught his sentence.

“Huh…?” she murmured.

“Akatsuki–they should come for you soon,” Zai replied. Yasmine blinked at the man. He seemed like a nice guy. So she felt a bit sorry for him. He did not stand against any of the main characters. She sighed heavily. “What’s with the face? I thought you were happy going to them.”

“I am,” Yasmine spoke clearly and with a determined nod. Zai released an exasperated sigh. This young teen was just too weird. He didn’t understand why anyone would want to willing be transported to an organization like Akatsuki. “It’s you, really.” The man looked confused. “You were nice to me, despite your job. But you will die.” Her words were nonchalant as if she was just stating a common fact. The two stared at one another. Zai was the one to blink first. Never before had he come across a girl quite like her. “By now, they have realized that I’m gone. They will hunt you down like an animal.”

“They…?” Zai repeated. He stepped closer. Her wrists were still confined and her knees were bent. She wouldn’t be able to make any quick movements in her current position. “You said you weren’t a princess, right? You are only a civilian.” The foreigner’s shoulders moved up in a shrug. She smiled lightly.

“Most of my friends are ninja, and they wouldn’t take my lack of presence lightly,” Yasmine told him. She tilted her head down. “I know that sounds conceited, but I can tell they care very much about me. Mayu’s probably furious by now. She’ll be the first to attack you, Kazuhiro-san.” Zai blinked again. He knew of this ‘Mayu’ girl. He had overheard his package talking about it with that man before he had taken her from the village. She was a ninja, he knew. But he had no idea that she had other ninja friends. Come to think of it, that man could have also been a ninja. He did say something about being demoted by his rank by the Third. He assumed he meant the Third Hokage. It was irrelevant, though, because he had covered his tracks well. Only one person had seen him since he left Konoha, and that was an elderly person who probably wouldn’t have remembered his face. And by sealing the teen into a scroll, her scent was virtually untraceable.

Zai hesitated for a brief moment. “And is there someone who will stop at nothing to save you in this group? Is there someone who will become stronger in the heat of battle just to save you? Is there someone who is willing to protect you with their life if the situation calls for it? Is there someone in love with you in that group–a boyfriend?” With each question he asked, Yasmine seemed more and more confused. She shook her head a bit.

“Nani…? In love–a boyfriend…? That’s silly. There’s no one like that,” Yasmine answered. Zai let out a sigh. A part of him was almost disappointed by her answer. It would have been a bit more interesting if there was someone like that coming after her. It would have been an exciting battle because of those passionate feelings–just like in the stories… Too bad that was not the case. “Why do you ask?” Feeling suddenly embarrassed, the man turned his back to the teen–although she couldn’t see regardless–and coughed.

“No reason…”

The two stayed in silence for the remainder of the time. It wasn’t until Zai made an inquiring noise that Yasmine tilted her head back up. She heard movement coming from a different direction, and then she heard her kidnapper shift in his position. “What’s this…? Some sorta of giant, clay spider?” his voice questioned. She assumed that he wasn’t asking her since she was blindfolded. Though, the ‘clay spider’ part was oddly familiar to her ears. Yasmine heard him move again. Next, she heard the crinkling of paper. “It says ‘Your services are no longer required. Take the money and leave.’ Huh, so I don’t get to see my employer one last time, eh?” The foreigner heard him move again. It sounded as if he was lifting a heavy load. “Well, I guess that means my job is complete. You also seem like a nice person, Yasmine-san. It was a pity that we had to meet under these circumstances. Perhaps one day we will meet again.” She heard his fading footsteps.

“I doubt it since you’ll be killed, but it’s a nice thought!” Yasmine called after him. Zai promptly fell out of place. He sighed heavily before continuing on away from the strange teen.

Minutes after his departure, Yasmine began to squirm. A small squeal of glee came from her mouth. “I can hardly contain myself!” she thought as a grin spread across her face. “Soon, very soon, I will meet and talk with members of Akatsuki!” The teen released a dreamy sigh. “Arigatou, Mayu! You’re the one that brought me here! As a fan, I will forever be in your debt!”

Yasume: The excitement aside, I wonder why Akatsuki wants you, anyway.

“Who cares…?! What’s important is that I will be meeting all of them. They could kill me to further their mysterious plans and I wouldn’t care! As long as I get autographs on a shirt first. My only request is to be buried with that shirt,” Yasmine thought with a nod. Yasume chuckled in her mind.

Yasume: But I’m still curious. You don’t have a tailed beast inside of you, do you?

“Don’t be silly! I’m not Mary-Sue!” the foreigner chuckled. She could feel her alter ego rolling her eyes. “Besides, you’re the only thing inside my head. I was probably only mistaken for someone they really wanted. I’ll just forget to mention this when I get to the cave lair.”

Suddenly it felt as if a huge weight was dropped on the ground. The impact actually caused the teen to be lifted off the ground. A few minutes passed before she heard footsteps coming towards her. From the sound of it, there were two people. “This must be the girl, huh, sempai?” Yasmine immediately perked up.

“That seems obvious, un,” an annoyed voice replied. The foreigner had to stifle the squeal.

“He made that sound! He must be Deidara-sama!” she thought, squirming.

“Oi, grab the girl and let’s get back already,” the male, that she assumed was Deidara, ordered.

“Hai…!” came the enthusiastic response. Footsteps came closer. Hands gripped her shoulders and lifted her off the ground. “Up we go!” The man spun the foreigner away several times before placing her over his shoulder. Yasmine’s grin was wide. She knew the cheery antics of the Akatsuki member. It was most definitely Tobi, the masked member of the organization.

“Again, again…!” Yasmine couldn’t help to exclaim. The man halted, probably surprised at her words. She felt him shrug and then lift her off his shoulder. He held her at her waist, and then spun her around a couple more times. Yasmine whooped in excitement.

“TOBI!!” The two laughing people instantly stopped moving because of the loud and irritated voice. “Stop playing around with the captive and put her on the freaking bird, un!”

“H-Hai, Deidara-sempai!” the man known as Tobi jumped up. Seconds later, he landed and placed the foreigner down.

Yasmine realized that it was not the ground her cheek was pressed against. The surface was slightly familiar to her. “Right… we used clay in Art class before. This must be the giant clay bird Deidara-sama uses for transportation,” she thought. A dreamy look appeared on her face. She sighed in delight. “I’m actually going to ride on one of Deidara-sama’s creations! I could die happy right now!” Within a few short moments, they were off the ground. Yasmine could feel the wind playing with her hair. Also, she could smell the artificial scent of the two men she was with. The smells came from in front of her so she assumed that she was behind the two members of Akatsuki.

The foreigner waited a moment before rolling onto her back. Her movements were hesitant because she knew that she could fall if she made one wrong move. With a groan, she sat up, unintentionally drawing Tobi’s attention. She continued to move about, drawing her knees up and using her feet to turn her body around to face the two men. “Gomennasai,” she spoke. Deidara took one uncaring glance back at the foreigner before returning his attention back to the sky. “I did not mean to get you in trouble, Tobi-sama.” She tilted her head down.

“Eh…?! How did you know my name?!”

“Because Tobi-sama’s a good boy!” Yasmine replied with a smile. Tobi gasped like a fascinated child who had just seen an impressive magic trick.

“It’s obvious that she heard me call you that, idiot!” Deidara stated. Yasmine turned her head in the direction that she heard his voice. “That Uchiha said that she was a foreigner, so I admit that she can communicate with us, un.”

“Deidara-sama… Where are we going?” Yasmine asked. The blond man scoffed lightly.

“Do you really think I’d tell you? You’re blindfolded for a reason,” he replied.

“You don’t have to add ‘sama’ to his name! Just call him ‘sempai’ like I do!” Tobi told her.

“Shut up, Tobi!”

“Say, are we really riding on one of your great creations?” the foreigner directed her question to Deidara. Surprised, he turned his head at the sitting girl. Tobi was also sitting, a few inches away from the teen. “Mayu told me that you were an artist, so we are riding one of your clay creations, right?”

“Why yes… Yes, we are on my creation. Too bad you can’t see it at the moment. You would definitely be in awe of its magnificence, un!” Deidara spread his arms out as he spoke. Tobi chuckled.

“Sempai usually gets like that whenever someone compliments his art–it’s not often, though,” he stated. The blond, in response, nearly kicked his partner off the edge.

“So what you’re saying is… I’m on a bird,” Yasmine suddenly stood, causing the two men to stare at her. Deidara blinked, watching a smirk spread on their captives face. “I’m on a bird,” she repeated. “I’m on a bird. Everybody look at me cuz I’m riding on a bird! I’m on a bird! I’m on a bird! Take a good hard look at the motherfuckin’ bird!” Her voice had gotten louder by now. Tobi and Deidara glanced at one another before returning their eyes back to the singing–no, she seemed to be rapping–foreigner. To their surprise, her voice changed slightly. It sounded a bit rougher than before.

I’m on a bird, motherfucka, in the fucking sky
Straight pimping on a bird, and I’m so high
Haruno Sakura wears clothes like a fucking turd
She can’t stop me and Deidara cuz we’re on a bird!

Her voice went back to normal.

Take a picture, trick!
I’m on a bird, bitch!
We singin’ silly songs in the sky
Cuz I have a glitch!
I got two minds and my iPod
I’m getting photos; you’re at home wondering why I’m odd!

The voice changed again.

I’m riding with Deidara.
He’s dropping bombs and smoke
He’s causing chaos, making everybody choke
But this ain’t 911, and we’re not Cheney and Bush
This ain’t a boat, motherfucka, that’s just a bunch of mush!

Deidara blinked and looked confused.

I’m on a bird
And it’s going fast
And we’re flying over a village that looks like a wasteland
I’m the foreign teen on a bird like Sora
If you’re on the ground than you’ve got no aura!

Get the fuck up!
This bird is real!

Fuck land, I’m in the sky, motherfucka!
Fuck grass, I play with clouds, motherfucka!
I’m on a bird with Akatsuki, motherfucka!
I’m just so damn kooky, motherfucka!

Hey, man, if you could see me now!
Arms tied tight as I take a bow!
Man, I really hungry; I just wanna chow!
With Yasume in my mind, anything is possible!

Tobi wrapped an arm around the teen and began to sing along.

Yeah, never thought we’d be in the air!
We can feel the wind in our hair!
Deidara… look at us!
Oh!
Never thought we’d feel so well!
It wouldn’t be funny if we fell!
Hey, what’s that burning smell?

“Oh wait; it’s sempai about to blow us up!” Tobi shouted. He grabbed Yasmine and moved away. Seconds later, a small explosion happened right where the two were. Tobi let out a huge sigh of relief. “Sempai…! Don’t be so cruel!”

“Shut up, un!” the blond sighed as he turned back around. “Great, another idiot…” he murmured, listening to his partner and their captive’s laughter.
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Jano narrowed his eyes, trying to see something in the distance. He stood up on the branch he and his comrade were on. Neji, hearing the movement, turned his head. “What is it?” he asked. He still had the bandages around his eyes. Jano did not answer the younger male for a few moments. He enhanced his vision using chakra. A humanoid figure was approaching the village. He and Neji were inside of the Border village, keeping watch from the back entrance of the village.

“Someone is coming. Neji-kun,” the older ninja turned his head. The Hyuga male nodded, and then stood. He pressed two fingers against Jano’s eyelid. Slowly and precisely, Neji pushed chakra into his comrade’s eye, further enhancing his vision. He pulled his fingers back almost instantly, not sure whether he could cause Jano to go blind. “Green eyes… green coat and hat… black boots and pants… blue shirt… This looks like our guy.” Neji’s body tensed. “We should stop him outside the village. This confrontation could be dangerous to civilians. Alert Mayu-san and Sasuke-san.” Neji nodded again before placing a hand on the communication device.

“Possible suspect spotted…” he spoke into the headset. “Awaiting further orders.” Crackling noises were his response. Neji furrowed his eyebrows before pressing the button again. “I repeat, possible suspect spotted–we are awaiting further orders.” Again, the same noise was the response. “Uchiha…! What the hell are you doing?!” Finally, a breathless voice was heard.

“We’re on our way! Do not engage until I tell you!”

“Where are you two?” Neji questioned. “How far away are you?”

“Within a few… seconds, you should see Mayu.”

As if on cue, the kunoichi’s feet touched down beside the two ninja. Her eyes were narrowed and a frown was on her face. “She’s here,” Neji told Sasuke. The Uchiha did not respond. “And so are you.” The teen turned his head slightly, silently greeting the last member of the team. “Jano-san believes that we should stop him outside of the village. I agree with him.” Sasuke nodded as Sharingan eyes focused on the oncoming person.

“I do not see Yasmine,” Jano stated. Only one of his eyes was opened. “We can only assume that he delivered her, and completed his job. I can see that he is carrying a large bag–it most likely as money in it.”

Sasuke’s hand suddenly slammed on Mayu’s shoulder. She gritted her teeth, turning fierce eyes toward her teammate. He had stopped her from leaping from the branch and charging toward the man that had kidnapped her friend. “Easy, Mayu… This isn’t the type of situation where we can attack, and then ask questions,” he stated. “He’s obviously a businessman, so perhaps we can negotiate.” He released her as he continued to speak. “And if we cannot, you know what to do.” Neji and Jano both nodded at what the young Uchiha was implying.

“Fine,” Mayu muttered. “I have a plan.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Kazuhiro Zai walked at a relatively slow pace. He still felt somewhat guilty about leaving that girl there like that. His departure from the foreigner had been about twenty-four hours ago. He supposed that he shouldn’t feel this way. After all, the teen seemed ecstatic about meeting the notorious association. Zai let out a sigh. “She was such a strange girl,” he murmured. He shifted the newly acquired weight around. It wasn’t a good idea to be carrying such a hefty amount of money around. “I should seal it in a scroll before I get back to that town,” he thought, shifting the weight again.

“STOP IT…!”

The green-eyed man sharply looked up. That shout–it sounded like a female’s voice. He narrowed his eyes as he pushed his hat up so he could see clearly. What he saw made he clench his teeth. Further ahead of him were two young people–teens to be precise. It wasn’t that he disliked teenagers; it was what one of them was doing that ticked him off. The male was pushing the girl around. She would try to run, but he would only grab her and throw her in another direction. The teen looked absolutely terrified while the male looked sinister. On his face, he wore such a lecherous grin. If it was one thing in the world that Zai hated, it was most definitely perverts. The very thought of people who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves disgusted him. The male teen pushed the girl into the nearby forest and out of his line of vision. He quickly followed after her, also getting out of his sight. Zai narrowed his eyes again before walking slightly faster.

The male teen pushed the female to the ground before climbing on top of her. She struggled against his hold, but it was no use. He was stronger than she was. She continued to protest and wiggle underneath him. The teen only smirked. He pinned the girl’s arms above her head with one hand. With the other hand, he grabbed a hold of the front of her black tank top. He ripped it right down the middle, causing the girl to squeal in surprise. Her fishnet shirt and sports bra were showing. The kunoichi flushed as she watched her comrade practically eyeball her. She could nearly see the desire in his eyes. “Sasuke…!” she hissed in a whisper. “You weren’t supposed to do that! You’re getting too involved in this role! This is my only shirt, damn it!” Her blue eyes glared up at him

“Relax, Mayu, I got an extra shirt in my bag,” he whispered back with a smirk. He pressed his lips against her ear. Mayu ground her teeth together. “Besides, you want this, don’t you?” His hand slowly moved down her abdomen. Another squeal erupted from her mouth. “Ah… You have goose bumps now,” he stated, and then lightly bit his teammate’s earlobe.

“St… Stop it…” Mayu whimpered.

An unfamiliar hand landing on Sasuke’s shoulder caused him to stop his movements. For a moment, they were all silent. The young Uchiha turned his head slightly and looked at the newcomer out of the corner of his eye. Dark green eyes stared back at him. “I believe… I believe she told you to stop,” his voice sounded calm, yet somewhat angry. Sasuke only shrugged his hand away.

“I believe that this is none of your business,” he said. He turned back to the teen underneath him, ignoring the older man.

The man gripped Sasuke’s shoulder again. “I don’t think you heard me the first time. Allow me to show you how I feel,” he said. He practically flung the teen off the girl. Sasuke’s back slammed against a tree, causing him to grunt. Zai kneeled down next to the girl. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“You son of a bitch…” Sasuke slowly stood up.

“Please,” Zai stood and turned to face him. “Do not insult my mother.” The young Uchiha glared. “You should leave before I do something I would regret. You’re still so young. Don’t throw your life-”

“You’re a fool,” Sasuke interrupted. “I can’t believe it worked out so well. To think he would fall for such a plan, eh, Mayu?”

“Mayu…?” Zai repeated. His eyes grew wide as realization hit him. He turned only to see that the girl in distress was no longer behind him. “Where did...?”

“She just can’t control herself when a precious friend is involved. I almost feel sorry for you. Look up,” Sasuke told him with a smirk.

Like a fool, the man looked up. A shadow drew closer and closer. Before he could identify the falling object, a foot slammed into his face. The young Uchiha winced as he watched his teammate use the man’s face a spring to propel herself away and over to him. Kazuhiro Zai fell to the ground, holding his abused face. Luckily, her foot hadn’t really damaged his nose. “Mayu…? Is this who she was referring to?” he thought.

“Mayu’s probably furious by now. She’ll be the first to attack you, Kazuhiro-san.”

“So then she was right,” Zai groaned. It was a bad idea to retrace his steps and come back to the Border village. If he had known that he would be ambushed, he would have gone in the opposite direction. The man sat up. He noticed two other people had appeared beside the two teens. So it had all been a trick? He recognized one of the ninja was Jano, the man that the foreigner was speaking with earlier. He was currently holding onto the money bag. Zai scowled. He was placed in quite the predicament. “How did you know that I would react the way I did? You know nothing about me,” he muttered.

The kunoichi glared at him. “You bought a bento for the person you kidnapped, didn’t you?” she asked. Zai didn’t have answer–the frown on his face was enough. “Even though you took her away, you didn’t let her starve. That act alone told me that you aren’t really an asshole. I knew that someone like that couldn’t have just ignored a situation like that.”

“Because of this,” someone Zai recognized as a Hyuga spoke. “It is not necessary to kill you for taking Yaya-chan.” He narrowed his green eyes. Zai could tell that the Hyuga’s words contradicted his eyes. Those lavender eyes told him that the teen wanted nothing more than to hurt him–badly–for what he did. Zai bowed his head, feeling suddenly guilt-stricken. “Tell us… Tell us where she is.”

“I can’t do that,” Zai replied.

“Nani…?!”

Jano was quick to step forward, preventing Neji from attacking. “Perhaps you should consider the situation that you’re in, Kazuhiro-san,” he said. Zai looked up. “Out of the four of us, three want to cause you extreme pain. Also, we have leverage.” He held up the bag that had the money he received. “Answer our questions and we’ll let you go.”

“I cannot give out the information you ask,” Zai stated. He was suddenly grabbed by the front of his shirt. Angry blue eyes glared heatedly. The teen kunoichi was nearly snarling.

“What did you say?!” she shouted. “Do you not realize that Akatsuki has my precious friend?! Do you know what I want to do to you just because you’re involved with them?! Why do they want Yasmine, anyway? It’s not like she is a Jinchuuriki like Naruto! Why her?!” Zai’s dark green eyes expanded.

“Naruto…?” he repeated. Mayu’s grip slackened in surprise. “Uzumaki Naruto… with Takeshi?”

“Eh…?!” the kunoichi dropped the man to the ground.

The man released a groan. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows together. “Takeshi…?” he murmured, uncertain of what he heard. He moved beside Mayu and looked down at the Zai. Jano and Neji were in a state of confusion. “How exactly do you know that name?”

“… I… read a lot to pass the time. Mystical creatures are something I enjoy learning about,” Zai responded, hesitantly. Sasuke and Mayu glanced at each other before returning their eyes to the man.

“Okay…” Mayu said, narrowing her eyes. “You’re a businessman, are you not?” Zai cautiously nodded his head. “Alright then… We’ll pay you the same amount Akatsuki paid if you work for us.” Zai’s eyes widen, as did Jano and Neji’s. “If you accept this, the deal would be that you would get your money and Konoha won’t track you down later on.”

“A tempting offer–what’s in it for you?” he asked.

“You have information concerning two of our friends, not just one. That information is valuable to me,” Mayu answered. “I’m willing to pay for this information.” Zai was silent for a brief moment, thinking it over. If he refused, they would surely keep his money and kill him. He knew that is what the Hyuga wanted to do, anyway. If he accepted, however, he would get double of what he originally got. And that meant he would be even closer to reaching his dream.

Zai stood up with a small smirk. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mayu-dono,” he replied. “I’ll answer your questions to the best of my ability.”

“But let me make something clear to you, Kazuhiro,” the kunoichi crossed her arms. “I don’t trust you. So if you make one false–one wrong action that could make me think you’re lying, and you won’t have to worry about this dream of yours anymore. Because a dead body… can’t have a dream, now, can it?” The group was silent, letting the kunoichi’s words sink in.

“I understand,” Zai finally replied.

“Good,” Sasuke said. “First question: where is the foreigner?”

“As I said before, I cannot tell you,” Zai stated. He stepped back a bit when he noticed the fierce stares he was getting. “I meant that I don’t know myself. Like all my assignments, I’m only given a drop off point and instructions on how to get there. I only know of that location,” he explained.

“Alright then, where’s this location?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s not someplace where I can tell you and you’ll know. I will have to show you.”

“Does this location reside in the unnamed country?” Neji asked. Zai nodded his head. “How long does it take to get to this location from here?”

“About a day,” he answered. “I’m not too familiar with this country but I believe there is a village…”

“Amegakure…” Mayu murmured. She looked down in thought. Her blue eyes then focused on Zai. “You said you’d show us?”

“Yes, but I won’t go into the village with you. After I show you the location of where I left the foreigner, I must take my leave. You might not come after me after I do as you ask, but if Akatsuki finds out I helped you, then I’ll surely be hunted down.”

“That’s understandable,” Jano remarked. He narrowed his greenish black eyes at the man. “Lead the way.”

“There’s something else…” Zai continued. “The border is heavily guarded. You must state your reason for being there, and even after that, you are watched the whole time you are in the country.”

“I heard about this,” Neji commented. “Because it is directly in the middle of all of the countries, most of the wars happened there. It’s only natural that they are suspicions of anyone who comes in their territory. How did you get pass?”

“Apparently, their ‘god’ allowed me to pass without any interruption. They knew that I was coming.”

“God…?” Mayu raised an eyebrow. Zai shrugged.

“Don’t ask me. I didn’t meet him,” he said. He turned on his heel. “If we are to reach the border before nightfall, then I suggest we leave now.”
***********************

“Petto-chan…!& #8221; The foreigner heard a voice call out to her. She thought she had only been asleep for a few minutes, but that didn’t seem to be the case. She was still blindfolded and her wrists were tied behind her, so she couldn’t tell where she was. But she could tell that the surface underneath her was different from before. She rubbed her leg against it just to make sure. It felt like wood. She turned her head to where she heard the voice. She knew it was Tobi. He had gotten quite fond of calling her that–much to Deidara’s annoyance.

“Tobi-sama... Where am I?” Yasmine asked.

“We came home awhile ago, but Petto-chan was still sleeping. Deidara-sempai told me to put you here. You are in a wooden cage. I didn’t think it was a good idea! I wanted Petto-chan to stay in my room, but sempai got angry and threatened to decide my death again,” Tobi answered.

“So then… I’m locked up,” the foreign teen stated.

“Only until Deidara-sempai and I return…! Petto-chan and I are gonna have a lot of fun when we get back! I can hardly wait!” Tobi exclaimed. He reached through the wooden bars and ruffled Yasmine’s hair. “Until then, Petto-chan should be a good girl for me!” He retracted his hand. Seconds later, she heard his departing footsteps.

Yasmine sighed dreamily. She had been doing that a lot since coming into contact with Akatsuki. It was a huge honor to be referred to as Tobi’s pet, and now she was actually in the lair of the famed organization! Things couldn’t get any better! After a few minutes of fantasizing, the foreigner sighed again, only this time it was out of irritation. “I’m bored now…” she muttered. She still had her iPod, but because of her position, there was no way she could turn it on–let alone listen to it. Yasmine sighed again as she fell on her back. “Leaving me here with nothing to do… how mean it is of my master to do this.” Her stomach growled, causing her to grimace. “And on top of that, I’m hungry again. Last thing I ate was that bento.” After about ten minutes of listening to her stomach growl, the teen let out a growl herself. “I can’t take this! I must find something to eat!”

The foreigner grunted as she moved her shoulders. The teen sat up, and then rocked her body back and forth. “Yosh…!” she exclaimed, flipping her legs back over her head. “It-It-It-Itai…!” Yasmine’s body had turned over, but the turn caused her shoulders to hurt. “That wasn’t as easy as it looked on that movie…” she pouted as she rolled her shoulders. But it did work. Her arms were now tied in front of her instead of behind her. “Hopefully, I don’t have to do that again–that hurts!” She brought her arms up and pulled her blindfold down. Tobi had been telling the truth when he told her she was in a wooden cage. Everywhere around her, there was wood. Outside of the bars, there was a door, probably leading out of this prison. Her stomach growled again.

Her brown eyes scanned the wooden bars, trying to find a weakness. There was a door, but it had a metal lock. “No way… How am I supposed to get out?” Yasmine groaned, moving closer to the locked door. “I don’t know how to pick a lock!” A chuckled was heard by her ears alone.

Yasume: Forgetting someone?

“Oh, right… You probably know how,” Yasmine nodded. She hit her head against the wooden bar. “One… Two!” she hit her head once more. A grin appeared on the teen’s face.

“It’s good to be out again!” she said. Her stomach growled. The alternate produced a flat look. “Even though this monster in my stomach is hungry again.”

Yasmine: Stop complaining and pick the lock already! I’m hungry!

The alter ego scoffed. “Who says I know anything about picking locks?” she asked. “I’m just as clueless as you when it comes to locks.” Yasmine began to protest. “Relax, you stupid girl. I’ll still get us out.” She lay down on her back and smirked. “After all, I’m stronger than you, right?” She repeatedly slammed her foot into one of the wooden bars. It was only a matter of time before her foot broke through. Yasume repeated this process until she had broken through four bars. This was enough for her to squeeze through. She dropped her foot as she panted. She had worked up quite a sweat doing this. “Hungry and thirsty now…”

After a few moments of panting, Yasume sat up. She used the broken wood to wear down the rope that tied her wrists together until she was able to pull her hands out of her bindings. She then maneuvered her body out of the cell. The wood tore into her clothes, causing the girl to make a face. “Boss is not gonna be happy about that…” she let out a sigh. “This uniform costs a lot of money. She’s definitely not gonna be happy.”

Yasmine: She’s probably going to deduct our pay, too…

Yasume shrugged. “Oh, who cares about that right now?” she grinned as she headed for the door. “We’re inside Akatsuki’s lair! I bet we can find some things that are worth a lot of money! Even if we never return to our world to sell them, we’ll still have souvenirs of our own!” She rubbed her hands together, listening to Yasmine cheer in agreement. “This is gonna be fun!” She opened the door. What she saw were stairs leading up. “Hm… So we were in a basement?” The alternate began to walk up. The stairs seemed to lead to… nothing. “What the hell?” Her hands touched the top. “Ah, it’s like an attic!” She pushed with all her might. The ‘ceiling’ had actually been a door that leads to the basement. Yasume pushed herself out of the whole with a grunt. She crawled out of the hole and looked around.

“This isn’t a cave!” she stated, looking around. She seemed to be in another room. The room was empty, and the design was a normal Japanese-styled room. Mayu’s place looked similar to this. Yasume scratched her head before closing the door to the basement. “So those fics I read were wrong then? That’s lame! I was hoping for a cave lair!” The teen went over to the shoji doors and slid them open. She was greeted by nature. The sky was black with twinkling stars lighting the night. It was raining. “Jeez, you really were out for a long time!”

Yasmine: Shut up!

Yasume snickered and walked out of the room, closing the doors behind her. She walked across the wooden floor with her hands behind her back. She looked in rooms where the doors were open in curiosity. There were several rooms, leading Yasume to believe that this place was the main base where Akatsuki resided. After searching for a few minutes, Yasume found what she was looking for. What she was looking for was shoji doors that lead into a hallway. She was finally getting somewhere. She slid the doors closed once she was in the hallway. The hallway was dark, so she felt the wall for a light switch. It took a while, but she finally found it. The lights flickered on. Her eyes spotted a white tiled floor. A grin made its way on her face. She knew what was associated with a white tiled floor. “A kitchen…!” The teen dashed toward the room. She almost slid right pass, but managed to stop herself. She saw a black refrigerator. “Jackpot!” she exclaimed.

The alternate opened the door and was greeted by an assortment of food. She almost started drooling. She opened the freezer and searched for a specific item. Her eyes grew wide. There was a pull at her mind, signaling the switch. “SWEET SNOW!” Yasmine squealed, grabbing the carton of ice cream. She blinked, snapping out of it. “I’ve really got to stop saying Hiei’s word like that…” she muttered, rubbing her head. She closed the refrigerator doors, and then looked for a spoon to eat the orange sherbet.

Yasume: You little brat! I wanted to be the one to eat!

Ignoring her alter ego, Yasmine held up a spoon in triumph. She carried the ice cream toward the counter. That’s when she noticed the neighboring room. It looked much like a living room. It had a couch, four comfy-looking chairs, and even a television set. Walking towards the room, she looked around. It seemed cozy enough. She moved over to a lamp and turned it on. The room was immediately illuminated. Smiling, she went over to the couch and sat down. She picked up the remote, which was on the center table, and turned the T.V. on. After channel surfing for a while, she found something she wanted to see and began to eat the ice cream, completely disregarding the fact that the ice cream could belong to a very, very dangerous man.

Getting bored with the yakuza movie, the foreign teen turned off the television. She decided to turn on her iPod. Even with the iPod, Yasmine was still bored. Her brown eyes looked up at the ceiling in thought. There seemed to be no one in this hideout at the moment. “I wonder how many are left…” she thought. “It’s pretty upsetting that I won’t get to see them all.” The teen ate another spoonful of sherbet. “And on top of that, I didn’t meet Neji Meji… He probably got mad.” She sighed, briefing wondering if the Hyuga was a part of the group that was coming after her. She shook her head. He most likely wasn’t. After all, it was up to the Hokage to assign missions. In addition, the Hokage might not even deem her as important enough as a mission. She was just a civilian, after all.

Yasmine smiled, remembering the last time she had been late to meet Neji. He was very much irritated even though she was about fifteen minutes later. He had turned his back on her with his arms crossed. After a few moments, she had tapped his shoulder. Neji had turned only to get a face full of food. Yasmine had smacked him in the face with the bento she had made. It had been a waste, especially since it took her so long to make it, but the Hyuga’s face had been priceless. His retaliation had been to smear some on the food on her. This turned it into an all out food fight. “That was fun,” she chuckled. “He didn’t get any training done that day.”

A frown suddenly appeared on the foreigner’s face. Thinking about those times she shared with Neji made her think about the village. She didn’t want to ever go back to that place. Konoha was her home now. This world was her home–she did not want to leave it now or ever. “But… I miss Konoha even more,” Yasmine murmured.

“Ah, so you’re missing your village, are you?” an unfamiliar voice caused the foreign teen to look down. She turned her head toward where the voice came from. Her brown eyes grew wide. “But then again… you’re a foreigner. Konoha’s not your village, ne?” Yasmine’s mouth moved, yet no words came out. She had been captivated by the speaker, and by the other three occupants of the room. “Oh, you have heard of us, right?” The speaker continued with a grin. His sharp teeth appeared. “You must be afraid.”

“Why isn’t she where I told you to put her?” the man with the red eyes spoke.

“She broke out, apparently,” the blond replied back, annoyed.

“Petto-chan was not a good girl!” the masked man wagged his finger. “You were supposed to stay there and wait, not eat my ice cream.”

“That’s my ice cream, un!” the blond corrected.

“Ki-Ki-Ki…” the teen tried to speak.

“She’s so afraid of us that she can hardly speak! I don’t think she’ll be much help after all, Itachi-san.”

“…”

“Ki-Kisame -sama… Itachi-sama… Deidara-sama… Tobi-sama…” Yasmine finally breathed out. “You’re… You are A-A-Akatsuki!” The foreign teen started to giggle madly, causing Deidara and Kisame to look very confused. “All my dreams…!” Blood spurted from her nose like a geyser.

“Ahh…! Petto-chan…!” Tobi exclaimed as Yasmine fell to the ground with a silly grin on her face. He picked her up. Even though she was still conscious, her body was limp. Still, she brought the back of her hand to her forehead. She sighed in a dreamy manner.

“Is this what they call… a fangasm?”

Those around her–except Itachi–had sweat drops sliding down their head. “It does not matter if she is an… otaku. She is still of some use,” the Uchiha stated. Everyone in the room looked towards the young man. Come to think of it, Itachi had yet to mention why this girl was taken. “Bring her.” The man walked away, not waiting for the others to follow. Tobi nodded, and then stood up with the teen in his arms. Yasmine tilted her head and blinked.

“I’m not sure how Petto-chan can help, but Petto-chan must be important if it is Itachi-san who wanted you to do this,” Tobi commented.

“Should I tell them that they’re mistaken?” Yasmine thought. “No, then I would have to leave… or be killed. Neither one sounds like a fun time…” The teen crossed her arms, nodding her head. She decided to keep her mouth shut.

She remained in Tobi’s arms until Itachi stopped, causing the masked man to do the same. He set her down on her own legs. Yasmine looked at each member’s face, still confused. They were all standing in front of a door. She suspected that it was a bedroom, but she hadn’t been on this side of the hideout, so she hadn’t known it was there. The shoji doors were closed, so she couldn’t really tell what was beyond them. “Go in,” Itachi gestured for her to move forward with his head.

“Hai,” Yasmine responded, nodding her head. She slowly pulled open the doors, slightly anxious of what she might find. The room was dimly lit by a single candle. Her brown eyes scanned the room until they settled on a dark figure, lying on a futon. A gasp escaped her mouth. “No… way…” she whispered, recognizing the man.

“He is very sick, I believe,” Itachi stated, looking in the room. He turned his Sharingan eyes to the foreigner. She was still staring at the man with a look of disbelief on her face. “I’ve heard you, and I’m sure that you can help. No one but you can treat him. Since he is valuable to this organization, he must be treated.” Yasmine was silent. She swallowed the lump in her thought.

“… I’ll do whatever it takes because this is not natural at all. He isn’t supposed to be this way.”

“We’re counting on you, Petto-chan.”

“I have one condition, though! If I am to be killed, I would like to be buried in a white T-shirt with all of your names on it!” Many blinked at her strange request.

“Otaku, un…” Deidara rolled his eyes.
**********************************

So, I’m finished with this chapter. Unfortunately, it’s not done before summer break. I’m already on my break, so it wasn’t planned. I just found out that I’m going to be really busy this summer thanks to my dear sweet mother! Not really happy about it, but what can I do? Her house, her rules… Hopefully, I’ll still have time to write more than two chapters quickly this summer.

Lots of suspense in this chapter, ne?

QOU:

“Sempai usually gets like that whenever someone compliments his art–it’s not often, though,” –Tobi

Beta’s QOU:

“SWEET SNOW! ... I’ve really got to stop saying Hiei’s word like that…” – Yasmine