Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 28

"And my scars remind me that the past is real…" –Papa Roach (Scars)
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Mayu pressed her back against the back of the tree. Her eyes scanned the ground, looking for some type of sign. After few more moments of silence, she stood up with a frown. "She didn't leave anything behind this time," she muttered. "But there seems to an indention there." The kunoichi pointed to a particular spot. "I'm guessing that something heavy was dropped there."

"There isn't any sign that the heavy item was dragged anywhere," Jano stated. He narrowed his eyes. "This means..."

"This means they took flight. They probably didn't want anyone to trace them," Sasuke finished. "I heard from the Hokage that that guy with the explosives survived. He was probably the one to transport her."

Neji clenched his fist. He knew that man. He was reckless and unpredictable. Blowing one’s self up isn’t something a normal ninja would do. Even if it was an escape tactic, it was still abnormal. That ninja shouldn’t be around someone like Yasmine. It spelled trouble, he just knew it. Yasmine would have to be recovered before those two clashed. “What we need now is a scout,” the Hyuga stated. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

“Mayu and I will go find one suitable,” he said. “You two stay here. Hyuga, continue looking for anything that might give us a lead.” His dark eyes moved over to Kazuhiro Zai. “Your presence is no longer required. You may leave.”

“And… what of my pay?”

“Right…” Mayu narrowed her eyes. “Jano-san, pay the man.”

The ANBU operative nodded, and then reached into his bag. He pulled out the same bag that had belonged to Zai earlier. He handed it to him, yet did not make any move to pull out anything else. Zai looked momentarily confused. “And the rest…?” he asked. Mayu crossed her arms as she turned to face him.

“I said I would pay you the same amount that Akatsuki paid you, didn’t I?” she asked. “Well, there it is. You can leave now.”

“But… this was my money to begin wit-”

“The moment you were captured, that money became mine,” Mayu narrowed her eyes. “How generous I am to give you all that money from my pocket.” The kunoichi gave Zai a smile. Sasuke had to smirk. He had wondered where she would get the money.

“You heard her. Since we have nothing to do with each other anymore, leave,” he said. Zai sighed inaudibly.

“Very well, I shall take my leave,” he said, and then turned to go. “That girl is quite the trickster…” he thought, walking away. He shifted the weight in his arms. “At least I got what I wanted in the end.”

Sasuke watched the older man until he was out of sight. “We’re going now. Mayu…!” he turned his eyes to her. The kunoichi nodded her head. The two ninja jumped up into the trees. “Keep your eyes open. We’re looking for some type of bird, or anything that can fly.” Mayu nodded her head. She crouched down into a position that looked similar to a cat stalking its prey. Sasuke closed his eyes, and then opened them, revealing his Sharingan. His head moved left and right. “Five meters to the right.” The two moved quietly through the trees, heading right. They touched down onto a branch. Just as Sasuke said, there was a brown bird, resting in a nest. It seemed to be unaware of their presence.

Mayu, quickly and quietly, performed the proper hand signs for her clan’s jutsu. Her teammate knew that these set of hand signs were different from what she normally used. Switching minds with animals was more complex than switching with a fellow human. She needed full concentration and her target to remain in one spot for this jutsu to work. Finally her hands stopped moving. “Alright,” she murmured. Sasuke got into position. “Ishikari Style: Animal Mind Transfer Jutsu!” The kunoichi’s body instantly went limp. The Uchiha hurriedly laid her body down on the tree limb. He straddled her and pinned her wrist down. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for something to happen. After a few moments, a bird landed on his shoulder. Its beak poked his chin, and then flew off.

“I see…” he thought. “It must have been sleeping.” Usually when Mayu switched bodies with an animal, that animal would freak out and try to get away from the ‘dangerous human.’ Sasuke looked up, watching the bird fly further and further away. “Hurry back, Mayu.”
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“Is it truly okay for me to wear your clothes, Konan-sama?” Yasmine asked. The older woman nodded to answer her question. The foreigner, however, still looked uneasy–even with the blindfold. The Akatsuki member’s old clothes fit her well enough, but the fact remains… “I’m too unworthy of wearing your clothes!” Konan placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder.

“I told you it was okay,” she said. “I’m sure you don’t want to put on your clothes when they’re so dirty.” Yasmine shook her head. “Alright then, let’s go.” The woman pushed her out of the door. She once more called out to the other Akatsuki members in the house, saying they were leaving. Only one member, Tobi, replied with an enthusiastic ‘bring Petto-chan back soon!’ “I will remove the blindfold when we reach the village.” The foreigner nodded her head, grabbing a hold of Konan’s hand so that she wouldn’t fall.

Konan began to lead her like she was a mother and Yasmine was the child. Yasmine, nevertheless, did not care. Holding the hand of an Akatsuki member was like a dream come true! Even if it wasn’t Kisame–who she had always admired–it was still extraordinary! “I want their autographs even more now!” She mentally pumped a fist in the air and cried ‘YOSHA!’ The foreigner teen quickly settled down. Regardless of holding onto Konan, she would most likely trip and fall if she didn’t concentrate.

At any rate, it was still hard to walk. Yasmine had never worn a kimono, equipped with the traditional sandals. She found herself taking small strides in order not to loose her balance. The two had probably been walking for only five minutes now, but her toes were already beginning to hurt. Yasmine mentally let out a sigh. Would she ever get used to this style of dress? Probably not in this life time... Hopefully, this trip to the village wouldn’t take too long. “What is it that you need to heal Zetsu?” Konan’s voice snapped the foreigner out of her thoughts. She turned her head to the sound of her voice.

“Hm… Just some simple pills, I think,” Yasmine answered. “I know that you have already tried that, but I know a different way for the medicine to work really well. This method should work much faster. After all, it worked quite well with me. It’s weird how my parental unit figured out how to do it when I got sick that one time…” The teen fell silent. Her mind began to drift toward thoughts of the old woman. She had sometimes referred to her as Gai’s incarnation. Though her personality wasn’t the same, her training system was similar. The foreigner missed her. There was really no denying it. Although it was an awesome time being with Akatsuki, she still missed everyone. She might not ever get to see Theresa again, she knew, but still… Yasmine bowed her head. “Could they be missing me as well…?” she thought.

“Now that you’ve finally come back, I won’t let you leave again…”

Yasmine’s eyes widen. Her head tilted slightly. “Why would I remember his words at a time like this?” she thought. Despite the question, a small smile appeared on her face. The sinking feeling in her stomach was fading, she realized. “Neji is always helping me. I guess that means I’m like a second Hinata-chan to him!” Konan suddenly stopped, forcing Yasmine to do the same.

“We are about to enter the village. I will remove the blindfold now,” she stated. The teen nodded in acknowledgement. Slowly, the cloth came off. Yasmine blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust to the light quicker. Her brown eyes focused in her Konan. Her mouth dropped open. “What is it?” Instead of donning the usual Akatsuki cloak, the female member was wearing a black kimono with a similar design as the cloak. She looked quite beautiful.

The foreign teen quickly turned to hide the blood drizzling down her nose. She had been blindfolded before she could see what the woman was wearing. She had assumed that it was the same attire. “Kishimoto-sama, you truly are a genius!” she thought, while Konan stared at the teen in confusion. She asked if she was alright. After wiping the blood away, Yasmine turned back around with a smile on her face. “Yes, of course!” she exclaimed. “We should hurry, Konan-sama. Zetsu-sama’s condition might get worse.” The woman nodded in agreement. To the teen’s surprise, Konan took a hold of her hand again. “Ah… She probably doesn’t want me to try to escape…” Yasmine thought, shrugging. “As if I would!”

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing!”

Minutes into walking, Yasmine finally noticed the stares. She tried to ignore them at first, but in the end she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Konan-sama… Do the people of this village usually stare so much at you?” she asked. The woman took a glance at the foreign teen before answering.

“It is quite rare that I enter the village, so I suppose they’re surprised by my appearance,” she said. “But then again, they could also be looking at you in wonder. You differ greatly from anyone they have ever seen before.”

“It’s freaky…! Could you maybe tell them to stop?” Yasmine asked, moving closer to the woman. Konan merely chuckled, and then led her into what Yasmine assumed was a store. “Ah, it’s a drug store. I can’t believe they even have them here, but then again I don’t know what time period this is…”

“You have ten minutes to gather the necessary items. I will wait outside,” Konan told her. She almost completely ignored what she said in her native tongue, though she was a bit curious. “There is only one exit to this place, so don’t think of escaping.”

Yasmine saluted the woman. “Hai, Konan-sama!” she exclaimed with a smile. The Akatsuki shook her head before exiting the building. “Okay, hopefully the medicine is similar to what was used for me!” The foreigner teen turned and began to search. She disregarded the curious gazes all together. “Come to think of it…” Yasmine stopped searching. “Why is it when I have a fangasm with Akatsuki and not Naruto and the rest of the main characters? I don’t even get that overheated with Lee-kun…” A big smile graced her features. “I wonder how I’ll react to the Kazekage.” The teen snapped herself out of it and began looking for what she needed. Thankfully, she was able to find similar items that helped her to get well. There was just one thing she still needed however. “I guess I should ask.”

The foreign teen walked to the front counter and put on a bright smile. However, before she could speak, the cashier interrupted. She looked to be a middle-aged woman, who probably had children judging from those stress marks. “Excuse me, but… could you know God’s Angel?” she asked tentatively.

“God’s… Angel…?” Yasmine repeated a little uncertain of who the woman was referring to. “You mean, Konan-sama?” The lady rapidly nodded her head. “Er… I’m a… temporary servant to her…” The woman’s eyes seemed to bug out of her head, slightly freaking Yasmine out.

“You live with her?! Have you seen God?!”

“… Yes, I do, but I haven’t seen ‘God’ yet…” the teen responded. “But I heard he has thousands of eyes.”

“Wh… What…?”

“No, nothing…!” her lips twitched. “She can’t be talking about God, God. I’m in a different world completely,” she thought. “So anyway, I didn’t see any syringes around the shop. Do you sell them here?” Yasmine asked.

“You’re so lucky,” the woman remarked, taking the items from Yasmine’s hands. The teen’s eyebrow twitched. The lady didn’t seem to hear her question, so she repeated it. “Oh, syringes, you say? I don’t put them on the shelf. How many do you need?”

“Just one, of course,” Yasmine replied. “How much for all this? Oh wait; I don’t have any money…”

The woman had already bagged her items. She shook her head with a smile on her face. “No, don’t worry about it. You’re working for God’s Angel, so I’ll give these to you,” she told her. Yasmine grinned and thanked for her generosity. “But tell me… Is God’s Angel ill by any chance?”

“Angels don’t get sick, right?” the teen asked, playing along with the whole ‘God’s Angel’ thing. She still didn’t get it. And just who was this ‘God’ she was talking about? Perhaps she should ask Konan.

“Oh yes, how foolish of me,” the lady shook her head with a smile. “Have a nice day.”

“Matte…” Yasmine caught her attention. “I also have a question for you.” The woman inclined her head, ushering for the foreigner to go on. “You have children, right?” The cashier blinked at the odd question, yet nodded her head in response. “I see…” She narrowed her eyes before continuing. “So… How many times did you have sex before producing offspring? Did you enjoy it? Are there such things as ‘positions?’ If so, which positions did you like best? Are they effective? What does ‘getting it up’ mean exactly?” Once again, the woman’s eyes bugged out of her head. A dark blushed settled on her cheeks. Before she could stammer out lies–after all, a proper lady never gave out the real information–a cool voice made both of them turn.

“Petto-chan… Are you finished?”

Distracted by the Akatsuki member, Yasmine picked up the bag and nodded. “Hai…!” she exclaimed, walking towards the older female. “I got all I needed from the nice woman, but she didn’t answer my questions…” Konan looked mildly confused, yet didn’t question it. The two walked a little ways from the shop. They ignored the stares they received. Finally, Konan stopped and turned to the teenager.

“I also have to get something. You wait right here-” she pushed her against a fence. “-Against this fence, alright…? If I come back and you have moved, you will be killed, understand?” Yasmine opened her mouth to answer. “Without the autographed shirt.” The teen dramatically gasped at the thought of not receiving what she asked for. Once she settled down, she gave a determined nod. Konan smiled a tiny smile, and then walked away.

“Yosh…! I can do this!” A few boring minutes later. “I can’t do this!”

“Aho, aho… aho…!”

Yasmine glared up at the sky. There seemed to be a crow mocking her, calling her stupid of all things. But that was impossible, right? Normal birds couldn’t speak human tongue. The teenager found herself grumbling. “How long is Konan-sama gonna take?” She sighed heavily, wishing something would happen. Suddenly, a small bird slammed into the ground in front of her. Yasmine stared blankly at the unmoving bird for a moment before turning her eyes to the sky. “Not what I had in mind, but thank you for hearing me, Jesus.” She returned her eyes to the bird, which had miraculously stood. It was now pecking at its wing as if it was the wing’s fault that the bird had crashed landed. “How could a bird that small not be the least bit hurt from that impact?” Yasmine asked herself.

Her voice caused a startled chirp to come from the bird. Its small, dark eyes snapped towards her. The bird’s head kept twitching as it looked at her. Yasmine stared back, wondering why the bird hadn’t flown away by now. In her world, the slightest movement from a human scared a bird so much. Then again, in this world, birds enjoyed calling people stupid… The bird suddenly released a surprised squawk. Yasmine pushed up against the fence. “Oh no…! The bird is possessed! Why, Jesus, why?!” Instead of attacking, like she believed it was going to do, the bird took off, flying higher and higher until she could no longer see it because the sun was much too bright. Slowly, her body relaxed. “That was… weird…”

“Petto-chan…” Konan appeared near her, causing the teen to jump. “We’re heading back now.” The woman walked away. In her hand, there was a small brown paper bag. “Come along.” Yasmine hesitantly nodded her head.

“Hai…” She took one last look at the sky. “Next time, I’ll ask God!”

“What was that?”

“… nothing…”
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Mayu’s eyes snapped open. She breathed deeply. Using the animal mind transfer was harder to do than the basic transfer. It took a lot of energy just to figure out how to move the way the target moved. She hated having to switch with a bird. At least with a four-legged creature, it was a bit easier to move around. That’s when she realized what her current position was. A glare instantly surfaced on her face. “Sasuke… I’m going to count to one. If your hand is still there, I just might kill you,” Mayu growled out. “On-” The Uchiha straight away released his teammate. The kunoichi sat up and scooted away from her lecherous partner. “Why… just why?” she asked heatedly. She pressed her arms against her chest in an ‘X’ position.

“I wanted to see how big your breast will grow. You’re going to be feeding a lot of babies, after all,” was his aloof response. Mayu gaped at him, not believing what just came out of his mouth.

“… Okay, I’m going to pretend we never had this conversation…” she muttered, shaking her head. “This memory is officially repressed!”

“So, what did you find out?” Sasuke asked. The teen was surprised that a grin appeared on his teammate’s face. “You see something good?” Mayu nodded her head vigorously.

“Let’s get back to Neji and Jano-san first. I’m sure they’d want to hear this, too!” she exclaimed, and then jumped from the tree branch. Sasuke blinked, and then shrugged. When he reached the group, Mayu was already there–all smiles. “Now that we’re all here, I’ll tell you.” She took a deep breath. A serious looked replaced her smile. “Yasmine is inside that village.” The reactions were immediate.

“Nani…?! Gaki is in the village?”

“Is she by herself?!” Neji asked. “Is she safe?”

“From what I could tell, she was alone…” Mayu answered. “But her appearance confused me. She was wearing a kimono.”

“A kimono…?” Neji repeated, confused. “But she would never wear one because she told me that that style restricts her movement…”

“Exactly… Yasmine must have displayed her fighting style, and so they put her in that clothing. What I don’t get is why they let her wander around the village,” Mayu commented. “It doesn’t seem logical to let a prisoner do such a thing.” The group was silent.

“Could it be…?” Jano’s voice caused the teens to turn to him. “Could it be that Akatsuki is not keeping her as a hostage?” Neji narrowed his eyes. That thought hadn’t crossed his mind. “Originally, I assumed this because that gaki really isn’t something that Akatsuki would seek out. She is not a ninja and has had very little chakra training, thanks to me, but still… she isn’t really what you’d call an asset.” His eyes narrowed as he continued speaking. “However, she has come into contact with many ninja. Because of this, my assumption was that she was the key to luring out whoever Akatsuki is really after.”

“Ah…!” Mayu gave a sound of understanding.

“That is what I initially thought. But if what you said was true, Mayu-san, that is not the case, after all,” Jano continued. “They want her personally for some unexplained reason, which is why they are not treating her as a prisoner. They need her to feel comfortable enough to carry out what they need her to do.”

“Now that I think about it… Yasmine was carrying a bag. I couldn’t see what was inside, but it looked as if it was a shopping bag,” Mayu stated.

Again the group was silent. The Hyuga suddenly clenched his fist, coming to a realization. “If all this is true, we have to hurry and find her,” he said. He glared down at the ground. “If she was allowed to see the village… If she was allowed to see their faces… Once the task is done, she will be killed on the spot. We cannot permit that to happen.”

“We’re not going to,” Sasuke said. “Yasmine will be recovered safe and sound before anything happens.” The three turned to their leader. “We will have to enter the village with aliases. We will discreetly search for her for a few hours. That should be enough time. If she is not found, we can assume that she is not in the village, but somewhere outside of it.”

“An Akatsuki hideout…?” Jano murmured. Sasuke nodded his head.

“Unfortunately, we can’t go charging in. Getting Yasmine back is our main goal,” he said. “If you happen to come across an Akatsuki member, you are not to engage in battle.” His team shot him dirty looks. “What is it?”

“Shouldn’t you be telling yourself that?” Neji asked, eyebrow twitching.

“…”

“Let’s just head out,” Mayu rolled her eyes.
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The female team giggled cutely as she clung to her partner’s arm. Her partner was less than pleased with this situation, yet tried to keep a straight face in front of the receptionist. It had all been Ishikari Mayu’s plan. She insisted that they split up in pairs and alter their appearances. Half of the group only had to hide their headbands, while the other had to do a bit more. Neji’s eyes had been covered, making him appear blind. Mayu removed Sasuke’s shirt and put on her torn tank top. She was now wearing it over fishnet top and sports bra as a vest. She had also fixed her hair into two ponytails, each on either side of her head.

Again, Neji felt himself twitched. The male receptionist stared at the two for a moment. “Oh, we’ll have one room with one bed, please!” Mayu chirped. The man snapped out of his stare.

“Yes, of course… Are you newlyweds?” he asked. Mayu grinned and hugged Neji’s side, causing him to become truly uncomfortable. Not only did he feel his comrade’s breast against his arm, he also felt a pair of angry, envious eyes on the back of his head.

“How did you ever guess?” the kunoichi cried. “We’re on our honeymoon right now, aren’t we Taiki-kun?”

The Hyuga male forced a smile. “Yes, of course… Momo-chan…” he answered. He felt the intensity of the eyes become stronger. He slowly wrapped a stiff arm around Mayu. “We did just get married.” The receptionist wiped a tear away and told them that they looked very cute together. Again, the intensity grew. Neji silently prayed that the sensitive man could not see him sweating.

“Here is your room key,” the man handed the key to Mayu. “Don’t worry, the honeymoon suite is soundproof!” This statement caused the two teens to blush. They knew exactly what he had been implying. After thanking him, they briskly walked away.

Once they were sure they were out of earshot, Neji made a sound of disgust and wretched his arm away from Mayu. “That was the most overwrought position that I’ve ever been placed in.” The prodigy shuddered and rubbed his arm. The kunoichi gave him an annoyed look.

“Glad to know I’m so repulsive in your eyes…” she crossed her arms. “Now we just have to wait to find out their room number.” Neji scoffed at her expression.

“And why exactly couldn’t Uchiha play this role again?” he asked.

“It’s not important,” Mayu replied, turning her head to hide the blush, even though her partner couldn’t see it anyway. Truthfully, if she had asked Sasuke to play the role of her husband, he would most likely jump at the chance, and then go overboard on the acting. He would do something perverted, causing her to backhand him. And that was not something a loving wife would do. They would instantly be targeted as a suspicious pair and most likely followed for the duration of their stay. “Honestly after what happened last time, I wouldn’t want him to play a role with me no matter what the situation,” she thought.

Moments later, the second half of the team appeared in the hallway. “What is your room number?” Jano asked. Mayu looked at her key, and then told him the number. “Good, that seems to be only a few doors down from ours. We should get settled in quickly.”

“Yeah, we’ll leave in pairs again and look for her. Remember not to ask anyone if they have seen her,” Mayu said. “All we’re doing is looking for any trace of her.”

“Hai,” everyone agreed.

“Now if you excuse us, my husband and I will be on our way!” Mayu grabbed onto Neji’s arm and took off down the hallway.

“Uh…” Jano could feel the intense feeling radiating off Sasuke again. “She is a bit cruel, ne, Uchiha-san?”

Back with the other two, Mayu was opening the door to their room. “Was that really necessary?” Neji asked, following the teen into the room. Mayu shrugged, and then fell back onto the bed.

“I saw someone,” she muttered. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment before they closed. “Yasmine is somewhere near. I feel as if she is so close-” her hands reached up toward the ceiling. Almost immediately, her arms dropped. “-Yet so far away…” Neji sat down in a chair opposite of the bed. He released an inaudible sigh.

“I feel the same…” he said. “Yasmine… was never meant to be a part of the world of ninja.”

Mayu suddenly sat up. She turned her eyes to her comrade. “Oi, Neji…” her voice caused his head to tilt up from the floor. “You’re not still a virgin, are you?” The Hyuga gaped at her. “Seriously, you’re not really asexual, are you?”

“That… That information is personal!” he said in a hushed voice. “Why on Earth are you asking something like that?”

“Well… that guy said this room was soundproof.”

“…”

“…&# 8221;

“… I will not have sex with you,” Neji stated.

The kunoichi made a face. “No offense, Neji, but… ew… That’s not what I meant,” Mayu said. “I just wanted to know if you had any experience, that’s all.” The teen turned her eyes down. “I… had this dream last night–it was the first time I had it. I want to-” Neji held up his hand.

“Stop–go no further. I do not want to hear about your wet dreams with Uchiha,” he said.

“It was not a wet dream! In case you’ve forgotten, I am a female!” Mayu yelled out. Her face had gone completely red. “And how’d you know Sasuke was in it?!” The Hyuga scoffed again.

“Please, anyone could see that you want to tear his clothes off–especially when he’s angered,” Neji murmured. “The very thought is enough to make one regurgitate.”

“I don’t know what that means, but it sounded like an insult!” Mayu retorted, pointing a finger. Neji had to resist rolling his eyes. Why did Yasmine seem to the only one who understood the simplest sentences? “And it wasn’t a wet dream… He was the only one naked.” The Hyuga breathed deeply in order not to lose control of his stomach. “Anyway, if I tell you about the dream, will you give me advice?” Neji was gone before she could even finish the question. Mayu narrowed her eyes. “Geez… and he’s the one that is supposed to be more mature? Yeah right…”

Moments later, Jano was shoved into the room. The door slammed shut behind him. The man blinked. “Ano… Neji-kun said he was heading out early. Uchiha-san left before I opened the door to our room,” he said. He walked over to the chair, which was earlier occupied by the Hyuga, and sat down. “Neji-kun also said you wanted to speak to me in his haste.” Mayu rolled her eyes and scoffed. “So what is it?”

“I had a weird dream last night, and I was hoping that someone wise and mature would help me to analyze it, but Neji took off as if I just told him I was about to give him cooties, or something!” Mayu fell back onto the bed. Jano chucked softly.

“Neji-kun is still young, Mayu-san… Now, what is the dream about?” he asked. “I’ll do my best to ‘analyze’ it with you.” The kunoichi warily glanced at the man before her eyes returned to the ceiling. She supposed that the man would be more experienced than Neji.

“Okay, it started off with me in the shower. Weird thing about that was that I was fully clothed,” Mayu began. “Another weird thing about it is that I wasn’t getting wet, but I could feel the water beating down on my body. It was annoying as hell, but for some reason I was… ignoring it. That’s when Sasuke appeared and ripped the shower curtains off. Of course, I was surprised by this, but before I could say anything, I noticed that he was completely naked. But my reaction was different from what I expected. I didn’t scream. I didn’t shout. I didn’t even stare at him. I only looked away. We stayed that way for what seemed like… eternity. Finally, Sasuke moved. He didn’t speak–he just moved towards me. I tried to back up, but he was too quick. He wrapped his arms around me and pushed me up against the wall. For some reason, I felt the water now. The shower water was pouring over our bodies, and I could actually feel the wetness now. I don’t think I liked it, but Sasuke–he wouldn’t let go, even when I struggled. ‘Calm down, Mayu, I’m here’ he whispered. It took only this sentence from him to calm me down.” Mayu closed her eyes. Images from the dream filled her mind. “Eventually, his hold on me loosened. I thought… I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead he tried to take off my clothes. Instead of getting angry, I felt scared–scared of something that I couldn’t see. I’m sure it wasn’t Sasuke, but as soon as he tried to take my clothes off, I pushed him away. The look on his face–he looked so hurt.” The kunoichi put her hands over her face. She felt extremely guilty when she remembered that expression. “He closed his eyes, and then his body started to fade. I tried to reach out to him, but he was already gone. Once again, I couldn’t feel the wetness of the water falling.” Mayu finally sat up and looked at the older ninja. “That’s when I woke up. What do you think, Jano-san? Pretty strange, right?”

The ANBU operative nodded in agreement. “That dream does seem pretty strange, Mayu-san,” he said. Jano didn’t speak again for several moments. “But I think I realize what that dream was going to tell you.”

“Trying to tell me…? A dream…?” Mayu repeated.

“Yes, I believe that dreams are a part of the subconscious. When we don’t listen to our conscious, we receive dreams containing hints of what our conscious was trying to tell us why we are awake,” Jano explained. “These hints aren’t as blunt as when we’re awake, but they do help.” He narrowed his eyes. “Mayu-san, there is a lot of symbolism in your dream. For instance, the water could represent… a problem that is continuously on your mind. Sometimes, you feel it and sometimes you don’t, but it’s still there.” The kunoichi’s eyes widen. “And then there’s the curtain…”

“Curtain…? You mean the shower curtain? That’s a symbol?”

“Yes, I think it represents a barrier between you and Uchiha-san since he’s the one that came through it,” he replied, ignoring the incredulous look. “You are admitting to yourself that Uchiha-san has broken through and has reached you as well.”

“Okay… That exactly seems logical,” Mayu thought. “It took a while, but I finally managed to trust Sasuke the way I used to… before he left.”

“The time it took for Uchiha-san to move is also a symbol. Perhaps, it took a lot of time for you to let him in completely?” Jano asked. The teen slowly nodded her head. “As I thought… Uchiha-san hurt many people the day he left, and you were one of those people. Finally, you accepted him–allowed him to get close again. You and he began to share the nagging problem which is always on your mind. My reason for thinking this is because both of you were under the beating water. You felt the water because of Uchiha-san. You wanted to do something about it once he made contact with you, because you didn’t like it. It is an obstacle for the two of you now.” He gave the younger ninja a serious look. “However, when Uchiha-san tried to remove the other barriers, you wouldn’t let him because of fear. The clothes also represented barriers. Uchiha-san was in the nude because he wanted to show you that he was willing to drop everything for you, I believe. You, on the other hand, were not ready to do such a thing. The water–the problem–is preventing you from accepting the fact that you are in love with Uchiha-san.”

“Wha… What are you talking about? I-”

“It’s as clear as day, Mayu-san. You and he are so much in love,” Jano interrupted. Mayu swallowed hard. She bowed her head, feeling guilty. “I believe that your mind is trying to tell you to get rid of the problem with the help of Uchiha-san. Perhaps your mind is telling you to expose yourself to him before it’s too late. Uchiha-san… won’t wait forever.” Despite her best efforts, the kunoichi gasped.

“If you are indecisive or choose not to be with me, I will move in here alone and pursue another woman…”

Jano stood up from the chair. He sighed slowly. “But then again, this is all just theory, Mayu-san. Your dream could be interpreted in many ways. This is only my opinion. What you do with it is up to you,” he said. He walked towards the door. He opened it, and then turned his head to the frozen girl. “Clear your head before continuing with our mission, okay?” Then the man was gone.

Finally, her body relaxed. Her head was bowed and her eyes were closed. An image of her teammate flashed through her mind. The kunoichi bit her lip as Jano’s words echoed through her head. “Theory or not… It was pretty damn good…” she murmured. A single tear slid down her cheek. It was wiped away before it fell. Mayu clenched her fist. “Uchiha Sasuke… Gomennasai…” Her head snapped up, eyes filled with fortitude. “I know what to do now!”
*******************************

Yasmine hummed lightly as she pulled the items out of the bag. She was now in the kitchen of the Akatsuki hideout. She set the items down on the counter. Her brown eyes scanned over the small boxes once more. The teen then pulled out the white pills, which was similar to pain relievers. This would help dull the pain of the excruciating headache that would come. She tore the foil and placed two white pills on the counter. Next, she opened the pill bottle. It’s content were pills to cure symptoms of the flu, which is what Zetsu had… she supposed. She also set the pale blue pills on the counter. “Ne, Itachi-sama…” Yasmine looked into the adjacent room.

The silent Uchiha did not move his eyes from the pages of the book he was reading. He was sitting in the same position as he was yesterday night. Yasmine could tell he had heard her. She waited patiently for his response. Finally, he turned the page. “Yes…?” Itachi’s eyes still had not looked away from the book.

“Where is everyone? I haven’t seen Deidara-sama, Tobi-sama, or Kisame-sama since Konan-sama and I returned,” the teen pouted as she tore a paper towel from his roll. She picked up the four pills and placed the paper towel under them. “Konan-sama left soon after, too…”

“I believe those three left to obtain rare and expensive sake–a chance that would not have been had if Kakuzu hadn’t been killed,” Itachi answered. “As for Konan… She must be in another meeting with Leader. She will not be returning anytime soon.”

“So it’s just me, you, and Zetsu-sama here?” Yasmine asked, crushing the pills to powder with a spoon. “That’s good.” She finished the grinding.

This comment of hers sparked the curiosity of the silent Uchiha. His eyes flickered over to the foreigner. He was standing by her side in less than a second. Yasmine, eyes wide, slowly turned to look at him. She gave him a slightly annoyed look. Both Neji and Sasuke had done that a few times to her, too. “How so…?” Itachi asked. Yasmine raised an eyebrow. “Could you be thinking of a better chance to escape with less of us here? I assure you that I am more than capable of thwarting your plan to leave the premises.” The foreigner waved off his comment as if it didn’t matter. Itachi was a bit perplexed as to why she didn’t cower from his domineering presence.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Yasmine answered. With the back of the spoon, she pushed the powder into a pile. “When I had this done to me, I let out a blood-curdling scream. Seriously, the whole neighborhood heard me. Wait, no, it was Yasume that did that.” The girl chuckled as she reached for the syringe. “They thought I was getting tortured, or something. It caused quite the scene.” She pulled the syringe from his packaging. “I have to take some of his blood.”

“I doubt that Zetsu can’t handle blood being taken from him.”

“Hm… Probably not from where I’m taking it from,” Yasmine replied, nonchalantly. “Now that you know, I’d appreciate it if you don’t come charging into the room, thinking I’m killing him. I’ll be right back, Itachi-sama.” She walked away with a pleasant smile on her face.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. This girl was truly… strange. The Uchiha couldn’t possibly understand what she and himself had in common. He didn’t–couldn’t comprehend what made Ishikari Mayu claim her as a precious friend. But then again, he wasn’t aware of why he, himself, was considered her precious friend. Suddenly, he heard something that was a bit unusual. “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Whether it was the black or white side, Zetsu rarely raised his voice. It was silent after that. Itachi, still interested, used chakra to enhance his hearing. “What the hell-”

“-Will you do with that? Why must you flip me over? ”

“I must remove your clothing now,” Yasmine’s voice was heard. There were also sounds of struggling. “This is really is bad. I managed to subdue you like this. This illness must be worse than I thought since it was left alone for a long time.” There was a pause, and then a slapping noise. “Gomen, gomen…! Sometimes Yasume takes control. I didn’t mean to slap your butt, Zetsu-sama.”

“… I’m going to eat your face.”

“Yes, yes, now here I go, Zetsu-sama. The needle will enter the black part. Brace yourself.”

“I highly doubt that a mere needle will–HOLY MOTHER OF COCK-SUCKING FUCK! SONNAVABITCH, THAT FUCKING HURTS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The Itachi found that he had to force himself not to wince. He listened to his fellow member curse loudly for a few more moments. Then, it became silent. Seconds later, Yasmine’s soothing voice was heard by his ears. “It’s okay now, Zetsu-sama. The worst is over. The next one will be in your arm.”

“Stop rubbing my ass!”

“I wouldn’t recommend sitting or laying on it for awhile,” the teen seemed to ignore his words. “When this happened to me, I couldn’t sit for a whole two days!” Itachi heard the floor creaked. “I’ll be back later to give you the medicine. You just rest up, Zetsu-sama.”

Moments later, Yasmine returned to the kitchen, entering the same way she had left–with a smile. The syringe was full of what Itachi assumed was Zetsu’s blood. “A disturbing conversation,” he remarked as the teen returned to her place near the counter.

“Trust me, the conversation between Mayu, my parental unit, and I was much worse!” Yasmine chuckled at the memory. The Uchiha watched her as she reached up to the cabinet to pull out a glass cup. She poured Zetsu’s blood into the glass, and then sprinkled the grinded pills into the liquid. She then used the spoon to stir. Itachi watched the foreigner until he could no longer stifle his curiosity.

“You stated that you are Mayu-cha–the kunoichi’s precious friend. What exactly makes you precious to her?” he asked. The teen was quiet. Her body had completely stopped moving. Itachi had to admit that this startled him somewhat. Her eyes were hidden away by her bangs. Finally, she turned to him. A solemn expression had replaced her usual look.

“I’ve… been wondering that myself… about you,” Yasmine stated. “You and I… are very different, Itachi-sama. I find it hard to believe that we have any characteristics that are the same. Although our pasts are tragic, they are completely different. And I’m sure that when Mayu claimed you as her precious friend, she was different from when she claimed me.”

“Explain,” Itachi involuntarily narrowed his eyes.

Yasmine turned and pressed her back against the edge of the counter. She crossed her arms. “When we first met, she was… cold and stoic. When she claimed me, she was all emo-like about it. Even though I didn’t know her, I found that to be very weird,” she said. She then turned her eyes to him. “Itachi-sama, tell me, where did she kiss you?”

“…my cheek.”

“It was my lips. Gaara’s kiss was on his forehead… Adding him into the equation made me start thinking,” she moved her eyes from Itachi. Instead, they seemed to stare off into the unknown. “It would seem that we do all share something in common. I don’t know much about your first meeting with Mayu, but I bet she saw what she saw in me. No matter the pokerfaced expression we had, she saw through. The hidden sadness behind our eyes is what she saw.” The Uchiha, of course, didn’t respond. Yasmine shrugged her shoulders. “At least that’s what she told me, anyway. Perhaps she told you something different?” The ridiculous smile once again appeared.

The Uchiha remained silent. Yasmine waited a few moments before shrugging. She turned back around to the counter. She pulled out a drawer and took out the foil. She had memorized where things were. She covered the top of the glass with the foil. The foreigner walked over to the refrigerator and put it in. “This might not work with Zetsu-sama, but it’s worth a shot,” she thought. Yasmine sighed heavily. “But if it doesn’t work, he might really eat me for putting him through that… I really wanted to be buried in the autographed shirt, though.”

The foreign teen suddenly found herself pushed against the refrigerator door. She stared wide-eyed at the Uchiha, truly surprised by his actions. His hands were on either side of her head. His Sharingan was activated as well. Quickly, she looked down, avoiding his stare. There was no telling what he could to do her with just his eyes alone. Neji would be very disappointed in her if she got caught up even further. “She was different?” his voice was the same as it always had been, but the aura his body gave off was truly terrifying. If Yasmine had been a regular person, she would have surely fainted, or at least cried. “What caused this transformation to take place–do you know?” The teen swallowed nervously.

“… I-I’ve heard man-many things,” she stammered, surprised at her voice. “Your little brother–he broke her heart, I think! It completely transformed her! Well, that’s what I found out…” Itachi’s hands slipped, not expecting to hear that. “Please let down on the killer aura; I’m suffocating here!”

He turned his back on the foreigner and contemplated this new information. He had noticed the connection the two shared, but couldn’t fathom the thought of Mayu confessing, only to get rejected, most likely because Sasuke was too obsessed with revenge. “I see… Then I do not have to feel anything for what I will do to you, otouto,” Itachi thought. He walked back toward the living room, book in hand. Yasmine’s body finally relaxed when the Uchiha sat back down in his chair. She wondered why he had been unable to conceal his dark aura in that brief second.

Yasume: This whole thing is fucked up! I’m not even surprised that he’s OOC anymore!
************************

“Petto-chan…!” Surprised, Yasmine’s head snapped away from the television. She was lying on her stomach on the floor. Itachi was still reading in his chair. The teen’s eyes widen seeing the masked Akatsuki member leap into the air. If she didn’t react soon, she could be crushed into oblivion. But because she was thinking about the situation, it was too late to do anything. Tobi crashed right into her. Her head slammed hard against the floor. Itachi did not look up from his book.

Deidara and Kisame came strolling in with smug grins on their faces. Kisame was carrying a large glass jug. The element inside could be heard sloshing around. In his other hand was a squared table. He made it seem like it was weightless. “So you’ve returned…?” Itachi turned the page. Deidara sat down in a chair as Kisame placed the table on the floor.

“Yup…! As soon as that guy figured out who we were, he actually handed it over to us!” Deidara exclaimed. “What an idiot, un!” It was then he noticed his partner had still not gotten off of the foreigner. An irritated twitch made its way up to his eye. “Tobi…!” he shouted. “Get off her, un!” The masked ninja begrudgingly obliged. Yasmine, however, did not move once the heavy weight was lifted. “I think you killed her…”

“No…! Wah, Petto-chan, wake up!” Tobi wailed.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. All became quiet. Several pairs of eyes flickered over to the unmoving girl. Itachi’s eyes slowly moved up from the page. “I do believe that that was the second time,” he said. Before the three could turn to their comrade in confusion, the teen’s body sprang to life. The foreigner slowly crawled toward Deidara’s chair, causing his eye to grow wide. Although her face was covered by her hair, he could see the evil grin behind those tresses. She looked like something straight out of The Ring.

“Dei-kun…” the teen said in a creepy voice. Chills went up the blond ninja’s spine. “You have sake?” Deidara almost released a sigh of relief. He could have sworn she was going to tell him ‘seven days…’ That was last time he’d let his partner pick the movie.

“Kisame’s got it! Get off of me, un!”

Yasume’s head snapped in that direction. The blue-skinned man involuntarily flinched. The teen moved over to him. Her hands touched the jar in his lap. “Kisame, you sexy thing, you…” she whispered. Kisame’s mouth dropped. “I would love to have some sake again! Would you be so kind?” Annoyed, the alter ego pushed her hair out of her face. “Will ya? This time, I definitely won’t pass out right away!”

The Akatsuki member frowned at her confusing sentence, but shrugged. “Get the cups from the cabinet if you really want some. Three,” he told her.

“But Petto-chan is underage!” Tobi exclaimed. Yasume ignored the masked member and trotted off to the kitchen with a grin on her face.

“Oi, Itachi, you want some?” Deidara asked.

“Your intention of trying to have me incapacitated will only-”

“Just say no for crying out loud, un!” the blond interrupted, annoyed. The Uchiha’s face remained passive. “I just know he does that shit on purpose!” he thought.

Kisame lifted the lid from the jar, and then pulled a clay bottom from his pocket. He plunged the bottle into the jar, waiting for it to fill with sake. Seconds later, Yasume appeared again, carrying the three sake cups. She spread them around, still grinning. “I won’t pass out quickly–I won’t!” Yasume stated.

“What are you–an idiot? This stuff is the real deal, un. This isn’t what you had before!” Deidara stated, sitting at one of the sides of the table. “You’ll probably pass out in a second.”

“Fat chance…!” Yasume retorted as Kisame poured sake into their cups. Tobi sat near the teen and crossed his arms. “I bet you that you’ll faint before me! The loser has to do whatever the winner says!”

“Ha! You’re on, un!”

Yasmine: Neji is definitely not going to like this…

“Shut up, already about Neji! Fuck…! I mean, he’s not even here! He’s not your mother!” Yasume thought, watching the liquid fall into her respective cup. She grinned at Deidara, who smugly returned the look. “First one to go under?”

“This will be a mistake on your part. You’ll definitely become one with my art.”

“A poet now, are we?”

“When did this turn into such a thing?” Kisame grinned, pouring himself some of the liquid. “Geez…”

“Petto-chan shouldn’t be-”

“Shut up, Tobi!” both Deidara and Yasume shouted. The two ignored the pout that Tobi didn’t try to hide. At the same time, they downed their sake.

Fifteen minutes later, Yasume’s head was starting to spin; or rather the room was spinning. Deidara, however, was looking as smug as ever. His face was flushed, but he looked nowhere near the point of passing out. It really was a mistake to challenge him… or so it seemed. “Shit, didn’t think he would last this long,” the alter ego thought, lowering her eyelids. “Stupid girly-looking man…! It’s his fault for looking so damn fragile!”

“What’s the matter, un? You’re looking a little dizzy!” Deidara stated.

“… Shut… up… You nooks a little pipsy yourselves!” Yasume pointed a shaky finger. The blond only chuckled. “Damn it…! Yasmine, it’s up to you!”

Yasmine: But the sake will affect me in a bad way! At least you don’t run around kis-

Yasume was out like a light. Deidara waited a few moments before poking the girl’s body. He grinned, ignoring the way the room spun. He did a sloppy victory dance, that is, until the teen’s body sat up. She hiccupped, causing the blond to falter his movements. He sat back down in a slump. He would have to wait a few more minutes until he could celebrate his find of an exotic model. “Gomennasai…” the foreigner hiccupped again. She stood up with her head bowed. “Deidara-sama… You thinks you’re all that and a bag of chips, but… I’m all that and a bag of skittles, so taste the rainbow, bitch!”

“Huh…?”

Yasmine sprang from her position and landed near Itachi’s chair. “Can I haves my iPods back? I really, really, really, really, really want to listens to it,” she asked. Her voice was slurred. Itachi spared her a glance, wondering what object she spoke of. “Ne, ne, Itachi-kun…! The thing that was in my ears! I feel an uncontrollable urge to listen to Michael Jackson!”

“What of Zetsu’s condition?” he asked, ignoring the way she poked his leg.

The teen stopped her poking. Her eyelids lowered as she stared at the floor, seeming to be deep in thought. Her eyes grew wide and she practically leapt up from her position. Yasmine grabbed Itachi’s cheeks and moved her face closer to his. “I want to love you! P.Y.T–pretty young thing! You need some loving! T.L.C–tender lovin’ care! And I’ll take you there!” To everyone’s complete and utter amazement, the foreign leaned and kissed the Uchiha’s cheek. They were even more surprised when Itachi only gently pushed her away. Completely, disregarding his action, Yasmine danced around humming something.

Deidara shook his head, snapping out of it. “You’re crazy! Why would you ever do that to him, un?!” he pointed a finger at the teen. Yasmine grinned, did several spins, and then thumbed at herself.

“Because I bad! I’m bad–come on!” she sang, and then pointed a finger. “You know I’m bad! I’m bad–you know it!” The blond narrowed his eye. His accusing stance faltered when the girl continued to dance around, oblivious to the world around her.

“Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to give her this type of sake,” Kisame chuckled, sipping a bit more.

“Billie Jean is not my lover! She’s just a girl that thinks that I am the one! But the kid is not my son!” Yasmine seemed to be walking backwards and waving. “Haha! Moon walking, bitch! Ya’ll don’t know nothing ‘bout that!” She ‘moon walked’ right into the table. She crashed into it and had a fit of giggles.

“Petto-chan is not well!” Tobi looked towards the drunken girl. “I knew it was a bad idea!”

Yasmine rolled over and pushed herself from the floor. She gave Tobi a comforting hug. “You rock my world–you know you did! And everything I’m gonna give! And there ain’t nothing we could find! Someone like you to call mine!” she sang as she petted the masked ninja’s hair. She also gave him a kiss on the cheek, or rather where it was supposed to be. She tore herself away from Tobi and jumped into Kisame’s lap. The teen kissed his cheek as well. She rubbed her back against his chest. “So get closer… To my body now! Just leave me… till you don’t know how!” She swayed her body from left and right. “Keep on with the force–don’t stop! Don’t stop till ya get enough!” The blue Akatsuki member actually started to copy her movements.

“That is… mildly disgusting…” Deidara remarked.

“Shut up! You’re just mad that she didn’t kiss you!” Kisame retorted. Itachi cleared his throat, causing heads to turn to him.

“About Zetsu…”

Once again, she sprang from her position. She did several spins on the table. She held her forehead as she did so. Once she was finished spinning, she pointed a finger at the Uchiha. “But, if you’re thinkin’ about my baby, it don’t matter if you’re black or white!” Itachi’s lip twitched a bit. Luckily, no one was paying attention to him at the moment.

“Petto-chan, what about Zetsu-san…? Will he be okay?” Tobi asked.

“… Zetsu… oh… Have to give him the meds,” Yasmine replied. She seemed to come out of her musical trance. She slowly moved off of the table. She tripped over nothing on her way to the kitchen. Moments later, she came back out with a syringe in hand. There was red fluid in it. “Be right backs, kay?” she slurred, and then tripped over Deidara’s body. He had fallen unconscious while she was in the kitchen. “Hehe… I won against him!” she laughed as she picked herself up. She stumbled as she left the room.

“… Should we be worried?” Kisame asked. “Drunken people shouldn’t give medicine. It’s like a-a-a crazy doc-doctor, right?” The sake was beginning to get to him. It was about time, too. He had always been more tolerable against the effects.

“Hn… It’ll be fine,” Itachi said. He finally moved from his seat. “I will retire for the night.”

He vaguely acknowledged his partner telling him that the sun wasn’t even down as he left. Once he was out of sight, the Uchiha stopped. Slowly his hand came up and caressed his cheek. It was the same cheek, he realized. Itachi narrowed his eyes before removing his fingers from his face. He walked on, toward his room. He ignored the distant singing he heard.

Meanwhile, with Yasmine, she was singing as she moved to closer to Zetsu’s room. “Let’s dance! Let’s shout! Shake your body down to the ground!” she sang merrily. She opened the door, only to be greeted by the room’s occupant. Her voice instantly cut off. She stared up at him with a blank expression. The plant-like man stared back equally impassive. Yasmine opened her mouth. “Cuz this is thriller–thriller night! And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike!” Zetsu’s eye twitched. He could only assume she was referring to him when she said beast. “You know its thriller! Thriller night!” she resumed singing, ignorant of his twitch. “You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller toniiiiiiiii-” Zetsu put a hand over her mouth before her voice could get any higher.

“What do you want, brat?” he asked, uncovering her mouth. The foreigner only giggled. Zetsu noticed the flush.

“Hahaha! She’s drunk!”

“Don’t laugh…”

Yasmine pushed her way pass Zetsu’s. “I’m here to… to… to…” she tried to say something, but gave up and showed him the syringe. The man/plant sighed heavily as he closed the door. “Hmmmmm, how does your butt feel?” Yasmine asked, grinning. Zetsu decided not to dignify that with an answer. The foreigner visibly pouted. He walked towards his futon and sat down. He slipped off cloak, showing his pale white arm. Yasmine kneeled down beside him. She swayed a bit, and then fell against Zetsu. He sighed before grabbing her forearms to lift her off. Imagine his surprise when she forced her body forward and kissed him… on the lips.

Not too many females kissed him. Okay, let’s face it. No woman ever kissed him. In fact, he was sure that even as a kid, he was never kissed by anyone. To have this strange foreigner do it out of the blue like this was truly… Shit, she was still doing it. Coming to his senses, Zetsu pushed the girl away. She fell back laughing her head off. The man stared her with an incredulous look. She was definitely not sane in the brain. “Haha! Itacha-sama and Tobe-sama and Kisuma-sama were definitely beeter at getting my kisses! You, quite frankly… suck!” She exploded into another fit of giggles. Zetsu found himself twitching. He had almost forgotten she was drunk out of her mind. No woman, no matter how strange, would kiss him willingly.

“Truly an idiot…” he muttered as the teen sat up.

“You liked it!”

“Shut up…”

Ignoring the conversation he was having with himself, Yasmine began speaking. “It works like this, I guess…” she slurred while blinking rapidly. “I took it from the strong, black side, so I can put the strong blood into the weak, white side. Since the blood is the same, this part of the body will accept the blood with little tiny open arms…” She giggled at the thought. “The strong blood cells will multiply and spread along with the blue and white cocaine–I mean meds that I put in it.” Zetsu did not like the sound of that. Yasmine saw the look he gave, so she tapped his chest a couple of times. “Not to worry, Zetty-sama. Itacha-sama saw me do it. I wouldn’t try to kick yer bucket!” She, again, laughed loudly, and even snorted a bit, which caused her to laugh even harder.

“Drunken people are truly unattractive,” Zetsu commented.

“And incompetent as well.”

“I’m not drunk!” Yasmine protested as her body rocked side to side. “I didn’t drink not a sip! It was Yasmine–Yasmine, I say! Wait… that’s me, isn’t it? Hold on, hold on… Yasume! That’s what I meant!”

“Just inject it already. I’m tired of feeling this way.”

“Hmmmmmm! I imagine you are, Zetty-sama,” she replied, trying to focus on his arm. Her hand touched his arm. Her fingers slapped the limb until his biggest vein bulged. To Zetsu’s surprise, she licked it. He demanded to know she had done it. “To mark the spot, of course. Not everyone likes the salty taste of a human, ya know!” The teen held up the syringe. The needle hovered over the wet spot. Yasmine’s eyes narrowed and expanded several times, trying to force her hazy mind to focus.

Finally, the needle pierced his skin, causing him to flinch. Zetsu relaxed his body and watched as his own blood was injected into his arm. “When should I be better?” he asked once Yasmine removed the needle from his arm. The teen applied slight pressure to his open skin. She reached over to the wooden bucket.

“By morning, I think–man, why are there two of them?!” Yasmine grumbled, reaching for something that wasn’t there. Zetsu sighed and grabbed a hold of her wrist. She looked at him in confusion.

“That is not necessary,” he said, removing her finger from the small injury.

“Ah, okay, I understand,” Yasmine muttered. She forced her eyes to stay open. “You should eat something-” Zetsu interrupted her by pushing her onto the floor. He smirked at her wide-eyed expression.

“I plan to,” he said. A hand came up and smacked his forehead, causing him to glare. “I don’t like it when my meals are interrupted.”

“Not me, ya dolt!” Yasmine wiggled her way from under him. She crawled away on her hands and knees. She did not get very far on the count of Zetsu grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back into his lap. Then again, it could have been the sake causing her to move slowly enough for him to grab her. She felt his teeth bite into her skin. She winced, but it was probably only a scare tactic. Cannibals liked doing that. It was really annoying. She turned her head lightly, feeling blood slide down her back and chest. He had actually bit her shoulder hard enough for her to bleed! “You’re… You’re no… You’re no Edward Cullen.” She giggled like an insane person.

Then the foreigner promptly passed out.

Zetsu blinked, and then removed his teeth. He stared down at the unconscious girl for a moment, wondering who ‘Edward Cullen’ was. He then shrugged, figuring it was something random. She had been drunk, after all. He licked his teeth and lips, tasting the blood that came with the action. As he thought… She had a distinctive different taste than most. “Foreign blood is delicious. She is a bit of a delicacy, isn’t she?” Zetsu pulled the kimono down too before the blood could taint the fabrics. “I could only imagine what her taste will be once her the sake is flushed from her system.” After cleaning it off with his tongue, he noticed the scar. Slightly intrigued, Zetsu pulled the kimono further down. What he found was that the scar stretched from her neck and down her back. He couldn’t tell how far it went, however, because of the bandages wrapped around her torso.

“Hm… I didn’t take her for a warrior.”

“She’s definitely not.”

“Then why does she have a scar in such a place?”

“Do we really care?”

“No, I suppose not,” the black half replied. He adjusted the girl’s kimono back over her shoulders, and then just left her there. He sighed heavily. Already, he felt a bit better. The headache was starting to fade. Zetsu moved his body over to his futon and lied down. “I will definitely have a good breakfast tomorrow.” He then closed his eyes.
***********************

This chapter was fun for various reasons.

QOU:

“… I’m going to eat your face.” –Zetsu, white side

Beta’s QUO: --Beta’d by UKELICIOUS--

“You’re… You’re no… You’re no Edward Cullen.” – Yasmine Dalton