Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 29

"And I don’t deserve you cuz I’m not there for you… Please forgive me again. I want to be there for you... Someone you can come to…!" -Flyleaf (There for You)
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The teen grit her teeth as she struggled to stand. It was a very hard thing to do considering the dizzy state she was in. She had fallen to her knees several times before she finally made it to the door. Squeezing her eyes shut, she slid the door open, allowing sunlight to come into the room. This caused the foreigner to hiss in pain and clutch her throbbing head. Before exiting, she took a glance back at her temporary roommate. His plant-like appendages were beginning to open as if they had sensed the morning sun. She winced, and then moved out of the room, leaving the door halfway open.

Wobbling, Yasmine tried hard to ignore the irritating chirping and singing of the birds that seemed to just flock to the top of the building. Their mindless squawking was not helping to ease the headache she currently had. The teen cursed the birds and her other half as she moved. After much wobbling, she finally reached her destination–the kitchen. She knew that she had left the headache medicine on the counter. When she saw it, her body wanted to rush over to it, but that wasn't going to happen. Yasmine tripped a few times over nothing. She even hit her head against an open cupboard door. Her hand slowly reached up to grab her head again. She groaned in pain as her other hand reached for the sealed pills.

Since her body was still not ready to move quickly, Yasmine tore open the seal. The two pills dropped to the floor. She sighed heavily, and then began to open another seal. Luckily, the two pills dropped on the counter instead of the floor. She hastily picked them up and popped them in her mouth. Holding them on her tongue, she went over to the sink and turned the faucet on. She drank straight from the faucet.

“That… is sickening, un…”

Slowly, Yasmine pulled her head from the sink. She turned her head to see the blond Akatsuki member leaning against the counter. He didn’t look as bad as she felt, and that observation pissed her off a bit. She wiped her chin as she turned the running water off. Deidara’s eye lazily stared back at her. “… Piss off,” Yasmine sneered. The blond ninja only smirked. He watched her stumble toward the refrigerator.

“It seems that you can’t hold your sake,” he said. “As I thought.”

“Aren’t you the one who passed out first?” Yasmine retorted, opening the refrigerator. “Actually, I’m pretty sure you did, although last night is a blur.” She pulled two apples out and then closed the door. Deidara narrowed his eye.

“… Touché…” he muttered.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” The teen took a bite out of one of the apples. She winced, feeling the ache it caused on her head. She hoped that the medicine would kick in soon. After a few more bites, she looked up to see Deidara staring at her. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow was furrowed. It was as if he were thinking intensively. “… I’m Yasmine,” she stated. The ninja’s eye expanded. He remained silent as the foreign moved to set the uneaten apple on the counter.

“So even you can become like this, un?” Deidara finally said.

“I think Neji said the same thing to me…” Yasmine muttered. “Well, forgive me for having a freaking hangover that makes me feel like death!”

The blond chose to ignore her last comment. “Neji, you said…? That name is familiar,” he remarked. A thoughtful looked crossed Yasmine’s features.

“Well, he is bamf, so I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard of Hyuga Neji!” she replied with an overconfident grin. “He’s my friend, ya know!”

“Ah… That Hyuga… That was the first time I had seen the Byakugan, un,” Deidara stated. He raised a curious brow. “What is… bamf?”

“B-A-M-F! Bad Ass Mother Fucker,” Yasmine shrugged as if it were common knowledge. “That Dane Cook’s a funny bitch.”

“Are you sure you’re the annoyingly nice one?” Deidara asked. “You sure do cuss a lot, un.”

Yasmine was silent for a few moments. “Gomen…” she bit into the apple again. “I’ve had a hangover only once before. It’s not a very pleasant thing to have. Who would smile about it?” She frowned a bit. “But I guess to some one who is so used to the symptoms, this doesn’t effect you at all, does it, Deidara-sama?” A cocky smile spread across his face. “That’s what I thought.” Yasmine sighed, and then finished eating the apple. After she was finished, she picked the two pills off the ground. “Zetsu-sama will most likely have a headache when he wakes up, so I will give these to him.” She began to walk away, but then halted her movements. Curious, Deidara blinked and waited for her next move. The foreign teen turned her head slightly. “Deidara-sama… you’re experienced, aren’t you?” The blond only looked confused. “Since you indulge in sake, I assume that you indulge in the other deadly ninja sins, too.” Her words only caused Deidara to give her a blank look. “I mean, you’re experienced with it comes to sake, money, and… women, right? Or is it men?”

Totally ignoring her last question, Deidara let a smug smirk cross his face. “Well, I have had my share of intimate relationships, un!” He stated this fact as if he was proud of it. “I’ve done many things just about anywhere–hell, even some things that are considered to be illegal.”

“Huh… illegal…? So then why do you do it?” Yasmine asked.

“What do you mean why do I do it?” Deidara questioned. “I do it for the same reason everyone else does it.”

“To produce offspring…” the teen nodded her head. She suddenly gasped as realization struck her. “You have children running around?!”

Deidara blanched at her question. “I sure hope not, un…” he murmured. He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not why people usually do it.”

“It’s… not…?”

“No, un…! People, most of the time, do it for pleasure!”

“Pleasure…?” Yasmine repeated. “A feeling of happiness, delight, or satisfaction–that’s what it is, right?”

“Yeah… sorta… only way more intense, un. That’s why people do it. It’s almost like an addictive drug.”

“I see…”

The blond smirked. This girl was just way to innocent and naïve. He never meant anyone as ignorant as her… well, except Tobi, but he was the stupid kind of ignorant. He watched the foreigner’s face twist and contort as if she was seriously thinking about what he had told her. His smirk grew. “Oi…!” He got her attention. Yasmine fully turned to face him. “You want to try?” he asked. The foreigner blinked.

“Hai…!” She gave a determined nod, causing Deidara to blanch. Really, he had only been teasing, but she answered with such conviction. He had thought she would blush and stammer out a negative. “To feel the same thing Neji felt when he was with Ten-chan… To feel the same thing Ten-chan feels around pretty much anyone–I, too, want to feel it. I know I said I probably wouldn’t be anything but a friend to anyone, but I don’t want to be ignorant the rest of my life!” Yasmine clenched her fist. “To experience this intense pleasure someday will be-” Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Her brown eyes grew wide in utter shock. Deidara was… kissing her.

The apple dropped from her hand.

Deidara pulled away from the simple, chaste kiss. He looked into her stunned eyes. He smirked, thinking it was her first kiss. “You’re sixteen, right? I guess if you’re old enough to get married, then you’re old enough to do other stuff, un,” he said. Just as he was about to lean in for another kiss, he felt himself being whacked on the head, similar to being hit like a bad dog. His chin slammed against the ground. The foreigner was definitely stronger than she looked. “What the heck did you do that for, un?!” Deidara yelled, lifting his head.

Yasmine clutched her head, still feeling the effects of the hangover. She moved away from Deidara and pressed her back against the refrigerator door. She rapidly shook her head. “No! No! No! No!” she repeated as if it were a chant. This only further confused the blond. He shouted for her to stop and explain. “No! I will not succumb to the perfection of becoming Mary-sue!”

“Mary-sue…? Who the hell…?”

Not listening, Yasmine placed both hands over her heart. “I can not accept your feelings! You can not fall in love with me, Deidara-sama! Please forgive me, but I refuse to become Mary-sue!” She put her arms in an ‘x’ formation as if they were shielding her. “I’m repelling your feelings!”

“Nani…?!” Deidara stood up. “Who’s in love with you, un?! I’m definitely not!” Yasmine slowly put her arms down and cracked an eye open.

“You’re not…?”

“Hell no…! And who is this Mary-sue, un?!”

Yasmine breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped the imaginary sweat from her forehead. “Dodged a bullet there,” she snickered. Deidara impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the girl to explain. “Oh, Mary-sue, in the fan fiction world, are beings that are perfect and make the most of the males of a fandom fall in love with them.” The blond ninja’s mouth dropped open. “I see I’ve lost you, but that’s okay!”

“Well, you’re definitely not perfect!”

“Even if that is a compliment considering my situation, it’s still a rude thing to say!”

“You’re crazy, un!”

“No I’m not!” Deidara gave her a skeptic look. “Okay, maybe a little…” She tilted her head down and placed her thumb on her chin and her index finger on her bottom lip. “But… if you’re not in love with me, then why did you kiss me?”

“Because you told me you wanted to do it, un!”

“I didn’t mean now! And I didn’t mean you!” Yasmine stated.

“Did you just insult me?!”

“Besides, why would you do that if there is no feeling behind it?”

“You don’t have to be in love to fuck!”

“…”

“…”< br>
“No way…” The foreigner stumbled away. “I’m… going to ask Itachi-sama since he’s older and more experienced!” Yasmine dashed away in search of the older Uchiha.

“Yeah right… That friggin’ machine probably has never gotten laid!” Deidara sneered. “That’s probably why he’s such an asshole, un.”

Way too focused, that remark went unheard by her ears. It didn’t take long to reach Itachi and Kisame’s room. She slid open both doors, letting the sun shine through. This caused the bigger of the two to groan and bury his head into his pillow. “Forgive me, Kisame-sama and Itachi-sama, but I must know something important!” Yasmine exclaimed.

“Do not be too loud. Kisame is not well,” Itachi said. He did not sit up, nor did he open his eyes. The teen quietly apologized. “What is it that you need?” Yasmine kneeled near his bed.

“Sexual intercourse!”

Instantly, this drew a reaction from Kisame. The man began to choke and wheeze on his own laughter. However, Yasmine’s eyes remained on Itachi, who had yet to react. The Uchiha opened his eyes. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the ceiling. “Sexual intercourse…?” he repeated. “What is it that you want to know?” He glanced at the foreigner.

“Is it true that there doesn’t have to be any feelings involved in order to go through with it?” she asked.

“Hai,” he answered with no hesitation. “That is correct.”

“… Then what is the point?”

“Very well, I will elucidate.”

“This I gotta hear,” Kisame chuckled. And so for the next hour, Uchiha Itachi–with a little help from Kisame–explained an extreme version of the birds and the bees.

Yasmine’s mind was forever tainted.
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Neji’s body shivered, causing the teen to halt his movements. His partner also stopped and looked in his direction. “What is it?” She watched him turn his head in a different direction. She knew that he wasn’t necessary looking at something. His eyes were still bandages, giving off the appearance that he was blind, and his advanced bloodline wasn’t activated either. After a few quiet seconds, the Hyuga turned his head back.

“Ah… It’s nothing,” he answered.

“Really…?”

“Hai,” he replied with a nod.

Mayu didn’t look convinced, but didn’t speak further on the matter. She shrugged and continued forward. The two had been discreetly searching the village for any sign of Yasmine since they entered the village. Sadly, they hadn’t been able to find much–not even a clue yesterday. Sensing his teammates growing apprehension, Sasuke told them to search near the perimeter, so that’s what they were doing today. He and Jano were on the south side of the village, while Neji and Mayu had taken the north side.

The two walked in silence. Considering how early it was, they seemed to be the only ones around. Not many businesses were even open at this hour. “Oi…!” Mayu tried to get her comrade’s attention. Neji turned to her to let her know he was listening. “You’re friends with Yasmine, right?”

“That is correct,” he replied.

“Yeah, but she told me that you guys are old friends… as if you knew her before I introduced you two,” Mayu stated.

“That is also correct,” Neji nodded. He didn’t have to see in order to tell that his partner was giving him a confused look. “Our first meeting dates back years before even you knew her, I believe. We were both at the age of four. The two of us met at a park near where she resided.” Mayu noticed the nostalgic smile on his face. “We became instant friends–she and I…”

“So… What happened?”

“Nani…?”

“I mean, she left, right? If she didn’t I wouldn’t have never met her, so when did she leave?”

“… The same year she arrived is the same year she left,” Neji answered. “I drove her away when I told her I hated her.”

“Why did you say something like that to her? Four…? Was it you who-”

“That year my father was killed. I took it out on her… I regret it,” Neji said.

“I… see…”

“Maybe if I hadn’t said those things, then maybe we could be closer and put her full trust in me,” he continued. “I know she doesn’t trust me the way she used to and that is also my fault.” Mayu listened to him in silence. She furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip.

“You’re… You’re in love with her!”

“…!” The Hyuga came to an abrupt stop. Mayu did the same. He turned to her with a slight frown. “Where did you formulate that idea?” The kunoichi narrowed her eyes, not understanding a bit.

“I can see it in your eyes!”

“You… can’t see my eyes,” Neji knitted his eyebrows.

“That is not the point! You love her, don’t you?”

“No, I do not. She is my good friend,” he answered. “Let’s continue.” Neji walked away, leaving Mayu standing there with her mouth hanging open. The kunoichi shook her head, and then moved to catch up with him.

“I’ve got my eye on you now. I’m not going to let you take her away, you know!”

“Say what you will,” Neji replied, brushing aside her ridiculous comments. Yes, he did care for the foreigner, but only to that extent. To him Yasmine was… a second Hinata–someone that he desired to protect, not love in the sense that Mayu was referring to. Anything besides friendship hadn’t crossed his mind when the subject turned to Yasmine. It was a bit annoying that others had often mistaken their relationship as something more. “I wonder if that’s what Tenten thought… She must have thought I was a threat.” The Hyuga shook his head. “Besides, I’m sure that love never occurred to her as well.”

Mayu suddenly sneezed, drawing Neji’s attention again. “It’s a little colder here,” she murmured, rubbing her nose. “I mean, I don’t think it’s anything wrong with you liking her.” The Hyuga male gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s just… she’s quite different from what any man in this world expects from a woman. Pursuing her will be a difficult task, but at the same time once something gets in her head, she’ll stick to it. Because of that the predator may become the prey.” Mayu grinned, casting Neji a cheeky glance. “In every sense of the word. It has happened once before, ya know.” The Hyuga merely frowned. The kunoichi took this as a sign to continue. “This occurrence took place our second year of high school. By that time, Yasmine’s body had changed, and many of the boys in our class took notice. But of course, they were afraid. After all, Yasume made it clear that no one could touch her. However, there was one cocky bastard that wasn’t afraid of Yasmine’s other half. He was an arrogant senior named Eric.” Neji’s frown deepened, hearing that peculiar name.

“Eric…?” he repeated.

“Very well, the trigger word is… Eri-” the woman had to stop because she was suddenly grabbed and pulled towards a very pissed off girl. “Yasume, I presume?” she said in a calm voice, despite her position.

“Shut the fuck up, you wrinkling old bitch!” the foreigner shouted. “Don’t you ever say that bastard’s name, you hear me! I locked him away to protect Yasmine! And I’d be damned if she finds out now!”

The kunoichi bobbed her head up and down unaware that Neji had a glimpse into the past. “Yeah, everyone in the school knew he was a cocky playboy. But innocent-ass Yasmine didn’t notice. Or maybe she did and just didn’t care. Apparently, she saw a different side to him that I didn’t. Come to think of it, Yasume wasn’t as strict with him as she was with others. He and Yasmine became friends, but I knew what Eric was really after. I warned her, but she brushed aside my comments,” Mayu continued. “At the time, I was her friend, but I definitely wasn’t the same as I am now. I decided that she would have to learn from her mistake, and so I left her alone.” A bitter smile appeared. “As soon as I was out of the picture, that’s when Eric made his move. Out of nowhere, he kissed her. Yasmine knew about things like kissing and sex, but she believed that she would not have those experiences.”

“But Eric told her that he really liked her and he was willing to be patient. For a minute, he even had me fooled with his charm. Pretty soon, Yasmine started liking him in that way as well, even if she didn’t realize it. They started dating after awhile. Yasmine told me that all they did was hold hands and kiss–the sweet kinda kisses, you know?” Mayu crossed her arms as she remembered. “Eventually Eric grew tired of her ‘childish antics.’ And that’s when it started. I don’t know how she got the information, but Yasmine quickly learned how to satisfy him. She nearly became a seductress, but still, she wouldn’t give herself to him. She had him wrapped around her finger. The prey had become the hunter. This, of course, pissed Eric off. He enjoyed it for awhile, but his manly pride was at stake, and his friends were quick to throw this fact in his face. And so he came up with a plan to teach her a lesson.”

“Although Yasmine did nothing wrong, he wanted revenge?” Neji asked. Mayu gave him an affirmative answer. “He truly isn’t a man.”

“Anyway, he hired a few older guys to scare her a bit. He believed that if she was broken that she would be the one to be dependent on him, and him alone. He was one of those types who liked to be in control,” the kunoichi frowned. “Those hired men were only supposed to scare her, but they took it too far. They drugged her and almost raped her.”

“Nani…?!”

“You know what saved her? When one of those bastards mentioned that it was Eric’s doing. Even in her drugged stated, Yasmine felt absolutely infuriated.” Mayu glanced at Neji. “You’re her friend, right? Then you know the technique she uses when she fights?” The Hyuga nodded. “She used that to escape those guys. Days after incident, Yasmine finally got him alone. Before that, Eric knew about what really happen, yet had avoided her like she was a disease. This only pissed Yasmine off even more. Finally, she cornered him, once again becoming the predator. I think she still liked him even after what he had done. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and gave him a chance to talk himself out of the situation. He didn’t realize it, and he said something incredibly stupid. ‘I never liked you, anyway! You were just a goal I was trying to achieve! But in the end, you’re just a tease! At least my real girlfriend lets me do anything I want to her!’ He was truly an idiot. Although he knew of her stronger alternate personality, he still said all that stuff to her.”

Mayu sighed heavily as she shook her head. “Yasume didn’t even have to appear that time. His words affected Yasmine so much that she lashed out in fury. She almost stopped his heart. Luckily, she only paralyzed him. But he was still in the hospital for almost half a year. This torn her up inside…. She pleaded to forget about him. That’s when I first found out about Yasume’s memory-erasing ability. So in the end, we transferred schools, and Yasmine forgot all about Eric, her first love.”

“So… to this day, she believes that she’s never had anything more intimate than friendship?” Neji murmured to himself.

“Hai,” Mayu stated. “This is why I ask you to be cautious, or maybe even reconsider pursuing her.”

“I’m not courting her!”

“Why not…? Despite being a little… unique, she’s cute, don’t you think?”

“… I see now… You just want a reason to beat up suitors,” Neji replied.

“Is that so wrong?!” Mayu asked. “I mean, you scared off any potential guys with your Hyuga glare, and most guys like the traditional beauty!”

Neji gave a frustrated sigh. “What about Uchiha?” he asked, trying to change the subject. The kunoichi stopped her pouting to look at her comrade in confusion.

“What does he have to with this?” she asked.

“You aren’t the traditional beauty, and yet he is quite fond of you–more than fond, I’d say,” Neji clarified. Mayu blushed scarlet. Before she could stammer out a response, however, her teammate continued. “What is to stop him from also courting her? He seems to have a specific taste.”

“He’s not like that! He wouldn’t go after her, so you can just shut up!” Mayu retorted. Neji scoffed.

“That is why you shouldn’t assume things on your own. Others could get upset with you words. I assure you that I am not courting Yaya-chan,” he stated. The kunoichi merely rolled her eyes.

After walking in an awkward silence, the two ninja finally stopped. Actually, they were forced to stop. Two men told them that they could go no further. The two seemed to be watching a route out of the village, preventing anyone from going down that road. Mayu narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but turned around, forcing Neji to do the same. They walked away from that point a little more than irritated. “That was way too suspicious,” the kunoichi stated. Neji nodded in agreement. “Once I find a host, I’m heading back in that direction. Tell that to them when you meet up.”

“What about your body?”

“You’re obviously going to carrying me,” Mayu stated, steering him near an alley. “Hopefully, I’ll see one that is sleeping. You’ll have to use your eyes to carry me back.” Neji nodded again. Mayu began searching as the Hyuga stood behind her, almost completely covering her body. With his Byakugan activated, he could tell that no one was looking in there direction. He turned his head towards the direction that they could not venture. Beyond the two men, beyond the perimeter of the village, behind the trees–there was a large building structure. Its design was similar to that of the Main family’s residence, yet slightly different.

Neji heard his comrade’s body drop behind him, telling him that the transfer was complete. Quickly, he picked the teen’s body up. He looked back once to confirm the transfer was complete. As if on cue, a small black kitten stepped out of the shadows. It stared at him for a moment before dashing off. The Ishikari clan’s jutsu was similar to the Yamanaka clan’s, Neji knew, but he also knew that it was quite. “But how different are the two?” he wondered as he moved further and further away from that spot.

Meanwhile, the black kitten stealthily moved toward its destination. More citizens of the village were started to gather in the streets, so it was a bit of an obstacle course for the small kitten. She hissed, feeling a passerby unknowingly stepping on her tail. Still, she kept going, determined to find out what those two men were guarding. She quietly climbed the wall, using her newly acquired claws. The two men did not notice the feline jumped from the top of the wall.

Mayu felt like smirking as she scurried away from the guarded point. “Now to find out what’s so damn important,” she thought, making sure to keep away from the road. After about ten minutes, she found herself feeling extremely fatigued. “What is this?! Only a few minutes have passed, but I am this tired?!” The kitten panted heavily, similar to a dog. Her tiny legs gave out. “Jeez… Maybe getting a kitten’s body wasn’t the best choice! Should’ve gone with the mother.” The kitten suddenly yawned. “I wish Neji would have at least told me how many meters I had to go to reach… something!”

The kunoichi turned kitten crossed her paws in front of her, and then laid her head down on top of them. “At least a bird wouldn’t have gotten tired this quickly!” She licked her nose. “And on top of this, I really, really, really want some milk! I definitely didn’t choose the right host!” The kitten rolled over onto her back and batted at a butterfly. “They’re going to be so pissed that I’m so easily distracted like this!”

A sudden shadow loomed over her. The kitten’s body froze, allowing the fluttering butterfly to escape. Mayu mentally felt as if she were sweating like rain as she stared up at the figure that was towering over her small body. She started to tremble under the intense gaze she was getting. “Oh no…” she thought, still unable to move. “Out of all the people in this village… why’d it have to be him?”

Uchiha Itachi…

Mayu finally blinked, which caused those red eyes to disappear for a moment. She quickly moved to stand. She backed away from the older Uchiha with a slightly frightened look. Itachi held his hand out. “Ah…” his outstretched hand was quicker and was about an inch away from the kitten’s nose. She had frozen yet again. Panicking, all sorts of horrendous things she thought he would do flew through her mind. “I won’t hurt you…”

“Yeah right…! I bet he’s gonna skin me al–wait a minute…!” Mayu looked up to see that Itachi’s Sharingan was no longer activated. “If I remember right, weasel man really likes cats!” The older Uchiha slowly knelt down and tenderly touched her head with his index finger. “That’s right! The only problem was that normal cats wouldn’t go near him because of his scary aura!” She mentally breathed a sigh, relieved that he wasn’t going to throw her into a random body of water. She knew that Itachi wasn’t cruel to cats at all. For the moment, she was safe.

A massive hand grabbed her and lifted her up in the air. “You… seem familiar,” he whispered.

“Shit…!” Mayu blanched. She started to struggle against his grip, but Itachi only ignore her actions. He sat down with his back against the tree. The older Uchiha set Mayu down on his lap and caught her by the scuff of the neck when she tried to escape. “Damn his secret cat lover tendencies! I can’t believe I forgot about this!”

Itachi reached for a blade a grass, and then dangled it in front of the kitten’s face. “No…! I will not become distracted! I have a mission to uphold!” These thoughts, however, did not stop her paw from trying to nab the blade of grass. “But I want it!” Now she was using two paws. A light chuckle entered her ears, but was ignored. She was much too engrossed in trying to nab the grass.

“Did you wander away from your group?” Itachi questioned, swinging the blade of grass to and fro. Mayu was now trying to bite at it. The feline instincts had taken over. “Are you male or female?” The Uchiha hoisted Mayu in the air, causing her to hiss in displeasure. “Ah, a female…”

“Did he just look at my parts? This is violation! Itachi, you perv!” Mayu hissed again and struck out. The Uchiha didn’t even let out a wince. But he did drop her into his lap again. “That hurt, you stupid weasel!” She pounded against thigh twice.

“You are a rather strange feline,” Itachi murmured.

“Don’t you dare chuckle at me! I’ll go straight up ‘Weasel Stomping Day’ on your ass!” Mayu glared up at the Akatsuki member. He only tapped her nose, sending her falling from his legs. “Damn you and your gentle human tap! Sasuke will definitely beat you up when he hears about this! You stupid–wah…! Don’t pick me up!” Itachi held her so that their eyes were locked.

“I was only punishing you for scratching me. What you did was very bad,” he stated.

“Mew…! Meorw! Hiss!” Mayu had to force herself not to roll her eyes. “Well, excuse me…! I didn’t know you were so sensitive!” She tapped his nose. “There...! Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it?” Mayu laughed haughtily. Itachi only stared. He had never come into contact with such a dramatic kitten before. Then again, most ran away from him. “Enough talk! I know you have Yasmine, and I want her back! Tell me where she is or I’ll be forced to do Kitty Kung Fu!”

Itachi stared at the meowing kitten with a blank expression. It was as if it were talking to him. Once she stopped, she looked at him as if she was expecting something. Itachi blinked. “I’m going to call you Fluffy.” This seemed to make the feline angry. The Uchiha chuckled again. “You remind me of another I used to tease like this…”

Mayu raised a paw. “Hold it right there! You’re telling me that you tortured another cat one day? No wonder normal cats don’t like you! You’re obviously evil.” She shook her head, seemingly disappointed. Itachi set her back down. The two stared at one another in silence, until the kitten got impatient. “Hey! Are you gonna answer me or not?! Where’s my foreigner?!”

“… For a kitten, you are quite heavy.”

All was quiet after Itachi’s tactless remark. The kitten stared up at the Uchiha with an expression of shock. The kitten suddenly seemed to take on an evil smirk. A bead of sweat formed. “You insolent weasel…!” Mayu lashed out in rage. Angry hissing and meowing was heard as she attacked. Once finished, she jumped from Itachi’s leg and walked away. Her tail moved from side to side indignantly as she made her way back to the village.

The older Uchiha watched the small kitten until she was out of his line of sight. He held a hand to his scratched up face. He blinked, and then frowned. “As I thought…” he murmured. Itachi stood up from his position on the ground. He turned to leave. Releasing an inaudible sigh, he began to walk. “It is time… Are you ready, little brother?”
*********************

“Uh… Can someone please explain to me… why I’m in this position?” Mayu asked. Her eyebrow twitched once. Neji stood up from the chair.

“Never mind that,” he said with a shake of his head. “Tell us what you’ve seen.” The kunoichi grumbled in slight anger.

“You’re not the one who’s held against their will,” she muttered, trying futilely to move. “Sasuke…! Cut it out and let me go!” The two teammates were sitting on the bed. Correction–Sasuke was sitting on the bed. Mayu, however, was sitting in his lap. Their arrangements were quite similar to a master and their cat. The Uchiha smirked, holding a firm hand to Mayu’s back.

“This was the only way for that animal you switched with to calm down,” he stated. His other hand came up and rubbed her head, almost as if to pet her. Jano rolled his eyes and frowned at the two teenagers. “But enough about that. What did you see?” The kunoichi sighed, realizing that her struggles were getting her no where. She relaxed her body, signaling that she had given up.

“I’m assuming Neji already told you about those two guards, right?” she asked. Sasuke and Jano nodded their heads. “Well, I snuck down that route in disguise, but unfortunately… I didn’t get very far.”

“Did someone stop you? I didn’t think anyone could see through your technique,” Jano commented. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“They can’t, but I still… got distracted,” Mayu admitted. “I had a run in with one of Akatsuki’s members before I reached a destination.”

“Name…?” Jano asked. “Do you know who you encountered?”

“Uchiha Itachi,” she answered. The kunoichi felt nails dig into her back. Sasuke had tensed. “Because of him, I didn’t get very far, but this encounter led me to believe that an Akatsuki hideout was nearby. It might not be where they’re hiding Yasmine, but we could get answers if we go.”

“Yes, I did see a building structure before I left you,” Neji stated.

“Thought so,” Mayu grinned in triumph.

“Not to mention, we might be able to take out a few members,” Jano said. “If we’re lucky,” he finished as an afterthought.

“We first focus on rescuing Yasmine,” Sasuke said in a calm voice. His body had, by this time, relaxed. “And to figure out why they wanted her in the first place–don’t forget that.” The others nodded. “When nightfall hits–that’s when we’ll make our move.”

“No…!” Mayu protested. “Like Neji said, once her task is complete, they’ll dispose of her. No doubt that she’s been an annoyance to them all and they’re just inching to kill her.”

“Nani…?” Jano turned his eyes to the kunoichi, who still had not moved from Sasuke’s lap. “Are you implying that my gaki is annoying? Yasmine is far from that!” Mayu gave him a flat look.

“… Riiight…” she murmured. She glanced at Sasuke who was mirroring her flat expression.

“He must be that doting type of parent…” he thought. “Anyway, I understand, but we must approach this situation with extreme caution,” Sasuke said out loud. “Mayu, how hard was it to slip past those guys?”

“It was easy, actually. I don’t think they even noticed my presence,” she answered. “I scaled the wall and jumped to the other side. It wasn’t too hard in that body.”

“I see…” Sasuke closed his eyes. “I think we’ll all do that. It won’t be a problem, will it?” His dark eyes shifted over to Neji, and then Jano.

“It won’t,” Jano answered for the both of them.

“We’ll group in pairs. Mayu, you’re with me,” Sasuke said. The kunoichi didn’t respond. “I’ll use a shadow clone to create a diversion.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Mayu stated. “The clone should be of me. It should pretend to be looking for Taiki-kun, and cause a scene. All eyes would be on the clone, while we get pass those two. How about it?”

“My clone might be able to do that.”

“When does this start?” Jano asked.

“… Fifteen minutes,” Sasuke finally answered.

“Why that long?”

“This is Akatsuki we’re talking about. We all need to be prepared–physically and mentally,” he explained. “You all can leave.” The two males nodded, and then left the room. Mayu tried to do the same, but Sasuke still had not permitted her to get up. She sighed heavily. “Not you, though. I need to talk to you.”

Mayu stretched out, and then relaxed again. “About what…?” she questioned. The Uchiha’s hands left the kunoichi’s body. She took this chance to crawl out of his lap. Mayu sat across from him with a confused expression. “About what…?” she repeated, blinking.

“This encounter… I really didn’t think it would come so soon,” Sasuke said. Mayu averted her eyes.

“Ah… You mean Itachi, right?”

“That man is closely intertwined with you and me,” the Uchiha closed his eyes, and then opened them. The intensity of his stare caused Mayu to involuntarily gulp. “You need to be prepared for this encounter more than any of us. From our last confrontation, I realized that you still have feeling for him.”

“Oh yeah…?” the kunoichi frowned. “And what about you?” Sasuke narrowed his eyes a bit. Mayu licked her lips, and then continued. “You’re right… I might still feel something for him. How could I not?” Not knowing whether it was a rhetorical question or not, the Uchiha kept his mouth shut. Mayu slowly crawled toward her silent teammate. “But you tossed away those feelings,” she said. “And replaced them with hatred. That could be more dangerous than my feelings towards him. You also need to prepare.”

Sasuke’s hand shot out as a blur. Mayu did not, however, flinch away from his touch. “Perhaps…” he said in a whisper as he caressed her cheek. “But that’s why you’re here.” He dropped his hand. The kunoichi slowly sat back down on the bed. “I need you with me for this.” Mayu stared at her teammate, letting the words sink in. She breathed out slowly, realizing what he really meant.

“I see,” she murmured. “You don’t want to reveal anything until you have the planned confrontation with him, right?” Sasuke nodded once. “Alright then… I’ll do my best to prevent your anger from taking over.” The Uchiha nodded again. “But in exchange…” Mayu continued, causing dark eyes to narrow. “I want you do to something for me.”

The kunoichi smiled.
********************

“There it is,” Neji thought. Jano dropped down next to him. The two shinobi dispelled their animal henges and hid behind bushes that surrounded the building structure. There was also a stone wall blocking sight. The Hyuga activated his Byakugan. He noticed that his other two comrades were on the opposite side. “There are five others besides Yasmine,” he announced. A buzzing noise filled his ears.

“Can you confirm her location? Is she alone?” came Sasuke’s voice.

“Affirmative, she is alone,” he answered.

“Alright, go and retrieve her. If possible I want you to avoid being seen.”

“With Jano-san, I’m assuming…?”

“Of course. You are the stealthiest of our group.” A pause. “Probably…” Neji almost rolled his eyes. “Keep those eyes hidden, though. If anything happens, be prepared to run back through the village.”

“Understood.”

“Move whenever you get the chance.”

“Hai.”

“Well, what did he say?” Jano asked.

“We’re going in–the two of us,” Neji answered. “I’ll lead us to Yaya-chan while you are to back me up. We are not to be seen.” The Hyuga hesitantly moved out of his crouching position. “Let’s go.” The two ninja ran up the wall, not making a sound. When they landed on the other side, Neji scanned the area making sure their presence hadn’t been detected. Fortunately, the chakra signatures hadn’t moved. Also, there hadn’t been any traps laid out to stop intruders. The Hyuga frowned, but continued on. Jano followed close behind.

The Hyuga finally reached the door. “She’s beyond these doors,” he thought, and then pulled them aside. Surprisingly, Jano raced past him. Neji heard muffled noises.

“Gaki…! You’re okay!” the man knelt down and hugged the teen. Yasmine was sitting on her legs. Her arms were tied behind her back and her mouth was sealed with tape. She wiggled around a bit, glaring at the two of them. Neji moved over to them after closing the doors again. He, too, knelt beside her.

“You’re not hurt, are you?” he questioned, slowly removing the tape from her lips.

“It’s a trap!” she shouted.

Neji’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise. He heard a chuckle. “Damn,” he murmured, turning. There were two men blocking the way. One, he recognized from an earlier mission. Hoshigaki Kisame, he believed his name was. As for the other one–he had never laid eyes on him. But then again he had a mask on, concealing his identity.

“Oi…! What do you think you’re doing with our Petto-chan?!” the masked one spoke.

“Petto-chan…?” Neji repeated. He and Jano stood in front of the foreigner in defensive stances. The older Konoha ninja nearly growled.

“Is that what’s around her neck? It’s a collar of some sort?” he clenched his teeth. “I don’t know why, but that pisses me right the fuck off!” Jano performed several hand signs. “Wind Utilizing Jutsu…!” He moved his arm up, causing an invisible force to slam the two Akatsuki members against the ceiling. Jano then moved his arm in a slicing motion, causing the two to slam to the ground. He also moved his arm side to side, causing the two to do the same. Finally, the ANBU operative forced Kisame and Tobi outside the room. He smacked his hands together and the doors closed.

“Ah…! Kaasan is the Avata-” Her comment was stifled because of the hand that covered her mouth. Neji and Jano whirled around to see that Yasmine was being held hostage. The blond Akatsuki member held her from behind. His arm was clasped at her waist, and the other hand was over her mouth. The blond smirked. Neji recognized him from the same mission.

“Seems like you fell right into our hands. You Konoha ninja are idiots, un!” Deidara moved back, bringing Yasmine along with him, towards the window. Muffled shouts of protest came from the foreign teen. “Itai…! You bit my tongue, un!” He removed his hand from her mouth and grabbed her shoulder.

“Well, excuse me! It shouldn’t have been in my mouth!” Yasmine retorted, returning the glare. Deidara chuckled nervously.

“Oops, that happened last time, too,” he murmured.

Sensing a sudden burst of killer intent from the two enemies, Deidara smirked. He waved and then leapt back, breaking through the glass window. Neji rushed over and looked out, only to see a giant bird-like creature make of chakra and clay flying away. “Damn it…!” The Hyuga dove through the window with Jano following. He touched the button on his headset as they ran after the airborne clay bird. “Uchiha…! They somehow managed to trick us!” He breathed deeply before continuing. “They… They still have her.”

“Give me a location, Hyuga!”

“They’re headed away from the village in the sky. You should be able to see it from where you are.”

“I got it… Continue to pursue!”

“Hai.”

The Hyuga jumped up onto a tree branch. It would be much easier to catch up this way. But judging from what his eyes saw, the foliage wouldn’t last long. They need to reach them before they got to the barren wasteland that was up ahead. He tilted his head down. Jano was still moving about on the ground, dodging stray branches and giant leaves. “Jano-san…!” he called down. The man looked up to let him know he was listening. “That jutsu you used back there–it was strong.”

“Yeah, wind techniques seem to run in my family,” he remarked. “What you saw was nothing special, though.”

“… If that’s the case, then… just how powerful is your wind manipulation?”
*********************

“You got him?” Sasuke asked, eyeing his teammate’s form. She was currently on her knees on Nana’s back. She had an arrow ready to be launched between her fingers. “The longer you wait, the further he gets away with Yasmine.”

“Shut up…! I know that,” Mayu grumbled. Finally, she steadied her arms and opened her closed eye. “Rockets away.” The arrow shot up into the sky. Sasuke watched it go, noticing that it did not stray off course. He realized that his teammate must’ve practiced for hours with her weapon. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had pinpoint accuracy using her bow and arrow. “Nani…?!” The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. He, too, had seen it. Right before the arrow could make contact, there was a sudden blur and the arrow was broken in half, falling back down to the ground. Frowning, Sasuke activated his Sharingan. “What is it…?” Mayu questioned, hearing him growl.

“Uchiha Itachi…”

“Oh great,” she groaned, letting her legs slide. The kunoichi was now straddling her cat partner. “Let’s go, Nana-chan!” Mayu grabbed her teammate’s hand and lifted him on Nana right behind her. “Follow after them!” With a deafening roar, the black leopard dashed off. “I’ve got an idea, Sasuke, but you probably won’t like it.” The Uchiha narrowed his eyes.

“Let’s hear it,” he said.

“Hm… You stay with Nana while I retrieve Yasmine.”

“No.”

“Well, that was blunt,” she murmured. She noticed that up ahead was clearing, free of trees. She grinned, and then readied another arrow. The three entered the small field, giving Mayu room to shoot. She pulled the string back and fired up. Sasuke noted the wire attached to the end. His mouth dropped open as realization hit him. “But you don’t have a choice in the matter.” She grabbed the end and was pulled away. “Ja ne…!”

“Mayu…!” Sasuke shouted after her, but the kunoichi had already started climbing. He growled a bit. “Nana, keep following them!” The Uchiha kept his eyes on his teammate as she traveled up. He pushed the button on his headset. Static filled his ears. “Hyuga, Mayu did something reckless.”

“Hai, I see her.”

Sasuke eyes moved up. “I don’t think they’ve noticed their excess baggage yet. For now, don’t do anything to draw their attention until I say,” he said. He glared up, mentally cursing his teammate’s rashness. By now, she was near the base of the clay bird. He bit his lip. “Be careful until I reach you…”

Meanwhile, with said kunoichi, she had successfully made it up all the way. Using chakra, she stuck to the bottom of the clay. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her headband was still hidden away. Her hand gripped the arrow near the end and pulled. She broke it and let it fall. However, she kept the arrowhead in her hand. Mayu began to haul herself up, using chakra to keep contact. Ignoring the wind, she leapt on top of clay creation. She was greeted by the sight of Deidara, Itachi, and Yasmine. The blond Akatsuki member had his back turned to her. Itachi was standing behind Yasmine. His hand was on her shoulder while his other hand held a kunai that was near the foreigner’s neck. “A pleasure for you to join us up here, un,” Deidara smirked without turning.

Mayu completely disregarded the comment. She shifted her eyes to Yasmine. “Did you have fun?” she asked.

“Hai…!” Yasmine answered with a smile. “I learned a bunch of stuff from them! I got drunk, I think!” The kunoichi scowled at her answer, but was glad she wasn’t hurt in anyway. She still seemed to have the same adoration for the criminals of the organization. Mayu mentally sighed in relief.

Her blue eyes switched to Itachi’s red ones. “Ita–no, Uchiha-san,” Mayu began. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure you have from her whatever you were after. Now it’s time to return her to us. If you would just give her back, we would all leave… without conflict.” She held out a hand, never losing contact with the older Uchiha. “I’ll be taking her now.” Besides the howling wind, it was virtually silent. The two spectators were tense, waiting for either person involved to make a move.

“Gomen…” Itachi finally responded. “I’m afraid that this is unfeasible.” It was Mayu’s turn to narrow her eyes. “This girl has seen our faces, learned our names… She even knows of our location. We can not allow one with such information to just… leave and go back to Konoha.”

“An exchange then…?”

“An exchange…?”

Mayu nodded her head. “Hai…” she confirmed. “She means so much to me, so… I’m willing to make a deal–my life for hers. Will that be alright?” Itachi stared blankly at the younger ninja. He wasn’t surprised by her words–not in the least, in fact. He knew that it would come to this eventually. That’s just how she was when it came to her precious friends. She was even willing to be punished by his father because of something he had done. That was the moment he had started truthfully respecting her.

Itachi opened his mouth. “No,” he replied. He saw that she set her jaw. “Your life is insignificant to me.” Her eyes expanded, not expecting to hear those words. She breathed out a disbelieving noise. “If you do not want a conflict, then you must abscond.” The Uchiha received two blank looks. One from his own comrade and one from his enemy.

“Huh…?” they both responded in unison.

“He meant escape, run away, disappear, leave…” Yasmine translated.

“Precisely,” Itachi agreed.

“Ah…” the two again replied in unison. “Fine… If that’s the way you think. Then I have no other choice!” Mayu continued, dropping into a stance. “Sasuke will definitely be pissed, but… it looks like he won’t be the one to kill you!”

The Uchiha shoved Yasmine toward Deidara, who caught her effortlessly. “Oi…! You’re not going to seriously hurt her, are you, Itachi-sama?” Yasmine asked. Mayu sighed exasperatedly.

“Glad to know you have so much faith in me,” she frowned.

“But it’s Itachi-sama…” Yasmine stated. “And you’re not Mary-sue, so I don’t think you’ll beat him. Sorry Mayu, but this is the logic that has been embedded in my brain.” The kunoichi sighed heavily.

“I knew it was a bad idea letting you read fan fiction,” she grumbled.

“Enough,” Itachi made his move. Mayu instinctively shot her arm out.

Yasmine’s mouth dropped open. “Crap…! I blinked! Friggin’ ninjas should move like normal people!” she pouted. The older Uchiha fingers were wrapped around Mayu’s wrist. He squeezed, causing the blade in her hand to drop. The foreign teen only assumed that her friend had attacked. Itachi’s hair tie suddenly snapped, letting the wind play with his dark tresses. “Did she get even faster? She never got that fast when we fought each other,” the foreigner thought. “But it looks like all she did was cut his rubber band… Meanwhile, Itachi-sama has her captured.” Her brown eyes widen. “He could even use Tsukuyomi on her!” The foreigner struggled to get out of Deidara’s hold. “No, Itachi-sama…! Don’t hurt her!” she called out. There was no response.

“It’s no use, un… That girl is probably already in one of his genjutsu,” Deidara murmured. His tone held disdain. The blond also glared at Itachi’s back with blatant animosity. Yasmine’s eyes dart to and from the two Akatsuki members. That’s when she remembered that Deidara was forced to join the organization. Itachi had been the one to make him do it, too. The kunoichi suddenly gasped, causing Yasmine to flinch. Mayu’s body trembled.

“No… You can’t… You can’t do that,” she whimpered.

“Hágalo o mataré todos que usted cuida de.” Itachi whispered back. Yasmine’s eyes grew.

“It can’t be… Itachi-sama spoke Spanish… just like Mayu did when she transported us to this place,” she thought.

“No…!” the kunoichi cried out. “I can’t do something like that… not again! Please, Itachi–don’t do thi-”

“You don’t have a choice,” he said, and then he pushed her… right off the clay bird.

“MAYU…!” Yasmine screamed out, watching her friend fall. She pinched her eyes closed, hoping it was just her imagination. But she knew… Itachi was not as merciful as she’d thought. The foreign teen bowed her head, nearly snarling. “Akatsuki or not… I won’t forgive you if she dies!” she shouted.

The Uchiha slowly moved towards her. Yasmine looked up with a glare on her face. Itachi stopped his movements. “It is now your time,” he said. The teen looked away.

“Deidara-sama… I have a request… I won last night, right, so you have to do whatever I tell you,” Yasmine whispered. The blond narrowed his eye, yet did not speak. “Do not try to kill the person who has nothing to do with your grudge.” Her brown eyes flickered to Itachi. “Hey! If I’m about to die, then where’s my autographed shirt?!” she demanded to know. The older Uchiha merely closed his eyes. “My work uniform was torn, my iPod is still missing, I almost got eaten by Zetsu-sama, and plus I was kissed by Deidara-sama! I demand compensation in the form of an autographed shirt!”

“You’re such a noisy and needy hostage, un!” the blond grumbled. “And you say it as if my kiss was a bad thing!”

“It was to me!”

Itachi opened his eyes. Yasmine gasped loudly, feeling as if his piercing gaze could actually cut right through her. The world around her suddenly disappeared. In its place was a different world. The sky was red. The clouds were black. The moon appeared and its color was a lighter shade of red. “No way…! He used Tsukuyomi on me? That’s just cruel!” The foreign teen was strapped down to a table of some sorts. Metal locks held her arms and legs in place, preventing her from moving too much. With slightly frightful eyes, Yasmine looked up at the Uchiha hovered over her. “What will you do to me?” she asked.

“I will not kill you, but…” Itachi began. “I can not allow you to tell Konoha any information you might have acquired during the duration of your stay with Akatsuki.”

“You… don’t have to torture me! I won’t tell a soul!” Yasmine responded. Itachi shook his head.

“I’m afraid I cannot take that risk,” he said. A kunai appeared in his hand. “In the world of Tsukuyomi… I control space and time… and even the mass of objects.” The detached look remained on his face. “The pain you will experience is merely a simulation, yet it will affect your brain in many ways to the point where you could not talk or move even if you wanted to...” The tip of the blade drew closer. “For the next 72 hours, you will be stabbed repeatedly. I wonder how long your mind will last in my world.”

He pulled his arm back, preparing to embed the tip into the teen’s body. The smirk on her lips, however, stopped his movements. “On the contrary, Itachi-sama…” The teen was suddenly free from her prison. She sat up. Her legs dangled over the side of the table. She tilted her head with a smile on her face. “This isn’t your world. In the world of Yasume, you are powerless and she is in control.” Right before his very eyes, Itachi watched the foreign teen’s body fade away.

The table had also disappeared. “I cannot move…” The world around him turned completely black. Laughter filled his ears. “This is truly unexpected.”

“Didn’t Sasuke tell you, Aniki-Uchiha? Using genjutsu on a person like Yasmine is useless,” the voice of Yasume called out. She, however, had yet to appear. “Sasuke tried it loads of times, but it never worked because of the stronger alter ego. I hate to be compared to her, but a kunoichi known as Haruno Sakura also has this…immunity… probably.” She chuckled. “Being crazy sure does have its perks!” Itachi closed his eyes. “You picked the wrong person.”

“It appears that I did…” he said, and then slowly opened his eyes. All around him stood copies of the foreigner. It was strange because he could only see the outline of their bodies, which was colored white. Each had a smile on their face. Each had some sort of item in their hand. “… And those would be?”

“Disposable cameras… equipped with flash,” the Yasume clones replied in unison. “For 72 hours,” she mocked. “Flashes will go off. Can you handle that?”
********************

Sasuke’s frown deepened. “I can’t see them clearly,” he thought, trying to look past the leaves. “Nana…!” He spoke to the black leopard. “We have to be somewhere that I can see what’s going on.”

“Hai,” the leopard responded. Nana suddenly made a sharp turn. “Up ahead there’s basically nothing to block the sky.”

“Alright,” he said. Sasuke tapped the button. “Hyuga, where you are you two?”

“… We’re in the same area–not too far from you.”

“Keep heading forward. Nana told me that there’s-”

“A wasteland and a cliff is the only thing ahead!” Neji interrupted. The younger Uchiha had to swallow his retort. “I’d hoped we’d reach them before that.”

“It doesn’t look like that’s possible, so you’ll do as I say,” Sasuke said. “I’ll take care of the rest. If Jano-san truly is related to my teammate, then there shouldn’t be a problem getting those two back.”

“… Understood.”

He could understand why Neji wasn’t being as calm as he usually was. Someone important to him was in danger and so close, and yet he couldn’t do anything at the moment. Sasuke, himself, was in that position. Yes, he cared for Yasmine, but Mayu was more–she was just more. He was surprised that he hadn’t lost his cool yet. “Nana, stop once when hit the clearing,” he ordered. They traveled on the ground for a few more moments before the black leopard jumped up on a tree branch. With one finally leap, the two made it out of the forest and onto the ground.

Nana was right. Nothing was in the area. It was like a desert without sand, yet damp because of rainfall. Sasuke looked up. He could see the clay bird clearly. It was high up in the air. He narrowed his eyes, frustrated. He would have to wait until Jano and Neji arrived before he could do anything else. The young Uchiha slid off his teammate’s partner. He moved forward still keeping his eyes above. “I will go back and see if there are followers. Please make sure Mayu will not be injured,” Nana stated, and then took off before Sasuke could respond.

Once again, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, instantly getting a closer view of what was happening. Mayu and his brother seemed to be talking with one another. Unfortunately, it seemed that his teammate had gotten caught up. Something fell from her hand. Sasuke could only assume that it was a weapon of some sort. Yasmine was being held by the blond Akatsuki member–the same blond from before, in fact. He moved forward a bit. None of them were moving. “Could it be…? A genjutsu…” Sasuke murmured.

Without warning, Itachi roughly shoved the kunoichi from her place on the bird. The younger Uchiha froze at the sight of his falling comrade. His heart felt like it had stopped. His brain seemed to stop functioning. He could hear nothing. He could feel nothing. He could barely breathe. Without a second thought, Sasuke rushed forward, keeping his eyes on Mayu. Although his body had begun working again, there wasn’t a thought on his mind. Instinct–pure instinct had taken over. Using a burst of chakra, Sasuke gained an incredible amount of speed. “Uchiha…! Have you gone mad?! There’s a crag right in front of you!” Neji’s voice was ignored. The young Uchiha leapt from the edge of the cliff.

The cursed mark spread. Sasuke’s body jerked forward. He released a grunt, feeling the wing-like limbs protrude from his back. Realizing that even in this state he wouldn’t reach her in time, gathered his chakra. Sparks of electricity jumped from his body. He felt himself rocket onward. The kunoichi fell into his outstretched arms. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp. “Unconscious…?” The hand-like wings flapped and Sasuke began his descent. He landed, and then gently placed Mayu on the ground. “He didn’t… get her with that did he?” The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, remembering when his brother used that horrible genjutsu on him. Kakashi was also a victim of that genjutsu.

“Uchiha…! Since when can you fly?!”

“… Since I reached level two,” Sasuke answered, tapping Mayu’s cheek. He was vaguely aware of the angered voice coming through the headset.

“Do you mean to tell me that you could have rescued Yaya-chan as soon as you realized that no one else could reach her?” Neji’s voice was near him. Sasuke looked up to meet the irate eyes of Jano and the gnashing his teeth face of Neji.

“We argue about it later,” Sasuke replied. His curse mark started to recede as his extra appendages shrunk back into his body. “Just tell me what’s wrong with Mayu right now.” The Hyuga scowled at the order, but gave Mayu’s body a quick once over. “Well…?”

“She has just passed out, nothing too major…” Neji told him. “Now can we get back to the main reason for this mission?” he ground out.

“Kyaa…!” All three shinobi looked up, hearing the scream that came from above.

On top of the bird, Deidara couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Somehow, somehow that useless and ineffectual teen managed to not only break out of Uchiha Itachi’s genjutsu, but also she somehow hurt him as well. Itachi staggered away from the foreigner, grabbing at his eyes. “What did you do, un?!” the blond shouted, yanking the girl’s hair.

“Itai…! Let go of me! I didn’t do anything!” Yasmine retorted.

“Don’t lie! How did you escape his genjutsu?! Tell me!”

“No! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!”

“What did you just say, un?!” Deidara yelled unintentionally casting the teen aside. Once he realized what he did, he cursed. “Shit…!”

“Let it go, Deidara… She is of no further use,” Itachi murmured. He still had his hand pressed against his eyes.

The blond Akatsuki glared down at the falling teen. She wasn’t even screaming. It was like she was completely unaware of her impeding doom. “Great Dancing Wind Jutsu…!” An unfamiliar voice rang out. His blue eyes shifted toward the ground. He was quite surprised to see that Hyuga diving off the cliff after the foreign teen.

“Why go so far for her?” Deidara muttered. He turned his eyes to Itachi, who was blinking a bit too much. This only heightened his curiosity. Just what happened between the two of them? “It’s freaking annoying that we have to keep switching locations, un.”

“Sempai…!” a voice that made Deidara cringe shouted. He looked to his left. Right on time, he thought. “I finally got it to fly! I thought we would be blown up, too! Aren’t you happy, Kisame-sama?”

Kisame didn’t answer. “I would have liked to fight at least two of them,” he grumbled. “No, instead, I had to get him.” He gave a pointed look at the black and white man. Zetsu was lying down on the second clay bird. He was holding a pillow over his head, trying to block out the sun and noise. Apparently, the side effects of being cured included massive headaches. Yasmine had decided not to tell him that, and now he wouldn’t be able to have a good breakfast like he planned. Not only that, but she somehow thought it would be a good idea to dye his hair bubblegum pink. Of all colors in the world, she dyed it pink! And it did not help his headache any to wake up to the sounds of his comrades laughing.

“There was no need to cause injuries–not at this time,” Itachi said.

“Aw… I don’t like that we had to leave Petto-chan behind. At least I have this to remember her by,” Tobi pouted, holding up the teen’s strange listening device. Deidara rolled his eyes. “Oh, it looks like she’s been saved… I hope we see her again, so I can call her Petto-chan again, and I’ll pet her, and love her, and play with her, and bathe her, and sleep with her…” Tobi was oblivious to the stares he got as he continued naming off things to do with his pet.

“Hey, backwards retard…!” Tobi looked his way. “Shut up, un!”

“Aw…” the masked ninja bowed his head, disappointed.

“… Deidara, if you please,” Itachi nodded his head.

“Right, right… What a waste… That was actually a pretty good place compared to the cave, un,” the blond commented. He brought his hand up in a hand sign. “Katsu…!”
**************************

R 20;Okay, maybe it was not such a good idea to tell Deidara that his father smelled of elderberries…” Yasmine thought, mentally sighing. “Who would have thought he would freak out like that?” The teen tilted her head up and gazed down below. There was a small river. It would be her graveyard, she supposed. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body. It felt like a dream about to come to an end. She had dreams of falling before, but in those dreams, there was always a sinking feeling like something was pulling her down. “I almost can’t believe how calm I am about this.” Normal people would become frantic and panic; possibly even scream their heads off. “But then again, I’m not exactly normal, am I?”

The foreigner clasped her hands together. “If this was a real, time would not move this slowly, allowing me to think like this,” she thought. “I bet I’m in still frame right now, too…” This feeling was a bit familiar, but Yasmine chose not to have a flashback. She had far too many regrets to lament over. First off, she didn’t receive that autographed shirt she was promised. Okay, technically, they didn’t promise anything, but she had still hoped. Second, she never told Jano-san how much she loved and appreciated the care he had shown her. Third, she wouldn’t be able to find out if Naruto would become Hokage or not. After all, any true narutard wanted to find out how Kishimoto planned to end the series. Finally, she wanted to experience what Itachi and Kisame had taught her. Affection for lovers, physical love, and emotional love–those were all the things she had wanted to feel before she died. “But it seems that it’s all just wishful thinking. I guess I was never meant to do those things after all.” She frowned. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to do something in these types of situations, Yasume?”

Yasume: What the hell could I possibly do?

Yasmine mentally sighed.

Yasume: No, no, no…! I can’t just sprout wings and fly like Sasuke, the Emo Boy!

Forget I asked…

Yasume: And anyway, in case you haven’t noticed, your ‘Neji Meji’ is coming.

That’s what she said.

Yasume: I should have never let those two tell you anything…

Yasmine heard a faint voice. She cracked an eye open. She was surprised to see Hyuga Neji moving toward her. He seemed to be almost… levitating. His body ignored the wind and rush straight to her. His mouth moved. Yasmine could only assume that he was calling out to her. She was in a state of awe. “Oh my God…” she thought. Her arms lifted as if they had their own will. “Neji… looks like a blind angel! What a beautiful picture to paint!”

Yasume: … Yeah… no comment…

Their fingers intertwined for a moment before the Hyuga pulled the foreigner up to him. He held her close and Yasmine almost instantly felt wind surround her. Instead of falling to early death, she felt as if she was walking on air. But that could have just been the blood moving back to its original places now that she was right side up. After a few moments, their feet touched the ground. They had landed right near the river. Yasmine blinked. For some reason, her body trembled. Man, she hoped that she wouldn’t puke on him…

“Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?” Neji finally pulled back. Yasmine bowed her head. Dread filled his thoughts. “Yasmine–they didn’t… do anything to you… right? Please answer!” He gripped her shoulders.

“Ano… They didn’t feed me enough food,” she responded. The Hyuga produced a flat look. He then mentally sighed. “They did it so I wouldn’t have enough energy to retaliate, I bet.” Neji smiled and released a relieved chuckle. “So why are you wearing this?” Yasmine reached up and pulled the bandages from his face before he could stop her.

“It… was a disguise,” he answered.

“… oops…”

“Its okay, Yaya-chan. I’m just glad that you’re okay,” Neji stated. His body relaxed against hers, causing her to stumble under his weight. The trembling stopped, but numbness took its place for a moment. Yasmine eyes grew wide.

“Neji…!” Her hands rubbed his back. “Your body has been tense for awhile, hasn’t it?! You need a massage immediately!”

“Gomen… I haven’t truly been able to rest easy since… you were taken,” he replied. His voice sounded slightly weary.

“Nani…?” Yasmine blinked, feeling sweat glide down her face. Speaking of her face, it felt unusually warm. Suddenly, her legs gave out, causing the foreign teen to fall to her knees along with Neji.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked in concern. He placed his hands on her cheeks. “I don’t see anything wrong with your chakra network, but… you’re burning up. Could you have a fever?”

“Ah…!” Yasmine gasped, feeling her heartbeat quicken. She blinked again, and then smiled brightly. The Hyuga stared at her in confusion. He did notice the faint redness on her cheeks. “Neji… I think I’ve fallen for you!”

…

…

…

 220;Eh…?”

B-BOOM! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
**********************

Omake:

Sasuke breathed deeply. He held the button on his headset. “Okay, for three of the four of us, this group has given us trouble in the past,” he said. “We must use extreme caution when going in.” His dark eyes shifted to Mayu, who was looking at him expectedly. “Mayu and I have already come up with a plan. We’ll all go in at the same time. If we encounter anyone, I’ll cast a genjutsu on them. Once that is in effect, someone else will immediately kill them, got it? Mayu, however, will keep her distance away from us. She will act as a lookout and her long-ranged shots might keep the enemy distracted long enough for the three of us to get pass. The formation will have me in the middle. Hyuga, you’ll be at my right. This will leave the left for-”

“Okay, let’s do this!” A shout rang out, starling both Mayu and Sasuke. “LEE-ROOOOOOOOOOOY JENKIIIINS!”

The three younger ninja could only watch as Jano blasted through the wall, arm held high in the air. Seconds later, Mayu’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God…! He ran in!” she exclaimed.

“Okay…! Okay, stick to the plan! Stick to the plan!” Sasuke ordered before rushing in with Mayu at his heels.

“What plan…?” Neji murmured, knowing they would all die because of a doting parent.

“Jano-san, you idiot.”
**************************
This chapter is originally supposed to be longer, but I decided to put the rest in the next chapter. I thought it would be more appropriate instead of shoving it into this chapter, so here it is.

QOU:

“Being crazy sure does have its perks!” –Yasume

Beta’s QOU:

Eheh… I kinda got impatient, and I can’t seem to remember how long my beta would be gone, so… for now, there is no favorite quote from her.