Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 36

“My friends think I’ve gone crazy! My judgments getting kinda hazy! My sneeze is gonna be affected if I keep it up like a lovesick crack head!” –Ke$ha (Your Love is My Drug)
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Uchiha Sasuke’s fingers twitched. His eyebrows furrowed together. His body felt sore, yet he was quite warm. He was sure he passed out in the rain. How long had he been unconscious? Someone must have found him. It took a moment before most of his senses came back. He felt an additional weight across his chest. Slowly, he opened his eyes. “Where am I?” he thought, waiting for his sight to clear. Wherever he was, the area was dimly lit, most likely by flame. Judging from the way the shadows danced across the ceiling, it had to be fire. The young Uchiha felt numb. Of all the things he anticipated feeling; numbness was not one of them. The shinobi blinked once.

His older brother was dead.

The lifeless eyes of Uchiha Itachi flashed through his mind. Sasuke blinked again. Why… Why did he not feel anything? With his brother dead, things would become balanced again. His murdered clan would finally be at peace and yet… nothing. Actually, he did feel something. However, it was something he had not expected. It was unfulfilling, seeing his dead brother. “Itachi… even after you are dead, why do you still fill my head?” Sasuke thought. He lowered his eyelids before turning his head. His heartbeat quickened at seeing a familiar face. “Mayu,” he murmured. Her arm was stretched over his bandaged torso. She was lying beside him. Both of their bodies were partially covered. She… She must know that Itachi is dead. Sasuke frowned, trying not to think of the kunoichi’s reaction. Did she cry while no one was looking? Did she hold it in–was she still holding it in? Mayu had cared a great deal for his brother.

His right hand reached up to grip Mayu’s. Sasuke’s gaze returned to the ceiling, yet his stare was aimless. He could only imagine how she felt for him at this moment. Killing her precious person–Mayu must view him as a monster. That wasn’t true… The kunoichi knew of his intention from the very beginning. She accepted his vendetta, and had even abandoned Konoha for him. Her feelings for him were undeniable. And yet… How could Sasuke truly know Mayu’s feelings about Itachi’s death when he, himself, did not know what to feel? The last Uchiha released a soft sigh. He couldn’t stay here forever.

From what he could tell, he was in a cave. The stalactite on the ceiling proved that much. There was also the dirt on the ground. Sasuke sat up, releasing the kunoichi’s hand as he did. “I gave you some first-aid,” a voice gained the Uchiha’s attention. He sharply turned his head, yet he could not see into the darkness. He did not even hear any footsteps. Sasuke glared suspiciously. The voice did not sound familiar to his ears. “You won. It was very close, though… You’re still badly injured. Really, you shouldn’t have such risks in your life.” The man finally revealed himself. It was the man he had seen before with that blond member of Akatsuki. Sasuke frowned, feeling his body tense. His voice seemed to change drastically since the last time. “We’ve met before… as enemies. But don’t worry about Deidara. I’m no longer your foe.” The last of the Uchiha did not respond. “I brought you here so that I can tell you something important.”

“Mayu,” Sasuke turned his attention the kunoichi beside him. He lightly brushed the bangs from her face. “Mayu, get up now.” As expected, she grumbled before turning her left side. “I’m serious–wake up!”

“You don’t have to bite my head off!” she exclaimed, turning back. She glared at him. “I’m still trying to get my chakra back, you know!”

“You don’t have to go through such lengths to ignore me. You could have just stated that you were not interested,” the masked man spoke again, drawing Mayu’s attention. “The information I’m about to tell you–it’s about Uchiha Itachi.” Sasuke had to admit that it sparked interest. “Ah, there it is… You knew your brother well, yet at the same time, you know nothing.” Sasuke did not physically react to his words, but Mayu sure did.

“Who are you, and just what the hell are you talking about?!” she asked, nearly jumped from where she sat.

Sasuke almost winced at her tone. As he thought, Mayu was still sore about the subject of Itachi. The masked man only chuckled. He reached up, most likely to pull his mask off. Did he really believe by showing his face that it was going to put either of them at ease? He was Akatsuki, an organization known for being hostile. Neither Sasuke nor Mayu would trust him no matter what they saw. “Alright… Why don’t I start by introducing myself?” His hand gripped his mask. “Much like you, I am a living, breathing Uchiha…” Sasuke’s eyebrows knitted together. That couldn’t be true, could it? He believed that Itachi and he were the only ones living. The man showed half of his face, revealing a Sharingan. Mayu gasped, stunned. “… I also know the truth about Uchiha Itachi!”

Suddenly, Sasuke felt chakra being pushed into his left eye. It felt as though his Sharingan was being forced out. A liquid thicker than tears leaked from his left eye and slide down his chin. “What the hell…?” he thought. That’s when the masked man burst into flames–black flames. The man’s body became fully engulfed by the flames, and then the darkness took him, screaming. “NGH!” A searing pain shot through his body and concentrated in his eye. The Uchiha grabbed at him, yet it did nothing to quell the pain.

“Sasuke, what’s wrong? How did you do Amaterasu?” Mayu’s questions told him that she was not paying attention to the probably burned man. “Sasuke…”

“Hah…” he panted heavily. The pain had become discomfort. Soon that would disappear as well. “Ama… Amaterasu…? Itachi’s jutsu…” Sasuke continued to pant, feeling sweat sliding down his body. Mayu grabbed his face. He saw her stunned eyes as she continued to examine him. She had whispered his brother’s name as if she were seeing his ghost. “Mayu, what-” The chakra became to fade from his eye. Once gone, his body felt exhausted again. His forehead fell onto the kunoichi’s shoulder. He continued to pant lightly. “What… What the… hell was that?”

“You don’t know either?” It sounded as though she was talking to herself, though.

“He implanted it into you,” the voice came again. The two teens tried to look through the shadows, yet they couldn’t see a thing. An arm reached out to grab the mask that had fallen. Once it snapped back into place, the man stepped out of the darkness. His mask was back on. Sasuke could not believe it. This guy had survived an attack like that? Sure, it was unintentionally, but it was still powerful. Just who was this person? “Itachi, Itachi, Itachi… Even from the grave, you don’t cease to amaze me,” the masked man chuckled. “To go as far to plan out this situation…”

“What are you saying?” Sasuke asked. “What do you mean by implant?”

“He equipped you with his jutsu as a last ditch effort to kill me… or at least keep me away from you,” the man answered. “I assume he had it set up that Amaterasu would be triggered once you saw my Sharingan. Too bad it didn’t work out the way he planned.”

“I… I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” the Uchiha stated.

“Look, Itachi must have done something to you before he died,” the man grunted as if annoyed. Sasuke instinctively reached up and touched two fingers to his forehead. It was the same placed his older brother had touched him… right before he fell. “Somehow, at the last possible moment, Itachi transferred all his techniques into you.” What the hell?! That didn’t make any sense! Why in the world would Itachi give his power to him? He was the one who wanted more power. By taking his eyes, Itachi would gain more power. Uchiha Itachi hated his younger brother. There was no doubt about that…right? “You still don’t know, huh?” The man must have read his expression. “It was… to protect you.”

“Pro… Protect…?” Mayu thought. Her eyes widen slightly as the information entered her ears. The kunoichi mentally shook her head. No… Uchiha Itachi threw away his humanity. Betraying his family, betraying his village–it was clear that he had lost all innocence. However, the part within her that truly still longed for her brother could not let the masked man’s words go. “To… protect Sasuke…?” A thought suddenly occurred to her. The man had said to protect Sasuke from meeting him, but what if the definition was broader? Itachi was not an instinctive kind of guy. Each move he made was precise and calculated beforehand. One could never truly know what he was thinking because his mind did not live in the present. Itachi had always thought of the future, never past or present.

The kunoichi sucked in a ragged breath, drawing attention to her. She stared at the ground, trying to blink back tears. She could feel the mysterious man’s eye on her. “Ah, so you’ve figured it out, girl?” he asked. “Itachi chose the right one, after all.”

“Mayu–Mayu, what is he talking about?!” Sasuke sounded near hysterics. “There’s no way you believe him! He tried… to kill me! He tried to steal my eyes!” The kunoichi sharply turned and straddled his body. By now, the Uchiha was hyperventilating. After being vengeful for years, sudden doubts had to be causing mental damage. Mayu pressed her palms against his cheeks.

“Look at me! Look at me, Sasuke! Breathe, just breathe, okay? You’re fine! You’re fine!” she shouted. The young Uchiha slowly did as he was told. However, his gaze was clouded. Luckily, his breathing had almost returned to normal. Her eyes never left his as she pressed her forehead against his. “Listen to me…” Mayu hesitated. “Remember… Remember him, okay?” Sasuke shook his head, but she forced it straight. Although her hands were trembling, she had to be firm. “Remember him! Itachi… Itachi loved us! You remember that–he loves you!”

“No… NO!” his fingers gripped her wrists. “You weren’t there, Mayu! You didn’t see! The only reason he kept me alive was so he could steal my eyes!” His voice shook. His eyes were not focused on her anymore either. “No matter how strong I became… no matter how much I trained for it… I was still the scared little boy from eight years ago. In his final moments, I was the same as I’ve always been.” Sasuke clenched his teeth, returning his gaze to her. “So tell me… If he loved me–protected me, then why was I so afraid of him?!”

Mayu squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips. Seeing Sasuke like this, it hurt her. For as long as she had known him, not once did he appear like this. Gathering her thoughts, she opened her eyes again. She licked her lips before opening her mouth. “That is what he wanted, I think. You say he wanted your eyes…? That was another lie, Sasuke. He wanted to die… Itachi wanted to die for what he did to you, and to me,” she said in a whisper. “You’re his brother… You know him! You know him more than anyone.” The last Uchiha shook his head again. “Sasuke, just listen, okay? This guy has insight to what we didn’t. We can finally try to understand why he tortured us like this.” The kunoichi wrapped her arms around Sasuke’s neck. “As heirs to the two clans involved, we have to know the truth behind the destructions of our clans.”

His body still shook, but at least his breathing had become regular. Sasuke’s arms moved his arms around her. He moved his forehead to her shoulder. Mayu could hear the clenching of his teeth. His body was covered in sweat, but she was sure the wetness she felt on her chest was not it. “Fine, get on with it…” Sasuke murmured, not lifting his head. “Tell me, Uchiha Madara.” Mayu repeated the name in her mind. So that really was a Sharingan she saw. This guy was definitely more than meets the eye. Mayu could not say she trusted him, but it did not hurt to hear what he had to say.

“Alright, now that you’ve both calmed down… In order to talk about Itachi, I have to go back to when Konoha was founded,” Madara began. “Itachi had become a sacrifice… that had its origins in the past. It’s a long story, but I assure you that it’s all true.” Neither teenager spoke. “It all started eighty years ago… The world was in a constant state of war. Back then, ninja were nothing but individual clans acting as militia. Countries hired clans to fight for them. Among the clans, two were considered the strongest. One was our clan–the Uchiha clan. The other was known as the Senju clan of the forest. The Uchiha clan had exception chakra and the Sharingan. We were well-versed in battle–a warrior clan. My chakra was especially strong. Living this long is proof of that…”

“What? Just because you have strong chakra doesn’t mean you’re immortal…” Mayu thought, raising a skeptic eyebrow.

“Back then my life was just one long battle. I even killed my friend and brother to become more powerful,” Madara continued. “Thanks to that, I gained the perfect Mangekyo and became the leader of the Uchiha clan.” The slightly ancient ninja did not see the glare the kunoichi was currently sporting. In her mind, his way of talking was heartless. Killing his friend and brother for the sake of power? Mayu squeezed Sasuke, feeling him tense. Would he have become like this? No, Naruto and he shared an unbreakable bond–that was certain. He wouldn’t–couldn’t really kill the blond ninja. “I used my powers time and time again against the Senju clan. It was inevitable that I would face the leader. Senju Hashirama, who would later become the First Hokage, was the leader. He was a man that I, myself, greatly admired. It wasn’t just myself, however. All of the clans acknowledged his superiority. He was feared by most. The Uchiha and Senju clans were rivals. Whenever they moved, we moved. Whenever a country hired them, that country’s enemies would hire us. The more we clashed, the more well-known I became.

“Wait…” Sasuke finally lifted his head. “You took your brother’s eyes for fame?!”

“Don’t be naïve… I wanted the strength to protect the Uchiha clan. The more famous we became, the more enemies we had,” Madara explained. “Sacrifices had to be more in order to defend against the Senju clan and any other clan that opposed us. My brother willingly offered his eyes to me.” The older ninja visibly tensed. “But then… the Senju initiated a truce, and our clan agreed to it. Everyone, on both sides, was sick of the endless fighting. In the end, I was the only one who opposed the truce. My brother sacrificed himself for nothing! I couldn’t help but think the Senju clan would eventually wipe out the Uchiha clan. However, I had no choice but to accept the truce as everyone in the clan had already agreed. Soon after, our ninja alliance made a pact with the Fire Country. This began the one village per country system you know today. Other countries began to emulate the same system. The fighting lessened quite a bit. For a time, there was peace. But then something happened that shook the world into chaos again.”

“What happened?” Mayu asked. She had finally moved herself from Sasuke. Both teens were now staring at the masked man, waiting for his response.

“There was a dispute over the one who would become the Hokage,” Madara answered. “As you know, Hashirama became the First, but I realized that the Uchiha clan was quickly losing its supremacy. In order to protect Uchiha, I chose to oppose the Hokage. No one in the Uchiha clan went along with it. I was betrayed by my own people. They said that I was moved by my own desire for power, and that I have taken my brother’s eyes to save my own life.” The kunoichi almost snorted. To their eyes, of course it would seem like that. Making war when there is finally peace was illogical. “What man would willingly harm his younger brother?! I only wanted to protect the Uchiha, that’s all! And so I left the people who had betrayed me. I left the village. I became hell bent on revenge, so I challenged Konoha… and was defeated at the place they now call The Valley of the End. I died there… or so everyone assumed–even the third person who was there believed me to be dead.”

“Third…?” Mayu repeated.

“Oh yes, there was a third person. He did not get involved with the fight. He only watched, waiting for the victor to rise,” Madara went on. “He allied himself with the winner of our battle. He was, in fact, the leader of the Ishikari clan. This clan did not get involved in wars, which is why no one had ever heard of them before. Wanting to keep it that way, Hashirama snuck the small clan in the village. Only a select few knew of their existence. Their home was built from the powers of Hashirama, isolated from the village. The Second Hokage, as a sign of trust, gave the Uchiha a special position. The Konoha Military Police was formed, but this was only a ploy. This was so there would be a constant surveillance on the Uchiha. For added insurance, the Uchiha were moved, so the Ishikari clan could keep a watchful eye on them without being detected. The Uchiha clan became nothing more than the Senju’s dogs, and the Ishikari became nothing more than guard dogs. In the end, both clans were only following their Senju masters.”

“Not to sound skeptic or anything, but someone had to noticed the clan was being watched!” Mayu remarked, slightly angered. “The distance between the Uchiha clan and the Ishikari clan is not that wide.”

“Ah… That is because, at the time, the Uchiha clan was still quite a distance away. Then the Kyuubi’s attack happened, and that is when the Uchiha clan was moved yet again, closer to the Ishikari clan,” Madara said. “But what does the Uchiha have to do with Kyuubi, you ask? Uchiha abilities are the only things capable of controlling the great beast. Knowing this, the leaders of Konoha suspected that the clan was behind the attack sixteen years ago. Although it was really a natural disaster, the discrimination began. They had believed the Uchiha clan was plotting a rebellion. Because the Ishikari clan did not see it coming, the leaders believed that they had become useless with their observations, and so ANBU took the job of watching the Uchiha clan closely. Once again, the clan was moved, completely separated from the rest of the population. Only the third voiced his dissent, yet his advisors and Danzo refused to listen to him.”

“Danzo…” Sasuke murmured. The two teens exchanged a look. They recalled their teammate, Sai, speaking of him, but it had only been once. The man was said to be the leader of a special team of ANBU, known as Root.

“That discrimination birthed ill-will and… eventually the Uchiha clan planned a coup d’état. They planned to take over the village by force,” Madara stated, triggering a reaction from both Sasuke and Mayu.

“What?!” they exclaimed in unison.

Ignoring their outburst, Madara continued. “And so the higher-ups planted a spy within the Uchiha clan. That spy was your brother, Uchiha Itachi… and that is where his hell began.” Sasuke could only stare in shock. “You were too young to know about the takeover, so you were kept in the dark. Your father, Fugaku, was the ringleader of the coup d’état. On your father’s orders, Itachi entered the Black Ops to obtain information. However, the opposite happened and Itachi became a double agent, giving information to Konoha about the Uchiha.” Madara suddenly paused. His gaze turned in Mayu’s direction. He let out a small chuckle. The kunoichi glared, not liking the action. “That is when Itachi met you, little Mayu. A meeting that was never supposed to happen caused the fast approach of the overthrow of Konoha. While Itachi had found water in his own personal hell, Fugaku found an opportunity to strike.”

“What… What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Mayu asked. Her voice trembled as though she already knew the answer.

“After becoming aware of the place Itachi constantly went to, Fugaku formed an alliance with your mother, Ishikari Mayuka, the clan leader. He persuaded her that the Ishikari clan had been in the dark for far too long, and so the arranged marriage of Uchiha Itachi and Ishikari Mayu was suggested. This was to unite the two clans. Fugaku told Mayuka that his reasoning for suggesting the union was to expand his clan. Her benefit came from leaving the life of isolation. What he didn’t tell her was the fact that he planned to use her clan’s abilities in the takeover. Itachi was the one to inform her of such. He had become so close with the Ishikari family that he could not keep it from Mayuka. Enraged, she dissolved the arranged marriage and planned to cut all ties with the Uchiha clan. Your mother was a kind-hearted fool, though. She went to Fugaku and tried to convince him that a coup d’état was an extremely bad idea before going to anyone else. She gave him an ultimatum, saying that if he didn’t abandon his plans, she would go to the Hokage. Fugaku did not listen. Instead he planned to kill ever member of the Ishikari clan,” Madara looked away from the kunoichi for a moment. “Knowing it was coming, Uchiha Itachi approached me. He had hoped to complete his mission of destroying Uchiha before they could get to Ishikari. But that night did not go as planned… Fugaku ordered Itachi and other clan members to annihilate the Ishikari clan before I could reach. On his father’s orders, Itachi destroyed the one thing that kept him sane. I was a bit late, but on that night, I helped him carry out his mission.”

“And with both clans dead, there would be no argument against blaming it solely on Itachi,” Mayu bit her lip. “He let my mother use the forbidden jutsu, and he could not kill his youngest brother. Itachi… He-”

“That’s right. Itachi gave Sasuke the goal of revenge so that he could get stronger. He wanted Sasuke to continue to believe that the Uchiha clan was something to be proud of,” Madara said. “Begging the Hokage to not tell him the truth, he left the village, knowing that he would someday die for his deeds by Sasuke’s hands. It was all a part of his plan. Driving him into a corner, releasing him from Orochimaru’s hold… he did it all for Sasuke. He played the deceiver until the very end. He only thought of Sasuke’s wellbeing. Wanting him to be viewed as a hero for killing the traitor of Konoha, Itachi planned their fight to the very end. What a great older brother he is, ne?”

Mayu’s shoulders shook. She had begun to remember everything about Itachi in that single moment. The times they shared, his smile, that damn fan of his… Tears streamed down her face. How could she be so ignorant? Itachi had been suffering so much more than she had imagined. If what Madara said was true, Itachi have never stopped loving and protecting them. “I… Itachi…” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. The kunoichi felt Sasuke’s hand on her shoulder. Immediately, she pulled away, glaring at him. “Don’t touch me! You killed my brother!” The shinobi reared back, looking surprised. Mayu moved away from him. “He… He didn’t have to die, after all…” Standing, the unstable manner of her body became increasingly visible. “Itachi didn’t need to die.”

“Mayu, calm down-” Sasuke tried to speak, but Mayu, calling him an asshole, ran off. “Shit…”

“Ah, it seems she couldn’t handle the truth.”

--

“I’m telling you, bitch, I saw a kitchen somewhere around here, so shut the hell up or turn around!” Suigetsu was beginning to lose his temper. Karin had been mouthing off the entire time. The three members of Team Hebi were left waiting for Sasuke and Mayu to recover consciousness for about two hours now. Suigetsu had decided to look around for water. It had felt as though he was dehydrated. For some reason, Karin and Juugo had decided to follow him.

“And I’m telling you, moron, this is a cave!” the red head shouted. “Why would a cave have a kitchen?!”

“The same reason it would have a freaking shower, dumbass. Now shut up!” Suigetsu retorted. Karin, begrudgingly did as she was told. Flushing in embarrassment, she recalled seeing the shower he was talking about. The white-haired teen smirked. When he announced that he was going exploring, he had taken the only source of light. He guessed that that was their reasoning for following.

Suigetsu suddenly stopped, causing the two behind him to stop as well. “What now?” Karin asked. He didn’t give a response. Instead, he strained his ear, trying to pick up sound. He was sure he heard something in the distance. “Footsteps…?” Karin heard it, too then. Suigetsu stretched his arm, yet he couldn’t really see far. “It’s Mayu… She’s running, so you probably should-” The Konoha kunoichi crashed right into him, sending them both to the floor. “-Get out of her way,” Karin finished. Her tone sounded smug.

“Bitch, you said it slowly on purpose,” Suigetsu muttered. He focused his purple eyes to the fallen kunoichi. “Oi! Watch where you’re going next time!” She didn’t get up. In fact, she gave no indication that she had heard him. “What’s the matter with her?” He directed his question at Karin, who only shrugged.

“Her heart’s beating pretty fast… Her chakra isn’t stable either. She’s probably sick,” she answered.

“She was just fine with we left her with Sasuke,” Suigetsu stated.

“She was half conscious, you idiot!”

“Are you alright, Mayu-san?” Juugo dropped down on his knee beside the kunoichi. Again, her body did not give a response. The massive teen placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her over. He was surprised to find a tear stained face. He could feel the kunoichi’s body nearly vibrate. “She’s convulsing… and upset.” Suigetsu and Karin both commented how badly that was, but to his ears it sounded as though they were being sarcastic. “I will take Mayu-san back. You two go on ahead.” Juugo picked up the shaking ninja and began to walk in the opposite direction.

As he moved further and further away from the two, their bickering began to fade. He stared down at the kunoichi in his arms. He believed that Sasuke would not be so forgiving if he found out they ignored her in her current state. Once he reached the ‘room,’ Juugo placed Mayu on the convenient futon left behind by Akatsuki. There was another laid out near the wall. One small candle proved to have an adequate source of light. He moved to wipe the sweat and tears from her face, yet the kunoichi grunted and turned her back to him. Juugo chose to remain silent as he watched her. Her body had stopped shaking. “Juugo-kun…”

“Hai…?”

“Do you know who Uchiha-Ishikari Itachi was?” Mayu questioned. Once again, Juugo chose not to answer. Now that he thought about it, he did not have a clue. To him, he was a man that Sasuke had tracked and killed for his revenge. However, Itachi seemed to be more important to the kunoichi than that. “Ah, Itachi was… the kindest, most selfless person in the world… Sure, he had a roundabout way of showing, but his intentions were always for someone else’s benefit. He carried a heavy burden to his dying day for the sake of his village and his ignorant younger brother.” The kunoichi breathed heavily. “And now that great man is gone…” She hugged herself. “I never said goodbye to him while he was still alive… I wish I could have heard his last words.”

“So…” Juugo hesitated before speaking again. “All along, your intentions were not to see him die?”

“Weird, isn’t it…? Being against something, yet choosing to go along with it–it’s all a big contradiction,” the kunoichi grumbled.

Someone cleared their throat, causing Juugo to turn his head slightly. Standing in the entrance way was the masked man from before. He was the one that guided the other members of the team to this place after the fight ended. “I would like to speak with her alone,” he said. Juugo narrowed his eyes a bit. The man must have dual personalities… Before, his voice had been excited, high–almost childlike. Now, it was cold, deep–almost vindictive.

“I have nothing to say to you, Madara!” hissed Mayu. Her tone was like venom. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s your fault Itachi lived the way he did!” The masked man, now known as Madara gave a dark chuckle.

“You are naïve, girl. Without me, Itachi might have died that night instead of this one,” he said. The kunoichi grumbled. “Though I must say, I am quite curious about you and your clan. You see, your union with Uchiha Itachi was not the first time the two clans came together.”

Mayu remained quiet. Honestly, it was selfish and silly to continue behaving this way. Being angry would not wake the dead. Mentally, the kunoichi sighed. She was letting her emotions get the better of her. Slowly, her eyes opened. “Nani…?” she thought. Madara’s words repeated in her head like a chant. “Not the first time?” Mayu had always believed that meeting Itachi was the very first time a member of the Uchiha clan knew of the Ishikari clan’s existence. The kunoichi frowned. At least, that is what she had been told. “Juugo-kun, could you please leave for a moment?” she asked.

“Mayu-san…” the older teen moved to stand. Juugo was not like the other two. Somewhere along the way, he had started to care for her. Perhaps he would stick around even after he is no longer needed.

“I’ll be fine,” Mayu sat up, turning her eyes to the masked man. Juugo nodded, and then proceeded to leave. If the situation wasn’t so serious, she would have laughed at the fact that Juugo almost glared at Madara on his way out. Once she could no longer hear his footsteps, the kunoichi asked her question. “What do you mean we weren’t the first? And how do you even know that?”

“I’ve been around for quite awhile. You would be surprised if you knew of the knowledge in my head,” Madara said. The kunoichi almost rolled her eyes. “However, I do not know what happened to the two…”

“The two that met before…?”

“Yes, they disappeared… in the exact same way you did apparently,” he replied. Mayu’s body became rigid. According to her clan’s history, the forbidden jutsu was used only once before. The clan head at the time had used it on himself. No one else had gone with him, right? “However, unlike you and Itachi, their union was anything but considered a friendship. This Uchiha kunoichi and Ishikari–the leader of his clan, I believe–fought each time they came into contact with one another. Fortunately, their respective clans had no idea of the bouts between the two. Unfortunately, the leader of the Ishikari clan’s sister found out and she was going to confront them about it. However, that last battle of theirs was more intense than the other ones. She watched her brother and that Uchiha woman disappear from her very eyes. She hid the whole truth from her clan and became the new clan head. The Uchiha clan paid no mind to their member’s disappearance. At the times, many ninja were disappearing thanks to Orochimaru. They believed she was just another unfortunate person.”

“And no one questioned it?”

“Of course not. The Ishikari clan did not exist,” Madara said.

Mayu turned her gaze away from the man, allowing the newly acquired information to process. Before, it was believed that Ishikari Mitsuo–the greatest of Ishikari Masters–used the jutsu on himself to test the boundaries of his abilities. In case something went wrong, his sister, Mayuki, watched over him. However, she could not stop her brother from leaving this world. He had traveled to another world entirely. According to her other worldly father, Chinoutori, Mitsuo was the family’s ancestor. When Mayu had asked why he had the same surname as she, even though he wasn’t her real father, he told her his family’s legend.

Ishikari Mitsuo came to this world, Mayu-chan… And somewhere down the line his descendants began to have the eyes…

The eyes, he kept calling them, yet he was not specific on the details. The abilities of the Ishikari clan had almost nothing to do with the eyes. But Chinoutori continued to call her the pure one–the one without the eyes. He, himself, had the eyes. And that’s how he knew she was the child of legend–their legend. Mayu frowned, still not getting what her guardian was talking about. “What eyes could he-” Her train of thought came to a halt. Madara’s words echoed through her head. It was not just Mitsuo. There had always been that Uchiha woman. The eyes were Sharingan eyes! “So Uchiha blood exists in that world, too?” she thought, mouth agape. “If Sasuke knew that, he would flip!”

“What I want to know is how is it that you were able to go back and forth,” the mask man drew her attention again. “Is there a different place from what anyone knows?”

“I can’t remember,” she lied. There was no way she was going to tell him. Traveling through dimensions is not something anyone should know. “Because I am not a master, I cannot possibly know the Ishikari clan secrets.” Luckily, she had burned those scrolls left behind by her uncle beforehand.

“Are you sure?” Madara pressed.

“I am quite sure. My memory has been disturbed thanks to whatever caused me to disappear and reappear. For all I know, I could have been in limbo,” Mayu responded. The masked man did not speak again. He only stood there with his arms crossed. The kunoichi’s eyebrow twitched. Somehow, he knew she was lying. “I am so sorry if I know nothing that could help you, Uchiha Madara. I am not the Ishikari you were looking for.”

“On the contrary… As a descendant, you and the other two descendants will come together again. History does have a way of repeating itself,” he said, causing Mayu to look confused. Other descendants…? Descendants of who? “Oh, look, I’m afraid I’ve said too much. You will know when the time comes.” Chuckling to himself, Madara turned to leave. The kunoichi glared at his departing back.

“I really despise this guy,” Mayu murmured.

--

She was glaring yet again. He did not really have to look at her to know that. Her fierce stare–he could feel it burning his skin. She had been doing this for awhile now. Joining Akatsuki was never a part of his plan, but now it was. He just hadn’t had time to explain things to her. Sasuke frowned, watching as Mayu stormed off yet again. Actually, time was not the issue. Whenever he had made eye contact with the kunoichi, she would always turn away and avoid him. She hadn’t even cared about his obvious injuries. And he was pretty beaten up, too. The members of Team Taka, formerly known as Hebi, had gone into battle with host of the Eight-tailed Giant Ox. That encounter was two days ago. “This is ridiculous!” Sasuke thought. He had to settle things with her now. “Whether she wants to or not!”

“Hey, Sasuke-chan~!” Suigetsu’s playful voice reached his ears. Sasuke almost sighed heavily. He really should have seen this coming. Suigetsu had been recovering in that tank. He was most likely bored out of his mind. It was only a matter of time before he zoned in on him as a target. Why exactly did he come here, anyway? Oh yes, it was to see if Karin had killed him yet. Too bad she hadn’t. “You seem to be a lot grumpier than usual,” he remarked. Sasuke almost glowered, but forced the neutral look to remain. “Sending Mayu-chan away with just one look–how mean…!”

“Suigetsu, keep talking and you will drown in a pool of your own blood,” Sasuke’s fingers twitched as if he were forcing himself back. The white-haired male did not even bat an eyelash.

“Ah…! I wonder if you did something to make her mad,” he continued. “You know she visits me by herself to see if I’m alright.” Sasuke slowly breathed through his nose. “From what I hear, she hasn’t seen you at all since that fight. Could she like me more than you now?”

“Suigetsu, shut up!” Karin shouted. “You’re annoying!”

“I bet she does,” he continued, ignoring Karin. Juugo merely sighed. “You must have really pissed your woman off, huh?”

Without a word, Sasuke left. He could hear Karin yelling at Suigetsu for his crude comments. “He’s right, isn’t he?” Sasuke thought, moving through the cavern. On some level, Mayu must blame him. Really, she wasn’t wrong. The last Uchiha stared at the ground as he walked. Hell, he blamed himself. If he hadn’t been so hell bent on revenge against Itachi, maybe… he would still be here. Mayu had a chance to think things through. He had almost immediately begun to hate his brother. Putting the good times he had shared with Itachi, revenge was the only thing he thought about. Sasuke scoffed. His brother had planned everything. “That’s right… Itachi never did things on a whim… except when it came to killing me or not.” The last Uchiha frowned. To make his brother kill his family–the thought seemed impossible, and it had happened. Those elders–they would pay for this. Sasuke clenched his fist. He didn’t care about the consequences, somehow they would pay.

The last Uchiha stopped. This was it. ‘Mayu’s area’ was close to the showers, so she had designated it as such. Sasuke still didn’t understand how the hell a cave could have indoor plumbing, but it was nice, so who was he to question it? He was about to enter when he heard the shower running. Blinking, Sasuke turned around. He now faced the entrance. He had left everyone else behind. The last members of Akatsuki were no longer at this rendezvous point, so it had to be Mayu. He should wait until she was finished. He should give her a bit more time. He should let her come to him. “Who the hell am I kidding?” Sasuke thought, walking forward.

As he moved, the sound of running water became louder to his ears. Seconds later, he was standing in front of a black shower curtain. The Akatsuki design was the pattern. Because of that, one could not see in or out. She most likely had no idea he was there. “What do you want, Sasuke?” her voice asked. Then again, she was a ninja. As if caught peeking, the Uchiha adverted his gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but the kunoichi continued. “You want to talk, right? You couldn’t wait another minute because?”

“Hormones…?”

 220;Smartass,” Mayu replied.

Sasuke smirked. Maybe it was safe now. After all, it had been days since they last spoke. Perhaps she had calmed down by now. “You’re right–I, no, we need to talk,” he stated. When Mayu did not protest, the Uchiha continued. “Itachi was… His death and the truth affected me, too. I regret it–I truly regret what happened to him. I wish I knew the reality before all of this happened. I wish my father hadn’t planned that takeover and used your family. I wish a lot of things didn’t happen. But they did… and I can’t change that.” Sasuke sucked in a hopeful breath, and then released. “So… Could you stop being mad at me?”

“Eh…?” came her confused voice. “You think I’m mad at you?”

“Well, yeah…” his certainty wavered. “You’ve been avoiding me all this time.”

“… Sasuke, when have I ever been mad at you and avoided you at the same time?” Mayu questioned. The last Uchiha pursed his lips. Well, now that he thought about, she had never kept quiet about her anger. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” She paused for a moment. “I’m not mad at you.”

“Then what is it? Why am I the target of your frowns? Tell me,” Sasuke said.

To his surprise, the water was turned off. Instinctively, he stepped back, waiting for her to come out. Instead, he heard her sigh heavily. Judging from the other movement he heard, Mayu had pressed herself against the wall. “It’s because every time I look at you, I see his face,” she murmured. Sasuke’s eyes widen. He opened his mouth to question her, yet no words surfaced. That was not something he wanted to hear. “And I get so angry, and think why!” Mayu went on. “Why… Why couldn’t he be just a little selfish–just a little..?! If he was, then maybe he would have told you. Maybe he would have not let me go… Maybe we all would still be a family.” She released a shuddering breath. “But he wasn’t… He was so selfless that he allowed my mother to erase my memories and send me away. He was so selfless that he allowed his brother to grow up hating and plotting revenge, allowed himself to be known as a traitor to the very village he wanted to protect.” He heard her sniff. Shit, she was crying.

“Mayu…”

“Crap,” she groaned, wiping her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to shed tears. As she thought, actually speaking her feelings out loud caused her emotions to bubble out, out of her control. The kunoichi sighed again, yet the tears still flowed. Mayu tilted her chin up and closed her eyes. Tears still squeezed through. This meant that discussing Itachi would cause such a reaction for quite some time. She turned her body, pressing her front against the wall. Her fingers gripped the tiles in front of her. “G-Gomen… could you give me a minute?” Mayu asked. “We’ll talk more at a later time?” Instead of hearing an answer, the kunoichi felt cold air hit her skin. She shuddered violently at the sudden change in temperature. However, it quickly shifted back to warmth. Sasuke had stepped into the shower with her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. “Wha-What the hell?!” she flushed.

“You always do this!” he nearly shouted. “You’re so quick to explode in anger, but you always try to cover your pain, never letting anyone see it.” Sasuke’s embrace became just a bit tighter. Mayu frowned, thinking he was absolutely right. She did have the tendency to hide her despondent feelings. It was a habit that followed her as she grew. The shinobi sighed. His breath caused her to tense. “Mayu, he was my brother, too. You shouldn’t be the only one that will cry for him.” Narrowing her eyes, the kunoichi bit her lip. Her body relaxed as she shifted her gaze to the floor. One of his arms left her body. Suddenly, she felt the water hitting her skin. His arm returned. “We must share this burden,” Sasuke whispered.

Mayu lightly gasped, feeling his nose trail against her shoulder. She closed her eyes. Flashes of her dream crossed her mind. It was strangely similar to the current situation. Slowly, she turned to face him. His clothes had quickly become wet from the steady shower of water. His face was drenched, liquid dripping from his chin. He didn’t seem to care for it. His eyes bore into hers. She felt trapped under his unreadable stare. Sasuke reached up to caress her right cheek. Swallowing hard, Mayu reallocated her gaze up–locking eyes with him. She saw the glint within his dark eyes before he attacked her lips, nipping and sucking the lower part. The kunoichi gasped feeling his eight fingers trace down her spine. This allowed for Sasuke to enter her parted mouth. He wasted no time in finding her tongue.

It was getting harder to breath, yet Sasuke persisted. Having Mayu’s body against his seemed to feel better and better each time. One hand unwrapped from her waist before reaching up to her hair. His fingers gripped her damp locks and pulled. “Ah…!” Sasuke finally released her mouth, allowing both of them to breathe. She cracked her eyes open. He only needed to see the glimpse of blue to know she had seen his smirk. Mayu frowned, and then pushed him away. Less than a second later, his back was against the wall. Her hands trembled, yet she still practically ripped his clothes off. The soaked clothing fell to the ground, completely disregarded. So here they stood, finally exposed to one another. Sasuke had to admire the kunoichi in front of him. She was definitely scared of what was to come, yet she attacked it head on with no doubts. Kicking his clothes to the side, Sasuke closed the distance between them. His hands roamed her body, earning moans from the kunoichi. He turned their bodies so that now she was pressed against the wall again. Before he knew it, her legs were wrapped around him.

Sasuke had lifted her completely off the ground. It had been easy for her wet body to slide up his. Mayu swallowed hard again. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his neck, knowing what was coming. She bit her body lip. He was ready–more than ready. The pervert had probably been envisioning this for a long time. Sasuke whispered her name, and then kissed her. Again and again, his lips met hers, probably trying to calm her. Her body had been shaking after all. The shinobi placed his hands on her hips, positioning her. Mayu bit her lip, feeling him enter. It… didn’t feel as bad as she thought… She winced, knowing her walls were expanding to accommodate his member. His dark eyes looked up at her, and then he fully penetrated. The kunoichi’s eyes grew wide at the pain, and then immediately squeezed shut. The searing pain of her barrier tearing was too much. She wanted to scream, yet she forced it to remain in her throat. However, she could not hold back the tears. The pain was much worse than she had imagined. And with each thrust into her, it only became worse. She could no longer hold back her voice.

“It’s okay… Shhh…” Sasuke’s comforting voice entered her ears. It did not help much. It was okay, her ass! “H-Hurt me, too! Sh-Sharing everything is wh-what we… agreed on.” Now, he was spouting nonsense. There was no way he would be able to feel the same unbearable pain he was putting her through right now. Still, Mayu forced her arms away from his neck. Sasuke paused, letting her nails digging into his back. Panting, he slowly went in again. Mayu screeched out again, dragging her fingernails across his back. In response, Sasuke let out a shout. His panting became strained, yet he did not stop. Grunting, he picked up his speed.

He held her steady with one arm. His other palm was pressed against the wall to hold them both up. This was so much more than he imagined–way better than solo. The intense pain from the claw marks on his back became to fade. At the same time, Mayu’s groans of pain and discomfort were finally turning into squeals of desire. She moaned out his name, prompting him to drive faster. The pain was gone now, replaced by carnal instincts. Her hips bucked on their own accord. The friction increased between them. The coldness of the water no longer had affected the two. The mere heat exchanged was enough. Hearing the noises she made for him–it drove him mad. “S-S-Sas-Sas-Sasuke…!” Her voice was almost incoherent. “M-Mo-Mo-More…!”

“More…?”

“More!” she almost snarled.

Quickly, Sasuke moved her from the wall. Clearly Mayu was enjoying this more than he had expected her to. He pushed here against the floor, placing her left leg over his shoulder. This gave him more access. He touched her breast, thumb rubbing her tight nipple. She squealed, begging him not to stop. At least, that’s what he thought he heard. Mayu’s words had become jumbled together by this point. Mentally, Sasuke smirked. That old man’s books were extremely helpful. What did that character say again…? Oh yeah, it was: “Who loves you, baby?” he asked before taking her other breast into his mouth. Just like in the book, the female underneath him screamed out his name. He would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so intense at the moment. After nipping and sucking at her breasts, he focused on face. Damn–she was beautiful. Watching her expression, he almost stopped pleasuring her. He feverously kissed every part–her lips, nose, eyelids, etc. Sasuke pulled back slightly. He could feel himself coming to the brink. “Already?!” he thought. Oh well, there would be more encounters like this in the future–many more encounters. Mayu was writhing underneath him. She was close, too. “Who… Who do you see now?” he asked.

“AH! Y-You!”

“Who do you see?!” he rammed into her harder. She forced her eyes open.

“Y-You! I see you, Sasuke!”

He smiled, and then kissed her chin. Clutching her thigh, he plunged himself inside her for the final time. He felt her tighten around his manhood as wave after wave of tingling sensations overwhelmed his body. Judging from her trembling, she felt it, too. Her cry of ecstasy was actually very much in sync with his. Once their panting faded, Sasuke pulled out. Exhausted, Mayu’s leg slipped from his shoulder. Smirking, he collapsed on top of her. Sweat, sticky liquid, and blood mixed with the water and ran down the drain. Sasuke’s left hand slid into her right one. Their fingers gently intertwined before clenching. He saw the tired smile on her face. It caused him to move again. “I love you, Mayu,” he told her. The last Uchiha then planted a long kiss on the kunoichi’s swollen lips. After what seemed like hours, he pulled back, awaiting her answer.

“I love you, Sasuke,” she whispered. “I love you and the man you have become.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied, causing his woman to glare, yet smirk.

--

Yasmine sighed again. It was a heavy sigh–one she had let escape numerous times. His eye twitched as he continued to watch the foreigner. Her brown eyes were focused elsewhere. “You don’t have to sound that disappointed every time, you know,” he grumbled. She glanced in his direction before sighing wearily again. The shinobi released an aggravated groan as he turned away. He moved to stand from the bed. “Seriously, we’ve been at this for weeks, and yet you still only think of him!” He hurriedly put on his pants as he walked towards the door. “Well, sorry I can’t compare to your precious Hyuga!”

“You don’t have to sound so indignant,” her voice stopped him. He slowly turned. There was a frown on her face. Her hair was disheveled. Her entire by was covered in sweat. Her tank top clung to her because of it. Passion marks were visible on her collarbone, yet the foreigner did not try to conceal them. She was definitely a bold one. “You knew from the beginning that you couldn’t hope to surpass Neji, so why get annoyed, Nakatsu-kun?”

The ANBU operative heaved his own sigh. She was more frustrating than any woman he had ever come across. She was too blunt for her own good, which was certain. The foreigner seemed to take great pleasure in causing major blows to his pride. When it came down to it, Hyuga were too delicate and prude. Nakatsu refused to believe that one of them were better in bed than he was. He had more experience than all of them combined. Well, the men anyway. The women of that clan were freaks!

But anyway, his older sister had been the one to reintroduce them. Apparently, Yasmine had used to work for her. Because of a sudden change in behavior, Junko had fired her. The foreigner’s work ethic had drastically decreased. She had even called a customer a ‘fat, greasy old man with a cat fetish.’ Sure, it was true, but Junko was furious. She fired Yasmine on the spot, yet the girl did not seem to care about anything anymore. However, after several days, his sister wanted her back. Why…? Because Yasmine was the only one willing to do the things that Junko was supposed to do herself. His sister was a lazy ass, and so that’s where she forced him to meet the foreigner. Cheer her up, she had told him. “Easier said than done,” Nakatsu thought, frowning. And it did not help that the foreigner was now a delivery girl for the ramen stand. He glowered as he recalled how he wounded up in this predicament.

Kiss my lips again and I will take away that thing that makes you a man…

After sitting in the same room for about an hour, he had made the mistake of initiating contact. Her expression had turned cheerful, yet her voice became acidic. Even though he was in ANBU, that threat caused him never to go near her lips. According to Yasmine, her lips belonged solely to Hyuga Neji. Nakatsu sighed heavily. “You should stop this, Yasmine,” he told her. For his statement, he received a look of confusion. She tilted her head to the side in that cute little way she usually did when perplexed. “You should give up on Hyuga. If he rejected you, then be done with it. You shouldn’t put yourself through the torture of hoping. In the end, he’ll always love another.”

Yasmine was quiet for a moment, and then she stood up. Without a sound, she slid on her panties, and then walked over to him. She narrowed her eyes, but it was exactly a glare. “I should give up…?” she repeated. “Like you with Mayu?” Nakatsu clenched his teeth at the mention of the kunoichi. “Well, sorry to break it to you, but we are nothing alike. I love Neji enough to not give him up after the first sign of rejection. Sure, that’s immature of me, but I can’t help it. For the first time in my life, I’m willing to fight for someone other than myself… and it feels good.” Then she glared. “You’re the one torturing yourself.”

“Nani…?”

“You heard me! By not telling Mayu how you truly feel about her, there will always be a ‘what if’ in the back of your mind every time you lay eyes on her,” Yasmine said. “In this one religion–I can’t remember which–it says you even go to hell if you don’t pursue your feelings for another person!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Nakatsu muttered.

“I know! That’s why I’m not religious,” the foreigner stated.

“If you loved Hyuga so much, then why are you screwing around with me?” he asked.

“Love Neji, love!” Yasmine corrected. Nakatsu almost fell out of place. Seriously, this girl was too much. She lowered her eyes to the floor. “And besides… You don’t have to be in love to fuck. On the inside, I’m a selfish bitch.” The shinobi blinked in surprise. That was the first time he had heard her sound so vulgar. “I thought maybe if I use someone else as a replacement, I could experience what Neji had with me.” Briefly, she held eye contact with him. “If I can understand him better, then I maybe I could become his number one.”

“… You sure do have some twisted logic,” Nakatsu stated. Yasmine gave him a cheerful expression.

“Yeah, people tell me that all the time!”

“It’s not a compliment, you weirdo.”

“Aw, don’t be absurd!”

“Well, anyway, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s better to have Mayu-chan as my friend than nothing at all,” Nakatsu turned away. “I’m leaving now. Ja ne…” The shinobi closed the door behind him, giving Yasmine her privacy. He let out an inaudible sigh. “That’s right… That’s why I’m doing this,” he thought. Truth be told, he had been in love with Ishikari Mayu ever since he first laid eyes on her. Other than his older brother, who had finally got his act together, the kunoichi was the reason he had trained to become a ninja in the first place. The reason he was doing this with Yasmine–and other countless women–was it was better to be lonely together, than just plain lonely. This philosophy hadn’t worked on Yasmine quite as well as the other women, but in the end she gave in to him, too.

Mayu would only reject his feelings. He knew this for certain. Nakatsu lowered his eyelids as he picked up his discarded shirt. Of course there was no hope for a relationship with the kunoichi. She and Sasuke–they were obviously in love with each other. He had seen it–the attraction between them–when he was just a kid, after all. He never stood a chance of winning Mayu’s heart, so there was no point in confessing. With a sigh, Nakatsu gathered the rest of his scattered items, and left the apartment building. He was supposed to be meeting up with Sai soon. Without Mayu and Sasuke around, training have become a bore. Shrugging, Nakatsu chose to stay positive. “They’ll be back soon,” he thought.

--

Yasmine bowed politely as she set the metal container down on the tatami mat. “Here is your order, Hyuga-sama,” she said. The foreigner lifted the opening. Steam and the smell of miso filled the room. “I am pleased to announce that your meal is still hot.” She removed the disposable bowls from the delivery container, and then placed them in front of the customer. One contained miso, the other contained noodles. Smiling respectfully, Yasmine bowed again. “Pardon my asking, but this is the first time the Hyuga household has placed an order. Is there a special occasion? If so Ichiraku would like to recognize this day as well.” She slid the lid close, waiting for the customer to answer.

“Oh, I apologize, Yasmine-san,” she handed the money over to Yasmine. “Honestly, I was feeling a bit nostalgic. Naruto-kun loves ramen, so I wanted to be reminded of him.” The Hyuga heir covered her lips with two fingers and giggled. The foreigner stared in amazement. Hinata really was a princess! “It’s a bit silly of me, yet I cannot help but miss him so.”

“Ah, a random order–gotcha,” Yasmine commented, writing the date down in her notebook. Despite the answer of the customer, the date, time and subject was always supposed to be recorded. That is what her boss said, but he was new to the whole delivery thing, so Yasmine was sure he was playing it by ear. She returned the small notebook to her back pocket of her tanned shorts. “Thank you for choosing Ichiraku.” Again she bowed.

“Yes, although it’s not the same Naruto-kun is used to eating. I heard he didn’t quite accept the change in the beginning,” Hinata stated. Yasmine nodded unconsciously. The foreigner was extremely surprised that the Ramen stand had changed into a Tsukemen stand. Instead of cooking everything together, the noodles and broth were now separate. No wonder Naruto was upset about it. “He still puts the two together, though.” The two girls shared a laugh.

“That sounds like him,” Yasmine nodded her head. “Well, I’m off. Perhaps I’ll see you later, Hinata-sama.” The foreigner was about to rise, but the Hyuga heir stopped her.

“Chotto matte kudasai…!” Hinata held her hand up. “Placing an order was not the only reason… Honestly, I knew that you are now working as a delivery girl.” Her pale eyes observed the foreigner slowly sink back into a kneeling position. Brown eyes stared suspiciously back at her, causing Hinata to feel slight guilt. She quickly brushed it aside. This matter was something had been nagging her ever since she last saw her cousin. “How are things with Neji?” Hinata questioned. She may not have been as skillful in slight detection as her father or cousins, but she was no fool. What the foreigner had tried to quickly hide was gloom.

“Actually,” Yasmine had put on a face. “Neji and I aren’t together anymore. He broke up with me before he left.”

“He broke up with you?” Hinata’s tone was incredulous. Her cousin had had such a strange expression on his face as he gave his goodbye. Could this have been the reason? “But why?”

“… He said I was only a replacement for who he really wanted,” Yasmine dipped her chin. “He’s still in love with Ten-chan. I was only a substitute.” Believe it or not, Hinata began to laugh loudly. The foreigner felt her eye twitched as she watched the beautiful kunoichi guffaw. “You know, Hinata, I think you’re hanging around Naruto too much.” The Hyuga female continued to giggle, near hysterics. “It’s not funny! What if Naruto still had a crush on Sakura, huh?!” It was a sobering thought, causing Hinata’s giggles to instantly disappear.

“Gomenasai…” Hinata coughed lightly into her curled fingers. “I was not laughing at your situation. I was laughing of the ludicrousness of it.” Yasmine tilted her head in confusion. “I mean… Neji is not in love with Tenten-san. In fact, I was sure he had feelings for you even when he was younger…”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better,” Yasmine murmured. “I know I can’t possibly compete with Ten-chan. After all, those two were created for each other.”

“Ano… I’m sure you mean ‘made,’ but you’re wrong,” Hinata replied. “I’m sure that there is another reason-”

“Please, Hinata–I know what I saw! I know what I heard!” the foreigner stood up, taking the metal container with her. The Hyuga heir had an expression of surprise. Yasmine sighed, calming herself down. Mentally, she said the mantra to herself. Never let them see you sweat. “I was… I was hurt when I found out. My heart actually felt like it was no longer beating… That experience was worse than what he said to me all those years ago, but I will get him back. Going against Kishimoto-sama is not something I want to do, but Neji is mine! Ten-chan had her chance. Well, it’s my time now.”

“Her determination is admirable, but…” Hinata sweated nervously. “She doesn’t have to declare it… She sounds a bit extreme. I almost feel sorry for you, Nii-san.” The Hyuga frowned. “But what could your reasoning be for hurting her in the first place? I still can’t understand you Neji.”

Yasmine suddenly turned her back to Hinata. “Now, if that is all, I will take my leave. I have more deliveries,” she stated. With one last nod, she left the Hyuga to her meal. She walked hurriedly through the compound, trying to gain unwanted attention. Like she said, Yasmine realized how things were now between herself and Neji. However, that only meant she had to try harder. Luckily, by this time, she had read the entire research book. She didn’t try any of that stuff on Nakatsu. Honestly, there would be no point. But she did feel confident that when the time came with Neji, things would turn out just the way the author had indicated.

Snapping herself out of thought, Yasmine looked around. She was already back in town. Sighing, she lowered her pace. She had told Hinata a lie. Actually, that had been her last delivery for the day. The delivery wasn’t as popular as she thought it was going to be yet, so on average, she made five deliveries per day. The pay was good enough to give her rent money, so she was fine with it. Sure, she had to cut back on wasteful shopping, but what could she do? Being fired because of a careless comment was the cause of her current income.

She hadn’t cried after Neji broke up with her. Even now she was holding back her melancholy. Yasmine had taken out her frustrations on the customers of Kitty Paradise, causing her boss to fire her. After the incident, she realized that she couldn’t go on moping around. Her parental unit, Theresa-san, would surely be disappointed if she heard about her submissive attitude. So despite what she had told Neji, she would see this through. “Ten-chan had her chance,” she repeated in her head. “Now that I know that Ten-chan is bi, they can’t possibly get back together. She actually seemed to be disgusted by his kiss… I wonder why-”

An explosion, which caused the ground to rumble, brought the foreigner out of her thoughts. She turned towards where the noise was coming from. Ignoring the panicked cries of the civilians, Yasmine narrowed her eyes in the direction it came from. Smoke was rising only a few meters away from where she stood. Another explosion sounded–much closer than the last. Immediately, people became moving in the opposite direction. A shiver went through her body. “Deidara-sama…?” she muttered. The foreigner frowned lightly. No, this was not his type of art. Sure, they were fiery explosions, but it lacked something the blond did. Oh yeah–he was usually seen flying high, watching it all happen in glee.

Yasume: Run, you idiot!

Yasmine quickly did as her alter ego ordered. It seemed Konoha was under attack again. She dropped the metal container to lose excess weight. Teuchi could fire her later. Hell, with so many lives on the line, he probably wouldn’t be worried about it. Without the added weight, Yasmine caught up with the other fleeing villagers. However, something was wrong. The villagers had begun to run the other way. The foreigner stopped, trying to figure out what the hoopla was about. Screams of ‘monster centipede’ filled her ears, causing perplexity. Bugs were a bit creepy, but come on! A monster centipede was just too… Yasmine gapped at the sight in front of her. Literally yards away, was a giant centipede with weird purple eyes. It was closing in quite quickly. Well, no wonder the villagers were running the other way. They’d rather be crushed by falling debris than eaten by a black and orange centipede.

However, there was no possible way any of them could outrun the thing. It was much too fast. “It must be a summoned creature,” Yasmine thought. “All these people will die if it continues its rampage.” Her only option was to attempt the one other thing Theresa had forced her to learn. It didn’t work in that other world, but maybe it would work here. Her parental unit had made her do a weird exercise every day after she found Yasume watching that one movie. What was it called again? Kung Fu Fighting…? Kung pao chicken…? Kung Fu Panda…? It was something with Kung Fu in the title!

Yasume: It was Kung Fu Hustle, you retard! And don’t you dare! Just run!

“I have to do something! I probably had to utilize my chakra. Neji said I have the chakra system of a ninja, so I have to try!” Yasmine shouted. She widened her stance. Sweat slid down her face. She nervously swallowed, watching the centipede coming closer. “Please… Neji… Hiashi-sama… don’t fail me now!” she thought, ignoring the brave ones who told her to run. The foreigner sucked in a large breath, drawing her arms in, palms facing the centipede. It was right in front of her now. She could feel her lungs swelling. Yasmine then released the air she held, pushing her hands forward. The giant bug’s head seemed to collide with a barrier, halting its movements. Less than a split second later, the centipede was blown away by the sheer voice of the sonic wave.

Yasmine cracked her eyes open, having closed them when she screamed. It seemed as though a twister had swept through the path in front of her. Also, the giant bug was gone. The people around her slowly began to move toward her, hesitantly cheering. The foreigner blinked, and then clutched her throat with both hands. “It burns!” she rasped, falling to her knees. Mentally cursing her old caretaker, Yasmine fell on her back. She had hoped the pain would subside, but it didn’t. It was worse than any physical pain she had ever gone through. No amount of water could hope to subdue the scorching. Not only that, but her body felt it, too. She supposed that was due to not using chakra most of her life. “Oh God! I want to die!” Yasmine screamed in her head.

“Ah, so this is where you are,” a calm voice stated the obvious. The foreigner forced her eyes to open. Standing over her head was a man… who seemed to love piercings. His hair was short, orange and spiky. He wore the standard Akatsuki uniform. However, she hadn’t met him before. Slowly, the wheels began turning in her head. The dark silhouette and this guy’s outline matched perfectly. Her brown eyes expanded in shock, almost forgetting the scorching pain in her throat–almost.

“Le-Leader-sama…!” she whispered, and then went into a coughing fit. Once that was finished, she glared up at the stoic man. “You do-don’t look a th-thing li-like his daddy!” She sighed in disappointment, and then coughed and hacked out an annoyed ‘I knew he wasn’t blond!’ in English. The man seemed to ignore her words.

“Tell me where the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi is,” he ordered. “Or I will kill you.” A sharp black blade extended from his sleeve. “Speak up–where is he?”

“How am I supposed to know something like that?!” Yasmine replied. Oh man, it hurt to talk!

“Then you are of no use to me,” Leader stated. He brought down his blade, intending to kill.

Yasume: Well isn’t this just fucking perfect! Your dumbass should have just run!

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Oh wow, this chapter was just insane to write! All these emotions and not enough humor–it was kinda weird for me, but it’s a quicker update right?

“Weird, isn’t it…? Being against something, yet choosing to go along with it–it’s all a big contradiction,” Ishikari Mayu