Post by shiningheart on Jan 22, 2012 17:53:11 GMT -5
Rated T for swearing.
Sasuke looked over her shoulder to give Naruto a raised eyebrow for the nickname. The blond gave a casual shrug. "What can I say, Sakura has some rage in her cage."
Sakura slowly turned her head to give her teammate a deadly stare. "I'm sorry, did I give the impression that I was finished? Because I wasn't." She gave him a sickly sweet smile that all the men there, including Sasuke, knew was false. Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin and pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key. "Good. Now where was I?" She looked at Sasuke for clarrification.
And he gave it to her with his brow still raised. "Orochi-teme and the... ahem, lost boys?"
Just like that, the rage was back. "First you leave, then you reappear three freaking years later looking like you're taking it up the ass from that pathetic excuse for a medic nin!" Screw Uchiha pride. Sasuke's jaw practically hit the ground as she continued her rant. "Then, after a stupid game of cat-and-mouse, you finally end up killing both Itachi and Orochimaru and still refuse to come home. After that, you make a true ass out of yourself and join the fuckers that Itachi worked so hard to bring down, and attacked the village he almost literally gave his life to protect! Oh, and that's not all! Let's not forget that, in the process of one battle, you realized how much of a prick you were being, and helped us defeat the bastard that convinced you to attack in the first place!"
She threw her hands up in the air and proceeded to pace between himself and her comrades. If Sasuke wanted to escape while they were distracted, now was the time. He told his feet to move, but they weren't listening. He was as riveted by the pink-haired woman's rant as the other two men. He realized, with no small amount of amusement, that it definitely wasn't sadness that had made her avoid his eyes earlier. "Then, in the middle of the celebration for... hell, pretty much everything, you pull me away to say sorry and fucking kiss me!" There was a sharp intake of breath from Kakashi and Naruto. Evidently, this was the first time either had heard of the incident. "Then poof, off you go again for another four years!
"To everyone's surprise, we next hear about you in Wave. What the hell you were doing there, we have no idea. Maybe you were bored, maybe you were travelling, maybe-"
And Sasuke's inner bitch appeared. "Maybe I was feeling nostalgic for before the world went to hell and back. You remember the good old days, naruto, when you were a useless twit and I had to save your ass every other mission?"
Without missing a beat, Naruto shot back, "As apposed to now, when you try to kill me every chance you get?" Sakura's glare returned to him. "Hey, that time was Sasuke's fault!" The glare got darker. "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet!"
She turned her glare on Sasuke. The Uchiha raised a raven-colored eyebrow and crossed his arms, leaning against the rocky face of the cliff they still had him trapped against. "You're going to have to do a bit more than glare, Sakura. I've been stared at by way scarier eyes than yours."
And dammet, the sound of his voice saying her name still sent shivers down her spine! Her fury grew just knowing that. Making a movement with her hands like wringing his neck, Sakura spat out, "You are the most vile, evil, arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic pig I have ever met!"
He shrugged uncaringly, already knowing his smirk was enough to infuriate. Still, it was fun pissing people off. "I've been called worse." he said casually. Her eye twitched, and Sasuke saw her dominant fist clench even tighter. He wondered if she'd drawn blood inside of her glove yet. He knew he only had a few minutes until she punched the wall and crushed them all with a rock slide. He didn't do all this to die just by annoying his former fangirl. "Although, I am curious as to how you knew I was actually in Wave."
Sakura snorted, seeing through his question, but let her hand loosen. "We got a single glimpse of you, one, before Naruto here," she jabbed a thumb in the direction of the blond, "got fucking mobbed by fangirls who simply adore him now that he's saved the freaking world." Sasuke let out a harsh bark of laughter, and even Naruto cracked a smile. The irony was not lost on him either. Sakura wasn't done with her narration, though she let this interruption slide. "After Wave, you're in freaking Suna, of all places!" She flailed her arms a bit for emphasis. "I've spent enough time there to know there is abso-fucking-lutely nothing to catch your interest at all. Answer me this, Uchiha: why the HELL were you in that God-forsaken desert!"
Instead of answering her question, he fired off one of his own. She was getting way too close to the truth than he was comfortable with. "Why do you spend so much time in Suna if you think it sucks so much?"
An almost Sasuke-like smirk spread on Sakura's face. "I only said there was nothing of interest to you, Uchiha. After all, Gaara has gotten pretty hot."
More owlish blinking while Naruto began to curse creatively. He ended it with, "-a god-damn pig! How the hell can you think Gaara is hot and I'm not?" Sakura merely stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down. "Sakuraaaaa!" he whined.
She cackled lightly before grinning at Sasuke. Tormenting Naruto had always put her in a better mood. "So, really Sasuke, tell me why you were near Suna!"
Just as she enjoyed messing with Naruto, so Sasuke enjoyed messing with her. He smirked at her, leaning toward her to emphasize his words. "No." She pouted at him. "No." She widened her eyes into a puppy-dog look. "No." She combined the two with a whimper. "No."
One apple-green eye twitched in agitation and she let out a strangled yell before leaping forward to tackle him. Luckily, Naruto foresaw this and managed to catch her, throwing her over her shoulder to limit her movement. That didn't stop her from pounding her fists into his back to be let down. Without chakra, of course. She didn't want to break his spine, after all. "Sakura- Ow! Hey Sakura- Ow! Sakura, please, calm dow- Ow! Stop hitting me dammit!"
While hurting her best friend, Sakura was spewing vicious and graphic threats and insults from her mouth. If Sasuke had been any lesser man, he would have flinched. But he was an Uchiha, and Uchiha do not cringe at such pitiful threats as carving out his intestines and choking him with them. Cutting off his manhood and shoving it so far down his throat he could legally pass for a hermaphrodite was a little concerning, but all Sasuke did was laugh sadistically.
He turned away from the arguing people and looked at Kakashi, who had a look that was half-pained and half-amused on his face. "Well, what about you?" The jonin blinked lazily at him. Sasuke elaborated, "Don't you have a few choice words for your former star pupil?"
The sarcasm that practically dripped from Sasuke's words made the silver-haired man chuckle, and he twirled a kunai almost on reflex in his hand. "I would, but Naruto just has such a way with words, don't you think?" They both looked at where Naruto and Sakura were arguing and smirked. Well, Sasuke smirked. Kakashi's visible eye just kind of... crinkled. "Really though, I'm just here to keep you from escaping if they get too distracted."
Sasuke gave a low curse and a frown. That was exactly what he'd been planning to do. And judging by the sudden silence from Naruto and Sakura, they'd figured it out. He glanced at them to see Sakura with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out indignantly. She really did look quite comfortable on top of his shoulder, too comfortable for their relationship to be purely platonic. Naruto was the one who looked annoyed. "Come on, Teme, just tell her why you were near Suna so she can shut the hell up and get off of my shoulder!"
Sakura gave him a shot to the gut and jumped off when he doubled over. Her arms stayed crossed. "You know what, screw it, I don't even care about the Suna part anymore. Just spit out why you can't come home and we'll let you off with only one broken arm." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and she held up a chakra powered fist. "Dost I see doubt upon thy brow, Uchiha?"
Her choice of words made Sasuke chuckle, but the threat made him raise his hands to block. "No, no doubt here. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've broken my arm." He hesitated before speaking, and had an internal struggle. On one hand, they might not believe him. Heck, he hardly believed it himself. They might want proof, and he knew that she wouldn't take kindly to unannounced visitors. Never had, never did, and likely never will. And besides that, he was having too much fun in their game of cat-and-mouse to end it so quickly.
On the other hand, Sasuke had to admit that Naruto might be... could be... just a tiny bit... right. He wanted to go back to Konoha with them. He wanted to watch in disgust while Naruto practically inhaled his ramen at Ichiraku's. He wanted to sigh in annoyance when Sakura and Ino fought over who would sit next to him in class. He wanted his life back. Common sense told him this was impossible, but he decided to go with the next best thing.
He didn't realized that he was pacing in thought, or running his hand through his hair. His former comrades found this display to be quite disturbing, considering he'd always seemed so calm and stoic and unmovable, even during their childhood. He didn't see Naruto or Sakura exchange worried glances, nor did he acknowledge that Kakashi's grip had retightened on his weapon of choice. No, Sasuke Uchiha didn't realize the tension he was causing his fellow ninja.
He combed his hair once more before stopping and sighing. He'd made his decision, but it wasn't a decision he made lightly. When Sasuke faced Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, his dark eyes were graver than any of them ever remembered them being. "It's probably better for me to show you guys why I can't go back. I just have one request before I lead you to where we're going." Team Kakashi exchanged thoughtful looks before Naruto nodded for all of them. "Don't judge me."
And off the foursome shot, leaping through the trees and heading east. On instinct, Sasuke spread his senses to take in his surroundings. Kakashi was almost always one step behind him. When Sasuke leaped from a branch, Kakashi would land and follow a beat behind. Naruto was directly to his right, keeping as even with him as he could without knowing where they were going. Sakura was following by half a step on his left. He thought that meant she was keeping up better than Kakashi, until he saw a shuriken held carefully in her hand.
So then, they were just being sure to box him in... For some reason, that made him disappointed. Did he really think they'd trust him so easily, after all these years of chasing and being chased, of fighting and hatred and violence? Thoughts like those followed him the entire way. He led them for about half a mile until they got to a wooden cabin that was half hidden by ivy and lichen. If Sasuke hadn't led them right to it, none of them would have even realized it was there.
They hid behind a bush that was a foot taller than Kakashi and could fit five Choji's, perfect for seeing without being seen. Sasuke crouched behind it and looked warily out at the cabin. After some deep breathing to calm himself down, he glared at the others. "Alright, all of you, listen up. This could very easily become a battle field if not handled correctly." They snapped to attention at that. "First things first, hide your hai-ates. The first person you're going to meet has a thing against ninjas. She only tolerates me because... Well, you'll see."
And of course, Naruto and Kakashi latched on to only one of those words. Twin lecherous grins spread on their faces, and Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow while wearing a foxy expression. "She, Sasuke? Are you telling us you can't come home because of a girl?"
Sasuke sighed in annoyance while the other men laughed at his expense. "That would be the part you pick up on, wouldn't it?" he growled lowly. He looked at Sakura to see if she was laughing as well. She wasn't. She wasn't even paying attention. She was staring intently at the one glowing window. "What's up, Pinky?"
To his surprise, she didn't even seem to notice the barb. "How many people are in there, Sasuke?" He held up two fingers silently. "Is one of them a big guy, taller than Kakashi?" He frowned and shook his head. "Did you leave anyone in there with whatever girl you're shacking up with?" He grimaced at her wording, but shook his head again. "Uh oh." She instinctively touched her weapons pouch, but Sasuke grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Sasuke! Someone's in there with whoever you're with! Aren't you the least bit worried?"
All three Konoha ninja blinked in shock when Sasuke flashed them a genuine grin. "For this one instance, trust me when I say this: Youko knows how to take care of herself." A resounding crash heralded the entrance- or rather, exit- of a body being thrown through the door. "Told you."
A woman quickly followed after the expelled man, standing on the wooden porch with arms crossed over her chest. She wore a white tank top that showed a strip of skin between the hem and her pants. Baggy jeans sagged on her hips with way too many pockets to count. They couldn't see eye color from where they hid, but her hair was bright red and was tied into a high ponytail. They could clearly see a scowl on her face. "Get out, stay out, and tell the bastard who keeps sending you pricks to knock it off!"
A frown came to Sasuke's face as the man fled right past where the group was hiding. "Someone keeps sending people? This is the first I've heard of it... Stay here while I try to find out what's going on." He turned to look directly at Naruto as he said this, but the blonde was no longer there. He looked back to where the red-head stood, somehow not at all surprised to see his old friend already trying to talk to her. "Dumb-ass..." he sighed.
Gesturing with his hand for them to follow, he led Kakashi and Sakura out into the open to where Naruto was beaming with a wide smile. "Hiya, I'm Uzumaki, Naruto! I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Believe it!"
She raised an eyebrow at home and said dryly, "Uh huh... good luck with that." She looked past him to give Sasuke a cold look. "Are these people... friends of yours, Sasuke?"
He gave an internal wince while keeping his outward appearance neutral. He knew that tone, as well as that face. He was in trouble, and trouble was the last thing he needed to convince her to trust them enough to introduce Souta. "Well... In a way, I suppose you could say we were friends, but... I guess you'd have to use the term loosely, what with all the shit we've put each other through..." She raised an eyebrow in question. "These are the people from the bed time stories I used to tell Souta when he was younger."
A look of recognition dawned on her face, and she turned a new eye on the Konoha ninja. "Ah, the ninjas from Konoha." She looked at each of them while naming them, "Hatake, Kakashi... Haruno, Sakura... Uzumaki, Naruto..." She looked at Kakashi and gave him a quick grin that startled the oldest man there. "Just so you know, Kakashi, you're the only one from the stories I respect. Is it true that you once got your ass handed to you by Sasuke's older brother?"
Kakashi gave a visible wince and said, "That's a memory I'd rather soon forget." He glared at Sasuke half-heartedly and pouted. It was a sight that made Naruto and Sakura snicker. "Did that have to be the part you told her? Not the part where I sliced lightning in two with the chidori, or how I saved your ass in Wave when Zabuza nearly killed you?"
Sasuke snorted and glared right back while retorting, "And then you got yourself trapped in a Water Prison Jutsu and had to be saved by the dumb-ass and me!" Naruto, after suffering years of such abuse as Sasuke's hand, only stuck his tongue out at the other man. Sasuke gave him an unimpressed face before looking back at the red-haired woman, who's grin quickly shifted into a scowl. "At least let me do introductions before you chase them away." She snorted and turned her face away from him, but didn't protest when he climbed up the steps next to her. The group on the ground realized that she was about half-a-head shorter than him. Her forehead only hit his chin. "Guys, this is Youko. She's a giant pain in the ass," her head whipped around to glare at him, "but she's one of the best fighters I've ever seen. And that's saying something!"
Instead of taking the compliment, Youko punched him in the side and smirked when he rubbed it. "Flattery won't get you out of being my bitch for the next month. It doesn't change the fact that you brought three enemy ninja to our home." She looked at both Naruto and Sakura with absolutely no attempt to hide the disgust. "A fangirl and a fool. I wouldn't have minded if you'd just brought Kakashi and the Hokage, since Kakashi kicks ass and I'd like to meet the women that makes you shit a brick every time you think of pissing her off, but these two?"
Both pairs of green and blue eyes narrowed and darkened, but Sakura managed to say what both were thinking first. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but if you have a problem with us, Youko, stop pussy-footing around and say it." Naruto paused in his obvious internal battle to blink at her. Not really what he wanted to say, but far more polite. What does that tell us?
Youko smirked and rose to her full height, which wasn't really needed since the porch gave her a good foot and a half over the pinkette's head. "Yes. Yes I do. First of all, any woman that becomes a kunoichi for the sole purpose of impressing her crush, who himself is rather pathetic, is due for an ass-kicking. Anyone that finds this dick hot," she jerked her head at Sasuke, who seemed oddly neutral about being insulted twice in a row," needs to be shot in the foot."
Then her attention turned to Naruto. Her smirk dropped and her face became stony. "Naruto Uzumaki... The fool that chase's a fool's dream. You're going to die, you know." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "It's not really something to be surprised about. All ninja die before their time. It's just the way it is. But those who strive to be the best and aren't usually just fall flat on their face." She smiled sadistically when he gritted his teeth. "Hopefully it will help fix your nose."
Naruto seemed to swell up in indignant rage. Sasuke could almost hear him planning out a dramatic speech that the recipient would later think on, realize he's right, then change the entire way they live solely on the word of a dumb-ass blond with a dream. He foresaw pain in Naruto's very near future, a lot of it. To save him, not that Sasuke cared, he quickly asked, "Where's Souta? I want him to meet them. What do you think the chances of him fainting?"
Youko didn't seem to think it was funny. She gave him a cold look. "I put him to bed early after bandaging his hands. He's been sneaking out at night after I fall asleep to practice with the kunai you left him. Take it when you leave again. I don't know how many times I've told you before, but I will keep repeating it until you get it through your damn head: I don't want my nephew to become a ninja."
The Konoha ninja gave him a curious look, but he ignored it for the moment and gave her an equally cold look. "And I don't know how many times I've told you, neither of us have a right to stop him if he wants to." Her lips pulled back in a snarl, and Sasuke subtly braced himself for an attack from her. "I've seen too many families torn apart over someone's decision to train or not train as a ninja. I will not have you turn mine into one of them."
She looked about ready to charge, but straightened up at a timid voice that came from inside the cabin. "Youko? What's going on?" A small boy, looking about 8 years old, crept through the hole. He had messy violet hair that made him look like he'd just crawled out of bed. The fact that he was wearing rumpled pj's gave testament to that conclusion. It was his eyes that made the Konoha ninja stare. Dark eyes, as black and deep as the night sky, stared back warily at them. Then those eyes turned to Sasuke, and they widened happily. "Papa, you're back!"
"PAPA?" All three yelled out. The young boy ran to Sasuke and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He didn't seem to mind, even bending down to give him a small hug in return. Naruto stepped forward with disbelief on his face. "Sasuke, you have a lot of explaining to do."
Sasuke rose from the hug and faced them, though the child still clung to him. He nodded and placed a hand on the youngster's head. "Souta, do you remember those stories I used to tell you when you were still a toddler?" Souta nodded. "These are the people in them. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi." Souta stared at them in wonder and gave as much of a wave as he could while still being attached to Sasuke's side. "Guys, this is Souta... My son."
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[/b][/i]l is that supposed to mean?" The two men with her backed away from her as she stomped right up to the missing nin and pointed an accusatory finger in his face. Sasuke only blinked owlishly at the appendage that was an inch from his nose, which is as close as an Uchiha will ever get to openly gaping. "First you leave, then you're back three years later looking like one of Orochi-teme's Lost Boys!"
Sasuke looked over her shoulder to give Naruto a raised eyebrow for the nickname. The blond gave a casual shrug. "What can I say, Sakura has some rage in her cage."
Sakura slowly turned her head to give her teammate a deadly stare. "I'm sorry, did I give the impression that I was finished? Because I wasn't." She gave him a sickly sweet smile that all the men there, including Sasuke, knew was false. Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin and pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key. "Good. Now where was I?" She looked at Sasuke for clarrification.
And he gave it to her with his brow still raised. "Orochi-teme and the... ahem, lost boys?"
Just like that, the rage was back. "First you leave, then you reappear three freaking years later looking like you're taking it up the ass from that pathetic excuse for a medic nin!" Screw Uchiha pride. Sasuke's jaw practically hit the ground as she continued her rant. "Then, after a stupid game of cat-and-mouse, you finally end up killing both Itachi and Orochimaru and still refuse to come home. After that, you make a true ass out of yourself and join the fuckers that Itachi worked so hard to bring down, and attacked the village he almost literally gave his life to protect! Oh, and that's not all! Let's not forget that, in the process of one battle, you realized how much of a prick you were being, and helped us defeat the bastard that convinced you to attack in the first place!"
She threw her hands up in the air and proceeded to pace between himself and her comrades. If Sasuke wanted to escape while they were distracted, now was the time. He told his feet to move, but they weren't listening. He was as riveted by the pink-haired woman's rant as the other two men. He realized, with no small amount of amusement, that it definitely wasn't sadness that had made her avoid his eyes earlier. "Then, in the middle of the celebration for... hell, pretty much everything, you pull me away to say sorry and fucking kiss me!" There was a sharp intake of breath from Kakashi and Naruto. Evidently, this was the first time either had heard of the incident. "Then poof, off you go again for another four years!
"To everyone's surprise, we next hear about you in Wave. What the hell you were doing there, we have no idea. Maybe you were bored, maybe you were travelling, maybe-"
And Sasuke's inner bitch appeared. "Maybe I was feeling nostalgic for before the world went to hell and back. You remember the good old days, naruto, when you were a useless twit and I had to save your ass every other mission?"
Without missing a beat, Naruto shot back, "As apposed to now, when you try to kill me every chance you get?" Sakura's glare returned to him. "Hey, that time was Sasuke's fault!" The glare got darker. "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet!"
She turned her glare on Sasuke. The Uchiha raised a raven-colored eyebrow and crossed his arms, leaning against the rocky face of the cliff they still had him trapped against. "You're going to have to do a bit more than glare, Sakura. I've been stared at by way scarier eyes than yours."
And dammet, the sound of his voice saying her name still sent shivers down her spine! Her fury grew just knowing that. Making a movement with her hands like wringing his neck, Sakura spat out, "You are the most vile, evil, arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic pig I have ever met!"
He shrugged uncaringly, already knowing his smirk was enough to infuriate. Still, it was fun pissing people off. "I've been called worse." he said casually. Her eye twitched, and Sasuke saw her dominant fist clench even tighter. He wondered if she'd drawn blood inside of her glove yet. He knew he only had a few minutes until she punched the wall and crushed them all with a rock slide. He didn't do all this to die just by annoying his former fangirl. "Although, I am curious as to how you knew I was actually in Wave."
Sakura snorted, seeing through his question, but let her hand loosen. "We got a single glimpse of you, one, before Naruto here," she jabbed a thumb in the direction of the blond, "got fucking mobbed by fangirls who simply adore him now that he's saved the freaking world." Sasuke let out a harsh bark of laughter, and even Naruto cracked a smile. The irony was not lost on him either. Sakura wasn't done with her narration, though she let this interruption slide. "After Wave, you're in freaking Suna, of all places!" She flailed her arms a bit for emphasis. "I've spent enough time there to know there is abso-fucking-lutely nothing to catch your interest at all. Answer me this, Uchiha: why the HELL were you in that God-forsaken desert!"
Instead of answering her question, he fired off one of his own. She was getting way too close to the truth than he was comfortable with. "Why do you spend so much time in Suna if you think it sucks so much?"
An almost Sasuke-like smirk spread on Sakura's face. "I only said there was nothing of interest to you, Uchiha. After all, Gaara has gotten pretty hot."
More owlish blinking while Naruto began to curse creatively. He ended it with, "-a god-damn pig! How the hell can you think Gaara is hot and I'm not?" Sakura merely stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down. "Sakuraaaaa!" he whined.
She cackled lightly before grinning at Sasuke. Tormenting Naruto had always put her in a better mood. "So, really Sasuke, tell me why you were near Suna!"
Just as she enjoyed messing with Naruto, so Sasuke enjoyed messing with her. He smirked at her, leaning toward her to emphasize his words. "No." She pouted at him. "No." She widened her eyes into a puppy-dog look. "No." She combined the two with a whimper. "No."
One apple-green eye twitched in agitation and she let out a strangled yell before leaping forward to tackle him. Luckily, Naruto foresaw this and managed to catch her, throwing her over her shoulder to limit her movement. That didn't stop her from pounding her fists into his back to be let down. Without chakra, of course. She didn't want to break his spine, after all. "Sakura- Ow! Hey Sakura- Ow! Sakura, please, calm dow- Ow! Stop hitting me dammit!"
While hurting her best friend, Sakura was spewing vicious and graphic threats and insults from her mouth. If Sasuke had been any lesser man, he would have flinched. But he was an Uchiha, and Uchiha do not cringe at such pitiful threats as carving out his intestines and choking him with them. Cutting off his manhood and shoving it so far down his throat he could legally pass for a hermaphrodite was a little concerning, but all Sasuke did was laugh sadistically.
He turned away from the arguing people and looked at Kakashi, who had a look that was half-pained and half-amused on his face. "Well, what about you?" The jonin blinked lazily at him. Sasuke elaborated, "Don't you have a few choice words for your former star pupil?"
The sarcasm that practically dripped from Sasuke's words made the silver-haired man chuckle, and he twirled a kunai almost on reflex in his hand. "I would, but Naruto just has such a way with words, don't you think?" They both looked at where Naruto and Sakura were arguing and smirked. Well, Sasuke smirked. Kakashi's visible eye just kind of... crinkled. "Really though, I'm just here to keep you from escaping if they get too distracted."
Sasuke gave a low curse and a frown. That was exactly what he'd been planning to do. And judging by the sudden silence from Naruto and Sakura, they'd figured it out. He glanced at them to see Sakura with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out indignantly. She really did look quite comfortable on top of his shoulder, too comfortable for their relationship to be purely platonic. Naruto was the one who looked annoyed. "Come on, Teme, just tell her why you were near Suna so she can shut the hell up and get off of my shoulder!"
Sakura gave him a shot to the gut and jumped off when he doubled over. Her arms stayed crossed. "You know what, screw it, I don't even care about the Suna part anymore. Just spit out why you can't come home and we'll let you off with only one broken arm." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and she held up a chakra powered fist. "Dost I see doubt upon thy brow, Uchiha?"
Her choice of words made Sasuke chuckle, but the threat made him raise his hands to block. "No, no doubt here. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've broken my arm." He hesitated before speaking, and had an internal struggle. On one hand, they might not believe him. Heck, he hardly believed it himself. They might want proof, and he knew that she wouldn't take kindly to unannounced visitors. Never had, never did, and likely never will. And besides that, he was having too much fun in their game of cat-and-mouse to end it so quickly.
On the other hand, Sasuke had to admit that Naruto might be... could be... just a tiny bit... right. He wanted to go back to Konoha with them. He wanted to watch in disgust while Naruto practically inhaled his ramen at Ichiraku's. He wanted to sigh in annoyance when Sakura and Ino fought over who would sit next to him in class. He wanted his life back. Common sense told him this was impossible, but he decided to go with the next best thing.
He didn't realized that he was pacing in thought, or running his hand through his hair. His former comrades found this display to be quite disturbing, considering he'd always seemed so calm and stoic and unmovable, even during their childhood. He didn't see Naruto or Sakura exchange worried glances, nor did he acknowledge that Kakashi's grip had retightened on his weapon of choice. No, Sasuke Uchiha didn't realize the tension he was causing his fellow ninja.
He combed his hair once more before stopping and sighing. He'd made his decision, but it wasn't a decision he made lightly. When Sasuke faced Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, his dark eyes were graver than any of them ever remembered them being. "It's probably better for me to show you guys why I can't go back. I just have one request before I lead you to where we're going." Team Kakashi exchanged thoughtful looks before Naruto nodded for all of them. "Don't judge me."
And off the foursome shot, leaping through the trees and heading east. On instinct, Sasuke spread his senses to take in his surroundings. Kakashi was almost always one step behind him. When Sasuke leaped from a branch, Kakashi would land and follow a beat behind. Naruto was directly to his right, keeping as even with him as he could without knowing where they were going. Sakura was following by half a step on his left. He thought that meant she was keeping up better than Kakashi, until he saw a shuriken held carefully in her hand.
So then, they were just being sure to box him in... For some reason, that made him disappointed. Did he really think they'd trust him so easily, after all these years of chasing and being chased, of fighting and hatred and violence? Thoughts like those followed him the entire way. He led them for about half a mile until they got to a wooden cabin that was half hidden by ivy and lichen. If Sasuke hadn't led them right to it, none of them would have even realized it was there.
They hid behind a bush that was a foot taller than Kakashi and could fit five Choji's, perfect for seeing without being seen. Sasuke crouched behind it and looked warily out at the cabin. After some deep breathing to calm himself down, he glared at the others. "Alright, all of you, listen up. This could very easily become a battle field if not handled correctly." They snapped to attention at that. "First things first, hide your hai-ates. The first person you're going to meet has a thing against ninjas. She only tolerates me because... Well, you'll see."
And of course, Naruto and Kakashi latched on to only one of those words. Twin lecherous grins spread on their faces, and Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow while wearing a foxy expression. "She, Sasuke? Are you telling us you can't come home because of a girl?"
Sasuke sighed in annoyance while the other men laughed at his expense. "That would be the part you pick up on, wouldn't it?" he growled lowly. He looked at Sakura to see if she was laughing as well. She wasn't. She wasn't even paying attention. She was staring intently at the one glowing window. "What's up, Pinky?"
To his surprise, she didn't even seem to notice the barb. "How many people are in there, Sasuke?" He held up two fingers silently. "Is one of them a big guy, taller than Kakashi?" He frowned and shook his head. "Did you leave anyone in there with whatever girl you're shacking up with?" He grimaced at her wording, but shook his head again. "Uh oh." She instinctively touched her weapons pouch, but Sasuke grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Sasuke! Someone's in there with whoever you're with! Aren't you the least bit worried?"
All three Konoha ninja blinked in shock when Sasuke flashed them a genuine grin. "For this one instance, trust me when I say this: Youko knows how to take care of herself." A resounding crash heralded the entrance- or rather, exit- of a body being thrown through the door. "Told you."
A woman quickly followed after the expelled man, standing on the wooden porch with arms crossed over her chest. She wore a white tank top that showed a strip of skin between the hem and her pants. Baggy jeans sagged on her hips with way too many pockets to count. They couldn't see eye color from where they hid, but her hair was bright red and was tied into a high ponytail. They could clearly see a scowl on her face. "Get out, stay out, and tell the bastard who keeps sending you pricks to knock it off!"
A frown came to Sasuke's face as the man fled right past where the group was hiding. "Someone keeps sending people? This is the first I've heard of it... Stay here while I try to find out what's going on." He turned to look directly at Naruto as he said this, but the blonde was no longer there. He looked back to where the red-head stood, somehow not at all surprised to see his old friend already trying to talk to her. "Dumb-ass..." he sighed.
Gesturing with his hand for them to follow, he led Kakashi and Sakura out into the open to where Naruto was beaming with a wide smile. "Hiya, I'm Uzumaki, Naruto! I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Believe it!"
She raised an eyebrow at home and said dryly, "Uh huh... good luck with that." She looked past him to give Sasuke a cold look. "Are these people... friends of yours, Sasuke?"
He gave an internal wince while keeping his outward appearance neutral. He knew that tone, as well as that face. He was in trouble, and trouble was the last thing he needed to convince her to trust them enough to introduce Souta. "Well... In a way, I suppose you could say we were friends, but... I guess you'd have to use the term loosely, what with all the shit we've put each other through..." She raised an eyebrow in question. "These are the people from the bed time stories I used to tell Souta when he was younger."
A look of recognition dawned on her face, and she turned a new eye on the Konoha ninja. "Ah, the ninjas from Konoha." She looked at each of them while naming them, "Hatake, Kakashi... Haruno, Sakura... Uzumaki, Naruto..." She looked at Kakashi and gave him a quick grin that startled the oldest man there. "Just so you know, Kakashi, you're the only one from the stories I respect. Is it true that you once got your ass handed to you by Sasuke's older brother?"
Kakashi gave a visible wince and said, "That's a memory I'd rather soon forget." He glared at Sasuke half-heartedly and pouted. It was a sight that made Naruto and Sakura snicker. "Did that have to be the part you told her? Not the part where I sliced lightning in two with the chidori, or how I saved your ass in Wave when Zabuza nearly killed you?"
Sasuke snorted and glared right back while retorting, "And then you got yourself trapped in a Water Prison Jutsu and had to be saved by the dumb-ass and me!" Naruto, after suffering years of such abuse as Sasuke's hand, only stuck his tongue out at the other man. Sasuke gave him an unimpressed face before looking back at the red-haired woman, who's grin quickly shifted into a scowl. "At least let me do introductions before you chase them away." She snorted and turned her face away from him, but didn't protest when he climbed up the steps next to her. The group on the ground realized that she was about half-a-head shorter than him. Her forehead only hit his chin. "Guys, this is Youko. She's a giant pain in the ass," her head whipped around to glare at him, "but she's one of the best fighters I've ever seen. And that's saying something!"
Instead of taking the compliment, Youko punched him in the side and smirked when he rubbed it. "Flattery won't get you out of being my bitch for the next month. It doesn't change the fact that you brought three enemy ninja to our home." She looked at both Naruto and Sakura with absolutely no attempt to hide the disgust. "A fangirl and a fool. I wouldn't have minded if you'd just brought Kakashi and the Hokage, since Kakashi kicks ass and I'd like to meet the women that makes you shit a brick every time you think of pissing her off, but these two?"
Both pairs of green and blue eyes narrowed and darkened, but Sakura managed to say what both were thinking first. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but if you have a problem with us, Youko, stop pussy-footing around and say it." Naruto paused in his obvious internal battle to blink at her. Not really what he wanted to say, but far more polite. What does that tell us?
Youko smirked and rose to her full height, which wasn't really needed since the porch gave her a good foot and a half over the pinkette's head. "Yes. Yes I do. First of all, any woman that becomes a kunoichi for the sole purpose of impressing her crush, who himself is rather pathetic, is due for an ass-kicking. Anyone that finds this dick hot," she jerked her head at Sasuke, who seemed oddly neutral about being insulted twice in a row," needs to be shot in the foot."
Then her attention turned to Naruto. Her smirk dropped and her face became stony. "Naruto Uzumaki... The fool that chase's a fool's dream. You're going to die, you know." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "It's not really something to be surprised about. All ninja die before their time. It's just the way it is. But those who strive to be the best and aren't usually just fall flat on their face." She smiled sadistically when he gritted his teeth. "Hopefully it will help fix your nose."
Naruto seemed to swell up in indignant rage. Sasuke could almost hear him planning out a dramatic speech that the recipient would later think on, realize he's right, then change the entire way they live solely on the word of a dumb-ass blond with a dream. He foresaw pain in Naruto's very near future, a lot of it. To save him, not that Sasuke cared, he quickly asked, "Where's Souta? I want him to meet them. What do you think the chances of him fainting?"
Youko didn't seem to think it was funny. She gave him a cold look. "I put him to bed early after bandaging his hands. He's been sneaking out at night after I fall asleep to practice with the kunai you left him. Take it when you leave again. I don't know how many times I've told you before, but I will keep repeating it until you get it through your damn head: I don't want my nephew to become a ninja."
The Konoha ninja gave him a curious look, but he ignored it for the moment and gave her an equally cold look. "And I don't know how many times I've told you, neither of us have a right to stop him if he wants to." Her lips pulled back in a snarl, and Sasuke subtly braced himself for an attack from her. "I've seen too many families torn apart over someone's decision to train or not train as a ninja. I will not have you turn mine into one of them."
She looked about ready to charge, but straightened up at a timid voice that came from inside the cabin. "Youko? What's going on?" A small boy, looking about 8 years old, crept through the hole. He had messy violet hair that made him look like he'd just crawled out of bed. The fact that he was wearing rumpled pj's gave testament to that conclusion. It was his eyes that made the Konoha ninja stare. Dark eyes, as black and deep as the night sky, stared back warily at them. Then those eyes turned to Sasuke, and they widened happily. "Papa, you're back!"
"PAPA?" All three yelled out. The young boy ran to Sasuke and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He didn't seem to mind, even bending down to give him a small hug in return. Naruto stepped forward with disbelief on his face. "Sasuke, you have a lot of explaining to do."
Sasuke rose from the hug and faced them, though the child still clung to him. He nodded and placed a hand on the youngster's head. "Souta, do you remember those stories I used to tell you when you were still a toddler?" Souta nodded. "These are the people in them. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi." Souta stared at them in wonder and gave as much of a wave as he could while still being attached to Sasuke's side. "Guys, this is Souta... My son."
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