The Akira Files

Akira's 'solo mission'

Sasuke’s POV

I watched Akira and Naruto leave, before standing up myself and walking outside. I didn’t want Naruto to get ahead of me in training. If Akira got ahead though I think I could tolerate that, at least for a little while. I closed the door behind me as I walked out onto the porch. I could see Naruto and his stupid orange jumpsuit running off into the forest but I couldn’t see Akira.

‘Weird. He should be right behind Naruto. They left at practically the same time.’ I began scanning the area looking for any sign of movement to indicate his location. At first I saw nothing, but that was expected seeing as he where’s a dark cloak most of the time, but then I noticed a small splash of lighter color as the wind blew gently over to me.

‘That has to be him.’ I thought as I began running towards him. I wasn’t about to let him just disappear again. Not after what he put us through. Every night Sakura would stare out the window or sit on the porch just waiting. Naruto didn’t show it as much but he was just as worried. Kakashi thought that Akira had died. The entire team was thrown off just because he’d disappeared, even I couldn’t concentrate on my training. I kept my eyes strained on Akira as he ran into town. ‘Why would he be heading for town at this time, none of the shops are open…unless he’s meeting with someone.’

I slowed down slightly and stuck to the shadows, maintaining my distance. If he was going to meet with someone, I’d rather not get caught. I followed Akira through streets and alleyways. To me, it looked as though he had no idea where he was going but I guessed it was to throw off any pursuers.

After a few hours of him ducking down dead end alleyways just to turn back around and walk into another, he finally stopped and sat down. He just sat there for a few minutes before getting up and walking towards a random house that still had some lights on. He knocked and a man, around middle age, opened the door. The two talked for a bit before the man disappeared back inside. He came back out with two small containers and handed them to Akira. They spoke a bit more before Akira nodded and took off in another direction. I quickly jumped from my shadow onto the roof tops and continued to follow. Suddenly, Akira stopped glancing from side to side before continuing on at a much more leisurely pace.

About 10 minutes later, we had left town once again. I jumped from the roof of one house into the shadows of some trees. Apparently Akira wasn’t a very good ninja after all, or maybe I was just in a league of my own. I heard the snap of a twig before a little girl stumbled out of the forest. She looked to be an orphan, possibly a messenger for Zabuza. My eyes narrowed, ‘Akira really is a traitor.’

At least that’s what I thought until…

Akira’s POV

‘So, the almighty Sasuke wants to play follow the leader. I might as well let him. I mean if I get lost, which is likely, I can just yell at him to come out and help me get back on track.’ I thought as I weaved in and out of alleys.

I had just exited my 16th dead end when I decided to take a short break and think of what to do. I know it’s a first. I could tell that Sasuke was still following me, mainly because the moon provided enough light for me to just make out his silhouette in the darkness. My lips twitched up in a smile, before it hit me if I could ask him for directions what was stopping me from asking other people for directions. I quickly picked up the container of leftovers and ran over to one of the buildings that still had their lights on.