LEGACY

Delapan belas

Chapter 18

By the time Fumiko awoken, she was inside her room. All her clothes were dry. She was about to wonder who had brought her back when she noticed how the top of her blanket was folded outside a little bit, just like how Itachi usually would. Her heart started to constrict again, but she shook it off.

Fumiko started to busy herself up, rarely coming back home. She was indeed avoiding both Neji and Sasuke like plague. She did not want any drama for the near future as her job was already stressing enough as it was.

Talking about Sasuke, his heart turned darker and darker as days passed. He came back from his last mission with his teammates. It was what made Sasuke snapped. It felt like everything he did was useless. Even Naruto started to surpass him. He needed to get stronger. He needed to get power.

Thus, it answered why Sasuke was now walking to Konoha's gate. He just put Sakura to pass out and laid her on the bench. He was about to leave, when he suddenly froze. His eyes went wide as he quickly looked beside him. The familiar ANBU in his usual mask was there, crossing his hands while leaning on a street light pole.

"Oh, you finally notice me?" He asked with fake enthusiasm.

"Sai, isn't it?" Sasuke clenched his teeth. "What do you want?"

"Hm?" Sai tilted his head. "I'm here to just bid you a good bye."

"Bid me a good bye?"

Sai nodded. He then threw something that Sasuke took gracefully. "A scroll?"

"That contains a new menu for you in case you find Orochimaru's training's not enough. Also consist of a katana ordered specifically by taichou."

"...What?"

"Think of it as a bidding present from taichou. From now on, she won't be able to protect you nor you're under Uchiha's name." Sai's eyes went sharp under his mask. "You do know what this means, don't you?"

Sasuke's grip on the scroll tightened before he put it in his pocket. His heart falter for a second before he decided to walk away. In the end, he too betrayed the only family member he had. His hatred was bigger than the fact that he could just move on with his sister by his side.

Sai watched as Sasuke left the gate before coming back to the base. He knocked on the door of Fumiko's office before coming in. Fumiko and Fu were there, discussing on the current problems. Even though Fu looked up, Fumiko did not.

"What is it, Sai?" Fu asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke left the village as expected, taichou. Should I inform the hokage?"

"Is there any witness?"

"Ha'i. Haruno Sakura. Sasuke put her into sleep though."

Fu looked at his captain, but by the stoic face Fumiko had, Fu thought she did not care. After thinking for a while, Fu made the decision for Fumiko. "No, let's see first whether the girl would report to the hokage or not. If she does, then there's no need for us to take any part in it."

Sai nodded. He was about to leave before hesitantly looking back at Fumiko. The girl was too absorbed in the paper works though, making the boy sighed and walked away. Fu raised his eyebrow.

"You do know that you can always go back home, right?"

"Same goes to you." Fumiko grumbled.

"You do know that all the ROOT members beside you live here, right?"

"Hn."

By the end, Fu managed to kick Fumiko out. She went back home and able to get a few hours of sleep when suddenly her door being banged continuously. It stopped after a while though, as the door slid open. Footsteps were heard before stopping in front of her room.

A silent knock was heard. "Fumiko-sama, it's Neji. I know you just got back from the base, but could you open up the door and have a talk with us? There's something urgent."

Fumiko sighed, though she raised her eyebrow on how Neji could know how long she had been home. Not that it was creepy at all. Note the sarcasm. Fumiko got out of her bed and slid her door open.

There were genins all over her house. They looked anxious and in hurry, but decided to let Neji spoke instead as they noticed how unfriendly Fumiko looked.

"Fumiko-sama," Neji looked worried. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but Sasuke left the village. We're being ordered to bring him back."

"Does Senju order me specifically to retrieve him?"

Neji and Shikamaru looked at each other. "Um, no, but—"

"Then you're just wasting your time here." Fumiko bluntly said. "Go and do your mission, kids. I'm going back to sleep."

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? SASUKE IS YOUR BROTHER! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO—" Before Naruto could finish his words, Shikamaru covered his mouth.

"Fumiko-san, don't you want to recosinder?" Shikamaru asked. "With you in our group would be a great advantage for us."

"No."

"Fumiko-sama," Neji was about to say something when Fu appeared next to the boys.

"Taichou, we have a situation on the mission near the HiddenSand."

Fumiko went serious. "I'll meet you on the spot the group supposed to meet up then. Go first."

Fu nodded then puffed away. Fumiko then looked back at the genins before sighing. She patted Neji's shoulder. "I can't come with you since this mission is important for the ANBU. Good luck, though."

Fumiko took her ANBU mask and body flickered away, leaving the genins alone inside her house. Shikamaru groaned. "Then it's just us. What a drag."

Naruto was talking rubbish as Neji frowned. "Fumiko-sama didn't look surprise at all with the news."

"Eh?" Naruto frowned too. "What do you mean, Neji?"

"Oh, I believe Fumiko-san knows that Sasuke left the village." Shikamaru said.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T SHE STOP HIM?" Naruto screamed.

"Shut up, Naruto! Let's just focus on the mission. Meet me in ten minutes in the gate after you guys getting ready."

The boys nodded and left the compound. Too bad though, the retrieval mission was failed.