Crow's feathers - Naruto fanfiction

Chapter 43 Confrontations

“Is it such a strange assumption then?”

Taryn narrowed her eyes. “Where is he?”

“If you mean Sasuke, then I have to disappoint you. He already left.”

“I don’t believe you,” Taryn said.

You can look if you like,” Madara smiled amused, “but tell me, why are you so interested in him all of a sudden? I thought we had an agreement. I got Sasuke, you got Itachi’s body… Everybody happy.”

This time it was Taryn who chuckled. “Ah Madara… you don’t know me very well, do you? I never said you got to keep him. I merely chose to give you something I could retrieve. Now that I buried Itachi’s body, I’m taking Sasuke back.”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way,” Madara growled, “besides, like I said, he’s not here and even if he was, you know he’d never go with you, isn’t hat right?”

“We’ll see about that,” Taryn answered.

“Hmmm,” Madara mused, “I must say I am a bit surprised that you’re here. I would have thought you’d go straight for Konoha… and Danzou…” Taryn narrowed her eyes. “But perhaps Sasuke will beat you to it,” Madara continued, “he seemed very determined.”

“You’re lying,” Taryn growled.

“He must have loved Itachi very much,” Madara said, “he took it rather hard when I told him the truth. He swore he’d wipe out the entire village to avenge his brother.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe me or not. It doesn’t matter to me, but it’s the truth.”

“What did you tell him?!” Taryn hissed.

“I told him the truth,” Madara said, “that Konoha used Itachi as a pawn to eliminate the Uchiha clan. Ah… don’t look at me like that, Taryn. You may act all high and mighty, but you wanted him to know, did you not? You just couldn’t tell him. You promised, isn’t it so? I know both of you well enough for that. You wanted me to tell him or you would never have let me take him with me.” He chuckled. “Well, now he knows. Did you expect him to do nothing?”

“What is your purpose in this?” Taryn asked, “What do you gain by it that Sasuke knows?”

Madara’s one visible eye glimmered with hatred. “Revenge,” he said, “I have my own scores to settle. But I don’t like getting my hands dirty. It’s so… messy.”

“You’re despicable,” Taryn bit. She focused her chakra and leaped at him, but Madara grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.

“Careful,” he warned her, “or you might get hurt. That would be a real shame.” He paused, “especially in your condition.”

Taryn glared at him an he chuckled. Slowly he let go of her and turned to leave. He cast her a smile over his shoulder. “You might still catch up with him,” he said, “that is… if I was telling you the truth.” His dark chuckle haunted her long after he was out of sight.

***

Karin gasped when Sasuke was thrown back by the Eight Tails, but Juugo caught him mid-air. Carefully he placed Sasuke on the ground.

“His neck and chest are completely blown away,” Juugo gasped.

Karin kneeled beside them. Her chakra had healing powers and she had used them before to heal Sasuke, but she was stopped by Juugo.

“It’s okay, Karin. I’ll do it. You don’t have enough chakra right now. I’ll fuse with his body and give him some of my own flesh and chakra. Since he’s compatible with the cursed seal, he should be able to handle it.”