Setting The Wolf Free - Sequel to The Wolf Inside

Setting The Wolf Free - Ch 68

“Sort of” the girl’s Father laughs, shaking his head and smiling with amusement. “Like I said, you’ll understand when you’re older sweetheart. At least you’ll understand this right now. I love you.”

“I love you too Daddy” Ashley replies brightly, twirling her Father’s long ponytail around her small hand, “Always and forever!”

 

“It doesn’t seem that I’ve learned yet Father” Ashley mutters lowly, eyes half lidded as she comes to a stop in front of a large boulder, the girl holding in a heavy sigh. “I’m still foolish….”

Despite the crickets chirping loudly all through the surrounding forest, Ashley hears the sound of soft footsteps treading through the lush grass from behind her, making her turn her head to the side, brows furrowed.

Coming to a stop only metres away from Ashley, Itachi pauses before the large boulder and raises an arm, performing one handed signs. Within seconds of the Uchiha executing the last hand sign, the boulder begins to rumble as it slowly slides backwards across the ground. Before too long, the boulder shudders to a halt, a large, blackened entrance now opened up in the earth, with a dirt stairway leading down into its depths.

Grinning broadly and looking forward to the upcoming proceedings, Kisame hoists Samehada further up his shoulder and steps forwards, his hulking body swiftly disappearing down the stairs and out of view.

Waiting for only a moment, Itachi moves forwards to head down the staircase as well, before he changes his mind and pauses on the first step. The Uchiha remains silent as he stands with his back to Ashley, the warm night breeze gently blowing through his hair.

Feeling a little suspicious of Itachi’s hesitation to head down into the hideout, Ashley drags her eyes, only now just beginning to lose their blurriness, to her cousin’s back and narrows them. What was he doing? If he thought he could try and surprise attack her, he had another thing coming to him….

“…….If you wish to keep your life, I suggest you produce those papers now” Itachi says quietly, his tone flat and emotionless. “…..Running away from certain death is not dishonourable.”

Her annoyance immediately flaring up at Itachi’s advice, Ashley’s hands ball into fists and she pulls her lip up into a silent growl behind her mask. She was already very uncomfortable with this situation, and she certainly didn’t need someone like Itachi telling her what to do. While she didn’t want to admit to herself that she still loved Itachi, Ashley also held a strange and only recently discovered hatred for her Clan’s murderer. It was a jab at her pride to have him tell her what to do!

And besides, who did the Uchiha think he was talking to? No matter how dire the situation, Ashley never ran away!

“I hardly think being considered dishonourable is an issue for me anymore” the blonde hisses vehemently, storming past Itachi and making sure to bump him in the side with her elbow.

The stoic male says nothing as Ashley begins stalking down the stairs, not even so much as moving from his place on the surface while she disappears down under the ground.

As Ashley descends the stairs and grows nearer to the cave below, her pace slows and her heart rate picks up, nerves beginning to set in. What was she going to do once she came face to face with the Akatsuki Leader again? The girl didn’t have any papers to give him, nor had she been able to think of a legitimate excuse.

Though Ashley’s vision was still a little blurry and her mind was shaken from her fight with the Leaf Ninja, the blonde’s only option was going to be fighting her way out of this place, because she knew the Leader wasn’t going to accept that she hadn’t recovered the papers…..