Chapter Seventeen
Jubokko
May 25, 2009
Sakura watched the blonde quietly, a small tape recorder in hand. Ino had given her the device two days ago, instructing her to record the information that flowed from the Yamanaka directly after the purge.
Ino sat crisscrossed several feet away, her eyes closed, sweat slipping down her temples. The telepathic kunoichi looked worlds better, the smudges gone from her eyes, her purple halter top and ankle length skirt neatly pressed. Her blonde hair was loose, flowing down her shoulders and pooling on the grass below. Her fingers were arranged in the seal for Shintenshin no Jutsu, with the exception of her ring and pinkie fingers. The two digits pointed down rather than out, resulting in a jutsu the Yamanaka Clan used to "purge".
The Yamanaka heiress had been purging for the past two days, spending several hours a day removing the dark build up locked in her psyche. After mucking around in the mind of the beasts, she'd been on the verge of a melt down. Thoughts and memories were directly and heavily entwined with raw human emotion. Touching the minds of others was hazardous, and even a brief interaction had the potential to cause significant mental damage to those that dabbled in the heads of other individuals. Emotions, negative and positive latched on to the invading telepath, sticking like glue to the interloper and breaking down their psyche over time.
Sakura had seen her friend that way once before; a week after the war ended, when the consequence of connecting so many minds at once had finally taken a toll. Ino had been weighed down with the pain, sorrow, anger and even hatred in the minds of the Allied shinobi she'd touched, drowning in the well of negativity she'd inadvertently collected.
It was then that she'd explained purging to the pinkette, describing the process in the simplest terms she could.
Purging drained the dark "energy" contained within the memories and emotions acquired from others, nullifying the effect it had on the telepath. Ino described it as turning the emotional chaos of a memory or thought into a file in her mind, where she could access the information contained, and "read" about the emotions associated with the information but in a way that was detached, on the outside looking in.
It allowed her to keep the contents of the memory without being driven to insanity by its negative energy.
To initiate the purge, Ino went into a meditative state that forced the damaging energy trapped inside the thoughts and memories plucked from someone else's head from her own cranium, leaving them decontaminated and tucked safely behind a compartment in the mind of a Yamanaka. The discarded energy manifested physically, appearing as black smoke, excreted from the temples and forehead. The scent it carried varied, the strength of the odor dependent upon the severity of negativity.
Ino had been on her way to purge when Sakura had knocked on her door.
Sleep deprived, despondent and in need of support, the weepy kunoichi had jumped at the solace her pink haired friend offered. Sai had left mid week, busy with his new position and had yet to be heard from. Shikamaru was swamped in his role as adviser and buffer between Konoha and Myoku's harmful edicts, while Choji was again away in Kumo. With the majority of her lifelines unavailable, the people she felt comfortable purging with was limited. After a successful purge, Ino often felt empty, exhausted and in need of comfort.
There were only a few people she trusted to fill that role.
Sakura was one of those people.
The two kunoichi had walked a distance from the village, selecting a soothing clearing near a cheerful stream, returning to the secluded spot for the next two days.
Emerald orbs moved over the other woman, watching as tension left her shoulders. Black, hazy smoke billowed from Ino's forehead, streaming steadily from the pores in her skin. A soft hiss reached Sakura's ears, the sound, one she'd gotten used to in the past two day.
The scent, however, left her swallowing against her gag reflex.
It was nowhere near the overwhelming stench of the black ooze from the creatures, but the smell of concentrated negativity was a close second.
Minutes later, the smoke began to ebb, the thick black becoming dark gray, then cloudy gray, before finally dispersing completely.
"Ino, are you feeling better?" Sakura questioned as her eyes opened.
Blue orbs met green. Ino sucked in a steadying breath, her eyes filling. Sakura was up and over the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around the trembling woman, Sakura pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the remnants of sweat and dark emotion from her face and forehead. She spoke soothing words to her friend, stroking her back comfortingly.
An hour later, Ino was almost back to her confident, outspoken self. The platinum blonde took a sip of the cool water in the canteen next to her, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Sakura," she said with a small smile that vanished quickly, "thought I was going to go crazy this time...those things...I've never been inside minds like that. It was-"
"Wait," Sakura interrupted, turning on the recorder she held and placing it on the grass between them, "Post purge interview. Ino Yamanaka. Sakura Haruno. May 25, 2009. Zero four hundred hours."
Sakura settled across from her friend.
"So their minds are...different?" Sakura prompted.
"More than different. No where near normal. There's layers, pathways that lead to pathways within pathways, some that lead nowhere. The memories, the thought patterns are so disorganized and chaotic. They don't feel human, but they sound human and the noises that echo in that space. The screaming..." Ino shivered, "the noise is terrible. It sounds like screaming but its not really screaming, and I don't hear it with my ears."
Pink brows creased with confusion. Ino was all over the place, but the last comment was one she'd heard before.
"Naruto described it that way too but I still don't understand what you guys mean. It doesn't make much sense to me."
Ino shook her head.
"It doesn't make much sense to me either, but that's the best way I can describe it," she said, "I can only hear it when I'm inside their head though. I'm not able to hear it without that direct connection the way Naruto can. But when I hear it, I get the sense that the sound isn't just noise but almost like words. It gives off...impression."
"Impression?"
"Its like a sense I get when I sift through thoughts and memories of normal humans. I can sometimes feel emotions like words...its kinda hard to explain, but I get...suggestions, sort of like speech, when connecting to someone else's inner self," Ino rubbed her temples, blonde brows crinkling, "It was talking. That God awful noise is how it talks."
A shiver skated up Sakura's spine.
"What talks?"
Ino met her gaze.
"The tree."
Goosebumps pebbled the skin along her arms. Sakura had only heard whispers of the alleged tree before her mission. Rumors she had dismissed as just that, rumors. The creature's she'd seen and worked on had been dead and she'd seen no vegetation, let alone a tree within their corpses.
"What...what do you mean by that? What tree?"
Looking just as creeped out but on a more personal note, Ino shook her head again.
"I don't really know myself. It's something in their head. A mental space tucked away in the labyrinth of their psyche, at least the...trunk of it is," she hesitated, trying to find the words to describe it, "The trunk is in the inner space, but the roots, the branches, they touch every part of the mind. That's where the sound comes from. The tree is thin and frail. It's starving, that's why it screams."
Sakura was more than a little disturbed. The hair at her nape stood on end.
"Ino, what-"
"It needs blood and chakra to grow."
"That's why they're draining their victims, to feed this...tree and not their bodies?"
Ino nodded.
"Yes. The blood and chakra sustains the tree but they're still...human, or enough of them is still human that their bodies need normal human nourishment, its the tree that needs the blood and chakra. The live jubokko I worked with were being fed blood intravenously and received infusions of chakra, but their bodies broke down quickly without proper nourishment. When their bodies were fed but not the tree, that black sludge dripped from their fangs and the humming inside head began," Ino shuddered, "It started screaming. The sludge manifests when the tree is ravenous. With regular feedings, it doesn't appear and the tree is silent."
"Jubokko?"
"That's what the intelligence team has dubbed them. They function much like the myth of a jubokko."
Sakura did a quick search of her mind for the familiar term. The jubokko was a said to be a demon tree, often appearing in folklore, that survive on the blood of humans, taking root in the aftermath of a battlefield in which many have perished. Sakura thought the name fit, except in this case, the jubokko were creating the bloody battlefield to feed themselves.
"The sludge is nicknamed tsuchi."
"Tsuchi?" Sakura repeated, a bit surprised, "soil isn't normally corrosive."
"Its composition is strange and yet it functions much like it. When it enters the body, it liquefies the insides and overstimulates tenketsu, but it also acts as an absorbent, storing both life sustaining substances within and acts as a medium. Breaking down what it needs and funneling it back to the tree. It promotes and stimulates the growth of the tree, and has been dubbed tsuchi."
Sakura was eager to see the data she'd missed while on her mission and gain a deeper understanding of the fluid. Not just for curiosity's sake, but also in the hopes of finding a way to combat the fatal substance. If the medical and analytical departments had come this far in understanding what it was, how it functioned and had come up with a title befitting its significance, surely the new information would help formulate treatment or even better, a cure.
Sakura made a mental note to grab the report after she checked on the survivors they'd rescued.
"What about their memories?" she asked, "Who were these people? What happened?"
"I'm not sure. Their memories are trapped, or covered up I guess you could say," she took another swallow of water, "I'll need to go back in and see if I can get access. I may be able gain some insight from their memories, maybe even see who created them."
Sakura frowned in concern.
"Are you sure you can handle that, Ino?"
"Yeah, I just need to be more careful. Take my time and purge more often. The amount of pain and chaos in their mind is just...I wasn't prepared for it the first time but I think I can handle it," Ino winked, "Who else but a Yamanaka can handle something like this?"
Sakura gave a small, unconvincing smile at the woman's bluster. She could see the worry in her blue depths, the look most likely reflected in her own eyes.
Ino pressed the off button on the recorder, gazing intently at her friend.
"Your turn." Ino declared.
Sakura stared, confused as the blonde held out her arms, hands gesturing for her to move into the embrace.
Sakura raised a brow.
"Ino, what in the world are you doing?"
Ino's face softened. Her gaze gentle and compassionate.
"You lost someone, didn't you?" she asked, "I may have been out of it and in worse shape than you, but that doesn't mean I didn't recognize that looked in your eyes, or feel your pain. Come here and let it out, and then we'll work on putting you back together."
Sakura swallowed, her throat tight. The pain and sadness of the last few day came back in a rush. Her eyes burned as she held back tears. With Ino taken care of, she herself could fall apart. She moved into healing embrace, weeping as Ino wrapped her arms around her.
xxxxxx
"Ow! Dammit!"
Naruto scowled at the frying pan, blowing at the stinging burns across his fingertips. Years later and he was still clumsy in the kitchen. He was out of ramen and had tried his hand at scrambled eggs instead. Dressed in his long sleeved fishnet under shirt and bright orange mission pants, and on his second finger burning, the annoyed jonin was tempted to go without breakfast.
"It shouldn't be this hard to make eggs, 'ttebayo."
A giggle filled the kitchen.
He looked over his shoulder, turning his frown on his girlfriend. Hinata stood in the doorway of the kitchen in one of his t-shirts, her pale hand over her mouth as she chortled.
"Oiiii, Hinata," he pouted with feigned petulance, "I thought we agreed that when I'm cooking, nobody giggles."
His lips curled as she burst into fresh laughter. He turned back to his slightly charred eggs. She opened the fridge next to him, pulling out lunch meat, condiments and left overs from last night.
"You're up really early, Naruto-kun," she murmured, "I thought your meeting wasn't until seven."
"Yeah, but I need to talk to Kakashi-sensei and after the meeting, I won't have time."
He reached into a cabinet and grabbed a plate for his eggs.
"Is it about last night?" she asked, taking the items to his kitchen table.
He paused a moment, glancing at her before sliding his eggs on the plate.
"You felt it too then?" he asked.
"It felt like...something powerful winked into existence and then vanished soon after."
Naruto placed the pan in the sink and moved to the table with his food. Hinata brought a couple of plastic containers and began preparing sandwiches and other side dishes for him and his genin team to eat at lunch time.
He nodded.
"That's what it felt like to me and Kurama said pretty much the same thing. It might have something to do with the creatures but it felt really far off." he said, "maybe Kakashi-sensei knows something we don't."
He took a few bites of his breakfast, grimacing slightly at the charred taste. Hinata looked worried.
"Kurama?"
"Yeah, it woke him up too. He said it felt familiar."
"Familiar?"
Naruto shrugged.
"He was just as confused about it."
Naruto worked on stomaching his unappetizing meal as Hinata finished packing lunches. Minutes later, the pair finished and moved to the living room. Naruto picked up his black mission jacket from the armrest of the couch and shrugged it on. He zipped the jacket before accepting the headband Hinata held out to him. He ran a hand through his short blonde spikes before slipping it over his head.
"Thanks. Guess I'm all set," he grinned, "Hope the team is ready too."
"Tell them I said hello." she said.
"We're working on some group training today," he said, heading for the door, "Nothing too heavy, so I should be done before your Clan meetings end. I'll probably take them out for ramen after. If you aren't busy, drop by and join us. They like hanging out with you, especially Sanzo."
His dark haired lover giggled, and Naruto chuckled as well. The troublemaker had a crush on the sweet natured Hyuuga, blushing profusely when she was near. Naruto enjoyed needling the genin about his red face and bumbling words in her presence.
"He's a brat but he's got good taste at least." Naruto grinned, taking the bundled lunches from her hands.
She blushed at his complement, playing bashfully with a strand of hair. With her midnight mane loose and mussed, dressed in his shirt, she looked beautiful and more than a little tempting. He leaned down and fused his mouth briefly to hers.
"See you later," he said, drawing back, "Love ya."
"Love you too, have a good day."
The sky was still dark as he walked the quiet and mostly empty streets of his home town. A few early operating business owners waved and called out greetings as he passed. He waved back, smiling at those he knew and even those he didn't. Naruto jogged up the stairs of Hokage tower, moments before dawn. Dull light stretched across the dark sky, the sun peeking over the horizon.
He nodded to several nin as he maneuvered the halls. He was a few feet away from the Hokage door when it swung open, smacking against the wall.
Naruto paused, watching as the tall, lithe figure of Myoku Yagutsu stepped through the open portal. Unease crawled over his skin. He could feel the rage rolling off the haughty adviser. Calm, quiet, the adviser turned towards him and began to walk. Adorned in a snowy robed top and neatly pressed, baggy slack, his white hair gathered atop his head, he presented his usually impeccable, immaculate picture. It was his face that gave the blonde Uzumaki pause.
His pale face contorted in blistering fury, dark eyes wide and fierce.
The air felt charged, slithering over his skin. Kurama stirred, brushing along the confines of his consciousness. Fox and jonin watched the slow gait of the man, the almost feral look of ire twisting his normally indifferent visage. The soft clicks of his booted feet echoed in the hall as he passed by, the light traffic of early rising shinobi parting for the enraged man.
Curious blue orbs watched until he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.
"What crawled up his butt?" Naruto asked his former teacher minutes later.
Inside the silver haired leader's office, the jonin had sat the lunches in an unoccupied chair along the far wall and now stood in front of his oak wood desk.
Kakashi leaned back in his plush chair, closing his eyes as he spoke.
"Adviser Yagutsu is finding out the limits of his influence," he answered simply, "now, I assume you're here early for a reason, I can't see you rolling out of bed an hour early for a meeting."
Naruto grew serious.
"Last night, I felt...something. Like something really powerful exploded into existence then it was gone," he explained, "Kurama felt it too, so did Hinata. Was it one of those beasts we brought back?"
"Jubokko."
Blonde brows creased in confusion.
"We've decided on a name based on the information gathered; jubokko," Hatake clarified, sitting up in his chair, dark eyes sharp, "The upcoming meeting is a briefing and update on the new information we have about these transformed humans. I'm not sure if what you've described is something that can be attributed to the jubokko we have here. I haven't received any reports like that from the labs, but we can't rule it out either."
"It felt kind of far in the distance so I don't think the..." he paused, recalling the new title, "jubokko we brought back were involved but I wanted to be sure. It didn't feel like anything I've ever felt before. It was unnerving and woke us up in the middle of the night. Kurama says it felt familiar to him but he can't really explain how or why it did."
"I'll add the information to the file we have and if it happens again, go directly to the intelligence department and we'll see if we can trace its origins. In the mean time, I'll have the patrol reports pulled for last night and see if they observed anything abnormal. You said it felt far off?"
"Yeah, almost like an echo but I couldn't tell you in which direction."
"If its outside the boundaries of Fire Country I'll check with the other Nations and see if they have any reports of anything abnormal occurring last night."
A little disappointed that he wouldn't be getting any immediate answers about this new worry, Naruto nodded.
The two talked for several more minutes before a knock, signaling another guest, interrupted the pair. Naruto gathered his bentos as the door swung open.
"Tsunade-baa-chan, nee-chan, Tonton, morning." he greeted as the former Hokage and her dark haired assistant entered.
"Morning squirt." Tsunade replied, though her honey eyes looked deadly serious.
"Good morning, Naruto." Shizune answered a moment later.
The younger woman looked just as grim, her arms wrapped around the snorting pig. He trekked to the door as the three began to converse, his curiosity peaked when Sakura's name reached his ears.
He'd gone by her place yesterday and she hadn't been home. Ino had been absent as well. He was pretty sure the two were together but he was still worried about her. Both of them, actually.
They were both dealing with a lot.
He knew they were tough but even the strongest needed help sometimes.
He'd go by their place again after ramen.
He made it a couple of minutes early for the scheduled meeting and chatted with his fellow jonin while they waited. He wasn't surprised that Sakura wasn't here but he was a bit shocked to see Sai. The former Root member stood in the thick of the gathered group, speaking to a woman Naruto wasn't very familiar with.
"Oi! Sai!" he greeted loudly, waving at his pale friend.
Sai and most of the room turned to look at the loud blonde. Naruto was smiling as he walked over to the male, that changed quickly the moment his friend returned the greeting.
"Oh, good morning," Sai smiled, "cockzilla."
Heat exploded across his cheeks, blue orbs widening as a few people snickered and giggled.
"Sai!" the embarrassed Uzumaki sputtered, grabbing the loose lipped bastard and tugging him from the crowd.
The mortified blonde felt a million eyes on his back as he maneuvered them to an empty corner of the room.
"I told you not to call me that, ya jerk!" he hissed, "its embarrassing, dattebayo!"
The still suspected robot merely smiled at him, unruffled and not in the least bit apologetic.
"Slip of the tongue, Naruto-kun."
Blonde brows twitched.
"How'd you like the slip of a fist?" Naruto mumbled.
"It's been a while since we've talked and yet all you seem to have for me are threats and hostility, Naruto-kun," Sai needled, his smile stretching, "the book I read says that after a long period of time, friends should-"
"I forgot how annoyingly weird you are." Naruto complained.
Naruto sighed, though it was more show than actual exasperation. He'd missed the nutty painter and his off hand, often awkward comments. His teammate had damn near fallen off the grid and his absence was made worse by the general lack of time his group of friends seemed to have for each other since New Years.
Naruto was busy with his new team of genin. Choji spent as much time as he could in Kumo, doing his best to woo his new love interest, Karui. Shikamaru barely had time to spare for Temari, let alone his friends. Tenten was busy opening her own weapons retail shop, while, Shino, shockingly, was making moves to pursue a teaching career at the Academy.
Even Kiba was scarce now that he and Tamaki had moved in together.
Lee, however...
Lee was mystery.
The taijutsu practitioner seemed to be hiding something.
Naruto was almost certain bushy brows had a girlfriend tucked away somewhere considering he'd started bailing on them sometime after New Years, offering stuttering excuses about having to meet someone and then zipping off before saying who he was meeting. Weeks after his strange behavior began, Naruto had seen a familiar, goofy look on his face and a relaxed, sluggish sway to his gait.
In addition to the life choices and decisions the members of the Konoha 11 were making as they grew into adulthood, the back to back mission of a struggling village added to the encroachment of group hang outs.
"Still on the hush about your reassignment?" Naruto asked.
The creepy smile faltered, replaced with a more genuine, serious expression.
"Until the foreseeable future." Sai confirmed.
Naruto nodded, not bothering to waste his breath with questions. He'd get nothing from the dark haired male.
He was more tight lipped than Sasuke.
The two chatted, Naruto growing increasingly flustered as his friend returned to his earlier teasing. The opening and closing of a door drew everyone's attention and silence. Shikamaru, Myoku and a few white coat wearing scientists and medical specialists followed him. The sickly looking adviser seemed frigidly composed and detached, a stark contrast to his earlier visceral fury.
The meeting began without preamble, one of the coated women giving a run down of the physiology of the newly labeled jubokko and an explanation of its namesake.
"The appearance of the enemy varies but from what we can tell, there are distinguishing features and behaviors that will help you identify a threat. Pale skin. Fangs and claws. All have been male. Ocular abnormalities including but not limited to, slit pupils, abnormally colored sclera, and imitations of well known kekkei genkai, although such occurrences are rare."
Naruto listened intently to the information, more disturbed when the medical team began to speak, explaining the effects of the tsuchi. Sakura crossed his mind again when the white coats confirmed one of the two survivors they'd brought back were dead as of that morning. The introduction of the corrosive sludge occurred when the creature became starved for nourishment, using the tsuchi to quickly, and efficiently melt major organs, erode blood vessels and gather chakra all at once, turning their victim's insides into the equivalence of a potent protein shake, one meant to quickly sate hunger long enough to find a more filling source of sustenance.
They explained, in horrific detail, the liquefying process, initiated by acid producing, tenketsu dilating, flesh eating microorganisms contained within the sticky substance. It acted much like tsuchi, absorbing the bloody, grizzly nutrients it needed and funneled it back for the consumption of the starving jubokko, ensuring its survival and stimulating growth.
The growth of the "tree" inside each and every one of the jubokko.
The partially sentient being existing in a plane of their psyche, one that drove the modified humans to obtain what it needed to live and thrive. The ear tingling wail in his ears, produced by the baying tree in desperate need of a meal. One of the jonin had asked if the tree being referenced was corporeal or incorporeal, and the response they received had been confusing and alarming.
The tree was both. Manifesting in the mind and in the extra organs growing inside the body of the jubokko.
The more he listened, the more apprehensive he grew.
Not for himself, but for the genin he was responsible for and the danger these things posed for the civilian population that couldn't defend themselves.
He was concerned about the safety of his friends and fellow shinobi.
For his kunoichi girlfriend.
He didn't even want to contemplate the last one. The very thought left him nauseous.
No cure, not even treatment to hold the symptoms at bay.
The last survivor was expected to perish soon, setting the fatality rate, as it stood at the moment, at one hundred percent.
"The bite itself is not contagious. There hasn't been a single case of a human transforming into the jubokko after an attack. However, the bite, accompanied with tsuchi is fatal." Shikamaru informed.
"These orbs," one of the scientists followed, holding up a blown up picture of the green luminescent sphere in question, "are being used to control the behavior of the jubokko. They're located in the chest cavity, and upon dislodging the object, connections between it and its manipulator is severed, at which point the jubokko returns to fulfilling its only objective. Feeding its hunger on whoever, whatever is near at hand."
Memories of his own experience with the jubokko turning on another came to mind.
"Due to their volatile nature and the effectiveness of the tsuchi," the pale adviser began, "They are not to be engaged proactively-"
"Unless they pose an immediate threat to human life, at which point you are cleared to act," Shikamaru informed the group, eyes cutting to the fancy dressed man as he spoke, "Capture, containment are ideal, but if that course of action becomes unattainable, immediate extermination is permitted and demanded."
Shikamaru turned back to the group.
"Use your best judgment. Our core objective is to limit the loss of life, not only for those you protect but for you all as well."
xxxxxx
Otsutsuki sighting confirmed.
Died upon arrival.
Body decayed of its own accord.
Probability of more: high.
Deceased left behind communication device. Object is activated with Rinnegan. Updates to follow as information becomes available.
-S
xxxxxx
May 31, 2009
Blunted fingernails curled into his pecks, the undulating hips beneath his hands moving at a frenzied pace. Naruto watched with hood eyes as the moaning beauty bounced atop him, the blue sapphire, half heart dangling between her naked breasts. Her wet core clutched tight around his throbbing length, the sensation sending blood crashing through his veins.
He panted, sliding his hands up her side, filling his hands with the generous flesh of her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her coral nipples.
"Naruto-kunnnn," she mewled, arching her spine into his teasing hands.
Heat blasted his gut. He lifted his torso, lips and tongue sliding over the damp skin of her abdomen, kissing and sucking his way to her fleshy mounds. He suckled one distended bud before laving the other, his hands gliding down her back, through her hair and over her buttocks.
Her breath hitched, desperate fingers twined in his hair.
Her excited moans rose several octaves as she rode his cock to orgasm, twisting and shuddering, milking his sex with hard pulls of her body. He groaned, mouth pressed to her breast as climax tore through him, tremors wracking his locked muscles. The hot rush of cum leaving his cock blissful. Her fingers danced over his spine, caressing and tracing as euphoria bloomed. Panting, Naruto dropped back to the bed, taking her with him.
Hinata breathed softly against his skin, her lips pressing kisses to his heated flesh.
He sighed, contentment unfurling.
They cuddled, their breathing slowing in the afterglow. Naruto gazed down at the replete woman curled against his chest as she toyed with their necklaces, connecting the two halves into a single heart.
He swallowed.
Nerves churning in his gut. He stroked her cooling skin, drumming up the courage to open his mouth.
'Just say it. The worse she can say is no.'
He didn't know why he was nervous. The chances of her saying yes were greater than the possibility of her say no.
"Your heart is beating fast," she murmured into the quiet, "What's wrong Naruto-kun?"
"Ah, yeah...I was uh, thinking...you're here more than you are at your place, 'ttebayo," he scratched his whisker marked cheek, struggling not to trip over his words, "and I was thinking, maybe we should...move in together, permanently, ya know, not like before but, like as a couple."
He was babbling, sounding like an idiot.
Her head lifted, eyes meeting his.
"I-I mean if you want to," he rambled, "You don't have to, I can wait if you think it's too soon for that, or if your father would-"
She pressed her lips to his in answer, sweeping his mouth with enough passion to empty his brain. Her tongue slipped over his, her plush lips drawing the breath from his lungs. Her hands caressed his face, fingers slipping through his blonde hair as she made out with him. His own hands slid down the smooth, feather soft skin of her naked back, down and over the lush globes of her bottom.
Lust coiled in his gut, need crashing through his veins as wet kisses traced his jaw and throat.
"I'll take that as a yes." he murmured.
She lifted her head, grinning happily at him.
"I'd love to move in with you, 'ttebayo." she giggled, tracing his lips with gentle fingertips.
He grinned beneath her digits.
"Then let's live together, dattebayo."
xxxxxx
June 1, 2009
Full report required.
Anbu dispatched.
Rendezvous at coordinates below.
-X
Sai rolled the scroll and placed it in the small pouch attached to the hawk's ankle. In the shadowed depths of the secluded Anbu Headquarters, the expressionless painter trekked to the window of his office, balancing the messenger hawk perched on his forearm. He lifted the glass. Cool midnight air swept over his skin as he thrust his arm up and out, sending the bird back to its master. Moonlight streamed over the two occupants of the room.
Sai pivoted, glancing at the kneeling subordinate.
"Crow."
"Sir." the masked Anbu answered from beneath his beaked mask.
"You have your coordinates. If Uchiha does not make contact within a month of your arrival to the rendezvous, return immediately. Dismissed."
The Anbu disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Sai took a breath, his gaze turning back to the bright light of the moon. He'd hoped to finish early enough to check on his girlfriend. The reports, both written and recorded by his significant other seemed to be getting worse. He worried about her ability to handle the task she'd been assigned. He believed in her, knew she was the best Konoha had to offer in terms of intelligence gathering, but he wondered, at what cost?
What harm would she be willing to endure to solve this deadly mystery?
He looked down at his own hands.
How far was he willing to go?
xxxxxx
June 12, 2009
The distant, but familiar screech of his alarm clock jerked him from his slumber. Sleepy blue orbs opened, blurry gaze moving around the gently illuminated room. Irritation crawled up his spine at the wailing noise. He was off today and had clearly forgotten, once again, to turn his alarm off. The warm bundle curled against his back shifted, the feminine arms wrapped around his waist flexing gently. Hinata lay plastered to his back, her naked breasts pressed to his back, smooth legs entwine with his.
Naruto yawned, reaching over to his bedside dresser. He slammed his hand atop the alarm clock, silencing the ringing.
Feather soft lips pressed against his flesh, her hands caressing the hard planes of his abdomen. He turned in her embrace, meeting her tired eyes and stroking her silky hair from her face.
"Morning," he greeted, pressing his lips to hers.
"Good morning," she murmured back.
"Forgot to turn the alarm off." he grumbled with a pout.
Hinata laughed.
"I see that," she smiled, sitting up and brushing her mussed hair from her face and shoulders, "While we're up early on a Saturday, why don't I make us breakfast and we can spend the day at the lake. That'd be a nice change."
It'd be more than a nice change. The village had been in none stop action for the last two weeks. The injured increasing, down time decreasing and the tension was starting to erode tempers. The civilians were antsy, rumors of the chaos slowly creeping forward and beginning to seep within the walls of Konoha.
A calming, relaxing trip to the lake would be a welcome change.
They took a shower together, dressed and had breakfast together. He was just finishing his orange juice when his doorbell rang. He sighed, half expecting an emergency mission. He sat his glass down, hoping and dreading the call to duty. He loved being in the field, loved going out on missions, but lately, he'd been playing fill in for a sudden shortage of qualified shinobi, replacing nin that were either MIA or KIA.
The loss of life disturbed and saddened him. It wasn't a massive loss, the Konoha nin weren't falling by the hundreds, not even by the dozens but it was enough to give him pause.
"I'll get it, 'ttebayo."
He padded over to the front door and opened it, blinking at the three genin at standing in his apartment hallway.
"Good morning, sensei!" came Tani's sing-song greeting.
"Good morning, sensei." Seinosuke said with a slight bow.
"Yo." Sanzo greeted, waving a peace sign at the confused blonde.
His students were dressed casually. Tani was clothed in a bright yellow summer dress and tan sandals, a yellow headband tucked into her short green hair. Sanzo was wearing a deep blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, while Seinosuke sported a light gray t-shirt and jeans.
Naruto blinked again.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, "We have today off."
"Well," Tani chirped, grinning brightly, "It's Sanzo's birthday! His father is on a mission and hasn't come back yet so I figured we'd celebrate here!"
"Ehhh??"
"Unless you don't wanna celebrate with us?" Tani pouted with fake hurt.
"Uh, no I-"
"Awesome!" the genin grinned.
"Naruto-kun? Is everything all right?"
Naruto glanced over his shoulder then back at Sanzo, grinning at the crimson staining his cheeks. He widened the door, stepping back so his curious girlfriend could see the three teens in the doorway. Dressed in a blue and white stripped sundress and flats, his lover looked beautiful and welcoming as she moved to his side.
"Look who dropped by," he announced, "Sanzo's turning fourteen today and was wondering if you'd bake him a cake and sing him happy birthday."
"I didn't-I wasn't-" Sanzo sputtered, embarrassment coloring his face.
She reached out and ruffled his half shaved head.
"If you don't mind waiting, I can have a birthday cake ready for you in just a little bit, Sanzo-kun." she said with a soft smile.
"I...I...thank you." he mumbled, face the color of lava, his green eyes shinning.
She turned, heading for the kitchen.
It was a moment before the birthday boy noticed his teacher and female teammate elbowing each other, whispering and giggling behind their hands while pointing at his dreamy face, making a show that they were "gossiping" about his reaction.
The bashful teen glowered at them both.
"Come on, Seinosuke, lets get away from those two idiots," he growled, tugging his grinning, silver haired teammate passed the two needlers and into the apartment, "Or we might catch the stupid that seems to be going around."
xxxxxx
Pain spread briefly thorough his eye, the grating sensation of spreading tomoe engulfing his eyeball. Sasuke braced himself, taking a breath as the throbbing agony faded, and he was catapulted through suffocating darkness. He concentrated on breathing, on the inhalation and exhalation of his lungs, on the tepid beating of his heart. The shadows moved, clawing at his skin, whispering in his ears.
Questioning his sanity.
Coaxing him to scream.
To fear.
To panic.
Sweat slipped down his temples, unease climbing up his spine.
He felt hot and cold, his clothes brushing irritatingly over his skin. Felt trapped in his skin. He wanted it off. He wanted them both off.
His skin...
Light exploded, his dark eyes opened, his brain bursting through the tide of whispers. The dead Otsutsuki stood in front of him. Another transmission predating his demise. The sickly looking man was distraught, panicked, soot coating his pale skin, smoke billowing behind him. The night sky was illuminated with bright streaks. Meteors, thousands of them, hurtling through the planet's atmosphere. Sasuke winced, the loud sound of colliding rock ringing in his ears. The Otsutsuki's mouth was moving, repeating something over and over but the words we lost, ripped away by the deafening impacts around him.
Sasuke read the words on the frantically moving lips as clear as day.
"He is near."
Sasuke retreated, pulling him mind from the darkness, hurtling back to the here and now with brutal force. Sunlight sucked away the darkness. The yawning silence slowly filling with the chirping of birds and the sound of wildlife. He wavered, knees buckling. He gripped the nearest tree, hanging on as his breathing slowed and his eye bled. Glancing at the sky, the Uchiha calculated he had lost more than an hour of time inside the device. Strength slowly seeped into his sore muscles. He straightened, pressing his back to the tree and taking several gusts of air into his lungs.
He was getting used to the pain and disorientation.
The ability to pull himself from the grip of the transmitter becoming smoother. He needed more practice, more experience with the alien technology.
A bird's cry reached his ears. He looked up, spotting the brown hawk circling above. He pushed away from the tree trunk and into a clear area. Sasuke lifted an arm for the bird to land. With the bird on his arm, he moved to a low hanging tree branch. The bird hopped to the branch, blinking as he reached for the pouch at its ankle, taking the scroll it carried. He read the short missive, squinting as he did so. His left eye was blurry and aching.
Memorizing the coordinates, Sasuke burned the paper with burst of chakra, wiped his eye and headed south.
xxxxxx
So a little more info here for you all. Got the outline for the next chapter planned already and hopefully the chapter will be out soon.
For those that read it, Secrets of the Hidden Leaf chapter should be out Thursday night I'm thinking. At least by the weekend XD
Thanks for reading, don't forget to review and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
Laters
~Sessakag