"My orders are simple. I have to kill you for attempting to attack the leaf village." Mai sternly snarled, standing in a defense stance with two kunai clutched in her palms.
Hurity, one of the rogue ninja, stood with shuriken resting between his fingers. He was smirking cockily, showing no sign of fear, but showing her that he was the real threat.
Mai didn't even sweat upon seeing this man. He was scrawny for a ninja, with short buzzed off blonde hair and dark ocean blue eyes that are filled with venom. They were practically throwing daggers at Mai, but she didn't feel worried or scared one bit.
Mai signed up for this job knowing the risks and how dangerous it could be. However, she had years of fighting against rogue ninja that tried to kidnap her, so she felt more than confident to be a good ANBU blackop.
"How 'bout you take off your mask and show yourself, you coward!" Hurity fumed, readying a singular shuriken with his fingers, stealthily sliding to his fingertips.
That didn't go unnoticed to Mai, though. She mentally laughed at how obvious he was being, but she shook it off and kept her guard up.
"I'm no coward. I'm here because I'm loyal to my village. And this is where you die." Mai innocently said, causing Hurity to growl with anger.
"ANBU are just weaklings. You won't be able to kill me. It's you that's dying here!" He screamed, using his middle and pointer finger to fling a shuriken at Mai, aiming for her temple.
As the shuriken spun speedily through the air, Mai simply curved her lips into a smirk and she brought up her kunai, metal clinging metal, sending the man's weapon to the ground, stabbing the moist dirt.
Mai could just go into a laughing fit due to this guys stupidity. "Shuriken are useless against me!" She informed, suppressing a chuckle.
Hurity furrowed his eyebrows and visibly became furious, but that only irked Mai to laugh more. She had enough fun though, she had to talk to Sasuke before he got impatient and left.
"Okay, okay. This was a great time," Mai squeaked as a laugh forced its way out from her throat. "But, like I said, you're going to die here."
Hurity grunted, "I'm ending you right here and now!"
He then released the last three shuriken from his fingers, each aiming for different vital spots on Mai's body.
Mentally sighing, the blue haired ninja took her kunai and hit all of the shuriken away from her, each one plunging into a nearby tree.
Forming a hand sign, Mai smirked underneath her mask. "Snow blind jutsu!"
A thick sheet of ice then formed over Hurity's ocean blue eyes. The intense and bitter coldness burned his orbs, now unable to see anything. He started to desperately claw at his eyes, his fingernails seeping blood from scratching at the impenetrable ice blindfold.
Mai giggled as she watched the rogue ninja struggled to get his vision back. She took a few steps forward, inches away from him, bringing her hand up to glide her Pointer finger along the sheet of ice, silently admiring her newest jutsu.
"Please! I'll tell the other men that they need to retreat! I beg of you!" Hurity pleaded, dropping to his knees and bowing with defeat.
Mai couldn't care less about his begging. He was just a pathetic rogue ninja that threatened the leaf village. She also had orders, and without hesitation Mai was going to obey them.
"Ice spike jutsu!"
The snow that was prominent on the ground resting like a blanket then rose slowly, forming together to create a giant ice spike.
Mai aimed her chakra at the man's heart, sending the ice spike directly at it. The spike harshly impaled Hurity, red thick blood pouring out of the hole where his heart used to be. His limp lifeless body fell to the ground, face buried in snow.
Mai hummed in response, becoming proud that she fulfilled her first command being on the ANBU blackops.
Mai then took her kunai and started to saw away at Hurity's neck, large amounts of blood oozing from him. Once his head was fully decapitated, she stood up and tossed it to the snowy ground.
She then discarded the remainder of his body, just like the ANBU are commanded to do.
Mai spun around upon hearing someone jump down from a tree, but she placed her weapons in her pouch after seeing it was just another member.
"I'm here to take his head. Good work today, Masi." She praised, using Mai's code name so if any nearby hiding ninja were listening, they wouldn't know who they truly were.
Mai was only able to tell her closest friends she became an ANBU, Lady Tsunade was very lenient towards her. Plus, Ino and Naruto wouldn't dare tell a soul, because punishment is being banned from Konoha.
"Thanks, Kira. Is it time to head back?" Mai queried, wiping her red stained hands on her black pants.
"You are able to go back to the leaf. I have other duties to take care of before hand." Kira informed, turning around and jumping onto the trees.
Mai took a deep breath and deep down hoped Sasuke was still at the lake so she could convince him to come back home with her.
~
Finally approaching the lake, Mai was relieved to see Sasuke sitting down with his back leaning against a tree. Maybe he isn't changed after all.
She took off her cat mask and carefully placed it on the ground before crouching down in front of the raven.
Mai craved his presence just as bad as touching his skin, hair, and lips. Seeing him again sent pleasurable nostalgia throughout her body.
"What are you doing back here, Mai?" Sasuke emotionlessly questioned. Mai furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Didn't you.. wait here for me?" Mai stuttered, standing up.
Sasuke didn't answer. He shut his eyes and titled his head back against the tree bark.
Anger rose within Mai. She hated being ignored, especially since this isn't the Sasuke she knew years ago. He was acting as if she was.. annoying.
"Answer me!" She snapped, watching as the Uchiha opened his eyes to glare at her. Mai felt like a kunai plunged through her heart after seeing his cold and vicious onyx orbs. 'He hasn't ever looked at me that way before. Not even when he hated me when we were kids. What happened to you, Sasuke?'
Sasuke didn't reply yet again. Instead, he clutched onto a dangling tree branch and pulled himself to his feet. He walked past Mai like she wasn't even there, and that only caused her to become more hurt.
She didn't want to show Sasuke the satisfaction of her becoming upset and crying over his cruel actions, so she did everything she could to suppress the aching tears that desperately begged to be released.
Instead of sadness taking over, she allowed anger to in replacement. Mai stormed over to the raven, forcibly shoving him forward.
Sasuke quickly reacted by spinning around and harshly grabbing Mai's neck, digging his fingernails deeply into her flesh. He then pushed her backwards, slamming her against the tree he was previously leaning on.
Mai was stunned at his viciousness, and she slowly started to fear Sasuke, and that's something that was so mind boggling to her.
Sasuke, the one who only smiled and let loose around her. Sasuke, the one who searched for her everyday when she was kidnapped. Sasuke, the one who carried her to safety. Sasuke, the one who stood up to her father and refused to let her go anywhere alone. That was The Sasuke alive in Mai's mind.
This Sasuke was completely out of character. Mai never thought that he would actually hurt her, but, the reality now was that he was. It doesn't matter who he was three years ago, because this was him presently.
Sasuke tightened his grasp on the blue haired ninjas neck, causing her airway to slowly close up. Mai desperately gasped for air, her fingernails rapidly clawing at the raven's cruel hands.
The Uchiha then suddenly let go of Mai, and she instantly dropped to her knees as she wheezed and gasped for oxygen to fill her lungs once again. She softly placed both of her hands on top of her neck which was now pulsing with pain.
That's the moment when Ino's words flashed in her mind. "You and Sasuke won't get a happy ending."
Mai now knew that she was right all along. And that Ino was just trying to help her realize that Sasuke had changed into a completely different person. A person that she hated.
"What.. happened.. to.. you?" Mai tried to speak, but due to Sasuke's choking her throat was now strained and filled with sharp pain, making it difficult to talk.
His back was facing her, and he silently stood there like he was frozen. "Did Naruto and Sakura's failed attempts to get me to go back to that pathetic village not make you think that I never want to return?"
The blue haired ninja became filled with immense sadness and anger, creating sudden strength within her. Mai pushed herself to stand up, approaching Sasuke, stopping only millimeters apart from his back.
"I never tried. I was stupid to think that maybe I could be the one to convince you. It's clear to me that the old you is dead." Mai quietly muttered, voice raspy and pitchy.
"Hn," The raven flat remarked, turning himself around to lock eyes with his former best friend. Sasuke could read her golden orbs thoroughly; they were screaming for help and filled with sadness. Mai lowly gulped, his intimidating black eyes burning through her.
Still, the ice user couldn't help but feel pity for Sasuke. She knew that Orochimaru had been brain washing him and filling his mind with negative words for three years straight. But, right now, that pity was buried under many layers of rage and pain from his betrayal.
Mai pursed her lips, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's. He inched closer, causing the ANBU member to stumble backwards, expecting a punch or slap from him.
"Don't you remember when all we did was bond through pain? We became something special, Sasuke. Dig deep in your mind and try to see it." She pleaded.
The Uchiha's face stayed deadpanned. "We were nothing."
Mai felt like her heart and all happiness was ripped out of her and burned into nothing but black ashes. Those words hurt her so bad, that she felt physically sick after hearing them.
She couldn't force her tears to stay hidden any longer. They seeped from her dull eyes, trailing down her flushed cheeks. Even upon being so hurt after hearing his words, Mai somehow couldn't believe that they were true.
"There was a time when all you did was care about me and protect me. You're telling me that was nothing?"
Sasuke tore his eyes away from Mai after watching the tears slowly fall down her face. He turned around and gathered his things before taking a few steps away from her.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told Naruto and Sakura. I am finally becoming strong enough to get my vengeance. Nothing is going to stop me now."
Mai followed behind the ravenette. "I can help you. If you come home, I will train with you and then go to find Itachi. You don't need to be alone when you have me." She spoke softly, in between sobs.
"Konoha taught me nothing."
Sasuke started to walk again, but Mai suddenly appeared in front of him, not letting him go so easily. She hesitantly brought her hand up to the ravens pale cheek, brushing her fingertips against it gently. And he let her.
"We both trusted each other with our lives. It can be that way again. You don't have to go through darkness and hatred by yourself." Mai persuaded, hoping that her words will somehow get him to change his mind. She didn't want to give up, no matter how furious he previously was towards her.
Sasuke quickly grabbed her hand, slowly taking it off his face before he let go of her. The Uchiha then stepped out of her way, heading into the woods.
Mai spun around and longingly watched him leave, but, he stopped in his tracks for a moment. Without turning around, he monotonously spoke. "Meet here tomorrow, when the sun is at the highest point in the sky."
The ice user was confused at his command, and she wanted to refuse because of how much pain he caused her in just one conversation.
But, she was still going to show up.
~
I hope you guys are enjoying how this is going! And I hope you guys like Mai becoming an ANBU blackops member. :)
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