Untitled_SasuNaru

Her form was flawless. She moved through the village eliminating any threat to her without a second thought or remorse. He followed close behind, as always, just to make sure she did everything she'd been taught. And so far, she had completed it to a "T". When she emerged from the final house, her target, she was blood covered but was holding the medallion she was told to acquire. She stopped and looked around, obviously feeling his eyes on her, but shook off the feeling and left the village. She did stop for a moment and grab an apple. He laughed to himself. If their master saw this, he might laugh as well.



Unlike most children she preferred fruits and vegetables but apples were her favorite. She would always go to extreme measures if their master offered her a piece of that succulent fruit. Shaking his head, he followed her out of the village and back to their lair. Part way there, she fell out of a tree, panting. He stopped and quirked a brow. Wiping her nose, she stood and again, looked around, but this time, her eyes landed dead on him and she scoffed.



Of course he'd send Kabuto. She turned and started for the lair again. He always sent Kabuto. What did he say to the master when he told her how she did on her missions? That she did bad so he kept being sent out to watch her? It was ridiculous! She was old...okay, maybe not old enough but certainly capabil enough to do missions without the watchful eye of the masters right hand. The thoughts of how much she wanted to kill Kabuto uppermost in her mind, she stalked into the lair, through the traps without setting them off and straight to the masters lab.



He was, as usual, studying something under a microscope and she sighed inwardly, not daring to show emotion any other way, and walked over to him. After waiting for what seemed like forever, he turned to her and looked her over. He made a disgusted look. Oh, right, she was covered in blood, guts and gore. Oh well, he wanted his medallion and didn't care how he got it, his words exactly, and she would be damned if she was going to be punished for waiting until she was clean to hand it to him.



"You are disgusting."



"Your medallion." Amazingly, the golden trinket was devoid of dirt and blood and was in pristine condition. After bowing, she turned and started for the door. Kabuto bumped into her and she looked at him, with ptiless eyes and he shuttered. She put as much hate and the promise of death into her gaze as she could muster with being so tired and left the lab. The master laughed and she knew he'd caught her stunt. She'd never live it down, threatening the masters right hand. She glowered inwardly and walked off to her small room.



The room consisted of a steel slab for a bed, a desk, an open shower and a toilet. Her clothes were brought to her depending on the mission. She didn't actually have any of her own. Clothes were a luxury and she did not get luxuries. Actually, there was one thing she did get to have and that was the stuffed snake she'd gotten...she forgot when. But she'd had it a long time and the wear showed. After peeling off her clothes and tossing them outside for one of the lesser beings to get, she shut her door and headed to the shower.



The blood washed down the drain and she leaned her hands against the cold tile, closing her eyes and tilting her head up to the spray. It wasn't until she felt herself being watched that she noticed someone entering her room. Eyes blinking open, she looked towards her door and spotted the master. She ignored him in favor of washing all of her hair. If he was privvy to watch a six year old shower that was his business. Not like he hadn't done it before. Grabbing up the shampoo, she poured a generous amount in her hand and started washing. The blood came out of her white locks and after the second wash, she knew it was all clean. Quickly washing her body, she shut off the water and let herself drip for a while, then rung out her hair and piled it atop her head to await a towel. Oh, that's right, she was out. Damn.



"Come." Oh, inspection time. Of course, couldn't ruin the merchandise. Remaining silent, she walked over, spread her arms out from her sides and proceeded to turn in a complete circle. His eyes were boring holes into her but still, she didn't say anything. To speak out of turn meant punishment and she didn't like being punished. She'd much rather stay in his good graces. "Explain."



"Infiltration was accomplished in twenty six minutes. Eighteen threats were taken out before reaching the target. Five more were taken out inside the house before the main target, carrying the medallion, died in his sleep."



"Tell me about your fall."



"It was a simple stumble. I wasn't watching where I was going and slipped out of a tree." Damn Kabuto. She really was going to kill him one of these days. There was just so much damage a body could heal, granted, his was a hell of a lot more than hers but she would find a way to circumvent that little fact. And she wasn't above using him or the master to do just that. He motioned her over and she walked to him. He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. She stared back. She knew her eyes were empty. It's what he expected and what became normal for her. A tool didn't experience emotions. A tool was just that, a tool to be used and thrown away when it could no longer accomplish it's task.



"Meet me back in the lab. I'll have a look for myself." Inwardly she once again cursed Kabuto but outwardly she simply nodded. Looking to her right, she noticed her clothes had been brought. She walked over and donned them. Oh great, not actual clothes, just underpants and a hospital gown. He'd had this planned from the start. She walked out behind him and back to the one place in any lair she actually feared. The lab.





Her head hurt but she didn't complain. When she woke up she was hooked up to a tube that led to a bag currently hanging just off to the side. When she looked down to her little feet, she noticed the master sitting in a chair, legs propped up against the bed, hands in his lap and eyes closed. His mouth was slightly parted and she knew he was just this side of sleeping. Deciding it might be in her best interests not to wake him up, she closed her eyes and evened out her breathing. What happened? They'd knocked her out before they started anything. They obviously didn't want her to know what they were doing, not that she cared while she was passed out.



Before she knew it, she was slipping into a sleep deep enough to dream, and dream she did. It was about her again. She had many of these dreams, some every night for a week. They looked so much alike and deep down, Hikime knew who this girl was. They were family. But weather she was living or just a figment of her imagination was up for serious debate. They talked in these dreams, talked about their lives and secretly, she wished this girl was real, even though she knew it probably wasn't true.



Even though she was expected to have no emotions, to be a soulless killing machine, she wasn't totally emotionless. She'd been that way once but found it wasn't worth the trouble it brought. She did everything she was told without question because, after all, she wasn't suicidal, but after deciding the emotionlessness she was expected to have just wasn't worth the time, she kept her emotions inside and to herself. She didn't even tell her snake. And these, these she kept to herself. The dreams.



Hey! The girl ran over to her, through the field of flowers, and tackled her to the ground. This was also familiar.



Would you- off. Now.



Oh come on! You can't want me to get off you! We're sooo close now!



What do you mean? The girl rolled off her and stared up at their dreamt sky. Part of it was dawn and part of it was full night. Beautiful.



I mean we're coming and we're so close now. Just another couple of days and we set out. Then, I can come rescue you!



You are a figment of my imagination. You can't come rescuse me. And I don't need rescuing. I like life where I am.



Liar. And I'm not part of your imagination. Just wait and see. I will most definately be there when we come to save you.



I don't need saving Aito.



Yes you do Hikime. You told me yourself a while back.



That was because Kabuto was being brutal to me. He's backed off in the last few months so things haven't been so bad. And besides, Father, I mean, the Master, hasn't been calling me into the lab as much. Really, I'm good. She watched the girl that looked exactly like her turn and slap her across the face.



That....monster, is not your father. Your father is here, with me and damn it, I will come and get you out of there! Then she was gone. Hikime came up, gasping for breath and put a hand to her cheek. It stung. It actually hurt! How could dreams actually hurt? Wait, she didn't want to know. A hand on her shoulder made her turn and look. The master.



"I think it would be good to leave here Master."



"Why?"



"A feeling." He seemed to think over that. He never once doubted her when she said she got a "feeling" because she always turned out to be right but when he asked her for more details, she always said it was just a feeling. She knew he didn't actually push further because he knew she wouldn't tell him even under torture.



"Then we leave." With that, he left the room. She sighed, actually sighed, when he was out of ear shot and crawled out of the bed. Stopping the i.v. and pulling out the needle, she walked, albeit, unsteadily, to the door of the lab and then out. Clothes would be waiting for her when she got to her room, if they hadn't already ransacked it.



When Hikime walked into her room, she had just gotten the door shut when she fell to her knees. Collapsed more like. Something was running down her face. When she wiped at it, she saw blood. She cursed, fruitfully, something that would probably get her slapped should the Master hear it, and stood, forcing herself over to the clothes that lay on her bed, just like always. They weren't the usual clothes and she frowned, sifting through them. It was almost all white with a few red splashes here and there. She just sighed inwardly and started dressing. White stained, horribly. When she was dressed, she grabbed up her snake and wiped her face on her blanket before turning and starting out.



She didn't need rescuing.



She'd take care of herself.





He'd watched Naruto until he needed sleep himself. It seemed the blond was in a deep enough sleep that he didn't notice the lingering presence within the room. When he got down the shadowed hall way, she felt something. he turned. Nothing. Frowning, he walked back to the room, quietly, and peeked inside. He left the door closed but it was open just a fraction now. Using the small slit in the door, he watched as his daughter walked over to the bed, climbed on and under the blankets and curled up to Naruto's side. He would have gone in after her, but Naruto's arm came around her. If the blond had been awake, he got the feeling it wouldn't have happened and his daughter would be flying out of the room at the moment but instead, he watched her breathing even out and her fall asleep. Was everyone against him today? Must be.



Shaking his head, Sasuke walked off to his room and shut the door. After getting comfortable, he couldn't go to sleep. So, he put his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Aito had thought it funny to place glow-in-the-dark stars on it and he hadn't gotten the heart to take them off. Yes, it was funny, him, Uchiha Sasuke, having glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling but again, he didn't take them off. He didn't ever think he would. When he'd actually fallen asleep, it wasn't restful but thankfully, it was dreamless. he didn't know if he'd be able to handle the nightmares. Not after everything that had happened that day.





When he woke, Aito was standing over him, smile on her face. He knew he was late. She never came into his room unless he was late. Thankfully, she wasn't evil, like other children, and didn't bounce on the bed until he woke up. She might just get a spanking for that. So, he grabbed her and dragged her down to the bed and proceeded to wrestle. she squealed like a banshee but until she gave up, he wasn't backing down. It didn't take long for the tickling to get to her and she was laughing hard enough she gave up.



"I have to go!!" She jumped up and ran in the direction of the bathroom. He smiled and actually felt a laugh bubble up and out of his mouth. Quickly, he clamped a hand over his mouth and waited for her to come back. By then he'd composed himself and together they walked to the kitchen. Naruto was sitting at the table.



"Breakfast at eight." That was all the blond said.



"Sorry da! It seems Father over slept and now it's going to be late...unless...." She turned 'the look' on his and he looked quickly away.



"No."



"Oh come on!! Chouji-san's always open for us! And we haven't been there in a week! I'm starving and your cooking stinks!"



"N-nani?!" He turned to her and she ran to hide behind Naruto who simply didn't move. He didn't shove her away but instead stared at the table. "My cooking does not stink young lady. Apologize. And get out from behind Naruto. He isn't going to save you."



"Of course he will. Won't you da?"



"My name is Naruto." He stood and walked into the living room, leaving her. She stared after him and he watched her deflate a little. When she walked back to him, he picked her up and set her on his shoulders.



"Why does he act like that?"



"Your Uncle."



"Well, when I see him again, he's getting a piece of my mind."



"Hn." She looked down at her father and watched him pull out his bill fold. She would have jumped for joy but she would have hit her head on the ceiling. She'd done that one too many times and wasn't about to do it again. He walked, with her atop his shoulders still, to the door of the living room and leaned against the frame, arms crossing over his chest. He stared at naruto who was staring at the pictures scattered around the room. Five years was a lot of time and there were pictures enough to prove it. "We're going out. If you want to eat, come along." But first...he looked at the state of Naruto's dress. "Aito?"



"Hm?"



"Go get a shirt and some clean pants for Naruto please?"



"Father, your wardrobe is all black."



"Don't argue." She gave a frustrated sigh and climbed down off his shoulders to run off and do as she was told. When she was out of ear shot, he walked into the room and stood next to Naruto who had fisted his hands to keep from touching. "Why did you go?" he didn't answer. "You went to the enemy and look how it turned out." Shaking his head, he turned to Naruto who was staring at the floor now, head down, hair covering his eyes. "You aren't sorry are you?"



"If I could feel, I would apologize. To her."



"If you could feel. Tell it to someone who believes you dobe." After he spoke, he threw Naruto against a wall and moved along with him, dragging the blonds hands over his head and using one of his legs to keep Naruto's separate. Blue eyes flickered before going back to their dull color. "See, you do feel, even for brief moments." Sasuke leaned in to the blonds ear and spoke. "I will make you feel for me Naruto. For them. For everyone. Believe it." And then he left Naruto standing there, against the wall.



"I got some-" Aito stopped in her tracks and looked from one man to the other. "What happened?"



"You got what?" Sasuke looked down and noted the clothes in her hands. She frowned and glared at her father but didn't say anything. She knew when she wasn't allowed to ask him something and now was one of those times. So, she walked over to Naruto and handed him the clothes.



"They may be a little tight since you're...er...bigger than Father but, they should work." She beamed and skipped over to Sasuke.



"You can change in the bathroom. And shower." Sasuke pointedly looked at the cuts still marring his arms. Naruto left without a word.



"Father?"



"Hm?"



"I think..." She paused and her hands clasped together and she started figited. Sasuke squatted down and tilted her face up.



"What is it?"



"I...I think you should take it slower, I mean, about bringing him around." She looked at him and he saw the sadness in her eyes, the loneliness. "We want him to stay right? So maybe we should do things he used to do, you know, before he left. Get him to come 'round that way?" Sasuke thought about her words for a moment but smiled.



"I think that's a great idea. Now, what are you getting for breakfast?" He stood and held out his hand, she smiled, a big, beaming smile, and grabbed it in her little one.



"Hmmm. Actually, I'll have to look at the menu. You know Chouji changes it every few weeks so, I wonder if he's got anything new! And maybe he'll give me an ice cream!" She licked her lips at the thought.



"You know the rules." She groaned and then went into a mimicking pose. Of Sasuke.



"'No sugar before noon.' 'Bed time at seven.' 'No decapitations.'" She laughed at the last part.



"I never said that."



"No, Ibiki did." Sasuke actually paled and stared at his daughter.



"You-"



"Of course not!" She giggled and then burst into outright laughter. Sasuke sighed and shook his head. Curse her need for practical jokes.



When Naruto came down the stairs, not ten minutes after he went up, he was dressed in the clothes he'd been given but his demeanor hadn't changed any. Together, Aito and Sasuke stepped out the door and headed for one of the busier parts of town, Naruto entow.



He watched them walking hand and hand in front of him. She had a smile on her face that nearly split it in half and he was softer around the eyes, as if he wanted to laugh but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He knew where she got her acting skills. Naruto studied them for a few moments more before looking off. Villagers were staring at him with eyes of hate, some with curiosity and some with an indeterminable emotion. When he turned back to Sasuke and Aito, he noticed they were walking off to the right of the street so he joined them, not having much else to do. When they turned suddenly into one of the many buildings on the main street, he stopped and looked in. A restaurant.



Chouji was always dealing with food. If he wasn't eating it, he was making it so it was only common sense he would have a place of his own where people could appreciate the finer points of food. He simply walked in and located the Uchiha's. What he found instead was a few table put together and filled with people. The Rookie Nine. And then some. Sasuke and Aito were surprised and looking at each other and then to the table.



"It wasn't me I swear! I have nothing to do with this one!" Aito was practically running aaway from her father when he glared at her.



"OYE! Sasuke-san! Aito-chan!" They looked over to see Shizune. "Take a seat!" Aito didn't need to be told twice and walked over to sit between Sakura and Neji. Neji didn't like being moved but welcomed her all the same. Sasuke took a seat along side of Shino, having done this many times in the past five years. Shino was quiet, didn't ask questions and was plesant to be around for the most part so Sasuke actually didn't mind sitting next to the bug nin. Naruto looked a little lost but a seat opened up between Shizune and Konohamaru. Konohamaru started rambling on and on about Naruto leaving and what not while Shizune reached behind naruto to glomp the talkative teen over the head. He glared at her but rubbed the top of his head and shut up.



"What's the occasion?" Aito piped up and looked around.



"Well, the rest of us got together to eat out before we were sent on the retreival mission. It was sheer luck that you three happened in."



"Really?! Oh this is so great!" She bounced in her seat and clapped her hands together. "Now, for some foooooooodd!! CHOUJI-SAN!!!!"



"Naandaa?" came the reply from the kitchen.



"Gimme some good food will ya?! I'm starving here!" And whenever she said that, she ate more than anyone, even twice her size, could stomach in one sitting. "Ne! Nara-san."



"Hmmm?" The lazy nin was reclining in his chair a cinnimon stick between his lips. He just opened an eye and tilted his head a few degrees to look at her.



"How is Temari?" He grumbled something and turned back to relaxing. "Didn't catch that."



"A typical woman Aito-chan. Forces me to work when she's here, or I'm there, moody, nit-picky...the works." There was more than one woman who glared at him for that comment and when he felt the eyes on him, he sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on Neji. "Tell me I'm wrong." Neji just looked from the Nara to Sakura and held up his hands.



"I say nothing." Sakura smiled evilly at him.



"Because you know where you'd be sleeping if you did." He went back to conversing with Lee.



"Well, she is pregnant and don't women get mood swings when they are pregnant? Or isn't that what baa-sama told me?" Aito seemed to think about the matter for a moment before shrugging it off. "So, is it a boy or a girl?"



"The runt is still undecided. It turns it's back to the monitors so we never get a good look."



"Oh I hope it's a boy!" She rubbed her grubbly little hands together and got a look on her face that made more than one adult wince. "Once he's big enough he's mine." And then she proceeded to laugh evilly. Shikamaru quirked a brow at her and then looked to Sasuke who simply shrugged.



"Breakfast is served!" Chouji came out with a rolling cart that was covered in more food than anyone knew what to do with. he served everyone and put the extra's in the center of the table. When he got to Aito, he set her plate down and uncovered it. She squealed and dug in before sasuke could take the plate away. he'd made her a vanilla cake. Small, but big enough that it was loaded with sugar. Sasuke glared at Chouji who laughed. "Couldn't help it!" he patted Aito's head and started away.



"Mmmm so goo-" She stopped mid sentence and her fork dropped. Everyone turned to her. All conversation stopped. She started convulsing and fell out of her chair. Sakura was at her side in milliseconds, keeping her from hitting her head. Orders were yelled out and the tables were quickly moved out of the way. A makeshift pillow was put under her head and something was shoved into the six year olds mouth to keep her from biting her tongue. When the convulsions stopped, her eyes closed and she went utterly limp. Blood started from her nose, eyes and ears. It wasn't a fast flow but it was enough that Sakura was picking her up and rushing out the door. Sasuke was close behind and then Shizune and Ino.



Everyone left the restaurant and ran to the hospital at full speed. There was only one left standing. Naruto watched everyone run out the door and he felt something. It was quite painful but he didn't know why. He hadn't felt anything for the last two years unless his body was being used so why now? Inwardly frowning, he followed the rushing shinobi. When he got to the hospital, it was quite obvious where everyone had gone so he walked over to them and waited. And waited.



When Shizune came out of the room, Sasuke was asked to come in. Naruto started to move towards the room but caught himself and stopped. Why was he following? No idea. He just went back to standing at the end of the hall, waiting. Again.



He stared down at her small figure and grasped her hand. He felt like crying. This was the second time in the last month she'd collapsed like this. They had no answers. They had theories but no solid answers. Even more so now they needed to find his missing child. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sasuke watched his daughters chest rise and fall. There was a knock on the door and he turned to watch Ino answer it. Naruto walked in quietly and looked between the three women.



"How many times?"



"Why should we tell you traitor?" Ino crossed her arms over her chest. Naruto just turned his eyes to her and she visibly shuttered but didn't say another word. Sakura frowned and looked to Sasuke. he just nodded once.



"This is the second time in the last four weeks. Once more at age three." Naruto seemed to think about the answer for a moment, one hand moving to his opposite wrist where he rubbed at the old scars for a moment. Sakura watched the action and something passed through her eyes for a moment before she forced it down with a firm kick in the ass.



"Who is her other parents?"



"One named Kimimaru." The name seemed to mean something to naruto because he moved over to the bed with purpose. He was stopped but slipped through the restraining hands and looked at Aito. He, with all gentleness, picked up her hand and looked at Sasuke. Then he snapped her wrist. Sasuke went to Punch him away from the bed when a cracking sound caught his immediate attention. Sakura pulled Naruto away from the bed and tossed him into a chair.



"What is your problem?!" She turned back to the bed and her jaw dropped. Aito's hand cracked again and the three woman and Sasuke watched in amazement as her wrist realigned itself and out of the back of it came a bone. The bone fully extended itself before pushing out of her skin to fall on the bed. Naruto stood and walked back to the bed to pick it up. He actually threw it at one of the walls and the other four adults watched as the bone buried itself into the cement. Sakura rushed over to chesk Aito. "It's..." She looked at Sasuke and then Shizune and Ino.



"Healed." Naruto turned and started for the door.



"What do you know that we don't?" The blond stuck his head out the door and called Lee.



"Yes Naruto-san?" Naruto just opened the door and let the green clad man into the room.



"Explain your encounter the night Sasuke left."



"I don't remember much before the Kazekage came to my aid. But what I do remember was the man we were fighting could dislodge his bones as missiles. He seemed to never run out and before his mysterious, and instant, death, his rib cage was fully extended from his torso but there was still form. His shoulders had spiked bones atop them and he looked...for lack of a better term, like a porcupine. You know, like in the books."



"Did he explain to you what it was, what he did?"



"He mentioned something about a clan ability...and he would never run out of bones to use as weapons..." Naruto looked at Sasuke.



"His name was Kimimaru. Our information states he had a blood born disease and that's what killed him and saved both Lee and Gaara. The clan ability his clan possessed eventually killed them if they didn't kill themselves. They were war mongers, that clan." He looked to Sakura. "You would start going through a list of degenerative blood diseases to find the right one but I do not think you will find it. It is limited only to that clan and is not spread through any means other than birth." His eyes glanced back to Sasuke. "Her death is inevitable but the more she uses her other clan ability, the faster the disease will speed up."



"I've never heard or seen her use her bones as weapons! This is preposterous!" Naruto turned back to Lee.



"The spots on her forehead, Kimimaru had them did he not?"



"Y-yes."



"Kimimaru had white hair, did he not?"



"Yes-"



"We know he was her other father."



"And from Lee's account, you know what he could do." Naruto turned back to Sasuke. "She may not use the ability but she is a twin. An identical twin to be more precise."



"What does that have to do with anything?" Sakura frowned but spoke up.



"There have been a few studies done of identical twins. Some were seperated at birth, not the case here but still, and in the studies they found that the twins sometimes, nine times out of ten, suffered the same illnesses at the same times. If one would get a cavity in their wisdom tooth, the other would get one in the same place give or take a few months. If one suffered from a fainting spell, the other would too." She looked at Naruto. "So if one suffered the effects of using a clan ability, so would the other."



"And the one using the abilities would be closer to death. And if one dies, so does the other." Silence ran through the figures in the room and it wasn't until a sob was heard that everyone looked to the bed. Aito was wide awake and she'd heard everything. Naruto looked at her face. Tears spilled from her eyes, down her cheeks like twin rivers. His hand moved and he grabbed his heart. There was a pain there. It was deep and he couldn't describe it. Before he could stop himself, he walked over to the bed, slowly, and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and she was holding back sobs but the tears didn't stop. Naruto reached out and tentively touched her hand. She looked up and her bottom lip trembled.



"We have to find her." He found himself nodding and not understanding why. After two years of nothing except forced pain through sex, he felt something. It was...interesting. But it hurt. "We can't let her die in that place...It's so," she snuffed and looked to the ceiling. "It's so dark there." Naruto grabbed her hand more firmly and watched as her little fingers clutched his hand. "I don't want to die yet da. We aren't a family yet. Can't die until everything is right." And she started sobbing. Naruto leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Her hands came up and wrapped around his neck. She cried for a while and then the sobs turned into sniffles and the occasional hiccup. He pulled her arms from around her neck and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.



"I'll get her back." She just looked at him and nodded.



"I know you will."



The other adults in the room watched in amazement. Naruto had proven himself to be completely emotionless and without remorse for his actions but here he was, consoling a child.



What was going on?