Silk

VIII

The process of making a puppet is fairly simple. Wood was carved, painted, clothed, strings were attached and joints oiled for easy movement. A human body was much more complicated to create, one so human that synthetic flesh became real and organs worked within the shell and the body would age normally as though the body had never been destroyed. Sasori had his work cut out for him, certainly. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he could do it – he did – it was a matter of succeeding.

Sasori had chosen soft wood for the bones, channeling chakra though the wood to make it strong and resilient like human bone. He did get a full skeleton from one of the dead in the hospital, struck down by old age. Kimimaru had crafted health back into the bones, so Sasori only had to craft two wood-bone skeletons. Muscles and veins were made of chakra threads of all kinds, shaped to take as muscles as cells were grafted to the threads. It was one body at a time, tedious and time consuming. Slowly one body was taking shape, organs growing slowly as flesh and skin was growing, lungs breathing on their own though no soul inhabited the body. The tallest male had been finished just under three months, set on life support at the hospital, waiting for the Yunkage’s attention when Orochimaru finished with Zaku. The boy was alive again, weak and unsteady, and Orochimaru wanted to make him comfortable. The second body, the younger, smaller male was finished three months after the first, lying on a respirator beside the first.

Sasori concentrated then on the final body, the female. In his opinion, the female body was the hardest to construct, especially with all the organs the males did not have. She seemed to take much longer and required more attention. Which meant that as Orochimaru and Sasuke worked to bring back the lost souls for the two bodies lying on life support in the hospital, Sasori was spending sleepless nights working on making sure his creation did not expire before he could get her safely supported for the next step.

Dosu’s first sight at waking in his new world, in his new body, was Zaku, leaning over him and watching him with his wonderfully dark eyes.

Hayate woke a few days later, after his body had almost failed him, Kimimaru and Sasuke at his side to ease his initiation into life.

By the time the first genin graduated from Kinugakure’s Academy, Tayuya was making her presence felt amongst her colleagues. Sasori left a message on Orochimaru’s desk, declaring a vacation. Silk was vibrant now that all the players Orochimaru had considered for his team were gathered in the village. Silk prospered under Orochimaru’s guiding hand, and the very first jounin-genin teams emerged. Orochimaru could only smile. Kinugakure was catching up to her elder sisters, quickly, with Hayate’s help.

It had been a bone to choke on for a Hayate, dead in Konoha and alive in Kinu. Loyalty was torn until Sasuke spoke to him. If he went back to Konoha, people who had mourned him wouldn’t understand his reappearance, and Silk needed him.

Hayate was the first to choose his personal genin, two kunoichi and one shinobi. The first he chose was young Saya, a vibrant ten year old who showed great affinity close hand-to-hand type combat, agile enough to dance her way through any fight she got into. Second was a little boy named Kohaku, dark of hair and eye, slight and small. As small as he was, his ability to mould chakra was enough for him to defend himself against bigger foes. The last member of Hayate’s team was a kunoichi named Genhana, as vibrant as Saya but a little more collected. Hayate had chosen her to carry on his fighting style, so the little girl carried around a short sword on her back, proudly displaying it to her friends. Following him, to everyone’s surprise, Zabuza and Tayuya vied for genin to teach, each scoring their own team. Zabuza’s team seemed to consist of the troublemakers of Kinu, three shinobis ranging from ages eight to ten. The eldest, and quite possibly the most violent, was Daisuke, a berserker and passionate fighter. Reiji was next, apathetic toward anything that wasn’t something he cared for, and he cared for very little. He also tended to get into bloody fights that ended up with him or his opponent in the hospital. The youngest and last member of Zabuza’s team was young Rikuji, an orphan who seemed as brittle as a willow tree, but lashed out as quickly as a viper. Tayuya remained without a team simply because she couldn’t find any children who pleased her. In all, there were eight teams by the time Silk had been in existence for two years and only Hayate and Zabuza continued to teach their genin, Hayate and Zabuza’s genin now ten years old and Tayuya still searching for her team. Haku took care of the younger children during recess at school, teaching only special cases with the help of Sasuke, though most of Sasuke’s time was being taken by Orochimaru’s teachings.

Then trouble came.

Silk was a fledgling village with no allies. Certainly, she didn’t need allies, not with powerful shinobi and kunoichi protecting her. But there were those who were vulnerable, and they were whom the bandits and raiders aimed for, only to be met with fierce resistance. Silk survived each attack and rebuilt and grew stronger. Sasuke and Haku took to patrolling the woods then, often catching a group of plotters and getting rid of them before harm could be brought to Silk. This was how Team Nine, Sasuke’s team, came to be.
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She was crying, dreadfully afraid as she ran. Her charm, a crescent moon, bounced against her ankle as she ran from the village that had been her home for all the ten years of her young life. Getsugakure was miles behind but she could hear her pursuit, and she wanted to live so badly. Blonde hair, matted by dirt and twigs fell in front of baby blue eyes, cracking and breaking with tears, the tears making streaks in the dirt on her face. She had to keep running; if she stopped, they’d catch her and bring her back.

She yelped as she stumbled over roots and fell heavily on her hands. She sniffled as she pushed herself up, crying harder now that pain lanced up her arms. She’d been showing off to her friends, a new ability she’d learned from a visiting nin, just by watching him.

She hadn’t known it had been a Kekkei Genkai, whatever that was. So she ran. She kept running, leaving her home behind and still the older ninja followed her. She was scared, alone, and she desperately wanted to live. Darkness fell and the frightened kunoichi took refuge in a cradle of roots, too afraid to sleep. She huddled there, arms wrapped around her knees, watching the dark around her. She fell asleep a few hours later, waking with an aborted scream as her eyes met brilliant crimson, gentle hands smoothing her hair. Tears came unbidden to her eyes as a light was struck, a lamp held in the hand of a smaller man, face covered by a white mask.

She clung to the crimson-eyed man, even as he lifted her up into his arms, keeping her close.

“Getsugakure,” the smaller man said, a hand reaching up to remove the girl’s hitai-ate.

“They’re close. Haku, take her and get back to the village. Tell the others to prepare to be discovered if I can’t turn them back.”

She was passed to the smaller man, held just as gently. She was shaking as she clung to the man called Haku, hugging him as the crimson eyed man leapt away from them, leaving them alone. Haku shifted her against his hip as he moved back into the shadows, keeping her close and safe.

“So,” Haku began lightly, as if behind them there weren’t the soft sounds of combat taking place, “what’s your name?”

She blinked and looked up at the man carrying her, up at the prettiest face she had ever seen. Dark eyes watched her own and she couldn’t help but blush. She clung and looked away shyly, smiling.

“Tsukiyoshi Umi, Haku-san.”

“Umi? What a pretty name.”

“Not really.”

Haku laughed and Umi smiled, clutching closer to the man as they walked. He held her so much more gently than anyone had ever held her before, speaking softly with her as they walked to an unknown destination. Her ears, already sensitive to certain sounds, picked up the sound of banging metal at the same moment Haku broke into a fast run, sprinting through trees and brush like hunted rabbits.

The thought made Umi whimper.

The tree line broke into a clearing and Haku took the risk. He could defeat anyone who attacked them easily, but Umi was vulnerable. He had to make it across before those Sasuke didn’t dispatch caught up. It all came down to speed and luck. Haku had the speed. He didn’t have the luck. The Getsugakure nin boxed the pair in, leaving no room to escape, only to fight. Haku didn’t want to risk Umi’s safety, but when the first kunai shot straight at the girl, Haku had no choice. He had to defeat them all at once, in one fell swoop, and not let Umi get hurt in the process. Though his arm was still a bit lethargic in channeling chakra, he let Umi down and went through the motions so familiar to him, eyes narrowing in sadistic mirth. Ice formed from the ground water beneath the soil, trapping the men in a frozen prison. Umi sat on the ground amidst this, eyes wide as she watched Haku melt into the ice, her ears still ringing with his soft, deceiving voice.

“Makyou Hyou Shou!”

Umi felt her blood prickle, her eyes following Haku’s every movement. She watched senbon fly, watched Haku’s body twist and leap from mirror to mirror, her eyes picking up every detail. She almost didn’t notice one shinobi creeping up on her, until the last moment. Umi gave a shrill cry, earning Haku’s attention away from the dead at his feet. Haku’s eyes went wide in the realization Umi was going to die and he could do nothing to save her. How wide, then, Haku’s eyes went when Umi’s hands flashed almost to fast for his eyes to see, the little kunoichi’s body slipping back into an ice mirror before the kunai found her heart, hitting ice instead. Haku didn’t waste time then, launching himself at the remaining shinobi and slammed a senbon into the jugular, blood spurting and gurgling as the man fell. He turned then to the ice, a hand reaching through for the girl, Umi reappearing and clinging to Haku, shivering and shaking. Her eyes lit up when someone appeared beside them and Sasuke took Umi into his arms, letting Haku dispel the ice both he and Umi had conjured. Haku could only stare wondrously at the little girl, finally looking up at Sasuke, head tilted.

“Umi-chan,” Haku began, looking at the little girl one last time before moving to gesture at the puddles of water near where they were standing, “can copy Kekkei Genkai, Sasuke.”

Sharingan narrowed in thought as he looked at Umi, the girl looking up and into those blood red eyes, blinking. Sasuke set Umi down then, crouching in front of the ten-year old, hands on her shoulders. His head tilted, eyes flicking to look at Haku, watching the older male scour the dead bodies for what he didn’t know, before he looked back at the little girl.

“Show me, Umi-chan,” Sasuke commanded softly, the young kunoichi blinking in confusion.

“Show you what, Sasuke-san?”

“Show me what you did here.”

Umi looked a bit nervous as she stepped away, hands coming up and flashing through signs so familiar to Sasuke he couldn’t help but shudder, hands moving to cup the girl’s in his palms. Sharingan flicked over her face, Sasuke smiling at her.

“You’re a good girl, Umi-chan. Promise me though, you won’t perform this until Haku has trained you.”

Umi looked over at the other man, the elder brunette glancing up from a scroll toward her, a smile given to her and a slight nod. Sapphire eyes turned back to Sasuke then and she reached to be picked up again, Sasuke obliging her and settling her on his hip after she nodded agreement, clinging to the elder man as he moved to collect his partner. The bodies were left where they lay as Sasuke and Haku made to return to Silk, Umi falling asleep in Sasuke’s arms. When they arrived, Sasuke let Kimimaru take the girl to check her over, keeping near her in case she woke up, simply watching the examination of the first part of his future team. Haku, on the other hand, excused himself to head home, only receiving a raised eyebrow from Sasuke when he waved the scroll at him.

That same scroll was tossed at Zabuza when Haku entered their home, one of the few shinobi homes on the ground, simply because Gozu and Meizu had moved into their home. Zabuza stared at the scroll in his hand, nearly dropping it when a shock went through him, fumbling with the thing as Haku laughed. Zabuza’s eyes narrowed at the boy, shaking his head.

“Where did you get this? What’s on it, anyway?”

“Dunno,” Haku replied, following Zabuza from the foyer back to the den, Zabuza lifting his arm up out of the way as Gozu and Meizu darted by, keeping the scroll from being knocked away. “I found it on some Getsu nin. Along with a little girl Sasuke’s taking a liking to.”

“Hopefully in a good way.”

“Sasuke’s not like that you know. Meizu! Watch where you’re going!” Haku shouted as the younger of the brothers hit Zabuza’s arm, the scroll flying from the eldest’s grip, Meizu grabbing the bound paper as it rolled along the floor, laughing.

“The hallway isn’t big enough for the four of us!” Meizu called, arm tingling with some kind of electric jolt.

“Then stop running around the hallway like idiots!” Zabuza growled grabbing back the scroll and glaring the brothers into retreat. He and Haku slipped into their bedroom then, locking the door against the brothers, Zabuza giving a sigh as he tossed the scroll onto the long dresser he and Haku kept, unable to keep from mewling as Haku ran his fingers along the elder’s cheek.

Haku was surprised. “Never heard that sound from you before we actually start, Zabuza-san.”

“Hn.”

Haku smiled, pulling Zabuza down for a breath-stealing kiss, drawing back with pleading eyes. Zabuza understood easily and moved to slowly tease the clothes off his young partner, his own coming off just as fast it seemed, the pair falling onto their bed, a tangle of limbs, mouths moving over flesh, teeth bruising lips and skin alike, blood drawn as they fought to dominate the other, Zabuza losing the battle the moment Haku’s hand wrapped around his need and began to stroke, Haku humming as he bruised his lover’s throat. Despite being twenty-two years old, Haku still couldn’t keep the memories at bay each time he killed. Zabuza helped him with that, even though the man was thirty-three years old and his body still suffered from the wounds from before. Haku shifted between Zabuza’s legs, forcing the elder man’s legs apart, and without any preparation, the young man thrust into Zabuza. Haku couldn’t help but moan, the heat so much more intense than he could remember from all the other times Zabuza had allowed him to be on top, blood making the movement so much easier.

Zabuza was writhing, making sounds beneath Haku that Haku hadn’t heard from the elder man before, their rhythm rough to keep their minds, Haku’s especially, off the night’s events and those in their far past. Zabuza bit back a scream as Haku hit that perfect angle, the younger man shifting to fold Zabuza near in half, the elder man’s legs over his shoulders, forcing himself deeper and deeper all in an effort to hear Zabuza’s cries. Haku got what he wanted and more, especially when Zabuza’s release came without warning, the elder man’s inner walls clamping down like a vice around Haku’s aching erection, Zabuza’s own seed making a sticky mess on his chest as Haku’s essence filled Zabuza, the heat in the elder man’s abdomen dying slowly as Haku withdrew and fell heavily beside his beloved, smiling at the elder man. Zabuza merely rolled and cuddled Haku close, sighing softly against the young man’s head.

“Love you, Zabuza-san.”

“Hn,” Zabuza replied, already half asleep. Haku was grateful then Zabuza had fallen into a deeper sleep by the time Meizu screamed in pleasure, the youngest of the four huddling against Zabuza’s side, trying to sleep despite the noise.

And what a racket as well, Gozu’s lovemaking to his brother quite a bit gentler than Haku’s to Zabuza. Meizu wasn’t as controlling about his sounds, the house often filling with his cries, such as tonight, as Gozu drew out Meizu’s pleasure with each thrust, stretched flesh giving way to the elder’s motions. It wasn’t enough for Meizu and he begged for it faster, a request to which Gozu complied, slamming into his little brother with enough force to knock their bed back into the wall. The only sounds were Gozu’s panting and Meizu’s cries and whimpers, and finally the younger’s voice as he called out how close he was, his brother laughing and wrapping his hand around Meizu’s erection, stroking in time with his thrusts, filling his brother deeply and completely, until Meizu’s passage constricted, forcing Gozu over the edge, his hand and his brother’s abdomen covered in the pearlescent liquid, his own filling his brother and leaving Gozu panting, slumping over his brother, smiling at him. Meizu returned the smile, broken by a yawn, and soon cuddled in Gozu’s arms for the night.

The scroll lay forgotten on the dresser, its work done.

Now time was the master.