The Mission
Chapter 2: The Mission
Six months later-
Every night, Sasuke forced himself to stay awake as long as he possibly could. It was a habit he'd developed as a child, waiting for his beloved big brother, Itachi, to return home from this mission or that. Later, he would stay up studying his lessons and, after Itachi's betrayal, he stayed up out of fear of falling asleep and witnessing his brother's crimes in his nightmares. Six months of living with Iruka-sensei and Naruto hadn't changed Sasuke's habit. Only the nightmares had changed.
"Kakashi says you'll wear yourself out if you don't start sleeping more," Naruto muttered as he buttoned his pajama shirt.
Unlike his normal bright orange clothes, Naruto’s pajamas were plain dark blue with white buttons. The pant legs were hemmed up. They had once been Iruka-sensei's. Although he was respected in the village, Iruka-sensei was not a rich man. Hand-me-downs were common in his home. They didn’t have to be, Sasuke was the sole heir of the Uchiha vast fortune, after all, and could have bought everyone in the household new clothes without any effort at all. But Iruka-sensei disapproved and insisted that Sasuke save his money for his future.
“It’s an adults job to provide, Sasuke,” Iruka-sensei had insisted no more than a day after Sasuke had started living with him and Naruto. “You let me worry about food and clothes and other such things and keep your money for when you’re an adult. You’ll be glad of it, someday.”
Sasuke had also taken to sharing clothes with Naruto. They were close enough in size that it saved a lot of space in their small room. It only made sense, Naruto and Sasuke had quietly agreed. Iruka-sensei was kind enough to take them in. Why should they burden him with the cost of so much clothes when they could make do by sharing? They ended up sharing almost everything except Naruto's orange jumpsuit and Sasuke's shirt with the Uchiha clan emblem on the back.
It almost made Sasuke laugh to think of how horrified his father would have been to know Sasuke wore cast-offs from the poor village teacher.
“Are you even listening to me?” Naruto interrupted Sasuke’s thoughts and sat on his bed. He frowned at Sasuke. “Kakashi isn’t happy that you don’t sleep enough and Iruka thinks you’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t take better care of yourself.”
He hadn’t wanted to make anyone worry for him. “I can’t sleep.” Dressed in his own faded blue pajamas, Sasuke sat cross-legged on the bed Iruka-sensei had given him with a book on his lap. Sasuke had read it three times. He wanted a new book, but he couldn't bring himself to go back to the Uchiha Compound for either the books in his mother's library or the money kept at the Compound so he could buy new books.
"Suit yourself," Naruto said, doubtfully. "You always do. I'll find you asleep with that book still on your lap in the morning and Iruka will yell at you for staying up all night, again." He crawled into bed and snuggled in, curling the blankets around himself until he was nearly cocooned and only the top of his spiky blonde hair showed. He did the same thing every night, as if he felt some undeniable need to shield himself. "See you in the morning."
Not too long after that, Sasuke heard Naruto's familiar, soft snoring.
He still shared a room with Naruto, but Sasuke had found, over time, that the room was comforting and cozy rather than cramped. There were now two beds, each one pushed up against an opposite wall and, between them, a rug and a single window on the wall under which was a small table. They had a few other little things, of course. At the foot of each bed was a chair where spare clothes were neatly folded. There were a few books in a pile under the little table, and a shinobi's usual cache of weaponry and scrolls tucked under each of their beds. There was no clutter; neither of them were the type to collect useless little things. It was modest, but it was home.
The house was quiet. Sasuke could hear crickets singing outside the open window and soft voices of people who went about their business. The clock on the little table ticked steadily and it was that ticking that Sasuke would blame for lulling him to sleep every night. Shortly, he had unwillingly fallen asleep, again.
Dreaming, Sasuke found himself on his knees in the darkness.
"Pretty." Cool, dry hands stroked Sasuke's cheeks. "My pretty. Aren't you beautiful? So perfect." The hands roamed into his hair, delicately touching his ears and the back of his neck. When those awful fingers brushed against the curse mark on the side of his throat, Sasuke felt it grow warm. "Look at me, pretty shinobi. Look at me."
Sasuke didn't want to. He was afraid of the voice. He wanted to be home. He wanted his mother to be sitting in her study lost in some book. He wanted his father to be worrying about the apple trees in the garden not bearing fruit. He wanted Itachi to swing him in his arms like he used to.
"Look at me, my Sasuke."
Orochimaru was not ugly, but he made Sasuke cringe. The pallid skin and inhuman eyes, the long tongue that slipped out of his mouth was all somehow revolting. Worst of all was Orochimaru's soft, silky voice. Sasuke trembled.
"Yes." Orochimaru never took his hands away from Sasuke. "Be afraid of me, but only me. Perfect in every way." He laughed and his hands tightened on Sasuke's face. His long fingers dug into Sasuke's skin until Sasuke cried out in pain. There was a wrenching, tearing sensation. Such pain that Sasuke thought he would lose his mind.
His face was off. His face - a limp, wilted mask of bloody skin - was in Orochimaru's hands.
Orochimaru kept laughing and held up Sasuke's torn-off face against his own. It grew to fit Orochimaru's head. Orochimaru smiled with Sasuke's lips. He blinked with Sasuke's eyes. When he laughed, it was with Sasuke's voice. "I have what I want. You can die, now."
Sasuke woke in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He was slumped over on the bed. He sat up at once and struggled to convince himself that it had only been a vivid nightmare, nothing more. The nightmare was almost always the same. Orochimaru was always stealing his face.
The crickets still sang. The moon hadn't moved, much. Naruto still snored. Sasuke couldn’t have been asleep more than an hour, but perhaps that would be enough to satisfied Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke had slept a little, after all, so perhaps he wouldn’t get a scolding.
Sasuke inhaled to calm himself. He squeezed his eyes tightly closed, but couldn’t bear the darkness and opened them at once so he could see the moon.
The book he’d been reading had fallen onto the floor from Sasuke's lap while he'd slept but Sasuke didn't immediately move to retrieve it. Instead, he just sat there and stared at Naruto, peacefully sleeping. The blanket cocoon had fallen apart and Naruto lay sprawled out on his narrow bed. He looked comfortable and at ease. Was he plagued by nightmares? Did the fox demon locked inside him, Kyuubi, haunt his dreams? Surely… it must. Yet, Naruto slept on without so much as a twitch to signal any disturbance of his sleep.
Sasuke envied Naruto. He was so much stronger than Sasuke would ever be. How Sasuke had ever thought Naruto was weak was a mystery.
The sound of a knock on the front door drew Sasuke away from his thoughts. He frowned. No one would visit so late unless it was an emergency and if it were an emergency, it would sound a bit more urgent, surely. Kakashi-sensei would have just snuck in. Maybe it was Sakura. She would knock, but not if it were an emergency. If there was no emergency, she wouldn’t have come by in the middle of the night.
Curious and cautious, Sasuke left the bedroom after stopping to put on his bathrobe. Unlike most everything else Iruka-sensei had been able to give them, the bathrobe was new. It was also a match to Naruto's. It was sturdy and warm, dark green with a black belt to hold it closed. It was not stylish or a fine make. It was the first gift anyone had given Sasuke since his family's mass murder.
"You don't have to," Sasuke had told Iruka-sensei when he and Naruto had been given the robes. He held the gift awkwardly, uneasy about taking yet another something from a man who had so little to give away.
Iruka-sensei brushed Sasuke's words aside. "Humor me. It's not as if they're expensive." He blushed a little at that and Sasuke knew Iruka-sensei had gone shopping at the discount racks at the store, again. It wasn't fair. He was the best sensei in the village. They ought to pay him more. "Really, you and Naruto could afford to buy better ones for yourselves if you took the time to go shopping. You two would walk around in rags if I let you."
"Then let me repay you. You shouldn't spend your money…"
Naruto pushed passed Sasuke and eagerly snatched his robe from Iruka-sensei's hands. He hugged it as if he were a little child getting a new toy. He rubbed his face against it. "Thank you! Thank you! It's the best!"
In the light that shone in Iruka-sensei's eyes, Sasuke saw something that surprised him. Iruka-sensei was happy. He was glad to spend money on them. Even if it meant he had to do without something for himself, Iruka-sensei really wanted to do this which meant he wanted to have them around. Sasuke squeezed the green robe in his hands and quietly thanked Iruka-sensei. He felt humbled and grateful that anyone would give him such consideration. It had been years since he’d felt such warmth in his heart. After that, he never protested when Iruka-sensei wanted to give them something.
Sasuke walked down the short hall to the house’s main room with the living room and kitchen and the front door. Iruka-sensei came out of his room just as Sasuke passed by. Rather than be surprised to find Sasuke in the hall, Iruka-sensei ruffled his hair and sleepily said, ‘I’ll get the door.”
Sasuke lingered in the hall, just near enough to watch Iruka-sensei open the door and hear what was said.
"It's late for a mission." Iruka-sensei spoke softly to the visitor. "You couldn't have come in the morning?"
"I need to deliver orders to the Cell leaders when Godaime Hokage gives it to me,” an unfamiliar voice said. “If her schedule doesn't suit you, take it up with her. Is Hatake-san here?"
"I'll see that Kakashi gets it." Iruka-sensei held out his hand for the message scroll and the messenger handed it over without question before he turned and walked off. Without turning around, Iruka-sensei said, "You heard, Sasuke?"
Sasuke abandoned his silence. "I did. I'll wake Naruto."
Iruka-sensei looked at him with a smile. "You're a good boy, Sasuke. Thank you."
It made Sasuke pause. "Why do you say that?" It wasn't the first time Iruka-sensei had said such a thing in the months Sasuke had been living in his home. "I'm not good. Everyone knows it. After what I did, how can you even pretend?"
"We’ve talked about this, remember? You made a mistake. A very bad mistake. But, you're only thirteen. You're a child when it comes right down to it. You regret what you did and you won't do it again." Iruka-sensei looked sad. "As for what everyone knows, everyone knows that Naruto is an evil demon. Do you believe that?"
"No. Of course not."
"Then I suggest you make up your own mind about Naruto and yourself. ‘Everyone' is not always right. Go on and get Naruto."
"Yes, sir."
With the scroll in one hand, Iruka-sensei left Sasuke in the hall and went back into his bedroom. Before he closed the door behind him, Sasuke heard, "Kakashi…come on. Get up. I know you heard everything."
Kakashi? Sasuke stared at Iruka-sensei's closed bedroom door and frowned. Since when had Kakashi-sensei started spending the night?
Naruto, rubbing his eyes and yawning, stumbled out of their bedroom. "What's going on? I heard voices."
"You sleep like the dead," Sasuke commented, idly. "We have a mission. You might want to get dressed."
"Does Sakura-chan know?" Naruto asked, suddenly wide awake.
"I suppose not. We can fetch her on the way to the Hogake's palace."
At that moment, Kakashi-sensei strolled out of Iruka-sensei's bedroom, buckling his vest and adjusting his mask. "Hello, sleep-heads. Get what you need. We're off as soon as I've had some coffee."
Naruto looked at Kakashi-sensei as he went into the kitchen, then at Iruka-sensei who stood awkwardly in his bedroom door, blushing slightly. Naruto looked back at Kakashi-sensei, then back to Iruka-sensei. One could practically see the dots being connected. Light dawned in his eyes and Naruto's mouth fell open. He gaped at Iruka-sensei. "Hey! Hey! When….? What…?"
Kakashi-sensei laughed. "Tsk, tsk. Iru, you're neglecting your parental responsibilities if Naruto doesn't know what…"
"You shut up!" Iruka-sensei's face couldn't possibly get redder. "He knows! Look, Naruto, I wasn't keeping... ah," he gestured at Kakashi-sensei then at himself. "I wasn't keeping US a secret. It just… happened."
No. It didn't just happen. Everyone in the whole village knew about the scandalously bold affair. Iruka-sensei, the modest, sweet-natured sensei, had snared the most eligible bachelor in Konohagakure. One of the most feared shinobi in the world was finally settling down. Almost everyone in the village had seen the two of them going out to dinner, painting Iruka-sensei's house, and doing the grocery shopping. It was hardly a secret. The whole situation sent the romantics of the village into a tizzy of soppy sighs. No, what had 'just happened' was Kakashi-sensei spending the night.
Naruto turned his shocked expression to Kakashi-sensei where it became a glare. He looked like he would say something, but suddenly grabbed Sasuke's sleeve and pulled him back into their bedroom. They got dressed without saying much of anything and only when they were ready to leave the room did Naruto say, "If they get married, do you think it'll be Hatake Iruka or Umino Kakashi?"
"You think they will get married?"
That made Naruto scowl deeper and he fiddled his hitae, the headband he wore that sported the symbol of Konohagakure. "Kakashi's not good enough. Old pervert."
"They've been dating for months. Iruka-sensei must see the good in him."
"Iruka-sensei has worse judgment than I'd thought. Come on. Let's go."
Outside the Hokage's office, Sasuke was surprised to find another Cell waiting. Maito Gai-san, the leader of Cell 9, along with his students, Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten, all looked up when Cell 7 entered. For a moment, they stared at each other. Gai-san, naturally, was the first to break the silence.
“Good evening, my best rival!” He fairly shouted at Kakashi-sensei. “How splendid to see you and your students at such an hour. Have you been summoned for a mission, as well? My students are eager and ready to take on whatever challenge the Hokage is so kind as to give them!” Like Kakashi-sensei, Gai-san held the rank of jonin, a much higher rank than Sasuke and his Cellmates held.
Neji glared at Sasuke. Well… he glared as well as a Hyuuga could, considering that their eyes were entirely white. The entire clan was like that, it was their most prominent trait. His hair was very long and he stood with a cool arrogance that spoke clearly of how highly he thought of himself. Neji had earned the right to that arrogance as he was easily considered the best of the best, the most skilled of the young shinobi. When he grew up he would be a truly terrifying opponent.
Sasuke could remember a time when he'd felt superior, too.
Tenten, the only girl on Cell 9, rolled her eyes at her sensei’s outburst and smiled politely at Cell 7. She was thin, almost as narrow as a boy. She wore her hair in two practical buns on either side of her head. While she chatted with Lee, her fingers were twisting thin, flexible strands of wire into intricate, spider-web patterns. She would look admiringly at what she'd done, then let the strings fall apart and rebuild. Her skills with weapons – any weapons – were incredible.
The last member of Cell 9 was Rock Lee. He looked like a miniature Gai-san with bowl-cut black hair, large black eyes, and impressively large eyebrows. He even dressed like his sensei in an all green jumpsuit. It was very plain to see how he admired his sensei. Lee laughed at something Tenten said, then gave a brief nod of acknowledgement at Cell 7.
Kakashi-sensei pretended to ignore them all.
"Hey, hey," Naruto poked at Sasuke's arm. "You all right?"
"Fine."
"You're staring at them."
Sasuke took the not too subtle hint and looked away from Cell 9. He waited patiently while Kakashi-sensei and Gai-san bantered and while Sakura and Naruto bickered. After a time, the Hokage's assistant opened the office door and asked them all to enter. The two Cells filed into the office in two straight lines with their jonin at the head of each line. Once they stood before the Hokage's desk, they formed up into one straight line and waited for her to speak.
Tsunade didn't speak for a long while, just kept signing this paper or that, handing each finished one to her quiet assistant.
Everyone waited patiently…everyone but Naruto. Sasuke was reasonably convinced that Naruto couldn’t be quietly patient. Naruto tapped his foot and grew red in the face at the effort of keeping his temper. It didn't last too long. "Hey! Old woman!"
"Twenty-eight seconds." Tsunade absently threw her pen and struck Naruto on the forehead. "I was wondering how long you could hold out before you lost your temper. Now, to business. Thank you for coming so quickly." The Hokage smiled all around and her eyes passed over Sasuke with barely a flicker. He still was under suspicion, but an important mission successfully completed would go a long ways to proving his trustworthiness. "I apologize to you both, Kakashi and Gai, for sending the messages so late at night, but this mission is going to be a long one and I wanted to get all of you started as soon as possible."
Two cells for a single mission. That wasn't customary.
"Let's just hear the details, Tsunade," Kakashi-sensei said.
"Show some respect, brat," the Hokage told him, crossly. She picked up two scrolls, handing one each to the Cell leaders before she unrolled a third one. "Those are maps to the destination. The mission has been commissioned by the headmaster of a school in a far off nation. He fears a civil war and worries for the safety of his students while they are at school. You have three weeks to judge the security of his school." She looked down at the scroll on her desk and ran her finger down the writing as she spoke. "This is to be an observation mission only. There must be no harm done to students or faculty. In fact, the client has stated that it would be for the best if your presence is kept secret."
"Three weeks?" Naruto was the first one to speak and stuck his hands in his pockets and slouched to show his displeasure with the assignment. "What do we need three weeks for?"
Sasuke agreed with Naruto. Three weeks for just a security check on a school? "A week, tops." It was almost as good as an insult. In fact, just Cell 7 should be able to do it in a day or two which begged the question, why were they being paired with Gai-san’s team?
"Apparently," the Hokage answered, watching both Cells. "The client believes there is simply too much work to be done in a short time and has therefore stipulated the three week time period. How you use that time is up to the discretion of your Cell leaders."
Neji spoke up for the first time since they’d arrived at the Hokage’s palace with his arms crossed over his chest. He was never one to mince words. "Why is this a double mission? Why two cells when one could easily complete the mission?"
"Again, the client's request and, again, he seemed to think this is too big for one Cell when I told him each Cell had four members. He paid for two Cells," the Hokage assured him. "Besides, this is a B-rank mission so it won't hurt for you to have back up."
"Of course," Kakashi-sensei said, his fingers lingering on his favorite book. "A little security never hurt anyone and I'm sure my Cell can make use of these other ones." He wasn't quite insulting about it, but Neji bristled and even the good-tempered Tenten scowled at him. Lee, for all his rashness, said nothing but waited to see what his sensei would do.
"No!" Gai-san threw a fist into the air, dramatically. "You will see! It is your Cell that will have to follow the lead of my most extraordinary Cell! How dare you suggest that your Cell - though bright they are in their youthful glory - is in anyway superior to mine!"
After he'd finished, but before Kakashi-sensei could reply, Tenten reached out a hand to Sakura. "Nice to be working with you. I'm sure we'll get on well. Maybe we should talk about Cell dynamics later and figure out how best to work everyone."
"Good idea. Naruto's not exactly suited for espionage, but he's a real powerhouse in a crisis." Sakura took the offered hand and the girls shook. "Sasuke makes up for it, though."
"Neji's good at observation, too. You can't ask for more brute strength than Lee. So, is yours always like this?" She indicated Kakashi-sensei.
"Yup. Yours?"
"Oh, yes. Usually worse. He's showing restraint today. Good work, sir." She smiled with pride at her sensei and gave him a thumbs-up.
Gai-san matched the proud smile easily and returned Tenten’s thumbs-up. "Thank you!"
The Hokage smiled. "There is little expected danger, but as the mission will take place within a known zone of terrorist activity the high ranking was justified."
It was sounding more and more interesting as the Hokage spoke, but Sasuke didn't let himself get too excited - unlike Naruto who was practically bouncing up and down with pent up energy - because there were always catches. Simple missions always turned into life or death missions so a B-ranked mission would turn into…what? A-rank with possible end of the world scenario? That could be interesting.
"It will be an extended mission," the Hokage told them. "While there are no expected enemies to battle with, it is in a land reasonably far away. Going at full speed, it will take you one week to get there. All in all, you'll be gone for a month. The client has paid half in advance; you will collect the second half of the payment after the mission has been completed."
The mission was accepted with Kakashi-sensei's mute nod and Gai-san's loud exclamation that they WOULD succeed.
Sasuke struggled to maintain his dignity and not smile. He was happy to be leaving Konohagakure. He was happy that for about a month he wouldn't have to deal with the hateful glares and whispers. He was happiest most of all that he wouldn't have to look at the Uchiha Compound every time he left Iruka-sensei's home. He'd come to hate the place over the years. Even in the past few months of living under Iruka-sensei's roof, Sasuke couldn't escape the Uchiha Compound. It was a giant, squat monstrosity that was visible from almost every point in the village. Sasuke's ancestors couldn't have thought that their ego inspired home would be nothing but a horror for the last of the Uchiha's.
Gai-san smiled broadly and slapped Kakashi-sensei on the back. "We'll make a fine team, my best rival! And our Cells will bond even closer together. To bond and work together is the greatest goal of any man!"
"Excuse me?" Tenten said, rather pointedly.
"And woman, of course!" Gai-sensei added without missing a beat. "I wouldn't forget my dear kunochi, one of the most skilled of all Konohagakure, the lovely flower of womanhood. You would be impossible to forget."
Again, Tenten addressed Sakura. "If he didn't talk like that to everyone, I'd think he was a dirty old pervert."
Sakura gave Kakashi-sensei a disapproving look and Sasuke knew that she was thinking about their sensei’s questionable reading material. She said nothing, of course. He glanced at Naruto who had taken to scowling at Kakashi-sensei, again. He was likely thinking of how he didn’t think Kakashi-sensei was worthy of Iruka-sensei. He, too, said nothing. Of course none of them would speak against their sensei to outsiders. It was unthinkable. Even when Sasuke had been with Orochimaru, he’d never once spoke poorly of anyone in his Cell. There was no order against doing such a thing, but for Cell 7 it just wasn’t done to speak against your own in public.
The Hokage cleared her throat which drew attention back to herself. "You have three weeks starting from the moment you arrive at the client’s school. Use any methods you see fit within the parameters. Dismissed."
To be continued…