Discretion
Chapter 13: Discretion
Sasuke-
Sasuke had a decidedly hard time sleeping when there were people around so getting rest in the Slytherin dormitory was nearly impossible. Still, he had Sakura with him at night so he was able to get a little sleep. Early Saturday morning, long before the sun rose, Sasuke woke to a light tap on his foot. He opened his eyes, immediately alert, and saw Sakura sitting at the foot of the bed, cross-legged. She smiled at him. “Everyone’s asleep. Do you want to take a bath? The rest of us can bathe in the river in the forest, but you haven’t washed in ages.”
Sasuke nearly cried. It had been a long time since he’d felt clean but the prospect of using the large, communal washing room with all the Slytherin boys was just short of nightmarish. He wouldn’t do it. Had avoided it like the plague. But he would like to be clean. So he got out of bed and walked silently to the washing room with Sakura. The washing room was just what it sounded like - a room to wash in. There were a dozen shower stalls along with a sunken pool for soaking in. As promised, the ink marks Kakashi-sensei had drawn on his skin didn’t wash off in the shower or when Sasuke happily lowered himself into the pool of wonderfully hot water. There, he lounged, soaking right up to his neck while Sakura sat on the edge of the pool near him and idly tapped her fingers on her leg. The air was filled with steam and the smell of soap. It had been a very long time since Sasuke had felt so at ease.
Sakura said, "Tenten will be here, soon. Are you ready for your big day out?"
"You make it sound like a day at the park."
"Hardly. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot at that little town, but just don't let your guard down, alright? I don't trust Malfoy-san."
"Neither do I." After all, he wasn't part of Sasuke's Cell. He wasn't Iruka-sensei. Who else would he trust? Sasuke waved a hand through the water and sank a little deeper. "How are things with the others?"
"All right. Naruto's about healed. There's nothing for you to worry about. You'd best hurry before anyone else wakes up. It'll be daybreak soon."
Sasuke wasn't worried. "These people sleep too much. They're lazy. Not one of them would survive a day in The Academy."
"Maybe." She glanced over her shoulder for the fourth time since they'd gone into the washing room.
"What's wrong?"
"It's making me nervous. We should have been discovered."
Sasuke frowned. "What? Why?"
"Don’t you find it odd? We’ve been here for several days and no one’s noticed a thing. You’re doing very well, but this place has so many things we’d never imagined - living paintings, talking mirrors, and spirits of the dead! They’re everywhere. The spirits are especially dangerous, I think. We can't sense them or hear them, but they could be anywhere. At least one of them should have seen or heard one of us. If not you, then they should have noticed Neji and Naruto creeping around as they’re mapping the school." She sighed. "Maybe I'm worrying for nothing. We obviously haven't been reported."
"Yet," Sasuke muttered. The whole place was just as dangerous as the mission briefing had suggested. "It's a defect. All these spirits, paintings, and mirrors could easily be used as defense for the school, but it seems they’re around for nothing more than decoration. Can you imagine what The Hokage would do with such things if she had access to them? Every possible threat could be detected long before it reached the village. A whole castle filled with talking paintings and mirrors and ghosts... we should have been reported to an authority by now. It’s a grave fault.”
"Not so much fault as discretion," the voice was low and harsh and managed to startle both Sakura and Sasuke - no mean feat. "You have been under observation." The Bloody Baron, as ominous as anything Sasuke had ever seen, drifted into the room. "Your concern is sensible. Godric's werewolf suspects your deception. Our gentle giant suspects. Your skills at evasion are commendable."
Sasuke hadn't exchanged one word with The Bloody Baron since they'd come to Hogwarts, but it occurred to him that he should have been more wary of the spirits. How could one guard against them, though? "And you? Do you suspect or know?"
If anything, The Bloody Baron's smile widened. It wasn't a pleasant sight. "I KNOW nothing. Your secret is safe for now."
"You're not worried?" Sakura asked, with a frown.
"Young Mister Snape was mine - a child of my House. A true Slytherin," The Bloody Baron told her proudly. "I dislike the children of my House being mistreated. For that, I have decided not to report my suspicions."
Sakura tilted her head to the side. "Please, explain."
The Bloody Baron didn't seem at all happy. He glowered at her and held himself stiffly. "Long ago, I was a warrior. I was a great man. I fought in defense of my country. I upheld law in my land. I protect my people with my sword and my strength. Now… now I am nothing. Pressed into the service of this school, I am named a guardian of the children. A powerless guardian," He scoffed with derision. "When I see wrongs, I can do nothing. I can not act. I can't help. I merely watch." His eyes fairly blazed at his next words. "I have watched young Mister Snape. Life has not been kind to him." He paused again and lowered his voice as if he were revealing a great secret. "I know how young Mister Snape is treated in this school. I know how his remaining family treat him. I believe that young Mister Snape is in a better place wherever you have taken him. Children should laugh." Bright red blood was on his cheeks, leaking from his sunken eyes. "Young Mister Snape has not laughed in two years."
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a solemn look.
The Bloody Baron began to withdraw, drifting towards another wall. "Had I not heard much of your plotting and had the other ghosts not reported to me of what they have heard, I would have shared what I suspect with the Headmaster." He smiled wickedly and showed off blood-stained teeth. "Use your wits to preserve your secret from young Mister Malfoy." He drifted out of the washing room just as the washing room's door opened.
Malfoy-san strolled in still in his pajamas and bathrobe and a towel slung over his shoulder. He stopped the instant he saw them. He seemed shocked, for a moment, then regained himself and smiled. He looked first at Sasuke lounging in the water, then at Sakura, before he closed the door behind him and grinned with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Well, well," Malfoy-san raise an eyebrow and leered at Sakura. "And who might this be, Snape?"
Sasuke’s brain froze. He had no idea what to do. A little voice (it sounded a great deal like Naruto) shouted at Sasuke, “Improvise!” So Sasuke blinked and asked, "Who is who?"
"Don't be so dense. I'm talking about this lovely vision," Malfoy-san gestured towards Sakura. "This delicate flower of maidenhood. However did you manage to get such a creature to spend time alone with you?" He laughed. "Not only alone, but while you're naked in the bathtub. You know, it's things like this that could entirely change your reputation, Snape. My dear," he turned his attention to Sakura. "Not finding him too much trouble, are you?"
Sakura didn't answer, but lightly tapped Sasuke on the shoulder and leaned close enough to mutter, "You don't see me."
Malfoy-san stepped closer to Sakura. "I didn't quite get that. You don't mind more company in the tub, do you? Snape, what are all those marks on you? Did you get yourself tattooed?" He frowned when Sasuke didn't immediately answer. "What are you staring at? Answer, won't you?"
"I'm not staring." Sasuke shook his head and turned away. "So, you think you see a girl? Here? In the boy's washing room?"
"Think I see… what?" Malfoy-san looked again at Sakura who flashed him a brilliant smile and blew him a teasing kiss. "She's right there!"
Sasuke looked directly at Sakura. She stood up and spun in a circle on one heel and spread her arms out to her sides. "Of course she is," Sasuke said, deadpan. He held up three fingers. "How many do you see?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot!"
Sakura stepped right up to Malfoy-san and began parroting, very quickly in a high-pitched voice, "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Don't talk to me! Don't talk to me! Me! Me! Idiot! Me!"
Malfoy-san's eyes grew wide and he drew back from her, shocked.
Sasuke gave Malfoy-san a long look. "I think maybe you ought to go back to bed."
Malfoy-san kept backing away from Sakura every time she stepped closer and looked between her and Sasuke. His hand had slipped inside his bathrobe, supposedly for his wand. "I know what I see! Don't play games with me, Snape! And those marks. What have you done to yourself?"
Sasuke looked down at himself, at all the intricately painted marks Kakashi-sensei had made, then looked back at Malfoy-san. "What marks?"
Malfoy-san couldn't have looked more like a fish, with his mouth hanging open while Sakura made faces at him. "Snape… "
"I think you'd best put this all down to too little sleep." Sasuke scratched at his forehead and hoped, desperately, that Malfoy-san was dim enough to take his advice. "You know I don't have tattoos. There is no girl here. Don't you think I'd be the first one shouting it from the roof if I had a girl? Go back to bed. Maybe you’re dreaming."
Malfoy-san turned to look again at Sakura who stuck her tongue out at him, then at Sasuke. "Ah… perhaps you're right."
"Of course I am."
"Right. Well… I… I'll see you in a little while." Malfoy-san was looking a little lost as he turned and quickly left the washing room.
Sakura smiled and giggled. "That was easier than I thought."
"That almost gave me an aneurysm," Sasuke sunk a little deeper into the water. "Too many accidents like that will be the end of us."
Sakura, once she was over her mirth at the success of the trick, put a finger to her lips, thoughtfully. "Why didn't we hear him coming? These stone floors make everything echo and these wizards aren't what you'd call stealthy even in the loosest of terms. We should have heard him."
"Partially, because of the spirit. The Bloody Baron distracted us." Sasuke stood while Sakura's back was to him and dried himself off. He kept talking while he redressed. "It’s probably also due to magic. He likely used magic to make himself silent so he wouldn’t awake the other students. Regardless, we're too obvious. Too many people have found out that I'm not Snape-san. I don't like this."
"No," Sakura disagreed. She gave the black robe to Sasuke once his trousers were on, careful of the little vials inside the robe. "Too many people suspect. Not one has any proof and The Bloody Baron is the only one that has an idea of who, exactly, we are. It's nothing to worry about. The contract didn't say anything about people being suspicious. We're fine, for now."
Sasuke didn't feel fine. He felt… incompetent. It left a foul taste in his mouth. "Regardless, a distraction shouldn't get in the way so much. We still should have heard him."
Sakura looked up with her eyes half-narrowed and her finger busily tapping against her lips. "Malfoy-san isn't a fool. From what we've seen, he's rather clever."
"Not clever enough to see a very weak lie," Sasuke protested. "And that lie won't work a second time."
Naruto-
Naruto had never felt so useless in his entire life and that was saying something.
As a child, he'd taken care of himself almost entirely. Though the village had supplied money for essentials, it was Naruto who'd done his own shopping and made his bed and cleaned the toilet. As an Academy student, he'd been kept busy with Iruka-sensei's demanding schedule. Students had often jokingly called Iruka-sensei The Taskmaster because he forced his students to be their best and Naruto had, to the best of his ability, fought to live up to Iruka-sensei's high standards. Usually, he’d failed with spectacular results, but he did try. As a genin he'd done everything he possibly could to prove his worth to his Cell. And suddenly - in the middle of a vital mission - he was reduced to sitting around doing nothing.
Sasuke’s life depended on the outcome of the mission and Naruto was doing absolutely nothing to help just because he’d breathed in a little poison and Sakura said his lungs would be damaged if he didn’t rest for a bit. That morning, as he idly sat on their tree-branch-camp, dangling his legs over the side of the branch, Naruto felt almost entirely well. The sun had risen and winter air is cool, but not freezing. He felt almost certain Sakura would allow him to return to work, his breathing was nearly entirely normal.
Gai-san returned to base after being out all night with Tenten. She didn't look well. She was pale and withdrawn when Gai-san carried her back to the base. Soaked head to foot with dull eyes and sagging shoulders, she hardly looked like the proud kunoichi Naruto had gotten to know. Gai-san set her gently on the branch and went to speak quietly with Kakashi-sensei away from her.
"What's up?" Naruto left his resting place and went to sit by Tenten. They'd never been close, but he rather liked her after coming to know her on the mission. She was sensible and calm with merry eyes. She didn't poke fun at him or make snide remarks about his Cellmates. "You don't look so good."
Tenten didn't look at him. Her merry eyes didn't sparkle and she stared at her knees. "I don't feel so good."
"Are you sick?"
"Tired. Just tired." She shivered. "Where's Neiji?"
"Still out. Scouting the tunnels under that school. Why?"
"I need to talk to him."
If it had been Sakura who looked so upset, Naruto would have known what to do. He would have sat next to her and spoken in his softest voice. He would have listened to her talk about whatever she wanted to talk about. Then he would tease her and let her hit him. It always made her feel better. However, Tenten wasn't Sakura and he had no idea how to make Tenten feel better.
Kakashi-sensei was suddenly beside Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. "What do you say to a bit of a change of plans? Tenten-kun needs some rest. How about you shadow Sasuke for a bit? Your lungs are probably mostly healed by now."
"Yeah! Absolutely!" He jumped to his feet and bounced on his toes, ready to do anything but sit around. "No problems, here!"
Kakashi-sensei chuckled and patted him on the head. "Back to your old self, eh?"
"Yes! Yes!" Naruto stopped bouncing and brushed Kakashi-sensei's hand away from his head. "I'm fine, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll do great!"
"Good, but remember to do great quietly. Come with me," He moved away from Tenten when Gai-san sat next to her. Gai-san put an arm around her shoulders but didn't speak until Naruto and Kakashi-sensei were well away. Kakashi-sensei spoke, drawing Naruto's attention away from the other two. "Your… guest? Any trouble with him?"
Naruto stilled at the mention of the demon trapped inside him. "Kyuubi's still angry."
"You don't know why?"
"I might. It's not important. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Sasuke. I won't let him get in any trouble!"
"In your life, Kyuubi is always important." Kakashi-sensei seemed to smile behind his mask. "As for Sasuke, I know you'll try to keep him out of trouble. Just remember: you can't make his choices for him so don’t blame yourself if he makes a mistake."
“I didn’t mean it like that! I don’t blame myself. And he’s not going to mess up the mission.” Naruto frowned. "You know he’s not going to mess up... right?”
Kakashi-sensei chuckled. "Sure I do. Now, about Kyuubi? I need information, Naruto. If you know why he's angry and not helping you heal…"
Naruto looked back at Tenten and Gai-san who spoke softly together. Tenten raised a hand and stared at it. Naruto didn’t understand what was going on, but whatever it was sure upset Tenten. Neji and Lee were going to be ticked off. "Kyuubi’s angry that I live with Iruka-sensei, now. He's more angry that Sasuke moved in, too."
Kakashi-sensei stared. "Funny things for him to be angry about."
"Yeah," Naruto scowled. "Real funny.”
Kakashi-sensei went with Naruto to the edge of the forest and left him there. Before he left, Kakashi-sensei said, “I know stealth isn’t your forte, but you must keep it in mind. Tenten just needs a bit of rest, so relieve Sakura and keep out of sight unless Sasuke really needs you. Understand?”
“Got it. No problem.”
Outside Hogwarts, Naruto saw Sasuke leaning easily against the wall of the school while many students, without their uniforms, spilled out of the school and began walking in the same direction. Sakura sat on a high ledge above Sasuke. Naruto waited until most of the students were a good distance away before he went to sit next to Sakura. "How's it going?"
“Nothing interesting, yet.” She frowned. "What are you doing here? Naruto, I told you to rest for at least another day and night. Do you want to ruin your lungs? I swear, I’ll tell The Hokage you aren’t taking care of yourself and she’ll put you on a full week of bed rest!”
“Aww, I’m fine! Don’t worry. ‘Sides, you should worry about Tenten. I don’t know what’s wrong, but Kakashi-sensei said she had to rest for a while. That’s why I’m here instead of her."
“Is she sick or hurt?”
“No. I think she’s just tired.” Naruto sat comfortably on the stone ledge, letting his feet dangle over the edge as Sakura was. The school yard had cleared of everyone but Sasuke and Naruto took the opportunity to drop a pine cone he’d secreted in his pocket onto Sasuke’s head. Sasuke caught the pine cone before it hit him, of course, and looked up. Naruto waved down and grinned at Sasuke’s scowl. “Why’s he just standing around? It’s school; he should be doing something.”
"He's waiting for his 'escort'."
"Huh?"
"There's a schoolmate of Snape-san's that intends to escort him around the town for the day."
"Ah," Naruto nodded his understanding. "A date?"
Sakura-chan shrugged. "Maybe. It doesn't matter. Unless he tries something nefarious with Sasuke it's not our business."
Naruto looked down at the top of Sasuke's head. Nefarious?
A blonde head walked out of the school and Sakura nudged Naruto in the ribs. "That's him," Sakura whispered. "Malfoy-san. He's trouble."
"How?"
"It's a feeling," Sakura said. They both knew that, in the life of a shinobi, feelings and hunches oftentimes meant the difference between success and failure - life and death. Sakura said good-bye when Malfoy-san left his group of friends and moved to stand in front of Sasuke. “I’m off,” Sakura told Naruto as she stood up. “See you in a few hours.”
Naruto watched her leave and then turned his full attention to the two boys below him, determined do his best for Sasuke’s sake and to make up for all the time he’d wasted letting his lungs heal.
Malfoy-san, unlike Sasuke, was no longer dressed in the school's uniform. Instead, he wore fine looking clothes and carried a flamboyant walking stick. His long hair was tied back into a respectable braid that hung down his back. Sasuke spoke to Malfoy-san briefly before they set off away from the school and towards the town. Sasuke walked slowly, reluctant to join the milling throng of students walking towards the town, but Malfoy-san urged him on until they blended in with the crowd and virtually disappeared. It was impossible to miss that Hagrid-san followed behind the herd of students. The man walked with a rolling gait and smiled fondly at most of the students while he walked with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his bulky coat. He watched Sasuke closely but Naruto saw nothing but open concern on Hagrid-san’s face so he wasn’t worried about him at all.
Malfoy-san led Sasuke to all kinds of interesting places in Hogsmead, but it was the strangest place, Naruto thought. The students were allowed free rein and they took great liberty with it. There was all kinds of mischief, some of which made Naruto want to join in and others that made him turn away in disgust. The trip became all the more interesting after Malfoy-san had taken Sasuke to a clothes shop and bought him a complete new outfit. Malfoy-san dusted off the shoulders of Sasuke's new coat and sneered at the robe Sasuke carefully slipped back on. "Must you always carry that thing around? Honestly - just keep a few of the more important ones in your pockets, won't you?"
Malfoy-san impatiently waited until Sasuke was done tying the strings holding the robe together at the neck, then the two set off together. There was a great potential for threats, but no one so much as approached the pair unless Malfoy-san initiated the conversation. They toured the town for hours with Malfoy-san strutting like a little lord and Sasuke skulking behind him.
"Those three are following us," Malfoy-san told Sasuke, softly. "Looks like they left Lupin behind, again. Shall we have fun?"
Naruto almost laughed. It wasn't surprising that Malfoy-san had seen the three lurkers tagging behind. Anyone would. They were blindingly obvious.
"What do you have in mind?" Sasuke asked, lowering his voice as he drew even with Malfoy-san.
"Leave it to me." He smiled charmingly at Sasuke. "I know what I'm doing."
A swarm of bees chased the three Gryffindors down the street until their yelping could no longer be heard.
"Crass," Sasuke murmured.
"Maybe. But it was amusing. Come along. There's a shop in Knockturn Alley I need to visit. Mother asked me to pick something up for her and you might find something interesting there."
Getting to Knockturn Alley was an adventure in itself. Malfoy-san led Sasuke to a very ordinary looking wall between two stores. He looked around with a smirk. "It's a secret, you know. Can't have just anyone walking in." He whistled sharply, a high-pitched note, then walked right into the wall and vanished.
Sasuke looked as stunned as Naruto had ever seen him.
Malfoy-san poked his head out of the wall and frowned at Sasuke. "What are you waiting for?"
"Nothing," Sasuke glanced to the right and met Naruto's eyes just as Naruto turned to look in a pet shop window. Naruto waited until Sasuke started though and Malfoy-san's head had gone back through the wall before he dashed over and slipped in behind Sasuke, walking though a seemingly solid wall.
Malfoy-san was waiting impatiently on the other side, thankfully with his back turned to Sasuke long enough for Naruto to slip away and hide. "There are more illusions like that around than most people notice." Malfoy-san told Sasuke. "Everyone knows about the one at King's Cross Station, but this one is more closely guarded. It's not the same, either. That illusion just blocks the doorway. This one actually takes us away."
"Away?"
Malfoy-san gave him an annoyed look. "Yes. Away. Turn left there," he pointed. "And you'll be in Diagon Alley. We're miles from Hogwarts, now."
Sasuke asked, "How do we go back? Whistle the same note?"
"Oh, you don't need to activate it from this side. The note is just to keep people from getting in, not to stop them from leaving. We'll just walk out."
There were fewer people in Knockturn Alley and Naruto's first impression of them was that they were the poor of the Wizard world. The people dressed in rags and many seemed nearly starved. There were scrawny women with hard eyes who wrapped shawls over their heads and men with scowls that seemed to permanently mar their faces. Everyone had a terrible, deep hunger in their eyes.
Knockturn Alley had shops and street vendors like the main part of Hogsmead Naruto had seen, but the atmosphere was entirely different. There were no merry school children or shouting merchants hawking their wares. Few people spoke. They passed one another with their eyes lowered and shoulders hunched, as if to protect themselves.
Malfoy-san never changed his posture or bearing and walked like a king among peasants down the street. Sasuke, with his face lowered and the dark cloak pulled around him, looked as if he belonged on the dark street.
"Here," Malfoy-san announced, gesturing towards a shop. "Don't touch anything and tell me if something catches your interest. I'll make sure you get it for a good price."
Sasuke nodded and followed Malfoy-san obediently, but before he entered the shop he looked around and his eyes fell on Naruto for the briefest of moments.
Naruto followed Sasuke into the shop, but not before hiding himself with the illusion of a black robe. He also dulled his hair to the color of wheat. Iruka-sensei had once told him that his bright hair was one of his most memorable characteristics.
Deep within his mind, Naruto felt Kyuubi stir unhappily. The alien though drifted across Naruto's mind, ‘Interfering man…’
Naruto pushed the thought away and pushed one of his own towards Kyuubi's cage. ‘Leave him alone. Mine. He's mine. My dad.’
Kyuubi pushed back, ‘I remember his tears when I ate his mother. The salty scent of his weeping sweetened the air.’
It was a sickening thought. Naruto pushed again at Kyuubi, but not with his thoughts. Instead, he tried to raise the barrier of the seal between them, again. The seal was supposed to not only keep Kyuubi imprisoned, but also to keep Kyuubi from overwhelming Naruto's mind. It wasn't the first time Naruto had heard Kyuubi talking to him, though in his childhood he'd thought it was an imaginary friend. That was, until he'd been caught talking back to the voice in his head. As a child, he hadn't realized the danger - he'd been so pleased to have someone - anyone! - to talk to - and spoke out loud to the voice only he could hear. Only minutes after being overheard, Naruto had been taken before The Hokage and the seal on his stomach had been reinforced. It had been years after that until Naruto had heard Kyuubi whispering to him in the darkness, once more.
Obviously, the seal would, again, have to be reinforced.
‘The pain,’ Kyuubi laughed. ‘You remember the pain? Like hot metal against your skin. They burned us both with their miserable seal.’
‘Quiet,’ Naruto told his enforced guest.
The shop Malfoy-san had taken them to was, if anything, darker than the street outside. There were lanterns lit around the shop, but the paltry light only made the darkness more pronounced in the corners and the deep recesses of the shelves. Malfoy-san was speaking with a woman Naruto presumed was the shopkeeper while Sasuke browsed slowly at the shelves lining the walls. Naruto slid up to him. "The groundskeeper is still following you. I saw him come though that wall just after you followed Malfoy-san."
Sasuke lowered his face a little. "He would be hard to miss." He turned his head slightly - away from Malfoy-san and towards Naruto - and Naruto saw that Sasuke's eyes were bright red with the sharigan. "This one shop is far more interesting than Hogsmead."
"What do you see?"
"Power." Sasuke turned back to the shelves of things. There were jars of this and that, bottles of colored liquids, and ugly nick-knacks. There were bowls of jagged teeth and delicate crystal sculptures. "I can't see it clearly, but there is something here. It's distorted and dull, but… listen to Malfoy-san and the shopkeeper. You'll hear what I mean."
Naruto stayed by Sasuke's side, but focused his attention on Malfoy-san and the shopkeeper. He made a pretense of examining some books in a glass cabinet and used the glass to watch their reflections.
The shopkeeper was grinning at Malfoy-san. "Orc venom? Your mother is ambitious, isn't she?"
"Hardly your affair," Malfoy-san sneered. "Have you got it or not? My mother will be severely disappointed if I return home without it. You did promise, after all."
"How could I disappoint the head of the Malfoy family?" The shopkeeper pulled a small bottle from deep pockets on her apron and held it up for Malfoy-san to see. "I keep my word. You know the dangers, I presume? It would break my heart to hand over something so hazardous to a child."
"Don't be insulting," Malfoy-san said loftily. "I know what I need to know." He took the bottle from the shopkeeper, but it didn't immediately go into a pocket as Naruto thought it would. Instead, Malfoy-san took hold of the head of his walking stick and twisted sharply. The head unscrewed in his hand and came off. He slipped the bottle neatly into the walking stick and screwed the head back on.
That, more than the shopkeeper's words of caution, shouted at Naruto how dangerous the orc's venom was. Either Malfoy-san didn't want to actually hold it or he didn't want anyone to know he had it. Maybe both.
"Remember, if it's found on you or in your family's home, you didn’t get it from me."
"Yes, yes. Understood."
"No!" The shopkeeper seized him by the arm before she let him go quickly, her eyes flashing to Naruto. She lowered her voice. "Do not dismiss me. Your mother knows to show me respect. I have more than enough power here to make your life very uncomfortable. I can make you wish your parents had never spawned you. Even if I were locked in Azkaban, you would feel my wrath. Look around you."
Malfoy-san did as he was told and, though he showed no outward sign of fear or even wariness, he nodded slowly to the shopkeeper. "I see your point."
Naruto drifted back to Sasuke but didn't stop by him. Instead, he kept walking out the door and onto the street. There was little more to be said. Sasuke was right. These kind of stores could easily be a threat to the school - especially if they were selling things to the students.
Sasuke-
"Who was that?"
"No one." Sasuke looked at Malfoy-san, disappointed that he didn't have more time to examine the things in the shop. He couldn't identify even one of them, yet his sharigan had told him that there was power in everything there. He knew the names only from occasional cards placed in front of or next to the mysterious items. It struck Sasuke, though, that the things sold in a shop like that one weren't just potential threats. They could also be potential benefits, if used properly. Malfoy-san had told him a good deal about the sort of things that could be purchased in Knockturn Alley. If the headmaster were to strike up some kind of agreement with the shopkeepers of Knockturn Alley he would have a fantastic arsenal at his disposal.
Malfoy-san didn't look convinced, but didn't pursue the subject. "So? See anything that interests you?"
"Not really." As tempting as the offer was, Sasuke couldn't logically take the risk. If he didn't know what it was, he could inadvertently use it and hurt someone. He couldn't ask what anything was for fear of exposing his ignorance of something Snape-san would know.
Malfoy-san's eyes widened. "Really? You surprise me."
They left the shop and walked for a while, all the time, Sasuke falling a little further behind so he could take time to look in the windows of shops that caught his interest. It wasn't too long before a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him into a dark alley.
Hagrid-san.
He glared angrily at Sasuke. "What do you think you're up to?" He demanded. He shook Sasuke hard enough make his teeth chatter together. "Here? With him? Have you lost your good sense?"
"I'm just looking, Mister Hagrid."
"Just looking! Just looking!" Hagrid-san drew himself up and planted both fists on his hips. "I'm not so foolish as you kids think I am! No one comes here to just look! You get yourself back to the school! You'll do yourself no favors by hanging around with the likes of that Malfoy boy. I don't know what's got into you, lately. You've been acting mighty peculiar this past week."
Sasuke couldn't give up at that point. There were too many interesting things to look at and many of them, he knew, could affect the mission. "I can't go with you. I'm sorry."
Hagrid-san's face turned red with anger. He shook a finger at Sasuke. "I'm not giving you much of a choice, lad!" He gave Sasuke a relatively gentle push back out onto the street. "March!"
They walked quietly for a bit until, as they passed another shop with a large glass window, Sasuke happened to catch sight of Naruto, still dressed in his genjutsu created robe, walking behind them. As subtly as he could, Sasuke made a fist with his left hand. It was their designated sign for help. After a moment, Sasuke suddenly dashed ahead of Hagrid-san and rounded a corner where he met Naruto.
"Lead him off for me," Sasuke told him. "There are other things to investigate here. I must find Malfoy-san, for starters."
"No problem." Naruto drew the hood of his robe over his hair. "I'll lose him somewhere and come back for you. Don't die." He leapt out of hiding just as Hagrid-san was nearly upon them. With his back to Hagrid-san, to hide his face, Naruto called out with Snape-san's voice, "Thought you wanted to go back? Come on! Don't be slow!"
Sasuke nearly choked. It was certainly not something Snape-san would have said.
All the same, Hagrid-san took chase after Naruto with his slow, ungainly run shouting for him to stop.
Sasuke waited a moment until he was certain that Hagrid-san and Naruto were well out of sight before he stepped out of the alley. He started in the direction he'd last seen Malfoy-san going in but hadn't gone far when he noticed that the street was suddenly empty. There wasn't a single person on the street except him. No. That was wrong. There was someone - behind him. Someone creeping closer and trying to be quiet. Sasuke kept the mission firmly in mind and forced himself not to turn or run - both of which his training screamed at him to do. He kept walking as if nothing were wrong until an intense, mind-numbing pain struck him in the back.
Sasuke stiffened, but didn’t fall. He could hardly breathe. He jerked and twitched as stars danced before his eyes. The pain kept ripping though him. Like a bolt of lighting that swam around inside his body, the pain went round and round and when it finally ended Sasuke sagged weakly.
"Still on your feet? Impressive." Snape-san's uncle stood behind Sasuke and lowered his wand when Sasuke turned to looked at him.
Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue wouldn't move. His lips were numb. He tried again but his throat throbbed mercilessly.
The only greater pain had been from Kakashi-sensei when he'd put the seal on Orochimaru's curse mark. That pain had seriously outweighed this.
"It'll wear off soon enough." Snape-san's uncle looked Sasuke up and down. "You ought to be proud of yourself. Not just anyone can take that and stand. I'm all done playing games, Severus. No more of this nonsense of you going to the Ministry about me. The Dark Lord has shown an interest in you. That's nothing to take lightly. You've refused an invitation to meet with him and, therefore, the Dark Lord is unhappy with me. It seems that as I'm your uncle, he thinks I ought to have some influence over you. I can't disappoint him."
Sasuke glared at the man.
"You'll listen to me now, won't you, Severus? You know I have only your best interests at heart. Whatever you saw or heard the night your mother died - it doesn't matter. No one will ever believe you." His hands landed on Sasuke's shoulders. "You're just as foolish as your mother was. Fighting me is only going to cause you more pain."
‘Kill,’ Sasuke's darker side whispered. ‘I'll kill him now. Interfering with the mission. Cruel. I'll burn the flesh from his bones. He's not important. He's no one. Not connected with the mission. He's expendable.’
… and Orochimaru would smile to see Sasuke so eager to kill.
Sasuke wouldn't kill. There was no real reason to kill. It wasn't as if Sasuke had never dealt with pain before. It would be more appropriate to incapacitate the man then continue on his mission. Sasuke started to raise a hand. Just one touch and he could break a bone. It would be enough of a distraction to allow him to get away without revealing that he wasn't Snape-san. Sasuke raised his hand a little more, just inches from Snape-san's uncle.
"You'll thank me when this is over, Severus. You'll be very useful to the Dark Lord and when you've proven your worth, you'll have a high standing. You may be able to help tear Hogwarts down."
Sasuke lowered his hand back to his side. The mission came before his own safety or comfort and it sounded as if Snape-san’s uncle was talking about a threat to the school.
"The Dark Lord will make sure Dumbledore can't be allowed to ruin more wizard youth with his propaganda. Allowing such dangerous creatures as the Muggle born to be educated with decent wizard children." At that he smirked at Sasuke. "No offense. Now, let's go. The Dark Lord is waiting." He put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and squeezed tightly. "Don't think of running from me, Severus."
Naruto-
Naruto had easily lost Hagrid-san, but when he'd returned to where he'd left Sasuke, the other boy was missing. Naruto didn't worry, at first. He looked all though the town, and even went back to Hogsmead but still couldn't find Sasuke. He even tracked down Malfoy-san, who idled in a café near the middle of Hogsmead, but Sasuke wasn't with him.
"Five minutes," Naruto had moaned when he’d realized his failure. "I was gone five minutes and I lost him."
To be continued…