Chapter 55 part 3

Alvarcus's Room

"What all should I even bring with me?" I look over my personal equipment. It's enough to arm a small army.

"Twenty kunai should be plenty." I reason to myself as tuck them all into hidden spots on my person. "There's nothing limiting me on this mission, I can use my chakra strings to bring them back as many times as I need to. Well, I can throw a case into a scroll just in case. Better to be over prepared than under."

"Do I even need senbon?" I hold up a bundle of bound needles. Then I toss them into the not bringing pile. "Yeah, no. Senbon aren't my style at all. Plus I'm not good with them, they're more of a stealth tool."

"Tanto? Nope." The longer blade quickly joins the do not bring pile. "That's so out of my comfort zone it's not funny. Now then, that should do it for weapons. Oh wait!"

I grab a box. Inside this box is a basic all purpose sealing kit. It has tags, ink, brushes, even a few scrolls too. It's everything I'd need in case I have to make a seal for some absurd reason. "Can't forget this."

"Now that should cover it all." I look over everything I'm bringing one last time. "Good to go."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Sasuke is standing in my doorway. He's blocking me from leaving. And he sounds pissed.

"Uh... on a mission of sorts?" I weakly supply as I wave at the handful of scrolls I've sealed everything into.

I've really got to say knowing how to make storage seals is very economical for traveling. I don't need a backpack anymore, just enough pockets on my person to tuck away the scrolls. It's great and I can bring way more stuff if I want to.

"Not good enough." He aggressively says back.

That's right I'm getting yelled at. I got distracted marveling at the convenience of fuinjutsu.

"I'm getting a piece I'll need for the sword." I elaborate. "It's in the Land of Snow. What's up with the hostility?"

"That's not the real reason you're doing this." Sasuke boldly guesses. He's right.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" I quirk an eyebrow at him. "Right I will not be doing that again, it's not my thing at all. It feels so weird. Gah! How do so many people do that?"

Please get distracted. I don't want to say the truth.

"Because you don't feel right." Another voice joins our conversation. A softer, more worried voice. It's Karin. "You shouldn't feel like this if you were doing what you said."

"You're becoming a pain in my ass." I sigh in defeat. Why can't she just leave me alone? "Why is it that whenever something is wrong with me everyone goes and gets Sasuke? Seriously? It's always him. And what do I feel like to make you say that?"

"He's the only one you'll listen to." Karin steps from around the corner to look over Sasuke's shoulder at me. "You feel like you're going to exile yourself. You're running away."

"Tell me that she's wrong." Sasuke demands. There's a hint of fear underneath his anger, it's a fear that she's right. That I'm running away. That I'm abandoning him. "You'd never run away. Not like this. You wouldn't leave without saying anything."

"Karin you're half right." I give in. I can't lie to them, Sasuke knows me too well and Karin can sense my emotions. She'd know if I'm lying from that. "I am running away but I'm not running away forever."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke shouts at me in anger. "You're running away!"

"I'm running away from my problems for two weeks." I blurt out and my admission stuns the other two. "Look, I'm stressed. I'm beyond stressed. There's so much shit that's happened recently and frankly this is the worst environment to be in to handle it. Sasuke, Karin, I'm lashing out at people. Living, breathing people who have their entire lives in front of them. Then they say the wrong thing or get in my way and I... I hurt them. If they're lucky. Just yesterday I brutally killed two people because they trashed my lab. I don't even care why they did it. I never asked them. I never thought about what caused them to do it. Was it because of the War Games? Perhaps I scorned them without realizing it? Maybe they're mad that Orochimaru treats me specially? Or is it loathing because they can't measure up to my skill level? Are they insulted that someone younger than them is so much stronger? I don't know. It didn't matter. I still don't care what their reason was. They wronged me so I killed them. Simple as that."

"Don't you both see how bad that is? I just don't care. About people. About anything. So I need to get away from it all. I have to get a break because if I don't then the body count is only going to grow. I'm not doing this just for me but for everyone."

"You don't have to go." Sasuke cuts in. "I can keep you in line."

"Yeah?" I snort out in dark amusement. "Then where the hell were you yesterday? I'll tell you: you weren't there. I just need to get away for a bit. To calm down, to collect myself. To get away from everything that's going on. I want to be alone where I don't have to worry about anything. I won't have to worry about hurting anyone. I won't have to worry about what I say. I won't have to wear a mask. I can just leave it all behind me and go."

"Can't I go with you?" Sasuke asks. "It'll be like old times."

"Orochimaru already said no." I bluntly tell him and right now I'm thankful Orochimaru said it. "You're staying."

"Then I'll go." Karin steps up, literally and figuratively. "Even if you want to be alone you shouldn't."

"No." I quickly dismiss her suggestion. "I will be going alone."

"If not me then take Maiko!" Karin is grasping at straws. "She'd love to go with you! You'd have no problems with her at all!"

"Except for the part where she wants to claim me – whatever the hell that means – by screw me senseless." I cross my arms and dully look at Karin. "You're right, that's not an issue at all. I would love to spend two weeks putting up with that."

"Wait what?" Sasuke asks in confusion. "The hell are you talking about?"

"I've gotten my first fan-girl." I monotonously inform him. "It's the girl that was stalking me. She came onto me really hard and everything."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Sasuke breaks out of his anger for a brief instant so we can share a moment of dread.

"Yes." I agree wholeheartedly. "Anyways. This is so I can get away from everything and everyone. Extra emphasis on everyone."

"There's nothing we can do to change your mind about this?" Sasuke asks. He's caving, he knows that I do need to get away. He's seen who I was and now who I am. There's a drastic difference. "You're not going to let anyone go with you?"

"Correct. I am going alone." I say for what feels like the hundredth time.

"You better come back in one piece." Sasuke demands in a caring manner. "If you're not then that will be the least of your worries."

"Ha! I can pull myself together quite well, thank you!" I jibe back at him.

"What!" Karin rounds on Sasuke in anger. "You're okay with this?"

"No. I'm not." Sasuke looks me straight in the eyes. "But he thinks he needs this, so I won't stop him. I'll just kick his ass if he comes back worse than he is now."

"Well I'm not okay with this!" Karin shouts. "I'm going with you!"

"I'll give you some very nice clothes to stay here?" I offer her. It worked on Tayuya so why not on Karin? "Like royalty nice. Clothes that can put nobles to shame. I can even get them tailored to you."

"I am not some measly skank that you can bribe to get what you want!" Karin turns red in anger and her voice gets even louder. "I'm going with and that's final!"

"I'll get you one of Sasuke's shirts when I get back?" I offer.

"DEAL!" She shouts in victory.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke reels back in shock. "I am not okay with this!"

"Glad we could settle that. Now if you both will excuse me, I have to go burn down a base then go somewhere very cold and potentially kill a very important figure." I cheerfully wave at the equally surprised Sasuke and Karin. "See ya in two weeks!"

I sprint around them and flee down the hall.

That Night, Konoha

"When I was told I would be staying in a very safe place tonight this was not what I expected." Naruto blandly says to his babysitter. He's a shinobi of the Leaf but he has to have a babysitter. How embarrassing.

"I didn't expect this either." Kakashi says to the orange clad boy. "I don't particularly like sharing my apartment with anyone. Not to mention people I've been ordered to host. Most of my friends have never been inside here."

"So..." Naruto drags out the word as he's taking in the impressively small apartment. "Couldn't one of Konoha's top shinobi afford a bigger place?"

"I don't need anything bigger." Kakashi shrugs. "I've got everything I could need right here. Besides most of the time I don't even stay here -"

"Oh no!" Naruto weeps tears of sadness. "You're another pervert aren't you! Always spending nights at some random girl's house! Shame on you! Shame!"

"- because I'm usually away on missions." Kakashi heaves out a long sigh. This is going to be a long night for him.

"Oh right." Naruto sheepishly rubs the back of his head. "Sorry?"

"Just don't do anything stupid." Kakashi dejectedly heads to his room. How did this happen to him? He's feared across the entire Elemental Nations. He's lived through countless life and death battles. He's been considered as a potential Hokage.

Now he's a babysitter. How the mighty fall.

"Jeez I'm not an idiot thanks!" Naruto scoffs. "Hey, where's the ramen at?"

"There isn't any." Kakashi drones out.

"What?! NOOOO!"

The Next Morning, a few Kilometers Outside of Konoha

"This is the spot we agreed to meet at." Shikamaru looks at a map again. "Where the hell are they?"

This is not the first time he's asked that question. Nor is it the twentieth. Nor the thirtieth.

"I still don't know why I'm in this damn coat." Ino huffs and readjusts her grip holding the coat closed.

"Because you wanted to learn and I am so generously teaching you." Anko smirks at Ino. "Now either put your arms down or I will tie them behind your back. You'll never learn if you keep holding it closed and I will not be a bad sensei!"

"But it's so embarrassing!" Ino blushes madly.

"At first." Anko shrugs. "Now arms down or I get my shinobi wire out and we have fun. By the way someone stole then burned all of the other clothes you brought along. I have no idea how that happened."

"WHAT?!" Ino roars at Anko. It would be a lot more intimidating and scary if she wasn't attempting to hug herself to death. "Why would you do that?!"

"I will not be a bad sensei." Anko says with just a hint of a threat in her voice. "This is the first thing I've taught you, you're going to learn it. If you won't do it by yourself then it's going to be by force. I don't care which. Now, put your arms down or I tie your arms down. Your choice."

"F-fine." Ino tires to put on a mask of confidence but her stutter and shaky arms give away just how uncomfortable she is.

"Some time today would be nice." Anko reaches into her own coat and pulls out a spool of wire. "Or do you want to do this the hard way? I'm okay with that, trial by fire is so much fun!"

"Just give me a moment." Ino forces her arms down to her sides over the next fifteen seconds.

Every millimeter is a struggle for her, an impossible obstacle to overcome. But she does it. There's a long strip of delicate skin exposed all the way down Ino's front. Her modesty is intact, but just barely. At first glance someone might mistake Anko and Ino as sisters since they both are dressed similarly.

"There." Ino glares at Anko. "Are you happy now?"

"See!" Anko claps happily for her (unwilling) student. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I guess?" Ino squeaks out. "It's not that hard of a concept but if I forget for a moment then – NOOOO!"

A very strong breeze wafts through the waiting spot. It's by far the strongest gust of today and it flaps all lose clothing in the wind. Usually that isn't a problem but Ino is in a unique situation.

In the first moment that Ino felt the breeze coming she tried to bring her arms up to hold the coat shut.

However her sensei had another idea. Anko sped her way over to Ino's side and firmly grasped her wrists. She's holding her arms down.

"Ah, ah, ah, I finally got you to put your arms down. There will be no sliding backwards!" Anko smiles evilly to herself as Ino struggles in her grasp. "You know what to do, do it."

"No no no no no no!" Ino squirms in Anko's grip in a vain attempt to free herself. "NOOO!"

Ino's face scrunches up in concentration as the breeze whips through them. Both coats flutter in the wind, neither Ino or Anko are spared. But neither of the coat's chest areas flutter with the rest of the coat. Both Ino and Anko miraculously kept them secured, a lot of skin was shown but not even a glimpse of the more interesting parts could be seen. The entire time one of them was wearing a smile the and the other was screaming bloody murder but that doesn't matter.

"Congratulations!" Anko releases Ino and pats her on the head. "You've passed."

"Why would you do that to me!?" Ino shouts at Anko. "This is stupid! It's pointless!"

"Is it?" Anko spins Ino around and pulls her into a backwards hug. The older woman is leaning over one of Ino's shoulders to whisper into her ear. "Why haven't we heard Shikamaru complain recently?"

"I don't understand? What's he got to do with anything!" Ino harshly whispers back.

"Look at him." Anko succulently whispers into her student's ear as she forces the younger girl to face her friend. "Tell me what he looks like."

"He looks like Shikamaru!" Ino raves. "He's slouching and... and he's facing away from us. And looking anywhere but at us. There's even a hint of pink on his cheeks. Every once in a while he slowly turns his head and glances at us out of the corner of his eye but then he snaps his head away from us. It's like he can't not look but he also doesn't want to."

"You did that." Anko tenderly whispers. "You're the reason he's like that. Because of this one little trick."

"I... I did?" Ino says in quiet surprise. "But he's Shikamaru! Nothing phases him!"

"Really? Let's find out." Anko raises her voice up. "Hey Shikamaru, turn around."

"That's not a good idea." Shikamaru quickly responds. Way too quickly. Ino has never heard him speak this fast. "One of us should keep watch."

"Come on Shikamaru, it'll be just for a moment." Anko teases. "Surely that's not asking too much? Ino has something she wants to ask you."

"No thank you." Shikamaru rushes to spit the two words out. "I'm keeping a lookout. For threats. That's what I'm doing. There's nothing else going on over here. Just watching the surroundings."

"I'm sure you've gotten an eyeful of the surroundings." Anko teasingly calls out to him.

Shikamaru looks over his shoulder with a rebuttal on the tip of his tongue but when his eyes land on the pair of kunoichi, particularly the one around his age, his eyes widen and he snaps his head away from her. His witty rebuttal is long forgotten.

"Are you pitching a tent?" Anko smirks in victory at the way Shikamaru flinches and his hands twitch to cover his groin. "Knew it!"

"I am NOT!" He practically shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Who is pitching a tent?" Naruto's voice echoes into the clearing. "I thought we had to travel all day before we camped out."

"NO ONE IS PITCHING A TENT!" Shikamaru yells.

"You're late!" Ino shouts at Naruto and Kakashi who have both just arrived.

"Yeah, he's weird like that. He kept insisting that it wasn't time to leave yet." Naruto gestures at Kakashi who merrily waves back. Then Naruto turns to Ino. "Hey Ino how's it gooooooo..."

Naruto locks up. His entire body freezes and his eyes go wide and his jaw hangs open in shock. He's staring at Ino who is still being sensually held by Anko. Both of them have very questionable attire on, their pose is only adding to the suggestive image.

"I told you it was you." Anko whispers into Ino's ear. "Now you see why I prance around like this all the time."

"You know..." Ino trails off. Then an evil grin of her own forms on her face. "This could be fun."

"Honey this is nothing." Anko happily says to her student. She's finally sunk her claws into her.

"Really?" Ino smiles up sweetly at Anko. "What else can you teach me Anko-sensei?"

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that." Anko is brimming with happiness. "I'll teach you everything I know."

"Great." Kakashi heaves out a sigh. His eyes bounce from the obviously embarrassed Shikamaru, to the still openly staring Naruto, and they settle on the cause of the issue. Both of which have sinister smirks dancing on their faces. "There's two of them now."

Omake: A Pair of Different Reactions

In a far Away Land, On an Outrageously Dangerous Mission, also Life Threatening Can't Forget That, with the Most Heroic and Gallant Shinobi to Ever Walk this World

"What is this feeling?" Jiraya says to himself. He's stopped walking to fully intake whatever this is. "It feels like victory. Like something miraculous has happened, something that I thought would take years to complete. I wonder what it was?"

Konoha

"No!" Inoichi shouts to the ceiling of his home. "No no no! Something is terribly wrong with my baby! She's being corrupted and I'm not there to protect her! To steer her to the light! Why Kami? Why have you forsaken me?"