Chapter 27: Fuka's Tale

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm…"- Flashback

Chapter 27:

Fuka's Tale

The council of Taki had gathered itself during this emergency call. They didn't know how nor did they know why. But someone had managed to trespass into their village. What was worse was the fact that they still weren't captured. All the members of the council knew what was at stake here. They couldn't let the trespassers leave. Because if they did, odds were that they would sell that information to anyone for the right price. And that meant invasion, something which they knew they weren't prepared enough to defend themselves against.

The council was made up mostly of the original members who had first founded the village with the first elected "leader" of Taki. These members were the oldest ones there. Some had already died, leaving their position behind for their sons who were relatively younger compared to the original members. But age wasn't a concern right now. No, fixing this situation was.

"Do we even know what they want? Maybe we can just buy them out!"

"Are you a fool!? You can't reason with a rogue ninja! They betrayed their own ninja villages. What's to stop them from doing the same to us? Nothing!"

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing about this! Otherwise, we see the end of this village for good!"

"What about those two Konoha shinobi that Eba called for? What are they doing?"

"Yes, well, he did send them with a squad of our men down to the prison. According to the reports, that's where this group concentrated themselves into for whatever reason."

"No. It's not for 'whatever' reason. If they were clever enough to discover the entrance to our village, then they must have a good reason for going down there."

There was a snort. "And what might that be? That place is filled with old rotten shinobi who are way past their prime. Nothing worth mentioning."

"That's not entirely true."

The council stopped their bickering to look towards the end of the massive table that they were sitting around. The one who had spoken wore the same green kimonos as the others but was noticeably skinnier than most of the council members. A major reason for this was because he was one of the oldest members of the council. Unlike the others, he had no son to whom he could pass his position to. So as to who was going to get his position on the council after he passed away was a question that none had an answer to as of yet. But that was beside the point.

"And what do you mean by that exactly?"

"There is one prisoner down there that is one of the most dangerous shinobi still alive today if he were to get out."

Some of the younger members looked at one another in confusion, wondering just why they were hearing of this right now and not before. It seemed as if the practice test that had been conducted on Kakuzu two months prior had been kept a secret from some of the younger members. Shocker.

"And you're saying that they could be here to get him out?"

"Possibly. Or kill him. Who knows? I would just like to point out that it is a possibility, one that we can't ignore if it does come to pass. Presently, there is no one in the village that can stop him. So if he were to get freed, even indirectly due to the commotion, it would be disastrous."

'Especially since I'm the only one that can stop him.' He didn't say that part out loud, mainly because in doing so it would only aggravate him further. None of the other members in the council had any type of shinobi training to speak of. That rang specially true to the new generation that had taken some of the spots in the council. To them, it was unnecessary to try and learn the shinobi arts when they were already in a powerful position. A decision that was costly to them right now since, if he was killed, then the knowledge as to how to stop that man would forever be lost. And that wasn't a pretty picture.

"You don't say?"

All present stopped when the unrecognizable voice hit their ears. Save for one. The one that had spoken last had barely turned around before he was roughly grabbed by the neck and into the air, bringing him in front a pair of eyes that he had not seen in quite some time.

"You…." he barely managed to say as Kakuzu strangled the life out of him.

The other members of the council sprung to their feet in fear, not knowing what was happening. A few were smart enough to make a run for the exit. But unfortunately for them, it was blocked a moment later by Shido's imposing form.

Kakuzu took pleasure in seeing the man that had locked him up all those years ago struggle in his hands as he began to take his final breaths on this earth.

"It looks like I'm the one that's going to get the final laugh here," Kakuzu said as his other hand began to darken. "If I remember correctly, you were the only one in this pathetic excuse of a council to once be a shinobi, right?"

It was a rhetorical question, of course. Kakuzu knew this to be the case. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to cast that jutsu on him in the first place. But still. It was fun to be dramatic once in a while.

The old council member gasped in pain as Kakuzu impaled his darkened hand through the man's chest where his heart was.

"I wonder just what element you have," Kakuzu added before retrieving the heart. A few seconds later, the old man in his hands went limp, dead. He had lived a long life. But it wasn't a comforting thought considering the way that he had just died.

But Kakuzu didn't feel any sort of remorse. After all, this was how the world worked. There was nothing more to it than that. The man had used him, lied to him, and when his usefulness had come to an end he had tossed him aside like a broken toy. It was the dark reality of this world. It was why Kakuzu had bowed to never be at the mercy of anyone else for as long as he lived.

"This is the first time I'm seeing this."

Kakuzu didn't bat an eye as Goro's form appeared next to him, cautiously looking at the heart in Kakuzu's hand. "Is this how your jutsu works?"

Kakuzu merely nodded before he turned his attention to the rest of the council who were watching the proceedings with shocked faces. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. It was disgusting. Kakuzu simply sent Shido a look which the man understood immediately. Bringing out his remaining sword, Shido didn't flinch as he cut down the council members who all screamed in pain before they hit the ground, all dead just like the old man.

"Definitely not big on holding back," Goro commented with a shake of his head. He then turned his attention to Kakuzu who was looking at the heart that he had acquired. This gave him two now. But first, he needed to figure just what element it would be best suited for.

"What about Fuka? Are we going to continue without her?"

"But of course!" Goro turned towards Shido who walked up to them. "She got captured. What else is there to it? She did her part. There's nothing else to discuss here."

While that would normally apply, Goro was certain that Kakuzu had some kind of history with the woman. So, it probably wouldn't-

"We leave her behind."

Goro blinked, unsure if he had just heard right. "What?"

Kakuzu glanced at him. "You heard me. She knew very well what would happen is she got captured. The same rings true for the rest of you. If she can somehow escape and return to us before we leave, then fine. If not, then fine too. That's all there is to it."

Goro narrowed his eyes. Some part of him wasn't exactly fond of doing something like that to one of their comrades. But knowing Fuka, he was certain that she would think of something to escape. Besides, he couldn't always be the hero. He was a shinobi. Not the other way around. It was that simple.

Seeing that neither of his companions were against his decision, Kakuzu began to make his way out of the council's chambers.

"Then let us go. We need to lay low for a few hours so that I can transplant this heart into me. I'd rather be a bit more prepared when we next face those two Konoha shinobi."

Shido and Goro merely followed behind, not saying a word.

Fuka stopped herself from t'ching when her consciousness returned to the real world. It didn't take long for her brain to process what exactly had happened to her given how sore her body still was. That being said, she hadn't survived all these years outside in the shinobi world without knowing to have some precautions. With that in mind, Fuka kept her eyes closed and her body rigid in order to give the impression that she was still passed out. She didn't know where she was nor could she hear anything that could tell her where she was save for the sound of rain coming from outside. Not only that, but she knew that one of the windows of the "room" she was in was most likely opened since she could feel the cool air as a result of the rain coming in. Another thing she came to realize was that she was tied up in a sitting position next to a wall.

'Something that can be easily fixed by a wind jutsu,' she thought, preparing to cut the ropes that were binding her before she tried anything else.

"I know that you're awake. Your chakra can't lie. So there's no need to keep pretending anymore."

This time, the redhead did t'ch. "So you used those eyes of yours on me, did you?" Fuka said, opening her eyes. She wasn't surprised when she saw the Anbu standing before her. And just like she had predicted, she was somewhere inside a house or apartment. It was completely dark outside, but it had nothing to do with being nighttime. No, it was because the sun was presently blocked by the clouds which were pouring rain down on them.

"I'm guessing that you're the one that's supposed to interrogate me," she continued, bringing her eyes back to the Anbu. She was slightly confused because this didn't look like any sort of interrogation room. Unless Taki lacked even that, which she doubted. But then what other reason could she be here for?

"The village doesn't know that you've been captured," Sasuke stated, crossing his arms in front of him. Seeing a look of confusion flash through the woman's face, he elaborated. "I didn't report to them that we had captured one of the members of the group that infiltrated this place."

"And why would you do such a thing?" Fuka asked, completely flabbergasted at the Anbu's response.

Sasuke shrugged. "It would be a waste if we handed you over to them. No doubt that they would just stick you down some hole somewhere. It seemed like a waste to me."

Now this really caught Fuka's attention. "And why is that exactly?" A seductive look overtook her features. "Is it because you can't resist my charms any longer? Hmm?"

Sasuke shook his head, not affected by her looks in the slightest. It was something that Fuka also picked up on, which made her feel a bit put out. No one resisted her looks. Well, Kakuzu had. But considering how they had met, the redhead couldn't really fault him for that.

"During our fight, I was able to see something in your chakra…it changes every time you use a different element. It got me curious," Sasuke explained. He didn't pay attention to Fuka's pout at his reasoning why he had her here. "And also, and more importantly, because I need you to tell me everything that you know about the man you freed. I don't doubt for a second that the leaders in this village will deny me that information. Not to mention the fact that only you know why you freed him to begin with."

If she could have, Fuka would have shrugged. "Oh, so that's it. Information. I guess you're the type of man that likes to get down to business as soon as possible. I actually dislike that type. They're no fun. Always business. Learn to live a little, will you?"

Fuka sighed when she saw that her reply had no visible effect on the Anbu. Really, how boring. But she also knew that she wasn't in the position to play around too much. This Anbu was stronger than her, no matter how much she would like to think otherwise. Not only that, but he also possessed the sharingan and was quite efficient in using it. If she tried anything, he would know of it instantly. It was why he hadn't bothered to try and seal her chakra away. Some part of Fuka did feel a bit offended at that, but she would take what she could.

"A question, first," she said. Seeing the Anbu's lack of response as the go ahead, Fuka asked, "Of what importance is that information to you? At this point, it should be irrelevant why we did any of this. You should only be concerning yourself with trying to stop us. Well, not that I think you have a chance against Kakuzu anyway."

Sasuke h'mphed, some part of him wanting to try and show her that she was wrong about the last part. But that could come later. "You could say that this is simply a pretense for something much bigger that I want to accomplish."

'Well, that explains everything,' Fuka thought in sarcasm. "You're not well at explaining yourself, are you?"

Sasuke sighed. "That's because it's not a simple matter. I don't believe you would understand it either."

Fuka smirked at this. "Oh? Is it because I'm nothing more than a traitor to you?"

Sasuke paused for a moment. He could sense that there was more to that question than what it seemed. Or maybe he was just imagining it. Either way, he already knew why she wouldn't.

"You could say that," Sasuke replied, turning his attention to the open window that stood behind him. "After all, from what I've seen, most rogue shinobi don't have any sense of a code. Or morals. They only do what they want, stabbing others in the back just like they did with their home villages." He faced her once again. "Can you tell me that I'm wrong?"

Fuka shook her head. "No, you're not. I'm not blind to that. But how is that any different from what you do?"

Sasuke didn't reply, already seeing what she was telling him.

Seeing his silence, the redhead continued, "As an Anbu, I'm sure you've seen the dark parts of your village, just like any other Anbu from any other village. Konoha is no different. All the nations lie to one another, using 'alliances' as a means to further their gain. They take from one another, just as we rogue shinobi do. They lie to one another. There are no true allies in this world. It's village against village. Alliances crumble every time. So tell me, what gives any of you the right to try and lecture us when you're no different?"

Shaking her head again, Fuka leaned back against the wall. "There is no point in trying to serve a village. Because all you are is the dog of a group of people who don't care about you in the slightest. If that's the alternative, I'd rather stay with the life that I now have thank you very much. Because at least now, I live for myself. No one else. Even if I do die, I would have lived the way I wanted. That's the biggest difference between you and I, Anbu. You're a caged animal while I'm free. It won't matter if you kill me or imprison me."

Fuka was taken back when she heard the Anbu before her release a chuckle. She brought her eyes back to him, wondering if there was something wrong with the guy. Thinking about it, he didn't seem like an ordinary Anbu either. He talked a bit too much for that, not that he talked that much either.

Sasuke looked down at his hands. "It's just like you said. The system in place isn't right. It's far from it. The intentions of the Shodai Hokage were lost somewhere along the way. Now, only this corrupt ninja world remains. It's sickening."

Fuka stared at him in silence for a few moments, wondering if she had heard right. "Are you really an Uchiha?"

Sasuke h'mphed again. "The bindings of a clan no longer hold me back. There once was a time when the Uchiha meant everything to me. It still holds a big place in my heart today, but it's not my top priority either. I aim bigger now. Something much bigger."

Now, Fuka was really starting to become intrigue. The last time she had felt this interested in another person had been when she had witnessed Kakuzu's battle with the Shodai Hokage first hand.

"And what is your goal?"

Sasuke shook his head. "You're not exactly someone I trust with that. After all, you said it yourself: you lie. I'm not so gullible as to tell you everything on a whim."

Fuka seemed put out at that. This Uchiha was different from all the other ones that she had come across in her lifetime. While she could see that he held the typical Uchiha pride, he had it in check. He wasn't one to boast of all that he could do out in the open. He was more careful than that. Not only that, but he seemed to understand things that others, just not the Uchiha, couldn't. Or rather, he accepted the truth of things rather than lying to himself.

"So, tell me," Sasuke said, bringing her attention back to him, "what is it that you and the others hope to accomplish here by freeing this Kakuzu person?"

"And who says I'm going to tell you anything?" Fuka shot back, the thought of rejecting him the way he had done with her question before bringing satisfaction to her.

"You don't have to," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "You already know I possess the sharingan. So there would be no use in not using it right now, if you catch what I'm saying."

Fuka frowned at that, already knowing what he was referring to. And that was the fact that he could simply put her in a genjutsu and make her tell him everything that he needed to know. While Fuka had confident in her abilities in not falling prey to genjutsu that easily, she had never tested herself against the abilities of an Uchiha genjutsu. And she knew that if she failed, it wouldn't end favorably for her given the circumstances.

"Those eyes of yours are detestable," Fuka said, voicing her irritation at her situation.

Sasuke h'mphed. "Yeah, to others I'm sure it's not a very pleasant thing, going against one of my clan. But that doesn't concern me. So now, tell me. Which would you prefer?"

Fuka gritted her teeth for a few moments before she sighed. "Oh, fine. Whatever. Since you're so interested I might as well tell you. He hired us to free him."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that. "Hired you? But he's been in prison until today."

The redhead shrugged. "I don't really know the details, but apparently the council in this village has been planning on trying to make him their weapon since they don't trust themselves with using the bijuu they have. Anyway, Kakuzu was able to escape for a short while, which he used to make contact with Shido, the big muscular guy in our group if you remember him. Through him, Kakuzu hired the rest of us to come here and get him out of this village. At least, that was the plan until you two arrived."

'It seems like this village has its fair share of problems,' Sasuke thought, turning away from her. At first, he had been expecting something a bit more grand. Like trying to get their hands on something. But that wasn't the case. They were only here to free this Kakuzu who Sasuke was beginning to suspect had been imprisoned for the wrong reasons.

"You can't beat him," Fuka repeated from behind him. "While I admit that you have some skills, I know that I'm nowhere near his level. Even if he is weakened right now. If you just go now, you'll die. I don't even think that your famous White Fang can defeat him."

"You seem to be quite fond of this guy," Sasuke said after a few moments of silence, not turning to face her. "More so than the others. Is there a special reason for that?"

Fuka closed her eyes, debating for a moment if she should say anything. Thinking that she had nothing to lose either way, she answered, "You could say because he reminds me of the old me. How we both used to be naive shinobi before the world opened our eyes to the reality of things."

Sasuke turned to face her at hearing this, his interest now there. "What do you mean by that?"

She chuckled as she opened her eyes, meeting Sasuke's behind his mask. "The reason I'm so 'fond' of him, as you say, is because Kakuzu is a scapegoat for the idiocy of this village. And of this system as a whole. He believed that serving his village and giving it his trust and loyalty was for the best. That it was better than the days before the system existed. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming one of the best in the village. He thought he would be praised for it. But instead he was awarded with the worst."

Sasuke didn't say anything, instead opting to listen to what she had to say.

Fuka then shrugged as she said, "You weren't born for it yet, but the Shodai Hokage who founded your village was the strongest shinobi in existence. So far, the shinobi world hasn't seen anyone else like him. And I doubt it ever will. The difference between him and the rest of us is outstanding. And Kakuzu was ordered to bring his head to the council, the one who had brought the village system to the table. They said it was an honor, even going as far as giving him a forbidden jutsu to do it. And Kakuzu accepted. Heh, but really, what else was there to do? As shinobi, we are told to follow the orders of those above us like trained monkeys. We are not told to think but to do. And it was because of this that Kakuzu found himself on the end of a terrible deal. He fought the Shodai Hokage, just like he was told to. But he was vastly outclassed. He barely managed to escape with his life. Although some part of me still believes it was because the Shodai didn't want to kill him."

Fuka paused, remembering that day. That day she had done something which she had never done before: she had gone to Konoha. Why? Because she wanted to at least catch one glimpse of a face from her past. It was idiotic. Fuka knew this. But at the time, she hadn't really cared. But because of this, she had been treated to a sight which few ever saw and lived to tell the tale: Senju Hashirama in action. She had wondered just who would be stupid enough to challenge the man, other than one other person. But he at least had stood on equal grounds with the Senju. Kakuzu, though…it had been humiliating. Fuka had followed him after that to see just why he had challenged him. The answer she had received was terrible.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was trying to understand just how this Kakuzu was still alive all these years since he apparently fought against the Shodai Hokage. Because from what he had seen, that man was still young. Or younger than what he should be. Unless it had something to do with this forbidden jutsu that he had just been told about. Hmm, how interesting.

Also…"You make it sound like you were there."

Fuka chuckled. "But of course I was there. I saw the whole thing first hand."

Sasuke couldn't stop the widening of his eyes behind his mask at the answer. "Just how old are you?"

Fuka shook her head, a playful grin on her face. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to ask a woman her age?"

"Not really, no," Sasuke replied drily. If she wanted to play like that, then so be it. "She was murdered before she ever could."

Fuka's playful nature left her at hearing that. "Is that the truth?"

Sasuke nodded, not caring either way what she thought of it. "What about you then?"

Fuka looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You say you and him are similar. Just what did your village ever do to you?"

Fuka shook her head at the question. "No, you misunderstand. I said we were similar in both having been naive shinobi. Our reasons were different, though. He was naive because he thought the shinobi villages were better than the days before it. I was naive because of my village."

Fuka smiled slightly as she remembered her days before that night.

"I was originally from Uzu, you see….."

Flashback: Start

"Fuka-chan! Hey, Fuka-chan!"

Uzumaki Fuka turned to face the voice that was calling her name, wondering for a moment who it was. But only one person ever called her that.

She smiled when she saw a younger kunoichi running towards her while waving her hands. She was wearing the new Uzu shinobi attired that had just been handed out to them, just like Fuka was. It was the same as the male version, except that they were both wearing skirts rather than the trousers. The younger kunoichi had vibrant violet eyes and like the rest of their clan red hair which she had in a loose ponytail.

"You don't have to be so loud, Yuumi. I can hear pretty well, you know."

Uzumaki Yuumi stopped right next to her in the middle of the street, some of the passers-by glancing at them for a moment before going on about their business.

"But this will be our very first mission as a team! I'm really excited about going out of the village with you for my first time, Fuka-chan!"

Fuka smiled before shaking her head. "Once we're out there, we represent Uzu. You should be more dignified, you know."

Yuumi let out a small pout as Fuka laughed before turning to walk towards her destination once more. Yuumi quickly followed after her.

"Well, you've already been out in the world while I haven't," Yuumi said, still pouting. "So of course you're not as excited as I am."

Fuka merely shook her head, not bothering to reply. She had been outside of the village before, true. But it had only been for briefs periods of times like to deliver messages to other teams out there, especially the ones stationed all along the coast in the harbors that the village owned. Generally, the clan never did bother to send anyone beyond the ports they had in the mainland. Not since they had moved to this island anyway. The only reason they did have those ports was to gather and trade for supplies that they otherwise didn't have here. But ever since other nations had taken to adopting the village system that the famous Senju Hashirama had created himself with the Land of Fire a few months ago, the clan head had seen it more fit to start accepting more missions from farther places. The world had become more stable, after all. And so, just like Yuumi, this would be her first time out there as well. She was just as excited as her fellow kunoichi. She just knew how to hide it better.

The two kunoichi continued on their way with Yuumi humming a tune along the way that Fuka didn't recognize. It wasn't long before the two caught sight of the clan head's building in the distance. It was one of the biggest ones in the area, so it wasn't hard to miss.

Fuka couldn't fight the smile that befell her face as she walked closer and closer to the tower. This was going to be her first mission.

"I know you want me to stay here, father, but Hashirama has already gotten us a place in his village. And it's not just because I'm-"

Uzumaki Mito stopped midway when she heard a knock at the door. Like usual, she was wearing one of her elaborate kimonos. But to her, the white one she had on wasn't all that fancy. She just had different tastes from other people she supposed.

Her father too turned his attention to the door of his office. He was an old man, even by Uzumaki standards. The man was already pushing past his hundreds. But such was the gift of the Uzumaki clan's longevity. He was wearing the traditional navy blue robes that the clan head of their proud clan had worn since its foundation.

Mito's eyes lit up when she caught sight of a familiar face. "Ah, Fuka. You're already here!"

Her father next to her rolled his eyes, wondering for a moment just who really was the one in charge here.

Mito's look was mirrored in Fuka's face while Yuumi fidgeted slightly next to her. Unlike Fuka, she didn't know Mito personally. But she had heard of her. Needless to say, Mito was her hero. Second to Fuka of course. Anyway, this wasn't much of a surprise. Every single aspiring kunoichi in the clan wanted to be just like Mito. And how could they not? Mito was strong, stronger than just about anyone else in their clan save for the clan head. And even then, that was debated sometimes since the two had never actually battled one another. And in this world that was dominated by male shinobi being the legends, the upcoming generation of kunoichi didn't have that many options to begin with. Even if there were, Mito would still be Yuumi's choice. Alongside Fuka of course.

The clan head coughed, bringing the attention of all three kunoichi to him. "As exciting as seeing each other must be, you two still need a mission to complete. Am I correct?"

Both Fuka and Yuumi nodded, giving their clan head their full attention.

The clan head waved one of his hands as he said, "I know this is last minute, but the two other members that were supposed to go can't make it. That's why you two will meet with the other two members of your team and head to the Land of Earth. There, you will meet with a team of Iwa in order to escort one of their clients."

Fuka raised an eyebrow, making the clan head chuckled. "Yes, Fuka. I'm sure you're thinking that sending two teams of two different villages is a bit of an overkill. But the new Hokage has asked us to do this," he said, glancing at Mito for a moment. Turning his attention back to them, he continued, "As you should know, he's trying to create a permanent alliance with all the other villages that have been created. And he has deemed these joint missions as one way to achieve this. Seeing that things are more stable now, I have no qualms with lending him a hand in this. But make no mistake: your safety is my first priority. The two other members of your team already know this, but if things should take a turn for the worst for whatever reason, I want you two to get out of there. Mission be damned. Is that understood?"

"Hai!"

Fuka's eyes met Mito's, the older woman giving her one final nod and reassuring smile. Fuka returned this, knowing that they would have more time to catch up with the events in their lives after she returned.

Fuka would never have imagined that that would be the last time she would ever see Mito again.

"This guy seems to be more troubled than he's worth."

"Oi, just pipe down and follow your orders. We're his guards. No amount of bitching on your part is going to change that. So just get comfortable with the idea, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Fuka barely managed to contain her giggles as she heard her fellow Uzumaki in front of her whisper back and forth to one another. It seemed as if the third member in their group was a lazy one. It had been obvious to Fuka that he didn't want to be here the moment she had first lain eyes on him in the ship that had brought them to the mainland. That didn't sit well with their designated team captain who wanted to do an excellent job here. He wanted to impress their clan head. And while Fuka could appreciate the motivation, she felt the man was just a bit too much into it.

Shaking her head, she then focused on the four-man Iwa team that was walking in front of them, the client walking in among them. The man hadn't said too much to them when they had met in their rendezvous location, but Fuka shuddered when she recalled seeing him give her body a look over. While she was used to it, her other admirers hadn't been so…..sinister. The redhead didn't have any other way to phrase it. But she kept telling herself that she had only imagined it, and that it was nothing. As for the Iwa team itself, they hadn't spoken much either. Which was odd for Fuka. She would think that they would be talking more. After all, this was all about building a sense of friendship among the villages. They should be more excited about the matter.

At any rate, it wasn't long before they reached a town on their way to their destination. As it turned out, the client they were guarding was a very prestigious businessman in Iwa. He was due to attend a party in the capital that was being hosted by the Earth Daimyo himself. Fuka knew that had to be impressive right there. While she didn't know much about business, she did know that one was doing all right if he got an invitation to such an event. Now, they just needed to find a place to stay for the night here before they continued on their way in the morning.

Fuka glanced at Yuumi who was walking next to her. She couldn't help but smile at seeing the excited look on her face as they continued on, even though it was already too dark to even see much. The girl was just that excited.

Fuka came out of her thoughts when she saw the Iwa team turn towards one of the buildings on their right. Looking at it, Fuka saw that it was one of the more elegant ones they had come across so far. She shouldn't have expected anything else, she supposed. People like the one she was guarding were used to luxury, after all.

She, along with the rest of the Uzu team, quickly followed them inside, seeing nothing suspicious. Fuka expected to see a busy lobby with vibrant lights once they got inside. But instead, she raised an eyebrow in confusion when she saw that it was instead vacant. There was no one there! At least, for a few moments. Fuka took a step back, along with the others, as the lobby was quickly filled with what appeared to be a small army of mercenaries, all armed and ready for battle. There were even some that filed in from the entrance behind them.

Quickly reacting, she was about to attack the nearest one until she caught sight of one of the larger men bursting his way through the Iwa team in order to grab a hold of their client. Their team leader was about to dash over there in order to free the man only to stop a step later as one of the other mercenaries pointed a sword at the businessman's throat.

"Now, you Uzumaki filth," he said with a grin, "I suggest you don't try anything funny. Otherwise, the death of this man will be on your head. I do wonder how Iwa will respond to having one of their most important men die while being guarded by shinobi from Uzu. I'm sure they wouldn't be too pleased by that fact, or about your little alliance."

Fuka greeted her teeth in aggravation while next to her Yuumi took a few steps back, wondering just how things had gone downhill so quickly. This wasn't how it was meant to go. It was the complete opposite!

"Oi, you're just common street thugs." Fuka glanced at their third member who took a step forward. "If you try to interfere in shinobi business, then you'll going to find yourself in-"

He paused when he saw the man actually draw some blood from their client's neck, no doubt due to having add more pressure to his sword.

The mercenary smirked when he saw the Uzumaki chunnin stand there with wide eyes. "Hahaha you're just all talk, after all! Now, I'm not going to make this any more simpler than it already is. Get on the ground now! Or this guy here dies!"

Yuumi looked towards Fuka with wide eyes filled with fright. As for Fuka, she was running through the many options they had, the most prudent being running away. Their clan head had said it himself. If things took a turn for the worst, he wouldn't blame them for abandoning the mission. But how would the rest of the world view it? What about their client? What about the Iwa team? It wasn't so simple. But at the end of the day, it did come to their squad leader. Speaking of the man, he glanced back at her, no doubt trying to decipher what she was thinking about their situation. They were both jonin, after all. They had worked together in the past.

Sighing, the Uzumaki turned back towards the mercenary and put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. You got us. We give in. Now, let him go."

The man shook his head. "Don't make me to be a fool. I know you shinobi. You're all sneaky little bastards. Get on your knees next to the others now."

They did as they were told. At this point, they wanted to see what they wanted before they jumped into any conclusions. Fuka glanced at the Iwa team as she knelt in between Yuumi and their team leader. So far, they had yet to say a word about the situation. She narrowed her eyes, feeling suspicious about that little detail. She didn't know why. The feeling just came over her.

The apparent leader of the group sent a nod to two other men that were standing in the back. Fuka wasn't able to see them since her back was towards them, but she had a sudden feeling of dread when she a grin forming on their client's face.

Yuumi's screams a moment later confirmed her fears. Fuka's eyes widened when she the bodies of the chunnin and jonin fall the ground head first, dead due to having been stabbed through the heart.

"W-what's the meaning of this!?" Fuka screamed as she stood up, ready to kill the ones who had just murdered two of her teammates. But due to her anger, she wasn't able to react fast enough as one of the members from the Iwa team was suddenly in front of her, sending a punch to her gut which knocked the air out of her. Falling to her knees once more, Fuka held her stomach in pain before she felt someone place something on her forehead. She wasn't able to see what it was as two of the mercenaries were suddenly on top of her, grabbing her by the arms roughly before lifting her up.

Fuka tried to fight back before she felt something that really made her start to fear her current situation: she couldn't feel her chakra. Looking up towards her forehead, Fuka instantly knew it was because of the paper, or rather a seal.

"Oh? Leave it to an Uzumaki to instantly know it's a seal. Pretty impressive."

Fuka came face to face with their client who was no longer being held hostage. Instead, the mercenaries were around him like some sort of bodyguards. The same could be said about the Iwa team too.

"What's the meaning of this!?"

The man chuckled as he shook his head. "But you can't figure that out yet, can you? Fine. I'll spell it out for you. This mission was a setup. A setup I designed the moment I heard we would be having Uzumakis with us."

"W-what?"

"Heh. It just as it sounds," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Trust among the villages? Ha. Like I care for such a thing. All that interests me is profit and profit alone. So I couldn't pass up adding two rare jewels to my business." He glanced at Yuumi for a moment who was being held down by one of his hired thugs. Looking back at Fuka, he continued, "You see, you Uzumaki women are a true beauty. But you never come out of that damned island of yours. And trying to infiltrate your village would be too much of a hassle. Not to mention that it would bring too much money out of my pockets. But luckily for me, this rare opportunity appeared before me! So I knew that I had to take the chance! It does do me service to be so wealthy. I was able to buy this entire hotel just for this! Well, I don't mind changing it up to a brothel for some money on the side. But that's an idea for another time."

Fuka's eyes were getting wider and wider as the man kept talking. Turning to the Iwa team, she pleaded, "Why are you letting this happen!? Aren't you all supposed to be our allies!?"

The one who had punched her laughed as he stepped forward. "I can't believe you actually bought that crap up! Well, our Tsuchikage doesn't want war either. But that doesn't speak the same about us. He gave us money. We took it. So here we are. It's that simple. Stop living in that fairy tale of yours."

Yuumi began to scream as the one holding her down placed her over his shoulder before he began to carry her out of the building.

"Don't touch her!" Fuka exclaimed, looking at their supposed client. "Just take me! Leave her out of this!"

The man chuckled as he said, "Those seals I got do work like a charm. Even if they're nowhere near the level that you can probably do. But they're enough to reduce you to this! But you understand, don't you? You can't escape. They'll make sure of that. So shut up and just do as you're told. From now on, you're my property. Unless you'd rather see your dear friend dead."

Fuka gritted her teeth, knowing that the man had her there. She couldn't compromise Yuumi's safety no matter what. That was all that mattered to her now.

With that in mind, she didn't fight back as one of the mercenaries began to carry her out of the hotel either. She didn't place her hopes on anyone seeing this and calling for help. If the man had bought an entire hotel just to set this up, then Fuka wouldn't be surprised if he had set up other measures to ensure that they weren't seen.

The businessman glanced at the bodies of the downed Uzu shinobi. "Oi, make sure those two are dead before you dispose of their bodies. From what I hear, Uzumaki have the life force of a cockroach."

Fuka closed her eyes, trying to not see the future that laid in store before her.

Flashback: End

"After that, I was taken from one whore house to the next," Fuka said with a bitter smile as Sasuke merely listened. "Those were the worst years of my life. During that time, I never once saw Yuumi. I had no idea what had become of her. But I still endured it all, no matter what they did. I still kept going for the chance that I would see her one day."

"But it didn't turn out that way, did it?" Sasuke guessed, speaking for the first time since she had begun.

Fuka nodded. "Yes. Yuumi was always an anomaly in our clan. She hadn't been born with our life force or our 'special' chakra. It was why she was looked down as fragile. There had been many, including her parents, who had not been pleased with her becoming a shinobi. But she still chose it. That's why I wouldn't feel so bitter if she had died in actual combat. But this…..this wasn't anything close to it. It was just betrayal. We had put our trust in them, and they had spit it back in our faces. They didn't care about us or the peace that the Shodai Hokage wanted to accomplish."

Sasuke didn't comment.

Fuka closed her eyes as she carried on. "But it was during that time that I grew the most. I was no longer the naive little shinobi that I had been before. The fantasies I had about the world being a bright place had extinguished. Now, I knew how the world really operated. I knew just how disgusting human beings actually were and just what they cared about. And it wasn't each other. All they wanted was the power and the feeling of superiority that came with it. The pain I went through made me grow up. So in that aspect, I'm grateful."

"Are you certain about that?"

Fuka opened her eyes in order to look at Sasuke. "Can you really say that if you had the chance, you wouldn't change it?"

Fuka laughed bitterly. "But of course I would! At the very least to spare Yuumi of it! But that's only a wish that can never come true. It happened. And because of it, my eyes were opened to the truths of this world."

Sighing, she said, "It was after a few years of having been stuck in that world that I was finally able to get word of Yuumi and her whereabouts. But it didn't make a difference in the end. When I got there it was too late. It seemed as if her mind had been on the verge of collapse the entire time until she wasn't able to handle it anymore. She killed herself a few days before I got transferred to where she had been in. I can still remember everything that went through my mind that day. The anger I felt. The thirst of revenge. It was then that I decided that I had no other reason to stay there and broke out. Despite what the man had thought, the only reason he had been able to keep me in leash was because of Yuumi. I'm sure he had hoped that I would never find out. But thankfully for me, he couldn't keep an eye on all the time. He did have an entire business of his own that he needed to run. So after having my chakra return to me, I escaped. I got myself out of there. But I promised that I would return. However, I also knew that taking on his entire army of thugs was something that would require me to have a little extra. It was then that I decided to return to Uzu."

"You can get inside?"

Fuka smiled. "Despite what the world may think, Uzu is very old fashioned in a lot of aspects. They like to keep to tradition. The barrier that the other nations detest so much has been the same since the village was created. But there really isn't any reason to change it. No one can get their hands on it. We are all trained to never reveal that information. It does help that none of us are actually captured since Uzu has then reverted to not taking missions to other countries like that. I'm sure if that man had been thinking more with his head rather than his lower one, he would have realized that he could have made a fortune with the information we held if he had tried to interrogate us. But then again, he had already made it perfectly clear that the shinobi world didn't interest him."

"And you?" Sasuke asked. "Would you ever sell that information to other nations if you were asked to?"

Fuka scoffed. "I'm not heartless, you know. I have no reason to condemn my old home like that. They're not responsible for the messed up world we live in. In fact, I think their approach is much better: isolation. They're making the right choice by not sticking their business in the affairs of the other nations."

Sasuke had heard about that little detail from the Sandaime already. Apparently Uzu wasn't too pleased with how things had gone when they had entered the war, mainly with the ambush by Kumo and Kiri. Because of that, they had already made it perfectly clear to Konoha that they wouldn't be joining any more wars that Konoha was dragged into. Sasuke could only speculate how Naruto was handling that at the moment.

Fuka sighed before she continued. "I was able to sneak into my old village quite easily. I guess one of Uzu's flaws is that they rely on the barrier too much. They don't have any patrols anywhere else. Then again, it's worked this whole time. At any rate, I went looking for jutsu that I could learn and use in order to take down that man. But it was then that I came across a forbidden jutsu that had been created even before the clan had split from the Senju. And to add to its appeal, it would allow me to never grow old as long as I kept using it. I was excited. I had found something. But it wasn't anything flashy that I had been originally looking for. It was then that I changed my plan."

A smirk befell her face as she looked at Sasuke. "You know what the biggest mistake people who have power make? Arrogance. They become full of themselves. They think that there's nothing that can take them down. That they're invincible. That's why it's up to those who don't have that power to find other ways to take them down. And that's what I did. I presented myself before him once more, begging him to take me back. I told him that I couldn't live without being in that life anymore. That I needed him. It was so idiotic. And yet, he still believed me. Why? Because he thought I was nothing more than an ant at his feet. He thought that he was grand, and as such any other outcome than the one before him was inconceivable. I had to use every ounce of my strength not to laugh when he took me to his room."

A small smile formed itself on her face as she thought of that time.

Flashback: Start

"I always knew you were made for this. It's good to see that you're now accepting your fate, Fuka. You belong to me and no one else."

Fuka held back from lashing out at the man as he undressed before her. For the occasion, she had worn a very provocative dress that she had stolen a few days prior. She needed to look the part, after all.

The man walked up to her in barely restrained eagerness. The fact that he had sold her off to countless men in the past few years didn't concern him in the least. Fuka remembered how he had taken pleasure in taking her first time from her as well. Oh, whatever. The tables were now turned. She would have her revenge today.

It was with that in mind that she allowed the man to cup her face before he brought his lips to her. She didn't fight back when he sneaked his tongue into her mouth either. In fact, she even responded in kind. Before she activated her technique anyway.

Fuka found grand satisfaction in seeing the man's eyes widen in shock when he felt the life be literally sucked out of him. He tried to fight back only to find that he was frozen in place. A few seconds later and he was dead, falling to the ground on his back.

The redhead licked her lips as she looked down at the corpse of the man who had caused her so much pain these past few years. "I hope you liked that last kiss, honey. It was my farewell gift to you."

Looking towards the door of the room, Fuka knew that she would have to get out of here. And fast. It wouldn't be long before the guards outside start to get suspicious about the lack of noise. Turning towards the window in the hotel room, Fuka headed towards it.

The guards would be too late to try and find her after they found the body. Fuka had already left the town.

Flashback: End

"That was the single most pleasurable moment of my life," Fuka said, her smile still present. "I had finally killed him. I had avenged my team. My goal was completed. You can't possibly imagine how great that felt."

"I actually do," Sasuke said while slowly shaking his head. "I understand how you feel better than you could imagine. Like you, my life was robbed away from me. I lost everything that mattered to me. I was alone. And like you, I went down that path too. I got my revenge, hurting those that cared about me along the way. But I didn't care. It wasn't any of my concern. I now understand that I was wrong."

Fuka looked at him in silence for a few moments before she said, "Just who are you?"

"Sasuke." He smirked behind his mask at the look of surprise on her face at seeing him answer her honestly. "You remind me a lot of where I once was. And that's why I want to help you move on."

Fuka chuckled. "Oh really? And what makes you think you will succeed? I'm not as lucky as you were, Sasuke. You had people who wanted to help you. I have no one."

"Because you abandoned them all," Sasuke retorted. "Tell me: what do you think would have happened if you had presented yourself to your clan instead of just handling everything on your own? Do you think they would have tossed you aside? Absolutely not. You had the chance to let those close to you help you. But you chose not to. That is why you are alone here now."

Sasuke walked up towards her before kneeling down, bringing them both to equal eye level. "Tell me: if there was a way where you could create a dream world for everyone in the world where there was no war or violence but only ideals, what would you do? Would you try to make this happen or do you think that it's not for the best?"

Fuka held her eyes to his, trying to decipher just what he was looking for in asking her such a question. Seeing it best to answer honestly as a way of repaying him for answering her truthfully, she replied, "I wouldn't accept it. It's not real. No matter how much you want to believe otherwise, dreams are dreams. This is reality. Having peace in such a way is not truthful at all. Only here can it be attained. Well, that said, peace in the real world can never happen either. So really, there is no meaning in trying to achieve peace."

Sasuke h'mphed before his hand was engulfed in lightning. Fuka stiffened for a moment but then relaxed when she saw that he was only cutting the ropes that had been holding her.

"What are you doing?"

Standing up, Sasuke answered. "You passed. I could see that there was something different about you. I was right. Like I told you before, what I'm doing here is nothing compared to my real goal. But in order to achieve my goal, doing such things are required."

"And what is your goal then?" Fuka asked, also standing up. By now, she would have usually tried to escape. But for better or worse, this Sasuke had her complete attention at the moment.

"I want to bring peace to this world."

If he hadn't said it so seriously, Fuka would have laughed. "Are you being serious right now?"

Nodding, Sasuke replied, "Yes. Before, I wanted to achieve peace on my own. But a certain idiot has taught me that there are things one can't always do alone. That's why it's best to have comrades to fight alongside you. That way, it's really a dream and not an ambition. That's why I'm extending this to you."

"Oh? And what if I say no?"

Shrugging, Sasuke said, "Nothing. I can already tell what kind of person you are. I'm not going to try and hold you here either. You're free to go. I know that you will come back looking for more answers later. Although I do suggest you don't return to Kakuzu. No matter what, even if he has been wronged, I still have to bring him down. That hasn't changed."

"Like I said, you-"

"Then how about a bet?"

Fuka stopped midway, finding herself in a strange sense of deja vu. "What?"

Looking at her, Sasuke stated, "You say that I can't win. Well, I say that I will. So, if I do win, would you be willing to consider my offer?"

"And what happens if I win?"

"I'll be dead," Sasuke stated simply. "So, you wouldn't have to worry about anything I'm spouting or me coming after you. This talk of ours would never have happened."

'This feels too familiar,' Fuka thought before grinning. "Fine. You should know that I have a knack for winning these kinds of bets."

"What a surprise," Sasuke said as he turned away from her. "I guess I'll take pleasure in breaking your record."

Fuka glanced at him for a moment before she too turned away from him, facing towards the open window.

"Fuka."

She didn't need to turn around to know that he was silently asking her what she meant.

"That's my name."

Sasuke h'mphed, not that it mattered. She was already gone.

"Are you sure that it was wise to let her leave like that?"

"Yes. Because I do want her on our side too," Sasuke stated as he glanced towards the other side of the room. Due to the storm, it was pitch black. Which made it the perfect spot to conceal oneself. If he had the skills for it anyway. Which Sasuke knew that Sakumo did. He had felt the man arrive midway through Fuka's story.

"It looks like you now know a bit more about me."

Sakumo didn't comment as he appeared in the same spot that Sasuke was looking at.

"So?" Sasuke said as he faced him. "Are you surprised?"

"Quite a bit, yes," Sakumo answered with a sigh. "But I also get the feeling that you didn't tell her everything either."

"You would be right about that too," Sasuke responded. "But right now, we have to take care of this Kakuzu. We can talk after that."

"I have information on that," Sakumo said. "It seems like he killed the entire council a few hours ago. Meaning that if he's still in the village, there is only one thing that he could possibly be after."

Sasuke nodded. The Nanabi would be useless to the man. He couldn't become a jinchuriki nor did he know how to unseal it. So there would be no meaning in trying to steal the bijuu. That only left another target.

"Let's go."

The two disappeared in an instant. It was time to end things here in Taki.