Chapter 49 - Arc VII: Still Human- Chapter 3

They were full engaged now. All it had taken was a little conversation between Sasuke and Naruto. Jiraiya had tried to keep it going long enough for Ryouko to return. Only two of Sasuke’s group seemed ready to fight. That was to say, Sasuke and Suigetsu. The other two were quiet.

Yandere. Jiraiya’s mind supplied him about the sweet and sour looks Karin was giving Sasuke. She and Sakura will pair off. And there’s no force on earth that could keep Naruto and Sasuke apart at this point. I’ll focus on that one- he called himself Suigetsu. That leaves that innocuous one in the back for Ryouko. I can’t even sense that one’s intentions. They’re all over the place.

“I’m going to punish all who benefited from my brother’s disgrace.”

Naruto twitched. “Who do you mean? Who could have possibly benefited from your brother’s insane rampage?!”

Sasuke closed his dark eyes. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said simply. When he opened his eyes, the Mangekyo Sharingan was visible in both of them. “You could never understand, Naruto.”

“We were friends-” Naruto began, but Sasuke cut him off by leaping closer. He put his arm on Naruto’s shoulder.

“Yes…we were that, weren’t we? But I’ve told you before-” Sasuke’s sword was out of it’s sheath alarmingly fast, and at Naruto’s neck. “-I will sever that tie between us.”

Naruto showed incredibly reflexes by being gone before Sasuke’s sword hit him. He was shaking, but managed to steel his voice long enough for one, sharp retort:
“I made a promise, Sasuke. If I have to sever our friendship first to honor that promise, I will! Because…I made that promise to the most important person in the world to me!”

Sakura’s mouth dropped- she couldn’t believe she had just heard such a blatant love confession from Naruto. She smiled slightly, suddenly feeling like she could tackle the world.
-

“…I made that promise to the most important person in the world to me!”

Ryouko had returned just in time to hear that. Shoki would be coming later on, escorted by Asuma and Shikamaru. But he was numb to that right now. Instead, his stomach churned with emotion as his last chance with Sakura fizzled out.
This will be easier in the long run. God, I hope it gets easier. Right now, I need to take my place in this battle.
The last time I will involve myself in their lives like this. After this, I am nothing to them. I will become invisible. The most pure essence of a shinobi life. No more foolish pursuits toward love. No more friendships. No more alliances.

Leaping high, Ryouko landed behind the enemy.
-

“That’s the one with the weird chakra!” Karin exclaimed, pointing at Ryouko.

Ouch. Weird? How so? Never mind, she’s ugly! Yeah, THAT’S telling her. Idiot.
“…”

Jugo’s body- no other way to explain it- morphed quickly. His deformed arm, large and brown, big as Ryouko’s body shot towards Ryouko. There was no way to react in time.
It took three trees to finally halt Ryouko’s progress. When Jugo withdrew his arm, his killing impulse quenched and his face marked with a horrified expression, they all saw the damage.
Ryouko’s body had been smashed. It seemed odd that such a devastating injury could yield so little blood.
After a split second, Ryouko fell forward, his hands clenched over his stomach.

Jugo held out his now-normal hand. At least a dozen kunai fell off it.
“He fought really hard in those few seconds,” he intoned quietly.

The others stared for a moment. Then, Ryouko’s limp form stirred. Then he sat up. He stood all the way up and cracked his neck to the side.
“There wasn’t any killing intent in your strike, Mr…”

“Jugo…” came the reply in a bewildered voice. “But…that’s never happened before. I always kill people!”

“Maybe you’re learning to control yourself, Jugo. Or maybe Ryouko isn’t as weak as he looks.”

As soon as Jiraiya said that, he realized he’d worded it wrong. But Ryouko didn’t even look mildly offended (though Jiraiya could FEEL his chakra pulsing angrily). Instead, he reached toward his stomach.
“I dislike relying on this technique. It hurts like hell, and it feels like I’m cheating. But there’s too much at stake here to let you do whatever you want…!”

Ryouko frowned, poking at his stomach. “Don’t tell me…of all the times! Not now! Damn! Never mind, never mind! Let’s just get this over with.”

His voice was a mix of flatness and emotion. Call it ‘intense annoyance’. Sakura could tell Ryouko was bothered by something big right now. But she couldn’t believe that his trump card would fail! Not when it was so important!

“Don’t worry,” came the comforting tone of Ryouko’s voice. He didn’t smile or look at her, but Sakura could tell his words were for her. “I was the ‘Heaven’s Temper’ before I gained that ability. I’ll be fine. I always am.”

If he was unsure privately, he didn’t show it. Sakura had come to expect that of Ryouko. He was a very private person, even to his closest friends. All the same, she couldn’t believe that Ryouko’s ability would simply stop working. It was too much of a coincidence.
Ryouko doesn’t come to combat unprepared. If something really happened just now, he knew about it in advance. Or it’s a strategic move. One’s as likely as the other. But it seems his opponent is subdued, so maybe it doesn’t matter.

“You don’t seem interested in hurting anyone,” Ryouko commented, looking toward Jugo. “How about we talk, as your name suggests?” (Note: Part of the kanji for Jugo’s name can be read as ‘language’, hence Ryouko’s choice of words)

Before Jugo could reply, Ryouko used a genjutsu and clamped it on tight. Both he and Jugo both seemed to be dazed. Their eyes were glazed over.

Sasuke frowned, not liking what Ryouko could be doing to Jugo. Sasuke’s key to using Jugo was that only he could control him. He didn’t need Ryouko messing that up. If Jugo were to be cured of his mental illness, who knew how he would act? He might not have any need for Sasuke anymore.
Deciding to take care of it, Sasuke threw a lightning-laced kunai at Ryouko.

K-ting!
Ryouko’s arm slashed up, knocking the kunai away. A faint blue glow resonated from his arm. A chakra scalpel.

“ ‘Heaven’s Temper’ is not a name awarded lightly,” Ryouko said mildly. He hadn’t broken the genjutsu. Instead, he had split his concentration. He could hold Jugo in a genjutsu while keeping enough chakra circulating to defend himself. It just reinforced Sakura’s belief that Ryouko didn’t come to the battlefield unprepared.

Sasuke closed his eyes, making him seem even more relaxed, despite what his agitated chakra would lead you to believe. He raised one hand.
“Team Taka, we’re withdrawing.”

“How come?! It was just getting fun!”
“Shut up, Suigetsu! Sasuke’s in charge! If he says we’re leaving, then we’re leaving!”

“Both of you, shut up.”
Both sides stopped dead as Sasuke’s tone was acidic.
“We need all of us functioning at full-strength to beat them. Jiraiya is a legend. Naruto and Sakura are no pushovers. And Ryouko…he’s a wildcard. If one of us is captured, the others have to waste time rescuing them.”
--

In the bushes, Shoki slipped quietly away. While he was relieved that he didn’t have to fight this time, he now had the prospect of a huge battle hanging over his head. It was unsettling to him, but it had an interesting effect. For the first time, he wanted to train because he wanted to get stronger. Not because someone told him to; not because he thought Ryouko was cool, or Lady Uzume incredible. Instead, his own strength was largely unexplored at this point. He wanted to learn more about himself.
--

The fight broke up, with no one giving chase. Ryouko gave a nod to Jugo, who actually returned it. In his mind, they had just had a good conversation, even though they had never actually spoken. For his part, Ryouko learned that Jugo wasn’t a dangerous nutcase. He was actually a good person who was dependent on Sasuke. For a moment, Ryouko thought about taking advantage of that and removing his need for dependence. He could do that, to some degree, through genjutsu. But, for all the trouble it would have saved him, Ryouko chose not to.

Jugo is developing as an individual thanks to Sasuke. There’s nothing to suggest that at least Jugo and Sasuke are evil. They’re misguided. Killing them would be ideal, but it’s not my place to decide that. We know their targets. We can put people on notice. That might drive Sasuke to make bad alliances, but by the time that happens, we’ll be ready.

Turning on his heel, Ryouko walked away, leaving the other three behind. He moved at a brisk pace, needing to find Lady Uzume. He had important questions.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura balked. The fight they had been waiting for, and it was over just like that? There was no winner or loser. Just a single genjutsu.

“Hey, guys, why the long faces?! Didn’t you hear what Sasuke said?” Jiraiya announced, his arm around both of them, a jolly grin on his face. “He said he’d have to rescue them!”

“So what?!” Naruto snarled, jerking away from Jiraiya. “I didn’t even get the chance to fight him! So what the hell is good about him being willing to rescue those idiots?!”

Sakura got it. She smiled around teary eyes, just a little. Not so long ago, she couldn’t have smiled. But after Naruto saying that she was the most important person in the world to him, she couldn’t help but feel happier than usual.
“It means he’s still human, Naruto. If he’s going to rescue his teammates, the old Sasuke is still in there!”

Jiraiya gave a big grin, his arm around his protégé and his protégé’s pretty girlfriend. But in his mind, something niggled at him.
Sasuke wouldn’t withdraw like that. He’s too headstrong. He came for another reason, then. But what? With that group of his, it’ll be impossible to tell. That sensory-type is going to be dangerous.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment