763Disclaimer: NARUTO TO THE KISHI GOD, FANFICS TO THE FAN GODS!
Edited/revised by: LORDANTAS
Second Edition: 26/10/2023
After my nap, I pondered my options, and the best choice seemed to be following Sasuke's plan, specifically, creating his small group. I made my way to the laboratory tube, not far from my room, to retrieve Suigetsu. He displayed little surprise when I freed him, swiftly escaping the damp and dark confines. He didn't even flinch at the sight of Orochimaru and Kabuto's lifeless bodies. I asked him as a favor to store them in a scroll, reminding him that I had freed him from his glass prison. Suigetsu chuckled and patted me on the shoulder before using the conveniently located scroll in the room.
Their corpses were essential insurance for a safe return to Konoha or any other village. If the first refused to accept me, they would become my bargaining chip. If Sasuke held value and was despised, it wouldn't pose much of a problem. But for now, those concerns took a back seat as I strolled down the road. The forest exuded tranquility, and the refreshing breeze added to my comfort, especially with my attire, which left my chest exposed.
"Why are we walking again? We could easily reach the tiny port town by leaping across the trees or even running." Suigetsu had to be the one to disrupt my brief moment of peace with his complaint.
I closed my eyes to think.
"I needed some peace of mind," I offered as my best excuse. The persistent headache, coupled with my jumbled chakra theories, added to the internal conflict within me.
"You're just being lazy," Suigetsu replied with a frown.
I sighed, finding it hard to fathom Sasuke's calm demeanor, given his often emotionally charged nature. The constant inner turmoil between shouting and reasoning was challenging to contain, especially when the relentless headache showed no signs of abating, fueling my frustration.
I halted our walk, turning to meet Suigetsu's gaze squarely.
"Why did I ever think bringing you along was a good idea?"
Suigetsu's grin widened, revealing all of his sharp teeth. "Heh, you've got it all wrong, Uchiha."
He didn't make a move, but I knew exactly what was happening as soon as the man grinned savagely.
I didn't need to turn my head to see that Suigetsu had positioned himself right behind me, a finger pointing at my head while his other hand firmly gripped my left shoulder, effectively holding me in place. Not like he could keep me down, but neither did I have any intention of moving anytime soon.
"You're no boss of mine; I just tagged along, nothing more, nothing less," he declared, his previously carefree tone replaced by the voice of a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill.
"Are you done?" I replied, surprisingly calm, even though that wasn't my usual reaction.
"Just kidding!" he said abruptly, releasing his hold on me and retaking the lead, while his water clone dissolved into a puddle at my feet.
It helped me escape the situation, so I didn't dwell on it too much. Besides, my head had suddenly decided to become a punching bag. It hurt a lot and made it difficult to concentrate.
I rubbed my temples. "Keep walking; we're still a long way from the port town."
"At this pace, it'll take us days!" he exclaimed, throwing his hand up in exasperation.
"So?" I kept walking without turning.
"I demand compensation after this!" Suigetsu yelled.
"Annoying," I muttered as I continued to march forward.
Suigetsu was clearly exaggerating; it had taken us no more than a day.
However, I couldn't deny that sleeping on the ground with a tree's rough bark as a pillow had been one of the most uncomfortable nights I'd ever experienced. Not to mention, I had nothing to cover myself with. My clothes and Sasuke's choice of attire were far from suitable for keeping warm.
I could only muster a bitter smile, regretting not taking the pillow and blanket from Orochimaru's bed.
I still couldn't believe he had suggested using Orochimaru and Kabuto's corpses as a makeshift bed and pillow. The disgust I felt at the time was beyond words, and he had even shown me how to do it, theoretically speaking. Even though Suigetsu was, in essence, made of water, I had dragged him to the nearest pond I could find and forcefully dunked him into it to cleanse his body of that filth. All the while, he laughed.
With Suigetsu's previous antics behind us and a new day beginning, we resumed our journey towards Wave. Fortunately, it took us only a couple of hours to reach the bridge that connected the island to the mainland. The sun still shone brightly in the sky. People flowed in and out of the bridge, including merchants with their carriages, ordinary travelers carrying backpacks, and peddlers offering various products and food to all passersby. To my surprise, there were even a few hand-pulled rickshaws in operation. It was a bustling place.
"Oi, Sasuke, come take a look!" I heard Suigetsu's voice rising above the chatter of the crowd.
When I joined him, I found him waving his hand, excitement on his face as if he'd stumbled upon a candy store.
Knowing Suigetsu's character, his enthusiasm rarely spelled good news.
"What mess did you cause now?" I sighed, mentally bracing myself for another potential headache.
He pointed to a signboard with giant letters emblazoned upon it. "Heh, 'The Great Naruto Bridge.'" Suigetsu chuckled, while I only furrowed my brow.
"Hnn." The name brought a slight headache, memories flashing through my mind, especially the moments when I, Sasuke, activated the Sharingan.
"It seems that blonde friend of yours has been quite busy lately." Suigetsu, on the other hand, only wanted to mess with me, judging by his complex cheery expression.
I pushed him aside and moved away from the signboard. "Let's keep going and not waste my time on trivial matters." Honestly, it was possibly the worst name for a bridge; the old man in charge could have come up with something better. Even that brat could have thought of a better name.
"Yeah, yeah. I want to grab something to eat over there."
We didn't have to walk the entire length of the bridge, as a kind merchant offered us a ride, thanks to his daughter's insistence on helping, mainly me. As expected, she immediately sat down beside me for the ride, bombarding me with numerous questions that I either ignored or responded to with my signature, 'Hnn.'
Suigetsu, on the other hand, took a nap during the journey, leaving me alone with the merchant's daughter.
I had to admit one thing: maintaining a stoic demeanor was challenging, especially when she offered a variety of tempting drinks and delicious-smelling food, coming rather close.
As soon as we crossed the bridge, I didn't wait for the carriage to stop. Instead, I gave Suigetsu a kick to wake him up and then leaped off, landing gracefully on my feet. In contrast, he hit the ground face-first before transforming into a puddle of water.
The daughter squealed with delight and waved her hand as a gesture of farewell.
I sighed and walked over to the puddle of water, but before I could lean closer, Suigetsu's body reformed right in front of me. He wore his usual cocky smile and walked past me.
I turned to see where he was heading and spotted a sign displaying a frozen yogurt logo.
The daughter's various foods had undoubtedly piqued my appetite, so I didn't object and followed him into the shop.
As soon as I passed through the door, I inadvertently caused quite a commotion inside. Every single girl turned to look at me, and I could swear I saw their eyes turn into heart shapes. Suigetsu patted my back and guided me to an empty table. Without a second's delay, several waitresses were already at our table, menus in hand.
I wasn't given a chance to peruse the menu before my annoying companion decided on my order without my consent, selecting frozen yogurt simply because he saw a waitress serving it to another table.
They were quick to serve us, but before poor Suigetsu could take a single bite; the waitress snatched the cup from his hand and handed it to me, then promptly brought another cup for him.
I closed my eyes and began to eat from my cup. All the while the girls who had their attention on me sighed in delight.
Ridiculous!
When I opened my eyes, Suigetsu had already finished his first cup and was calling for seconds. As soon as he received the second cup, he asked for yet another.
"Man, this yogurt is the best! It's been a while since I had one!" Suigetsu exclaimed as he took another spoonful of yogurt. His side of the table was filled with empty cups, while I only had ONE half-empty cup in my hands. It tasted great and helped alleviate my headache; a frozen brain would be even better, to be honest.
He didn't look like a Mist shinobis, who were supposed to be ruthless killers, but more like a teenager having fun.
"You're okay with goofing off here? I asked.
"It's not like we're in a hurry," he replied with a shrug, finishing another cup and promptly reaching for the next one.
"At least until I fully recover my strength," I replied, finishing my yogurt.
"Maybe until then... HEY, BRING US ANOTHER ONE!" Suigetsu yelled at the top of his lungs.
Not even a minute passed before a waitress had our yogurts served and delivered to us. It was a top-notch service, worthy of a tip, though I understood exactly why we were receiving such attention.
I couldn't help but notice the small crowd of girls who were fawning over me near our table. I resisted the urge to turn and satisfy my curiosity, as it would only have agitated them further. I was glad they maintained a platonic distance and respected my personal space; any physical intrusion would have been a problem.
"So, what's the plan once we form our little adventure group?" Suigetsu pointed his spoon at me, wearing a knowing smile.
"I'll inform you when all three of you are together." His words felt familiar, as did my response, but I decided not to dwell on it.
"Aw, you're no fun," he lamented, downing the yogurt in one gulp, slamming the cup on the table, and reaching for another.
"What I'm planning to do is something great, something that will leave a legacy for generations; it's not just for fun." I took a delicate bite from my new yogurt, in stark contrast to Suigetsu's approach.
"Hmmm, as long as I can obtain the legendary swords of the Hidden Mist, I don't care about your plans or legacies and all that stuff." his comment piqued my interest. The idea of collecting all the legendary swords promised an intriguing future.
"All of them?" I asked.
"Exactly! I'll assemble a new generation of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. All of them have lost their purpose and reason for existence. I will bring new life to their legacy, and I guarantee it will be the best generation ever," Suigetsu declared with an air of arrogance and confidence. For a brief moment, I almost believed his words, were it not for his eccentric personality.
"If I manage to get you one of those swords, will you become less annoying?" I asked him directly.
"Heh, maybe," he replied with a knowing smile, taking another bite of his yogurt.
I let out an exasperated sigh and raised my hand, signaling one of the many waitresses who had been gazing hungrily at me for a while.
The group of girls began to discuss among themselves, and for a moment, it seemed they might even start a fight. That was until the brunette girl approached my table. It was almost comical how flushed and embarrassed she looked.
"Hey, I'm looking for information about a large sword that used to be near the Great Naruto Bridge. Do you know anything about it?" I inquired.
She beamed with a bright smile as her face turned even redder. She tried to use her notepad to cover her embarrassment, but the secondhand embarrassment was almost too much to bear. It was cringe-worthy.
"YES!... um... I'll go ask!" She left with a red face.
A short while later, she returned with a small note containing an address.
Once she handed me the paper, she practically ran away, her face as red as a tomato, and the other girls burst into a chorus of loud giggles.
"What a ladies' man you are. You almost make me jealous," Suigetsu teased, nudging my shoulder.
"Shut up, let's go get your sword," I replied.
"Lead the way," he snorted.
We went to the counter to pay, but to our surprise, the man who was previously been there had been replaced by a young girl with long black hair and blue eyes. She appeared to be younger than me, evident from her size and her flushed appearance as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"Um, today we have a special discount, so..." She spoke in a soft voice.
"Oh, great! I was getting worried there for a moment." Suigetsu was already at the counter, holding my purse, and producing a couple of bills while flashing a toothy grin.
I quickly grabbed his collar and pulled him away from the counter.
"Shut up and keep the change," I snapped as I snatched my purse back and left the establishment without looking back.
"Kyaaaa!" The young girl covered her face, attempting to muffle her voice.
And so did the rest.
It was absolutely ridiculous that all these girls were so obsessed with me. No wonder Sasuke paid them no attention. I rubbed my temples, trying to relieve the tension they caused, or at least that was my intention until I felt a hand grip my shoulder, halting my movement. I turned to see what had stopped me, but Suigetsu's face was serious.
His silence only fueled my impatience.
"What?"
"MY sword is right there," Suigetsu pointed to a bulky, semi-nude, bald man who stood out from the crowd. The man's defined muscles and tattoos were too flashy not to notice immediately. Plus, Zabuza's sword was simply too large to hide.
"How convenient. Just don't cause a commotion," I remarked, genuinely relieved that we had found the sword so quickly, without having to follow the address on the paper. I could already picture us heading there to battle a group of thugs for the sword.
"I make no promises!" Suigetsu replied.
He calmly walked toward the man, who didn't notice his approach until he was right beside him. Before the bald man could turn to see who was getting close, Suigetsu had his throat in his hand, lifting his entire body from the ground before sending him crashing down.
A crowd gathered around the two, having witnessed the commotion.
It was clear that Suigetsu did the opposite of what I asked just to get at me.
For once, I could pinpoint the reason why my head was throbbing. If Suigetsu hadn't been composed of water, I would have seized his throat and applied all my strength until it snapped. However, I couldn't reveal my true emotions. As much as I despised it, I had to endure until I could fully recover and adapt to Sasuke's body.
"Hmmm, it needs a bit of maintenance..." Suigetsu casually commented before inspecting the man he had incapacitated. I couldn't help but notice the gleam in his eyes.
Another rush of memories overwhelmed me, and a critical piece of information became clear: his sword could repair itself using blood.
"Don't do it," I quickly warned.
Suigetsu turned and gave me one of the most insincere smiles I'd ever witnessed. "Hey, I wasn't planning to do that."
I raised a questioning eyebrow.
He groaned. "Well, maybe not... Alright, give me a moment."
I watched from my position as Suigetsu retrieved a kunai and drew blood from the man's arm before spilling it onto the sword. By this time, the onlookers were no longer curious and had left the area. They were agitated, but it was a far cry from the panic that would have ensued if Suigetsu had used Zabuza's sword to mutilate the poor bastard.
"There we go, nice and sharp," Suigetsu commented. Since he didn't have any sheath for the sword, he casually placed it on his shoulder, resembling those typical muscle-bound individuals pretending to be cool. However, Suigetsu was no muscle-head, and his body frame didn't exactly suit that enormous sword. Logically, he would be physically incapable of even lifting it. Still, in the Naruto world, where people could walk on water and breathe fire, almost anything seemed possible.
I turned toward the bustling main road of the town, setting a new destination in my mind. "Let's go find Karin." The perfect radar and compass were eagerly waiting for me. However, after the recent experience with the waitresses at the café, I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive about Karin's obsession with me.
"Ugh, do we need her?" Suigetsu groaned.
In a way, I had considered the possibility of replacing Karin with someone who could fulfill the same role. The problem was, the only individuals who could perform her job, at least to an acceptable level, were currently residing in Konoha. Besides, she was quite far from the port town, so walking there was not an option. Despite the extra work, she was worth having on the team.
"Do you know a better sensor?" I glared at him. It was going to be a long journey, and for my peace of mind, it was in my best interest for everything to go smoothly without him nagging me every second of the way.
Suigetsu shrugged. "No?"
"Then. Shut. Up."
Suigetsu flinched the moment our eyes met, which surprised me. He then took the lead, leaving me slightly behind as we continued along the main road.
My confusion dissipated when I caught sight of my reflection on his sword. Even though it wasn't clear, a pair of red orbs stared right back at me. I blinked, and they were gone, replaced by my usual onyx eyes. I blinked again, but my eyes remained the same.
AN: Hello again I hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New year because I did. Anyways my laptop died to a blackout and forgot to plug it out from the outlet so it is highly possible that it fried the systems also I became an intern in a company so now I'm working and also I'm doing a subject at my University you know a summer thing. So pretty much this quite tiresome especially my job so I'm just writing a couple of hundred words from my phone whenever I have the chance.
Anyways don't forget to increase the MMR of this fanfic!