Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 123 DECISIONS

We got back to Konoha a day early after running all night. Of course we arrived with the dawn. When the Hokage was awake. So Kakashi had us running and reporting to her. 

We walked her through what happened and what Sasori told us about meeting a spy in Orochimaru’s camp. 

“What would you like to do?” Tsunade asked. She had bags under her eyes but was alert. Steepling her hands together as she stared at us. 

“We want to go after him!” Naruto said. “Sasuke is still Team 7…no offense Weston.”

“None taken. I still consider myself Team 8,” I said. 

“Kakashi?” Tsunade asked.  

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Kakashi admitted. Back in the manga he was more beat up after the fight with Akatsuki. He was doing fairly well despite exhausting himself. 

“Kakashi!” Naruto yelled. 

“Naruto, Sasuke made the choice to leave,” Kakashi said. “No matter how much we want him back. Orochimaru could have changed him. I doubt he is the same person that left.”

“But-“ Naruto said but Sakura cut him off. 

“Hokage, please, give us one more chance to try.” Sakura had tears in her eyes as she asked. 

Tsunade looked to the 3 of them. Then me. “Weston, thoughts?”

“Me uh, I’m hesitant,” I admitted. I raised my hand shushing Naruto before he could yell at me. “Sasuke has a cursed seal from Orochimaru. Not only does the seal make him stronger. It also holds a piece of Orochimaru in it. I believe Sasuke could kill Orochimaru, but until the seal is gone. The snake man could pop up again.” I really just wanted them to replace me so I could have fun with the girls. This was a pointless arc. 

“Actually, we have a way to destroy the cursed seal,” Tsunade said. 

“What?” I asked, surprised. I didn’t remember that. 

“Last year. One of Orochimaru’s subordinates came here…looking for you,” Tsunade said. “She had one of the seals. We were able to study it and learn how to neutralize it.”

“Oh shit…what was her name….Sayuyi?”

“Tayuya,” Tsunade corrected. 

“Right. She made it? Great.” I remembered the red haired Orochimaru lackey. She had run off when I confronted her after she helped kidnap Sasuke. “I mean, that changes things as far as helping Sasuke. But I doubt he will want our help. He still hasn’t gotten his revenge. And I don’t know if we want him to stop.”

From what I remembered about Itachi Uchiha, he cared about Konoha and his brother. He killed the other Uchihas under orders from Danzo to help keep the village safe. Under the condition that Danzo didn’t touch Sasuke. Itachi then joined Akatsuki to keep an eye on them to protect Konoha. 

Itachi knew who the real leader of Akatsuki was. But he really wanted to die at the hands of his brother. Allowing his brother to reach the next stage in the sharingan, and take Itachi’s eyes for his own. Then Sasuke would potentially go back to Konoha once his revenge was complete. At least that’s how I remembered it. 

Sasuke would instead go after Konoha in revenge for his brother. He wanted to kill Danzo for using his brother. And also the village for some stupid reason. I couldn’t remember his messed up logic. 

“Sasuke is after Itachi. Itachi is part of Akatsuki. The very people we want dead. I’m not sure we should get in his way.”

“But it’s his brother!” Naruto said. “No one should have to kill his brother.”

“And yet Itachi did,” I said. “He killed his parents, cousins, and friends. Everyone that Sasuke loved.” I considered telling them why he did it, but it was honestly too much information. 

“My vote is we help Sasuke. Get rid of his seal which will allow him to kill Orochimaru more easily. Then let him loose. He gets his revenge. Then hopefully he comes back. There is 1 less Akatsuki member. And everyone is happy.” 

“Do you really think he can kill Orochimaru?” Tsunade asked. She pretended to be indifferent. But I knew she still had a thing for the guy. He was her friend. 

“I think Orochimaru, who can bring the dead back to life, has a way to come back to life if someone did kill him,” I said. “But if Itachi can beat Orochimaru. Sasuke can as well. He’s been training just as hard as we have.”

Tsunade thought for a while. But I knew where it was going. It was a win-win. Sakura and Naruto could try to talk their friend into coming back. And if he was let loose on Akatsuki it would help the village in the end. We ended the meeting and planned to head out the next day. 

They tried to add me in their reunion dinner but I was out the door. I knew my own reunions would be met with obstacles. 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite Orochimaru lackey,” I said as I noticed the girl in the hallway. Tayuya turned to see me. The red head looked a lot better than the last time I saw her. More color to her skin, in normal everyday clothes she looked like a regular person instead of a ninja. 

“You!” Tayuya said. Her eyes peeking through her bangs. “Where the hell have you been?” I walked up to her grabbing her hand to pull her out of the administration building. 

“Away. I heard you were looking for me,” I said. Dragging her along the red head didn’t fight it. “I also heard you finally gave up on Orochimaru.”

“Yeah, some more of his people found me and tried to kill me,” she said. “This was my only option. But you weren’t here! I was interrogated for days!”

“But you’re free now, right? No more seal? No more people trying to kill you?”

“No reason to live!” She said angrily. “That seal gave me strength. I don’t have a home. I lost everything.” 

I frowned. Stopping in the street as I studied her. Tayuya blushed as I looked her up and down. Drawing my hand back I slapped her ass. “You have me,” I said. “I promised to help you, didn’t I? Come on. You can live with me.” I started pulling her back down the street. 

“Live with you?” She asked meekly. 

“Of course. What? You were looking for me just to chat?” I asked. “You obviously fell in love with me. It’s fine. Happens all the time.” 

“I did not!” She spat. 

“Oh so you don’t want to live with me?” I asked. 

“I barely know you,” she said. 

“What are you talking about? We spent hours together in my Genjutsu,” I said. My hand moved down to her ass. Squeezing it she didn’t push away. “I’m a lot more experienced since then.” 

I stopped, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin as I felt the eyes on me. I turned around to see Hinata behind me. “Shit,” I whispered. The red head turned to see the dark haired girl staring daggers at us. “Tayuya. That’s my house there. Go in, ask for Reina. Tell her I sent you. They’ll set you up with a room.”

“What? Who is that?” Tayuya asked as Hinata glared at us. 

“My fiancé, I think. Go on,” I said. The red head didn’t fight anymore and headed to the house. “Hey Hinata. Sorry I couldn’t stop by. I just got back into town.” I began walking over to her. The ninja woman’s eyes continued to follow Tayuya. 

“Who was that?” Hinata asked me. 

“A friend of mine,” I said. “She used to work for Orochimaru. But she saw the error of her ways and asked for help.”

“You appeared awfully chummy with her,” Hinata said. Her gray eyes bore into me. 

“Uh yeah. I’m the one that talked her out of working for Orochimaru,” I said. “Ignore her. What about you? What’s up? Stop by to see me? Is our engagement still on or did you dump me?” 

“What?” She asked, thoroughly distracted as she blushed. “I uh I thought it was. Is it not?”

“I assume so. But I’ve been gone for a few years. I just got back again. Come on. We can go get food and you can catch me up on what you’ve been up to.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her away. She blushed and stammered as we moved through the crowd. 

—-

“So you went to the land of turtles?” Hinata laughed. 

“Sea turtles,” I corrected again. We were walking through the streets after our impromptu date. “They hated pretty much all the land animals and most of the other talking animals from the ocean too. But they taught me some cool stuff.”

“Sounds like you had an interesting time,” Hinata said. 

“Yeah. Now that I’m back I keep getting sent on missions. And you guys kicked me out of the team so I had to find a new one,” I said sadly. 

“We didn’t kick you out,” Hinata whined. “The Hokage made us get someone.”

“She said you guys requested someone else,” I said. 

“Wh-oh. You’re lying,” she said. Her shocked look quickly changed to annoyance. 

“Woah. Look at you. Learning my tricks,” I said. “And see. Just like the old days. I walked you home.” Hinata turned to see we were in front of the Hyuga household. She blushed looking down. I thought she might have even been a little sad. 

“So are we still engaged?” I asked. 

“As far as I know,” she whispered. 

“You haven’t ended it?” 

“I haven’t. You?” 

“I can end it?” I asked, surprised. “They just told me we were engaged.”

“I-I- you don’t have to if-“

“Hinata, I’m shitting with you,” I said. “But I have no idea where we go from here. There is a lot that’s going to be happening soon. War. Fighting. I’d honestly prefer to not have any regrets.”

“What do you-“ she stopped as I stepped closer. I was done hesitating. I bent down, kissing her on the lips. She froze up of course. Unable to process what was happening at first. 

But I was patient. And as my lips pursed for another she joined me. Kissing me back. My hands moved to her sides. Pulling her closer she moaned in my mouth as her lips opened. My tongue sliding in she had no idea what was happening, but let it. 

Chakra on my hands I wasn’t shy to use it as they moved to her back, drawing her in closer. Eventually she purposely touched her tongue to mine, causing her whole body to shiver. 

I pulled away slowly. She opened her eyes slowly, lost for a moment in the kiss. “How was our date?” I asked. 

“Date?” She whispered. 

“Of course. We had dinner. A walk. And we kissed. It’s now officially a date,” I said. I pecked her on the lips to emphasize it. 

“It was…good,” she whispered. Still in a daze. 

“Good,” I said. “I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. We can do this again then I hope.” But instead of walking away I pulled her back to me. She opened her mouth more willingly as I kissed her deeply. Moaning as my hands grazed her rump. This kiss was longer. She reciprocated by grabbing my sides. 

Abruptly I stopped. Standing her upright I wanted more, but my father had warned not to try anything. “Goodbye Hinata. I’ll see you again soon.” I left her there, wanting more.