[pre]
Chapter one, part one---
Avari tightened the knot that held the headband on her arm and swept her long black hair into a ponytail, then skillfully twisted a kunai into it as she made a bun. Then she stuck a star shrunken in the bun. She twirled her staff, moving her hands so it could be more balanced and brought it down in front of her in a sweeping motion. The kunai set into one end glinted in the sun.
“Ava, do you really want to do this?” Tagara insisted
“Yes, no one slanders someone like him!” She threw a kunai at him and he jumped nimbly out of the way. “Like them!” She stared coldly at him.
“I was joking around!”
“Then don’t, not about this. Not about what he’s been through!”
“I was just saying—” He was cut off by a swing of her staff, the kunai end catching his shirt, the rip unheard as he lashed out at her.
“Then fight fairly, get rid of the staff!” Without a word, she flung the staff into the nearest tree, the blade going deep into the bark. As soon as she’d thrown it, she’d attacked just as the pang of the shaking staff. Tagara threw kunai at her, trying to throw her off, but she took the star out of her hair and knocked the kunai out of the way as she leaped at him. She kicked, aiming for the head; he parried and ducked as she aimed a punch towards him. As he did so, she brought her knee up and jabbed him in the stomach. He groaned and she threw him to the ground, watching him. Avari heard a whistle and jumped out of the way just in time to see a few dozen makibishi land where she was just standing.
“Stop bickering you two.”
“Shut up Nenia” She looked at a blond dressed in black. Nenia was her best friend. Hence the was.
“I’m not going to have you kill my teammate.”
“Hint: he’s my teammate to Nenny.”
“I told you to stop calling me that!” Nenia leaped at her. Avari had already counted on this, leaping to her staff, bouncing off of that and attacked Nenia from above. Nenia looked back and up as Avari drove her foot into Nenia’s back, right at her spine, nicking her chin as she came down. The blonde gasped and collapsed, breathing out slowly. In a single moment, Tagara rushed to her side, frantic until, after several moments, she breathed inward slowly. Avari looked on with a mix of horror and boredom on her face.
“You almost killed her!” Tagara said, looking at her with a look of astonishment and the same horror on her face.
“I…,” she suddenly looked bored, covering up her reaction, “It’s her fault she’s so weak.”
“What?” Tagara stood, fists clenched. “What would you have done if she would’ve died, huh?
“Who cares? She’s alive, isn’t she?”
“Barely.”
“I’m fine Tagara.” Nenia said in a raspy voice. She opened her eyes and groaned. “This is so going to hurt tomorrow.”
“Not to mention today.” Tagara mumbled standing. He pointed at Avari. “You. Me. Now.”
“Exactly what I was planning for.” She leaped as Tagara charged her. At the last second, she noticed the kunai racing at her, and Tagara watching her every move. Avari leaped upwards, Tagara followed. He bounced off of a tree, kicking out at her. Barely missing, he flew past her. Avari landed and whipped around, watching Tagara come at her, fury in his eyes. As Avari tried to quickly think of something to do, she saw a figure charge straight into Tagara.
“Tagara!” Nenia screamed, wincing as she sat up.
“What the— hey!” Avari yelled, watching the figure examine the one he’d just knocked down. He had black hair, and was obviously a shinobi from the Leaf Village. “What do you think your doing?”
He turned around. Avari recognized him at once. Sasuke Uchiha.
“Avari,” He asked, cold eyes staring into hers. “It can’t be…”
“Sasuke…”
“Avari, what is this all about? Why is Uchiha here? Avari,” Nenia had a confused look on her face.
“Do they even know you Ava?” Sasuke asked. Avari stayed silent.
“No, as a matter of fact,” Tagara groaned as he stood, first looking at his attacker, then at Avari.
“Tell them. Tell them that you’re my cousin. Tell them,” Sasuke’s voice was shaking, he looked like he was barely in control.
“Avari,” Tagara inquired.
“I am a survivor of the Uchiha clan.” She said, glaring at Sasuke, and then closing her eyes.
“The Uchiha…” Nenia started, eyes widening.
“Unknown to me,” Sasuke said, stepping towards her.
“Tagara, grab Nenia and leave,” Avari ordered.
“No. This guy is stronger than he looks. We’re not about to leave you alone,” Nenia eyed Sasuke and shakily stood. Avari felt relief spread thorough her. The blow that she dealt could’ve killed or paralyzed her.
“Leave. Now.”
“Nenia, this is her battle. It’s not just physical,” Tagara looked Avari in the eyes.
“Don’t you think I can see that? I may be a blonde, but I sure don’t think like one,”
“Please, go!” Avari yelled, clenching her teeth.
“Avari, we need to talk. As in now,” Sasuke interrupted leaping into the trees. She reluctantly followed. In a few moments, she caught up to him.
“I thought you were dead,” Sasuke said after a minutes of an uncomfortable silence.
Avari said nothing.
“Answer me Ava!”
“I was afraid that after all this time, I would hurt you. Badly,”
“You don’t think I could handle it? Please,” Sasuke scoffed.
“Sasuke. Don’t you think I was hurting too? I thought…” Avari stopped, quickening her speed.
“What did you think?” Sasuke demanded.
“That you’d helped him kill my parents,” Avari said, watching his face. The pure coldness in it didn’t change.
“You thought I helped with the murder of those I held close?” Sasuke managed to say.
“I know, stupid. I should have known. It’s just…I didn’t see your body. I thought that maybe he said something and…”
“But I saw your body…you were bleeding…a kunai went straight through your heart. No one could survive losing that much blood.”
“Technically I didn’t,” Avari insisted, slowing.
“What,” Sasuke stopped completely, and Avari halted a few branches in front of him.
“I didn’t survive. They brought me back.”
“How…”
“My soul, they said, was still clinging to my body. They closed up my wounds and restarted my heart. They said something was holding me to earth,”
“Why didn’t you confront me?” Sasuke asked, disbelief flitting in his dark eyes. “I could have told you the truth.”
“Like you said, I lost so much blood. I was still weak for a year. By the time I heard you were training, I had convinced myself you had helped in the murder of our clan. It was too late for me…”
“I didn’t see you at the academy?”
“I’m a chunin now; I am three years older than you.”
“How did you know it was me in the clearing then?”
“I’ve seen you before, like when you fought Gaara.” Avari whispered. She saw Sasuke shake in anger. She knew she’d hurt him. And she knew that whatever he threw at her, she’d deserve.
“And still you refused to speak to me.”
“I wanted to prevent this! I figured it had been a good thing that I’d disappeared. No one knows, except Iruka and the Hokage. And now Tagara and Nenia.”
“This isn’t right.” Suddenly his arm flinched, and Avari knew he wanted a fight.
“Suke…” She gasped, his eyes widened, then turned away.
“You have no right to call me that. I’m not that weakling anymore.”
“Neither is the one possessed by the Kyubi.” Avari thought aloud. “He’s actually following his dream…” She tried to change the subject.
“You mean Naruto,” He sighed, “stop changing the subject Ava.”
“Darn it…you caught me.” She knew the use of her old nickname was a step towards forgiveness. Avari looked into Sasuke’s eyes, trying to remember the innocence they had once held. All she saw now was pain and anger swelling together to make a cold feel. To know she caused some of that cut her deeply.
“So…you fight with a bladed staff? When did that happen,” Sasuke asked when he saw her staring at him. Some of the anger started to melt. He wanted to forgive her, she saw.
“I wanted to be different from anyone else. The kunai at the end was the one that killed me,” Avari said, forcing a grim smile, “Now who’s changing the subject?”
“You carry the kunai that killed you with you?”
“Yeah. Why not?” Avari shrugged.
“Why did you bring up Naruto?”
“He has a dream to follow. I don’t.”
“You…envy him!” Sasuke stared at her.
“Don’t talk about your best friend like that Sasuke,”
Sasuke shook his head. “I still haven’t forgiven you Avari.” Sasuke looked at her, his cold eyes burning everything she had in her left.
“I don’t expect you to ever forgive what I’ve done to you.” Avari said. “I…better go. Tagara’s been wanting to steal my staff for forever.”
“Avari…” Sasuke started. Avari started to remember everything. Every time Itachi turned him down, he had come to her. “Don’t do something stupid and die…again.” Sasuke advised.
“Same to you.”
Sasuke ran into the forest without a glance back. What has Itachi done to you Suke, thought Avari.
“Hiryuu.” She heard Nenia call to her. I hate you Itachi. This is your fault. She clenched her teeth and turned to her teammates.
~
Avari saw Sasuke more than she wished that day. She assumed he had heard her nickname, and probably didn’t care.
Avari ran to the theater, staff in hand. Nenia and Tagara ran at her heels, dodging the people as she was. She knew they wouldn’t let her in, until she showed them the papers she held in the other. When the many people right in front of the theater were visible, she halted. Tagara skidded to a stop, and Nenia ran into her.
“What is it Hiryuu,” Nenia asked, examining the crowd.
“Sasuke,” She said nodding.
“What happened between you two?” Nenia asked.
“Who cares, we need to finish this mission.” Tagara insisted, walking forward cockily. Sasuke noted him with a single blink. He looked past him and stared angrily at Avari. Naruto and Sakura walked up to him. They spoke to him, and then started an argument with each other.
Sasuke said something, and they looked at him. Sakura spoke to him, and then looked at the crowd, finding her eyes. Her eyes locked on Avari’s.
“Ava, we have to go. Tagara’s waiting for us.” Nenia pushed her forward. Avari went slowly with her.
“Nenia, please don’t ask questions. I’ll tell you later.” Avari said, looking at her. Nenia nodded.
“Hey you!” Avari turned to see Sakura charging at her. She judged her speed and stride length. With her staff, she marked and X on the ground and stepped forward. Moments later, she slipped her staff in front of Sakura, sidestepping her charge. Sakura tripped, sliding into the X.
“What, I don’t have time for losers like you.” Avari snarled, placing on her mask.
“Hey! Don’t do that to Sakura!” Naruto ran over to Sakura and tried to help her up.
“Uzimaki Naruto, I take it?” She asked, watching Sakura throw Naruto back as she jumped up.
“What was that all about,” Sakura screamed, “That was unprovoked!”
“Will you please be quiet? You were charging at me you girly idiot.” Avari rolled her eyes and turned towards the theater. Naruto stood in front of her.
“Don’t talk to Sakura that way. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. I will beat you down.”
“Stupid little Genin.” Nenia said, rolling her eyes.
“Shut up. I’m going to be Hokage someday, and no blond like you is going to bring me or my teammate down.”
“Naruto, please. I really don’t feel like fighting you. I have lives to save.” Avari tried to walk past him.
“Let it go Naruto. She could beat you blindfolded.” All of them looked to see Sasuke standing in the shade.
“Sasuke?” Sakura wondered aloud.
“Me on the other hand, she’ll need some help with.” Sasuke leaped in the air, throwing kunai at her. Avari looked in disbelief at him as she dodged the range attack.
“Sasuke! Stop!” Sakura said, watching them.
“Fight me Avari! Prove that your really you!”
“This is not the time or place Sasuke!” Avari said as Sasuke came in closer.
“Then when? When will you face the one you thought murdered your family?”
“Sasuke, that’s over now!” Avari said, using her staff to block a jab from Sasuke.
“Not for me.” Sasuke stopped, and smiled grimly, “I still haven’t had the chance to beat you. It’s been how many years since we last fought?”
“You have a grudge because you haven’t fought me in this many years?” Avari said, forcing herself not to grin.
“I’ve grown stronger than I was back when you were teaching me everything.”
“So have I” Avari said, spinning her staff quickly. She knew the staff was covering her eyes as she activated the Sharingan.
Naruto watched in interest, Sakura in complete horror. Avari looked around at her surroundings, always watching Sasuke. She saw people, open spaces. The theater. Her mission. The hundreds of lives relying on her and her team.
“Not now Sasuke. I’m on a mission.” She said, deactivating her sharingan and halted the spinning.
A look of shock crossed Sasuke’s, followed by a small smile. “Sure.”
“Come one Avari, lives are kinda’ depending on us,” Tagara said, suddenly at her side. He grabbed her arm, “Don’t worry about that kid.”
“That kid is stronger than you Tagara. You shouldn’t talk.”
“Guys, is this about that fight earlier?” Nenia asked.
“A little.” Avari said, yanking her arm out of his grasp, staring into his brown eyes. Tagara’s features seemed to show fear.
“Avari?”
“What do you say now, huh? Now that you know that I am the one you think deserves death?”
“What did you say about her?” Sasuke asked, anger starting to edge into his voice.
“He said that the relative of someone who would kill off his entire clan deserved whatever pain came to him. He said the Uchiha had it coming.” Avari said, “Let’s go already. Those people have lives to live. And we have to protect them.”
“Avari…I didn’t know…” Tagara started.
“Let’s go, we should save some lives. Like we’re supposed to…” Avari said, walking towards the theater. She heard the pit-pat of her comrades following her.
“What is it with you people and shrugging people off?” Avari turned to see Naruto speak, “You’re just like Sasuke! Your cold and angry, why is that?”
Avari stepped towards him, then stopped, “Watch us fight after this mission, Naruto. You’ll see why we’re so alike.” She walked away, ignoring the stares of the citizens. She reached the theater entrance and gave the sweating doorman papers allowing them in. Avari knew the shinobi were watching her. Just like her true spirit did to her, she turned her back on the world.[/pre]
Okay, hope you liked it.
--Risa
