one_long_mission

"I have time."

In truth, she didn't, though; the longer they stayed like this, the more likely it would be for his tenketsu to unseal themselves and permit the flow of Chakra again.

"Why don't you try explaining it."

And so he explained, how at first the warring nomad tribes that fought over territory finally settled, a bond having formed enough for a codependantly run village. Sasuke recounted how most of the Uchiha moved to Michi from Unmei, until through the years, only their leader was left.

"There was a temple, somewhere midway between the two village, where a shrine was built, for clanmembers to meet with the leftover families on peaceful ground, but... over time as more and more of the clan moved, it was deserted and finally forgotten. The records show pilgrimages, but since around five decades, everything is silent." there was a lot that was unsaid, about how and where he found all these records, but he assumed that knowledge was accessory.

"It's said that the leader engraved all his knowledge upon some scriptures, kept within that temple." and for all it appeared, he was betting on that. There was most likely a few things he left unsaid.

And she listened, only slowly drawing back the pressure from his arm and back as he continued to speak instead of attacking again. Much of this was history she had been unacquainted with, for one reason or another, and she absorbed it all silently until she was sitting back on her knees again, hands resting on her thighs.

"If there has been no activity for fifty years, how can you be certain it is even still there? You would risk being hunted down by those of your own village for something that may not even exist? Why?"

Edited 2013-06-11 23:24 (UTC)

Slowly, he shifted until he was finally able to sit up, dark eyes filled with much of an empty, lonely void.
"Because it's all I have left of my clan." and as much as he would like the other side of the story, he knew it would be unwise to seek it in hostile territory. "After I find that temple, i'll decide my next course of action."

She stared at him then for a long moment, then pushed herself to her feet. "Meet me in this location tomorrow. Do not attempt to leave the village again."

"...right." well, what -else- could he say? Slowly, he got up as well, and sooner than later made his way away, deciding that getting out of this with just a light headache was good enough.

The next day, he was sitting in that same spot.
It was, however, not him, but a clone, for he was out of immediate sight, still within the village boundaries but further out. He had sent in a clone in case of things going wrong. Not that he cared about Neji slipping everything he told her, but he wasn't letting himself get caught. The clone, in fact, had been sitting since an hour, staring up at the clouds with a light scowl.

"How are you feeling?" Her voice came from behind him as she dropped down from one of the trees. It had been a simple matter to beg off her shift in the interest of scouting further ahead; in her kunai pouch were the necessary papers for leaving the border of the village without harassment.

Her eyes darted over him, and she fought back the urge to smirk -- that was a clone. Did he think her eyes were so dull? A moment, then she deliberately turned to where he was actually hiding and raised her voice. "How many days travel is it, precisely?"

No, he did not think her eyes dull, but it was not her that he would ahve wished to fool. It was who else she may have brought if her intention was to turn him in.

As a result, the clone poofed out as soon as she turned his way, and he strolled towards her, lips pursed, eyebrows creased into a frown. "Let me guess, you'll travel with me all the way to the temple all the while making sure I don't do anything against the village -and- come back once I'm done..?" yes, that made sense, else she wouldn't just -ask- how many days.

"To answer your question though, it's three, two and a half at a good pace I wager."

Slowly enough so he could see what she was doing, she reached into her kunai pouch and withdrew a sheaf of white paper, folded as if it were a letter. "Border crossing papers for myself and one whom I am escorting."

And she slipped them away again with a raised eyebrow. "It seems you are more perceptive than you act. Fortunate that I planned ahead, as I have a week's worth of travel rations. Shall we begin?"

"I don't care what you need to do, but you're not sleeping within a twenty-meters radius of me." a pause. "...but I suppose I should thank you for providing.. an escort." otherwise, he probably never would have made it out, or if he did, he may have needed more drastic measures against border guards.

Apparently ill-equipped for such a long journey, bearing nothing but his usual dark robe bearing the crest of the clan of which he was the lone survivor, he swept ahead with brisk steps. "We can plan as we walk, for whatever we might even need to plan anyway."

"Unsafe," she returned with a frown, falling into step just behind him. He was the one who knew the way, so it only made sense, though she chafed at being forced to follow him. "Twenty meters leaves far too much room for separation, and I will not have it."

"I said twenty." he narrowed his eyes. "Why would I even try and lose you when you have that Byakugan of yours? You'd find me even if I went ahead for eight hours."

"And I am telling you that twenty is unacceptable and foolish. You forget that by exiting the village, we are entering a war zone. There is safety in numbers. Even for you, Uchiha."

"Tch.... fine then." he muttered. "I'd like to see anyone try and stop me, because they won't be able to anyway." no, not when he had a goal in mind. "We'll have two guard shifts then." which he assumed was proper. "Pretty surprised they even gave the okay to let one team of -two- go out on their own.."

"A smaller group is better equipped for scouting ahead." She glanced to him and shook her head with an exhale through her nose. "You are welcome. It is likely that were it anyone but myself requesting permission, it would be refused."

"So that's it. We're scouting ahead hm? Makes sense, kills two birds with one stone." he often looked up and sometimes slightly changed direction, so as to not give anyone that might find their tracks a clear and direct way to the village, before finally setting out for a relatively straight course.

Two days and a half, times TWO, with Neji... and stick on the the fact she would also most likely be desecrating the temple since safety first: he was not to leave her outside alone. He dearly wished he could have attempted this journey by himself.
"...why are you even doing this?" he finally asked at length.

"I have my reasons," she answered simply, looking ahead rather than meet his eyes. It would be far too foolish to let him know that perhaps yes, she wanted to believe him. Perhaps change could be brought to their village through this means, so no child would have to worry about being left alone and unwanted there again. "Suffice to say that our goals are not so opposed as you might like to believe."

There was a smirk. So much for her whole business about fate back there. Their goals were not as opposed as -she led him- to believe, rather. He could have laughed aloud, but he did it privately, to himself.

"There are a lot of things that I might like to believe too." he looked up to the sun in order to make certain he was still headed where he wished to. There was a path to get to the shrine, but he had decided not to follow it. The more direct way took them through a forest, but he would cut travel time this way. He feared no one and he feared nothing.

She gave him a sharp look as if sensing his amusement, but didn't comment, instead following along behind him. She was content with silence for now; she had a sinking feeling that come their arrival at this so-called temple, there would be more than enough to say to make up for the lack.

As night came closer to fall, Sasuke still trudged ahead despite the darkness that started to enshroud the land, hoping to perhaps make more ground covered before the day ended. He even ate while walking, munching on some tough dried meat. Eventually, however, he paused at a small clearing with ankle-length grass.

Looking up to the star-filled sky, he seemed to be murmuring to himself before heading to a nearby tree and making a small indent upon its trunk with a kunai before finally lying down. "So, who's first watch?" they had to split the night in two, so what else would he ask.

She didn't object to the pace; truthfully, it was more sedate than she was accustomed to, as her instructor had seen fit to ensure that she and her teammates were as physically fit as possible. She had just opened her mouth to recommend that they find a place to rest for the night when he moved to the tree and settled before it.

As for watch...? She had been contemplating it for some time now, but either way, whether she took first or second, it would require some measure of trust between them both. "I would prefer you take it," she answered, rising to her feet and drawing a wired trap. "I shall ensure we will be alerted in either case."

"As you wish." he helped her with the setup, covering his own part of their small encampment, then settled upon the ground and munched at more of that dried meat he had with him. Had he been by himself, he knew the lightest of sounds would wake him. Any shinobi worth its salt could, really, but when out of their village, they set up traps such as these.

He spoke very little, content to stare into the darkness ahead, as he would until it was time to wake her, if nothing else went on.

Once their traps were set, she drew her bedroll and made herself as comfortable as she could. Scouting missions rarely could set a fire or anything of the like, what with the potential for discovery. It might have been cold, but wrapped in her bedroll, she could think of far worse places to be. She dozed lightly, attempting to set her own biological clock for approximately four hours after falling asleep. Just in case Sasuke decided to take his chances and run off, she'd be awake in short order to start trying to catch up with him.

When she did awake, it was abrupt, head lifting as she cased the area. "Anything to report?"

He was in the same position as he had been when she had gone to sleep. There was no indication he had moved, although he did a few times through the few hours, to peer at a few suspicious shimmers that turned out to be the moonlight reflected upon the surfaces of a few rocks within the area, an interesting fact he made a note of.

He shook his head, having noted nothing at all that needed reporting.

In place of bedroll, he merely took off the belt at his waist, wearing a light shirt underneath, and used his robe as blanket, apparently used to doing such a thing outside.
After somewhat more than two hours, the bundle was shifting slightly, the lightest of groans escaping. More shifting, and curled fingers somehow made their way out of the cloth, digging into earth before an almighty shudder occurred. Her attention may be drawn to light, but definitely panting breaths, before--

There was a sharp screech, a wire trap set off, and more screeching as a weasel got trapped in it.

The noise perhaps only made it look natural for Sasuke to have sat up, but those attentive eyes of hers might not have missed the thin veil of sweat upon his skin. "..oh.. just.. wild animal.." he muttered before settling back into sleep again.

She had been debating with herself whether it was worth it to wake him -- after all, were he exhausted, it would be that much more difficult to make good time tomorrow -- but before she could, she sensed the animal approaching behind them. With light, padding steps, she was already over to slice the wire around the animal to set it free (though she was nearly bitten for her trouble before it ran off). By the time she returned, the other had already rolled over.

In spite of herself, heart still pounding from the sudden alarm of the weasel, she shifted closer to him. "Uchiha Sasuke." She didn't yet dare to touch him, in case he had already fallen asleep and her gesture startle him awake.

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