Shadowed Sun

Or Die Trying

"How... How the hell did he get away?" Naruto continued to mutter to himself as the two of us began our trek home. It was a sullen trip back to Konoha—well, not sullen since Lee and Gai was there, but rather depressing still—and the report was rather annoying, too. We had to carry back all those that we had captured—all the Edo Tensei ones, along with Jūgo. Guren and Kabuto managed to escape as well, which was also a bit of an annoyance.

Although, we did apparently manage to rip off Orochimaru's arm. Or, well, Naruto did when he tapped into a bit of Kurama's power and momentarily went berserk... And we did quite a number on him, too. We wouldn't hear from him again until he was in a new body, that was for sure. Still... I would have preferred it if he had died.

Absently, I rubbed his back. "We'll get him next time."

Naruto muttered, "There shouldn't have to bea next time."

I didn't disagree.

('･ω･')

I drummed my fingers along the top of my knees, humming a tuneless song under my breath. Another minute passed before the doors to the Hokage's office opened up and out stepped a team I didn't recognize. After they had left, I stood up from my seat and entered the office, shutting the door quietly behind me. Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork.

"Miwako-chan, what can I do for you?" Tsunade asked, a single eyebrow raised in question.

I gave her a shy smile. "I was wondering if I could obtain... visiting rights."

Both of her eyebrows rose at that.

('･ω･')

"There's really no need to escort me, Kitsune," I told the ANBU who was walking to my right.

Kitsune tilted his head at me, his thoughts completely unreadable due to his mask and posture. The doors before us swung open as the ANBU guarding the T&I apartment opened them for us. Their postures straightened significantly when Kitsune became noticed, unsurprisingly. ANBU Commanders tended to demand respect from those under their command.

"Sir," the ANBU chorused. Kitsune cocked his head in reply, not bothering to respond to my words or them verbally. Instead, we continued to walk down the hallway, passing locked door after locked door. Finally, six sublevels below, we reached the destination.

The guards before the door straightened and one of them unlocked the door for me.

"Thank you," I murmured automatically.

Kitsune moved to follow me into the room, but I stopped and sent him a withering glare.

"... I will wait for you out here," Kitsune finally settled on.

I smiled at him, nodding in approval before entering the room. The door swung shut behind me.

"Well, well... if it isn't the little brat."

My eyes roamed over the bare and painfully white cell, settling on the red-haired boy—man, really—before me. Though Sasori was returned to his puppet form, I knew first hand that they had dismantled and sealed away any and all things dangerous about the puppet. He was no more dangerous than just a walking, talking wooden doll.

"Hello, Sasori-san," I returned pleasantly, taking a seat on the floor across from him as there wasn't any furniture.

Sasori snorted, eying me disdainfully.

I stretched out my legs, pulling out a bag and presenting a stack of books, ranging from fictional fantasy to dry history. I pushed all of them towards him. He stared blankly at them.