Author’s Notes:
This chapter’s title is about Encounters, but most of the encounters here are near misses. The lizard, the thugs, the nomads, even Itachi — all of them are fears on the horizon that never truly materialize in this chapter (well, except the lizard of course!). Even the interactions from the Captain to Katsuro are just instructions from a distance. It’s all about Sakura and Katsuro and their return from their time in the temple as changed individuals. They trust each other. And so when they are confronted by Sasori and Deidara — to baddies who are worse than anything Sakura can imagine — they face it as a unit. Their trust is tested, and they prevail. Which is good…. Because they are going to need each other in the chapters to come!
Chapter Notes:
• The sun was high in the sky, and there was no angling her body to keep any part in shade. The heat seemed to bake them from all sides now. — Lived for a while in the American southwest. The desert is more hot and desolate than you could ever imagine. Hope I’ve captured it, or at least presented a wide contrast to their cool, shady time in the lush mountaintop temple.
• There, adrift on a barren desert ridge line, the undeniable truth laid bare in the blistering sun, the young Leaf kunoichi unraveled. — This is the truth as it feels to her at that moment, that her team has abandoned her. But appearances, even the most convincing ones, are not always what they seem.
• Sakura frowned into the darkness. Really, what was he thinking? Telling her she was going to make it, sacrificing his comfort for hers — why did he go so far for her? — Small Sasuke reference there from the manga, from the line Sasuke used on Naruto, “Why do you go so far for me?” No foreshadowing or anything, just to illustrate that Katsuro/Naruto is willing to go to any lengths for those he cares about.
• He mouthed a “shh” but made no sound. Sakura held her breath and nodded her head imperceptibly. — these little communications are a sign of their growing closeness. Now they trust each other enough for nonverbal communication in high-stress situations.
• One was tall with deceptively serene features. A blond ponytail fluttered over his shoulder as he fixed his attention on the girl. … But his traveling partner, the one she had mistaken for an animal, sent a real tremor of fear through her. — The encounter with Deidara and Sasori fulfills the chapter title’s promise. It introduces a new level of danger, beyond what Sakura has been agonizing about. This will play out in future chapters for Sakura as well, when she realizes just what organization they are with. As for these two, Sasori is creepy and Deidara is flippant, but both are tremendously cruel. Their confidence just make them that much more dangerous.
Spoiler Notes:
• “I told you this was the right path to leave by, Sasori no danna,” the blond man said with a smooth laugh. “Sometimes you have to go to extra lengths for something interesting. Of course Itachi would try to throw us off.” He said Itachi’s name as if he had something against him. — Though they have a formal name, a uniform and are infinitely more dangerous, the Akatsuki is still very much like Katsuro’s band of thugs. They all distrust each other and are only working together for a common goal as long as it serves their own personal interests, whatever those may be. Power, money, control, etc. Here, Sasori and Deidara had been meeting with Itachi about some mission they had to agree to through Akatsuki. But Deidara has other suspicions and other goals, and that some of that centers on Katsuro. So he contrives a way for them to intercept him on the road. But Sasori reminds him of something he’s agreed upon, and that he must leave Katsuro alone. The undercurrent of distrust is the strongest from Deidara. It will define his character and actions later on.
• “So,” Sasori grunted, “this is Itachi’s contact?” The rest of his clattering tail slid back under his cloak. “I would have given him more credit than that.” — This line exposes Itachi’s real plan for Sakura, before either Katsuro or Sakura are aware of it. Itachi plans to use her to spy on Konoha and Sasuke, and he has revealed this to the two Akatsuki when they just met. It would have been done in private and under threat of secrecy, as all Akatsuki actions are, so the fact that Sasori revealed it so casually shows how little he respects Itachi. He lets the information slide out, potentially jeopardizing Itachi’s whole plan. He, like Deidara, doesn’t much like Itachi. But Sasori is less dramatic about it. Still, the nature of Sasori’s character is outlined here: He doesn’t have loyalty to anyone but himself, and has no problem throwing people over if it benefits him. And one last note: the interaction between Sakura and Sasori is far from finished…. They will have another clash in the future…. 🙂
• “You won’t always be under his wing, Katsuro,” he whispered harshly, his mouth curling now into a mean sneer. — This line from Deidara hints that they know Katsuro is not what he seems. Only they can’t get close enough to figure him out. The others don’t seem to care, but since Deidara hates Itachi, he would do anything to thwart him, including sabotaging his ‘assistant’ Katsuro. This theme — Deidara being suspicious of Itachi (and for good reason) — will come back later too, when Naruto is revealed. Right now, it seems like it’s about Katsuro. But really, it’s Itachi that Deidara doesn’t trust.
• “Goodbye, pink-haired friend,” Deidara said breezily to the trees. — Years later, with Deidara meets Sakura again, he will refer to her this way, driving up the tension and getting under her skin. She has never told anyone except anbu of their encounter. Kakashi knew from her reports, but it will be a shock to Sasuke to discover that has had far more dangerous encounters than she ever let on.
• “Katsuro,” the man said gruffly, “Itachi-sama wants to see the prisoner immediately.” Katsuro was quiet. Sakura held her breath. Neither moved. “Katsuro!” the man shouted in irritation. “Hai, taichou,” he muttered finally. — Katsuro and the Captain’s relationship has definite overtones of Naruto from the beginning of the manga. The Captain is always pestering him, and Katsuro is constantly disobeying! It matures into one where he understands and values the Captain, and vice versa, like Naruto did with Kakashi. But right now, Katsuro and the Captain feels very much like Naruto and Iruka during his academy years.
Omitted Scene:
Chapter 11 – Encounter originally included a few lines about how Katsuro felt when Sakura readjusted the blanket to accommodate them both on their long trek over the desert. It was nice, but it didn’t quite fit since it jumped to Katsuro’s point-of-view abruptly at the end, and bouncing between view points might diminish the impact of Sakura’s surprise gesture. And I didn’t want Katsuro to reveal himself as completely falling for her. At least, not yet….
But some parts are just too good to forget about. So enjoy this little view into Katsuro’s mind!
Exerpt from Chapter 11 – Encounter:
“Katsuro?” a soft voice came whispering up from below the rock.
“Yeah?” he answered back.
“Are you ok? Do you want to switch?” she said.
Katsuro frowned, then scooted over to the edge, keeping his body low to the warm rock. He hung his head over and looked at her inquisitively. There was enough light from the sliver of moon to see her face. She was waiting for an answer, but he still didn’t know quite what she meant.
“Do you need me to take a watch? So you can get some rest?” she said.
He couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t this the answer to his question? He was wondering what it would be like to have her as a teammate, and she already was. It had been right in front of him all along and he just couldn’t see it.
Looking down at her tired face, his mind fell into the slipstream of what he would do for her if he was her teammate. How far would he go?
There were simply no limits, he decided.
Katsuro knew then what he had to do. He had to get her through this mess somehow.
“No. We’re safe here. I’m coming down,” he said, and swung his legs over to slide down the steep side of the boulder.
Rucksack in hand, he sat down beside her on the gravel.
“You ok?” he said.
She shrugged, looking away. Katsuro sighed.
He didn’t want to lie to her, but he wanted to give her hope. He didn’t know how he was going to talk Itachi in to letting her stay with his group, but that’s what he intended to do, he thought firmly.
“We need to rest as much as we can. Tomorrow will be just as hard,” he said.
She still didn’t say anything, just hooked her hands in front of her bent knees. He slipped the thin blanket from the bottom of the bag and laid it where her head would lie. He flattened out the top of rucksack on the ground and tried to get as comfortable as possible on the scrap of fabric.
“If you tell him what he wants to hear, I think he’ll let you out of this,” Katsuro said. “Itachi’s not that bad.”
The kunoichi, though, had a very different opinion. From what she knew of him, there was no way Itachi was going to ‘let her out of this.’ He wasn’t going to let her return home. She didn’t know what Katsuro was thinking.
She leaned her head back on the blanket-pillow he’d made for her. Looking askance, she could see him rearranging his back pack for maximum comfort. He wouldn’t find any there, she thought.
Sakura frowned into the darkness. Really, what was he thinking? Telling her she was going to make it, sacrificing his comfort for hers — why did he go so far for her?
Sakura sighed. Though she couldn’t believe in it, just offering some hope made her feel better. His kindness made her feel less alone. He had changed in the time she’d known him. At least to her, he had. She couldn’t trust him, not implicitly, but she felt like she had a partner in this mess. Everything about him said it. And for that she was grateful, no matter what happened to her.
Her life in Konoha was as far away as those stars. But this boy and his little kindnesses were the only things keeping her afloat now.
A dreadful thought occurred to her: What if she had been caught by one of the men in the group ahead of them? She smothered the mental image and sat up quickly. But thinking of the clear differences between him and his group spurred her to make an impulsive decision.
The kunoichi snatched up the blanket from behind her and refolded it hastily into a long, thin rectangle.
“Lift up,” she said over her shoulder. Katsuro slowly sat up on his elbows. Ignoring the questioning frown on his face, she turned back and quickly shoved the rucksack out of the way, replacing it with the strip of blanket. It was just long enough for them to share now.
Unable to look at him, not wanting to explain, she quickly laid down on her side, back to Katsuro, and pulled the cloak over her tucked-up legs. She wasn’t cold, it just made her feel safer.
“Th-Thanks,” came his startled voice in the darkness. His elbows slowly slid down and the blanket shifted under the additional weight. Sakura closed her eyes, exhaled and tried to rest. He was right, if they were safe now she should conserve her energy. There was no telling what the next day would bring. Beside her, Katsuro sighed deeply.
Omitted scene: Katsuro’s perspective:
Much later Katsuro will remember that moment, that act of kindness in the dark. Her strange request, then sudden movement. Pale arms slipping down beside him. Swinging hair, lit blue by the moon, hiding her face and her intentions. The sound of blood rushing in his ears as he held his breath.
Katsuro was completely at a loss as to what she was doing. His muscles tightened reflexively. He was, after all, in a vulnerable position. But any impact he might have expected never came.
In a few fluid movements she had shoved something to the ground behind him — behind them — then turned away. And before he could blink she was wrapping herself in her cloak, disappearing from the world.
But there on the ground beyond his elbows was the blanket, stretched out to accommodate him as well.
He leaned back slowly, only remembering to breathe halfway down.
This was for him. The certainty of it unfurled in his chest, warm and encompassing. He turned his head on the blanket to look at her sleeping form. Sighing deeply, Katsuro gave in to that feeling, that hope, of never again being alone, of always having someone beside him in the darkness.
<< Return to Chapter 11 • Go to Chapter 12 >>
22 Jun 2010 No Comments
Chapter 11 notes
Author’s Notes:
This chapter’s title is about Encounters, but most of the encounters here are near misses. The lizard, the thugs, the nomads, even Itachi — all of them are fears on the horizon that never truly materialize in this chapter (well, except the lizard of course!). Even the interactions from the Captain to Katsuro are just instructions from a distance. It’s all about Sakura and Katsuro and their return from their time in the temple as changed individuals. They trust each other. And so when they are confronted by Sasori and Deidara — to baddies who are worse than anything Sakura can imagine — they face it as a unit. Their trust is tested, and they prevail. Which is good…. Because they are going to need each other in the chapters to come!
Chapter Notes:
• The sun was high in the sky, and there was no angling her body to keep any part in shade. The heat seemed to bake them from all sides now. — Lived for a while in the American southwest. The desert is more hot and desolate than you could ever imagine. Hope I’ve captured it, or at least presented a wide contrast to their cool, shady time in the lush mountaintop temple.
• There, adrift on a barren desert ridge line, the undeniable truth laid bare in the blistering sun, the young Leaf kunoichi unraveled. — This is the truth as it feels to her at that moment, that her team has abandoned her. But appearances, even the most convincing ones, are not always what they seem.
• Sakura frowned into the darkness. Really, what was he thinking? Telling her she was going to make it, sacrificing his comfort for hers — why did he go so far for her? — Small Sasuke reference there from the manga, from the line Sasuke used on Naruto, “Why do you go so far for me?” No foreshadowing or anything, just to illustrate that Katsuro/Naruto is willing to go to any lengths for those he cares about.
• He mouthed a “shh” but made no sound. Sakura held her breath and nodded her head imperceptibly. — these little communications are a sign of their growing closeness. Now they trust each other enough for nonverbal communication in high-stress situations.
• One was tall with deceptively serene features. A blond ponytail fluttered over his shoulder as he fixed his attention on the girl. … But his traveling partner, the one she had mistaken for an animal, sent a real tremor of fear through her. — The encounter with Deidara and Sasori fulfills the chapter title’s promise. It introduces a new level of danger, beyond what Sakura has been agonizing about. This will play out in future chapters for Sakura as well, when she realizes just what organization they are with. As for these two, Sasori is creepy and Deidara is flippant, but both are tremendously cruel. Their confidence just make them that much more dangerous.
Spoiler Notes:
• “I told you this was the right path to leave by, Sasori no danna,” the blond man said with a smooth laugh. “Sometimes you have to go to extra lengths for something interesting. Of course Itachi would try to throw us off.” He said Itachi’s name as if he had something against him. — Though they have a formal name, a uniform and are infinitely more dangerous, the Akatsuki is still very much like Katsuro’s band of thugs. They all distrust each other and are only working together for a common goal as long as it serves their own personal interests, whatever those may be. Power, money, control, etc. Here, Sasori and Deidara had been meeting with Itachi about some mission they had to agree to through Akatsuki. But Deidara has other suspicions and other goals, and that some of that centers on Katsuro. So he contrives a way for them to intercept him on the road. But Sasori reminds him of something he’s agreed upon, and that he must leave Katsuro alone. The undercurrent of distrust is the strongest from Deidara. It will define his character and actions later on.
• “So,” Sasori grunted, “this is Itachi’s contact?” The rest of his clattering tail slid back under his cloak. “I would have given him more credit than that.” — This line exposes Itachi’s real plan for Sakura, before either Katsuro or Sakura are aware of it. Itachi plans to use her to spy on Konoha and Sasuke, and he has revealed this to the two Akatsuki when they just met. It would have been done in private and under threat of secrecy, as all Akatsuki actions are, so the fact that Sasori revealed it so casually shows how little he respects Itachi. He lets the information slide out, potentially jeopardizing Itachi’s whole plan. He, like Deidara, doesn’t much like Itachi. But Sasori is less dramatic about it. Still, the nature of Sasori’s character is outlined here: He doesn’t have loyalty to anyone but himself, and has no problem throwing people over if it benefits him. And one last note: the interaction between Sakura and Sasori is far from finished…. They will have another clash in the future…. 🙂
• “You won’t always be under his wing, Katsuro,” he whispered harshly, his mouth curling now into a mean sneer. — This line from Deidara hints that they know Katsuro is not what he seems. Only they can’t get close enough to figure him out. The others don’t seem to care, but since Deidara hates Itachi, he would do anything to thwart him, including sabotaging his ‘assistant’ Katsuro. This theme — Deidara being suspicious of Itachi (and for good reason) — will come back later too, when Naruto is revealed. Right now, it seems like it’s about Katsuro. But really, it’s Itachi that Deidara doesn’t trust.
• “Goodbye, pink-haired friend,” Deidara said breezily to the trees. — Years later, with Deidara meets Sakura again, he will refer to her this way, driving up the tension and getting under her skin. She has never told anyone except anbu of their encounter. Kakashi knew from her reports, but it will be a shock to Sasuke to discover that has had far more dangerous encounters than she ever let on.
• “Katsuro,” the man said gruffly, “Itachi-sama wants to see the prisoner immediately.” Katsuro was quiet. Sakura held her breath. Neither moved. “Katsuro!” the man shouted in irritation. “Hai, taichou,” he muttered finally. — Katsuro and the Captain’s relationship has definite overtones of Naruto from the beginning of the manga. The Captain is always pestering him, and Katsuro is constantly disobeying! It matures into one where he understands and values the Captain, and vice versa, like Naruto did with Kakashi. But right now, Katsuro and the Captain feels very much like Naruto and Iruka during his academy years.
Omitted Scene:
Chapter 11 – Encounter originally included a few lines about how Katsuro felt when Sakura readjusted the blanket to accommodate them both on their long trek over the desert. It was nice, but it didn’t quite fit since it jumped to Katsuro’s point-of-view abruptly at the end, and bouncing between view points might diminish the impact of Sakura’s surprise gesture. And I didn’t want Katsuro to reveal himself as completely falling for her. At least, not yet….
But some parts are just too good to forget about. So enjoy this little view into Katsuro’s mind!
Exerpt from Chapter 11 – Encounter:
“Katsuro?” a soft voice came whispering up from below the rock.
“Yeah?” he answered back.
“Are you ok? Do you want to switch?” she said.
Katsuro frowned, then scooted over to the edge, keeping his body low to the warm rock. He hung his head over and looked at her inquisitively. There was enough light from the sliver of moon to see her face. She was waiting for an answer, but he still didn’t know quite what she meant.
“Do you need me to take a watch? So you can get some rest?” she said.
He couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t this the answer to his question? He was wondering what it would be like to have her as a teammate, and she already was. It had been right in front of him all along and he just couldn’t see it.
Looking down at her tired face, his mind fell into the slipstream of what he would do for her if he was her teammate. How far would he go?
There were simply no limits, he decided.
Katsuro knew then what he had to do. He had to get her through this mess somehow.
“No. We’re safe here. I’m coming down,” he said, and swung his legs over to slide down the steep side of the boulder.
Rucksack in hand, he sat down beside her on the gravel.
“You ok?” he said.
She shrugged, looking away. Katsuro sighed.
He didn’t want to lie to her, but he wanted to give her hope. He didn’t know how he was going to talk Itachi in to letting her stay with his group, but that’s what he intended to do, he thought firmly.
“We need to rest as much as we can. Tomorrow will be just as hard,” he said.
She still didn’t say anything, just hooked her hands in front of her bent knees. He slipped the thin blanket from the bottom of the bag and laid it where her head would lie. He flattened out the top of rucksack on the ground and tried to get as comfortable as possible on the scrap of fabric.
“If you tell him what he wants to hear, I think he’ll let you out of this,” Katsuro said. “Itachi’s not that bad.”
The kunoichi, though, had a very different opinion. From what she knew of him, there was no way Itachi was going to ‘let her out of this.’ He wasn’t going to let her return home. She didn’t know what Katsuro was thinking.
She leaned her head back on the blanket-pillow he’d made for her. Looking askance, she could see him rearranging his back pack for maximum comfort. He wouldn’t find any there, she thought.
Sakura frowned into the darkness. Really, what was he thinking? Telling her she was going to make it, sacrificing his comfort for hers — why did he go so far for her?
Sakura sighed. Though she couldn’t believe in it, just offering some hope made her feel better. His kindness made her feel less alone. He had changed in the time she’d known him. At least to her, he had. She couldn’t trust him, not implicitly, but she felt like she had a partner in this mess. Everything about him said it. And for that she was grateful, no matter what happened to her.
Her life in Konoha was as far away as those stars. But this boy and his little kindnesses were the only things keeping her afloat now.
A dreadful thought occurred to her: What if she had been caught by one of the men in the group ahead of them? She smothered the mental image and sat up quickly. But thinking of the clear differences between him and his group spurred her to make an impulsive decision.
The kunoichi snatched up the blanket from behind her and refolded it hastily into a long, thin rectangle.
“Lift up,” she said over her shoulder. Katsuro slowly sat up on his elbows. Ignoring the questioning frown on his face, she turned back and quickly shoved the rucksack out of the way, replacing it with the strip of blanket. It was just long enough for them to share now.
Unable to look at him, not wanting to explain, she quickly laid down on her side, back to Katsuro, and pulled the cloak over her tucked-up legs. She wasn’t cold, it just made her feel safer.
“Th-Thanks,” came his startled voice in the darkness. His elbows slowly slid down and the blanket shifted under the additional weight. Sakura closed her eyes, exhaled and tried to rest. He was right, if they were safe now she should conserve her energy. There was no telling what the next day would bring. Beside her, Katsuro sighed deeply.
Omitted scene: Katsuro’s perspective:
Much later Katsuro will remember that moment, that act of kindness in the dark. Her strange request, then sudden movement. Pale arms slipping down beside him. Swinging hair, lit blue by the moon, hiding her face and her intentions. The sound of blood rushing in his ears as he held his breath.
Katsuro was completely at a loss as to what she was doing. His muscles tightened reflexively. He was, after all, in a vulnerable position. But any impact he might have expected never came.
In a few fluid movements she had shoved something to the ground behind him — behind them — then turned away. And before he could blink she was wrapping herself in her cloak, disappearing from the world.
But there on the ground beyond his elbows was the blanket, stretched out to accommodate him as well.
He leaned back slowly, only remembering to breathe halfway down.
This was for him. The certainty of it unfurled in his chest, warm and encompassing. He turned his head on the blanket to look at her sleeping form. Sighing deeply, Katsuro gave in to that feeling, that hope, of never again being alone, of always having someone beside him in the darkness.
<< Return to Chapter 11 • Go to Chapter 12 >>
by tricksie in Chapter Notes