Naruto Fanfiction Series 1: Kitsune's Mission

Phase 4: Fallen Deep

Kitsune's POV

The rain hammered against the reinforced windows of the Anbu headquarters, a relentless assault that mirrored the turmoil within me.

My gaze remained fixed on the swirling patterns of rain, yet my mind was a thousand miles away, lost in thoughts of him.

It has been a month since I met Sasuke Uchiha. It had been a month since I'd set eyes on him, a month since my world had been irrevocably shifted on its axis.

It had been a month since I'd looked into those onyx eyes, watched his sharp jawline harden as he trained, and felt something stir deep within me - something I thought I'd buried long ago.

My world had been a cold, unforgiving landscape of shadows and secrets, a world where emotions were liabilities.

Until him. Sasuke, becomes the reason I started craving those emotions, the reason my heart, which I'd thought was long dead, started beating again.

He was the reason I craved those emotions I'd so fiercely suppressed, those emotions I'd deemed a weakness.

Rain lashed against the windows of our hideout, blurring the world beyond into a canvas of grey. Our hideout.

It was a term I used loosely for the Anbu headquarters, a place where darkness thrived and shadows danced.

I sat perched on the edge of a large table, its surface worn smooth by countless nights spent plotting, planning, strategizing.

The scent of rain and earth mingled with the faint aroma of blood and metal that clung to the air of the headquarters, a constant reminder of the life and death games we played.

It was a game I'd mastered, a game I thrived in - until I met him.

"So, Taichō," Hound began, his voice a jarring note in the quiet of the room, "Don't you dare forget my birthday. You must bring Sasuke with you."

His words were like a slap, pulling me from the depths of my thoughts. My fingers tightened on the table, nails digging into the wood. I glanced at him, annoyance flickering across my face.

He knew I didn't like parties, didn't like crowds, and didn't like unnecessary interactions. But he knew, too, that I wouldn't refuse anything for Sasuke.

I glanced at him, a sliver of annoyance flickering across my face. "Why should I?" I asked, my voice flat, emotionless.

He scoffed. "Because it's my birthday, you idiot! And besides, you're the only one who can actually talk to him."

"He wouldn't come," I replied, my voice a low rumble. "He's not interested in parties."

"Of course he wouldn't," Hound said, rolling his eyes. "He's not exactly a social butterfly. But you,Kitsune, you can convince him. You can make him come."

A flicker of amusement danced in my eyes. "I'm not sure I want to."

"Come on," Hawk interjected, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "It's Hound's birthday. It's not like he's asking you to climb Mount Fuji."

"Just this once, Taichō," Cheetah chimed in, his face shining with his usual enthusiasm. "It'll be fun, you know!"

Hound's eyes lit up. "Yeah! We've been trying to talk to him for weeks now, but he just stares at us like we're bugs."