Relentless (Book 2)

Passions- Katsu

"She said what!?" Katsu demanded in fury, itching to rip the message out of Kakashi's hands. They had sent a message to the Hokage using one of Kakashi's falcons and she had messaged them back rather swiftly.

"The Hokage believes," Kakashi said through his teeth as he read. "That because the two of us disregarded her instructions, our information does not hold as much value as it ordinarily would. The Anbu have caught no such word of what it is we're warning her about, and therefore, she won't take action to prevent a war she can't foresee coming."

"But it is  coming," Katsu said in exasperation. She covered her face with her hands.

"She also wishes for us to return to the Leaf immediately."

"What, so she can just strip us of our Jonin status?" Katsu grumbled. "She hates me."

"Oh come on," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "She doesn't hate y-"

"You two left without authorization?" Sasuke asked with a chuckle from where he leaned against a tree watching them. "This is finally getting interesting."

Katsu shot him a ruthless glare. She turned to Kakashi then, her tone coming out almost desperate. "But we can't go back, can we?" she asked. "If we do, the Akatsuki will still attack and the Hokage will do nothing to stop it. They'll destroy everything!"

"Hey!" Kakashi said, holding her shoulders firmly. "I never said we were going to go back yet. Not without those scrolls first."

"Really?" Katsu asked hesitantly.

"Really," Kakashi answered. "Listen to me. I know you think you care about the Leaf and its people more than anyone else but I assure you, I care just as much." In a gentler tone he continued. "Please do not think you have to do all of this on your own. I am right here and will not abandon you."

Katsu looked down and nodded. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Never apologize about your passions," he said lightly. "Just know that you have comrades who share the same ones."

Katsu nearly smiled.

"Can we please   get on with our next move?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

Kakashi's eye drifted to Sasuke. "Katsu," he said. "Order him to tell us where the scrolls are."

Katsu hesitated very briefly. She actually didn't like the feeling of forcing anyone to do anything. Even Sasuke. Nevertheless it had to be done and she did it.

An expressionless Sasuke replied calmly, "There is an ancient map with clues on it- only about ten are still in existence. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki have been using them to narrow down potential locations of the scrolls as well as ways to obtain them."

"Who has those maps?" Katsu asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "Orochimaru. Kabuto. Several members of the Akatsuki. Perhaps even a few outsiders that we are unaware of."

Katsu stared at him suspiciously. "Do you have one of these maps on you?" she asked carefully.

Sasuke remained silent, staring back at her.

"Sasuke," she said firmly when he didn't answer. "Do you?"

Sasuke's gaze went from her to Kakashi and back again. His black eyes were defiant.

"Answer me!" Katsu commanded.

Sasuke snarled and grabbed his sleeve, pulling it up. He flexed his forearm and suddenly, black lettering appeared against his skin, almost like a bizarre tattoo.

Katsu gasped. Cautiously, she approached him to get a closer look at his arm. That's when she noticed that the letters were not still but rather moving, crossing each other and disappearing, only to be replaced with new ones.

"How?" was all she could manage to say.

"The maps are a part of us," Sasuke replied. "In order to obtain a map, you have to kill the owner of one. That's how they're passed from generation to generation."

"You killed someone to get that map for yourself!" Katsu accused.

Sasuke chuckled. "Quite on the contrary, actually. I had to protect myself from getting killed by the past owner of this map. She was quite set on murdering me. I acted in self defense. It kind of worked out, though. We needed a map and she had it." He smirked.

"Who was it?" Katsu asked. "And why did she want to kill you?"

"Oh, just one of my ex-girlfriends," Sasuke said dismissively. "I guess dating her sister right after dumping her didn't go over very well. But that was years ago. She held grudges too easily."

Katsu shook her head, staring at his arm. "And you can understand all of this rubbish?" she asked.

"Bits and pieces of it, yes," he replied. "A riddle here, an image there. My forearm burns at the appearance of a new piece of information. As do the maps of the other owners. They're all identical. If you want to obtain the scrolls before the others do, you simply have to solve the complex clues first."

"How often does a new piece of information appear?" Katsu asked.

"It depends," he replied. "Sometimes very frequently and other times I go days without feeling a thing."

Katsu glanced worriedly at Kakashi.

Sasuke chuckled and sneered. "Well I guess telling me to go jump off a cliff wouldn't be the smartest idea, would it?" he asked.

Katsu narrowed her eyes.

His sneer deepened. "Admit it. You need me. Just like you did when you were falling from that tree."

"Do you know what I will admit?" Katsu asked through her teeth. "That I've heard enough from you today. Don't speak again until tomorrow."

Sasuke's mouth immediately shut but he didn't look angry. Rather, he looked satisfied with annoying her.

"Where are we even supposed to begin?" Katsu asked her sensei.

He looked at Sasuke. "I'm sure he would know exactly where our first steps should be taken."

Sasuke smirked at this and shrugged.

"Where?" Katsu asked.

He nodded once to the north.

"Lead us," Katsu demanded.

Bowing dramatically like a servant, Sasuke turned his back to them and moved to execute the order.

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