Wandering Heathens

Subjugate

Groaning, Shinjo opened his eyes to see a small fire burning nearby. He looked at Ryuu who was snoring happily and hugging a rock, muttering sweet nothings to it. He sat up and rubbed his head and scowled at the dampness he felt. He felt gross, like he was covered in something disgusting and longed for a bath and clean robes. We need to find a hot springs he thought as he got to his feet. "You're awake" an emotionless feminine voice said. He unsheathed his sword and stood in front of Ryuu protectively. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to observe you" Itachi said as she stepped into the fire's light. "Who are you?" Shinjo asked as he narrowed his eyes. "That's not important right now. What is important is to understand who you two are." "You talk in riddles, just like this idiot" he said indicating to Ryuu who was still snoring. "Speak plainly!" He demanded.

Itachi brushed her hair from her face and activated her Sharingan. She looked into Shinjo's eyes and he found himself in the Hidden Leaf Village. It was nighttime and it was quiet. He looked around and his ears caught the soft padding of feet sprinting across the rooftops. He jumped up and followed the running figure to see it drop down into the Uchiha compound. Screams, yells, begging and pleading were heard as the figure cut down men, women and children, all wearing the Uchiha crest. He followed the figure as it entered the largest home in the compound and watched as it removed its mask. The Sharingan girl?!

Itachi stood behind her parents and they exchanged a few words. "Sasuka! Watch! Learn to hate!" She yelled at a small girl with long spiky black hair and large onyx eyes as she cowered against a door. Without mercy Itachi cut down her parents and placed her sister under a genjutsu. Sasuka screamed and cried in terror as the massacre was repeated over and over again. Shinjo felt himself being pulled out of this world and back into his present.

"Itachi Uchiha, murderer of her clan, enemy of the Leaf and a rogue-nin. What do you want?" Shinjo asked. "Like I said I just want to understand who you two are" she said softly. Shinjo kicked Ryuu in the ribs and he sat upright with his face contorted in pain. "What the fuck?!" He yelled, "I was having a good dream!" Shinjo wordlessly pointed to Itachi and Ryuu quickly stood up and grabbed a handful of senbons. "I'm not here to fight" Itachi said to him, "he knows my purpose" she said pointing to Shinjo. "Fill me in?" Ryuu asked and Shinjo brought him up to speed.

"I see" Ryuu said when Shinjo finished. "Once you "understand" us, what is your purpose?" "To recruit you to the Akatsuki" she said plainly. "The Akatsuki? Wasn't that some kind of peace without war organization? No thanks, peace rarely works" Ryuu said as he checked his pouch to ensure he had everything. "Wait" Shinjo said. Itachi looked at him with curiosity as she waited for him to speak. "This could work to our favour. Fine, observe us but don't get in our way" he said as he sheathed his sword and pushed Ryuu to leave the ruins. "As you wish" Itachi said bowing to them.

The three of them left the ruins. Kisame rose from the water, her blue hair dripping water and a sadistic grin on her face. Before she could advance to fight, Itachi held out her hand in a silent order to stop. "They're on our side for now" she said and Kisame glared at them. "For now"  Kisame repeated.

"Hey there cutie! Come here often?" Ryuu asked Kisame, moving behind her and reaching out to stroke her hair. She looked at him in confusion. Cutie? I've never been called that before, Kisame thought as she blushed and ducked her head. "Awww don't be shy. I won't bite. Yet" he said, wiggling his eyebrows and a smirk on his face. What is this? she wondered as she moved behind Itachi. "Ah she's shy," Ryuu said happily and looked at Kisame, "you'll fall for me yet!" he proclaimed. "Enough! Flirt on your own time!" Shinjo said, smacking Ryuu in the back of the head.

Ryuu had had enough. He was a patient man when it came to Shinjo and usually ignored his outbursts but this was too far. He leaped into the air, somersaulting backwards and throwing senbons at Shinjo. He blocked them with his sword and leaped after Ryuu. Itachi and Kisame followed, hopping from rubble pile to ruin to solid ground as they followed.

Landing on the bank of the eddy, Ryuu wove hand signs: "FIRE STYLE: FIRE WALL!" "WIND STYLE: SLICING GALE!" The wind was blocked by the wall but its force destroyed the wall. "Huh. Seems the new kinjutsu has made you stronger" he observed to Shinjo. He ran across the pool, his sword pointed out, screaming obscenities. His blade pierced Ryuu's heart and the redhead collapsed to his knees, coughing blood and fumbling weakly against the blade. Shinjo pressed harder and the blade scraped against bone. "Ninja Art: Chakra Steal" he said as his blade glowed and red chakra seeped into the blade. He smiled savagely as the red chakra turned into black chakra and he knew he was taking Ryuu's reserves.

"Stop" he said weakly, "Why?" he asked, tears running down his face. "Because I'm sick of you" Shinjo growled. "You were my friend" Ryuu said weakly as he reached out to touch Shinjo's face. "Was" he replied. Ryuu went limp and his eyes closed. Shinjo pulled his sword out of the dead body. Thk! Thk! Thk! Senbons pierced his spine, paralyzing him where he stood. The body disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the real Ryuu stepped out from behind a tree. "You'd really kill me?" he asked angrily as he approached Shinjo. He didn't reply and only watched as his "partner" came closer. "You need to learn to control your temper" Ryuu said darkly. Shinjo swallowed a lump in his throat and stared impassively at him.

Ryuu stood back and reached into his weapon pouch for a seal. He made the spar sign over the seal and muttered a few words. He walked over to Shinjo and slapped the seal onto his chest causing it to glow faintly as it burrowed into his chakra system. It left a mark on his chest that could be mistaken for a clan tattoo. He groaned as it latched onto his chakra and began feeding. "I'll take it off when you calm the fuck down" Ryuu growled and punched Shinjo. "That was for pissing me off. Now let's go" he said as he removed the senbons from Shinjo's spine and walked ahead of Shinjo, flirting with Kisame. Fucking parasite jutsus, he snarled mentally, I wish he hadn't learned that trick.