Title: Lengths
Author: MayaMay
Summary: Ever since Itachi's betrayal four years ago, it has become Sasuke's sole purpose in life to seek vengeance. The Uchiha survivor will go through great lengths in order to fulfill this goal, including masquerading as a boy in order to gain respect. [Fem!Sasuke, AU
Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series. It belongs to its respective owners.
Chapter Warnings: Deviation from plot (hence AU), language
"If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me, and survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life."
So Sasuke does.
--
A sigh escapes from a pair of lips as Sasuke balances.
"Don't eat breakfast," Kakashi had advised Team 7. "You're going to throw up if you do."
What a jerk.
Sasuke admits, the stupidity of Naruto is staggeringly impressive; to be idiotic enough to confront a jounin head on, fresh out of Academy? There is a small, grudging acceptance that while the idiot is getting his ass pummeled, it is benefiting Sasuke with the opportunity to assess their instructor.
"Fast," is the first thought as Kakashi spins out of Naruto's attack almost imperceptibly, hands folded in the tiger seal. "Dangerous," eyes widening in apprehension.
Sakura's cry suddenly rings out, "Naruto! You're going to die!"
Too late, too late, Kakashi is poised, and Sasuke can see all his stored potential energy bursting into kinetic as the jounin unleashes his technique.
"Oh, hell," Sasuke hears a bush say, and Naruto is launched into the lake after receiving a brutal jab to the ass.
"Stupid," is the conclusion made about Kakashi, and Sasuke graciously includes the two teammates into that category as well when Kakashi's gaze sweeps to where Sakura is hiding.
"I just need an opening," Sasuke bristles, watching Sakura's inevitable failure against their teacher. She shrieks, terrified from something, then faints; Sasuke realizes that Kakashi has trapped her in a genjutsu.
The jounin bends over the unconscious girl to check her pulse, and Sasuke sees his guard drop. Reaching for some kunai, the youth readies for an attack when four shuriken suddenly slice through the air and slam into Kakashi. Naruto climbs out of the lake, shaking water off.
A puff of smoke reveals the Kakashi over Sakura as a fake, and Sasuke swings around to search for the real jounin. "Where'd that bastard go?" Naruto voices both of their thoughts.
"Naruto, mind your language," says a tree, and the blonde whips a kunai at it. The thunk of wood alerts them that he missed, but the tinny tinkle of a bell catches their attention. There, at the base of the tree and catching light, is a bell.
"It's a trap," Sasuke thinks.
Naruto apparently does not arrive at the same conclusion as Sasuke, because in one step he is caught in a snare, and dangling helplessly from the rope around his feet. Kakashi is suddenly there, crouching before the blonde to retrieve the bell.
"Now Naruto," he says, "You have to give me more credit than that. What kind of ninja would I be to let you win so easily?"
While he is lecturing, Sasuke sees it. The almost imperceptible drooping of shoulders from their teacher, indicating a lax in attention. Kunai fly from Sasuke's fingers, and the youth jumps after.
The projectiles are easily deflected, and the jounin catches the kick aimed at him. Sasuke follows quickly with a punch, which is also deflected, and another kick, which is caught.
A breath of laughter escapes the youth—Kakashi's hands are both occupied—and Sasuke reaches for the bells tied around Kakashi's waist. Fingers brush against the cool metal before their teacher drops the limbs he is holding in lieu of protecting the small instruments.
Sasuke does not allow him a chance to recover his bearings, and quickly forms seals. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" as a burst of flame erupts, scorching the earth black.
There are no traces of Kakashi when the technique lets up, and Sasuke is not fool enough to think the jounin was killed by the spell. Eyes darting in every direction, the Uchiha moves to leap away when a hard grip at the ankle roots Sasuke in place. A hand protrudes from the earth, fingers tightly clenched around the youth, and Kakashi soon bursts from the ground.
Sasuke brings hands together to form seals for Ryūkano Jutsu , intending to incinerate the convenient line Kakashi's arm forms to the rest of his body, but another gloved hand grabs and wrenches Sasuke's hands apart before the technique can be finished. In an instant, Kakashi has Sasuke pinned against him, a leg ensnaring the youth's legs in place, a hand tightly holding wrists, and an arm looped around the chest. Sasuke immediately freezes.
"Hmm?" wonders a low voice, and the hand wanders. Sasuke feels his fingers groping, squeezing soft flesh at the chest, and turns red.
"Why, Sasuke!" the teacher exclaims, and squeezes again. "Are you trying to seduce me? But you should know, Oiroke no Jutsu is not so effective when you wear such shapeless clothing."
The sound of metal cutting air reaches their ears, and Sasuke is spun around to see four kunai flying towards them, and Sakura's horrified expression. "He's using me as a shield?" the thought flits through Sasuke's mind, before being painfully shoved to the ground. Kakashi crouches on the Uchiha's back as the kunai narrowly miss decapitating the two.
"S-Sensei," Sakura's shaky voice starts, but a shrill ringing noise prevents anything else she might have said.
"Time's up. You all fail," Kakashi says jovially.
--
"What a jerk," Sasuke thinks not for the first time today. In the end, they had passed, in spite of Kakashi's earlier prognosis.
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. This is true. But, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," he had said. "I pitted you against each other, hoping you would realize that this was an exercise in teamwork. I was hoping you would be able to set aside differences in order to help each other out."
("Always look beneath the underneath," Itachi advises.)
"Naruto," Kakashi had said, "doesn't get lunch. Sasuke, Sakura, eat your bento. I'll be back in an hour; we'll continue this training exercise afterwards. Anyone who feeds him will fail."
Then directing to the child beneath him, "Save your chakra, you'll need it for later. No need to keep the illusion."
("Behind every action is a motive. You must learn to identify what this motive is, if you want to be ninja.")
"Itachi," Sasuke trails. Visions of red dance through the survivor's mind.
("If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me…")
Kakashi had stood up from Sasuke's back, and hoisted the youth as well. "Kai," the child had muttered. "Henge," is what was thought and executed.
("…survive in an unsightly way.")
In front of a mirror, and Sasuke observes the reflection. "Kai," this time said with meaning, and the once flat chest is now curved, the hips are wider, torso narrower.
("Little sister.")
-end chapter-
Techniques:
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu– Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
(Katon:) Ryūkano Jutsu – (Fire Release:) Dragon Fire Technique (it should be noted that this technique requires a wire or line for the flame to travel on—in this case, Sasuke intended to use Kakashi's own arm!)
Oiroke no Jutsu – Sexy Technique
Kai – Dispel
Henge – Transformation
Notes: One thing I love about the techniques in Naruto is that the user does not have to vocalize it in order for it to work. I will be naming the techniques I have each character use, and you will always be able to find what the English name of it is at the end of the chapter.
Careful readers out there may have noticed the distinct lack of pronouns used for Sasuke. This was done with purpose, since from the start I wanted Sasuke to be female, but did not want to "lie" to the readers by using masculine pronouns, nor did I want to tell the readers until the very end what gender Sasuke is (even though the summary already gives it away, but whatever). Because of this, it was a very difficult chapter to write!
Please take some time to review, I'd appreciate some thoughts.
--MayaMay