Chapter Text
Katsumi never does get to spar with Temari. Fox gets called in for a mission the following day and she knows she’s not going to like it. She’s not supposed to be sent on any ANBU missions unless it’s in regards to the Akatsuki and she knows none of those are lined up anytime soon. Apparently the Akatsuki are working on a much lower profile since two of their members died.
She’s right. It’s not an Akatsuki mission. It’s not even an assassination. It’s a fucking slaughter. She has no idea who signed off on the mission or why the hell Fox is being sent on it, but she is. Along with an ANBU she’s never seen before with a Mask she doesn’t recognize who introduces himself as Lion. Just the two of them. To slaughter an entire clan in some backwoods village that barely qualifies as a shinobi village. Fox has never disobeyed orders before. ANBU take orders directly from their Hokage. Disobedience is treason. Even when Fox hates the orders.
Fox does it. Does it with numb hands and an empty chest. Doesn’t look at Lion afterwards. Doesn’t notice the way he watches her. Doesn’t notice how familiar he seems or the way he smells vaguely of ink.
She delivers the report to the designated superior then goes to the showers to wash the blood off. Watches it flow down the drain and thinks whatever she’s becoming, she’s crossed a line she can never go back from. Fox doesn’t mourn it, but Katsumi does. Adds this mission to the pile of grief and pain and unpleasant things she keeps tucked away in her mind.
She swipes Shikaku’s sake when she returns home late the night after the mission and drinks it until she thinks she’s going to vomit. Drinks until the smell of the sake burns her nose and makes her stomach roll. Drinks until she can’t think or feel anything clearly. Taishiro and Chinami are ordered not to say anything or do anything about it. Katsumi knows Shikaku won’t be fooled for a moment about the Sake, but she’s not allowed to discuss the mission she wasn’t even supposed to be sent on. The first mission she’s ever wanted to turn down. Katsumi has never felt dirtier, even after washing the blood off and changing. She doesn’t even know what that clan did to earn that fate, or if they did anything at all.
Katsumi doesn’t mention it to anyone. Just goes on like nothing happened. Files it away as something not spoken of and does her best to pretend it never happened. Trains and takes missions, lots and lots of missions, like nothing happened. Shikaku clearly knows something happened but when he asks, all she can do is tap her shoulder, right over the hidden ANBU tattoo. He may be the jounin commander, but she’s not allowed to discuss her ANBU missions with anyone other than the Hokage herself. Shikaku looks concerned but nods and doesn’t push for what she can’t give.
Katsumi doesn’t speak about it to anyone, not Sensei, not Taishiro, not Chinami, certainly not any of the Nara clan. Just continues on like she always does. By the time she’s back from her most recent mission, tracking down missing children in the land of rivers and finding only their corpses, Katsumi has turned fifteen and things take a new turn that makes her want to strangle someone.
She’s not even back five minutes when she’s summoned to the Hokage’s office. Sensei is there when she arrives, and it’s clear something is wrong. Tsunade looks halfway between pissed and resigned and Kakashi-sensei is utterly blank.
Tsunade stands up behind her desk, and considers them for a moment, her brown eyes hard, “As of three-eighteen this morning, Uchiha Sasuke has been confirmed to have escaped Konoha custody. The cameras were cut five minutes before the escape occurred and there no one knows how he got out. No one witnessed the escape. As of now, we’re going to keep this quiet, the only reason you’re being informed is that from now one, the pair of you will have the dubious honor of trying to find him.”
Katsumi blinks. Sasuke... escaped? With no sign of how or why or where he’s headed? Fuck. Naruto is going to lose his shit when he hears this. What a fucking mess.
“Retrieval or execution?” Katsumi can’t surpress the shocked flinch at Sensei’s cold tone.
“Retrieval for now. He’s not considered a nukenin as of now. You’ll be informed of that changes. Naruto is returning soon. When he does, team seven will be temporarily reformed and a new member will be added to fill the gap. Any questions?”
Katsumi has a flash of memory as a weak headache begins. A boy with pale skin and black hair and black eyes and ink stained fingers. A seal on his tongue. She thinks she can guess who her new teammate will be.
“When will we learn who Sasuke’s replacement is?” Katsumi already knows who it’ll be. Just not when.
“To be determined. For now, keep your silence on the matter. This defection is an S-ranked secret until further notice. When we have an idea of where he is, your mission will begin.” Tsunade pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes. Adds on quickly, “If retrieval isn’t possible, execution will be necessary. Oinin Butai is currently hunting for him as well, with orders to capture and return.”
Katsumi raises an eyebrow at that. Oinin Butai isn’t known for leaving a target alive. They never do that. It’s not normal for them. Katsumi wonders if they’ve ever been given an order like that.
“Is that all?” Kakashi-Sensei’s voice is still cold.
“Yes. Dismissed.” Tsunade waves them away and sits back down.
“Katsumi-chan, come along, we have training to do.”
Katsumi follows her sensei out the window, not daring to argue when he sounds like that. They run over the roof tops, jumping from building to building with ease until they make it to the bridge outside of training ground three. Sensei leads her to the memorial stone and together they stare at it in oppressive silence.
“What’s being asked of us is not going to be easy, pup. Will you be able to handle it?” Sensei doesn’t look at her as he speaks.
Katsumi pauses. Thinks seriously about it and comes to an unpleasant conclusion. Only three people could have been able to help Sasuke, because he would have certainly needed help. Yakushi Kabuto, Uchiha Itachi, or Uchiha Obito. If it’s the third one, Katsumi isn’t sure how Sensei will react. Finally she responds with a simple, “As long as you can.”
Sensei places a single, gloves hand on her head and says nothing. Katsumi wonders if this hurts him more than it does her. He taught her comrades over anything, after all. But what’s the proper response to a comrade’s betrayal? Katsumi isn’t sure there’s a true answer to that.
There’s no training that day, despite what he said earlier. Instead his hand tenses on her head a bit before he sends her home. Tells her they’ll begin tomorrow. Katsumi thinks the delay is as much for him as it is for her.
That night, Katsumi dismisses her summons entirely for the first time. It feels odd to suddenly have the minor drain on her chakra disappear with them, but she needs to be truly alone. Needs to think. She’s been too distracted lately. She closes her eyes as she sits on her bed in meditation. Sifts through her old memories as best she can. None of them give her answer for what happens now. Sasuke gone, two years late after an impossible escape. Nothing in her memories offers her answers. She supposes that’s only right. Her memories are simply one possible future, and things have already changed. They can only offer her vague ideas of what could happen. Not what will.
Katsumi is struck with the unnerving, blood chilling realization that her mere existence has changed things. Katsumi wonders if she’s making things better or worse for her existence. It’s an unpleasant line of thought. When she opens her eyes, she focuses on the Wakizashi in its sheath leaning on the wall near her bed. Just stares at it for awhile. Not really thinking at all. Just looking. Letting unpleasant images of what she could do pass in and out of her mind.
Ultimately, she turns away from the sword. She has too much left to do. Too much left to fix. She has to keep moving no matter what. Sasuke is just another obstacle now. Katsumi’s always been good at removing those things. This will be no different.