niteo_logs | Things are not what they appear to be

Entry tags:

Things are not what they appear to be

Characters: Juugo, open
When: March 24th, apparently.
Where: The ground floor of the apartments
Rating: Possible violence and swearing.
Summary: In which an arrival goes rather more smoothly than first imagined.

The halls didn't feel empty.

They looked it, but Juugo could feel the low, quiet hum of life in the footsteps and the near-imperceptible sound of voices in distant rooms. None close enough to merit action yet; he was much better served keeping calm and working out a plan of action. Even as he turned to continue down the corridor with slow, measured steps, he was forced to admit that his current such plan amounted to 'wait for Karin to track you down'. Assuming that whatever had sent him here hadn't likewise scattered the rest of the team. Assuming the others weren't injured or incapacitated, or even dead. He doubted the last option, simply for the reason that no one with the ability to kill someone like Sasuke or Suigetsu would need to resort to teleportation to get rid of him, Juugo.

Of course, none of them really knew what Madara was capable of, except for Sasuke-- probably. It was still an option. And until then, he would just have to stay quiet and watchful. The corridor ahead was just as empty as the last one; at least, it was until he noticed one of the doors ajar and immediately froze in place.

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No matter how long he aired out his room, the decaying smell just wouldn't leave his room, and it was starting to make Sasuke nauseous. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a small migraine starting to form. This wasn't going to be a good day.

He stopped as he neared the front door of the building, frowning. He could feel something familiar that he hadn't felt in well over a year. It was just a hunch, considering his skills to sense things wasn't near as keen as Karin's own unique ability, but it was enough.

Carefully glancing around, Sasuke started to move toward where his gut was pulling him.

"Who's there?"

"--o's there?"

Juugo started from his tableau, automatically turning back to face the way he'd just come. He recognised that voice - had heard it just hours before - and though there were tiny differences, it was nothing that diminished its importance. And if Sasuke was here, so were the others, and that meant there wasn't a problem. As long as they were here.

"It's Juugo," he called, as loudly as he dared with this many doors and potential complications, "Ah, just a moment..."

He barely limited himself at a brisk walk - for much the same reason as his hushed voice - but soon rounded the corner.

And, naturally, almost collided with his target.

"Juugo?" And surely enough, the taller shinobi had almost bumped into him as soon as he rounded the corner. Sasuke couldn't help but stare in disbelief for a moment. He was left bewildered as to why his own teammate was in his brother's former organization's cloak - his uncle's organization.

"...Why are you wearing that cloak?"

Juugo blinked down, a little baffled by the question given Sasuke's own strange wardrobe. Or rather, entirely bewildered, but his relief did wonders tempering it.

"Shouldn't I be?" He asked, before tentatively adding, "Sasuke, what happened to your other clothes?"

"I have no other clothes." Well, wasn't this dandy. Here was his teammate, over a full year later, dawning Akatsuki's uniform, an organization dedicated to collecting the tailed beasts that Madara so desired. Nothing but a bitter man's hopeless dreams to gain full revenge on the village he had helped establish.

"Since when were you a part of Akatsuki?" Sasuke couldn't help but frown, "What happened to 'Hebi?'"

"I thought they would be with you," he admitted. On reflection, Sasuke could easily have changed entirely instead of repairing his last uniform. It would only be sensible, but that still didn't explain the Akatsuki comment. No closer to working out what was going on, he frowned at Sasuke and deliberated on what to say.

Sasuke couldn't help but sigh. This wasn't helping his small migraine at all. In fact, it only served to start to make it much worse.

"That doesn't answer my question, Juugo."

It didn't answer which question? After a moment of consternation, Juugo was suddenly struck with the idea that Sasuke might think this was an illusion - that he was an illusion. Wasn't that a standard tactic: split the group, and then approach disguised as another member of the squad? And if it was Madara, maybe he didn't trust the sharingan to reveal the disguise.

That was it, it was a test.

"Since you returned with Madara." There. Test hopefully passed, he could try a question of his own. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," He was definitely frowning now. Great. Don't tell him Juugo was from his own future. Which, in his own opinion, was a shitty ass future with Itachi dead.

"I was never approached by Madara until several months ago in another world. I never accepted his offer. It's been well over a year since I've seen you or anyone else from our team, Juugo."

"A year?" But that didn't make sense. Sasuke hadn't gone missing even for a day since he had returned with a new goal and a new name for them. He looked different in a number of small ways, but even that didn't explain the simple problem that he had been with them until this morning.

On the other hand, what reason would Sasuke have for lying about something so strange? "How is that possible?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but judging by the look on your face, I would guess that I had never gone missing for any length of time." Despite the growing his attention to detail hadn't dwindled. He watched his teammate carefully, trying to look for hints through body language and expression.

"I also assume Itachi's dead, too."

"No, you-" Juugo paused, and was thus able to catch Sasuke's second carefully-phrased question. Which, of course, was on one of the topics they had resolved never to raise with him unless he initiated the conversation. Even now, he just nodded guardedly, his concern for Sasuke's state of mind increasingly with every minute.

Sasuke said nothing, merely ran a hand through his hair as he lowered his gaze. Well, at least some Sasuke got his revenge...as worthless as it was. He remained silent for a moment before letting his hand drop, ebony eyes glancing back up into orange ones.

"Then Madara showed up, I take it, and shortly accepted his offer."

"We were going to set off for your old village in three days," he said, as agreement. "You said we were using him- using Akatsuki."

The simple mention of Konoha caught his attention. They were heading to Konoha? To kill Danzou and the elders, it seemed like. Even though he knew that it could be several more years before he was finally able to return home - lacking memories of where he currently was, it seemed - killing those three was his current goal. It didn't matter that he was currently remotely happy, having been able to live with Itachi for as long as he has.

There was something that flared briefly in Sasuke's eyes. His hatred. He had buried it deep, having no need for it here, but...

"Going to Konoha to kill Danzou and the Elders." His voice had gotten firmer, slightly, more cool and collected than it had been moments ago. It held a slight hardness to it as well, with the flare of hatred bursting. "How fortunate of your Sasuke. I almost envy him."

"You are Sasuke," Juugo corrected, his calm restored. Believing otherwise would only inconvenience the both of them, at best. "Our Sasuke. Even if you're in two places, that doesn't change."

"Right." Terminology was something he could honestly care less about. He gave a small huff before gesturing back toward the stairwell leading up to the other apartments, "Apparently, everyone that arrives here lives within the same building. Most people have been told their room number or have discovered it by finding their name written in dried blood on the door.

I assume you haven't gone further than this floor, correct?"

He shook his head again, "Not yet."

It hadn't seemed like a good idea to go further than he'd had to, and after that explanation, Juugo was glad he hadn't. Finding your name written in blood on a door wasn't something that made you feel welcome, even when you were someone like him. "I didn't know we'd be staying."

"Since no one knows how we arrived here, we don't know how to leave. We're pretty much stuck." He gave a casual shrug, "It's not that bad or all that different from living a shinobi's life."

Juugo had to agree with that. It didn't sound bad at all. In fact, barring the lack of wildlife, the situation seemed perfect. His only problem would have been the frustration of Sasuke's goals, but if the other boy had accepted that, then who was Juugo to call attention back to it?

He shifted his balance and took a step past Sasuke, before he had to turn back to confirm, "I have a room here too?"

Sasuke gave a simple nod, "Of course." He watched Juugo for a moment, wondering if that's what he had in mind.

"Are you wanting to search for it? I will have to warn you, though, that the room will have debris from its previous owner and reek of death. Do you think you can handle that?"

"If I have to," Juugo said, though only after a moment's hesitation. "Where do you live?"

"I live on the third floor in room 303." Sasuke made a move to head back up the stairs, "Do you want to start looking?"

Juugo nodded, and moved out of Sasuke's way so he could take the lead. The faster they found his room, the faster he could sort through everything somewhere - presumably - safe and out of the way.

"Hn." Sasuke took the lead and started through the first hallway of doors. So far, the rooms on the first floor remained unoccupied. It was time to move on up the stairs, then, and continue looking. And looking, and looking...

Until they hit the ninth floor, and there it was finally. Juugo's room, complete with his name written on it in dried blood.

Content to follow and concentrate on remembering his way back, Juugo also carefully noted the location and appearance of Sasuke's door when they passed it. So uneventful was the search that he almost walked past the door bearing his name, Sasuke stopping in front of him his only clue. Then he actually looked at the door, and brushed his hand over the bloody lettering with a slight frown.

Well, he had been warned, and it wasn't particularly distressing. He shot Sasuke a questioning look before unlatching the door and tugging it open.

Sasuke watched, internally pleased that he didn't have to calm him down just yet. He stood outside the door, watching as his teammate entered his room to observe. He just hoped there weren't any bones in the room like there had been in his.

When the room turned out to be entirely empty, Juugo let out the breath he'd been holding and took the few steps necessary to place him in the centre of the space. The air was stale and musty, and the walls and floor coated in grime, but those just made the room feel familiar rather than forbidding. It was a relief that other than the door, there was no blood to be seen.

He crossed to the window to open it almost without thinking; it had become a habit on the road even if no animals would know to find him here. With any luck, he'd be able to keep himself in check, and the glass would stay in good condition.

Well, that was another thing to be thankful for. He watched Juugo for a couple more minutes before walking forward a little and leaning against the door frame casually.

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Things are not what they appear to be

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