Never Again [story]

[NightHawk1]

that was deep

[ninfeanicole]

why thank you. im still workin on the next ch. but with the new schedule its hard to get to a comp. they gave me all core classes, and none have free times.

so, ill post new ch. as soon as i can.

[DarkUmagon]

Wow. Great story. Hope you have time to write more. Are you still in high school?

[ninfeanicole]

is it that obvious?
but yea, im a junior. hows bout u? and why u ask?

[ninfeanicole]

_3_
Looking Back

2 Months Later

Sakido listened as Madizoi continued to drone on about their latest mission, but he soon tuned the shark girl out. Alboroza had once again interrupted their meeting, but he was glad she had. Madizoi had a bad habit of drifting off subject, ending in either his praise or something about herself.

Tonight was one of those times when she decided she wanted to talk about her plans for marriage, which he did not see what the big point was. You find a boy, weasel a proposal, pick a date, and show up in front of an elder. But no, with a girl you had to worry about the weather, the mood setting, the dress, the ring, the flowers, the invitations, the perfect vows, the cake, and a million other things. But her planning her wedding was not what was getting on his nerves. No, that he could ignore. It was how she would not stop looking over at him and she was as close to blushing as one could get with blue skin.

Sometimes he wondered what she would do if, for once, he flirted back with her. Only once. Hell, he would never do that, it was just wrong. Demons and humans just did not mix. It was inhuman. They were inhuman

There were many reasons that he believed in this. For one, his father, not to mention his fellow Akatsuki members Xiao and Doshkurai would have his head. Besides, the demons themselves were reason enough. He could clearly remember every event that had influenced him. Anything that happened in his life was stored away, and it was moments like this he was glad for it.


~ * ~


Growing up, his father had always pushed him to be the best, to be the emotionless and fearless elite shinobi. Sakido had been able to achieve both, and yet his father was still unsatisfied and continued to push him. By the age of five, he had completely mastered the Uchiha blood limit, the Sharingan, and he could beat even the best trained of the ANBU Ops.

His father still claimed disappointment, and so, as an act of rebellion, Sakido joined the Akatsuki, all the while being captain of ANBU team C. The secret of his membership was so well kept, so secret, that in the last two years the only beings to know of his position were Madizoi, the Leader, and, later, Alboroza. Thinking of this reminded him of the day that Alboroza and Madizoi had first met. Alboroza had taken an instant liking to the shark demon.


* * *


Sakido and Madizoi had been had only been partners for a month, Sakido’s last partner having died, and already they were starting to receive a mission a day. Today’s mission was to be the assassination of the Mizukage’s second born daughter. He and Madizoi had just finished gathering their equipment when Alboroza had walked in.


Alboroza gently knocked on the door and waited for Sakido’s reply. After a few moments of no response, she had softly opened the door. She figured that Sakido was still sleeping, but when she looked up, she was met by a blue shark demon. “SAKI-!” She let out a muffled scream as a hand was pressed to her mouth, but relaxed when she spotted the silver Uchiha ring.

Alboroza gently nodded her head and, once the hand dropped, spoke in a soft voice, “Sakido, who is that?” She kept her eyes on the demon, watching it warily, and was surprised when it responded, “She! I’m a she! And my name is Madizoi, I’m Sakido’s new partner. And how did you know that it was Sakido who grabbed you?”

“Only Sakido has the silver Uchiha ring. Itachi’s is gold, Lady Uchiha’s is gold with a diamond, Lord Uchiha has silver with emeralds, and everyone else has bronze with various designs.”

“Wow, stalker much?”

“Nope, just a slave who has to be able to identify the different levels. The jewel decides what position they are in their area, and the band decides your area. Silver being highest, followed by gold, then bronze, and finally, the ringless. Like me.”

“O-kay. Sakido you do know that we have to kill her, right? She knows about the operation now.”

Sakido glared at Madizoi as he spoke in a flat tone, “She knows nothing other than your name.” Alboroza smirked as she looked up at him, “Actually…” Madizoi instantly jumped forward, blocking her mouth, as she began whispering in angry, clipped tones, “You will not speak a word of this to anyone. Nothing about Akatsuki, or Sakido’s double-nin status, or our mission in the Water Country. Got it?”

Sakido smirked slightly as he saw Alboroza’s eyes light up. He sighed softly as he placed a hand on Madizoi’s shoulder, “And you do realize that she knew nothing until just now?” Alboroza eagerly nodded as she smiled and bit down on Madizoi’s hand. Laughing, she quickly danced away, “Yup. You are so easy. You’re going to be fun!” Madizoi let out a growl as she turned to Alboroza, “I’m going to kill you!”

“Why?”

“Because I can!”

“Why?”

“Because I said so!”

“Why?”

“Will you stop with the ‘why’s’!”

“Why?”

“Grr. I’m going to kill you, you annoying little brat!”

“I’m Alboroza, not a brat. Oh, I’m also the only slave in Light Village.”

Madizoi stopped chasing her for a moment as she turned to Sakido with a questioning look, “Wait, I thought the Uchiha’s didn’t keep slaves?”

Alboroza stopped at the side of Sakido’s bed and sat down, a smile grin lighting her face, “Normally they don’t. But I volunteered. I’m good at cleaning. Though Master Uchiha can be a grump butt.”

“Oh..Well, I’m still going to kill you!”

“WEEEEE! Catch me if you can!! We get to play hide and seek! Come on Sukie!”


* * *


Sakido smirked at the memory, which was probably the day he had the most fun in his life. He also remembered the worst day though. It was the day he asked his father about demons. The day he had learned to resent them.


* * *


He had jus met Madizoi and was intrigued by the fact that half-demons still existed. He was so intrigued that he had gone to his father. Lord Uchiha had always been a proud man, though he was hard to please. Even Lady Uchiha had said so, though she also added that he could not please either, and at the time Sakido had no idea what she had meant by it.

Sakido remembered calmly walking into his father’s study, trying to keep his face blank of all emotion, and quietly kneeling before his father. After his father recognized him, he had asked, “Father, I am curios about these beings that are known as half-demons.” Lord Uchiha was instantly on his feet, and Sakido was sent flying back ten feet, “You will never speak of demons in my household, do you understand me boy!”

Sakido quickly knelt down, his face only inches from the ground, and choked out, “Hai.” His father gave him an angry glare as he continued, “They are nasty, treacherous creatures. Thy will be nice to you until they worm themselves into your heart, and then they call in their little friends, tie you up and suspend you from the ceiling.

“They take pleasure in defiling your lands and your family In front of your very eyes, they torture your loved ones, slowly tearing them apart, eating their flesh, and bathing in their blood. Then, they will either kill you or leave you to suffer. Why do you think your grandfather is the way he is? Do you think that he enjoys telling those horror stories? No! He tells them so that no one else in his family will have to face what he and I went through. Do you wish for that, to see and feel what we felt? Do you!”

Sakido quickly bent down, until his forehead was touching the floor, and shook his head.
His father continued to glare at him, his eyes a raging fire. Sakido had never known, until that moment, that all of the horror stories that his grandfather had told were true. That the boy and man in the story were his father and grandfather.

That would also explain why his father did not have any brothers or sisters, or a mother even. At the moment, the clan was only made up of cousins and his children, and those few people that were accepted into the clan after various marriages.


* * *


Sakido frowned as this memory continued in his head. His father had continued to rage, only to stop and start training. He had beat Sakido bad that day, using everything he had. Sakido had nearly died that day, and he still had many of the scars that could prove it. But there was no use dwelling on past injuries.


* * *


Sakido stood in the middle of what appeared to be an underground lecture room, except for the fact that it only held four rows of benches, which went all the way around, not to mention the fact that there was a fifty foot jump from the floor to the nearest desk. In the very back there stood a figure shrouded in darkness. The figure stood a good six feet tall, and he looked to have been relaxed. He spoke slowly in a soft voice, tinged with amusement,


“Uchiha Sakido. It is a pleasure to meet you. I understand that you willing came to the wasteland and, shall we say ‘demanded’, for someone from Akatsuki to show themselves. It is to my understanding that you want to join this organization. However, you have no missing-nin status. Normally, I would kill you on the spot, especially seeing as to how you are an ANBU Op leader from the Village of Light .

“However, seeing as to how you requested to be kept a secret, I can deduce that you were not sent to be a spy, not to mention that you have now killed one of my most prized men. Therefore, I shall let you live. You will take the place of the man you killed.

“There is a catch. You only have two months to prove your worth and, after that, I will grant you three years to gain a missing-nin status. After that, you are dead.

“Now, I think it would be appropriate if I told you about our other members, it would be wise if you listened, so that way you can better avoid them. Listen carefully, for while I may like games, I do not like to repeat myself.
“First is Kaebal, it is a lizard demon that betrayed it’s own village and slaughtered the village elders and the village’s Chuunin. Next, Hidoi, he you don’t have to worry about because he stays locked in is room. Madizoi, a shark demon, gave up her own village to the Land of Dead.

“Doshkurai is from the same village as Kaebal and he was the one who massacred the rest of the village. Rasnoi killed the last Tsuchikage. Tidrae went on a shinobi hunt, slaughtering all those he met, even ANBU. Lastly, Xiao, he is the one who killed the current Kazekage’s pregnant daughter and her demon fiancé.

“So, little Sakido, are you still interested?”


* * *


Sakido smirked at the memory; he remembered how the bastard had laughed at him, telling him to go home to his momma. Then, how he choked as Sakido pressed a kunai to his throat. He never did get a look at the man’s face though.


~ * ~


Sakido was not sure how much time had passed, but by the time he came back around, he found himself alone again. Looks like Madizoi got tired of talking to herself. He wondered how long it had taken her this time to figure out that he was drifting.

Sighing, he quietly stood with Alboroza in his arms and carefully felt his way down to the basement. He gently held her in one arm while he worked the door open with his free hand, and casually walked over to the bed, where he jerked the covers from his twin brother. “Why are you still here Itachi?” Setting Alboroza on the bed, he covered her up, tucking her in soundly before looking over to his brother, an expectant look on his face.

Itachi let out a low groan and reluctantly sat up, turning to face his brother with a glare. They continued to look at each other for a few moments, Itachi glaring while Sakido simply looked on bored. After a while, Itachi’s expression softened, and he tried to put on the face of an innocent child as he spoke in a soft voice that sounded anything but innocent. “What? I had a bad dream and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I came down here to talk with Al. But when I got here, she was already asleep and I didn’t really want to wake her up, so I laid down beside her. I guess I must have fallen asleep.”

Sakido looked down at him with a blank face, “Do you really think they’ll buy that?” Itachi gave him a toothy smile, “I’m eight, I’m from the Main Branch, plus I’m said to be very cute. Who wouldn’t believe me?” Sakido resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his brother’s lack of care. Silently, he crossed over to wall closest to him and leaned against it, crossing his arms as he continued to watch his brother, “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I can try to stop it.”

“Which will probably make things worse for her?”

“How?”

“Eventually, father will notice that we never let her sleep alone, and then he’ll want to know why. If he finds out the truth, he’ll try to force it out of her. And how do you think that will affect her?”

“Oh.”

“Yea, oh. Now, go back to bed.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t woke me up.”

Sakido smirked as he pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door. Sometimes his brother could be enjoyable. He and Alboroza always knew how to get him out of a bad mood, especially after a mission. Just like they knew how to either get him out of training with his father, or how to help him after he got out of training with the old bastard.

Though most of the time Itachi was just a pain. Like when he tried to pull practical joked on the Elders. And Sakido had to take the punishments. Or when he decided to skip out on school and try to help Sakido on one of his missions. Then, either Sakido got in trouble by the Kage, or he about has a heart attack trying to keep Itachi from discovering that he is not on an ANBU mission.

Either way though, Sakido did enjoy having him and Al around. Just not when they were being stubborn. Leaving the room, he paused in the doorway long enough to call out over his shoulder, “I mean in your own bed.”