This story is mainly about Koni and Rusuta and continues on the Dark Jewel story but it does have appearances from Naruto and his friends along with Tsunade and Jarriya (though i'm afraid i can't spell his name right) I hope you all enjoy it!
BlackCrystal 34
Chapter 1
Decade of Dreaming
Time, it changes seeds to flowers, babies to adults, seasons pass like lightning as we all fail to appreciate our limited time. It forges memories of cheer and woe, turns the ever widening circle of life and helps a child understand the changes within themselves. Ten years ago Krysta, Jivana, Varundo and Kumico returned to the Hidden Leaf Village in the hope of beginning anew, for their time as rouges, murderers and wanted criminals had changed them too, none more so than the once hard hearted Krysta Monolo. Her ambition had changed from being a feared and ruthless killer, to being a just and loved ruler of an extinct race to now merely following her path as a Ninja, working for now for the Leaf Ninja but all the while remembering and actively promoting her Blood Creed heritage, and of course raising her one and only daughter, Rusuta. Krysta knew there would be no others to carry on the name Monolo but her, for the thought of another partner was a far distant inkling, though Krysta had learned to love, her past, reputation and power, as well as her unwavering pride prevented even would be suitors from her affection. Not since the fateful night of Rusuta's conception had Krysta felt attraction to any other man and had taken it in her stride, that her destiny was to continue the Monolo and Blood Creed name first, and to find love second.
Over the years Rusuta had become more cheerful and far less shy, her amazing Venom Blade, gift of the God Homaru, had given her great confidence and she and Koni had taken Ninja school together as if they were brother and sister, never far from the other's side as they learned to fight and use their powerful Chakra, whilst also trying not to outdo their classmates, well, too much. Now aged fifteen and sixteen the test to become Genin had been all too easy for the young Ninja but the transference to Chunin was a harder task. Rusuta's frightening looks had softened now, her eyes still filled strangers with tight fear but she now forever wore her hair in high pigtails to take away the full effect. Her little childish dresses were gone; she was now adorned in what her mother called the finest in Blood Creed battle attire. She wore black leggings and a shimmering red halter neck top, instead of trousers or a skirt an olive green cloth had been sewn onto the rim of the leggings and loosely wrapped around her, this meant the cloth would flail during movement as if they were a skirt but also seemed like delicate fins to the sides of her body, all of this made of fine blood infused silk adorned with snakes and stars and Yulikas. Despite the Leaf Ninja bandana on her head, Rusuta had not forgotten her lineage and would never call herself a leaf ninja, she was Blood Creed just as her mother was and she liked it that way.
Koni was still as cocky and carefree as ever, though he had grown strong in the training he preferred only to fight to protect Rusuta, most of the Ninja said to be of their level were much weaker than him and his Sen Blade, named after the process of Kunai infusion which would often give just one wooden sword over one hundred blades, had made him exceptionally respected. Koni also had the ravishing looks of his father Varundo, having never cut his hair his fiery blonde locks had overgrown and were almost to the floor, he held most of it above his head with the same red hair band he had worn all his life and he too had been draped in Blood Creed finery, though much simpler than Rusuta's. He wore tight yet manoeuvrable black trousers and a red cloth poncho like adornment embroidered also with the Yulikan symbols of the Creed. He had become quite toned and was very tall like his father, Rusuta would often watch as wherever he went Koni was bugged by girls of much younger ages all dying for him to talk to them. Too kind for his own good Koni often was overwhelmed by them and Rusuta knew it was time to step in and make them go away. Time had changed their appearances but not their friendship and many felt there was more to it than meets the eye, but Koni and Rusuta didn't care they were just friends, they'd always be friends.
As for the others of the household, great joy was had by all when Jivana gave birth to her own daughter not long after ensuring their safety in this ever changing village. Velia was nine now and whilst in training like her big brother she was not as seemingly powerful. Even now her rune, placed upon her back and structured as a star with curved lines seeming to depict wings, did not glow, it had never glowed and she found herself almost completely incapable of Ninjutsu of any kind because of it, however her physical speed and hand to hand combat skills were far too complex for her age. This gave Jivana hope that when her rune finally unlocked her Ninjutsu would be just as powerful. Velia had hair of a paler blue than her mother and wore it simply held back with a headband. She had a light blue fighting skirt and silver strap top, the two did sometimes feel like a dress and it too was embroidered with the Blood Creed symbol of the Plasma Star.
With all these changes within her world you would forgive Rusuta of forgetting the events leading up to the unlocking of her own rune and discovering her father was none other than the evil Orochimaru whose eyes seemed to be her eyes to remind her she was different from all other Ninja. Rusuta in youth had waited every night on the roof to catch a glimpse of him coming back for her like he'd promised until finally she hit puberty and with her body's hormonal changes she gave up hope and began to feel that he was forever to remain a memory. However she loved one special night every year, a night when she would again sit on the roof and wait and call and hope, she could remember the date of her whips creation, and that date was the anniversary of finally knowing who she was. She wished that if only on that night he would come back. She never told her mother of her dreams but all the same Krysta would watch her as she waited, she felt great sadness that she could not give her daughter her only true wish but she knew Rusuta understood that Orochimaru did not love her, he did not care about his long lost daughter and she lived on in confidence he would never darken their doorstep again.
"Catch me Koni!" Rusuta called jumping into a tree, she was almost cat like in her dexterity, her blade dancing had improved so much than when she and her mother sparred she could find new moves to unsettle Krysta, however she was yet to win.
"Get down here Rusuta, we have to go see Yumo Sensei, he said he's found us another partner," grumbled Koni unmoved by her games.
"What's the point, we only need each other, they should let us take the Chunin exam just the two of us," she smiled leaning back and laying on the branch.
"You know they can't do that, we have to apply in teams of three, at the moment we number two, again," he sighed. This had been the reason they were yet to advance, Rusuta and Koni had had many third members, but strangely no matter how simple or safe the mission every single one had run into monstrous bad luck and been injured or simply frightened into a transfer. Once all they had been doing was gathering fruits for an elderly lady and their rather food loving third member ate a poisonous plant mistaking it for a herb. It was never Rusuta and Koni's fault but their reputation was meaning finding new partners was as hard as keeping them in the first place.
"I'm not coming down unless you make me," she giggled jumping higher. Koni laughed and jumped up following her.
"Get back here!" he called chasing her all over the tree. Finally they ended up on the same branch, Rusuta at one end and Koni at the other.
"No where to go Rusuta!" he smiled coming forward, they heard a crunch.
"Well there is one way…" gulped Rusuta as the branch broke and they fell breaking several more branches on the way. When they landed it was in a pile of leaves and sticks, they sat up and laughed happily, it was such fun.
"Here I am with another partner for you and you're both acting like children," they heard someone say, Koni looked up and a stern looking man in a Sensei uniform with a scarred shut eye and black red and blonde spiky hair was looking down on them.
"Yumo Sensei," they said standing up and brushing themselves off. Yumo looked up at the broken tree branches and his leaf covered students and then turned to another boy behind him.
"Well let's hope you've missed the bad luck meant for you Umani," he smiled. Rusuta looked behind Yumo and saw a tall thin boy about her age, he was wearing a black top with holes cut in the sleeves and dark blue trousers, he had a Leaf Village bandana too and he was using it to try and keep his long black hair out of his eyes. The boy looked at her and smiled kindly, his eyes were also blue and quite soft seeming, he didn't seem afraid of her at all, Rusuta blushed slightly.
"Umani Yuchi, this is Rusuta Monolo and Konimashi Tsomuso, they will be your partners from now on, guy's please, look after this one," said Yumo seeming to plead with them. Umani walked over to them and said hi, then he took Rusuta's hand and placed the back of it to his forehead.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Rusuta," he said respectfully. Rusuta looked stunned she had no idea what he was doing and Koni shove him away.
"Hey, hands off!" he yelled.
"Forgive me, I am not used to this village yet, though born here my family has lived far away for most of my life, in my old village it was simply good manners to place the hand of a maiden to the forehead, as a sign of memory, as if to say, I will never forget this moment of meeting, I did not mean to cause offence," he explained. Koni looked a little embarrassed but Rusuta covered for him.
"Sorry I'm just amazingly shy, I've never seen that happen before," she said giggling a little, "so what do I do to return the favour?"
"You kiss me," he smiled Rusuta and Koni backed away and Umani laughed, "I'm kidding, it's only for men towards women, it is accepted that the women never forget the moment and judging by you, you defiantly won't."
"Well I think you have that right," smiled Rusuta.
"If you can fight as well as you can scare us you'll be great," smile Koni.
"Oh I can fight, don't worry about that," Umani replied, "what did he mean by bad luck being meant for me?"
"Um well, we haven't exactly had much luck in teams of three, Koni and I have lived together all out lives so we make a good team but for some reason all our third members have gotten into difficulties," sighed Rusuta.
"Don't worry I'm hard to scare, I have a feeling we'll be working together for a long time yet," Umani told them.
"Well your confident at least, welcome to the team," smiled Koni.
"Thanks," he smiled. Suddenly he heard leaves rustle as Rusuta jumped back into the tree.
"Now I have two people to catch me!" laughed Rusuta lumping to another and bounding away.
"Come on Umani," smiled Koni going after her, Umani looked confused but then he followed too.
That night the three were sitting in the garden of Rusuta and Koni's home getting to know each other when Krysta found them.
"Who's this Rusuta?" she asked appearing.
"Oh, mother," she replied standing, "this is Umani, our new partner."
"Oh yes, like the others?" she smiled jokingly.
"Well," giggled Rusuta. Umani came over with Koni, Koni had to stop him trying to take Krysta's hand like he had Rusuta's.
"Well you look stronger than the others," said Krysta.
"I look forward to our first mission," he replied in the same tone as before.
"Well I wish you luck, I'll see you inside Rusuta," replied Krysta going inside.
"She's nice, she's your mother?" asked Umani.
"Yeah, she's the best," smiled Rusuta.
"Sorry Umani but the hand thing, well Krysta would have probably ripped it off or something," smiled Koni, Umani looked confused.
"Mother's a little wary of strangers, she's not as scary as she used to be," said Rusuta nervously.
"I'm sure I'll fit in sooner or later, I must go, maybe next time I can meet your father too," he said leaving.
"Rusuta," said Koni worried.
"It's ok, he's not to know," she sighed going inside.
"Well, he seemed nice," said Krysta seeing her daughter come inside.
"He's nothing special, I hope we don't mess up another team, I know I must be embarrassing you taking so long to become a Chunin when you were one long before my age," said Rusuta sitting with her mother.
"You're not an embarrassment Rusuta, I was lucky with my team and we were strong, you and Koni are strong but no one else cuts it, can you blame them, they are Leaf Ninja," snubbed Krysta.
"Can't Velia be our third member, then at least we'd all be the same," said Rusuta.
"Velia's too young and long behind both you and Koni in her strength, Jivana and I have tried everything but unlike your rune which we could not control Velia's seems fully unable to enact," replied Krysta.
"I can't believe I actually wanted to be like that once, must be harder than not knowing how to control yourself," sighed Rusuta.
"Velia will unlock her power one day, it's Jivana's mission to help her and she will," smiled Krysta.
"Big brother!" they heard Velia cry as Koni stepped into the room, she ran up and hugged him and he picked her up gently.
"Velia watch out, you know you kick like a deer," laughed Koni.
"Well looks like someone's happy to see you," smiled Jivana coming in.
"Hi mom," he said putting Velia down.
"So do you guys want to eat or have I made all this food for nothing," she smiled.
"Your cooking's the best mom!" he smiled happily.
"Mother?" asked Rusuta.
"It's ok, I grabbed a bite earlier," she smiled winking.
Later that night Rusuta was washing her face in the bathroom when she suddenly felt her stomach wrench.
"No, not again," she struggled before throwing up and curling into a little ball, "every night, the same thing, I don't even feel ill, what's wrong with me." Since her fifteenth birthday Rusuta had been constantly throwing up after almost every meal, she could only seem to keep liquids down so was surviving on training protein drinks, they tasted terrible but she'd faint if she didn't eat something. Krysta and the others didn't know about it and thankfully she hadn't lost any substantial weight. After a while she was able to stand again and ready herself for bed. She looked in the mirror and took out her pig tails, she hated to look at the face in the mirror when she felt like this.
"Is this your fault father? Is this why you've never come back? Am I just too weak for you, or do I have some sort of horrid disease?" she sighed looking at her eyes. She left the bathroom then and went to her room and looked out of the window.
"Homaru, what's wrong with me, can you tell?" she said quietly.
"Your body is the same as always, this isn't an illness, Rusuta it's almost like your body is getting rid of some sort of toxin, something that it doesn't like and so you become sick to get whatever it is out of you," she heard her guardian say.