Return Twist
Koomahana
Chapter 1: To sacrifice all that is pure
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site :)
Okay, so I'm rewriting this entire story, I know it wasn't very well liked the first time around but I'm hoping that this time it'll be much better.
I'm deleting all the other chapters so there won't be any confusion between the newly written ones and the old ones. I was going to rewrite the entire remaining story and then replace all the chapters with the new ones but I'm feeling too lazy for that.
I hope you all like the changes!
Thoughts
Paragraphs are memories
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It was bright and warm, like the feeling of an ember-blanket wrapped snugly around her. The aches of bruises, the tingling of scrapes, the pulsing of lacerations, all the pain was gone; vanished as if her skin had never been torn. She didn't feel the cold numbness of frostbite, nor the painful needles of a sleeping limb; it wasn't even the aching tingling of blood loss. No, it was warm and comforting, like a warm woolen blanket hugging her to an almost suffocating level. It was quite, a blessing to the screams and explosions she's lived with for so long. Opening her eyes was a struggle, as if each eyelash had a metallic weight, keeping her eyes closed until she forced herself to be awake enough to care about her surroundings. She found herself in an empty abyss of white, golden-clouds dusted her ankles as if reminding her of something forgotten. When she breathed in the air seemed to be tinted with the lightest scent of sweetness, it was such a faint scent that she struggled to detect it. She wanted to move, had the desire to move, to search out her comrades, to locate her enemy, to destroy her current mission...but her body was too numb to move. Blinking her heavy eyes felt like a chore, a struggle she had to endure just to reaffirm her surroundings but still her body dared not move. She breathed again and felt as if the golden mist hovering about her feet gave her just enough strength to clear her foggy vision. A second, a third, a fourth breath cleared her sight into perfect clarity; a startling reminder of her perfect vision as a child. It was strange to see faces so far from her so clear, the war must've done more damage to her body then she originally assumed. She knew reading and operating by candle-light certainly didn't help but it during war time she hardly had the choice.
Before her stood several men, each as she remembered seeing them from childhood but the one she adored most was the woman who stood closest. She wanted to run to the blonde woman, to hug her so tight her bones would surely break but again her body refused to move. The woman gave her a heart breaking smile, tears threatening her warm amber eyes, but the old bloody wound replacing her heart was a painful reminder of her death. In fact, none of the five people before her were living; they had all long since passed. The dark haired man smiled bitterly at the albino beside him and the younger brother struggled not to look at him in turn but she knew there was comfort in the younger brother's stance, as if the presence of his elder brother was a reassurance. The third man smiled at her knowingly, like a grandfather keeping a secret with his mischivious grandchild. The fourth man looked bewildered and confused, looking around himself as if searching for something to help understand the situation at hand. She knew without a doubt that the five individuals before her were the five Hokages, those who stood before her enemy tainted their titles.
"We will give you this one chance," the first hokage smiled reassuringly at her, "the last chance Sakura Haruno." His smooth black hair swayed as he bobbed his head in a silent agreement. Beside him, his brother stepped forward, serious and grave he stared fearlessly into Sakura's eyes that were no longer her own. Too many memories prevented her from destroying her eyes but it was their curses and gifts that prevented Sakura from allowing their endless power to fall into the hands of her enemy. The sacrifice of her friends would not go unpunished but Sakura could not allow her enemy to touch those precious eyes of power.
"You will return to the time when the great change took a turn for the worst." The Nidaime stopped, took a deep breath as if sentencing his own brother to death once again and continued the words that slipped from his lips like acid. "And you will live again… in that time and place, wherever that shall be." Her mind went blank, incapable of processing his words any further than what they were. Her eyes slowly drifted to Sandaime as he stepped forward, smile soft and gentle but sadness leaked from him like a suffocating cloak.
"You will receive one gift from us." the Sandaime tried to smile cheerfully but it came out stiff and awkward, as if he forgot how to smile from his heart. She stared at him, she couldn't help it; she'd never known him to look so sober, so sad yet happy at the same time. "Please forgive me… little one." he stepped back with the Nidaime and looked at the Yondaime but the blonde blinked and shrugged carelessly, he had no words for the girl he never met. Sighing in exasperation, the Godaime stepped forward, she gently reached out and clasped her thin fingers around her apprentice's bony hand.
"I hope you start that dream of yours…" Tsunade murmured, a sly knowing smile on her face. She could only stare at her mother figure, tears brimming her eyes and threatening cloud her vision. Her mentor sniffed and gently patted her head with her other hand, her smile wobbled as her own tears revealed themselves. "Nothing is ever easy the first time, more so the second," Tsunade bumped her head against her student's, unable to hide her tears any further. "Please be safe, for me if nothing else." Sakura couldn't speak as she closed her eyes tightly and gave a shuddering breath, her face began to ache as her tears fell and she stubbornly tried to stop her crying. To her internal relieve, her misery went unnoticed as the Kages of her village surrounded her on all sides, their glowing palms resting on her shoulders and back.
There was a huge flash as the Hokage's started laughing and then everything fell away, she was falling and there was nothing she could do to stop the fall
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Sakura always did like how the wind felt when she fell through the air, she felt like she was flying; she was amazed how frightening and lovely it felt to fall from such unimaginable heights. Sighing as she got closer to the earth, Sakura waited until she could feel several chakra signatures below her begin rushing towards her. Feeling the various teams of shinobi begin to narrow in on her location, she let out a heavy sigh and clasped the heavy weight remaining on her waist. Feeling that familiar heavy weight right where she left was a comforting relief she never thought she'd forget, for a moment she feared that all her possessions would be destroyed in the transportation. When the sound of the wind changed, an indication that she was nearing the tree-tops, Sakura whipped out her fan from her back. With a burst of power her favorite weapon opened above her, forcing her to clue herself to its handles with the aid of her perfect chakra control. Looking down curiously, she decided to flatten herself during her fall, seeing no reason to dangle like a pendulum from its very edge. Feeling her feet connect with the furthest edge of her fan, Sakura smirked to herself, it's been too long since she last flew like a bird.
Her moment of freedom was ruined when two heavy thumps dislodged her hold on the fan and sent her careening through the air gracelessly.
"Shit!" The startled shout was followed by more cursing as her fan was tipped over and sent careening straight into the earth. Sakura watched as her fan and its two new occupants went sailing past her, the sharp edge of her fan passing by so close it cut her arm as it passed. Narrowing her eyes at the two idiots in black, Sakura sighed as her fan and shinobi who took it crashed face first into the earth. It was a safe bet to assume that she'd never see her fan again, an even safer bet would be to assume that it was destroyed upon contact. Feeling as if the signatures around her would never reach her in time, Sakura flipped herself back over to watch the clouds high overhead. If she was going to die in this new world of some other dimension then she really didn't feel the need to watch it happen. She watched with a heavy heart as the bright summer sky was swallowed by the dark branches of a forest she didn't recognize. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to crash through several small branches, they wouldn't stop her fall but they did put some decent cuts on her body. Sakura felt the wind pressure change again and knew that a branch unlike the others was approaching her fast; knowing that she was quite high meant that she was descending on a lower branch. Of course this told her that the branch she was nearing could be big enough to break her back or, of course, it could be big enough to stop her fall entirely-and her heart while it was at it. She let herself take in a deep breath, enjoying the temporary relief that the scents of mint and pine gave her before her life ended before it could start again.
She could feel the shift of the wind as it split over the branch and suddenly she was being slammed into by the side. The branch that could've killed her, a merciful death in her mind, was suddenly a distant possibility. Her head lolled to the side, resting on the shoulder of the one who caught her, she nearly broke with the sound of a heartbeat. A heartbeat strong and erratic, signature of someone who raced too far for too long; but what a beautiful sound it was to her own broken mind. She felt the person holding her leap from tree trunk to tree trunk, slowing their descent in a safer fashion and allowing them to land soundlessly amongst the needles and moss of the forest floor. For a moment she remained still, enjoying the sound of a strong heartbeat, and allowed her savior to gently proper her against them. One arm tightened around her shoulders, keeping her head braced against the nook of their shoulder, and used their free hand to pat blindly around her body; as if double checking her state of health but doing it in a very blind and clueless manner.
"Are you alright?" whispered the person who caught her, Sakura took in a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. She looked sleepily up at the mask of the young man holding her, she felt that if she looked close enough she could see the color of their iresses but she knew that was only a latent desire on her part. She blinked at the person and pushed herself out of their hold, rising to her feet Sakura examined her hands and feet carefully before looking around herself. She knew she was in a forest but seeing familiar emerald leaves and jade moss brought with it painful memories, the sight of red stained bark and cheerful neon birds were almost just as painful as the memories they accompanied. She approached a tree and laid one hand on it, smiling at the feel of smooth auburn bark beneath her callused palm; it had been too many years since she last touched a tree.
"Ma'am?" the voice of her savior brought her crashing back to her task, she turned to observe the Anbu agent with dull eyes. She felt her entire body stiff as her savior rose to his full height, revealing his young age and inexperience with strangers. She removed her palm from the tree and faced him fully, tilting her head to the side she stared at him, wondering if any of the questions buzzing in her mind would be answered soon. "Who are you? Why are you here? Do you have business with my village?" So her suspicions were correct, she did land in a location similar to her own home village. But that still left a few other questions buzzing in her mind; like was this boy the same one she was thinking he was. She felt the air change as the young man's questions went unanswered and his teammates chose then to approach with the caution of a wild animal. She looked up, observing the team that surrounded her; immediately she could see a Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka. But that still left the question of who the boy was and where his captain was, she had the distinct impression that this particular Anbu cell was larger than the usual ones she was used to.
"Ma'am?" the boy called out again, shifting his weight to catch her attention. Her eyes landed on him instantly, he tensed as if he expected a fight but when nothing happened he remained ready for battle. "You were two seconds away from hitting that branch." The young Anbu member said as calmly as he could, as if he was struggling with keeping his voice cool and empty. "If I hadn't stepped in you would have died." She bobbed her head in agreement, still not speaking as her eyes rose once more to observe the growing darkness of the forest. Suddenly it made sense, the team surrounding her wasn't one team but many, dozens of Anbu teams surrounded her, as if they were all on a hunt and she rudely interrupted.
"What business do you have in this place?!" She looked up at the commanding voice, staring dully into the many Anbu agents that surrounded her. She knew from experience that one false finger twitch and they would all attack her mercilessly and she was currently feeling too tired to fight all of them. "Answer me woman! What do you want?!"
"A place to sleep eternally," she answered softly, according to the sharp gasp and the retreating step of the young man before her; he was the only one to hear her answer. She blinked slowly at the boy, slowly she rose her arms, allowing the shinobi around her to know she meant no threat. "Good bye," she smiled at the boy and allowed her element to surround her protectively. The shinobi tried to attack her but their weapons all were pushed back by the torrent of wind, smiling to herself she snapped her fingers. In an instant she was soaring through the sky again, the place where she was spared left far behind as she went in search for her primary means of transportation. She found it a few minutes later along her descent into the next batch of tree branches. Sighing heavily, she paused in her dash-and-fly to observe the chaos surrounding her fan. Two men were busy arguing with each other, oblivious to the team of Anbu slowly circling them. Smiling to herself, Sakura leaned against the trunk with her arms crossed, finding the predicament amusing despite her own situation. She watched as the team attacked, her smirk growing into a grin at the combined efforts of the team and then straightened in alarm as they were soundly beaten back by the pair. Seeing one of the men grab a sword from an agent, Sakura barely had the time flash-step before the assailant nearly killed the Anbu agent. As fast as she could, Sakura appeared between the agent and the foreign shinobi, using every ounce of speed she could muster she tackled the agent and sent the both of them crashing away from the man.
"The hell?!" Sakura rolled across the ground, taking the brunt of the sharp rocks and a tree trunk before they stopped rolling. Coughing, Sakura pushed the agent off herself and crossed her arms over head; the back of her glowing gloves were barely enough to stop the katana from slicing her in half. "Who are you bitch?" The man snarled at her, his eyes dark as he kept the agent she saved at bay with a second katana held at warning to his throat. She said nothing, just glared into his eyes unafraid of the power remaining in his body; she knew it wouldn't last long. She glanced at the agent she barely managed to save, half of his mask was broken in half revealing one wide terrified brown orb. She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing he could see her look despite her crossed arms that hid most of her face from his sight. The young man gulped, blinked and nodded subtitly; that was a good sign, it told her he would work with her. Taking in a deep breath, Sakura re-locked her eyes with the man bearing down on her and smirked. Before he could think, Sakura's chakra coated foot smashed into his shin, electing a pained yell that distracted him just long enough for the agent to send a kunai into his neck. As the man toppled down on her legs, pinning her to the ground and tree, Sakura knew she should feel disgusted with the blood coating her person but instead she just felt numb. The man's partner hollered and charged them but the other agents weren't out yet and as a squad of four barred down on him, the man couldn't push them back. Sakura sighed to herself, feeling content that she was able to protect someone from her village instead of sending them to their death. Using her free leg, Sakura kicked the katana-using ninja off her and steadily rose to her feet. She nodded in gratitude to the young Anbu agent still at close by before silently making her way to her fan; she didn't get to touch it before the team set their sights on her.
"Who are you?" the leader asked, his voice sharp and demanding. "What do you want?"
"A tombstone," she answered dully, turning to look back at him with an expression of exhaustion. "I search for eternal sleep." Once more her hand touched her fan and the wind kicked up, allowing her to take flight and avoid the clash of the regrouping Agents. She manipulated the wind to take her higher, to the point where she could see the curve of the earth and smiled in content as she felt the peace of the world she now resided in. It's too bad she hadn't noticed the cliff face nearby, if she did she might not have found a suicidal Anbu captain jumping on her fan and mis-balancing it. Sakura couldn't even get the chance to scream before the man in question was slamming two fingers into her neck and forcing her into unconsciousness.
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…
Everything felt heavy and sore, the familiar ache of festering wounds and over-stressed muscles sent a pounding drum behind each eye. Habitually she flexed her toes and fingers, feeling everything in account she flexed various muscles next just to double check. It was only with the reassurance that there was no excessive levels of pain that Sakura dared to open her eyes but by that point it was hardly necessary to make a visual check of her surroundings. She could smell excessive levels of cleaning agents, she could hear the monoton beeping of a heart moniter and she could sense the signatures of several strong shinobi nearby. By opening her eyes she's only confirmed that she was in deed in a hospital room, alone and isolated with the signatures of people standing outside her door. Sitting up slowly, Sakura rubbed at her neck to loosen up the muscle before applying a slight boost of chakra to improve her hearing. It was a risky and sensitive procedure that only Jonin Medics used and it was a trick that was only used by the very best. If the technique was used and a caucasian big enough happened close enough, she could turn herself permanently deaf with shattered ear drums that would wreck her equilibrium.
"I'm telling you sir, she's not a threat!" That was the voice of a young man, she wondered briefly who he was to defend her with such a tone of desperation. She knew the signatures outside her door were speaking about her, if they weren't then they had no business standing where she could hear them.
"I agree with him Hokage-sama, the woman is no threat to us." That was the familiar voice of the young man who saved her during her plummet to the earth. She did wonder why he would side with her when he knew nothing of her. "She's just looking for a place to die. She must be severely sick if she's searching for a place of eternal sleep."
"Maybe she's looking for someone to give her that 'eternal sleep'," another man, one with a voice of ice, said it like a logical answer. Sakura did have to admit that from his perspective, it most certainly was a logical option, although in this case he was wrong. "The medics have combed through her body a dozen times brat. Nothing's wrong with her. She's perfectly healthy."
"Yet she remains hidden to our senses," another voice replied calmly. This one sounded calmer and more reasonable than the male-icecube who clearly sought her death. "Even unconscious and within five feet of us and we still can't feel her chakra signature. That is not natural. Who ever she is, she is a master of chakra suppression. We cannot make light of her nor can we just dismiss her as a non-threatening-shinobi."
"All we can do is wait until she awakens," this new voice was soft and old, sounding familiar to her heightened hearing. She wondered who this male was that set a bolder over her shoulders and yet, set her heart at ease. All with the simple sound of his voice, she wondered what would happen when she saw this strange man's face. Of course she didn't have to wait long. She heard their feet shift and she knew they would open the door soon, she deactivated the heightened-senses and flipped her blankets over her legs. She quickly removed the IV and heart monitor, which of course sent it into a screaming alarm, and moved towards the window. She barely managed to get the window open half way before the door was slammed open and several forms were rushing in with weapons in hand. Sighing heavily, Sakura felt her shoulders slump and her hand relaxed on the window sill. It was only with her standing and near the window that she realized just how unstable her body was.
"You should return to bed young lady," the strangely familiar male-voice suggested and yet, she knew it was an order, she could hear it in his voice. "The medicine is still in you system-"
"You mean the poison hasn't fully taken effect yet, Hokage-sama?" She asked as she turned away from her primary escape route to look at the man standing behind her. Somehow, she wasn't entirely surprised to see the Sandaime standing in the entrance to her medical room. "You needn't worry about it. I'm immune to most poisons of fire country. In two hours my body will have it metabolized and neutralized." The Sandaime Hokage narrowed his eyes at her, as if he wasn't sure what to make of her claim. "All the same, I need to get going. The children are right I am no threat to you or your village. You have nothing that I want, so I must leave now."
"What do you want?" Her eyes swiveled to look at the man with a voice as cold as ice. She found a boxed-faced middle-aged man dressed in shinobi blues with a chunin jacket but he wore no headband and it made her frown at his lack of allegiance. She swept her eyes over his person again but found no headband with the familiar, painful memory, crest of the hidden leaf.
"A place of eternal sleep," she answered slowly.
"At what price?" he asked
"Excuse me?" she raised an eyebrow at him, not quite sure she understood his question.
"What price are you willing to pay for a 'place of eternal sleep'." he repeated, his black eyes narrowing into a glared, as if he thought she was wasting his time.
"I will find my own place to die thank you." she shrugged and turned her eyes towards the Sandaime, with a voice of pleading she tried again. "You have nothing that I want so I am no threat to you. Please allow me to leave."
"...are you not here for the Byakugan?" The Hokage asked. Sakura blinked in surprise, her eyebrows rising towards her hairline. "What of the Sharingan? What is your purpose for coming to Konohagakure no sato?"
"I have no use for the Byakugan nor the Sharingan," Sakura answered truthfully. "My destination is not your village."
"What is your destination?" he asked, the brim of his hat lowering to cover his eyes.
"A place to lay down and die quietly." She answered again with a sigh, she was beginning to grow tired of repeating herself.
"Why do you want to die so badly?" The cold-voiced man asked, his box-like face twisting into an ugly frown
"Because I have no reason for living." she answered bluntly. "A kunoichi without kin, without village, without comrade-is no kunoichi at all. I have nothing left, nothing to fight for, nothing to live for. So I seek a place to lay down and die." She shrugged, as if it didn't matter and they shouldn't be bothered by her choice. "I prefer silence and pretty sunsets so I was looking for a high place with a good view of the horizon."
"If you find this silent place, what will you do?" Sakura gave the Hokage a deadpanned look, making him chuckle in embarrassment and smile nervously at her. "I mean, how do you plan to kill yourself?"
"By activating my Doujutsu," Sakura answered, blinking slowly at him. "If I activate it one more time, especially with the state that I'm in, I should die from chakra exhaustion." Sakura yawned, one hand rising to cover mouth, if she didn't hurry then she wouldn't get out of the village before collapsed again.
"You have a bloodline limit?" Sakura stiffened, blinking slowly she turned her eyes back onto the hokage. He was staring at her seriously, his face blank mask and his eyes a narrowed glare of warning. "What clan do you hail from? What Nation have you traveled from? What village do you-"
"My clan died out a long time ago old man," Sakura interrupted, her face screwing up into a look of annoyance. "My village was destroyed and the nation followed it a few months later. I am no threat to you so leave me be."
"What is your bloodline called?" he asked, prompting a heavy sigh from Sakura. Ignoring him she crawled back into the hospital bed and flipped the blankets over her legs, laying back she glanced at the hokage before turning her face towards the open window and closing her eyes. She felt the men in the room tense, ready for a fight or the order to kill her she wasn't sure and she didn't particularly care. But she refused to answer the question or the following three of the Hokage, when she knew the old man had given up on getting her to talk, Sakura closed her eyes and welcomed sleep. "Won't you tell me something child?" Hiruzen whispered in the silence of the room, allowing his men to leave before himself. "I only wish to help you…" the strange woman said nothing, her slowly rising chest indicated a deep and peaceful slumber. Sighing heavily, Hiruzen turned for the door, his head bowed in sad acceptance.
"Giseindo," the woman's soft voice answered his question at last. Hiruzen turned to look at the woman, staring at the soft profile of her turned away face. "Please Hokage-sama… no more questions." he nodded, sighed and closed the door behind himself.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to know why her bloodline was named 'sacrificed purity'
...
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Later that evening
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Hiruzen sat behind his desk, staring at two files with clasped hands and narrowed eyes. The woman that his Anbu team brought back was in perfect physical condition, the problem was that they couldn't detect her chakra anywhere in her body. Profesional sensors, such as the yamanaka and Hyuga, had difficulty finding her in the next room even then that had less to do with finding her chakra signature and more like noticing the lack of her chakra signature. Regardless, he had a guard inside her room and outside her room just incase but that seemed to do little good as the woman has yet to awaken from her slumber. He's had his intelligence core out searching for anything related to 'Giseindo', they were turning up so little that he was beginning to think that it was pointless to even search for it. Maybe the young woman had been lying to him, maybe she made the bloodline up with the hopes of letting her leave to die in peace. But then, why would she chose 'sacrificed purity' as a name? There hundreds, thousands of other names she could've chosen that were less alarming and more alluring sounding than a name that sounded as if it belonged the Shikigami's katana.
"Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen sighed heavily as his office door was pushed open gently and his secretary stepped through, her legs wobbling under her with the added weight of a few tombs. "I got what you asked for sir! Where do you-ah, ah, aha…" she wobbled dangerously, nearly falling over with the excessive weight she was carrying but she managed to stabilize herself at the last minute. "Where do you want them?"
"Bring them to my desk Yamasaki-san," Hiruzen ordered as he rose to lend the poor woman aid, "Thank you for everything but may I ask what all of this is?" His secretary plopped the books down with a sigh of relief, pulling her wrists back she rubbed at them and gave him a tired looking smile.
"This is everything I could find on bloodlines that require sacrifices." Yamasaki answered, "I placed tabs on the more interesting sections." With that she waved and left him with the five enormous tombs of information, not looking back as she left him to his own devices. Chuckling to himself, Hiruzen was grateful she used brightly colored papers to mark the pages. Sitting back down at his desk, Hiruzen set himself to the boring task of reading yet another book. The first tab actually revealed a discreetly hidden paper-back, from the date on its inner cover he discovered that it was from the warring clans era. Curious, he flipped through the pages lazily, only to stop as he read the name 'Giseindo'. Pausing, Hiruzen moved up to the beginning of the paragraph and began reading steadily.
So the young lady named 'Junki' has declared the start of a new clan named Izumiki. She formally renounces both of her parents, Tomoe Uchiha and Kaede Hyuga, and cuts all ties with both clans. She claims the power of both bloodlines and their secrets,. Junki-san has also formally left the Shinobi warring clans and has since secluded herself and her growing family away from the bickering. She has named this combination of Sharingan and Byakugan the 'Giseindo' as it apparently needs a form of sacrifice to awaken its power and leaves behind a distinctive mark of its awakening. Like the Sharingan it is awakened by the desire to protect or avenge a close bond, such as a friend, relative or lover. Like the Byakugan, it never truly shuts down and is continuously active on some level. As is the case with both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, the Giseindo takes on a distinctive appearance in the wielder's eyes; that of irradiance irres with stripes of crimson.
Hiruzen sat back in his chair, his eyes narrowed in thought. No wonder the woman was surprised by his questions, of course she had no need for Byakugan or the Sharingan, she already had them. But that didn't explain her desire to die. She said she had no village, no comrades, no reason for living...it made him wonder if her bloodline had anything to do with that. What if her village harbored dozens or hundreds of others just like her? Those who had mixed bloodlines that somehow managed to find compliance and remained living together to avoid the fighting of the 'pure blooded clans'. Where there others out there from the warring clans era, left over blood-mixing that went unchecked in the time where men ruled and women were subjugated? No, there was a village like that but according to the young woman, that village was gone and so too did that small nation it resided in. In the far south there were thousands of small nations and each nation's name changed with the ascension of a new ruler. It's possible that the woman came from the south, the home she knew and loved destroyed by a ruthless overtaker that sent everything up in smoke. Sighing heavily, Hiruzen rose from his desk, tucked the old book into his robes and sealed the rest of the tombs into a scroll before leaving his office. He greeted his ever-busy secretary and wandered his way further down the hall, towards a secured room guarded by a team of Anbu.
He walked in, careless if his men saw him, and marched towards the center of the room where a table and a hung up kimono sat peacefully side-by-side. The kimono was a soft violet edged in white, it was torn up and warn out from its shredded skirt to its torn apart sleeves. Sighing at the poor state of the kimono, Hiruzen calmly stepped around it to look at the back, where a clan crest usually sits proudly. As he guessed there was a crest sitting dead center in the back of the kimono. It was a simple design of a double hexagon turned on its side to have a sharp point pointing up and another pointing down. Inside the double hexagon sat a bright crimson four leaf clover, it too was tilted to the side as if it was still falling. Remaining silent with the observation, Hiruzen turned towards the table and approached its many curious objects. What garnered his attention the most was the giant fan that was as big as the woman was tall. It was simple with chakra-tempered-steel sides and its main body comprised of a flexible white cloth he's never seen before. According to the notes sitting next to it the fabric was plant-based, like pyres, and responded scarily well to chakra. Setting the notes down, Hiruzen ran his fingers along the edge of the giant fan, staring at the acid-etched marks of various symbols he could barely make out even with the sunlight streaming in from the window.
Turning away from the fan, Hiruzen wandered towards the strangely designed weapons pouch and pulled up the note pad set beside it. Every weapon inside it was chakra-tempered steel, the most interesting weapon in it were a pair of trench knifes with residue of three different chakra types. Unfortunately the residue was so old and faded that they couldn't get any other kind of information from the knifes. All they knew was that they weren't the woman's, at least, not originally. Sighing heavily, Hiruzen set the note pad down and moved to observe the other objects found in the woman's back pouch. There were three storage scrolls used as supplice, two scrolls dedicated to weapons, one massive scroll dedicated to medicinal herbs, a leather bound book and surprisingly a worn out old photo. Lifting the photo, Hiruzen stared down at the fogged out faces. He could tell the picture was worn out from excessive folding and exposure to sunlight but he got the general idea of a massive family photo. He could see a few children huddled together towards the front, it must've been their parents grouped behind them. Hiruzen wondered if the woman was in this photo or if she was the one who took it. The picture was so sun bleached that almost all the color had faded, leaving it as a black and white photo with a strange sepia hue. Setting the picture down carefully, he observed the other objects discovered on the woman. There was a poison needle bracelet, senbon designed as hair ornaments, her heels doubled as hidden blades, her earrings with poisonous gas inside, her silver dragon pendant doubled as a small poisoned knife and even her crimson ribbon with the little bells doubled as a chakra-cloaking device. And as for her silver anklets? That was a headache he didn't even want to look at for the moment. Everything he assumed to be pretty trinkets doubled as a weapon and all of them were filled or coated in a poison that his people were still trying to figure out. Sighing heavily, Hiruzen turned to look out at the setting sun bathing his village in warm hues of orange and scarlet.
Who ever this strange woman was, she specialized in poison and made damn sure her enemies wouldn't survive her wrath
"In the end… is she worth the headache to retain?"
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…
"We will give you this one chance," the first Hokage smiled reassuringly at her, "the last chance Sakura Haruno."
"You will live again… " The Nidaime ordered, "in that time and place, wherever that shall be."
"Please forgive me," The Sandaime tried to smile
"I hope you start that dream of yours…" Tsunade murmured, "Please be safe, for me if nothing else."
She felt like falling, as if there was nothing in the world that could catch her as she fell past the sky, past the trees, past the earth's crust and deep, deep into the earth. Nothing could stop her plummet into the center of the fiery core of her homeworld, a core that threatened to scorch her soul for a millennia and still never give her peace. The voices of her superiors repeated themselves, 'second chance', 'forgiveness', 'live', like a cruel mantra she couldn't get rid of.
"Second chance"
"Through time and space,"
"Forgive me"
"Be safe, for me if nothing else,"
The voices repeated and repeated, 'be safe', 'second chance', 'live'; with the agony in her heart and the blood on her hands, how could she be given a second chance? Who was crazy enough to allow her to live? Dozens of people were killed by her hands, even more were sentenced to death by her word; who would spare her? Why allow her to live? Why give her a second chance? How many people have to die before fate takes a damn hint and ends her existence?!
"Wake up! Ma'am! Wake up!" She jolted forward, glowing palm striking out at the one trying to grab her. She heard cursing and suddenly more hands were reaching out, trying to pin her legs and arms, voices rang out and she was one of them. She cursed and snarled, her glowing fingertips skimmed limbs and digits alike but it did nothing to stop her enemy from trying to pin her. She knew what was going to happen, they wanted to experiment again and they thought she was asleep enough to perform it.
They were wrong
"Stop this foolishness!" A thick voice barked through the air, sounding like a sledgehammer to her racing mind. She froze instinctively, her body freezing mid-kick and her fist stopping a centimeter from another's face. A breath of cool hair kissed her neck and her eyes snapped to her right, where the setting sun gleamed off a shiny object stationed threateningly at her throat. No one moved, too frightened to break the spell but then the man who gave the order moved and she found herself moving instinctively again. In an instant, the kunai at her throat was in its master's shoulder and the clasping hands were suddenly clutched tightly by their owners. Too fast for her mind to figure out, she reacted based on her instincts and quickly found herself in the corner of the room; crouching low and snarling warningly.
"Easy there hime, shhhhh, you're safe," her eyes swiveled towards the man speaking. He was dressed in long white robes with a hat that had its own white curtain, she couldn't see his face and that made her uneasy. She shifted her weight and snarled, a memory of fire bloomed across her back and a scream sounded in her ears; but it was only a memory so she knew better then to react. As if sensing her unease, the man approached her slowly, shredding off his big jacket and humming softly, as if that would set her at ease.
"Hokage-sama," one of the men hissed in warning, fear tinting his voice as he took a step forward. She snarled and adjusted again to attack the man but he stepped back so she didn't lunge at him.
"Calm down everyone," the Hokage murmured as he slowly kneeled and brought her attention back to him. "Easy hime, I mean you no harm." She didn't believe him, everyone who ever said that to her always hurt her. Every time she thought she could trust someone, she ended up on the operating table. Sighing heavily, the man slowly reached up and removed his hat, his movements were slowly and deliberate, made to capture her attention for as long as possible. When he set his hat aside and looked into her green eyes, he smiled because he could see it on her face; the look of recognition.
"My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi," he introduced himself slowly, making sure she understood just who he was. "I am the Sandaime Hokage. Now you told me this morning that you have no village to protect or reason for living." He watched as she drew back from him, slow rationality curled through her mind as the anesthetics slowly wore off. He knew now that she was finally beginning to think clearly and relying less on her instincts as compared to before; her ability to burn through their medicine was a little alarming. He waited a moment, wanting to make sure she understood him before he continued. The woman remained crouching in the corner, observing him as she pressed her back into the cool wall and settled her hands on her knees; as if this simple act could protect her from any harm.
"Do you remember?" Hiruzen asked softly, "What we spoke of this morning?" For a moment he thought she would tell him 'no' but instead she bit her lip nervously before nodding hesitantly; as if she was unsure to make an agreement with him. "I think I can give you a village to protect and a reason for living… are you okay with that?" the woman squinted her eyes at him, as if she thought he was lying to her. He tried to smile reassuringly at her. "My people didn't mean you any harm, we just want to save your life. I can give you a reason for living…" her face twitched several times, as if she was resisting the look of scorn and trying to remain neutral. Sighing heavily Hiruzen closed his eyes in acceptance, his shoulders slumping as the woman's silent answer was given. "Can you forgive me?" Hiruzen asked softly, he bowed his head and gave the silent command to the agents behind him. They moved to do as ordered but their speed was unmatched for the strange woman's. In a heartbeat the woman was diving under their katanas and crouching before Hiruzen with a curious look on her face. Hiruzen remained still as he stared back into her wide curious eyes, he wondered if she was going to kill him or if she was going to run; either way he knew he couldn't stop her. Instead, the woman smiled at him. It was small and there were tears dripping down her face but it was still a smile. Before he could stop her, the woman curled into a ball and set her head in his lap, even going so far as closing her eyes and returning to sleep once more. Hiruzen sighed and patted the woman's head gently, when he pulled his hand away he made a face of disgust at the black staining his palm. He reached back down and tried not to cringe as he felt the particles of unnamed things give beneath his calloused palms. The only benefit he had to stroking the slumbering woman's head, was the reveal of her hair color. With all the mud, dirt and grime in her hair, he thought she was a redhead but with each pat of her head he was realizing just how filthy the woman's hair was. Taking in a deep breath, Hiruzen expected his nose to be assaulted with a horrible odor but instead he found nothing but the scent of the room. Frowning he examined the woman closely but his sight only told him that the dirt and grime seemed to be focused in her hair, as if she purposefully put mud in it to dinge the coloring.
"Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen looked up at his agents and smiled reassuringly at slowly moving team, as if they were afraid to awaken the woman a second time.
"I do believe our village just got a new bloodline." He was afraid about the repercussions of his actions but he knew that sparing this woman was a step in the right direction.
…
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I hope you liked it, I know it's been a while but it's definitely going to take time on this one :)
Reviews are lovely
Opinions appreciated
Flames would be nice (just don't cripple me!)