Lightning Strikes! The Thunders' Call, a naruto fanfic

CHAPTER 1

Lightning Strikes! The Thunders' Call: The Beginning of All Things to End

In the beginning:

Thunder lashed out overhead. The booms and cracks threatened to break the very sky into pieces. Violent winds tore the earth and trees from their places. The power had been knocked out for several hours, and everything was pitch black. The windows of houses were shattered, the turbulent winds seeping in through the opennings and distroying the insides. Several Kumogakure shinobi lay dead on the grounds before the border, though they had fought protecting the village with all the strength they possessed. The others that remained alive did their best to hold their ground against the raging storm. It took ridiculous amounts of chakra to keep from being blown over by the winds being created by two overly-grown demonic black wings. There was a piercing shriek that ripped through the air and shredded through their chakra, causing them to double over covering their ears, only to be blown away by the sudden movement. They could hardly make out the destroyer, as the massive black cumulonimbus clouds collided overhead, blocking out the sun entirely. There were very few clear days in the Lightning Country's capital, but there were also very few that were quite like this. It was also days like these that were very unfortunate. Suddenly a shinobi stepped out into the clearing before the barrier, carrying around his neck what appeared to be a small glowing white crystal, probably fulled by his own chakra. Several pairs of eyes widened. Not many recognised him in the darkness, but the ones who did bore the most shocked of expressions.

Six tendrils whipped about through the air, masked by the darkness against their already black colour. Spaded ends, like razors, flicked with ease through the rough winds and struck several shinobi, knocking them into the brash winds, the blade-like tip ravaging through their already beaten bodies, tearing their limbs from their cores. It was a bloody mess, a horrific outrage that had yet to be won. As the tendrels lashed out for a repeat kill, the young man jumped out of the way. There was a pause, and the beast shrieked as the sound of young cries and screams rang into the ears of the combattants. The young shinobi made his move. Darting back into the village gates, he returned with a bundle of pale blue blankets, though the blackened sky made it impossible to make it out its colour. The only light sources were the frequent bolts of lightening that lit up the sky with crashes and bangs to be heard miles upon miles away. The bundle screamed and cried more as the vicious sounds of thunder shook the air. The beasts' red glare widened, but before it had a chance to retreat, purple strings of chakra shot from the bundle, binding the beast. Raising it's chakra level, the beast shook about in a rage. The man braced himself for a fall, but the chakra binds held fast. No matter how much the hulking figure tried, the binds wouldn't give. As it slipped away the winds died down, and it's figure became more and more visible to the shinobi. Demonic fangs, massive tattered ears, and diseased wings stood out more and more the closer it drew to the bundle. It grew deathly cold, and the baby's cries silenced as the figure seeped into the baby, its lifeforce merging with that of the child. The features of the demon spirit finally merged in completely and its appearance became similar with that of a giant bat. There was one last piercing shriek as the bat succumbed to the binds and closed into the core of the child. Suddenly the setting sun broke through the darkness as the clouds dispersed and faded into the late afternoon sky. There was a sigh of relief that came from many of the shinobi on the battle ground. As the sky cleared up, the man set the now silent child down and performed several seals before dropping to the ground. Exhausted, he lay his fingers on the baby's cheek and gently stroked it with affection.

" Forgive me, my sweet little Hana". His face full of sorrow, he forced the last smile that he would ever bestow upon his new born child. Little did he know, that she was already dead. He lay his head down peacefully and just as the sun began to make it's way below the horizon, showering the sky with a wash of watercolour reds and oranges.

The shinobi cheered and rushed over to the side of the two village heroes, only to find them silent and without breath or pulse. The crowd broke apart suddenly forming a path, making way for the leader of their village. Raikage-sama stood and passed a sorrowful glance upon his son and new-born grandchild.

"Daichi... you fool, to love your family and country so much,... to sacrifice yourself so quickly. Brash and foolish just like your mother..." There was great pain in his voice as he dropped to his knees, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He shouldn't ever be allowed to cry, not ever, as he was the great Raikage-sama. Today however, right in this moment, he fell from the feeling of Lightning shadow to utterly human, weak and vulnerable. He fell from being master shinobi to average and ordinary. He was so overwhelmed by the loss of his son and his child, that he trembled uncontrollably with anger and sadness. He held them both to his chest and sobbed harder.

A woman with blond hair pulled up along side him. She was pale and sickly looking, though she was beautiful in everyway possible, a lean figure with beautiful curves -even after delivery- dressed in white hospital robes. Still unable to walk, she was pushed out by a nurse in a wheelchair. Her expression grave, she looked down at the two figures in the Raikage's arms. Another young man, resembling the Raikage and the deceased shinobi, pushed his way through the commotion, only to fall to the ground in disbelief. He was without a doubt the youngest of the Haiden brothers. Fighting back tears, he pounded the ground letting out a cry of frustration.

"Dageki-dono..." Tears welled in the woman's eyes, as she looked at him.

"Gomenasai, " The Raikage's voice was weak and it trembled like the rest of him, as he continued to clutch the two figures. The woman dropped to her knees, broken-hearted, in pain. She took hold of two figures along with the Raikage, and cried without control. On the inside, the three of them were shattered. In an instant, they'd all lost something very precious to them. Medical ninja rushed onto the field and took hold of the victims. Trying their hardest, they did all they could to revive them. It was however, a hopeless endeavour.

A funeral was held for the two of them the following day, for the father and child, hero and heroine of the Lightning Country's most prominent village. Speeches were given, and tribute was payed to the two citizens. But just as everyone began to clear away, something unusual happened. There was a glowing purple light coming from the baby's coffin. The woman had taken to her chambers, and the youngest, and now only remainning son of the Raikage, had retreated to his study where he had often over the years found great comfort during hard times. The Raikage stood alone, in the cold bitter weather that was all to familiar to the normal Kumogakure climate. The lone shinobi reacted instantly, carefully stepping over to the coffin, prying it open with brute strength. An eerie glow encircled the baby like a cocoon. the child had somehow started moving, convulsing violently. There was a soft shriek that pierced the air. He welcomed the sound with a look of bitterness, as he figured the beast sealed inside the child was still trying to escape from it's new-found prison. The baby's eyes shot open glowing the same toxic purple as the aura surrounding it. It made a sound suddenly as it began to gasp for air. In disbelief, the Raikage began doing everything he could think of trying to help it breathe. If he couldn't save his own son from the shinigami of the Shiki Fūjin ( Corpse Demon Consuming Seal or Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal ), then he would try is damn hardest to save his only grandchild. Just when he thought the child would have made it, the convulsing became worse. His continued trying, but eventually stood staring at the child in his hands not knowing what else he could do. He watched helplessly as the baby flared up in it's own chakra. taking the form of a black bat, of normal size this time, the demon child flew into the night, and disappeared.

Seven Years Later...

Sickly and frail, the palest colour of skin imaginable, sullen purple eyes. Jolts of electricity dances freely around the senter of the field. The skies grey and dull, the essence of a coming thunderstorm thick in the air. A dream-like scent filled the air around the field. Pale purple and blue orchid-like flowers bloomed thick and lush around her. Ebony locks fell around her tiny figure, the lightning field illuminating the toxic purple streaks that divided her hair, accenting her features. She shiverred at the icy winds that seeped through her dirtied white kimono, hugging her knees to her stomach for warmth. Her tiny voice rang softly on the chilling winds, and she sat between the flowers.

Sakura no hana ha itsu hiraku

Yama no osato ni itsu hiraku...

She'd often come here to be alone with the flowers, not that she had any friends or anyone around her to begin with. She was offered a bed and food at the Kumogakure orphanage, but she had simply walked away not seeming to undertand her request. After all, no one had been there to show her how to speak. No one had spoke with her, other than her inner demon. Not even the bats which she understood would speak to her, whether it was out of fear or disinterest.

Sakura no hana ha itsu niou

Warau nana no ko asobu koro...

There, in the field of the thunder flowers, the Hana no Denkou, national flower of the Lightning Country, she sat with an eternal look of gloom plastered over her white face.

Sakura no hana ha itsu odou

Utau nana no ko memuru koro

Sakura no hana ha itsu kuchiru

Shinda nana no ko noboru koro

The deadly electric field caused by the electric barbs of the petals raged around her the more she sang. It was a song that she had learned from the kids in the street, when they played. She had heard one of the children say that it was the ladies of the orphanage that had taught them the song. But the kids would always exclude her from everything, and would barely even lift their eyes to her... all except one.

A young boy, barely a year older than herself, with long messy golden locks. He kept it tied back in a loose ponytail, as he liked it. He was a troubled boy, who was dropped off at the orphanage without a second thought. The orphanage was a religious place, acting as a church for all those who've lost hope and need to find solace away from the rest of the world. He'd often sit down beside her and talk about several things, like people, most often the other children, who's nice and who isn't or how he didn't understand adults. The little girl had never said anything, let alone reacted to what he said. He'd often smile warmly at her, only to be looked at blankly by her purple eyes. How he loved the way they'd sparkle in the mid-day light. He was quite fond of the girl. Three weeks had passed since they had met in the cloudy streets of Kumogakure, and as she had no name, he had been so bold as to give her one.

She sang the song over again as she remembered.

Sakura no hana ha itsu hiraku...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" You know, it's been a while since I met you 'no-name-chan'," smiled the boy as he touched a finger to his chin thoughtfully. He stared off into the distance. " Even the ladies at the orphanage have given me a name." And it was true. He was not just 'a boy' or 'the boy', it was now Raiden. It was a name given to him after the nickname of Nidaime Raigake by the orphanage ladies, meaning 'god of lightning'. They had said giving him a strong name such as that would ensure him a prosperous life, and to further ensure that, they gave him a gold crucifix with his name engraved in the back. The girl looked at him blankly, silently, then turned her gaze to the ground.

The girl had found his actions to be quite bizarre. She had often looked at him blankly and copied the things he did to see what it was like. When he'd walk with his hands placed behind his head, she had tried it too. When he fiddles with his gold chain, she had moved her finger in a similar motion, though there was no chain around her neck to play with. When she'd seen him frolicking around she'd done the same, and when he'd ask why she had copied him, she always gave him that same blank look, as if she didn't understand.

She looked at him then into the distance trying to see what he was looking at.

"...Hana..." She looked at him suddenly. Raiden smiled to himself. " ...yeah! That's a nice name. You look like a Hana, so that'll be it from now on, OK? Your name is now Hana". He had turned to pass a look her way. She cocked her head to the side in confusion. " What?! Don't you like that name? Hana! It suits you!"

" H-ha-n-a...?" she repeated. Suddenly she smiled, something she had never done before.

" Yeah! That's right! Hana. You like it?" Raiden beamed with delight, proceeding to fiddle with his gold chain. He had the most friendly smile she had ever seen. But not only had he shown her kindness, he had given her a name. Even her inner demon hadn't done that. It had merely addressed her as ' you' or 'jinchuurinki'. She was not sure what 'jinchuurinki' had meant, but she had answered to this call naturally, and without complaint. She felt that familiar voice in her head at that moment. Raspy and emotionless came its call.

"You're just going to let this boy choose a title for you? Such a name doesn't suit you, Jinchuurinki." The voice snarled in her thoughts. Her smile, the warmth she felt inside instantly vanished as the voice hit her core hard, and set in. The feeling grew cold and non-existent after mere seconds. After she had finally thought that she finally found some warmth, it was washed away by the thing inside her. If only Raiden could see the bitter part of her. The bitter inside, the ugly inside. The only thing she ever found was hate. Hate and self-loathing was all she knew. Raiden watched her changing expression, frowning in disappointment. She turned away from the boy and ran down the alley, out of the village and into the field of flowers.

She thought about the voice that came from inside of her.

...Yama no osato ni itsu hiraku

Sakura no hana ha itsu niou

Warau nana no ko asobu koro...

There was a rustle in the grass. A tall pale skinned man with long dark hair walked right to the edge of the electric currents, keeping enough distance as not to get shocked. He took notice of the purple chakra flowing in and around the field as sparks and lightning blots flew around at an alarming rate, as her chakra level intensified.

" Hello my child. Tell me, how is it that you can sit unharmed in this field of lightning?" His smile was welcoming, but deep down inside her gut she knew that smile had more to it then meets the eye. The girl had blushed, the flow of chakra disappearing in a snap. Not knowing what to say, she turned her face away from him. She didn't know how herself. All of the children who had spoken of the flowers had warned not to go near them, out of fear of electrocution. But she had felt a natural attraction to these flowers, and so she had come here everyday upon seeing them for the first time. " Be not afraid child, I am not your enemy. I see you have something special about you. I can tell you all about it. I can teach you why you are special. Would you like me to tell you why?" His smile was still there. Looking into his eyes, she saw that his were simillar to her own, a slivered pupil down the center of the iris. Suddenly she felt as if she could trust him. The more she took notice of him, the more similarities she found between them. His pale skin and slim figure, his darker features... She found herself rising to her feet. Making her way over to the man he held out a hand and she took it.

The man continued to look at her, and let her hand slip from his. His skin felt dry and slick against hers, like scales.

" Can you you pick one of the flowers for me child?" She looked sheepishly towards the flowers, that were no longer sparking so violently. Electric currents passed in waves over the flowers surging in a dome-like shape. She turned her gaze back at the man, unsure of what to say. " Be not afraid, child. The flower won't hurt you." After hearing those words, she returned to the field of flowers and plucked up a rather long-stemmed flower. The spark vanished from the petals, and the now lifeless flower became normal.

"Impressive, child. You have the ability to control lightning as you please. That is why you can stay in a field of charges like that and not be electrocuted. Do you understand child?" She paused a moment and nodded her head. "Have you a family, child?" His look turned sympathetic as she shook her head, confirming that she indeed had none. " Would you like to learn how to fully master this ability, this power of yours?" She nodded again without a sound after thinking a moment. "Then would you come with me child? Would you come and learn how to live?" She paused longer at this question. She was unsure. She didn't want to stay, but she didn't want to go either. She had lived in the streets on Kumogakure her whole life, and she had but one companion to keep her company. Perhaps this would give her an opportunity to learn and fight. To make a stand and live for once. Maybe she could even control the voice inside her. This man appeared to have all of the answers, and that fact alone held more value to her then what she already had. She nodded again. The man smiled, pleased at her answer. " I am Orochimaru, of the Densetsu no Sannin. You may address me as Orochimaru-sama, or Orochimaru-dono." She nodded again, with more assertiveness this time.

" Have you a name, my child?" he asked thoughtfully. As soon as she had openned her mouth to say the one Raiden have given her earlier, she shut it as the feeling in her stomach turned in protest. She shook her head and stared at the grassy ground. "I see... I suppose I shall have to give you one then." He paused a moment, then continued. " Rai shall do just fine... yes... a fitting name for a child of the Hana no Denkou." She thought a moment. The name had a nice ring to it. It was something she found herself connecting to a lot more then Hana. There was a raspy whisper that snaked through the air, though she was almost certain he couldn't hear it.

"Finally a name worthy enough for a jinchuurinki. Literal lightning. A name to live up to. A name of destiny."The voice said. The name was simple, but strong, like it had said. Maybe, by taking this chance, she would get that opportunity.

Literal lightning... and name to live up to... it was something she was willing to try. Besides... what else had she to do, other then sulk in a field of flowers?

As she began to let him lead her away from the village forever, there was a hussle in the grass, and sounds of someone panting growing louder by the second.

" Wait! Don't go! Hana-chan!"

The both of them turned to see a young blond haired boy following them. Stopping, Orochimaru looked from the boy to Rai. His face was flushed red from running, and he continued to pant as finally reached them.

"Rai-san, do you know this boy?" Orochimaru's expression changed to a slightly annoyed one. Rai silently nodded.

" Rai? But I named her Hana." The boy said angrily, somewhat hurt. "Where are you taking her?" he continued in a demanding tone of voice.

" I am taking Rai with me. What is she to you boy?" Orochimaru asked looking him over once.

" She's my friend, and I said her name is Hana!" the boy grumbled with frustration.

" Her friend, you say?" He turned to the Rai with a softer look. She had a friend yet she was so willing to throw that away, only to plegde her loyalty to him. She was worth more than she appeared. Rai nodded once. "Well then I suppose I have no choice then..." Turning back to look in the boys' direction he asked, " Have you a family child? Have you a life worth living here in this village?" The boy thought about it hard for a second. The only actual friend he had was Rai. But he had the ladies at the orphenage that cared for him so much. But all he ever did was get into trouble. He had been sent back from every foster home he was ever sent to from his natural talent of getting into fights with other children. They had often scolded him and sent him to bed afterward.

They'll all be better off without me. I only cause trouble for them anyway... If I go then atleast I can protect Hana-chan, he thought. He made up his mind.

" No Ojii-san. I don't." he said formally addressing the mysterious man. Orochimaru's smile widened. It was more sinister than before. There was something about this man that wasn't quite right, but if it meant staying with his only friend then he wouldn't dare question the man's motives, let alone the way he smiled. Orochimaru spoke again.

" What is your name boy?" his expression was somewhat nicer now, but still Raiden could feel that it was an insincere act.

" My name is Raiden, Oji-san," answered the boy standing straight with a confident look in his eyes.

" Well then Raiden, have you ever wanted to become a great shinobi?" The glint in his eyes turned malicious, though his kind expression unchanging.

" H-hai!" Answered the boy. He had often dreamed about being a great shinobi and protector of Kumogakure. He had even talked about his dream to Rai. It had all seemed so nostalgic, the ideal of living his dream life as a talented shinobi, growing up to be an honourable young man, who would one day have the chance to start his own prosperous clan.

" Will you come with us then? Are you willing to learn?" The child was completely oblivious to the deeper meaning in his words, and so he accepted.

"Hai!" For once in his life, Raiden looked completely sure of what he was saying. There was no fear of being put down for having that dream, or fear of being called a failure by all of the others around him.

" Very well, Rai..." he said, turning to the girl once more. She looked up at him through her innocent purple eyes. " Please tell Raiden your new name, and how I am to be addressed." His look in his eye set off an aura of seriousness, though he continued his smile for the girl.

As Rai spoke, her voice was quiet, but serious. She stared deep into the boy eyes, making sure that he fully understood what she was about to say.

" Hai. My name is now Rai. That is the name Orochimaru-sama has given me. From now on that is how we will address him." Rai grew quiet the instant she was done talking. She seldom ever spoke to anyone, but she would do as she was asked by her new leader of sorts.

" Very good. Do you understand then, Raiden?" His look had now completely changed, unlike it's subtle movements before. It was dead serious, and outright terrifying to his eight year old self. He paused a second to regain his confidence, and made his reply.

" Hai!" He gave a final nodd as he finished the word. And that was that. They had gone off in silence following him. Raiden would occasionally lift his eyes to see Rai's face. Her expression remainned emotionless, like it often had back at the village. He said a wordless prayer, letting his thoughts resonate in his head for a little while.

I pray that this will be the right choice for both me and Rai. And I pray that one day she will be able to really smile, and be happy. I want her face to one day show that she's really happy.

He shut his eyes tight for a brief second, and clutched the small crucifix chain around his neck. It would be the last thing he would wholeheartedly hold onto from his past. That, and the name he had given her earlier... Hana.

Five Years Later...

Rai entered the room, dressed in black ninja attire. The only source of light in the room were the dozen lit candles scattered about the room. Here in their underground lair in the Umi no Kuni (Land of the Sea), they had trainned in secret as their master had conducted his research. Kabuto had often imput his research into his database, whislt the others improved their skills. Over the years Orochimaru had gone though many students, and many more test subjects. They had all died out with the exception of one or two. However eventually they were sent to death, often at Rai's hands. She didn't particularily enjoy the idea of taking their lives, but she figured that it was the least she could do to put them out of their misery. She knew many of the things that her master was doing were terribly wrong on so many different levels. She thought about questionning him before, but she knew that it would only seem disrespectful on her part. She had loved Orochimaru as more than a master but as a father, regardless of how he thought of her. She would never dare admit it, but it was true. He had taken her in, along with her childhood companion, and trainned them both to take care of themselves, but more than that. He had given them a place to belong, and turned them into some of the finest shinobi around. Regardless of his intentions, she would always remain loyal to her master. This time around, Orochimaru had given some clothes for her to try on. He had said they were from when he was a starting member of Akatsuki, and that he no longer needed them as they were old and unfitting. She and the others, of which there were many had often wondered what the Akatsuki organization was, but Orochimaru had never gone into detail about them, and everyone figured that it wouldn't be wise, nor their place to ask.

Rai stood on the inside of the door, waiting for further instruction from her master. Orochimaru, along with the others, turned to see her. The fishnet boat-necked style shirt was slightly big on her, but othewise comfortable. The shirts' fishnet neck came more than half way down her chest and was further on plain black material. The sleeves were a plain black colour that measured far past her arms length. Faded black ninja pants hung loose on her waist, even after tieing them tighter to her waist with white linens.

A small blue weapon holster was wrapped tightly around her right leg, tied over more white linen. Her black and purple hair cascaded over her shoulders falling all around her back and front reaching her waist. She never wore shinobi sandals, but instead closed toed black steel-toed shoes. They were sleek and built for agility, but were meant to deliver swift deadly kicks with precision. There were also small metal barbs on the bottom of the shoes. The were small enough as to not disrupt her walking, but effective enough to break the skin easily and cause considerable damage with her abilities. Orochimaru had turned her into a force to be reckoned with. She was every bit as deadly as she was young, and fully capable of taking down not only large opponents, but many of all skill levels with speed and efficiency. And that was why Orochimaru charished her above all the others. Over a five year period, he was able to teach her how to use several jutsu effectively as well as many different fighting techniques. Always wanting to improve and to help her master, she had done everything possible to get it right. She had been able to see points of different jutsu to adapt her own fighting technique as well as her own jutsu. Orochimaru had taught her over the years to harness the power of lightning, and had even taken the flower she had picked years ago and turned it into a medicine for her, which she kept in a vile around her neck. She never used it, but she kept it as a constant reminder of how much she owed him.

Orochimaru looked Rai over once, and then openned his mouth to speak.

"They're big on you, but you'll grow into them." He smiled briefly, and then turned to the others. "And now my students, I shall discuss the new plan that will be put into action, as of tomorrow. " Everyone stood up straight and awaited his instructions. None of them knew what to expect, but none of them wouldn't obey his words.

" As of tomorrow, Rai will no longer be working with us." Everyone was somewhat shocked, but most of all Raiden. He hadn't ever thought that Orochimaru would seperate him from her, but apparantly he had thought wrong. Raiden wanted to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to speak up to his senpai.

" I am sending Rai to the chunin exams in Konohagakure, along with Kabuto. She will be stationned there and continue to live there from now on." He turned to Rai as he spoke, like he had often done so many times over the years. " Rai, I had Kabuto set up a ninja identification card, including status from Otogakure. You will go into Kohohagakure and participate in the chunin exams together. Kabuto, one again this year, you will gather information regarding the ninja competing. Rai, you must defeat everyone that comes your way in order to pass. I want you to show the Hokage just how powerful you are. You will do everything required to become a jounin. Once you have become a jounin, get as close as you can to the inner circle of Konoha's military force. You will do whatever it takes to become part of their ANBU secret service. You will report back to Kabuto every month, with the exception of emergencies. Kabuto will from there on report to me, and I will thus make arangements from there on if need be. Understood?"

" Hai, Orochimaru-sama," came Rai's emotionless voice. That was the one thing that Orochimaru had loved so much about Rai. He had not only turned her into an incredible shinobi, but he had taught her to supress almost every emotion. He had rarely seen her show any, and infact the only one he had ever seen was anger. The first time he had ever seen her fury, she had distroyed half a forest simply by summonning more of her chakra. It was then when he found out that she was the possessor of the Rokubi no Raijuu. The more chakra she summoned, the more her eyes glowed, and the more her physical appearances became bat-like. Her iris' would eventually change from purple to black, and her slivered pupil, would ellongate and glow purple, as if the the colours of her iris and pupil inversed. Purple and black chakra had exploded from her during their trainning two years ago. Rai at that time, still hadn't known how to control the beast inside her yet, and once her senpai had found out of her being a jinchuurinki, he had changed the course of her trainning entirely. Not only had he done that, but he had gone harder on her, forcing her to the bring of total exhaustion, urging her on, pushing the envellope futher than before each time. She hadn't known why he was doing this, but as her trainning progressed, she became more and more capable of drowing out the voices inside her, along with being able to draw out more of the Rokubi's chakra to use for her own advantage. Orochimaru had also forced her through days upon days of meditation, leaving her sitting under a large waterfall without food. He had said that she had to keep the flow of her own chakra from wavering for as long as possible. This had enabled her to channel the flow of her chakra with ease and control. To top it off, she had built a serious amount of chakra to add to what she had already. As a child she had only some small amount of chakra that was her own. It had always been the Rokubi's chakra that had come out without even her or anyone else knowing. The only thing that Orochimaru was sure of was that her chakra flow would change in rate. He hadn't at the time seen the difference in the chakras as there wasn't much of one to begin with, but as time pressed on, and Rai develloped her own chakra, he began noticing it even more and more. She had been ordered by Orochimaru to fight Tayuya as practice, to see how much she had improved. When Tayuya had used her musical jutsu, Rai's chakra reacted to the sound, and set of massive waves of chakra, nearly killing Tayuya in the process. If it hadn't been for Kabuto's cell regeneration jutsu, Tayuya wouldn't have made it out alive. The raw force of the uncontrolled chakra had sent trees flying from the ground, and one had hit Tayuya in the face, literally ripping it right from her body. Luckily, there was no additional damage done to any of the other members. Tayuya had since then despised Rai for what had happened. Rai had attempted to apologize to her, only to be scolded by Orochimaru. He didn't want Rai to gain weakness or sympathy for others. He had wanted her to be exactly like him; without mercy. Tayuya was reprimanded for accusing Rai, and thus began to despise her even more. Kimimaro had later said to Rai,

"You should have killed her. She's the weakest link here. If it weren't for Orochimaru-sama keeping her here, I would have killed her myself ages ago." She looked at the shinobi who had trainned with her the most out of everyone. Orochimaru would often speak highly of them, referring to them as his disciples, while the others remainned insignificant. They were the strongest and most ruthless of his students. But despite knowing him for years and years, she had wondered if he ever had any emotions. He had never actually showed any to anyone, though she assumed that he was probably just like her. Once long ago he had told her just how much he cherished Orochimaru as his sensei, but even then his words had lacked compassion.

Four days passed. Kabuto was sent in to Konoha three days earlier than Orochimaru's team of lackeys to lower suspicions of them being connected should the Fire Country's ninja figure it out. Rai had spent most of her time meditating under waterfalls within the area. After learning the values of meditation from her sensei, Rai had engaged herself in a regular practice, furthering her concentration, and bringing balance to her wavering chakra levels, often brought on by her bottled up emotions. That in itself was another reason. Knowing better then to let her emotions get in the way of performing her tasks, the weight of the falling water and the achieved peace of mind helped to quell the unwanted feelings. At this rate, as long as it meant pleasing her master with her success, she would do whatever it takes to make sure it happens. No excuses, no acceptions. Just complete and total success. She clenched her fists tighter at the thought, the freezing temperatures of the rushing water numbing her sense of touch, painfully stinging her nerves. She breathed out, whispering against the the pounding waters.

" Failure is not an option."