Assassinate or Rescue?
A Izumo and Kotetsu story
By R.S.W.D.W
Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto! Iruka owns me…ya I can dream cant I?
Summary:Kotetsu and Izumo are sent to gather information before they are to use their own judgment to kill or rescue there next mark. Which will the two choose?
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Izumo's p.o.v
Tsunade sent out her best `two-man team` to retrieve a stolen scroll. So here we are. Kotetsu took the noisy approach again so I can slip in, grab the scroll and get the hell out. Just in time to help Kotetsu who backed himself into a corner literally.
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Kotetsu's p.o.v
I was just getting warmed up. I had all of their attention focused on me. I took out all but four of them. Just as I was ready to kick their asses, kunai came out of nowhere and planted in their backs. Izumo was done and ready to bail out of there. Couldn't blame 'em though a three day mission turned into a two week mission and it was going to take us four if not five days to get home. If we haul-ass out of there and don't stop for much…
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Izumo's p.o.v
It was our thirteenth day out and we have five or six to get home if we hurry. We've been on the move ever since we got the scrolls back. We've been in a dead run all night, morning and its mid afternoon now, since we were far nuff away from the enemy base we slowed to swiftly hoping through the trees. I was starting to get hungry, but my appetite was lost when I caught wind of something that reeked! Kotetsu was behind me so…Geez, it stinks!
I stop on a limb to see where the stench is coming from so we can avoid whatever it is only to be horrified to find out it was me! So when Kotetsu suggested we rest by a conveniently placed waterfall I didn't complain.
Who knew one's body could be so pungently rancid without being sprayed by a skunk?
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Kotetsu's p.o.v
MAN! I can't tell if it's me or Izumo who smells worse. Good thing there's a river near by complete with a waterfall. Might be a cold shower but at least its something, right? We set some traps and start a camp fire and wash our clothes, hang them to dry and start soaking ourselves to get rid of the stink.
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The city of Konoha was brightly bustling about. Shizune is busy keeping Tsunade in her office. Iruka was to busy to notice anything extra going on in the background and Genma wasn't much help to the chunnin.
A horrible smell came drifting through the door, long before two young men trudge through it. "What the hell did you two do?" Genma shrieks holding his nose. Izumo turns to death glare Kotetsu who loudly protests "I swear I dint know the skunk was there!" the nerve at Izumo's eyebrow started twitching only to be interrupted by a loud bang as Tsunade slammed her office door open.
"What is that smell?!" She demanded then noticed the duo standing in the doorway. "You two…" she started only to stop, pointed a finger at them "BATH NOW. Then report to me immediately!" "Yes Tsunade –sama." The pair recite with a bow then disappear to there apartment.
After scrubbing their skin off for nearly two hours Kotetsu and Izumo are sitting by the Gondamie's office waiting for her to return from were-ever it is she managed to escape to.
"At least you two aren't smelled before seen. Now you're seen before you're smelled." Genma smirks at them as he enters the mission room. "SHUT THE HELL UP, GENMA!" Izumo growls at the special jonin, Kotetsu sits quietly as his best friend starts to rant glaring death it's self at him. "If someone had been watching what they were doing they would have known that pissy little stink bomb was there!"
Izumo hissed angrily emphasizing a few words as Kotetsu tried desperately to melt into the seat refusing to even look at his childhood friend, after all, to do so would be to invite trouble to dinner. He knew he just needed to sit quietly, not look at him, and pray some idiot didn't piss him off further or else Kotetsu might be on the receiving end of a fist, foot, elbow, shuriken, or even a kunai.
Which ever, the tirading brunet decided to throw at him. He really didn't see the skunk there and didn't until he threw a nice size rock, that he was laying on, at it. The little bugger hissed turned tail and sprayed her pungent `fuck-off` odder on them before the two could get away fast enough.
Izumo was so red faced and a bought to explode, because of a certain special jonin who wouldn't shut up for his own health. "Shut up, you brat!" Tsunade yelled, entering the mission room and walking past them to her office. "You two get in my office now!"
After the door was shut she sank into her seat and pulled out a mission scroll. "I'm assigning you to this mission…"
"What!" Izumo chirped
"We just got back! We haven't even had time to fill out a report yet." Kotetsu huffed at her and she continued.
"You can write it up before you leave. The scroll will give you finer detail of your target and mission but…" she stopped to glare them down to insure they were listening. "…I want the two of you to gather as much information a bought the target and people around said target as possibly, and then…"
She stops again looking at them with sympathetic eyes but a stern stone cold expression. "And then?" Izumo asked her "…I want the two of you to use your better judgment."
"What?!" the duo asked in unison, bewildered at such an unusual request.
"That reason is covered in the mission scroll, now here and don't forget to fill out your report as fast as possible now get moving." Kotetsu and Izumo glanced at each other then bowed to their Gondamie "Yes Tsunade-sama."
XDXDXDXDXDXDXP
The wind is gently blowing out side where the sound of children can be heard laughing and playing, chasing each other here and there. Adults are busy wandering around the shrine and market paying there respect to the monks who live and tend to the shrine.
Inside one of the larger houses, in the center of the building, is a large room with three figure's, one, a seven year old, sitting on a floor pillow with a medium size red crystal ball sitting in front of them and two, twenty something's, standing just behind the one sitting.
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Kimmekoo's p.o.v
All the kids are outside playing again and I can here them all the way in here, even with all the noise that the adults are making. I'm not allowed to go out and play, I'm not even allowed to leave this room unless I'm escorted by someone.
I'm so bored, I have nothing to do and these monks don't seem to care, I'm only eight years old and would prefer to be out playing with the other kids! Well then again I'm half demon and human…the other kids might be scared off…but most of their parents who come here know who and what I am…and just how useful I am to those who live and travel here, though that's as far as their compassion goes.
After all I'm nothing more to them than just a shield to protect them from other demons that lurk in the forest surrounding the shrine and neighboring village. I'd crush this stupid blood crystal if I could but I've done it so many times now I know what will happen…so long as I live it will re-forge itself, in three days it will be sitting in front of me again and the elder will plant himself next to me for a week boring me even more!
As a matter of fact, I just recently busted the crystal five days ago and now I have two volunteers looking after me. Funny I've never seen them before until now…they say they live in the village next to the shrine, but, maybe I'm being paranoid. It's been two months since I sent that messenger pigeon to the Gondamie of Konoha. Perhaps she thinks I was joking, I am after all just a child…and I did request that she to assassinate me…although I did leave room for error.
I did ask that she, either assassinate me or free me from my confines…she probably just assumes I'm a stupid little kid pulling a prank. I…damn I gotta go to the bathroom…what are there names again? I don't think we were ever introduced.
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"Ahem." Kimmekoo clears her throat successfully getting her caretakers attentions. "I need to go to the restroom." She quietly informs them rising to her feet. "Of course," the slender brunet responds steeping aside to let her through promptly followed by the slightly taller raven haired one.
The two follow her to her quarters. Standing in front of her door she then turns to glare at the two men in a silent order to stay outside the door but before she could get a word out the brunet with one eye visible through his hair spoke first.
"You have a separate bathroom, a door I mean separating the bathroom from the bed area, right? We'll wait inside you can lock your bathroom door." the brunette suggested. And here I thought I liked this one.Kimmekoo thinks to herself as they enter her room. She scurries off to the restroom as the two men stand next to her bed.
She listens intently to any conversation they might have but she hears nothing outside the bathroom the two silently converse without saying a word, but rather with hand signs and gestures.
It's been what twenty days now? And we don't even know the kids name! Kotetsu commented.
Well, we never were introduced nor did we introduce ourselves. Izumo calmly informed his friend.
And what the hell is the deal here anyway! On one hand they treat her like she's a princess but at the same time like she means nothing to them? Kotetsu asked not knowing if he was annoyed with the thought or just pissed that they would treat anyone with a high regard but at the same time want them to be exiled.
I don't know she seems pretty bored just sitting there all day. I've seen her glancing at the kids outside I'm sure shed rather be playing with them…if she didn't look…Izumo fell short of finishing his sentence.
If she didn't look like a demon, ya know her tail could be hidden easily around her waste and under her shirt…Kotetsu stopped his sentence before he finished as Izumo gave him an incredulous gazing glare.
"Just a thought," Kotetsu whispered looking as if he were a kicked puppy.
The door to the bathroom opened and the light caramel skinned girl with raven black hare emerged from within. Kimmekoo walked to there direction glaring at the floor as if it had bit her. Kotetsu closest to the bedroom door, reaches for the handle to open it but stopped suddenly at Izumo's attempt to clear his throat.
"Ahem!" Kotetsu and Kimmekoo turn to look at him thoroughly confused. After the two turns their attention to him he smiled sweetly and placed his hand on his chest.
"It's come to my attention that we've not been introduced. I'm Izumo…Hagane…Hagane Izumo." Ok so he didn't plan that, he had forgotten the two of them hadn't picked bogus names yet, the monks never asked them for names other than there first one's and it was the best he could come up with. He smiled even bigger as he gestured to the man behind Kimmekoo. "And this is Kotetsu, Kamizuki Kotetsu."
Kimmekoo looked back and fourth between the two then bowed slightly still looking at them as if they sprouted multiple heads and arms. "My name is Kimmekoo, Uriyui Kimmekoo…um…nice to meet you." She stood back up still staring at the two as Kotetsu asked. "So Kimmekoo what's the deal round here?" Kimmekoo's eyes widened as Izumo landed a fist to the side of Kotetsu's head. "You can't just ask that!" Izumo snarled.
"Why not, s`not like anyone else is gonna volunteer the info…ow!" Kotetsu started to protest as the side of his head met with another punch. "You don't just come out and ask kids questions like that!" Izumo tried to instruct his friend, Kotetsu rubbing his head glared at him and asked "Why not the kids back home know how to answer…ake!"
Izumo promptly tackled Kotetsu to the floor trying to bludgeon him into submission with his fist, he couldn't believe his friend was being so carless with there identity. Kotetsu grabbed his wrists in an attempt to defend himself, yes he knew he made a mistake but it was calculated, after all she doesn't know anything about ninjas, Right?
Kimmekoo stood there watching the two wrestle around on the floor cursing and sputtering nonsense. As she noted the obviously stronger of the two, allow himself to be manhandled by the slender brunette. "What's going on in there?" a loud voice rang in from behind the door, one of the elders had noticed the lack of two men and one half-demon girl and came looking for them.
The boys in question hurried to their feet as the door flung open and one of the senior ranking monks walked in. "I asked what is going on in here?" The tall round man demanded looking from the girl to the boys grinning as though they had been caught with there hands in a Cookie jar.
"Nothing senior Sho, they simply escorted me to the restroom." Kimmekoo answered walking past him with her head held high and looking as bored as ever. "Is that so, then why are your clothes in shambles?" the old man glared at Izumo and Kotetsu with looming eyes. Kimmekoo nearly stumbled at the accusation and the boys blanched.
"We never,…that's not…we weren't…!" Kotetsu tripped over his words trying to explain they were wrestling but at the same time not admit it. "Just what am I supposed to think?" he demanded.
Izumo, finally snapping back to reality, shyly explained. "W-we were having a dis…disagreement. Kotetsu thought …um… thought that …um… being a child and all that…that she should be outside playing. Y-you know getting some exercise and stu…stuff." "Yup," Kotetsu offered.
The old man studied them sharply Izumo felt like shrinking into a hole and his shoulders soon met his ears as he found himself looking at the man through his eyelashes as he lowered his head. Kotetsu stood there silently fidgeting.
"I asked them…I asked if I could go outside and they argued over the answer." Kimmekoo walked back to the two men being scrutinized. The senior monk looked at her and sighed. "Perhaps after dinner they can escort you around the gardens. Now come along." Kotetsu and Izumo sighed quietly in heavy relief and followed the old man and Kimmekoo back to her perch. Kotetsu glances over to Izumo who signs one last sentence.
Looks like we're gonna owe her.
Kotetsu frowned scrunching his nose. He didn't like having to owe anybody especially a mark. How were they going to do their job if they had to owe her anything? Wait! For that mater why was he siding with her to begin with, trying to hide her tail, and now all of a sudden he's resigned to killing her? Even in his mind it didn't make since, this job's not going to be as easy as he thought.
At first, no matter how much Izumo was going to disagree, he was going to kill her just because she was a demon, and a demon should be put down before they cause harm, right? Then he met her, and well she's just a kid and a half breed, that means she's half human…So she's not all bad … right?
Izumo nudged Kotetsu with his elbow to bring him out of his musing. Izumo seemed to understand the grim look on his friend's face, he had planned on the same thing, a demon should be put down but then as Tsunade instructed them they waited and observed gathering as much information as possible on every one involved with the mark.
At first all he seen was a demon and after living with the subject for two and a half weeks now all he see's is a depressed and lonely child who acts as though she's in a prison camp. She picked at her food when she ate, probably worried it was poisoned or something, she never smiled, never looked at anyone and never talked to anyone unless being asked a question or introducing herself out of courtesy.
The sadness that shown on her face was quite disturbing to Izumo. He didn't like the look on such a young child.
There attention was forced back to senior Sho as he cleared his throat.
"Alright Kana you sit here and super will be brought to the three of you momentarily."
He walked away leaving Kimmekoo glaring after him and the boys with shocked expressions, round eyes and sweat-drops. Kotetsu, who was leaning on Izumo, straitens and whispers to Kimmekoo "Who's Kana?" she sighs loudly "They never bothered to learn my name." she informed them in a low depressed whisper.
Izumo looked at her with concern "Kimmekoo, How long have you been here?" She blinked a few times then glanced at the brunet then back to the blood crystal before answering. "I was born here…father lived here for many years before these people came to live here. He welcomed them in and became their savior when other `human-hating demons` came calling on them." She paused before continuing and the two men sat at her side to listen.
"I overheard the elders talking once, they all lived together for a while and, apparently they paid a woman to stay with father before I was born. I also heard them say she didn't want anything else to do with him or me and to stop contacting her."
Izumo and Kotetsu glanced at each other then back to the girl. "Apparently, the elders were worried that their precious shield would leave them and they would have to fend off the demons that lurk in the forest. So therefore they needed a new shield to stay with them…I was born, mother abandoned us, and they never bothered to consider father's feelings and…"
She stopped and folded her arms around her legs resting her chin on her knees. Kotetsu sat quiet and motionless and Izumo gently rubbed his hand on her shoulder.
"Then this bat demon showed up and …said something about mother…then father went to confront him…and…never came home.
I was left behind to look after everyone here, 'cause father asked me to…and no one ever bother's to call me by my name! They don't care…They have an heir to carry the shield and that's all that matters to them. " She began death glaring the blood crystal sitting in front of her; noting how comforting and warm Izumo's hand is, rubbing small circles on her back.
"I hate it here. Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead." She whispered then retorted the ending of her last sentence. "Or at least be someplace that treated me as me and not a shield to protect them from their enemy then toss me aside for later use."
Kotetsu sat deathly still drowning in his frustration of not having anyone at the moment to pound into the ground. Izumo pondered just how willing Tsunade was in having them bring her home with them. Would she use her for the same purpose? Is that why she wanted them to use their better judgment in this?
If they bring her back, Tsunade could just whisk her away, lock her up and demand that she be their shield…whatever that is.
BAM!
"What the hell was that?!" Izumo exclaimed shooting up out of his seat. Outside people were running and screaming, another explosion shook the ground. Kimmekoo reached for the crystal, focused her chakra and a warm red light began to glow. Kotetsu and Izumo froze to watch her; the round ball of light she had created grew with a sudden burst of speed and the boys could feel it, really physically feel it shooting through them. In no time the people outside were calming down and the noise was settling.
Kotetsu and Izumo had subconsciously wandered to the doorway and looked out. The entire perimeter was wrapped in a pale red glow as a giant snake, one that almost resembled the ones Orochimaru used to attack Konoha, is fruitlessly bashing its tail against the red sphere to no avail.
"So…the shieldI presume." Izumo whispered to Kotetsu, the spiky haired chunnin whispered back "We really need to discuss what it is we're gonna do with her, don't we."
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One week had passed since the snake had come along slamming its tail into the very powerful shield Kimmekoo had created. After Izumo done some sneaky inquiring about said shield, he found out she could raise the shield without being next to the blood crystal. Then he proceeded to point the fact out to the elders and had smoothly talked said elders into allowing them to walk the girl around the entire perimeter of their little shrine-like village early that morning, mostly to scout for plausible exit routes.
Kotetsu and Izumo had talked silently for three days after the `snake incident` and decided to take the girl with them to Konoha and prepare to fend off Tsunade's decisions to use her the same way. They just weren't sure how yet.
Izumo had managed to drag the other two to the market. Kotetsu and Kimmekoo were arguing as usual, since they all three decided to start conversing about this and that. After the `bedroom incident` the two raven haired loudmouths would playfully bicker over everything.
Izumo would eventually have to rip them apart after their wrestling got too rambunctious for the elder monks' taste. They all got along swimmingly. Izumo mused to himself that she reminded him of Kotetsu at that age. She would however subconsciously show her demon-cat blood-line ever so often and perch, weightlessly on his shoulders, and sometimes purr.
The brunet was happily looking over the fresh fruit spread out before him when he felt a familiar chakra flare. He looked up to find Genma without his senbon, jonin issued artier, and bandanna; wearing civilian clothes and smirking at him with a toothpick. Kotetsu slid into view followed by Kimmekoo, who glanced at Izumo from the corner of her eye then to the stranger out the other corner, and then she wandered off to pretend she knew nothing. Genma watched Kimmekoo walk to the far side of the table before signaling to Kotetsu and Izumo.
Tsunade says it's time for a decision and to get your butts back home now! Genma picked out a peach, paid for it and slowly walked toward them to leave.
Is that her? He asked nodding his head to the girl
Yes, that's her. Why did Tsunade send you here?Izumo frowned at the special jonin.
It's been what, two month's now? You two should have been back ages ago. What's the hold up? Do you need help nabbing the kid?Genma smirked at the two chunnins.
How the hell did you know we were gonna grab her and run? Kotetsu glared
It's so obvious! It's all over your faces.Genma smiled then walked away.
Izumo and Kotetsu looked at one another, grinned a bit and shrugged their shoulders.
"So, was that somebody you two know?" Kimmekoo asked with a placid expression.
"Well, something like that I suppose." Kotetsu smiled "Lets finish our walk around the place before the elders comes looking for us…Again." Izumo mused teasingly. Kimmekoo scrunched her nose at the thought of another possible `incident` and the three meandered through the small village. The two chunnins heavily looking for a plausible escape rout.
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End chap 1 sooo what did you all think? I'll get the 2 chap up as soon as I can but in the meantime hop you R&R.