AN: This fic might get a bit dark at times, but I think that's appropriate, given ROOT's nature.
ROOT
Indoctrination
"This child should be treated as a hero, as the Yondaime requested!"
"A Jinchuuriki is a powerful weapon Hiruzen, we should use it as such."
"I will not allow it! She is a child! An innocent child! Not a weapon! She is the only surviving heir of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans, she is a hero, we should treat her as such!"
"If we cannot come to an agreement, perhaps we should bring the matter before the council. They will make the right choice, and I will abide by it, regardless of the outcome."
"This is foolish Danzo!"
"Let the council decide that, hm?"
"...Very well. The council will see reason."
"I agree."
The girl awoke with a start, sitting upright, her breathing short and rapid. Her body was drenched in sweat.
"More dreams?" She looked at the speaker, an old man, his black hair shaggy and his face bandaged.
"Y-yes, Danzo-sama." The man nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder. A small smile appeared on his face, and Naruko felt safe.
"We've discussed this, Naruko-chan, your dreams are not dreams, they are memories."
"Y-yes. Sp-sp-spo-" Her body still felt heavy from sleep, and her mouth couldn't keep up with her brain.
"You're looking for sporadic."
"Y-yes! Sporadic...editet...memory." Her face was screwed up in concentration.
"Eidetic. Sporadic eidetic memory. Almost correct Naruko-chan."
The girl pouted, and Danzo laughed. "I almost had it."
"Yes, yes you did. You are barely seven Naruko, it is understandable that you cannot remember everything perfectly. Perhaps, in time, with training, we shall be able to drop the sporadic from your memory, yes?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Now then, would you kindly get yourself ready for training? You will be meeting your partner today." He watched her carefully for a reaction. She did not disappoint.
"P-partner? Like...like niisan?" Naruko wished that her sporadic memory thing hadn't chosen that event as one to record. She sometimes woke up with the feel of blood in her mouth and hands on her throat, then the pressure suddenly lessened, and she woke screaming and sobbing. As always, Danzo was at her bedside, waiting to console her.
Danzo smiled down at her, "No, not like that. Koi-chan is to be your partner, your permanent partner. At least until one of you expires."
Expires. Like milk going bad. So impersonal. Disconnected. The tone gave Naruko a taste in her mouth, not entirely unlike spoiled milk. "Yes."
"Do you have any questions?"
Naruko ceased fumbling with the strap that would hold her tanto to her lower back. "Is she clanless? Like me?"
The old man's unbandaged hand went to his chin, and his eyes closed. "Hmmm." Naruko associated that sound with lies. They tasted saccharine. Sweet, but overly so. "No, she is from a clan, but her parents both expired in the field."
The spoiled milk taste overpowered the cloying taste of lies. "What clan?"
"Nara. She was renamed accordingly."
"Mmm. Koi. Written as with dark?"
"Correct." Praise. Cinnamon. Naruko beamed. She knew when Danzo was lying to her, when he was keeping secrets, but he had always been there for her, consoling her, teaching her, making her strong. She owed him her life, and he asked only that she use it in service to Konohagakure.
Because of what she owed Danzo, she would gladly do so.
The walk to where her new partner waited was short, and Naruko heard the sound of muffled sobbing as they approached the room. It tasted like...plums? Her own crying never evoked a reaction, so it was a new sensation to her. The door opened, and Naruko was allowed to enter.
The girl was tiny, her face gaunt and her stomach sunken. A brief jolt of disgust shot through her. ROOT had been starving her, to make her react more favorably to the first person to bring her food. The thought was confirmed as Danzo placed a fruit in her hand. A plum, by the feel of it. Without hesitating, she offered it to the terrified girl.
"You're hungry? Right? Take it. It's good." She took a bite out of the plum. "See?" The girl snatched it from her hands, and in seconds, had reduced it to a bare pit, and was occupied with licking the juice off her fingers. Smiling, Naruko turned to Danzo, "Do we have more Danzo-sama?"
The old man nodded, and a ROOT member seemingly materialized with a basket of food, which Naruko gladly took.
"Does she...know her name?" She kicked herself mentally. Danzo would note her hesitation, and she would pay for it later. She would probably be subjected to one of Fū's...sessions. A shudder went through her body, which Danzo no doubt noticed. Which meant a double session.
"No, she does not. I will leave it to you to remedy that. Bond with her. She is to be your partner after all."
"Yes Danzo-sama." Naruko began to turn towards the starving girl before Danzo spoke.
"And Naruko?" There was a chill to his voice. It tasted bitter.
"Yes?"
"Report to Fū before you prepare for sleep. He will be informed that you are coming."
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
The door closed with a sort of finality.
"Of course...Danzo-sama." Naruko moved towards the girl, pulled her into her arms, and held her close while she ate. "Welcome to ROOT, Koi-chan."
"No." The girl muttered her refusal between mouthfuls. "Hanaka."
"I'm sorry...they usually bring recruits in when they're younger...your name is Koi now."
The girl struggled against Naruko's embrace, but was too weak to break it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"HANAKA!"
"Shh, shh... I'm so sorry. Please...you need to answer to Koi."
"That's not my name!"
"I know! Just...please...they'll make you forget. They'll make you forget your name...if you refuse to answer to Koi." Naruko released the girl, her arms falling to her side. "They...tried to make me forget. Naruko. That's my name. Naruko. They tried to name me Kin."
"Your hair?"
"I guess...Danzo's idea of a joke I guess." She kept her long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. "I can't forget...certain things. We aren't sure why. Something about...brain...chemology? I don't know the word. But they can make you forget. So...let's make a deal...I'll call you Hanaka...in private, and you can call me Naruko...and we both start answering to our ROOT names...Koi and Kin."
"O-ok..." The smaller girl smiled weakly.
"Good! Now eat up! They're gonna put us to work tomorrow. Training and stuff. I'll uh...ask them to move you into my room. I'll...be there later." Naruko rose up and made her way to the door.
"You have to go?" Despair. It tasted like ash.
Naruko grimaced, "Yes. I need to go see the man that makes us forget."
"Why?" Terror. Tastes like bile.
She sighed, and smiled sadly at Hanaka. "So he can destroy a little bit more of who I am."
"Hello Kin."
"Naruko. My name. It's Naruko."
"Of course. Please, have a seat Kin, and we will begin."
"Why do you keep doing this?"
"Because Danzo-sama commands it. We live to serve Danzo-sama, and to protect Konohagakure."
"We can protect it without giving up our names. You had a name."
"Danzo-sama gave us new names. Your partner has accepted this. Why do you resist?"
"My parents gave me my name."
"Your parents are dead."
"I've given everything else for Danzo-sama."
"Then what is one more thing?"
"It's all I have."
"You have ROOT."
"ROOT has me."
"Then give it everything."
"Fuck you."
"Wrong."
Darkness. White. The taste of flowers.
"What is your name?"
"Naruko!"
"You answer to your name, when anyone but Danzo-sama or myself calls you by it. Why is that?"
"Danzo-sama calls me by my name when none can hear it. You? I just do it to piss you off."
"You are strong. I'll give you that. Perhaps it's because of the Kyuubi?"
"Never did anything for me."
"He-"
"Do not speak of him!"
"Oh? Perhaps you feel like his apprentice did."
"He's a traitor to Konoha, to Danzo-sama, and to ROOT."
"Correct."
Darkness. White. The taste of flowers.
"What is your name?"
"Naruko!"
"I wonder if it is the Kyuubi. I've heard tell of Jinchuuriki resisting genjutsu, and my clan's techniques, because of their Bijuu. It is understandable. No matter. Only Morino-dono is more skilled as an interrogator than myself. If he was a member of ROOT, you would be in his tender care."
"I feel so much better now."
"You should. His methods are far more invasive than my own."
"How is crawling around inside my brain not invasive?"
"Hm. Perhaps...my methods...in addition to his? Yes. I think this will work well."
"I-I don't think Danzo-sama authorized tha-" Darkness. White. The taste of flowers. The scent of burning flesh. The taste of ashes.
"I know we're short this year, but team seven should do just fine with two members. After all, Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun are the top students of the ye-" Iruka stopped mid word, blinking slowly.
As if the entire class had blinked simultaneously, a trio of masked ANBU had appeared, one significantly taller than the others. All three wore black pants and a short, black, half-length jacket, with red bands on the shoulders. The shortest of the trio wore a long-sleeved black under-shirt and had spiky waist length black hair, pulled back into a ponytail, the ANBU's gender was indeterminate, but the ANBU wore a horned mask vaguely reminiscent of a deer. The second ANBU wore a black and gold fox mask, and an orange sleeveless shirt, her waist length blonde hair pulled back into a tight braid. The tallest was swathed in a white cloak, and wore a cat mask. It was the tallest that spoke. "By order of the Hokage, the ANBU trainee named Kin is to become a member of team seven under Kakashi Hatake. Effective immediately."
As if the room had blinked once more, the deer masked ANBU and the cat masked ANBU vanished, leaving only the ANBU named Kin standing before the class. She offered a short bow, and removed her mask, which she clipped onto her belt.
Iruka finally collected himself enough to speak, "Uh. Um. Please, uh, introduce yourself?"
"Yes, Umino-sensei." The girl's face was devoid of emotion, three deep scars carved into each cheek, giving her the appearance of whiskers. Despite the blankness of her face, her bright blue eyes burned with a ferocity seen in far too few. "I am called Kin...and that's what I've been told to tell you. My name is Naruko Uzumaki, and I'd much prefer you call me that."
AN: Maou here, so, first collaborative story that I've ever written, hope you enjoy it. Please, comment, let us know what worked, what didn't, what pairings you'd like to see, ect.
AN2: Hello! Imber here! I hope you all like my concept, I have to say, I'm much more satisfied with what Maou came up with in his writing, as opposed to whatever I would have. Please, review and all that whatnot!