This is the sequel to the Yuy Clan Arc. The first two chapters I co-wrote with Xander. Hope all of you enjoy. By the way, this is set in the Naruto Shippuden. Please comment and review. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto or Gundam Wing.
Shadows on the Horizon
Episode 1: Returning Nightmares
In the eerie, dark recesses of his lair Orochimaru sat upon his throne like chair. He leaned on the arm of the chair and propped his chin with his hand. His yellow snake eyes watched his subordinate, Kabuto, kneel before him.
"Kabuto, what's the status on our guest?" he asked in a silky smooth voice.
Kabuto rose and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. "He's prepared to make arrangements," he replied.
Orochimaru spoke in his hypnotic voice, "Excellent. Then I do believe it's time to put our plan into motion." Orochimaru smirked and licked his lips. "Even though Itachi's dead, Sasuke's drive to protect those he loves will make him hunger for power. And I will be the one to give it to him." Orochimaru's deep chuckle resonated through the stony walls of the underground lair.
Tzara strode along the road that led back to the Leaf Village. She'd just finished an A-rank mission and felt exhausted. Reaching beneath her beige poncho, she adjusted the Jounin vest covering her uniform shirt as the winter chill seeped through the fabric. Her pants protected her legs from the cold somewhat. As she walked her brown bangs bounced against her Leaf Village forehead protector. Tzara's long, brown ponytail swayed in a slight breeze. She shifted her backpack slightly as she continued her journey. No snow had fallen this year, but it was still beastly cold.
Tzara was still a day or two from the village, but she took her time. Tsunade had reinstated her as a Leaf Village Jounin shortly after the incident with Itachi. Now two and a half years later, Tzara, Heero, Sasuke, and Naruto lived in a house in a fairly decent area of the village. The boys got along well enough, though never a dull moment occupied their days. Naruto and Sasuke competed as usual. The members of Team 7 managed to ascend to the rank of Chuunin. By now Heero had become a Jounin. Tzara felt proud and happy for her brothers.
As she walked Tzara felt an uneasy chill slither its way up her spine. Before she could react, a kunai buried itself in front of her. She saw the paper bomb too late. Pain and shock wracked her body as the explosion threw her back against a tree. Tzara staggered to her feet. She felt a sharp sting in her neck and instantly fell to her knees. She pulled the senbon out of her flesh as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her. Tzara collapsed forward. She watched as a familiar figure walked toward her. Then her world turned to darkness.
Sasuke stood in the middle of the clearing. His sharingan blazed as he listened intently. He heard Sakura's paper bombs exploding as she practiced her Sakura Blizzard on some training posts. He saw Kakashi sitting in the shade of a tree while he read his favorite book. Sasuke didn't let these things distract him though. He continued to listen for his opponent. He snapped his arm behind him and seemingly grabbed thin air. But Sasuke could feel the solid, warm flesh in his grip. Plus, his sharingan revealed a chakra silhouette. Sasuke twisted and threw the attacker a good distance. He saw dust clouds as his enemy skid to a halt on his feet.
"Give it up, loser," Sasuke said. "My sharingan can still see you."
"Whatever," came Naruto's declaration, "I'm going to get you, Sasuke!"
Naruto charged at his new brother and threw a punch at him. Sasuke blocked it easily. Naruto aimed a kick at Sasuke's head, but again the dark haired boy blocked it. They continued exchanging and blocking blows for a time. Naruto remained invisible as he tried to outdo Sasuke. Sasuke worked just as hard to get the better of Naruto. The Uchiha boy still trained with Tzara every chance they got. He could tell his sharingan was getting stronger. Naruto did his own training with his new older sister. She'd taught him her Invisible Jutsu. Most of the time, though, he trained with Heero, since they both had wind elemental chakra.
After a few more blows, Sasuke and Naruto halted from exhaustion. Naruto panted heavily as he released the jutsu and reappeared sprawled out on the ground. Sasuke stood bent over not far from him breathing just as hard.
Sasuke almost resembled Kakashi with his long sleeved, dark blue shirt, pants, and Chuunin vest. Naruto had traded in his blue and orange outfit for a more form fitting black and orange one. He had replaced his blue headband for a black one. The green vest was the only other new addition. Sakura still wore her trademark pink, but her outfit now consisted of a sleeveless shirt, black shorts covered by a pink skirt, black knee high sandals, light pink elbow pads, and black gloves. She had exchanged her blue headband for a pink one and still kept her hair fairly short. Due to the winter Sakura had also donned arm and leg warmers. All three members of Team 7 had grown quite a bit over the last two and a half years. You could hardly tell they were the same kids.
Naruto stared at the sky. He'd never admit it, but he liked having Sasuke as an actual brother. He felt happy finally having a family to call his own. He frowned slightly when he thought about his sister.
"Man, Tzara's been gone a long time," Naruto commented. "I wonder when she'll get back."
"Well, her mission was going to take her a few days to complete," The pink haired medical ninja mentioned as she joined the boys. "But you're right. I don't think it would have taken her a whole week. And Lady Tsunade hasn't heard from her in awhile."
Naruto sat up. "Well, I hope she's all right."
"Tzara's not one you need to worry about too often. She can handle herself," Sasuke interjected.
Naruto nodded. "Boy, that's the truth. She and Heero are made from hard core stuff." Naruto glanced at Kakashi and asked, "What do you think, Kakashi-sensei? Shouldn't Tzara be back by now?"
"Well, some missions take longer than expected," Kakashi replied. To himself he added, But they're right. She should have been back days ago. He looked up at the sky, half expecting to see a messenger bird. And if not, she would have let someone know by now. Kakashi closed his book with a curt snap. "I think that's enough training for today. Don't worry about Tzara. I'm sure she'll be home soon," he encouraged the others.
"She'd better. Heero's cooking sucks!" Naruto complained. His stomach growled in agreement.
Sasuke scoffed, "It's better than eating nothing. Come on, loser, let's go."
"Hey, you don't eat much of it either!" Naruto protested, following his brother.
Kakashi watched Squad 7 as they headed home. He sighed and made his way to the Hokage Tower. Upon reaching it he entered Tsunade's office. The Hokage sat signing paperwork at rapid speed with Shizune struggling to keep up. Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention. Tsunade stopped and looked up.
"Kakashi," she greeted him. She set aside her pen and continued, "What can I do for you?" Kakashi stared silently for a moment. Tsunade sighed. "You're here about Tzara?"
"Yes. Has there been any word at all? What have the Anbu found out?" the silver haired Jounin asked.
"Nothing. It's like she vanished. We can find absolutely no trace of her," Tsunade answered him. She rested her chin on her folded hands. "It pains me to say it, but we should be prepared for the worst. She might never be found." Kakashi sighed and dropped his gaze. Tsunade gave him a look of pity. "Go home, Kakashi. We can't completely give up yet," she encouraged.
Kakashi nodded and bowed slightly. He left the office and headed for his apartment. On the way he came to the bridge where he and Tzara used to cross paths twelve and a half years ago. He stared at it a moment, remembering her young smiling face as she greeted him. "Hey, Kakashi!" she used to say and then kept going. Kakashi turned from the bridge and started to walk.
Instead of going home, he let his feet carry him to wherever. Before he knew it, he'd ended up in the clearing with the boulder by the stream. This place had a lot of memories for Tzara and Naruto, though Naruto only remember his times spent there with Iruka. Kakashi watched the water bubbling past. The rosy pink and fiery orange twilight cast its magic on the water.
Kakashi just stood there drinking in the refreshing silence. After a few moments, his ears heard someone panting heavily behind him. He turned to see Tzara leaning against a tree. Her shinobi clothes were gone and in their place she wore a white t-shirt and black shorts. Her long, brown hair was now cropped almost to her scalp. Bruises and dried blood speckled her body. Her bare feet had dirt and blood on them from the long walk. Her toenails and fingernails were purple from the cold. Thankfully it hadn't been cold enough lately for her to get frostbite. Her fingers looked odd, and Kakashi could tell they were broken. Tzara shivered in the icy breeze.
Kakashi gasped slightly and stared. "Tzara," he said in disbelief. He jumped forward and supported her when she started to collapse. "What happened?"
Tzara flinched and threw herself out of his arms. She bumped back against a tree. She stared at Kakashi fearfully for a moment. Then she looked around her as if unsure where she was. She caught site of the Hokage Mountain and an expression of relief slowly came over her face. She turned back to Kakashi. She gingerly stepped forward and winced. She hobbled to him. Tzara lifted a trembling hand to Kakashi's face and touched his mask. She started to reach for his forehead protector, but then suddenly burst into tears.
"I don't care if it's a dream or genjutsu!" she blurted, throwing her arms around his waist and sobbing into his shoulder. Kakashi stared in shock for a split second before taking off at high speed toward the hospital with a sobbing Tzara in his arms. Tzara gasped for air as she tried to calm down. Kakashi held her closer to him as she shivered uncontrollably. "S-sorry. I'm j-just s-so glad t-to see you. To s-see a-anyone," she explained, wiping tears from her eyes.
Kakashi looked down at her in concern. He put on an extra burst of speed, reaching the hospital in minutes. After making sure Tzara was safe in the medical ninjas' care, he headed to the Hokage Tower. He arrived and gave Tsunade the heads up.
"WHAT?" Tsunade exclaimed after hearing the news. She stood up, slamming her hands down on her desk as she rose.
"She's in the hospital now," Kakashi said. "She's in pretty bad shape."
Tsunade whisked out the door. "You better make sure no one was tailing her," she commanded Kakashi as she left. Kakashi nodded and then vanished.
Tzara stared out the window as she leaned back against her pillows. She hadn't been able to sleep that night. Not peacefully anyway. The last week had been nothing but torture, both physically and emotionally. She hadn't slept much when in captivity either. Now nightmares plagued her. Her body ached all over, but at least now she was clean. The nurses had washed her and dressed her in a white hospital gown. Tzara's fingers had been reset and splinted. She sported several bruises and gashes everywhere on her body. The most visible ones were her swollen black eye, a cut lip, and bandages wrapped around her ankles and wrists where she'd been bound. Tzara stared out the window to remind herself she was home. She was safe. Or so she hoped.
Tsunade walked into the room and quietly closed the door. "How are you feeling?" she asked, looking at her clipboard.
Tzara sighed wearily. "The same way I feel every time I'm in here: like road kill." She flashed Tsunade a smile, though unlike her usual ones, this one didn't reach her eyes.
Tsunade 'hmmed' and then sighed, putting a hand to her hip and lowering the clipboard to her side. Tsunade looked at Tzara. "Your wounds should be healed in a few weeks. I think it's time you told me what happened," Tsunade said.
Tzara's smiled faded. She shuddered painfully, not really wanting to recall her experience. She decided to be as specific as possible without getting too into detail. "Riku's alive. He ambushed me on my way back to the village and took me captive. I don't know where he was keeping me. When I managed to escape, it was dark out and I couldn't make out much about the surrounding area," she told the Hokage. Tzara closed her eyes but then quickly opened them again when flashbacks of her ordeal flooded her mind. She waited for Tsunade's response.
Tsunade gave Tzara an I-Know-You're-Hiding-Something look, but turned away. "You'll be out of here and on duty again in one month, unless complications arise. By then, I'll expect a full report." She looked at Tzara as she added, "If Riku's back, he'll be hounding the Leaf until he's stopped. We're going to need all of our top ninja ready to fight." After a second of holding Tzara's gaze, Tsunade looked down at her pad. "Naruto and the others will be in to visit you later this afternoon. They'd have come earlier, but you needed to rest. You still do, but I couldn't keep them out of here if I tried, and you need to see them. Get some rest, Tzara." She walked out the door and closed it softly behind her.
Tzara sighed. She knew Tsunade was no fool. Tzara couldn't erase what had been done, but she wasn't quite ready to face it. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the memories flashed through her mind's eye. She lay down and cried into her pillow.
Naruto pelted down the street. "Come on you guys!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Sakura was carrying a bundle of flowers they had all bought a few moments earlier. "I don't want to drop the daffodils!" she yelled back. "Wait up!"
Naruto took off again. Where does that kid get all his energy? We just got back from a mission and he's running like he's on fire! Sakura panted to herself, barely keeping up with the boys. Heero easily kept pace with the excited blonde. Though it didn't show on his face, concern for Tzara gnawed at him. Sasuke jogged after them. He resembled his older brother as far as expressions went; however, inside pandemonium reigned. Finally they reached the hospital. Naruto burst through the door.
"Where is she?" he demanded of the pink haired kunoichi. "You work here, so you should be able to find where Tzara's room is, right?"
"Right." Sakura nodded. She conversed with the receptionist briefly before heading down a hall. "This way."
Tzara turned her head toward the door as she heard Naruto coming down the hall. She smiled despite herself. The blonde bundle of energy always amused her. The next thing she knew, said blonde bundle thundered into the room and was at her bedside faster than she could blink.
"Tza-MMF!" Sakura clapped a hand over Naruto's mouth.
"Quiet, idiot. You're in the hospital," Sakura growled at him.
Naruto toned it down when Sakura let go. "Tzara! Are you okay? What happened to you?" he rattled off in a hushed voice.
Sakura walked over and took Tzara's hand. "We were really worried about you! You look awful!"
Tzara gave a weary laugh. "Do I really look that bad? I guess I did get a bit carried away with my hair," she teased. She awkwardly ran her splinted fingers through the bristles that now covered her head. Heero didn't miss the falter in her smile.
"You did this...?" Sakura stroked Tzara's hair. "What on earth happened to you?"
"I hacked it off because it kept getting in the way, but I didn't mean to get it this short," Tzara said. "Plus I ran into some trouble on the way back to the village. Believe me, after the last week I feel like I'm in Heaven. Maybe I should take up permanent residence here in the hospital."
Heero frowned at his sister. "What really happened?" he asked in a meaningful tone.
Sakura put the flowers in the vase and ran some water in it. She's definitely hiding something. I don't believe her about the hair, either, she silently concluded.
Tzara rubbed her hair subconsciously again and gave them a sheepish grin. "I must be made of glass or something. Everybody sees through me." Her smile disappeared and she sighed sadly. Then she spoke, "It's not something I really want to talk about, but you guys will hear it sooner or later anyway. Riku...ambushed me on the way back to the village. How the heck he's alive is beyond me. He did some...bad things while I was his captive," she explained, again rubbing her head.
"Aarrge...that jerk! I'll knock his block off," Naruto growled vehemently, slamming his fist into his palm.
Sakura glanced at him. "Naruto, don't be ridiculous. We have to wait and see what Lady Tsunade tells us to do," she said calmly, but inner Sakura yelled, Cha! I'll kill that guy for hurting Sasuke's sister!
"Naruto, calm down. I'm okay. I'm mean, I've lived through worse, right?" Tzara assured him.
Heero and Sasuke stared at her. Emotions somersaulted through Sasuke. He glared holes in the floor. They had just gotten rid of the threat of Itachi killing her and now this?
Naruto gaped. "So what? Just 'cuz you've lived through what that jerk's done to you, doesn't mean anyone is okay with this!" he exclaimed, throwing quietness to the four winds.
"Naruto, quiet down," Heero spoke in his dangerously low tone which made Naruto shut up instantly. You didn't mess with Heero when he used that voice. To his sister Heero said, "You're hiding something. You might as well tell us, or we'll just go to Tsunade for the answer."
Tzara dropped her gaze to the floor. With her eyes hooded she struggled to get the words out, "Riku...well, he's the one who cut my hair...and he...r-r-r-" She sighed in frustration as tears welled in her eyes. It still shocked her to think it'd happened. She hadn't fully accepted it herself yet. Tzara blinked away the tears and finally choked out, "He raped me."
Heero clenched his fists tight enough blood slipped between his fingers. Sasuke stared in shock, but it was soon replaced with dark anger. Naruto's clenched hands were bleeding as well. All three boys had the exact same expression on their faces, the 'Riku's a dead man' look.
"He...he what?" Sakura stammered.
Tzara flinched. She ran her fingers through her hair again and turned away from them. She slipped out of the bed and on unsteady legs slowly walked to the window. She stared out it.
"It's...well, it's not okay, but...I'm alive. That's the important thing, right?" she tried to sound strong, but Heero heard the uncertainty in her voice.
"Tzara," Heero started, feeling sympathy for his sister as well as anger at Riku.
"Heero, don't," Tzara's curt reply caught him a bit off guard. She folded her arms...no, she was hugging herself, trying to stop the trembling that Heero only now noticed. Tzara turned to them suddenly and forced a brave smile. "Life goes on. So I don't want to see you guys moping forever. Or running off to exact revenge." Silence filled the room for a moment.
"Understood," Heero finally said in an even tone.
Just then a nurse opened the door. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over for today," she said gently. Naruto and Sasuke left the room in silence.
"I...I hope you get better soon, Tzara. If you need anything, just tell me," Sakura said, before following them.
Tzara smiled sadly at the girl's attempt to cheer her up. She looked at Heero. He lingered for a moment longer.
"Get some sleep," he said and then left.
Tzara leaned forward with her, now healed, hands on her knees. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Despite the cold air sweat dripped from her chin. She gazed at the practice pole. Tzara's eyes constantly darted around her. She stayed alert, too alert, but she couldn't help it. Ever since Riku had gotten the jump on her she felt edgy being outside or anywhere for that matter. Especially when she was by herself. Her eyes had dark circles caused by sleepless nights.
Tzara turned to some wooden dummies she'd set up. She charged at them and started hitting and blocking the rotating arms. After a few blows an image of Riku flashed through her mind. Tzara faltered and one of the arms smacked her in the eye. The force of the blow sent her spinning. She landed on her back. Tzara put a hand to her eye as she regained her feet. She swayed and fell to one knee. She winced as she felt a new bruise swelling in the one Riku had already given her.
"Well, a couple days out of practice didn't throw you off that badly, did it?" a voice teased. Kakashi walked up to her, his hands in his pockets. He gave her a friendly smile.
Tzara spun around and backed against one of the posts. She stared at Kakashi fearfully for a moment. Among the tortures Riku had put her through he'd used genjutsu for most of it. Tzara struggled to slow her racing heart. She tried desperately to convince her mind this was the real Kakashi, not some demon look-a-like conjured by her ex-teammate.
"Hey, Kakashi," she greeted semi-warmly. She gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her smiles were never full ones any more.
Kakashi sighed quietly to himself and a pained look flashed across his eyes before he smiled again. "Sooo..." He scratched his head as he commented, "Getting a little training in?"
Tzara nodded. She turned away from him to hide her eye. "Yeah. I need to stay strong, right?" she said with strained cheeriness. "Sorry for what happened in the woods when you found me that night," Tzara said quietly. "I was just so relieved."
"It's okay," Kakashi said, "nothing to apologize for."
He glanced around himself. Kunai lay buried in dummies, but also in the ground and trees surrounding. Her aim was badly off, and if she had jumped any higher when he walked up she would have cleared the stratosphere.
Tzara remained quiet. She stared at the wooden post. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, even though she'd been told none of it was her fault. She pressed her forehead against the cool post as a wave of dizziness hit her. She hated herself. And worst of all, she felt like soiled goods. No man would want her now. She had a stain that would never wash away.
"So, was there something you wanted?" Tzara inquired.
She glanced up to find Kakashi standing next to her. "Oh, nothing in particular..." he said, "just in the neighborhood."
Tzara kept her hand over her eye in an attempt to hide the new bruise. She avoided Kakashi's gaze. She walked toward one of the dummies.
"Well, I should get back to training. Tsunade wants me back in action soon," she commented in more her normal, cheerful voice.
Kakashi walked forward and took Tzara's elbow. "Why don't you take a break?" he said. "I'm going to get lunch and could use some company...what do you say?"
"Ummmm...no thanks. I need to get back in shape. I appreciate the offer, though," Tzara told him with a smile. She started to pull away.
Kakashi's grip remained light but firm as he kept his hold on her arm. "If you stay out here much longer, you're going to end up in the hospital again before sunset," he stated. "The reason why Tsunade gave you time off was to rest, not pin your foot to the ground with a handful of shuriken," Kakashi pressed.
"I'm fine," Tzara insisted a bit irritably. She yanked her arm out of his hand.
Kakashi shrugged. "I never asked if you were," he said. "If Sakura were in your place, would you let her exhaust herself for no reason?"
"No reason? I need to get stronger so something like this doesn't happen again. My injuries have healed enough. I need to use the remaining time to get back in the swing of things. Are you blind? Look around us. I'm pathetic!" Tzara snapped. "I don't need everyone treating me like a stupid porcelain doll!"
"We both know you aren't as unskilled as this," Kakashi said, undeterred by her outburst. "You're high strung and nervous, jittery. And you can't think straight. You haven't slept in days. Throwing kunai at a stump all day long isn't going to help."
"What would you know about it? How could you possibly understand? You weren't the one who got-" Tzara choked on the next word. She couldn't bring herself to say it. She turned away angrily as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She clenched her fists at her sides.
"No, I'm not," Kakashi agreed quietly. "I am one of the people who have to watch you destroy yourself and push away everyone who try to help you," He said in a low tone. He watched her, his hands deep in his pockets.
"You don't like it then don't look," Tzara retorted hotly. She yanked a kunai out of a dummy and prepared to charge at them again. Kakashi caught her wrist.
"Does 'getting back into the swing of things' include jumping at your own shadow?" asked Kakashi.
"That's what I'm trying not to do, baka!" Tzara pulled away from him and glared at him. "What do you want from me?"
"If you're not hiding, why won't you come eat lunch with me?" he inquired.
Tzara flinched, her anger dissolving slightly and mingling with shame. She looked away from Kakashi. "I...I just...I can't," she said, her voice starting to break. "You have no idea what it's like. Absolutely no idea. I can't sleep; heck, I can't even be in a dark room without having memories flash through my mind. And it's just...harder to be around certain people. I feel like I've disappointed them. Like I couldn't live up to their expectations by letting this happen."
"You didn't let this happen; don't ever feel that way, Tzara," Kakashi said, with surprising vehemence. He almost looked angry. "The only disappointment felt by anybody is in him or herself for not being able to be there for you when you needed it most," he said. "You surpassed expectations just by not disclosing any information on the village, surviving, escaping, and making it all the way back here in your condition."
Tzara stepped back and refused to look at him. Her body trembled as tears slipped down her cold cheeks. "I should have been able to defend myself. I have for almost thirteen years. I nearly killed him last time we fought."
"That's in the past, and there's nothing you can do to change what happened, Tzara," Kakashi said, his voice back to normal and under control. "Recent past, but still past and over with. Same with the past twelve and a half years. They aren't happening anymore, and you can't keep living in them or you'll go insane."
"It's also hard to be around certain people because Riku used a lot of genjutsu. So it didn't always look like he was the one…..doing it," Tzara explained quietly. She backed up against one of the wooden posts.
Kakashi's shoulders slumped. Okay, well that explains a lot, he thought to himself wryly. Kakashi took his left hand out of his pocket and scratched his head.
"Still, it is over and done with...you can't be terrified of the people you care about for long. If you let his twisted genjutsu define how you live and treat everyone," Kakashi said, "then he won."
"What do you want from me, Kakashi? I'm sorry I'm a disappointment to you. I'm not as strong as you are. I don't think I ever will be," Tzara said in her normal voice again. She wiped away her tears, being careful about her throbbing black eye. "And I don't know if any of this will ever go away. I'm trying. I really am," she added.
Kakashi approached her and lifted her chin so she'd look at him. "Then let me help you," Kakashi said. "You might think otherwise, but this isn't just your burden to bear, Tzara."
"How can you help me? You can't take back what's happened, you said so yourself," Tzara countered quietly.
Kakashi looked at her for a second. "But you can heal, and move on. Which is hard to do by yourself," he said finally. And in your case, probably impossible, he almost added.
"But..." Tzara sighed, feeling suddenly tired. "How is anyone supposed to help me through it. We can't just pretend it never happened."
"No," Kakashi condescended, "We can't." He paused and then sighed. "The fact is, Riku is Public Enemy Number One and is now attacking the Hidden Leaf again. He's obviously grown in power to have been able to kidnap you, which couldn't have been easy. Riku's completely obsessed with you, and insane. He'll be making constant and irrational attacks in order to get to you and probably your brothers. He's shown that he's willing to level the village to get what he wants. So, no, we can't pretend it never happened." He put his hands on Tzara's shoulders and gave them a firm, reassuring squeeze. He continued, "But think of it this way. Wouldn't it please him if he knew you were so close to becoming obsessed over him?"
Tzara's gaze dropped to their feet. She gripped Kakashi's vest and pressed her forehead to his chest. "Then help me. I'm at the end of my rope. I don't know what to do anymore." She paused. Her grip tightened as tears trickled down her cheeks again. "I'm not...am I really worth all this? I'm putting the village in danger by having this psycho after me."
Kakashi blinked at her in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. "Yes, you are worth it. And Tzara, you aren't putting the village in danger; Riku is. It's not like you volunteered."
"But it's me he's after. Maybe I should just..." she trailed off knowing Kakashi wouldn't like what she started to say.
"Do you really think that would stop him?" Kakashi asked quietly. "Knowing him, he'd just come after the village anyway and make you watch."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Tzara asked softly. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I've already lost three teammates to him. I don't want anyone else to die on my account."
"Rest. That's just as much a part of preparing for an attack as training is, you know." Kakashi chuckled slightly. "We fought him off last time; we'll do it again...just more efficiently."
Tzara sighed wearily. "If you say so." She frowned. "Something's been bothering about the ambush. I mean, other than I got captured and all that. But I can't put my thumb on it. Just...something seemed off. The attack was too subtle for Riku, too devious. And never in all the years I've known him did he ever use senbons," she added.
"Hm?" Kakashi felt inwardly thrilled to have her focus on a different part of her ordeal. But he didn't show it. "Then it probably wasn't just him," Kakashi mused. "Do you remember anyone else being there? Like, did you hear anyone else's voice, or sense another chakra presence?"
"No. The attacker used an explosive tag attached to a kunai. It threw me against a tree, and the next thing I knew I had a senbon in my neck. Right before I fell into unconsciousness I saw my assailant walking through the smoke. I couldn't see him very well, but at first I thought it was Kabuto. I figured I had been seeing things when I woke up as Riku's captive," Tzara explained.
Kakashi frowned. "Have you told Lady Tsunade about this?" he asked.
Tzara shook her head. "Like I said, I thought I was just seeing things. I assumed it had been Riku. Do you think Orochimaru's involved?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Kakashi said. "Think about it. Who's the most likely candidate for an ally in his Sasuke quest, now that Itachi's gone?"
"That would also explain how Riku survived our fight. Orochimaru's good at piecing people back together," Tzara commented.
Kakashi 'hmphed' in agreement. "We better go tell Lady Tsunade about this," he said. "She can send shinobi out to investigate."
Before they could move, a new voice commented, "Aw, look at the cute couple." Tzara whirled around in Kakashi's arms to see Riku sitting atop one of the wooden posts. His blood ponytail hung over his shoulder.
Kakashi glared at Riku, but other than that he remained unchanged. "Well, look who we have here," he said.
"Tzara, I take it you didn't care for your accommodations. I can arrange new ones, if you'd like," Riku continued as if talking about going on vacation. Then his dark eyes glared at Kakashi. "I'll be taking her back now. I've claimed her, after all. She can never be truly yours."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "We'll just see about that," he said. His mind reeled. Was Riku alone? If not, where were his accomplices? How was he going to get Tzara to safety, when she couldn't even throw a kunai straight?
Riku suddenly appeared before them. Yanking Tzara by her arm, he landed a kick to Kakashi's stomach that sent the Jounin flying several feet. Riku twisted Tzara's arm behind her back and wrapped an arm around her neck pinning her to his front. Kakashi vanished and a chunk of wood went flying through the air. Kakashi appeared behind Riku. He landed his foot in the small of the man's back, yielding a painful sounding 'crack' and freeing Tzara. Kakashi grabbed her and vanished, heading for the center of town. Riku burst into a cloud of smoke.
"It was a shadow clone," Tzara stated, trying to stay calm. Really her mind spun a hundred miles a second. She trembled violently. Kakashi summoned Pakkun and sent the little pug to Tsunade. Kakashi maneuvered through the less populated areas of the village trying to keep Riku away from the villagers. A few minutes later the two shinobi were surrounded by Anbu.
"I'll take her," one Anbu with a mask depicting a demon spoke. Another Anbu had disguised himself as Tzara using a transformation jutsu.
Kakashi nodded. "Half of you take Tzara and get her to safety. The rest of you look for the intruder. He might not be alone."
Black tentacles burst between the real Tzara and the Anbu. Tzara leapt back. Riku appeared behind her. Tzara spun around wielding a giant shuriken, but Riku blocked her swing with a katana. Tzara kicked Riku away from her. She leapt back toward the Anbu, and they made a protective circle around her.
Kakashi attacked Riku. "Lightning blade!" he yelled, slamming him through several buildings.
Riku laughed. He crouched unaffected in the ruins. His eyes had changed to black and yellow. Suddenly he transformed into a red and purple dragon. Purple scales covered his hide as he knelt on all fours. His body grew to a massive size. His hands and feet grew claws, and fangs stretched past his lower lip. A red mane traveled down his spine, hiding the spikes that jutted out there.
"A curse mark," Tzara breathed in horror.
Riku swung his tail, knocking a portion of the Anbu away from Tzara. He spewed fire at the remaining ninja. He reached a clawed hand for Tzara. Riveted to the ground by fear, Tzara stared at him. Her body shook horribly. Kakashi grabbed Tzara and jumped out of the way.
"Get Tsunade!" he shouted at the remaining Anbu, who had all dodged the fire.
Riku roared furiously. He leapt after Kakashi, thundering down the streets. He brazed buildings as he chased them. Riku snapped at Kakashi, but the Copy Ninja dodged effectively.
"Give her to me! She's mine! She's always been mine! Even now in your arms, she's mine!" Riku bellowed.
Kakashi ignored Riku's insane protests. Suddenly Riku snatched Tzara out of Kakashi's arms with his teeth. He wrapped his tail around Kakashi and squeezed almost to the point of crushing him.
"Riku, stop it!" Tzara cried.
Kakashi vanished in a cloud of smoke. The real Kakashi and a clone attacked Riku, throwing several paper bombs to distract him and grabbing Tzara out of his mouth. Riku spat out a portion of Tzara's Jounin vest before he roared in fury. He started to come after them. He stopped suddenly and roared. The two shinobi saw several senbon buried in his neck. Riku collapsed to the ground. Tzara and Kakashi watched as his body transformed back to its original state. Kabuto appeared and slung the unconscious man over his shoulder. He glanced back at the two Jounin. Smirking he disappeared in a wreath of fire. Tzara shook all over. She put an unsteady hand to her forehead.
"Well, I guess that confirms our suspicions," Kakashi commented dryly. He put an arm around Tzara's waist to steady her.
The young kunoichi fought to gain control of herself. "Sorry. I was useless," she apologized. She stared at where Riku had been.
"Come on," Kakashi said. "We better go give Tsunade a full report."
Tzara nodded. She dashed toward the Hokage Tower with Kakashi following close behind.
Kakashi and Tzara stood before Tsunade. The older woman sat thinking for a moment.
"So, Kabuto showed up both times, eh?" the Hokage dropped her chin onto her interlaced fingers and closed her eyes in thought. "You're right Kakashi; it does make sense. It's surprising how easily they infiltrated the village, though." Just then running footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the office door.
"Naruto! Come back here!" a muffled Sakura voice could barely be heard. The door slammed open and the blonde boy burst inside.
"Where is that guy? I'll pound 'im!" Naruto declared. "Is Tzara oka- Oh! There you are, Tzara! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are ya?"
Heero and Sasuke were on his heels. The two brothers looked deadly. They let Naruto do the talking for them and waited for answers.
"She's fine!" Tsunade yelled. "And don't just barge in here like that! Why are you in here, anyway? What makes you think Riku would be here?"
"Well, we couldn't find any trace of him in town, so Naruto suggested we come here to check and see if Tzara had made it back," Sakura explained. The three boys nodded.
Tsunade exhaled and leaned back in her chair, her hand on her forehead. "Fine. Riku was knocked out by Kabuto, and the two of them vanished. I have shinobi tailing them, but they seem to have left without a trace. Now are you satisfied?" Naruto's growling seemed to signify a 'no, but if that's all you can give us then we'll take it'.
"I'm all right, Naruto. Riku didn't hurt me," Tzara assured him.
Heero studied Tzara's face. "Then why does your eye look worse than it did before," he growled.
"I got whacked by a wooden dummy," Tzara admitted giving them a sheepish grin. "He was tougher than he looked." Sasuke and Naruto gaped at her.
Heero stared at his sister to see if she was joking. "Since when do you get beaten up by dummies?" he finally asked.
"All the time. They're called Heero, Sasuke, and Naruto," she teased giving them a good natured wink.
"This isn't a time to be making jokes!" Sakura cried. "How did Riku even get into the Village?"
"When you figure it out, let me know," Tzara commented dryly. "Honestly, I'm not surprised. He's infiltrated it five times now. He's an expert at covert stuff."
"The question is: how do we stop him?" Kakashi said. "And why did Kabuto take him out?"
"Riku attacked before he was supposed to," Heero suggested. "If Orochimaru is involved he's probably got a specific plan in mind for getting Sasuke. Riku got impatient and acted ahead of schedule." Kakashi glanced at Heero.
"That makes sense," Tsunade said. "We need to find out what that plan is. Imp!" The Anbu with the demon mask entered the room. "Agent Imp will be Tzara's bodyguard," Tsunade said. "I'll send other ninja to investigate the enemy and find out what Orochimaru is up to. Until then, we should instill a strict and thorough sentry system."
"Riku's got a knack for getting past security. Especially with his shadow jutsu. Creating an effective security strategy is going to be difficult," Tzara commented.
"But not impossible," Heero reminded her.
"My summoning hawks could keep a look out in the sky. They'd be able to spot his chakra," Tzara suggested. Among the birds Tzara could summon, the scouting hawks had special eyes that could see chakra, much like a Byakugan.
Tsunade nodded. "Good idea. Kakashi, your dogs can search the surrounding areas for the scent or smell of Orochimaru and Riku. Naruto," she turned to the orange-clad youth, "We'll need many of our ninja and can't spare them all for sentry duty. I need you to use your shadow clones to surround the village. Will they pay close enough attention?" She didn't sound completely convinced that they would, but it was worth a try.
"You bet!" Naruto was out the door before anyone could blink.
Tzara smiled after the blonde. Then she turned to the Anbu operative. "Come on, Imp. Let's get those hawks in the air," she said playfully. Her smile still didn't reach her eyes, but it was better than nothing. Tzara headed out the door with Imp right behind her.