Twisted Bonds
Chapter 3: Clarity and Bargaining
Hello, people! I'm sorry for the wait… this update took longer than I had hoped, due to a few cases of writer's block that had occurred along the way. Also, in regards to the original version of this Fic, I've decided to keep it up until the end of the year.
On another note, I have seen many people requesting in their reviews that I add Kushina, Nagisa (Fem Nagato), and in some cases, even Shoki (my version of a Fem Kyuubi) to the Harem. It is these requests that I will have to deny as politely as possible, as this is my first attempt at a Harem Fic.
I've seen more than one Fic being ruined by an overly-large Harem, and I've learned from the mistakes of those authors. In truth, the only mass Harem Fics I've come across that were well done (in my opinion) were NILF by EroSlackerMicha and Eroninja by The Lemon Sage. While the latter author could use some brushing up in regards to grammar, I was actually shocked at how well done these Fics turned out to be.
Still, I am taking no requests, in regards to the Harem.
Finally, I'm not finishing the Arc, here, as I had originally planned, due to the sheer amount of content that I have planned to put in, before I do. That said, I had to split the planned Chapter in two, so as not to repeat the mistake that I had made with Silver and Gold (cramming more than what I could handle in a single Chapter). A Vixen's Departure will be the next Chapter, not this one (needless to say).
Oh! One moooa ting! Due to a few recent updates to List of General Content Warnings, all readers are now strongly advised to re-read those warnings. Most of these, new warnings have been placed into a new, convenient third section that will most likely leave many people mentally-scarred. Also, I'd recommend having Google or a dictionary site handy, when reading this section, just in case.
In regards to a Beta, the user, puffdadder has volunteered for the job. Yay!
(Crickets Chirping)
Well, that's not very nice…
Let's Begin!
On the night of the massacre, Itachi looked up from the corpse of his Uncle Uchiha Teyaki, swearing that he had just sensed his sister's presence.
Was it his imagination?
Probably… if Shizuka was nearby, she wasn't even remotely skilled enough to hide from the likes of him.
Dismissing the thought with a mournful sigh, the young Anbu Captain moved on. As much as he hated doing this, he had a duty to fulfill. Still, the boy needed to move faster; the sooner he advanced to his next target, the sooner he could get this onslaught over with. Spurred on by that notion, Itachi sought the target that he knew would be the hardest in more ways than one—his own mother.
Present time
Two days after the Uchiha Clan Massacre
It was late at night when Mikoto wandered the halls of the Hyuuga compound. The immense amount of damage to their compound had forced them to stay with their own bitter rivals… mainly because there wasn't much of a compound left. Then again, such things were only to be expected when a small army of A and B-class ninja were forced to fight off a surprise attack from another powerful group that just happened to be led by an S-class Elite, like Itachi. This was especially the case when the majority of the combatants, again, just happened to be world-famous users of fire-based Ninjutsu.
Needless to say, the sheer amount of damaged property had far-exceeded that which was left intact…
Mikoto sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time, as she continued down the hall, and found herself lost in thought.
Uchiha Mikoto hummed to herself, blissfully unaware of the events outside, or so it seemed. In truth, she knew damn well what was going on. While the thought of her clan mates dying made her shudder, she wasn't among the targets, or so she thought. In truth, though she was just worried about Shizuka, as the matriarch's daughter should've been home by now. She sighed, as her apprehension about the clan's planned uprising was obviously getting to her. But, five minutes were not even close to enough of a reason for this much worry, as she was assured that Itachi's targets were strictly the ones involved in the coup.
Still, above all else, Mikoto was a mother, and as a mother, it was her job to worry! That said, she had decided upon the five minute mark that if Shizuka wasn't home in ten minutes, then she'd go out and look for her. In the meantime, Mikoto decided to get the dishes out of the way, hoping that the task would distract her from her troubles. After what felt like a long moment, though, she looked up at the kitchen clock and sighed, again. Only two of the ten minutes had passed, and she was already getting antsy!
'Maybe I'll cut it down to five,' she thought, 'I don't think I'll be able to wait a full ten minutes, at this rate.'
Upon the passing of the third minute, though, Mikoto was none too pleased to notice a familiar presence enter the house. Was he done already? That thought scared her. Well, on the brighter side, maybe he'd seen his sister about? At the very least, it was worth asking.
"Itachi," Mikoto ventured, "Shizuka's not home. Do you know where she might be?"
There was no answer. That put Mikoto on edge; she knew her son was there and that he was close enough to hear her.
"Oi, Itachi!"
There was still no answer. Mikoto's long-developed instincts kicked in as a subtle whistle filled her ears. Immediately, she spun around, a carving knife in one hand, and catching the sword arm of her would-be assailant in the other. Itachi was just as quick, catching his mother's main hand with his free one and halting the soap-covered utensil before it could bite into his hip. The attack, however, was obviously aiming to maim and cripple; not to kill. Mikoto didn't want Itachi dead, after all, she wanted answers.
"Itachi," the woman shouted, her now-red eyes locked with an identical set, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"My job," the aforementioned boy replied, "Give up, Mother. You can't win; you've taught me everything you know."
Mikoto was simply appalled by her son's words as she tried to push him back. "Your job? Who authorized this? Tell me!"
Itachi simply pushed back as he replied. "That is not your concern."
Mikoto could only glare at her son, her eyes glimmering with a mix of betrayal and an icy rage. As each Uchiha continued to struggle against the other's strength, neither gave an inch, until a bright, blue flash engulfed the hand that held Itachi's sword. The tell-tale crackling of an electrical attack came with it, as Mikoto heaved her immobilized son across the kitchen floor. The now-paralyzed ninja found himself landing in a short roll, until he came to a stop by crashing into the dining room table.
"Raijin no Te," Itachi coughed out in recognition. This didn't make sense; that technique required for the user to have a powerful lightning affinity. He thought Mikoto had a water affinity. "When did you learn that?"
"A good ninja never reveals everything they can do to anyone," Mikoto lectured, "Now answer my questions! Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" The Uchiha woman had to fight back a sob, after she waited for an answer, only to receive nothing. "So it's like that is it? You're giving me no choice, Itachi! Do you have any idea how much you're hurting me by doing this?"
There was still no answer, even as Mikoto switched the katana over to her main hand, returning the knife to the sink. As his mother approached, Itachi subtly tested his ability to move. His limbs were still numb, so it came as no surprise that he remained immobile.
'I have no choice,' the boy thought, 'I'll have to use the Mangekyou.'
Just as she approached, Mikoto saw her son's Sharingan eyes bleed and change form into something far more sinister. She barely dodged the condensed torrent of Chakra that Itachi launched from his eyes and it did not escape her notice that a black flame burst to life upon the ceiling behind her.
Back in present time, Mikoto froze in mid-step, vividly remembering her son's second attempt to kill her. It had later become obvious that Itachi was the one who had murdered Shisui. That was the only way to explain how he had unlocked the infamous Mangekyou Sharingan. 'What have you let yourself become, Itachi?'
Silence was the only answer she got…
With a shudder, the Uchiha matriarch struggled to restrain the tears that now threatened to spill. Now was not the time to cry; it was the time to recover. In one night, the Uchiha Clan's numbers had plummeted from three-hundred-plus to the lower fifties! They needed to reestablish their powerbase as one of the major clans of Konoha. They needed to repair and reclaim their homes. They needed to lick their wounds and move on!
"Are you alright, Mikoto-sama?"
The woman in question jumped a good two feet at the sudden interruption. Turning to her left, she realized that the voice came from one of the male guards, a female one also stood to Mikoto's right. Their presence caused the Uchiha woman to realize just how distracted she had been.
Obviously, said sentinels were both from the Hyuuga Clan's cadet branch—the glorified slaves of their own clan. The Main House, after all, had "better" things to do with their time than fussing over their own damn safety.
Mikoto sighed, inwardly reprimanding herself for her previous lack of awareness. "I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about."
The guards nodded, reluctantly, knowing better. But, the woman's dismissive undertone made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. With that considered, they took their leave, continuing their patrol.
Taking a deep, calming breath, Mikoto continued her trek through the complex. She just wanted to get some fresh air, before she checked on Shizuka and got some sleep. The Uchiha Matriarch was scheduled to meet the Hokage in about ten hours, but despite having had "plenty of" recovery time, her memories of that horrible night just wouldn't leave her alone!
With her narrow escape from death itself, it was obvious to Mikoto that getting too close was far too risky. With that thought in mind, she opted to end this from a safe distance. So, she utilized a left-handed punching motion and an arc of lightning shot from her knuckles. 'Raiton: Raigeki!'
Unfortunately, Itachi had finally found himself able to move, his previous attack bought him enough time to get up. Rolling well out of the way of his mother's attack, the young male then tumbled to his feet and slapped his hands into a Tiger Seal.
'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!' Itachi thought, as a giant burst of flame erupted from his lips, filling his line of sight with its sheer size.
Upon seeing her son's technique, Mikoto responded by throwing her head back and unleashing an attack of her own, literally spitting out a massive torrent of water. 'Suiton: Mizurappa!'
The effect of Mikoto's attack was elementary; the violent water wave overpowered and quenched Itachi's grand fireball. As an added bonus, though, the woman's assailant was also sent careening into the wall behind him. Taking advantage of this, Mikoto formed a one-handed Rabbit Seal. 'Raiton: Kangekiha!'
As a result, a new flash of lightning lit up and traveled down the still-flowing torrent, sending thousands of volts of electricity through Itachi's body. That, combined with the following impact with the wall sent him crumbling to the ground.
Still not out of the fight, Itachi rolled into a squat, facing his mother with blood now trickling down from his right eye. 'Tsukuyomi!'
Seeing the attack coming as a wave of Chakra, Mikoto was forced to cancel her techniques as she responded with a slash of her son's katana. Channeling her chakra through the blade, a wave of her own was sent right back to intercept. Then, with an otherworldly ripple in the air, the two invisible energies collided and the infamous Genjutsu was canceled. Using her motion to flow into another, the Uchiha woman shot her free hand forward, her palm open. 'Raijin no Te!'
By that time, Itachi had already gotten up and was trying to sprint towards his mother—his Genjutsu having served as an expensive, but necessary distraction. Sadly, his attempt to get into melee range was cut off by a series of lightning bolts that leaped at him from his target's fingertips and nearly sent him right back into the wall. Calling upon his Chakra, the young male forced himself to move, opening the first of the Hachimon to do so. 'Kaimon: Kai!'
Seeing her son still on his feet and shambling towards her, she forced down the resulting sense of dread and pushed more Chakra into her assault.
Forced to his knees by the spike in voltage, Itachi forced himself up, using another of the gates. 'Kyuumon: Kai!'
Yet another contest of wills ensued, as the young Anbu Captain struggled towards his mother. This contest, however, was just as short-lived as the last. When Mikoto saw her son's advance, she channeled small threads of her non-elemental Chakra through the branches of her electrical attack, and made a mighty hurling motion. With that, Itachi was thrown into and through the wall to his right—the threads acting like the strings of a puppet, before they dislodged.
Bouncing off the dirt road and rolling back to his feet, Itachi launched a new fire technique, releasing a barrage of fireballs upon his now-charging mother. 'Katon: Housenka!'
To his quickly-developing frustration, the heir's attack did not connect, as Mikoto seemed to flicker out of existence. 'She used a Shunshin,' Itachi thought. Then, the young Anbu Captain noticed an intense light coming from his left, as he looked and saw that the entire road seemed to be engulfed by one giant flash of lightning.
Mikoto panted as she surveyed the field. Despite Gian being her most devastating technique, the Uchiha Matriarch knew that her son had escaped its reach.
"Mikoto-sama," a female voice yelled, the woman called turned to see that a distant relative of hers was the one who had shouted her name. Specifically, the relative was a lanky, teenaged Chuunin with spiky, black hair.
She had apparently seen the attack, as did the three male Uchiha members that followed her.
"Tatsuki," Mikoto called back, "What's going on? Itachi's trying to kill me!"
"I don't know," Tatsuki replied, "his entire unit's attacking us!"
"Look out!" one male cried, just as a loud rumble filled the group's ears. Just then, the ground, itself seemed to come to life, as massive chunks of earth flew about like snowflakes in a blizzard. One of the Uchiha wasn't fast enough, as the other three used Shunshin no Jutsu to flee to the roof. The hapless, young man was quickly bludgeoned and crushed to death by the debris.
Upon landing on the rooftop, Mikoto recognized the bald Anbu that they had landed behind as Fukutaichou Yama, an infamous earth-user and one of Itachi's co-captains. Then, just as the masked cueball turned to face his adversaries, Mikoto swiftly decapitated him with a swing of her pilfered weapon.
The Uchiha matriarch absently watched as the man's head bounced and fell to the ground like a soccer ball before she turned her gaze towards the building to her right. Standing there was Itachi, flanked by a second co-captain and three other Anbu. More members of his unit could be seen in the distance, locked in combat with other members of the clan. One thing was made rather clear, at that moment; this was going to be a long night.
Yet again, Mikoto let loose a sad sigh. The fight had lasted for hours before the Hokage saw that something was amiss and sent his… other best squads of Anbu to detain Itachi's unit. Unfortunately, its nine remaining members had escaped, seeing that their mission had been compromised.
Some amount of time later, she awoke in a hospital bed, her newly-broken arm in a cast and a replenishment seal above the headboard to treat her Chakra depletion. The remaining wounds that she had received in the later hours of her fight to survive were also gone, but those were just a bunch of scrapes and bruises, so that wasn't very surprising.
In the end, though, she had never discovered who had given Itachi's the alleged orders to kill the entire Uchiha Clan, as all who were involved had claimed that the unit had been acting on their own. The Hokage (being the one who sent the other Anbu squads) could be trusted, as sending them in before the job was done would've defeated the purpose of changing their orders. The members of the Elder Council, however, were the ones that she questioned, but there was no solid evidence that could be used to back up anyone's suspicions.
Finally reaching her and Shizuka's room, Mikoto greeted another pair of guards and paused upon entering to see her daughter sleeping peacefully. The Uchiha Matriarch could never describe how glad she was to have discovered that Shizuka was safe. Closing the door behind her as she approached, Mikoto gave Shizuka a kiss on the forehead and returned to her own bed, hopefully getting some sleep in.
The next day, in the Hokage's office, Mikoto stood with Hiashi of the Hyuuga Clan, and the Hokage, Hiruzen, waiting for a third arrival. Juushiro wasn't late, mind you—Mikoto had simply arrived rather early, due to lack of sleep, and Hiashi was always early, if he could help it. Thankfully, she didn't need to wait much longer.
Ukitake Juushiro marched into the office with a male member of the Uchiha Clan on each flank. Due to the severe depletion of manpower left in the wake of the now-dubbed Uchiha Massacre, what was left of the Uchiha Military Police Department had to be assimilated by the Civilian Militia, effectively giving the Militia's head, Juushiro, the rather big task of leading the new Department of Local Law Enforcement.
His first task was to investigate the strange happenings in the slum district (or the Pit, as it now appeared to be known by its inhabitants), as a selection of Konoha's best remaining Anbu cleaned up what was left of the Uchiha Clan Compound. While the Pit was considered to be a separate entity from Hi no Kuni by the Lord of Fire, himself, this status was still fresh. That said, Juushiro still held jurisdiction over the area, until the Fire Lord was confident that the people of Shoki's "territory" could handle themselves.
Sporting long, white hair and pale skin, poor Juushiro always looked to be rather sickly, even when he was in good health. But, his composure and the dead serious look in his coal-colored eyes showed that he was perfectly fine and bearing news that was not bound to be of the good kind. Giving a bow, Juushiro greeted those present. "Hokage-sama, Mikoto-sama, Hiyashi-sama," he began, "I'm here to report my team's findings."
"Proceed," the Hokage commanded.
Clearing his throat, the Head of Law Enforcement obliged. "Starting with those sightings of an odd blue flash, we visited the area where it had apparently happened. Upon arriving, my team had discovered a series of large, swirl-shaped scorch marks in the area. With the help of Yashiro, here," Juushiro gestured to a white-haired man to his right, "we were able to determine that the damage was caused by an Enton user."
Using the brief pause to think, Hiruzen was not pleased with the thought that came to mind. "Why would Pakura the Desecrater be here?" he asked, seeing as the woman in question was the first person who had come to mind.
"That's what had me puzzled," Juushiro admitted, "so, I had another team look into it."
"Just who is this Pakura?" Mikoto interrupted. She also wondered what this had to do with the massacre, but she knew that they'd get to that, eventually. "And, while you're at it, what's Enton?"
"Pakura the Desecrater," Hiruzen explained, "is an S-Class criminal from Sunagakure no Sato. Specifically, she's a rogue Jounin that is wanted for grave robbing, murder, and extortion. She's also a descendant of the Shodaime Kazekage, and the only living person that is known to use Enton, the hybrid element between fire and wind."
"The problem is that she's a fugitive from an allied nation," Yashiro pointed out. "There's also the fact that the assault occurred rather far away from our cemetery. If she wanted an artifact or something else that was buried here, then why were all of the graves in our cemetery untouched? On top of that the killing methods were completely different from what Pakura typically uses on anyone brave enough to interfere with her goals. It just doesn't add up."
"What kind of methods are we looking at?" Mikoto was still worried. Then again, she had just survived a fight with Itachi! The last thing she needed was another S-class to worry about.
"She uses her hybrid element to, essentially, flash-cook her enemies," Yashiro explained, "In short, she would ignite the air around them and dehydrate their flesh into a state of mummification. The problem is that the remains of the victims we found were completely incinerated. Only a few teeth and bone fragments were left intact. Everything else was either melted or turned to ash. The methods used and the sheer demand for Chakra that something like this would have leads us to believe that someone else was behind this."
"But isn't this Pakura person the only one who could this element?" the Uchiha Matriarch asked. Before Yashiro could counter that, the lead investigator spoke up.
"She is the only living Enton user on record," Juushiro stated, "However, there's the possibility that someone else could have harnessed this ability. There are multiple techniques that one could use to resurrect or simply reanimate the dead, which would allow the user access to any hybrid element through the use of a puppet or undead servant. Suna has been known to have developed at least one such technique, as has Konoha."
"Hitokugutsu and Edo Tensei," Hiashi pondered aloud, speaking up once more.
"Indeed," the Hokage agreed.
At this, Mikoto blushed. Those possibilities had slipped her mind. Still, they didn't comfort her in the least. "Does that mean that some kind of puppet master did this?"
To this, another man finally spoke up. His name was Tekka; the third and youngest Uchiha in the room, standing to Juushiro's left. "That is a possibility that we can't rule out, yet, but there are others. We'll need more time to look into it. We also haven't covered our other findings, yet."
"Soon after the 'mysterious flash' had occurred, the missing children, Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Shizuka were dropped off at the Hyuuga Compound. The two of them were lightly singed and covered in soot, but otherwise unharmed. We have yet to discover who did this and why, but we believe that the victims of the Enton user were the ones who tried to kidnap them and were intercepted on their way to their base camp. If it was a rogue did do this, then we have yet to figure out what their motives could be. A simple act of charity doesn't tend to fit the profile of your average fugitive."
With a sigh, the younger man among the present Uchiha continued, "we also found the camp… or what was left of it, and it seems to have been attacked by a Youton user."
"How did you come to that conclusion?" The one who interrupted was the Hokage, and he did not seem to be pleased with the thought of a lava-wielder in Konoha, and it was with good reason.
While Youton was one of the most common among the hybrid elements, it was also one that existed only in a small number of nations that were still considered to be hostile towards Konoha, even since the end of the Third Great War. Specifically, these nations were Kaminari no Kuni, Tsuchi no Kuni, and Mizu no Kuni. Also, despite the peace treaty that was being negotiated with Kumo, the capital city of Kaminari no Kuni, the recent attempt to kidnap the heiresses of the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans had understandably compromised the agreement. This was why Kaminari no Kuni was (though not yet officially) considered to be among those hostiles.
To answer the Hokage's question, Juushiro spoke up, again. "As we're all aware, Yashiro, here is a Sensor Class," he said, gesturing to the Uchiha in question, "and he detected a number of lingering Chakra signatures under the camp. Considering how commonly-used a killing method live burial is, we excavated some portions of the ground for investigation. But, what we found were pockets of cooled magma with a total of three unique signatures laced into them. The patterns and quantities of the Chakra imply that two people of Jounin caliber were likely killed by lava based attacks, and that the lava was later buried by the owner of the third signature."
With a tired sigh, Juushiro finished his report. "Other than that, we found more soot and scorch marks, as well as some evidence that arrows may have been used in the assault upon the camp. Because of this, we have reason to believe that the Enton user had later visited the campsite and destroyed anything else that he didn't want being found, including any corpses that had been in the area. We also found no tracks or scent trails. All things considered, we are most likely looking at three culprits or more who seem to have some degree of military training."
"I see," Hiruzen mused aloud, his tone a cryptic one. This did not bode well; not only was Kumo threatening war with Konoha, but now the Hokage was staring down the possibility of a team of intruders—trained intruders with bloodlines and an unknown skill level, at that! His job was already stressful enough with Shoki and the Elder Council causing him so much grief! Was a little slack every now and then really too much to ask?
As if on cue, the intercom buzzed to life, signaling that Hiruzen's secretary had news for him. "Hokage-sama, Shoki-san is here to see you, again."
Damn it…
Letting out an irritated sigh, the Hokage composed himself and pushed the little red button on his desk. "Let her in."
"Oh, dear," Mikoto muttered. She, like every other member of the Three Councils, had become very familiar with that name, over the years (despite her not yet being considered to be among them). Sadly, each time the unpredictable woman popped up, it was either as a devil or a saint. The Uchiha Matriarch could only hope that the latter case held true, this time.
Yashiro and Tekka looked on, wary as to why their new clan head seemed to be so worried. While they were familiar with the name, they knew little of Shoki, herself—aside from the rumors that she was a demon or something to that effect. There were even stories floating about that claimed that she had the Hokage on a leash, among other things. It was a long shot, but perhaps they'd find out just how true some of those claims were?
While Juushiro and Hiruzen were in the same boat as Mikoto, Hiashi didn't care all that much about intentions, at the moment. Shoki's mischievous shenanigans and political meddling had yet to directly affect the Hyuuga Clan, so, as far as he was concerned, the head of said clan had had little reason to care. Still, the woman in question did now own the slum district, and it was common knowledge that the first assault upon the Kumo Infiltration Unit had taken place rather close to her home. That said, it wasn't too hard to picture her having something to do with that, one way or another.
A dead silence flooded the room, as all within it calmed their thoughts and eyed the door with a sense of dread or curiosity, depending on the individual. Then, like a bad horror movie cliché, the door eerily creaked open with a familiar, orange-haired woman on the other side. Her arms folded across her chest, as if to imply that the door had opened on its own, she walked in and used her ankle to seal the entrance with a light, subtle kick.
"I would've been here sooner," Shoki said, "but my district had itself a pair of… unexpected visitors. It would seem that the Hyuuga compound's security could still use some patchwork, if a six-year-old and an eight-year-old could slip out unnoticed."
Now, Hiashi cared, as did Mikoto. "Where are they?" they demanded in unison.
"Back in your compound," Shoki replied, "as for what the two heiresses were doing in the Pit, of all places… Well, if I had to guess, then I'd say that they had caught a glimpse of their little savior and wanted to thank him."
"So, you know who is behind the attacks," the Hokage's words were more of a statement than a question.
"Of course, I was the one who sent him and his little team of misfits,"
"Why?"
"An act of charity and good will?"
"Bullshit," Hiruzen deadpanned.
"You don't have to be so mean to me, old man," Shoki mock-whined. Then, she giggled. As a youko, she just couldn't resist the temptation of a good laugh. After a brief pause, though, the demonic woman's expression became a more serious one. "If you must know, Kumo's alliance with Iwa is still rather strong… stronger, now, actually, because of the Tsuchikage's actions, as of late. They both recognize this village's lingering weakness, so Kumo has agreed to harass your defenses and test you. Also, it's obvious that they have allies on the inside, because the Uchiha Massacre was instigated by them to allow the Raikage the very thing he has wanted for years."
"The Byakugan," Hiashi intoned.
Mikoto, Tekka and Yashiro were especially stricken by the implication. Was the attempted genocide of their clan really just a distraction?
"What proof do you have of this?" Hiruzen demanded, "and what about the civil war?"
"Wishing that Jiraiya hadn't gone rogue, I take it?" Shoki only smiled at the Hokage's glare. "You have Iwa to thank for the lapse in the war, for the record. It was because of the reinforcements being sent from that village that forced Kumo's rebel faction into hiding."
In hindsight, Hiruzen realized that he should've expected Shoki not to answer his first question, especially when so many people were in the room. It wasn't like her to reveal her sources, after all. With a sigh, the aged Hokage spoke again, "I take it you want something?"
"To speak with you about this incident without Juushiro and his lackeys present," the orange-haired woman replied, her tone a cryptic one.
"HEY!" the undignified retort came from Tekka.
"Very well," Hiruzen said, "Juushiro, Yashiro, Tekka. The three of you are dismissed."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Juushiro said. As the new Head of Law Enforcement obediently took his leave, Yashiro and Tekka followed—the latter grumbling to himself about smart-mouthed women with orange hair.
Once the three members of Juushiro's main team were gone, Hiashi and Mikoto looked on as Hiruzen spoke.
"So, what's this about, besides the obvious?"
"Very perceptive, old man," Shoki admitted, "as I've already explained, Iwa and Kumo are behind this whole fiasco with the heiresses of the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans, but I'm sure you'd like to know where I got this information."
Now, that was unusual, especially for her. She was obviously up to something…
"Indeed," the Hokage said with a slow nod, "I found it odd that there were no survivors."
"There were no survivors found," Shoki corrected. With a smirk, she elaborated. "I was only interested in the Captain; the Co-Captains and their squad mates were of no importance to me."
"In other words, you have him," Hiashi spoke up.
'Why do I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?' Mikoto thought.
"Yes, I do," Shoki said, "Gashira-kun is a bit roughed up, mind you, but he's alive."
"Gashira," Hiashi asked, "you mean the envoy?"
"Yes, he was the one who lead the whole operation." Shoki then turned her attention back to the Hokage. "What I want is a trade in custody; a prisoner of yours in exchange for a prisoner of mine. I'll even point you in the direction of the rebel faction's leader, as a bonus."
Hiruzen thought it over. If she was offering this much, then it was obvious that the Kyuubi wanted someone that he'd be reluctant to give her. Also, if the claims of the prison guards were true, then the Hokage needed to weigh his options more carefully now than he did in years.
On one hand, the woman that came to mind was a dangerous, unknown element. No one knew to this day how she had killed so many people and destroyed all of her cartel's records in less than an hour. While it was confirmed that she had a wind affinity, there just had to be more to it than that!
On the other hand, Gashira and his team were missing, and while Shoki rarely told the whole truth, she had yet to actually lie to him—much to his surprise. Then again, she didn't need to; if Shoki didn't want to reveal a secret, she hid it and simply wouldn't tell. If she wanted something, then she would get it through extortion or an honest trade—not an empty bargain. That said, Hiruzen was looking at a chance to neutralize one hostile village and to get the other to back off. With the way his village was, the Hokage needed all the help he could get.
"What would you get out of stopping this alliance from attacking us?" Hiashi demanded, "Your so-called Pit is considered a separate entity, by order of the Lord of Fire." Why would she of all people be helping them? It was obvious that she hated the people of Konoha for how they treated her adoptive family.
"Do I honestly have to tell you?" Shoki chided, "While it is true that the Pit is no longer considered to be part of Hi no Kuni, it still resides within the walls of Konoha. Anyone who threatens the village threatens the Pit." Returning her attention to the Hokage, she asked, "so, what's it going to be?"
Considering what had been revealed about the demonic woman's intentions, Hiruzen knew that there was a possibility to negotiate something less risky on his side of the bargain. But, knowing her, it was not worth the risk, and she'd likely get what she wanted through other means, anyway. With a sigh, he asked to confirm his suspicions, "who do you want, specifically?"
Shoki giggled in amusement, before she gave her answer. It would seem that the old monkey was learning rather well.
"The woman I want is Semimaru 'Genocide' Reiko."
Done!
Sheesh, there's a lot of sighing in this chapter. If you have any advice in regards to the fight scene (or any other content), any tips and constructive criticism are welcome. I'm here to learn, just as much as I am here to entertain.
IMPORTANT!
This section covers some changes that I've made to three of the Canon elements in this Fic and the reasons behind said changes!
Enton
In regards to Enton (Blaze Release), the Canon variant will never exist in my Fics, because Sasuke is a Mary-Sue. Instead, Enton will be the newly-named version of the Fire/Wind Hybrid Element, because Fire plus Wind equals BIGGER FIRE! That said, Blaze Release sounds (to me) like a more fitting name for the Element in question than Scorch Release (assuming that everyone's suspicions are true about Shakuton being the name for the combination of Fire and Wind).
Genjutsu
Genjutsu, by Canon definition is an illusionary art that is utilized by injecting your chakra into your target to either manipulate one or more of their five senses, or to put the target into a state of hypnosis. The intrusion of foreign chakra is what activates the illusion and it causes a disruption in their chakra flow, which makes the victim of a Genjutsu easy to identify for those who can somehow detect this anomaly.
All in all, though, when one considers the lack of versatility and the fact that there are even entire clans (among other people) that are even immune to these Techniques , the entire art becomes terribly impractical. By Canon definition, Genjutsu in general is just too situational to be of much (if any) real use, with Tsukuyomi being the sole exception.
This considered, I'm adding a new Genjutsu branch to spice it up a bit. Now, in my Fics, Genjutsu users can spread their chakra over an area of effect or even coat themselves with that chakra. After doing this they can use it to manipulate their appearance or that of their surroundings. The commonly-used, Fanon Genjutsu version of Henge no Jutsu (the Art of Transformation) is a good example of such a Technique, as the Caster is described as coating his/her body in Chakra to alter his/her appearance through the illusion that is being cast.
As for reference, illusions that fall under the first (Canon) description will be dubbed Inner Genjutsu, while illusions that fall under the second (my) description will be dubbed Outer Genjutsu.
Hachimon
Considering how important the Eight Inner Gates seemed to be, at first, I was thinking, why are Rock Lee and Maito Gai the only things in Naruto that make them important? Kakashi was able to open one, too, but when you consider how "vital" they are to one's Chakra System, shouldn't they be more important?
Well, in my Fics, they will be. Anyone above the rank of Jounin will be able to open at least two or three of them as an emergency utility. Itachi, for example, has just been proven capable of opening at least two.
(For the record (in case this hasn't been made clear), the changes to Enton, Genjutsu, and the Hachimon will be recurring themes that will exist in all of my Fics.)
Altered and Original Technique List (All of Such Techniques Mentioned and/or Used Since Chapter One)
Enton
Goukaen (Grand Blaze)
Classes: B-Class, Long Range, Original, Attack, Hybrid Element
First Used By: Uzumaki Naruto
Summary: The caster channels his Enton Chakra into a designated location, such as the ground or the center of his palm, and creates a spark with that chakra, which then explodes in a giant, tornado-like burst of heat and flame that shoots in a single direction.
This technique was first used in Chapter Two, against Yoshi and Fundo's units, and is what caused the "odd blue flash" that Juushiro was referring to in this Chapter. In the Foot Note of Chapter Two, I had referred to this Technique as "Naruto's Swirling Vortex of Doom" for sake of mild humor.
Hidama (Fireball (not a variant of the Grand Fireball))
Classes: A-Class, Long Range, Original, Attack, Assassination, Hybrid Element
First Used By: Uzumaki Naruto
Summary: The caster gathers Enton Chakra into his palm and condenses it into a sphere. He then launches it into the air and steers the fireball by manipulating the air currents in its path, essentially making this projectile serve as a miniature guided missile that explodes on contact.
This technique was also first used in Chapter Two. Specifically, it is the technique that had killed my OC, Yoshi, along with three other Kumo Anbu that were left unnamed.
Youton
Yomi Shiwana (Underworld Deathtrap)
Classes: A-Class, Short Range, Original, Attack, Assassination, Hybrid Element
First Used By: Uzumaki Nariko
Special Requirements: Moguragakure no Jutsu, Dochuu Senkou, strong Doton Affinity
Summary: In conjunction with the required techniques, Moguragakure no Jutsu and Dochuu Senkou, the caster surrounds herself in a ring of lava and pulls her target down into the ground. At the same time, the lava surrounding her swirls upwards and engulfs her target.
The requirement for a strong Doton Affinity comes from the fact that this technique not only requires the simultaneous use of two Doton Ninjutsu, but it also requires more Earth manipulation than Fire.
Finally, as commented by a rather perceptive Reviewer, this technique is a lava-based adaptation of Canon's Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu (Inner Decapitation/Headhunter Jutsu). It was also inspired by it, actually. The only real difference between the techniques, in fact (at least in this Fic), is that one is strictly meant to kill, whereas the other seems to be made for the purpose of apprehending/incapacitating an enemy. For clarity, though, Nariko was the one pulling the Anbu into the ground, when this technique was first used (in her assault upon the Kumo base camp).
Doton
Dochuu Senkou (Underworld Submarine Voyage)
Classes: C-Class, Utility
First Used By: Uzumaki Nariko (Fic), Hoshigaki Kisame (Canon)
Special Requirements: Moguragakure no Jutsu
Summary: In conjunction with Moguragakure no Jutsu, the caster uses his/her Doton Chakra to travel beneath the surface at high speeds.
In this Fic, this technique was first use by Nariko so that she could travel under the surface, when she invaded the Kumo base camp. In Canon, this technique was debuted when Kisame ambushed team Gai in Naruto Shippuden. Also in Canon, this technique may not require the use of Moguragakure no Jutsu to execute. In this Fic, however, it does (obviously).
Iwa Fubuki (Rock Blizzard)
Classes: B-Class, Long Range, Area of Effect, Attack
First Used By: Fukutaichou Yama
Summary: The caster channels his Doton Chakra into the ground and calls upon the Earth, itself to attack all targets in a designated area. This assault is executed by causing large chunks of earth to dislodge from the ground and circle the designated area in mid air, presumably held aloft by the caster's chakra. These deposits of rock and dirt are then hurled at the targets from all angles, effectively stoning them to death.
Moguragakure no Jutsu (The Art of Hiding like a Mole)
Classes: C-Class, Utility, Evasion
First Used By: Uzumaki Nariko (Fic), Deidara (Canon)
Summary: Using her Doton Chakra, the caster sinks or dives into the ground and hides underground like a mole (as implied by the name, one might add). Using this in combination with Dochuu Senkou has been thoroughly established as a rather effective evasion/flight tactic.
Like she did with Dochuu Senkou, Nariko first used this technique in her assault upon the Kumo base camp in Chapter Two. Specifically, this technique was what Nariko used to avoid three of the unnamed Anbu, when they tried to converge upon her.
In Canon, Deidara used this technique to hide from Team Gai and Squad Seven, when they were trying to kill his ass. What his donkey ever did to them, I'll never know. Also, though it has not been confirmed to be true of false, this technique may be what Kakashi used in Canon to hide underground and set himself up to use his Shinjuu Zanshu on Sasuke during the famous bell test.
(Also, Deidara is a girl in this Fic, and will be in all of my Fics that she pops up in. Why? Because I feel like it, that's why!)
Raiton
Raigeki (Lightning Bolt)
Classes: A-Class, Mid Range, Original, Attack, Assassination
First Used by: Uchiha Mikoto
Summary: The caster channels and condenses a large amount of Raiton Chakra into her hands or feet and launches the attack with a forward striking motion (typically a punch or a kick). This technique was specifically designed to pierce through any defensive techniques that the target might erect.
It as also inspired by Azula's lightning-based attacks from Avatar: the Last Airbender (which I don't own).
Raijin no Te (Hand of Raijin)
Special Requirements: strong Raiton Affinity
Classes: C-Class, Short-to-Mid Range, Original, Attack
First Used By: Uchiha Mikoto
Summary: The caster channels Raiton Chakra into her palm and shoots it into the body of her target. Upon mastery of this technique, the caster can also channel Chakra Strings through the lightning and use those strings to… hurl her target into a wall or something to that effect.
This technique was inspired by the Sith Lightning attacks from Star Wars (which is not owned by me, either, for the record). Also, for those who are not aware, Raijin (also known as Raiden) is the Shinto God of Lightning.
Non-Elemental Ninjutsu
Amaterasu (Ninjutsu, Goddess of the Sun)
Special Requirements: Mangekyou Sharingan
Classes: S-Rank, Close Range, Attack, Bloodline Technique
First Used By: Uchiha Itachi
Summary: The caster channels Chakra into his gaze and launches it at his opponent. This Chakra explodes into a burst of black flames on contact. The flames of Amaterasu are said to be inextinguishable and to live for three days and three nights, before they presumably die out on their own.
While difficult to achieve, fast enough targets have been known to be capable of avoiding this technique (most commonly through typical evasion).
Edo Tensei (Impure World Resurrection)
Special Requirements: genetic material from one or more deceased individuals, a specialized seal array, a seal tag per summoned individual, a human sacrifice per summoned individual
Classes: S-Rank, Forbidden, Summoning, Utility
First Used By: Orochimaru (Canon)
Summary: The caster uses the required reagents to summon the spirit of a dead target from beyond the grave to serve as an undead minion. The seal tag serves as both an anchor and a control mechanism, keeping the spirit within the new husk and even providing the minion with a triggered ability to regenerate, when damaged. Once the target is summoned for the first time, no further sacrifices are required, unless the minion is completely destroyed.
Hitokugutsu (Human Puppet)
Special Requirements: A corpse, advanced knowledge of battle puppet crafting, advanced mastery of Kugutsu no Jutsu, advanced knowledge in chemistry, medicine, and human anatomy
Classes: A-Rank, Forbidden, Utility
First Used By: Sasori of the Red Sand (Canon)
Summary: Before utilizing his knowledge of puppetry to activate his new toy, the caster must obviously create it. This is done by first embalming the corpse of a deceased individual. After that process is complete, the corpse is then skinned and dismembered for assembly.
Contrary to popular belief, the skin is not replaced by wood, but rather tanned and curried into a hard leather shell, while the bones are coated in chakra-sensitive metal to serve as the puppet's framework. The organs aside from the brain and heart are set aside for later use, while the ones that remain are dried and converted into the control mechanism and power core, respectively.
Finally, the muscle and blood and the other organs are grinded, cooked with a small amount of the creator's blood and converted into a thick, purple substance that serves as a special oil which fills the puppet and allows the creator to be the only one capable of controlling the puppet as a whole. This oil also provides the puppet with the ability to use any Bloodline Techniques that it knew in life.
Once the basic puppet is complete, it is then customized and fitted with whatever shiny toys, fancy gadgets, and pointy objects that its creator wishes to add. Once satisfied with his handiwork, the caster needs only to channel his chakra into the puppet in order to activate it in preparation for later use and gain the memories that it had in life. The activation ritual, however, is infamously draining due to its large chakra demand and the blowback caused by the resulting rush of information.
(Macabre, yes? While Hitokugutsu, Sasori's arts in general, and Sasori, himself, are the property of Masashi Kishimoto, the details of the Human Puppet's creation were created and added by me. Anyone who wishes to use these added details is free to do so. But, in the event that you are using this to make a Puppet Master Naruto, then please do tell me the name of the Fic, so I can read it!)
Genjutsu
Meisai Gakure no Jutsu (The Art of Camouflage Concealment)
Classes: A-Rank, Utility, Outer Genjutsu
First Used By: Uzumaki Naruto (Fic)
Summary: The caster coats himself in a veil of chakra and bends the light around his body, effectively making him nearly invisible from far away. Due to this technique's low demand for chakra, it is harder to detect, even by Sensor Class ninja. This low demand also makes it easier to maintain while the caster is suppressing his chakra.
In Canon, this technique is considered a Ninjutsu, oddly enough, despite the fact that it looks like an illusion to me. Due to the changes to Genjutsu that I am implementing in my Fics (to increase the art's versatility), this technique has been changed from a Ninjutsu to a Genjutsu. Another change that I've made to this technique is one to its cosmetic appearance, so that it could be more reminiscent of the Predator's camouflage from the Predator movies (Which I don't own, either).
Tsukuyomi (Goddess of the Moon)
Special Requirements: Mangekyou Sharingan, eye contact with the target
Classes: S-Rank, Close Range, Attack, Inner Genjutsu, Bloodline Technique
First Used By: Uchiha Itachi (Canon)
Summary: Like with Amaterasu, the caster channels his chakra into his eyes and launches it at his target. Once applied the target experiences three days and three nights worth of torture in under a second, this torture can be physical, emotional, or psychological. In instances of physical torture, this technique has been known to be capable of killing its target through sheer pain.
While Tsukuyomi is the most powerful Inner Genjutsu currently known to man, it still shares the same respective weaknesses of its class. If the wave of chakra is intercepted by another, or a third party's chakra is injected into the target, the technique will be cancelled. If it is cast upon someone with a stronger will than the caster, it can also be dispelled, though achieving this is extremely difficult.
(Tsukuyomi, for the record is often depicted as being either male or female. In this case, though, I'm just gonna say that she's female.)
Some of the listed Techniques are more altered than others, while some are, indeed, original. The Original Techniques are properly labeled in the "Classes" portion of the Technique's description. If you wish to use these Techniques, you are free to do so. However, I ask that you please do tell me the name of the Fic that you do use it in, so that I can see what you are doing with it, okay?
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
Fukutaichou = Co-Captain (this is Yama's rank, for the record, not his name.)
Mangekyou = Kaleidoscope
Yama = Mountain
Youko = Fox Demon
My god, that's one hell of a Foot Note! I didn't think the Technique List would take up so much space.
Right…
I'll do my best to get Chapter four up as soon as possible. I'm still debating on a few things, though, so it'll take a while. Again, Shoki's departure has been moved over to the next Chapter, due to a lot of shit that I still need to write.
One final thing! I have posted on my Profile some links to my Deviant Art Account and some pictures that I have posted of what Naruto and Nariko's teenaged appearances will look like in this Fic. While I honestly think that I could've done better with them, I also think they're at least decent. Another link is there to direct anyone who is not familiar with Yakuza Girl to a line art I did of Reiko, a while back.
Until next time!
