We are the 0bservanc3. We see many.
We record events of multiple timelines.
We don't own Naruto.
THE BIJUU PROJECT - A DIFFERENT HISTORY
"NANI!" Was the simultaneous roar from every female in the room besides Hinata herself and, of coarse, Konan. "I will NOT allow you to do this Hinata! Do you think, even for a second, your father will consent to this!" Tsunade bellowed.
"That, I believe, is no longer his decision." Every face turned to Head Nurse Konan, who was now sitting in a conveniently placed chair. "Due to the decree of the Sandaime Hokage during the Second War, any child who reaches the age of sixteen or above and is enrolled in the military school of Konoha is henceforth seen as an adult in all legal matters."
Silence ruled the classroom.
Looking quite pleased with herself, Konan continued. "And, seeing as Hinata is seventeen, she is now seen as a legal adult. This congruently means that her father no longer has any sway in what direction her life goes."
Tsunade's face turned from pale, to red, to purple as her anger got out of control. She slammed her hands down on the her desk again, getting a pained groan from the abused furniture, and opened her mouth to shout again.
"NO W-!" Fortunately for the ear drums of her students, a square piece of paper shot out of no where and covered the blonde's mouth, preventing the coming rant.
"Professor Senju…" Tsunade turned to look at Konan, who had a sickly sweet smile on her face. "I warned you not to shout again…did I not?" Glaring, Tsunade nodded, and sat down, again.
As this was going on, Hinata's legs were beginning to give out. It had taken all of her courage to stand and volunteer, and she wasn't sure she could hold out much longer. Sighing, she began to experience the tell tale signs of one of her fainting spells coming on.
Hinata's sigh caught the attention of Konan, who turned to look at the pale-eyed girl. Raising a thin eyebrow, the violet-haired nurse turned to look at the girl who could potentially solve one of her company's biggest problems. "Is something wrong Hinata? Having second thoughts?"
The thought of missing her chance at discovering the answer to her bizarre dreams sent a shot of adrenaline through Hinata, waking her from the potential faint spell. "N-n-no, n-n-n-nothing is w-wrong. I j-j-just ha-"
"-That's fine dear, now lets go." Konan ordered, getting up to leave. When she was about to leave the room, she turned, noticing Hinata's still frozen form behind her.
"G-g-go? G-go where?"
"Why, we are going to the Akatsuki Medical Compound." And with that, Konan Pein left the classroom. It would be up to Hinata whether or not to follow her. But, as she neared the main entrance of Konoha High, she began to have second thoughts. What she hadn't told Tsunade was that if one of the other doctors had not been there when the "Project" went Feral, the intern would have died from her injuries. She still might. Konan knew that if she had told Tsunade this information, her old sensei's teammate would have never let her within a square mile of her class.
Before these thoughts could propel Konan into actions she might or might not regret later, the decision was made for her as she heard the young teenage girl shuffling down the hallway after her. Turning to face Hinata, Konan examined her new volunteer.
The girl was tall, but not overly. Thin… but, as with all of the military academy girls, had hidden muscle on her. Her dark violet hair cascaded down to the nape of her neck like a short waterfall of shadowed amethyst. Her eyes were pale and appeared to have no pupils, like the rest of her family. She wore an oversized grey parka, its faux-furred cuffs completely eclipsing her hands and the hood, which was also faux-furred, made it appear as if the girl had a large rabbit lying across her shoulders. Besides this, the girl wore normal teen clothes.
"If you are coming, I suggest you hurry. I have a very busy schedule, and as I have said before, our major "Project" is time sensitive." Turning her back to the girl, Konan glided away. Still nervous about being left behind, Hinata hurried to follow.
After exiting Konoha High, the two women stopped. Hinata, confused, looked around for the cause of sudden pause.
"I-I th-th-thought you w-w-w-were in a h-hurry Ko-Konan-s-sama? W-w-w-why are w-w-w-we st-t-t-topping? Hinata stuttered out. She was still very confused over the sudden change her life seemed to be going through, and Konan's counterproductive actions were only confusing the poor girl farther.
"We are waiting for our ride dear. The limousine should be here soon - oh, there it is!" And indeed, there it was. A black three-door limo was pulling into the parking lot, heading towards them.
When it had pulled up beside the two, a short, bald man stepped out of the driver's side door and calmly opened the passenger's door. Without pause, Konan slide into the vehicle and made herself comfy on the dark grey leather seats. The driver immediately began to close the door.
Turning to Hinata, who was once again frozen in uncertainty, Konan motions for her driver to hold the door open a moment longer.
"Now, come along dear. Lets go. Take my company's offer, and reap the rewards, or continue on your current road and live a normal life." Konan readjusted herself. "Its your choice, but… choose wisely."
Taking a deep breath, Hinata Hyuuga stepped forward, and took her seat next to Konan.
After ten minutes of monotonous driving, Hinata settled down enough to actually become bored… very bored. Twiddling her thumbs was not going to be very interesting, and she really could not see out the limo's window. So, she settled for the next best thing, pestering Konan.
"M-m-m-m-miss K-k-konan? Wha-what is th-th-the project I w-w-w-w-w-will be w-working on? Why i-i-i-i-is it dangerous?" After a few minutes of silence, due to Konan having to process what Hinata had said through her stuttering, the woman's shoulders slumped.
"Hinata, that is a very long story. And it is a very gruesome one as well. But, I guess we have time. It all began hundreds of years ago - back when the Original Sage of Six Paths, you know who he was, walked the earth. He lived in a time of great strife and pain." Konan shifted around to look at the paled-eyed girl. "Wars ravaged this country, as warlord fought warlord for control of land and while they caused considerable destruction, it seemed like it was only the peasants that suffered."
"When the Sage was only sixteen, he became eligible to be drafted by one warlord or another. Instead, he entered the technological and medical fields of science. He was reported to have said he would have no part in the killing of his fellow man. He was one of the few people, at the time, who were glad when the E.M.F.D.M. was launched and detonated by a radical anti-war group.
As you know, the E.M.F.A.D.M., which stands for the Eternal Magnetic Field Alteration and Disruption Missile, is the reason why we can no longer use technology like guns and nuclear warheads anymore, but still have electricity and running water."
"At that time in history, all artillery, such as it was, was totally electronic, as gun powder and ignition fluid had all been used up. The E.M.F.D.M. completely stopped all high-tech systems from functioning. It was thought that this would stop the violence, for how can you fight wars with no weapons?" At this, Konan's face grew sad, as if remembering a terrible consequence.
"But, the warlords were determined to continue their wars. They hunted down every war historian of our country and forced them to use their knowledge to create the weapons of our ancestors. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, anything that could shed blood or take life, they were all brought back."
Hinata's eyes widened. Every kid was taught why there were electric lights and aeroplanes but no longer guns and laser cannons. Hinata's generation itself would have believed that there were never such things as guns or missiles, had they not seen the inert pieces of steel and iron in museums. But this, this was so much more information. Quickly getting out of her thoughts, Hinata refocused on what Konan was saying.
"The resulting blood baths were terrible. Lasers leave no blood, and missiles leave no bodies, but these "new" weapons left both. Soldiers became re-accustomed to the bloody deaths and dismembered corpses of their comrades. The common foot soldier once again became the samurai, and the Way of the Sword was born anew. The E.M.F.D.M., though successful in stopping the guns and missiles of old, was incapable of stopping any of the wars. You could say that is was a failure."
Getting into the telling of their history, Konan continued, with a new, morbid vigor.
"The Sage was disgusted with his people. Even then, with such horrors as fields and fields of corpses and oceans of blood, they would not, could not, stop killing each other. So, he decided to try for himself to stop the wars. After years of research he discovered a new type of procedure that gave his body immense power."
"He imbued every fiber of his being with a hyper-reactive substance that reacted with nature itself and increased every function of his body twenty-fold. His body became abnormally strong, his speed and agility shot through the roof. And his eyes, they were said to have multiply rings in them, and they allowed him to see for miles and miles in crystal clear quality."
"Single handedly, the Sage faced off against the armies of numerous warlords, and left victorious. He carved out the five original provinces, each coming from the decimated remains of a warlord's former holdings."
"He gave these countries to five daimyos, with instructions that they were never to try and take any more for themselves than they were given. When that was done, the Sage began his search for an individual that could contain the power he held within himself, and use it for the cause of good."
"After many decades, he believed he had found that man, the Elemental Emperor. The Sage convinced the then ordinary man that he had what it took to hold the five provinces together in peace. After that was settled, the Sage set to transferring his power."
"But, during the ceremony that would have transferred his power to the Emperor, something happened that neither man had anticipated. A large shadow appeared from nowhere and began to wrap around the Sage. His ceremony disrupted, the Sage lost control. The Emperor received only a fraction of the Sage's immense energy. The rest was divided into nine separate pieces and scattered throughout the land. The shadow was seen retreating, chasing after them."
"Dazed, and without his power, the Sage never discovered what the shadow was or why the power had broken apart before being given to the Emperor, instead of escaping in one piece. Without the rejuvenating properties of his power, the many years converged on the Sage with a vengeance. "
"With the few remaining years afforded to him, he created a group of like-minded scientists who all believed in his vision of peace. These professors and doctors of Science were to continue his work of sustaining world peace, for he knew, even with an emperor, the daimyos would eventually seek to extend their influence and power. And who knew, maybe the Sage had been wrong, and the Emperor was not the pure man he believed him to be. This group was also to search for the separate pieces of his power, and with any luck, recombine them."
Konan turned to Hinata and stared right into her eyes. She stared for so long and so deep, Hinata felt as if she were staring into her soul. "We are that group Hinata.
As if this day hadn't already been surprising enough for Hinata, she now found out that her new employers were an ancient group of scientists and doctors that were brought together to search for the scattered pieces of the original Sage of Six Paths' all-powerful energy. She couldn't decide whether to think they were dedicated to their cause, or just insane. Hinata did what any normal human would do when confronted with the truth, she went into shock.
"H-h-how c-can you p-p-p-p-possibly f-find his p-p-p-p-power? E-e-even af-f-fter all th-these years, d-don't y-y-y-you think s-s-someone w-w-w-w-w-w-would have f-found it by n-now?"
Konan could see that the poor girl was going through slight shock. While Hinata began to fidget in the silence her question created, Konan suddenly broke out into laughter. Or, as much laughter as you have when you are trying to keep up a severe reputation.
"Child, don't you think we know that? Indeed, over the years, certain pieces of the Sage's power have been gained and lost. One was even found in a tea pot, but that's another story. Whenever we get a confirmed case, we track it down and do anything in our power to obtain it."
Hinata, slowly leaving her shocked state, turned to look at Konan. The older woman didn't look like she was lying, but this was still totally insane! But, if she tried to back out now, who knows what the Akatsuki would do to make sure she remained silent.
Thirty minutes later, a stressed Hinata and serene Konan felt the limousine shake to a quiet stop. In less than five seconds, the driver was once again opening the door for the two passengers. Konan led the way, Hinata still to much in a daze to do much. Looking up, Hinata stared at the giant building that was the Akatsuki Medical Compound. The same building she had been haunted by for many a night.
It was enormous! Giant black pillars held up the front of the building, and the numerous gothic façades gave off a very dark and ominous feeling. Only slightly frightened (ON: terrified) of the place she would work at from now on, Hinata took a step back.
Konan was ready for this trip to be over. She had done what she had promised her husband, she had found a willing replacement. Now, to make sure she would believe this was all her own idea.
"Hinata. This is your last chance. You can still turn around now and go back to your school, get your military training, and live a normal life. But you could also walk with me into a world so amazing and spectacular in its wonders you would never want to leave. Its your choice… so choose." And with that, Konan took a step forward, and entered the Compound.
Now by herself, Hinata could finally think. Was this what she truly wanted? To take this job that had been openly explained to be dangerous? What about her family, her friends? Would she ever be able to see them again? Could she ignore her nightly visions for the rest of her life and remain sane?
Taking a deep breath, and hoping she wasn't making a mistake, Hinata made her decision. She could not have known that she had just decided the fate of not only her life, but the fate of numerous other people as well.
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Miles away, in a dark cave, eight pairs of eyes slowly opened. The sound of ancient joints moving after centuries of inactivity reverberated off the smooth walls of the cavern. Only one other thing could be heard, if one were unfortunate to be in said cave.
"KUKUKUKUKU… SSSSSSSSSSSO IT BEGINS…"