Ch. 2 the test
It was silent for the whole time we were in the village. Orochimaru still disguised as Kabuto, gave me sideways glances to make sure I was still by his side. It's still hard to believe that he's my father, but anything was better than Tanya. If I did go with her and run away later, I would still have to deal with her until I did.
We left the village and entered the woods. Maybe I can run and live with Mori, once were far enough away or when we meet up with Kabuto. I wonder do nature spirits have a kind of home. When we were clear of any manmade buildings I started using Mori's code. I scuffled my feet on the ground to transmit my message. I summarized what had happened and asked if I was able to live with her. She replied with a chirping bird.
'Yes, I'd have to say from what I can tell he is your dad. I don't think I can provide the living style you need. But if you need to escape I can help you hide in my forest, or if you need some companionship just call. But I can't provide you with a home.' is what I could decode.
'Thanks. I feel that I'm not quite certain on something about my dad' I said in code.
'Shall we give him a test? 'She replied. We discussed the plan for the test. It was simple really he just had to get to me and save me, and Mori will give him some obstacles. And it will start when we find Kabuto. It was a while before we finally met up with Kabuto, but before a word was spoken, a duck passed overhead quacking. That meant well to, duck and the quacking meant quickly. I dropped to the ground and made it look like I tripped, and then roots in the ground came up and pulled me under. As they did Orochimaru tried to stop it, but the roots won. I was pulled in to an underground tunnel and I was nose to nose with a large silver wolf with blood red eyes.
"Hay Mori," I said as I greeted the wolf. Mori wagged her tail. Then a voice which was Mori's came in my head.
"Hay Catsa, I'm telling them the rules right now. I'll need you to scream in terror on my signal." she said. A moment past and Mori snorted and I gave a scared scream. Mori shared with me what the others were saying. It was very interesting to hear. Orochimaru was shouting threats, but all Kabuto was said was 'how peculiar this situation is'.
After that Mori led me to the clearing were I was going to be for the first of four trials. To help the affect we had me pretend to be unconscious for this one. A vine shot out and rapped around me then pulled me up in the air. Then a group of 8 wolves came over to Mori.
"These strong young wolves are going to be part of this test. Why they are up for getting their tails whipped is that they think me as their Alfa. Cute isn't it." Mori explained. Then she went to the end of vine that was tied to a tree. Under it she had made a fire to slowly burn the vine. Then Mori hid in the bushes nearby and I pretended to be out cold. Orochimaru came running in to the clearing moments later. He was fast.
Mori's voice filled the air. "Save her before the fire burns the vine and drops Catsa into the bottom less pit below." She said. I heard the sound of dirt, sand, and rock moving below me. "Oh and don't kill my wolves." She added.
The wolves started growling and barking. I resisted the urge to peek. The sounds of barking and fighting sounded. A jerk of the vine snapped me out of my act. I gasped as I dropped a foot. I looked around a tad bit scared. The movement made my already loose hair ties fall out. I looked down to watch them fall. As I did I saw that the pit was only too deep for a normal human to see the bottom?
That calmed me some because my mom's family has very interesting animal abilities. Each member has the ability to become any form of a certain kind of animal. I was a feline shifter, my mom was a bird shifter, and Tanya was amphibian shifter. We have every one of our animals' ability. So I can see the bottom of the pit.
Orochimaru knocked out the last of the wolves. At the same time the vine broke and I plummeted. Orochimaru leaped and cot me just in time. Again the ground began to swallow me up. When I was in the tunnel again Mori was rolling on the ground. She got up and put her nose to my fore head and replay of what happened played in my head. Now I understand that Mori was rolling in laughter. After I was sucked up Orochimaru was in a pissed off rampage.
"What the hell! I had her!" he yelled
"The voice did say there would be three other tests." Kabuto reminded him. Then Mori's voice was projected.
"Indeed I did say that. And you passed the first test. You have to pass all of the tests if you are to care for my friend." she said in their minds.
"Friend, how can you be her friend if you're putting her in danger?" shouted Orochimaru. He was confused and mad.
"Oh, so she was telling the truth." Kabuto said with a smirk. Orochimaru was too pissed to hear and ask what he meant.
I laughed and giggled. This was fun. We made our way to the next clearing. We went to the surface and found a decent tree. I stood against it and once again I was bound by tentacles of wood. Mori yipped and a swarm of bees swarmed onto my mouth and covered it with vary sticky and gooey honey and wax. I couldn't even open my mouth. As the bees placed the honey the ground cleared into a ten foot by ten foot checker board pattern with three feet between the edge and the trees. I was in the middle on a four foot by four foot and a foot high platform. Each square foot was a different color of grass all mixed up? There was every color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green different color green then the normal grass, blue, and purple. Mori told me how they would get through.
"They get to you by stepping on the order of your favorite colors, and there hint will be 'follow Catsa's rainbow.'" she said. I nodded in agreement. Before Mori hide, she looked at me yipped then went back down into the ground, into the tunnel.
A moment later a squirrel scampered down the tree with a pouch in its mouth. It started putting the pouch contains on my face around my eyes and before leaving scuffled my hair so that no matter what I couldn't get it out of my face.
I had to wait a while. It gave me time to think of my rainbow they would have to follow. I finally decided the first three would be red, blue, then yellow, because they were the three primary colors that all other colors are made from. Then it would be purple, green and last would be orange. I repeated the order over and over until I saw Orochimaru come through the trees.
He didn't even stop, he leaped over the colors. He would have made it if a root hadn't shot out of the ground and grabbed his leg and flung him back to the edge. Then Mori said in all our minds the clue.
"To get to Catsa you must follow her rainbow. Take too long and or make too many mistakes you will fail this test." she said. Orochimaru looked confused and worried.
"Is it true that this person is your friend?" he asked. I nodded as if to say 'yeah, she can be this way' "do you have anything to do with these tests?" Orochimaru asked suspiciously. I just shrugged my shoulders.
"This person is a she, and is the spirit of the forest. Catsa told me how they became friends. At the time it seemed too childish to be true." said Kabuto pushing his glasses back up his nose. Orochimaru looked at Kabuto.
"Well then, sense Catsa can't speak how about you tell the story." Orochimaru insisted.
"Well there was a time that the forest would attack anyone that entered. Maria told Catsa that the spirit of the forest was angry. Catsa, one night ventured into the woods with gifts she made for the forest spirit. She was just out of sight of the village when she was attacked by a large silver wolf with red eyes. As it charge at her but she dodged it. As it passed Catsa put one of the necklaces she had made, around the wolf's neck. Doing that surprised the wolf. It tried to see what Catsa put on it. Catsa held up a nether necklace to show the wolf. Then Catsa put the four other necklaces on the wolf. She asked the wolf to give the necklaces is to the spirit of the forest. So the wolf replied. 'You already did'. The wolf was the spirit of the forest. Her name was Mori Ookami kami. Catsa and Mori talked for hours and became friends soon after. Mori and Catsa made a code that will allow them to talk to each other when Catsa is in the forest. "Kabuto concluded.
Orochimaru was by then was trying to find the forth color. He needed to find purple. Ever wrong answer he was thrown back to the beginning. So far he's made 6 mistakes but it's only been 5 minutes.
After another moment he finally stepped up on to the grassy platform on which I was imprisoned. He knelt in front of me. He moved my hair out of my face. One look and he started snickering. Kabuto came up behind Orochimaru and the same happen with him. A look of irritated condition covered my face.
I tried to ask what was funny but all that was herd was. "Hmmm!?"
"She looks just like you! Just change the eye color and you have a perfect match" Kabuto laughed.
"Hmmm?!"
"Judging by your condition I take it that you aren't aware that you have make-up on like me." Orochimaru explained. Hearing that and I had a sweet drop moment. That squirrel better beware. It's going to be my meal.
Orochimaru picked at the honey & wax cement that prevented me from speaking. As he pulled on the gunk it stretched, so he had to pull from the base. The removal of the gunk felt like he was removing a band-ad from my face. Finely all of it was off but before Orochimaru could get started on freeing me. The tree up rooted itself and walked off into the woods. I let out a scream, a real one. I had no clue what was going on. Then Mori's voice entered my mind.
"This is the transition to the next test. He passed part two but I didn't tell him anything. Oh, and sorry about the make-up I couldn't help myself." she said that and reminded me what the next problem Orochimaru had to solve. How can I forget I thought up this one and the forth one too. When the tree finally stopped, it stopped next to a similar tree with a Catsa bound to it. This Catsa is of course a false Catsa. The point of this test is to choose the real Catsa. One will tell the truth, me, and the other tell lies, not me. To find the real cats Orochimaru could only ask us one question. I turned to the fake
"Hay Catsa, I'm pleased to meet you." I said cheerfully with a smile. The fake Catsa turned to me.
"Hay Catsa, I wish I hadn't met you." she said just as cheerfully and with the same smile. At that we both burst out laughing because we have the same personality and I know she didn't mean it that way. She can tell nothing but lies, but she will act along with the words when Orochimaru got here.
Looking at the fake Catsa's smile made me realize that it looked like the smile Orochimaru had on his face when he said 'I had his smile', and I will admit it we do look more like him with the make-up.
"I guess we do have his smile, and at least the make-up looks good on us." I said.
"No, we don't, I don't see his smile at all, and we look ugly," she said, nodding. She means she does see it and likes the make up too.
"Hay Catsa, do you think Orochimaru is our dad?" I asked the fake Catsa. She thought for a second
"There's no chance at all he is. Our mom never said our dad was different from any other dad, and we never wanted a dad like that anyway. All I have to say about our smile and make up is that it's exactly like the 'not' twins" she answered the best she could.
I understood loud and clear. There is a good chance he could be my dad. My mom did say my dad was different from any other dad, and I did want a dad like that. The 'not' twins are two boys that were in my class, and the two others that made my squad when we were genie. They are my best friends too. They look every bit alike, but they come from completely different families, they're not related at all. Since the fake Catsa said my smile and make up fix was exactly like them, she meant me being an Orochimaru look alike was no by coincidence.
"Do you really think so?" I asked
"Nope not at all." she said. At that we heard the sound of someone approaching through the trees. Moments later Orochimaru came in to view. He was surprised to see two Catsa's instead of one. Just then Mori came out of hiding and sat between me and the other Catsa.
"You must find the real Catsa and can only ask one question, but one Catsa will lie and other will tell you the truth. If you choose wrong, you will never be able to see Catsa again." Mori's voice projected through the air.
"Don't make me want him to lose." said the fake Catsa.
"That's kind of harsh don't you think." I said. Orochimaru looked at both of us very carefully. He whispered something with kabuto. Next kabuto came and looked us up and down. Orochimaru and kabuto whispered some more. I used my special cat hearing ability's to allow me to hear well. What I heard was sad.
"I can't tell the difference and I don't think I know her enough to know what question to ask." Orochimaru said. At that I turned to the fake Catsa and told her what I heard.
"No da of course he wouldn't know what to ask. He's an idiot, Right?" she said. Translation ' really, He should know what to ask. He's smart, Right?' Orochimaru turned to ask his question.
"My question is as follows. I understand why you would do it if it were your aunt, but why do it to me, why would you runaway?" He asked a hint of hurt in his tone. Something about that question made my hart give a painful thump filed with gilt. Orochimaru looked between the fake Catsa and me. Seeing that I wasn't going to answer the fake Catsa answered first.
"Because you left me, you walked out on me and mom! I hate you! I only love Mori and mom, everyone else can burn in hell." She said ending with a huff a turned her head so she didn't have to look at him.
Now everyone was looking at me now. "I've done everything I'm told. I feel like I'm a robot that has no feelings or emotion. I guess I just want to be rebellious, break rules, and make up for my obedient childhood and do it be for its too late. I don't mean any disrespect towards you, I just can't stand to be with Tanya more two minutes to put on an act of obedience before wanting to smack her, and that's not long enough before there would be a chance for me to run." I said ashamed looking at the ground. I hearing my answer and knowing it was true made me feel foolish. My reasoning's are childish and poorly made. Normally I'm more considerate of others feelings. I never thought of what my actions would do to my dad if I believed it was him or not.
A pair of feet came into my view. The sound of wood being cut was what snapped me out of my thoughts. As my bindings fell I looked up slowly. Orochimaru had an angry look on his as he bent down to my level.
"You mad at me aren't you? I'm sorry. I'll accept any punishment." I said looking at the ground again. In the next second I was being pulled into a hug.
"I am mad, but not at you. Tanya was the one to make you always obedient and deprive you of fun wasn't it?" He said.
I hugged him back. "All ways when mom's back was turned." I said.
We hugged as Mori announced he was right and the fake Catsa disappeared. Then from the ground shot out a large closed up flower. It was pinkish purple with black poke a dots on the outside. I knew that flower. The only one it would be a danger to was me.
"Now for the last test, defeat her without hurting her." She said. I shrank in fear of the flower. I bolted but as I reached the edge of the trees they formed a wall.
"No, no, no! Bad, bad, bad! Get me out of here before it blooms!" I screeched. I was too late. The large flower opened to show the inside of the pedals which were the opposite of the outside, black with pinkish purple poke a dots. The flower sprayed its perfume and filled the clearing.
I chocked and gagged on the beautiful odder that burned my eyes, nose, and mouth.
"Kill it! Kill it or kill me or get out and run!" I howled in pain before losing control.
Orochimaru POV
Catsa fell to the ground writhing in pain. She started to change. I looked at Kabuto he was too busy looking at the giant flower to see what was happening to Catsa. Hair retreated back into head as she grew cat ears and tail and fur as black as her hair sprouted from her skin. When she stood again it was like looking at a cat version of the wolf man. I was stunned the thing charged at me and I didn't realize it till Kabuto knocked me out of the way.
"Must protect, must feed, and must kill." The thing, no, Catsa repeated.
"What is wrong with her?" I asked.
"She is a cat shifter. I shall say no more." Mori said. Catsa attacked me again. Kabuto throw kunai at her I jumped in the way.
"Remember we can't hurt her." I said.
"But Catsa said to kill it." Kabuto said.
"That 'it', is Catsa! Let me Handel this." I turned to look at the flower that had terrified Catsa before making her into a monster. I ran at it. I was cut off by Catsa.
"Must protect," She growled. She charged at me. I grappled with her. "You're strong. You'll feed master well. I will be greatly rewarded."
I get it now; the flower feeds on meet and uses its perfume to get hunters and protectors. I had an idea. I don't think I'll ever get to the plant, alive. So I fought with Catsa and slowly pretend to lose strength. At the right moment she hit me and I fell.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto yelled. I look at him from where I lay. He then understood. Catsa came over and jabbed me to insure I was dead. When I did not move, she picked me up and carried me to the flower.
The tree like flower bent over to show its mouth at the center of the flower. I was thrown in and swallowed up. I then pulled out a kunai and stabbed and cut. Shrieking and howls could be heard. I saw something throbbing like a heartbeat. I stabbed it. When it stopped, I cut my way out.
I gasped for air. Panting I looked around. I saw Catsa still in her monster form curled up agents the wall of trees but she was much less monster like. She looked more like an over grown kitten. As I came closer I heard whimpering. I placed a hand on her back. She flinched and peeked out. When she saw me she lit up and pulled me into a hug.
"I'd say you should fail for making Catsa suffer in thinking she had killed her father." Mori said. Catsa and I looked at her in shock. "The point of this was to prove to Catsa that you are her father. Based on what I see you certainly have proven yourself." She added. Hearing that and seeing in Catsa's eyes that it was true. I felt that even if tomorrow I somehow got sharingan, nothing could make me happier.