Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I keep looking, and the story's on all these alert and fav lists, but not many people review. (sigh) If you read this, please let me know!! It helps, trust me.
As I've told several reviewers, I do believe this is going to lean toward Neji/Seki. Their personalities just seem to fit better (as the story progresses), but we'll see. If you don't want to keep reading, just let me know - I won't be mad. Some action, and we get to see what Seki can do! The jutsus are all taken from Naruto, and the reason she uses them are simple: I'm not creative or smart enough to figure out names of my own, and I believe the jutsus she uses are general jutsus for Kiragakure. Anyway...I like writing Takamasa!
Please review! Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.
"Has the messenger departed yet?" Gaara asked, a jônin standing before him nervously.
"Not yet, Lord Kazekage," he replied, his eyes noting the ease with which the ANBU shinobi rested in a chair, while Seki was standing by the window, a poker-face on.
"Then have him leave immediately," the Kazekage ordered, and the man turned to leave when another shinobi burst in, looking out of breath. "What is it?" Gaara asked, sounding annoyed. "Is there something wrong?"
"A-actually, Lord Kazekage…" the shinobi began, "There are two messengers from Konohagure here waiting to see you."
"What?" Gaara demanded, his eyes narrowing angrily. "When did they arrive? Why was I not informed?"
"Th-they just arrived, Lord Kazekage," the poor jônin said, backing towards the door as Gaara slowly rose to his feet, obviously angry.
"Then send them in," he said quietly, pronouncing each word with dangerous clarity. "And have the messenger wait a bit longer for my orders."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage," the shinobi stammered, the first having already left. The man disappeared, returning in moments with two figures following him.
"Good. You can leave now," Gaara ordered, and glanced past the man to see who the messengers were. He silently groaned when Naruto Uzumaki strode into the room, a grin plastered on his face, and followed by a placid-looking Neji Hyuga. "Not that fool…it figures," the Kazekage silently complained, as the only one imperious to the young man's death glares took a seat before him.
"Hey, long time, no see, Gaara," Naruto greeted him cheerfully, while Neji remained near the door. They cast a quick glance toward Seki, who was obviously unsure who they were, before returning to the task at hand.
"Of course, Uzumaki," Gaara retorted. "What are you doing here? Did the Fifth Hokage send you?"
"Of course – this isn't a pleasure trip," Neji informed coolly, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, wearing his ANBU uniform with the mask at his side. He and Gaara briefly exchanged glares before Gaara returned his attention to Naruto, who had turned to Seki.
"Hey – I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you," the blond young man grinned, offering his hand to the blind shinobi. She merely gazed unseeingly in his direction and grinned easily.
"I'm Yahagi Seki – pleased to meet you. I've heard of you before," she nodded, and Naruto awkwardly withdrew his hand while Neji snorted in amusement.
"Dunce."
"What are you here for?" Gaara interrupted, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "I have other things to attend to, Uzumaki."
"We were sent to ensure Sunagakure was intact," Neji said, not waiting for Naruto to speak. "We received word of the attack on Iwagakure, and the Fifth wanted to make sure everything here was fine. And to see if you knew anything else. We know they were from Kiragakure, but that's about all."
"I figured as much," the Kazekage said dryly, resisting the urge to sigh heavily. "I was just about to send a messenger to Konohagure to the Fifth Hokage concerning a matter involving Kiragakure assassins. He can accompany you both back – it's imperative the message arrives as quickly as possible." The Kazekage pressed a switch on an electronic device, and spoke into the microphone. "Temari, I'd like you in my office immediately." Several minutes passed in silence until the young woman arrived, noticing Neji and Naruto in surprise before turning to Gaara.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Let the messenger know he'll be going with two shinobi from Konohagakure," Gaara told her. "Have him wait outside."
"All right," she nodded, leaving the room the next moment.
"Yahagi Seki is a shinobi that escaped the Kiragakure assassins in Iwagakure," Gaara told Naruto and Neji calmly, and they both eyed the girl for a moment in surprise. "I'd appreciate it if you informed the Fifth Hokage of this. And let her know I would like to set up a meeting as soon as possible – for Seki."
"What?" the young woman interrupted. "I –"
"You're the one with the problem," he said dryly. "The Fifth may as well hear it from you."
Seki looked like she wanted to protest some more, but Takamasa made a noise in his throat, and she grunted before crossing her arms and retreating next to the ANBU officer.
"Takamasa is one of my ANBU officers – he will accompany Seki to Konohagakure as well," Gaara told them sternly, and Neji stepped forward.
"I don't think the Fifth will want any Sunagakure ANBU in Konohagakure," he began, but Gaara shook his head.
"As protection," the Kazekage informed them, and allowed himself a small grin at Naruto's confused look. "The reasons must be told to the Fifth before anything else. I suggest you hurry back," he added, and Neji nodded sharply.
"Sure thing, Gaara," Naruto agreed, a grin crossing his face, and the Kazekage made a disgruntled noise before getting to his feet with a sigh.
"Let me know an answer as soon as possible," he added. "The Kiragakure assassins are moving quickly, and I'm not sure who they'll strike next."
"All right," the shinobi nodded, and turned to leave, Neji behind him. Gaara waited until they had left before turning to the other two present, looking grim.
"I'm surprised they haven't moved on either Sunagakure or Konohagakure," he admitted, crossing his arms.
"They're probably trying to make sure where I am," Seki said, shrugging a little. "If they attacked the wrong village, I would be warned to move."
"You're to return to Konohagakure with their messengers when they return," the Kazekage continued. "The Fifth Hokage is a strange woman, but I'm sure she'll listen to you. I believe they'll send Uzumaki and Hyuga again, and with Takamasa along as well there should be no serious threat from the assassins."
"The other man was Neji Hyuga?" Seki asked in surprise, and Gaara nodded.
"A Captain in ANBU right now. Uzumaki is no pushover either – they're both strong and capable, which is why the Fifth sent them," he told her. "She knows they can be trusted. But until you talk to her, don't tell anyone else the whole truth. It could compromise the mission."
"Of course," she replied, sounding offended. "I know that."
"I have some things to prepare, to send to the Fifth," Gaara told them, moving towards his desk. "You may as well go eat something – I'd like some privacy."
"Sure thing, Lord Kazekage," Takamasa agreed, striding towards the door while keeping an eye on Seki, who seemed to be having a harder time moving than she had earlier. She managed to reach the door, however, where the ANBU captain rested his hand on the back of her neck lightly. "Come on, don't want to bother Lord Kazekage."
"I'm fine," she muttered, but made no move to remove his hand.
"Foggy out," Takamasa commented, and Seki's eyes narrowed as she felt the damp air in the village.
"Is it unusual?" she asked, keeping her voice normal.
"Not really," he shrugged. "It's early in the morning – it only happens when we're going to rain, though. Which isn't often."
"I see," she said, continuing to walk. Within moments, a kunai flew past Takamasa's face, and he caught it with two fingers in surprise.
"Get down!" he ordered, moving to push Seki onto the ground, but the jônin was already using a jutsu, her fingers interlinking together easily.
"Kiragakure no Jutsu!" she said, her voice commanding as the mist thickened and she slipped from Takamasa's grip in an instant.
"So, I suppose we'll see what she can do," the ANBU shinobi thought, quickly adjusting to the fighting conditions, realizing the blinding mist allowed Seki to fight at her best – and in the same deadly style Kiragakure shinobi specialized in. Takamasa swiftly hid himself, waiting to see what the kunoichi was capable of.
Three shadows flitted past him, and he knew he would remain undetected unless he moved, not being their true target. Wondering where Seki had gone to, he had no choice but to keep still.
Seki remained invisible in the mist, waiting for the assassins to come to her. Her heart pounded, racing with adrenaline, and she was aware she was feeling a rush of excitement.
"It's been a long time since I had opponents of this caliber," she thought, waiting in anticipation. The shinobi who had chased her to Sunagakure had hardly been a challenge, but she could sense the chakras of the three assassins who were hunting her, and she was certain she would be able to unleash her full skills to her satisfaction. Sure enough, it wasn't long before one of the jônin found her, coming up behind her.
"I have you, kunoichi!" he cried, plunging a kunai into her jugular. Blood spattered his face before her body dissolved into a puddle, and he leapt back instantly, realizing she had used Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu to hide her true body.
"I disagree – I have you," she said softly, as several clones surrounded him. "I'm surprised you fell for such a cheap trick," she added with a wry grin, her fingers flickering as she formed another jutsu. "Bakusui Shōha no Jutsu!" she announced, as water covered the area around them. "Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" The final attack came as a surprise, the assassin not realizing she was capable of moving so fast, and was crushed as the water dragon devoured him in its jaws.
"Revealing yourself wasn't a very wise idea!" a second assassin informed her, appearing and remained still as he faced the single form. Positive it was only a clone, he decided not to attack yet, waiting for Seki to reveal herself.
"Then why did you just step out without attacking?" she asked curiously, watching him carefully.
"A clone can't last long against a real shinobi!" he shouted, lunging towards her, deciding to defeat the clone and discover her position. As his clawed gauntlet plunged into her side, his eyes widened in surprise when he heard a grunt, and blood dripped to the ground.
"Unlike Kiragakure assassins, I can take a few hits," Seki told him, pressing her palm against his forehead. " Hahonryū no Jutsu!"
The spiraling blast of water killed the assassin before his body hit the ground, and she quickly spirited away once more.
"Impressive," Takamasa murmured, noticing a shadowed figure moving around in the fog, seeking a target. "Kaze no Yaiba!" he shouted, hurling the blades of wind towards his intended target. The ANBU shinobi moved from his spot instantly, not wanting to remain a target in case he hit a clone, observing the body on the ground. Blood seeped from where the blades had sliced through, and Takamasa knew of no clone that could bleed.
"I almost had him," Seki said in disappointment, standing over the dead assassin as Takamasa strode up to it.
"I let you have the other two," he commented, glancing around for the bodies. Sure enough, they were extremely dead, and prone on the ground where they had been.
"Let me?" she repeated in obvious amusement, raising an eyebrow. It was obvious she had enjoyed herself, and Takamasa was a bit disturbed at the ease with which she had killed the Kiragakure assassins.
"All right, you got 'em," he conceded, knowing she had taken them out much more safely from the mist than he might have.
"Thank you," she grinned, and dropped to a crouch beside the sliced one. "Kiragakure, of course," she shrugged, noticing the hitai-ate. "No other shinobi could have maneuvered so easily in my mist."
"Speaking of which…" Takamasa realized, noticing that it had almost disappeared. She looked up in surprise, and chuckled.
"It's been a long time since I got to do this," she said in satisfaction, getting to her feet.
"I don't have to ask what happened, do I?" Gaara asked dryly, surprising them as he appeared beside the second body.
"I doubt it, Lord Kazekage," Takamasa replied, while Seki released the last of her clones.
"I had hoped they would wait a while," he sighed, crossing his arms. They remained silent for a moment while each considered their options now, and turned simultaneously when a voice reached their ears.
"Aw, we're too late," Naruto commented in disappointment, surveying the scene. "Neji noticed that the mist had thickened suddenly, and after Zabuza, I'm naturally suspicious of fog," he added with a grin. "Who took 'em out?"
"I did, of course," Seki answered, sounding a bit irritated when Neji looked surprised. "I was brought to Iwagakure by Kiragakure shinobi – of course they taught me techniques," she added, addressing the last part to Gaara, who nodded.
"So, what now?" Neji demanded calmly. "If this girl is the target, they already know she's here. Should she remain here until we return?"
"I don't think that would be in the best interest of Sunagakure," Gaara objected, shaking his head. Seki crossed her arms, waiting for the inevitable, and nodded when he glanced at her. "You'll go to Konohagakure with them," the Kazekage ordered, and turned to the messenger. "There's no need for you now."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage," he nodded, knowing when he had been dismissed, and promptly retreated.
"I'll send someone to Iwagakure informing the Tsuchikage of this development," Gaara continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if Kiragakure attacked them again."
"All right – we leave now," Neji agreed, his eyes narrowing at Seki's mention of being taught by Kiragakure shinobi.
"She needs to be treated first, Neji," Naruto objected, noticed Seki holding her side tightly.
"They got me better than I thought," she admitted, wincing a little. "I just need a bandage to stop the bleeding, that's all."
"Wait here – I'll take her to a medic-nin," Takamasa told the others, taking her other arm and leading her down the street.
"Do you usually allow your ANBU to order you around?" the Hyuga prodigy asked in amusement, but Gaara only glanced at him.
"What a mess," the Kazekage muttered, a little relieved that the Fifth would have to deal with the blind shinobi after this. Relations with Iwagakure could have been better, and he wasn't looking forward to trying to convince them of his sincere intentions.
"Why aren't you using your seeing jutsu?" Takamasa asked casually, as they reached the hospital. Seki blinked, but didn't reply, and he grinned wryly. "Because there isn't one?"
"No, I can use it – but it takes an enormous amount of chakra," she said after a long pause, sitting down and calmly removing her shirt so the medic-nin could inspect her wound. Takamasa prudently turned around, and considered her words.
"Those jutsu you used – the amount of chakra they consume must have been large as well," he said, and she nodded.
"Yes – I had a feeling they might attack soon. I didn't want to waste my chakra on the jutsu," she told him calmly. "I can adjust well enough without it."
"And you don't waste energy," he commented. "You could hardly walk straight this morning."
"I had used it last night, to move around the apartment," Seki admitted, pulling her shirt back on and getting to her feet. "I feel better now, though – I built up a large capacity for chakra after all these years. Kiragakure shinobi are ruthless in their training," she added with a grin. "And the tutoring I received from Iwagakure wasn't much better either."
"You must have a wide range of jutsu."
"I prefer the mist," she shrugged, as they headed out. The entire healing process hadn't taken much longer than five minutes, and they fell silent as they walked the streets. Returning to the battle area, Takamasa saw the bodies had been removed, and Gaara had left as well.
"Where's Lord Kazekage?" he asked, guessing the answer already.
"Preparing a message for the Tsuchikage," Neji said dryly. "I have a feeling we'll have to take her to Iwagakure to back up his story afterwards."
"My name is Yahagi Seki," she said sternly, but the ANBU shinobi only stared at her for a long moment before turning away. His distrust was evident, and she frowned at his back until Naruto took an arm and began to walk after Neji, Takamasa close behind.
"So, how'd you like Sunagakure?" he asked eagerly, and she grinned, able to tell he was a pleasant young man. "I haven't been here often, but I've known Gaara for years."
Well? Please review!