Chapter 4
The four days before the Chūnin Exams felt incredibly long and aggravating. At the end of everyday, Kiikame came home with new bruises, cuts, and wounded pride.
Kiikame had always thought of herself as a strong ninja, but she felt like nothing compared to the two Uchiha prodigies.
They were strong, quick, intelligent, and very powerful, utilizing everything they could to defeat their opponent in the most efficient way possible.
Compared to them, Kiikame felt like a complete and utter failure. She was honestly surprised that Yamato hadn't reassigned her to another team.
It sucked. A lot.
What sucked even more was the fact that she couldn't seem to get her Kekkei Genkai to cooperate, much less activate. No one on her team had seen it, and she was starting to wonder if she had lost the ability all together.
It would be EXTREMELY helpful if she could use it, it would at least put her on even grounds with Itachi and Shisui. They had their Kekkei Genkai, the Sharigan, and all she had at the moment were her regular ninja skills.
Though her ninja skills in taijitsu, ninjitsu, and genjustu were above par, the two Uchiha's always held the advantage with their Sharingan. She was able to hold them off fairly well, but they always bested her.
She needed her Kekkei Genkai to give her an edge.
Itachi and Shisui had invited her to come along and train with them, but upon arriving at the training grounds, Kiikame had excused herself to practice her skills alone for awhile.
Kiikame huffed in irritation as she sat down next to a big tree. She noticed a small pool of water at its base, and immediately attempted to freeze the ice.
Nothing.
Kiikame growled and tried harder.
Still nothing.
Kiikame threw her head back and yelled with exasperation. What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she use her Kekkei Genkai anymore?
It seemed like everyday she grew weaker. She could barely use her own chakra at this point.
Beyond angry and completely beat emotionally, Kiikame stared up into the leaves of the tree above her, taking deep breaths and doing her best to calm herself.
'It's going to be ok, Kiikame. Maybe you're just trying too hard, I'm sure Yamato will be able to help you tomorrow.' Kiikame rationalized in her mind, trying to block out all of her negative thoughts.
"Frusstrated, my dear?" A creepy voice sneered.
Kiikame opened her eyes and whipped her head around in the direction of the voice.
"Who are you?" Kiikame questioned, staring into the shadows.
"That's none of your concern. I've been observing you ever since you arrived here in Konoha. You interest me. Tell me, Kiikame, why can't you usse your Kekkei Genkai anymore?" The voice rasped again, dripping venom.
He seemed to know something she didn't, and Kiikame didn't like that. He wasn't a trustworthy being.
"I don't know why that concerns you or why you care." Kiikame stated simply, keeping her voice as emotionless as possible.
"I'd be careful with how you speak to me, little one." The voice said in a threatening manner, "You, Kiikame, are the last of the infamous Yuki Clan. You possess Ice Release, a rare Kekkei Genkai that I have the utmost interest in at the moment."
"What do you want from me?" Said Kiikame plainly, wanting to confirm whether or not this person meant her harm.
"All I ask is for you to come with me to my lab so I may perform some tests on you." The voice declared in nonchalant tone.
'I'm in danger, I need to get out of here FAST,' Kiikame thought, searching for any sign of Itachi and Shisui.
"What makes you think that I'll do that?" Kiikame challenged, attempting to buy some time.
"You need your Kekkei Genkai to progress any further. You have quite the talent in all the other disciplines, but your Kekkei Genkai will set you apart from all the others once you master it. You know this." Said the voice in a all-knowing manner.
"Who are you?" Kiikame questioned abruptly, suspicion and fear rising in her chest.
All of a sudden, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a man, at least Kiikame thought it was a man. He had long black hair, sickly pale skin, and snake like features.
To put it simply, he looked dangerous and extremely creepy.
"My name is Orochimaru. It is an honor to meet you, Kiikame Yukimori." Orochimaru stated in a sickly sweet manner, running his long, snake-like tongue over his protruding fangs.
Kiikame was in mid-sprint, but her escape was suddenly halted. She couldn't move her body anymore.
'Damn, he must've put me under genjustu.' Kiikame thought.
Reacting quickly, Kiikame focused all of her chakra and released it around her in a wave of powerful energy. She felt the genjustu break and she was free.
Kiikame immediately went into full defense mode, throwing three explosive kunai's at Orochimaru with deadly accuracy. She then created a shadow clone, sending it the other direction to act as a decoy while she flew through the trees at top speed.
'I don't have much chakra left, hopefully that was enough for me to escape.' Kiikame thought hopefully.
Out of nowhere, Kiikame felt something warm and scaley wrap around her ankle and jerk her back violently, causing her to hit her stomach hard on a thick branch. The wind was completely knocked out of her.
'This isn't going to end well…' Kiikame thought, somewhat defeated.
Struggling to breath, Kiikame felt the tail wrap around her entire body, squeezing the life from her.
As she strained to reach for one of her kunai, she felt a sharp sting on the side of her neck. Poison.
The toxin traveled fast and soon she was completely paralyzed, only this time she couldn't break it like she did with the genjustu.
"Not bad for a simple gēnin I must say." Orochimaru breathed down Kiikame's neck, tasting blood from the puncture wound in her neck. "With your Kekkei Genkai, you would make a formidable opponent, even against your fellow Uchiha training mates. You have scary potential. However, you're no match for me."
"…w-why….s-s-to.." Kiikame trailed, unable to speak properly, slowly fading into darkness with the lack of oxygen.
"Don't you worry my dear, this won't take very long," and with that, Orochimaru teleported to his lair, not leaving behind a trace.
**ITACHI POV**
Itachi carefully wiped a thin layer of sweat off of his brow as he stared at Shisui. They were both panting heavily and had attained a fair amount of scratches and bruises.
"Let's call it a tie," said Shisui with a cheeky smirk and wink.
"Ah- very well, Shisui. We'll leave at a tie for now," Itachi said, returning the smirk, though his was more good-natured.
"Oi, Kiikame! Our match is over, you can come out of your hiding spot now! Come joing us!" Shouted Shisui, scanning the perimeter with his Sharingan.
"Ne, Itachi, I don't think Kiikame is here." Shisui stated plainly a few moments later, a quizzical expression gracing his features.
"That can't be, I sensed her presence just a few moments ago," Itachi said, bewildered.
"Well, were there any spikes in chakra level? Did she just suddenly disappear? I didn't sense anything that was off-kilter," Shisui said, looking at Itachi.
"I'm not sure, I was so wrapped up in fighting that I didn't notice anything abnormal. The last time I was aware, she was over there in that patch of trees" Itachi replied, thinking.
"Hnn…Welp, guess we better go and check it out. Come on!" Shisui gestured to Itachi as they began to sprint towards the forest.
**End of POV**
Kiikame woke up with a metal headpiece strapping her head down to a medical examination table. She tried to move her arms and legs, but as she expected, they had been restrained in the same manner.
"Well, well, well, look who has woken up." Said an unfamiliar male voice.
Completely debilitated, Kiikame was unable to raise her head to see whom the voice belonged to.
"Yes, she has quite the ability to recover quickly. She is a stubborn one." Hissed Orochimaru.
"What are you planning on doing to me?" Kiikame said, anger rising in her throat.
"Oh, you'll see." Snickered the man, coming into view at the edge of the examination table. He had white hair tied in a ponytail, round glasses, and was clad in purple.
"Kabuto, bring me the lancets and injection needles." Ordered Orochimaru, approaching Kiikame with a wicked smirk on his face.
Kiikame's eyes widened, but she quickly stuffed down her fear and began searching for a way out.
She was going to be brutally murdered or tortured if she didn't escape from this mess soon.
"Resistance is futile. I have implemented chakra seals on your arms, you cannot fight." Orochimaru gloated, looking down at Kiikame with hungry eyes.
"You did this to me a few days ago." Kiikame stated, her glare unwavering. Suddenly it all made sense. She wasn't untalented, her chakra had been slowly sealing away, along with her power.
What an ass this man was! He would pay for this somehow.
"Very good, Kiikame! Yes, I have suppressed your precious Kekkei Genkai so that it would be easier capturing you." Said Orochimaru, smirking, "I also took the liberty of concealing our chakra when I captured you. Those pesky Uchiha will be unable to rescue you, much less find you, until it's way too late."
Kiikame glared at Orochimaru with everything she had, but she didn't say anything. Her mind was occupied with strategies and any possible attacks she could do without any chakra, she wouldn't waste her breath.
Damn, this would be hard.
She watched as Orochimaru crossed the length of the lab and disappeared into another room. Kabuto, meanwhile, observed various medical tools, cleaning and sharpening them, his back turned to Kiikame.
'Well looks like the only available option for me is basic taijitsu', Kiikame thought, sighing inwardly.
'I don't know if I can take them both with just taijitsu, and escaping without at least incapacitating one will be nigh impossible! What can I do to break out of these damn restraints?...Oh, I got it!' Kiikame exclaimed in her mind, eyes flashing.
Kiikame quickly put her plan into action, lying as still as humanly possible on the operating table, barely inhaling and exhaling.
The heart monitor machine she was hooked up to began to slow, until the heart rate went completely static, causing the machine to blare in a single monotone.
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"
Kiikame heard faint curses and footsteps approach her at a frenzied pace.
"She must've gone into cardiac arrest. Kabuto! Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation while I get some amiodarone!" Orochimaru yelled, running back into the lab.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto said, racing to Kiikame's side and undoing one of her arm restraints.
Big mistake.
In a flash, Kiikame punched Kabuto square in the jaw, dislocating it. In his confusion, Kiikame grabbed Kabuto and whipped him around, grabbing the key to her restraints out of his left pocket.
Moving quickly and efficiently, Kiikame unlocked her three remaining cuffs and proceeded to kick Kabuto just above his neck, launching him into the air.
Propelling herself into the air as well, Kiikame executed a lighting-fast array of nerve-blocking hits on Kabuto, temporarily paralyzing a finishing punch to the gut, Kiikame sent Kabuto flying directly into a wall, knocking him unconscious.
"Seemsss I may have underestimated this one," Orochimaru said darkly, emerging from the other side of the enormous lab, a syringe filled with an ominous looking liquid in one hand and a gruesome looking surgical tool in the other.
Kiikame froze for a split second, debating upon whether or not she could fight or take her chances and attempt to escape.
It didn't take a moment more of thought for her to turn around and go tearing down the hall closest to her.
"You can run, but you can't escape from a ninja of my caliber! I'm one of the legendary Sannin! You're just a pathetic orphan who has no special abilities…anymore." Orochimaru shouted after her with a sneer.
Kiikame began to pant, she felt incredibly tired, despite all of the adrenaline that was pumping through her body. To be completely honest, it was all that was keeping her going at this point, and it was beginning to take its toll on her.
The ground she was running across suddenly disappeared underneath her feet, and before she had time to react, Kiikame went flying down into pitch-black darkness.
Surprise ran through Kiikame when she made impact with freezing cold water instead of solid ground. The icy waters chilled her to the bone, she could barely move her body, and she began to gasp for air. Her lungs, her arms, her legs, EVERYTHING was refusing to work properly.
Kiikame slowly began to sink, unable to gain control over her own body. The frigid water filled her lungs, burning her insides with an intolerable malevolence.
'I'm going to die,' was all Kiikame could process in her mind before everything went blank.
Hello everyone! I apologize for such a late update. I'll do my best to update this story regularly, but I can't make any promises. The more I get feedback, the more I'll be motivated to update in a timely fashion, so keep that in mind! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the 4th chapter of my story, Of Ice & Fire.
Happy Holidays! 3
-VampireKnightgrlKiwi