Chapter 4: Fortune, Baby, Favors the Bold

I bowed to Kimimaro and smiled a little lingeringly at him before turning to walk away. I was practically sweating buckets I was so nervous, because I'd planned everything out as meticulously as possible, but it seemed so wrong how well things had been going.

Surely, I would be met with failure now.

I made it to the end of the hallway and felt one-hundred percent assured that I had, at last, played the game wrongly and failed when I was suddenly able to breathe again. A hand had wrapped around my wrist and pulled me to a stop so abruptly, had Itachi and Kisame been there they would have responded to the movement as an attempt on my life.

"Kimimaro?"

I was still too convinced I'd failed to really believe it was happening.

"What is your name?"

I blinked and suddenly felt like performing a victory dance. Bingo, baby.

"For now, call me Ikite. I'm using that as my given name right now, and I don't have a surname for the moment, so forgive me for seemingly forcing informality on you."

He closed his eyes and said, "Ikite-san, I want to go with you."

I could have purred in delight at my seemingly flawless planning skills. But I didn't, because I had a job to do. An important one.

"I don't want to force you to do anything, do you understand? Don't feel pressured by me, and don't throw away everything you care about because you think Orochimaru has no use for you anymore. I doubt that's true. I've told you, you've got more talent in one little pinky finger than the majority of the people in this building have as a whole."

He leveled his gaze to meet mine and looked at me rather depreciatively.

"He has no use for me. He doesn't care about me and I am a shinobi and do not seek such things. But that he does not acknowledge me, now, that I cannot overlook. I wish to go with you. You value my talent. You have a use for my skill. You offer me purpose and promise to care for me. To you, Ikite-san, I pledge my service and my life. Let me go with you."

I was stunned by his declaration. It was certainly not the reaction I had been hoping for, no indeed it was not! It was far beyond it, and I hardly knew what to do with it.

"Don't say things you can't be sure you mean."

There. That was safe. That was honest, and it didn't outright reject his oath.

"I could say it standing before you now and it wouldn't mean any less to me than it would if I stood by your side for a thousand years. I will serve you. Do not turn me away out of some misguided attempt to preserve whatever false image of happiness I had here."

What the hell was I supposed to say to that?

"Well, I-I…"

I couldn't even form words in the face of his unblinking expression of intensity.

"Let me come with you."

Feeling kind of faint, I nodded.

"Er, sure."

Eloquent, no? I was spared from further shock-induced mortification by the sudden arrival of Kisame. (Itachi, I figured, was hiding in the shadows somewhere near).

"This kid bothering you, Ikite-chan?"

I shook my head, suddenly beaming.

"Not at all. Meet Kimimaro, of the Kaguya clan. My new…"

I trailed off. He was supposed to be a bodyguard, but somehow that cheapened the worth of his vow to me. As if he somehow sensed this, he answered in my stead.

"Who are you?"

Or not. It was a bit rudely and a little defensively that he questioned my blue-skinned friend, moving subtly but not so subtly that I didn't notice, civilian as I was, as if to protect me. From Kisame. That's actually kind of funny, for some reason.

I put a hand on Kimimaro's shoulder a little awkwardly, I suppose.

"He's my valet. He swore an oath to me. It's fine, Kisame. I have authorization from leader to bring him back with me. This is the guard I bargained with Orochimaru for."

Turning my attention to Kimimaro, I frowned.

"As touched as I am by how quickly you've taken to your position, I would ask that you not speak to Kisame that way. He is a valued associate, and a man I care for. The other man that I came here with is to be treated with the same respect. Kimimaro, Kisame Hoshigaki."

With a wry smile, I motioned to Kimimaro.

"Kisame, Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan."

The blue-skinned man wasn't offended in the least. Rather, he seemed amused.

"Huh, so you're one of the bone-users. I thought they were extinct."

Kimimaro bowed rather shortly and met Kisame's eye with a disinterested expression.

"Apparently not."

I introduced him to Itachi later. In order to keep Orochimaru on his toes (and, partially, because I had gotten what I wanted by Kimimaro swearing loyalty to me), I decided we would return to Rain early. It was funny how he presumed Kimimaro's reluctance in leaving had upset me, and how he thought Kimimaro had decided to follow me solely because he had told him to.

"So soon? Your intention was, I believe, to stay for another two days. Do not think you are unwelcome in my house."

There was no question of whether or not he wanted me to stay. Of course he didn't. But I had made myself important, and that called for him to avoid offending me. It's funny how even among the deadliest of shinobi politics still matter.

I smiled at him, inclining my head what I kind of hoped would look graciously.

"Please, you and I are ill-suited for such frivolity. We are, if I may flatter myself and speak truthfully of you, intellectuals and I know that you will be pleased when we depart and no longer keep you from your studies. I thank you, on behalf of my companions as well, for your hospitality and for putting up with my incessant curiosity."

He smirked, slowly licking his lips with that freaky tongue of his as if in amusement.

"Intellectuals indeed. Feel free to visit, though I would prefer it if you left your…companions behind. I hope you are satisfied with Kimimaro's service?"

There may or may not have been a rather stony glint in my eye when I answered, remembering what the man before me had said to my now apparently loyal bodyguard.

"Very much so."

And we said good-bye and left.

"The prodigal daughter has returned. With good news, I trust?"

I yawned despite my strongest efforts not to, flopping down on my bed in exhaustion.

"I hope you mean prodigal as in producing ridiculous amounts of something, such as, in this case, success. Because I got what I wanted, he got what he wanted, and you got what I suppose, since you let me go, what you wanted. Unless you were hoping Oro-san would kill me or turn me into an experiment, in which case I'm not unhappy to disappoint."

He laughed. Tobi laughed. (When not in his hyperactive persona).

"I think I would have been most displeased had my advisor ended up in a test tube under the watch of Itachi and Kisame. No, I wouldn't have wanted that. I wish to meet your chosen guard. Send for him immediately."

I nodded and called rather softly for Kimimaro to enter, looking questionably at Tobi, waiting to see which persona he would use in front of him. I cleared my throat as Kimimaro walked in and looked at Tobi, waiting to see what he would do. He leaned in closer to me in a way that made Kimimaro noticeably stiffen as he approached and whispered, "I want to see him swear himself to you. Then he will know me as I am."

I nodded rather redundantly, surprised. What sort of game was Tobi playing? It made me nervous…normally, you would think that someone deciding not to lie about who they are is a good thing, but it put me on edge that Tobi would do so to a person he had only just met.

"Kimimaro, this is Tobi. He will…act as a witness to attest to the fact that you swear loyalty to me. Tobi, Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan."

Imagine my surprise when I inclined my head in a lady-like manner towards my white-haired guard and turned to see Tobi's, well, mask, I suppose, since it certainly wasn't his face I'd be met with, and instead found that ridiculous orange (adorable?) abomination nuzzling my neck. Yeah. I blinked in surprise and twitched. It tickled.

"Ikite-chan picked a pretty impressive blood-limit to have in her arsenal, Tobi thinks!"

I took that as a confirmation that Kimimaro wasn't going to be seeing Tobi's true nature at any time and proceeded to make excuses for the loveably moronic persona.

"Tobi is a trusted and essential subordinate of the Akatsuki's. It was thought that it might be easier for you to swear an oath of allegiance to me while not under the strict scrutiny of Leader. I hope you will treat him courteously and with patience."

Kimimaro, quite frankly, looked disgusted and about ready to fire a digit or two of his finger bones into the eye hole in Tobi's mask. In an expressionless, apathetic way, of course. I suppose after traveling with him constantly around or attending to my person, you start to learn the (ridiculously) subtle nuances of his face. Despite how unimpressed he seemed with Tobi, he nodded and proceeded to kneel before me.

I actually found it ridiculously embarrassing. Actually, this whole situation is ridiculous!

"This will be my true oath to you, Ikite-san."

His gaze was so sharp and direct on my own that I found myself looking to Tobi as if for help. He sounded so intense and against my will I felt a prickle of excited curiosity.

His hand went up near his face and for a moment I thought he was fixing his hair. Then I told myself to stop being stupid and watched as he pulled both of the little red beads out of his hair on the left side and placed them on the ground before me.

"With gift of rank, I pledge to you, from this day unto the end of all days, the pride of the Kaguya clan and the honor of its last son."

There was a crack and he was holding a sharp looking bone. I gasped a little at how viciously he tore open his palm with it, noting the red splatter on his white robes.

"With gift of blood, I pledge to you, from this day unto the end of all days, the descent of the Kaguya clan and the life of its last son."

With his free hand, he dug something circular-ish out of his sleeve. Really looking at it, I thought it seemed kind of like a spinal disc. It was with a rather solemn and somehow gruesome fascination that I watched him clench it in his fist (thus getting it covered in blood) and lay it with a truly terrifying amount of reverence at my feet.

"With gift of bone, I pledge to you, from this day unto the end of all days, the strength of the Kaguya clan and the command of its last son."

He looked up at me then, and I could tell, I could just tell that Tobi was pleased.

"From this day unto the end of all days, I bind myself to you, blood as my blood, bone as my bone, both under the shadow of the Sentinel of Night. As the bone-singers did in the old days, when the Great Sage first came forth, I bind myself and the savagery of my line, the cruelty and ferocity of my blade, forever unto you, in this life and even unto the coldness of the void."

I had no idea what to do, and the air was so thick I could barely breathe with the way it weighed down my shoulders but instinctively I reached down and took up the bone he had cut his hand with and, closing my eyes, sliced open my palm.

Let me tell you, I totally understand why he did it in such a positively beastly manner. I knew right as I felt the bone split apart the rather rough skin of my calloused palms that if I had hesitated for even a second, I wouldn't have been able to do it.

I dropped the bone-knife and knelt before Kimimaro.

"I accept your oath and your gifts, Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan. In return, I give you the only thing I have to give."

I pressed my hand against his and could literally feel the heat of his blood mingling with mine and noticed that my hand, despite my rather stern efforts to not show weakness, was shaking. I closed my eyes for a moment, dizzy.

"With gift of blood, I pledge to you, from this day unto the end of all days, my undying faith."

And I smiled. I don't know why, but in that moment, I couldn't help it. I beamed. Not because I was pleased at my apparent success but rather because I knew that I meant it. I absolutely meant it. I wondered, staring at his almost impassive face, if that was the closest he'd ever come to returning such an expression.

"From this day unto the end of all days, I bind myself to you, my blood as yours, my bone as yours, under the shadow, with you, of the Sentinel of Night. I bind myself to the last son of the Kaguya clan, to the savagery of his line, the cruelty and ferocity of his blade, and take him with pride into my service, in this life and the eternal coldness of the void."

I at last pried my hand from his, my expression still so suddenly inexplicably happy and whole, and stood.

From behind me came a slow, amused clapping.

"Ikite, truly you have an instinct for worth. Imagine, taking the heir of the Kaguya Clan into your service as a bodyguard. And for the boy to use that oath. I'm impressed."

Kimimaro whirled to his feet with such violent grace that I felt as if I'd gotten whiplash watching him. I glanced back at Tobi, picking up the "gifts" I had just been given.

"I really wish you'd be a little more specific when you tell me what you're planning. Kimimaro, this is Tobi. I will explain the truth to you now. If you will excuse us…?"

I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder, gripping it rather tightly and threateningly and in a flash, Kimimaro was holding that hand as if he were threatening to break it. Which he probably was. I sighed warily.

"Kimimaro, please step aside."

It looked like I'd physically hurt him by saying it, but he did as I asked.

"Very good. I imagine Ikite would have been rather upset if I'd had to kill you because you were too overzealous in your duty. She doesn't, after all, know precisely the value of the oath you just swore to her."

His grip on my shoulder lessened, and I felt Tobi pull me back into him, into his embrace. I rolled my eyes at the possessiveness radiating off of him.

"You're going to give him the wrong idea. And I don't appreciate you playing with him like this. Our business is between us. Don't drag him into it."

Tobi chuckled with some dark amusement evident in his voice.

"I simply wanted to ensure that he wouldn't interfere with our plans due to such a vehement concern for your well-being. I approve."

And he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and as soon as he was gone, my knees literally gave out beneath me in relief. He said he approved. He approved. That meant-that meant so many things! My head was spinning in vicious, violent relief.

I was so suddenly pleased I hadn't realized that Kimimaro hadn't let me fall.

"Ikite-san?"

I laughed a little recklessly.

"Thank you-"

I let him lead me to my bed to sit. Tobi had okayed him. Tobi had revealed his true self before him. Kimimaro…he was safe. Tobi saying he approved was essentially the same thing as saying that Kimimaro was under my sole jurisdiction…that he wasn't tied up with the Akatsuki save for in the capacity of serving me.

"I have a lot to explain, now, Kimimaro. A lot to explain. But from this moment forward, I will never have to lie to you again. I apologize for that."

He looked at me from where he stood and I patted the mattress beside me.

"Sit. Now, I'll tell you everything."

I didn't look at him as I spoke. I didn't need to. I told him everything about my life from the moment I'd appeared here to the moment we'd met. I told him about acting the part of an amnesiac girl who had escaped an attack on her home village by bandits and being taken in by the family that owned the restaurant I spent two years in.

I told him about my plan, I told him what I new about Tobi, and I explained what it was, exactly, that I was doing. In the "change the future" sense. And he sat and listened. That was the part that amazed me the most. He sat there and listened to every single thing I had to say, didn't move, didn't interrupt, and when I was done, he sat there for a moment and then said:

"So the masked man is to be treated in accordance to the façade he shows."

I nodded.

"I will teach you. But it is very important that you do so, for your sake. I will do everything in my power to protect you, you must know that, but I am no shinobi and short of talking, I am useless. You'll learn quickly. I know you will."

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knock on the door. In that moment, I thanked Jashin for Tobi soundproofing my room in order to make it a safe meeting place for us. Imagine if someone had heard me talking about Tobi! I'd be killed before I could even think up an apology or excuse, and Kimimaro with me.

I opened the door with Kimimaro at my heels.

"Yes?"

Kisame, usually so polite, didn't bother with any precursory civility this time and simply got on with it, towering over my not-so-slight form in the doorway.

"Leader wants to see you."

It's funny, I think he's grown rather fond of me in the time I've been here, because he seemed (in a stoic, unreadable ninja way) almost mildly, barely apprehensive about the fact that Pein was calling me. I was surprised, but I figured he simply wanted to meet Kimimaro.

"Thank you for telling me."

He nodded and went his own way as Kimimaro and I made our way down the hall and up the stairs to Pein's office. When we got there, we were greeted by a stern command to sit, which I obeyed but Kimimaro found unnecessary and Pein folded his hands on the desk before us. I in no way expected the bomb he was about to drop on my existence.

"Tomorrow, you will be presented to the people of this village as the Princess of Rain."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Fortune, Baby, Favors the Bold/End.