Disclaimer: What is ownership? Screw that I own nothing, the corporations own me, they own us all! Think for yourself! :flies into the sun:
Poll is on still on, go~!
Warning: Death, violence (go figure), and stuff. All lies, everything is a lie.
Searching For Freedom
Chapter 6: So We May Break Free
"Human beings want to be free and however long they may agree to stay locked up, to stay oppressed, there will come a time when they say 'That's it.' Suddenly they find themselves doing something that they never would have thought they would be doing, simply because of the human instinct that makes them turn their face towards freedom." ~Aung San Suu Kyi
"Snow melts
and the village floods
with children"
~ Kobayashi Issa (Haiku Master)
I groaned as the pain kicked into my senses and opened my eyes only to hiss at the bright lights assaulting said eyes. Wait, bright lights, there were no bright lights in our room everything was light by fire or not at all.
Oh god no, I was back at the labs, no, no, no, NO.
I began to panic and the heart monitor began to beep rapidly, which only made me panic even more as I scrambled to get up and get out.
Once I did I began ripping out all the wires attached to me no matter how much it hurt to do so. I only thanked the gods I hadn't been tied down again. Never again, never would I want that.
I was ignoring everything, just trying desperately to get out and away from here. Where's Juugo? Please, please, don't let them have taken him away from me I need my boy. I noticed when the door slammed open and a bunch of people came rushing in then began yelling and telling me to get back.
"No!" I snarled and jumped off my bed and darted past scrambling hands reaching for me.
I saw the door, so close to me, but then hands snatched at me and reeled me back in. I saw one fill a syringe with something and I screamed as I tried to get away but they clamped a hand down on my mouth to quiet me. Their words were nonsense to my ears. I didn't want it I didn't want it! In a last bid for freedom I bit down on the hand in front of my mouth hard enough for the man to drop me and cause him to bleed. He cursed and made to kick me but another medic stopped him, they didn't notice me freeze up. My eyes were as wide as I tasted the man's blood, tasted his chakra, I tasted his very life. I don't know what caused it, maybe when I looked up and saw them coming towards me once again but that bit of chakra in his blood suddenly exploded as I mixed it with mine and made it change me. I wasn't small anymore I was as tall as the man I'd bitten and as powerful. They will not have me!
There was silence and stillness.
"We must report this to Orochimaru-sama! He will be delighted!" One of them crowed and I snapped. Screaming with another person's mouth I attacked. I grabbed the nearest person, a woman and snapped her neck.
"The human body is weak Zenshi, all I have to do to kill you is put a bit of pressure on your neck and twist just right to make it break. My Shikotsumyaku makes my bones strong enough to stop this and makes it easier for me to kill others."
"What else you do Kimimaro-kun?"
"Don't call me that, trash," he added almost as an afterthought before continuing, "and we are focusing on how you can kill others in general not on what I can do. Since you are weak and have no real skill set you have to use what you have available. You can kill people with anything and everything. It's what sets ninja apart from regular people. To kill swiftly, unnoticeably, and many is what marks the difference between great ninja and trash ninja."
"If no kunai what I use?"
"Anything sharp. Stab at the most vulnerable part and the most easily destroyed, the neck. Always go for the neck."
I yanked the syringe one had in their hand and used it against them, using the shock from my previous actions to my advantage. I stabbed him and yanked down using the borrowed strength of the man I had bit. Blood spurted all over me but I ignored it and turned towards the other three who had horrified looks on their faces. I didn't even feel as their blood splattered on me.
"Outnumbered?"
"Surprise them, you're small and quick so get within their range. If you can't kill them, incapacitate them."
The man had very crappy chakra, just a little more than mine but it would have to do. I used my hard-earned control to help me lift up the bed and I hurled it at them. This snapped them for their daze and they attacked me at once. Idiots, they were all idiots. I let go of the chakra that had assisted me in changing, but not the technique itself, just in time for them to crash into each other and not into me. I felt a grin appear in my face as I looked down at them in their crumpled positions. One of them had hit his head hard enough to knock himself out and the other two are too confused. No time to waste if I wanted to live and get out. I grabbed the IV pole that had fallen.
Flooding my chakra into it (making the metal harder, heavier) and my arms I brought it up and swung it down as hard as I could on the two to my right, the dazed ones. They were the enemy, the danger. The crunch of bone was almost too smooth; their bones were so fragile! Juugo's training was paying off.
Kimimaro's bones hurt me when I attacked him and Juugo's skin was very thick for a young boy's as well as his great strength so I never worried about him when I attacked. These were trained shinobi I am sorely disappointed with them, they were trash too easily destroyed.
"A ninja has to be ready for everything and anything. Let no one survive if they know something about you they were not meant to know."
"Like what?"
"Don't act innocent I know you're hiding something from me and Orochimaru-sama, I just don't know what. I would commend you on your ability to keep it a secret but the fact I know you have a secret speaks of your skill. You need to get better and if you can't then eliminate anyone who knows."
"Kill you?"
"As if you could, I would thoroughly enjoy beating you down."
"Mean."
"Exactly, now practice your kunai skills and remember, make your first strike count and leave no survivors."
I took the IV pole that had fallen and walked to the unconscious ninja, my body on autopilot. It was like if someone was there but it wasn't exactly me. In the back of my head I was horrified, screaming against the wrongness of it all. This was inhumane and cruel not to mention against what I had protested in my head against this world my entire time here.
I almost laughed at the irony of it all.
This was the ninja world. I needed to protect my secrets; they saw what I did even if I didn't know exactly how I did it. I stood over the med-nin and bent on my knees to look at him. He was plain-looking with brown hair and shallow skin. Nothing remarkable about him except that his chakra smelled of lilies, relief. Did… did he want to die?
I sniffed and smelled his chakra change slightly from still to active. He was gaining consciousness. I didn't know what to do. I hesitated but that was enough time for his eyes to snap open and for him to look at me. His hand immediately shot forward but instead of hitting me like I thought his hand stopped in front of my face.
"Bite me," he mumbled.
I looked at him in confusion and finally things were setting in. The adrenaline and panic from before were fading like a bad dream and in its place was the dawning realization of what I had done.
"Bite me! Get it over with! I don't want to live. Orochimaru is planning on turning everyone here into test subjects for your freak brother's powers. Now bite and kill me!" Nevermind.
I bit him hard enough he yelped in pain and flinched. Rage set into my features and settled tight into my heart. I felt his blood flow into my mouth and I drank it and took the chakra it had and once more molding it with mine. I felt myself change again and saw his eyes widen in horror before with a swift punch using his stronger chakra I sent my fist into his face.
The crunch of bone underneath my fist didn't horrify me this time, only added to the rage. I kept hitting him and even once I smelled the rot of death in his chakra, in all the chakra, I didn't stop. I let the technique go but I kept on hitting, kept on punching with chakra-enhanced fists screaming like there was no tomorrow, which honestly was probably true.
My brother was not a freak! We didn't deserve this life! I hadn't even wanted this life. I was a grown woman in my head but even if I weren't and had been a child I would have still been in this situation, or worse not at all because I would have already been dead! It was so unfair! This world was cruel to its children and to itself. I was filled with so much rage and frustration at this world, at the fact that even if I knew its future, I still couldn't change it!
I am useless cannon fodder who will most likely just make everyone's lives worse. I was covered in blood of my enemies and that wasn't amusing in the slightest. I was a barely an adult in my past life, barely gaining an understanding of what I needed to do in that life before it had ended as quickly a sit was beginning to start. And for what?
I had saved my sister but if people hadn't been so selfish as to kidnap her I wouldn't have died and been brought here into this beautiful cruel world that made heroes but kept child soldiers. My punches grew weaker and the exhaustion I'd been feeling before, and no doubt the two transformations I had done, caught up with me and I fell on top the body of the young medic, not even caring that I was falling asleep on top of a dead body.
It was the screams of horror that woke me up. The eternal exhaustion made it hard to open my eyes but when I did I immediately felt the pain and soreness in my body and the dried tacky feeling of that like mud on my skin. What the hell had happened and what was that horrible noise? I tried to get up but the pain of my ribs stopped me from doing so. So I rolled over instead, only to face the crushed in head of a person. I screamed and shot up only to stumble back and trip behind me. Landing on my back I looked around and saw the caved in skulls of two others and I screamed again even if it hurt to do so.
I scrambled away and looked all around me as I saw the body of a woman whose head was in an irregular angle, her face was up but her chest was on the floor. I stumbled away and lifted my hand to my mouth in horror. I-I hadn't done this, I couldn't have! I gave a dry sob then threw up as my returning memories answered the question for me. I had and I would do it again, I knew I would because it was what this life entitled.
"Y-you killed them all!" My head whipped around to the crowd of children and teens surrounding the entrance of the room. I notice the speaker was Zaku, or Zuko, and he had the most terrified look on his face. The other children had actually started crying while the older ones looked at my work with assessing eyes.
"Orochimaru-sama will not be pleased you killed the help, Zenshi-sama." An older boy with blue hair spoke over the terrified children.
"She- She's a freak! How could she- those were chūnin level med-nin and she sucked the last time we saw her! For the god's sake she's been locked up for the past year with the other freak!" It was a pretty longhaired girl who spoke, well screeched. There were senbon ready in her hands with some bells attached to the end.
I looked down at my own hands and noticed they were elbow deep in blood. I looked down at my tattered dress that was no longer the plain grey it had been before but rather a dull reddish color. It's drenched in blood.
Before anyone could respond to her I licked the dried blood off my fingers and heard some of them gag. A few even threw up but that wasn't what mattered. The chakra in the blood was dead now but I could still use it I knew I could. I reactivated it with my chakra and I got the little boost it gave me and I used it to appear in front of the dark-haired girl whose name escaped me now. She had tormented me but it wasn't the reason I did what I did next. I brought her in close to me, the others had scattered away from us, except the older kids who had drawn their weapons.
"Wa-water," I managed to say past a parched throat and cracked lips. One of them hesitantly withdrew a canteen and threw it to me. I caught it without looking at it. It occurred to me none of these kids had seen my real abilities, the last time I really had been with them was well over a year ago, if the girl I was holding was right. Before I even started to train with Kimimaro-kun I had sucked but once I had joined him along with Juugo it looks like I had improved, if only a bit.
I drank from the canteen slowly knowing what would happen if I rushed. I was still holding the girl, what was her name Chi? Ping? No, no it was with a K… Ki?
"If I may ask Zenshi-sama, what are you going to do to Kin?" Another girl, she had even prettier straight black hair that reached her neck with side bangs framing her face. I finished the canteen before responding, throwing it back to the boy who had given it to me. This was the first time any of them had called me –sama. I didn't like it.
"I no freak," I whispered to Kin. Everyone still heard, well those that could use chakra to enhance their hearing. I saw Kin glare at me but I showed no emotion, honestly at the moment I couldn't really feel much. "I kill those who hurt my aniki. Both o' 'em."
She made to open her mouth but I could sense the genjutsu she was trying to pull over me and her hands rising with the senbon to my the last vestiges of strength I brought her down on my knee and punched her for added benefit. I don't think she expected that much strength from me, I barely reached her waist.
"I kill anyone and everyone li'e I kill them," I said and pointed to the room, which I now saw was really very bloody. There were a total of five bodies and there was blood on the fluorescent lights and the ceiling. No idea how it got there but the effect was the same. They were scared; maybe they would notice that this life was not for them and they would run away from this life. It was too late for me already, I had dedicated my life to that of Juugo's and he is tied irrevocably to that of Kimimaro's and everyone else's that mattered.
I couldn't change his fate but I sure as hell wasn't going to leave him alone in this hell. I walked to the nearest older kid who I didn't even reach his waist. "Where Juugo?"
"He- he's in lockdown right now in a new cell it wouldn't –hurk." He doubled over at the punch I delivered to his knee and I looked down at him in all my short gory glory. It must have been enough since he flinched before scrambling back up. "My-my team will take you to him but it's sealed no one can get in without permission!"
"I no need, let's go."
"Yoroi, Guren come on!" The pretty haired girl, who actually had darkish-blue hair once she passed the light from the room, came over to me and gave me a small thin smile. The other boy had his face covered just like the one I hit. The others separated as we walked forward and then murmuring took over as we left them behind.
"So the little baby isn't useless after all, eh Misumi," the girl was the first to speak. When I didn't respond she frowned before pulling in front of me and stopping. "Your superior is talking to you, you little s-"
"Guren! Remember what Kimimaro said!" The boy, Yoroi I think, hissed at her. She simply flipped her bangs and scowled.
"That little shit needs to calm down, he may be Orochimaru's favorite but I could still beat him if I thought to try!"
"No you won't." They stilled at my comment and Guren's face twisted into something nasty, her pretty face contorting.
"What makes you think so baby?" She hissed at me.
I wanted to face-palm but I had more dignity than that and it would take too much effort. What was it with these people and thinking that calling me a baby would insult me or something? I didn't care. If they insulted my height then we'd have something to talk about.
"Faith in Kimimaro-kun. He strong, he kill you before you realize it. Let's go."
"Listen here little girl!" She screeched and picked me up by my collar. "Just because you finally killed someone doesn't mean a thing! I killed an entire village just to show my lord I was worthy! I could kill you without you knowing!"
"That true then why don't you?"
She glared at me before dropping me to the ground. The other boy though, Misumi, caught me before I could land on the ground. I stopped him from setting me down, I'm tired and want to be carried. He hesitated but then settled me across his shoulders so I could rest my arms and head atop of his.
"Why you call me -sama," I finally asked after the silence grew too uncomfortable.
Before Guren could respond Yoroi beat her to the response. "Before Kimimaro-sama left he informed us all that you and Juugo-sama were to be his teammates when he returned. Anyone who mistreated you would be punished severely. You are on the same level as him; it was what he told us and now I can see why."
"Hah! As if!" Guren snapped and I inhaled discreetly through my nose. A tingling scent like lemon pepper filled my nose and I sneezed. She was jealous. "Anyone else could have taken out those stupid medics! Even a pint-sized brat like her! Kimimaro would have done better if he had chosen me instead of some baby-faced brats."
Definitely jealous, if she had wanted to be Kimimaro-kun's partner so bad then she would have shown her worth to him by challenging him and winning. Kimimaro is very pretty for a boy and he looked much older since his features were very sharp for a child's, many girls often either glared or stared at him a lot. As a matter-of-fact even I wasn't baby-faced, my face felt too gaunt for that and Juugo's was too, plus he had the added benefit of being tall enough to be confused for a teen as well as the muscle. What made her think she was so great anyway?
"Why?"
"Ha! It goes to show how misinformed you are brat! You were never there for the lessons in the past anyway and you've been locked up with the freak for a long time. Your skills must suck big time, how pathetic were those medics to be killed by you?" She sneered a bit but ploughed on, I think she liked the sound of her voice. It was a nice voice though if a bit boastful. "If you must know, I have a kekkei genkai."
"Show me," I demanded my curiosity piqued. What could it be?
"As if I would show a brat like you!"
"Mustn't be true then," I mumbled before hearing her screech. God for such a pretty girl she was too loud and annoying.
"Dumb brat I'll show you! Kesshō: Rokkaku Shuriken: Ranbu!" Her hands shot forward and crystal shuriken formed and flew at me. I didn't even bother moving and stopped Misumi from jerking away; she was even more horrible in trajectory than Kimimaro was with his bone bullets.
I made sure that my face was as unimpressed as possible, which wasn't that hard seeing as it's truly how I felt. I brought my blood-coated hands together and exaggerated the claps.
"Very pretty do they usually miss or is that how they work?"
Yoroi pressed a hand against his clothed mouth, a strange choked noise coming from in-between his fingers. Misumi was biting his knuckles so hard they were extremely white due to the blood being cut off.
"I'll kill you!" Guren screeched causing, what I guess was, other prisoners to begin howling.
"We're here," Misumi's body shifted to dodge and wrap around Guren as she struck out and yeah that wasn't creepy at all.
I slid off him and landed as gently as possible on the ground but it was still apparently too much since the pain that ran up from my leg, to my ribs, and to my head caused me to sway in place and almost fall. I stumbled forward instead to the door to the holding cell and inhaled deeply through my nose. The three were bickering in the back and either didn't notice my little action or brushed it aside but that was ok. If they found out what I'm doing I could just kill them. My empty stomach twisted at the thought but I pushed it aside. This was how I had to survive in this place and now I had a rough guess as to where we were.
I put my hand up, just barely able to reach the control panel on the side that would open the door that was locked and sealed. My fingers followed the path my nose had scented, the unique smell of used chakra that smelled of burning coal. I punched in the code and then flooded enough chakra into the pad that was underneath, praying that my chakra signature was accepted as a substitute: it was. The silence that descended as the doors slid opened followed by two more made me want to laugh. I shoved down the feeling because it felt more like hysteria than anything else.
I walked into the looming darkness just as they all began to regain their bearings.
"Wait how did yo-!" I slammed a hand onto the other side and watched them scramble back to avoid being locked in. This time I did smile at them viciously as I saw their pale faces. And gave a little wave with my fingers.
The room descended into darkness so black for a moment I thought I had passed out but I felt the gritty stone floor beneath my feet and the coldness of room leaching the meager warmth I had built up. I shuddered as I breathed in the cold air that sent pinpricks of pain down my throat and lungs that spread and didn't stop. I couldn't make any forms out in front of me so it took me a bit to find the walls and even more time to bump into something. Let me tell you this, walking in the dark is so much more nerve-wracking than anything else in the world. It felt as if in any moment a pit would open up right under my feet and I would plummet to my death. As it was I felt around and my hand slid down smooth stone sticking up from the ground and I felt my gut twist.
"Juju," I whispered as I applied the meager chakra I had left. I'd rather not taste blood in my mouth again thank-you-very-much.
It was a slow going but I heard something rustle and continued to go up. I felt skin underneath my hand and adapted my chakra to help me keep climbing. I soon got to some arms and reached forward to feel them extend out in front. I heard more movement but no sound; my head informed some part of me that maybe they had put the muzzle on him. Hands reaching forward I got to his outstretched ones, which were also being held by thick chains, and my fingers quickly found the holes that held the bone cuffs together. They fell off immediately and then I reached up and found the indents for my fingers that held the bone muzzle in place.
I quick gasp of breath met my ears making me sigh in relief. A cough later, and when no voice came forth after a while, had me hesitating and I climbed even further until I could sit on his shoulders. However once I felt the cannon on his shoulder, I froze.
'Oh god, please don't be the berserker,' my mind chanted as I felt around his face and sighed when I felt that there was no protrusions coming from his face and his eyes were closed. He was still in his mindscape then. The tension I had been feeling unconsciously this whole time lifted off me and I let out a small dry sob. He was ok and he must have had either come to some accord or was winning against his other side.
I patted the cannons and then felt around me to get some idea of how he was being restrained this time. There was a collar again but instead of being held by four thick chains like before it was now six. It was also inscribed with seals that radiated chakra and small spikes were held against his throat from the inside. I swallowed thickly as I realized if he moved too suddenly, or if it were chakra activated, the spikes inside would grow and impale him through his neck.
I didn't know how to dispel these or if I needed hand signs to stop it so I refrained from messing with it. The dark was comforting now in some strange way instead of intimidating but it is so cold. I climbed down from his shoulders and settled myself at his feet. Like before, his feet were held in place by stone spikes but no doubt the ankle locks were in place as well. I curled up and sighed before shivering violently as the cold from the ground seemed to seep into my very bones. I dragged my dress over my knees and waited.
For what I'm not sure, I don't know what they were going to do to us now. Juugo was a danger to everyone and if the medic-nin I killed was right, soon enough this place was going to be crawling with psychotic killers. I knew where we were, or a really good guess as to where; we were in Orochimaru's Northern Hideout, the one where Juugo had been kept in until Sasuke got him and that had been used as a base of operations for experiments that failed to control Juugo's cursed state.
If that were true then I'd rather stay in here than be out there where it was soon-to-be crawling with unstable personnel. The kids here then were going to be moved soon or 'bestowed' the opportunity of being 'gifted' with Orochimaru's mark. Yeah, that was so going to go wrong in so many ways. With nothing else to do I decided to rest and wait for whatever was to come. I was going to need all the chakra I could get and I needed to get in some practice in here too.
Omake: Kabuto Yakushi
The lab was amazing, he had to give the traitor that. Well… not a traitor, an ally, a cornerstone even. He was helping him after all and vice-versa. It hadn't been so long ago that he was in Iwa crying over Mother.
Mother… no it was best to forget, always best, made things easier.
He never had taken the easy route though. The glasses slipping down his nose guaranteed he would never forget anyways. Plus she meant too much to him, had done so much for him, she was the reason he was now in Orochimaru's lab hands glowing green as he passed them over the white-haired boy, Kimimaro, and diagnosing him.
"Well?" His master hissed and Kabuto couldn't help the small spark of rebellion in him as he cut off his diagnosis and pushed his glasses back up.
"It seems that dear Kimimaro-kun is growing an illness. Where exactly, I cannot say. We'd have to cut him open and remove his organs and bones to find that out."
At Orochimaru's hiss he couldn't help giving him an insincere mocking smile.
"Beware yourself Kabuto. Remember who gave you everything." The man was pacing as he stood in front of his vessel. Better not to associate a name to it, soon enough it would be the face his new master would wear. That is if he could cure him, a medical prodigy Kabuto may be but he was no miracle man.
Currently the vessel was looking down, white-hair covering his face but Kabuto imagined he is disappointed in himself. Many here lived only for Orochimaru's next command; Kabuto liked to believe he had a bit more purpose than that. What it was he still wasn't sure but Orochimaru was helping him out wasn't he?
"Is there really no way of locating his disease?" Orochimaru snapped at him face set in a harsh scowl. Was he actually worried? How quaint.
"None that I am aware of. The Cursed Mark seems to be holding off more detrimental effects but I don't think it will last long. I don't think the vessel will be of use to you anymore, Orochimaru-sama." Silence.
"Orochimaru-sama?" The vessel spoke up.
"Yes Kimimaro-kun?" Even Kabuto felt the sting of anger that was in Orochimaru's voice. Really it wasn't the boy's fault. You never really knew what you would get out of these experiments. Kabuto had warned him about the possibility of failure since they weren't sure of how the vessel's body was going to take the experiment.
"I am sorry for failing you," the boy murmured.
"Leave it be Kimimaro. We'll just see what use you'll be to me now since your main function has failed." Kabuto finally saw the boy look up and for a moment he thought he saw a brief flash of anger before it was gone and replaced by a blank look.
"Does this mean I will no longer be on a team with Zenshi-san and Juugo-san?"
Kabuto turned to look at his master and stifled his laughter into a cough. The brief flash of annoyance on Orochimaru face certainly is amusing. Who were these Zenshi and Juugo?
"We'll see Kimimaro, we will see. Kabuto!"
Kabuto looked up and directly at his master and gave him a brief, insincere, smile.
"Yes Orochimaru-sama?"
"I'm sending you to the Northern Hideout. There you will be taking over as Head Medic and Lead Researcher; behind me of course. You go out tomorrow."
"Yes Orochimaru-sama."
"Good, come on Kimimaro. I have an idea as to who may be able to cure you. If we can even find her."
A brief flash of annoyance overcame him at Orochimaru's words before he shoved them down. He was good, yes but there were others better than him. He just had to get better. Looking to see his master and the vessel walk out he turned to his desk and started packing up.
The Northern Hideout, huh. What surprises were going to be for him there? Grabbing the scroll Orochimaru had oh-so-thoughtfully put on his desk he broke the seal and read it.
Watch over the girl Zenshi and her brother Juugo. This of course does not take precedence over the experiments of the Second Stage but it is among your priorities.
Zenshi and Juugo. Siblings. How interesting.
AN: Zenshi is now 5 1/2, Kimimaro is now 7 1/2, Juugo is 8, Sasuke is 6, Itachi is 11, Kabuto is 13, and yeah... I will go away now. Ciao.
Reviews and stuff in the box thingy! Questions too I guess, I'll try to respond. And I lied, the update was a day late but still here. Oh god I still need to fix the other two chapter from before OTL. Editing is a bitch.
