A/N: Sorry for the wait! I'm hoping to update more regularly now! School's almost out, so that helps! :D Thanks to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) for editing and reviewing! -Yes, I've noticed!-;D Enjoy!
A Goddess's Visit:
Chapter Six: Training:
Sunlight shone on a small clearing in the forest. A little river ran through the clearing, bubbling happily. Emerald green grass rippled in the gentle breeze, and the leaves on the trees swayed gently.
Two figures stood facing each other in the center of the clearing. The man's black hair blew in the wind, flowing elegantly behind him. The woman's white hair did the same, a mirror image-yet opposite in color.
"Are you sure about this?" Orochimaru asked. Kida simply nodded.
How can you be greater than this world and not have the skills of a ninja? He wondered.
"I was never intended to blend in with your people. Merely awe you." She smirked. "Now I am trying to do the opposite."
He just nodded, then took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's try this."
They spent the next two weeks training her to be a ninja. She learned quickly, and although mistakes were made on both sides, all in all, the training turned out to be a success. Tsunade helped the star with taijutsu and strength, although Orochi often suspected Kida was holding back on purpose. Jiraiya taught her about 'love' through his simply stalking her. He lavishly described emotions and his theories on how their world worked. Mostly, Kida remained silent. Orochi thought that was because she knew all the answers but wasn't willing to give them away.
Once, when confronted about this, she simply said "He's right about more than most of you, but wrong on a few crucial points." And refused to say more.
After two weeks, they figured it was time to head back into the fray.
The night before they were scheduled to leave, Orochimaru approached Kida hesitantly. She stood in the garden where she'd first told him what she was, staring up at the sky, lost in thought.
"You miss them, don't you?" he asked. She jumped, for once surprised. She frowned.
"Miss who?"
"Friends...family." he clarified.
"Remember what I told you? We have little emotional attachment."
A thought crossed his mind that puzzled him. Since she didn't answer, he asked out loud.
"So how do you marry?"
"Arranged marriage. Based on wealth and purity of blood mostly." Kida replied.
"That's sad." Orochimaru commented. Even from what little he remembered of his parents, they loved both each other and him very much. "It must be a very unhappy place."
"Happiness is an emotion, Orochi. Few of us know its truth." This shocked him.
"You don't feel pain, do you?"
She gave him a puzzled look. "I don't remember hearing of pain...what is it? It can't be an emotion..."
The ninja could only gape at her. "...Then you've never felt it."
"Probably not. Tell me." she invited, sitting, and gesturing for him to join her.
"I don't know how...It's something we all learn at a very early age."
"So it's a good thing?"
"NO." She reeled back, surprised by his vehement reaction.
"Okay, okay." she soothed, desperately trying to keep him calm.
He took a deep breath, remembering that she knew nothing of this. "I can't explain in words...but you can read my mind, can't you?"
"Yes..."
"Then I have an idea."
She held up her hand to stop him. "I've been blocking everything out for a while. I'm hoping to seem more normal." She looked up at him hopefully.
"It's working." he told her. "However, this will only work if you feel what I do." She nodded.
Whenever you're ready. Her voice echoed in his mind.
He took a deep breath. Pain was very familiar to him-but giving her a memory would be cheating.
You're afraid of it. She stated.
Like I said. It's not a good thing.
He took out a kunai and carefully slit his arm, blood trickling out of the shallow wound. She gasped, instantly understanding.
She reached out, her hand glowing slightly, as if with chakra-like when Tsunade healed people. He held out his arm, and she gently pressed her crystal to the cut, quickly covering the slit with her glowing hand. A sensation of warmth and comfort passed over him, and when she pulled back slightly, his arm was healed.
He examined it carefully. There was no scar, no sign that he had ever been hurt there. Looking up at her, he laughed. "No wonder you've never felt pain."
She tilted her head curiously, wondering why he was laughing. She certainly hadn't enjoyed this feeling.
He shook his head, choosing to explain later. She glanced up at him quickly, then away, then back. Debating with herself. Orochimaru smiled, amused, and waited silently for her to make up her mind. Finally, she spoke.
"What's that emotion Jiraiya is always talking about?"
Orochimaru was startled. "Love?" he asked. She nodded.
"Well...wait, didn't you have classes on this stuff?" he asked suspiciously, teasing her.
"Yes...but they never described pain, and they weren't even accurate with happiness, or grief. The things I'm learning now...are so much clearer, and easier to understand."
Orochimaru nodded. Then narrowed his eyes at her. "Have you been reading anyone?"
She shook her head. "Should I?"
Frowning, he considered it. Then shook his head. "No. Love is one you must experience on your own."
"How will I know?" Kida asked, curious. She was always curious. In a way, it made him feel like he was older. Teaching her about life.
"You will. Trust me."
"What's trust?"
Orochimaru moaned. "Well..."
At least he was getting better with words and communicating with others. She could be so damn frustrating sometimes!
Later that night, Kida went to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-chan?"
"Hai?"
"How do you know if you're in love?"
Tsunade's head shot up. "Oh..." she smirked teasingly. "You are young." Kida didn't bother to correct her, just waited for an answer.
"Well..." Tsunade began. "It's usually with someone of the opposite sex. You look at them, and...how do I describe this? They make you happy. Just with the smallest things. Their smile, the look in their eyes, they're beautiful. You always want them to be happy, the way they make you feel. You feel like you're glowing when they notice you, you always want them to acknowledge you and think highly of you. It's when you like hearing someone laugh, and could listen to their voice for the rest of your life and never get bored. True love is more than wanting someone's body-don't listen to a word Jiraiya says. It's more than that. You want to spend the rest of your life with the person-and for them to be safe and happy, always."
"Love is more than just romantic love. It's a mother protecting her children, siblings looking after one another always. Even the way teammates trust and know each other can be considered a form of love."
"Does that answer your question?"
"Sort of. Is that when your heartbeat gets messed up when you see someone?"
"That's part of it. Blushing a lot is also common." Tsunade smirked knowingly. "I'm betting you're thinking of someone right about now..."
Kida's cheeks turned bright red. "Maybe." she admitted, edging towards the door.
"Go tell Orochi he's an idiot!" Tsunade called after her, laughing. "He'll understand!" Kida gave her a puzzled look, shrugged, and left.
She found Orochimaru out in the garden. It had quickly become 'their' place. She'd never seen anyone else there, anyway.
He looked up as she approached, and smiled at her. Her heart jumped, and she found herself smiling back-without forcing herself to. Something she'd gotten used to associating with him-and now she knew why.
What if he knows? What would he think of me? What if he kisses me? Her cheeks burned.
"Please don't tell me you asked Jiraiya about love." he said, his face going paler than normal, if that was possible.
Something Tsunade had said during one of their previous late-night talks a week ago flitted through Kida's mind.
Men in love get very overprotective and are easily swayed by jealousy. Don't get in their way.
Was Orochi jealous to think Jiraiya may have showed her love?
"No." she quickly reassured him. "I just figured something out on my own."
He nodded. "I thought for a while...I suspected why you were asking. If you don't mind, who is it?"
What am I supposed to say?
Seeing the look on her face, he quickly backtracked. "You don't have to tell anyone. I was just curious." he murmured, looking back out over the flowers.
She sighed, going to stand beside him. "Is it normal to feel the one you love is the only one who really knows you?"
"Since I've never truly experienced love, I can't say, but it does seem to be commonly stated."
Kida looked at him questioningly. He smiled. "Or maybe I should say I've never experienced love before."
Is he saying...?
"Orochi?" she whispered. She was trembling, her light blue eyes searching his dark amber ones, pleading with him, for something he couldn't quite figure out.
Then the pieces fell into place. He'd been the one teaching her about other emotions...he alone knew what she was, who she was. All the blushing, shy, tentative moments with the normally confident goddess...
Taking a chance, knowing he could well be staking his life on this assumption, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, gently cupping her face in one hand as he leaned closer, his eyes searching hers, trying to see if he was right, or dead.
He could feel her heartbeat pounding under his fingers as they brushed her neck, and knew.
Closing the remaining distance quickly, he pressed his lips gently to hers.
