Akito narrowed his eyes. "Don't consider me a friend, foe, or acquaintance. If you join my group, we'll be considered as allies, nothing more," he said. Noboru shook his head. "I came back for one reason. Once that reason is fulfilled, I will leave." Daichi nodded.
Akito slammed Noboru up against the wall again. "Listen, you aren't leaving unless you help us. You're one of the only ones who haven't been 'affected' by a certain mark." Naoto frowned and backed away. "I can't be with you guys currently, I'll take Anri, and you guys go on." He picked up Anri and ran off.
Noboru raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?" he asked. Akito sighed. "So many civilians are in the hospital from a certain 'disease' as many call it. Orochimaru has grown stronger. He developed a new curse mark. It makes you a sort of puppet, but many die from it. It starts out as a series of migraines. Then, seizures and fevers. Then, you experience major pain, as if someone lit you on fire. Finally, you slip into a coma and die. My mother is in jail until the mark is placed on her." Tears ran down his face as he looked back at Noboru.
"Anri has been affected by it but didn't receive any symptoms of it like most survivors. No fever, no migraines, and no seizures. She has Orochimaru's same strange ability. Many have gotten the mark from her. More survive from Orochimaru's mark than hers. She's violent. She murders some people before they have a chance to react to the mark. Like Kiba."
Noboru's eyes widened as Akito spoke. He looked down. "Fine. I'll help to free Konoha and Anri. Then, I'll be leaving." Akito nodded and looked around before saying, "Follow me." He started to walk away. Noboru and Daichi followed him.
Anri woke up on her couch and cursed. Not again. How many people did she harm this time? A minimum of ten. A maximum of thirty.
Tani ran downstairs, crying. "Mama! Daddy's mad again! He's yelling!" she whined. Anri walked over and hugged the child. "Listen, Tani, I want you to run next door and let me talk to daddy." Tani knew what to do. This always happened. Anri would be crying when she returned, but quickly smiled and told her everything was all right.
Anri walked upstairs Fury rushed through her, ready to explode into flames. Samaru sat in their room, a sake bottle in his hand he threw it at a wall and it made a loud CRACK. He muttered a few curses as Anri closed the door.
"Samaru, you've been drinking again. Please, don't get mad. What did you say to Tani?" She spoke in a gentle tone. She kept her distance; hand on the doorknob if he tried anything. Samaru stood up.
"That good for nothin' brat? Just gave her what she deserved," he hissed. Anri bit her lip. He had hit her. Anri scowled, she tried to be patient. "Please don't do that Samaru. You should be resting." Samaru scowled.
Anri stayed quiet. "Samaru, let's go. You're drunk. We can't let you get to out of control." Samaru stood up. That was Anri's cue to run. She opened the door and ran, knowing that her chakra had been absorbed by the curse mark and wouldn't be restored until tomorrow. She got halfway down the steps when Samaru spun her around, clutching her wrists.
He had a sick grin on his face. Anri was about to scream. Samaru covered her mouth. "Shhh…don't want the neighbors to hear you," he cooed. Anri felt tears sting her eyes. This had only happened twice, and both times she managed to get away. Today, she felt weaker, like a genin could beat her.
She closed her eyes as Samaru picked her up and she heard two doors shut. Anri sobbed silently. The fact that Samaru got drunk whenever he heard of her cursed seal activated was starting to seriously hurt her.
Noboru had stopped Tani in the middle of the sidewalk. "Tani, where's your mom?" he asked. He noticed Tani's tear stains on her face. She hugged his leg and sobbed. "Daddy's angry…he'll hurt Mama!" she wailed.
Noboru told her to keep walking while he ran towards the house. He came in just in time to hear a door slam. He ran upstairs and tried to open the door. Locked. He stepped back and smashed his fist against the door, causing it to shatter. He ran in and tackled Samaru, who had pinned Anri against a wall.
Anri's eyes widened as she fell on the floor, sobbing. Her kimono was slightly torn and her lips were bleeding. Noboru hit Samaru on the head and picked up Anri. "GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" Samaru roared.
Noboru turned around, held onto Anri with one arm, and the other glowed blue as he placed his hand on the floor. Samaru shuddered and fell down.
Noboru ran downstairs and dropped Anri on the couch. "What in the world was that about?" He kept his eyes on the steps. Anri gave a weak smile through her tears and threw her arms around him. "It's a long story. Samaru has had a few 'problems' since we were wed."
Noboru wrapped his arms around her. "So he takes out those problems on you and Tani? Why don't you divorce him?" he asked. Anri shook her head. "Everyone would die. It would be my fault."
"You could at least hit a guy that tries to a…sexually harass you," he said, blushing. Anri looked at him with wide eyes. "Right now I'm about as weak as a newborn child." She noticed the blush and raised her eyebrows. He certainly hadn't changed.
She opened her mouth to speak when Tani rushed through the door. Her shirt was ripped and her hair was ruffled. "Mama!" she wailed, "Bad men tried to hurt me!"
Anri stood up and looked down. "You went further than the house? Never mind, show me where these 'bad men' are," she snarled. Tani pointed towards an alley outside. Anri kneeled down. "Tani, can Mama see your hands?" she asked. Tani held out her hands and Anri grabbed them. After a minute, Tani fainted. Anri caught her and handed her to Noboru. "Watch her, she'll be weak when she wakes up."
Anri walked away towards the alley. She looked towards a few men smoking. One of them held a strip of cloth. One of them chuckled when she walked towards them.
"What're you doing out here, Lady? Don't you know it isn't safe for a pretty lady like yourself to be wandering the streets. Guys could take advantage of that," he said, standing up.
Anri held out her hand. "Don't come any closer." The man walked towards her. "I warned you. I didn't want to have to do this," she said gravely. She opened her mouth to reveal two strange fangs, venom dripping from them.
Anyone present that night would've heard two loud screams. Three men were hospitalized that night. Of course, a series of seizures, migraines, and sharp pains broke out. In the end…they died.
Anri walked back in the house. This was one hectic day. "Why can't everything just go back to normal?" she asked while she sat down on the clean floor. Tani walked over to her. "Mama, hasn't it always been this way?" she asked. Anri looked up and slowly shook her head. Noboru looked away.
"There were better times. I was never really happy, just content. I always wished someone would just take me away from here. That feeling disappeared as soon as I became a genin. I was finally a bit more than content. Until…Until," She started crying. "Tani, just go to bed…" Tani ran upstairs.
Anri stopped crying. "There, that settles that. Now I don't have to explain myself." Noboru chuckled. "What now?" he asked. Anri stood up. "Noboru. We have to start planning the attack on the sound-nin and Orochimaru."
Noboru raised an eyebrow. "How do you intend to do that?" he asked. Anri looked away. "By summoning something that hates him beyond reason." Noboru frowned. "Which is?" he asked.
Anri kept her mouth shut. Noboru turned her head towards him. "Tell me," he demanded. Anri shook her head. He frowned. "I promise I won't stop you." Anri had tears in her eyes. "I'm going to use the same jutsu that both the 4th and 3rd hokage used. The sealing technique.
