CHAPTER SIX – WORD PLAY

The evening sky lit the forest on fire as varies shades and colors mesh together with the endless sea of green to make an enchanting beauty. It is truly something to see, but such a beauty isn't timeless. The darkness rapidly approaching threatens all of that, or maybe, it's the beauty before the darkness that makes it so enchanting. The knowledge that it will not last makes it all the more precious as the last fires of the day die down to become darkness.

Blood drips as the boy grits his teeth. It wasn't because of the pain, but it was because of his inability to focus. He was trying everything that he could to keep his mind on the task at hand. His right arm laying limp at his side as the bandages slip from his injury shoulder as it bled freely. His eyes watching the trees above him as the transition of evening to night cast varies shadow amongst their branches. Inside of one of those shadows, the boy knew the man was watching him and waiting to strike again.

He crouches low to the ground as the shifting of leaves above him alerts him to an unwanted presence. He throws one of the man's former shuriken back upward at the source. The weapon whipping away as the sound of it twirling can be heard clearly from his place on the ground. He waits for a soft thunk or a wet one to confirm if it hit anything, but for the moment there is nothing but the twirl of his sole shuriken. His eyes close as he listens more intensely, something wasn't right about the sound. He should have heard the shuriken hit something by now whether it's a tree or his attacker. The trees are too densely populated in this area for it to do otherwise.

He snaps them open as he thought to himself.

"Too many whirls, it is louder too, which meant…"

The boy lunges away from where he is crouch as his body does a forward roll as the tree behind him is impale with three shuriken. The attacker had sent back his own answer to the boy's movements, and as the crunching of leaves on the forest floor signal the boy's reaction, more shuriken flew. Embedding themselves in the ground behind him as the boy ends his roll by pushing off the ground with one good hand to get back to his feet. To stop moving would mean death at this moment as his eyes flicker towards the darkness behind him.

His legs spread out in a full sprint as more and more leaves crunch underneath his feet, and the sound of shuriken flew out behind him. Some only inches away as one tear at the back of his hair. Cropping it an inch shorter as the boy put more effort into his run. Suddenly a kunai is flung in front of him as his eyes see it in slow motion the twirl of a piece of paper on the handle of the blade. The boy's expression doesn't even change as he recognize what the scrap of paper meant. He had injury his arm in the first place because of it. He darts to the side as it goes off, and he is thrown through the air and smashes hard against the ground on one shoulder. His body being flipped over and over by the force of the blast as the boy is left helpless against. He is pushed along on the ground in a series of rolls and flips. It seems like forever, but the roll only last a few precious seconds as he finally regain control of himself as he twist to land on his feet. The force of the blast even then sends him skidding back a few more feet before he is in complete control. The kunai in his hand flashes in front of his body as he knocks away a few well timed shuriken that had been thrown at him in the confusion of the blast & his fall.

Panting heavily, blood runs down his face from a gash on his head. His limp right hand seems to become striped with the amount of blood that had traveled down it from the injury higher up on his shoulder. He stands there with his back against a tree. His mind racing as he sees what is in front of him, but, he has to keep his view from snapping back to something beyond it. The darkness pressing in against him all the worst as finally a voice breaks through the silences of the night.

"Wow, isn't this fun." "You last a lot longer than I thought, but then again if it had ended too quickly I would have fault that medical staffer instead of you." "Well, it's time for this to end & your life with it." "Humph, we never should have brought a monster like you to this village."

"I guess that what orders are for."

"They knew exactly what was being made on that compound, and we took your pathetic appearance hook line and sinker." "I guess, I owe that medical staffer's family my deepest apology, and I am sure that hearing what I did to you will bring them some symbol of peace."

The boy's head turns one way and then the other as he searches the trees for the source of the voice. While the man was talking the boy ready himself for what might come as a sudden soft footstep makes him look upwards to see a kunai planted just inches from his right eye. The deep blackness of his eye didn't even reflect off of the kunai surface as the man beyond it smirks. His long gray hair splashes around his shoulders as the dark garb hid him from neck to feet. The man had a dark red bandanna on his head that clash with everything that he is wearing as a long dark blade can be seen strap across his shoulders beyond that.

"IF you have any prayers say them now,"

The man declares as the boy merely stares back at him. His dark eyes showing nothing not fear, not remorse, and then, his mouth starts to move. Yet, there was no sound as the man looks on a bit confused, but then he remembered as he smirks darkly at the boy.

"You really are a bastard aren't you, I forgot, you can't talk." "One of those fuckers rammed his dick so far up your throat that it bruised your vocal cords, so, for the next three days …you are mute." "Damn, you can't even pray, and like hell I am going to wait until you can." "I guess you don't get any final words, goodbye."

The man moves to press the kunai those last couple of inches to stab through the boy's eyes and into his brain. It would only take a slight shift of his weight, but the man founds himself immobile as a deep pain surges though his veins. He looks at his body with quite a bit of force as he sees that his limbs are tangle in tendrils of red that had wrap themselves around him and sunken though his skin in varies places. The pain suddenly doubles as the man's scream. His body not being allowed to move an inch as the boy reaches up to touch the kunai only inches from his finger. A little pressure and crimson drips from the tip as the boy steps out from underneath it.

The man's eyes are wide as the blood runs like a snake up the kunai's blade and stops at the hilt. A fragment of it peels way from the surface as it starts to shape into something like a serpents head and then turns to look at the man. Its body becomes much more profound in appearance as it takes on the appearance of a blood red lizard, and then it hisses at him as suddenly he could move again and drops from the tree in surprise face first.

"What …how?"

The question dies on the man's lips as a kunai is press against his throat. The boy's eyes before him doesn't reveal anything in intention as the man see the rolls reversed for only a moment as suddenly those dark eyes go wide. The kunai drops from his fingers numbly before the boy slumps into him. A long needle is sticking out of his back, and behind him is the medic-nin, a small is plaster on his face.

"Wait until I tell the others that the invincible assassin was about to get his ass handed to him by a kid that haven't even hit puberty, yet."

The man in question merely growls as he shoves the limp body from him without a second thought. The blood that trails over his body wasn't his own, but belongs to the boy that lay there limply on the ground. He wipes a single streak of it from his arm as he looks at the boy on the ground and points.

"What the fuck was that?" "You didn't tell me he has some blood technique."

The blue hair medic smiles at him as he runs his hand through his spiky hair. He could see that the man in front of him is seriously pissed, and he would be as well if something like that happen to him. Yet, it was probably more dangerous at this point to admit that he didn't know that was going to happen either. Yet, the flicker of rustic brown eyes in front of his own, meant he better come up with some sort of answer and soon. He couldn't think of anything better so in the end a semi-truth came out.

"Okay, Makoto, I will level with you." "I had no clue he could do that shit, or else, I would have told you." "Humph, in just one day …I think we have found out more about this kid then I care to know, and I doubt we are done yet."

Makoto looks back at the medic-nin with one raised eyebrow. His silver hair flashing in the dim light of the moon as the man flicks a bit more blood off of his arm. He was waiting to see if there was more that the medic-nin had to say as he drops down to the boy's level. One gloved hand touching the sleeping boy's hair. Yet, nothing was forthcoming, and so Makoto took that time to speak.

"I thought the Commander had decided to have this little bastard exterminated after what he did in the hospital?" "In fact, I have been thinking, why he isn't the one doing this task?" "Hell even better, I am a bit surprise they let the same squad that brought him to the village deal with this instead of sending out an Anbu to put down this little prick."

The blue hair medic-nin suddenly gave a very shy look.

It was clear that two of them wouldn't be necessary to deal with a little boy, so, why is the Medic-nin here. Also, those needles were treated to knock someone out. Why would one knock out a child they wanted dead? So, the needles weren't meant for the boy …it had to be meant for him.

Makoto's eyebrow arch higher, and then he put his hand in his own palms. He never could figure out why he is the only one on the squad who is never given correct information. What did they think he is? Some ticking time bomb, okay, he did just that one time rush into a trap when they told him what was at stake, but that was one fucking mistake made long ago. Okay, maybe, not just one …he did slam his Commander's head through a wall on the mission last year, but that was only because the mission didn't detail why they had to staying in a swamp for three days without food. What idiot would accept an answer like, we aren't supposed to, but lately he hasn't given them any kind of trouble. There was no sense in hiding everything from him now is there?

Makoto takes a deep breath.

"Okay, what else are you not telling me?"

"Umm…the medical staffer that he attacked will live."

The blue hair shinobi starts as he twirls his fingers a bit. The two fingers dancing around each other, but not touching as he looks down at the ground.

"He has a few burst ribs, and is more likely going to have a scar on his chest, but he will be fine." "You really aren't supposed to kill the kid, but you know, punish him by beating his ass." "No one else would take the mission, because, everyone felt extremely sorry for him once they heard the full extent of his injuries." "You are the only one on the squad whom wouldn't care as long as the boy had commit some horrible act, so….."

Makoto took another deep breath as he looks at the blood on the ground and the discard kunai there. His fingers making a weird cracking noise as he slams one fist into the other after making sure that everything works perfectly.

"So, being that I am a cold hearted bastard I am the perfect one to send to deal with the boy, right?" "Bullshit, you guys did the names in a can drawing again, and pulled my name didn't you?" "You didn't want to do the dirty work, so you figure why not delegate, right?" "Anyone would want to kill that kid after hearing that he had taken the life of a fellow shinobi, but, no one would touch an attempt murder after hearing his back story." "Thank you, for telling me the truth." "Now run, because when I catch you I am going to kick your ass!"

The man growls as the blue hair shinobi jump into the nearest tree knowing that the Assassin wasn't going to be far behind him. It is dawn by the time they return to the hospital …the boy still unconscious drape over the medic-nin's shoulders. Though everyone who saw them had a hard time figuring out who needs the medic attention more, the boy or the medic-nin? His face is cover in so many bumps and bruises it looked like he might had fallen down a cliff face first, during the night.

"Hai, Satomi." "I guess he figure it out, huh?"

The Commander waves as the medic-nin flashes him a dangerous glare that makes the Commander drop his friendly disposition. Behind Satomi, the Assassin walks in with a big grin on his face, until his eyes met that of the Commander. A look of pure fear crosses the Commander's features as Makoto smiles broadly making the grin even bigger, and then he walks towards him. One fist smacking into another as Makoto's eyes dance with malice.

"Hahaha, Makoto, we are in a hospital remember, no fighting."

"Oh this isn't going to be much of a fight, besides, it makes it a lot easier on them if they don't have to go anywhere to pick you up."

Makoto counters back.

The sounds of screams could be heard throughout the hospital as all the patients found their peace rudely extinguish for the next thirty minutes. There would be two extra beds taken up this day as the three were placed in a single room where they could all be together. This would be effective in keeping the boy from escaping again as Makoto and Chief Medical Officer Yakushi sat in two chairs in the room. Their expression is quite serious as the Commander tries to sit up with one arm now in a cast and his left eye darken.

His smiles uncomfortably as the two stare at him.

"The child has a Kekkai Genkai."

Chief Medical Officer Yakushi breaks the silences with his comment. He looks seriously over at the boy as his chest slowly raises and falls, and the medical officer shakes his head.

"When you bring home a stray …it's really a stray isn't it." "That Kekkai Genkai is called Ketsueki gijutsu." "All Kekkai Genkai were recognized because of this one technique, and is the reason why they are called Kekkai Genkai."

He takes a moment to let his words sink in as they look at him, and he bows his head. This is getting more and more complicated with every passing second. Yakushi felt the need to rub his hand against his temple as he could feel tension from the one next to him. He could tell if he didn't continue soon things might get more difficult as he starts again.

"That kekkai genkai uses blood as its bases." "Pretty much, he can form anything out of his blood, and not only make it solid but give it a will of its own." "It's a powerful kekkai genkai, and one that was last seen amongst Amegakure." "All users are supposed to be dead, so the fact that we have one nestle in our hospital doesn't exactly fill me with glee." "I think it's best if you hide this fact, and make sure that boy doesn't display it either."

The Medical Officer declares solemnly. He looks at the men in the room one after the other, and then looks at his hands. A Kekkai Genkai comes to the user as simply as breathing. He could always try and seal it, but to block it off would be the same as chopping off a limb. To be quite honest he didn't think the boy could survive another trauma, and he didn't know any more traumatic procedures than what it would take to seal off a Kekkai Genkai.

"I am not sure if even the Hokage will be enough to keep him in your hands if they find out." "So, we do best to leave this matter just between us, and you guys figure out a way to make his technique work without it being so obvious."

He declares lightly. The Commander looked like he was about to speak with the sound of footsteps made everyone in the room go quiet. Their heads going towards the door as a boy rushes into the room. His hair is a silvery gray like Satomi, but his skin is much lighter, throwing off any chance of relations with the narrowing of the boy's nose and thinner lips. His eyes, well there is no way to see them as the glint from his glasses makes them look solid, like the glasses themselves are his eyes. In his hand is a letter as the 13 year old looks at them with steadfast eyes.

He is already wearing the headband of a Genin, and his father's eyes light up with pride at the sight of child as he thrust the letter takes the letter to read it.

"Well, this is for you guys from the Hokage." "He sends his regards about your hospital visit." "Wow, word travels really fast, let's see." "It seems that that boy will get grow up here after all, but, it's not going to be the way you think." "Once you are well, you and your squad will be starting another academy." This one is simply to be label "Roots." "It will admit only orphans that aren't a member of any bloodlines in this village, and their entire reason for existing will be to join the Anbu rank."

The look in the Commander's eyes flash wildly.

"You have got to be shitting me …they want us to raise these kids to die?" "What the fuck?" "Can we refuse?"

The Medical Officer shakes his head even as his son walks out of the room in a hurry. The medical officer holds the letters in his hand with trembling fingers. His own thoughts straying to the boy that just left, his own adopted son, but he focuses his eyes back on the letter. He isn't sure what he will do if they try to force him into the Anbu rank as he hopes to read something to let him know that the intention isn't to go that far. Relief shows on his face as he reads this next line.

"No child that has already been adopted will be affected, but all children that fit those rules, ages 6 - 18 will be admitted to the Roots program."

Yakushi stops there, because it's pretty much the end of the letter as he looks at them quite sternly.

"If you wish, you can more than likely reject it, but, who is going to protect that boy and his secret if he is taken to Roots." "If you refuse this offer, you would do better to kill him in his sleep right now."

The Commander sighs lightly at those words and then shifts his view to the outside world. His eyes focusing on the area that he knows to be his home and he thought about his wife and child. What would they say about this setup? He had told them that after this last mission he was going to retire to his home, but then he looks at the slumbering boy.

He knew what they would say.

"Send the message back, I will accept, and if my squad will agree …we will all retire to teaching the future of Anbu how to survive."

Chapter SIX- WORD PLAY- COMPLETE