AN:
Finally! An Update!
~oOo Chapter 6: Eve Before Tomorrow oOo~
Tayuya lies face up on her bed, just staring out at nothing in particular. Although her face doesn't show any signs of agitation or stress, on the inside however, her mind is a train wreck. She blinks back her eyes as tears start to well around it. Cursing herself, she forces herself to look back up at the ceiling, concentrating hard on avoiding the subject that plagues her mind and thinking of any way just to distract herself from it.
She soon finds herself reaching her right hand over to the side of her face, fingers slowly bending up and down in different patterns. A soft hum, vibrating from her throat, follows the movement of her fingers. And as she closes her eyes, her left hand rises up to join the other, fingers dancing with the melody of her song. But as it comes to an end, so does her contentment, her peace, leaving only a bitter memory.
Tears start to form again in her eyes, and Tayuya glares at the ceiling above her, brows scrunched down and her lips turned into a scowl. She then closes her eyes again and wills herself not to cry, clenching her fists as she turns her body to the side and bending it in a fetal position.
No matter how much she tries to forget, her mind won't let it. Of all the things of ruining her plan at finding out any information about her clan is actually the person she was going to ask about it in the first place.
She clenches a fist, burying half the side of her face. It's just so frustrating! What's worse is that the fact that she surrendered herself to the Leaf, surrendered all information she had on the man she once called Lord and Master, the person who gave her purpose and power. And for what?!
Nothing!
She surrendered it all for him! Just for what?! So that she could feel peace? Closure?
Tayuya's grip on the bed sheets gradually loose its hold. Her breathing slowly evens out as her mind goes blank with only one thought.
She had lost. Lost her chance at finding out anything more about herself, who she really is, to know who or what exactly is her clan, as well as finding out the reason why her parents—
Tayuya's eyes fly open wide, lips slightly parted as the gears in her sharp mind work, a memory long forgotten. She sits herself upright and looks at a large mirror at the corner across her bed.
She hasn't lost yet. There is still a way to play this so called twisted game the world has on her shitty life.
She purses her lips, and for a moment, just continues her stare at the mirror. But soon enough, she gets up and goes to the windows by the side of her bed, grabbing the curtains and pulling it over to cover them up. Making a half-handed ram sign, she activates the numerous seals placed all over her windows and door, any opening that might merit suspicion.
What could she say? She was paranoid. Still is. Not after that event that scarred her life.
Shaking her head, she heaves a frustrated sigh and walks toward the mirror, looking over herself. She looks almost the same as when she was still fourteen. The only difference is that her face looks sharper, and her hair longer, though she did try to cut her bangs short as without her hat, it goes all over the place. She couldn't afford a hat because she's—duh—broke. She can't buy the things she wanted to replace the things she lost. The only reason why she had a new set of clothes is because of Uzuki. She suddenly took her measurements out of the blue and bought her new clothes because she wasn't yet allowed to go out at that time. Anyway, besides that, she grew a few inches too. Not just in height, but also on the hips and chest areas, something she never considered worth of notice until recently.
"Hmm..." Lifting up a hand, Tayuya grabs a hold of the zipper on the collar, pulling it down and revealing her skin and a black-laced bra, until it reaches the end where the two pieces of cloth breaks apart.
The black article falls down on the floor, and the redhead examines herself on the mirror. Her right hand reaches out to touch her stomach, slowly rubbing it in circles around her navel. Her eyes slowly droop down to a close, and her hand reaches out to grab hold of her other hand, making a ram sign in the process.
Tayuya concentrates her chakra, signaling them all down to her core. Slowly, she peeks her eyes open and sees a spiral pattern forming from her navel that continues to snake its way around her stomach. Eight characters then appear around it.
Tayuya traces the seal on her stomach her eyes in a daze as if in deep thought. She has yet to reveal this seal to anyone, even the Hokage. After all, the only thing the busted blonde had asked for was information about the Snake Sannin, not anything about her in particular. She also figured that this piece of information is too important let go as this is a personal issue she has to deal with.
She had first encountered this seal just after three days when Lord Orochimaru had branded her the curse mark. She forgot about it—the memory vague—but she could remember it now, bits and pieces of it. Back then, she didn't know what it was exactly. But now...what's important is that this seal is the legacy of her parents.
A few days ago, she had gone to read at the library in search for any sources of information she could find regarding the Uzumaki. But the only thing she got was a vague description of her clan, including which is that they are known for their impressive sealing skills and their equally impressive longevity, which tells her how and why she is still even alive after being buried by numerous sliced-up logs by that blonde bitch from the Sand, nothing in particular that she already didn't know about. However, the thing that piques her interest is the picture of the Uzumaki Clan's trademark seal. A seal that also resembles hers in a way, the spiral pattern on her stomach.
Tayuya gazes at the dark brown eyes staring back at her. She then looks back down at the reflection of her seal. She places a hand over her stomach. "It's here. My clan's secrets are...inside me," she mumbles. Her brows then scrunch down. "It's inside me, but..." But the problem is she doesn't know how to unlock it with only a small amount of knowledge regarding sealing jutsus.
Tayuya paces in front of the mirror, hand currently holding her chin. If she could only find someone who's a master of seals, maybe that person could unlock it for her or maybe she could learn it from them, and then she finally has a chance at finding out the information she so desperately needed. But for now, she would play her part as an Anbu of the Leaf. Yes, she would give it a second chance to bleed out more information from them. Get information somewhere in the Academy to look up for any Leaf shinobi who might at least know about sealing jutsu. Manipulate them with her genjutsu to do whatever the hell she wants. Make plans for repercussions if ever she's caught, an escape route perhaps, maybe even a—
A knock on her door suddenly brings her out of her musings and back to reality. There is only one person the Anbu girl knows who would knock on the door of her room, and that is—
"Uzuki," Tayuya mutters under her breath, quickly making a half-handed ram sign and deactivating the seals on her windows and door. She then makes another set of hand signs, this time clouding the seals in a genjutsu.
The door opens, and Tayuya suddenly remembers that she is almost half naked, and that her seal is still exposed.
Quickly turning her back from the purple-haired Anbu, she breaks the amount of chakra flowing through her core, and eventually, the seal disappears from view, leaving her to heave a sigh of relief.
"Tayuya...can I come inside?" Uzuki asks from the doorway.
The redhead looks at the woman's unmasked face. She then nods and moves to sit on her bed, but not before picking up the fallen piece of article lying on the floor.
Uzuki walks over and sits beside the girl, eyes staring anywhere but her. The Anbu didn't say anything about her state of undress, so Tayuya just shrugs it off and focuses more on the why the woman is here. She puts on her vest and zips it up, looking down, particularly on her toes.
Seconds pass by, and still, silence permeates the room. Tayuya gets restless as she waits for the woman to at least say something. The awkward silence is enough to get on her nerves.
Glaring at her, she demands, "What are you doing here, anyway?"
This time, Uzuki shifts her gaze to the redhead, face neutral so she couldn't read her emotions. But then, they soften and look back up ahead. "I just wanted to know how you're doing. That's all."
Tayuya looks back down. "I'm fine."
"I see..." She nods, her voice trailing off, but after a moment, she asks, "What are you planning on doing now?"
Tayuya visibly stiffens and looks back at her. "Wha...what do you mean?"
"Now that Naruto Uzumaki holds you no information, what will you do once you meet with him?"
Tayuya scoffs, turning back to glare at her toes. "Who said I'm going to meet him? After what happened..." She clenches her fists. "I don't care about the boy. He's just an idiot, a shithead. Hell, I even thought of killing him back then when we were still enemies."
"..."
"If he doesn't know anything, any information regarding my clan, then he's useless to me. What good does it do whether or not I meet him? Nothing. He's just...useless..."
Her words hang in the air, giving in to silence for it to overcome them. But soon enough, the room goes cold, as if they got suddenly transported to the snowy wasteland of her birthplace.
The woman's eyes darken, her tone of voice laden with disappointment. "Is that all he is to you? Just some tool to use and throw away once you're done?"
Tayuya just stares at nothing in particular, not a word or any kind of reply forming her lips.
Uzuki couldn't believe it. "I can't believe you. You're just as heartless as your master."
As those last words leave her mouth, Tayuya whips her head back in anger. "What do you f*cking know about me?" She stands up, voice sharp. "You don't know anything! You don't know what I've had to endure! What my life's been like!"
"You don't know what his has been like." Uzuki counters, but her voice stays soft.
Tayuya scoffs. "Oh? And I guess you do?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," she says softly but firmly. She stands up to meet the girl's glare. "I know that Naruto Uzumaki was hated and scorned by the people of this village. Even as a child, they treated him like he was trash, like he didn't deserved to even live."
Hearing those words, especially the last statement, Tayuya's eyes widen, and she unconsciously reaches out a hand to grab her stomach.
The Anbu notices this, and warning bells ring inside her mind. Slightly narrowing her eyes, she tries to calm herself down, her mind thinking up on what she had observed. The girl is obviously keeping something to herself with the way her body reacted to her words. But the question is what? What is it? The only way to find out is to ask, but...
Closing her eyes, Yugao Uzuki heaves a sigh. Looking back at the younger girl, she lifts up her hand to stroke her hair. Luckily, she didn't recoil or move away from the touch. "Tayuya...tell me what's on your mind?"
There. She said it. After one month of living together, she finally has a good enough reason to ask the question so that she could learn more about the Uzumaki girl.
Tayuya looks up, and then back down. She doesn't say anything, just continues her stare on the floor, her brows scrunched down as if in deep thought.
When she doesn't give a reply, Yugao sighs. But soon enough, the girl's mouth works.
"So...they wanted him dead too," she says in a soft voice.
Yugao just looks at her, not really knowing how to answer that. She only nods. But with the way she had said it as if she referred to herself as well—
The Anbu woman's train of thought is suddenly broken as the redhead gently grabs a hold of the hand on her head and places it back to the woman's side. "I need go," she mumbles. And without waiting for any reply, she walks out of the room, leaving the purple-haired Anbu alone to contemplate things.
~oOoOoOo~
Naruto looks up at the night sky as he walks along the sandy streets of the village. There are numerous twinkling stars tonight. From what he'd heard, it's almost rare to see them these days with sandstorms and strong winds occurring during both day and night. But times like these with the wind subtle and calm, the view above looks amazing. Even in the Hidden Leaf, the stars aren't as amazing compared to seeing them here.
The blond genin passes by stores lining up the block. One of them seems to sell some noodle soup dishes. A large grin finds its way on his lips as he moves toward the building, entering inside.
"One large miso ramen please!" Naruto says as he moves to sit down.
"Coming right up!"
When the dish is presented to him, the blond grabs a pair of chopsticks and claps his hands. "Thank you for the food." After that, he immediately digs in, breathing in the sweet aroma of the noodle dish. Even though the ramen here couldn't even compare to Ichiraku Ramen's, he couldn't deny how delicious and mouthwatering it is. Amazing!
After a while—ordering another large bowl—the blond's mind wanders back at the hideout they've explored earlier that day. Him, Biscuit, and Urushi had already reported their findings, including the barrier room. He also mentioned to Kankuro the piece of paper he found inside one of the quarters, as well as the numerous sealing tags placed all over the doorway and bed.
Folding the piece of paper, he pockets it inside his backpack, and then turns back around. His brows then scrunched down in thought as he sees dormant sealing tags placed all over the doorway. Looking back inside the room, he also sees seals by the bed. Naruto wonders the kind of person who used this room before. Probably someone not good as the person served Orochimaru in some way. But still...he wonders...
Naruto heads over to the bed, kneeling down on one knee to examine the seals. Slowly, he moves his hand to touch one.
Nothing happened.
Releasing the breath he was unconsciously holding, the blond proceeds to remove it, before standing up and turning back around. But before he could turn away, he notices from the corner of his eye a red thread lying by the pillow side.
He carefully picks it up between his fingers and learns that it's actually a single strand of red hair, not red thread. Does that mean that the person who lived here had red hair? Naruto couldn't think of anybody with red hair from the Sound. He could only think of Orochimaru and Kabuto, and they don't have red hair. Somehow, his mind manages to imagine both Sound ninja having straight long red hair, complete with a very creepy smile.
Before he could laugh about it though, a sudden clicking sound could be heard, echoing throughout the corridor. Moments later, light floods from outside the room, and the blond could hear the tan-colored ninja hound laughing. "Mission accomplished! Well, almost."
Naruto quickly turns around and exits the room, seeing Biscuit outside wagging his tail. "Hey, what's going on?" he asks, turning off his flashlight as he looks around to see that the torches on the walls are lit. "The lights are on..."
"What? You think a hideout as large as this there's someone who'd manually light all the torches? Jeez, that's overkill."
He rubs the back of his head. "Heh, I guess not."
The ninja hound shakes his head. "Anyway, did you hear that clicking sound before the lights came on?"
The blond nods. "Yeah."
"I don't know which team, but it seems they've successfully deactivated all the traps inside the hideout, so it's completely safe to head back now and regroup. Which also means..."
Naruto looks at him. "What?"
The canine grins, showing all his pearly white teeth. "We can finally go and eat dinner!"
Well, he is eating dinner now, finally finishing his third bowl and going for a fourth. But while his grumbling stomach was all he could think about on their way back to the Hidden Sand Village, Naruto had enough insight to hand over the things he picked up from that unusual room.
Kankuro had told him that the sealing tags are actually common as ninja could buy it through shops and stores. He could only guess that its purpose is to lock the door and prevent anyone from entering inside without permission. The other paper on the other hand is some sort of music sheet, though Naruto thought it was some kind of coded message. Kankuro thought otherwise. Still, he'd have to follow protocol and have a look at it if by chance it actually has anything worth of notice.
Naruto almost gave him the red thread too...umm, hair...if not for the Sand jōnin's hearty yet sarcastic comment of giving him something useful next time. The blond doesn't know why he kept the strand of hair though, even now…probably because it reminds him of a certain redheaded girl.
Speaking of which, his talk with his sensei was interrupted earlier that morning. Now that he isn't distracted anymore about not being able to enter the Chūnin Exams, their mission to the hideout tomorrow for that barrier room, as well as his grumbling stomach, he could finally ask Kakashi-sensei about the person filling up his mind right now.
Grabbing the bowl in front of him, the blond slurps its broth and remaining contents, heaving a contented sigh as he finishes his fifth meal of the night.
~oOoOoOo~
Inside one of the rooms at the inn they're staying at, one silver-haired jōnin lies face-up on his bed. He isn't wearing the standard green vest, only in his dark blue suit, holding a certain green-colored book just inches away from his masked face. Giggles could be heard as he turns over a new page. A few moments later, his giggles return, but with even more glee...and something else entirely. If one were to look beyond the book, they would definitely see the perverted expression on his face.
Suddenly, the door to his room opens, and Kakashi slowly turns away from the book, a somewhat irritated look on the parts of his visible face. But when he sees that it's just his young genin student, his expression softens. He sits up on the edge of the bed.
"Kakashi-sensei. I wanted to talk to y—" The blond starts, but suddenly gets interrupted.
"Ah, Naruto. Right on time," Kakashi says, crossing his arms. "Would you like to learn a new technique?"
Caught off guard, Naruto could only tilt his head to the side. "H-Huh?" He stutters. "Oh, uh...huh?"
The jōnin chuckles a bit, lightly shaking his head. "I said. Would you like to learn a new technique?"
"A new...technique?" After what seems to be a very long pause, Naruto snaps out of his stupor and brightens up like a child given a toy on his birthday. "Really!" He quickly closes the door and immediately stands in front of the jōnin, exited as ever. "Cool! What kind of jutsu is it? I bet it's cool and awesome 'cause you're jutsus are always awesome, y'now!"
The copy-nin rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, leaving the bait for him to catch. "Anyway, as I said, I'll teach you a new technique."
The boy's eyes twinkle like stars.
Kakashi sweatdrops. He then clears his throat, returning in all seriousness. "However, I wouldn't say that this jutsu is mine as even though I copied it with my Sharingan eye, I can't use it."
"Huh? Why not?" he asks, "I mean, if you copied it, shouldn't you be able to use it or something?"
"It's not much as I can't...but more of a matter that I won't. She might haunt me in my dreams if I use her jutsu."
Naruto looks at him, quite confused. "She?"
Kakashi just shrugs. "Never mind that. The jutsu I'm about to teach you is a simple sealing jutsu, but difficult to use if you haven't yet grasped the idea of it. With that said, we'll start first with the..." The copy-nin stops what he is saying at the disappointed look his student is giving him. "Eh...what's wrong, Naruto? Don't you want to learn a new technique?"
Looking away to the side, the blond puts both hands in his pockets, pouting. "It's not that I don't want to learn a new jutsu, it's just that..." He looks back at his sensei, somewhat whining. "Kakashi-sensei, why sealing jutsu? I was kinda looking forward to something more cool and awesome like the Chidori or Water Dragon Jutsu, y'now."
Kakshi closes his eye and crosses his arms as if in deep thought. Okay, now for the incentive. He opens an eye and looks back at the blond genin. "Tell you what. I don't usually make bets, but if you manage to master this jutsu, in let's say...four days, once we go back to the Leaf with a very, very, very successful mission, I'll help you out to make your own cool and awesome jutsu." He eye smiles. "Whaddaya say?"
Naruto grins at that and pumps his fist in the air. "Heck yeah! If that sealing jutsu is as simple as you say, then I'll finish it in less than two days!"
The jōnin chuckles. "Heh, it wouldn't be surprising if you did. After all, you are the most unpredictable ninja I've ever met."
The blond's grin widens. "Hehe. Well then, what are we waiting for?!"
He chuckles at the boy's energy. "I guess timer starts now."
~oOoOoOo~
Her hands seem to glide all over the desk like a swooping eagle taking out its prey. Grab a page with her left, stamp it with her right. Repeat. Grab a page with her left, stamp it with her right. Repeat. Though sometimes, they move to take a sip of the cup of tea her apprentice gave earlier, before repeating the process again. This scene would continue on in complete silence if not for the slight disturbance she suddenly feels in the air.
Looking up from her desk filled papers, she heaves a sigh, taking another sip of her tea. "I thought you already left the village."
"Do you really want me to stay away that badly, eh Tsunade?" The tone of voice appears hurt, though it seems otherwise.
The blonde Hokage scoffs. "You know what I mean, Jiraiya."
"Haha. My, aren't we in a foul mood tonight." The Toad Sage from Mount Myōboku suddenly enters the room, going by the window that is now open and leans down the wall beside it, crossing his arms.
Sighing again, she rubs her temples, not really in the mood to have a debate. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon. Usually it takes you years just to come back from...whatever research it is you're into."
The white-haired Sannin gives a leery grin. "Hehe. You have no idea how hard it is just to get into the right details."
The Hokage sighs again for the third time, "You'd think our late sensei would be proud. You with your perverted books, peeping on innocent girls with the pretense of doing research. As for me, I drink a lot and gamble away all my money, just to lose over and over again. And Orochimaru...he's obsessed with these experiments of his, switching bodies just to make himself live on to obtain all jutsu..."
As her words trail off, silence permeates the room. Not wanting for it to continue, Jiraiya breaks it with an indignant huff, moving to stand in front of the blonde. "Hmph, I remember perfectly how Sarutobi-sensei liked my books." His smiles widely, nodding his head in agreement with himself. "You know, I always saved him a copy before it is even released."
Tsunade groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe you corrupted him into reading your perverted books."
"For your information, he let me peep on girls and even wanted to go with me this one time too."
She lightly glares at him. "You're such a pervert."
"I'm not just any pervert. I'm a super pervert!" He proudly states, giving two thumbs up.
The blonde sweatdrops. "Ugh, I just hope you haven't corrupted Naruto with your dirty mind."
Jiraiya shakes his head. "Hehe, not yet anyways," he mumbles to himself, a perverted grin on his face.
Tsunade's ears perks up. "Huh? What was that?"
He holds up his hands in peace. "Now, now. Don't get all heated up because me."
A tick mark appears on the blonde's forehead.
Sweatdropping at the killer intent directed towards him, the Toad Sannin clears his throat. "A-Anyway, there's reason why I came back in less than a year." The Slug Sannin visibly frowns at the joke, but it didn't faze him as he continues. "It's about the Akatsuki."
At hearing the mysterious group of S-Class ninja, which includes the former Leaf shinobi, Itachi Uchiha, Tsunade narrows her eyes, lacing her fingers together. "What about them? You said that they'll target Naruto in about three years. We've got eight more months to prepare until they come after him again."
He puts a hand by his chin. "I don't think they'll target him first."
Her eyes slightly widen. "You mean..."
Jiraiya nods. "They're on the move, but they're also cautious."
"Hmm, how so?"
A small smile finds its way on his lips. "You tell me. With Leaf ninja posted in different parts of the Land of Fire, not to mention that the Sand Village is doing the same thing in their own land, it's not much of a surprise that they won't do anything drastic to get anyone's attention."
She leans back on her chair. "So, it's because of what I started that somehow temporarily halted their plans. Then again, capturing all the tailed beasts is their goal. I'm sure they'll do just about anything to get their hands on any of them."
He nods. "Right. And I'm betting they'll start with the lowest numbered jinchūriki."
She narrows her eyes. "Gaara?"
He shrugs. "Probably. Probably not. It's only a matter of time before they make a move anyway."
Tsunade nods her head in agreement. "Alright, I'll send word to the Kazekage tomorrow morning for precaution." She then moves again to continue her paperwork. "Is there anything else?" she asks when she noticed that he's still standing there.
Jiraiya rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...how about that meeting with the elders tomorrow?"
The blonde Hokage looks up to meet his. "How'd you know about that?"
The Toad Sannin makes 'tsk' noises with his tongue and mouth, shaking his head with both hands on his hips. "You underestimate my amazing investigative skills. Tsunade, you should know me better by now."
"Hmph, I guess I can't argue with that. Fine." She stands up and walks over to the window behind her, leaning on it as she looks outside the still village.
A comfortable silence falls between them. Jiraiya patiently waits for his long time friend to continue. Soon enough, a sigh escapes the woman's lips.
"A council meeting will be held at the war room tomorrow. I don't know why they want it there, probably for whatever thing they want to talk about to stay inside." She huffs a bit of air. "Just thinking about seeing those two old bags again gives me a headache. What's even worse is that I can't shake this feeling like something bad is going to happen with that old warhawk joining in."
"Hmm..." Jiraiya moves to stand beside her at the window, looking over at the village outside as well. "I hope you have something planned. Knowing that man, he always has something up under his sleeve." He then shifts his gaze over to her. "Just be careful, okay."
As much as how sweet that had sounded, a smirk finds its way on the blonde woman's lips. "Who do you think your talking to anyway?" She looks at him. "You worried about me?" She then shakes her head. "Jiraiya, you should know me better by now." She repeats his earlier phrase with amusement. "I can handle these stupid council meetings as easy as I can put you to sleep for a month with just one strike of my finger."
Hearing his friend's confidence, the Toad Sage lets out a hearty laugh. "Ahahaha!" After that, he looks back at her. "Alright. I wish you good luck then. You're gonna need it."
Tsunade lets out a chuckle. Though moments later, her lips curve into a deep frown, her brows going down as her mind registers the subtle jab to her 'Legendary Sucker' status of being very...extremely...unlucky.
A huge tick mark appears on her forehead, and Jiraiya unfortunately knows nothing more...
~oOoOoOo~
A lone figure walks on ahead, following whatever road leads her. She hasn't exactly have anything on mind. Her feet just seem to move about on its own, no place in particular, maybe someplace quiet where she could think things through. Her mind is a jumbled mess, and she needs to sort things out before she could move on and make a decision. Which path she should follow? Theirs...or her own.
Earlier, Tayuya had made the decision to betray the Leaf. But now, she's doubting that decision simply because of the knowledge Uzuki put in her brain that Naruto Uzumaki and her are the same. People had wanted them dead. She's not sure whether it's because he's an Uzumaki for their reason of hate, but still...it doesn't add up if the people coming from the same village scorned him. It's not like the people who wanted him dead were complete strangers like hers was.
Scowling, she clutches both sides of her head, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Aaaaargh! Why am I even sympathizing with that blond moron?!"
Is it because she feels kinship with him? Both of them are alone with no families to turn to. Both are orphans. He's the same clan as her, so does that mean they're family? No. They're complete strangers.
Tayuya finds herself sitting down on a bench by a road in a hill, somewhat drained from her sudden outburst. From this viewpoint, she could see the village. Some of the buildings still have light in them, but the majority of them are out, probably because it's already late. Common sense dictates for her to go back home, but...
She lowers her eyes to the ground.
...home, huh...
She sighs, placing a hand over her face. The last place she had ever called home was with Lord Orochimaru. She was one of his personal bodyguards together with her...late teammates. The curse mark on the back of her neck is living proof of it, even though its been sealed by orders of the Hokage.
That was her life back then, serving only him until a tool such as herself gets broken like Kimimaro did. But that was just fine with her. She'd sworn an oath to serve him in exchange for power. Power so that she could fulfill her revenge. But that doesn't matter now. Only information about the Uzumaki Clan would satisfy.
So...what is her choice? Which path will she follow? Pretend that everything's alright and continue to obey the Hokage's demands until such time when it's perfect for her to make her move. Or swallow her freedom and follow what Tsunade had set a path for her, to become a dog of the Leaf Village. Both choices has her losing. Either have a chance at gaining information but lose her potential home, or stay here at the village but lose knowing about her clan.
She closes her eyes, leaning back on the bench. Does...does Naruto Uzumaki feel the same way? Could he help her? She lifts an arm over her stomach. All her life she never knew. Is there another way without her losing? She's so sick of it.
...
W-Would...would she be willing to let her secrets go? If she told Tsunade about the seal in her stomach—
Her train of though is cut off as someone suddenly taps her on her right shoulder.
The redhead's eyes fly open wide, and she immediately jumps out off her seat, ready to strike at any given moment. From her right just a few feet away from her is a black-haired boy who seems to be the same age as her, or maybe younger. He wears a short black-and-grey jacket with red straps, a high-collared midriff shirt, black pants, shinobi sandals, and gloves with his index and thumb fingers exposed. The second thing she noticed is his very pale-looking skin. But the most important and shocking part is that he's a mirror image of Sasuke Uchiha!
The boy just smiles at her, both eyes closed as he slightly tilts his head to the side. "Hmm...did I scare you?"
Bouncing back from her initial shock and a lot of other negative emotions, Tayuya narrows her eyes, glaring at him.
But her glare doesn't seem to faze him one bit. He just keeps smiling. "You know, I have heard of you. You're name's Ikari, correct?" Tayuya's finger slightly twitches. He then chuckles lightly. "Have you already gotten bored with your mask?"
The redhead raises an eyebrow, suddenly confused at the change of topic. She still remains cautious though, expanding her sensory range even now to see if there is any danger nearby. "You're wearing a Leaf headband, but who are you?"
For the first time, the boy opens his eyes, revealing pure dark orbs staring back at her. He continues his smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Everything about him just seems...fake.
"You've always worn your mask even when it's quite unnecessary. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you without it."
"Tch". Tayuya scoffs. "So? You're point? You haven't answered my question." Though on the inside, she curses herself for forgetting her Anbu mask back at the apartment.
Tayuya is broken out of her thoughts as the boy suddenly takes one step forward, making her unconsciously take a step back. "Hmm...it seems I do scare you."
She glares at him. "Shut up, you pale ass piece of shit!"
But the boy just smiles at the insult, eyes closed. "Ahaha...really? I like people like you, unfriendly crones."
A tick mark appears on her forehead, and Tayuya has had enough of it. But instead of blowing up, her entire aura darkens. She moves a hand to her left wristband, ready to start a fight when necessary.
Seeing this, the boy's smile disappears, the facade he's playing gone replaced by a serious one. "Don't worry. I'm not here to fight you. In fact, I'm actually here to inform you about the meeting tomorrow."
She narrows her eyes. "What Meeting?"
A smile finds its way back to his lips, which makes the redhead scowl. He then chuckles. "You'll see."
And with that, he jumps up into the air and makes a half-handed ram sign, making him disappear in a swirl of black ink.
Tayuya only watches. She could still sense him even when gone, but it gradually diminishes until she couldn't sense him anymore.
Looking down, she moves back to sit on the bench, eyes glazed. Minutes pass by, and still she doesn't move. It isn't until a few minutes later that Uzuki suddenly jumps down to her level. She looks around the area, before turning back to greet her charge.
"You're late." Is all the girl says.
"Well, you never make it easy for me to find you. You always hide your chakra whenever you feel like running away," her purple-haired guardian answers.
Tayuya looks up after a long time."...I know."
~oOoOoOo~
At a dark part of the village, the black-haired boy lands on a rooftop. Just then, he feels a presence behind him, and he immediately grabs the tip-less tantō on his back, turning a one-eighty to block an incoming attack.
"Good timing," the attacker says, "Yeah...never let yourself be off-guard."
He recognizes the intruder, and slowly, the two stand down. "...what is it, Hyō?"
"Use this..." The man hands over a vial with purple liquid. "A gift from Lord Danzō."
He takes it, inspecting the liquid. He then looks back at the man.
"Okay, you have been assigned a top-secret mission. Make sure to carry out the intentions of Danzō, the man who will ensure our village's future." The man turns back around and starts to walk away. But then, he stops to look back. "...also, failure is not an option. Lord Danzō will make sure every traitor will be dealt with, even those who used to serve the snake."
The boy agrees, looking back at the hill he came from. "I know."
AN:
UH OH! It looks like Tsunade's bad feeling about tomorrow is right! But the question is, what are Danzo's plans? From the last part, it looks like they already know who Ikari truly is!
Tayuya: *glares at the last part of the chapter* I have a bad feeling about this. And I'm seriously pissed off at that pale ass shit.
Naruto: *looks at the readers* I'm going to learn a new jutsu! How great it that everybody!
Kakashi: *eye smiles at everyone, hand over his mouth as he points a thumb at the blond* He doesn't know I'm distracting him from being distracted from his mission, because he's clearly distracted by Tayuya-chan. He even found a single strand of red hair, and I think it belongs to Tayuya-chan. If that's not destiny, then what is? Don't you think so too?
Naruto: *suddeny sneezes*
Tayuya: *suddenly sneezes too*
...
Anyway, sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter gets you excited for what's to come. The story is heading towards the peak of Part 1. It won't be long until the two meet :)
Thank you for the favs and follows. Really appreciate the reviews too. Until next time I can update.
Oh, and out of topic, I just read Naruto Gaiden 1, and I really feel so bad for little Sarada Uchiha. Who the heck is her true mother?! Karin or Sakura? Sasuke, why the heck did you leave your own daughter?
