Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me.
A/N: Ooh, this chapter is so cool! Yee :D Bet you never saw all this coming!
Chapter 8: A Brush with Death Himself
The two blinked. "What?"
The Nibi gazed down at them with a sneer. "The host, the one you called Kita. When she passed, she placed her will upon me. It was her dying wish that I protect the ones who cared for her. Was she right in saying you cared for her?"
"Kita's my friend; of course I cared for her," Sora answered first without hesitation.
Yanagi stared up into the bijuu's golden eyes. She glanced at the ground, remembering the Kita she had known many years ago, and then the Kita that had looked back at her with tear-filled eyes. "I know I didn't show it," she whispered, "but yes, I did."
"Her wish was justified then." The Nekomata nodded stiffly. The bijuu glanced up at the mountain, knowing what lay behind it; Iwakagure... The Nekomata smirked absentmindedly. The revenge I seek is close. I can smell the village that I wish to destroy. It looked down at the children and flicked one of its ears. "You have young, healthy souls and bodies. It would be a delight to feast upon your flesh and spirits."
Sora and Yanagi gulped as the Nibi lowered its head to their level and ran a large red tongue over its teeth. Its seemingly kind manners had disappeared in an instant.
Suddenly, it raised its head and laughed. "However, you are lucky today, children. If it was not for your friend's will being placed upon me, I would have killed you in a second. You are also lucky you have not been placed in the presence of my true form. If you had been, you would have dropped dead on the spot." The cat raised a brow as it grew impatient of the children's confused features. "I hope that you are not in doubt about my abilities. Would you like a demonstration, nyan?" It gave a bone-chilling smile.
Sora bowed hastily. He pushed Yanagi down as well. "We are sorry, Nekomata-sama. We at no point doubted your strength." He glanced up at the beast, who seemed pleased by his formality. "We were just wondering, Nekomata-sama; what of our friend? Could you restore her?"
The Nibi sat on its haunches and picked at its teeth with a large claw. It thoroughly inspected its claw before answering the two. "There is a saying about me that says: 'No creature hath a fury like the Nekomata with a grudge'. And at the moment, I still hold a grudge against your village for revolting against me and sealing me away. I was once the master of this village. The humans worshipped me like a god, because they feared me so. They would even sacrifice themselves to keep me appeased. I have had this grudge for over a hundred and thirty years, and now you ask me to wait by restoring my former host?"
"Please!" Yanagi cried out. She stared up at the bijuu with tears falling down her cheeks. "Please return Kita to us? I know you want to destroy the village... but, please... could you wait? With your great power, it wouldn't matter if it is today, or tomorrow. Please, Nekomata-sama! Could you?"
The cat sneered. "You are pitiful, you know, nyan? Snivelling like that..." Its tone changed suddenly. "But, you are right. Today, tomorrow... it doesn't matter to me, just as long as I destroy the village in the end." It lowered its head again to Yanagi and Sora and started to whisper. "But for the moment, I have been quite amused by you and your little ninja games, and I wish to see where the future takes you. So, I will grant your wish to see your friend again."
Yanagi's hands trembled. "You... you're really going to do that?"
"Yes, however... There will be... implications. Although in short I can send souls immediately to the afterlife, bringing them back is a little harder... There will also be another problem, but Kita will have to sort that out for herself." It closed its eyes briefly. "Leave me here for three days, and then come back. Kita should be restored by then."
Sora stepped forward, stumbling slightly from the injuries he still had. "Nekomata-sama, I don't want to offend you, but how do we know you will keep your word?"
The bijuu sniffed aloofly, then smirked. "I may be a demon, but I still keep my promises. You are from the Kigaino clan, nyan?" Sora nodded. "Yes, I quite remember that clan from long ago... As an example that I keep my word; I have a gift for you."
A red light erupted from underneath Sora and flew into his eyes. Startled, Sora stumbled onto his backside. "Whoa," he gasped for breath. He blinked and a look of dazed realisation dawned on his face. "I can... feel your presence..."
"Yes, if I leave this spot, you will feel my presence vanish. And when Kita returns... well, you will see. Now leave me in peace, brats, before I change my mind." It looked down its nose at the two and sniffed.
Yanagi helped Sora to his feet and together started hobbling towards the tunnel. There was a loud crunch behind them. Yanagi glanced back to see the Nekomata chewing on Hisaki's lifeless body. She shivered and returned back to aiding Sora.
The Nekomata's brow twitched as the genin left. I'm getting too soft... It thought. Kita... that child... she's had more of an effect on me than I thought... Accursed human emotions... But I must keep my word, and talk to the Master.
Finishing its meal, the Nekomata lay down and closed its golden eyes. A smirk crept over its face.
Not too long now...
"Alright, where is she?" The hospital room's door flew open and a very angry Nurse Bara stormed in. She stomped over to Sora and Yanagi, pushing the nurse that was treating them out of the way and out of the door. She slammed the door shut and confronted the two genin. "Where is Kita-chan?"
"Uh... she's... er, at home. She didn't get injured," Sora explained nervously.
Bara both gave them a glare that could scare a stampeding elephant herd away. "You're a terrible liar, Sora-kun. I've been a nurse long enough to know that with both your injuries, there is no way Kita could not have gotten into the same kind of trouble. Where is she?"
"I would like to know too, actually." The door slid open wider and Kita's father stepped in. He nodded at the matron. "I didn't know Kita had checked out. One of the receptionists directed me here. Now, would you two like to explain what's happened?"
Sora gulped and looked at Yanagi, then back at the adults facing them. "We... can't really say..."
Hissori sighed and shook his head. "I have a feeling I know this is a Nekomata-related problem. Am I right?" When Yanagi and Sora didn't reply, he bent down to their level. "I'm her father, I deserve to know. And you can trust Nurse Bara too. We're concerned about Kita."
"Alright, I'll tell you." whispered Yanagi. "After what she did... you should know too."
A few minutes later...
"She sacrificed herself for you..." Hissori stared at the ground, eyes wide. "My little girl..." He looked up at Sora and Yanagi. "Are you sure you can trust Nibi? Will it really bring Kita back?"
Yanagi nodded. "I'm pretty sure we can. We'll check back in three days, just like it asked."
Nurse Bara gave a worried sigh.
Hissori looked out the room's large window towards the mountains. He stayed silent.
...Location unknown...
Kita sighed and stared at the ground. She sat on an unseen chair that melted in with the darkness of the place she was in. She hunched over and put her elbows on her knees. After the living world had faded away, she had woken up here in this dark place. Kita glanced at her stomach. The wound was still there, though not bleeding anymore. Kita wondered briefly if she had become like those souls that only she could see. Was she destined to walk the earth as an empty soul like them? Kita's brow twitched. No, or else she wouldn't be here and still have her consciousness. But... what was going to happen then?
Our first ancestor signed a contract with Shinigami, the Death God, echoed a voice in her mind. It was the story her father had told her many times, the story about her heritage. Our bloodline's powers come from that contract. But with all contracts, in order to receive something, we must give up something. At the end of our lives, we will give up our right to be placed in either heaven or hell. We will become part of the Shinigami's army, and work for him in the afterlife, doing as he asks of us.
"So... that is my fate..." whispered Kita, remembering the last part of the story.
"No, not yet, Mitsukai Kita," replied a hollow voice.
Kita looked up and her eyes widened; before her was a large figure hooded in a black cloak and wearing a white mask. In his hands he held a large scythe that looked as though it could cut through anything.
"Shinigami-sama!" exclaimed Kita, recognising the Death God himself. She trembled.
The figure nodded slightly. Behind him, claws clicked on the floor until they came to a stop. Nibi sat on its haunches, bowing its head down towards Shinigami. It glanced up at Kita.
"Shinigami-sama and I have been talking about your fate," it said.
Shinigami placed a skeletal-like hand on top of the Nekomata's head. "Yes, and I have decided it is not your time to serve me yet."
"You are of no use to my Master anyway, since your bloodline has not manifested itself," commented Nibi. It glanced up at its master.
"Now, now, she is a very valuable asset," replied the Death God, continuing to pat it, "even without her bloodline. Because she has you, and you have her."
The Nekomata gazed at its master with a look of confusion. "I do not understand, Master."
"You both have a symbiotic relationship, my pet. And to be truly strong, you must work together. For I fear there will come a time when you shall have to use that to your advantage," explained the Death God.
"Shinigami-sama..." Kita piped up. When he turned to her, Kita gulped. "Sorry, but... do you mean like those bandits that attacked me and my team?"
"Yes, and you have seen the consequences of that, have we not? That is why you will have to form a stronger bond than what you have presently."
Nibi's brow twitched. "Master..."
Shinigami's voice deepened. "Nibi, you were careless once in battle and you were imprisoned for it. I will not allow that to happen again. You must do this."
"What are you talking about?" asked Kita, starting to feel a sense of foreboding.
Shinigami turned to her. "Nibi has a different type of chakra to you; different from your human chakra. At the moment, your chakra does not mix properly because you are not the same species. To have both your chakra work together, you must be of the same species. You must give up your humanity."
Kita's head jerked back. Her eyes trembled. "You... you can't! What would my father think? What would the rest of village think! They're already mad enough at me as it is!"
"Silence!" commanded Shinigami in a voice that made Kita feel deathly cold and made the Nekomata flinch. "Would you rather be killed again because of your foolish concerns over what people would think?"
Kita fell silent. She was being foolish.
Nibi flicked its ears. "What, do you have something against cats?"
Kita shook her head. "No, I guess not... I have you to thank for protecting my friends after all, since I couldn't protect them myself."
"You do not have to worry as much as you think you do," Shinigami said. "It is only temporary until you learn your new chakra, then you will be able to use some of Nibi's powers to disguise yourself. So, Mitsukai Kita, are you ready?"
Bravely, Kita nodded.
"Very well, and just as Nibi is known as the Nekomata, from now on you will be known as the Nekomusume. Go forth into the living realm, until we meet again at the end."
A/N: Was I right? Huh, huh? Kita-kitty coming right up!
About the Nekomata/Bijuu in General:
I know I told you some info about it in the first few chapters, but there were a few things I forgot to mention that I had found.
The Nekomata is not exactly the weakest of the bijuu, it is actually 6th, with its chakra/stamina rated at 8th and its overall strength rated at 4th. And if you are wondering, the strongest bijuu is the Kyuubi (though we all knew that, didn't we?), and the weakest is Ichibi (Shukaku). According to the legend of the bijuu, Nibi has fought and won against Kaku (Shichibi, seven tails) and Isonade (Sanbi, three tails). It also fought and lost against the Kyuubi. Nibi's symbolic element is Death, as it is Shinigami's pet.
The other seven bijuu are supposedly these creatures of legend:
Sanbi (Isonade)- A shark-like creature with three fins and tails and also a large horn on its head. It has a fish-servant called Samehada (sound familiar?) which allows Sanbi to have a larger capacity of chakra, five times more at least. UPDATE: It was proven that the Sanbi wasn't actually an Isonade after all...
Yonbi (Sokou)- A four-tailed rooster/snake creature, where the lower part is a snake. It is a master of poison and is able to control poisonous gasses and such.
Gobi (Houkou)- A five-tailed dog that is linked to all of the elements, with each tail representing an element. It is a master of illusion and once formed an alliance with the Nekomata in order to try and defeat the Kyuubi.
Rokubi (Raijuu)- A six-tailed weasel-creature that controls lightning. Its fur grows in an upward fashion and is golden yellow colour. Each of its tails is shaped like lightning bolts (Pikachu, anybody?).
Shichibi (Kaku)- A badger (not to be confused with Shukaku, which is a raccoon) with seven tails that uses clay to disguise itself as any kind of creature. It is the smallest of all the bijuu, but the most cunning.
Hachibi (Yamata no Orochi)- An eight-head, eight-tailed snake. Each of its tails represents a feature of the Demon World. It was originally one of the weakest until it absorbed a sword called the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, which then made it the second most powerful bijuu (Is anybody else reminded of a certain slimy, snake-freak?).
And finally, five of the nine bijuu are connected to an element of nature. These being:
Ichibi (Shukaku)- Wind and sand
Sanbi (Isonade)- Water
Rokubi (Raijuu)- Electricity
Shichibi (Kaku)- Earth
Kyuubi (Kyuubi no Youko)- Fire
I'm not sure if these are to be the creatures used, but it does seem likely.
About the Names:
Nekomusume- According to old legends, 'Nekomusume' is a cat-girl.
Jutsu Used:
Nope, none this chapter.
:D Can't wait to see you next chapter!
