The longer each chapter is, the more chance of typos/errors. Sorry about that!
Suki attempted to glance around the area as she followed the "Root" ANBU member to their designated room. It was dark and cold but that wasn't surprising considering how she had to follow him underground. The member tried explaining to her what this special branch of ANBU does and is only under the command of a man named Danzo. She may be young; however, she wasn't stupid. This raised her suspicions of this organization. Her loyalty belonged to the legendary Tsunade-sama after all; her second idol, after Kana.
When the root member stopped, she nearly bumped into him but luckily she didn't. He seemed very intimidating to her, then again, most adults should be if they hid their face behind a mask their whole life. It was only until he stepped aside to reveal another man standing across the bridge they were standing on that she felt real intimidation.
Half his right face was bandaged with the same amount of tufts of hair sticking out as the root member. His right arm was also hidden behind the dark robe he wore and as he took a few steps closer, the cane that supported him caused echoes off the concrete walls.
"Ah, the little child of the Uzumakis."
"P-pardon me sir?"
"I am Danzo Shimura. Leader of the disbanded faction of ANBU: The Root Foundation. I'm sure Hiroshi here filled you in on some minor details."
"Yes…"
He nodded to the ninja causing him to swiftly leave. Most times, Suki would glorify the concept of a shinobi disappearing within a blink of eye. She wanted to do everything they did. At the moment though, not so much.
"You've come here to know of your past yes?"
She nodded.
"First things first, I would like to clarify to you that…your guardian, Kana Saito is it? She knows of it as well as the deceased Sandaime. I'm sure the Godaime also contains documents of your past if she wanted to pull them out."
Her eyes widened to hear of this. Kana, her beloved sister, knew of her past and was never going to tell her of it? Perhaps she only wanted Suki to become older to confine in her, but it was only best to do so now, right? She was to become a young adult the moment she stepped into that ninja academy. Why would Kana hide this information from her?
"If you feel betrayal rising from deep within your stomach, that is good. Root members first should know of hatred and betrayal before discarding every unnecessary emotion."
"U-um, Danzo-san…"
"Ah yes, your past. Did you know all Uzumakis have bright red hair?"
"…"
"They lived in Uzushiogakure, the Land of Whirlpools. The clan was known for members having an ample amount of chakra and their skills of sealing jutsus. Unfortunately, for them, this caused their demise and that village is no more. Few survivors are now scattered across the globe to seek refuge. Your mother wasn't a smart woman though and had settled close by here in the Land of Fire seven years ago."
"My…mother?"
"Yes, where do you think you came from? A peapod? Anyway, your mother lived peacefully in a hidden village but rogues, bandits, those that were envious and wanted to exterminate the last of the Uzumakis found the village and destroyed it. She protected you until her very last breath, so I've heard. Luckily it ended there after the Hokage's ANBU team sought every one of those villains out and executed them."
"Excuse me, Danzo-san…how do you know all of this if it was the Hokage's ANBU members that…"
"I have my ways. Documents and information isn't hard to get for a man like me."
There was silence in the air as Suki shuffled her feet around. She was getting nervous.
"An ANBU member brought you back here and left you at the orphanage, likewise. Those fools still hang onto some emotion and it'll be the end of them…" He trailed off but cleared his throat to get back on topic, "Your guardian, Kana, was it? She was going through different foster homes and thus, those parents gave her ninja training. The reports said she refused to learn anymore though, am I right?"
Suki nodded again.
"The moment you were brought into this village, I sensed something about you so I had one of my members keep a close eye on you. After you were left at that orphanage, the Hokage completely forgot about you, but I didn't. That Kana girl saw it in you too before she completely discarded her ninja ways. A foolish act I believe."
Suki narrowed her eyes at him when he stated the last sentence. Yet she didn't even know Kana had once had the opportunity to train as a shinobi. It was then that she was starting to realize that there was so little about Kana she knew. She had always thought it was because of Kana's parent's deaths that completely stopped her. But she did have some minor training before that…
"She sensed that you had immense chakra and knew people would come to this village after you so she asked the Hokage to put a seal on you to suppress it. You were only two years of age when it happened. I doubt you remember that moment and if even if you did, they probably would have erased your memories."
"A seal…on me?"
"Yes, Suki. You have potential to become a great ninja; one with an excellent amount of chakra. Your guardian obviously didn't see that potential in you and hid all the secrets away from you, didn't she? She even requested to put a block on your path to becoming a shinobi long before you were able to speak a sentence. Cruel isn't it?"
Suki felt the pools of tears collect in the corner of her eyes. Her vision going blurry as she frantically tried to wipe it away. Danzo was a man that emitted authority and somehow, she felt like she shouldn't be crying in front of him. It was nerve-wracking.
"Child, join us. You are of the right age to begin learning the ways of the ninja. You will receive special training with me and be far ahead of students who go to the ninja academy. That sounds nice, doesn't it? I will be able to lift that seal off of you and I can teach you to control that chakra you harbor."
"B-but, I will have to leave my family…"
"You had no family from the start. Your beloved guardian wouldn't have kept secrets if she cared so much, would she?" Danzo stared at the small girl who now had streams of tears down her face. The way she wiped at them gave him the indication that she didn't want to look weak to him.
He suppressed a smirk. He was already influencing her. He was going to teach her his ideology. What real shinobi are made of.
He walked toward her until he was right in front of her, towering over the small child. Personally, he wanted to recruit her when she turned five but that would have been too early for her to understand anything. Not only that, the blow of revelation of secrets would be much stronger when she is able to understand at the age of seven. With his first and last attempt of comforting, he placed a hand on her head, making her look up with dull blue eyes.
"I'm giving you an opportunity, Suki. You can be part of something great. An ANBU member-"
"You mean Root." She sniffed.
"Yes, Root, at such a young age. And the chance of lifting that seal off of you. The chance of eradicating all unwanted feelings such as what you're feeling right now. Suki, my little one, I will give you one day to decide. After that, I will personally pay you a visit…"
When she left the building with the foundation member, the only thing she could do was dry up her tears. She did hate what she was feeling; betrayal by her only family. It was saddening when the image of her sister's golden eyes came into her mind.
Soon, she will probably never see them again.
The sky was an orange and red hue when Kana stopped to catch her breath. The rest of the children were tired and they were allowed to go back home first. Even Miss Takashi told Kana to file a missing child report to the authorities but Kana knew it would take a long time for it to reach the Hokage. Shino, before leaving for his mission, already told her how Tsunade-sama was busy dealing with disturbing activities so Kana figured the last thing the Hokage needed on her plate was a child missing within the village.
When Kana stood straight after bending to her knees to take a breather, her eyes widened to see that she had reach the playground. What was surprising and relieving to see was that Suki was on the swings alone. She watched as the red haired girl silently kicked the dirt below her as the swing barely swayed. Tears were blurring Kana's eyes but at the same time, she felt the anger boiling within her chest.
"Suki!" She shouted as she ran to the child.
Suki glanced up to see the expression of an angry girl but with a hint of tears and relief. She looked back down at her feet when the thought of how Kana held secrets from her reminded of the betrayal.
"Where have you been?! You made everybody worried sick, Suki!"
"…"
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!"
Suki scowled and proceeded to look the other direction. This caused the worry to build up in Kana again. Something was off about this child. She would usually try to come up with excuses by now.
Her eyes softened as she kneeled down to face Suki. The child still refused to look at her in the eye, "Suki, dear, what is wrong? Please tell me."
"Why should I when you haven't even told me everything either." Suki whispered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. I want to go home."
Kana noticed the dullness in the child's usual bright blue eyes before she hoped off the swing seat and walked ahead of her. She made her feel like as if something was her fault. But what exactly did she do? When they reached home all the children were already seated at their dinner tables and they all turned to her when Suki made her entrance. Miss Takashi was the first to speak her outrage.
"Children! Eat your meal together; today Miss Suki will not be joining you. Instead she will be seated by herself."
Nobody said a word as the only response was clanking of spoons against soup bowls. Miss Takashi towered over the unbothered Suki, "Young lady, where have you been? You almost gave Kana and I a heart attack!"
There was no response as the red haired girl just turned her head away. This caused the owner of the orphanage face turn bright red as Suki's hair, "You are only seven yet you are acting like a rebellious teenager! Eat and go to your room for today. No other children will be playing with you."
Kana stood at the doorframe and watched the scene. Her heart ached but she wanted to know what was wrong with her dear Suki. She had barely said a word since she was found. There was definitely something off when Suki said nothing back to Miss Takashi and silently sat at the corner to eat her dinner.
There was a glare of disdain towards Kana when she attempted to take a step toward Suki.
Suki shared a room with another girl named Kaguya; however, tonight was a night where Miss Takashi gave her the pleasure of isolation. Her roommate was to sleep in a different room today so Suki could think about her actions to herself.
"It would be best this way," She said to herself, "If I go, then they would still be angry enough to forget me."
Her door creaked open and closed gently. She turned around in her bed to see piercing gold eyes in the darkness. Kana crouched down beside Suki's bed with a small smile. The only things the little girl could notice about the older was how the once roundness of her face was gone. The maturity settled in and she looked tired. Kana spent most of her years raising her yet she was only almost seventeen.
The future for Kana would probably be best once Suki leaves perhaps. She would be able to live the last of her teenager years as a real teenager. Falling in love, socializing with friends rather than making sure Suki gets fed, and everything else. Sure, there will be heart break when she disappears but it was the same she felt at the moment of the secrets hidden from her.
"Suki, dear, would you please tell me what is going on?" Kana whispered.
Suki sighed, "Can you lay with me tonight?"
"Of course," The raven haired girl climbed into the bed and smiled before pinching Suki's nose, earning her a giggle, "That's the laugh I've been waiting for all day."
Suki's eyes lowered and a frown settled in again, "Kana-neechan, if…if I somehow left the orphanage one day, what would you do?"
"Hm? I'd search for you high and low. In fact, I did that today didn't I? You haven't told me where you were, young lady."
"Kana-neechan, do you know of my past? Did you have anything to do with the seal that was placed on me?" She held her breath. Hoping the things Danzo said were lies. When she watched how Kana's eyes widened with her lips slightly parted though, she knew her answer already.
"Suki…how…"
"A man named Danzo told me. He told me to join him. He told me the truth but why didn't you Kana-neechan?"
"Suki, I-…you were so young back then…I was too but I grew up so fast. My parent's death caused me to lose a childhood and I didn't want you to go through what I did. We both lost our parents through terrible ways," Kana placed a hand over her eyes as if to think on carefully choosing her words, "Danzo…I've heard of him. Suki! You must not go with that man. He will turn you into only a tool; a killing machine."
"Isn't that what ninjas are? At least he told me the truth!"
"Ninjas are meant to be heroes! And I protected you from the truth!"
"Heroes still kill people don't they? That's why we have an organization such as ANBU. Kana-neechan you are preventing me from pursuing my dreams. Just because you refused your ninja training at my age doesn't mean I have to follow in your footsteps. We may have lost our parents from the ninja life, but I was to avenge mine by becoming strong."
Kana threw the covers off her and got off the bed. She crossed her arms and somehow, the two people that were once so loving towards each other, were now glaring daggers to one another.
"You haven't lived long enough to see the things I've learned and seen, Suki. If you go with that man, you won't even make it past twelve years of age! I swear, I will stop you from going with him, whether you like it or not."
"You aren't even my real sister. You have no right."
"I practically am since the day I spoon fed you!"
"You choose to raise me."
"I only wanted to be the guardian for you that you lost and one that I never had…" There was a strained silence in the air as Kana only dropped her arms to her sides. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she shook her head at Suki who now sat up from her bed, "I will give you the choice of going with that man. But I have my right of trying to stop you from doing so. Good night, Miss Suki."
"Miss Suki" was what Suki was called when people within the orphanage wanted to distant themselves from her. It was the first time she heard Kana use it towards her though. She wanted to cry. She wanted to take everything she said back, but it was too late. Maybe Kana had good reasons to keep things from her. She even remembered the time when Shino told her about Kana's fear.
"Kana comes off as a very supportive human being to me, but I think deep inside she fears the day you will leave off for your first major mission after becoming a shinobi. Why? Because she had already lost her parents to that lifestyle."
Perhaps Kana did go through a lot in her life. The lost of her parents, giving up her pride when abandoning the idea of becoming a ninja, and now, she was going to lose the only family left.
When Kana left the room without another word, Suki gripped onto her bed sheets.
It's for my own good.
She can't think about her sister now. She was at the age of making her own decisions. She wiped the last of her tears and laid back down to curl up into a ball.
"I hope Kana-neechan….Kana will see the adult I've become tomorrow."
The next day passed by rather slowly as Suki was shunned by the whole orphanage. Miss Takashi had refused to talk to her unless the child came to her and apologized. It was strange though because the red haired girl would have done so much sooner. It was only assumed that the child was going through some behavior problems and Kana was pulled to the side to have a discussion about it.
"What is wrong with that child, Kana? She is acting so strange!"
"Well, Miss Takashi…the thing is…"
It was only then that after the whole revelation there was a loud gasp from the corner of the house. Kana had to inform what was happening to Suki to the first maternal figure of the orphanage after all. Miss Takashi then vowed to not let Suki out of sight. Kana only wondered if what they were doing was right. Suki did indeed have a choice and they were trying with all their might to stop her. What wasn't right was the fact that the man Danzo was involved. He was a sneaky bastard if he somehow found out about the history of Suki and how Kana tried so hard to keep it a secret.
Somehow, Suki noticed the gain of attention Miss Takashi was giving her from a far. She noticed how the caretaker would be in the corner watching her or occasionally opening the door to her room, but spoke not a word and left. What was even odder to her was that Kana was rarely seen around the home.
When night time finally came upon them, Suki finally got out of her bed after hours of just laying still. She had contemplated on many things. She came to the conclusion that it wasn't giving up this life, but rather a new chapter of it.
She opened her window to gaze at the full moon. Her bright hair could probably illuminate a glow across the village if the moon's light was reflecting off of it. She turned to grab the backpack she prepared earlier in the day from under her bed. Suki then went to her closet and grabbed the last item she couldn't leave behind.
A red scarf given to her by Kana.
As she stared at it, she felt her vision go blurry as the thought of leaving behind her sister crept its way back into her mind, "No no no, I should've already compromised my feelings about this already."
When she was in the process of wiping her eyes, her ears heard something soaring in the air and a loud thunk hit the wood of her wall. She turned to see a kunai stuck to the door frame. Her blue eyes scanned outside the window to see nobody on the other side of buildings. She slowly made her way to the door and pried the kunai off and read the attached note:
It's time.
Hopefully Shino will return from his mission in the next chapter! We will need to say a farewell though.
I noticed some new followers of this story. It would be nice if you all review too!
Thank you Cecilia Glass for your dedicated reviews. I hope there won't be (too many) tears to be shed in the future. x)
And thank you DreamxEscape! I'm starting to love this story more than writing my Death Note series...shhh.
