*Door opens and then closes* *shuffles in and sits in spinny chair* -.- *boots computer up and checks time and date* o.0 *checks date again and counts on fingers* 0.0!
How long hs it been!
(c) Masashi Ki
shimoto.
Song:Pokemon black and white theme
Naruto Shippuden
"You have an interesting ability, Shiori," Orochimaru commented a little bit interested.
Shiori kept her face blank as she stared straight ahead, but internally she was angry with herself. She had somehow lost her satchel that she kept in her knapsack, the one with her sentimental values. She berated herself for losing it…and possibly leaving a trail for the others to follow. 'With her cats that Ryoko girl will track my scent in no time. Not only that…Yamato's clone is following close.'
Kabuto jumped through the trees alongside her, "Yes, I too am curious about your chakra."
"I can manipulate another person's chakra, jutsu, even Kekkei Genkai by either simply watching them or touching them." She supplied simply, almost bored, "For example I don't know how to heal my wounds with chakra like you or Ryoko, but all I have to do is either watch how you do it or touch your hand or shoulder and I instantly have the ability to do it."
Kabuto chuckled, amused, "Doesn't that take the fun out of learning…no wonder how you became Anbu so young and in Roots…"
Shiori chose not to comment. She felt the same towards them as everyone else, she may have to work with them but she won't talk to them.
-0-00-
"That's Shiori's bag?" Naruto asked looking at the maroon bag that Ryoko found.
Ryoko opened the bag to see worn out pieces of sheet music, an ocarina, and needles with thread.
Naruto peered in the bag as well, "What's this junk?" He pulled out the ocarina, "What is this? It looks like a weird looking shell."
"That's an ocarina." Ryoko told him, remembering Shiori told them a little about it, "I think these are her brother and sister."
Yamato pulled out the worn out sheet music, "Why would she bring these on the mission?"
"Yeah…" Naruto continued to look at the ocarina at odd angles, "I thought she didn't have any emotions?"
Ryoko looked at the remaining items in the bag, "Maybe she has more emotions than she thinks…I'm sure very deep down, even though she's unaware of it, she feels something. If she didn't then she wouldn't have brought these with her." She touched the thread, "These hold value to her."
Naruto looked at the shell in thought. He wasn't sure what to think about Shiori. On the one hand it did surprise him that she did keep sentimental values on her when she claims she doesn't feel anything, but on the other hand he still thought she was an uncaring person with no heart. He met a lot of cold and irritating people, but for the moment she took the cake. But should he let his guard down around her just because she might have a little emotion in her heart?
Yamato handed Ryoko the music sheets to put back in the bag, "My clone has found Orochimaru's lair. We better get moving."
-0-
It only took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the candle lit tunnels of Orochimaru's lair. In all the lair's she had ever been in, this one was the longest and most boring to her, but she complimented how intricate it looked, every hall and corner looked the same it would make escape harder. She followed silently behind Orochimaru and Kabuto while they lead her through the dark maze to an open room with a giant stone snake head with candles in its eyes on the very far side of the room. Shiori could make a silhouette sitting before the snake facing them and she had no doubt in her mind that it's Sasuke Uchiha.
"You're late." Sasuke stated, "You said you were going to help me hone the new jutsu this afternoon, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru smirked, "We got a little sidetracked Sasuke, but I've brought someone from Konoha for you to reminisce with."
Shiori stepped forward to gauge Sasuke in the darkness, "You're the great Sasuke Uchiha?" She guessed.
"Get lost." Sasuke replied.
Shiori was unaffected by the cold tone, "You are what Naruto and Ryoko are risking their lives for?"
Sasuke opened his eyes, showing his Sharingan in the darkness. Sharingan met red eyes and Shiroi's eyes widen considerably when she felt an ice cold wave wash over her. Her legs quaked under her as she silently gasped for breath. It was instant, but she saw it, she saw death, possibly hers.
"Sasuke!" Kabuto scolded, making Sasuke close his eyes to seal his Sharingan.
Shiori quickly regain her composure, silently wondering what made her lose it in the first place. She experience the mental torture of genjutsu before to many extremes, but what made Sasuke's so different to make her nearly cower? His deathly aura practically swallowed her.
"You shouldn't try to bait him too much," Orochimaru told Shiori, "He's more difficult than I am."
Shiori ignore the comment, "Naruto and Ryoko are looking for you." She said to Sasuke, "They trained three years in hopes to find you and bring you back to Konoha. Naruto thinks of you as a brother and Ryoko-"
Sasuke rose from his spot, "I don't care about him or her, let's go, Orochimaru."
Orocihmaru pulled out the envelope that he had taken from Shiori earlier and handed it to Kabuto, "I'm going to go join him. Kabuto, compile a bingo book with these."
Shiori watched silently as Kabuto opened the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. His eyes widen in surprise as he skimmed through the pages, "These are copies if the register of Black ops members directly assigned to the Hokage…"
-0-0-0-
Ryoko, Naruto, and Yamato stood quietly outside the entrance to Orochimaru's lair. Naruto and Ryoko didn't get why Orochimaru would have a lair out in almost barren nowhere but it would make sense to have it out in the open underground.
"So Sasuke is under that rock over there?" Naruto asked, trying to steady his rapid heart. It's been three years and he trained his butt off to come this far. Sasuke was literally in reach and he wanted to get him, "Let's go."
Yamato stopped him from advancing and held out a seed he took from his wooden clone, "Swallow this first." He told him before producing another one for Ryoko, "You too."
Naruto and Ryoko took the seeds hesitantly, but felt a little reassured when Yamato told them that in case they get separated he would be able to find them right away. He had even placed some on Shiori without her noticing and they were glad he did since she betrayed them. They swallowed their seeds and mentally and physically prepared themselves to enter the compound.
"Our order of infiltration will be me, then Ryoko, then Naruto," Yamato stated, "Our method to get inside is by the book, I'll use my Earth style jutsu to get us inside."
-0-0-
Kabuto led Shiori to a dark room with a desk and bed. Kabuto walked in first to light the only candle in the room while Shiori looked around in silence.
"This will be your room," Kabuto told her already walking out of the room, "If something comes up, we'll let you know, so until then you'll remain here." He closed the door until he cracked slightly to show her a key in his hand, "Sorry, but we have to lock you in since you're…well you know." He closed the door with a click and locked the tumblers.
Shiori listened closely to the sound of his footsteps getting further away. When she was absolutely sure he was gone she took of her backpack and went through it to pull out a tan scroll. Walking over to the candle lit desk she unfurled the scroll and laid it out across the desk. She placed both her palms on the hand outlines and applied her chakra to activate the secret the scroll held.
-0-0-0-
"Ow, Naruto!" Ryoko hissed when Naruto's heel accidentally connected with her hand, "That was my hand!"
"Sorry, Ryoko," Naruto apologized, trying to get better footing in the dark rocky tunnel.
Yamato placed his hand on the wall in front of them, "Looks like the hideout is completely surrounded by rocks." He touched the wall for any type of crack, "We'll need stealth to get in…" His hand brushed over a crack, "…found it. The more solid the rock face the less force need be applied to a small fissure…" He trailed off leaving Naruto and Ryoko confused as to what he was talking about, but they realized what he was talking about when he made an opening with his wood jutsu. They all squeezed through the hole he created and looked around the candle lit tunnels for any sign of life.
"Infiltration completed," Ryoko said, "What's first?"
"First we find, Shiori." Yamato said closing his eyes for a moment to focus on the seed he planted on Shiori, "This way." He ordered taking the lead in running down the hall with Naruto and Ryoko following closely behind.
-0-0-
When the black book appeared from the scroll, Shiori picked it up and flipped through the pages with bland interest until she came to the page she was looking for. She took mental note of what she read before she continued to flip the pages taking in more notes before she heard the door lock clicking. Quickly she hid the book in her backpack and zipped it. She waited for Kabuto or whoever to come in but once again since she had been down there she was taken by surprise when Yamato, Naruto, and Ryoko filed into the room.
'Great.' Shiori thought sarcastically, "So you finally caught up?"
Yamato crossed his arms, "Now, why don't you tell us what's going on."
"Yeah, you-" He stopped when he saw that taunting smirk on her face again, the very one that irritates him to the core; he grabbed her collar, "Stop it with that stupid smirk and tell us why you betrayed us!"
Shiori didn't let up the smirk, "You should really keep your voice down. The halls may be empty but your voice could sound the whole base."
Naruto growled at her, resisting the tempting urge to hit her.
Ryoko pulled Naruto back from Shiori. She reached into her back pouch to pull out Shiori's satchel and handed it to her, "This is yours, right?"
Shiori's smirk fell and she gingerly grabbed the satchel, "Thanks."
Ryoko kept her face neutral, "Danzo gave you orders…he's trying to ally with Orochimaru and you were selected to be their go-to…what are they planning?"
Shiori didn't say anything.
"He's proposing to destroy Konoha again…" Yamato questioned her, "Isn't he?"
Shiori shrugged her one shoulder, "Well, I guess since you gathered that much on your own and I'm outnumbered…I guess my mission is a failure." She said with tiredly that could be similar to Shikamaru, "No point in hiding it now. You're right; the plan was to get rid of Konoha as we know it."
Ryoko and Naruto nearly paled, "What?"
"My mission was to find an opportunity to approach Orochimaru and entice him to help destroy Konoha."
Yamato pulled out a kunai and pointed it at Shiori, "Keep talking. I want all the details."
"Don't rush to kill me yet," Shiori snorted, "I was also ordered to secretly report back Orochimaru's activities to Lord Danzo and Lady Tsunade. I'm acting as both their spies."
They all blinked in confusion. That was dangerous of her. "How can you act as both their spies?" Ryoko asks.
"It's not so hard," Shiori crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her left side, "If Konoha did fall, we expect him to betray us at some point, so I'm the one to level the playing field a bit. Orochimaru wants Konoha gone… Lord Danzo wants Konoha for himself…Lady Tsunade protects Konoha currently..." Shiori shifted her weight again, "The two of them against her…it's not going to be a pretty sight."
"If Konoha falls then a lot of people will die!" Ryoko shouted, "Do you have any idea of the consequences of what you're doing?"
Shiori looked off to the side, "Of course I do, but here's the thing - even if I wasn't the one doing this, someone else would have. You can yell at me about what I'm doing all you want but it doesn't change the fact that there are some ninja out there that are doing things like this. I'm just following orders just like any other ninja."
Ryoko frowned, even though she knew that there was some truth to that, it still didn't make it right, "Shiori…how can you just go along with it if you know it's wrong?"
"Because I'm nobody," Shiori answered softly, "Where I'm raised, we're taught that we have no past, no memories, no family, friends, motives or emotions; there is only the mission and our orders. Our opinions and thoughts are rejected." She recited like a drone.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. The reason she had been acting and speaking the way she had was because she was raised that way? That's why she doesn't give a damn about anyone else- because she raised to be someone's puppet? He didn't care how much she annoyed him, it wasn't right.
"If that's true…" Ryoko looked at Shiori's satchel, "…then why do you still have mementoes of your siblings? If you claim to have no emotions, no past, memories, or family then why do you still have that?"
Shiori tightens her grip on the satchel, "…"
Naruto didn't miss the action, "You still have a bond with them, don't you." He asked her. He noticed her tense, "You still think about them…that's why you carry that around. You haven't forgotten your ties them at all."
Shiori looked at him with confusion, "Ties?"
"Shiori," Yamato spoke, grabbing her attention, "I know you're from Roots. Since you were a little girl you received special training to turn you into a mindless puppet…to do whatever your superiors tell you without a second thought." Shiori's eyes narrowed, "You were very skilled…you even became an Anbu at age 13…so did you do it? Did you kill your siblings?"
Naruto and Ryoko waited with baited breath to hear her answer.
Shiori looked down at her feet, "No…" She answered truthfully, surprising all of them, "When I was little…before I got recruited into roots…I lived with my mom, dad, and my two younger siblings. Mom and dad were Jounin and were frequently on missions and I had to stay home and watch my younger siblings, I didn't mind because even though they were so little they looked up to me…then one day Danzo came to our house and had to take me away…I didn't understand why but my mom and dad didn't stop him. As they took me away though I remember them crying along with my younger siblings…so that I wouldn't forget them they gave me their favorite items to remember them by. My brother played the ocarina and my sister liked to make clothes with my mom and my dad made music." Shiori let out a small sigh, "…after all that Danzo had their memories erased of me…" Naruto and Ryoko gasped sharply. "They might not remember me, but I try to remember them."
Naruto's face softened a bit. Now he understood.
Ryoko's sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming from outside, "Someone's coming!" She whispered sharply.
Yamato used his wood jutsu to bind Shiori and they made their escape just before Kabuto opened the door.
0-0-0-
They reappeared outside near the entrance of Orochimaru's lair. Yamato pushed the bounded Shiori to the ground against the tall rocks.
"Shiori, you are to remain here with my clone." He ordered.
Shiori remained impassive; she knew this was going to happen.
Naruto cracked his knuckles, "Alright, now let's go get Sasuke."
'He's still going through with it? I understand that it's the mission but why is he so passionate about it?' Shiori thought incredulously, "Why?" She asked, gaining his attention, "Why rescue him if he doesn't want to be rescued?"
Ryoko and Naruto stared at her in puzzlement. Sure Sasuke was going to put up a fight, but they were still going to get Sasuke back to Konoha whether he wants to go or not.
"I spoke to Sasuke briefly," She told them, catching them off guard, "It was dark in there so I couldn't see his features but…I told him that you two were coming and he said he didn't care for the two of you…So why…? Why are the two of you trying so hard…standing up to a Sanin at the risk of your own lives…to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued?"
Naruto didn't say anything for a moment. He wasn't sure how to put into words how much Sasuke meant to him even though he dislikes him in a way for Shiori to understand bonds, "When I first met Sasuke I totally hated him…but at the same time I enjoyed being around him because he accepted me more than anyone else. I'm doing this because he's my friend…and that's a bond that can never be broken."
"Bond…" Shiori trailed off, she didn't quite understand it yet, but she did get the feeling that Naruto and Ryoko would very well die for Sasuke, "…but to go up against someone like Orochimaru…"
Naruto gave her his trademark grin, "Even if Orochimaru kills me, I'll still get Sasuke back!"
Shiori was startled by his grin, he had to be joking! "But-!"
Naruto continued to smirk at her, "Think of it this way- if it was your brother and sister down there, wouldn't you do everything in your power to get them back?"
That struck Shiori to the core. 'If it was my brother and sister then, yes, of course I would do everything in my power! I would break every rule that I know, abandon the mission, to ensure their safety!' She stared at Naruto in amazement, 'That's where he gets his drive from…the bonds that he has…' "I see…"
"Look out!" Ryoko shouted, just in time for them to dodge out of the way of a shower of kunai. They skidded away from Shiori, glaring on at Kabuto, who appeared before Shiori.
"You got yourself captured?" Kabuto asked, cutting through the wood, "It doesn't look like you betrayed us so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."
Shiori stood up to brush the wood pieces off of her. For once she stood at a stand-still, for the first time she understood emotions that she never seen and felt before and it was interfering with her current mission as a spy. Her orders are to side with Orochimaru and gain information to relay back to Konoha…if she disobeys those orders and comes back with nothing, Sasuke or not, she would be in deep trouble…
"Shiori!" Naruto shouted, cutting her train of thoughts, "If you try to stop us I won't hold back!" He wanted to give Shiori a chance. For an instant he saw a glimpse of what Shiori could be if she expressed herself like everyone else, he'd dare say she looked pretty when he saw a hint of hope dawn on her face and she could be a beautiful person if she could express herself. If they ever get out of this and get Sasuke back, he would show her how.
Kabuto looked at Naruto with annoyance, "You're wasting your time. When I look at you…it's really pathetic. People change…Sasuke is no longer the boy you know."
Shiori frowned. 'People change…' She clasped her hands together and bounded Kabuto with the wood jutsu that Yamato had held her with.
"What?" Kabuto exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Shiori manipulated the wood around his arms and hands, "If people can change…then so can I…" She looked down, "But…some things don't change…"
Naruto stared at her with shock, "Shiori…you…" he was shell-shocked by her sudden change, "What was that?" he asked her when they joined her side.
Shiori looked at him, "To be honest I don't know what came over me." She spoke with a little more emotion, "I guess what you said really made me think about my past and maybe this whole time I was wrong about…well everything. Ryoko was right that I haven't completely let go of my ties with my siblings, but I haven't felt those ties in so long that I'm curious about your ties with Sasuke…that's all."
Kabuto only shook his head, "You're wasting your time with Sasuke."
Ryoko frowned, "Enough of that! Where is he?"
Kabuto frowned also, there was no point in keeping it secret, "By now, he's probably finished his training and has retired to one of the inner room." His smirk grew, "This place is riddled with rooms, you know. You'll have to search them one by one in order to find him. But if you're not careful, poking the wrong bush will flush out some snakes. Lord Orochimaru's private quarters are located near there as well."
"Thank you for your honesty." Ryoko bit sarcastically.
"Oh no, no need to thank me." Kabuto retorted.
"Because we're going to get killed anyway?" Yamato asked.
"Yes."
"Well, no way to know until we tried."
-0-0-0-
"Alright, we'll split up into two teams," Yamato said once they came to a fork in the tunnels, "Ryoko and I will take this path and Naruto and Shiori will take the other. If anything go wrong, manipulate your chakra, it'll activate the seed inside you and alert me. I'll come running right away."
Everyone nodded in agreement before they took off running down separate paths, opening door after door after door.
-0-0-0-
Shiori and Naruto
Naruto opened another door leading to an empty room, "Not here…" he panted.
Shiori panted tiredly behind him, "Then that's it for this floor. Let's go to the next one."
Tiredly Naruto nodded and started running again, only to trip over his feet. He felt embarrassed to have tripped in front of her but he couldn't help that his body gave out from under him. Shiori quickly joined his side to help him sit up against the wall.
"Take it easy for a minute." She told him, "There'd be no point in continuing if you're tired from running around so quickly."
Naruto pushed her hands away, "I can't rest! Sasuke's here somewhere." Despite his words he couldn't force his body to move.
Shiori sat down next to him and pulled her backpack off. She unzipped it to pulled out a water bottle, opening it she took a sip before handing it to Naruto.
He took it from her and took large gulps, making her chuckle a bit, catching him by surprise. She really is changing.
"You remind me of my little brother a bit." She said, looking at the ugly walls, "I remembered when we were little…he was a determined little guy. He gave his entire energy into anything he set his mind to. I told you that my dad was a musician as well as a Jounin; whenever he had a day off on missions he would play beautiful music for us with his ocarina. My brother wanted to be just like him and wanted to play music like his on an ocarina too, but his first attempt didn't go so well." Shiori giggled remembering the sharp tune he made when he blew into the instrument. Naruto chuckled as well. "He was frustrated of course that he couldn't play it as beautifully as dad did, but he kept on at it even though he sounded worse instead of better…" Shiori reached into her backpack and pulled out the tattered sheet music and showed Naruto, "…but he did get a few good notes in there before he gave this to me and had his memory wiped. Watching you has helped me remember the kind of music he wanted to…" She trailed off as she looked Naruto in his blue eyes. Naruto was confused as to why she was staring at him like that, but he then grew curious when she gasped and reached into her bag again to pull out a pen and started writing on the sheet music.
"What are you doing?" He asked curiously, "Are you finishing the song?"
Shiori smiled for the first time in ages, "Yes! Not only that I finally know the title of the song!" At the final stroke of her pen she showed the piece to Naruto.
"Nagre Boshi?" He read carefully, "Shooting star?"
"Yeah," Shiori nodded taking the page back to look at fondly, "That's the title he would've wanted." She looked at Naruto and smiled with all her heart, "Thank you."
Naruto was taken aback by the beauty of her smile, but he gave her his trademark grin in return, happy that she was happy.
But their happiness came to an end when they heard someone approaching them. Their blood ran cold when the turned to see that it was none other than Orochimaru…
"Tell me, Shiori," He hissed slowly coming to a stop a few feet away from them, "Whose side are you on?"
