A/N
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It gave me the inspiration to write another chapter so quickly.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Nao. Kishimoto owns everything else.
Falling.
I was falling.
Air rushed around my form as I descended, tangling my hair, turning the long strands into whips cutting sharply across my face. For a moment there's nothing, noting apart from myself and the darkness; myself and the never ending fall. My stomach is a pit of dread, and breathlessly I scan the darkness, desperation curling in my veins. I was afraid, waiting in anticipation without knowing why.
That was when the screams began.
At first it's just one, then another and another. They flow together in a cacophony of bone chilling horror. Then I'm no longer falling, but standing alone in the void as the screeches and wails grow closer, gaining volume in desperation to be heard. They echo in the abyss, making it impossible to pinpoint their location. Panicking does me no good, so I focus on even breathing, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. All at once the screaming ceases, and from above something starts to drip.
A drop falls upon my head, followed by another. I reach my hand up to touch it as it slides down my temple. My fingers come away red. I look up as it starts to rain blood. There's a whooshing noise as something heavy cuts through the air and lands to my left with a sickening thump. Slowly, I glance towards the lump on the ground, taking in the humanoid shape. Silver hair, empty eye sockets with tear tracks of blood seeping down a partially masked face I know well.
Kakashi.
A shriek escapes me but it comes out silently. I try to speak, but hear no words. Another thump sounds behind me, and I snap my neck around. Kushina stands, looking down at a slab of concrete. Her mouth is open in a soundless scream. Blood drizzles down around us, but it is somehow different, distinguishable from the red spreading beneath the piece of concrete. I gaze down and see a little orange shoe peeking out.
I stumble backward, tripping in my haste to get away. I turn and run, before slipping on the glistening floor onto my hands and knees. A golden light in the dark catches my attention as it speeds toward me. I look up, thinking it may be a way out. Shikaku runs by me, entire form on fire. He cries out torturously, stopping to roll against the ground. It doesn't put the fire, and soon his movements slow, and he becomes quiet.
My shoulders shake in muted sobs. I keep moving, frantic to get away. I slip, tumbling in a downward slope. I dig my hands into the ground, halting my fall. Something grasps my ankle, and I jerk around. Minato lies before me, the left half of his body burned beyond recognition. His left eyelid and lips are gone, curling his mouth into a snarl. What is left of his golden hair is singed.
"Nao... please…." He begged in a raspy voice. "It hurts… so much… please… make it stop."
"How?" I asked through my weeping.
His grip on me slackens, and his eyes stare off unseeing. I moan and cover my face, crawling away. It has stopped raining, but the ground is slick. I slide down until the terrain evens out. When I open my eyes, I'm faced with a pile of bodies.
"No, no no no."
Shikamaru, gaze skyward and missing his jaw; the front of him covered in drying blood. Chouji, limbless. Bits of flesh hang off him, like someone took a hatchet to him. Yoshino, face down. Intestines spill out where she's missing her lower half.
Screams of horror overcome me.
A loud smack echoes through the room. My cheek stings and I blink, once, twice, returning to reality. A face hovers over mine, one eye black, and the other red. I cringe for a second, before the face becomes familiar. Kakashi is leaning over me, gaze filled with concern. He pats my cheek comfortingly, moving back as I sit up.
We're in my bedroom. Naruto, Kushina, and Minato stand around my bed. The curtains are closed, and no light filters in, so it must be night time. My hurried, panicked breaths are the only thing breaking the silence. I try to calm my breathing, holding my hands against my racing heart. They make a crinkly sound and I look down to see them wrapped in bandages.
"What's going on?" I ask no one in particular.
"You were screaming, Usagi-chan." Kakashi answers.
"I was?" I thought I couldn't scream.
"Yeah, you must have had a nightmare."
From the looks on everyone's faces, I had screamed pretty loudly. If I had managed to wake up Minato and Kushina, who slept on the other side of the manor, then I'd say so. I didn't remember returning from the Hokage tower or getting into bed, so Minato must have carried me back and tucked me in rather than waking me up. Naruto gazed at me with big, terrified eyes, and a pang of guilt with through me. I had really scared him.
"I'm sorry-"
A deafening boom sounded, and the manor shook. Everyone stiffened at the same time, and I choked on the rest of my words. A malicious chakra had appeared near the village, and it was suffocating even from here. All at once, the adults leapt into action. Minato disappeared in a flash, and Kushina yelled at Kakashi to watch Naruto and I before sprinting away as well.
Naruto started tearing up as we heard Konoha thrown into chaos. The alarms sounded and Kakashi dragged Naruto onto his back while cradled me in his arms, before speeding down the stairs, and I clung to him. He was still in uniform, and vaguely I wondered what he had been doing here so late. The front door was wide open but Kakashi turned away, heading toward the back. We just made it through the door when he came to an abrupt halt.
In a puddle of blood on the floor laid Haruka, her throat slit. Yumi was standing over her, a gleeful expression upon her face. She wore black combat clothes, a weapon pouch at her side and a sheath across her back. In her hand was a katana, the edge dripping red. She looked up at us standing in the door frame, and a bubbly laugh erupted from her.
"Oh dear." Her voice was soft, melodic as she placed a palm to her cheek. "Whatever do you think you're doing? I can't allow you to leave with those children. No no no… that won't do at all."
Suddenly she's three feet from us, swinging her sword at Kakashi's head. He ducks, sweeping out to kick her legs from under her. Yumi jumps, twisting backward and back springing off the floor to create distance. A giggle escapes her.
"A challenge. I love challenges, they're a bit like games. Do you want to play?"
A cloud of smoke explodes around us as Kakashi makes shadow clones. He passes us off to one while the smoke screens us. Three of him, including the original one, charge and engage her in battle. Another deafening boom sounds from somewhere in the village and the ground vibrates from the force. Our clone uses the distraction to escape out the front door.
We take off into the forest once we reach the gate of the estate. Wind whips past us as Kakashi moves full speed ahead. Instead of going straight toward the mountain we run parallel to it, and distantly I wonder whether it's even a safe place, considering I never seem to make it there. As we proceed through the trees of the village I hear the clash of metal against metal, and some screams. I turn and watch a burst of fire catch in the trees behind us; I flinch violently and look away, shuttering. In mid jump between branches a kunai accelerates toward my face, so fast that I barely see it. Kakashi moves to cover me and the weapon sinks in with a disturbing squelch.
Our clone poofs away and we drop toward the ground, shouting. I land on my shoulder and pain flares through it. I lift my head in time to see a figure snatch an unconscious Naruto up and throw him over his shoulder, before turning to me. He wears a black cloak and a pale, porcelain mask; through the slits his right eye seems to glow red, even in the dark. I back away but it does little good, because in the next moment I'm in his other arm, restrained against him in a tight grip.
My hands were pinned, and I kicked out in an attempt to get the man to drop me. It only results in him squeezing my injured shoulder, making me yelp. After that a combination of fear and shock keeps me still in the man's arm. The throbbing of my shoulder feels distant, and I find myself unable to process much in the current state of events. A second attack, so soon after the last and here I was right in the middle of it all; and as if that wasn't enough, I had yet another rookie-nine member to share the experience with.
Just like the last two times.
The man brings us out of the village walls, further and further from the sounds of fighting. I look over his shoulder as we move, needing to know what was happening. My heart briefly stooped as I took in the enormous monster towered at the opposite side of the village. It was larger than any creature I had ever seen, unbelievable in its magnitude. The monster was tall as the Hokage Mountain, with spiked, stone colored armor in the form of a shell. It's eyes were crimson, full of malevolent intent easily seen from even this distance.
It was wrath, here to kill us all, and we were mere insects compared to it.
But hope was not yet to be abandoned, for the monster was not alone. It faced a formidable foe in the form of an equally behemoth creature, a rust colored toad wielding a blade. It was then I remembered Jiraiya's presence in Konoha; surely with him here, we were saved. Minato alone had given his life to stop the Nine tails and save the village, but these were different circumstances. We had one of the Sannin on our side, the legendary toad sage and the monster before them swung only three armored tails.
A tailed beast was nothing to scoff at, but neither were the shinobi of Konohagakure.
We had a Sannin, the Yellow Flash, and the god damn Professor of Shinobi.
Konoha would live to tell this tale.
Gamabunta charged at the monster, shoving it back and creating distance between their fight and the village. The monster's tails whipped about, as though swatting something away. Though it was too far to tell, I imagined it was Minato flitting about the beast, searching for any weak spots in the shell armor while Jiraiya sat upon his summon's head, providing distraction. Perhaps Kushina was there as well, preparing chakra chains to hold the monster down long enough for something to be done about it.
I didn't get the chance to see what would happen next though, as the man jumped down from the trees and the battle was lost from sight. We had landed in a large, empty clearing before our captor set us down. He never let go, instead shifting the two of us in front of him as a sort of makeshift shield. I watched him, aware of every breath he took, every twitch or shift in his stance and posture. He stared ahead in the direction we had come from, waiting for something.
Naruto's shoulder was pressed against my injured one, and I could feel the shivers that racked his body. He was completely silent, in a way I had never seen before and I couldn't help glancing over at him, to assess his state. He was pale, eyes wide and unseeing. There was a bit of blood on the left side of his head from where he had fallen from the trees and had been knocked unconscious. It was good that he was awake now, and not in a coma; the fall had been high, at least twenty feet. There was a tremor to his hands, his breathing quiet, and expression empty.
It did not fit with my image of Naruto, the sunshine boy that made the world spin and could bounce back from anything. It was so easy to forget that this Naruto was different though; he hadn't grow up being resented for his existence, he was Namikaze Naruto and he had always known love and joy and affection. He had never truly been exposed to the cruelties of this world, had never suffered or felt terror. Namikaze Naruto was an innocent little boy, and for the first time in his short life he was experiencing the hellish future that awaited him.
It was an unnerving thing to see.
He was so small, a teeny little thing; practically a baby. He would not bounce back from this so easily, and it was idiotic that I had somehow expected him to. He was not a loudmouthed, boisterous kid with a thick head, unwavering determination, and a heart of gold. Naruto was a six year old boy, terrified beyond belief in a waking nightmare where his parents were gone and no one was coming to save him. Somehow, this was different from Sasuke; he had been scared, yes, but there had been a fire, a will to live to see another day in him.
Naruto's world had just been shattered.
Suddenly something cold and sharp was pressed to my throat. From the jolt beside me I gathered Naruto was in a similar position. I did not have time to think about my options, whether this man meant to kill us or if he had more sinister ideas in mind, because not three seconds later a rustle sounded from the trees and Kushina angrily broke through them with a roar. She shook with clear rage, red hair whipping demonically around her, eyes crimson, pupils slit. Her canines were sharp, exposed in her snarl as she dissected the situation, the knives to our throats and the man holding them.
"A step closer and I spill all their blood." The man hummed. It was clear she was working to stay in control, and the man's easy going attitude did nothing to help. He did not openly taunt her, and part of me suspected he would not be stupid enough to. Despite his calm persona, I could sense the caution coiled in him, not quite hidden by the alert, anticipation of his body.
"Those are my kids." Kushina hissed. "How dare you put your filthy hands on them."
"You can have them back, almost good as new." He replied amiably. "For a price."
Kushina stilled, paling and the man laughed.
"You already know what that price is, don't you?" It had all been strictly business, before, but this seemed to amuse him. "Let's make a deal then, shall we? Release the Kyubi, and I will let your children go. I have no use for them, after all; they'd only be in the way, so if I can get rid of them without having to make a mess than I'd prefer to do so."
I believed him, too.
Naruto and I were nothing to him, he had let us fall from that tree when he likely could have caught us, because ultimately our physical state did not matter to him beyond alive. There had been no care taken with us, and no actual bloodlust; he didn't particularly want to kill us but given the incentive, he would. By now Kushina was all but vibrating with tension, expression full of anguish at the state of things. Naruto had begun crying silently, and without looking I reached for his hand, intertwining out fingers.
Kushina's eyes followed the movement, before her gaze met mine. I smiled blandly at her, unable to conjure anything reassuring. The situation had escalated, far beyond anything I had imagined and given our options I had little hope for getting out of this alright. If the Kyubi was released on the village, Konoha would undoubtedly fall. If I was being honest, I didn't particularly care if the village went under; as long as I was out of this man's reach I had a fair chance of survival.
My friends, however, would never make it out alive.
They would die if Konoha was forced to face two tailed beasts, and in the back of my mind I could see the broken, mangled corpses of my boys. I would never forgive Kushina if she gave into the man's demands; I would spend the rest of my life hunting her down. I would not be able to live with the knowledge that I'd had a hand in the deaths of the people I cared for.
"So what will it be then? Your village, or your children?" As if to make his point, he presses the blades down deeper, just breaking through the skin. Naruto yelps, struggling briefly. He stops when it makes the pain worse. Our hands are no longer together, and a sob escapes him.
I can see Kushina breaking as she watches us, her determination weakening with each second. I don't blame her, she's being force to watch a man hold a blade to her baby's throat; her terrified little boy. So I understand, but I can't allow her to give in. The loss of life that will come with the Kyubi's release is something I will not stand for. The deaths from my dream flash through my mind, and my resolve strengthens.
Unacceptable.
With speed I didn't know I had, my hand flies up and slides between Naruto's throat and the blade. Chakra gives me the edge I need as I twist and the man is forced to let go. The blade at my throat is pressing harder, drawing more blood but the man hesitates to finish me, and lose one of his bargaining chips. In the end that's what does him in, because I am not like him, more than anyone I see the ending to this story if he is allowed to continue. It is not a game or a carefully planned out strategy, it is Do Or Die and there is no hesitation in me.
There will be no second chances.
I push against the blade to my throat, let it slice deeper and earn the man's surprise. He has one hand on Naruto still, and the other to my neck, at once trying to stop my insanity and keep ahold of his other prisoner, which is why he is a second late to stop me from running the blade in my hand into his gut. Its an instinctual reaction, the way his free hand leaves Naruto in order to stop me from digging in further. To his credit the man doesn't do more than grunt in pain. Naruto is free though, and with minimal wiggle room the best I can do is kick him out of reach.
It all happens in the span of a few short seconds, and the only reason it works is because no one is able to anticipate it. I have once again been underestimated, and as Kushina flashes forward to retrieve her son I find myself strangely at peace with this. Shikamaru and Chouji might not make it through the night, but their chances at survival were optimistic now; they would live to see another day.
I don't have the energy to place the plethora of emotions that grace Kushina's face as she looks at me. The satisfaction and peace is gone from me as the man pulls the blade from his gut and drops it, seemingly unaffected by the gaping wound in his torso. A hand snags my hair, pulling tightly to further expose my throat and force my gaze skyward. My hands begin to shake, a strangled sound catching in my throat as I acknowledge the anger radiating from the man.
I begin to unravel.
"Are you happy now, little hero?" The man snarled in my ear, pulling tighter on my hair. "Didn't think that through did you? The boy's gone, but you're still here. And for what? I still have the famous Namikaze princess as leverage."
Something in me snaps at the knowledge that I'm going to die here. In my mind, I see how it will play out. Kushina will deny him when the man demands she release the Kyubi. She'll escape with Naruto, and he'll cut my throat in retaliation. Against my will a shrill laugh breaks through me. It's a half crazed sound, and I can tell it's not what the man expected, but I really can't help it.
The irony here is too much.
In my first life, I had committed suicide.
Now that I had a second chance, I wanted to live, very badly; to the point where I had been ready to abandon a six year old in order to increase my chances. I had come to regret the decision to take my life, and this time more than anything I wanted to live my life to the very fullest, no matter what. Yet here I was, about to have it reaped from me far too soon, for saving a six year old. I was going to die by the hands of a wannabe Tobi, because I cared a little too much.
Because I hadn't been selfish enough.
Dying the first time had been a choice, and it had been taken from me when I'd been reincarnated. Living in this world had been another choice, and like the last it was once again being taken from me, and I was so sick of it. I couldn't stand it, how this place kept limiting me, time after time as though I was somehow supposed to cope with it. I did not choose to be Uzumaki Nao, to have a target on my back and forced to train in secret, tip toe around this village that seemed so keen to chain me up and make me their own.
I was unraveling, and there was something dark rising to the surface. In the distance, a chakra signature I vaguely recognized was approaching at break-neck speed. It didn't matter though, nothing mattered expect the man behind me and the insatiable need to go out on my own terms. My laughter died down as I met the man's eyes through his porcelain mask.
"Leverage?" I coo softly, manic grin spreading. "Is that where you think this is heading? The only one with something to lose here, is you."
Rin bursts through the tree line, skidding to a halt beside Kushina. The man's grip on my hair loosens ever so slightly with the new distraction. Maybe he didn't plan on killing his only hostage, and maybe with Rin here there was a chance for my escape, but I was beyond such things now. I was hateful, and vindictive, and I would not have another choice taken from me. I yank forward, pressing into the blade once more. It makes another cut, deeper than before, but the man seemed ready for me this time; he pulls me back by my hair painfully.
Exactly as I wanted him to.
"You're psychotic, you know that?" The man growled.
Maybe I was. It had been a hard couple of months, to be fair. I was too busy ramming the back of my head into his injured stomach to reply though. This elicited another pained grunt, but not much else. Though Naruto and Rin had disappeared unnoticed, for some reason Kushina had remained. She was clearly unsettled, glancing at me with an expression bordering on heart-break yet unwilling to just leave. This didn't involve her any longer, and I was annoyed she lingered.
"What, you're still here?" I snapped at her. "City's burning, get going already!"
The man put a hand over my mouth, covering it. It didn't matter though; I had said what I needed to say. Nothing seemed to be going the man's way, and I could feel his frustration as his patience wore thin. He moved the blade to my temple, his other hand still in my hair.
"I'm not going to repeat myself again. Release the Kyubi or watch her die." He slid the blade down until it was pointed at my side. "Here's some incentive."
With that, he pushed it into my side. An agonizing scream ripped through the air before I could even try to hold it in. Another followed as he pulled the blade out, and fresh tears streamed down my face. Oh god, he was going to torture me first. Kushina was crying, holding a hand over her mouth, but she didn't move. I was seething with rage.
"No? Let's try again then." The blade slid in an inch under my belly button in one smooth motion. I screamed again. I'd never felt this much pain before, and my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. My vision grew tunnel like, making me struggle to stay awake and on my feet; I was afraid to pass out from the pain and never wake up again. The blade hovered over my right eye. Looking at it, only about an inch and a half was bloody. He knew what he was doing, not going deep enough to make any of the cuts immediately fatal.
"Go on then." I half-laughed to him, anger replacing fear.
The choice would never be mine.
"STOP!" Kushina screeched. "No more! Please!"
I didn't catch what the man said, because at that point I lost my fight and unconsciousness took me.
The pain didn't let me drift for long.
Soon I was seeping into awareness, slowly and then all at once. I was lying face down on the grass, and everything hurt. The air was thick with malice, making it difficult to breathe or think. My body felt heavy, and I forced my head to rise. I blinked as my vision blurred and refocused. A few yards across from me Kushina was sprawled on her back on the ground. She was so still, I couldn't tell if she was breathing.
I struggled against the pain, dragging myself to her side before examining her. The slight rise and fall of Kushina's chest was definitely a good sign but she looked haggard and unhealthily pale; I had to wonder how long it had been since I fainted. A thundering noise came from behind us and the ground shook. I got to my knees and turned, subconsciously knowing what I would see.
The massive form of the Nine Tails loomed above us even from the other side of the clearing. It let out a powerful roar, and its eyes were spinning with the sharingan. It was being controlled. The masked man stood atop the beast, but they did not move toward the village as I assumed they would. I didn't understand until I spotted a mane of white hair holding them off.
Jiraiya stood in their path, a frog on each shoulder. He was in sage mode and on the offensive. There was something wrong with the Kyubi. Its tails were all flat against the ground, as if pinned. There was a flash of yellow darting around the beast, and I watched as it jumped on it, heading toward the head.
Minato had arrived to save the day, I supposed. If he was here, that meant they had taken care of the other tailed beast. There was no relief in me at that thought. There was a sense of betrayal, because I was alive and the fucking Kyubi was on the loose. After that was an empty pit of nothing. My eye lids were heavy, and though I was sure I had only close them for a moment, when I reopened them the fight was over. Moving was entirely out of the question, so I laid where I was, no longer feeling any pain.
Minato hovered over me, tears falling down his face and dripping onto mine. "Oh Kami. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Nao-chan. I can fix this, I can. I'm so sorry." He continued to babble.
I didn't know what he was sorry for, time was slipping out of my hands, and I missed some things. Words drifted to me.
"The child won't live long if we don't hurry. She'll never make it out of surgery Minato, not in her condition. It's the only way."
The only way… I blink again, except this time I don't manage to open my eyes. Numbness creeps through me, and I'm thankful. Nothing hurts anymore, and despite knowing how bad that is I can't bring myself to care. I was tired. Distantly, I hear Jiraiya and Minato talking, but I can't quite make out the words; only the distress behind them.
Then blinding pain, worse than anything I could ever imagine, takes hold of me. I scream and thrash, silently begging someone, anyone, to please please kill me. What's going on? Why is this happening to me? No more, oh god no no no, someone just put me out of my misery. It's too much; all I want is for it to stop, to be over.
And then suddenly it is.
All that's left is sweet nothing.
I'm standing in what looks like a sewer. The floor is thinly lined with water, and the light is dim. For the life of me I can't recall how I came to be here when I was just lying on the grassy earth. I remember the pain and a terrible thought dawns. Maybe this is what death looks like. Was I a terrible enough person that I landed in purgatory? Is this the price one pays for a second life? A strange scraping sounds from behind me, and I turn to locate the noise.
In front of me is the largest gate I have ever seen. I tilt my head up and in the distance I think I can see the top. An exit then? I didn't have the strength to open a gate that big though. Something about it stirs at my memory, and I feel uneasy. I don't approach it, my instincts telling me to flee. Two huge red eyes appear behind the gate, glowing ominously in the dark. Warning bells noise in the back of my mind, along with a voice that says to back away from the thing in the shadows, but I stay perfectly still.
I've seen those eyes before.
"Who are you?" I whisper.
"I think you know exactly who I am." It replied, tone deep.
I don't understand what's going on, because this was all wrong. Surely Minato didn't do what I think he did. He wouldn't be so cruel, would he? I start hyperventilating as my mind goes through the facts. The Kyubi was released. Kushina was half dead. We won against the masked man. Minato was talking to me, but I couldn't remember what he was saying; he had been crying.
My hands are shaking, from anger or despair or betrayal I don't know. They sealed the Kyubi into me. They made me a Jinchuriki. Shackling me to Konoha, like an animal. All at once my will to live is revived. How could they?
How dare they?
Did they think this would somehow be explainable to me? That I would understand and bend to Konoha's will? I was not a puppy that could be kicked and would come crawling back for forgiveness. I would not be objectified and used as a weapon for war.
I would be free.
A tiny voice whispered that maybe this was some kind of mistake, that I was missing something and that Minato would never be so cruel. Kushina had died, Naruto was gone and in order to save the village they'd had no other choice. A dead Kushina popped into my head, and my stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of her cold and stiff, pale with death. She was so fiery, so full of life it simply didn't fit. Minato had been crying though, so perhaps it was true.
Another thought dawns on me.
How was the Kyubi released? I had both eyes intact, but did that mean Kushina willingly released it? It didn't seem possible that she would choose to save me and risk the village. I wasn't special, I wasn't loved liked Naruto was or Minato. She would not risk their lives to save mine; I was no one. So then how? Irritation overwhelms any other emotions.
"Come closer, little human. Let's get a look at you." It persuades.
The enmity practically pours from the beast. Instead of being scared though, I'm amused; did it really think I would fall for that and just wander up close enough for it to reach? I laugh, surprising the Kyubi.
"Are you not afraid?" It asks.
"What do I have to fear?" I reply. "You are in there, and I am out here."
It growls, barring its teeth. I sit down closer to the gate, examining it. In truth, it's a cage, and for a moment I wonder how long it's been in there. Or he, I suppose. It would have been a very long time, almost a hundred years I'd guess. I try to imagine what that would be like, living as a prisoner in such a depressing place for so many years. My heart twists in disgust. The nine tails was a being with cognitive thoughts and feelings. How was this any better than caging up a human? He even had a name, a family. I tried to remember what it was, but it'd been a long time since I'd watched the series.
"Your name," I blurt suddenly. "What's your name? Mine is Nao."
The nine tails seems taken aback at my question. He narrows his eyes at me. "What makes you think I have one?"
"Well, why wouldn't you?"
For a moment he says nothing. I wonder if I've crossed a line, but it's a bit late to worry if I did. "Humans are not worthy to know my name; they are all the same. I have seen into your heart. You do not have what it takes to wield my power. You are weak, nothing more than a mere fragment of my hatred!"
"Oh?" I say, feeling vaguely offended. "Did I ask for your power? Hmm? Do you think I wanted any of this? I don't need anything you could offer me. I will make my own way in life, of my own power; not yours."
I turn, facing away from the cage. Sassing a demon was never a good idea, but I knew what the Kyubi's power was like and there was no way in hell I'd be going down that path. If I could figure out how to get out of here I was going to have a talk with Minato; surely he was not stupid enough to do this to me without great cause. As soon as I left this creep place I would get to find out.
As I glanced about, I was hesitant to think of this place as my mindscape; it was dreary, depressing and I hadn't ever considered myself to be that gloomy. Then there was the fact that if this was my mind, where I only ever thought in English, then the Kyubi shouldn't have been able to understand me. Any access he had to my memories would be useless if he didn't understand most of what he was seeing.
How interesting.
And completely pointless right now.
I concentrate on leaving. For a while I try meditating, imagining a door that would take me out of here. It doesn't work and I give up after an hour. I sprawl onto my back, relaxing. My mind wanders for a bit before going over everything. Konoha had been attacked twice in one day it seemed. Why did I have to live in the village with so many enemies? Was it lucky that I was still alive, or unlucky since I kept finding myself in such shitty situations?
On one hand, I had survived a series of explosions, a hostage situation, and getting a malevolent nine tailed beast sealed within me. On the other, I'd been kidnapped yet again, had almost died several times, and got turned into a Jinchuriki by someone I thought I might be able to trust. Looking back, I ponder if the next time I heard an explosion it would affect me. If I ahd been anyone else, the answer probably would have been yes. As it stood though, I was me, and as much as I avoiding thinking about it, and pretended otherwise, things like explosions weren't all that foreign to me.
But I wasn't thinking about that.
Instead, my mind was on the murderous maid, Yumi.
We'd have to have a funeral for Haruka now; Naruto would be upset… and also traumatized. Finding one of your maids dead in a pool of her own blood probably does that to children; it also didn't help the other maid was the one that had killed her. It was a shame that Haruka had gotten caught up in this mess, costing her life. I sincerely hoped Kakashi had kept Yumi alive; bitch deserved a one way ticket to T&I.
Speaking of him, somehow it felt like he was here. I could sense his chakra nearby, but that didn't seem possible; I was in my mindscape. Now that I thought about it, I'd be pretty worried if he ever managed to get in here. My head was a dangerous place to be, especially with my new "friend". It'd all be catastrophic to say the least. I sighed and opened my eyes, expecting to see my dark sewer.
Instead, I found myself staring into a white ceiling. I blinked a couple times, waiting for the image to change. It didn't though, so I turned my gaze to my left. Kakashi sat in a chair next to my hospital bed, snoozing. The room I currently occupied was different from the last one I'd been in. It belonged to the secure wing, which I had glimpsed during an escape attempt months prior.
I wasn't tied down to the bed or hooked up to any machines, and I took that as a good sign. On a side table to my right were two vases, filled to capacity with flowers. The window behind it shined light into the room, but I couldn't see anything other than the sky from my position and I grew curious. How much damage had Konoha taken? Kakashi was awake the moment I sat up, startling me. Our gazes met, and he looked at me warily. For some reason, this instantly irked me.
What did he think I was going to do?
Eat him?
"What's your problem, Bakashi?" I said, eyeing him. "Haven't you ever seen a super Jinchuriki princess before?"
When in doubt, use sarcasm.
Kakashi sputters at my blasé attitude and I use the distraction to hop out of bed. For someone who was stabbed, I felt pretty good; a side effect of the Kyubi no doubt, insta-healing or whatever. I walk to the door only to find my companion blocking it. I glared up at him, attempting to intimidate him into moving aside. It doesn't work of course, because why would anything go my way? Bakashi clears his throat.
"Where do you think you're going?" He inquires.
"To kick the crap out of Minato. His sensei too, if he's around."
"… Right, I'll go get him then."
"You do that." I retorted. "Oh, and while you're at it, bring me some clothes, yeah? I'm getting real sick of hospital gowns."
He leaves, and with nothing better to do I crawl back onto my bed and wait. The more time that went by, the angrier I became. I had done everything within my power to stop the Kyubi from being released, and it had all been for nothing. All I wanted was to be free to make my own decisions; as a Jinchuriki, my fate was all but sealed. I would go to the academy and be a good girl, or the village would lock me up and throw away the key. I could be a stubborn, disobedient child, but not a stubborn, disobedient Jinchuriki.
Konoha had become a far more dangerous place.
But people would also fear me. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. When I eventually leave the village now, they'll try to hunt me down for certain; losing the Nine Tails would be a disaster. I had to be formidable, intimidating enough that the world would be hesitant to try me. I didn't think I would ever be able to defeat Minato, with his teleportation and strategic mind, but as long as he was Hokage chasing me himself would be impossible.
Everyone else I had confidence I could handle, I'd take anyone over Minato.
That didn't mean I okay with it though.
The door opened, and Minato peered his head around before he was shoved in. Kushina and Kakashi followed after, closing the door behind them. I stilled, stomach heavy; she was alive, on two feet and looking as though someone had taken a steam roller to her, but alive nonetheless. A laugh escaped me, short and empty as I waved them all in. They followed hesitantly, Minato taking the lead and stopping at the foot of my bed. When he was beside me I whipped my pillow from behind me and started beating him with it.
"You. Complete. Jackass." I spat, striking him with each word. He scrambled away and I sprung after him. "Who do you think you are, sealing things into me without my permission?"
He evaded me with ease, only further my anger.
"I know you're angry, and you have every right to be," Minato began, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. "but if you would just let me-"
"Put a sock in it." I interjected, chucking my pillow his way. "I don't want to hear your explanations, I want to smother you, bastard."
The last word came out in English as he dodged my pillow. I lunged at him, only to be caught around the waist by Kakashi. I struggle against him while simultaneously trying not to hurt him; it was not his fault the village's demonic pet had been sealed into me. Minato retreats to the other side of the room, where his wife stands. Kakashi doesn't let go, instead he walks over to the bed and sits with his legs crossed and me in his lap. My gaze never leaves Minato.
Something in me hardens, and my anger deflates.
It withers away to make room for the other emotions like betrayal, grief, and disappointment. Unsettling, because it meant that I had let my guard down and at some point vested trust into this man. He wasn't evil, or malevolent; he cared about Konoha deeply, had fought to protect it and he had won. Minato wasn't a bad person, and somehow I had translated that into meaning he could be counted on. It was my own damn fault.
"This is good." Kushina voices suddenly. "She was able to lose her temper without letting the Kyubi manipulate her. It's progress, at least."
"Of course I could." I snapped. "What do you take me for?"
"Ah, sorry Nao-chan. I didn't mean any offense." Kushina said. "Why don't we all sit down, we have some things to discuss."
Kakashi pats my head comfortingly as the Namikaze couple takes a seat. When no one says anything I scrunch my nose in annoyance.
"So?" I prompt.
"The first thing you need to understand is that everyone is going to want the power you have." Minato began. "This means you need to learn to defend yourself, and control the Kyubi. You'll need special tutoring with Kushina, and we'll get you signed up for the academy. We wi-" He continued on but I wasn't listening anymore.
It hadn't been a question.
I would go to the academy, whether I wanted to or not. People would come after me whether I wanted them to or not. These were two undeniable facts. Still, I shake my head no, unable to give in without some kind of fight.
"I know you don't want to go." Kushina said. "But if you don't you'll have a harder time domineering the demon and fighting off potential kidnappers. It's too much of a risk if you don't go."
"Well then maybe you people should have thought twice before shoving a tailed beast into me. I don't particularly care about whether I'm a risk or not; I'm still not going."
"Nao-chan…" Minato paused. "I respect your feelings, but you might not have a choice. The elder council is already demanding you enroll. Some of them want you in a special program even. There's only so much I can do to hold them off."
Silence descends as I process this. Already these people are trying to reign over my life. Thinking they can train me to sit and heel like a dog. My hands shake with anger. Did they think I would obey? Play the part and become a good little Kunoichi? Because they were mistaken; I'd bury anyone who'd dare try. Then something Minato said echoes in my mind.
Special program.
That positively reeked of Danzo. What would he do if word got back to him that I was refusing to go to the academy? What lengths would he go to in order to have me in the palm of his hand? Minato could protect me for only so long, and he wasn't omnipotent; at some point Danzo would find a way to me and I would disappear if I wasn't careful. I could not be seen as a flight risk to him, I was not loyal like Naruto and I didn't not have roots to hold me to this village like Kushina.
Danzo would come for me if I didn't enter the academy, and he would find a way to either subjugate me or eliminate me. The academy would provide me with a small window of safety, six years. Minato's protection would not be enough after that, and I needed to be ready by then.
Danzo was someone to be feared.
I could fight this, deny the academy and the shinobi way with all my might, but it would mean gambling my freedom, my life. I hated the elder council's audacity, and one day I would ruin them for forcing my hand.
"What were you saying?" I asked Minato.
"Ah," He shifted. "Well, along with your extra training, you'll need new ANBU guards. Your Jinchuriki status will be an S-ranked village secret, do you understand? No one can know and you can't tell anyone."
"I understand." I murmur stoically. "Am I allowed to leave now?"
"Er, yes." Kushina answered, getting up. "I'll go discharge you."
With that she left the room. The rest of us sat quietly, waiting. My eyes were on my feet and I could feel Minato's stare. I looked up and met his gaze, and whatever he saw there made him flinch.
"I don't forgive you." I tell him. "I don't know if I ever will; but I don't hate you. Hating you would take too much energy, and in the end the only person harmed would be me. Hate transforms you, mutates your soul; I won't become bitter and resentful because of your choices. It isn't worth it. So I won't hate you, but I also can't forgive you."
He doesn't say anything for a moment.
"That's fair." He admits. "I don't expect you to forgive me, because I did something horrible to you, without your consent. As Hokage, I had to make a difficult decision, one that affected you and for that I'm sorry."
Forgiveness was a long, long ways away; but I did understand. He didn't do it out of malicious intent, or selfish desire. He did it to save his village, and I could respect that. It was an answer I was satisfied with, even if I didn't like it. Minato's devotion to Konoha had always astounded me. He had sealed the Kyubi into his own newborn son to save his village.
He had died for Konoha.
I didn't think I would ever love a place that much. I was a nomad at heart; wandering is what I did best, and it had carried over into this life. The call of wanderlust is what drove me, and every month here it grew louder and louder. The three years I had been here were the longest I had ever stayed somewhere. I wondered how long it would last.
"Usagi-chan?" Kakashi said suddenly, apprehensively.
"Yeah?"
"… I forgot your clothes."
A/N
First off, I want to explain that Nao isn't going to be some over powered female Naruto. I really thought his strength in the anime/manga was ridiculous, and my Nao is not going to be like that.
What I believe makes Nao unique is her surprising ability to take action when under pressure. She didn't save Naruto because she cared about him, or because it was the right thing to do; those thoughts never even crossed her mind. Nao is capable of doing what needs to be done in order to save the ones she cares about. She's not selfless by any means.
I know some of you are going to have a problem with her going to the academy, and that's okay. But it's still going to happen, because it's unrealistic that Nao would be able to acquire the skills and strength she needs on her own.
We learned a bit more about Nao's past in this chapter. Let me know if it's something you guys are interested in.
Thoughts? Questions?
Please Review!
