Hey everyone... I just realized I'd better update this because I haven't for so long. My other story will be updated soon too, so no worries.
Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto or any characters therein. Masashi Kishimoto does.
Dusk and Daybreak
Chapter
9: The Demon Within
A medic-nin rushing to another patient's room was the first to notice the dark, heavy chakra nearly pouring from the room. She yelled back to the nurse's station for them to check on Yugito, and rushed on to the coding patient whose room she'd been heading for.
When the nurse entered a few minutes later, she fell over herself trying to back out the way she'd come. She quickly turned herself over, getting up to run, but some unseen force dragged her back into the room, nearly suffocating her.
Meanwhile for Yugito, this thing pulling the nurse farther into the room was anything but unseen. Although by this point she was unable to control her body's actions, she could still see the countless inky, hideous apparitions surrounding her, almost feeding off of the black chakra radiating from her body.
The nurse's cries drew others from the nurses' station, and when the other nurses saw the huge black form of a cat, completely enveloping the bed, its black chakra filling the room, two ran to go get help. Of course, they couldn't even see the spirits which had been attracted by the Nekomata, or the sight probably would have caused quite a few to faint.
Daisuke and the Raikage rushed over to the room a few minutes later, speaking quickly to each other in hushed tones. When the door to the room was opened, Daisuke looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "How long has she been like this, and how many people have seen her? When I sealed it the other day, I specifically said to inform me of any change!" He yelled at a nurse, before plunging into the room, the Raikage not far behind. The door was closed quickly behind them.
The Raikage used quite a few high-level lightning jutsus on the Nibi before it finally began to weaken and recede from Yugito. Most of the room was left scorched in the aftermath, due to the Nibi's fire attacks, but the Sandaime Raikage and Daisuke barely noticed as they resealed the biju into the girl yet again.
"And so you're sure Raikage-sama that this sealing jutsu will work permanently?.."
"Yes, yes. Don't worry about it.. I learned it from the best, while I was away traveling and staying in another village at one point. Learned it from the 4th Hokage himself if you must know."
Daisuke just stared at the Raikage in speechless awe, as he walked off and left the hospital.
Of course, the Raikage had never met the Yellow Flash of Konoha. The one instance in his life when he had traveled to Konoha, on a mission while he was still a Chuunin, the village had been under the guidance of the 3rd Hokage, and he hadn't even heard yet of the exploits of the would be 4th. He laughed as he walked jauntily into his office, thinking on how his 'seal' would allow him to unleash the Nibi up to the level of its first tail, at will. Everything was going completely according to plan.
After the incident, Yugito was kept under careful 24 hour surveillance, with an ANBU and a high-level medic-nin posted just outside the door continuously.
Mai's mission did go without a hitch. Once she returned home, she heard from her parents that Yugito had had some complications, and needed to stay in the hospital for another week. Yet no matter how much Mai prodded them, neither her father nor her mother would say any more than that. And so Mai made it her business to go and see Yugito, even though her parents expressly told her that she was not to do so and that Yugito wasn't allowed visitors.
It wasn't exactly easy to get in to see Yugito. First Mai had tried just going to the hospital reception desk, just for the hell of it. They'd told her there that Hoshikori Yugito was under no circumstances allowed to have any visitors, for their safety and her own, by order of the Raikage. That only made Mai more concerned and impatient to see her sister.
"What do you mean you can't Eiji-san? You must have clearance to go in there and treat patients, including Yugito-san.."
Eiji sighed and kicked some dust away from his door frame listlessly. "I'm sorry Mai-san. Only the Raikage, Daisuke-sama, one other medic-nin, and a handful of ANBU Black-Ops are allowed to see her. And I don't know why. I'd help if I could Mai-san, but they won't even tell me why I don't have clearance."
"Fine.. Thank you anyway Eiji." Mai turned and hurried off, not even saying goodbye to Eiji.
As Mai sat in a tree outside of the hospital, she did her best not to second guess her intentions. She was here, and she was going to see Yugito, come hell or high water. The thought of breaking into the hospital, and somehow doing so without alerting ANBU Black-Ops frightened her, she couldn't help but admit. But steeling herself Mai pulled on a black mask, jumped to the windowsill, and shunshined into the room.
She could hear the ANBU outside moving- obviously they'd been alerted to her presence. Going through a few quick handsigns, she was able to use her genjutsu, Raiton: Akumu no Shigai, just as they opened the door. She pulled the ANBU and the man next to him- the medic-nin- into the room quickly, and shut the door to avoid any unwanted attention while the jutsu took its full affect on the shocked men.
Yugito had been woken up by all the commotion, and was about to cast her own genjutsu on the intruder, but Mai quickly walked over and pulled the mask off. "Mai neesan! I could've killed you!" Yugito gasped. "Oh, but I'm so happy to see you though! They don't let me see anyone, and it's not my fault!"
"Are you okay Yugito? I heard that you had complications with your injuries while I was gone. But like you said, they won't let anyone in. I tried everything, but Okaasan and Otousan were acting so strange, I just had to come and see you.."
Yugito laughed, although Mai was certain it sounded forced. "Oh, no.. I'm fine. They just were worried about.. about the burn I got, is all. It wasn't healing right. But heh, I should be back in business in a few days."
Mai sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her sister hard. Finally she started, "You don't have to lie to me Yugito. I mean.. I thought we tell each other everything. Don't we? Something's wrong? What is it? Oh God, don't tell me! I heard from Eiji that everyone on your squad was stripped by the Grass-nins.. they didn't do anything to you, did they?! Is that why you have to stay here under quarantine or whatever? So you can get an abortion or something?!.." Mai disgust was nothing compared to the shocked look this brought to her sister's face.
"No!! Why would you even think that?... But.. But Mai, if I told you what the real reason is, you'd never think of me the same way again. I know that most of those people, I've heard stories, people act like they're monsters and won't even talk to them! Oh, I don't care what happened, it just can't be me! I'm not a monster!"
Mai was confused, but relieved that her sister was technically okay she returned to her senses. "Yugito, we should probably quiet down a bit. And I don't have much time here before someone notices the guards are gone, or before they start to recover.. Just tell me. You know I'd never think badly of you- well, worse than I do already with all of your fraternizing with every guy you lay eyes on and all."
She got a laugh out of her sister with that one, and after Yugito looked searchingly into her eyes for a moment, she sighed and began, "Fine. Look, I don't know what exactly happened on that mission. But when I came back, I kept hearing a voice. I..I've heard it before, but it was never this loud- I used to just ignore it. But now, whenever I would fall asleep since I've been back, it's filled my head. And then.. then the other day… I don't know… All of a sudden I lost control. The voice took over! There was black chakra everywhere- and then the worst part was when the spirits came. They were feeding off of the chakra coming from me! They wouldn't go away, and when the Raikage came, whatever this thing was almost burned the room down. It was me, but at the same time, it wasn't… I couldn't help but overhear them talk about the seal on me, before the other day… They said the Nibi would get out, that somehow Kusagakure must have found out, that Kumo must have a leak… But how could I have a biju in me? Have you heard about those people? They're monsters! I'm not a monster Mai!!" By now, Yugito was sobbing uncontrollably in her sister's lap.
"No, no of course you're not," Mai started. Suddenly though, a noise was heard out in the hall. "Dammit. I'm sorry, I have to go. But Yugito, don't worry. I know you're no monster, and whatever happened couldn't have been your fault. I'll be back to see you soon.." And with that, Mai placed her sister's head down and shunshined back out of the room, leaving her distressed sister and the tormented ANBU and medic-nin, who were found about an hour later, after the genjutsu had worn off.
But Mai didn't need to go and see her sister again. Although she was kept under even stricter security after the break in, Yugito seemed to be in perfect health. The Raikage and Daisuke both came to see her that morning and the next, and that next morning, after looking at the seal once more, the Raikage and head medic-nin agreed that she was able to leave. An ANBU was sent to the Hoshikori household, to inform Akio that his daughter had been given a clean bill of health and would be returning home.
"Are you sure? I heard about what happened last Monday.." "Um, I wasn't informed about whatever happened Hoshikori-san, however, I was sent by the Raikage himself to inform you that your daughter has been okayed to leave, after a week of observation." "Fine. Thank you."
Akio closed the door and turned to go and get his coat. "Mai-san, where are you?" he called, startling Mai from reading in her room. She quickly closed her book and walked into the hall.
"Mai, get ready immediately. You're coming with me to the hospital." "Why are we-?" Mai started, worriedly. "Seems your sister is being released. I've got to go make sure everything is fine, and sign her out." Inside, Mai was jumping for joy as she obligingly put on her sandals and followed her father out the door.
Yugito was kept under almost constant watch by her father for the rest of the week, and although she was summoned to the Raikage's office for a mission assignment, she was forbid to go. Akeno and Kikyo kept asking incessant questions about what had happened, as young children are wont to do, but the entire matter wasn't up for discussion in the Hoshikori household. Of course, that didn't stop Mai and Yugito from discussing it at all.
"So…what do you think Otousan's problem is? I mean, technically we can't talk about it at all… Look, I'm not saying you're one of those monsters Yugito, I know you aren't! But.. well, what else could have gotten him so concerned about other people's opinions that he won't even let it be spoken about?!"
"Oh, shut up Mai!" her sister cried, throwing a pillow at her face. "He's probably just afraid people will think I was raped or something- and then, oh what an embarrassment to the clan! Gasp! I mean, hell, you even thought so at first!.."
"Well, they found you with your clothes-" "And the guys on my team had all their clothes ripped off!" Yugito paused, thinking. "But what if you're right about the biju Mai?.."
"Well, you didn't get any tattoos in Kusagakure, did you?" "No…'
"Then yeah… I must be right.. I over heard Otousan and Okaasan anyway.. But! But.. you don't act like those freaks you hear about in stories and rumors and all, so don't worry! You must have a really good seal. Maybe it just.. needed to be reinforced or something because it was getting old?.. And you're a really good ninja too, so no worries."
"Yeah, but it was still so horrible- I've never seen anything so horrible. At least it's okay now though, huh?.."
"Yep, now you'd better go to bed." Mai kissed Yugito on the cheek and left for her room.
It wasn't all 'okay now' though. Mai had to leave the next afternoon for an ANBU mission, this time to the outskirts of Konohagakure. Supposedly there had been some rouge ninja seen there, and the Raikage and a few feudal lords were concerned that they might enter Kumogakure's borders and cause a disturbance. So, the Raikage had sent two squads to check things out. But Mai's squad didn't find anything suspicious at all, and were already on the day-long journey back, when Yugito started feeling a little funny.
Yugito had been sitting in her room, playing with different hairstyles and trying on the new clothes her mother had bought her to cheer her up during her long stay indoors. Little did her parents know she was planning on sneaking out that night to go to a local nightclub.
Suddenly though, everything began to feel a little fuzzy. It was when she glanced into the mirror and saw that damned seal glowing out of the corner of her though that she knew something was wrong. She threw on a jacket over the belly shirt she'd been wearing, along with one of her new skirts, and climbed out the window. After what happened the last time, she was getting as far away from there- and any civilization- as possible.
Of course, the Raikage wasn't stupid, even though he seemed that way. The jutsu he had used on Yugito, the pseudo-seal, also allowed him to track her general whereabouts. He sent an ANBU squad to observe her immediately.
As she walked in a silent panic towards the training grounds, arms wrapped around her waist, one ANBU radioed back to the Raikage that the girl they were watching had just passed a vegetable store and was now passing a playground. The Raikage ordered all of the- very confused- ANBU back, meanwhile performing a long series of handseals, fully releasing the seal.
Yugito doubled over in pain, doing everything in her power to contain the dark tendrils of chakra which had just gained full release from her body. Yet for all her efforts, enough of the Nibi's tainted chakra leaked out to reveal one of its two tails.
The children who had been playing soccer in the nearby playground dropped everything and ran screaming for home. But their high-pitched screams only harassed the cat demon's sensitive hearing, and she lashed out at two of them with her chakra, combined with her scorching fire abilities. Yugito was barely conscious, but still attempting to contain the Nibi's chakra through it all.
By the time her father realized Yugito was gone, 10 minutes later when he went to see her for his 15 minutes check-in, it was too late. When he eventually found her, lying near the playground, the children were gravely injured and Yugito's body had burn marks all over it. The owner of the vegetable market was standing outside, a mix of confusion, sorrow, and shock stricken over their face. He yelled to them to get medical help for the two young boys.
Instead of bringing Yugito back to the hospital though, and creating a scene, he immediately shunshined home with his daughter, deigning it better to either let her heal on her own, or let Eiji heal her in private when he returned with Mai. He didn't want the entire village knowing what had happened. Little did he know what was coming.
