Kali opened her eyes one morning hearing a bit of noise outside her window. She tilted her head and pushed the curtains back a little seeing the sprinkler on and a small child, a year old now, playing out in the yard.
The year had been a difficult one. Not only had Kali struggled with her own inner turmoil, still doing that, she had discovered Yasha, the little hanyou who was just fourteen, had been brutally raped and beaten by bullies. Due to being part dog, nine weeks later, another secret popped out.
She had given birth to a son, the now future heir of the Uchiha clan, even if it was through adoption. Yet Yasha, having hid the pregnancy, actually panicked in labor and nearly hemorrhaged herself during the process. It was the boy's screams from the woods that saved her life.
And brought Sasuke back into her life.
They named him Shiva, the boy actually being more a heartbreaker as rumor had it, he charmed the nurses from the moment he smiled. He still charmed anyone he saw, and it was this kid that became Kali's biggest test. Would she attack a child? Would she endanger him?
Hell no.
But Kali struggled with the fact she needed blood. She had no idea the importance of it, nor did she have any idea she would soon be bound by it. Attacking humans just seemed to frighten her to pieces. She grew more withdrawn than her once outgoing nature, and started to dress the part as well, wearing mostly black and wore shades over her eyes. While her personality sort of changed, as Sasori said, she was still the stubborn one.
And this included returning to medical school. As a doctor, she could get medical blood and survive without hurting someone.
Kali sat up in bed, her brown hair all a mess. She shook it out a moment and slid out of bed to get ready for the day. Now she was allowed outside, yet rarely strayed too far. The scent of humans around her sometimes unnerved her. She didn't realize she would have to feed from one, and not one voluntarily.
So she had a choice…feed from the innocent or pick and choose from criminals.
That night, she swore, she would choose that fate.
Kali's mutant abilities were all but gone. She had a few remaining, more enhanced due to the vampirism. But it was the power of pure light that baffled her. Shouldn't light be bad for a vampire? That's what all the books said. But then again, lore could always be wrong. She shrugged off the question as she fixed her hair in one long braid and picked up her shades on her dresser before grabbing her black trench coat.
Yasha looked up hearing the door slide open. She looked a bit weaker than normal. She was pregnant again, apparently her and Sasuke made up for lost time, but this pregnancy wasn't like the other. She had fainting spells that wasn't from it and at times she had no strength, but she preserved herself, especially for Shiva and her unborn, which she said by the way of smell, was a daughter.
Kali looked at Yasha. "Go rest, I can baby-sit," she said.
Yasha nodded. "Thanks," she said. She shuffled inside, the girl ready to pop at any given day. Kali could only shake her head as she turned her attention to her "nephew" as she called him.
Never thought she'd ever be an aunt, that was for sure.
Then again, Itachi was technically grandpa, but they decided, to preserve his sanity, he'd be uncle and Alison aunt.
They didn't need Drama Queen Uchiha to start his mess.
Kamara stepped outside as if to assist. Oh, how Shiva loved this tiger. The little boy gave a squeal of delight when the fuzzy kitty popped up and was running as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Kali was amazed at Shiva sometimes. He had wolf ears it looked like, black unlike his mother's, and these red-gold eyes to boot. His black hair was to his shoulder, an inch above, and he loved ducks. Practically all his clothes had ducks on them. The only problem they had was giving him a bath, when he learned running around the house butt naked seemed a joy.
But there was a funnier side. Shiva had accidentally walked in the bathroom during one of his "exploration" times and saw Kisame taking a shower. Ever since, he was scared of "sharks in the tubby". Even Sasuke was praying to every god he knew, that this kid would grow out of it.
Sasuke had taken care of the Sound Village. Orochimaru was dead, as was Kabuto, a joint effort on the latter with his brother. However, he told of how he was close to having Anya actually follow him, how he was slowly turning her back on the right path while she seemed to follow him. But the night of the fight, she had mysteriously disappeared by force.
He spoke that a man, black hair and jade green eyes, had knocked her out during the battle and dragged her off, before Sasuke could even get to her. He didn't wish to lose hope that the werewolf was safe.
But that had been nearly a year ago, and no one had seen her since.
Itachi stepped outside and sat down next to Kali at the swing, who was now fingering a cigarette, while Kamara had Shiva. "I hear you're going to try tonight," he said.
"You heard right," she responded as she lit the cigarette, inhaling the sweet menthol flavored smoke. She had no idea she had inherited this from her father, Wolverine. She sighed. "I ain't gonna chicken out, Nii-sama."
"I'm just saying be careful," he said. He leaned back a bit.
She looked at him. "Always am," she said softly as she stood up. "I need to go for a walk."
"I got the kid, you go on," he said waving her off watching her head off.
Alison walked up as she looked at him and watched her go. "Sometimes it takes a moment to realize one must wake up and face their responsibility."
Itachi looked at his wife. "One of your old sayings?" he asked.
"No…just one of the lessons of life," she admitted. "I do not have any ancient stories to say."
He chuckled and nodded. "Sometimes you do act older than what you are, dear."
"Well…it happens when you have lived through what I have…some I know you did," she said. "But I guess my old teachings caught up to me." She made a face. "Sour joke, I know."
"Sour joke or not, sometimes your words of wisdom make more sense," he said as he lifted Shiva up. "And sense is what we need sometimes, despite things."
"Would that include Squeaker and his mission to blow up your barbeque grill?" she suddenly asked as he froze. He handed her Shiva and marched back inside, more likely to attack "Squeaker", which was an old nickname they gave to Deidara. The blond bomber had a habit of trying to mess with things he shouldn't, and part of that was trying to blow up Itachi's barbeque grill believing it would make one hell of a explosion and art.
Much to Itachi's annoyance, he had been through three grills in four years.
He'd be damned if Deidara would make it an even four!
Kali's walk led her to a bridge in the village that was surrounded by big cherry blossom trees. She glanced up at this studying them as she moved to sit down as she overlook things from a distance. She looked seeing a couple of people she recognized, Asuma being one, and then she could see the one annoying guy with a bowl cut who had a student as equally annoying as he was.
Gai she believed his name was. She knew the student to be a friend of Yasha and Sasuke's.
She seemed to be taking in who was "innocent" and who wasn't. She recalled a joke Sasuke had, that if Sakura bugged them, for Kali to bite the hell out of her and she'd leave them be. She rolled her eyes at that and just continued to observe. She suddenly blinked seeing something nearby.
It was a person in a black kimono looking outfit. Yet they walked so damn fast, her eyes couldn't keep up.
"Odd," she mumbled. Yet during this time, she saw a man chasing a woman. She frowned standing up as she moved forward fast seeing him grab her roughly. "Hey!" she shouted. "Leave her alone!"
"Fuck off, bitch," he growled knocking her backward into the wall as she hit the ground.
That did it.
Kali's eyes took on a red glow as fangs emerged from her mouth. She gave an animalistic growl as she sprung at the man grabbing him with strength that was shocking for someone her size. She shot a look at the woman as if telling her to run. She then glared down at the man. "Wrong move, asshole," she snarled, her voice even sounding deeper.
His face went deathly pale as he struggled in her grasp.
She slammed him into the brick wall face first as she held her arm against his neck, keeping it at an angle. "You. Can't. Run. From. Me." She said each word slowly and calmly. And in the fury, she sank her fangs into his neck as her free hand covered his mouth to muffle his screams.
It was in the first rush of blood she began to see things. She was viewing every atrocity he had ever committed. She saw him beating on women, she saw him as a thief…then she saw the most horrible act she ever thought possible, seeing the victim through his eyes, as she realized she was seeing everything this man ever did that marked him as a criminal. This only intensified her thirst as she soon felt him grow limp in her arms and saw him collapse to the ground.
She wiped her mouth as she shook her head hard. "What did I just see?" she whispered to herself.
"It's a talent called Blood Speech," a voice said behind her as she turned seeing the black kimonoed person, a female taller than she was. "A very rare trait among some vampires. It gives the user a choice and a judgment. In other words, who deserves to live, who deserves to die due to the sins they've committed. So you can find out who is innocent with just a drop of blood."
"You…" Kali stood straight watching the woman approach the body. "Whaddya doin'?"
"I'd stand back behind that dumpster if I were you," the woman said as Kali blinked.
"Why?" the half vampire asked as she watched the woman draw a sword. She saw her turn it around to press the hilt at the man's forehead.
And that was when the ground began to shake.
The female stood calmly as she watched two large doors appear out of nowhere from underground. Kali saw what looked like two half skeletons on them bandaged up. The doors suddenly flew open as the man's screaming ghost was pulled inside as a strong wind blew through the alley.
Kali gasped holding on as she watched this in fear and awe mixed together. "What the fuck is that?!" she asked in shock.
The doors shut as swiftly as they arrived and vanished. The body was also gone. "That was the gates of Hell," the woman said turning her chocolate brown eyes down to her. "If a soul is…well, wicked in their human lives, they go there. If not, they go to a beautiful place called Soul Society."
Kali raised a brow. "Okay…" she said slowly. "And just how do ya know all this?"
The woman chuckled. "Because I'm a shinigami, Kalista Logan," she said. "My name is Kay Johnson. I'm the shinigami representative for Konoha and the surrounding villages along with my sempai, Renji Abarai."
"A death god," Kali said. "I know I'm half dead, but I ain't ready to die just yet!"
"Slow down," Kay said holding a hand up. "Seems you grew up on reapers being with scythes and the works. First all, you can't die. Second, I'm not here to take your soul. There's a lot to discuss, but now's not quite the time to do so. So, I ask this. Can you meet me at midnight on top of the Hokage Mountain?"
Kali stared at the other brunette. "Why? You sayin' like I'm attractin' shinigami suddenly?"
"No…" Kay took a breath. "You are a shinigami, Kalista."
